and death is but a long sleep till the Resurrection Iohn 11.11 Acts 13.36 Let Atheists and Epicurean worldlings who have their portion onely in this life fear death because it puts an end to all their pleasures and hopes Iob 11. ult Hence Lewis the Eleventh King of France a bloody persecutor commanded his servants in the time of his sickness that they should never once name that bitter word death in his eares But Christ hath died to free his people from this slavish fear of death Heb. 2.15 by his death he hath sweetned our death unto us and changed the nature of it and hath made that which was sometimes a curse now to be a blessing of a foe he hath made it a friend of a poyson a medicine and of a punishment an advancement He lay in the grave to sweeten and season our graves for us so that now our flesh may rest in hope Psal. 16.9 Proverbs 14.32 Observation 4. 4. The soul of man is immortal Death is not an Annihilation but a Migration of the soul from the body for a time As soon as ever the soul departeth from the body it is presently in blisse Revelations 14.13 they are not onely blest at the day of judgement but also in the intermission The soul doth not sleep or perish but the souls of the Saints go to a better place and to better company viz. to Christ and to the spirits of just men made perfect Iosiah was gathred to his father in peace 1. to the spirits of his fathers who enjoyed peace for in respect of his Body he was slain in battle The soul never dieth but subsisteth still even when it goeth out of the body it returneth to God that gave it Eccles. 12.7 Hence Paul desires to be dissolved why so that he might be with Christ Philippians 1.23 and desires to be loosed from the body that he might be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 Christ telleth the thief on the Crosse this day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luke 23.43 Steven when stoned cries Lord Iesus receive my spirit Acts 7.59 Christ hath prepared immortal mansions for it Iohn 14.2 and what should mortal souls do in â—mmortal dwellings and why is the Devil so serviceable why doth he make Covenants and Compacts with wicked men for their souls yea and why doth he offer the world in exchange for a soul if it be but a mortal perishing thing To what end are all those promises of Eternal life which are made to those that deny themselves if in this life onely they had hope Then all the Threatnings of Eternal death and all those sorrowes which the Scripture affirmeth shall light on the wicked would be false for here they have mirth ease and pleasure and if they had no punishment hereafter where were the Truth of Gods threatnings and where his Justice The Scripture is clear that the pleasures of good men and the pains of bad men are eternall then it must needs follow that the souls of men which are the Subjects of these pains and pleasures cannot be mortal But here our Mortalists Object 1. Objection If the soul of man be ex Traduce as some affirme then it is mortall for Omne generabile est corruptibile Answer The soul cometh not ex Traduce by Propagation from our Parents as the souls of Beasts which come è potentia materiae but the soul is created and infused by God and not propagated as appeareth Gen. 2 7. Eccles. 12.7 Zach. 12.1 See Doctor Reynolds on the Passions cap. 32. p. 392. Piscator his Annot. on Gen. 2.7 Baronius de Origine animae Exercit. 2. art 3. 2. Objection The dead are said to sleep and to perish Psalm 6.5 and 104.29 Isay 38.18 and 57.1 Job 14.7.10 Answer This is spoken in respect of their bodies not of their souls The dead do not praise thee saith David viz. not in the land of the living on earth but in Heaven they sing Hallelujahs Rev. 5.9 A tree when it is cut down may sprout again saith Iob but man dieth and giveth up the Ghost and where is he This will not help the sleepy Sadduces of our times for tho Physically and by the course of Nature man cannot revive again yet Hyperphysically and by a supernatural Almighty power he shall arise So that Where is is to be restrained to where is he in the world look for him in City or Countrey at home or abroad he 's not to be found Man gives up the Ghost and where is he with all his riches honours plots and purposes 3. Objection Eccles. 3.19.20 21. As the beast dieth so dieth man they have all one breath Answer 1. Solomon here as oft elsewhere in this Booke doth bring in the Atheist deriding the immortality of the soul he speaketh the opinion of other men and not his own Solomons own judgement you may see Eccles. 12.7 2. Take it in the Letter and then Solomon speaketh not of the soul of man but of animal and vital breath which is common to both he speaketh of mans mere natural condition else in respect of mans future condition his body shall rise again and come to judgement So that here is no comparison between the soul of man and that of beasts but between the death of the one and of the other q. d. both are liable to death pains and diseases 4. Objection Matth. 8.22 and 10.28 Ephes. 2.1 The soul is said to die Answer The soul is not said to die in respect of Existence and being but relatively in respect of Gods grace and favour 'T is a separation of the soul from God who is the fountain of life and is a living death and a ceasing not to be but to be happy 5. Objection 1 Tim. 1.17 and 6.16 God onely is said to have immortality How then are mens souls immortal Answer The answer is easie Immortality is twofold 1. Essential Absolute Natural and Independant and so God onely is immortal à parte antè from all Eternity he 's the onely Author and continuer of it 2. Derivative and by Donation communicated to man and so our souls are immortal and our bodies though subject to corruption yet by Divine Ordination shall be immortal after the Resurrection Wo then to those Atheistical Mortalists and Libertines which have sinned away conscience and have led loose lives and now are fallen to loose opinions Open but this gap and farewell Lawes Civility Religion and all that is good Grant but this and farewell all noble actions and all spiritual comforts then Christ died the Apostles laboured and the Martyrs suffered in vain If this Doctrine were true then all our Faith our Hope our Praying Preaching Fasting self-denial mortification sowing in tears and spiritual combats would be in vain and we should be in a worse condition then the beasts that perish If this were true then why did Abraham forsake all Ioseph forbeare his Mistress Moses refuse the pleasures of Pharaohs
consider that these persecutions and trials come not upon us by chance or fortune or according to the pleasure of men or devils but by Gods Decree and fore-appointment and special providence There is no evil in this kinde but it comes from God Amos 3.6 Deuteronomy 32.39 2 Samuel 16.10 11. Psalm 39.9 Iob 1.21 Isay 45.7 Hosea 6.1 I create evil not the evil of sinne but the evil of punishment which to our apprehension and feeling is evil Sin is simply per se evil but these sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in our apprehension onely whatever the Instruments of our troubles are yet God is the Orderer and disposer of them Iosephs Brethren sell him into Egypt I but God disposed it unto good Gen. 50.20 the Assyrian is but Gods rod which can do nothing without the hand that moves it Isay 10.5 they have onely a dispensative power from God As our Saviour told Pilate so we may say to all the wicked they have no power to take a hair from our heads unlesse it be given them from above Iohn 19. Herod Iudas Pilate and the Iewes and the Devil had all ends of their own in persecuting Christ yet did they nothing but what God had fore-ordained and decreed should be done Acts 4.28 God hath fore-ordained the Beginning End Quantity and Quality of our Sufferings Romans 8.18 1 Thessalonians 3.3 God deals with us as a father doth with his children turning all to their good Romans 8.28 There is nothing will still the Soul like this viz. that 't is the Lord who in wisedom and love is pleased thus to try us we shall never be dumb and silent till we see 't is the Lord that doth it 2. We must not onely beare these Trials Patiently so as a Heathen may doe but Ioyfully When we suffer for Righteousnesse sake we must be exceeding glad and even leap for joy Luke 6.22 23. Though the flesh repine yet God would have us to mount it Joy all Joy when we fall not into one or two but into Varietie of Tentations viz. banishment imprisonment losse of goods Friends c. Iam. 1.2 We must glory in Tribulation Romans 5.3 Rejoyce even to Gloriation The Apostles went from the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy of that Honour to be dishonoured for Christ Acts 5.41 45. Paul oft glories that he was a prisoner for Christ and that he bare in his body the mark of the Lord Jesus Galathians 6.17 He had been whipt and stoned and stocked and he carried the marks of these as so many badges of honour Yea he chose rather to glory in tribulation and sufferings then in his Revelations and raptures into the third Heavens 2 Corinthians 11.23.24 30. His Glorying was in the Crosse of Christ Colossians 1.24 2 Corinthians 7.4 Ephesians 3.13 Philippians 2.17 Iohn did not boast that he was an Evangelist or of his Revelations but that he was a brother in Tribulation Revelations 1.9 'T is said of the Primitive Christians that they rejoyced in loosing their goods for Christ Hebrewes 10.34 and the Thessalonians received the word in much affliction and joy 1 Thessalonian 1.6 and Paul exceedingly desired to be made conformable to Christ even in his sufferings Philippians 3.10 Ignatius cryed Let sire crosse breaking of my bones come quartering of my members crushing my body and all the torments that Man and Devil can invent so I may but enjoy my Lord Jesus Christ. When the Emperour threatned Saint Basil with death He boldly answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O that I might die for the Truth When Eudoxa the Empresse threatned Chrysostom He sent her word that he had learned to fear nothing but sinne A noble spirit knows not what discouragement means but like the valiant horse he breaks through dangers Iob 3.22 23. He triumphs in the midst of Trials and in an holy securitie he laughs at troubles Iob 5.22 Psalm 46. Romans 8.37 38. They onely are the Men that in a Spirituall sense doe tread on the Lion the Aspe and Adder Psalm 91.13 The water in Wether-glasses riseth highest when the Wether is foulest So Gods People when at worst then are they best when they have nothing in the creature they have most of God Habakkuk 3.17 18. Sense can say if we want Figges yet we have Wine to cheer us and if the Vine should fail yet the Olive may help for a time or if these should fail yet we have Corn in our Fields to support us or if a Famine should come yet if the Pastures abound with Flockes that will be some help or if the Flocks abroad should fail yet the Herds of the stall at home may support us Thus far Sense may goe But when all these fail and no outward comfort can be seen yet then can a Beleever rejoyce in his God This is the Happynesse of Gods People let things goe how they will or can yet he either doth or may comfort himselfe in his God When nothing but darkenesse is upon the Creature then Habbakuk hath an Yet and David a But wherewith to comfort and encourage themselves 1 Samuel 30.6 It may shame us who are cast downe by every light Affliction when we consider Davids condition at that time he comes to Ziglag which was given him for a Refuge He findeth the Citty burnt the Inhabitants taken Captive and amongst the rest his Wives and his Souldiers which should have ayded him they speake of stoning him yet in the midst of all these difficulties David corroborates himself in the Lord his God We use to rejoyce in gifts especially if one should give us a whole kingdom but 't is a greater Honour to be a Martyr for Christ then to be a Monarh of the world Heb. 11.26 'T is a great priviledge and a high Prerogative to suffer for the Gospel 't is no common gift but 't is a gift of free-grace and speciall love All the elect are called to be believers but not to be publick sufferers Suffering for the Gospel is in some respect a priviledge above believing the Gospel Phil. 1.29 such are the house and habitation of Gods Spirit there he rests and desires to dwell 1 Pet. 4.14 the Spirit of God will bring them to glory or the glorious Spirit of God will dwell in them in a glorious manner aud fill them full of Joy and Peace in believing This made the Saints so forward in the Primitive times to suffer for Christ that the bloudy Emperours were fain to make Decrees to hinder their Martyrdome I have read of a woman that in the time of Valens the Emperour ran with her haire loose about her eares and her child in her armes to the place where the Martyrs were slain and being askt whither she ran she answered Crownes are given to day and I will be partakers with them Thus in the reign of Charles the ninth when the Duke of Subaudia misused aud persecuted the men of the Valleyes burnt
Sidon shall rise in judgement against Corazin and Bethsaida Sober Heathens and just-dealing Turks shall rise in judgement against intemperate and unrighteous Christians yea the Creatures as Origen conceives that have served their Creatour in their several stations shall rise in judgement against man that hath rebelled against his God Question But why hath God ordained Christ to be the Iudge Answer Because he is every way qualified for such a work 1. In respect of Knowledge Isay 11.2 He knowes all the Thoughts intentions words and workes of men Matthew 9.4 Iohn 2.24.25 and 21.17 2. In respect of Righteousnesse He is a just and a Righteous Judge Isay 11.3 45. See more on Verse 8. 3. In respect of Power man may kill the body but He can kill the soul Revelations 20. ult He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Timothy 6.15 Revelations 19.15 4. The judgement must be Visible and therefore it is meete the Judge should be so too The Father is Invisible but the Sonne in our Humane Nature is Visible and therefore God hath committed this judgement to the Sonne who is also called the Sonne of Man Matthew 19.28 and 25.34 Iohn 5.27 since God intendeth to deale with man after the manner of Men He condescendeth to let them have one that is Flesh of their Flesh to be the final Judge between him and them that he may be the more justified and they left without excuse 5. Seeing Christ abased himselfe in the State of Humiliation for his Fathers Glory and Mans Redemption therefore God hath raised him to a State of Exaltation that to him every knee should bow and hath given him a Name above every Name Philippians 2.7 to 12. This is Gods ordinary way to make the deepest Humiliation the way to the highest Elaltation Question Whom will Christ judge Answer All Rational Creatures 1. The Devils and evil Angels 1 Corinthians 6.3 Though they may disquiet thee now yet the time is at hand that thou shalt sit in judgement on them and condemne them for their Rebellion against God Thy obedience shall condemne the Devils disobedience that whereas thou a poore weake man dwelling in an house of Clay clogged and clouded with many tentations and infirmities yet diddest worship the Lord in the beauty of Holynesse when these Glorious incorporeal pure Spirits which had no Tempter yet refused to obey him These are kept in Chaines for the judgement of the great day Matthow 25.41 2 Peter 2.4 Iude 6. Revelations 20.10 then shall be opened before all the world the Time the Nature and the Manner of their first sinning against God and all the murders and villanies they have committed upon the souls of men This they know they believe and tremble at the thoughts of it 2. All men Good and bad Noble and ignoble Old and and young Great and small Learned and unlearned Dives must appeare as well as Lazarus Kings as well as Subjects Ecclestasticus 3.17 Matthew 25.32 Acts 10.42 and 24.15 Romans 14.10 12. 2 Corinthians 5.10 Iude 15. Revelations 2.7 and 20.12 13. Mens nets are made in that manner that little Fishes creep through and great ones breake through but Gods net taketh all and holdeth them too Atheists must not thinke to escape for ever though the Patience of God may wait and not presently inflict judgements though he forbeare yet hath he not forgot to doe Justice but will ere long set mens sinnes in Order before them Psalme 50.21 As sure as GOD hath Decreed thy Death so sure is the Decree of bringing thee to judgement Hebrewes 6.9 27. At this Grand Assizes all must appear in proper person here is no Answering by Proxey Proctours Substitutes or Atturnies but every man in person must give an account of himself to God 2. Here no Excuses will be taken no Appeales be heard in the Courts of men we may appeale Iacob appeales from Laban to the highest Tribunal Genesis 31.53 So did David 1 Kings 24.13 and Zachariah 2 Chronicles 24.22 Paul appeales from Festus to Caesar Acts 25.10 But Gods High Court of Justice knoweth no Superiour He is King of Kings Revelations 19.16 3. Here is no Repealing of the Sentence In this lif the Sentence may be Repealed and the judgement prevented by Repentance Ieremiah 18.7 8. to 11. but this is the last judgement and here men receive their finall doome 4. Other Judges a man may out-run but there is no escaping the hands of God He filleth Heaven and Earth where ever we flie we are still in his Territories Psal. 139.7 to 12. 5. Earths Judges may be corrupted by Briberie but Christ is the most righteous Judge and may as soone cease to Be as cease to be Just. The Earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof so that all the wealth in the world cannot bribe him Riches availe not in this day of wrath especially Iob 36.18 19. Prov. 11.4 6. Other Judges may judge of Externals but Christ knoweth the heart and judgeth accordingly Hebrewes 4.13 7. Other Judges may be deceived by the sleights and subtleties of men but this Judge Nec fallitur nec flectitur No Power nor Policy can work on him Proverbs 21.30 1. Since Christ is Judge of all men take heed of offending him Better displease all the world then displease him He can do more for us or against us then all the world besides He 's the best friend and the saddest foe if he be against you all the creatures are against you and if he be for you all are for you The men of Tyre and Sidon made their peace with Herod because their Country was nourished by the Kings Acts 12.20 We hold all in Capite Christ is Lord Paramount of Lands Life Liberty and all that we possesse and can take all from us when ever pleaseth him it will be our wisedom therefore who ever we fall out with all yet to keep in with him Make the Judge your friend agree with him whilst you are in the way Kisse the Sonne id est shew your Love Loyalty Subjection Faith Feare Obedience to him Psalm 2.12 Prize his Service preferre it be-before all the Crownes and Kingdomes of the World The greater the Prince the more Noble the Service Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings none like him and therefore no Service like his It is more Noble to be his Servant then to be King of all the World As it is more Honour to be a Princes Favourite then to be Shepheard of a Flocke of Sheepe His very service is Freedome and his Worke is wages Be not then offended at Christ now be not ashamed of him and his selfe-denying wayes here least he be ashamed of you at that great day Mark 8. ult But prize all that is his Love his Ordinances his Ministers his Saints his Doctrine his Discipline Make him yours now and he will be yours for ever When all created comforts forsake you he will never forsake you Our Fathers dye