calleth happinesse consisting of things temporall but that which is true blessednes once had we cannot lose because it is in the vision and fruition of God which as it excludeth all sinne so all misery and consequently change and feare of change both which are incompatible with true blessednesse because where there is no sin there can neither be a voluntary desertion of God nor a just abjection from him Now wee must know that though there bee but one true blessednesse in the conjunction with God the onely fountaine thereof yet hath it two states in man First In viâ in this life where 't is begunne in our communion with God through faith in Christ Secondly In patriâ that is absolute and compleat in the life to come the one in grace the other in glory Which being laid downe we have two considerable points First that none but the good can bee blessed for none other enjoy the blessed presence of God or partake of his image Secondly their happinesse neither consisteth in any secular externall or worldly condition and consequently cannot be lost in the losse of any of these things nor is it compleat in this present life Concerning the first the Scripture aboundeth with testimonies Blessed is the man that doth not wâ—ike in the counsaile of the wiâ—ked but his delight is in the law of the Lord hee shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters the wiâ—ked are not so Psal 1. 1. 4. 5. blessed is every one that feâ—reth the Lord and walketh in his waies Psal 128. 1. Blessed iâ— hee whose wickednesse is forgiven and whose siâ—ne is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imâ—uteth not iniquity Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Psal 144. 15. Blessed are the poore in spirit Blessed are the â—eek and those that hunger and thirst after righteouâ—nesse Blessed are the mercifull the pure in heart the peaceâ—akers All is to the holy sin disjoyneth man from God by how much more any creature is like God in holinesie by so much more doth hee enjoy true bleslednesse in him The blesling is saith Augustine to rejoyce in God and have him dwell in us For the second it appeareth by that which hath bin said that the Saints happinesse is not in any secular externall or worldly matter for none of all these make us more acceptable to God more holy or more secure from eternall misery and by reason grounded on Gods inviolable justice for if riches could make happy never should any wicked man bee rich or good man poore if pleasures Christ would never have said woe bee to you that are full for yee shall hunger woe bee to you that now laugh for yee shall waile and weep If for this lifes sake onely we have hope in Christ we are of all men the most mise rable and therfore it doth not yet appeare what wee the sonnes of God shall be Blessednesse is a perfect and sufficient good not onely excluding all evill but filling all desire and who is so meere a stranger to the world that hee knoweth it not to be ful of evil or the condition of temporall possessors that he is not conscious of desiring something more When we duely consider of any of those things which the world now adoreth pleasures riches honour wee shall find their splendour to bee no better than that of glow-wormes how ever beautifull it seemeth in our want of true light all that lustre vanisheth when wee can clearely see it Speake wee of wicked men growing rich and great are they not like those bulls of Lystra adornd with garlands and flowers for the slaughter are they not like the Shell-fish carried up to be broken in their fall What ever wee have of the world is it not like the riches of a dreaming man what ever wee rejoyce in may prove an occasion of sorrow seeing these affections are conversant about the same things and if happinesse bee not in any of these things then it necessarily followeth that the want or losse of these that is pleasures honours riches or the like can no more take away from a Saint of God his true blessednesse than the violent winde can move the beames of the Sunne which against all force thereof shine through the aire or thaÌ„ the furious storms which somtimes draw hideoâ—â— curtaines over Starres or Sunne can extinguish their light And lastly this happines is not compleat in this life wee are yet but in via toward it as Moses said to Isrâ—el in the wildernesse Yee are not yet come to rest and to the inheritance which the Lord thy God giveth thee So may I here the blessednesse to which we tend now is like the temple of Rest at Rome set out of the gate which some thinke imported rest to the dead onely as Revel 14. 13. the voice from heaven pronounced Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their laboâ—rs according to which 't is said Let us goe forth therefore out of the camp bearing his reproch for here wee have no continuing City but we seeke one to come Such are the Saints that they who will not live their life would yet faine dy their death all desire their last condition O that I might dy the death of the righteous lâ—t my last end â—ee like his The heathen Solon knew that happinesse could not be before the end of this life pronounced it so Others confessed the same experience preacheth it reason concludeth it t is the end which maketh compleatly happy and therefore no wise man ought to bee secure untill hee arrive at that countrey from whence no friend departeth to which no enemy is admitted therefore Saint Paul saith make an end of your owne salvation with feare and trembling not with such a feare as leadeth to despaire but with such a feare as shaketh off presumption and security which is the soules guardian and vertues keeper Such a trembling as like Ionahs storme giveth that no rest for which the anger was which none can calme till that sinne bee cast over boord which God pursueth like the needle in the compasse which continually trembleth and by continual shaking returneth to the Câ—nosure to guide us tight Such is true faith which heere can never bee secure till the last enemy be destroyed till death bee swallowed up in victory it hath here continuall trialls so agitating it that it never resteth till it returne to a blessed confidence in God according to which the Psalmist after his feares and dangers said Returne unto thy rest O my soule Psal 116. 7. like the weary Dove to the Arke so faith after its flight over a vast deluge of trialls returneth with assured signes and Emblemes of peace All this is to teach you not to seeke happinesse with the
tribulation or anguish or persecution In all these things wee are more than conquerers through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any creature shall bee able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Yea blessed are the dead in the Lord because living or dying we are the Lords fellow citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of the God of the living Which bringeth mee to the next part the Saints Unity with God and his Church That dwell in thy house This tearme sometimes importeth the materiall temple or house of prayer 2 Sam. 7. 13. 1. 1 King 5. 5 1 King 6. 37. Ioh. 2. 14. 16. 17. Somtimes the Church of the living God 1 Tim. 3. 15 the pillar and ground of truth that is the faithfull thereon grounded and established The living temples of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. and so all the faithfull and all the Churches of Christ are but one Catholike Church as all seas however they receive divers denominations from the divers shores they wash are but one sea And this house of God is not in walls and roofes but in the faith and truth in mens hearts this is a faithfull house and an immortall temple which Christ of whom Solomon the sonne of David was a figure did build and to which hee calleth all nations of the earth in one faith one baptisme one truth and one hope of salvation in him who is the sole Saviour and Mediatour betweene God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5. Act. 4. 12. the onely doore of the great temple the way of light the guide to life So that wee are here to consider these three ascensions in the house of God First the house of prayer set apart and consecrated to the service of God where the holy oracles of God and Sacraments are rightly administred whence the spiritual incense of publike prayers and sweete odours of thankesgiving are offered from the golden censer by the Angell of the Covenant before the throne of God Rev. 8. 3 4. where the blessed assemble on earth where the honour of God dwelleth among men where Christ hath promised to bee present Matth. 18. 20. where that blessed Anna continued serving God with fastings and prayers night and day Luk. 2. 37. neither in prosperity nor in adversity ceasing this house the Church militant in sundry parts of the world frequenteth and reverenceth for his sake who there most evidently manifesteth his presence on earth and in his holy ordinance and sacred mysteries is there worshipped it was Davids greatest griefe in his exile as of other Saints that they could not be present here for this they emulated the sparrow and swallow who had free accesse to the places neere Gods altars And undoubtedly all the Saints on earth beare the like affection to the house of God above all amiable places of the earth With this wee may joyne all that are by the outward seales of the covenant admitted into the visible Church as Guests invited to the great Supper without or with the wedding garment to which the atrium Iudaeâ—rum answered or that to which cleane and uncleane might come 2. The communion of Saints who are the body of Christ and temple of Gods holy spirit built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone in whom all the building coupled together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord into which are admitted onely those who have the inward seale of Gods covenant whom hee hath marked for his owne as a royall Priesthood and holy nation to which the Sanctuarie inward house or Atâ—ium sacerdoâ—um answered 3. The Coelestiall Temple the great city holy Hierusalem into which no uncleane thing shall enter prefigured by that Sanctum Sâ—â—ctorum into which Christ our blessed High-priest is entred to obtaine eternall redemption for us which house of God Lyra here understandeth Ierusalem which is above the Saints Metropolis Galat. 4. 26. not now visible but by the eye of faith whereof Christ is a citizen the Concives the Patriarkes Prophets Martyrs Saints and Angells Into the second sâ—ate of grace and this third of glory may come no stranger none of uncircumcised heart that is unbâ—lâ—ever or unholy they only who are holy are truly Priests unto the Lord whence it may appeare that Vnity with God and his Church is a character and mark of true happinesse Unity I say in love and sanctity out of which is misery and indeed hee cannot have God his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother which as I said is but one and that as Iacob said of Beâ—hel Genes 28. 17. is the house of God and the gate of heaven the house of faith into which if any enter not out of which if any wilfully goe out he alienat th himselfe from all hope of eternall life Hee that eateth the Paschall Lamb out of this house is prophane out of this arke there is no salvation This is as Rahabs house Iosh 6. 22. the covenant of peace is onely with them that keepe within if any go out his blood shall be upon his own head this is the body of Christ whereof he is the head and Saviour Ephes 5. 23. in whom onely and through whom is true blessednesse 1. Bee not deceived the Laver set betweene the tabernacle of the congregation and the Altar to clense all who entred thereinto declared in the figure that no unrighteous person unclean thing alient or uncircum cised in heart shall enter into the house and kingdome of God 2. Beguile not thy selfe with the fruitlesse name of a Christian not to bee called so but to bee so maketh happy If thou art so named but not so natured thou art but as the Church of Sardi Rev. 3. 1. thou hast a name that thou livest but thou art dead It were lesse evill to bee wicked any where in the world than in Gods house the excellencie of the prerogative aggravateth the fault committed which like dirt upon the Raven were lesse conspicuous in persons of lesse eminence and the very religion which a wicked man profesleth and dishonoureth accuseth him Lesse sin hath he who knoweth not the Law of God than hee that contemneth it they cause the holy Name of God to bee blasphemed who in words professe to know God and in deedes deny him therfore is that most damnable wickednesse which some title of goodnesse accuseth and the guilt of the impious is an holy name Looke therefore to thy foot thou that commest into the house of God he is not blessed who dwelleth here as Elâ—es sonnes to make men abhorre the offering of God as the buyers and sellers to the prophanation of the holy Temple as those seventy Ancients of
heart are thy waies Not mans own waies but the commandements and waies of God My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies saith the Lord. The waies of man are the workes of the flesh Adultery fornication uncleannesse wantonnesse idolater witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies envy murthers drunkennes such like but the way of God is the fruit of his Spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekeneâ—â—e temperance Concerning the wicked 't is said their inward parts are very wickednesse The foole said in his heart there is no God The rich man thought with himselfe I will build greater barnes there was the way of the world in his heart but the way to blessednesse is Gods way the narrow way of faith and obedience to all his commandements that which is not the least difficulty constancie therein Hilâ—rie saith well a way is that which is a beaten path 't is not a pace or two which maketh the way but a constant walking the same way The hypocrites heart is like an anvill for any thing to be forged thereon like a theater on which is represented sometimes the Saint sometimes the Devill like a mercenary presse whose Letters are somtimes set for holy pages sometimes for impious and lascivious pamphlets But our present character is of Gods waies in the blessed mans heart in this way was Enoch walking with God till he was translated Some goe a little way willingly but like Orpah are easily perswaded to goe backe to Moab You may sometimes fâ—nde Saul among the Prothets 't is but for a 〈◊〉 you shall after have him at Endâ—r You may finde Iuâ—as among the holy Apostles 't is but a flash you shall have him afterwards with the High Priests selling his Masters blood Mad men have their lucid intervalls the worst have some better fits and resolutions but in the blessed mans heart are the waies of God Not in the tongue and outward semblance onely hee is an Israelite which is one within Such a one was Nathanael in whom was no guile 'T is the sincerity of the heart which is the seale of the covenant of God and marke of the blessed man All is as is the heart to God some like that Asellus piscis have Cor in ventre as saith the Apostle Phil. 3. 19. Whose God is their belly Some have the world and riches there If riches increase set not your â—eaâ—â—â—poâ— them they are the thornes which commonly choke up the seed of Gods word there is a lawfull possession the danger is for him that will bee rich 1 Tim. 6. 9. there is a good use of riches the danger is if a man trust in them or fixe his heart upon them there is a good use of thornes if they bee orderly set about the field they make a good fence the mischiefe is if they grow up in it Such are riches good in any place but the heart of the owner But thou blessed man have the feare love and worship of God in thine heart there all is sincere doe not thou desire to seeme more than thou art because the searcher of hearts beholdeth all thy waies Fronti nulla fidâ—s a very hypocrite may have the waies of God in his externall behaviour and yet be but like an Aegyptian temple with a reverend comelinesse without but if you examine the inside you shall finde a cat a goat or serpent in stead of a God Such Christ stileth painted Sepulchers which have onely an inscription name of sanctity no more Thou must have these ascensions of heart to thinke of God if thou wilt be blessed The more Moses conferred with God in the mountaine of the more divine countenance was hee the more thou thinkest of God and conferrest with him the more like him the more blessed shalt thou be which that thou maist doe love him speake to him in frequent prayer and study his word which sheweth destruction and unhappinesse in our owne waies but life and blessednesse in his For if yee live after the flesh ye shal dy But as many as are lead by his spirit are the sons of God Once the soft voice whispered from the mercy seat to declare all things which he would give in commandement to the children of Israel Once the cloudy pillar lead them in the way but now the word of God the holy Scripture is our oracle and cloudy pillar The Arke which the Priests bare went before Israel into Canean Why they first why not the prudent Magistrates why not the armed legions that wee may know that there 's no entring into the heavenly rest true blessednesse but by following the Arke of GODS testimonie which the Priests beare before the people the word of God this is as that starre which lead the wise men to Christ this is able to make a man wise unto salvation and therfore blessed this is as that river issuing from the threshold of the house of God every thing that liveth by it shall grow and bee fruitfull to this the Saints resort as doves to the waters let us all sit downe by this that as wee goe the way of all flesh to death wee may with the same paces goe the way of all the blessed to eternall life To you that mourn for the deceased is my last addresse Iacob sorrowed for his loved Ioseph when he had seene his coat dipped in blood but when hee was assured by the Chariots which Ioseph sent to carry him that hee was alive and happily honoured in Pharaohs court then the spirit of â—acob revived 'T is your great losse which you bewaile and Christs teares at Lazarus grave warrant an holy mourning for the dead yet not beyond faith and reason Sorrow not even as other that have no hope Faith must stay excesse and in reason setting our owne interests aside why should wee mourne for them that are blessed Some ancients which knew no more but rules of reason wont to celebrate their friends Natalls with mourning because all are borne to miseries but their Funeralls with rejoycing because in death they rested If this our deceased Sister could heare and reply would she not cry from Heaven Weepe not for mee for I am blessed the whole course of her life proclaimeth it Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord I am confident to say shee did so Blessed are the peace makers to what controversy did shee ever approch but like the Dove to the Arke with overtures of peace in her mouth Blessed are they that have Unity with God and his Church Shee was a constant lover of the Saints and the place where Gods honour dwelleth The blessed praise God it was her constant practice witnesse this Psalme often in her mouth and one of the last shee sang among the living Is confidence in God a marke