in Christ Jesus the holy Trinity and blessed unity of God immortall and onely wise is well pleased and his justice satisfied for the sins of all the faithfull which love him with an upright heart and God will not give the glory of his spirituall worship of mankinde to Saints or Angels not yet the adoration of her bodies to dumb Images for God is a jealous God of his glory and true worship and will visit the sins of all idolaters without repentance with eternall death and punishment in hell fire But O England and all Reformed Churches which have the Word of God to read in which have faithfull Preachers to preach Christ and amendment of life unto us which have wholsome and 〈◊〉 Books to read in which have the Lords day kept and mayntayned amongst us which have the Sacraments the Seals of Christ Jesus love giving unto us which have godly and needfull Prayers Confâ—ssions and Thanksgivings appointed and set out in the name of Christ Jesus for to help the weak and confirme the strong which have had the example of many Martyrs in times of persecutions under Bishops and learned Doctours men and women of all conditions and estates which have had godly Kings and Queenes which have bin nursing Fathers and nursâ—ng Mothers unto Christ Jesus true Church milâ—â—â—nt hereupon earth and have defended the true faith with the Word of God with the sword of God and mayntayned true vertue and punished vice O England how mâ—rcifull is God unto us if we will embrace his mercy and know them 〈◊〉 times of his visitation and love unto us the name of the Lord God of Heaven and earth be praysed honoured and sanctified for evermore Which hath sent his mighty Word the glad tydings of his Gospell unto us and caused it to be made more playnly read and preached in our own language so that men and women need not sit in darknesse not walk in darknesse except they suffer their understanding to be blinded with the Devill and so become wilfull sinners worse than Turkes or Popish ignorant Christians and some wee have which are larger in their opinions then the Word of God or the Church of God teacheth them and so cause the Lord to chastize them with temporall punishment and sin are too curious and nice not contented with the wholsome and pure doctrine of Christ Jesus which is preached in most places but take offence at every trifle and somtime at that which is very good through their ignorance or else their pride and self-conceitednesse and so make more divisions and rents then need these our brethren cause the Lord God to chastize them with temporall punishment also and some doe what they can to serve the Lord God with an upright heart and to maintayn the true worship of God peaceably and so of weak and strong the Lord God be praysed we doubt not but that wee have hundred thousands of faithfull Christians in these Northwest parts of the World yea CHRIST JESUS lovingly calleth all men to his Marriage and Noble Banquet for ever to be betrothed to him in faith and love here in this world militant to obey him and to trust unto him and to receive all things needfull from him who knows our wants better then we and after this short life to be spiritually marryed to him in heaven for ever But alas unbelieving ungodly men and women have out of their foolishnesse desired excuses they love this world and the vain things thereof of short continuance better then everlasting Christ Jesus full of all riches and glorious excellent dignity One hath marryed a wife and cannot come another hath bought a farme and cannot come another hath bought oxen and cannot come poor silly excuses all these things they have received of God for Jesus Christ his sake and they should be helps for them to trust in Christ who having received good things from him already but blinde foolish worldlings content themselves so they may have mammon and worldly vanities rather then they will obey Christ Iesus and trust to him for everlasting glorious possessions and so such foolish men and women shall never be married to Christ which will not believe his word and obey him here but they shall be divorced from him for ever and sent to eternall misery but yet the name of the Lord God of heaven and earth be praised and glorified for his own gracious promise who hath promised that many shall come from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and shall sit down in the Kingdome of heaven with Abraham Isaack and Iacob yea many thousands of men and women are very joyfull glad and willing to come and prepare themselves with faith and amendment of life for God hath chosen them and those whom CHRIST JESUS hath chosen and giving a lively faith which worketh by love in him there shall neither men nor devils be ever able to pull them out of Christ hands for as many as believed in him to them hee gave power to be the Sonnes of God and Christ Jesus will not lose one of them but will glorifie them all in their tentations and infirmities their slips and falls shall not pull them out of Christ Jesus his hands God the Father gave them to him and he is stranger then all and in this world he will make them willing to come to Christ Jesus by faith and repentance Of the Joyes of HEAVEN GOD will give an eternall Kingdome of glory in heaven for ever where there shall be rest love joy peace riches honour plenty and great knowledge health strength beauty and fulnesse of pleasure for evermore and God will wipe away all teares from their eyes and place them in blisfull plight in heavenly and glorious Mansions where we shall behold our glorious excellent and mighty God and Father and his eternall love in Iesus Christ shining upon us to our everlasting joy and comfort and there we shall behold thousand thousand millions of men women and children changed like Angels shining as bright as the Sun in their Fathers Kingdom all the good works and godly fruits all the Prayers Humiliations Fastings and Teares which which we have shed for our sins and for the sins of others and in prayers for grace for others in obedience to Christ Iesus Commandements shall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crownes of glory all the good works of almesdeeds charity and love which wee have done in giving to the poore and in giving for the increase of Christ Iesus Kingdome of grace here upon earth by our good example shall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crowns of glory all the contending and striving for Gods true worship and godly truth and studying for â—cuity mercy true justice and judgment in men that are called thereto Mal. 3.16 all the good works that men do through faith in obedience to Christ Iesus shall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crowns of glory all that have
THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOULE The Excellencie of CHRIST JESVS treated on Wherein the faithfull people of God may finde comfort for their Souls By T. H. Published according to Order LONDON Printed in the yeer 1645. THE IMMORTALITY OF The SOVLE What will it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his own soule Mat. 16.26 saith our glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus the soule of man is a spirituall immortall Psal 31.8 substance which did flow from God Eccles 22.7 and cannot die with the body but returne to God that gave it unlesse it rebell against his Father and Maker his laws and true Church and hath no true lively faith to save himselfe by applying Christs righteousnesse to himselfe by a lively faith then these souls must die the everliving death of torment but God made the soule of man righteous but he hath sought to himselfe many inventions the bodies of all men must turn to dust again untill the day of the Lord come and then shall the dead heare the voice of the Sonne of God Luke 23.43 and shall stand up in more strength and spirituall power and meet our Lord Jesus to be judged every one according to our faith and workes The body of man hath five senses seeing hearing smelling tasting and feeling the living and immortall soule hath in him understanding and knowledge the will and the remembrance imaginptions the affections and wisdome to rule the senses of the body and the evill lusts of the soule which joyne with the body to sinfull actions but let wisdome and grace and knowledge look hp to God for help and strength to withstand them and as the body hath hands and feet so hath the living soule in him many faculties Faith is a vertue of the soule unbeliefe is a vice humility as a vertue of the soule pride is a vice the love of God and his Saints a vertue of the soule hatred a vice zeal for Gods glory and true worship a vertue of the soule coldâ—esse a vice 〈◊〉 a vertue lying a vice there iâ— a vertue â—â—nely a vice 〈◊〉 a verâ—â—e of the soule envie a vice thankfulnesse a vertue of the soule unthankfulnesse a vice bounty and freenesse of minde of the gifts which we have received of God riches or knowledge are both of them a vertue of the soule covetousnesse and hiding Gods talems in the earth avice spealing honourably of God and of the word of God a vertue of the soule swearing cursing blasphemie and mocking of the word of God great vices of the soule wit policy valour sound judgement and discerning of spirits are Gods good gifts and should be used well thâ—s the soule the spirituall substance the immortall soule the holy Image of God before mans fall which God did breath into man and made him righteous and excellent in knowledge but now the children of wrath by Adams fall and originall sin but the soules of the faithfull are renewed by Jesus Christ our glorious Lord and Saviour and shall be made perfect in heaven for ever more For the soules of the Saints shall sodainly come from heaven again to the body in love and peace saying as it were Arise my loving friend and dear companion the day of Christ our King is come the darke winter of trouble and sorrow persecution sicknesse poverty and death it selfe is gons come see thy glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus which redeemed thee with all his holy companion of Saints and Angels come lift up thy head and receive thy acquistance from all thy sins and live in glory for ever But ungodly faithlesse men which have done ill griefe the worme of conscience shall bite them saying who shall hide us from the wrath of the Judge but the godly redeemer shall comfort them saying Come yee blessed of my Father receive and eternall Kingdome and enter into jour Masters joy All Glory and thanks and prayse be unto God for all his free mercie and gifts both now and for ever more The excellencie of CHRIST JESVS THe soule of man is a noble spirituall creature created of God to obey him as was Adam and Evah in Paradice but the Devill by temptations quickly spoyled his innocent righteous soul defaced Gods Image and then his shining body became miserable and naked his perfect soul became miserable sinfull and ignorant then were their souls and bodies to dye the death naturall and eternall for ever but then the mercy and love of God appeared and promised that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head this was our glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus which came in due time to restore Gods Image and to destroy the works of the Devill to suffer and satisfie Gods justice for the sins of all the believing world which lay hold on him by a lively faith to in graft them into himselfe to adopt and make them his beloved children and heires of the Kingdome of heaven for Christ Jesus our glorious Lord and Saviour is the only Son of God in whom alone he is well pleased he is the naturall son of God begotten begotten before the stars appeared hee is the graven form of God the brightnesse of the glory the Image of the invisible God the first begotten Son of God begotten before all worlds God of Gods very God of very God eâ—eâ—uall with the Father with the holy Ghost he is the head of the Church and in him all fulnesse dwelleth thy sent a Christ endureth for ever the scepter of thy Kingdome doth mayâ—t am righteousnesse The Lord said unto my Lord sit on my right hand untill I make thy foes a stool whereon thy feet may stand Christ Jesus is the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah which overcame the roaring and devouring Lion the Devill He is the Lambe of God which was slain for our sins and taketh away the sins of the world hee is the mighty God the Prince of peace which trod the winepresse of the wrath of God alone and conquered death hell and the grave and the infernall spirits and hee arose and sustained himself by his own power and strength and sits at the right hand of the glory of God for ever Christ Jesus was promised to Adam and Evah to Abraham and to David he was prophesied by Enoch Jacob Moses Esay Jeremiah Daniell Zachariah by all the Prophets and hee was typed out by Isaak Samson Salomon Jonah and the brazen Serpent in the Wildernesse Christ Jesus out Lord and Saviour was wayted and looked for of all the faithfull from the beginning of the World and when he was come all his Apostles beare witnesse of him both in life death and writing the Angels from Heaven bring joyfull tydings and beare witnesse of him Christs wondrous works beare witnesse of him God the Father from Heaven beare witnesse of him his workes beare witnesse of him and shall judge men at the last day thousands of Martyrs have shed their deerest
beene faithfull unto death will God give a crown of life for ever Rev 2.10 Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a crown of 〈◊〉 every mâ—n according to his works all our patient sufferings reproofs slâ—nders for Christ Iesus sake allour godly meeknesse and peace-making in obedience to Christ Iesus Laws shall be rewarded in Heaven with glorious crowns of hapâ—â—nesse all the little good works which we have done in obedience to Christ Iesus Lawes through faith and love in Christ Iesus wâ—â—â— make them all well pleasing to God and he will reward them with exceeding great rewards never did man imagine nor his tongue able sufficiently to speak of the joys which God hath prepared for them that love him there shall all the godly Kings and Qâ—eenes come which have mayntayned Gods true worship and loved the right and have peace and rest and satisfying joys with full content in beholding the glorious vision of God Almighty for ever there shall the godly Priests and Ministers come which have preached Christ Iesus and his Lawes purely with an upright heart and shine as bright as the Stars in Heaven there shall godly Magistrates which have prayed to God and studied to find out the truth and so proceed in justice or mercy according to Gods Laws for Christ Iesus sake finde rest and joy for ever there shall the rich bountifull men which have clothed Christ poore miserable and distressed members hereupon earth and giving meat to them that wanted for Christ Iesus sake they shall receive treasure in Heaven plenty for ever there shall the poore man which hath been patient in his poverty and prayed to God to supply his wants and trusted in Gods providence and used the means that God hath appointed and served God with an upright heart in Heaven hee shall have râ—ches plenty and honour enough unto that City shall â—…ll faithfull married people come and chast vertuous single people which have loved Christ Iesus and his excellent righteousnesse to Heaven also shall thousands of innocent children come by Gods mercy which knew not their right hand from their left by the meritorious humble works of Christ Jesus the means to be used baptizing and God requireh the faithfull prayers of the parents yea many of all Nations shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the Kingdome of Heaven with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the rest of the Saints in that great and excellent City of our God the heavenly Jerusalem so large beautifull and great that some of the Learned have said the wombe of the mother is not so strait for the child in respect of this large World as is the Kingdome of Heaven in greatnesse and excellency above this World and others affirme that some of the Stars are greater then all the earth the description of the heavenly Jerusalem Revel 21.16 in the Revelation of Saint John sayth that it is twelve thousand fâ—rlongs long and twelve thousand furlongs broad and twelve thousand furlongs high which maketh fifteen hundred miles every way yet this place of Scripture doth not deny but that it may be infinite larger O feare Jerusalem how fair and beautifull is the City of our God heaven is his throne and earth is his footstool heaven is his house wherein are many mansions for dwelling places for the sonnes and daughters of men in pleasure and joy for ever more There would be much joy among a ship load of men which at sea were almost drowned with stormes and tempests in want of all good things should presently come to an Haven where they should have all entertainment with joy and hearty courtesie of the King Princes and Nobles of the Country and have gold and silver and lands given them for ever but a thousand times more joy will it be when the wandring sonnes of men in the sea of this world have almost been drowned with temptations the waves of dispair the rocks of pride the number of vain desires and worldly lusts and yet though the love of God and their faith in Jesus Christ shall not be cast away but shall come to the haven of heaven where they shall be entertained with all joy the Lord God himself will entertain them saying Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdome prepared for you the heavenly Angels will be very joyfull to see heavie sinfull flesh and bloud to have â—paâ—sed this mortall death and trouble and now changed so royally and come to dwell with them in joy for ever exceeding great joy will there be among the Saints when they shall see one mother there yea their deerest friends and acqâ—aintance O the love joy and hearty good will that there will be when wee shall see Abraham Isaack and Jacob and all the Prophets and Martyrs Adam and Evah and all our ancient predecessors and our children and successors which have lived godly and trusted in Jesus Christ exceeding great joy and comfort will there be when all the Saints from the beginning of the world to the ending of the same are all come together to this heavenly Jerusalem which is above to see their glorious excellent great and beautifull Lord God and their redeemer and sanctifier the glorious vision of almighty God and his love unto them shall give them such joy that they shall praise him with delight for ever and love one another most deerly for ever because they shall all be loved of God and drinke of the full torrent and ocean of pleasure for ever the pure river of water of life is there ever flowing the pleasant tree of life is there ever growing and yielding alwayes forth pleasant fruit the gate and walls of that City of diamonds pearles and precious stones Revel 21. the houses and streets of that City more pure then gold all the cities of this heavenly Jerusalem more glorious then Kings but into that Citie shall no unclean person come no murderers nor adulterers nor idolators nor covetous nor thieves nor enviers of goodnesse nor slanderers nor such as love lies nor carelesse people of Gods true worship except they be washed clean by faith and repentance in the bloud of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour But O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake give us grace to love fear and honour thy holy name that we may enter into thy holy Kingdom there to praise thy holy name for ever more Amen The pain of losse and suffering BUt yet alas with sorrow I am forced to mourn in this world when I see wicked and ungodly men to run headlong to hel and destruction for hell is prepared for wilfull rebellious sinners assure as Heaven is prepared for faithfull repenting sinners our Saviour the Prophets and the Apostles proves it plainly the fearfull punishment and torment which our Lord and Saviour Christ Iesus hath foretold shall come to ungodly unfaithfull and obstinate sinners should make them