open that it will evidently appear they have been very merciless and mad against the Children of God insomuch that when the Providence of God did fall out so â—s to cross their expectations they have been very much offended thereat as is very evidently seen in them who set themselves to study Psal. 31 13. how to bring the Saints into bondage and to thrust them into Corners as in these late Years And because God hath in his goodness ordered Things otherwise they have gnashed their Teeth thereat Hence then let the Saints learn not to commit themselves to their Enemies beware of men Matth. 10. 17. They are very merciless men and will not so much favour you if they can help it as you may suppose they may Nay unless the over-ruling Hand of God in goodness do order Things contrary to their natural inclination they will not favour you so much as a Dog Vers. 22. And it came to pass that the Beggar died and was carryed by the Angels into Abraham's Bosome the rich man also died and was buried THe former Verses do briefly hold forth the carriage of the ungodly in this Life toward the Saints Now this Verse doth hold forth the departure both of the godly and the ungodly out of this Life Where he saith And it came to pass that the Beggar died and was carryed into Abraham's Bosome and the rich man died also The Beggar dyed that represents the godly and the rich man died that represents the ungodly From whence observe Neither godly nor ungodly must live always without a change either by Death or Judgment the good man died and the bad man died That Scripture doth also back this Truth that good and bad must die marvellous well where it is said And it is appointed to men once to die and after that the Judgment Heb. 9. 27. Mark he doth not say it is so that men by chance may die which might beget in the hearts of the ungodly especially some hope to scape the bitterness of it But he saith It is a thing most certain it is appointed Mark it is appointed for men once to die and after that the Judgment God hath decreed it that since men have fallen from that happy estate that God at the first did set them in they shall die Rom. 6. 23. Now when it is said the Beggar died and the rich man died part of the meaning is they ceased to be any more in this World I say partly the meaning but not altogether Though it be altogether the meaning when some of the Creatures die yet it is but in part the meaning when it is said that Men Women or Children die for there is to them something else to be said more than barely a going out of the World For if when unregenerate men and women die there were an end of them not onely in this World but also in the World to come they would be happy over they will be now for when ungodly men women die there is that to come after death that will be very terrible to them namely to be carried by the Angels of Darkness from their Death-beds to Hell there to be reserved to the Judgment of the Great Day when both Body and Soul shall meet and be united together again and made capable to undergo the uttermost Vengeance of the Almighty to all Eternity This is that I say which doth follow a man that is not born again after Death as is clear from that in 1 Pet. 3. 18 19. Where before speaking of Christ being raised again by the power of his Eternal Spirit he saith By which that is by that Spirit he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison But what is the meaning of this Why thus much that those Souls who were once alive in the World in the time or days in which Noah lived being disobedient in their Times to the Calls of God by his Spirit in Noah for so I understand it was according to that which was foretold by that Preacher deprived of Life and overcome by the Flouâ— and are now in Prison Mark he preached to the Spirits in Prison he doth not say who were in Prison but to them in that is now in Prison under Chains of Darkness reserved or kept there in that Prison in which now they are ready like Villains in the Jayl to be brought before the Judgment Seat of Christ at the Great Day But of this I shall speak further by and by Now if this one Truth that men must die and depart this World and either enter into Joy or else into Prison to be reserved to the Day of Judgment were believed we should not have so many Wantons walk up and down the streets as there do at least it would put a mighty check to their filthy Carriages so that they would not could not walk so basely and sinfully as they do Belshazzer notwithstanding he was so far from the fear of God as he was yet when be did but see that God was offended and threatned him for his wickedness it made him hang down his head and knock his knees together Dan. 5. 5 6. If you read the verses before you will find he was careless and satisfying his Lusts in Drinking and playing the wanton with his Concubines But so soon as he did perceive the finger of an Hand writing then saith the Scripture the King's Countenance was changed and his Thoughts troubled him so that the Joynts of his Loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another And when Paul told Felix of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come it made him tremble And let me tell thee Soul whosoever thou art that if thou didst but verily believe that thou must die and come into the Judgment it would make thee turn over a new leaf But this is the misery the Devil doth labour by all means as to keep out other Things that are good so to keep out of the heart as much as in him lies the Thoughts of passing from this Life into another World for he knows if he can but keep them from the serious Thoughts of Death he shall the more easily keep them in their sins and so from closing with Jesus Christ as Job saith Their houses are safe from fear neither is the Rod of God upon them Which makes them say to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledg of thy ways vers 14. Because there is no fear of Death and Judgment to come therefore they do put off God and his ways and spend their days in their sins and in a moment that is before they are aware go down to the Grave ver 17. And thus it fared also with the man spoken of in Luk. 12. 20. the man instead of thinking of Death he thought how he might make his Barns bigger But in the midst of his business in the World he lost his Soul before he was aware supposing that Death had been many Years
off But God said unto him Thou Fool thou troublest thy self about Things of this Life thou puttest off the Thoughts of departing this World when this Night thy Soul shall be taken from thee Oâ— this Night they that is the Devil will fetch away thy Soul from thee And here it comes to pass mens not being exercised with the Thoughts of departing this Life that they are so unexpected to themselves and their Neighbours taken away from the pleasures and profits yea all the Enjoyments they busie themselves withall while they live in this World And hence it is again that you have some in your Towns and Cities that are so suddainly taken away some from haunting the Ale-house others from haunting the Where-houses others from playing and gaming others from the cares and covetous desires after this World unlooked for as by themselves or their Companions Hence it is also that men do so wonder at such Tidings as this There is such an one dead such an one is departed it is because they do so little consider both the transitoriness of themselves and their Neighbours for had they but their Thoughts well exercised about the shortness of this Life and the danger that will befal such as do miss of the Lord Jesus Christ it would make them more wary and sober and spend more time in the service of God and be more delighted and diligent in enquiring after the Lord Jesus who is the Deliverer from wrath to come 1 Thes. 1. 10. For as I said before it is evident that they who live after the flesh in the Lusts thereof do not really and seriously think on Death and the Judgment that doth follow after neither do they indeed endeavour so to do for did they it would make them say with Holy Job All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my Change come Job 14. 14. And as I said before that not onely the Wicked but also the Godly have their time to depart this Life And the Beggar died The Saints of the Lord they must be deprived of this Life also they must yield up the Ghost into the hands of the Lord their God they must also be separated from their Wives Children Husbands Friends Goods and all that they have in the World For God hath decreed it It is appointed namely by the Lord for men once to die and we must appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ. As it is 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. But it may be objected if the godly do die as well as the wicked and if the Saints must appear before the Judgment Seat as well as the sinners then what advantage have the godly more then the ungodly and how can the Saints be in a better condition then the wicked Answ. Read the 22th Verse over again and you shall find a marvellous difference between them as much as is between Heaven and Hell everlasting joy and everlasting torment for you find that when the beggar died which represents the godly He was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosom or into everlasting joy Psal. 1. but the ungodly are not so but are hurried by the Devils into the bottomless pit drawn away in their wickedness Prov. 14. 32. for he saith And in Hell he lift up his eyes When the ungodly do die their misery beginneth for then appear the Devils like so many Lions waiting every moment till the Soul depart from the Body Sometimes they are very visible to the dying party but sometimes more invisible but always this is certain they never miss of the Soul if it do die out of the Lord Jesus Christ but do hale it away to the prison as I said before there to be tormented and reserved until that great and general day of Judgment at which day they must Body and Soul receive a finall sentence from the Righteous Judge and from that time be shut out from the presence of God into everlasting woe and distress But the godly when the time of their departure is at hand then also are the Angels of the Lord at hand yea they are ready waiting upon the Soul to conduct it safely into Abrahams Bosom I do not say but the Devils are oft times very busie doubtless and attending the Saints in their sickness I and no question but they would willingly deprive the Soul of Glory But here is the comfort as the Devils come from Hell to devour the Soul if it be possible at its departure so the Angels of the Lord come from Heaven to watch over and conduct the Soul in spite of the Devil safe into Abrahams Bosome David had the comfort of this and speaks it forth for the comfort of his Brethren Psal 34. 7. saying The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Mark the Angel of the Lord encampeth round about his Children to deliver them From what From their enemies of which the Devil is not the least This is an excellent comfort at any time to have the holy Angels of God to attend a poor man or woman but especially it is comfortable in the time of distress at the time of death when the Devils beset the Soul with all the power that Hell can afford them But now it may be that the glorious Angels of God do not appear at the first to the view of the Soul nay rather Hell stands before it and the Devils ready as if they would carry it thither But this is the comfort the Angels â—o always appear at the last and will not faâ—l the Soul but will carry it safe into Abrahams Bosom Ah Friendâ— consider here is an ungodly manupon his death-bed and he hath none to speak for him none to speak comfort unto him but it is not so with the Children of God for they have the Spirit to comfort them Here is the ungodly and they have no Christ to pray for their safe conduct to glory but the Saints have an Intercessor John 17. 9. Here is the World when they die they have none of the Angels of God to attend upon them but the Saints have their company In a word the unconverted person when he dieth he sinks into the bottomless pit But the Saints when they die do ascend with and by the Angels into Abrahams Bosom or into unto unspeakable glory Luke 23. 43. Again it is said that the rich man when he died was buried or put into the Earth but when the beggar died he was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosome The one is a very excellent stile where he saith he was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosome it denotes he excellent condition of the Saints of God as I said before and not onely so but also the preciousness of the death of the Saints in the eyes of the Lord Psal. 116. 15. that after Generations may see how precious in the sight of the Lord the death of his Saints is when he saith they are carried by the Angels
helpless state For it doth neither give the Soul any comfort it self when it comes nor doth it shew the soul where comfort is to be had and therefore it is called the ministration of condemnation as in 2 Cor. 3. 9. the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3. 7. For though men may have a notion of the blessed Word of God as the children had yet before they be converted it may truly be said of to them Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mark 12. 24. 2. You say you do believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God I say again examine wast thou ever quickened from a dead state by the power of the Spirit of Christ through the other part of the Scripture That is to say by the power of God in his Son Jesus Christ through the Covenant of Promise I tell thee from the Lord If thou hast thou hast fâ—lt such a quickning power in the words of Christ Joh. 6. that thou hast been lifted out of that dead condition that thou before wast in and that when thou wast under the guilt of sin the curse of the Law and the power of the devil and the justice of the great God thou hast been inabled by the power of God in Christ revealed to thee by the Spirit through and by the Scripture to look sin death hell the devil and the Law and all things that are aâ— enmiâ—y with thee with boldness and comfort in the face through the bloud death righteousness resurrection and intercession of Christ made mention of in the Scriptures And thirdly on this account O how excellent are the Scriptures to thy soul O how much vertue dost thou â—ee in such a Promise in such an invitation they are so large as to say Christ will in no wise cast me â—ut My crimson sins shall be white as Snow I â—ell thee friend there are some Promises that the Lord hath helped me to lay hold of Jesus Christ thâ—â—ugh and by that I would not have out of the Bible for as much Gold and Silver as can lye between York and London piled up to the stars because through them Christ is pleased by his Spirit to convey comfort to my soul I say when the Law curses when the devil tempes when hell-fire flames in my Conscience my sins with the guilt of them tearing of me then is Christ revealed so sweâ—â—ly to my poor soul through the Promises that all is forced to fly and leave off to accuse my soul. So also when the World frowns when the Enemies rage and threaâ—en to kill me then also the pretious the exceeding great and pretious Promises do weight down all and comfort the soul against all This is the effect of believing the Scriptures savingly for they that do so have by and through the Scriptures good comfort and also ground of hope Rom. 15. 4. believing those things to be its own which the Scriptures hold forth 4. Examine dost thou stand in awe of sinning against God because he hath in the Scriptures commanded thee to abstain from it Dost thou give diligence to make thy Calling and Election sure because God commandeth it in Scripture Dost thou examine thy self whether thou be in the Faith or no having a command in Scripture so to do Or dost thou notwithstanding what thou readest in the Scripture follow the world delight in sin neglect coming to Jesus Christ speak evil of the Saints slight and make a mock at the Ordinances of God delight in wicked company and the like Then know that it is because thou dost not indeed and in truth believe the Scriptures effectually For as I said before if a man do believe them and that savingly then he stands in â—w he looks to his steps he turns his feet from evil and endeavors to follow that which is good which God hath commanded in the Scriptures of truth yet not from a legal or natural principle that is to seek for life by doing that good thing but knowing that Salvation is already obtained for him by the bloud of that man Christ Jesus on the Cross because he believes the Scriptures therefore mark I pray therefore I say he labours to walk with his God in all well pleasing and godliness because he sweet power of the loves of Christ which he feels in his soul by the Spirit according to the Scriptures constrain him so to do 2 Cor. 5. 14. 5. Examine again Dost thou labour after those qualifications that the Scriptures do describe a child of God by that is saith yea the right faith the most holy faith the faith of the operation of God And also dost thou examine whether there is a real growth of Grace in thy soul as love zeal self-denial and a seeking by all means to attain if possible to the Resurrection of the dead that is not to satisfy thy self until thou be dissolved and rid of this body of death and be transformed into that glory that the Saints shall be in after the Resurrection day and in the mean time dost labour and take all opportunities to walk as near as may be to the pitch though thou know thou canst not attain it perfectly yet I say thou dost aim at it seek after it press towards it and to hold on in thy race thou â—hunnest that which may any way hinder thee and also close in with what may any way further the same knowing that that must be or desiring that it should be thine eternal frame and therefore out of love and liking to it thou dost desire and long after it as being the thing that doth most please thy soul. Or how is it with thy soul Art thou such an one as regards not these things but rather busy thy thoughts about the things here below following those things that have no scent of divine glory upon them If so look to thy self thou art an unbeliever and so under the wrath of God and wilt for certain fall into the same place of torment that thy fellows have fallen into before thee to the grief of thy own soul and thy everlasting destruction Consider and regard these things and lay them to thy heart before it be too late to recover thy self by repenâ—ing of the one and desiring to close in with the other O I say regard regard for hell is hot Gods hand is up the Law is resolved to discharge against thy soul the Judgment day is at hand the graves are ready to fly open the 〈◊〉 is nea◠〈◊〉 â—ounding the sentence will â—re long be pâ—st and then you and I cannot call â—imâ— again But again seeing they are so certain so sure so irreâ—â—â—â—ble and firm and seeing the saving faith of the thingâ— contained therein is to reform the soul and bring iâ— over into the things of God really conforming to the things contained therein both to the point of Justification and also an impractical walking and giving up the soul and body to a conformity to all
Sighs from Hell OR THE Groans of a Damned Soul Discovering From the 16th of Luke The Lamentable State of the Damned And may fitly serve As a Warning-Word to SINNERS both Old and Young by Faith in JESUS CHRIST to avoid the same Place of Torment With a Discovery of the Usefulness of the SCRIPTURES as our Safe Conduct for avoiding the Torments of HELL By John Bunyan The Second Edition London Printed for F. Smith at the Elephant and Castle without Temple Barr. At 1s Bound The AUTHOUR to the READER FRiend because it is a dangerous thing to be walking towards the place of darkness and anguish and again because it is notwithstanding the Journey that most of the poor Souls in the World are taking and that with delight and gladness as if there was the onely happiness to be found I have therefore thought it my duty being made sensible of the danger that will befall those that walk therein for the preventing of thee O thou poor Man or Woman to tell thee by opening this Parable what sad success those Souls have had and are also like to have that have been or shall be found persevering therein We use to count him a friend that will forewarn his Neighbour of the danger when he knoweth thereof and doth also see that the way his Neighbour is walking in doth lead right thereto especially when we think that our neighbour may be either ignorant or careless of his way Why Friend it may be nay twenty to one but thou hast been ever since thou didst come into the World with thy back towards Heaven and thy face towards Hell and thou either through ignorance or carelessness which is as bad if not worse hast been running full hastily that way ever since Why I beseech thee put a little stop to thy earnest race and take a view of what entertainment thou art like to have if thou do indeed and in truth persist in this thy course Thy way leads down to death and thy steps take hold on hell Prov. 5. 5. It may be the path indeed is pleasant to the flesh but the end thereof will be bitter to thy Soul Hark dost thou not hear the bitter Cryes of them that are but newly gone before saying Let him dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue that is so tormented in this flame Luke 16. Dost thou not hear them say Send one from the dead to prevent my father my brother and my fathers house from coming into this place of torment Shall not then these mournfull groans pierce thy flinty heart Wilt thou stop thine ears and shut thy eyes and wilt thou not regard Take warning and stop thy journey before it be too late Wilt thou be like the silly flie that is not quiet unless she be either intangled in the spiders web or burned in the Candle Wilt thou be like the Bird that hasteth to the snare of the Fowler Wilt thou be like that simple one named in the 7. of Proverbs That will be drawn to the slaughter by the cord of a silly lust O sinner sinner there is better things than Hell to be had and at a cheaper rate by the thousand part than that O there is no comparison there is Heaven there is God there is Christ there is Communion with an innumerable company of Saints and Angels Hearthe Message then that God doth send that Christ doth send that Saints do bring nay that the Dead do send unto thee I pray thee therefore that thou wouldst send him to my fathers house if one went to them from the dead they would repent How long ye simple ones will you love simplicity and ye scorners delight in scorning and ye fools hate knowledg Turn you at my reproof and behold saith God I will poâ—r out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you I say â—ear this voice O silly one and turn and live thou sinfull â—â—ul lest be make thee hear that other saying But because I have called and you have refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh O poor Soul if God and Christ did wisâ— thee for thine harm it would be another matter then if thou didst refuse thou mightest have some excuse to make or fault to find and ground to make delays But this is for thy profit for thy advantage for the pardoning of thy siâ—s the salvation of thy Soul the delivering of thee from Hell fire from the wrath to come from everlasting burnings into favour with God Christ and Communion with all happiness that is so indeed But it may be thou wilt say All that hath been spoken to in this discourse is but a Parable and Parables are no realities I could put thee off with this Answer That though it be a Parable yet it is a truth and not a lie and thou shalt find it so too to thy cost if thou shalt be found a slighter of God Christ and the salvation of thy own Soul But secondly know for certain That the things signified by Parables are wonderfull realities O what a glorious reality was there signified by that Parable The Kingdom of heaven is like to a net that is cast into the Sea c. Signifying that sinners of all sorts of all Nations should be brought into Gods Kingdom by the net of the Gospel And O how real a thing shall the other part thereof be when it 's fulfilled which saith And when it was full they drew it to shore and put the good into vessels but threw the bad away Matth. 13. 47 48. signifying the mansions of glory that the Saints should have and also the rejection that God will give to the ungodly and to sinners And also that Parable what a glorious reality is there in it which saith Except a corn of wheat fall to the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it doth bring forth much fruit Joh. 12. 24. To signifie That unless Jesus Christ did indeed spill his blood and die the cursed death he should abide alone that is have never a Soul into glory with him but if he died he should bring forth much fruit that is save many sinners And also how real a truth there was in that Parable concerning the Jews putting Christ to death which the poor dispersed Jews can best experience to their cost for they have been almost ever since a banished people and such as have had Gods sore displeasure wonderfully manifested against them according to the truth of the Parable Matth. 21. v. 33. to 41. O therefore for Jesus Christ's sâ—ke do not slight the truth because it is discovered in a Parable for by this argument thou mayest also nay thou wilt slight almost all the things that our Lord Jesus Christ did speak for 〈◊〉 spake them for the most part if not all in Parable Why should it be said of thee as it
of your Souls if you did but regard you would see how mad they are that slight the salvation of their souls O what will it profit thy soul to have pleasure in this life and torments in hell Mark 8. 36. Thou hadst better part with all thy sins and pleasures and companions or whatsoever thou delightest in than to have Soul and Body to be cast into hell O then do not now neglect our Lord Jesus Christ lest thou drop down to hell Heb. 2. 3. Consider would it not wound thee to thine heart to come upon thy death-bed and instead of having the comfort of a well-spent life and the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ together with the comforts of his glorious Spirit to have first the sight of 〈◊〉 ill-spent life thy sins flying in thy face thy conscience uttering it self with Thunder-claps against thee the thoughts of God terrifying of thee death with his merciless paw seizing upon thee the devils standing ready to scramble for thy soul and hell enlarging her self and ready to swallow thâ—e up and eternity of misery and torment attending upon thee from which there will be no release For mark death doth not come alone to an unconverted soul but with such company as were thou but sensible of it would make thee tremble I pray consider that Scripture Rev. 6. 8. And I looked and beheld a pale horse and his name that sate on him was Death and hell followed with him Mark death doth not come alone to the ungodly no but hell goeth with him O miserable Comforters O miserable Society here comes death and hell unto thee Death goeth into thy body and separates body and soul asunder hell stands without as I may say to embrace or rather to crush thy soul between its everlasting grinders Then thy mirth thy joy thy sinful delights will be eased when this comes to pass so it will come Blessed are all those that through Christ Jesus his merits by saith do escape these soul-murthering companions And in hell he lift up his eyes The third thing you know that we did observe from these words was this That some are so fast asleep and secure in their sins that they scarce know where they are untill they come into hell And that I told you I gather by these words In hell he life up his eyes Mark it was in hell that he lift up his eyes Now some do understand by these words that he came to himself or began to consider with himself or to think with himself in what an estate he was and what he was deprived of which is still a confirmation of the thing laid down by me There it is that they come to themselves that is there they are sensible where they are indeed Thus it fares with some men that they scarce know where they are till they lift up their eyes in hell It is with these people as with those that fall down in a swoun you know if a man do fall down in a swoun in one room though you take him up and carry him into another yet he is not sensible where he is till he cometh unto himself and lifteth up his eyes Truly thus it is to be feared it is with many poor souls they are so sensless so hard so feared in their Conscience 1 Tim. 4. 2. that they are very ignorant of their state and when death comes iâ— strikes them as it were into a swoun especially if they dye suddenly and so they are hurried away and scarce know where they are till in hell they lift up their eyes this is he who â—yeâ—h in his full strength fully at ease and quiet Job 21. 23. Of this sort are they spoken of in Psalm 73. where he saith There are no bonds in their death but their strength is firm They are not troubled as other folk neither are they plagued like other men And again they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment mark in a moment before they are aware they go down to the grave Job 21. 17. Indeed this is too much known by woful and daily experience sometimes when we go to visit them that are sick in the Towns and places where we live Oh how sensless how feared in their Consciences are they they are neither sensible of heaven not of hell of sin nor a Saviour speak to them of their condition and the state of their souls and you shall find them as ignorant as if they had no souls to regard Others though they lye ready to dye yet they are busying themselves about their outward affairs as though they should certainly live here even to live and enjoy the same for ever Again come to others speak to them about the state of their souls though they have no more experience of the new birth then a beast yet will they speak as confidently of their eternal state and the welfare of their souls as if they had the most excellent experience of any man or woman in the world saying I shall have Peace Deut. 29. 19. When as I said even now the Lord knows they are as ignorant of the new birth of the nature and operation of Faith of the witness of the Spirit as if there were no new birth no faith no witness of the Spirit of Christ in any of the Saints in the world Nay thus many of them are even an hour or less before their departure Ah poor souls though they may go away here like a lamb as the world sayes yet if you could but follow them a little to stand and listen soon after their departure it is to be feared you should hear them roaâ— like a Lyon at their first entrance into Hell far worse then ever did Corah c. when they went down quick into the ground Numb 16. 31 32 33 34 35. Now by this one thing doth the devil take great advantage on the hearts of the ignorant suggesting unto them that because the party deceased departed so quietly without all doubt they are gone to rest and joy when alas it is to be feared the reason why they went away so quietly was rather because they were sensless and hardned in their Consciences yea dead before in sins and trespasses For had they had but some awakenings on their death beds as some have had they would have made all the Town to ring of their doleful condition But because they are seared and ignorant and so depart quietly therefore the world takes heart at grass as we use to say and make no great matter of living and dying they cannot tell how therefore pride compasseth them as a chain Psal. 73. 5 6. But let them look to themselves for if they have not an interest in the Lord Jesus now while they live in the world they will whether they dye raging or still gounâ—o the same place and lift up their eyes in hell O my friends did you but know what a miserable condition they are in that go out of
sorrow of mind And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have none assurance of thy life In the morning thou shalt say would God it were even and at even thou shalt say would God it were morning for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see Nay thou wilt find worse things to thy wo then this Scripture doth manifest For indeed there is no tongue able to express the horrour terrour torment and eternal misery that those poor souls shall undergo without the least mitigation or ease and a very great part of it shall come from that quick full and continual remembrance of their sins that they shall have And therefore there is much weight in these words Son remember that thou in thy life time hadst thy good things From these words you see this is to be observed that the ungodly shall remember or have in remembrance the mispending their lives Remember that in thy life time thou hadst thy good things You may take these words good things either simply for the things of this world which in themselves are called and may be called good things or else with these words namely the things of this life all the pleasures delights profits and vanities which the ignorant people of the world do count their good things and do very much cheer themselves therewith Soul soul eat drink and be merry for thou hast much goods laid up for many years Luke 12. 20. Now I say God according to his glorious Power and Wisdome will make poor Creatures have alwayes in their minds a fresh and clear remembrance of their ill-spent life he will say unto them Remember remember that in thy life-time it was thus and thus with thee and in thy life-time thy carriage was so and so If Sinners might have their choice they would not have their sins and transgressions so much in remembrance as is evident by their carriages here in this Would for they will not endure to entertain a serious thought of their filthy life they put far away the evil day Amos 6. 3. Ezek. 12. 27. but will labour by all means to put the thought of it out of their mind but there they shall be made to remember to purpose and to think continually of their ungodly deeds And therefore it is said that when our Lord Jesus comes to Judgment it will be to convince the ungodly world of their wickel and ungodly deeds Mark To convince them Jude 14 15. They will not willingly take notice of them now But then they shall hereafter in spite of their teeth And also between this and then these that die out of Christ shall be made to see acknowledg and confess do what they can when they lift up their eyes in hell and remember their transgressions God will be a swift witness against them Mal. 3. 5. and will say Remember what thou didst in thy life-time how thou didst live in thy life time Ha Friend If thou dost not in these days of light remember the days of darkness Eccles. 11. 8. the days of Death Hell and Judgment thou shalt be made in the days of Darkness Death Hell and at the Judgment too to remember the days of the Gospel and how thou didst disregard them too to thy own destruction and everlasting misery This is intimated in that 25. of Matthew Remember that in thy life-time thou hadst thy good things The great God instead of giving the ungodly any ease will even aggravate their Torments first by slighting their perplexities and by telling of them what they must be thinking of Remember saith he O ye lost Souls that you had your joy in your life-time your peace in your life-time your comforts delights ease wealth health your Heaven your Happiness and your Portion in your life-time O miserable state Thou wilt then be in a sad condition indeed when thou shalt see that thou hast had thy good Things thy best Things thy pleasant Things for that is clearly signified by these words Remember that thou in thy life-time hadst thy good things or all the good things thou art like to have From whence take notice of another Truth though it be a dreadful one which is this There are many poor Creatures who have all their good sweet and comfortable Things in this Life or while they are alive in this World Remember saith hâ—â— that in thy life-time thou hadst thy good things Psal. 17. 14. The Wickeds good Things will shortly have an end They will last no longer with them than this Life or their Life-â—â—ne That Scripture was not written in vain It is like the crackling of Thorns under a Pot make a little blaze for a suddain a little heat for a while but come and consider them by and by and instead of a comfortable heat you will find nothing but a few dead Ashes and instead of a flaming fire nothing but a smell of smoak There is a time coming that the ungodly would be glad of a better portion when they shall see the vanity of this that is when they shall see what a poor thing it is for a man to have his portion in this World 'T is true while they are here on this side Hell they think there is nothing to be compared with Riches Honours and Pleasures in this World which makes them cry out Who will shew us any good Psal. 4. 6. that is comparable to the pleasures profits and glory of this World But then they will see there is another thing that is better and of more value then Ten Thousand Worlds And seriously Friends will it not grieve you trouble perplex and torment you when you shall see that you lost Heaven for a little pleasure and profits in your Life-time certainly it will grieve you and perplex you exceedingly to see what a blessed Heaven you left for a Dunghil World Oh! that you did but believe this that you did but consider this and say within your selves What shall I be contented with my portion in this World What shall I lose Heaven for this World I say consider it while you have Day-light and Gospel-light while the Son of God doth hold out Terms of Reconciliation to you least you be made to hear such a voice as this is Son remember that in thy life-time thou hadst thy good things Thy comforts thy joys thy ease thy peace and all the Heaven thou art like to have O poor Heaven O short pleasures what a pitiful thing it is to be left in such a case Soul consider is it not miserable to lose Heaven for 20 30 or 40 Years sinning against God When thy Life is done thy Heaven is also done when Death comes to separate thy Soul and Body in that day also thou must have thy Heaven and Happiness separated from Thee and Thou from That Consider these Things betimes lest Thou have thy portion
to me yet to my fathers house and let him tell them from me That if they run on in sin as I have done they must and shall receive the same wages that I have received Take notice of this you that are despisers of the least of the Lazarus's of our Lord Jesus Christ it may be now you are loath to receive these little ones of his because they are not Gentlemen because they cannot with Pontius Pilate speak Hebrew Greek and Latine Nay they must not shall not speak to them to admonish them and all because of this Though now the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ may be preached to them freely and for nothing nay they are now desired to hear and receive it Though now they will not own regard or imbrace these Christian profers of the glorious truth of Jesus because they come out of some of the basest earthen vessels 1 Cor. 1. 26. yet the time is coming when they will both sigh and cry Send him to my fathers house I say remember this ye that despise the day of small things the time is coming when you would be glad if you might enjoy from God from Christ or his Saints one small drop of cold water though now you are unwilling to receive the glorious distilling drops of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Again see here the lamentable state they are in that go to hell from their Fathers Mothers Sisters Brothers c. While they are in this World men delight to set their children ill examples and also children love to follow the wicked steps of their ungodly parents but when they depart this life and drop down into hell and find themselves in irrecoverable misery then they cry Send some body to my Fathers house to my Brothers house Tell them my state is miserable tell them I am undone for ever and tell them also that if they will be walking in these ungodly steps wherein I left them they will assuredly fall into this place of torments I pray thee send him to my Fathers House Ah friends and neighbours it is like you little think of this that some of your friends and relations are crying out in hell Lord send some body to my Fathers House to preach the Gospel to them lest they also come into these torments Here men while they live can willingly walk together in the way of sin and when they are parted by death they that are living seldom or never consider of the sad condition that they that are dead are descended into But ye ungodly fathers how are your ungodly children roaring now in hell and you ungodly children how are your ungodly parents that lived and died ungodly now in the pains of hell also and one drunkard is singing on the Ale-bench and another roaring under the wrath of God saying O that I was with him how would I rebuke him and perswade him by all means to leave off these evil courses O that they did but consider what I now suffer for pride covetousness drunkenness lying swearing stealing whâ—â—â—ng and the like Oh! did they but feel the thoâ—â—â—ndth part thereof it would make them look about them and not buy sin at so dear a rate as I have done even with the loss of my precious soul. Send him to my Fathers house Not to my Father but to my Fathers House It may be there 's ungodly children there 's ungodly servants wallowing in their ungodliness send him therefore to my Fathers house It is like they are still the same that I left them I left them wicked and they are wicked still I left them slighters of the Gospel Saints and wayes of God and they do it still send him to my Fathers house it is like there is but a little between them and the place where I am send him to day before tomorrow lest they come into the same place of torment I pray thee that thou wouldst send him I beg it on my bended knee with crying and with tears in the Agony of my soul. It may be they will not consider if thou do not send him I left them soâ—tish enough hardned as well as I they have the same Devil to tempt them the same lusts and world to overcome them I pray thee therefore that thou wouldest send him to my fathers house make no delay lest they lose their souls lest they come hither if they do they are like never to return again O! little do they think how easily they may lose their souls they are apt to think their condition to be as â—ood as the best as I once through ignorance did But send him send him without delay lest they â—â—me into this place of torment O that thou wouldest give him commission do thou send him thy self the time was when I together with them slighted those that were sent of God though we could not deny but he spake the word of God and was sent of him as our consciences told us yet we preferred the calls of men before the calls of God for though they had the one yet because they had not the other in that Antichristian way which we thought meet we could not would not either hear him our selves nor yet give consent that others should But now a call from God is worth all Do thou therefore send him to my Fathers house The time was when we did not like it except it might be preached in the Synagogue we though it a low thing to preach pray together in houses we were too high spirited too superstitious the Gospel would not down with us unless we had it in such a place by such a man no nor then neither effectually But now Oh! that I was to live in the world again and might have that priviledge to have some acquaintance with blessed Lazarus some familiarity with that holy man what attendance would I give unto his wholesom words how would I affect his Doctrine and close in with it how would I square my life thereby now therefore it is better to hear the Gospel under an hedge then to sit roaring in a Tavern it is better to welcome Gods begging Lazarus's then the wicked companions of this world It is better to receive a Saint in the name of a Saint a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Luke 10. 16. then to do as I have done Oh! it is better to receive a child of God that can by experience deliver the things of God his free love his tender grace his rich forbearance and also the misery of man if without it then to be daubed up with untempered morter Ezek. 13. Oh! I may curse the day that ever I gave way to the flatteries and fawning of a company of carnal Clergy-men but this my repentance is too late I should have looked about me sooner if I would have been saved from this woful place Therefore send him not only to the Town I lived in and unto some of my acquaintance but to my Fathers house
many Souls do you think Balaam with his deceit will have to answer for How many Mahomet How many the Pharisees That hired the Souldiers to say the Disciples stole away Jesus Mat. 28. 11 12 13 14 15. And by that means stumbled their Brethren to this day and was one means of hindring them from believing the Things of God and Jesus Christ and so the cause of the damnation of their Brethren to this very day How many poor Souls hath Bonner to answer for think you and several filthy blind Priests How many Souls have they been the means of destroying by their Ignorance and corrupt Doctrine Preaching that was no better to their Souls than Rats-bane to the Body for filthy Lucres sake They shall see that they many of them it is to be feared will have whole Towns to answer for whole Cities to answer for Ah Friend I tell thee thou that hast taken in hand to preach to the People it may be thou hast taken in hand thou canst not tell what Will it not grieve thee to see thy whole Parish come bellowing after thee to Hell crying out This we may thank thee for this is long of thee thou didâ—â— not teach us the Truth Thou didst lâ—â—d us away with Fables thou wast afraid to tell us of our sin lest we should not put Meat fast enough in thy Mouth O cuâ—sed wretch that ever thou should'st beguile us thus deceive us thus flatter us thus We would have gone out to hear the Word abroad but that thou didst reprove us and also tell us That that which we see now is the way of God was Heresie and a deceivable Doctrine and wast noâ— contented blind Guide as thou wert to fâ—ll into the Ditch thy self but hast also led us thither with thee I say look to thy self lest thou cry out when it is too late Send Lazarus to my people my friends my Children my Congregation to whom I Preached and beguiled through my folly Send him to the Town in which I did Preach last lest I be the cause of their damnation Send him to my friends from whence I came lest I be made to answer for their Soul and mine own too Ezek. 33. 1 2 3 4 5 6. O send him therefore and let him tell them and testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment Consider this ye that live in the world while you are in the land of the living lest you fall into this condition Set case thou shouldest by thy carriage destroy but a soul but one poor soul by one of thy carriages or actions by thy sinful works consider it now I say lest thou be forced to cry I pray thee therefore that thou wouldest send him to my fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment If so then I shall not only say to the blind guides look you to your selves and shut out others no but this doth reach in all those that do not only keep souls from heaven by preaching and the like but speaks forth the doom of those that shall any wayes be instrumentâ—â— to hinder others for closing in with Jesus Christ. O what red lines will those be against all these rich ungodly Landlords that so keep under their poor Tenants that they dare not go out to hear the word for fear their Rent should be raised or they turned out of their houses What sayest thou Landlord will it not cut thy soul when thou shalt see that thou couldest not be content to miss of heaven thy self but thou must labour to hinder others also Will it not give thee an eternal wound in thy heart both at death and judgment to be accused of the ruine of thy neighbours soul thy servants soul thy wives soul together with the ruine of thy own Think on this you drunken proud rich and scornful Landlords think on this you mad-brain'd blasphemous Husbands that are against the godly and chaste conversation of your Wives also you that hold your Servants so hard to it that you will not spare them time to hear the word unless it be where and when your lusts will let you If you love your own souls your Tenants souls your Wives souls your Servants souls your Childrens souls if you would not cry if you would not howl if you would not bear the burden of the ruine of others for ever then I beseech you to consider this doleful story and labour to avoid the soul-killing torment that this poor wretch groaneth under when he saith I pray thee therefore that thou wouldest send him to my fathers house For I have five brethren that he may testify Mark that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment These words have still something more in them then I have yet observed from them there are one or two things more that I shall briefly touch upon and therefore Mark he saith That he may testify unto them c. Mark I pray you and take notice of the word Testify He doth not say and let him go unto them or speak with or tell them such and such things No but let him testify or affirm it constantly in case any should oppose it Let him testify to them It is the same word the Scripture useth to set forth the vehemency of Christ his telling of his Disciples of him that should betray him And he testifyed saying One of you shall betray me And he testified that is he spake it so as to dash or overcome any that should have said It shall not be It is a word that signifies That in case any should oppose the things spoken of yet that the party speaking should still continue constant in his saying And he commanded them to preach and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judg of quick and dead To testify Mark that is to be constant irresistible undaunted in case it should be opposed and objected against So here let him testify to them lest they come into this place of torment From whence observe That it is not an easy matter to perswade them who are in their sins alive in this world that they must and shall be damned if they turn not and be converted to God Let him testify to them let him speak confidently though they frown upon him or dislike his way of speaking And how is this truth verified and cleared by the carriages of almost all men now in the World toward them that do Preach the Gospel and shew their own miserable state plainly to them if they close not with it If a man do but indeed labour to convince sinners of their sins and lost condition by nature though they â—ust be damned if they live and dye in that condition Oh how angry are they at it Look how he judges say they hark how he condemns us he tells us we must be damned if
on them and not let them go O Father cannot you help me Mother cannot you do me some good O how loath am I to burn and fry in Hell while you are singing in Heaven But alas the Father Mother or Friends reject them slights them and turn their Backs upon them saying You would have none of Heaven in your life-time therefore you shall have none of it now You slighted our Counsels then and we slight your tears cries and condition now What sayest thou sinner will not this perswade thine heart nor make thee bethink thy self This is now before thou fall into that dreadful place that fiery Furnace But O consider how dreadful the place it self the Devils themselves the fire it self will be And this at the end of all here thou must lie for ever here thou must fry for ever and for ever This will be more to thee than any man with Tongue can express or with Pen can write There is none that can I say by the Ten Thousand part discover the state and condition of such a Soul I shall conclude this then with a few Considerations of Incouragement 1. Consider for I would fain have thee come in sinner that there is way made by Jesus Christ for them that are under the Curse of God to come to this comfortable and blessed state of Lazarus I was speaking of See Ephes. 2. 2. Consider what pains Christ Jesus took for the Ransoming of thy Soul from all the Curses Thunder-claps and Tempests of the Law from all the intollerable flames of Hell from that Soul-sinking appearance of thy person on the left hand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ Jesus from everlasting fellowship with innumerable Companies of yelling and Soul-amazing Devils I say consider what pains the Lord Jesus Christ took in bringing in Redemption for sinners from these Things 1. In that Though he were rich yet he became poor that thou through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8 9. He laid aside his glory Joh. 17. and became a servant Phil. 2. He left the company of Angels and incountred with the Devil Luk. 4. Mat. 4. He left Heavens ease for a time to lie upon hard Mountains Joh. 8. In a word he became poorer than they that go with flail and rake yea then the very Birds or Foxes and all to do thee good Besides consider a little of these unspeakable and intollerable slightings and rejections and the manifold abuses that came from Man upon him How he was falsly accused being a sweet harmless and undefiled Lamb. How he was undervalued so that a Murtherer was counted less worthy of condemnation than he Besides how they mocked him spaâ— on him beat him over the head with staves had the hair pluckt from his cheeks I gave my Back to the Smiters saith he and my Cheeks to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my Face from shame and spitting His Head crowned with Thorns his Hands pierced with Nails and his Side with a Spear together with how they used him scourging him and so miserably misusing him that they had even spent him in a great measure before they did crucifie hâ—m Insomuch that there was another fain to carry his Cross. Again not only this but lay to heart a little what he receiv'd from GOD his dear Father though he were his dear and tender Son First in that he did reckon him the greatest Sinner and Rebel in the World For he laid the sins of Thousands and Ten Thousands and Thousands of Thousands of Sinners to his charge Esay 53. And caused him to drink the terrible Cup that was due to them all and not onely so but did delight in so doing For it pleased the Lord to bruise him God dealt indeed with his Son as Abraham would have dealt with Isaac I and more terribly by Ten Thousand parts For he did not only tear his Body like a Lion but made his Soul an Offering for Sin And this was not done fainedly but really for Justice call'd for it he standing in the room of Sinners witness that horrible and unspeakable Agony that fell on him suddainly in the Garden as if all the Vials of God's unspeakable scalding Vengeance had been cast upon him all at once and all the Devils in Hell had been broken loose from thence at once to destroy him and that for ever insomuch that the very pangs of Death seized upon him in the same hour For saith he My Soul is exceeding sorrowful and amazed even unto death Mark 14. 33 34. Witness also that strange kind of sweat that trickled down his most blessed Fâ—ce where it is said And he sweat as it were great drops or clodders of blood trickling down to the ground O Lord Jesus what a Load didst thou carry What a Burthen didst thou bear of the sins of the World and the Wrath of God! O thou didst not onely bleed at Nose and Mouth with the pressure that lay upon thee but thou wast so pressed so loaden that the pure bloud gushed through the flesh and skin and so ran trickling down to the ground And his sweat was as it were great drops of bloud trickling or falling down to the ground Luk. 22. 44. Canst thou read this O thou wicked sinner and yet go in sin Canst thou think of this and defer Repentance one hour longer O heart of flint yea harder O miserable Wretch what place in Hell will be hot enough for thee to have thy Soul put into if thou shalt persist or go on still to adde Iniquity to Iniquity Besides his Soul went down to Hell Psalâ—6 â—6 10. Act. 2. 31. and his Body to the bars of the Grave And â—ad 〈◊〉 Dâ—â—th oâ— the Grave been strong enough â—o holâ— him then he had suffeâ—'d the Vengeance of Eternal Fire to all Eternity But O blessed Jesus how didst thou discover thy Love to Man in thy thus suffering And O God the Father how didst thou also declare thy purity and exactness of thy Justice in that though it was thine onely holy innocent harmless and undefiled Son Jesus that did take on him our Nature and represenâ— our persons answering for our sins instead of our selves Thou didst so wonderfully pour out thy Wrath upon him to the making of him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And O Lord Jesus what a glorious Conquest hast thou made over the Enemies of our Souls even Wrath Sin Death Hell and Devils in that thou didst wring thy self from under the power of them all And not only so but hast led them Captive which would have led us Captive and also hast received for us that glorious and unspeakable Inheritance That Eye hath not seen nâ—r Ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of Man to conceive And also hast given thine some discovery thereof through thy Spirit And now Sinner together with this consider Fourthly That though Jesus Christ hath done all these Things for Sinners yet the Devils
make it their whole work and continual study how they may keep thee and others from enjoying of these blessed Priviledges that have been thus obtain'd for Sinners by this sweet Jesus He labours I say First To keep thee ignorant of thy state by Nature Secondly To harden thy Heart against the ways of God Thirdly To inflame thy Heart with love to sin and the ways of darkness And fourthly To get thee to continue herein For that is the way he knows to get thee to be a partaker with him of the flaming Hell-fire even the same that he himself is fallen into together with the rest of the wicked World by reason of sin Look to it therefore But now in the next place a word of incouragement to you that are the Saints of the Lord. 1. Consider what an happy state thou art in that hast gotten the Faith of the Lord Jesus into thy Soul But be sure thou have it I say how safe how sure how happy art thou For when others go to Hell thou must go to Heaven when others go to the Devil thou must go to God when as others go to Prison thou must be set at Liberty at Ease and at Freedom when others must roar for sorrow of heart then thou shalt also sing for the joy of heart Secondly consider thou must have all thy well spent Life to follow thee instead of all thy sins and the glorious blessings of the Gospel instead of the dreadful Curses and Condemnations of the Law The blessing of the Father instead of a fiery Sentence from the Judge Thirdly Let dissolution come when it will it can do thee no harm for it will be but onely a passage out of a Prison into a Palace out of a Sea of Troubles into an Haven of Rest out of a Croud of Enemies to an innumerable Company of true loving and faithful Friends out of shame Reproach and Contempt into exceeding great and Eternal Glory For Death shall not hurt thee with his sting nor bite thee with his Soul-murmuring Teeth but shall be a welcome Guest to thee even to thy Soul in that it is sent to free thee from thy Troubles which thou art in whiles here in this World dwelling in the Tabernacle of Clay Fourthly consider however it goes with Friends and Relations yet it will go well with thee Eccl. 8. 12. However it goes with the Wicked yet I know Mark yet I know saith he that it shall go well with them that fear the Lord that fear before him And therefore let this in the first place cause thee chearfully to exercise thy patience under all the Calamities Crosses Troubles and Afflictions that may come upon thee and by patient continuance in well-doing to commit both thy self and thine Affairs and Actions into the Hands of God through Jesus Christ as to a faithful Creator who is true in his Word and loveth to give unto thee whatsoever he hath promised to thee And therefore to incourage thee while thou art here with comfort to hold on for all thy Crosses in this thy Journey be much in considering the place that thou must go into so soon as dissolution comes It must be into Heaven to God the Judge of all to an innumerable Company of Angels to the Spirits of just men made perfect to the General Assembly and Church of the first-born whose Names are written in Heaven and to Jesus too the Redeemer who is the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Bloud of sprinkling that speaks better Things for thee than Abels did for Cain Heb. 12 22 23 24. 3. Consider That when the time of the dead that they shall be raised is come then shall thy body be raised out of the grave and be glorified and be made like to Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 21. O excellent condition 4. When Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory you also shall sit with him even when he shall sit on the throne of his glory O will not this be glorious that when thousands and thousands of thousands shall be arraigned before the Judgment-seat of Christ then for them to sit with him upon the throne together with him to pass the sentence upon the ungodly 1 Cor. 6. 2. 3. Will it not be glorious to enjoy those things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive Will it not be glorious to have this sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the Foundation of the World Will it not be glorious to enter then with the Angels and Saints into that glorious Kingdome Will it not be glorious for thee to be in glory with them while others are in unuâ—terable torments O then how will it comfort thee to sea thou hast not lost that glory to think that the devil hath not got thy soul that thy soul should be saved and that not from a little but from an exceeding danger not with a little but a great salvation O therefore let the Saints be joyful in glory let them triumph over all their enemies Let them begin to sing heaven upon earth triumph before they come to glory salvation even when they are in the midst of their Enemies For this honour shall all his Saints have Psal. 149. 6 7 8 9. Ver. 29. Abraham said unto him they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them IN the Verses foregoing you see there is a discovery of the lamentable state of the poor soul that dyes out of Christ and the special favour of God And also how little the glorious God of Heaven doth regard and take notice of their most miserable condition Now in this verse he doth magnify the word which was spoken to the People by the Prophets and Apostles They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them As if he should say thou askest me that I should send Lazarus back again into the World to Preach to them that live there that they might escape that doleful place that thou art in what needs that have they not Moses and the Prophets have they not had my Ministers and Servants sent unto them and coming as from me I sent Enoch and Noah Moses and Samuel I sent David Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel Hosea and the rest of the Prophets together with Peter Paul John Matthew James Jude with the rest Let them hear them What they have spoken by Divine inspiration I will own whether it be for the damnation of those that reject or the saving of them that receive their Doctrine And therefore what need have they that one should be sent unto them in another way They have Moses and the Prophets Let them hear them let them receive their word close in with the Doctrine declared by them I shall not at this time speak any thing to that word Abraham having touched upon it already but shall tell you what is to be understood by these words They
are many poor souls that think they believe the Scriptures to be the word of God and yet they never enjoyed any thing of the life and promises they come in upon the heart to quicken to revive thee to raise thâ—e from the sentence of death that is passed 〈◊〉 thee by the Law And through the faith that is wrought in thy soul by the operation of Gods holy Spirit though once killed by the Law or Letter thou art made alive in the Lord Jesus Christ who is presented to thy soul in the promises 3. Dost thou indeed and in truth believe the Scriptures to be the word of God then â—he things contained in them especially the things of the Gospel are very excellent to thy soul as the birth of Christ the death resurrection intercession and second coming O! how precious and excellent are they to thy soul insomuch that thou regardest nothing in comparison of them O! it is Christs birth death blood resurrection c. according to the Scriptures that thou dost rejoyce in exceedingly and abundantly desire after whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing the mercy with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6. compare with Phil. 3. 6 7 8. 1 Pet. 1. 8. 4. Dost thou believe the Scriptures to be the word of God Then thou standest in awâ—of and dost much reverence them Why they are the word of God the true sayings of God they are the counsel of God they are his promises and his threatnings Poor souls are apt to think If I could hear God speak to me from Heaven with an audible voice then sure I should be serious and believe it But truly if God should speak to thee from Heaven except thou wert converted thou wouldest not regard not really believe him But if thou dost believe the Scriptures thou seest that they are the truth as really believe him But if thou dost believe the Scriptures thou seest that they are the truth as really as if God should speak to thee from Heaven through the Clouds and therefore never flatter thy self foolishly thinking that if it were so and so then thou couldest believe I tell thee saith Christ If they believe not Moses and the Prophets neither will they believe though one should rise from the dead But 5. Doest thou believe the Scripture to be the word of God Then through faith in Christ thou endeavourest to have thy life squared according to the Scriptures both in word and practice Nay this I say thou mayst have though thou do not believe them all My meaning is that if thou believe none but the ten Commandements thy life may be according to them a legal holy life and if thou do believe the Gospel too then thy life will be the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ that is either thou wilt live in the blessed and holy enjoyment of what is testified in the Scripture concerning the glorious things of the Lord Jesus Christ or else thou wilt be exceedingly panting after them For the Scriptures carry such a blessed beauty in them to that soul that hath faith in the things contained in them that they do take the heart and captivate the soul of him that believeth them into the love and liking of them believing all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and have hope towards God that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust and herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man Acts 24. 14 15 16. 6. He that believes the Scriptures to be the word of God if he do but suppose that any one place of Scripture doth exclude him and shut him out of and from a share in the promises contained in them O it will trouble him grieve him perplex him yea he will not be satisfied untill he be resolved and the contrary sealed to his soul for he knows that the Scriptures are the word of God all truth and therefore he knows that if any one sentence doth exclude or bar out him for want of this or the other qualification he knows also that not the word alone shuts him out but he that speaks it even God himself and â—â—herefore he cannot will not dare not be conented until he find his soul and Scripture together with the things contained therein to embrace each other and a sweet correspondency and agreement between them For you must know that to him that believes the Scriptures aright the promises or threatnings are of more power to comfort or cast down then all the promises or threatnings of all the men in the world And this was the cause why the Marryrs of Jesus did so slight both the promises of their adversaries when they would have overcome them with prâ—fering the great things of this world unto them and also their 〈…〉 them they would rack them haâ—g them 〈…〉 Acts 20. 24. Noâ—â— of these things câ—â—lâ— prâ—vail upon them or against them because they did most really believe the Scriptures and the things contained in them as is clearly found and to be seen in Heb. 11. and also in Mr. Fox's Records of their Brethren 7. He that believeth the Scriptures to be the word of God believeth that men must be born again and also be partakers of that faith which is of the operation of God according as he hath read and believes he must and shall be damned And he that believeth this aright will not be contented until according as it is written he do partake of and enjoy the nâ—w birth and until he do find through grace that faith that is wrought by the operation of God in his soul. For this is the cause why men do satisfâ—â— themselves with so slender a conceited hope that their state is good when it is nothing so namely because they do not credit the Scripture for did they they would look into their own hearts and examine seriously whether that faith that hope that grace which they think they have be of that nature and wrought by that spirit and power that the Scripture speaketh of I speak this of an effectual believing without which all other is nothing unto salvation Now then because I would not be too tedious I shall at this time lay down no more discoveries of such an one as doth savingly believe the Scriptures and the things contained in them but shall speak a few words of examination containing the things already mentioned As 1. Thou sayest thou dost indeed and in truth effectually believe the Scriptures I ask therefore wast thou ever killed stark dead by the Law of works contained in the Scriptures killed by the Law or letter and made to see thy sins against it and left in an helpless condition by that Law For as I said the proper work of the Law is to slay the Soul and to leave it dead in a
into Abrahams Bosom Thus many times the Lord adorneth the death and departure of his Saints to hold forth unto after Generations how excellent they are in his eyes It is said of Enoch that God took him of Abraham that he died in a good old age of Moses that the Lord buried him of Elijah that he was taken up into Heaven that the Saints sleep in Jesus that they die in the Lord that they rest from their labour that their works follow them that they are under the Altar that they are with Christ that they are in light that they are to come with the Lord Jesus to judge the World All which sayings signifie thus much That to die a Saint is very great Honour and Dignity But the ungodly are not so The rich or ungodly die and are buried he is carried from his dwelling to the Grave and there he is buried hid in the dust and his Body doth not so fast molder and come to nought there but his name doth stink as fast in the World as saith the holy Scripture The name of the wicked shall rot And indeed the names of the godly are not in so much honour after their departure but the wicked and their names do as much rot What a dishonour to Posterity was the death of Balaam Agag Achitophel Haman Judas Herod with the rest of their companions Thus the wicked have their names written in the Earth and they do perish and rot and the name of the Saints do cast forth a dainty savour to following Generations and that the Lord Jesus doth signifie where he saith The godly are carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosom And that the wicked are nothing worth where he saith The ungodly die and are buried Verse 23. And in Hell he lift up his eyes being in torment and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his Bosom THE formâ—â— Verse speaks onely of the departure of the ungodly out of this life together with the glorious conduct that the godly have into the Kingdom of their Father Now our Lord doth shew in this Verses partly what doth and shall befall to the Reprobate after this life is ended where he saith And in Hell he lift up his eyes That is the ungodly after they depart this life do lift up their eyes in Hell From these words may be observed these things 1. That there is an Hell for Souls to be tormented in when this life is ended Mark after he was dead and buried In Hell he lift up his eyes 2. That all that are ungodly and do live and die in their sins so soon as ever they die they go into Hell he died and was buried And in Hell he lift up his eyes 3. That some are so fast asleep and secure in their sins that they scarce know well where they are till they come into Hell and that I gather from these words In Hell he lift up his eyes He was asleep before but Hell makes him lift up his eyes As I said before it is evident that there is an Hell for Souls yea and Bodies too to be tormented in after they depart this life as is clear First because the Lord Jesus Christ that cannot lie did say that after the sinner was dead and buried In Hell he lift up his eyes Now if it be objected that Hell is here meant the Grave that I plainly deny First Because there the Body is not sensible of torment or ease but in that Hell into which the spirits of the damned depart they are sensible of torment and would be very willingly freed from it to enjoy ease which they are sensible of the want of as is clearly discovered in this Parable Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue Secondly It is not meant the Grave but some other place because the Bodies so long as they lie there are not capable of lifting up their eyes to see the glorious condition of the Children of God as the souls of the damned do In Hell he lift up his eyes Thirdly It cannot be the Grave for then it must follow that the Soul was buried there with the Body which cannot stand with such a dead state as is here mentioned for he saith The rich man died that is his soul was separated from his body And in Hell he lift up his eyes If it be again objected that there is no Hell but in this life that I do also deny as I said before after he was dead and buried In Hell he lift up his eyes And let me tell thee O soul whoever thou art that if thou close not in savingly with the Lord Jesus Christ and lay hold on what he hath done and is doing in his own person for sinners thou wilt find such an hell after this life is ended that thou wilt not get out of again for ever and ever And thou that art wanton and dost make but a mock at the Servants of the Lord when they tell thee of the torments of hell thou wilt find that when thou departest out of this life that Hell even the hell which is after this life will meet thee in thy Journey thither and will with its hellish crew give thee such a sad salutation that thou wilt not forget it to all eternity when that Scripture comes to be fulfilled on thy soul in Isa. 14. 9. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming it stirreth up the dead for thee even all the chief ones of the earth it hath raised from their Thrones all the Kings of the Nations All they that is that are in hell shall say Art thou become weak as we Art thou become like unto us O sometimes when I have had but thoughts of going to hell and considered the everlastingness of their ruine that fall in thither it hath stirred me up rather to seek to the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver me from thence than to slight it and make a mock at it And in hell he lift up his eyes The second thing I told you was this That all the ungodly that live and die in their sins so soon as ever they depart this life do descend into Hell This is also verified by the words in this Parable where Christ saith He died and was buried and in hell he lift up his eyes As the Tree falls so it shall lie whâ—â—â—er it be to Heaven or Hell Eccl. 11. 3. And as Christ said to the Thief on the Cross This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Even so the Devil in the like manner may say unto thy Soul Tomorrow shalt thou be with me in hell See then what a miserable case he that dies in an unregenerate state is in he departs from a long sickness to a longer hell from the gripings of death to the everlasting torments of hell And in hell he lift up his eyes Ah Friends if you were but your selves you would have a care