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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	great_a	lord_n	6,463	5	3.6139	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96328	The Christians hope triumphing in these glorious truths; [brace] 1. That Christ the ground of hope, is God, and not meer man, against the Arians, and other unbelieving Christians. 2. That Christ is the true Messiah, against the unbelieving Jews. 3. That there is another life besides this, against the grosse atheist. 4. That the soul of man is immortall, and doth not sleep till the day of resurrection, against the errour of some seeming semi-atheists. 5. How the hope of heaven should be attained, whilst we are on earth, against the carnall worldlings. 6. How this hope may be discerned where it is, and attained where it is not, for the comfort of every poor Christian. All which truths are briefly pointed out and cleared, in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of Lords in the Abby-Church at Westminster on Wednesday, May 28. being the day appointed for solemn and publike humiliation. / By Jeremiah Whitaker. Published by order of the House of Peers.	Whittaker, Jeremiah, 1599-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing W1710; Thomason E286_4; ESTC R200074	52,593	59

now if you believe not that there is another life then you make the Word of God to be a refuge of lies and the holy Scripture is looked upon by you as some imposture and read over the parts of the Covenant and dare you imagine that his Commandements are irrationall First Consider his Commandements viz. Lay not up for your selves treasures on Earth which the moth corrupteth Math. 6.19 Joh. 6.27 Luk. 13. and theeves break thorow and steale labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to aternall life strive to enter in at the strait gate and can these directions of the Lord of glory be thought by you to be delusions Secondly Consider the threats of the Covenant doe you think them to be vaine affrightments Christ saith What shall it profit a man if he gaine the whole world and lose his own soul Math. 16.16 now if the soule be the temper of the body and if there be no life but this then the soule is lost for ever for every one must lay downe his life there is no man living that shall not see death Christ biddeth us feare him that killeth body and soul why doe all the Scriptures tell us of devouring fires everlasting burnings Isa 33.34 cap. 30.35 that Tophet is prepared of old the pile thereof is much wood the breath of the Lord kindleth it the worme never dyeth and the fire never goeth out but the smoke of the torment ascendeth for ever and ever doe you or dare any one of you when you heare the words of this curse blesse your selves in the imagination of your heart and say I shall have peace though I adde drunkennes unto thirst Deut. 19.19 be sure though you despise this Word of the Lord yet this word shall take hold of you and all the curses of this book shall lie upon you Z●ch 1.6 and the Lord shall blot out your name from under Heaven Thirdly Look on the promises of this Covenant's and can any of you think those promises which God counteth to be most precious to be lies most pernitious doth Christ use Stratagems to overreach his people can you think the God of truth will deceive who will not suffer any man to goe beyond 1 Thes 4.6 or defraud his brother but will be an avenger of such things how often doth Christ engage himself by his promise Matth.'s 19.29 that no man hath lost futher or mother houses or lands for my name sake but shall receive manifold in this life and in the life to come eternall life how often doth he pronounce his Disciples blest when all men shall revile and persecute them and biddeth them rejoyce and be exceeding glad in that day Math. 5.12 13. for though their troubles be great yet their reward shall be greater in Heaven Fourthly What doe you thinke of the graces of Gods Covenant which are the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 as love joy peace c. If the eyes of our understanding be opened to know what is the hope of the calling and the riches of the glory of the inheritance with the Saints in life you cannot but confesse that the worke of Conversion is greater then the worke of Creation and the exceeding greatnes of his power towards them that beleeve is according to the mighty working of his power Ephes 1.19 which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead dare you without abhorrence and reluctance entertaine a thought that the reall grates of God are but the meere fancies of men and that there is no distinction between good and evil betwixt light and darknes and involve your selves in that woe Isa 5.20 Woe be unto them that call evil good and good evil Fifthly What doe you thinke of all the comforts of this Covenant the joy of gods chosen Psal 106.5 to much begged by David so much admired by the Apostle that beleeving the Saints rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Rom. 5.2 and rejoyce in the hope of glory of God and are ever looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God the thoughts of the great day when the sun shall be darkned Tit. 2.13 and the moon turned into blood rayseth up their spirits higher and Christ biddeth them lift up their heads Luk. 1.28 for their redemption then draweth neare Sixthly What doe you think of the Children of this Covenant the holy Prophets and Apostles and Saints and Martyrs who loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 12 1● but kept the word of Christs testimonie Moses was learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians yet be refused to be called the sonne in Law to Pharaobs daughter Heb. 11.26 27. and chose rather to suffer affliction with the children of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a moment because he had respect unto the recompence of reward Paul brought up at the feet of Gamaliel Act 20 2● counteth not his life deare unto him that he may finish his course with joy and of that cloud of witnesses how many of them were racked tortured and accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Heb. 11.35 Dare you condemne all the generation of the righteous and soules of those boly ones that are now made perfect if you imagine there is no other life besides this then you condemne not onely the wisest of men of folly but the comforts and the graces and the threats and the promises and the commands and directions of God of falshood and that Atheistical foule that dares imagine the God of truth to be lyar shall finde that God Almighty will give him his portion with lians Rev. 21.8 and unbeleivers for ever in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstene Arg. 4 Fourthly Consider the glorious Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 Math. 26.53 Heb. 12.22 you have read of their state and condition that they are elect Angels of their number that they are many legions and an innumerable company of Angels how they shall appeare with Christ at his comming in that great day when he shall come with his mighty Angels Math. 25.31 Math. 22.30 and how the happines of the Saints after death is to be made like the Angels of God now consider what is the great imployment of the Angels to great in power till that great day come doth not the Scripture tell us that they wait over us that they are ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14 Esal 34.7 Luk. 15.10 Matth. 11.10 sont out for the good of them who shall be heires of Salvation doe they not pitch their tonts about us joy in our conversion there is more joy in heaven among the Angels of God for the conversion of one sinner c. and they behold the face of God for us and why is all this if there were no other life then the joy of the

silent Fifthly The expression of death by the Holy ghost is a departure 2 Pet 1 14. putting off this tabernacle and it is a strange ●●ake to take the house for the inhabitant Sixthly I cannot rockon the world of absurdities which follow this great errour that it 〈◊〉 gap to the overthrow of all the thoughts of Eternity for if arguments from nature can prevaile to delude the soule so farre as to thinke the soule is abolished at death what arguments can prevaile with a carnall heart to perswade it that the body shall be raised after death the voice of nature cryed aloud amongst the heathen that the soules of man were immortall and that there was a different state of the soules of just men and unjust after death the Elizian fields full of happines for the one sort and the Tartarean darknes full of horrour for the other t is an ancient observation that almost all Philosophers all Hereticks confessed the soule to be immortall and though they did not much desire it Animae salutē credo tractatu carere omnes fere baeretici eam quoquo modo volunt tame● non negāt Tertul. de resur Carnis yet they were not able to deny it but the resurrection from the dead was by few of them discerned scarce by any of them acknowledged besides this errour is destructive to all religion our corrupt natures are full of the seeds of Atheisme we need all religion to eradicate them but nothing to foment them thoughts of Epicurisme sinke deep to count the fruition of carnall pleasures the greatest good how many thousand soules have miscarryed upon this rock who from hence have turned to be lovers of pleasures more then of God to preserve your soules from this infection 2 Tim. 3.4 Vid. Tertul. Lactan. c. Discede ab Ethnico haeretice quid alieno uteris clypeo si ab Apostolo ornatus es Tertul. de resur I have been thus large in proving this assertion I should proceed to confute the arguments brought to the contrary but the time preventeth me onely in briefe their argnments are either drawne from corrupt nature which are abundantly answered by the fathers in their disputes against the heathen and they wondred that hereticall Christians that enjoyed the light of Scripture should borrow any arguments from Galen and the rest of the heathen that sat in darknesse and in the valley of the shadow of death let Heathens turne to Christians to assert this truth but never let Christians so sarre ●●●●tatise to Heathens as to assert their ●orrours or else their objections and seeming arguments are taken from mistaken Scripture I have scarcely time to relate them much lesse to refute them Object Some object and say Did not God threaten Adam In the day thou easest thereof thou shalt die and if he died Gen. 2.17 then the whole man did die for the body is not the man without the soul and therefore reason that immortall Adam must be made mortall Sol. To this I answer 1. That the death which God did threaten was not only naturall but spirituall and eternall and spirituall and eternall death may be upon the soul when the body perisheth the Angels that fell from their first standing are under death yet their being is not abolished Rev. 20.10 14. and after the day of judgement the wicked shall be cast into hell the second death yet they shall never be reduced to a non entitie for the smoake of their torment ascondeth for over If any say Rev. 14.11 Why is the whole man said to die if the soul liveth when the body is destroyed Lanswer That whatsoever belongeth to any part of any whole Quicquid convenit parti qua pars convenit toti secundum illam partem may be truly asscribed to the whole according to that part Man seeth yet the whole body is not an eye for then where was the eare but the whole light of the body is the eye Christ was born put to death buried and this is said of whole Christ but this is only in reference to the humane nature for the God-head is immortall 2. pet 3.18 and therefore he was put to death in the flesh only Object But they say When men are dead the Scripture expresly saith that they cannot praise God Psal 6.5 and 88.9 Isa 38.8 9. Sol. I answer the dead qui tales so farre as they are dead cannot praise God Rev. 14.13 the body that lieth in the grave resteth from its labour yet this doth not exclude the realiy of the act but the manner of the performance and so saith Hezekiah they shall not praise thee as I do this day Isa 38.19 the father to the children shall make known Gods truth 1. Though they cannot do it for anothers conversion yet they can do it for their own consolation and these souls that are with the Lord they follow the Lamb where ever he goeth and have their hallelujahs continually in their mouth Rev. 5.9 and blessed be they that dwell in God presence Psal 84.4 they will be alwaies praising him Object God is said only to have immortalitie c. Sol. God alone is immortall à parte ante from all eternity he alone is independently unchangeably infinitly immortall impossible 't is for any creature or all the creatures to anihilate God 't is an easie thing with God to anihilate any of his creatures he alone is the authour and continuer of immortality But I dare not in this point presume to detain you any longer what ever flesh and bloud may suggest or carnall reason object let your souls everlastingly dwell upon this strong foundation beleeving that there is another life besides this life There are many other Uses of this Doctrin to perswade you not only to beleeve this truth stedfastly but to blesse God for it abundantly That your souls doe not die with your bodie herein triumph that death hath no power of absolute destroying but only of changing and that change to your souls if you be in Christ is unspeakably for the better Be you therefore intreated all the daies of your life and appointed time Job 14.14 to wait till your change come esteem this truth as one part of the oracles of God most comfortable and one of the greatest remedies against all future fears and present miseries that though death destroy your bodie yet your hope may be in the rock of eternity that you may say as the Apostle doth here If we had hopes only in Christ in this life we were of all most miserable As you have heard the extent of this hope The 4th part so consider the ground of this extent here exprest by the Apostle drawn from an absurdity that the best of men otherwise should be most miserables which is an absurdity so grosse which the light of nature cannot but abhorre and therefore Paul counts it needlesse to use any other arguments to refute hence

conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.10 from whence they look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change this vile body that it may be like unto his glorious body for this they both labour and suffer this is that for which all the daies of their Pilgrimage since their conversion they have been trading and trafficking for now when they have laid out all they are and all they have for the purchasing this pearl if at the end of their life they should be deprived of this purchased possession this must needs make them more miserable 4. The love that they bear to Jesus Christ is sweeter Christ hath led them into his wine-cellar and taken them up into the bed of love espoused them to himself and kissed them with the kisses of his mouth when others are meer strangers to these spirituall embraces what if a stranger count it no misery to be severed from Christ Isa 54.6 yet what woman is not grieved in spirit for the losse of the husband of her youth What saies a poor Christian must Christ and my soul part now God forbid The time was I did not know him nor long after him when the thoughts of Christ were not in my heart then to have been severed from Christ would have appeared to me to have been no great misery Gal. 4.9 but now when my soul hath known him or rather is known of him when the desires of my soul have been let out towards Christ Isa 26. and the remembrance of his name when I have made Christ my joy my crown of rejoycing now to part with that which my soul loves will make me miserable Ruth 1.16 therefore the poor soul cleaves to Christ as Ruth to Naomi saying Intreat me not to leave thee nor forsake thee where ever thou goest let me goe that where thou art there my soul may be also 5. Consider that the expectations of the Saints are firmer It is the hope of heaven that makes them passe thorow good report and bad report the gladnesse of their hearts is not the joy of sense but the rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God 〈…〉 and this hope holds them above all fears to this hope they flee as to a Rock of refuge set before them and for this cause they faint not and all these light afflictions Rom 8. ●● H●b 11 1● which are but for a moment they count unworthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed to them willing they are to count themselves Pilgrims and strangers upon earth seeking this heavenly Countrey this house not made with hands this inheritance immortall undefiled and that never fades away 1 Pet 1.4 They that were never born to these high hopes may better bear their mean condition but after the abundant mercy of God hath begotten them again to this lively hope and raised them up to all these glorious expectances 1 Pet. 1.3 then to goe disappointed must needs make them miserable Job 6 12 20. If the Troops of Tema when they looked and the companies of Sheba when they waited for waters and found none if they were confounded because they had hoped if the sons of Nobles in that time of drought returned ashamed Jer. 14.3 confounded and with their heads covered because they came to the pits and found no waters if in petty expectations here below Isa 9 11. we often times roar like Bears and mourn sore like Doves when we look for judgement but there is none and for salvation but it is farre from us what soul can then bear the disappointments of eternity But surely experience of Christ works hope Rom. 5.4 vers 5. and this hope will never make the soul of any Christian to be ashamed Adde to all the former not only the disappointment of their hope but the disparagement of Christ their head whose name is more tender to their souls then the apple of their eye Where is the great work of Christs redemption from what evils did Christ redeem his people from If his people have onely hope in Christ for this life surely from the evils of this life the best of the Saints are not exempted to the greatest of these evils they lie exposed where and what then is the inheritance of the Saints in light where are those sons and daughters that the Captain of salvation made perfect through sufferings bringeth unto glory Heb. 2.10 What are become of all those precious promises of Jesus Christ Joh. 14.2 I goe to prepare a place for you In my Fathers house there are many mansions What is become of all the prayers and strong cries that Christ uttered in the daies of his flesh Father I will that those that thou hast given me were with me where I am Joh. 17.24 that they may behold my glory Surely if the hope of the Saints be limited to this life then Christ is disparaged and all the expectation of the Saints disappointed Obj. It may be this Doctrine is true for those Christians that are poor that live in a low afflicted condition whose sorrows and sufferings doe abound whose life is made bitter unto them by reason of sore bondage but what doe you say to great men whose cup is full and runs over upon whose tabernucle the Almighty shineth in this life God hath made their portion very fat and their meat to be plenteous and if there be no other life beside this sure of all men in this life they are most happy and in what sense can it be said in life or death upon this supposall that of all men they are most miserable An. The text speaks of Christians that are good rather then of them that are great and if God hath made men both great and good Psal 119 96. and hath called your souls into fellowship with Christ he hath opened your eyes to see an end of all these seeming perfections before you come to your end and then what is all the greatnesse upon earth in comparison to one daies communion with the great God Besides the more you enjoy in your life the more you are to lose and leave at your death and is it not a misery in death to be stripped of all if beggars so unwillingly put off their raggs how unwilling are Princes to be plucked away from their robes and the sons of Nobles to goe down into the grave and there to make their bed in the darke what greater unhappinesse is there then to say I have been happy but now I must be plundred of all and be eternally in an undone condition never to take pleasure any more and there is nothing of honour nor of all my labour wherein I have shewed my self wise under the Sun that I may take away with me in my hand This is a sore evil that in all points as I came naked Eccles 5 16. so I must goe where the rise is highest the

they alone have strong consolation who flee for refuge to the hope st before them and by this hope enter within the vaile whither the forerunner is before entred that this might dwell upon your hearts give me leave to propound a few motives Consid 1 Consider first the necessity of hope no man without it can live contentedly or die comfortably First No man can live contentedly aske your owne soules doe you thinke that any of you can live either rationally as men or usefully as Magistrates or spiritually as Christians First Doe you thinke that any can live rationally as men without hope life without hope may be sensuall like to the life of beasts made to be taken and to be destroyed but it cannot be rationall for reason teacheth us so to use things temporall as to provide for things eternall What content can there be to a man of reason without hope when he considereth either the deficiency of the good he enjoyeth or the eminency of the evil he feareth First for the deficiency of good looke on the sonnes of men that seeme to themselves and others the happiest under the sun and you shall easily perceive this truth first that no condition of men is so compleatly good as to be without a mixture of evil there are some graines of gall and wormwood to allay the sweetnes of the most delightfull potion and though this beitternes for a few moments may be concealed from sense yet it is cleare to reason whenn man reflecteth inwardly and communeth with his owne heart Solomon when he returned to himselfe judged the comfort that before seemed most admitable to be most contemptible crying out Vanitie of vanities allthings underthe sun were butvanitie Ecccles 1.8 full of labour that man could not utter it the eye being not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing therefore all the good things of this world being in themselves incompleat can never give to the soule compleat contentment for nothing can act above its one sphere Secondly Suppose the condition of some on man of ten thousand to be so good as to be free from any considerable mixture of evil yet no-condition here below but is capable of a melioration it is not so good but it may be better so hope is still needfull that all fruitions might be heightened by expectations Thirdly If the condition be such that thy soule doth nott wish it to be better yet thy heart may justly feare it may be worse and so there is ever need of hope if not for a new addition of some good you have not yet for the continuance of all the good you have otherwise when you say your mountaine is the strongest then desolation may be the neerest and when there is the highest lifting up then you may meet with the saddest casting downe when Nebuchadnezzar said Is not this great Babel which I have built for my selfe c. then came there a voice from Heaven saying thy kingdome is departed from thee Dan. 4 31. c. and when the rich man in the Gospell began to feed upon sense without hope and said Soule take thine ease he had that sad answer returned foole this night shall thy soule be taken from thee Luk. 12.20 Secondly Consider the eminencie of evil besides that there is a mixture of evil for the present with allgood whereby it cometh to pasle that all your comforts laid in the balance can scarcely equall your diseomforts yet consider all the evil you feel for the present is nothing to what you may feare for the future and it is not so ill to day but it may grow worse to morrow we had need to remember our Creator in out best time before the evil dayes come in which we shall say we have no pleasure in them and when after all stormes and tempest still the cloudes shall returne after the raine Eccles 12.2 Thirdly Consider the sadnes of these dayes the Lord hath made the glory of our Jacob thin Isa 17.4 and the fatnes of his flesh to wax leane and a great fire is kindled under all our glory How are the estates of many great men emptied how many Naomies out of every Countrey that say Call me not Naomi but Marah how is the greatnes of men diminished how are their honours overclouded the day of the Lord of Hosts is not onely on the Bryars and Bushes buton all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan Isa 2.13 upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up God calleth upon all the sonnes of men Enter into the rock and hide your selves in the dust for feare of the Lord and the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shalke terribly the the Earth whe had never more terrours without God raineth downe upon us feares and snares and an horrible tempest and therefore we had never more need of hopes within Secondly Without hope great men cannot live usefully as Magistrates when God hath made any of the sonnes of men great it is hard not to be great in their owne eyes this aslure your selfe of that though you are greater yet your corruptions are not thereby fewer Originall sin is in all men equall your diversions for the most part are greater you have so much company of others as that you have little time to commune with your owne hearts your temptations are stronger the greater you are Satanoweth you the greater spite few have been made better by greatnes how many men doe all ages tell us of who have been made worse there are many flatterers and but few admonishers It was Solomons unhappines in the midst of all his glory Eccles 7.28 that he found scarce one man in a thousand faithfull adde to this that your engagements to God are greater your falles if you miscarrie more exemplary your account unto the great God more dreadfull you have I knowne saith God above all the people of the Earth therefore you will I punish for your iniquities Thirdly No man can live spiritually as a Christian without hope every Christian besides the combats he must meet with as man hath other combats he must undergoe as a Christian his spirituall combat is stronger not onely with temptations without but with corruptions within his thoughts are higher his feares are larger his care is not onely how to be secure in mans day but how he may be delivered from sinne and death and hell how he may stand fast in the day of evil What is it that can make a poore sonle enter into this combat continue in this conflict despise this world deny himselfe runne thorow all straits triumph over all difficulties but onely hope which causeth us to see that the light affliction of this world which is but for a moment Worketh for us a farre more excellent and eternall weight of glory whilst we looke not on the things that are seen

great part of the men of the world captive the first is of the grosse Atheist the other of the Semi-atheist The first is of the grand Atheist how many are there that have the face of Christians but their hearts are heathenish who resolve there faith into meer reason and their hopes into sight Such were the Sadduces in Christs time Acts 23.8 who denied Angels and spirits and the resurrection such Were before Christ among the Prophets as those Epicures Isa 22.12.13 who when the Lord called for weeping and mourning behold joy and gladnesse slaying of oxen and killing of sheep eating flesh and drinking wine saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die such were some after Christ in the daies of the Apostle vers 32. of this chapter Peter prophesieth that there should be such to the end of the world wicked and profane men scoffers 2 Pet. 3.3 4. who should walk after their own lusts saying Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation It was an article objected against one of the Popes in the Councell of Basil that he had often said before divers Joannes 23. Saepe coram di versis praelatia pertinaciler juadente dia●olo asseruit vitam aternam nonneque aliam post banc dixit animan bominucum corpore relinqui Concil Basil Ses● 11 that were was no such thing as eternall life and Paul the third is reported to have said when he was dying now he should know three things whether the soul was immortall whether there was a hell whether there was a God if all these atheisticall opinions were buried in hell yet Satans temptations and the hellish corruptions of our own hearts would raise them up again and therefore 't is good to be established that we may stand fast in this evil day and having done all to stand Against this atheisticall opinion lay this down for a sure foundation surely there is another life besides this life and to strengthen you therein consider these Arguments First Surely there is a God Paulus 3. Moriturus dixisse fertur se jam experturun veritaten● trium quaestionum de quibus in tota vita dabitas●et 1. an ●nimae sint immortales 2. an sit insernus 3. an sit Deus Gerrard loc com de mort p 178. the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth forth his handy work every creature pointeth us to the Creatour and he that beleeveth not is condemned of himself and thou art left inexcusable O man now if there be a God there must needs be another life wherein God will fulfill the good he hath promised and execute the evil he hath threatned for in this life there is arighteous man that perisheth in his righteousnesse and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his daies in his wickednesse Arg. 1 Secondly Consider Jesus Christ whom you heard not only to be the Son of man but to be the Son of God and the true Messiah that great mystery wherein God hath made known the riches of his glory for without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse Christ manifested in the flesh P●●l 19.1 Eccles 7.15 1 Tim. 3.16 a mystery so much admired by the Apostles ador'd by Angels beleeved by Devils if there be no other life consider Arg. 2 First What was the end of Christs incarnation why did God become man and he that was the mirrour of Angels become the reproach of men Heb. 2.10 was it not that he might bring many sonne and daughters unto glory and that glory not in this life for when he appeareth in another life Col. 3.4.2 Cor. 8.9 then are the Saints to appear with him in glory why became he poor but that we through his poverty might be made rich and obtain the riches of the glory of the inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet 2 3 4. and that passeth not away reserved in the highest heavens for them who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Secondly What was the end of his bitter passion why did be taste death who was the Lord of life but that through death he might destroy him that had power over death Heb. 1.14 15. that is the devil and deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage and what deliverance from this death is imaginable If the end of this life put an end to all our comforts then the dangers of death are not abated nor the feares of death any whit diminished but he was made perfect through suffering that he might become the authour of eternall life Heb. 5.9 to all that doe obey him Thirdly What was the end of his resurrection but that his Saints might be quickned up together with him Ephes 2.6 1. Pet. 1.3 and made to sit in heavenly places together with him and so obtain a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Fourthly What was the end of Christs ascension but to prepare a place for his people and if I go and prepare a place for you saith Christ Joh. 14.2 3. I will come again and receive you that where I am there ye may be also Fifthly What is the end of his intercession but that he may be able to save them to the utmost Heb 7.25 that come unto God through him and how are they saved by him to the utmost if there be not another life after this life in this life the Saints are slain all the day long and counted as sheep unto the slaughter therefore abhorre that blasphemy as once to imagine that this great mystery of piety should be a mystery of iniquity if there were no other life expected then this then as St Paul saith of the resurrection Christ is not risen so may I say then Christ is neither borne nor hath he suffered nor is he ascended nor sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high despise not this glorious mystery through unbeleife for if he that despised Moses his law dyed without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who treadeth under foot the Son of God Heb. 10.28 29. and treadeth the blood of the Covenant under his feet as an unholy thing and doth despite to the spirit of grace Arg. 3 Thirdly 2 Pet. 1.19 Consider the Covenant of Jesus Christ we have a sure word of prophecy to which we doe well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place men may deceive and be deceived all flesh is grasse 1 Pet. 1.23 24. and the goodlines thereof like the flower of the earth but though men die the Word of the Lord liveth and abideth for ever and though Heaven and Earth passe away Math. 5.18 yet not one jet or title of this word shall passe away

that the soul is distinct from the body I passe over the arguments that learned men bring from the light of nature to confute this errour Consider what the God of truth hath revealed and you shall finde that the Scripture telleth us cleerly that though the soul be united to the body yet it is distinct from the body First in its rise Gen. 2.7 we have had the fathers of our flesh and have been obedient to them how much more to the father of spirits and live though God frame our bodies cause our bones to grow in our Mothers wombe take us out of our Mothers bellyt yet he useth our naturall parents as instruments of our body but it is Gods great prerogative to be the immediate father of the spirit Isa 57 16. Secondly It is distinct in its naturall operation is First the soule groweth most when the body groweth least there are distinct periods of time beyond which it is impossible to adde either a cubit or a haires breadth to ones stature but the soule is ever growing forward to its perfection Job 32.7 and multitudes of years though full of weaknes yet they utter wisdome Secondly The soule is often strongest when the body is weakest 2 Cor. Anima regit corpus repugnat passionibus quae complexionem sequntur Aquin. Contra Gent. l. 2. dying Christians have manifested the highest excellency under bodily infirmities when there hath been the least of the life of nature there hath been most transcendent glorious expressions of the life of grace and for this cause they fainted not finding by experience that when their outward man decayed their inward man was renewed day by day Thirdly The soule is not the temper of the body because it rules the temper and distempers of body Arg. 3 Thirdly They are distinct in supernaturall consolations when all joy of the body hath been darkned the supernaturall joyes of the soule have been enlarged when the bodies of Martyrs have been on the rack under torturings how have their soules been filled with inward triumphings embracing the burning flames like beds of reses and have endured all the dreadfull things that men could inflict to the admiration of their enemies and the conviction of many of their beholders as Justin Martyr and others Arg. 4 Fourthly They are distinct in their unnaturall pollutions there are spirituall wickednesses and malignities as well as bodily and we are bid to cleanse our selves from all fi lt hinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Pet. 2.11 and to abstaite fromall fleshly lusts which warte against the soule Arg. 5 Fifthly They are distinct in regard of the opposite duties required of man in demeaning himselfe to his body and to his soule Matth. 6.25 Christ hath commanded us to take no thought for the body but did he ever command us to take no thought for the soule are not his commands quite contrary viz. above all things looke to thy self Dent. 4.9 2 Pet. 1.10 Phil. 2.12 and keep thy soule diligently and give all diligence to make your calling and election sure and work out your salvation with feare and trembling now if God require those acts to be performed to the soule which are absolutely forbidden to the body then the soule must needs be distinct from the body Sixthly They are distinct at the time of dissolution when they part one from the other when the Servants of God have commended their bodies to the ground how have their soules rejoyced to goe out of this Tabernacle as Hilario● and Polycarp Stephen when his body was stoned seeth Heaven opened and cryed Lord Jesus receive my spirit Acts 7.56 and 59. if the soule therefore be distinct from the body in the rise in the working in its consolation● in its duties in its pollutions and in the state after death than to confound the soule with the body is as great an errour as to confound life with death and light with darknes But especially consider that all those arguments that prove the soule to exist separate from the body doe answerably confute that Errour that the soule is but the temper of the body therefore consider the second Position Posit 2 The Scripture expressely teacheth us that the soule is not onely distinct from the body Sour● immmortall and doth not sleep till the day of the resurrection but that the soule liveth when separate from the body and that it is but a fancy of inconsiderate spirits to dreame that the soule sleepeth till the day of resurrection for the cl●ering of this truth consider three arguments Arg. 1 First Consider the soules of the Saints and you shall finde that their soules doe not sleep with their bodies but that the Scripture speaketh expreslely that in the day of their death First they are gathered to their fathers so it is said of Abraham Gen. 25.8 now if Abraham was gathered to his fathers this must be in his soule for in his body there was no such gathering his progenitors being 〈◊〉 in V● of the Chalde●s but Abrahams body was interred in the cave of Machpelah before Mamre Gen. 25.9 in the land of Cannan Secondly Luk. 23.43 Christ promised the poor penitent thiefe on the crosse this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise there are some to avoid this Scripture would divide the words thus I say unto thee this day and make a stop there referring the word this day to the person promising and not to the blessing promised to which I answer that first to alter comma's stops against all received copies is a high presumption which if tolerated how will the sense of Scripture be wrested by wanton wits to their own perdition Secondly 1 Pet. 3.16 Luk. 23.41 the Context sufficiently confu●eth this glosse Christ answereth the desire of the poor penitent thiefe his request is Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome but Christ immediately that day entred into his kindome now in Christs answer none can imagine the words to be a denyall and if there be a granting his petition then to interpret the words that some thousand yeares after viz. at the day of the resurrection the thiefe should be remembred is to abuse the faith of this poor penitent to straiten Christs bounty and to wrest the words against their naturall sense that say expressely this day Christ hodiè must answer to the penitents quando and if in Paradise then surely not in the grave nor in any part of the Earth as that Paradise in the day of the Creation full of trees and herbs for Christ entred into the Heavenly Paradise 2 Cor. 12.2.4 and when Paul was wrapt up into Paradise he telleth us it was the third Heaven Thirdly You have read how Lazarus after his death was carryed into Abrahams bosome and that place Luk. 1● 22 Non quietis l●cum sed aeternitatis sinum Aug. Calvin not a place of quiet tranquillity but the bosome

of Eternall felicity and though some dispute whether the relation be a history or a parable yet how ever though you suppose it to be parabolicall yet a parable is the similitude of some reall truth and this Parable cannot signify what shall be done after the day of judgement but plainely pointeth to a state the soules are in before that day for after the day of judgement what man can say as Dives did Luk. 16.28 29. 1 Cor. 15 2● I have three brethren upon the Earth or how could Abraham returne that answer they have Moses and the Prophets c. for after that day all ordinances shall cease and God shall be all in all Fourthly Consider the Saints desire of dissolution is upon this perswasion Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ c. If Paul had imagined his soule should have slept till the day of resurrection it had been weaknes and madnesse to desire dissolution for this end to be with Christ for if this should be true then Paul had more of Christ in life for then Christ lived in him then possibly he could attaine to after death if the soule should sleep till the day of resurrection Fifthly Consider the Saints confidence upon their departure from Earth to enjoy a glorious life in Heaven we know that when this earthly tabernacle the body is dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 surely if the soul sleep till the day of resurrection they should not have said when this house is dissolved but when this body is raised and this tabernacle restored when they desire to part with the body this were out of love to their soules not out of want of love to their bodies for Paul could have wished mortality to be swallowed up of life 1 Cor. 5.4 i.e. that the mortall body might have gone to life with the immortall soule Sixthly The Scripture speaketh expressely that all the presence the Saints have with Christ while the soule is in the body is nothing but a meer absence in comparison of that neernes of presence unto Christ which they shall enjoy when they are absent from the body for the Apostle speaketh this confidently knowing that whilst we are at home in the body 1 Cor. 5.6 8. we are absent from the Lord and we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Seventhly Consider that the soule upon its separation from the body Heb 12.23 is so farre from being abolished that it is perfected and the Saints departed this life are by the holy Ghost stiled the soules of just men made perfect to this I might adde many more arguments as that the happines of the Saints is in a perpetual progresse Phil. 1.6 that the Vnion they have with Christ is inseparable beyond the power of death what shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8. That the happines of the Saints is Eternall Joh. 5.44 6.40 Rev. 6.9 10. 42. that the soules under the altar cry for the resurrection of the body that the counsell of Christ to his hearers was upon this foundation make you friends of this unrighteous mammon that when they faile they may receive you into everlasting mansions Luk. 16.9 but all these things faile us at the day of death therefore at that day the promise is to be received into everlasting mansions thus you see the truth evidenced from the soules of the Saints Arg. 2 Secondly Consider the soules of wicked men that at the hour of death they are not abolished God telleth us First That they goe to their own place so t is said of Judas who fell by transgression Act. 1.18 25. now that place is not the grave for the grave is not his owne place that is the common way of all flesh and that place where all meet together Job 3.18 9. Judas his place was the state and degree of torment that his sinne and Gods justice inflicted on him Secondly The soules of them of the old world are now in prison Christ in the dayes of Noah by his eternall spirit preached unto them whose spirits are now in prison the grave cannot be the prison to distinguish the just from the unjust that being common to the obedient as well as to the disobedient 2 Pet 3.21 Thirdly They are said to be in the place of torment Dives when his body was buried is said to have his soule in torment and he beggeth of Abraham send to my brethren that they come not to this place of torment many prove this Scripture to be historicall but suppose it in part to be a parable as some expressions are granted by all to be parabolicall as the tongue of Dives and the finger of Lazarus yet this Parable must be a resemblance of some truth which is in rerum naturâ and must intimate something past not future after the resurrection as was proved formerly Fourthly T is said of the Sodomites that they now suffer the vengeance of eternall fire it cannot be meant of their bodies Jud. ver 7. for they are burnt by fire to ashes nor of that materiall fire that fell upon their Cities for that many ages since was quenched but of their soules which are under the eternall wrath of God where the worme never dieth and where the fire is never quenched Mar. 9.44 Consider what the Scripture saith of the soules of all men in generall whether just or unjust whether they feare God or feare him not First That the soule man is not capable of corruption Matth. 10.28 Christ biddeth us not feare him that killeth the body and cannot kill the soule now if the soule was but the temper of the body then whosoever killeth the body should by the same act kill the soul Secondly When the soule and body part the Scripture telleth us they goe to distinct places who considereth the spirit of a beast that goeth downward and the spirit of a man that gooth upward Eccles 3. ●1 yet though man doe not consider it the God of truth asserteth it Eccles 12. ●● when man dieth then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the spirit to God that gave it Thirdly If the soule should sleep till the resurrection Corpus non statim diss●●it post secessum manetigitur 〈◊〉 magit anima L●c●ant 〈◊〉 then the soule should be as mortall as the body for the body is not presently dissolved into a non entity when it is parted from the soule and if the body be not abolished can any one thinke the soule to be anihilated Fourthly If this should be 〈◊〉 thou the resurrection of the soule should be as needfull to be reveal'd in Scripture and would prove as difficult to men to beleeve as the resurrection of the body but about the resurrection of the 〈…〉 scripture is altogether