receiue it But ô thou naturall man thou speakes as a man and what higher can dust and ashes go nor the earth neither is that reward far off as thou esteems it to be neither yet is that deth which maketh the seperation betwixt the soul and the body much to be feared For the time which David prescribes to the age and life of man is onely 70. or 80. years which time being expired the righteous receiues their reward promised If that reward then be long delaied in respect of the time which is without end let thy own conscience be judge Neither is this reward alwaies continued for the space foresaide but is graunted sooner vnto some when it pleaseth the Lord For wee see the tearme of mans life is vncertaine in respect that some are called home in their old age some in their midage some in their youth and some in their very infancie But heere it may be demaunded why the Lord wil haue vs first to die and after to liue againe seeing it would appeare to be more easie to continue this life for ever nor to put end to this life and then make vs to liue againe I answere that sinne is the occasion why we must die and depart this life before wee see the Majestie of God or receiue the reward promised which is everlasting life For as the Apostle Paul saith the wages of sinne is death But then thou may reply and say that Iesus Christ hath already suffered for our sinne and hath overcome death and hell How is it then that we must nevertheles vnderly death which is the reward of sinne I answere thee that because Iesus Christ hath suffered for our sinne and hath overcome death by his resurrection therefore hee shall raise vs vp againe from death and giue vs everlasting life which otherwise we would not haue gotten if he had not died for vs but would haue risen againe to everlasting death and torment Herefore as the Apostle subjoines to his saying aboue written but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Notwithstanding of all this the work of the resurrection from the death seemes most hard and difficill to fleshe blood But ô man Where is thy faith Seing thou may by very naturall reason as it were comprehend the same if thou wold haue respect to the rest of the wonderfull workes of God which thou seest daily before thine eies and would compare the same with the resurrection of the dead bodies For what is hee that euer would think that the seede which is sowen on the ground lies roten therein should ever come to perfection and become good and ripe corne vnlesse he had the yearlie experience of it What is hee that ever would thinke that those hearbes and plants which are withered and dead so that nothing remaines but a colde rotten roote within the earth should ever reviue and revert againe and bring forth a perfit stalke a leafe a flourish and seed vnlesse we sawe it with our eies Or what is he that seeing the Sunne going downe and the whole earth overwhelmed with darknes that ever would think that the sunne should rise and giue light againe except he had the daily experience of it Who would think that a man which is fallen in a sounde sleepe whose senses are deade without either sight hearing smelling or feeling should ever awake againe and be a living man vnlesse wee sawe it a thing customable and naturall to all men I suppose likewise that no man would credite by report the wonderfull manner of the conception and birth of mankind except it were knowne by experience and proofe Certainly it is no more hard and difficill to the Lord to raise the dead bodies out of the graue nor to worke these things Neither is deth more to be feared of the godly nor the going to bed to sleepe which is a perfit similitude of death For as man goes to bed in the evening sleeps all the night and wakens and rises vp againe in the morning So doth the body in very deede sleepe and repose in the graue overshadowed with night darknes but in the morning when Christ Iesus shall appeare in the cloudes the body shal rise againe at the blast of the trūpet and shall enjoy the perfit light of the day during the which space man shall not think long for what langor can the body haue which is a sleepe And as to the soule it can haue far lesse which during the said space is joyned with Christ Iesus In such sort that the space betwixt the separation of the soule from the body and the comming of our Lord Iesus is but the length as it were of a night But because thou ô worldly man hath not had the experience of the resurrection like as thou hast had of the things aboue specified which are no lesse marvelous thou can hardly beleeue it But vnto such as constantly beleeues the same and hopes for the reward of everlasting life I will briefly declare by the grace of God the joye and felicitie thereof in so far as the Lord hath revealed the same to vs by his word as the weak wit of man is able to conceiue In the first the Apostle Paule testifies that the eie hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entered in the hart of man the joye and glory of the life to come which thing God hath prepared for all them that loue him Therefore let man imagine and descriue what hee list he shall never be able to attaine vnto it for it is aboue his vnderstanding Neverthelesse I collect the glory and felicitie of that life to come to be extreame great and excellent in respect of these four circumstances First in consideration of the situation fabrick bewtie of the dwelling place Secondly in respect of the company and fellowship of them which we shall injoye Thirdly in consideration of the pleasures and delectation which we shall haue there And last in respect of the time and space which the dwelling company and pleasures shal indure A Description of the celestiall dwelling place AS to the Name and Description of the dwelling place It is called by the spirite of God the Heaven an holy mountaine a high place a great and holie citie holy and newe Ierusalem a celestiall and glorious Kingdome the Tabernacle and dwelling place of the Lord. These are high stiles Whereby wee may gather that the situation thereof is on high aboue the circle of the Sunne and circumference of the starrie firmament I dwell in the high and holy place saith the Lord and the Psalmist saith Praise yee him in the high places The fabrick and bewtie thereof may be likewise vnderstood to be most exquisit For seing it is the dwelling place of the Lord which is most perfite yea which is very perfection it selfe no question but his tabernacle dwelling place is
the place where our everlasting residence should be which if the Lord did not the nature of man is so corrupt and the vanities of the world so agreeable to him that without all question hee would be more carefull and mindfull of the earth and earthly things which are daily present before his eies nor of the heaven and of heavenly things which hee sees not and are onely to come and not present Secondly by affliction the heart of man is stirred vp to serue God and to be charitable towards his neighbour For we see that in time of sicknes of povertie of sorrowe of apparent or imminent danger wee are very devout and loving one to another and will both crye vnto the Lord for help and will haue compassion vpon such as are in distresse which in time of prosperitie wee regard but little For when wee haue things flowing with vs according to our hearts desire Incontinent we fall in a carelesse securitie and becomes colde and slothfull in religion and froward one towards another which thing adversitie doeth remoue and remeid Thirdly the Lord by trouble lets vs knowe when wee are cast downe howe vnable we are to helpe our selues And likewise he lets vs knowe his great mercie and power in raising vs vp againe which makes vs to drawe neere vnto him in time of trouble and to feare to offend and fall from him when wee haue once apprehended him and tasted of his mercie loving kindnes Fourthlie the seed of sinne and of all vice which is naturallie sowen in all our hearts is snibbed and pressed down with trouble But in time of prosperitie it ever springs vp and brings forth the fruits of iniquitie Fiftly affliction brings forth greate patience in vs for beeing experimented with the discipline and correction of the Lord that experience of his justice and mercie and of his woonderfull workes ingenders as the Apostle saith Patience and Patience brings forth experience and experience ingenders hope Last of all the sharpnes of adversitie which wee suffer makes vs both to know the sweetnes of prosperitie and what our Saviour Iesus Christ suffered for vs which should inflame vs with an exceeding great loue and thankfulnes towards him But it is a small thing of any trouble which can come to the righteous man for as David subjoynes to his saying which I cited in the beginning The Lord delivers him out of them all Therefore let vs lay this for a ground infallible That the Lord shall ever send either an hastie deliverāce to his servants in their trouble or else shall giue them such strength and patience to abide the same that they shall haue as great joye and contentment in time of adversitie as others haue in time of prosperitie And when it pleaseth the Lord to glorifie himselfe by their death they are sure of the joy and life eternall Take heede to the hastie deliverance of Hezekiah when he was sick to the patience of Iob and to the long suffering of Paul which hee did beare with joye and gladnesse The other question why the righteous suffers willinglie the troubles and wrongs which they might easilie eschew contrary to mans nature and naturall reason shall receiue this answere This saith our Saviour Iesus Christ If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow me To deny our selues is to quite and renounce all those things which are agreeable to our corrupted affections and not to seek and haunt our own pleasures our owne profite our owne praise our owne wit and our owne will But to set them all aside in so far as they may be hinderful to the true service and worshipping of God To take vp our crosse daily is to prepare vs for daily affliction and to vnderlie one trouble after another for the obedience that wee owe to God and to followe the example of our Maister and Saviour Iesus Christ in leading an holy pure and sinceare life Againe he saith Whosoever shall forsake houses brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake hee shall receiue an hundreth fold more and shall inherit everlasting life And againe hee saith He that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it Now concerning suffering of injury and wrong thus saith the Lord Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heven whereby it is to be vnderstood that they that suffers for their faults and offences are not partakers of this blessing but only such as innocently and patiently suffers injury and wrong Herefore the Apostle Peter saith Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an evill doer or as a busie body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe Againe our Maister saith to his Disciples Blessed are yee when men reviles you and persecutes you and saith al manner of evill against you for my sake falsly Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven And againe hee saith Resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also Item loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which hurt you and persecute you that yee may be the Children of your Father that is in heaven For hee makes the Sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sends raine on the just and vnjust Farther he saith do good and lend looking for nothing again and your reward shal be great and yee shall be the children of the most high for he is kinde to the vnkinde and to the evill Now of these sayings I gather the conclusion of my answere That the righteous bears such reverence and obedience to these precepts and commandements and beleues these promises so constātly having a sure hope of the reward which is promised That they despise the world and the vanities thereof forsakes and renounceth their houses riches cuntries wiues children friends and possessions and exposes and offers themselues willingly to all kinde of affliction and trouble yea to the very death it selfe knowing that their reward is prepared for them and as the Apostle Paul saith that all the troubles which they can suffer in this life is not worthie of that glory which they shall receiue It is here then to be marked that the righteous receiues not their chiefe reward in this world but in the worlde to come For the reward promised is an euerlasting reward and in this world wee see that nothing is everlasting but all temporal momentine This is a stumbling block to naturall and worldly men To wit that the rewarde of the godly as appears to them is long in comming that they must die the death before they
A Treatise OF THE FELICItie of the life to come VNSAVORIE TO THE obstinate alluring to such as are gone astray and to the faithful full of consolation By A.H. HEB. 12.22 But ye are come vnto the mount Sion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Majestie 1594. Cum Priuilegio Regali THE PREFACE TO the faithfull Readers WITH great humilitie and reverence Brethren and not without a warrant of Gods Word ought wee to speake of heavenly things and specially in treating of the life to come there is a singular discretion modestie required both in the teacher and the hearer For the matter is so loftie and transcends so far the vnderstanding of man that as a godly Pastor hath saide It is much more easie to describe and vnderstand the way to heaven and eternall life nor to describe the place and life it selfe Therefore when wee cannot vtter the dignitie of the matter it selfe which is aboue our capacitie we are forced to speake by similitudes and vnder shadowes of natural things which we can conceiue that thereby the things supernatural may be better conceived And this is no wonder seeing the Apostle saith that hee was taken vp into Paradise and heard words which cannot be spoken which are not possible for man to vtter Yea the very spirit of God speaking of the glory of the Elect in the world to come he makes their dwelling place to be made of gold and of precious stones their meat to be of fat things and of twelue manner of fruites and their drink to be of cleare springing waters and of sweet fined Wines And why speakes he after this maner Because we vnderstand this language and by reason of our weaknes and ignorance can mount no higher nor conceiue any farther Now then when I say that in the world to come we shall be delighted with bodily and sensual pleasures and that our senses of seing hearing smelling tasting and of feeling shall be delighted with their owne objects that are proper vnto them I speake so for penuritie of language For how shall that spirituall matter be otherwaies expressed seing there is not an other language for spirituall things nor there is for things naturall but that there is many attributiōs common to them both We see that in the scriptures mention is made of the mouth of God and of the hand of God when notwithstanding the Lord is a spirit and hath neither mouth nor hands as man hath but by the one is signified his word and by the other his power in preserving or punishing Likewise the life is called life aswell of the soule as of the body Death also is a word common both to the soul the body There is no other word for the joy of the soule and the joy of the body but joy and the nurishment of the soul is called Food aswell as the nourishment of the bodie Yet there is no doubt but our bodies shall arise at the last day perfit in all the senses If then we haue the senses of necessitie they must haue their owne objects and consequently that delectation which results of the objects may be pertinently called a bodily or sensuall delectation because it falles vnder the senses of the body Neverthelesse neither shall our bodies and our senses nor yet their objects be naturall mortall or corruptible as they are in this life But they shall be spiritual immortal and incorruptible for as the Apostle saith There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body neither can flesh and blood inherit the kingdome of God That is our naturall bodies as they are now while they be made newe and incorruptible by the spirit of Iesus Christ cannot inherite the kingdome of God Farther the substance and forme of this litle treatise to declare it shortly is this Having laied this ground that the miseries of the righteous are many There is heereupon two questions moued the one is why the Lord doeth so hardly intreat his servants in this life not onely in witholding his temporal benefits from thē but also in sending them great trobles To the which bipartite question it is answered severally that hee measures his giftes according vnto our strength and the pilgrimage which we haue to make that his chief reward is not temporall but everlasting and that he knowes affliction to be good for vs. The other question is why the godly suffers paciētly these wrongs which they might resist The answere is that the reverence which they beare to the Lords commandement and the hope which they haue of the reward promised which is eternal life is the very cause of it And forasmuch as that reward seemes to the naturall man to be farre of and the passage therevnto to be fearefull and difficill It is therefore shewen that neither the reward of the godly is farre off nor yet death by thē to be much feared And to remoue all doubtings of the resurrection It is prooved by diuers similitudes taken from things which we see daily wrought by God in nature to be nothing impossible This done vnto such as beleeue the resurrection of the bodies and the everlasting life is described the felicitie thereof which is collected of the excellencie of the place of the dignitie of the indwellers of the perfection of the pleasures and of the diuturnitie of the time The excellencie of the place is taken from the situation the fabrick and the bewtie thereof from the high stiles that are given vnto it in the Scriptures and from the worthines of the architoure and inhabitants thereof which is also aggreged by the liuely description of a bewtifull terrestriall place and consideration of the bewtie of the firmament the Sunne the Moone and the starres and argumentation from the lesse to the more The dignitie of the indwellers is manifested by their righteousnes and are the three persons of the Trinitie the holy Angels or ministring spirites and all the Saintes or elect people of God which is confirmed by the scriptures Thereafter to expresse the pleasures of the life to come comparisō is made betwixt them and the pleasures of this life whereby the perfection of the one more evidently appeares by the consideration of the other The pleasures of this life are devided in the pleasures of the body and the pleasures of the minde The bodilie pleasures are severally described by giuing an instance of the most plesant objects that can fall vnder the outward senses And the pleasures of the minde which exceeds the sensuall in greatnes are conceived vnder the rare gifts of the body and of the spirite joined with all kinde of honour and worldly promotion This done enumeration is made by an Epilogue of the greatest pleasures which the wit of man can devise and yet are proved to be inferior to the joyes of the life to come But
him that sits vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for ever more Wee shall also sing the songe of Moses and the songe of the Lambe saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almightie just and true are thy waies King of Saints Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy and al Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest We shall sing Hallel-uiah hallel-uiah salvation and glory and honour and power be to the Lord our God For true and righteous are his judgements Thus much concerning the plesures which we shall injoy in the life to come Of the Permanence of the world to come IT rests now that we speake somewhat concerning the time and space howe long the heavenly dwelling place the company and the pleasures foresaid shal indure To augment our joy and felicitie it is to be vnderstood that that celestiall dwelling that blessed societie and those inestimable pleasures shall never take an end but shall indure eternally without any limitation of time For it is called a blessed immortalitie and an everlasting life So that ten thousand years or thousand millions of years hath not so great a proportion with the length thereof as a moment of time hath with thousande millions of yeares For so much as no prolixitie of time can approch in any wise to the bounds or end thereof For the life everlasting is without bounds or end whatsoeuer I suppose that if any Prince or potent man vpon earth which liues welthelie and well could be certified that he shuld continue in that estate and should liue and not see death vnto the end of the worlde I suppose I say that albeit the pleasures and prosperitie of this life be mixed with innumerable sorrows griefs Nevertheles he should rejoyce therein exceedingly and count himself happy aboue al other men How much more then ought wee to rejoyce which shall dwell in that celestiall kingdome accompanied with the saints with the holy Angels and with the Father Sonne and holy Ghost And shall injoye all the pleasures aboue rehearsed and more nor the wit of man is able to devise and shall liue and continue in that estate without diminishing intermission or alteration thereof for ever and ever O felicitie aboue all felicities the hope whereof causes the faithfull to suffer great things makes their extreame pains to appear but gentle small and makes the heart to spring for joy with the very remembrance thereof O sweete Iesus Christ when shall we be made partakers of that promised felicitie When shall we see the glory which thou hast with thy Father Doubtles even at thy comming againe Lord and at thy appearing in the cloudes Come then sweet Saviour for we look and long for thy comming and deliverance Thy litle members are grievouslie afflicted they sigh and sob daily vnder thy crosse and werieth of the yoke and burden of sinne Thine enemies rejoyce and persecutes thy litle flock they haue taken a liberty they delight in wickednes and followes the lusts and affections of their own hearts because they esteeme the day of thy comming to be farre off they attend it not but esteems thee slowe slack like vnto themselues Thou beholdest these thinges O Lord Make hast therefore and put end to the troubles of thy servants and to the rage and insolencie of Sathan and of all his supposts that we may dwell with thee in thy holy montaine lauding and praising thee thy Father and the holy spirit in eternall vnitie with all kinde of heavenly praise for ever and ever world without end Amen FINIS 2. Cor. 12.4 Esai 25.6 Apoc. 22. 2. Cor. 15.44.50 Heb. 11.9.10 Heb. 10.23 Heb. 12.28 Heb. 10.37 Psal. 34.19 Psal. 50.10 Psal. 75.6 Psa. 103.14 Mat. 6.8 Rom. 5.3 Psal. 39.19 2. King 20.4 Luk. 9.23 Mat. 19.29 Mat. 10.39 Mat. 5.10 1. Pet. 4.15 Mat. 5.11 Mat. 5.39.44 Luke 6.38 Rom. 8.18 Psal. 90.10 Rom. 6.23 1. Thess. 4.16 1. Cor. 15.52 1. Cor. 2.9 Isai. 57.13 Apoc. 21.2 Psal. 15. Isai. 57.15 Psa. 148.1 Rev. 21.10 Exo. 31.2 1. Cor. 2.9 Isai. 51.6 65.17 66.22 2. Pet. 3.13 Reve. 21.1 1. Cor. 6.9 Reve. 21. 27. Isai. 60.21 Psal. 15.1 Isai. 45.20 Isai. 49.6 Rev. 21.26 Gen. 3 24. Col. 1.16 Revel 21.4 Isai. 65.16 Isai. 62.2 Apoc. 19.6 Apoc. 21.9 Isai. 25.6 Reu. 22.1 Apoc. 19.9 Ioh. 4.14 Isai. 49.9 Isai. 55.1 Isai. 54.11 Isai. 54.10.17 Isai. 60 1â— Isai. 65.13 Isai. 61.10 Iob. 19.26 1. Cor. 15.52 Mat. 25.46 Iohn 20 17.27 Revel 4.3 Exo. 19.16 Exod. 24. â— Exod. 34.29 Apoc. 21.7 Dan. 12.3 2. Tim. 4.8 Revel 4.8.11 Rev. 5. â—â—â— Rev. 15.3 Apoc. 19.1