in his darknesse you should bee wrapt in the winding sheet of Christs righteousnesse there is no shrowd like to that come thus to the grave and the grave shall have no power over you But to leave the Metaphor this must be your great work and care Christians to reflect upon these things in the serious applications and discourses of faith the infinite mercy of God the abundant merit of Christ and the sufficiency of his righteousnesse for your acceptance with God 2 Doe not onely act faith but strive after assurance of Gods love to your souls Old Simeon said Luk. 2. 29 30. Mine eyes have seen thy salvation now let me depart in peace he held the Messiah not onely in his Arms but in his heart and then he could comfortably dismisse his soul now let me dye said Jacob when he had seen Joseph he can never dye too soon as for himself his owne comfort and profit that hath seen Jesus his death is not untimely and immature by what stroke soever he be cut off whereas otherwise if you live an hundred yeares you dye too soon if you dye before you have gotten an interest in Christ the sinner of an hundred years shall be accursed old sinners that are left to be eaten out by their own rust are chimneys long foul and come at last to be fired 3 Mortifie corruptions sin must dye ere wee dye he dyeth well whose sinnes are dead before him either sin must dye or the sinner as the Prophet said in another case I say in this thy life must goe for its life you will find those sins mortall that are not mortified what should an unmortified man doe with heaven there are no sports nor carnall pleasures there those blessed mansions seem to him but dark shades and melancholy retirements the Apostle hath an expression Col 1. 12. He hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light we are first made meet for heaven before we enter into it we are weaned from the world before we leave it when men hang upon the world as long as they can and when they can hang no longer think then to make use of God the Lord will refuse them with disdain Go to the Gods which you have chosen let the world now help you and save you in short a mortified man is prepared and ready he doth but wait for winde and tide and falleth like a shock of corn in season 4 An holy life and conversation men live as if they never thought to dye and then dye as if they never thought to live the best way to dye well is to live well they that are not ashamed to live are not afraid to die Balaam desired to dye the death of the righteous but would not take pains to live a godly life every man cannot say Thanks be to God that giveth us victory through Jesus Christ you can not dye in Christ unlesse you live in him and in the power of his life advance towards heaven oh labour to exercise your selves in these things that you may be in a constant preparation you never enter into the combate of death but once 't is impossible to mend oversights either we are slain or saved eternally Now if you doe what I have here exhorted you to you may wait till your change come and when it cometh your last hour will prove your best Use 3 3. It serveth to presse Gods children to improve the comforts of Christs victory doe not let it goe out of your hands 1 Improve it for your friends that are departed in the Lord our weeping puts some disparagement upon Christs conquest why should wee weep in the day of their preferment in the day of their solemn espousals to Jesus Christ In the primitive times at Funerals they were wont to sing Psalmes of thanksgiving we should bring them as champions to the grave as those that have passed the pikes and finished their course and kept the faith and have conquered the world and sin and death and danger Chrysostome in one of his homilies on the Hebrews speaketh of the ancient rites at funerals of their Hymnes and Psalmes and Praises haec omnia sunt laetantium saith he All these signifie joy and wilt thou weep and sing a Psalme of praise and triumph at the same time I confesse 't is said Act. 8. 2. That devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him 't is our losse when the Church is bereaved of such excellent persons there is cause of sorrow but there should be a mixture we should not mourn as those without hope 1 Thes 4. 13. as Christians must not rejoice without sorrow so they must not be sorry without some mixture of joy let us declare that we hope for a resurrection that we expect to meet our friends again in heaven and when wee weep let it be like rain when the Sun shineth there should be somewhat of joy in our countenances as well as tears in our eyes 2. Improve it for your selves and that 1 In life time that in your resolutions you may bee willing to dye many times we are like Lot in Sodome or like the Israelites in Egypt we could wish for Canaan but are loath to goe out of Egypt this argueth little faith Can we beleeve there is a heaven so excellent and glorious and yet shun it can we hope for such an incorruptible inheritance and yet be afraid of it that we shall enter upon it too soon what Prince would live uncrowned what heir would whine when hee is called to come and take the inheritance what thoughts have we of eternall life do we count it a priviledge or a misery and a burden And again it argueth little love can we pretend to love Christ and be shie of his company he should be unwilling to dye that is unwilling to goe to Christ And again it argueth little judgement and consideration Wherein is this life valuable the world is nothing else but a place of banishment here is nothing but groaning all the creatures join in consort with the heirs of promise Rom. 8. 23. What do you see in the world or in the present life to make you in love with it are you not weary of misery and sin the longer thou livest thou sinnest the more certainly thou hast provoked God long enough already 't is high time to breath after a better estate and thou hast had taste enough of the worlds misery and deceit and of the frailties and weaknesses of the body a longer life would be but a longer sicknesse what 's the matter that we are so loath to let goe our hold of present things if it be not want of faith or want of love to Christ or too much love of the world certainly it must be fear of death what a baseness lowness of spirit is this to fear an enemy so often vanquished by Christ and his Saints
in Christ you have all things though you have nothing this I touched upon before you may say with the Apostle as having nothing yet possessing all things though you may be without wealth and riches and Olive yards yet herein lies your comfort you are not without Christ and in having him you have al things though you have nothing for all things are given you in and through Christ by way of entaile as in 1 Cor. 3. 22. All things are yours and yee are Christs I shall a little explain this place to you sayes the Apostle Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas that is all the Ministers of Christ if you have an interest in Christ Christ hath given gifts to his Ministers for your sakes so that you may lay claim to all the Ministers of Christ Paul is yours and Apollos is yours they are yours because they are your lights to guide you in the way to heaven through the darke wildernesse of this world they are your Pastors to feed you with knowledge and understanding in the Mysteries of Salvation they are your Shepheards to gather you into the fold of Jesus Christ they are your builders to hew and square and make you fit for Christs spirituall building they are your conâ—â—ctors or the friends of the Bridegroome to make up a compleat match between Christ and you I speak only in Scripture phrase they are your Vine-dressers to prune you and make you fit to bring forth fruit unto God Thus all the gifts of all the Ministers in the world are intended by Christ for the good of his children if there were no godly men in the World there would be no Ministers in the World and therefore these people that will heare onely one kind of Ministers such as they affect and slight all else they straighten their own priviledges for all the Ministers in the World are given by Christ for the benefit of his children But then again says the Apostle Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World all is yours you have a right to all the World not only a civil right but a religious right The meek shall inherit the earth So that if you could go to the top of an exceeding high Mountain and look over all the whole World you may say Behold I see all this is my Fathers ground and he hath given it to Christ even the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and I having an Interest in Christ am thereby a coheire and joint heire with him 3. Life is yours likewise God hath given you your lives that in that little space of time you might provide for eternity and labour to know God and worship him aright 4. Death is yours likewise death is but as it were a lanching of you forth into an Ocean of endlesse joyes and pleasures but as a trap-doore to let you into heaven if you should never dye you would bee but miserable creatures but God hath appointed death to be a means to let you into Heaven Whether wee live we live unto the Lord or whether we dye we dye unto the Lord so that living or dying we are the Lords 5. Things present are yours which includes in it either present mercies or present afflictions 1. present mercies are yours as having a right to them and beholding the goodnesse of God in them and praising God for them and as serving God with them and as doing good to others by them 2. Present afflictions are yours likewise to humble your hearts to wean you from the world to quicken your desires after heaven to purge out your corruptions and exercise your graces and the like whatsoever present condition thou art in that present condition bee it what it will be shall work for thy good 6. Things to come are yours too if afflictions come or temptations come or trouble or want or famine or pestilence or imprisonments or any thing come they are all yours they are ordered by Christ to be for your good and so if mercy comes and the blessings of another world they are all yours Heaven and Happinesse and Glory Life Salvation are all yours Here then Beloved you see the first branch of a mans happinesse that hath an interest in Christ in having Christ he hath all things though hee hath nothing because he hath him that hath all things this is the first 2. That man that hath an interest in Christ his second consolation lies in this that all that Christ hath is his and oh my Beloved this is a golden mine that will afford you many pretious comforts I shall give them to you under these five or six particulars 1. If you have an interest in Christ then Christs Father is your Father 2. Christs Spirit is your Spirit 3. Christs Righteousnesse is your Righteousnesse 4. Christs Graces are your Graces 5. Christs Peace is your Peace And 6. Chr. Sufferings are your Sufferings And oh Beloved see what a large field you may here walk in 1. If you have an interest in Christ his Father is your Father as in Joh. 20. 17. saith Christ Behold I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Christs Father is a Beleevers Father 2. Christs Spirit is your Spirit in John 14. 8. sayes Christ I will pray to my Father and he shall give you another Comforter which shall abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not but you see him and know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 3. Christs righteousnesse is your righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. And this is the name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse So in 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ is made of God unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 4. His Graces are your Graces Joh. 1. 14. Christ is full of grace and truth Why That out of his fulnesse we might all receive grace for grace that is for every Grace that is in Jesus Christ according to our proportion and capacity we shall receive from him 5. His peace is your peace Joh. 14. 27. My peace sayes Christ I leave with you my peace I give unto you the peace that we enjoy is from Christ 6. Lastly Christs sufferings are your sufferings God looks upon his sufferings for you as if you in your own persons had done and suffered what he did the just hath suffered for the unjust to bring you to God the sufferings of Christ do as effectually bring you to God as if you in your own persons had suffered upon the crosse as he did nay it doth it a great deal more for our sufferings could not have done it Thus having an interest in Christ all that
will turn away his anger from thee and behold thee with a smiling countenance thou being in Christ and Christ in thee and God being well pleased with his Sonne must needs bee well pleased with thee too great is your benefit by having an interest in Christ I may say in this case what Elisha the Prophet said to King Jeroboam 2 King 3. 14. Verily sayes hee were it not that I regard the person of Jehosaphat King of Judah I would not looke toward thee nor see thee just so does God say to us were it not for my Sonne Jesus Christ you should never see my face nor have a good look from me 6. If thou hast a real interest in Christ then this is another part of thy comfort that God the Father doth as truly accept of thee in his Sonne as if thou hadst in thine own person done and suffered what Christ did this is a great benefit God accepts of what Christ hath done for us as if we had none it our selves as in Ephes 1. 6. Hee hath made us accepted in the beloved that is in Christ God lookes upon thee in Christ and accepts of all thy duties and performances as well as if thou hadst prayed as well as ever Christ prayed and done and suffered as much as ever Christ did 7. Art thou now in Christ well take this for thy comfort thou maist be confidently assured that thou shalt bee one day with Christ This is the last consolation and I shall give you a pregnant text to prove it though it be not so well understood in the common reading of it as it should bee Rom. 8. 10. sayes the Apostle if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse What is the meaning of this the body is dead because of sinne the meaning is not that the body does mortifie sin but the body is dead because of sin that is sin shall bring your bodies to the grave but your spirits shall live because of righteousnesse that is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ through the righteousnesse of Christ your souls shall live for ever in glory with Christ though your bodies die and sin bring them to the grave yet the killing of your bodies shall but make way for the living of your spirits being in Christ here you shall for ever live with Christ in glory hereafter the death of your bodies shall but give you an entrance into Glory and therefore why should death be grievous to those that are in Christ Jesus for death is but as it were the marriage day wherein Christ and their soules shall bee united together if Christ bee in you your bodies shall die because of sin but your spirits shall live because of righteousnesse You have another pertinent place to prove this in Joh. 17. 23 24. sayes Christ there I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me and Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me Some conceive that this prayer of Christ was made onely for the Apostles that they might be where Christ was in heaven but if you marke the precedent words you shall find that it was for all Beleevers for saies Christ himself neither pray I for these alone but for all those that shall beleeve in my Name to the end of the world Great is your comfort in having an interest in Christ here you shall one day reign with him for ever in Glory Thus I have done with these seven consolations to those that have a real and well grounded interest in Christ I have onely now a word or two by way of Use to apply and set home what I have said concerning this particular Use Here you see what unspeakable comforts redound to you that have an interest in Christ you have all things though you have nothing Christ is yours and all that Christ hath is yours and all that you have is Christs Christ sweetens all afflictions and crosses to you and the having of Christ represents God the Father to you not with terrour and dread but with goodnesse and meeknesse and loving-kindnesse and mercy and long-suffering and through Christ God doth as freely accept of you and of what you doe as if it were done as well as ever Christ did it and being in Christ here you shall for ever live with Christ in glory hereafter Oh how should all these mercies and priviledges stir up all those that have yet no part in Christ never to give rest to their eyes nor slumber to their eye-lids till they have gotten an interest in him SERMON VI. EPHES. 2. 12. That at that time ye were without Christ LEst any of you that hear mee this day should lie under a spirit of delusion and think that all that I have said touching the happinesse of those that have an interest in Christ belongs to them when it doth not I shall therefore spend this houre in shewing you some characters whereby you may know whether you have a real interest in Christ or no this is the needfullest point that ever in my life I prest upon you and the Lord give you grace to lay these characters close to your own hearts and by them seriously to examine your own souls whether you have a reall interest in Christ or no but before I give you these characters give me leave by the way to premise these three or four Cautions or cautelary conclusions which will the better make way to the handling the point in hand Caution 1 1. Take this caution that men may be strongly conceited and opinionated that they have an interest in Christ when they have not I shall give you a plain text for this in 2 Cor. 10. 7. Doe you look on things after the outward appearance sayes the Apostle if any man trust to himself that hee is Christs let him of himself think this again that as he is Christs even so are we Christs This is a very notable place there were some among the Corinthians that were strongly conceited they did belong to Christ when they did not and had an ill opinion of the Apostles and thought they did not belong to Christ and to such as these the Apostle Paul here speaks men may be strongly conceited they have an interest in Christ when there is no such matter as it was with the Church of Laodioea in Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest I am rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked 2. Another cautelary conclusion I would have you take notice of is this that in laying down the characters of a man that hath an interest in Christ I do not
he hath most need of them had his hopes been well grounded hopes they would never make him ashamed of them Thus you see I have onely in the generall confirmed the point to you I come now to speak of some more particular inquiries in the prosecution of this Doctrin Beloved wil you lend me your thoughts a little in the handling of these five inquiries As 1. I shall shew you the nature of this hope that unconverted men are without 2. I shall shew you what are the characters of those men that are without any well grounded hopes for heaven 3. I shall shew you the reason why seeing the Scripture sayes that a wicked man hath no hope that of any men in the world a wicked man does nourish in his heart the greatest hopes for heaven 4. I shall shew wherein lies the difference between those that have onely a presumptuous hope for heaven and those that have a true and well grounded hope for heaven And Lastly I shall shew you the great misery of those men that have onely presumptuous hopes for heaven Quest I will begin with the first of these to shew you the nature of that hope that unconverted men are without Answ Take this plain description of it that true hope which wicked men are without it is a well grounded and patient expectation for the accomplishment of all those spirituall and eternall good things which God hath promised through Jesus Christ and which Faith beleeves I call it a well grounded expectation to distinguish true hope from those presumptuous hopes that wicked men have I call it a patient hope to distinguish it from a rash hope in wicked men and I say it is a patient expectation and looking for the accomplishing those spirituall and eternall good things which God hath promised in Christ because that this is the ground of hope it is called the hope of glory and the hope of eternall life and the like Thus you have the nature of this hope that wicked men are without when the Apostle sayes they were without hope his meaning is that they were without any hope of those spirituall and eternall good things which God hath promised to beleevers through Christ Quest 2 Quest 2. What are the Characters of those men that have no hopes for heaven or if they have it is onely a deluding and a presumptuous hope a hope no better then no hope at all nay it were a great deal better to have no hope then a presumptuous hope but that I shall speak to afterward Now before I shall lay down these characters by way of discovery I will onely premise four or five particular conclusions which are very necessary to prevent wicked men from running into mistakes concerning their hopes for heaven 1. Take this conclusion that this grace of hope may as well be counterfeited as any other grace there is a lively hope in a Beleever and a dead hope in a wicked man there is a faigned hope as well as a true hope a counterfeit hope as well as a good hope and therefore it is said in Joh. 8. 13. The hope of the hypocrite shall perish and in Prov. 10. 28. The hope of the wicked shall perish 2. Take this conclusion that those men that have least grounds to build hopes of heaven upon doe yet nourish most confident hopes of heaven in their hearts I shall give you two notable places of Scripture to prove this in Prov. 14. 16. it is said there that a wise man feareth and departeth from evill a wise man is jealous over his own heart what followes but sayes he A fool that is a wicked man he rageth and yet is confident he runs on in wicked wayes and practises without any remorse or sorrow and yet he is a confident man that hee shall goe to heaven as well as the best A wise man feareth and departeth from evill but a wicked man rageth and yet is confident those that have least cause to hope doe yet harbour the greatest hopes for heaven in their hearts A like place to this you have in Psal 36. â—2 The transgression of the wicked sayes in his heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes and yet the next words are he flatters himself in his own eyes though his iniquities are found worthy to be hated wicked men are very apt to have good conceits of themselves and you shall finde it ordinarily that a poor soul that walks conscionably before God and neglects no known duty and mortifies every known lust and walkes humbly before God this man is full of feares and jealousies and doubts that all things are not well between God and his soul and yet you shall finde another ungodly wretch that gives way to all manner of sin and uncleannesse and fulfills the lusts of his flesh and of his minde and this man is very confident of his going to heaven and that all is well with him when he is running headlong to hell Here then you see the second conclusion that those men that have least grounds to build hopes of heaven upon doe yet nourish strongest hopes for heaven in their hearts 3. Another conclusion is this that a man may live and dye with very strong hopes that he shall goe to heaven till he bee throwne downe into hell hee may have no other thoughts but that hee shall goe to heaven till hee bee cast head-long into hell I shall give you some plain text to prove this as Job 21. 23. Job speaks there of a wicked man sayes he one dies in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet A learned Divine sayes upon this place that it is the note of a wicked man when he lies upon his death bead if you come to him and ask him if hee hath any hopes that he shall goe to heaven hee will answer that hee hath very strong hopes of it and if you ask him whether my sin troubles him he will tell you no blessed be God I have no sin troubles me now nor ever did all my life time What does nothing at all disquiet you No I am wholly at ease and quiet he hath no sinne troubles him nor no misgiving thoughts but that hee shall goe to heaven But when a wicked man dies then his expectation shall perish and not till then Now Beloved me thinkes this conclusion should a little startle you and make you look about you to take heed lest you run hoodwinkt to hell that you doe not live and dye in hopes of heaven and never think otherwise till you drop down into hell 4. To you that doe lay claim to strong hopes for heaven let me tell you thus much that you are not to hope for heaven unlesse you can render a reason or ground of your hopes Beloved it is not naturall for every man to hope for heaven and to be saved and you ought not to hope for heaven unlesse you can give some grounds
surety and undertaker Heb. 7. 22. A surety of a better restament now he was a surety mutually Gods and ours to work Gods work in us and our work for us among other things which he undertook there he undertook the abolition of sin on Gods part he obliged himself that it should be performed by his Spirit on our part he obliged us to endeavours of mortification now because Christ is an able surety the work is as good as done already Rom. 6. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin mark 't is crucified with him as implying his undertaking upon the crosse that the body of Death might be destroyed as noting the Work of Gods Spirit which was ingaged and made sure by Christs death upon the crosse that we should not serve sin as noting the concurrence of our endevours to which wee are obliged by the same sponsory Act of Christ thus much Christ hath done for the abolition of sin now for the Law that was an enemy that could not be overcome but must be satisfied and so it was by Christ who both performed the duty and sustained the penalty of it chiefly the latter and therefore t is said he was made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. The sting is lost in Christ and the honey left for us But this is matter of another respect and cognisance 2 The next reason of the Apostles thanksgiving is the application he hath given us victory for understanding of which you must note that 1 Christs victory is imputed to us as if it were done in our own persons when we are actually united to him wee are possessed of all his merit Christ fought our war and joined battell in our stead we have a mysticall victory in Christ and are said to overcome when Christ overcame this is the reason why the acts of beleevers are complicated and folded up with Christs acts in the expressions of Scripture Crucified with him quickened with him and raised with him and set down with him in heavenly places Ephes 2. c. All which are terms proper to the Judiciall Vnion which is different both from the Morall and Mysticall as I could easily shew you were it not a matter of another nature now this mysticall victory is of great use to a beleever in time of discouragements if the Law challenge Satan and Conscience say thou art a sinner under a curse thou maist answer I am a sinner but I am crucified in Christ in my surety his payment and suffering is mine if Death or the world discourage you may say This is a beaten enemy I foyled it in Christ I ascended in Christ c. 2. The benefit of this victory is imparted and applyed to us by which he maketh us conquerours over sin and death all Christs worke was not done upon the Crosse there is much to be accomplished in our hearts Rom. 16. 20. The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet c. not onely under Christs feet but ours as Joshua called his fellowes to come and tread upon the necks of the Canaanitish Kings Come put your feet upon the necks of these Kings so Christ will see us conquer he that got a victory for us will get a victory in us over sin and death and hell Christ hath trodden them under foot already when his own heel was bruised now he will doe it under your feet Doctr. Having laid this foundation the point and head of Doctrine which I shall discuss is Christs victory over Death for the comfort and profit of Beleevers Death is either the first or second temporall or eternall sinners are under the sentence of both and both are in a sort put into the hands of Satan he had the power of Death Heb. 2. 14. as Gods executioner and the one maketh way for the other Death to the wicked is but a taking them away to torment as unruly persons are committed to prison that they may molest no more Gods patience expireth with their lives and then his vengeance beginneth The curse of the first Covenant was eternall Death Gen. 2. 15. thou shalt dye that is eternally the curse must carry proportion with the blessing the blessing was eternall life and the curse was eternall death I say the sorrow and pain must have bin perpetual answerable to the life which he should have enjoyed therefore Christ is said to have delivered us from wrath to come which certainly was our portion and inheritance by Adam and without Christ there is no escape But to come to particulars I shall shew you 1. How Christ delivered us from Death 2. How far 1. How be delivered us The Apostle answereth that Heb. 2. 14. by Death he destroyed him that had the power of Death now Christs Death cometh under a twofold consideration as a merit or as a glorious act of warre and combate as the Act of a Redeemer or the Act of a Conquerour which answereth to the double evill in Death 't is a naturall evill and a poenall evill 't is a naturall evill as it is the dissolution of soul and body 't is a poenall evill as 't is a curse of the Covenant or the punishment of sin 1 There was merit in Christs voluntary Death 't was a ransome for the elect he dyed not onely in bonum eorum for their good and profit but loco vice ominium in their room and stead as when the ram was taken Isaac was spared so Christs Death was in stead of ours God will not exact the debt twice of us and our surety Job 33. Delivered him from going down into the pit for I have found a ransome The sinner must dye or the surety now saith the Lord I accept of the Death and passion of Christ for this penitent man if we go downe to the pit we go not down by way of vengeance by Christs Death the merit of our sin is expiated justice satisfied Gods wrath appeased the Law fulfilled sin pardoned and so the Jawes of Death are broken Death in its self is the sentence of the Law the fruit of sin and the recompense of angry justice and so it hath no more to doe with us for God hath found a ransome 2 You may look upon it as the Act of a Conquerour Christ foiled Death in his own person ever since he rifled the Grave death hath lost its retentive power Act. 2. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loosing the pains c. t is an allusion to the throws of a travailing woman the Grave was in travail till this precious burthen was egested for he could not be holden of it and over since the Grave is a womb rather then a dungeon and pit of vengeance non vitam rapit sed refoomat it doth not destroy life but renew it in almost the same metaphor Christ is called Col. 1. 18. The first
born from the dead not that hee was the first that was raised from the dead howbeit he was the first that arose others were raised by the power of another but Christ arose by his own so he is called 1 Cor. 15 20. The first fruits from the dead as the offering of the first-fruits was a blessing to all the store so Christ dying and rising is a ground of conquest to all the elect Christ before his death had beene combating with the powers of darknesse and all the subordinate instruments Death was Satans beast of prey that was set upon him but our Lord foiled it in its own dungeon the battail between Christ and Death was begun upon the Crosse he grappled with it there and they went tugging and wrestling to the Grave Christ like a prudent warriour carryed the war into his enemies countrey and there got loose of the grasp of Death foiled it in its own territory he arose and left Death gasping behinde him so that the quality of the grave is quite altered before 't was a prison Satans dungeon now 't is a chamber of repose a bed of ease ever since Christ slept there when the Prophet speaketh of Christs resurrection he saith Isa 53. 8. He shall be taken from prison and from judgement by prison meaning the grave but speaking of the death of the faithfull he saith Esai 57. 2. They shall rest in their beds 't was for a while to Christ a prison that to us it might be a bed of ease 2. The next question is how far he hath delivered us from death we see the godly are obnoxious to the changes and decayes of nature yea to the strokes of violence as well as others and how are we delivered I answer 't is enough that the second death hath no power over us Rev. 20. 6. Nothing to do with us Rom. 8. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not one condemnation c. We may dye but we shall not be damned and though we go to the grave yet we are freed from hell But this is not all in the first death beleevers have a priviledge they doe not dye as others doe 1. The habitude and nature of it is changed that which is poenall in death is now gone 't is not a destruction but a delivery beleevers have wrong thoughts of Death we are delivered from it as 't is a punishment and a curse now 't is a blessing one of Christs Legacies of the Church all things are yours Death is yours 1 Cor. 3. 18. while Death was in the Devils hands it was an enemy but 't is made a friend and a blessing in Christ a passage from the vale of tears to the kingdome of glory the end of a mortall life and the beginning of that which is immortall as Haman to Mordecai it intended a mischief but it proved a priviledge to a wicked man it is properly an execution but to the godly a dismission of their souls into the bosome of Christ Luk. 2. 28. Now lettest thou thy servant to depart in peace they quietly send away their souls but a wicked mans soul is taken away t is twice so expressed Luk. 12. 20. This night shall they take away thy soul from thee and Job 27. 8. When God taketh away his soul c. they would fain keep it longer but God taketh it away whether they will or no a godly man resigneth and sendeth away his soul in peace his life cannot be taken away t is only yeelded up upon the call of providence and he dyeth not because he must dye but because he would dye he may dye sooner then he thought but not sooner then he would for when God willeth it he submitteth But to return the blessing of death lieth in 3 things 1. The Funerals of the godly are but the Funerals of their sins and frailties and weaknesses peccatum moritur miseria moritur homo non moritur 't is not the man dyeth but the sin the misery dyeth all other means and dispensations doe but weaken sin but Death destroyeth it when God justifieth the damning power is gone when God sanctifieth the reigning power is gone but when by death we come to be glorified then the very beeing of it is gone when the house was infected with leprosie so as scraping would not serve the turn it was to be digged down we are so infected with sin that all other remedies are too weak nothing but death will serve the turn when Ivy is gotten into a wall it cannot be wholly destroyed till the wall it self be demolished cut off the stump the body the boughes the branches still there are some strings that are ready to sprowt again so t is here originall sin cannot be destroyed the constant groans of the faithfull are Who shall deliver us from this body and masse of sin But now Death is a sudden cure sinne brought in death and as it were in revenge death destroyeth sin 2. There is a way made for a present and compleat Vmon of the soul with Christ Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ we are loosed from the body and joined to Christ t is better a soul be separated from the body then absent from Christ we have an Union here but not a presence now judge you which is better to be present with the body or to be present with the Lord to have the company of the body or the company of Christ Here the soul is inclosed and imprisoned as it were but there thou hast the free enjoyment of Christ without the clog of an earthly estate the soul as soon as it departs the body goeth immediately to Christ as when Potiphars wife laid hold on Josephs coat he escaped so you leave your upper garment in Deaths hand but the soul flyeth to God the body came from Adam and runneth in a fleshly channell and what we had from Adam must for a while be mouldred to dust to purge it from the impurity of the conveyance but the soul by a naturall right returneth to God that gave it and by a speciall interest to Christ that redeemed and sanctified it by his own spirit 3. The body which seemeth most to suffer hath much advantage a shed is taken down to raise up a better structure 't is sown a naturall body 't is raised a spirituall body c. 1 Cor. 15. 44. here 't is not capable of high injoyments 't is humbled with diseases unfit for duties again it 's sown'd corruptible body 't is raised an incorruptible body here 't is liable to changes there it may live forever without change and decay if we love long life there is eternall life 't is carnall self-love that maketh us willing to abide in the flesh if we did but love our selves but love our own flesh we would not be afraid to dye for to dye is to be perfected to have body and soul free from sin and incorruption 2. The hurt of it is prevented
as you are chosen and sanctified in Christ Jesus it cannot hurt you I say again death may kill you but it cannot hurt you it hath no power over the better part like a Serpent it feedeth only upon your dust nay and for your bodies that which dyeth as a creature is sure to live as a member of Christ the Lord Jesus is our head in the grave your bodies have a principle of life within them beleevers are raised by the Spirit of holinesse the same Spirit that quickneth them now to the offices of grace shall raise their mortall bodies So Rom. 8. 11. He shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you The holy Ghost can never leave his old mansion and dwelling place how many grounds of comfort have we against the mortality of the body Christ is united to body and soul and he will not let his Mysticall body want one sinew or joynt in the account that he is to make to the Father he saith he is to lose nothing Joh. 6. 39. Mark he doth not say none but nothing Christ will not lose a leg or a piece of an ear Again God is in Covenant with body and soul when you go down to the chambers of death you may challenge him upon the Charter of his own Grace God is the God of Abrahams dust of a beleevers dust though it be mingled with the remains of wicked men yet Christ will sever it Mat. 22. 32. Christ proveth the resurrection of the body by that argument that God is the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob the ground of the argument is that God made his Covenant not only with the souls of the Patriarchs but with their whole persons Again Christ hath purchased body and soul so much is intimated in that place 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies Christ had payed price enough to get a title to body and soul and therefore he will not lose one bit of his purchase the Lord will call the grave to an account Where is the body of my Abraham my Isaac my Jacob t is said Rev. 20. 13. The Sea gave up her dead and the Grave gave up her dead and Hell gave up her dead let me note that Hell is there taken for the state of the departed or else what 's the meaning of that passage that followeth afterward and death and hell were cast into the lake that burneth c. Well then all the dead shall be cast up as the Whale cast up Jonah so the grave shall cast up her dead the grave is but a chest wherein our bodies are kept safe till the day of Christ and the key of this chest is not in the Devils hands but Christs see Rev. 1. 18. I have the keys of Death and Hell when the body is laid up in the cold pit 't is laid up for another day God hath an especiall care of our dust and remains when our friends and neighbours have left is Christ leaveth it not but keepeth it till the great and glorious day 3. We are eased from the terrours and horrors of death death is terrible as t is a poenall and a naturall evill as I distinguished before 1 As it is naturall evill death in it selfe is the greatest of all evils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said an heathen which in Jobs language may be rendred The King of terrours Job 18. 14. We gush to see a Serpent much more the grim visage of death morall Philosophy could never finde out a remedy against it Heathens were either desperate rash stupid or else they dissembled their gripes and fears but Christ hath provided a remedy he hath delivered us not only from the hurt of death but the fear of death Heb. 2. 14. to deliver them from the fear of death that all their life time were subject to bondage by his spirit hee filleth the soul with the hopes of a better life nature may shrink when we see the pale horse of death approaching but we may rejoyce when we consider its errand 't is to carry us home as when old Jacob saw the chariots come from Egypt how did his heart leap within him because he should see his son Joseph Death however we figure it with the pencill of fancy is sent to carry us to heaven to transport us to Jesus Christ now who would bee afraid to be happy to be in the Armes of our beloved Jesus Let them fear death that know not a better life a Christian knoweth that when he dyeth he shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 17. The world may thrust you out but you may see heaven alluring ready to receive you as Stephen saw heaven opened Act. 7. latter end there is an intellectuall vision or perswasion of Faith which is common to all the Saints though every one hath not such an extasie and sensible representation as Stephen had yet usually in the hours of their departure faith is mightily strengthned and acted so that they are exempted from all fear and sorrow 2. As 't is a poenall evill 't is sad when death is sent in justice and cloathed with wrath and cometh in the quality of a curse you know what was said before The sting of death is sin they dye indeed that dye in their sins death is a black and gloomy day to them they drop down like rotten fruit into the lake of fire now Christ hath taken away the sting the dolours and horrours of it he hath taken away death as he hath taken away sin he hath not cast it out but cast it down taken away the guilt and power of it though not the beeing of sin so the hurt the sting is gone though not death it self 't is like a serpent disarmed and unstinged we may put it into our bosomes without danger there are many accusations by which Satan is apt to perplex a dying soul these make death terrible and full of horrours But they overcome by the bloud of the Lamb Rev. 12. 11. and get the victory of these doubts and fears when sins are pardoned fears vanish Luther said Feri domine feri absolutus sum a peccatis meis strike Lord strike my sinnes are pardoned 4. 'T will be utterly abolished at the last day We scarce know now what Christs purchase meaneth till the day of judgement 't is said 1 Cor. 15. 26. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death t is weakened now but then it shall be abolished as to the elect Rev. 20. 14. And death and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire this is the second death the dominion of death is reserved for hell it must keep company with the damned whilest you rejoyce with God for the present t is continued out of dispensation it doth service to promote Gods glory but then the wicked must share death and hell amongst them and be kept under a
dying life or a living death but all tears shall be wiped from your eyes death shall be no more and you shall take the harps of God in your hands and in an holy triumph say O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory t is true we may say it yea and sing it now in hope as some birds sing in winter but then we are properly said to triumph Application To apply it now Use 1 1. Here is terrour for wicked men you may think it strange that I should draw terrour out of such a comfortable doctrine but consider Jesus Christ hath conquered death for none but those that have an interest in him others alas are under the full power of it for the present the case of wicked men is sad in death 't will be worse in hell 't will be worst of all 1 'T is sad for the present there is a bondage upon your souls not alwaies felt but soon awakened you cannot think of death and hell without torment the thought of it like Belshazzers hand-writing against the wall smiteth you with trembling in the midst of all your cups and bravery a small thing will awaken a wicked mans conscience the fingers of a mans hand upon the wall Belshazzer seemed a jolly fellow a brave spirit sets light by the Persian forces that were even at his door but God soone taketh off the edge of his bravery and then his joints trembled his knuckles smote one against another for fear if the Lord will but whist to conscience the bravest spirits are soon daunted he needeth arm nothing against you but your own thoughts certainly none but a childe of God can have a true and solid courage against death you cannot suppose it without consternation David said Psal 23. 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet I will fear no evill that 's a griesly sad dark place to walk in the very borders of death side by side with terrours and destruction yet there David would be confident t is otherwise with wicked men hereafter they would not live and here they would not dye 2. In death it will be worse the nearer you draw to the everlasting estate the more will conscience be opened and scourge you with horrour and remorse I confesse every wicked man doth not dye sensible some are stupid and foolhardy they may sacrifice a stout body to a stubborn minde but at last they dye uncertain doubtfull if not anxious and full of horrour As Adrian to his soul O Animula vagula blandula c. Oh poor soul whither doest thou now goe thou shall never sport it more jest it more Or as he said anxius vixi dubius morior heu quo vado I have lived doubtfully and dye uncertainly alas whither doe I go A man that leapeth in the dark near a deep gulfe knoweth not where his feet shall light and this is the case of wicked men But this is not all usually their death is full of terrour things written with the juice of a Lemmon when they are brought to the fire are plain and legible so when wicked men are within the stench and smell of hell they howl upon their beds few or none are able to look death in the face with confidence Oh consider when you come to dye sin stareth in the face of conscience and conscience remitteth you to the law and the law bindeth you over to hell and hell enlargeth her mouth to receive you what will you doe in such a case Satan insulteth your old tempter is become your new accuser nay you are at oddes with your self the body curseth the soul for an ill guide and the soul curseth the body for a wicked instrument 't is a sad parting when they can never expect to meet again but in flames and torments and therefore curse the memory of that day when ever they were joyned together A godly man can take fair leave of his body Farewell flesh goe rest in hope thou shalt one day awake out of the dust and then I shall be satisfied with Gods likenesse I have a longing desire of thy reunion we have lived together and glorified God together thus long God will not suffer thee to see corruption c. 3 In Hell t will be worst of all envie will be a part of your torment as well as despair Luk. 16. 23. 't is said of the rich man in hell he lifted up his eyes and seeth Lazarus in Abrahams bosome and saith I am tormented in this flame 't will be an additionall torment to compare the beleevers eternall happinesse with your own misery they are in the presence of God and his holy Angels you have no company but the devill death hell and the damned and are holden under the power of everlasting torments you would not live and cannot dye when you have run through many thousands of years you cannot look for one minute of rest conscience gnaweth more and more you burn but consume not Oh! t is a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God mark that attribute living God we do not speak in the name of an Idol that cannot avenge his quarrell upon you or of a God that shall dye and suffer decay but in the name of a living God that liveth for ever to see vengeance executed upon his adversaries there is no hope of release as long as God is God Hell is Hell Use 2 2. It serveth to exhort us all to get an interest in this conquest of Christ every one is not fit to make use of Christs victory over death there are many things necessary to injoy the full comfort of it I shall name them 1. A care to get sinne pardoned all the power of the devill and death hangeth on sin therefore see sinne buryed ere thou art buryed or it will not be well with thee there are two deep pits wherein you may bury your sins and you shall never hear of them any more the Ocean of divine mercy and the Grave of Christ see them buryed in the Ocean of mercy Mich. 7. 18. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea there is depth enough to bury them and drown them that they may no more come into remembrance then there is the Grave of Christ the merit of Christ is a deep grave deep enough wherein to bury all the sins of the world buryed with him in Baptisme Rom. 6. 3. Otherwise if this be not done you will desire to be buryed eternally and never to rise more Let me use one metaphor more in this matter and it shall take its rise from that expression of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 3. we shall be cloathed upon saith he if so be that we shall be not found altogether naked t is the great fault of Christians when they come to die they are to seek of a shrowd and are found altogether naked 't is uncomely to see a man
there are two sorts of people that run into very dangerous errours concerning this particular As 1. The Socinians that are of an opinion that all the Patriarchs and good men in the old Testament did none of them go to heaven till Christ came in the flesh a very uncharitable and ungodly opinion And 2. There are others that hold that living in obedience to the Morall Law of Moses is to tye the people to the Covenant of Works to be justified by it they hold the Jews did not live under a Covenant of Grace till Christ came but if it were so none of them could possibly be saved for by the workes of Law shall no flesh living be justified no man in the World can ever goe to heaven by the Covenant of Works This I doe onely mention by the way that you may see and understand that since the fal of Adam al men are saved by the Covenant of Grace the Covenant of Works was no longer in force then while Adam lived and continued in Innocency but as soon as ever he fell the Gospel was presently preached unto them as well as it is to us now only it was preached unto them more darkly and to us more clearly Christ was preached unto them as to come but he is preached unto us as come already Quest II We come now to the second question to stir you up and put you upon enquiry how you may know whether you are the people that are in Covenant with God yea or no so as that you can lay a just claim to the Covenant of Grace and to all the promises therein contained for salvation and life eternall by Christ I shall handle this Query not in the positive but in the negative part of it how you may know that you are not in the Covenant of Grace I shall give you three or four discoveries of it Answ 1 1. Thou oh man art not in Covenant with thy God that hast not yet broken the League and Covenant which thou hast made with thy lusts you that doe still keep up and maintain the League and Covenant with your lusts and corruptions you are not as yet come within the Covenant of Grace that man that makes a Covenant with death and hell cannot be under the Covenant of Grace and therefore you that have not broken off your sins by repentance and righteousnesse and your iniquities by shewing mercy you that are in a wicked course and resolve to continue so lay no claim to the Covenant of Grace you that are engaged to your lusts you have been bad and you will be so stil you have no interest in the Covenant of Grace 2. You that think to be saved by a Covenant of works cannot be under a covenant of grace You that hope to be justified by Works are faln from Grace as the Apostle says in Gal. 5 4. you are faln from Grace that is not that you are faln from the habit of Grace you are faln from the Doctrine of Grace that holds out justification by Christ that man shall never be saved by Christ that thinks he cannot be saved by Christ and therefore a Papist living and dying in this very opinion that he must be saved by a Covenant of works cannot be saved if you be not cast out of your selves so as to rely wholly and only upon Christ for life and Salvation you can lay no just claime of being under the Covenant of Grace 3. You are strangers to the Covenant of grace that do make no conscience of breaking the engagements promises you have made to God you that are careless of keeping the Covenants you have made with God this is an evident demonstration that you are not in Covenant with God those that are in Covenant with God make conscience of keeping their Covenants with God if in times of affliction trouble you can make large promises to God of better obedience and yet afterwards return with the dogge to his vomit and are as bad or worse then ever you were this argues that you have no interest at all in the Covenant of Grace Thus I have done with the second Query the discoveries of those that are not in the Covenant of Grace I have onely now the Application of the point to speak to and the Use that I shall make of it shall be Use 1. For consolation to all that are in the Covenant of Grace you have a bundle of promises to which you may have recourse and lay claim to them as your own 2. By way ofterrour to shew the misery of those that are strangers to this Covenant of Grace 1. This may be matter of great consolation to you that are under the Covenant of Grace that are in Covenant with God this should provoke you to joy and comfort in the consideration of the great happinesse you enjoy in being under the Covenant of Grace from the misery you would be exposed to did you live under a Covenant of Works And now Beloved lend me your thoughts a little while I shew you in fourteen particulars the great happinesse you are now in being in Covenant with God under a Covenant of Grace from the misery you had lain under in being only under a Covenant of Workes Doe this and live I shall but only name them to you and run over them very briefly 1. The Covenant of Works was given by God to Adam as a Creator but the Covenant of Grace is given by God to a Believer as a Father God had not this term of a Father before the fall but only of a God and Creator but being under a covenant of Grace you may look upon that God that was only a Creator to Adam as a Father to you 2. This had been your misery under a Covenant of Works for that exacts perfect obedience and does punish the offendour in case of disobedience but being under a Covenant of Grace the Lord accepts through Christ of sincere obedience though it be not perfect 3. The Covenant of Works is not contented with perfect obedience neither unlesse it be personall it must not be perfect done for thee by another but done by thy self in thy own person but now the Conant of Grace accepts of perfect obedience though it be not done by thy self but in the person of Jesus Christ God the Father doth as fully accept of Christ obeying and fulfilling his will in doing and suffering in our behalfe as if we had done and suffered what he did in our own persons and herein lies the great happinesse of a man under the Covenant of Grace 4. The Covenant of Works was made by God to Adam without a Mediator there was no third person between God and Adam but the covenant of Grace was made by God with us in the hand of a Mediator Jesus Christ You may conceive it thus suppose two men should be at discord and variance one with another and a third person a friend to both these
for it as the Apostle sayes But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwayes to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear Now examine your selves what grounds can you give for your hopes of heaven have you a promise for it or one Scripture ground for it or the witnesse of the Spirit for it if not then doe not nourish any hopes of heaven in your hearts Thus I have laid down these four conclusions I come now to handle the query it self which is this Quest Quest What are the characters whereby it may be knowne whether you are such a one that hath no hopes for heaven or a meer deluding an ungrounded and presumptuous hope as good as no hope Answ The hearts of all the sons of men are desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things man is a proud creature and apt to have proud and high conceits of himself and therefore I shall give you five distinguishing characters whereby you may know whether your hopes for heaven be true and well grounded hopes or no. 1. That man that nourisheth in his heart great hopes for heaven and yet at the same time fosters and favours great lusts and sins in himself that man hath no true hopes for heaven I shall give you a clear place to prove this Deut. 29. 15. And it come to passe when hee heareth the words of this curse if he shall blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of my heart to add drunkennesse to thirst c. The Lord will not spare such a man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and so in Esay 57. 20. sayes the Prophet there Thou art wearied in the greatnesse of thy wicked wayes yet saidst thou not There is no hope it is a very strange place as if the Prophet should say to them you walk in a great course of sin and wickednesse and yet you flatter you selves you will not say there is no hope for you you that doe nourish great sins and wickednesse in your bosomes and allow your selves in the practise of great sins you should say there is no hope for you to goe to heaven for God does here charge it upon you that notwithstanding you walk on in wayes of sin yet you say not there is no hope but are rather very confident you shall go to heaven for all that and so in Psal 36. 1 2. The transgression of the wicked saith in his heart there is no fear of God before his eyes and yet sayes the Psalmist he flatters himselfe with vain hopes of heaven wicked men have heaven and the hopes thereof in their eyes when they have sinne in their hearts and this shews that their hope is onely a deluding and a vain hope 2. That man hath no true hope but onely a presumptuous and vain hope for heaven that is strong in his expectations of heaven as his aim and end but slow in his actions and endeavours after holinesse as his way he that can with Baalam desire to dye the death of the righteous but never care nor desire to live the life of the righteous that mans hope is but a vain hope as the Psalmist hath it in Psalm 119. 155. Salvation is farre from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes and if salvation be far the hope of salvation is as far but why is salvation far from the wicked because they seeke not Gods statutes those men that hope that salvation is neer them when they are far from seeking after Gods statutes and endeavouring after holinesse as the way to happinesse these men are far from salvation and the hope of salvation too 3. That man hath only deluding hopes for heaven that is unwilling to have his hope tryed examined and come to the touchstone those that will not as the Apostle bids us be ready to give to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear now let me ask you what ground you can give for your hopes in heaven have you the testimony of Gods Spirit for it or the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your conversation here in this world have you a promise or any ground in scripture for your hopes if you have no ground for your hopes and cannot indure to come to the triall or touchstone it is an argument that you are counterfeit metall that you have no reall hopes for salvation and happinesse in another World 4. That man that builds his hopes for heaven more upon his own performances then upon Gods promises his hope is only a deluding hope this is that sandy ground Christ speaks of in Matth. 7. ult To build your hopes of heaven upon any services you doe or any duties you perform it is all one as if you should goe about to build a house upon the sand ask a wicked man whereon he grounds his hopes for heaven he will tell you that he does the works of charity he gives every man his due and he lives honestly and civilly amongst his neighbours hee hears and reads the Word he prayes and receives the Sacrament he does such and such good duties and this is that which they build hopes for heaven upon they think that Christ is espoused for them because they are bidden to the Wedding Supper for the Ordinances of Christ are his marriage supper they are ready to say with those in Luk. 13. 26. We have eaten and drunken in they presence Lord Lord open to us I doe not deny but a man may have evidence from his graces from the work of God upon his heart but the great pillar of Marble that must bear up thy hope must be the promise of God in Christ he that builds his hopes for heaven only upon his own performances and good duties his hope is a vain and deluding hope I doe not deny but the graces of Gods spirit are reall evidences of Gods love to the Soul as the Apostle sayes By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren and again By this we know that we are of God because of his spirit which he hath given us but I say this is not the main pillar and ground of our hope we should be so fervent in prayer and diligent in the performance of holy duties as if we did expect to be saved by our duties but when we have done all that we can we must lay down all at the feet of Christ and conclude that our best righteousnesse is but as filthy rags and when wee have done all that we can do we are unprofitable servants and we must wholly and only depend upon the merits and mercies of Christ for salvation and comfort 5. That
every man in the world This comes within the Arminian bounds but this opinion is taken up by others too as well as them that hold universall Redemption but because I have already preached two or three Sermons upon this subject I shall therefore onely now speak so much as is needfull to shew you the rottennesse and insufficiency of this prop 1. Suppose Christ did dye for all yet those men that are of this opinion that Christ did dye for all they doe not hold that all men are saved by Christ but some men may fall off from Christ and be damned notwithstanding Christ dyed for them 2. Take this by way of answer that it is not likely that they should have benefit by Christs bloud that have no benefit by this death 3. To you that make this a plea for your hopes of heaven observe this that where there are these generall expressions they are very ill understood if you say they speak of universal generall redemption as in 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Because we thus judge that if one died for all then are all dead and he died for all that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again why here none can lay claim to Christs death but those that live to Christ that died for them and so in Heb. 2. 9. But we see Jesus that was made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death cloathed with glory and honour that hee by the grace of God should taste death for every man but mark the restraint in the next words For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory here the Apostle restrains the words to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings for both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren the Apostle does here again restrain the words and therefore this can be no more prop for your hopes that are not sanctified but thus much may suffice for the first branch in shewing you how wicked men doe make those places to be Scripture props for their hopes which are not 2. If they do not make those places to be Scripture props which are not yet they doe misapply those places which indeed are Scripture promises and grounds of hope as that Christ came into the World to save sinners now this is a Scripture promise for Christ came to seek and save them that were lost but now beloved men doe misapply this generall pillar of hope they take them in the generall notions of them and this makes abundance of people to harbour great hopes of heaven in their hearts but now I shall shew you wherein they doe misapply them 1. In not considering that a man must be first in Christ before he can lay claim to any promise of Christ They run to the promise and never examine first whether or no they have an interest in Christ The promise is good and comfortable but it cannot convey any comfort to thy soul unlesse thou art in Jesus Christ no more then a dry pipe can convey water to thee without the fountain we are first made Christs and then we have a right to all the promises of Christ it is by our interest in Christ that we have a right and title to all the promises of God in Christ If you have an interest in Christ you have all the promises as it were bound up in a bundle which you may have recourse to and make use of when you will 2. They object and say that the promises doe run in free and generall termes having no conditions annext to them Answ It is true there are some promises that are absolute so as to have no condition going before them but every promise in the Gospell hath some condition or other annext to it if it hath not a condition going before it as meritorious yet it hath a condition that followes after it â—â— in Gen. 17. 1. I am thy God all sufficient what then walk before me and be thou perfect In 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. I will be their God and they shall be my people and I will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty what followes why in the 1. verse of the next chapter saies the Apostle there Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse both of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God So in Heb. 5. 9. Christ came into the world to save sinners but there is a condition goes after it he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified must be all one There is no promise in all the Gospell but that a condition is prefixt or annext to it in Mat. 11. 28. saies Christ Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest there is a foregoing condition we must come unto Christ and other promises have conditions going after as I could instance divers but these shall suffice There are two props more behind they are but very short ones I shall goe over one of them now because I would not be hindreed in my afternoons work in shewing you the difference between those that have a reall and well grounded hope and those that have only a false and deluding hope 6. Another false prop that wicked men build hopes for heaven on is this because they live honestly and justly among their neighbours they give every man his due and do no body any wrong and the like and therefore they conclude themselves in a very good condition Ans Were this a sufficient ground for hope for heaven there would more of the heathens goe to heaven then of you for they walk very exactly and are just and upright in all their dealings But wicked and bad men may have very good meanings in them as wee may see in Balaam Numb 23. 10. he desired to die the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like his this was a good desire and meaning in him 2. Take this for an answer that though a bad meaning will defile and pollute a good action yet a good meaning cannot advantage nor doe a bad action any good as the Scribes and Pharisees they performed very good actions in themselves but they had self-ends and bad meanings that spoiled all their duties good meanings cannot justifie bad actions If thy actions be wicked good meaning can do thee no good Rom. 8. Those that say Let us doe evill that good may come of it their damnation is just 3. Let your meaning be never so good yet if you have an ignorant minde it is worth nothing as in Prov. 19. 2. The minde without knowledge cannot be good as no man ever became rich
by meaning and purposing to be rich but by labouring and endeavouring after it so no man ever went to heaven by good meanings without good actions accompanying them 2. But say they we do no body any harm but pay every man his own Ans 1. Though you pay every man his own yet do you give God his own or rather do you not wrong God and do him infinite indignities 2. Though you do not do man wrong yet doe you not your own souls wrong as we use to say of free-hearted men they are enemies to no man but themselves So now do not you doe your own souls wrong by harbouring of bosome lusts and corruptions in your souls What benefit will it be to thee that you do no body else wrong when you doe your own souls wrong you are no better then the Pharisees for they were very exact in giving every man his due the proud Pharisee could boast in Luk. 18. 11. I am no extortioner nor unjust man you may mean well and give every man his own and yet be a wicked man SERMON XIV EPHES. 2. 12. Having no hope WE come now to the last prop that wicked men doe build their hopes of heaven upon which is this if you beat them off from all the former props from their small sins from the mercies of God in generall from their good duties and good meanings c. then they run to this last plea say they Have not we reason to nourish hopes for heaven for we have been present with dying men that have been as bad as wee in their life time and yet they have had very strong hopes for heaven and strong hopes in God and you know dying men will speak the truth and therefore why may not we nourish hopes for heaven as well as they This is a very strong prop wicked men build their hopes upon but I shall shew you the rottennesse and insufficiency of it in these three or four particulars 1. You must know that it is one thing to die stupidly and another thing to die hopefully and peaceably indeed the worst men in the world may die stupidly their consciences may not doe its office when they die they may have their consciences feared as it were with a hot iron and think they are going to heaven and never think otherwise till they drop down into hell but now the godly they die full of peace and comfort as in Psal 37. 37. Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace but there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esai 57. 41. There may be a fearednesse of conscience and stupidity of heart but they cannot die peaceably and in hope 2. You that make this a prop for your hope because you have seen wicked men die peaceably like Lambs let me tell you thus much that it is the greatest judgement in the world for a wicked man to die peaceably and quietly in delusions and conceits of going to heaven when they are tumbling down headlong to hell it were better for him that God did let the flashings of hell fire to flie in his face it were better for him that his conscience did tell him his danger and his doom then thus to die in a stupid manner In Job 21. 23. it is said that a wicked man dies in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet no sin troubles him nor no danger makes him afraid so in Psal 73. 4 5. they have no bands in their death but their strength is firm they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued as other men they have no trouble in their life time and no bands in their death now this is rather to be looked upon as a judgement upon them and not as a mercy 3. If this peace and quietnesse in a wicked mans conscience did arise from any grounded assurance or hope of heaven then it might be lookt upon as a blessing but when it doth arise meerly from the delusions of his own heart then it is nothing but as it were a golden dore to let him into hell it shall be with him as in Esai 29. 8. An hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty so a wicked man dreams he is going to heaven when he is falling down into hell 4. There may be great hopes of heaven exprest in a dying mans words when there is not so much peace and quietnesse in his heart as in Prov. 14. 23. In the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowfull In the midst of a wicked mans boasting there is a fear of hel 5. Though you have seen some men that have dyed with stupidity of heart depart quietly yet there are other wicked men whose consciences are awakened that die full of horror and terror and amazement When their consciences tell them they have dyed swearers or lyers or drunkards or adulterers c. they are filled with horror and terror of conscience that though he thought all his life time he should goe to heaven yet he now fears he is going down into hell And thus I have done with the third Question in shewing you the reasons why seeing the Scripture saies that a wicked man hath no hope that of all the men in the world wicked men do nourish greatest hopes for heaven in their hearts there are only two queries more to handle and then come to the fifth branch of mans misery Quest 4 4. The fourth Query in order is this that seeing the Scripture sayes a wicked man hath no hope and esteems of their false and presumptuous hope to be as good as no hope then how shall we know the difference between those well grounded hopes a godly man hath and those presumptuous and deluding hopes wicked men have Answ Ans I shall here give you six apparent differences between them 1. The hopes of a godly and regenerate man for heaven it is gotten by and grounded upon the word of God and therefore it is called the hope of the Gospell because it is gotten by the Gospell as the means and grounded upon the Gospell as the end that we sayes the Apostle through the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope a godly man hath his comforts from the Scriptures Psal 119. 49. Good is the word of the Lord wherein thou hast caused thy servant to hope But now the hopes of wicked men as they are gotten they know not how so neither do they know upon what they are grounded and this is the reason why they are called presumptuous hopes for this is presumption when a man does beleeve a thing when he can have no visible nor likely means to ground or bottome his hopes upon 2. True and patient hope is bottomed upon the mercies of God and the merits of Jesus Christ and hence it is that Christ is called our hope because he is the foundation on
whom beleevers do build all their hopes for heaven so likewise they build their hope on the mercies of God in Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in those that fear him in those that hope in his mercy and again in Psal 33. 18. The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that trust in his mercy and so in Psal 52. 8. saies David there I trust in the mercies of God for ever and ever A godly man he is cast out of himself and out of an opinion of his own righteousnesse and his hopes are only built upon the mercy of God and on the merits of Christ But now the false and presumptuous hopes that wicked men have are not built so much upon Gods mercy as their own duties and not so much upon the merits of Christ what he hath done for them as upon their own duties what they have done for themselves 3. True hope doth comfort and bear up the heart under all the discomforts that it meets with in the world as David saies I had fainted under my afflictions but that thy word is my hope and hence it is that you have those two admirable expressions put together Rom. 5. 2 3. Rejoycing in hope and glorying in tribulation these are put together to shew that when a man can rejoyce in hope he can glory in all the tribulations he meets with in the world But now presumptuous hopes are like lead and ponderous weights that will make you sink under every affliction It is only a true and saving hope that will enable you to hold up your heads under all afflictions and troubles 4. True hope does as well act for heaven as hope for heaven but a presumptuous hope that hopes for heaven as its end but yet never acts holinesse as its way to heaven true hope as it hopes for heaven so it labours to work out its salvation with fear and trembling You have an admirable passage for this in Psal 119. 166. saies David there Lord I have trusted in thy salvation and I have done thy commandements here is both hoping and acting for heaven put both together wicked men they hope for heaven but they do not do Gods commands and so in Psal 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do good saies the Psalmist here is trusting and doing put together true hope doth act for heaven as well as hope for heaven but false hope doth hope much and act little wicked men will hope for salvation but not work out their salvation hope for heaven but not labour for heaven this is the fourth difference 5. That man that hath true hope he makes conscience to keep his heart pure and free both from the love of sin and from the dominion of sin while he lives here in this world you have a plain text for this in 1 Joh. 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as God is pure he doth labour and endeavour to keep his heart upright and pure and free from sin But now a false hope will hope for heaven though they walk on after the imaginations of their own hearts as in Esai 51. 10. Thou hast walked in the greatnesse of thy wicked wayes yet saidst thou not there is no hope though they had great sins yet they had great hopes for heaven if thou art such a one as is mentioned in Deut. 59. 18. that saiest Thou shalt have peace though thou walkest after the imaginations of thy own heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst if thou art such a one thy hope is only a presumptuous hope 6. True hope flowes from a long and well grounded experience this is the reason of that expression in Rom. 5. 4. Patience worketh experience and experience hope True hope flowes from a long and well grounded experience in the waies of God and from an experience of the grace and bounty and love of God to his soul and from experiences of the goodnesse and mercy and promises of God and likewise from an experience of his own heart in withstanding temptations subduing corruption and performing holy duties Such experiences as these are inlets to a well grounded hope for heaven but now the hopes of wicked men are only the results of ignorance they that never had any experience of themselves nor of the waies of God they have most hopes but their hopes are only deluding and presumptuous hopes wicked men that do so quickly get into a state of hope without any former experiences of the wayes of God it is a sign that their hopes are only vain and empty hopes they are but pithy hopes just like your pithy trees as Elders and Withies and such like trees they shoot up fastest and grow up soonest whereas the more firm and stronger wood as Oaks and Elme and the like are a great while longer in growing before they come to maturity why so it is a great while before a Godly man can get a well grounded assurance of his hopes for heaven Use And thus I have done with the Doctrinall part of this fourth branch of mans misery without hope we come now to the application and the Use that I shall make of it shall be threefold 1. For consolation 2. For terror and 3. For instruction 1. For consolation to the people of God though the Scripture saies a wicked man hath no hope yet it sayes otherwise of you that are a people of God the Scripture tels you that your hope is laid up in heaven for you and the Lord is your hope though wicked men have no hopes for heaven yet you have grounded and assured and certain hopes for heaven your hope is laid up for you in another world the wicked have only their hopes in this life and when they die their hopes shall perish as in Prov. 11. 7. When a wicked man dyeth his expectation shall perish and the hope of unjust men perisheth but it is not so with you for the godly hope in their death And this hope of a godly man is not as the Papists hold for though they grant a beleever hath hope yet they deny that any have assurance they say that all a beleevers evidence for heaven is only a hope a pâ—â—l adventure a most uncomfortable tenent whereas the Scripture sayes there is as full an assurance of hope as of faith in Heb. 16. 11. saies the Apostle use all diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end and so in Rom. 15. 5. Your hope is such as will not make you ashamed your hopes are not like the hopes of men that hope for dead 〈◊〉 shoes as the proverb is for they may go on barefoot before they die but Christ who is our hope he hath dyed already and risen again he hath made his will and testament and hath left us legacies and be queathed riches to us our hopes are well grounded hopes not as other
that all men must be judged that after death they must appeare before the Judgement-seat of God to give an account of all their actions Now because they did not see these things accomplisht already they cryed out Where is the promise of his coming they would not beleeve there was any such thing the questioning of the truths of God was that which brought them to be very atheists 4. Another ground from whence atheism doth flow is pride of heart it is very well observed by one that most commonly Atheists are of the greatest men you shall seldome see a poore man an atheist but rich men altogether as Pharaoh in Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord sayes he that I should obey his voice and so Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 3. Who is that God sayes hee that shall deliver you out of my hands so Alexander said himselfe was God Atheists are ordinarily of the greatest and richest and highest people Object But here some may object and say What doe you tell us here in England that wee are without God in the world you may say so to Pagans and Heathens but wee hope you will not say so to us Answ For answer to this Objection I shall here shew you 13 discoveries of a practicall atheist I shall give you three of them out of the Scripture and ten more deduced from the Scripture in Psal 14. 1. where it is said The Foole hath said in his heart there is no God in that very Psalm there are three discoveries of an atheist 1. A man living all his dayes in a prophane and disordered course of life towards God such an one is an atheist in the first verse of that same Psalme The Foole hath said in his heart there is no God what follows they are corrupt they have done abominable workes there is none that doth good that man that all his life time lives in a disorderly course of life and addes drunkennesse to thirst and commits one sinne after another that man is a practicall atheist hee lives as if there were no God in the World 2. That man that doth wholly neglect the duty of prayer in the 4. verse of the 14. Psalm They eat up my people as they eat bread and they call not upon the Lord such a man is a practicall atheist 3. That man that hates and carries a grudge in his heart against those that feare the Lord that man is an atheist in Psal 14. 6. You have shamed the counsell of the poore because the Lord is his refuge Use Now give me leave a little to press these three discoveries home upon your consciences Are they atheists that live a disorderly life and walk in a course of wickednesse all their dayes are such as these atheists Oh then how many atheists are there now in the world that doe spend all their days in sin and vanity and in a moment goe down into the grave 2. Are they atheists that doe neglect the duty of prayer oh then with grief of heart be it spoken how many atheists are there in the World that doe wholly omit this duty both in their families and in their closets How many are there that can say they never goe to God upon their knees in secret to beg for grace and mercy from God and this neglect of secret duties is a palpable demonstration that you doe live as if there were no God in the World and in so doing ye are very atheists 3. Is hatred and contempt of the people of God a badge of an atheist then likewise are there many Atheists in the world how many are there that can love a swearer and adulterer a prophaner c. yea love a dog and yet hate a Christian this proceed from a root of Atheisme that is in their hearts SERMON XVI EPHES. 2. 12. And without God in the world I Have delivered you in my last three Scripture discoveries of an Atheist there are ten other Characters yet behinde that are drawn from the Scriptures As 1. That man is an Atheist that does indulge and favour himself in the practise of secret sins he that does continually allow and favour himself in the practise of secret sins that man lives as if there were no God in the world Reverend Mr. Perkins gives us this badge of an Atheist that that very sinne which he will not dare to commit in the presence of a child yet that sin will he venture upon when no eye sees him thou that canst venture upon a sin in hope of secrefie thinking to hide it from the All-seeing Eye of God thou art a very Atheist thou that darest do that in the sight of God that thou art afraid to doe in the presence of a man this proceeds meerly from a root of Atheisme that is in the heart as in Job 22. 12 13 14. when a wicked man hath done wickedly he is ready to say How doth God know can he judge through the thick clouds thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not these are the expressions of an Atheisticall heart An Atheist if he can but keep himself from the censure and reproach of men he is well enough if men cannot say black to his eye or there goes a drunkard a swearer an adulterer or the like he is never troubled for his sins Oh therefore thou that wouldst be accounted chast where thou dwellest and yet keepest thy Dalilah in thy lap and oh thou debaucht liver that canst quietly and securely walk on in wayes of sin so that thou canst but keep them from the eyes of men know thus much that this proceeds from thy Atheisticall heart When the hope of secrefie imboldens any man to the practise of any sin that man is a very Atheist you that can fear the eye of a mortall man and yet not be afraid of the All-seeing Eye of an immortall God you that were never troubled for your sinnes when no body knew them but your selves but now this is that which troubles you that your sins are known to others if it be thus with thee thou art a practicall Atheist those that are troubled not because God sees their sins but because man sees them they are very Atheists as in Job 24. 13. 15. 17. these are they that abhorre the light that know not the way thereof nor continue in the path thereof the eye also of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight and saith no eye shall see me and disguiseth his face for the morning to them is as the shadow of death and if one know them they are in the terrours of the shadew of death such as these are very Atheists they were not troubled because God saw their sins but because man did see their sins this is as the terrour of death to them they would not have men see their sins and yet they do not care what follies they are guilty of in the sight of God so that men cannot say black to their eyes
SERMON preached on a speciall occasion On 1 COR. 15. 57. But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ THese words are a part of Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Triumphant Song In the Song there are two parts and this is the last 1. A confident Challenge 2. A solemne Thanksgiving The one is directed to the enemies the other to the giver of victory 1. A confident Challenge in which he outbraveth Death and all the powers of the Grave O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory the words allude to Ilos 13. 14. where Christ is brought in speaking I will ransome them from the power of Death and redeem them from the Grave O Death I will be thy plagues O Grave I will be thy destruction there is Christs ingagement and undertaking for a full conquest of Death Christ threatneth Death and the Apostle insulteth over it the form of the words is altered because the enemy was now faln and Paul proclaimeth the victory hitherto Death and the Grave had insulted over the misery and frailty of mankinde all the tombes and charnels of the World were but so many Monuments of Deaths conquests Golgotha the place of skuls seemed to be designed on purpose to upbraid and discourage our Redeemer so many skuls and rotten reliques of humane frailty as there were in that place so many Trophies and Monuments of triumph did Death produce before the eyes of Christ as if it were said to him Canst thou darest thou grapple and enter into the lists with such an enemy But our Lord was not discouraged when he ascended upon the Crosse he did as it were answer these bravings of Death thus O Death I will be thy plagues O Grave I will be thy destruction and because he was as good as his word and every way performed his ingagement the Apostle as one of Christs followers cometh and insulteth over this proud adversary that was now faln O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory This challenge is illustrated by a Prolepsis or an Anticipation of an objection some might ask What is this sting of Death What is this power of the Grave The Apostle answereth The sting of Death is sin the strength of sin is the Law Death cometh to have this power by sin and sin to have this power by the Law The sting of Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The prick it implyeth both the stroke of Death and the anguish of it as in the sting of a Serpent there is the deadly touch and the pain and torment of the wound and so it noteth the power of Death over us the prick or weapon by which it striketh is sin Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and the terrours and horrours of it which also doe arise from sin now by horrours I mean not onely the naturall aversation retirement or flight of the spirits but the bondage torment and despair that is upon the conscience as Death is a penall evill inflicted by the justice of God guilt maketh Death terrible so that a sinner is all his life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. and kept under an awe of judgement to come 't is not alwayes felt but soon awakened especially in sicknesse and approaches of Death when we feel the cold hands of it ready to pluck out our hearts conscience is whipped with a scourge of six strings fear horrour distrust grief rage and shame The strength of sin is the Law How is that to be understood The Law giveth strength to sin ratione cognitionis obligationis augmentationis they are the words of a German Divine and will yeeld us a fit method wherein to open the matter 1. The Law discovereth sin and maketh it appear in its owne colours the more light and knowledge of the Law the more sense of sin as in transparent vessels dregs are soon discerned Rom. 6. 9. I was alive without the Law but when the Law came sin revived and I dyed When by a sound conviction all disguises are taken off from the conscience we finde sin to be sin indeed Paul was alive before that is in his owne hopes as many a stupid soul maketh full account he shall goe to heaven till conscience be opened and then they finde themselves in the mouth of Death and Hell 2. The Law giveth strength to sin in regard of the obligation of it it bindeth over a sinner to the curse and wrath of God God hath made a righteous Law which must have satisfaction and till the Law be satisfied we hear no news but of a curse and that maketh Death to be full of horrours there remaineth nothing but a fearfull expectation of the fiery indignation of the Lord. 3 It augmenteth and increaseth sin by forbidding it lusts are exasperated and rage upon a restraint as the yoke maketh the young bullock more unrulely Now put all together and you will understand the force of the expression The strength of sin is the Law the Discovery of the Law stoppeth the sinners mouth and the curse of the Law shutteth him up and holdeth him fast unto the judgement of the great day by which restraint sin groweth the more raging and furious all which put together make Death terrible not an end of misery but a door to open into Hell Now this being the case of every man what shall we do and how shall we extricate our souls from such a labyrinth of endlesse horrour You have an answer of that in the next verse in the Apostles Thanksgiving where he acquainteth you not onely with grounds of Hope but Triumph Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ In this thanksgiving you may observe 1. The Author of the mercy God by Jesus Christ 2. The manner how we come to be interested in it He giveth us victory Or rather you may observe 1 The Act of the Father as to Jesus Christ in that he appointed him to get the victory 2 The Act of the Father as to us in that hee applyeth this victory to our souls Christs victory and the application of it are the two grounds of this thanksgiving 1. Christs victory over Sin Death and the Law for it must be extended to all the things mentioned in the context they are enemies by combination and knit together in a fast league the Law giveth strength to sin and sin giveth a sting to Death as long as the Law hath power sin will be strong and as long as sin hath strength Death will bee terrible But Christ hath overcome Death he foyled it in his own person as I shall shew you anon fully and for Sin he hath taken away the guilt of it by his own merit and will destroy it more and more by the power of the Holy Ghost when he stood before the tribunall of God he stood there as a
If you be at this pass I have preached al this while in vain the victory of Christ which I have discoursed of is to little purpose Oh consider generous Heathens may shame you you make all the provision of Christ in the Gospell to be of lesse effect then meer morall principles 2. Especially improve this in the very season and hour of death the great Goliah is now faln and you may come forth and look upon the carkasse death its self that startleth the creature and seemeth to be the great check and prejudice of Christian hopes is vanquished by Christ therefore in the very season when it seemeth to prevail over you apply the victory and say Thanks be to God c. When the pangs come upon you remember this is deaths last pull and assault you may bear with it it shall molest you no more as Moses said The Egyptians which yee have seen to day yee shall see them no more again for ever so you shall feel these things no more in heaven there are no groans nor tears nor sorrows have but a little patience and assoon as the last gasp is over the soul shall be carryed by Angels to Christ and by Christ to God beleevers have the same entertainment that Christ had he was carryed into heaven by Angels Dan. 7. 13. They brought him to the ancient of dayes and so we are carryed by Angels into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. 22. they have a train to accompany them into heaven as their friends accompany their bodies to the grave and as Christ was welcomed into heaven with acclamations and God saith Sit down at my right hand and aske of me and I will give thee c. so are beleevers welcomed Well done good and faithfull servant enter into thy masters joy What remaineth then but that we dye by faith as well as live by faith but that we welcome death with confidence and breath out our souls in triumph Moses when he took up the Serpent in his hand 't was but a rod death thus welcomed and entertained by faith will prove at most but a correction yea rather a blessing of the Covenant a means of passage into glory One thing I had almost forgotten to presse you to thankfulnesse to Christ Oh blesse your Redeemer that hath delivered you from the fear of death admire his love and condescension that he should come down from heaven and substitute himself into our room and place and take the horrours of death into his own soul 't is said Mat. 20 28. The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many Christ was a Prince by birth heir of all things yet he came not in the pomp and equipage of a Prince if he had come in state to visit us and to deliver comfort to us by word of mouth it had been much but Christ came not in this way not in the pomp of a Prince but the form of a servant to minister to our necessities and that in the highest way of self-deniall he gave his life as a ransome for many other Princes are lavish of their subjects bloud and care not how many lay down their lives for them many give their lives as a ransome for the Prince but here 't is quite otherwise this Prince layeth down his life to redeem the subjects and he suffered death that it might not bee terrible and destructive to us Oh blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ for this love for evermore Some may expect that I should speak something concerning the servant of God our dear brother now departed but I need not say any more then what I have spoken already all along the discourse I have indeed spoken of him and that in the judgement of your consciences the duties which I pressed upon you he performed the comforts which I have propounded to you he enjoyed I shall not make any particular rehearsall of the passages of his exemplary life I judge it not convenient only to you of this place I may take liberty to commend his doctrine and intreat you to be carefull of those precious truths which he sowed among you whilest the Lord used him here as a skilfull seeds man God looketh for some increase and taketh speciall notice of the time that you have enjoyed his labours there is an exact account kept in heaven in that parable These three years came I seeking fruit Luk. 13. 7. probably the three years of Christs ministery are intended for then he was entring upon his last half year God reckoneth how many yeares how many moneths your Minister hath been with you and accordingly doth expect fruit your pastour a little before his suffering professed high and worthy thoughts of you let him not be deceived 't will be sad for you in that great day of separation that when he expecteth to finde you among the sheep and to be his Crown and rejoicing he should see you among the goats he will know you there memory in heaven is not abolished but parfected I say he will know you though without any lessening of his own happinesse or repining at Gods rightous judgements FINIS An Alphabeticall Table A. AFflictions sweetned by Christ 75 76 Atheist in practise and judgement 238 Grounds of Atheisme 239 Discoveries of a practicall Atheist 243. 246 B. BAcksliders have no interest in Christ 43 Baseness of a man without Christ 23 61 Beggerlinesse of a man without Christ 26 A Beleever hath all things equivalently conditionally finally and in heritively 65 Blessings turn curses without an interest in Christ 55 Blindnesse of a man without Christ 28 C. CArist How a man may be said to be in Christ and out of Christ 18 What it is to be without Christ 19 The properties of a man without Christ 22 Characters of a man without Christ 34 The misery of a man without Christ 50. 101 Christ is to the soul as the sun to the earth 60 The benefits derived from Christ 67 All that Christ hath is a beleevers 71 and all that a Beleever hath is Christ's 73 Characters of a mans interest in Christ 85 Christ precious to a beleever 97 Church compared to a Commonwealth 103 Wherein they differ 107 Necessity of church government 109 Necessity of Church union 110 A great misery to be a stranger to the Church of God 113 A wicked man in the Church like a Wen in the body or a woodden leg 115 Comfort Vid. Joy No comfort without Christ 61. 75 Common-prayer-book an abstract of the Popish Masse 207 Three sentences of Scripture misinterpreted therein 206. 208. 210 Contentation only in Christ 98 Covenant and promise how they differ 118 Divers administrations thereof 119 Covenant of Grace what 121 How you may know whether you be within this Covenant 123 The difference in being under a Covenant of Works and a Covenant of Grace 126 The misery of strangers to the Covenant of grace 135