noluerint Adamum adorare Hoc suum peccatum non potuit celare Satan Luther Tom. 3. p. 82. b. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us says the beloved Disciple Joh. 1.14 He had a true body and a reasonable soul which soul of Christ considering its nearest union to the Divine nature and the light and joy and glory it must needs be full of may be look't upon by Milions of Degrees as the highest of Creatures and the chief of all the ways of God The Holy Ghost took care in the conception of Christ that his human nature should not be in the least defiled and his whole life was perfectly free from sin he did no evil neither was guile found in his mouth and his heart was alwayes pure And having taken mans Nature God is well pleased with that nature in Christ The man Christ Jesus always did those things which were pleasing to the Father The Sons of men may come with boldness to this Mediatour who is bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh He bears good will to men as the Angels sang aloud at his Nativity Man may be confident of a kind reception since Christ is so near akin to them and was in all things excepting sinful infirmities made like unto them that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest to make Reconciliation for their Iniquities Heb. 2.17 Christ is man and this man is Gods greatest favourite far greater than Joseph to Pharaoh or Mordecai to Ahasuerus Extra Christum oculos aures claudatis Vbi Iesus est ibi est totus Deus seu tota divinitas ibi Pater Spiritus Extra hunc Christum Deus nusquam invenitur Deus in carâ—e illa sic apparet ut extra hanc carnem coll cognosci non possit Luther Tam. 4. p. 491. a. He has the highest place in Heaven as well as in his Fathers heart let Saints search into his truth and they will find matters of unspeakable encouragement Here is the way to know the Father to worship him acceptably and to attain to fellowship with him here and for ever 3. Growing in the knowledge of Christ implies a more plain discerning and ful perswasion that he was foreordained to be a Redeemer Christ was the person pitched upon from eternity to be the Saviour of the Elect of God 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was foreordained befoâ—e the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you He is therefore caled the elect One in whom Gods Soul delights There was a compact and agreement made between the Father and the Son The Son agrees in fulness of time to be made of a Woman to take a body to offer up himself without spot to God and the Father promises eternal Life and Salvation and that he should have a Church givâ—â— him out of the world though the world is faâ—â—en into wickedness upon which Church this eternal life is to be bestowed The Prophet Zachariah tells â—s of a Counsel of Peace between the Lord of Hâ—â—â— and Christ whose name is the Branch Zach. 6.12 13. And the Apostle speaks of the promise of eternal life which God who cannot lie promised before the world began Tit. 1.2 This promise may very well be conceived to be made to the Son that he should give eternal life to all that were given him of the Father And when the Saints behold that Christ is the Person from eternity designed to be a Saviour they may include that God hath a love to them a care of them and a purpose of Grace towards them from everlasting and how securely and sweetly may they rest upon the blessed Jesus not doubting but he is a person every way fit and sufficient to finish that work of Redemption which he undertook according to the appointment of his Father 4. Growing in the Knowledge of Christ implies a greater insight into his sufferings It is not without reason that the History of these is so largely penned by all the four Evangelists certainly there is much in his Crucifixion which it concerns Believers to pry into The sufferings of Christ were great and that both in his body and in his soul his body was in a bloody sweat and his soul was amazed sore and full of heaviness and sorrow and in an Agony before he was condemned and fastned to the Cross but then all the pain and shame which he did undergo his Death was violent and accursed and just before he breathed out his last his Father hid his face his sufferings were unconceivably increased by a dreadful desertion which made him roar out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me When Christ died the sins of the whole Church were laid upon the head of the Church how many stings then had the death of Christ Isa 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray we haâ—e turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all And if all were laid upon him none shall be laid to the charge of them who believe in him But how came it to pass that Christ did not sink under such a burthen The first sin of the first man was enough to sink all the world into Hell how could Christ bear up under all the sins of so great a multitude The reason is because he is God the blood of Christ is the blood of God how loud does it cry for Pardon and Salvation and how easily does it drown the cry of sin for vengeance The blood and sufferings of Christ applied and relyed on by Faith justifie the sinner silence Satan the accuser purge the conscience from dead works and open a way into the holiest of all by the Cross of Christ we are to climb up to the Throne of Glory The more the death of Christ is studied the Spirit will be more contrite the heart more clean the conscience more calm and quiet The death of Christ puts the sin to death but delivers the sinner from it 5. Growing in the Knowledge of Christ implies a more fruitful eying of his Resuâ—rection and going to his Father Hark to the Apostle Phil. 3. 10. That I may kâ—â—â— him and the power of his Resurrection The Justice of God had Christ under an â—rrest and hath cast him into the Grave as â—nto a Prison and if he had not fully paid the debt of those whose surety he became it would have held him in prison to this hour If Christ were not risen faith would be vain the guilt and power of sin would refrain But being risen true believers are delivered from sins punishment and power Sin and death and Satan are triumphed over Know that there is a very great power and vertue to be derived from the resurrection of our Lord. A power to raise a drooping Spirit When Christ was riseâ— dâ—e sends this Message to his Disciples that they might be well assurâ—â— his God was theirs his Father their Father
Soul-mercies for his Children To see them poor in the World will not so much afflict him as to fear they will never be rich to God Besides the Sins of those that are nearly related are most frequently presented to our eyes and ears they cry nearest us and therefore they should cry loudest to us They are most committed to our care and therefore their miscarriages should be the greatest objects of our Fear Near Relations may also probably more endanger the residue of those that belong to our Family Sin in one or two though in a large Family may endanger and infect the whole We most strive to quench those Flames that destroy houses near us we are more fearful of them than of those at a greater distance A Snake in ones Bed is more formidable and a Toad there more odious and ugly than in my Field or Garden § 7 3. They that mourn for others Sins especially the Sins of those they most love must mourn more for their Sins than their Afflictions and outward Troubles They must be more troubled for the poysonful root of Sin than for the Branches and Fruits of Sufferings that spring from the Root We must more mourn for the sin of a Child than for the sickness of a Child More lay to heart what our Children have done than what they have undergone more for their Impiety than for their Poverty more because they have left God than because their Trades or Estates have left them more for fear they dy'd in Sin than because they dy'd The Troubles of the outward man must not so afflict us as the Unrenewedness of their Hearts and Natures To be afflicted for the death of thy Child's Body and not for his soul-Soul-death in Sin is as if a fond Parent should when his Child is drown'd only lament the loss of the Child's Coat and Garment and not for the loss of the Child's Person § 8 4. We ought to bewail the Sins of others according to the Proportion of the Sins of the times and places where we live When Sin grows impudent and hath a brazen brow when 't is declared as Sodom Jer. 3.3 and not hidden when men are asham'd of nothing but not being impudent in sinning when Sinners cannot blush Jer. 6. v. 8 12. have lost the very colour of Modesty then is a fit Season for Gods People with Ezra 9.6 to say We are ashamed and blush to lift up our faces to thee our God to bewail and blush before God for those Sins of which Sinners are not ashamed and for which they have not a tear to shed Further when the Sinners of the times are obstinate and inflexible in Impiety as Nehem. 9.16 Harden their Necks 17. refuse to obey 20. are disobedient and rebell cast the Law behind their back 29 withdraw the shoulder and will not hear when they make their face as an Adamant Stone When the Wicked say as Jer. 44. As for the Word that thou hast spoekn we will not hearken to thee we will do whatever goes forth out of our own mouth then is the time for the Godly to have broken and melted Hearts when the Wicked are so Obstinate and Obdurate Next when Sin becomes universal when Governers and Governed from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head are all prophane and impious Isa 1.6 When a man cannot be found in the streets of Jerusalem Jer. 5.1 that will stand up for God and his Interest when as in dayes of Noah all flesh hath corrupted it self then is the time for all Gods People to mourn before God and to oppose an holy universality to a profane Lastly When not ordinary but the most horrid and gross Impieties are committed as Murder Sodomy Perjury broad-fac'd Adultery when these mountainons Wickednesses are acted then is the time for the Godly to endeavour to overtop these high towering abominations with a Flood of tears 5. We ought to mourn for the Sins of others advantageously to § 9 those for whom we mourn with the using of all due means to reclaim and reduce them 1. By Prayer for their Conversion and Gods pardoning them My hearts desire and prayer to God saith Paul is that Israel might be saved Rom. 10.1 He tells Chap. 9.1 how he bewail'd them that he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart for them but here we see he mingled his tears with prayers for them We cannot mourn for those for whom we cannot pray for every Evil that makes us grieve because of its continuance we must needs desire may be removed Exod. 32.11.27 Thô Moses when he was with the People maintain'd the Cause of God with the Sword yet when he was with God he endeavoured the preservation of the People with prayer 2. We must endeavour to follow the Mourning for Sinners with restraining them from Sin if we have it by Power We must not hate Sinners and suffer them to sin we destroy those whom we suffer to sin if we can hinder them None may permit Sin in another if he can restrain it but he that can produce a greater Good out of it than the permission is an Evil. Restraining of Inferiors is as great a duty as Prayer for Superiours See it in the case of Eli's negligence to restrain his Sons from their Impieties 3. We must mourn for Sinners with advantaging them by Example that they may never be able to tax us with those Sins for which we would be thought sorrowfull Examples sometimes have a louder voice than Precepts Tears will not in secret drown those Sins which publick Examples encourage We confute our Tears and Prayers before God by an unsuitable Example before the Offender The blots of others cannot be wip'd off with blurred fingers 4. We must follow our mourning for others Sins with labouring to advantage them by holy Reproof for the Sins we mourn for If our place and opportunities allow us we must not only sigh for their Sins but cry against them Ezek. 9.4 Lot was not only a Mourner for the Sodomites Sins but a Reprover I know not whether it be a greater sign of a Godly man to give a Reproof duly or to take a Reproof thankfully 1. But be sure Reproofs be given with Zeal for Gods Glory not either out of hatred to the Person reproved or out of desire to promote thine own Reputation and Interest by the Reproof The Apostles Acts 14.14.17.16 reproved Idolaters but Zeal for God purely put them upon it Paul and Barnabas rent their Cloaths as well as reproved Idolaters And Pauls Spirit was stirr'd with inward Zeal Act. 17.16 before his Tongue stirr'd against the Athenians Let Reproofs 2. Be mingled with Meekness Passion is seldom prevalent with a Sinner Sweep not Gods House with the Devils Besom Let the Sinner see thee kind to himself when thou art most unkind to his Sin 3. Let Reproofs be qualified with Prudence by observing the nature and degree of the Offence and the
Divine Perfections I. The many Doctrines which more immediately respect the Nature of God his Acts and Modes of Operation 1. More generally they are all such as represent somewhat of him who in all Perfections is infinite and infinitely above us God is a Spirit infinite infinite in his Essence or immense infinite in his existence or external There is according to the Conceptions we must form of God at least quoad nos a difference between Immensity and Externity Immensity denotes the Essence of God to be more large and comprehensive than can be measured but the import of Eternity is to be considered with regard to the Duration of the Divine Essence whence although we must assert the Essence and Existence of God to be so much the same that necessary Existence is included in the very Essence of God yet we may look on the divine Existence to be a pressior conceptus to that of the divine Essence for essence includes somewhat more than meer existence namely other perfections of the divine Nature which when considered as it fills Heaven and Earth and is infinitely beyond all without all bounds or limits 't is said to be immense but considered as enduring from everlasting to everlasting 't is Eternal The like of the other Attributes Thus our finite capacities may form some partial and inadequate Conceptions of these things but comprehend them we cannot If we look into any particular Attribute of God we are swallowed up as in a bottomless Ocean For there is not any one Divine Perfection that includes not in it Infinity the which is so far above us that we cannot reach unto it We cannot know him unto Perfection nor by searching find him out He is higher than the Heavens deeper than Hell longer than the Earth and broader than the Sea we cannot comprehend him His Nature his Attributes all his glorious Perfections being infinite are infinitely above us and seeing the Revelations made of God do after a sort represent somewhat of his glorious Nature they are not fully comprehended by us They point â—nto somewhat that is beyond us But to be more particular 2. God who is a Spirit Infinite is absolutely and simply One he is a pure Act but yet Three One absolutely and simply One God and yet Three Three Persons None can be more concerned in asserting the Oneness or Unity of the Godhead than the Christian how vehement soever the Mahometane Jew or Socinian may be in asserting the Simplicity and Oweness of the Divine Nature they cannot be more so than We are but yet a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead we must also affirm or our Religion is lost Whoever will but seriously acquaint himself with the Essentials of the Christian Religion will find that the believing a Trinity is as necessary to the being of our Religion as the believing the existence of God is to any Religion The Spirit of God has not only here and there expresly asserted the Doctrine of the Trinity but every momentous Doctrine of our Religion which is appropriate unto it as 't is Christian supposes it There are Three Fundamentals of our Faith all which conjunctly considered suppose a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead even God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost There is the Fall of Man his Redemption and Sanctification God at first made man upright and gave him a Holy Just and Good Law which was sanction'd with the Promise of a glorious Reward and with the severe Threat of Divine Wrath and Indignation Do this and Live but in the Day thou eatest thou shalt die Man transgresses this Law and is obnoxious unto the Threatning he must die For God who is Infinite in all Perfections is a God of Truth and must accomplish his Word He is essentially just and righteous and must proportion the punishment to the nature of the Crime An Infinite God is offended his Law is violated and this by Man by Adam the Head of Human Nature and therefore 't is impossible that any escape Infinite which is on finite Worms Eternal Wrath unless the Justice of God be satisfyed by proportionable Sufferings in that nature that sinned But if there had been but One Person as there is but One God there could not be an Infinite Person to undertake for us That one Person who was offended would be alone able to satisfie his own Justice but he is angry he demands satisfaction from another and should he enter into judgment with us we should not be able to stand He demands satisfaction and is ready to consume us unless an Infi-Person interposes on our behalf should he himself begin to capitulate with us singly he would be so far from offering himself to satisfie himself for us that he would immediately let out all his wrath Thus we see that the Doctrines about mans Fall and Redemption do necessarily infer that there is God the Father who gave us a righteous Law and who is highly provoked by the violation of it and as a righteous Judge proceeds to condemn us unless satisfaction be made unto his Justice and that there being God the Son a Person distinct from the Father who is also God sent by the Father and who assumed Humane Nature in which he suffered and satisfied the Justice of the Father whereby fallen man is in a way of recovery thus mans Fall and his Recovery suppose two Persons But whoever will more closely attend unto this Point will find that God being as Holy as he is Just and Righteous is as much concern'd for the Vindication of the Honour of his Holiness as that of his Justice whence our Sanctification becomes as necessary an Antecedent unto our Salvation as our Justification Though Justification and Sanctification are in their own natures formally and really distinct yet are ever in one and the same Subject You may and must distinguish them from each other but cannot separate them And the Reason is because God is as Holy as he is Righteous and as much concern'd for the Glory of his Holiness as for the Glory of his Justice And therefore the Holy as well as the Righteous Will of God must be satisfied But such are the Corruptions of our Nature so strong and powerful and we so weak and feeble that unless some one Almighty be our help we shall remain under the power of Sin unsanctified and no way advantaged by the Redemption of Christ's Death 'T is true Christ has died but not to save us in but from our sins It was never the Design of Christ that men should receive any special Blessings as the fruit of his Death while they continue under the power of Sin Enemies unto him He has made a purchase of Heavens Glories but will give it to none but such as submit themselves unto him He will that we humble our selves before him and be holy or continue in the state of Condemnation in which we are all by Nature but Holy we cannot
circa pectus a very hardy spirit that shall dare to cross the stream or stem the current of a prevailing luxuriancy So that to have a finger in this ungrateful debate must engage him in Ishmael's fate to have every mans hand lifted up against him seeing it's unavoidable that his hand must be set almost against every man § 5. That yet Charity will lend us one safe Rule That we impose a severer law upon our selves and allow a larger indulgence to others The Rule of our own conversation should be with the strictest but that by which we censure others a little more with the largest For thus has the Apostle Rom. 14. taught us to proceed in things which in their own nature are indifferent § 6. Prudence will also afford us another excellent Rule In dubious cases to take the safer side Not to venture too near the brink of a Precipice when we have room enough to walk secure at a greater distnce For seeing the best that can be said of and pleaded for many of our Fashions is That in themselves they are Adiaphorous which yet in their common use are sinful it becomes a Christian to be cautious and practise only that which is confessedly innocent and inoffensive For he that will always do what may lawfully be done shall sometimes do what is unlawful to be done § 7. An humble heart crucify'd to the World and making a conscience of its baptismal Covenant whereby it stands engaged to renounce the pomps and vanities of a wicked World with all fomentations of and incitations to the flesh will be the best Casuist Mortification would cut up the controversie by the roots cure the disease in the cause and cleanse the stream in the fountain Nor can any determine for another so well as he that is true to his soul might for himself § 8. That yet there are some modes of Apparel which so notoriously cross the ends of all Apparel so inconsistent with the Rule of Decency so apparently transgressing the bounds of Modesty that no pretence of an honest intention no uprightness of heart can atone or excuse the evil of wearing them As if for instance a Garment was made of Silk wrought in such Figures as did imitate the Pictures of Aratine and represent Nakedness in all the most obscene and filthy postures the use of such Raiment would be a gross abuse nor could any internal chastity alleviate the guilt of the outward immodesty § 9. Tho some modes of Apparel can never be well used there are none but may be ill used None so good but they may become bad tho some so bad that they never can be made good And the reason of the difference is because Bonum oritur ex integris malum è quolibet defectu All Circumstances must concur to render a practise lawful when the want of any one which ought to be present is enough to render it sinful § 10. Tho sumptuary laws may justly be made to retrench the excesses yet none can lawfully be enacted to compel men in the defects of Apparel A Law may say Farther thou shalt not go but not Thus far shalt thou go And the Reason is They that can reach the Standard assigned by the Law may lawfully abate at the command of Authority when perhaps some cannot reach the lowest pitch without entrenching upon their Purses or Consciences Having premised these things I reassume the Question What distance ought we to keep in following the strange fashions of Apparel that come up in the days wherein we live The Resolution of which Question will depend I. On an impartial Inquiry Wherein the sinfulness of Apparel does lye II. On some Directions How to walk at a due distance from these strange fashions that we partake not of the sin that may be in them I. Let us then in the first place inquire Wherein the sinfulness of Apparel does lye And that difficulty will be best assoiled by a further inquiry into these Four Particulars 1. For what ends God appoints and Nature requires Apparel 2. What is the Rule of Decency to regulate Apparel 3. From what inward Principles these outward modes are taken up 4. What effects these fashions have or may have on our selves or others 1 Let us then enquire for what ends God appoints and Nature requires Apparel In the state of Innocency and Primitive Integrity Nakedness was mans richest cloathing No Ornament no Raiment was ever since so decent as then was no-Ornament no-Raiment For as there was then no irregular motion in the soul so neither was there any in the body that might die the Cheeks with a Blush or cover the Face with shame They were both naked Gen. 2.25 the Man and his Wife and were not ashamed But when they had once violated the Covenant and broken the Law of their Creator Shame the Fruit and Daughter of sin seized their souls and that in respect of God and of each other which latter chiefly as I conceive to hide the best expedient their confused and distracted thoughts could pitch upon was to stitch together a few fig-leaves to make themselves Aprons till God commiserating their wretched plight provided better covering more adequate to the necessity of Nature more comporting with decency i. e. coats of skins Gen 3.21 Wherein the Divine Wisdom so admirably contriv'd it That their Apparel 1. might serve as a standing Memorial of their demerits that they might carry about them the continual conviction of their sin and the deserved punishment For what less could they infer than that they deserved to die the death when the innocent Beasts must die to preserve and accommodate their lives 2. That their Apparel might direct their weak Faith to the promised seed in whom they might expect a better covering and from a greater shame that of their filthiness in the sight of God In him I say whom those Beasts probably slain in sacrifice did typifie For that any were slain merely on the account of food before the Flood is not probable when yet the distinction between the clean and unclean on the account of sacrifice is demonstrable Gen. 2.7 Now God appoints and Nature frail faded Nature requires Apparel § 1. To hide shame to cover nakedness That our first Parents and their Posterity in their Exile from Paradise might not become a perpetual covering of the eyes and shame to each other Whence it will follow 1. That whatever Apparel or fashions of Apparel do either cross or not comply with this great design of God must be sinfully used 2. That as any Apparel or fashions of Apparel do more or less cross or not comply with this end they are proportionably more or less sinful But our Semi-Evites aware of danger from these conclusions to their naked breasts will readily reply That this will be of no great use to decide this controversie because it is not clear 1. what parts of the body 't is God has appointed Apparel to cover nor
Thess 2.13 God hath from the Beginning chosen you to Salvation 1 Thess 5.9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain Salvation which Salvation doth include absence of all evil and presence of all good and this Salvation being Eternal Heb. 5.9 infers the absence of all evil for ever and the presence of all good for ever and whosoever is delivered from all privative Evils and possessed of all positive Everlasting good and that for ever can not be denyed to be happy for ever II. Christ hath redeemed some to be infallibly brought to Eternal Glory What reason can be given of the Incarnation and Death of the Son of God if there be no Eternal misery for men to be delivered from nor any Eternal happiness to be possessed of For 1. Did Christ dye to deliver his Followers from Poverty and Prisons from Sorrow and Sufferings from Trouble and Tribulation What! and yet his Holy Humble and Sincere people lye under these more than other Men that are wicked and ungodly why was Paul then in stripes and imprisonments in hunger and thirst in cold and nakedness in perils and jeopardy of his Life continually and such as Pilate Faelix and Festus in great worldly prosperity Or can it be imagined that Men persisting in Sin should be more partakers of the fruits of Christs Death than those that forsake their sin repent and turn and follow him 2. Did Christ suffer and dye to purchase only Temporal good things as Riches Honours for his Disciples Were these worth his precious Blood VVhatever Christ dyed for it cost him his most Sacred Blood Was it then for Temporal enjoyments only which Turks and Pagans may and do possess more than Thousands of his true and faithful Followers Did Christ intend the benefits of his Death for these in more especial manner then for such as remain finally impenitent and yet shall such reap the fruit of all his Sufferings and those that believe on him go without them Sober reason doth abhor it and all the Scripture is against it Would Christ have humbled himself to such a contemptible Birth miserable Life lamentable painful shameful Death only for transitory temporal fading Mercies If we consider the variety of his sufferings from God Men and Devils the dignity of the Sufferer I profess I cannot imagine any reason of all Christs undertakings and performances if there be not an Eternal state of Misery in suffering of evil things by his Death that Believers might be delivered from and of Glory in enjoying of good things to be brought unto III. The Spirit of God doth sanctifie some that they might be made meet to be partakers of the Eternal Inheritance of the Saints in light As all are not Godly so all are not Ungodly Though most be as they were born yet many there be that are born again there is a wonderful difference betwixt men and men the Spirit of God infusing a principle of spiritual Life and making some all over new working in them Faith in Christ Holy Fear and Love Patience and Hope longing Desires renewing in them the Holy Image of God is as the earnest and first fruits assuring of them in due time of a plentiful harvest of Everlasting Happiness Faith is in order to Eternal Life and Salvation Joh. 3.16 Love hath the promise of it 1 Cor. 2.9 2 Tim. 4.8 Jam. 1.12 Obedience ends in it Heb. 5.9 Hope waits for it Rom. 8.25 and because their hope shall never make them ashamed Rom. 5.5 therefore there must be such an Eternal-Blessed state they hope for IV. The Souls of all men are immortal though they had a beginning yet shall never cease to be therefore must while they be be in some state and because they be Eternal must be in some Eternal state This Eternal state must be either in the Souls enjoyment of God or in separation from him for the wit of Man cannot find out a third for the Soul continuing to be must be with God or not with God shall enjoy him or not enjoy him for to say he shall and shall not or to say he shall not and yet shall is a contradiction and to say he neither shall nor shall not is as bad if therefore the Soul be Eternal and while it shall be shall perfectly enjoy God it shall be Eternally happy If it shall for ever be and that without God it shall be Eternally miserable because God is the chiefest good the ultimate end and perfection of man The great work in this then is to prove that the Soul is Eternal and shall for ever be For which I offer these things 1. There is nothing within nor without the Soul that can be the cause of its ceasing to be here except God who though he can take away the being of Souls and Angels too yet he hath abundantly assured us that he will not Nothing within it because it is a Spiritual Being and hath no Internal Principle by contrary qualities causing a cessation of its Being and because it is simple and indivisible it is immortal and incorruptible for that which is not compounded of parts cannot be dissolved into parts and where there is no dissolution of a Being there is no corruption or end of it there is no Creature without it that can cause the Soul to cease Matth. 10.28 Not able to kill the Soul Luc. 12.4 Fear not them that kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do if they would kill the Soul they cannot when they have killed the Body they have done their worst their most their all 2. The Soul of man hath not dependance upon the Body as to its Being and Existence It hath certain actings and operations which do not depend upon the Body and if the operations of the Soul be independent from the Body such must the principle be from whence such operations do arise and if it can act without dependance on the Body then it can exist and be without the Body In the Body without dependance on the Body it hath the knowledge of immaterial Beings as God and Adgels which were never seen by the eye of the Body nor can because there must be some proportion between the object and the faculty and the Soul doth know it self wherein it hath no need of the phantasie for when it is intimately present to it self it wanteth not the ministry of the phantasie to its own intellection Besides it can conceive of universals abstracted from its singulars in which it doth not depend upon the phantasie for phantasmata sunt singularium non universalium therefore since it can act in the body without dependance on the Body it can exist without the Body and not dye when the Body doth which yet is more plain and certain from the Scripture which telleth us that the Soul of Lazarus after death was carryed by Angels into Abrahams bosom Luc. 16.22 but they did not carry it dead or alive but alive
Death where note 1. His Submission to the will of the Father He puts himself into his Fathers hands and Subjects himself to his pleasure 2. His design the Fathers glory Glorify thy Name He doth not say simply let my Agony and Death come but Glorify c. q. d. This being the means of thy Glory which thou hast fixt upon here I am do to me as seemeth good in thy Sight Hence observe First The best way to quiet and compose our Spirits in time of distress is the Prayer of Faith Wrastle with God and you Conquer your own Tumultuatings 1. Sam. 1.10 11 18. Secondly That Soul will be heard who forgets or neglects himself in Comparison and Prayeth for the Accomplishment of the Will and Glory of God So doth Christ here and God heard him See Heb. 5.7 Thirdly Our Exemption from suffering may sometimes be inconsistent with the Glory of God Save me from this hour saith Christ but for this cause came I unto this hour Father Glorify thy Name The Ground of the Point lyes in his Correction of his first Petition Fourthly The best and most Effectual means to prepare our selves to meet God either in the way of Mercy or Judgment is to resign our selves to the Soveraign Will of God to be disposed of for his Glory 1. I shall prove the Doctrin 2. Open the Nature of this resigned Frame of Spirit 3. Give some Arguments manifesting that it is our Duty especially in a Day of Distress 4. Apply the whole Before I enter upon the first I lay down this Supposition That believer who is prepared for Affliction is prepared for Salvation that the same qualification fits for both these dispensations I know some are Vessels of Wrath fitted only for Distruction Ro. 9.22 If the Apostle did there Treat of a Moral preparation which I know he doth not then we must Distinguish between Destruction and Affliction and of the fitness of the Vessels of Wrath for that and Saints for this But to decide this matter Our Doctrine and Question speaks of an Holy Gracious Preparation for Sufferings to bear them quietly and benificially not of a judicial Aptitude for Ruin much less an Eternal act of Preterition which is the Apostles meaning there This premised I suppose none will deny him who is holily qualified for Suffering to be in a blessed readiness for comfortable Dispensations and Providences Now that the above mentioned Resignation to the will of God for his Glory Prepareth a Soul both for Mercy or Judgment Suffering or Deliverance appeareth as follows 1. In that we find Holy Men of Old in this Spirit ready for either Dispensation Tribulation or Comfort Adversity or Prosperity Job shall be our First Instance his Resignation is notably expressed Chap. 1.21 Naked came I out of my Mothers Woumb and Naked shall I return Thither The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh Blessed be the Name of the Lord. The good Man upon the first gust of the Storm that beats Terribly upon him falls down at the Feet of God acknowledging his Soveraignity and Adoring his Name Well in this Frame he met with greater Tryals afterward and how did he bear them See James 5.11 Ye have heard of the Patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very Pitiful and of tender Mercyes In this Spirit he bear Affliction Patiently and received Mercy Plentifully God had two Designs on Job to Try and Bless him and Job's humble Spirit equally quallified him for both Take David for a Second Example By Absaloms Rebellion he was brought to a great Strait that must flye to prevent the Surprize of his Person Now take notice of his Frame 2 Sam. 15.25 26. And the King said unto Zadack carry back the Ark of God into the City If I shall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his Habitation But if he say thus I have no delight in thee behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good unto him David was not without hopes of being Restored to his Throne and yet he had fears of the Contrary but whether God would dispose of him that way or this he Submits to his Pleasure Resigns himself to his Will and this prepared him for Suffering and qualified him for Deliverance Isa 41.2 'T is said that God call'd Abraham to his Foot i. e. to an intire Subjection to his Will He disputed nothing that God revealed refused nothing which he commanded what was this for why to fit him for great Tryalls Mercies Gen. 12.1 2 3 4. Cap. 22.1 2 3 10 16 17 18. this was Pauls Frame Acts 20.22 23 24. 2. That Frame is most fit to meet the Lord in the way of Judgment or Mercy which Christ chose to suffer in and so to enter into Glory In the Text this was his case he was shortly to meet with two Contrary Dispensations He was to bear our Sin and to Conflict with the Wrath of God for it to Suffer the Violence of Hell and the World and to Dye an accursed Death but with all immediately he is to be Glorified at the Right Hand of the Father Both these he had in his Eye in this Chap. v. 23 24. He expected a double Glory upon his Death here by the Propagation of the Gospel in Heaven by the Exaltation of his humane Nature Chap. 17.15 and both these he looked for Heb. 12.2 Well how will he prepare himself for Suffering and Glory even by lying at his Fathers Foot in the Text. And now he can grapple with all his Enemys and now he can wait for his reward Matt. 26.39 42 44. 'T was in this Spirit that he went to meet his betrayer v. 45 46. This all the Evangelists mention for our Example Certainly Christ knew what was the best preparation for Judgment or Mercy and Chose it for himself and was therein our Pattern 3. That 's the best way to meet God in the way of his Judgments or Mercies which himself prescribeth but a Resigned humbled Spirit to his Will and Pleasure is commanded by himself to qualify us for such Dispensations 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God and he shall Exalt you in due time q. d. bear my Afflicting hand and you shall feel my Supporting Exalting hand 4. That 's the best Preparation for Mercy or Judgment which God aimeth at in Afflicting and Rewardeth in Delivering his People and this is a Resigned Frame an Obedient Submiss Subdued Will to the Will of God If he afflict his Children 't is because they are Froward if he Cherrish them t is for the Compliance with his Pleasure Ephram was Smitten for his Stubborness and Comforted for his Obedience Jer. 31.18 19 20. God hath no Contention with us but our Crosness because our Wills Thwart his and our ways contradicts his First we resist his Commanding Will by Disobedience and then his chastizing Will
causes There 's a Necessity of these things while we are in the World and we need variety of them more than for present use e. g. Childhood and Age are helpless and need greater supplies there 's difference between Sickness and Health and we must provide for both and is not this very plausible Whereas did but Persons consider how many Superfluities shroud themselves under the wing of Necessaries and how Persons love to be at their own finding rather than Gods thô there 's no comparison between them as Israel Numb 11.5 We Remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the Cucumbers and the Melons and the Leeks and the Onions and the Garlick and now our Soul is dryed away there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our Eyes They preferred the Food which the Egyptians gave their Slaves before Manna which if the Inhabitants of the upper World needed food were fit for them We would not onely have Mercies but we would be humour'd in the Circumstances of 'em Rachel must presently have Children or she 'l be weary of her Life whereas she might have learnt from her own Husband and Grand-father that those Children of patiently believing Parents were the greatest Blessings that came from teeming Prayers and Barren Wombs but she considers not this she must have Children or dye Well God so far gratifies her she shall have Children but that which she reckoned would be the greatest Comfort of her Life proved to be her death The flattery of worldly things prevails with many The Grandeur of the World that pleaseth the Eye the Esteem of the World that pleaseth the Fancy whereas would but these Persons consider all things of the World appear better at a distance than we find them near at hand I dare confidently make this offer and without imposing upon God any thing indecent peremptorily assure you God will make it good That if you can but give any one instance of any one Person made happy satisfyingly happy by any worldly enjoyment you shall be the second I grant many are through Grace contented with a little pittance of the World but where dwelt the man that was ever yet contented meerly with the World The wealth of the World promiseth Satisfaction a Eccl. 10.19 Money answereth all things but b ch 5.10 he that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase The pleasures of the World promise refreshment to relieve us of all our cares but instead of it c Eccl. 2.11 they are all Vanity and Vexation of Spirit The Honours of the World promise quiet and contentment but d Psal 73.18 19. surely they are set in slippery places as upon a Pinnacle whence though they do not presently fall yet they are utterly consumed with terrors of falling In short e Psal 49.20 man that is in honour and understandeth not how to honour God with it is like the Beasts that perish degrades himself into a Beast and the time is at hand when he would count it a greater happiness than ever he shall obtain if his Soul and Body might die together like a Beast Experience is beyond Speculation we see others grow great they fare better and go finer and are more esteemed in the World every one respects them and if he but grow Rich he must presently be the best in the Parish whereas those that are low and mean in the World they are despised thô never so well qualified This thou speak'st upon thine own Observation thou canst name the Persons and the places whence thou hast this experience Very well thou takest this for a demonstration that there is such a thing as an Earthly happiness Hold a little be but intreated to push the Observation a little further and consider impartially how loth thou wouldst be to take up with that for thy Happiness which thou so much admirest Single out any one of those thou accountest most happy in their outward enjoyments and be sure thou art as thoroughly acquainted with all the circumstances of his Condition as thou art with thine own and then sit down and seriously consider Is this the Person whose happiness thou admirest View him inside and outside and tell me wouldst thou have his Condition and all the Circumstances of it 'T is true he is great in the World but wouldst thou have all his cares and fears his restless Nights and troublesome Dayes wouldst thou have just his qualifications of mind that half-wittedness that makes him ridiculous his peevish Humours which make him a burden to himself and others Wouldst thou have just his temper of Body To be alwayes sickly or conceited to be so He can't eat this nor digest that nor relish any thing as do meaner Persons Those Relations that should be the greatest Comfort of his Life hanker after his Death His Children upon one account or other almost break his Heart his Servants are vexatious his Business distracting or his idleness wearisome Whereas perhaps his next Neighbour that hath scarce bread to eat hath a quieter frame of Mind a better temper of Body a better Stomach better Digestion better Health more Comfort in Relations and longer Life to enjoy all these than him thou countest the Worlds darling think of this before thou concludest for an earthly Happiness The restlesness of the Mind of man upon so many disappointments makes him eager after any thing that promiseth Satisfaction he hath experience of the uneasiness of his present Condition and none of that which flatters him So that he becomes like one that hath been long sick who is willing to try every Medicine that every Visitant commends never considering how he heightens his disease by the use of false Remedies e. g. Shouldst thou take medicines proper for an Erysipelas to cure a Dropsie or Medicines for the Stone to cure a Consumption thô those Medicines would not presently kill thee they would never Cure thee but thou must still complain of disappointments and be worse and worse instead of having any amendment Do not deceive your selves one Vanity will never cure another Satan will not be wanting to set in with all the other cheats the Inclinations of the Flesh the flatteries of the World and the various pleadings of carnal Reason Satan you may be sure will do what 's possible to be done to entangle the Soul in a fools Paradise or plunge it into inextricable difficulties especially when he hath a good second as in this Case thô one might rationally think there should need no more to fright him to his watch then to assure him the hand of Satan is in all this Suspect him in every thing he cannot be thy Friend he cannot make any one motion for thy good where he seems to do so 't is to do thee greater mischief Thus have I jumbled together something of what may be said both with real and seeming weight for empty reasonings weigh most with empty
as well when I am sinning as when I am praying b Psal 139.1 13. Where ever I am what ever I am about whether Busie or Idle my thoughts that no Creature can know God knows them though I equivocate in my Words God discerns them Whether I draw near to God to flatter him or run away from God to escape him Thô I lay my self to sleep that I may not think of him or get into the dark where I may see nothing of him yet Gods eye is every where all this while upon me Christians be but so far sincere as industriously to endeavour to keep upon your Hearts such apprehensions of God and this alone will effectually cure you of reigning Hypocrisie and clear up your suspected Sincerity I grant some men may be so impudently wicked as daringly to Sin while they think God looks on but this is seldom and only in the heat of Temptation they cannot no they cannot nay the Devil himself cannot help them to keep up their Hearts to this pitch of impiety the most daring Sinners are but like men in a Fire-ship what thô they venturously run it in to fire the Fleet they themselves get away as fast as 't is possible so thô in their drunken frolicks they set themselves to out-face God yet when they are sober they retreat to this c Job 22.13 14. How doth God know thick Clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not d Psal 10.11 13. He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten and if he can but repell his twingeing Gripes of Conscience he not only quickly forgets them but flatters himself that God forgets him too and that he hideth his Face and will never see it And so thô he contemn God yet he hath said in his Heart God will not require it yea further e Psal 94.7 they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it But men of the most seared Consciences cannot alwayes thus carry it there are some of the worst of Sinners of whom it may be said God is alwayes in their thoughts while they are awake and they sleep little they think of nothing else and yet these are far from Sincerity or the way to it I grant this for it confirms not enervates my Remedy They under horrour and despair think of God and cannot but think of him but 't is sore against their Wills they would out-run those Thoughts but the Wrath of God pursues 'em * Joh. 27.22 they would fain flee out of his hand But now to pray and strive that we may get and keep God alwayes in our Eye to be inwardly grieved that our Thoughts of God so easily slip from us so to presentiate God to the Soul as to be able to appeal to God †Psal 139.18 All the while I am awake I am still with thee and when I sleep f Psal 91.1 4. it is under the Shadow of the Almighty he shall cover me with his Feathers g Mat. 23.37 as the Hen doth her Chickens Christians those that can comparatively see nothing else with delight nor rest any where else with content they are truely Religious they are certainly sincere Let 's now consider the other extream Too many think or do what they can to make it sink into their Thoughts that Atheism is best for 'em these would be accounted men of a great Soul they scorn the Pusillanimity of Conscience they are neither allur'd nor frighted with the fore-thoughts of a future State they slight any discourse of Heaven and they laugh at the Torments of Hell they live without care in a continued Frolick and are not these the only happy men Thô they restrain their Blab they let loose their Thoughts and 't is the common language of Mens Hearts and Lives Men secretly bless themselves that they are not Religious when they see men suffer for Conscience sake all the pity they express is from their deluded Fancy But will this alwayes hold Job tells us h Job 9.4 no man can harden his Heart against God in the way of his Providence and prosper muchless sure can he set himself against God in his very being and prosper He 's really a Fool i Psal 14.1 thô the World count him a Wit that saith in his Heart i. e. he heartily wisheth that there were no God but God hath a witness within him that he can't silence but will in despight of him convince him that there is a God Never could any man yet blow out that Candle k Prov. 20.27 of the Lord which God hath set up within him It can't be expected that he who strives in his Practice to be an Atheist in his Judgment should be so ingenuous as to tell us what Convulsions of Conscience he is incurably troubled with if he would we should need no other Testimony but his own to convince him and seeing he will not I 'le only bid him first get the Mastery of his own Conscience before he decry that God that Masters it I might press him to consider the works of Creation and Providence and how unreasonable it is to expect that another should believe thy profound Arguments as thou esteem'st 'em when thou unbelievest 'em thy Self every time thou hear'st it Thunder for why should I coast about for convictions while thou carriest that within thee which neither thy self nor all the Devils in Hell to help thee can extinguish thine own Conscience man Conscience I say not anothers but thine own and thou mayst as soon tear thy Soul out of thy Body as thy Conscience out of thy Soul And while Conscience hath a being the being of God shall not be denied 'T is too true thou mayest sear thy Conscience from speaking any thing for thy good but thou canst never silence it from speaking to thy Terrour That never-dying worm will be still gnawing to make thee feel both here and to Eternity that there is a God One thing I confess I have sometimes wondered at that ever any Atheist can dye without horror the approaches of Death commonly undeceive us But when I consider that those who industriously endeavour to stupifie their Consciences while they live should in Gods Righteous Judgment be so far besotted as not to have their Consciences so much as quitch when they dye but that as they have industriously proselyted others to their Atheism they should be so far deserted of God as to leave their Companions under that Delusion till Hell undeceive ' em O! but what can Religion do for the cure of Atheism Serious Godliness in the lowest degree of it expells Atheism I grant those that are eminently Godly may be tempted to Atheism but they reckon these among Satans fiery darts and accordingly set themselves presently to quench them which thô they cannot so easily do as they imagine who have not experience of such Temptations yet there 's this palpable difference between them and
to stay here There is more in the World to Wean us than to tempt us Is it not a valley of tears and do we weep to leave it Are we not in a Wilderness among fiery Serpents and are we loath to leave their company Is there a better Friend we can go to than God are there any sweeter Smiles or softer Embraces than his k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menand Sure those who know when they dye they go to receive their Reward should neither be fond of Life nor fearful of Death the Pangs of Death to Believers are but the Pangs of Travel by which they are born into Glory Believe this Reward Vse 2 Exhortation look not upon it as a Platonical Idea or Fancy Sensualists question this Reward because they do not see it they may as well question the Verity of their Souls because being Spirits they Branch 1 cannot be seen where should our Faith rest but upon a Divine testimony we believe there are such places as Affrica and America though we never saw them because Travellers who have been there affirm it and shall we not believe the Eternal Recompences when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God himself affirms it The whole Earth hangs upon the Word of Gods Power and shall not our Faith hang upon the Word of his Truth Let us not be Scepticks in matters of such importance The Rabbins tell us the great dispute between Cain and Abel was about the future Reward Abel affirmed it Cain deny'd it The disbelief of this Grand Truth is the cause of the flagitiousness of the Age. Immorality begins at Infidelity l Heb. 3.12 to mistrust a Future Reward is to question the Bible and to destroy a main Article of our Creed Life Everlasting such Atheists as look upon Gods Promise but as a forged deed put God to swear against them that they shall never enter into his rest m Heb. 3.18 If God be such an exceeding great Reward let us endeavour that Branch 2 he may be our Reward In other things we love a Propriety This House is mine this Lordship and Mannor is mine and why not this God is mine Go saith Pharaoh to Moses and Aaron Sacrifice to your God not My God The leaving out one Word in a Will may spoil the Will the leaving out this Word My is the loss of Heaven n Tolle meum tolle Deum Psal 67.6 God even our own God shall bless us He who can pronounce this Shibboleth My God is the happiest man alive How shall we know that God is our Reward Quest If God hath given us the Earnest of this Reward Answ this Earnest is his Spirit o Pignus redditur arrha retinetur Hierom. Ephes 1.14 Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of the Inheritance Where God gives his Spirit for an Earnest there he gives himself for a Portion Christ gave the Purse to Judas not his Spirit Quest How shall we know we have Gods Spirit Answ The Spirit carryes influence along with it p Est Vehiculum influentiae it consecrates the Heart making it a Sacrary or Holy of Holyes it Sanctifies the Fancy causing it to mint Holy Thoughts it Sanctifies the Will strongly by assing it to good as Musk lying among Linnen perfumes it so the Spirit of God in the Soul perfumes it with Sanctity Object But are not the Unregenerate said to partake of the Holy Ghost Answ They may have the Common Gifts of the Spirit not the special Grace they may have the enlightning of the Spirit not the anointing they may have the Spirit movere not vivere move in them not live in them But to partake of the Holy Ghost aright is when the Spirit leaves lively impressions upon the Heart it softens sublimates transforms it q Implet Spiritus Sanctus organum suum tanquam fila Chordarum tangit digitus Dei corda Sanctorum Prosper writing a law of Grace there Heb. 8.10 By this Earnest we have a Title to the Reward 2. If God be our Reward he hath given us an Hand to lay hold on him this hand is Faith Mark 9.24 Lord I believe a Weak Faith justifies r Credo Domine languida fide tamen credo Cruciger As a weak hand can tye the Knot in Marriage a weak Faith can lay hold on a strong Christ the nature of Faith is assent joyned with affiance ſ Acts 8.37 Acts 16.31 Faith doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make God ours other Graces make us like Christ Faith makes us One with him and this Faith is known by it's Vertue No precious Stone saith Cardan but hath some vertue latent in it Precious Faith hath Vertue in it it quickens and enobles it puts worth into our Services t Rom. 16.26 it puts a difference between the Abba Father of a Saint and the Ave Mary of a Papist 3. We may know God is our Reward by our choosing him Religion is not a matter of Chance but of Choice u Psal 119.30 have we weighed things in the ballance and upon mature deliberation made an Election We will have God upon any Tearms have we sat down and reckon'd the cost what Religon must cost us the parting with our Lusts and what it may cost us the parting with our Lives Have we resolved through the assistance of Grace to own Christ when the Swords and Staves are up and to sail with him not only in a Pleasure Boat but in a Man of War x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ignatius ad Tars This choosing God speaks him to be Ours Hypocrites profess God out of Worldly design not Religious choice 4. God is known to be our Reward by the complacential Delight we take in him Psalm 34.7 How do men please themselves with rich Portions what delight doth a Bride take in her Jewels Do we delight in God as our Eternal Portion y Hae sunt Piorum delitiae Deo pacato frui Indeed he is a whole Paradise of delight all excellencies meet in God as the Lines in the Center is ours a Genuine delight do we not only delight in Gods blessings but in God himself is it a Superior delight do we delight in God above other things David had his Crown Revenues to delight in but his delight in God took place of all other delights Psalm 43.4 God my exceeding Joy or as it is in the Original the Gladness z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Cream of my joy can we delight in God when other delights are gone Hab. 3.17 Though the Figtree shall not Blossom yet I will rejoice in the Lord. When the Flowers in a mans Garden dye yet he can delight in his Land and Money thus a Gracicious Soul when the Creature fades can rejoyce in the Pearl of price Paulinus when they told him the Goths had Sack'd Nola a Domine ubi sunt omnia mea tuscis and
compleat in all the will of God Col. 4.12 The Believer in Christ notwithstanding all weaknesses and remainders of indwelling sin is much safer than innocent Adam in Paradise because Christ has engaged for believers that they shall endure to the end and that he will give them eternal Life and none shâ—â—â— pluck them out of his hand and the hand of his father In such hands they must need be safe indeed 7. Improve this Knowledg of Christ with reference to comfort T is He that sends the Comforter who abides with the Church for ever Joh. 16.7 The Church and the Churches comfort are built upon the same Rock Christ Your Consâ—lation then will be strong if you fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before you Heb. 6.18 You that are Saints well may you rejoyce in Christ Jesus since by him you have received the atonement Peace he has left you for a legacy a peace that will abide in the midst of the greatest outward troubles a comfort that most abounds when sufferings are most aboundant 2 Cor. 1.5 Consider the Lord Jesus and be filled with everlasting consolation and good hope through grace How strong is his hand how tender his heart how unchangeable his kindness Jesus is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 8. Improve the knowledge of Christ with reference to his Churches enemies He is above their match and he will make them know it they cannot hide their counsels from him who searcheth the Reins and Hearts and they must needs at last be disappointed and worsted for Christ will Reign till all his foes be made his footstool Heb. 10.13 Julian the Emperour wanted neither Policy nor Valour nor an armed power and yet of a suddain he had a deadly wound given him and cries out Vicisti Galliaee O Galilean so he called Christ thou hast overcome me This will be the end of the stoutest and proudest of the Churches Adversaries Christians are as dear to Christ as the Apple of his Eye They are bold fellows that will venture to give Christ a blow on his very eye this affront will not be born long and what a deadly stroke will this judge of the world at last return Mirabili modo fit dum mors Christum devorat devoratur dum occidit occiditur dum vincit vincitur Luther Tom. 4. p. 679-b 9. Improve the knowledge of Christ with reference to Death He has grappled with Death and has been to hard for it he has taken away its Sting which was the worst thing in it and is ready to deliver from that Bondage which the fear of Death causes Heb. 2.15 The Apostle having eyed Christ and the Resurrection insults over this last enemy 1 Cor. 15.53 O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory Christ has sanctified the Grave into a bed of rest and to use Luthers expression Mors est 〈◊〉 vitae Death is the Gate to life and immortality The dying Christian when he lifts up his eyes to his Lord and Saviour he may say then with Laurentius Noâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 non habet the night of Death hath no darkness in it but is an entrance into the light that is everlasting 10. Improve the Knowledge of Christ with reference to Eternity So vast and endless a thing may well be of an amazing consideration and when â—â—ce in Eternity thâ—â—â— is no correcting of mistakes Look therefore unto Jesus 〈…〉 prove you and to keep you sincere and without offence unto the last And when Time is just come to an end behold your Lord entered into everlasting joy himself and ready to receive you into the same Christ is none already as your forerunner nay as your representative and has taken possession of the incorruptible and undefiled inheritance Heb. 6.20 do you gladly follow him as knowing that when this earthly house of your Tabernacle is dissolued you have a building of God an house not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens Quest How may our belief of Gods Governing the world support us in all wordly distractions SERMON XIII PSALM XCVII 1 2. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof Clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his Throne THE State of affairs is oftentimes and so it is at this day so involved and confused that we need not wonder if we see men of wisdom greatly perplexed in their spirits and almost sunk into discouragement The best of Saints whose hearts are most furnished and fortified with grace would be of all others most subject to discomposure were it not that they feel peace and comfort flowing into them from the remembrance and sweet consideration of a God above What good man could possibly have any tolerable enjoyment of himself or possess his Soul in patience while he observes the scentrick and irregular motions of things below the restlesness tumblings and tossings of the world desireable comforts and delights blasted in a moment afflictions and troubles breaking in with a sudden surprize order quite subverted Laws violated and the edge of them turned against those that are faithful and peaceable in a Land and all things indeed turned upside down Wickedness rampant and Religion opprest The spurious brood of Babylon cloathed in Scarlet and prospering in the world when at the same time the precious Sons of Zion comparable to the finest Gold are esteemed as earthen pitchers yea broken potsherds and so thrown upon dunghils or cast into Prisons and filled full with the contempt of them that are at ease these things I say would soon break his heart did he not see him who is invisible and firmely believe a wheel within a wheel an unseen hand which steadily and prudently guides and directs all things keeping up a beautiful order where reason can discern nothing but at ataxie and confusion Those that are conversant in the sacred Scriptures do find that the flourishing state of ungodly men and the afflicted condition of gracious Presons hath proved to some of the Saints so hard a knot as they have gone to God for the untying of it and to others it hath been the occasion of so furious and violent temptations as had almost tript up their heels and broken the neck of their Religion Upon that very score holy Asaph was almost ready to conclude he had in vain cleansed his heart and washed his hands in innocence But if we will repaire unto the Sanctuarie and consult the divine Oracles and believe them when they tell us that the eternal God our God is the Rector and Governour of the world it will revive our Spirits reduce our Souls into their right frame and preserve them in a due composure when the scene of affairs is most ruffled To entertain you with a discourse upon this choice and seasonable subject is the work allotted me at this time and the Question now to be discust and answered
are given for as the rigid Dominicans do certainly make God the Cause of Sin whether culpable or not culpable is not the Question even so do the Scotists and Molinists for they both include in the matter of Sin somewhat more than what is meerly Natural even somewhat that is morally Vicious and yet assert that this Matter is the immediate effect of Gods Causality only the one says That God does as it were take man by the hand and lead him to Sin the other That man determines the Efficiency of God and the Scotist says That the first and second Cause do walk hand in hand to the Sin but whether I lead another to the Sin and help him to commit it or whether I am taken by the Sinner and determined to help him to produce what is sinful in the Act or whether I walk with him stil I am at least a Concauser of what is sinful in the Act so that neither the Scotist nor the Molinist give me any satisfaction in this Matter The Result therefore of my thoughts is as follows I am sure that no Natural Being ever has been is or can be without the Efficiency of God the first Cause and yet I am as confident that no Moral Evil is in any sense the Effect of the Physical Efficiency of God The Moral Undueness that is considered as that which is the Foundation of Sin cannot be from God but yet how satisfactorily to reconcile these things or how to comprehend the Modes of Divine Operation is above us we cannot reach unto it it transcends our Understandings 5. There are also several Doctrines which have a special Aspect on those Transactions that are about the carrying on Fall'n Mans Salvation to the Illustrating the Glory of the divine Perfections which are very profound The Doctrines of the Fall of Man the Transition of Original Sin from Adam to his Posterity the Methods taken for the Recovery of the Elect the Covenant of Reconciliation between the Father and the Son from all Eternity the Incarnation of the Son of God and the many surprizing Doctrines with reference thereunto even about his several Offices as Mediator and in special That of his Being a Priest after the Order of Melchisedek his Suretyship how our Sins were imputed to him and his Righteousness made ours beside those Doctrines about the Nature of the Mystical Vnion that is between Christ and Believers and how this is the ground of Imputation and many other momentous points might be spoken unto to evince That though there is nothing of Contradiction in these Doctrines yet there is very much that transcends the most enlarged Capacity They are points that the Angels themselves are prying into but cannot fully comprehend But these things I must wave and go on to acquaint you with some of the many Providences that do in like manner transcend our Understandings II. Among the many amuzing Providences that are before Us I will single out a few 1. That the greatest part of the World should lye in Wickedness unacquainted with the Methods of Salvation is an amuzing Providence Look we into the remotest parts of the World we find nothing but a strange Ignorance of the true God or of the true Worship of God Oh how great a part of the World is over-run with Paganism Mahometanism and Judaism Come we nearer home and take a view of the Christian World behold how small is it in comparison of those parts where the abovemention'd false Religions prevail and of the many thousands who are called Christians how many Invelop'd with the thick clouds of Ignorance and Error and how â—ew free from the Influence of Idolatry and Superstition A multitude of those who have been baptiz'd into the name of Christ have not the opportunity of looking into the sacred Oracles which reveal the true way to Life everlasting and of those who have the happy Advantages of consulting the sacred Scriptures how few can understand them The which is not without a Providence of God But can we compare these Providences with those discoveries that are made of the Infinite Compassions of Almighty God towards the Children of men and comprehend a consistency between them In the Scriptures 't is said That God would have all men be saved and to that end come to the Knowledg of the Truth even when but a very small spot of the Earth have any suitable means afforded 'em for the obtaining such knowledg In the Scriptures the Proclamation is general to all Ho every one and the Expostulation with Sinners is Turn ye Turn ye why will ye dye as I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a Sinner of a Sinner indefinitely q. d. of any Sinner but rather That he would Turn and Live Besides did not Christ die for this end namely to shew the unexpressible greatness of Gods Love to the world God so loved so so loved the World as if it had been said the Love of God to the World is so transcendent that no words could sufficiently express it nothing would fully represent it but the Delivery of the Son the only begotten Son of God to the Death the cruel the shameful and the reproachful Death of the Cross for the salvation of the World on their Believing and this even when God left Millions of Angels to continue in everlasting Chains of Darkness notwithstanding all which it is manifest That they cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard and cannot hear unless a Preacher be sent unto them and that no such thing has been done no Preacher has been sent or if in one Age yet not in another How can we reconcile these Providences with the Discoveries that are given us of the infinite Compassions of God to Mankind when so few are made partakers of it What of Grace is there in leaving the greatest part of the World in a very little better condition than the fallen Angels I know that there are many things offered towards the satisfaction of a thoughtful Person as Who can tell but there are thousand of Worlds above us whose Inhabitants are in a better capacity to receive and improve the Instances of Divine Love and that this world is but a Spot in comparison of them and if this whole World should perish 't is but as the hanging up a few Malefactors to shew that God is just as well as merciful but how does this solve the Difficulty which is not meerly taken from the Notion we have of Gods meâ—ciful Nature in it self considered but from the Revelations made thereof unto the Children of men in the Scripture about which we cannot have any solid satisfaction but from things which are obvious before us not from what is so fully out of our view and knowledge and concerning Creatures of another kind 'T is true there are some intimations in the Sacred Scriptures which apart and by themselves considered afford Relief such as these The Gentiles which have not
life that she may present her body a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is her reasonable service and so by universal obedience prove what is that good and acceptable will of God n Rom. 12.1 2. in the prevailing desires of her soul to please God who hath called her into a conjugal Relation and enabled her therein to conceive and so in her proper Office to serve her own generation by the will of God o Acts 13.36 waiting upon him with chearfulness in filling up her Relation to give her in due time an holy seed for his glory and the enlargement of his Church as holy Mrs. Joceline above mentioned earnestly desired of God that she might be a mother to one of his children * Mothers Legacy p. 1. Then 2. To submit to the effecting and disposing will of God who works all things according to the counsel of his own will p Eph. 1.11 in preparing for death not to neglect but make ready for so great salvation as is purchas'd by Christ and offered in the rich and precious promises q Heb. 2.3 If all should hearken to the charge our Saviour gives to his own Disciples r Mat. 24.44 Therefore be ye also ready then it eminently concerns a big-belli'd woman to be in a readiness for her departure that she may not be surpriz'd sith the pangs are perilous that she is to pass through and the more if she be but of a weak and not of an hail constitution * Mrs. Joceline The last mentioned pious Gentlewoman when she felt her self quick with child as then travailing with Death it self she secretly took order for the buying a new Winding-sheet thus preparing and consecrating her self to him who rested in a new Sepulcher wherein was man never yet laid and privately in her Closet looking Death in the Face wrote her excellent Legacy to her unborn child None ever repented of making ready to die And every Christian is ready who can entirely submit to Gods disposal in Life or Death Yea and then a good woman is likest to have her will in a safe temporal deliverance when she is most sincerely willing that God should have his in dealing with her as seemeth best to himself When the Yoke of Christ is easie and his Burden is light then is the good Wife in the fairest way to be most easily delivered of the burden of her belly so that she shall have the truest joys afterwards Thus of Holiness considered more generally and how the child-bearing Wife is concern'd to exercise it 2. Holiness may be considered more specially as it is conjugal and more peculiarly appropriated to the marriage-state This being a more particular exercise of Christian holiness in the Matrimonial band wherein as every one both Husband and Wife in that Relation are concerned so the childing-woman is obliged to be singularly careful to possess her Vessel in sanctification or sanctimony and honour Å¿ 1 Thes 4.4 in a special kind of conjugal cleaness and chastness which is opposite to all turpitude and lust of Concupiscence in the very appearance of it that there may be as much as possible no shew or tincture of uncleanness in the Marriage-bed but that there may be an holy seed and she may keep her self pure from any taint of Lasciviousness 'T will chear up in the hour of her Travail if she can sincerely say in the sight of God as it is said in the Apochryphal story * Tobit 3.14 15. Sara the Daughter of Raguel did Thou knowest Lord I am pure from all sin with man and that I never polluted my name nor the name of my father This is the true Eagle-stone to be constantly worn for the prevention of miscarrying that there may not indeed be labouring in vain or bringing forth for trouble but her seed may be the blessing of the Lord and her off-spring with her t Isa 65 23. with 21. who may solace her self in her Integrity and unspotted Reputation having her chast conversation coupled with fear u 1 Pet. 3.2 that all shall issue well with her and the Fruit of her Womb. But this is so much of the same Nature with the last Grace mentioned here in my Text that the Apostle annexeth that to Holiness with 4. Sobriety So we render it others Temperance others Modesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in our old Translation others Chastity And taking it largely the word seems to speak that gracious habit which may best become a prudent grave temperate moderate or modest Mother of a Family * Beza for that seems to reach the Apostles sense comparing it with what he hath in the 9th Verse of this Chapter and elsewhere w Tit. 2.4 5. Acts 26.25 I might consider this like the former Graces more generally and specially 1. More generally as Christian every one that nameth the name of Christ being under an obligation thereby to depart from iniquity x 2 Tim 2.19 is engag'd to labour after a sound mind y 2 Tim. 1.7 to be modest sober and temperate in all things z Tit. 1.8 and 2.2 4 6. 1 Cor. 9.25 learning to use this world as if we used it not minding that which is comely and attending upon the Lord without distraction a 1 Cor. 1.31 35. Yea we should let our moderation be known unto all men as those that are Christ's who have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts b Phil. 4.5 Gal. 5.24 Certainly then a Christian Wife and that in a child-bearing condition is concern'd to seek that she may be endew'd with Sobriety which purgeth the Mind from Distempers and putteth the affections into an orderly frame acceptable to God and so doth morally give the best ensurance to the promises of temporal and eternal safety But more particularly 2. The special conjugal Grace of Temperance and Modesty is to be exercised by the child-bearing woman in sobriety chastity and gracefulness both with reference to her affections and senses I have warrant from the Apostle as well as the Philosophers * Wallaei Eâ—hic â— Arist l. 4. to take the word so largely as to comprehend both Modesty and Temperance Whereupon I conclude 1. With modesty she is to govern her passions and affections so that there may be only an humble appetition of due respect and an abstinence from those unbecoming An holy care as to avoid pride on one hand so ignominy and contempt on the other as well as to give check to boldness and indecency in her gesture speech and behaviour as to lightness and wantonness in any of these So that she may by a graceful deportment as much as she can in minding things venerable just pure lovely and of good report c Phil. 4.8 not with the outward adornings of plaiting the hair and of wearing gold or of putting on of apparel d 1 Pet. 3.3 shew her self to be a vertuous
Endeavours used by Satan for our Souls so does Satan to gain the Soul fas est ab hostes doceri We may learn this from our greatest Enemy that our Souls are worth all our care and pains in keeping being our Adversary the Devil thinks no pains too great to get them 1 Pet. 5.8 He goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour He compasses the Earth as we may read in the book of Job Job 1.7 Job 2.2 He had considered Job and so considers all others what temptation is likest to prevail what their tempers and distempers are what traps will take some and what snares others He knows our beloved sins and dresses them up so as we might be loath to part with them He did not desire to go into the herd of Swine that he might destroy them but that by that means he might tempt their owners as indeed it took effect the Gadarens preferring their Swine before their Souls or their Saviour When our Saviour came to cast him out of any one the Devil was tormented Why art thou come to torment us they cry it was not because they were forced to leave their Bodies but because by that means he should have no such opportunity to mischief their Souls Matth. 8.29 Luke 8.28 Oh this is a torment to Satan to be deprived of our Souls There is not a Sermon we hear but this Evil One is ready to take away the seed as soon as ever it is sown Matth. 13.19 there is not a Prayer we make but these fowls of air attend to light upon the Sacrifice and hardly can they be driven away Gen. 15.11 Wheresoever we are whatsoever we do the Devil attends and waits for advantage against us that he might but gain our Souls And oh that men were but so industrious to preserve their Souls as Satan is to ruine them The Philistines are upon thee and doest thou sleep The Thieves are up that intend to rob thee and doest not thou arise Satan does not do all this for nothing or for that which is worth but little This Eagle does not catch at Flyes he hunts for the precious Soul 4. The duration of our Souls 4. There is one Argument more to prove the Excellency of our Souls and that is if you consider their duration or lasting It is as a dead colour upon all the beauties and glories in the World that they are fading there is a worm at the root of the Gourd which men delight in and set with greatest content under Insomuch as 't is not yet resolved whether our comfort is greater whilst we have these outward things or our grief when we part from them to be sure the one must needs bear proportion unto the other and the more any thing is loved the loather we are to leave it Now that the Soul transcends in this respect the World and all that is in it It being to remain when they shall be no more may appear from the nature of the Soul which admits not those contrary qualities which acting upon one another destroy their subject in which they are There are many Treatises to prove the Immortality of the Soul which I will not so much as mention only one Argument Bernard uses Libro de Anima because I find it not elsewhere I shall set down here Immortalis anima est quoniam cum ipsa sibi vita sit sicut non est quo cadat à se sic non est quo cadat à vita The Soul of man being life unto its self as it cannot part with its self so it cannot part with its life the body therefore dyes because it hath its life not in its self but from the Soul which it may be severed from but the Soul lives not by vertue of its union with the Body but the Body lives by vertue of its union with the Soul I am the less intent upon my proving of this because all thinking men do grant it Nay it is an Antecedent verity to the Christian Religion unless our Souls be immortal our faith is vain and all those absurdities will follow which the Apostle reckons up 1 Cor. 15. as the consequents of denying the Resurrection of the Body Nay unless the Soul be immortal all Religion is but imposture and we are design'd upon and abused when we are call'd upon and perswaded to the worshipping and serving of God so that it is indeed as necessary forus to believe our Souls to be immortal as it is necessary for us to believe that there is a God and either a good man's hope or a wicked mans fears are sufficient Evidences of both That there is another life or a future state after this life a good man would not but believe and a wicked cannot but believe They are only inconsidering debauched men whose Lusts and Sins have made it greatly their Interest that they might dye like Beasts as well as they have lived like them Who did ever seem to question it I say seem to question it for their surda vulnera the wounds that Conscience makes in them would not pierce so deep nor look so sadly if they had such a lenitive as the thoughts that they might not be felt in the other world But o th Eternity Eternity What a shrill and dismal noise do it make in a wicked man's ear or heart rather when heard or thought on and on the contrary what melody is it to a gratious man to hear that his Soul is immortal and his Crown incorruptible But the Text supposes the Soul may be lost and what is that else Objection but that it dyes The Soul indeed may be lost and dye in a figurative sense Answer There is a great resemblance betwixt the death of the Body and that of the Soul The Body dyes when it is separated from the Soul by which it lives And the Soul dyes when it is separated from God who is its life Sicut anima vita est corporis sic Deus vita est animae Bern. Librâ—â— de Anima Take a Soul from the Body the Body stirrs breathes lives no more So if Gods Grace and Spirit be not in the Soul it moves not but is dead in trespasses and sins Sin does that to the Soul which Diseases and Mortal Wounds do to the Body In the day that thou eatest thereof i. e. whensoever thou sinnest thou shalt dye Gen. 2.17 I should here have concluded my Arguments for the preciousness of the Soul but I will add one or two more ad hominem which may affect men most according to what they are usually taken with and perswaded by And therefore 5. In the fifth place The Soul is the cause of that life 5. The Cause of our Life which we so prize and it preserves that body which we so value and certainly then if ye may be Judges your selves it is most considerable What is the Body of the most beloved Person without the Soul a stench and
and not dead Stephen when dying expected the continuance of his Soul in being and its entrance into Blis Act. 7.59 saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The Thief upon the Cross had a promise from Christ that that day he should be with him in Paradise in his Body he is not yet therefore in his Soul without the Body therefore the Soul doth exist without the Body Paul believed the Immortality of his Soul and its existence after the death of his Body Phil. 1.23 I am in a strait having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better If his Soul had not existed he had not been a moment sooner with Christ nay his Soul in the Body had some communion with Christ if it dyed with the Body it had none and that was not far better but worse 3. The original of the Soul by immediate Creation is usually brought as an argument of the Immortality and Continuance of it to Eternity to assert the Creation of the Soul hath this difficulty attending on it how to clear the propagating of Original Sin to affirm the Soul is extraduce propagated by generation hath this knot to be untied how it doth consist with the Immortality of the Soul when that which is generable is corruptible but I for present shall take their arguing which prove it shall exist for ever because it is created immediately by God according to the worne axiom whatsoever is ingenerable is also incorruptible The Soul cannot be from the Matter or Bodies of the Parents because that which is Spiritual and Immaterial cannot be produced out of that which is a Corporeal and Material Substance for then the effect would be more noble than its cause and the cause would give and impart something to the effect which it self hath not but that which any thing hath not it cannot give to another as in a Spiritual so in a Natural sense that which is born of the flesh is flesh but the Soul is a Spirit Nor are the Souls of the Children from the Souls of the Parents either by Multiplication or Division not by Division that part of the Souls of the Parents should be communicated and pass from the Parents to the Children because it is a Spirit and therefore indivisible into parts because it hath none being without matter therefore without quantity therefore without divisible parts Not by Multiplication for this must be by participation of something from the Parents Souls or not if not then it inferreth Creation for that which is brought out of nothing into being is created if by participation of something of the substance of the Parents Soul this infers Division which before was shewed cannot be 4. That the Soul shall never dye but abide to all Eternity I argue either God neither can nor will maintain the Soul in Eternal duration or he would but cannot or he could but will not or he both can and will If he cannot then God is not Omnipotent for the Soul being a Spirit it no more implies a contradiction that the Soul should live for ever then that Angels and Devils should live for ever If he can and any say he will not I desire a reason of this assertion how shall any man know Gods Will by but what he hath revealed and God hath not revealed that he will not maintain the Souls of men in Eternal Being but the contrary It follows then that God both can and will and therefore they must live to all Eternity V. The certainty of an Eternal State in the other unseen world is evident from the innate appetite universally in all men after Eternal happiness There is no man but would be happy and there is no man that would have his happiness cease a man might as soon cease to be a man as cast away all desires of Happiness or Will to be for ever miserable though most mistake what their happiness is This innate Appetite cannot be filled with all the good things in this World for though the rational appetite be subjectively finite yet it is objectively infinite God therefore and Nature which do nothing in vain hath put unsatisfied restless desires after happiness into the hearts of men which cannot be any thing among things seen and Temporal there must be something that must be the object of this Appetite and able to quiet and fill it in the other world though most by folly blindness and sloathfulness miss of it VI. The absurdities which follow the denyal of an Eternal state of men though now unseen demonstrate the certainty of it 1. For then the lives of men even of the best must needs be uncomfortable and the life of reason would as such be subject to more fears and terrors than the life of sense which is against all sense and reason for Beasts must dye but do not foresee that they must dye but the rational foresight of Death would imbitter all his sweetest delights of Life if there were no reason to hope for another after this and the more the Life of Man as Man is more noble than the Life of Beasts the more the foresight of the certain loss thereof without another after this would affright afflict torment Now it is not rational to think that God who made Man the chiefest and the choicest of all his visible works should endue him with such powers and faculties as Understanding and Will to make his Life as man more burdensom by being filled with fretting fears wracking griefs and tormenting terrors more than any Beasts are liable to or capable of Nay and add that the more any Man did improve exercise and use his reason in the frequent Meditations of Death the more bitter his Life would be to consider that all the present good he doth enjoy must certainly and shortly be lost by Death and he not capable of any good after Death in the stead and room thereof 2. Then the Condition of many wicked yea the worst of men would be better than the condition of the godly that are the best if the wicked have their good things here and no evil hereafter and the people of God their evil things here and no good hereafter 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we had hope we were of all men most miserable 3. Then the chiefest and greatest encouragements to undergo Sufferings and Losses for Gods sake were taken away Why did Moses refuse the Honours of Pharaoh's Court and chose to suffer Afflictions with the People of God but because he had his Eye to the recompence of reward Heb. 11.25 26. Why did Paul endure such Conflicts but for the hope of Life and Immortality which the Gospel had brought to light 2 Tim. 1.10 12. and well might he ask what it would advantage him that he fought with Beasts at Ephesus if the Dead rise not to Eternal happiness 1 Cor. 15.32 Might not then the Suffering Saints repent when they come to dye that they had been so imprudent
moment and must be tormented for ever What if they have Pleasures and carnal Delights for a season they must be under the heavy wrath of God for ever You might stand and see all their mirth at an end but their sorrow never will have end all their joy is but for a moment as the crackling of Thorns under a pot but their misery will be endless misery Let them laugh a while they shall weep for ever let them rejoyce for a season their mirth shall be turned into heaviness their Temporal rejoycing into Everlasting howling and the Eternity of Joy will be more than a recompence to the afflicted Saints whatsoever their Sufferings for Christ and Conscience be in this World A supposed case might be an help in this Temptation Suppose then that you were poor and full of pain for so long time or rather for so short that you should fall asleep and after you awake should be poor no more nor afflicted any more but have a Life of manly delights afterwards Suppose again another man were compassed about with all manner of accommodations costly Dishes to please his Palate beautiful Objects to delight his Eyes all manner of Musick grateful to his Ears many Servants to attend him all standing bare before him and bowing the knee in Honour to him and all this and much more he were to enjoy as long as he could abstain from sleeping but assoon as he doth fall asleep he should be taken off his Bed and cast into a Furnace of boyling Lead or scalding Pitch I demand which of these two Mens Condition you would choose I know it would be the condition of the former and not the latter this and infinitely beyond this is the case in hand you are afflicted till you fall asleep and then you shall be afflicted no more but live a life of Joy for ever the Wicked prosper till they fall asleep and they cannot long keep open their Eyes but Death will come and close them then the justice of God will arrest them and then Devils will seize upon them and they shall be cast into a Lake of burning Brimstone where they shall have no rest night nor day but the smoak of their Torment shall ascend for ever and ever Exercise your thoughts in this manner and have an Eye unto Eternity and you will more easily and successfully overcome such Temptations to murmuring and discontent from the different dispensations of the Providence of God here in time to good and bad 3. Such eyeing of Eternity would have great influence for the well improvement of our time Time is to be valued in order to Eternity because we go out of time into Eternity and that which should make every Man in time most concerned out of time into Eternity of Misery or Glory Oh! what a pretious thing is Time it is beyond the worth of Gold or Silver because we might do more in time in reference to Eternity than we can do by all our Gold and Silver Jewels are but Toyes in comparison of pretious Time Many are saving of their Money but are prodigal of Time and have more of Time then they know what to do with when others find so much to do that they know not what to do for time to do it in Oh Fools and blind what were an Hundred years to make preparation for Eternity Oh sluggish careless Sots Do you ask how shall we pass away the time Might ye not with more reason ask how shall we prevent hasty time from passing away with such winged motion Or if that cannot be prevented How shall we improve our time that is so fast a posting from us Blind World Do any Men in thee enquire How shall we spend our time It is easily answered in Praying Repenting begging for Grace the pardon of Sin the favour of God and peace with Him and fitness for Eternal Life Had the Damned in Hell the time that once they had and you now have do you think they would ask what they should do to pass away the time Their cry rather is Oh hasty time whither art thou fled Why didst thou move so fast while we sate still Or why in time did we so swiftly run in ways of Sin as if we could not have sinned enough before time was past and gone When we had a God to serve and Souls to save and an Everlasting State to make preparation for we like Fools did say How shall we spend our time But now our time is spent and past and gone and now the question is which never can be answered How shall we spend Eternity which never can be spent no not in enduring Ten Thousand Thousand Millions of Years in pain and punishment for when they are past it is as fresh and as far from ending as it was the first moment it began then Eye Eternity and you cannot but improve your time 4. Such Eyeing of Eternity would make us careful how we die because Death is our passing out of time into Eternity Death is dreadful to the ungodly because it opens the door into Everlasting Misery gainful to all endued with saving Grace because it lets them in to Everlasting Happiness Did you that are yet Christless Impenitent and Unbelieving see whither you are going and where you must within a little time take up your Everlasting Lodgings what fear and trembling would seize upon all your joynts and when by sickness you perceive Death to be approaching you would cry out Oh Death forbear forbear stay thine hand and do not strike for if thou cut me down in this condition I drop into Eternal Misery there is nothing but this single thred of my frail Life between me and endless wo and if this be cut or snapt asunder I sink in to irrecoverable Misery without all hope of ever coming forth Could you but see a Soul the next hour after its separation from the Body what a taking it is in what wo what despair it is filled with would you then live without Christ go to bed without Christ and rise and trade and still remain without an Interest in Christ What mean ye sirs to make no provision for Death that is so near so very near when you are as near to going into an Everlasting World as you are to going out of this Transitory World and your Souls be dragged sooner by Devils into Hell than your Bodies can be carryed by Men unto your Graves Awake arise repent and turn unto the Lord for if you sleep on in sin till you sleep by Death you will be awaked by the flames of Hell and then though you be under the power of Eternal Death you will sleep no more and rest no more for ever And Death is as gainful and desirable to a Gracious Man as it is terrible to the Ungodly for it lets him into unseen Eternal Glory to the sight of Christ unseen to us on Earth How willing would you be to go a Thousand Miles to see
Christ and converse with him if he were on Earth it is better to see this pretious Christ in Eternal Glory it is worth the while to dy to have a view of your Lord-Redeemer in the highest Heavens Oh the wonderful transporting Joyes the Soul is filled with when it first cometh into the unseen but happy World when it hath the first Glorious view of its dearest Lord. Do you think it would desire to return to live in flesh upon Earth again Do you know what you do when you are so loth to dy Do you understand your selves when you are so backward to be taken out of time It is to be loth to go into Everlasting Happiness to go and take possession of unseen Eternal Glory 5. Such an Eyeing of Eternity would make us more patient constant joyful in all our sufferings for Christs sake When we poar upon our seen troubles and do not look at rest after trouble when we see and feel what is inflicted upon us but do not look what is laid up in Heaven for us when we see the rage of men and do not look at the love of God our Hearts and Flesh do fail but if we set unseen Eternal things over against things seen and Temporal it will be strength unto us Against the power of Men which is Temporal set the Power of God which is Eternal and then you will see their power to be weakness Against the Policy of Men which is Temporal set the Wisdom of God which is Eternal and then you will see all their Policy to be Foolishness Against the Hatred of Men which in its effects to you is Temporal set the Love of God which is both in its self and in its effects to you Eternal and you will see their hatred to be no better than raging unreasonable madness Keep your Eye upon the unseen Torments in the other World and you will rather endure Sufferings in this than venture upon Sin and expose your selves to them Keep your Eye upon the unseen Eternal Crown of Glory and it will carry you through Fire and Flames Prisons and Reproaches for the sake of Christ Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward 27. by Faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible 6. This Eyeing of Eternity will be a powerful preservative against the temptations of Men or Devils a Sovereign Antidote against the Poyson of Temptation I see the Invisible God looks at me shall I then yield to the suggestions of the Devil or the sollicitations of men to sin I see there is an Everlasting state of Joy or Torment that I must be shortly in as sure as I am in this place and Satans design is to bring me to that state of Torment and if I follow him I shall be excluded from yonder glorious place from God and Christ and Saints above therefore by the Grace of God I will not yield to this Temptation but strive I will and Watch and Pray I will against the assaults of this deceitful Adversary for why should I be so foolish to lose Eternal Glory for momentary Pleasures and run my Immortal Soul into Eternal pain for short delights I do plainly see what will be the end if I do yield Damnation without end banishment from God without end I do clearly see that Stealing and Murder is not a more ready road to a place of Execution upon Earth than yielding to a tempting Devil is to Everlasting Misery 7. Such Eyeing of Eternity would wean our hearts from the things of time A sight and view of Heavens Glory would darken the Glory of the World as looking at the shining Sun over your Head doth obscure in your Eyes the things under your Feet after a believing view of the invisible God and the Glory of the place above this World would appear as a very Dunghil in your Eyes Phil. 3.7 8. as where we love there we look so the more we look the more we shall love and the more we love the Eternal things that are above the less we shall love the Temporal things that are below 8. Such Eyeing of Eternity would make us more like to God and Jesus Christ it will be a transforming and assimilating look 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Therefore when we shall see Christ who is now out of sight we shall be perfectly like unto him 1 Joh. 3.2 But we know when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 9. Such an Eyeing of Eternity would fill our Souls with Holy admirations of the Goodness Grace and Love of God to us When Paul had a sight of such unseen things he was in an Holy Extasie and Divine Rapture 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. When we consider the Eternal Happiness of Heaven we shall stand as Men amazed that God should prepare such things for such men and bear such Love and shew such Mercy to such as we that are so vile and full of sin and say Lord what am I that might for ever have howled in the lowest Hell that I should hope to praise thee in the highest Heavens Lord what am I that might have been in Everlasting Darkness that there should be prepared for me Everlasting Light and Joy Why me Lord why hast thou designed me and wrought upon my heart and made me in any measure meet to be partaker of such Eternal Glory Oh! the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out Rom. 11.33 How pretious are thy thoughts to me how great is the sum of them Psal 139.17 Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee Psal 31.19 10. Such an Eyeing of Eternity would have this influence sure upon us to set our selves under a painful skilful serious Ministry It doth much concern you for you are going to an endless Life and Preaching is the appointed means to fit you for an endless happy Life then do you choose the most lively searching powerful Preaching it is for the life of your Souls for the Everlasting life of your Everlasting Souls If you were sick and in danger of Death when your Life lies upon it you would have the advice of an able Physitian that is serious and afraid that he no way become guilty of your Death Would you like that Physitian that seems to be unconcerned and cares not whether you live or dy if he might but have his fee Or that should merrily jest with you when you are sick at Heart and near to Death if you be not
sober Wisdom and the Devils cannot deny it and all Damned Souls in Hell and all the Wicked upon Earth as fast as they go down to them and feel what now they do not believe and fear shall not deny it to be Wisdom in them that escaped that and got to a better place in the Eternal World 10. In Eternity there will be no mixture In the other World there is all pure Love or all pure Wrath all Sweet or all Bitter without all Pain or without all Ease without all Misery or without all Happiness not partly at Ease and partly in Pain partly Happy and partly Miserable but all the one or the other This Life is a middle place betwixt Heaven and Hell and here we partake of some good and some Evil No Judgment on this side Hell upon the worst of Men but there is some Mercy mixed with it for it is Mercy they are yet on this side Hell and no Condition on this side Heaven but there is some Evil mixed with it for till we get to Heaven we shall have sin in us In Heaven all are good in Hell all are bad on Earth some good but more bad In Hell Misery without mixture of Mercy or of Hope they have no Mercy and that is bad and they can hope for none and that is worse while they be in time they are pityed God doth pity them and Christ doth pity them and good Men doth pity them their Friends and Relations do pity them pray for them and weep over them but when time is past all pity will be past and they in Misery without pity to all Eternity Rev. 14.10 The same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11. and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night No! then for the Lords sake for your Souls sake as upon my knees I beseech you if you have any dread of God any fear of Hell any desire of Heaven any care whither you must go take no rest night nor day in time till you have secured your Everlasting happy state that you might have Everlasting rest night and Day in Eternity or that you might pass into that Eternity where it is alwayes day and no night and not into that where it shall be alwaies night and never day Sirs what say ye What are ye resolved upon to sin still or to repent that ye have already sinned and by the Grace of God to sin so no more To work in time for things of time or in time to prepare for Eternity Will ye obey my message or will ye not Speak in time or I will not say hold your peace for ever but repent in time or ye shall cry and roar for ever The time of this Sermon is out and the time of your Life will be quickly out and I am afraid I shall leave some of you as unfit for Eternity as I found you and my heart doth tremble least Death should find you as I shall leave you and the Justice of God and the Devils of Hell should find you as Death shall leave you and then vengeance shall never leave you and the Burning Flames Tormenting Devils and the Gnawing Worm shall never leave you Will ye then work it upon your Hearts that ye came into Time unfit to go into Eternity that in time ye have made your selves more unfit that the only remedy is the Lord Jesus Christ that in the fulness of time did dye that Sinners might not be damned for ever that this Crucifyed Christ will not save you from Eternal Misery nor take you to Eternal Glory except ye do perform the Conditions of the Gospel without which his Death puts no Man into an actual state of Happiness ye must Repent and be Converted ye must take him for your Saviour and your Lord ye must be Holy sincerely Hate Sin universally love Christ superlatively or else the Saviour will not save you Mercy it self will not save you from Everlasting Misery Ye must persevere in all this to the end of your time and then ye shall be Happy in Eternity to Eternity Otherwise ye shall not give audience Sirs otherwise ye shall not be Happy Happy no ye shall be Miserable If the loss of God and Christ and Heaven will make you Miserable for ever ye shall be Miserable for ever If the pains of Hell the company of Devils the stingings of Conscience the terrors of Darkness total final despair of having any end of your damned condition will make you miserable ye shall be miserable If all that God can lay upon you if all that Devils can torment you with if all that Conscience can for ever accuse you for if all that is in Hell can make you miserable except you repent in time and believe on Christ in time and be sanctifyed in time ye shall be miserable for ever O my God! be thou my Witness of this Doctrine All ye that fear God that hear me this day bear me witness that I have published this in the Ears of all that hear me Thou Conscience that art in that Man that is yet going on in Sin and posting with speed to Eternal Misery bear me witness now and at the day of Judgment that I told him what must be done upon him in him and by him if he would escape Eternal Torments If he will not hearken nor obey while he is in time Conscience I bespeak thy witness against him and that thou bring thy Accusation against him and upbraid him to the Confusion of his face among all the Devils in Hell and all that shall be damned with him that he was told he could not keep his sins and be kept out of that place when he dyed he could not reject Christ and finally refuse him and be saved for ever Sinner carest thou not wilt thou still on Good God! must we end thus Must I come down without hopes of his Repenting and he dye with foolish hopes of being saved and after Death be cast into that Eternity where the Worm dyeth not and the Fire is not quenched But in those Endless Flames shall cry out and roar oh cursed Caitif what did I mean all the while I was in time to neglect preparation for Eternity Oh miserable Wretch this is a doleful dreadful state and still the more because it is Eternal Wo is me that I cannot dye nor cease to be Oh that God would cut me off Oh that Devils could tear me into a Thousand Thousand pieces or that I could use such violence to my self that I might be no longer what I am nor where I am But alas I wish in vain and all these desires are in vain for though the union of my Soul and Body in
consistent with his Fathers Purpose and Honour yet all this notwithstanding he boweth his Soul and prayeth his Father to Glorify his Name so Matt. 26.39 c. His Soul trembled at the thoughts of the bitterness of that Cup we find him not Relucting at any foregoing Suffering but this amaz'd him as Mark expresseth it yet see his resolve nevertheless not my Will but thine be done Two things in times of Trouble we usually start at yet a resigned Soul will refer it self therein to the Will of God 1. The matter of the Tryal Very oft we think we could be content to bear any burden but what Providence lays upon us carrying it as if God had pick't out the very worst of Pains and Aff ictions for us We'd bear Sickness if it pleased God but cannot away with Death we 'd lay down our Lives at Gods Feet but know not to be confined in a nasty Goal Let God send any thing but Poverty or Banishment or Slavery c. The meaning of it is we would Suffer according to our own Will not Gods For to corrupt Nature any Trouble is more Eligible then what Providence fixeth upon Rachel could Die more quietly as she imagined then endure the Affliction of Barrenness Gen. 30.1 Though poor Woman she found that first as hard a Task as the second Chap. 35. 18. Was this Christs meaning when he prayed the Father to Glorify his Name doth he prescribe the Suffring or close with his Fathers Pleasure did Christ say any Cup Father but this any Death but this accursed Crucifixtion Nay but if this Cup may not pass away thy Will be done O how far are we from this Frame when we Complain our Lot is worse then any Mans. We think God hath chosen the Smartest Rod in all the Bundle for us But where is our Resignation all this while 2. The manner of the Tryal this is usually disputed Saul in his dispare will Dye but Scorns to be Slain by the uncircumcised 1 Sam. 31.4 Abimeleck too will Dye when he cannot help it but not by the hand of a Woman Judg. 9.54 And we flatter our selves as if we were willing to Glorify God by our Death only we would chuse the way of Dying The meaning is God shall be Glorified aâ— we please He shall have the Honours but we 'l prescribe the manner Indeed he owes us much thanks for our kindness Is this to Glorify God No! He is not Glorified but in the way of his Will 2. This Frame carrieth in it a Resolution of our Suffering not only into the Will of God but his Glory also O saith our blessed Lord I 'l Suffer thy Wrath and Mens Malice Rage and say thine be the Glory I 'l endure the Shame and thou shalt have the Honour Father Glorify thy Name Christ stood not upon his own Credit but the Fathers Glory 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye Eat or Drink or whatever ye do do all to the Glory of God Ye whether ye Live or Dye Suffer or Prosper do all Suffer all for the Glory of God A resigned Soul counteth it worth his while to bear any Affliction so God be Glorified Our holy Lord here Ballanc't the Glory of God against his Sufferings what a blessed Spirit was that of the Baptist Jo. 3.30 I must decrease but he must increase he began to loose his followers when Christ entred upon his Ministry but instead of grudging at it or envying him he 's aboundantly Satisfied that his loss was his Lords gain A resigned Soul will be base in its own Eyes and be content to be vile in Mens Sight also so God be Glorified I know nothing more contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel then Affectation of Reputation to our selves nor any thing more Christian then Zeal for and desire of the Glory of God and our Lord Jesus Jo. 5.44 How can ye believe who receive Honour one of another Christ aimed at his Fathers Glory First Jo. 17.4 I have Glorified the upon Earth Here both in doing and Suffering we must design Gods Glory our turn comes not to have Glory till we be in Heaven Nay We must not only Aim at Gods Glory in our Suffering but be willing that he mannage our Sufferings to that end He always hath most Glory when he Orders the whole affair Christ doth not say Father I 'l Glorify thy Name but refers himself unto the Father do thou O Father Glorify thy Name Our Sufferings bring God no Glory unless he order them Heb. 10.7 Lo I come to do thy Will there was nothing of the Will of Christ in the case further then its Submission to the Fathers Will so must we lay our selves at the Feet of God and desire him to work out his own Glory in and by us 2. We must also be willing that he make what Glory for himself he pleaseth of us and by us Some think from Rev. 11.7 The Witnesses would have finish't their Testimony too soon and laid aside the Sackcloth and Ashes before the time What know we when God hath got Glory enough by our Sufferings Nay let 's be content to bear as long and as much as he thinketh fit to be sure we cannot Glorify him too much Let him Carve for himself when his Name hath had Glory enough by us himself will ease us Did Christ hang back after his Agony in the Garden No! but thence he went to meet his apprehenders thence to the Chief Priest thence to Herod and thence to Pilate again then to the place of Execution then to the Cross then to the Grave He Suffered as long and as much as it was his Fathers Pleasure His Prayer in the Text fixeth no measure nor Time but leaveth the Stint to the Will of God Holy Job bare his several Afflictions Patiently not one but all till God had done Paul professeth that he was not only ready to be bound but Dye for the Name of Jesus Acts 21.13 And none of these things move me saith he Chap. 20. 14. If when God hath Glorified himself by my Bonds he thinks fit to get him Honour by my Death I Submit This should check our impatience and weariness in a Suffering Day how can we say Father Glorify thy Name when we would Stint him in the degree and time of our Sufferings 3. This Frame Submits the Season when we shall Suffer to the Fathers wise Determination This was the dismallest hour that ever Christ saw the Hour and Power of Darkness Luke 22.53 when Hell and the World seemed to have all possible Advantages against the Lord. And doth he say Father save me from this Hour yea but he corrects himself and with respect to that Hour puts up his request to the Father in the Text Father Glorify c. He is so far from contending about the Season that he came designedly to Jerusalem at that time to Suffer Jo. 12.9 10. But we are apt to Reluct in this case O Lord deliver us from
in reforming Religion and destroying Idolatry wherewith the Land was so universally polluted had a great influence on the keeping off Gods judgments from it while he lived 6. Lastly God may sometimes spare a People for the sake of his Children among them that they may be useful and helpful to them in his work This end God had in sparing the Gibeonites he intended they should be hewers of Wood and drawers of Water for his Sanctuary and so assistant to the Priests and Levites in their Service So Isa 61.5 6. Strangers shall stand and feed your Flocks and the Sons of Aliens shall be your Plowmen and Vine-dressers but ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord Men shall call you the Ministers of our God Not that Saints are to be all Officers or all Rulers and carnal Men their Slaves and Drudges for as to their worldly State worldly Men may be above them and they may owe subjection to them but that they shall be in their worldly Employments and Callings useful and serviceable to the Saints in the things of God and either of their own accord or as overruled by Divine disposal be assistant to them in maintaining and promoting the interest of true Religion God can make even Moab hide his out-casts Isa 16.3 4. the Earth helps the Woman Rev. 12.16 Ahab favours a good Obadiah that may hide the Lords Prophets 1 Kings 18.3 4. an Heathen Cyrus let go his Captives and build his City Isa 45.13 a Darius an Artaxerxes an Ahasuerus countenance and prefer a Daniel a Nehemiah a Mordecai publick instruments of good to his People sometimes God may raise up such on purpose as he did Cyrus sometimes preserve and maintain them in their power and places for his Servants sake and that they may be helpful to them Nay sometimes he may so twist and combine the interest of worldly Men with the interest of his Children that they cannot promote their own without helping on the others Sometimes religious and civil Liberties may be both together struck at so that if the former go down the latter will be ruin'd too and then it is the Wisdom of those that are not truly religious yet to favour those that are it being as it were in their own defence and for their own securities and in such a case God may help them out of respect to his own and keep some from civil slavery that he may keep others from spiritual Use 1. By way of information If the religious of a Nation are the Strength and Defence of it then the same may be said of the religious of the World they are the substance of it the support the strength of it The World it self is preserved chiefly for the sake of the godly in it the Holy Seed The World is a great Field in which the good Grain bears but a small proportion to the abundance of Tares and that God doth not pluck up the Tares and burn them it is lest the good Corn should be plucked up with them What is Gods end in preserving the World and holding it up in its being but the glorifying himself in his several attributes Wisdom Power Goodness but especially his Holiness in the Service he enables his Saints to do him and his Grace is the Salvation he affords them that therefore he may have that Glory it is needful there should be a continuance of some to serve him and that may be the subjects of his Mercy and Grace and they are this Elect those Vessels of Mercy whom he hath before prepared unto Glory Rom. 9.23 The World therefore shall stand so long as there be any of Gods Elect in it to be brought in by actual conversion or their Graces to be completed in further degrees of Sanctification but when the number of those whose Names are written in Heaven is filled up and they themselves fitted for Heaven then shall the end of all things come It cannot be thought that God would ever endure so much wickedness as he sees in the World every day committed or so long bear its manners with so much patience had he not a further design in it viz. the gathering together the whole Body of those he hath given to Christ He never made this great Fabrick for the lusts and pleasures of wicked Men that they might enjoy their ease and gratifie their sences and devour their neighbours but for his own Glory and he will have some still in it to glorifie him by serving him and living according to his Laws as well as he glorifies himself in saving them and were there none in it to serve him he would not suffer others continually to dishonour him were it not for the Holy Seed he hath scattered abroad in it he would soon set the Field on a Flame 2. The Religious of a Nation are not its Enemies not the troublers of a Nation not the Pests of a State the disturbers of a Peace as some count them Ahab indeed reviled Elijah as one that troubled Israel 1. Kings 18.17 but David would not have said so he was a godly King and had other thougts of his godly Subjects he calls them the excellent of the Earth and his delight was in them Psal 16.3 the Jews said of the Apostles Acts 17.6 that they had turned the world upside down but they were unbeleiving Jews that saw it The same Apostles were counted the Off-scouring of all things and the Filth of the Earth 1 Cor. 4.13 but it was by those that rather were such themselves The Idolatrous Heathens were wont to condemn the Christians as the cause of all their publick calamities that befel them but they were Heathens that did so Yet sometimes we shall find wicked Men themselves under a conviction of the contrary and clearing them of this imputation so Joash King of Israel calls Elijah the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen thereof Sometimes as before they beg their Prayers sometimes wish themselves in their condition and whatever they esteem them while they live they would be like them when they die wicked Baalam would die the death of the righteous Numb 23.10 Thus Conscience absolves whom Malice had condemned and when Men come to be cool and sober they purge the godly from those crimes with which while they were heated with passion or intoxicated with a concern for some contrary interest they had groundlesly aspersed them True indeed the Religious of a People almost every where are the occasion of Divisions and Distractions and so was Christ himself Luke 12. he came to send Fire on the Earth verse 49. and not to give Peace but rather Division verse 51. nay a Sword Matth. 10.34 to set a Man at variance against his Father c. verse 35. And yet nor Christ nor his Saints are really the troublers of the World nor the direct and proper causes of those broyls and confusions which many times have been made on their accounts which indeed proceed from the lusts of
and unwise to endure so much and lose so much and say they have been losers by obeying God and by their holy walking for there is no happiness after Death to be hoped for wherefore I do repent that I did not take my pleasures while I might but did you ever here a serious godly man when dying utter such words But on the contrary on their dying beds do grieve and groan mourn and lament that they have been no more holy and obedient and in suffering times if they had Gold as Dust they would count it all as Dross and if they had a thousand lives they would lose them all to keep in the favour of God and to gain the Crown of Everlasting Life 4. Then would the Floodgates of sin and profaneness be plucked up to let in an Inundation of all manner of gross abominations for if men will not be afrighted from their sin with all the threatnings of the sorest pains of Hell nor allured to leave them with all the promises of the sweetest pleasures of Heaven if they were sure there were no torments of Hell to be adjudged to nor Glory in Heaven to be rewarded by they would run with greater greediness to the commission of the worst of sins that the Devil should tempt them or their wicked hearts incline them to Quest 2. How should we Eye Eternity or look at unseen Eternal things They are said to be unseen as they are not the objects of our external sense for in this sense they are not to be seen but we must look at Eternal things that are unseen with an Eye that also is unseen and the several things denoted by the Eyes in Scripture will give some light to see with what Eyes we must look at unseen Eternal things viz. with an Eye of Knowledge Faith Love Desire Hope Our looking at Eternal things comprehends these acts of the Soul 1. It includes a sure and certain Knowledge of them as things not understood are said to be hid from our Eyes so what we know we are said to see Eccles 2.3 I sought in my heart-till I might see what was that good for the Sons of men taking away of Knowledge is called the putting out of the Eyes Numb 16.14 and the inlightening the Mind the opening of the Eyes Acts 26.18 and Looking is put for certain Knowing Job 13.27 1 Pet. 1.12 and expressed by Seeing Act. 7.34 so that the Looking at and Eying of Eternal things with the Eyes of the Understanding includes 1. The bending of the mind to study them as when a man would look at any Object he bends his Head and turns his Eyes that way 2. The binding of the mind to them as a man when he looks earnestly at any thing fixeth his Eye upon it 3. The Exercise of the mind thus bent and bound to Eternal things that it is often thinking on the unseen Eternal God Christ Heaven and the Life to come 2. This Looking is by an Eye of Faith Looking is believing Numb 21.8 Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live The Object and the Act are both expounded by Christ John 3.14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up 15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Eternal Life 3. This Looking is with an Eye of Love Though in Philosophy the Affections as well as the Will are blind Powers yet in Divinity the Eyes are put for the Affections Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not and the Eye of the Lord denotes his Love Psal 33.18 and Believers that love the coming of the unseen Saviour 1 Tim. 4.8 are said to look for it Phil. 3.20 ubi amor ibi oculus We love to look at what we love 4. This Looking is with an Eye of Desire which is exprest by the Eye Numb 15.39 That ye seek not after your own Heart and your own Eyes 1 King 20.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing desirable in thine eyes Job 31.16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire or have caused the eyes of the Widow to fail The Eye is an Index of the desires of the Heart 5. This Looking is with an Eye of Hope The Eye is put for Hope Job 11.20 Lam. 4.17 2 Chro. 20.12 Psal 145.15 and 25.15 and things not seen are looked for by Hope Rom. 8.24 25. and things hoped for are the Objects of our Looking Tit. 2.13 Looking for the blessed Hope In short the sum is as if it had been said While we have a certain knowledge of unseen Eternal things a firm belief of them fervent love unto them ardent desires after them lively hope and patient expectation of them we faint not in all our tribulations Having opened the Eyes with which we are to look at Eternal things I proceed to the manner of our Looking There is a Looking unto them Psal 34.5 Mic. 7.7 There is a Looking into them by studying the Nature of them to know more of the reality necessity and dignity of them 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into If Angels do Men should There is a looking for them either as we look for things that we have lost look till we find as the Man for his lost Sheep or the Woman for her lost Silver Luc. 15.4.8 or to look for a thing that is yet to come Tit. 2.13 Isa 8.17 and there is a looking at them which is not an idle gazing at the unseen Eternal World but a practical lively affecting look in this manner following 1. We should look at Eternal things with such an Eye of Faith that should presentiate them unto us though they are yet to come Hence Faith is said to be the substance or subsistence of things not seen and the evidence of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 Faith so looks at things that are far off that they have a kind of mental intellectual existence though absent as if they were present being promised as sure as if they were already possessed Faith convinceth and assureth the heart of a Believer most strongly of the truth of a thing while it looks to the Revelation and Testimony of God than any argument brought forth from Natural reason could do and doth give as firm assent to the certainty and reality of Eternal things though unseen as to any thing he beholdeth with his eyes or perceiveth by the apprehension of any Sense because our Eyes may be deceived but God neither can deceive nor be deceived Look then e. g. at the coming of Christ with such an Eye of Faith as if with your bodily Eyes you saw him descending from Heaven in flaming fire with glorious attendance as if you heard the Trumpet sounding and the Cry made arise ye Dead and come to Judgment at which command as if you saw the
Opinion or Practise especially if they are not imposed as necessary For this hath made such woful Divisions in the Church the making things unnecessary and doubtful the necessary terms of Church-Communion Was the Church of Rome it self the truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Church as she stiles her self I could have Communion with it They that leave the Apostles shake the Foundation of the Churches stability and forsake the center of its Unity The Lord help us all to understand the way of Peace and Union in this miserably divided Age. Vse VI Lastly And now from all that hath been said we may take a prospect of Heaven Heaven is not a Turkish Paradise it is Communion with God that is the very Heaven of Heaven as the loss of it is the very Hell of Hell And this makes Heaven not desirable to the Carnal Man who hath no desire after or delight in Communion with God but it doth commend it the more to the Spiritual Man that he shall then enjoy that in its highest perfection which he hath been pursuing and had the fore-tasts of in this World Quest What is the best way to prepare to meet God in the way of his Judgments or Mercies SERMON XXVIII 1 John XII 28. Beginning of the Verse Father Glorify thy Name IN this Chapter we find the Lord Jesus under two very different Exercises in the one attended with much Solemnity in the other under great Perplexity much Courted much cast Down highly Honoured and exceedingly Troubled and he beareth both with wonderful Equanimity He is Feasted at Bethany v. 1 2. Anointed with Oyle of Spiknard very costly v. 3. Rideth Tryumphantly into Jerusalem v. 12 13. c. His Disciples bless and entertain him upon the way with Hosannas v. 13. Matth. 21.8 9. Strangers desire to see him and give him their Acknowledgments v. 20. And the Multitude throng after him v. 12. And strow his way with Palm Branches v. 13. But immediately the Scene is changed As our blessed Lord was not much affected with these things so contrary to all Expectation he enters upon a discourse of another Nature v. 23. The hour is come that the Son of Man should be Glorified Why Had he not been Glorifying throughout this Chapter yea But not comparably to what he here intends q. d. my Feast my Tryumph my applause bear no Proportion to the glory I am hasting to These are but Dull low Glories to what is at Hand The hour is come i. e. is near That the Son of Man shall be Glorified upon the Cross by Expiating the Sins of his Elect Glorified thereupon in Heaven at the right hand of the Father Christ had his Eye upon an higher Glory which would redound to him upon the Performing and Finishing our Redemption And a true Christian frame overlook's present Comforts and Honours from Men and fixeth mainly upon the Honour to be received from God in the way of Obedience here and hereafter Nor will our Lord Jesus pass over this Meditation till he have improved it 1. Inferring thence the Fruitfulness of his Death Verrily Verrily I say unto you v. 24. Except a Corn of Wheat fall into the Ground and Dye it abideth alone but if it Dye it bringeth forth much Fruit. Alluding to the Propagation of his Church by his Death 2. The Proportionable advantage of the Death of his Saints for his Sake v. 25.26 and Testimony and the disadvantage of forbearing and refusing to suffer for his Name But passing thence to the consideration of his Dreadful Agony and Passion ensuing v. 27. beginning His Thoughts are at a Stand his Soul is Troubled yea the Extremity of his grief stopt his Mouth so Amazing so Astonishing was the Fore-sight of his Sufferings At last Prayer breaks out Father Save me from this Hour and is presently Corrected But for this cause came I to this Hour q. d. I would escape but must not resist thy Will I 'd save my self yet not without a Salvo to thy purpose and councel I am in a Strait between Nature and Faith between Fear and Subjection between Death and Duty First Meer Trouble is no Sin Christs Soul was Troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Water when it is Mudded Jo. 5.4 7. Not that thier was any mixture of Sin in his Trouble it was such as might consist with his pure unspotted Nature If grief be not groundless if not extravagant no Sainted with unbelief or effected of disobedience 't is but Natures Weakness Grace induceth no Stoical Stupidity 'T is no property of the Gospel to make Men Sensless Secondly Fear of Death and sense of the Wrath of God are of all things most Perplexing Now is my Soul Troubled Now I am to conflict with the Father's Anger Mens Malice and Death's Pains and Terrours and now not my Flesh only but my Soul is Troubled Thirdly Extream distress of Spirit is of an amazing Nature Christ had not the Freedom of Prayer What shall I say and then what he did say was corrected Matt. 26.39 42. Fourthly No Extremity can Ordinarily or should really put an Holy Soul by the Plea of or hope in his Relation to God Christ calls God Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matt. 27.46 Fifthly Prayer must be suited to the Occasion Save me from the Hour c. A great Argument against most forms is that an Holy Soul cannot relish them nor can I see how God accepts them because they are impertinent or not full to the case Sixthly In our Extremitys we may be importunate must not be Peremptory with God in Prayer Our Saviour here Prayed not more Heartily then submissively Matt. 26.39 Our Text is the Result of the Lords Wrastling both with his own Soul and with his Father Here is first Christs Prayer Father Glâ—rify thy Name And the Fathers Answer in the next words but I meddle not with that now In the Text we have Two things 1. The Compellation Father 2. The Petition Glorify c. 1. The Compellation Father Prayer ought to be Ushered in with some Suitable Title of God which is expressive of his Supremacy our Reverence of him and Relation to him All these are Couched in the Single word Father Read Matt. 6.10 Malach. 1.6 Rom. 8.15 1. This Title expresseth God's Authority and Chirst's Allegiance both owned by him in this little Word 2. Relation The Lords Petitioners must ask so as to assure themselves of Acceptation which the Recognition of our Interest in God Read Isa 63 16. as our Father in Christ is very proper to Effect Hence the Rule of Prayer enters with Our Father And it is most Suitable to the Spirit of the Gospel that believers call God Father in Prayer having the Spirit of the Son poured out upon them to this End Gal. 4.6 2. The Petition Father Glorify thy Name q. d. Be thou rather Glorified then I Spared If I dye thy Glory will make amends for my Torment and