Die Mercurij May 28. 1645. IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament that M. Whitaker who preached this day before the Lords in Parliament is hereby thanked for the great pains hee took in his Sermon and is desired by their Lordships to print and publish the same which is not to be printed or reprinted by any but by authority under his own hand John Brown Cler. Parliamentorum July 15. 1645. I appoint John Bellamy to print this Sermon Jeremiah Whitaker THE CHRISTIANS HOPE TRIVMPHING In these glorious Truths 1. That Christ the ground of hope is God and not meer man against the Arians and other unbelieving Christians 2. That Christ is the true Messiah against the unbelieving Jews 3. That there is another life besides this against the grosse Atheist 4. That the soul of man is immortall and doth not sleep till the day of Resurrection against the errour of some seeming semi-Atheists 5. How the hope of Heaven should be attained whilst we are on earth against the carnall worldlings 6. How this hope may be discerned where it is and attained where it is not for the comfort of every poor Christian All which Truths are briesly pointed out and cleared In a Sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of LORDS in the Abby-Church at Westminster on Wednesday May 28. being the day appointed for solemn and publike Humiliation By Jeremiah Whitaker Published by Order of the House of Peers LONDON Printed by G. Miller for John Bellamy at the Sign of the three golden-Lions in Cornhill near the Royall-Exchange 1645. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE The HOUSE of PEERS Right Honourable ATheisme is the great sin of the world dogmaticall among the Pagans and practicall among those Christians Tit. 1.16 who professe they know God and yet in works deny him Satan cares not much what is our profession so be may rule in our conversation he knows where opinions have not strength to better practice there ill fractice by degrees Quid prodesse nebis praerog ariva Christiani nominis potest quod nos fideles esse jactamus quod Gothos ac Uvandalos hareticos despicimus cum ipsi â—â—eretica pravitate vivamur Salv. de Gub. l 7. will weaken the best opinions and what advantage is it for us to have the face of Christians and the hearts and heads of Pagans that our rule is straight and our lives crooked * Lex bona muneris est Christi vita autem non bona criminis nostri Salv l. 4. That God hath made our light clearer t is Gods free goodnesse that our lives are darker t is our own vilenesse It was his sad complaint that lived in such dolefull dayes as these when the Goths Hunns and Vandalls over ran the world and all Christendome put into a burning flame that the lives of Christians fell short of the Romans and did equall the worst of the Barbarians It is no wonder that when our unbeleife questions the deity of Christ the verity of Scriptures the mortality of the soule and so shakes the pillars of Heaven that the Lord hath a strong controversy with the world and causeth all the foundations of the earth to shake and to be out of order The way to cure the bleeding distempers of Christendome is for all men to endeavour to get inward perswasions answerable to their outward professions for as these main principles are more or lesse beleeved so is the heart and life of man better or worse ordered When the soul is once fully perswaded that Christ is God that he is the true Messiah that there is another life besides this that the Lord Christ is ready to come to judgement and his reward is with him then the soul begins to seek and beg an interest in Christ to flee from wrath to come to assure the hopes of Heaven whilst we are on earth and this hope when once truly attained carries the soul farre above the comforts of life and beyond the fears of death and makes men see no life to be so comfortable as that life which is most serviceable Your birth Right Honourable hath made you above other men this hope will make you above your selves and this communion with the great God will make daily additions to your greatnesse Then are men high-born indeed when they are born again of the most high God and then are the sons of Nobles truly great when there are added inward supernaturall principles of spirituall greatnesse It s the observation of one * Chrysost in Epist ad 1. Cor. c. 1. Hom 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. no mean man That some naturally are of a high stature others that are low have shoes and pantables to heighten them to a seeming greatnesse which of these will you call truly high or great He that is so by an adventitiall separable addition or he that is so by a growth that 's naturall It is one thing to be highly esteem'd of others another to have a minde worthy of esteem in it self One man thinks clay to be clay and despiseth it another thinks clay to be gold and admires it which of these two is high Is it not he that despiseth a peece of earth and who is vile and abject but he that adores a peece of earth and spends his soul to load himself with thick clay Hab. 2.6 that man who in the height of outward greatnesse accounts himself but dust and ashes his minde is full of inward excellency he that admires and adores himself will not look upon himself as gilded clay is of an abject minde and much deluded in the midst of all outward eminency to have high thoughts of things most mean and mean thoughts of things most high infallibly argues the minde to be full of weaknesse others say to be full of basenesse * Chrys ibid. He spake like a Noble man indeed that said Let their honour and wealth perish that thinke all greatnesse in the world like one daies communion with the great God To clear up these great principles hath been the aime of these weak endeavours T is the arm of the mighty God that alone can rebuke the spirit of unbelief therefore that the great God Gen. 9.27 who perswades Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem may imprint these eternall characters upon your hearts and lift you up to sit in heavenly places with Jesus Christ Ephes 1 6. Luk. 10.20 that your names may be written in heaven 1 Sam. 2.8 and that you may for ever inherit the thrones of glory is the earnest prayer of Your Lordships humble Servant in the Lord Jeremiah Whitaker A SERMON Preached at a late Fast before the Right Honourable the House of PEERS 1 COR. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable Right Honourable and Beloved GOD hath raised many of you up to be higher then your brethren as Saul was higher then the people from
that the soul is distinct from the body I passe over the arguments that learned men bring from the light of nature to confute this errour Consider what the God of truth hath revealed and you shall finde that the Scripture telleth us cleerly that though the soul be united to the body yet it is distinct from the body First in its rise Gen. 2.7 we have had the fathers of our flesh and have been obedient to them how much more to the father of spirits and live though God frame our bodies cause our bones to grow in our Mothers wombe take us out of our Mothers bellyt yet he useth our naturall parents as instruments of our body but it is Gods great prerogative to be the immediate father of the spirit Isa 57 16. Secondly It is distinct in its naturall operation is First the soule groweth most when the body groweth least there are distinct periods of time beyond which it is impossible to adde either a cubit or a haires breadth to ones stature but the soule is ever growing forward to its perfection Job 32.7 and multitudes of years though full of weaknes yet they utter wisdome Secondly The soule is often strongest when the body is weakest 2 Cor. Anima regit corpus repugnat passionibus quae complexionem sequntur Aquin. Contra Gent. l. 2. dying Christians have manifested the highest excellency under bodily infirmities when there hath been the least of the life of nature there hath been most transcendent glorious expressions of the life of grace and for this cause they fainted not finding by experience that when their outward man decayed their inward man was renewed day by day Thirdly The soule is not the temper of the body because it rules the temper and distempers of body Arg. 3 Thirdly They are distinct in supernaturall consolations when all joy of the body hath been darkned the supernaturall joyes of the soule have been enlarged when the bodies of Martyrs have been on the rack under torturings how have their soules been filled with inward triumphings embracing the burning flames like beds of reses and have endured all the dreadfull things that men could inflict to the admiration of their enemies and the conviction of many of their beholders as Justin Martyr and others Arg. 4 Fourthly They are distinct in their unnaturall pollutions there are spirituall wickednesses and malignities as well as bodily and we are bid to cleanse our selves from all fi lt hinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Pet. 2.11 and to abstaite fromall fleshly lusts which warte against the soule Arg. 5 Fifthly They are distinct in regard of the opposite duties required of man in demeaning himselfe to his body and to his soule Matth. 6.25 Christ hath commanded us to take no thought for the body but did he ever command us to take no thought for the soule are not his commands quite contrary viz. above all things looke to thy self Dent. 4.9 2 Pet. 1.10 Phil. 2.12 and keep thy soule diligently and give all diligence to make your calling and election sure and work out your salvation with feare and trembling now if God require those acts to be performed to the soule which are absolutely forbidden to the body then the soule must needs be distinct from the body Sixthly They are distinct at the time of dissolution when they part one from the other when the Servants of God have commended their bodies to the ground how have their soules rejoyced to goe out of this Tabernacle as Hilarioâ— and Polycarp Stephen when his body was stoned seeth Heaven opened and cryed Lord Jesus receive my spirit Acts 7.56 and 59. if the soule therefore be distinct from the body in the rise in the working in its consolationâ— in its duties in its pollutions and in the state after death than to confound the soule with the body is as great an errour as to confound life with death and light with darknes But especially consider that all those arguments that prove the soule to exist separate from the body doe answerably confute that Errour that the soule is but the temper of the body therefore consider the second Position Posit 2 The Scripture expressely teacheth us that the soule is not onely distinct from the body Sourâ— immmortall and doth not sleep till the day of the resurrection but that the soule liveth when separate from the body and that it is but a fancy of inconsiderate spirits to dreame that the soule sleepeth till the day of resurrection for the clâ—ering of this truth consider three arguments Arg. 1 First Consider the soules of the Saints and you shall finde that their soules doe not sleep with their bodies but that the Scripture speaketh expreslely that in the day of their death First they are gathered to their fathers so it is said of Abraham Gen. 25.8 now if Abraham was gathered to his fathers this must be in his soule for in his body there was no such gathering his progenitors being 〈◊〉 in Vâ— of the Chaldeâ—s but Abrahams body was interred in the cave of Machpelah before Mamre Gen. 25.9 in the land of Cannan Secondly Luk. 23.43 Christ promised the poor penitent thiefe on the crosse this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise there are some to avoid this Scripture would divide the words thus I say unto thee this day and make a stop there referring the word this day to the person promising and not to the blessing promised to which I answer that first to alter comma's stops against all received copies is a high presumption which if tolerated how will the sense of Scripture be wrested by wanton wits to their own perdition Secondly 1 Pet. 3.16 Luk. 23.41 the Context sufficiently confuâ—eth this glosse Christ answereth the desire of the poor penitent thiefe his request is Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome but Christ immediately that day entred into his kindome now in Christs answer none can imagine the words to be a denyall and if there be a granting his petition then to interpret the words that some thousand yeares after viz. at the day of the resurrection the thiefe should be remembred is to abuse the faith of this poor penitent to straiten Christs bounty and to wrest the words against their naturall sense that say expressely this day Christ hodiè must answer to the penitents quando and if in Paradise then surely not in the grave nor in any part of the Earth as that Paradise in the day of the Creation full of trees and herbs for Christ entred into the Heavenly Paradise 2 Cor. 12.2.4 and when Paul was wrapt up into Paradise he telleth us it was the third Heaven Thirdly You have read how Lazarus after his death was carryed into Abrahams bosome and that place Luk. 1â— 22 Non quietis lâ—cum sed aeternitatis sinum Aug. Calvin not a place of quiet tranquillity but the bosome
of Eternall felicity and though some dispute whether the relation be a history or a parable yet how ever though you suppose it to be parabolicall yet a parable is the similitude of some reall truth and this Parable cannot signify what shall be done after the day of judgement but plainely pointeth to a state the soules are in before that day for after the day of judgement what man can say as Dives did Luk. 16.28 29. 1 Cor. 15 2â— I have three brethren upon the Earth or how could Abraham returne that answer they have Moses and the Prophets c. for after that day all ordinances shall cease and God shall be all in all Fourthly Consider the Saints desire of dissolution is upon this perswasion Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ c. If Paul had imagined his soule should have slept till the day of resurrection it had been weaknes and madnesse to desire dissolution for this end to be with Christ for if this should be true then Paul had more of Christ in life for then Christ lived in him then possibly he could attaine to after death if the soule should sleep till the day of resurrection Fifthly Consider the Saints confidence upon their departure from Earth to enjoy a glorious life in Heaven we know that when this earthly tabernacle the body is dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 surely if the soul sleep till the day of resurrection they should not have said when this house is dissolved but when this body is raised and this tabernacle restored when they desire to part with the body this were out of love to their soules not out of want of love to their bodies for Paul could have wished mortality to be swallowed up of life 1 Cor. 5.4 i.e. that the mortall body might have gone to life with the immortall soule Sixthly The Scripture speaketh expressely that all the presence the Saints have with Christ while the soule is in the body is nothing but a meer absence in comparison of that neernes of presence unto Christ which they shall enjoy when they are absent from the body for the Apostle speaketh this confidently knowing that whilst we are at home in the body 1 Cor. 5.6 8. we are absent from the Lord and we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Seventhly Consider that the soule upon its separation from the body Heb 12.23 is so farre from being abolished that it is perfected and the Saints departed this life are by the holy Ghost stiled the soules of just men made perfect to this I might adde many more arguments as that the happines of the Saints is in a perpetual progresse Phil. 1.6 that the Vnion they have with Christ is inseparable beyond the power of death what shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8. That the happines of the Saints is Eternall Joh. 5.44 6.40 Rev. 6.9 10. 42. that the soules under the altar cry for the resurrection of the body that the counsell of Christ to his hearers was upon this foundation make you friends of this unrighteous mammon that when they faile they may receive you into everlasting mansions Luk. 16.9 but all these things faile us at the day of death therefore at that day the promise is to be received into everlasting mansions thus you see the truth evidenced from the soules of the Saints Arg. 2 Secondly Consider the soules of wicked men that at the hour of death they are not abolished God telleth us First That they goe to their own place so t is said of Judas who fell by transgression Act. 1.18 25. now that place is not the grave for the grave is not his owne place that is the common way of all flesh and that place where all meet together Job 3.18 9. Judas his place was the state and degree of torment that his sinne and Gods justice inflicted on him Secondly The soules of them of the old world are now in prison Christ in the dayes of Noah by his eternall spirit preached unto them whose spirits are now in prison the grave cannot be the prison to distinguish the just from the unjust that being common to the obedient as well as to the disobedient 2 Pet 3.21 Thirdly They are said to be in the place of torment Dives when his body was buried is said to have his soule in torment and he beggeth of Abraham send to my brethren that they come not to this place of torment many prove this Scripture to be historicall but suppose it in part to be a parable as some expressions are granted by all to be parabolicall as the tongue of Dives and the finger of Lazarus yet this Parable must be a resemblance of some truth which is in rerum naturâ and must intimate something past not future after the resurrection as was proved formerly Fourthly T is said of the Sodomites that they now suffer the vengeance of eternall fire it cannot be meant of their bodies Jud. ver 7. for they are burnt by fire to ashes nor of that materiall fire that fell upon their Cities for that many ages since was quenched but of their soules which are under the eternall wrath of God where the worme never dieth and where the fire is never quenched Mar. 9.44 Consider what the Scripture saith of the soules of all men in generall whether just or unjust whether they feare God or feare him not First That the soule man is not capable of corruption Matth. 10.28 Christ biddeth us not feare him that killeth the body and cannot kill the soule now if the soule was but the temper of the body then whosoever killeth the body should by the same act kill the soul Secondly When the soule and body part the Scripture telleth us they goe to distinct places who considereth the spirit of a beast that goeth downward and the spirit of a man that gooth upward Eccles 3. â—1 yet though man doe not consider it the God of truth asserteth it Eccles 12. â—â— when man dieth then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the spirit to God that gave it Thirdly If the soule should sleep till the resurrection Corpus non statim dissâ—â—it post secessum manetigitur 〈◊〉 magit anima Lâ—câ—ant 〈◊〉 then the soule should be as mortall as the body for the body is not presently dissolved into a non entity when it is parted from the soule and if the body be not abolished can any one thinke the soule to be anihilated Fourthly If this should be 〈◊〉 thou the resurrection of the soule should be as needfull to be reveal'd in Scripture and would prove as difficult to men to beleeve as the resurrection of the body but about the resurrection of the 〈…〉 scripture is altogether
the shoulders upward and set you as Cedars in Lebanon and Oaks in Bashan and caused the mountains to pour down fatnesse upon you and the hills rivers of oyl and though you could not but come into the world as others clothed with common humane frailty yet the Lord hath laid a foundation of greatnesse for you in the wombe and prepared honours for you from the brests he hath placed you in Eden the garden of the Lord and hath made every precious stone to become your covering the Topaz Diamond Ezek. 28.13 14. Beryl Onyx and the Jasper and you are as the anointed Cherub that covereth what ever God hath been to others certainly he hath been no hard Master unto you he hath caused you to be the head of the Families that you might be the stay of the tribes thereof that you might be the repairers of breaches and the restorers of waste places to dwel in Now he that hath done these great things for you expecteth great things from you It is a certaine principle not onely in Scripture but according to the light of nature That to whom much is given Luk. 12.28 of them much is required and though this be so equall that none can denie it yet the heart of man is so corrupt that few walke by the light of this principle in making it their great designe to returne unto God according to the mercies which they have recelved from God 2 Chron 32. I know t is difficult when God hath made any great in the eyes of others not to be great in their owne eyes and when the world bringeth them up into the bed of love not to be overcome with those embraces where the danger is so great vigilancie should be the greater that it may never be said of any of you as of Tyre Ezck. 28.17 Thy heart was lifted up because of thine owne beautie and thou hast corrupted thy wisedome thine eyes have been dazeled with looking upon thine owne brightnesse ver 18. Therefore I will cast thee to the ground ver 19. I will bring thee to ashes on the earth All that know thee amongst the people shall be astonished at thee and thou shalt be a terrour and never shalt thou be any more To prevent this sinne and misery that so this eternall breach may never be upon you and your families I have read this Text as a soveraigne Antidote as a strong preservative against all this evill If this one Consideration might dwell on the hearts of great men That all they have is from the great God and all they have in hand is nothing to that they may have in hope and that the greatest estate in possession is nothing to that which may be in reversiō and that all the good things they enjoy if ten thousand times more are not able to make them happy Eccles 6.6 9.8 and that if a man could live a thousand years twice told and rejoyce in them all yet all that cometh is but vanity and that at the end of this life there must be an end of all these comforts and all this brightnesse must goe under a dark cloud Surely then no wise man but in this life would provide for a better and not onely make it his designe but his delight to lay up for himselfe a good foundation against the time to come and so for a moment use these temporalls that he might for ever enjoy eternals he that hath once got sight of Heaven tasted effectually the powers of the world to come seen the vanitie and emptinesse of all conditions here below considered what it is to enjoy God to all Eternity would not for all the world have his portion in this life but would say with the Apostle If in this life onely we had hope we were of all men the most miserable The scope of the Apostle in this Chapter is to prove the resurrection from the dead against that wicked opinion of the Sadduces amongst the Jewes Who said there were no resurrection nor Angel nor Spirit Act. 23.8 and against the erroneous assertion of some seduced Christians Hymeneus and Philetus who as concerning the truth erred confessing a resurrection but saying it was passed already and so over threw the faith of some which opinion began like an ulcerous Canker to spread it selfe in the mindes of many 2 Tim. 2.18 The Apostle that he might strangle these monsters in the birth proveth that there shall be a resurrection by many unanswerable Arguments First From the resurrection of Christ If Christ the head be risen up above the waters then the members united to the head cannot perish ver 12. Secondly From the many absurdities that will follow viz. That all that are asleep are perished ver 18 19. and that then there should be more venom in the first Adam to induce destruction then vertue in the second Adam to produce restauration ver 20 21 22. Thirdly He proveth it from the perfection of Christs kingdome He must reigne till he have put all under his feet The last enemie that shall be subdued is death ver 25 26. Fourthly From the practice of Christians who in baptising professed willingnes to die for Christ ver 29. Fifthly From the great sufferings of the Apostle in this life in jeopardie every haur dying daily fighting with beaste at Ephesus ver 30 31 32. Sixthly From the absurd practice of the Epicures of those times which the light of nature cannot but condemne who drown'd their soules in their bodies and their bodies in lusts who would have no time to live longer then they have time to sinne and when there is an end of sinning wish there might be an end of being saying Let us eate and drinks for to morrow we shall die ver 32. Amongst these Arguments the words of my Text are one proving there must be a resurrection from the dead otherwise the worst men should be the most happy and the best men the most miserable which is so absurd against not onely the light of Scripture but the light of nature that the very naming of it is reputed by the Apostle a sufficient confutation of it for if we had hopes onely in this life c. There are foure parts considerable in the Text. First the foundation of all the comfort we doe enjoy or can expect the Lord Jesus Christ Secondly a Christians resting upon this foundation Thirdly the Extent of this hope not onely in this life but in the life to come Fourthly the reason of that Extent for if this hope did not looke beyond the grave and judgement to Eternity then of all men the best men were the most miserable From these foure parts there arise foure Observations First that the Lord Jesus the foundation of all the comforts we enjoy or can expect is the Christ Secondly that those that looke on him as Christ and would have benefit by him must be united to him they must be taken off from
righteousnes Jer. 23.6 If then the titles of the Father be given to Christ t is no diminution of the Fathers glory to acknowledge Christ God equall with the Father Secondly consider the attributes of Christ and you shall finde the incommunicable accributes of God which cannot be given to any meere creature given to Christ First he is eternall I was set up from everlasting from the beginning before ever the Earth was before he prepared the world Prov. 8.22 Surely none can be eternall but God Psal 50.1 from everlasting to everlasting thou art God but the Lord Jesus Christ he is eternall Out of Bethlchem Ephrata shall come out to me he that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting Mic. 5.2 Compared with Matth. 2.6 and therefore when Christ had finished the worke of our Redemption he prayed that the Father would glorify him with himselfe with the glory which he had with him before the beginning of the world Joh. 17.5 Secondly he is not onely eternall but immutable the fame yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 Thirdly he is omnipresent and surely he that filleth the Heavens and the Earth must needs be God but Christ was in Heaven while he was on Earth The Sonne of man which is in Heaven Joh. 3.13 he is with his people in all ages in all places to the end of the world Math. 28.10 I am with you to the end of the world he a Gal. 2.10 liveth in them b 2 Cor. 13.3 speaketh in them c 2 Cor. 6.16 walketh in them d Ephes 3.17 dwelleth in them e Ephes 1.23 filleth them all in all therefore surely he must needs be God Fourthly he is omnipotent the Lord God omnipotent so called Rev. 19.6 Rev. 11.17 and Christ speaking of himselfe saith I am the Alpha and Omega c. which is and which was Rev. 1.8 and which is to come the Almighty Fifthly he is omniscient he is the wisedome of God in him are all treasures of wisedome and knowledge Col. 2.3 he knoweth all things Joh. last 20. Seatcheth all things Jer. 17.10 compated with Joh. 2. last he needed not that any man should testifie of man for he knew what was in man he foretelleth all the changes which shall come upon the sonnes of men Isa 45.11 compared with Joh. 13.19 I have told you before it come to passe that when it cometh to passe ye may beleeve that I am he you can name no other essentiall Attribute of God but it is given unto Christ Thirdly looke on the workes of Christ and these prove him to be God it was his argument to the Jawes when they asked him How long wilt thou make us to doubts tell us plainly if thou be the Christ Joh. 10.24.25 he answered The works that I have done in my fathers name they testifie of me and beleeve me for the very works sake Joh. 14.11 Consider amongst the workes of God First the workes of creation surely he that laid the foundation of the earth and stretched out the heaven like a curtaine must needs be God for the gods that have not made the Heaven and the Earth Jer. 10.11 even they shall perish from the Earth and frō under Heaven It is God that made the Earth by his owne power and stablished the World by his owne wisdome now all things were created by him that are in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible c. Col. 1.16 and not onely by him but for him and without him was nothing made of all that was made Joh. 1.3 and surely power to create being infinite is so proper to the Creatour that it is incommunicable to any creature for no finite creature can be capable of an infinite power Secondly Consider his workes of sustaining all things all this glorious world would be turned into a Chaos were it not that Christ sustaineth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 and he was not onely before all things Col. 1.17 Joh. 5.17 but by him all things consist my Father saith Christ worketh hitherto and I worke Thirdly Consider the workes of miracles in the dayes of his flesh Psal 86.10 thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone the seas and winds obeyed him the spirits came out of the possessed and though the Apostles did great miracles yet it was not in their owne name as themselves confessed Act. 3.12 4.10 and by this Argument Christ satisfied Johns Disciples Go tell what things ye heare and see the blinde receive their sight the lame walke the lepers are cleansed and the deaf heart and the dead are raised c. and stopped the mouth of the Jewes If I had not done amongst them those workes that no man had done they had not had sinnne Joh. 15.24 Fourthly Consider the workes of Christ as Mediatour he that reneweth the heart of man Job 14.4 and bringeth a cleane thing out of an uncleane and darkenes out of light he that can circumcise the heart and purifie to himselfe a peculiar people must needs be God he that pardoneth iniquity sinne and transgression must needs be God for who can forgive sinnes but God Mark 2.5 7. he that was the Sonne of man had power on Earth to forgive sinnes and therefore must needs be God Math 9.6 and the lamb of God that taketh a way the sinnes of the world he that is the captaine of our Salvation that redeemeth his people from death and Hell and hath destroyed him that had power over death must needs be more then meer man for no man can redeem his brother from death but onely Christ who hath the keys of hell and death Rev. 1.18 The fourth Argument is taken from the great prerogatives and preheminences proper to God God is a jealous God and will not give his glory to any creature Isa 42.8 48.11 but all glory that belongeth unto God the Father the Father hath commanded us to give it unto the Sonne that all men might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Sonne honoureth not the Father Joh. 5.23 We are baptized into the name of the Father and so are we into the name of the Sonne and not into the name of any creature we are bound to pray to God the Father Psal 50.15 Joel 2.32 and so are we bound to pray unto God the Sonne Stephen called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Act. 7.59 Act. 9.13 compared with ver 21. and the Saints are described to be such as call upon the name of Jesus we are bound to beleeve in the name of the Sonne as well as in the name of the Father Joh. 14 1. we are commanded to glory in Christ 1 Cor. 1.30 compared with Jer. 9.23 all acts of worship that are proper to the Father are given to the Sonne and when he bringeth his first begotten into the world he
of devils and not from the rage of men Psal 97.2 roll your soules upon him and he will carry you in his bosome and though clouds and darknes be round about him yet you shall see that righteousnes and judgement are the habitation of his throne Isa 33.17 your eyes shall see the king in his beauty that he is a defender above all destroyers you shall be upon a Rock higher then waves we meet here with great difficulties and those cause great feares and great feares had need of great hope and these are never great enough but in the great God Augastin Hoâ—â— 44. De ipsis amarâ—â—udinibus murâ—â—urans dich Ecce pereunt omnia Christianis temporthus quid streqis non boc promisit Deus qu ed ista non peribunt Aeterna proâ—â—sit aelernus c. Christ alone can make us above our selves above men above changes above the inconstancy of this present evil world why doth the soule which hopeth in Christ complain that the world changeth did ever God promise that it should not change hath not God tould us expressely that the Heavens wax old as a garment and as a vesture shall he change them and they shall be changed he that is eternall hath promised things eternall and if thou beleeve of mortall thou shalt be made immortall and in the hopes of immortality mayest triumph over whatsoever is mortall saying as he did World why dost thou fume what wouldst thou do if thou shouldst continue if so proud when thou hast no abiding whom wouldst thou not deceive if thou wert sweet if thou hast deceived so many whilst thou art bitter Quid. strepis numde quid immuâ—de strepia quid faceres si maneres Quem non deciperes dalcis si amarus c. I come to the third part the extent of this hope viz. that the hope of a Christian is not confined to this life if we had only hope in this life c. Hence ariseth the third Doctrine viz. That they that would set their hopes on Christ must be perswaded there is another life after this life and in this life it is their duty to assure the hopes of a better You reade in the Scripture not only of this world but of the world to come Christ telleth us of sins that shall not be forgiven neither in this life nor in the life to come Matth. 12.32 And Christ is said to be farre exalted above all principalities and powers Ephes 1 2â— not only in this world but in that which is to come and that world is so farre above this world that the thoughts of eternity are called the powers of the world to come Heb. 6.5 and to over-power all the things of this world We reade of Judgement to come Pauls Sermon before the great Governout was of this subject and it made him to tremble Act. 24.25.1 Cor. 4.3 Rin. 2.5 and that judgement is sarre above the judgement of mans day We reade of wrath to come and all the wrath that is present is nothing to the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God the Sadduces who were none of the best of men but a generation of vipers Mat. 3.7.1 Thes 1.10 yet were forewarned to flee from the wrath to come and the great triumph of the Apostle was that God had delivered them from wrath to come We reade of another life to come and that is the great priviledge of godlinesse that it hath not only the promises of this life 1 Tim. 4.8 but of that which is to come and the great work of grace upon the heart is to take us off from looking after things temporall and to make us look after things eternall 2 Cor. 4.16 It was the Apostles life they looked not on things that are seen but on things that are not seen Men are never Christians in good earnest till they be perswaded fully of the things of eternity and that poor seduced soul that resolveth never to be perswaded hath no ground to think that ever it shall be converted Luk. 16.18 Dives begg'd that one might go from the dead to tell his brethren on the earth lest they also should come into the same place of torment intimating the cause of his own sin and eternall misery intimating that he was not perswaded of this place of torment in his life and therefore came down to this place of torment at his death God hath made the vision herein so plain that every one that runneth may reade it and he that hardneth his heart against Moses and the Prophets is left inexcusable ver 31. and is irrecoverable and would not be perswaded though one should arise from the dead The Use of this point is First If there be an other life besides this life then let us be humbled for all that world of unbelief that is in our nature that our perswasions about the things of eternity are so weake when Gods expressions are so strong and clear that we can beleeve the things of sense and will not beleeve the things of faith that we entertain the reports of men and reject the reports of God 1 Joh. 5.9 Surely if we receive the witnesse of men is not the witnesse of God greater this unbelief was the first sin and is the last sin the cause of our first apostasie and ground of our continued malignity when Christ intendeth to convert a soul unto himself this is the great sin whereof the Spirit of Christ convinceth the soul and the Spirit never proveth a comforter but where he is a convincer and the first work in conversion is laid in an act of conviction and that conviction discovereth the great sin of unbelief Joh. 16.9 and where Christ doth not convince them of it he wil condemn them for it how often are we bidden to take heed of this spirit of unbelief Heb. 3.12 in departing from the living God nor can any man be an heir of life who lieth under the power of unbelief for will any man deny himself crosse his own appetite take up Christs crosse to assure to himself a propriety to those things wherein he beleeveth there is no reality the soul must first beleeve the excellency of the things in themselves before it make it its great design to get an interest in them if the things of eternity were fully beleeved what manner of persons would men be in all holinesse of conversation 2 Pet. 3.11 and did you really look on such things it would make you diligent to be found of him without spot and blamelesse In the next place Vse 2 Let this entreat you to abhorre all those opinions that may any waies weaken this perswasion hate to be under the power of them and when the power of them is broken resist the remainders that Satan may get no advantage against you especially fortifie your selves with strong arguments against these two opinions which carry away a
great part of the men of the world captive the first is of the grosse Atheist the other of the Semi-atheist The first is of the grand Atheist how many are there that have the face of Christians but their hearts are heathenish who resolve there faith into meer reason and their hopes into sight Such were the Sadduces in Christs time Acts 23.8 who denied Angels and spirits and the resurrection such Were before Christ among the Prophets as those Epicures Isa 22.12.13 who when the Lord called for weeping and mourning behold joy and gladnesse slaying of oxen and killing of sheep eating flesh and drinking wine saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die such were some after Christ in the daies of the Apostle vers 32. of this chapter Peter prophesieth that there should be such to the end of the world wicked and profane men scoffers 2 Pet. 3.3 4. who should walk after their own lusts saying Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation It was an article objected against one of the Popes in the Councell of Basil that he had often said before divers Joannes 23. Saepe coram di versis praelatia pertinaciler juadente diaâ—olo asseruit vitam aternam nonneque aliam post banc dixit animan bominucum corpore relinqui Concil Basil Sesâ— 11 that were was no such thing as eternall life and Paul the third is reported to have said when he was dying now he should know three things whether the soul was immortall whether there was a hell whether there was a God if all these atheisticall opinions were buried in hell yet Satans temptations and the hellish corruptions of our own hearts would raise them up again and therefore 't is good to be established that we may stand fast in this evil day and having done all to stand Against this atheisticall opinion lay this down for a sure foundation surely there is another life besides this life and to strengthen you therein consider these Arguments First Surely there is a God Paulus 3. Moriturus dixisse fertur se jam experturun veritatenâ— trium quaestionum de quibus in tota vita dabitasâ—et 1. an â—nimae sint immortales 2. an sit insernus 3. an sit Deus Gerrard loc com de mort p 178. the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth forth his handy work every creature pointeth us to the Creatour and he that beleeveth not is condemned of himself and thou art left inexcusable O man now if there be a God there must needs be another life wherein God will fulfill the good he hath promised and execute the evil he hath threatned for in this life there is arighteous man that perisheth in his righteousnesse and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his daies in his wickednesse Arg. 1 Secondly Consider Jesus Christ whom you heard not only to be the Son of man but to be the Son of God and the true Messiah that great mystery wherein God hath made known the riches of his glory for without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse Christ manifested in the flesh Pâ—â—l 19.1 Eccles 7.15 1 Tim. 3.16 a mystery so much admired by the Apostles ador'd by Angels beleeved by Devils if there be no other life consider Arg. 2 First What was the end of Christs incarnation why did God become man and he that was the mirrour of Angels become the reproach of men Heb. 2.10 was it not that he might bring many sonne and daughters unto glory and that glory not in this life for when he appeareth in another life Col. 3.4.2 Cor. 8.9 then are the Saints to appear with him in glory why became he poor but that we through his poverty might be made rich and obtain the riches of the glory of the inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet 2 3 4. and that passeth not away reserved in the highest heavens for them who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Secondly What was the end of his bitter passion why did be taste death who was the Lord of life but that through death he might destroy him that had power over death Heb. 1.14 15. that is the devil and deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage and what deliverance from this death is imaginable If the end of this life put an end to all our comforts then the dangers of death are not abated nor the feares of death any whit diminished but he was made perfect through suffering that he might become the authour of eternall life Heb. 5.9 to all that doe obey him Thirdly What was the end of his resurrection but that his Saints might be quickned up together with him Ephes 2.6 1. Pet. 1.3 and made to sit in heavenly places together with him and so obtain a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Fourthly What was the end of Christs ascension but to prepare a place for his people and if I go and prepare a place for you saith Christ Joh. 14.2 3. I will come again and receive you that where I am there ye may be also Fifthly What is the end of his intercession but that he may be able to save them to the utmost Heb 7.25 that come unto God through him and how are they saved by him to the utmost if there be not another life after this life in this life the Saints are slain all the day long and counted as sheep unto the slaughter therefore abhorre that blasphemy as once to imagine that this great mystery of piety should be a mystery of iniquity if there were no other life expected then this then as St Paul saith of the resurrection Christ is not risen so may I say then Christ is neither borne nor hath he suffered nor is he ascended nor sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high despise not this glorious mystery through unbeleife for if he that despised Moses his law dyed without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who treadeth under foot the Son of God Heb. 10.28 29. and treadeth the blood of the Covenant under his feet as an unholy thing and doth despite to the spirit of grace Arg. 3 Thirdly 2 Pet. 1.19 Consider the Covenant of Jesus Christ we have a sure word of prophecy to which we doe well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place men may deceive and be deceived all flesh is grasse 1 Pet. 1.23 24. and the goodlines thereof like the flower of the earth but though men die the Word of the Lord liveth and abideth for ever and though Heaven and Earth passe away Math. 5.18 yet not one jet or title of this word shall passe away
nothing be immortall why when immortality was so groundlesly denied is this kinde of immortality so sillily desired Thirdly Think of the unsatisfiednes of the minde in things present and you shall finde the soule in a continued pursuit reaching after something that is infinite other creatures have here their home have their minde satisfied but the workings of the soule are still for future some way forgetting by a naturall inclinatioÌ„ the things behinde and stretching forward to finde out that in things future which it hath sought in things past and ever was disappointed now the operations of all creatures follow their essence this tendency of the minde to the future argueth the soule to be in transitu in the way and not in its own countrey and that we are not yet at home that this life is but a passage to another Fourthly Consider the confessions of adversaries at their death who have denyed this truth in their life Belshazzar in the height of his jollity when the hand-writing apeared on the wall his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled so that the joints of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against the other Dan. 5.6 Arg. 8 Eightly Phil. Motn p. 29. To this might be added the providence of God if we beleeve Plutarch and other heathen authours this dispute is needlesse for Gods providence and the soules immortality are so united together that he that denies the one destroyeth the other why did God make this world so full of beauty but that some should behold the Creatour in it why should man contemplate the Creatour in the Creature but to adore him why should man above all sublunary creatures adore him if man above the rest of the creatures had no hope in him Heb. 11.6 he that commeth to adore God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him those rewards are not dispensed here therefore are reserved for a life hereafter why hath God given so many gifts unto man which perplex him in this life and fills his minde with those dsiquietments that all the brurish creatures are freed from in regard of these man should be worse then a beast in his life if not better then a beast at his death and we may say of men in reference to other creatures as the Apostle saith of Christians in reference to other men If man had only hope in this life man of all creatures would be most miserable Arg. 9 Ninthly To those might be added all the arguments that prove the day of judgement that God hath appointed a time wherein he will judge the world in righteousnes Act. 17.31 by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Arg. 10 Adde to all these the arguments in this chapter whereby the Apostle proves the resurrection of the body and answers all objections to the contrary with all those Scriptures that tell us plainely that Jesus shall come in his glory and all his holy Angels with him before him shall be gathered all nations Math. 25.31 32. 1 Thes 4.16 Joh. 5 28.28 and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd doth the sheep from the Goats and it is but a little time before the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of an Arch-angel with the trump of God and then the dead shall rise and the day is comming when all that are in their graves shall heare the voice of the Sonne of man and they that have done good shall come to the resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation I will couclude with that of Chrysistome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How 5. in Act. cap. â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anime causâ est omnis religro August de utilit tredendi c. 7. Vnde jamolim inter philosophos ijdem omnem religionem sâ— stuletunt qui animaâ— marta lei dixerunt Estius l. 4 dist 43. Isa 7 9. And Errour confuted that the Devils great designe hath been ever to perswade man that the nature of man differed little from the nature of beasts and when he had drawn any of the sonnes of men into this flrange absurdity to dispute themselves out of the thoughts of their own immortality he hath so farre prevailed to blinde many of them that after they have affirmed the nature of the immortall soule to be mortall they have gone about to prove the nature of beasts which is void of reason to be rationall whilest these great truths are questioned the soule neglects to be sanctified all piety is founded in the thoughts of immortality and it is observed among all the Philosophers that those destroyed all Religion that held the soule to be mortall Till this great truth be setled upon the hearts of men they lye open to all temptations and suffer themselves to beled away with all corruption If you beleive not this you can never be established therefore be not faithlesse but beleeving Secondly There is a second errour of the Semi-atheists who confesse that there is a day of judgement and a resurrection but deny that the Scriptures hold out that the soul is distinct from the body or that the soul hath any abiding after the body is dissolved but sleeps till the day of resurrection I could be willing to bury this errour in everlasting silence but that some have raised it from the embers and in these times with unsufferable boldnes under the notion of new light Vid August haeres 83. Husc errorem Mahomet in eruit in su Alcborano docan corpora animas adextremun judicium resurrecturas Estius l. 4. c. 43 Anno Don. 1568. Theses Craco viá impressas per Polontam divulgarunt quarum prima est Negamuâ— aliquaÌ„ animâ—m post morrem manere c. Soule is distinct from the body Vid. Aquin. contragent l. 2. p. 267. Heb. 12.9 Eccles 11.5 Psal 22 9. have ushered in this imâ— of darknes This errour began to vent it selfe by the heathen afterwards to poison Tatianus after the time of Justine Martyr and after him some other Christians in Arabia yet in those dayes this errour was so sufficiently refuted that it seemed for many ages dead and buried till Mahomet that false Prophet who having a carnall minde and savouring nothing of the spirit dreamed only of corporall paines and pleasures that men should have after the resurrection and among Christians it appeared little till Satan to blemish that gloÌ„rious reformation in the dayes of Luther stirred up some Ambaptists in Polonia and since the Socinians and Libertines to revive this moncter I have not time thorowly to discover the root of this poison only give me leave to leade you by the hand to some soveraigne Antidotes as strong preservatives against this infection To this end consider these two positions First That the Scripture cleerly holdeth out
silent Fifthly The expression of death by the Holy ghost is a departure 2 Pet 1 14. putting off this tabernacle and it is a strange â—â—ake to take the house for the inhabitant Sixthly I cannot rockon the world of absurdities which follow this great errour that it 〈◊〉 gap to the overthrow of all the thoughts of Eternity for if arguments from nature can prevaile to delude the soule so farre as to thinke the soule is abolished at death what arguments can prevaile with a carnall heart to perswade it that the body shall be raised after death the voice of nature cryed aloud amongst the heathen that the soules of man were immortall and that there was a different state of the soules of just men and unjust after death the Elizian fields full of happines for the one sort and the Tartarean darknes full of horrour for the other t is an ancient observation that almost all Philosophers all Hereticks confessed the soule to be immortall and though they did not much desire it Animae saluteÌ„ credo tractatu carere omnes fere baeretici eam quoquo modo volunt tameâ— non negaÌ„t Tertul. de resur Carnis yet they were not able to deny it but the resurrection from the dead was by few of them discerned scarce by any of them acknowledged besides this errour is destructive to all religion our corrupt natures are full of the seeds of Atheisme we need all religion to eradicate them but nothing to foment them thoughts of Epicurisme sinke deep to count the fruition of carnall pleasures the greatest good how many thousand soules have miscarryed upon this rock who from hence have turned to be lovers of pleasures more then of God to preserve your soules from this infection 2 Tim. 3.4 Vid. Tertul. Lactan. c. Discede ab Ethnico haeretice quid alieno uteris clypeo si ab Apostolo ornatus es Tertul. de resur I have been thus large in proving this assertion I should proceed to confute the arguments brought to the contrary but the time preventeth me onely in briefe their argnments are either drawne from corrupt nature which are abundantly answered by the fathers in their disputes against the heathen and they wondred that hereticall Christians that enjoyed the light of Scripture should borrow any arguments from Galen and the rest of the heathen that sat in darknesse and in the valley of the shadow of death let Heathens turne to Christians to assert this truth but never let Christians so sarre â—â—â—â—tatise to Heathens as to assert their â—orrours or else their objections and seeming arguments are taken from mistaken Scripture I have scarcely time to relate them much lesse to refute them Object Some object and say Did not God threaten Adam In the day thou easest thereof thou shalt die and if he died Gen. 2.17 then the whole man did die for the body is not the man without the soul and therefore reason that immortall Adam must be made mortall Sol. To this I answer 1. That the death which God did threaten was not only naturall but spirituall and eternall and spirituall and eternall death may be upon the soul when the body perisheth the Angels that fell from their first standing are under death yet their being is not abolished Rev. 20.10 14. and after the day of judgement the wicked shall be cast into hell the second death yet they shall never be reduced to a non entitie for the smoake of their torment ascondeth for over If any say Rev. 14.11 Why is the whole man said to die if the soul liveth when the body is destroyed Lanswer That whatsoever belongeth to any part of any whole Quicquid convenit parti qua pars convenit toti secundum illam partem may be truly asscribed to the whole according to that part Man seeth yet the whole body is not an eye for then where was the eare but the whole light of the body is the eye Christ was born put to death buried and this is said of whole Christ but this is only in reference to the humane nature for the God-head is immortall 2. pet 3.18 and therefore he was put to death in the flesh only Object But they say When men are dead the Scripture expresly saith that they cannot praise God Psal 6.5 and 88.9 Isa 38.8 9. Sol. I answer the dead qui tales so farre as they are dead cannot praise God Rev. 14.13 the body that lieth in the grave resteth from its labour yet this doth not exclude the realiy of the act but the manner of the performance and so saith Hezekiah they shall not praise thee as I do this day Isa 38.19 the father to the children shall make known Gods truth 1. Though they cannot do it for anothers conversion yet they can do it for their own consolation and these souls that are with the Lord they follow the Lamb where ever he goeth and have their hallelujahs continually in their mouth Rev. 5.9 and blessed be they that dwell in God presence Psal 84.4 they will be alwaies praising him Object God is said only to have immortalitie c. Sol. God alone is immortall à parte ante from all eternity he alone is independently unchangeably infinitly immortall impossible 't is for any creature or all the creatures to anihilate God 't is an easie thing with God to anihilate any of his creatures he alone is the authour and continuer of immortality But I dare not in this point presume to detain you any longer what ever flesh and bloud may suggest or carnall reason object let your souls everlastingly dwell upon this strong foundation beleeving that there is another life besides this life There are many other Uses of this Doctrin to perswade you not only to beleeve this truth stedfastly but to blesse God for it abundantly That your souls doe not die with your bodie herein triumph that death hath no power of absolute destroying but only of changing and that change to your souls if you be in Christ is unspeakably for the better Be you therefore intreated all the daies of your life and appointed time Job 14.14 to wait till your change come esteem this truth as one part of the oracles of God most comfortable and one of the greatest remedies against all future fears and present miseries that though death destroy your bodie yet your hope may be in the rock of eternity that you may say as the Apostle doth here If we had hopes only in Christ in this life we were of all most miserable As you have heard the extent of this hope The 4th part so consider the ground of this extent here exprest by the Apostle drawn from an absurdity that the best of men otherwise should be most miserables which is an absurdity so grosse which the light of nature cannot but abhorre and therefore Paul counts it needlesse to use any other arguments to refute hence
conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.10 from whence they look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change this vile body that it may be like unto his glorious body for this they both labour and suffer this is that for which all the daies of their Pilgrimage since their conversion they have been trading and trafficking for now when they have laid out all they are and all they have for the purchasing this pearl if at the end of their life they should be deprived of this purchased possession this must needs make them more miserable 4. The love that they bear to Jesus Christ is sweeter Christ hath led them into his wine-cellar and taken them up into the bed of love espoused them to himself and kissed them with the kisses of his mouth when others are meer strangers to these spirituall embraces what if a stranger count it no misery to be severed from Christ Isa 54.6 yet what woman is not grieved in spirit for the losse of the husband of her youth What saies a poor Christian must Christ and my soul part now God forbid The time was I did not know him nor long after him when the thoughts of Christ were not in my heart then to have been severed from Christ would have appeared to me to have been no great misery Gal. 4.9 but now when my soul hath known him or rather is known of him when the desires of my soul have been let out towards Christ Isa 26. and the remembrance of his name when I have made Christ my joy my crown of rejoycing now to part with that which my soul loves will make me miserable Ruth 1.16 therefore the poor soul cleaves to Christ as Ruth to Naomi saying Intreat me not to leave thee nor forsake thee where ever thou goest let me goe that where thou art there my soul may be also 5. Consider that the expectations of the Saints are firmer It is the hope of heaven that makes them passe thorow good report and bad report the gladnesse of their hearts is not the joy of sense but the rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God 〈…〉 and this hope holds them above all fears to this hope they flee as to a Rock of refuge set before them and for this cause they faint not and all these light afflictions Rom 8. â—â— Hâ—b 11 1â— which are but for a moment they count unworthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed to them willing they are to count themselves Pilgrims and strangers upon earth seeking this heavenly Countrey this house not made with hands this inheritance immortall undefiled and that never fades away 1 Pet 1.4 They that were never born to these high hopes may better bear their mean condition but after the abundant mercy of God hath begotten them again to this lively hope and raised them up to all these glorious expectances 1 Pet. 1.3 then to goe disappointed must needs make them miserable Job 6 12 20. If the Troops of Tema when they looked and the companies of Sheba when they waited for waters and found none if they were confounded because they had hoped if the sons of Nobles in that time of drought returned ashamed Jer. 14.3 confounded and with their heads covered because they came to the pits and found no waters if in petty expectations here below Isa 9 11. we often times roar like Bears and mourn sore like Doves when we look for judgement but there is none and for salvation but it is farre from us what soul can then bear the disappointments of eternity But surely experience of Christ works hope Rom. 5.4 vers 5. and this hope will never make the soul of any Christian to be ashamed Adde to all the former not only the disappointment of their hope but the disparagement of Christ their head whose name is more tender to their souls then the apple of their eye Where is the great work of Christs redemption from what evils did Christ redeem his people from If his people have onely hope in Christ for this life surely from the evils of this life the best of the Saints are not exempted to the greatest of these evils they lie exposed where and what then is the inheritance of the Saints in light where are those sons and daughters that the Captain of salvation made perfect through sufferings bringeth unto glory Heb. 2.10 What are become of all those precious promises of Jesus Christ Joh. 14.2 I goe to prepare a place for you In my Fathers house there are many mansions What is become of all the prayers and strong cries that Christ uttered in the daies of his flesh Father I will that those that thou hast given me were with me where I am Joh. 17.24 that they may behold my glory Surely if the hope of the Saints be limited to this life then Christ is disparaged and all the expectation of the Saints disappointed Obj. It may be this Doctrine is true for those Christians that are poor that live in a low afflicted condition whose sorrows and sufferings doe abound whose life is made bitter unto them by reason of sore bondage but what doe you say to great men whose cup is full and runs over upon whose tabernucle the Almighty shineth in this life God hath made their portion very fat and their meat to be plenteous and if there be no other life beside this sure of all men in this life they are most happy and in what sense can it be said in life or death upon this supposall that of all men they are most miserable An. The text speaks of Christians that are good rather then of them that are great and if God hath made men both great and good Psal 119 96. and hath called your souls into fellowship with Christ he hath opened your eyes to see an end of all these seeming perfections before you come to your end and then what is all the greatnesse upon earth in comparison to one daies communion with the great God Besides the more you enjoy in your life the more you are to lose and leave at your death and is it not a misery in death to be stripped of all if beggars so unwillingly put off their raggs how unwilling are Princes to be plucked away from their robes and the sons of Nobles to goe down into the grave and there to make their bed in the darke what greater unhappinesse is there then to say I have been happy but now I must be plundred of all and be eternally in an undone condition never to take pleasure any more and there is nothing of honour nor of all my labour wherein I have shewed my self wise under the Sun that I may take away with me in my hand This is a sore evil that in all points as I came naked Eccles 5 16. so I must goe where the rise is highest the