which is in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ Now these phrases denote that blessed and heavenly union which beleevers have with the Father and the Son through the Spirit 'T is hard to declare and open what this union is it is easier to say what it is not than what it is It is usually for distinction sake called mystical meaning 1. That it is real not putative and imaginary 2. Spiritual it is so real that the Scripture speaks as if the beleever had a subsistence in the Deity Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we hold the beginning of our Confidence The word which is translated Confidence signifies Subsistence This and some other Scripture-expressions have made some speak a great deal too high saying beleevers are deified and some in our dayes blasphemously saying beleevers are God-ded in God and Christed in Christ I do acknowledge it is a most transcendent priviledge for a poor sinful creature to be united to the eternal Son of God but what ever this priviledge is we are to look upon it as a very great mystery Christiani esse est inesse the perfect knowledge whereof is reserved for Heaven Well so it is undeniably beleevers are in Christ united to Christ yea all Beleevers this union is essential to a beleevers being it is that which constitutes a beleever It is a strong union which nothing can dissolve it is not possible that these ligaments and tyes by which the eternal Son of God and a poor beleever are knit together should ever be broken See Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate so we may say what shall separate for the Apostles induction is of things as well as of persons surely if any thing could do it then Death is the likliest but Death cannot Verse 38. Death separates a Man and his estate a Man and his relations bury my dead out of my sight yea Death breaks the union of Soul and Body but not of the Soul and Christ no nor yet of the Body and Christ for that part which sleeps which is the Body sleeps in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 This union out-lives Death It is with a beleever dying as with Christ dying Death broke not the Hypostatical union between divine and humane nature in Christ though it disunited Soul and Body his death being a true death yet not God and Man in Christ So Death disjoynes not a beleever and Christ though it disjoyn all other things Now then the meaning of the phrase may be clear Even that they who are in the Lord Christ that is united to him while they live shall be blessed when they die they were in the Lord whiles they lived still remain in the Lord though they dy therefore certainly shall be blessed They die and so are not in the world they die and so are not in the Body but for all this they are in Christ though they sleep it is in Jesus thus we read of the dead in Christ 1 Thes 4.16 Such as were in Christ when they dyed and those Saints Heb. 11.13 Dyed in Faith which is all one with the phrase now before us for by Faith we are united to Christ This might suffice for the opening of the first particular who they are that may be said to die in the Lord but before I pass this it may not be impertinent nor useless to take notice of one phrase which comes very near this but is not the same Romans 14.8 We read of a dying to the Lord There is a dying in the Lord as in the Text and a dying to the Lord as in that place to the Romans Dying in the Lord respects our habitual estate being such as are united to Christ but Dying to the Lord refers to our actual deportment in the great work of dying To dying in the Lord it sufficeth to be true beleevers truly engrafted into Christ Now dying to the Lord requires the exerting and putting forth some acts of Faith which are Four 1. When Death comes to see the hand of the Lord in it not so much the malignity of the disease confluence of bad humours or what ever may be of the second causes the eye of Faith still looks unto the Lord Life is of his giving and Death is of his sending our undoings are the Lords doings Psalm 46.8 See what desolations the Lord hath wrought whether national or personal in the earth or in the house and family it is the Lord he singles out particular persons Death is as the casting of the lot The lot is cast into the lap but the disposing is from the Lord. The lot is cast and such a Tribe taken then such a Family then such a person perhaps Jonathan a young Man a good Man is taken so the lot is cast such a Parish such a Family such a person and still the disposing is from the Lord. 'T is not the drawing a bow at a venture 1 King 22 34. 2 King 9.5 but every Arrow is levelled and hath its particular errand as the Prophet said to John I have an Errand to thee O Captain This is to die to the Lord to see the Lord comming to our particular selves and saying as to Aaron Come up and die 2. To submit willingly to his hand and to all those diseases whereby as by Axes and Hammers he is pleased to demolish thy Cottage yea to submit cheerfully and welcome death as a messenger that bringeth good tidings Welcome fire and faggot said some of the Martyrs they imbraced and kissed the stake Oh how cheerful were they How apt are we to bemoan our selves when tidings of death come as if some dreadful evil were upon us though indeed 't is a very childish thing children cry when they should be had to bed Dying to a believer is but a going to bed Isai 57.2 To dye to the Lord is willingly to submit saying if the Lord please he can turn my captivity and rebuke sickness and send health If he say he hath no pleasure in me in my life breath temporal being here am I let him do what seemeth him good 3. Whiles under his hand to lye breathing out thy last breath sweetly to his glory to lye blessing God to lye calling upon others to love God and to get into Christ Not only not to be moved by the pains of sickness and pangs of death to do or speak any thing to the dishonour of God but to open our mouth to his glory and the shewing forth his praise God hath made death to work for a believers good let them endeavour it may work for his glory 4. To give glory to God in a firm belief that the promise of eternal life and salvation shall now be made good to them expecting blessedness immediately upon the dissolution yea to look beyond the grave and mouldring dust unto the resurrection of the body being assured that it shall rise a glorious body death being but the pulling down
and be put in possession of it and that is immediately upon their death for so saith the Text Henceforth they are blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle Paul reckons upon his being with Christ immediately upon his departure Phil. 1.23 Now Christ as he now is so he then was in Heaven in glory The coÌ„verted Thief is promised he should be received into Paradise as soon as he was dead Luke 23.43 This Paradise must be the heavenly one for of the earthly one we may say as they of Moses his Body no Man knowes where it is to this day Again in 2 Cor. 5.8 We may see that the Apostles expectation was to be present with the Lord as soon as he should be once absent from the body Stephens prayer Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit was in vain or could have no comfortable return if the Soul doth not at death presently goe to blessedness He doth not pray nor expect that his body should be received to the Lord but his Soul or Spirit he knew his body should go to the grave and he knew also his Soul should go to God according to what Christ promised John 14.3 That where he is there his members should be also If the Children of God do not enter into glory presently at death they are most lamentably deceived and sadly frustrated in what they conceive strong hopes and go forth in full assurance of Doctor Preston used to say it is but wink and be with God the closing of the eyes by death would bring the Soul to the light of life When Basil that couragious Christian was threatned with death by the Tyrant he prayed to God the Tyrant might not change his intentions lest he should lose his expectation he expected to change misery for glory Taylor the constant Martyr coming within two fields of the place where he was to be burned Mr. Fox Act and Mon. comforted himself that he was within two stiles of his Fathers House which was in his meaning Heaven Another Martyr embracing the stake said This day shall I be maried to Iesus Christ One of the Antients reproved the immoderate mourning at the death of godly people thus Cypr. saying why should we put on black cloaths when our Friends put on white That is the Robes of glory calledin the Revelations the fine linnen of Saints I might heap up instances of this kind the constant expectation of them that dyed in faith is at death to enter into their Masters joy And though they do not say as I have read of a blasphemous Monk give me eternal life which thou owest me yet in hope of present possession of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath graciously promised they can say with Hilarian Go forth my Soul go forth why tremblest thou thou hast served Christ thus many years and dost thou now fear death I shall add further the earnest desires longings after death in some of the Children of God surely they promised themselves present blessednesse Saint Paul was not onely willing to die but did desire it yea vehemently See 2 Cor. 5.2 We groan earnestly Some Saints having their hopes raised up to the fruition of this glory have been almost impatient Come Lord Iesus come quickly and why are the Chariot wheeles so long a comming they even longed to be as we may say fingring of it so as never did a rich Heir long more to be in the possession of his Lands They have thought every day ten every year twenty saying in the words of the Psamist Make haste Lord make haste So then I may say and so conclude this poynt if the people of God do not immediately at death enjoy blessednesse they are the most miserably deluded people of any in the world Away therefore with that wretched doctrine of the Souls sleeping in death being altogether Anti-Scriptural Oh that it might for ever lie dormant and awake no more It tends much 1. To the imboldening of sinners in a way of sin See Matth. 24.48 The evil Servant that reckoned of his Masters delaying his comming thereupon grew very bold in more and more sin 2. To the sadning of the hearts of Gods people Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick This shall suffice to be spoken to the third and last thing and also to the whole by way of Explication the Application follows In the Application of this poynt I shall speak to four uses 1. Of Information 2. Instruction 3. Consolation And 4. Exhortation 1. By way of Information according to the rule of contraries Oppositorum eadem est Scientia if they who are in Christ when they die are blessed then those who are not in Christ when they die are cursed upon different accounts Death hath a different complexion it is like the Red-sea which to the Israelites was a passage to Canaan Aliis vehiculum aliis Sepulchrum but to the Egyptians a place of drowning to their utter desturction To such as are in Christ the day of their death is better then the day of their birth being their encrance into everlasting joy but to others it will be the saddest day that ever came being the beginning of their sorrowes 'T is appointed for all to die in that respect all are alike but it is not appointed for all to die in the Lord in that respect there is a great difference of persons Some die in their sins John 8.24 Some are taken away in their iniquity Ezek 33.6 These are cursed when they die Psalm 9.7 The wicked shall be turned into Hell which place seemes to be commented upon and explained Psalm 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. I might here inlarâ—e upon the state of the damned after death in the same Method as before of the state of the glorified Before the bright side of the Cloud now the dark side A little briefly When Saints die they are freed from all evil but when sinners die they lanch into a Sea of evils 1. They will find the absence of all good A godly Mans miseries terminate with this life so do a sinners comforts I have read of the old Arcadians that they would weep bitterly when the Sun did set fearing it would never rise more sure I am sinners dying have cause to bemoan themselves sadly for when the Sun of their life is once set it will be perpetual night of darkness and misery They may weep as those did at Pauls parting Acts 20. shall see the Face of comforts no more they have their portion in this life and when once they die they shall be alarmed with that memento Luke 16.15 Remember thou hast had thy good things implying they shall have them no more 2. There will be to them not onely no good but all evil as 1. The evil of sin there is sinning in Hell in Heaven there is none on
this life when of a sinner one is made a Saint where yet a sinful unregenerate part remains but oh how most admirable when shall be made a perfect Saint in whom is nothing that is called sin no appearance of evil no defect no blemish as is said of Absalon from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head This change will be in mind will and affections 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Mind shall be light without any darknesse there shall be no mistakes no doubtings here though it be given to the godly to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God yet they need pray a prayer for the healing of their ignorances Truths indeed which are necessarily required to be known in order to salvation are plain so that he who runs may read the wayfaring Men though Fools shall not err therein Isa 35.8 Yet other truths are dark making darkness their pavilion Of these the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 3.16 Saying in the Scriptures are some things hard to be understood Thus the Scriptures are compared to a River where a Lamb may wade yet again so deep in other places that an Elephant may be drowned Such mysteriousness is there in many truths that the most knowing Saints may be called a generation of seekers seeking more and more to find out the meaning of thē which shews that there is much darkness remaining in their minds There is Ignorance as well as Knowledge in the best yea more Ignorance then Knowledge in the best as in the best garden are more weeds then flowers In this sense we must allow new lights not as some who call old errors new lights but new discoveries of what before we knew not whiles the knowledge of these heavenly truths is dropt into us Son of Man drop thy word by which expression is meant that our knowledge comes to us by little and little Dies posterior prioris Discipulus Thus the Word of God is precept upon precept line upon line now a little and then a little But when Saints shall come to Heaven the dark side of the cloud shall be taken away they shall be of the same Intellectual complexion and stature as the Angels are There all doubts shall be solved Vbi Lutherus cum Zuinglio optimè convenit in vit Geyn truths cleared consciences satisfied controversies ended As Satan carried Christ upon a Mountain and in a moment shewed him all the glory of the world So Christ at death takes the Soul and carries it to the heavenly Syon and in a moment will shew it all the glory and excellent mystery of divine truths 'T is in this case as with a dull yet diligent Scholar he is continually poring upon his Book conning his Lesson and fain would he but cannot beat it into his head then comes the Master who by his skill makes it facile to him and brings him quickly to understand it so that even he now wonders at his own dulnesse And certainly when a child of God comes to Heaven he will much wonder at his own dulnesse to understand slowness to beleeve This is the first in Heaven the Mind shall be fully and clearly enlightned Now a word of the other two 2. The Will shall be bowed to a perfect conformity to Gods Will without any Rebellion in Heaven the Children of God shall be enabled perfecty to keep the Commandements of God No meer Man since the fall is able perfectly in this life to keep them but shall be able in another life because the Will shall be brought into perfect conformity to Gods Will the Authentick and original Copy here Grace is mixed some Faith much Unbeleef some conformity Necessitas immutabilitatis non coactionis libertas a coactione est essentiaalis voluntatis proprietas secus enim voluntas esset noluntas much Rebellion We wear a linsy welsey Garment as to our spiritual condition but then the Will shall be made a Mountain of holiness an habitation of righteousness The Will shall be swallowed up of Gods Will so that we shall not be able to sin yet no force which is inconsistent with the Will but then shall the day of Gods power shine forth to make the Soul perfectly willing to that which is good and to that onely then we shall be confirmed in goodness and holiness 3. And lastly the Affections shall be throughly sanctified and freed from all disorder The exorbitancy and disobedience of these Affections make sad work here in the most gracious Souls that oft though we know to do good Jam. 4.17 Rom. 1.18 yet we do it not which becomes sin even out of measure sinful that though we know the truth yet we with hold it in unrighteousness whereby our actions becomes unrighteous in the highest degree Now in Heaven they shall quietly comply with and give obedience to right reason they shall be as obedient as the Centurions Servant who went and came at his Masters beck The Affections are the Souls Officers but here they oft become proud exactors but there as Isa 60.17 The Lord will make these Officers peace and these exactors righteousnesse The Affections are the Souls feet the Souls wings to help the Soul with expedition to do the Will of God but alas whether do they often carry and hurry the Soul even to commit sin with greediness to rush into sin as the Horse rusheth into the battail They are fiery metl'd Horses 't is hard to sit them they often cast their Rider Hagar like they contend against their Mistress but in Heaven the bond Woman shall be cast out there shall be no Remora of a fleshly part The Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be set on the top of all our mountaines Grace perfected in glory shall arise against the house of evil doers and against the help of them that work iniquity at our very entring the Heavenly Canaan this Jordan or stream of vile Affections shall be dryed up Thus have I done with one part which shewes wherein the blisse of glorified Saints consists they shall have the perfection of grace and holinesse Now 2. They shall have the fulness of blisse and happiness What one said of England is very true of Heaven Verè hortus deliciarum verè puteus inexhaustus it is a garden of delights a fountain of good things which cannot be emptied It was the saying of one of the Popes who yet went near to have drawn it dry but it may without question be fitly applyed to Heaven Surely the children of God shall live an happy life in Heaven Thus we read of eating and drinking and feasting it shall be with them as with that rich Man they shall fare delicately every day We read 1 King 4.22 What daily provision was made for Solomon 30. Measures of fine Flower 60. Measures of Meal 30. Oxen 100. Sheep c. Yet a glorified Saint shall infinitly surpass Solomon when he shall come to sit down with
earth too much in Hell nothing else Death cannot kill sin but it will live when the sinner is dead and therefore wrath abides for ever because sin abides for ever Wrath will keep pace with sin Sin as oyl feeds the fire of Gods Wrath One said to a Swearer who would not be reclaimed prethee stay but till thou comest to Hell there shalt have thy fill of sinning and swearing Again 2. There is the evil of punishment therefore Luke 16.28 It is called the place of torment as there is a place of bliss John 14.3 I go saith Christ to prepare a place for you The Jews say every Saint shall have a star assigned him for his Mansion-place but they have vain conceits in this as in many other things but surely a certain place there is it is no Vbiquitary Heaven So surely there is a place of torment how great this torment is cannot be known by any but such as feel it yet it were well if sinners would know it before they feel it thereby to prevent the feeling of it And certainly 't is beyond what can be expressed And therefore when we would comfort any under the greatest evils we say it is not wrath it is not Hell Christ but tasting this and that but for a few hours though he were the strong one compared to a Lyon yet did sweat drops of blood The Scripture expresseth it by weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Heavy chear said Mr. Latimer where weeping and wailing is served up in the first course and gnashing of teeth in the second Legati doloris sunt lachrymae weeping and gnashing two strange effects of a strange fire weeping is from burning heat and gnashing of teeth from bitter cold They shall weep not for their sin but for their pain Again they shall gnash or envy and grieve at the felicity of the godly Psalm 112.10 The wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away There shall be weeping some constitutions on earth cannot weep but there are none such in Hell Many on earth sin and tremble not but it is not so in Hel their hearts ake under wrath there is no rejoycing but trembling and yelling with the voyce of Dragons crying out woe worth the day that ever they sinned Aristotle knew nothing worse then Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Scriptures shew that Hell is far worse the fiery fornace the Lake that bnrneth with Fire and Brimstone which will try the strength of the stoutest Sinner had he the strength of stones or brasse To this add the Adjunct as the Saints blessedness shall be eternal so will the sinners misery be and this consideration makes it very dismal and dreadful Israels bondage in Egypt was long before it had an end whiles they were in Babylon they were prisoners in a pit but yet they were Prisoners of hope that captivity had an end Pharaoh had some rest from his Plagues Exod. 8.15 Jobs condition was extream sad who prayes to be let alone that he may take comfort but a little Job 10.20 but it had an end it was temporal The sinners misery shall be eternal See Rev. 20.10 Shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Hell fire is such as cannot be quenched Mark 9.44 Though Hell be full of tears yet these floods of tears shall not be able to quench this fire I shall add one thing more and then I shall have fully paralleld the miserable estate of them who dye out of Christ with the blessed condition of such as dye in the Lord viz. one branch of the former discourse was that the Saints shall enjoy their bliss presently at death So the wicked when they die shall be presently plunged into misery it shall be deferred no longer The Scope of the Parable Luke 16. shews thus much though every thing or passage in a parable do not prove or is not argumentative yet the scope carries full and strong proof Parables are like Knives the haft will not cut and the back will not our but the edge will The scope is as the edge of a Knife and this seemes to be the very scope and drift of that Parable to shew all impenitent sinners what they must look for at death to be tormented as that rich Man was Further see Heb. 9.27 After death to judgement all must come to judgement and when presently after death The godly shall be judged but not condemned the wicked shall be judged and condemned The Doctrine of the Souls sleeping till the resurrection is no doubt pleasing doctrine to sinners It would be some lightning to them to think of a reprieve to the general judgement but the Scripture speaks of a present judgement to them and of their being presently carried to Hell Luke 12.20 This night shall thy Soul be required in the Original it is this night do they require thy Soul They that is say Expositors the Devil and his Angels Gods instruments for executing his wrath upon wicked and ungodly men Hear this O Sinner I come to thee with heavy tidings such as who ever hears it might make both his ears to tingle But woe is me Sinners are even Hell-proof now a dayes When Paul preached of Judgement to come Felix trembled Oh that Sinners would tremble whiles this judgement is future yet to come when it is come the stoutest shall tremble And indeed better never have been born then to go out of the world sinners as we came into the world Better be Doggs and Toads then sinners and die such when they die there is an end of their misery whereas thou hast Millions of years to lie in Hell under the wrath of God not onely while the Sea before spoken of is drying up which would be in time though a long time first but to all eternity for ever and ever This is the first use 2. By way of Instruction Are they blessed who die in the Lord then this teacheth us the true way to true blessednesse All would be blessed though many be but wishers and woulders in this very thing of so great concernment having faint slothful desires which will Kill them as Solomon speaks that is leave them short of the good they seem to desire It cannot be denied but that there is in all some desire after blessedness Though the tree of happiness be cut down yet there is if I may so speak this stump left a desire after it There be many that say who will shew us any good Psalm 4.6 And they spoken of by the Prophet looked for peace Jer. 14.19 None say who will shew us any evil none look for trouble and misery with an expectation of it All are for good peace and blessedness Good Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life Now if any be in good earnest this day enquiring after the way to happiness some make a shew of enquiring as Pilate when he said What is truth