a rich trâ—â—sury the store-house of God himself into 〈◊〉 which he hath been treasuring up for his Saiâ— from the foundation of the world I might much larger herein but I will conclude all iâ— word or two of Application Is it so then that those mansions of Glory pâ—â—â— pared by Christ for Believers in Heaven 〈◊〉 abundantly recompense and make good all 〈◊〉 Losses and Crosses which Believers meet with in the World The I beseech you set your fections upon things above and not on things low You see we live in slippery times we caâ— not say that any thing is certain here O thâ— labour to be sure of something hereafter If thâ— canst not keep thy earthly inheritance then bout to get an inheritance in heaven Secondly for I must be brief If there be sâ—â— glorious mansions in heaven then labour to pâ—â—â— pare your souls for heaven But how shall we this may some say I answer These five way 1. Wouldst thou prepare thy self for heavâ—â— be fruitfull then in well doing alwayes abounding in the works of the Lord be sure to get that work done which God sent you into the world to do growing in grace is going to heaven and grace here will make you fit and meet for glory hereafter 2. Would you prepare for heaven labour to purge your selves then from all sin by being unpotted in the world for as Heaven is a place of happiness so it is a place of holiness into which nothing that is unclean can enter it is only the â—ure in heart that shall see God Mat. 5.8 3. Would you prepare for heaven then get â—our selves into a posture of readinesse to leave he world and go to Heaven every day that â—ou may up and be gone when ever death calls â—or you so that when death comes you may â—ave nothing to do but to die Death will not â—ait when he cometh if ye are not fit to die ye â—re not fit for heaven death will not carry that â—oul to heaven that is not ready when he comes â—f you are not ready to die when ever death â—omes let me tell you ye are not fit to live in aâ—other world You know not at what hour Christ â—ay come or send his messenger Death for you â—erefore be alwayes ready for heaven because â—eaven is alwayes ready for you When the â—idegroom came they that had Oil in their â—mps grace in their hearts they went in to the â—â—riage but for those that wanted oil the door was shut against them and they were shut from the marriage-feast They that have laâ—â— without oil profession without grace shall â—ver enter into Heaven 4. Would you prepare for Heaven then your title to Heaven cleared and confirmeâ—â— you what man is there that having purchâ—â— a great Estate that will be so foolish as nâ—â— get a sure title to what he hath purchased 〈◊〉 we are strangers and pilgrims as all our faâ—â— were but heaven that 's our home our counâ— our Fathers House our Inheritance O should we then labour to make that sure to souls and having made that sure labour in the next place to keep up your Evideâ—â—â— First keep your Evidences for Heaven and fair for Satan will endeavour to blot tâ—â— Secondly keep them safe the Devil wiâ—â— them from you if he can and if ye lose Evidences what have you to shew for Heaâ—â—â— If your writings be lost how will you get Inheritance Then whatsoever you do geâ—â—surance of heaven for first assurance of he will take off your hearts from the world rance of those things above will make you â—ing to part with all things here below coâ—â— you in all your tribulations and bear up hearts under all discouragements as it did vids Jobs and Pauls Evidence for Heaven lie warm at your hearts when naturall heaâ—â—â— â—…yes when you lie upon your death beds they â—…ill be a sweet taste to your Souls when you â—eel no taste or comfort in meat or drink assuâ—…ance of Heaven will comfort you when all â—…ings fail you assurance of Heaven will preâ—are you for all changes it will fit you for your â—…eat change Assurance of life eternall will â—…onquer the Grave for you and unsting Death â—…o you it will make you sing yea to triumph â—…n the way to heaven over death and the grave They that have Heaven assured to them have more joy and gladness put into their souls than â—…ll the world besides Assurance of salvation will â—…ngage you to trust God for all things and eviâ—…ence God to your souls it will make you to love â—…nd delight in him fearfull to offend carefull to â—…lease him Thirdly Assurance makes men â—…uspicious of themselves they that are assur'd â—…hat they shall stand will be sure to take heed â—…hat they do not fall they that shall be saved â—…ill labour to work it out with fear Fourthly â—…ssurance makes the soul humble the higher the â—…oul is in assurance the lower it will be in humiâ—…ity But how shall we know that our assurance â—…or heaven is right Take these following Rules 1. Right assurance will make you more holy every man that hath this hope purifies himself as God is pure Right assurance for Heaven will â—…ngage your souls to be holy in all manner of conversation Having therefore these promises dearly beloved cleanse your selves from all thinesse both of the flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 6. 2. Right assurance will make the soul to peâ—vere to the end receiving the end of your faâ— the salvation of your souls But how shall get this assurance 1. By having a godly 〈◊〉 row for sin wrought in thy soul Christ gives 〈◊〉 to none but to the weary 2. Examine your heâ—â— and lives by comparing them with the Word God 3. Assurance is obtained by a holy coâ—stant and carefull use of the Ordinances of Goâ— in joining both the end and the means togethâ—â— it will make you as carefull to use the means confident to expect the end of your faith the â—â—vation of your souls It doth not feed men wâ— vain hopes that they shall escape hell thou they live in sin and go on in the broad way tâ—â— leads to destruction They that would come heaven must be carefull to use the means 〈◊〉 they must walk in that strait and narrow wâ— unto holinesse and righteousnesse which on leads unto life and salvation And lastly is it so then that Godlines is great gâ— yea it is the best gain Hath God made thee gâ—ly The lines are fallen to thee in a pleasant place tâ—â— hast a goodly heritage Psal 16.6 It is enough thâ— hast all though it may be thou hast but little the world yet thou hast a propriety in God Gâ—â— is thine thy portion is Christ he is thy Jesâ—â— thy all Labour then to be conformable to Goâ— godliness is Gods likeness Hath God given you â—…ace God hath done more for you than if he â—…nd given you a thousand worlds Are others â—…ch and art thou poor have others plenty of â—…old and silver and hast thou little or none ar all â—…onsider hath not God given thee that which is finitely better than all the Gold and Riches of â—…he World Faith that is more precious than Gold that perishes Wisdom that is better than â—…bies yea all things that can be thought of are â—…ot comparable to grace If grace be thy portion â—…lory will be thy portion and thou hast more â—…use of content than if thou hadst all the world â—…or thy portion without grace What though oâ—…hers be richer than thee yet thou art better than thers The righteous is more excellent then his neighâ—…r Are others had in honour and art thou deâ—…pised let me tell thee if thou hast the favour of God thou hast more honour then all the world â—…n give Are thy troubles greater nor others conder God seeth them good for thee thou canst or tell how to be without them It is good for me saith David that I have been afflicted They that â—…ave endured the most of afflictions here will be â—…nd to be the happiest people in all the world â—…reafter for through them we enter into glory â—…hrough many tribulations we must enter into the kingâ—…m of heaven Unto which Kingdom the Lord his infinite mercy bring us all Amen FINIS
them out in death Fitting grace for heaven you see is no trifle your eternall estate depends upon it Sinners why do you put off this work as a trisle and why do you put it off till death I dare say that man would never be holy if be could help it that will not be holy till he die he would never have to do with Christ if he could avoid that will not be acquainted with him before he is ready to leave this world when death is fitting the soul for hell then and never till then to be looking after heaven Ah Lord that ever those men should have precious and immortall Souls to damn themselves they that look no after heaven till they come to their death-beds are usually crost in their folly they are then either surprized with infirmities of body and so disinabled to perform so great a work or else surprized in their souls and so unfitted and indisposed to it either they have no strength or no heart to it and so dye in their sins and perish eternally Wicked men would never leave sinning if they did not cease living and that is one reasont to justifie the infinitnesse or everlastingnesse of the punishment of wicked men in hell The damned in hell are under easelesse and endlesse sufferings because they would have sinned alwayes if they had lived alwayes wicked men would have no end of their lives here they would live ever that they might sin ever therefore the Lord giveth them a life not such a one as they would have but such a one as they deserve to have which is indeed a death for ever wicked men shall die eternally for sin because they would have lived eternally in sin In the third place I beseech you note from hence what a blessed thing it is to be a Child of God Is it so that there are mansions of Glory for Believers in Heaven hereafter then Believers are the onely happy Men and Women in the World Were it not for the hopes of Heaven the condition of Gods Children might be sad enough if in this life onely we had hope we were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 But the hopes of Gods Children are in the life to come therefore they are of all men most blessed The happinesse of a Child of God is not in what he enjoyes here below but in what he shall enjoy hereafter in Glory The best things of a Child of God are unseen things Whilst we look not saith the Apostle at the things which are seens but a the things Which are not seen For the things which are seen are temporal but the things that are noâ—â— seen are eternall 2 Cor. 4.18 And in 1 Pet. 〈◊〉 3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to His abundance mercy hath begotten us again unto a lived hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the deaâ— To an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation The Apostle here excellentâ—â— sets forth the condition of a Child of God and that in severall Regards First They are bâ— gotten again by Christ to an Inheritance possiblie they may lose all here below for Hâ—â— sake But yet here is the comfort of a Child 〈◊〉 God he is Heir to a great Estate in the neâ—â—â— World There is an Inheritance for him anâ— that is a sure one In six Regards First Iâ—â—â— not a corruptible but an incorruptible one Sâ—â—â— condly it 's an undefiled one And thirdlie it 〈◊〉 a lasting yea an everlasting one it fadeth noâ—â—â— away Fourthly it 's reserved for them tiâ—â— they come to age Gods Children in this life are not at full age therefore they are nor capâ—ble of enjoying so great a happinesss which God will hereafter bestow upon them Fifthlie it reserved for them in a safe place Many moâ—â—â— leave great estates here for their children whiâ—â— they are often cheated of But the Inheritance of Gods Children is reserved by God for them in Heaven where neither Moth doth corrupt nor Theis steals away And lastlie as the Inheritance is reserved for the Children of God so the People of God are preserved for their Inheritance Henven if reserved for them and they are preserved for Heaven They are kept by the mightie power of God through faith unto Salvation Fourthly are there such Mansion of glorie for Believers hereafter then I beseech you try and examine your own souls whether or no ye be in the faith And let me exhort you in the Name of Christ seriouslie to set about the work of Salvation You see what great and glorious things there are laid in store for Gods Children hereafter Then I beseech you labour to get an interest in Christ here that so you may partake of those glorious Mansions hereafter How greatlie should the consideration of these things draw out our hearts in longings and pantings after God When shall I come and appear before God saith David Psalm 42.1 As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God When shall I come and appear before God And if David and such longings after the enjoyment of God in his Ordinances here what desires thought we to have after the full enjoyment God himself in glory hereafter Are there 〈◊〉 mansions of glory to be had hereafter Wâ—â—â— manner of persons ought we to be then in all maner of godlinesse And then lastly If there be such Mansiâ— of glory then let me exhort you all even now this your day to set your hearts at work seeking after those great things of Eterniâ—â— Let every Soul of you thus reason with you selves Are there such glorious things hereafter and am I the man or woman that shall â—â—joy them I remember a story of Gauls wâ—â— having once tasted the sweet Wine of Itaâ—â—â— presently enquired after the Countrie and â—â—ver rested till they had gotten it I have heâ—â— given you as it were a fore-taste of that Hâ—venly Wine which Believers shall drink hereafter in Glory now if you find any sweetneâ—â— in it let not your hearts be at rest till you comâ—â— to the Countrie it self where are Rivers those sweet Pleasures and that for evermore Martyr suffering death one asked him the cauâ—â— why he suffered Saith he in the words of tâ—â—â— Apostle Eye hath not seen ear hath nor heart neither hath it entred into the heart of manâ—â— conceive the things which God hath prepared fâ—â—â— them that love him The naming of whâ—â—â— wrought so effectually on the mans heart that â—e immediately became a Christian and after â—ffered death of His Names sake You have â—ad not onely one but very many Scriptures â—pened to you I beseech you let not all be in â—ain We read in Mark 10.17 how the young â—an came running to Christ saying Good Mater what shall
in it And Death and Hell that is the grave delivered up the dead which were in them And they were judged every man according to their works And whosoever was not found written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire There 's the event of this judgement to the wicked But what successe the Righteous shall there have he sets down in Chap 21. Verse 3. Behold saith he the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God And God shall wipe all tears from their eyes And there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor cursing neither shall there be any more pain He that overcometh shall inherit all thingâ—… and I will be his God and he shall be 〈◊〉 â—…on A blessed priviledge indeed but what remains for the wicked See what follows in the eight Verse The fearfull and unbelieving the abominable and murtherers whoremongers sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone A most dreadfull Scripture the Lord awaken every secure sinner and give them hearts to consider these things before it be too late For as the Prophet Malachy faith Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day cometh that shall burn them up saith the Lord Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch Then shall they call upon the mountains to cover them and â—pon the â—â—lls to fall upon them to hide them from the fierceness of the wrath of God O consider this all you that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Secondly if there be such mansions of Glory for Believers hereafter I note from hence the desperate folly and madnesse of all those who neglect or despise their own salvation Ye will not come to me saith our Saviour Joh. 5.40 that ye might have life This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evil Christ and salvation is freely offered to all in the Gospel Christ invites all to come Ho every one that thirsteth come to the waters Isa 55.1 Rev. 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely And as Christ invites all to come so he receives all that doth come He that comes to me I will in no wayes cast him out saith our Saviour Joh. 6.37 What think you sinners of these Scriptures will ye come to Christ and accept of life and salvation or will ye wilfully cast away your own souls for ever You see here Christ offers himself to you freely if you will but receive him Come unto me saith our Saviour Mat. 11.28 all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you What 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 will ye come 〈…〉 and be saved 〈…〉 you be so deâ—peratly mad as to destroy your own most precious and immortall souls When I behold the lives of most men my very heart trembles to think what will everlastingly become of their precious souls all the care they take is for their bodies how does money come in and how they shall get riches but they never consider how it goes with their souls Ah sinners are your bodies everlasting Is this world everlasting Can any thing but heaven make you happy Are not your souls everlasting will ye rather cast away your souls then leave your lusts for sin and you must part orelse heaven and your souls will never meet He that doth not leave his sins on this side the grave by Repentance shall find 〈◊〉 sins to meet him on the other side the gravel 〈◊〉 condemn him If you live in your sins ye shaâ— die in your sins Yea die everlastinglie for you sins Sinners I beseech you consider are yoâ— fit to die are you fit to live in another world are you prepared for heaven If not let me teâ—â— you you are fit for nothing but hell and hellâ— prepared for you Sinners what do you do What do you mean to do are you yet a sleep Alâ— Lord what a harvest will hell have in these sin full daies What preparations do men make so heaven Are not they that were filthie filthiâ— stâ—ll What men were that they are still Thougâ— God is every day tumbling men into their graves yet no man mends his pace for heaven Sinners you hear all this but can you bear all this Leâ— me give you two or three properties of a man fitted for hell and I beseech you try and examinâ— your own souls by them The first propertie of a man fitted for hell iâ— Obduration A stone you know is fitted to descend it is its propertie to fall downwards Hardnesse makes fitnesse The way to Hell is from burning to burning from a seared Conscience to a damned soul A second propertie of a man fitted for wrath is alienation estrangednesse to God speaks fitness to wrath and it is a sign that the Soul is fitted for utter darknesse There are but two steps to death first the sinner saith he will have no fellowship with God And secondlie God saith he shall have no fellowship with him Now is the sinner judged now fit for hell then judge ye the Execution onlie is wanting And the Devil is not usuallie backward to perform his office The sinner is upon the Gallows as it were he wants but turning off unlesse Christ steps in with a reprieve that soul is utterlie lost A third propertie of a man fiâ—ted for Hell is Prophanenesse Prophanenesse is the badge of a wicked person Wickednesse in the life speaks out a cursed soul You may know what Countrie men are of by their Language By their Fruits ye shall know them When mens words and works are the Language of Hell what need any further inquirie what Countrie men or to what place they belong You may read Hell in their very faces The tree is known by his fruit saith our Saviour Mat. 7.20 Mens lives foreshew what their ends are like to be As the Tree falls so it lyes As sinners live so they usuallie die Every mans life lively bespeaks what they are and what they shall be hereafter If men will go on in the broad way of sin you know where their journies end will be Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction Mat. 7.13 I know not what lives you live but to be sure you may either spell Heaven or Hell in them If ye would know the frame of your souls then view your lives your souls breath out themselves either into the bosom of God or the Devils and into whose bosom you breath out your souls here in this life into that bosom you will certainly bâ—eath
the enjoyment â—nd embracements of your friends society whose â—â—ve and favour is altogether inconstant and â—â—angeable you may be taken from them or they from you in a moment O but your friends 〈◊〉 Heaven they are immortall and their love is â—â—changeable they and you shall then and there â—â—ve for ever and enjoy one another and rejoice â—â—ne with another for ever but your dearest â—â—iends on earth must die they must leave you â—â—â—t your joy in Heaven shall no man take from â—â—u In Heaven there is God your Father and Christ your Head and Husband and Saviour there even in his humane nature wherein he â—â—ffered death on the Crosse for you and your â—omforter God the holy Spirit is there yea â—â—d all your friends How mightily do children â—â—â—ng to go home to their fathers house or a wife 〈◊〉 her husband so earnestly should our souls â—â—sire to go to heaven our fathers house to Christ our head and husband where there is good pany only and that to all eternity And then lastly the Glory of Heaven is stant and permanent In Heaven all is safe sure all things continue there fixed and immâ—able Heaven is an Inheritance settled upon Saints for ever and sealed unto them by broad Seal of Christs Blood I have shewed you in part what those â—â—sions of glory are which the Saints shall eâ—â—â— hereafter I come now and I must be brief â—â—ving a little touch on it already to show what those losses and crosses are which Bâ—â—vers may meet withall here below and first the losses which you may meet withall in 〈◊〉 world What are they poor trifles a 〈◊〉 pebble-stones as it were a little earthly tâ—â—â— sure it may be such as is not considerable Sâ—â—â— little what those worldly enjoyments are whâ—â—â— possibly thou mayest lose for Christs sake Fâ—â— thou losest nothing for Christ here but whâ—â— vanity and emptiness broken Cistrens that 〈◊〉 hold no water For as one saith well A wâ—â—full of honours or pleasures cannot satisfie one 〈◊〉 with any solid comfort Thou mayest as soon 〈◊〉 thy Chest with Grace as thy heart with Goâ—â— There is not that in the Creature which 〈◊〉 look for Experience tells us a man may at oâ—â—â— have a house full of Gold and yet a heart fulâ—â—â— sorrow They that enjoy the most of the world cannot say they have enough therefore the losse of it is not considerable not to be comparers with the gain of Heaven Seconly there is nothing thou losest for Heaven but what is the portion of the wicked Woâ—dly comforts are wicked mens portions Yea and â—â—â—s all the portion that ever they shall have either here or hereafter Son remember saith Abraham to Dives being in hell that thou in thy life-time reâ—eivest thy good things They that have their Heaven in this world shall have nothing in Heaven in the world to come Thirdly thou canst â—ose nothing for Christ that can be profitable to â—hee All the outward good things of this life cannot sanctifie nor purchase one dram of saving Grace for thee They may prove share to â—hee or be occasions of sin to you or draw you from Christ as they did the Young-man in the Gospel but they will never drive you to Christ and commonly they that have most of Gold have â—east of Grace or rather no Grace at all And as they cannot sanctifie you so they cannot save you They can neither sheâ—â—er you from the judgements of God here of from the stroke of â—eath Neither can they preserve you from hell hereafter Rich Dives went to hell when poor Lozarus was carried unto Heaven Wordly things cannot purchase Heaven if the whole world would lend you their shoulders thâ—â—â— could not lift you up to Heaven Fourth there is nothing here below that is certain 〈◊〉 things under the Sun are mutable subluâ—â—â— enjoyments more changeable then the Moâ—â—â— inconstant even as the Winde certain onâ—â— in uncertainties And as they are uncertaâ—â—â— so they are corruptible and perishing Châ—â—â— calls them meat that perisheth Joh. 6.27 〈◊〉 things which either moths or rust may consuâ—â— or thieves may steal away from you or they 〈◊〉 be destroyed by fire which if you do posseâ—â— while you live yet you must leave them behâ—â—â— you when you die For as we brought nothâ—â—â— into the World so it is certain we shall carry 〈◊〉 thing out of the world 1 Tim. 6.7 Fifthly outward enjoyments are often vâ—â— troublesome they bring many fears many caâ—â— much sorrow and vexation There is a carâ—â— get and a care to keep riches as the Wise nâ—â—â— faith All is vanity so is it also vexation of â—â—â—rit Worldly comforts they are like Roses thâ—â— have sharp prickles as well as sweet flowers man may have much bitternesse in his least 〈◊〉 comforts here therefore do not think much 〈◊〉 part with all things here below for Christ 〈◊〉 thou shalt be no loser by the bargain Thou shâ—â— receive an hundred fold more in this life and the world to come eternall life Mark 10.30 I come now in the next place in a word to â—ew you what these Crosses are which Believers do oftentimes undergo for the Kingdom of Heavens sake and they are very small and inâ—â—siderable also in respect of the glory that follows The Apostles endured as much tribulations for the Kingdom of heavens sake as possibly â—â—ould be yet what did they think of it We â—â—ckon saith St. Paul that the afflictions of this â—se are not worthy to be compared with the gloly that shall be For first they are but light our light afflictions And as they are light so they are â—â—or short they are but for a moment Our light affliction saith the Apostle which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and â—â—ternall weight of glory Hence it is that the â—â—ints of old were so joyfull in all their tribulations hence they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ I shall come now to shew you how it is that â—ose Mansions of glory in Heaven will make â—ood all our losses and crosses upon earth and his appears further for these reasons For first 〈◊〉 you have heard already the glory of the gloâ—â—fied Saint in heaven is infinite and durable â—nd therefore must needs exceed and make good 〈◊〉 their losses which as you have also heard are â—â—te and uncertain We use to account more of â—ose things which are durable and lasting than those things which are of no certainty Secondly The only yea all the treasures the Saints are laid up in Heaven and what neâ— any care for losing a few triffles so long as thâ— treasure is safe If a man lose a few triffâ—â—â— yet if he have a safe treasury to go to he 〈◊〉 soon make good so small a losse Beloved all tâ—â—â— things you do enjoy here are but triffles but tâ—â—â— things which you shall enjoy hereafter in hâ—â—ven are no lesse then a treasure