retain still their corrupted Hearts and so follow the Wolf the Lyon the Bear the Fox and such devouring creatures or the Dog or Sow those dirty creatures their forsakeing this or that form or way of worship will not profite them They are followers of the innocent harmless Lamb not of Beasts of prey or ravenous hurtfull creatures They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes which seems to imply various removes in the Lambs leading of them or going before them As there was various removes or journings in the Wilderness out of Egypt literal towards the Earthly Canaan so may there be out of Egypt Spiritual to the Heavenly Canaan for things under the Law were Typical shaddowing out something Spiritual Now under that word Lamb is pointed out to us the guide in those journings even the Lamb and his nature as the Pillar of Fire and Cloud was the guide in the Wilderness Therefore i'ts safe keeping to the unhurtfull Lamb and to go where his Nature accompanies That 's the Standart to which his Travelling following Subjects do resort And though some that set forward out of Egypt spiritual turn back in their hearts or murmor and through unbelief faint and fall in the way yet the Lamb holds on his way and followers he hath that go throw with him whithersoever he goes Whether it be out of the Egyptian Societies or into a Wilderness throw the red Sea or to warr against the uncircumcised Philistins who provoke the Lord by their Idolatry and wickedness But not with carnal Weapons but with Spiritual The followers of the Lamb have piercing Weapons and yet not carnal and so hath their Captain of whom it is said Ride on prosperously because of Truth meekness and righteousness and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things terrible things in meekness thine Arrows shall be sharp in the Heart of the Kings Enemies Michael and his Angels and followers finde opposition from the Dragon and his Angels and followers and they both feight The Dragon and his followers with carnal Weapons to stop the way of the Lamb and his followers lest they should invade his Kingdome of darkness and destruction And on the other hand the Lamb and his followers they feight with other Weapons even with meekness and the word of Truth to make good their way that they may hold on to follow the Lamb. Thus the Lamb leads on his Army forward out of the World that is out of the Worlds evil wayes and corrupted worships But whether or no he lead into that which is outwardly to be set up as yet I leave to further discovery I mean whether that which is to continue is as yet to be set up that I leave But that there may be pitching of Tents for a Season even in a Journey that 's manifest from the Journeys of the Israelites in the Wilderness who pitched their Tents till the cloud went forward and then there was danger in remaining behinde in their pitched Tents There is a Seed will understand what I say There is one thing yet behinde to be spoken to which tends greatly to the keeping of our mindes and affections alive and in pursuite of an everlasting inheritance and that is Hope Faith believes the love of God And from hence Hope waites for good things not yet seen For we are saved by Hope saith the Apostle but Hope that is seen is not Hope For what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Rom. 8.24 25. Hope you see is one ingredient tending to eternal life and a principal piece of Spiritual Armor bearing up the head in pursuite of the Kingdom of God against all the Opposition met with in the World Therefore i'ts called the Helmet of Salvation Eph. 6.17 There be divers things to be considered concerning this Hope and the ground of it whereupon our hope is placed that so it may be as an Anchor sure and stedfast to keep us safe in the waves and billowes of the tribulations of this World 1. The first thing is this That there shall be a Resurrection of all for if there be no Resurrection our hope is vain and hath no ground to stand upon and we are of all men most miserable if in this life only we have hope in Christ as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.19 Therefore for the confirmation of this ground for the sure Anchor of hope and for reviving of your remembrance thereof let us call to minde some passages of the Scripture and the Testimony of Christ and his Holy Apostles concerning this thing And first of all consider the Resurrection of Christ who is said to be the first Fruits in the Harvest 1 Cor. 15.23 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead ver 12. His resurrection necessarily proves our resurrection for he needed not for himself to have taken our nature upon him and to be made like us in all things except sin but it was for our sakes that he took to himself our nature that he might prepare it and bring it back again and that with advantage into the happy union and fellowship of our Maker out of all that death hath involved us in both out of sin and out of the Graves And therefore according to these two deaths there is a twofold resurrection spoken of by Christ Joh. 5. That there is a death in sin is manifest Eph. 2.1 You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins Now of a resurrection out of this death Christ speaks Joh. 5.25 Verely verely I say unto you the hour is comming and now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and they that hear shall live And this is that resurrection that Paul speaks of Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above and in some other places this is called a resurrection But then besides this resurrection out of sin there is a resurrection also out of the Graves when the Sea shall give up its dead that are in it and Death and Hell shall deliver up the dead that are in them and all graves shall be opened and shall render up their dead And of such a resurrection also Christ speaks in the forenamed place Joh. 5.28 29. Marvel not at this saith he that is that men shall â—ow hear the voyce of the Son of God and they that hear shall live for the hour is comming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voyce and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation The first of these resurrections namely out of the death of sin is a marvellous work of God wrought by the voyce of the Son of God in the Heart But Christ Jesus
seemes to make the other resurrection which is to be general out of the graves to be more marvellous Secondly the first of these resurrections is in order to bring men to live the life of righteousness but the second or general resurrection is after â—â—ey have done good to give them their reward The first is only a raising up to life The second is a raising up of some to life and of others to condemnation according as they have done good or evil in their life time For we must know that this is after men have done good or done evill that is at the last day which our Saviour often mentions for the comfort of the righteous who are before hand raised up to life by him Joh. 6.39 40 44 54. And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And this is the will of the Father that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Again No man can come unto me except the Father which sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day Again saith he Who so eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day This is not a raising up out of the death oâ— sin unto life but a raising up again of those that before hand have eternal life And this is spoken for the comfort of all such as also many other comfortable words are left upon record for such which also clearly hold forth this Doctrine of the general resurrection Take this one place for concluding of this particular 1 Thess 4 13. to the end of the Chapter But I would not have you ignorant Brethren concerning them which are a sleep that ye sorrow not as others that have no hope For if we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the comming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are a sleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the Trumph of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Ayre and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words Here he calls the death of believers a sleep as Christ said of Lazarus he sleepeth when he was dead and it s frequently said in the Old Testament such a one sleept with his Fathers when he was dead Death is but as a sleep out of which men must rise again therefore sorrow not saith the Apostle as others that have no hope For if Jesus dyed and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him And further the Apostle here describes the order of the resurrection The dead in Christ shall rise first and with them such believers or Servants of Christ as are then alive shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Ayre and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now comfort one another herewith saith the Apostle Here is a stedfast ground for Hope to Anchor upon One thing he expresses in the 1 Cor. 15. which is here passed over concerning them that are alive at that day namely they shall not dye but they shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an Eye for this mortal must put on immortality and the natural body must be made a Spiritual body I have spoken the more of this because although the common notion hereof is retained among People yet the lively sence of these things is to much buryed and out of minde For surely if men did seriously meditate hereof it would have a weighty influence upon their lives and conversations to make them inoffencive in the World Another thing collateral with this is that as there shall be a resurrection of all so there shall be a day of judgment for all when every man shall receive according to the things done in the body whether good or bad It may be some will say this is rather a ground of fear then a ground of hope True it is so to them who take pleasure in iniquity and are strangers to Christ Jesus and to a righteous life But to those that are innocent in the World and believe in Christ and meet with afflictions and tribulations here it is a most comfortable ground of Hope For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory But before we speak more of it see first how certainly it is grounded upon Scripture that there shall be a day of judgment Act. 17.30 31. The times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Hence it s plainly held forth that the raising of Christ from the dead is a sure Testimony to all men that God will in an appointed day by him judge the World and that in righteousness For every man shall receive according to his deeds done in the body whether good or evil Again the Apostle Paul tels us of a day of wrath and righteous judgment of God Rom. 2.5 and so forward But thou after thy hardness and impenitent Heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality to them he will render eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness to them indignation and wrath Then he goes over with it again ver 9 10. Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Again minde what our Saviour Jesus Christ said to his twelve Disciples when he sent them forth with power to preach or publish the Kingdom of Heaven to be at hand and therefore to call them to repentance and to heal the sick and cast out Devils c. saith he whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that House or City
And blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Matt. 5.3 4. Their mourning is while they are in travel but when they have brought forth then there is rejoycing when Faith hath overcome then joy and gladness And this is in some sooner in some later In the primitive times of the Apostles when the mystery of the Gospel or glad tydings was holden forth with open face as I may say and without a vail or myst many that received those tydings by Faith were immediatly filled with peace and consolation How quickly was the Jaylor that came in trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas crying out Syr's what must I doe to be saved How quickly I say was he raised up into peace and consolation after he had heard the joyfull tydings of Salvation by Christ Jesus plainly preached to him in few words and by Faith received it Act. 16.31 32 33 34. And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House And they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his House And he took them the same hour of the night it was not a work of many hours but the same hour and washed their stripes and was Baptized he and all his straight way And when he had brought them into his House he set meat before them and rejoyced believing in God with all his House See how love and joy accompanied his Faith believing in God he rejoyced Therefore the Gospel is called glad tyding of great joy For who can believe that his sins are done away in Christ Jesus and that freely by grace or in love the Lord accepteth him in Christ Jesus and not therein rejoyce The Preaching of the Gospel is preaching peace by Jesus Christ Act. 10.26 Eph. 2.17 And therefore it s call'd the Gospel of Peace How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tydings of good things Rom. 10.15 The Eunuch to whom Philip preached Christ and opened to him the way of Salvation by Christ and he by Faith had received this love of God in Christ the same day he was filled with joy and after Philip was caught away from him he went on his way rejoycing Act. 8.39 So at Samariâ— Philip having preached Christ unto them and working Miracles in his name there was great joy in that City Act. 8.8 So likewise that great multitude that was converted at Peters preaching the Gospel to them Act. 2. besides those eminent Fruits of love which sprang up in them in an extraordinary manner they also were filled with great joy and consolation which made them to eat their meat with gladness and singlenes of praising God This true Faith in Christ Jesus brings peace and consolation upon two principal accounts First because it receives the glad tydings of remission or forgiveness of sins by Jesus Christ The guilt of sin or conscience of sin binds a man under the fear of condemnation and causes him to cry out in the bitterness of his Soul what shall I doe As it did these here in the 2d of the Acts when they were struck with a sense of their sin they cryed out Men and Brethren what shall we doe And so the Jaylor what shall I doe to be saved And this state the Apostle Paul personates Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Now what can be more joyfull at such a time and to such a condition then to be satisfyed that their sins are forgiven them and that Christ Jesus the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World hath borne their sin in his own body on the Tree And so to have their conscience sprinkled by his blood from an evil conscience and to be made clean by that blood of sprinkling Here 's cause indeed of rejoycing by Faith in him For now the chaine of darkness is unloosed and the liberty of the Sons of God begins to appear and he is translated out of darkness into marvellous light Even the light of life 1 Pet. 2.9 And then secondly in this faith there is also a measure of the Spirit received which is the comforter and brings his Testimony with him which is beyond all words for giving consolation and peace The Spirit witnessing with our Spirits that we are accepted into Sonship with God And therefore the joy received in believing is called the joy of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit 1 Thess 1.6 And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction and joy of the Holy Ghost That is joy which the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit ministred in their receiving the word There 's joy in Heaven over one sinner that truely repents and he also is made partaker of that joy Thus the Fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace to that man that receives the Testimony of the love of God in Christ Jesus and also it begets the same in that man towards others It begets love in him towards others and joy in their returning to God and makes him a man of Peace in the World Obj. It may be some may say how can this be seeing Christ said I came not to send peace on Earth but a Sword And to set one man at variance against another Answ That is occasionally because the Earthly Spirit will be opposing and persecuting the rightous seed although the righteous seed be a seed of peace and quietâ—ess in it self and to others Obj. Again some may say Christ â—ells of mourning ye shall mourn â—nd the World shall rejoyce c. How then doth this stand with that â—y which thou speaks of Answ A Woman while she is in â—ravel hath sorrow but when she hath brought forth she rejoyceth for joy that a man Childe is brought forth into the World so it is here And then again saith Christ Jesus In the World ye shall have tribulation but in me ye shall have peace Joh. 16.33 Forthly I come now to another Fruit or concomitant of this Faith and that is this it excludes boasting It cuts down vainglory Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 For what hath that man to glory in in respect of himself that sees himself wholy a receiver at the hands of the Lord When he rightly sees himself justifyed freely by grace and the superaboundant mercy oâ— God who hath revealed himself to him in Christ Jesus That is hath revealed his love to him in Chrisâ— Jesus for God is love And hath let him see that he is accepted freely in Christ Jesus He that hath the right sence of this upon his Spirit it draws his Heart into the admiration of the infinite love and mercy of God in deep humility And the more fully this is revealed to him or in him the greater is his admiration still of
to prepare for that which is to come after that we may in hope look for that day that is to come We are raised up here out of the death of sin that we may rise with comfort hereafter We are judged of the Lord here that we may not be condemned with the World and we are made to judge our selves here that we may not be judged Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on him the second death hath no power So that Hope having so sure a foundation it is as an Anchor sure and stedfast And tends greatly to an essential Christian life to bear us up therein in holding on in patience doing the will of God and denying the pleasurable and easie paths of unrighteousness This Hope of an eternal inheritance makes us not ashamed to bear reproach for Christs sake and for observing his commands though we be accounted as the of-scouring or refuse of all things for so doing So that Hope is as a Helmet upon our heads to bear us up under all the vilifyings of the World I know it is a common thing with many if not with most to say I hope to be saved and I hope God will be mercyfull Yea and they will swear by their hope too saying as I hope to be saved Well I would not dash thy hope in Gods mercy but rather strengthen it and help to raise it up higher But take heed how thou exposes thy hope and thy self therewith to judgment in breaking the command of the great judge who is to judge the◠and all the World who hath said Swear not at all neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other Oath Certainly if men shall give an account in the day of judgment of every idle word as the true judge hath told us they shall Matt. 12.36 then surely forbidden Oaths must be given account of therefore put away such things as are threatened with judgment And to raise up thy hope into strength and infallibility that it may be a comfortable stay to thee consider what it is that it is grounded upon and how it will operate in thee if it be right and see that the right foundation be layd Consult with the sayings of those who have had this lively hope in them and see how their's was grounded and what they testify of it I shall lay this one Scripture before thee to consider on and to set before thee as a marke to presse after 1 Joh. 3. the three first verses Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God therefore the World knoweth us not because in knew not him Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every man that hath this hope in him purifyeth himself even as he is pure Wouldst thou have thy hope raised up to this pitch to expect to be made like the Son of God at his appearing by beholding of him or seeing him as he is Then thou must purify thy self from all uncleanness of Flesh and Spirit for he is pure and piercing If the Sun shine upon a dull thick Earthy body it doth not fill that with its beautifull light but if it shine upon a pure transparent Gem in fills that with its one glorious light Therefore there must be a purifying and cleansing going before to prepare us to be made partakers of the glory of the Lord. Every one that hath this hope in him purifyeth himself as he is pure Now there be two things requisite in this purification namely Faith in Christ and an obedient life Purifying their Hearts by Faith saith the Scripture and again If I wash thee not thou hast no part in mee thus he purifyeth the conscience from dead works by his Spirit working faith in us in his blood and by the same Spirit leading us in an obedient conversation And as many as are led of the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God And the same Spirit that leads the Sons of God the same witnesses in them that they are so And so giveth a most firm ground of Hope 〈…〉 So that we may say with the beloved Apostle now are we the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Oh Brethren How can one think of these things and give himself up to a loose wicked life and conversation Nay this hope tends greatly to the essential life of a Christian and to preserve him therein from turning back again into the polluted wayes of the World As for Forms wherein since the Apostacy men professe the same Christ there may be something essential also to a Christian life But not as they are such or such a form but as the Lord shall require or lead men by his Spirit and exercise their Spirits for the tryal of them whether they will follow him whithersoever he leads either into them or out of the n◠bearing the reproach of the World and shewing their obedience in answering that measure of light wherewith he doth illuminate them and in which he goes before them by the movings of his good Spirit in them But herein is danger namely in urging men by the force of reason before the Lord lead them for men may lay that burden upon the Spirits of others which the Lord doth not lay and this work makes only Proselytes and Hypocrites It s safe to minde what Christ Jesus our Lord layes upon our Spirits and not what men lay I will put upon you no other burden but that which ye have already hold fast till I come saith Christ to some in the Church of Thyatyra Rev. 2.24 25. But there were some that would have layd upon them other burdens who undervalued the simple and honest hearted and counted them weak and dark not knowing the depths of Satan as they used to speak in their vaunting over them But the Lord encouraged them to keep to the burden which he alone layd upon them Again there is another danger in those that are urged before the Lord go before them to lead them I speak in point of Form and outward observations namely to be puffed up and exalted in themselves from their form and so to overlook the righteous life in others And then they fall into the number of those who being exalted in their form say in their Hearts stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holyer then thou And this now provokes the Lord to wrath and he will rather look to him that is of a humble and contrite Spirit standing in awe of him then to such It s good for both these to minde what 's said Isa 66.5 Hear the word of the Lord ye that
shake off the dust of your feet Verely I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that City Matth. 10.14 15. The like expression he uttered concerning Chorazin and Bethsaida in the next Chap. viz. Chap. 11.21 22. Because they repented not when they saw the mighty works which he had done in them It shall be more tolerable saith he for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for you Hence its plain that there 's a day of judgment yet to come for those Cities that have been so long since destroyed And that it shall be more tolerable for them at that day then for those that have had more means of knowledge and true understanding afforded them and yet cast it behinde their backs and remain impenitent This being rightly considered may make the stoutest Heart to tremble who goes on in the paths of wickedness as it did Felix Act. 24.25 As Paul reasoned of righteousness temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled or was made fearfull struck with fear For he that is to judge is no respecter of Persons and hath all power given him in Heaven and in Earth and from him can none flee for shelter Therefore to the unrighteous and ungodly that day is terrible But to the upright in Heart who in sincerity and Truth desire to please the Lord in walking obediently before him in a good conversation and innocent in the World to them the day of judgment is a ground of Hope Why Because they shall receive good at the hands of the Lord He will appear to their comfort Judge you how comfortable a thing it shall be at the last day to the righteous and mercifull when Christ shall say to them come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25. But because that portion of Scripture doth so eminently set forth the day of judgment with some remarkable circumstances thereof let us view it a little more fully in the preparation to it and also in the matter of fact upon which judgment is to passe and the Sentence of judgment it self The preparation is this The Son of man shall come in his glory and all the Holy Angels with him and shall sit upon the Throne of his glory ver 31. there 's the preparation of the judge And before him shall be gathered all Nations ver 32. there 's the preparation of the People to be judged And he shall separate them one from another as a Sheepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Here now is his secret judgment of them in himself who knowes the wayes and thoughts and Hearts and lives of all men Then follows his open expressed sentence of judgment upon them First to those on his right hand this comfortable sentence come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World ver 34. And then he gives the reason of this his righteous judgments For saith he I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Then shall the righteous answer Lord when saw we thee so and so or did so unto thee Take notice Their sentence or judgment of matter of fact runs wholy upon Acts of mercy which by them were not had in remembrance or at least little set by for they had herein minded the Counsel of Christ in not letting their left hand know what the right hand had done But though they minded not what they had done yet the righteous judge of all the World recorded what they had done and brings up again their mercy into remembrance to their joy and comfort Yea a Cup of cold Water given to one of his little ones in love to them because they belong to him shall not be forgotten Then on the other hand he shall say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And then he gives the reason of their sentence which is only a defect in mercy For saith he I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Then these shall plead for themselves as the others did against themselves saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not Minister unto thee Then shall he answer them saying Verely I say unto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal Here you see this Scripture doth not only hold forth a day of general judgment but upon what grounds also the sentence of judgment shall passe And its worth your observation to take notice that the sentences run wholy upon Acts of mercy and the want of mercy It runs not upon this or that profession or united Society of men It runs not thus come ye blessed of my Father for ye are Catholiques or Papists and have been absolved by your Priest or ye are Protestants reformed in part from the superstition and Idolatry of the Papists or ye are of the Episcopal or Presbyterian or Independent or Anabaptist or fifth Monarchy or Quakers Society But ye have been mercifull ye have shown forth the nature of your Heavenly Father who is love and mercy and therefore now mercy is extended to you For seeing God is love surely he must needs have most respect to his own nature where it is found As on the other hand he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Oh therefore list up your heads you tender hearted humble mercifull men in hope of a righteous day of judgment to come and faint not in doing good or in your patient waiting for the comming of the Lord though you be under affliction and tribulation in the World For the day will come that will make amends for all and satisfy you to the full So that your labour of love in what kinde soever shall not be in vain or forgotten of the Lord. Divers other Scriptures do confirm the general resurrection of the dead and Eternal judgment which were principles in the Doctrine of Christ and not to be confounded with the first Spiritual resurrection out of the Grave of sin or with the particular secret judgment of God inwardly in a mans Spirit For these are before death natural the other come after These first are