bloud in defence of this truth Christs Preachers by the holy Ghost preach his Word and him the innocent bloud of the children which Herod slue were Martyrs for him Christ and his Apostles and Deacons great works and miracles beare witnes of him Five hundred Brethren at once saw him risen again the Angels beare witnesse of his resurrection Christs Apostles beare witnesse of him and did eat and drink with him after he was risen Againe before that Mary saw him and cryeth out Master and Thomas felt his hands and his sides and cryeth out My Lord and God and after hee had beene seene of them the space of forty days he gathered together his Apostles and promised them to send the holy Ghost to comfort them and then hee ascends to Heaven before their faces where he sits at the right hand of God in glory untill he come again to render vengeance to his enemies which persecute and wrong his Saints and will not obey the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ and then will Christ Jesus gather his Saints and faithfull people from the East to West and from all places with thousands of might quick and strong Angels and bring to rest in Heaven for ever Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour was also shadowed out by thousands of burnt offerings of Bullocks Goats Lambes and fruits for sin-offerings and peace-offerings in all ages from the beginning of the World before Christs comming whose bloud and the blould of the paschall Lambe which were slain by hundred thousands every yeere was a shadow and a finger of the precious bloud of our glorious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which willingly offered up himself once for all whose bloud is a sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole World if they had the grace to lay hold on him by a lively faith but his death and merits shall save none of them but the faithfull and condemne the wicked Rebels because Christ was offered and they would not regard him Christ our High Priest is entred into Heaven and maketh daily intercession for us Now wee need not to offer the bloud of Buls Goats and Lambs Now since Christ is risen this is the Sacrifice God requireth at our hands to have his Laws written in our hearts to obey him to love him to honour him with our souls and bodies in our holy Assemblies and to keep his Sabbaths to give him prayse for his love unto us to trust in him to pray unto him upon all occasions to love mercy and to doe right and justly and to speak truth out of an honest heart for the increase of Christs Kingdome of grace upon earth and for the right of the innocent poore and fatherlesse children and widdows and oppressed people and to pray unto God for all good things in the name of Jesus Christ and for his sake alone to forgive us our sins these sacrifices are more pleasing unto God then thousand rivers of Oile or the bloud of all the cattle on a thousand hils For now seeing Christ Jesus our High Priest is entred into heaven there remayneth no more bloud to be shed for sins for Christ Jesus the eternall Son of God hath once shed his precious bloud for the sins of all that lay hold on him by a lively faith and maketh dayly intercession for he is the only Mediatour between God and man for peace and salvation for he loves us and will give eternall life to all that with faith labour to keep his commandements Christ Jesus our glorious Lord and Saviour is the way to Heaven hee is the truth and the light No man can come to the Father but by him he hath God the Father sealed and in him stands the covenant and the right to the faithfull which love him even the Kingdome of Heaven and all good things which hee sees needfull for them by sure promises of the mighty God which cannot be broken and if God cast gold and silver corne wine and Oile and government and the use of all the creatures upon Turkes Infidels and unfaithfull Christians because hee made them reasonable men Yet it is not blest unto them without the word of God and prayer in the name of Christ Jesus wheresoever Christ hath been preached unto them for they must give account for government for their riches for their honour for all their wrong and blasphemous words for all their abused knowledge of conjuring witchcraft and for their abuse of their knowledge of sea and land the Sun Moon and Stars and all Gods works of order and mercie and his providence unto them and the light of their conscience all these shall witnesse against heathen people which will not follow the light of conscience which they have written in their hearts and give honour thanks and worship to the great God of heaven and earth that gave them their being but they will worship vain Idols stocks stones and dumb creatures kill and devoure one another such heathen people shall be turned into hell with all that forget God Such Popish Christians as confesse Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour to be the onely Sonne of God and yet if they doe deny him to be the onely mediator between God and man and pray to Saints departed and trust to their own merits and their own righteousnesse and good works and consider not the Law of God to be holy and pure so right and strait that no mortall man can wholy keep without the help of Christ Jesus who was God and man he keepeth Law perfectly and did good all his life and was obedient to God his Father unto the very death he hath aboundance of grace and good workes he loveth righteousnesse and hateth iniquity but mortall man is weak and sinfull The opening of the Law by our Saviour Christ Iesus in the fifth sixth and seventh chapters of Saint Matthew's Gospell shewing mans weaknesse plainly when we have done all the good we can we must say we are unprofitable servants we must repent of the ill workes we have done and desire with teares and sorrow Christ Jesus to wash them away with his precious bloud and with a lively fayth desire him to accept of our good works and to cover them with his good works and then they will please God and he will have delight in us but if Popish Christians hide Gods Word the bread of life from many millions of men and women which for want of true knowledge perish and cannot come to drinke of the water of life freely the spirituall stock Christ Jesus as they should doe this is an evill worke and if they persecute and murther harmlesse people for their holy and spirituall worshipping of God which deny their own righteousnesse and desire with teares faith and joy to be cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus then this is an evill wicked work also For Christ Jesus fulfilled the Law of God in everything wholy for the faithfull men and women which love him and obey him for
THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOULE The Excellencie of CHRIST JESVS treated on Wherein the faithfull people of God may finde comfort for their Souls By T. H. Published according to Order LONDON Printed in the yeer 1645. THE IMMORTALITY OF The SOVLE What will it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his own soule Mat. 16.26 saith our glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus the soule of man is a spirituall immortall Psal 31.8 substance which did flow from God Eccles 22.7 and cannot die with the body but returne to God that gave it unlesse it rebell against his Father and Maker his laws and true Church and hath no true lively faith to save himselfe by applying Christs righteousnesse to himselfe by a lively faith then these souls must die the everliving death of torment but God made the soule of man righteous but he hath sought to himselfe many inventions the bodies of all men must turn to dust again untill the day of the Lord come and then shall the dead heare the voice of the Sonne of God Luke 23.43 and shall stand up in more strength and spirituall power and meet our Lord Jesus to be judged every one according to our faith and workes The body of man hath five senses seeing hearing smelling tasting and feeling the living and immortall soule hath in him understanding and knowledge the will and the remembrance imaginptions the affections and wisdome to rule the senses of the body and the evill lusts of the soule which joyne with the body to sinfull actions but let wisdome and grace and knowledge look hp to God for help and strength to withstand them and as the body hath hands and feet so hath the living soule in him many faculties Faith is a vertue of the soule unbeliefe is a vice humility as a vertue of the soule pride is a vice the love of God and his Saints a vertue of the soule hatred a vice zeal for Gods glory and true worship a vertue of the soule coldâ—esse a vice 〈◊〉 a vertue lying a vice there iâ— a vertue â—â—nely a vice 〈◊〉 a verâ—â—e of the soule envie a vice thankfulnesse a vertue of the soule unthankfulnesse a vice bounty and freenesse of minde of the gifts which we have received of God riches or knowledge are both of them a vertue of the soule covetousnesse and hiding Gods talems in the earth avice spealing honourably of God and of the word of God a vertue of the soule swearing cursing blasphemie and mocking of the word of God great vices of the soule wit policy valour sound judgement and discerning of spirits are Gods good gifts and should be used well thâ—s the soule the spirituall substance the immortall soule the holy Image of God before mans fall which God did breath into man and made him righteous and excellent in knowledge but now the children of wrath by Adams fall and originall sin but the soules of the faithfull are renewed by Jesus Christ our glorious Lord and Saviour and shall be made perfect in heaven for ever more For the soules of the Saints shall sodainly come from heaven again to the body in love and peace saying as it were Arise my loving friend and dear companion the day of Christ our King is come the darke winter of trouble and sorrow persecution sicknesse poverty and death it selfe is gons come see thy glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus which redeemed thee with all his holy companion of Saints and Angels come lift up thy head and receive thy acquistance from all thy sins and live in glory for ever But ungodly faithlesse men which have done ill griefe the worme of conscience shall bite them saying who shall hide us from the wrath of the Judge but the godly redeemer shall comfort them saying Come yee blessed of my Father receive and eternall Kingdome and enter into jour Masters joy All Glory and thanks and prayse be unto God for all his free mercie and gifts both now and for ever more The excellencie of CHRIST JESVS THe soule of man is a noble spirituall creature created of God to obey him as was Adam and Evah in Paradice but the Devill by temptations quickly spoyled his innocent righteous soul defaced Gods Image and then his shining body became miserable and naked his perfect soul became miserable sinfull and ignorant then were their souls and bodies to dye the death naturall and eternall for ever but then the mercy and love of God appeared and promised that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head this was our glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus which came in due time to restore Gods Image and to destroy the works of the Devill to suffer and satisfie Gods justice for the sins of all the believing world which lay hold on him by a lively faith to in graft them into himselfe to adopt and make them his beloved children and heires of the Kingdome of heaven for Christ Jesus our glorious Lord and Saviour is the only Son of God in whom alone he is well pleased he is the naturall son of God begotten begotten before the stars appeared hee is the graven form of God the brightnesse of the glory the Image of the invisible God the first begotten Son of God begotten before all worlds God of Gods very God of very God eâ—eâ—uall with the Father with the holy Ghost he is the head of the Church and in him all fulnesse dwelleth thy sent a Christ endureth for ever the scepter of thy Kingdome doth mayâ—t am righteousnesse The Lord said unto my Lord sit on my right hand untill I make thy foes a stool whereon thy feet may stand Christ Jesus is the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah which overcame the roaring and devouring Lion the Devill He is the Lambe of God which was slain for our sins and taketh away the sins of the world hee is the mighty God the Prince of peace which trod the winepresse of the wrath of God alone and conquered death hell and the grave and the infernall spirits and hee arose and sustained himself by his own power and strength and sits at the right hand of the glory of God for ever Christ Jesus was promised to Adam and Evah to Abraham and to David he was prophesied by Enoch Jacob Moses Esay Jeremiah Daniell Zachariah by all the Prophets and hee was typed out by Isaak Samson Salomon Jonah and the brazen Serpent in the Wildernesse Christ Jesus out Lord and Saviour was wayted and looked for of all the faithfull from the beginning of the World and when he was come all his Apostles beare witnesse of him both in life death and writing the Angels from Heaven bring joyfull tydings and beare witnesse of him Christs wondrous works beare witnesse of him God the Father from Heaven beare witnesse of him his workes beare witnesse of him and shall judge men at the last day thousands of Martyrs have shed their deerest
feare and repent and seeke for mercy while they are in this world before that fearfull day of judgement to come when there shall be no more mercy for them that would not seeke it in this life but the foolish worldlings of this world will not repent The foole hath said in his heart there is no God the fool hath said that the Al-seeing God doth not see all his bad works and the evill thoughts of his heart he will not repent the foole hath denied in his heart Gods power will and justice hee thinks God will not rayse up the dead bodies of mankind spiritually restored in more strength and nimblenesse the good and faithfull to be partakers of his mercy in Heaven for ever and the unfaithfull the fearfull the adulterers the slanderers the murderers the covetous the envious the Idolaters the unthankfull the carelesse people of Gods true worship and such like to be punished in hell torments for ever except they repent and amend their lives and râ—n to God for mercy in the name of Christ Iesus his well beloved Son and then will Christ Iesus gather them as the Hen gathereth her chickins under her wings and save them from the wrath of God and from the power and envy of the Devill and Christ Iesus will wash away their sins in his precious bloud and make them as white as snow and wooll beloved to God for ever bet if rugodly men will not repent their sins and returne to God for mercy and judge themselves worthy to dye for their sins then those wofull threatnings and cursinâ—s which are written in the word of God must needs fall upon them Go you cursed into everlasting hell fire prepared for the Devill and his angels and take the unprofitable servant and cast him into utter darknesse where shall be weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth And againe take the man which had not on the wedding garment of faith and repentance or the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth It is better for thee to pull out thy right eye and to cast it from thee that is thy dearest darling and best belovedst sins that will offend and displease thee then having thy sins to be cast into hell fire where the worme dyeth not and the fire never goethout And again Tophet is prepared of old for ungodly faithlesse men the burning of it is great and the wrath â—f the Lord like a river of brimstone shall kindle it And again Hell beneath is moved to meet thee and the wicked people go down to Hell and all the people that forget God and God will wound the hoary scalpâ— of him that goeth on in his wickednesse and upon the ungodly God will rain snares of fire and brimstore storme and tempest this is their 〈◊〉 to drinke and tribulations horrour and anguish shall be upon the head of every one that doth evill Hell is a darke prison large and great and the wrath of the Lord doth afflict divers torments upon them besides the pain of losse whereof commeth the wâ—â—me of conscience which grief is as great as the other when they shall remember the losse of Heaven that large great and glorious place of pleasure and refreshing which they justly and madly have lost by their greedy sins and have sold their birth-right to Heaven for trifles if they world have trusted in Christ and have loved his laws and now they know all is gone because they loved lying vanities and loose behaviour now all hope is gone for ever too late repentance will doe them no good at this remembrance grief the worme of conscience will byte them and they will curse themselves and curse their wicked acquaintance which drew them on to sins in this world and wish that their torment might make an end of them but that is impossible they must lye in prison for ever Death gnaweth upon them for ever the second death of body and soul so strait was Dives in Hell that he asked but for a drop of water to coole his tongue and could not have it whose fare in this world was delicious and his drinke of the best wine also The Lord Iesus will come from Heaven in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that obey not his Gospell and another grief followeth to the damned God and his Angels and his Saints shall laugh them to scorne for in this world they grieved the good spirit of the holy ghost which put Gods thoughts in their hearts and they gave place to the Devill and his evill motions they grieved the good Angels with their sins in this world and they grieved and vexed the Saints in this world the godly Ministers that taught them the word of God wept and prayed for them they vexed their godly Neighbours and godly friends which gave them good counsell and mourned for them in this world but when the day of judgment came and when the Angell of the covenant hath sworne that that time shall be no more then the Saints and Angels shall all rejoyce at Gods righteous judgments For in Heaven is no mourning although they see their brothers sisters fathers sonnes and acquaintance sent to hell by Gods justice but they shall say Just and true are thy judgments ô Lord God King of Saints for their destruction is from themselves they have made themselves the children of the Devill but while time lasteth in this world wisdome stretcheth out her hand all the day long saying Turne yee from your evill ways Why will yee die Prov. 1.20 21 22 23. ô ye sons of men The Lord desires not the death of a sinner but that he should turn from his evill ways and lay fast hold on the promises of his Son Christ Jesus and if thou wilt turn away from thy evill works and love all Gods laws with an upright heart thou shalt surely live and have all thy sins forgiven thee for the Lord Iesus suffered most cruell torments and shed his most precious bloud for those people which are truly humbled before him and which do see their sins and confesse them to God and are weary of them and desire God for Jesus Christ sake his only son to forgive them all and pray to God for help and grace to stand in his feare and love to all those people the Lord Iesus our Seviour hath made most great and precious promises wherein stands our very life and comfort and an assured hope of eternall life and salvation if we take heed unto them then be not fearfull to obey Christ Jesus commandements ô doubtfull soul For he calleth all those that be weary and heavy laden with their sins and hee will refresh them and again Fear not little flock it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome and again If the Son of God shall make you free you shall be free indeed and again The houre commeth when all that are in