divert stay suspend or remove Judgement denounc't against them when wrath is gone forth and the Plague begun and happy those Places which have such as these are in them though but a few favourites of Heaven to make in to God to use their interest in him to intreat for the rest great things hath God done at their request in the behalfe of others and even those that despise them are more beholden to them then they are aware of 5. In such evill times and places as we speak of we are to be admonished to walk warily for fear of Infection for fear of seduction least we come to be corrupted and infected by them and so while we complain the times are evill we our selves make them worse so St. Paul argues Ephe. 5.15 Walk circumspectly because the dayes are evil By no means to have any fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them Ephes 5.11 to shew our dislike of them by avoyding them to reprove them by a sober righteous and godly conversation the most reall reproofe to the lewd and loose carriage and behaviour of wicked men that can be by this opposition the holy conversation of godly men becomes more illustrious thus doth their light come to shine before Men so that they seeing their good works are moved to glorifie the Father which is in Heaven this is to walk as Children of the light and to shine as lights in the midst of a froward and a dark Generation which will be the great conviction and condemnation of those wicked men they live amongst and their own high prayse and great reward another day This was the high prayse of Noah Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just Man in his Generation Why what Generation was that it was an evill Generation When all Flesh had corrupted their wayes before the Lord Noah still kept his integrity he was a just Man in his Generation For Abraham in Caldea Lot in Sodom Job in Vz Noah in his Generation to hold fast his integrity was their high prayse And so we have done with Elijah's first Satis est the first of his enoughs In respect of the evill he had seen We come now to consider of the second which respects the evill that he had Suffered Satis Tuli I have suffered enough and this ariseth out of those words in the latter end of the 14. ver They have Slain thy Prophets with the edge of the Sword and I onely am left and they seek my Life to take it away By this you may gather in what condition he was in respect of sufferings by Persecution Banishment Hunger and Thirst and variety of dangers threatning even Death it self The inference from hence is this That it is no news to see the best of Saints to suffer the worst things that the world can doe unto them To see Joseph in the Prison Job upon the Dunghill Jeremy in the Dungeon Jonah in the Whales belly Isay under the Saw Paul under the Axe Stephen under a storme of Stones and all this under the hands of wicked men and more then this when such wicked and ungodly men live at ease and in peace prosper and flourish Come in no misfortune like other men neither are they plagned like other men as the Prophet David observes Psal 73.5 These things may seem strange to humane apprehension and doe but they are no news to those that are well read in the wayes of Providence nor strange neither when wisely weighed and rightly considered And to help you in those Considerations I commend you to two of Davids Psalmes the 37. and the 73. both spent wholly upon this subject to take away the scandall of the Crosse In both which he first rayses the Objections and then brings in full answers to them for the clearing of Gods Justice in this cross dispensation of Providence and for the satisfying of himself and others in this matter I shall therefore wave what the Prophet hath there delivered and onely shew you very briefly some Reasons why and how it comes so to passe and what profitable Use we may make of this Meditation and so passe on to the next Reasons If you aske me then How it comes to pass that the best men should suffer the worst things here in this world I Answer 1. This proceeds from the malice of Satan ever contriving mischief against the Church even to the utter ruine of it if it were possible that the gates of Hell should prevail against it There is an enmity between the Woman and the Serpent which will never be reconciled 2. From the hatred that wicked men well nigh as bad as himselfe bear against it his very Instruments and Agents are ready to execute his will upon it the enmity is not onely between the Woman and the Serpent but between their Seed also Wicked men are the very Seed of the Serpent and doe as naturally maligne and hate the Church and Children of God as the Serpent doth a man 3. From their own folly which by sinne lay themselves open to their malice Balaam knew he could have no power over the Israelites to hurt them except he could devise some way how to draw them to sin against God But when he had contriv'd a way to make them commit Fornication with the Daughters of Moab he knew he had his purpose on them in exposing them to wrath and judgement Numb 25. 4. This comes to pass by the just and wise Providence of God not onely permitting but ordering it so for holy ends and good purposes 1. For tryall of their Faith that they may come out of them as Gold refined 2. For exercise of their Graces Vt probentur approbentur improbentur that they may be proved approved improved 3. For purging out and mortifying of their corruptions crucifying of their lusts and inordinate affections 4. For holding of them close to Duty as of Repentance Prayer and a constant dependance upon God 5. For the weyning of them from this present evill world that they might seek and affect better things in a better world and minde the things that are above Colos 3.1 6. That they may have nothing to suffer hereafter they are chastised in the world that they may not be condemned with the world Vses 1. Are these the ends why God suffereth his Saints to suffer Then wellcome sufferings by the grace of God Wellcome Afflictions by the will of God they shall be a benefit unto us a greater advantage then the Ease Peace and Prosperity of wicked men can be unto them nay then these could have been unto our selves if we had had them Ease slayeth the foolish and the prosperity of Fooles destroyeth them Prov. 1.32 Standing Pooles gather mud and dirt when running Streames keep pure and clear Winde and Thunder purge the Ayre and the Fire doth not consume but refine the Gold that is cast into it and such are the sufferings of the Saints servants of God to those that
night closing upon them their Sunne is set and they but as a Candle spent to the end and blinking within the socket their gray haires and wrinkled cheeks their dim eyes trembling hands and weak knees reade unto them continuall Lectures of mortality and advise them to withdraw out of the tumultuous Sea of this troublesome World and to put in to the Haven of quiet rest and repose to give themselves to Prayer and Meditation to meditate upon the vanity of the time past the shortness of the time present and Eternity to come to set their House and their Heart in order and to prepare for a change at hand and all the few dayes of their appointed time to waite till that change doe come that so it may be unto them a happy change and they may with hope and comfort resigne their soules into the hand of their Creator and not be afraid to say with our Prophet in the Text Lord take away my soule which is the request it selfe which in old Simeons Language I call the Prophets Nunc dimittis In which are these three things First The Person The Lord. Secondly The Act take away Thirdly The Object my soule From the first note He might not take it away himselfe his soule was not his own he might not of his own head dismiss it himselfe though it were in him in never so much bitterness but he must stay the time till God that gave it him remands it again in the meane time In his pâ—tience possess his soule and all the dayes of his appointed time waite untill his change should come It is the refore a despâ—rate course of desperate men to antedate this Act of God by offering violence to themselves and so letting out their own soules as Achitophel and Judas did such think thereby to rid themselves of some present griefe or discontent by ridding-themselves of their lives but it is a delusion of Satan to tell them so herein they doe but leape out of the Frying Pan into the Fire as the Proverbe is for if this life did scourge them with scourges that other without the extraordinary mercy of God will torment them with Scorpions It was said of Hanniball That he alwaies carried three or foure drops of strong poyson inclosed under the stone of his Ring that at any time if he were hard set as Saul once was upon the loss of the day in a Battell against the Philistines he might sup them out and prevent his falling into his enemies hands as Saul then upon the same occasion fell upon his Speare and with the help of the fugitive Amalekite Slew himselfe And that stout hearted Prince which being taken Prisoner and carried about by the Conqueror in a silver Cage impatient of his Captivity and not having where withall to make away himselfe beat our his braines against the barrs of the Cage We could instance in too many such God knows which by hanging drowning poysoning and other kinds of death have made away themselves these our Law calls Felones de se Felons of themselves and inflicts upon them as grievous a punishment as they are capable of being dead by an ignominious buriall And yet I dare not say peremptorily of all such that they are certainly and eternally damned though there be nothing visible to us whereby we may judge otherwise of them yet who can limit the mercies of the most high or know what secret communication of spirit there may be in them between the beginning of the act and the end of it Inter pontem fontem between the bridge the brook between the stirrup and the ground mercy I ask't mercy I found Judas was not damned for hanging himselfe but for his I reason but to leave them to their own Master and Maker to stand or fall But Secondly There are more Felones de se selfe murderers or which at least are accessary to their own deaths then these though the Law doe not call them so As first All lewd and ungodly persons which having not the feare of God before their eyes take wicked courses commit robberies burgleries rapes â—elones treasons murders and other such capitall Crimes such as that the Laws of the Land take hold of them and â—ut them off as not worthy to live upon the Earth not among the Society of men The cruell and blood thirsty man shall not live out halfe his dayes all such are at least accessary to their own deaths Secondly All luxurious and intemperate persons which by surfetting drunkenness and riotous living destroy themselves fill their bodies with noxious humours which breed in them mortall diseases Surâ—ets Fevers Dropsies dead Palsies and the like by which they shorten their dayes The Philosopher observ'd 〈◊〉 long agoe That Plures gulâ quam gladio There were more dyed by intemperance then by the sword Lastly All quarrelsome Persons such as are apt to give offence to others and to provoke others to give offence to them and so from words they fall to blows or to challenge one another to fight Duells in which both parties are guilty of Murder by the sixth Commandement and as well he that is killed as he that killeth is at least accessary to his own death In none of these cases can a man say confidently That the Lord doth take away his soule he throweth it away himselfe and destroyeth himself 2. From this the Prophets request unto the Lord To take away his soule we may inferr That though a man may not take away his own soul yet in some cases he may make it his Suit to Almighty God that he would doe it So did old Simeon before mentioned So did St. Paul 2 Tim. 4.6 So did Moses Numb 11.15 So did Job cap. 6.8.9 So did Jeremiah cap. 20. So did Jonas Jonah 3.3 So did our Prophet in the Text I dare not justifie nor excuse all these which I have mentioned in this their request I suppose that in some of them it proceeded from passion and impatience and so it was their infirmity and blame-worthy yea in this our Prophet himself if there were not in this his request a tacite submission to the will of God it could not be excused but it proceeded from infirmity in him but this doth not infringe the truth of my inference That in some cases the Saints and Servants of Almighty God may without sin make it their Suite to him That he will take away their soules that is by death and dissolution separate them from their bodies First That so he may be taken out of a wicked world Oh what a Hell is it to a pious foule to be ingag'd in a wicked world For a Lot to live in Sodom A David in Meshech It was a farr greater mercy which God shewed to Enoch in taking him out of the world from the Flood at hand then that he shewed to Noah in preserving him in it Secondly In case of long and lasting sharpe and grievâ—us Afflâ—ctions Oh death how
their own mercy and putting from them the Kingdom of Heaven offered unto them and what happiness joy and glory the servants of God are arrived unto whom they despised to the greater aggravation of their sorrow and misery Therefore shall the sentence of Absolution be first pronounc't in these comfortable words Come ye blessed of my Father enter into the Inheritance of the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Every word carries in it life and glory Come ye blessed ones take possession of a Kingdom Who and what are we that the Lord should doe so much for us may they well say as to give us a Kingdom That 's the day of which St. Paul writing to the Thessalonians tells them Jesus Christ shall be admired in all them that beleeve 2 Thes 1.10 not onely by them but in them by Men and Angells to see that the Lord hath exalted his poor humble and despicable servants to so high honour that he hath brought them hitherto Then shall the righteous shine as the Sunne in his brightness Wisedom 5.1 2 3 4. in the Kingdom of their Father After this shall the Judge turne himselfe to the wicked on the left hand and pronounce against them the sentence of condemnation in these words Ite maledicti Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Every word full of death and terror Goe and goe ye cursed and goe into fire and fire everlasting and fire prepared Isay 30.33 and prepared for the Devill and his Angels so these shall goe into everlasting torments and the righteous into life eternall And this is the third estate of of immortall souls and in this they shall abide for ever without alteration without end And so I end my Discourse upon this Subject in which I may truely say with Moses I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing Heaven and Hell that so you may chuse the better and that you may doe it in time while remedy may be had That you may live and not dye that you may be blessed and not cursed that your Portion may be in Heaven and not in Hell Amen IT tests now that I should speak something 〈◊〉 the third part of the Text in these words For I am no better then my Fathers But an intervenient occasion makes me interpose a few Lines for the satisfaction of some of whom I heare they should say That in the former Discourse concerning the state of souls separated from their bodies I Preach't New Doctrine And ask't whereunto is was usefull Which exception hath two parts in it The first Concerning the newness of it And the second Concerning the uselesness of it To both which I must say something in way of vindication And as to the first The newness of it To pass by all that hath been Written by the Learned Schoolemen of the Romish perswasion because they were of the Romish perswasion and yet if we should reject all that is written by the learned of the Romish perswasion because they were of the Romish perswasion we shall doe our selves as much wrong as them but to wave them I could fill up my Page with the testimonies of Learned and holy men unexceptionable which have declared themselves of the same Judgement in this matter That neither the souls of the just nor the unjust doe immediately upon the separation of them from the body 〈…〉 the state of their ternall being but into a state intermediate and different from the third state at least in degree in which they doe remain untill the Resurrection and the generall Judgement The one in Prison the other in Paradise The one amongst the evill Angells the other among the good Angells The one in the mouth of Hell it selfe and in the beginnings of woe and torment in a great degree and the other in the very entrance into the highest Heaven in bliss and joy and happiness unspeakable and glorious I should make a long business of it here to cite and to recite the testimonies of the Ancients in this matter but to save my selfe and Reader that labour let me intreat him to consult the Writings of an eminent Divine well known and approved of in the Evangelicall Churches for Learned and Orthodox and Professor of Divinity in the University of Lausanna I meane Bucanus a man as directly opposit to Purgatory and Popery as Light is to Darkness in his Common Places Loc. 39 under the Title De Vita aeterna he proposes this very Question in these words First of the souls of the faithfull Anne anunae piorum nunc a corporibus separate perfecta tonsummata beatitudine fruantur Whether the souls of the faithfull separated from their bodies doe presently enjoy perfect bliss and consummate happiness Unto which he makes this Answer Satis sit nobis scire illicô à discessu è corpore spiritum redire ad Deum qui dedit illum Eccles 12.7 Esse cum Christo Philip. 1.23 In Paradiso Luke 23.43 In pace Sapien. 3.3 In requie Heb. 4.3 In consolatione Luke 16.25 In refrigerio Sap. 4.7 In securitate Job 11.15 In manu Dei ut minime attingit eum cruciatus Sapien. 3.1 In glorificatione Wisd 5.1 Thus Englished Let it be enough for us to know That presently upon the departure of it out of the body the spirit returns to God that gave it that it is with Christ that it is in Paradise that it is in Peace in rest in comfort in a place of refreshment in security in the hand of God so that no evill shall touch it that it is in glory all glorious expressions setting forth the happy state of the souls of the Saints which they pass into presently upon the separation of them from the bodies But then marke what follows he comes in upon all this with an adversitive tamen notwithstanding which in answer to the Question here proposed hath the force of a negative for thus it followeth Quia tamen resurrectionem corporum expectant fruitionem plenissimam omnium bonorum quae Deus promisit diligentibus ipsum non in perfecta jam consummata sed inchoata beatitudine versari dici possunt Englished thus Yet notwithstanding because they expect the resurrection of their bodies and the most full fruition of all those good things which God hath promised to them that love him they may be said to be not in the full fruition of their perfect and consummate happiness but in the beginning of it or their happiness inchoated and begun Thus Bucanus Com. Loc. 39. pag. 447. And for proofe of this he alleageth the same Text of Scripture that I have done Rev. 6.9 10 11. Vsque quo Domine How long Lord how long Aquinas brings in a another Scripture for proofe of this truth 2 Tim. 4.8 From henceforth is layd up for me a Crowne of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give unto me at that day At what day At the day