neither subject to time nor age the motions thereof are eternall it apprehendeth things present absent past and future it deliberateth formeth directeth discourseth judgeth doubteth concludeth so excellent is it that the Oratour said God hath not given any thing so divine to man and that there are certaine lineaments thereof more beautifull then of the body the body is adorned by the soule without which beauty it selfe becommeth gastly and good Abraham saith give me a possession of a burying place that I may bury my dead out of my sight the soule cannot be deformed by any unevennesse discomposure or disproportion of the body which it animateth as a beautifull feature is the same in a poore cottage and in a magnificent palace so is it in the beauty of the soule which is vertue with which could wee but see the soule of a Saint there 's no embellishment on earth so glorious no created beauty here of so divine a lustre The soule though now shut up in his darke prison having onely some diviner breathings in the rapts and heavenly contemplations which sometimes call it up like Moses to the mount or like a Jacobs ladder landeth it in God's presence hath some knowledge of its originall by grace unspeakable joy in the apprehension thereof which arresteth the desire as appeared in Peter seeing Christ transfigured and Paul wishing to be dissolved it being a great signe of our interest in heaven that wee feare not to part hence he knoweth whether he shall goe who remembreth whence he came but what shall bee the beauty of an holy soule in its separation when it shall be restored to its native heaven when it shall be all light and God shall be all in all Christs raiment on the mount became shining white as snow so as no Fuller on earth could white them Moses face he having talked with God became so glorious that Israel could not behold it without a vaile what shall our glory be when we shall be like Christ 2. The faculties of the soule are the understanding will memory affections and senses internall and externall My purpose being not to enter the lists with Philosophers but to direct Christians I shall not further consider these then as some of them doe very much concerne the practicall part and right ordering the thoughts of the heart and minde to the service of God and our mortification whereby we may be accommodated thereto 3. The heart in scripture often taken for the principall seat of the rationall soule imparteth any faculty hereof the mind is the inward act the result and proceed of its reason and discourse the thoughts as they say animus consilii est anima vitae the minde is the fountaine of counsell the soule of life and againe we understand by the minde and live by the soule This minde of man is sometimes a soveraigne to governe in vertue and sanctimonie it selfe and the body sometimes a tyrant and indulging to vice which like the worme bred in the wood destroyeth its own originall misled by tumultuous passions lusts vaine desires and other perturbations of a discomposed minde which having unthroned reason dangerously usurpe the command a prudent man whose cogitare is his vivere in the light height and use thereof differing him not only from the brutes but ignorant men doth principally enjoy himselfe in his minde and inward man There is indeed in humane possessions nothing great and excellent but a great and good minde contemning externall greatnesse or supposed excellencies as power strength riches beauty obvious to sense in respect of thaâ— which is within apprehensible by the enlightned understanding and certainly the all-wise God wâ—o created the affections ordained them to none but some excellent end use in the soule as handmaides to devotion and religion neither would he in our regeneration kill but correct them by moderating them where they grew extreame and retrenching them into their own channels where they overflow their banks like over ranck water sources becomming muddy and troubled with that which they fetch in from without or reducing them where they arâ— exorbitant All extreames are foolish and dangerous a Stoicall apathie is incompatible with a well composed minde and violent passion with a prudent the dead calme corrupteth aire water and violent blasts disturb them the moderate more safely purify the meane is best Affections are as they said of Caligula there is no better servant nor worse master good commanded mischievous reigning like fire and water there necessary here destructive without love there can be no acceptable service without anger no zeale without feare no coërcive power in the soule without hope no comfort which bringeth us to a necessary consideration of the hearts corruption vanity and exorbitancy of the thoughts and the necessity of their regulation by some rules of practice 1. The Corruptions of the heart are all only evill continually the heart is the fountaine of sinne hence are adulteries murders thefts rapine rebellions all the sinnes of man all iniquitie is here forged as 't is written Isai 32. 6. his heart will worke iniquitie hence words of falshood are conceived and uttered here is the root of war and mischiefe here errour frowardnesse and that hardnesse which excludeth all capacity of hearing and understanding Gods word and judgments that they may repent and be healed is hatched The heart is deceitfull above all things who can knowe it Jer 17. 9. Here lodgeth hypocrisie Jer 3. 10. Here secret sinnes like that unseene multitude which rangeth through the paths of the deeps such is counsell in mans heart Prov 20. 5. Nor is this the condition of some few but the secret corruption of all naturall men nor are the regenerate absolutely freed from these pollutions being yet partly flesh 2. The dangers hereof hence appeare first in that these are the seeds of every sin and fomenters thereof yea that which barreth from remedy faith and repentance Secondly as the Physitians say if there be a fault in the first concoction there will follow the like in the rest so is it here the hearts faults are derived to the tongue and all the actions of man it is a people said the Lord that doe erre in their hearts and they have not knowne my waies As the eye is deceaved through a fals medium so is the minde through the cloude of false opinion and the very thought of foolishnesse is sinne into which they must needs runne who set not their heart aright and whose spirit is not stedfast with God Thirdly God fearcheth the secrets of all hearts and will once make all the thoughts thereof manifest Fourthly hee requireth the heart Prov 23. 26. If a man regard iniquitie there hee cannot be heard Psal 66. 16. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord.
dead shall live CHAP. XI Concerning life everlasting § 1. What life everlasting is § 2. Wherein the happinesse thereof consisteth § 3. What rules of practice we are to hold concerning the same 1 WE are in the last place to beleeve that which is the end of faith the salvation of our soules life everlasting necessarily inserted as the Corônis and finishing the articles of our beleefe why else should we beleeve our resurrection or any other article but that in beleeving all the Gospell we shal have eternall life 2. The life of man is that act of body and soule united whereby he liveth life in generall is either uncreated which is the Godhead living of and by himselfe and giving life to all living this is incommunicable to any creature created life is that which is in and by anothers power as 't is written in him we live move and have our being the life of man is either naturall in this world sustained by such meanes as God hath thereto appointed or spirituall which is our union with Christ inchoate here to bee perfected in the world to come where we shall have no more need of any of the creatures to sustaine us we have need for the present of the word and Sacraments to support our life of grace but there God will be all in all all good all happinesse no noise of hammer was heard in Solomons Temple when it was raising all was prepared before so here shall be no noise of prophesie or preachching that shall cease God will be our illumination preservation joy and life Rev 21. 22. and in this life desire is never satisâ—ied but there is the tree of life Christ Jesus in the midst of the heavenly Paradise giving life to all and silling all with such absolute blessednesse that if all the joyes on earth and an abstract thereof were present we could no more desire them then a prudent man could childrens rattles Paul regenerate counted all things vile and worthlesse in respect of Christ how much more shall the gloriâ—ied As the Sunne eclipseth or obscureth all inferiour light so doe the heavenly all secular joyes which like Eliahs mantle fall off in our ascension to the things which are above Our blessednesse in this eternall life shall consist in 1. An absolute freedome from all wants spirituall and bodily There shall be no ignorance of that wee should know no unbeleefe no diffidence in the mercy of God no servile feare no envy anger lust corrupt affection no sicknesse paine want violence oppression injury no sinne sorrow or effect of sinne 2. Perfect knowledge of God Moses could see onely his back parts we see the effects of his wisdome power and goodnesse the effence it selfe is incomprehensible we see now but in part there we shall see face to face as he is that is as much as we can be capeable of 3. Perfect love of God for his owne sake without measure because we shall knowe him as he is most amiable 4. An absolute and perpetuall Sabbath we keep one now every seaventh day and at best wee fayle in our sanctification thereof but there shall be all holy soules and bodies yet shall not our life bee meerely contemplative and inactive nor servile but eternally spent in the service of God without lassitude or irksomenesse which was prefigured in Priests officiating on the Sabbath without violation of the holy rest 5. Glory of bodies and soules reunited incorruption immortality spirituall and divine life shall shine on us as on Christ in his transfiguration all corruptible qualities being put off and if the now visible parts of the heavens are free from corruption how much more shall man in his glorious liberty seeing heaven and earth were made for him When Christ ascended no corporall weight hindered him when Elias beganne to bee changed He ascended into a Chariot of fire no elementary gravity hindred him so shall our bodies bee freed from the burthen of first and second qualities and all seeds of naturall corruption and made active to move in Gods service without let 6. Unspeakable joy in the presence of God and union with Christ whatsoever we here enjoy or rejoyce in is but imperfect and transitory there 's ever some evill mixed with our present good some feare of loosing or unexpected bitternesse in possessing but there shall be perfect and absolute joy without any mixture of evill to blast it Eternall life is an entire and most pleasant possession of all good an unchangeable eternall reall true perfect blessedresse which after millions of yeares expired shall be as far from ending as at the first if we thinke of more millions of ages then there have been minuts since time began yet if they were ever to end the expectation of a long deferred end must leave joy lesse absolute time wasteth what ere we suffer enjoy or doe this which I write dictate or peruse is taken from my life but eternitie is infinite and therefore nothing can be added or taken from it it being perfect when Paul was taken up into heaven he heard and saw but things unutterable 1. Cor 12. 4. eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor can the heart of man apprehend for present the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1. Cor 2. 9. Isai 64. 4. 't is easier to say what heaven is not then what it is 't is not like this wretched world the most secure best condition of this life is far short of the least joy therein there shall be no more evill to embitter or discompose our happy soules God shall wipe all tears from our eyes there shall be no more feare of death nor bitter parting of deare friends no privation of any good nor sense of evill hither no enemie is admitted hence no friend departeth The Rules we are here to practise are 1. Labour for true faith apprehending Christ hee only is the way none can come to the Father but through him Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh 3. 16. 2. Be holy if ever thou meanest to arive here no uncleane thing can enter Rev 21. 27. Heb 12. 14. 1. Cor 6. 9. 10. Math. 5. 8. when the rich man asked Christ what good thing shall I doe that I may eternally live He replyed keepe the commandements holinesse is the way to eternally life 3. Endure afflictions patiently our momentary afflictions shall cause a far more happy weight of eternall glory in the life to come 4. Set thy affections on things above and learne an holy contempt of this world the fashion whereof continually changeth that is true life which is unchangeably blessed the most pleasant temporall life compared herewith is not to bee reckned life 5. Here take comfort in all present distresses joy shall come when Joseph had made himselfe
known to his brethren the joy was so great that it pleased Pharaoh and all his servants Genes 45. 16. how great shall the joy be when all the Saints that ever have beene shall meet together in the court of the king of glory and Christ shall manifest himselfe unto us If John Baptist not seeing Christ with his bodily eyes did yet spring in his mothers wombe at the salutation of the blessed Virgin how shall we rejoyce when we come not only to see him face to face but to be fully and eternally united to him At Solomons coronation there was such joy as that the earth range with the sound of them but how unspeakeable shall our rejoycing be when Christ our peace shall appeare in his kingdome of glory of which shall be no ende Certainely no wise and considering man looketh on any worldly joy otherwise then on a dreame and soone vanishing vision but here shall be an interminable joy which no sorrow shall ever interrupt no time or age end As the Psalmist saith of Jerusalem many excellent things are spoken of thee O city of God yet as the Queene of Sheba said of Solomons magnificence I may of this life halfe was not told me Comfort thy selfe in all pressures of life and death what ever thou now canst suffer can be but short but the happinesse of the life to come shall be eternall The Prayer O Lord God Almighty the resurrection and life of all them that beleeve in thee strengthen our faith and comfort us in all our present sorrowes and decayes with a lively and full assurance that in the ruine and dissolution of these earthly tabernacles thou wilt repaire us to eternall incorruption and glory by the same power of thy quickning spirit which raised up our Lord Jesus the first fruits of the dead Give us a part in the first resurrection from the death of sinne unto the life of righteousnesse that the second death may have no power over us Give us grace to evercome all the messengers of Satan and the sinfull corruptions of flesh and blood which fight in us against our owne soules that we may triumph and rest secure in the victory of our faith that the gates of hell powers of death shall never prevaile against us give us that puritie of heart and sanctity of life wherewith thou here preparest all those whom thou wilt hereafter perfect with glory and eternall salvation Give us firme hope for the Anchor of our soule which in the fiercest rages that afflict our present life may lay sure and stedfast hold on the land of the living entring into that which is within the vaile whither the fore-runner Christ Jesus is for us entred Give us patience to â—eare all our present wants and greivances with that cheerefulnesse which becommeth those who are confident that thou who hast laid up the crowne of life for them wilt never faile them nor forsake them let it be a sure and never fading comfort to us a strong consolation for us who have fied for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us by thy owne word the Gospell when the sorrowes and terrours of death arest us and at our last gasp that our Lord Jesus dyed and rose againe to abolish death and bring life and immortality to light to purchase eternall glory for us â—nd that our death is but a short passage to blessednesse the gates of everlasting life and the sorrowes thereof but an entrance into eternall joyes and true endlesse and unspeakable happinesse through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN CHAP. XII Concerning Prayer § 1. What and how necessary it is § 2. The conditions thereof § 3. Motive to the earnest practice hereof § 4. Rules hereto belonging 1 WE have considered those things which wee are to beleeve that we may be saved we are next to consider those things which we must doe to Gods honour our consolation and assurance that our faith is sound seeing that not not every one that saith Lord Lord shall be saved but he that doth the will of God 2. The things which we must do are comprehended in the Law the first table whereof cencerneth our duty to God the second our duty to man Among our duties to God prayer is one of the chiefe 3. Prayer is a divine worship wherein we speake to God in true humility and devotion of the heart according to his will in true faith fervency of the spirit through the merit and mediation of Christ begging the things we want deprecating that we feare interceding for others or giving thanks for that we or others have receaved It is a colloquie of the soule with its Creatour when we read or heare his oracles the holy Scriptures he speaketh to us when wee pray we speake to him 'T is a kinde of reâ—luous grace which he only giveth who giveth the spirit of prayer helping our infirmities who know not what to pray as we ought it is a Postilion for heaven passing betweene God and man ariving in the moment 't is sent out nay before we speake hee will answer and while we are speaking heare who knowes all our wants before we aske it is the Dove of the soules Arke going and returning till it bring assurance of peace it is the ascension of the minde to God without which bended knees out spread hands and eyes lifted up the most decent and devout gestures with the most excellent compture and composure of words are but worthlesse shells of religion and vaine drawing neere to God with our lips the heart being farre from him The fervent intention of minde the silent language of the heart God heareth without any voice uttered when Moses was in an exigent at the red sea we read of no vocall prayer yet God said wherefore cryest thou unto mee 'T is better pray in silence then in attention of minde God heareth the heart what can lowd words availe where that is mute 4. He that will walk with God must often pray and heare prayer like Jacobs ladder lands thee in heaven and sets thee in Gods presence and the foot thereof is in humility The foundation of all vertue without which whatsoever and how high soever is built is but magnificent confusion Pride cast the apostate Angells from heavâ—â— how easily shall it keepe the presuming Pharisee thence The Publican going home justified only as a selfe condemning sinner not worthy nor daring to lift up his eyes to heaven but crying God be mercifull to mee a sinner sheweth humility to be a safe vertue 5. God's spirit inditeth and giveth audience to our prayers This is confidence we have in him if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us prayer is a divine antidote and remedy against the venome of sinne grounded on Gods promises extracted and gathered out of the Eden of his word whence we must collect both lawes to