and gazing at him whose glory should it but shine forth would overwhelm the most sanctified mortal here on earth And when the 〈◊〉 of God is seen the soul is all light all love All the excellencies and beauties in the creatures whereby affection is attracted in comparison of what is to be seen in God are not so much as the thousandth part of the least spark of fire compared with the Sun when it shines in its greatest strength and noon-tide glory The face of God will then be smooth not one frown to be seen not one look that will manifest the least displeasure Nothing but smiles and glorious aspects which will evidently shew the incomprehensible greatness of his love unto and joy that he takes in the perfectly purified vessels of glory 2. Another consequent of this union to God will be likeness to him But as for me sayes David I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Psal 17. 15. The sight of God will be transforming and that likeness will cause abundant satisfaction The beholding of the Lord in his ordinances does in a degree change us into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. ult and much more the beholding of him in his kingdom 1 Joh. 3. 2. 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 Then the Image of God begun here will be compleated Here 't is but like a rude draught like a picture in dead colours but then the piece will have had Gods last hand upon it the work will be finished and Oh how exactly like will all the children be to their holy and heavenly Father Now they hunger and thirst after righteousness but then the promise of filling them will be fulfilled and performed to the uttermost 3. Another consequent of this union to God will be the full enjoyment of him The Saints paâ—t after the Lord now as the chased Hart after the water-brooks but in glory they shall have as much of God as they can desire or contain The holy Ghost tells us that God will be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. All that they can wish all sufficient to fill them to the brim The goodness and power and faithfulness and love of God have sometimes deep and sweet impressions on the Saints now But whot will the impressions then be how durable how transporting they shall lye as it were with their heads at the fountain of living waters perpetually no thirst no scantiness will be complained of These are the consequents of that near union and communion to God wherein this life above will consist 2. That life above will be most holy and unspotted Sin will be pardoned and quite and clean abolished Filia devâ—rabit Matrem Death the daughter will put an end to sin the mother Believers though alive by grace do carry a body of death about with them which makes the condition somewhat like theirs who fâ—ll into the hands of the Tyrant of old called Mezentins who Mortua jungebat corpora vivis Componenâ— manibusque manus atq oribus ora Virg. joyned the members of a living man to a dead carkass the hands and breast and face of the one to those of the other But when the Saints are come to glory the body of death will be â—illed though the natural body will be raised yet the body of sin will never have a resurrection Instead of Oh wretched who shall deliver us will be glory and everlasting praise to him who hath made us free from sin the worst of evils and from all the lesser miseries that attend it The Spouse of Christ will then be presented a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but 't will be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 27. Then the blood of Christ will have had its perfect operation The Saints will be washed white as Snow they will look as white or whiter then Adam did in innocency All spots will be done off Every wrinkle wil be smoothed and the members every one of them like their head altogether lovely The Church is now fair as the Moon spots it hath with its fairness sometimes it waxes sometimes it wanes but when 't is translated to heaven 't will be clear as the Sun it self Canâ— 6. 10. 3. That life above will be most sweet and pleasant The Saints shall no longer cry out vanity and vexation of spirit as they did when under the Sun But God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things be past away Rev. 21. 4. When they come to live in the presence of God their Joy will be so full as to be un 〈…〉 able of any addition when they are at Gods right hand their pleasures will be for ever Even in this vail of tears there is a peace attended which passes all understanding a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory So that the Saints mouthes are songs in the house of their pilgrimage Oh then how short and unsuitable are out apprehensions of the pleasures dealt forth in the heavenly paradise 4. That life above will be most secure and safe Dangers will then be all gone thorow When we are entring into the gate of the New Jerusalem we shall shake hands with all the enemies that before molested us and not so much as one of them will be able to follow us The great gulph between us and them will keep them off at an everlasting distance There will be no danger either from within or from without No serpent in that paradise to tempt man again to fall from his restored innocency The heart will confired in goodness 't wil never have the least inclination to decline from God There will be no need of that vigilancy and standing upon our guard that now is necessary for our hearts will be perfectly cured of their deceitfulness and there will be no adversaries to lay snares for us 5. That life above will be most quiet and peaceable 'T is not improbable that in the latter dayes there will be a more peaceable Church state than as yet there hath been when that promise and others of the like nature will be more visibly accomplished Isa 11. 4 5 6 7 8 9. The Branch of Jesse with righteousness shall judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth he shall smite the earth with the Rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he sâ—â—y the wicked and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loyns and faithfulness the girdle of his reins The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the
't is but reason that to the last we should be stedfast Cardinal Wolsey indeed was weary of the service of King Henry the Eighth and said If he had served God so faithfully as he had done the King God would not have forsaken him in his gray hairs But Christ is another kind of Master than any other Potentate Old Polycarpus said he had served Christ for several Scores of years and knew nothing but good by him and therefore in his old age he chose to suffer any thing rather than deny him The harder we follow after Christ and the longer we continue his disciples we discover new beauties new pleasures new treasures and so we can never find just reason to exchange since 't will be so much for the worse but just reason to the contrary since Christs lovliness and fulness and libetality in communicating of that fulness doth daily more and more abundantly appear 3. If we are not faithful to the death all that we have done before will be lost we shall lose those things which we have wrought and miss of our reward That 's a full place Ezek. 18. 24. But when the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abâ—minations that the wicked man doth shall he live All his righteousness that he hath â—one shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin which he hath sinned in them shall he dye By the righteous man we are to understand one that by profession is righteous and outwardly unblamable performing the duties required of him if he give out and turn aside all his duties will be lost all his hearing all his prayers all his deeds of justice and mercy will not be mention'd he continues not stedfast which shews he was never sincere however others were deceived in him and himself too USE The only Use of this Doctrine shall be to admonish all that profess the name of Christ to persevere to the end Depart from iniquity but never from your Lord. When first you give up your selves to Christ reckon upon this that you must ever abide with him Your closing with Christ is a marriage and this Husband never dies you must not give away your selves to another The Arguments to perswade you to be faithful till death are these 1. Many unfaithful ones at death tremble and are in horrour because of their Apostacy Conscience often awakes when the King of terrours is within view a dreadful sound is in the backsliders ears trouble and anguish make him afraid and prevail against him as a King ready to the Battel To have ones spirit wounded with anâ— tollerable stroke to have the Dâ—vils accusing the creatures all failing sins set in order before the eyes calamity as a storm ready to hurâ— one out of the would and God so far from piâ—ving as to laugh at ones destruction and to be comforted in the vengeance that is inflicted Ezek. 5. 13. must needs be very dreadful But this is the doleful case conclusion of many baâ—â— slâ—ders 2. Death is near at hand think net much of so short a time to be faithful If a Master should say Work hard to day and I will give thee an inheritance for thy life verily the most slothful would not think much of the heat and burthen Now God sayes abide in my service for a little while and then you shall rest from all your labours and sufferings and that rest shall be for ever Oh how should this encourage 3. Faithfulness to the death will take away the fear of death Death will be look upon a Messenger to tell you that your Lord can no longer brook your absence to tell you that your warfare is accomplished and that having been faithful in your Masters business you must enter into your Masters joy Be but faithful unto death and Christ will stand by you at death and after death he will receive you The Ninth Doctrine Vpon those that continue faithful unto death Christ will certainly bestow a Crown of Life and Immortality 〈◊〉 If the eye of Faith were but more open and strong-sighted how would this Crown glister and shine What a vehement inducement would it prove to perseverance In the handling of this Doctrine I shall first endeavour to shew what and what manner of life the text speakes of Secondly in what regard this life is called a Crown Thirdly lay down some arguments to prove the certainty of the certainty of the doctrine that the faithful shall be thus crown'd with immortality then close with the uses In the first place I am to shew what and what manner of life the text speakes of A subject I confess more fit for an Angels tongue then mine The soul while imprisoned in the body is of a narrow capacity and apprehends but little of that glory which is above The actual inhabitants of the new Jerusalem can bâ—â—t tell what kinde of habitation it is They that are but passing through the wilderness of this world know but little what manner of life is lead in the heavenly Cannaan yet since we have a Map of this blessed land of promise in the word let us take a view of it and let us view so long till we cry with Augustines mother Quid hic facimus What do we here and groan with pangs of desire to be gone from hence and possessed of our heavenly country Now what the word speaks of this life above in these particulars I shall declare 1. That life above will consist in the nearest union and conjunction to God Life natural is the result of union between the soul and body and life eternal of the union between the soul and God And truly to be banished and separated from the Lord for ever will be the second death The Apostle comforts the Thessalonians with this Chap. 4. Epist 2. v. 17. So shall we ever be with the Lord. How near their God will the Saints be admitted hereafter His dwelling in them is comparatively called an Absence in respect of that presence in the other world to be vouchsafed These three things will be consequent upon this union to God 1. One will be the vision or seeing of God sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know even as also I am known The Saints shall no longer complain of darkness of ignorance of those horribiles dubitationes as Melancthon calls them horrible doubtings concerning God with which they are sometimes haunted They shall see God immediately and what they behold how will it raise their love and joy and wonder The Lord said to Moses Thou canst not see my face and live q. d. Such a sight would be so glorious as that thy fraile nature would be overwhelmed by it But the perfected Saints are strengthened for such a felicity their life lies in looking
they are willing to be reproved for sin to be instructed concerning duty they hear they keep the word as well as hear it Prov. 10. 17. He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction So Prov. 6. 23. For the commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light and the reproofs of instruction is the way of life The word of God hath not only a convincing and a converting and an edifying power put 't will put the crown at last upon the head of the faithful therefore the Apostle affirms it able to give the inheritance Act. 20. 32. And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified 4. They who are Heirs to the Crown of Life do mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirits help they do it Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live The Heirs of life are weary of the body of sin and death therefore they crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts of 〈◊〉 They mortifie their members on earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence covetousness which is idolatry Col. 3. 5. Every sin that they see they look upon with an eye of grief and hatred and strike at it 5. They who are heirs to the Crown of Life have their fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from sin and become the servants of God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life The pure in heart shall see the Lord Mat. 5. 8. his back parts now his face in glory And truly the holy are only fit to behold the Holy One. Art thou an enemy to holiness Thou art an enemy to thy own life The heirs of life understand that Jerusalem above is an holy City therefore they apply plead the promise of sanctification they cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 6. They who are heirs to the Crown of Life persevere to the end they are faithful to the death as the Texâ— speaks they hold fast what they have that none may take their Crown away they not only begin but finish their course and keep the faith and so they receive a Crown of righteousness at the hand of the Lord the righteous Judge USE III. Suffer I beseech you a few words of Exhortation and I shall conclude with them 1. Let the serious and believing consideration of this Crown of life enliven and quicken you to every duty Art thou hearing for a Crown and praying for a Crown and wilt thou hear carelesly and pray coldly Doth not such a Kingdom as heaven is deserve thou shouldst use an holy violence to take it what slothful and dead when such glory is in view Oh strive to enter in at the strait gate that when thou seekest to enter in at Heavens door and cryest Lord Lord open to me entrance may not be denyed 2. Let this Crown of life be made use of to silence Satan to fence thee against temptation When the Devil tells thee of â—ase and gain and pleasure which sin will afford reply Come O thou lying and deceitful spirit put thy â—ase and gain and pleasure into one Ballance of the Sanctuary and I will put the Crown of life and glory into the other and what is sinful â—ase to the Saints rest or the gain of gold to the Saints glory or pleasures for a moment to eternal rejoycing Satan will not know what to say to this but perceiving unlikelyhood of prevailing will flee from you 3. Let this crown of Life loosen your hearts from the world Do not defile and load your selves with thick clay do not stick fast therein when such glory is so certain and near at hand Be not desirous of or content with a portion in this life since you are just entring upon a better Live as strangers and pilgrims on earth declare plainly that you seek a better country then the world hath any 4. Let this crown of Life steel your hearts against sufferings Fear not what enemies can do since the keyes of heaven hang not at their girdle nor glory is given of their pleasure Our Lord set the joy before him so he endured the cross and despised the shame Heb. 12. 2. and if you imitate him you shall at length sit down where he is at the right hand of the throne of God 5. Let this crown of life set you above the fear of dissolution it cannot be enjoyed till you are gone from hence you must dye before you can live the life above Let your death be natural or violent you must not be startled or amazed The Angels are ready to do their office to convey you to paradise Christs arms are open to receive you which are a part of his purchase and his redeemed ones Christ understands what 't is to dye 't is an unusual tryal which you can have experience of but once unusual strength shall be afforded If death were but lookt upon only as a dark passage into the glorious and lightsome inheritance it would be no longer terrible but desireable 6. let this crown of Life make you long for your Lords appearing Oh cry unto him to remove time and dayes out of the way and that the wheels of his chariot may make greater hast Long for the time when the heavens shall break asunder and the fairest of ten thousand shall shew his face through the clouds and sit upon his great white throne to judge the world in righteousness When he comes his reward will be with him Rev. 2 2. 12. Never a Saint shall be seen without a crown at that day And Oh what a spectacle will it be to behold the Head and all the members together every one having on a rich and sparkling diadem The Saints are described to be such as love their Lords appearing And there is reason they should wish for it For when Christ who is their life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in glory FINIS