forasmuch as such naked assertions vpon conjectures and appearances without farther warrant of Gods word might seeme inautentik and to make no faith Therefore the premises are authorised by divers testimonies of the Scripture wherby the certitude of the joies of the life to come is confirmed Thereafter it is declared how these eternall pleasures shall not onely be extended to the soule of man but also to the body which shall rise againe perfit in all the members and senses and shall be delighted with the owne objects But the chiefe object shall be the Majestie of God containing the perfection of al things wherewith they shalbe whollie repleat So being clothed with the glory and filled with the perfection of the most high the Sonne of mans perfection is thereby summarly collected together with the maner howe the elect shall be exercised in the world ro come Last in order followes the perpetuitie of the time during the which this vnspeakable joy and glory shall endure The which in respect it shall admit no period but shall be comprehended vnder an infinite eternitie the felicitie appeares the more admirable and great Finally by reason of the exorbitant affliction of the godly and raging insolencie of the enemies The conclusion containes a briefe praier to our Lord Iesus Christ to shorten and accelerat his glorious comming that thereby all these miseries may take an end and the eternall felicitie hoped for may beginne This brieflie is the summe and deduction of all which if wee consider Brethren with sanctified and well disposed hearts I think it may serue to our singular comfort in all seasons be as a buckler against al temptations For in time of prosperitie we may lift vp our mindes and be assured that there is yet a greater prosperitie abiding vs which shall endure for ever in the world to come And in the midst of troubles we may settle our selues and find reliefe here when we remember that our sorrowes shal shortly take an end and that we are to receiue a reward even a perpetuall glory of body and soule whereof all our sufferings cannot be worthie Herefore let vs comfort our selues in these things and be content with faith full Abraham to abide here a while vpon this earth as in a strange countrie ever looking as he did for a Citie having a foundation whose builder and maker is God Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Let vs haue grace whereby wee may so serue God that we may please him with reverence and feare for yet a very little while and he that shall come wil come and will not tary The loue of God and grace of our Lord Iesus be with you all Amen At Polvvart the 8. day of Aprill 1594. yeares A loving Brother of all Christs little Flock A. H. OF THE FELICITIE OF THE Life to come WEe see that according to the saying of the Psalmist The miseries are manye which righteous men do suffer in this life As povertie sicknes ignominie imprisoning banishment grief of mind and death of the body And these miseries they not only suffer perforce as sent by God whose mightie hand no fleshe is able to resist but voluntarily they incur the miseries trobles which they might eschew all for professing of the name of Christ and imbracing of his true worshipping and service which if they wold forsake deny they might be free from the cruell torment of their bodies they might saue their owne liues enjoy their owne goods and liue at libertie in their owne cuntries Likewise we see that willinglie they suffer wrong injurie and reproch and receiues great shame losse of them whome they might recompence and requite with the like offences Neverthelesse they avenge not themselues although they might but remits the revenge to God Nowe then there results here two questions The one is why the Lord seeing all things are at his gift and disposition doeth so hardly intreate his servants in this life For all the earth is the Lords All beasts are mine saith the Lord on the hilles on the mountains Gold silver and riches hee may giue at his pleasure and high honours for promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West but from aboue To be short he giues libertie and makes the heart cheerfull and glad he hath power to conserue the body in health and to prolong or abridge the daies of man as seemes good in his eies The other question is Why righteous men do voluntarilie suffer and vnderlie those troubles which they might easilie eschew and takes vp patiently the reproches wrongs which they might resist and acquite which is a thing most hard of digestion to fleshe and blood and is plaine repugnant to mans owne nature and inclination The first question contains two parts The one is why God giues not all kinde of temporall benefits to his servants according to their hearts desire The other part is Why God doth so miserablie afflict his servants in this life To the first it is answered That the Lord is a wise discreet stewart and dispensator of his benefits and seeing he hath created and made vs hee knowes our strength and weaknes what is most meete for vs and howe able wee are to beare and vse his giftes and benefites Therefore wee may lay this for a sure ground That the Lord bestowes his temporall gifts on his seruants ever in such measure and in so far as he knowes them to be needful for the pilgrimage of this life and for their eternal salvation Let no man then that fears God think that the Lord hath bestowed lesse or more of his benefits vpon him nor is expedient for the making of his journey for his everlasting salvation which I think should moue every man to settle himselfe and to be hartilie well content with the worldly giftes which God hath given him whether they be much or litle in great mesure or in smal An other reason there is why the Lord giues not these worldly giftes to his servants according to their manlie hearts desire because God rewards not his own according to their worthines but according to his greatnes Which rewarde by the selfe same reason cannot be worldly nor temporall but eternall and everlasting like vnto the giver thereof Thus much concerning the disposition of temporall benefits to the righteous I come nowe to the other part of the first question Why the Lord not onelie denies prosperitie to his servants in such measure as they would wishe but also doeth visit them with great trouble and affliction in this life The causes are many and divers wherefore the Lord doth afflict his own servants First forasmuch as wee haue no permanent dwelling or long residence here he visits vs with troble to the effect that our minde and delectation be not fixed on earthly things but rather should be lifted vppe to
the place where our everlasting residence should be which if the Lord did not the nature of man is so corrupt and the vanities of the world so agreeable to him that without all question hee would be more carefull and mindfull of the earth and earthly things which are daily present before his eies nor of the heaven and of heavenly things which hee sees not and are onely to come and not present Secondly by affliction the heart of man is stirred vp to serue God and to be charitable towards his neighbour For we see that in time of sicknes of povertie of sorrowe of apparent or imminent danger wee are very devout and loving one to another and will both crye vnto the Lord for help and will haue compassion vpon such as are in distresse which in time of prosperitie wee regard but little For when wee haue things flowing with vs according to our hearts desire Incontinent we fall in a carelesse securitie and becomes colde and slothfull in religion and froward one towards another which thing adversitie doeth remoue and remeid Thirdly the Lord by trouble lets vs knowe when wee are cast downe howe vnable we are to helpe our selues And likewise he lets vs knowe his great mercie and power in raising vs vp againe which makes vs to drawe neere vnto him in time of trouble and to feare to offend and fall from him when wee haue once apprehended him and tasted of his mercie loving kindnes Fourthlie the seed of sinne and of all vice which is naturallie sowen in all our hearts is snibbed and pressed down with trouble But in time of prosperitie it ever springs vp and brings forth the fruits of iniquitie Fiftly affliction brings forth greate patience in vs for beeing experimented with the discipline and correction of the Lord that experience of his justice and mercie and of his woonderfull workes ingenders as the Apostle saith Patience and Patience brings forth experience and experience ingenders hope Last of all the sharpnes of adversitie which wee suffer makes vs both to know the sweetnes of prosperitie and what our Saviour Iesus Christ suffered for vs which should inflame vs with an exceeding great loue and thankfulnes towards him But it is a small thing of any trouble which can come to the righteous man for as David subjoynes to his saying which I cited in the beginning The Lord delivers him out of them all Therefore let vs lay this for a ground infallible That the Lord shall ever send either an hastie deliverāce to his servants in their trouble or else shall giue them such strength and patience to abide the same that they shall haue as great joye and contentment in time of adversitie as others haue in time of prosperitie And when it pleaseth the Lord to glorifie himselfe by their death they are sure of the joy and life eternall Take heede to the hastie deliverance of Hezekiah when he was sick to the patience of Iob and to the long suffering of Paul which hee did beare with joye and gladnesse The other question why the righteous suffers willinglie the troubles and wrongs which they might easilie eschew contrary to mans nature and naturall reason shall receiue this answere This saith our Saviour Iesus Christ If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow me To deny our selues is to quite and renounce all those things which are agreeable to our corrupted affections and not to seek and haunt our own pleasures our owne profite our owne praise our owne wit and our owne will But to set them all aside in so far as they may be hinderful to the true service and worshipping of God To take vp our crosse daily is to prepare vs for daily affliction and to vnderlie one trouble after another for the obedience that wee owe to God and to followe the example of our Maister and Saviour Iesus Christ in leading an holy pure and sinceare life Againe he saith Whosoever shall forsake houses brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake hee shall receiue an hundreth fold more and shall inherit everlasting life And againe hee saith He that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it Now concerning suffering of injury and wrong thus saith the Lord Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heven whereby it is to be vnderstood that they that suffers for their faults and offences are not partakers of this blessing but only such as innocently and patiently suffers injury and wrong Herefore the Apostle Peter saith Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an evill doer or as a busie body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe Againe our Maister saith to his Disciples Blessed are yee when men reviles you and persecutes you and saith al manner of evill against you for my sake falsly Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven And againe hee saith Resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also Item loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which hurt you and persecute you that yee may be the Children of your Father that is in heaven For hee makes the Sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sends raine on the just and vnjust Farther he saith do good and lend looking for nothing again and your reward shal be great and yee shall be the children of the most high for he is kinde to the vnkinde and to the evill Now of these sayings I gather the conclusion of my answere That the righteous bears such reverence and obedience to these precepts and commandements and beleues these promises so constātly having a sure hope of the reward which is promised That they despise the world and the vanities thereof forsakes and renounceth their houses riches cuntries wiues children friends and possessions and exposes and offers themselues willingly to all kinde of affliction and trouble yea to the very death it selfe knowing that their reward is prepared for them and as the Apostle Paul saith that all the troubles which they can suffer in this life is not worthie of that glory which they shall receiue It is here then to be marked that the righteous receiues not their chiefe reward in this world but in the worlde to come For the reward promised is an euerlasting reward and in this world wee see that nothing is everlasting but all temporal momentine This is a stumbling block to naturall and worldly men To wit that the rewarde of the godly as appears to them is long in comming that they must die the death before they
BEVLAH or Maried For the Lord delights in thee and thy Land shall haue an Husband for as a young man marieth a Virgine so shall thy sonnes marrie thee And as a bridegrom is glad of the bride so shall thy God rejoice over thee And in the Apocalips Christs flock saith Halleluiah that is by interpretation praise yee God for our God Almightie hath raigned Let vs be glad and rejoice and giue glory to him for the mariage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath made her selfe reddy And to her was granted that she should be arrayed with pure fine linnen and shining for the fine Linnen is the righteousnes of the Saints Thereafter the Angell of God saith vnto Iohn I will shew thee the bride the Lambs wife and he shewed me saith Iohn the great Citie holy Ierusalem which is the number of the Elect descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God This comparison the spirit of God maketh betweene Christ and his Church because that like as the husband and the wife are made one flesh so are the faithfull made one with Christ by participation of his body blood through faith And as the bridegrome doth procreate Children with his bride So doth Christ procreat Children in his Church by his holy spirit and makes her to be plentiful in bringing forth sonnes and daughters to inherit his kingdome But to returne to the pleasure of the Elect in the life to come it is also compared to a solemne banquet by the spirit of God And in this mountaine saith the Prophet Esay shall the Lord of hosts make vnto all people a feast of fat things Even a feast of fined wines and of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified And Saint Iohn in his Revelation saith that he saw a pure river of water of life cleare as Christal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe which is Iesus Christ and on either side of the River was the tree of life which bare twelue manner of fruites and gaue fruite every moneth and the leaues of the tree served to heale the Nations with It is also saide in the Apocalips Blessed are they that are called vnto the Lambes supper And our maister Christ saith whosoever drinks of the water that I shall giue him shall never be more a thirst but the water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into everlasting life Moreover the Lord proposeth to the faithfull all the blessings which are contained in the Lawe and so vnder temporall things comprehends the spirituall promises They shall feede in the waies saith the Prophet and their pastures shall be in al the tops of the hilles they shal not be hungrie nether shal they be thirstie neither shall the heate smite them nor the sunne for hee that hath compassion on them shal leade them euen to the springs of waters shal he driue them Lo saith the Lord every one that thirsts come ye to the waters and ye that haue no silver come buy and eat come I say buy wine and milke without silver Harken diligently vnto me and eat that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnes Likewise the Lord speaking to his afflicted members saith O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest that hath no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with the Charbukle and lay thy foundation with Saphires and I will make thy windowes of Emeraudes and thy gate shining stones and all thy bordours of plesant stones And for the farther comfort of his elect hee proceeds and saith All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord much peace shal be to thy Children In righteousnes shall thou be established and be far from oppression for thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come neere thee For the montains shal remoue and the hills shal fal downe but my mercy shal not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee This is the heritage of the Lords servants and their righteousnes is of me saith the Lord. And insisting in the consolation of his Church this saith the Lord to it Whereas thou hast bene forsaken and hated so that no man went by thee I will make thee an eternal glory and a joy from generation to generation Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles and suck the brests of kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy redeemer the mightie one of Iacob For brasse wil I bring gold and for yron will I bring silver and for wood brasse and for stones yron I will also make thy garment peace and thy exactors righteousnes Violence shal be no more heard off in thy land neither desolation nor destruction within thy borders But thou shalt call salvation thy walles and praise thy gates Thou shalt haue no more the Sunne to shine by day neither shall the brightnes of the Moone shine vnto thee For the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and thy God thy glory thy Sunne shal never go downe neither thy Moone be hid for the Lord shall be thy everlasting light and the daies of thy sorrowes shall be ended Thy people also shal be al righteous they shal possesse the land for ever The graiffe of my planting shall be the work of my hands that I may be glorified Moreover the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet comforts his Elect and threatneth the wicked in these wordes Behold my servants shall eat and ye shall be hungrie Beholde my seruants shall drink and ye shall be thirstie Behold my servants shal rejoice and ye shall be ashamed Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart and yee shal cry for sorrowe of heart and shall howle for vexation of mind and yee shall leaue your name as a curse vnto my chosen For the Lord God shall slay you and call his servants by another name He that shall blesse in the earth shal blesse himself in the true God he that sweares in the earth shal swear by the true God These are hevenly consolations and promises which are partly begunne in this life but shall not be fullie accomplished while the life to come Wherevpon the faithfull flock of Christ takes occasion to rejoice and is prophesied to burst out in these wordes I will greatly rejoice in the Lord and my soule shall be joyfull in my God For hee hath clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousnes He hath decked me like a bridegrome and as a bride attyreth her selfe with her jewells For as the earth brings forth her budde and as the Garden causes to growe that which is sowne in it So the Lord God will cause righteousnes to growe and praise before the Heathen But forasmuch as the pleasures of the soul
him that sits vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for ever more Wee shall also sing the songe of Moses and the songe of the Lambe saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almightie just and true are thy waies King of Saints Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy and al Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest We shall sing Hallel-uiah hallel-uiah salvation and glory and honour and power be to the Lord our God For true and righteous are his judgements Thus much concerning the plesures which we shall injoy in the life to come Of the Permanence of the world to come IT rests now that we speake somewhat concerning the time and space howe long the heavenly dwelling place the company and the pleasures foresaid shal indure To augment our joy and felicitie it is to be vnderstood that that celestiall dwelling that blessed societie and those inestimable pleasures shall never take an end but shall indure eternally without any limitation of time For it is called a blessed immortalitie and an everlasting life So that ten thousand years or thousand millions of years hath not so great a proportion with the length thereof as a moment of time hath with thousande millions of yeares For so much as no prolixitie of time can approch in any wise to the bounds or end thereof For the life everlasting is without bounds or end whatsoeuer I suppose that if any Prince or potent man vpon earth which liues welthelie and well could be certified that he shuld continue in that estate and should liue and not see death vnto the end of the worlde I suppose I say that albeit the pleasures and prosperitie of this life be mixed with innumerable sorrows griefs Nevertheles he should rejoyce therein exceedingly and count himself happy aboue al other men How much more then ought wee to rejoyce which shall dwell in that celestiall kingdome accompanied with the saints with the holy Angels and with the Father Sonne and holy Ghost And shall injoye all the pleasures aboue rehearsed and more nor the wit of man is able to devise and shall liue and continue in that estate without diminishing intermission or alteration thereof for ever and ever O felicitie aboue all felicities the hope whereof causes the faithfull to suffer great things makes their extreame pains to appear but gentle small and makes the heart to spring for joy with the very remembrance thereof O sweete Iesus Christ when shall we be made partakers of that promised felicitie When shall we see the glory which thou hast with thy Father Doubtles even at thy comming againe Lord and at thy appearing in the cloudes Come then sweet Saviour for we look and long for thy comming and deliverance Thy litle members are grievouslie afflicted they sigh and sob daily vnder thy crosse and werieth of the yoke and burden of sinne Thine enemies rejoyce and persecutes thy litle flock they haue taken a liberty they delight in wickednes and followes the lusts and affections of their own hearts because they esteeme the day of thy comming to be farre off they attend it not but esteems thee slowe slack like vnto themselues Thou beholdest these thinges O Lord Make hast therefore and put end to the troubles of thy servants and to the rage and insolencie of Sathan and of all his supposts that we may dwell with thee in thy holy montaine lauding and praising thee thy Father and the holy spirit in eternall vnitie with all kinde of heavenly praise for ever and ever world without end Amen FINIS 2. Cor. 12.4 Esai 25.6 Apoc. 22. 2. Cor. 15.44.50 Heb. 11.9.10 Heb. 10.23 Heb. 12.28 Heb. 10.37 Psal. 34.19 Psal. 50.10 Psal. 75.6 Psa. 103.14 Mat. 6.8 Rom. 5.3 Psal. 39.19 2. King 20.4 Luk. 9.23 Mat. 19.29 Mat. 10.39 Mat. 5.10 1. Pet. 4.15 Mat. 5.11 Mat. 5.39.44 Luke 6.38 Rom. 8.18 Psal. 90.10 Rom. 6.23 1. Thess. 4.16 1. Cor. 15.52 1. Cor. 2.9 Isai. 57.13 Apoc. 21.2 Psal. 15. Isai. 57.15 Psa. 148.1 Rev. 21.10 Exo. 31.2 1. Cor. 2.9 Isai. 51.6 65.17 66.22 2. Pet. 3.13 Reve. 21.1 1. Cor. 6.9 Reve. 21. 27. Isai. 60.21 Psal. 15.1 Isai. 45.20 Isai. 49.6 Rev. 21.26 Gen. 3 24. Col. 1.16 Revel 21.4 Isai. 65.16 Isai. 62.2 Apoc. 19.6 Apoc. 21.9 Isai. 25.6 Reu. 22.1 Apoc. 19.9 Ioh. 4.14 Isai. 49.9 Isai. 55.1 Isai. 54.11 Isai. 54.10.17 Isai. 60 1â— Isai. 65.13 Isai. 61.10 Iob. 19.26 1. Cor. 15.52 Mat. 25.46 Iohn 20 17.27 Revel 4.3 Exo. 19.16 Exod. 24. â— Exod. 34.29 Apoc. 21.7 Dan. 12.3 2. Tim. 4.8 Revel 4.8.11 Rev. 5. â—â—â— Rev. 15.3 Apoc. 19.1