corpore est egressa subito judicium Christi de se latum cognoscit Aug. l. 1. de anim èjus orig c. 4. Hier. Fp. ad Pannat b Anima damnata continuò invaditur à daemonibus qui crudelissimè eam rapientes ad infernum deducunt Cyril Alex. in Orat. de exit anim Matth. 5. 34. 23. 21. Luke 12. 20. Luke 16. 22 23. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Jude ver 6. Luke 16. 24 c 2 Pet. 2. 9. Jude ver 7. Rev. 11. 18. d Joh. 5. 28 29. Rev. 20. 13. e Mat. 24. 29. Luke 21. 24 25. The damnâ— Soalâ— apostrophe to the Body at their second meeting Maâ— 13. 41. * Mat. 25. 33. †Ansel. Militat * Rev. 6. 16 17. Bonavent Postil Dom. â— post Pent. Serm. 2. Rev. 21. 8. Bonavent Matth. 9. g John 3. 5. h Joh 1. 1. i Gal. 4. 6 7. 2 Cor. 9. 8. k Eph. 4. 2 3 13. Col. 3. 10. l Rom. 4. 8 25. Rom. 8. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 24. m Rom. 4. 5 19. n 2 Cor. 5 19. o Rom. 8. 23. 24. p Acts 16. 18. Eph. 2. 2. q John 20. 17. r Rom. 8. 20. Rom. 8. 17. s Rev. 1. 6. t 1 Pet. 2. 5. Mal. 3. 17. a Rom. 8. 28. b Psal. 89. 31 33. Psal 119. 71. Heb. 12. 10. 2 Cor. 12. 7. c 1 Cor 15. 54 55 Heb. 2. 14 15 d Luke 22. 31 32. Ps. 51 13 14. Rom. 5. 20 21. e 1 Thess. 5. 23. f Rom. 8. 5 10. g Rom. 8. 16 * Heb. 4. 16. Eph. 3. 12. †Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15 16. c Rom. 5. 1 14. 17. d Rom. 14. 17. e Psal. 8. 5. c. Heb. 2. 7 8. f Rom. 14. 14. 1 Tim. 4. 2 c. g 1 Cor. 9. 19 20. h 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. Heb. 1. 7. i 1 Cor. 3. 22. k Mat. 25. 34 l Pet. 1. 4. Act. 1. 25 * Mat. 6. 32. 2 Cor. 12. 14. Psalm 23. Psal. 34 9 10. †Heb. 1. 14. Psal. 34. 7. Psal. 91. 11. * Isa. 4. 5. †Job 1. 10. * Psal. 34. 15. Gen. 7. 1. †Psal. 34. 19 a Phil. 3. 20. b Col. 3. 2. c 1 Cor. 1. 31. d Col. 3. 3. e Rev. 14. 13 f 2 Cor. 5. 6. g Joh. 14. 2. h Heb. 12. 22 c. i Psal. 41. 3. k Gen. 49. l 2 Cor. 5. 8. a Phil. 1. 23. b Psal. 42. 2. c Rev. 6. 10. d Rev. 22. 10. e Job 14. 5. f Ps. 31. 5. g Luk. 2. 29. Ps. 37. 37. Isa. 57. 2. h Psal. 31. 5. i Acts 7. 59. k Mat 18. 10. Act. 12. 15. 27. 23. l Luke 16. 22. m Mat. 8. 11. Luk. 12. 28. Acts 15. 10 11. Eph. 1. 10. Heb. 11. 9. 10. 16. 12. 22 23. Luke 19. 9. 9. 31. n Ps. 91. 11. Heb. 1. 14. o Rev. 14. 13. 22. 12. a 1 Cor. 6. 19. b 1 Cor. 6. 15. c Mat. 26. 26. d 1 Cor. 6. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 19 e 1 Thes 4. 14. Acts 7. 6. and 8. 2. f Dan. 12. 2 Joh. 5. 28 29. Luke 14 14. 1 Thess. 4. 16 17. Rev. 14. 13. g Luk. 16. 2. h Heb. 1. 14 and 12. 24 i 2 Tim 4. 8 Rev. 2. 10. 1 Pet. 5. 4. Col. 1. 6. Ephes. 1. 22. 1 King 10. 8. Luke 15. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Rev. 7. 9. Rev. 7. 9. a 2 Pet. 3. 10 12 13. b 1 Cor. 15. 52. 1 Thess. 4. 16. Joh. 5. 28. Ezek. 37. 7 8 c. c Rom. 8. 11. Phil. 3. 10 11. 1 Thess. 4. 14. d Rom. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 22. Mat. 19. 30. 1 Thess. 4. 14. Dan. 6. 23. Par est potestas Dei ad instituendos restituendos homines Athenagor e Isa 65. 20. a Tertul. de Resurrect c. 6. Hier. Epist. 27 61. Aug. lib. 12. de civit Dei cap. 17. omnes Theologi in 4 Sent. dist 1. 44. b Eph. 4. 13. Ita communiter credunt Theologi in 4. Sent. dist 44. Vide Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 22. c. 15. 16. Psal. 105. 37. Isa. 35. 6. 1 Cor. 15. 43. 1 Cor. 15. 41. Isa. 65. 20. Aug. Ench. cap. 90. * Mat. 13. 43. Luke 9. 31. 1 Thess. 4. 17. †Exod. 34. 29 * Mat. 17. 2. †Act. 6. 15. 1 Sam. 18. 4. Hest. 6. 4. * Ubi volet spiritus ibi â—rit corpus August Mat. 24. 28. †Isa. 40. 31. Wisd. 3. 7. * 1 Cor. 15. 46. Spiritualia post resurrectionem erunt corpora non quia corpora esse desistant sed quia spiritu vivificante subsistunt Aug. lib. 13. de civit Dei cap. 22. Psal. 8. 5. Phil. 3. 21. Heb. 2. 16. Heb. 1. 14. Psal. 91. 11. * Jude ver 6. †2 Pet. 2. 4. a 2 Pet. 3. 10 11 12. b 1 Cor. 15. 51. c Luk. 17. 31. The Elect Souls apostrophe to the Body at their first meeting in the Resurrection Cant. 2 14. Psalm 32. 1. Dan. 9. 21 c. Luke 21. 28. Cant. 2. 1 3. Verse 17. Luke 17. 34 35 36. 1 Thess. 4. 17. 1 Cor. 6. 1 3. 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. Rev. 22. 12. 2 Cor. 9. 6. * 1 Thess. 4. 17. a Joel 3. 1 2. b Ver. 11 12. c 2 Chron 30 d Near this Valley was Mount Moriah where Abraham sacrificed Isaac Gen. 22. Jacob saw Angels ascending and descending on a ladder Gen. â— The Angel put up his Sword and fire from Heaven burnt the sacrifice in Araunah 's floâ—r 2 Sam. 24. Solomon builded the Temple 2 Chro. 3. 1. Christ preached the Gospel saâ—â—ereâ— his pâ—â—â—â—on and 〈◊〉 into his gâ—◠〈◊〉 in Gen. â—â— a The Sea beyond Jordan towards Tyrus cutteth the midst of the World And Ezâ—eâ— saith of Jerusalem In medio gentium posui eam That from Siâ—n as from a Centâ—r the Law should be published to all Nations and there all Nations shall be judged according to the Law Rom. 2. 12. b â—cts 1. 11. c Richard de Villa nova Tho◠〈…〉 47 48. d 〈…〉 e 〈…〉 f 〈…〉 28. 21. Ad 〈◊〉 tardus Deus est ad praemia vâ—lox Mat. 25. 34. Rom. 9. 3. Jâ—h 20. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Mat. 5. 11. Psal. 27. 10. Mat. 19. 29. Joh. 20. 17. 2 Cor. 6. 18. 2 Tim. 4. 8. â— Pet 5. 4. Rev. 4. 10. 1 Cor. 6. 1 2 3 c. Mat. 19. 13. John 17. 13. 14 23 24. 1 Cor. 15. 24. Psalm 47. 5 6 7 8. Rev. 19. 6 7. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Râ—m â— 1â— Rom. â— 17. 〈…〉 Psalm 19. 5. Mat. 25. 10. a Rev. 21. 2 c. b Ver. 24. â—nd 27. c â— Ver. 18. Ver. 11. Ver. 19 20. d Ver. 21. e Ver. 13. f Ver. 12. g Ver. 27. h Ver. 16. i Rev. 22. 1. k Ver. 2. * Psal. 87. 3. †2 Cor. 12. 4 1 Cor. 2. 5. * Heb. 11. 10. Heb. 11. 6. a Visio Dei beatifica sola est summum bonum nostrum Aug. 1. de Trin. c. 13. b Fecisti nos dominead te inquietum igitur est cor nostrum
thou hadst made before the Judgment-seat of Christ by this time if thou hadst died of this Sickness Spend therefore the time that remains so as that thou mayst be able to make a more chearful account of thy life when it must be expired indeed 4. Put not far off the day of Death thou knowest not for all this how near it is at hand and being so fairly warned be wiser For if thou be taken unprovided the next time thy excuse will be less and thy Judgment greater 5. Remember that thou hast vowed amendment and newness of life Thou hast vowed a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he delighteth not in fools pay therefore that thou hast vowed The unclean Spirit is cast out O let him not re-enter with seven worse than himself Thou hast sighed out the groans of Contrition thou hast wept the tears of Repentâ—nce thou are washed in the Pool of Bâ—thesda streaming with five bloody Wounds not of a troubling angel but of the Angel of God's presence troubled with the wrath due to thy sins who descended into Hell to restore thee to saving health and Heaven Return not now with the Dog to thine own vomit nor like the washed Sow to wallow again in the mire of thy former sins and uncleanness lest being intangled and overcome again with the filthiness of sin which now thou hast escaped thy latter end prove worse than thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Saviour Christ give the same cautionary warning to healed Sinners First To the Man cured of his 38 years desease Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing fall upon thee Secondly to the woman taken in adultery Neither do I condemn thee Go thy way and sin no more Teaching us how dangerous a thing it is to relapse and fall again into the former excess of Riot Take heed therefore unto thy ways and pray for grace that thou mayest apply thy heart unto wisdom during that small number of days which yet remain behind And for thy present mercy and health received imitate the thankful Leper and return unto God this or the like Thanksgiving A Thanksgiving to be said of one that is recovered from sickness O Gracious and merciful Father who art the Lord of Health and Sickness of Life and of Death who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the Grave and raisest up again who art the only preserver of all those that trust in thee I thy poor and unworthy Servant having now by experience of my painful sickness felt the grievousness of misery due unto sin and the greatness of thy mercy in forgiving sinners and perceiving with what a fatherly compassion thou hast heard my Prayers and restored me to my health and strength again do here upon the bended knees of my heart return with the thankful Leper to acknowledge thee alone to be the God of my health and salvation and to give thee the praise and glory for my strength and deliverance out of that grievous Disease and Malady and for thus turning my mourning into mirth my sickness into health and my death into life My sins deserved punishment and thou hast corrected me but hast not given me over unto death I looked from the day to the night when thou would'st make an end of me I did chatter like a Crane or a Swallow I mourned as a Dove when the bitterness of sickness oppressed me I lifted up mine eyes unto thee O Lord and thou didst comfort me for thou didst cast all my sins behind thy back and didst deliver my soul from the pit of corruption and when I found no help in my self nor in any other creature saying I am deprived of the residue of my years I shall see man no more among the Inhabitants of the World then didst thou restore me to health again and gavest life unto me I found thee O Lord ready to save me And now Lord I confess that I can never yield unto thee such a measure of thanks as thou hast for this benefit deserved at my hands And seeing that I can never be able to repay thy goodness with acceptable works O that I could with Mary Magdalen testifie the love and thankfulness of my heart with abounding tears O what shall I be able to render unto thee O Lord for all these benefits which thou bestowedst upon my Soul Surely as in my Sickness when I had nothing else to give unto thee I offered Christ and his merits unto thee as a Ransom for my sins so being now restored by thy Grace unto my health and strength and having no better thing to give behold O Lord I do here offer up my self unto thee beseeching thee so to assist me with thy Holy Spirit that the remainder of my life may be wholly spent in setting forth thy praise and glory O Lord forgive me my former follies and unthankfulness that I was no more careful to love thee according to thy goodness nor to serve thee according to thy Will nor to obey thee according to thy Commandments nor to thank thee according to thy Benefits And seeing thou knowest that of my self I am not sufficient so much as to think a good thought much less to do that which is good and acceptable in thy sight assist me with thy grace and holy Spirit that I may in my prosperity as devoutly spend my health in thy service as I was earnest in my sickness to beg it at thy hands And suffer me never to forget either this thy mercy in restoring me to my health or those Vows and Promises which I have made unto thee in my sickness With my new health renew in me O Lord a right Spirit which may free me from the slavery of sin and establish my heart in the service of grace Work in me a greater detestation of all sins which were the causes of thy anger and my sickness and increase my Faith in Jesus Christ who is the Author of my health and salvation Let thy good Spirit lead me in the way that I should walk and teach me to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this world that others by my Example may think better of thy Truth And sith this time which I have yet to live is but a little respite and small remnant of days which cannot long continue Teach me O my God so to number my days that I may apply my heart to that spiritual wisdom which directeth to salvation And to this end make me more zealous than I have been in Religion more devout in Prayer more servent in Spirit more careful to hear and profit by the preaching of thy Gospel more helpful to my poor Brethren more watchful over my ways more faithful in my calling and every way more abundant in all good works Let me in the joyful time of prosperity fear the evil
Belly his God his Lust his Law as in his life he sowed vanity so he is now dead and reapeth misery In his prosperity he neglected to serve God in his adversity God refuseth to save him And the Devil whom he long served now at length pays him his wages Detestable was his life damnable his death The Devil hath his Soul the Grave hath his Carcass in which Pit of Corruption Den of Death and Dungeon of Sorrow let us leave the miserable Caitiff rotting with his Mouth full of Earth his Belly full of Worms and his Carcass full of Stench expecting a fearful Resurrection when it shall be re-united with the Soul that as they sinned together so they may be eternally tormented together Thus far of the miseries of the Soul and Body in Death which is but cursedness in part Now follows the fulness of cursedness which is the misery of the Soul and Body after Death Meditations of the misery of man after death which is the fulness of Cursedness THe fulness of cursedness when it falls upon a Creature not able to bear the brunt thereof presseth him down to that bottomless deep of the endless wrath of Almighty God which is called the damnation of Hell This fulness of cursedness is either particular or general Particular is that which in a less measure of fulness lighteth upon the Soul immediately as soon as she is separated from the Body For in the very instant of dissolution she is in the sight and presence of God For when she ceaseth to see with the organ of fleshly eyes she seeth after a spiritual manner like Stephen who saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand Or as a Man who being born blind and miraculously restored to his sight should see the Sun which he never saw before And thereby the testimony of her own Conscience Christ the righteous Judge who knoweth all things makes her by his omnipresent Power to understand the doom and judgment that is due unto her sins and what must be her eternal state And in this manner standing in the sight of Heaven not fit for her uncleanness to come into Heaven she is said to stand before the Throne of God And so forthwith she is carried by the evil angels how came to fetch her with violence into Hell where she is kept as in a Prison in everlasting pains and chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day But not in that extremity of torments which she shall finally receive at the last Day The general fulness of cursedness is in a greater measure of fulness which shall be inflicted upon both thy soul and body when by the mighty power of Christ the supreme Judge of heaven and earth the one shall be brought out of Hell and the other out of the Grave as Prisoners to receive their dreadful doom according to their evil deeds How shall the reprobate by the roaring of the Sea the quaking of the earth the trembling of the Powers of heaven and terrours of heavenly signs be driven at the worlds end to their wits end Oh what a woful salutation will there be betwixt the damned Soul and Body at their re-uniting at that terrible Day O sink of Sin O lump of Filthiness will the Soul say unto her Body how am I compelled to re-enter into thee not as into an habitation to rest but as a Prison to be tormented together how dost thou appear in my sight like Jephthah's Daughter to my greater torment Would GOD thou hadst perpetually rotted in the grave that I might never have seen thee again How shall we be confounded together to hear before God Angels and Men laid open all those secret sins which we committed together Have I lost Heaven for the love of such a stinking Carrion Art thou the flesh for whose pleasures I have yielded to commit so many fornications O filthy Belly how became I such a Fool as to make thee my God! How mad was I for momentany joys to incur these torments of eternal pains Ye rocks and mountains why skip ye so like rams Psalm 144. 4. and will not fall upon me to hide me from the face of him that comes to sit on yonder throne for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6. 16 17. Why tremblest thou thus Earth at the presence of the Lord and wilt not open thy Mouth and swallow me up as thou didst Korah that I be seen no more O damned furies I would ye might without delay tear me in pieces on condition that you would tear me into nothing But whilst thou art thus in vain bewailing thy misery the Angels hale thee violently away from the brink of the Grave to some place near the Tribunal Seat of Christ where being as a cursed Goat separated to stand beneath on Earth as on the left-hand of the Judge Christ shall rip up all the benefits he bestowed on thee and the torments he suffered for thee and all the good deeds which thou hast omitted and all the ungrateful villainies which thou didst commit against him and his holy Laws Within thee thine own Conscience more than a Thousand Witnesses shall accuse thee the Devils who tempted thee to all thy lewdness shall on the one side testifie with thy Conscience against thee and on the other side shall stand the holy Saints and Angels approving Christ's Justice and detesting so filthy a Creature behind thee an hideous noise of innumerable fellow-damned Reprobates tarrying for thy company Before thee all the World burning in flaming fire above thee an ireful Judge of deserved Vengeance ready to pronounce his Sentence upon thee beneath thee the fiery and sulphureous mouth of the bottomless pit gaping to receive thee In this woful estate to hide thy self will be impossible for on that condition thou wouldst wish that the greatest Rock might fall upon thee to appear will be intolerable and yet thou must stand forth to receive with other Reprobates this thy Sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Depart from me There is a separation from all joy and happiness Ye cursed There is a black and direful Excommunication Into fire There is the cruelty of Fain Everlasting There is the perpetuity of punishment Prepared for the Devil and his Angels Here are thy infernal tormenting and tormented Companions O terrible Sentence from which the condemned cannot escape which being pronounced cannot possibly be withstood against which a Man cannot except and from which a Man can no where appeal so that to the damned nothing remains but hellish torments which know neither ease of pain nor end of time From this Judgment-seat thou must be thrust by Angels together with all the damned Devils and Reprobates into the bottomless lake of utter darkness that perpetually burneth with fire and brimstone
Turning the curses which he deserved to crosses and fartherly corrections yea all things all calamities of this life Death it self yea his very sins unto his good 5. God gives him his Holy Spirit which 1. Sanctifieth him by Degrees throughout so that he doth more and more die to sin and live to righteousness 2. Assures him of his Adoption and that he is by Grace the Child of God 3. Encourageth him to come with boldness and confidence into the presence of God 4. Moveth him without fear to say unto him Abba Father 5. Poureth into his heart the gift of sanctified Prayer 6. Perswadeth him that both he and his Prayers are accepted and heard of God for Christ his Mediator's sake 7. Fills him with 1. Peace of Conscience 2. Joy in the holy Ghost in comparison whereof all earthly joys seem vile and vain unto him 6. He hath a recovery of his sovereignty over the creatures which he lost by Adam's fall and from thence free liberty of using all things which God hath not restrained so that he may use them with a good conscience For to all things in Heaven and Earth he hath a sure title in this life and he shall have the Plenary and peaceable possession of them in the life to come Hence it is that all Reprobates are but usurpers of all that they possess and have no place of their own but Hell 7. He hath the assurance of God's Fatherly care and protection day and night over him which care consists in three things 1. In providing all things necessary for his Soul and Body concerning this life and that which is to come so that he shall be sure ever either to have enough or patience to be content with that he hath 2. In that God gives his Holy Angels as Ministers a charge to attend upon him always for his good yea in danger to pitch their Tents about him for his safety where ever he be Yea GOD's Protection shall defend him as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night and his providence shall hedge him from the power of the Devil 3. In that the eyes of the Lord are upon him and his ears continually open to see his state and to hear his complaint and in his good time to deliver him out of all his troubles Thus far of the blessed Estate of the Godly and Regenerate Man in this life Now of his blessed Estate in Death 2. Meditations of the blessed Estate of a Regenerate Man in his Death WHen GOD sends Death as his Messenger for the Regenerate Man he meets him half the way to Heaven for his conversation and affection is there before him Death is neither strange nor fearful unto him Not strange because he died daily not fearful because whilst he lived he was dead and his life was hid with God in Christ. To die unto him therefore is nothing else in effect but to rest from his labour in this world to go home to his Father's house unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Whilst his body is sick his mind is sound for God maketh all his bed in his sickness and strengtheneth him with Faith and Patience upon his bed of sorrow And when he begins to enter into the way of all the World he giveth like Jacob Moses and Joshua to his Children and Friends godly Exhortations and Counsels to serve the true God to worship him truly all the days of their life His blessed Soul breatheth nothing but blessings and such speeches as savour a sanctified spirit As his outward man decayeth so his inward man increaseth and waxeth stronger When the speech of his Tongue faltereth the sighs of his heart speak louder unto God when the sight of the eyes faileth the Holy Ghost illuminates him inwardly with abundance of spiritual light His Soul feareth not but is bold to go out of the Body and to dwell with her Lord. He sigheth out with Paul Cupio dissolvi I desire to to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And with David As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God He prayeth with the Saints How long O Lord which art holy and true Come Lord JESVS come quickly And when the appointed time of his dissolution is come knowing that he goeth to his Father and redeemer in the peace of a good Conscience and the assured perswasion of the forgiveness of all his sins in the blood of the Lamb he sings with blessed old Simeon his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. And surrenders up his Soul as it were with his own hands into the hands of his heavenly Father saying with David Into thy hands O Father I commend my Soul for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth And saying with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit He no sooner yields up his sacred Ghost but immediately the holy Angels who attended upon him from his Birth unto his Death carry and accompany his Soul into Heaven as they did the Soul of Lazarus into Abraham's bosom which is the Kingdom of Heaven whither only good Angels and good works do accompany the Soul the one to deliver their charge the other to receive their reward The Body in convenient time as the sanctified Temple of the Holy Ghost the Members of Christ nourished by his Body the price of the blood of the Son of God is by his fellow Brethren reverently laid to sleep in his grave as in the Bed of Christ in an assured hope to awake in the Resurrection of the Just at the last Day to be partaker with the Soul of life and glory everlasting And in this respect not only the Souls but the very Bodies of the Faithful also are termed blessed Thus far of the Blessedness of the Soul and Body of the regenerate Man in death Now let us see the Blessedness of his Soul and Body after death 3. Meditations of the Blessed Estate of the Regenerate Man after Death THis Estate hath Three Degrees 1. From the Day of Death to the Resurrection 2. From the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the Sentence 3. After the Sentence which lasts eternally As soon as ever the regenerate Man hath yielded up his Soul unto Christ the holy Angels take her into their Custody and
â—â—at the place shall be thereabouts 2. Because that as Christ was thereaâ—â—uts crucified and put to open shame â—â— over that place his glorious Throne â—hould be erected in the Air when he â—â—all appear in Judgment to manifest his Majesty and Glory For it is meet that â—â—st should in that place judge the â—orld with righteous Judgment where â— himself was unjustly judged and conâ—mned 3. Because that seeing the Angels shall â— sent to gather together the elect from the â—â—â—r winds from one end of heaven to the other it is most probable that the place whither they shall be gathered to shall be near Jerusalem and the Vally of Jehoshaphat which Cosmographers describe to be in the midst of the supersicies of the Earth if the termini à quibus be the four parts of the world the terminus ad quem must be about the Center 4. Because the Angels told the Disciples that as they saw Christ ascend from Mount Olivet which is over the Vally of Jehoshaphat so he shall in like manner come down from Heaven This is the opinion of Aquinas and all the Schoolmen except Lombard and Alexander Hales 5. Lastly When Christ is set in his glorious Throne and all the many Thousands of his Saints and Angels shining more bright than so many Suns in glory sitting about him and the Body of Christ in glory and brightness surpassing them all the Reprobates beiâ—g separate and remaining beneath upon the earth for the right-hand signifies a blessed the left-hand a cursed estate Christ will first pronounce the sentence of absolution and bliss upon the Elect First because he will thereby increase the grief of the Reprobate that shall hear it Secondly to shew himself more proâ—e to mercy than to Judgment And thus from his Throne of Majesty in the Air he shall in the sight and hearing of all the World pâ—onounce unto his Elect Come ye blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world c. Come ye Here is our blessed Vnion with Christ and by him with the whole Trinity Blessed Here is our absolution from all sins and our plenary Endowments with all Grace and Happiness Of my Father Here is the Author from whom by Christ proceeds our Felicity Inherit Here is our Adoption The Kingdom Behold our Birth-right and Possâ—ssion Prepared See God's Fatherly Care for his chosen From the foundation of the World O the free Eternal unchangeable Election of God! How much are those Souls bound to love God who of his meer good Will and Pleasure chose and loved them before they had done either good or evil For I was hungry c. O the goodness of Christ who takes notice of all the good works of his Children to reward them How great is his love to poor Christians who takes every work of mercy done to them for his sake as if it had been done to himself Come ye to me in whom ye have believed before ye saw me and whom ye have loved and sought for with so much devotion and through so many tribulations Come now from labour to rest from disgrace to glory from the jaws of Death to the joys of eternal Life For my sake ye have been railed upon reviled and cursed But now it shall appear to all those cursed Esau's that you are the â—rue Jacobs that shall receive your heavenly Father's blessing and blessed shall you be Your fathers mothers and nearest kindred forsook and cast you off for my truth's sake which you maintained but now my Father will be unto you a Father and you shall be his Sons and Daughters for ever You were cast out of your lands and livings and forsook all for my sake and the gospels but that it may appear that you have noâ— lost your gain but gained by your loss instead of an earthly inheritance and possession you shall possâ—ss with me the iâ—heritance of my heavenly kingdom where you shall be for love sons for birth-right heirs for dignity kings for holiness priests and you may be bold to enter into the possession thereof now because my Father prepared and kept it for you ever since the first foundation of the World was laid Immediately after this sentence of Absolution and Benediction every one receiveth his crown which Christ the righteous Judge puâ—s upon their Heads as the reward which he hath promised of his Grace and Mercy unto the Faith and good Works of all them that loved that his appearing Then every one taking his crown from his head shall lay it down as it were at the feet of Christ and prostrating themselves shall with one heart and voice in an heavenly sort and consort say Praise and Honour and Glory and Power and Thanks be unto thee O blessed Lamb who sittest upon the Throne wert killed and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests to reign with thee in thy Kingdom for evermore Amen Then shall they sit in their Thrones and Orders as Judges of the Reprobates and evil Angels by approving aâ—d giving testimony to the righteous Sentence and Judgment of Christ the Supreme Judge After the pronouncing of the Reprobates Sentence and Condemnation Christ will perform two solemn Actions 1. The presenting of all the Elect unto his Father Behold O righteous Father these are they whom thou gavest me I have kept them and none of them is lost I gave them thy word and they believed it and the world hated them because they were not of the world even as I was not of the world And now Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me and that I may be in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me and that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me 2. Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to God even the Father that is shall cease to execute his office of Mediatorship whereby as he is King Priest Prophet and supreme Head of the Church he suppressed his Enemies and ruled his faithful People by his Spirit Word and Sacraâ—â—â—ts So that his Kingdom of Grace over his Church in this World ceasing he shall 〈◊〉 immediately as he is God equal with â—he Father and the H. Ghost in his Kingdom of Glory for evermore Not that the dignity of his Manhood shall be any thing diminished but that the glory of his Godhead shall be more manifested so that as he is God he shall from thenceforth in all fulness without all external means rule all in all From this Tribunal-seat Christ shall arise and with all his glorious company of Elect Angels and Saints he shall
tecum what have we to do with thee â—O Son of the most high God but by virtue of this Communion the peâ—itent Soâ—l may boldly go and say unto Christ as Ruth unto Boaz Spread O Christ the wing of the garment of thy mercy over thine handmaid for thou art my kinsman This Communion God promised Abraham when he gave him himself for his great reward And Christ prayeth for his whole Church to obtain it This Communion Saint Paul expresseth in one word saying That God shall be all in all unto us Indeed God is now all in all unto us but by means and in a smâ—ll measureâ— But in â—eaven God himself immediately in fulness of measure without all 〈◊〉 will be unto us all the good things 〈◊〉 souâ— and bodies can with or desire He 〈◊〉 self will be salvation and joy to our souls life and health to our bodies beauty to our eyes musick to our ears honey to our mouths perfume to our nostrils meat to our bellies light to our understanding contentment to our wills and delight to our hearts And what can be lacking where God himself will be the soul of our souls Yea all the strength wit pleasures vertues colours beauties harmony and goodness that are in men beasts fishes fowls trees herbs and all creatures are nothing but sparkles of those things which are in infinite perfection in God And in him we shall enjoy them in a far more perfect and blessed manner He himself will then supply their use nay the best creatures which serve us now shall not have the honour to serve us then There will be no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in that City for the glory of God doth light it No more will there be any need or use of any Creature when we shall enjoy the Creator himself When therefore we behold any thing that is excellent in any creatures let us say to our selves how much more excellent is he who gave them this excellency when we behold the wisdom of men who over-rule creatures stronger than themselves out-run the Sun and Moon in dâ—scourse prescribing many years before in what courses they shall be eclipsed let us say to our selves How admirable is the wisdom of God who made men so wise when we consider the strength of Whales and Elephants the tempest of Winds and terrour of Thunder let us say to our selves how strong how mighty how terrible is that God that makes these mighty and fearful Creatures when we taste things that are delicately sweet let us say to our selves O how sweet is that God from whom all these creatures have received their sweetness when we behold the admirable colours which are in Flowers and Birds and the lovely beauty of Women let us say how fair is that God that made these so fair And if our loving God hath thus provided us so many excellent delights for our passage through this Bâ—chiâ— or valley of tears what are thâ—se pâ—easures which he hath prepared for us when we shall enter into the palace of our Master's jâ—y How shall our souls be there raâ—â—shed with the love of so lovely a God! So glorious is the object of heavenly Saints so amiable is the sight of our gracious Saviâ—ur 3. Of the Prerogatives which the Elect shall enjoy in heaven BY reason of this Communion wiâ—h God the Elect in heaven shall have four super excellâ—nt prerogatives 1. They shall have the â—â—â—gdom of Heaven for their inhâ—râ—tance and they 〈◊〉 be free Deâ—izons of the heavenlâ— Jerusalem S. Paul by being a free Câ—tizen of Rome escaped whipping but they who are once free Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem shall ever be freed from the whips of eternal torments For this freedom was bought for us not with a great sum of money but with the precious blood of the Son of God 2. They shall be all Kings and Priests spiritual Kings to reign with CHRIST and to triumph over Satan the World and Reprobates and spiritual Priests to offer unto God the spiritual sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for evermore And therefore they are said to wear both Crowns and Robes Oh what a comfort is this to poor Parents that have many Children if they breed them up in the fear of God and to be true Christians then are they Parents to so many Kings and Priests 3. Their bodies shall shine as the brightness of the Sun in the Firmament like the glorious body of Christ which shined brighter than the Sun at Noon when it appeared to Saint Paul A glimpse of which glorious brightness appeared in the bodies of Mâ—ses and Elias transâ—â—ured with the Lord in the holy Mount Therefore saith the Apostle iâ— shall rise a glorious body yea a spiritual body not in substance but in quality preserved by spiritual means and hâ—ving as an Angel agility to ascend or descend O what an honour is it that our bodies falling more vile than a carrion should thus arise in glory like unto the body of the Son of God! 4. Lastly they together with all the holy Angels there keep without any labour to distract them a perpetual Sabbath to the glory honour and praise of the ever blessed Trinity for the creating redeeming and sanctifying of the Church And for his Power Wisdom Justice Mercy and Goodness in the Government of Heaven and Earth When thou hearest a sweet Consort of Musick meditate how happy thou shalt be when with the Choire of heavenly Angels and Saints thou shalt sing a part in that spiritual Hallelujah in that eternal blessed Sabbath where there shall be such variety of Pleasures and satiety of Joys as neither know tediousness in doing nor end in delighting 4. Of the Effects of these Prerogatives From these Prerogatives there will arise to the Elect in Heaven five notable Effects 1. THey shall know God with a perfect knowledge of far as Creatures can possibly comprehend the Creator For there we shall see the Word the Creator and in the Word all Creatures that â—by the Word were created so that we shall not need to learn of the thingâ— which were roade the knowledge of him by whom all things were made The excellentest Creatures in this life are but as a dark veil drawn betwixt God and us but when this veil shall be drawn aside then shall we see God face to face and know him as we are known We shall know the Power of the Father the Wisdom of the Son the Grace of the Holy Ghost and the indivisible Nature of the blessed Trinity And in him we shall know not only all our friends who died in the faith of Christ but also all the faithful that ever were or shall be For 1. Christ tells the Jews that they shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophetâ— in the kingdom of God therefore we
shall know them 2. Adam in his Innocency knew Eve to be Bone of his Bone and Flesh of his Flesh as soon as he awaked much more then shall we know our Kindred when we shall awake perfected and glorified in the Resurrection 3. The Apostles knew Christ after his Resurrection and the Saints which rose with him and appeared in the holy City 4. Peter James and John knew Moses and Elias in the transfiguration how much more shall we know one another when we shall be all glorified 5. Dives knew Lâ—zarus in Abraham's Bosom much more shall the Elect know one another in Heaven 6. Christ saith that the twelve Apostles shall sit upon twelve thrones to judge at that day the twelve Tribes therefore they shall be known and consequently the rest of the Saints 7. Saint Paul saith that at that day we shall know as we are known of God and Augustin out of this place comforteth a Widow assuring her that as in this life she saw her Husband with externaâ— eyes so in the life to come she should know his heart and what were all his thoughts and imaginations Then Husbands and Wives look to your actions and thoughts for all shall be made manifest one day See 1 Cor. 4. 5. 8. The faithful in the Old Testament are said to be gathered to their Fathers Therefore the knowledge of our Friends remains 9. Love never falleth away therefore knowledge the ground thereof remains in another life 10. Because the last day shall be a declaration of the just judgment of God when he shall reward every man according to his works and if every man's work be brought to light much more the worker And if wicked men shall account for every idle word much more shall the idle speakers themselves be known And if the Persons be not known in vain are the works made manifest Therefore saith the Apostle every man shall appear to account for the work that he hath done in his body c. See Wisdom ch 5. ver 1. Though the respect of diversities of degrees and callings in Magistracy Ministry and Oeconomy shall cease yea Christ shall then cease to rule as he is Mediator and rule all in all as he is God equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost The greatest knowledge that man can attain unto in this life comes as far short of the knowledge which we shall have in Heaven as the knowledge of a child that cannot yet speak plain comes of the knowledge of the greatest Philosopher in the World They who thirst after knowledge let them long to be Students of this Vâ—iversity For all the light by which we know any thing in this World is nothing but the very shadow of God but when we shall know God in Heaven we shall in him know the manner of the work of the Creation the mysteries of the work of our Redemption yea so much knowledge as a Creature can possibly conceive and comprehend of the Creator and his work But whilst we are in this life we may say with Job How little a portion hear we of him And assure our selves with Syracides that There are hid yet greater things than these be and that we have sâ—eâ— but a few of God's works 2. They shall love God with as perfect and absolute a love as possibly a creature can do The manner of loving God is to love him for himself the measure is to love him without measure For in this life knowing God but in part we love him but in part but when the Elect in Heaven shall fully know God then they will perfectly love God And for the infinite causes of love which they shall know to be in him they shall be infinitely ravished with the love of him 3. They shall be filled with all manner of divine pleasures At thy right hand saith David there are pleasures for evermore yea They shall drink saith he out of the river of pleasures For as soon as the Soul is admitted into the actual fruition of the beatifical Essence of God she hath all the goodness beauty glory and perfection of all Creatures in all the World united together and at once presented unto her in the sight of God If any be in love there they shall enjoy that which is more amiable If any delight in fairness the fairest beauty is but a dusty shadow to that he that delights in pleasures shall there find infinite varieties without either interruption of grief or distraction of pain he that loveth Honour shall there enjoy it without the disgrace of cankered envy he that loveth treasure shall there possess it and never be beguiled of it There they shall have knowledge void of all ignorance health that no sickness shall impair and life that no death can determine In a word look how far this wide world surpasseth for light pleasures and comforts the dark and narrow womb wherein thou wast conceived a child so much doth the World to come exceed in joys solace and consolation this present World How happy then shall we be when this life is changed and we translated thither 4. They shall be replenished with an unspeakable joy In thy presâ—nce saith David is the fulness of joy and this joy shall arise chiefly from the vision of God and partly from the sight of all the holy Angels and blessed Souls of just and perfect Men who are in bliss and glory with him But especially from the blissful sight of Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament our Emanuel God made Man His sight will be the chief cause of our bliss and joy If the Israelites in Jerusalem so shouted for joy that the earth rang again to see Solomon crowned how shall the Elect rejoyce in Heaven to see Christ the true Solomon adorned with glory If John Baptist at his presence did leap in his mothers womb for joy how shall we exult for joy when he will be not only with us but in us in heaven If the wise men rejoyced so greatly to find him a Babe lying in a manger how great shall the joy of the Elect be to see him sit as a King in his celestial Throne If Simeon was glad to see him an Infant in the Temple presented by the hands of the Priests how great shall our joy be to see him a King ruling all things at the right hand of his Father If Joseph and Mary were so joyful to find him in the midst of the Doctors in the Temple how glad shall our Souls be to see him sitting as Lord amongst Angels in Heaven This is that joy of our Master which as the Apostle saith the eye hath not seen the ear hath not heard nor the heart of man can conceive which because it cannot enter into us we shall enter into it 5. Lastly They shall enjoy this blissful and glorious
the Scriptures of above three or four whom roaring Despair overthrew but secure Presumption hath sent millions to perdition without any noise As therefore the Damosels of Israel sang in their Dances Saul hath killed his thousands and David his ten thousands so may I say that despair of God's mercy hath damned thousands but the presumption of God's mercy hath damned ten thousands and sent them quick to Hell where now they remain in eternal torments without all help or ease or hope of redemption God spared the Thief but not his fellow God spared one that no Man might despair God spared but one that no Man should presume Joyful assurance to a Sinner that repents no comfort to him that remains impenitent God is infinite in mercy but to them only who turn from their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. To keep thee therefore from the hinderance of presumption remember that as Christ is a Saviour so Moses is an Accuser Live therefore as though there were no Gospel die as though there were no Law Pass thy life as though thou wert under the conduct of Moses depart this life as if thou knewest none but Christ and him crucified Presume not if thou wilt not perish Repent if thou wilt be saved The fifth hinderance of Pieâ—y 5. Evil company commonly term'd good fellows but indeed the Devil 's chief instruments to hinder a wretched Sinner from repentance and Piety The first sign of God's favour to a Sinner is to give him grace to forsake evil companions such who wilfully continue in sin contemn the means of their Calling gibing at the sincerity of profession in others and shaming Christian Religion by their own prophane lives These sit in the seat of the scorners For as soon as God admits a sinner to be one of his People he bids him Come out of Babylon Every lewd company is a Babylon out of which let every child of God either keep himself or if he be in think that he hears his Father's voice sounding in his ears Come out of Babylon my child As soon as Christ looked in mercy upon Peter he went out of the company that was in the High-Priest's Hall and wept bitterly for his offence David vowing upon recovery a new life said Away from me all ye workers of iniquity c. As if it were impossible to become a new man till he had shaken off all old ill Companions The truest proof of a man's Religion is the quality of his companions Prophane companions are the chief enemies of Piety and quellers of holy motions Many a time is poor Christ offering to be new born in thee thrust into the Stable when these lewd companions by their drinking plays and jests take up all the best Rooms in the Inn of thy heart Oh let not the company of earthly sinners hinder thee from the Society of heavenly Saints and Angels The sixth hindrance of Piety 6. A conceited fear least the practice of Piety should make a Man especially a young Man to wax too sad and pensive whereas indeed none can better joy nor have more cause to rejoyce than pious and religious Christians For as soon as they are justified by faith they have peace with God than which there can be no greater joy Besides they have already the Kingdom of grace descended into their hearâ—s as an assurance that in God's good time they shall ascend into his Kingdom of glory This Kingdom of grace consists in three things First Righteousness for having Christ's righteousness to justifie them before God they endeavour to live righteously before men Secondly Peace for the peace of conscience inseparably followeth a righteous conversation Thirdly the joy of the Holy Ghost which joy is only felt in the peace of a good conscience and is so great that it passeth all understanding No tongue can express it no heart can conceive it but only he that feels it This is that fulness of joy which Christ promised his Disciples in the midst of their troubles a joy that no man could take from them The feeling of this joy David upon his repentance begged so earnestly at the hands of God Restore me to the joy of thy salvation And if the Angels in Heaven rejoyce so much at the conversion of a sinner the joy of a sinner converted must needs be exceeding great in his own heart It is worldly sorrow that snows so timely upon men's heads and fills the furrows of their hearts with the sorrows of death The godly sorrow of the Godly when God thinks it meet to try them causeth in them repentance not to be repented of for it doth but further their salvation and in all such tribulation they shall be sure to have the Holy Ghost to be their Comforter who will make our consolation to abound through Christ as the sufferings of Christ shall abound in us but whilest a man liveth in impiety he hath no peace saith Esay his laughter is but madness saith Solomon his riches are but clay saith Habbakkuk nay the Apostle accounts them no better than dung in comparison of the pious man's treasure all his joys shall end in woes saith Christ. Let not therefore this false fear hinder thee from the practice of Piety Better it is to go sickly with Lazarous to Heaven than full of mirth and pleasure with Dives to Hell Better it is to mourn for a time with men than to be tormented for ever with Devils The seventh hindrance of Piety 7. And lastly the hope of long life for were it possible that a wicked liver thought this year to be his last year this month his last month this week his last week but that he would change and amend his wicked life no verily he would use the best means to repent and to become a new man But as the rich man in the Gospel promised himself many years to live in mirth ease and fulness when he had not one night to live longer so many wicked Epicures falsly promise themselves the age of many years when the thread of their life is already almost drawn out to an end So Jeremy ascribes the cause of the Jews sins and calamities to this that she remembered not her last end The longest space betwixt a man's coming by the womb and going by the grave is but short for man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live He hath but a few days and those full of nothing but troubles And except the Practice of Piety how much better is the state of the child that yesterday was baptized and to day is buried than Methusalem's who lived nine hundred sixty nine years and then died of the two happier the Babe because he had less sin and fewer sorrows And what now remains of both but
thy sins have deserved Count therefore Christ thy chiefest joy and sin thy greatest grief esteem no want to the want of Grace nor any loss to the loss of God's favour and then the discontentment for outward means shall the less perplex thine inward mind And as oft as Satan shall offer any motion of discontentment to thy mind remember Saint Paul's admonition We brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Pray therefore with wise Agur O Lord give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me lest I be too full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain 7. Bestow no more thought upon worldly things than thou needs must for the discharge of thy place and the maintenance of thy estate but still let thy care be greater for heavenly than earthly things and be more grieved for a dishonour done to God than for an injury offered to thy self but if any private injury be offered unto thee bear it as a Christian with patience Never was an innocent man wronged but if he patiently bare his cross he overcame in the end But thy good name in the mean while is wounded bear that also with patience For he that at the last day will give thy body a resurrection will as sure in his good time grant a resurrection to thy good name If impatiently thou fretrest and vexest at thy wrongs the hurt which thou dost thy self is more than that which thine enemy can do unto thee Neither canst thou more rejoyce him than to hear that it thorowly vexeth thee But if thou canst shew patience on earth God will shew himself just from heaven Pray for him for if thou be a good man thy self thou canst not but rejoyce if thou shouldest see thy worst enemy to become a good man too But if he still continueth in his malice and encreaseth in his mischief give thou thy self unto Prayer committing thy self and commending thy cause unto the righteous Judge of heaven and earth saying with Jeremy O Lord of host that judgest righteously and triest the reins and the heart vengeance is thine and unto thee have I opened my cause In the mean while wait with David on the Lord be of good-courage and he shall comfort thine heart 8. The more others commend thee for an excellent act be thou the more humble in thine own thoughts Affect not the vain praises of men the blessed Virgin was troubled when she was truly praised of an Angel They shall be praised of Angels in heaven who have eschew'd the praises of Men on Earth Neither need'st thou praise thy self deal but uprightly others will do that for thee Be not thou curious to know other mens doings but rather be careful that no man know any ill dealings by thee 9. Esteem no sin little for the curse of God is due to the least and the least would have damned thee had not the Son of God died for thee Bewail therefore the misery of thine own state and as occasion is ministâ—ed â—orn for the iniquity of the time Pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse 10. Lastly Think often of the shortness of thy life and certainty of death and wish rather a good life than a long For as one day of Man's life is to be preferred before the longest age of a Stag or Raven so one day spend religiously is to be higher valued that a man's whole life that is consumed in prophaneness Cast over therefore once every day the number of thy days by substracting those that are past as being vanished like yester-nights dream contracting them that are to come since the one half must be slept out the rest made uncomfortable by the troubles of the World thine own sickness and the death of friends counting only the present day thine which spend as if thou wert to spend no more Secondly For thy Words 1. REmember that thou must answer for every idle word that in multiloquy the wisest man shall over-shoot himself Avoid therefore all tedious and idle talk whereof seldom ariseth comfort many times repentance especially beware of rash answers when the tongue out-runs the mind The word was thine whilst thou kept'st it in it is anothers as soon as it is out O the shame when a man 's own tongue shall be produced a witness to the confusion of his own face Let then thy words be few but advised forethink whether that which thou art to speak be fit to be spoken affirm no more than what thou knowest to be true and be rather silent than speak to an ill or to no purpose 2. Let thy heart and tongue ever go together in honesty and truth hate dissembling and lying in another detest it in thy self or God will detest thee for it for he hateth a lyer and his father the Devil alike And if once thou be discovered to make no conscience of lying no Man will believe thee when thou speakest a truth but if thou lovest truth more credit will be given to thy word than to a lyers oath Great is the possession which Satan hath in those who are so accustomed to lying that they will lye though they get nothing by it themselves nor are not compelled unto it by others Let not thine anger remain when thou seest the cause removed and ever distinguish 'twixt him that offendeth of infirmity or against his will and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose let the one have pity the other justice 3. Keep thy speech as clean from all obscenity as thou would'st thy meat from poyson and let thy talk be gracious that he that hears thee may grow better by thee and be ever more earnest when thou speakest of Religion than when thou talkest of worldly matters If thou perceivest that thou hast erred persevere not in thine errour rejoyce to find the truth and magnifie it Study therefore three things especially to understand well to say well and to do well And when thou meetest with God's children be sure to make some holy advantage by them learn of them all the good that thou canst and communicate with them all the good things that thou knowest The more good thou teachest others the more will God still minister unto thee For as the gifts of Men by much using do perish and decrease So the gifts of God by much using do the more grow and increase like the widow's pitcher of Oil
the greatest sins of the chiefest sinner in the World And for the other let not O Lord thy long sufferance either too much discourage them or too much incourage their enemies but grant them patience in suffering and a gracious and speedy deliverance which way may stand best with their comfort and thy glory Give every one of us grace to be always mindful of his last end and to be prepared with faith and repentance as with a wedding garment against the time that thou shalt call for us out of this sinful World And that in the mean while we may so in all things and above all things seek thy Glory that when this mortal life is ended we may then be made partakers of immortality and life eternal in thy most blessed and glorious Kingdom These and all other graces which thou O Father seest to be necessary for us and for thy whole Church we humbly beg and crave at thy hands concluding this our imperfect prayer in that absolute form of prayer which Christ himself hath taught us saying Our Father c. After prayers let every one of thy Houshold taking in the fear of God such a breakfast or refreshing as is fit depart the children to School the servants to their work every one to his office the Master and Mistress of the Family to their callings or to some honest exercises for recreation as they think fit The Practice of Piety at meals and the manner of feeding BEfore Dinner and Supper when the Table is covered ponder with thy self upon these Meditations to work a deeper impression in thy heart of God's fatherly providence and goodness towards thee Meditations before Dinner and Supper 1. MEditate that Hunger is like the sickness called a Wolf which if thou dost not â—eed will devour thee and eat thee up and that meat and drink are but as physick or means which God hath ordained to relieve and cure this natural infirmity and necessity of Man Use therefore to eat and to drink rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature than to satisfie the sensuality and delights of the flesh Eat therefore to live but live not to eat A Scavenger whose living is to empty is to be preferred before him that liveth but to fill Privies There is no service so base as for a man to be a slave to his belly The Apostle termeth such Belly-Gods Phil. 3. 19. Therefore we may boldly term them as the Scriptures do other idols Gillulim Dungy gods Hab. 2. 18 19. 2 King 17. 12. And as no one action God's ordinances excepted makes a man more to resemble a beast than eating and drinking so the abuse of eating and drinking to surfeiting drunkenness and spewing makes a man more vile than a beast 2. Meditate on the omnipotenâ—â— of God who made all these creatures of nothing of his wisdom who feedeth so many infinite Creatures through the universal World maintaining all their lives which he hath given them which surpasseth the wisdom of all the Angels in heaven and of his clemency and goodness in feeding also his very enemies 3. Meditate how many sorts of Creatures as beasts fish and fowl have lost their lives to become food to nourish thee and how God's Providence from remote places hath brought all these portions together on thy table for thy nourishment and how by these dead creatures he maintains thee in health and life 4. Meditate that seeing thou hast so many pledges of God's fatherly bounty goodness and mercy towards thee as there are dishes of meat on thy Table Oh suffer not in such a place so gracious a God to be abused by scurrility ribauldry or swearing or thy fellow brother by disgraceful back-biting taunting or slandering 5. Meditate how that thy Master Jesus Christ did never eat any food but first he blessed the Creatures and gave thanks to his heavenly Father for the same And after his last Supper we read that he sung a Psalm For this was the Commandment of God When thau hast eaten and filled thy self thou shalt bless the Lord thy God c. This was the Practice of the Prophets For people would not eat at their feast till Samuel came to bless their meat And saith Joel to God's people Ye shall eat and be satisfied and praise the Name of the Lord your God This also was the practice of the Apostles For St. Paul in the ship gave thanks before meat in the presence of all the people that were therein Imitate thou therefore in so holy an action so blessed a Master and so many worthy Precedents that have followed him and gone before thee It may be because thou hast never used to give thanks at meals therefore thou art now ashamed to begin Think it no shame to do what Christ did but be rather ashamed that thou hast so long neglected so Christian a duty And if the Son of God gave his Father such great thanks for a dinner of barley bread and broiled fish what thanks should such a sinful man as thou art render unto God for such variety of good and dainty cheer How many a true Christian would be glad to fill his belly with the morsels which thou refusest and do lack that which thou leavest How hardly do others labour for that which they eat and thou hast thy food provided for thee without either care or labour To conclude if Pagan Idolaters at their Feasts were accustomed to praise their false Gods what a shame is it for a Christian at his dinners and suppers not to praise the true God in whom we live move and have our being 6. Meditate that thy body which thou dost now so daintily feed must be thou knowest not how soon meat for worms When thou shalt say to corruption thou art my Father and to the Worm thou art my Mother and my Sister 7. Meditate how that many a Man's table is made his snare so that through his intemperance and unthankfulness the meat which should nourish his body kills him with a surfeit insomuch that more are killed with this snare than with the sword And seeing that since the Curse the use as of all creatures so likewise of meat and drink is unto us unclean till the same be sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer and that man liveth not by bread only but by the Word of God's Ordinance and his blessing which is called the staff of bread Sit not therefore down to eat before you pray and rise not before you give God thanks Feed to suffice nature yet rise with an appetite and remember thy poor Christian brethren who suffer hunger and want those good things wherewith thou dost abound These things or some of them premeditated if there be not a Samuel present lift up with all comely reverence thy heart with thy hands
thou hast and a supply of those which thou wantest But especially pray that thou maist have Grace to hear the word of God read and preached with profit and that thou maist receive the holy Sacrament with comfort if it be Communion day that God by his Holy Spirit would assist the Preacher to speak something that may kill thy sin and comfort thy soul which thou maist do in this or the like sort A morning Prayer for the Sabbath-day O Lord most high O God eternal all whose works are glorious and whose thoughts are very deep there can be no better thing than to praise thy Name and to declare thy loving kindness in the morning on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day For it is thy Will and Commandment that we should sanctiâ—ie this day in thy service and praise and in the thankful remembrance as of the creation of the world by the power of thy Word so of the redemption of Mankind by the death of thy Son Thine O Lord I confess is greatness and power and glory and victory and praise for all that is in heaven and earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou excellest as head over all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to give grace unto all Now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I a wretched sinner having so many ways provoked thy Majesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy favour and goodness passing by my prophaneness and infirmities hast vouchsafed to add this Sabbath again unto the number of my days And vouchsafe O heavenly Father for the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son whose glorious resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgive me all my sins and misdeeds Especially O Lord cleanse my soul from those filthy sins with the blood of thy most pure and undefiled Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world And let thy Holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine own Image to serve thee in newness of life and holiness of conversation And as of thy mercy thou hast brought me to the beginning of this blessed day so I do beseech thee make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinful Soul and thy Divine Majesty Give me grace to make it a day of Repentance unto thee that thy goodness may seal iâ— to be a day of pardon unto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this day is a Commandment which thine own finger hath written That on this day I might meditate on thy glorious works of our Creation and Redemption and learn how to know and to keep all the rest of thy holy Laws and Commandments And when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appear before thy Presence in thy House to offer unto thee our Morning Sacrifice of praise and Prayer and to hear what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speak unto thy servant Oh let not my sins stand as a Cloud to stop my Prayers from ascending unto thee or to keep back thy grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to think that three parts of the good seed falls upon bad ground O let not my heart be like the high-way which through hardness and want of true understanding receives not the seed till the evil one cometh and catcheth it away nor like to the stony ground which heareth with joy for a time but falleth away as soon as persecution ariseth for the Gospel's sake nor like the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and makes it altogether unfruitful but thâ—t like unto the good ground I may hear thy Word with an honest and good heart understand it and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Wisdom shall think meet for thy glory and mine everlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the door of utterance unto thy faithful servant whom thou hast sent unto us to open our Eyes that we may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that we may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ. And give me grace to submit my self unto his Ministery as well when he terriâ—ieth me with judgments as when he comforteth me with thy Mercies And that I may have him in singular love for his works sake because he watcheth for my soul as he that must give an account for the same unto his Master And give me grace to behave my self in the holy Congregation with comeliness and reverence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keep me from drowsiness and sleeping and from all wandring thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my Memory that it may be apt to receive and firm to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught unto us out of thy Word And that through the assistance of thy holy Spirit I may put the same Lessons in practice for my direction in Prosperity for my consolation in Misery for the amendment of my Life and the glory of thy Name And that this day which godless and prophane Persons spend in their own Lusts and Pleasures I as one of thy obedient Servants may make my chief delight to consecrate to thy glory and honour not doing mine own ways nor seeking mine own will nor speaking a vain word but that ceasing from the works of sin as well as from the works of mine ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feel in my heart the beginning of that eternal Sabbath which in unspeakable joy and glory I shall celebrate with Saints and Angels to thy praise and worship in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore All which I humbly crave at thy hands in the name and mediation of my Lord Jesus in that form of Prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. Having thus in private prepared thine own soul if thou hasâ— the charge of a Family call all thy Houshold together read a Chapter and pray as in the week-days but remember so to dispatch these private preparations and duties as that thou and thy family may be in the Church before the beginning of Prayers Else your private exercises are rather an hindranâ—e than a preparation And as thou and thy Houshold do go in all reverence towards the Church let every one meditate thus with himself Things to be meditated as thou goest to the Church 1. That thou art going to the Court of the Lord and to speak with the great God by prayer and to hear his Majesty speak unto
Practice of Piety both in private and publick Now followeth the extraordinary practice of Piety whereby God is glorified in our lives THe extraordinary Practice of Piety consists either in fasting or feasting 1. Of the Practice of Piety in Fasting There are divers kinds of fasting First a constrained Fast as when men either have not food to ear as in the Famine of Samaria or having food cannot eat it for heaviness or sickness as it befel them who where in the Ship with St. Paul This is rather Famine than Fasting Secondly A natural Fast which we underâ—ake Physically for the health of our body Thirdly A civil Fast which the Magistrate enjoyneth for the better mainâ—â—nance of the Common-wealth that by 〈◊〉 Fish as well as Flâ—sh there may be greater plenty of both Fourthly A miraculous Fast as the forty days fast of Moses and Elias the Types and of Christ the substance This is rather to be admired than imitated Fifthly A daily Fast when a man is careful to use the Creatures of God witâ— such moderation that he is nâ—t mâ—de heavier but more chearful to serve God and to do the duties of his calling This is especially to be observed of ministers and Judges Sixthly A religious Fast which a man voluntarily undertakes to make his body and soul the fitter to pray more fervently unto God upon some extraordinary occasion And of this Fast only we are to treat The Religious Fast is of Two sorts either private or publick 1. Of a Private Fast. THat we may rightly perform a private Fast Four things are to be observed First the Author Secondly the Time and Occasion Thirdly the Manner Fourthly the Ends of private Fasting 1. Of the Author The first that ordained Fasting was God himself in Paradise and it was the first Law that God made in commanding Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit God would not pronounce nor write his Law without fasting and in his Law commands all his people to fast So doth our Saviour Christ teach all his Disciples under the New Testament likewise By religious fasting a man comes nearest the life of Angels and to do God's will on Earth as it is done in Heaven Yea Nature seemeth to teach man this duty in giving him a liâ—tle mouth and a nâ—rrower throat for Nature is content with a little Grace with less Neither doth Nature and Grace agree in any one act better than in this Excercise of Religious Fasting for it strengtheneth the memory and cleareth the mind illuminateth the understanding and bridleth the Affections mortifieth the flesh and preserveth Chastity preventeth sickness and continueth health it delivereth from evils and procureth all kind of blessings By breaking this Fast the Serpent overthrew the first Adam so that he lost Paradise But by keeping a Fast the second Adam vanquished the Serpent and restored us into Heaven Fasting was she who covered Noah safe in the Ark whom Intemperance uncovered and left stark naked in the Vineyard By fasting Lot quenched the flame of Sodom whom Drunkenness scorched with the fire of Incest Religious Fasting and talking with God made Moses's Face to shine before Men when Idolatrous eating and drinking caâ—sed the Israelites to appear abominable in the sight of God It rapt Elias in an Angelical Coach to Heaven when voluptuous Ahab was sent in a Bloody Chariot to Hell It made Herod believe that John Baptist should live after death by a blessed Resâ—rrection when after an intemperate life he could promise nothing to himself but eternal death and destruction O divine Ordinance of a divine Author 2. Of the Time The holy Scripture appoints no Time under the New Testament to fast but but leaves it unto Christians own free choice Rom. 14. 3. 1 Cor. 7. 5. to fast as occasion shall be offered unto them Mat. 9. 15. As when a man becomes an humble and earnest suiter unto God for the pardon of some gross sin committed or for the prevention of some sin whereunto a man feels himself by Satan sollicited or to obtain some special blessing which he wants or to avert some Judgment which a man fears or is already faln upon himself or others Or lastly to subdue his flesh unto his spirit that he may more chearfully pour forth his soul unto God by prayer Upon these occasions a man may fast a day or longer as his occasion requiees and the constitution of his body and other needful affairs will permit 3. Of the manner of a private Fast. The true manner of performing a private fast consists partly in outward partly in inward actions The outward actions are to abstain for the time that we fast First from all worldly business and labour making our fasting day as it were a Sabbath day Lev. 23. 28. for worldly business will distract our minds from holy devotion Secondly from all manner of food yea from bread and water so far as health will permit 1. That so we may acknowledge our own indignity as being unworthy both of life and all the means for the maintenance thereof 2. That by afflicting the Body the Soul which folâ—loweth the constitution thereâ—f may be the more humbled 3. That so we may take a godly revenge upon our selves for abusing our liberty in the use of God's Creatures 4. That by the hunger of our Bodies through want of these earthly things our Souls may learn to hunger more eagerly after spiritual and heavenly food 5. To put us in mind that as we abstain from food which is lawful so we should much more abstain from Sin which is altogether unlawful Thirdly From good and costly apparel that as the abuse of these puffs us up with pride so the laying aside their lawful use may witness our humility And to this end in ancient times they used especially in publick Fasts to put on Sackcloth or other course Apparel The Equity hereof still remaineth especially in publick Fasts at what time to come into the Assembly with starched Bands crisped Hair brave Apparel and decked with Flowers or Perfumes argueth a Soul that is neither humble before God nor ever knew the true use of so holy an exercise Fourthly From the full measure of ordinary sleep That thou maist that way also humble thy Body and that thy Soul may watch and pray to be prepared for the coming of Christ. And if thou wilt break thy sleep early and late for worldly gain how much more should'st thou do it for the service of God And if Ahab in imitation of the godly did in his fast lie in such-cloth to break his sleep by night what shall we think of those who on a fasting-day will yield themselves to sleep in the open Church Fifthly and lastly From all outward pleasures of our senses So that as it was not the throat only that sinned so must
the company of wickâ—ed Men and God taketh away merciful 〈◊〉 righteous men from the evil to come So 〈◊〉 dealt with Josiah I will gather thee to thâ— Fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grâ—â— in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the 〈◊〉 which I will bring upon this place And Goâ— hides them for a while in the grave untill 〈◊〉 indignation pass over So that as Paradise 〈◊〉 the Heaven of the soul's joy so the Graâ—â— may be term'd the Heaven of the bodies 〈◊〉 3. Whereas this wicked Body lives in a world of wickedness so that the poor Soul cannot look out at the Eye and not be infected nor hear by the Ear and not be distracted nor smell at the Nostrils and not be tainted nor taste with the Tongue and not be allured nor touch by the Hand and not be defiled and every sense upon every temptation is ready to betray the Soul by death the Soul shall be delivered from this Thraldom and this corruptible body shall put on incorruption and this mortal immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. O blessed thrice blessed be that Death in the Lord which delivers us out of so evil a World and freeth us from such a body of bondage and corruption The third sort of Meditations are to consider what good Death will bring unto thee 1. DEATH bringeth the godly Man's Soul to enjoy an immediate Communion with the blessed Trinity in everlastâ—ng bliss and glory 2. It translates the Soul from the Miseâ—ies of this world the contagion of sin and â—â—ciety of Sinners to the City of the living â—ed the Celestial Jerusalem and the comâ—any of innumerable Angels and to the assemâ—ly and congregation of the first-born which 〈◊〉 written in Heaven and to God the Judge 〈◊〉 all and to the Souls of just Men made perâ—ect and to Jesus the Mediator of the new â—ovenant 3. Death putteth the Soul into the aactual and full possession of all the inheritance and happiness which Christ hath either promised unto thee in his Word or purchased for thee by his blood This is the good and happiness whereunto a blessed death will bring thee And what truly Religious Christian that is young would not wish himself old that his appointed time might the sooner approach to enter into this celestial Paradise where thou maist exchange thy Brass for Gold thy Vanity for Felicity thy Vileness for Honour thy Bondage for Freedom thy Lease for an Inheritance and thy mortal State for an immortal Life He that doth not daily desire this blessedness above all things of all others he is less worthy to enjoy it If Cato Vticensis and Cleombrotus two Heathen-men reading Plato's Book oâ— the Immortality of the Soul did voluntarily the one break his Neck the other run upon his Sword that they might thâ— sooner as they thought have enjoyed those joys what a shame is it for Christianâ— knowing those things in a more excellent measure and manner out of God's owâ— Book not to be willing to enter into these heavenly Joys especially when their Master calls for them thither If thereforâ— there be in thee any love of God or desirâ— of thine own happiness or salvation wheâ— the time of thy departing draweth nearâ— that time I say and manner of Death which God in his unchangeable Counsel hath appointed and determined beâ—fore thou wast born yield and surrender up willingly and chearfully thy Soul into the merciful hands of Jesus Christ thy Saviour And to this end when the time is come as the Angel in the â—ight of Manoah and his Wife ascended from the Altar up to heaven in the flame of the sacrifice so endeavour thou that thy spirit in the sight of thy friends may from the altar of a contrite heart ascend up to Heaven in the sweet perfume of this or the like spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer A Prayer for a sick Man when he is told that he is not a Man for this World but must prepare himself to go unto God O Heavenly Father who art the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh and hast made us these souls and hâ—st appointed us the time as to come into this World so having finished our course to go out of the same the number of my days which thou hast determined are now expired and I am come to the utmost bounds which thou hast appointed beyond which I cannot pass I know O Lord that if thou enterest into judgment no flesh can be justified in thy sight And I O Lord of all others should appear most impure and unjust for I have not fought that good â—ight for the defence of thy Faith and Religion with that zeal and constancy that I should but for fear of displeasing the World I have given way unto sins and errours and for desire to please my flesh I have broken all thy Commandments in thought word and deed so that my sins have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up and they are more in number than the hairs on my head If thou wilt straitly mark mine iniquities O Lord where shall I stand if thou weighest me in the balance I shall be found too light For I am void of all righteousness that might merit thy mercy and loaden with all iniquities that most justly deserve thy heaviest wrath Buâ— O my Lord and my God for Jesus Christ thy Son's sake in whom only thou art well pleased with all penitent and believing sinners take pity and compassion upon me who am the chief of sinners Blot out all my sins out of thy remembrance and wash away all my transgressions out of thy sight with the precious blood of thy Son which I believe that he as an undefiled Lamb hath shed for the cleansing of my sins In this faith I lived in this faith I die believing that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again for my justification And seeing that he hath endured that Death and born the burthen of that Judgment which was due unto my sins O Father for his Death and Passion 's sake now that I am coming to appear before thy Judgment-seat acquit and deliver me from that fearful Judgment which my sins have justly deserved And perform unto me that gracious and comfortable Promise which thou hast made in thy Gospel That whosoever believeth in thee hath everlasting life and shall not come into Judgment but shall pass from death unto life Strengthen O Christ my Faith that I may put the whole confidence of my salvation in the merits of thy obedience and Blood Encrease O holy Spirit my patience lay no more upon me than I am able to bear and enable me to bear so much as shall stand with thy blessed will and pleasure O blessed Trinity in Unity my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier vouchsafe that as my
the power of Satan and in the fire of Faith and perfume of Prayer ascend up with Angels victoriously into Heaven An Admonition to them who come to visit the sick THey who come to visit the sick must have a special care not to stand dumb and staring in the sick person's face to disquiet him nor yet to speak idly and to ask unprofitable questions as most do If they see therefore that the sick party is like to die let them not dissemble but lovingly and discreetly admonish him of his weakness and to prepare for eternal life One hour well spent when a man's life is almost out-spent may gain a man the assurance of eternal life Sooth him not with the vain hope of this life lest thou betray his Soul to eternal death Admonish him plainly of his estate and ask him briefly these or the like Questions Questions to be asked of a sick Man that is like to die DOst thou believe that Almighty God the Trinity of Persons in Unity of Essence hath by his Power made Heaven and Earth and all things therein and that he doth still by his Divine Providence govern the same So that nothing comes to pass in the world nor to thy self but what his divine hand and counsel had determined before to be done 2. Dost thou confess that thou hast transgressed and broken the holy Commandments of Almighty God in thought word and deed and hast deserved for breaking his holy Laws the Curse of God which containeth all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in Hell fire when this life is ended if so be that God should deal with thee according to thy deserts 3. Art thou not sorry in thy heart that thou hast so broken his Laws and neglected his Service and Worship and so much followed the world and thine own vain pleasures And would'st thou not lead a holier life if thou wert to begin again 4. Dost thou not from thy heart desire to be reconciled unto God in Jesus Christ his blessed Son thy Mediator who is at the right hand of God in heaven now appearing for thee in the sight of God and making request unto him for thy Soul 5. Dost thou renounce all confidence in all other Mediators or Intercessors Saints or Angels believing that Jesus Christ the only Mediator of the New Testament is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them And wilt thou with David say unto Christ whom have I in heaven but thee And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee 6. Dost thou confidently believe and hope to be saved by the only merits of that bloody death and passion which thy Saviour Jesus Christ hath suffered for thee not putting any hope of Salvation in thine own Merits nor in any other means or Creatures being assuredly perswaded that there is no salvation in any other and that there is none other name under Heaven whereby thou must be saved 7. Dost thou heartily forgive all wrongs and offences done or offered unto thee by any manner of Person whatsoever And dost thou as willingly from thy heart ask forgiveness of them whom thou hast grievously wronged in word or deed And dost thou cast out of thy heart all malice and hatred which thou hast born to any body that thou mayest appear before the Face oâ— Christ the Prince of Peace in perfect love and charity 8. Doth thy Conscience tell thee of any thing which thou hast wrongfully taken and dost still withhold from any widow or fatherless Children or from any other persons whomsoever Be assured that unless thou shalt restore like Zaccheus those goods and lands if thou be'st able thou canst not truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst not be saved nor look Christ in the face when thou shalt appear before his Judgment-seat 9. Dost thou firmly believe that thy body shall be raised up out of the Grave at the sound of the last Trumpet and that thy Body and Soul shall be united together again in the Resurrection Day to appear before the Lord Jesus Christ and thence to go with him into the Kingdom of Heaven to live in everlasting bliss and glory If the sick party shall answer to all these questions like a faithful Christian then let all who are present joyn together and pray for him in these or the like words A Prayer to be said for the sick by them who visit him O Merciful Father who art the Lord and giver of life and to whom belong the issues of Death we thy Children here assembled do acknowledge that in respect of our manifold sins we are not worthy to ask any blessing for our selves at thy hands much less to become suiters unto thy Majesty in the behalf of others yet because thou hast commanded us to pray one for another especially for the sick and hast promised that the Prayers of the righteous shall avail much with thee in obedience therefore to thy Commandment and confidence of thy gracious Promise we are bold to become humble Suiters to thy Divine Majesty in the behalf of this our dear Brother or Sister whom thou hast hast visited with the Chastisement of thine own fatherly hand We could gladly wish the Restitution of his health and a longer continuance of his life and Christian â—ellowship amongst us but forasmuch as it â—ppeareth as far as we can discern that â—hou hast appointed by this visitation to â—â—ll for him out of this mortal life we subâ—it our wills to thy blessed will and humâ—ly intreat for Jesus Christ his sake and â—e merits of his bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for him that â—ou would'st pardon and forgive unto â—im all his sins as well that wherein he â—as conceived and born as also all the offenâ—es and transgressions which ever since to â—his day and hour he hath committed in â—hought word and deed against thy Divine â—ajesty Cast them behind thy back reâ—ive them as far from thy presence as the East â— from the West Blot them out of thy reâ—embrance lay them not to his charge â—ash them away with the Blood of Christ â—hat they may no more be seen and deliâ—er him from all the Judgments which are â—ue unto him for his sins that they may â—ever trouble his conscience nor rise in â—udgment against his Soul and impute unâ—o him the righteousness of Jesus Christ whereby he may appear righteous in thy â—â—ght And in his extremity at this time we â—eseech the look down from heaven upâ—n him with those eyes of grace and comâ—assion wherewith thou art wont to look â—pon thy children in their affliction and misery Pity thy wounded Servant like â—he good Samaritan for here is a sick soul â—hat needeth the help of such a heavenâ—â— Physician O Lord increase his Faith that he may believe that Christ died for him and that his blood
now called to Repetitions in Christ's School to see how much Faith Patience and Godliness you have learned all this while and whether you can like Job receive at the hand of God some evil as well as you have hitherto received a great deal of good As therefore you have always prayed Thy will be done so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will 7. That all things shall work together for the best to them that love God Insomuch that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Assure your self that every pang is a prevention of the pains of hell every resâ—ite an earnest of Heavens rest and how many stripes do you esteem heaven worth As your life hath been a comfort to others so give your friends a Christian example to die and deceive the Devil as Job did It is but the â—â—oss of Christ sent before to crucifie the love of the World in thee that thou mâ—â—st go eternally to live with Christ who was crucified for thee As thou art therefore a true Christian take up like Simon of Cyrâ—nâ— with both thy arms his holy Cross carry it after him 〈◊〉 him thy pains will shortly pass thy joys shall never pass away Consolations against the fear of Death IF in the time of thy sickness thou findest thy self fearful to die meditate 1. That it argueth a dastardly mind to fear that which is nor For in the Church of Christ there is no death Isa. 25. 7 8. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ shall never die Job 11. 26. Let them fear death who live without Christ. Christians die not but when they please God they are like 〈◊〉 translated unto God Their pains are but Elijah's fiery chariot to carry them up to heaven or like Lazarâ—â—'s sores sending them to Abraham's Bosom In a word if thou be one of them that like Lazarus lovest Jesus thy sickness is not unto the death but for the glory of God who of his love changeth thy living death to an everlasting life And if mans heathen men as Socratâ—s Câ—â—tiuâ— Seneca c. died willingâ—â— when they might have lived in hâ—pe of the immortality of the soul wilt thou being traiâ—â—d so loâ—g in Châ—â—st's Schâ—ol and now câ—llâ—d to the Marriage Supper of the blessed Lâ—â—h Rev. 19 7. be one of those Guests thâ—â— refuse to go to that joyful banquet God forbid 2 Remember that thy abode here is but the second degree of thy life for after thou hadst first lived nine Months in thy Mothers Womb thou wast of necessity driven thence to live here in a second degree of life And when that number of months which God hath determined for this life are expired thou must likewise leave this and pass to a third degree in the other world which never ends Which to them that live and die in the Lord surpasseth as far this kind of life as this doth that which one lives in his Mothers Womb. To this last and excellentest degree of life through this door passed Christ himself and all his Saints that were before thee and so shall all the rest after them and thee Why shouldst thou fear that which is common to all God's Elect Why should that be uncouth to thee which was so welcom to all them Fear not death for as it is the Exodus of a bad so it is the Genesis of a better World the end of a temporal but the beginning of an eternal life 3. Consider that there are but three things that can make death so fearful unto thee 1. The loss thou hast thereby 2. The pain that is therein 3. The terrible effects which follow after All these are but false â—res and causeless fears For the first if thou leavest here uncertain goods which Thieves may rob thou shalt find in heaven a true Treasure that can never be taken away these were but lent thee as a Steward upon accounts those shall be given thee as thy reward for ever If thou leavesâ— a loâ—ing Wise thou shalt be married to Christ which is more lovely If thou leavest Children and Friends thou shalt there find all thy religious Ancestors and Children departed yea Christ and all his blessed Saints and Angels and as many of thy Children as be God's Children shall thither follow after thee Thou leavest an earthly pâ—ssession and a house of clay and thou shalt enjoy an heavenly inheritance and mansion of glory which is purchased prepared and reserved for thee What hast thou lost Nay is not death unto thee gain Go home go 〈◊〉 and we will follow after thee Secondly For the pain in death the fear of death more pains many than the very paâ—gs of death for many a Christian dies without any great pangs or pains â—itch the 〈◊〉 of thy Hope on the firm ground of the Woâ—d of God who hath promised in thy weakness to perfect his strength and not to suffer thee to be tempted above that thou art able to bear And Christ will shortly turn all thy temporal pains to his eternal joys Lastly As for the terrible effects which follow after death they belong not unto thee being a member of Christ for Christ by his death hath taken away the sting of death to the faithful so that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Christ hath protested that he that believeth in him hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but haâ—â— passed from death unto life Hereupon the holy Spirit from Heaven saith Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord and that from thenceforth they rest from their labours and their works do follow them In respect therefore of the faithful death is swallowed up in victory and his sting which is sin and the punishment thereof is taken away by Christ. Hence death is called in respect of our bodies a sleep and rest In respect of our Souls a going to our heavenly Father a departing in peace a removing from this body to go to the Lord a dissolving of soul and body to be with Christ. What shall I say Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints These pains are but thy throes and travail to bring forth eternal life And who would not pass through Hell to go to Paradise much more through death There is nothing after death that thou needest feaâ— not thy sinsâ— because Chrâ—st hath payed thy ransom not the Judge for hâ— is thy loving brother not the grave 〈◊〉 iâ— is the Lord's bed not he for thy Redeemâ—r keeps the keys not the Devil for God's holy Angels pitch their Tents about thee and will not leave thee till they bring thee to Heaven Thou wast never 〈◊〉 etâ—â—nal life glorifie therefore â—â—ist by a
Israelites to convey them to Canaan's possession so death to the wicked is a sink to hell and condemnation but to the godly the gate to everlasting life and salvation And one day of a blessed death will make amends for all the sorrows of a bitter life When therefore thou perceivest thy soul departing from thy body pray with thy Tongue if thou canst else pray in thy heart and mind these words fixing the eyes of thy soul upon Jesus Christ thy Saviour A Prayer at the yielding up of the Ghost O Lamb of God which by thy blood hast taken away the sins of the world have mercy upon me a sinner Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen When the sick party is departing let the faithful that are present kneel down and commend his soul to God in these or the like words O Gracious God and merciful Father who art our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble lift up the light of thy favourable countenance at this Instant upon thy servant that now cometh to appear in thy presence wash away good Lord all his sins by the merits of Christ Jesus's blood that they may never be laid to his charge Increase his faith preserve and keep safe his soul from the danger of the Devil and his Wicked Angels Comfort him with thy Holy Spirit cause him now to feel that thou art his loving Father and that he is thy child by Adoption and Grace Save O Christ the price of thine own blood and suffer him not to be lost whom thou hast bought so dearly Receive his soul as thou didst the penitent thief into thy heavenly Paradise Let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither as they carried the soul of Laâ—arus and grant unto him a joyful resurrection at the last day O Father hear us for him and hear thine own Son our only Mediator that sits at thy right hand for him and us all even for the merits of that bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for us In confidence whereof we now recommend his soul into thy fatherly hands in that blessed Prayer which our Saviour hath taught us in all times of our troubles to say unto thee Our Father c. Thus far of the Practice of Piety in dying in the Lord. Now followeth the Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord. THE Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord is termed Martyrdom Martyrdom is the testimony which a Christian beareth to the Doctrine of the Gospel by enduring any kind of death to invite many and to confirm all to embrace the truth thereof To this kind of death Christ hath promised a Crown Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life Which promise the Church so firmly believed that they termed martyrdom it self a Crown And God to animate Christians to this excellent prize would by a prediction that Stephen the first Christian Martyr should have his name of a Crown Of Martyrdom there are Three kinds 1. Solâ voluntate in will only as John the Evangelist who being boiled in a Cauldron of Oil came out rather annointed than sod and died of old age at Ephesus 2. Solo opere in deed only as the Innocents of Bethlehem 3. Voluntate opere both in will and deed as in the Primitive Church Stephen Polycarpus Ignatius Laurentius Romanus Antiochianus and thousands And in our days Cranmer Latimer Hooper Ridley Farrar Bradford Philpot Sanders Glover Taylor and others innumerable whose fiery zeal to God's Truth brought them to the flames of Martyrdom to seal Christ's Faith It is not the cruelty of the death but the innocency and holiness of the cause that maketh a Martyr Neither is an erroneous Conscience a sufficient warrant to suffer Martyrdom because Science in God's Word must direct Conscience in man's heart For they who killed the Apostles in their erroneous Consciences thought they did God good service and Paul of zeal breathed out slaughters against the Lord's Saints Now whether the cause of our Seminary Priests and Jesuits be so holy true and innocent as that it may warrant their Conscience to suffer death and to hazard their eternal salvation thereon let Paul's Epistle written to the ancient Christian Romans but against our new Antichristian Romans be judge And it will plainly appear that the Doctrine which St. Paul taught to the ancient Church of Rome is ex diametro opposite in 26 fundamental points of true Religion to that which the new Church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth For St. Paul taught the Primitive Church of Rome 1. That our Election is of God's free Grace and not ex operibus praevisis Rom. 9. 11. Rom. 11. 5 6. 2. That we are justified before God by faith only without good works Rom. 3. 20 28. Rom. 4. 2 c. Rom. 1. 17. 3. That the good works of the regenerate are not of their own condignity meritorious nor such as can deserve Heaven Rom. 8. 18. Rom. 11. 6. Rom. 6. 23. 4. That these Books only are God's Oracles and Canonical Scripture which were committed to the custody and credit of the Jews Rom. 3. 2. Rom. 1. 2. Rom. 16. 26. such were never the Apocrypha 5. That the Holy Scriptures have God's authority Rom. 9. 17. Rom. 3. 4. Rom. 11. 32. conferred with Gal. 3. 22. Therefore above the authority of the Church 6. That all as well Laity as Clergy that will be saved must familiarly read or know the Holy Scripture Rom. 15. 4. Rom. 10. 1 2 8. Rom. 16. 26. 7. That all Images made of the true God are very Idols R. 1. 23. R. 2. 22. conferr'd 8. That to bow the knee religiously to an Image or to worship any Creature is meer Idolatry R. 11. 4. and a lying service R. 1. 25. 9. That we must not pray unto any but to God only in whom we believe Rom. 10. 13 14. Rom. 8. 15 27. therefore not to Saints and Angels 10. That Christ is our only intercessor in Heaven Rom. 8. 34 Rom. 5. 2 Rom. 16. 27. 11. That the only Sacrifice of Christians is nothing but the spiritual Sacrificing of their souls and bodies to serve God in holiness and righteousness R. 12. 1 R. 15. 16. therefore no real sacrificing of Christ in the Mass. 12. That the religious worship called dulia as well as latria belongeth to God alone Rom. 1. 9. Rom. 12. 11. R. 16. 18. conferr'd 13. That all Christians are to pray unto God in their own native language R. 14. 11. 14. That we have not of our selves in the state of corruption free will unto good Rom. 7. 18 c. Rom. 9. 16. 15. That Concupiscence in the regenerate is sin Rom. 7. 7 8 10. 16. That the Sacraments do not confer grace ex opere operato but sign and seal that â—t is conferred already unto us Rom. 4. 11 12. Rom. 2. 28 29. 17. That every
the wi◠〈…〉 C. To teach thee what thou 〈…〉 do in all thy afflictions and how willingly thou should'st yield to bear with 〈◊〉 that Cross which thou seest to come from the just hand of thy heavenly Father S. Lord wherefore dist thou 〈…〉 drops of water and blood C. That I might cleanse thee from thy stains and 〈…〉 S. Lord why would'st thou be taken 〈◊〉 thou mightest have escaped thine Enemies C. That thy spiritual enemies should not take thee and cast thee into the prison of utter darkness S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be forsaken of all thy Disciples C. That I might reconcile thee unto God of whom thou wast forsaken for thy sins S. Lord wherefore wouldst thou stand to be apprehended alone C. To shew thee that my love of thy salvation was more than the love of all my Disciples S. Lord wherefore was the young man caught by the soldiers and unstrip'd of his linen who came out of his bed hearing the stir at thy apprehension and leading to the high Priest C. To shew their outrage in apprehending me and my power in preserving out of their outragious hands all my Disciples who otherwise had been worse handled by them than was that young man S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be bound C. That I might loose the Cords of thine iniquities S. Lord why wast thou denied of Peter C. that I might confess thee before my Father and thou mightest learn that there is no trust in man and that salvation proceeds of my meer mercy S. Lord wherefore would'st thou bring Peter to repentance by the crowing of a Cock C. That none should despise the means which God hath appointed for their conversion tho' they seem never so mean S. Lord wherefore didst thou at the Cock-crowing turn and look upon Peter C. Because thou might'st know that without the help of my grace no means can turn a sinner unto God when he is once fallen from him S. Lord wherefore wast thou cover'd with a purple robe C. That thou might'st perceive that it was I that did away thy scarlet sins S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be crown'd with thorns C. That by wearing thorns the first fruits of the Curse it might appear that it is I which take away the sins and curse of the world and crown thee with the Crown of life and glory S. Lord why was a reed put into thy hand C. That it might appear that I came not to break the bruised reed S. Lord wherefore wast thou mock'd of the Jews C. That thou mightest insult over Devils who otherwise would have mocked thee as the Philistines did Samson S. Lord wherefore would'st thou have thy blessed face defiled with spittle C. That I might cleanse thy face from the shame of sin S. Wherefore Lord were thine eyes hood-winkt with a veil C. That thy spiritual blindness being removed thou mightest behold the face of my Father in heaven S. Lord wherefore did they buffet thee with fists and beat thee with slaves C. That thou mightest be freed from the stroaks and tearings of infernal fiends S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be reviled C. That God might speak peace unto thee by his Word and Spirit S. Lord wherefore was thy face disfigur'd with blows and blood C. That thy face might shine glorious as the Angels in heaven S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be so â—â—â—elly scâ—urged C. That thou mightest be freed from the sting of Conscience and whips of everlasting torments S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be arraigned at Pilate's Bar C. That thou mightest at the last day be acquitted before my Judgment-seat S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be falsly accused C. That thou should'st not be justly condemned S. Lord where wast thou turned over to be condemned by a strange Judge C. That thou being redeemed from the capâ—ivity of a hellish Tyrant mightest be restored to God whose own thou art by right S. Wherefore O Christ didst thou acknowledge that Pilate had power over thee from above C. That Antichrist under pretence of being my Vicar should not exalt himself above all Principalities and Powers S. Lord why would'st thou suffer thy Passion under Pontius Pilate being a Roman President to Caesar of Rome C. To shew that the Caesarian and Pontifician Polity of Rome should chiefly persecute my Church and crucifie me in my members S. But why Lord would'st thou be condemn'd C. That the Law being condemned in me thou mightest not be condemned by it S. But why wast thou condemned seeing nothing could be proved against thee C. That thou might'st know that it was not for my faults but for thine that I suffered S. Lord wherefore wast thou led to suffer out of the city C. That I might bring thee to rest in the heavenly City S. Lord why did the Jews compel Simon of Cyrene coming out of the field to carry thy Cross C. To shew the weakness whereunto the burden of thy sins brought me and what must be every Christians case which goeth out of the field of this world toward the heavenly Jerusalem S. Lord why wast thou unstripped of thy garments C. That thou mightest see how I forsook all to redeem thee S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be liâ—t up upon a Cross C. That I might lift thee up with me to Heaven S. Lord wherefore didst thou hang upon a cursed tree C. That I might satisfie for thy sin committed in eatiâ—g the forbidden fruit of a Tree S. Lord wherefore would'st thou hang between two thieves C. That thou my dear Soul might'st have place in the midst of heavenly Angels S. Lord wherefore were thy hands and feet nailed to the Cross C. To enlarge thy hands to do the works of righteousness and to set thy feet at liberty to walk in the ways of Peace S. Lord wherefore did they crucifie thee in Golgoâ—ha the place of dead mens sculls C. To assure thee that my death is life unto the dead S. Lord why did not the Soldiers divide thy seamless coat C. To shew that my Church is one without rent or schism S. Lord wherefore didst thou taste Vinegar and Gall C. That thou mightest eat the bread of Angels and drink the water of life S. Lord why saidst thou upon the Cross It is finished C. That thou mightest know that by my death the Law was fulfilled and thy Redemption effected S. Lord why didst thou cry out upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me C. Lest thou being forsaken of God shouldst have been driven to cry in the pains of Hell Wo and alas for evermore S. Lord wherefore was there such a general darkness when thou didst suffer and cry out on the Cross C. That thou mightest see an Image of those
immediately carry her into Heaven and there present her before Christ where she is crowned with a Crown of Righteousness and Glory not which she hath deserved by her good works but which God hath promised of his free goodness to all those who of love have in this life unfeignedly served him and sought his glory Oh what joy will it be to thy Soul which was wont to see nothing but misery and sinners now to behold the face of the God of glory yea to see Christ welcoming thee as soon as thou art presented before him by the holy Angels with an Euge bone serve well done and welcome good and faithful servant c. enter into thy Master's joy And what joy will this be to behold thousand thousands of Cherubims Seraphims Angels Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers All the holy Patriarchs Priests Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors and all the Souls of thy Friends Parents Husbands Wives Children and the rest of God's Saints who departed before thee in the true Faith of Christ standing before God's Throne in bliss and glory If the Queen of Sheba beholding the glory and attendance given to Solomon as it were ravished therewith brake out and said Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand ever before thee and hear thy wisdom How shall thy soul be ravished to see her self by grace admitted to stand with this glorious Company to behold the Blessed face of Christ and to hear all the Treasures of his Divine Wisdom How shalt thou rejoyce to see so many thousand thousands welcoming thee into their Heavenly Society for as they all rejoyced at thy Conversion so will they now be much more joyful to behold thy Coronation and to see thee receive thy Crown which was laid up for thee against thy coming For there the Crown of martyrdom shall be put on the head of a Martyr who for Christ's Gospel-sake endured Torments the Crown of Virginity on the head of a Virgin who subdued concupiscence the Crown of Piety and Chastity on the head of them who sincerely professed Christ and kept their wedlock-bed undefiled the Crown of good works on the good Alms-giver's head who liberally relieved the Poor the Crown of incorruptible glory on the head of those Pastors who by their preaching and good example have converted Souls from the corruption of sin to glorifie God in holiness of life Who can sufficiently express the rejoycing of this heavenly company to see thee thus crowned with glory arraied with the shining robe of righteousness and to behold the Palm of Victory put into thy hand Oh what gratulation will there be that thou hast escaped all the miseries of the World the snares of the Devil the pains of Hell and obtained with them thy eternal rest and happiness For there every one joyeth as much in another's happiness as in his own because he shall see him as much loved of God as himself Yea they have as many distinct joys as they have co-partners of their joy And in this joyful and blessed state the Soul resteth with Christ in Heaven till the Resurrection when as the number of her fellow servants and brethren be fulfilled which the Lord termeth but a little season The second degree of Man's Blessedness after Death is from the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the final Sentence For at the last day 1. The Elementary Heavens Earth and all things therein shall be dissolved and purified with Fire 2. At the sound of the last Trumpet or voice of Christ the Archangel the very same Bodies which the Elect had before though turned to Dust and Earth shall arise again And in the same instant every Man's Soul shall re-enter into his own Body by virtue of the resurrection of Christ their Head and be made alive and rise out of their Graves as if they did but awake out of their beds and howsoever Tyran's be mangled their Bodies in pieces or consumed them to ashes yet shall the Elect find it true at that day that not an hair of their head is perished 3. They shall come forth out of their Graves like so many Josephs out of Prison or Daniels out of the Lion's Den or Jonahs out of the Whale's Belly 4. All the Bodies of the Elect being thus made alive shall arise in that perfection of Nature whereunto they should have attained by their natural temperament if no impediment had hindred and in that vigour of age that a perfect Man is at about 33 years old each in their proper sex Whereunto Divines think the Apostle alludeth when he saith Till we all come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the age or stature of the fulness of Christ. Whatsoever imperfection was before in the Body as blindness lameness crookedness shall then be done away Jacob shall not halt nor Isaac be blind nor Leah bleer-ey'd nor Mephibosheth be lame for if David would not have the blind and lame to come into his House much less will Christ have blindness and lameness to dwell in his heavenly Habitation Christ made all the blind to see the dumb to speak the deaf to hear the lame to walk c. that came to him to seek his grace on Earth much more will he heal all their imperfections whom he will admit to his glory in Heaven Among those Tribes there is not one feeble but the lame man shall leap as an Hart and the dumb man's tongue shall sing And it is very probable that seeing God Created our first Parents not Infants or old Men but of a perfect age or stature the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or new Creation from Death shall every where be more perfect than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first frame of Man from which he fell into the state of the dead Neither is it like that infancy being imperfection and old age corruption can well stand with the state of a perfect glorified Body 5. The Bodies of the Elect being thus raised shall have four most excellent and supernatural qualities For 1. They shall be raised in Power whereby they shall for ever be freed from all wants and weaknesses and enabled to continue without the use of Meat Drink Sleep and other former helps 2. In Incorruption whereby they shall never be subject to any manner of Imperfections Blemish Sickness or Death 3. In Glory whereby their Bodies shall shine as bright as the Sun in the Firmament and which being made transparent their Souls shall shine through far more glorious than their Bodies Three glimpses of which Glory were seen First In Moses's Face Secondly In the Transfiguration Thirdly In Stephen's Countenance Three Instances and Assurances of the glorification of our Bodies at that glorious Day Then shall David lay aside his Shepherd's Weed and put on the Robe of the King's Son Jesus not Jonathan's Then
go up triumphantly in order and aray unto the Heaven of Heavens with such an heavenly noise and musick that now may that song of David be truly verified God is gone up with a triumph the Lord with the sound of the trumpets Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises for God is King of all the earth he is greatly to be exalted And that Marriage-song of John Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready Allelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth The Third and last degree of the blessed state of a Regenerate Man after Death begins after the pronouncing of the Sentence and lasteth eternally without all end Meditations of the blessed estate of a Regeneraâ—e Man in Heaven after he hath received his sentence of Absolution before the Tribunal-Seat of Christ at the last day of Judgment Here my Meditation dazeleth and my Pen falleth out of my hand the one being not able to conceive nor the other to describe that most 〈…〉 and eternal weight of glory whereof all the afflictions of this present life are 〈…〉 which all the Elect shall with the blessed Trinity enjoy from that time that they shall be received with Christ as joint heirs iâ—to that everlasting Kingdom of Joy Notwithstanding we may take a scantling thereof thus The Holy Scriptures set â—orth to our capacity the glory of our eternal and heavenly life after Death in four respects 1. Of the Place 2. Of the Object 3. Of the Prerogatives of the Elect there 4. Of the effects of those Prerogatives 1. Of the Place THE place is the Heaven of Heavens or the third Heaven called Paradise whither Christ in his humane Nature ascended farâ—above all visible heavens The Bridegromes chamber which by the firmament at by an azured curtain spangled with glittering stars and glorious planets is bid that we cannot behold it with these corrupâ—ible eyes of Flesh. The Holy Ghost framing himself to our weakness describes the glory of that place which no man can estimate by such things as are most precious in the estimation of Man And therefore likeneth it to a great and a holy City named the heavenly Jerusalem where only God and his people who are saved and written in the Lamb's book do inhabit all built of pure gold like unto clear glass or crystal the walls of jasper-stone the foundations of the walls garnished with twelve manner of precious stones having twelve gates each built of one pearl three gates towards each of the four corners of the world and at each gate aâ— Angel as so many Porters that no unclean thing should enter into it It is four square therefore perfect the length the breadth and heighth of it are equal 12000 â—urlongs every way therefore glorious and spacious Through the midst of her streets ever râ—nneth the pure river of the Water of Life as clear as crystal therefore wholesome And on either side the river is the tree of Life ever growing which beareth twelve manner of fruits and gives fruit every month therefore fruitful And the leaves of Tree are health to the Nations Therefore healthy There is therefore no place so glorious by Creation so beautiful with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation For there the Kiâ—g is Christ the law is Love the honour Verity the peace Felicity the life Eternity There is Light without darkness Mirâ—h without sadness Health without sickness Wealth without want Credit without disgrace Beauty without blemish Ease without labour Riches without rust Blessedness without misery and Consolation that never knows endâ— How truly may we cry out with David of this City Glorious things are spoken of thee O thâ—â— City of God and yet all these things are spoken but according to the weakness of our capacityâ— For Heaven exceedeth all this in glory so far as that no tongue is able to express nor heart of man to conceive the glory thereof as witnesseth S. Paul who was in it and saw it O let us noâ— then doâ—e so much upon these wooden cottages and houses of moâ—ldring clay which are but tents of ungodliness and habitations of Sinners 〈◊〉 let us look rather and long for this heavenly city whose builder and maker is God which he who is not ashamed to be called our God â—ath prepared for us 2. Of the Object THe blissful and glorious object of all intellectual and reasonable Creatures in Heaven is the Godhead in trinity of Persons without which there is neither joâ— nor felicity but the very fulness of joy consisteth in enjoying the same This Object we shall enjoy two ways 1. By a Beatisical Vision of God 2. By possessing an immediate communion with this Divine Nature The beatifical vision of God is that only that can content the infinite mind of Man For every thing tendeth to its center God is the center of the Soul therefore like Noah's Dove she cannot rest nor joy till she return and enjoy him All that God bestowed upon Moses could not satisfie his mind unless he might see the face of God Therefore the whole Church prayeth so earnestly God be merciful unto us and cause his face to shine upon us When Paul once had seen this blessed sight he ever after counted all the riches and glory of the World in respect of it to be but dung and all his life after was but a sighing out Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And Christ prayed for all his Elect in his last Prayer that they might obtain this blessed Vision Father I will that they which thou hast given me be Where even where I am To what â—nd that they may behold that my glory c. If Moses's face did so shine when he had been with God but forty days and seen but his back-parts how shall we shine when we shall see him face to face for ever and know him as we are known and as be is Then shall the Soul no longer be â—ermed Marâ—h bitterness but Naomi beautifulness for the Lord shall turn her short bitterness to eternal beauty and blessedness Ruth 1. 20. The second means to enjoy this object is by having an immediate and an eternal Communion with God in heaven This we have first by being as members of Christ united to his Manhood and by the Manhood personally united to the World we are united to him as he is God and by his God-head to the whole Trinity Reprobates at the last day shall see God as a just Judge to punish them but for lack of this Communion they shall have neither grace with him nor glory from him For want of this Communion the Devils when they saw Christ cryed out Quid nobis