Wonders of his Grace in bringing me to this happy State of Life and Light and Love and perfect Rest for Ever 6. From all Discords and Divisions that were amongst believers on their way on Earth to this State in Heaven There they are all of one Mind of one Heart and Way There is no Diversity of Judgment no Alienation of Affection no rash and uncharitable Censures but all filled with Love to God and one another 7. From all ensnaring Allurements of this World These too often did deaden their Affections towards God interrupt their Communion with him and by the World's Smiles were sometimes brought under God's Frowns and when it was best with their Bodies it was worst with their Souls and the more they enjoyed of the World the less their Conversation was in Heaven But there they have got above all worldly Profits all fleshly Pleasures all carnal Joys and shall bathe themselves in those Rivers of Pleasures and be delighted in that fulness of Joy which is in the Presence of their Lord and Saviour to all Eternity 8. From all distracting Cares and disquieting Fears about the want of things necessary to bear their Charges on their Journey while on Earth to the Bosom of their Lord. They shall have no more need of such Cautions Take no thought what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or wherewithal ye shall be clothed For in that Place and State they shall be hungry no more nor thirst any more nor feel any Want of any such things but shall live without these as Angels in Heaven do 9. From all Troubles and Remorse and Stinging of Conscience Conscience that shall still remain in the Bosom of the Damned shall Eternally torment and gnaw upon them and for very Vexation shall cause them to cry out What Fools were we for short Pleasures of Time to run into these Everlasting Pains What Madness did possess us for small Profits of the World to lose the Enjoyments of all the Happiness of Heaven What Distraction did seize us to come to this filthy loathsom Dungeon to this dark and dismal Prison for the fading Honours of a short and Transitory Life Cursed Caitiffs that we are that did prefer the good Things of our corrupt Flesh before the things that were really good for Body or for Soul Miserable Hell-hounds for so now we are and must for ever be to keep our Sins and lose our Souls to gratify our Lusts and for them to be cast out from the comfortable Presence of the blessed Lord To sell Heaven for a Merrybout to come short of Eternal Joys for an Ale-bench Song and there to drink and swill like Hogs at a Trough and now to lie in tormenting Flames and cannot obtain one Drop of Water tho' a River would not be enough to cool our Tongues But the Saints in Abraham's or rather in their Saviour's Bosom shall have a quiet sedate and rejoicing Conscience in their own that shall refresh and comfort them that they did deny themselves to save themselves that they did venture or sustain the Loss of Life to obtain Eternal Life that they took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods that they might have in Heaven a better and more enduring Substance 10. From all irksom Weariness in Holy Exercises While they are in the Bosom of the Church Militant they are too often weary in doing their Duty when they are not weary of doing of it and the better they do it the more weary they are in doing of it and if they are weary of it it is because they do it no better They are weary of a dull and lazy slothful Heart they are weary of their unbelieving hard and unaffected Heart they are weary of their distracting Thoughts and wandring Minds and roving Affections But the more Life and Liveliness the more activity and exercise of Faith and Love Desire and Delight of Joy and Hope they perform them with the less weary they are of them Much labour seemeth light long time seemeth short and the greatest Pains are pleasant to them and in so doing they find the Spirit is willing when the Flesh is weak The Damned in the Bowels of Hell and in the Devil's Bosom are weary of their Torments of their Pain and Punishment such a Bosom is no Place of Love or Rest and the more they are embraced in the Devil's Arms the more uneasy still they are and wish that he could hug them into nothing and Lamenting say Have our Bosom Sins brought us to such an uneasy Bosom Have our embraced Sins brought us to the Embracements of such cruel and merciless Tormentors We never hug'd our Sins so much but the Devil huggeth us as close We never kept our Sins so fast but the Devil will keep us now as long We are weary we are weary of this Place and Pain more weary than we were of Prayers and Sermons and Sabbaths upon Earth we were weary of them and Death freed us from that Weariness but now we are weary of these Pains which we were weary in praying against and never must be freed from them But when the Soul is carried into Heaven it shall be no more weary of the Praise Delight and Love it shall be imployed in for ever and tho' it shall not rest Day or Night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty yet it shall find sweet and pleasant Rest both Night and Day in sounding unwearied Hallelujahs to the Lord in the Saviour's Bosom Take some Corollaries from what hath been said 1. Let go your Bosom Sins as you would have your Souls carried into Abraham's Bosom Make no Sin your Bosom Friend neither hide it in your Bosom 1. by indulging and cherishing of it as a Mother the Child in her Bosom beware of that Sin which all other Sins are Servants to 2. By defending and pleading for it 3. By withstanding the Reproofs that are given to you for it 4. By pleasing your self in thinking of it 5. By not confessing of it to God who knows the most secret Things in your Bosom 2. Let no Bosom Friend draw you to sin not the Wife or Husband of your Bosom or any as dear to you as your own Soul lest when you are carried from them by Death you be not carried by Angels into Abraham's Bosom 3. Let Christ have a Room in your Bosom now that you might be received into his Bosom hereafter Christ should lie nearest your Heart He that is in the Bosom of the Father is most worthy of the chiefest and choicest Room in your Heart Say and do as the Spouse Cant. 1. 13. A Bundle of Myrrh is my Well beloved unto me he shall lie all Night betwixt my Breasts Some say Myrrh betwixt the Breasts is an excellent Cordial Christ in our Bosom is a reviving Cordial for it is a Pledge that we hereafter shall be in his 4. When the Souls that shall not be carried up
Pain and Torment But alas I cannot Wo is me I cannot Every Nook is Hot is Hot is exceeding Hot. The Justice of God pursues me wherever I go My enraged Conscience doth accompany me and tormenting Devils follow me and the Fire burns me to what Place soever I hasten and there is no Hope O Desperate Case there is no Hope either of Deliverance or Mitigation of my Misery Die I would but cannot cease to be I would but must not Cursed Caitiff that I am in this Extremity I must lie and lodge to all Eternity Secure then your Title to an House Above to Mansions in Heaven that when your Soul shall be turned out of this it may be received into that How comfortable would this Knowledge be on a dying Bed when you shall say This Tabernacle must be taken down this Earthly House is going to Ruins it can be repaired no more it can stand no longer Food I cannot eat to patch it up Medicines cannot remove that Sickness from me which will remove my Soul out of this Earthly House But I know blessed be God I know that I have a Building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens 2. Cor. 5. 1. II. Observation The Souls of Believers after Death are transported into an Eternal State of Blessedness The Body is carried and lodged in the Bosom of the Earth the Soul is carried and laid in the Bosom of Abraham This Figurative Expression denotes a Place of Love and dearest Affection Christ is God's dear Son or the Son of his Love Col. 1. 13. and said to be in the Bosom of the Father Joh. 1. 18. John the beloved of the Lord is found nearest Christ lying in his Bosom Joh. 13. 23. and There was leaning on Jesus his Bosom one of his Disciples whom Jesus loved The Bosom is also a Place of Ease and Rest and sweet Repose So God comforting and giving Rest unto his People is said to carry them in his Bosom Isay 40. 11. Thus Lazarus wearied with Affliction want and Poverty was received up to Everlasting Rest There are Conjectures why Abraham's Bosom is mentioned rather than the Bosom of Moses or David or any other that were in Heaven 1. Because he was on Earth given to Hospitality Gen. 18. he entertained Three Angels and the Angels carried the Soul of this Beggar who could not obtain the least Alms at the Rich Man's Gate into Abraham's Bosom where his Wants were all presently supplied The Rich Man was a Churl Abraham was Charitable The Poor Man was carried from the Churl 's Door to the Charitable Man's Bosom 2. Because he was the Father of the Faithful and the Father's Bosom is the Child's Place 3. Because the Promise of Canaan the Type of Heaven was made to him and his Seed for ever But I conceive the plain meaning is That he was carried into Heaven where the Faithful with Abraham the Father of all the Faithful shall be gathered sit down rest and be comforted for Ever as Mat. 8. 11. I say unto you that many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Saved Souls possest of their Mansions in Heaven shall have perfect and perpetual Rest from all Evils that afflict molest and burden them and cause them here in the Place of their Pilgrimage and Travel to their Eternal Home to sigh and sob to grieve and groan to weep and Mourn when lodg'd above they shall rest for ever 1. From the In-dwellings of Corruption While the Soul dwells here in the Body Sin will dwell in the Soul While the Believer is here a Sojourner Sin will be his constant disquieting molesting Inmate When Body and Soul do part then Sin and the Soul shall also part and tho' Body and Soul at length shall meet again yet they and Sin shall meet no more 2. From all Troubles arising from ungodly Men These shall persecute imprison disturb their Peace no more for ever 3. From all Temptations of Satan The Devil got into the Earthly Paradise and and by his Subtilty beguiled our first Parents but is cast down from Heaven to return and enter no more nor shall be a Tempter to any in the Celestial Paradise any more for ever He might follow his tempting Trade with us on Earth but must leave it off as to all in Heaven 4. From the Imperfection of their Graces Here our Faith is so feeble our Love to God and Christ so little our Delight so small our Knowledge so short our Desires so faint our Hope so wavering and all our Graces in such low Degrees that we often call all into Question doubt of our Sincerity fear Hipocrisy and think our Attainments great if we mourn the more because we love no more and have more Desires to desire more and sorrow the more because we delight in God and Christ and Fore-views of the glorious State Above no more And these make us more restless on our Sick Beds because our Souls are Sick as well as our Bodies and our inward Man as Weak as our outward Man is And too many instead of departing in Triumph with Assurance of Salvation breath out their Souls with mourning Complaints and Fears concerning their future Eternal State leaving the World with these piercing Questions Is God mine Is Christ mine Shall Heaven be mine I am going but I know not whither I must I must leave all my dearest Friends in this World but what will be my Company in the next But when these Holy Souls shall be carried into Heaven all these Mists shall be dispell'd these Clouds shall be scatter'd this dark and gloomy Day shall end in a bright and glorious Sun-shine for evermore For when they are come to that which is Perfect and that which is Perfect is come to them that which is in Part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13. 10 12. For all the Spirits of Just Men carried thither are made Perfect Heb. 12. 23. 5. From any Desertion from God The Children of God in that Light shall walk no more in Darkness Nor question the Love of God to them nor their Love to God any more than we can question whether it be Day when we see the Sun to shine in its greatest Brightness or whether Fire be hot when it warms our Hands Not one shall there say My Lord hath forsaken me or my God hath forgotten me No such Question there Will the Lord cast off for ever Will he be Favourable no more Is his Mercy clean gon for ever Doth his Promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be Gracious Hath he in Anger shut up his tender Mercies When I was on Earth this was my Infirmity but now in Heaven I will meditate on all that blessed Work of God that hath brought me to this Glorious Place and resting in my Saviour's Bosom will talk with this Holy Company of all the Marvels and
to Heaven shall be dragged down to Hell they shall have the Recompence of all their Wickedness pour'd into their Bosom and of all their Reproaches wherewith they have reproached the Lord. God now saith That then he will not keep Silence but will recompence into their Bosom and will measure their former Works into their Bosom 5. Whatsoever Soul would be carried up to Abraham's Bosom must be laborious in Religion while he is here He must neither hide his Sins nor his Hand in his Bosom not the one from parting from it nor the other from working with it The slothful Man that hideth his Hands in his Bosom and will not so much as bring it to his Mouth again must starve because he will neither work nor eat And he that hideth his Sin in his Bosom and will not so much as bring it to his Mouth Penitently and with Brokenness of Heart to confess his Sin shall be damned for his Sin Angels will carry no Idle Slothful Souls to Heaven Abraham's Bosom is no Place for Loiterers It is those that Fight and Run and Wrestle and Overcome that shall have Repose and Rest in Abraham's Bosom For The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence and the Violent take it by Force III. Observation A gracious Soul separated from the Body is presently carried by Angels into a State of Happiness in Heaven At Death it is not annihilated nor doth it sleep with the Body neither doth it stay in any other supposed Place but is instantly on its Journey to Glory and immediately passeth into the Celestial Paradise The sure Word of God doth assure us of this and if we believe the one we must grant the other since it is so express and full in the asserting of this Doctrine that is so comfortable to sanctified and prepared Souls Designing Brevity in this I shall only alledge a few Texts that do confirm it Luke 23. 43. Jesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Where note 1. The Asserter Jesus said unto him the penitent dying Thief 2. The Manner of his Assertion Verily I say unto thee A Word of Asseveration commonly used by Christ in Matters of great undoubted Certainty and Moment 3. The Thing Asserted To Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Where observe 1. The Place spoken of That is Paradise that is the Third Heaven where God doth manifest his Glorious Presence Thus Paul speaking of a Man caught up to the Third Heaven presently subjoins He was caught up into Paradise by Two Words intending one and the same Place 2 Cor. 12. 2 4. 2. Who should be in that Place of Paradise Thou that art now a dying Man Thou that is thy Soul for of his Body it could not be understood 3. With whom the penitent Thief should be in Paradise With Christ Thou that art with me on the Cross shalt be with me in Heaven 4. When his Soul should be with him in Heaven To day To day thou shalt die and to day thou shalt have Eternal Life To day thou shalt expire on the Cross and to day thou shalt have a Crown of Glory in the Highest Heavens The different Pointing of the Words corrupting the Sense is such a bold Attempt that should it be admitted in other Places as the Opposers of the Soul 's immediate passing into Glory sawcily do in this it would be such a mangling of the Scripture that we should be at a Loss to know the Meaning of many plain Texts What need had Christ to speak the Words thus Verily I say unto thee to day Did not he know Christ then spake to him Did not he hear him And did he hear him that Day and could not he tell that Christ spake to him that day except Christ added to Day I say unto thee What need Christ add his asserting Verily to these Words I say unto thee to day Could not the Thief trust his own Ears that he then heard Christ say to him except Christ add Verily I do asâ—ure thee that it is to day that I say this to thee Which is greater Ground of Support and Comfort to a dying Penitent to acquaint him I say unto thee to Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise but I do not tell thee when nor how many Thousand Years hence this shall be thy Happiness or thus Verily I say to thee to day this very Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise It is but a Dream that the Soul shall sleep when a Man dies A Second Text is 2 Cor. 5. 6. Therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord Ver. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. Here note 1. While the Soul is in the Body we are in our Earthly Home 2. While the Soul is in its Earthly Home it is absent from its true Home which is in Heaven from the Vision and Fruition of God in Glory 3. When the Soul doth leave its Earthly Home it goeth to its Heavenly Home for when it is absent from the Body it shall be present with the Lord in the Glorious Enjoyment of him to all Eternity 4. The Opposition of these Two is immediate To be present in the Body is to be absent from the Lord To be absent from the Body is to be present with the Lord. 5. The Confidence of the Apostle that there is such a Glorious State which is the reason of our Willingness to leave the Body that from thenceforth we might be with the Lord in Heaven Deny the Souls immediate passing to God in Glory and you take away the Reason of the Choice rather to be absent from the Body than to be present in it The Third Text is Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a Straight betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Note 1. The Apostle's Straight Two things were before him to live or die Reasons swaying him sometimes to the one sometimes to the other For the Good of God's Church it would be better for him to live than die Ver. 22. For his own Advantage it would be better for him to die than to live Ver. 21. This was his Straight 2. His own Inclination and vehement Desire in respect to himself that he would chuse rather to depart than to continue upon Earth 3. The Reason of his Desire and Wilingness to depart that he may be with Christ But there would be no Reason in this Reason if by departing he should be nothing the sooner with Christ 4. The Preference of one State before the other or the comparing of the one with the other It is better to die and be with Christ There is an excellent Gradation in the Text It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 better It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 far better It
Evil Things in this Life and their Good in the next Short Misery on Earth and long Felicity in Heaven Some live and die possest of a good Estate and in a State of Grace These have their Good Things here and better hereafter Now some Earnest then actual Possession It is better to live and die in the Depths of Poverty and have the Soul Everlastingly saved than in the Heigths of Prosperity and the Soul Eternally lost The worst Condition of a Child of God be it never so bad is better than the best Condition of a Wicked Man be it never so good In the Words of the Text Five Things may be observed 1. The Passage of a Believer to the Place of his Eternal Abode He is carried or transported to it 2. What of the Believer is carried to that Place or State And that is the Soul He was carried his Soul not then his Body His Soul was transported his Body was left behind The Soul is carried at his Dissolution the Body not till the Resurrection 3. Whither was the Soul carried what was the Place or State to which it was transported Into Abraham 's Bosom 4. When As soon as he died that Minute it was separated from the Body it began its Journey to its Eternal Home 5. By whom By the Angels he was carried into Abraham 's Bosom Not by one but many Angels Several great Articles of Faith affording great Support and Comfort to Believers are taught by Christ in these Words 1. Observation That the Soul doth exist after its Separation from the Body Otherwise it would not be capable to be carried to another State of Blessedness and Glory In Man's Mortal Body there is an Immortal Soul Death turns the Soul out of the Body and the Man out of this World Death deprives the Body of Life and leave it a Lump or Mass of Breathless Clay but in Death the Soul escapeth Death Death that conquereth all Mens Bodies kills no Man's Soul The Life and Being of the Soul cannot be destroyed either by Outward Violence by Inward Principles First Not by Outward Violence No Finite Power can make the Soul to cease to be The most Powerful Cruel and Enraged Persecutors who may torture kill or burn the Body cannot touch nor reach the Soul Mat. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell Tho' they had a Will to kill the Soul yet they want Power If they would they are not able They can neither kill it nor damn it Luke 12. 4. I say unto you my Friends be not afraid of them that kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do When they have taken away the Life of the Body they have done their worst their most their all so that there is no more that they can do for the Soul escapes their Fury and their malicious Rage And as Creatures cannot so we are assured that God will not cause the Soul to cease to be and this we know 1. From the Promises he hath made to sincere Believers to give to them Eternal Life Joh 3. 16. For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life That they shall be for ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4. 17. That they shall be Eternally Saved Heb. 5. 9. That they shall have a Crown incorruptible that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. If these Eternal Things shall be enjoyed by Believers then their Souls must exist to all Eternity for that which is nothing can enjoy nothing 2. From the Threatnings of God recorded in his Word of the Everlasting Punishment they shall be tormented with in the other World to all Eternity that leave this World in a State of Sin Rev. 14. 10. The same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without Mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and they shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the the Presence of the Holy Angels and in the Presence of the Lamb. V. 11. And the Smoak of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest Day nor Night If Souls shall lie under the Punishment of Sense for ever they must exist for ever for that which is nothing by ceasing to be can have no Sense of Punishment Secondly The Soul cannot die or cease to be by any Internal Principles such as contrary Qualities in the Body which after Conflicts and one consumed by the other cause the Death of the Body as Fire in the Lamp licking up all the Oyl causeth the Lamp to go out or if too much Oyl be poured in and overflows the Fire it also is extinguished Neither can the Soul dye with old Age as the Body will for time is not the measure of the Duration of the Soul as it is of the Body but Eviternity and Beings measured thereby tho' they have a Beginning yet shall have no Ending Let this awaken all to provide a Lodging for their Souls against the Hour they shall be separated from their Bodies Now our Souls dwell in Houses of Clay and these have their Foundation in the Dust and will shortly fall and the Soul be dispossessed and turned out of this House in which it is a Tenant at Will of the great Landlord of all the World who might Seal a Lease of Ejectment at his Pleasure when you cannot remove from one House to another in the same Parish in the same City or in the same Nation no nor yet in the same World but will be such a Remove as never yet you made from one World to another Since then the Soul after Death will be in Being it must be some where for that which is no where is nothing but where shall it be There are but Two Places in the other World where Souls shall be Heaven or Hell Do you know in which Or do not you think nor care in which your Soul shall live and lodge for ever If in Hell your Lodging will be so uneasy that in it you cannot rest A Bed of Flames a Lodging in boiling Lead or Oyl or burning Brimstone will cause you to cry out I am uneasy I am uneasy in my Lodging I cannot rest upon this Bed I cannot take one wink of Sleep May I not change my Lodging I am weary of being here May I not go back again from whence I came I thought my sick Bed was uneasy but this is worse inconceivably worse beyond Expression more painful and uneasy But if I may not go back to my old Lodgings in that World from whence I came Let me seek a cooler Lodging where I am Let me rove from one side of Hell unto the other if I might find some easy Corner where I may a while be free from
and often called Holy Angels Mat. 8. 28. and 25. 31. 2. They are Men of God assuming the Shape of Men when sent to Men by God Judg. 13. 6 9. 3. They are Sons of God having still the Likeness of God in which they were at first produced Job 1. 6. 4. They are stiled Gods not that God that is Jehovah but such Gods as are called Elohim Psal 8. 5. comp Psal 97. 7. 5. They are God's Host Gen. 32. 2. by these God doth protect his People 6. They are twice called Seraphims because of their burning Zeal for God's Glory in executing of his Commands Isa 6. 2 6. 7. They are called Cherubims Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers implying their Vigour Dignity Government under God over Things and Persons in this World and the Right they have to the Government they take upon them Who can tell the Greetings the Salutations betwixt these Glorious Angels and the Gracious Soul at their first Meeting after its Separation from the Body All Hail O Blessed Soul Hast thou fought a good Fight We are come to carry thee in Triumph Hast thou run thy Race We are appointed to fetch thee to thy incorruptible Crown Hast thou finished thy Course We are sent to conduct thee to thy Eternal Rest The Soul might be conceived to reply what Joy am I filled with at this your Salutation O ye Holy Ones how glad am I to see you ye Men of God ye Sons of God how do I rejoice to meet you Are the Gods the Host of God come to guard me on my way to Glory Are these Seraphims flaming with Zeal for God burning in Love to me come to take me newly separated from my Body to convey me to my Mansion in my Father's House Are these Cherubims Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers come to defend me from the Principalities and Powers of Hell and from the Spiritual Wickednesses in high Places through whose Territories I am to pass unto the Place and Happiness purchased promised and prepared for me O how glad am I of your Company in this long Journey I am to go How am I rejoiced I shall have your Conduct in this Way I never went before And Blessed for ever Blessed be my God that hath sent his Angels to be my Guide and Guard I must Praise him I must Praise him before I get to Heaven who hath sent such a glorious Train to lead me to it This is the Host of that God that I did love and serve and Trust and hope in This is the Army of that God of Heaven to whom I committed my self and resigned my self when I was parting with my Body on my dying Bed He hath not forgot me nor his Promises that he made unto me when my Father my Mother and all my Friends forsook me because they could go no further with me he hath sent his Angels to take me up O the Difference betwixt the Company that I have lest and this which I have found In the Body I was in Company with sinful Men which were my Grief out of the Body I am in Company with Holy Angels which is my Joy In the Body I did converse with imperfect Saints now out of the Body with pure spotless Angels In the Body I was with mourning Friends out of the Body with triumphing Angels In the Body I was with weak tho' loving Relations that would have helped me but they could not out of the Body I am with these Angels that both can and will In the Body on my dying Bed I was with a few that watched with me Night and Day till I had made them almost weary but now out of the Body I have many Holy ones sent from Heaven to watch me on my way unto that Place where they and I never shall be weary O Blessed Company O Blessed change of Company I never was on such a Journey before I never was in such Company on any Journey before I never found such Pleasure in any Way I went in any Company I was ever in before and sure the Place I am going to I shall find to be such as I was never in before Come put on II. The Safety of the separated Soul by the Convoy of Angels will increase its Joy on its Way to Glory It shall be presently freed from all Fears of Danger In the Body it was not without its Fears Fears from without and within from above and below many Fears it was filled with 1. From a Tempting Devil that on his dying Bed endeavoured to disturb his Peace suggesting evil Thoughts representing the Evil of his Sin multiplying and magnifying them by the Aggravations that did accompany them 2. From In-dwelling Sin there being the Remains of Sin abiding in his heart I fear what this hard unbelieving Heart will expose me to 3. From the Imperfection and Weakness of his Grace I fear I do not love God I fear God loves not me I fear I am not sincere I am afraid all my Duties have been done in Hypocrisy and that I have not walked before God with an Upright Heart 4. From approaching Death Possest with Fear about the Pains and Pangs of Death how to bear them and go thro' them about his readiness and preparedness for Death about his Meetness for a Participation of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light 5. And therefore from the Want of his Evidences of his Title to Heaven and Assurance of Salvation For which Cause the departing Soul was filled with trembling perceiving it could not continue much longer in the Body and yet afraid to leave it saying what if I should be deceived What if I should make an Error in my Death about my Eternal State What if while I am in the Body I should suppose that I have the Truth of Grace and when out of the Body find that I had none This makes me afraid to think of Heaven least I should miss of it or of Hell least I should be doomed to it But as soon as the Gracious Soul is separated from its Body and beholds the Chariot and Horses which God hath sent for him all his Doubts are immediately resolved and all his Fears presently expelled and the Clouds that intercepted the Light of God's Countenance from him are forthwith scattered and dispersed Now the Safety of the gracious separated Soul and its Freedom from all Fears of Danger on its Travil to Heaven by reason of this Angelical Convoy will appear by these Circumstances or rather Qualifications of the Messengers sent for it First Because the Soul is guarded with such powerful Angels Evil Angels that will endeavour to way lay the Soul are strong and powerful Spirits but the Holy Angels that are to defend it on its way are stronger and more powerful than they not only in themselves compared with the other but also because Evil Angels oppose the Soul in their own Strength by meer Permission without Assistance from God but Holy Angels act not only
properly and strictly an instantaneous Motion When an Angel is actually in Heaven the Term from which it is only potentially on Earth the Term to which Now if an Angel could move in one indivisible instant from one to the other it would be in Heaven and on Earth at the same Instant and so in the same Moment it would be actually in both the extream Terms when he was only actually in the one and potentially in the other which is to say he is actually in one and not in the other in the same Moment and yet in the same Moment he is in both which is a Contradiction 3. Angels being Spirits and not corporeal Substances are not hindered in their Motion by those things that Bodies are Bodies move more slowly or more swiftly according as the Medium is as they move swifter in the Air than in the Water because the Air being more thin and subtile doth not so much resist the Mover as the Water that is more dense and gross must needs do also because one Body cannot be penetrated by another as a Man cannot go thro' a Door when it is shut the one must hinder the other in its Motion But Angels being Spirits cannot be retarded in their Motion by the Solidity or Thickness of Doors or Walls to hinder them from coming into a Prison Castle or a Chamber where a Believer is a dying for the receiving of his Soul For though one body cannot be in the same particular Place where another Body is because then there would be a Penetration of Dimensions yet Angels by Bodies are not excluded because they are immaterial as appears by a Legion of evil Spirits which is Six Thousand Five Hundred being in one Man And tho' One Angel because Finite cannot be in Two distant Places at once yet many Angels because Immaterial might be in One where or Place together at once and so their Motion not hindred by the Presence of Bodies or the Presence one of another 4. The Motion of the Angels is exceeding Swift and to express it they are said to have Wings and that they fly swiftly more speedily than the Sun that moves Thousands of Miles in an Hour it might come near in resemblance to the Motion of the Eye that can so quickly turn and look up to Heaven or to Lightning that runs in a little time from one part of the Heavens to the other and so comes nearest to an instantaneous Motion But the Scripture that is the surest Rule to judge by doth teach us that an Angel can come from Heaven to Earth while a Man is making of his Prayer to God Dan. 9. 20. While I was speaking and praying and confessing my Sin and the Sin of my People Iâ—rael and presenting my Supplication before the Lord my God for the Holy Mountain of my God 21. Yea while I was speaking in Prayer even the Man Gabriel whom I had seen in the Vision at the Beginning being caused to fly swiftly touched me about the time of the Evening Oblation 22. And he informed me and talked with me and said ODaniel I am now come forth to give thee Skill and Understanding 23. At the Beginning of thy Supplication the Commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved Where we might observe 1. The speedy Return that is sometimes made to Prayer while a Believer is praying the Answer is made While the Prayer is going up the Mercy is coming down 2. The Angels stand ready before the Lord waiting to be employed by him for the Good and Comfort of his People at his Pleasure 3. God doth but give the Word and Angels doth obey The Commandment or the Word came forth and I am come 4. Angels make Haste to execute God's Commands Gabriel was caused to fly swiftly 5. The Time of his coming was while Daniel was praying At the Beginning of his Prayer Gabriel was in Heaven before the Ending of it he was with Daniel That the Soul is not long in its Journey to Heaven is clear from Christ's Word to the Thief on the Cross Luke 23. 43. Verily I say unto thee to Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise The same Day he was on the Cross he was in Heaven The same Day he was Crucified the same Day he was Glorified And though the Day was far spent yet that Day was his Soul in Heaven The Soul may be carried from its Body to the Place of Glory in a part of a Day This is wonderful How comfortable is this to a dying Believer who might speaking to his weeping Friends about his Bed say What mean your Tears your Sighs and Groans Why are ye cast down And why are your Hearts troubled Would you grieve thus if I were going a Voyage to the Indies in Hopes of Gain with a safe and strong Convoy Why I am going to a better Place with a safer Convoy for greater Gain and tho' the Place be far off I shall soon be there the same Day I go from you on Earth being helped on my Way by swift and flying Angels I shall go to Christ in Heaven So soon O then how near will my separated Soul be to my Mansion above What! turned out of the Body and received into Heaven the same Day Make what speed you can or will to interr the Body I shall leave with you my Soul shall be carried by God's Holy Angels into Abraham's Bosom before my Body can be carried by Men and lodged in the Bosom of the Earth And when the Soul is breathed out and received into the Angels Arms and perceives the swiftness of the Motion they carried it with how greatly will it be delighted to think tho' the Way be long yet it will not be long before I shall be at my Journey 's End O the haste the haste the speedy haste they do make to lodge me in my Saviour's Arms Methinks they think it long till they shew me what in Heaven is prepared for me Methinks they are Holily Ambitious to help me forward that I might see the State and Place and Company above and how Glorious they all are O how do they fly How do they fly How swiftly do they fly with me in their Arms that they may lodge me in that Place of Rest and Joy wherein they have for so long a Duration seen the Face of God joyed in their Rest and rested in their Joy and are desirous to have me there that I with God and Christ and them might Rest and Joy to all Eternity I am now out of hearing of the Clocks and see not the artificial Dials by which Men see hourly the Motion of the Sun whereby they measure their Time and on their Journeys know how many Miles an Hour they go over If in an Hour to their Earthly Home they travel with the Help of Horses and Chariots Eight or Ten Miles what haste do they think they make How soon do they think they
Angels in Heaven who are so ready to help us up to Heaven Should we love every one on Earth in whom we see the Holy Image and Likeness of God in smallest Measure and should not we love these Holy Angels that are like to God in highest Degrees Should we love the Ministers of God whose Preaching God hath made instrumental for our Conversion and Preparation for Heaven and should we not love these Messengers of God who are sent by him to fetch us to the Possession of our Mansions in Heaven Do we love the Company of good Men that travel with us upon Earth as they are Guides and Guards unto us on our Way and shall we not love these Holy Angels of God that will be our Companions in our Journey to Heaven If we are to love such as are our Enemies in Life surely we should love these that will be such Friends unto us after Death 2. By their Condescention in the carrying the Soul of the meanest Believer to Heaven we should learn Humility and to condescend to Men of low Estates for the Good and Welfare of their Souls What meer Creatures are more Noble and Excellent than the Holy Angels in Heaven And what Believer as to outward Circumstances was poorer and more loathsom than Lazarus Was he not a Beggar that wanted Bread Was he not a Cripple that could not go to but was laid at the Rich Man's Gate Was he not only sore but full of Sores that a nice and squeamish Person would have disdained to look upon him but much more to dress his Sores And yet the Angels of God did not disdain to carry this Poor Man's Soul into Abraham's Bosom Did they take him in their Arms whom the Rich Man would not take and lay in any of his Out-houses Are any of the Sons of Men more Excellent more Noble more Knowing and set higher in any Capacity above the Poorest and most Contemptible Believer upon Earth than the Angels in Heaven and yet are they ready to minister to the Meanest and shall any of us be so Great in our own Eyes and look upon our selves in such a Magnifying Glass as to refuse to help forward the Salvation of the Poorest Soul 3. Let the Ministration of Angels in carrying Souls to Heaven be a Pattern of our Obedience to God all the Days of our Life on Earth As they obey God in this as in all things else so let us write after their Copy to do the Will of God as by them in Heaven it is done Tho' we cannot do it equally in Degrees yet let it be our Holy Ambition to come as near to them as we can in these Particulars First They do not stir to fetch a Soul to Heaven without a Warrant from God they are sent before they Come So let us see what Warrant we have from God for what we do before we do it demanding of our selves hath God commanded this Hath he spoke the Word Will the Holy Scripture wherein God's Will and my Duty is revealed bear me out if I do this or that What a Multitude of Sins by this would be prevented Secondly Angels come and carry believing Souls to Heaven with greatest Alacrity and Cheerfulness As they joy in their Conversion so in carrying them to Eternal Salvation if they be sent never so often to fetch never so many they never grudge their Labour they have not the least Regret nor Repining but the more they are sent for the more they are pleased and do rejoice So we should serve the Lord with Gladness and and come before his Presence with Singing Psal 100. 2. We should pray to him with Delight hear from him and obey him with Cheerfulness and Joy Thirdly Angels having a Charge to fetch a Believer's Soul come speedily without delay they make haste to receive it that they may be present at the very Moment of its Separation They never come too late In like manner we should imitate their Obedience in ours Psal 119. 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments God commands you now to repent but you put it off till hereafter God enjoins you to Day whiles it is called to Day to hearken to his Voice but you stop your Ears to Day and so you will to morrow if you shall have the same hardness of Heart to Morrow as you have to Day Angels in conveying Souls do not so but when God gives the Word they obey speedily and fly swiftly Fourthly Angels in carrying Souls to Heaven are Faithful in their Service in fetching as many as God sends them for and no more and the very same Souls and no other they never mistake one for another and never drop or lose any by the Way committed to their Charge We in Imitation of them should be faithful in doing what God commands to every Person in what Capacity Station and Relation we stand to them to one as well as another and not only to one neglecting another when each are equally committed to our Charge Fifthly Holy Angels serve God in this Ministration with persevering Constancy They have been imployed in Transporting Souls for many Ages already past innumerable Souls have been conveyed from this World to that above and so they do still as oft as Believers die and so they will to the World's End till all the Souls ordained by God for Eternal Life are lodged in the Heavens To which Pattern we should conform our selves in our Obedience to God persevering therein to our Lives End Psal 119. 112. I have inclined my Heart to perform thy Statutes always even to the End 4. Let the Care of Angels in carrying Holy Souls to Heaven make us careful of our own Souls that they be such and so qualified with special Grace that they may be the Object of their Care when they shall be separated from our Bodies as you desire they and not Devils should have them when out of the Body do you make it your great Concern to have them Sanctified in the Body For Holy Angels will not touch an unholy separated Soul to defend it from the Devil 's seizing of it If the Soul be unholy while you live and leave the Body unholy when you die it will be unfit for the Glorious Presence of God for the Holy Place and Company Above and it will not be in their Commission to carry it thither neither will they do it 5. Grieve not nor offend the Holy Angels of God as you expect and hope they should carry your Souls to Heaven when you die Good and Evil Angels are your Spectators and Observers when you might think little of it When you do Evil bad Angels rejoice good Angels are offended when you please God Devils are displeased but good Angels are delighted at it Take heed in secret what you do for there may be more Devils and Holy Angels with you tho' not seen by you than you are aware of Be mindful how you behave