the Sea when all this were spent all this were exhausted if then there would bee but a little abatement of torments there would bee som refreshment but brethren such shall bee locked up in hellish chains there is no abatement no remitting O consider what you do and what losers you are and how dearly how exceeding dearly you pay for som transitorie momentanie pleasures here below there is the first Use An Use of Expostulation Is it thus that God hath made eternal provision for his Saints in heaven then brethren I beseech you give mee leave a little to expostulate the case with you How come's it to pass that you do not more minde Eternitie Do you beleeve this Doctrine to bee true That God hath provided such an eternal house in heaven why do you not then more contemplate it The contemplation of that glorious house that God hath reserved for you in heaven for all his Saints would have an admirable influence upon us if any thing in the world should melt us that would de it Do not bound your thoughts and circumscribe them in the consideration of that which hath no bounds minde that much here upon earth upon which you must live for ever in heaven and to encourage you there will bee these advantages 1. If you look backwards so the eternitie of God's election Good nature I mean new nature for that onely is good nature there is no good nature but so far as there is at least som common work of the Spirit of God so far as men get ground of self-love by som work of the Spirit so much good nature they have and no more If there bee the least spark of it as there is in all the Saints of God it will fill them with ingenuitie and it will engage them to serve God in their eternitie that is to bee constant to bee faithful even to the death not to bee a back-slider nor revolter nor like the false spies that brought up an ill report of the land of Canaan then 2. When you look forward it would have a most happy influence upon you nothing would make you such active and such passive Christians as to consider Eternitie and that Jesus Christ hath purchased Eternitie for you Paul would bee content to bee a Fool to bee any thing to bee nothing why hee did judg it most reasonable 2 Corinth 5. 14 15. that if Christ did die for him that hee might live then it was that hee might live to Jesus Christ why Because you shall live with him hereafter There is nothing in the world will keep you more above troubles brethren when shakeing and sinking times shall com then such considerations who are the generation of people now in the world that are most unshaken in England in any of the Protestant Churches where there are streams of blood where there are such confusions and distractions as wee have had sad experience of why they whose eternal condition is safe being in a good hand I have an immortal soul which God hath taken possession of and that shall bee everlastingly happy and as it will keep you above troubles so indeed it will keep you above trifles above vanities what is the reason that the vanities of this world do so much carry men away because they do not know or minde Eternitie It is an admirable expression that Damasâ—en hath hee saith that those that will live according to God they must exercise pleasures whether necessarie or natural onely in transitu as they pass by it were a rare thing now to have such a disposition of soul you enjoy pleasures and comforts in the world and many of you swim in them and you have the world at will but you should onely take it in transitu as you are going home to your Father's house just as a Scholar coming from the Vniversitie is going to his Father's house but hee is content to bait in an Inn. Nothing in the world will sublimate your souls more then to minde Eternitie the Lord make you more apprehensive of it Again would you have all the sad differences that are now amongst many people of God in London and in England for these indeed are the sad provoking ones would you have them swallowed up then let your thoughts bee more possessed of Eternitie here is so many heats of Disputes and so many contestatious a great deal of Religion is turned into arguing and disputing the Lord grant wee do not loose much of the life and vigor of practical Christianitie by these fierie Disputes which should bee buried being most unbecoming Brethren O how many bitter provocations how much opposition how much censuring yea how much persecuting of one another do these differences cost I dare say the want of the consideration of Eternitie is a great occasion and if your souls were more full of that if you thought you should live in heaven together you would shake hearts and hands more lovingly here upon earth It is a notable storie of Ovidius Pollio that invited Augustus to supper and while his man was preparing for and setting forth Supper hee broke a glass and the man of the house the great Emperor Augustus being to com hee was so troubled at it that hee condemned his Servant to bee cast into the Sea that hee might bee devored of Fishes when the Emperor heard of this hee took all the glasses and broke them in pieces and said Better never a glass in the world then one man should bee lost for them Wee had heretofore many Disputes about Cerimonies and wee have as many now about meer externals I dare say that are no waies essential to Christianitie A man may bee of this opinion and that opinion I speak of external forms I would have every fundamental truth precious and what hath an influence and what concern's our Religion and the substance of it but for som externals and for som circumstances that wee have so much heat about about this form and that form and circumstance better a great many such glasses as som of them are to say no more were laid aside if not broken all to pieces at least put up in a cup-board a while give the common adversarie so much present advantage then it should cost so much blood as it possibly may doe so much heat amongst Saints amongst brethren I am very confident of both sides are many such dear Saints of God that will spend Eternitie together and if heaven were capable of any sorrow this would bee a great part of it that they did so much quarrel upon earth together O consider it consider it the Lord fill your thoughts and mine too more and more with Eternitie that so your hearts may cling and cleave more together that you betrary not all to the common Enemie Brethren I must say as Chrysostom God know's if my heart deceive mee not I desire to speak it with deep respect to this
things can bee yet by a present visible representation to help your sens you shall have the material Elements as it is Austins comparison When a man is upon the ground that bee may bee raised towards Heaven hee must make use of his hands leaning upon the earth So that wee may bee lifted up to Heaven Jesus Christ hath appointed these things sensible to help our Faith and then thirdly There is the Privie Seal of the holy Spirit which by a secree work doth reallize and particularize the two former Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption Ephes. 4. 30. So that it is possible God enabling them fiducially to apply such promises to themselvs and to see the work of grace clearly in their hearts and that the certainty of their salvation shall bee sealed to them 1 Joh. 5. 7. There are three that bear witness in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one All the the three glorious Persons concur as to work so to confirm our Salvation The Testimonie the Record is v. 11. That God hath given to us eternal life and this life it in his Son v. 8. There are three that bear witness on earth the spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one which seem's to bee the Spirits Testimonie in the work of Vocation the Testimonie of Water in Sanctification and of Blood in Justification rather then the Sacraments c. It is a most sweet and excellent thing if you could attain this Brethren it is the very next door to Heaven to bee sure of Heaven the very next thing to the being in Heaven is to have a certainty of Heaven you are in the Suburbs you are in the Porch you have entered Paradise that glorious Palace when you com once to this assurance O sweet it is a very Heaven here upon earth Peace of conscience that passe's understanding and joy in the holy Ghost which is unspeakable and glorious these are the words the Scripture here use's of it as of the first fruits of Heaven Now what is this why it is indeed the beleeving and the eying of those things that are eternal and a certain knowledg as Paul speak's there in that place 2 Corinthians 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Paul a man of great crosses yet you see in the midst of all had the greatest comforts a light affliction hee had told you a sad story before of his troubles that would it may bee sink your hearts and mine yet here light afflictions which were but for a moment they were great and long yet hee call's them light and momentanie what is the reason why they work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory worketh out as the spirit of God carrie's you through not by way of merit a far more exceeding weight of glory as the Spirit of God prepare's them for Heaven so Heaven is prepared for them and you shall finde it is prepared in this method by affliction as in the 1 Peter 5. 10. The God of grace that hath called you to his eternal glory make you perfect after you have suffered a while this Hyperbolical weight of glory which Paul tryed in his afflictions did uphold him It is not moral Philosophers apprehensions that could support them there was Aristides and Socrates and others that might bee called the Puritans among the Heathens who went very far and suffered much Socrates to death yet doubtless if they had nothing but meer morality it would not have comforted them As moral Philosophy wil not carry a man thorow when he com's to suffer so it is not Jesuitical fancies which som Papists have that can yield solid comfort It is a thing worth knowing I would every one knew it it is indeed in Hospinian you wil finde it in the excellent Book of that man of God that now is triumphing in Heaven hee wil tel you how the Jesuits use to raise a man to kil a King som of them the new Romanists com to venter themselvs very far and wil expose themselvs to suffer much to that which they think Martyrdom as the old Roman Heathens and others did who threw themselvs somtimes into the greatest troubles even to death it self Popularitie and Vain-glory and self-respect and such considerations may do much How do they raise a man to kil a King First they bring him to such a place and there they shew him a consecrated Knife and so many consecrated beads hanging upon it and then they deliver it into his hand O heer is the sword of Gideon Jephtah c. and pray to God to bless him and prosper him then they carry him to an Altar there they shew him the picture of Jacobus Clemens that kill'd Henry the third to animate him and then they fain as they can act a part most diabolically and seem to envy him O to what a height of happiness art thou advanced that canst kil a King It is a dangerous Religion whose principles lead to that to eat their Maker and kill their King yet this you see they do and this wil heighten a poor man for a while and som of them are so desperate and proud and vainglorious they wil do it but this wil not last this will not bee a sufficient Cordial the soveraign Cordial of all is to behold Eternitie to see him that is invisible as Moses did and to see the things that were Eternal as Paul heer did One asked the great Duke of Saxonie How came you to bee upheld in so many troubles you have met withall Saith hee I felt the Divine consolations of the Martyrs If God should let wicked men prevail and the disaffected partie of both Kingdoms who now it is clear are joyned and Ireland I doubt in too I am afraid they have all one design if God should suffer them so far and leave the Saints of God so far to themselvs to give advantage to them to suffer wicked men to prevail yet God wil carry on his cause The Revelation wil prove true they cannot undo us they can but send us to Heaven I could tel you a sad storie which I had from the fountain of a Gentleman that had don very good service to his Country in the Parliament who was one of the Eleven came to take his leave of one of the greatest Subjects in the Kingdom by his place said to him this when hee came for a Pass to go over Sea Hee thank'd him for his kindness saying Had the plot prevail'd on the other side you had not been so kindely dealt withal Therefore let us labor to acquaint our selvs with the true yet the divine Consolations of the Martyrs at least som taste of them then let the Devil and all the Malignants in Hell and on
fleshly wisedom but by the grace of God I have had my conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards Trin. Col. Camb. June the 7th 1648. Yours in the Gospel of Christ Jesus Thomas Hill God's eternal Preparations for his dying Saints 2 CORINTH. 5. 1. For wee know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved wee have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens TOo many men in the world are like unwise Merchants that have two ships at sea one little old rotten one full of things of an inferior value another a goodly ship and full fraught and richly loaden yet possibly out of som particular and fond respect hee may more minde that rotten bark then that stately ship which call's for more serious thoughts and more fervent prayers Our immortal souls are goodly ships indeed sparks of Divinitie our bodies are poor brittle houses of clay for the best of the sons of men dwel in no better Now to have the strength of our thoughts the vigor of our affections the greatest stream of our endeavors to run out to minde our bodies it is a preposterous care yet most men in the world are sick of this distemper and therefore I shall desire you to set before you a better copie that doth bespeak yea challenge yea command your imitation of it Paul hee well knew the worth of his immortal soul and therefore laye's out his most serious thoughts about it and the eternal welfare thereof The words contain Paul's account of the sweet support that hee had under bitter troubles Bee pleased to cast your eye upon the 4th Chapter there you shall finde him toss'd upon a most troublesom sea of affliction yet hee count's them all but light in the 17th verse a strange Paradox at least to the carnal heart and ears 1. You see how triumphantly hee here speake's Wee know not not onely in the singular but in the plural number not onely for himself but wrapp's in the Saints with him Wee 2. Not onely conjecturally that is Popish language a dull groundless hope of salvation onely but wee know where is an evidence and a certaintie 3. What did hee know why those lessons well worth the learning for all those that will bee good Scholars in the school of Christ and would bee able to hold out if their Master bee provok'd to whip them Wee know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved wee have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens that if {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} etsi although saith Grotius upon the place Although our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved Here you have a description of the brittleness of our bodie a poor Venice-glass goodly beautiful useful but easily broken every word almost hath an emphatical intimation it is but an House Houses you know will bee out of repair houses will fall in time it is but an earthly house and therefore may bee resolved into its first principle it is our earthly house of this Tabernacle the Tabernacle was a moveable house When the children of Israël were to travel through the wilderness they had Tents they had Tabernacles moveable houses fasten'd with a few cords and pins easily removed If our earthy house of this tabernacle were dissolved soul and body though knit together though the soul bee the darling as the Psalmist speak's Psal. 35. 17. yet that knot must bee untied when they have been married forty fifty threescore years together it needs no cutting asunder of the knot it will break of it self the lamp will burn out all this shewe's the mortalitie of our bodie but then that which hee doth intend is principally and more explicitely to shew you that wee have indeed an eternal provision made for us in heaven Lay two things that have an opposition together one will illustrate another and make it appear more clearly as Logicians speak so saith Paul Wee know that wee have a building with God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens When hee had before spoken of an house that was made of man Carpenters build houses but there is somthing reserved for the Saints which is God's own making and that in a more immediate way man indeed is made {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but here it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} hee being the more special immediate maker of this piece of work-manship God's own preparing none can do it but God himself and hee doth not use any instrument therein Wee have a building of God Great honor that whilest poor Saints live here upon earth Angels shall bee their servants and all creatures to attend them and God himself in heaven hath been preparing a house for them even from eternitie what house a house not made with hands So in Hebr. 11. 10. A Citie whose builder and founder is God wee look for such an one Eternal in the heavens that was earthly that was a Tabernacle that was subject to dissolution that was earthly this is heavenly that was but a Tabernacle a very temporary house this is eternal And here was Paul's certaintie this hee was sure of which is a great matter a glorious priviledg But there is one word which link's all together and that must not bee forgotten and that is the first in the Text For What did support Paul What was his cordial in those great extremities that hee did not sink when wave upon wave came flowing in upon him saith hee For wee know hee had beheld those things that were eternal Wee look not upon those things that are temporal but those that are eternal and here hee look'd upon them with an eye of certaintie For wee know and from these premisses deduce's this sweet Conclusion O that you and I had such faith to do the same if God should cast us into as great a sea of troubles as ever Paul was plunged into that wee might say These are nothing why so For wee know that though the very sentence of death should not onely bee pass'd but executed upon us by these troubles by the furious malice of unreasonable men yet they cannot make us miserables as hee is truly happy indeed that cannot bee made miserable hee is a rich Citizen indeed that cannot bee undon by the Devil and all his Agents wee know God hath prepared a house for us where hee will entertain us with everlasting happiness Out of the words had I time I might handle these three Propositions First That God hath been pleased to make eternal provision for all his Saints in heaven Secondly That it is possible for his Saints to have a certaintie of this that God hath built such a house for them in heaven where hee mean's to entertain them eternally Thirdly The certain evidence of this to their own hearts would bee a most sweet
earth do their worst yet they cannot everlastingly undo us God may suffer them to bring us into a suffering condition but when wee suffer with Christ wee shal raign with Christ and bee crowned with Christ there is a Mansion in Heaven reserved for us after wee shal have judged those that live and dye Enemies to us to Jesus Christ Now the Lord in his rich mercie give you to finde such a sure foundation of this spiritual building even Jesus Christ layed up in your hearts that you may have a certain Evidence of this eternal building Amen FINIS A Post-script to the READER Candid Reader IF in any of these six plain Sermons there bee any defects or redundancies bee pleased to consider they were transcribed by him who took them in Characters in som things possibly hee might mistake in other things bee mistaken the Printers not knowing his hand And probably diverse Errata pass uncorrected both in the Sermons and Epistles I being sick or at a distance for the most part from the Press Excuse what is amiss accept and improve what is good The Lord who hath abundance of spirit bless that unto thy spiritual and everlasting good through Christ Jesus Thine in and for Him T. H. 2 Thes. 2. 1â— Mat. 12. 36. Note Zach. 1. 15. Mat. 12. 24. Act. 26. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. 2 Tim. 2. 10. Psal. 24. 6. An. Dem. 1628. 1629. 1630. Tychmersh Nubecula citâ— transitura Psal. 37. 8. Rev. 12. 10. John 8. 44. Is God's Word the worse because delivered by men they now dislike Directions Rev. 1. 8. Prov. 3. 5 6. 2 Cor. 11. 3. Revel. 2. 2. Luke 10 16. Act. 2 4â— Act. 12. 5. Rom. 12. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 9 11. Cas. Consc. lib. 4. cap 25. de Voc. ad Minister Note Luke 16. 2. Gal. 5. 1â— 2 Pet. 1. 7. Photii Epist. 10. Isid. Hispal {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Vide Plat. Apol. Socrat. Mic. 6. 9. Rom 12. 20 â—â— Igniculi Charitatis Preface 1. The bodies mortalitie Contraria juxta se posita clariùs elucescunt Heb. 1. ult. 2 Cor. 4. 18. Is verè felix qui miser esse nequit Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 3. Psal. 39. 5. Note Ephes. 5. 16. A quolibet momento pendet aeternitas Note * I. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That God hath made eternal Provision for his Saints appear's by 4. demonstrations 1. Demonst. God hath given his Saints immortal souls capable of eternal happiness Note {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2. Demonst. God hath appointed a day of the Resurrection Act. 17. 30. Note Colos. 3. 3 4. Luk. 15. 3. Domonstrat God hath appointed a day to give them possession of Eternitie Mat. 25. 23 34. 4. Demonstrat Christ hath prepared Mansions II. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Grounds of the Doctrine 1. God hath decreed it 2. Christ hath purchased it 3. The holy Ghost applie's it a Heb. 914. b 2 Cor. 5. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} rem rudem expoliens Camer. III Nature of this Eternitie Eternitas est interminabilis vitae possessio perfecta tota simul Boëtius Job 2. 4. Application Use 1. Rom 13 〈◊〉 Note What things are eternal in hell 2 Thes. 1. 9. Mat. 25. 41. Luk. 13. 26 27. 1 Cor. 6. 2. Note Si addas eternitatem alicui malo erit infinitè inalum Less de perfect Divin. Note Quest Reason 1. Deus punit nos in aeterno suo quia nos peccamus in aeterno nostro 2 3 Mat. 16. 24. Psal. 49. 7. Drexellius his Book of Eternitie Use 2. Of Expostulation 1. Advantage by contemplating your eternal mansions in heaven 2. Consideration Your eternal mansions will have a sweet influence upon your Spirits 1. It will keep us above troubles 2. Above trifles {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Damasc 1. 2. de Orthod. Fide cap. 13. 3. Compose differences Plutarch Dion Liv. lib. 2. Note Job 22. 30. Gen. 19. 16. Note Use III. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 2 Cor. 5. 5. 3 Col. 3. 1 2 3. Non prodest resurrectio nisi Christus in te resurgat Sit scopus vitae Châ—istus quem sâ—quaris in viâ ut assequaris in patrià Directions 1 Beware of carnal company Psal. 6. 8. 2 Be carefull in the use of earthly delight uti fruendis frui utendis Jam. 4. 4. 3. Have your conversation in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. 4. Bee much in communion with God Use IV. D. e. D. 3. Motive 1. Faith of Adherence Evidence Acts 16. 25. Certitudo Objecti Subjecti Note Three seals to assure the Saints certainty of heaven 1. The blood of Christ sealing the Gospel-promises 2 Cor. 1. 20. 2. Seal of the Sacraments which are seals of the Covenant 3. Third seal the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 12. 2 Motive Difficulty Possibility Excellency three whetstones of diligence Phil. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 8. v. 8 9 10. Mr. Burroughes Gracious spirit c. 3. Heb. 11. 27.