appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in the body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad V. 11. Knowing the terrours of the Lord we perswade men 2 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up V. 11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godlinesse V. 14. Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse 1 Cor. 15.25 For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet Mat. 19.28 And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 16.27 For the Son of man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Heb. 9.28 So Christ wâ—s once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation Mat. 25.31 When the son of man shall come in his Glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory V. 32. And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats V. 33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left V. 34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world V. 35. For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in V. 36. Naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me V. 41. Then shall he say also to them on the left hand depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 6. What was the End and Intent of Christs Coming into the world The chief End and Intent of his Coming into the world was to save Lost and undone sinners to procure their pardon and reconciliation with God by his Merits to Sanctifie their Natures by his Holy Spirit and to bring them to â—verlasting Life And to this end he appointed his Ministers to preach the Gospel unto the world and instituted the two Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper to signifie and keep in remembrance the great and inestimable benefits of his Death and Sufferings Luke 19.10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners Mat. 1.21 And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his Grace Jer. 33.6 In his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness 1 Cor. 15.3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation V. 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of our Faith even the salvation of our souls Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit Heb. 7.23 And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death V. 24. But this man because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood V. 27. Who needeth not daily as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himself Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeem'd us from the curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins V. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled V. 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Col. 2.14 Blotting out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross V. 15. And having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it Heb. 10.11 And every Priest standeth daily ministring and offering often times the same sacrifices which can never take away sins V. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God V. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified V. 18. Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin V. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus V. 20. By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh V. 21. And having an high Priest over the house of God V. 22. Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water To sanctifie their Natures 2 Thes 2.13 But we are bound to give thankes alwaies to God for you brethren beloved
to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Christ shall therefore appear in the proper form and condition of a Judge sitting upon a Throne of judicature 4. There will be a personal appearance of all men before that seat of judicature upon which Christ shall sit For we must all appear and we shall all stand before that judgment-seat Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before God c. Mat. 25.32 And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats 5. When those who are to he judged are brought before the judgment-seat of Christ all their actions shall appear 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts Eccles 12.14 For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil To this end in the vision of Daniel when the judgment was set the books were opened Dan. 7.9 And in that of St. John The books were opened and the dead were judged out of the things that were written in the books according to their works Rev. 20.12 Divines speak of a threefold book that will then be opened 1. The book of Statutes or the book of Gods Word wherein the Law and Gospel are written with all the duties commanded and sins forbidden in them both 2. The book of Gods Omniscience and remembrance Mal. 3.16 And a book of remembrance was written before him c. 3. The book of Conscience which God maintains as a Register in every mans breast Jer. 17.1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the Table of their heart Men will then be awakened to purpose and all their sins with the aggravations of them will be set in the view of their Consciences Hidden things shall be brought to light in that day 1 Cor. 4.5 c. 6. After the manifestation of all their actions the Judge will pronounce his definitive sentence upon all their persons according to their actions The sentence of absolution upon the Godly in these words Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25.34 The Saints of God and the elect will first be acquitted before the ungodly are condemned that they may afterwards joyn with Christ in judging the world according to that in the 1 Cor. 6.2 Where 't is said the Saints shall judge the world i. e. by way of approbation approving and magnifying Christ's just sentence on devils and wicked men giving some such approbation in probability as that of the Angel Rev. 16.5 Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because then hast judged thus And thus all the Saints shall be Judges But some of them more eminently as Assessors with Christ as is intimated concerning the Apostles Mat. 19.28 Ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel We have shewed what the sentence of absolution will be which shall pass upon the Godly The sentence of condemnation followes that will passe upon the wicked which we find recorded Mat. 25.41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 7. After the promulgation of the sentence followeth the execution and sending of the persons judged to their everlasting state as it is written Mat. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal We have seen what will be the Judiciary proceedings of this great day 4. It now followes in the fourth and last place that we speak something of the consequents thereof 1. Christs resigning up his Kingdom not his essential but that which he administers as Mediator to the Father having subdued sin and death and put all his enemies under his feet 1 Cor. 15.24 Then cometh the end when he shâ—ll have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power V. 25. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet V. 26. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death V. 27. For he hath put all things under his feet but when he saith all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him V. 28. And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all 2. The burning of the world of which we read 2 Pet. c. 3. v. 12. Looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat By this fire 't is probable the world will not be consum'd but renewed clarified and purged For 't is compar'd to a melting fire V. 10. The Elements shall melt with fervent heat And the Apostle saith elsewhere The Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption Rom. 8.21 In the everlasting state God will have all things new even the world it self The use of this renewed world may either be for an habitation for the just or that it may remain as a standing monument of Gods wisdom and power Thus we have seen â— That there will certainly be a day of Judgment 2. That Christ will be the Judge 3. What manner of proceedings there will be in that day 4. The Consequents thereof What now remaines but that we carefully provide for this great and notable day of the Lord as 't is call'd Acts 2.20 By breaking off our sins by true and serious repentance and making our peace with God in and by Christ O let us labour to secure our interest in Christ and our union with him He is the Judge If he be our Advocate we need fear nothing There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 The Head will not condemn his own Members 2. Let us do good and communicate and be merciful to the poor while we have ability and opportunity In the 25 Mat. 35 36. Compar'd with 42 43. Christ hath told us aforehand what questions he will ask when he cometh Have you fed have you visited have you cloathed 'T is good we should be prepared for an answer See the Scriptures concerning the last Judgment in the first part of this Treatise pag. 74 c. Of Hell We h ve seen there will be a day of Judgment and that the Judge will judge the world in righteousnesse We have seen there will be a twofold sentence pronounced by him Of absolution upon the Godly Mat.
25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Of condemnation upon the wicked v. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels We shall therefore here speak of the state of the wicked after the righteous Judge hath pronounced the sentence of condemnation upon them and shall shew how their bodies and souls being re-united shall be so continued in that life for ever to undergo the punishment due unto their sins Here three things are to be taken into consideration 1. The duration and continuance of their persons without ever dying or being destroyed or annihilated 2. The duration of their pains without ever being taken off 3. The dreadfulnesse of those infernal pains and torments I. The Scripture speaks expresly that the wicked after the day of judgment shall not be consumed or annihilated but remain alive in soul and body to endure the torments to be inflicted upon them by the Justice of God for all the sins committed by them while they were in the body The Word of God indeed speaks of the wicked as of such as shall be destroyed and perish and die But we must know that a man may be said to be destroyed and perish to be lost and dead who is rejected separated and disjoyn'd from God the fountain of glory and blessednesse And that person may still subsist and be what in his own nature he was before and live the life which doth consist in the vital union of his soul and body and so subsisting undergo the wrath of God for ever The same Scripture which saies the wicked shall be destroy'd and perish and die saies also that they shall be tormented with never-dying paines Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed shall the Judge say to the wicked at the last day into everlasting fire And least any should imagine that the fire shall be everlasting but not the torments at the 46 v. it followes and these shall go away into everlasting punishment Now if the fire be everlasting by which God punisheth the damned and the punishment inflicted be also everlasting then must the damned everlastingly subsist to endure that punishment Otherwise there will be a punishment inflicted and none endured which is a contradiction Indeed the eternity of that fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels is a sufficient demonstration of the eternity of such as suffer in it And as that fire is termed eternal so that eternity is described as absolute excluding all limits and determination The end of the burning of fire is by extinguishing and that fire which cannot be extinguished can never end But such is the fire which shall torment the damned For he whose fan is in his hand shall burn up the chaff with unquencheable fire Mark 3.12 Luke 3.17 And he hath told us plainly and thereby given us a fair warning Mat. 18.8 that it is better to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire Or as it is Mark 9.43 To go into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched And he hath farther explained himself by that unquestionable addition and undeniable description of the place of torments where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And that we may be yet farther assur'd that this fire shall never be extinguished wereâ—â— that the smoak of their torments ascendeth up for ever and ever Rev. 14.11 And that those who are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Rev. â—0 â—0 If therefore the fire in which the damned are to be tormented be everlasting if so absolutely everlasting that it shall never be quenched if so certainty never to be quenched that the smoak thereof shall ascend for ever and ever if those that are to be cast into it shall be tormented for ever and ever all which the Scriptures expresly teach then shall the persons of the damned never be destroy'd or annihilated but shall subsist for ever and be coeternal to the tormenting flames When therefore the Scripture speaks that the wicked after the resurrection shall be punished with death and that a second death it cannot be so understood that they shall be no more nor in any sense be said to live or subsist For the enduring of this fire is that very death and they are therefore said to die the second death because they endure eternal torments He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death Rev. 2.11 It seemes they which shall die that death shall be hurt by it whereas if it were annihilation and so a conclusion of their torments it would be no way hurtful or injurious but highly beneficial to them But the living torments are the second death For Rev. 21.8 It was revealed to St. John that the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Now if to have a part in the lake be the second death if that part be a perpetual continuance and permansion in torment as is before proved then to say that the wicked shall die the second death is not a confutation of their eternal being in misery but an assertion of it because 't is the same thing delivered in other terms As is well observed by the Learned Mr. Pearson in his Exposition of the Creed Neither will the phrases of perdition and destruction infer an annihilation of the persons of the damned or an ending of their torments For eternity of destruction in the language of the Scripture signifies a perpetual perpession and duration in misery As in the 2 Thes 1.8 9. When Christ shall come to take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 't is said they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power Wherefore from what hath been said we may conclude that the damned shall continue both in soul and body under the wrath of God and the torments proceeding from it never to be quitted of them by annihilation Here they might have life but would not there they would have death but cannot II. As the damned shall alwaies be continued in life and being to endure the torments due to their sins so the Justice of God will never fail to inflict those torments upon them for their sins The favour of God is not to be obtained where there is no means left to obtain it but in the world to come there is no place for Faith nor vertue in Repentance As no person once received into the Heavenly mansions shâ—ll ever be cast into outer darkness so certainly none who are once cast into the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels shall ever enter
man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Of Heaven We have seen what will be the state of the damned We come now to speak of the blessedness of those that die in the Lord i. e. in the favour of God in a state of peace with him being members of Christs mystical body When they die their souls are carried by Angels to Christ and by him presented to God the Father as the fruit of his purchase So that they are presently blessed upon the departure of the soul out of the body but shall be more blessed at the general resurrection when soul and body being reunited the Judge shall set them at his right hand and pronounce upon them this gracious sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Matth 25.34 Which done they shall go away into life eternal as it is v. 46. The Glory and Blessednesse of this state we come now to enquire into and there are two things wherein it consists 1. In a total removal of all evils 2. In a confluence of all good necessary to the happinesse of the Creature First All evils are removed There are three great evils we labour under here 1. The evil of sin 2. Of temptation 3. Of affliction None of which shall trouble the Saints in Heaven 1. The evil of sin is there removed Sin is the great evil the children of God complain of with so much sadnesse in this world Here the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit but in Heaven there shall be no sinful lusts to war against the soul Paul shall not there complain of a law in his members rebelling against the law of his his mind Nor câ—y out Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. There shâ—ll be no blindness in the mind perversenesse in the will disorder in the affections no concupiscence in the members no rebellion in the flesh the old Adam is left in the grave never to rise more The dominion of sin the Saints are delivered from in this life but there the very being of it is removed Grace weakens sin Glory quite abolisheth it Into Heaven nothing enters that defiles There we shall be under anâ— happy impossibility of offending God 2. The evil of temptation The world is a place of snares a valley of temptations the devils circuit What abundance of temptations are we assaulted with here continually either from the Devil the world or our own corrupt Natures In Paradise there was a tempter but there is none in Heaven No Serpent can creep in there Here we had need pray continually Lord lead us not into temptation There we shall be fully delivered from it 3. The evil of affliction In Heaven there is an absolute freedom from all misery pain labour want or whatever else might afflict us All sorrow shall be done away as well as all sin Sorrow is the fruit of sin and when the mother is dead no more off-spring can be expected Whatsoever is painful and burdensom to Nature is a fruit of sin and a brand and mark of our rebellion against God Here we are subject to a number of necessities hunger thirst cold wants of several sorts In Heaven the children of God shall enjoy perfect freedom from whatsoever is troublesom Grief fear temptation sicknesse pain of body anguish of mind shall be heard of no more for ever When the Saints are once past death they are past the fear of all misery When their bodies are once lapt up in their winding-sheets they are past all tribulation Heaven is a happy ayre where none are sick There is no such thing as agues feavers gouts or the grinding paines of the Stone There is nothing to discompose the mind or afflict the body The Saints shall there be freed from the necessities of Nature such as eating drinking sleeping c. Meat is for the belly and the belly for meat but God shall destroy both it and them 1 Cor. 6.12 The use of meats and of the stomack and belly is there abolished Here we are almost continually in want of something or other but there we shall be above meat and drink and apparrel c. Here we have a mixture of pleasures and sorrows both good and evil are to be received from the hand of God in this life but there is fulnesse of joy for evermore I shall conclude this with that comfortable place Rev. 21.4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away Secondly A Second thing wherein the blessedness of Heaven consists is in a confluence of all good necessary to the happiness of the Creature The Saints in Heaven will be blessed 1. In their bodies 2. In their soules 3. In their Company 4. In an absolute security of enjoying all this blessedness for ever without any fear of losing it or being deprived of it I. They will be blessed in their bodies The bodies even of the best of the Saints are for the present vile bodies instruments of sin and subjects of diseases but the Lord Jesus Christ shall at the day of judgment raise these vile bodies and change them into the likenesse of his own glorious body Phil. 3.20 21. The bodies of the Saints are the members of Christ and no member of his shall remain in death They are the Temples of the holy Ghost and therefore if they be destroy'd they shall be raised again For if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in us as he doth in the Saints and by so dwelling makes their bodies Temples he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us Rom. 8.11 The Holy Ghost will not forsake his mansion and ancient habitation Therefore he raiseth it up and formeth it again into a compleat fashion like Christs glorious body The bodies of the Saints when dead and separated from their souls are not separated from Christ as we shewed before And therefore are said to be dead in Christ to sleep in Jesus as 't is 1 Thes 4.14 While dead they are united to Christ and by vertue of this Union Christ as their Head will raise them at the last day and at their resurrection they shall be changed as to their qualities though their substance shall not be altered The Ancient Christians when they rehearsed that Article of the Creed I believe the resurrection of the flesh were wont to adde even of this my flesh 'T is necessary the same flesh should be raised again For it cannot stand with Gods justice that one body should sin and another body be damned That he that sinned in one body should
thee Psal 116.13 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me V. 13. I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. V. 14. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people CHAP. XX. Of the Four last things Death Judgement Hell Heaven I. Of Death ONE of the main businesses of our life should be to prepare for death In order hereunto observe these directions First Meditate often and seriously on thy death and dissolution even in time of thy health Joseph of Arimathea made his Sepulchre in his garden that in the midst of his delights he might think of death Often retire and take thy self alone and walk in the valley of the shadow of death Do not start from the thoughts of it Do by thy soul when thou findest it shy of such meditations as we do by our horses that are given to boggle and start when we ride them when they fly back and start at a thing in the way we do not yield to their fear and go back that will make them worse another time but we ride them up close to that they are afraid of and so in time break them of that ill quality So do thou bring up thy heart and inure it to look upon death and to handle that Serpent Consider death is making its approaches to thee and may be upon thee before thou art aware O therefore prepare for it that when it comes and attaches thee thou maist be found in such a gracious state with such a frame of Spirit and walking in such a holy way of life that thou maist bid it welcom and be able to say with blessed Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ The frequent meditation of death will be an excellent means 1. To quicken thy soul to a deep humiliation and repentance for thy past sins 2. To represse the eager and insatiable desire of riches and the love of this world 3. To antidote thee against sin for time to come 4. To make thee improve time and carefully to work out thy salvation Think often of death and it will keep worse company from thee Secondly Labour to take away from thy own death the power and strength thereof The Philistims seeing Sampson so exceeding strong laboured to know wherein his power and strength principally consisted and when they understood it to lie in the hair of his head they ceased not till it was cut Consider therefore wherein the strength of death lies The Spirit of God teacheth us that in 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sin The power and force and sting of every mans particular death lies in his own sins Death cannot hurt us but by the force of our own sins A man may safely handle a Serpent when the sting is out If death be disarmed of its sting and poyson it cannot hurt us It concerns us therefore to use effectual means that our sins may be removed and pardoned and to labour before we die to abolish the strength of death Now the way to do this is 1. To humble our souls unfeignedly before the Lord and to repent of all our sins 2. To fly to Christ and to close with him for pardon and Grace 3. In the strength of his Grace to amend our lives and to walk in the waies of holinesse The sting of death is taken away by Christ Jesus as to all real converts and true believers so that it cannot hurt them nay will be an advantage to them It will be only a dark and short passage to a glorious Palace to the blisseful mansions above So that they may triumph as Paul did O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Thanks be to God who giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. But now to all impenitent unpardoned sinners how deadly how incurable is the sting of death Death is death with a witnesse and Hell into the bargain to them that die in their sins No sight in the world more dreadful than to see a dying sinner with his Conscience newly awakened conflicting with death and sin and the Law and Gods Curse together O how sad how intollerably sad is it to see a man that hath gone on in a long carelesse obstinate course of sinning now at the point of death to have his eies first opened and to see himself on the brink of the dreadful pit unavoidably falling into the lake of fire and brimstone To such a person death brings its poysoned arrow and executes him with its venemous sting Thirdly Give all diligence in this life to lay hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6.12 That is to enter into the first degree of life eternal Eternal life may be look'd upon under three considerations As Initial as Partial as Perfectional 1. The eternal life initial is that which is obtained in this life and is an earnest of that which is to follow 'T is the life of Grace Of this our Saviour spake Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life And Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life 2. The Partial life eternal is that which belongeth though to the nobler yet but to a part of man namely to the Soul The happinesse which the Souls of Saints enjoy between the time of their death and the last day is the partial life eternal 3. The Perfectional life eternal is that which shall be conferred on the Saints immediatly after the blessed reunion of their souls and bodies and that gracious sentence pronounc'd come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world So that we see we must in this world enter into the first degree of eternal life if ever we intend to be partakers of the other two We must be raised from the death of sin to the life of grace We must as the Apostle speaks Col. 1.13 Be delivered from the power of darknesse and translated into the Kingdom of our blessed Saviour We must with Paul be able to say Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me i. e. By his Spirit guides and governs my will affections and all the powers both of my soul and body Whoever would be saved when he is dead must begin to be saved while he is living We must begin to live that blessed and eternal life before we die Fourthly Inure thy self to die to this world and the enjoyments of it every day more and more Paul tels us he died daily 1 Cor. 15.31 If we would learn to do so it would not be so hard to die when we come to it in good earnest Death is not so strong to him whose natural strength has been wasted with a long pining sicknesse as to
by Beelzebub the Prince of the devils 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil V. 10. In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the devil whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother Rev. 12.9 And the great Dragon was cast out that old Serpent Called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world he was cast out into the Earth and his Angels were cast out with him 2 Cor. 11.3 But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Job 1.7 And the Lord said unto Satan whence comest thou then Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro in the Earth and from walking up and down in it Luke 22.31 And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Mat. 8.29 And behold they cried out saying what have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God art thou come hither to torment us before the time V. 31. So the devils besought him saying if thou cast us out suffer us to go away into the herd of swine Mat. 4 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the divel 2 Cor. 6.15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that beleeveth with an Infidel Zach. 3.1 And he shewed me Josuah the High Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him V. 2. And the Lord said unto Satan the Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire James 2.19 Thou beleevest that there is One God thou dost well the divels also beleeve and tremble Luke 4.33 And in the Synagogue there was a man which had a Spirit of an unclean devil and cried out with a loud voice V. 34. Saying Let us alone what have we to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy us I know thee who thou art the holy One of God Acts 19.15 And the evil Spirit answered and said Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye Eph. 4.26 Be ye angry and sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath V. 27. Neither give place to the devil Acts 5.3 And Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land Psal 78.49 He cast upon them the fiercenesse of his anger wrath and indignation and trouble by sending evil Angels among them Acts 26.18 To Open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse unto Light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me The next of Gods works to be considered and understood by us is II. His Providence As God Created the World and all the Creatures therein by his Almighty Power So he upholds directs disposes and governs them all by his Providence Nothing so Casual but he disposes of it No Agent so free as to be exempted from his Controule No affliction or Evil of Punishment but he hath a hand in it But as for sin he neither is nor possibly can be the Author or Approver of it Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnesse of his Glory and the expresse Image of his Person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the majesty on high Col. 1.17 And he is before all things and by him all things Consist Psal 36.6 Thy Righteousnesse is like the great Mountains thy judgments are a great deep O Lord thou preservest man and beast Mat. 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father V. 30. But the very haires of your head are all numbred V. 31. Fear ye not therefore ye are of more value than many Sparrows Dan. 4.34 And at the end of the daies I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes unto Heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most High and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdome is from generation to generation V. 35. And all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the army of Heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what dost thou Prov. 16.33 The Lot is cast into the Lap but the whole disposing thereof is from the Lord. Psal 103.19 The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdome ruleth over all Acts 17.25 Neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things V. 26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation V. 28. For in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own Poets have said for we are also his off-spring Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Lam. 3.37 Who is he that saith and it cometh to passe when the Lord commandeth it not Isa 45.6 That they may know from the rising of the Sun and from the West that there is none besides me I am the Lord and there is none else V. 7. I form the Light and create darknesse I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Amos 3.6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the City and the people not be afraid shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Psal 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and in all deep places Prov. 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Jer. 31.35 Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a Light by day and the Ordinances of the Moon and the Stars for a Light by night which divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roar the Lord of Hosts is his Name Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearcheable are his judgements and his waies
the promise although he hath no assurance in himself how the Lord will dispose of him This is commonly called Faith of Adherence or Recumbency II. When a soul that hath thus cast himself on Christ reflects upon what he hath done and comparing it with the Gospel promises becomes by the assistance of the Spirit bearing witnesse with his Spirit confidently perswaded of his interest in Christ and that he shall be saved by him This is call'd Faith of Assurance Now the former is that Faith which is the Condition of the new Covenant by which a sinner is freely acquitted of all his sins and accounted as a righteous and just person in Gods sight To this Faith there are these six things required 1. A real firm belief of the truth of the Gospel a true historical Faith concerning Christs person undertaking and performance and that he came to be a Mediatour and Peace-maker between God and man 2. A deep sense and feeling of the heavy burden of sin with true sorrow and humiliation â—hereupon The soul is brought to see its undone condition by sin before it closes with Christ 3. A firm perswasion that there is no other way of salvation but by Christ alone 4. A clear knowledge that Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him and willing to save and ready to receive such as do own him for the true Messias and unfeignedly give up themselves unto him 5. An earnest desire a real thirsting after an Interest in this Saviour 6. An actual giving up the soul to Christ depending on him wholly and alone for pardon and life firmly trusting in him to be justified sanctified and everlastingly saved by him This is the soul truly and really united unto Christ And being by Faith and Love thus joyned to the Lord as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 6.17 is one Spirit i. e. is governed by one and the self-same Spirit The Scripture sets forth this admirable spiritual union by these four earthly resemblances By the union 1. Of the Husband and Wife Eph. 5.23 The husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the body 2. Of the Head and Members Eph. 1.22 23. Hath put all things under his feet and given him to be head over all things to the Church which is his body 3. Of the stones in the bullding with the foundation whereon they rest and are built Eph. 2.22 In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit 1 Cor. 3.11 4. Of the Vine and the Branches John 15.5 I am the Vine ye are the Branches So that when we do willingly betroth our selves to Christ and consent to take him for our Lord and Husband and to be his loyall spouse when we are willing to be in subjection to him and to be ruled by him as the members of the body are by the head when we depend and rest and rely on him alone for our salvation as the stones rest on the foundation Lastly when we derive Grace and Holinesse from him as the branches derive juice vertue and sap from the root and stock and do bring forth fruits in him and to him then is there a real and spiritual union wrought between Christ and our soules Thus much concerning the Nature of saving Faith The Conclusions I shall lay down concerning it are these 1. Though Christ hath paid down a sufficient price on the Crosse for the ransoming and buying in of lost and undone sinners yet we are not justified and absolved from the guilt of our sins till we do actually close with him by Faith 2. True saving Faith is not a strong perswasion that all a mans sins are pardoned by Christ's Merits and that he is in Gods Favour and in a good state and condition For 't is evident many of Gods dear servants are exercised with doubts and feares concerning themselves and many Gracelesse wretches that never felt the burden of sin nor ever made much Conscience of walking holily are most confident of their own good condition Therefore this confident ungrounded perswasion cannot be true Faith for then hardnesse of heart would make the best Faith and he that could presume most and be most secure and free from doubts would be the truest believer For a man to be confident of his good condition while he lies under the power and reign of sin is the grossest unbelief in the world 'T is to believe the flat contrary to what God hath revealed in the Word 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not saith the Apostle that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Be not deceived neither fornicatours nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Therefore a confident resting on Christ for salvation if it be not a resting according to the Word will not serve the turn 3. Fiducially and savingly to believe on Christ is not an act of mans power but wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God who doth effectually enlighten perswade and draw the heart and assist and enable the soul to give up it self unto Christ Beg therefore the assistance of this blessed Spirit whom God hath promised to give to them that ask him Luke 11.9 And in the aid of his Grace give up thy self unfeignedly unto Christ to be justified sanctified and everlastingly saved by him 4. A true believer may fear and be in doubt that he hath not given up himself to Christ unfeignedly and this fear may proceed from the abundance of his love to Christ and earnest desire to be assur'd of an interest in him which makes him think he can never be certain enough of him Love is sollicitous and full of fears lest it should misse the person beloved 5. They that truly close with Christ do take him for their Lord as well as for their Saviour None come to Christ by Faith and savingly believe on him but they cleave to him by love also and live to him by obedience True Faith on Christ will beget love to Christ and love will bring forth obedience 6. The surest mark of true believing in Christ is a new and holy life 'T is the property of Faith to purifie the heart and so to work a change in the life and conversation Dost thou make Conscience therefore of all Christ's commands And art thou careful to refrain thy feet from every evil way Who ever is in Christ is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Hath the love of Christ shed abroad in his heart and that love constraines him to yeeld sincere obedience Hath the Spirit of Christ Rom 8.9 not only to comfort him but to counsel and direct him to lead him in the paths of truth and holinesse and to uphold him from taking any desperate and irrecoverable falls either in matter of judgment