by his infinite and by us undeserved Mercy Tit. 3.5 4. If you relyed on your sayings go farther hereafter and do not only say that you do believe but labour to believe indeed that is never be satisfied in that point nor think that yo do believe till you see Faith to be in you by its effects wrought in you I mean 1. Love 2. Holiness And 3. Pureness For it is like Sarah it will have out Hagar that is slavish and servile Fears and all the Lusts of the Flesh with the Affections thereof and like Solomon it will overlay the Temple of the holy Ghost all with Gold that is it will make us all glorious within nay throughout both within and without even glorious in Holiness Acts 26.18 and glorious in Love Gal. 5.6 Need you Incentives after all my Directions and Solutions given you then take these Consider that that Kingdom of Heaven which I perswade you so much to take by Force is a Kingdom which is 1. Very High 2. Very Great 3. Very Rich. 4. Very Pleasant 5. Very Glorious 6. Very Durable 1. Very High 1. For its Distance from us 2. For its Terms upon which it must be taken by us First For its Distance from us For how sar is it think you from the Center of the World to the Sun onely * Minima solis distantia a centro mundi continet semidiametrum terrae millies septuagies Lambert Dan. in Phys Chrys p. 2. tract 4. c. 18. p. 160. Astronomers tell us that the Distance which is between them contains the Semidiameter of the Earth One thousand seventy times And how far it is from thence to the Empyrean Heaven who can tell no man living The Scripture therefore calls Heaven Heights Psal 148.1 and saith further that Heaven for Height is unsearchable Prov. 25.3 So that no Thieves can approach it no Enemies assault it no Wars reach it There may be another reason given for this why Heaven is above the reach of all its opposites because it is not to be seen being far above all aspectable Heavens Ephes 4.8 The †Fratres Roseae Crucis Brethren of the Red Cross as they call themselves give out as I have read it in one of their own printed Books that the house of their meeting is not to be seen which I question whether they speak true in it though they say that they are of the purest Protestants But this is undoubtedly true that the Heaven of Heavens is a place which by us here cannot be seen for the eye hath not seen the things whereof this Heaven is one prepared for those that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 If then ye will be a in safe secure place indeed which may not be lyable to surprizals then labour for this Kingdom to take it by force Secondly For its Terms upon which it must be taken by us For what are the Terms upon which it stands think ye the Terms of it are such as these They that will enter me saith this Kingdom must exceed in Righteousness even the strictest Pharisees that ever lived For except your Righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven saith Christ Mat. 5.20 and ye must be perfect as God is perfect saith this Kingdom according to Mat. 5.48 Now if some men were to serve as Souldiers under a Captain or General who promises them that they shall have for their Service whatsoever they take though it be a Kingdom but that they must do more work than all other ordinary Souldiers must wake when others sleep must fast when others feast they would all say O what high and hard terms be these And yet to win a Kingdom be perswaded to serve such a General and even force themselves to it and take extraordinary pains for it because the Terms proposed are so high as that otherwise they cannot have it And so should we force our selves to win the Kingdom of Heaven and take extraordinary pains for it because of the high Terms of it and because else we shall never enter it unless we do more work than all other common Sonldiers among men and keep our selves waking when other men are sleeping and abstain from all manner of meat many times and from all excessive eating and drinking at all times and that even then when others at their feasts are inebriciting themselves with strong drink and glutting themselves with creature-delights and varieties of dishes and dainties 2. A very great Kingdom The World with the Kingdoms of it is an extraordinary great thing They write that the * Mr. Bolton in his direct for a comf walk p. 13. So Speed Ambitum ejus quidam esse volunt Leucarum Gallicarum novem millium et amplius Lamb. Danaeus in sua Phys Christ p. 2. tract 3. c. 23. compass of it is about one twenty thousand English miles and somewhat more but Heaven is infinitely greater for Behold Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Thee as if he should say though it be so extraordinary great how much less this House which I have built saith Solomon 2 Chron. 6.18 Now there is a time when we may not seek great things for our selves Jer. 45.5 but at all times we may and should seek after the great Kingdom of Heaven and now more especially having been so much perswaded to it and therefore go forth O my Brethren in the greatness of your spirits and heighth of your hearts to win to take to force this great Kingdom of Heaven which I have so much extolled and which cannot be otherwise taken but only by Force The Lord help you in the doing of it 3. A very rich Kingdom for in it are Streets of Gold and Gates of Pearls Rev. 21.21 So as that that * Mr. Fox in his Acts and Mon. blessed Woman-Martyr of Exceter might well say when one offered her Money and she refused it I am going to a place where Money bears no mastery all the Wealth of England all the Gold of both Indies all the Pearls in the Erythean Seas are not to be compared with the Riches of it Now if Riches be any thing esteemed by you and ye desire to be rich indeed then strive to win this Kingdom by Violence for then you are made rich for ever by it unutterably rich for all the Riches of Solomon all the Treasures of Hezekiah nay all the Treasures of Egypt were as nothing to the Riches of it 1 Kings 10.23 Isa 39.2 Heb. 11.26 4. Very Pleasant for there the Sun shineth alwayes I mean the Sun of Righteousness which is the Light thereof Rev. 21.23 and besides there are Pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Mark For evermore and therefore far better Pleasures than here for the Pleasures of Sin and of this life are but for a season Heb. 11.25 like Jonas's Gourd soon come soon gone Jonas 4.10 yea like Lightning which is gone sooner
Heaven won by Violence OR A TREATISE Upon MAT. 11.12 Compendiously containing very nigh The Whole BODY OF Practical DIVINITY And shewing VVhat a Sacred Violence is and how it must be used and offered in Believing Repenting and all the Duties of your High Calling Together with A New and Living Way of Dying upon Heb. 11.1 added thereunto By Christopher Jelinger And Published with the Dedications thereof by some Christian Friends London Printed in the Year 1665. To the Right Worshipful ANTHONY REEVE The Mayor And his Brethren The MAGISTRATES And to all the Inhabitants of the populous Town of TOTNES Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ I Have been much sollicited earnestly written to to communicate these my Labours because when I preached them first at your Town it pleased God of his infinite Mercy thereby to convert a poor soul then present and one more elsewhere from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God which hath occasioned the coming forth of this Treatise unto the publick view of the VVorld by a Friend whose desire it was to publish the same For who can tell whether it may not be the Beneplacit and will of God that more souls be thereby won to God The subject matter thereof you see is as apt as any by the good blessing of God to subject souls to the mighty Power of that VVord which here I hold forth and press to make you press toward the Mark for the Price of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus to strive that you may enter into the narrow Way which leads to Life to offer a Sacred Violence to Heaven to your selves nay to God himself blessed for ever to take to win to get that great that glorious that spacious Kingdom of Heaven by Force forcing your selves to leave the VVorld to abandon Sin to fight against Satan and to lay hold on eternal Life O Sirs here is work for all your Town for all this Country for all England for all your dayes The Ancient of dayes so diffuse his holy Spirit into your hearts that you may all become men of another spirit labouring for Heaven Heaven is worth the striving the strugling the pains-taking which in this Treatise is required that you may be saved Townsmen commonly are more at leisure to listen to such a discourse as this is because they are not under such a pressure of worldly work as those are which mansion in the Country therefore I hope you wil afford some of your spare hours to read that Lecture which here is read from so precious a Scripture and that you will not put off these tenders of my Love and such a Theam as this is like that unwise King of Macedon who when one tendred unto him a Treatise tending to Immortality said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I am not at leisure I beseech you Sirs by the Mercies of God in the Bowels of Christ Jesus that you will be serious once and set your selves in earnest to that great VVork which is here proposed working out your Salvation with fear trembling for your time runs out apace in the Glass of time and I have this confidence in you all 2 Cor. 2.3 that you would not willingly have the silver Cords of your lives broken before your hearts with sorrow for sin be broken nor would depart this evil world before ye depart from sin and have left the vanities of the world and gotten a sound assurance of an other better world nor yet cease to be retainers to the Sun created before ye be retainers to the Sun of Righteousness nor take your farewel of the Elements before you have bid farewel to this present life's Allurements And therefore why do ye linger why do ye not break away from Satan by force why do ye not once begin to have a low and abject esteem of this common way of existence this retaining to the Elements and become the Servants of Holiness why do ye not strive to be the Children of Light before ye cease to be maintained by the usury of light Usura Lucis why do ye not set all things apart to have your part in that holy taking of that great glorious Kingdom of Heaven by Violence I for my part when I take a full veiw and circle of my self do conceive that without this I am nothing my life nothing my performing of duties nothing Do you conceive so too and then be doing as wel as reading the things in this Book contained Nay my Beloved do this especially before ever you take this Treatise in hand to peruse it resolve to be Assaulters urgers Pressers Forcers of your selves and of Heaven by it but withal beg and pray before you read one line that upon your bended knees seriously and ardently that the great God of Heaven himself will write these lines in your hearts which I have written in this Book that you may do them O that you would hear me in this For how many Books have been read in vain without this This this must make this my labour of love auspicious your reading prosperous and your laudable endeavours salutiferous But I also my self will pray for you O my God bedew theresore these silent lines with thy Benediction so as that this populous Town of T may consider in this her day the things which belong to her peace and tend to immortality as they are tendered to it in this Book for all eternity So prayeth Your most humble Orator to the Throne of Grace Christopher Jelinger ORATIO SIVE POEMA Authoris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad Jesum Christum Regem Coeli ac Terrae Potentissimum Dominum suum Clementissimum MAgno Nate Deo Magni Dominator Olympi Verbum subsistens et Patris ore potens Summum Sanctorum Caput Illustrissime Regum Qui Mundum fulcis Numine perpetuo Irrecitabiliter manans de Corde Parentis Quo Mundus sumpsit Principe Principium Ut Philomela suis attemperat Organa Cannis Fitque repercusso dulcior aura melo Sic mea Musa cupit te decantare per Orbem Terrarum totum Divitiasque tuas Non me linque ergo Rex Prestantissime Regnam Qui praesto es Sanctis dasque Salutis opem Sed me sustenta dextrae virtute potenti Quae fulcit Sanctos angelicosque Viros Et mihi Dux esto Cortus Cursumque per auras Dirigito in Caelos Christe beate Tuos Ut ceu constructura favos apis omnia linquens Floribus Instrepitans poplite mella rapit Sic rapere ipse queam Coelestia mella beatis Promissa in Coelis Optime Christe tuis Pierides Christo nune vestras dicite laudes Qui Sermo est Magni Progeniesque Dei Christo Cujus amor suavis mihi Crescit in horas Dicite sit semper Gratia Magnatibi Sit lans excellens celebris sit fama per Orbem Atque in perpetuum Gloria summa tibi
Aliud ejusdem Authoris POEMA Ad Lectores Benivolos Eruditosque O Fratres Chari Coelestia quaerite Regna 〈◊〉 Sedes Coelicolumque domos Sufficianâ— Menses atque irreparabile tempus Quod male praeterit sufficiant que dies Tempus quod vestat Vrbis vivatur in altis Cum Christo Coelis angolicisque locis Morbus ubi est nullus nec egestas obsita pannis Nec Mors Crudelis nec violenta fames Nec scelus infandum aut languens maerensque Senectas Aut Mars aut ardens caedis amore furor Nec tristis Metus aut nummûm Vesana Cupido Nec gelido terram rore pruina tegens Sed fons in Medio quem vinum nomine dicunt Perspicuus lems dulcibus uber aquis Osratres Sancti huc spectent sitientia Corda Atque oculi vestri nocte dieque simul Huc tendant cunctae vires vestrae at que labores Ut vobis dentur Gaudia magna Poli Vi rapitur Coeli Regnum vi vincimur ipsi Vi magnâ ipse Deus Vincitur Omnipotens Propterea ingenti vi vim depellite vestras Cogentes animas ne pereant miserae Sed potius penetrare que ant in Gaudia Coeli Quoe Sanctis tribuet Filius ipse Dei Heaven won by a Sacred Violence MAT. 11.12 And from the dayes of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence and the Violent take it by force THe Field which at present I desire to walk in is this precious Scripture chosen for the carrying on of the Work of the Lord among you The Lord of Life put life into the handling of it that we may all thrive by it abundantly So be it The Coherence In the words foregoing these we may see what Care what Diligence what Means Divine Providence did adhibit and use to notifie the Messias of the World to the World by Prophets first in old time and then by the Baptist in Christ's time whose powerful piercing Ministry what effects it produced is here by my Text opened and most clearly evinced In a word these words are a special Commendation ushered in by a suspensive Conjunction And which connects the words here used with those which are premised and adds Light to Light Lustre to Lustre for in the words preceding these the Greatness of the Baptist is generally only asserted ver 10. In these more especially and that from the Power and Prevalency of his Minâ—stry which comes next to be viewed in the special Commendation it self comprized in the words following From the dayes of John the Baptist until now c. Where 1. We have Circumstances of Time and of a Person 2. A Substance to be considered First Circumstances of Time both from which and to which 1. A Circumstance of Time from which From the Dayes not Years for it was not long nor many years but some few only and so but some dayes as it were rather than years during which the Baptist preached this wicked World not being worthy nor willing of his Ministry Briefly thus From the Beginning of his preaching For from that time there was more labouring for Heaven than ever †Some did strive to enter Heaven before too but not so generally as you may see Luk. 16.16 before 2. The Time to which Until now Not for a little while only but for some continuance even till that very time wherein these words by Christ were spoken Secondly A Circumstance of a Person of John the Baptist 1. Of John which signifieth Grace and therefore a name well becoming him that bare it his Person as well as Preaching being so full of Grace all favouring of Christ savouring of Heaven 2. The Baptist so called because of his * Baptista a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made facere lavare aqua See Mark 7.4 dipping in and baptizing with * water water being the element for which was destinated and about which was most imployed this glorious Instrument Thirdly A Substance even the Substance of the said Baptists great Commendation which as you see is a most rare and singular setting forth of the most powerful effect of his Ministry in these words The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence c. Where we have 1. A Passion 2. An Action I. A Passion The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence Where we have again 1. A Patient 2. The Passion it self to consider 1st A Patient The Kingdom of Heaven 1. The Kingdom A Kingdom properly is an * Langius in sua Polyanth ampliated Commonwealth on Earth but here no such thing is meant as is earthy but an heavenly even a Kingdom whose King is Verity whose Law is Equity whose Life is Felicity whose Age is Eternity for so it follows 2 Of Heaven or Heavens 1. Heaven in the singular because a Heaven * Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 5 p. 157 Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 1. Lyra in Loc. Musc in Loc. Rich. Baxter in Saints Rest p. 19. is meant which indeed is singular it being a body all made of Glory Glory made of Brightness Brightness streaming from Happiness Happiness destinated for Holiness Holiness I mean elevated to that heighth of Splendor which is over all the surface of that huge and shining place which from every point doth pour forth whole Rivers of purest Light for the Children of Light * Cyril Alex. Thes l. 2. c. 4. Cyril by Heaven here understands Regeneration But I do not see how he can make his Exposition hold 2. Of the Heavens in the plural as it is in the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Original where note that there are two sorts of Heavens 1. Visible 2. Invisible First Visible as 1. The airy Heaven where the Fowles flee which therefore are called Mat. 6.26 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Fowles of Heaven 2. The starry Heaven where the Stars are Gen. 15.5 a Body which is so clothed with shining Light so beautified with a Canopy of gayest Colours so embossed with glorious Jewels so bespangled with sparkling Diamonds the Stars I mean whose Pulchritude is so admirable Altitude so unmeasurable Magnitude so unimagnible and which is properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I see because it is to be seen and so eminently to be seen Secondly Invisible namely to us now I mean that highest Empyraean Heaven with all its glorious Mansions and their Dimensions which also may be called Heavens as part of the whole by a Rule which we have in †Keckerm in suo Syst Log. Logick That which is competent to the Homogeneous whole is also competent to the Homogeneous parts So we call the parts of the great Sea Seas as the Balthick Sea the British Sea and so every arm of that Sea of Happiness every branch of that endless Bliss every beam of that Lustre which is in that Mass of shining Light every Mansion in that heavenly Fathers House and every part of that infinite Glory which is over all that Kingdom of Glory
is a Heaven And so Heaven above here * Ut supra meant or the Empyraean Heaven is a Kingdom of Heavens Secondly The Passion it self suffereth Violence 1. Suffereth Strange can Heaven suffer I answer Not properly but as it were 2. Violence And what is that It is a motion {inverted †} Tho. Aqu. in 5 Met. l. 6. proceeding from an exterior agent tending to that which by its own nature it hath no aptitude unto as here what Aptitude hath any of us naturally to win Heaven by force II. An Action And the Violent take it by force Where we have 1. Actors 2. The Action it self to be viewed 1. Actors And the Violent In the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Original the Violent so called in the English are also invaders endeavourers urgers and such as press hard as these do who are bent for Heaven pressing and urging with the strongest arguments and with all their might and utmost endeavours the God of Heaven 2. The Action it self Take it by force 1. Take it The word in the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Original properly is spoken of wild Beasts which take their prey which here is applyed to Men who take Heaven as a prey which they pursue till they have it 2. By Force To take a thing by force properly and commonly is take it by wrong Whence in the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebrew Force is called by a name which also signifies wrong and injury and yet here is no wrong done to any when Heaven is taken by the Saints forcibly for it is their proper portion by Adoption that glorious Habitation and therefore when they seize on it by might they do what they do in it in their own * Understand a right derived from Jesus Christ who hath a double right to it Author vit Bern. l. 1. cap. 12. right 1 Pet. 1.3 But I desire now after all these Divisions and Subdivisions to come to some Compositions or Conclusions And 1. Let this be one 1. Doct. A powerful right Teaching and Christ-preaching-Ministry doth very much advance the winning of Heaven by a sacred Violence 2. Then take an other Heaven must be taken by an holy Violence For the first I shall raise and resolve about it these two Queries 1. What such a Ministry is 2. Why such a Ministry doth so advance the winning of Heaven by an holy Violence To the first I answer It is a Ministry which poureth out it self in torrents of affection lists up its voice like a trumpet comes to the heart in the demonstration of the Spirit thunders out the Judgements of God against all that is called flesh and not spirit strikes at the very root of every tree which brings not forth fruit to God labours mightily to desponsate souls to Christ and therefore holds forth none and nothing so much as Christ To the second Query I answer thus in seven Grounds 1. Such a Ministry will cry down sin 2. Will cry up Heaven 3. Will cry up Zeal 4. Will take away the Vail which is over all mens faces 5. Will take away all excuses and vain conceits 6. Will acquaint men with the absolute necessity of believing 7. Will inform them of that strictness of living which Christ requireth of all that will enter into Life everlasting 1. Ground It will cry down Sin according to that of Isa 58.1 and Mat. 3.10 as thus it will tell men that they which do such things as they do commit adultery and whoredom and all manner of uncleanness and lasciviousness with greediness do lie steal pour in strong drink and will be drunk and glut themselves with excessive eating live in usury in the sin of covetousness of anger of envy of pride without fear without remorse without repentance are worthy of death worthy of damnation and shall never inherit the Kingdom of God according to that dreadful Scripture Gal. 5.19 20 21. Thus such a Ministry cryeth out against all sorts of Sins and Sinners who when they hear them cry out so what sins will they not rather miss that eternal Life they may not miss And what evils will they not forsake that Heaven they may take When a man understands that either he must lose his life or his leg or arm or right hand or right eye though his leg be dear to him his arm dear his right hand dear his right eye dear yet will he lose any of these dear things or all rather than life because his Chyrurgion tells him that else he must die So poor Sinners when they are told by the Chyrurgions of their souls that either they must lose their best beloved Sins which are as dear to them as their legs their arms their right eyes right hands or lose Heaven if they will keep them they will with God's blessing do any thing rather than die forgoe any sin rather than go to Hell lose any profit rather than Heaven Heaven being infinitely absolutely indisputably better than both their eyes both hands both legs both arms in a word than all that is near or dear to them in all this worlds circumference 2. Ground It will cry up Heaven as the Baptist came crying and saying Repent the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3.2 and as Christ himself came preaching and saying in my Text The Kingdom of Heaven suffers Violence and Rev. 21.17 which when poor souls hear how they will be startled with Gods Blessing how they will come as those Mat. 3.6 confessing their sins and acknowledging their former of citances and neglectings of Life and Salvation and being ready to do any thing to do well hereafter and to be saved as those Luke 3.12 Beloved if this were a Sea-town and a Vessel should arrive here from beyond the Seas and a Cryer should be sent up and down to cry That if any will buy take estates worth thousands in a goodly Country for a small matter yea for nothing upon the matter he may now be carried over in that Vessel and buy and take as much Land as he will and as cheap as he can desire O! how would those of your Town who have but little or no estates and are in want and have but little or no money with both hands imbrace such an opportunity take such a proffer and advantage and embark themselves to be gone and to take such estates in so goodly a Country and to inhabit such stately Seats This now is the case of poor souls we Ministers arrive with our Vessels I should say our Gospel-preaching which we carry in earthen-vessels at your Towns at your Parishes at your Temples we turn Cryers being for that end sent Isa 58.1 and bid to cry and cry up and down in your Towns and solemn Assemblies Isa 55.1 Ho if any man will buy cheap and take Heaven cheap or an estate in Heaven worth not only thousands but whole worlds and desires to have a goodly seat indeed let him come with
Wine-bibber in the same place where it is exercised When be beareth the words of this Curse that be blesseth himself saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add Drunkenness to Thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the Anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven and the Lord shall separate him unto evil Deut. 29.19 2021. Now Drunkards saith this Ministry and all ye that live and lie in any of the sins fore-mentioned Can you say say it truly that such as you are in the state of Life when God who is Truth it self saith you are in the state of Death will ye say that ye are blessed when he saith that ye are accursed will you harbour a conceit that ye shall be saved when he tells you that ye shall be damed will you entertain an opinion that Heaven is and will be yours without contradiction when the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it that that glorious Place and Kingdom which we call Heaven will be kept from you to an endless duration O men befooled and unwise You go to Heaven saith this Ministry if Toads if Vipers if Devils may go to Heaven you may continuing in your sins wherein hitherto you lye wallowing as so many Sowes wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 which when it fills the ears of deluded souls it also fills them with horror with anguish with grief with trouble of mind and vexation of spirit and makes them cry out as a woman in travel desiring to be delivered and that by Jesus Christ that they may be saved and so such a Christ-preaching-Ministry doth mightily advance the winning of Heaven by a Sacred Violence Understand still if God's Blessing go with it 6. Ground It acquaints men with the absolute necessity of believing I mean of believing savingly for saith this Ministry as Christ said once Except you eat the Hesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood namely spiritually and by a lively Faith ye have no life in you John 6.53 And be that helieveth not namely savingly shall be damned Mark 16.16 whatsoever the man be learned or unlearned bond or free rich or poor young or old professor or no professor for there is no respect of persons with God so that if a man being a professor should give all his goods to the poor pray and prostrate himself at and before the Throne of Grace oftimes in a day peruse those sacred leaves which are in the Book of God beyond all his neighbours soar up by his strong elevations and high contemplations beyond the Moon beyond the Cassiopeia it self into Heaven it self as he supposeth and talk like an Angel yet if he want true saving Faith in Christ he can never live nor be nor mansion hereafter with Christ but must be without where Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Lyars are as being unworthy of Lise unworthy of Salvation Rev. 21.8 which when it drums in peoples ears they are astonished at this Doctrine as those Mat. 7.28 and cry out saying O then what will be come of us that believe not O what shall our poor souls do O that we had Faith O that we could believe as these and these in the Son of God! O that God would look upon us and deliver unto us such a Faith as he hath to others Jude 2. O that we could obtain like-precious Faith with others 2 Pet. 1.1 O that God would help our unbelief Mark 9.24 O that the time were come for us to come to the Faith of God's Elect which they have in Jesus Tit. 1.1 O that by Faith we could eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood that we also as well as others who beleive in Jesus might be saved Joh. 6.53 And so such a Christ-preaching Ministry mightily advanceth the winning of Heaven by a Sacred Violence 7. Ground It will inform them of that strictest way of living which Christ requireth of all that will enter into Life everlasting For saith this Ministry as Christ said once Except your Righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes Pharisees who yet fasted twice a week compassed Sea and Land to make a Proselyte made long prayers were no Extortioners no Adulterers no unrighteous persons such as Theeves and Defrauders in bargaining and Usurers are nay as some write of them lay upon boards not beds by night ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of God Mark in no case if you would give all your substance for it would seek very much after it would go so far to enter into it as that it might be said of you as Christ said to that young man Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God Mark 12.34 so you are not far from the Kingdom of God yet shall ye in no wise enter unless ye go farther unless you go thorow unless ye do more than Hypocrites do and be more holy more humble more just more heavenly more patient more devout more meek more sober and more truly pious than they are Again saith this Ministry with St. James James 2.10 Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all Observe whosoever without exception whether he be a Jew or Christian Minister or Hearer a great man or a poor man how big soever he look how high soever he esteem and think of himself nay though he be a man that is well esteemed by all his neighbours in the place where he liveth for his almes-deeds for his kind carriage for his peace-making among them for his square dealings with every man and especially for the good order he keeps in his own family for praying much and often in and with his family and apart for reading for repeating of Sermons and for catechizing his Sons and Servants yet if he offend in one point if he omit or neglect any one needful Duty live but in any one known sin that one but will spoile all and he will be guilty of all and so die for it without mercy As if a man should keep all the Laws of our Land but kill one man he dieth for it if he had a thousand lives by the Laws of the Land So strict saith this Ministry is the Law of God which when poor sinners are acquainted with O what fears O what doubts O what stirrings O what cares it raises and causes in mens and womens hearts and O what sorce will not they use and what pains besides all them that they have taken will they not take that Heaven by Violence they may take Some have made themselves Eunuches for the Kingdom of Heavens sake Mat. 19.12 And so I do verily beleive that some rather than they will be cut off from their hopes of Heaven they will after they have heard
imbibed all this into their hearts and ears cut off all their members which they have upon earth Col. 3.5 I mean their dearest sins as Fornication Uncleanness inordinate affectiō evil concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry and that they will go as far as their legs I mean the legs of Faith will carry them even so far as to the loving of their very enemies the giving of their bodies to be burnt the losing of their estates their ease their sinful and sensual delights and the incurring of the hatred of all their friends yea of all the world rather than go from Christ and go from Life and go from the World which is to come The uses of the point will be these 1. use will be one of Information Then how desirable must needs such a Ministry be You do all desire and covet to have such servants and workmen as do their work so faithfully so painfully and so well as that you may perceive and see your selves how much they do advance your estates on Earth and if so how much to be desired then is that painful and powerful Ministry which doth so labour to advance your spiritual estates and your soules that they may win Heaven We read John 5.4 that An Angel went down at a certain time into that Pool and troubled the waters and that whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of what disease soever he had and how much longed for the comming down of such an Angel was to the people then especially to the lame and to the blind and to the impotent and to the withered ver 3. I leave to you to judge Now every powerful and Christ-preaching-Minister is such an Angel so he comes into the Pulpit so he troubles the water making the Word which he preacheth to be troublesome to obstinate and impenitent sinners and so he causes it by God's blessing to become wholesome to many a poor creature that is blind or lame or impotent or withered which then and thereupon can and will being made whole and sound even offer a Sacred Violence to Heaven it self and strive to take it by force and therefore O how lovely O how amiable O how desirable O how much to be loved and longed for must needs be a powerful Christ-preaching-Ministry and those Gospel-Angels which come to us in the Name of the Lord O how welcome must they needs be to sin-sick and sin-lame souls though they trouble them a little first because they come with healing in their preaching and cure them at last and make them to make out for Heaven 2. Use is one of Exhortation Is it so Then 1. Encourage such a Ministry Quest How I answer 1. Hear it carefully as Mat. 3.5 they came from all parts to hear the Baptist preach even from Jerusalem and from Judea and all the regton round about Jordan So when such Johns teach let all the people that can come and hear them stirring up one another as those in Isaiah saying Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his wayes for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa 2.3 2. Follow and do what such a Ministry teacheth according to that famous Scripture Jam 1.22 But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves Mark deceiving your own selves so that you do but deceive your own souls when you but come and sit before us and do none of the things which are taught by us when you say What will this babler say when having heard us press the forwardness of the Saints ye will not live as Saints when having been told how ye must force Heaven ye mind nothing less than Heaven when after ye have drunk in our Sermons tending to Life and Glory ye will not so much as wag one foot nor stir at all that ye may drink in those ineffable Pleasures which flow and stream from Jehova's Face in the Kingdom of Glory And besides what encouragement do ye give us as long as ye regard our words no more than fables after they have been with all seriousness and sadness tenderness trueness earnestness and eagerness powerfulness and piercingness faithfulness and ferventness delivered uttered and preached by us O it must needs be a deading of our affections a cooling of our courage a stupifying of our spirits when after all our Gospel-Reports made by us we must take up that sad complaint of Isaiah the Prophet Who hath beleived our Report Isa 53.1 Wherefore as those Sorcerers which heard Paul preach were so affected with and wrought upon with his preaching as that they kindled a fire and burnt their books before all men not at all regarding the price thereof which amounted to fifty thousand pieces of Silver nor the loss which thereby they sustained because they would rather lose their Books and lose their Gain and lose all their Silver than lose their Souls and lose Life and lose Heaven Heaven being far more valued more esteemed more prized of them than all their books which were burned by them So do ye now go and do likewise ye need not kindle a fire for it for I have kindled a fire for you already by this my preaching for is not my Word like Fire saith God Jer. 23.29 Do ye only bring I 'l not say your books but your sins which I have preached against in this Sermon and burn them before all men that is let the Word which I have taught you now so burn them up as that we may see them no more hear of them no more be troubled about them and with them no more as when a thing is burnt we are troubled with it no more O Sirs where are those your books I should say yoursins which must be burnt bring them hither and burn them here before me in and by this Fire which I have made for you bring hither your Usury your Pride your Lusts your Uncleanness your Lasciviousness your Anger your onvious dispositions your idle courses your Drunkenness your Gurmandizing your Laziness your Slothfulness your Covetousness which is Idolatry and all the evils of your tongues which though little are such unruly members and let them all be eaten up by this Fire which I have now kindled crying and saying Lord burn up these our Corruptions by this Sermon O Sirs do not your hearts already burn as the Disciples hearts when Christ opened the Scriptures to them Luke 24.32 Do ye not feel this Fire O that God would work now upon your souls O that he would blow this Fire O that he would cause his holy Spirit to blow upon your spirits O that he would by his co-operation make this Word of his which I preach and which is indeed like Fire effectual to your salvation O that he would make it burn up all
your corruptions and O that you would throw them all into the midst of this Fire to be rid of them for ever O for ever and would never rake them up more O happy day that this day would then be for and to your souls O souls souls now stir now struggle now strive to be saved though it be with the loss of your dearest and best-beloved sins better a thousand times better will it be to suffer such a loss now than to sustain a far greater even the loss of your immortal souls hereafter and infinitely better it is not to go home with your darling-Lusts and bosome-Corruptions now than to go to Hell for your sins hereafter for ever But I must hasten to a second Exhortation 2. Exhortation Esteem powerful and Christ-preaching-Ministers very highly then for their works sake and love them dearly We have a notable place for this 1 Thes 1.12 And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake Catherina Senensis did so prize so estimate and so affect such Ministers as that she would kiss their very Vestigiaes and the ground whereupon they did go as they passed thorow the streets I do not say that you must do so too but only that you may do well to afford them the embraces of your love and the honour of your high esteem according to the aforementioned Apostolical Speech which may command the obedience and submission of you all thereunto 3. Exhortation Let them do nothing else then or but little else than preach and do you free them from all worldly cares and distractions by a sufficient maintenance afforded unto them and by taking care for them that they may take the more care for you and that without distraction it is pitty a thousand pitties that that Pilot which hath carried many Ships to Sea and over the Sea safely securely successfully should do any thing else but carry Ships to and fro from Port to Port from Countrey to Country from Land to Land so it is great pitty that that Minister which powerfully and successfully preacheth Christ and thereby advanceth much the taking of Heaven by a Sacred Violence filling his Sails I mean his Sermons with the choicest Matter that he can possibly sind out by the reach of his invention and bringing many souls to Glory should do any other thing than preach and teach that so doing he may carry many a Vessel of Mercy and many a Vassal of Sin and Misery over those Seas of Duties which they must sail over to that Haven of Happiness which is called Heaven Into which God of his infinite Mercy bring us all To himself alone be all Praise and Glory The second Doctrine followeth 2. Doct. Heaven must be won by an Holy Violence For the illustration whereof I shall propose and resolve these two Problemes 1. Prob. What an Holy Violence used for Heaven is 2. Why Heaven must be won by an Holy Violence To the first I answer That it is a forcing of Nature against Nature a laying hold on God a pressing into the Presence of God for God it is praying with all our might grapling with Satan to overthrow all his might militating with Heaven for Heaven that we may towre up into Heaven and win Heaven there to sing there to rejoyce and there to triumph for our there-enjoyed Felicity to all Eternity we being taken up when we have taken it into that glorious KINGDOM which surpasseth all the Kingdoms of the world for its Puissance Grandeur Magnificence Splendor and Glory it being the very Kingdom of Glory 2. Prob. To the second I answer That it must needs be so 1. Answer or Reason Because Heaven lyeth so far away from us and the King thereof is as a Man of War Exod. 15.3 The Lord is a Man of War Now were a little Army to march as far as China which is Fifteen times as big as all France and is part of the East-Indies which is a great way off and whose King never takes the field as they * Speed reports this of him write of him under Five hundred thousand men at his heels I say were this little Army to take that great Kingdom what need would there be of forcing the men of that little Army to make them go scarce any would go unless he be pressed and forced to go and again how would those that go be forced to force themselves and to force that King and to force his Kingdom to win it This is our case Heaven is much like that Kingdom of China for it is a great Kingdom also nay far greater it lyeth a great way from us it hath a King which is called The Lord of Hosts it is wholly at his command and it cannot be overcome unless he be overcome nor won unless he be won and we that are to take it are but a little Army called a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little little Flock Luke 12.32 and therefore you may well imagine what striving what forcing what urging what presling what contending there is required of all us that will be saved and what a Violence we must offer to Heaven before we can win Heaven and how we must be forced to go before we will go to Heaven O Sirs do not you find it so by your own experience do ye not see how ye must constrain your selves to Duties and in Duties many times do not ye take notice of it how you must even frequently and most earnestly wrestle with the King of Heaven for Heaven 2. Answer By reason of the many Enemies that lye betwixt us and it as namely 1. High soaring and self-exalting imagination are betwixt us and it 2 Cor. 10.5 which will keep us low unless we bring them low and will not suffer us to ascend unless we make them to deseend 2. Powers and Principalities Ephes 6.12 Mark Powers not weak ones but strong and mighty Adversaries again not petty ones but Princely ones and Proud ones as standing upon their Greatness even Principalities which is more than if the Apostle had said Princes and those must be vanquished by such weak silly simple creatures as we are O the striving then and O the stirring that will be required of us if Heaven shall ever be taken and conquered by us 3. Rulers of the Darkness of this World in Ephes 6.12 which will absolutely keep us out of that other World unless we put and keep them down in this World and will rule us so as to mke us lose Heaven for ever unless we over-rule them and so take Heaven by force 4. * Ephes 6.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritual wickedness in High places The Original is Wicked Spirits in Heavenlies which some understand of our Heavenlies that is in our heavenly Duties of Prayer of Fasting of Meditating and the like for in and about
freed themselves from them and were saved were delivered and saved merely by a miracle of mercy wherefore be out of measure astonished especially if you be far from being such Wrestlers and Pain-takers and Force-inferring and Violence-using-Christians as ye ought to be and cry out saying O then who of us can be saved who O who of us that live such an easie life can enter into Life And as for you that take pains and use violence to take Heaven yet be amazed at this and say O how hard will it be for us also to be saved for of the very Righteous it is written that even he is scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4.18 O the Dissiculties that we must pass thorow before we can or ever shall pass into Life even Life Everlasting IV. Be diswaded 1. From rash censuring If a Brother be fallen be foiled be overtaken in a fault be not too bitter against him nor too censorious for we walk in a very narrow narrow way nay but upon the edge and brink as it were of a Hill or Rock yea if we be such as we ought to be and do as we ought to do we do not only travel in such a narrow way but meet with those that will jet us and go to throw us down I mean those Powers Ephes 6.12 and therefore even a godly man may be soon down and fall grievously witness David so that we must not be so forward as we are apt to be in †Non sic judices proximum sed magis excusa et dicito apud temet ipsum vehemens fuit nimis temptatio Basil Serm. 40. super Cant. fol. 145. judging See Mat. 7.1 2. From sâ—aring And First If ye be Aliens yet from that strictness of living and from that Forcing which here is required and fearful withal then cease to be so for fearful ones are not fit for such an imployment nor indeed can be saved if their fear be slavish only and bear sway as you may see Rev. 21.8 But the fearful shall have their part in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone And therefore as Gideon made a Proclamation in his Camp Judg. 7.3 Whosoever is fearful and afraid let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead So I proclaim this day and here in this place and in these your ears Whosoever among you is fearful and yet hopes to vanquish all his enemies which are many and mighty being Rulers and Princes which as Princes have many souldiers subjects under them Ephes 6.12 even * Improbos spiritus et homines pessimos Aretius wicked spirits and most wicked men and to win Heaven let him early and betimes depart from his hopes unless he will depart from his fears 2dly So if you be of the number of true Forcers and Endeavourers to take Heaven by Violence but are pestered with a multitude of fears mixt with your confidences though not allowed I shall say unto you as Christ to his Disciples Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12.32 even that very Kingdom which you are going to take by Violence for the Violent saith Christ in my Text take it by Force Your fear is that you will not be able to hold out but what saith the Apostle Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 And besides rather than you should fail or fall away I say moreover that God will either end your †Aut cito mors veniet aut victoria laeta Horat. dayes before or your dangers and then you will be no longer Souldiers in Armour but Gown-men in long white Robes Rev. 7.9 having Palms in your hands and Crowns on your heads as Conquerors according to that of Paul I have fought a good fight and have finished my course from henceforth is laid up for me the Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to all them that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 O Sirs how should this cast out Fear It is true we deserve no such thing no no and our Doings and Wrestlings and Forcings come infinitely short of that height and heat of Zeal which is required of us but let us comfort our selves with this that by his Mercy he saves us and not by works of righteousness which we have done Tit. 3.5 For my part when I take a full view of my self and consider my wayes and my great and mighty failings am forced to say this That I obtain Heavon and the Bliss thereof as a felicity which I can neither think to deserve nor expect as my due For these two ends of us all either as rewards or punishments are mercifully ordained and disproportionably disposed unto our actions the one being so far beyond our deserts the other so infinitely below our demerits V. Be perswaded then if you would win Heaven to force 1. Your selves 2. The Kingdom of Heaven it self 3. The King thereof himself I. * I do not intend by this to sow the seeds of Pelagianism as if man had free will and power in himself and of himself to believe to repent c. but only to put men upon endeavours to be used with God for God according to Phil. 2.12 13. Your selves in 1. Believing 2. Repenting Quoties enim bona agimus Deus in nolis atque nolis cum ut operemur operatur Concil Araus 2. Can. 9. 3. All the Duties of your high Calling First Believing for there you must begin because Faith is the mother-Grace and the mother-Vertue from which all other do spring and without which our best actions are all sins Rom. 14.23 When * Lucianus in Scytha Toxants saw his Countrey-man Anacharsis in Athens he said to him I will at once shew thee all the wonders of Greece Viso Solone vidisti omnia that is In seeing Solon thou seest all even Athens it self and all the Glory of Greece Semblably whereunto I may say to you That if you have Faith in Christ you have more than all the Wonders of Greece even all the wonderful Gifts of Grace Grace your souls therefore O dear Christians with this rare and heedful Gift and begin here striving and labouring mightily to believe in Jesus that you may be saved by the Faith of Jesus O cry for this great Grace as Children cry for Milk because they live by it cry and say Lord help us to believe And then strive more particularly to believe verily and forcibly that is whether the flesh will give way to it or no that Christ will †I use this expression the rather alluding to our Marriages because God himself useth it to set forth believing and because it is most taking marry you to himself and thereby save your souls for that is one of the principal acts of Faith to believe this
Acts 17.11 enoble then your blood and enable your minds to mind heavenly things for such are the things comprized in this Book called the great things of the Law Hos 8.12 Put your selves to it therefore and force your minds to this most noble exercise which will so enoble your souls 4. In Relieving And Relieving 1. The Bodies of others 2. The Souls of others First Their Bodies with Food and Rayment and such other necessaries as they do want according to that noted Scripture Heb. 13.16 But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased And that of our Saviour Sell that ye have and give Atms provide your selves bags which wax not old a Treasure in the Heavens which faileth not where no Thief approacheth neither Moth corrupteth Luke 12.33 Where note that in the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod ab altero nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misericordia derivatur Original there is a word for Almes which by a Metonymie declares the Benefactors and Almes-givers merciful Disposition shewn by his Donation and that he gives his Almes as he ought who by his giving ostends and sheweth that he is affected with the misery of the Relieved and therefore how few give Almes and relieve the Needy as they ought Again Note here that the Chaldeans and Syrians and Hebrews call Almes Righteousness Which * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 name is also retained in the Greek Testament 2 Cor. 9.9 as it is written He hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the poor his Righteousness remains for ever to shew that Almes-giving is a piece of Justice and that he who gives Almes is to observe the Rules of Justice and to distribute to every one according to his need as it is written Acts 4.35 And Distribution was made to every man according as he had Need. And who do so not one of an hundred A little will serve with many for many Few will do as †Clerk in his Life p. 251. Luther who when a poor Student came to his door begging an Almes and his Wife pleaded Penury gave him a Silver Bowl and as * Idem in his Life pag. 760. Bernard Gilpin who when he saw naked People would pull of his Cloaths and cloth them Ministers had need therefore to call upon men frequently Give Almes gives Almes and give to every man as he hath need And you had need to call upon your own souls for it for O how backward are they and how unwilling to be drawn to it With many every penny of money which they give when pressed to it is as a drop of their blood and they are as loath to spare the one as the other But I pray you consider this you that are so backward to this That mans Estate consists of three parts 1. Necessaries 2. Decency 3. Superfluity God allowes you the two former but requires the third for the poor If a man refuse to part with it he forfeits the former too and God oft-times takes the forfeit But I cannot yet so leave Charity for it is so lovely so comely so exceeding goodly O it ravishes with its Beauty replenishes with its Bounty and cherishes with its Benignity all that need it and come near it where it is in truth for it is just like fire for so it warms the naked makes lightsome the sadded and with its comfortableness cherishes the destituted and therefore make much of this Fire O let it not by any means go out but rather go and kindle it go and feed it go and keep it in and let many be fed be filled be refreshed by it nay let it set your selves on fire that your hearts may burn with it like fire which else will be as cold as a Key and had need therefore to be heated with it and inflamed by it Secondly Their Souls you must feed with your lips according to that in Prov. 10.21 The Lips of the Righteous feed many namely with wholesome admonitions seasonable instructions profitable reprehensions and comfortable communications O Beloved what cause have we to inculcate this such a time as this wherein so many who profess much yet express little of that Goodness that Sweetness that Delightfulness that Riches that Happiness which is in God in Christ in his Word in Heaven So as that I may well and seasonably here take up that sad complaint which Isidore made in his time speaking of Heaven Though this Kingdom be Eternal not a word of that for what man is there that spends the least part of a day in meditating upon that that once makes mention of that that instructs his Wife and Children of that all our talk is but vain But let this be mended and because our bashful natures are utterly averse from such talk let us oppose Grace against Nature and force Nature let us offer an holy Violence to our selves and constrain our selves to talk better and to talk more of Heaven * Evagrius 1.4 c. 14. One Writes of some Martys that though their Tongues were cut out yet they did speak and shall not we that have our Tongues and the use thereof lest us speak Oh speak speak one to another and that often as those in Mal. 3.16 and when you do speak speak the wonderful Works of God as the Apostles did Acts 2.11 or as †Nil nisi castum vel Sermo Dei ex ejus ore processi◠Author vitae Hieronymi Jerome of things chaste and of God's Word and begin so to do this very day and after this very Sermon as they at that day O do not defer it any longer the sooner the better the Matter in hand will furnish you with Matter for it is of the great Kingdom of Heaven which must be taken by Force and therefore stir up one another talking of it with your Wives Children Servants Neighbours Fellow-Hearers saying one to another as †Aug. Confess 1.8 c. 1. Austin once said to Alipius his friend after he had heard much of some mens taking of Heaven by Violence What is this What suffer we under the Tyranny of Sin Unlearned men such as Authony and others in Egypt and Milan do take Heaven by Violence and we with all our Learning without Hearts behold how we lie groveling in flesh and blood so what do we suffer say Heaven suffers and suffers Violence and we suffer it to be taken by others and will not take it our selves O! come come let us also offer Violence to it that by force we may take it Heaven is high but not too high for Forcers Forcers will carry it Thesore let us force our selves and do our utmost to win it Thus talk and speak one to another 5. In Fasting For turn to me with Fasting saith God Joel 2.12 And what eminent Fasters have most of the Lords most Renowned Saints and Servants been David that man after God's own
Heart how did he chasten his flesh with Fasting though it was to his reproach Psal 69.10 So Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.3 how did he seek the Lord with Fasting So Daniel Dan. 9.3 how did he set himself to call upon his God with Fasting So that great King of Nineveh how did he humble himself before the King of Kings in Sackcloth and Ashes and with Fasting Jona 3.6 7. And what shall I more say For the time would fail me to tell of Joshua Josh 7.6 of Samuel and all Israel 1 Sam. 7.6 and of Esther and of Anna which being a Widdow of four-score and four years to shame many of our young and lusty people that will not fast a day unless it be by constraint and by a command from the Higher-Powers departed not from the Temple but served God with Fastings and Prayers night and day Luke 2.37 The like instances could be given in many others who lived since Christ and flourished in his Church like the Trees of Eden but †Clerk in his life p. 932. Calvin only shall serve who for ten years togegether fasted daily and made but one meal a day at night spending all his time in and about the Things of God and in Prayer insomuch as that a very †Rivetus reports it Papist writing of him calls him in Frend Un grand jeuneur that is a great Faster and shall we spend our time in eating and drinking and neglect so famous a Duty Is that the way to Heaven Is that to offer Violence to the Kingdom of Heaven Because fasting is unsavory to the flesh as making the Belly to suffer therefore forsooth we will not fast but had we that sweet and gracious appetite which the prementioned Saints had then fasting would be as pleasant to us as feasting For it is the Souls feasting because it brings gracious Souls to the greatest dainties and they to a tast with which no savouriness of Meats no variety of Dishes no sweetness of Wine or Women can be parallel'd O sweet feasting then that comes by fasting Fast therefore and thereby feast your Souls often O Beloved and if the flesh draw backward force it forward and make it to suffer for Heaven suffers and suffereth Violence and why shall not our sluggish flesh 6. In Considering or Consideration which differs from Meditation thus Meditation is an Agitation and repetition of things * Langius in sua Polyanth p. 296. Aquin. 2 2. q. 18. a. 3. proceeding from reason and piece by piece and tending to happiness to be injoyed in the enjoyment of the everlasting Verity Consideration is a more †Omnis operatio intellectus Langius p. 257. general operation of the Intellect whereby she looks and dives into things deliberately to find out what she desireth and ought to know Now this consideration how needful it is you may perceive partly by God's express Command in Psal 45.10 Hearken O Daughter and consider and partly by her Operations and Properties for she is the Key which opens the Door to the Closet of our Heart where all our Books of Account do lie she is the Looking-Glass or rather the very eye of our Soul whereby she seeth her self and looketh into all her whole estate her riches her good gifts her defects her safety her danger her way she walks in her pace she holdeth and finally the place and end she draweth to and without which in short she runs on blindly into a thousand brakes and briers stumbling at every step into some one inconvenience or other and is continually in peril of some great and grievous sin and a thing much to be admired it is that whereas in all things else men confess and see that nothing can be either begun prosecuted or well ended without consideration yet in this great business of the Kingdom of Heaven * E. B. p. 12. no man almost thinks the same necessaty Were a Mariner to make a Voyage from England to Jerusalem albeit he had made the same once or twice before yet would he not now take such a great Voyage in hand again without consideration whether he were in the right or no what peace he held how near he were to Rocks and Sands which he must shun and how near to his Voyages end and think you dear Friends to pass from hence to the Heavenly Jerusalem from men to God from this miserable world into that other blessed and pleasant world and that by so many Hills and Hells so many Gulphs and quick-Sands so many Rocks and dangers never passed before and this without consideration at all ye are utterly deluded if you conceive so for this passage hath far more need of consideration then that being much more subject to miscarriages every sinful pleasure every sensual delight every vain thought every idle word every wanton look every inticing sound every provoking and unclean touch and every temptation of men or Devils being a Pyrate lying ready to surprize ready to spoil your poor Souls in their Voyage towards Heaven wherefore let me perswade every one of you that would take Heaven by force to force his Soul to consideration for the Soul is and will be as unwilling to it as some Debtors who are deeply indebted are to cast up their Accounts to avoid trouble for so men count it great trouble to enter into a serious consideration of their estates and of such like things which is one of their greatest Follies for as in things of this Life he were but a foolish Factor who would never look into his own Account-book whether he were before-hand or behind and as the Mariner were very much to be blamed for his follie that for shunning of care and trouble would go into his Cabin and be merry eat drink play not caring for his Ship which way it did run and letting it go whither she would So it is madness and folly in the highest degree to shun consideration because of trouble and to make good chear instead of making Heaven by consideration sure and to be negligent when you should be diligent to get all things by consideration ready against the day of your account which you must give to God that you may give it up with joy and mansion for ever with God O good God stir up this peoples Hearts that they may stir within them yea boil as it were and boil over so as to make them considerate and be you O my Brethren now like a good Factor who when he is sent by his Master beyond the Seas to a place of Traffick there to trade for his Masters benefit doth not spend his time in eating drinking gaming dancing and such like things but rather goeth and considers wherefore am I here am I not here to do my Masters service And so goeth about his Masters business so you being sent by your great Master in Heaven into this World to Traffick for him as you may see Mat. 25.14 15 c. do not spend
and that womans company Embraces Solaces and I must be a little wanton lascivious and extravagant this time solacing my self with Loves so that this lascivious and luxuriant Flesh of ours must be curbed overcome and mastered Quest You will say But how Answ By Chastity and Sobriety For Contraries are expelled by Contraries Contraria contrariis expelluntur Be saber therefore I say with the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.8 The like may be said of Chastity Be chaste according to that of Paul 1 Thes 4.3 4 5. But I desire to insist on Sobriety most for he that is sober will be * Sobrietas est mentis sensus membrorum omnium corporis quo tutelâ—… castitatis pudicitiaeque mun mentum Aug. chaste also because Sobriety is nothing else but a †Sobrietas virtus est appeteâ—tâ—s per quam praâ—â—e voluptates ne appetuntur quidem Aristot de viâ—t et vit Divis. Vertue whereby corrupt and depraved Pleasures are not so much as desired but rather restrained And therefore O blessed Soberness how my soul is enamoured with it O I love thee with my very heart dear Soberness for thou hast ravished me with one Chain about thy neck and that Chain is a Concatenation of all manner of rare and ravishing Excellencies which are all linked together in love and make thee so exceeding lovely O thine is freedom and with thee is contentment and by thee comes a most sweet immunity from great offences offences else will come if thou do not come come I mean to keep them off Come then my Brethren and become as sober as ever were any Saints and sober in dyet sober in marriage and sober out of marriage and sober in apparel apparelling your selves with Humbleness for that is well-pleasing to God God grant that my speech may take so as that Heaven at last you may take 4. You must strive with Courage and Patience to pass through fiery Tryals and great Afflictions for We must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 And of the Saints in Heaven clothed with white Robes saith one of the heavenly Elders These are they which came out of great Tribulation Rev. 7.14 And when blessed Bradford was to go to the stake to sacrifice his life to God by Fire he took a Fagot in his arms and embracing it said Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leadeth to Life meaning fiery Tryals and great Tribulations It is not so with the Wicked which offer no Violence to Heaven for their way is broad which leads to Perdition Mat. 7.13 God deals with them as men with * Gregor in Job Oxen as the Oxen appointed to the slaughter are by them let run a fatting at their pleasure when others are kept hard to dayly labour In like manner the Tree that bears no fruit is not beaten as we see but only the fruitful and yet the other as Christ tells Mat. 3.7 is reserved for fire The sick man that is past all hope of life is suffered by the Physician to have whatsoever he listeth after but he whose death is not despaired cannot have that liberty granted To conclude The stones that must serve for the glorious Temple of Solomon were he wed beaten polished without the Temple at the Quarry side 1 Kings 6.7 that no stroak nor hammer might be heard within the Temple Now S. Peter saith 1 Pet. 2.5 that good Men are chosen Stones to be placed in the glorious Building of God in Heaven where there is no beating no sorrow nor crying nor cross Rev. 21.4 Here then we must be beaten and he wed and squared in the Quarry of this World here we must be fined here polished here we must feel the hammer and pass through great Tribulations and that requireth our Courage and Patience upon the consideration of Heaven which will make amends for all Be patient saith St. James Jam. 5.7 and Be not dismayed saith God Isa 41.10 * Which the Lord addeth for our encouragement When thou passeth thorow the Waters namely of Affliction I will be with thee and thorow the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest thorow the Fire thou shalt not be burnt nether shall the flame kindle upon thee For I am the Lord thy God the Holy One of Israel thy Saviour Isa 43. Which for our encouragement was even litterally fulfilled in the three Children upon whose Bodies the Fire had no power nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their Coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them Dan. 3.27 And in * Euseb l. 4. c. 14. Clerk in his Life p. 7.8 Polycarpus who was so patient and couragious and whose body would not burn when he was to be burnt with fire the Lord having caused him to hear a Voice from Heaven saying Be of good cheere O Polycarp and play the Man which Voice his hearers heard who write this of him The Speaker no man saw but the Voice many of us heard say they Let us be patient therefore and couragious also in all our Afflictions which we suffer And the Lord give us patience courage that we may run through all these fiery Tryals which are to try us and after we have been tryed as Gold is tryed in the fire we may obtain the Crown of Heaven which is set before us and which otherwise than by Fire and Violence cannot be had by us 3. You must force the King thereof himself Quest If you ask me How Answ By uncessantly violent Intreaties This Answer consists of two Branches 1. By Violent Intreaties 2. By uncessantly Violent Intreaties 1. By Violent Intreaties for the Effâ—ctual Fervent Prayer of a righteous Man availes much Jam. 5.17 O it presseth into the Presence of God it breaks through whole Hosts of hostile Powers it chargeth through the thickest Troups of Oppositions it mounts up beyond the Stars it penetrates the Heavens nay it towrs up beyond all aspectable Heavens and never ceases towring till it enters the very Heaven of Heavens where it wrestles with the God of Heaven for Heaven and never gives him over till by Force it hath won Heaven And therefore let this mighty Champion which we call Wrestling enter the Lists with God for you that Heaven may be taken by you Which God in mercy grant unto you 2. With Uncessantly Violent Intreaties For Pray continually saith Christ Luke 18.1 and With all Perseverance saith the Apostle Ephes 6.18 which is much more For in this Direction is a Climax or Gradation from much to much more For to pray Uncessantly is as much beyond Violent Intreaties as the Sun is beyond the Moon in that as the Moon can have no light without the Sun so we without Perseverance in Prayer can see no light of God's Countenance beaming upon us no help to assist us no strength to enable us for high things to be attempted by us there we may cry
No longer than meat is in the Glutons mouth and drink in the Drunkards throat the Pleasure thereof lasteth when both are down the sweet gust thereof vanisheth and therefore if you would enjoy better Pleasures labour for Heaven where there are Rivers of rarest Delights Seas of sweetness and Paradises of Pleasures for evermore 5. Very Glorious Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God saith David Psal 87.3 So I glorious things are spoken of thee O Kingdom of Heaven for in thee are those glorious Mansions which Christ hath prepared for his in thee those glorious Saints which shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Mat. 13.43 in thee those glorious Teachers Virgins and Martyrs which wear their Crowns Aureoales upon their heads like crowned Kings for ever and ever in thee those glorious Armies of Christ's valiant Souldiers who have in the strength of his Might overcome and vanquished so many thousands of the terribly enraged Enemies of their souls in thee those faithful men whom all the delights of this World could not make so effeminate as to draw them from the strength of their holy and heavenly Manhood in thee those holy Women who together with the World have superated and overcome their own Sex in thee those Children who have by their holy manners transcended their years in thee those old men and women whom here age had made weak and yet the strength of their Vertues and Graces did not forsake all wearing their Diadems of Glory in the Kingdom of Glory in thee those glorious and blessed Seraphims who chant forth their melodious Ditties to the Sacred and ever-to-be-adored Trinity to all Eternity in thee those glorious Joyes which stream from Jehovah's never-failing Love in thee those glorious Rayes which beam from the Light of his Pleasant Countenance to refresh all those blessed and crowned Inhabitants who mansion and dwell with Christ in Glory in thee is that glorious Body and Person of Christ himself which is so decked with Majesty and doth so shine and glister above the Splendor and brightness of that Fountain of all created Light the Sun I mean in the spangled skie O ye that love now glittering Glory labour therefore for this Glory for this is Glory indeed Nay all ye that hear me this day whatever ye be be for this Glory let this Glory keep you waking let this Glory set all your Brains aworking for Glory is a mightily working thing O it will like a * Immensum Gloria Calcar habet Spur even spur us on to high Atchievements And therefore O let this Glory prick ye forward beyond all earthly things towards Heaven that by Violence ye may take it with all the Glory of it And thou O sweet Jesus do not let this People sleep or slumber till they have put themselves upon the taking of it by a Sacred Violence 6. Very Durable for it is an Everlasting Kingdom Dan. 4.3 and chap. 7.27 even the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so called 2 Pet. 1.11 in which regard it also exceeds and excels all the Kingdoms of the World even infinitely and unspeakably for they all shall have most have had their Changes their Ends their Zeniths their * Quoniam in genium hoc omnibus creatis ut insita quadam vi ad mutationem forantur et casum ut ferro consumens quaedam rubigo agnata est ligno exaedens caries aut teredo sic animalibus opidis regnis internae et sue causa pereundi Lips de const l. 1. c. 15. Periods but this shall have none So the things thereof and the happiness centered therein shall have none For my Salvation shall be for ever Isa 51.6 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion †Cum venerint in caelestem Hierusalem Lyra in loc sic Cyril Alex. in loc with Songs and everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads Isa 35.10 The like is said of the Glory of it that there is and will be an Eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 And blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be * Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est sicut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et significat Aeternitatem still praising Thee Selah Psal 84.4 and therefore shall the People namely thy People praise Thee for †Quod extendendum ad beatitudinem Electorum in Coelis Lorin in loc ever and ever Psal 45.17 which puts me upon Eternity a Type whereof was once set forth at Constantinople in the year 459. after this manner A certain Fraternity was set up called by the name of Acaemets who were so called for their not sleeping because they were alwayes to praise God both day and night being divided into three companies so as that when the first had made an end of singing the second was to begin when the second had done then the third according to that fore-alledged place Psal 84.4 And therefore O blessed Kingdom which is thus Eternal and in which there is singing for ever and ever O incomparable Kingdom for what Kingdom else is like to thee in thee is Life without Death Gladness without Sadness Consolation without Perturbation Stability without Mutability O Kingdom to be desired of all men as which hath no * O Regnum vere beatum carens morte vacans fine cui nulla tempora succedunt per avum Aug. in med end no night no adversary that can destroy it therein O my soul thou shalt enjoy Rest without labour Joy without dolor Life without end and felicity through all eternity O endless Kingdom I can hardly make an end of praising thee I must needs speak a little more yet of thee saying †Yesterday was with thee never But to day is present ever †Non est in te heri nec hesternum sed est idemhodiernum Tibi Salus Tibi Vita Tibi pax Infinita Tibi Deus omnia Thou hast Peace that ever lasteth Health and Life that never wasteth O that this people were so affected with thee as they ought to be but herein appears most mens extreamest both misery and folly that whereas all men or most are for Land rather than for Lease if they can reach to it because it is as they say for ever and whereas they will be sure to have a penny-worth for a penny and will give so too yet they are not so wise nor will be in heavenly things for this heavenly and eternal Kingdom they care not for they prefer their holdings for their frail lives and meer trifles before Land for ever and this Heavenly and Everlasting Kingdom is worth nothing with them nor will they give or do any thing considerable for it as if it were not worth looking after which makes me the more earnest to press this matter so as I do upon your Consciences using such Incentives as these be and especially this last O my God
do thou work upon this peoples hearts and let the Spirit of Life come into the wheels of their souls let him so move their affections as that they may be lifted up like those Wheels in Ezekiel Ezek. 1.20 21. because the Spirit of Life is in them O let not all these my labours be utterly lost but let some poor souls be now won to the Shepherd of souls O Souls Souls are ye nothing moved yet with all this I hope you are nay methinks you are by your attention if ye be then move and move indeed I mean so strongly so vigorously so effectually towards Heaven to take it by Force as that the world may see your change your zeal your forwardness your labouring for Heaven Heaven ye see is even at hand as the Baptist said once The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand when he so preached it up Mat. 3.2 it was so and so it is now and divers enter into it nay take it by Force O do you so likewise and so live for ever So be it To God alone be all Honour and Glory A New and Living Way OF DYING OR A TREATISE Shewing how Saints after they have comfortably overcome Sin the World by Faith and after a New and Living Manner have lived an Holy and Heavenly Life by Faith may die at last after a New and Living Way by in and according to Faith Upon that Famous Scripture HEBREWS 11.13 These all dyed in Faith And provided especially for Preparation to be made by all men against the Approach of Death in these Sickly Times By Christopher Jelinger And Published by some Christian Friends London Printed in the Year 1664. To The Vertuous Lady The Lady ANNE SEYMOUR Grace and Mercy be multiplied MADAM MY great Respect and thankful Mind which I bear to your Worthy-Self and to your Noble Family for many Favours received hath caused and compelled me to Dedicate this Tract to your much-honoured Name and if it may but find entertainment and acceptance I shall count my labour well bestowed Only give me leave Much Honoured Lady to give you a short Account of this my present Undertaking These late Times are and have been very sickly and many every where are fallen asleep and when the time of our departure will be the Lord only knoweth and we our selves also know this that it cannot be long before we likewise shal go to our long home and be no more seen at our present homes because our life is but a vapour Jam. 4.14 and we flie away Psal 90.10 which not with standing how few are there which prepare themselves for that time Cogitantes de fine infinito ut vivant in infinitum VVhence it cometh to pass that most men when after they have lived a careless life they come to be unmanned by Death they go Imparati in locum paratum Unprepared to a place prepared idque in aeternum and that for ever for that which ends All is without end And their nearest friends are much the cause of it for the common fashion of Friends is to put their friends in mind of Death when they doubt that they can live no longer Zenas the Lawyer and Luke the Physician must have given them over before they will send for Barnabas to give them good Counsel and solid Consolation against their dissolution But I for my part will not deal so with my Christian Friends My design in this Tract is this To tell men plainly that shortly they must put off their caribly Tabernacles shew them evidently How they must die whilst they live that they may live when they die dying in by and according to Faith This this I aimed at when I penned this Treatise which if it be acted by Faith will so work upon mens and womens precious souls and do them so much good as that they will even long to enjoy the chiefest good and when their work here is done will shew them Heaven open for them where there is health only and no sickness living and no dying incorruption and no corruption ease and no pain singing and no sorrowing For the former things are passed away Rev. 21.4 Many I confess have written on this subject of Death but you will find that I have left the common road as much as I might for my principal aim in this Tract is To put men upon that New and Living Way which the Apostle speaks of Heb. 10.20 and which must be taken by Faith according to which we must die to live for ever That Great God and Saviour who can do whatsoever he will in Heaven and on Earth so bless these my Labours to you Madam and to al that shal read them as that both you and they may fare the better for them here and hereafter for ever So prayeth Your Ladiships Most humble Servants CHRISTOPHER JELINGER A New and Living Way of Dying HEB. 11.13 These all Dyed in Faith ALmighty God as one saith well hath given to men three Mansions of a diverse Quality 1. The World wherein they live 2. The Grave wherein they corrupt 3. Either Heaven wherein they are crowned or Hell wherein they are tormented In the World their Companion is Vanity In the Grave the Worms In Heaven the blessed Angels and in Hell cursed Devils I add For like and like sute best one with an other Good Men I mean with good Angels and evil Men with Angels-Transgressors and yet such is the folly of most men that they would have perpetual habitations and an ever-during happiness in this vain World where neither such felicity nor perpetuity is to be expected for as all have sinned so all for Sin must be by Death dissolved even the best not excepted as by those Worthies which my Text speaketh of it appeareth So that men should rather forecast what course it were best for them to take that being thrust out of those earthly Tabernacles in which now they mansion they might mount up into that most blessed and blissful House of God which is not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 What this Course is which men should take you will understand by my future Discourse wherewith I shall God willing entertain your Christian Patience declaring FAITH to be that most happy Instrument which must bring you to such a firm durable and glorious settlement This ushered and conveyed those gracious Saints which my Text speaks of out of their earthly and unstable habitations into those heavenly Mansions above and places of unexpressable Delights for they all dyed in Faith and the end of Faith is as St. Peter tells us the salvation of our Souls 1 Pet. 1.9 I shall therefore call the whole ensuing Discourse A New and Living Way of Dying and shew therein how we may in a most sweet comfortable manner after an holy and heavenly walking die at last by in and according to Faith Faith I mean unfeigned lively and saving In which the antient Patriarchs dyed according
nothing that is done while I am asleep so must I very shortly sleep up and die not knowing any thing that shall be done here about me or with me or to me nor can or will any Sanctity or Godliness that is in me be able to deliver me from the fatal stroak of Death which will steal upon me like sleep for the very Godly must die as well as others And here let me press upon you a few Perswasives to this remembrance which is so rare in the very best The First Perswasive Consider how secure the best of us are without it like the people of Lais before the Damtes came upon them and slew them Judg. 18.27 so are we no longer then death is before us doth any thing almost go neer us or move us as appears by many things The instance but in a few 1. When the Plague doth cease in a place near us 2. When any other common sicknesse doth leave us or ours in our Families 3. When Warrs or rumours of Warrs threatning us do surcease among us 4. When a Funeral which did mind us of Death is forgotten again by us how secure grow we by and by and slow to good whereas as long as we were in some fear or danger and so consequently mindful of our latter end we were mightily stirred up to Duties And therefore should we not for this very cause strive to remember our Mortality more then we do that so doing we might shake off that gross security which is so common among us The Second Perswasive And do ye not see how strongly sin doth prevail against you when such holy thoughts of Death are departed from you Just as it was in the dayes of Moses with Issrael so it fares with us now when Moses was but gone out of their sight upon the Mount they presently fell to Idolatry and made a Golden Calf Exod. 31.3 4. So soon as Death is but a little departed out of our mind we fall to Spiritual Idolatry and make a God of the Belly Phil. 3.19 Or of out Parts or of our Money Ephes 5.4 Or of our Children or of our Gardens Houses Walks Friends In a word how foolish and vain are we as Moses implyeth Deut. 32.29 Psal 90.12 Do ye not find it so can ye deny it and had we not need then to keep Moses I should say death ever with us and not to let him go out of our minds that we might not so soon and easily fall to such Idolatry The Third Perswasive Consider we likewise how unquiet and how dubious we are most times when we do put off the most needful remembrance of death For as thereupon it comes to pass that we grow secure and backward in Duties and prone to sin as I have already shewed so can we not but after that even question our estates to God-ward and interest in those unknown and unexpressable joyes delights and pleasures which attend the Godly after Death in Heavens Kingdom like Aristotle who said when he was dying Anxius vixi dubius morior nescio quo vado so should we be forced to say in a manner if in that Case we should be assaulted by Death Anxiously we have lived doubtfully we die we know not whether we shall go to Heaven or Hell So true is that excellent saying of a wise man that sine Meditatione Mortis tranquillo esse Ammo nemo potest That without this Meditation of Death none may be quiet or enjoy true tranquility in his Mind Let none therefore that is Godly either refuse to pray as I said with Moses Lord teach us to number our dayes that we may be more wise and sober or to be beholding to any Creature to be put in mind by it of Death Forasmuch as you all see what need we had all so to do that we may not be so secure so prone to sin and so doubtful as many times we are and have been The Fourth use Must Godly men dye as well as others then let none of us that is Godly build Tabernacles here but rather let him live as a Pilgrim upon Earth like those ancient Believers Heb. 11.13 And as the * Chrysost in Matth. 22. hom 70. Scythiens who travel up and down not having any fixed or certain mansion-house so let him be in this present World as without a House without Lands without Money without a Wife without Children and without Friends that is if he have an House Land Money Wife Child Friend let him be so loose so indifferent so free so un-engaged un-intangled and untyed in his affection as if he had none 1 Cor. 7.29 30. because he may yea must ere long be * Habui enim illos tanquam amissurus Seneca Epist 64. without them And if he have no great means let him rather pass by them valiantly than peruse after them inordinately or wickedly for if he had them he would be forced very shortly to leave them and to be gone though he should be never so holy and godly according to my Text Those all dyed Guerrius †Considerat of Eternity hearing these words read in the Church Gen. 5.5 6 7 8. And dyed and dyed was so wrought upon thereby that he retired himself from the world and gave himself wholly to his devotion that he also might die the death of the godly Let these words of my Text work in like manner upon you I pray you and then your hearing will make you as happy as his did him How they dyed 2. You have heard of the death of these holy Patriarchs that lived before and after the Flood would you know how they dyed then mark what followeth In the Faith or rather According to Faith as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Original hath it and both antient and modern Interpreters translate it and the meaning of this speech is as †Gagueius in loc Expositors say they dyed * Lyra in loc by and with †Calvin in loc Faith that is being * Piscat in loc constant in the Faith and laying hold on the Promises made to Faith where by Faith we must understand likewise not a dead or historical or temporary Faith but a lively saving justifying Faith which is first discribed in the very front or first verse of this Chapter and then exemplified by so many Instances in the residue to the very end and period of it Whence resultes this most profitable and useful Observation The Second Doctrine That the Saints of God being true Believers do not only live by Faith but also die in by with and according to Faith So did all those holy Patriarchs that are mentioned by the holy Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter and so did the test whom he reckoneth up in the middle and ending of it as you may note veâ—se 21 22 31 39. So did Stephen the Proto-Martyr uttering when he was dying with much considence these very words Lord Jesus receive my