the graves shall heare the voyce of the Son of God and they shall arise the good that have done good to the resurrection of life eternall the bad that have done evill to the resurrection of condemnation and again I goe the Father to prepare a place for you that where I am there you may be also and again I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread with the spirit of faith he shall live for ever and again I am the good shepherd the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neâ—ther shall any man pluck them out of my hand the Father which gave them to me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand and again Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you Let not your hearts be troubled neyther let them be afraid as my Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue you in my love if you keep my commandments yee shall abide in my love these things I command you that you love one another and Saint Peter sayth Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure add to your faith vertue and to your vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity for if these things be in you and abound they will make you that you shall not be barren nor unfiâ—â—full in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ But hee that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that hee was purged from his old sins Wherefore Brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe these things yee shall never fall for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ and Saint Paul sayth That the fruits of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodness faith godly meeknesse temperance against such there is no law the more men have of these graces in faith in Christ Jesus the more the holy Ghost doth witnesse unto us our assured hope of eternall salvation God in mercy will bring also to Heaven many innocent children born within the covenent of grace by the vertue of Christ Iesus meritorious workes and many men and women of all Nations whose graces were but few and their faith but small If their faith were true and if they used their small knowledge or two talents well Christ Iesus will have them enter into their Masters joy yet Christ Iesus sayth Not every one which 〈◊〉 Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven and many will say in that day unto Christ Iesus We have done great work in thy name but he will say unto them Matth. 7 21 22. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity your workes were vain counterfeit and false depart from me I know you not but ô Lord for Iesus Christ sake grant us true humble hearts upright before thee that when the Bridegroome Christ Iesus shall come with thousands of Angels that wee with the rest of his Church Matth. 25. the Bride may enter in with him where wee may behold his most glorious Majesty Psal 17. to prayse and magnifie his holy blessed and name for evermore Amen A PRAYER O Most high and ever-living and everlasting God beyond all thoughts most high and mighty Lord God which dwellest in pure brightnesse and excellent Majesty all glorious in thy selfe and hast no need of the glory of any of thy creatures but they receive their glory and excellent parts from thee What then are men or women in themselves before thee or the sons of men that thou shouldst regard them for they are weak and sinfull but thou ô Lord art holy and mighty righteous just and mercifull and giving unto mankind just and righteous laws which are good for themselves and thou ô mercifull Lord God hast made mercifull temporall promises unto the sons of men and keepest them sure and constant in preserving the whole World in keeping it from firing and drowning in restraining the rage and fury of wicked men and evill spirits that would destroy it thy mercy is seen ô Lord also mightily in sending food and raiment sufficient for the whole World fit for their habitation so that if there be any want it is commonly the cruelty or foolishnesse of man In mercy ô Lord thou sendest Summer and Winter day and night Seed-time and Harvest the ebbing flowing and of the Seas the fish abiding and comming to severall Countries in their season thy mercy is seen ô Lord in blessing the fowls of the aire and the beasts of the field unto mankind the corn flowers grasse herbs with the fruits of the trees so in mercy ô Lord thou sendest Gold Silver Brasse Iron and all metals for the use and benefit of man Silk from Wormes Wooll from Sheep Leather and Furs from beasts great and small Diamonds and all kind of Pearles from Sea and Land for the seating of mankind in their severall degrees not to puff them up with pride to abuse their brethren but rather to raise up their thoughts to praise their Creatour and to desire with humility the grace to serve God here in this world that they may come to the glorious everlasting place which God hath prepared for his people ô Lord God! thou art our Creatour there is no good to be had but from thee and thy providence we were nothing ô Lord God and thou madest us men and women we fell from thee and became worse then nothing and thou ô holy and blessed Trinity tookst pity on us and thou ô mercifull Jesus becammest a loving and mercifull Saviour unto us thy mercy ô glorious and excellent sweet Jesus is more greater in redeeming mankind then any men are Abel to expresse ô glorious heavenly Father thou hast made us thy children thy holy Son Jesus will make us holy ô holy and blessed spirit thou sanctifiest thy people and teachest them the way and the truth and thou ô blessed spirit makest them strong and valiant to hold out in thy feare and serves to the end of our lives ô holy holy holy and blessed Trinity and Lord God high and Almighty to thee be all glory forever All thy works praise thee ô Lord God and magnifie thy holy name for ever and now ô most holy and everliving God and most mercifull Father in Jesus Christ we humbly beseech thee for Jesus Christ sake to give us grace to live godly soberby lovingly and zealous of Gods true worship and glory And grant ô Lord for Jesus Christ sake that wee may bring forth godly and charitable fruit in Christ Jesus to the honour and glory of thy name and make us ô Lord for Jesus Christ truly thankfull unto thee for the free and true preaching of thy word in all these North-west parts of the World And wee beseech thee ô Lord God for Jesus Christ sake in thy goodtime to send againe thy true plain and lively word to be preached to be believed and mayntained in the other parts of the World that they and we may at the last through thy exceeding great and wonderfull mercy in Jesus Christ come to thy Kingdom to praise thy Name with joy for evermore Amen All glory praise and thanks be given unto thee ô eternall and everliving Almighty Lord God both now and for evermore World without end Amen FINIS
THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOULE The Excellencie of CHRIST JESVS treated on Wherein the faithfull people of God may finde comfort for their Souls By T. H. Published according to Order LONDON Printed in the yeer 1645. THE IMMORTALITY OF The SOVLE What will it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his own soule Mat. 16.26 saith our glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus the soule of man is a spirituall immortall Psal 31.8 substance which did flow from God Eccles 22.7 and cannot die with the body but returne to God that gave it unlesse it rebell against his Father and Maker his laws and true Church and hath no true lively faith to save himselfe by applying Christs righteousnesse to himselfe by a lively faith then these souls must die the everliving death of torment but God made the soule of man righteous but he hath sought to himselfe many inventions the bodies of all men must turn to dust again untill the day of the Lord come and then shall the dead heare the voice of the Sonne of God Luke 23.43 and shall stand up in more strength and spirituall power and meet our Lord Jesus to be judged every one according to our faith and workes The body of man hath five senses seeing hearing smelling tasting and feeling the living and immortall soule hath in him understanding and knowledge the will and the remembrance imaginptions the affections and wisdome to rule the senses of the body and the evill lusts of the soule which joyne with the body to sinfull actions but let wisdome and grace and knowledge look hp to God for help and strength to withstand them and as the body hath hands and feet so hath the living soule in him many faculties Faith is a vertue of the soule unbeliefe is a vice humility as a vertue of the soule pride is a vice the love of God and his Saints a vertue of the soule hatred a vice zeal for Gods glory and true worship a vertue of the soule coldâ—esse a vice 〈◊〉 a vertue lying a vice there iâ— a vertue â—â—nely a vice 〈◊〉 a verâ—â—e of the soule envie a vice thankfulnesse a vertue of the soule unthankfulnesse a vice bounty and freenesse of minde of the gifts which we have received of God riches or knowledge are both of them a vertue of the soule covetousnesse and hiding Gods talems in the earth avice spealing honourably of God and of the word of God a vertue of the soule swearing cursing blasphemie and mocking of the word of God great vices of the soule wit policy valour sound judgement and discerning of spirits are Gods good gifts and should be used well thâ—s the soule the spirituall substance the immortall soule the holy Image of God before mans fall which God did breath into man and made him righteous and excellent in knowledge but now the children of wrath by Adams fall and originall sin but the soules of the faithfull are renewed by Jesus Christ our glorious Lord and Saviour and shall be made perfect in heaven for ever more For the soules of the Saints shall sodainly come from heaven again to the body in love and peace saying as it were Arise my loving friend and dear companion the day of Christ our King is come the darke winter of trouble and sorrow persecution sicknesse poverty and death it selfe is gons come see thy glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus which redeemed thee with all his holy companion of Saints and Angels come lift up thy head and receive thy acquistance from all thy sins and live in glory for ever But ungodly faithlesse men which have done ill griefe the worme of conscience shall bite them saying who shall hide us from the wrath of the Judge but the godly redeemer shall comfort them saying Come yee blessed of my Father receive and eternall Kingdome and enter into jour Masters joy All Glory and thanks and prayse be unto God for all his free mercie and gifts both now and for ever more The excellencie of CHRIST JESVS THe soule of man is a noble spirituall creature created of God to obey him as was Adam and Evah in Paradice but the Devill by temptations quickly spoyled his innocent righteous soul defaced Gods Image and then his shining body became miserable and naked his perfect soul became miserable sinfull and ignorant then were their souls and bodies to dye the death naturall and eternall for ever but then the mercy and love of God appeared and promised that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head this was our glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus which came in due time to restore Gods Image and to destroy the works of the Devill to suffer and satisfie Gods justice for the sins of all the believing world which lay hold on him by a lively faith to in graft them into himselfe to adopt and make them his beloved children and heires of the Kingdome of heaven for Christ Jesus our glorious Lord and Saviour is the only Son of God in whom alone he is well pleased he is the naturall son of God begotten begotten before the stars appeared hee is the graven form of God the brightnesse of the glory the Image of the invisible God the first begotten Son of God begotten before all worlds God of Gods very God of very God eâ—eâ—uall with the Father with the holy Ghost he is the head of the Church and in him all fulnesse dwelleth thy sent a Christ endureth for ever the scepter of thy Kingdome doth mayâ—t am righteousnesse The Lord said unto my Lord sit on my right hand untill I make thy foes a stool whereon thy feet may stand Christ Jesus is the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah which overcame the roaring and devouring Lion the Devill He is the Lambe of God which was slain for our sins and taketh away the sins of the world hee is the mighty God the Prince of peace which trod the winepresse of the wrath of God alone and conquered death hell and the grave and the infernall spirits and hee arose and sustained himself by his own power and strength and sits at the right hand of the glory of God for ever Christ Jesus was promised to Adam and Evah to Abraham and to David he was prophesied by Enoch Jacob Moses Esay Jeremiah Daniell Zachariah by all the Prophets and hee was typed out by Isaak Samson Salomon Jonah and the brazen Serpent in the Wildernesse Christ Jesus out Lord and Saviour was wayted and looked for of all the faithfull from the beginning of the World and when he was come all his Apostles beare witnesse of him both in life death and writing the Angels from Heaven bring joyfull tydings and beare witnesse of him Christs wondrous works beare witnesse of him God the Father from Heaven beare witnesse of him his workes beare witnesse of him and shall judge men at the last day thousands of Martyrs have shed their deerest
in Christ Jesus the holy Trinity and blessed unity of God immortall and onely wise is well pleased and his justice satisfied for the sins of all the faithfull which love him with an upright heart and God will not give the glory of his spirituall worship of mankinde to Saints or Angels not yet the adoration of her bodies to dumb Images for God is a jealous God of his glory and true worship and will visit the sins of all idolaters without repentance with eternall death and punishment in hell fire But O England and all Reformed Churches which have the Word of God to read in which have faithfull Preachers to preach Christ and amendment of life unto us which have wholsome and 〈◊〉 Books to read in which have the Lords day kept and mayntayned amongst us which have the Sacraments the Seals of Christ Jesus love giving unto us which have godly and needfull Prayers Confâ—ssions and Thanksgivings appointed and set out in the name of Christ Jesus for to help the weak and confirme the strong which have had the example of many Martyrs in times of persecutions under Bishops and learned Doctours men and women of all conditions and estates which have had godly Kings and Queenes which have bin nursing Fathers and nursâ—ng Mothers unto Christ Jesus true Church milâ—â—â—nt hereupon earth and have defended the true faith with the Word of God with the sword of God and mayntayned true vertue and punished vice O England how mâ—rcifull is God unto us if we will embrace his mercy and know them 〈◊〉 times of his visitation and love unto us the name of the Lord God of Heaven and earth be praysed honoured and sanctified for evermore Which hath sent his mighty Word the glad tydings of his Gospell unto us and caused it to be made more playnly read and preached in our own language so that men and women need not sit in darknesse not walk in darknesse except they suffer their understanding to be blinded with the Devill and so become wilfull sinners worse than Turkes or Popish ignorant Christians and some wee have which are larger in their opinions then the Word of God or the Church of God teacheth them and so cause the Lord to chastize them with temporall punishment and sin are too curious and nice not contented with the wholsome and pure doctrine of Christ Jesus which is preached in most places but take offence at every trifle and somtime at that which is very good through their ignorance or else their pride and self-conceitednesse and so make more divisions and rents then need these our brethren cause the Lord God to chastize them with temporall punishment also and some doe what they can to serve the Lord God with an upright heart and to maintayn the true worship of God peaceably and so of weak and strong the Lord God be praysed we doubt not but that wee have hundred thousands of faithfull Christians in these Northwest parts of the World yea CHRIST JESUS lovingly calleth all men to his Marriage and Noble Banquet for ever to be betrothed to him in faith and love here in this world militant to obey him and to trust unto him and to receive all things needfull from him who knows our wants better then we and after this short life to be spiritually marryed to him in heaven for ever But alas unbelieving ungodly men and women have out of their foolishnesse desired excuses they love this world and the vain things thereof of short continuance better then everlasting Christ Jesus full of all riches and glorious excellent dignity One hath marryed a wife and cannot come another hath bought a farme and cannot come another hath bought oxen and cannot come poor silly excuses all these things they have received of God for Jesus Christ his sake and they should be helps for them to trust in Christ who having received good things from him already but blinde foolish worldlings content themselves so they may have mammon and worldly vanities rather then they will obey Christ Iesus and trust to him for everlasting glorious possessions and so such foolish men and women shall never be married to Christ which will not believe his word and obey him here but they shall be divorced from him for ever and sent to eternall misery but yet the name of the Lord God of heaven and earth be praised and glorified for his own gracious promise who hath promised that many shall come from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and shall sit down in the Kingdome of heaven with Abraham Isaack and Iacob yea many thousands of men and women are very joyfull glad and willing to come and prepare themselves with faith and amendment of life for God hath chosen them and those whom CHRIST JESUS hath chosen and giving a lively faith which worketh by love in him there shall neither men nor devils be ever able to pull them out of Christ hands for as many as believed in him to them hee gave power to be the Sonnes of God and Christ Jesus will not lose one of them but will glorifie them all in their tentations and infirmities their slips and falls shall not pull them out of Christ Jesus his hands God the Father gave them to him and he is stranger then all and in this world he will make them willing to come to Christ Jesus by faith and repentance Of the Joyes of HEAVEN GOD will give an eternall Kingdome of glory in heaven for ever where there shall be rest love joy peace riches honour plenty and great knowledge health strength beauty and fulnesse of pleasure for evermore and God will wipe away all teares from their eyes and place them in blisfull plight in heavenly and glorious Mansions where we shall behold our glorious excellent and mighty God and Father and his eternall love in Iesus Christ shining upon us to our everlasting joy and comfort and there we shall behold thousand thousand millions of men women and children changed like Angels shining as bright as the Sun in their Fathers Kingdom all the good works and godly fruits all the Prayers Humiliations Fastings and Teares which which we have shed for our sins and for the sins of others and in prayers for grace for others in obedience to Christ Iesus Commandements shall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crownes of glory all the good works of almesdeeds charity and love which wee have done in giving to the poore and in giving for the increase of Christ Iesus Kingdome of grace here upon earth by our good example shall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crowns of glory all the contending and striving for Gods true worship and godly truth and studying for â—cuity mercy true justice and judgment in men that are called thereto Mal. 3.16 all the good works that men do through faith in obedience to Christ Iesus shall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crowns of glory all that have