shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds every one walking in their uprightness Death is nothing else but a Writ of ease to the poor weary Servants of Christ a total Cessation from all their labour of nature sin and affliction Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord that they may rest from their Labours c. While the Souls of the Saints do Rest in Abrahams Bosome their bodies do sweetly sleep in their Beds of dust as in a safe and Consecrated Dormitory Thus Death is but a sleep Secondly And then again as they that sleep in the night do awake in the morning so shall the Saints of God do This heaviness may endure for a night this night of mortality but joy cometh in the morning In the morning of the Resurrection they shall awake again Psal 17.15 it will not be an everlasting night an endless sleep but as sure as we awake in the morning when we have slept comfortably all night so sure shall the Saints then awake and shall stand upon their feet and we shall behold them again with exceeding joy Oh Blessed morning How should we long and wait for that morning more than they that watch for the dawning of the day It is an errour in Philosophy to call Death a total privation of the habit Divinity hath corrected that errour while it hath taught us to call the dissolution of Nature in the Saints at the most but a sleep Mors ista quam adeò perhorrescimus adeò timemus non est exitus sed transitus veni et eterum qui nos in lucem reponat dies Sen. which in the Philosophers own notion is but a partial privation and doth admit of a Regress or returning again to the habit or former state and capacity more beautiful active and vigorous than ever as hereafter shall appear A comfortable notion which were it realized by Believing would be able to silence our complaints and to still all our moan-makings over our departed Christian friends and Relations how sweet and precious soever they have been to us For do we indeed take on so when any of the Family are gon to Bed before us in the Evening Do we indeed cry out woe and alas my Father is fallen asleep my Mother is laid to Rest my dear Yoak-fellow is gone to bed before me my sweet Child the delight of mine eyes the joy of my heart his eyes are closed the Curtains drawn close about him and I cannot awake him Do we I say thus take on and afflict our selves in this case no surely he would be accounted little better than a Mad-man or a Fool that should do so Oh fie then fie for shame why do we so here the case is the same only if the night be a little longer which yet no man can determine before hand the morning will be infinitely more joyous and make us more abundant compensation for our patience and expectation why are we so unlike our selves in one and in the other Surely because we either forget our notions or believe them not we call the absence of our Friends by a wrong name We say my Father is dead my Mother is dead my Isaack is dead my dear Yoak-Fellow is not and these be killing words Dead the Letter killeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death is the most terrible of all terrible things the very name of it strikes a chilness and coldness into our hearts enough to kill us before our time for even worldly sorrow many times causeth death Call we then things as God calls them make we use of the notions which God hath suggested to us say we my Parent is gone to bed my Yoak-Fellow is at Rest my beloved Babe is fallen asleep * So also in Scripture is death tearmed a departure 2 Tim. 4.6 an absence from the body a going from home an uncloathing 2 Cor. 5 4.8 Job 15.11 An entring into peace a going to rest Isa 57.2 and behold the terrour of death will cease If God hath cloathed this horrid thing Death with softer notions for our comfort let not the Consolations of the Almighty be a small thing with us Oh how comfortable lives might we live had we but the right notions of things and Faith to realize them Our Friends are not dead but sleep Comfort one another with this Word The second Consolatory Argument is The hopeful condition of these our sleeping Relations 2d Word of Comfort Blessed be God we are not without hope of their happiness even while they thus sleep There be indeed that dye and neither carry away any hope with them nor leave any hope behind them to thâ—â— surviving Relations but the Righteous hath hope in his 〈◊〉 Prov. 14.23 when our gratious Relations dye we nâ—â—â—â—â—se the word sometimes that we may be understood there is hope They are infinite gainers by their death Sometimes they dye full of hope in their own sense Job 19.25 26 27. I know saith Jâ—b that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin Worme destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God c. Oh Blessed hopeâ— And thus holy Paul 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if the earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens Glorious Triumph And thus again we may find him in his own name and in the name of other of his Brethren and Companions in Tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ marching out of the field of this world in a Victorious manner with Colours flying and Drums beating and thus insulting over Death as a Conqueror 1 Cor. 15.56.57 Oh Death where is thy Sting Oh Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ And thus 2 Pet. 1.11 An abundant entrance is administred unto them into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Oh the superabundant Consolation of the Heires of promise And if any of the Saints of God at any time their Sun have set under a Cloud so that they are not able to express their own hopes yet they leave behind them sollid Scripture evidences of God's everlasting Electing Love and of their effectual vocation out of the world into the Kingdome and Fellowship of his dear Son Jesus Christ our Lord Evidences of saving vocation Gal. 5.22 23. such as are The Fruits of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Their Poverty of Spirit Holy Mourning For Their own and Other mens Sins Math. 5.3 Their hungering and thirsting after Righteousness 6. v. 8. Their purity of heart visible in the holiness of their lives Their peaceable and peace-making dispositions 9.10 11
curiâ perfect before the Tribunal of Gods Justice Obj. If it be objected There is not a third State or a third Person viz. one that is not Guilty and yet not Righteous a man must be one of these either Guilty or Righteous if he be not Guilty he is Righteous if Righteous he is not Guilty Answ The objection admits of a fair and easie solution namely this * The Law is satisfied by suffering the Penalty in mens precepts but not in God's wherein not only Penalties are threatned but Blessings are promised Down de Justif It holds true in matters of criminal Justice where a person is tried upon Indictment of a Crime suppose Theft or Murder or Sacrilege or the like there upon Examination to be found Not Guilty is to be Righteous Legally Righteous there being no other Righteousness looked after in that Tryal but Whether Guilâ—y of the Fact or not Guilty But in matters of remunerative justice where the Law propounds a reward to such and such qualifications there a not-Guilty will not suffice Ex. gr If a Scholar in the University be a Candidate for an office there or a Fellowship in a Colledg where the Statutes do require such and such qualifications there upon Examination to be found not-Guilty of Murther of Sacriledg or any other Crime this will not capacitate the Candidate for the preferment this is the case in hand The Saints are now Candidates for Heaven and Glory Absolution or Pardon is not sufficient to capacitate them for this glory yea though it be supposed the pardon be extensive to all not the transgressions only of the Law but the very omissions defects too yea to the least non-conformity unto the Law in its utmost perfection it sufficeth not because a pardon is not the qualification which the Law requireth but a positive perfection Fac hoc c. Do this and Live Whether God by absolute Prerogative cannot dispence with this qualification and pardon the want of it I will not dispute but Whether God can in Justice dispence with his own Law and with that Condition of Righteousness and Life established in the first Covenant is the main Enquiry of which anon It is true there is not a third State a State which is neither a state of Guilt nor a state of Righteousness neither is there a third person there is not a person to be found which is neither Guilty nor Righteous but though there be not a third State or a third Person yet there is tertius Conceptus a third Conception or notion in the understanding though there be not a person which is neither Guilty nor Righteous yet to be not-Guilty They differ as to the praedicate though they be not separate as to the subject and to be Righteous are two different capacities considerable in one and the same person it is one thing for a man to be considered meerly as not Guilty or purely as an absolved person another thing to be considered as a Righteous person invested with all those excellent qualifications which may capacitate him for the priviledg annexed to the condition Ex. gr As it is between Sin Holiness He that is not sinful is holy there is not a person to be found who is not sinful and yet not holy the notions are different though the subject be one and the same So it is between not-Guilty and Righteous there is not a person who is neither not-Guilty and yet not-Righteous for although the considerations be unseparable yet they are not identical Not-Guilty is not the same notion with Righteous that is purely privative this positive though they are ever Vnited yet they are not to be Confounded Again as in point of Eternal punishment He that is punished with the pain of Loss Paena damni Paena sensus is punished also with the pain of Sense yet is not the pain of Loss the same with the pain of Sense He that is deprived of Gods presence and the joys of Heaven doth suffer the torments of Hell with the Devil and his Angels for ever the punishments are distinct though they be inseparable So it is between the two capacities relating to these two places Hell and Heaven The Person under the notion of not-Guilty is an absolved person and acquitted from Hell and eternal damnation And as under the notion of Righteous he is capacitated for Heaven and life everlasting Not-Guilty relates to freedome from Hell Righteousness relateth to Heaven as the proper qualification thereof Do this and Live though where the one is there is the other yet the one is not formally the other And according to these two capacities and places there are two great Works which the Redeemer did undertake for the Redeemed The one to make satisfaction for sin to divine justice by his Blood i. e. by his Death The other to yield most absolute Conformity to the Law of God both in Nature and Life By the one we may conceive the Redeemed freed from Hell and everlasting burnings by the other we may conceive them qualified for Heaven and everlasting Glory Yet not so precisely neither the one or the other but that both may be produced by both Active and Passive obedience may have a joynt influence upon both his Active to save from Hell and his Passive to bring to Heaven As a man that payeth a debt and purchaseth an Inheritance either of them to the value of five hundred pounds at the same time with a Jewel worth a thousand one half whereof relates to the debt the other to the Purchase yet so as it is hard to distinguish which is done by which there is a distinct consideration in it yet so as that both concurr to both so in the case in hand As the Active and Passive obedience in Christ suppose not two Redeemers but one and the same Person under both these distinct engagements so Absolution and positive real Righteousness infer not a distinction of persons but diversity only of considerations in one and the same person But further That a positive Righteousness is requisite to the justification of a Sinner as well as Absolution from guilt and punishment may appear upon a four-fold account viz. Of 1. The Justice of God 2. The Perfection of the Law 3. The Necessity of the Sinner 4. The Excellency of the Redeemer First the Justice of God 1. Accompt The justice of God this is for the glory of Gods Justice to justifie man in such a way as wherein he may also justifie himself This the holy Apostle counts highly worthy our best observation That he might be just Rom. 3.26 and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus God would shew himself a Righteous God in justifying of Vnrighteous men and this he declareth in both the parts of Justification Sc. Pardon Accounting Righteous First In Pardon God shews himself just He declareth his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past Remission looks backward Righteousness
forward Pardon relateth to a state past already Righteousness to a state future the State of a Sinner for the time to come Now in both these God's design is to declare himself a just God in Remission he declareth himself a just God by pardoning upon the accompt of satisfaction by the justice of God we are to understand the infinite severity of God in punishing sin in a way agreeable to the nature of his justice and this God eminently declareth Pardoning Sin in God is not an Act of mercy only but of Justice as in the Eternal Damnation of the Reprobates in their own persons so even in pardoning the sins of the Elect while he doth not pardon them Justitia nemine intelligatur summa illa Dei in vindicandis peccaris sâ— veritas justissimae ipsius na urae coâ—veniens Bez. in loc but upon the accompt of a valuable consideration namely as in the beginning of the verse of that propitiation or propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ hath made to divine justice by his Blood apprehended by Faith Whether God could not have pardoned sin by absolute Prerogative is an enquiry of an extrinsick consideration to this place since the Text informs us God was resolved to Consult his own Honour as well as the Creatures Happiness in this great Act of jurisdiction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Placamâ—ntum Beza namely Pardoning of Sin and purposed in Himself as highest reason requireth to pitty Sinners so far as He might not be Cruel to Himself and to shew Mercy to them in such a way as he might not wrong his own glorious Attributes and cast no blemish upon his Law and Government Should God indeed without any further Consideration have meerly Pardoned it might have had the shadow of a Reflection sc 1. Upon his Wisdom as if he had made a Law either so Strict as could not have been kept or so inconsiderable that being broken it was not worth the Vindication Or 2. Upon his All-sufficiency as if he wanted Power to have Chastised the breach of his Holy and Just and Good Law with Condign punishment Or 3. Above all His Veracity and Justice who having presentenced the breach of his Law with Death Death surely answerable to the nature of his Righteous and Eternal Law The Law being now notoriously Violated He should account it a a matter of indifferency whether He executed the threatned Sentence yea or no c. Oh how had this been to have prostituted the honour of His Government to be trampled under foot by bold and presumptuous Sinners Nay but God Pardoning Sin upon no inferiour accompt than the Propitiatory Sacrifice which his own Blessed Son made to Divine Justice by his Death hath born Witness to his High and Glorious Attributes Wisdom Power and Justice c. And hath left such a dreadful Monument of severity in the world as may for ever affright lapsed Sinners from daring God and destroying themselves Thus God is just in not putting up the wrong done to his most glorious Attributes by Sin without either the death of the Sinner according to the Letter or the death of the Surety according to the Equity of the Threatning 2dly As God declareth himself a just God by pardoning upon the accompt of satisfaction so he declares his Justice also in accompting the Sinner Righteous upon the consideration of a positive Righteousness For the better clearing of which point I shall briefly speak of the second accompt viz. Secondly The perfection of the Law And for better understanding of this I shall lay down these following propositions 1. Prop. The first is this The Law which at first God wrote in mans heart and afterward in two Tables of Stone was a Law of a most holy and absolute perfection It must needs be so for if God in his own nature and ends be most Holy his Law also must be so too it being the very Image of Gods Nature and Will So that the Law was a perfect mirrour wherein the perfections of the Divine Nature were made visible and conspicuous 2. Prop. This most perfect Law was given by God for two great Ends sc 1. To be a rule and pattern of Eternal Life and happiness 2. To be a condition of Eternal Life and happiness Do this and Live It was not only a Command but a Covenant with a promise of Eternal happiness upon perfect and perpetual obedience 3. Prop. These two ends being of perpetual necessity the Law it self must needs be so too such an excellent piece of beauty and perfection God never made for an Almanack to continue but for a year yea a day rather or moment of mans Integrity It is hard to conceive that God should intend to null this Law this had been for God to have let go his hold of man and to set up another in the room of it considering the end he aimed at as soon as he had made it A Law of an higher perfection Hoe solum omnipotenter non potuit God could not make and A Law of an inferiour perfection would not serve the turn either Gods's or man's 4. Prop. Although God permitted man to lose the perfection of his nature he never did intend to lose or dispence with the perfection of his own Law Heaven Earth may pass away but one jot or tittle of the Law must not pass away The Righteousness of God's Law like that of his Nature is immutable and everlasting Man being fallen and so by the abuse of his own free will having rendred himself altogether unable to fulfil this holy and perfect Law God sent his only begotten Son into the world not to introduce another Law or another Righteousness but another medium to fulfil and establish the former Rom. 3.31 There was no need of a new Law but of a new Nature to keep and fulfil that which was already in being That Law was abundantly able to justifie but the laps't Nature of man was not able to keep it what defect there was lay in the humane Nature not in the divine Law The Law was weak Rom. 8.3 but how through the flesh If fallen man could have fulfilled the Law the Law as considered in its self and its first institution could have justified him Christ therefore when he comes into the world destroys not that which was perfect but repairs Mat. 9.27 and perfects that which was weak and that he did by taking the humane nature into the same Personality with the divine Nature by a supernatural Conteption in the Womb of the Virgin Gal. 4 4. 6. Prop. Jesus Christ as Mediatour thus born of a Woman was under the Law He that made the Law as God was made under the Law as God-Man whereby both the Obligations of the Law fell upon him Paenal Praeceptive The Paenal Obligation For in the laps'd Estate there we begin to undergoe the Curse and so to satisfie Divine Justice The Praeceptive Obligation to fulfill all Righteousness Math.
the wicked 2.73 Of great comfort to the godly 2.75 Judgment-day whether the Saints that are then alive must die literally or analogically only 2.65 Why concealed 2.68 Whether Christ will sit upon a visible throne 2.70 Christ will appear in the same humane nature which he assumed of the Virgin and why 2.71 Christ will appear personally for three reasons 1 The judgment must be personal 2.70 2 A recompence to his abasement 2.71 3 To perfect his mediatory office 2.72 Justification the Saints shall be fully and finally justified at the last day which consists 1 In their publick absolution 2.133 2 In the Judge his pronouncing them perfectly righteous 2.138 God justifieth a sinner in that way wherein he may justifie himself 2.141 It is not by any intrinsick merit in faith but extrinsick object that faith layeth hold on 2.148 It is variously denominated according to its causes 2.153 Legal and evangelical what it is 2.154 Law and Gospel reconciled in the mystery of justification 2.153 K Kindness all kindnesses done to Christ or his members will be owned at the day of judgment 2.129 Knowledge whether the Saints shall know one another with a distinguishing knowledge in heaven affirm 3.8 Knowledge of one another in heaven a great motive to converse one with another on earth 3.11 Whether the knowledge of our elect relations in heaven do not infer a distinct knowledge of our relations in hell and whether that may not be terrible Neg. 3.13 How many wayes we shall have knowledge of God set forth by several steps 3.31 L Law pardon is not the qualification that the Law requireth but perfection 2.139 That which God at first wrote in mans heart and afterwards in two tables of stone was a law of a most holy and absolute perfection 2.143 The law the image of Gods nature and will 2.143 It was given to be 1 A rule and pattern of an holy life 2.144 2 A condition of eternal life ibid. It is of perpetual necessity 2.144 It is not to be dispenced withall 2.144 Christ did not bring in another law but another medium to fulfil the former 2.144 Christ as Mediator was born under the law 2.145 Christ his fulfilling the law was performed in and by the humane nature 2.149 Law and Gospel reconciled in the great mystery of justification 2.153 Likeness we shall be like God in 1 Our understanding 3.78 2 Our will 3.80 3 Our affections 3.80 4 Our memories 5 the whole image 1 The soul 3.81 2 the body 3.82 Loss fear of loosing of heaven would make it worse than hell 3.96 Love of God a great assurance of the eternity of heaven 3.94 A superlative love to Christ an evidence of heaven 3.120 M Marriage of the Lamb consummated at the last day and the solemnity of it 2.162 Marriage its happiness consists in suitableness 3.67 Maityrdom like Elijah 's Charriot 3.139 Means God not tyed to them 3.48 Memory the Saints shall be like God in their memories 3.80 Of the Saints shall be like the ark of the covenant 3.80 Mercy the mercy of God an assurance of heavens eternity 3.92 Ministers must preach nothing but what is warranted by the word 2.67 They may preach with success and yet be cast out 2.171 They must see that the comforts they administer be Gods comforts 3.154 Miscarriage of the image of God in Adam not of improvidence but ordination 3.80 Mistake no mistake of one anothers condition in heaven 3.7 Mixture of Saints and sinners will be here 2.116 Mortification exercise the duties of it 3 130 Motives to assurance 3.111 Mourners are to open their ears and hearts to words of comfort 3.156 Mystery divers mysteries mentioned namely 1 Of the Trinity 2 Of the Incarnation 3 Of Election and Reprobation 4 Of the Creation of the World 5 Of the Resurrection 6 Of all the Arcana Naturae 3.51 We must not pry too much into them 3.55 N Nature the fulfilling of the Law was performed in and by the humane nature 2.149 Negatives cannot fill a dying man with comfort 3.160 O Omnipotence all things are alike to it 2.100 It supports the Saints under their happiness as well as the wicked under their misery 3.90 92 It is omnipotence in God that he cannot sin 3 90 Ordinances a dangerous notion of being above them 3.48 In what sense it is good to live above them ibid. Not to rest in or contented with them 3.49 P Pardon pardon of sin is the privative part of justification 2.133 How sins past present and to come are pardoned in conversion and how not 2.134 Sin fully pardoned at death ibid. It makes sin as if it had never been 2.135 It is not sufficient to capacitate the Saints for glory 2.139 It looks backward Righteousness forward 2.142 It is not the qualification which the Law requireth but perfection 2 139 If God should only pardon and not justifie it would seem to reflect upon 1 Gods Wisdom 2 142 2 Gods â—ll-sufficiency ibid. 3 Gods Veracity and Justice ibid. It maketh not a man righteous 2.148 No pardon at the Judgment-seat 2.169 Perseverance stands not in the nature of grace 1.39 It stands not in the liberty or rectitude of the will though regenerate 1.39 It stands upon 1 Divine compact 140 2 Vnion with Christ ibid. Pleasure sensitive pleasures have only their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 108 Praâ—se Saints shall be praised for their graces at the last day though wrought in them c. 2.132 Prayer get the faithful to pray for thee and pray for thy self 3.131 Words of prayer are to be joyned with words of comfort 3.165 Presence the Saints shall ever be in the presence of Christ 3.2 Precepts in one place are promises in another 3.112 Pride there is much of pride in refusing comfort 3.157 Promises ought to be studied 3.163 Learn to which of Christs Offices each promise relateth 3.164 Promises in one place are precepts in another 3.112 Refer them to their distinct heads 3.163 They then bring comfort when they are applied by the Spirit 3.164 Propriety to enjoy heaven and to know I do enjoy it is the happiness of happiness 3.71 Punishment shall not be mitigated at the judgment 2.170 Purchase and election are both perfected by the sanctification of the Spirit 2.123 R Recompence Christ his speaking honourably of the Saints in the last day will abundantly recompence the reproaches they have here 2.133 Reconciliation God is first in reconciliation though sinners first in the transgression 2.169 Redeemer he undertook two great works for the redeemed 1. One to make satisfaction for sin 2. The other to yield absolute conformity to the Law of God 2.140 Regeneration Conformity of the Saints to Christ in the Resurrection hath its beginning in it 2.101 111 Relations ours not alone in their death 1.9 When dead they are not lost but sowen 1.19 Though they cease in heaven yet the remembrance of them ceaseth not 3.12 Remembrance the book of Gods remembrance and book of conscience