also will those severall thoughts that have passed through mans heart be a witness also against him As he said before their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel Rom. 2. 14 15. The thoughts come in as a witness for God against the sinner upon the account of that unsteddiness and variety that was in them both touching God and their own selves Sometimes the man thinks there is no God but that every thing hath its rise of it self or by chance or fortune The fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psal. 14. 1. Sometimes again they think there is a God but yet they think and imagine of him falsly Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self saith God but I will reprove thee Psal. 50. 21. Men think that because they can sin with delight that therefore God can let them esscape without punishment Nay oftentimes they think that God doth either quite forget their wickedness or else that he will be pleased with such satisfaction as they are pleased to give him even a few howling prayers fained and hypocritical tears and weepings which passe from them Hos. 7. 14. Mal. 2. 13. More for fear of the punishment of Hell-fire then because they have offended so holy so just and so glorious a God and so loving and so condescending a Jesus Sometimes again they have had right thoughts of something of God but not of him together either thinking so of his Justice as to drive them from him and also cause them to put him out of their mind Job 21. 14. or else so thinking of his mercy as that they quite forget his Holiness and Justice Now both these are but base thoughts of God and so erronious and sinful thoughts Sometimes also they have prety right thoughts of God both as to Justice and Mercy but then through the wretchedness of their unsatisfied nature they against this light and knowledge do with shut eyes and hardened hearts rush fiercely knowingly and willingly again into their sins and wickedness Heb. 6. 2 3 4. Heb. 10. 26. 2. Pet. 2. 20. Secondly As men have these various thoughts of God so also their thoughts are not steddy about themselves 1. Sometimes they think they are sinners and therefore they have need of mercy 2. Sometimes again they think they are righteous and so have not so much need mark and yet both alike rotten and base because as the last is altogether senseless so the first is not at all savingly senseable Mark 10. 17 18 19 20 21 22. Luk. 18. 11 12. 3. Sometime again they think they are Gods that they shall never die or that if they do die yet they shall never rise again or if they do rise again yet they shall be saved though they have lived vilely and in their sins all the dayes of their life Ezek. 28. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 15. 12. Deut. 29. 18. 12. 20. Now I say every one of these thoughts with ten thousand more of the like nature will God bring in against the Rebels in the Judgment-day Which thoughts shall every one of them be brought forth in their distinct order He sheweth to man what is his thought And again I know that thou canst do every thing and that no thought can be hid from thee Amos 4. 13. Job 42. 2. We read that when the strangers at Jerusalem did but hear the Apostle speak to every one of them in their own Language how it amazed and confounded them Acts 2. 6 7 8. But I say how will they look and be amazed when God shall evidently clearly and fully speak out all their hearts and every thought they have had before them Now the reason and strength of this witness will lie here that God will by the variety and crossness that their thoughts had one to another and by the contradiction that was in them prove them sinners and ungodly because that I say sometimes they thought there was a God sometimes again they thought there was none Sometimes they thought that he was such a God and sometimes again they thought of him quite contrary Sometimes they thought he was worth regarding and sometimes they thought he was not As also sometimes they thought he would be faithful both to mercy and Justice and sinners and sometimes again they thought he would not What greater Argument now can there be to prove men vanity froth a lie sinners deluded by the Devil and such as had false apprehensions of God his wayeâ— his Word his Justice his Holiness of themselves their sins and every action Now they will indeed appear a very lump of confusion a mass of sin a bundle of ignorance of Atheism of unbelief and of all things that should lay them obnoxious to the Judgments of God This will God I say by mustering up the thoughts of man and by shewing of them that every imagination and thought of their heart was onely evill and that continually by shewing of them what staggering drunken wild and uncomely thoughts they have had both of him and of themselves convince them cast them and condemn them for sinners and transgressors against the Book of Creatures the Book of his Remembrance and the Book of the Law By the variety of their thoughts they shall be proved unstable ignorant wandring Stars Clouds carryed with a Tempest without order or guidance and taken Captive of the Devil at his will Now while the wicked are thus standing upon their tryal and lives before the Judgement-Seat and that in the view of Heaven and Hell they I say hearing and seeing such dreadful things both written and witnessed against every one of them and that by such Books and such Witnesses as do not onely talk but testifie and that with the whole strength of truth against them they will then begin though poorly and without any advantage to plead for themselves which plea will be to this effect Lord we did find in the Scriptures that thou didst send a Saviour into the World to deliver us from these sins and miseries We heard this Saviour also published and openly profered to such poor sinners as we are Lord Lord we also made profession of this Saviour and were many of us frequenters of his holy Ordinances We have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets Lord we have also some of us bin Preachers our selves we have prophecied in thy Name and in thy Name have we cast out Devils and done many wonderous works Nay Lord we did herd among thy People we forsook the profain and wicked World and carryed our shining Lamps before us in the face of all men Lord Lord open to us Mat. 7. 21 22 23. Luk. 13. 24 25 26 27. Mat. 25. 1 2. 10 11. And all the while they are thus pleading and
doth tell Sardis that those among them that stood it out to the last gasp in the Faith and Love of the Gospel should not be blotted out of the Book of Life but they with the work of God on their Soul and their labour for God in this World should be confessed before his Father and before his Angels Rev. 3. 5. This part of this Book is in another place called The Book of the Word of the Lord because in it I say is Recorded those famous acts of the Saints against the World flesh and the Devil Numb 21. 14. You find also how exact the Holy Ghost is in Recording the travels pains labour and goodness of any of the Children of Israel in their Journey from Egypt to Canaan which was a Representation of the Travels of the Saints from nature to Grace and from Grace to Glory King Ahasuerus kept in his Library a Book of Records wherein was wâ—it the good Service that his Subjects did for him at any time which was a Type also of the manner and order of Heaven And as sure as ever Mordecai when search was made in the Rolls was found there to have done such and such service for the King and his Kingdom Esth. 6. 1. 2. so surely will it be found what every Saint hath done for God at the day of inquiry You find in the Old Testament also still as any of the Kings of Judah dyed there was surely a Record in the Book of Chronicles of their memorable acts and doings for their God the Church and the Common-wealth of Israel which still doth further hold forth unto the Children of men this very thing That all the Kings of the New Testament which are the Saints of God have all their acts and what they have done for their God c. Recorded in the Book of Chronicles in the Heavenly Jerusalem Now I say when this part of the Book of Life shall be opened what can be found in it of the good deeds and Heaven-born actions of wicked men Just nothing for as it is not to be expected that Thorns should bring forth Grapes or that Thistles should bear as Figs so it cannot be imagined that ungodly men should have any thing to their Commendations Recorded in this part of the Book of Life What hast thou done man for God in this World Art thou one of them that hast set thy self against those strong struglings of pride lust covetousness and secret wickedness that remain in thy heart like Job and Paul Job 1. 8 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. 2. And do these struglings against these things arise from pure love to the Lord Jesus or from some legall terrours and conviction for sin Gal. 5 6. 3. Doest thou I say struggle against thy lusts because thou doest in truth love the sweet holy and blessed leadings of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus its leadings of thee I say into his blood and death for thy Justification and deliverance from wrath to comâ— Phil. 3. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 4. What acts of self-denyal hast thou done for the name of the Lord Jesus among the Sons of men I say what house what friend what Wife what Children and the like hast thou lost or left for the Word of God and the Testimony of his truth in the World Matth. 19. 27 28. Revel 12. 10 11. 5. Wast thou one of them that didst sigh and afflict thy self for the abominations of the times and that Christ hath marked and Recorded for such a one Ezek. 9. 3 4. Zeph. 3. 18. 6. In a word Art thou one of them that wouldest not be won by neither fear frowns nor flatteries to forsake the wayes of God or wrong thy Conscience or art thou one of them that slightest those opportunities that Satan and this World did often give thee to return to sin in secret Heb. 11. 14 15. These be the men whose prayse is in the Gospel and whose commendable and worthy acts are Recorded before the Judge of all the World Alas alas these things are strange things to a carnal and wicked man Nothing of this hath bin done by him in this life and therefore how can any such be Recorded for him in the Book of Life wherefore he must needs be shut out of this part also As David saith Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written with the Righteous Psal. 69. 28. Thus I say the wicked will find nothing for their comfort either in the first part of this book where all the names of the Elect are neither will they find any thing in the second part thereof where is recorded the true nature and operation of effectual Conversion of Faith or Love or the like and I say neither can any thing be found in this third part wherein is recorded the worthy acts and memorable deeds of the Saints of the Lord Jesus Thus when Christ therefore hath opened before them this book of life and convinced the ungodly at this day out of it he will then shut it up again saying I find nothing herein that will do you good you are none of my Elect you are the sons of perdition For as these things will be found clear and full in the book of life so they will be found effectually wrought in the hearts of the Elect all whose conversion and perseverance shall now be opened before â—hy eyes as a witness I say of the truth of what thou here seest opened before thee and also of thy unregenerate estate Now thou wilt see what a turn what a change and what a clinging to God to Christ and his Word and wayes there was found in the Souls of the saved ones here shall be seen also how resolvedly unfeignedly and heartily the true child of God did oppose resist and war against his most dearest and darling lusts and corruptions now the Saints are hidden ones but then they shall be manifest this is the morrow in which the Lord will shew who are his and who they are that fear the Lord and who that fear him not Psal. 83. 3. Sam. 8. 19. Numb 16. 5. Mal. 3. 18. Now you shall see how Abraham left his Country how close good Lot did stick to God in prophane and wicked Sodom Heb. 11. 8. 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. Mat. 19. 29. how the Apostles left all to foâ—low Jesus Christ and how patiently they took all crosses afflictions persecutions and necessities for the Kingdome of Heavens sâ—ke how they indured burning starving stoning hanging and a thousand calamities how they manifested their love to their Lord his Cause and people in the worst of times and in the dayes when they were most rejected slighted abused and abased then shall the King say to them on his right hand and that when all the Devils and damned sinners stand by Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World you are indeed the truly converted
would come to have done you good but then you would not now then though you would have it never so willingly yet you shall not Depart from me ye Cursed You lie open to the stroak of Justice for your sins ye forsaken and left off God ye Vessels of wrath ye despisers of God and goodness You must now have vengeance feed on you for you did when you were in the World feed on sin and treasure up wrath against this day of wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2 3 4 5 6. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire Fire is that which of all things is the most insufferable and insupportable Wherefore by fire is shewed the grievous state of the ungodly after Judgment Who can eat fire drink fire and ly down in the midst of flames of fire yet this must the wicked do Again not onely fire but everlasting fire Behold how great a fire a little matter kindleth A little sin a little pleasure a little unjust dealing and doing what preparation is made for the punishment thereof And hence it is that the fire into which the damned fâ—ll is called the Lake or Sea of fire And whosoever saith John was not found written in the Roâ—k of Life was cast into the Lake of fire and Brimstone Revel 20. 15. Little did the sinner seriously think that when he was sinning against God he was making such provision for his poor Soul but now 't is to late to repent his worm must never die and his fire never shall be quenched Mark 9. 49. Though the time in which men commit sin is short yet the time of Gods punishing of them for their sin is long Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels In that he saith prepared for the Devil and his Angels he insinuates a further conviction upon the Consciences of the damned As if he had said as for this fire and Lake that you must go to though you thought but little of it because you were careless yet I did betimes put you in mind of what would be the fruits of sin even by preparing of this Judgment for the Devil and his Angels The Devil in his Creation is far more noble then you yet when he sinned I spared him not He sinned also before man and I upon his sinning did cast him down from Heaven to Hell and did hang the Chains of everlasting darkness upon him which might yea ought to have bin a fair item to you to take heed but you would not Jud. 6. Gen. 31. 2 3 4 5. Rev. 20. 1. Wherefore seeing you have sinned as he hath done and that too after he had both sinned and was bound over to eternal punishment the same Justice that layeth hold on these more noble Creatures must surely seize on you The World should be convinced of Judgment then because the Prince of the World is judged Joh. 6. 8 9 10. And that before they came to this condition of hearing the eternal sentence rattle in their ears but seeing they did not regard it then they must and shall feel the smart of it now Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels God would have men learn both what mercy and Justice is to them by his shewing it to others but if they be sottish and careless in the day of forbearance they must learn by smarting in the day of rebukes and vengeance Thus it was with the old World God gave them one hundred and twenty years warning by the preparation of Noah for the floud that should come but for as much as they then were careless and would not consider the works of the Lord nor his threatning them by this preparation therefore he brought in the floud upon the World of the ungodly As he doth hear the last Judgment upon the workers of iniquity and sweep them all away in their wilful ignorance Mat. 24. 37 38 39. Wherefore I say the Lord Chief Judge by these words prepared for the Devill and his Angels doth as good as say this fire into which now I send you it did of it self even in the preparation of it had you considered it forewarn you of this that now is come upon you Hell fire is no new or unheard of thing you cannot now plead that you heard not of it in the Woâ—ld neither could you with any reason judge that seeing I prepared it for Angels for noble powerful and mighty Angels that you poor dust and ashes should escape the vengeance Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels The sentence being thus passed it remains now the work being done that every one goeth to his eternal station Wherefore forthwith this mighty Company do now with heavy heart return again from before the Judgment-Seat and that full hastily God knoweth for their proper Center is the Hell of Hell into which they descend like a stone into a Well or like Pharaoh into the bottom of the red Sea Exod. 15. 10. For all hope being now taken from them they must needs fall with violence into the Jaws of eternal desperation which will deal far worse with the souls of men and make a greater slaughter in their tortured consciences then the Lions in the Den with Daniel could possibly do with the men that were cast in among them Dan. 6. 24. This is that which Paul calleth Eternall Judgement Heb. 6 2. because it is that which is last and finall Many are the Judgments that God doth execute among the Sons of Men some after this manner and some after that divers of which continue but for a while and none of them are eternal no the very Devils and damned spirits in Hell though there is the longest and most terrible of all the Judgments of God yet on foot yet I say they must pass under another Judgment even this last great and finall Judgment The Angels that kept not their first state but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great day Jude 6. And so also it is with damned souls for boâ—h Sodom and Gomorah with all other though already in Hell in their souls yet they must as I have before shewed all arise to this judgement which will be their finall judgement Other of the judgements of God as they have an end so the end of many of them prove the profit of those on whom they are inflicted being I say Gods Instruments of Conversion to sinners and so may fitly be compared to those petty judgements among men as putting in the stocks whipping or burning in the hand which punishments and judgements do often prove profitable to those that are punished with them but eternal judgement it is like those more severe judgements among men as beheading shooting to death hanging drawing and quartering which soop all even health time and
is another Wherefore I say at our rising we shall not change our nature but our glory We shall be equal to the Angels Luke 20. 36. Not with respect to their nature but glory The nature also of the Moon is one thing and the glory of the Moon is another and so one Star also differeth from another in glory A Beggar hath the same nature as a King and Gold in the Ore the same nature with that which is best refined but the Beggar hath not the same glory with the King nor yet the Gold in Ore the same glory with that which is refined But our state will be far more altered than any of these in the dayes when we like so many Suns in the Firmament of Heaven arise out of the heart and bowels of the Earth These things thus considered do shew you how vainly they argue that say our humane nature consisting of Body and Soul shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and also how far from their purpose that saying of the Apostle is which saith That flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And now also because I am fallen upon the Objection it self I shall not passe it but with a short dash at it Wherefore Reader whoever thou art consider that frequently in Scripture the word flesh and blood as also in the place alledged is not to be understood of that matter which God made which flesh cleaveth to our bones and blood runs in our veins but is taken for that corruption weakness mortality and evil that cleaveth to it Which weakness and corruption because it possesseth all men also wholy ruleth where the Soul is unconverted therefore it beareth the name of that which is ruled and acted by it to wit our whole man consisting of Body and Soul yet I say is a thing distinct from that flesh and blood which is essential to our being and without which we are no men As for instance he that is Christs saith Paul Gal. 5. 24. hath Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Who is so vain as to think that the Apostle by these words should mean our material flesh that hangeth on our bones and that is mixed with our natural blood sinews and veins And not rather of that inward fountain of sin corruption and wickedness which in another place he calleth the old man with his deceitful lusts Ephes. 4. 22. Again The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Is it our flesh that hangeth on our bones which lusteth against the spirit and that also against which the spirit lusteth Certainly if the spirit lusteth against our material flesh then it is our duty not to nourish it at all because by nourishing of it we nourish that against which the Spirit of God fighteth and warreth Nay if the spirit lust against the flesh on our bones simply considered as flesh and if it be our duty to follow the spirit as it is then we must needs kill our selves or cut our flesh from our bones For whatever the Spirit of God lusteth against it must be destroyed yea it is our duty with all speed to destroy it But wilt thou know O vain man that by flesh here is to be understood not the nature that God hath made but the corrupt apprehension and wisdom with those inclinations to evil that lodg within us Which in another place is called the Wisdom of the flesh Yea in plain termes flesh and blood where Christ saith flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 16. 16. Nay observe it all these places with many others do rather point at a corrupt Soul then a corrupt Body for indeed sin and all spiritual wickedness they have their seat in the heart and soul of a man and by their using this or that member of the body so defile the man the weaknesses of the body or that attend our material flesh and blood they are weaknesses of another kind as sickness aches pains soars wounds defection of members c. Wherefore where you read of flesh and blood as rejected of God especially when it speaks of the flesh and blood of Saints you are not to understand it as meâ—nt of the flesh which is their proper humane nature but of that weakness which cleaveth to it Paul in another place reckoneth up the works of the flesh in many things as in Witchcraft hatred variance strife emulation fornication and many others But can any imagine that he there should strike at that flesh that hangeth on our bone or rather at that malignity and rebellion that is in the mind of man against the Lord Gal. 17 18 19 20. by reason of which the members of the Body are used this way and also sometimes that to accomplish its most filthy and abusive deeds They are Enemies in their Minds by wicked Works Col. 1. 21. Thus you see that Flesh and Blood is not to be taken always for the Flesh that is upon our hands and feet and other parts of our Body but for that sinne weakness and infirmity that cleaveth to our whole man Further then touching our reall substantiall flesh it may be either considered as God's Creature purely or as corrupted with sinne and infirmity Now if you consider it as corrupted so it shall not inherit the Kingdom of God but yet consider it as God's Creature and so all that God hath converted to himself through Jesus Christ shall even with that Body when changed inherit the Kingdom of God The Woman whose Cloaths are foul can yet distinguish between the Dirt and the Cloth on which it hangeth and so deals God with us 'T is true there is not one Saint but while he liveth here his Body is arrayed and infected with many corrupt and filthy things as touching bodily weaknesses yea and also with many sinful infirmities by reason of that body of Sin and Death that yet remains in us But yet God I say distinguisheth between our weaknesses and his Workmanship and can tell how to save the whole Man of his People while he is destroying the Corruption and Weakness that cleaveth to them And now to return to the place objected Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God It cannot be truly understood that that flesh which is Man's Nature shall not enter the Kingdom For then as I said before Christ must lose his Members the purchase of his Bloud the Vessels and Temples of his Spirit for all this is our Body Again then Christ also in that his Body which is also our Flesh and Blood is not in Glory contrary to the whole Current of the New Testament Heb. 2. 14 15. Heb. 7. 24 25. Heb. 8. 3 4. Heb. 10. 10 11 12. Rev. 1. 18. Rev. 2. 8. Yea it would be Non-sence to say there should be a Resurrection and that our vile Body shall be changed and made like to the Glorious Body of the
the Word and Doctrine I say a recompence for all the Souls they have saved by their Word and watered by the same Now shall Paul the Planter and Apollo the Waterer with every one of their Companions receive the reward that is according to their works 1 Cor. 3. 6 7 8. Now all the Preaching praying watching and labour thou hast been at in thy endeavouring to catch men from Satan to God shall be rewarded with spangling glory Not a Soul thou hast converted to the Lord Jesus nor a Soul thou hast comforted strengthned or helped by thy wholsom Counsel admonition and comfortable speech but it shall stick as a Pearl in that Crown which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give thee at that day 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. That is if thou dost it willingly delighting to lift up the name of God among men if thou doest it with love and longing after the Salvation of sinners otherwise thou wilt have onely thy labour for thy pains and no more if I do this willingly I have a reward but if against my will a dispensation of the Gospel is committed to my charge 1 Cor. 9. 17. Phil. 1. 15. But I say if thou do it graciously then a reward followeth for what is our hope or joy or Crown of rejoycing are not even ye saith Paul in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming for ye are our glory and joy 1 Thes. 2. 19 20. Let him therefore that Christ hath put into this Harvest take comfort in the midst of all his sorrow and know that God acknowledgeth that he that converteth a sinner from the errour of his way doth even save that Soul from death and covereth a multitude of sins Wherefore labour to convert labour to water labour to build up and to feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind and when the chief Shepheard shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away Jam. 5. 20. 1 Pet. 5. 2 3 4. Secondly And as the Ministers of Christs Gospel shall at this day be recompensed so shall also those more private Saints be with tender affections and love looked on and rewarded for all their work and labour of love which they have shewed to the name of Christ in ministring to his Saints and suffering for his sake Whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free Heb. 6. 10. Ephes. 6. 8. Ah! little do the People of God think how largely and thorowly God will at that day own and recompence all the good and holy acts of his People Every bit every drop every rag and every nights harbour though but in a wisp of straw shall be rewarded in that day before men and Angels Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a Cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you saith Christ He shall in no wise loose a Disciples reward Mat. 10. 40 41 42. Therefore when thou makest a Feast saith he Call the poor the maimed the lame and the blind and thou shalt be blessed for they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the Resurrection of the Just. Luk. 14. 13 14. If there be any repentance among the godly at this day it will be because the Lord Jesus in his person members and word was no more owned honoured entertained and provided for by them when they were in this World For it will be ravishing to all to see what notice the Lord Jesus will then take of every Widows mite He I say will call to mind even all those acts of meâ—cy and kindness which thou hast shewed to him when thou wast among men I say he will remember cry up and proclaim before Angels and Saints those very acts of thine which thou hast either forgotten or through bashfulness wilt not at that day count worth the owning He will reckon them up so fast and so fully that thou wilt cry Lord When did I do this and when did I do the other When saw we thee a hungry and fed thee or a thirst and gave thee drink When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and cloathed thee or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee and the King shall answer and say unto them verily I say unto you in as much as ye did it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye did it unto me Mat. 25. 37 38 39 40. The good works of some are manifest before hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid 1 Tim. 5. 25. Whatever thou hast done to one of the least of these my Brethren thou hast done it unto me I felt the nourishment of thy food and the warmth of thy fleece I remember thy loving and holy visits when my poor members were sick and in prison and the like When they were strangers and wanderers in the World thou tookest them in Well thou good and faithful Servant enter Thou into the Joy of thy Lord. Matth. 25. 21 22 23 34 35 36. Thirdly Here also will be a reward for all that hardness and Christian induring of affliction that thou hast met with for thy Lord while thou wast in the World Here now will Christ begin from the greatest suffering even to the least and bestow a reward on them all from the blood of the suffering Saint to the loss of an hair nothing shall go unrewarded Heb. 11. 36 37 38 39 40. 2 Cor. 4. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. For these light afflictions which are but for a moment they work out for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. Behold by the Scriptures how God hath recorded the sufferings of his People and also how he hath promised to reward them Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and speak all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce Luk. 6. 22 23. leap for joy and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Mat. 5. 16 17 18. And every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Laws for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Matth. 19. 29. Fourthly There is also a reward at this day for all the more secret and more retired works of Christianity there is not now one act of faith in thy Soul either upon Christ or against the Devil and Antichrist but it shall in this day be found out and praysed honoured and glorified in the face of Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 7. 2. There is not one groan to God in secret against thy own lusts and for more grace light spirit
sanctification and strength to go thorow this World like a Christian but it shall even at the coming of Christ be rewarded openly Matth. 6. 6. 3. There hath not one tear dropped from thy tender eye against thy lusts the love of this World or for more Communion with Jesus Christ but as it is now in the bottle of God so then it shall bring forth such plenty of reward that it shall return upon thee with abundance of increase Blessed are ye that weep now for ye shall laugh Thou tell est my wonderings and puttest my tears into thy Bottle are they not in thy Book They that sow in tears shall reap in joy He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again bringing his sheaves with him Psal. 56. 8. Psal. 126. 5 6. Luk. 6. 21. Having thus in brief shewed you something concerning the Resurrection of the Saints and that they shall count with their Lord at his coming both for the burning up what was not according to the truth and rewarding them for all their good It remains that I now in few words shew you something also of that with which they shall be rewarded First then those that shall be found in the day of their Resurrection when they shall have all their good things brought upon the stage they I say that then shall be found the People most laborious for God while here they shall at that day injoy the greatest portion of God or shall be possessed with most of the glory of the God-head then For that is the portion of Saints in general Rom. 8. 17. Lam. 3. 24. And why shall he that doth most for God in this World injoy most of him in that which is to come but because by doing and acting the heart and every faculty of the Soul is inlarged and more capatiated whereby more room is made for glory Every Vessel of Glory shall at that day be full of it but every one will not be capable to contain a like measure And so if they should have it communicated to them would not be able to stand under it for there is an eternall weight in the glory that Saints shall then injoy and every Vessel must be at that day filled that is have its heavenly load of it 2 Cor. 4. 17. All Christians have not the same injoyment of God in this life neither indeed were they able to bear it if they had it 1 Cor. 3. 2. But those Christians that are most laborious for God in this World they have already most of him in their Souls and that not onely because diligence in Gods wayes is the meanes whereby God communicates himself but also because thereby the senses are made more strong and able by reason of use to understand God and to discern both good and evill Heb. 5. 13 14. Mat. 13. 11 12. To him that hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance He that laid out his pound for his Master and gained ten therewith he was made Ruler over ten Cities but he that by his pound gained but five he was made Ruler over but five Luk. 19. 16 17 18 19. Dan. 1. 3 4. Often he that is best bred in his youth he is best able to manage most when he is a man touching things of this life but alwayes he that is best bred and that is most in the Bosom of God and that so acts for him here he is the man that will be best able to injoy most of God in the Kingdom of Heaven It is observable that Paul saith Our afflictions work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Our afflictions do it not onely because there is laid up a reward for the afflicted according to the measure of affliction but because afflictions and so every service of God doth make the heart more deep more experimentall more knowing and profound and so more able to hold contain and bear more Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour 1 Cor. 4. 17. Psal. 119. 71. 1 Cor. 3. 8. And this is the reason of such sayings as these Lay up for your selves a good foundation against the time to come that you may lay hold on eternall life which eternall life is not the matter of our Justification from sin in the sight of God for that is done freely by Grace through Faith in Christs bloud but here the Apostle speaks of giving of Alms but it is the same that in the other place he calls the far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory And hence it is that he in his stirring them up to be diligent in good works doth tell them that he doth not exhort them to it because he wanted but because he would have fruit that might abound to their accoâ—â—nâ— as he saith also in another place Beloved Brethren be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Tim. 6. 18 19. Phil. 4. 16 17. 1 Cor. 15. 58. Therefore I say the reward that the Saints shall have at this day for all the good they have done it is the injoyment of God according to their works though they shall be freely justified and glorified without works Secondly As the injoyment of God at that day will be to the Saints according to their works and doings I speak not now of Justification from sin so will their prayse and commendations at that day be according to the same and both of them their degrees of glory for I say as God by communicating of himself unto us at that day will thereby glorifie us so also he will for the adding all things that may furnish with glory every way cause to be proclaimed in the face of Heaven and in the presence of all the holy Angels every thing that hath for God his ways and people been done by us while here we have been Whatsoever hath bin spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which ye have spoken in the ear in Closets shall be proclaimed upon the House tops Again he that shall confess me saith Christ before men him will I confess before the Angels of God Now as he of whom Christ is ashamed when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the holy Angels will then lie under unconceiveable disgrace shame dishonour and contempt so he whom Christ shall confess own commend and prayse at that day must needs have very great Dignity Honour and Renown for then shall every man have prayse of God to wit according to his works Luke 12. 2 3. Mark 8. 38. Mat. 10. 32. 1 Cor. 4 5. Now will Christ proclaim before thee and all others what thou hast done and what thou hast suffered what thou hast owned and what thou hast withstood for his name This is he that forsook his goods his Relations his Country and life
and Image of the Devil Man by Creation was made upright and sinless but man by sin hath made himself crooked and sinful Eccless 7. 29. Man by Creation had all the faculties of his Soul at liberty to study God his Creator and his glorious Attributes and Being but man by sin hath so bound up his own senses and reason and hath given way for blindness and ignorance of God so to reign in his Soul that now he is Captivated and held bound in alienation and estrangedness both from God and all things truly spiritually good Because saith he That when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish he arts were darkened And again having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them through the blindness of their hearts Rom. 1. 21. Ephef 4. 18. Now for this abuse of the Workmanship of God shall man be brought forth to the Judgement shall be convicted cast and condemned as a Rebel against both God and his own Soul as Paul affirmeth and that when he reasoned but as a man Rom. 3. 5 6. When this part of the Book touching mans nature is opened and man convicted and caft by it by reason of his sinning against the three general principles thereof then forthwith is the second part of the Book opened which is the mystery of the Creatures for the whole Creation that is before thee are not onely made to shew the power of God in themselves but also to teach thee and to preach unto thee both much of God and thy self as also the Righteousness and Justice of God against sin For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternall Power and God-head so that they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 18. 19 20. The Creation then of the World namely of the Heavens Earth Sun Moon Stars with all other the Creatures of God they preach aloud to all men the Eternal Power and Godhead of their Creator Psal. 8. 3. In Wisdom he hath made them all to be teachable and carrying instruction in them and he that is wise and will understand these things even he shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord for the Works of the Lord are great and sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Psal. 104. 24. Psal. 107. Psal. 111. 2. Secondly As the Creation in generall preacheth to every man something of God so they do hold forth how man should behave himself both to God and one to another and will assuredly come in in the Judgement against all those that shall be found crossers and to thwarters of what God by the Creatures doth hold foâ—th to us As first The obedience of the Creatures both to God and thee first to God they are all in subjection set Devils and men aside even the very Dragons and all Deeps Fire Hail Snow and Vapours fulfilling his Word Yea the Winds and Seas obey him Psal. 148. 7 8. Psal. 147. 15 16 17 18. Mark 4. 41. Thus I say by their obedience to God they teach the obedience and by their obedience shall thy disobedience be condemned in the Judgement 2. Their obedience to thee also teacheth thee obedience to all Superiours For every kind of Beasts and of Birds and Serpents and things in the Sea is tamed and hath been tamed and brought into obedience by mankind Man onely remains untamed and untruly and therefore by these are condemned Jam. 3. 7 8. Secondly The fruitfulness of all the Creatures in their kind doth teach and admonish thee to a fruitful life to Godward and in the things of his holy Word God did but say in the beginning Let the Earth bring forth fruit Grass Herbs Trees Beasts creeping things and Cattell after their kind and it was so Gen. 115. 24. But to man he hath sent his Prophets rising early and sending them saying O do not this abominable thing that I hate but they will not obey Jer. 44. 4 5. For if the Gentiles which have not the Law do by some acts of obedience condemn the wickedness of those who do by the Letter and Circumcision break the Law how much more shall the fruitfulness of all the Creatures come in in the Judgement against the whole World As Job saith By the obedience and fruitfulness of the Creatures he judgeth and so will judge the people Job 36. 27 28 29 30 31. Thirdly The knowledge and wisdom of the Creatures do with a check command thee to be wise and do teach thee wisdom 1. The Stork in the Heaven the Swallow and the Crane by observing the time and season of their coming do admonish thee to learn the time of grace and of the mercy of God Jer. 8 7. 2. The Ox and the Ass by the knowledge they have of their Masters Crib do admonish thee to know the Bread and Table of God and both do and shall condemn thy ignorance of the food of Heaven Isa. 1. 3. Fourthly The labour and coyl of the Creatures doth convict thee of sloath and idleness Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and be wise for she provideth her food in the Summer and layeth up against the day of tryall Prov. 6. 6 7. But thou spendest the whole Summer of thy life in wasting both time and Soul All things are full of labour saith Solomon onely man spendeth all the day idle and his years like a tale that is told Eccles. 1. 8. Mat. 20. 6. Psal. 90. 9. Rom. 10. 21. The Cony is but a feeble folk yet laboureth for a House in the Rock to be safe from the rage of the Hunter The Spider also taketh hold with her hands and is in Kings Palaces 'T is man onely that turneth himself upon the bed of sloath as the door doth it self upon the hinges 't is man I say that will neither lay hold on the Rock Christ as the Coney doth teach nor lay hold on the Kingdom of Heaven as the Spider doth bid him Prov. 30. 26. 28. Joh. 5. 40. Fifthly The fear that is in all Creatures when they perceive that danger is near it teacheth men to fly from the wrath to come in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any Bird Prov. 1. 17 18. but man man onely is the fool-hardy Creature that layeth wait for his own blood and that lurketh privily for his own life How I say will every Creature flie run strive and struggle to escape the danger it is sensible of 't is man onely that delighteth to dance about the mouth of Hell and to be knowingly smitted with Satans snare Rom. 1. 33.
namely under the black Rod in the Kings black Book where he hath Recorded all his Enemies and Traytors It shall be said of this man of this ungodly man that he was born there Psal. 87. 4. That he lived and dyed in the state of nature and so under the curse of God even as others for as he said of wicked Coniah Jer. 22. 30. Write this man childless so he saith of every ungodly man that so departeth out of this World Write this man Graceless Wherefore I say among the Babylonians and Phylistians among the unbelieving Moors and Pagans his name will be found in the day when it will be inquired where every man was born for God at this day will divide the whole World into these two Ranks the Children of the World and the Children of Zion Wherefore here is the honour the priviledge and advantage that the Godly above the wicked will have at the day of their counting When the Lord maketh mention of Zion it shall be then acknowledged that this and that good man was born in her the Lord shall count saith the Prophet when he wrighteth up the People that this man was born there Psal. 87. 5 6. This man had the work of Conversion of Faith and Grace iâ— his Soul This man 〈◊〉 Child of Zion of the Heavenly Jerusalem which is also written in Heaven Blessed is the People that are in such a case Gal. 4 26 Heb 12. 22 23. Psal. 144. 1â—â— But poor Soul Counters will not go for Gold now for though so long as thou didst judge thy self by the crooked rule of thy own reason fancy and affection thou wast pure in thy own eyes yet â—ow thâ—u must be judged alone by the words and rule of the Lord Jesus Which word shall not now as in times past be wrested and wrung both this way and that to smooth thee up in thy Hypocrites hope and carnall confidence but be thou King or Keser be thou who thou wilt the Word of Christ and that with this interpretation onely It shall judge thee in the last day Joh. 12. 44. Now will sinners begin to cry with loud and bitter cryes Oh! ten thousand Worlds for a saving work of Grace Crowns and Kingdoms for the least measure of saving Faith and for the love that Christ will say is the love of his own Spirit Now they will begin also to see the work of a broken and a contrite spirit and of walking with God as living 〈◊〉 in this World But alas these things appear in their hearts to the damned too late as also do all things else This will be but like the repentance of the Thief about whose neck is the â—alter and he turning off the ladder for the unfortunate hap of the damned will be that the glory of Heavenly things will not appear to them till out of season Christ must now indeed be shewed to them as also the true nature of Faith and all Grace but it will be when the door is shut and mercy gone they will pray and repent most earnestly but it will be in the time of great Waters of the flouds of eternall wrath when they cannot come nigh him 1 Tim. 6. 15. Matth. 25. 10 11. Psal. 32. 6. Well then tell me sinner if Christ shouâ—d now come to judge the World canst thou abide the tryal of the Book of Life Art thou confident that thy Profession that thy Conversion thy Faith and all other Graces thou thinkest thou hast will prove Gold Silver and precious Stones in this day behold he comes as a Refiners fire and as Fullâ—rs Soap shalt thou indeed abide the melting and washing of this day Examine I say before hand and try thy self unfeignedly for every one that doth â—ruth cometh to the light that their deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Joh. 3. 21. Thou sayest thou art a Christian that also thou hast repented dost believe and love the Lord Jesus but the question is whether these things will be found of equall length heighth and bredth with the Book of Life Or whether when thou art weighed in the ballance thou wilt yet be found wanting Dan. 5. 27. How if when thou comest to speak for thy self before God thou shouldest say Siboleth instead of Shiboleth that is though almost yet not rightly and naturally the Language of the Christians Judg. 12. 4 5 6. If thou miss but one letter in thy evidence thou art gone for though thou mayst deceive thy own heart with Brass instead of Gold and with Tin instead of Silver Gal. 6. 7. yet God will not be so put off You know how confident the foolish Virgins were and yet how they were deceived They herded with the Saints they went forth from the gross pollutions of the World they every one had shining Lamps and all went forth to meet the Bridegroom and yet they mist the Kingdom They were not written among the living in Jerusalem they had not the true powerful saving work of Conversion of Faith and Grace in their Souls they that are foolish take their Lamps but take no Oyl no saving Grace with them Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4. Thus you see how sinners will be put to it before the Judgment-Seat from these two parts of this Book of Life But Thirdly There is yet another part of this Book to be opened and that is that part of it in which is Recorded those noble and Christian acts that they have done since the time of their Conversion and turning to Christ. Here I say is Recorded the Testimony of the Saints against sin and Antichrist their suffering for the sake of God their love to the members of Christ their patience under the Cross and their faithful frequenting the Assemblies of the Saints and their incouraging one another to bear up in his wayes in the worst of times even when the proud was called happy and when they that wrought wickedness were even set up As he there saith Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of Rememrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name Mat. 3. 14 15 16. For indeed as truly as any person hath his name found in the first part of this Book of Life and his Conversion in the second so there is a third part in which there is his noble spiritual and holy actions Recorded and set down As it is said by the Spirit to John concerning those that suffered Martyrdom for the truth of Jesus Write blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14. 13. And hence it is that the labours of the Saints and the Book of Life are mentioned together signifying that the travels and labours and acts of the godly are Recorded therein Phil. 4. 3. And hence it is again that the Lord