especially remembering That it will not be long but this Labour will be at an end 1 Pet. 5. 10. v. After ye have suffered a while So may I say After you have laboured a while your Labour how great soever now it is will be at an END Soli Deo gloria in Aeternum A Prayer wherein the foregoing Treatise is Epitomized the several Pages thereof out of which the Prayer is collected being pointed unto by the Figures set down and composed for the use of the weaker sort of Christians after that they shall have read over the Treatise Psal 19. 14. v. 〈◊〉 the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer O Eternal Lord God before the Mountains were brought forth or ever the Earth or the world â—re made thou art God from everlasting to everlaâ—ng Help me a poor sinner with a thankful heart â— bless and praise thy name for the manifold and great â—reies both temporal and spiritual I have receiâ—d from thee Praised be thy name for ever that by â— holy word thou hast brought me to the knowâ—ge of thy self and Eternal happiness and hast afâ—ded unto me many precious helps both to underâ—d thy word and to direct me in that way which will â—d in a future and everlasting happiness Lord â—nt that what I have been taught by reading of this â—eatise may be sown as good seed in my heart keep that Satan that bird of Hell may not pick up anâ— of it but let it be so watered with the dew of thâ— blessed spirit that I who hope to 1 out live time anâ— all temporal enjoyments may turn 2 my worldlâ— care into a Godly care my care for this life and thâ— things of this life into a care for the things of anotheâ— life of a better life Let the great matter of mâ— thoughts 3 be not what I shall eat or what I shâ— drink or wherewithal I shall be clothed whereunto â— am 217 naturally prone but rather to seek first thâ— Kingdome of God and his righteousness being assureâ— that all these things shall be added unto me Seeinâ— thou callest for Labour and didst enjoyn 4. 5. 6. Labour to Adam in Paradise and wouldst have 8 noâ— idle and I have learned not to promise 13 my seâ— to obtain any good thing at thy hands without Labour work my heart into such a willing frame thaâ— 11 my Labour pains may 80 in obedience untâ— thy commands be chiefly 11 not about perishing bâ— Eternal good things and which without 56. 229 Labour cannot be obtained Help me being intenâ— and serious 15 to spend the 16 marrow of mâ— soul and the strength of my spirits about Grace heâ— and Glory hereafter which are 12 unspeakably beâ—ter then Gold and Silver and alwayes 17 to uâ— the right means to gain them searching for them â— all thine Ordinances in reading the Scriptures 19 for in them I think to have Eternal Life but becauâ— of my self I am dull to understand bless to me thâ— hearing 20 of thy word Preached and help me so tâ— hear that my soul may live the life of Grace here anâ— hereafter may live 21 the life of Glory To hearinâ— help me to add 21 such meditation both day anâ— night that may inable me to practice what I learn bâ— hearing Teach me how to improve the Sacrament so Baptisme 23 that first visible means whereby thou â—ast pleased to apply to me as by Word Sign and Seal the blood of Jesus Christ 24 for the remission of my sins that I may forsake the Divel the world â—d all the Lusts of the flesh and have no fellowship â—ith the unfruitful works of darkness but be found â— every respect faithful in God's Covenant sealed hereby However there be some who sleight the â—essed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 23. 26. if as â— were an unnecessary Ordinance for ever keep me â—at I hungring and thirsting 25 after Christ and â— the benefits of his death and passion may delight â— be a Guest at that Table 27 where Christ's body â— set before me to eat and warm draughts of his blood â— drink Thou art a God hearing of Prayers by imâ—tunate 28. prayer at the Throne of Grace make â—e able through Jesus Christ to obtain those great â—ngs of Eternity which are discovered unto me in â—y Word and sealed up in the Sacraments And grant â—at I may not use these means for a time but 30 perâ—eringly use them and all other right means to gain â—eaven until thou makest me to enjoy Heaven haâ—ng assurance 202 that my Labour shall not be in â—n and that it will there 211 never repent me to â—ve Laboured for it Blessed be thy Name 31 for â—yly bread and all the good things of this life yet â—ke not up my Portion out of the greatest of those â—ngs which are indifferently distributed to Saints â— Sinners but let Eternal good things absolutely â—9 necessary to be had be my portion though 23 â—ould in Labouring for them meet with many vexâ—ons and sore persecutions choosing rather as the â— 72 wherefore I live to secure 33 an Eternal then a fading Inheritance As thou renewest 37â— thy mercies to me every morning in this Life everâ— morning help me to renew my diligence for the obâ—taining of a better life and when I have done witâ— the world and all business upon Earth 38 permiâ— me again into thy presence to mind and Labour foâ— thee and the things of Heaven When in the nighâ— 38. 39. thou drivest sleep from mine Eyes keeâ— me that I may not drive any spiritual devotion froâ— my Heart though then rest be denyed to my body â— yet O that my soul might not rest from 40 Prayinâ— to thee from 41 seeking after Christ from 44â— praising thee for mercies from 45 meditating upon thy word O let my Soul desire thee in 47 thâ— night Strengthen me to run 50 with patience tâ— Race that is set before me and alwayes to fight 51â— a good fight of Faith and to strive 55 that I maâ— enter in at the straight gate that I may obtain 50â— not a corruptible but incorruptible Crown As I aâ— naturally provident 57 for time to come graâ— that I may be found provident for Eternity to comâ— by laying 58 up Treasures in Heaven where neithâ— moth nor rust doth corrupt and where Theives â— not break through and steal and hereby manifest 60â— my self to be a follower of those though 64 seâ— who through faith and patience inherit the promisâ— wâ—iâ—st I do walk in the way of good men and keep tâ— paths of the Righteous beleiving 239 Scriptuâ— promises and obeying Scripture commands thâ— at last with them now in Heaven I may posseâ— Eternal good things Enrich my Soul with thoâ— good things that will 91 make me good by Graâ— 96 work a change in me give thy self 100 â— me that by holiness I may be fit
use the right means for a time only but perseveres labouring in the use thereof he holds out to the end labouring herein not onely in some good moods and hot fits of zeal or strange pangs of Devotion at certain times of their lives as when they are invited to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in times of sickness and fears of death or when some heavy judgement of God hath befaln them but when he devoâ—es himself to a diligent endeavour at all times to store his soul with such things as will for ever be useful to the soul When he followes that good counsel of one Non tantum facite sed perficite and thinks not enough to begin his work unless he crown it with perseverance not ceasing to labour until he come to dy not being weary in well doing for he knows that in due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6. 9. accounting it a shame to faint or be weary in the search of that which being found will more then pay for the pains of searching as one sayes Quaerendi defatigatio turpis est cum id quod quaeritur sit pulcherimum When he follows on to use the right means as the Prophet Elisha followed his Master Elijah whom having once found he would never again go from him never leave him until he saw him taken up into Heaven no more does one truly industrious for the things of Eternity having entred into a course of well doing he never goes from it until he be taken up into Heaven and put into possession of what he hath been labouring for He is like the little Bee which will not off the meanest flower until he hath got something out of it 5. When he will not take up or be put off with any other good things but such as are Eternal he will bless God for the least of the mercies of this life if he have but Offam aq 〈…〉 bread and water if he have but â—ood and rayment as good Jacob desired of God Gen. 28. 20. he is well satisfied therewith and envies not the richest Craesus or Crassus upon the earth and yet will not be put off with the greatest of worldly things for a portion when he is contented with dayly bread with the bread of the day for the day only that he may in diem vivere as birds do the little birds having only what may serve for natures use yet he would not be put off with the greatest of those things which are indifferently distributed to Saints and Sinners Such a one was Luther who when he had great gifts sent him from Dukes and Princes he refused them and saith he I did vehemently protest God should not put me off so t is not that will content me No mercy but the God of mercy would satisfie Davids desire Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee David would not be put off with any thing in Heaven or Earth but the God of Heaven and earth should David by his diligent labour and pains have gotten not only the earth but Heaven yet that by David would not have been thought enough to put an end to his labour except he had God also The possession of that which would have made another to say with the rich man in the Gospel Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry Luk. 12. 19. would not have wrought so upon David until David had what he desired viz. God David from labour would not have been eased As it is said of Caius Marius in choosing of his Souldiers he would willingly admit none into his band that were less then six foot high men of a low mean and ordinary stature would not coâ—â—ent him no he would have such as were of a tall and high stature so when not low mean things of the world but only thâ— highest things of Heaven and Eternity are the objectâ— of a Christians desire then he chiefly labours c. 6. When he goes on to labour and take pains for these eternal good things though he meet with many vexations and sore persecutions when he will onward in the way to Heaven though the way thither be via spinosa sanguinea full of thorns and bryars when he will not be hindred in his journey towards Canaan though he must travel through a wilderness of Serpents and a red Sea When he will follow Christ though he sees Swords and Staves in the way as St. Paul at Miletus tells the Elders of the Church of Ephasus Acts 20. 22 23 24. And now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the thing that shall befal me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying Bonds and Afflictions abide me But none of these things move me none of these things discourage me as if he had said For I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Act 21. 13. And hath taken up the like resolution as St. Ambrose took up to Valentinian the younger I follow saith he the determination of the Councel of Nice from which neither sword nor death shall ever seperate me when neither the worlds flatteries nor its frowns shall take him off his pains and labour When neither Nebuchadnezars Musick nor his Furnace can alter his resolutions but continues like the three Children who would not leave off to worship God and worship the golden Image though they knew a fiery Furnace heat seven times hotter then ordinary was provided for them Like Daniel that would not be taken off praying unto God though he knew for certain he should be cast into the Den of Lyons Like St. Paul and Barnabas whom neither the Lycaonians preposterous affection to have deified them nor their devillish rage when they about to stone them could procure either of them to yield one hairs breadth like all the Martyrs that noble Army whom neither the threatnings of fire nor the fair and large promises of their cunning and cruel Adversaries could cause them to shrink from Christ When rather then to desist or draw his neck from under Christ's yoak he will be stretched upon the Cross choosing rather to keep his conscience pure then his skin whole and to secure an Eternal rather then a fading inheritance resolving to gain through the assistance of a good God an eternal Crown though he swims to it in blood not mattering what he suffers upon Earth so he may be but Crowned in Heaven and not retiring for any trouble or persecution whatsoever that stands between him and eternal happiness If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the dead sayes the Apostle Phill. 3. 11. Ad gloriam caeâ—estem vitam aeternam ad quam Christus exitatus â—st quaeque credentibus ex morte exciâ—â—tis a Deo contingit St. Paul speaketh not of the Resurrection of the dead common to
evil There is mirth without moan joy without heaviness peace without perturbation blessedness without misery light without darkness abundance without want ease without labor eyes without tears hearts without sorrow souls without sin a life that never endeth and joy that never ceaseth for there is not the least shadow of matter for tears discontentments griefs and uncomfortable passions to work on What think you Christians of all these things are not the Psalmist's words true when he says Psal 87. 3. v. Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God What think you Christians of a Crown of Glory Of glittering thrones of Abraham's bosom of being admitted into the society of God and Christ and of Saints and Angels of injoying the company of the antient Patriarchs and Prophets of living with the holy Apostles and Evangelists of belonging to the noble army of glorious Martyrs and Confessors of being amongst all those eminent Saints whose holyness was by all Men magnified of walking with all those now in Heaven in whom either nature or grace have especially interested us What think you of dwelling for ever in the presence of God of lying in the bosom of his love of being infolded in the everlasting arms of his mercy of being filled with all the fulness of God then when God shall communicate himself beatifically to the uttermost and shall manifest what a glorious God he is and the souls of glorified ones find him to be a Sea of sweetness and an Ocean of unspeakable joys What think you of inhabiting in that Eternal Pallace of Heaven and blessedness where God and his blessed Saints inhabit when we shall be raised far above all the visible Orbs and starry firmament when we shall behold those Starrs under our feet which now are over our heads when we shall have all our spiritual sences feasted with unspeakable delights What think you of those treasures in Heaven more precious then Gold Pearl and Diamonds If all the earth were of Gold and all the Rivers there of the most precious Liquours and all the Rocks of precious stones who but would say here were a great treasure Well Christians yet know that a treasure which exceeds Gold as far as Gold does Dirt precious liquours water or precious stones pebles is laid up for Believers in Heaven Bona vitae aeternae tam multa ut numerum tam magna ut mensuran tam praetiosa ut estimation em omnen excedunt The good things of Eternal life are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they are above all estimation One leaf of the Tree of Life being far better then all the fruits that grow in this world But why do I promise my self to set forth the Excellency and worth of Eternal good things It was a good saying of Seneca Nusquam verecundiores esse debemus quam cum de Deo agitur Modesty never becomes us better then when we speak of God It will hold as true of Heaven for verily a Man may as well with a Coal paint out the Sun in all his splendor as with his tongue express or with his heart though it were as deep as the Sea conceive the Excellency and worth thereof and if any tongues can utter it or hearts conceive it they must be the tongues and hearts of those that are translated already thither and yet were an Angel from Heaven sent to set forth to us the excellency thereof he would sooner want words then matter What Tully said once concerning Socrates and desired his Readers concerning L. Crassius that they would imagine greater things of them then they find written So our highest apprehensions of Eternal good things falls infinitely short of the excellency thereof I deny not but that many things in this world are transcendent and ravishing but the best of them are no better then accessories to these principals drops to these Oceans glimps to these Suns and dunghill-felicities to these Eternal Injoyments The greatest pomp and glory of Kings and Emperors is but dust in comparison of these things It will appear that Eternal good things are the best Good things 1. Because only Eternal good things make those who injoy them to be good 2. Because only Eternal good things will do us good then when other good things will do us no good Now by making good these two things that Eternal good things make men good in this world as well as happy in another world and also that Eternal good things will do men good and stand them in stead when other good things will neither do them good nor stand them in stead I hope it will appear that Eternal good things are the best good things for surely those things may well be called the best things that make men good and that do men good when nothing else in the world will do them good I shall begin with the first 1. It will appear that Eternal good things are the best good things Because only Eternal good things make those who do injoy them to be good They make men to be good here in this world and happy hereafter in another world Even to be conversant about Eternal good things is of great moment to the bettering of the Soul for look what the object is such is the soul that is conversant about it high and Eternal Objects lift up the soul to God and towards Heaven and make the mind answerable unto them Eternal good things are high Objects and they will work in men conversant about them high minds they will draw the mind upward and raise it from Earth to Heaven But too oft is it otherwise with Temporal things Gold may make a man the richer not the better Honor may make a man the higher not the happier Says one of our own Land God hath no worse servants in our land then they that can live of their own Lands and care for nothing else none are so ready and apt to neglect the thoughts and care of Religion and Heaven as those who have most upon earth as being on every hand beset with temptations to sin and solicitations to forget God That veryly the more any man hath of Temporal things the more cause he hath to pray Lord lead us not into temptation I have to this purpose read it noted out of St. Hierome that antiently there were two most notable Proverbs in prejudice of Rich Men The first That he who was very rich could not be a good man The second That he who was rich had either been a bad man or was the Heir of a bad man Indeed two often Riches and Vice go together And therefore our Saviour when he taught the Beatitudes he gave the first of them to the Poor Luk. 6. 20. v. Blessed be the poor for yours is the Kingdom of God And in laying down of the Woes he gave the first of them to the rich Luk. 6. 24. v. But woe unto you that are rich for
saying Take I pray thee my blessing that is brought to thee because God hath dealt graciously with me and because I have enough I have enough saith Esau I have enough saith Jacob though the word â—e one and the same in both places in the English I have enough yet it is by Divines observed that there is a difference in the Original Jacob's word is different from Esau's Jacob's word signifies I have all things and yet Jacob was poorer than Esau Esau had much but Jacob had all but how had he all Because he had the God of all he had God that was all And indeed as one observes Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia He hath all things that hath him that is all things God alone was enough to Jacob and God alone would satisfy David's desire Psal 73. 25. v. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none I desire upon earth besides thee So great is the capacity and largeness of the Soul of Man that no Riches no Dignities Kingdoms nor the Empire of the whole World no Pleasures in a word no finite and limitable good can quench its insatiable thirst and desire nothing can do this but some immense infinite and boundless good and such as containeth in it self by way of Eminency or preheminency the fulness of all good whatsoever This David insinuated Psal 17. 15. v. Satiabor cum apparuer it gloria tua as the vulgar translation renders those words I shall be satisfied and filled when thy glory shall appear As if David had said No other thing can give me full contentment except the manifestation of thy glory which is an infinite and illimitable good David is here conceived to speak of that confidence and hope that himself and others of God's people have of happyness and satisfaction after this life when their bodies that sleep in the grave shall be awaked to the resurrection of Eternal Life then their happyness will be full in the measure without want of any thing that can make them happy all their desires shall be then satisfied They shall be abundantly satisfied with thâ— fatness of thy house Psal 36. 8. v. It were impossible to imagine that any one should have an interest in God and not be happy Psal 144. 15. v Happy is that people whose God is the Lord But in this life the happyness of the best is but like an house in building hereafter when they shall injoy God in heaven and be glorified with Christ in those heavenly Mansions when they shall wear upon their heads a Crown of life and be blessed associates unto Angels and all glorified spirits then the top-stone of perfect and everlasting happyness shall be put on At their conversion they are restored to the possession of some of those good things they lost in Adam but in heaven they shall injoy all those good things they lost in Adam 6. Our labor and pains ought cheifly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things Because Eternal good things concern our Souls other good things concern the body only As the soul is to be preferred before the body so our labor and pains should rather be for those things that concern the soul than for those that concern the body only It is most true there is an excellency even to be taken notice of in the body and most excellent things might be observed touching the Noble Structure and Symetry thereof its figure frame temperature and proportion not any part of the common lump of Claâ— being fashioned like to it It is said of Galen that he gave Epiâ—urus an hundred years time to imagine a more commodious Configuration or Composition of any one part of a humane body When David spends his thoughts upon the curious frame of Man's body he seems to look upon himself as it were in amazed Extasies See Psal 139. 13 14 15. v. Thou hast possessed my reins thou hast covered me in my Mothers womb I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are thy works and that my Soul knoweth right-well My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Where David compares the Workman-ship of the body to the curious Needle-work of some skilful Woman The body is indeed a little miracle of Nature a vessel made capable of the best Jewel an house prepared for the best inhabitant every part whereof hath its wonder neither is there any piece in this Exquisite frame whereof the place use and form doth not admit wonder and exceed it God having invested the body with many noble Endowments made it a mirror of beauty and printed upon it surpassing excellencies But yet a Christians greatest labor and pains should not be for the body but for the soul the body indeed is to be provided for but the more special care should be for and about the soul The Egyptians parted with their money after that with their cattel and last of all with their land to buy bread to feed their bodies and what should not a man part with and do for the good of the soul The Heathen man could say Major sum ad majora genitus quam ut mancipium sim mei corporis I am more noble and born to more noble ends then that I should become a Slave to my body And should not Christians who are made capable of an infinite good and do far exceed him in spiritual nobility as having God for their Father Christ for their elder-brother conclude it far short of those noble ends for which they were born to toyl and labor all their whole life only to nourish to feed and cloth the body and in the mean time to neglect the soul which is far more excellent then the body Shall they only look after what is conducing and accommodated to a corporal life and not mind what will be good for their souls when they must injoy an Eternal life It is said of Caesar Major fuit cura Caesari libellorum quam purpurae That he had greater care of his books then of his Royal robes for swimming through the waters to escape his enemies he carried his Books in his hands above the waters but lost his Robes That heathen Epimanondus being dangerously wounded with a Spear so that he sunk down as one dead and after coming to himself he asked if his Target were safe his cheif care was about his Target So should it be with a Christian about his Soul his cheif care should be about his soul that must in the first place be regarded and cared for the body is but the souls upper garment and although that should fall into hands of unreasonable men though the Soul should lose its upper garment yet if the soul it self be safe all is safe but if the soul be lost all is lost God lost and Christ lost and the society of glorious Angels and blessed Saints lost and
Serpents curse Gen. 3. 14. v. They lick dust and eat dust and lye and wallow into the dust On many the judgment of Corah is spiritually exercised The Earth opened her mouth and swallowed up his body but it hath opened her mouth and swallowed up their hearts their time and their affections These men are like the Israelites who preferred Leeks and Onions before Quails and Manna or like that Diaphontus who refused his mothers blessing to hear a Song Or like some low bred Persons that prefer themselves before their betters vaunting and boasting with much vanity and presumption of themselves and of all that belong to them but despise others though their Superiours and betters So these men having set their hearts upon things below care not by what unjust and indirect means they come by them they are resolved to get Rem rem quocunque modo rem They are of the mind of that Atheistical Polititian who said Quod utile est illud justum est That which is profitable the same is just and righteous all is fish that comes to their nets As it was said of Cicero that he was gentle to his Enemies froward to his Friends And as it was unjustly charged by Joab upon David 2 Sam. 19. 6. v. That he loved his enemies and hated his friends So it may be truly said of these men They higly esteem what they should under-value and they under-value what they should highly esteem highly esteeming these poor things below this Mamâ—â—n of unrighteousness in the World and not valuing the incomprehensible excellencies of Heaven the inexplicable and inestimable glory there and all those unutterable and ineffable felicities to be enjoyed at God's right hand for ever-more And why Because their hearts by excessive rooting in the Earth are turned wholly into Earth that they are even drunk with the love of the World and no wonder then if like the Gadarens they prefer Swine before their Souls or like him in the Parable that would go to see his Farm though he lose Heaven Or like the rich Glutton who was so taken up with his great crop and building his new barns that he never thought of Heaven until he was in Hell Or like thousands more in the World who if they have but something to leave behind them for the good of their Children they matter not whether they have any thing to take with them for the good of their Souls Quis talia fando temperet à lachrymis Who can refrain from tears when he relates such a truth Not the Apostle Paul that blessed Saint and Servant of Jesus Christ he cannot speak of them without weeping Philip. 3. 18 19. v. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of 〈◊〉 Christ Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind Earthly things Nor methinks can any other who knows the worth of Souls and Eternal good things but secretly weep for them As Zanchy complained with much regret of the Lutheran ubiquitaries that he found them ubique every where to vex and molest him so hath every Christian cause to grieve oh that we could all of us with brokenness of heart bewail it that these kind of men are every where to be found And themselves are called to weep by the Apostle St. James who looks upon them as Persons in a deplorable condition Indeed none more frolick and merry none dreaming of more content and freedom from want none less fearing either miseries or judgments than many carnal rich worldlings although what they possess hath been gathered and scraped together by oppression and unrighteous dealings But see what the Apostle saith Jam. 5. 1. v. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you Here we have assigned the reason why they should weep and lament For the miseries that shall come upon you That is saith an Interpreter partly sore afflictions in this life but these are but the beginnings of sorrow And partly also Hell torments in the life to come Hell torments are indeed miseries to come and though here they laugh yet there they will howl O that such Earthly minded ones that be rooting and 〈◊〉 in the Earth as if they meant to dig themselves 〈◊〉 it a nearer way to Hell would consider this before the cold grave holds their bodies and hot Tophet burn their Souls The one is as sure as the other if timely repentance prevent it not for they have damnation for their end Phil. 3. 19. v. Whose end is destruction When an Angel of the Lord threatned the Israelites not to drive out the Inhabitants of Canaan from before them but that they should be as thorns in their sides and their Gods should be snares unto them Judg. 2. 3. v. In the two next verses it is said v. 4. 5. And it came to pass when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words unto aâ— the children of Israel that the people lift up their voice and wept And they called the name of that place Bochim That is as it is in the Margâ—n â— Weepers because the People of Israel did weep abundantly in this place And we have a strain of threatnings in Scripture against such who both sinfully get and use these Temporal things below I say 5. 8. v. Woe unto them that joyn house to house that lay field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth Luk. 6. 24 25. v. Woe unto you that are rich for ye have received your consolation Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep Let us mind the words before we leave this point 1. Here the Rich are threatned with this That they have received their consolation we may understand the words either Ironically by way of a scornful jeer unto them that call it a consolation to have riches and account them the only comfort of their lives or at the most the words can intend no more then Woe be to you hereafter for here in this life and only here in this life they have that they call consolation they shall have none of this consolation in the other life CHAP. IX 2. A Second use may be by way of Reproof to those that never look after Eternal good things but are wholly taken up with the pursuit of the good things of this life labouring for the meat which perisheth but not for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life labouring only for back and belly for food and raiment but as for those things that endure to Eternal life them they postpone to the things of this World Here they do as we use to say Set the Cart before the Horse not only equalize Hagar with Sarah though that were injurious enough but they give Hagar the place and make
seeing the King â—t an ordinary time and seeing him when he is in his â—obes with his Crown upon his head and his Scepter in his hand and set upon his Throne with all his Nobles about him in all his glory God doth manifest himself now unto his People but this is not all he intends they shall see of him he will manifest himself unto them in â—eaven in his Glory What a most ravishing sight will it be there to see the Lord Jesus Christ wearing the Roâ—e of our humane nature in the presence of his Father arrayed as was said of Mordecat â—sther 8. 15. v. in Royal apparâ—â— and with a great Crown of Gold upon his head to see the noble Army of Martyrs to see those millions of blessed Saints that have lived upon the Earth cloâ—hed in white and following the Lamb whither soever he goes to see the Angels those Morning Stars and to hear those Heavenly Choristers Eternally singing Jehovah's praise And lâ—stly to see what ever of Eternal good things we have mentioned before The best sight we have here of these things is but cloudy and obscure for we see but through a glass darkly whilst our Souls are hid in the dark Lanthorns of our bodies Here we see only some broken beams of Heavens glory but some few glimpses thereof as they are scattered up and down in the Scriptures so much as sets the Soul a longing rather then gives any true satisfaction When we come to possess them then we shall see more thâ—n the Scriptures do mention more then our hearts can conceive I may take up part of that extasie Saint Paul breaks out into 1. Cor. 2. 9. v. Eye hath not seen what God hath prepared for them that love him The eye hath seen many admirable things in nature it hath seen Mountains of Chrystal and Rocks of Diamonds it hath seen Mines of Gold and Coasts of Pearl Spicy Islands so Travellers tell us and Geographers write of the eye hath seen the Pyramids of Egypt the Temple of Diana Mauseolus Tomb which by Geographers are made the wonders of the World but what is all this and more then this to what the eyes of Saints in Heaven shall see Then iâ— shall be said to every glorified one Vide quod credâ—disti apprehende quod sperasti â—ruere quod amaâ—ti Beâ—old now and see clearly what formerly thou believeâ—st faintly Crede quod non vides videbis qâ—â—â— non credis Because that they have not seen and yet believe they shall then see more then now they do believe and have their eyes fixed upon them to Eternity These beautiful and beatifical objects they shall see and still desire to see and though they shall be satisfied in seeing of them yet they shall not be satiated with the sight of them To have but one glimpse of them though it were presently gone it were verily a great happiness beyond all that the World affords but they shall never lose the sight of them they shall have it to all Eternity their eyes shall be Eternally open to see them And without doubt the getting of a sight of these things whilst here will quicken the hearts of the Children of men to labour and take pains for them But what an eye must that be that can see at such a distance as Heaven is some compute that betwixt us only and the Starry Firmament there is no less then seventy four millions seven hundred three thousand one hundred and eighty miles and if the Empereal Heaven as many say be two or three Orbs above â—he Starry Firmament how many more miles is it â—hen beyond And the further distant any thing is from us the less clear sight can be had thereof but at such a distance no Corporeal eye can behold any object whatsoever yet may they be seen by the eye of Faith Faith is a sure Prospective-glass by help whereof the Soul may see things though afar off Did you never observe an eye using a Prospective-glass for the discovering and approximating of some remote and yet desirable Object Such a Glass the Soul hath of Faith it can discover and approximate things that are most remote remote I say and that either in respect of time or in respect of place I shall give an instance or two to clear this And first in respect of time It is said of Abraham by Christ himself who directs his speech to the Jews who were often calling Abraham Father Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad John 8. 56. v. It will not be amiss for the understanding of this place to enquire what day this was that the Patriarch Abraham so much rejoyced to see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exultavit ut laetitiam gestivit The word signifieth He did leap or skip for joy 't is such a joy as is expressed by some bodily gesture Abraham it seems could not contain his affection could not keep it in but out it must And why He rejoyced that he might see surely it was something worth the seeing that he who was now well nigh an hundred years old should as if he had been grown young again fall to leaping for joy stayed discreet and grave Persons will never be so exceedingly moved but upon some very great occasion And such was â—â—at here in the Text it was to see Christ's day But Christ hath many dayes Christ hath more dayes then one Luk. 17. 22 v. And he said unto the Disciples The dayes will come when ye shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and ye shall not see it It is true as God he was before all dayes before all time having neither beginning of dayes nor end of life as is said of Melchisedeck Heb. 7. 3. v. Before the day was I am he But as man he hath many dayes The Lords day is his day Rev. 1. 10. v. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day As man he is called Lord of the Sabbath day Math. 12. 8. v. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day So the day of Judgment is called the day of Jesus Christ Philip. 1. 6. v. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And at 10. v. That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ So Philip. 2. 16. v. Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ The time of Christ's preaching here on Earth is called Christ's day and thus understand that Luke 17. 22. v. before mentioned where Christ tells them they should desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man that is After Christ was departed out of the world they should desire his bodily presence here with them again to comfort them So also the day of Christ's birth may and is