strength in our weakness and raise up our spirits and make us couragious that we shall not be afraid of Death the King of terrors which though it be terrible in it self and as the Philosopher saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most terrible of all terrible things yet through the mediation of Jesus Christ Death is a conquer'd Enemy Christ hath conquer'd Death and took away its sting That which makes Death so terrible is the sting of sin but when the sting is took away Death can no more hurt us than a Snake that hath lost its sting or an Adder that hath its teeth knockt out The Apostle cries out 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory The sting of Death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ What is Death to a Child of God reconciled to him by the 〈…〉 hrist It 's no more as a dâ—ing Saint exprest then a Child of God can embrace with both his arms And he closing his arms together died immediately To a Child of God Death is the greatest preferment by Death he is translated from a vale of tears and misery to everlasting happiness It 's like 〈◊〉 Gaol-delivery which delivers the Soul from the Bodies imprisonment and sets it at liberty to enjoy the happiness amongst Saints in glory VVhat 's then the grand duty incumbent on us all It is thus If we would desire to die happily we must live holily if we would die the death of thâ—â—ghteous we must labour to live the life of the righteous we should so live every day as we desire to be sound at the last day And if we desire comfort in our death we must make daily preparation by approving our hearts to God in a holy and circumspect life and conversation It is a very great mercy and condescension in God to accept Evangelical instead of Legal perfection and to accept of a willing mind instead of real performances For we read Heb. 11. 17. that by faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac And likewise the Apostle saith If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not When then we come to die to consider that our hearts are sincere with God and that our peace is made with him by the redemption and intercession of Christ and that all our sins are washt away and we are made white in the Bloud of the Lamb these Meditations will comfort us in Life and in Death Sect. 3 Let 's add hereunto for incouragement and comfort to the living the dying Speeches of many eminent Saints who upon their Death-beds breath'd forth snch savoury Speeches which ought to be had in everlasting remembrance I shall gather sparingly from so great a heap and only select some choice Instances which deserve a special remark to be set upon them Old Simeon's Song was sweet before his Funeral saying Luke 2. 29 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Stephen the Protomartyr breath'd forth this dying Prayer Acts 7. 59. Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Ignatius who liv'd in the sirst Century 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Ignat. epist ad Rom. who was as the Ecclesiastical Writers say twelve years of age when Christ was crucified and afterward St. John's Auditor used frequently to say My Love is crucified And when he was brought to Martyrdom and the wild Beasts were let loose to tear him in pieces he couragiously said I am the Wheat or Grain to be ground with the teeth of Beasts that I may be pure Bread for my Masters tooth Let fire rack pullies yea and all the torments of Hell come on me so I may win Christ Polycarpus when the Proconsul urged him to deny Christ answered I have served Christ Eighty six years and he hath not done me hurt and shall I now deny him When they would have tied him to the Stake to be burned he desired to stand untied saying Let me alone I pray you for he that gave me strength to come to this fire will also give me patience to abide in the same without your tying Cyprian that eminent Martyr for the truth after his condemnation said Blessed be God for this Gaol-delivery Ambrose on his Death bed said to his Friends about him I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live any longer nor fear I death because I have a good Lord. Some young men seeing the excellent death of St. Ambrose and hearing what rare speeches he uttered one of those young men turned to his fellow and said Oh! that I might live with you and die with him John Lambert a Martyr in Queen Mary's daies said amidst the flame None but Christ none but Christ Mr. Bradford at the Stake in Smithfield embraced the Reeds and Fagots which were suddenly to be set on fire to burn him and said Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it And he encouraged his fellow-Martyr saying Be of good comfort Brother for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord this night If there be any way to Heaven on horse-back or in fiery Chariots this is it Martin Luther that great scourge of the Pope and Champion sor the Protestant Religion on his Death-bed said Thee O Christ have I taught thee have I trusted thee have I loved into thy hands I commend my spirit Bucer an eminent Reformer said neâ—â— his death No man by talk shall with draw my mind from Christ crucified from Heaven and my speedy Depaâ—ture on which my Soul is fixed Wheâ— one advised him to arm himself againâ— Saâ—ans temptations he answered Satan hath nothing to do with me Goâ— forbid but that now my Soul shoulâ— be sure of sweet consolation John Ardley a Martyr in Queen Mary'â— daiâ—s said If every hair of my heaâ— were a man it should suffer death iâ— the faith I now stand in To the samâ— purpose William Sparrow spake and Agâ—nes Stanley Alice Driver when the Chain was about her Neck Here is saith she â— goodly Neckerchief blessed be Goâ— for it John Noyes a Martyr kissing the Stake sain Blessed be God that ever I waâ— born for this day And he added farther to his fellow Martyrs a word of singular consolation saying We shal not lose our lives in this fire buâ— change them for a better and foâ— Coals have Pâ—arls c. What need I produce any more Instances with what joy have many sincere hearted Christians lookt death in the face so that they had rather die than live Melancthon rejoyced when he was to die saying That he should be with Christ and enjoy fellowship with him and the Church triumphant and then be freed from all those hot disputes and contentions
CHARACTERS OF A SINCERE HEART And the COMFORTS thereof Collected out of the. WORD OF GOD By HEN-WILKINSON D. D. Late Principal of Magdalen Hall in the University of OXFORD 1 Sam. 16. 7. Man looketh on the outward appearance but Lord looketh on the heart Psal 51. 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward partsâ— and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdome OXFORD Printed by L. LICHFIELD Printer 〈…〉 e University for RIC. DAVIS Anno Domini 1674. To the much Honoured and virtuous Lady HESTER HONYWOOD of Marks-Hall in the County of of Essex Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Honoured Madame DEDICATIONS of Books to Persons of great rank and Quality are of great antiquity for St. Luke Dedicates Luke 1. 3. Act. 1. 1. two Treatises To the most excellent Theophilus And now a daies it 's usual to dedicate Books to such Personages who are probably ready to approve them by their Patronage and practice As to my own concernment I the rather prefix your name to this little Treatise not only to acknowledge with all thankfulness the many great Favours which I have received from you but especiallâ— I am encouraged to present those things to your view whereof you have had so large experience as you can give Testimony to the truth of them both as to your judgement and affections I therefore am your remembrancer of those things whereof as I doubt not you have experimental knowledge and my design is to comfort you with those comforts wherewith I my self have been comforted It 's the charge which the Angel gives unto the Church of Thyatira But that which you have already hold Rev. 2. 25. fast And the Apostle's charge is sutable unto that Let us hold fast Heb. 10. 23. the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Likewise for self examination and tryal of our evidences for heaven we are frequently commanded More particularly St. Paul chargeth the Corinthians and us as well as them Examine your 2 Cor. 13. 5. selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates So likewise the Church after she had undergone great afflictions and sufferings makes this serious deliberate resolution Let us search and try Lam. 3. 40. our waies and turn again to the Lord. You being Madam an old Disciple and an experienced Christian cannot but know that it 's a duty of great concernment and in an especial manner incumbent upon all faithful Ministers to endeavour in their Preaching to distinguish the pretious from the vile for so saith the Lord to the Prophet Jeremiah If thou Ier. 15. 19. take forth the pretiouâ— from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth let them return unto thee but return thou not to them Our blessed Lord and Saviour the best Example and the exactest Pattern for our imitation in that incomparable Sermon which he Preached in the Mount makes mention of seven Beatitudes each of them being a rare discriminatiâ—g character whereby good and bad blessed and cursed are distinguished one from another For if the poor in spirit be blessed then the rich proud in spirit are cursed if the pure in heart be blessed then the impuâ—e in heart must be cursed c. Because of Contrarieties there are contrary consequences And Christ himself is the best Interpreter of himself for when he pronounced blessings upon such as Luke 6. 20. 21. 22. were poor and hungred and wept v. 24 25 26. he pronounced woes against such as were rich and full and of whom all men speak well Likewise our Saviour shewes the absolute and indispensible necessity of Regeneration and being born from above as may appear by Christs answer to Nichodemus Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily Ioh. 3. 3. I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God And Regeneration is a Characteristick note of distinction between the old and new birth Farther Christ puts a vast difference between a good and a bad tree For saith he A good tree cannot Matt. 7. 18 19 20. bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Every tree that bringeth not good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fier wherefore by their fruits you shall know them And Christ makes Love one to another a mark Ioh. 13. 35. af his Disciples And after Christs Example his Apostles lay down marks and signes to distinguish the good from the bad For instance How frequently doth St. John press the grace of love and lays it down as an infallible sign of one that is translated from death to life We know that we have passed 1 Ioh. 3. 14. from death to life because we love the Brethren He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Saint Peter expresly manifests what we should avoid Wherefore laying 1 Pâ—t 2. 1 2 3. aside all malice and guile and hypocusies and envies and all evil speakings c and he injoynes what we should reduce unto practice As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby And it follows by way of Character representing such who are new born babes in these words If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 17. is gracious Saint Paul gives an evident sign of such who are in Christ by the new Creature wrought in them Thefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new And to mention only one more scripture to this purpose The Apostle discovers a great difference between the old man and the new and Eph. 4. 21. 22 23 24. thus Presseth our duty upon us If so be that ye have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus That ye put of concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts And be renewed in the spirit of your minde and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Now having such abundant warrant from the example of Christ and his Apostles I question not in the least but that in the exercise of our Ministry we obliged according to the Rule of the word of Gods to lay down Characters of a Regenerate estate and to distinguish sincere and real Professors from such who are only Nominal and Hypocritical Many there are who name the name of Christ but depart not from iniquity But it 's the express command of the word And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Many there are that content themselves with the Angel of the Church of Sardis to have only a bare name to live But he is reproved by Christ Rev. 3 1 2. And unto the Angel of the Church in
of Divines which were very great in those days Grynaeus a great Scholar when he came to die said O happy day when I may depart out of this troublesome and sinful world and to go to those blessed Souls before departed He writing to his friend Chytraeus said If we never see one another again in this world yet we shall meet in that place where Luther and Zuinglius agree very well together Mr. Bolton on his dying bâ—d said I am now drawing on apace to my dissolution Hold out faith and patience your work will quickly be attained That great Magazine of Learning Mr. John Selden when he came to die said That he accounted all his Learning nothing at all in comparison of Christ. Mr. Giles Workman a worthy Minister of the Gospel in Glocester shire a little before his death said That he had a little sincerity of heart and that was a comfort to him Mr. John Ferriby a Minister of the Gospel in Essex when he was dying said That he left his Wife and Children with God and his gracious promises Mr. Gifford a Minister in Northampton-shire said to his Children upon his Death-bed That if they feared God to which he earnestly exhorted them they should not want but if they did not fear God he wisht that they might want till they did fear him Mr. Samuel Hieron a rare Minister whose excellent writings praise him in the gate on his Death-bed said That the same God who took care for the Ravens and Sparrows would likewise take care for the young Hierons And so it came to pass for God stirred up the hearts of some charitably affected persons who carefully educated his Children and so those young Hierons were well provided for I shall conclude this head with the words of the Psalmist Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116. 15. Surely he shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance Psal 112. 6. And I will only add words of Solomon Prov. 10. 9. The memory of the just is blessed CHAP. XV. Containing the Happiness of the Saints in Heaven or the inexpressible Consolations which the Godly even all sincere-hearted Persons enjoy in Heaven to all Eternity IN the third and last place let 's consider 3. The comforts of the godly afteâ— death Sect. 1. or rather admire at the happiness even the perfection of all comforts and happiness which the Saints shall enjoy after death in the highest Heavens to all eternity As for all those who lived in hypocrisie and dissimulation and lived without repentance and so died and as for all such who lived without God in the world having no fear of God before their eyes but have committed sin with greediness and have run into all excess of riot and so die in their unbelief and impenitency these are the Goats which shall stand on Christs left hand and against them he will pronounce that dreadful sentence of condemnation Matth 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But all upright and sincere-hearted Christians who are only Christs sheep they shall stand at Christs right hand and he will pronounce to them that comfortable soul-ravishing sentence of absolution Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world verse 34. However such who are Gods Jewels and precious in sight are vilisied and trampled on by the wicked of the world as if they were no better than the filth of 1 Cor. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world and the off-scouring of all thingsâ— yet at the general resurrection both of just and unjust there will be a resurrection of the names and of the causes of the righteous however in this world they have been traduced and scorned Then the meanest of glorified Saints whom this world thought they could not think bad enough shall have the preheminence and superiority above all the ungodly though they have been never so great in this present world for so saith the Psalmist Psal 49. 14. the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning From this Scripture it plainly appears that at the general resurrection the godly shall be known to the whole world to have dominion and Quamvis â—â—c demersis sit iâ— teâ—ebris mund is exâ—riâ—tur subito nâ—vaâ— manè quod faciem verae aeâ—etaae vâ—â—e â—obis restituet Calv. in Loc. preheminence above all the ungodâ—y men of this world And that all such who truly fear God though in this world they were in a poor and abject condition yet at that great day they shall be in a better condition every way rich and honourable and infinitely happier than any ungodly great and rich men can be in this present world Farther the godly in glory shall partake of nothing else but joy and happiness and the perfection of both but damned wretches shall be for ever debar'd from all manner of joy and partake of nothing else but hopeless sorrow and endless misery At the general Judgment when all without exception shall appear before the Judgment-seat 2 Cor. 5. 10. of Christ then there shall appear a great and wide difference between gâ—od and bad chaff and wheat sheep and goats that day will make a great and clear distinction Then all the Enemies of Christ and of his Church who rejoyced in persecuting Christ here on Earth in his Members would be glad to creep into holes if possible that they might hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb. Then they will wish that the mountains might fall upon them and that Rocks and Hills Dens or Caves might shelter and cover them from the face of the Lamb incensed against them Theâ— those bloudy Persecutors of Christ shall see him whom they have pierced zech 1â— 10. Judas who betrayed Christ with a hypocritical kiss Pilate who notwithstanding the reluctancy of his own conscience condemned Christ to please the people and released Barabb as an infamous Thief and Murtherer the Soldiers who crucified him and after they had first been his Executioners were his Executors to take his Garments All these and all other Enemies of Jesus Christ shall see him at that great Day to their terror and condemnation Those giddy-pated people who a little before cried to Christ Hosanna and afterwards cried Crucifie him Crucifie him shall appear before Christs Judgment-seat and then receive their sentence Those cursed Jews who wisht that the bloud of Christ might be upon them and their Children except such only who are washt in Christ's bloud shall to their dread and horror be condemn'd for embrewing their hands in the innocent bloud of Christ Sect. 2 At the day of Judgment all fals Judgments and unrighteous sentences past on earth shall be reverst Pontius Pilate who past an unjust judgment against Christ shall have a just judgment past upon him Luther used to say that At the day
of Judgment John Huss and Jerome Luth. Loc. Com. of Prague shall appear to be good men when the Pope and his Cardinalls shall appear to be vile and wicked wretches St Bernard us'd to say That the Day will Veniet Veniet Dies quando male judicata rejudicabit Deuâ— Bern. come it will certainly come when God will judg over again all false judgment But as for all those whose hearts were upright with God whilst they liv'd in this world these after death are translated into an estate of glory and happiness and in the highest heavens receive consolations beyond all expression and a weight of glory beyond the capacity of any mortal man which Christ gives to all his Children who in their Pilgrimage on earth endeavoured with their whole heart and strength to serve the Lord in sincerity and in truth All those who were on earth Sincere-hearted and real Saints shall be acknowledged to be such by Christ himself at the Day of Judgment No sin no failing nor imperfection shall at all be layd to their Charge in that day for all failings and sins and all manner of imperfections shall be washt away in the bloud of Jesus Christ What ever good things the Saints have done on earth shall be all remembred and not any one thing forgotten at the day of judgment But whatever was bad and sinfull that they committed on earth shall not be layd to their Charge but shall be blotted out of the Book of Gods Remembrance and God will cast them into the depth of the sea O What a joyfull day and full of Comfort will the day of judgment be to all the Children of God! Then they shall lift up their heads with Comfort and behold him who is their Judg as their Redeemer Advocate Intercessor and Flder Brother and he will pronounce for them a sentence of Absolution At that day all glorified Saints shall have their bodily eyes irradiated with the splendor of glory and they shall be inabled to behold the Beatificall Vision and this is he Happiness of all Happiness and this only is their portion and appropriated to them alone who are pure in heart Thâ—y are blessed as our Saviour pronounceth them Who are pure in heart for they shall see God Then the Saints in glory shall sit in Judgment as Assessors with Christ and shall approve of the righteous sentence of Christ in Condemning their unrighteous Judges Then they shall see the Omniporent Eternal Jehovah the Beeing of all Beeings the first person in Trinity uncreated unbegotten and unproceeding Then they shall see Christ the Mediator of thâ— New Covenant their only Saviour and Redeemer uncreated but begotten and not proceeding who is the second Person in Trinity Then they shall see the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity neither created nor begotten but proceeding from both The Glorifyd Saints what they believed when they were militant on earth shall in heaven understand the great Mystery of the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity One glorified Saint shall know more then all the Learned men in the world I 'le conclude with this Doxology Now to the holy and blessed Trinity and one God in Vnity Father Son and Holy Ghost be ascribed all Honour and Glory Praise and Thanksgiving Dominion and Obedience henceforth and unto all Eternity Amen THE Contents of this Treatise CHAP. I. OF spiritual poverty p. 1. Sect. I. Spiritual poverty consists in emptying of the heart of what is self ibid. Sect II. Every humble spirited man is low vile and abject in his own eyes p. 3. Sect. III. One who is spiritually poor meditates frequently and seriously upon the promises and makes particular application of them p. 6. Sect. IV. One that is poor in spirit is weak fiâ—k and in a distressed condition as to his own apprehension and makes haste unto Christ for help p. 9. CHAP. II. Concerning the highest prizing and valuing of Jesus Christ p. 11. Sect. I. It 's an infallible sign of a true Believer to value and prefer Christ before all the riches of the world p. 11. Sect. II. Of ardâ—ney and strength of affection to Jesus Christ p. 14. CHAP. III. Of a heart in love with holiness evidenced in â— holy life and conversation p. 16. Sect. I. Every true Believer loves holiness for it self because it is the image of God ibid. Sect. II. Where holiness is in the heart it is fruitful in the life p. 19. CHAP. IV. Of ingenuous sorrow for sin p. 24. Sect. I. Ingenuous sorrow is more for the sin than the punishment ibid. Sect. II. There is a great difference between the mournings of Cain Ahab Judas c. and the mournings of David Paul Peter c. p. 25. Sect. III. There 's a great difference between the mourning of slaves and mourning of children p. 30. CHAP. V. Of sorrowing and mourning for others sins p. 33. Sect. I. A godly mourner mourns for others sins ibid. Sect. II. We must be affected with and afflicted for the sins of others remembring that we are men of like passions p. 37. CHAP. VI. Of approving our hearts unto God p. 42. Sect. I. A sincere-heâ—rted Christian labours to aprove his heart to God and put himself upon God's trial ibid. Sect. II. Though we are subject to many infirmities we must groan under the burthen of them p. 44. CHAP. VII Of pressing forward towards perfection p. 49. Sect. I. It 's an Apostolical character and Apostolical practice to press forward towards perfection ibid. Sect. II. Instances in particulars whether we press forward towards perfection p. 52. CHAP. VIII Of a strict watch set upon the heart against bosome sins p. 55. Sect. I. A sincere heart endeavors to keep it self from every beloved sin ibid. Sect. II. No sin so little but deserves damnation p. 59. Sect. III. An illustration by similitudes p. 61. CHAP. IX An endeavor against every sin and for the practice of every duty p. 65. Sect. I. The desire and endeavor must be against every sin ibid. Sect. II. The endeavor must be to obey all commands and practice all duties p. 69. CHAP. X. Of a heart without guile p. 73. Sect. I. The heart must be without guile ibid. Sect. II. Every person that is upright is compounded of three words viz. simplicity singleness and sincerity p. 74. CHAP. XI Of mortification of the deeds of the body p. 80. Sect. I. The deeds of the body i. e. all lusts ought to be mortified ibid. Sect. II. Questions propounded and answered p. 83. CHAP. XII Vivisication of the fruits of the Spirit p. 91. Sect. I. Beside mortification of the deeds of the body there must be a vivification of the fruits of the Spirit ibid. Sect. II. How this is to be discerned p. 93. CHAP. XIII Containing the comforts of sincere Christians p. 95. Sect I. Sincere Christians have comforts in their lives ibid. Sect. II. Sincere Christians are sensible of their sins and mourn for them p. 98. CHAP. XIV Sincere-hearted Christians have comforts in their deaths p. 102. Sect. I. The comfortable deaths of such as are sincere p. 102 Sect. II. We ought to prepare for deatâ— p. 10â— Sect. III. The â—ying speeches of Saints p. 109 CHAP. XII Containing the happiness of the Saints iâ— Heaven p. 115 Sect. I. The Saints in Heaven receive per fection of happiness ibid Sect. II. At the day of Judgment all falâ— judgments shall be reverst p. 118 FINIS