spiritual the spiritual revives the natural Observe how the spiritual life distils sweetnesse into the natural in three cases 1. In case of Poverty This oft eclipses the comfort of life But what though poverty hath clipped the wings Poore in the world yet rich in faith Jam. 2.5 The one humbles the other revives 2. In case of Reproach This is an heart-breaking Psal. 69.20 Reproach hath broken my heart Yet a Christianhath his Cordial by him 2 Cor. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience Who would desire a better Jury to acquit him then God and his own conscience 3. In case of losses 'T is in it selfe sad to have an interposition between us and our dear relations A limb as it were pull'd from our body and sometimes our estates strangely melted away yet a believer hath some gleanings of comfort left and such gleanings as are better then the worlds vintage Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing in your selves that you have in heaven a better and an induring substance Heb. 10.34 They had lost their estate but not their God Here is you see the drie rod blossoming The spiritual life distils comfort into the natural Take the sourest part of a Christians life and there is comfort in it When you heare him sighing bitterly it is for sin and such a sigh though it may break the heart yet it revives it The tears of the godly are sweeter then the triumph of the wicked The comfort that a wicked man hath is only imaginary it is but a pleasant fancy as rejoycing yet alwayes sorrowing He hath that within spoiles his musick But life is yours When a believers life is at the lowest ebbe yet he hath aspringtide of comfort CHAP. IV. The Augmentation of the Charter AMong these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things present There are yet three other priviledges which are in the beleevers Charter 1. Remission of his sin 2. Regeneration of his nature 3. Adoption of his person §. 1. Shewing That remission of sin is a jewel of the Believers Crown 1. The Remission of his sin This is 1. A costly mercy 2. A choice mercy 1. It is a costly mercy That which inhanceth the price of it is 't is the great fruit of Christs blood Without shedding of blood is no remission Christ did bleed out our pardon he was not onely a Lamb without spot but a Lamb slaine Every pardon a sinner hath is written in Christs blood 2. It is a choice mercy This jewel God hangs upon none but his Elect. 'T is put into the Charter I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more This is an enriching mercy it entitles us to blessednesse Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not his sinne Of all the debts we owe our sinnes are the worst now to have the booke cancelled and God appeased to heare God whisper by his Spirit Sonne be of good chear thy sinnes are forgiven I will not blot thy name out of my book but I will blot thy sinnes out of my book This is a mercy of the first magnitude Biessed is that man in the Originall it is in the plurall Blessednesses Hast thou but one blessing my father saith Esau lo here a plurality a whole chain of blessings Pardon of sin is a voluminous mercy there are many mercies bound up with it You may name it Gad for behold a troop comes When God pardons a sinner◠now he puts on if I may so speak his brightest robe Therefore when he would proclaim himselfe in his glory to Moses it was after this manner The Lord the Lord mercifull His mercy is his glory and if you read a little further you shall see it was no other then pardoning mercy Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin c. 'T is an high act of indulgence God seals the sinners pardon with a kisse This made David put on his best cloathes and anoint himselfe It was strange his childe newly dead and God had told him that the sword should not depart from his house yet now he falls anointing himselfe the reason was David had heard good news God sent him his pardon by Nathan the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sin This oile of gladnesse which God had now poured into his heart made way for the anointing oile Quest. How shall I know that this priviledge is mine Answ. He whose sins are pardoned hath something to shew for it There are two Scripture-evidences 1. The pardoned sinner is a weeping sinner Never did any man read his pardon with drie eyes Look upon that weeping penitent She stood behinde Christ weeping Her heart was a sacred limbeck out of which those teares were distilled Quest. But to what purpose is all this cost what needs weeping after pardon Answ. Because now sinne and mercy are drawne forth in more lively colours then ever The Spirit comes thus to a sinner Thou hast sinned against God who never intended thee evill thou hast abused that mercy that saves thee all this thou hast done yet behold here is thy pardon I will set up my mercy above thy sin nay in spight of it The sinner being sensible of this falls a weeping and wisheth himselfe even dissolved into teares He looks upon a bleeding Christ with a bleeding heart Nothing can so melt the heart of a sinner as the love of God and the blood of Christ. 2. He whose sins are pardoned his heart burnes in love to God thus we reade of Mary Magdalene as her eyes were broached with tears so her heart was fired with love to Christ For she loved much Gods love in pardoning a sinner is attractive The Law hath a driving power but love hath a drawing power §. 2. Shewing That Regeneration goes along with Remission and is a branch of the Charter 2d. Priviledge The Regeneration of his nature which is nothing else but the transforming the heart and casting it into a new mould you have a pregnant place for this Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minde In the Incarnation Christ did assume our humane nature and in Regeneration we partake of his divine nature This blessed work of Regeneration is in Scripture called sometimes the new birth because it is begotten of a new seed the Word Iam. 1.18 And sometimes the new creature new not in substance but in quality This is the great promise Ezek. 36.26 A new heart also will I give you Observe Remission and Regeneration are two twins When God pardons he takes away the Rebels heart Where this work of Regeneration is wrought the heart hath a new Byas and the life a new Edition How great a priviledge this is will appear two wayes Till this blessed work of Regeneration we are in a spiritual sense 1.
Debt-book is crossed in his blood Quest. How is Death ours Answ. Two wayes 1. It is the Out-let to Sin 2. It is the In-let to happiness 1. Death to a Beleever is an Out-let to Sin we are in this life under a sinful necessity even the best Saint There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Evill thoughts are continually arising out of our hearts as sparks out of a Furnace Sin keeps house with us whether we will or no the best Saint alive is troubled with In-mates though he forsakes his sinnes yet his sinnes will not forsake him 1. Sin doth indispose to good How to performe that which is good I finde not Rom. 7. ver 18. When we would pray the heart is as a Voyal out of tune When we would weepe we are as clouds without rain 2. Sin doth irritate to evil The Flesh lusts against the Spirit There needs no winde of Tentation we have Tide strong enough in our hearts to carry us to Hell Consider sinne under this threefold notion 1. Sin is a body of death and that not impertinently First It is a body for its weight The body is an heavy and weighty substance so is Sin a body it weighs us down When we should pray the weights of Sin are tied to our feet that we cannot ascend Anselm seeing a little Boy playing with a Bird he let her flie up and presently pulls the Bird down againe by a string So saith he it is with me as with this Bird when I would flie up to heaven upon the wings of meditation I finde a string tied to my leg I am over-powered with corruption but Death pulls off these weights of sin and le ts the Soul free Secondly Sin is a body of death for its annoyance It was a cruel torment that one used he tied a dead man to a living that the dead man might annoy and infest the living Thus it is with a childe of God he hath two men within him Flesh and Spirit Grace and Corruption here is the dead man tied to the living a proud sinful heart is worse to a childe of God then the smell of a dead Corps Indeed to a natural man sinne is not offensive for being dead in sinne he is not sensible of the body of death but where there is a vitall principle there is no greater annoyance then the body of Death Insomuch that the pious soule oft cries out as David Wo is me that I dwell in Mesek and sojourn in the tents of Kedar So saith he Wo is me that I am constrained to abide with sin How long shall I be troubled with inmates How long shall I offend that God whom I love When shall I leave these Tents of Kedar 2. Sinne is a Tyrant it carries in it the nature of a Law the Apostle calls it the law in his members There is the law of Pride the law of Unbelief it hath a kinde of jurisdiction as Caesar over the Senate perpetuam dictaturam What I hate that do I The Apostle was like a man carried down the streame and was not able to beare up against it Sinne takes us prisoners whence are our carnal fears whence our passions whence is it that a childe of God doth that which he allows not yea against knowledge only this he is for a time Sinnes Prisoner The Flesh oft prevailes though in coole blood the elder shall serve the younger whence is it that he who is borne of God should be so earthly The reason is he is captived under sin but be of good chear where grace makes a Combate death shall make a Conquest 3. Sin is a leprous spot It makes every thing we touch uncleane We reade when the Leprosie did spread in the walls of the house the Priests commanded them to take away the stones in the wall in which the Plague was and take other stones and put in the place of those stones and take other morter Levit. 14.42 But when the Plague spread againe in the wall then he must break downe the house with the stones and timber thereof Vers. 45. Thus in every man naturally there is a fretting leprosie of sinne pride impenitency c. These are leprous spots now in conversion here God doth as it were take away the old stones and timber and put new in the roome he makes a change in the heart of a sinner but still the leprousie of sinne spreads then at last death comes and pulls down the stones and timber of the house and the soule is quite freed from the leprousie Sinne is a defiling thing it makes us red with guilt and black with filth 'T is compared to a menstruous cloath we need carry it no higher Pliny tells us that the Trees with touching of it would become barren and Hierom saith Nihil in lege menstruato immundius there was nothing in the Law more uncleane then the menstruous cloath this is sinne Sinne drawes the Devils picture in a man malice is the Devils eye oppression is his hand hypocrisie is his cloven foot but behold death will give us our discharge death is the last and best Physician which cures all diseases the aking head and the unbelieving heart Peccatum erat obstetrix mortis mors erit sepulchrum peccati Sinne was the Mid-wife that brought Death into the World and Death shall be the Grave to bury Sinne O the Priviledge of a Beleever he is not taken away in his sinnes but he is taken away from his sinnes The Persians had a certaine day in the yeare which they called vitiorum interitum wherein they used to kill all Serpents and venemous creatures Such a day as that will the day of death be to a man in Christ. This day the old Serpent dies in a Beleever that hath so often stung him with his temptations this day the sinnes of the godly these venemous creatures shall all be destroyed they shall never be proud more they shall never grieve the Spirit of God more the Death of the body shall quite destroy the Body of death 2. Death to a Believer is an Inlet to happinesse Sampson found an honey-combe in the Lions carcase so may a childe of God suck much sweetnesse from death Death is the gate of life death pulls off our rags and gives us change of rayment all the hurt it doth us is to put us into a better condition Death is called in Scripture a sleepe 1 Thes. 4.14 Those that sleepe in Iesus as after sleep the spirits are exhilarated and refreshed so after Death the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. Death is yours Death opens the portal into Heaven as Tertullian speakes The day of a Christian's death is the birth-day of his heavenly life it is his Ascension-day to glory it is his Marriage-day with Jesus Christ. After our Funerall begins our Marriage Well then
reigne then surely the Church of God should not be militant upon earth but triumphant But behold the honour of the Saints they shall be all Kings though I say not in this life all Christs Subjects are Kings therefore you read of 1. Their Royal â—obe Revel 6. v. 11. 2. Their Throne Revel 3 v. 21. To him that overcomes I will give him to sit upon my Fathers throne Perhaps here he had but a poor thatched house but there a Throne 3. Their Crown In this world the Saints weare a crown of Thornes but there a crown of Glory and this crown hath two Properties 1. It is Incorruptible 1 Pet. 5.4 it fades not away it doth not wither but after millions of years is as bright and flourishing as at the first dayes wearing eternity is a flower of the Saints crown 2. It is unmixed it hath no cares woven into it Kings crowns are so weighty in regard of the cares and sorrowes appendant that often they make their head ake Cyrus the Persian King was wont to say Did men but know the cares which he sustained under an Imperiall crown he thought no man would stoop to take it up The Crown Royall though it may be made of pure gold yet it is mixt mettal but the Saints Crown in glory is without mixture it is not mingled with care of keeping or feare of losing oh then let us be willing to suffer for Christ if we beare the Crosse we shall wear the Crown A second Part of the Saints honour is they shall sit with Jesus Christ when he judgeth the world Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world The Saints shall sit with Christ in Judicature as the Justice of Peace with the Judge the Saints are Christs Assessors they shall be with him upon the Bench applauding his righteous sentence O what a glorious Tribunal will that be here the world judgeth the Saints but there the Saints shall judge the world 3. They shall sit nearer the Throne then the Angels the Angels are noble and sublime Spirits but Christ having taken our flesh the knot being tied between the Divine and Humane Nature in the Virgins womb we shall be ennobled with greater honour then the Angels the Angels are Christs friends but not his brethren we are flesh of his flesh He is not ashamed to call them brethren and surely Christ will see them of the blood royall advanced To what Angels hath Christ said Ye are my brethren This honour have all his Saints As the Saints robes in glory shal be brighter then the Angels their 's being only the righteousnesse of creatures but these having upon them the Righteousness of God So their dignity shall be greater O infinite here we are prisoners at bar but there Favourites at Court the Saints shall sit down in glory above the Angels SECT IV. The fourth Priviledge of being with Christ. THe next priviledge is Joy This joy of the Saints proceeds from Union when our union with Christ is perfect then our joy shall be full Rev. 21.4 And God shall wipe away all tears and there shall be no more sorrow 1. There shall be no weeping Jesus Christ hath provided a Spunge to wipe off the tears of the Saints Here the Spouse is in Sable it being a time of absence from her Husband But in heaven Christ will take away the Spouses mourning he will pull off all her black and bloody robes and will cloath her in white robes Revel 7.13 White as it is an Embleme of the Saints purity so it is a type of their joy heaven should not be heaven if there were weeping there hell indeed is called a place of weeping they that would not shed a teare for their sinnes while they lived shall have weeping enough but we never read of weeping in heaven Christ will take downe our harps from the Willows there he will call for his Heralds and trumpeters the Angels those blessed Quiristers shall sing the divine anthems of praise anâ— the Saints shall joyne in that heavenly Consort If it were possible that any teares could be shed when we are with Christ they should be the teares of joy as sometimes we have seene a man weepe for exessive joy Christ will turne all our water there into wine 2. There shall be no sorrow one smile from Christs face will make us forget all our afflictions sorrow is a cloud gathered in the heart upon the apprehension of some evil and weeping is the cloud of griefe dropping into raine but in heaven the Sun of righteousness shall shine so bright that there shall not be the least interposition of any cloud there shall be no sorrow there nor any thing to breed it there shall be no sin to humble heaven is such a pure soile that the Viper of sin will not breed there there shall be no Devil to tempt the old Serpent is cast out of the heavenly Paradise There shall be no Enemy to molest When Israel had conquered Canaan yet they could not get rid of all the Canaanites they would live among them But the Canaanites would dwell in that land But when we are with Christ we shall never be troubled with Canaanites more In that day I may allude to that of the Prophet there shall be no more the Canaanite dwell in the house of the Lord God will keep the heavenly Paradise with a flaming Sword that none shall come neere to hurt Upon all that glory shall be a defence There shall be nothing to breed sorrow in heaven There are two things that usually raise the clouds of sorrow and both shall be removed when we are with Christ. 1. The frownes of great men how ambitious are men of the Princes smile but alas that quickly sets in a cloud and then their comforts are in the wain they are sad but when we are with Christ we shall have a perpetual smile from God the Saints shall never be out of favour Jesus Christ is the great favorite at Court and as long as God smiles upon Christ so long he will smile upon the Saints they having on Christs beauty and being part of Christ. 2. The losse of deare friends a friend imparts secrets friendship is the marriage of affections it makes two become one spirit David and Ionathan tooke sweete counsel together their heart was knit in one now here is the grief when this precious knot must be untyed but be of good cheare if thy friend belong to the election after thou hast parted with thy sinnes thou shalt meet with him and never part If thy friend be wicked though he were thy friend on earth thou wilt cease to be his friend in heaven The pious wife shall not complaine she hath lost her husband nor the religious Parent that he hath lost his childe all relations are infinitely made up in Christ as the whole constellation in the Sunne that great Lamp of Heaven When a man comes to
men now how this body thus devoured and as it were crumbled into a thousand fractions should be raised idem numero the same numerical body is infinitely above reason to imagine we have scarce faith enough to believe it Quest. How can this be Answ. To such I say as our blessed Saviour Matth. 22.29 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God 1. Not knowing the Scriptures The Scripture tells us expresly that the same body that dies shall rise again Iob 19.26 In my flesh shall I see God not in another flesh And vers 27. My eyes shall behold him not other eyes So 1 Cor. 15.53 This mortal shall put on immortality not another mortall but this mortall And 2 Cor. 5.10 That every one may receive the things done in his body c. not in another body Death in Scripture is called a sleep it is farre easier with God to raise the body then it is for us to awake a man when he is asleep 2. Ye erre not knowing the power of God that God who of nothing created all things cannot he reduce many things to one thing when the body is gone into a thousand substances cannot he make an abstraction and bring that body together againe Do we not see the Chymist can out of several metals mingled together as gold silver alcumy extract the one from the other the silver from the gold the alcumy from the silver and can reduce every metall to its own species or kinde and shall we not much more believe that when our bodies are mingled and confounded with other substances the wise God is able to make a divine extraction and re-invest every soul with its own body Use 1. This is comfort to a childe of God As Christ said to Martha John 11.23 Thy brother shall rise againe so I say to thee thy body shall rise again The body is sensible of joy as well as the soul and indeed we shall not be perfect in glory till our bodies be re-united to our souls Therefore in Scripture the doctrine of the resurrection is made matter of joy and triumph Isa. 26.19 The dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Awake sing ye that dwell in the dust Death is as it were the fall of the leafe but our bones shall flourish as an herb in the spring of the resurrection That body wich is mouldred to dust shall revive Sometimes the Saints do sowe the Land with their bodies Psal. 142.7 and water it with their blood Psal. 79.3 But these bodies whether imprisoned beheaded sawn asunder shall arise and sit down with Christ upon the Throne O consider what joy will there be at the re-uniting of the body and soul at the resurrection As there will be a sad meeting of the body and soul of the wicked they shall be joyned together as briars to scratch and teare one another So what unspeakable joy will there be at the meeting together of the soul and body of the Saints how will they greet one another they two being the nearest acquaintance that ever were what a welcome will the soul give to the body O blessed body thou didst suffer thy self to be martyrd and crucified thou wert kept under by watchings fastings c. when I prayed thou didst attend my prayers with hands lifted up and knees bowed down Thou wert willing to suffer with me and now thou shalt reigne with me cheare up thy self my deare friend thou wert sowne as seed in the dust of the earth with ignominy but now art raised in glory thou wert sowen a natural body but now art raised a spiritual body O my dear body I will enter into thee again as an heavenly sparckle and thou shalt cloath me againe as a glorious vestment I will I say enter into thee againe and both of us will enter into our Masters joy Use 2. It shews the great love and respect God bears to the weakest believer God wil not glorifie the bodies of his dearest and most eminent Saints not the Patriarchs or Prophets not the body of Moses Elias till thou risest out of thy grave God is like a Master of a Feast that stayes till all his guests are come Abraham the father of the faithful must not sit down bodily in Heaven till all his children are born and the body of every Saint perfectly mellow and ripe for the resurrection 3. If the bodies of the Saints must arise then consecrate your bodies to the service of God these bodies must be made one with Christs body The Apostle makes this Use of the Doctrine of the resurrection 1 Cor. 6.14 And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power there is the Doctrine Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot ver 15. there is the Use. It is enough for wicked men to adulterate and defile their bodies The drunkard makes his body a tunnel for the wine and strong drink to run thorow The Epicure makes his body a living tombe to bury the good creatures of God The adulterer makes his body a stewes The body is called a vessell in Scripture these vessels will be found musty at the resurrection fit only to hold that wine which you read of Psal. 75.8 In the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red this is the wine of Gods wrath It is enough for those bodies to be defiled which shall be joyned to the devil but you that are believers that expect your bodies shall be joyned with Christs body oh cleanse these vessels take heed of putting your bodies to any impure services Present your bodies a living sacrifice Rom. 12.1 Have a care to keep all the passages and cinque-ports sometimes the devil comes in at the eye therefore Iob made a covenant with his eyes and goes out at the tongue therefore David set a watch before his lips Surely those that have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience that is the guilt of known sinne will have a care to have their bodies washed with cleane water CHAP. XIII The Eighth Prerogative Royal. I Proceed now to the next Priviledge which is to come viz. The bodies of the Saints shall be enamel'd with glory In this life the body is infirme Physicians have much ado to piece it up it is like a Picture out of frame or an house out of repaire every storm of sicknesse it raines thorow O anima quà m deforme hospitium nacta es How doth the excellent soul oft lodge in a deform'd body The body is like a piece of rotten wood diseases like wormes breed there feavers plurisies aches c. But this body shall be made glorious at the resurrection it shall neither have diseases nor defects Leah shall no more complain of her blear eyes
felt no paine Time was when conscience was tender but by often sinning he is like the Ostrich that can digest iron or as it is said of Mithridates that by often accustoming his body to poyson it never hurt him but he could live upon it as his food That sinne which was before as the wounding of the eye now is no more then the cutting of the naile Well there is a time coming when this sleepy conscience shall be awakened Belshazzar was drinking wine in bowls but there came out fingers on the wall and his countenance changed there conscience began to be awakened Conscience is like a looking-glasse if it be foul and dusty you can see nothing in it but wipe away the dust and you may see your face in it clearly there 's a time coming when God will wipe off the dust from the glasse of a mans conscience and he shall see his sins clearly represented Conscience is like a Lion asleep when he awakes he roars and tears his prey when conscience awakes then it roars upon a sinner and tears him as the devil did the man into which he entred Mark 9.22 he â—ent him and threw him into the fire When Moses rod was turned into a Serpent he was afraid and fled from it oh what is it when conscience is turned into a Serpent Conscience is like the Bee if a man doth well then conscience gives honey it speaks comfort if he do ill it puts forth a sting it is called a worm Mark 9.44 Where the worm never dies It is like Prometheus's Vulture it lies ever gnawing it is Gods blood-hound that pursues a man When the Jaylour saw the prison-doors open and as he thought the prisoners were missing he drew his sword and would have killed himselfe when the eye of conscience is opened and the sinner begins to look about him for his evidences Faith Repentance c. and sees they are missing he will be ready to kill himselfe a troubled conscience is the first-fruits of hell and indeed it is a lesser hell That it is so appears two wayes 1. By the suffrage of Scripture Prov. 18.14 A wounded spirit who can bear a wound in the Name in the estate in the body is sad but a wound in the conscience who can bear especially when the wound can never be healed for I speak of such as awake in the night of death 2. By the experience both of good and bad 1. By the experience of good men when the storme hath risen in their conscience though afterwards it hath been allayed yet for the present they have been in the suburbs of hell David complaines of his broken bones he was like a man that had all his bones out of joynt What is the matter you may see wherein his pain lay Psal. 51.3 My sin is ever before me he was in a spiritual agony it was not the sword threatned it was not the death of the childe but it was the roarings of his conscience some of Gods arrows stuck fast there though God will not damn his children yet he may send them to hell in this life 2. By the experience of bad men who have been in the perpetual convulsions of conscience I have sinned saith Iudas before he was nibling upon the silver bait the thirty pieces but now the hook troubles him conscience wounds him such was Iudas his horror being now like a man upon the rack that he hangs himself to quiet his conscience This shews what the hell of conscience is that men account death easie to get rid of conscience but in vaine it is with them as with a sick man he removes out of one room into another and changeth the aire but still he carries his disease with him Thou mayest think O sinner to laugh thy sinnes out of countenance but what wilt thou do when conscience shall begin to flie upon thee and shall examine thee with scourgings it is a mercy when conscience is awakened in time but the misery is when the wound is too late there being then no balm in Gilead §. II. The second thing to come His appearing before the Judge For we must all appear before the judgement-seat of Christ Hierome thought he ever heard that sounding in his ears Surgite mortui Arise ye dead come to judgement What solemnity is there at an Assizes when the Judge comes to the Bench and the Trumpets are sounded Thus Christ the Judge shall be accompanied with Angels and Archangels and the Trumpets shall be blown 1 Thes. 4.16 For the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God This is the great and general Assizes Then shall Christ sit down upon the Throne of Judicature holding his sword in his hand and a flame coming out of his mouth Now the sinner being summoned before him as a prisoner at bar he hath his guilt written in his forehead he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned before he comes I mean in his conscience which is the consistory or petty Sessions and appearing before Christ he begins to tremble and be amazed with horrour and not being covered with Christs righteousnesse for want of a better covering he cries to the mountains to cover him And the Kings and the great men said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Nothing so dreadfull as the sight of mercy abused Now the Lamb will be turned into a Lion and he who was once a Saviour will be a Judge §. III. The third thing to come is His Charge reade I will reprove thee and set thy sinnes in order before thee Psal. 50.21 As God hath a bottle for tears so he hath a book to register mens sins Rev. 20.12 The books were opened Oh what a black charge will be read against a sinner not only the sins which have damnation written in their forehead as drunkenness swearing blasphemy shall be brought into the charge but those sinnes which he slighted As 1. Secret sinnes such as the world never took notice of many a man doth not forsake his sins but grows more cunning with the Vintner he pulls down the bush but his heart gives as much vent to sinne as ever his care is rather that sinne should be covered then cured Not unlike to him that shuts up his shop-windows but follows his trade within doors he sits brooding upon sinne he doth with his sins as Rachel did with her fathers Idols she put them under her that he might not finde them so doth he put his sins in a secret place all these sinnes shall be set in order before him Luk. 12.2 For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed God hath a key for the heart 2. Little sinnes as the world calls them Though I know no such thing as little
rejoyce if not a Christian he hath never so much cause to be sad as he hath to bee chearfull Object 1. But my sinnes trouble me Answ. 'T is true That sinne will not forsake thee is matter of sadnesse but that thou hast forsaken sinne is matter of joy Sinne is a talent of lead That thou canst not runne so fast as thou would'st in the wayes of God is matter of sadnesse but that thou goest without halting in regard of uprightnesse this is matter of joy and for your comfort remember shortly you shall sinne no more all things shall be yours but sinne Object 2. But we are bid to mourn Answ. I would not speak against holy mourning while we carry fire about us we must carry water as long as the fire of sinne burns in our brests we must carry tears to quench it But consider 1. Spirituall joy and mourning may stand together sometimes it rains and shines at once when there is a shower in the eyes there may be sunshine in the heart in religion mourning and musick are not inconsistent 2. The end why God makes us sad is to make us rejoyce he doth not require sorrow for sorrow but it is ordain'd to be sal condimentum as sauce to make our joy relish the better we sowe in tears that we may reap in joy 3. The swetest joy is from the sourest tears Christ made the best wine of water the purest and most excellent joy is made of the waters of true repentance the Bee gathers the best honey off the bitterest herbs Tears are the breeders of spirituall joy When Hannah had wept she went away and was no more sad Those clouds are very uncomfortable that never have any sunshine That mourning which dies the soul all in sable viz. that hath no place for rejoycing I shall rather think it despair then true remorse The same God who hath bid us mourn hath also bid us rejoyce Phil 4.4 'T is an excellent temper to be serious yet chearfull Jesus Christ loves the sanguine complexion joy puts liveliness and activity into a Christian it oyls the wheels of the affections an heavy mind makes a dull action the joy of the Lord is your strength The pensive melancholy Christian doth disparage the glory of Heaven What will others say Here is one that speaks of things to come and of a Crown laid up but sure he doth not believe it see how sad he is what ado is here to make a child of God chearfull shall we need bid an Heire rejoyce in the Estate befallen him let me tell you You who refuse consolation are not fit persons to praise God 'T is a kind of Solecisme to praise God with a sad heart I will sing praises Psal 108. v. 1. 'T is more proper to sing praises then to weep them Rejoyce O Christian lift up thy crest triumph in the hope of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things to come it is not enough that there be joy within the firmament of a Christians heart but it must shine out in his countenance Sixth Duty If all things to come are a believers let him not envy them who have only things present God often wrings out the waters of a full cup to wicked men but there are dregs at the bottom Indeed the prosperity of sinners is a great temptation David stumbled at it and had almost fallen Psal. 73. My feet had well nigh slipt It is not matter of envy but pity to see men thrive in a way of sinne a fool is in gay cloaths but do you envy him a man under a sentence going up the ladder do you envy him They that will be rich fall into temptations and a snare 1 Tim. 6.9 Do you envy a man who is fallen into a snare wicked men have that guilt which imbitters their comforts so that they may be said to want what they have as a man who hath great possessions yet having a fit of the Stone or Gout while he is in that torment he may be said not to have them because the comfort of them is taken away A believer hath better things then these things to come Wicked men have a Crowne of unrighteousness he hath a Crown of righteousness they have robes and perhaps stained with the blood of innocents he hath the bright robe of glory Envy not the oppressour and choose none of his wayes better is sanctified adversity then successefull impiety Seventh Duty Be supported in want of spirituall comfort spiriâ—uall joy is a sweet thing 〈◊〉 is the spiced wine that 〈…〉 lips of them who are asleep to speak this is the hidden Mannah the bunch of grapes that growes upon the true vine this is the Saints banqueting stuffe how sweet is it to have Word and Spirit and Conscience speaking peace in the mouth of these three witnesses faith is confirmed But saith the poor soul that goes mourning It is not so with me I have not the Privy Seale of Heaven I want assurance Well do not give over waiting We read Iohn 6.19 the Disciples were in the ship and there arose a great storm And when they had rowed about twenty five or thirty furlongs they see Iesus This O Christian may bee thy case there is a tempest of sorrow risen in thy heart and thou hast rowed from one Ordinance to another and hast no comfort Well bee not discouraged do not give over rowing thou hast rowed but three or foure furlongs perhaps when thou hast rowed twenty five or thirty furlongs thou may'st see Jesus and have a comfortable evidence of his love but suppose thou shouldest row all thy life long and not have assurance there are twâ— things should support the heart in want of spirituall joy 1. God denies comfort to exercise grace We are impatient if we have not comfort presently and truly did we carve for our selves we should often cut the worst piece a Christian would ever bee upon Mount Tabor looking into Canaan he is loath to come downe into the valley and be in trials agonies temptations as if God could not love us except hee had us in his armes God will have us without comfort sometimes to make us row against tyde beleeve against hope Of what use were the Starres if the Sunne did alwayes shine how could patience have it's perfect work how could repentance ' if we were alwayes upon the Mount of joy Rachel is more fair but Leah is more fruitfull comfort is fair to look upon but grace is better then comfort A Christian should rather pray for a fruitfull heart then fair weather oftentimes when God lets downe comfort into the heart wee begin to let down care As it is with Musicians before they have money they will play you many a sweet lesson but as soone as you throw them down money they are gone you heare no more of them Before joy assurance oh the sweet musick of Prayer