did when CHRIST lay in the grave 4. Death is but a sleepe 1 Thess. 2. 13. Acts 7. 60. 5. CHRISTS death hath taken away the sting and sweetned it to all His Heb. 2. 15. 6. It is but a sturdy Porter opening the Doore of Eternity and letting us into Heavenâ—… A rougher passage to eternall pleasures 7. It is but like the fall of a wheat corne into the ground and dying that it may spring up afterwards more gloriously Ioh. 12. 24. 8. It is but a Departing out of this world unto the Father Ioh. 1. 31. 9. It is called in the Old Testament A gathering to their Fathers 10. Iacob made nothing of it And Israel said unto Ioseph Behold I die Gen. 48. 21. And when Iacob had made an end of commanding his sonnes he gathered up his feet into the bed and yeelded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people 9. Let us trimme our lamps betime I meane try our spirituall states for there are many foolish virgins and many thousands who for want of a true touch-stone and sound triall this way find the pit of destruction to have shut her mouth upon them irrevocably and for ever before they will acknowledge themselves to be wide of the right way to heaven I have beene often upon this argument at this time I desire onely to discover the dâ—…lusion of the greatest part by an imaginary faith and of understanding and worldly-wise men by a temporary faith and that in short For the first sort these foure Demaunds may easily discover and destroy the vanity of their spirituall selfe-cousenage and soule-deceit 1. Aske them how they came by their faith when they begun to believe c. and their ordinary answer wil be this or the like We cannot tell we are not such Atheists or so prophane but we have believed ever since we were borne we have ever trusted in CHRIST and made account of Him as our Saviour We never doubted but that He which made us will have mercy on us c. but now these poore deluded ignorants are in the meane time meere strangers to any worke of the spirit of bondage and pangs of the new-birth which would have taught them with a witnesse to have taken notice what a mighty worke and admirable change the glorious Sun of saving faith is wont to cause wheresoever it comes They could never yet sensibly and heartily cry We are uncleane we are uncleane we are sicke we are lost we are heavy-laden we are undone we die we are damn'd except we drinke of the water of life wash in that Fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleannesse and have a blessed part in the passion and purity of IESVS CHRIST c. Whereas now the true believer can tell you readily and experimentally that he was first enlightened convinced and terrified with sight sense and sorrow for sinne and so on as you shall find it Instruct. for comfort afflict Consc. pag. 324. seq But especially faire fall one good token ever when justifying faith is infused there is a thorow-sale of all 〈◊〉 The Pearle of great price will never be had except all be sold which is a matter so remarkable aâ—…d makes such a miraculous change in a man that iâ—… cannot chuse but be strongly remembred and with greatest astonishment and thâ—… even for ever both in this world and thâ—… world to come Sensuall pleasures and bosomâ—… siâ—…es are notoriously naâ—…l'd and glued to a caâ—… 〈◊〉 they are as neare and deare unto it as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dainty and delicious meat to the pâ—…te 〈◊〉 saith Zophar is sweet in his mâ—…th he hiâ—…es iâ—… under his tongue he spares it and for sakes it not but keepes it still in his mouth not onely as ordinary garments but as the most costly jewels and richest chaine Pride saith David compasseth them about as a chaine violence covereth them as a garment as the very limbes of the Body Mortifie therefore saith Paul your members which are upon earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence covetousnesse nay and as the most necessary and noble parts the right eye and the right hand If thy right eye offend thee saith CHRIST plucke it out and cast it from thee And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee yea dearer then very life it selfe to flesh and bloud For we may observe and see too often such sonnes of pleasure and slaves of lust to have no joy in this life after they have lost the joy of this life Hence it is that many times the wretched worldling being robbed one way or other of the very life of his life his wedge of gold and hoards of wealth makes an end of himselfe that the wanton missing of his lustfull aime and much desired choise finds no pleasure in this life but cuts off himself by a violent and untimely death that Achitophel being disgraced and over-top'd in a Point of Policy the crowne and pride of his worldly happinesse put his houshold in order and hang'd himselfe Well then if it be thus that parting from carnall pleasures be as painfull and vexing as if a man should pull the meat from our mouth the chaine from our necke clothes from our backe the limbes from our body the right arme from our shoulder the eyes out of our head and as the losse of our life that happy soule which bids adieu everlastingly to all earthly delights must needs take extraordinary notice and be able for ever to give a ready and most sensible account of such a mighty change and marvellous worke 2. Aske them how they keepe their faith and they will tell you they thanke GOD they are not troubled about it They find no such scruples doubts distrusts feares jealousies terrours temptations desertions wants weakenesses c. as some preciser fellowes who stand so much upon their profession strictnesse conscience and other singularities above ordinary so much talke of and take to heart They see no such necessity of running after sermons so much reading prayer poring upon precise bookes recourse to Puritan-Ministers Humiliation-daies c. They can believe quietly follow their businesse and go to Heaven without so much adoe Nay they are so farre from being troubled in any of these kinds that if any amongst them be troubled in mind and extraordinarily visited with spirituall distresse the portion many times of GODS dearest children they presently please and applaud themselves that they are free and conceive and peremptorily conclude that the afflicted is an hypocrite hath beene a more hainous sinner then others or medled too much with Scripture-businesses and divine matters But now the true believer holds the precious heavenly Iewell of justifying Faith with much adoe difficulty and doubtings He is as carefull and covetous if it be possible to preserve and save this Pearle as the worldling his gold For this purpose he passeth thorow many fore and bitter conflicts with the fiercest assaults
experience of His all sufficiency extraordinary exercise of faith sweeter taste in the Promises closer cleaving to the Word clearer sight of divine excellencies heartier longing for heavenly joyes c. One drop of which spirituall refreshing deawes distilling upon the soule even in greatest outward distresse one glimpse of such glorious inward joyes shining from the face of the Sun of salvation into the saddest heart in the darkest dungeon doth incredibly surpasse all the comfort which wife children wealth or in a word any worldly good or mortall greatnesse can possibly yeeld 4. Or in posterity by a very remarkable if not miraculous providence and care for them Consider for this purpose that GOD-fearing Prophet 2 Kings 4. who upon the matter and in the true meaning denied himselfe and forsooke all for GODS sake For he doth so also who preferres the glory of GOD the Gospell the cause of CHRIST and keeping of a good conscience before any or all earthly things holding fast unfainedly a resolution if he be put to it and times require really and actually to leave all for CHRIST This good man might have applied himselfe to the present served the times sought the Court and sate at Iezabels Table with her other temporizing trencher-chaplaines But it is said in the Text that he feared the LORD and so disdained and abhor'd to gaine by humouring greatnesse to grow rich and rise by basenesse and flattery And therefore did chuse rather to die a begger to leave his wife in debt and expose his children to the bondage of cruell creditours than any waies to make ship-wracke of a good conscience or consent and concurre to the adulterating of GODS sincere and purer worship But mark what followes rather than the wife and children of such a man who preferred GODS glory before his owne preferment shall suffer want they must be relieved by a miraculous supply as appeares in the story 5. Or in good name which is rather to be chosen than great riches saith Salomon For instance compare together Bradford and Bonner The name of that blessed man shall be of most deare and glorious memory to all that love our LORD IESVS CHRIST in sincerity untill His second comming and it is like we shall looke upon him and the rest of that royall Army of Martyrs in Queene Maries time with thoughts of extraordinary sweetnesse and love in the next world thorow all eternity But now the remembrance of that other fellow who like a bloud-thirsty Tyger made such horrible havocke of the Lambs of CHRIST shal be had in a most abhorred execrable and everlasting detestation The name of the fore-named noble Marquesse who left and and lost all with a witnesse for the Gospels sake shall be infinitely more honoured of all honest men so long as any one heavenly beame of GODS eternal truth shall shine upon earth than his uncles Paul the fourth or all that Rope of Popes from the first rising to the finall ruine of that Man of sinne Nay theirs shall rot everlastingly but his shall re-flourish with sweetnesse and fresh admiration to the worlds end 2. That to die is but to be once done and if we erre in that one action we are undone everlastingly And therefore have thine end ever in thine eye Let all our abilities businesses and whole being in this life let all our thoughts words actions referre to this one thing which as it shall be well or ill ended is attended either with endlesse plagues or pleasures with eternity of flames or felicity 3. That thou maist looke upon thy last bed tobe full sorely terribly assaulted by the king of feare accompanied with all his abhorred horrours and stinging dread by the fearefull sight of all thy former sinnes arrayed and armed in their grisliest formes and with their fieriest stings with the utmost craft and cruelty of all the powers of darknesse and the very powder-plot of the prince of hell that roaring Lion who hath industriously laboured to devoure thy soule all thy life long with the terrour of that just and last Tribunall 〈◊〉 which thou 〈◊〉 ready to passe to reckon precisely with Almighty GOD for all things done in the flesh What manner of man ought thou to be 〈◊〉 iâ—… the meane time in all holy care fore-cast and casâ—…g about to give up thine account 〈◊〉 comfort at that dreadfull houre Be so farre from deserring repentance in this Day of visitation and patting off till that time For how canst thou possibly attend so great a busines when thou art beset with such a world of wofull worke and hellish rage That â—…hou â—…hould est in this thy day like a sonne of wisdome constantly ply and improove all opportunities occasions offers every moment Ministry mercy motions of the Spirit checks of conscience corrections temptations c. To store thy selfe richly with spirituall strength against that last encounter and of highest consequence either for eternall happinesse or unconceiveable horrour 4. That thy body when the soule is gone wil be an horrour to all that behold it a most loathsome and abhorred spectacle Those that loved it most cannot now find in their hearts to looke onâ—… by reason of the griesly dâ—…formednesse which death will put upon it Downe it must into a pit of carions and confusion covered with wormes not able to wagg so much as a little finger to remoove the vermine that feed and gnaw upon its flesh and so moulder away into rottennesse and dust And therefore let us never for the temporary transitory ease pleasure and pampering of a râ—…inous and rotten carkasse bring everlasting misery upon our immortall soules Let us never for a little sensuall short and vanishing delight flowing from the three filthy puddles of the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life drowne both our bodies and soules in a dungeon shall I say nay in a boyling sea of fire and brimstone where we can see no banks nor feele no bottome 5. That when the soule departs this life it carries nothing away with it but grace GODS favour and a good conscience The Sun of all worldly greatnesse prosperity and joy then sets for ever Even Crownes Kingdomes Lands Livings and all earthly Possessions are everlastingly left And what will an immortall soule destitute of divine grace do then Then will that now newly-separated soule finding no spirituall store or provision laid up in this life against the evill day with an irksome and furious reflexion looke backe upon all its time spent in the flesh and beholding there nothing but abominations guiltinesse and sinne Presently awakes the never dying worme which having formerly had its mouth stopt with carnall delights and musâ—…'d up with outward mirth will now feed upon it with horrour anguish and desperare rage world without end O then let these precious deare everlasting things breath'd into our Bodies for a short abode in this Vale of teares by the
Heaven About HELL Consider 1. The Paine of losse Privation of GODS glorious presence and eternall separation from those everlasting joyes felicities and blisse above is the more horrible part of hell as Divines affirme There are two parts say they of hellish torments 1. Paine of losse and 2. Paine of sense but a sensible and serious contemplation of that inestimable and unrecoverable losse doth incomparably more afflict an understanding soule indeed than all those punishments tortures and extremest sufferings of sense It is the constant and concurrent judgement of the ancient Fathers that the torments and miseries of many hels come farre short are nothing to the shutting out everlastingly from the kingdome heaven and unhappy banishment from the beatificall vision of the most soveraigne onely and chiefest Good the thrice-glorious Iehovah blessed for ever For by how much the degrees of infinite good and happinesse in GOD exceed the finite wickednesse and misery of men by so much greater is the sorrow and griefe being rightly conceived for the losse of that than for the sense of this Assure then thy selfe before-hand though thou little thinke so in the meane time the losse but of the least raye of that Sun-like resplendent Body we should have in heaven but of a taste of those over-flowing rivers of pleasure and un-utterable blisse of that happy soule which should dwell in such a Body but of one foot-breadth of the pavement of the Empyrean Heaven to which the Starry Firmament is but a Porch or out-house but one houres company with all the crowned Saints and glorious inhabitants of that happy Place but of one glaunce upon the glorified Body of IESVS CHRIST but of one glimpse of that unapproachable Light and Iehovahs face in glory I say the losse but of any one of these would be a far dearer and more unvaluable losse than that of ten thousand worlds were they all compos'd of purest gold and brim-full with richest jewels What will it be then think you to loose all these nay the full and absolute fruition of all heavenly excellencies beauties glories pleasures and perfections and that eternally I know full well that carnall conceipts and worldly-wise men will wonder at this For having no sight but by sensuall eyes they cannot possibly apprehend or will by any meanes acknowledge any such thing Eagle-ey'd they are and sharpe-sighted enough into things of earth yet blinder than a mole as they say in beholding any spirituall or celestiall beauty But had we but the eyes of Austin Basill Chrysostome and some other holy Fathers and why should not ours be clearer and brighter considering the greater splendour and illustriousnesse of divine knowledge in these times we should easily confesse that the farre greatest and indeed most unconceiveable griefe would be to be severed for ever from the highest and supreme Good And that a thousand thousand rentings of the soule from the body were infinitely lesse than one of the soule from GOD. Nicostratus in Aelian himselfe being a cunning artisan finding a curious peece of worke and being wondred at by one and ask'd what pleasure he could take to stand as he did still gazing on the picture answered Hadst thou mine eyes my friend thou wouldest not wonder but rather be ravished as I am at the inimitable art of this rare and admired peece It is proportionably so in the present Point Or were we vouchsafed but one moment of Pauls heavenly rapture that we might sâ—…e but a glimpse of that insiniâ—…e glory and drinke but one drop of those ever-springing Fountaines of joy then should we freely acknowledge and feele the truth of what I say and that all I say comes farre short of what we shall find If it be so then that the losse of the presence of GOD and endlesse pleasures be so painefull irrecoverable and inestimable and that it hath beene many times made manifest unto you by Scriptures Fathers Reasons convincing familiar easie resemblances and the same also appeares and may be clearely concluded by the third exhortation before the Sacrament in the Common Prayer Booke to wit that living and lying wittingly and willingly in any one sinne against conscience robs us of all these infinite ever-during unutterable joyes and beatificall vision and fruition of GOD Himselfe for ever I say sith it is both thus and thus Let every one of us in the name and feare of GOD as we would not for a few 〈◊〉 pleasures nay sometimes one vile lust in this vale of teares for an inch of time lose 〈◊〉 knowne delights thorow all eternity in another world with an unshaken invincible resolution oppose all sorts and assaults of sinne with all motions enticements and temptations thereunto Let us hold with holy Chrysostome That it is worse and a more wofull thing to offend CHRIST than to be vexed with the miseries of hell Let us professe with Anselme That if we should see the hatefulnesse of sinne on the one side and the horrour of hell on the other and must necessarily fall into the one we would rather choose hell tâ—…an siâ—… It is reported also of Edmund his successor that he was wont to say I will rather leape into the siery lake than knowingly commit any sinne against GOD. Let us resolve with another of the Ancients Rather to be torne in peeces with wild horses than wittingly and willingly commit any sin See for this purpose twenty curbing Considerations to keepe from sin Instr. for comf afflict Consc. pag. 108. 2. The Paine of sense The extremity exquisitenesse and eternity whereof no tongue can possibly expresse or heart conceive Consider before hand what an unspeakable misery it would be and yet it would not be so much as a slea biting to this to lie everlastingly in a red hot scorching fire deprived of all possibility of dying or being ever consum'd I have some where read of the horrid execution of a Traitour in this manner being naked he was chained fast to a chaire of brasse or some other such metall that would burne most furiously being fil'd with fiery heat about which was made a mighty fire that by little and little caused the chaire to be red and raging hot so that the miserable man roared hideously many houres for extremest anguish and so expired But what an horrible thing had it beene to havelien in that dreadfull torment eternally And yet all this is nothing For if the blacke fire of hell be truly corporall and taken properly as some of the Fathers suppose yet it is such say they that as farre passeth our ordinary hottest fire as ours exceeds the fire painted upon the wall And it must be so I meane as farre surpasse our most furious ordinary sire immeasurably unconceiveably in degrees of heat and fiercenesse of burning For the one was created for comfort the other purposely to torment the one is made by the hand of man the other tempered by the angry arme
the longest line of eternity In which respect also our condition is a thousand times more happy and glorious than if we had stood still with Adam in his innocency and felicity If so he could but have conveighed unto us bodies immortall potentiâ non moriendi ex Hypothesi as they say that is endowed onely with power of not dying if so and so but now they shall be immortall impotentiâ moriendi that is shine for ever in the highest heavens with impossibility of ever perishing 2. Incorruptiblenesse 1 Corinth 15. 42. 54. For every glorified body shall for ever be utterly impassible and un-impressionable with any corruptive quality action or alteration Whether 1. By the power of some peculiar glorifying endowment implanted in the body or redounding from the soule upon the body for that purpose Or 2. From an exquisite temper and harmony of the Elementary qualities freed everlastingly from all possibility of any angry contrariety and combate Or 3. Which seemeth most probable and approoved by the learned'st Schoole-men from an exact subjection of the body to the soule as of the soule to GOD I say whether so or so I doe not here enquire or contend but leave all alterations in this kinde to the curious disquisitions of such idle and ill-exercis'd Divines The testimony of GODS never-erring Spirit in the cited place is more than infinitely sufficient to assure every Christian heart that our raised bodies reformed by the All-mighty glorious hand of GOD shall never more be exposed to violence or hurt from any externall agent or obnoxious to the least disposition towards any inward decay putrefaction or dissolution 3. Potency 1 Corinth 15. 43. Our soules are in nature substance and immateriality like the Angels of GOD One of which killed in one night an hundred fourescore and five thousand 2 Kings 19. 35. And therefore little know we though the edges excellency and executions may be dul'd and drown'd in our heavy fraile sinfull bodies of what might and power they may be originally But then when to the soules native strength there is an addition of glorifying vigour and GODS mighty Spirits more plentifull inhabitation and it shall also put on a body which brings with it besides its owne peculiar inherent power an exact serviceablenesse and sufficiency apted and apportion'd to the soules highest abilities and executions how incredibly powerfull and mighty may we suppose a Saint in heaven shal be 4. Spiritualnesse 1 Cor. 15. 44. Not that our bodies shall be turned into spirits but imployed spiritually Or more fully thus 1. Because they shal be fully possessed with the Spirit which dwelling primarily and above measure in CHRIST our head is communicated from Him to us His members so that then we shall no more live by our animall faculty nor need for preservation of life meat drinke sleepe clothing physicke or the former naturall helpes In which respect they cease to be naturall bodies being freed from those animall faculties of nourishing increasing and multiplying by generation They shall no more live by vertue of food and nourishment thrice concocted first in the stomach c. but shal be spirituall and heavenly living without all these helpes as the Angels in heaven do 2. Because they shall in all things become subject to the Spirit of GOD and be wholly perfectly and willingly guided by Him with a spirituall Angelicall most absolute and free obedience As the spirit serving the flesh may not unfitly be called carnall so the body obedient to the soule saith Austin is rightly termed spirituall 3. By reason of their activenesse nimblenesse agility whereby they shal be able to moove from place to place with incredible swiftnesse and speed not being at all hindered by their weight An heavy lumpe of lead that sinkes now to the bottome being wire-drawne as it were by the workman into the forme of a boat will swimme saith Austin And shall not GOD give that ability to our bodies which the Artificer doth to the lead c. Here some of the Schoolemen moove an idle unnecessary question to wit Whether glorified Bodies moove from place to place in an instant For they may well know out of the Principles in Philosophy and Rules of sound reason that it is utterly impossible and implies contradiction That a body should in an instant be in many places at once But if a glorified body moove from place to place in an instant it will necessarily follow that the same body is in an instant In termino à quo locis intermedijs termino ad quem simul in the beginning middle and end of the space thorow which it passeth at once which is more than utterly impossible and quite destroyes the nature of a true Body I would rather interpret those words of Austin Certè ubi volet spiritus ibi protinus â—…rit corpus the body will presently be there where the soule would have it of extraordinary speed and incredibly short time Aquinas cals it imperceptible So that I doubt not but that a glorified Saint desiring to be in such or such a place a thousand miles off after the very first bent of his will that way would be there in an incredibly lesse time than thou wouldest imagine 5. Glory 1 Corinth 15. 43. The bodies of the Saints in heaven shal be passingly beautifull shining and amiable Two things according to Austin concurre to the constitution of beauty 1. A due and comely proportion an apt and congruent symmetry and mutuall correspondency of all the parts of the body or in a word well-favourednesse 2. Amiablenesse of colour a pleasing mixture of those two lively colours of white and red I add a third 3. A cheerfull lively light some aspect When the two former materials as it were are pleasantly enliv'd and actuated by a lively quicknesse and modest merrinesse of countenance Whereupon saith the Moralist it is not the red and white which giveth the life and perfection of beauty but certaine sparkling notes and touches of amiable cheerefulnesse accompanying the same In beauty saith another that of favour is more than that of colour and that of decent pleasing motion more than that of favour That is the best part of beauty which a picture cannot expresse c. All these concurre in eminency and excellency in glorified bodies 1. An exquisite feature and stature beautified by GODS owne blessed all-mighty hand with the utmost of created comlinesse and matchlesse proportion 2. Not onely sweetest mixture of liveliest colours but also a bright shining splendour of celestiall glory 3. And both these actuated to the life preserved in perpetuall freshnesse and oriency and quickened still with new supply of heavenly activenesse and amiablenesse by a more glorious soule for if the brightnesse of the body shall match the light of the Sun what do you thinke will be the glory of the soule and by an infinitely more glorious spirit which shall plentifully
against the Ministery c. which trouble Israel are the true causes of all Dissentions and disquietnesse and bring upon us all these plagues and judgements which any way afflict us A godly Minister stands at staves end with all the world and hath the most enemies of any man He must warre not onely with desperate swaggerers and notorious sinners but also with civill honest men formall Professors counterfeit Christians unsound converts relapsed creatures c. 5. Lastly That particular person whom it pleases the LORD to sanctifie and set apart for his service hath good experience of Satans fury and rage against sincerity and grace there is not a man that passeth out of the powers of darkenesse and Satans bondage by the power of the word but he presently pursues him farre more furiously then ever Pharaoh did the Israelites to recover and regaine him into his kingdome See my discourse of Happinesse pag. 60. Thus I have given you a taste of the Divells malice and machinations against the light of the Gospell the power of GODS truth and the Ministery of the Word now you must understand that worldly wisdome is his very righthand nearest counsellor and chiefest champion in all these mischievous plots and furious outrages against GOD and goodnesse This hath beene more then manifest in all ages of the Church In those great Politicians the Scribes and Pharisees in the States-men of Rome in our times and amongst us daily worldly-wise men that are only guided by carnall reason they imploy their wit their power their malice their friends their under-hand dealings their policy and their purses too unlesse they be too covetous to hinder stop disgrace and slander the passage of a conscionable Ministery and the Messengers of Almighty GOD of whom the LORD hath said Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme Psal. 105. 15. They ever imitate and follow to a haires bredth their Father the Divell in malice and practise against grace and good men except sometimes they forbeare for a time for advantage for reputation or such other by-respects and private ends except naturally they be extraordinarily ingenuous and of very loving and kinde naturall dispositions or bee restrained by feare of some remarkable judgement from persecution of the Ministers 2. As worldly wisdome is divelish as Saint Iames calls it and ever mixed with a spice of Hellish malice and virulency against the Kingdome of CHRIST so it is also earthly for it mindes onely earthly things and though that casts beyond the Moone for matters of the world yet it hath not an inch of forecast for the world to come But though a man be to passe perhaps the next day nay the next houre nay the next moment to that dreadfull Tribunall of GOD and to an unavoideable everlasting estate in another world either in the joyes of heaven or in the paines of hell yet it so glues and nailes his hopes desires projects and resolutions to transitory pelfe and things of this life as though both body and soule at their dissolution should be wholly and everlastingly resolved and turned into earth dust or nothing To give you a taste of this earthlinesse of worldly wisdome give me a worldly-wise man and 1. Put him into discourse of the affaires of the world and the businesse of his calling and you shall find him profound and deepe in this argument able to speake well and to the purpose if it were a whole day and that with dexterity and cheerfulnesse But divert his discourse a little and turne him into talke of matters of heaven of the great mystery of godlinesse the secrets of sanctification cases of conscience and such like holy conference and you shall find him to be a very infant an ideot it may be he may say something of the generall points of Religion of matters in controversie of the meaning of some places in Scripture but come to conferre of practicall dignity experimentall knowledge passages of Christianity and practices of grace and you shall find him and he shall shew himselfe to be able to say just nothing with feeling and comfort many a poore neglected Christian which in the spirit of disdainfulnesse and out of the pride of his carnall wisdome he tramples upon with contempt and would scorne to be matcht with in other matters yet would infinitely surpasse him in this case quite put him downe that he would have nothing to say 2. Let him come to some great personage with a suit to intreat his favour and countenance or to give him thanks for some former good turn and he will be able to speake well plausibly pleasingly persuasively and seasonably but put him to pray in his family unto Almighty GOD for the pardon of his sins and a crowne of life for the remoovall of damnation and an everlasting curse to powre out his soule in thankfulnesse for every good thing he enjoyeth for he holds all from Him and such a wise man which is strange and fearefull in a businesse of so great weight will not be able to speake scarce one wise word without a booke 3. Come into his family examine the estate of his house you shall find all things in good order every affaire marshalled and disposed for the best advantage a provident fore-cast and present provision of things necessary for their bodies Every one busie in their severall imployments and carefull in the workes of their calling but search also into the estate of their soules what heavenly food is ministred for their spirituall life how the Sabbath is sanctified among them how it stands with them for houshold-instructions and family-exercises c. And GOD knowes in that regard that way there is no providence at all no care no conscience about any such matters Walke also amongst his husbandry you shall find his arable carefully dunged tilled and sowne his pastures well mounded bankt and trencht his trees pruned his gardens weeded his cattell watchfully tended but inquire into the spirituall husbandry at home in his owne conscience and you shall find his heart over-growne with sinne as the wildest wast with thistles and briars no fence to keepe the Devill out of his soule many noysome lusts growing thick and ranke like so many nettles and brambles to be cut downe and cast into the fire so that his silliest lambe and poorest pig is in a thousand times more happie ease then himselfe the owner and well were he if his last end might be like theirs that is that his immortall soule might dye with his body but that cannot be except in the meane time he repent and renounce his carnall reason hee must be destroyed with an everlasting perdition from the presence of GOD and from the glory of His power 4. Consider His care and affection towards His children you shall finde that to be all earth for whereas perhaps with farrelesse toyle and travaile by the mercies of GOD by teaching them the feare of GOD instructing them in the wayes of
is a right noble and heroicall revenge which doth not onely deprive the body of temporall life but bring also the immortall soule to endlesse flames everlastingly 3. Desperate corrupt affection is strangely desperate to run headlong upon the damnation of hell for a little earthly delight if we should see a naked man in some furious moode as prodigall of his temporall life runne upon his owne sword or throw himselfe from some steep rocke or cast himselfe into some deep river and teare out his owne bowels we should censure it presently to be a very desperate part and ruefull spectacle what shall we say of him then who thorough the fury of his rebellious nature to the endlesse destruction of the life of his immortall soule doth desperatly throw himselfe upon the devouring edge of GODS fiercest indignation upon the sharpest points of all the plagues and curses in his Booke and into the very flames of everlasting fire It is a very fearefull thing to see a man bath and embrue his hands in the blood and butchery of his owne body and with his murderous blade to take away the life thereof but of how much more horrour and wofulnesse is that spectacle when a desperate wretch with the empoysoned edge of his owne enraged corruption doth cut the throat of his owne deare immortall soule so that a man may teach him all his life long by the blood thereof in the sinfull passages of his life untill at length it bee stark dead in sinnes and trespasses for how can a soule all purple red with willfull sheading its own blood looke for any part in that pretious blood of that spotles lambe Nay assuredly such bloody stubbornnes and selfe-murthering cruelty will be paid home at last by the severe revenger of such cursed desperatnesse Hee will judge such a man after the manner of them that shed their owne blood and give him the blood of wrath and of jealousie Lord it is prodigiously strange and lamentably fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man prince of all other earthly creatures by the priviledge of reason and enlightned with the glorious beame of understanding nature should be so furiously madded with its owne malice and bewitchedly blindfolded by the Prince which rules in the Aire as for the momentany enjoyment of some fewglorious miseries bitter-sweet pleasures heart-vexing riches or some other worldly vanity at the best desperatly and wilfully to abandon and cast himselfe from the unconceivable pleasures of its joyfull place where GOD dwels into an infinite world of everlasting woefulnesse For let a carnall man consider in a word his prodigious madnesse in this point He might not onely in this vale of teares bee possest with a peacefull heart which is an incomparable pretiousnesse surpassing all created understandings For I dare say this I know it to bee true One little glimpse of Heaven shed sometimes into the heart of a sanctified man by the saving illumination of the comforting spirit whereby he sees and feeles that in despight of the rage of divels malice of men let sin and death the grave and hell doe their worst his soule is most certainely bound by the hand of GOD in the bundle of the living and that hee shall hereafter everlastingly inhabite the joyes of eternity I say this one conceit being the immediate certificate of the spirit of truth doth infinitely more refresh his affections and affect his heart with more true sweetnesse and tastfull pleasure then all carnall delights and sensuall delicacies can possibly produce though they were as exquisite and numberlesse as nature art and pleasure it selfe could devise and to be enjoyed securely as long as the world lasts Besides this heaven upon earth and glorious happinesse even in this world he might hereafter go in arme with Angels sit downe by the side of the blessed Trinity amongst Saints and Angels and all the truly worthy men that ever lived with the highest perfection of blisse endlesse peace and blessed immortality all the joyes all the glory all the blisse which lies within the compasse of heaven should be powred upon him everlastingly and yet for all this he doth not onely in a spirituall phrensie desperately deprive himselfe and trample under foot this heaven upon earth and that joyfull rest in heaven world without end but also throwes himselfe into a hell of ill conscience here and hereafter into that hell of Devils which is a place of flames and perpetuall darknesse where there is torment without end and past imagination The day will come and the LORD knowes how soone when he will clearely see and acknowledge with horrible anguish of heart his strange and desperate madnesse See Wisd. 5. 2 c. For after the moment of a few miserable pleasures in this life be ended he is presently plunged into the fiery lake and ere he be aware the pit of destruction shutteth upon him everlastingly and if once he find himselfe in hell he knowes there is no redemption out of that infernall pit then would he think himselfe happy if he were to suffer those bitter and intolerable torments no mo thousands of yeares than there are sands on the sea shore haires on his head starres in heaven grasse piles on the ground and creatures both in heaven and earth for he would still comfort himselfe at least with this thought that once his misery would have an end but alas this word never doth ever burst his heart with unexpressible sorrow when he thinks upon it for after an hundred thousand of millions of yeares there suffered he hath as farre to suffer as he had at the first day of his entrance into those endlesse torments now let a man consider if he should lie in an extreme fit of the stone or a woman if she should be afflicted with the grievous torture of child-bed but one night though they lie upon the softest beds have their friends about them to comfort them Physitians to cure them all needfull things ministred unto them to asswage their paine yet how tedious painfull and wearisome would even one night seeme unto them how would they turne and tosse themselves from side to side telling the clocke counting every houre as it passeth which would seeme unto them a whole day What is it then think you to lie in fire and brimstone inflamed with the unquenchable wrath of GOD world without end Where they shall have nothing about them but darknesse and discomforts yellings and gnashings of teeth their companions in prophanenesse and vanity to ban and curse them the damned fiends of hell to scourge them and torment them despaire and the worme that never dies to feed upon them with everlasting horrour If carnall wretches be so desperate as wilfully to spill the bloud of their owne soules let us set light by the life of our bodies if the cruelty of the times call for it for the honour of the Saviour of our soules Let me give one instance of dangerous snares
honours offices extraordinary advancements and royall favours into gall and wormewood And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the Banquet that she had prepared but my selfe and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the King Yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate Whereas now David a King as I told you before by the benefit of this blessed grace did not suffer his Princely spirit to be un-calmed at all no not by the traiterous and most intolerable reviling of a dead dog and his baseft vassall 2. Keepe off thy heart from the world in the greatest affluence of wealth and worldly prosperity Earthly-mindednesse ever sharpeneth and keenes the sting in all distresses It gives teeth to the crosse to eat out the very heart of the afflicted Had not Iob beene able to have professed that in the height of his happinesse he was thus affected If I have made gold my hope or have said to the â—…ine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much Here say Divines somthing is understood as dispeream then let me perish or the like If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse And my heart hath beene secretly entised or my mouth hath kissed my hand Then should I have denied the GOD that is above If I grew proud puft up or pleased my selfe with the glistering brightnesse of my earthly abundance let it be so and so with me I say except Iobs heart had beene thus wained from the world when as yet he wallowed in wealth he had never been able to hold out in the evill day and to have borne so bravely the ruine of so rich a state without repining But now churlish Nabal whose affections were notoriously nail'd to the earth though perhaps once or twice a yeare he made a joviall and frolicke feast as other cunning worldlings are wont to their good-fellow-companions upon purpose to procure and preserve a Pharisaicall reputation of bounty with some flattering dependants and for a cloke to colour their covetousnesse and cruelty yet he was of a â—…linty bosome in respect of doggednesse and extreme niggardise especially towards GODS people and his heart by excessive rooting there was turned wholly into earth and therefore in the evill day it died within him and he became as a stone To keepe off the world in a fit distance that it do thee no deadly hurt and undoe thee quite keepe still fresh and strong in thy thoughts a true estimate and right conceipt of the mutability of all things here below and thine owne mortality In their best condition and highest confluence they are but 1. Vanity We shall never â—…ind in them any solidity or that good or comfort which we still with much eager pursuit and thirst expect and labour in vaine to extract from them but upon triall and trust in them they will ever proove empty clouds broken staves of reed Appâ—…s of Sodom Wells without water And when we graspe them most greedily we embrace nothing but smoke which wrings teares from our eyes and vanisheth into nothing 2 Vexation of spirit Besides the emptinesse and absence of that imaginary felicity which we hunt after in them there is also the presence and plenty of much 〈◊〉 and hearts griese which the slaves of pleasure and lovers of the world little looke for when they at first resolve to sell their soules for such transitory trash Divitias invenisti saith one Requiem perdidisti Hast thou found riches Thou hast lost thy rest A man that will be rich takes no more rest than one upon a racke or bed of thornes like Anacreon with his five Talents still distracted with worldly thoughts and continually prickt with cares and feares 3. They cannot satisfie the soule Gold can no more fill the spirit of a man than grace his purse Betweene heaven and earth spirits and bodies soules and silver there is no proportion And therefore no earthly excellencies no carnall pleasures no worldly treasures are fit matter or a full object for such an immateriall immortall and heavenly borne-being to feed upon with any proper delight true comfort or sound contentment Not all this great materiall world or greatest masse of gold can possibly fill the mighty capacity and immeasurable appetite of this little sparke of heaven breath'd into us by the infinite power of an Almighty hand A man may as well fill a bag with wisedome as the soule with the world a chest with vertues as the mind with wealth 4. They cannot helpe in the evill day Their bloud saith the Prophet shal be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dung neither their silver nor their gold shal be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS wrath Put a man into a pang of any painefull maladie and bodily torture as into a fit of the Stone Strangury deepe Melancholy Gout Cholicke or the like let some incurable devouring Ulcer Canker Elephantiasis the Wolfe the Plica c. take hold upon any part of his Body and let him tell me then what account he would make of all the Imperiall Crownes upon earth attended with the height and utmost of humane felicities Or what comfort could he take in the riches glory and pleasures of the whole world Or what ease and refreshing can large possessions sumptuous buildings pleasant walks princely favours dainty fare choisest delights or any thing under the Sun afford in such a case The very pricke of a needle or paine of a tooth for the time will take away the taste of all carnall contentments and pleasure of the worlds Monarchy If the LORD should let loose the cord of thy conscience and set His just and deserved wrath a worke to enkindle flames of horrour in thy heart what helpe couldest thou have in heapes of gold or hoards of wealth Remember Spira They would be so â—…rre from healing the wound or allaying the smart that they would yet more horribly afflict thy already enraged spirit and turne them even into fiery Scorpions for thy further torment Let thy last sicknesse seize upon thee and then say for the houre of death as they say is the houre of truth whether all the gold and goods in the world can any more deliver thee from the Arrest of that inexorable Serjeant than can an handfull of dust Nay whether then the extremity of thy spirituall affliction and anguish of soule will not be answerable to the former excesse of thine inordinate affection to earthly things and delights of sense Or suppose thou shouldest be
and fieriest darts of the Devill for he knowes full well that that is the arme and power of GOD unto us for all sound comfort and spirituall well-being and therefore he is most furious to weaken us there with infinite gaine-sayings and temptations of our inbred insidelity native ignorance diffidence wisdome of the flesh our owne sense and feeling and a world of oppositions continually He is driven many and many a time to the Throne of Grace with prayers teares and strongest wrastlings for auxiliary forces and renewed strength O how often doth he resort with extremest thirst and dearest longings to all the blessed Fountaines that feed his faith the person of CHRIST His meritorious bloud the Promises GODS freest love His sweetest name the covenant of grace all the Ordinances those Ones of a thousand who are able to discover both the depths of the Devill and the mysteries of Evangelicall mercy c. and for all this is glad many times to say unto his GOD Though Thou slay me yet will I trust in Thee LORD I believe helpe Thou mine unbeliefe c. The difference then stands thus They hold it the easiest thing of a thousand but he finds it the hardest matter in the world To believe 3. Aske them what it hath wrought upon them and they cannot give an account of any alteration to any purpose or sanctification at all Imaginary Faith is but an idle Idea a naked Notion a meere fancy a groundlesse presumption and true dreame and therefore it is not active or productive of any reall effects or true religiousnesse But now saving â—…aith doth ever beget a blessed change in the whole man body soule spirit calling company converâ—… â—… â—…f any man be in CHRIST he is a new creature Old things are passed away Behold all things are new It is ever attended with those three great works of grace 1. An universall repentance and returne from all sinnes from grosse ones in practice and action and from the most unavoidable infirmities at least in allowance and affection 2. An universall sanctification in all the parts and powers of body and soule though not in height of degree yet without exception of parts 3. An universall obedience to all GODS commands though not to perfection yet in sincerity and truth and with an heavenly traine of glorious graces love hope vertue knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindnesse charity joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse meeknesse c. And even in the lowest ebbe and greatest weakenesse it is ever wont to discover it selfe at least by poverty of spirit hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse striving against doubting bitter complaints for want of former feelings industrious seeking to be setled in believing earnest and greedy longing after grace highly prizing the LORD IESVS and preferring Him infinitely before all the pleasures profits and felicities of this life resolving rather to die ten thousand deaths than to returne any more to folly selfe-deniall contempt of the world care to search out the sin that may possibly hinder comfort and be rid of it continuall watchfulnesse and holy jealousie lest we should be deceived and faithfull labouring to subdue corruption 4. Fourthly aske them How they prize the object they apprehend imaginarily for it is no better and it is but thus If you were able to assure them of wallowing in all worldly pleasures with constant health and immortality upon earth they would with all their hearts part with all their hope of heaven hereafter For they are yet but carnall though selfe-confident But now the divinenesse and excellency of spirituall delights which justifying Faith doth extract from the Objects about which it is exercis'd doth so affect and ravish the heart of the true Believer that well advised in cold bloud and out of temptation he holds all the corporall felicities of ten thousand worlds even world without end in comparison of them but as drosse and dung and dust in the ballance Our part in the person of CHRIST with the purchases of His dearest bloud and possession of the Deity blessed for ever by His meanes do more than infinitely transcend the utmost of all earthly contentments rais'd above the highest possibility by the most inventive and strongest imagination and to be enjoyed thorow a thousand eternities The second sort which are a generation of more understanding men stand thus for their spirituall state and thus fearefully couzen their own soules and come short of salvation They assay indeed to be religious give up their names to Profession and would go to heaven with all their hearts so farre as the way holds with enjoyment of temporall happinesse and therefore they put on a forme of godlinesse and faire out-side furnish themselves with an artificiall habit of talking well take part in all companies with the better side follow and frequent Sermons with good forwardnesse set up prayer and other religious exercises in their families put themselves upon daies of humiliation leave many sinnes do many things hold an universall outward conformity to all the ordinances and divine Duties at the instance of the Ministry And if they be of ability countenance godly Preachers stand for them and entertaine them into their houses with much affectionatenesse and bounty especially such as perhaps by reason of too much charity unacquaintednesse with their wayes lothnesse to be accounted too pragmaticall and rough or something comply with them in a false conceipt of their spirituall well-being c. But presse them further over and besides all this to the heart and life of religion to the power and pith of godlinesse crucifying of their corruptions strangling their lusts mastering their passions parting with all sinne unfashioning them to the times abandoning for ever their darling pleasure deniall of themselves contempt of the world daily walking with GOD delight in the way of holinesse an holy keeping of the LORDS day fruitfulnesse in all good workes living by faith an uncowardly opposition to the iniquities of the present c. which they well know wil be necessarily accompanied with Drunkards songs railings of the basest discountenance from ungodly greatnesse the worlds deadliest enmity speaking against every where c. O then you strike them starke dead on the nest as they say These are hard speeches very harsh grating and ungratefull to their eares and go to their very hearts and therefore in such Points as these pressing more precisenesse you may as well remoove a mountaine of brasse with your little finger as stirre them an inch Say what you will and preach out your heart as they say they will no further Thus farre as they go already shall either serve their turne for salvation or they will venture their soules with thousands that are worse than themselves They pitch upon a safe wise moderate and discreet temper of religion as they conceive and call it and neither desire or endeavour to go any further or grow any better A faire day
of almighty GOD with all terrible and torturing ingredients to make it most fierce and raging and a sit instrument for so great and mighty a GOD to torment everlastingly such impenitent reprobate rebels It is said to be prepared Matth. 2â—… 41. Isa. 30. 33. as if the all-powerfull wisdome did deliberate and as it were sit downe and devise most tormenting temper for that most formidable fire the one is blowne by an aiery breath the other by the angry breath of the great GOD which burnes farre hotter than ten thousand rivers of brimstone The pile thereof saith the Prophet is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it What soule doth not quake and melt with thought of this fire at which the very Devils tremble There is no proportion betweene the heat of our breath and the fire that it blowes What a fearefull fire then is that which is blowne by a breath dissolved into brimstone which a great torrent of burning brimstone doth ever mightily blow If it be metaphoricall as Austin seemes some where to intimate and some moderne Divines are of mind and as the gold pearles and precious stones of the wall streets and gates of the heavenly Ierusalem Rev. 21. were metaphoricall so likewise it should seeme that the fire of hell should also be figurative And if it be so it is yet something els that is much more terrible and intolerable For as the Spirit of GOD to shadow unto us the glory of heaven doth name the most pretious excellent and glorious things in this life which notwithstanding come infinitely short so doth He intimate unto us the inexplicable paiâ—…es of hell by things most terrible and tormenting in this world fire brimstone c. which yet are nothing to hâ—…llish tortures Whether therefore it be materiall or metaphoricall I purpose not here to dispute or go about to determine neither is it much materiall for my purpose For be it whether it will it is infinitely horrible and insâ—…fferable beyond all compasse of conceipt and above the reach either of humane or Angelicall thoughts It doth not onely exceed with an incomparable disproportion â—…ll possibility of patience and resistance but also even ability to beare it and yet notwithstanding it must upon necessity be borne so long as GOD is GOD. Take in a word all that I intend to tell you in the point at this time If the severall paines of all the diseases and maladies incident to our nature as of the stone gout colicke strangury or what other you can name most afflicting the body nay and add besides all the most exquisite and unheard of tortures and if you will even those of the Spanish Inquisition which ever were or shal be inflicted upon miserable men by the bloudiest executioners of the greatest tyrants as that of him in the brazen chaire mentioned before c. and collect them all into one extremest anguish and yet it were nothing to the torment which shall for ever possesse and plague the least part of a damned body And as for the soule let all the griefes horrours and despaires that ever rent in peeces any heavy heart and vexed conscience as of Iudas Spira c. And let them all be heaped together into one extremest horrour and yet it would come infinitely short of that desperate rage and restlesse anguish which shall eternally torture the least and lowest faculty of the soule What then do you think wil be the torment of the whole body What wil be the terrour of the whole soule Here both invention of words would faile the ablest Oratour upon earth or the highest Angell in heaven Ah then is it not a madnesse above admiration and which may justly amaze both heaven and earth and be a prodigious astonishment to all creatures that being reasonable creatures having understanding like the Angels of GOD eyes in your heads to fore-see the approaching wrath hearts in your bodies that can tremble for trouble of mind as the leaves of the forrest that are shaken with the wind consciences capable of unspeakable horrour bodies and soules that can burne for ever in hell and may by taking lesse paines in the right way than a drunkard worldling or other wicked men in the wayes of death and going to hell escape everlasting paines yet will sit here still in the face of the Ministry with dead countenances dull eares and hard hearts as senslesse and unmooved as the seates you sit on the pillars you leane to and the dead bodies you tread on and never be said as they say never warn'd untill the fire of that infernall lake flame about your eares O monstrous madnesse and mercilesse cruelty to your owne soules Let the Angels blush heaven and earth be amaz'd and all the creatures stand astonished at it 3. When sentence is once irrevocably past by that high and everlasting Iudge and the mouth of the bottomlesse pit hath shut it selfe upon thee with that infinite anguish and enraged indignation thou wilt take on teare thy haire bite thy nailes gnash the teeth dig furiously into the very fountaine of life and if it were possible spit out thy bowels because having by a miracle of mercy beene blessed all thy life long in this gloriously illightened Goshen with the fairest noone-tide of the Gospell that ever the Sun saw and either diddest or mightest have heard many and many a powerfull and searching Sermon any one passage wherof if thou haddest not wickedly and wilfully forsaken thine own mercy and suffered Satan in a base and beastly maner to blindfold and baâ—…le thee might have beene unto thee the beginning of the new-birth and everlasting blisse yet thou in that respect a most accursed wretch diddest passe over all that long day of thy gracious visitation like a sonne or daughter of confusion without any piercing or profit at all and passed by all those goodly offers and opportunities with an inexpiable neglect and horrible ingratitude and so now liest drown'd and damn'd in that dreadfull lake of brimstone and fire which thou mightest have so easily and often escaped This irksome and furious reflexion of thy soule upon its owne wilfull folly whereby it hath so unnecessarily and sottishly lost everlasting joy and must now live in endlesse woe will vexe and torture more than thou canst possibly imagine continually gnaw upon thy heart with remedilesse and unconceivable griefe and in a word even make an hell it selfe O then having yet a price in thine hand to get wisdome to go to heaven lay it out with all holy greedinesse while it is called To day for the spirituall and eternall good of thy soule Improve to the utmost for that purpose the most powerfull Ministry holiest company best bookes all motions of GODS Spirit all saving meanes c. Spend every day passe every Sabbath make every prayer heare every Sâ—…imon thinke every thought speake every word do
and rare peeces what majesty and incomprehensible excellencies may we expect in the Palace of the great King and the heavenly habitations of the Saints and Angels * How full of beauty and glory are the chiefe roomes and Presence-Chamber of the great and royall Monarch of Heaven and Earth O with what infinite sweetest delight may every truly gracious soule bathe it selfe before-hand even in this vale of teares in the delicious and ravishing contemplation of this most glorious Place wherein he hath an eternall blisfull mansion most certainly purchased and prepared for him already by the bloud of IESVS CHRIST Let us therefore as an holy Divine would have us spend many thoughts upon it Let us enter into deepe meditations of the inestimable glory of it Let us long untill we come to the fingering and possession of it even as the heire longeth for his inheritance Let us strive and straine to get into this golden Citie where streets walls and gates and all is gold all is pearle nay where pearle is but as mire and dirt and nothing worth O what fooles are they who deprive themselves willingly of this endlesse glory for a few stinking lusts O what mad men are they who bereave themselves of a roome in this Citie of Pearle for a few carnall pleasures O what bedlams and humane beasts are they who shut themselves out of these everlasting habitations for a little transitory pelfe O what intolerable sots and senselesse wretches are all such who wilfully barre themselves out of this Palace of infinite pleasure for the short fruition of worldly trash and trifles 2. In a second place let us take notice of some names titles and epithetes attributed to heavenly joyes eternall glory which may yet further represent to our relish their incomparable sweetnesse and excellency They are called 1. A Kingdome Mat. 25. 34. Luke 12. 32. Now a Kingly Throne is holden the top and crowne of all earthly happinesses the highest aime of the most eager and restlesse aspirations and ambitions of men A confluence it is of riches pleasures glory all royall bravery or what mans heart can wish for outward welfare and felicity What stirres and stratagems what murders and mischiefes what mining and counter-mining what mysterious plots and machivillian depths what strange adventures and effusions sometimes even of bloudy seas to catch a Crowne Witnesse Lancaster and Yorke nay all habitable parts of the earth which from time to time have become bloudy cock-pits in this kind 2. An Heavenly Kingdome Mat. 7. 21. And 18. 3. to intimate that it surpasseth in glory and excellency all earthly kingdomes as farre as heaven transcendeth earth and unconceiveably more 3. The Kingdome of GOD Acts 14. 23. A Kingdome of GODS owne making beautifying and blessing who doth all things like Himselfe as I said before replenished and shining with Majesty pleasures and ineffable felicities beseeming the glorious Residence of the King of Kings 4. An Inheritance Acts 20. 32. Not a tenement at will to be possessed or left at the landlords pleasure but an inheritance setled upon us and sealed unto us by the dearest and highest price that ever was payed which wil be as orient precious and acceptable after as many millions of yeares as you can think as it was the very first day it was powred out and payed 5. A rich and glorious inheritance Eph. 1. 18. Fit for the Majesty and mercy of Almighty GOD to bestow the un-valuable bloud of His Son to purchase and the dearely Beloved of His Soule to enjoy 6. An Inheritance of the Saints in light Coloss. 1. 12. Every word sounds a world of sweetnesse 7. An Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 4. There can never possibly be the least diminution much lesse any abolishment of the least glimpse of heavenly glory But all blisse above wil be as fresh and full innumerable yeares hence as at our first entrance and so thorow all eternity 8. A Crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4. 8. Fairly come by and full dearely bought A crowne of life Iaâ—… 1. 12. A Crowne of glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. Glory it selfe Rom. 9. 23. Nay an exceeding exceeding eternall waight of glory 2 Corinth 4. 17. Which Crownes Kingdomes Pearles Iewels Feasts c. do but weakely shadow out unto us A superlative transcendent Phrase saith one such as is not to be found in all the Rhetoricke of the Heathens because they never wrote of such a theme nor with such a spirit 9. Fulnesse of joy everlasting pleasures Psal. 16. 11. A swift flowing river and torrent of pleasures Psal. 36. 8. The very joy of our LORD and Master Mat. 25. 21. 3. In a third place let us consider the beauty and blessednesse of glorified Bodies I do not here curiously enquire with the Schoole-men whether the glory of the body doth spring originally out of the blessednesse and beautifull excellency of the soule and so redounds upon the body by a continued constant influence as Aquinas thinks Or which I rather follow that those excellent endowments and heavenly splendours are originally and dispositively implanted by GODS hand in the reformed body onely perfected and actuated as it were by the glorious soule as Bonaventure supposeth Sure I am in generall they shal be made like the glorious Body of CHRIST Philip. 3. 21. And that is happinesse and honour enough inexplicable supereminent Besides their freedome from all defects and imperfections diseases and distempers infirmities and deformities maimednesse and monstrous shapes infancy or decrepitnesse of stature c. From want of meate drinke mariage for we shal be like the Angels of GOD in heaven Matth. 22. 30. We shall hunger no more neither thirst any more Rev. 7. 16. of sleepe for there shal be no wearying of the body or tyring the spirits for we shall live by the all-sufficient Spirit of GOD which never needs refreshing of physicke for we shall enjoy perpetuall impregnable health a glorified body cannot possibly be distempered either by inward contrariety of elementary qualities or any outward contagion or hurtfull impression of aire to coole our heat or keepe us from stifling of clothes for we shal be clothed with long white robes of immortality Rev. 7. 9. which can never be worne out but shall be so beautifull and glorious that like the Sun we shall be best adorned when we have no other covering but our owne resplendent Majesticall brightnesse of Sun for the glory of GOD shall illighten that heavenly city and the Lambe shal be the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. Of any thing for GOD shal be unto us All in All 1 Cor. 15. 28. I say besides an everlasting exemption and priviledge from all ils paines miseries our bodies shal be gloriously crowned with many positive prerogatives marvellous excellencies high and heavenly endowments 1. Immortality 1 Cor. 15. 54. Glorified bodies can never possibly die They shall last as long as GOD Himselfe and run parallell with
dwell in them both for ever Amplifie the glory of our bodies in heaven from such places as these Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 13. 45. Phil. 3. 20 21. Col. 3. 4. From which the ancient Fathers also thus collect and affirme If we should compare saith Chrysostome our future bodies even with the most glistering beames of the Sun we shall yet say nothing to the expression of the excellency of their shining glory The beauty of the just in the other life saith Anselme shal be equall to the glory of the Sun though sevenfold brighter than now it is The brightnesse of a glorified body doth as farre excell the Sun as the Sun our mortall body Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Not saith Chrysostome because they shall not surpasse the brightnesse of the Sun but because that being the most glittering thing in the world he takes a resemblance thence towards the expressing of their incomparable glory But how can there be so much beauty and delightfull amiable aspect in such intensive and extraordinary brightnesse Or what pleasure can we take in beholding such extremely bright and shining bodies Sith we find by experience that there is farre more content and delight in looking upon a well-proportioned object beautified with a pleasant mixture of colours than in seeing the Sun though it should not so dazle and offend the eyes For satisfaction herein we must know that the glorified eye shall become impassible elevated farre above all mortall possibility and fortified by an heavenly vigour to apprehend and enjoy all celestiall light and glory with much ravishing contentment and inexplicable delight Secondly that omnipotent mercifull hand of GOD which will raise our bodies out of the dust and reforme them anew can cause light and colour to concurre and consist in excellency in glorified bodies Those things which according to nature can consist together the one or both being in gradu remisso as they say abated of their height can by divine power consist together in gradu intensissimo suae speciei in their excellency but it is so with light and colour according to nature ergo c. as Durandus one of the acutest Schoolemen makes good by arguments Whether shall colour or light be seene Why not both in a most delicious admirable mixture Here the Schoolemen according to their wont do curiously inquire discusse and determine the manner of the acts exercise and objects of all the senses They say not only 1. That the eye shall delightfully contemplate CHRISTS glorious body the shining bodies of the Saints the beauty of the Empyrean Heaven c. 2. The eare drinke up with infinite delight the vocall harmony of Hailelu-jahs c. But also audaciously undertake to define without any good ground or found warrant many particulars about the other senses not without much absurdity and unspiritualnesse But let it be sufficient for us without searching beyond the bonds of sobriety to know for a certaine that every sense shal be filled with its severall singularity and excellency of all possible pleasure and perfection 4. In a fourth place let us take a glance of the unutterable happinesse of the Soule I should be infinite and endlesse if I did undertake to pursue the severall glories felicities and excellencies of every faculty of the soule and when I had done ended with the utmost of all both Angelicall and humane understanding and eloquence come infinitely short of expressing them to the life I will at this time but give you a taste onely in the understanding Part And that shal be extraordinarily and supernaturally enlarged and irradiated with the highest illuminations largest comprehensions and utmost extent of all possible comfortable knowledge of which such a creature is capable 1. Humane knowledge of Arts Nature created things is delicious and much desired Witnesse 1. The wisest Heathens and best Philosophers who were so ravished but even with a dimme glimpse of this knowledge that in comparison thereof they have contemned all the riches pleasures and preferments of the world 2. That wise saying A learned man doth as farre excell an illiterate as a reasonable creature a brute 3. The extraordinarily exulting and triumphant cry of the famous Mathematician hitting after long and laborious disquisition upon some abstruse excellency of his Art I have found it I have found it 4. That passage in an Epistle of Aeneas Silvius to Sigism D. of Austria If the face of humane learning could be seene it is fairer and more beautifull than the Morning and Evening Starre 5. For the pleasure and delight of knowledge and learning saith another it farre surpasseth all other in nature for shall the pleasures of the affections so exceed the senses as much as the obtaining of desire and victory exceedeth a song or dinner And must not of consequence the pleasures of the intellect or understanding exceed the pleasures of the affections We see in all other pleasures there is a saetiety and after they be used their verdour departeth which sheweth well they be but deceipts of pleasure and not pleasures and that it was the novelty which pleased and not the quality And therefore we see that voluptuous men turne Friers and ambitious Princes turne melancholy But of knowledge there is no satiety But satisfaction and appetite are perpetually interchangeable and therefore appeareth to be good in it selfe simply without fallacy or accident Now this learning shall then be fully perfected and raised to the highest pitch so that the least and lowest of the Saints in heaven shall farre surpasse in cleare contemplation of the causes of all naturall things and conclusions of Art the deepest Philosophers greatest Artists and learnedst Linguists that ever lived upon earth There are many difficulties and doubts in all kinds of humane learning which have from time to time exercised the bravest wits but by reason of the native dimnesse of our understanding never received cleare resolution and infallible assent As Whether the Elementary formes be in mixt Bodies 1. Corrupted 2. Remitted only 3. Or Entire Whether the celestiall Orbs be moved by Angels or internall formes Whether there be three distinct soules in a man 1. Vegetative 2. Sensitive 3. Rationall Or one onely in substance containing vertually the other two How all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appearances in the Aethereall Heaven may be truliest and with least exception maintained whether by Excentricks and Epicycles or onely by Concentricks or the Earths motion or the motion of the Starres in the heavens as fish move in the sea and birds in the aire c. So the best wits are inextricably pusl'd also about the Sympathy and Antipathy of things Alchymie cause of Criticall daies The mysts about these and many things moe shal be dispel'd out of our minds by a cleare sunne of a new and excellent knowledge so that we shal be exactly acquainted with the
unto him and those softned thoughts of mortality which are wont to attend these times that I may conveigh and commend them to your liking and practise with more successe and stronger impression And the first I shall commend unto you is 1. His singular integrity and honorable purpose in disposing those Ecclesiasticall Livings he had in his power And in this Point I my selfe can say more than any who tasted deepliest of his worthy dealing this way When I never sought after as it is famously knowne nor thought upon any such thing he sent for me and bestowed that which I presently enjoy most freely Which though every Patron ought proportionably to do yet the horrible corruptions abroad in the world in such cases do as it were by a kind of Antiperistasis make a duty a transcendent vertue And this was not all Though incrochments upon the Church be like the breaches of the sea a thousand to one never returne yet did he restore to a farthing all that which had a long time beene detain'd from the Church and parted with it most freely though he had as much wit and power as any other to have continued it so if he had pleas'd And I said Ecclesiasticall Livings though I instance but in one because I partly knew his purpose for the rest For he gave me himselfe this message to as worthy and reverend a man as I know unprefer'd in this Land that if he would come unto him he would give him the first that fell and for no other reason in the world but because he heard he was a reverend and worthy man Now lay these things to the practice of the times wherein there is such sinfull and Simoniacall packing together compacting secret covenanting with the party or friends for present money or after-gratifications some part of the tithes or his owne must be reserv'd to the Patron or he must be the Farmer at his owne price or pin a wife upon the sleeve of the parson as they contemptuously speake a base also and unworthy respect or the like such wretched combinations to helpe one another towards hell my disacquaintance must excuse my ignorance in the termes and then tell me if this was not a noble part in him worthy the imitation of the best I am perswaded in this Point he might be a patterne not only to all here present whom it might concerne though I looke upon the faces of some who have dealt also very nobly this way but to all the Patrons in ENGLAND Be pleas'd then you that lov'd him to tread in his steps herein and the rather because your unconscionablenesse in so high and important a point for the glory of GOD and the good of the Church may not only bring upon your owne heads your houses and posterity the curse of GOD in the meane time but also a company of poore soules cast away by reason of your corruption against you at that last and great day who will then cry out upon you before the face of GOD Angels and men that you were the men who for a little bloudy gaine put upon them an ignorant idle dissolute non resident or some way unfaithfull Minister For it is too common that those who enter corruptly deale unconscionably in their places whereby they must now perish everlastingly whereas if you had been honest and uncorrupt there had beene hope they might have liv'd in the endlesse joyes of heaven And what a vexing cry in the eares of all sacrilegious Church-robbers will that be of a damned wretch in hell when he shall complaine everlastingly that his soule had been sav'd if such a man had not been Symoniacall 2. His forbearing travell upon the Sabbath in his Circuit Whereby he wan a great deale of honour to his name over all this Kingdome prevailed in the same with others of his owne reverend ranke and by his example as hath been observ'd wan much encouragement increase and regard to religion in those Countries thorow which he past I would I might so much prevaile with you as that upon this occasion you would be content to take nearer to heart a more holy and heavenly spending of the LORDS Day Not onely in forbearing sin the workes of your calling idlenesse vaine sports this is but onely flying evill and privative good but also to ply with conscience and reverence all GODS holy Ordinances prayer reading singing of Psalmes publikely and privately the Word preached specially conference meditation and the like and to feed and satisfie your prepared and hungry soules with all that sweetnesse comfort and spirituall strength which they are wont to conveigh into humble hearts upon GODS holy Day this also is doing of good and positive piety For a thousand to one a constant keeper of the Sabbath is sound-hearted towards GOD and as great odds a common Sabbath breaker howsoever he may deceive his owne heart is in truth and triall a stranger to the power of grace and life of godlinesse 3. His patient yeelding and submission to private admonition A vertue ordinarily as farre out with great men as flattery is familiar Yet in him so as I tell you Something there was to which his private affection was very much endear'd and his reputation thereabout in the respect of the world was also entangled in some more publike engagement And yet when I in zeale and love to his soule and salvation prest upon him in private as a Minister of GOD and in the humblest manner I could tendering my reasons against his resolution after he had well thought upon 't it never went further all was dasht for ever Yet let me tell you he had formerly given me encouragement hereunto intreating me once in private to deale plainly with him And now I am griev'd at heart I did not more in this kind Now I would to GOD you would imitate him in this also especially you that are great ones Alas You 'le give the Physitian leave to tell you the diseases of your body the Lawyer to shew you any flaw that is in your state your Horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horse nay your Huntsman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you your soules are bleeding to everlasting death Now GOD forbid 4. His taking his high place to heart I meane his extraordinary industry and indefatigablenesse in his judiciary imployments His painefulnesse this way was wonderfull even after his last sicknesse had seaz'd upon him If I should report unto you the particulars from eye-witnesses you would marvell And I rather name and commend this unto you because the contrary is cause of great misery in a Common-wealth Oh it is lamentable when men mount into high roomes only in a bravery and vanity and desire to be ador'd above others or follow the execution of their places and administration of justice onely as a Trade with an unquenchable and unconscionable thirst of gaine which justifies the common resemblance
point appeare yet further by reasons And first such as are peculiar to the severall sorts of greatnesse all which once for all I understand such secundum mundum secundum bominem secundum carnem according to the world according to man according to the flesh And first for excellency of learning understood still after the flesh implyed also by the Apostle in this place as appeares by the former words Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world Where are the learned Rabbins of the Iewes Where are the profound Philosophers of the Gentiles Let us take notice that learning of it selfe is a very lovely and illustrious thing which made Aeneas Silvius in his Epistle to Sigismund Duke of Austria say If the face even of humane learning could be seene it is fairer and more beautifull than the morning or the evening-starre But notwithstanding bent the wrong way and spent upon private and pernicious ends it becomes the fowlest fiend the Devill hath upon earth and his mightiest agent to do a world of mischiefe No corruption is worse than of that which is best mis-imployed it is of wofull consequence proportionable to its native worth And the longer and more prosperously it is imployed as an instrument of all and in the service of Satan ever the more pestilently which is for my purpose doth it harden and enrage the heart against all means of grace the power of godlinesse and possibility of conversion Secondly men of this world for the most part in the attainement and exercise of learning and knowledge propose to themselves and finally rest upon many bastard base and degenerate ends as pleasure of curiosity quiet of resolution refining and raising the spirit ability of discourse victory of wit gaine of profession ornament and reputation inablement for imployment and businesse Thus whereas variety and depth of knowledge should properly and principally serve to prepare fit and furnish the soule wherein it is seated First for a higher degree and agreater measure of sanctification in it selfe secondly to do GOD more excellent and glorious service Thirdly to do more nobly in Ephratha and be more famous in Bethlehem I meane by an edifying and charitable influence to illuminate and better all about them The most learned men have these worthy ends and comply exactly with the world hunting onely after by their knowledge and aspiring towards as their utmost aimes certaine second prizes as though they laboured onely by their learning to find as one sayes well a cowch whereupon to rest a searching and a restlesse spirit or a tarrasse for a wandring and variable mind to walke up and downe with a faire prospect or a tower of state for a proud mind to raise it selfe upon or a fort or commanding ground for strife and contention or a shop for profit or sale and not a rich store-house for the glory of the Creator and the reliefe of mans estate And so by the abuse and misapplying of it they put their great engine very powerfull either for excellency of good or excesse of ill as it takes into the Devils hands for the enlarging and advancement of his kingdome and turne the edge of it to the dangerous hurt of others and so by consequent and by accident it prooves a mighty barre to keepe CHRIST and His kingdome out of their hearts Let me in a word by an instance intimate unto you the traines and temptations to which they expose themselves the snares and curses which they incurre who bend their abilities of learning closing with the corruptions of the time to raise and enrich themselves the two maine ends of the most in these covetous and ambitious dayes First there is a plant in the nurceries of literature of great expectation and hope which being watered and warmed at the well-heads of Academicall learning and with the fruitfull heat of Polemicall exercises and agitations in the Schooles wherein the true worth and excellency of a Scholler consists growes ripe and becomes remarkable so that he heares after him in the streets a secret murmuring This is the man Dignum est monstrarier dicier Hic est Now by this time he begins to reflect with the eye of selfe-love and many vaine-glorious glaunces upon his personall worth and publike applause and then casts about what course to take GODS principle and path is It is better to be good than great religious than rich And therefore He would have him imploy and improove all his naturall and acquired endowments all the powers and possibilities of body and soule upon His glory and service that gave them and where they are more than infinitely due And that when the good hand of divine providence shall bring him to any place for the exercise of his gifts and ministeriall imployment he would there spend himselfe like a shining and burning lampe in the illumination and salvation of GODS people and so hereafter shine as the brightnesse of the firmament in the highest heavens and as the starres forever and ever Nay saies the Devill that 's a sowre strict precise way It is not meet that such admired eminency of learned parts should be confined to such obscurity that such rare gifts and depth of knowledge should be lost upon high shoes and amongst a number of rude ignorant and uncapable clownes and therefore he labours to raise his spirit to higher hopes and would have him plunge presently into the current of the times and become somebody in the world Hereupon his heart already ravisht with the pleasing apprehension of worldly glory and humane greatnesse represented by Satan in the most alluring formes to his ambitious imagination he resolves fearfully against his owne soule to follow the streame to ply the present and plot all meanes and wayes of preferment after which ordinarily every step towards an high roome or to be hastily rich is a snare and curse unto him and therefore at the height he must needs be holden fast in the clutches of Satan He now begins upon all occasions to disclaime all things that tend to precisenesse and in his deportment drawes nearer to good fellowship he remits and interrupts his care and constancy in study and studies how to understand the world negotiate for advancement and humour the times He merrily derides Doctrine and Vse as they scoffingly call it all edifying plainnesse and foolishnesse of preaching and now he digs with much adoe perhaps a whole quarter of a yeare into the rotten dunghils of Popish Postillers and phantasticall Friers and from thence patches together many gayish and gaudy shreds of painted bables and frothy conceipts and tricks of wit and at length comes out with a selfe-seeking Sermon just like that discourse which King IAMES compares to a corne-field in harvest pestered with red and blew flowers which choake and eat up all the good graine For he well knowes this is the way to ingratiate himselfe into the times and gratifie those great ones who desire farre more to
in pursuit be unto him a counterpoyson to uphold his heart in comfort and contentment against the vanity and venome of such endlesse ambitions and if men be so infinitly ventrous for an earthly crowne which as one sayes if wee well weighed with what feares jealousies cares insidiations c. it is thick set if we found it before us in the way we would not take it up I say then how eager should wee bee after the glory of Heaven 2. If corrupt affection fall in love with riches and the wedge of gold it begets covetousnesse the vilest and basest of all the infection of the soule as ambition haunteth the haughtiest spirits so covetousnesse lodgeth in the most dunghill disposition it turnes the soule of man that noble and immortall spirit into earth and mud whereas it might live in heaven upon earth and by holy meditation by a sweet familiarity and acquaintance as it were with GOD and conversing above and in that everlasting heaven of endlesse happinesse hereafter It lies in hell upon earth and by restlesse torture of unsatiable greedinesse makes way by it rooting to descend into the hell of wicked devils in the world to come This devouring gangrene of greedinesse to get riches doth not onely by a most incompatible antipathy keepe out grace and GODS feare but also by it venomous heat wast and consume all honest and naturall affection both to man and beasts to parents kindred friends and acquaintance Nay it makes a man contemne himselfe body and soule wilfully to abandon both the comfortable enjoyment of this short time of this present mortality and all hope of thâ—… length of that blessed eternity to come for a litâ—…le transitory pelfe which he doth neither enjoy or use except it be for use which enlargeth his covetous thirst as mightily as it brings forth money monstrously Besides covetousnesse pierceth thorow the soule with a thousand torments and the riches of iniquity ingender in the heart of man many tortures envies and molestations as their proper thunderbolt and blasting And of all other vile affections it is most sottishly and senslesly unsatiable Eccles. 4. 8. For how is it possible that earth should feed or fill the immateriall and heaven-borne spirit of a man It cannot be and the Spirit of GOD hath said it shall not be Eccles. 5. 9. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver c. Hence it is that the deeplier the drowsie heart of this covetous man doth drinke of this golden streame the more furiously it is inflam'd with spirituall thirst Nay it is most certaine that if the covetous man could purchase a monopoly of all the wealth in the world were he able to empty the Westerne parts of gold and silver and the East of pearles and jewels should he enclose the whole face of the earth from one end of heaven to the other and heape his hoards unto the starres yet his heart would be as hungry after more riches as if he had never a penny and much more Such is GODS curse upon that man which makes his gold his god And this insatiablenesse in the covetous man begets cruelty and oppression of others and perpetual want of contentment and comfort in that he hath already Sweetnes of gaine makes him many times drinke the bloud eat the flesh of the oppressed He begins first if he be of power and place to grind the faces of the poore then to pluck of their skins then to tear their flesh then to break their bones and chop them in peeces as flesh for the pot and at last even to eat the flesh of GODS people That is first to weary them out with petty wrongs and extraordinary occasions to vexe them with new conditions and unconscionable encroachments and at last to wring their pensive soules from their wasted and hunger-starv'd bodies with extremity of oppression and cruelty of covetousnesse And that which is a just curse upon the covetous man he is ever infinitely more tormented with the want of that which he doth immoderately and unnecessarily desire than contented and comforted with the enjoyment of those things he doth presently possesse The ambitious man if he be disgrac'd and over-top'd by any grand opposite and counterfactionist or derided and revil'd with baser and inferiour contempt or neglected by omission of some due observance and ceremony of state he I say is more griev'd if he want grace for some such little default in the attributions of his place and want of complementall respect in that measure and of such men as he desires than he hath glory and pompe in his highest place This is cleare in Haman though he was compassed and crown'd with such undeserved and extraordinary precedency and pompe yet this one little thing because Mordecai would not bow the knee and do reverence to him at the Kings gate did utterly marre and dissweeten all the other excellencies of his new advancement and extraordinarinesse of the Kings favour See Hester 5. 10 11 12 13. And Haman told his wife and friends of all his glory c. But all this saith he doth nothing availe me as long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate As it is thus in ambition and in great men that are gracelesse they many times take more to heart out of the pride of their hearts the want of some one circumstantiall observance and of reverence from some one man than they heartily enjoy all the other glory of their place so it is also with the covetous man though already he hath more than enough yet some greedy wish of a new addition doth more torture his heart than the rowing amongst al his other wealth can rejoyce it Ahab though he had already in his hand the riches glory pleasures soveraignty of a kingdome yet after he had cast his covetous eye upon poor Naboths vinyard which was near his palace his heart did more afflict and vex it self with greedy longing for that bit of earth than the vast and spacious compasse of a kingdome could counter-comfort He could take no joy in the beauty of a crowne and largenesse of his royall command because his poore neighbour would not deprive himselfe and all his posterity of the inheritance of his fathers which his ancestors had enjoyed time out of mind For a counterpoyson against the greedy gangrene of hoarding up riches consider in what stead thy riches will stand thee upon thy bed of death consider that speech of a poore distressed woman afflicted in conscience whom I heard thus say in the agony of her grieved spirit I have husband goods and children and other comforts I would give them all the treasures of the earth if I had them and all the good I shall have in this world or in the world to come to feele but the least taste of the favour of GOD in the pardon of my sinne she would in this case with all her heart haue giuen the warmest
of folly And the very same attempt as to make two parallel lines to meet You thinke yee have a reach beyond the Moone To lie in some sweete sinne and yet to nourish in your selves some hope of salvation To have two heavens one in this world and another in the world to come which was never heard of to weare two crownes of joyes whereas IESVS CHRIST himselfe had the first of thornes But alas Beloved if you be saved in this condition you must have a new Scripture and there must bee found out another way to heaven then any of the Saints ever went since the Creation or shall doe to the end of the world And therefore we may say of you as Quintilian some where of some deluded with an overweening conceit of themselves That they might have prooved excellent Schollers if they had not beene so perswaded already So if you did not thinke falsly your selves safe already you might be saved But while you thus hugge the golden dreame of your mistaken states to GOD-ward like the Pharisees the very Publicans and Harlots shall goe into the Kingdome of heaven before you Matth. 21. 31. Fourthly you that are great in the world in the foure forenamed respects and meant in the Text cannot possibly downe with and digest downe-right dealing and the foolishnesse of preaching as it is called vers 21. And that vtterly undoes you You like well enough nay and much approve and applaud such Sermons as King IAMES censures in the reasons of his directions for preaching c. which he there cals a light affected and unprofitable kind of preaching which hath beene of late years saith he taken up in Court University City and Countrey whereby the people are filled onely with ayrie nourishment c. and I warrant you not especially hating to be reformed or disquieted for these are not wont to discover your consciences nor disturbe you in your present courses they never terrifie you with any fore-thought of the evill day neither torment you before the time but now let a man come with the foolishnesse of preaching by which it pleaseth GOD saith the Apostle to save them that believe with demonstration of the Spirit and of power and come home to the conscience if he suffer not Satan to revell in the bloud of your soules without resistance nor see you post furiously towards eternall fire but will tell you that the pit of hell is a little before you In a word if he take the right course to convert you and shew you therefore onely your spirituall misery that you may be fitted for mercy c. O such a fellow is a dangerous man a terrible and intolerable Teacher able to drive men to distraction despaire selfe-destruction he breaths out nothing but damnation and his searching Sermons are as scorching as the very flames of hel Fit phrases for the Devil himself railing in a drunkard or scoffing Ishmael against faithfulnesse in preaching and if you know where or when such men preach and it may be you entertaine some intelligence for that purpose to prevent the torture you will not you dare not heare them for your hearts except you cannot decline it for starke shame or for a time or two to satisfie your curiosities but as S. Paul saith you become their enemies because they tell you the truth to which truth not to have listened in this day of your visitation will herafter when it is too late torment you more than ten thousand fiery Scorpions stings and gnaw upon your consciences with unknowne and everlasting horrour Alas Beloved what meane you You will give your Physitian leave to tell you the distempers of your body the Lawyer to discover unto you any flaw in your deeds your horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horses nay your hunâ—…sman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you that your soules are bleeding to eternall death Preposterous and prodigious incongruity If it be thus then that of all the severall sorts of great men mentioned before by reason that they are beset with such variety of snares entangled in so many temptations so much taken up by the world and for other reasons rendred already very few are called converted and saved my counsell in a word unto all such is CHRISTS owne word Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate lay violent hands upon flesh and blond strangle your lusts contend and wrastle as for the Garland in the Olympian Games to which the word seemes to allude become fooles in the worlds censure that you may be wise in the mystery of CHRIST be little and vile in your own esteeme that you may be great and gracious in the eyes of GOD. In a word submit your soules to the sword of the Spirit and foolishnesse of preaching as the Apostle cals it that you may be wrought upon savingly and brought into the good way and that by such works and waies as these Upon which before I enter give me leave to give you an account why at this time I labour rather to work upon your consciences for your personall conversion than as heretofore to tender unto you counsels and considerations for a more conscionable deportment in your severall publike places When I well weighed with my selfe the truth of that principle and position in Hooker That it is no peculiar conceipt but a matter of sound consequence that all duties are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose abilities the same proceed And finding by experience of all ages and most of all in these worst and wofull times that men of publike imployment and in high places untill there be infused into their soules by the Spirit of grace an internall supernaturall principle and divine habit to worke by untill aliquid CHRISTI as they say be planted in them by the power of the Ministry they cannot possibly be universally thorow and unshaken Some strong affection feare favour or some thing will make them flie out and faile in some particular very fowly Upon extraordinary temptation they will serve the times and their owne turnes for alas as yet their spirits are not steeled with that heavenly edge and mighty vigour as to set to their shoulders against the torrent of the times and not to be overflowen with it I say upon this ground I have advisedly chosen to assay and follow this way at this time for if once you turne on the LORDS side in truth you are won for ever to an invincible constancy and conscionablenesse in an uniforme regular and religious discharge of your publike duties and will ever hold fast without partiality cowardlinesse or feare of mans face that brave and noble resolution Vt fiat justitia ruat coelum let heaven and earth be blundred together with horrible confusision before I make shipwracke of a good conscience or be any waies drawne to do basely Being
experiamur Idem Ibid Thesi 51. k Potest quis sibi representare quicquid unquam illaetabile luctuosum crudele miserandum horribile vidit audijt quicquid ab orbe condito â—…aeva tyrannorum crudelitas excogitavit quicquid ad usquè mundi occasum saevissimorum hominum immanitas invenire poterit hoc autem omne si velut in fasce colligatum cum aeternitate damnatorum componere cum Chrysostomâ—… proclamabit Haec omnia quae hic patimur merus ludus acrisus sunt si cum illis supplicijs in contentionem veniant â—…one si libet ignem ferrum bestias si quid his difficilius atramen nec umbra quidèm sunt haec ad illa tormenta Nonne videmus terrenos milites principibus servâ—…entes quomodo ligant quomodò â—…gellant quomodò perâ—…odiunt costas quomodò faces tormentis adhibent sed haec omnia 〈◊〉 risus ad supplicia Chrysost. ad Pop. 〈◊〉 Hom. â—…9 l Consider here all the horrible tortures inâ—…cted upon Christians in the Primitive times That man in the brazen chaire Ravillacs torments French Story pag. 129â—… All the monstrous cruelties thorow the Turkish Story the â—…iery and bloudy miseries executed upon our blessed Martyrs in Qucene Maries time the barbarous and prodigious butcherâ—…es of the Spanish Inquisition which the Poet brings in as the fourth Fury m Because all the members of the body and powers of the soule have beene weapons of unrighteousnesse man shall be plagued in all the parts of the body and faculties of the soule by that horrid instrument of hellish torment called by CHRIST Fire prepared for the Devill and his angels Mat. 25. n Occasio tibi nunquam defuit tu semper occasioni Potuisti noluisti Lue jam lue nequitias En tua tot tamque gravia flagitia cum tamen longè suavius virtuâ—…i licuisset operari quà m vitijs En perditissime inter jocos â—…udos perdidisti regnum Potuisses esse fâ—…lix aeternum modò voluisses brevi â—…c leni labore beatam immortalitatem tibi parasses modò voluisses En 〈◊〉 pro carnis voluptatulâ—… pro spurcâ momentaneâ oblectatiunculâ immensas vendidisti voluptates Nimiâ—…m tua tibicaro quà m coelum carior erat Sentis jam quas delicias sectatus fueris Praedixi monui vellicavi Sed actum egi nihil profeei oleum operam perdidi Nunc vindico nunc â—…pes res abs te segregant sed â—…uâ solius culpâ—… En impurissime ut delectatiunculas pauxillo tempoâ—…is retineres perdidisti omnia Procul nunc a te honores thefauri voluptates beatorum ad quas omâ—…is tibi via intercepta est Haec tibi tormenta â—…ibidines tuâ—… paraâ—…unt in hoâ—… ignes tua te ptaecipitavit incontinentia tuam illam hilarem sed brevem insaniam nunc luiâ—… aeâ—…erno luctu Desperatè ploras Paradisi gaudijs privatum Tu ipse te privasti Ac acerbissimè doles perenne coeleste epulum neglectum Tu neglexisti Differendo negligeâ—…do huc sponte irruisti coecus aâ—…ens hic nunquà m exiturus amplius Nulla hic libertas nulla salus Despera centies sexcenties despera millies aeternùm desperaturus aeternum moriturus ad mortem nullis saeculis proventurus o Hoc laccrabit cordamnatorum quòd gratiam millies oblatam recusarunt millies Indè in seiâ—…sos fur entèr exardescent miseri assiduò sibiipsis lugubrem hanc cantilenam occinent ó tempus rerum omnium pretiosissimum â—… diâ—… ô horae plusquà m aureae quò evanuistis aeternum nonrediturae Nos coeci excordâ—…s obstructis oculis auribus libidine furebamus mutuis nosmet exempliâ—… trahâ—… bamus ad interitum p Non minâ—…s tuncquà m 〈◊〉 â—…os exagâ—…abit quiâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spatio 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inessabilâ—…us bonis 〈◊〉 nâ—…s inâ—… 〈◊〉 in Mat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…st qui deâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assequi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adeundâ—… hereditate sed ille â—…gnavissimus causae suae indoâ—… itaque haereditaâ—…em tam opulen tam neglexit â—…amqueâ—…alibus serae â—…oenitentiae â—…ijs aâ—…tatur uâ—… ipse sibi immineat veâ—…t ipsum discerpâ—…urus Et nonnunquà m moâ—…s indè violenta sequitur Haud alitèr damnatorum quilibet scipsum sic allatrat Potuissem auxilia non deerant vocabar Potuissem Eheu Potuissem sed nolui A summo bâ—…no exclusissimus sum in omne aevum usque in aeternum non videbâ—… lumen quia nolui videre Sentire tanto se bono privatum esse quidèm suâ—… culpâ inexplicabilis inâ—…andus erit dolor 〈◊〉 q Ite furiosi â—…e dâ—…litiis afâ—…luere supremam foelicitatem credite hodiè vino plumis vos mergite cras forsitan meâ—…gendi flammis r Si nobis faltem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut arenosus quispiam moâ—…s extolleâ—…etur amplitudine terras coaequans fastigiocoelum attingens ex quo post centum millia annorum advolans avicula rostro non plus auâ—…erret quà m est decima unius aâ—…enulae pars â—…sus post alterum centum annâ—…rum â—…lle aliam arenulâ—… unius decimam partem pari modo aliam atque aliam ita ut â—…atio decies cenâ—…um millium annorum tantum unicum arenulae unius 〈◊〉 de monte illo aâ—…enoso minueâ—…etur quà m laeti quà m alacres essemus quòd post ultimam salâ—…em montis toâ—…ius ablatâ—…onem damnationis nostrae fiâ—…em aliquem haberemus s Ah vel musâ—…ae vel culicis â—…unctiuncula si tamen sit â—…terna quam inexplicabilâ—…s cruciatus pronunciabitur Quis igitur horror exercebit damnatos vel ob unam hanc sed assiduam cogitationem Hiâ—… ignis aeternùm serendus hic ululatus aeternùm audiendus hic 〈◊〉 sempiternus t Damnati sic calculum ponunt Elapsis decem millibus anno rum adjicientur centum millia post haec centum millia tot jungentur myriades milliones quot in firmamento sunt stellae in littore maris arenae Post quae longissima annorum spatia quasi nihil de poenis nostris accisum esset sic iterum ab initio pati tormenta incipiemus atque ita sine interruptione sine fine sine modo volvetur assiduè nostrorum tormentorum rota Ex quo poli sunt perfecti Aâ—…de numero complecti Stellas coeli stillas roris Vnd as aquei fluoris Guttas imbris pluvialis Floccos velleris nivalis Quot sunt vere novo flores Quot odores quot colores Quot vinaceos Autumnus Poma legit vertumnus Quot jam grana tulit aestus Frondes hiemis tempestas Totus orbis animantes Aer atomos volantes Pilos ferae pecus villos Vertex hominum capillos Adde littoris arenas Adde graminis verbeâ—…as Tot myriades annorum Quot momenta saeculorum Heus adhuc Aeternitatis Portus fugit à damnatis Metire semel iteâ—…ùm saepiùs post decem annorum milliones post centum mille myriadum annotum post decies centies millena millia milliorum annorum
majestas est DEI luxque illa Deitasipsius quam inhabitare DEVS dicitur Ea omnibus est inaccessa corporeis oculis invisibilis Ab hac majesta te verò pro bene placito voluntatis DEI lumen creatum proficiscitur quo tota urbs splendet quo electis etiam communicato efficit DEVS ut ipsum plenè quas facie ad faciem cognoscant Zanch. De Coelo beato Cap 4. b Coelum Beatorum est imprimis lucidisâ—…imum eóque verus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc est totum omni ex parte luminosum ac splendidum Non enim est sicut firmamentum varijs ornatum â—…ellis eóque alibi lucidum alibi verò non it a lucidum sed totum est pellucidum Est enim perindè atque si totum sit quidem Sol maximus omnia suo ambitu complectens Neque lux illa est similis luci stellarum neque etiam ejusdem generis Sed est lux verè divina licèt creata idcircò quià lux est alterius generis lux est gloriae non penetrat huc ad nos usque oculis tamen corporeis futuro saeculo à nobis videbitur Ideâ—… Ibid. * Incomparabilitèr clara est civitas eterna ubi victoria ubi veritas ubi dignitas ubi sanctitas ubi vita ubi aeternitas De vitâ aeternd Oh how brave how beautifull how glorious how glittering how gorgeous how admirable a City is this For if the gates be of pearle and the streets of gâ—…ld then what are the inner roomes What are the dining chambers And what are the lodging roomes O how unspeakable is the glory of this city that Kings shall throw downe their Crownes and Scepters before it counting all their pompe and glory but as dust in respect of it And the magnificence and pompe of all the Potentates of the earth shall here be laid downe And albeit none of the Kings and Nobles of the Gentiles might be admitted into the old Ierusalem yet all the Gentiles that believe shal be admitted into this new Ierusalem and made free Denisons thereof for ever Dent upon the Rev. I might tell you here of many other probable singularities about this celestiall palace and that from the hand of some godly and learned Divines To wit That this third Heaven is not penetrable by any creature whereas the other two are passable by the grossest Bodies so that it is said to open to the very Angels Ioh. 1. 51. Who though they be able to penetrate all things under it yet are they no more able to enter that Body than they are to passe into one anothers natures Hence it comes to passe that the third Heaven gives way to Angels soules and bodies of men to enter in by miracle GOD making way by His power where nature yeelds no passage For it is without pores and cannot possibly extend or contract it selfe into a large or straiter compasse That Tertium hoc summum coelum in medio non est corpus solidum sed inest aura aliquis coelestis quae supplet defectum aeris corporibus glorificatis In qua etsi pori non sunt in nobis tamen porierunt in quibus erit haec natura coelestior quâ—… etiam aeris vicem supplebit ad sermonem In coelo enim usuri sumus Hebrâ—…â linguâ 1. Nam natura ibi redibit quae primitùs hanc linguam tenuit 2. Confusio linguarum maledictior fuit And this aura coelestis say they shall maintaine life eternally and be answerable to our constitution even as this atre is c. But as I would my selfe by no means confidently entertaine so will I never ebtrude upon others any thing in this or any other divine point but that onely which iâ—… grounded either directly and immediately or by good and sound consequence upon GODs sure Word * Who hath not observed what labour practice perill bloud shed cruelty the Kings and Princes of the world have undergone exercised taken on them and committed to make themselves and their issues Masters of the world S. W Rawleigh * Restat ergò ut suam recipiat quisque mensuram quam vel habuit in juventute â—…msi senex est mortuusâ—… vel fuerat habiturus si antè est defunctus Aug. de Civit. DEI. Lib. 22 Cap 15. Circa triginta annos desinierunt esse etiam saeculi hujus doctissimi homines juventutem Idem Ibid. Resurgent omnes tà m magni corpore quà m vel erant vel futuri erant in juvenili aetate Idem Ibid. Cap. 16. Quibus omnibus pro nostro modulo consideratis tractatis haec summa conficitur ut in resurrectione carnis in aeternum eas mensuras habeat corporum magnitudo quas habebat perficiendae sive perfectae cujuscunque indita corpori ratio juventutis in membrorum quoque omnium modulis congruo decore servatur Ibid Cap 20. All the bodieâ—… of the Elect shall arise in that perfection of nature whereunto they should have attained by their naturall temper and constitution if no impediment had hindered and in that vigour of age that a perfect man is at about three and thirty yeares old each in their proper sexe So saith some worthy Divine whose name I forgot to note when I tooke his Saying * A ssruere licet sanitatem vitae futurae ità vigere immutabilem ac inviolabilem fore ut inessabili quadam dulcedine suavitatis totum hominem repleat omne quod alicujus in se vicissitudinis mutabilitatis aut laesionis suspicionem praetendere queat procul arâ—…at atque repellat Anselm de simililitud Cap. 54. * Immortalitas sumitur quadrifariam Pro 1. Impotentia moriendi absoluta natura Sic solus DEVS immortalitatem habet 1 Tim. 6. 16. 2. Impotentia moriendi ex gratia creationis sic Angeli animae humanae sunt immortales 3. Impotentia moriendi ex gratia doni sic coelum novum terra nova corpora beatorum immortalitatem habebunt 4. Potentia non moriendi ex aliqua Hypothesi licet in se sit mortale Sic homo ante peccatum erat immortalis corpore ex Hypothesi unionis cum anima originaliter perfecta immortali * In futuro igitur ut jam praelibavimus sie justus ortus erit ut etiam si velit terram commovere possit Anselm de similitud Cap. 52. Verùm praestabunt viribus quicunque supernis viribus associantur civibus in tantum ut nullatenus illis quisquam obsâ—…stere valeat vel si movendo quid aut evertendo voluerit a suo statu quin illicò cedat Nec in eo quod dicimus majori laborabunt conatu quà m nos modò in oculorum nostrorum motu Ne quaeso similitudo illa Angelorum nostro excidat ab animo quam adepturi sumus in futuro quatenus si in hac forticudine aut in his quae dictuâ—…i sumus ad exemplum non occurrit vel ipsa per quam Angelis
the discharge of it in every point and particular every company thou hast come into and all thy behaviour there every Sermon thou hast heard every Sabbath thou hast spent every motion of the Spirit which hath been made unto thy soule c. Let us then while it is called To Day call our selves to account examine search and trie thorowly our hearts lives and callings our thoughts words and deeds let us arraigne accuse judge cast and condemne our selves and prostrated before GODS Mercy-Seat with broken and bleeding affections lowlinesse of spirit and humblest adoration of His free grace upon the same ground with the Aramites 1 Kings 20. 31. We have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are mercifull Kings let us I pray thee put sack cloth on our loines and ropes on our heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life Let us there give our mercifull GOD no rest untill we have sued out our pardon by the intercession of the LORD IESVS c. And then we shall find the reckoning made up to our hand and all matters fully answered before-hand And which is a Point of unconceiveable comfort He that was our Advocate upon earth and purchased the Pardon with His owne hearts bloud shall then be our Iudge 3. That all the beastly and impure abominatitions of thine heart all thy secret sinnes and closet-villanies that no eye ever looked upon but that which is ten thousand times brighter than the Sun shall all then be disclosed and laid open before Angels Men and Devils and thou shalt then and there be horribly universally and everlastingly ashamed Thou now acts perhaps securely some harefull and abhorred worke of darknesse and wickednesse not to be nam'd in thine owne heart or one way or other in secret which thou wouldst not for the whole world were knowne to the world or to any but thy selfe or one or two of thy cursed companions curbed by their obnoxiousnesse but be well assured in that Day at that great assize thou shalt in the face of heaven and earth be laid out in thy colours to thine eternall confusion Never therefore go about or encourage thy selfe to commit any sinne because it is mid-night or that the doores are lockt upon thee because thou art alone and no mortall eye seeth thee neither is it possible to be reveal'd And yet I must tell thee by the way secret villanies have and may be discovered 1. In sleepe 2. Out of horrour of conscience or in time of distraction For suppose it be concealed and lie hid in as great darknesse as it was committed untill that last and great Day yet then shall it out with a witnesse and be as legible in thy fore-head as if it were writ with the brightest starres or the most glittering Sun beame upon a wall of Crystall 4. In what a wofull case thy heavy heart will be and with what strange terrour trembling and desperate rage it must needs be possest and rent in peeces when thou shalt heare that dreadfull sentence of damnation to eternall torments and horrour pronounced over thine head Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his angels Every word breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone vengeance and woe bites deeper and terrifies more than ten thousand Scorpion stings To depart from that glorious presence were hell enough but thou must also go with a curse nor onely so but into fire and that must be everlasting fed continually with infinite rivers of brimstone and kept still in flame and fiercenesse by the unquenchable wrath of the most just GOD thorow all eternity And in that horrible dungeon and fiery lake thou shalt never have other company or comforters but wicked devils and they insulting over thee everlastingly with much hellish spite and stinging exprobrations for neglecting so great salvation all thy life long and losing heaven for some base lust and believing their lies If the drowning of the old world swallowing up of Korah and his complices burning up of Sodome with brimstone were attended with such terrours and hideous out cries How infinitely transcendent to all possibility of conceipt expression or beliefe will the confusions and tremblings of that Day be when so many millions of men shall be drag'd downe with all the Devils of hell to torments without end and past imagination There was horrible scryking when those five filthy cities first felt fire and brimstone drop downe upon their heads when those rebels saw the ground cleave asunder and themselves and all theirs go downe quicke into the pit when all the sonnes and daughters of Adam found the floud rising and ready to over-flow them all at once But the most horrid cry that ever was heard or ever shal be in heaven or earth in this world or the world to come will be then when all the forlorne condemned reprobates upon sentence given shal be violently and unresistably haled downe to hell and pulled presently from the presence not onely of the most glorious GOD the LORD IESVS Angels and all the blessed Ones but also of their Fathers Mothers Wives Husbands Children Sisters Brothers Lovers Friends Acquaintance who shall then justly and deservedly abandon them with all detestation and derision and forgetting all nearenesse and dearest obligations of nature neighbourhood alliance any thing rejoyce in the execution of divine justice in their everlasting condemnation So that no eye of GOD oâ—… man shall pitie them neither shall any teares prayers promises suits cries yellings calling upon rocks and mountains wishes never to have been or now to be made nothing c. be then heard or prevaâ—…e iâ—… their behalfe or any one in heaven or earth be found to mediate or speake for them to reverse or stay that fearefull doome of eternall woe but without mercy without stay without any farewell they shall be immediately and irrecoverably cast downe into the bottomlesse pit of easelesse endlesse and remedilesse torments which then shall finally shut her mouth upon them Oh! What then will be the guawings of the never dying worme what rage of guilty consciences what furious despaire what horrour of mind what distractions and feares what bitter looking backe upon their mis-spent time in this world what banning of their brethren in iniquity what cursing the day of their birth and even blaspheming of GOD Himselfe blessed for ever what tearing their haire and gnashing of teeth what wailing and wringing of hands what desperate roaring what hideous yellings filling heaven and earth and hell c. No tongue can tell no heart can thinke Be fore-warned then in a word To thirst long and labour infinitely more to have IESVS CHRIST in the meanetime say in the Ministry to thy truly humbled soule I am thy salvation than to be Possessour iâ—… it were possible of all the riches glory and pleasures of moe worlds than there are starres in