that is taken away Matth. 12.32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall bee forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not bee forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come They that understand forgiving onely in sense and feeling must understand this clause not forgiving onely in sense and feeling and so no reall guilt to lye upon the man Thirdly It is against the nature of forgivenesse to be onely forgiving sinne in a mans own conscience A sixt case is this Whether when a man is suing for pardon he ought to make any difference between great sins and small sin The Stoicks say all sins are alike and there is no difference It is true in regard of the object all sins are against God yet when you come to beg pardon for sin according as your sinnes are greatned you are accordingly to behave your selves in seeking for pardon God can pardon great sins as well as small in regard of God there is no difference nor in regard of the merits of Christ but yet in your behaviour in seeking for pardon of sinne you are to make a great difference between the greatnesse and the smallnesse of your evills For Beloved First Consider the Scripture makes a difference between sins therefore we must doe so the Scripture compares some sins to Camels and some to Gnats the Scripture compares some sins to beams and some to motes some sins as talents and others but as pence and in Amos there is mention made of mighty sins Amos 5. in John of greater sins Joh. 19.11 Jesus answered Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore hee that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin It is true every sin deserves hell yet there is more of the punishment of hell inflicted on some sinners then others the reason why I speake of this case is to let you know that as God hath suffered any of you to fall into aggravated and hainous evils so he requires more of you then of other men First consider that God requires of you more humiliation then he requires of other men In the Law you read that if a man toucht the unclean thing he was unclean till Evening but if a man bare an unclean thing he was to wash his clothes to shew that the touch of sin requires humiliation but the bearing of a sin in thy bosome thy continuing in sin requires more work then meerly the touch of sin Peter wept bitterly for his denyall he did more for that sin then for an ordinary sin So that you are to consider that though in regard of Christ there is no difference between a great sin and a small as the red Sea could drown Pharaoh and his host as well as a single man so Christs bloud can drown a huge host of sins but yet you must encrease your humiliation on the aggravation of your guilt thus much for the fixth case of Conscience The seaventh is this What are those great and hainous circumstances that doe greaten sin that so I may see whether I have aggravated my sin or not here are two circumstances which doe aggravate and greaten sin First Sinning against the frequent manifestation of Gods love to thy soul this greatly aggravates sin this did aggravate Solomons sin 1 King 11. Solomon was the Beloved of the Lord yet he provoked him to anger Secondly To sin against the rebukes and checks of thine own Conscience doth greaten sin Jam. 4.17 Therefore to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sin It is sinne to another man that doth not know it but to him that knoweth it it is a greater sin this Christ refers to and speaks of Judas that would betray him and yet knew that hee was the Son of God What my Disciples to betray me his sin was the greater Conscience is Gods officer in man it is a greater fault to strike a Constable then an ordinary man out of office for thee to sin against the rebukes and checks of Conscience aggravates sin Thirdly To sin against Gods judgements upon other men is an aggravated evill for thee to sin when God hath given thee warning of sin from other mens bloud this did aggravate Belshazzars sin Dan. 5.22 23. And thou his son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this But hast lifted up thy selfe against the Lord of heaven c. Thou that knowest how a man is plagued for his uncleannesse thou that knowest how a man is plagued for riotous living yet thou wilt live riotous and thou wilt live adulterous O thou man thy sin is the greater thou sinnest against the monument of the eye as well as against the warning of the ear Fourthly Sin against Gods judgments upon our selves doth weigh ten sin this did aggravate Ahaz sin 2 Chron. 28.22 And in the time of his distresse he did trespasse yet more against the Lord. Fifthly To sin against mercies is an aggravation of sin 2 Sam. 12. I delivered thee out of Sauls hand I gave thee thy Masters house I gave thee the house of Israel and if all this had been too litttle for thee I would have moreover given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised c What thou sin David and hast been loadned with a heap of mercies this greatens thy sin Sixthly It greatens sin when the sin is immediately against God 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him If a man sins against God O who shall plead for him Seaventhly To sin against the motions of Gods Spirit aggravates sin when the Spirit of God shall in thy Conscience perswade thee that thou wouldst not follow such wicked wayes as thou art walking in when the Spirit of God shall come and woo thee to be reconciled to alter thy course and to walk in better paths when not onely the voice of Conscience but the motions of Gods Spirit shall be stifled this aggravates sin Hence it is that Scripture in setting out the wronging and withstanding the Spirits motion whether to good or from evill doth ascend by gradations sometimes it is called quenching the Spirit Queuch not the Spirit a higher degree there is a grieving the Spirit when there are frequent acts to withstand Divine motions that is a grieving the Spirit Thirdly There is an higher aggravation then this that is resisting the Spirit Act. 7.51 Ye stiffe neeked and uncircumcised in heart and eares ye doe alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe yee This is caused by pertinaciousnesse in withstanding the Spirits motion Fourthly The Scripture speakes of vexing the Spirit Isa 63.10 But they rebellect and vexed his Holy Spirit therefore hee was turned to be their enemy and fought against them This is not onely by one
on him should receive for the holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified The holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus Christ was not yet glorified but this Text is not to be taken simply then it will follow that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had not the spirit and they could not be in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that Aboundant measure was not given because Christ was yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascention and untill hee was glorified Therefore the Apostles soone after his Ascention they received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts by Christ to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this as the fruit of Christs Ascention Ephesians 4.10 11 12. vers Hee that descended is the same also that Ascended up farre above all heavens that hee might fill all things And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ So that you are to looke upon not onely your own Christian gifts whereby God brings you to Heaven but all Ministeriall gifts are the fruits of Christs giving to Heaven Fifthly Christ is gone to Heaven It is to comfort us in this that Christ being bodily in Heaven it might make thee holdy bold and fiducially confident when ever thou comest to God in Prayer thou dost come to God in Prayer but thou may be comest to him as thou hast Jesus Christ at his Right hand in Heaven presenting thy Prayers to God for thee there is this very comfort given in by the Apostle Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing then that wee have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Sonne of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need Jesus Christ being in Heaven it should worke a holy bodnesse in us to keepe out feare and distrust when thou prayest because we have an High Priest that is past into the highest Heavens Jesus the Sonne of God Who would not come boldly to the Court when hee knows that the Kings Eldest Sonne is his friend and is assured of his love that hee will intercede for him to his Father Jesus Christ is the King of Heaven the eldest Sonne and hee is bound by Office to represent all our supplications and make Intercessions for us Sixthly that Christ being gone bodily into Heaven it may bee of comfort that though Jesus Christ be gone bodily into Heaven yet hee hath the same relation towards a Believer which hee had to them whilst hee was upon the Earth When hee was on the Earth did Christ say go tell my Brethren that I am to ascend and after hee was taken up into Heaven yet hee calls them his Brethren Heb. 2.11 For both hee that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause hee is not ashamed to call them Brethren Though Christ was crowned with glory and gone up to Heaven yet hee was not ashamed to call Believers Brethren Now in Heaven Christ is thy God there and Christ is thy Father there Christ is thy Prince there and Christ is thy friend there and this may administer much comfort to thee that Jesus Christ retaines the same relation now he is in heaven that he had with thee in the world Therefore Iob could speak in a vision saith Job I know that my Redeemer liveth I know my Kinsman liveth for so theword signifieth I know my kinsman liveth Christ did only call his Disciples Brothers when hee was in the flesh and so hee calleth them Brothers now is in heaven Suppose thou art a poor woman that dost marry a man that is mean poor in the world why suppose this man should come to the dignity of a King it would be a great comfort to thee that thou that wast but a beggar art now become a Kings Wife so though thou art mean in the world yet Jesus Christ doth preferre thee to be his Brother Seventhly and lastly it may serve for comfort in this regard that Christ is gone to Heaven for this very purpose to prepare Heaven for thee I go to prepare a place for you Heb. 6 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Christ is our forerunner gone to Heaven before us and gone to Heaven for us Christ did not onely dye for us but Christ did go to heaven for us all was for us Heb. 10.19.20 Having therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh That is having hopes to come to enter into Heaven by the blood of Christ through Christs flesh as dying on the Crosse And thus much be spoken for the Doctrinall part of this poynt the poynt was this That Christs Ascention or going up bodily to Heaven is a ground of great comfort to Gods people whilst they live here upon the Earth I shall now draw out some instructions from some circumstances in Christs going to Heaven There are five circumstances from which you may gather some instruction First from the time when Christ did leave this World and ascend up to goe to Heaven if you reade the Evangelists they will tell you it was about the 33 yeare of his Age hee left this World and goeth up to Heaven Learne thus much from thence that if Christ would leave the World in the flower of his Age a young man then this should be fastened on the Meditation of you young men that you should not have your hearts too much glued to the World to hancker after a long life Suppose God should take thee away now in the flower of thy age now God took Christ away so Secondly you may learne somewhat from the place whence Christ did ascend it is very observable It was Mount Olivet Acts 1.12 Then returned they unto Ierusalem from the Mount called Olivet which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath days Journey Luke saith it was from Bethany Luke 24.50.51 And hee led them out as farre as to Bethany and hee lifted up his hands and blessed them And it came to passe while hee blessed them hee was parted from them and carried up into heaven It was all one but there is much of Gods minde in this of all places in the World Christ did make choyce of Bethany by Mount Olivet to go up to Heaven Beloved the reason was because that was the place that Christ was taken in
single act but when continually throughout thy course thou hast a wilfull and a gainsaying heart against all the motions of Gods Spirit within thee Must not this be a great evill in thee when thou dost quench grieve resist and vex the Spirit all these circumstances must needes aggravate and greaten thy sin Eightly Sin is aggravated when thou dost frequently fall into the same sin Ninethly Sin is aggravated when it is done in a way of complacency that it is not onely acted by thee but loved by thee the acting of a sin is not so much as a loving of sin Tenthly sin is aggravated when it is done by eminent and publick persons whose example draw other men to sin and this did aggravate Jereboams sin 2 King 17.21 For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin Thou that hast sinned a sin and art a publike person thy sins are other mens sins thine is a greater sin then another mans sin is for every act that thou hast done will be an imboldning and encouragement of other to doe the like Eleventhly It aggravates sin when God doth punish other men for thy sin this makes the sins of Rulers to be great sins because for their sins God may punish the people as for Davids sin in numbring the people there did thousands of Israel dye of the plague when thou sinnest in thy family God may punish all the house for that sin this you shall find an aggravation of Abrahams sin Gen. 20.9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him What hast thou done unto us and what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on mâ—e and on my Kingdome a great sin thou hast done deeds unto mee that ought not to be done Twelfthly Sin is an aggravated sin when it is done by a man that lives under much means of grace where the Gospel is preached where sin is reproved there to live in a way of wickednesse greatens thy sin that made a woe to be pronounced by Christ against Chorazin and against Bethsaida because they had the Gospell it should be worse with them then with Sodom and Gomorrah In the thirteenth place Sin is aggravated when they are against many vows purposes and prayers and many holy resolutions thou addest perjury to thine iniquity and that aggravates thy sin The Use Such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives sinnes cloathed with many aggravated circumstances O then what remains there are two things to be done by you First if of any you find that you are under these thirteen aggravations that you can call your sins the iniquity of sin O then you should admire and magnifie the multitude of Gods mercy that great sins cannot out-vie Gods mercy but Gods mercy out-vie thy great sins Magnifie pardoning grace the more Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.13 Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy c. O doe thou say so I have been thus vile and thus wicked I have thus cloathed my sin yet through the aboundance of grace and love I have obtained mercy O let this inhance the value of Christs bloud Secondly Labour to greaten thine own graces hast thou beene notorious in sin why shouldst not thou be great in humiliation great in repentance And thus I have by the good hand of God in these twelve Sermons handled two Doctrines to you the one touching Davids penitentiall act confessing sin and the other of Gods gracious act The Lord forgave him the iniquity of his sin So much for this Text. FINIS THE SAINTS Advantage BY CHRISTS Ascension JOHN 14 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there yee may be also THis Chapter out of which my Text is taken is counted famous by most Interpreters because in it begins the Legacy that Christ gives and the last Will and Testament that Christ made when he was to leave the World and this Will and Testament of Christs begins in the 14th Chap. and continues to the 18 Chapter of this Book The scope and drift of this Chapter it is to comfort his Disciples both against their feares of persecution in the World as also against their sorrowes upon this Consideration that Christ was shortly to leave this World and Christ doth here mention many comfortable considerations before them that they were to be left without a guide that Christ was shortly to leave this World and go to his Father â—t much troubled them It went ill with them when Christ was with them and they thought it would have been worse with them when hee was gone and he doth encourage them by these Arguments First hee saith I am but going to my Fathers House and the 28 vers of this Chapter he saith yee have heard how I said unto you I goe away and come againe unto you If yee loved mee yee would rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. Againe secondly he would not have them troubled because of his departure because saith he I do not intend to go to my Fâ—â—her alone but intend for to have all you with me though you shall not go with me now Though you shall not die with mee now though you shall not go to Heaven with me now yet you shall be with mee mother day In my Fathers house are many Mansions I do not intend to go to heaven done for there is roome for you as well is for mee and roome for every Believer in the World Heaven first is a Mansion a place which notes a duration of Saints in Heaven Heaven is not a moveable place but a Mansion an abiding place Againe there are many Mansions in Heaven there is roome enough for Christ for his eleven Apostles and roome enough for all the Believers in the World it notes the lastingnesse of Heaven Hebrewes 11. and 12 vers Therefore sprang there even that one and him as good as dead so many as the Starres of the Skye in multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea-shore innumerable And besides the innumerable company of Angells there is a great Multitude in Heaven which no man can number so that here Heaven is a Mansion and there are many Mansions Thirdly but they may say these may be Superbolicall expressions that there is more spoken then is but saith Christ in the second vers In my Fathers house are many Mansions If it were not so I would have told you To doubt that Jesus Christ doth speake more then there is if there had been no such thing as having a Mansion in Heaven with Christ saith Christ if there were not such I would have told you I do not love to tell you of a fooles Paradice as the Devill doth but I tell you in Heaven
bodies into Heaven with mee that as my body is in Heaven so your bodies shall be there also with me Obser The Observation is this That it is one great end of Christs coming againe for to receive the bodies of all the Elect unto himselfe into Heaven with him I come againe and receive you unto my selfe I shall not follow the common place in handling the Resurrection of the body I shall onely handle this poynt practically to you in shewing you what the happinesse of the Elect of God is in their bodies as well as their Soules Now because this Text is made use of to pervert many Scriptures I shall handle this practicall Question before I can come to handle the Doctrine Quest The Question is this that seeing Jesus Christ doth onely promise that hee will receive the Elect unto himselfe at his coming againe Then this Question will be started Then what becomes of all the godly imediately after death before Christs coming againe to judgement Therefore those that hold for the sleeping of the Soule they on this Text doe ground that there is no receiving neither one or other the one to Life the other to Death the wicked are not tormented then nor the godly glorified till then Therefore it is needfull that seeing Christ doth here speake of receiving them unto himselfe not till his coming then what becomes of the Soules of dead Men before the coming of Christ Ans Before I give you the Answer take this distinction There is a twofold receiving First there is a partiall and incompleat receiving and this is done imediatly after death that when the Soule doth depart from the body the Soule is received by Jesus Christ in Heaven and that is the reason of those Speeches in Acts 7. There is a receiving them before Christs coming and this is called a partiall and incompleat reception it is onely a receiving of the spirit and not of the body Secondly there is a totall and compleat reception both of the body and the soule into glory and it is this that the Text here speakes of though it is true there is not a totall reception of a Believer till Christs coming to judgement yet there is a partiall reception I do not speake to those that say the soule is mortall and that it shall never live but to those that say the soule shall sleepe and the soule doth perish with the body untill the Resurrection Now against these that pleade for the sleeping of the soule till Christs coming againe take these foure wayes how to strengthen you in this First there are pregnant instances in Scripture that after the godly die their Soules are received into Heaven before CHRIST comes Secondly there are generall expressions in the Scripture as well as particular instances to prove this Thirdly there are expresse passages in the Scripture to confirme this Fourthly there are absurd inconsequences that will arise in case it should be denyed First there are Pregnant Instances or examples in the Scripture to prove that after death the soul is received into heaven Take three instances First that knowne Text Luke 23.43 And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee To day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise That day Christ dyed that day Christ went to Heaven therefore that day the soule of that converted thiefe must go to Heaven Now beloved there are two Evasions that those who pleade for the soules cessation for the soules sleeping that they make to avoid this Text and take off this Instance First is by altering the comma or stop in the Text and reade it thus I say unto thee this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise that to day they doe not referre it that the Thiefe should be in Paradise Peter Martyr doth give two Answers to this Evasion First saith hee it is not safe to alter a comma or stop in Scripture for so you may pervert the Scripture and make it speak what it never meant if men at their pleasure disagreeing from all Copies alter comma's in the translation Another Answer that it appeares this cannot bee the sense of it to referre to day to the time that Christ spake and not to the time that the thiefe should be in heaven for saith Gerrard marke the thiefes prayer In ver 42. And be said unto Jesus Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Marke there is the thiefes when that when Christ should come to Heaven Christ should remember him Christs Hodie must answer to his Quando or else hee did not answer to his Prayer Christs to day must answer the thiefes when that when Christ came to Heaven there to remember the thiefe And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise Thirdly this day it was needlesse for Christ to say to day to tell him the time when hee spake hee knew Christ spake to him then but to speake of the time when the thiefe should be in Heaven I say to thee this day thou shalt be with Mee in Heaven The second Evasion is this It is true Christ promised thou shalt be with mee in Paradice but Christ doth not say thou shalt be with mee in Heaven but with mee in Paradice There are three answers to give you to this Evasion First that those that will not by Paradice understand Heaven by this Text they then fall in with the Papists either for Purgatory or a Limbus Patrum Secondly take this answer that in other Scriptures when Paradice is mentioned it is to be understood Heaven and so the Apostle doth expound it 2 Cor. 12.2.4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteene yeares agoe whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third Heaven How that hee was caught up into Paradice and heard unspeakeable words which it is not lawfull for a man to utter So that the Apostle by Paradice doth expound it to be Heaven Revel 2.7 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God That is hee shall enjoy Jesus Christ Christ in Heaven is the Tree of Life in the Paradice of God Thirdly it cannot be any Earthly Paradice the Paradice Adam was in before his fall for the Earthly Paradice was destroyed by the Flood therefore of necessity when Christ tells the thiefe To day shalt thou be with mee in Paradice it must referre to the thiefes going to Heaven at that day with Jesus Christ A second instance it is in Luke 16.22 And it came to passe that the Beggar dyed and was carried by the Angells into Abrahams bosom The rich man also dyed and was buried This is another instance that the soules of the Elect after death they go to Heaven There are two Evasions made upon
this Text. First they say that this Text it is a parable and not an Historicall Narration To this I answer though some men doe say it is a Parable yet many say it is a History Jerome and many following him doth give many Arguments to prove that it was a History and not a Parable And Tertullian is confident that this is an exact History of what was really done And Peter Martyr doth quote Tertullian saith hee that Tertullian is so confident that this is a History that hee undertakes for to tell this to tell you whom were the men saith hee the Rich man was Herod and the Beggar was Iohn the Baptist But suppose it be a Parable and not a History yet Parables doe carry the resemblance of truth Parables take their Foundations from truth that there are some men in Hell and some men in Heaven that in Hell there is torment and in Heaven there is joy that as the beggar went to Heaven after death so shall all the godly and as the rich man went to Hell so shall all the wicked The other Evasion is this it is said that this Beggar is said to be carried into Abrahams bosome I answer First it is more then probable that Abrahams bosome is Heaven Now Abraham being in Heaven why all his children are in Heaven as children in a Fathers bosome he being the Father of the faithfull that is the answer that Gerrard gives Againe it is said that they are carried by Angells into Abrahams bosome Therefore Abrahams bosome must be in Heaven now certainly the good Angells carry a good soule into Heaven and the wicked Angels carry a damned soule into hell and thus you have two Instances that imediatly after death the soules of the Elect goe to Heaven A third Instance is in Mat. 22.31 32. But as touching the Resurrection of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living Argue from that Instance that therefore Abraham Isaac and Jacob were living at that time though not in their bodies but they were at that time living if you marke the reason the reason of that Text was not to prove a Resurrection of the body onely which the Saduces deny but also to prove the imortality of the Soule The Saduces deny Spirits and Angells too Acts 23.8 For the Saduces say that there is no Resurrection neither Angell nor Spirit but the Pharisees confesse both Christ doth prove that there shall be a Resurrection of the body and hee likewise proves that the soule doth not die when the body dyeth Indeed there is a quotation that I have read of a learned man that doth make use of this Instance Gen. 25.8 Then Abraham gave up the Ghost and died in a good old age an old man and full of yeares and was gathered to his people Abraham was not gathered to his Fathers nor to be gathered in the grave where his fore-fathers were how can this be true that the Scripture saith Abraham was gathered unto his Fathers yet hee was not gathered to his Fathers in God therefore say Divines it must be in his Soule that Abraham went to Heaven as his godly fore-fathers went that is the meaning of that phrase to be bound up in the bundle of Life to goe to Heaven as their fore-fathers did And thus much for particular Instances The second way to prove that the soules of the Elect men goe to Heaven imediately after death It is by generall Expressions in Scripture Two generall passages one is In Heb. 12.23 To the generall Assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in Heaven and to God the judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect thence I argue that the Apostle makes mention and proves that there were the Spirits of just men made perfect Now if their soules did perish with their bodies then the Apostle should say that their spirits are annihilated with the body but it is the spirits of just men made perfect the Scripture takes notice in generall expressions that just men have their soules made perfect And then in Eccle. 12.7 Then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall returne to God who gave it Marke here are two things spoken of First here is the end of godly men the body shall goe to the dust and the soule to God the time when it shall be is when that man goeth to his long home when the keepers of the House shall tremble that is the Hands and Armes and the strong men shall bow themselves that is the Feete and Thighs and the Grinders shall cease that is the Teeth and they that looke out at the windowes shall be darkened that is the Eyes when nature decayes and the body perisheth by Diseases and dyes then shall the body goe to the dust and the spirit to God that gave it Thirdly I shall prove it to you from expresse passages in the Scripture that doe confirme this that the soules of the Elect after death before Christs coming are received into heaven for this I shall give foure or five expresse Scriptures The first is in Iohn 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent mee that every one which seeth the Sonne and believeth on him may have Everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here are two distinct promises premised First a promise of everlasting Life Secondly a promise of raising up at the last day First a promise of everlasting Life is made distinct from the other Divines say that before the raising up at the last day there is an everlasting Life that his soule shall live before the last day and his body shall be raised up at the last day Another Text is in Luke 16.9 And I say unto you make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when yee faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations Kemnitius makes great use of this Text to prove what I am now arguing to you that imediately after death the soule of an Elect man is received into Heaven Marke make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that is your wealth called so either because it is unrighteously gotten or unrighteously kept use your wealth well that when you die you may be received into everlasting habitations It is questionable whether it be referred to Angells or to the poore which shall pray for us that wee may be received into Heaven but saith Kemnitius use your wealth well that you may be received into everlasting habitations upon your failing upon your dying the Lord receives the Elect into everlasting habitations This Kemnitius doth build on that the soule doth goe to Heaven imediately after Death A third Scripture is in Phil. 3.23 For I am in a straite betwixt two having a desire to
depart and to be with Christ which is far better So that the Apostle doth only make these two conclusions a departing out of the World out of this Life and a desire to be with Jesus Christ hee mentions no place for a good soule to goe to hee mentions no Purgatory nor Limbus Patrum And so likewise a fourth Text you have in 2 Cor. 6.8.9 Therefore wee are alwayes confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord. Wee are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent wee may be accepted of him Marke That the Apostle doth onely make these two conclusions to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord so that the soule is present with the Lord whilst absent from the body Then againe that Prayer of Stephen proves it likewise in Acts 7.59 And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit It had beene uncomfortable for him to have thought that hee should have beene stoned for Jesus Christ and it must have beene above 1600 yeares before Christ should have received his soule but hee prayed Lord Iesus Christ receive my Soule which hee would not have done if hee had not believed that his soule would have beene received by Jesus Christ imediately after death And thus I leave those Scriptures to confirme you in this that the soule doth not sleepe in the body but at the parture from the body it doth imediately goe to Heaven Fourthly I prove it to you by shewing those grosse absurdities and inconveniencies that will arise in case it should be denyed that God doth not receive the soule of any Elect man till hee doth come to judge the World First it will follow that the godly will be in a worse condition after they are dead then they were in when they were alive for when they were alive to live is Christ Christ dwelt in their hearts by Faith Now if the soule doth sleepe with the body and perish with the body then Christ doth not live in them Christ doth not dwell there by Faith so that this would be uncomfortable that a believer after death should be in a worse condition then during this Life for here he lives in Christ by Faith Secondly then it will follow that God the Father would be more cruell to his people then hee would have other men be to their servants which have done their worke Marke that Text Levit. 19.13 Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour neither rob him the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night untill the morning That the Master was not to keepe the hire of the Labourer long from him that the Master should not keep the servants wages long from him Now will the great God keepe you who are his servants that have served him here in this World and have done him faithfull service and will hee keepe any reward from you till his last coming No but when you have ended your Life and done your worke you receive your wages when your work is done you have your reward Thirdly observe this if this should be true that the Soules of the Elect men doe not goe to Heaven after death then it will follow that the soules of wicked men doe not goe to Hell after death and how repugnant this is to the Scripture you well know when the Scripture saith in the Epistle of Jude That the men of Sodome and Gomorrha suffered the vengeance of eternall fire And of Judas Acts 25. That hee may take part of this Ministery and Apostle-ship from which Judas by transgression fell that hee might goe to his owne place I could give you multitude of Instances where the wicked are in Hell 1 Pet. 3.19 20. By which also hee went and preached unto the Spirits in prison Which sometimes were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was a preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by water That is Jesus Christ by his Spirit in the Ministery of Noah did preach to the old World who were disobedient to that Preacher of righteousnesse who is now in Heaven To say that a godly man doth not goe to Heaven imediately after death it will follow that a wicked man doth not go to Hell imediately after death Fourthly it would follow that there should be onely Angels in Heaven and no Saints whereas the Scripture saith expresly that Christ shall come from Heaven with his Saints And wee reade in Scripture that there are the Spirits of just men made perfect as well as the innumerable company of Angells Fifthly this would follow that it would be a great discomfort to a godly man on his death-bed if hee should be so many hundred yeares before Christ would bring him to Heaven what comfort shall a godly man have to die when hee shall say it shall be so many hundred yeares before my body and my soule shall be thought of by Jesus Christ it would be a very uncomfortable Doctrine for a man to thinke that I shall die like a beast that my soule after death shall not be taken up into Heaven And thus I have proved that imediatly after the godly die their Soules are received into Heaven I have proved it by pregnant Instances in the Scripture by generall expressions in the Scripture and by those expresse passages in Scripture and have given you those absurdities that will arise in case it should be denyed A word now from what hath beene spoken If it be so that Christ doth receive thee O thou Believer receive thee to himselfe before his totall and compleate reception I would then give you this use for to comfort you Vse First O feare not a dying time let not death be dreadfull and terrible to thee Beloved were this true indeed that when thou diest thy soule should perish with thy body then a Life is not worth the having but when thou shalt thinke on thy death-bed here now is a Disease a consuming of thy nature and sending of thee to thy grave and now there is but a little time betweene thee and Heaven that when I am a dying I am in the very Suburbs of Heaven a little breath betweene mee and Heaven O how should this comfort a dying man when that hee hath good evidences for Heaven O this should greatly comfort thee against thou comest to die to thinke that thy death-bed is the very Suburbs of Heaven I have read what John said that wrote the Revelations when hee was ready to die I do believe saith hee that in this very day my soule shall be represented before the Lord Jesus Christ. O think now thou art leaving thy friends but it will not be a day before Christ and I shall meete in Heaven As in the Booke of Martyrs wee reade
is that to us that Jesus Christ is now bodily in heaven what comfort was this to the Disciples that Jesus Christ should leave them that hee must goe from them unto his Fathers house There are seven particulars that it is great ground of comfort to all the people of God that Jesus Christ is gone bodily to heaven The first ground of comfort is this Christs going to heaven bodily it assures you of Christs full Triumph and compleat conquest over all your spirituall Enemies This the Apostle lays down as a ground of comfort upon Christs Ascention Eph. 4.8 Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men That is the Devill and Sinne that carried you captive and Christ by his going up to heaven hath led them captive that is hath led your spirituall enemies that carried you captive led them captive Christ alluded to the custome among the Romans when the Roman Conquerour was to come to the Cardinall of Rome to rejoyce in his victory over his enemies the Conquerour did use to tie his Captives to the Chariot-wheeles So Christ did carry his Captives by his wheeles as it were hee led captivity captive Colos 2.15 And having spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly Triumphing over them in it So that Beloved here is one great comfort that Christ by going up to heaven doth manifest and declare to all the World that hee hath overcome the Grave Death Devill and Sinne for neither could they hold Christ in the chaines thereof Secondly Christs going bodily to heaven It is a pledge to you that Christ will one day bring your bodies to heaven I goe to heaven that I may receive you to my selfe that you may be bodily in heaven where Christ is In John 14.19 Yet a little while and the World seeth mee no more but yee see mee because I live yee shall live also As if hee should say well I must leave you and I must go to heaven before you but because I live in heaven and live there bodily you shall also live with mee in heaven with your bodies Tertullian doth make this use of it to comfort the Christians in his days saith hee Jesus Christ did carry our flesh into heaven with him and hee is of our flesh and of our bone Now saith Tertullian Jesus Christ hath carried flesh into heaven this is a good pledge unto us that our flesh shall be in heaven where Christs is also Therefore O flesh and bloud doe thou rejoyce thou hast possest heaven in Christ already And Christ would be imperfect in heaven should not the bodies of Believers come there also because he lives in heaven you shall live there also Thirdly Christs going bodily to heaven it is a ground of comfort to you in this because Christ is gone bodily into heaven to performe and accomplish his Sacerdotall Office that is as a high Priest hee is now in heaven to performe the Office of a high Priest to make intercession to God his Father in your behalfe that your sinnes might be pardoned that your Soules might bee saved that your bodies might be raised and received into heaven with him in Glory Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us Christ is entred into the very heavens that hee might appeare before God for us so in Heb. 7.26 For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the heavens It became us to have a high Priest in Heaven Therefore observe though it was a great benefit to the Disciples to have Christs Bodily presence yet Jesus Christ could never have fulfilled the office of the Priest-hood to make intercession for all the Elect if Christ had not gone bodily into heaven Will you observe one Text in Heb. 8.4 For if hee were on Earth hee should not be a Priest seeing that there are Priests that offer-gifts according to the Law Christ must goe to heaven and there hee is a Priest Now if hee were upon the Earth hee could not be a Priest for us therefore wee have great advantage by CHRISTS going into heaven O beloved then looke on this as a great comfort that our Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven in his Body Flesh and Bloud appearing before God making Intercession for all his people This was typed out under the Law Exod. 28.9 10 11 12. verses And thou shalt take two Onix Stones and grave on them the Names of the Children of Israel Six of their Names on one stone and the other six Names of the rest on the other stone according to their Birth With the worke of an ingraver in stone like the ingravings of a signet shalt thou ingrave the two stones with the names of the Children of Israel thou shalt make them to be set in Ouches of gold And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memoriall unto the Children of Israel And Aaron shall beare their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memoriall This is a Type of Jesus Christ our high Priest who is gone not into the holy of holiest but in it selfe the holy of holiest and there he hath not onely the names of all the Elect of God throughout the world on his Breast but he hath them in his heart and there he makes intercession for them to his Father This is a Third ground of Comfort that you have of Christs going bodily into Heaven which assures you that Christ is now in Heaven A Fourth ground of comfort you have by Christs going into Heaven is this that Jesus Christ is gone into heaven to convey to you a fuller communication of the gifts and graces of his spirit then was bestowed on his people whilst hee was upon the Earth Ephes 4. ver 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men It is an illusion to the Roman custome that when the Conquerour rode in Triumph towards the Capitoll he did not onely leade the Prisoners by the Charet wheeles but likewise scattered mony to the Spectators that saw him ride along in triumph so the Lord Jesus Christ having by his Ascension spoyled death and the Devill this Jesus Christ doth cast his gifts unto men dispenseth his graces in a greater measure into the hearts of his people not that we are to run into the Socinian errour because of this text they gather that before Christs Ascension into heaven there was no saving gifts of the spirit and they ground it on that text Joh. 7. ver 38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that believe