they are willing to be reproved for sin to be instructed concerning duty they hear they keep the word as well as hear it Prov. 10. 17. He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction So Prov. 6. 23. For the commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light and the reproofs of instruction is the way of life The word of God hath not only a convincing and a converting and an edifying power put 't will put the crown at last upon the head of the faithful therefore the Apostle affirms it able to give the inheritance Act. 20. 32. And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified 4. They who are Heirs to the Crown of Life do mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirits help they do it Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live The Heirs of life are weary of the body of sin and death therefore they crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts of 〈◊〉 They mortifie their members on earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence covetousness which is idolatry Col. 3. 5. Every sin that they see they look upon with an eye of grief and hatred and strike at it 5. They who are heirs to the Crown of Life have their fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from sin and become the servants of God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life The pure in heart shall see the Lord Mat. 5. 8. his back parts now his face in glory And truly the holy are only fit to behold the Holy One. Art thou an enemy to holiness Thou art an enemy to thy own life The heirs of life understand that Jerusalem above is an holy City therefore they apply plead the promise of sanctification they cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 6. They who are heirs to the Crown of Life persevere to the end they are faithful to the death as the Texâ— speaks they hold fast what they have that none may take their Crown away they not only begin but finish their course and keep the faith and so they receive a Crown of righteousness at the hand of the Lord the righteous Judge USE III. Suffer I beseech you a few words of Exhortation and I shall conclude with them 1. Let the serious and believing consideration of this Crown of life enliven and quicken you to every duty Art thou hearing for a Crown and praying for a Crown and wilt thou hear carelesly and pray coldly Doth not such a Kingdom as heaven is deserve thou shouldst use an holy violence to take it what slothful and dead when such glory is in view Oh strive to enter in at the strait gate that when thou seekest to enter in at Heavens door and cryest Lord Lord open to me entrance may not be denyed 2. Let this Crown of life be made use of to silence Satan to fence thee against temptation When the Devil tells thee of â—ase and gain and pleasure which sin will afford reply Come O thou lying and deceitful spirit put thy â—ase and gain and pleasure into one Ballance of the Sanctuary and I will put the Crown of life and glory into the other and what is sinful â—ase to the Saints rest or the gain of gold to the Saints glory or pleasures for a moment to eternal rejoycing Satan will not know what to say to this but perceiving unlikelyhood of prevailing will flee from you 3. Let this crown of Life loosen your hearts from the world Do not defile and load your selves with thick clay do not stick fast therein when such glory is so certain and near at hand Be not desirous of or content with a portion in this life since you are just entring upon a better Live as strangers and pilgrims on earth declare plainly that you seek a better country then the world hath any 4. Let this crown of Life steel your hearts against sufferings Fear not what enemies can do since the keyes of heaven hang not at their girdle nor glory is given of their pleasure Our Lord set the joy before him so he endured the cross and despised the shame Heb. 12. 2. and if you imitate him you shall at length sit down where he is at the right hand of the throne of God 5. Let this crown of life set you above the fear of dissolution it cannot be enjoyed till you are gone from hence you must dye before you can live the life above Let your death be natural or violent you must not be startled or amazed The Angels are ready to do their office to convey you to paradise Christs arms are open to receive you which are a part of his purchase and his redeemed ones Christ understands what 't is to dye 't is an unusual tryal which you can have experience of but once unusual strength shall be afforded If death were but lookt upon only as a dark passage into the glorious and lightsome inheritance it would be no longer terrible but desireable 6. let this crown of Life make you long for your Lords appearing Oh cry unto him to remove time and dayes out of the way and that the wheels of his chariot may make greater hast Long for the time when the heavens shall break asunder and the fairest of ten thousand shall shew his face through the clouds and sit upon his great white throne to judge the world in righteousness When he comes his reward will be with him Rev. 2 2. 12. Never a Saint shall be seen without a crown at that day And Oh what a spectacle will it be to behold the Head and all the members together every one having on a rich and sparkling diadem The Saints are described to be such as love their Lords appearing And there is reason they should wish for it For when Christ who is their life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in glory FINIS
possession of the Kingdome He liveth and was dead and behold he is alive for â—vermore He is set down with his Father in his Throne and is gone thither partly to this end that he might fit Crowns and prepare Mansions for his persevering followers Joh. 14. 2. 4. A fourth Argument shall be drawn from the forâ—â—asts of this glorious life that at present are vouchsafed Life spiritual is Life eternal in the Bud and the Bud will at length be fully blown In Ordinances an heaven upon earth is somtimes enjoyed Oh then how are the things unseen made evident When faith and spiritual sense and experience go together then there is that which the Apostle calls a full assurance of understanding Col. 2. 2. 5. A fifth Argument shall be drawn from the earnest of the Spirit Eph. 1. 13 14. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the carnest of our inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his Glory And in other places we read of the â—arnest of the Spirit The Spirit of wisdome and revelation makes the Saints know what is the hope of their Calling and what the riches of their glorious inheritance And the Lord gives his Spirit not only to reveal this to them but as an earnest and pledge to assure them of it and that after they are made meet to be partakers of the life and glory which he hath promised they shall undoubtedly enjoy it I come at last to the Uses USE I. Of Instruction We may learn the woâ—ul condition of the ungodly a Crown there is but not for them a glorious life above but they shall dye the everlasting death By the ungodly I mean they that allow themselves in sin which the Word and Conscience tels them they ought to cast away Not only the open unbeliever but the secret hypocrite is concerned who is an unbeliever as well as the other When these do read of Heavens joyes it should fill them with sorrow to consider that their triumph will be but short and their joy will last but for a moment Job 20. 5. There are these Five things that will exceedingly aggravate the loss of life to the ungodly 1. This life was proffer'd often to the ungodly in the Gospel The Fountain of living waters was not a Fountain sealed but 't was set open and yet this Fountain was forsaken for the sake of broken Cisterns The Spirit and the Bride say come the Ministers of the Gospel say come and the sinners pressing necessity and want sayes Go and drink of the waters of life since thou mayest do it freely Rev. 22. 17. and yet he refuseth to accept the invitation Pardon goes as it were a begging and Glory a begging in the Gospel and yet neither are accepted though offered upon terms most just and reasonable Oh how will it torture the damned to reflect upon this that they would not come to Christ though life was assured upon their coming Joh. 5. 40. 2. 'T will heighten the misery of undone sinners to consider what they preferr'd before this Crown of life Oh where were their wits when sin was cherished in their hearts while Christ stood at the door When the world that is so empty so unstable â—o ensnaring was lookt upon as a better inheritance then that which is incorruptible 3. Some that perish have been not far from the kingdom The spirit of God hath striven their own spirits have been startled and almost perswaded to turn indeed and if they had done so they would have lived this crown had been their own But some sin or other was a cord to hold them fast some command wherein suffering self-denial strictness is enjoyned made them first demur then consulting with flesh and blood to take offence at Christ and so away And 't is an hightning of misery to have been near to happiness through our own fault and folly to have miss't of iâ— 4. The ungodly hereafter will have other apprehensions of this crown which they have slighted When they see the Prophets and Apostles and Saints in the Kingdom and do perceive what a lustre their crowns have what bliss and glory is their portion Oh how will they grow mad mad at themselves for grief and vexation that they were so soâ—tishly ignorant to contemn such a treasure 5. Despair of ever gaining that Crown of Life will seize upon them Now there is hope but hereafter the door of heaven and the door of hope too will be shut and never open'd more No prayers will be heard no tears will move compassion Christ the giver of life will say depart ye cursed and the invitation to come to him will be heard no more for ever How will desperation torture them when they consider what they have lost and how their loss is irreparable Fools they lived and fools they dyed and then after-wisdom cannot at all avail them Bring these things to mind consider and shew your selves men O ye transgressours When life and death were set before you why should death as the best of the two be chosen USE II. Of Examination It highly concerns all to examine whether they have a right to this Crown of life or no Most expect it but most will be ashamed of their ungrounded hope and expectation To help you against deceiving your own souls in this self-examination I shall describe those that have a title to this Crown that are indeed the heirs of life by these ensuing characters 1. They who have a right to the Crown of life are believers on the Son of God Joh. 3. ult He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life What is it to believe on Christ 'T is to recieve him as he is offered in the Gospel How is Christ offered in the Gospel As a Prince and as a Saviâ—ur Christ cannot be received as a Prince but the dominion of sin must be pulled down He cannot be received as a Saviour but our own righteousness and strength must be look't upon as insufficient and unavaluable to salvation He that thus hath accepted the Son hath life by him 1 Joh. 5. 11. This is thâ— record that God hath given us eternal life anâ— this life is in â—his Son seek it elsewhere 〈◊〉 you will never find it 2. They who are heirs to the Crown of life are quickned by the Spirit 'T is the Spirit that quickens Joh. 6. 63. Sometime they were dead in trespasses and sins but God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved them did quicken them by the holy Ghost Eph. 2. 4 They are alive to God his spirit dwels in them they breathe after him they walk in his wayes they do his work they aim at his glory And this life spiritual is the forerunner of and preparative to that which is eternal 3. They who are heirs to the Crown of life diligently hearken to the word of God
holy violence towards him Ever be telling him what you need what you desire and be encouraged by the promise he hath made to satiate the weary and to replenish every sorrowful soul Jer. 31. 25. Fellowship with God will make solitude pleasant you will find though alone that you have the best company If you are continually almost speaking to God by supplication and thanksgiving and hearing what he speaks to you by his Word and Providences and Spirit you will have reason to profess that a Prison is one of the best places of abode next to the Sanctuary and the New Jerusalem 5. Let imprisonment be improved so as to further your progress in sanctification Ransack every corner of your hearts Deal much more severely with your lusts than men can deal with you cry out with violence against your fleshly and worldly inclinations 'T is sin that deads and imprisons your Spirits the more sanctified you are the more you will be at liberty Tell the Lord and speak it â—â—â—m your very hearts that sin is the worst of all your adversaries and that the remainders of the old man are worse than any fetters in the world Never let the Lord alâ—â—â— till you find the body of death pining and dying sensibly away the world as a contemptible thing more under your feet and your inward man encreasing strength and growing up a pace to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Epâ— 4. 13. USE II. Of Consolation to imprisoned believers Several things may be suggested as grounds of comfort and encouragement 1. God can come at his people through barr'd and bolted doors No dungeon can keep the Prisoner close from him We read that the Lord came to his Disciples the door being shut and said Peace be unto you And if he come into the Prison the Door being shut and by his Spirit say Peace be to thee the Prisoners heart will leap for joy he will say not how dreadful but how delightful is this place this is no other than the House of God and this is the Gate of Heaven Our adversaries let them dispose of us where and how they please cannot keep God from us or us from God they cannot shut us up from his presence and where his gracious presence is vouch safed there is rest all inconveniences and miseries are so light that they are hardly worth the taking notice of 2. The heart may be enlarged where the body is confined The Soul may be brought out of Prison when the body is committed to it In the Mittimus the form of Law runs thus That the Goalet take the body of such an one Verily over the spirit they have no power What believer would not be content to be confined upon condition his heart might be made more free to duty more free in duty upon condition his desires might swell and overflow and his longings after the God of all grace might grow much stronger than the thirst of the most sensual after pleasures or of the most worldly minded after Gold and Silver 3. The Lord who will condimn those that visit not the Prisoners Mat. 25. will not fail to visit them himself And as they more need refreshments they shall surely enjoy them He will behold them wich a reconciled face and say to them I am your light and your salvation be not terrified with the darknesse of the calamitous day wherein you live The groaning of the prisoner doth pierce the Heavens and enters into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth who will return an answer of peace and consolation 4. The Prisoners of Christ are Prisoners of Hope They are in but during the King of Saints his pleasure If Christ say Come forth even a Lazarus shall break out of a Grave And if he have the Key of the Grave surely the Keyes of prisons are at â—ommand they cannot hold any whom he hath a mind to set at liberty Prisons may soon grow sick of the Saints and vomit them out as the Whale did Jonah However it will not be long e're the day of glorious liberty and of full Redemption come and then the adversaries of the Saints will be bound hand and foot and thrown into outer darkness and the Saints will have liberty to enter into the Kingdome prepared for them to see God face to face without any lett from others or themselves and to live eternally in his presence where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal 16. ult The Fourth Doctrine The Devil is the imprisoner of Believers Sayes the Text Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison The words may be referred more particularly to the Ministers or more generally to the Saints in Smyrna 1. More particularly to the Ministers As by One Candlestick the whole Body of the Congregation so by One Angel the whole company of the Pastours are 〈◊〉 understood Vnto you I say and to the rest in Thyatira Rev. 2. 24. That is unto you the Ministers and the rest of believers So here The Devil shall cast some of you into prison that is you who are the Shepherds that so against the flock he may have the greater advantage Faithful Ministers Satan never could neither can he now endure He endeavours if he can to corrupt them to puff them up with pride to draw them aside by filthy lucre to make them fall some way or other and he does it with this design that their doctrine may be the loss heeded and his Kingdome not so much weakned by them But if he be not able to corrupt he will be industrious to discourage them They trouble him will not let him alone they will not suffer the strong man armed to keep his house in peace but by warning exhorting reproving rebuking the secure and ungodly endeavour to dispossess him No wonder if the Devil wax angry at them and fling them out of their houses into places of confinement The Prince of darkness would not that these Stars should shine he would fain have these Candles put under Bushelsâ— for Light discovers what Satan is what a defiled hateful and hating spirit it discovers what his works be namely to pollute us and by polluting to fit us for perdition Light also discovers what sin is and the unconceivable needfulness and excellency of the Lord Jesus And hereupon the Devils Vassals several of them are made to bethink themselves and are delivered from the Power of darkness and translated into the Kingdome of the Son of God Gol. 1. 13. The joyful sound of mans salvation is harsh in Satans ears he imprisons therefore the Publishers of these glad-tydings and close somtimes that the flock may be edified neither in a publick nor more private way 2. The words may be referred more generally to the Saints in Smyrna Every member of Christ the Devil hates and would fain tear from him every sheep this roating Lion would make his prey therefore he raises persecution to dishearten them
from following their great Shepherd Though herein the subtle Serpent playes the fool egregiously for the Saints grow more acquainted with their Lord in Prison like him the better and are knit the faster to him ever after But here it may be enquired How the Devil doth cast the Saints into prison The Resolution of this shall be in these three particulars 1. The Devil stirs up false accusers of Believers The Name which the Holy Ghost gives him in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a calumniator or false accuser He accuseth the Brethren before God and his Instruments at his instigation do it before men He inspired false witnesses against Christ he doth the same against Christs followers This unclean Spirit is utterly alienated both from Truth and Love Malicious lyes especially against the Brotherhood he is the Father of Words that they never spake nay which to speak is against their conscience Deeds that they never did nay which they abhor to do are notwithstanding fathered upon them by the children of the Father of lyes and lyars 2. The Devil cherishes in the minds of his servants unreasonable jealousies and surmizes concerning Saints and this is another matter which occasions their imprisonment they are lookt upon as dangerous persons and that 't is inconvenient and unsafe to have them at liberty As the Primitive Christians had the skins of brute beasts put upon them and then were worryed So believers are represented by Satan to the minds of their enemies as enemies to Government as Turners of the world upside down as those that would set the Nation in a combustion But oh how far are they from deserving such a Character They pray earnestly and desire heartily under authority to live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty They are indeed the Disciples of the Prince of peace and make conscience of following after Peace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. 3. The Devil hightens the enmity against and hatred of piety that naturally is in the minds of the ungodly so that it breaks out into acts of cruelty and injustice Although corrupted Nature of it self be very furious yet 't is more violent when the Devil joyns with it He can set an edge on the lusts of men and make them the more impetuous When concupiscence is blown up by an unclean Spirit how doth it burn and flame then When pride is hightned by a proud Devil how uncontroulable is it by any advise or consideration and in like manner when envy hatred and malice and uncharitableness as they are put together in the Letany are made more keen by a spightful Satan No wonder if the tongues of the ungodly prove scourges and their hands strike at believers liberty if not at their lives USE I. Of counsel and advice to persecutors I know not but this Book may light into the hands of one of them Understand O enemy whoever thou art that thou hast a friend at the 〈◊〉 house who wishes thee well who prayes for thy welfare as well as his own who would stop thee in thy pernicious way not so much for the Saints sake as for thy own for thou doest thy self not them the greatest mischief Let not O ye persecutors your rage stop your eares be a little in cool blood and hearken unto these two words of counsel 1. Consider then by whom you are acted The Devil casts the Saints into prison whose instruments and servants then are you Is there not a better Master to be served a better work to be employed about What thanks do you think our Lord Christ will give you for the service you do to this destroyer But you will say 'T is zeal puts us upon what we do and we hope we do God and his Church good service Yes so the Jews thought they served God when they set themselves against his Son and Christ himself foretold this Joh. 16. 2. They shall put you out of the Synagogues they shall excommunicate you yea the time cometh that wh◠soever killeth you will think that he doth God good service 2. O that you would become friends to your selves by being friends unto the Saints The Apostle Paul sayes that before his conversion he was exceeding mad against the Lords Disciples Acts 26. 11. He shewed himself to be exceeding mad indeed to set himself against them that were so dear to the Lord Jesus But at last he is recovered to his wits he is cured of that persecuting phrenzy that possest and acted him and then he preached that faith which once he endeavoured to destroy Gal. 1. 23. O that you would become propagatours of that Gospel which now you oppose and hinder from being preached USE II. Of consolation to the prisoners of Jesus Christ 1. Think how weak the Devil is if compared with the Captain of your Salvation Christ has fought with this old Dragon and overcome him he has tried his strength and has been much too hard for him He has taken the Devil captive and holds him in a chain As the great Emperour and Conquerour Tamerlane kept Bajazet the Turkish King in an iron cage So the Lord Jesus having subdued Satan keeps him in shackles he cannot stir to destroy a Swine much less to molest a Saint without Christs leave and will he give the Devil leave to do any thing to his faithful followers that may be really to their prejudice 2. There is less danger when Satan rages then when he flatters 't is better he should cast you into prison for well doing then draw you into his snar◠and unto the commission of evil His pleasing temptations are most hard to be resisted When you see him furious and play the Devil indeed as 't is a sign he has lost you so his enmity being more perceivable it will make you fly to that Merciful and Faithful High Priest who knowes how to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. ult And besides his hatred at such a time being so visibly discovered 't will make you more sober and vigilant ever after and to get on the armour that you may stand against all his wiles all his devices 3. The Devil may have great wrath but he hath but a short time Rev. 12. 12. He is the more busie because he is aware that your warfare will shortly be at an end and that the spiritual combatants within a few yeares will be Conquerours and Crowned Happy those that are above Devils cannot come at them they know not what temptation means 'T is no more possible for any of Satans fiery darts to hit any of the Saints in glory than for an Arrow that we shoot upward into the aire to hit the Sun in the firmament Now you Saints that are below will come to be above shortly Romans 13. 11. Your salvation growes nearer and nearer every day The Fifth Doctrine Saints are imprisoned that they may be tried The Devil sayes the text shall cast some