and be put in possession of it and that is immediately upon their death for so saith the Text Henceforth they are blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle Paul reckons upon his being with Christ immediately upon his departure Phil. 1.23 Now Christ as he now is so he then was in Heaven in glory The coÌ„verted Thief is promised he should be received into Paradise as soon as he was dead Luke 23.43 This Paradise must be the heavenly one for of the earthly one we may say as they of Moses his Body no Man knowes where it is to this day Again in 2 Cor. 5.8 We may see that the Apostles expectation was to be present with the Lord as soon as he should be once absent from the body Stephens prayer Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit was in vain or could have no comfortable return if the Soul doth not at death presently goe to blessedness He doth not pray nor expect that his body should be received to the Lord but his Soul or Spirit he knew his body should go to the grave and he knew also his Soul should go to God according to what Christ promised John 14.3 That where he is there his members should be also If the Children of God do not enter into glory presently at death they are most lamentably deceived and sadly frustrated in what they conceive strong hopes and go forth in full assurance of Doctor Preston used to say it is but wink and be with God the closing of the eyes by death would bring the Soul to the light of life When Basil that couragious Christian was threatned with death by the Tyrant he prayed to God the Tyrant might not change his intentions lest he should lose his expectation he expected to change misery for glory Taylor the constant Martyr coming within two fields of the place where he was to be burned Mr. Fox Act and Mon. comforted himself that he was within two stiles of his Fathers House which was in his meaning Heaven Another Martyr embracing the stake said This day shall I be maried to Iesus Christ One of the Antients reproved the immoderate mourning at the death of godly people thus Cypr. saying why should we put on black cloaths when our Friends put on white That is the Robes of glory calledin the Revelations the fine linnen of Saints I might heap up instances of this kind the constant expectation of them that dyed in faith is at death to enter into their Masters joy And though they do not say as I have read of a blasphemous Monk give me eternal life which thou owest me yet in hope of present possession of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath graciously promised they can say with Hilarian Go forth my Soul go forth why tremblest thou thou hast served Christ thus many years and dost thou now fear death I shall add further the earnest desires longings after death in some of the Children of God surely they promised themselves present blessednesse Saint Paul was not onely willing to die but did desire it yea vehemently See 2 Cor. 5.2 We groan earnestly Some Saints having their hopes raised up to the fruition of this glory have been almost impatient Come Lord Iesus come quickly and why are the Chariot wheeles so long a comming they even longed to be as we may say fingring of it so as never did a rich Heir long more to be in the possession of his Lands They have thought every day ten every year twenty saying in the words of the Psamist Make haste Lord make haste So then I may say and so conclude this poynt if the people of God do not immediately at death enjoy blessednesse they are the most miserably deluded people of any in the world Away therefore with that wretched doctrine of the Souls sleeping in death being altogether Anti-Scriptural Oh that it might for ever lie dormant and awake no more It tends much 1. To the imboldening of sinners in a way of sin See Matth. 24.48 The evil Servant that reckoned of his Masters delaying his comming thereupon grew very bold in more and more sin 2. To the sadning of the hearts of Gods people Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick This shall suffice to be spoken to the third and last thing and also to the whole by way of Explication the Application follows In the Application of this poynt I shall speak to four uses 1. Of Information 2. Instruction 3. Consolation And 4. Exhortation 1. By way of Information according to the rule of contraries Oppositorum eadem est Scientia if they who are in Christ when they die are blessed then those who are not in Christ when they die are cursed upon different accounts Death hath a different complexion it is like the Red-sea which to the Israelites was a passage to Canaan Aliis vehiculum aliis Sepulchrum but to the Egyptians a place of drowning to their utter desturction To such as are in Christ the day of their death is better then the day of their birth being their encrance into everlasting joy but to others it will be the saddest day that ever came being the beginning of their sorrowes 'T is appointed for all to die in that respect all are alike but it is not appointed for all to die in the Lord in that respect there is a great difference of persons Some die in their sins John 8.24 Some are taken away in their iniquity Ezek 33.6 These are cursed when they die Psalm 9.7 The wicked shall be turned into Hell which place seemes to be commented upon and explained Psalm 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. I might here inlarâ—e upon the state of the damned after death in the same Method as before of the state of the glorified Before the bright side of the Cloud now the dark side A little briefly When Saints die they are freed from all evil but when sinners die they lanch into a Sea of evils 1. They will find the absence of all good A godly Mans miseries terminate with this life so do a sinners comforts I have read of the old Arcadians that they would weep bitterly when the Sun did set fearing it would never rise more sure I am sinners dying have cause to bemoan themselves sadly for when the Sun of their life is once set it will be perpetual night of darkness and misery They may weep as those did at Pauls parting Acts 20. shall see the Face of comforts no more they have their portion in this life and when once they die they shall be alarmed with that memento Luke 16.15 Remember thou hast had thy good things implying they shall have them no more 2. There will be to them not onely no good but all evil as 1. The evil of sin there is sinning in Hell in Heaven there is none on
heavenly doctrines are Thirdly the Method is Doctrine and Use The doctrinal part of this Angels Sermon lies in verses 9 10 11. Where the position is this that most dreadful plagues do attend Antichrist and his adherents This position is illustrated by shewing 1. The Extremity 2. The Eternity of their misery 1. The extremity vers 16. Drink of the wine of the wrath of God There is the wine of Gods love the consolations of the Spirit when the soul is led into the wine-sellar and there staied with Flagons Cant. 2.5 The sweet preparative for that collation which Saints shall have in heaven where shall eat and drink at Christs Table in Christs Kingdom Luc. 22.30 But this in the Chapter is the wine of Gods wrath like that in Psal 60.3 Wine of astonishment or wine given to make them mad 'T is added here without mixture not allayed with one drop of mercy Jam. 2.13 There is indeed fire and brimstone put into it and mixed with it but there is little comfort in this addition it makes the Cup more dreadful there shall be drinking in Hell but it is in draughts of brimstone 2. The Eternity and lastingness of these evils the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night the evils which betide the wicked in this life are but the beginnings of sorrows the end will be to have no end This is the doctrinal part the Application follows in a two-fold Use 1. By way of Information shewing that Gods end in these judgements next to the taking vengeance on the wicked is to try the patience of Saints vers 12. To try I say the constancy of their obedience whether they will hold the Faith of Jesus in troublesome times 't is easie to sail in a calm Sea but to encounter raging waves and tempestuous storms and not to make Shipwrack of Faith and a good conscience is the trial of a Christian indeed one that is not with Agrippa almost but altogether here is the patience of Saints here are they that keep the Commandements of God and the Faith of Iesus Object The wicked are threatned with the Vials of wrath to be poured upon them but why should this trouble the Saints they follow the Lamb how is their patience tried by the judgements inflicted on such as worship the Beast Answ Yes it doth because when ever the wicked are made to drink the Cup of wrath they will be furious outragious and exceeding mad as the expression was before which rage will vent it self in bloody persecuting the Saints as the Church hath found in all ages by sad experience Object Then there is no difference between good and bad but it may be as ill with them who follow the Lamb as who worship the beast then we may say with the profane ones in Malachy Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur what profit is it to serve God will God suffer the righteous to be slain with the wicked and the righteous to be as the wicked Gen. 18.25 Answ That be far from the Lord and therefore if we mark what follows we shall be able to discern between the righteous and the wicked him that serveth God and him that serveth him not the worst that can befall them is the loss of this present life Persecutors can but kill the body and therefore Secondly by way of consolation he sheweth there is no cause why believers should be dismayed at the troubles which may betide them in this present life for while Tyrants make havock of the body God cares for the soul and eternal salvation if they dye by the hand of the wicked this is the hardest measure that can be meted to them this is the heaviest shock which can befall them and having once undergone this perfect blessedness presently followes Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Having thus cleared the coherence the Text as you see is the very Use of consolation and it affords very great comfort to the people of God especially if we consider what goes before and what follows after for from both it receives both light and strength and comes to the Church as the Queen of Sheba to Solomon attended with a very great train First that which goes before is a voyce from heaven saying Write Though every passage in this Angels Sermon need be attended to yet this especially therefore a voyce from heaven alarms us to attention and though every sentence be worth noting writing setting down yet this above all therefore write This word write Nihil hie sine pondere mensurâ is as a finger pointing to some excellent matter 't is a Star set by it and a light held over it that none may pass by without diligent weighing it and though there be nothing in Scripture but hath its weight and worth yet some truths are most diligently to be heeded even above others Divines observe that the word behold in the beginning of a sentence and Selah in the end of a sentence do shew that those are remarkable sentences so we may say of this word write All Scriptures are alike true but some are to be noted by us in a principal manner Secondly That which follows after is the Spirits sanction yea saith the Spirit and as if the bare testimony of the Spirit were not enough to carry the matter there are two reasons annexed First is when death comes they rest from their labours The wicked have all their comfort here Luc. 16. Son remember thou hast had thy good things so the Godly have all their sorrows here 'T is the opinion of some that Christs weeping over Lazarus Joh. 11. was not because he was dead but because he was to be raised to this troublesome life again for such is this life at the best to the Godly had it been Samuel indeed he might well say why hast thou disquieted me 1 Sam. 28.15 The Godly in this life have labours in common with others sufficient to every ones day is the evill thereof but besides they have troubles which the wicked feel not Satans winnowings buffetings a law in their members warring against the law of their mind But death stills and quiets all 't is to them the silent house and place of rest 2. Impii judicabuntur secundùm propter opera sua pii verò secundùm fidei opera sed non propter opera The second reason is their works follow in happy rewards he means their good works The best of Gods Children have their evill works but they are washed away in the blood of Jesus and therefore cannot follow them their good works do follow through free grace in glorious rewards they shall be rewarded according to their works though not for their works and thus they follow The works of wicked men follow but 't is in everlasting punishments they shall be rewarded both according to and also for their works and thus they
which he loved not nor cared for to know they may be directed from the Text They who would be blessed must be in the Lord must by all means get into Christ Iohn 14.6 I am the way saith Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Article in the Original makes it emphatical The way the onely way he adds and the truth this is to beget in our hearts a firm belief that he is the only way But one may say he is a way indeed but whether doth this way lead he adds the life as if he should say I am in truth the onely way that leads to life or blessednesse Know all Men of a truth if they be Christless they will be blisseless heavenless T is Christ who hath brought life and immortality to light therefore immortal life must be by Christ Jesus Christ is that Ladder in Jacobs vision by which Believers climb up to Heaven Life was a book sealed but Christ hath opeÌ„ed it the way of blessednesse was shut up but Christ hath cleared the passage we must say with the Martyr None but Christ None but Christ Creature righteousness will not open the Door of blessedness Duties are Creatures yea graces are Creatures Faith it self is no Saviour So then if we would be blessed the question which we must put to our Souls is this are we in Christ They who are in the Lord Jesus shall be blessed For the tryal of this take this one conclusion If we be in Christ then Christ is in us As we read of Saints being in Christ Rom. 8.1 2 Cor. 5.17 So we read of Christ being in Saints Col. 1.27 2 Cor. 13.5 Take one place more wherein this mutual inhabitation is expressed fully 1 John 3.24 He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him that is in Christ and he in him that is Christ dwelleth in him that keepeth his Commandments So that one discovers the other viz. if we be in Christ then Christ is in us Yea but it may be replied this is as hard to know as the other how can Christ be in us he is in Heaven him the Heavens must contain till c. I answer the Scripture shews that though Christ be in Heaven yet he dwells in his people upon earth by his Spirit and thus in the place last quoted this is made a mark or note of tryal Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us But yet still there is not a full resolution to a conscience that desires satisfaction But it may be further queried how I shall know whether I have the Spirit To this I Answer some know it by its immediate witnesse the Spirit bearing witnesse with their Spirits Thus Paul Rom. 8 16. 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed this is an high attainment not given to all And therefore I add others may know it by its argumentative witness the Soul drawing conclusions from the effects which are such as these following 1. It is a softening Spirit Hast thou the Spirit of Christ dwelling in thee then it hath mollified thy Adamantine heart thou canst say my heart by nature is inâ—exible impenetrable but it is made tender bowed and softned 2. It is an enlarging Spirit Art thou enlarged with David to run the way of his Commandments This he desired to do but could not till God inlarged his heart Psalm 119.32 Art thou inlarged in dutie and in graces stronger in believing more broken in heart more frequent and fervent in praying hearing receiving is it thus with thee Sam 1.5.10 Thus it was with them who have the Spirit or rather hast not cause to mourn as Hannah because her womb was shut up so thou because thy Soul is shut up Perhaps hast no pantings after God and instead of being inlarged thou decayest declinest and goest down the wind 3. 'T is an enlightning Spirit The heart naturally is covered with darkness darkness that may be felt but where the Spirit dwells it makes an Egypt Luc. 1.78 79. a Goshen Now hath the day spring from on high visited thee to give light to thy Soul which sat in darkness Hath it inlightned thee to know the great evil of sin the dreadfulnesse of offended Justice the preciousness of thy immortal Soul the sweetness of a pardoned estate the transcendent excellency of Christ the Beauty of holiness 4. 'T is a sanctifying and cleansing Spirit The heart naturally is lamentably sulled and defiled the Conscience is impure The Soul coming out of an unregenerate estate Cant. 3.6 is said to come out of the wilderness like pillars of smoak The Soul naturally is a smoaky sooted and defiled thing but when the Spirit comes in it clenseth Now hath God created in thee a clean heart which David prayes for Psalm 51.10 The Spirit is compared to fire Now fire cleanseth the Gold from the dross hath the Spirit consumed the dross of sin and corruption 't is a Spirit of burning Isa 4.4 5. 'T is a fructifying Spirit The heart by nature is a wilderness as in the Canticles a barren wilderness bearing nothing but bryars and thrones and no good fruit Art thou now become fruitful in good works or rather art thou not to everie good work reprobate I might add 6. 'T is a warming Spirit The heart naturally is key-cold the conscience benummed Is there any spiritual heat holy warmth in thy Soul is there alwayes some of the holy fire burning upon the Altar of thy Soul The sum of all is this if these things be not in us or at least a sense of the want of them with a mourning for to have them then the Spirit is not in us and if the Spirit be not in us then Christ is not in us and if Christ be not in us then we are not in him and if we be not in him we cannot be blessed They only are blessed who are in the Lord There is no other way to blessedness and thus much for the second use 3. By way of Consolation to all true Beleevers you are in Christ and you shall be blessed when you die 'T is but waiting a while till Death and henceforth you shall be happy You perhaps are now miserable but you shall not alwayes be so Psa 73.24 afterwards thou wilt receive me to glorie Thus that holy Man Asaph comforted himself Can you not live a little upon hope Heb. 11.26 Heb. 10.34 Moses eying the recompence of reward could suffer rebuke Those Worthies calling to mind the better and enduring substance could take joyfully the spoyling of their goods and can you bear nothing suffer nothing True you have not this glory in possession but you have it in reversion T is as sure as sure as may be the entail cannot be cut off Christ urgeth this as an argument why his Disciples should forsake all follow him Matth. 19.28 because they should after sit upon thrones of glorie with him And the Apostle
to see one of the dayes of the Son of Man and shall not see it To hear one Sermon of Heaven and glory but shall not hear it I have shewed Saints the blessedness which they shall have and also to Sinners the way how they may share in this Blessednesse I do again counsel Sinners to look after it yea in the Name of the Lord I charge you to close with it Now to provoke you to it I shall lay down five closing Conclusions very briefly and so leave them upon your hearts and thoughts 1. This Counsel is such as never any repented that took it It worketh repentance not to be repented of If any repent of Christ it is because he never truly knew Christ They who say it is in vain to serve God Malachi 3.4 Are such as never truly served him 2. 'T is such Counsel as if it be refused you will certainly repent of the refusal yea and that when it is too late Oh that I had known the things of my peace will be the doleful lamentation in the scorching flames of Hell 3. 'T is such Counsel as in your own Consciences when you are serious you think you ought to take Yea Sinners think to do it whereby they shew that they know they ought to do it Fertur equi Auriga The reason why it is not done is not because we do not know it ought to be done but we are hurried with our strong lusts and corruptions We are cumbred with our Farmes and our Trades we loose Heaven in the crowd of earthly businesses 4. 'T is such Counsel as if followed carries its reward with it though there were no Blessedness to ensue no glory afterwards holiness is happiness Gods work is wages 5. And lastly the contempt of it will not onely leave you short of Blessednesse but conclude you under inevitable misery and cursednesse it will bring an heavy shock of wrath and ruine upon Soul and Body Hear the Conclusion of the whole matter Get into Christ for this will free you from being cursed and also make you everlastingly Blessed FINIS CHRISTIAN READER THis Sermon presented to your view was preached at the Funeral of Mr. Thomas Goodwyn an eminent light and pillar of the Church in the place where he lived who after he had served his generation by the Will of God fell on sleep Sept. 4. 1658. He sleeps in Jesus he gave evident proof that he was one in Christ and therefore we may conclude from what hath been spoken he is now Blessed for blessed are the dead that die in the Lord or that are in the Lord when they die He was a good yea a precious Man Let him have the memorial of the righteous which is and shall be blessed He was well known to be a Minister of great worth every way qualified for the work of the Ministery It was his desire from a Youth to be a Minister as himself hath sometimes told me according to his hearts desire the Lord in due time disposed of him and drew him out to that service fitting him for it and blessing him in it How he was fitted for it the Brethen in the whole County and many others to whom he was known in more remote places will give ample Testimony How he was blessed in it the many weeping eyes at his Funeral with the sad complaints still under this great loss do speak these declare him to have been under God an instrument of much good Though success do not constitute a good Ministery for a good Man may fish all night and catch nothing yet it doth declare and evidence it These I remember were his own words long since in the time of his health at the Lecture in Brentwood and this evidence he abundantly had He was learned and godly Doctior an Sanctior which is a most blessed conjunction where ever they meet it is hard to say which of the two did bear the preeminence in him they seemed to keep pace and that no slow pace He was eminent in both He had much profited in humane Learning but especially in the studies of Divinity and in particular had gotten great acquaintance with the Scriptures He was like Ezra A ready Scribe in the Law of God he was an Ezr. 7.6 Acts 18.24 Apollos mighty in the Scriptures He was but young yet his attainments were very great God gave of his Spirit abundantly to him In Praying he was a sweet Soul full of the breathings of the Holy Ghost In Preaching he was very powerful speaking to his Hearers as if he had been within them In his walking he was an Exemplary Christian an Exemplary Minister he might say to his people as Gideon to his Souldiers Look on me and do likewise Jud. 7.17 His Preaching was such that the godly learned did admire him and yet the meanest capacities they of the Belfry as is Mr. Latimer's expression did understand him he had such a winning way that his Sermons were not tedious but his Hearers seemed to be chained to his lips He was a great Pains-taker in preaching so often and yet carried on with delight I am perswaded he might have said in the words of that holy Bishop My witness is in Heaven Cowper that the love of Christ and peoples Souls made frequent Preaching my recreation and pleasure His Words seemed to come from his very heart one that did eat the roll as the Prophet is bid Ezek. 3.1 before he gave it to his Hearers to digest An Argument that they came from the heart was his earnest driving on that they might go to the hearts of his people He thought he had done nothing till his Hearers hearts were more renewed and their Lives more reformed Till to use his own words he could read the Sabbath-dayes work in their Week-dayes conversation His Life was a looking-glass wherein the people might see to dresse and attire their Conversation I may say in the words of the Apostle 1 Thess 2.10 His people were Witnesses Ille solus praedicat vivâ voce qui praedicat vitâ voce and God also how holily and justly and unblamably he behaved himself among them being as a Minister of Christ ought to be a lover of good Men sober just holy temperate Tit. 1.8 He was very zealous in the work of Reformation The zeal of Gods House did even eat him up and in the cause of God he shewed undaunted Courage vigorously pursuing what might make for the glory of God in despite of all opposition one might stand upon his grave and say as a great person said over the grave of Mr. Knox Here lies one who never feared the Face of any Man I knew him well yet could I never perceive that he was sinfully and proudly puffed up though his large endowments might have tempted him thereunto but in his whole Conversation as far I could judge did behave himself holily humbly He lived free from worldly Encombrances