Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	part_n	soul_n	20,019	5	5.7069	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96328	The Christians hope triumphing in these glorious truths; [brace] 1. That Christ the ground of hope, is God, and not meer man, against the Arians, and other unbelieving Christians. 2. That Christ is the true Messiah, against the unbelieving Jews. 3. That there is another life besides this, against the grosse atheist. 4. That the soul of man is immortall, and doth not sleep till the day of resurrection, against the errour of some seeming semi-atheists. 5. How the hope of heaven should be attained, whilst we are on earth, against the carnall worldlings. 6. How this hope may be discerned where it is, and attained where it is not, for the comfort of every poor Christian. All which truths are briefly pointed out and cleared, in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of Lords in the Abby-Church at Westminster on Wednesday, May 28. being the day appointed for solemn and publike humiliation. / By Jeremiah Whitaker. Published by order of the House of Peers.	Whittaker, Jeremiah, 1599-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing W1710; Thomason E286_4; ESTC R200074	52,593	59

of Eternall felicity and though some dispute whether the relation be a history or a parable yet how ever though you suppose it to be parabolicall yet a parable is the similitude of some reall truth and this Parable cannot signify what shall be done after the day of judgement but plainely pointeth to a state the soules are in before that day for after the day of judgement what man can say as Dives did Luk. 16.28 29. 1 Cor. 15 2● I have three brethren upon the Earth or how could Abraham returne that answer they have Moses and the Prophets c. for after that day all ordinances shall cease and God shall be all in all Fourthly Consider the Saints desire of dissolution is upon this perswasion Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ c. If Paul had imagined his soule should have slept till the day of resurrection it had been weaknes and madnesse to desire dissolution for this end to be with Christ for if this should be true then Paul had more of Christ in life for then Christ lived in him then possibly he could attaine to after death if the soule should sleep till the day of resurrection Fifthly Consider the Saints confidence upon their departure from Earth to enjoy a glorious life in Heaven we know that when this earthly tabernacle the body is dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 surely if the soul sleep till the day of resurrection they should not have said when this house is dissolved but when this body is raised and this tabernacle restored when they desire to part with the body this were out of love to their soules not out of want of love to their bodies for Paul could have wished mortality to be swallowed up of life 1 Cor. 5.4 i.e. that the mortall body might have gone to life with the immortall soule Sixthly The Scripture speaketh expressely that all the presence the Saints have with Christ while the soule is in the body is nothing but a meer absence in comparison of that neernes of presence unto Christ which they shall enjoy when they are absent from the body for the Apostle speaketh this confidently knowing that whilst we are at home in the body 1 Cor. 5.6 8. we are absent from the Lord and we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Seventhly Consider that the soule upon its separation from the body Heb 12.23 is so farre from being abolished that it is perfected and the Saints departed this life are by the holy Ghost stiled the soules of just men made perfect to this I might adde many more arguments as that the happines of the Saints is in a perpetual progresse Phil. 1.6 that the Vnion they have with Christ is inseparable beyond the power of death what shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8. That the happines of the Saints is Eternall Joh. 5.44 6.40 Rev. 6.9 10. 42. that the soules under the altar cry for the resurrection of the body that the counsell of Christ to his hearers was upon this foundation make you friends of this unrighteous mammon that when they faile they may receive you into everlasting mansions Luk. 16.9 but all these things faile us at the day of death therefore at that day the promise is to be received into everlasting mansions thus you see the truth evidenced from the soules of the Saints Arg. 2 Secondly Consider the soules of wicked men that at the hour of death they are not abolished God telleth us First That they goe to their own place so t is said of Judas who fell by transgression Act. 1.18 25. now that place is not the grave for the grave is not his owne place that is the common way of all flesh and that place where all meet together Job 3.18 9. Judas his place was the state and degree of torment that his sinne and Gods justice inflicted on him Secondly The soules of them of the old world are now in prison Christ in the dayes of Noah by his eternall spirit preached unto them whose spirits are now in prison the grave cannot be the prison to distinguish the just from the unjust that being common to the obedient as well as to the disobedient 2 Pet 3.21 Thirdly They are said to be in the place of torment Dives when his body was buried is said to have his soule in torment and he beggeth of Abraham send to my brethren that they come not to this place of torment many prove this Scripture to be historicall but suppose it in part to be a parable as some expressions are granted by all to be parabolicall as the tongue of Dives and the finger of Lazarus yet this Parable must be a resemblance of some truth which is in rerum naturâ and must intimate something past not future after the resurrection as was proved formerly Fourthly T is said of the Sodomites that they now suffer the vengeance of eternall fire it cannot be meant of their bodies Jud. ver 7. for they are burnt by fire to ashes nor of that materiall fire that fell upon their Cities for that many ages since was quenched but of their soules which are under the eternall wrath of God where the worme never dieth and where the fire is never quenched Mar. 9.44 Consider what the Scripture saith of the soules of all men in generall whether just or unjust whether they feare God or feare him not First That the soule man is not capable of corruption Matth. 10.28 Christ biddeth us not feare him that killeth the body and cannot kill the soule now if the soule was but the temper of the body then whosoever killeth the body should by the same act kill the soul Secondly When the soule and body part the Scripture telleth us they goe to distinct places who considereth the spirit of a beast that goeth downward and the spirit of a man that gooth upward Eccles 3. ●1 yet though man doe not consider it the God of truth asserteth it Eccles 12. ●● when man dieth then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the spirit to God that gave it Thirdly If the soule should sleep till the resurrection Corpus non statim diss●●it post secessum manetigitur 〈◊〉 magit anima L●c●ant 〈◊〉 then the soule should be as mortall as the body for the body is not presently dissolved into a non entity when it is parted from the soule and if the body be not abolished can any one thinke the soule to be anihilated Fourthly If this should be 〈◊〉 thou the resurrection of the soule should be as needfull to be reveal'd in Scripture and would prove as difficult to men to beleeve as the resurrection of the body but about the resurrection of the 〈…〉 scripture is altogether

that the soul is distinct from the body I passe over the arguments that learned men bring from the light of nature to confute this errour Consider what the God of truth hath revealed and you shall finde that the Scripture telleth us cleerly that though the soul be united to the body yet it is distinct from the body First in its rise Gen. 2.7 we have had the fathers of our flesh and have been obedient to them how much more to the father of spirits and live though God frame our bodies cause our bones to grow in our Mothers wombe take us out of our Mothers bellyt yet he useth our naturall parents as instruments of our body but it is Gods great prerogative to be the immediate father of the spirit Isa 57 16. Secondly It is distinct in its naturall operation is First the soule groweth most when the body groweth least there are distinct periods of time beyond which it is impossible to adde either a cubit or a haires breadth to ones stature but the soule is ever growing forward to its perfection Job 32.7 and multitudes of years though full of weaknes yet they utter wisdome Secondly The soule is often strongest when the body is weakest 2 Cor. Anima regit corpus repugnat passionibus quae complexionem sequntur Aquin. Contra Gent. l. 2. dying Christians have manifested the highest excellency under bodily infirmities when there hath been the least of the life of nature there hath been most transcendent glorious expressions of the life of grace and for this cause they fainted not finding by experience that when their outward man decayed their inward man was renewed day by day Thirdly The soule is not the temper of the body because it rules the temper and distempers of body Arg. 3 Thirdly They are distinct in supernaturall consolations when all joy of the body hath been darkned the supernaturall joyes of the soule have been enlarged when the bodies of Martyrs have been on the rack under torturings how have their soules been filled with inward triumphings embracing the burning flames like beds of reses and have endured all the dreadfull things that men could inflict to the admiration of their enemies and the conviction of many of their beholders as Justin Martyr and others Arg. 4 Fourthly They are distinct in their unnaturall pollutions there are spirituall wickednesses and malignities as well as bodily and we are bid to cleanse our selves from all fi lt hinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Pet. 2.11 and to abstaite fromall fleshly lusts which warte against the soule Arg. 5 Fifthly They are distinct in regard of the opposite duties required of man in demeaning himselfe to his body and to his soule Matth. 6.25 Christ hath commanded us to take no thought for the body but did he ever command us to take no thought for the soule are not his commands quite contrary viz. above all things looke to thy self Dent. 4.9 2 Pet. 1.10 Phil. 2.12 and keep thy soule diligently and give all diligence to make your calling and election sure and work out your salvation with feare and trembling now if God require those acts to be performed to the soule which are absolutely forbidden to the body then the soule must needs be distinct from the body Sixthly They are distinct at the time of dissolution when they part one from the other when the Servants of God have commended their bodies to the ground how have their soules rejoyced to goe out of this Tabernacle as Hilario● and Polycarp Stephen when his body was stoned seeth Heaven opened and cryed Lord Jesus receive my spirit Acts 7.56 and 59. if the soule therefore be distinct from the body in the rise in the working in its consolation● in its duties in its pollutions and in the state after death than to confound the soule with the body is as great an errour as to confound life with death and light with darknes But especially consider that all those arguments that prove the soule to exist separate from the body doe answerably confute that Errour that the soule is but the temper of the body therefore consider the second Position Posit 2 The Scripture expressely teacheth us that the soule is not onely distinct from the body Sour● immmortall and doth not sleep till the day of the resurrection but that the soule liveth when separate from the body and that it is but a fancy of inconsiderate spirits to dreame that the soule sleepeth till the day of resurrection for the cl●ering of this truth consider three arguments Arg. 1 First Consider the soules of the Saints and you shall finde that their soules doe not sleep with their bodies but that the Scripture speaketh expreslely that in the day of their death First they are gathered to their fathers so it is said of Abraham Gen. 25.8 now if Abraham was gathered to his fathers this must be in his soule for in his body there was no such gathering his progenitors being 〈◊〉 in V● of the Chalde●s but Abrahams body was interred in the cave of Machpelah before Mamre Gen. 25.9 in the land of Cannan Secondly Luk. 23.43 Christ promised the poor penitent thiefe on the crosse this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise there are some to avoid this Scripture would divide the words thus I say unto thee this day and make a stop there referring the word this day to the person promising and not to the blessing promised to which I answer that first to alter comma's stops against all received copies is a high presumption which if tolerated how will the sense of Scripture be wrested by wanton wits to their own perdition Secondly 1 Pet. 3.16 Luk. 23.41 the Context sufficiently confu●eth this glosse Christ answereth the desire of the poor penitent thiefe his request is Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome but Christ immediately that day entred into his kindome now in Christs answer none can imagine the words to be a denyall and if there be a granting his petition then to interpret the words that some thousand yeares after viz. at the day of the resurrection the thiefe should be remembred is to abuse the faith of this poor penitent to straiten Christs bounty and to wrest the words against their naturall sense that say expressely this day Christ hodiè must answer to the penitents quando and if in Paradise then surely not in the grave nor in any part of the Earth as that Paradise in the day of the Creation full of trees and herbs for Christ entred into the Heavenly Paradise 2 Cor. 12.2.4 and when Paul was wrapt up into Paradise he telleth us it was the third Heaven Thirdly You have read how Lazarus after his death was carryed into Abrahams bosome and that place Luk. 1● 22 Non quietis l●cum sed aeternitatis sinum Aug. Calvin not a place of quiet tranquillity but the bosome

conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.10 from whence they look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change this vile body that it may be like unto his glorious body for this they both labour and suffer this is that for which all the daies of their Pilgrimage since their conversion they have been trading and trafficking for now when they have laid out all they are and all they have for the purchasing this pearl if at the end of their life they should be deprived of this purchased possession this must needs make them more miserable 4. The love that they bear to Jesus Christ is sweeter Christ hath led them into his wine-cellar and taken them up into the bed of love espoused them to himself and kissed them with the kisses of his mouth when others are meer strangers to these spirituall embraces what if a stranger count it no misery to be severed from Christ Isa 54.6 yet what woman is not grieved in spirit for the losse of the husband of her youth What saies a poor Christian must Christ and my soul part now God forbid The time was I did not know him nor long after him when the thoughts of Christ were not in my heart then to have been severed from Christ would have appeared to me to have been no great misery Gal. 4.9 but now when my soul hath known him or rather is known of him when the desires of my soul have been let out towards Christ Isa 26. and the remembrance of his name when I have made Christ my joy my crown of rejoycing now to part with that which my soul loves will make me miserable Ruth 1.16 therefore the poor soul cleaves to Christ as Ruth to Naomi saying Intreat me not to leave thee nor forsake thee where ever thou goest let me goe that where thou art there my soul may be also 5. Consider that the expectations of the Saints are firmer It is the hope of heaven that makes them passe thorow good report and bad report the gladnesse of their hearts is not the joy of sense but the rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God 〈…〉 and this hope holds them above all fears to this hope they flee as to a Rock of refuge set before them and for this cause they faint not and all these light afflictions Rom 8. ●● H●b 11 1● which are but for a moment they count unworthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed to them willing they are to count themselves Pilgrims and strangers upon earth seeking this heavenly Countrey this house not made with hands this inheritance immortall undefiled and that never fades away 1 Pet 1.4 They that were never born to these high hopes may better bear their mean condition but after the abundant mercy of God hath begotten them again to this lively hope and raised them up to all these glorious expectances 1 Pet. 1.3 then to goe disappointed must needs make them miserable Job 6 12 20. If the Troops of Tema when they looked and the companies of Sheba when they waited for waters and found none if they were confounded because they had hoped if the sons of Nobles in that time of drought returned ashamed Jer. 14.3 confounded and with their heads covered because they came to the pits and found no waters if in petty expectations here below Isa 9 11. we often times roar like Bears and mourn sore like Doves when we look for judgement but there is none and for salvation but it is farre from us what soul can then bear the disappointments of eternity But surely experience of Christ works hope Rom. 5.4 vers 5. and this hope will never make the soul of any Christian to be ashamed Adde to all the former not only the disappointment of their hope but the disparagement of Christ their head whose name is more tender to their souls then the apple of their eye Where is the great work of Christs redemption from what evils did Christ redeem his people from If his people have onely hope in Christ for this life surely from the evils of this life the best of the Saints are not exempted to the greatest of these evils they lie exposed where and what then is the inheritance of the Saints in light where are those sons and daughters that the Captain of salvation made perfect through sufferings bringeth unto glory Heb. 2.10 What are become of all those precious promises of Jesus Christ Joh. 14.2 I goe to prepare a place for you In my Fathers house there are many mansions What is become of all the prayers and strong cries that Christ uttered in the daies of his flesh Father I will that those that thou hast given me were with me where I am Joh. 17.24 that they may behold my glory Surely if the hope of the Saints be limited to this life then Christ is disparaged and all the expectation of the Saints disappointed Obj. It may be this Doctrine is true for those Christians that are poor that live in a low afflicted condition whose sorrows and sufferings doe abound whose life is made bitter unto them by reason of sore bondage but what doe you say to great men whose cup is full and runs over upon whose tabernucle the Almighty shineth in this life God hath made their portion very fat and their meat to be plenteous and if there be no other life beside this sure of all men in this life they are most happy and in what sense can it be said in life or death upon this supposall that of all men they are most miserable An. The text speaks of Christians that are good rather then of them that are great and if God hath made men both great and good Psal 119 96. and hath called your souls into fellowship with Christ he hath opened your eyes to see an end of all these seeming perfections before you come to your end and then what is all the greatnesse upon earth in comparison to one daies communion with the great God Besides the more you enjoy in your life the more you are to lose and leave at your death and is it not a misery in death to be stripped of all if beggars so unwillingly put off their raggs how unwilling are Princes to be plucked away from their robes and the sons of Nobles to goe down into the grave and there to make their bed in the darke what greater unhappinesse is there then to say I have been happy but now I must be plundred of all and be eternally in an undone condition never to take pleasure any more and there is nothing of honour nor of all my labour wherein I have shewed my self wise under the Sun that I may take away with me in my hand This is a sore evil that in all points as I came naked Eccles 5 16. so I must goe where the rise is highest the

of devils and not from the rage of men Psal 97.2 roll your soules upon him and he will carry you in his bosome and though clouds and darknes be round about him yet you shall see that righteousnes and judgement are the habitation of his throne Isa 33.17 your eyes shall see the king in his beauty that he is a defender above all destroyers you shall be upon a Rock higher then waves we meet here with great difficulties and those cause great feares and great feares had need of great hope and these are never great enough but in the great God Augastin Ho●● 44. De ipsis amar●●udinibus mur●●urans dich Ecce pereunt omnia Christianis temporthus quid streqis non boc promisit Deus qu ed ista non peribunt Aeterna pro●●sit aelernus c. Christ alone can make us above our selves above men above changes above the inconstancy of this present evil world why doth the soule which hopeth in Christ complain that the world changeth did ever God promise that it should not change hath not God tould us expressely that the Heavens wax old as a garment and as a vesture shall he change them and they shall be changed he that is eternall hath promised things eternall and if thou beleeve of mortall thou shalt be made immortall and in the hopes of immortality mayest triumph over whatsoever is mortall saying as he did World why dost thou fume what wouldst thou do if thou shouldst continue if so proud when thou hast no abiding whom wouldst thou not deceive if thou wert sweet if thou hast deceived so many whilst thou art bitter Quid. strepis numde quid immu●de strepia quid faceres si maneres Quem non deciperes dalcis si amarus c. I come to the third part the extent of this hope viz. that the hope of a Christian is not confined to this life if we had only hope in this life c. Hence ariseth the third Doctrine viz. That they that would set their hopes on Christ must be perswaded there is another life after this life and in this life it is their duty to assure the hopes of a better You reade in the Scripture not only of this world but of the world to come Christ telleth us of sins that shall not be forgiven neither in this life nor in the life to come Matth. 12.32 And Christ is said to be farre exalted above all principalities and powers Ephes 1 2● not only in this world but in that which is to come and that world is so farre above this world that the thoughts of eternity are called the powers of the world to come Heb. 6.5 and to over-power all the things of this world We reade of Judgement to come Pauls Sermon before the great Governout was of this subject and it made him to tremble Act. 24.25.1 Cor. 4.3 Rin. 2.5 and that judgement is sarre above the judgement of mans day We reade of wrath to come and all the wrath that is present is nothing to the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God the Sadduces who were none of the best of men but a generation of vipers Mat. 3.7.1 Thes 1.10 yet were forewarned to flee from the wrath to come and the great triumph of the Apostle was that God had delivered them from wrath to come We reade of another life to come and that is the great priviledge of godlinesse that it hath not only the promises of this life 1 Tim. 4.8 but of that which is to come and the great work of grace upon the heart is to take us off from looking after things temporall and to make us look after things eternall 2 Cor. 4.16 It was the Apostles life they looked not on things that are seen but on things that are not seen Men are never Christians in good earnest till they be perswaded fully of the things of eternity and that poor seduced soul that resolveth never to be perswaded hath no ground to think that ever it shall be converted Luk. 16.18 Dives begg'd that one might go from the dead to tell his brethren on the earth lest they also should come into the same place of torment intimating the cause of his own sin and eternall misery intimating that he was not perswaded of this place of torment in his life and therefore came down to this place of torment at his death God hath made the vision herein so plain that every one that runneth may reade it and he that hardneth his heart against Moses and the Prophets is left inexcusable ver 31. and is irrecoverable and would not be perswaded though one should arise from the dead The Use of this point is First If there be an other life besides this life then let us be humbled for all that world of unbelief that is in our nature that our perswasions about the things of eternity are so weake when Gods expressions are so strong and clear that we can beleeve the things of sense and will not beleeve the things of faith that we entertain the reports of men and reject the reports of God 1 Joh. 5.9 Surely if we receive the witnesse of men is not the witnesse of God greater this unbelief was the first sin and is the last sin the cause of our first apostasie and ground of our continued malignity when Christ intendeth to convert a soul unto himself this is the great sin whereof the Spirit of Christ convinceth the soul and the Spirit never proveth a comforter but where he is a convincer and the first work in conversion is laid in an act of conviction and that conviction discovereth the great sin of unbelief Joh. 16.9 and where Christ doth not convince them of it he wil condemn them for it how often are we bidden to take heed of this spirit of unbelief Heb. 3.12 in departing from the living God nor can any man be an heir of life who lieth under the power of unbelief for will any man deny himself crosse his own appetite take up Christs crosse to assure to himself a propriety to those things wherein he beleeveth there is no reality the soul must first beleeve the excellency of the things in themselves before it make it its great design to get an interest in them if the things of eternity were fully beleeved what manner of persons would men be in all holinesse of conversation 2 Pet. 3.11 and did you really look on such things it would make you diligent to be found of him without spot and blamelesse In the next place Vse 2 Let this entreat you to abhorre all those opinions that may any waies weaken this perswasion hate to be under the power of them and when the power of them is broken resist the remainders that Satan may get no advantage against you especially fortifie your selves with strong arguments against these two opinions which carry away a

observe Doct. 4 If all the good that the soul expects from Christ should be limited to this life then the best Christians should be most miserable And if so then God the best master should be the worst and the children of wisdome should be the sons of folly then might the Epicure and Atheist blesse themselves in their own lusts call the proud happy and say it is in vain to serve the Lord and what profit is it Mal. 3.14 15. that any have kept his ordinances and walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts Obj. Why may some say if there be an end of all good and evil to all men at the end of this life yet wherein are the Saints worse then others Is not their condition at least equall to the condition of other men though there should be no heaven to crown the righteous and no heli to torment the wicked yet is it not an excellency in it self to choose good and refuse evil Should not vertue be loved for it self Can there be any greater reward to goodnesse then goodnesse it self c. Answ I answer however it be a pleasant thing in it self to praise the Lord with joyfull lips Psal 36.8 1 Pet. 2.3 yet after that the soul hath drunk of the Rivers of Gods pleasures tasted that the Lord is gracious made their boast of God and triumphed in the hope of the glory of Christ then for the seul to goe under a dark cloud and everlastingly to be cut off from those ravishing enjoyments this would make the Saints in many respects more miserable then other men Resp. 1 The comforts of Christians as they are Christians in things of this life are fewer God of set purpose calls their hearts off from the creature commands them to forsake Father and Mother Mat. ●● 37 Mark 8.34 Gen. 12.1 Heb. 11.24 house and land for his Name sake bids them deny themselves Abraham must forsake Vr of the Chaldees Moses must refuse to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter The Disciples leave all to follow Christ and they are promised Mat. 19.28 that when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory that then they also shall sit upon thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Resp. 2 The discomforts and afflictions that the Saints endure for Christ are heavier for his fake they are plundred of their estates and suffer the spoiling of their goods with joy Heb. 10.34 perswading themselves that in heaven they have a better and more enduring substance for Christ sake they are reproached in their names to this very hour saith Paul We hunger and thirst and are naked 1 Cor. 4.11 ●● and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place reviled persecuted defamed we are made the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things For Christs sake in their bodies they are imprisoned as Paul and Silas banished from their dearest relations driven from their sweetest comforts How were the Martyrs stoned Heb. 11.37 38 sawn asunder stain with the Sword How were they forced to wander in sheep-skins and goat-skins in deserts and in mountains in dens and in the caves of the earth destitute afflicted tormented and yet were they in their generations men more precious then the gold of Ophir of whom the world was not worthy And how did the modern Martyrs sing in the flames triumphing in Christ Rom. 8. ●6 for thy Name sake are we slain all the day long and we are counted as sheep to the staughter Resp. 3 As their comforts are fewer their discomforts heavier in this life so that in regard of the things of this life they are more miserable So consider them in reference to the life to come and you shall finde that the great work of grace is to take up their spirits from this world Tit. 2.14 16. to look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God Hence it is that 1. First Their apprehensions of heaven are larger Christ hath taken up their souls unto the tops of Pisga and hath discovered to them the land of Canaan 〈…〉 7. and hath given them more then others to taste the powers of the world to come and to sit with him in heavenly places Hen. 6.4 Ep●●●● 2.6 1 Cor. 13 1● and though they see but little and that little darkly as in a glasse whilst they are in their way to what they shall see when they are in their Countrey when they shall see God face to face and know him as they are known of him yet they see so much as they cannot but admire O how great is thy goodnesse Is●● 31.19 O Lord which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee 2. Their affections towards heaven are stronger Carnall hearts that know not God believe not the things of Christ though they be never satisfied with the earth yet they are very indifferent about the things of heaven If I be saved saith such a wretch I shall be saved if I be damned who can help it I shall not be alone I shall be as well as others I will endure it as well as I can What endure the losse of heaven endure the wrath of the Almighty God oh poor wretch when thy soul comes to see but a glimpse Lu. 1● 28 29. what heaven is and shalt see others coming from the East and West sitting down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven and thy self shut out when they are admitted thy soul to be excluded this will cause weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever M●t. 8. If Rachel could not endure the losse of her children If Jacob could not endure the supposed losse of Joseph G●n 37.35 and when all his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him he refused to be comforted saying I will go down into the grave to my son mourning 2 Sam 7.23 If Ahithophel could not endure in the rejectment of his counsell If Mordecai could not endure the want of the bowing of the knee of Mordecai Esth 5.13 If Queen Mary could not endure the losse of Callis but said when she was dead if they opened her they should finde the losse of Callis written upon her heart how then can thy soul endure the losse of eternity The Saints know this and believe it and the thoughts of the losse of heaven cuts them to the heart their souls are made willing to undergoe any losse on earth Act. 20.24 and they count not their lives dear unto themselves so they may finish their course with joy But when they have willingly over gone the losse of all the comforts on the earth of their estates their liberties their lives then to undergoe the losse of heaven this is that which they prayed against all their lives long O draw me not away with the wicked Psal 28.3 3. Not only their affections are thus set on things above but their