Tabernacles As faulty likewise and blame worthy are we for our supine negligence our extream carelesnesse our want of love to esteem of the building not made with hands the state of a blessed soule after this life Who hath such high uprising thoughts of our future condition as it deserves few there be that take it into serious meditation at all Most men seem to determine of their soules as the Jewes said of Christ Let God save them if he will have them We are bent to enjoy that which is present and think little what shall become of our soules when our flesh shall sinke into the grave As therefore our too much care of this earthly Tabernacle so our too little regard of the heavenly building is a just shame and reproach unto us now to make every soule truely sensible and mindefull of our great miscariage in this businesse I will give you a Parable of a woman which travelling with child brought forth a Twin and both children being presented to her she falles deepely and fondly in love with the one but is carelesse disrespectfull of the other this she will nurse her self but that is put forth her love growes up with the childe she kept her selfe she decks it fine she feedes it choicely but at last by overmuch pampering of it the childe surfets becomes mortally sick and when it was dying she remembers her self and sends to looke after the other childe that was forth at nurse to the end she might now cherish it but when the messenger came she findes it dying and gasping likewise and examining the truth she understands that through the mothers carelesnesse and neglect to looke after it the poore childe was starved thus was the fond partiall mother to her great sorrow and shame deprived of both her hopefull babes For reddition of this Parable you may please to take notice that every Christian is this mother the children are our bodie and our soule our earthly and spirituall building the former of these it is that men and women fall deeply and fondly in love with whilst indeed they are carelesse and neglect the other this they dresse and feed nothing is too good or dear for it but at the last the bodie surfets comes by some means or other to its death-bed when there is litle or no hope of life then men begin to remember the soul and would think of som course to save it the Minister he is sent for in all haste to look after it but alas he finds it in part dead in part dying and the very truth is the owner through neglect and carelesnesse hath starved the Soul and it is ready to goe to Hell before the bodie is ready for the Grave and thus the foolish fond Christian to his eternall sorrow and shame loseth both his bodie and his soul and may not this throughoutly check the extreame folly and indiscretion which the world is guiltie of I shall then close these two points with a word of admonition since it is evident that the building not made with hands is so transcendently more excellent then the earthen Tabernacle let it be the highest of our cares and chiefest of our endeavours to lay up treasure in heaven Labour not so much for the food that perisheth as for that which endureth for ever Seek all wayes use all meanes to be clothed on with that house from above And for motive or inducement to this I will use onely one not of mine own framing but a shaft as it were out of the Lords Armorie They are our Saviours own words What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his own soul I come now to the last circumstance of Doctrine every converted heart and careful soul may and ought to be assured that when his body shall be dissolved his soul shall have a dwelling with God in heaven And first in testimony that there is a certaintie I alledge Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus who live not after the flesh but after the spirit Lo here an expresse affirmation of the thing and a manifest description of the persons Numerus certus non solum quoad numerum numerantem ut suggerant Arminiani sed quoad numerum numeratum ut orthodoxi tenent In the 2. of Tim. 2.19 we have a like proof The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his see my brethren it is not onely how many are elected but who they are who be the very individuall and numericall persons That regenerate men may and ought to gain assurance is likewise evident by such places as enjoyn us strictly to examine our selves whether we be in the faith or not 2 Cor. 13.5 to prove our selvs and our own work Gal. 5.4 to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Were not the precepts of this kinde strange if we could not if we ought not be assured Adde to this the many properties qualities signes tokens set down in Scripture to design and note out the Elect of God Was not Iob certain that his Redeemer lived yet we find not that he had any revelation or extraordinary warrant But why do I instance one since all the Worthies in Gods book did attain to a certaintie of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.39 and serve as a cloud of witnesses to prove my truth 1. Which I may yet further confirm by divers arguments the many cleer promises which the Lord made to the faithfull in his Book for their establishment 2 Cor. 1.20 21. Doth not every dutifull sonne assure himself of that portion which his good Father hath promised him How much more may the heires of glory be assured of that our heavenly Father so plentifully promised 2 Our blessed Saviour hath fully purchased our salvation and compleatly justified all his for God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself from the beginning and may not we be assured of our inheritance since the price is paid 3 Christ doth continually pray for us at the right hand of God saying Father keep them for they are thine and thine are mine and sure it is none shall take his sheep out of his hand 4 The Lord hath vouchsafed us his Word and Sacraments as a specified and sealed Covenant to confirme it Now when a man conveigheth any thing unto us by a specified Sealed Covenant we expect it sure how much more may we assure our selves of the Covenant of God since he hath given us his written Word and seal to confirm it 5 Lastly Christ hath prayed the Father and he hath sent the Spirit into our hearts to seal every rightly beleeving soul unto the day of Redemption to testifie to our spirits that we are of God Tel me now my brethren are not all these things true can any considering man therefore so much as think that when God hath done so much so many waies of our
assurance a careful soul may not or ought not to be sure that when his body shall be dissolved his soul shall have an happie dwelling with God in the heavens Vse 1 1 Away then for application with popish doctrine of uncertainty teaching men to doubt perpetually and even to the end to distrust our Election and salvation It peremptorily affirming that men can have but a meer conjecture which weighed doth scarce amount to a probable opinion This false uncomfortable doctrine of the Pontificians I might iustly and sharply inveigh against but supposing here are no favourers of Popery I passe it Vse 2 2 The next inference is matter of complaint of the supine carelesnesse and grosse neglect of mens not seeking assurance of this building not made with hands being a blessed estate in Heaven when these dayes of sin be done Past question a reasonable soul doth desire nothing more then to be sure of the thing it would have and as sure it is that every man pretends to desire Heaven to have his soul saved when hee departs hence Yet alas I grieve to see nothing is so little cared for or sought after as an assurance of Heaven We would be sure of health sure of meanes sure of friends sure of preferments sure of honour and credit in the world To be so wee spend our time and strength use all meanes applie our wits and are wanting in nothing which may probably secure us but to be sure of Heaven where is the man that acts to the uttermost or doth seriously endeavour at all Most men make this the least or no part of their businesse it comes not into their mindes seldome or never do they think upon it Others vainely presume that God will sure save their soules upon false or no grounds they build yet seem to be very confident Thus many have presumed of Heaven which are now in the depths of Hell Others deem men can have no assurance but must put it to the mercy of God and hope well so they do and thus rest content Alasse poore soules these are very Papists in this point and are like with the rest of men I speak of to go to the flames of hell unawares How can it bee that reasonable souls holding the Protestant Religion should so fool themselves Ah! Damned Satan it is thy doing thus to delude poore souls that out of slothfulnesse they might come to hell rather then take paines to be assured of Heaven Think seriosly my brethren what folly it is for a Christian to live he knowes not in what state and when he dies to go he knows not where had it not been good for such a man he had never been born mind this I pray you and suffer this word of reproof to work upon you that it may not be our case in the end What remaines but that we be all stirred up and provoked by the power of Gods Word to make sure of the building not made with hands Let not vain presumptions blind hopes and ignorant supposes beguile our soules But since we evidently see that men may and ought to be assured and know if our earthly house be dissolved we have a building of God in the Heavens let us labour after assurance and the better to satisfie and prevaile with your souls and consciences I will acquaint you that there are three kindes of assurance 1 Such as God doth require of all men generally as dutie 2 Such as God doth accept of some in mercy 3 Such as God doth vouchsafe to some in bounty The first is an assurance of evidence the Lord doth require that all those to whom the word of salvation comes should be so well acquainted with it as to know the promises understand aright the properties and characters of those to whom they belong and be able to evidence to themselves that those promses do belong to them by those properties and characters That the Spirit by working on thir hearts doth testifie to their spirits that they are the Elect of God To attain this kinde of assurance is the duty of every Christian The second is when a Christian not so well versed in Gods Book is not able so exactly to applie the promises in speciall manner to himself or evidence by any such particular properties and marks Yet knowing in generall the way of Salvation by Christ applied by Faith and repentance to sinners doth as it were throw himself as a beleeving and penitent sinner on God and trusts to be saved by the righteousnesse of Christ and out of this hope he loves God and Christ desires and endeavours to forsake all his sinnes This I may call a certainty of affiance which God doth accept of from many poore ignorant soules in mercy The last is an assurance of obsignation wherby God doth so firmly seal the faith of some that they do so stedfastly undoubtedly beleeve that Christ died for them as they had seen him die on the Crosse and he had told them that he did die in particular for them or as if God from heaven had revealed it by miracle And whereas it is sufficient if the two former assurances exceed doubtings this doth really exclude doubtings Now this high kind of certainty is usually given to men after long and fiery trialls when men have stood long and in an eminent way for Christ as did the Apostles and Martyrs or when men have been of great standing in piety and of great integrity in waies of godlines To such God may and doubtles doth vouchsafe of his glorious bounty this high kind of assurance but I conceive 't is not required of all men as a duty Thus briefly without obscurity I have shewed you the doctrine of Christian assurance let me earnestly entreat and prevail with you to desire and endeavour after this sweete grace the excellency the comfort the commodities of it are more then sufficient motives if I might illustrate them How good is it at all times in all conditions of our life and especially at our death I you will say we do desire assurance but how shall we gain it I answer we may obtain it 1. By a cheerfull and ready answering the call of God in his Word when he speakes we must hear submit our wills yeeld our spirits to the power of his ordinances Such hearing is better then the fat of Rammes and will by degrees work assurance in us 2. By a new and holy conversation the way to be sure that we have learned Christ is as touching our former conversation to put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lust to be renewed in the spirit of our mindes If we walk as the prophane how can we hope for assurance 3. By expressing a true zeal and a religious care for the things of God S. Paul acquaints us that he which is of God careth for the things of God Wen a mans heart is listlesse and unsolicitous of holy things he may vainely presume but cannot warrantably assure himself to belong to the Election of grace 4. By continuall prayer and endeavour to improve in our spirituall condition Add to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge c. thus an entrance shall be ministred abundantly By a labour to increase in soul goodnesse there will come in such a perfection of love as will cast out slavish feares and settle the heart more and more in a sweet and comfortable assurance These are the directions which I give and the Lord blesse them to you all And now I have ended my Text I might stray long to speak of that late grave and worthy Senator whose Funerall we celebrate My neighbouring abode and some acquaintance with him for divers years might furnish me with plentifull Encomiums of deserved praise but it 's not my guise to speak much in this kind briefly then with good conscience I may testifie him to be a man exemplary in all manner of conversation in his family in his countrey in publike in private affaires Known he was to be a man of great learning well skilled in the languages of it Hebrew Greek and Latin and no stranger in its rationall systems His many vertues were crowned with his much zeal for Religion his great love to zealous able Ministers and good people in the worst of times witnesse amongst other things his Pen in their vindication against the gallie inke which sprang from a bitter spirit His Answer to the Glasse of Schismes and a lying tongue In a word he was a true Mecenas a reall Patriot much loving and wel-beloved of his Countrey seeking not theirs but them The cause of piety and Professors was in our parts sufficiently known to have a friend on the Bench where he sat And what was best of all his goodnesse and vertue did age and increase with him His righteousnesse was not like the morning dew or as those who glory to be Patriots for a while but then like the stellae volantes lose their blazing light cause sterility and go out in a stenchfull nastinesse Our learned and religious Brother did shine most bright in the evening of his dayes His faithfulnesse and constancie his zeal and affection his pains and diligence in the great cause of God and his holy truth this Church and Kingdome deserveth all commendations never ending but with his breath This will justly number him among the Worthies of our English Nation who have given up themselves wholly to seek the glory of God and the good of the Land His memory with theirs shal be precious in after ages maugre all malice Or if posterity should be so ungratefull as to forget yet doubtlesse their glory will increase in a better world Amongst whom I say this our brother was not wanting to act his part even to the end and so hath brought his gray haires with honour to the grave And now his earthly house of this Tabernacle is dissolved he hath a building of God not made with hands eternall in the Heavens FINIS
Christians have this honour that the building not made with hands is onely theirs The third considerable circumstance in my Text is the order here we may note the first is that which is naturall then that which is spirituall the first is of the Earth earthie the second in Heaven heavenly By the frail house we passe to the firme habitation when the former is dissolved the latter takes place The last thing I shall propound is the note Certainty in the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We know it was not a thing S. Paul much doubted or had a meer conceit or conjecture of but a thing of which he was fully perswaded He knew of a certainty that when his earthen Tabernacle was dissolved he should be possessed of the Heavenly building and what he speakes for himselfe he intimates for the comfort of others of all that are vessels of honour heirs of grace called by the Word and sanctified These the severall passages considerable in the words I read yeeld us three circumstances of holy doctrine 1 From the description of our earthly Mansion we may collect that our estate in this life is fraile transitory perishing 2. From the excellency of the building not made with hands we gather that the state of a true Christian in the world to come is blessed and eternall in the heavens 3. By the note of certainty we may conclude that every converted heart and carefull soul may and ought to be assured that when his body shall be dissolved his soul shall have an happy dwelling with God in heaven These sentences of holy doctrine are too plentifull subjects to be fully discoursed of in one Sermon I will speak in a word of the two former and but briefly of the last That our state and condition in this life is fraile transitory perishing who can deny Let old Iacob come in and he will affirm that few and evill are the dayes and yeers of his life and My dayes are swifter then a weavers shuttle Oh remember that my life is wind said Iob Iob 7.6 7. And again is not man born to trouble as sparks flie upward The Scripture is wont to compare our present state with things most frail perishing Our life is as a flower as smoke a dew a blast a breath a bubble it is vanity it is as nothing I fetch arguments to confirm this from what we are and what are the best things we can have 1. Consider we have frail bodies no better then a lump of earth an handfull of wormes at best liable to a thousand griefs paines aches diseases distempers 2. Have we not frail spirits also subject to many troubles doubts feares terrours perplexities and amazes What is the union of these being our naturall life but a fading perishing dying kind of being still spending it self and burning out its own candle They have judged right who have wrote that misery and mans life are convertible tearms And when the Limners do picture sorrow they make it like a man Thus from what we are we may see this truth And what good things doth this life afford riches honours pleasures and secular learning As for riches Riches what are these but a finer kinde of earth having an high price stamped on it and if man could compasse all the treasure under heaven what a deal of discontenting gold would there be too much to use too little to content the greedy heart of man Midas-like we would be glad to be rid of our first wish Not all but a part would man have yet I trow it 's the biggest part Dives would have none so rich as he Sed quid juvat immensum what good will a great heap do us was ever man happy in abundance great riches is but matter of trouble dangerous to the possessor an ill master a treacherous servant There is a dying nature in them they have wings and will be gone and yeeld but little content while they stay for he that loveth silver is not satisfied with it this is vanity and vexation of spirit What are honours in this life Honours but supposed excellencies which have no true being accompanied with cares and cumber the object as well of envie as of esteem If we could go to the ashes of dead Alexander they 'l tell us what he found in his great preferments surely they would acquaint us that those honours were not worth the labour equitandì per Britannos cursitandi per Germanos pati pruinam It was a subtle trick of Satan when he tempted Christ with the offer of worldly honours that he shewed onely the Kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them never pointing out the cares troubles discontents which abounded in those kingdoms for then they would have been no provocation at all The man in Plutarch said wisely that he who considers the troubles of a Crown well would not gather it up in the street The happinesse of great places is more in that they are thought so then that they are so You that are our Senators do now throughoutly know what poor happinesse it is to be incessantly troubled with a world of other mens businesses and have little time to think on your selvs and your own affairs and lo that is the good of high places I may compare earthly honours to the plate at a Lottery it is exposed to open view makes a great shew and if a man do chance to light on a prise it is no great matter only it is drummed out and trumpeted abroad to tell the world and this is the glory of it Even so if some of those many that venture hard for honours do speed it is no such great matter onely the businesse is trumpeted out told abroad and the world hath some apprehension of it but alas the wisest of mortals found this also to be vanitie yea a fleeting vanitie Gloria Crocodilus flying fastest from such as pursue it most How oft hath one day found a man in high honours and low disgrace A third sort of the best things of this life are pleasures Pleasures now what froth what chaffe what nothings are these I may sever them into harmlesse recreations or sinfull delights the former being the best of pleasures are a kind of fading vanities which perish in the use of them there is but a meer shadow of content in them which we apprehend to be before us but alas wee seldome overtake it Cast back your thoughts on our youthfull pastimes how did we prize our gains and hopes of winning but an handfull of Counters no pleasures in the world I think can ever so much take us as those did yet a few years with discretion do shew us what poor contentments they were Manhood deems as meanly of the frolicks of our youth age and riper judgement well knows all pleasures to be a fleeting joy which is gone as soon as had As for sinfull delights Satan so tampers with our