Spirit which is to sanctify or make holy the hearts of men St. Paul therefore calleth it the spirit of holyness Rom. 1. 4. v. And tells the Corinthians they were sanctified hereby 1 Cor. 6. 11. v. And again thus he doth speak to the Thessalonians God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth The spirit is principal in stamping the Image of God upon the heart and sanctifying the soul by Grace here that he may exalt us to Eternal glory in heaven hereafter Hence we have all our graces and gifts Grace whereby we are sanctified whereby the rebellion of our will is subdued and the uncleanness of our affections purified and we thereby qualified and enable to serve God Hence we have not only our Graces but all our gifts to qualify and inable us in our several places and relations to edify one another 1 Cor. 12. 7. v. The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal The gifts of the holy Ghost are given for the common good of all the Church to which only end all ought to be referred Non nobis nati sumus we are neither born nor born again for our selves By the former we are made good Christians and by the latter we are made profitable Christians Hence also it is that we read of the renewing of the Spirit Titus 3. 5. v. for upon whom the spirit is bestowed it changes such from earthly to heavenly from the Image of Adam to the image of Christ Every man by nature in respect of any divine or spiritual good hath a very heart of stone It was the Poets fiction that Men were made of Stones Inde gâ—nus durum sumus to be sure there is this spiritual Stone in the hearts of men all Mankind naturally aâ—e aâ— hard tough rugged and untractable people Insomuch that where any are sanctified by the spirit there children are raised up to Abraham out of stones there water is made to gush out of a rock there dry bones are caused to gather together and made to live and such a gracious quality of softness is wrought by the spirit that it melts before God becomes willing and obedient to all commanded duties and cries out with St. Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do he is willing to do any thing and pliable to any thing that God commands him Ezek. 36. 26. 27. v. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Such a willing obedience is wrought by the spirit when that is made good that you have in the 26. v. A new spirit will I put within you and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh If a man could put a vegetative life into a stone what would the stone do it would grow as a plant doth grow If a man could put a sensitive life into a stone what would the stone then do it would stirr and move as a worm or beast doth If a man could put a reasonable soul into a stone what would the stone do it would talk as a man doth it would discourse of heavenly matters as a man doth and pursue the matters of the world as a man doth But if a man could put the spirit of God and the spirit of Grace into a stone what then would the soul do it would speak of God and Christ of Heaven and Happyness it would pursue spiritual and heavenly matters and things This is every Man's estate and condition as long as there is nothing but the life of reason in them they savour nothing but the things of the World they talk of nothing but the world and they labor after nothing but the Temporal things of this world but if once the spirit of God be in them if once they have gotten the spirit of God it stirrs them up to talk of Heaven and to labor after the things of heaven it works in them holy motions and holy affections How fruitful in all kind of goodness does the spirit make those in whose hearts it dwells read Gal. 5. 22. v. It is fruitful in love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance All these are the fruits of the Spirit The spirit is as seed in the heart which will spring up and shew it self it cannot lye dead but will work and move it will make the Soul that was barren to become fruitful it animateth the Soul as to an heavenly being so to all kind of heavenly working When others are empty Vines like Israel Hos 10. 1. v. Israel is an empty vine And when others are unfruitful willows and barren grounds not trees of the Garden but of the Wilderness wild degenerate plants and for their unfruitfulness in goodness shall have an heavy doom pass upon them Matth. 25. 30. v. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness These being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the Glory and praise of God Phil. 1. 11. v. are plants of renown like the Pomcitron which as Naturalists say bears fruit at all times of the year they are like the ground in the Parable which brought forth Some sixty and some an hundred fold Matth. 13. 8. v. And it may be said of them as of Joseph Gen. 49. 22. v. Joseph is a fruitful bough Who have their fruit unto holyness and their end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. v. 5. The fifth Instance is that of a good Conscience A good Conscience will be of no little concernment hereafter Forty thousand pounds for a good Conscience cryed out a wicked wealthy Worldling when he was dying and passing into Eternity I may here propound a most serious question to those whose hearts are more taken up with the Temporal things of this world then with the Eternal things of another world Quid prodest bonis plena arca si in anis sit conscientia What good is there in a Chest full of goods when the Conscience is empty of goodness Conscience will live for ever Conscience dyes not when a wicked dyes Death it self is not able to part Conscience from a sinner As the probationer disciple said to Christ Matth. 8. 19. v. Master I will follow thee wheresoever thou goest So will Conscience follow a sinner whithersoever he goes It is said of the Statue of Juno placed in a City near to Euphrates in Assyria that it always looks towards those that come into her Temple be they where they will in the Temple she stares still upon them if they go by her yet she follows them with her eye So unto all places whithersoever a sinner goes Conscience will follow him Goes he to God's tribunal to receive the sentence of his Eternal doom to have the question of his Eternal estate to be absolutely and unalterably determined even thither will
the body and this life they have but there is the life of the Soul and that life they have not We hear of many children born dead its true in this sence all men are born dead men there is not a man born a member of the new Adam but every man is born a member of the old Adam and therefore in a spiritual sence they must needs be born dead men though otherwise endued with a natural life For if the root be dead as the old Adam is all the branches that rise from that root must needs be dead also In Adam all dyed saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 22. v. Adam was the common root of Mankind all Mankind was in him Tamquam in radice as so many Branches in the root and so consequently Adam dying all Mankind dye in him and with him and in this dead condition they all do remain until they do injoy an interest in and union with Jesus Christ the last Adam who was made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. v. he being the fountain and author both of a spiritual and eternal life to all Believers And therefore saith St. John John 5. 12. v. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life And the Apostle St. Paul calleth him Our life because none live the life of Grace but those who partake of Jesus Christ it is he in whom and by whom they do live Col. 3. 4. v. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Hence saith Wisdom that is Christ Pro. 8. 35. v. Who so findeth me findeth life Not a Soul wanting Jesus Christ but he wanteth life and also in him there dweleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. v. Neither faith nor any other saving grace dwelleth in such a one but he is as full of all kind of evil as Baal's house of Idolatry as the Sluggard's field of thorns and bryars or as Pharisees sepulchers of dead mens bones such a man's Soul is a very sink of uncleanness and naughtiness â—ut as when a man is made a partaker of Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. v. So he is also a Good Man bad things are passed away and all things are become good he is become a good man and hath his heart filled with the good treasure of saving Grace Such another as Joseph of Arimathea who was a good man and a just Luke 23. 50. v. Such another as Banabas was a Good man and full of the Holy Ghost Act. 11. 24. v. When Christ came into the Temple John 2. 5. v. he purged his Father's house he overturned the money â—ables he drove out the buyers and sellers So when Christ cometh into any man and taketh up his holy habitation in the heart he throws down every sin he drives out every â—orruption and carnal lust he purges out every evil thing and maketh the heart good The heart of man by nature is a very den of Thieves a pallace of Pride a slaughter-house of Malice a brothel-house of uncleanness a raging sea of Sin a little hell of black and blaspâ—emous Imaginations and â—warming with all manner of noysom lusts but the Lord Jesus Christ rids the heart hereof and makes it holy Himself is called that holy thing Luk. 1. 35. v. Therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That holy thing it is put in the Neuter gender Emphatically shewing that he hath not the least spot of sin in him but is every way holy typified therein by the high Priest under the Law who had this written upon him Holyness to the Lord but Jesus Christ is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy but he is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that sanctifieth and maketh us holy by his blood cleansing us from all filthy abominations 4. The fourth Instance is that of the Spirit who is called the Spirit of Grace and is of the same essence and consubstantial with the Father and the Son and in all respects co-equal and co-eternal called therefore the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God The holy Ghost in Scripture is expresly called God Act. 5. 3 4 v. Peter reproving Ananias for lying to the holy Ghost saith Thou hast not lyed unto Man but unto God And St. Paul proves that our bodies are the Temple of the living God 2 Cor. 6. 16. v. Because of the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us 1 Cor. 6. 19. v. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you He that in one place is called the holy Ghost in the other place is called the living God And whosoever will be saved is taught in St. Athanasius his Creed to believe thus That the Godhead of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost is all one the â—lory equal the Majesty co-eternal Anâ— again Such as the Father is such is the Son and such is the holy Ghost And again The Father Eternal the Son Eternal and the holy Ghost Eternal And yet they are not three Eternals but one Eternal And Eternally blessed is that man who hath gotten this Eternal spirit of the living God into his heart for wheresoever the spirit of God comes it is not idle We read Matth. 8. 7. v. how Christ saith to the Centurion When I come I will heal thy servant I will not meerly come to see him and visit him but when I come I will heal him So when the holy Ghost doth come into a man he will not be idle and do nothing but he will heal the Soul sanctify the heart and purge corrupted nature in some measure Holyness is the natural product of the spirit by its powerful influence and breathings it raises poor dead Souls out of the grave of sin frames them unto a spiritual and divine conformity unto Christ subdues the rebellion of evil hearts and makes the sinner to become another man by a spiritual Metamorphosis This is that work which is ascribed to the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1 2 v. Elect according to the foreknowledg of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Here is held forth the concurrence of the whole Trinity in the salvation of man The Father electing us the holy Ghost sanctiâ—ying us Jesus Christ shedding his blood for us Hence it is that our Saviour calleth it the holy Spirit Luk. 11. 13. v. If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Sanctus dicitur quia sanctificat He calleth him the holy
the heart of Man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him Though death spoyl such a one of all the good things of life yet like the believing Hebrews mentioned Heb. 10. 34. v. he takes joyfully the spoyling of his Goods knowing in himself that he hath in Heaven a better and more induring substance It is storied of the Duke of Bulloin and his company when they went to Jerusalem as soon as his company saw the high Turrets they gave a mighty shout that the Earth rang so when a Christian at death that all his life long hath been providing Eternal good things shall see the Turrets of the heavenly Jerusalem shall see that induring substance laid up for him in Heaven shall see those Rivers of Pleasure that are to be had at God's right hand for evermore shall see those things that now are invisible shall see such things as no mortall Eye ever saw shall see what no heart is able to conceive and shall see that all these things are his own and that they shall now be possessed and injoyed by him for ever unto all Eternity what joy what gladness what rejoycing of heart will there be in him In some places of the West Indies there is an opinion in gross that the soul is immortal and that there is a life after this life where beyond certain hills they know not where those that dye in the defence of their Countrey should remain after death in much blessedness which opinion made them very valiant in their fights and willing to dye in defence of their Countrey The bare opinion of the Druides who taught that the soul had a continuance after its seperation from the body made many of their followers hardy in great attempts and abated in most the fear of Death When a Christian hath labored for and by his labor obtained what will nourish his immortal Soul unto Eternal life and be provision for it in Eternal life none can express the willing thereof to leave the body A Christian now looks upon Death to be a valley of Achor a door of hope to gain entrance into Paradice to bring him Malorum omnium ademptionem bonorum omnium adeptionem a removal of all things that are evil and an enjoyment of all things that are good and that not good only for a season but for Eternity Old Hilarion could not but wonder his soul should be so loath to depart out of his body and therefore when he lay a dying it is said of him he bespake it in this manner Soul get thee out thou hast for seventy years served Christ and art thou loath to depart or afraid of Death When a Christian hath husbanded all the time of life for the good of his Soul and finds it stored with grace and assured of glory he is not afraid or unwilling that his soul should leave his body he hath hope in his death and that makes him to be be willing to submit to death Pro. 14. 32. v. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death I have done with two of the first perticulars I propounded to speak to upon this Point I have shewed by way of Explication when a man may be said to labor for Eternal good things and I have shewed by way of Demonstration That Eternal good things are to be labored for The third perticular propounded was to speak something by way of Confirmation and here I shall shew that labor is chiefly to be used for and about Eternal good things CHAP. VI. I come now to Confirm this Truth That the great labor and pains of every Christian ought chiefly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things To which end I shall speak to these following Perticulars 1. OVr labor and pains ought chiefly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things because God hath commanded it 2. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things are the chiefest of good things 3. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things are lasting good things other good things are perishing good things 4. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things are good things always desirable good things that a man shall never be weary of 5. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things are the only satisfying good things 6. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things concern our Souls other good things concern only the body 7. Our labor and pains c. Because our labor about Eternal good things will not be in vain 8. Our labor and pains c. Because even to Eternity it self it will never repent us to have bestowed the greatest labor and pains about Eternal good things 1. I shall begin with the first of these eight and say something to that Good reason there is that Our labor and pains ought chiefly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things Because God hath commanded it it is charged upon us as a duty and if we obey not we run our selves into a spiritual Praemunire that Almighty God who tells the number of the Starrs calling them by their names he charges us to do so and if we obey him not we offer an affront to his Soveraingty as if his will were not reason enough for his commands And to his wisdom as if he did not know what Laws were good for us And to his Justice as if the ways of God were not equal If any ask me Quis requisivit who hath required this at our hands who requires that our labor should chiefly be about Eternal good things I answer It is the great GOD of Heaven and Earth that by his word made all things to whom the Winds and Seas obey And it is well we have express commands from God in Scripture for this else the world is full of curious Heads and prophane Hearts to outface and out-wrangle such a Truth nay any truth indeed which men are laborâ—â—â— oath to yield unto so ready are carnal men to be the Devil's Proctors against God and haveing their wits and spirits whetted upon the Devil's whetstone to cavil against spiritual and flesh-crossing truths I wish all that do love God and do make it their daily work to labor chiefly for Eternal good things may be all of the mind of that reverend Baldassar as he expresses it in an Epistle unto Oecolampadius Veniat veniat verbum Domini submittemus illi sexcenta si nobis essent colla Let but the word of God be urged upon us and we shall not be unwilling to lay down our very lives in obedience thereunto were this but the resolve and holy temper of Mens hearts a few Scriptures would serve to confirm such truths that Ministers do preach upon I shall here commend only one unto you and I think it may be as good as many t is that in Matt. 6. 33. v. But seek ye
sin out of their hearts he makes them pertakers of the divine nature and in due time cleanses them from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit he puts upon them the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holyness Admirable have been the works of God towards even those that never had him for their God in Covenant unto what great promotion have some such been advanced Iphicrates that brave Athenian was but the Son of a Coblar Eumenes one of Alexander's best Captains but the Son of a Carter Agachocles King of Scicily was but the Son of a Porter Abdolominus a poor Gardener and yet became to be King in Sidon Thus God sometimes raises the poor out of the dust and lifâ—eth up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them to inherit the throne of Glory 1 Sam. 2. 7 8. v. The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the throne of Glory So true is that of the Psalmist Psal 75. 6 7. v. For promotion comeeth not from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judg he putteth down one and setteth up another But in the work of Sanctification and Holyness he does a greater work then all this there he makes Grapes to grow upon thornes and â—iggs upon thistles he turns the worst weeds into sweet and beautiful flowers Oâ—â— of the most crooked pieces in the timber he makes a glorious Building Of stones he raises up children unto Abraham turns Gall into Honey Darkness into Light Wolves into Lambs barren Wildernesses into pleasant Gardens How should this make us to shut our eyes to all Creatures as if they were not and look wholly to God and there make our desires and labors to terminate as having nothing further to labor and as desiring no other portion When the Sun shines to us though there be never a Starr is it not day do we not call it so Again when all the Starrs shine and the Sun is set is it not night Thus it is to those that have an injoyment of God though they have him alone nothing besides him for their portion yet as he makes them good so he alone is sufficient to make them happy This is that very thing which hath made those who have known the truth of this very thing to be restless in their souls until they have centered themselves in God and the injoyment of God All creatures say Philosophers desire their Center and do no where rest but in their proper places The spark of fire tenders upwards stones they move downwards The floods and all waters have many turnings and windings but they never cease until they come into the Sea that common receptacle of all waters So the soul of man hath its Center which is God it never rests until it be there and when it injoys God it would never be removed Fecisti nos Domine propter te in quietum est cor nostrum donec perveniat ad te says holy St. Augustine Lord thou hast made us for thy self and our hearts are unquiet until they be wiâ—h thee for indeed the Creature is not capable of an higher blessedness then to have God for his God in God is to be found enough in God are to be found such things as will fit all times all occasions of soul and body fully 3. The third Instance is that of Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God and heir of the King of glory who in time became Man for his Elect who is the fountain and foundation of all our Bliss in this world and the world to come Verily the Lord Jesus Christ is the whole of Man's happiness he is the Jacobs Ladder by whom God descendeth unto man and man ascendeth unto God Nothing can make that man miserable who hath Christ for his possession for the life and liberty the peace and safety the wealth and glory the present and future happiness of a Christian are treasured up in him The Lord Jesus Christ is richly worth the laboring for when as all things without him are worth nothing they are in comparison of Christ but as a drop of a Bucket and as the small dust of the ballance they are in comparison of Christ who is a pearl of choisest Worth but as base and vile He does very shamefully abuse Christ that prefers and esteems any thing above Christ that makes not all things to vail and stoop to Christ The fulness of the world without Jesus Christ is but a dry bone without marrow a shell without a kernel an empty pit without water a casket without a jewel and as a barren tree without fruit It is not the having an abundance of riches and temporal good things in the house but the having of Christ in the heart that will make the possessor contented and happy He that looks for either contentation in or happyness from any thing but Christ seeks for water to quench his thirst in a broken Cistern As he said of Plato Vnius Platonis calculum inter mille the approbation of Plato alone was instead of a thousand so the injoyment of Christ alone is instead of a thousand other things Prov. 8. 11. v. For Wisdom is better then Rubies and all the things that can be desired are not to be compared unto it And doubtless Christ is the wisdâ—m there spoken of in whom there is a confluence of all blessedness and happyness he that hath Christ he is rich he is full he hath all he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All in All. In him there are unsearchable riches Ephe. 3. 1. v. The Spanish Embassador coming to see the Treasury of St. Mark in Venice which is cryed up so through all the world fell a groping to find whether it had any bottom and being asked why he did so answered In this amongst other things my great Master's Treasure differs from yours in that his hath no bottom as I find yours to have alluding to the Mines in Mexico and Potosy but what are the Spanish Treasures to the unsearchable treasures that are in Christ He is such a golden Mine of all good things that all the Saints and Angels can never digg to the bottom This hath made those that have in some measure known the worth of Christ to account him precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. v. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious above all the things of the world As the chiefest amongst ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. v. It hath made them esteem of Christ above all things St. Paul's sublime spirit counted all things but loss for the excellency of Christ yea he counted them but dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dogs meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might win or gain Christ and be satisfied with a larger
Disciples came to Christ and shewed him the goodly buildings of the Temple after that Herod to get the peoples good will had been at wonderful charge in building and beautifying of it says Christ to them Matth. 24. 2. v. See ye not all these things verily I say unto you There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down This thing was afterwards fulfilled when the Temple was set on fire by Titus his Souldiers that it could not be quencht by the industry of Man for Titus himself would have preserved it as one of the Worlds Wonders from being burnt but could not such was the fury of the Souldiers So may I say look upon the strongest most glorious and magnificentest Structures in the world yet time will come when there will not be left one stone upon another We see 1 Kings 18. 38. v. That the fire which came down from Elâ—â—ah's Sacrifice did not only burn up the Sacrifice and the wood but it did lick up the water and burn up the Stones Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt Sacrifice and the Wood and the Stones and the Dust and licked up the water that was in the Trench 1 King 18. 38. v. So the fire of Heaven will not only burn up the sleight buildings but also the strongest houses that be made of sollidest matter of Brick and Stone and Marble yea if they were houses of Iron they shall be destroyed and dissolved Many times if ordinary and sleight houses be burnt such as be of Brick and Stone escape but at the day of Judgment not only the sleight buildings shall be burnt but also the strongest houses such as are made of no combustible matter of brick and stone But this building of God an house not made with hands will be Eternal in the Heavens Heaven is therefore Luk. 16. 9. v. called an Everlasting Habitation and that in opposition as hath before been noted to Earthly dwellings which though many of them are beautiful and glorious yet shall be laid in the Dust when as Heaven will be for the Saints and Angels an habitation for ever It was a rejoycing to David that God would give him a Kingdom but more that he would prepare a Kingdom to his house a great while 2. Sam. 7. 16. 18 19. v. David took it for a great favor that God would bestow a Kingdom upon him and yet saith he in the 19. v. This was but a small thing in thy sight O Lord God What was it but a small thing to give a Kingdom No but there was somthing more than a Kingdom and that was this that his Posterity should sit on the Throne for a great while Thou hast spoken of thy Servants house for a great while to come This made the mercy greater Even so t is here should we be in those heavenly Mansions but a few days or years and then to have them dissolved yet this were worth more labor and pains and seeking after than all the worlds glory but they shall be there for ever and our abode shall be made there for ever it shall never have an end 4. Our labor and pains ought cheifly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things Because Eternal good things are always desirable good things that a man shall never be weary of a man may after a short time of injoyment be weary of other things they oft prove vexing and molesting to the injoyers of them though somtimes never so much affected loved and desired as many VVives to Husbands children to Parents Servants to Masters Preferments to the Ambitious Crowns and Scepters unto Kings and Princes We do not always find all those who have more of the world than others to have more content from the world than others or less troubles and cares in the world than others they have more delicates than others but these often so dissweetened with crosses that they take little pleasure in them they may have more attendants than others and thereby not seldom attended with more discontents than others How many at one time are vexed that as heirs they come to their estates no sooner at another time they are vexed as at Death they can keep them no longer some are vexed in getting these things like Ahab who waxed heavy laid him down upon his bed and would not eat only because he could not obtain Naboth's Vinyard Others are vexed in the keeping of them being troubled and perplexed with Law-suits How often find we not a few vexed somtimes that they have wasted and spent so much and now have less then themselves once had That the world to many is a sharp bryar to prick them rather then a flower to delight them and whilst they suck freely the breasts of the world in the one they find nothing but the wine of vanity and in the other the water of vexation Solomon who was a great and mighty King that had riches without example and Reigned Forty years in a most rich and flourishing Kingdom which was a sufficient time to content his mind in gathering riches in sumptuous buildings in multitude of horses in all variety of Studies and Sciences one that had traversed his spirits through all the secrets of Nature from the Caedar to the Hysop that he was even the most experienced one for enquiry he at last considering how these sweets were confected with bitterness makes this close of all his actions Eccles 1. 14. v. I have seen all the workes that are done under the Sun and behold all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit Solomon had obtained as large and as intuitive a knowledg as humane curiosity or furtherances could attain unto and in these words gives us an account of all Temporal things after he had taken an Historical and Penetential review of all the inquiries he had made into them and what finds he He found by diligent inquiry how much they do molest and disquiet the hearts of Men they were not only ineffectual to confer happyness but which was worse apt to bring or cause much affliction and trouble upon the hearts of those who are too earnestly conversant about them And again Eccles 2. when from the 3d. verse to the 11th verse he had drawn out the thread of delight and stretched the webb of all worldly pleasures and injoyments upon the largest tenter of Variety he saith he found nothing in it but Vanity and vexation of spirit v. 11. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labor that I had labored to do and behold all were vanity and vexation of spirit Hereunto agrees the words of St. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 10. v. for says he The love of Money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves thorow with many sorrows And very remarkable are the words of our Saviour Matth. 13. 22. v. where he
Wilderness and that they had been put to fight with the Sons of Anak and other enemies No more did it ever repent any believer when he was once in Heaven that he had taken paâ—ns for heaven Heaven hath made amends for all his pains taken But it will hereafter repent thousands that now labor and toil only after the things of the world but neglect the things of heaven We have Solomon recognizing and reviewing all his works and all his labor that he had labored to do and what finds he vanâ—y and vexation of Spirit no contenâ—aâ—ion no satisfaction but endless vexation enough to convince him to how little purpose he had wearied himself enough to make him repent of all his labor and pains See that place Eccâ—es 2. 11. v. Then I looked on all the work that my hand had wrought and on the labor that I had labored to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the Sun So it will be with many men in Hell that here take uncessant pains and as we say labor like an horse when they shall review and recognize all the labor and â—ains they have taken after Temporal good things and what little pains about and for Eternal good things What will be the issue but even endless vexaâ—ioâ— this will vex and torment their Souls throughout all Eternity this will make them say as Solomon in the 2 Eccles 18. v. I hate all the labor which I have taken under the Sun Solomon had got no good no pay that would equallize his pains In 〈◊〉 they will haue the remembrance of all their labor having in their life gained nothing that would equaâ—lize their labor or their loss even tâ—e loss now of heaven and all the Eternal good things of heaven As they say of the Bird that â—â—tâ—eth upon the Serpents Eggs that by breaking and hatching of them she brings forth a perillous brood to her own destruction So do these that sit brooding on the worlds Vanisies the end of all their pains will be but Eternal Destruction When I see some men priding themselves in what they possess in the world but careless of Heaven When I behold them delighting themselves in the many honors conferred upon them by the great bounâ—y of Princes but not minding God's honor When I observe them spending their whole time in voluptuous pleasures that are but for a moment and look no further I call to mind some pleasant rivers that fall into the Sea You know there are many sweet and Chrystal rivers that run pleasantly as it were sporting of themselves winding and turning their silver streams up and down many a pleasant and goodly Meadow a great while but at last they fall into the Salt Sea there they lose their sweetness and become brackish So these men for a while do turn and wind themselves up and down through the Meadows of pleasure and bath themselves in the transitory bliss of this world arising from their great possessions and many honors but for want of laboring for Eternal good things at last fall into the mouth of Hell and there lose all the sweetness of those things and find nothing but the bitter brackishness of Eternal pains How will it now repent them that they labored for Earth so much and for Heaven so little for Temporal good things so much and for Eternal good things so little that they looked more at things below than at things aboâ—e This hath made some bewail their folly at death that ever they set their hearts upon them and so sinfully labored to attain them I have read a sad story of a rich oppressor who had scraped up a great estate for his only Son when this rich oppâ—essor came to dye he called his Son to him and said Son do you indeed love me the Son answered That Nature besides his Paternal indulgence obliged him to that then said the Father express it by this hold thy finger in the Candle so long as I am saying a Pater noster the Son attempted but could not indure it upon that the Father broke out into these expressions Thou canst not indure the burning of thy finger for me but to get this wealth I have hazarded my Soul for thee and must burn body and soul in Hell for thy sake thy pain would have been but for a moment but mine will be unquenchable fire Thus he bewailed that he had wickedly labored after the good things of this life this at the time of his death filled his heart no doubt with no little sorrow and vexation But I do â—erily believe that there never was any laborious Christian but upon his death bed lamented that he took no more pains for these things Nay rather he hath then wished that he had been a thousand times more laborious for them Though a lazy generation of men have accused them for â—oo much preciseness have deâ—ided them for too much strickness and have judged them to be almost besides themselves when they have taken notice of their extraordinary diligence yet themselves could say as Erasmus did Accusant quod nimium fecerim verum Conscientia mea me accusat quod minus fecerim quodque lentior fuerim They accuse me for doing too much but my own Conscience accuseth me for doing too little And what shall I say more have we God's command to labor after Eternal good things are they the best of good things making those Good and doing those Good that injoy them that when others under terrors of conscience upon a dying bed in the grave at Judgment and under everlasting torments will find nothing which do them any good or stand them in any stead these under all their afflictions upon a death-bed and at judgment will not want what will support them under the first comfort them under the second and make them hold up their heads at the third being interested in that everlasting desirable satisfying provision they have made for their souls and shall see their labor for the same hath not been in vain as also that they shall not have cause ever to repent thereof Are not these considerations sufficient to make our hearts serious to improve every hour and minute of time both day and night in the use of all good means to the very end of our days for Eternal good things and not yield to be put off with any other good things whatsoever then such as are Eternal though God keep us low and mean in the world I shall answer one question and then come to apply what hath been said CHAP. VII Question VVHat Reasons may be assigned why men labor so much after Temporal good things that they do neglect Eternal and build their happyness upon so deceitful grounds as earthly possessions and transitory things they account themselves happy in these earthly injoyments whereas a painted face is as certain an argument of a good complexion as this of an happy condition When God
exhortations that they find in Scripture which are backed with strong reasons and encouraged unto by many sweet promises If we had saith one a window in men's breasts we should see this principle ingraven on their hearts That the Gospel is promises and all their work is to believe them to be true And so they never mind exhortations to labour after Heaven and Immortal life after Salvation and Eternal happiness only they please themselves with such promises that God hath made of Heaven and Eternal rewards making use of the promises to strengthen their hopes for Heaven but follow not the exhortations which call upon them to labour for Heaven It is most true that a well grounded hope for Heaven and Eternal salvation is gotten by and grounded upon the Word of God hence it is called the Hope of the Gospel Col. 1. 23. v. because it is gotten by the Gospel and grounded upon the Gospel All a Saints hopes comes from the Scriptures Psal 119. 49. v. Good is the Word of the Lord wherein thou hast caused me to hope Rom. 15. 4. v. That we saith the Apostle through the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope And the promises of the Scripture are the Anchor of a Christian's hope that hope which any one hath of Heaven if not founded upon a promise it may rather be called presumption then hope Promises are the surest Pillars to build our hopes for Heaven upon when that hope which is not built upon a promise shall suffer ship-wrack then a promise will be as a planck upon which we may swim safe to the shoar of Heaven then a promise will be as a Fiery Chariot to carry us up to heaven Heaven is nothing else but the enjoyment of the promises Heb. 6. 12. v. Be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises that is Promissam illam haereditatem the promised Inheritance The promises are Heaven folded up Heaven is the promises unfolded The promises are made by God and they make over God to a Believer as his portion and Christ as his Saviour and the Spirit as his Sanctifier and all Eternal good things as his everlasting Inheritance It is therefore one of the greatest titles that â— belongâ— a Christian to be stiled an Heir of the Promises Heb. â— 17. v. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by Oath That man who hath a right to the Promises is the richest man in the World for God is his and Christ is his and the Spirit is his Grace here and Eternal glory hereafter is his Sad is that man's condition who hath no interest in God nor in Christ and who is without all hopes of future and Eternal happiness But he that is a stranger from the promise is without Christ without God and without hope Eph. 2. 12. v. Such a man may indeed nourish hopes of Heaven but his hopes if not bottomed upon a promise will prove afterwards to be no other then his Souls delusion and his Souls consenage he may promise himself to go to Heaven and there be blessed and happy for ever but his hopes will deceive him And under the like Soul-delusion are those men that hope they shall enjoy all whatsoever are held forth in the promises men who do not at all mind all the conditions of the promises men that only believe them to be true but labour not by an holy industry and diligence to gain and possess themselves of what is promised These men do highly value Promises but they under-value and despise Commands they read the Word of God and they meet with the promising-word this they retain and beâ—ieve and build their hopes thereon and they meet also with the Commanding-word this they embrace not this they obey not Ask many profane Persons what hopes they have of being happy to all Eternity O say they God is a merciful God and he hath made many gracious promises in the Scriptures to pardon our sins and blot out our iniquiâ—ies and upon such free promises as these we build our hopes I remember Mr. Torshel in his Hypocrite discovered and cured doth tell of such a one that he well knew He was saith he full of assurance to be saved but I knew him very well and knowing nothing that could make him so confident dealt with him as I saw most convenient for his estate and urged him with that of the Apostle Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure And with that other place Work out your salvation with fear and trembling The man now was staâ—led and told my Author He acted the dâ—vâ—ls part against him to make him despair Here was a confidence of being saved here was no question a resting upon promises but here wanted diligence and working here wanted aâ— obedience to Scripture Commaâ—ds none of that appeared in the wretches life and conversation And verily here is the very nature of many wickeâ— men to hope for Heaven building their hope upon promises but they will not do God's Commands that thousands I fear presume themselves into Heâ— and under Eternal Torments by a false hope in thâ— promises They will not run the race and yet hopâ— to obtain the prize they will not fight the batteâ— and yet hope to win the Crown they hope for Heaven at the end but they never act holiness as thâ— means though happiness be intailed upon holiness Heb. 12. 14. v. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which none shall see God And a. promise of the life that now is and that which is to come is 〈…〉 iled upon Godliness 1 Tim. 4. 8. v. Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come And as Christ became the Author of salvation unto all them that obey him Heb 5. 9. v. And the Psalmist concludes Psal 119. 15. v. Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not Gods Statuâ—es And if Salvation be far surely a well-grounded hope of Salvation must be far from them But why is Salvation far from the wicked Because they keep not thy Statutes they are strong in their expectation of Heaven but slow in their endeavours after Heaven they take no pains at all for Heaven They challenge an interest in the Promise but yield no obedience to the Command But believe it there is no hopes to have Gods promises fulfilled unless the Commandment of God be obeyed They are but presumptuous persons who so relye upon the promises of God as that they do sleight and disobey the Commandments of God Hitherto we have spoken only to the Doctrinal part of this point in the Explication Demonstration Confirmation thereof and also answered that serious question What Reasons may be assigned why men labour so much after Temporal good things that they do neglect Eternal and build their happiness upon so deceitful grounds as Earthly possessions and transitory things they
a Christian and â—oth as it were proclaim to the world that he is overâ—boured and but hardly used If any of us should see a servant continually sad and dejected hear him murmuring and complaining we must needs think that he either loves not his Master or likes not his worke or fears his pay Such a servant discredits his Masters service and such a Christian also disgraces Religion as if he were like to gain nothing by all his Religious labour and pains As God loveth a cheerful giver 2 Cor. 9. 7 v. so God loveth a cheerful Labourer that in Psal 100. 2. v. may be a command as well as advice Serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing As St. James saith if any be merry let him sing Psalmes so I say if any sing Psalmes read the word pray or do any other commanded duty let him be merry The Apostle did take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christ sake 2 Cor. 12. 10. v. He did not only submit to God's dealings but rejoyced in them so should every Christian not only set about this labour but he should rejoyce in it his Soul should make him like the Chariot of Aminadab and a love to Eternal good things should Oyl the wheel of his affections he should go through his work as the Plowman goes through his drudging work whistling and singing imitating our blessed Saviour who delighted to do his fathers will it was to him meat and drink as he said to his Disciples at the Well of Samaria John 4. 34. v. Jesus saith unto them my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Christ's delight in gaining souls and bringing them to the knowledge of the Gospel took his mind off bodily food and refreshment even when he had need thereof the delight he took herein allayed the sense of his outward necessities and was more refreshing to him then meat and drink could be it made him to forget his meat and it was as meat unto him he took more delight in this worke then an hungry man could take in meat As Abrahams servant would not eat till he had dispatcht his errand Gen. 24. 33. v. he preferred his work before his food it was more content to him to dispatch the work his Master sent him about then to be eating and drinking But that I must draw to a conclusion here might be laid down many particulars to shew what reason a Christian hath to be chearful in this his labour For First he hath good company with him and that will make men cheerful though their labour should be a little more then ordinarily difficult and tedious Most men will be merry in good company if ever they will be merry and herein a Christian hath the company of the Eternal Trinity and the immortal Angels Secondly He is certain to be a great gainer by his labour he is not called upon to labour like a Captive or a Galley slave for nothing God hath made promises to him of good Rewards he hath promised a Crown of Righteousness 1 Tim. 4. 8. v. a Crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. v. Such a Crown of Life as is a Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. v. and such a Crown of Glory as is everlasting an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 4. v. All which are such things as are enough to make a lame man walk and a broken arm to bear a burden Thirdly he is assured of a future and Eternal rest after the labour of this life ended It is not with a Christian as it is with an Ox that when he can labour no longer is carryed to the slaughter and ceaseth to be but he lives for ever yet ceaseth to labour and enjoyes a Sabbâ—th of Sabbâ—ths in the Heavens Rev. 14. 13. v. Blessed are they which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labour When once this present life ends he shall pass his Eternity of bliss in contemplating loveing lauding and praysing the incomprehensible Glorious Majesty of our Creator Redeemer and Saâ—ctifier and in perpetual Hallelujahs unto him that sits upon the Throne in the fellowship of Caelestial Spirits who rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and which is and is to come Rev. 4. 8. v. Fourthly his work while he labours as he should for these things is accepted it is no small trouble to a man both in and for the doing of any thing when the person by whom he is imployed accepts not of what he does as the contrary must needs be a great cheering Eccles 9. 7. v. Go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Fifthly he hath good help and assistance he is assisted herein auxilio spiritus by the help of the spirit and the spirit makes all a Christians labour work and duties easy Heaven is promised unto him to encourage him and make him willing to labour and the spirit is given unto him to assist him and make him able not any one will much complain what ever his work is who hath power and affections too The spirit worketh in every Christian the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both to will and to do Sixthly His labour is easy it is so if we will beleive either the testimony of Christ or the testimony of St. John both the Master and the Disciple give their testimonies hereunto we have the testimony of Christ Matt. 11. 30. v. My yoak is easy and my burden is light Sin layes an heavy yoak upon men and therefore Sin is compared to a Talent of Lead Zach. 5. 7. v. to shew the weightiness of it but Christ tells us his yoak is easy the yoak that was easy so long ago when Christ said it cannot be grown uneasy with wearing for the longer any thing is worn the easier that thing is to wear We have the testimony of St. John 1 Joh. 5. 3. v. His Commandements are not grievous As Christ spake what he well knew so questionless St. John spake what he by experience had found to be true Indeed to labour for these things may be irksome and troublesome to him that is unwilling and would not labour that would not at all strive to enter in at the strait Gate or climb up the Hill or it may at the first beholding of it appear so unto one that never set himself to labour or it may be so to one that loves not any kind of labour for as love will make any kind of labour delectable want of love makes it burdensome Or Lastly it may be so even to the carnal fleshly and unregenerate part of a beleiver for in such there is a Law in the members which rebells against the Lawes of Heaven but to the regenerated part of a Christian it is not irksome but