a well grounded Hope to go to Heaven because the Promises do belong to thee and thou art within the Covenant and also to thee pertaineth the Adoption inasmuch as thou art so long a Son and Servant of God as thou dost his Will and obeyest his Commands The Scripture doth make known the place of Heaven and also the way which each one must walk in if he would arrive at and enter therein viz. by keeping the Commandments of God which are written and recorded in that same Book The People of old time and of former Generations did talk and preach of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God after the same manner as we do now Such as were his Saints and Children did live by Faith Hab. 2.4 and died in Faith Not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them Heb. 11.13 And even the ignorant and ungodly Multitude of former Generations have also passed through the Door or Gate and Entrance into the invisible World I mean Death And as the Devils believe and tremble And as the Souls of Abraham Isaac and Jacob do at this Day live so their Souls also live and exist and they have a more clear knowledge and apprehension of the Decree of God concerning Mankind than they had or we have in the days of our Flesh so that in them who sin wilfully what was formerly Ignorance or Unbelief is now a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour them for having been God's Adversaries But such as in the Days of their Flesh were willing and obedient they shall eat the good of the Land Isa 1.19 even of the new Heavens and new Earth where Righteousness dwells And as those who did refuse and rebel shall have a certain fearful looking for of Judgment so unto the Vpright there ariseth Light in the Darkness even after they are passed the darkness of the shadow of Death and they have a comfortable expectation of good things to come The Children of Men will then remember how that the Sinners and Ungodly and merry Men of the World did in their life time receive their good things that is they received their Portion in this Life Psal 17.14 Because by them their Portion is fat and their Meat plenteous Hab. 1.16 And the Godly and Righteous received evil things Persecutions Afflictions Poverty but now they are comforted and the others are tormented Luke 16.25 As is the condition of those who are already gone off from the Stage of this Earth so will ours be in a short time they are dead and we are dying As for my part I was young and now am elderly tho not old and I am fearful and apprehensive every Week of tasting of this bitterness of Death But I do yet more exceedingly fear and quake lest my Soul should be shut under Harches by Death before I have a better and more assured Hope whither it would go As it is written Gather not my Soul with Sinners Psal 26.9 So it is the continued Desire and Prayer of my Soul as the same should be my utmost endeavour throughout this life O Lord our Creator the Invisible One when this Body must return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit to God that gave it O then do Thou not gather my Soul with the Sinners and Transgressors of former Generations Which Prayer as I did write down and lift up my Soul unto God for the same it was thereupon immediately answered directed and dictated unto me That if thou wouldest not have thy Soul gathered with the Sinners and Transgressors of former Generations then thou must be sure not to be one of their number that is thou must not be a Sinner and Transgressor in that Generation wherein thou now livest But this is my Request and my coueting and the thing that I long for That the Lord would be pleased to bind up my Soul in the bundle of Life Into thy Hands I commit my Spirit for Thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of Truth that my Soul may be gathered up unto the Father of Spirits and that when I do depart or decease from out of this Body I may come unto Mount Sion and to the City of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Psal 73.26 It is certain that this Flesh doth fade as a Leaf wax old like a Garment and wither as a Stick and it will not long hold the Soul in and therefore against the time that this our Heart and our Flesh faileth yea our Heart faileth already and before-hand at the thorough Thought and Apprehension thereof It must be our best and wisest and most excellent way to have God for the Strength of our Heart and for our Portion for ever That against the time this Tenement of Clay fails by mouldering and falling down into the Dust He may take us unto his own Home and receive us into Everlasting Mansions which are in our Father's House That as it is written And ye shall go forth and grow up as the Calves of the Stall Mal. 4.2 So we may be fixed and seated in Stalls and Apartments of Glory For the Lord's Portion is his People Jacob is the lot of his Inheritance He found him in a desert Land in the waste howling Wilderness Deut. 32.9 10. This last is just like our Condition now here on Earth where God finds and culls out such and such of the Sons and Daughters of Men the Lord knoweth them that are his as are his People and Jacob for the lot of his Inheritance Now a Lot takes some and leaves others even a few and single ones from out of the Multitude So of old time he took out Jacob for his peculiar People from the rest of Mankind Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then shall ye be a peculiar people unto me above all people for all the earth is mine Exod. 19.4 And so he doth at this day take out by Lot as it were his peculiar People from all Nations Countrys and Languages of Mankind even only those who obey his Voice indeed and keep his Covenant Both the Voice Covenant shewed and manifested within them as also what is written in Ink and Paper in the lively Oracles the Book of the Lord which we commonly call the Bible There is a very great deal said in the Old Testament concerning Heaven Immortality and Eternal Life yea much more then many People are aware of for Heaven Immortality and Eternal Life are there couched and comprehended under all those several Expressions which are repeated over innumerable times in the
A DISCOURSE OF THE Misery of Hell AND Happiness of Heaven Grounded from the following Words Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal THE foregoing part of the Words is to be understood of the Goats of those of all Nations v. 32 33. and Generations who shall be placed on the Left Hand That is as it is spoken in other places of â—cripture such as shall then be found to have been Sinners â—nbelievers Hypocrites the Children of Disobedience â—icked and Ungodly and such like According as is writâ—â—n The Hour is coming in the which all that are in the Graves â—â—all hear his Voice and shall come forth They that have done â—ood unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil â—â—to the Resurrection of Damnation We are told and warned â—hat the final Condition of Mankind will be and what … t shall be allotted to the one and what shall be allotted 〈◊〉 the other Now as we are in the Body we are con … med herein and in short every one of us must go to â—â—e of them either to Heaven or to Hell They go to Hell â—f whom it is written And these shall go away into Everâ—asting Punishment And here this word Everlasting Punishment sounds terrible â—nd dismal at the very first for alas so weak and little so â—…etful and impatient is our present Nature and Condition that we cannot or at least we do not care to endure or undergo any short Pain or Punishment now how much more intollerable must that then be which is Eternal Who now think it so irksome to tarry a few and evil Days here on Earth although they have several good ones intermingled How can they endure to be in Hell for Thousands and Millions of Years without an Hour of Comfort or Freedom from Misery Even now although there are the Intervals of Sleep and those necessary and common Actions of Life which divert from the Sence and Feeling thereof yet still a wounded and troubled Spirit who can bear Much more may the Question be asked Can thine Heart endure under the gnawing of the Worm which shall never die To whom every least spark of Fire that falls upon any part of the Body is so painful Can thine Hands be strong or how can they abide to lie down in Everlasting Fire Or how can they rest in a Cradle of Flames Or to be refreshed in that Fire which the Breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle It is as bad as bad can be For lay together all the Evils Pains Torments Fears Diseases Afflictions Crosses and such like which are throughout the whole Earth and they do not make up the ten thousandth part so bad as the Damnation of Hell It will be one of the Torments of Hell to be depriv'd not only from the Beatifical Vision but even from the sight of the Heavens of God Persecute and destroy them in Anger from under the Heavens of the Lord Lam. 3.66 which must needs be very melancholy and uncomfortable not so much as to see the outside of that place where Blessedness dwells For if one should be kept in a very low Pit without Light or Company What a restless thing would this be or as they took Jeremiah and cast him down into the Dungeon that was in the Court of the Prison and they let down Jeremiah with Cords and in the Dungeon there was no Water but Mire so Jeremiah sunk in the Mire Jer. 38.6 Here were Sufferings indeed which would make ones Heart ake to thoroughly think of it much more would it fill the Soul with Anguish and Restlesness to undergo it And what is it to be in a Dungeon for a few Days or Years in comparison to be in the lowest Hell for all Eternity The other is Light and as nothing in comparison unto it As to all the Devices and Places of Torment Vexation and Misery which People now use one to another all these are but Instruments in the Hands of God who created the Waster to destroy and made all those Places and Things which are now used for Pain and Punishment And if he hath created such on this Earth as we sensibly know and see much more hath he created alike Things under the Earth and in Hell beneath He is the great law-giver who is able to save and to destroy As he doth Good so likewise he can and doth punish There are on this Earth some things which are very grievous and irksome but as long as there is Life even in the worst Evils that befall the Children of Men there is no such thing as perfect absolute and compleat Misery I mean such Misery as is without any Good or Comfort There is no such thing on Earth as utter Darkness or the Blackness of Darkness for in the most cloudy and misty Night some little of Light may be still perceived especially if you look up towards Heaven Again on this Earth all things are short and passing away But in Hell it is perfect compleat and absolute Misery That is It is Misery wholly throughout and nothing but Misery The Egyptians had for three Days such Darkness which may be felt even thick Darkness Exod. 10.21 22 23. But in Hell there is utter Darkness cast the unprofitable Servant into utter Darkness and the Blackness of Darkness for ever Which word for ever is the greatest Sting and Aggravation of the Torment and Punishment hereof for herein it infinitely exceeds and is worse than all the Evils and Pains on this Earth and of this State for whereas they all pass away either they go off again from the Sufferer or else they make an end of the Sufferer so as to kill him and render him in such a Condition that he becomes past feeling thereof It will be otherwise as to Hell for there if the Spirit should fail before him and the Souls which he hath made yet they are kept alive still to undergo and endure the Severity of God's Vengeance It is called Death the Second Death for it is a State of ever dying and never dead In that Day shall Men seek Death and it shall flee from them Now Death is the worst and most terrible thing in the World for all other things are so much the more feared as they may the sooner occasion or bring on this thing of Death But the second Death or Death Eternal is indeed worse than any Tongue of Man can express forth I cannot pencil forth Shadows dark enough to set forth the utmost Horror and Misery thereof The Lord preserve every one that will be sure to comply and to work together with his Grace from doing those things the end whereof is Death Eternal So that the Reader may not know and feel how bad indeed it is One saith well Let us not flee from Sermons of Hell that we may flee from Hell and by that manner of Speech of John Baptist who
hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Mat. 3.7 We learn that it is a great part of the Ministerial Office and Duty to warn People that they flee from and avoid and use all Care and Diligence lest they fall into Hell and to testifie unto them lest they come to the place of Torment Luk. 16.28 Accordingly I do take such to record who shall Hear or Read this that they do cease and abstain from all Appearance of Evil and be sure not to do those things to which this same future Punishment is annexed and threatned We are told that the Sinners of Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire who amongst us shall dwell with Everlasting Burnings Isa 33.14 They that do Iniquity shall be cast into a Furnace of Fire Mat. 13.41 42. The wrath of God cometh on the Children of Disobedience Col. 3.6 so that the Consequence is Natural Certain and Necessary That if we would not dwell with devouring Fire and with Everlasting Burnings nor yet be cast into a Furnace of Fire nor yet fall under the Wrath of God we must be sure to avoid all these four Things Sin Hypocrisie Iniquity and Disobedience and also in order to escape Hell set forth by all these kinds of Expression we must avoid Apostacy or falling away which I ground from this following Scripture For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Heb. 10.25 26. As we here see and know what we must avoid and eschew in order to escape from everlasting Punishment I will repeat them over again for more abundant Safety and Care It is Sin Hypocrisie Iniquity which signifies doing those things that are not equal Disobedience Apostacy or Falling away So on the other hand we are shewed from out of the same Scriptures of Truth what we are to do to obtain Eternal Life If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Mat. 19.17 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right unto the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City Rev. 22.14 Or as it is written The Righteous shall go into life eternal Righteousness is a Comprehensive Word and signifies a Conformity to all the Words of Gods Law in Scripture And it shall be our Righteousness if we observe to do all these Commandments before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us Deut. 6.25 And as Sin Hypocrisie Iniquity and Disobedience do lead towards Hell so this thing of Righteousness through God's gracious acceptation thereof furthers towards Heaven The Happiness and Blessedness whereof is called Life Eternal Now there can be nothing better and more desirable than Life For by Life we receive feel and are rendred capable to enjoy all other things which can be had by Man Accordingly the Word of God which matle Man and the Spirit of God which knows what is in Man do so express it For by Life at first he is enabled to perceive Peace Joy Satisfaction and all those Good things Said Jesus Christ Who is the Bread of God which cometh down from Heaven and Giveth Life unto the World John 6.33 I am come that bey might have Life more abundantly This is meant of that Godly and Spiritual Life on Earth In order to an Eternal Life in the Heavens As it hath been afore observed How the Everlasting Puâ—ishment is set forth by all those things which are Evil and Painful so it is contrariwise as to Life Eternal for that again is described by all those things which seem Good and Delightful unto us as by Meat Drink Riches Pleasures Gold Peace Joy and such like Labour not for the Meat which perisheth but for the Meat which endureth unto Everlasting Life And so it is most commonly expressed by the addition of that Epithet Everlasting to distinguish â—t from the short and perishing Pleasures here In thy presence is fulness of Joy This is opposite unto and distinct from that short and empty measure thereof we have some times here when the end of our Joy is Grief and there is a mixture of Heaviness even in the midst of it And at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Which is a great and remarkable diversity from those sudden and perishing Pleasures here It is called Everlasting Joy Isa 35.10 whereas all Joy here is but for a Moment and for the present time It is called pure Gold in opposition to that mixture of Dross which is with it here And Perfect Peace Isa 26.3 To distinguish it again from that broken and interrupted Peace here This Life is but Vain and as a Vapour and continueth not But the future Life is so substantial and enduring that it shall have no End Whatever we meet with here which is delightful or pleasing yet still we should Prefer Jerusalem above our chief Joy Psal 137.6 So this should be the only Standard or Measure of all our Comfort or Vexation as it furthers or hinders in the way to Heaven So we should be contented or pleased therewith and give God thanks for the same As again when it hinders or obstructs or stops up the way against our going or Arriving there this should be Grief and Vexation of Spirit And we should endeavour as much against it as we can Truly mine own easiness or uneasiness of mind doth wholly depend and turn upon this Point As I do any thing which sets me one step forward in the way to Heaven which I know assuredly from the Word of Truth which shews and makes known the way of Life as also from the approbation of mine own Conscience being guided thereby herein I rejoyce and give God thanks on this behalf Again It is unexpressible anguish and vexation of Soul when any thing happens which turns me backward or sets me out of the right way Which again I know by the very same manner as I do the other by its being against the Scriptures as also I find thereupon mine own thoughts accusing me even a sensible Regret and Condemnation Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject unto you which yet is a good cause of rejoycing for those Spirits do very much lett resist and hinder in our doing the Will of God but rather rejoyce because your Names are written in Heaven Luke 10 20. For by your Names being enrolled there you are much more sure of coming to Heaven from the Decree of God than the Spirits can possibly hinder And so the same Reasoning is Whatever your worldly Priviledges and Advantages are whether thou hast Riches or respect from Men whether thou hast Wisdom Beauty Health or whatever is now usually desir'd or esteem'd by the Children of Men. In this rejoyce not but rather rejoyce because thou hast