Books of Moses the Psalms and the Prophets The Lords portion is his people the Lord the hope of their fathers Jer. 50.7 Happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal 144.15 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God Psal 146.5 And by all such Phrases and Forms of Speech there which the Holy Ghost makes use of to shew that such of his Creatures as serve and obey him they have also an Interest and Propriety in him He is their God or my God or such like In all these as under a Vail is contained Heaven Immortality and Eternal Life For there is a way of assuredly gathering and reasoning out of the Scriptures to bring out such and such Truths although they seem to speak nothing thereof in plain and express Words Even so it is here for by the same way of assuredly gathering and reasoning out of the Scriptures as is used in Heb. 11.16 He was not ashamed to be called their God so far goes the Text there cited out of the Old-Testament but then saith the Reasoning by the Spirit further for he hath prepared for them a City From this very place we lay down and establish that grand Position and Affirmation which is certainly true That where-ever in the Old Testament God is said to be their God therein is contained the Promise of Heaven Immortality and Eternal Life this being that City which he hath prepared for them And to make this Matter a little more plain and clear the Reason hereof stands on this wise He is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City That is They had Confidence and Assurance that God would do somewhat more for his Servants than Temporal and present Mercies for they were also common unto others But as he is just and good so he would make some Requital for Obedience and for that Hardship and Inconvenience his Servants meet with from the World for his sake which they did expect hereafter in another place and that is Heaven and also themselves should remain or else be raised up again into a State capable to receive and partake of that great Good God had prepared for his Creatures which must be by continuing or giving them Life again For they were sensibly bereaved of this present Life and here they did not continue by reason of Death So that of Necessity therein must virtually be contained the Promise of Immortality and Eternal Life and therefore Paul saith appositely and pertinently to the Matter here treated of in Hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began but hath in due time manifested his Word through preaching Tit. 1.2 for discovery hath been made thereof by little and little It was contained in those general Expressions afore-mentioned the Lord their God I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and such like God was the same then and his Decrees alike sure although they were not so clearly made known unto Men. And therefore now it is called Hope which entreth into that within the vail Heb. 6.19 a better hope Heb. 7.19 a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 all in opposition to those faint Guesses and imperfect Knowledge they had thereof under the Law It is speaking plainly under the Gospel according to John 16.25 in opposition to those dark Speeches which God spake by Moses or those Parables and Proverbs which he spake by his Servants the Prophets They under the Old-Testament Dispensation had but a dull and glimmering Prospect beyond the Earthly Canaan But now the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ hath abolished Death and hath brought Life and Immortality to light thro' the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 And tho in the Gospel it is spoken more plainly concerning Heaven Immortality and Eternal Life and also more suitable unto our Carnal Apprehensions and Fleshly Mind in describing it by the outward Representations of a Marriage Supper Gold Honour Pleasure Satisfaction Blessedness and such like yet there is also somewhat spoken of these things in the Old-Testament But all that and much more than all that is comprehended under that one saying The Lord our God the Lord is my Portion for ever Perhaps the Hearer or Reader may expect that now I am a discoursing of the Happiness of Heaven here I should be unto thee as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant Voice and can play well on an Instrument Ezek. 33.32 This being so very delightful a Subject that if here thou canst not tickle the Ear and please thy Auditory thou never wilt But now suppose I should here use Ten Thousand Words in Rhetorical Flourishes in the greatest Eloquency and Wit of Man with the most smooth Language with the greatest Connexion and Exactness of Stile and all concerning this best of Subjects the Happiness or Joys of Heaven yet as it is said That she who cast her two mites into the treasury cast in more than all they who gave of their abundance So here it would be there would be more said concerning Heaven in these four or five words only the Lord my God or the Lord is my Portion for ever For all these are the Words which the Spirit did dictate so that there is more contain'd in them than in five Millions of other Words concerning it This will also further appear from this following significancy and Reasoning viz. If the Lord is our God or if the Lord is my Strength and my Portion for ever thence it follows also of consequence That all that Blessedness Happiness Goodness Delight Satisfaction and Immortality which is in God the Everlasting Creator of the Ends of the Earth as it is all in him which is any where in the World for they are all but Rays and Emanations from this infinite Fountain of Life and Being I say all these are communicated and imparted forth even as far as the small Vessel is capable to receive brimfull and running over to such of his Creatures and People to whom he is the Lord their God and they are his Portion and the Lot of his Inheritance â—s they can reciprocally say The Lord is my strength and my portion for ever There is but one thing in the World which hinders all the reasonable Creatures on the Earth from this Blessedness and Union with their God and that is Sin O accursed thing which we gather assuredly from what is written Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3.19 As the foregoing part of the Verse doth illustrate and shew that so by the latter part of the Verse the Holy Ghost doth signifie that such of his Creatures as shall then be more nearly and immediately in the Presence of God where is fulness of Joy and at whose Right Hand are Pleasures for evermore all Refreshing Content Satisfaction yea and
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
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