yet beleeue thou the Word of the Lord which hee hath spoken to thee by his Spirit for his record is true and he must be beleeued vnder hope against hope The Spirit which establisheth vs hath warranted our stabilitie and this Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and what is once Truth is still Truth must stifly be retained against all contrary probabilities apparances Therefore are wee and may wee bee alwayes bold amidst tribulations and afflictions amidst terrors without and terrors within for the seale of God remaineth vpon vs inuiolable and the Lord who knowes who are his hath told vs that we are his Now that wee may haue the comfort of this Testimony let vs often examine our selues and search our hearts to see whether they resemble God or not let vs lay vp in our memories yea in memorialls records the witnessings of the Spirit to our Spirits against the day of Exercise and Tryall Thus wee see that euen in this Life wee are not left comfortlesse but wee haue both Comforts and a Comforter Yet wee still say that our chiefe Comfort is in the next Life yea the next Life is the chiefe Comfort of this Life to those whose eyes see things inuisible and make future things present Wherefore amidst the comforts of this life let our eyes and hearts be especially fixed on that because comforts in this life are but baytings and incouragements in our way vnto Happinesse but are not themselues our wayes end THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The third Part. Wherein is shewed how Man hyeth hold on happinesse retayneth and increaseth it and finally is put into the full fruition of it CHAP. I. How Man fastneth himselfe vnto happinesse WE haue seene what is our Soueraigne Good and we haue seen how this soueraigne Good imparts it selfe vnto Man now it concernes vs to search by what meanes Man may apply this soueraigne Good to himselfe or rather himselfe to it In vaine to vs it is that there is an happinesse In vaine it is that there is an hand stretched out to deliuer this happinesse to vs if we haue not also a hand to receiue it For if there be an happinesse and an offered happinesse if we receiue it not if wee haue no propertie in it wee continue in miserie euen in the sight of happinesse Wee are not happy except happinesse bee ours and not the being but the communication of happinesse makes vs happy And euen for this communication application is there an instrument giuen vs by him who is our happinesse he that hath giuen a mouth to the body to receiue the food of the body hath giuen a mouth to the soule to receiue the food of the soule Yea he hath taught vs how to open this mouth wide that it may admit and receiue a great fulnesse of happinesse But if in stead of telling thee how this is done I should aske thee what thou wouldest do for that which is better then all things How canst thou returne any other answer but this That thou wouldest giue all things for that which is better then all things For euen at that rate thou shalt be a gayner And if thy minde bee like this answere thou art in a good preparation for the receit of blessednes thou drawest neere vnto it and that thou maist not faile receiue these directions following The soule of Man hath two especiall parts or powers the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding is appointed to be the guide of the will and vpon the will moued by the vnderstanding should the affections and all the members attend yea all things that are ours Now if thou wilt receiue and apply happinesse offered in that God and Man our most blessed Restorer first thy vnderstanding must bee opened by knowledge for it must know acknowledge God in Christ to bee that which he is euen the blisse of mankinde and the meanes to that blisse As he is God so hee is Blessednes as hee is Man vnited to God so is he a Mediator betweene Blessednes and Man This thou must know and thou must know that this thy knowledge of him is true right For CHRIST being thus known the eye of the soule is turned from all other shewes and meanes of happinesse and the same is fixed onely on the onely Lord and Sauiour Being thus settled in the full assurance of vnderstanding thou hast performed a good part of thy promise for thou hast giuen thy vnderstanding euen a chiefe part of thy soule wholly to CHRIST And if further thou desirest a signe to know whether thou hast done this truely and really this may serue for a signe vnto thee If the knowledge of any thing for happinesse or the meanes to happinesse besides God in Christ bee vnto thâ—â— as drosse and filth and â—â—â—lishnesse But 〈…〉 vnderstanding must proceede to worke vpon thy will it must moue the will to open it selfe wide vnto happinesse and being open to sucke cleaue and fasten it selfe by an ardent loue rest and settlement vnto happinesse certainly discouered in Christ by the vnderstanding And indeed in Spirits either vncorrupted or rectified this is a natural course For in such the vnderstanding hauing assuredly descryed the soueraigne Good the will presently moueth it selfe to it being deseryed and drawes with it all the parts and powers subiect vnto it And as for all other offers of fained happinesse it giues them this answere Whither shall I goe for this is he that hath the words of eternall Life Blessednes Wherefore that the whole promise be performed and that all may bee giuen for happinesse let the will follow the vnderstanding and wholly and vnmoueably will and loue this Treasure of felicitie discouered in Christ Iesus for saking selling and abandoning all things for it I say let the will sticke to Christ alone by a feruent loue desire as vnto the alone happines and let the same will sticke to Christ alone by a strong trust and confidence as the alone Mediator of happi nesse And finally with an earnest hunger and thirst let it surrender vp it selfe and all things subiect to it vnto his sauing or imparting of blessednes which he doth by the Spirit For thus farre must the wil proceede in working and then only comes the crowne of the worke For it is not inough barely to know that God is happines nor to put thy trust in no other but the Sonne for the imparting of this happinesse but thou must also surrender vp thy selfe wholly to the Holy Ghost by whom the Father powreth and sealeth blessednesse into vs through Christ his Sonne When therefore wee haue proposed and settled the Deitie for our happinesse haue yeelded our selues vp to the three Persons of the same Deitie vnited to the Humanitie for the conferring of happinesse I meane to God the Father redeeming vs by the Sonne and regenerating vs by the holy Ghost then hath the vnderstanding and will wrought home euen to the
wit of Man which hath beene fruitfull in inuentions of torment nor the power of Emperors which hath ruined mightie Kingdomes could change or alter them Concerning this Arte of Arts what I haue receiued I purpose to deliuer to others through his helpe who is the Author thereof and surely this knowledge is only worthy of a man other knowledges except they serue this they are but wearinesse and vanitie for man is as miserable and sometimes more when he hath gotten their perfections as when he entred into their beginnings And becauseit giues a great light to Mans reparation to know how he came to haue neede of it and because it concernes the glorie of the Creator to shew that at first he created not miserie and corruption Therefore most fitly doth this Doctrine beginne with the first estate of man and the losse thereof euen a created perfection and a purchased corruption A learning which all Philosophy could neuer reach For she is the child of man and therefore cannot tell the beginning of her owne Father For man was before shee was yea man was lost before shee was found and so shee which was since corruption cannot tell how that corruption came which was before her much lesse can she speake of that perfection which was againe before this corruption But the truth is bad she findes vs and not knowing the cause she can neuer find the cure and therefore as she found vs so shee leaues vs miserable THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The second Part. Which particularly sets forth the happinesse of Man and the restoring of it when it was lost CHAP. I. Of the Creator and the Creation and the purpose of the Creator in the Creation THe Creator is the beginning of all things and therefore must he needs be without beginning For from the things which haue their beginning of him him selfe cannot take beginning neither can he be his owne beginning for that were to say he was before he was But God is an eternall Essence that by himselfe vpholdeth himselfe and all things else For all other things haue no being of their owne but they borrow their being from him and in him is their foundation and for this cause may he alone rightly because alone originally say I am And as he is the fountaine and beginning from which all things flow so is he the end to which all things returne either by their owne wills conformed to his will or by the ouer-ruling of his power which subdueth the vnwilling to his will And thus must it needes be for the Creator is his owne end in his Creation and doth all things for himselfe If wee allow not a Creator we confesse no Author of the things wee see but either wee make them Eternall which is to make meaner gods and to denie the more excellent or we frame some imagination of our owne to be their beginning which shall neuer fit with them so well as a wise powerfull and eternall Spirit and lastly we rob mans soule of a true rest happinesse For if the Spirit of man had not some soueraigne Spirit to giue it eternall Blisse then were miserable man shut vp vnto this present life as vnto his soueraigne good into which a wise good man would neuer re-enter if he were once well discharged of it Let vs then seeke a GOD higher then these visible things and a happines higher then these miserable things and let vs not reason with the brutish Sensualists Hee is not a God whom wee cannot see with our eyes but let vs say with the Soules inlightned Hee is fittest to bee a God whose purenesse doth excell the grosse capacitie of bodily sences For the purer the Essence is the more fit to bee a God and the more pure the more inuisible to a grosse and carnall sight Let vs therefore beleeue the Creator to bee a most cleere lightsome and glorious Spirit and to bee seene onely by Spirits and bodies sublimated into a spirituall kinde of being This glorious eternall Spirit manifesteth himselfe to our apprehensions in three Persons the print and impression of each person being found in euery creature and there being an absolute necessitie that euery one of the three should concurre in all Creation The first in order of Consideration though there bee no first in order of Time is the great and infinite Mind or Vnderstanding which begetteth a great Wisdom Thought or Word euen the first and radicall Light the almightie Begetter of the second Light and this person is called GOD the Father The second is the begotten second Light euen the Wisdome Conceiuement of the minde or vnderstanding an Image issue thereof and this person is called GOD the Son The third is the Vertue Power which breatheth or floweth from the God head whereby GOD loueth and inioyeth himselfe and puts in execution whatsoeuer he wil haue done for himselfe and this person is called GOD the holy Ghost These three are one God and doe so necessarily ioyne in euery Creation that without any one of them nothing can be created For how can there be any Creation but that the Minde or Father must beget a wise purpose by Wisedome his Sonne what he hath purposed and proiected by the Sonne he must effect by the power of the holy Ghost Accordingly this God who is the end of himselfe for himselfe intended and brought forth a Creation To himselfe he would haue glorie and to his Creature happinesse yea this happines of the Creature should be by the glorie of the Creator so in the glorifying of God should Men and Angels bee glorified But on the contrarie they that would not giue glorie to God should not haue happinesse to themselues yet though vnwillingly shall they glorifie him by seruing his Iustice in miserie who would not serue his Goodnesse in felicitie To effect this in six dayes God made this great masse of Creatures called the World which he fitted for the seruice of Man and Man for the seruice of his GOD. Now as this great Frame came from this one God so the infinite disagreeings of seuerall parts reconciled to an Vnitie point to some great vnitie as the Cause of this reconciliation which can deserue to be called by no other name then by a supreme and soueraigne Name and such a Name is God Againe the infinite diuersitie of Formes and that large heape of Matter neither of which were before and of which it is alike easie to the Creatour to make Matter as Formes direct our eies to som great Wisdome Power which could both inuent and produce them Yea more neerly the drops and streames of wisedome powred into the Creatures in their seuerall instincts and into Man with his soule plainly confesse that there is some Spring of infinite wisdome from which these Riuolets might flow and some infinite power which could actuate them into the Creatures And if so then necessarily must wee also allow some pure and infinite Essence
Creator If the bodily sight be extinguished He which made the first sight can only make a new and when the eye of the soule is so farre put out that it seeth not him that made it He that made it only can giue it a new sight whereby himselfe may bee seene Wherefore if thou which readest thus farre yet beleeuest not what thou readest I wonder not for I know what thou art I looke not that blindnesse should see or carnalitie should sauour spirituall ioyes Thou art bounded with thy owne flesh which is thy Horizon limit of discerning Thy candle cannot see thorow the thicke Lanterne of thy bodie to perceiue the mysterie of the blessednes of Spirits nor the glorie that is aboue the vaile of this visible heauen But perchance thou wilt aske If the opening of the eyes be from God alone to what purpose shall aduice begiuen to thee in a matter that lyeth not in thee and which is not effected by aduice but by supernaturall operation To this I answere That although the power that must inlighten thee doth descend from aboue yet vsually it doth communicate it selfe vnto vs by the seruice of certaine meanes left with vs here below Againe when grace doth first breathe vpon vs it worketh by degrees which degrees being by some neglected or misconstrued it hath bred vnto them a greater difficultie hardnesse of trauaile in the new birth but being perceiued and duely entertayned they turne into Testimonials vnto vs yea to incouragements vnto farther degrees of grace But if thou aske mee againe how thou shalt like or vse the meanes when thou neither seest nor likest the happines intended by the meanes To this I must reply That without God thou canst not so much as loue the meanes yet as a naturall man thou mayest consider these things following first If thou looke into the best sort of heauenly Philosophers thou shalt see among them Men wise and vnderstanding iust righteous inioying both wealth and honour and if thou talke with those Men they will tell thee seriously that they most certainly see and feele an estate of happinesse and that they came to the sight of such an estate by frequenting the meanes left with vs here on earth Secondly if thou wilt search some special works of men thou shalt finde Writers of vndeniable worthines who by Miracles Prophesies Oracles Successe and Victorie against oppositions haue proued the veritie of Christian learning it being impossible that a Doctrine mainly contrarie to flesh bloud should be aduanced so much among men whose very frame is flesh bloud without the maintenance of an Omnipotent LORD Thirdly doe but consider what this Doctrine which is the instrument meanes of Life proposeth to thee and requireth of thee It proposeth to thee an eternall felicitie it requireth of thee Pietie and Puritie things of themselues desireable excellent But thou wilt say that this puritie will cost thee deare for it is sure to cost thee all thy sinfull pleasures and may cost thee much paine yea thy life it selfe But to this I may answere That though it may cost thee something yet vpon the matter it loseth thee nothing for whatsoeuer pleasures of sinne thou canst inioy being inioyed they dye and come to nothing yea life it selfe comes at last to nothing that for nothing so the condition required of thee is onely this That what shall be nothing if it be may be nothing by not being and to incourage thee herein thou hast for aduantage an aduenture for Eternitie In summe thou art required at the most but to lose that which will bee lost for an happinesse which may and shall be found for euer Yea for these grosse pleasures euen in this life thou shalt haue ioyes vnspeakeable Howsoeuer whether thou receiue the meanes of happinesse or refuse it certaine it is that to all those that receiue the Life of blessednesse the Doctrine of God left vnto vs in writing and vnfolded by his seruants properly deputed to this office is the vsuall conueyance of this life God alone inuented and conceiued the remedie of Mans miserie and a way from miserie vnto felicitie The same God who onely knew it could only tell it and only by telling can men know and beleeue it and only by knowing and beleeuing can men striue toward it and so finally attaine it So wee see that men must know and beleeue happines to obtain it and happinesse must bee taught if they will know beleeue it and to teach this happinesse there needeth a word of Reuelation and to reueile this GOD himselfe must speake vnto vs who alone was the Founder and Knower of this mysterie Therefore must we esteeme this Word highly as a great second Mercy by which the first great Mercy is de liuered to vs. Before this Doctrine our happines was lockt vp in Gods vnsearchable purpose but by this Doctrine happinesse is reached out to vs and issueth from the heart of God into the heart of Man Wherefore let vs be farre from accounting it a vaine Word for it is our life and the length of our dayes and by it wee receiue eternall Life from the Ancient of daies For while it is taught vnto vs without the Vertue and Spirit of God entreth into vs within and makes vs capable of that happinesse which is taught vnto vs. Now the degrees by which this Spirit vsually worketh vpon vs are these First it causeth vs somewhat to discerne allow the truth of this Word And next it moues a desire of more knowledge and of a greater taste of the Word of Life which is also made knowne to God in Prayer And at length the heart is moued with so seruent a loue vnto it that it desires to be wholly sauoured salted and seasoned therewith that the naturall Man may no longer liue in the heart but that CHRISTS Kingdome may bee set vp therein And so the Word or CHRIST in and by the Word becomes the Treasure of the heart and therefore from thenceforth the heart is euer thinking on his treasure it thirsts after it it seekes it with eye and eare But that thou maist not be discouraged in thy first beginnings thou must also know in what manner and order the Doctrine and Art of felicitie doth present it selfe vnto thee It will first offer to thy knowledge and meditation the lamentable face of humane miserie so that thy flesh perchance will feare to goe on halfe despairing how thou canst euer come through so great miserie vnto felicitie But feare not the beginning and the end are contrarie Thy naturall estate is indeede very miserable And this Doctrine doth not make it to be so but shewes it to bee so The corruption of nature made thee miserable and hid thy miserie from thee and so made thee contentedly to continue in miserie But this Doctrine sheweth thee thy miserie that by shewing it it may cure it It shewes thee indeede the vgly face of thy
miserie but not to this end onely to terrifie thee but that by terrifying it may make thee runne a-pace from miserie to felicitie Wherefore take courage and come with mee profitably to behold the countenance of miserie which as heretofore hath beene mentioned presents it selfe in a double aspect the miserie of corruption and the miserie of punishment inflicted on this corruption To discouer thy corruption thou shalt finde a strict and seuere Law the Counter-pane whereof is placed in thine owne heart and when thou comparest thy actions with this Law thou canst not choose but say thou art a Creature falne from the dutie of thy Creation for ill doe thy actions become him whom the Creator hath appointed to bee his seruant and the Lord of the World Now if thy deedes bee so vnrighteous in the sight of thy Maker how must not that highest Lord be displeased exceedingly with these lower Lords when hee seeth his perfection and Iustice crossed and contraryed with their imperfection iniustice when hee seeth his Creatures hyred by so many inestimable benefits only to doe him the seruice of Righteousnesse which is a thing of it selfe to bee loued to renounce their allegeance yea to rebell against their Creator with a course of opposition and to loue wickednesse more then a bountifull God commanding Righteousnesse Surely the wrath of the Almightie must needes smoke against such Traytors and rebellious Runnagates And if the Lyon rore how shall not the Beasts of the Forrests bee afraid Hence therefore the miserie of our corruption leades vs to the consideration of the miserie of punishment And that there is such a connexion betweene sinne punishment reason experience Gods owne Word do teach vs. Reason tells vs that hee who hath brought this great frame to an vnitie consisting of disagreeing parts by proportiō weight and measure is himselfe a God of Wisedome Order and Proportion And if he bee such hee must needes expect that Creatures of Reason Vnderstanding should also obserue Order Iustice and Righteousnesse For to say the truth as by this harmonie the Word was founded so by the same is it still preserued But if these Creatures which haue in them a power of resembling pleasing their Maker crosse him with a crosse of contrarie actions it must needes be expected that the Lord being crossed by his seruants in disobedience must also crosse them in punishment and being mightily inraged hee will returne the malice of their owne works on their owne heads Now wee know as the person is so is his wrath and as the wrath is so is the punishment An infinite person an infinite Wrath and an infinite punishment The very instincts of decayed Nature haue inspired the acknowledgement hereof into the terrifyed hearts of guiltie selfe-accusing Heathens who not knowing God but by the knowledge of nature yet because of their wicked liues vpon the hearing of thunder and tempests haue feared and shunned the furie of an Omnipotent Iustice. But now I shall little need to tell thee what experience hath already taught thee For I doubt not but to most that consider the life of Man it hath appeared that the mayne course of humane life is a connexion or succession of vnrighteousnesse and wretchednesse Man liueth as out of the sight of his Maker and Man liueth as out of the cherishing and fostering of his Maker being generally thrust out vnto a warre against brambles and bryers against the barrennesse and staruednesse of a cursed earth which he must resist and ouer-come with the sweat of his browes Yea each man eateth other men though not with the teeth of the body yet with the iawes of a fraudulent ouer-reaching and violent soule And yet there are further miseries wayting vpon Mischiefe for besides visible and palpable examples of sudden iustice executed and sent from heauen vpon diuers eminent and outragious crimes wee see in generall that this sinfull life at the best is but wise vanitie pleasant vanitie or glorious vanitie and at the worst vexation of spirit vexation of body losse of goods and losse of friends Yea Man is but a piece of reasonable miserie He hath reason to fore-see miserie and so to take it to his hart when reason cannot preuent it reason to fore-see death but not to auoid it For as sure as wickednesse is present so sure shal death be present for death and sinne wee see daily are in euery Man vnseparable Now the combining of sin and miserie in this bodily life for this life concernes the body most the soule least and so doth the misery of this life points our expectation to another life euen that there shall bee a pursuit of punishment after sinne in that life which is most proper to the soule that then the bodily miseries of this life shall bee seconded with spirituall torments But if we leaue these darker characters of reason and experience and come to diuine Reuelations there wee may reade running the fall and miserie of Man And these before are described out of the same holy Writings but here again they must be considered by the Learner of the doctrine of happinesse that by the full search and tenting of his miserie his miserie may be cured Briefly therefore to speake what hath beene spoken hee shall finde in Gods Word that wickednesse and sinne is the transgression of the Law that the Law being transgressed and offended is the ministerie of death That this death is both of soule and body in an eternall darkenesse absence from God who is Light yea in an eternall suffering of the fire of the wrath of God For Gods wrath is a Worme a Fire euer feeding on the tormented soules and bodies of disobedient wicked and sinfull men And now when thou hast found thy selfe a sinner and findest also the terror wrath of God against sinners I know thou canst not chuse but thinke thy selfe awhile the child of death and thy estate fearefull Thou wilt cry Wo is mee a man of sorrow and Wretched man that I am and call thy body a body of death But as I told thee before this terror is but thy way and not thy wayes end It is but thy entrance into happinesse yea it is thy aduancement vnto happinesse For the burthen of thy miserie will moue thee to seeke for one to ease and refresh thee The bitternes of thy wretchednesse will make thee more comfortably to rellish the sweetnesse of a Sauiour and the fearefulnesse of the Valley of death will make thee more stedfastly to list vp thy eies to the Hil of God from whence commeth thy saluation And surely this fruit of Humilitie doth God expect before he will exalt Hee will haue vs confesse our miserie to be fearefull and desperate in it selfe he will haue vs to feele it to bee a burthen intolerable we must tell him in wordes and deedes that we are weary and ouer-heauy laden and then is it for his glorie to helpe
Happinesse And how can it bee otherwise for this Marriage is betweene the Creature and the Creatour And how can the Creature comprehend the Creatour especially since wee haue here only a little glimpse of Faith whereby to behold him Againe it is a spirituall Marriage and wee are here more carnall then spirituall so the tabernacle of corruptible flesh doth much cloud and darken the Spirit in the view of incorruptible ioyes Yet are wee not left here wholly ignorant of that which here we cannot wholly know but hee who is our Happinesse hath shewed some sparkles of that which he is hath deliuered it to vs in this World of ignorance by some palpable expressions fitting rather to our dull capacity then to his supernaturall Excellency Too much light darkens and dazles a weak sight and therefore the full apparance of felicity is reserued for a perfect most absolute Purenesse and Claritie In the meane time let vs firmely lay hold on those reuealed Truths which GOD hath set apart vnto vs for our allotted portion of Light in this darke place vntill we come vnto the perfect Day Among them we find this most certainly proclaimed That as there went out at first a Word of Creation so shall there goe out a Word of Dissolution and therewith also a Word of Resurrection The mightie voyce of the Lord of Heauen shall make Heauen and Earth to shake the Elements to melt with fire and the World to be dissolued The face of this Visible frame shal be wiped away it shal be rolled vp as a Scrol And al the false happinesses of Man shal passe away into nothing But the All-seeing Prouidence of the Almightie Creator who numbreth the haires of our heads and the sands of the Sea for without his appointed number they could not haue the quantity or number which they haue knoweth all Mankind both dead and aliue yea euery part of euery scattered Man and calleth vp all Men as hee doth the Starres in their turnes Arise ye Mortals from Death and Mortality and come vnto Iudgement The Earth is but a Ball in the hand of God whereof euery Mote or Atome was placed by his Wisedome and the WISEDOME that made all cannot but know all that it hath made yea the thing made cannot goe out of the reach of the Maker for it must bee by a Power giuen from the Maker that it is able to doe those actions by which it striueth or seemeth to auoyd his Maker And this Power can be disposed but at the will or permission of the Giuer and so it is still subiect to his reach and comprehension Accordingly God the Infinite cause of all these finite things fully searcheth and comprehendeth his owne Creation yea euery change and varietie thereof neither can any thing in the World escape his knowledge whose knowledge is the very Fountaine of all those changes which would seem to escape it Wherfore if we will allow a Wisdome wise enough to create wee must also allow a Wisdome wise enough to know and to master in knowledge the things created And if we allow a Power able to create without matter we should much more allow the same Power to bee able to renew of something what was first created of nothing Bee this therefore the assurance of the blessed that the Trumpe shall blow and the dead shall rise and that the sruit of this Creation shall return to the hand that first did plant it As God is the beginning of his Workes so is he the end of them all things that went from him with Power must returne to him with Glory and the Seed-time of Creation must be answered with the Haruest of a finall Iudgement God hath not made the World to no purpose neither hath hee cast out from him so great a Creation as a thing contemned and neglected Hee hath not beene wise in an excellent Creation to no end he hath not set Man here as a wild beast of the Forrest only to run after his lusts neither seeing his Maker nor seene of him The Soule of Man had in it the power of a reasonable seruice it could see and know and please his Creatour And Nature hath truly discouered that GOD makes nothing for nothing Therefore the Soule with her Subiect the Body must come and stand at the Barre of Iudgement to bee tryed by her workes whether in the Body shee hath pleased him that formed her And though many vagabond soules haue run from their Maker and haue indeuoured to put themselues out of his seruice command yet he will not lose his property in them they may fly from his Obedience but neuer from his Power Iustice and Vengeance they shall be forced to serue him who is the end of all his Creatures by the sufferings of Iustice who would not serue him in the Righteousnesse of Mercie Accordingly in this great Day of Trial their appearance shal be in the vglinesse of Gods defaced Image their blind foule and leprous soules shall appeare in a perfect naked deformednesse and their many sins shall come againe to visit them shall stand before them as so many vnnaturall accusers of them that begat them The pleasure that once encouraged to the commission of them shall now be stripped from them and sinnes shall then appeare only sinfull filthy and detestable And so by them sinners being lothsome to the God of purest Eyes they shall be carryed from the Eyes whom they offend yea the Eyes of Mercie and Glorie shall be shut vp from them But on the contrarie side the Eyes of Wrath and Iustice shall sparkle out fire against them and this fire shal seize and feed on their Sinfulnes for sinne vnto Iustice is as fuell vnto fire Burne it shall for euer in a tormenting but not a consuming flame It shall haue the agony and vexation but not the consumption and abolition of fire for the torment must be like the wrath the wrath of an eternall God and the torment of an eternall fire Thus blinde and darke toward the God of Comfort and the Comforts of God they shall bee open-sighted toward their owne Guilt Horrour and Amazement Their guilt shall beget feare and their feare amazement by reason of desperation and hopelesnesse of release What depth of vexation or rather how bottomlesse a horror it is when the Soule cannot see beyond torments but is whol ly swallowed vp of anguish by the contemplation of an immortall miserie These are they whose portion is the Creature and whose Happinesse is in this Life And as they liued without God in this World yea against God so shall they liue without GOD in the next World and God will bee against them Hee who might haue beene their felicitie but was neglected shall now because neglected become their misery their Habitation shall bee the blacknesse of darknes and their businesse shall be eternall anguish vexation and gnashing of teeth But the blessed sonnes and seruants of the Highest God who