degrees of it are four Labour to dye well two things requisite thereunto 1. Preparation before death 2. A right behaviour in death What is preparation before death Preparation twofold 1. General 2 Particular and that 1. In reference to God 2. Our selves 3. Our Neighbour 2. A right behaviour in death and that in three particulars 2. Of Judgment What it is and that in six particulars When it shall be Four Reasons why the time is concealed Judgment is twofold 1. Particular presently after death 2. General at the last day Difference between the resurrection of the Elect and Reprobates in four things What is meant by the books shall be opened and what by the book of life The act of judgment performed two ways 1. By Examination 2. By pronouncing sentence Two differences between the examination of the Elect and the Reprobates and other things about the administration of it Four Reasons why this last judgment must be Who the Judg is 3. Of Hell Seven Epithites of the place of the damned in Scripture Five acceptations of hell Adireful representation of hell Three Reasons for it Of the punishment of loss and the punishment of sence An exhortation to labour to avoid it 4. Of Heaven What that eternal blessed life is The variety of heavenly joys in four things The three Scriptural Heavens described What is meant by Abraham's bosome The sum of the last Article of our faith in three things Whether we shall know each other in Heaven Proved affirmatively by six Arguments An exhortation to live the life of Grace here that we may live the life of Glory hereafter Books very lately Printed for Edw. Brewster at the sign of the Crane in Paul's Church-yard 1676. 1. THe Apostolical History containing the Acts Labours Travels Sermons Discourses Miracles Successes and Sufferings of the Holy Apostles from Christ's Ascension to the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus c. By Samuel Cradock B. D. fol. 2. Mr. Henry Smith's Sermons 4to 3. Cases of Conscience Practically Resolved By the Reverend and Learned J. Norman late Minister of Bridgwater in Sommerset 8vo 4. Christian Advice both to Young and Old Rich and Poor which may serve as a Directory at hand ready to direct all persons almost in every estate and condition under 17 general useful Heads By Thomas Mocket M. A. 5. Moses Revivâ—d A Treatise proving that it is not lawful and therefore sinful for any man or woman to eat blood viz. the life-blood of any Creature 8vo 6. Basilius Valentinus his last Will and Testament which was found hid under a Table of Marble behind the high Altar in the Cathedral Church of the Imperial City of Erford leaving it there to be found by him whom God's Providence should make worthy of it 8vo 7. The Royal Pay and Pay-Master A Sermon preached before the Military Company By William Sâ—later D. D. Minister of St. James Clarkenwell 4to 8. Exodus Or the decease of Holy men and Ministers considered in the Nature Certainty Causes and Improvement thereof A Sermon preached the 12th Sept. 1675. at the Funeral of the much lamented Death of the Learned and Reverend Minister of Christ Dr. Lazarus Sâ—aman late Pastor of Alhallows Breadstreâ—t London By William Jenkyn late Minister of Christ-Church London 4to 9. Lydea's Heart opened or Divine Mercy magnified in the Conversion of a Sinner by the Gospel By William Strong M. A. c. 8vo EXERCITATION THE FIRST Ezek. 16. 8. I entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine GOd in this Chapter by Ezekiel a Priest and a Prophet declares His great mercies to the people of Israel and their horrid and vile ingratitude Among all His mercies this was none of the least that God entred into a Covenant with them There are three things among men that do induce a publick obligation and yet do differ in themselves As 1. a Law 2. A Covenant 3. A Testament A Law and a Testament are absolute and do not imply any consent of the party under them For a Law requires subjection not expecting the consent of inferiours So a Testament or a Will of a Man is to bequeath such Goods and Legacies not expecting the consent of others But a Covenant requires consent and agreement between two parties The Covenant of God with man is twofold 1. That of Works which was made before the fall with Adam in his innocency 2. The Covenant of Grace which was made since the fall The Covenant of Works with Adam before the fall is laid down more obscurely than the Covenant of Grace was Gen. 2. 16 17. after the fall And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat but of the tree of Knowledg of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Do this and thou shalt live â— if thou do it not thou shalt dye And so God enabled Adam to do that which was good for the which he was the more obliged unto God Or thus The Covenant of Works God made with Adam promising him therein an everlasting continuance of felicity and happiness under condition of his obedience unto God but threatning death to him if he were disobedient This Covenant of Works was confirmed by a double Sacrament 1. The tree of life 2. The tree of knowledg of good and evil both seated in the midst of Paradise The use of these was double 1. That by the use of the one and by abstaining from the other man's obedience might be tryed 2. That the tree of life might Seal to man being obedient his perpetuity of happiness and that the tree of knowledg of good and evil might signifie unto man if he were disobedient the loss of the greatest good and the purchasing and procuring of the greatest evil The tree of life was not so called from any inward implanted faculty of quickning in it but a Sacramental signification So also the tree of knowledg of good and evil had this name from the signification of the greatest evil or good with the event and consequences thereof Here in this Covenant needed no Mediator for it was before sin was in the world and Adam then was in perfect familiarity and communion with God It was Sin that brought in enmity fear and shame as well as punishment and death For presently after the fall Adam hid himself from the presence of the Lord and feared c. because of the guilt of Sin and breach of Gods Commandment So he confessed I was afraid Gen. 3. 10. because I was naked and hid my self These are the grounds and reasons to prove that God dealt with Adam in these Commandments by way of Covenant 1. From the evil threatned and good promised 2. Because his posterity became guilty of his Sin and obnoxious and liable to his punishment 3. Because the Apostle Paul in Rom. 5. 12 15 18. makes all
are imitable by us and which we ought to follow so our Sanctification consists in a conformity to the ways of Christ's ordinary obedience So we read that Christ went about doing good No guile Acts 10. 38. 1 Pet. 2. 22. Joh. 4. 34. was found in His mouth He made it His meat and drink to do his Fathers will when he was reviled he reviled 1 Pet. 2. 23. not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed his cause to him that judgeth righteously He learned obedience by the things which He suffered Heb. 5. 8. Luk. 22. 42. Joh. 13. 14. Joh. 2. 14 17. He resigned His will to God's will He shewed us an excellent pattern of humility in washing His Disciples feet shewed admirable zeal for the glory of God and when He was thereunto called meekly resigned His Soul Luk. 23. 4â— into the hands of God And so the whole life of Christ was an exemplary precept unto men and we ought not to follow men any farther than they 1 Cor. 11. 1. Rev. 14. 4. follow Christ Let us follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth Now if Christ be a rule and pattern of holiness unto us then let us take heed that we be not a rule to our selves Every thing that Moses did about the material Tabernacle was to be done according to the pattern which he had seen in the Heb. 8. 5. Mount And every thing which we do in these spiritual Tabernacles we are to do it after the pattern of Him who is set before us looking unto Jesus the Heb. 12. 2. Author and finisher of our faith So let us be regular in all our speeches and actions doing all according to rule walking exactly and accurately as the Apostle bids us so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Eph. 5. 15. in the Original signifies Not as fools but as wise though the wise fools of the world may think us too precise therein And let us enquire out of the Scriptures whether Christ would have done this or that or no at least whether He allow it or no. And as many as Gal. 6. 16. walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And thus while we follow Christ we are out of all danger whoso thus Prov. 1. 33. hearken to Him shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil being sure to be upheld and kept by Him in His way The more we follow Christ the nearer still we come unto Him Let us deny our selves our natural self and our sinful self and Christ will be all in all unto us He will guide us comfort counsel 2 Thess 2. 17. settle strengthen stablish us in every good word and work in this our Pilgrimage in the life of Grace here and Psal 73. 24. at length in His own good time bring us safely to the life of glory hereafter Thus we see what a comely and becoming thing holiness is what holiness is and the parts of it and how to attain it Holiness is a becoming thing As Moses when he had long conversed Exod. 34. 29. with God his face did shine So the Saints whose fellowship truly is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ do shine as lights in the 1 Joh. 1. 3. â—hil 2. 15. world Holiness makes us comely as in the sight of God so also in the sight of men So the promise is In that day that is Isai 4. â— in the times of the Gospel the Branch that is Christ shall be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely that is the Spouse and people of Christ who are chosen out of the world and who live upon the earth they shall be excellent and comely So the Saints are comely through Christ's comeliness which He hath put upon them Oh how great is his goodness Ezek. 16. 14. Zech. 9. 17. Psal 149. 4. and how great is his beauty he will beautifie the meek with Salvation The Sanctification of the Elect and chosen of God it is to be taught by the Holy Spirit through the Ministry of the word in the Gospel of the good-will of God towards them to be regenerated and through faith to be made the temples of God and members of Christ that they may mortifie the deeds of the flesh and walk in newness of life going on in that way apprehending comfort â—nd joy in God and so are kept to life everlasting God's sanctifying of us and our sanctifying of God do differ for we sanctifie God by believing by attributing to God His holiness that is all His holy attributes which He claims to Himself in His Word by acknowledging and confessing them and by our holy obedience Sanctifying of God contains the whole worship of God God sanctifieth us by making us inviolable safe and secure against Sin Hell the World Death Devil Enemies and all Evils God sanctifieth us in teaching us by His holy Spirit through the Ministry of the Gospel of His good-will towards us by regenerating us and by faith making us the temples of God and members of Christ to mortifie the flesh and to walk before God in newness of life and so are kept to life eternal Thus far of holiness and the word becometh Now of the next words Thine house O Lord for ever The house of God in Scripture hath several acceptations it signifies and it is taken sometimes for 1. Heaven which is God's upper house His house of Glory of which Joh. 14. 2. Christ said In My Fathers house are many mansions And St. Paul calls it a building 2 Cor. 5. 1. not made with hands eternal in the heavens Here even the poorest Saint who hath not an house to put his head in upon earth hath yet an house in Heaven into which no unholy thing shall enter 2. It is taken for the Church and people of God whether 1. Distributively every pious person is God's house Whose house Heb. 3. 6. are we 2. Collectively and then it is taken sometimes for a particular assembly So St. Paul said to Timothy that thou mayst 1 Tim. 3. 15. know how to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God c. And sometimes it is taken for the Catholick Church and this Heb. 3. 2 5. is here meant whether the whole Church of God or every individual person holiness becometh them and is required of them 3. By the house of God in Scripture sometime is meant the true Religion taught and professed within the Church of God The zeal of Thine house hath Psal 69. 9 eaten me up 4. The temple at Jerusalem whereof it is spoken My house shall be called the Luk. 19. 46 house of Prayer The temple of God is holy whose temple 1 Cor. 3. 17. we are Every thing about the material temple and in it was holy
air to meet the Lord But the Reprobate together with the Devil and his Angels shall with great horror and confusion be drawn into the presence of Christ then Rev. 6. 15. the Books shall be opened whereby we understand partly the Omniscience of God or His knowing of all things and partly the conscience of every man and woman And another book shall be opened which is the book of life Which is to shew that the salvation of the godly is not from their works buâ— from the eternal Grace of God whereby they are written in the book of life The wicked shall have their unbelief and wickedness so laid before their eyes by the testimony of their own consciences that they shall not be able to contradict or deny any thing at all I will reprove thee saith God and Psal â—0 21. Mat. 12. 3â— set thy wickedness before thy face The Act of Judgment shall be performed two ways 1. By examination 2. By pronouncing Sentence 1. By examination and that â— By 1. Examination the Law of God which hath been revealed unto men whether it be the Law of Nature only which is the remainder of the Law written in the hearts of our First Parents and conveyed by the Power of God unto all men to leave them without excuse for the Rom. 1. 20. invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even His eternal Power and God-head so that they are without excuse Or whether by the Law of God we understand that written word of God vouchsafed unto the Church in the Scriptures first of the Old and after of the New Testament as the rule of faith and life For as many as have sinned without Rom. 2. 12. Law shall also perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law 2. This examination shall be by the evidence of every mans conscience bringing all his works to light whether they be good or evil his conscience bearing witness with him or against him together with the testimony of such who either by their doctrine company or example have either approved or condemned him Which Mat. 12. 27 41 42. shew the work of the law written in their Rom. 2. 15. hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another But there shall be a great difference in the examination of the elect and examination of the reprobates For 1. The elect shall not have their sins remembred Christ having satisfied for them All their transgressions that Ezek. 18. 22. they have committed they shall not be mentioned unto them Their transgressions are forgiven and their sins are covered Psal 32. 1. But their good works shall be remembred I was hungry and ye fed me c. their good works do follow Rev. 14. 13. them 2. Because they be in Christ therefore they and their works shall not undergo the strict Tryal of the law simply in its self but as the obedience thereof doth prove them to be true partakers of the grace of the Gospel Thus we have seen the first Act of judgment which is by Examination Now of the second Act which is by the 2. Pronouncing of sentence pronouncing of sentence The sentence shall be pronounced by the Judg Himself our Lord Jesus Christ according to the evidence and verdict of conscience touching works who shall adjudg the Elect unto the blessing of the Kingdom of God His Father And the Reprobates with the Devil and his Angels unto the curse of everlasting Fire So then men shall be adjudged to salvation or damnation for their works sake 1. The wicked shall be condemned for the merit of their works because being perfectly evil they deserve the wages of damnation For the wages of Rom. 6. 23. sin is death 2. The Godly shall be pronounced just because their works though imperfect do prove their faith whereby they lay hold on Christ and His meritorious righteousness to be a true Faith As Jam. 2. 18. Gal. 5. 6. working by love in all parts of obedience This last Judgment is administred by Christ as a King for the power of judging is a part of the Royal Function 1. In respect of the faithful this Judgment is from Grace and is a Function of the Kingdom of Grace essential to Christ as our Mediator 2. But in respect of the wicked From His Power and Dominion granted to Him by the Father Hence it is as I said before the sins of the Godly shall not come into Judgment for in this life by the Sentence of Justification they are taken away and coverd And this last Judgment shall be a confirming and manifestation of the same Sentence Therefore it is not consentaneous or meet that they should then be brought to light again Christ shall judg the world not according Isa 11. 3. to the sight of the eyes or hearing of the ears But He is the knower and searcher of all hearts who can discern the Hypocrites from the truly Godly and He will do no wrong to any The judg of all the earth will do Gen. 18. 25. right He will not acquit the wicked nor condemn the just He will manifest the secrets of all hearts and render to every one according to his works then shall the upright have praise of God Q Why must this last judgment be A. 1. Because of God's decree He hath decreed it and said it shall be 2. That God may obtain the end of creation of man God made all men for His glory if wicked men would not glorifie Him here He will judiciarily be glorified upon them in their everlasting confusion God shall be praised and glorified by His Elect to all eternity 3. That God may shew His perfect goodness and mercy to His Elect who were so excruciated troubled and afflicted here in this world that they may 2 Thess 1. 8. have rest 4. For His perfect Justice and Truths sake that He may shew His Justice in punishing the ungodly who do flourish in this world where they have all Luk. 16. 25. the good that ever they shall have Therefore it must be according to God's Justice and Truth in His Promises that the righteous shall have recompence in everlasting life both in body and soul Q. But it is said The Saints shall 1 Cor. 6. 2. judg the world And the Apostles shall sit upon thrones judging the twelve Luk. 22. 30. tribes of Israel A. I answer Christ alone in His humane nature shall appear judg and pronounce the sentence on all and execute it yet not excluding the Father and the Holy Ghost God is invisible For this judgment is the work of the whole individual Trinity but according to the visible act promulgation and execution of the sentence so it is the judgment of Christ For Christ being