the year was over all their pomp was taken away and they banished into some obscure place ever after One King knowing this and being called to reign over that Nation that short time of his reign for it was but one year as King he was not lavish in spending his revenues but heaped up all the treasure he could gather together to send into the place where he was to live afterwards that so in the little time of his reign he might prepare and provide to live comfortably all his life after Christians I only make this use of it The Lord hath given you time to live in this World and but a little time you are every day going down amain the stream of time into the great Ocean of Eternity and it will not be long before you come thither it may be not a week it may be not a day The Lord may come upon you as upon Entichus iâ— the Acts 20. 9. â— before the Sermon be ended oâ— this Assembly broken up and gone home your shorâ— life will soon be ended and how suddenly you know not while you live here you are in the way to Salvation you suck at the breasts of those Ordinances that may feed you to Eternal life you have an opportunity to make such provision as will serve all your liâ— long in another World that you may live happilâ— after that you are banished hence after that you arâ— deprived of Temporal accommodation lose this opportunity and you are undone for ever and will â— miserable for ever Plutarch tells of Hannibal that when he coulâ— have taken Rome he would not and when he woulâ— have taken Rome he could not Now is the time of obtaining Heaven in this life you have an opportunity to gain Eternal good things but if you let go this opportunity and do not improve the season of life believe it Christians God wil not afford you another opportunity when this life shall be ended The Ancients painted Opportunity with an hairy forehead but bald behind to signify that while a man hath opportunity before him he may lay hold on it but if he suffer it to slip away he cannot pull it back again Felix looked for a better opportunity to hear Paul but we do not read that ever he found such an opportunity more as that he did then let slip Poor Jerusalem lost her day and could never find it more And therefore the Lord weeps over Jerusalem because she had slipt the opportunity of doing her self good Luk. 9. 41. â— He beheld the City and wept over it Saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine â—yes Now thou hast slipt thy opportunity Thousands under Eternal misery are now convinced that â—hey have slipt the opportunity of getting any share in Eternal good tâ—ings It was wisely done of Noah to take his time and to â—uild an Ark before the Flood came to the saving of â—imself and his Houshold But foolishly done of the â—hole World besides that they did not improve the â—undred and twenty years time that God gave them â—nd not only time but an opportunity also by means â—f Noah a Preacher of righteousness to have made â—rovision both of Bodies and Souls The very want â—f making that provision was the ruine of them It was wisely done of Joseph to take the time and observe the season and opportunity of laying up Corn in the years of plenty that Egypt might have wherewithal to live in the years of dearth and famine Had not that season and opportunity been taken the misery of the Egyptians had been intolerable It was wisely done of Nineveh to take their time and opportunity that God gave them to repent whilst the fourty dayes continued otherwise they had been destroyed but thus they came to be spared For this end God gave Nineveh those fourty dayes that they might husband that opportunity for their good and preservation that they might not be destroyed So God hath afforded unto you Christians the opportunity of this life to husband and improve it to the best for your poor Souls to gain an interest in Jesus Christ to lay hold upon Eternal life and to obtain a future and everlasting happiness The time allowed is but short Cito pede praeâ—erit aetas Our dayes pass away like a Post glide away strangly and every day every hour and every minute added to the time of our life is so much taken from our life And it is a most true saying Vita est punctum temporis a quo dependit aeternitas It shall be with us to Eternity hereafter as we spend the time of our present life here according as we now prepare for Eternity so will it be with us to Eternity To squander our short time here and in it not to labour for Eternal good things is as much as ouâ— Souls are worth as much as Heaven is worth and as much as Eternity is worth In this point we may learn a piece of blessed wisdom from our Saviour John 12. 35. v. Yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have the light lest darkness come upon you Yet Christians you have the day of Grace and the light of the Gospel continued now labour and take pains before Eternal darkness come upon you Be not like to Charles King of Sicily and Jerusalem who was called Câ—â—ctator not in the sense of Fabius because he stayed till opportunity came but because he stayed until opportunity was past If you will not learn wisdom from Christ yet learn it from that subtle Serpent Saâ—an he rageth and doth all the mischief he can he bestirs himself because he knows his time is short Rev. 12. 12. v. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the Sea for the devil is coming down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth he hath but a short time O be not any of you worse thâ—n the devil is not your time shorter be not ye more negligent and careless in doing what may Eternaly save you thâ—n the Devil is in doing all he can Eternally to damn you he delayes no time because his time is short to get you to Hell delay not you any time because your time is far shorter to get to heaven 6. Help Get a sight of these Eternal good things by the eye of Faith I doubt not but the sight of Eternal good things hereafter will be most ravishing It will certainly be a most pleasant and ravishing prospect to see all the excellencies of Heaven to see the beauty of Jerusalem that is above whose walls are of Jasper whose building is of Gold whose gates â—re of Pearls and whose foundation is of precious â—tones to see the King in his glory you know I â—ave sometimes mentioned that promise Isaiah 33. â—7 v. To see the King in his beauty or glory There â—s a great deal of difference between
were great drops of blood falling down to the ground the words sets forth what a vehement conflict was at this time in Christ's soul occasioned through the deep sense of his Father's wrath against sinners for whom he stood now as Surety and Redeemer a conflict that put Him into a bloody sweat so that through flesh and skin in great abundance sanguinem congelatum quasi extruscrit issued forth clottered or congealed blood So that our Saviour when he says strive to enter in at the straight-gate he would have us to strive and strive until we are in an Agony until we sweat blood to get inâ—o Heaven As it is storied of Scanderbeg that in fighting against the Turks he was so earnest that the blood would often start out of his Lipps A Christian should at this work strive Quasi pro vita si vincit vel pro morte si vincitur luctaturus as if he labored for life or death nay for that which is dearer then life it self even the life of his soul the words are an allusion to that fighting and striving which was to be amongst Wrestlers in their solemn games with sweat pains and trouble and wherein a Christian should use his utmost best and choicest endeavors and labor with all his ability of power and skill whilst striving to get into Heaven and the reason laid down by our Saviour in those would seriously be considered For many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13. 24. it is not enough to seek many seekers will never find but there must be striving there must be an holy violence used to enter in at the straight-gate Matth. 11. 12. And the violent take it by force A Metaphor taken from Warriours who force their passage into a City and take it by Storme Heaven is as Canaan the type of it was though a Land of Promise yet of Conquest too it will not prove any easy work to get to Heaven Facilis descensus Averni A Man may go to Hell without a Staffe as we say the way thither is easy 2. From the impossibility of injoying Eternal good things without labor Of all things to be injoyed Eternal good things are not to be injoyed without labor and that not without our own labor and pains so run that ye may obtain 1 Cor. 9. 24. v. there is no obtaining the prize of Eternal happiness without running the Race God will not bestow these things upon those who never seek never labor for them It is true without God all a Man's labor can do nothing and without a Man's labor God will do nothing They can never expect Heaven afterwards that labor not for Heaven now Qui fugit molam fugit farinam he that will not have the sweat of labor upon Earth must not expect the sweet of honor and happiness in Heaven Matth. 20. 8. v. The Lord of the Vineyard saith unto his Steward Call the laborers and give them their hire it is not call the loyterers or idle bodies but call the laborers none but the laborers had their Penny given them They must be doing that will keep in with God Ad summa nemo sine labore pervenit Worldly wealth and honors may be had without labor or study by the donation of others or by succession and descent Pharoah raised Joseph out of Prison and gave him the next place to himself in the Kingdom Darius prefers Daniel above the Presidents and Princes of his Kingdom nay had thoughts to have set him over the whole Realm Of how many Men may it be said what Seneca said of Plato Philosophy found not Plato a Noble Man but made him one There are many who are not noble Men born but the Prince makes them Noble Men Princes have not found some men Noble Men but they have made them noble But it is not so with Eternal good things for the gaining of them each man must labor for himself the labor and pains of others herein will do him little good All the Princes in the world with all their combined Bounties and forces cannot put a Christian into possession of Heaven or the things thereof 3. From that agreement that there is between Eternal good things and our Natures Laboring for Eternal good things doth best agree with the nature of every Man Man is by nature a provident Creature apt to lay up for time to come It is with Men accounted a good piece of providence to lay up something for a Rainy-day as the proverb is something that may do them good afterwards and not only in Diem vivere as the â—oules of Heaven do Now this disposition should reach beyond the forecast of Joseph in Egypt Gen. 41. 35 36. v. laying up Corn in the Cities only for seven years Or of that fool in the Gospel who had good things laid up for him in his Barnes many years Luk. 12. 19. v. Our Saviour directeth where our treasure is better to be laid up Matth. 6. 19. 20. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt where theeves break thorow and steal But lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeves do not break thorough and steal Laying up treasure in Heaven is here opposed to laying up treasure in earth a Christians care should be not so much to labour to be rich here as hereafter not so much to be rich upon Earth as to be rich in Heaven the best store is that which is layd up in Heaven The Argument that the Apostle useth to persuade rich men not to rest in uncertain riches but in the living God and to move them to be rich in good works you have 1. Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy v. 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Most men delight to hoard and treasure up something for themselves for the time to come an hoard of Eternal good things is that will do good more then a thousand years hence Verily that is the best store that will last not only until time shall be no more but will last more days then will be time in even to Eternity that will not be consumed in that universal Flame which shall melt the very Elements into their primitive confusion when this whole visible Fabrick must be dissolved by the fire of the last-Last-day Were a man made Lord of all the world and had he his life co-extended with it yet he may be assured that there will come a day in which the Heavens will pass away with a noise and the Elements melt with heat and â—he Earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up that there will be an universal Dissolution
to be possessed arise and work and lose not all that you have heard of for want of labour As David said to Solomon 1 Chron 22. 16. v. Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with you Christians you are labouring every day for meat that perisheth you are engaged over head and ears in the pursuit of the things of the World Iâ— is a speech I have read of one Demades when the Emperour sent to his Countrey-men of Athens to give him Divine honour and they were loath to yield to it but consulted about it sayes he Take heed you be not so busie about Heavenly matters as to lose your Earthly possessions So say I Take heed you be not busie about Temporal matters as to lose Eternal possession Follow therefore the Apostle's direction Col. 3. 1. v. Seek those things that are above Os homini sublime dedit God hath given to men countenances erected towards Heaven that they should not cast their eyes on tâ—ings below but lift them up to better even things that are above Christian thy affections were made for those things that are above thee not for those things that are below thee A Christian should Superna anhelare pant after glory and things Eternal his affections should be carried above all Earthly Objects he should not be content until he get up into Heaven This Bird of Paradise though he may with God's good leave sometimes touch upon the Earth and upon Earthly things yet should he be mostly upon the wing and what ever he enjoyes here on the Earth should be to him but Scalae alae Wings and wind in his wings to carry him upwards To conclude this first Part and come to the second I shall use the words of Saint Austine Volemus sursum Let us flye upwards so he somewhere reports that his Mother Monica said in a kind of trance when she was near her death CHAP. XI 2. I Come to the second Branch of this use of Exhortation and that is to labour for Eternal good things chiefly and before all other good things labour for these in the first place Labour indeed we may and must for Temporal good things Though Temporal good things are not so high as to be primarily desired yet they are not so low as to be peremptorily neglected They are a good Viaticum to a better Inheritance they are great enablements to do service to God and good to others Not a Christian though a Believer but hath relation to two Worlds whilst he lives here he is a member of this World but he is Heir of a better Now so long as he is in this World he stands in need of what may help him in his way towards Heaven or that may be useful for his better and more easie leading of this short and mortal life Verily were but the World kept in its own room it would prove no enemy to Grace to the Soul or Heaven for no question but there is a way of enjoying God even in Worldly enjoyments and labouring after the good things of this life The whole World says one and all things contained therein were made for man and are so disposed in that â—ort as they may best serve to the benefit and profiâ— of man It seemeth nothing else then a vast house furnished with all things necessary whose inâ—abitant possessor or Fructuarius is man Supposing says â—y Author man were not in the World there were no â—â—se of the World The World was never intended to â—e a desart serving only for a den of wild Beasts and for a Wood of thorns but for man to dwell in and inhabit there to glorifie his Creator in a right using of â—he Creatures as well as any other way A Believer may questionless with God's good leave labour for the good things of this life he haâ—h God's allowance to endeavour to get an estate in the World and to haâ—e a share in the fatness of the Earth as well as in the dew of Heaven as Isaac divides that bleâ—â—ing of his Gen. 2. 28 v. to Jacob God give tâ—ee saith he of the dâ—w of heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine Though Mâ—rie's better part in the unum necessarium of the Soâ—l â—houâ—d â—e â—ooked after in the first place yet Martha's many tâ—ings of the body should not be neglected Your heavenly Father said Jesus Christ our Saviour knoweth ye have need of these things Matth. â— 32. v. And God hath promised to his People Temporal blessings needful for this Natural life In the Covenant of Grace God promiseth not only to write his Law in our hearts and to forgive our sins but also to confer even Temporal good things as they shall be serviceable to us in our journey towards Heaven or for our more comfortable living in the World Adam when he fell did not only lose his title to Heaven and all Eternal good things but even to the Earth too and all Temporal good things thereof but when God makes a Covenant with any of the Sons and Daughters of Adam it shall give them a title not only to Heaven but also to the Earth they shall be as Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. 14. v. so inheriters of the Earth Matth. 5. 5. v. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Psal 37. 9. v. Those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth 22. v. Such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth 29. v. The righteous shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever 34. v. Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land And therefore in old time the best men were likewise the richest men as Abraham Isaac Jacob Job and David Abraham's Servant saith Genes 24. 35. v. The Lord hath blessed my master greatly and he is become great and he hath given him flocks and heards and silver and gold and men-servants and maid-servants and Camels and Asses Jacob speaking of his two bands or great heards of Sheep and Camels that went before him saith Gen. 32. 10. v. With my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands Job 1. 1. v. Job was a perfect man and a just one that feared God and eshewed evil Now one of the next things mentioned of Job is his substance 3. v. which was very great Seven thousand Sheep three thousand Camels five hundred yoak of Oxen five hundred she-Asses and a very great houshold so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East As Job was eminently rich so he was eminently good as by Providence he was made eminently rich so by Graâ—e he was also eminently godly none like him in all the earth And moreover Temporal good things are God's blessings that came with a promise God hath promised his own People such a share and portion of them as shall be needful for their more comfortable being and living in this World
Glow-worm brightned at the night-shining of the Stars in comparison of the Crown of Heaven which is as the glaring of Diamonds or Christal Looking-glasses the gloss of cloth of Gold and Tissue at the sight of the Noon-Sun every gemm in this Crown of Glory is lightned and heightned to a true transcendency of translucidation and lustre It may be said to every one of these Gracious ones Cogita te Caesarem esse Remember thou shalt one day be a King with God in Glory upon thee shall be setled such Crown-Revenues as no Earthly King could ever boast of We read of some indeed that are poor in the world but withal it is said of them that they Are rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom Jam. 5. 2. v. Hearken my beloved Brethren hath not God chosen thâ— poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Faith says an accurate Preacher is an enriching Grace it brings all Christs riches into the Soul it intitles to the promises that are a Christians Magna Charta for Heaven and are themselves full of Heavenly riches it gives a Believer right to the everlasting Inheritance reserved in the Heavens an Inheritance that could not be bought with all the wealth of the world an Inheritance which doth more excel all the wealth of the world then the purest Gold doth the drossiest dirt Our hopes cannot conceive what this Inheritance will be when we come to possess it we shall know what it is 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. v. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath â—egotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurâ—ection of Jesus Christ â—rom the death to an Inheriâ—ance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth â—ot away reserved in Heaven for you Here is the Believers title to this Heaâ—enly Inheritance He is â—o poor man certainly thaâ— hath a good title to shew â—or some great Inheritance It was once the design of Alexander the Great to â—ave been Master of the whoâ—e world the which had â—e effected yet would it not have contented him â—is heart would not have been therewith satisfied he â—ould have wept that there was not another world â— be enjoyed I read that when Captain Drake â—ok St. Domingo in America in the year 1585. in â—e Town-hall were to be seen the King of Spain's â—rms and under them a Globe of the world out of â—hich arose a Horse with his fore-feet cast forth with â—is inscription Non sufficit Orbis Great were the Dominions of Charles the Fifth who ruled over eight and twenty flourishing Kingdoms Darius King of the Medes who vanqâ—ished Belshazar we read of him that he appointed One hundred and twenty Governours which should rule over the whole Kingdom Dan. 6. 1. v. From whence it is inferred that he had so many Provinces or Nations under him every Governour having the charge of a Province Ahasuerus took state upon him because he reigned over an hundred seven and twenty Provinces from India to Ethiopia Esther 1. â— v. But what are the large Dominions of Charles the Fifth Darius or Ahasuerus to what Alexander and the Spaniards unsatiableness desired The world was but enough for them to conquer and possess They would have been what Amurath the Third stiled himself and the great Cham of Tartary reputes himself the Monarchs of the whole World But the Believer hath the promise of two worlds this that now is and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. v. he hath two worlds entailed upon him he hath made over unto him all the blessings of this present world so far as they conduce to his present happiness and of the world to come absolutely It is true the Church is called the Congregation â— the poor Psal 74. 19. v. Forget not the Congregation of thy poor for ever A miserable sort of meâ— they are many of them who oftentimes are destituâ— of all worldly advantages yet have they one advantage above all otheâ—s in the world and that is this The Lord is their portion Levi that had no portioâ— amongst his Brethren yet had the Lord for his portion so these men unto whom God hath given Eternal good things though they may have no portioâ— many of them of any Temporal good things yet have they a portion in an Eternal God Jer. 31. 33. v. I will be their God and they shall be my people And happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. 15. v. Who can sufficiently lay open their portion that have the Lord for their God Psal 16. 15. v. The Lord is the portion of my Inheritance Impossible it is that any should have God for their God and be accounted poor Rich men are ready to boast of their riches hence that prohibition Jer. 9. 23. v. Let not the rich man glory in his riches which prohibition is followed with an injunction 24. v. But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth God yet not with the knowledge of the brain only but with such a knowledge as sinks down into the heart and works upon the affections not with such a knowledge of God as only Heathen Philosophers and meer carnal Christians have of God knowing him to be the Creator of the world but with such a knowledge as a Christian in Covenant with him knoweth him he knoweth him to be his God And such a knowledge of God hath a Soul enriching excellency in it 1 Cor. 1. 5. v. Ye are enriched with all knowledge I am sure that they who know God after this manner have cause to boast that they know God they may make their boast of God and have more cause to glory in God than the richest man hath cause to glory in his riches they may upon better grounds boast of God then the Jew in Rom. 2. 17. v. they may boast of God upon the like grounds that the Psalmist does when he sayes Psal 34. 2. v. My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord And again sayes the Church Psal 44. 8. v. In God we boast all the day long Rich men in the world are called happy men I am sure that they who have God for their God are happy men read that place but now named Psal 144. 15. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord They have him for their God in whom is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all fulness Col. 1. 19. v. And who is Bonum in quo omnia bona their Souls need to look no further for any thing to enrich them here they may wriâ—e a Ne plus ultra God is quies animae Psal 116. 7. v. Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee God communicates and doles out himself amongst those who have him in Covenant with them The Babylonians are said to make more then three hundred several commodities of the Palm-tree
10. 28. And would have us to turn our worldly care into a godly care our care for this life and the things of this life into care for the things of another life of a better life Matth. 6. 31 32 33. v. The like course useth our Saviour here in this Chapter when he sayes Labour not for c. CHAP. II. Shewing the coherence and parts of the words THe words are a direction following upon a reprehension the reprehension is in v. 26. Jesus said unâ—o them verily verely I say unto you ye seek me not because of the Miracles but because ye did eate of the Loavâ—s and were filled It was for that they valued not his doctrine or confirmation thereof by Miracles so â—hat they might believe and be saved but cared princiâ—ally for their bellies The direction is for the ordering â—f their and our endeavours towards that which is the â—ain of all and this in the words read Labour not for â—he meat which perisheth but for that which endureth unâ—o Eternal life Thus you see the Connexion But to the words It is observable that all Preaching may be referred to two heads viz. Inhibitions and Injunctions Inhibitions to pull back from evil Injunctions to quicken to â— better course Take some instances hereof out of the Scriptures In the 6. of Math. 31. 33. v. in the 31. v. Our Saviâ—ur takes them of the world and the things thereof â—ying Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithall shall we be cloathed In the 33 v. he setteth them to work But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you 1. Pet. 3. 11. Eschew evill and do good there we have the Apostles Inhibition Eschew evil And his Injunction do good Rom. 12. 9. Abhorr that which is evil there we have an Inhibition and then followes the Injunction cleave to that which is good Eph. 5. 4. where we have 1. a dehortation or Inhibition 2. an Exhortation or Injunction 1. A Dehortation or Inhibition Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient 3. An Exhortation or Injunction But rather giving of thanks So my Text in every man's eye and apprehension divides it self into two parts 1. An Inhibition Labour not for the meat which perisheth 2. An Injunction But for that which endureth unto everlasting life In the Inhibition we may note 1. Something that Christ does Inhibit and forbid Labour not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne operanimi In the fourth Commandement saith God the Father six dayes shalâ— thou labour and do c. St. Paul agrees with the same 2 Thess 3. 10 11 12. For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eat v. 10. For we hear that there be some which walk among you disorderly working not aâ— all but are busie bodies v. 11. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread v. 12. In the Text Christ sayes Labour not God the Father and St. Paul the Apostle command Labour anâ— here Christ the son sayes Labour not The words aâ— first reading me thinks do please men of a sluggish spirit men that do like no life like to an idle life It waâ— the speech of that Epicure M. Lepidus who lying under a shady tree upon a sun shine day stretching himself cryes out O utinam hoc esset laborare O would to God this were to take pains to live at ease There are more such in the world men that cannot away with labour men that by their good will would do nothing but eat and drink and sleep and sport and sit and talk and laugh and be merry but such are the very excrements of all humane Societies where they live very burdens to the earth whereon they walk as unprofitable they are to the world as that Margites I have read of of whom it is said that he never Ploughed or digged nor did any thing all his life long that might tend to any goodness spending their time nihil agendo in doing nothing at all But our Saviour does not absolutely forbid labouring for things necessary to this life 2 Thes 3. 10. There you have St. Paul his Sanction or Ordinance for Manual labour For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should they eat and this you see is inforced by a penalty provided for willing or wilful Loyterers if any would not work neither should they eat As Scipio Banished all idle Souldiers and unprofitable people from his Camp so the Apostle banisheth such sloathful ones from the table It was not Adams case alone but it is the case of every one in his calling in sudore vultus tui in the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread So the Apostle cannot brook those who spend their whole lives only meerly in Epicurate wayes I could wish St. Paul his penalty here might be such mens punishment Let not such eat That if nought else yet hunger and necessity may drive them to labour The act here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing indifferent and lyes all upon the object that our labour is conversant about as that is good or evil as the thing is good or bad for which we labour 2ly The thing for which we must not labour Meat Under this word it is observed that Christ comprehends all earthly things 1. Because it was their meat they were most taken up with they followed Christ now only for their bellies as Christ note v. 26. saying verily I say unto you ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles of which read v. 2. and 14. but because ye did eate of the Loaves and were filled 2. To point out to them what it was they might expect from the things of time let them have what dreams they please if they had all the world at will yet they would get no more of it but their Meat which the poorest man may attain unto 3. To suggest unto them an argument why they should not toyl and labour so much for that which would afford them so little Eccles 5. 11. When goods encrease they are encreased that eat them and what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their eyes Therefore he takes them off from labouring for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worlds things Temporal things and so the wiseman forbids what Christ forbids Prov. 23. 4. Labour not and he shews what we must not labour for To be rich Labour not for these earthly things though they are in themselves mercies yet they are but mercies without the pale they are but Acrons with which God feeds swine there are choiser fruits to be looked after viz. those Olives and Pomegranates which grow on the true Vine Jesus Christ and
v. O Lord thou art my God early will I seeâ— thee And Psal 5. 3. v. My voyce shalt thou hear in the morning in the morning will I direct my Prayer to thee and look up Psal 88. 13. In the morning shall my Prayer prevent thee So â—ob chap. 1. 5. He rose up early in the morning and offered up burnt offerings So the Church to express her longâ—ngs after God says Isai â—6 9. With my spirit within me will I seek thee early in the dimm and duskish morning while it is not yet so much as twi-light And our blessed Saviour Mark 1. 35. it is said of him theâ—e in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed Of Luther it is said that every day he spent three hours in Prayer Etiam studijs aptissimas even those that were most proper for study and surely no time so proper as the morning foâ— study and no â—â—me more proper then the morning foâ— Heavenly duâ—y anâ— labor Under the Law they who gathered not Manna in the morning had none all day anâ— they who begin not with God in the morning have â—arâ—lâ— any thing to do for God or in â—eaven all the â—ay if the world â—s but the start of Reâ—â—gion in the morning is hard for Religion to overtake it all the day 2. In the Evening or last part of the day As God lets him see the day begin in mercy and end in mercy so then is a Christian minding the good things of Eternity when he both begins the day with God and ends it with God When Eternal good things are the first things he labors for in the morning of the day so they are the last things he minds in the evening of the day then he may be said chiefly to be imployed about Eternal good things When before he begins with the world or any business on Earth he begins with God and the things of Heaven and when he hath done with the world and all business upon Earth he again returns to mind God and the things of Heaven As under the Law God had his evening and morning Sacrifices 1 Chron. 16. 40. 2 Chro. 13. 11. So from him God shall have his evening as well as his morning Services Twice a day was God worshiped in the Temple both morning and evening twice a day was the Jews constant course to be in the Temple there to worship God They had their morning sacrifice when they went to their labor and their evening sacrifice when they ended their labor they gave God the first part of the day and the last part of the day although they were days appointed for work they gave the Lord his part of every day so when a Christian though he does follow the work of his particular calling in the day yet forgets not to labor for what is chiefly to be labored for as in the morning and first part of the day so in the evening and last part of the day he is obeying our Saviour's Injunction in the Text. 2. When he does it in the night time It is true the night is for sleep God hath made the night time for man to rest in they that sleep sleep in the night 1 Thes 5. 7. and sleep is a singular mercy when God does afford it tis ros naturae the Nurse and dew of Nature the sweet Parenthesis of all griefs and cares t is Medicus laborum redintegratio virium recreator corporum the great Phisitian of the sick body the redintegration of mans spirits a reviver of wearied bodies more necessary then meat and drink and without which a man were not able long to subsist but yet as the whole day is not alwayes to be spent in bodily labors no more is the whole night alwayes to be spent in taking of bodily rest under pretence of a little time allowed us for that use the half of our time should not alwayes be exacted from us Heathens will herein shame many Christians Alexander and Caesar parted the night into three parts the first they took unto rest the second to the works of Nature the third to their Studyes and thus they did because they were forced to take the day-time for the Government of their Kingdomes and administration of warlike affairs Indeed God sometimes withholds sleep from men in the night that they might be imployed in some Nocturnal actions of piety towards God for the good of their immortal Souls Sometimes that they may call to mind their sins to mourn for them and repent of them that so they may not sleep the sleep of death Psal 13. 3. that a sensible sinner can truly say with David Psal 6 6. v. All the night long make I my bed to swim I water my Couch with my tears surely these are no tears of an Hypocrite that are shed in the night and that in such abundance as to cause a flood in the bed God deals by Men as those used to be dealt with who had the Sweating-sickness In the Sweating-sickness that raigned sometims in England those that were suffered to sleep as all in that case were apt to do they dyed within a few hours the best office therefore that any could do them was to keep them waking though against their wills so God deals with many when he brings their sins to their remembrance the thoughts of their sins will not let them sleep As t is said The rich Man's abundance will not let him sleep Eccles 5. 12. care of getting and fear of losing breaks his sleep and how oft does God make the poor penitent troubled Sinner find this true that the abundance of his sins will not let him sleep Sometimes to pray unto God in the night T is true the day is most seasonable to work in Night cometh saith Christ when no Man can work John 9. 4. v. that is then it is unseasonable to work but though it be unseasonable to follow the works of our particular calling in yet it is not unseasonable to Pray in of Samuel it is said 1 Sam. 15. 11. v. he cryed to the Lord all night for Soul And of David it is said 2 Sam. 12. 16. v. And David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth when he sought to God by Prayer for his child So did our blessed Saviour Luk. 6. 12. v. in the Mountain he prayed all night totam noctem consumpsâ—t in â—raeciâ—us he spent the whole night in Prayer when Christ prayed for sinners he prayed all night long that they might learn how to pray for themselves if God drive sleep from them or the condition of their souls reqâ—ire iâ— not only to pray in the day but also in the night so did Jacob when he wrestled with God in the shape of a Man Gen. 32. 24. 25. â— untill the breaking of the day Iâ— is storyed of St. Anthony that having spent the whole night in Prayer
men are very apt to have good conceits of themselves Wretches that give way to all manner of sin and uncleanness and fulfil the lusts of the flesh and of the mind yet they are confident of Heaven and the injoying Eternal good things in heaven when they are running headlong to Hell But these men will be frustrated of their expectations Pro. 10. 28. v. The hope of the Righteous shall be gladness but the expectation of the Wicked shall perish Pro. 11. 7. v. When a wicked man dyeth his expectation shall perish and the hope oâ— unjust men perisheth Methinks it is one of the most doleful spectacles in the whole world to stand by such a one in his dying hour that all his life long never took any care for his souls Eternal welfare never so much as entertained any serious thoughts of Eternity but spent all his days in sinning against God and then to think of his Soul and his hopes departing together and with what a sad change he appears in Hell that was confident he should have appeared in Heaven with what amazedness he stands amongst Devills that was confident he should stand before God That place is remarkable Job 11. 20. v. But the eyes of the wicked shall fail and their hopâ— shall be as the giving up of the Ghost As a dying man a little before his death is pritly joyful and merry entertains some hopes of a longer life but when his Eye-strings crack and the tokens of death appear upon him then his heart fails him and all his hopes are dashed in pieces and taken from him just so it will be with the greatest number of Men in the world they are full of hopes for Heaven and Glory and Everlasting life they are confident that they shall have their share of the good things of Heaven untill they come to dye but then their hopes leave them and all their expectations perish for of those many that hope to injoy Eternal happyness there are but few will be Eternally happy Matth. 22. 14. Many are called but few are chosen to Eternal life there shall droves and herds of Men be damned to all Eternity but there is but a little flock that shall be saved Heaven is a stately Pallace but with a narrow portal hence so few enter in at it Matth. 7. 13 14. v. Enter ye in at the straight-gate for wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to Destruction and many there be that go in thereat Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it It is but a little flock to whom the Father 's good pleasure is to give the Kingdom Luk 12. 32. v. The Greek words are Emphatical there are two diminutives Fear not little little flock To shew that the flock that shall come to the Kingdom of Glory it shall be but a little little flock Alas they are but as the Gleanings when the Vintage is done here and there a bunch left upon the outmost branches but one of a City and two of a Tribe Matt. 24. 13. He that indureth to the end shall be saved The love of many shall wax cold but he that indureth to the end shall be saved Loe it is but an He a single Man a very few holdeth out in comparison of the many Apostates that fall from their own stedfastness Somewhere I have read it of St. Chrysostome that he asked this question in a publick Sermon of his at Antioch How few are there think you in the City of Antioch that shall be saved and it was thus resolved In this great City of Antioch where there are an hundred thousand persons and above I hardly saith he in all my observation can discern an hundred that look after Jesus Christ and of these hundred I have great doubt many of them are unsound towards God We live in a land where many thousands profess Christ but God knows how few of them shall be Eternally happy hereafter Thousands and Ten thousands shall be woful and miserable indeed to all Eternity that never doubted of being glorified and happy to all Eternity The broad way to Hell is dayly thronged with passengers when the narrow way to Heaven hath in it but few travellers Infinite are the stalls and styes of bruitish Paganism and how many poor Savage Indians are there that know nothing of God and blind-folded Mahumetans who are taught to enslave their faith to a wretched Impostor and obstinate Jews that are wilfully blind and will not see the light of that truth concerning the Messias though shining clearly in the writings of the Prophets that if the whole world were divided into One and thirty parts there are as is observed by Geographers but five parts thereof that know or profess Jesus Christ thirteen parts of the world are possest at this day by Turks and Jews neither of which acknowledg Jesus Christ Seven parts of the world are possessed by meerly Heathens which know not Christ but worship Stocks and Stones and but five parts possessed with Christians so that there are Six and Twenty parts of the world that never look after a Christ that only can free us from Hell and give us possession of Heaven that only can deliver us from Eternal Torments and bestow upon us Eternal Happyness And of these five parts possessed by Christians how few make it their labor and pains to provide for Eternity Very true are the words of the heathen Orator Deteriorum magna est natio boni singulares there is a great nation of bad ones and but a few good ones but few that imbrace goodness and godlyness How should this consideration be as a motive and spurr to every one diligently to labor to be of that little number that shall go to Heaven and injoy the Eternal good things of heaven If there should be but one or two of a Town saved it is each man's duty to labor to be one of those two When that Questionist had demanded of our Saviour Luk. 13. 23. v. Lord are there few that be saved Christ he returns him this answer in the 24. v. Strive to enter in at the straight-gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Christus non respondit huic ad ea quae interrogabantur docuit tamen eâ—m quid ut salvaretur faceret though Christ tells him not that few shall be saved to satisfy his curiosity yet he would have him and us to strive and labor to tugg and take pains to enter and that from this consideration because many will seek to enter and not be able their seeking will not serve the turn will not do the work there must be laboring and striving to enter 6. From the necessity that there is of an injoying Eternal good things It is said of Pompey that when he was to carry Corn to Rome in time of Dearth he was in a great deal of
in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. v. With which agrees that of the Heathen Cicero Conscientia bene actae vitae multorumque benefactorum recordatio jucundissima est A good Conscience is that will suggar all our tears sweeten all our bitterness comfort a man in chains prisons and persecutions Now this good conscience is the consequent of Grace onely the regenerate have it every wicked man hath a bad defiled and polluted conscience Titus 1. 15. Even their mind and conscience is defiled that is by Original Sin which yet in the regenerated and gracious ones are purged cleansed and made good by the blood of Christ Heb. 9. 14. The Apostle there teacheth us That it is the blood of Christ which purgeth the conscience and verily the effect of Christ's blood cannot but be a gracious effect And verily it is a singular blessing to have such a conscience that is purged by the blood of Christ No such a bridle in the woâ—ld to keep a man from sin nor such a spurr to put a man forward to do what is good and no such a comfort or cordial under any outward troubles or afflictions Take a man without this good Conscience and what wickedness will he not commit what evil will he not run into such a man dates speak any thing in any business or of any person he will not scruple to curse lye and swear in any business nor yet to slander calumniate or speak eâ—il of any person if by the former he may but fill his purse with gain or by the other satisfie himself with revenge Tolle conscientiam tolle omnia Take away conscience and take away all said the Heathen take away all restraints to evil For gain-sake such will not stick to hazard their souls As it is reported of Nevessan a better Lawyer than an honest man that he should say He that will not venture his body shall never be valiant and he that will not venture his Soul will never be rich And for revenge sake will not be backward to let the Devil into their hearts So take a man of a good conscience and what a spurr does he find it to Duty when a man makes conscience of discharging those duties that God requires prays hears and reads out of conscience he then goes on cheerfully in his work puts to all his strength and dares not cast off the performance of that which God calls upon him to perform a man of a good conscieence exercising himself to be void of offence towards God he will not nay he dares not willfully and resolutely omit any known duty or part of God's worship for which he hath clear warrant for in the Scriptures and so exercising himself to be void of offence towards man he will not nay he dares not willfully and resolvedly omit any part of that duty he owes to Man and as he would not for a world wrong God of his due no more to gain the world will he wrong man of his due And no such a comfort and cordial in times of troubles and afflictions as a good Conscience It is that which the Preacher saith of Money Eccles 10. 19. Money answereth all things What ever it is that a man desireth if it be to be got Money will procure it for him Money is the Monarch of the world and therein bears most Mastery Of Antipater it is said He was a well moneyed man and therefore a very mighty man We may truly say the same of a good conscience A good Conscience answereth all things What winds can arise to trouble a Christian which a good conscience cannot alay A good conscience will turn the waters of Marah into Wine I wonder not that St. Paul could sing when he was in prison and had his feet in the Stocks Act. 16. 24 25 v. When he was one that could truly say it I have lived in all good conscience to this day Act. 23. 1. Premat Corpus fremat Diabolus turbat Mundus ille semper securus Let Men the World and the Divels do their worst they can never hurt him that hath a good Conscience Though a Christian meet with a storm abroad yet a good conscience makes a calm within It makes a Christian like Noah medijs tranquillus in undis quiet in the middest of greatest cumbustions It will bear out a Christian against the King of terrors it will help a Christian to look Death in the face with boldness I have read of one who a little before his departure out of the world spake these words My friends I now find it true indeed he that leaveth all to follow Christ shall have in this world Centuplum a hundred fold I have I have I have that Centuplum peace of Conscience with me at parting A man of a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly as the Apostle St. Paul says of himself Heb. 13. 18. v. We trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Such a one he liveth and dyeth in peace Peter in the prison sleeps sweetly though laden with chains and for ought he knew to dye the next day A good conscience is a continual feast it hath the sweetest relish but most of all does the sweet relish of a good conscience refresh a dying Christian It was Hezekiah his great comfort in his sickness and apprehentions of death 2 King 20. 3. v. I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight A good Conscience will stand us in stead at the day of Judgment when the whole world shall be burnt before us when the day of God's wrath against wicked and impenitent sinners shall be come A good conscience will make a man hold up his head in Judgment when a world of wicked ones shall be confounded How should what hath been said cause us to labor for these Eternal good things viz. Grace God who is the God of all Grace Jesus Christ who is the author and giver of Grace the blessed spirit of God that is the spirit of grace and a good Conscience that is the Consequent of Grace since hereby we are made good here being made good here we may be assure to be happy hereafter One being asked whether he would rather be Socrates or Craesus the one an industrious and laborious Philosopher the other a man flowing in all abundance answered That for this life he would be Craesus but for the life to come Socrates thereby shewing that in this life rich men are accounted happy men but hereafter none but good men will be found to be the happy men none but they who are made good here shall be happy hereafter 2. I have done with the first of the two particulars propounded to shew that Eternal good things are the best of good things viz. Because only Eternal good things make those who injoy them good The second follows because only Eternal good things will do
us good then when other good things will do us no good Eternal good things will stand us in stead when other good things will stand us in no stead To injoy an interest in such things as have been named and to be assured of what is afterwards to be injoyed in Heaven will stand a Christian in stead in what ever condition a good man can be cast into when as all that the world affords will not do the wicked man any good in such conditions as God will cast them into 1. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead when his Conscience is distressed with the sight of his sins and the apprehension of God's wrath due for sin 2. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead in the day of death 3. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead in the Grave 4. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead at the day of Judgment 5. They will do him no good nor stand him in any stead in Hell when he there shall lye under Eternal Torments I begin with the first of these five 1. Temporal good things will do those who injoy them no good when their Consciences are distressed with the sight of their sins and the apprehension of God's wrath due for sin A time of all other times wherein a Christian needs consolation and refreshment but these things are not able to afford any refreshment When a man is terrified with the threatnings of the Law vexed with the inward accusations of his own Conscience and affrighted with the apprehension of God's deserved wrath what will it avail to live flourishingly in Prosperity to sit in the feat of Honor to be advanced to the greatest Preferments to have multiplyed treasure as the sand of the Sea to have full Barns and rich Chests and to be as great in Dominions as Cyrus and as wealthy as Solomon All these things as they cannot give ease in the midst of a Fever or tortures of the Gout oâ— Stone so neither can they comfort a man when God opens the mouth of conscience and amazes him with the sight of his sins calling to his mind the history of his life and makes him to have some glimpses and pre-occupations of Hell when he lies under the phrensy of Cain the despair of Judas the madness of Achitophel the tremblings of Felix then the whole Earth though changed into a Globe of Gold or Center of Diamond will do no good will stand in no stead Then all the Riches of Craesus all the Empires of Alexander nor the Hundred twenty and seven Provinces of Ahasuerus will procure no ease no peace in the conscience Had a man all the Kingdoms of the world and the Glory of them yet could they not purchase the least dram of Spiritual Comfort the lifting up of God's countenance or an assurance of God's favor t is Faith not Wealth t is somwhat inward and spiritual not any thing external and accidental that will then give ease Then inward peace is more esteemed tâ—an outward plenty As when David said to Ziba 2 Sam. 16. 4. v. Behold thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth And Ziba said I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight my Lord O King as who should say I had â—ather have the King's favor then the Lands The King's favor will do me more good then all Mephibosheth's Lands or goods Inward consolation and assurance of Salvation at this season will do more good and stand in more stead then the whole world and all the things of the world that will indure but for a season 2. Temporal good things will do those who injoy them no good in the day of death They will do them no good nor stand them in any stead in those last Dreadful pangs when they lye gasping for breath upon a dying Bed and must now pass tâ—rough the valley and shadow of Death they will do them no good nor stand them in any stead when they must shooâ— the vast Gulf and lanch out into the Infinite Ocean of Eternity Solomon tells us That Riches yea whole Treasures do not profit in the day of death Pro. 11. 4. and chap. 10. 2. v. A speech worth our consideration for we have it repeated by two Prophets after him Ezekiel 7. 19. Zeph. 1. 18. They say there stands a Globe of the World at one of the Libraries in Dublin and a Skeleton of a Man at the other we need not says my Author study long in this Library to learn a good lesson though a man were Lord of all that he sees in the Map of the World yet he must dye and become himself a map of Mortality and when he dyes the whole world though he injoyed it would do him no good in that last and sorest conflict They will not keep off death nor bribe that grim Sergeant no not for one day not for one hour Henry Beauford that rich and wretched Cardinal Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England in the reign of Henry the 6th when he perceived that he must dye and that there was no remedy murmured at Death that his Riches could not reprieve him till a further time for he asked wherefore should I dye being so rich If the whole Realm would save my life I am able by policy to get it or by riches to buy it Fye quoth he wiâ—l not death be hired will Money do nothing No Christians here money will do nothing here money can do nothing when the poor sinner shall be left to wrestle with the accusations of his Conscience terrors of Death and fierce oppositions of Hell and the Divel Then all Temporal good things will serve the most greedy ingrossers thereof as the friends and subjects of our Edward the 3d. served him at his Death At the time of his death all of all sorts forsook him only one Priest is said to stay with him when he gave up the Ghost Or as Absolom's Mule served him which went away when his head was fast in the great Oak and so left him in his greatest extremity In like manner will Wealth and all worldly felicities deal with men upon their Dying-beds leave them in their greatest extremity to the fury of a guilty conscience which like the Priest with Edward the 3d. stayed when every one left him for their cursed laboring more for that meat which perisheth then for that meat which indureth to Eternal life As I have read of one who when he lay upon his sick-bed called for his baggs and laid a bagg of Gold to his heart and then bad them take it away saying it will not do it will not do Baggs of Gold will then afford no comfort to dying ones It is reported of Phillip the 3d. of Spain although it is said of him that his life was free from gross Evils yea so as he professed he would rather lose all his Kingdoms then offend
God knowingly But being in the Agony of Death and considering more throughly of his account he was to give to God fear struck into him and these words brake from him Oh would to God I had never reigned Oh that those years I have spent in my Kingdom I had lived a private life in the Wildreness Oh that I had lived a solitary life with God how more securely should I now have dyed how much more confidently should I have gone to the Throne of God What does all my glory profit me but that I have so much the more torment in my Death Christians experience the truth of what I am saying when you please When you hear of some such lying upon their Death-beds Go to such a one whilst he is gasping out his last breath and ask him What does the world do you good now do Riches profit you now do your great Possessions stand you in stead now does that which your cheifest labor and pains was laid forth upon do you good now Then you may expect to hear the words of a great Courtier who when he came to dye did most lamentable cry out Plus temporis operaeque se palatio quam Templo impendisse That he has spent more time in the Palace then in the Temple so they that they did all their life long spend more time and take more pains and labor for Temporal good things then for Eternal good things for Earth then Heaven but what they labored for so much does them but little nay no good now and makes them as he said have the more torment in their death O the Testimony of a Man's Conscience upon good grounds that he hath lived graciously been afraid of Sin walked according to the rule of Gods word labored cheifly not for perishing but Eternal good things will afford more joy and comfort in a dying hour then all the world can And I cannot think but that in cool blood not one amongst many that hunt after these things below so much but he will subscribe to the saying of the wise Man Pro. 10. 2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing but righteounsness delivereth from death from Death Eternal to be sure 3. Temporal good things will do those who injoy them no good in the Grave though they possessed whilst living all the Riches of the Indies yet when they dye they can carry nothing thereof with them Naked came I out of my Mothers Womb says Job and naked shall I return â—â—ither Job 1. 21. v. Job brought nothing with him when he came into the world and to be sure he should carry nothing with him out of the world Job's wealth and great substance could not descend into the Grave with him hereunto agrees that in Psal 49. 17. v. read the 16. v. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich when the glory of his House is increased 17. v. For when he dyeth he shall carry nothing away his glory shall not descend after him Though to gain these things here Men weary their bodies perplex their thoughts rack their consciences and indanger their Souls yet carry they nothing to the grave with them so saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 7. v. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we carry nothing out There is no man that is rich in the Grave more then another The King is as poor there as the basest Peasant in his Kingdom his Crown and Scepter his great State and glory follow him not thither no all differences end in the grave if we do search Graves and Sepulchers those chambers of Death we shall discover no difference amongst those bones we find there betwixt the Rich and the Poor the Master and the Servant the greatest Lord and the lowest Subject Sculls wear no wreaths or marks of Honor there Vetera fraugantur sepulchra ossa divitum agnoscas non opes Open the graves of rich men and see what is there you may find the Misers bones but not his riches Salandine that great Conquerour carryed nothing with him thither but his Winding sheet Alexander that would have been the greatest and richest Man in the world in the grave is lesser and poorer then the poorest man in the world It is remarkable what one reâ—ates concerning a Stone that was presented to Alexander the nature of it is said to be thus that being put into the one part of the ballance it weighed down whatever was put into the other part of it but if a little Dust were cast uâ—on the Sâ—â—â—e then eâ—ery thing weighed down the stone and he that brought the stone being asked what he meant by it he answered O Alexander thou art this Stone thou whilst thou livest doest weigh down all that are against thee and treadest down all before thee but when thou comest to dye and there is a little Dust thrown upon thee then every man will outweigh thee and then thou wilt be less then any man in the world Then his conquered Kingdoms then his large Dominions and great Treasures would not do him any good It was but a foolish action of one that I have read of and bespoke him to have an heart wholly taken up with the things of this world that being near death clapt a twenty shillings piece of Gold into his mouth saying Some wiser then some I 'll take this with me however 4. Temporal good things will do those who injoy them no good at the day of Judgment Where Luk. 21. 27. v. They shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory having Math. 25. 31. v. all his Angels with him Being ordained of God to be the Judg of quick and dead Act. 10. 42. v. For he hath appointed a day in the which he will judg the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the Dead Act. 17. 31. v. And can I name the day of Judgment without putting all that hereof into a shaking fit of an Ague without causing their thoughts to be troubled the joynts of their Loyns to be loosed and their knees to smite one against another as Belshazzar's did at the sight of the hand writing upon the wall Dan. 5. 6. v. and without causing them to tremble as Felix did when he heard of the Judgment to come Act. 24. 25. v. Or as the people of Israel did at the giving of the Law with thundring in the Mount Exod. 9. Then those men that here could never be contented with their condition but would be higher and higher richer and richer greater and greater laboring only for Temporal good things but neglecting Eternal good things will wish they might be turned into beasts or birds or stones or trees or air or any other thing yea Nothing rather then be brought before the Judg at that great Assize held not for a particular County or Kingdom but for the whole World to hear
that dreadful sentence of Damnation Matth. 25. 41. v. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels At the hearing whereof no tongue can tell nor heart can conceive what rage of guilty consciences what furious despair what horror of mind what distractions and fears will seize upon such men what gnashing of teeth what wailing and wringing of hands will be then Then both small and great shall stand before God Rev. 20. 12. v. But the distinction then will be good and bad not small and great for then all Civil differences will vanish and Moral only take place The differences of high and low rich and poor small and great are only calculated for this present life and cannot out-live time The grave and the Judgment Seat put no difference between Monarchs and Vassals and there will be no Crowns worn that day but Crowns of Righteousness no Robes in fashion then but those that have been washed in the blood of Christ That which Pelicane a German Divine said upon his Death-bed concerning his Learning may be said of all wordly greatness riches honor and pomp here however doted upon When I appear before God says he I shall not appear as a Doctor but as an ordinary Christian None shall appear then as Lords and Ladies as persons of so many hundreds or so many thousands by the year but as ordinary men and women Titles of honor and great Revenues will stand them in no stead where such Eternal good things as are before mentioned shall be found wanting Then they that have been high and mighty Emperors as well as the poorest Out-casts the talest Caeders and stoutest Oaks as well as the lowest Shrubbs naked of these things will be rejected then Majesty that never had any thing more then worldly Greatness shall lye and lick the dust of the feet of Christ the Sword men and Emperors the Alexanders and Caesars who once made Nations to tremble shall themselves tremble before Christ when they shall be examined not what Temporal good things they contended for but what Eternal good things they gained not what worldly Kingdoms and Territories they conquered but whether they first sought the Kingdom of God and his righteousnâ—sâ— Then the great Judg of the World will nâ—â— inquire how honorable any have been amongst mâ—n â—ut how they have honored him who caused them to be so much honored Then it will not be regarded how many caps and knees any haâ—e had in the world from Inferiors but how oft and how zealously they have humbled their souls and bowed the knees of their hearts in praying unto God for his mercies wanting and in praisiâ—g him for his mercies received Then no man will be respected for the riches which they have had in the world but for what spiritual riches of sanctifying grace they have had The Judg of the whole World will not regard how rich men have been in Lands but in holyness of life not for what they have had laid up in their Chests but in their Consciences neither shall those who here hunted after worldly gain be respected because they seized on their prey But Pro. 21. 21. v. he that hath followed after righteousness and mercy shall find life righteousness and glory Temporal things now many times procure men to be set at the upper end of the World but at this day which is coming all mankind shall be summoned naked without any respect to what they either have been or have had in this world when the Crowns of Kings when the Robes of Princes when the Gallants bravery shall be laid aside and all men shall be reduced to an equal plea and without respect of persons shall be doomed according to their works 2 Cor. 5. 10. v. For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad No hopes of bribing of the Judg he will not be byassed by favor nor acquit any who is in truth saulty or inwardly unsound Alas many have here passed for good men and none but good men will there find favor that there will find the Hypocrisie of their hearts discovered and themselves condemned It is written as the cause of Bruno his more strickt religious course That a Doctor of great note for Learning and Godliness being dead and being brought to the Church to be buried whilst they were reading the Office for the burial of the Dead and came to those words Responde mihi the Corps arose in the Bier and with a terrible voice cryed out Justo Dei Judicio accusatus sum I am accused at the just Judgment of God at which voice the people ran all out of the Church afrighted On the morrow when they came again to perform the Obsequies at the same words as before the corps arose again and cryed with an hideous voice Justo Dei Judicio judicatus sum I am judged at the righteous Judgment of God whereupon tâ—e people ran away again amazed The third day almost all the City came together and when they came to the same words as before the Corps rose again and cryed with a more doleful voice than before Justo Dei judicio condemnatus sum I am condemned at the just Judgment of God The consideration whereof that a man reputed so upright should yet by his own confession be damned caused Bruno and the rest of his companions to enter into the strickt order of the Carthusians If men that have passed for good men here but were not good shall be accused judged and condemned then what shall become of those who had not so much as the outward face of goodness of men that all their life long neglected even the externals of Religion and only gave themselves to look after the present world however they may for many years together flourish in the pomp and splendor of an outward Estate yet then their faces will gather blackness finding themselves to become the scorn of God Angels and Saints The sins of men whereby they have all their lives provoked God will lye down with them in the grave follow them into another meet them at Christ's Barr to further their Damnation but their riches will neither lye down with them in the grave follow them into another world nor meet them at Christ's Barr to do them any good or stand them in any stead to further their Salvation 5. Temporâ—d good things will do those who injoy them no good in Hell under the everlasting torments there when for want of having gained Eternal good things they suffer the vengeance of Eternal fire Can the greatest Possessors of the world carry any thing thereof with them into Hell to bribe the Flames or corrupt their Tormentor Or will a whole world yea will Ten thousand worlds comfort them through a miserable Eternity What comfort will it be in Hell to remember that they
begin his happyness and feoffe him in that glory which he cannot but for ever injoy This made holy Basil so resolute in his answer to Modestus the Emperor's Lieutenant when he threatened him with death Death saith he is a benefit to me it will send me sooner to God to whom I live to whom I desire to hasten This made that noble army of Martyrs mentioned in Ecclesiactical History such Lambs in suffering that their persecutors were more weary with striking then they with suffering This made them slight the sentence of death go cheerfully to the stake and leap into beds of Flames as if they had been beds of Down and to suffer the most exquisite deaths and torments that ever the wit or malice of men or divels could invent or inflict upon them 3. Eternal good things will do a Christian good and stand him in stead when he shall be brought to stand at Christ's tribunal in the day of Judgment when all the world shall be on fire about his ears and all earthly glory shall be consumed yet our Saviour encourages such then to look up and lift up their heads for their redemption draweth nigh Luk. 21. 28. v. We have seen the man injoying Eternal good things upon his death-bed not shrinking or trembling at death sed post hoc judicium but after this the Judgment Heb. 9. 27. v. whither if we follow him though he stands at Christ's barr yet not fettered in chains like a Malefactor expecting a dreadful Sentence neither trembling at Judgment to come as Felix when he was a Judg upon the bench did when he heard St. Paul preach of Judgment to come The Epicures Atheists and those debauched ones that now Hector it out so stoutly in the world and brave it in a way of all manner of Voluptuousness both in despite of God and men these would be glad if death were ultima linea rerum the last line of all things that when they dye and lye down in their graves there might be no Resurrection As Solomon calls the Grave a long home Eccles 12. 5. v. they could wish it were rather an everlasting home and that the grave might never give up her dead Rev. 20. 13. v. But as death is a sleep so it might be an Eternal sleep that there never might be any more Evigilation or waking out of sleep It would please them to hear the grave called Invium retrò sepulchrum a place that had no regress thence and they could wish from their hearts the doctrine of the Saduces against the Gospel were as true as the Doctrine of Jesus Christ in the Gospel Jesus Christ in the Gospel tells us both of a day of Resurrection and a day of Judgment but the Saduces teach that there is no Resurrection no Judgment nor Judg as these wish there were not so dreadful are the thoughts of that day unto wicked men This day will be the greatest for terror to those who never possessed more then this world but the greatest for joy to those who not contented with this world had their hearts taken up with the great things of another world When the greatest part of the world shall be sent trembling to Hell being doomed to everlasting Flames and for ever to remain in the same condition of the Divels themselves then they shall go triumphingly to Heaven be actually stated in an everlasting happy condition and for ever delivered from their fears and doubts of Salvation which all their lives-time were a grievous burthen unto them Terrible will this last day be to all those who never looked after providing for the Soul's welfare but it will be a joyful day to those who have laid up treasures in Heaven whither both Soul and body those two old companions are joyfully hastening together Happy Christians are they who in this day of Grace the only time men have to provide for their Eternal Condition have gotten their souls stored with Grace those who now have their souls made gracious shall then have both their souls and bodies made glorious Time was when sin had changed their souls from their Original beauty and glory had changed them from their primitive excellency and holyness their natures were then altogether sinful but at their conversion Nature was turned into Grace and now at their Resurrection unto Judgment those who had here gracious souls will then have as glorious souls so glorious bodies Then their souls shall be wholly freed from all sins and corruptions and brought to their primitive beauty and comliness and their bodies from mortality and all sinful uncleanness that they may by Christ be fashioned like unto his glorious body It was a rare saying of holy Bernard and worthy to be written in letters of Gold says he Christ hath a double coming He comes now by his Ministers to make his peoples souls gracious and at the day of Judgment he will come in his own person to make their bodies glorious those that have gracious Souls now shall have glorious bodies then even bodies conformable to the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3. 21. v. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body like unto the Sun-like resplendent body of Christ Their corruptible bodies shall be changed and be made incorruptible their natural bodies shall be changed and be made spiritual bodies their mortal bodies shall be changed and be made immortal bodies 1 Cor. 15. 42 43 44. 53. v. Behold says St. Paul I shew you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15. 51. v. speaking there of the last day Indeed the Apostle was already changed and the Corinthians were already changed if we consider what St Paul and the Corinthians once were they will appear to have been changed Nature in them was already changed into Grace but the change he speaks of which should be at the day of Judgment is this Grace should then be turned into glory Their gracious souls should be made glorious souls and their vile bodies should be made glorious bodies As the Inhabitants of Samaria once said Isay 9. 10. v. The Sycomores are cut down but we will change them into Cedars the Sycomore is but a mean despicable tree to the Cedar the bodies of the best are but vile and despicable bodies now but at the day of Judgment they shall be changed into glorious bodies In that glorious morning when Christ shall come to Judgment every one that hath gotten grace here shall put on a new fresh suit of flesh richly laid and trimmed with glory says an ingenious person So much good will Grace do us then and stand us in stead then Then to have an interest in God the God of all grace will also do us good and stand us in stead then those who have gotten God for to be their God in Covenant with them will find their interest in God to do them good though God will then be a
be our Judg he that redeemed regenerated sanctified and justified us is to be our Judg he that hath loved us he that hath interceded for us with the Father he that hath united us to himself and hath made us one with himself is to be our Judg. And will not Jesus Christ now stand his people in good stead see Rom. 8. 1. v. Such shall never be judged to condemnation For there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Jesus Christ who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit they shall then hear no other proclamations but of blessings peace and glory no other sentence but of absolution Christ hath verily told us John 5. 24. v. Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life John 3. 36. v. He that believeth in the Son hath Eternal life Hath Eternal life how 1. In promissis in promises thereof 1 Joh. 5. 25. v. And this is the promise that he hath promised us Eternal life 2. In principijs in the beginnings of it Eternal life is begâ—n here John 17. 3. v. And this is life Eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent This is life Eternal that is T is the beginning of life Eternal the full injoyment of which life is hereafter to be had 3. In primitijs in the earnests first fruits and handsel of it in those clusters of grapes and bunches of figgs those graces of Christ's spirit they are called by Saint Paul Rom. 8. 23. v. The first fruits of the Spirit 4. In capite Christ as a believer's head already injoys it and so a believer hath it in a begun possession Upon Earth Christ was his surety to answer the penalty of his sin and in Heaven he is now his advocate to take seisin and possession of Eternal life So that Jesus Christ then will not sentence them to Eternal death who are so many ways interested in Eternal life he will not cast any of his members nor any branches growing in him into Eternal fire none of these shall be made everlasting fuel for Eternal flames But yet this should not incourage any one in the way of Licentious living no the thoughts of the day of Judgment should call upon every one to keep a good Conscience and to walk unblamably all the days of their lives both before God and Man This is a duty that St. Paul lays down from this doctrine of the day of Judgment Act. 24. 15 16. v. First the Apostle lays down the Doctrine of Christ's coming to Judgment That there shall be a Resurrection both of the Dead both of the just of the unjust as if he had said All men shall appear at Christ's Tribunal in the last day And what follows Herein do I exercise my self to keep a good Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards Man The thoughts of this that the just must arise and be judged by Jesus Christ as well as the unjust this was an inducement upon St. Paul's heart that he should labor to keep his Conscience void of all offence both towards God and Men. Unto this of St. Paul let me add another place out of St. Peter The Apostle having shewed That the day of the Lord will come as a theif in the night in the which the Heavens will pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt 2 Pet. 3. 10. v. addeth in the 11. v. Seeing you look for such things as these and that all these things shall be dissolved What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and Godlyness The Apostle here would infer from Christ's appearing in Judgment and the dissolution of the Heavens and all things at the last day That they should be â—areful to spend their days in all manner of Piety and to keep their Consciences free from Sin St. Augustine tells of himself that as long as his Conscience was gnawed with the guilt of some youthful lust he was once insnared with the very hearing of the day of Judgment was even an Hell to him Conscience will then go with men to Judgment but they who have their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience will hold up their heads in judgment and not fear when the rest of the world shall be full of fear nay when the whole world shall be in an aproar and shall see the Earth flaming the Heavens melting the Judg arrayed with Majesty and attended with all his holy Angels sitting on his Throne of Glory like the fiery flame Dan. 7. 9. v. and all souls fetched from Heaven and Hell to be re-united to their bodies when dreadful souls must leave their place of terror and once more to be re-united to their stinking Carions to receive a greater condemnation and blessed souls now in their place of happiness once more to be re-united to their then refined and glorified bodys to receive Eternal glorification Happy we if here we find our souls changed by Grace in Covenant with God united to Christ and do exercise our selves to have always a good Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man Then may I say as St. John does 1 John 3. 2. Now we are the sons of God but it doth not appear yet what we shall be but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Read those words of the same Apostle in the former Chapter 1 Joh. 2. 28. v. And now little children abide in him In Christ your dear and ever blessed Saviour that when he shall appear in Judgment ye may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Fear thou not O Christian who hast labored for and possessed thy self of Eternal good things which are the Best of good things such things that will make thee good and do thee good when all Temporal good things will do thee no good But go thou thy way until the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at the end of the days Dan 12. 13. v. Go on in the way and course of thy life that yet remaineth be contented whatever condition thou beest cast into prepare for thâ— end of thy life so that thou mayst end it comfortably and go to thy g 〈…〉 e in peace and stand up at the general r 〈…〉 ecâ—ion of the Dead when Christ shall come to Juâ—gment in thy lot of Coelestial Inheritances and heavenly glory prepared and allotted to thee and all laborious Christians at the end of the world for the days of Eternity For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the Dead in Christ
like flowers that have only their months but end with the Spring or Summer like Grass which in the morning flourisheth and groweth up but in the evening is cut down and withered like Nosegays now iâ— the bosom by and by in the besom like so many bubles in the waâ—er which burst of themselves as so many Spiâ—eâ—s-webs that are easily torn in pieces like wandring Sirds which look upon us from a bough of some tree making us a little chirping musick and then fly away How many examples are there in the world of withered and blasted estates How many persons do we read and hear of that have supposed their mountain so strong that they should never be moved yet they have been stript of all before they dyed and have become as poor as Job as we say How many that for a long time together never saw one day of Sorrow but had the patient providence of God resting with all favor and success upon their Tabernacle and were invested with great Lordships and possessions but have brought all to a morsel and have dyed wanting How many who were once well fed and warm clad have soon changed their pastures and their cups which did once run over with Wine have been filled with the waters of Marah and they put into the poor man's dress Let men possess never so much of these Temporal good things yet they have no Charter for what they injoy They who are now full and abound with all things to make their lives comfortable may â—â— many ways brought to poverty Ruth 1. 21. v. says she there I went out full and the Lord hath brought me again empty As one says Dies hora momentum evertendis Dominationibus sufficit quae adamantinis credebantur radicibusâ—esse fundatae A day an hour a moment is enough to overturn the things that seemed to have been founded and rooted in Adamant and to make them perish O that those men who are so greedily set to gain the world and nothing else but the world and the things of the world are in their thoughts and have their hearts and affections for these they toyl labor and take pains day and night never minding what will be fall their souls and yet they see what the things are they so much labor for poor trifles the very best are if compared to the Soul the soul that must abide for ever and yet these things that are but perishing things and they have no assurance to injoy them one hour to an end take up all their time and labor and pains Such men put me in mind of what is reported of a Woman who had her house on fire that she was very busy and spent her time and took great pains about saving and gathering up many â—â—ifling things and in the mean time had a child in the Cradle and forgot that now when the poor Woman came to take a view of what she had gathered up she saw but a few trifling things but when her child came into her mind imagining that her child had been burnt though it was saved she ran mad to consider that she should be so foolish as to mind things of no concernment and to forget her child So will it grate upon the Consciences of thousands to all Eternity when they shall remember they labored all their life for such things as perish with their using but neglected what should have done their souls good to Eternity But those things we should cheifly labor for are Eternal and everlasting good things As indeed all the things of Heaven are Eternal and everlasting and as far from dimiâ—ution and decay as the soul from death and can be no more corrupted or shaken then the seat and omnipotency of God surprized How many Scriptures bring this Olive branch in their mouth and assure believers that all the things of Heaven are Eternal which truth is the flower of all our joy Take this brief account of Heavens Eternal good things 1. That Glory in Heaven is Eternal Glory 2. That life which is to be had in Heaven is Eternal life 3. That Joy which is to be had in Heaven is Eternal joy 4. That Inheritance which is to be had in Heaven is an Eternal Inheritance 5. The kingdom of Heaven is an Eternal kinddom 6. The Crown worn in Heaven is an Eternal Crown 7. The house or habitation prepared in Heaven is an Eternal habitation 1. The Glory in Heaven is Eternal glory Our blessed Saviour is ascended up into Heaven and there is made partaker of this glory but he will have all those who are his to fare as he himself fares they shall all of them be dwellers in glory with him See John 17. 22 23 24. v. The Glory which thou gavest me I have given them viz. those whom God had given him v. 6. that they may be one even as we are one I â—â— them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me When David was sent by God to Hebron to be crowned he will not up alone but takes with him all his men with all their housholds they shall have a part with him So Jesus Christ will not be happy alone will not live in glory alone as a loving Husband he cannot injoy any thing if his wife and children have not a part with him so Jesus Christ will have all his in glory with him to see his glory and as I have already shewed to be glorifyed with him and this glory wherewith they shall be gloryfied is an everlasting glory t is no glory that is transient or that will ever end but t is Eternal glory It is Excellentis gloriae pondus aeternum 2 Cor. 7. 4. 17. v. where the Apostle speaks of an Eternal weight of glory And St. Peter speaks De aeterna gloria in Christâ— Jesu Of Eternal glory by Christ Jesus 2. That life which is to be had in Heaven is Eternal life It is not a life of threescore years and ten or fourscore years as our lives in the world are which are soon cut off and flie away Psal 90. 10. v. A longer life then that which is promised in the last verse of the very next Psalm Psal 91. 16. v. With long life will I satisfy him the word Long is too short to set out to us this life Old Parr's life was a long life and the life of Johannes de temporibus was a long life for he lived in sundry Centuries and filled up Three hundred threescore and one years Adam his life was a longe life and Methusalah ' life was a longer life but this is an everlasting life Alas our life here on earth is but a short life every day the thread of mens lives are
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
desiderant sine anxitate desiderant sine fastidio satiantur â—n heaven they always behold God's presence and â—till they desire to behold it and yet without anxiety they are satisfied with God's presence and without saâ—iety We read of some Kings that have been weary of their Crowns and Kingdoms and have therefore laid aside their Crowns and yielded up their Kingdoms unto others 5. Our labor and pains ought cheifly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things Because Eternal good things are the only satisfying good things Verily when a man can pull the Sun Moon and Stars from the Heavens and fix them in his house when he can sow Grace in the furrows of his field when he can fill his barns with glory when he can get baggs full of Salvation when he can plow up heaven out of the earth and extract God out of the creatures then he may be able to find that in Temporal things which shall satisfy his desires A covetous man may have his house full of Money but he can never have his heart full of money An ambitious man may have Titles enough to overcharge â—his memory but never to fill his pride A voluptuous man may spend whole weeks nay years in carnal pleasures and delights and yet never be satisfied therewith but is ever thirsting after new invented delights and pleasures like Nero that wicked Emperor who had an Officer about him that was called Arbiter Neroâ—nianâ— libidiniâ— The Inventer and Contriver of new ways of uncleaness Sooner will Stygian darkness blend with light the Frost with Fire or Day with Night then these things below satisfy the hearts of men As all the rivers run into the Sea yet the Sea is not full nor does it for all that flow its banks Eccles 1. 7. v. So though all the golden streams of the world should run into the hearts of men yet would they not be filled which was long since observed by Solomon Eccles 5. 10. v. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase Agur mentions four unsatiable things in Pro. 30. 15 16. v. There are three things that are never satisfied yea four things say not It is enough The Grave and the barren Womb the Earth that is not filled with Water and the fire that saith not It is enough Such an unsatiable thing also is the heart of Man this also saith not It is enough So inordinate are the appetites and desires of men after these things Non plus satiatur cor auro quam corpus aura As Aiâ— fills not the body so neither doth money the mind A Man may as soon fill a Chest with grace as satisfy an heart with wealth Wherefore saith the Prophet Isaiah 55. 2. v. Do you spend money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which satisfieth not This very consideration should take off our immoderate love and labor from the things of the world because there is not any sweet juice of satisfaction in them As it is reported of a great School-man Quod a studijs Scholasticae theologiae averteretur ferè nause abundus quoniam succo carebant liquidae pietatis He turned with loathing from the study of School-divinity because it wanted the sweet juice of Piety The sweet juice of what we labor for it is satisfaction and content but this we see is altogether wanting in Temporal good things But Eternal good things are satisfying good things here all the earth would not satisfy one man hereafter one Heaven will be enough for all men Herein lies one of the excellencies of the heavenly Inheritance Non augustior multitudine haeredum the portions of those that possess it are not scanted by reason of the number and multitude of co-heirs In the 23 of St. Luke you have a Theif condemned crucifyed and hanging upon a cross an â—ngine and rack of most grievous torture for spinning out of pain and slowing of death and what desires he To be remembred of Christ He beggs not life nor pleasure nor riches nor honor or any other Temporal good things no there was one thing more necessary one thing more satisfactory Give him Heaven he cares for nothing more give him but an Eternal inheritance in Paradise and his desires are satisfied Let the Executioners now rack him tear him break all his bones and pull him into atomes if Christ will do so much for him as to remember him in his Kingdom he is satisfied Let him but hear of being with Christ in Paradise he desires no other news he is satisfied he hath enough And Christ answers his expectation for at vers 43. he tells him To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Paradise was however now defaced the sweetest and goodliest place upon earth a Demesne sutable for the greatest Prince then on earth renowned for many things for all sorts of trees such as were both pleasant to the sight and good for food there growed the tree of Life and the â—ree of knowledg of Good and Evil and for that famous four-brancht River that watered the place In a word nothing was wanting which might be either for Ornament use or delight or which might make Man as happy as he would be for God loves to see his creatures happy And as Man was the Image of God so was this earthly Paradise an image of heaven but both the images are defaced the image of God in Man and the image of Heaven in Paradise yet the first patterns they are both Eternal and in Heaven are such things that Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entered into the heart of man 1. Cor. 2. 9. v. There that chosen Vessel was in the Spirit and heard and saw so much that could noâ— be expressed 2 Cor. 12. 2. v. for indeed it is as easy to compass the Heavens with a span or contain the Sea in a Nut-shell as to relate what things are in the heavenly Paradise St. John adds the name of God to it and calls it the Paradise of God Rev. 2. 7. v. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God The adding of the name of God here doth not only pâ—â— a difference between the heavenly Paradise and Adam's earthly Paradise but also sheweth it to be a great and most excellent place and enough there is iâ— it to satisfy all those who possess it There is enough in God to satisfy all that have aâ— interest in him It is a notable speech to this purpose that of Jacob when his brother Esau met him ye find Gen. 33. 8. v. That Esau he refused Jacob's present and told Jacob he had enough What meanest thou by all this drove which I met and he Jacob said these are to find grace in the sight of my Lord In the next verse says Esau I have enough At the 11. v. Jacob urges it
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
that they will not only conform to â—he sinful lusts and pleasures of the World but they so idolize Temporal things that they place their onely and chiefest happiness in the enjoyment of the World they terminate their happiness here Though a man may as well think to extract Oil out of a flint or fire out of water as happiness out of these Temporal and terrestrial things To seek for happiness in any thing below is to seek for the living among the dead 3. Reas Because these temporal things being near at hand do dazâ—le the mind and distract the Judgments of men The sight that now the best here below have of those Eternal good things in Hâ—eaven is but weak dark and obscure for saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 12. v. Now we see through a Glass darkly And again Now I know in part If Saint Paul and other enlightned ones see but darkly and in part surely Children of darkness see nothing at all If the vigourous and sparkling eyes of Heavens darlings see no clearer the blind and bleer eyes of others behold nothing The Saints see a great deal yet nothing to what they shall see in Heaven where the illustrious beauty of Eternal good things shall be displayed in a most glorious Emphasis and they have their eyes fixed upon them through all Eternity An Eagle-eyed Christian by the eye of Faith beholding the beauty of these things sees a great deal of excellency and worth in them why they should be laboured for and the oftner he looks thereon the more he is enamoured therewith and he is made restless until he enjoys them As it is said of Apelles that by his often beholding and looking on the Woman whose picture he was drawing though at first he minded his Art only yet secretly love did creep into his affection at the same time which made him languish away till Alexander helped her to him as his wife so 't is with a Believer his heart pants after these things as the Hart pants after the water brooks and his Soul even languisheth away till God help him to possess them as his own But now a generation of men having no other but sensual eyes which serve only to behold Objects near hand not Objects at a great distance they apprehend nothing in these Eternal things to affect them withal and therefore do they acknowledge nothing in them to make them desirable or worth taking pains for I remember what I have read of Nicostratus who being himself a cunning Work-man he finding a curious piece of work and being wondred at by one and asked what pleasure he could take to stand as he did still gazing on the picture answered Hadst thou mine eyes my Friend thou wouldst not wonder but rather be ravished as I am at the inimitable art of this rare and admired piece Had these men the eyes of Faith to behold things within the vail to see the Sun-like resplendent Body of Christ there to look upon our Jehovah's face there and the glory of all crowned Martyrs and other the glorious Inhabitants of that happy place surely things below would not dazâ—le their eyes so much as they do they would rather be looked upon as so much dung and dross in comparison of these but though they are sharp-sighted into things of Earth yet are they blinder then a Mole in beholding any Spiritual or Celestial beauty As Moses did Heb. 11. 27. v. so other of the Saints do see him who is invisible but these see nothing but what is visible They have no other but bodily eyes to see with and so God cannot be seen 2 Tim. 6. 16. v. Whom no man hath seen nor can see And having no other but bodily eyes it is no wonder if things as far off as Heaven do seem very small and little unto them and those things which are nearer unto them seem of a greater magnitude It is here as it is with many ignorant men who standing here below and looking upon the Sun Moon and Stars in Heaven whereof the first and several of the last are many times bigger then the Earth yet by such ignorant People the Stars are judged to be only pretty little golden spots of the breadth of a peâ—ny or of a man's finger and the Sun or Moon not broader then a bushel or a Cart-wheel The reason of this mistake is this these Heavenly luminaries are at a great distance from them from the Earth to the Starry Heaven Astrologers have made it sixteen millions three hundred thirty-eight thousands five hundred sixty two miles and such ignorant Persons will not allow for the distance and so are not able to judge thereof So it is here with carnal ignorant ones the things of Heaven are now accounted but small because of their distance though in themselves great but Earthly things are accounted great because of their nearness though in themselves small Now as Eve's looking upon the Tree of knowledge did her much prejudice she was thereby tempted to eat thereof and thereby lost an Earthly and hazarded an Heavenly Paradise So to men looking upon such things as the Temporal good things of this life are with no other eye then that of sense their eyes are dazled with the splendour of them and they seem great and do them a great deal of prejudice they make thousands not to hazard only but even to lose an Heavenly Paradise whilst all their searchings and enquiries all their plottings and contrivings all their labour and pains are chiefly after them neglecting those Magnalia Aeternitatis those great things of Eternity Why do not men love those things more why do not men desire them more why do not men labour and take pains for them more The very reason is because they see them no clearer If men saw them clearer they would love them more If men saw them clearer they would desire them more If men saw them clearer they would labour for them more When Jacob had seen Rachel's beauty he loved her loving of her he desired to have her to be his Wife desiring her he laboured twice seven years to obtain her And though Lovers hours are full of Eternity yet his love towards her and his desire of her did facilitate his labour and made the time seem short But now Temporal things being near at hand and more clearly seen men who are devoid of Grace have their eyes dazled and their hearts bewitched therewith for the World is a bewitching thing and as one says the World at last day shall be burnt for a Witch Herewith the dâ—vâ—l who is daily trading with men for the Souls be witcheth millions The World is the greatest price that the Dâ—vâ—l hath to give for a Soul What else doth the Dâ—vâ—l use when he would be dealing with Christ As that which was the most forcible temptation he could use he offers him all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them he had been tampering with Christ before but
are those Eternal good things we were told of out of the Gospel here is that Eternal God that glorified Christ those beautious Mansions those Rivers of pleasures those joyes without end and Crown of Glory we heard of out of the Gospel that knowledge we had of them out of the Gospel was truth and that labour and pains we took to obtain them was not in vain Indeed not all that do pretend to know the excellency of these things do labour after them As Plutarch said of the Grecians they knew what was just but did it not So these know what things are Eternally good but they labour not after them The Devil no doubt hath a great deal of knowledge hereof he knows there is Eternal glory everlasting joy and pleasures for evermore in Heaven he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the great knowledge he hath but the Devil does not labour after them Hell is full of many knowing heads of men who once had knowledge to bespangle them but none to sanctifie them Of men who once had knowledge to enable them to dispute de caelo rebus aeternis but none to enable them to labour for Heaven and Eternal things Malâ—â—t disputare quam laborare they took more delight to dispute of them then to labour for them Of men who once had Metaphysica ingenia Metaphysical heads and much knowledge to write learned Exercitations de Deo of God but none to put them on to labour to get into Covenant with God and to have God for their God Of men who might have much knowledge to labour for the Philosophers Stone that Midas like they might turn all they touched into Gold but none to make them labour that their portion above all other portions might be God That had the World no other Bibles to teach it that these things were to be laboured for thâ—n the labour and pains these men took for them the World had not known there had been such a duty commanded Sapientes sapienter in infernum descendunt Even men furnished with great helps of such knowledge miscarry to all Eternity when others less knowing yet spiritually knowing and diligently labouring are happy to all Eternity Insurgunt indocti rapiunt caelum nos cum omnibus doctrinis detrudimur in gehennam said one Many learned and great knowing men can dispute of Religion and Heaven but others of less learning and knowledge labouring religiously for Heaven surprise it But without knowledge thereof and of the true way to obtain these things men can no more come to obtain them thâ—n Devils can that habitation which they once forsook Hosea 4. 6. v. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Why do none seek after God labouring to get God for their God St. Paul gives the reason Rom. 3. 11. v. There is none understandeth What follows There is none that seeketh after God None seek after God because none know or understand God It is true of all Eternal good things why do no more seek after them labouring to get them for their treasure because no more understand and know them and the excellency of them they have no Spiritual judgment in such things Ask many men why they do not such and such things why they take not such courses and wayes that might verily prove gainful and very advantageous unto them the answer usually given is this They have no understanding in such things they have no knowledge in such wayes and courses Which holds most of all true herein they know not Eternal good things they understand not the surpassing excellency of them and this is the reason they never look after them Here many men are like the Cock in the Fable they are not acquainted with such Jewels as God and Christ Grace and Glory are and so had rather have their Barley-corn then all such Jewels they had rather feed upon the Onions and flesh-pots of Egypt thâ—n labour to be fed with that meat which endureth unto Eternal life I will not ask you what Aristotle whom one calls Vltimus conatus Musarum as if Nature could not have sent forth a greater Artist or Plato what Tully or â—ato ever understood or knew any thing hereof or laboured for an interest herein they were Heathens and had no Scripture light no revealed light for even amongst our selves who are called Christians there are many enjoying this kind of light that yet know nothing of the excellency thereof How many such have a damnable ignorance covering the faces of their Souls as darkness did the deep at first they have a very Chaos in their Souls they are as it were shut up in a dark dungeon We have I fear many that are no more acquainted with the worth and excellency of such things then Heathens and Pagans no more then savage Indians or rude Barbarians As your Batts and Owls can see well enough in night but not in the day So we have millions that do frequent our Church Assemblies who though they have parts abilities and are of quick apprehensions and great knowledge in the things of darkness matters of sin and the world yet in the things of God and Heaven they are stark blind says the Apostle Paul of some of the Corinthians in his dayes 1 Cor. 15. 34. v. Some have not the knowledge of God I speak it to your shame The like may we say of many of our hearers there are many that have no knowledge of God of Justification Sanctification or Glorification we speak it to their shame and it ought to be to their grief In such things they are very Sots and know nothing they savour nothing but the things of the Earth they reâ—ish nothing but what flows from creature contentments they know nothing of Eternal excellencies all their knowledge lyes in Earthly things because Earthly things are all they mind Herein they are knowing men indeed herein they do abound with knowledge but it is with such a knowledge as like the Ostritches wings make them out-run others upon Earth and in Earthly things but help them never a whit towards Heaven And there are plenty of such dust-heaps in every corner but of persons knowing of and labouring after Eternal excellencies Hand facile invenies multis e milibus unum there is a very great scarcity These are as Gideon's tâ—ree hâ—ndred when the ignorant ones as the Medianites lye like Grashoppers for multitude upon the earth or as those Syrians 1 Kings 20. 27. v. they fill the Countrey they darken the Air as swarms of Flyes once did the Land of Egypt What Cicero says of thankful men may be said of the fewness of these knowing men Perraro grati reperiuntur It is hard to find a thankful man so is it hard to find men labouring chiefly for Eternal good things because it is also hard to find out men that know the excellency of them 6. Reas Because men do not as they ought work upon their hearts such Divine
Sarah come behind as an attendant they make Sarah to tend on Hagar the Mistress to wait upon the Hand-maid Like the Gadarens they prefer their Hogs before Christ. Or the Jews that preferred Barabbas before the Messiah With Esau they esteem more of a mess of Pottage then a birth-right They bestow most labour about that which God would have them to bestow least labour about and the least labour and pains about that which God would have them bestow most labour about I remember a pregnant Story of an ancient Father that being invited to a great Man's house coming there about ten a clock he saw the Mistriss of the house trimming and dressing her self in a glass and from ten until one he observed she spent that time in plaiting her hair painting her face and trimming her seâ—f at one a clock when she came to dâ—nner expecting nothing but mirth this ancient Father fell a weeping and being askt why he wept he turned himself to this Gentle-woman and said thus unto her I weep to see that you have spent three hours in dressing your self and doing other acts of pride to damn your Soul and yet I never spent so many hours to save my Soul since I was born We may make this the very case of many in the World whom in the Phrase of Habbakuk chap. 2. 13. v. we see to weary themselves for very vanity To work day and night and take indefatigable pains for a poor living and to scrape together a little more of the World then another doth but no pains at all for life Eternal and to get a better assurance of Eternal happiness then others do Herein more use the Counsel of the World than the Counsel of the Lord the words of Horace than the words of the Bible Hâ—â— Ep. 1. O Cives cives quaerenda pecuma pâ—imum est virtus post nummos First look after â—iches then vertue first after money then mercy first make sure of the Earth then of Heaven Most do as that â—â—â— said he would do if he should meet with an Angel and a Priest together he would first do his duty to the Priest and then afterwards salute the Angel though the Angel were an Inhabitant of Heaven and the Priest an Inhabitant of the Earth yet would he prefer the Earthly Inhabitant before the Heavenly Inhabitant he would salute and shew his respects to that before he would so much as take notice of or shew any respects unto this As the Poet reports of his Achilles that he had rather be a Servant to a poor Country Clown here thâ—n to be a King to all the Souls departed So these men had rather live here and posseâ—s what is only here to be possessed than leave the possessions of these things for a Crown not of Gold but glory in Heaven It was the saying of a Cardinal That he preferâ—ed his part in Paris before a part in Paradise And â—s wretched an expression was that of another worâ—dâ—y disposition Let but God give me enough of Earth â—nd I will never complain of the want of Heaven We do every where meet with such Cocks of the Worlds dunghil that prize a Barley-corn more than a Jewel who make it their work their business and their chiefest labour to fill their chests with money rather then their hearts with grace to gain great Inheritances here rather then to be Heirs to an Heavenly Inheritance hereafter As that man in his sickness cryed out to his Physician Give me any deformity any torment any misery so you spare my life So these in their hearts to God deny us grace deny us glory deny us Heaven and all Eternal good things so we may have our fill of the Earth and all Temporal good things Such men are like Children that are more taken up with counters than with future Crowns being as laborious as Bees for Earthly prosperity but as Drones for heavenly felicity having more of the Earth in them thâ—n there is of them in the Earth discovering thereby their hearts to be full of the Earth but to have nothing of God in them When the Devel tempted our blessed Saviour Matth. 4. 3. 5 8 9. v. he soon perceived that Chriâ— was more then man It is worth our observation that when the Devil began his temptation on Chriâ—â— he tempted him as the Son of God and used two subtile arguments to work upon him thereby to manifest and shew his power As first to turn stones iâ— bread 3. v. If thou be the Son of God command thâ— these stones be made bread And then secondly Tâ— cast him self down from the Pinacle of the Temple v. 5. 6. Then the devil taketh him up into the hâ—â— City and setteth him on a pinacle of the Temple And saith unto him Cast thy self down for it is written c. But when these weapons in the Devil's hands were soon repelled by our Saviour the Devâ— sets upon him as Man and that he might not â—â— foiled a third time he used that which he knew seldom failed with meâ—â— men and this was to shew him all the Kingdoms and glory of the world and to promise him all these things 8 9. v. Which when the Devil found that Christ refused he then perceived that Christ was more thâ—n Man and then and not till then the Text saith The devil leaveth him 11. v. for the Devil saw it was time to leave tempting him any further knowing that if the profer of and hopes to gain the world's wealth would not perswade that nothing could be able to move him Aâ— heart void of Grace and having nothing of God therein but wholly set upon things below would questionless have catcht the promise out of the Devils mouth when he said All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me 9. v. least he should have gone back from his word Such a love men void of God have to the World and things thereof that they will be content to fall down and worship the Devil instead of God yea to ride post to Hell might they be but well paid for their pains So earnestly fixed are their desires hereon that they grow as impatient in their hopes hereof as Rachel who cry'd Give me children or else I dye and too often take very ill courses and use very unlawful means to come thereby As Tamar who chose rather to lye with her Father then to dye without issue In like manner who sees not the neglect of Heaven on one hand and the many ill courses and unlawful means on the other hand amongst men for these things Thousands we see are resolved to be rich what course and means soever they must use or what labour and industry soever they must manifest but their daily conversation does not bespeak in them any resolution to be holy here and to be happy hereafter for holiness and happiness neither private nor publick means are made use of Now thus to do
what is it but as if an Husband-man should be very diligent to gather in his â—ubble and leave out his Corn Or as if a Goldsmith would carefully gather up his â—â—oss and disregard his Gold Or as Jacob to lay his right hand upon the younger and the left hand upon the eâ—â—er child It is spoken of some Jews by way of disgrace that when they might have returned to Jerusalem out of Captivity from Babyâ—on they would still dwell with the King of Babylon and live among their pots so they might have maintenance there they would rather there stay thâ—n to return to Jerusalem which was their own Country aâ—â— a type oâ— Heaven and where also was the true worship of God 1 Chron. 4. 23. v. these were men of base spirits and â—hat is there said is spoken by way of disgrace of them And such base spirited men are they we do speak of men that do chose rather to spend all their time and labour about things of the World thâ—n Heaven that make Earth their Heaven Gold their God that do worship the Golden Calf and herein proâ—e the Apostle's words fully Col. 3. 5. v. where he calls Covetousness Idolatry these evidence themselves to be Idolaters and no other thâ—n worshippers of the Heathen's God Pluto who having his name from riches was by them feigned to be the God of Hell and the rich man's God Being like those Natives in America who regard more a piece of glass or a mean priced knife and the like then a piece of Gold May we not say of these Americans surely they never heard of the worth of Gold or else they would noâ— exchange it for toyes And may not the like be said of these kind of Christians surely these men though they have heard of Heaven though they have heard of Eternal good things yet they do not believe the worth and excellency of Eternal good things why else do they so little mind them and labour for them CHAP. X. 3. A Third use may be by way of Exhortation To exhort every one to labour after Eternal good things Christians you hear what all men should first and last labour for what they are chiefly to labour and take pains about viz. about Eternal good things Eternal good things should be esteemed by them as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or principal things to be laboured for and Temporal things to be reckoned only as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or secondary matter to be looked for I shall divide my Exhortation into two parts 1. To exhort Christians to labour after Eternal good things 2. To exhort them to labour for them chiefly and before all other things whatsoever I will begin with first of these two and speak to it but briefly the second being what I chiefly intend to speak unto 1. To exhort every one to labour for Eternal good things How will the Merchant run through the intemperate Zones of heat and cold for a little treasure The Husband-man contentedly undergoes a laborious seed time to enjoy a happy câ—oâ— afterwards We every day see much gadding up and down in the World amongst men like a company of Ants upon an hillock for these things below some that they may get a poor living from hand to mouth others that they may get a step higher in the World thâ—n anoâ—â—er and almost all moâ—e panting after and labouring for Teâ—poral thâ—n Eternal good things Shall they take pains for Earâ—â—ly Mammon and shall we take no pains for a Heavenly Mansion shall they sweat and â—oâ—l and labour for these Temporal things and we take no pains for Eternal Much is spoâ—en in Scripture against slothfulness Rom. 12. 11. v. Not slothful in business Hebr. 6. 12. v. In the foregoing Verse saith the Apostle Wâ— desire that every one of you do sheâ— the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end And in this Verse he adds That ye be not slothâ—ul There is â— great deal of Spiritual sloth to be taken notice oâ— in the World many lazy and dull spirited Persons Persons like that slothful and unprofitable Servant who is mentioned and threatned to be cast into utter darkness Matth. 25 25. 30 v. And can such slothful ones expect any better thing to follow their slothfulness Let the Heathen's words be considered Nâ— illi falâ—i sunt qui diversissimas res expectant ignaviae voluptateâ— praemia virtutis They are utterly out that think to have the pleasure of Idleness and the plenty of painfulness It is true as to the gaâ—ning of any meâ—â— Earthly thing and much more true as may appear by what hath been said before in the gaiâ—ing Heavenly things Religion requires action labour and diligence Heaven will not be gotten but as it were by force and victory All Spiritual means and holy courses must be used all time and all opportunities must be improved least what gainers soever men are in this life they be losers in another life Sad will be the condition of those men whose Spiritual sloth eats up most of their time and thereby hinders their work and loses them Heaven To how many may it be said as the Housholder said in the Parable to those Matâ—h 20. 6. Why stand ye here all the day idle We read that Joshua said to the Sun stand still but God never said to the Soul of any Christian stand still Jacob saw the Angels some ascending others descending none standing still none appeared to him in an idle posture If Angels are not seen idle or standing still no more should men be seen so Though God made Behemoth to play in the waters not so men they must be doing that will keep in with God or get any thing from God Nil sine magno Vita labore dedit mortalibus He that will lay claim to the Habendum and Tenendum to the free-hold of happiness in Heaven must look to the Proviso of holiness and labour After all therefore that hath been said of Heaven and the Eternal good things of Heaven let me say to you as the Danites to their Brethren having spy'd out a good Land Judg. 18 9. v. We have seen the Land and behold it is very good and are ye still â—e not slothful to go and to enter to possess the Land As if they had said we have found out for you a Land which is very good pleasant and fruitful and â—hich may if you will take the pains be conquered and possessed by you do not ye therefore by your sloth and negligence let slip such an opportunity as now offers it self unto you to be enjoyers of a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the Earth 10. v. a place which aboundeth with all pleasures and profits and with such plenty and prosperity that nothing is wanting that can be desired So may I say unto you Christians the Heavenly Countrey is before you and such Eternal good things as you have heard described are there
more Corn then his barns would hold his condition on all hands might have been accounted happy but view him afterwards and what a change is there in his condition He is forced to beg and yet could not obtain a drop to cool his tongue Whilst he lived he was accustomed to drink in Cups of Gold to eat in Silver and to be clothed in Silk and curious Linnens But behold a change in Hell he begs for what Not for wines of Candie to delight his pallate Not for precious Cordials to refresh his Spirits but for a drop of water to cool his tongue and that not in a Cup of Gold or Christal but from the filthy and loathsome fingers ends of a Leper Not the meanest Beggar that comes to your doors was ever reduced to that strait as to come and beg of you a draught much less a drop of water Scarce would our ordinary Beggars drink rich wine if they knew for certain that the filthy and loathsome fingers of a scabby Leper had been therein their squeamish stomacks would not take down such a draught though it were given them in a Cup of Gold But observe the change betwixt Dives and Lazarus in the Story it is such a change as sometime was â—n Gideon's fleece Judg. 6. 37 38 39 40. v. One â—ime that was wet and the floor dry 37 38. verses Behold I will put a fleece of wool in the floor and if â—he dew be on the fleece only and it be dry on all the â—arth beside then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand as thou hast said And it was so for he rose up early on the morrow and thrust â—he fleece together and wringed the dew out of the fleece a bowl full of water Another time the floor was wet and the fleece dry 39 40. v. And Cideon said unto God Let not thine anger be hot against â—e and I will speak but this once Let me prove I pray thee but this once with the fleece let it now â—e dry only upon the fleece and upon all the ground let there be dew And God did so that night for it â—as very dry upon the fleece only and there was dew â— all the ground Now look as this fleece at one time was wet and the floor dry but at another time the floor was dry and the fleece wet so was it with Dives and Lazarus One while Dives is in prosperity rich and wanting nothing and Lazarus is in poverty poor and begging of crums Afterwards Lazarus is in glory and Dives in torments begging for a drop of water Questionless there are many that here swim and wallow in a Sea of pleasures who drink their Wine in Bowls yet hereafter shall want a drop to cool their tongues here there are many who enjoy great abundance but hereafter shall have nothing to sustain them nothing to help them here there are many that do enjoy great honours and glory in the world but hereafter shall have their great honour and glory turned into everlasting shame and confusion Hos 4. 7. v. As they were encreased so they sinned against me therefore will I change their glory into shame Here there are many adorn themselves with Pearls and Jewels but hereafter will find God to have rejected them and say of them They shall not be mine In the day that I make up my â—ewels What else can that place in 1 Cor. 1. 26. v. be but as a thunder-bolt in the very heart of some that boast themselves in their wealth power nobility and greatness in the world that however they abound with these things here yet not being effectually called are never likely to be admitted into Heaven but made Beggars in Hell For ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And who are not called into the state of grace here will never be called into a state of glory hereafter The words of the Apostle may be like the hand-writing on the wall to make the joynts of many enjoying plenty and abundance of Earthly things to tremble when they are not at the same time possessed of Eternal good things their plenty greatness and abundance will certainly be followed with a future want and Eternal beggary in Hell who live and dye without any care of Eternal good things Oh the great alterations amongst men that will be at the day of Judgment Lazarus shall then be received into Heaven and Eternal glory but Dives who was rich and faâ—red deliciously every day will then be tormented in Hell and want a drop of water What heart can conceive the rage and madness yea the terrible confusion that will be upon the faces of many that now think to ruffle it out in the world and do scorn those who are their inferiours only because of their wealth and greatness when these shall find themselves stript of all their power greatness and revenues and sent wretched and miserable and poor and naked into Hell There will certainly afterwards be such a change between many of these high and mighty ones that mind not Heaven and the things thereof and those who are not content with Ishmael's portion but labour after Isaac's Inheritance Abraham we know he gave many gifts unto Ishmael but the Inheritance was bestowed upon Isaac Wealth greatness and honour with the like gifts are given even to wicked men but the Inheritance of Heaven is given only to others I mean to those that labour and take pains for it those gifts are perishing and will not pâ—ofit after death but the Inheritance fadeth not away The moment wherein a man dyes bereaves him of all his worldly gifts and enjoyments In that instant wherein Heliogabâ—lus dyed an end was put to all his sports pleasures and delights In that instant wherein Croesus dyed an end was put to his enjoyment of great riches and substance In that instant that Ahasuerus dyed he was bereaved of his hundred and twenty Provinces In that instant thou dyest though now thou possessest great houses fair reuenues and a large Inheritance thou wilt be deprived of all The moment of death as touching the things of this life makes all men equal then he who enjoyed much and he that enjoyed but little are equal then he who was glutted with all sorts of delights and he who was fed with the bread of sorrow are equal Then he who was an Emperour ruling over many flourishing Kingdoms and he who was a Peasant hardly owner of a small Cottage are equal the one enjoyes no more of this world then does the other Croesus possesseth no more then Irus Dives then Lazarus nor the King more then the Beggar As in a Stage-play it imports little who playes Alexander and who the Beggar since all are equal when the Play is done So are all after death equal both the Prince and the Plow-man Alexander and the Beggar the King and the Peasant the
post and that only and meerly Ex gratia Your Souls are not so immersed in your bodies as that they must be extinguished with your bodies but they are seperable from your bodies and are able through the benefit of their own subtilty and spiritual substance being of a simple and uncompounded nature to subsist by themselves and when they are once divested of these earthly cases and divorced from your bodies they shall be clothed with an Eternity either of joy or torment and run parallel with the life of God and longest line of Eternity The senses of seeing hearing and the rest of those Organs of the body cease and dye with the body because they are parts of the body and have their dependance upon the body but the Soul hath a nature distinct from the body and moves and operates of it self when the body is dead and iâ— sepâ—rated from the body for when the body dyes the Soul dyes not with it but subsists even in its sepâ—rated state hath a being is still living and active and is crowned with immortallity It being the end of the resurrection of the body to meet with its old partner the Soul Not a body here this day but must dye but Souls those inmates must live though all our bodies return to the Earth whence they came yet our Spirits shall return to God that gave them and be sempiternal Eccles 12. 7. v. though our bodies must be made a prey to rottenness and worms and become captives to death and corruption yet our intellective Souls being spiritual substances independent and self-subsisting agents shall be incorruptible and for ever exist being endowed with an undying condition though our bodies was old yet Anima non senesâ—it the Soul doth not waâ— old nor ever lose its strength and vigor as bodies compounded of elements do Death its true may tyrannize over our earthly parts and may drive our Souls out of these clay lodgings but it is that they may at the very instant of departure have livery and seisin of everlasting Mansions in Heaven be alwayes themselves be for ever permanent and not subject to any extinguishment or destruction Hence it was a custom among the ancient Romans that when their great men dyed they caused an Eagle to fly aloft in the Air signifying hereby that the Soul was immortal and did not dye as the body The serious consideration of the Souls immortality should make us labour for that which will makes the immortal Soul for ever blessed and happy when it shall be unsheathed from the body unclothed from corruption and let loose from this cage of clay 5. Help Study the shortness of time and your present life And believe it Christians the less time you have the more need have you to make hast to labour for these Eternal good things Aeternitati comparatum omne tempus est breve All time if compared to Eternity is but short But time as it is short so it passeth away fast The ancients emblemed time with wings to shew the volubility and swiftness of it as if it were not running but flying whither towards Eternity for time is but a space borrowed and set a part from Eternity which must at last return to Eternity again I have read of certain Hereticks called Eternales because they held the world to be Eternal We have many such Eternallists who fancy to themselves a kind of Eternity here upon Earth Such an Eternallist was that rich fool in the Gospel we have spoken of before who fancied that he had a long time that yet he should remain upon the earth but was suddenly to be taken away Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken away In a moment his life endeth We read of a beast called from the continuance of its life Ephemeris which though it live according to his appellative name but one day yet it falls presently to provide for sustenance as though it might live years Man's life is frequently in Scripture called a Day and yet most like this beast labour and toyl build and purchase thirst after honours and preferment in the world as if they were here to live for ever but in the mean time improve not a short life for Eternal advantages Let me tell the most healthful person here present that he is not assured of one day more wherein death may not assault him and push him into an Eternal Abâ—â—s after a few hours more and then you may expect your departing hour and throw the last cast foâ— Eternity Thou knowest not yet what may be in the womb of this very day Prov. 27. 1. v. Boast not thâ— self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day mâ— bring forth Whilst a woman is with child none câ— tell what kind of birth it will be so as little doth anâ— man know what is yet in the womb of this very day until God have signified his will by the event Therâ— was a fellow that brought to Domitian the names those in a paper that would murther him but he put it in his pocket saying nova cras to morrow is a new day but he was killed or ever night He was a Wise man that being invited to a Feast on the next morrow answered Ex multis annis crastinum non habui For these many years I have not had a morrow to promise for any business No more do any here present know whether they shall have a morrow to labour for what will make them Eternally happy Death may surprize them before the Sun rise again The Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1. 13. v. I will put you in remembrance knowing I must shortly put off this Tabernacle O so let us say to our selves We will now be thinking of death we will now have Eternity in our thoughts we will now be labouring for Eternal good things we will be storing our Souls with Grace because we must shortly put off these Tabernacles we must shortly have an end put to this present life I have sometimes acquainted you with the speech of young King Charles of Sicily lying upon his death-bed I have scarce begun to live and now woe is me I am compelled to dye Art thou one that hast not yet begun to live the life of Grace that only hast a share of this Worlds goods but altogether without the good things of Heaven O make haste for thou mayest suddenly be called to dye and it will be a sore affliction to you to have an end put to time before you have provided for Eternity Oh that men in their sins would consider what space what distance how far off their Souls are from death from Hell from Eternity No more but a breath one breath and no more the next puff of breath may be their last It is said of Sparta that they used to choose their Kings every year and whilst they did raign they were to live pompously and have all the fulness their hearts could wish but when
seeing the King â—t an ordinary time and seeing him when he is in his â—obes with his Crown upon his head and his Scepter in his hand and set upon his Throne with all his Nobles about him in all his glory God doth manifest himself now unto his People but this is not all he intends they shall see of him he will manifest himself unto them in â—eaven in his Glory What a most ravishing sight will it be there to see the Lord Jesus Christ wearing the Roâ—e of our humane nature in the presence of his Father arrayed as was said of Mordecat â—sther 8. 15. v. in Royal apparâ—â— and with a great Crown of Gold upon his head to see the noble Army of Martyrs to see those millions of blessed Saints that have lived upon the Earth cloâ—hed in white and following the Lamb whither soever he goes to see the Angels those Morning Stars and to hear those Heavenly Choristers Eternally singing Jehovah's praise And lâ—stly to see what ever of Eternal good things we have mentioned before The best sight we have here of these things is but cloudy and obscure for we see but through a glass darkly whilst our Souls are hid in the dark Lanthorns of our bodies Here we see only some broken beams of Heavens glory but some few glimpses thereof as they are scattered up and down in the Scriptures so much as sets the Soul a longing rather then gives any true satisfaction When we come to possess them then we shall see more thâ—n the Scriptures do mention more then our hearts can conceive I may take up part of that extasie Saint Paul breaks out into 1. Cor. 2. 9. v. Eye hath not seen what God hath prepared for them that love him The eye hath seen many admirable things in nature it hath seen Mountains of Chrystal and Rocks of Diamonds it hath seen Mines of Gold and Coasts of Pearl Spicy Islands so Travellers tell us and Geographers write of the eye hath seen the Pyramids of Egypt the Temple of Diana Mauseolus Tomb which by Geographers are made the wonders of the World but what is all this and more then this to what the eyes of Saints in Heaven shall see Then iâ— shall be said to every glorified one Vide quod credâ—disti apprehende quod sperasti â—ruere quod amaâ—ti Beâ—old now and see clearly what formerly thou believeâ—st faintly Crede quod non vides videbis qâ—â—â— non credis Because that they have not seen and yet believe they shall then see more then now they do believe and have their eyes fixed upon them to Eternity These beautiful and beatifical objects they shall see and still desire to see and though they shall be satisfied in seeing of them yet they shall not be satiated with the sight of them To have but one glimpse of them though it were presently gone it were verily a great happiness beyond all that the World affords but they shall never lose the sight of them they shall have it to all Eternity their eyes shall be Eternally open to see them And without doubt the getting of a sight of these things whilst here will quicken the hearts of the Children of men to labour and take pains for them But what an eye must that be that can see at such a distance as Heaven is some compute that betwixt us only and the Starry Firmament there is no less then seventy four millions seven hundred three thousand one hundred and eighty miles and if the Empereal Heaven as many say be two or three Orbs above â—he Starry Firmament how many more miles is it â—hen beyond And the further distant any thing is from us the less clear sight can be had thereof but at such a distance no Corporeal eye can behold any object whatsoever yet may they be seen by the eye of Faith Faith is a sure Prospective-glass by help whereof the Soul may see things though afar off Did you never observe an eye using a Prospective-glass for the discovering and approximating of some remote and yet desirable Object Such a Glass the Soul hath of Faith it can discover and approximate things that are most remote remote I say and that either in respect of time or in respect of place I shall give an instance or two to clear this And first in respect of time It is said of Abraham by Christ himself who directs his speech to the Jews who were often calling Abraham Father Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad John 8. 56. v. It will not be amiss for the understanding of this place to enquire what day this was that the Patriarch Abraham so much rejoyced to see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exultavit ut laetitiam gestivit The word signifieth He did leap or skip for joy 't is such a joy as is expressed by some bodily gesture Abraham it seems could not contain his affection could not keep it in but out it must And why He rejoyced that he might see surely it was something worth the seeing that he who was now well nigh an hundred years old should as if he had been grown young again fall to leaping for joy stayed discreet and grave Persons will never be so exceedingly moved but upon some very great occasion And such was â—â—at here in the Text it was to see Christ's day But Christ hath many dayes Christ hath more dayes then one Luk. 17. 22 v. And he said unto the Disciples The dayes will come when ye shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and ye shall not see it It is true as God he was before all dayes before all time having neither beginning of dayes nor end of life as is said of Melchisedeck Heb. 7. 3. v. Before the day was I am he But as man he hath many dayes The Lords day is his day Rev. 1. 10. v. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day As man he is called Lord of the Sabbath day Math. 12. 8. v. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day So the day of Judgment is called the day of Jesus Christ Philip. 1. 6. v. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And at 10. v. That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ So Philip. 2. 16. v. Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ The time of Christ's preaching here on Earth is called Christ's day and thus understand that Luke 17. 22. v. before mentioned where Christ tells them they should desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man that is After Christ was departed out of the world they should desire his bodily presence here with them again to comfort them So also the day of Christ's birth may and is
for thee Uniâ— me to Christ 111 who is the Fountain of life that I may live who by nature am dead in sins and trespasses Let thine Eternal spirit by its powerful influence and breathings heal 114 my Soul sanctifie my heart subdue the rebellion 115 of my will and purifie all uncleanness out of my affections that acting from inward principles of holiness I may imitating blessed St. Paul exercise 121 my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards man and 122 in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God I may have my conversation in the world in all things willing â—12 to live honestly and walking before thee in truth and with a perfect heart doing that which is good that so when thou shalt bring to my mind the History 126 of my life which having been very sinful might here be followed with dreadful apprehensions of thy wrath and some glimpses and pre-occupations of Hell and hereafter with Eternal torments I may have that which will afford unto me inward consolation and refreshment and in the day when I must pass 127 through the valley and shadow of death that neither the terrors of death nor the fiercest oppositions of Hell and the Divel may dismay me let me be found interested in what will do me 145 good then and being lasting good things will last beyond Death go with me out of this 131 world stand me in stead at the day of 23â— 152 Judgement and keep me out 137 of Hell If whilst I live thou shalt make my condition an afflicted condition that 141 I must go through the valley of Baca towards Zionâ— yet bestow upon me what thou knowest 142 will make me bear afflictions patiently be as an Ark to uphold my spirits and keep them from sinking in the greatest deluge of calamities Though here I should meet with shame and disgrace O Christ yet with thee let me 174 enjoy Eternal Glory though here I should live but a short life yet in Heaven let me live 175 an Eternal life though here I should not have one joyful hour yet hereafter let me enter into my Masters 177 joy into that joy which Eternity begins 178 but Eternity shall never end though here I should never enjoy any earthly inheritance yet let me not miss of that Inheritance incorruptible 179 which fadeth not away in the 180 everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and there also receive that Crown 182 of glory that fadeth not away though here I should not have a house to shelter my self from storms and tempests yet let me be admitted into that house not 184 made with hands Eternal in the Heavens and scituated in the new Jerusalem which is the everlasting habitation of 189 Angels and glorified Saints Take my heart off these lower things wherein so many do fancy 221 doth consist the only comfort of their lives which are only for the body 198 and but vanity and vexation 191 of spirit and set it upon those alwayes 188 desirable good things in Heaven which only can satisfie 193 the longings of it and make my soul 198 that most precious and immortal 203 being happy By faith help me to look above 22â— the gaiety and eye-dazling 224 objects here in the world and to see the excellency and worth of those things that are 215 invisible but are made 235 known in the Gospel Oh that my head were water 245 and mine Eye a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for them who make all the motions 250 of their Souls to wait upon earthly designs and for the gaining 252 the Mammon of unrighteousness in this world such â—s prefeâ— momentany pleasures before 244 Eterâ—al joyes and spend their whole time in making proâ—sion for the flesh without the least thought upon Eâ—ernity that follows and never think of their present â—nfulness or their future Eternal misery Pardon â—e O my God that I have at any time postponed 256 the things of Heaven to the things of this world â—referring dross before Gold the fatness of the Earth â—efore the dew of Heaven earthly Mammon before Heavenly Mansions and the good things of this life â—efore the good things of another and better life yea â—ood and â—aiment for my body before Grace and Glory â—or my soul and now O Lord â—help me to consider â—hat it is â—igh time for me to mind the concerns of my â—oul and to be labouring for Eternal good things and â—261 seeking those things that are above and to â—ve above those things which 269 I cannot live withâ—ut yea wholly to spend my time whilst 269 I am â—n the body about those things whereof I shall have â—ost need when I am out of the body and principally â—o Labour for on earth those things that will be of use â— Heaven Make me spiritually 273 wise to lay up â—uch a stock and store that will do me good throughâ—ut all Eternity and before my body be laid in the Grave to take care that my never dying soul may be â—arryed into Abrahams bosome by a turning to thee O God by accepting of Jesus Christ by getting my â—ins pardoned and my evidence for Heaven cleared â—hough I do yet remain upon Earth let I pray thee â—hy spirit help me to converse in Heaven 274 and â—o have mine Eyes fixed upon those invisible things â—or ever blessed be thy most holy name O Lord that I am not placed among the common Beggars of this world that I have not been sent to beg my bread from door to door it might 278 have been my portion to have crowched to another for a morsel of bread to have been a vagabond and have saught my bread out of desolate places and to have lived as another Lazarus 279 in a starving and famishing condition O Lord I beseech thee never lay me under the heavy judgement of poverty in this world least I be poor and steal and take the name of thee my God in vain neither let me be a beggar in another world in Hell to howl for a drop of water to cools my tongue Yet if poverty must be the condition thou O God wilt have me to end my dayes in and I must be made worldly 287 poor yet O God vouchsafe to make me spiritually rich rich in Faith even enriched with the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ let me be found to be an heir of Salvation even an heir 288 of God and a joynt heir with Christ an heir of that Kingdome 289 which thou hast promised to them that love thee Help me O Lord to overlook the splendid braveries of this world the greatest and best things of this life 299 as those things which are 293 not but are as so many Empty 294 clouds and Wells without Water ciphers without figures and but as shadows to real substances being altogether void of 291 what will make me happy to Eternity and to Labour that I may have