of Judgment John Huss and Jerome Luth. Loc. Com. of Prague shall appear to be good men when the Pope and his Cardinalls shall appear to be vile and wicked wretches St Bernard us'd to say That the Day will Veniet Veniet Dies quando male judicata rejudicabit Deuâ— Bern. come it will certainly come when God will judg over again all false judgment But as for all those whose hearts were upright with God whilst they liv'd in this world these after death are translated into an estate of glory and happiness and in the highest heavens receive consolations beyond all expression and a weight of glory beyond the capacity of any mortal man which Christ gives to all his Children who in their Pilgrimage on earth endeavoured with their whole heart and strength to serve the Lord in sincerity and in truth All those who were on earth Sincere-hearted and real Saints shall be acknowledged to be such by Christ himself at the Day of Judgment No sin no failing nor imperfection shall at all be layd to their Charge in that day for all failings and sins and all manner of imperfections shall be washt away in the bloud of Jesus Christ What ever good things the Saints have done on earth shall be all remembred and not any one thing forgotten at the day of judgment But whatever was bad and sinfull that they committed on earth shall not be layd to their Charge but shall be blotted out of the Book of Gods Remembrance and God will cast them into the depth of the sea O What a joyfull day and full of Comfort will the day of judgment be to all the Children of God! Then they shall lift up their heads with Comfort and behold him who is their Judg as their Redeemer Advocate Intercessor and Flder Brother and he will pronounce for them a sentence of Absolution At that day all glorified Saints shall have their bodily eyes irradiated with the splendor of glory and they shall be inabled to behold the Beatificall Vision and this is he Happiness of all Happiness and this only is their portion and appropriated to them alone who are pure in heart Thâ—y are blessed as our Saviour pronounceth them Who are pure in heart for they shall see God Then the Saints in glory shall sit in Judgment as Assessors with Christ and shall approve of the righteous sentence of Christ in Condemning their unrighteous Judges Then they shall see the Omniporent Eternal Jehovah the Beeing of all Beeings the first person in Trinity uncreated unbegotten and unproceeding Then they shall see Christ the Mediator of thâ— New Covenant their only Saviour and Redeemer uncreated but begotten and not proceeding who is the second Person in Trinity Then they shall see the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity neither created nor begotten but proceeding from both The Glorifyd Saints what they believed when they were militant on earth shall in heaven understand the great Mystery of the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity One glorified Saint shall know more then all the Learned men in the world I 'le conclude with this Doxology Now to the holy and blessed Trinity and one God in Vnity Father Son and Holy Ghost be ascribed all Honour and Glory Praise and Thanksgiving Dominion and Obedience henceforth and unto all Eternity Amen THE Contents of this Treatise CHAP. I. OF spiritual poverty p. 1. Sect. I. Spiritual poverty consists in emptying of the heart of what is self ibid. Sect II. Every humble spirited man is low vile and abject in his own eyes p. 3. Sect. III. One who is spiritually poor meditates frequently and seriously upon the promises and makes particular application of them p. 6. Sect. IV. One that is poor in spirit is weak fiâ—k and in a distressed condition as to his own apprehension and makes haste unto Christ for help p. 9. CHAP. II. Concerning the highest prizing and valuing of Jesus Christ p. 11. Sect. I. It 's an infallible sign of a true Believer to value and prefer Christ before all the riches of the world p. 11. Sect. II. Of ardâ—ney and strength of affection to Jesus Christ p. 14. CHAP. III. Of a heart in love with holiness evidenced in â— holy life and conversation p. 16. Sect. I. Every true Believer loves holiness for it self because it is the image of God ibid. Sect. II. Where holiness is in the heart it is fruitful in the life p. 19. CHAP. IV. Of ingenuous sorrow for sin p. 24. Sect. I. Ingenuous sorrow is more for the sin than the punishment ibid. Sect. II. There is a great difference between the mournings of Cain Ahab Judas c. and the mournings of David Paul Peter c. p. 25. Sect. III. There 's a great difference between the mourning of slaves and mourning of children p. 30. CHAP. V. Of sorrowing and mourning for others sins p. 33. Sect. I. A godly mourner mourns for others sins ibid. Sect. II. We must be affected with and afflicted for the sins of others remembring that we are men of like passions p. 37. CHAP. VI. Of approving our hearts unto God p. 42. Sect. I. A sincere-heâ—rted Christian labours to aprove his heart to God and put himself upon God's trial ibid. Sect. II. Though we are subject to many infirmities we must groan under the burthen of them p. 44. CHAP. VII Of pressing forward towards perfection p. 49. Sect. I. It 's an Apostolical character and Apostolical practice to press forward towards perfection ibid. Sect. II. Instances in particulars whether we press forward towards perfection p. 52. CHAP. VIII Of a strict watch set upon the heart against bosome sins p. 55. Sect. I. A sincere heart endeavors to keep it self from every beloved sin ibid. Sect. II. No sin so little but deserves damnation p. 59. Sect. III. An illustration by similitudes p. 61. CHAP. IX An endeavor against every sin and for the practice of every duty p. 65. Sect. I. The desire and endeavor must be against every sin ibid. Sect. II. The endeavor must be to obey all commands and practice all duties p. 69. CHAP. X. Of a heart without guile p. 73. Sect. I. The heart must be without guile ibid. Sect. II. Every person that is upright is compounded of three words viz. simplicity singleness and sincerity p. 74. CHAP. XI Of mortification of the deeds of the body p. 80. Sect. I. The deeds of the body i. e. all lusts ought to be mortified ibid. Sect. II. Questions propounded and answered p. 83. CHAP. XII Vivisication of the fruits of the Spirit p. 91. Sect. I. Beside mortification of the deeds of the body there must be a vivification of the fruits of the Spirit ibid. Sect. II. How this is to be discerned p. 93. CHAP. XIII Containing the comforts of sincere Christians p. 95. Sect I. Sincere Christians have comforts in their lives ibid. Sect. II. Sincere Christians are sensible of their sins and mourn for them p. 98. CHAP. XIV Sincere-hearted Christians have comforts in their deaths p. 102. Sect. I. The comfortable deaths of such as are sincere p. 102 Sect. II. We ought to prepare for deatâ— p. 10â— Sect. III. The â—ying speeches of Saints p. 109 CHAP. XII Containing the happiness of the Saints iâ— Heaven p. 115 Sect. I. The Saints in Heaven receive per fection of happiness ibid Sect. II. At the day of Judgment all falâ— judgments shall be reverst p. 118 FINIS
as many as be perfect be thus minded Phil. 3. 12 13 14 15. This progressive motion David laies dowor is a sign of such who are blessed Psal 84. 6 7. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well the rain also filleth the pool They go from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God Their indeavors are indefatigable and their motions are continued and progressive in the service of God Hence judicious Calvin observes upon the place That the faithful recollect Ae si dicerunt fideles collectis subiade viribus ascendere ad moatem Zion nec lassitudiae ullâ tardari donec conspicia at Dei faciem Calv in Psal 84. vers 7. their strength and ascend unto the mount of Zion and are not hindred by any weariness till they behold the face of God Our grand indeavor should be to get grace and truth of grace and to be diligent in searching whether we have got special and more than common grace and whether we mistake not parts for graces We must still be sitting examining and trying whether our grace be true and genuine sincere and saving grace And our indeavor must be continued to get growth in grace and more accessions thereunto If we would be preserved from apostacy and back-sliding we must grow in grace for growth in grace is a special preservative to keep us from falling from our stedfastness For so saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 3. 17 18. Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness A sovereign remedy to prevent the danger of Apostacy is prescribed in the following words vers 18. But grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ A growing Believer is a new born Christian As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. Likewise augmentation of every particular grace is required We must labour for true grace as to the quality of it and as to the quantity of it we must still be adding thereunto So saith the same Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. Add to your faith virtue and to virtue Est insignis hic locus si quis alius verae Christianae vitae summam descriptis illius veris tum crusis tum effectis spectandam praebens Beza knowledg and to knowledg temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity For if those things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ We have need of every grace and the more we have of any grace in sincerity and in truth the more we shall value it and the more we shall beg supplies of God and increase from him The Apostles pray'd Lord increase our Faith If we have any grace already really wrought in us we shall be sensible what need we have of and shall pray for a continual augmentation Sect. 2 To instance in particulars Have we faith let 's fift narrowly and examine thorowly whether our faith be a saving faith whether it be a justifying faith Rom. 5. 1. such as works by love Gal. 5. 6. and purifies the heart Acts 15. 9. for this only is of the right stamp or whether our faith be only historical dogmatical and only temporary If we search exactly upon mature and deliberate reflections upon our selves we shall find some failings and deficiencies in our faith For though questionless the Thessalonians had true faith yet they had something lacking in their faith And yet they were such for whom the Apostle gave thanks to God in an especial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. omnibus 〈◊〉 ris fidem vestram aa huc imperfectam absolvamus Beze in Loc. manner 1 Thes 3. 9 10. For saith he what thanks can we render again to God for you for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God night and and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and perfect that which is lacking in your faith And as we should labour for more faith so should we labour for more love more meekness more humility and more self-denial If then through the pride of our own hearts we should flatter our selves as if we had grace enough already it 's evident that we never had any grace at all in sincerity and in truth for where-ever true grace is planted in the heart it fructifies in the life and conversation Grace is no withered dead plant but a living and growing plant where the seed of grace is sound in the heart it takes root downward and brings forth fruit upward throughout the practice of our whole lives He then who labours Qui desinit prosicere incipit deficere Bern. not to grow better begins to grow worse as a Father saith Though covetousness and a greedy carking care after the World are unlawful yet here is a lawful covetousness for to desire more grace is a holy covetousness To be rapax tenax i. e. to get get and grasp all that one get and not to be willing to part with any thing are characters of covetous Earth-worms but to be eager 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stadium exigit majorem quandam in comparaâ—dis soiritualibus cupiditale Theoph. and greedy after increase of every grace and when we have got grace to be careful to the utmost to keep it this is the only lawful kind of covetousness recommended by the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 13. Covet earnestly the best gifts And grace is the best gift Christ himself only excepted Gifts of Tongues and gifts of Wisdom and Understanding c. are highly to be valued but this gift of Grace is of far greater value Grace is Quid constitutivum i. e. that which constitutes a true Christian Though Tongues and Arts and Sciences are precious in their kind yet many bad men may have them and many good men may want them but Grace is of absolute necessity for without it we cannot come to Heaven and without holiness we shall never see the Lord. Wherefore let us cry out for Grace as Solomon makes mention of the Horsleeches two Daughters Give give Prov. 30. 15. Wherefore we should not rest satisfied contented with these measures of Grace whereunto we have at present attained but we should make it our great business study and indeavor to grow from one degree of grace unto another We must noâ— only follow holiness Heb. 12. 14. but perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. We must strive after perfection of grace though we are incompassed with many imperfections in this World yet we must not allow our selves in them but mourn for them and still go on in adding grace to grace here till at length grace be
swallowed up in glory and we then shall attain to the end of our hope the salvation of our immortal Souls CHAP. VIII Shewing that where the Heart is sincere there is a strict Watch set upon the Heart and Life to keep us from bosome Sins THe eighth Character of sincerity is a Charact. 8. A strict Watch against bosome Stâ—s strict Watch set upon the Heart and Life against all and every bosome and beloved Sin Be thy sins as dear and as near as a right hand or a right eye they must be cut off and pluckt out for so saith our Saviour Observemâ—s in hac Christi admonitione quo serio qno fervore quamque vehementi cautione opus sit regnum Dei quaereâ—ibus ut offendiculorum occasiones undicunqâ—e irruentes amputent Musch in Loc. Matth. 5. 29 30. And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell But these words may not be understood literally of mutilating and of dismembring of our selves but we are to understand them as spoken by way of caution and of strict command not only to avoid all sins but all manner of appearance of evil and likewise all sorts of occasions and temptations to sin The Psalmist gives a clear note of distinction between him whose heart is upright and him whose heart is not upright towards God Psal 18. 23. I was saith he upright before Neque quisquam ia pietatis siudio perget nisi qui sedulo se custodiet ab iaiqâ—itatc sua Caiv. in Loc. Ab iniquitate meâ i. c. ad quam naturaÌ„ meâ proius sum h. e. ne quid pravi admilterem aut nescclus admitterem quas antea admisissem Vatabl. him and I kept my self from mine iniquity It 's plain and evident from that Scripture that every bosome sin which David calls mine iniquity ought in an especial manner to be watched against and prevented and if we be overtaken with it we should loathe and leave it That sin is a bosome sin which is peccatum in deliciis a darling sin like a Delilah in the bosome an Agag a ruling sin a Gibeonite a pretending sin any sin that pleads with an Exceptive as Naaman did 2 Kings 5. 18. In this thing the Lord pardon thy Servant that when my Master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there and he leaneth on my hand and I bow down my self in the house of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing All these and such like Apologies and pleadings pretences and excuses for sin must be utterly abhor'd and abandon'd altogether Suppose thy sins may be lesfer comparatively than some others yet no sin can be so little but it 's greatly hated and abhor'd by Almighty God and deserves his wrath to be poured down upon the Sinner unto all eternity As for instance suppose thou accustomest thy self to petty and lesser Oaths frothy and vain discourse jesting lyes c. yet all these have filth and guilt in them and are odious and abominable in the fight of God and therefore we ought to detest and utterly forsake them One of the ancient Fathers of the highest rank declares his judgment That none ought Augusti to tell though but one a lye although the telling of that one lye might save the whole World The Reason of that Assertion is grounded upon that Proposition of eternal Truth We may not do evil that good may come thereof Ancient sins which are of long standing and custom such as are sins of pleasure and profit such as suit most with the genius complexion and constitution of particular men and conduce most to the satisfaction of carnal lusts and to the pleasing of flesh and blood and corrupt nature are so far from being extenuated as notwithstanding Custom and Antiquity they carry a greater Aggravation with them Thieves Murtherers and such notorious criminal persons cannot expect to fare a whit the better but the worse altogether for pleading a custom and habit in their wickedness Wherefore then let us in good earnest loat he and detest all sins and after loathing and detesting leave and forsake all manner of sins and break off both acts and habits of sinning by unfeigned repentance and conversion to God And let us fulfil that Prophesie by our daily practice Isai 30. 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images of Silver and ornament of thy molten Images of Gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous Cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Let none presume to plead for any sin as Lot pleaded for Zoar Is it not a little one and my Soul shall live A little leak in a Ship if it be neglected and not stopt up presently may sink the Ship and so all in the Ship may be suddenly drowned A little Thief put into a Window may open the Door and let in a multitude of such desperate Cut-throats as may quickly destroy a whole Family A little Pen-knife a little Aul or Bodkin may kill a man as soon as either Sword Spear or Gun Sisera the General of Jabin's Forces ran away on his feet and so escaped the edge of the Sword in the open field but by Jael he was kill'd in the Tent for we read Judges 4. 21. That Jael Heber's Wife took a Nail of the Tent and took an Hammer in her hand and went softly unto him and smote the Nail into his Temples and fastned it into the ground for he was fast asleep and weary so he died Sect. 2 In our most composed and deliberate thoughts let us consider that there is no sin so little but without the interposing of the merits of Christ will damn us both Body and Soul into the nethermost Hell There is no little God no little Price paid to make an Attonement for Sin and no little Hell the place of Torments Oh then as thou consultest the good of thy precious Soul lay aside altogether all manner of Apologies pretences pleadings and expostulations and all manner of hopes of obtaining any Dispensations for any one Sin which may be comparatively lesser than some others As for that sin which in thy account is not to be regarded as if it were either a little one or none at all without repentance and pardon purchased through the Bloud of Christ thy Soul and Body may be cast into that Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone to all eternity One of the chiefest rank of the Roman Historians relates what Hanno said of Hannibal That such a Parvus hic igâ—is iaceâ—dium â—â—geis exuscitet Iav little Spark might cause a great Flame The Embers of
of Divines which were very great in those days Grynaeus a great Scholar when he came to die said O happy day when I may depart out of this troublesome and sinful world and to go to those blessed Souls before departed He writing to his friend Chytraeus said If we never see one another again in this world yet we shall meet in that place where Luther and Zuinglius agree very well together Mr. Bolton on his dying bâ—d said I am now drawing on apace to my dissolution Hold out faith and patience your work will quickly be attained That great Magazine of Learning Mr. John Selden when he came to die said That he accounted all his Learning nothing at all in comparison of Christ. Mr. Giles Workman a worthy Minister of the Gospel in Glocester shire a little before his death said That he had a little sincerity of heart and that was a comfort to him Mr. John Ferriby a Minister of the Gospel in Essex when he was dying said That he left his Wife and Children with God and his gracious promises Mr. Gifford a Minister in Northampton-shire said to his Children upon his Death-bed That if they feared God to which he earnestly exhorted them they should not want but if they did not fear God he wisht that they might want till they did fear him Mr. Samuel Hieron a rare Minister whose excellent writings praise him in the gate on his Death-bed said That the same God who took care for the Ravens and Sparrows would likewise take care for the young Hierons And so it came to pass for God stirred up the hearts of some charitably affected persons who carefully educated his Children and so those young Hierons were well provided for I shall conclude this head with the words of the Psalmist Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116. 15. Surely he shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance Psal 112. 6. And I will only add words of Solomon Prov. 10. 9. The memory of the just is blessed CHAP. XV. Containing the Happiness of the Saints in Heaven or the inexpressible Consolations which the Godly even all sincere-hearted Persons enjoy in Heaven to all Eternity IN the third and last place let 's consider 3. The comforts of the godly afteâ— death Sect. 1. or rather admire at the happiness even the perfection of all comforts and happiness which the Saints shall enjoy after death in the highest Heavens to all eternity As for all those who lived in hypocrisie and dissimulation and lived without repentance and so died and as for all such who lived without God in the world having no fear of God before their eyes but have committed sin with greediness and have run into all excess of riot and so die in their unbelief and impenitency these are the Goats which shall stand on Christs left hand and against them he will pronounce that dreadful sentence of condemnation Matth 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But all upright and sincere-hearted Christians who are only Christs sheep they shall stand at Christs right hand and he will pronounce to them that comfortable soul-ravishing sentence of absolution Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world verse 34. However such who are Gods Jewels and precious in sight are vilisied and trampled on by the wicked of the world as if they were no better than the filth of 1 Cor. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world and the off-scouring of all thingsâ— yet at the general resurrection both of just and unjust there will be a resurrection of the names and of the causes of the righteous however in this world they have been traduced and scorned Then the meanest of glorified Saints whom this world thought they could not think bad enough shall have the preheminence and superiority above all the ungodly though they have been never so great in this present world for so saith the Psalmist Psal 49. 14. the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning From this Scripture it plainly appears that at the general resurrection the godly shall be known to the whole world to have dominion and Quamvis â—â—c demersis sit iâ— teâ—ebris mund is exâ—riâ—tur subito nâ—vaâ— manè quod faciem verae aeâ—etaae vâ—â—e â—obis restituet Calv. in Loc. preheminence above all the ungodâ—y men of this world And that all such who truly fear God though in this world they were in a poor and abject condition yet at that great day they shall be in a better condition every way rich and honourable and infinitely happier than any ungodly great and rich men can be in this present world Farther the godly in glory shall partake of nothing else but joy and happiness and the perfection of both but damned wretches shall be for ever debar'd from all manner of joy and partake of nothing else but hopeless sorrow and endless misery At the general Judgment when all without exception shall appear before the Judgment-seat 2 Cor. 5. 10. of Christ then there shall appear a great and wide difference between gâ—od and bad chaff and wheat sheep and goats that day will make a great and clear distinction Then all the Enemies of Christ and of his Church who rejoyced in persecuting Christ here on Earth in his Members would be glad to creep into holes if possible that they might hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb. Then they will wish that the mountains might fall upon them and that Rocks and Hills Dens or Caves might shelter and cover them from the face of the Lamb incensed against them Theâ— those bloudy Persecutors of Christ shall see him whom they have pierced zech 1â— 10. Judas who betrayed Christ with a hypocritical kiss Pilate who notwithstanding the reluctancy of his own conscience condemned Christ to please the people and released Barabb as an infamous Thief and Murtherer the Soldiers who crucified him and after they had first been his Executioners were his Executors to take his Garments All these and all other Enemies of Jesus Christ shall see him at that great Day to their terror and condemnation Those giddy-pated people who a little before cried to Christ Hosanna and afterwards cried Crucifie him Crucifie him shall appear before Christs Judgment-seat and then receive their sentence Those cursed Jews who wisht that the bloud of Christ might be upon them and their Children except such only who are washt in Christ's bloud shall to their dread and horror be condemn'd for embrewing their hands in the innocent bloud of Christ Sect. 2 At the day of Judgment all fals Judgments and unrighteous sentences past on earth shall be reverst Pontius Pilate who past an unjust judgment against Christ shall have a just judgment past upon him Luther used to say that At the day