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The Life of Faith

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) · 252,018 words · 1120 min

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and sorrow? And is not a walk in Heaven with better company, a pleasure desirable in such a case? What grief must needs dwell on the minds of sober Catholic Christians, to see the Church on earth so torn, so worryed ; so reproached as it is throughout the earth? so torn in pieces by its zealous ignorant self-conceited Pastors and Members? so worryed by its open and secret enemies; even by the usurping tyrannizing Wolves in Sheeps clothing, who spare not the flock? Matth. 7.15. & 10.16. Acts 20.29. so reproached by the world of Infidels and Heathens, who fly from it as from an infected City, and say [Christians are drunkards, and deceivers, and liars; they are all in pieces among themselves; they revile and persecute one another; we will therefore be no Christians.] How sad is it to see the one part of the world professing Christianity, to make it odious by their wickedness, and their divisions; and the rest of the world abhorring it, because these have made it seem odious to them? How sad is it to hear all Christians speak of love and Concord, Unity and Peace, while few of them know the way of Peace, or how to hold their own hands from tearing the Church into more pieces, while these peaceable words are in their mouths? To see the Pastors and People, as if it were for Unity and Peace, contriving the ruin of all that are not of their Party and Way, and studying how to extirpate one another; and multiplyjng snares and stumbling blocks, as necessary means to heal the Church! How sad is it to see▪ so great a faction as the Roman Kingdom (for it is more properly a Kingdom than a Church ) to lay the necessary Unity and Communion of all the Churches, upon so many forgeries of their own; upon the supposed certainty of the falseness of all men's senses (in the point of Transubstantiation) and upon the subjection of the Church to an universal usurps, and to keep up ignorance, lest knowledge (by reading the translated Scriptures, and such Books as do detect their frauds) should mart their markets, and spoil their trade? To see their Prelates take their own domination, wealth and greatness, to be really the prosperity of the Church, and the interest of the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ; and to promote the Gospel by silencing or prohibiting the most able, zealous, faithful Preachers of it; and to go with a drawn sword among the people, and say, Love us, or we will kill you: Love Christ and us, or the inquisition and wrack shall reach you love: To see them take the terrifying of men by corporal penalties, to be their chiefest work, and the way of Love to be but such popularity as destroyeth the Church▪ Will not now and then a walk in Heaven, be a great refreshing to the mind that hath been long haunted with such hideous and ugly specters as all these? Will not some converse with the most wises and holy, and peaceable Society, whose Life is Love, be a great recreation to your minds, when such sights as these have made them sad?

Moreover, you have many burdens of your own to bear; your own ignorance, your own temptations, your passions, your wants, and worst of all, the relics of your sin, which you cannot bear with that hope and support which is needful to you, without oft looking to the happiness of those that 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 have overcome all these, and are now at rest.

And you have many excellent duties to perform, which will not be so well done without looking oft on such a Copy. Yea you have the fears of death to overcome, which will not be so easily done, as by looking to all the world of souls, that have already gone that way before you.

Yea in your converse with God himself, though you have one only sufficient Mediator, you will cast yourselves upon great disadvantages, if your thoughts leave out the blessed society of Saints and Angels, who are nearest to him: You cast away your stepping-stones, or stairs of ascent, and you will but tempt yourselves to look at God, as through the great interposing gulf ; and hinder the needful familiarity of your thoughts above. Neglect not then a help so needful to you in your present state.

12. Lastly, The remembrance and observation of the heavenly inhabitants, is the way that is commended and commanded to all Believers, and that as part of their ordinary duty, in their prayers to God. He hath not only minded us that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still living, to prove the resurrection, Matth. 12.27. but hath also comforted the expectants of Heaven, by describing the joy of Lazarus as in Abraham's bosom, Luke 16.22, 23. and introduced Abraham as pleading Lazarus's cause, v. 25, 26. And hath made it a part of the comfortable description of his Kingdom, that we shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in it, Matth. 8.11. And when he would appear transfigured in a glimpse of his glory, to Peter, James and John, he would not do it alone, but with Moses and Elias talking with him, Matth. 17. And the comfort which Paul giveth to the suffering Thessalonians, is Rest with us, 2 Thes. 1.6. not only Rest with Christ, but with his servants: And when he describeth the glory of Christ's appearing, it is, that He shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that do believe, verse. 11, 12. As himself describeth his appearing as with his glorious Angels, Mat. 25.31. All the holy Angels with him. Whether it be all the blessed Spirits of the higher worlds, or only all those of them, who were deputed to the service of the Church on earth ( Matth. 18.10.) and so were made Angels to man, I pass over. And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints, &c, Jude v. 14. Many other Scriptures tell us, that we must not leave out the Saints and Angels, when we look towards Heaven by faith, and when we converse and walk above.

But this is but as on the by: That which I intend for your special observation, is, the third Petition of the Lord's Prayer, where the annexed clause (which seemeth to refer to all the three first Petitions) doth set the heavenly Church before us, as the Pattern of that obedience to the will of God, which both we, and all the world must imitate, and pray to God that we may imitate. [Thy Will be done on Earth, as it is done in Heaven. ] Here Christ requireth all Christians in Prayer, to look up to the Heavenly Society, and to consider how they do the Will of God, and to make it their Pattern, and in their daily Prayers, as men that long for their celestial perfection, to pray that they may become their imitators: even as the Scholars in the lowest form in the school, must look at those in the highest form, and desire and endeavor to attain to their degree. You see them that this is a commanded ordinary duty.

Direct. 7. Consider next wherein it is that your converse with Angels, and the perfected spirits of the just consisteth ; that you may neither by your mistake, neglect it, nor carry it too far.

I. Negatively: 1. It is not a Deifying them, as the Heathen did their Hero's, and their Divi: They are still but God's Ministers, and must have nothing ascribed to them of the Divine Prerogative.

2. Nor doth it consist in building Temples and Altars to their honor, which savoreth at least of a compliance with Idolatry.

3. Nor doth it at all consist in praying to them. 1. Because, as we know that they are not omnipresent, or omniscient; so 2. We know not at all when they are present, and when they do hear us, and when not. 3. Nor do we know which of them it is that is at any time present with us. 4. Nor have we any precept, president, promise, or other encouragement to such prayers in God's Word, but rather much to keep us from it.

4. Nor yet is it in desiring them to pray for us: For that which is their duty, they better know than we; and it is little that we know of their capacities or opportunities. And we have no Word of God neither to encourage us to this.

5. Nor doth it consist in choosing any one of them above the rest, for our guardian and protector ; and so committing ourselves to their care. For we have no reason to be so presumptuous, as to think that we have the choice of our own Protector ; or that it is a matter at all referred to us; or that they will undertake it ever the more for our choice.

6. Nor yet may we pretend to know what particular Saint or Angel is deputed of God to our protection: For there is not the least discovery of it in Nature, or in the Word of God: And he that pretendeth extraordinary revelation of it, must be sure to prove it.

7. Nor may we pray for them, as if they were in purgatory, or in any misery or danger which did need our prayers for them: For we have neither reason to believe the thing, nor any precept or encouragement to the work.

And as all these seven are unlawful things, so these also that follow must be meddled with very tenderly and cautelously.

1. Our Praises of them, must be sober and wary; and such as are in a plain tendency to the praises of God and godliness, lest before we are aware, we kindle superstition in the minds of the auditors. Praise them we may; but with a care of the manner, measure and consequents, and with a due respect to the praise of God.

2. Our Prayers for the Resurrection of their bodies, and their solemn Justification at the day of Judgment, though lawful in itself, yet must be done with very great caution. And it is fitter that we pray together in general for the Resurrection of All the members of Christ, both those that are dead, and those that will be, than to fix upon the dead distinctly, because as we have no precept or example for it in the Scriptures; so the minds of the hearers (if it be public) may easily abuse our example to error and excess.

3. Our thankfulness to them for their love and benefits, must be very cautelously expressed: Not by a verbal thanksgiving to them, of whom we are uncertain when they hear us: Nor yet in any such language as tendeth to encroach upon the honor of our great Benefactor ; nor to acknowledge anymore as from them, than as the Ministers of Christ.

4. And in our acknowledgements of their general prayers for the Church, we must take heed of feigning them to be more particular than we can prove that they are.

5. And we must take heed of all such Rhetorical Prosopopeia's as tend to delude the hearers or the readers; as if we would draw them to believe the presence and audience of those spirits which we intend not to express.

6. And our honoring of the memory of their Martyrdom or Holiness, must be so cautelous, that it tend not to Idolatry or Superstition: It is lawful in itself to keep the relics of a Saint or a Friend, and to keep a solemn thankful memorial of God's mercy to his Church, in her most excellent helpers, and successfullest instruments of her good: But in a time when these are commonly abused to superstition, the consequents may make that evil, which in other circumstances might be good. When the Primitive Pastors led their people, sometimes to the places where their neighbors suffered Martyrdom for Christ, and there praised God for their praised constancy, to encourage the people, and engage themselves to be true to Christ, and die as constantly as others did; this then had good effects; and if it had been used more cautelously, had been laudable: But they did not foresee the great inconveniencies of relics, pilgrimages, prayers to Saints, &c. which in after-ages it introduced: And now, it must be with very great caution indeed, if we will imitate them.

7. To pray to God to hear their general prayers for the Church, (such as those mentioned, Rev. 6.9, 10.) doth intimate no false doctrine that I know of. But it is a practice that hath danger, and no Scripture precept or example to encourage it, nor solid reason, that I remember: And if God would have had us used it, it's like he would have made it known.

II. Affirmatively: Our converse with those in Heaven consisteth in all these parts.

1. We must acknowledge our Relation to them, and not think that they are nothing to us.

2. We must not forget them, but see them by faith, and take it as part of our daily business to have some daily conversation with them.

3. We must love them with a peculiar love ; even better than we love the godly upon earth: because they are better, and liker unto God, and love him more, and are more beloved by him.

4. We must specially rejoice that God is glorified in and by them; and look often to them as the more illustrious representers of the Divine Perfections, than any of the Saints on Earth.

5. We must greatly rejoice in their own felicity and glory ; even as if it were our own. If we did see with our eyes our old dear friend, as Lazarus in Abraham 's bosom, triumphing now in the glory of the blessed, we could not choose but be daily very glad on their behalf; to see and think, O what felicity do my friends enjoy! And faith should make it in some measure to you, as if you saw it.

6. We must have a grateful sense in our minds of their love to us ; and must give God thanks for his Angels ministrations for us. For doubtless, as they are wiser and better than any of our friends on earth; so they have a better, a purer and diviner kind of Love to us, than these below have. And the Angels disdain not to be Christ's servants for our good; yea for our salvation, Heb. 1.14. For, are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them, who shall be heirs of salvation, Matth. 18.10. Their Angels always behold the face of my Father in Heaven, Psal. 34.7. The Angel of the Lord campeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them, Psal. 91.11. He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone, Luke 15.10. There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth, Luke 16.22. The beggar died and was carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom. Though the great Love is that of God our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, and our chiefest gratitude is due to him; even for the benefit which we have by any of his creatures; yet love and mental thankfulness is due to the rational creatures which are his voluntary instruments ; because they do what they do out of real love to us ; otherwise we should owe thankfulness to none, either benefactor, friend or parents.

7. And our believing converse with the blessed spirits, must make us earnestly desire to be like them ; even to be as like them here as possibly we may, and to be with them, that we may be perfect as they are perfect. We must long to be near God, as they are, and to know him, and love him, as they do; and this holy ambition is well pleasing to God: Though we must not desire to be as God, we must desire to know and love him perfectly.

8. And hence we must proceed to a sober imitation of them as they are now employed in Heaven : Not in those particulars wherein their case and ours differ (as to thank God for that conquest which they have made, and that glory which they do possess, &c.) But in all those duties, which in some degree, belong to us as well as them.

For instance, Ask what kind of Religion is likest to that which is in Heaven? Is it studying bare words, and disputing about things unprofitable, or contending and quarrelling about precedency, preeminence or domination? Or is it not rather the clearest knowledge, and the ferventest Love of God, and all his holy ones, and the fullest content, delight and rest of the soul in God, and the highest praises and thanksgivings, with the readiest and chearfullest obedience.

And what kind of Religious performances are most excellent which we must principally intend? Groans, and tears, and penitent confessions, and moans, are very suitable to our present state, while we have sin and suffering: But surely they are duties of the lower rank: For Heaven more aboundeth with praises and thanksgiving; and therefore we must labor to be fitter for them, and more abundant in them; not casting off any needful humiliations, and penitent complaints ; but growing as fast as we can above the necessity of them, by conquering the sin which is the cause.

So ask, what is it that would make the Church on Earth to be likest to that part which is in Heaven? Is it striving what Pastors shall be greatest, or have precedency, or be called gracious Lord's or Benefactors? Luke 22.24, 25, 26. 1 Pet. 5.3, 4, 5. Or is it in making the flock of Christ, to dread the secular power of the Shepherds, and tremble before them, as they do before the Wolf? Or is it in a proud conceit of the people's power to ordain their Pastors, and to rule them and themselves by a major vote ? Or in a supercilious condemning the members of Christ, and a proud contempt of others as too unholy for our communion, when we never had authority to try or judge them? Is it in the multitude of Sects and divisions▪ everyone saying, Our party, and our way is best? Surely all this is unlike to Heaven: It is rather in the Wisdom, and Holiness and Unity of all the members: When they all know God, especially in his Love and Goodness, and when they fervently love him, and cheerfully and universally obey him; and when they love each other fervently, and with a pure heart, and without divisions do hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; and with one heart, and mind, and mouth, do glorify God and our Redeemer. Leaving that Church-Judgment to the Pastors which Christ hath put into their hands; and leaving God's part of Judgment unto himself. This is to be like to our heavenly exemplar, and to do God's Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven, Ephes. 4.2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 16.

9. And we must also look back to the examples of their lives, while they were on earth; and see wherein they are to be imitated as the imitators of Jesus Christ: which way went they to Heaven before us?

10. Lastly, We must give God thanks on their behalf; for making them so perfect, and bringing them so near him, and saving them from sin, and Satan, and the world, and bringing them safe to Heaven, through so many temptations, difficulties and sufferings: For making them such instruments of his glory, in their times, and showing his glory upon them and to them in the Heavens? For making them such blessings to the world in their generations, and for giving us in them such patterns of faith, obedience and patience, and making them so great encouragements to us, who may the more boldly follow them in faith, duty and sufferings, who have conquered all, and sped so well: For, showing us by faith their present state of glory with Christ, for our confirmation and consolation. Thus far, in all these ten particulars, we must have a heavenly conversation with the glorified by Faith.

Direct. 8. Consider next wherein your imitation of the example of their lives on earth consisteth.

And it is 1. Not in committing any of their sins, nor indulging any such weaknesses in ourselves, as any of them were guilty of. 2. Nor in extenuating a sin, or thinking ever the better of it, because it was theirs. 3. Nor in doing as they did in exempted cases, wherein their Law and ours differed (as in the marriage of Adams children, in the Jews Polygamy, &c. 4. Nor in imitating them in things indifferent, or accidental, that were never intended for imitation, nor done as morally good or evil. 5. Nor in pretending to, or expecting of their extraordinary Revelations, Inspirations, or Miracles. 6. Nor in pretending the high attainments of the more excellent, to be the necessary measure of all that shall be saved, or the Rule of our Church-Communion: Our imitation of them consisteth in no such things as these.

But it consisteth in these.

1. That you fix upon the same ultimate Ends as they did. That you aim at the same Glory of God, and choose the same everlasting felicity.

2. That you choose the same Guide and Captain of your salvation; the same Mediator between God and man; the same Teacher and Ruler of the Church, and the same sacrifice for sin, and Intercessor with the Father.

3. That you believe the same Gospel, and build upon the same Promises, and live by the same Rule, the Word of God.

4. That you obey the same Spirit, and trust to the same Sanctifier, and Comforter, and Illuminater, to illuminate, sanctify and comfort your souls.

5. That you exercise all the same graces of Faith, Hope, Love, Repentance, Obedience, Patience, as they did.

6. That you live upon the same Truths, and be moved by the same Motives as they lived upon, and were moved by.

7. That you avoid the same sins as they avoided; and see what they feared, and fled from, and made conscience of, that you may do the same.

8. That you choose and use the same kind of company, helps and means of grace (so far as yours and theirs are the same) as they have done: And think not to find a nearer, or another way to that state of happiness which they are come • o, Phil. 3.16. Walk by the same Rule, and mind the same things, and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. If any preach another Gospel, let him be accursed, Gal. 1.7, 8. Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them, Rom. 16.17. Heb. 6.11. We desire that everyone of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope to the end, that you be not slothful, but followers of them, &c.

9. That you avoid, resist, and overcome the same temptations, as they did, who now are crowned.

10. That you bear the same cross, and exercise the same faith, and hope, and patience, unto the end, 1 Pet. 4.1. Arm yourselves with the same mind, &c.

In brief, this is the true imitation of the Saints.

Direct 9. Never suffer your life of sense to engage you so deeply in sensible converse with men on earth, as to forget your heavenly relations and society ; but live as men that unfeignedly believe, that you have a more high, and noble converse every day to mind.

If you are Believers indeed, let your faith go along with the souls of your departed friends, into glory: And if you have forgot them by an unfriendly negligence, renew your acquaintance with them. Think not that those only that live on earth, are fit for our converse, and our comfort: Will you converse with none but ignorant, selfish, worldly sinners? Are you more contemptuous of the heavenly inhabitants, than the Gentleman in hell torments was, Luke 16.26, 27. that thought one from the dead, though it had been but a beggar, would have been reverenced even by his sensual brethren on earth, so far as to have persuaded them unto saving Repentance. I tell you, a dead man's skull is ofttimes a more profitable companion, than most that you shall converse with in the common world. The dust of your departed friends, and the clay that corps are turned into, is a good medicine for those eyes that are blinded with the dust of worldly vanities. Much more should you keep your acquaintance with the soul, which may, for all the distance, be perhaps more useful to you, than it was in the flesh. Alas, how carnally, and coldly, or seldom, do most Professors look at their Brethren, and at the Angelical hosts that are above. They long for our conversion, and mind our great concernments, and rejoice in our felicity; and shall we be so swinishly ungrateful, as seldom to look up, and remember their high and blessed state?

Many think that they have no more business with their deceased friends, than to see them decently interred, and to mourn over them, as if their removal were their loss; or to grieve for our own loss, when we perceive their places empty; but we scarce look up after them with an eye of faith, much less do we daily maintain our communion with them in Heaven: When Christ was taken up, his Disciples gazed after him, Act. 1.10. Stephen looked up steadfastly into Heaven, and saw Christ sitting at the right hand of God, Acts 7.55. And how seldom, how slightly do we look up, either to Jesus, his Angels, or his Saints.

I tell you Sirs, you have not done with your friends when you have buried their flesh. They have left you their holy examples: They are entered before you into rest: You are hastening after them, and must be quickly with them, if you are true Believers: You must see them every day by faith: When you look to Christ, you must look to them, as his beloved friends, entertained by him in his family of glory. When you look up to Heaven, remember that they are there: When you think of coming thither, remember that you must there meet them. You must honor their memories more than you did on earth, because they are more honorable, being more honored of God. You must love them better than you did when they were on earth, because they are better, and so more lovely: You must rejoice much more for their felicity, than you did whilst they were on earth; because they are incomparably more happy than they were. Either you believe this, or you do not. If you do not believe that the dead are blessed that die in the Lord, and rest from their labors, and are with Christ in Paradise, why do you seem Christians? If you do believe it, why do you not more rejoice with your glorified friends, than you would have done, if they had been advanced to the greatest honors in the world? It is the natural duty of friends, to mourn with them that mourn, and to rejoice with them that rejoice; and if one member be honored or dishonored, the rest of the body are accordingly affected. Do not your sorrows then instead of joys, tell all men that you believe that your friends are gone to sorrow, and not to joy? If not, you are very selfish or inconsiderate.

Direct. 10. Lastly, Let not your aversation to Popery, turn to a facti • us partial forsaking of God's Truth, and your own duty and consolation, in this point. Abundance of Christians have taken up opinions in Religion, upon the love and honor of the parties that they took them of; and being possessed with a just dislike of Popery in the main, they suspect and cast away, not a few great truths and duties upon a false information, that they are parts of Popery. It hath grieved 〈…〉 • han once to hear religious persons come from heari • g 〈◊〉 Ministers with disdain and censure, saying that they prayed for the dead; and all their proof was that [ Thanksgiving is a part of prayer: but they gave God thanks for the glorification of the spirits of the Just; therefore they prayed for them. ] And so have they argued, because they have read the 1 Cor. 15. at the grave; or because they have preached a Funeral Sermon while the Corpse was present, or because they prayed then for themselves, or for the Church. Alas, for the childish ignorance, and pievishness, and foolish wranglings of many Christians, who think they are better than their neighbors! How much is Christ's family dishonored by his silly froward children? And they will not be instructed by their friends; and therefore they are posted up, and openly reproached by their enemies. Have Angels or heavenly Saints deserved so ill of God or us, that we should be so shy of their communion? Are they nothing to us? Have we nothing to do with them? Have we cause to be ashamed of them? Is their honor any dishonor to God or us ; if it be no more than what is their due? Can we give so much love, respect and honor to Magistrates, Ministers, and Friends on earth (imperfect, sinful, troublesome mortals:) and shall we think that all is idolatrous, or cast away, which is given to them that so far excel us? Is it your design to make Heaven either contemptible or strange to men on earth? Or would you persuade the world, that the souls of the Saints are not immortal, but perish as the bruits? Or that there is no Heaven? Or that God is there alone without any company? Are so many fond of the opinion of a Personal Reign on Earth, for Christ with his holy ones; and yet is it Popery so much as to speak honourably and joyfully of the Saints in Heaven? My Brethren, these things declare you yet to be too dark, too factious, and too carnal; and to hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, with respect to parties, sides and persons. Christ taketh not his Saints as strangers to him: He that judgeth men as they love and use him, in the least of his Brethren upon Earth, will not so soon censure and quarrel with us as the Sectary will do for loving and honoring him in his Saints in Heaven; for it is his will and prayer that they be with him where he is to behold his glory, John 12.26. & 17.24. And he will come with his holy Angels to be glorified in his Saints (who shall judge the world and Angels) and to be admired in all them that do now believe, 2 Thes. 1.10, 11, 12.

CHAP. XXVII. How to receive the Sentence of Death; and how to die by Faith.

HAving said so much of this elsewhere (in my Books called, A Believers last work: The last Enemy: My Christian Directory: Treatise of Self-denial, &c.) I shall be here but very brief.

I. For the first Case, before sickness cometh:

Direct. 1. Be sure that you settle your Belief of the life to come, that your Faith may not fail.

Direct. 2. Expect Death as seriously all your life, as wise Believers are obliged to do: That is, as men that are always sure to die; as men that are never sure to live a moment longer; as men that are sure that life will be short, and death is not far off; and as foreseeing what it is to die; of what eternal consequence; and what will then appear to be necessary to your safe, and to your comfortable change.

Direct. 3. All your days habituate your souls to believing, sweet enlarged thoughts of the infinite Goodness and Love of God, to whom you go, and with whom you hope to live forever.

Direct. 4. Dwell in the studies of a crucified and glorified Christ, who is the way, the truth and life; who must be your hope in life and death, Ephes. 3.17, 18, 19.

Direct. 5. Keep clear your evidences of your right to Christ, and all his Promises ; by keeping grace or the heavenly nature, in life, activity and increase, 2 Pet. 1.10. 2 Cor. 13.5. John 15, 1, &c. 1 John 3.

Direct. 6. Consider often of the possession which your nature in Christ hath already of Heaven ; and how highly it is advanced, and how near his relation is, and how dear his love is to his weakest members upon earth: And that as souls in Heaven have an inclination and desire to communicate their own felicity to their bodies ; so hath Christ as to his body the Church, John 17.24. Ephes. 5.25, 27, &c.

Direct. 7. Look to the Heavenly Host, and those who have lived before you, or with you in the flesh, to make the thoughts of Heaven the more familiar to you (as in the former chapter.)

Direct. 8. Improve all Afflictions, yea the plague of sin itself, to make you weary of this world, and willing to be gone to Christ, Rom. 7.

Direct. 9. Be much with God in Prayer, Meditation, and other heart-raising duties; that you may not by strangeness to him be dismayed.

Direct. 10. Live not in the guilt of any willful sin, nor in any slothful neglect of duty, lest guilt breed terror, and make you fly from God your Judge. But especially study to redeem your time, and to do all the good you can i • the world, and to live as totally devoted to God, as conscious that you live to no carnal interest, but desire to serve him with all you have; and your consciences testimony of this, will abundantly take off the terrors of death (whatever any erroneous ones may say to the contrary, for fear of being guilty of conceits of merit.) A fruitful life is a great preparative for death, 2 Tim. 4.8. 2 Cor. 1.12▪ &c.

Direct. 11. Fetch from Heaven the comforts which you live upon through all your life: And when you have truly learned to live more upon the comforts of believed glory, than upon any pictures or hopes below, then you will be able to die in and for those comforts, Matth. 6.20, 21. Col. 3.1, 4. Phil. 3.20, 21. 1 Thes. 4.18. Phil. 1.21, 23.

Direct. 12. The Knowledge and Love of God in Christ is the beginning or foretaste of Heaven, (John 17.3. 1 Cor. 13. &c.) and the foretastes are excellent preparations: Therefore still remember that all that you do in the world, for the getting and exercising the true Knowledge and Love of God in Christ; so much you do for the foretastes (and best preparations) for Heaven, 1 Cor. 8.3. If any man love God, the same is known of him (with approbation and love.)

II. In the time of sickness, and near to death.

Direct. 1. Let your first work, when God seemeth to call you away, be, to renew a diligent search of your hearts and lives, and to see lest in either of them there should be any sin which is not truly hated and repented of.

Though this must be done through all your lives, yet with an extraordinary care and diligence when you are like to come so speedily to your trial. For it is only to Repenting Believers, that the Covenant of Grace doth pardon sin: And the impenitent have no right to pardon. Though for ordinary failings which are forgotten, and for sins which you are willing to know and remember, but cannot; a general Repentance will be accepted; (as when you pray God to show you the sins which you see not, and to forgive those which you cannot remember or find out:) Yet those which you know must be particularly repented of: And Repentance is a remembering duty, and will hardly forget any great and heinous sins, which are known to be sins indeed. If your Repentance be then to begin, alas it is high time to begin it: And though if it be sound, it will be saving (that is, If it be such as would settle you in a truly godly life, if you should recover ;) yet you will hardly have any assurance of salvation, or such comfort in it as is desirable to dying man: Because you will very hardly know whether it come from true conversion, and contain a Love to God and Godliness ; or whether it be only the fruit of fear, and would come to nothing if you were restored to health: But he that hath truly repented heretofore, and lived in uprightness towards God and man, and hath nothing to do, but to discern his sincerity, and to exercise a special Repentance for some late or special sins; or to do that again which he hath done unfeignedly before, will much more easily get the assurance and comfort of his forgiveness and salvation.

Direct. 2. Renew your sense of the Vanity of this world: Which at such a time one would think, should be very easy to do. When you see that you are near an end of all your pleasures, and have had all (except a grave to rot in) that ever this world willd o for you, may you not easily then see, whether the godly or the worldly be the wiser and the happier man? And what it is that the life of man should be spent in seeeking after? Matth. 6.33. Isa. 55.1, 2, 3. Eccles. 7.3, 4, 5, 6.

Direct. 3. Remember what Flesh is, and what it hath been to you, that you may not be too loath to lay it down.

Of the dust it was made, and to the dust it must return: Corruption is your Father, and the Worm is your Mother, and your Sister, Job 17.14. Drought and beat consume the Snow-waters; so doth the grave those which have sinned: The womb shall forget him; the Worm shall feed sweetly on him, Job 24.20. Flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God; but this mortal must put on immortality, by being made a spiritual body, 1 Cor. 15.

And this flesh hath cost you so dear to carry it about; so much care and labor to provide it food, to repair that which daily vanisheth away; and so many weary, painful hours; and so many fearful thoughts of dying, that methinks you should quietly resign it to the grave, which hath been so long calling for it.

Especially considering what it hath done, by the temptations of a vitiated appetite and sense, against your souls: into how many sins it hath drawn you, and what grief and shame it hath procured you; and what assurance and heavenly pleasures it hath hindered; and how many repentings, and purposes, and promises it hath frustrated, or undone: Methinks we should conceive that we have long enough dwelt in such an habitation.

Direct. 4. Foresee by Faith the resurrection of the body, when it shall be raised a spiritual body unto Glory; and shall be no more an enemy to the soul.

Direct. 5. Renew your familiarity with the blessed ones above. Remember that the great Army of God (the souls of the just from Adam till now) are all got safe through this Red Sea, and are triumphing in Heaven already; and that it is but a few stragglers in the end of the world that are left behind: And which part then should you desire to be with? And remember how ready those Angels which rejoiced at your conversion, are to be your Convoy unto Christ, Luke 16.23.

Direct. 6. But especially think with greatest confidence and delight, that Jesus your Head is entered into the Heavens before you, and is making intercession for you, and is preparing you a place, and loveth your company, and will not lose it. You shall find him ready to receive your souls, and present them spotless unto God, as the fruit of his mediation: He will have you be with him to behold his glory; and none shall take you out of his hands. Let his Love therefore draw up your desires, and stablish your hearts in confidence and rest.

Direct. 7. Remember, that all that are living must come after you; and how quickly their turn will come; and would you wish to be exempt from death alone, which the whole world below must needs submit to?

Direct. 8. Think still of the Resurrection of Christ your Head, that you may see that death is a conquered thing, and what a pledge you have of a life to come.

Direct. 9. Dwell still in the believing fore thoughts of the blessedness of the life to which you go, as it is your personal perfection, and the perfect Love and fruition of God, with his perfect joyous praise.

Remember still what it is to see and know the Lord, (and all things else in him, which are fit for us to know. And labor to revive your Love to God, and then you revive your desires and preparations.

Direct. 10. Give up yourselves wholly to the Will of God ; and think how much better it is for upright Souls to be in God's hand, than in your own. The Will of God is the first and last, the Original and End of all the creatures. Besides the Will of Infinite Goodness, there is no final Rest for human souls. But man's will is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning or first efficient, and the ultimate end of all obliquity and sin: Be bold then and thankful in your approach to God, remembering how much more safe and comfortable it is to be (for life and death) at God's disposal, than our own.

B • sides these, read the Directions against the fear of death, in my Book of Self-denial; and what is said in my Saints Rest, and other the Treatises before mentioned.

CHAP. XXVIII. How by Faith to look aright to the Coming of Jesus Christ in Glory.

BEcause I have said so much of this also, in my Saints Rest, and in many other Treatises, I will now pass it over with these brief Directions.

Direct. 1. Delude not your souls, nor corrupt your faith and hope, by placing Christ's Kingdom in things too low, or that are utterly uncertain.

Think not so carnally of the second coming of Christ, as the Jews did of the first who looked for an earthly Kingdom, and despised the spiritual and heavenly: And make not the unknown time, or other circumstances of his coming▪ to be to you as the certain and necessary things; lest you do as many of those called Millenaries, or Fifth-Monarchy men among us, who have turned the doctrine of Christian hope into an outrageous fury, to bring Christ down before his time, and to make themselves Rulers in the world, that they might presently reign under the name of the Reign of Christ▪ and have by seditious, rebellious railing at Christ's Ministers, and hating those that are not of their mind, done much to promote the Kingdom of Satan, while they cried up nothing but the Kingdom of Christ.

Direct. 2. Do all that you can in this day of grace, to promote Christ's present Kingdom in the world, and that will prove your best preparation for his glorious coming.

To that end labor with all your might, to set up Life, and Light, and Love, abhorring Hypocrisy, Ignorance, and Uncharitableness ; turn not Religion into a ceremony, carcass or dead Imagery or Form: Nor yet into Darkness, Error, or a human wandering, distracting maze: Nor into selfish, proud, censorious faction: Build not Christ's Kingdom as the Devil would do, by hypocritical dead shows, or by putting out his Lights, or by schism, division, hatred and strife. Read James 3.

Direct 3. Yet leave not out of your faith and hope, any certain part of Christ's glorious Kingdom. We know that we shall forever be with the Lord, and in the presence of the Father in heavenly glory; and withal, that we shall be in the New Jerusalem ; and that there shall be a new Heaven, and a new Earth, in which shall dwell righteousness ; and that we shall judge the Angels and the world. And if we know not the circumstances of all these parts, let not therefore any of them be denied, 1 Thes. 4.11. 2 Cor. 5.1, 3, 8. Rev. 20. & 22. 2 Pet. 3.13.

Direct. 4. Think what a day of Glory it will be to Jesus Christ, Matth. 25.31. O how different from his state of humiliation! He will not come again to be despised, spit on, buffeted, blasphemed and crucified: Pilate and Herod must be arraigned at his bar; it is the marriage-day of the Lamb; a day appointed for his glory, Rev. 21, & 22.

Direct 5. Think what a day of honor it will be to God the Father ; how his Truth will be vindicated, his Love and Justice gloriously demonstrated, Matth. 25. 2 Thes. 1.8, 9.

Direct. 6. Think what a day it will be to all the children of God ; to see their Lord, when he purposely cometh to be admired and glorified in them, 2 Thes. 1.11, 12. To see him in whom they have believed, whom they loved and longed for, 2 Pet. 3.11, 12, 13. & 1 Pet. 1.8. To see him who is their dearest Head and Lord; who will justify them before all the world, and sentence them to life eternal: To see the day in which they must receive the end of all their faith, and hope; their prayers, labors and patience to the full, 1 Pet. 1.8, 9. Rev. 2, & 3. Matth. 25. 2 Pet. 4.13.

Direct. 7. Thinks what a day it will be to the shame of sin, when it shall be the reproach and terror of the world, and to the Honor of Holiness, when faith, obedience and love shall be the approved honor of all the Saints: And what a day of admirable Justice it will be, when all that seems crooked here, shall be set strait: O the difference that there will then be in the thoughts of sin and holiness, in comparison of those that men have of them now!

Direct. 8. Think what a confounding day it will be to the infernal Serpent, and all his seed, Matth. 25.41, 16. When impudent boasters shall then be speechless, and all iniquity shall stop her mouth, Matth. 25.44. & 22.12. Psal. 107.42. And when Lazarus shall be seen in Abraham 's bosom; and the enemies of the Saints shall see them advanced (as Haman did M • rdecai, and rejoicing when the Glory of Christ is revealed, 1 Pet. 4.13. When every scorners mouth shall be stopped, and all stand guilty before their Judge, ( Rom. 3.4.19.) and the wretched unprepared souls must for departing from God, be sentenced to depart into misery forever, Matth. 25.41, 46. Jude v. 6.

Direct. 9. And think what a change that day beginneth both with the Saints, and with the world: What a glory is it that we must immediately possess, in body and soul; and how we must partake of the Kingdom of our Lord: Saints shall be scorned and persecuted no more: The threatenings and promises of Christ shall be no more denied by unbelievers: Sin will be no more in honor, nor pride and sensuality bear sway: The Church will be no more eclipsed, either by its lamentable imperfections, and diseased members, or by the divisions of sects, or the scatterings of the cruel, or the slanders of the lying tongue, Ephes. 5.17. Satan will no more tempt or trouble us ( Rev. 12.9.) Matth. 25.41. Sin and death will be excluded; and all the fears and horrors of both: For the face of Infinite Love will perfectly and perpetually shine upon us, and shine us into perfect perpetual Glory, Love and Joy; and will feed these, and the thankful and pra • seful expressions of them, to all eternity, Matth. 5.46. 2 Cor. 4.17. Rev. 2, & 3.

Direct. 10. Lastly, Think how near all this must needs be: If the day of the Lord was near in the times of the Apostles, it cannot be far off to us. If the worlds duration be to six thousand years (the time which arrogant presumption most plausibly guesseth at) it will be less than 350 years to it. Though we know not the time, we know it cannot be long.

And let me conclude with a warning to both sorts of Readers: And 1. To the ungodly unprepared sinner. Poor soul! dost thou believe this dreadful day or not? if not, why dost thou dissemble, by professing it in thy Creed? if thou do, how 〈◊〉 thou live so merrily or quietly in a careless unprepared state? Canst thou possibly forget so great, so sure, so near a day? Alas, it will be another kind of meeting, than Christ had with sinners upon earth; when he came in meekness and humiliation, not to judge and condemn the world, b • t to be falsely judged and condemned by them, John 3.17. & 12.47. Nor will it be such a meeting as Christ had with thee, either by his Ministers that called thee to repent, who were men whom thou couldest easily despise; or by his Spirit which thou couldest resist and quench; or by his afflicting Rod, which did but say to thee, Go, sin no more, lest worse befall thee, Joh. 5.14. Heb. 12.10, 12. 1 Tim. 5.24. Nor as the Judgment of man's Assize, which passeth sentence only against a temporal life, Luke 12.4. Nor like the treaty of a Judas with his new awakened conscience here. O no! It will be a more glorious, but more dreadful day: It will be the meeting, not only of a creature with his Creator ; but of a sinner with a just and holy God, and of a despiser of grace, with the God whom he despised: O terrible day to the unbelieving, ungodly, carnal and impenitent! Heb. 10.31. & 2.3. & 10.12. Luke 19.27. There must thou appear to receive thy final doom; to hear the last word that ever thou must hear from Jesus Christ (unless his everlasting wrath be called his Word) And O how different will it be from the words which thou wast wont to hear! Thou wast wont to hear the calls of grace: Mercy did entreat thee to return to God: Christ by his Ministers did beseech thee to be reconciled: But if thou entreat him for pardon and peace, with the loudest cries, it would be all in vain, Matth. 7.21, 22, 23. Prev. 1.27, 28. Now the voice is, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, John 1.29. But then it will be, [ Behold he cometh with clouds, end every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail, because of him, Rev. 1.7. And [ behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints, to execute Judgment up • n all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him, Jude 14, 15. Now he entreateth you to come to him that you may have life, John 5 40. But then you will cry to the Mountains to fall upon you, and the hills to cover you from his presence, Luke 23.30. Rev. 6.16. Now he saith, Behold I stand at the door and knock; If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me, Rev. 3.20. But when once you hear that midnight cry, Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye forth and meet him; then they that are ready shall go in, and the door shall be shut against the rest, Matth. 25.9, 10. The door of mercy shall be shut: Your Reprobation will be then made sure, Rom. 9.22. & 2.5. The day of thy visitation is then past, ( Luke 19.41, 42.) No more offers of Christ and mercy: No more entreaties to accept them: No more calls to turn and live: Min • sters must no more preach, and persuade, and entreat in vain. Friends must no more warn thee, and pray for thee. All is done already that they can do for thy soul forever. No more strivings of the Spirit with thy conscience; and no more patience, health or time to be abused upon fleshly lusts and pleasures: All these things are past away, 1 Cor. 7.31. 2 Cor. 4.17. And the door of Hope will be also shut: No more hope of a part in Christ: No more hope of the success of Sermons, of Prayers, or of any other means: No hopes of pardon, of justification, of salvation; or of any abatement of thy woe, Luke 16.25.26. Behold this is the accepted time; behold this is the day of salvation, 2 Cor. 6.2. Heb. 6.4, 5, 6, 8 Psal. 5.4, 5. & 9.7. James 1.15.

By this time, methinks you should better know what the use and meaning of the Gospel, and Grace, and Ministers is; and what is the design of Preaching, and in what manner it should be done. Would you have us silent, or talk to you as in jest, while we see such a day as this before us? Every true Preacher spaketh to you with Judgment and Eternity in his eye. Our work is to prepare you, or to help you to prepare to meet the Lord, and to be ready for your final sentence: O then with what seriousness should we speak, and should you bear, and should both we and you prepare! It's pity to see people hear Sermons many years, and not so much as know what a Sermon is; or what is the use and nature of it. If our business were to draw away Disciples after us, and to make ourselves the admired heads of factions, then we would speak those perverse things contrary to the doctrine which you have been taught, by which our ends might be carried on, Acts 20.30. Rom. 16.17. Or if our design were to be high, and great, and rich, we would flatter the great ones of the world, that we might rule you with violence instead of love: Or if we consulted our case, we should spare much of this labor, and let you silently alone, at cheaper rates to the flesh, than now we speak to you. But O who can be silent, who is engaged in this sacred office, when he foreseeth what will shortly be the issue of our prevailing, or not prevailing with you! Now as we love Christ, we must feed his sheep ; and necessity is laid upon us, and woe be unto us if we preach not the Gospel, 1 Cor. 9.16. Our preaching Christ is to warn every man, and teach every man, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, Col. 1.22. And to persuade men as knowing the terrors of the Lord, 2 Cor. 9.10, 11. Heb. 12.25, 29. If it were only that we loved so to hear ourselves talk; or to be cried up by many followers, we deserved to pay dear indeed for such Preaching. But when our Lord loved and pitied souls at the rate of his sufferings and bloody death, surely our rates are not above the worth of souls. O what a doleful sight is it to us, to foresee by faith how loud, how earnestly you would knock and cry, when the door is shut, and hope is gone! And what you would then give for one of these days which you now are a weary of; and for a drop of that mercy which now doth beg your entertainment!

What then remaineth, but as ever you believe that day; and as ever you care what becometh of your souls and bodies forever; and as ever you would not be charge • d and condemned, as final and obstinate refu • ers of mercy and salvation; yea and for wronging the Ministers of Christ, by making them study and preach in vain: That you harden not your hear • s, but hear Christ's voice, today, while it is called today▪ before the door of grace be shut: O cry while crying and begging may do good: Meet Christ now as may best prepare you to meet him then. Meet him now as the Prodigal met his Father, Luke 15. Saying, I have sinned, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, make me one of thy hired servants.

Meet God as Abigail met David, 1 Sam. 25.32, 34. with an offering of peace (even Christ apprehended by an obedient faith:) When she heard from David, Except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, all had been destroyed.

Meet him to inquire of his sacred Oracle, what is like to become of thy soul; as the King of Syria sent Hazael with a present to Elisha, to meet him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 2 King. 8.8. Or as Paul met with Christ when he humbled and converted him, saying, Who art thou, Lord? and what wouldst thou have me do? Acts 9.

Meet him as the men of Israel and Judah did David their King, 2 Sam. 19. striving who should first own and honor him, Amos 4.12. Meet God thus n • w when h • ca •• eth you by his Word, when he persuadeth you by his M ••• sters, when he moveth you by his Spirit, when he allureth and obligeth you by his mercies, while he driveth you by affliction, while he waiteth on you by his patience, and by all th • se calleth you to repent, to love him, and to obey; to set your hearts on Heaven if ever you hope it should be your portion: Meet him thus now, and then you may joyfully meet him in his glory.

II. And O all you that are true Believers, lift up your heads with hope and joy, for your final deliverance draweth nigh. The world hath but a little while longer to abuse you: Satan hath but a little while more to molest you: The blinded Sodomites shall not long be groping for your doors: You shall not long walk among snares and dangers; nor live with enemies, nor with troublesome unsuitable friends: You have not long to bear the burden of that wearisome body, of that seducing flesh, of those unruly passions, or those disordered thoughts; you have not long to groan under the misery of that troubled and doubting conscience, that darkened mind, those dull affections, those remnants of unbelief, stupidity and carnality; nor to cry out with weariness from day today, O when shall I know God better, and love him more! Death is coming, and quickly after, Christ is coming: One will begin, and the other perfect your full deliverance, and put an end to these complaints.

And remember, that though Death hath somewhat in it, which to nature is terrible (God having made the love of Life to be the pondus, or spring of motion to the great engine of the sensitive world) yet what is there in the second coming of Christ, that should seem unwelcome to you? You shall not meet an enemy, but a friend ; your surest, and your greatest friend ; one that hath done more for you than all the world hath done; and one that is ready now to do much more, and show his love and friendship to the height. One that will be then your surest friend, when all the world shall cast you off. You go not to be condemned, but to be openly justified ; yea honored before all the world, and sentenced to endless glory. You go not to be numbered with the enemies of holiness, or with the slothful and unprofitable servants; but to be perfectly incorporated into the heavenly society, and to see the glorified faces of Enoch, Moses and Elias, of Peter, and John, and Paul, and Timothy, and all the Saints that ever you knew, or whose writings you have ever read, or whose names you ever heard of, & millions more. You go to be better acquainted with those Angels that rejoiced at your repentance, and that ministered for your good, and that bore you in their hands, and were your continual guard both night and day. You go to join in consort with all these, in those seraphick praises which are harmoniously sounded forth continually, through all the intellectual world, in the greatest fervours of perfect Love, and the constant raptures of perfect Joy, in the fullest intuition of the glory of the Eternal God, and the glorified humanity of your Redeemer, and the glory of the celestial world and society, and under the streams of Infinite Life, and Light, and Love, poured forth upon you to feed all this, to all Eternity: And all this in so near and sweet an union with the glorified ones, who are the body and Spouse of Christ, that it shall be all as one Praise, one Love, one Joy in all.

O for a more lively and quick-sighted faith, to foresee this day in some measure as affectingly, as we shall then see it! Alas, my Lord, is this dark prospect all that I must here hope for? Is this dull, and dreaming, and amazing apprehension, all that I shall reach to here? Is this senseless heart, this despondent mind, these drowsy desires, the best that I must here employ in the contemplation of so high a glory? Must I come in such a sleepy state to God? and go as in a dream to the beatifical vision? I am ashamed and confounded to find my soul, alas, so dark, so dead, so low, so unsuitable to such a day and state, even whilst I am daily looking towards it, and whilst I am daily talking of it, and persuading others to higher apprehensions than I can reach myself; and even whilst I am writing of it, and attempting to draw a Map of Heaven, for the consolation of myself, and fellow-believers. Thou hast convinced my Reason of the truth of thy predictions, and of the certain futurity of that glorious day: And yet how little do my affections stir? and how unanswerable are my joys, and my desires, to those convictions? when the light of my understanding should cure the deadness of my heart, alas, this deadness rather extinguisheth that light, and cherisheth temptations to unbelief; and my faith, and reason, and knowledge, are as it were asleep, and useless, for want of that Life which should awaken them unto exercise and use. Awakened Reason serveth Faith, and is always on thy side: But sleepy Reason in the gleams of prosperity, is ready to give place to flesh and fancy, and hath a thousand distracted, incoherent dreams. O now reveal thy Power, thy Truth, thy Love and Goodness effectually to my soul, and then I shall wait with love and longing, for the revelation of thy Glory: Thy inward, heavenly, powerful Light, is kin to the glorious brightness of thy coming; and will show me that which books and talk only, without thy Spirit, cannot show. Thy Kingdom in me, and my daily faithful subjection to thy Government there, must prepare me for the glorious endless Kingdom: If now thou wouldest pour out thy Love upon my soul, it would flame up towards thee, and long to meet thee, and think with daily pleasure on that day: And my perfect Love would cast out that fear, which maketh the thoughts of thy coming to be a torment: O meet me now when my soul doth seek thee, and secretly cry after thee; that I may know thou wilt meet me with love and pity at the last. O turn not now thine ears from my requests: For if thou receive me not now as thy humble supplicant, how shall I hope that thou wilt receive me then? And if thou wilt not hear me in the day of grace and visitation, and in this time when thou mayest be found, how can I hope that thou wilt hear me then, when the door is shut, and the seeking and finding time is past? If thou cast me out of thy presence now, and turn away thy face from my soul and my supplication, as a loathed thing, how can I then expect thy smiles, or the vital embracements of thy glorifying Love? or to be owned by thee before all the world, with that cordial and consolatory Justification, which may keep my conscience from becoming my Hell. If thou permit my flesh and sense to conquer my faith, and to turn away my love and desire from thee; how shall I then expect that Joy, that Heaven, which consisteth in thy Love: And if thou suffer this unsteadfast heart to depart from thee now, will it not be the forerunner of that dreadful doom, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I know you not: And if for the love of transitory vanity, I now deny thee, what can I then expect but to be finally denied by thee? Come Lord and dwell by thy Spirit in my soul, that I may have something in me to take my part, and may know that I shall dwell with thee forever: If now thou wilt make me thy temple and habitat • on, and wilt dwell by faith and love within me; I shall know thee by more than the hearing of the ear, and thy last appearing will be less terrible to my thoughts: Thou wilt be health to my soul, when my body lieth languishing in pain: And when flesh and heart fail, my failing heart will find reviving strength in thee: And when the portion of worldlings is spent, and at an end, I shall find thee a never-ending portion. Why wouldest thou come down from Heaven to Earth in the days of thy voluntary humiliation, but to bring down grace to dwell where God himself hath dwelt? If the Eternal Word will dwell in flesh, the Eternal Spirit will not disdain it, whose dwelling is not by so close an union, but by sweet inexpressible inoperations: This world hath had the pledge of thy bodily presence, when thou broughtest life and immortality to light: O let my dark and fearful soul, have the pledge of thy illuminating, quickening, comforting Spirit, that life and immortality may be begun within me! Thy word of promise is certain in itself; but knowing our weakness, thou wilt give us more: Thy seal, thy pledge, thy earnest, will not only confirm my faith, as settling my doubting mind ; but it will also draw up my love and desire, as suited to my intellectual appetite ; and will be a true foretaste of Heaven: How oft have I gazed in the glass, and yet overlookt, or not been taken with the beauty of thy face? But one drop of thy Love, if it fall into my soul, will fill it with the most fragrant and delectable odour, and will be its life, and joy, and vigor. I shall never know effectually what Heaven is, till I know what it is to love thee, and to be beloved by thee: For what but Love will tell me what a life of Love is? If I could love thee more ardently, more absolutely, more operatively, I should quickly know and feel thy Love. And O when I shall know that prosperous life, and live in in the delicious entertainments of thy love, and in the sweet and vigorous exercise of mine, then I shall know the nature of Heaven, the wisdom of believers, and the happiness of enjoyers! And then foretaste will do more than foresight alone, and will make me love the day of thy appearing, and long to see thy glorious Love!

But alas, this feeble sleeping Love, doth threaten, if not the thrusting of me out of doors (for none but friends and hearty Lovers dwell with thee) at least, that I shall be set behind the door, and be one of the lowest in thy Kingdom, as I was in thy Love. For if I have the least degree of Love, I must needs have the least degree of Glory, seeing that blessedness is Love itself: And if I have the least in this life, how can I hope to have proportionably with others, the most in that? I know that it is better to be a door-keeper in thy house, than to reign in the Palaces of earthly sordid and polluting pleasures: And that the least in thy Kingdom, is greater than Emperors in the Kingdoms of darkness. But how can I have faith indeed, and not desire intuition? or grace, and not desire glory? Or who can love thee truly, and yet be contented to love thee but a little? Or whoever tasted truly of thy Love, that desired not the fullness of it? If sincerity consist in the desire of Perfection ; and if mutual Love be heaven itself, I am not sincere then, if I desire not the highest place in Heaven, which is suited to the measure of my natural capacity, and with the freedom and wisdom of thy bounteous Will. Did I grudge at my natural capacity, and my rank among my fellow-creatures, and aspired after the Divine Prerogatives, or a Greatness without Goodness, or any prohibited station or degree, I might then expect the reward of Pride, and to fall into Satan's condemnation for falling into his sin. But when wast thou ever offended at the ambition of loving thee with the most perfect Love? Thou forbiddest our carnal Pride, as our self-abasing folly: Not thinking preferments, Lordships and domination to be things too high for us, but too low: Thou allowest and commandest the poorest Lazarus to seek and hope for things ten thousand times more high ; in comparison with which these pleasures are pain, these Lordships are losses; this wealth is dung; these Courts are de •• of uncleanness, wild and ravenous beasts; and all this earthly pomp is shame. Thou forbiddest not the pleasures and glory of the world, as too good for thy servants, but as too bad, and base, and hurtful.

O therefore encourage in my drooping soul, that holy ambition which thou commandest! Disappoint not the desires which thyself, by thy Precept and thy Spirit hast excited. I know thou hast promised to satisfy them that hunger and thirst after Righteousness: And (if my soul be acquainted with itself) it is Righteousness which I desire. Though the soliciting calls of vanity have drawn me too often to look aside, it is the Knowledge and Love of my Creator, and Redeemer, and Sanctifier, which I pursue; and my prayer is, that thou wilt turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in thy way. But it is the dullness of my desires which I fear; lest they are not the hungering and thirsting which have thy promise; and lest they should prove but as the desires of the slothful which kill him, because his hands refuse to labor: But thou knowest that I hate the sluggishness and indifferency of my soul, and the coldness and interruptions of my desires : And what is there in this world which I desire more, than more desires after thee ; even more of that Desiring, Seeking Love, which is the way to enjoying and delighting Love. O breath upon my soul, by thy quickening Spirit, that it may pant, and gasp, and breath after thy presence! The most dolorous motions of Life and Love, have more contenting sweetness in them, than my dead insensibility and sleep. When I can but long to love thee, or when I lie in tears for want of love, or when I am hating and reviling this sluggish, carnal, disaffected heart, even in my very doubts, and fears, and moans, I find myself nearer to content and pleasure, than when I neglect thee with a dead and drowsy heart. If therefore my vileness make me unfit to enjoy that pleasure in the daily prospect of thy Kingdom, which reason itself adjudgeth to a serious lively faith; O yet keep up the constant fervor of desire, that I may never grow in love with vanity and deceit, nor never be indifferent whether I stay on earth, or come to thee! And that in my greatest health I may never think of Thee without desire; nor never kneel in prayer to thee with such an unbelieving, and unprayer-like heart, which doth not unfeignedly say, Let thy glorious Kingdom come: That so when on the bed of languishing, I am waiting for the dissolution of this frame, I may not draw back, as flying from thy presence; nor look at Heaven as less desirable than Earth; nor be driven unwillingly from a more beloved habitation; but with that Faith, Hope and Love which animateth all thy living members, I may in consort with thy Saints to the last sincerely break forth, our common suit; Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.

FINIS.
    A Catalogue of Books written and published by the same Author.
  • 1. THE Aphorisms.
  • 2. The Saints Everlasting rest, in quarto.
  • 3. Plain Scripture proof of Infant Church-membership and Baptism, in quarto.
  • 4. The right Method for a settled Peace of Conscience and Spiritual Comforts, in thirty two Directions, in octavo.
  • 5. Christian Concord; or the Agreement of the Associated Pastors and Churches of Worcester-shire, in quarto.
  • 6. True Christianity; or Christ's Absolute Dominion, &c. in two Assize Sermons preached at Worcester, in twelves.
  • 7. A Sermon of Judgment preached at Paul's, London, Decemb. 17. 1654. and now enlarged, in twelves.
  • 8. Making light of Christ and Salvation too oft the Issue of Gospel-Invitations, manifested in a Sermon preached at Lawrence Jury, in London, in octavo.
  • 9. The Agreement of divers Ministers of Christ in the County of Worcester, for Catechizing, or Personal Instructing all in their several Parishes that will consent thereunto; containing 1. The Articles of our Agreement. 2. An Exhortation to the People to submit to this necessary work. 3. The Profession of Faith and Catechism, in octavo.
  • 10. Guildas Salvianus, The Reformed Pastor, showing the nature of the Pastoral work, especially in private Instruction and Catechizing, in octavo.
  • 11. Certain Disputations of Right to Sacraments, and the True Nature of Visible Christianity, in quarto.
  • 12. Of Justification: four Disputations clearing and amicably defending the Truth, against the unnecessary Oppositions of divers Learned and Reverend Brethren, in quarto.
  • 13. A Treatise of Conversion, preached and now published for the use of those that are strangers to a true Conversion, &c. in quarto.
  • 14. One sheet for the Ministry against the Malignants of all sorts.
  • 15. A Winding-sheet for Popery.
  • 16. One Sheet against the Quakers.
  • 17. A second Sheet for the Ministry, &c.
  • 18. Directions to Justices of Peace, especially in Corporations, to the discharge of their duty to God, &c.
  • 19. The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ, &c. in quarto.
  • 20. A Call to the Unconverted to Turn and Live, and accept of mercy, while mercy may be had, as ever they would find mercy in the day of their extremity: From the Living God: To be read in Families where any are unconverted, in twelves.
  • 21. Of Saving Faith: That it is not only gradually, but specifically distinct from all Common Faith. The Agreement of Richard Baxter with that very Learned consenting Adversary, that hath maintained his Assertion by a pretended Confutation in the end of Serjeant Shepherds Book of Sincerity and Hypocrisy, in quarto.
  • 22. Directions and Perswasions to a sound Conversion, &c. in octavo.
  • 23. The Grotian Religion discovered, at the invitation of Mr. Thomas Pierce in his Vindication: With a Preface, vindicating the Synod of Dort from the calumnies of the new Tilenus ; and David, Peter, &c. and the Puritans, and Sequestrations, &c. from the censures of Mr. Pierce, in octavo.
  • 24. Confirmation and Restauration, the necessary means of Reformation and Reconciliation, &c. in octavo.
  • 25. Five Disputations of Church-Government, in quarto.
  • 26. A Key for Catholics, to open the juggling of the Jesuits, and satisfy all that are but truly willing to understand, whether the Cause of the Roman or Reformed Churches be of God; and to leave the Reader utterly inexcusable that after this will be a Papist, in quarto.
  • 27. A Treatise of Self-denial, in quarto.
  • 28. His Apology against the Exceptions of Mr. Blake, Kendall, Crandon, Eires, L▪ Moulin, in quarto.
  • 29. The unreasonableness of Infidelity, in four parts, &c. in octavo.
  • 30. The Worcester-shire Petition to the Parliament, for the Ministry of England, defended, &c. in quarto.
  • 31. His Holy Common-wealth; or Political Aphorisms, opening the true Principles of Government, &c. in octavo.
  • 32. His Confession of Faith, &c. in quarto.
  • 33. His humble Advice; or the heads of those things which were offered to many honorable members of Parliament, in quarto.
  • 34. The Quakers Catechism; or the Quakers questioned, in quarto.
  • 35. An account of his present Thoughts concerning the Controversies about the perseverance of the Saints, in quarto.
  • 36. His Letter to Mr. Drury for Pacification, in quarto.
  • 37. The Safe Religion; or three Disputations for the Reformed Catholic Religion, against Popery, &c. in octavo.
  • 38. Catholic Unity; or, the only way to bring us all to be of one Religion, &c. in twelves.
  • 39. The true Catholic, and Catholic Church described, &c. in twelves.
  • 40. The Successive Visibility of the Church of which Protestants are the soundest members, &c. in octavo.
  • 41. The Sermon of Repentance.
  • 42. Of Right Rejoicing.
  • 43. Sermon of Faith before the King.
  • 44. Treatise of Death.
  • 45. The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite, &c. in several Sermons preached at the Abbey in Westminster, in twelves.
  • 46. Two Sheets for Poor Families, &c.
  • 47. Short Instructions for the sick: a sheet.
  • 48. A Saint or a Bruit, &c. in quarto.
  • 49. The mischief of Self-ignorance, and benefit of Self-acquaintance, in octavo.
  • 50. Universal Concord, &c. in octavo.
  • 51. The last work of a Believer, &c. in twelves.
  • 52. The Divine Life in three Treatises: The first of the Knowledge of God: The second, of Walking with God: The third, of Conversing with God in Solitude, in quarto.
  • 53. The Reasons of the Christian Religion, &c.
  • 54. Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up into a confirmed state of grace, &c. 2. The Characters of a sound confirmed Christian: written to imprint on men's minds the true Idea or Conception of Godliness and Christianity, in octavo.
    These Books following are also printed for Nevill Simmons at the three Crowns near Holborn Conduit.
  • THE Novelty of Popery opposed to the Antiquity of true Christianity. By Peter Dumoulin, D. D. in folio.
  • A Commentary or Exposition upon the five Books of Moses together with the following Books; Joshua, Judges, Ruth, first and second of Samuel ; first and second of Kings ; and first and second of Chronicles, in folio.
  • The Beauty of Magistracy, in an Exposition on Psal. 82. By Thomas Hall, B. D.
  • The Souls Looking-glass; wherein a man may discern what estate his soul stands in towards God, and what evidences he hath for Heaven, &c. By Edward Bury, late Minister of great Bolas in Shropshire, in octavo.
  • The Profit of Godliness, set forth in five Sermons, on 1 Tim. 4.8. The unprofitableness of worldly gain in four Sermons on Mark 8.36, 37. The Parable of the barren Fig-tree, in seven Sermons on Luke 13.6, 7, 8, 9. Victorious Violence, in two Sermons, on Matth. 11.12. By Thomas Brindall, late Minister of Walshall in Staffordshire, in octavo.
  • The Girdle of Holy Resolution, in two Sermons, on 1 Pet. 1.13. By William Gearing, Minister of the Gospel, in quarto.
  • The Love-sick Spouse, in four Sermons on Cant. 2.5. By William Gearing, Minister of the Gospel, in quarto.
  • A Discourse on Prodigious Abstinence, occasioned by the twelve months fasting of Martha Tailor. By John Reynolds, in quarto.
  • The Dead Pastor yet speaking, in two Sermons, preached on Bartholomew day, Aug. 24. 1662. in Bewdley Chapel. By Henry Osland, then Minister there, in octavo.
  • The Christians daily Walk; a sheet. By the same Author.
  • A Sinners Justification on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord our Righteousness; in several Sermons. By Obadiah Grew, D. D. late Minister in Coventry, in octavo.
  • The Repenting Sinner pardoned, being a brief Relation of the wicked life, and penitent death of James Wilson of Wolverhampton, in Staffordshire, in octavo.
  • The English School; or the readiest way to teach children, or elder persons, to read, spell, and rightly pronounce English; fitted to the use of common English-Schools, illustrated with five brass Cuts. By Tobias Ellis, in octavo.
FINIS.

LET the Reader know, that whereas the Bookseller hath in the Catalogue of my Books, named my [ Holy Common-Wealth, or Political Aphorisms ] I do hereby recall the said Book, and profess my Repentance, that ever I published it, and that not only for some by-passages, but in respect of the secondary part of the very scope. Though the first part of it, which is the defense of God, and Reason I recant not.

But this Revocation I make with these proviso's, 1. That I reverse not all the Matter of that Book, nor all; that more than ONE have accused; As e. g. the Assertion that all human Powers are Limited by God: And if I may not be pardoned for not defying DEITY and HUMANITY, I shall prefer that ignominy before their present Fastus, and Triumph, who defy them.

2. That I make not this Recantation to the Military fury, and rebellious pride and tumult, against which I wrote it; nor would have them hence take any encouragement for impenitence.

3. That though I dislike the Roman Clergies writing so much of Politicks, and detest Ministers meddling in State matters without necessity, or a certain call; yet I hold it not simply unbeseeming a Divine, to expound the fifth Commandment, nor to show the dependence of human Powers on the Divine; nor to instruct Subjects to obey with judgment, and for Conscience sake.

4. That I protest against the judgment of Posterity, and all others, that were not of the same TIME, and PLACE, as to the (mental) censure, either of the BOOK or the REVOCATION; as being ignorant of the true reasons of them both.

Which things Provided, I hereby under my hand, as much as in me lieth, reverse the Book, and desire the World to take it as non-Scriptum.

April. 15. 1670.

R. B.