The Saints Everlasting Rest
SECT. IX.
9. LAstly, Another Rule in Reason is this, That Good which containeth all other Good in it, must needs itself be best. And where do you think in Reason, that all the streams of Goodness do finally empty themselves? Is it not in God, from whom by secret springs they first proceed? Where else do all the Lines of Goodness concenter? Are not all the sparks contained in this fire? and all the drops in this Ocean? Surely the time was, when there was nothing besides God: and then all Good was only in him. And even now the creatures essence and existence is secondary, derived, contingent, improper, in comparison of his, who Is, and Was, and Is to Come ; whose Name alone is called, I AM. What do thine eyes see, or thy heart conceive desirable, which is not there to be had? Sin indeed there is none; but darest thou call that good? Worldly delights there are none; for they are Good but for the present Necessity, and please but the brutish Senses. Brethren, do you fear losing or parting with anything you now enjoy? What? do you fear you shall want when you come to Heaven? shall you want the drops, when you have the Ocean? or the light of the Candle, when you have the Sun? or the shallow Creature, when you have the perfect Creator? Cast thy bread upon the waters, and after many days, thou shalt There find it. Lay abroad thy tears, thy prayers, pains, boldly and unweariedly; as God is true, thou dost but set them to usury, and shalt receive an hundred fold. Spare not, man, for State, for Honor, for Labor; If Heaven do not make amends for all, God hath deceived us; which who dare once imagine? Cast away Friends, House, Lands, Life, if he bid thee: Leap into the Sea, as Peter, if he command thee: Lose thy life, and thou shalt save it everlastingly; when those that saved theirs, shall lose them everlastingly: Venture all, man, upon God's Word & Promise: There's a Day of Rest coming will fully pay for all. All the pence and the farthings thou expendest for him, are contained, with infinite advantage, in the massy Gold and Jewels of thy Crown. When Alexander had given away his Treasure, and they asked him where it was; he pointed to the poor, and said, in scriniis, in my chests. And when he went upon a hopeful expedition, he gave away his Gold; and when he was asked, what he kept for himself, he answers, spem majorum & meliorum, The hope of greater and better things. How much more boldly may we lay out all, and point to Heaven, and say it is, in scriniis, in our everlasting treasure: and take that hope of greater and better things, instead of all. Nay, lose thyself for God, and renounce thyself; and thou shalt at that day find thyself again in him. Give him thyself, and he will receive thee, upon the same terms as Socrates did his Scholar Aeschines (who gave himself to his Master, because he had nothing else) accipio, sed ea lege ut te tibi m • liorem reddam quam accepi: that he may return thee to thyself better then he received thee. So then, this Rest is the Good which containeth all other Good in it. And thus you see, according to the Rules of Reason, the transcendent Excellency of the Saints Glory in the General. We shall next mention the particular Excellencies.
CHAP. VII. The Excellencies of our Rest.
SECT. I.
Y Et let us draw a little nearer, and see more immediately from the pure fountain of the Scriptures what further Excellencies this Rest affordeth. And the Lord hide us in the Clefts of the Rock, and cover us with the hands of indulgent Grace, while we approach and take this view: and the Lord grant we may put off from our feet the shoes of unreverence and fleshly conceivings, while we stand upon this holy ground.
SECT. I.
1. ANd first, it's a most singular honor and ornament, in the style of the Saints Rest, to be called the Purchased Possession: That it is the fruit of the Blood of the Son of God; yea, the chief fruit: yea, the end and perfection of all the fruits, and efficacy of that Blood. Surely Love is the most precious ingredient in the whole composition: and of all the flowers that grow in the Garden of Love; can there be brought one more sweet and beautiful to the Garland, then this Blood? Greater Love then this there is not, to lay down the life of the Lover. And to have this our Redeemer ever before our Eyes, and the liveliest Sense and freshest Remembrance of that dying-bleeding-Love still upon our Souls! Oh how will it fill our Souls with perpetual Ravishments? To think that in the streams of this Blood we have swam through the violence of the world, the snares of Satan, the seducements of flesh, the curse of the Law, the wrath of an offended God, the accusations of a Guilty Conscience, and the vexing doubts and fears of an unbelieving heart, and are passed through all, and here arrived safely at the breast of God! Now we are stupefied with vile and senseless hearts, that can hear all the story of this Bloody Love, and read all the dolors and sufferings of Love, and hear all his sad complaints, and all with dullness, and unaffected. He cries to us, Behold and see; Is it nothing to you, O all ye that pass by? Is there any sorrow like unto my sorrow? ( Lamen. 1.12.) and we will scarce hear or regard the dolorous voice; nor scarce turn aside to view the wounds of him, who turned aside, and took us up, to heal our wounds at this so dear a rate. But Oh then our perfected Souls will feel as well as hear, and with feeling apprehensions flame again in Love for Love. Now we set his picture wounded and dying before our eyes, but can get it no nearer our hearts, then if we believed nothing of what we read. But then when the obstructions between the eye and the understanding are taken away, and the passage opened between the head and the heart; surely our eyes will everlastingly affect our heart: and while we view with one eye our slain-revived Lord, and with the other eye our lost-recovered Souls, and transcendent Glory, these views will eternally pierce us, and warm our very Souls. And those eyes, through which folly and lust hath so often stole into our hearts, shall now be the Casements to let in the Love of our dearest Lord forever. Now, though we should (as some do) travel to Jerusalem, and view the Mount of Olives where he prayed and wept; and see the Dolorons way by which he bare his Cross, and enter the Temple of the Holy Grave; yea, if we should with Peter have stooped down and seen the place where he lay, and behold his Relicts; yet these Bolted doors of sin and flesh would have kept out the feeling of all that Love. But, (Oh! that's the Joy,) we shall then leave these hearts of stone and Rock behind us▪ and the sin that here so close besets us, and the sottish unkindness that followed us so long, shall not be able to follow us into that Glory. But we shall behold, as it were, the wounds of Love, with eyes and hearts of Love forever. Suppose (a little to help our apprehensions) that a Saint, who hath partaked of the Joys of Heaven, had been translated from as long an abode in Hell, and after the experience of such a change, should have stood with Mary and the rest by the Cross of Christ, and have seen the Blood, and heard the Groans of his Redeemer: What think you? Would love have stirred in his Brest or no? Would the voice of his dying Lord have melted his heart, or no? Oh that I were sensible of what I speak! With what astonishing apprehensions then, will Redeemed Saints everlastingly behold their Blessed Redeemer? I will not meddle with their vain audacious Question, who must needs know, whether the glorified body of Christ do yet retain either the wounds or scars. But this is most certain, that the memory of it will be as fresh, and the impressions of Love as deep, and its workings as strong, as if his wounds were still in our eyes, and his complaints still in our ears, and his blood still streaming afresh. Now his heart is open to us, and ours shut to him: But when his heart shall be open, and our Hearts open, Oh the Blessed Congress that there will then be! What a passionate meeting was there between our new-risen Lord, and the first sinful silly woman that he appears to? How doth Love struggle for expressions? and the straitened fire shut up in the breast, strive to break forth? Mary! saith Christ: Master! saith Mary: and presently she clasps about his feet: having her heart as near to his heart, as her hands were to his feet. What a meeting of Love then will there be, between the new glorified Saint, and the Glorious Redeemer? But I am here at a loss: my apprehensions fail me, and fall so short. Only this I know; it will be the singular praise of our inheritance, that it was bought with the price of that blood: and the singular Joy of the Saints to behold the purchaser and the price, together with the possession. Neither will the views of the wounds of Love renew our wounds of sorrow: He, whose first words after his Resurrection were to a great sinner, Woman, why weepest thou? knows how to raise Love and Joy by all those views, without raising any cloud of sorrow, or storm of tears at all. He that made the Sacramental Commemoration of his Death to be his Churches Feast; will sure make the real enjoyment of its blessed purchase, to be marrow and fatness. And if it afforded Joy to hear from his mouth, This is my Body which is given for you, and This is my Blood which was shed for you ; What Joy will it afford, to hear, This Glory is the fruit of my Body and my Blood? and what a merry feast will it be, when we shall drink of the fruit of the Vine new with him in the Kingdom of his Father, as the fruit of his own Blood? David would not drink of the waters which he longed for, because they were the blood of those men, who jeoparded their lives for them; and thought them fitter to offer to God, then to please him. But we shall value these waters more highly, and yet drink them the more sweetly, because they are the Blood of Christ, not jeoparded only, but shed for them. They will be the more sweet and dear to us, because they were so bitter and Dear to him. If the buyer be judicious, we estimate things by the price they cost. If anything we enjoy were purchased with the life of our dearest friend, how highly should we value it? Nay, if a Dying Friend deliver us but a token of his Love, how carefully do we preserve it? and still remember him when we behold it, as if his own name were written on it? And will not then the Death and Blood of our Lord, everlastingly sweeten our possessed Glory? Methinks England should value the plenty of the Gospel, with their Peace and Freedom at a higher rate, when they remember what it hath cost! How much precious blood! How many of the Lives of God's worthies, and our most dear friends! besides all other cost. Methinks when I am with freedom preaching, or hearing, or living, I see my dying friends before mine eyes, whose blood was sh • d for this; and look the more respectively on them yet living, whose frequent dangers did procure it. Oh then, when we are rejoicing in Glory, how shall we think of the blood that revived our Souls? and how shall we look upon him, whose sufferings did put that Joy into our hearts? How carefully preserve we those prizes, which with greatest hazard we gained from the enemy? Goliath's sword must be kept as a Trophie, and laid up behind the Ephod: and in a time of need, David says, There's none to that. Surely when we do divide the spoil, and partake of the prize which our Lord so dearly won; we shall say indeed, There's none to that. How dear was Jonathan's Love to David, which was testified by stripping himself of the Robe that was upon him, and giving it David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle: and also by saving him from his fathers wrath? How dear forever will the Love of Christ be then to us, who stripped himself, as it were, of his Majesty and Glory, and put our man Garment of flesh upon him, that he might put the Robes of his own Righteousness and Glory upon us? and saved us, not from cruel injustice, but from his Fathers deserved wrath? Well then Christians, as you use to do in your Books, and on your Goods, to write down the price they cost you; so do on your Righteousness, and on your Glory; write down the price, The Precious Blood of Christ .
Yet understand this rightly; Not that this highest Glory was in strictest proper sense purchased, or that it was the most immediate Effect of Christ's death: We must take heed that we conceive not of God as a Tyrant, who so delighteth in cruelty, as to exchange mercies for stripes, or to give a Crown on condition he may torment men. God was never so pleased with the sufferings of the Innocent, much less of his Son, as to sell his mercy properly for their sufferings. Fury dwelleth not in him; nor doth he willingly correct the sons of men; nor take pleasure in the death of him that dieth. But the sufferings of Christ were primarily and immediately to satisfy the justice that required blood, and to bear what was due to the sinner, and to receive the blow that should have fallen upon him, & so to restore him to the life he lost, and the happiness he fell from. But this dignity, which surpasseth the first, is, as it were, from the redundancy of his merit, or a secondary fruit of his death. The work of his Redemption so well pleased the Father, that he gave him power to advance his chosen to a higher dignity then they fell from; and to give them the glory which was given to himself, and all this according to his counsel, and the good pleasure of his own will.
SECT. II.
2. THe Second Pearl in the Saints Diadem, is that, It's Free. This seemeth as Pharaoh's second Kine, to devour the former ; and as the Angel to Balaam, To meet it with a drawn sword of a full opposition. But the seeming discord, is but a pleasing diversity composed into that harmony which constitutes the Melody. These two Attributes Purchased and Free, are the two chains of Gold which by their pleasant twisting, do make up that wreath for the heads of the Pillars in the Temple of God. It was dear to Christ, but free to us. When Christ was to buy, silver and gold was nothing worth; Prayers and Tears could not suffice; nor anything below his Blood: But when we come to buy, the price is fallen to just nothing; Our buying, is but receiving: we have it freely without money, and without price. Nor do the Gospel-conditions make it less Free; or the Covenant tenor before mentioned, contradict any of this. If the Gospel-conditions had been such as are the Laws; or payment of the debt required at our hands; the freeness then were more questionable. Yea, if God had said to us; [ Sinners, if you will satisfy my Justice but for one of your sins, I will forgive you all the rest, ] it would have been a hard condition on our part, and the Grace of the Covenant not so Free, as our disability doth necessarily require. But if all the Condition be our cordial acceptation, surely we deserve not the name of Purchasers. Thankful accepting of a free acquittance, is no paying of the Debt. If life be offered to a condemned man, upon condition that he shall not refuse the offer, I think the favor is never the less free. Nay, though the condition were, that he should beg, and wait before he have his pardon, and take him for his Lord who hath thus redeemed him: All this is no satisfying of the justice of the Law: Especially when the condition is also given, as it is by God to all his chosen; surely then here's all free: If the Father freely give the Son, and the Son freely pay the debt, and if God do freely accept that way of payment, when he might have required it of the principal; and if both Father and Son do freely offer us the purchased life upon those fair conditions; and if they also freely send the Spirit to enable us to perform those conditions, then what is here that is not free? Is not every Stone that builds this Temple, Free-Stone? Oh, the everlasting admiration that must needs surprise the Saints, to think of this Freeness! What did the Lord see in me, that he should judge me meet for such a State? That I who was but a poor, disea • ed, despised wretch should be clad in the brightness of this Glory? That I a silly creeping breathing worm, should be advanced to this high dignity. That I, who was but lately groaning, weeping▪ dying, should now be as full of joy as my heart can hold! Yea, should be taken from the grave, where I was rotting and stinking, and from the dust and darkness where I seemed forgotten, and here set before his Throne? that I should be taken with Mordecai from captivity, to be set next unto the King! and with Daniel from the Den, to be made ruler of Princes and Provinces! and with Saul from seeking Asses, to be advanced to a Kingdom! Oh, who can fathom unmeasurable Love? Indeed if the proud hearted, self-ignorant, self-admiring sinners should be thus advanced, who think none so fit for preferment as themselves; perhaps instead of admiring free Love, they would with those unhappy Angels be discontented yet with their estate. But when the self-denying, self-accusing, humble soul, who thought himself unworthy the ground he trod on, and the air he breathed in, unworthy to eat, drink, or live, when he shall be taken up into this Glory! He, who durst • carce come among, or speak to, the imperfect Saints on earth, because he was unworthy; he who durst scarce hear, or scarce read the Scripture, or scarce pray and call God, Father; o • scarce receive the Sacraments of his Covenant, and all because he was unworthy! For this soul to find itself wrapped up into heaven and closed in the arms of Christ, even in a moment! Do but think with yourselves what the transporting, astonishing admiration of such a soul will be. He that durst not lift up his eyes to heaven, but stood a far off, smiting on his breast, and crying, Lord be merciful to me a sinner ; now to be lift up to heaven himself! He who was wont to write his name in Bradfords style, The unthank • full, the hard-hearted, the unworthy sinner! And was wont to admire that patience could bear so long and justice suffer him to live: Sure he will admire at this alteration, when he shall find by experience that unworthiness could not hind • r his salvation which he thought would have bereaved him of every mercy. Ah Christian, There's no talk of our worthiness, nor unwornesse; If worthiness were our condition for admittance, we might sit down with S. John and weep, because none in heaven or earth is found worthy. But the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy and hath prevailed, & by that title must we hold the inheritance. We shall offer there the offering that David refused, even praise for that which cost us nothing. Here our Commission runs, Freely, ye have received, Freely give : But Christ hath dearly received, yet Freely gives. The master heals us of our leprosy freely, but Gehazi who had no finger in the cure, will surely run after us, and take something of us, and falsely pretend, it is his masters pleasure. The Pope and his servants will be paid for their Pardons and Indulgencies; But Christ will take nothing for his. The fees of the Prelates Courts were large; and our Cōmutation of Penance must cost our purses dear; or else we must be cast out of the Synagogue, and soul and body delivered up to the Devil. But none are shut out of that Church for want of money, nor is poverty any eye-sore to Christ: An empty heart may bar them out, but an empty purse cannot: His Kingdom of Grace hath ever been more consistent with despised poverty, then wealth and honor: and riches occasion the difficulty of entrance, far more then want can do. For that which is highly esteemed among men, is despised with God, And so is it also, The poor of the world, rich in faith, whom God hath chosen to be heirs of that Kingdom, which he hath prepared for them that love him. I know the true laborer is worthy of his hire: And they that serve at the Altar, should live upon the Altar: And it is not fit to muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the corn: And I know it is either hellish malice, or penurious baseness, or ignorance of the weight of their work and burden, that makes their maintenance so generally Incompetent, and their very livelihood and subsistence, so envied and grudged at: and that it's a mere plot of the Prince of darkness for the diversion of their thoughts; that they must be studying how to get bread for their own and children's mouths, when they should be preparing the bread of life for their people's souls. But yet let me desire the right aiming Ministers of Christ, to consider, what is expedient as well as what is lawful; and that the saving of one soul is better then a thousand pound a year; and our gain though due, is a cursed gain, which is a stumbling block to our people's souls: Let us make the Free-Gospel as little burthensome and chargeable as is possible. I had rather never take their Tythes while I live, then by them to destroy the souls for whom Christ died; and though God hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel! yet I had rather suffer all things, then hinder the Gospel: and it were better for me to die, then that any man should make this my glorying void. Though the well-leading Elders be worthy of double honor, especially the laborious in the word and doctrine ; yet if the necessity of Souls, and the promoting of the Gospel should require it, I had rather preach the Gospel in hunger and rags, then rigidly contend for what's my due: And if I should do so, yet, have I not whereof to Glory ; for necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe be to me if I preach not the Gospel, though I never received anything from men. How unbeseeming the messengers of this Free-Grace and Kingdom is it, rather to lose the hearts and souls of their people, then to lose a groat of their due? And rather to exasperate them against the message of God, then to forbear somewhat of their right? And to contend with them at law, for the wages of the Gospel? And to make the glad-tidings, to their yet carnal hearts seem to be sad tidings, because of this burden? This is not the way of Christ and his Apostles, nor according to the self denying, yielding, suffering Doctrine which they taught. Away with all those actions, that are against the main end of our studies and calling, which is to win souls: and fie upon that gain, which hinders the gaining of men to Christ. I know flesh will here object necessities, and distrust will not want arguments: but we who have enough to answer to the diffidence of our people, let us take home some of our answers to ourselves; and teach ourselves first, before we teach them. How many have you known that God suffered to starve in his Vineyard?
But this is our exceeding consolation, That though we may pay for our Bibles and Books, and Sermons, and it may be pay for our free • dom to enjoy and use them: yet as we paid nothing for God's eternal Love, and nothing for the Son of his Love, and nothing for his Spirit, and our grace and faith, and nothing for our pardon; so we shall pay nothing for our eternal Rest. We may pay for the bread and wine, but we shall not pay for the body and blood, nor for the great things of the Covenant which it seals unto us. And indeed we have a valuable price to give for those, but for these we have none at all. Yet this is not all. If it were only for nothing and without our merit, the wonder were great; but it is moreover against our merit, and against our long endeavoring of our own ruin. Oh, the broken heart that hath known the desert of sin, doth both understand and feel what I say. What an astonishing thought it will be, to think of the unmeasurable difference between our deservings, and our receivings! between the state we should have been in, and the state we are in! To look down upon Hell, and see the vast difference that free grace hath made betwixt us and them! to see the inheritance there, which we were born to, so different from that which we are adopted to! Oh, what pangs of love will it cause within us, to think, yonder was my native right: my deserved portion: those should have been my hideous cries; my doleful groans; my easless pains; my endless torment: Those unquenchable flames I should have lain in; that never dying worm should have fed upon me: yonder was the place that sin would have brought me to; but this is it that Christ hath bought me to. Yonder death was the wages of my sin; but this Eternal life is the Gift of God, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Did not I neglect Grace, and make light of the offers of Life, and sleight my Redeemers Blood a long time, as well as yonder suffering souls? Did I not let pass my time, and forget my God, and soul, as well as they? And was I not born in sin and wrath as well as they? Oh, who made me to differ? Was my heart naturally any readier for Christ then theirs? Or any whit better affected to the Spirits persuasions? Should I ever have begun to love, if God had not begun to me? or ever been willing, if he had not made me willing? or ever differed, if he had not made me to differ? Had I not now been in those flames, if I had had mine own way, and been let alone to mine own will? Did I not resist as powerful means, and lose as fair advantages as they? And should I not have lingered in Sodom t • ll the flames had seized on me, if God had not in mercy carried me out? Oh how free was all this Love? and how free is this enjoyed Glory? Doubtless this will be our everlasting admiration, That so Rich a Crown should fit the head of so vile a Sinner! That such high advancement, and such long unfruitfulness and unkindness, can be the state of the same person! and that such vile rebellions can conclude in such most precious Joys! But no thanks to us; nor to any of our duties and labors; much less to our neglects and laziness: we know to whom the praise is due, and must be given forever. And indeed to this very end it was, that infinite Wisdom did cast the whole design of Mans Salvation into this mould of PVRCHASE and FREENES, that the Love and Joy of man might be perfected, and the Honor of Grace most highly advanced; that the thought of Merit might neither cloud the one, nor obstruct the other; and that on these two hinges, the gates of Heaven might turn. So then let [ DESERVED ] be written on the door of Hell, but on the door of Heaven and Life, [ THE FREE GIFT ].
SECT. III.
THirdly. The third comfortable Attribute of this Rest is, That it is the Saints prop and peculiar possession. It belongs to no other of all the sons of men; not that it would have detracted from the greatness or freeness of the gift, if God had so pleased, that all the world should have enjoyed it: But when God hath resolved otherwise, that it must be enjoyed but by few; to find our names among that number, must needs make us the more to value our enjoyment. If all Egypt had been light, the Israelites should not have had the less; but yet to enjoy that light alone, while their neighbors live in thick darkness, must make them more sensible of their privilege. Distinguishing, separating Mercy, affecteth more then any Mercy. If it should rain on our grounds alone; or the Sun shine upon our alone habitations; or the blessing of Heaven divide between our flocks, and other men's, as between Jacob's and Laban's ; we should more feelingly acknowledge Mercy, then now, while we possess the same in common. Ordinariness dulleth our sense; and if Miracles were common, they would be slighted. If Pharaoh had passed as safely as Israel, the Red Sea would have been less remembered. If the first-born of Egypt had not been slain, the first-born of Israel had not been the Lord's peculiar. If the rest of the World had not been drowned, and the rest of Sodom and Gomorrah burned, the saving of Noah had been no wonder, nor Lots deliverance so much talked of. The lower the weighty end of the balance descends, the higher is the other lifted up; and the falling of one of the sails of the Wind-Mill, is the occasion of the rising of the other. It would be no extenuation of the Mercies of the Saints here; if all the world were as holy as they, and the communication of their Happiness is their greatest desire; yet it might perhaps dull their thankfulness, and differencing grace would not be known. But when one shall be enlightened, and another left in darkness; one reformed, and another by his lusts enslaved; it makes them cry out with the Disciple, Lord what is it, that thou wilt reveal thyself to us, and not unto the world? When the Prophet shall be sent to one Widow only of all that were in Samaria, and to cleanse one Naaman of all the Lepers; the Mercy is more observable. O that will sure be a day of passionate sense on both sides; when two shall be in a Bed, and two in the field, the one taken, and the other forsaken. For a Christian who is conscious of his own undeserving, and il-deserving, to see his companion in sin perish; his Neighbor, Kinsman, Father, Mother, Wife, Child, forever in Hell, while he is preferred among the Blessed! To see other men's sins eternally plagued, while his are all pardoned! To see those that were wont to sit with us in the same seat, and eat with us at the same Table, and join with us in the same Duties, now to lie tormented in those flames, while we are triumphing in Divine Praises! That Lot must leave his sons in law in the flames of Sodom, and the wife of his bosom as a Monument of Divine Vengeance, and escape with his two Daughters alone. Here is choosing, distinguishing Mercy! Therefore the Scripture seems to affirm, That as the damned souls shall from Hell, see the Saints Happiness to increase their own torments; so shall the Blessed from Heaven, behold the wicked's misery, to the increase of their own Joy. And as they looked on the dead bodies of Christ's two Witnesses slain in their streets, and they that dwell on the Earth rejoiced over them and made merry; and as the wicked here behold the calamities of God's people with gladness, so shall the Saints look down upon them in the burning lake, and in the sense of their own happiness, and in the approbation of God's just proceedings, they shall rejoice and sing. Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast thus judged: For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy. Alleluja, Salvation, and Glory, and Honor, and Power to our God; for true and righteous are his Judgments. And as the command is over Babylon, so will it be over all the condemned souls, Rejoice over her, thou Heaven, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. By this time the impenitent World will see a reason for the Saints singularity, while they were on Earth; and will be able to answer their own demands, Why must you be more holy then your neighbors? even because they would fain be more happy then their neighbors. And why cannot you do, and live as the World about you? Even because they are full loath to speed as those others, or to be damned with the World about them. Sincere singularity in Holiness, is by this time known to be neither Hypocrisy nor Folly. If to be singular in that Glory be so desirable, surely to be singular in godly living is not contemptible. As everyone of them now knows his own sore, and his own grief, so shall everyone then feel his own Joy: and if they can now call Christ their own, and call God their own God, how much more then upon their full possession of him? For as he takes his people for his inheritance; so will he himself be the inheritance of his people of ever.
SECT. IV.
A Fourth comfortable adjunct of this Rest is, that it is in the fellowship of the Blessed Saints and Angels of God. Not so singular will the Christian be, as to be solitary. Though it be proper to the Saints only, yet is it common to all the Saints. For what is it, but an Association of Blessed spirits in God? A corporation of perfected Saints whereof Christ is the head? the communion of Saints completed? Nor doth this make those joys to be therefore mediate, derived by creatures to us, as here: For all the lines may be drawn from the center, and not from each other, and yet their collocation make them more comely, then one alone could be. Though the strings receive not their sound and sweetness from each other, yet their concurrence causeth that harmony, which could not be by one alone. For those that have prayed, and fasted, and wept, and watched, and waited together; now to joy and enjoy and praise together: methinks should much advance their pleasure. Whatsoever it will be upon the great change that will be wrought in our natures perfected; sure I am according to the present temperature of the most sanctified human affections, it would affect exceedingly: And he who mentioneth the qualifications of our happiness of purpose that our joy may be full, and maketh so oft mention of our consociation and conjunction in his praises, sure doth hereby intimate to us that this will be some advantage to our joys. Certain I am of this, Fellow-Christians; that as we have been together in the labor, duty, danger and distress; so shall we be in the great recompense and deliverance; and as we have been scorned and despised, so shall we be crowned and honored together, and we who have gone through the day of sadness, shall enjoy together that day of Gladness: and those who have been with us in persecution and prison, shall be with us also in that palace of consolation. Can the willful world say, If our forefathers and friends be all in Hell, why we will venture there too? and may not the Christian say on better grounds, seeing my faithful friends are gone before me to Heaven, I am much the more willing to be there too. Oh the Blessed day, Dear friends, when we that were wont to inquire together, and hear of heaven, and talk of heaven together, shall then live in Heaven together; When we who are wont to complain to one another, and open our doubts to one another, and our fears whether ever we should come there or no; shall then rejoice with one another, and triumph over those doubts and fears! when we who were wont formerly in private to meet together for mutual edification, shall now most publicly be conjoined in the same consolation! Those same disciples who were wont to meet in a private house for fear of the Jews ; are now met in the Celestial habitations without fear: and as their fear then did cause them to shut the door against their enemies, so will God's Justice shut it now. Oh when I look in the faces of the precious people of God, and believingly think of this day, what a refreshing thought is it? shall we not there remember, think you, the pikes which we passed together here? our fellowship in duty and in sufferings? how oft our groans made as it were one sound, our conjunct tears but one stream, and our conjunct desires but one prayer? and now all our praises shall make up one melody; and all our Churches one Church; and all ourselves but one body: for we shall be one in Christ, even as he and the father are one. Its true, we must be very careful in this case, that in our thoughts we look not for that in the Saints which is alone in Christ, and that we give them not his own prerogative; nor expect too great a part of our comfort in the fruition of them: we are prone enough to this kind of Idolatry. But yet he who Commands us so to love them now, will give us leave in the same subordination to himself to love them then, when himself hath made them much more lovely. And if we may love them, we shall surely rejoice in them; for love and enjoyment cannot stand without an answerable Joy. If the forethoughts of sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, may be our lawful Joy; then how much more that real fight, and actual possession? It cannot choose but be comfortable to me to think of that day, when I shall join with Moses in his song, with David in his Psalms of praise; and with all the redeemed in the song of the Lamb forever: When we shall see Enoch walking with God; Noah enjoying the end of his singularity; Joseph of his Integrity; Job of his patience, Hezekiah of his uprightness; and all the Saints the end of their faith. Will it be nothing conducible to the completing of our comforts, to live eternally with Peter, Paul, Austin, Chrysostom, Jerome, Wycliffe, Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Beza, Bullinger, Zanchius, Pareus, Piscator? with Hooper, Bradford, Latimer, Glover, Saunders, Philpot? with Reynolds, Whitaker, Cartwright, Brightman, Bayne, Bradshaw, Bolton, Ball, Hildersham, Pemble, Twisse, Ames, Preston, Sibbes? O faelicem diem (said old Grynoeus, ) quum ad illud animorum concilium proficiscar, & ex hac turba & Colluione discedam ! O happy day when I shall depart out of this crown and sink, and go to that same counsel of souls! I know that Christ is all in all: and that it is the presence of God that maketh Heaven to be Heaven. But yet it much sweeteneth the thoughts of that place to me, to remember that there are such a multitude of my most dear and precious friends in Christ; with whom I took sweet counsel, and with whom I went up to the house of God; who walked with me in the fear of God, and in integrity of their hearts: in the face of whose conversations, there was written the name of Christ; whose sweet and sensible mention of his Excellencies, hath made my heart to burn within me: To think of such a friend died at such a time, and such a one at another time, such a precious Christian slain at such a fight, and such a one at such a fight (oh what a number of them could I name) and that all these are entered▪ into rest; and we shall surely go to them, but they shall not return to us. Its a Question with some, Whether we shall know each other in Heaven or no? Surely there shall no knowledge cease which now we have, but only that which implieth our imperfection: And what imperfection can this imply? Nay our present knowledge shall be increased beyond belief: It shall indeed be done away, but as the light of the candle and stares is done away by the rising of the Sun; which is more properly a doing away of our ignorance then of our knowledge. Indeed we shall not know each other after the flesh; not by stature, voice, color, complexion, visage, or outward shape; if we had so known Christ we should know him no more: not by parts and gifts of learning, nor titles of honor and worldly dignity; nor by terms of affinity and consanguinity, nor benefits, nor such Relations; not by youth, or age; nor, I think, by sex. But by the Image of Christ, and spiritual relation, and former faithfulness in improving our Talents, beyond doubt, we shall know and be known. Nor is it only our old acquaintance: but all the Saints of all ages, whose faces in the flesh we never saw, whom we shall there both know and comfortably enjoy. Luther in his last sickness being asked his Judgment whether we shall know one another in Heaven, answered thus: Quod accidit Adam? nunquam ill vider at Evam &c. i. e. How was it with Adam? He had never seen Eve : yet he asketh not who she was? or whence she came, but saith, She is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone. And how knew he that? Why, being full of the Holy Ghost, and endued with the true knowledge of God, he so pronounced. After the same sort shall we be renewed by Christ in another life, and shall know our parents, wives, children, &c. much more perfectly then Adam did then know Eve. Yea and Angels as well as Saints, will be our blessed acquaintance and sweet associates. We have everyone now our own Angels, there beholding our Fathers face: And those who now are willingly ministering Spirits for our good, will willingly then be our companions in joy for the perfecting of our good: And they who had such joy in heaven for our conversion, will gladly rejoice with us in our glorification. I think Christian, this will be a more honorable assembly then you ever here beheld: and a more happy society then you were ever of before. Surely Brooke, and Pim, and Hambden, and White, &c. are now members of a more knowing, unerring, well ordered, right-aiming, self-denying, unanimous, honorable, Triumphant Senate, then this from whence they were taken is, or ever Parliament will be. It is better be door-keeper to that Assembly, whether Twisse, &c. are translated, then to have continued here the Moderator of this. That is the true Parliamentum Beatum, the Blessed Parliament, and that is the only Church that cannot err. Then we shall truly say as David, I am a companion of all them that fear thee: when we are come to Mount Zion, and to the City of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels; to the General Assembly and Church of the first-born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, and to the blood of Sprinkling; We are come thither already in respect of title, and of earnest and first-fruits; but we shall then come into the full possession. O Beloved, if it be a happiness to live with the Saints in their imperfection, when they have sin to embitter, as well as holiness to sweeten their society; what will it be to live with them in their perfection, where Saints are wholly and only Saints? If it be a delight to hear them pray or preach; what will it be to hear them praise? If we thought ourselves in the Suburbs of Heaven, when we heard them set forth the Beauty of our Lord, and speak of the excellencies of the Kingdom; what a day will it be, when we shall join with them in praises to our Lord, in, and for that Kingdom. Now we have corruption, and they have corruption; and we are apter to set awork each others corruption, then our Graces; and so loose the benefit of their company while we do enjoy it, because we know not how to make use of a Saint: But then it will not be so. Now we spend many an hour which might be profitable, in a dull silent looking on each other, or else in vain and common conference: But then it will not be. Now the best do know but in part, and therefore can instruct and help us but in part: But then we shall with them make up one perfect man. So then I conclude, This is one singular excellency of the Rest of Heaven, That we are fellow citizens with the Saints, and of the household of God, Eph. 2.19.
SECT. V.
FIfthly, another excellent property of our Rest will be, That the Joyes of it are immediately from God. Nor doth this contradict the former, as I have before made plain. Whether Christ (who is God as well as man) shall be the Conveyor of all from the Divine Nature to us? And whether the giving up the Kingdom to the Father, do imply the ceasing of the Mediators Office? And consequently, the laying aside of the human Nature? (though I believe the Negative in these last, yet) are Questions which I will not now attempt to handle. But this is sure; we shall God face to face; and stand continually in his presence; and consequently derive our life and comfort immediately from him. Whether God will make use of any Creatures for our service then? or if any, of what Creatures? and what use? is more then I yet know. It seems by that Rom. 8.21. that the Creature shall have a day of Deliverance, and that into the glorious Liberty of the sons of God: But whether this before, or at the great and full Deliverance? or whether to endure to Eternity? or to what particular employment they shall be continued? are Questions yet too hard for me. When God speaks them plainer, and mine understanding is made clearer, then I may know these. But its certain that, at least, our most and great Joyes will be immediate, if not all. Now we have nothing at all immediately; but at the second, or third, or fourth, or fifth hand; or how many, who knows? From the Earth, from Man, from Sun and Moon, from the influence of the Planets, from the Ministration of Angels, and from the Spirit, and Christ; and doubtless the farther the Stream runs from the Fountain, the more impure it is. It gathers some defilement from every unclean Channel it passeth through▪ Though it savors not in the hand of Angels, of the imperfection of sinners, yet it doth of the imperfection of Creatures; and as it comes from man, it savors of both. How quick and piercing is the Word in itself? Yet many times it never enters, being managed by a feeble Arm. O what weight and worth is there in every passage of the Blessed Gospel? Enough, one would think, to enter and force the dullest Soul, and wholly possess its thoughts and affections; and yet how oft doth it fall as water upon a stone? And how easily can our hearers sleep out a Sermon time • and much, because these words of Life do die in the delivery, and the Fruit of our Conception is almost Still-born. Our people's Spirits remain congealed, while we who are entrusted▪ with the Word that should melt them, do suffer it to freez between our Lips. We speak indeed of Soul-concerning Truths, and set before them Life and Death; But it is with such Self-seeking affectation, and in such a lazy, formal, customary strain, (like the pace the Spaniard rides) that the people little think we are in good sadness, or that our Hearts do mean as our Tongues do speak. I have heard of some Tongues that can lick a co • l of fire till it be cold. I fear these Tongues are in most of our Mouths, and that the Breath that is given us to blow up this fire, till it flame in our Peoples Souls, is rather used to blow it out. Such Preaching is it that hath brought the most to hear Sermons, as they say their Creed and Pater Nosters, even as a few good words of course. How many a cold and mean Sermon, that yet contains most precious Truths? The things of God which we handle are Divine; but our manner of handling too Human: And there's little or none that ever we touch, but we leave the print of our fingers behind us; but if God should speak this Word himself, it would be a piercing, melting Word indeed. How full of comfort are the Gospel Promises? yet do we oft so heartlessly declare them, that the broken, bleeding-hearted Saints, are much deprived of their Joyes. Christ is indeed a precious Pearl, but oft held forth in Leprous hands: And thus do we disgrace the Riches of the Gospel, when it is the Work of our Calling to make it honorable in the eyes of men; and we dim the glory of that Jewel, by our dull and low expressions, and dunghill conversations, whose luster we do pretend to discover; while the hearers judge of it by our expressions, and not its proper, genuine worth. The truth is, the best of men do apprehend but little of what God in his Word expresseth, and what they do apprehend, they are unable to utter. Human language is not so copious as the hearts conceivings are; and what we possibly might declare, yet through our own unbelief, stupidity, laziness, and other corruptions, we usually fail in; and what we do declare, yet the darkness of our people's understandings, and the sad senselessness of their hearts, doth usually shut out, and make void. So that as all the Works of God are perfect in their season, as he is perfect; so are all the works of man as himself, imperfect: And those which God performeth by the hand of man, will too much savor of the instrument. If an Angel from Heaven should preach the Gospel, yet could he not deliver it according to its glory; muchless we who never saw what they have seen, and keep this Treasure in Earthen Vessels. The comforts that flow through Sermons, through Sacraments, through Reading, and Company, and Conference, and Creatures, are but half comforts; and the Life that comes by these, is but a half life, in comparison of those which the Almighty shall speak with his own mouth, and reach forth to us with his own hand. The Christian knows by experience now, that his most immediate Joyes are his sweetest Joyes; which have least of man, and are most directly from the Spirit. That's one reason, as I conceive, why Christians who are much in secret prayer, and in meditation and contemplation (rather then they who are more in hearing, reading and conference) are men of greatest life and joy; because they are nearer the Well-head, and have all more immediately from God himself. And that I conceive the reason also, Why we are more undisposed to those secret duties, and can easilier bring our hearts to hear, and read, and confer, then to secret Prayer, Self-examination, and Meditation; because in the former is more of man, and in these we approach the Lord alone, and our Natures draw back from the most spiritual and fruitful Duties. Not that we should therefore cast off the other, and neglect any Ordinance of God: To live above them while we use them, is the way of a Christian: But so to live above Ordinances, as to live without them, is to live without the compass of the Gospel Lines, and so without the Government of Christ. Let such beware least while they would be higher then Christians, they prove in the end lower then men. We are not yet come to the time and state where we shall have all from God's immediate hand. As God hath made all Creatures, and instituted all Ordinances for us; so will he continue our need of all. We must yet be contented with Love-tokens from him, till we come to receive our All in him. We must be thankful if Joseph sustain our lives, by relieving us in our Famine with his Provisions, till we come to see his own face. There's joy in these remote receivings; but the fullness is in his own presence. O Christians, you will then know the difference, betwixt the Creature and Creator, and the content that each of them affords. We shall then have Light without a Candle; and a perpetual day without the Sun: For the City hath no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to shine in it; for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, Revel. 21.23. Nay, There shall be no night there, and they need no candle, nor light of the Sun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever, Revel. 22.5. We shall then have rest without sleep, and be kept from cold without our clothing, and need no Fig-leaves to hide our shame: For God will be our Rest, and Christ our clothing, and shame and sin will cease together. We shall then have health without Physic, and strength without the use of food; for the Lord God will be our strength, and the light of his countenance will be health to our souls, and marrow to our bones. We shall then (and never till then) have enlightened understandings without Scriptures, and be governed without a written Law: For the Lord will perfect his Law in our hearts, and we shall be all perfectly taught of God; his own will shall be our Law, and his own face shall be our light forever. Then shall we have joy, which we drew not from the promises, nor was fetched us home by Faith or Hope: Beholding and possessing, will exclude the most of these. We shall then have Communion without Sacraments, when Christ shall drink with us of the fruit of the Vine new, that is, Refresh us with the comforting Wine of immediate fruition, in the Kingdom of his Father. To have necessities, but no supply, is the case of them in Hell; to have necessity supplied by the means of Creatures, is the case of us on Earth; to have necessity supplied immediately from God, is the case of the Saints in Heaven; to have no necessity at all, is the prerogative of God himself. The more of God is seen and received with, and by the means, and Creature here, the nearer is our state like that in glory. In a word, We have now our Mercies, as Benjamin had Josephs cup; we find them at a distance from God, and scarcely know from whence they come, and understand not the good will intended in them, but are oft ready to fear they come in wrath, and think they will but work our ruin. But when we shall feed at Josephs own house, yea, receive our portion from his own hand; when he shall fully unbowel his love unto us, and take us to dwell in Goshen by him; when we shall live in our Fathers house and presence, and God shall be All, and in All; then are we indeed at home in Rest.
SECT. VI.
SIxthly. Again, a further excellency is this: It will be unto us a seasonable Rest. He that expecteth the fruit of his Vineyard in season, and maketh his people as Trees planted by the waters, fruitful in their season; he will also give them the Crown in season. He that will have the words of Joy spoken to the weary in season, will sure cause that time of Joy to appear in the meetest season. And they who knew the season of Grace, and did repent and believe in season, shall also if they faint not, reap in season. If God will not miss the season of common Mercies, even to his enemies; but will give both the former and latter rain in their season; and the appointed weeks of the Harvest in its season, and by an inviolable Covenant hath established day and night in their seasons: Then sure the Harvest of the Saints, and their day of gladness shall not miss its season. Doubtless he that would not stay a day longer then his promise, but brought Israel out of Egypt that self same day that the 430 years were expired; neither will he fail of one day or hour of the fittest season for his people's glory. And as Christ failed not to come in the fullness of time, even then when Daniel and others had foretold his coming; so in the fullness and fitness of time will his second coming be. He that hath given the Stork ▪ the Crane, the Swallow, to know their appointed time, will surely keep his time appointed. When we have had in this world a long night of sad darkness, will not the day-breaking, and the arising of the Sun of Righteousness be then seasonable? When we have endured a hard Winter in this cold Climate, will not the reviving Spring be then seasonable? When we have (as Paul ) sailed slowly many days, and much time spent, and sailing now grown more dangerous; and when neither Sun nor Stars in many days appear, and no small tempest lieth on us, and all hope that we shall be saved, is almost taken away, do you think the Haven of Rest is not then seasonable? When we have passed a long and tedious Journey, and that through no small dangers; is not Home then seasonable? When we have had a long and perilous War, and have lived in the midst of furious Enemies, and have been forced to stand on a perpetual watch, and received from them many a wound; would not a Peace with Victory be now seasonable? When we have been captivated in many years imprisonment, and insulted over by scornful foes, and suffered many pinching wants, and hardly enjoyed bare necessaries; would not a full deliverance to a most plentiful State, even from this prison to a Throne, be now seasonable? Surely, a man would think who looks upon the face of the World, that Rest should to all men seem seasonable. Some of us are languishing under continual weakness, and groaning under most grievous pains, crying in the morning, Would God it were evening, and in the evening, Would God it were morning; weary of going, weary of sitting, weary of standing, weary of lying, weary of eating, of speaking, of waking, weary of our very friends, weary of ourselves: O, how oft hath this been mine own case; and is not Rest yet seasonable? Some are complaining under the pressures of the times; weary of their Taxes, weary of their Quartering, weary of Plunderings, weary of their fears and dangers, weary of their poverty and wants; and is not Rest yet seasonable? Whither can you go, or into what company can you come, where the voice of complaining doth not show, that men live in a continual weariness? but especially the Saints, who are most weary of that which the world cannot feel. What godly society almost can you fall into, but you shall hear by their moans that somewhat aileth them? some weary of a blind mind, doubting concerning the way they walk in, unsettled in almost all their thoughts; some weary of a hard heart, some of a proud, some of a passionate, and some of all these, and much more some weary of their daly doubtings, and fears concerning their spiritual estate; and some of the want of spiritual Joyes, and some of the sense of God's wrath and is not Rest now seasonable? when a poor Christian hath desired, and prayed, and waited for deliverance many a year, is it not then seasonable? When he is ready almost to give up, and saith, I am afraid I shall not reach the end, and that my faith and patience will scarce hold out; is not this a fit season for Rest? If it were to Joseph a seasonable message, which called him from the Prison to Pharohs Court: Or if the return of his Benjamin, the tidings that Joseph was yet alive, and the sight of the Chariots, which should convoy him to Egypt, were seasonable for the Reviving of Jacob's Spirits; then me thinks, the message for a release from the flesh, and our convoy to Christ, should be a seasonable and welcome message. If the voice of the King were seasonable to Daniel, early in the morning calling him from his Den, that he might advance him to more then former dignity; then me thinks that morning voice of Christ our King, calling us from our terrors among Lions, to possess his Rest among his Saints, should be to us a very seasonable voice. Will not Canaan be seasonable after so many years travel, and that through a hazardous and grievous Wilderness? Indeed to the world its never in season: they are already at their own home; and have what they most desire: they are not weary of their present State; the Saints sorrow is their Joy; and the Saints weariness is their Rest; Their weary day is coming, where there is no more expectation of Rest: But for the thirsty soul to enjoy the fountain; and the hungry to be filled with the bread of Life; and the naked to be clothed from above, for the children to come to their Fathers house, and the dis-joined members, to be conjoined with their Head; me thinks this should be seldom unseasonable. When the Atheistical world began to insult, and question the Truth of Scripture promises, and ask us, Where is now your God? where is your long looked for glory? where is the promise of your Lord's coming? O, how seasonable then, to convince these unbelievers, to silence these scoffers, to comfort the dejected, waiting believer, will the appearing of our Lord be? we are oft grudging now, that we have not a great share of comforts; that our deliverances are not more speedy and eminent; that the world prospers more then we; that our prayers are not presently answered; not considering, that our portion is kept to a fitter season; that these are not always Winter fruits, but when Summer comes we shall have our Harvest. We grudge that we do not find a Canaan in the Wilderness; or cities of Rest in Noah's Ark; and the songs of Zion in a strange Land; that we have not a harbor in the main Ocean; or find not our home in the middle way; and are not crowned in the midst of the fight; & have not our Rest in the heat of the day; and have not our inheritance before we are at age; and have not Heaven, before we leave the Earth; and would not all this be very unreasonable? I confess in regard of the Churches service, the removing of the Saints may sometimes appear to us unseasonable; therefore doth God use it as a Judgment▪ and therefore the Church hath ever prayed hard before they would part with them, and greatly laid to heart their loss? Therefore are the great mournings at the Saint departures, and the sad hearts that accompany them to their graves; but this is not especially for the departed, but for themselves and their children, as Christ bid the weeping women; Therefore also it is that the Saints in danger of death, have oft begged for their lives with that Argument; What profit is there in my blood when, I go down to the Pit? Psal. 30.9. Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? Psal. 88.10. for in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks ? Psal. 6.5. And this was it that brought Paul to a straight, because he knew it was better for the church that he should remain here; I must confess it is one of my saddest thoughts, to reckon up the useful instruments, when God hath lately called out of his Vineyard, when the Loyterers are many, and the Harvest great, and very many Congregations desolate, and the people as sheep without shepherds, and yet the laborers called from their work, especially when a door of Liberty and opportunity is open, we cannot but lament so sore a judgment, and think the removal in regard of the Church, unseasonable: I know I speak but your own thoughts; and you are too ready to over-run me in application: I fear you are too sensible of what I speak, and therefore am loath to stir in your sore. I perceive you in the posture of the Ephesian Elders, and had rather abate the violence of your passions: our applications are quicker about our sufferings then our sins; and we will quicklier say, This loss is mine, then This fault is mine. But O consider, my dear friends, hath God any need of such a worm as I? cannot he a 1000 ways supply your wants? you know when your case was worse, and yet he provided. Hath he work to do and will he not find instruments? And though you see not for the present where they should be had; they are never the further off for that. Where was the world before the creation? and where was the promised seed, when Isaac lay on the Altar? Where was the Land of Promise, when Israel's burden was increased? or when all the old stock save only two were consumed in the Wilderness? Where was David's Kingdom when he was hunted in the Wilderness? or the Glory of Christ's Kingdom when he was in the Grave? or when he first sent his 12. Apostles? How suddenly did the number of Laborers increase immediately upon the Reformation by Luther? and how soon were the rooms of those filled up, whom the rage of the papists had sacrificed in the flames? Have you not lately seen so many difficulties overcome, and so many improbable works accomplished, that might silence unbelief, one would think, forever? But if all this do not quiet you (for sorrow and discontent are unruly passions) yet at least remember this; suppose the worst you fear should happen, yet shall it be well with all the Saints; your own turns will shortly come; and we shall all be house'd with Christ together; where you will want your Ministers and friends no more. And for the poor world which is left behind, whose unregenerate state causeth your grief; why consider; shall man pretend to be more merciful then God? Hath not he more interest then we both in the Church and in the world? and more bowels of compassion to commiserate their distress? There is a season for Judgment as well as for mercy: and if he will have the most of men to perish for their sin, and to suffer the eternal tormenting flames; must we question his goodness, or manifest our dislike of the severity of his judgments? I confess we cannot but bleed over our desolate congregations; and that it ill beseems us to make light of God's indignation: but yet we should (as Aaron when his sons were slain) hold our peace, and be silent, because it is the Lord's doing: And say as David, If I (and his people) shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me them, and his Habitation: But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do with me as seemeth good unto him. I conclude then, that whatsoever it is to those that are left behind, yet the Saints departure to themselves is usually seasonable. I say, usually, because I know that a very Saint may have a death in some respect unseasonable, though it do translate him into this Rest. He may die in Judgment as good Josiah : he may die for his sin: For the abuse of the Sacrament many were weak and sickly, and many fallen asleep, even of those who were thus Judged and chastened by God, that they might not be condemned with the world: He may die by the hand of public Justice; or die in a way of public scandal: He may die in a weak degree of grace, and consequently have a less degree of glory. He may die in smaller improvements of his talents, and so be Ruler but of few Cities. The best Wheat may be cut down before its ripe; Therefore it is promised to the Righteous as a blessing, that they shall be brought as a shock of Corn into the Barn in season. Nay its possible he may die by his own hands; Though some Divines think such Doctrine not fit to be taught, least it encourage the tempted to commit the same sin; but God hath left preservatives enough against sin, without our devising more of our own; neither hath he need of our lie in his glory. He hath fixed that principle so deep in Nature, that all should endeavor their own preservation; that I never knew any whose understanding was not crazed or lost, much subject to that sin: even most of the Melancholy are more fearful to die then other men. And this terror is preservative enough of that kind, That such committing of a heinous known Sin, is a sad sign, where there is the free use of Reason: That therefore they make their Salvation more questionable: That they die most woeful scandals to the Church: That however, the sin itself should make the godly to abhor it, were there no such danger or scandal attending it, &c. But to exclude from salvation of all those poor creatures, who in Fevers, Phrensies, Madness, Melancholy, &c. shall commit this sin, is a way of prevention which Scripture teacheth not, and too uncomfortable to the friends of the deceased. The common argument which they urge, drawn from the necessity of a particular repentance, for every particular known sin; as it is not universally true, so, were it granted, it would exclude from salvation all men breathing: For there was never any man (save Christ) who died not in some particular sin, either of Commission, or Omission, great or small, which he hath no more time to repent of, then the sinner in Question; But yet, this may well be called, untimely death: But in the ordinary course of God's dealings, you may easily observe, that he purposely maketh his people's last hour in this life, to be of all other to the flesh most bitter, and in the Spirit most sweet, and that they who feared death through the most of their lives, yet at last are more willing of it then ever; and all to make their Rest more seasonable. Bread and drink are always good; but at such a time as Samarias siege, to have plenty of food instead of Doves dung, in one nights space; or in such a thirst as Ishmael's or Samson's, to have supply of water by miracle in a moment; these are seasonable. So this Rest is always good to the Saints, and usually also is most seasonable Rest.
SECT. VII.
SEventhly. A further excellency of this Rest is this; As it will be a seasonable, so a suitable Rest: Suited, 1. To the Natures. 2. To the desires. 3. To the necessities of the Saints.
1. To their Natures. If suitableness concur not with excellency, the best things may be bad to us: For it is that which makes things good in themselves to be good to us. In our choice of friends we oft pass by the more excellent, to choose the more suitable. Every good agrees not with every nature. To live in a free and open air, under the warming Rayes of the Sun, is excellent to man, because suitable: But the flesh which is of another nature, doth rather choose another element; and that which is to us so excellent, would quickly be to it destructive. The choicest dainties which we feed upon ourselves, would be to our Beast, as an unpleasing, so an insufficient sustenance. The Iron which the Ostrich well digests, would be but hard food for man: Even among men, contrary appetites delight in contrary objects. You know the Proverb, One man's meat, is another man's poison. Now here is suitableness and excellency conjoined. The new nature of the Saints, doth suit their Spirits to this Rest: And indeed their holiness is nothing else, but a spark taken from this Element, and by the Spirit of Christ kindled in their hearts, the flame whereof as mindful of its own Divine original, doth ever mount the soul aloft, and tend to the place from whence it comes: It worketh towards its own Center, and makes us Restless, till there we Rest. Gold and earthly Glory, temporal Crowns and Kingdoms could not make a rest for Saints. As they were not Redeemed with so low a price, so neither are they endued with so low a nature. These might be a portion for lower spirits, and fit those whose natures they suit with; but so they cannot a Saint-like nature. As God will have from them a Spiritual Worship, suitable to his own Spiritual Being; so will he provide them a spiritual Rest, suitable to his people's spiritual nature. As Spirits have not fleshly substances, so neither delight they in fleshly pleasures: These are too gross and vile for them. When carnal persons think of Heaven, their conceivings of it are also carnal; and their notions answerable to their own natures: And were it possible for such to enjoy it, it would sure be their trouble, and not their Rest, because so contrary to their dispositions. A Heaven of good-fellowship, of wine and wantonness, of gluttony and all voluptuousness, would far better please them, as being more agreeing to their natures. But a heaven of the knowledge of God and his Christ; a delightful complacency in that mutual love: an everlasting rejoicing in the fruition of our God; a perpetual singing of his high praises; this is a heaven for a Saint, a spiritual Rest, suitable to a spiritual nature. Then, dear friends, we shall live in our own element. We are now as the fish in some small vessel of water, that hath only so much as will keep him alive; but what is that to the full Ocean? we have a little Air let in to us, to afford us breathing; but what is that to the sweet and fresh gales upon Mount Zion? we have a beam of the Sun to lighten our darkness, and a warm Ray to keep us from freezing; but then we shall live in its light, and be revived by its heat forever. O blessed be that hand which fetched a coal, and kindled a fire in our dead hearts, from that same Altar, where we must offer our Sacrifice everlastingly. To be locked up in Gold and in Pearl, would be but a wealthy starving; to have our Tables with Plate and ornament richly furnished without meat, is but to be richly famished; to be lifted up with human applause, is but a very airy felicity; to be advanced to the Sovereignty of all the Earth, would be but to wear a Crown of Thorns; to be filled with the knowledge of Arts and Sciences, would be but to further the conviction of our unhappiness: But to have a nature like God, his very Image, holy as he is holy, and to have God himself to be our happiness, how well do these agree? Whether that in 2 Pet. 1.4. be meant (as is commonly understood) of our own inherent renewed nature, figuratively called Divine, or rather of Christ's Divine Nature without us, properly so called; whereof we are also made partakers, I know not: But certainly were not our own in some sort Divine, the enjoyment of the true Divine Nature could not be to us a suitable Rest.
2. It is suitable also to the desires of the Saints: For such as their natures, such be their desires; and such as their desires, such will be their Rest. Indeed, we have now a mixed Nature; and from contrary principles, do arise contrary desires: As they are flesh, they have desires of flesh, and as they are sinful, so they have sinful desires. Perhaps they could be too willing whilst these are stirring, to have delights and riches, and honor, and sin itself. But these are not their prevailing Desires, nor such as in their deliberate choice they will stand too; therefore is it not they, but sin and flesh. These are not the desires that this Rest is suited to, for they will not accompany them to their Rest. To provide contents to satisfy these, were to provide food for them that are dead. For they that are in Christ, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof. But it is the Desires of our renewed Nature, and those which the Christian will ordinarily own, which this Rest suited too. Whilest our desires remain corrupted and misguided, it is a far greater Mercy to deny them, yea, to destroy them, then to satisfy them: But those which are Spiritual, are of his own planting, and he will surely water them, and give the increase. Is it so great a work to raise them in us; and shall they after all this, vanish and fail? To send the Word and Spirit, Mercies and Judgments, to raise the sinners desires from the Creature to God, and then to suffer them so raised, all to perish without success; this were to multiply the Creatures misery: And then were the work of Sanctification, a designed preparative to our torment and tantalizing; but no way conducible to our happy Rest. He quickened our hungering and thirst for Righteousness, that he might make us happy in a full satisfaction. Christian, this is a Rest after thine own heart; it containeth all that thy heart can wish; that which thou longest for, prayest for, laborest for, there thou shalt find it all. Thou hadst rather have God in Christ, then all the world; why there thou shalt have him. O what wouldst thou not give for assurance of his love? why there thou shalt have assurance beyond suspicion; Nay, thy desires cannot now extend to the height of what thou shalt there obtain. Was it not an high favor of God to Solomon, to promise to give him whatsoever he would ask? why every Christian hath such a promise. Desire what thou canst, and ask what thou wilt as a Christian, and it shall be given thee; not only to half of the Kingdom, but to the enjoyment both of Kingdom and King. This is a life of desire and prayer; but that is a life of satisfaction and enjoyment. O therefore, that we were but so wise, as to limit those desires, which we know shall not be satisfied; and those which we know not, whether or no they will be satisfied, and especially those which we know should not be satisfied; and to keep up continually in heat and life, those desires which we are sure shall have full satisfaction. And O that sinners would also consider, That seeing God will not give them a felicity suitable to their sensual desires, it is therefore their wisdom, to endeavor for desires suitable to the true felicity, and to direct their Ship to the right Harbor, seeing they cannot bring the Harbor to their Ship.
3. This Rest is very suitable to the Saints necessities also, as well as to their natures and desires. It contains whatsoever they truly wanted; not supplying them with the gross created comforts, which now they are forced to make use of; which like Saul's Armor on David, are more burden then benefit: But they shall there have the benefit without the burden; and the pure Spirits extracted (as it were) shall make up their Cordial, without the mixture of any drossy or earthly substance. It was Christ, and perfect Holiness, which they most needed, and with these shall they here be principally supplied. Their other necessities are far better removed, then supplied in the present carnal way. It is better to have no need of meat, and drink, and clothing, and creatures, then to have both the need, and the Creature continued. Their Plaister will be fitted to the quality of the sore. The Rain which Elias prayer procured, was not more seasonable after the three years drought, then this Rest will be to this thirsty Soul. It will be with us, as with the diseased man, who had lien at the waters, and continued diseased thirty eight years, when Christ did fully cure him in a moment; or with the woman, who having had the issue of blood, and spent all she had upon Physicians, and suffered the space of twelve years, was healed by one touch of Christ. So when we have lien at Ordinances, and Duties, and Creatures, all our life time, and spent all, and suffered much, we shall have all done by Christ in a moment. But we shall see more of this under the next head.
SECT. VIII.
EIghtly. Another excellency of our Rest will be this, That it will be absolutely perfect and complete; and this both in the sincerity and universality of it. We shall then have Joy without sorrow, and Rest without weariness: As there is no mixture of our corruption with our Graces, so no mixture of sufferings with our solace: there is none of those waves in that Harbor, which now so toss us up and down: We are now sometime at the Gates of Heaven, and presently almost as low as Hell; we wonder at those changes of Providence toward us, being scarcely two days together in a like condition. To day we are well, and conclude the bitterness of death is past; tomorrow sick, and conclude we shall shortly perish by our distempers; today in esteem, tomorrow in disgrace; today we have friends, tomorrow none; to day in gladness, tomorrow in sadness; na • ▪ we have Wine and Vinegar in the same Cup, and our pleasantest Food hath a taste of the Gall. If Revelations should raise us to the third Heaven, the messenger of Satan must presently buffet us, and the prick in the flesh will fetch us down: But there is none of this inconstancy, nor mixtures in Heaven. If perfect Love cast out fear, then perfect Joy must needs cast out sorrow; and perfect happiness exclude all the relics of misery. There will be an universal perfecting of all our parts and powers, and a universal removal of all our evils. And though the positive part be the sweetest, and that which draws the other after it, even as the rising of the Sun excludes the darkness; yet is not the negative part to be slighted, even our freedom from so many and great Calamities. Let us therefore look over these more punctually, and see what it is that we shall there Rest from. In general, It is from all evil. Particularly, First, from the evil of Sin; secondly, and of suffering.
First, It excludeth nothing more directly then sin; whether original, and of Nature; or actual, and of Conversation: For there entereth nothing that defileth, nor that worketh abomination, nor that maketh a lie; when they are there, the Saints are Saints indeed. He that will wash them with his heart blood, rather then suffer them to enter unclean, will now perfectly see to that; he who hath undertaken to present them to his Father, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but perfectly holy, and without blemish, will now most certainly perform his undertaking. What need Christ at all to have died, if Heaven could have contained imperfect souls. For to this end came he into the world, that he might put away the works of the devil. His Blood and Spirit have not done all this, to leave us after all defiled. For what communion hath light with darkness? and what fellowship hath Christ with Belial? He that hath prepared for sin the torments of Hell, will never admit it into the Blessedness of Heaven. Therefore Christian, never fear this; if thou be once in Heaven, thou shalt sin no more. Is not this glad news to thee, who hast prayed, and watched and labored against it so long? I know if it were offered to thy choice, thou wouldst rather choose to be freed from sin, then to be made heir of all the world: Why wait till then, and thou shalt have thy desire: That hard heart, those vile thoughts, which did lie down and rise with thee, which did accompany thee to every duty, which thou couldst no more leave behind thee, then leave thyself behind thee, shall now be left behind forever. They might accompany thee to death, but they cannot proceed a step further. Thy understanding shall never more be troubled with darkness: Ignorance and Error are inconsistent with this Light. Now thou walkest like a man in the twilight, ever afraid of being out of the way: Thou seest so many Religions in the World, that thou fearest thy one cannot be only the right among all these : Thou seest the Scripture so exceeding difficult, and everyone pleading it for his own cause, and bringing such specious Arguments for so contrary Opinions, that it entangleth thee in a Labarinth of perplexities: Thou seest so many godly men on this side, and so many on that, and each zealous for his own way, that thou art amazed, not knowing which way to take. And thus do doubtings and fears accompany darkness, and we are ready to stumble at everything in our way. But then will all this darkness be dispelled, and our blind understandings fully opened, and we shall have no more doubts of our way: We shall know which was the right side, and which the wrong; which was the Truth, and which the Error. O what would we give to know clearly, all the profound Mysteries in the Doctrine of Decree, of Redemption, of Justification, of the nature of Grace, of the Covenants, of the Divine Attributes, &c. What would we not give to see all dark Scriptures made plain, to see all seeming contradictions reconciled! Why when Glory hath taken the veil from our eyes, all this will be known in a moment; we shall then see clearly into all the controversies about Doctrine or Discipline that now perplex us. The poorest Christian is presently there a more perfect Divine, then any is here. We are now through our Ignorance, subject to such mutability; that in points not fundamental, we change as the Moon; that it is cast as a just reproach upon us; that we profess our Religion with Reserves, and resolvedly settle upon almost nothing; that we are today of one opinion, and within this week, or month, or year, of another; and yet alas! we cannot help it: The reproach may fall upon all mankind, as long as we have need of daily growth: Would they have us believe before we understand? or say, we believe when indeed we do not? shall we profess ourselves resolved, before we ever thoroughly studied? or say, we are certain, when we are conscious that we are not? But when once our Ignorance is perfectly healed, then shall we be settled, resolved men; then shall our reproach be taken from us, and we shall never change our judgment more; then shall we be clear and certain in all, and cease to be Skeptics anymore. Our Ignorance now doth lead us into Error, to the grief of our more knowing Brethren, to the disturbing of the Churches quiet, and interrupting her desirable harmonious consent, to the scandalizing of others, and weakening of ourselves. How many an humble faithful Soul, is seduced into Error, and little knows it? Loath they are to err, God knows, and therefore read, and pray, and confer, and yet err still, and confirmed in it more and more: And in lesser and more difficult points, how should it be otherwise? He that is acquainted amongst men, and knows the quality of Professors in England, must needs know, the generality of them are no great Scholars, nor have much read, or studied Controversies, nor are men of profoundest natural parts, nor have the Ministers of England much preached Controversies to them, but were glad if their hearers were brought to Christ, and got so much knowledge as might help to Salvation, as knowing that to be their great work. And can it be expected, That men void of Learning, and strength of parts, unstudied and untaught, should at the first on set know those Truths, which they are almost uncapable of knowing at all? when the greatest Divines of clearest Judgment, acknowledge so much difficulty, That they could almost find in their hearts, sometimes to profess them quite beyond their reach? Except we will allow them to lay aside their divine Faith, and take up an human, and see with other men's eyes, the weight and weakness of Arguments, and not with their own; It cannot be thought, That the most of Christians, no, nor the most Divines, should be free from erring in those difficult points, where we know they have not Head-pieces able to reach. Indeed, if it were the way of the Spirit to teach us miraculously, as the Apostles were taught the knowledge of Tongues, without the intervening use of Reason; or if the Spirit infused the acts of Knowledge, as he doth the immediate knowing Power, then he that had most of the Spirit, would not only know best, but also know most; but we have enough to convince us of the contrary to this. But O that happy approaching day, when Error shall vanish away forever! When our understandings shall be filled with God himself, whose light will leave no darkness in us! His face shall be the Scripture, where we shall read the Truth; and himself instead of Teachers and Councils, to perfect our understandings, and acquaint us with himself, who is the perfect Truth. No more Error, no more Scandal to others, no more Disquiet to our own spirits, no more mistaking zeal for falsehood, because our understandings have no more sin. Many a Godly man hath here in his mistaken zeal, been a means to deceive and pervert his Brethren, and when he sees his own Error, cannot again tell how to undeceive them. But there we shall all conspire in one Truth, as being one in him, who is that Truth.
And as we shall rest from all the sin of our understandings, so of our wills, affection and conversation: We shall no more retain this rebelling principle, which is still withdrawing us from God, and addicting us to backsliding: Doubtless we shall no more be oppressed with the power of our corruptions, nor vexed with their presence: No Pride, Passion, Sloathfulness, Senselesness shall enter with us; no strangness to God, and the things of God; no coldness of affections, nor imperfection in our love; no uneven walking, nor grieving of the Spirit; no scandalous action, or unholy conversation; we shall Rest from all these forever. Then shall our understandings receive their Light from the face of God, as the full Moon from the open Sun, where there is no Earth to interpose betwixt them; then shall our wills correspond to the Divine Will, as face answers face in a Glass; and the same his will shall be our Law and Rule, from which we shall never swerve again. Now our corruptions, as the Anakims, dismay us; and as the Canaanites in Israel, they are left for pricks in our sides, and thorns in our eyes; and as the bondwoman and her son in Abraham's house, they do but abuse us, and make our lives a burden to us: But then shall the bondwoman and her son be cast out, and shall not be heirs with us in our Rest. As Moses said to Israel, Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every one whatsoever is right in his own eyes: For ye are not as yet come to the Rest, and to the Inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you. Deut. 12.8, 9. I conclude therefore with the words next to my Text. For he that is entered into his Rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God from his. So that there is a perfect Rest from sin.
SECT. IX.
2. IT is also a perfect Rest from suffering. When the cause is gone, the effect ceaseth. Our sufferings were but the consequents of our sinning, and here they both shall cease together. I will show particularly ten kinds of suffering which we shall there rest from.
1. We shall Rest from all our perplexing doubts and fears: It shall no more be said, That doubts are like the Thistle, a bad weed, but growing in good ground; they shall now be weeded out, and trouble the gracious soul no more. No more need of so many Sermons, Books, and marks, and signs to resolve the poor doubting soul: The full fruition of Love itself hath now resolved his doubts forever. We shall hear that kind of language no more, What shall I do to know my state? How shall I know that God is my father? That my heart is upright? That Conversion is true? That Faith is sincere? O, I am afraid my sins are unpardoned: O, I fear that all is but in hypocrisy; I fear that God will reject me from his presence; I doubt he doth not hear my prayers: How can he accept so vile a wretch? So hard-hearted, unkind a sinner? Such an under-valuer of Christ as I am? All this kind of language is there turned into another tune; even into the praises of him, who hath forgiven, who hath converted, who hath accepted, yea, who hath glorified a wretch so unworthy. So that it will now be as impossible to doubt and fear, as to doubt of the food which is in our bellies, or to fear it is night, when we see the Sun shining: If Thomas could doubt with his finger in the wounds of Christ, yet in Heaven I am sure he cannot; If we could doubt of what we see, or hear, or taste, or feel; yet I am sure we cannot of what we there possess. Sure this will be comfort to the sad and drooping soul, whose life was nothing but a doubting distress, and their language nothing but a constant complaining. If God would speak peace, it would ease them; but when he shall possess them of this peace, they shall rest from all their doubts and fears forever.
SECT. X.
2. WE shall rest from all that sense of God's displeasure, which was our greatest torment; whether manifested mediately or immediately. For he will cause his fury towards us to rest, and his jealousy to cease, and he will be angry with us no more, Ezek. 16.42. Surely Hell shall not be mixed with Heaven: There is the place for the glorifying of Justice, prepared of purpose to manifest wrath; but Heaven is only for Mercy and Love. Joh doth not now use his old language, Thou writest bitter things against me, and takest me for thine enemy, and settest me up as a mark to shoot at, &c. O, how contrary now to all this? David doth not now complain, That the arrows of the Almighty stick in him ; that his wounds stink, and are corrupt ; that his sore runs and ceaseth not ; that his moisture is as the drought of Summer ; that there is no soundness in his flesh, because of God's displeasure; nor rest in his bones, because of sin ; that he is weary of crying, his throat is dried, his eyes fail in waiting for God ; that he remembereth God, and is troubled ; that in complaining his spirit is overwhelmed ; that his soul refuseth to be comforted, that God's wrath lieth hard upon him ; and that he afflicteth him with all his waves. O, how contrary now are David's Songs. Now he saith, I spake it in my haste, and this was my infirmity. Here the Christian is oft complaining: O, if it were the wrath of man, I could bear it; but the wrath of the Almighty, who can bear? O, that all the world were mine enemies, so that I were assured that he were my Friend! If it were a stranger, it were nothing; but that my dearest Friend, my own Father, should be so provoked against me, This wounds my very soul! If it were a Creature, I would contemn it; but if God be angry, who may endure? If he be against me, who can be for me? And if he will cast me down, who can raise me up? But O that blessed day, when all these dolorous complaints will be turned into admiring thankfulness! and all sense of God's displeasure swallowed up in that Ocean of infinite Love! when Sense shall convince us, that fury dwelleth not in God: And though for a little moment he hide his face, yet with everlasting compassion, will he receive and embrace us; when he shall say to Zion, Arise and shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, Isa. 60.2.
SECT. XI.
3. WE shall rest from all the Temptations of Satan, whereby he continually disturbes our peace. What a grief is it to a Christian, though he yield not to the temptation, yet to be still solicited to deny his Lord? That such a thought should be cast into his heart? That he can set about nothing that is good, but Satan is still dissuading him from it, distracting him in it, or discouraging him after it? What a torment, as well as temptation is it, to have such horrid motions made to his soul? such Blasphemous Idea 's presented to his fantasie? Sometime cruel thoughts of God; sometime under-valuing thoughts of Christ; sometime unbelieving thoughts of Scripture; sometime injurious thoughts of Providence; to be tempted sometime to turn to present things; sometime to play with the baits of sin; sometime to venture on the delights of flesh; and sometime to flat Atheism itself? Especially, when we know the treachery of our own hearts, that they are as Tinder, or Gunpowder, ready to take fire, as soon as one of these sparks shall fall upon them. O, how the poor Christian lives in continual disquietness, to feel these motions? But more, that his heart should be the soil for this seed, and the too fruitful mother of such an offspring? And most of all through fear, least they will at last prevail, and these cursed motions should procure his consent. But here is our comfort; as we now stand not by our own strength, and shall not be charged with any of this; so when the day of our deliverance comes, we shall fully Rest from these Temptations: Satan is then bound up; the time of tempting is then done; the time of torment to himself, and his conquered captives, those deluded souls, is then come; and the victorious Saints shall have Triumph for Temptation. Now we do walk among his snares; and are in danger to be circumvented with his methods and wiles; but then we are quite above his snares, and out of the hearing of his enticing charms. He hath power here to tempt us in the Wilderness; but he entereth not the Holy City: He may set us on the pinnacle of the Temple in the earthly Jerusalem ; but the new Jerusalem he may not approach. Perhaps he may bring us to an exceeding high Mountain; but the Mount Zion, and City of the living God he cannot ascend. Or if he should, yet all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, will be but a poor despised bait to the soul, which is possessed of the Kingdom of our Lord, and the Glory of it. No, no; here is no more work for Satan now. Hopes he might have of deceiving poor Creatures on Earth, who lived out of sight, and only heard and read of a Kingdom, which they never beheld, and had only Faith to live upon, and were encompassed with flesh, and drawn aside by sense. But when once they see the Glory they read of, and taste the joys they heard of and possess that Kingdom which they then believed and hoped for, and have laid aside their fleshly sense: its time then for Satan to have done; its in vain to offer a Temptation more. What? draw them from that glory? draw them from the Arms of Jesus Christ? draw them from the sweet praises of God? draw them from the blessed Society of Saints and Angels? draw them from the bosom of the Fathers Love? and that to a place of Torment among the damned, which their eyes behold? why, what charms, what persuasions can do it? to entice them from an unknown Joy, an unknown God, were somewhat hopeful; but now they have both seen and enjoyed, there is no hope. Surely it must be a very strong temptation, that must draw a blessed Saint from that Rest. We shall have no more need to pray, Lead us not into Temptation ; nor to watch and pray, that we enter not into Temptation ; nor shall we serve the Lord as Paul did, Acts 20.19. in many tears and Temptations ; no: but now they who continued with Christ in Temptation, shall by him be appointed to a Kingdom, even as his Father appointed to him; that they may eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdom, Luke 22.28, 29, 30. Blessed therefore are they that endure temptation; for when they are tried, they shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him, Jam. 1.12. And then they shall be saved from the hour of temptation. Then the malignant Planet Saturn shall be below us, and loose all its influence, which now is above exercising its enmity: and Satan must be suffering, who would have drawn us into suffering. As Bucholtzer wittily, Vbi Saturnus non supra nos sed infra nos conspicietur, luens poenas pro sua in nos soevitia & malitia.
SECT. XII.
4. WE shall Rest also from all our Temptations which we now undergo from the world and the flesh, as well as Satan: And that is a number inexpressible, and a weight (were it not that we are beholding to supporting grace) utterly intolerable. O the hourly dangers that we poor sinners here below walk in! Every sense is a snare: Every member a snare: Every creature a snare: Every mercy a snare: And every duty a snare to us. We can scarce open our eyes, but we are in danger: If we behold them above us, we are in danger of envy: If them below us, we are in danger of contempt: If we see sumptuous buildings, pleasant habitations, Honor and Riches, we are in danger to be drawn away with covetous desires; If the rags and beggary of others, we are in danger of self-applauding thoughts and unmercifulness. If we see beauty, its a bait to lust; if deformity, to loathing and disdain. We can scarcely hear a word spoken, but contains to us matter of temptation. How soon do slanderous reports, vain jests, wanton speeches by that passage creep into the Heart? How strong and prevalent a Temptation is our appetite? and how constant and strong a watch doth it require? Have we comeliness and beauty? What fuel for pride? Are we deformed? What an occasion of repining? Have we strength of Reason, and gifts of Learning? O how hard is it not to be puffed up? To seek ourselves? To hunt after applause? To despise our brethren? To mislike the simplicity that is in Christ? Both in the matter and manner of Scripture? In Doctrine, in Discipline, in Worship, and in the Saints? to affect a pompous, specious, fleshly service of God? and to exalt Reason above Faith? Are we unlearned, and of shallow heads, and slender parts? How apt then to despise what we have not? And to undervalue that which we do not know? and to err with confidence, because of our Ignorance? and if conceitedness and pride do but strike in, to become a zealous enemy to Truth? and a leading troubler of the Churches peace, under pretences of truth and holiness? Are we men of eminency, and in place of Authority? How strong is our Temptation to slight our brethren? to abuse our trust? to seek ourselves? to stand upon our honor and privileges? To forget ourselves, our poor brethren, and the public good? How hard to devote our power to his Glory, from whom we have received it? How prone to make our wills our law? and to cut out all the enjoyments of others, both religious and civil, by the cursed rules and model of our own interest and policy? Are we Inferiors and subject? How prone to grudge at others preeminence? and to take liberty to bring all their actions to the bar of our incompetent Judgment? and to censure, and slander them, and murmur at their proceedings? Are we rich, and not too much exalted? Are we poor, and not discontented? and make our worldly necessities a pretence for the robbing God of all his service? If we be sick, O how impatient? If in health, how few and stupid are our thoughts of eternity? If death be near, we are distracted with the fears of it: If we think it far off, how careless is our preparation? Do we set upon duty? Why, there are snares too: either we are stupid and lazy; or rest on them, and turn from Christ; or we are customary, and notional only: In a word, not one word that falls from the mouth of a Minister or Christian, but is a snare: not a place we come into; not a word that our own tongues speak; not any mercy we possess; not a bit we put into our mouths, but they are snares: Not that God hath made them so; but through our own corruption they become so to us. So that what a sad case are we poor Christians in? And especially they that discern them not? for its almost impossible they should escape them? It was not for nothing that our Lord cries out, What I say to one, I say to all; Watch. We are like the Lepers at Samaria, if we go into the City, there's nothing but famine: if we sit still we perish.
But forever Blessed be Omnipotent Love, which saves us out of all these: and maketh our straits, but the advantages of the glory of his saving Grace: And blessed be the Lord, who hath not given our souls for a prey: Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fouler; the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Now our Houses▪ our Cloaths, our Sleep, our Food, our Physic, our Father, Mother, Wife, Children, Friends, Goods, Lands, are all so many Temptations; and ourselves the greatest snare to ourselves. But in Heaven, the danger and trouble is over; there is nothing but what will advance our joy. Now every old companion, and every loose-fellow is putting up the finger, and beckning us to sin, and we can scarce tell how to say them nay: What, say they, will not you take a cup? will you not do as your neighbors? must you be so precise? do you think none shall be saved but Puritans? what needs all this strictness, this reading, and praying, and preaching? will you make yourself the scorn of all men? Come, do as we do; take your cups, and drink away sorrow. O how many a poor Christian hath been haunted and vexed with these Temptations? and it may be Father, or Mother, or nearest Friends will strike in, and give a poor Christian no rest: And alas, how many to their eternal undoing, have hearkened to their seducements? But this is our comfort, dear Friends, our Rest will free us from all these. As Satan hath no entrance there, so neither anything to serve his malice; but all things shall there with us conspire the high praises of our great Deliverer.
SECT. XIII.
5. ANd as we Rest from the Temptations, so also from all abuses and persecutions which we suffer at the hands of wicked men. We shall be scorned, and derided, imprisoned, banished, butchered by them no more; the prayers of the souls under the Altar will then be answered, and God will avenge their blood on those that dwell on the Earth. This is the time for crowning with thorns, buffeting, spitting on; that is the time for crowning with glory: Now the Law is decreed on, That whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution; then they that suffered with him, shall be glorified with him. Now we must be hated of all men for Christ's Name sake, and the Gospel; then will Christ be admired in his Saints that were thus hated. Now because we are not of the world, but Christ hath taken us out of the world, therefore doth the world hate us; then because we are not of the world, but taken out of their calamity, therefore will the world admire us. Now as they hated Christ, they will also hate us; then as they will honor Christ, so will they also honor us. We are here as the scorn and off-scouring of all things; as men set up for a gazing-stock to Angels and men, even for signs and wonders among professing Christians: They put us out of their Synagogues, and cast out our name as evil, and separate us from their company. But we shall then be as much gazed at for our glory, and they will be shut out of the Church of the Saints, and separated from us, whether they will or no. They now think it strange, that we run not with them to all excess of riot, speaking evil of us, 1 Pet. 4.4. they will then think more strange, that they ran not with us, in the despised ways of God, and speak evil of themselves; and more vehemently befool themselves for their carelessness, then ever they did us for our heavenliness. A poor Christian can scarce go along the streets now, but everyone is pointing the finger in scorn, but then they would be glad of the Crums of his Happiness. The rich man would scarce have believed him, that would have told him, That he should beg for water from the tip of Lazarus finger. Here is a great change! We can scarce now pray in our Families, or sing praises to God, but our voice is a vexation to them. How must it needs torment them then, to see us praising and rejoicing, while they are howling and lamenting? How full were their prisons a while ago, and how bitter their rage? How did they scatter the carcasses in the fields? and delight themselves in the blood of Saints? How glad would they have been, if they could have brought them to ruin, and blotted out their name from off the Earth? How did they prepare, like Haman, their Gallows? and if God had not gainsaid it, the execution would have been answerable. But he that siteth in Heaven, did laugh them to scorn, the Lord had them in derision. O how full were their hearts of blood, and their hands of cruelty! I am persuaded the next generation that knew them not, will scarcely believe the fury of their rage. Blessed be the Guardian of the Saints, who hath not suffered the prevalency of that Wrath, which would (I believe) have made the Gun-powder Treason, the Turkish Slavery, the Spanish Inquisition, the French Massacres, to have seemed acts of clemency. But the Lord of Hosts hath brought them down, and his Power and Justice hath abated their fury, and raised to his Name an everlasting Trophy, and set up a Monument of Remembrance in England, which God forbid should ever be forgotten. So let all thine (uncurable) enemies perish, O Lord. When the Lord maketh inquisition for blood, he will remember the precious blood which they have shed; and the Earth shall not cover it anymore. Their hopes are, that they shall yet again have a prevailing day. It is possible, though improbable. If they should, we know where their rage will stop. They shall pursue but as Pharaoh, to their own destruction; and where they • all, there shall we pass over safely, and escape them forever. For our Lord hath told them, That whither he goes, they cannot come. When their flood of persecution is dried up, and the Church called out of the Wilderness, and the new Jerusalem come down from Heaven, and Mercy and Justice are fully glorified, then shall we feel their fury no more. There is no cruel mockings and scourgings, no bonds, or imprisonments, no stoning or sawing asunder, tempting or slaying with the sword, wandering in Sheep-skins or Goat skins, in Deserts or Mountains, Dens or Caves of the Earth; no more being destitute, afflicted or tormented: We leave all this behind us, when once we enter the City of our Rest; the names of Lollard, Huguenots, Puritan, Roundheads, are not there used; the Inquisition of Spain is there condemned; the Statute of the six Articles is there Repealed, and the Law De Haereti • is comburendis more justly executed; the date of the Interim is there expired; Subscription and Conformity no more urged; Silencing and Suspending, are there more then suspended; there are no Bishops or Chancelors Courts; no Visitations, nor High Commission Judgments; no Censures to loss of Members, perpetual Imprisonment or Banishment. Christ is not there clothed in a Gorgeous Robe, and blindfolded, nor do they smite him, and say, Read, who struck thee: Nor is truth clothed in the Robes of Error, and smitten for that which it most directly contradicteth; nor a Schismatic wounded, and a Saint found bleeding; nor our Friends smite us, whilst they mistake us for their enemies: There is none of all this blind, mad work there. Dear Brethren, you that now can attempt no work of God without resistance, and find you must either lose the love of the World, and your outward comforts, or else the Love of God, and your eternal Salvation; consider, You shall in Heaven have no discouraging company, nor any but who will further your work, and gladly join heart and voice with you, in your everlasting joy and praises. Till then, possess your souls in patience: Bind all reproaches as a crown to your heads; Esteem them greater riches then the worlds treasures: Account it matter of Joy, when you fall into tribulation. You have seen in these days, that our God can deliver us; but this is nothing to our final conquest: He will recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled Rest with Christ. Only see to this, Brethren, That none of you suffer as an evil doer, as a busy-body in other men's matters, as a resister of the commands of lawful Authority, as ingrateful to those that have been Instruments of our good, as evil-speakers against Dignities, as opposers of the Discipline and Ordinances of Christ, as scornful revilers of your Christian Brethren, as reproachers of a laborious, judicious, conscientious Ministry, &c. But if any of you suffer for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of God, and of Glory resteth upon you: And if any of you begin to shrink, and draw back, because of opposition, and are ashamed, either of your Work, or your Master; let such a one know to his face, That he is but a base-spirited, cowardly wretch, and cursedly undervalueth the Saints Rest, and most foolishly over-valueth the things below, and he must learn to forsake all these, or else he can never be Christ's Disciple; and that Christ will renounce him, and be ashamed of him, before his Father, and the Angels of Heaven. But for those that have held fast their integrity, and gone through good report, and evil report, and undergone the violence of unreasonable men, Let them hear the word of the Lord; Your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake▪ said, Let the Lord be glorified ; (they had good words and godly pretences) but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed, Isai 66.5. Your Redeemer is strong, the Lord of Hosts is his Name, he shall thoroughly plead your cause, that he may give rest to his people, and disquietness to their enemies, Jere. 50.34.
SECT. XIIII.
6. WE shall then Rest also from all our sad Divisions, and unchristian like quarrels with one another. As he said, who saw the Carkasses lie together, as if they had embraced each other, who had been slain by each other in a Duel. Quantâ se invicem amplectuntur amicitiâ, qui mutuâ implacabili inimicitiâ periêre? How lovingly do they embrace one another, being dead, who perished through their mutual implacable enmity? So, how lovingly do thousands live together in Heaven, who lived in Divisions and Quarrels on Earth? or as he said, Who beheld how quietly and peaceably the bones and dust of mortal enemies did lie together. Non tantâ vivi pace essetis conjuncti: You did not live together so peaceably. So we may say of multitudes in Heaven, now all of one mind, one heart, and one employment, You lived not on Earth in so sweet familiarity. There is no contention, because none of this Pride, Ignorance, or other Corruption. Paul and Barnabas are now fully reconciled. There they are not every man conceited of his own understanding, and in love with the issue of his own Brain; but all admiring the Divine perfection, and in love with God, and one another. As old Grynaeus wrote to his friend, Si te non ampliùs in his terris videam, ibi tamen conveniemus ubi Lutherus cum Zwingli optime jam convenit: If I see you no more on Earth, yet we shall there meet, where Luther and Zwingli are now well agreed. There is a full reconciliation between Sacramentarians and Vbiquitarians, Calvinists and Lutherans, Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants, Disciplinarians and Anti Disciplinarians, Conformists and Non-Conformists, Antinomians and Legalists are terms there not known. Presbyterians and Independents are perfectly agreed: There is no Discipline erected by State Policy, nor any disordered popular rule: No Government but that of Christ: All things are established Jure Divino. No bitter Invectives, nor voluminous reproaches: The Language of Martin is there a stranger; and the sound of his echo is not heard. No Recording our Brethren's infirmities: nor raking into the sores which Christ died to heal. How many Sermons zealously Preached; how many Books studiously compiled, will then by the Authors be all disclaimed? How many back-biting slanderous speeches? How many secret dividing contrivances, must then be laid on the score of Christ, against whom and his Saints they were committed? The zealous Authors dare not own them: They would then with the Athenians burn their books, Acts 19.19. and rather lose their labor, then stand to it. There's no ploting to strengthen our party: nor deep designing against our Brethren. And is it not shame and pity, that our course is now so contrary? Surely if there be sorrow or shame in Heaven, we shall then be both sorry and ashamed to look one another there in the face; and to remember all this carriage on earth. Even as the Brethren of Joseph were to behold him, when they remembered their former unkind usage. Is it not enough that all the world is against us, but we must also be against one another? Did I ever think to have heard Christians so to reproach and scorn Christians? and men professing the fear of God, to make so little conscience of censuring, vilifying, slandering, and disgracing one another? Could I have believed him that would have told me five years ago; that when the scorners of Godliness were subdued, and the bitter prosecutors of the Church overthrown, that such should succeed them who suffered with us, who were our intimate friends; with whom we took sweet counsel and went up together to the house of God? Did I think it had been in the hearts of men professing such zeal to Religion, and the ways of Christ, to draw their swords against each other, and to seek each others blood so fiercely? Alas, if the Judgment be once perverted, and error have possessed the supreme faculty, whither will men go, and what they will do? Nay, what will they not do? O what a potent instrument for Satan is a misguided Conscience! It will make a man kill his dearest friend, yea, father or mother, yea, the holiest Saint, and think he doth God service by it: And to facilitate the work, it will first blot out the reputation of their holiness, and make them take a Saint for a Devil, that so they may vilify or destroy him without remorse. O what hellish things are Ignorance and Pride, that can bring men's souls to such a case as this! Paul knew what he said, when he commanded that a Novice should not be a Teacher, lest being lifted up with Pride, he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil, 1 Tim 3.6. He discerned that such young Christians that have got but a little smattering knowledge in Religion, do lie in greatest danger of this Pride and Condemnation. Who but a Paul could have foreseen that among the very Teachers and Governors of so choice a Church as Ephesus, that came to see and hear him, that pray and weep with him, there were some that afterwards should be notorious Sect-masters ? That of their own selves men should arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them? Acts 20.30. Who then can expect better from any Society now, how knowing and holy soever? To day they may be Orthodox, unanimous, and joined in Love; and perhaps within a few weeks be divided, and at bitter enmity, through their doting about Questions that tend not to edify. Who that had seen how loving the godly in England did live together, when they were hated and scorned of all, would have believed that ever they would have been so bitter against one another. That when those who derided us for Preaching, for Hearing, for constant Praying in our Families, for singing Psalms, for sanctifying the Lord's day, for repeating Sermons, for taking Notes, for desiring Discipline, &c. had their mouths stopped; we should fall upon one another for the very same duties; and that Professors of Religion should oppose and deride almost all that worship of God out of Conscience, which others did before them through profaneness? Did I not think, that of all other, the scorning at the worshippers of Christ, had been a sure sign of a wicked wretch? But I see now we must distinguish between scorners and scorners, or else I fear we shall exclude almost all. I read indeed in Pagan Writers, That these Christians were as cruel as Bears and Tigers against one another: Ammianus Marcellinus gives it as the Reason of Julians policy, in proclaiming Liberty for every party, to Profess, and Preach their own Opinions, because he knew the cruel Christians would then most fiercely fall upon one another; and so by Liberty of Conscience, and by keeping their Children from the Schools of Learning, he thought to have rooted out Christianity from the Earth. But I had hoped this accusation had come from the malice of the Pagan Writer: Little did I think to have seen it so far verified! Lord, what Devils are we unsanctified, when there is yet such a Nature remaining in the sanctified? Such a Nature hath God in these days suffered to discover itself in the very Godly; that if he did not graciously and powerfully restrain, they would shed the blood of one another; and no thanks to us if it be not done. But I hope his design is but to humble and shame us by the discovery, and then to prevent the breaking forth.
Object. But is it possible such should be truly Godly? Then what sin will denominate a man ungodly?
Answ. Or else I must believe the doctrine of the Saints Apostasy; or believe there are scarce any godly in the world. O what a wound of dishonor hath this given, not only to the stricter profession of holiness, but even to the very Christian name? Were there a possibility of hiding it, I durst not thus mention it. O Christian, If thou who readest this be guilty, I charge thee before the living God, That thou sadly consider, how far is this unlike thy Copy? Suppose thou hadst seen the Lord Jesus, girded to the service, stooping to the Earth, washing his Disciples dirty feet, and wiping them, and saying to them, This I have done to give you an example, That if I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's: Would not this make thee ashamed and tremble? Shall the Lord wipe the feet, and the fellow-servant be ready to cut the throat? would not thy proud heart scorn to stoop to thy Masters work? Look to thyself; it is not the name of a professor, nor the zeal for thy opinions, that will prove thee a Christian, or secure thee from the heat of the consuming fire. If thou love not thine enemy, much more thy Christian friend, thou canst not be Christ's Disciple. It is the common mark whereby his Disciples are known to all men, That they love one another. Is it not his last great Legacy, My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you? Mark the expressions of that command. If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, live peaceably with all men, Rom. 12.18. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, Heb. 12.14. O the deceitfulness of the heart of man! That those same men, who lately in their self-examination could find nothing of Christ so clear within them, as their love to the Brethren, and were confident of this, when they could scarce discover any other grace, should now look so strangely upon them, and be filled with so much bitterness against them! That the same men, who would have travelled through reproaches many miles, to hear an able faithful Minister, and not think the labor ill bestowed, should now become their bitterest enemies, and the most powerful hinderers of the success of their labors, and travel as far to cry them down. It makes me almost ready to say, O sweet, O happy days of persecution! Which drove us together in a closure of Love! who being now dried at the fire of Liberty and Prosperity, are crumbled all into dust by our contentions. But it makes me seriously, both to say, and to think. O sweet, O happy day of the Rest of the Saints in Glory! When as there is one God, one Christ, one Spirit, so we shall have one Judgment, one Heart, one Church, one Employment forever! When there shall be no more Circumcision and Uncircumcision, Jew and Gentile, Anabaptist or Poedobaptist, Brownist, Separatist, Independent, Presbyterian, Episcopal, but Christ is All, and in All. We shall not there scruple our Communion, nor any of the Ordinances of Divine Worship: There will not be one for singing, and another against it; but even those who here jarred in discord, shall all conjoin in blessed concord, and make up one melodious Choir. I could wish they were of the Martyrs mind, who rejoiced that she might have her foot in the same hole of the Stocks, in which Master Philpots had been before her: But however, I am sure they will joyfully live in the same Heaven, and gladly participate in the same Rest. Those whom one house could not hold, nor one Church hold them, no nor one Kingdom neither; yet one Heaven, and one God may hold. One House, one Kingdom, could not hold Joseph and his Brethren, but they must together again, whether they will or no; and then how is the case altered? Then every man must strait withdraw, while they weep over and kiss each other. O how canst thou now find in thy heart, if thou bear the heart or face of a Christian, to be bitter or injurious against thy Brethren, when thou dost but once think of that time and place, where thou h • p •• t in the nearest and sweetest familiarity, to live and rejoice with them forever? I confess their infirmities are not to be loved, nor sin to be tolerated because its theirs: But be sure it be sin, which thou op • posest in them; and do it with a Spirit of meekness and compassion, that the world may see thy love to the Person, while thou opposest the Offence. Alas, that Turks and Pagans, can agree in wickedness, better then Christians in the Truth! That Bears and Lions, Wolves and Tigers can agree together, but Christians cannot! That a Legion of Devils can accord in one body, and not the tenth part so many Christians in one Church! Well; the fault may be mine, and it may be theirs; or more likely both mine and theirs: But this rejoiceth me, That my old Friends who now look strangely at me, will joyfully triumph with me in our common Rest.
SECT. XV.
7. WE shall then rest from all our dolorous hours, and sad thoughts which we now undergo, by participating with our Brethren in their Calamities. Alas if we had nothing upon ourselves to trouble us, yet what heart could lay aside sorrows; that lives in the sound of the Churches sufferings? If Job had nothing upon his body to disquiet him, yet the message of his Children's overthrow, must needs grieve the most patient soul. Except we are turned into steel or stone, and have lost both Christian and human affection, there needs no more then the miseries of our Brethren, to fill our hearts with successions of sorrows, and make our lives a continued lamentation. The Church on Earth is a mere Hospital, which way ever we go we hear complaining, and into what corner soever we cast our eyes, we behold objects of pity and grief: some groaning under a dark understanding, some under a senseless heart, some languishing under unfruitful weakness, and some bleeding for miscarriages and willfulness: and some in such a Lethargy that they are past complaining: some crying out of their pining Poverty; some groaning under pains and Infirmities; and some bewailing a whole Catalogue of Calamities, especially in days of common Sufferings, when nothing appears to our sight, but ruin: Families ruined; Congregations ruined; Sumptuous Structures ruined; Cities ruined; Country ruined; Court ruined; Kingdoms ruined; Who we • ps not when all these bleed? As now our friends distresses are our distresses, so then our friends deliverance will be part of our own deliverance. How much more joyous now to Join with them in their days of Thanksgiving and gladness, then in the days of Humiliation in sackcloth and ashes? How much then more joyous will it be to join with them in their perpetual praises and triumphs, then to hear them bewailing now their wretchedness, their want of light, their want of life, of joy, of assurance, of grace, of Christ, of all things? How much more comfortable to see them perfected, then now to see them wounded, weak, sick, and afflicted? To stand by the bed of their languishing as silly comforters, being overwhelmed and silenced with the greatness of their griefs, conscious of our own disability to relieve them, scarce having a word of comfort to refresh them: or if we have, alas, they be but words, which are a poor relief, when their sufferings are real: Faine we would ease or help them, but cannot: all we can do, is to sorrow with them, which alas, doth rather increase their sorrows. Our day of Rest will free both them and us from all this. Now we may enter many a poor Christians cottage, and there see their Children ragged, their purse empty, their Cubbard empty, their belly empty, and poverty possessing and filling all: How much better is that day, when we shall see them filled with Christ, clothed with Glory, and equalized with the richest and greatest Princes? O the sad and heart-piercing spectacles that mine eyes have seen in four years space! In this fight, a dear friend fall down by me; from another, a precious Christian brought home wounded or dead; scarce a month, scarce a week without the sight or noise of blood. Surely, there is none of this in Heaven. Our eyes shall then be filled no more, nor our hearts pierced with such lights as at Worcester, Edg-hill, Newbury, Nantwich, Montgomery, Horn Castle, York, Naseby, Langport, &c. We shall then have the conquest without the calamity. Mine eyes shall never more behold the Earth, covered with the carcasses of the slain. Our black Ribbands and mourning▪ Attire will then be turned into the white Robes and Garments of gladness. O, how hardly can my heart now hold, when I think of such, and such, and such a dear Christian Friend, slain or departed? O, how glad must the same heart needs be, when I see them all alive and glorified? But a far greater grief it is to our Spirits, to see the spiritual miseries of our Brethren: To see such a one with whom we took sweet council, and who zealously joined with us in God's worship, to be now fallen off to sensuality, turned drunkard, worldling, or a persecutor of the Saints. And these trying times have given us too large occasion for such sorrows: To see our dearest and most intimate friends, to be turned aside from the Truth of Christ, and that either in or near the Foundation; and to be raging confident in the grossest Errors? To see many near us in the flesh continue their neglect of Christ and their souls, and nothing will waken them out of their security? To look an ungodly Father or Mother, Brother or Sister in the face? To look on a carnal Wife, or Husband, or Child, or Friend? And to think, how certainly they shall be in Hell forever, if they die in their present unregenerate estate? O what continual dolors do all these sad sights and thoughts, fill our hearts with from day today. And will it not be a blessed day when we shall rest from all these? what Christian now is not in Paul's case, and cannot speak in his Language, 2 Cor. 11.28, 29. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? What heart is not wounded to think on Germanies long desolations? O the learned Universities! The flourishing Churches there, that now are left desolate! Look on England's four years blood, a flourishing Land almost made ruined; hear but the common voice in most Cities, Towns, and Countries through the Land; and judge whether here be no cause of sorrow. Especially, look but to the sad effects; and men's spirits grown more out of order, when a most wonderful Reformation, by such wonderful means might have been well expected: And is not this cause of astonishing sorrows? Look to Scotland ; look to Ireland ; look almost everywhere, and tell me what you see. Blessed that approaching day, when our eyes shall behold no more such sights; nor our ears hear anymore such tidings. How many hundred Pamphlets are Printed, full of almost nothing, but the common calamities? So that its become a gainful trade to divulge the news of our Brethren's sufferings. And the fears for the future that possessed our hearts, were worse then all that we saw or suffered. O, the tidings that run from Edghil fight, of York fight, &c. How many a face did they make pale? and how many a heart did they astonish? nay have not many died with the fears of that, which if they had lived, they had neither suffered nor seen? Its said of Melancthon, That the miseries of the Church made him almost neglect the death of his most beloved Children; to think of the Gospel departing, the Glory taken from Israel, our Sun setting at Noon day, poor souls left willingly dark and destitute, and with great pains and hazard blowing out the Light that should guide them to salvation: What sad thoughts must these be? To think of Christ removing his Family; taking away both worship and worshippers, and to leave the Land to the rage of the merciless. These were sad thoughts. Who could then have taken the Harp in hand, or sung the pleasant Songs of Zion? But blessed be the Lord who hath frustrated our fears; and who will hasten that rejoicing day, when Zion shall be exalted above the Mountains; and her Gates shall be open day and night, and the glory of the Gentiles be brought into it; and the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve her, shall perish: When the sons of them that afflicted her, shall come bending unto her; and all they that despised her, shall bow themselves down at the soles of her feet ; and they shall call her, The City of the Lord, the Zion of the holy One of Israel. When her people also shall be all Righteous, even the Work of God's hands, the Branch of his planting, who shall inherit the Land forever, that he may be glorified. When that voice shall sound forth, Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: Rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. Thus shall we Rest from our participation of our Brethren's sufferings.
SECT. XVI.
8. WE shall Rest also from all our own personal sufferings, whether natural and ordinary, or extraordinary from the afflicting hand of God. And though this may seem a small thing, to those that live in continual ease, and abound in all kind of prosperity; yet me thinks, to the daily afflicted soul, it should make the fore-thoughts of Heaven delightful: And I think we shall meet with few of the Saints, but will say, That this is their own case. O, the dying life that we now live? As full of sufferings, as of days and hours! We are the Carkasses that all Calamities prey upon: As various as they are, each one will have a snatch at us; and be sure to devour a morsel of our comforts: When we bait our Bulls and Bears, we do but represent our own condition; whose lives are consumed under such assaults, and spent in succession of fresh encounters. All Creatures have an enmity against us, ever since we made the Lord of all our enemy. And though we are reconciled by the blood of the Covenant, and the price is paid for our full deliverance; yet our Redeemer sees it fit, to leave this measure of misery upon us, to make us know for what we are beholden, and to mind us of what we would else forget; to be serviceable to his wise and gracious designs, and advantageous to our full and final Recovery. He hath sent us as Lambs among Wolves; and sure there is little Rest to be expected. As all our Senses are the inlets of sin; so are they become the inlets of our sorrow. Grief creeps in at our eyes, at our ears, and almost everywhere: It seizeth upon our head, our hearts, our flesh, our Spirits, and what part doth escape it? Fears do devour us, and darken our Delights, as the Frosts do nip the tender Buds: Cares do consume us, and feed upon our Spirits, as the scorching Sun doth wither the delicate Flowers. Or, if any Saint or Stoic have fortified his inwards against these, yet is he naked still without; and if he be wiser then to create his own sorrows, yet shall he be sure to feel his share: he shall produce them as the meritorious, if not as the efficient cause. What tender pieces are these dusty bodies? what brittle Glasses do we bear about us? and how many thousand dangers are they hurried through? and how hardly cured, if once cracked? O the multitudes of slender Veins, of tender Membranes, Nerves, Fibres, Muscles, Arteries, and all subject to Obstructions, Exesions, Tensions, Contractions, Resolutions, Ruptures, or one thing or other to cause their Grief! Everyone a fit subject for pain, and fit to communicate that pain to the whole. What noble part is there that suffereth its pain or ruin alone? whatever it is to the sound and healthful, methinks to such as myself, this Rest should be acceptable, who in ten or twelve years time have scarce had a whole day free from some dolor. O the weary nights and days! O the unserviceable languishing weakness! O the restless working vapors! O the tedious nauseous medicines! besides the daily expectations of worse! and will it not be desirable to Rest from all these? There will then be no crying out, O my Head, O my Stomack, or O my Sides, or O my Bowels: No, no, sin and flesh, and dust and pain, will be all left behind together. O what would we not give now for a little ease, much more for a perfect cure? how then should we value that perfect freedom? If we have some mixed comforts here, they are scarce enough to sweeten our crosses; or if we have some short and smiling intermissions, it is scarce time enough to breathe us in, and to prepare our tacklings for the next storm. If one wave pass by, another succeeds: And if the night be over, and the day come, yet will it soon be night again. Some men's Fevers are continual, and some intermittent; some have Tertians, and some Quartans; but more or less, all have their fits. O the blessed tranquility of that Region, where there is nothing but sweet continued Peace! No succession of Joy there, because no intermission. Our lives will be but one Joy, as our time will be changed into one Eternity. O, healthful place, where none are sick! O, fortunate Land, where all are Kings! O, place most holy, where 〈◊〉 are Priests! How free a State, where none are servants, save to their supreme Monarch? For it shall come to pass, that in that day 〈◊〉 Lord shall give us Rest, from our sorrow, and our fear, and 〈◊〉 the ha • d bondage wherein we served, Isai. 14.3. The poor man shall no more be tired with his incessant labors: No more use of Plough, or Flail, or Sythe, or Sicle: No stooping of the Servant to the Master, or the Tenant to the Landlord: No hunger, or thirst, or cold, or nakedness: No pinching Frosts, nor scorching Heats. Our very Beasts who suffered with us, shall also be freed from their bondage; ourselves therefore much more; Our faces shall no more be pale or sad; our groans and sighs will be done away; and God will wipe away all tears from our eyes, Revel. 7.15, 16, 17. No more parting of friends asunder, nor voice of Lamentation heard in our dwellings: No more breaches, nor disproportion in our friendship, nor any trouble accompanying our relations: No more care of Master for Servants, of Parents for Children, of Magistrates over Subjects, of Ministers over people. No more sadness for our Study lost, our Preaching lost, our Entreaties lost, the Tenders of Christ's blood lost, and our dear Peoples Souls lost. No more marrying, nor giving in marriage, but we shall be as the Angels of God. O, what room can there be for any evil, where the whole is perfectly filled with God? Then shall the ransomed of the Lord return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away, Isai. 35.10. Hold out then a little longer, O my soul, bear with the infirmities of thine earthly Tabernacle; endure that share of sorrows, that the love of thy Father shall impose; submit to his indignation also, because thou had sinned against him; it will be thus but a little while; the sound of thy Redeemers feet are even at the door; and thine own deliverance nearer then many others. And thou who hast often cried in the language of the Divine Poet, [ Sorrow was all my soul; I scarce believed, till Grief did tell me roundly, that I lived ] shalt then feel, That God and Joy is all thy Soul, the fruition of whom, with thy freedom from all these sorrows, will more sweetly and more feelingly make thee know, and to his eternal praise acknowledge, That thou livest.
And thus we shall Rest from all Afflictions.
SECT. XVII.
9. WE shall Rest also from all the trouble and pain of Duty. The Conscientious Magistrate now ctyes out, O the burden that lieth upon me! The conscientious parents that know the preciousness of their children's souls, and the constant pains required to their godly education cry out, O, the burden! The conscientious Minister above all, when he reads his charge. 2 Tim, 4.1. and views his pattern, Mark. 3.20.21. &c. Act. 20.18, 31. When he hath tried a while what it is to study, and pray, and preach, according to the weight and Excellency of the work; to go from house to house, and from neighbor to neighbor, and to beseech them night and day with tears; and after all to be hated and persecuted for so doing; no wonder if he cry out, O, the burden! and be ready 〈◊〉 to run away with Jonas, and with Jeremy to say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in his Name: For his word is a reproach to us, and a derision daily; But that he hath made his word as a fire shut up in our bones and heart, that we are weary of forbearing and cannot stay. Jer. 20.8, 9. How long may we study and labor before one soul is brought clear over to Christ? And when it is done, how soon do the snares of sensuality or error entangle them? How many receive the doctrine of delusion, before they have time to be built up in the Truth? And when Heresies must of necessity arise, how few of them do appear approved? The first new, strange apparation of light doth so amaze them, that they think they are in the third Heavens, when they are but newly passed from the suburbs of Hell; and are presently as confident, as if they knew all things, when they have not yet half light enough to acquaint them with their ignorance; But after 10 or 20 years study they become usually of the same judgment with those they despised. And seldom doth a Minister live to see the ripeness of his people; but one soweth and planteth, another watereth, and a third reapeth and receiveth the increase. Yet were all this Duty delightful, had we but a due proportion of strength, But to inform the old ignorant sinner, to convince the stubborn and worldly wise, to persuade a willful resolved wretch, to prick a stony heart to the quick, to make a rock to weep and tremble, to set forth Christ according to our necessity and his Excellency, to comfort the soul whom God dejecteth, to clear up dark and difficult Truths, to oppose with convincing Arguments all gainsayers, to credit the Gospel with exemplary Conversations, when multitudes do but watch for our halting: O, who is sufficient for these things? So that every Relation, State, Age, hath variety of Duty: Every conscientious Christian cries out, O the burden! or, O my weakness that makes it so burdensome! But our remaining Rest will ease us of the burden. Then will that be sound Doctrine, which now is false; that the Law hath no more to do with us; that it becomes not a Christian to beg for pardon, seeing all his sins are perfectly pardoned already; that we need not fast, nor mourn, nor weep, nor repent; and that a sorrowful Countenance beseems not a Christian; Then will all these become Truths.
SECT. XVIII.
10. ANd lastly, we shall Rest from all those sad affections, which necessarily accompany our absence from God. The trouble that is mixed in our desires and hopes, our longings and waitings, shall then cease. We shall no more look into our Cabinet, and miss our Treasure; look into our hearts, and miss our Christ; nor no more seek him from Ordinance to Ordinance, and inquire for our God of those we meet; our heart will not lie in our knee, nor our souls be breathed out in our requests; but all concluded in a most full and blessed Fruition: But because this with the former, are touched before, I will say no more of them now. So you have seen what we shall Rest from.
SECT. XIX.
NInthly. The ninth and last Jewel in our Crown▪ and blessed Attribute of this Rest, is, That it is an Eternal Rest. This is the Crown of our Crown; without which all were comparatively, little or nothing. The very thought of once leaving it, would else embitter all our joys; and the more would it pierce us, because of the singular excellencies, which we must forsake. It would be a Hell in Heaven to think of once loosing Heaven: As it would be a kind of Heaven to the damned, had they but hopes of once escaping? Mortality is the disgrace of all sublunary delights. It makes our present life of little value, (were it not for the reference it hath to God, and Eternity) to think that we must shortly lay it down. How can we take delight in anything, when we remember how short that delight would be? That the sweetness of our Cups and Morsels is dead as soon as they are once but pa •• our taste? Indeed if man were as the beast, that knows not his suffering or death, till he feel it, and little thinks when the knife is whetting, that it is making ready to cut his throat; then might we be merry till death forbids us, and enjoy our delights till they shall forsake us: But alas, we know both good and evil; and evil foreknown, is in part endured: And thus our knowledge increaseth our sorrows. Eccles. 1.18. How can it choose, but spoil our pleasure, while we see it dying in our hands? how can I be as merry as the jovial World, had I not mine eye fixed upon eternity? when methinks I foresee my dying hour, my friends waiting for my last gasp, and closing mine eyes, while tears forbid to close their own: Methinks I hear them say, He is dead. Methinks I see my Coffin made, my Grave in digging, and my Friends there leaving me in the dust: And where now is that we took delight in? O, but methinks I see at the same view, that Grave opening, and my dead revived Body rising: Methinks I hear that blessed voice, Arise and live, and die no more. Surely, were it not for eternity, I should think man a silly piece; and all his life and honor, but contemptible. I should call him with David, A vain shadow ; and with the Prophet, Nothing, and less then nothing, and altogether lighter then vanity itself. It utterly disgraceth the greatest glory in mine eyes, if you can but truly call it Mortal. I can value nothing that shall have an end; except as it leads to that▪ which hath no end; or as it comes from that love, which neither hath beginning nor end. (I speak this of my deliberate thoughts.) And if some ignorant or forgetful soul, have no such sad thoughts to disturb his pleasure: I confess, he may be merrier for the present: But where is his mirth when he lieth dying? Alas, its a poor happiness that consists only in the Ignorance or Forgetfulness of approaching misery. But, O blessed eternity! where our lives are perplexed with no such thoughts, nor our joys interrupted with any such fears! where we shall be pillars in God's Temple, and go out no more. O, what do I say when I talk of Eternity? Can my shallow thoughts at all conceive, what that most high expression doth contain? To be eternally blessed, and so blessed! Why surely, this if anything is the resemblance of God: Eternity is a piece of Infiniteness. Then, O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? Days, and Nights, and Yeers, Time, and End, and Death, are words which there have no signification; nor are used, except perhaps to extol eternity, as the mention of Hell, to extol Heaven. No more use of our Calendars or Chronology: All the years of our Lord, and the years of our lives, are lost and swallowed up in this Eternity. While we were servants, we held by lease, and that, but for the term of a transitory life; but the Son abideth in the House forever. Our first and earthly Paradise in Eden, had a way out, but none that ever we could find, in again: But this eternal paradise hath a way in, (a milky way to us, but a bloody way to Christ) but no way out again: For they that would pass from hence to you (saith Abraham ) cannot. A strange phrase, would any pass from such a place, if they might? Could they endure to be absent from God again one hour? No; but upon supposal that they would, yet they could not. O, then my soul, let go thy dreams of present pleasures: And loose thy hold of Earth and Flesh.
SECT. XX.
ANd thus I have endeavored to show you a glimpse of the approaching Glory: But O how short are my expressions of its excellency? Reader, if thou be an humble, sincere believer, and waitest with longing and laboring for this Rest, thou wilt shortly see and feel the truth of all this; then wilt thou have so high an apprehension of this blessed state, that will make thee pity the ignorance, and distance of Mortals; and will tell thee then, all that is here said, is spoken but in the dark, and falls short of the truth a thousand fold. In the mean time, let this much kindle thy desires, and quicken thine endeavors. Up and be doing, run, and strive, and fight, and hold on, for thou hast a certain glorious prize before thee. God will not mock thee; do not mock thyself, nor betray thy soul by delaying or dallying, and all is thine own. What kind of men doest thou think Christians would be in their lives and duties, if they had still this Glory fresh in their thoughts? What frame would their spirits be in, if their thoughts of Heaven were lively, and believing? Would their hearts be so heavy? And their countenance so sad? Or would they have need to take up their comforts from below? Would they be so loath to suffer? And afraid to die? Or would they not think every day a year till they did enjoy it? The Lord heal our carnal hearts, lest we enter not into his REST, because of our unbelief.
CHAP. VIII. The People of God described.
SECT. I.
H Aving thus performed my first task of Describing and explicating the Saints Rest, it remains, that now I proceed unto the second, and show you what these [ People of God ] are, and why so called; for whom this Blessed Rest remaineth. And I shall suit my speech unto the quality of the subject. While I was in the Mount, I felt it was good being there, and therefore tarried there the longer; and were there not an extreme disproportion between my conceivings, and that Subject, yet much longer had I been. And could my capacity have contained, what was there to be seen, I could have been contented to have built me a Tabernacle there: Can a prospect of that happy Land, be tedious? or a discourse of eternity be too long? except it should detain us from actual possession, and our absence move us to impatiency. But now I am descended from Heaven to Earth, from God to man; and must discourse of a Worm not six foot long, whose life is but a span, and his years as a post that hasteth by; my discourse also shall be but a span, and in a brief touch I will post it over. Having read of such a high and unspeakable Glory, a stranger would wonder for what rare Creature this Mighty Preparation should be, and expect some illustrious Sun should now break forth; but behold only a shell full of Dust, animated with an invisible rational soul, and that rectified with as unseen a restored power of Grace; and this is the Creature that must possess such Glory. You would think, it must needs be some deserving piece, or one that bringeth a valuable price: But behold, One that hath nothing, and can deserve nothing, and confesseth this; yet cannot of himself confess it neither, yea, that deserveth the contrary misery, and would if he might, proceed in that deserving; but being apprehended by Love, he is brought to him that is All, and hath done, and deserved All, and suffered for all that we deserved; and most affectionately receiving him, and resting on him, he doth, in, and through him, receive All this. But let us see more particularly yet, what these People of God are.
[They are a small part of lost mankind, whom God hath from Eternity predestinated to this Rest, for the Glory of his Mercy; and given to his Son, to be by him in a special manner Redeemed, and fully recovered from their lost estate, and advanced to this higher Glory; all which, Christ doth in due time accomplish accordingly by himself for them, and by his Spirit upon them.] To open all the parts of this half-description to the full, will take up more time and room then is allowed me; therefore briefly thus.
1. I meddle only with [ Mankind ] not with Angels; nor will I curiously inquire, whether there were any other World of men created and destroyed before this had Being; nor whether there shall be any other, when this is ended. All this is quite above us, and so nothing to us. Nor say I [the sons of Adam ] only, because Adam himself is one of them.
2. And as its no more excellent a creature then Man that must have this possession; so is it that man who once was lost, and had scarcely left himself so much as man. The heirs of this Kingdom were taken, even from the Tree of execution, and rescued by the strong hand of love from the power of the Prince of Darkness, who having taken them in his snares, did lead them captive at his will: They were once within a step of Hell, who must be now advanced as high as Heaven. And though I mention their lost condition before their predestination, yet I hereby intend not to signify any precedency it hath, either in itself, or in the divine consideration. Though I cannot see yet, how Dr. Twisses Arguments against the corrupted mass being the object of predestination, can be well Answered upon the common acknowledged grounds; Yet that Question I dare not touch, as being very suspicious that its high Arrogancy in us to dispute of precedency in the Divine Consideration; and that we no more know what we talk of, then this paper knows what I write of: When we confess, that all these Acts in God are truly one, and that there is no difference of time with him; Its folly to dispute of priority or posteriority in nature.
3. That they are but a small part of this lost Generation, is too apparent in Scripture and experience. Its the little flock to whom its the fathers good pleasure to give the Kingdom. If the sanctified are few, the saved must needs be few. Fewer they are then the world imagines; yet not so few as some drooping Spirits deem, who are doubtful that God will cast off them, who would not reject Him for all the world; and are suspicious that God is unwilling to be their God, when yet they know themselves willing to be his people.
4. It is the design of God's eternal decree to glorify his Mercy and Grace to the highest in this their salvation; and therefore needs must it be a great salvation. Every step of mercy to it was great, how much more this end of all those mercies; which stands next to God's ultimate end, his Glory? God cannot make any low or mean work to be the great business of an eternal purpose.
5. God hath given all things to his Son, but not as he hath given his chosen to him; The difference is clearly expressed by the Apostle. He hath made him Head over all things, to his Church▪ Ephes. 1.21.22. And though Christ is in some sense, A Ransom for All, yet not in that special manner, as for his people. He hath brought others under the Conditional Gospel-Covenant; but them under the Absolute. He hath according to the tenor of his Covenant, procured Salvation for All, If they will believe; but he hath procured for his Chosen even this Condition of believing.
6. Nor is the Redeeming of them by death his whole task; but also the effecting of their full Recovery: He may send his Spirit to persuade others, but he intends absolutely his prevailing only with his Chosen. And as truly as he hath accomplished his part on the cross for them, so truly will he accomplish his part in Heaven for them, and his part by his Spirit also upon them. And of all that the Father hath thus given him, he will lose nothing.
SECT. II.
BUt this is but a piece of their description, containing God's work for them, and on them; Lets see what they are also in regard of the working of their own Souls towards God, and their Redeemer again. [These people of God then, are that 2 part of the • externally called, 3 who being by the 4 Spirit of Christ 5 thoroughly, though 6 imperfectly regenerate, are hereupon 7 convinced and 8 sensible of that 9 evil in sin, 10 that misery in themselves, that 11 vanity in the creature, and that 12 necessity, 13 sufficiency and 14 excellency of Jesus Christ, that they 15 abhor that evil, 16 bewail that misery, and 17 turn their hearts from that vanity, and most 19 affectionately 18 accepting of Christ for their 20 Savior and 21 Lord, to bring them unto 22 God the chief Good, and present them 23 perfectly just before him, do accordingly enter into a 24 Cordial Covenant with him, and so 25 deliver up themselves unto him, and herein 26 persevere to their lives End.]
I shall briefly explain to you the branches of this part of the description also.
1. I say they are a part of [the Externally Called, ] because the Scripture hath yet shown us no other way to the Internal call, but by the external. For how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? All divulging of the substance of the Gospel, whether by Solemn Sermons, by writing, printing, reading, conference, or any other means that have a rational sufficiency for information and conviction; are this preaching: though not all alike clear and excellent. The knowledge of Christ is none of Natures principles: The book of the Creatures is no means alone, much less a sufficient means to teach the knowledge of Christ. It may discover mercy, but gives not the least hint of the way of that mercy: It speaks nothing of God incarnate; of two natures in one person; of Jesus the Son of Mary ; of Christ's Suretyship, and suffering for us, rising, ascending, mediating, returning; of two Covenants and their several conditions, and the reward of keeping them, and penalty of breaking them, &c. Its utterly silent in these things. And to affirm that the Spirit calls or teacheth men where the word is not, and where the Creature or nature speaks not, is, I think, a groundless fiction. There is the light of the eye, and the light of the Sun, or some other substitute external light necessary to our seeing any object: The Scripture and certain revelations from Heaven (when and where such are) is the sun or external light: the understanding is our eye or internal light: This eye is become blind, and this internal light in the best is imperfect; but the external light of Scripture is now perfected: Therefore the work of the Spirit now, is, not to perfect Scripture, or to add anything to its discovery, or to be instead of a Scripture where it is wanting, much less where the Scripture is: But to remove the darkness from our understanding, that we may see clearly what the Scripture speaks clearly: Before the Scripture was perfected, the Spirit did enlighten the Prophets and penmen of Scripture both ways: But now I know no teaching of the Spirit, save only by its illuminating or sanctifying work; teaching men no new lesson, nor the old without book; but to read with understanding, what Scripture, Nature, Creatures and providences teach. The asserting of anymore is proper to the Enthusiasts, if the spirits teachings did without Scripture or tradition reveal Christ, surely some of those millions of poor blind Pagans would have before this believed, and the Christian faith have been propagated among them: Or if the Spirit did teach them any step toward Christ, upon the receiving whereof, he would teach them more, and so more and more till they resist this teaching (which is the evading doctrine of some) then sure some of those Kingdoms of Infidels would have harkened to the spirits teaching, and being taught would have taught others; especially if there be a sufficiency in that grace for the obtaining of its end. Therefore how to apprehend a verity in their doctrine of universal sufficient grace to believe, I know not: Yet will I not affirm that the faith that is absolutely necessary among poor Indians, is of the same extent in all its acts and dimensions, with that required among us; no more then that required of the world before Christ's coming, was. Upon what terms then God will deal with those dark parts of the world, I cannot yet reach to know. The scripture speaks of no other way to life but Christ, and of no way to Christ but faith: But we are not their Judges, they stand or fall to their own master: But sure that great difference betwixt them and us, must arise from God's own pleasure: For they have not abused Christ and Gospel, which they never heard of: nor can it be, that they should be judged by that Gospel, which neither before nor since the fall was taught them: Christ himself saith plainly, that if he had not come to them and spoke the words that no man else could speak, and done the works that no man else could do, they had not had sin: He saith not, (as some would pervert the sense) your sin had not been so great; But none at all; not speaking of their other sins, but their unbelief which he had now in hand; teaching us clearly, That where there is not competent means to convince men of the truth of the Gospel, there not believing is no sin: For it was to them never forbidden, nor the contrary duty ever required. And the Apostle tells us those that have sinned without Law, shall be judged without Law. That place therefore Rom. 2.16. seemeth abused, while they would make the sense to be, that God will judge the secrets of all men according to the Gospel, as the sentencing Law, when the Apostle seems to intend but thus much, According to my Gospel, that is, as I have in my preaching the Gospel taught you; respecting the verity of what he speak. Yet I think that they will be Judged according to Gospel-indulgence, as they have been partakers of some mercies from Christ in this life.
2. That these people of God are but [a Part ] of those that are thus externally called, is too evident in Scripture and experience. Many are called but few chosen: But the internally effectually called are all chosen: For, whom he called them he justified, and whom he justified them he glorified. The bare invitation of the Gospel, and men's hearing the Word, is so far from giving title to, or being an evidence of Christianity and its privileges, that where it prevails not to a through-Conversion, it sinks deeper and casts under a double damnation.
3. The first differencing work I affirm to be [Regeneration by the Spirit of Christ;] taking it for granted that this Regeneration is the same with effectual Vocation, with Conversion, with Sanctification, (understanding Conversion and Sanctification, of the first infusion of the principle of Spiritual life into the soul, and not for the addition of degrees, or the sanctifying of the conversation, in which last sense its most frequently taken in Scripture.) Its a wonder to me that such a multitude of Learned Divines should so long proceed in that palpable mistake as to divide and mangle so groundlessly, the Spirits work upon the soul; to affirm that 1. precedes the work of vocation, 2. this vocation infuseth faith, (only, say some, but faith and repentance, say others) 3. then must this faith by us be acted. 4. by which act we apprehend Christ's person, and by that apprehension we are united to him; 5. from which union proceeds the benefits. 1. Of Justification. 2. Of Sanctification. 6. this Sanctification infuseth all other gracious Habits, and hath two degrees. 1. Regeneration, 2. Renascentiam, or the new birth. What a multifarious division is here of that one single entire work, which is called in Scripture, the giving of the Spirit; of holiness; of the seed of God in us? Which seed or life doth no more enter by piecemeal into the soul, then the soul into the body: And though to salve the Absurdity, they tell us the difference is in nature and not in time; yet that is impossible; For there is man's act of believing intervenes, who must have time for all his actions; besides the division in order of nature is groundlessly asserted: It much perplexeth them to resolve that doubt, whether in sanctification faith and Repentance be infused over again, which were before infused in vocation? or whether all other graces are infused without them? Dr. Ames seems to resolve it in the Affirmative, that they are infused again, but with this difference. 1. That faith in our vocation is not properly considered as a quality, but in relation to Christ. 2. Nor is Repentance there looked at, as a change of the disposition, but as a change of the purpose and intent of the mind: but in sanctification a real change of qualities and dispositions is looked at. Answer. Strange doctrine for an Anti-Arminian. However you consider it, sure the habit or disposition is infused, before those Acts are excited: Act. 26.18. Or else what need we assert any habits at all? If the spirit excites those holy acts of faith and repentance in an unholy Soul, without any change of its disposition, at the first, why not ever after as well as then? and so the soul be disposed one way, and act another: and so the Libertines doctrine be true, That it is not we that believe and repent, but the Spirit. Or if these two solitary habits be infused in vocation, why not the rest? And why again in sanctification? Doubtless that internal effectual [ Call ] of the spirit, metaphorically so called, is properly a real operation: and that work hath the understanding and will for its object; both being the Subject of faith in which the Habit is planted, and faith now generally acknowledged to be an act of both: And surely an unholy understanding and will cannot believe; nor is faith an act of a dead, but of a living soul: Especially considering that a true spiritual knowledge, is requisite, either as a precedent act, or essential part of true faith.
All which doth also warrant, my putting of▪ this Renewing work of the spirit in the first place; and placing Sanctification (in the sense before explained) before justification. The Apostle placeth clearly vocation before justification, Rom. 8.30. Which vocation I have shown, is the same thing in a metaphorical term, with this first Sanctification or Regeneration: Though I know the stream of Interpreters do in explaining that Text, make Sanctification to be included in Glorification; when yet they can show no real difference between it, and effectual vocation before-named. Certainly if Sanctification precede faith, and faith precede Justification, then Sanctification must needs precede Justification: But if we may call that work of the spirit which infuseth the principle of life, or holiness, into the soul, [ Sanctification ;] then sanctification must needs go before faith. For faith in the habit is part of that principle, and faith in the act is a fruit of it: God's order is clearly set down in Acts 26.18. He first opens men's eyes, and turns them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, (and if they be yet unholy, I know not what holiness is,) that they may receive remission of sins (there's their Justification) and inheritance among the sanctified (that which before was called, opening their eyes, and turning them is here called Sanctifying) by faith that is in me: (the words [ by Faith ] is related to the Receiving of Remission of Sins and the Inheritance, but not to the word, [ Sanctified ]) so also 2 Thes. 2.13. God hath before chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience (obeying the Gospel is faith) and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, (there's Justification) so that you see, to make faith precede sanctification, and to bring in the habits of all other graces; and for Justification to go between faith and them, is quite against the Scripture order. Indeed if Grevinchovius say true that there's no Habits infused, and the spirit work only (as the Arminians affirm) by an internal and external Swasion, and no real physical alteration, or infusing of new powers and habits, then all this must be otherwise ordered .
In ascribing this Regeneration to [the Spirit,] I do not intend to exclude the word; yet I cannot allow it to be properly the Instrumental cause, as the common opinion is. Were it an instrument, the Energy or Influx of the principal efficient must be first received into it, and by it conveyed to the soul; but that is an impossibility in Nature: The voice of the Preacher, or Letters of the Book, are not subjects capable of receiving Spiritual Life to convey to us; the like also may be said of Sacraments: None of the conditions of an Instrumental efficient cause, are found in them. The Principal and Instrumental, produce one and the same effect: But the word works not in the same way of causality with the Spirit; yet doth it not follow, that it is therefore useless or doth nothing to the work; for both kinds of causality are necessary: The Spirit works as the principal and only efficient, and hath no intervening instrument, that can reach the soul; but doth all his work immediately, seeing itself alone can touch its object, and so work by proper efficiency: But the Word and Sacraments work morally, only by propounding the object in its qualifications, as a man draws a Horse by showing him his Provender: And though there be some difficulty in resolving, whether the propounding the object to the understanding by instruction, and to the will and affections by persuasion, do work under the efficient, or under the final cause; yet according to the common Judgment, we here take the last for granted. The Word then doth sanctify by exciting of former principles to action; which is a preparation to the receiving of the principle of Life; and also by present exciting of the newly infused gracious principle, and so producing our Actual converting and believing: But how it can otherways concur to the infusing of that principle, I yet understand not. Indeed, if no such principle be infused, then the Word doth all, and the Spirit only enable the speaker; or if anymore, its hard to discover what it is. For whether there be any internal suasion of the Spirit immediately, distinct from the external suasion of the Word, and also from the Spirits efficacious changing Physical operation, is a very great question, and worth the considering: But I have run on too far in this already.
This Spiritual Regeneration then, is the first and great qualification of these People of God, which (though Habits are more for their Acts then themselves, and are only perceived in their Acts, yet) by its causes and effects we should chiefly inquire after. To be the people of God without Regeneration, is as impossible, as to be the natural children of men without Generation; seeing we are born God's enemies, we must be new-born his sons, or else remain enemies still. O that the unregenerate world did know or believe this! In whose ears the new birth sounds as a Paradox, and the great change which God works upon the soul, is a strange thing: Who because they never felt any such supernatural work upon themselves, do therefore believe that there is no such thing; but that it is the conceit and fantasie of idle brains: Who make the terms of Regeneration, Sanctification, Holiness, and Conversion, a matter of common reproach and scorn, though they are the words of the Spirit of God himself; and Christ hath spoke it with his own mouth, That except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Alas how preposterous and vain is it, to persuade these poor people, to change some actions while their hearts are unchanged, and to amend their ways while their natures are the same? The greatest Reformation of Life that can be attained to, without this new Life wrought in the Soul, may procure their further Delusion, but never their Salvation.
That general conceit that they were regenerated in their Baptism, is it which furthers the deceit of many: When there is an utter impossibility that Baptism should either principally or instrumentally work any Grace on the Soul of an Infant, without a miracle; for if it do, it is either by a Physical and proper efficiency, or else morally: Not Physically (which is more perhaps, then the Papists say) Because then, first, the water must be capable of receiving the Grace; secondly, And of approaching the soul in the application and conveyance; both which are impossibilities in Nature: Nor can it work morally where there is not the use of Reason, to understand and consider of its signification. The common shift is apparently vain, to say, That it works neither Physically, nor Morally, but Hyperphysically; for though it may proceed from a supernatural cause, and the work be such as nature cannot produce, yet the kind of operation is still either by a proper and real efficiency (which is the meaning of the phrase of Physical operation ) or else improper and moral; So that their Hyperphysical working, is no third member, nor overthrows that long received distinction; if it were, yet is not the water the capable instrument of this Hyperphysical operation. God is a free agent, and by mere concomitancy, may make Baptism the season of Regenerating whom he please; but that he never intended that Regeneration should be the end of Baptism, I think may be easily proved; and those two empty Treatises of Baptismal Regeneration, as easily answered. For men of age, the matter is out of question, seeing Faith and Repentance is everywhere required of them, to make them capable of Baptism; and to make it the end of the Ordinance to effect that in Infants, which is a prerequisite condition in all others, is somewhat a strange fiction, and hath nothing that I know considerable to underprop it. Yet will it not follow, that because Baptism cannot be an instrument of Regenerating Infants, that therefore they have no right to it; no more then, because Circumcision could not confer with Grace, therefore they should omit it. They are as capable of the ends of Baptism, as they were then of the ends of Circumcision . Christ himself was not capable of all the ends of Baptism: and yet being capable of some; for those was he baptized: So may Infants be as capable of some, though not of all.
This Regeneration I call [Through] to distinguish it from those sleight tinctures▪ and superficial changes, which other men may partake of; and yet [Imperfect] to distinguish our present, from our future condition in Glory; and that the Christian may know, that it is sincerity, not perfection, which he must inquire after in his soul.
SECT. III.
THus far the Soul is passive. Let us next see by what acts this new Life doth discover itself, and this Divine Spark doth break forth; and how the soul touched with this Loadstone of the Spirit, doth presently move toward God. The first work I call Conviction, which indeed comprehends several Acts. 1. Knowledge. 2. Assent. It comprehends the knowledge of what the Scripture speaks against sin, and sinners; and that this Scripture which so speaks, is the Word of God himself. Whosoever knows not both these, is not yet thus convinced, (though it is a very great 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 Question, Whether this last be an act of Knowledge, or of Faith? I think of both. ) It comprehends a sincere Assent to the verity of this Scripture; as also some knowledge of ourselves, and our own guilt, and an acknowledgment of the verity of those Consequences, which from the premises of sin in us, and threats in Scripture, do conclude us miserable. It hath been a great Question, and disputed in whole Volumes, which Grace is the first in the Soul; where Faith and Repentance are usually the only competitors. I have shown you before, that in regard of the principle, the power or habit (whichsoever it be that is infused) they are all at once, being indeed all one; and only called several Graces, from the diversity of their subject, as residing in the several faculties of the soul; the life and rectitude of which several faculties and affections, are in the same sense several Graces, as the Germane, French, British Seas, are several Seas. And for the Acts, it is most apparent, that neither Repentance, nor Faith (in the ordinary strict sense) is first, but Knowledge. There is no act of the Rational Soul about any object preceding Knowledge. Their evasion is too gross, who tell us, That Knowledge is no Grace, or but a common act: When a dead Soul is by the Spirit enlivened, its first act is to know: and why should it not exert a sincere act of Knowing, as well as Believing, and the sincerity of Knowledge be requisite as well as of Faith, especially, when Faith in the Gospel-sense, is sometime taken largely, containing many acts, whereof Knowledge is one? in which large sense, indeed Faith is the first Grace. This Conviction implieth also, the subduing and silencing in some measure of all their carnal Reasonings, which were wont to prevail against the Truth, and a discovery of the fallacies of all their former Argumentations.
2. As there must be Conviction, so also Sensibility: God works on the Heart, as well as the Head; both were corrupted, and out of order. The principle of new Life doth quicken both. All true Spiritual Knowledge doth pass into Affections. That Religion which is merely traditional, doth indeed swim loose in the Brain; and the Devotion which is kindled but by Men and Means, is hot in the mouth, and cold in the stomach. The Work that had no higher rise, then Education, Example, Custom, Reading, or Hearing, doth never kindly pass down to the Affections. The Understanding which did receive but mere notions, cannot deliver them to the Affections as Realities. The bare help of Doctrine upon an unrenewed Soul produceth in the Understanding, but a superficial apprehension, and half Assent, and therefore can produce in the Heart but small sensibility. As Hypocrites may know many things (yea, as many as the best Christian) but nothing with the clear apprehensions of an experienced man; so may they with as many things, be slightly affected, but they give deep rooting to none. To read and hear of the worth of Meat and Drink, may raise some esteem of them; but not such as the hungry and thirsty feel, (for by feeling they know the worth thereof.) To view in the Map of the Gospel, the precious things of Christ, and his Kingdom, may slightly affect: But to thirst for, and drink of the living waters; and to travel, to live in, to be heir of that Kingdom, must needs work another kind of Sensibility. It is Christ's own differencing Mark (and I had rather have one from him, then from any) that the good ground gives the good Seed deep rooting; but some others entertain it but into the surface of the soil, and cannot afford it depth of Earth. The great things of Sin, of Grace, and Christ, and Eternity, which are of weight one would think to move a Rock, yet shake not the heart of the carnal Professor, nor pierce his soul unto the quick. Though he should have them all ready in his Brain, and be a constant Preacher of them to others, yet do they little affect himself: When he is pressing them upon the hearts of others most earnestly, and crying out on the senselessness of his dull hearers; you would little think how insensible is his own soul, and the great difference between his tongue and his heart: His study and invention, procureth him zealous and moving expressions; but they cannot procure him answerable affections. It is true, some soft and passionate Natures may have tears at command, when one that is truly gracious hath none; yet is this Christian with dry eyes, more solidly apprehensive and deeply affected, then the other is in the midst of his tears; and the weeping Hypocrite will be drawn to his sin again with a trifle, which the groaning Christian would not be hired to commit, with Crowns and Kingdoms.
The things that the Soul is thus convinced and sensible of, are especially these in the Description mentioned.
1. The evil of sin. The sinner is made to know and feel, that the sin which was his delight, his sport, the support of his credit, and estate, is indeed a more loathsome thing then Toads or Serpents; and a greater evil then Plague or Famine, or any other calamity: It being a breach of the righteous Law of the most high God, dishonorable to him, and destructive to the sinner. Now the sinner reads and hears no more the reproofs of sin, as words of course, as if the Minister wanted something to say, to fill up his Sermon; but when you mention his sin, you stir in his wounds; he feels you speak at his very heart, and yet is contented you should show him the worst, and set it home, though he bear the smart. He was wont to marvel what made men keep such a stir against sin; what harm it was for a man to take a little forbidden pleasure: he saw no such heinousness in it, that Christ must needs die for it, and most of the world be eternally tormented in Hell: He thought this was somewhat hard measure, and greater punishment then could possibly be deserved, by a little fleshly liberty, or worldly delight, neglect of Christ, his Word, or Worship, yea, by a wanton thought, a vain word, a dull duty, or cold affection. But now the case is altered; God hath opened his eyes to see that unexpressable vileness in sin, which satisfies him of the reason of all this.
2. The Soul in this great work is convinced and sensible, as of the evil of sin, so of its own misery by reason of sin. They who before read the threats of God's Law, as men do the old stories of foreign wars, or as they behold the wounds and blood in a picture or piece of Arras, which never makes them smart or fear; Why now they find its their own story, and they perceive they read their own doom, as if they found their names written in the curse, or heard the Law say as Nathan, Thou are the man. The wrath of God seemed to him before, but as a storm to a man in the dry house; or as the pains of the sick to the healthful standerby; or as the Torments of Hell to a child, that sees the story of Dives and Lazarus upon the wall: But now he finds the disease is his own, and feels the pain in his own bowels, and the smart of the wounds in his own soul. In a word, he finds himself a condemned man, and that he is dead and damned in point of Law, and that nothing was wanting but mere execution to make him most absolutely and irrecoverably miserable. Whether you will call this a work of the Law or Gospel (as in several senses it is of both, the Law expressing, and the Gospel intimating and implying our former condemnation. ) Sure I am it is a work of the Spirit, wrought in some measure in all the regenerate: And though some do judge it an unnecessary bondage, yet it is beyond my conceiving, how he should come to Christ for pardon that first found not himself guilty and condemned; or for life, that never found himself dead. The whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick. Yet I deny not, but the discovery of the Remedy as soon as the misery, must needs prevent a great part of the trouble, and make the distinct effects on the soul, to be with much more difficulty discerned: Nay, the actings of the soul are so quick, and oft so confused, that the distinct order of these workings, may not be apprehended or remembered at all: And perhaps the joyful apprehensions of mercy may make the sense of misery the sooner forgotten.
3. So doth the spirit also convince the soul, of the creatures vanity and insufficiency. Every man naturally is a flat Idolater: our hearts turned from God, in our first fall; and ever since the Creature hath been our God: This is the grand sin of Nature: when we set up to ourselves a wrong end, we must needs err in all the means. The Creature is to every unregenerate man his God and his Christ. He ascribeth to it the Divine prerogatives, and alloweth it the highest room in his soul; Or if ever he come to be convinced of misery, he flieth to it as his Savior and supply. Indeed God and his Christ have usually the name; and shall be still called both Lord and Savior: But the real expectation is from the Creature, and the work of God is laid upon it; (how well it will perform that work, the sinner must know hereafter. ) It is His Pleasure, his profit, and his Honor, that is the natural man's Trinity; and his Carnal self, that is these in unity. Indeed it is that Flesh that is the Principal Idol; the other three are deified in their relation to ourselves. It was our first sin, to aspire to be as God's; and its the greatest sin that runs in our blood, and is propagated in our nature from Generation to Generation. When God should guide us, we guide ourselves; when he should be our Sovereign, we rule ourselves. The Laws which he gives us, we would correct and find fault with; and if we had the making of them, we would have made them otherwise: When he should take care of us, (and must, or we perish) we will care for ourselves; when we should depend on him in daily receivings, we had rather keep our stock ourselves, and have our portion in our own hands; when we should stand to his disposal, we would be at our own; and when we should submit to his providence, we usually quarrel at it; as if we knew better what is good, or fit for us, then he; or how to dispose of all things more wisely: If we had the disposal of the events of Wars, and the ordering of the affairs of Churches and States, or the choice of our own outward condition, it would be far otherwise then now it is; and we think we could make a better disposal, order and choice, then God hath made. This is the Language of a carnal heart, though it do not always speak it out. When we should study God▪ we study ourselves; when we should mind God, we mind ourselves; when we should love God, we love our carnal selves; when we should trust God, we trust ourselves; when we should honor God, we honor ourselves; and when we should ascribe to God, and admire him, we ascribe to, and admire ourselves: And instead of God, we would have all men's eyes and dependence on us, and all men's thanks returned to us, and would gladly be the only men on Earth, extolled, and admired by all. And thus we are naturally our own Idols: But down falls this Dagon, when God doth once renew the soul: It is the great business of that great work, to bring the heart back to God himself. He convinceth the sinner. 1. That the Creature or himself, can neither be his God, to make him happy. 2. Nor yet his Christ, to recover him from his misery, and restore him to God, who is his happiness. This God doth, not only by Preaching, but by Providence also: Because words seem but wind, and will hardly take off the raging senses; therefore doth God make his Rod to speak, and continue speaking, till the sinner hear and hath learned by it this great lesson. This is the reason, why affliction doth so ordinarily concur in the work of Conversion: These real Arguments which speak to the quick, will force a hearing, when the most convincing and powerful words are slighted. When a sinner made his credit his God, and God shall cast him into lowest disgrace; or bring him that idolized his riches, into a condition, wherein they cannot help him; or cause them to take wing and fly away, or the rust to corrupt, and the thief to steal his adored god in a night, or an hour; what a help is here to this work of Conviction? When a man that made his pleasure his god, whether ease, or sports, or mirth, or company, or gluttony, or drunkenness, or clothing, or buildings, or whatsoever a raging eye, a curious ear, a raging appetite, or a lustful heart could desire; and God shall take these from him, or give him their sting and curse with them, and turn them all into Gall and Wormwood; what a help is here to this Conviction? When God shall cast a man into languishing sickness, and inflict wounds and anguish on his heart, and stir up against him, his own Conscience, and then, as it were, take the sinner by the hand, and lead him to credit, to riches, to pleasure, to company, to sports, or whatsoever was dearest to him, and say, Now try if these can help you; can these heal thy wounded conscience? can they now support thy tottering cotage? can they keep thy departing soul in thy body? or save thee from mine everlasting wrath? will they prove to thee eternal pleasures? or redeem thy Soul from the eternal flames? cry aloud to them, and see now, whether these will be instead of God, and his Christ unto thee. O how this works now with the sinner! When sense itself acknowledgeth the truth? and even the flesh is convinced of the Creatures vanity? and our very deceiver is undeceived? Now he despiseth his former Idols, and calleth them all but silly Comforters, Wooden, Earthen, Dirty gods, of a few days old, and quickly perishing: He speaketh as contemptuously of them, as Baruck of the Pagan Idols, or our Martyrs of the Papists god of Bread, which was yesterday in the Oven, and is tomorrow on the Dunghil: He chideth himself for his former folly, and pitieth those that have no higher happiness. O poor Croesus, Caesar, Alexander, (thinks he) how small? how short was your happiness? Ah poor riches! base honors! woeful pleasures! sad mirth! ignorant learning! defiled, dunghill, counterfeit righteousness! poor stuff to make a god of! simple things to save souls! Woe to them that have no better a portion, no surer saviors, nor greater comforts then these can yield, in their last and great distress and need! In their own place they are sweet and lovely; but in the place of God, how contemptible and abominable? They that are accounted excellent and admirable, within the bounds of their own calling; should they step into the throne, and usurp Sovereignty, would soon in the eyes of all, be vile and insufferable.
4. The fourth thing that the Soul is convinced and sensible of, is, The Absolute Necessity, the Full Sufficiency, and Perfect Excellency of Jesus Christ. It is a great Question, Whether all the forementioned works are not common, and only preparations unto this? They are preparatives, and yet not common: Every lesser work is a preparative to the greater; and all the first works of Grace, to those that follow: so Faith is a preparative to our continual living in Christ, to our Justification, and Glory. There are indeed common Convictions, and so there is also a common Believing: But this as in the former terms explained, is both a sanctifying and saving work; I mean a saving act of a sanctified Soul, excited by the Spirits special Grace. That it precedes Justification, contradicts not this; for so doth Faith it • elf too: Nor that it precedes Faith is anything against it; for I have shown before, that it is a part of Faith in the large sense; and in the strict sense taken Faith is not the first gracious act, much less that act of fiducial recumbency, which is commonly taken for the justifying act: Though indeed it is no one single act, but many that are the condition of Justification.
This Conviction is not by mere Argumentation, as a man is convinced of the verity of some inconcerning consequence by dispute; but also by the sense of our desperate misery, as a man in famine of the necessity of food, or a man that hath read or heard his sentence of condemnation, is convinced of the absolute necessity of pardon; or as a man that lies in prison for debt, is convinced of the necessity of a surety to discharge it. Now the sinner finds himself in another case, then ever he was before aware of; he feels an insupportable burden upon him, and sees there is none but Christ can take it off; he perceives that he is under the wrath of God, and that the Law proclaims him a Rebel and Out-law, and none but Christ can make his peace; he is as a man pursued by a Lyon, that must perish if he find not present sanctuary; he feels the curse doth lie upon him, and upon all he hath for his sake, and Christ alone can make him blessed; he is now brought to this Dilemma ; either he must have Christ to justify him, or be eternally condemned; he must have Christ to save him, or burn in Hell forever; he must have Christ to bring him again to God, or be shut out of his presence everlastingly. And now no wonder, if he cry as the Martyr Lambert, None but Christ, none but Christ. It is not Gold but Bread, that will satisfy the hungry; nor anything but pardon that will comfort the condemned. All things are now but dross and dung; and what we accounted gain, is now but loss, in comparison of Christ. For as the sinner seeth his utter misery, and the disability of himself, and all things to relieve him; so he doth perceive, that there is no saving mercy out of Christ: The truth of the threatening, and tenor of both Covenants, do put him out of all such hopes. There is none found in Heaven or Earth, that can open the sealed Book, save the Lamb; without his blood there is no Remission; and without Remission there is no Salvation. Could the sinner now make any shift without Christ, or could anything else supply his wants, and save his soul; then might Christ be disregarded: But now he is convinced, that there is no other name, and the necessity is absolute.
2. And as the Soul is thus convinced of the necessity of Christ, so also of his full sufficiency. He sees though the Creature cannot, and himself cannot, yet Christ can. Though the fig-leaves of our own unrighteous righteousness, are too short to cover our nakedness, yet the Righteousness of Christ is large enough: Ours is disproportionable to the justice of the Law; but Christ's doth extend to every title. If he intercede, there is no denial; such is the dignity of his person, and the value of his merits, that the Father granteth all he desireth: He tells us himself, that the Father heareth him always. His sufferings being a perfect satisfaction to the Law, and all power in Heaven and Earth being given to him, he is now able to supply every of our wants, and to save to the uttermost all that come to him.
Quest. How can I know his death is sufficient for me, if not for all? And how is it sufficient for all, if not suffered for all?
Answ. Because I will not interrupt my present discourse with controversy, I will say something to this Question by itself in another Tract, if God enable me.
3. The Soul is also here convinced of the perfect excellency of Jesus Christ; both as he is considered in himself, and as considered in relation to us, both as he is the only way to the Father, and as he is the end being one with the Father: Before he knew Christ's excellency, as a blind man knows the light of the Sun; but now as one that beholdeth its glory.
And thus doth the Spirit convince the Soul.
SECT. IIII.
3. AFter this sensible conviction, the Will discovereth also its change; and that in regard of all the four forementioned objects.
1. The sin which the understanding pronounceth evil, the will doth accordingly turn from with abhorrency. Not that the sensitive appetite is changed, or any way made to abhor its object; but when it would prevail against the conclusions of Reason, and carry us to sin against God, when Scripture should be the rule, and Reason the Master, and Sense the Servant: This disorder and evil, the will abhorreth.
2. The misery also which sin hath procured, as he discerneth, so he bewaileth: It is impossible that the soul now living, should look either on its trespass against God, or yet on its own self-procured calamity, without some compunction and contrition. He that truly discerneth that he hath killed Christ, and killed himself, will surely in some measure be pricked to the heart. If he cannot weep, he can heartily groan; and his heart feels what his understanding sees.
3. The Creature he now renounceth as vain, and turneth it out of his heart with disdain. Not that he undervalueth it, or disclaimeth its use; but his idolatrous abuse, and its unjust usurpation.
There is a twofold sin; One against God himself, as well as his Laws; when he is cast out of the heart, and something else doth take his place: This is it that I intend in this place. The other is, when a man doth take the Lord for his God, but yet swerveth in some things from his commands; of this before. It is a vain distinction that some make, That the soul must be turned, first from sin; secondly, from the Creature to God: For the sin that is thus set up against God, is the choice of something below in his stead; and no Creature in itself is evil but the abuse of it is the sin. Therefore to turn from the Creature, is only to turn from that sinful abuse.
Yet hath the Creature here a twofold consideration. First, As it is vain and insufficient to perform what the Idolater expecteth; and so I handle it here. Secondly, As it is the object of such sinful abuse, and the occasion of sin; and so it falls under the former branch, of our [turning from sin,] and in this sense their division may be granted: but this is only a various respect; for indeed it is still only our sinful abuse of the Creature, in our vain admirations, undue estimations, too strong affections, and false expectations, which we turn from.
There is a twofold Error very common in the descriptions of the work of Conversion. The one, of those who only mention the sinners turning from sin to God, without mentioning any receiving of Christ by Faith. The other of those, who on the contrary, only mention a sinners believing, and then think they have said all. Nay, they blame them as Legalists who make anything but the bare believing of the love of God in Christ to us, to be part of this work; and would persuade poor souls to question all their former comforts, and conclude the work to have been only legal and unsound, because they have made their changes of heart, and turning from sin and Creatures, part of it; and have taken up part of their comfort from the reviewing of these, as evidences of a right work. Indeed, should they take up here without Christ, or take such change instead of Christ, in whole or in part; the reprehension were just, and the danger great. But can Christ be the way, where the Creature is the end? Is he not only the way to the Father? And must not a right end be intended, before right means? Can we seek to Christ for to reconcile us to God, while in our hearts we prefer the Creature before him? Or, doth God dispossess the Creature, and sincerely turn the heart therefrom, when he will not bring the soul to Christ? Is it a work that is ever wrought in an unrenewed soul? You will say, That without Faith it is impossible to please God. True; but what Faith doth the Apostle there speak of? He that cometh to God, must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. The belief of the Godhead must needs precede the belief of the Mediatorship; and the taking of the Lord for our God, must in order precede the taking of Christ for our Savior; though our peace with God do follow this: Therefore Paul when he was to deal with the Athenian Idolaters, teacheth them the knowledge of the Godhead first, and the Mediator afterwards. But you will say, May not an unregenerate man believe that there is a God? True; and so may he also believe there is a Christ: But he can no more cordially accept of the Lord for his God, then he can accept of Christ for his Savior. In the soul of every unregenerate man, the Creature possesseth both places, and is both God and Christ. Can Christ be believed in, where our own Righteousness, or any other thing is trusted as our Savior? Or doth God ever thoroughly discover sin, and misery, and clearly take the heart from all Creatures, and Self-righteousness, and yet leave the soul unrenewed? The truth is, where the work is sincere, there it is entire; and all these parts are truly wrought: And as turning from the Creature to God, and not by Christ, is no true turning; so believing in Christ, while the Creature hath our hearts, is no true believing. And therefore in the work of Self-examination, whoever would find in himself a through-sincere work, must find an entire work; even the one of these as well as the other. In the review of which entire work, there is no doubt but his soul may take comfort. And it is not to be made so light of, as most do, nor put by with a wet finger, That Scripture doth so ordinarily put Repentance before Faith, and make them jointly conditions of the Gospel: Which Repentance contains those acts of the Wills aversion, from sin and Creatures, before expressed. It is true, if we take Faith in the largest sense of all , then it contains Repentance in it; but if we take it strictly, no doubt there is some acts of it go before Repentance, and some follow after.
Yet is it not of much moment, which of the acts before mentioned, we shall judge to precede; Whether our aversion from sin, and renouncing our Idols, or our right receiving Christ; seeing it all composeth but one work, which God doth ever perfect where he beginneth but one step, and layeth but one stone in sincerity. And the moments of time can be but few, that interpose between the several acts. Yet though the disposition to all gracious acts, be given at once, I conceive in our Actual turning, the term from which, in order of nature, is considerable before the term to which we turn.
If any object, That every Grace is received from Christ, and therefore must follow our receiving him by Faith.
I answer, There be receivings from Christ before believing, and before our receiving of Christ himself. Such is all that work of the Spirit, that brings the soul to Christ: There is a passive receiving before the active. Both power and act of Faith are in order of Nature before Christ, actually received; and the power of all other gracious acts, is as soon as that of Faith. Though Christ give pardon and Salvation, upon condition of believing; yet he gives not a new heart, a soft heart, Faith itself, nor the first true Repentance on that condition: No more then he gives the Preaching of the Gospel, the Spirits motions to believe, &c. upon a pre-requisite condition of believing.
SECT. V.
4. ANd as the Will is thus averted from the fore-mentioned objects; so at the same time doth it cleave to God the Father, and to Christ. Its first acting in order of Nature, is toward the whole Divine Essence; and it consists especially in [electing and desiring God for his portion and chief Good:] Having before been convinced, That nothing else can be his happiness, he now finds it is in God; and there looks toward it. But it is yet rather with desire, then hope; For alas, the sinner hath already found himself to be a stranger and enemy to God, under the guilt of sin, and curse of his Law; and knows there is no coming to him in peace, till his case be altered: And therefore having before been convinced also, That only Christ is able, and willing to do this; and having heard this mercy in the Gospel freely offered, his next act is, Secondly, [to accept most affectionately of Christ, for Savior and Lord.] I put the former before this; because the ultimate end is necessarily the first intended; and the Divine Essence is principally that ultimate end; yet not excluding the human nature in the second person: But Christ as Mediator is the way to that end; and throughout the Gospel is offered to us in such terms, as import his Being the means of making us happy in God. And though that former act of the soul toward the Godhead, do not justify, as this last doth; yet is it (I think) as proper to the people of God as this: nor can any man unregenerate, truly choose God for his Lord, his portion, and chief good. Therefore do they both mistake: They who only mention our turning to Christ, and they who only mention our turning to God, in this work of Conversion, as is touched before. Paul's preaching was, Repentance toward God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. And life eternal, consists first in knowing the only true God, and then, Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, John 17.3.
Though Repentance, Assent, Good works, &c. are required to our full Justification, as subservient to, or concurrent with Faith; yet is the true nature of this justifying Faith itself contained in this [most affectionate accepting of Christ, for Savior and Lord.] And I think it necessarily contains all this in it: Some plead it is the Assenting act; some a Fiducial adherence, or recumbency. I call it [ Accepting, ] it being principally an act of the Will; but yet also of the whole soul. This [Accepting] being that which the Gospel presseth to, and calleth the [receiving of Christ:] I call it [an Affectionate accepting,] though Love seem another act, quite distinct from Faith, (and if you take Faith for any one single act, so it is;) yet I take it as essential to that Faith which justifies: To accept Christ without Love, is not justifying Faith. Nor doth Love follow as a Fruit, but immediately concur; nor concur as a mere concomitant, but essential to a true accepting. For this Faith is the receiving of Christ, either with the whole soul, or with part; •• t with part only, for that is but a partial receiving: And 〈◊〉 clear Divines of late conclude, That justifying Faith resides, •• rn in the Understanding and the Will; therefore in the whole soul, and so cannot be one single act. All those Affections that are for the receiving and entertainment of Good, called the concupiscible, must receive and entertain Christ. I add, it is the [most] affectionate accepting of Christ; because he that loves Father, Mother, or anything more then him, is not worthy of him, nor can be his Disciple; and consequently not justified by him. And the truth of this Affection is not to be judged so much by feeling the pulse of it, as by comparing it with our affection to other things. He that loveth nothing so much as Christ, doth love him truly; though he find cause still to bewail the coldness of his Affections. I make Christ himself the Object of this Accepting, it being not any Theological Axiom concerning himself, but himself in person. I call it [an Accepting him for Savior and Lord. ] For in both relations, will he be received, or not at all. It is not only to acknowledge his sufferings, and accept of pardon and glory; but to acknowledge his sovereignty, and submit to his Government, and way of saving; and I take all this to be contained in justifying Faith.
The work which Christ thus accepted of, is to perform, is, to bring the sinners to God, that they may be happy in him; and this both really by his Spirit, and relatively in reconciling them, and making them sons; and to present them perfect before him at last, and to possess them of the Kingdom. This will Christ perform; and the obtaining of these, are the sinners lawful ends, in receiving Christ: And to these uses doth he offer himself unto us.
5. To this end, doth the sinner now enter into a cordial Covenant with Christ. As the preceptive part is called the Covenant, • o he might be under the Covenant before; as also under the offers of a Covenant on God's part. But he was never strictly, nor comfortably in Covenant with Christ till now. He is sure by the free offers that Christ doth consent; and now doth he cordially consent himself; and so the Agreement is fully made; and it was never a match indeed till now.
6. With this Covenant concurs [a mutual delivery:] Christ delivereth himself in all comfortable Relations to the sinner; and the sinner delivereth up himself to be saved and ruled by Christ. This which I call, the delivering of Christ, is His act in and by the Gospel; without any change in himself: The change is only in the sinner, to whom the conditional promises become equivalent to Absolute, when they perform the conditions. Now doth the soul resolvedly conclude, I have been blindly led by flesh and lust, and the world, and devil, too long already, almost to my utter destruction: I will now be wholly at the dispose of my Lord, who hath bought me with his blood, and will bring me to his glory.
7. And lastly, I add, [That the believer doth herein persevere to the end.] Though he may commit sins, yet he never disclaimeth his Lord, renounceth his Allegiance, nor recalleth, nor repenteth of his Covenant; nor can he properly be said to break that Covenant, while that Faith continues▪ which is the condition of it. Indeed, those that have verbally Covenanted, and not cordially, may yet tread underfoot the blood of the Covenant, as an unholy thing, wherewith they were sanctified by separation from those without the Church: But the elect cannot be so deceived. Though this perseverance be certain to true believers; yet is it made a condition of their Salvation, yea, of their continued life and fruitfulness, and of the continuance of their Justification, though not of their first Justification itself. But eternally blessed be that hand of Love, which hath drawn the free promise, and subscribed and sealed to that which ascertains us, both of the Grace which is the condition, and the Kingdom on that condition offered.
SECT. VI.
ANd thus you have a naked enumeration of the Essentials of this People of God: Not a full portraiture of them in all their excellencies, nor all the notes whereby they may be discerned; which were both beyond my present purpose. And though it will be part of the following Application, to put you upon trial; yet because the Description is now before your eyes, and these evidencing works are fresh in your memory, it will not be unseasonable, nor unprofitable for you, to take an account of your own estates, and to view yourselves exactly in this glass, before you pass on any further. And I beseech thee, Reader, as thou hast the hope of a Christian, yea, or the reason of a man, to deal thoroughly, and search carefully, and judge thyself as one that must shortly be judged by the righteous God; and faithfully answer to these few Questions which I shall here propound.
I will not inquire whether thou remember the time or the order of these workings of the spirit; There may be much uncertainly and mistake in that; But I desire thee to look into thy Soul, and see whether thou find such works wrought within thee; and then if thou be sure they are there, the matter is not so great, though thou know not when or how thou camest by them.
And first; hast thou been thoroughly convinced of an universal depravation, through thy whole soul? and an universal wickedness through thy whole life? and how vile a thing this sin is? and that by the tenor of that Covenant which thou hast transgressed, the least sin deserves eternal death? dost thou consent to this Law, that it is true, and righteous? Hast thou perceived thyself sentenced to this death by it? and been convinced of thy natural undone condition? Hast thou further seen the utter insufficiency of every Creature, either to be itself thy happiness, or the means of curing this thy misery, and thee happy again in God? Hast thou been convinced, that thy happiness is only in God as the end? And only in Christ as the way to him? (and the end also as he is one with the Father;) and perceived that thou must be brought to God by Christ, or perish eternally? Hast thou seen hereupon an absolute necessity of thy enjoying Christ? And the full sufficiency that is in him, to do for thee whatsoever thy case requireth, by reason of the fullness of his satisfaction, the greatness of his power, and dignity of his person, and the freeness and indefiniteness of his promises? Hast thou discovered the excellency of this pearl, to be worth thy selling all to buy it? Hath all this been joined with some sensibility? As the convictions of a man that thirsteth, of the worth of drink? and not been only a change in opinion, produced by reading or education, as a bare notion in the understanding? Hath it proceeded to an abhorring that sin? I mean in the bent and prevailing inclination of thy will, though the flesh do attempt to reconcile thee to it? Have both thy sin and misery been a burden to thy soul? and if thou couldest not weep, yet couldest thou heartily groan under the insupportable weight of both? Hast thou renounced all thine own Righteousness? Hast thou turned thy Idols out of thy heart? So that the Creature hath no more the sovereignty? but is now a servant to God and to Christ? Dost thou accept of Christ as thy only Savior? and expect thy Justification, Recovery, and glory from him alone? Dost thou take him also for Lord and King? and are his Laws the most powerful commanders of thy life and soul? Do they ordinarily prevail against the commands of the flesh, of Satan, of the greatest on earth that shall countermand? and against the greatest interest of thy credit, profit, pleasure or life? So that thy conscience is directly subject to Christ alone? Hath he the highest room in thy heart and affections? So that though thou canst not love him as thou wouldest, yet nothing else is loved so much? Hast thou made a hearty Covenant to this end with him? And delivered up thyself accordingly to him? and takest thyself for His and not thine own? Is it thy utmost care and watchful endeavor, that thou mayest be found faithful in this Covenant? and though thou fall into sin, yet wouldst not renounce thy bargain, nor change thy Lord, nor give up thyself to any other government, for all the world? If this be truly thy case, thou art one of these People of God which my Text speaks of: And as sure as the Promise of God is true, this Blessed Rest remains for thee. Only see thou abide in Christ, and continue to the end; For if any draw back, his soul will have no pleasure in them.
But if all this be contrary with thee; or if no such work be found within thee; but thy soul be a stranger to all this; and thy conscience tell thee, it is none of thy case; The Lord have mercy on thy soul, and open thine eyes, and do this great work upon thee, and by his mighty power overcome thy resistance: For in the case thou art in, there is no hope. What ever thy deceived heart may think, or how strong soever thy false hopes be, or though now a little while thou flatter thy soul in confidence and security; Yet wilt thou shortly find to thy cost (except thy through conversion do prevent it) that thou art none of these people of God, and the Rest of the Saints belongs not to thee. Thy dying hour draws near apace and so doth that great day of separation, when God will make an everlasting difference between his people and his enemies: Then woe, and forever woe to thee, if thou be found in the state that thou art now in: Thy own tongue will then proclaim thy woe, with a thousand times more dolor and vehemence, then mine can possibly do it now. O that thou wert wise to consider this, and that thou wouldst remember thy latter end! That yet while thy soul is in thy body, and a price in thy hand, and day light, and opportunity, and hope before thee, thine ears might be open to instruction, and thy heart might yield to the persuasions of God; and thou mightest bend all the powers of thy soul about this great work; that so thou mightest Rest among his People, and enjoy the inheritance of the Saints in Light! And thus I have shown you, who these People of God are.
SECT. VII.
ANd why they are called the People of God; you may easily from what is said, discern the Reasons.
1. They are the People whom he hath chosen to himself from eternity.
2. And whom Christ hath redeemed with an absolute intent of saving them; which cannot be said of any other.
3. Whom he hath also renewed by the power of his grace, and made them in some sort like to himself, stamping his own Image on them, and making them holy as he is holy.
4. They are those whom he embraceth with a peculiar Love, and do again love him above all.
5. They are entered into a strict and mutual Covenant, wherein it is agreed, for the Lord to be their God, and they to be his People.
6. They are brought into near relation to him, even to be his Servants, his Sons, and the Members, and Spouse of his Son.
7. And lastly, They must live with him forever, and be perfectly blessed in enjoying his Love, and beholding his Glory. And I think these are Reasons sufficient, why they particularly should be called his People.
The Conclusion.
ANd thus I have explained to you the subject of my Text, and shown you darkly, and in part, what this Rest is; and briefly, who are this People of God. O that the Lord would now open your eyes, and your hearts, to discern, and be affected with the Glory Revealed! That he would take off your hearts from these dunghill delights, and ravish them with the views of these Everlasting Pleasures! That he would bring you into the state of this Holy and Heavenly People, for whom alone this Rest remaineth! That you would exactly try yourselves by the foregoing Description; That no Soul of you, might be so damnably deluded, as to take your natural or acquired parts, for the Characters of a Saint! O happy, and thrice happy you, if these Sermons might have such success with your Souls, That so you might die the death of the Righteous, and your last End might be like his! For this Blessed Issue, as I here gladly wait upon you in Preaching, so will I also wait upon the Lord in Praying.
THE SAINTS Everlasting REST.
The Second Part.
Containing the Proofes of the Truth and Certain futurity of our REST.
And that the Scripture promising that Rest to us, is The perfect infallible Word and Law of God.
2 Pet. 1.21.
Mat. 5.18.
Luk. 16.29, 31.
Aug. Ep. 9. ad Hieron.
August. li. 15. super Genes. ad liter.
London Printed by Rob. White, for T. Underhill, and F. Tyton, and are to be sold at the sign of the Bible in great Woodstreet, and at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet. 1649.
To my dearly beloved Friends, The Inhabitants of BRIDGNORTH, Both Magistrates and People. Richard Baxter Devoteth this Part of this TREATISE.
In Testimony of his unfeigned love to them, who were the first, to whom he was sent (as fixed) to publish the Gospel. And in thankfulness to the Divine Majesty, who there privileged and protected him.
HUmbly beseeching the God of Mercy, both to save them from that spirit of Pride, Separation, and Levity, which hath long been working among them; and also to awake them thoroughly from their negligence and security, by his late heavy judgments on them: And that as the flames of War have consumed their houses, so the Spirit of God may consume the sin that was the cause: And by those flames they may be effectually warned to prevent the everlasting flames: And that their new-built houses may have new-born Inhabitants: And that the next time God shall search and try them, he may not find one house among them, where his Word is not daily studied and obeyed, and where they do not fervently call upon his Name.
TO THE READER.
I T was far from my thoughts, when I first begun it, to have so enlarged this as to be a Part entire: Most of it dropt from my Pen, besides my first purpose. Had I intended to say so much of the Authority of Scripture, I should have stayed till I had the benefit of a Library, that I might have furnished it better with Human Testimony, which I here insist on as so necessary. Though our History of the first and second Century be lamentably imperfect, yet much for the ends here mentioned may be produced. I would not have young Students begin with the large Volumes of later Fathers; but I could wish they would read betime the Writers of the three first Centuries, especially those that argue for the Christian Faith, or mix matters of Fact with their Doctrinals; as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen against Celsus, Tertullian's Apolog. &c. As Also Philo, Josephus, Eusebius, and others for History. Me thinks it is preposterous to see men study so long the meaning of God's Word, before they know whether it be God's Word, or not: As the Italians Melancthon mentioneth, That would prove Christ was in the Bread, before they believed well that he was in Heaven. It is no questioning the Truth of Scripture, to persuade men to the rightest course, to be assured of its Truth. I confess myself much offended at some men's doctrine, who cry down Reason and Tradition here, as if they were enemies to God, and his Word; and cry up nothing but Scripture and the Spirit. Just like the Antinomians in the doctrine of Certainty of Salvation; who cry up the Witness of the Spirit, and cry down the trying by Signs and Evidences of Sanctification: As if these were contrary, which are co-ordinate! If I had wanted either Reason, Tradition, or the help of the Spirit, I should never have believed the Truth of the Scripture. I confess, for my part, I cannot boast of any such Testimony or Light of the Spirit (nor Reason neither) which without Tradition, would have made me believe, that the Book of Canticles is Canonical, and writ by Solomon ; and the Book of Wisdom, Apocryphal, and writ by Philo (as some think;) or that Saint Paul's Epistle to the Loadiceans (which is in the end of Bruno, and others,) were not Canonical, as well as Johns second and third. Some men as soon as they hear talk of Reason and Tradition here, they zealously cry out, It is Socinianism and Popery. Scripture is [God's written infallible Law:] Reason is [the Eye] by which I must read it▪ The Spirit is [the Physician to cure the blindness of this Eye,] (and in a common sense, The very Life and Spirits:) The Church is the chief (but not the only) [House where these Records are kept.] Tradition hath chiefly three Offices: It is to the unlearned where Scripture is, [The Proclaimer of it.] It is to the learned, [the Hand] that delivereth it to them. It is to some that never heard of Scripture, [a Herald to proclaim] the doctrine which it containeth▪ And why must these needs be set together by the ears? May they not? yea, must they not stand together? and further each other? The name of Antichrist, Socinianism, Arminianism (for the things I renounce myself) hath almost affrighted some men out of their Faith, and others out of their Wits. Is it any derogation from the Law, to say, A man must receive it from the hand that bringeth it? and read it with his eyes? &c. A learned, godly Divine is offended with Canterbury, for these words, [Reason and ordinary Grace superadded, by the help of Tradition, do sufficiently enlighten the Soul to discern, That Scriptures are the Oracles of God;] and he saith, [Here is the Socinians sound or right Reason before the Illumination of the Spirit; and to please the Arminians ordinary or universal Grace comes in; and the name of Tradition to please the Popish party: And what all these are like to do, without the special Grace of the Holy Spirit, I leave it to any Protestant to judge.] But what? will any Christian deny, that there is such a thing as ordinary Grace? or, that Tradition is necessary to deliver us the Scriptures? or, hath every man special Grace who believeth Scripture to be God's Word? Is it not possible for an unregenerate man to believe that? What kind of Preaching would such a man use to Indians, Turks, or Infidels? Are not men sanctified by the Word? and must they be sanctified by a Word which they believe not, that so they may believe it? Indeed, he that saith we may not only know but know perfectly, or know to Salvation without special Grace, is mistaken. But usually a common Grace, and common Knowledge, go before Special. The same godly Divine against these words of Master Chillingworth [The Scripture is not to be believed finally for itself, but for the matter contained in it: So that if men did believe the Doctrine contained in the Scripture, it should no way hinder their Salvation, not to know whether there were any Scripture, or no] saith, [I thought it had been necessary to have received those material Objects or Articles of our Faith, upon the Authority of God, speaking in the Scriptures: I thought it had been Anabaptistical to have expected any Revelation but in the Word of God. &c. ] I should rather for my part think thus, That the immediate Revelation of Scripture from God, was not to me, but to the first Witnesses and Penmen: The way of Conveyance to us is another thing; and is a Revelation too. The best way is by Scripture, (which without Tradition no man would ever see, or hear of.) Where this is not to be had▪ there mere Tradition may save; and is a Revelation sufficient to Salvation, and not Anabaptistical. (Though Traditional unwritten doctrines to make up the defects of Scripture, I abhor.) And I should ask the Dissenter, first, Whether men were not saved before Moses without Scripture? And as Doctor Usher well observeth, One reason why they might then be without it, was the facility and certainty of Tradition: For Methuselah lived many hundred years with Adam, and Sem lived long with Methuselah ; and Isaac lived fifty years with Sem : So that three men saw all from the Beginning of the World, till Isaac's fiftieth year. Secondly, And were not many saved by the Apostles doctrine many years before the New Testament was written? And Jews before, while the old was almost lost? Thirdly, What if some Ethiopians, Armenians, or Papists, should by mere Tradition believe in Christ, (and who dare say, That they may not?) should they not be saved? He that saith, No, contradicteth Christ, who saith, That whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, (which way soover he came by it.) Will you hear Irenaeus in this? who lived before Popery was born. Lib. 3. cap. 4. Quid enim & siquib. de aliqua modica quaestione disceptatio esset? Nonne oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere Ecclesias (Mark, he saith not Ad Romanam Ecclesiam, vel ad unam principem ) in quibus Apostoli conversati sunt, & ab eis de praesenti quaestione sumere quod certum & re liquidum est? Quid autem si neque Apostoli quidem Scripturas reliquissent nobis? nonne oportebat ordinem sequi Traditionis, quam tradiderunt iis quibus committebant Ecclesias? Cui Ordinationi assentiunt multae gentes barbarorum eorum qui in Christum credunt, sine charactere vel atramento Scriptam habentes per spiritum in cordibus suis salutem, & veterem Traditionem diligenter custodientes, &c. Hanc fidem, qui sine literis crediderunt, quantum ad Sermonem nostrum barbari sunt; quantum autem ad sententiam & consuetudinem & conversationem, propter fidem perquam sapientissimi sunt, & placent Deo, &c. Sic per illam veterem Apostolorum Traditionem ne in conceptionem quidem mentis admittunt quodcunque (Haereticorum) portentiloquium est.
I have been the larger in proving an Immortal Life after this, because I find none doubt of the Authority of Scripture, but they doubt of the Immortality of the Soul too (among us.) This joined with the Evident Vanity of all other Religions, is an excellent medium to confirm us in the Christian Religion: For if we must be happy or miserable forever, sure there is some true Religion teaching the way to Happiness. That all other Religions are false, any man that lives out of the dust and smoke of prejudice, may see with one eye. That there is a future Happiness or Misery, is evident to Nature, or else how would all Nations so universally acknowledge it? The Ancient Barbarians believed the Immortality of the Soul, as of the Getae Herodotus witnesseth, Lib. 4. And of the Egyptians, Diodorus Siculus, l. 1. Biblioth. numb. 93. The very Inhabitants of Guiny, Virginia, Guiana, Peru, Chyna, Mexico, &c. do believe a happiness and misery hereafter. As Descrip. Reg. Afric. Guineae, cap. 21.44. Acosta, lib. 5. c. 7, 8. Hug. Linscot. part. 1. cap. 25. Jo. Lerius, cap. 16. Sir Walter Rawleigh, &c. witness. What Poet speaks not De Tartaro, Campis Elisiis, manibus ? And Philosophers of best note, except Galen, Epicurus, Plinius, &c. As for Pythagoras, and his Master Pherecides, the Druids, the Indian Brachmanes, Socrates, Plato, Cicero, Seneca, they all acknowledge it. Lege Marsil, Ficinum de Immort. Animae. Yea, Aristotle himself as is evident, De anima, lib. 1. context. 65, 66. Lib. 2. context. 21. Lib. 3. context. 4, 6, 7, 19, 20.
Yet we must not take the same course with all men, to convince them of Scripture Authority. We must first deal with an Atheist, In habitu Philosophico, before we plead, or directly prove Scripture Authority; of which, see learned Ludovicus Crocius, Syntagm. l. 1. p. 126.
The validity of that Human Testimony, which here we have most use for, dependeth not on any Authority thereto conferred from God, (as Romanists fondly imagine,) but on men as sensible, rational, and of common honesty. The Testimony of the enemies, is more strong then of friends. Strabo witnesseth, Lib. 16. Geogra. of Moses, and the ancient Israelites, That they were truly righteous and godly men. So doth Josephus testify of John the Baptist, and James : And Pliny of the Primitive Christians, Lib. 10. Epist. 101.
But I pass these, as not intending a full handling of this subject. The best that I know already extant on it, is Grotius and Du Plessis ; and I would some able man would do yet more. For my own part, I have had so many rare convincing experiences of the fulfilling of Promises to me, and answering Prayers, by wonders of unusual Providences, That serve mightily to conform me, by seconding my Arguments: And were it fit to speak so much of my own matters, I would produce them for the confirming of others.
Were it not to digress, I should here express my admiration, That so many learned men should lean towards Rome, merely upon a conceit, That there is a flat necessity of some Vltimately Decisive, Judicial Expounder of Scripture, and that must needs be their Church. For they think it abominable, that every man should be Judge. At present I would but know of them, First, Whether they speak of Fundamental plain places of Scripture? or of more obscure, and of less moment? For the former; First, Where there is such Plainness, there needs a Teacher to the Ignorant, but not a Judge: Among Christians, Fundamentals are no Controversies. Secondly, And if the Judge mistake in Fundamentals, if we obey him, we must renounce our Faith. Secondly, If the Pope, or his Council of Prelates be Judge; how shall all people in the Kingdoms of the World know, what Exposition they give? Hear their voices they cannot: If by their written Canons▪ who shall expound them to the people? If another Pope or Council, who shall expound their Exposition? and so in Infinitum. I do not see, but God speaks as plainly as the Council of Trent ; and as easy to be understood. Thirdly, Doth the Pope and Prelates know the meaning of Scripture by rational means? or by Euthusiasm? or by some Superior Judge? If by rational means, why may not as learned Doctors know it as well by the same? If by some other Judge, Who is it? If they believe Scripture, or the Sense of it, upon their own Authority, who will regard such self idolizing wretches? Fourthly, If there be a means left of God, for a true deciding all Controversies, and resolving all difficulties in Scripture; then why are not all resolved? and why are we not perfect in knowledge? The plain Truth is, Christ is the only proper Judge himself, and hath left us his Laws, and Magistrates to see that we obey them, and Ministers to teach us the meaning of them. Every man of these is bound to judge rightly of the Sense of these Laws; every particular man, that he may obey them: And if he mistake, he sineth, and must answer it to God, and (in some cases) to Magistrates and Overseers. The Magistrate is to judge rightly, when any is punishable; and if he err, he must answer it to the Supreme, and he to God. The Ministers are to judge rightly of the Sense of Scripture, that they may teach them others, and admonish, and censure accordingly; and if they mistake, they are in Synods to consult for Information, and in cases of difficulty, beyond their own reach, to obey the Decrees of such a lawful Synod: But to expect a final decisive Judgment of all Controversies on Earth, is vain: And that Synods should be too bold in determining, what God hath left doubtful, and utterly uncertain, is destructive to the Unity and Peace of the Church, rather then conducible. And for men to believe any of their Conclusions, or obey any of their Canons, when we are sure, That they are contrary to the Word of God; this were to change our Master, and take them for Christ, the Prophet, who are but his Ambassadors and Vshers in his School. When we have disputed and contended ourselves aweary, and wrangled the Church into flames and ashes; yet that which God hath spoken obscurely, and so left difficult in itself, will remain obscure and difficult still: And that which is difficult, through the weakness and incapacity of the Readers will be far better cleared by a rational Explication, then by a • are Canon. O when will the Lord once persuade his Churches • o take his Scripture Laws for the only Canon of their Faith! • nd that in their own naked Simplicity and Evidence! without • he Canons and Comments of men; which are no parts of our Creed, but helps to our understandings, and bounds to our practice 〈◊〉 matters circumstantial, which God hath left to man's determina • ion! When will the Lord persuade us, not to be wise above what 〈◊〉 written? but to acknowledge that to be beyond us, which is un • evealed in the Word! and that to be doubtful, which is darkly • evealed. Then the Contentions of the Church, about the Myste • ies of the Divine Decrees, the nature of Internal Grace, and way, • nd manner of the Spirits working, &c. will be more calmly managed.
Two things have set fire on the Church, and been the plagues of it his thousand years and more.
First, Englarging our Creed, and making more Fundamentals, • hen God hath done. (Master Parker, and Ludovicus Crocius have fully proved, That the Creed for a long time contained no more •