The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is shewed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...

CHAP. VII. The Excellencies of our Rest.

SECT. I.

YEt let us draw a little neerer, and see more immedi∣ately 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 up∣on this holy ground.

SECT. I.

* 1.11. ANd first, it's a most singular honor and ornament, in the stile of the Saints Rest, to be called the Purchased Pos∣session: 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 effi∣cacy 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.* 1.2 And to have this our Redeemer

ever before our Eyes, and the liveliest Sense and freshest Remem∣brance of that dying-bleeding-Love still upon our Souls!* 1.3 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 un∣beleeving heart, and are passed through all, and here arrived safely at the brest of God! Now we are stupified with vile and sensless 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 dulness, 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 re∣gard the dolorous voyce; 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 neerer our hearts, then if we beleeved nothing of what we read. But then when the obstructions between the eye and the understanding are taken away, and the passage opened be∣tween the head and the heart; surely our eyes will everlastingly af∣fect our heart: and while we view with one eye our slain-revived Lord, and with the other eye our lost-recovered Souls, and transcen∣dent 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 for ever. 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!* 1.4 that's the Joy,) we shall then leave these hearts of stone and Rock behinde us▪ and the sin that here so close besets us, and the sottish unkindness that followed us so long, shall not be able to fol∣low us into that Glory. But we shall behold, as it were, the wounds of Love, with eyes and hearts of Love for ever. 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 voyce 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 Re∣deemed 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 work∣ings 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 be∣tween our new-risen Lord, and the first sinful silly woman that he appears to? How doth Love struggle for expressions? and the strait∣ned fire shut up in the brest, strive to break forth? * 1.5 Mary! saith Christ: Master! saith Mary: and presently she clasps about his feet: having her heart as neer 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. Onely 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 pos∣session. 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,* 1.6 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,* 1.7 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 onely, 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 any thing 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 Eng∣land 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 Gods worthies, and our most dear friends! besides all other cost. Me∣thinks 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 rejoycing 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? Goliahs sword must be kept as a Trophie,* 1.8 and layd up behinde 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 Jonathans Love to David, which was testified by

stripping himself of the Robe that was upon him, and giving it David,* 1.9 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 for ever 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 * 1.10.

Yet understand this rightly; Not that this highest Glory was in strictest proper sense purchased, or that it was the most immediate Effect of Christs 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 tor∣ment men. God was never so pleased with the sufferings of the Innocent, much lesse of his Sonne, 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 immediatly to satisfie 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 counsell, 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 Pharoahs second Kine,2 1.11 to devour the for∣mer; and as the Angell to Balaam, To meet it with a drawne sword of a full opposition. But the seeming discord, is but a pleasing diversity composed into that harmony which constitutes the Melo∣dy. These two Attributes Purchased and Free, are the two chaines of Gold which by their pleasant twisting, doe make up that wreath for the heads of the Pillars in the Temple of God.* 1.12 It was deare to Christ, but free to us. When Christ was to buy, silver and gold was nothing worth; Prayers and Tears could not suffice; nor any thing 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 with∣out money, and without price. Nor doe the Gospell-conditions make it lesse Free; or the Covenant tenor before mentioned, con∣tradict any of this. If the Gospell-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 satisfie 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 cordiall accepta∣tion, surely we deserve not the name of Purchasers. Thankfull ac∣cepting 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 favour is never the lesse free. Nay, though the condition were, that he should begge, 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 pay∣ment, when he might have required it of the principall; and if both Father and Sonne do freely offer us the purchased life upon those fair conditions; and if they also freely send the Spirit to inable us to per∣form those conditions, then what is here that is not free? Is not e∣very

Stone that builds this Temple, Free-Stone? Oh, the everlast∣ing admiration that must needs surprize the Saints, to think of this Freenesse! 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, despi∣sed wretch should be clad in the brightnesse of this Glory? That I a silly creeping breathing worm, should be advanced to this high dig∣nity. 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, selfe-ignorant, selfe-admiring sinners should be thus advanced, who think none so fit for prefer∣ment as themselves; perhaps instead of admiring free Love, they would with those unhappy Angels be discontented yet with their estate. But when the selfe-denying, selfe-accusing, humble soule, who thought himselfe unworthy the ground he trod on, and the aire he breathed in, unworthy to eat, drink, or live, when he shall be taken vp 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 Cove∣nant, and all because he was unworthy! For this soul to finde it self rapt up into heaven and closed in the armes of Christ, even in a moment! Do but think with your selves what the transporting, astonishing admiration of such a soule will be. He that durst not lift up his eyes to heaven, but stood a farre off, smiting on his brest, and crying, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner; now to be lift up to heaven himself! He who was wont to write his name in Bradfords stile, The unthank••full, the hard-hearted, the unworthy sinner! And was wont to admire that patience could bear so long and just∣ice suffer him to live: Sure he will admire at this alteration, when he shall finde by experience that unworthinesse could not hind••r his salvation which he thought would have bereaved him of every mer∣cy. Ah Christian, There's no talk of our worthiness, nor unwor∣nesse; If worthiness were our condition for admittance, we might

sit down with S. John and weep,* 1.13 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 shal of∣fer 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 leprosie freely, but Gehazi who had no finger in the cure, will surely run after us, and take somthing of us, and falsly 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 Prelats Courts were large; and our Cōmutati∣on 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 honour: and riches occasion the difficulty of entrance, far more then want can do. For that which is highly esteemed among men,* 1.14 is despised with God, And so is it also, The poor of the world, rich in faith, whom God hath chosen to be heires of that Kingdom,* 1.15 which he hath prepared for them that love him. I know the true labourer 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 corne: And I know it is either hellish malice, or penu∣rious baseness, or ignorance of the weight of their work and bur∣then, that makes their maintenance so generally Incompetent, and their very livelihood and subsistance, so envied and grudged at: and that it's a meer 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 childrens mouths, when they should be preparing the bread of life for their peoples souls. But yet let me desire the right aiming Ministers of Christ, to consider, what is expedient as well as what is lawfull; 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 peoples souls: Let us make the Free-Gospell as little burthensome and chargeable as is possible.* 1.16 I had rather never take their Tythes while I live, then by them to destroy the souls for whom Christ dyed; and though God hath or∣dained

that they which preach the Gospell,* 1.17 should live of the Gospell! yet I had rather suffer all things, then hinder the Gospell: and it were better for me to dye, then that any man should make this my glorying voyd.* 1.18 Though the well-leading Elders be worthy of double honour, especially the laborious in the word and doctrine; yet if the necessity of Souls, and the promoting of the Gospel should require it,* 1.19 I had rather preach the Gospell in hunger and ragges, then rigidly contend for what's my due: And if I should do so, yet, have I not whereof to Glory;* 1.20 for necessity is laid upon me, yea, wo be to me if I preach not the Gospell, though I never received any thing 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 exas∣perate 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 Gospell? And to make the glad-tidings, to their yet carnall hearts seem to be sad tidings, because of this burthen? This is not the way of Christ and his Apostles, nor according to the self deny∣ing, yeelding, suffering Doctrine which they taught. Away with all those actions, that are against the main end of our studies and call∣ing, which is to win souls: and fie upon that gain, which hinders the gaining of men to Christ. I know flesh will here object necessi∣ties, 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 our selves; and teach our selves 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 Gods 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 shal pay nothing for our eternal Rest. We may pay for the bread and wine, but we shal 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 valua∣ble 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 a∣gainst our long endeavoring of our own ruine. 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 re∣ceivings! 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 inherit∣ance 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 layen 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 wa∣ges of my sin; but this Eternal life is the Gift of God, through Je∣sus 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 passe my time, and for∣get 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 bet∣ter affected to the Spirits perswasions? 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 ad∣vantages as they? And should I not have lingered in Sodom t••ll the flames had seized on me, if God had not in mercy carryed me out? Oh how free was all this Love? and how free is this enjoyed Glory? Doubtless this will be our ever∣lasting 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 la∣ziness: we know to whom the praise is due, and must be given for ever. And indeed to this very end it was, that in∣finite

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.* 1.21

THirdly.8 1.22 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 de∣tracted 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 finde 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 priviledg. 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 mens, as between Jacobs and Labans; we should more feelingly ac∣knowledg Mercy, then now, while we possess the same in com∣mon. Ordinariness dulleth our sense; and if Miracles were com∣mon, they would be slighted. If Pharoah had passed as safely as Israel, the Red Sea would have been less remembred. If the first-born of Egypt had not been slain, the first-born of Israel had not been the Lords 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 ballance de∣scends, 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 communica∣tion of their Happiness is their greatest desire; yet it might per∣haps dull their thankfulness, and differencing grace would not be known. But when one shall be illightened, and another left in darkness; one reformed, and another by his lusts enslaved; it makes them cry out with the Disciple,* 1.23 Lord what is it, that thou wilt reveal thy self to us, and not unto the world? When the Pro∣phet shall be sent to one Widow onely of all that were in Sama∣ria, 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 con∣scious of his own undeserving, and il-deserving, to see his com∣panion in sin perish; his Neighbor, Kinsman, Father, Mother, Wife, Childe, for ever in Hell, while he is preferred among the Blessed! To see other mens 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 joyn 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 Monu∣ment of Divine Vengeance, and escape with his two Daughters alone. Here is chusing, 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 wickeds misery, to the increase of their own Joy. And as they looked on the dead bodies of Christs two Witnesses slain in their streets, and they that dwell on the Earth rejoyced over them and made merry; and as the wicked here behold the calamities of Gods 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 Gods just proceedings,* 1.24 they shall rejoyce and sing. Thou art righ∣teous, 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. Alle∣luja, Salvation,* 1.25 and Glory, and Honor, and Power to our God; for true and righteous are his Judgments. And as the command is over Babylon,* 1.26 so will it be over all the condemned souls, Rejoyce 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 VVorld about them. Sincere singularity in Holiness, is by this time known to be

neither Hypocrisie nor Folly. If to be singular in that Glory be so desirable, surely to be singular in godly living is not contempt∣ible. As every one of them now knows his own sore, and his own grief, so shall every one then feel his own Joy: and if they can now call Christ their own,* 1.27 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.* 1.28

A Fourth comfortable adjunct of this Rest is, that it is in the fellowship of the Blessed Saints and Angels of God.4 1.29 Not so singular will the Christian be, as to be solitary. Though it be pro∣per 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 cor∣poration of perfected Saints whereof Christ is the head? the com∣munion of Saints compleated? Nor doth this make those joyes 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 sweet∣nes 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 watcht, 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 humane affections, it would affect exceedingly: And he who mentioneth the qualifica∣tions 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 ad∣vantage to our joyes. Certain I am of this, Fellow-Christians; that as we have been together in the labour, duty, danger and distress; so shall we be in the great recompence 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, * 1.30 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 enquire 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 feares whether ever we should come there or no; shall then rejoyce with one another, and tri∣umph over those doubts and feares! when we who were wont formerly in private to meet together for mutual edification, shall now most publikely be conioyned 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 Gods Justice shut it now. Oh when I look in the faces of the pretious people of God, and believingly think of this day, what a refreshing thought is it? shall we not there re∣member, think you, the pikes which we passed together here? our fellowship in duty and in sufferings? how oft our groanes made as it were one sound, our conjunct teares but one stream, and our conjunct desires but one prayer? and now all our prayses shall make up one melody; and all our Churches one Church; and all our selves but one body: for we shall be one in Christ, even as he and the father are one. Its true, we must be very carefull 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 kinde 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 reioyce in them; for love and enjoyment cannot stand with∣out 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 chuse but be comfortable to me to think of that day, when I shall joyn with Moses in his song, with David in his Psalms of praise; and with all the re∣deemed in the song of the Lamb for ever: When we shall see He∣noch walking with God; Noah enjoying the end of his singularity; Joseph of his Integrity; Job of his patience, Hezekiah of his up∣rightness; and all the Saints the end of their faith. Will it be no∣thing conducible to the compleating of our comforts, to live e∣ternally with Peter, Paul, Austin, Chrysostom, Jerome, Wickliffe, Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, Beza, Bullinger, Zanchius, Pareus, Pisca∣tor? with Hooper, Bradford, Latimer, Glover, Saunders, Philpot? with Reignolds, Whitaker, Cartwright, Brightman, Bayne, Brad∣shaw, Bolton, Ball, Hildersham, Pemble, Twisse, Ames, Preston, Sibbes? O faelicem diem (said old Grynoeus,) quum ad illud ani∣morum concilium proficiscar, & ex hac turba & Colluione disce∣dam! O happy day when I shall depart out of this crown and sink, and go to that same counsell of soules! 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 pretious friends in Christ; with whom I took sweet counsell, 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 pretious 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 knowledg cease which now we have, but only that which implyeth our imperfection: And what imper∣fection can this imply? Nay our present knowledg shall be increa¦sed 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 know∣ledge. Indeed we shall not know each other after the flesh;* 1.31 not by stature, voice, colour, 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 honour and worldly dignity; nor by tearmes 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 faithful∣ness 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 ille 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 indued 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 pa∣rents, wives,* 1.32 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 every one now our owne Angels, there beholding our Fathers face: And those who now are willingly ministring Spirits for our good, will wil∣lingly then be our companions in joy for the perfecting of our good:* 1.33 And they who had such joy in heaven for our conver∣sion, will gladly reioyce with us in our glorification. I think Christi∣an, this will be a more honourable assembly then you ever here be∣held: 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-aym∣ing, self-denying, unanimous, honourable, Triumphant Senate, then this from whence they were taken is, or ever Parliament will be. It is better be doore-keeper to that Assembly, whether Twisse, &c. are translated, then to have continued here the Moderator of this.* 1.34 That is the true Parliamentum Beatum, the Blessed Par∣liament, and that is the only Church that cannot erre. Then we shall truly say as David, I am a companion of all them that fear thee: when we are come to Mount Sion, and to the City of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels;* 1.35 to the General Assembly and Church of the

first-born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judg 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 imper∣fection, when they have sin to imbitter, as well as holiness to sweeten their society; what will it be to live with them in their perfection, where Saints are wholly and onely Saints? If it be a delight to hear them pray or preach; what will it be to hear them praise? If we thought our selves 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 joyn 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 houshold of God, Eph. 2.19.

SECT. V.* 1.36

FIfthly,5 1.37 another excellent property of our Rest will be, That the Joyes of it are immediately from God. Nor doth this con∣tradict 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 King∣dom to the Father, do imply the ceasing of the Mediators Office? And consequently, the laying aside of the humane 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 imployment 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 it self? Yet many times it never enters, being man∣aged 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 peoples 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 maner of handling too Humane: And there's little or none that ever we touch, but we leave the print of our fingers behinde us; but if God should speak this Word himself, it would be a piercing, melt∣ing Word indeed. How full of comfort are the Gospel Promises? yet do we oft so heartlesly declare them, that the broken, bleed∣ing-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 expres∣sions, and dunghil conversations, whose lustre we do pretend to discover; while the hearers judg of it by our expressions, and not its proper, genuine worth. The truth is, the best of men do appre∣hend but little of what God in his Word expresseth, and what they do apprehend, they are unable to utter. Humane language is not so copious as the hearts conceivings are; and what we possi∣bly might declare, yet through our own unbelief, stupidity, lazi∣ness, and other corruptions, we usually fail in; and what we do declare, yet the darkness of our peoples understandings, and the sad senslesness of their hearts, doth usually shut out, and make voyd. So that as all the Works of God are perfect in their sea∣son, as he is perfect; so are all the works of man as himself, im∣perfect: 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 ex∣perience now, that his most immediate Joyes are his sweetest

Joyes; which have least of man, and are most directly from the Spirit. Thats one reason, as I conceive, why Christians who are much in secret prayer, and in meditation and contemplation (ra∣ther 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 with∣out the compass of the Gospel Lines, and so without the Govern∣ment 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 Gods 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 re∣ceivings; but the fulness 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 for ever and ever, Revel. 22.5. We shall then have rest without sleep, and be kept from cold without our cloath∣ing, and need no Fig-leaves to hide our shame: For God will be our Rest, and Christ our cloathing, and shame and sin will cease together. We shall then have health without Physick, 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 for ever. Then shall we have joy, which we drew not from the promises, nor was fetcht us home by Faith or Hope: Beholding and posses∣sing, will exclude the most of these. We shall then have Com∣munion without Sacraments, when Christ shall drink with us of the fruit of the Vine new, that is, Refresh us with the comfort∣ing 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 re∣ceived with, and by the means, and Creature here, the neerer is our state like that in glory. In a word, We have now our Mercies, as Benjamin had Josephs cup;* 1.38 we finde 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 ruine. 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 Fa∣thers house and presence, and God shall be All, and in All; then are we indeed at home in Rest.

SECT. VI.* 1.39

SIxthly.6 1.40 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 sea∣son. 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,* 1.41 shall also if they faint not, reap in season. If God will not miss the season of common Mercies, even to his enemies;* 1.42 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,* 1.43 but brought Israel out of Egypt that self same day that the 430 yeers were expired; neither will he fail of one day or hour of the fittest season for his peoples glory. And as Christ failed not to come in the fulness of time, even then when Daniel and others had foretold his coming; so in the fulness and fitness of time will his second coming be. He that hath given the Stork▪* 1.44 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,* 1.45 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 Ene∣mies, 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 yeers imprisonment, and insulted over by scornful foes, and suffered many pinching wants, and hardly enjoyed bare necessa∣ries; 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 our selves: O, how oft hath this been mine own case; and is not Rest yet seasonable? Some are complaining under the pres∣sures of the times; weary of their Taxes, weary of their Quarter∣ing, weary of Plunderings, weary of their fears and dangers, weary of their poverty and wants; and is not Rest yet season∣able? Whither can you go, or into what company can you come, where the voyce of complaining doth not shew, 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 blinde minde, doubting concerning the way they walk in, unsetled 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 doubt∣ings, and feares concerning their spiritual estate; and some of the want of spiritual Joyes, and some of the sense of Gods 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 a∣fraid 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 Jo∣seph 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 Jacobs Spirits; then me thinks, the message for a release from the flesh, and our convoy to Christ, should be a seasonable and welcome message.* 1.46 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 Lyons, to possesse his Rest among his Saints, should be to us a very sea∣sonable 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 en∣joy the fountain; and the hungry to be filled with the bread of Life; and the naked to be cloathed from above, for the children to come to their Fathers house, and the dis-joyned members, to be conjoy∣ned with their Head; me thinks this should be seldom unseason∣able. 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 lookt for glory? where is the promise of your Lords coming? O, how seasonable then, to convince these unbe∣lievers, 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 deli∣verances are not more speedy and eminent; that the world pros∣pers 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 grudg that we do not finde a Canaan in the VVilderness; or cities of Rest in Noahs Ark; and the songs of Sion in a strange Land; that we have not a harbor in the main Ocean; or finde 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 there∣fore 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 shew 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 streight, 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 Har∣vest great, and very many Congregations desolate, and the peo∣ple as sheep without shepherds, and yet the laborers called from their work, especially when a door of Liberty and oppor∣tunity 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 worme as I? cannot he a 1000 wayes supply your wants? you know when your case was worse, and yet he provi∣ded. Hath he work to do and will he not finde 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 Israels burden was increased? or when all the old stock save only two were con∣sumed in the Wilderness? Where was Davids Kingdom when he was hunted in the Wilderness? or the Glory of Christs Kingdom when he was in the Grave? or when he first sent his 12. Apostles? How suddenly did the number of Labourers encrease 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, for ever? 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 turnes will shortly come; and we shall all be hous'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 commise∣rate 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 Gods indignation: but yet we should (as Aaron when his sons were slain) hold our peace,* 1.47 and be silent, because it is the Lords doing: And say as David, If I (and his people) shall finde favor in the eyes of the Lord,* 1.48 he will bring me again, and shew me them, and his Habitati∣on: 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 behinde, yet the Saints departure to themselves is usually seasonable. I say, usually, because I know that a very Saint may have a death in * 1.49 some respect unseasonable, though it do translate him into this Rest. He may dye in Judgment as good Josiah: he may die for his sin:* 1.50 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 publike Justice; or die in a way of publike scandal: He may die in a weak degree of grace, and consequently have a less degree of glory. He may die in smal∣ler improvements of his talents,* 1.51 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.* 1.52 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;* 1.53 but God hath left preservatives enough a∣gainst 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 Melancholly are more fearful to die then other men. And this terror is preservative enough of that kinde, That such committing of a hainous known Sin, is a sad sign, where there is the free use of Reason: That there∣fore they make their Salvation more questionable: That they die most woful scandals to the Church: That however, the sin it self 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 Feavers, Phrensies, Madness, Melan∣cholly, &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 ex∣clude 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, * 1.54 untimely death: But in the ordinary course of Gods dealings, you may easily observe, that he purposely maketh his peoples 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 alway good; but at such a time as Samarias siege, to have plenty of food in stead of Doves dung, in one nights space; or in such a thirst as Ishmaels or Sampsons, to have supply of water by miracle in a moment; these are seasonable. So this Rest is al∣ways good to the Saints, and usually also is most seasonable Rest.

SECT. VII.* 1.55

SEventhly.7 1.56 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.1 1.57 If sutableness concur not with excel∣lency, 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 chuse 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 ex∣cellent to man, because suitable: But the flesh which is of an∣other nature, doth rather chuse another element; and that which is to us so excellent, would quickly be to it destructive. The choicest dainties which we feed upon our selves, 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 mans meat, is another mans poyson. Now here is suitableness and excellency conjoyned. The new na∣ture of the Saints, doth suit their Spirits to this Rest: And in∣deed their holiness is nothing else, but a sparke 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.* 1.58 As they were not Re∣deemed with so low a price, so neither are they indued 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 VVorship, suitable to his own Spiritual Being; so will he pro∣vide them a spiritual Rest, suitable to his peoples 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 knowledg of God and his Christ; a delightful complacency in that mutual love: an everlasting rejoycing 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 Sion? 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 for ever. O blessed be that hand which fetcht a coal, and kindled a fire in our dead hearts, from that same Altar, where we must offer our Sacrifice everlastingly. To be lockt 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 humane applause, is but a very airy felicity; to be advanced to the Soveraignty of all the Earth, would be but to wear a Crown of Thorns; to be filled with the knowledg of Arts and Sciences, would be but to further the conviction of our unhap∣piness: 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 common∣ly understood) of our own inherent renewed nature, figuratively called Divine, or rather of Christs Divine Nature without us, properly so called; wherof we are also made partakers, I know not: But certainly were not our own in some sort Divine, the enjoy∣ment of the true Divine Nature could not be to us a suitable Rest.

2. It is suitable also to the desires of the Saints:2 1.59 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 whilest these are stirring, to have delights and riches, and honor, and sin it self. But these are not their prevailing Desires, nor such as in their de∣liberate 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 con∣tents to satisfie these, were to provide food for them that are dead. For they that are in Christ,* 1.60 have crucified the flesh, with the affecti∣ons 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 mis∣guided,

it is a far greater Mercy to deny them, yea, to destroy them, then to satisfie them: But those which are Spiritual, are of his own planting, and he will surely water them, and give the in∣crease. 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, Mer∣cies 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 finde 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 pro∣mise. Desire what thou canst, and ask what thou wilt as a Christi∣an, and it shall be given thee; not onely 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 enjoy∣ment. 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 endevor for de∣sires suitable to the true felicity, and to direct their Ship to the right Harbor, seeing they cannot bring the Harbor to their Ship.

3 1.613. 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 grosse created com∣forts,

which now they are forced to make use of; which like Sauls 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 drossie 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 bet∣ter to have no need of meat, and drink, and cloathing, and crea∣tures, 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 yeers drought, then this Rest will be to this thirsty Soul. It will be with us,* 1.62 as with the diseased man, who had lien at the waters, and continued diseased thirty eight yeers, when Christ did fully cure him in a moment;* 1.63 or with the woman, who having had the issue of blood, and spent all she had upon Physicians, and suffered the space of twelve yeers, 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.* 1.64

EIghtly.8 1.65 Another excellency of our Rest will be this, That it will be absolutely perfect and compleat; and this both in the sincerity and universality of it.1 1.66 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: VVe 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; to morrow sick, and conclude we shall shortly perish by our distempers; to day in esteem, to mor∣row in disgrace; to day we have friends, to morrow none; to

day in gladness, to morrow in sadness; na••▪ we have VVine and Vinegar in the same Cup, and our pleasantest Food hath a taste of the Gall.* 1.67 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 unconstancy, nor mixtures in Heaven.* 1.68 If perfect Love cast out fear, then per∣fect Joy must needs cast out sorrow; and perfect happiness ex∣clude all the reliques of misery.2 1.69 There will be an universal perfect∣ing of all our parts and powers, and a universal removal of all our evils.1 1.70 And though the positive part be the sweetest, and that which draws the other after it, even as the rising of the Sun ex∣cludes the darkness;2 1.71 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. Particular∣ly, First, from the evil of Sin; secondly, and of suffering.

1 1.72First, 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 abomina∣tion, 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,* 1.73 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.* 1.74 For to this end came he into the world, that he might put away the works of the divel. His Blood and Spirit have not done all this,* 1.75 to leave us after all defiled. For what commu∣nion 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 offer∣ed to thy choice, thou wouldst rather chuse to be freed from sin, then to be made heir of all the world: VVhy 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 behinde thee, then leave thy self behinde thee, shall now be left behinde for ever. They might accompany thee to death, but they cannot pro∣ceed a step further.1 1.76 Thy understanding shall never more be trou∣bled with darkness: Ignorance and Error are inconsistent with this Light. Now thou walkest like a man in the twilight, ever a∣fraid of being out of the way: Thou seest so many Religions in the VVorld, that thou fearest thy one cannot be onely the right among all these * 1.77: Thou seest the Scripture so exceeding difficult, and every one pleading it for his own cause, and bringing such specious Arguments for so contrary Opinions, that it intangleth 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 every thing in our way. But then will all this darkness be dispelled, and our blinde understandings fully open∣ed, and we shall have no more doubts of our way: VVe 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 cleerly, 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. VVhat would we not give to see all dark Scriptures made plain, to see all seeming con∣tradictions reconciled! Why when Glory hath taken the vail 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 Igno∣rance, 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 to day of one opinion, and

within this week, or moneth, or yeer, of another; and yet alas! we cannot help it: The reproach may fall upon all mankinde, as long as we have need of daily growth: Would they have us be∣leeve before we understand? or say, we beleeve when indeed we do not? shall we profess our selves resolved, before we ever throughly studied? or say, we are certain, when we are conscious that we are not? But when once our Ignorance is perfectly heal∣ed, then shall we be setled, 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 Scepticks any more. 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 desireable harmonious consent, to the scandalizing of others, and weakning of our selves. How many an humble faithful Soul, is seduced into Error, and little knows it? Loath they are to erre, God knows, and therefore read, and pray, and confer, and yet erre still, and con∣firmed 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 Con∣troversies to them, but were glad if their hearers were brought to Christ, and got so much knowledg as might help to Salvation, as knowing that to be their great work. And can it be expected, That men voyd 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 Di¦vines of clearest Judgment, acknowledg so much difficulty, That they could almost finde 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 humane, and see with other mens 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-peeces able to reach. Indeed, if it were the way of the Spirit to teach us miraculously, as the Apostles were taught the knowledg of Tongues, without

the intervening use of Reason; or if the Spirit infused the acts of Knowledg, as he doth the immediate knowing Power, then he that had most of the Spirit, would not onely know best, but al∣so know most; but we have enough to convince us of the con∣trary to this. But O that happy approaching day, when Error shall vanish away for ever! VVhen 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 Councels, to perfect our un∣derstandings, and acquaint us with himself, who is the perfect Truth. No more Error, no more Scandal to others, no more Dis∣quiet to our own spirits, no more mistaking zeal for falshood, 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,2 1.78 so of our wills, affection and conversation: VVe 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 un∣holy conversation; we shall Rest from all these for ever. 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 VVill, 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,* 1.79 they are left for pricks in our sides, and thorns in our eyes; and as the bond-woman and her son in Abra∣hams house,* 1.80 they do but abuse us, and make our lives a burden to us: But then shall the bond-woman 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.* 1.81 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.

* 1.82SECT. IX.

2 1.832. IT is also a perfect Rest from suffering. When the cause is gone, the effect ceaseth. Our sufferings were but the conse∣quents of our sinning, and here they both shall cease together. I will shew particularly ten kindes of suffering which we shall there rest from.

1 1.841. We shall Rest from all our perplexing doubts and fears: It shall no more be said, That * 1.85 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 signes to resolve the poor doubt∣ing soul: The full fruition of Love it self hath now resolved his doubts for ever. We shall hear that kinde 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 hypocrisie; 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, unkinde a sin∣ner? Such an under-valuer of Christ as I am? All this kinde of lan∣guage is there turned into another tune; even into the praises of him, who hath forgiven, who hath converted, who hath accept∣ed, 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 com∣fort to the sad and drooping soul, whose life was nothing but a

doubting distress, and their language nothing but a constant com∣plaining. 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 for ever.

SECT. X.* 1.86

2. WE shall rest from all that sense of Gods displeasure,2 1.87 which was our greatest torment; whether manifest∣ed mediately or immediately. For he will cause his fury to∣wards us to rest, and his jealousie to cease, and he will be angry with us no more, Ezek. 16.42. Surely Hell shall not be mixed with Hea∣ven: There is the place for the glorifying of Justice, prepared of purpose to manifest wrath; but Heaven is onely for Mercy and Love.* 1.88 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;* 1.89 that his moysture is as the drought of Summer;* 1.90 that there is no soundness in his flesh, because of Gods 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 remembreth God, and is troubled; that in complaining his spirit is overwhelmed;* 1.91 that his soul refuseth to be comforted, that Gods wrath lieth hard upon him;* 1.92 and that he afflicteth him with all his waves. O, how contrary now are Davids 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 thankful∣ness!

and all sense of Gods 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 im∣brace us; when he shall say to Sion, Arise and shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, Isa. 60.2.

* 1.93SECT. XI.

3 1.943. WE shall rest from all the Temptations of Satan, where∣by he continually disturbes our peace. VVhat 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 disswading him from it, distracting him in it, or discouraging him after it? VVhat a torment, as well as temptati∣on is it, to have such horrid motions made to his soul? such Blas∣phemous 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; some∣time to venture on the delights of flesh; and sometime to flat Atheism it self? 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 mo∣tions? But more, that his heart should be the soyl for this seed, and the too fruitful mother of such an off-spring? 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 him∣self, 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;* 1.95 and are in danger to be cir∣cumvented with his methods and wiles;* 1.96 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 VVilderness;* 1.97 but he enter∣eth not the Holy City: He may set us on the pinacle 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 Sion, 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 onely heard and read of a Kingdom, which they never beheld, and had onely Faith to live upon, and were in∣compassed with flesh, and drawn aside by sense. But when once they see the Glory they read of, and taste the joyes 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 bo∣som of the Fathers Love? and that to a place of Torment among the damned, which their eyes behold? why, what charms, what perswasions 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,* 1.98 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 tryed, they shall re∣ceive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him, Jam. 1.12.* 1.99 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.

* 1.100SECT. XII.

4 1.1014. 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 unexpressible, and a weight (were it not that we are beholding to supporting grace) utterly intollerable. O the hourly dangers that we poor sinners here be∣low 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. VVe can scarce open our eyes, but we are in danger: If we behold them above us, we are in danger of envy: If them be∣low us, we are in danger of contempt: If we see sumptuous buildings, pleasant habitations, Honour and Riches, we are in danger to be drawn away with covetous desires; If the ragges and beggery 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. VVe can scarcely hear a word spoken, but containes 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 Temp∣tation is our appetite? and how constant and strong a watch doth it require? Have we comliness 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 pufft up?* 1.102 To seek our selves? 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 erre 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 our selves? to stand upon our honour and priviledges? To for∣get our selves, our poor brethren, and the publick good? How hard to devote our power to his Glory, from whom we have re∣ceived 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 grudg at others preheminence? and to take liberty to bring all their actions to the bar of our incom∣petent Judgment? and to censure, and slander them, and mur∣mure at their proceedings? Are we rich, and not too much exalted? Are we poor, and not discontented? and make our worldly ne∣cessities 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?* 1.103 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 speake; 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 cryes 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 for ever Blessed be Omnipotent Love, which saves us out of all these: and maketh our streights, but the advantages of the glo∣ry 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;* 1.104 the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Now our Houses▪ our Cloaths, our Sleep, our Food, our Physick, our Father, Mother, Wife, Children, Friends, Goods, Lands, are all so many Temptations; and our selves the greatest snare to our selves. But in Heaven, the danger and trouble is over; there is nothing but what will advance our joy. Now every old compani∣on, 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 neigh∣bors? must you be so precise? do you think none shall be saved but Puritans? what needs all this strictness, this reading, and pray∣ing, and preaching? will you make your self the scorn of all men? Come, do as we do; take your cups, and drink away sor∣row. O how many a poor Christian hath been haunted and vexed with these Temptations? and it may be Father, or Mother, or neerest 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 any thing to serve his malice; but all things shall there with us conspire the high praises of our great Deliverer.

* 1.105SECT. XIII.

5 1.1065. 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, buffetting, spitting on; that is the time for crowning with glory:* 1.107 Now the Law is decreed on, That who∣soever 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 Christs 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,* 1.108 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 signes and wonders among professing Christians: They put us out of their Synagogues, and cast out our name as evil, and sepa∣rate 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 carelesness, then ever they did us for our heavenliness. A poor Christian can scarce go along the streets now, but every one is pointing the finger in scorn, but then they would be glad of the Crums of his Happiness. The rich man would scarce have be∣lieved 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 voyce is a vexation to them. How must it needs torment them then, to see us praising and rejoycing, while they are howl∣ing and lamenting? How full were their prisons a while ago, and how bitter their rage? How did they scatter the carkasses in the fields? and delight themselves in the blood of Saints? How glad would they have been, if they could have brought them to ruine, and blotted out their name from off the Earth? How did they prepare, like Haman, their Gallows? and if God had not gain∣said it,* 1.109 the execution would have been answerable. But he that sit∣eth in Heaven, did laugh them to scorn, the Lord had them in de∣rision. O how full were their hearts of blood, and their hands of cruelty! I am perswaded the next generation that knew them not, will scarcely believe the fury of their rage. Blessed be the Guar∣dian 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 Trophee, and set up a Monument of Remembrance in England, which God forbid should ever be forgotten.* 1.110 So let all thine (uncurable) enemies perish, O Lord.* 1.111 When the Lord maketh inquisition for blood, he will remember the precious blood which they have shed; and the Earth shall not cover it any more. 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 for ever.* 1.112 For our Lord hath told them, That whither he goes, they cannot come. When their flood of persecution is dryed up, and the Church called out of the Wilderness, and the new Jerusalem come down from Heaven, and Mercy and Justice are fully glorified,* 1.113 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, wandring 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 behinde us, when once we enter the City of our Rest; the names of Lollard, Hugonots, 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; Subscrip∣tion and Conformity no more urged; Silencing and Suspending, are there more then suspended; there are no Bishops or Chan∣celors Courts; no Visitations, nor High Commission Judgments; no Censures to loss of Members, perpetual Imprisonment or Banishment. Christ is not there cloathed in a Gorgeous Robe, and blindfolded,* 1.114 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 Schismatick wounded, and a Saint found bleeding; nor our Friends smite us, whilest they mistake us for their enemies: There is none of all this blinde, mad work there. Dear Brethren, you that now can attempt no work of God without resistance, and finde 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 joyn heart and voyce with you, in your everlasting joy and praises. Till then, possess your souls in patience:* 1.115 Binde 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:* 1.116 He will recompence tribulation to them that trou∣ble you; and to you who are troubled Rest with Christ. Onely see to this, Brethren, That none of you suffer as an evil doer, as a busie-body in other mens matters, as a resister of the commands of lawful Authority, as ingrateful to those that have been Instru∣ments of our good,* 1.117 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,* 1.118 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 Christs Disciple; and that Christ will renounce him, and be ashamed of him,* 1.119 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 un∣reasonable men, Let them hear the word of the Lord; Your Bre∣thren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake▪ said,* 1.120 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 throughly plead your cause, that he may give rest to his people, and disquietness to their enemies, Jere. 50.34.

* 1.121SECT. XIIII.

6 1.1226. 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 in∣vicem amplectuntur amicitiâ, qui mutuâ implacabili inimicitiâ peri∣êre? 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 Di∣visions 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 Hea∣ven, now all of one minde, one heart, and one imployment, 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,* 1.123 and one another. As old Grynaeus wrote to his friend, Si te non ampliùs in his terris videam, ibi tamen convenie∣mus ubi Lutherus cum Zuinglio optimè jam convenit: If I see you no more on Earth, yet we shall there meet, where Luther and Zuinglius 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. Presbyteri∣ans 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 ofa 1.124 Martin is there a stranger; and the sound of his ec∣cho is not heard. No Recording our Brethrens infirmities: nor raking into the sores which Christ died to heal. How many Ser∣mons zealously Preached; how many Books studiously compiled,

will then by the Authors be all disclaimed? b 1.125 How many back-biting slanderous speeches? How many secret dividing contrivan∣ces, 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 plot∣ing to strengthen our party: nor deep designing against our Bre∣thren. And is it not shame and pity, that our course is now so con∣trary? 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 remembred their former unkinde 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 c 1.126 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 d 1.127 swords against each other, and to seek each others blood so fiercely? Alas, if the Judgment be once perverted, and error have possessed the su∣pream 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 vilifie or destroy him without remorse.

O what hellish things are e 1.128 Ignorance and Pride, that can bring mens 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 knowledg 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 f 1.129? That of their own selves men should arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them? Acts 20.30. VVho then can expect better from any So∣ciety now, how knowing and holy soever? To day they may be Orthodox, unanimous, and joyned in Love; and perhaps within a few weeks be divided, and at bitter enmity, through their doting about Questions that tend not to edifie. VVho 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 Lords day, for repeating Sermons, for taking Notes, for desiring Discipline, &c.

had their mouthes stopped; we should fall upon one ano∣ther 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 prophaneness? 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 VVriters, That these Christians were as cruel as Bears and Tygers against one another:* 1.130 Ammianus Marcellinus gives it as the Reason of Juli∣ans 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 * 1.131 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 VVriter: Little did I think to have seen it so far verified! Lord, what Divels are we unsanctified, when there is yet such a Nature remaining in the sanctified? Such a Na∣ture hath God in these days suffered to discover it self 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 Apo∣stasie; or believe there are scarce any godly in the world. O what a wound of dishonor hath this given, not onely to the strict∣er profession of holines, 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 be∣fore the living God, That thou sadly consider, how far is this un∣like 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 anothers: 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 thy self; 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.* 1.132 If thou love not thine enemy, much more thy Christian friend, thou canst not be Christs Disciple. It is the com∣mon mark whereby his Disciples are known to all men,* 1.133 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 finde nothing of Christ so clear within them, as their love to the Bre∣thren, 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 bestow∣ed, 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 clo∣sure of Love! who being now dryed 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 Imployment for ever! VVhen there shall be no more Circumcision and Uncircumcision,* 1.134 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 conjoyn in blessed concord, and make up one melodious Quire.

I could wish they were of the Martyrs minde, who rejoyced 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 finde 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 near∣est and sweetest familiarity, to live and rejoyce with them for ever? 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 compas∣sion, 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 Lyons, Wolves and Tygers can agree together, but Christians can∣not! That a Legion of Devils can accord in one body,* 1.135 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 rejoyceth me, That my old Friends who now look strangely at me, will joyfully triumph with me in our common Rest.

SECT. XV.

* 1.136

7. WE shall then rest from all our dolorous houres, and sad thoughts which we now undergo,7 1.137 by participa∣ting with our Brethren in their Calamities. Alas if we had no∣thing upon our selves to trouble us, yet what heart could lay a∣side 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 Childrens overthrow, must needs grieve the most patient soul. Except we are turned into steel or stone, and have lost both

Christian and humane affection,* 1.138 there needs no more then the mise∣ries of our Brethren, to fill our hearts with successions of sorrows, and make our lives a continued lamentation. The Church on Earth is a meer 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 wilfulness: 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 Cala∣mities, especially in days of common Sufferings, when nothing appears to our sight, but ruine: 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 distres∣ses, so then our friends deliverance will be part of our own deli∣verance. How much more joyous now to Joyn with them in their days of Thanksgiving and gladness, then in the days of Hu∣miliation in sackcloth and ashes? How much then more joyous will it be to joyn with them in their perpetual praises and tri∣umphs, 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 suf∣ferings 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 cot∣tage, 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, cloathed with Glory, and equalized with the rich∣est and greatest Princes? O the sad and heart-piercing spectacles

that mine eyes have seen in four yeers space! In this fight, a dear friend fall down by me; from another, a precious Christian brought home wounded or dead; scarce a moneth, 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-hil, Newbury, Nant∣wich, 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 carkasses 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 glori∣fied? 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 councel, and who zealously joyned with us in Gods wor∣ship, 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 neer the Foundation; and to be raging con∣fident in the grossest Errors? To see many neer us in the flesh con∣tinue 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 Childe, or Friend? And to think, how certainly they shall be in Hell for ever, if they die in their present unrege∣nerate estate? O what continual dolors do all these sad sights and thoughts, fill our hearts with from day to day. And will it not be a blessed day when we shall rest from all these? what Christian now is not in Pauls 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 Englands four yeers blood, a flourishing Land almost made ruined; hear but the common voyce in most Cities,

Towns, and Countreys through the Land; and judg whether here be no cause of sorrow. Especially, look but to the sad effects; and mens spirits grown more out of order, when a most wonder∣ful 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 every where, and tell me what you see. Blessed that approaching day, when our eyes shall behold no more such sights; nor our ears hear any more such tidings. How many hundred Pamphlets are Printed, full of al∣most nothing, but the common calamities? So that its become a gainful trade to divulge the news of our Brethrens 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 nei∣ther suffered nor seen?* 1.139 Its said of Melancthon, That the miseries of the Church made him almost neglect the death of his most be∣loved 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?* 1.140 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.* 1.141 Who could then have taken the Harp in hand, or sung the pleasant Songs of Zion?* 1.142 But blessed be the Lord who hath fru∣strated our fears; and who will hasten that rejoycing day, when Sion 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 them∣selves down at the soles of her feet;* 1.143 and they shall call her, The City of the Lord, the Sion of the holy One of Israel. When her people also shall be all Righteous, even the Work of Gods hands, the Branch of his planting, who shall inherit the Land for ever, that he may be glorified.* 1.144 When that voice shall sound forth, Re∣joyce with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: Re∣joyce

for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the brests 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 Brethrens suffer∣ings.

SECT. XVI.* 1.145

8. WE shall Rest also from all our own personal sufferings,8 1.146 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 kinde 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 suffer∣ings, as of days and hours! We are the Carkasses that all Cala∣mities 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 minde us of what we would else forget; to be serviceable to his wise and gracious designes, and advantagious to our full and final Recovery. He hath sent us as Lambs among Wolves; and sure there is little Rest to be expect∣ed. 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 every where: It seiseth 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 Stoick have fortified his inwards against these, yet is he naked still with∣out;

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 hard∣ly cured, if once crackt? O the multitudes of slender Veins, of tender Membranes, Nerves, Fibres, Muscles, Arteries, and all sub∣ject to Obstructions, Exesions, Tensions, Contractions, Resoluti∣ons, Ruptures, or one thing or other to cause their Grief! Every one a fit subject for pain, and fit to communicate that pain to the whole. What noble part is there that suffereth its pain or ruine alone? whatever it is to the sound and healthful, methinks to such as my self, this Rest should be acceptable, who in ten or twelve yeers time have scarce had a whole day free from some dolor. O the weary nights and days! O the unserviceable languishing weak∣ness! O the restless working vapors! O the tedious nauseous me∣dicines! besides the daily expectations of worse! and will it not be desireable 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 behinde 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 mens Feavers are continual, and some intermittent; some have Tertians, and some Quartans; but more or less, all have their fits. O the blessed tranquillity of that Region, where there is nothing but sweet con∣tinued Peace! No succession of Joy there, because no intermissi∣on. 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 supream 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 hun∣ger, or thirst, or cold, or nakedness: No pinching Frosts, nor scorching Heats.* 1.147 Our very Beasts who suffered with us, shall also be freed from their bondage; our selves therefore much more; Our faces shall no more be pale or sad;* 1.148 our groans and sighes 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 voyce of Lamentation heard in our dwellings: No more breaches, nor disproportion in our friendship, nor any trouble ac∣companying our relations: No more care of Master for Servants, of Parents for Children, of Magistrates over Subjects, of Mini∣sters over people. No more sadness for our Study lost, our Preaching lost, our Intreaties lost, the Tenders of Christs blood lost, and our dear Peoples Souls lost. * 1.149 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 Sion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flie 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 neerer then many others. And thou who hast often cried in the language of the Divine Poet, [Sorrow was all my soul; I scarce beleeved, 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 acknowledg, That thou livest.

And thus we shall Rest from all Afflictions.

* 1.150SECT. XVII.

9 1.1519. WE shall Rest also from all the trouble and pain of Duty. The Conscientious Magistrate now ctyes out, O the bur∣den that lieth upon me! The conscientious parents that know the preciousness of their childrens 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 patterne, Mark. 3.20.21. &c. Act. 20.18, 31. When he hath tryed 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 any more 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 wea∣ry 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, be∣fore they have time to be built up in the Truth? And when Here∣sies 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 con∣fident, 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 informe the old ignorant sinner, to convince the stubborne and worldly wise, to perswade a wilful resolved wretch, to prick a stony heart to the quick,* 1.152 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 gain∣sayers, 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 cryes out, O the burden! or, O my weakness that makes it so burdensom! But our remain∣ing 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, see∣ing 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.* 1.153

10. ANd lastly,10 1.154 we shall Rest from all those sad affections, which necessarily accompany our absence from God. The trouble that is mixt in our desires and hopes, our longings and waitings, shall then cease. We shall no more look into our Cabi∣net, and miss our Treasure; look into our hearts, and miss our Christ; nor no more seek him from Ordinance to Ordinance, and enquire 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 con∣cluded 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.* 1.155

NInthly.9 1.156 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 comparative∣ly, little or nothing. The very thought of once leaving it, would else imbitter all our joys; and the more would it peirce us, be∣cause 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 kinde of Heaven to the damned, had they but hopes of once escaping? * 1.157 Mortality is the disgrace of all sublunary delights. It makes our present life of little value, (were it not for the re∣ference it hath to God, and Eternity) to think that we must short∣ly lay it down. How can we take delight in any thing, 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 fore∣known, is in part endured: And thus our knowledg encreaseth our sorrows. Eccles. 1.18. How can it chuse, 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 me∣thinks 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 voyce, 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 contempti∣ble. I should call him with David, A vain shadow; and with the Prophet, Nothing, and less then nothing, and altogether lighter then vanity it self. 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 onely 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 Gods Temple, and go out no more.* 1.158 O, what do I say when I talk of Eternity? Can my shal∣low thoughts at all conceive, what that most high expression doth contain? To be eternally blessed, and so blessed! Why surely, this if any thing 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 yeers of our Lord, and the yeers of our lives, are lost and swal∣lowed 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 for ever.* 1.159 Our first and earthly Paradise in Eden, had a way out, but none that ever we could finde, 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.* 1.160 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.

Fear not to enter that estate, where thou shalt ever after cease thy Fears. Sit down, and sadly once a day, bethink thy self of this Eternity: Among all thine Arithmetical numbers, study the value of this infinite Cypher; which though it stand for nothing in the vulgar account, doth yet contain all our Millions, as much less then a simple Unit: Lay by thy per∣plexed and contradicting Chronological Tables, and fix thine eye on this Eternity; and the Lines which remote thou couldst not follow, thou shalt see altogether here concentred: Study less those tedious Volumns of History; which contain but the silent Narration of Dreams, and are but the pictures of the

actions of shadows: And in stead of all, study frequently, study throughly this one word [Eternity;] and when thou hast learn∣ed throughly that one word, thou wilt never lo••k on Books again. What! Live and Never die? Rejoyce and Ever rejoyce•• O what sweet words are those, Never and Ever? O happy souls in Hell, should you but escape after millions of ages! and if the Origenists Doctrine were but True! O, miserable Saints in Hea∣ven, should you be dispossessed after the age of a million of Worlds!

But O this word [Everlasting] contains the ac∣complished perfection of their Torment and our Glory. O, that the wicked sinner would but soundly study this word [Everlast∣ing!] Methinks it should startle him out of his deadest sleep! O that the gracious soul would believingly study this word [Ever∣lasting!] Methinks it should revive him in his deepest Agony! And must I, Lord, thus live for ever? Then will I also love for••ever. Must my Joyes be immortal? And shall not my thanks be also immortal? Surely, if I shall never lose my glory, I will also never cease thy praises. Shouldst thou but renew my Lease of these first Fruits; would I not renew thy Fine and Rent? But if thou wilt both perfect, and perpetuate me, and my Glory; as I shall be thine, and not mine own; so shall my Glory be thy Glory: And as all did take their Spring from thee, so all shall devolve in∣to thee again; and as thy glory was thine ultimate end in my glory, so shall it also be mine end, when thou hast crowned me with that Glory which hath no end. And to thee, O King Eter∣nal, Immortal, Invisible, the onely wise God, shall be the Honor and Glory, for ever and ever, Amen. 1 Tim. 1.17.

* 1.161SECT. XX.

ANd thus I have endevored to shew you a glimpse of the ap∣proaching 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 endevors. 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 thy self, nor be∣tray thy soul by delaying or dallying, and all is thine own. What kinde 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 yeer till they did enjoy it? The Lord heal our carnal hearts, lest we enter not into his REST, because of our unbelief.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1. 1. It is the fruit of the Love and Blood of Christ, whom we shall there also behold & enjoy.
• * 1.2

  John 15.13.
• * 1.3

  Quid mirum si caput p••o mem∣bris accepit cu∣rationem, quam tamen in se ipso non habuit ne∣cessariam▪ Non∣ne & in mem∣bris nustris saepe pro unius in∣firmita••e alteri adhibetur cura∣tio? Dolet ca∣put, & in bra∣chio sit coctura; dolent renes & fit in tibia; ••ta hodie pro totius corpo••is putre∣dine Cauterium quodam infix∣um est in capite Christo. Berna. Serm. 30 de tem••ore.

  Fatescat ergo maeror tristitia fugiat; elimine∣tur dolor; ran∣cor abscedat, ut liceat vacare et videre cum Moysi visionem hanc grand••m; qualiter Deus in venire vir∣ginis concipia∣tur; decipiatur diabolus, reci∣piatur perdi∣tum; ind••bitum accipiatur! To∣tum me trahit affectio, sed oratio deficit; Dives cogitatio vocis paupertate consunditur. Bernard. Serm. 24. in die Natal. Quid aeque mentem cogitantis impinguat? Nomen I••su M••l in ore; in aure Melos; in corde Jubilus. Omnis cibus qui non conditur hoc sale infatuatus est. Scriptura quae non fuerit interlita olco tantae devotionis, est insipida. Bernard. Serm: 23.
• * 1.4

  Non cap o me pre lativa, quia illi Ma∣y••tas naturam ••uim naturae ••••ae carnts & so gaints sub∣v••lat; & me ins••••um in di∣vilias gloriae suae, non ad ho∣ram, sed in sempternum includit; Fit scater me••s do∣••inus mens; Et tim•••• do∣mini fratris vincit affectus. Domine Jesu Christe; L••ben∣ter audio te ••eg∣nantem in coe∣lis; libenti••s nascentem in terris; liboutis sime crucem, clavos & lan∣ceam sustinen∣tem. Haec si∣quidem effusio rapit affictum meum; & isto∣rum memoria incalescit cor meum, Berna, Serm 23. in die Nata.
• * 1.5

  John 20 16. Mat. 28 9.
• * 1.6

  John 20.13.
• * 1.7

  2 Sam 23.16, 17.
• * 1.8

  1 Sam. 21.9.
• * 1.9

  1 Sam. 18.4.
• * 1.10

  By the re∣dundancy of which merit (after satisfa∣ction thereby made unto his Fathers Justice for our debt) there is fur∣ther a pur∣chase made of Grace and Glory, and of al good things in our behalf. M Reinoldes Life of Christ, Pag. 402. Isa. 27.4. Lam. 3.33. Ezek. 18.23.32.
• 2 1.11

  §. 2. 2 It is Freely given us.
• * 1.12

  1 King. 7.17.
• * 1.13

  Rev. 5.4, 5.
• * 1.14

  Jam. 2.5.
• * 1.15

  1 Cor. 9.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
• * 1.16

  1 Cor. 9.18▪ 19. Rom. 14.13, 15, 20, 21.
• * 1.17

  Rom. 15.1, 2. 1 Cor. 914 12
• * 1.18

  ver. 15. 1 Tim 5 17.
• * 1.19

  1 Cor. 4.10, 11, 12
• * 1.20

  1 Cor. 9.16.
• * 1.21

  § 3.
• 8 1.22

  It is the Saints pecu∣liar.
• * 1.23

  John 14.22. Luk 4.24, 25, 26, 27.
• * 1.24

  Rev. 11.9.10.
• * 1.25

  Rev. 16.5.6. Rev. 19 7.2.
• * 1.26

  Rev. 18.20.
• * 1.27

  2 Chro. 6.29. Psal. 67.6. & 33.12. & 78.71. & 16.5.
• * 1.28

  §. 4.
• 4 1.29

  It is a Rest with Angels and perfect Saints.
• * 1.30

  Socrates Cri∣toni vehemen∣t••r suad••nti ut si vitam ipse suam neg∣ligeret, certe liberis estiam•••• parvulis & a∣micis ab ipso pendentibus se servaret incolu∣mem: Liberi, inquit, Deo, qui mihi cos dedit, curae e∣runt: amicos hinc discedens inveniam, vobis ant similes aut etiam meliores, ne vestra qui∣dem consuetudi∣nediucariturus, quando qui∣dem vos brevi eodem est is com∣migraturi. Eras. apoth. lib. 3. ex Platone Zenop.
• * 1.31

  2 Cor. 5.16.
• * 1.32

  Melchi. Adam in vita Luthe∣ri.
• * 1.33

  Act. 12.15. Matt. 18.10. Luke 16.22. Luke 15.10. Heb. 1.7. &c.
• * 1.34

  Psal. 119.63.
• * 1.35

  Heb. 12.22, 23, 24.
• * 1.36

  § 5.
• 5 1.37

  It is Imme∣diate from God, and in him.
• * 1.38

  Gen. 44.12.
• * 1.39

  §. 6.
• 6 1.40

  It will be a seasonable Rest. Mark 12.2. Luke 20.10. Psal. 1.3. Isa. 50.4.
• * 1.41

  Gal 6 9.
• * 1.42

  Jere. 5 4. and 33.20.
• * 1.43

  Exod. 12 40, 41.
• * 1.44

  Jere. 8.7.
• * 1.45

  Acts. 27.7, 9.
• * 1.46

  Dan. 6.19, &c.
• * 1.47

  Levit. 10.3. Psal. 39.9.
• * 1.48

  2 Sam. 15.25, 26.
• * 1.49

  Secundum quid.
• * 1.50

  1 Cor. 11.30, 32.
• * 1.51

  Luk. 19.17, 18, 19.
• * 1.52

  Job 5.26.
• * 1.53

  Mr. Capell Temp.
• * 1.54

  Secundum quid.
• * 1.55

  § 7.
• 7 1.56

  It will be a Rest suit∣able.
• 1 1.57

  To our Natures.
• * 1.58

  1 Pet. 1.18, 23.
• 2 1.59

  To our Desires.
• * 1.60

  Gal. 5.24.
• 3 1.61

  To our necessities.
• * 1.62

  Luke 8.43.
• * 1.63

  Mark 5.25.
• * 1.64

  § 8.
• 8 1.65

  It will be a perfect Rest.
• 1 1.66

  In the sin∣cerity of it.
• * 1.67

  1 Cor. 12.7.
• * 1.68

  1 Joh 4.18.
• 2 1.69

  In the Uni∣versality of it.
• 1 1.70

  In regard of good en∣joyed.
• 2 1.71

  In regard of the evils we shall be freed from.
• 1 1.72

  We shall Rest from sin. Revel. 21.27.
• * 1.73

  Ephes. 5.27.
• * 1.74

  1 Joh. 3▪ 8.
• * 1.75

  2 Cor. 6.14.
• 1 1.76

  From sin in the under∣standing.
• * 1.77

  If a man should defer his Study of any Art or Science, till the Writers thereof did fully, and uni∣tedly consent, It would be as vain a thing, as if a man did purpose his journey from London to York, but should make a vow not to set forward till all the Clocks in London strike together. Ful∣becks Directi∣ons to study the Law, pag. 26.

  The Writers in all ••ciences differ not from the un∣certainty of the Sciences, but thei•• own imperfection; yea, in History, which reporteth matter of Fact. Livy against P••l••b••us▪ Plutarch against Livy, Sigonius against Plutarch, Ziphilinus against Dio, whom he interpreted and abridgeth. Non est litigiosa Juris Scientia sed Ignorantia, Cicero de Finibus, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 2. The best and most grave Man will confess, That he is ignorant of many things, saith Cicero. Tuscul. 3. Selon was not ashamed to say, That in his old age he was a Learner. And Ju••••••an the Lawyer said, That when he had one Foot in the Grave, yet he would have the other in the school.
• 2 1.78

  From sin of Will, Af∣fection, and Conversation.
• * 1.79

  Josh 23.13.
• * 1.80

  Gen. 21.9.
• * 1.81

  Heb. 4.10.
• * 1.82

  § 9.
• 2 1.83

  From suffer∣ing.
• 1 1.84

  From doubts of Gods Love.
• * 1.85

  Dr. Preston of effectual Faith, pag. 24.
• * 1.86

  § 10.
• 2 1.87

  From all sense of Gods displeasure.
• * 1.88

  Job 3. & 13.26 & 16.12, 13, 14. & 7.20.
• * 1.89

  Psal. 38.
• * 1.90

  Psal. 69.3.
• * 1.91

  Psal. 77.2, 3.
• * 1.92

  Psal. 88.7.
• * 1.93

  § 11.
• 3 1.94

  From Sa∣tans Tempta∣tions.
• * 1.95

  1 Tim. 3.7.
• * 1.96

  2 Tim. 2.26.
• * 1.97

  Ephes. 6.11.
• * 1.98

  Matth. 6.13. & 26.41.
• * 1.99

  Revel. 3.10.
• * 1.100

  § 12.
• 4 1.101

  From temp∣tations of the World and Flesh.
• * 1.102

  2 Cor. 11.3. & 1.12, &c.
• * 1.103

  Deut. 12.30. & 7.25. Hosea 9.8. Psal. 69.22. Prov. 20.25. & 22.25. & 29.6, 25. 1 Tim. 6.9. Job 8.8, 10.
• * 1.104

  Psal. 124.6, 7.
• * 1.105

  § 13.
• 5 1.106

  From a∣buses and per∣secutions of the world. Revel 6.9, 10.
• * 1.107

  2 Tim. 3.12. Rom. 8.17. Matth 10.22 & 24.9 2 Thes. 1.9▪ 10. John 15.19. & 17.14.
• * 1.108

  John 7 7. & 15.18, 20. & 5.23. & 17.22. 1 Cor. 4 9.13. Lam. 3.45. Heb. 10.43. Isai. 8.18. Luke 6.22. Agesilaus dice∣re solitus est, se vehementer ad∣mirari, eos non haberi in Sa∣crilegorum nu∣mero, qui laede∣ren•• eos qui Deo supplica∣rent, vel Deum venerarentur. Quo innuit, eos non tantum Sacrilegos esse, qui Deos ipsos, aut templorum ornatum spolia∣rent; sed eos maximè qui Deorum Mini∣stros & prae∣cones contu∣meliis afficiunt, Aemyl. Prob. Luke 16.24. Psal. 83.4.
• * 1.109

  Psal. 2.4.
• * 1.110

  Judges 5.23.
• * 1.111

  Psalm 9.12.
• * 1.112

  John 7.34.36. & 8.21, 22. Revel. 12.16.
• * 1.113

  Heb. 11.
• * 1.114

  Matth. 27.29, 30.
• * 1.115

  Luke 21.19. Job 31.36. Heb. 11.25. James 1.2. Dan. 3.17.
• * 1.116

  2 Thes. 1 7. 1 Pet. 3.17. & 4.14, 15.
• * 1.117

  Jude 8. 2 Pet. 2.10.
• * 1.118

  1 Pet. 4.14.
• * 1.119

  Luke 14.26, 27, 33.
• * 1.120

  2 Thes. 3.2.
• * 1.121

  § 14.
• 6 1.122

  From our Divisions and Dissentions.
• * 1.123

  Melch Adam. in vitâ Gry∣nai.
• a 1.124

  Two books full of the language of Hell, in bit∣terrest scornes at the Mini∣stry and Dis∣cipline, thought to be written by one Overton.
• b 1.125

  Quemadmo∣dum vero in multas & va∣rias sectas scis∣sa est Catabap∣tistarum haere∣fis, ita in hoc omnes unani∣miter consenti∣unt, ut praedi∣catoribus veri∣tatis negotium exhibeant & eos erga audi∣tores tanquam seductores sus∣pectos reddant. Epistol. Leo. Judae. ante Bullingerum contra Cata∣bap.
• c 1.126

  Si Calvinus quam a natura insitam habe∣bat vehementi∣am, ca ipse ad∣versus perdi∣tos sophistas usus est, ut in∣terdum etiam modum non tenuisse videri possit; rogo moderatissimos istos homines quibus nimium incalescere vi∣dentur quicun∣que ipsorum more non fri∣gent, ut pro quo, & in quem dicatur, paulo attentius expendant; neque haereticos istos spiritus ex ing••ni•• suo metiantur. Beza, in Epistola praefat. ante Calvini Tractatus Theologicos.
• d 1.127

  Me quoque non latet, turbulentos homines m••vendis seditionibus, Satanae esse ••••abella, ut in Evangelii odium placidos alioqui homines inflammet. Ita nostro seculu, sub Evangelii nascentis initia, barbaros homines armavit, qui l••gibus, judicijs, & omni politiae bellum ex professo indice∣rent. — Sed ab Evangelio recedere, ut seditionibus obviàm catur, nimis perversum est. Cal∣vin de Scandalis.
• e 1.128

  Quod mul∣tos videmus hoc vel illa er∣rore captos, a rectâ viâ ab∣duci, nunquam nisi justâ Dei vindictâ acci∣dit. Verè Au∣gustinus su∣perbiam nomi∣nat, Haerese••••n omnium ma∣trem: Nullus enim unquam extitit erroris Magister, quem non prava am∣bitio in suum praecipitiū ex∣tulerit. Scimus Deum parvulis fidum esse do∣ctorem. Proinde qui arrogantia turgent, eos non mirum est ab hac Schola pul∣sos, vagis suis speculationibus sursum & deorsum raptari. Quotquot hác nostra aetate a purâ Evangelii doctrina pro••apsi falsorum dogmatum ••aeperunt esse Auth••res, reperiemus onmes, superbiae morbo correptos, ingenu tormenta sibi & aliis fabricass. Calvin. de scandalis.
• f 1.129

  Altera pestis est opinionum varietas & dissen∣tio in ecclesia: Quae ut his temporibus Jesuitarum impulsu valdè incruduit, ita tamen n••que nova vobis neque mira videri debet. Vt enim palatorum sic judiciorum magna est varietas: Et ut multae facies hominum, sic & corda diversa: ut Hieron. adv. Pelag. l. 3. Dr. Humfredus Jesuitis. part. 2 in Epistola Dedicatoria. Multos subvertunt, abducentes ipsos praetextu cognitionis, ab eo qui universa cre. vit, &c. Velut qui altius quid ac majus habeant quod ostendant Deo, &c. Probabili∣ter quidem inducentes per verborum artific um simplices ad quaerendi modum: Verum improbè per∣dentes ipsos, in eo quod maled••cam & impiam ipsorum mentem efficiunt, &c. Nam error per scipsum non ostenditur, ut ne denudatus deprehendatur, sed amiculo splendido callidè ornatus, ut etiam ipsa v••ritate veriorem seipsum exhibere videatur imperitioribus▪ per externam apparentiam. Irenaeus advers haeres pag. 1. Proaem. Dilig••nter insistendum, nequid ex poste quae grassatur ex vicinia, fide libus curae nostrae commissis, c••nv••ctu, colloqu••is, & quotidianis, quae vitari non possunt, disceptationi∣bus affl••tur. Serpit enim facile contagio, & nisi malo obviàm iretur, falsorum doctorum asius, & haereticorum consortium infi••m••••um fidem proculdubio vitiarent. Evangelii ergo praecones sese ex∣erceant in refutatione pontificiorum, Anabaptistaru•• & Socimanorum, &c. ab illis enim magnop••re m••tu••ndum, tum quia ••ll••s permixti ••••vimus, tum quia eorum plerique miro quodam studio ardent, doctrinae suae disseminandae Amyraldus de pace inter Evangelicos constituend. pag 246.
• * 1.130

  Ammian. Mar∣cel in vitâ Juliani.
• * 1.131

  O•• quam beati erunt in illo die Judi∣cii Magistratus illi qui subdi∣tos non modo honestis legibus, judiciis & dis∣ciplinâ praecla∣rè rexerunt: sed etiam om∣nium maximè in hoc studium incubu••runt ut incorrupta Re∣ligio apud suos exculta sit; doctrina caele∣stis per ••idos, ••ruditos & con∣stantes Mini∣stros sit tradi∣ta, & ingens hominum mul∣titudo per spi••ritum & ver∣bum renata in conspectum Christi prodeat, quae tali Magi••stratui aeternas gratias agat. E contra quam infoelices qui, &c. Religionem per varias corrupt••as p••ss•• sunt adulterari. Wigandus in Epist. ante Com. in Proph. John 13 8. 9, 10, 12, 14.
• * 1.132

  Matth. 5.44.
• * 1.133

  John 13.35. & 14.27.
• * 1.134

  Col 3.11.
• * 1.135

  Matth. 5.9. Luke 8.30.
• * 1.136

  § 15.
• 7 1.137

  From our participation of the suffer∣ings of our Brethren.
• * 1.138

  Quibus est communis A∣mor, his idem dolor est com∣mune malum. Nazianz.
• * 1.139

  Camer. in vit. Melancth.
• * 1.140

  See Neh. 1.4. and 2.3.
• * 1.141

  Psal. 137.
• * 1.142

  Isai. 60.11, 12, 13, 14.
• * 1.143

  & 60.21, 22.
• * 1.144

  & 66.10, 11.
• * 1.145

  § 16.
• 8 1.146

  From all our own per∣sonal suffer∣ings.
• * 1.147

  Rom 8.19, 20, 21, 22.
• * 1.148

  Revel. 21.3, 4.
• * 1.149

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Pares Angelis. Haymo ex∣poundeth this too boldly, and I think falsly.

  Quod viri in suo sexu resur∣gent foeminae in sexu muliebri. Erunt haben∣tes membra genitalia, non autem volun∣tatem coeundi. Hom. in Do∣minic. 18. in Matth. 22. I see no ground to conceit such a difference of Sex hereafter. Mr. Herbert.
• * 1.150

  § 17.
• 9 1.151

  From all the labor and trouble of Duties.
• * 1.152

  The Work of the Ministry.
• * 1.153

  § 18.
• 10 1.154

  From all those trouble∣some Affecti∣ons which ne∣cessarily ac∣company our absence from God.
• * 1.155

  § 19.
• 9 1.156

  It will be an Everlasting Rest.
• * 1.157

  Transu hora, transit & poe∣na: ne•• acce∣dunt sibi; s••d cedunt potius & succedum. Non sic gloria, non sic remu∣neratio; non sic merces ipsa laboris; nescit Vicissitudinem; nescit finem; manet tota si∣mul, & manet in aeternum: Sufficit nunc cuique diei ma∣litia sua; nec laborem suum poterit reserva∣re sequenti: Sed omnium merces laborum in una illa die reddetur, cui alter a non suc∣cedit: Gutta∣tim poena bibi∣tur: liquando sumitur: per minutias tran∣sit: Sed in remuneratione torrens est vo∣luptath, & fluminis impe∣tus: torrens inundans laeti∣tiae, flumen gloriae, & flumen pacis. Flumen plane est: sed quod affluat; non quod fluat vel es fluat. Flumen vocatur, non quod transeat vel pertranseat, sed quod abundet. Nobis non favum mellis; purissimum vero & liquidissimum mel reposuit Deus; ipsam laetitiam, gloriam, pacem, amaenitatem, faelicitotem, jucunditatem, & exultationem the saurizavit nobis Deus noster: haec omnia unum: ut sit participa∣tio Hierusalem in idipsum; & hoc unum & idipsum non nisi Ipse: erit enim Deus omnia & i•• omnibus. Haec merces; haec corona nostra; hoc bravium nostrum, ad quod utique sic curramus u•• comprehendamus. Bernard. Serm. 145. de temp.
• * 1.158

  Revel. 3.12.
• * 1.159

  Gal. 6.8.
• * 1.160

  Luke 16.26.
• * 1.161

  § 20.