The faithful souldier's reward, or, A glimpse of the saints happiness discovered in two sermons, occasioned by the death of that truly vertuous and religious gentle woman, Mrs. Katherine Disney : the former preached at Kirkstead, the place of her last abode here upon the earth, on the 18th day of May, 1690, being the Lord's Day, and the latter at Swinderly, near Lincoln, where she was interr'd the Tuesday following / by William Scoffin.

Ʋse I.

And the First Ʋse may be for our Information, in these two or three Par∣ticulars.

As, 1. We may see how vastly different the State of Believers and Unbelievers will be, when they come to die. God deals with them now in a different manner, but then the Difference will be most apparent. See Isa. 65.13, 14. Be∣hold, (saith the Lord) my Servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: be∣hold, my Servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my Servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my Servants shall sing for Joy of Heart, but ye shall cry for Sorrow of Heart, and shall howl for Vexation of Spirit. Now if God deals thus differently with the Righteous and the Wicked, even here in this World, (as he oftentimes doth) how much more in the World to come? 'Tis true, the Wicked are often exempted from those Suffer∣ings

which the Righteous do meet with in the World; and hereupon (for want of a right Sense of Things) do conclude, that themselves are the happier Persons. But Death will make them of another Mind; and shew them the Folly of their Self-flattering Conceits: For then shall Believers immediately go to God, and Unbelievers shall go to the De∣vil; the one pass into Eternal Glory, and the other into Misery and ever∣lasting Punishment.

They have now (while they are here) very different Natures, and hereafter they shall have as different Rewards. The Righteous Man hath his worst things here,* 1.1 and his best he shall have hereafter.* 1.2 And the Wick∣ed (on the contrary) hath his best Things here, and his worst he shall have hereafter. The Conclusion will assuredly be dreadful to these, but exceeding comfortable to the Righ∣teous; for everlasting Misery will be the Portion of the one, and ever∣lasting Happiness the Portion of the other. Eternity is affixed to both:

Mat. 25.46. These shall go away into everlasting Punishment: but the Righ∣teous into Life Eternal. The Happiness of the Saints will endure for ever, and so will the Miseries of the Damned; yea, when thousands and thousands of Years are at an end, they will both be as fresh as at the very first Moment.

O how great is that Happiness which the Damned will lose? and how great are those Miseries which the Saints will escape? How great are the Torments which the Dam∣ned shall endure? and how great are the Joys of which the Saints shall partake?

Perhaps now, Sirs, you see little difference between the State to Be∣lievers and of Unbelievers, but the Time will certainly (yea and shortly) come, when you shall see Things in another manner.

Now it may be, ye account the proud happy, and think there's little profit in serving the Lord: but then shall ye

discern between the Righteous and the Wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. Mal. 3.14,—18.

2. From what hath been said, we may see God's wonderful Love to Believers, in preparing for them such a glorious Inheritance, and so freely conferring it on them.

What a Miracle of Mercy and Loving-Kindness is this,* 1.3 (and even that which might fill us with Ad∣miration) that the infinitely Blessed and Glorious God should take no∣tice of such Wretches as we? O wonderful Love indeed! that such Rebels and Traitors (as we have been) should have admittance into his glorious Presence, and be made Companions of the Holy Angels! That such Clods of Earth, such de∣spicable Worms, should be lifted up to the highest Heaven;* 1.4 that we might shine as Stars there, yea, as the Sun in the Kingdom of our Fa∣ther! And that this blessed State should be so freely provided, and

we taken into it on such gracious Terms. Admirable Love indeed! The Terms are Faith, and not Me∣rit, which the Gracious God doth stand upon. That's the Tenor of the New Covenant, Believe, and live, not do, and live. Good Works are an Evidence of the Truth of our Faith, and of our Interest in that Blessedness; but they do not any way merit or deserve it, either in whole or in part. No, but it's freely given to those that believe. John 3.36. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath everlasting Life. He hath it as sure as if he was in actual Possession of it. The Gracious God will ex∣clude none but such as exclude themselves by their Unbelief. Yea, so merciful is he unto poor lost Sin∣ners, that he sends his Ambassadors up and down the World, to offer Salvation unto them,* 1.5 and to pray and beseech them in the Name of Christ to accept thereof, on the most equitable Terms. Nothing doth the Lord require but this, that Sinners lay down their Rebellious Arms, and be reconciled unto him;

that they accept of Christ for their Lord and Soveraign, and be true to his Cause and Interest for the future. O wonderful condescending Love! How should we admire it! That the infinite Majesty of Heaven and Earth, should beseech vile Rebels to be reconciled to him!* 1.6 when as he is able to dash them in pieces, and even throw them into Hell with one Blast of his Mouth! Should we cry Day and Night unto God to be re∣concil'd unto us, there would be no∣thing of wonder in it; but that the offended God should beseech Offen∣ders to lay by their Enmity, and be at Peace with him; sure this is mat∣ter of Wonder and Astonishment! And yet how (alas) is his great Love abused, and his rich Offers slighted and disregarded by the most? As if the offered Salvation was meerly fictitious, or the Hea∣venly Happiness were not worth the accepting? O base Ingratitude and astonishing Madness, to slight and neglect so great Salvation!

3. From what hath been said, we may see the great Folly of Men in refusing such an Happiness.* 1.7 What is it but Happiness that all Men seek after? And for this they run, they labour and toil; and yet the most (alas, like the Dog in the Fable) while they catch at the Shadow, do lose the Substance. How eager are Men in pursuit of that which they imagine will make them happy? And what Cost and Pains will the most be at, for the obtaining a little of the World's Felicity? Whenas all world∣ly Pleasures, Riches and Honours, cannot possibly satisfy the Mind of Man: As one has in Metre well ex∣pressed it.

All Earthly Things Man's cravings answer not, Whose little Heart would all the World contain, (If all the World should fall to one Man's Lot) And notwithstanding empty still remain.

And supposing these Things could yield some Satisfaction,* 1.8 yet how soon must we take our eternal leave of them? Yet a little while, and all these Things will be unto us as if they had never been. But the Happiness above is substantial, and 'tis an abiding Happiness. What Folly and Madness is it then to pre∣fer Toys and Trifles before such an Happiness?

What powerful Charm is it that obstructs our true judging of Things? What Spirit of Errour hath possessed us? Can there possibly be a desire in Man of enjoying an Happiness beyond what is Eternal, yea, and Soul-satisfying and Infinite? O the wonderful Stupidity and Sot∣tishness of Men, so careless of Everlasting Felicity!

Eternal Things (alas) are quite out of sight,* 1.9 and therefore are they slight∣ed by the unbelieving World. And they look upon those who live by Faith, as the veriest Fools imagi∣nable; when they see them pressing on towards the Mark,* 1.10 for the Prize that is set before them, and exposing

themselves unto Sufferings for Christ,* 1.11 and in hopes of the promised Glory.

But we must become Fools in the World's esteem,* 1.12 if we will become wise to Salvation. And within a while shall the Wicked perceive whether Believers or themselves were the greater Fools.

As the Author of that Apocryphal Book which is called the Wisdom of Solomon,* 1.13 hath well expressed it, saying,

Then shall the Righteous Man stand in great boldness, before the Face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his Labours. When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible Fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his Salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for. And they repenting and groaning for anguish of Spirit, shall say within themselves, This was he whom we had sometimes in Derision, and a Proverb of Reproach. WE FOOLS accoun∣ted

his Life Madness, and his End to be without Honour. But how is he numbred among the Children of God, and his Lot is among the Saints? Therefore have we erred from the way of Truth; and the Light of Righte∣ousness hath not shined unto us, and the Sun of Righteousness rose not upon us.* 1.14 We wearied our selves in the way of Wicked∣ness and Destruction; but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it. What hath Pride profited us?* 1.15 Or what good hath Riches with our vaunt∣ing brought us? All those Things are passed away like a Shadow, and as a Post that hasted by.

— But the Righteous live for evermore, their Reward also is with the Lord:* 1.16 —Therefore shall they receive a Glorious King∣dom, and a beautiful Crown from the Lord's Hand.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luk. 16.25.
• * 1.2

  Isa. 3.10, 11.
• * 1.3

  1 Joh. 3.1, 2.
• * 1.4

  Mat. 13.43
• * 1.5

  2 Cor. 5.20
• * 1.6

  Job 4.9. Ps. 18.13,—15. Mat. 10.28
• * 1.7

  Prov. 1.22,—33.
• * 1.8

  Job 14.1, 2 Psal. 49.10,—13. Luk. 12.16,—21. Prov. 8.18, —21.
• * 1.9

  1 Cor. 2.12, 14.
• * 1.10

  Phil. 3.14.
• * 1.11

  Heb. 10.32,—34. chap. 11. 24,—26.
• * 1.12

  1 Cor. 3.18.
• * 1.13

  Wisd. ch. 5
• * 1.14

  Jer. 9.5.
• * 1.15

  1 Joh. 2.17
• * 1.16

  Jam. 1.12.