Hearts-ease in heart-trouble. Or, A soveraign remedy against all trouble of heart that Christ's disciples are subject to under all kinds of afflictions in this life. Prescribed by the great physician, the Lord Jesus Christ, which hath never failed those that have used it, or ever will, to the end of the world. By J.B. Minister of the gospel.

The Application.

1. For Information. These In∣ferences follow.

First, If Faith acted upon God in Christ be such a Remedy against Heart-trouble; then surely, Faith is a very precious, a very excellent thing; a Grace of very great worth and value, and of great use and efficacy: It is pre∣cious Faith indeed, the very Trial of it is more precious than Gold. Precious for its Author, the Lord Jesus; for its Object, precious Je∣sus, and all the exceeding great and precious Promises, the Pur∣chased Inheritance: For its Offi∣ces, it unites to us Christ, gives us Title to eternal Life; it sup∣ports under all Afflictions; pre∣vents, or cures all Heart trou∣bles; and precious for its End, which is the Salvation of our Souls.

This Grace of Faith is of a transforming, Spiritual Nature;

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and the Soul of a Believer, by acting it on God and Christ, and on Divine, Heavenly and Spiri∣tual things, becomes Divine, Heavenly and Spiritual. Faith unfastneth the Heart from the Creature, shewing the Soul the Vanity of it, and carries the Soul unto God and Christ, shew∣ing it God's All-sufficiency, and Christ's All-fulness; for Faith believes, what God in his Word hath revealed of both. It is the great Design of God, in all the Troubles he sends upon his People, effectually to teach them the exceeding Vanity of the Creature, to imbitter the things of this World to them, to wean their Hearts from them, to bring earthly things out of Request with them, to make them see, that there is no true Con∣tentment, nor solid Satisfaction for the Soul to be found in them, and to make them see where true Happiness and Contentment is to be had; even in God and in Christ alone, for whom their

Souls were Created, Redeemed, and Sanctified. Now the great Work of Faith is, to take off the Soul from the Creature, and fix and settle it upon God and Christ the true Foundation. Natural∣ly our Hearts hang loose from God, and cleave to the Creature, and when the Creature fails, our Hearts are troubled; but Faith takes off the Heart from the Creature, and settles it upon God in Christ, where it finds Rest; and this is the great Ser∣vice it doth us. All the great and famous things which those Worthies did, and all the hard and heavy things they suffered, mentioned in Heb. 11. were all done and suffered by the Power of Faith, ver. 37, &c. The set∣ling of our Hearts upon God in Christ; trusting all there, is the best means to cure our Heart-trouble; and this Faith doth, and therefore it is precious.

Secondly. It follows from the [Inf. 2] Premisses, That the want of Faith in God, and in Christ, is the

great Cause of all our Heart-troubles, Despondencies and Dis∣quietness. Could we but act our Faith strongly on God and Christ, as our God in Christ, our Troubles would be preven∣ted or cured: For by Faith the Soul looks up to God in Christ, through the Promises, looking off from all other supports, unto God for all Supplies, for the re∣moving of all Evil felt or feared, and for the obtaining of all Good promised and needed; and by this exercise of Faith, the Soul is raised up above all Discourage∣ments and Disquietments: but where this Faith is wanting, or the lively exercise of it suspend∣ed, there the Soul sinks under Heart-troubles. But of this some-what was said before.

Thirdly. Hence also we may [Inf. 3] clearly see the absolute Necessity of getting Faith in God, and in Christ; and of acting it, and living by it: There is no living quietly and comfortably without it, no standing under our Bur∣dens,

no bearing with patience and chearfulness our Losses and Crosses without this Faith; no Joy and Peace, but by believing; by Faith we stand.

Fourthly. Then the Things of [Inf. 4] the World are not to be trusted to, nor trusted in, for Comfort in time of Trouble. Nothing but God and Christ to be trusted in, and trusted to, and there is enough in them to support and comfort us, as hath been shewed: but no confidence to be put in the Creature; there is a Curse upon such Confidence, but a Blessing on them that trust in God: No trusting in Friends, Riches, Gifts, or any thing; for so to do, is Idolatry, to give that to the Crea∣ture, which is due to God alone.

Fifthly. Hence we see the Rea∣son [Inf. 5] why so many faint in the day of Adversity, and sink under Trouble; and others use unlaw∣ful means to prevent Trouble, or to get out of it: It is, because they want this Faith in God and

Christ; and for want of it, too many miscarry under Afflicti∣on.

The Second Use is, by way of Exhortation to all the Disciples of Christ, in the Words of the Text; Let not your Hearts be troubled, but Believe in God, and Believe in Christ: You must get and act Faith in God and Christ, this is the onely Preventive, the onely Remedy against Heart-Trouble. Our Lord in this Text commands it, and com∣mends it: we must needs get Faith above all gettings; next to Christ, we must get Faith, for we can∣not have Christ without Faith: Go to God for it, it is his Work, his Gift, yea, it is his Operation; yea, the same Power that raised up Jesus from the Dead, must be put forth upon a Soul to work Faith, Eph. 1. 19, 20. The ex∣ceeding great and mighty work∣ing of the Power of God, to raise up the Soul to God and Christ, and to enable it, to lay hold on God and Christ: for such is our

natural proneness to live by Sense and Carnal Reason; and such is the most transcendant Excellen∣cy of God and Christ, and of Divine things, which Faith looks unto; and so great an Inclinati∣on have we to Self-sufficiency, and so much rooted in Self-love, and inordinate love of the Creature, and so hard to take off the Soul from false bottoms; and because we are such Strangers to God na∣turally; and because there is so much Guilt of Sin still remain∣ing on us, by our renewed pro∣vocations, that we are afraid to entertain serious thoughts of God: and because of that infi∣nite Distance between God and us, we can never come to believe in him, and rely upon him, until our Hearts be renewed by the power of Grace, and this Divine Grace of Faith infused into them: Therefore must we go to God and Christ, and put up strong Cries and Prayers to God to work Faith in us, and never give over, until it be wrought in us.

And having got Faith, we must act and exercise it upon God in Christ; upon God, I say, He onely is the Object of Faith, and is worthy of it; for a Man can be in no condition, in which God is at a loss, and cannot help him: If Comforts and means of Deli∣verance be wanting, God can create Comforts, and comman•• Deliverance, Isa. 57. 19. He can bring Light out of Darkness, to him all things are possible.

1. Then, Faith assents to, and is perswaded that there is a God, the Infinite First, and Best Being of all things, and who giv∣eth Being to all things, Hebr. 11. 6.

2. That in this blessed Being are Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and all the Object of our Faith.

3. Faith must always act on God in Christ, and not other∣wise; for in Christ God reconciles the World. In Christ, God be∣comes our friend, at peace with us; by Christ, the Emnity be∣tween

God, and us is taken a∣way; in Christ, God becomes our Father, Joh. 1. 12. Gal. 3. 26.

4. Faith is acted by Medita∣ting on, Considering of, and Ap∣plying, and Appropriating of God in Christ to the Soul, lay∣ing claim to all that God is, and to all that God hath as its own.

5. It must also act upon the Promises of God in his Word, and upon God and Christ in them: God hath opened all his Heart to us in his Word, making many sweet Promises, exceeding great and precious Promises: and also, He hath made a Covenant of Grace with us, to bestow him∣self, and all good things upon us, upon which we must live, until Promises end in Performances. These Promises, are our Spiritu∣al Treasury: Promises of Par∣don of Sin, upon Repentance and Faith; Promises of renewing sanctifying Grace; Promises of the Spirit, of Heaven, of Eternal Life and Glory, of Mansions in

the Father's House, and of a•• things needful in the way to th•• Kingdom, that we shall want no•• good thing, and that all thing•• shall work together for ou•• good, &c.

Lastly, That our Hearts ma•• not be troubled, but fully satis∣fied and comforted, we must by Faith lay hold on God, take hol•• of God's Strength, which is hi•• Mercy in Christ; and most so∣lemnly, most considerately, and most sincerely take God for our God in Christ, and actually en∣ter into Covenant with him: This Covenant is founded upon Jesus Christ, his Satisfaction and Righteousness; and therefore we must also believe in Christ, taking him for our only Lord and Saviour, receiving him by Faith as he is offered to us in the Gospel, to be All in All to us.

As God offers, so Faith re∣ceives; God offers himself in Christ, and so Faith receives him: God doth, as it were, say in the Gospel, O poor lost Sin∣ner,

come to my Son Jesus, take him for thy only Lord and Sa∣viour; and by him come to me, and take me for thy God and Father; and by Faith the poor Believer ecchoeth back, My Lord and my God, I humbly and heartily come to thee, accept of thee, close with thee; and so by Faith the believing Soul becomes one with God and Christ, and hereupon the Soul by Faith cleaves to God and Christ, and unfeignedly, and unreservedly, resigns and gives up its whole self to God in Christ, taking God in Christ for his, and in∣tirely surrenders up it self to be the Lord's. My Beloved is mine, and I am his. Now Faith thus acted, will certainly cure all our Heart-Troubles.

In order then to obtain solid Comfort in all our Distresses, let us carefully look whether these Acts of Faith have really passed upon our Souls: Have we thus actually, understandingly, and sincerely believed in God, and

in Christ? Have we unfeignedly entred into Covenant with God in Christ? Can we conclude that God is our God in Christ, by our being his? If we be intirely his, he is ours for certain, 1 John 4. 19. Cant. 2. 16. If we place all our Happiness in him, Psal. 73. 25. If we give him the Throne in our Hearts, subjecting our whole selves to his Government, making God in Christ all our Love, our Trust, Joy, Desire, Delight, Fear, our All, cleaving to him alone and above all, de∣pending upon him as our chief Good; contenting our selves with him as All-sufficient for us, resigning up our selves to his good Will, to be, to do, and suf∣fer what he will: If we can and do engage our selves to sincere Obedience, that none of his Commandments be grievous to us: If in all things we give Christ the preheminence; if we have received the Spirit of Christ, as Rom. 8. 9. Gal. 4. 6. which joins us to him, and makes

us one Spirit with him, and which is a Spirit of Adoption, whereby the Soul seeing his Interest in God as his Father, can freely go to God in all its straits. If we have the Graces of the Spirit, as Love, Meekness, Patience, Hu∣mility, &c. If we have a Re∣semblance of our Father in us, a Likeness of Disposition to God and Christ, the Image of God, the Life of Christ manifest in us: If we do side with God, and his Cause, in evil Times, so that we are willing to part with any thing, with all things for Christ's sake, and at his Call; If it be thus with us in the main Bent and constant Frame of our Hearts, and in the Sincerity and Integrity of our Souls, our Consciences in the sight of God bearing us witness that thus it is with us, then may we upon good grounds conclude, that God, the All-sufficient God, is ours, and Christ Jesus who is all Fulness, is ours, and then our Hearts should not be troubled; and to prevent and cure all our

Heart-Trouble, we must act Faith on all those things, in God and in Christ, which I mention∣ed before, and which would be too long to repeat again here; therefore I earnestly desire you to look back and view over those several particular things conside∣rable in God and in Christ, and believe in God and in Christ, ap∣plying and appropriating them to our selves, and we shall see we have no cause of Heart-Trouble. If the great God be ours, and the Lord Jesus be ours; if we have no Husbands, nor Wives, nor Sons, nor Daughters, nor Health, nor Wealth, we have enough to content and satisfy our Souls for ever.

But to draw to a Conclusion, that there may be an effectual cure of all our Heart-Trouble whatever our distress may be, let us labour to act Faith on Christ, in considering and believing:

• 1. What he is.
• 2. Where he is.
• 3. What he hath declared.

• 4. What he hath promised; and all within the Confines of this Text, Ver. 2, 3.

First, Let Christ's Disciples labour to believe what Christ is, and who he is. He himself asked his Disciples this Question, Mat. 16. 16. Whom say ye that I am? Peter answered, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God: I know in whom I have believed, saith the Apostle; and that sup∣ported him: and for this know∣ledg of Jesus Christ his Lord, he counted all things but Dung and Dross. To believe all things that are written of Christ, is not enough; but to believe in him, is by Faith to receive him for our only Lord and Saviour, John 1. 12. Col. 2. 6. and actu∣ally, unreservedly, unfeignedly and heartily, to give up our whole selves unto him, taking him for our absolute Lord, our Head, our Treasure, and our All; and be∣lieving He is all that to us that he is. That he was made Sin for us, made Wisdom, Righteousness, San∣ctification

and Redemption to us. That he is indeed our Husband, our Head, our High-Priest, our Surety, our Ransom, our Re∣deemer. That he hath loved us, and washed us in his Blood. That he was delivered up to Death for our Offences, and rose again for our Justification. That he hath made our Peace with God by the Blood of his Cross; and purchased our Pardon, and an Inheritance for us with the Saints in Light: and that by believing in him we shall have everlasting Life, John 3. 16, 36. I say, this is to believe in Christ; and such as thus be∣lieve in him, have no cause of Heart-Trouble. And thus we must believe in him, and it is the great Commandment of God to believe in him, 1 John 3. 23. and the positive Command of Christ himself in the Text, Believe also in me. And he that hath this Faith, hath Christ, 1 John 5. 10, 12. and hath Life, Eternal Life. John 6. 47. Veri∣ly, verily, I say unto you, (saith

Christ, the Eternal Truth him∣self) He that believeth on me, hath Everlasting Life. He hath it in Pretio, in the Price of it, that was punctually paid down upon the Cross, therefore called the Purchased Possession: He hath E∣ternal Life in Promissis, in the Promises of it; it is promised to every one that believeth, God that cannot lie hath promised it, Tit. 1. 1, 2. and he hath it in Primitiis, in the first Fruits of it, the saving Graces of the Spirit, which in some measure every true Believer hath, 2 Cor. 5. 5. Ephes. 1. 13, 14.

Now, he that thus believes in Christ, Christ is his; and all that Christ hath done, and suffered, and merited, is his, he hath Right and Title to it; for by Faith he is become the Child of God. Gal. 3. 26. We are all the Children of God by Faith in Je∣sus Christ. And if we be Christ's, then are we the Heirs of the Pro∣mise, Gal. 3. 29. Yea, Heirs of God, and joint Heirs with Christ,

Rom. 8. 17. Yea, then, all things are ours, 1 Cor. 3. 21, 22, 23. All is ours, if we be Christ's, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Ce∣phas. All the Gifts, Graces, La∣bours, Prayers, of all Gospel-Ministers, all Gospel-Ordinances are ordained and designed for our Good, Ephes. 4. 11, 12, 13. for the gathering of us in, and for the perfecting and building of us up in Christ Jesus, until we all come to Heaven. The World is ours; the Good and Evil of it, the Bitter and the Sweet of it, the Comforts and the Crosses of it, the Gains and the Losses of it, the Love and the Hate of it, the Smiles and the Frowns, the Friends and Foes in it; All is designed for, and shall further and promote our Spiritual and Eternal Welfare. Life is ours. All the Troubles, Sicknesses, Pains, evil Tidings, Persecutions, Dis∣appointmens, Losses of Relati∣ons, Shame, Reproach, or what∣ever attends this Mortal Life, shall be sanctified and blessed to

us for our Good. Yea, Death is ou••••, that shall be our Advan∣t••ge, our Gai••, that shall put a full end 〈◊〉〈◊〉 period to all our Sin 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Suffering, and be a Door of Entr••nce for us into Glory in our Father's House: Or things present, our present Fears, Sor∣rows, Miseries, Infirmities, &c. shall be so ordered and over∣ruled by the Wisdom and Love of our Father, that they shall all help us onward to Heaven: And things to come are ours, all that Glory to be revealed, that Saints Everlasting Rest that is prepa∣red for the People of God, that Crown of Righteousness, of Glory, and of Life; that King∣dom of Glory, that unspeaka∣ble, that inconceivable State of Happiness and Blessedness which Christ our Lord hath purchased by his Blood, all this is ours also. But how come we to have a Right and Title to all this? Why, saith the Apostle, thus, Ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. As sure as Christ is God's, so

sure, if you be Christ's, All is yours: and, as I have proved, if we be true Believers in Christ, then we are Christ's, we are his Members, his Spouse, his Children; and then, what cause have we to be troubled at any thing, or in a∣ny Condition? What cause hath such a Soul to be dejected, what∣ever Crosses or Losses do befal him? Is there not enough in Christ, in the Promises, in the Purchase of Christ? Is there not enough in Heaven, in all that Glory to quiet, content and ful∣ly to satisfy our Souls? O my Beloved, (and O my base and faithless Heart) it is our base Ʋnbelief that doth us all the mis∣chief, that spoils our Peace, that hinders our Comfort, and makes us walk so heavily. O let us be∣wail this God-dishonouring Sin, this Peace-destroying Sin; and let us, who have received Jesus for our Lord and Saviour, be∣lieve that he is ours indeed, and that we are his indeed, and then act our Faith upon him, and our

Hearts shall not be troubled.

Q. But may some say, 'Tis true, if Christ be ours, all is ours, we believe that; But how shall we know that Christ is ours?

A. Briefly thus: If we be Christ's intirely, and sincerely Christ's, then Christ is ours: I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine, Cant. 2. 16. & 6. 3. Her being Christ's, was a sure evidence to her that Christ was hers. Now it is not very hard to know whose we are, whether we be Christ's or our own, Christ's or the World's, Christ's or the Devil's: Let us take a little pains in trying and search∣ing our selves, the Matter re∣quires it; Whose are we? Put this Question seriously to our Hearts, in the sight of God: Whose am I? whose Image do I bear? by whose Spirit am I acted? who hath my Heart, my chief Love and Delight? Have we unfeignedly given up our selves to Christ? Have we actu∣ally

entred into Covenant with him, and taken him for our Head and Husband? Have we passed over and surrendred up our whole selves to Christ, our Souls, Bodies, all our Concerns? Have we given up our Hearts, Heads, Tongues, Time, Talents, Estates, Liberties, Relations, and all to Christ? Have we done this sin∣cerely? Then we have received Christ upon his Terms. If we be Christ's, and not our own, and live unto Christ, and not to our selves, Rom. 14. 9. 1 Cor. 6. 20. Gal. 2. 20. and are content that Christ should dispose of us and ours as he pleaseth; and are always labouring to be more and more like him, and still longing for more and more Com∣munion with him, &c. Then may we, upon good Grounds, conclude that Christ is ours: If we be his, he is ours.

Again, if we truly believe in Christ, then he is ours, for it is by Faith that we receive him, and are united to him, and made

one with him, John 1. 12, 13. and are by his Spirit and Word regenerated, and made new Creatures, and are enabled to walk after the Spirit, and not after the Flesh, 2 Cor. 5. 17. Rom. 8. 1, 2. He that believeth, hath the Witness in himself, 1 Joh. 5. 10. he need not go far to seek: Make sure thy believ∣ing in Christ, and thou hast the Witness in thy self that he is thine, and that thou art his.

Q. But how shall we know that we have true Faith, and that we do truly believe in Christ?

A. Briefly, thus: If we have been made sensible of our lost Condition by Nature, of our misery by Sin, of our Unbelief; if we have sound it an hard Work to believe; if we have been made weary and heavy la∣den with Sin, so as to be truly willing to part with all Sin; if we have been convinced of our absolute need of Christ, and of his incomparable Excellency, of

his All-sufficiency, and willingness to save us; if Christ be most precious to us; if these Con∣victions have been powerful in us, to drive us from our Selves, and the Creature, and Sin; if we have hereupon been per∣swaded and enabled sincerely to come unto Christ upon his Call in the Gospel, to accept of him upon his Terms, and to receive him, as he is offered to us in the Gospel; if our whole Hearts have opened to him, and closed with him, and we have given up our whole selves entirely to him, and taken him for our on∣ly Lord and Saviour, as the on∣ly way to God, and do most sincerely resign up our selves to his Government, trusting in him alone, and relying upon him for Life and Righteousness, for Grace and Glory, then we do believe in him, then have we this true Faith; which is further to be known thus, that it work∣eth in us true sincere Love to him, and to all that is his, his

Word, his People; your Hearts will run out after him, all your Affections will center in him. This true Faith draws Vertue from Christ to purify the Heart, and work Sanctification and Holi∣ness; it doth crucify your Affe∣ctions to the World, it works true Repentance, and enables you to overcome the World, and to realize the Glory of Heaven, and to bear us up under all the Troubles in our way thither, as in that 11th to the Hebrews, ena∣bling us to trust and betrust our selves, our Souls and Bodies, and all our Concernments with Christ; by this Faith we shall stand, by it we walk, by it we live, and hold on, and hold out in following the Lamb to the end of our Life.

Now certainly he that thus believes in Christ, hath no cause of Heart-Trouble, but quietly submits to the good Will of his God in Christ, under all the Di∣spensations of his Providence, while he is here in this Vale of

Tears, until he come home to his Father's House in Peace, where he shall meet his dearest Lord, and an hearty welcome. O this Faith, this precious Faith in Christ will conquer all our base Fears, moderate all our worldly Sorrows, ease our Minds perplexed with earthly Cares, and quiet our disturbed and di∣stracted Thoughts about our outward Losses and Troubles: By this Faith we shall find all our Losses made up in God and in Christ: O then labour for it, cry mightily to God for this great Gift; cry to Jesus for it, he is the Author and Finisher of it; and labour to act it upon him continually, and your Hearts shall not be troubled.

I dare affirm, that if any thing bring Hearts-Ease in Heart-Trouble, this will do it. So long as our Faith holds up in Act and Exercise upon Christ, we shall be free from Heart-Trouble; but when our Faith sails, our Heart-Troubles pre∣vail:

As when Moses lifted up his Hands, (and his Heart too by Faith) Israel prevailed; but when his Hands were down, A∣maleck prevailed. Faith and Heart-Trouble are like a pair of Ballances, when one goes up, the other goes down: Faith is the Counter-poize of Trouble of Heart: Believe then in Jesus, act Faith on him, and that will prevent or cure Heart-Trouble. Continue in the Faith, and your Heart-Troubles will cease; believe what Christ is, and what he is to us.

Secondly, Let us believe in Christ, and believe where he is. As to his Essential Presence, he is in Heaven, at the Father's right Hand, making continual in∣tercession for us to the Father. He is our Advocate with the Fa∣ther, pleading our Cause, pre∣senting all our Services, perfu∣med with his own Righteous∣ness, and resenting and feeling our Infirmities, Sorrows and Sufferings, sympathising with us;

In all our Afflictions he is afflicted. He knows all our Tro••bles, Tri∣als, Temptations, Sicknesses, Losses and Miseries. Jesus him∣self knew, when he was on Earth, what it was to lose a Friend; He wept when his Friend Lazarus was dead. He is a most tender-hearted Saviour, a most merciful High-Priest: He sees and feels now in Heaven all the Miseries of his People upon Earth, and pleads for them there; believe this, and let not your Hearts be troubled.

And as to his Spiritual and Providential Presence, he is al∣ways with his People on Earth: He is in his People, Christ in you the Hope of Glory. He is in his Word and Ordinances by his Spirit, to bless them to his Peo∣ple. Christ is All, Col. 3. 11. and in All. He is All, that is, instead of All, of Father, Mother, Hus∣band, Wife; of Son and Daugh∣ter; instead of Health, Wealth, Liberty, and All to his People; in him dwelleth all Fulness. And he

is also in All, he filleth all in all. In all his People, he dwells in their Hearts by Faith. All our fresh Springs are in him: All the Strength, Support, and Com∣fort we have, comes from him: He is in all Providences, be they never so bitter, so afflictive, ne∣ver so smarting, so destructive to our Earthly Comforts, Christ is in them all; his Love, his Wis∣dom, his Mercy, his Pity and Compassion is in them all, every Cup is of his preparing; it is Jesus your best Friend, (O ye poor Believers) who most dear∣ly loves you; It is he that died for you, that appoints all those Providences, orders them all, o∣ver-rules, moderates and sancti∣fies them all, and will sweeten them all; and in his due time will make them All profitable unto you, that you shall have cause one day to praise and bless his Name for them all. O that we could but believe all this, and could by Faith look unto our Jesus in all dark Providences,

and by Faith behold this Jesus managing of them, and believe his Love, Wisdom, Tenderness and Faithfulness in all; in our Sicknesses, Losses, Prisons, Re∣straints, &c. then surely our Hearts should not be troubled.

Thirdly, Believe in Christ, Believe what he hath told us; In my Father's House are many Man∣sions; if it were not so, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you. Let us act Faith upon these true sweet sayings of our dear Lord, who is Truth it self; In my Father's House are many Man∣sions. In my Father's House; my Fathers, and your Father's House, one House must hold us all. Joh. 20. 17. I ascend to my Fa∣ther, and your Father; to my God, and your God, and it is in th••t House which is far above all Hea∣vens, all visible Elementary Hea∣vens, the third Heaven; that is, the Father's House, That House not made with hands, whose builder and maker is God, and is Eternal. This City of the living God. This

New Jerusalem; there, saith Christ, are many Mansions, many Dwellings, many fixed, abiding, lasting, everlasting Habitations: Not Tents and Tabernacles, such as we live in here on Earth, but Mansions, abiding-places. Is not this a most comfortable Conside∣ration to such poor Saints, as have here on Earth no certain dwelling-places, not an House of their own wherein to lay their Heads, but are forc'd to remove from place to place, still seek∣ing an Habitation, banished from Family and Friends, from Re∣lations and Acquaintance; some cast into Prisons, (while others dwell safely in their own Hou∣ses, and none to make them a∣fraid,) and others exposed to much hardship and danger; I say, this is good news to them, That in their Father's House are many Mansions; there are ever∣lasting Habitations ready to re∣ceive them, made ready for them; from which, when once they are entred, they shall never

be cast out more: from whence there shall be no more any re∣move for ever. When once their earthly House of this Taberna∣cle is broken down, they shall possess that House, not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. Let us then by Faith often look into the Father's House, and view, and review those many Mansions that are there; and let us act Hope also, that shortly we shall possess that Place, and enjoy that blessed State: The believing fre∣quent Prospects of that place, will prevent our Heart-trouble, or cure it.

If it were not so, I would have told you, saith our Lord: If there were not such a blessed State, and glorious Place for you my Disciples in the other World, after all your Sufferings in this, I would have told you so: For I have told of the many Trou∣bles you must endure in this World; and for your support and comfort, I am now telling you, what good things you shall

shortly enjoy above in my Fa∣ther's House; where is all Joy, Peace, Rest and Consolation: There are many Mansions, no Prisons, Chains, nor Fetters, but glorious Dwellings, enough to hold all the Saints that ever were, and that ever shall be in the World, where they shall en∣joy full and free Communion with the Blessed Trinity, and with one another; perfect Li∣berty, without any Restraint or remove for ever: Believe this, and let not your Hearts be trou∣bled.

I go to prepare a Place for you. I have purchased this most Glo∣rious Place for you, by my Blood; I have promised it to you; now I go away to take possession of it for you, in your Name and Stead: O what an Heart-comforting, and Heart-easing Consideration should this be to us poor Belie∣vers, That our Lord went from Earth to Heaven, on purpose to prepare a Place in Heaven for us, to possess it in our Name and

stead; and in the mean time, he is preparing us by his Word and Spirit, by Afflictions and Delive∣rances for that glorious Place! Hence he is called, our Fore∣runner, who is for us entred into that within the Vail: So that, as sure as Christ himself ascended, and went into the Highest Hea∣vens, so sure shall all his Disci∣ples, all true Believers ascend, and enter into Heaven also; be∣cause he went thither himself, to prepare Heaven for them, by taking Possession of it in his Hu∣mane Nature for us, as our Head and Saviour. God hath pre∣pared for them a City. Heaven, and heavenly Glory is said to be prepared: A Kingdom prepared from the Foundation of the World. If we could believe, that Christ hath prepared a Place in Heaven for us, and that Heaven will make amends for all our Suffe∣rings in the way thither; and if we could keep the Eye of our Faith upon that Recompence of Reward, that far more exceeding

and eternal weight of Glory, we should bear up bravely under all our Sufferings, and not have our Hearts troubled.

Let us then look more Heaven∣ward, more to our Father's House; Let us have our Conver∣sations more in Heaven, and set our Affections more upon things above; upon that blessed State and Place above; and know, That when Christ, who is our Life, shall appear, we shall appear with him in Glory. Believe this, and be comforted.

Certainly we are too much taken up with, and too sollici∣tous about our earthly Taber∣nacles, these Houses of Clay, whose Foundation is in the Dust, crushed before the Moth: We are always minding the Disea∣ses, Distempers and Dangers of our Bodies, those old crazy tot∣tering Houses, the Prisons of our Souls: we mind Earthly Places too much, but too little those heavenly Places in Christ Jesus, where we shall shortly sit with

him. Were we more heavenly-minded, we should be more free from Heart-trouble, and dis∣quietness of mind.

Lastly; To prevent and cure all our Heart-trouble; Let us la∣bour to believe, what Christ hath promised here in the Text: Verse 3. I will come again, and receive you to my self, that where I am, ye may be also. Most sweet and comfortable Promises!

I will come again. So ver. 18. I will come again; I will not leave you comfortless: For when I am absent from you, in respect of my bodily Presence, I will send the Comforter to you, that shall abide with you for ever. And I my self will come again unto you: you shall not long be without my Company. Tho' Christ seems to withdraw and hide his Face from his People, it shall be but a little moment. Isa. 54. 7, 8. He will return again and have Mercy; yea, with everlasting kindness will he return. I will come again; I will not stay long from you,

my Heart is still towards you, while I am absent, therefore I will come quickly, Rev. 3. 11. I will come to you with my Messenger Death; tho' it be the King of Terrours in it self, and a grim Porter; yet, by my co∣ming with it, it shall be to you the King of Comforts: I will come with it, by my Spirit, to strengthen you to look it in the Face, to apply to you the virtue of my Death, and thereby to take out the Sting of it; and I will come to you by my Angels, to secure your Souls through the Region of Devils, into my Fa∣ther's House. If Death did come alone to us, it would be terrible to us indeed, its ghastly Counte∣nance would affright us; but here is the Comfort, That Christ our dearest Lord, will come with Death, to sweeten it to us, and support us under it. This pre∣vented David's fear, Psal. 23. 4. When I walk thorow the valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear no Evil, for thou art with me.

O welcome Death! when Christ comes with it. This bitter Cup, of which we must all drink, is brought to us by the hand of our dearest Lord: This last stroke is given by the hand of Love; it is a taking us home to our Father's House; This last Enemy hath Christ conquered for us; because his Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood, He likewise took part of the same, that through Death (that is, his own Death) he might destroy him that had the power of Death, that is, the Devil, and deliver them, who through fear of Death, were all their life time subject to Bondage. Jesus knew what Death was, he himself had the Pangs of Death upon him: Sin the Sting of Death was laid on him; and the Law, which is the strength of Sin, the Curse of the Law was upon him: but now for us, who believe in Jesus, the sting and strength of Death is taken out, and when we die, we shall die in the Lord, Sleep in Jesus; in Uni∣on

and Communion with Jesus; we shall fall asleep in the Blessed Arms of our dear Redeemer. He will come then to keep us Com∣pany, through that dark Entry (Death), into the Father's House: His Angels shall carry our Souls into Abraham's Bosom, yea, into the Father's Bosom. O that we would make sure of our Union with Christ; and then let us believe, that he will come with Death, to translate our Souls out of these Earthly Tabernacles, these Prison-Houses, these Hou∣ses of Bondage (wherein our poor Souls have been fetter'd and chain'd, cloy'd and clog'd with Corruptions and Tempta∣tions, kept at a distance, and absent from the Lord, and in which they have been groaning for deliverance) into the glori∣ous Liberty of the Sons of God, in their Father's House, and shall ever be with the Lord.

Secondly, I will receive you to my self: O sweet Promise. This is all the Hope, all the Desire, all

the Longing, Thirsting, Breath∣ing of poor Believers, viz. that Christ would take them to him∣self. This is the Sum of all the••r Prayers and Labours, that they may be fitted for Christ, and then that Christ would take them to himself. Well, saith Christ, work and wait a little longer; do, and suffer a little more; act your Faith and Patience a lit∣tle longer, and I will come to you, and take you home to my self, where your Souls shall be at Rest for ever. The Saints, while they are here, at home in the Body, they are absent from the Lord; they see but in part, darkly, and know but in part, very imperfectly, and enjoy but a little, a very little of God and Christ. O how sweet are a few Drops, a few Glimpses and Glan∣ces of Divine Love now to a poor Soul; the least Cast of Christ's Eye, the least Beam of his Loving-kindness, the least Intimation of his Favour, the least Hint of his Goodness, how

refreshing to a poor Believer? But when Christ shall receive them to himself, they shall then see him as he is, shall be like him, and shall be satisfied with his Like∣ness: Then shall they see him, whom their Souls love, Face to Face: and then will Jesus open to them all the Treasures of his Love and Grace, to their ever∣lasting Consolation: They shall then be admitted into the glori∣ous Presence of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, in whose Presence is fulness of Joy, and at whose right Hand are Pleasures for ever-more. When the World shall cast them out, and their Ha∣bitations shall cast them out, and shall know them no more; yea, when their Houses of Clay shall be broken down and dissolved, and can hold them no longer, then will Jesus, blessed Jesus, re∣ceive them to himself: Then shall they be solemnly married to their glorious Bridegroom, the King of Heaven's Son, the Prince of the Kings of the Earth; He

will receive them to himself, he will take them for his Bride, em∣brace them in his everlasting Arms, and lay them in his blessed Bosom for ever and ever. I will receive you to my self, into the nearest Union and Commu∣nion with my self; and there∣fore be not unwilling to part with your dear Relations; be not afraid to be separated from your Bodies, your old Friends; for when these earthly Taber∣nacles are dissolved, immediate∣ly I will receive you to my self, which is best of all. You shall then enjoy the Fruits of all my Suf∣ferings, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and Intercession, and the Fruits of all your own La∣bours, Prayers, Tears, and Suf∣ferings; and shall find that I am faithful in making good all my Promises, and that your Labour was not in vain in the Lord; then shall there be no more any distance between you and me for ever. Comfort your selves, and comfort one another with these

words; Believe this, and let not your Hearts be troubled.

Thirdly, That where I am, ye may be also: And what more can be desired? Where is Christ, but at the right Hand of the Ma∣jesty on high, far above all Prin∣cipalities and Powers, far above all Heavens; there shall you be al∣so. O admirable, astonishing Dignity, that blessed Jesus will advance his poor Saints unto at that Day! This high and won∣derful Honour shall all his Saints have; they shall now receive the Kingdom prepared for them, and that Crown of Glory, of Righteousness and of Life, which Christ hath purchased for them, perfectly freed now from all Sin and Sorrow, and stated in an unchangeable state of Happiness and Blessedness. What cause have we then to grieve for our dear Relations, whom Christ hath taken to himself, and pla∣ced in the Father's House, who are now sitting at his right Hand

in Glory, and singing Hallelu∣jahs? And could we but firmly believe these Promises of our Lord, and act our Faith in medi∣tating fixedly on them, and on Jesus in them, applying and appropriating them, and Christ in them, to our own Souls, con∣sidering and pondering on them, until our Hearts be warmed, and our Affections stirred and kindled with them, acting also Hope, Love, Joy, Desire, De∣light, Hunger, Thirst, Pant∣ing, Breathing; pouring out our Hearts in Prayer to God for his Spirit, to bring home these Promises to our Souls in Power, fixing them upon our Hearts, and ••e••ping us to lay hold on them, and upon Christ in them, and resigning up our whole Souls to Christ in them, stedfastly rely∣ing on his Goodness and Faith∣fulness, and trusting in him; I say, could we but do so, and in the strength of God betrust our whole selves, & all our Concerns,

thus with Christ, and live in the lively Exercises of Faith thus on God, and on Christ, we should find this to be Hearts-Ease to us in all our Heart-Trou∣ble. Behold, I lay in Sion a chief Corner-Stone, Elect, Precious; and he that believeth in him, shall not be confounded, 1 Pet. 2. 6.

Let all Heart-Trouble cease, Let nought disturb your Peace, Who Faith in God profess, And in his Son no less.

For in the Father's House Are many Mansions sweet, Christ hath prepar'd for us, When we for them made meet.

THE END.

Notes

• 2 Pet. 1. 1.
• 1 Pet. 1. 7.
• Hebr. 12. 1.
• John 1. 12.
• Eph. 3. 17.
• Heb. 11. all Heb. 11. 39. 1 Pet. 1. 9.
• ••sal. 4. 5.
• Isa. 43. 21. Tit. 2. 14.
• Rom. 15. 13.
• Jerem. 15. 5, 6, 7, 8.
• Jerem. 9. 4.
• Mic. 7. 4, ••.
• 2 Ʋse.
• John 6. 29.
• Ephes. 2. 8.
• Col. 2. 12.
• Ps. 112. 4.
• 2 Cor. 5. 19. Col. 1. 21.
• 2 Pet. 1. 4.
• Jerom. 31.
• Hebr. 8.
• Isa. 56. 5. & 27. 4. Jer. 31. 32. 2 Cor. 6. 18▪
• 1 Cor. 6. 17.
• 2 Cor. 4. 10, 11. Gal. 2. 20.
• 1 John 3. 21.
• 2 Tim. 1. 12.
• Phil. 3. 9.
• Col. 2. 6, 7.
• John 16. 8. Ephes. 1. 17, 18. R••v. 3. 17. Mat. 11. 28. 1 Pet. 2. 7. Act. 20. 21.
• John 6. 37. & 7. 37. Mat. 16. 24. Col. 2. 6.
• Joh. 14. 6. Mat. 11. 29. Joh. 1. 14, 16. Joh. 3. 16, 36. Gal. 5. 6. 1 Joh. 5. 1. Psal. 119. 97. Act. 15. 9. & 26. 18. Gal. 2. 20.
• 1 Joh. 5. 4. Heb. 11. 1. Eph. 1. 13. Ps. 1. last. Rom. 11. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 7.
• Heb. 10. 38.
• Heb. 11. 1.
• Heb. 12. 2, 3. Heb. 7. 25.
• 1 John 2. 1, 2.
• Heb. 4. 14, 15.
• Isa. 63. 9.
• Col. 1. 27.
• Eph. 1. 23. & 3. 17.
• Joh. 14 3.
• 2 Cor. 5. 1, 2.
• Luk. 16. 9.
• Rom. 5. 2, 3.
• Heb. 6. 20.
• Heb. 11.
• Matth. 25. 34.
• Heb. 11. 26
• 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17, 18.
• Phil. 3. 20.
• Col. 3. 1. 2, 3.
• Eph. 2. 6.
• 4ly.
• H••b. 2. 14.
• Isa. 53. 6.
• Gal. 3. 13.
• Rom. 8. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1 Thess. 4. 17.
• 1 John 3. 2, 3. Ps. 17. 15.
• Psal. 16. last.
• Phil. 1. 23.
• Heb. 12. 2.