THE parting of dear Friends by Death is accompanied with mourn­ful Speeches, with weeping Eyes, with sorrowful Hearts, with wring­ing of Hands; the several Relations of the departing Person, in the dying Chamber, say­ing, my Wife is departing, my Daughter is go­ing, my Sister is going; going! never to re­turn; going, never to be seen in this World any more; she hath taken her leave of us, and we of her. This is a bitter day, a bitter day, a day wherein God writes bitter things [Page 2] against us; this is a sorrowful parting time, because after it, there will be no time of meet­ing upon Earth.

The occasion of this Funeral Sermon, is confest to be inferior to the reason of Christ's Farewell Discourse to his Disciples, as far as the Servant is inferior to the Lord, or the Sinner to the Saviour, or the Subject-Saint to the King of Saints; yet what the Lord said unto the Disciples that were his Servants, and he as a Saviour, said to them as Believing Sinners, and as the King of Saints to them as his sin­cere obedient Subjects, is applicable to all that are such; therefore upon this afflicting Pro­vidence I made choice of these words to be my Theme, as consolatory to those Relations that do survive, since they have such well-grounded hopes, that her separated Soul, is now received into, and possessed of that Man­sion in God's House above, which is prepared by Christ for the Soul that sincerely believed on him.

The Disciples being filled with Sorrow, that such a Lord, such a Master, such a Friend as Christ, was parting from them, first by Death, and after that by his Ascention into Heaven, in this Valedictory Sermon (contained in the 14, 15, and 16 Chapters of John). He doth ac­quaint them with such Benefits of his going, that tended to comfort their Hearts, to mode­rate their Grief, to support their sinking Spi­rits.

Four things should engage us frequently to Read, seriously to Study, and rightly to Un­derstand this Farewel Sermon of our Lord.

1. The Dignity of the Preacher; Solomon was Ecclesiastes, a Preacher; but a greater than Solomon was the Preacher of this: Not me of the Prophets, not one of the Apostles, not one of the holy Angels, but the only Be­gotten Son of God, that was in the Bosom of the Father, and knew all his Heart and se­cret Counsels, was the Preacher of this Ser­mon, as of many others before; all of great worth, but the last is not the least.

2. The Excellency of the Matter, being full of Holy Instructions, revealing Heavenly Mysteries, containing the Sum of Gospel-Truths, administring the richests Cordials, and shewing the way to Eternal Life.

3. The time or season, when he was near his Suffering and Death, being his last Sermon to them, before his last Sufferings for them.

Three Holy Men of God, in the Old Te­stament, being near to Death, spake largely sweet words to those they left behind, each of them in a whole Chapter.

Jacob, Gen. 49. Jacob called to his sons and said, gather your selves together, that I may tell you that which shall befal you in the last days; gather your selves together, and hear, ye Sons of Jacob, and hearken to Israel your Father—And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his Sons, he gathered up his Feet in the Bed, and yielded up the Ghost, and was gathered to his Peo­ple.

Moses, Deut. 33. This is the Blessing wherewith Moses the Man of God Blessed the Children of Is­rael before his Death.

David, 2 Sam. 23. Now these be the last words of David; David the Son of Jesse said, and the Man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel said.—

To the dying Speeches of these Three, that had walked in the midst of the fire of Affli­ction, from which they were loosed by Death, we might add the farewel-words of a Fourth, whose form is like the Son of God, and the form of his words was such, that did indeed manifest him to be in truth the Son of God, in these Three Chapters, being as large as those three.

4. The extent of our Lord's words reaching not only to the Disciples then living, but to all that should afterwards believe on him: For tho' there might be some things contained herein, that had some special respect to the Disciples, yet they are mix'd with others that cannot be limited to them, but are of uni­versal Concern to all, as John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and I will manifest my self unto him. 23. Jesus an­swered and said, if a Man Love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abade with him, John 15. 2. Every branch that beareth Fruit he [Page 5] purieth it, that it may bring forth more Fruit; as his Prayer was not only for them, but also for others; Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; so his Sermon was not only for them, but for others, as he himself did declare at a­nother time, What I say unto you, I say to all.

Christ in this Verse (that is the Subject to be treated of at this time) asserts these Four things.

1. It was his Father's House to which he was going; as if he had said, I have been in this World among sinful Men, for whose Salvation I did come down from Heaven, from my Fa­ther's House, to seek and to save such as were lost, and chosen by my Father to Eternal Life, and when I have finished my Work, I must return from whence I came: Tho' I am Lord of all, yet in this World I have no House, where to lay my Head, not this World, but Heaven is my Home: I have told you how I must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer ma­ny things of the Elders and Chief Priests and Scribes, and be killed, and at this you were troubled: And now I tell you, I am going from you, and at this also ye are troubled: I am to be filled with sorrow, to Suffer, Sweat as never Man did, to give my Life a ransome for many, to bear the Punishment of Mens Sins in my own Body upon the Tree, and this hath filled you with Sorrow; and after that I am to leave you, and be taken up from you, [Page 6] and ye shall see me no more; and this is mat­ter of your Grief; but let not your Heart be troubled, for tho' in this World I shall be Cru­cified, yet after that in my Fathers House I shall be glorified.

2. That in his Father's House there are Man­sions; hereby preventing the Objections that might have risen in their Minds, and saying, Blessed Lord! if thou art going home, where must we be? wilt thou leave us as so many Orphans? and when we must go from hence, whither must we go? what room is there in thy Father's House? only for thee, none for us? or wilt thou go and continue there with­out us? Christ removes these fears of theirs, saying, in my Father's House are many Man­sions, room enough, for me, for you, and for as many as shall believe on me.

3. The Certainty of these Mansions in his Father's House, if it were not so, I would have told you: This is no Romance; this is no Poe­tical Fiction, it is no deluding Dream; the De­vil tells his Followers, and promiseth them what they shall never find; but I am plain­hearted with you; I do not flatter you, nor feed you up with vain hopes: It cannot be, that I your Lord should deceive you; Ye Be­lieve in God, Believe also in Me, and my words, for I do assure you, in my Father's House are many Mansions; and I profess unto you, if it were not so, I would have told you; there is Life, I am the Way to it, and the Truth that tell you so.

[Page 7]4. That he was their For [...] runner and Har­binger; I go to prepare a place for you; ye are upon your Journey to an Eternal World; ye are travelling to an Everlasting State; Hea­ven is the place ye do design, Happiness there ye pray, and hope, and wait, and act and suffer for: This I have promised to you, to this it is my Father hath chosen you, for this it was that I came down from Heaven, my Father's House, to procure for you, and to my Father's House I wil go before, there to take up room for you, and to prepare a place for your En­tertainment, when ye shall follow after me.

Doct. It is a certain truth, that all sincere Be­lievers on Christ, shall have Mansions in his Fa­ther's House, to which he is gone to prepare a place for them.

This Text, and the Doctrine the same with the Text, will be explained by Answering to these Five Questions.

• 1. What is the meaning of these Mansions here spoken of?
• 2. Where these Mansions are? What this House is? What kind of House it is? and what is im­ported by Believers having these Mansions in this House?
• 3. What is included in Christ's calling it his Fa­ther's House?
• 4. How the Certainty of these Mansions in this House will appear to be undoubted?
• 5. How Christ prepares a place for Believers in his Father's House?

1. Mansi [...]s, [...]d these being many denote these three things.

• 1. The Eternal Duration of their Happiness in Heaven.
• 2. The Capacious Largeness of this House.
• 3. The different degrees of Glory in Heaven.

1. These Mansions denote the Eternal Dura­tion of the Happiness of Heaven, these are opposed to our transitory dwelling in this World ( [...]) Mansions signifie abi­ding places. Our stay upon Earth is compared to Tents, which are set up, taken down and removed from one place to another, at the pleasure of Men; so our Life upon Earth is called a Pilgrimage, Gen. 47. 9. Jacob said unto Pharaoh, the days of the years of my Pilgri­mage, are an hundred and thirty years; few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained to the days of the years of the Life of my Fathers, in the days of their Pil­grimage; therefore we are said to have here no Continuing City, Heb. 13. 14.

Nothing in this World is permanent, abi­ding and stable.

1. Not the Honours of this World; Psal. 49. 12. Man being in Honour abideth not. Haman that was so much honoured for a while, and lifted up with the thoughts thereof, was in a little time, to his Dis­grace, lifted up upon the Gallows, Esth. 5. 11, 12. compare Esth. 7. 9, 10.

2. The Riches of this World are not abi­ding; Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine Eyes [Page 9] upon that which is not? For Riches certain­ly make themselves Wings and fly away, as an Eagle towards Heaven; q. d. it is cer­tain, that Riches are uncertain, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are Rich in this World, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain Riches.

3. The Pleasures of this World in a Course of Sin are but for a Season, Heb. 11. 25. they never ought to be in Season, all are but for a Season, in Hell they will be quite out of Season.

4. The Friendship of this World is no abi­ding Friendship: As the Riches of the World do come and go, answerable is the Friendship of the World, Prov. 19. 4. Wealth maketh many Friends; but the poor is separated from his Neighbour, v. 7. All the brethren of the poor do hate him; how much more do his Friends go far from him? He pursueth them with words, yet are they wanting to him.

5. Our Life in this World is not permanent, we Live a while and then die; tarry a while but no abiding: There have been many Ages, and many in every Age, but where are they? They were, and seen for a time, and in a few days were to be seen no more, Psal. 39. 12, 13. here we are Strangers, not Home-dwellers, 1 Chron. 29. 15. We are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our Fathers; Our [Page 10] days on Earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

But when once we are possest of our Man­sions above, there we shall abide; from thence we shall never remove, because we and our Mansions shall continue for ever.

What Matter is here for a thinking Mind to muse upon, concerning the difference betwixt Earth and Heaven! Mansion-houses (as some are called here) are temporary; Riches are poor things, the best are mean, the surest are uncertain, the longest are short, and the ful­lest are empty: But in God's House above, every thing is Rich and Sure, and fully Satis­fying, and of longest Continuance, because all is Eternal, 2 Cor. 4. 18.—The things which are seen are Temporal, but the things which are not seen are Eternal. On Earth is our short home, in the Grave will be our long home, in Heaven will be our Eternal home; And this will be the great delight of saved Souls when entred into their Mansions, that there they shall abide and dwell for ever: O Blessed Eter­nity! O Joyful Eternity! What a pleasant place is this? What a glorious House is this our Fa­ther's House? What Mansions are we received into? not by Lease of Thousands of Years, and then to be dispossessed, but to abide in this joyful Happiness, in this happy Joy in these our Mansions, with this our Lord and Saviour to all Eternity. This is the Joy of our Joy, that this our Joy in our Eternal Man­sions, will be Eternal Joy.

Secondly, These many Mansions set forth the capacious Largeness of this House above; as many as there be Angels, and are, or shall be Saints; innumerable Mansions for that innu­merable Company of Celestial Spirits, Heb. 12. 23. and sanctified Souls of all Nations, and Kindreds, and People, and Tongues, Rev. 7. 9.

Not that we are to conceive, that every An­gel and every Holy Soul had a proper and pe­culiar Cell, or an Apartment belonging to each, as Lodgers in the same House with us have their particular and distinct Chambers, but that there is room enough for all that shall be made meet for that happy State and Place above: if any come short or are shut out, it is not for want of room, or straitness of that House, but because they were not prepared to enter in: for as in our Father's House below, there is Bread enough and to spare, so in his House above, there is room enough and to spare.

Wonder at the Unthankfulness of Sinners to­wards Christ, when he came from his Father's House into this World, that they made no room for him in the Inn, but was born in a Stable, and laid in a Manger, because all the Rooms in the House were taken up by others. Should they not have said, make room for the Messias that is come, turn out any, that there may be room for the Saviour that is Born; if he had not come, we should have had room enough in Hell, but none in Heaven, therefore make [Page 12] room and welcomely entertain him, but for him they found no room, Luke 2. 17.

Wonder also at the Graciousness of God in Christ, to you that are Believers, that when you shall be turned out of this World, he will make room for you in Heaven: do not say, he hath for a Moses, for an Abraham, and for a David; for Prophets and Apostles, for Mar­tyrs and eminent Believers; but will there be room for me, for me, so mean and poor, for me that have been so sinful, and am still so unwor­thy? Yes, for thee, and every one that is sincerely Holy, a penitent and believing Sin­ner.

Thirdly, The many Mansions in this House above, may denote the different degrees of Glo­ry there. It is certain, That tho' all the damn­ed in Hell shall have pain intollerable, that they cannot Rest nor Sleep, nor be at ease; yet according to the measure, nature, number and aggravations of their sinning upon Earth, shall be the degrees of their sufferings in Hell; Matt. 23. 14. Therefore ye shall receive the grea­ter Damnation. Tho' the Damn'd shou'd rove from one side of Hell to another, seeking for some cool corner they shall find none; tho' they should run from one end of Hell to the other for some shady place, there is none to be found, but where-ever they go, shall say, this place is hot, and so is this, and so is every one, that we can no where rest; yet some places shall be hotter than others, and the greatest Sinners against the greatest Mercies and Means [Page 13] of Grace shall have the hottest of all, Matt. 11. 21. Wo unto thee Corazin, Wo unto thee Beth­saida,—It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of Judgment than for you;—23. And thou Capernaum, which art exalted un­to Heaven, shall be brought down to Hell.—24 It shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom in the day of Judgment than for thee.

It is probable, that in Heaven there shall be different degrees of Glory, (tho' none by any proper Merit, yet) some according to their Activity for the Glory of God, their different degrees of Grace in this Life, where­by their Hearts are more enlarged to be Re­ceptive of more than others, shall be partakers of more, like as if you carry two Vessels to the Sea, one smaller, the other greater, both shall be full, yet one shall hold more than the other; as one Star differs from another in Glory, so one Saint from another in different degrees of Happiness.

Quest. II. Where are these Mansions, and what is this House? concerning which I shall con­sider three things.

• 1. What are the Equipollent Terms by which the place is called where these Mansions are?
• 2. What kind of House it is, or what are the properties of it?
• 3. What is Imported that these Mansions are in God's House?

First, The Equipollent Terms (the variety whereof will afford Delight to our Minds Meditating thereon) are such as these.

[Page 14]1. It is the place of God's Habitation, Psal. 33. 14. Is not this marvellous, that we shall be received to be there Inhabitants with him?

2. It is God's Holy Habitation, Deut. 26. 15. the Habitation of his Holiness and Glory, Isa. 63. 15. Is it not amazing, that we that were so unholy and vile, shou'd be made meet for such a place of Glory?

3. It is the City of the living God, Heb. 12. 22. Is it not astonishing, that we that were Stran­gers and Foreigners, and once dead in Sin, should be Citizens there with the Living God?

4. It is a City prepared by God for us, Heb. 11. 16. Is it not wonderful, that when a Tophet is prepared for others, such a City should be prepared for us.

5. It is a City that hath Foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God, Heb. 11. 10. Is it not an Heart-warming thought, that we whose Foundation is in the Dust, should look for such a City, the Foundation whereof none but God could lay, and none but he could build upon?

6. It is a better Country than any other, Heb. 11. 16. Is it not a Soul-affecting Meditati­on, that we that live in a strange Country, should be removed into that the best of all?

7. It is a Paradise, Luke 23. 43. 2 Cor. 12. 4. Is it not matter of admiration, that Mankind, which for Sin was driven and banished from the Earthly Paradise, any of them should be received into the Heavenly?

[Page 15]8. It is the Third Heaven, 2 Cor. 12. 2. the Heaven of Heavens, 1 Kings 8. 27. What free Grace is this, that we that had deserved the lowest Hell, should have our abode in the highest Heaven?

9. It is God's Garnir, Matt. 3. 12. Behold, what manner of Love is this of God to us, who might have been driven before his An­ger, as Chaff before the Wind, or been burnt in unquenchable Fire, that we shall be gathered as Wheat into his Garner?

10. It is God's Rest. Heb. 3. 11, 18. What Mercy then is this, that when God might have sworn we should never enter into his Rest, but have cast us to the place of Torment, where there is no Rest Night nor day, he hath promised to us entrance into his Rest?

In the musing on these Scripture-terms, we may imagine how those Blessed Souls that see more, than what we hear of this our Father's House do there rejoyce and sing, and say, the lines are fallen unto us in a pleasant place; yea, we have a goodly Heritage.

Secondly, We may yet for our greater De­light in our fore-thoughts of this House where our Mansions are, enlarge our Meditations up­on the Properties of it, which are such as these.

1. It is a stately House, being the Royal Pa­lace of the great King, Nebuchadnezzar spake great and lofty words concerning his Build­ing, Dan. 4. 30. The King spake and said, is not this great Babylon that I have Built for the House [Page 16] of the Kingdom, by the might of my Power, and for the Honour of my Majesty? but his Palace was no better than a Dungeon, or a Dunghil, compared with the House of God above.

The Description of the Heavenly Jerusalem sets forth the stateliness thereof; the Building of the Wall of it is of Jaspar, and the City is pure Gold, like unto clear Glass, and the foundations of the Wall of the City is garnished with all manner of pre­cious Stones;—and the twelve Gates are twelve Pearls, every several Gate is of one Pearl, and the street of the City is pure Gold, as it were transparent Glass, Rev. 21. 18, 19, 20, 21.

2. It is a safe House; no Enemy can assault it, no violence can break through it; no dan­ger can come near it; the Walls are unmove­able, the Gates are impregnable, God is the Governour, Christ is Administrator-General, Angels are the Watchers, Saints are the Con­quering Army, their Treasures are safe from Thieves, their Joy is safe from Spoilers, their Mansions are safe from Burnings, all the Company, and all their Concerns are Safe, Matth. 6. 20.

3. It is a quiet and peaceable House; there is no Discord among those that are in that House, no Contention or Strife, no Wrath or Anger, no Divisions or Animosities; there is no reproaching Tongue, no censuring mind, no disagreeing Parties, no differing Judgment, no slandering Reports, but all Live in perfect Love and perpetual Peace; O happy Society! What peaceable Possession have they of all [Page 17] they do enjoy without Molestation or Di­sturbance, from anv within or without: O how good and pleasant is it, that those Bre­thren dwell there together in such indissoluble Unity, so that two sticks there made one, shall ne­ver again be broken into two.

4. It is a joyful House, and never shall be turned into an House of Mourning, for there is no sighing or sobbing, no grief or groans, no sorrowful Heart, no weeping Eye, no com­plaining Tongue, no lamenting Words, but in that House are Songs of Praises, triumphant Hallelujah's, ravishing Admirations of the Hap­piness they are all possessed of, singing and praising God the Father that chose them to it, magnifying God the Son that redeemed them, and glorifying God the Holy Ghost for prepa­ring them for it, saying with a loud voice, Wor­thy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, yea blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever, Rev. 5. 12, 13.

But there shall be no Cause, Occasion or Reason of any Sadness and Sorrow through pain, in any part; no aking Head, no sick Heart, no griped Bowels, or through loss of Friends, or fears of Death, Rev. 21. 4. God shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nei­ther shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.

[Page 18]5. It is an Holy House, the Lord that Glori­ously dwelleth there is an infinitely Holy God; the Angels there are perfectly Holy, the Spi­rits of just Men there are compleatly Holy; their imployment is Holy, their Enjoyments are Holy, the place is Holy: all there is Holy.

There is not in all that House one idle Word, not one vain Thought, not one unholy Action; there is no temptation to Sin, no in­clination to Sin, no danger of Sin, and thro' confirming Grace no possibility of Sinning; there is no complaining of wordly, hard, and unbelieving Hearts; of Pride and Passion, of deadness and dulness of Affection, of want of Love in them to God, or in God to them.

There is no interruption of their Communi­on with God.

There is no intermission of their Delight and Joy in God.

There is no desertion through the with­drawings of God.

There is no diminution of their Comforts from God.

There is no pollution by any Spot or Ble­mish.

6. It is a pleasure-house, an House not of Car­nal but Spiritual, not of Sinful but Holy, not of Worldly but Heavenly Pleasures, Psal. 16. 11. In thy presence there is fulness of joy, and at thy right Hand are rivers of pleasures for ever­more. There they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of God's House, and God shall [Page 19] make them drink of the rivers of his pleasures, Psal. 36. 8.

They shall have Pleasure in God, Christ, and the Eternal Spirit; they shall have Plea­sure in the Society of Angels and Company one of another; they shall have Pleasure in the Place, in their Enjoyment, in their Work, in what they see, in what they feel, in what they hear and take unspeakable pleasure in knowing, that all this shall abide to all Eter­nity.

7. It is a peculiar House; It is too Sacred to be a common Receptacle for all individuals of what kind soever they be, its not a common Inn for any to take up their Lodgings in, but is reserved for a peculiar People.

In this Life God's People have peculiar Names, peculiar Natures, peculiar Graces, pe­culiar Promises, peculiar Priviledges; and in the Life to come they shall have a peculiar dwelling Place.

In God's House below there is a Mixture of good and bad, of the Tares and Wheat, of the Chaff and Corn; but not only at the last day, but also on Men's dying day, the good are gathered into God's House, and the bad are cast away: So that into God's House above there shall be no Entrance for any final­ly impenitent, unbelieving, unsanctified Souls, Rev. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, Rev. 22. 15. for without are Dogs and Sorcerers, and Whore­mongers, [Page 20] and Murderers, and Idolaters, and what­soever loveth or maketh a Lie. Swine in a King's Presence Chamber would not be such an uncomely Sight, as these wou'd be in Man­sions in God's House, therefore all such must lie without those doors.

8. It is an Incorruptible House, for it needeth no Repairs nor mending; it is not subject to Decays, or to waxing Old, or going to Ru­ines; it hath been Thousands of Years, and yet it is still a new House; it hath last­ed long, and yet it is as strong and beautiful as ever.

9. It is a well situated House; the standing of an House addeth much to the goodness of it. It is a common saying of the special Com­mendation of an House, that it standeth well, as in a wholesome Air, upon an high Ascent, that it hath a good Prospect, is accommoda­ted with Springs of Water, and in a Fruit­ful Land; but no House on Earth is so well situated as the House above; for as far as the Heavens are above the Earth, so far is this House in Heaven better situated than any House on Earth, having nothing to annoy it, nothing to offend any that are in it.

10. It is a Lightsome House. Hell is set forth by the darkness of it, Heaven by its light: This House is so light, that to Mortals it is Inaccessible; as in this imperfect State we are not able to bear the glorious shining of the Lustre of it; we must dye and go through the dark entry of Death, before we can be [Page 21] able to endure the beholding the light there­of.

What would all our Houses in this World be, but so many Prisons or Dungeons, if they were without light. The Sun that God hangs out as a shining Lamp by Day, the Moon and Stars as so many Torches by Night, make the outside of that House exceeding Glorious, and this World the more Delightful; What is then that House within, when the light there­of makes the light of the Sun to disappear, or to be of no use, as the Sun in its Meridian Brightness doth extinguish the Light of Moon and Stars in this lower World, Rev. 21. 23. The City had 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, Rev. 22. 5. and there shall be no Night there, and they need no Candle, neither the light of the Sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall Reign for ever and ever. In our Houses below there is a Succession of Night and Day, and when we have the light of the Sun, we need not the light of the Candle, and when we have no Sun-light we need Candle-light. In Hell there will be always Night without any Day, and tho' the Damn'd be scortch'd with the heat of the Fire, yet they be in outer Darkness, feeling the greatest heat, without seeing the least light. In Heaven there will be always Day without Night, and therefore always shining glorious light without any darkness: If the Lightsomeness of an House [Page 22] be a Commendation of it, there is no Compa­rison to be made betwixt any House on Earth and that in Heaven.

Thirdly, What is imported that these Mansi­ons (we pray and hope and wait for) are in our Lord's Fathers House?

But who am I, a poor, silly, sinful Mortal Man, a Man whom Men might easily despise, that I should answer such a Question as this? and Discourse of an House I never was in, and never yet approached so near, as to have a sight nor view, so much as of the outside thereof, being hid by the intervening Hea­vens? Good and glorious God! pardon my Childish Chatterings of the Habitation of thy Glorious Majesty: I will not dare to look into what is not revealed, nor to pry into the Secrets of thy House, nor attempt to open any Closet therein: But since I do not speak altogether without thy Book, forgive me if I speak less (as I am conscious I shall) than what thou hast Reveal'd therein; others are gone to see, what we must be content as yet to hear of; tho' they that are gone to see, shall not return to make report to us what they have seen, but thou art pleas'd to instruct thy People here below, by Men (like themselves) that never saw thy House above; therefore pardon the Preacher, and help the Hearers to conceive greater and more glorious things than he can speak, and make us all to be more desirous to come and see what is in thine Heavenly House, than the one can think or [Page 23] the other say, and till then suffer us to say what we can, or else we must altogether hold our peace.

Such as are sincere Disciples of Christ, from the Consideration that these Mansions are in his Father's House might delight their Minds, warm their Affections, quicken their Prayers and Praises, excite the acting of their Grace and Love, Desire and Hope, by Me­ditating upon these five things, as imported in this Expression.

• 1. Clearness of Vision, living then and there by sight, as now and here we do by faith.
• 2. Sweetness of Communion, of which we have but some fore-tasts in this Life.
• 3. The greatness of Gods Affection to us, in re­ceiving us at last into his House.
• 4. The fulness of our joy in the fruition of God in that place.
• 5. The sureness of our admission into his glorious Presence.

First, Clearness of Vision, Tho' a finite Under­standing cannot in any state adequately com­prehend the infinite Perfections of God; there being not so much proportion between Finite and Infinite, as there is betwixt the hollow of our Hand and the vast Ocean, because both are Finite; yet we shall have a perfect Know­ledge then of what now we know but in part.

In God's House below (which is his Church) we have but short and shallow Apprehensi­ons, of what there is in God's House above; [Page 24] here he that knoweth most, comparatively knows but little of what is to be known.

How little do we know of God's infinite Being, and the infinite Perfections of his Na­ture? How little do we in time know of God's Eternity? in our Changeable State know of God's Immutability? in our sinful Life know of God's infinite Holiness, in our pur-blind State, know of God's knowing all things, tho' never so far off, as from Eternity to Eternity? in our necessary Confinement to one place, that at the same time we cannot possibly be in two: Know of God's immensity, who is at the same instant and always, indivisibly every where, and all of him every where, in­cluded in no place, and yet excluded from none. Such Knowledge is too wonderful for us, it is high, we cannot attain unto it, Psal. 139. 6. Zophar's question to Job might be put to the wisest in this World, Job 11. 7. Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto Perfection? 8 It is high as Heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than Hell, what canst thou know?

How little do we know of the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of Essence? Divine Re­velation is a sufficient ground of our believing this Mystery, tho' we cannot comprehend it: God's Veracity is unquestionable; he therefore having said, it is so, we are bound to believe it to be so, tho' we cannot reach the manner How it is so; yet our Faith herein is not a [Page 25] blind Faith, because we know, that God in revealing it is True.

How little here do we know of the won­derful Union of two Natures, in the one Person of Christ? that it is so, is plainly and fully taught in the Holy Scriptures, tho' the modus by us is ineffable; and shall we believe God no further than we can comprehend all that he saith?

How little do we in God's House below know of the decrees and counsels of God? when such a Man as Paul cried out, O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out, Rom. 11. 33.

How little do we now know of the deep Mysteries of Man's Redemption by Jesus Christ? or of the amazing dimensions of the Love of Christ to us therein, when though we should study to know it, yet in its heighth and depth, and length and breadth, it passeth all our Know­ledge, Eph. 3. 18, 19.

How little do we know in God's House on Earth of the unconceivable happiness prepared for Believers in God's House in Heaven? When Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of Man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. 2. 9.

But those that are possessed of their Man­sions in Heaven have perfect Knowledge, the meanest there knows more than the greatest, and most learned Man on Earth. Angels [Page 26] there always behold the Face of God, Matt. 18. 10. So do the Saints in Heaven, 1 Cor. 13. 9. We know in part, and we prophesie in part, 10. but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away, 12. now we see through a Glass darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known; as those in an House know more of the Master of the House than those that are Strangers there; yet we have not seen Christ, but then we shall see him as he is, 1 John 3. 2. and then we shall know him, and love him, and admire him more than now we do, or can do, and shall be more like him than now we are, or can here be.

Secondly, These Mansions being in God's House above, connote the intimate Communion the Saints have there with God, with Holy Angels, and among themselves; as those that live together in the same House have with the Master of the House, and one with ano­ther.

In God's House below we have some Com­munion with him, 1 John 1. 3. but this is

In small Measures, our greatest here is but lit­tle; our highest is but low.

With many Interruptions, sometimes have it, many times miss of it.

When most it is but mediate, in the use of appointed Means and Ordinances.

With great Conflicts from Sin within, Satan and the World without.

With much Weariness, through the imperfe­ction of our State and Graces.

But in God's House above our Enjoyment of him will be

In fulness of degrees, without any Diminu­nution, as much as capable of.

With greatest Constancy, without intermissi­on or any strangeness.

Immediate, without Sermons, Sacraments or such Ordinances here to be attended.

Secure and Safe, without any Opposition, or the least Molestation or hindrance.

Delightful, without weariness, never tedious nor irksome; they shall always rest, when they never rest Day or Night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, Rev. 4. 8.

When holy Souls and holy Angels shall dwell together in the same House, they shall have nearer Communion with these; What Com­munion we on Earth have now with Angels in Heaven, is little discerned by most, but what it will be then shall be perceived by all, and to understand it fully, we must stay till we are with them in our Father's House.

There is such a thing as Communion of Saints here on our way, in holy Discourse, in conjunct fervent Praying, in pertaking of the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, in their Mutual Love, in their exhorting and comforting one another, and O how sweet is this unto them! how delightful! when they feel their Hearts to burn within them, their [Page 28] Affections warm'd, their Doubts resolved, their Dulness removed, their Graces exercised and strengthned, their Sins more mortified, Satans stratagems and wilds discovered, and the Love of God manifested to them! but all this is but some fore-tasts of the sweetness of that Communion they shall have one with another, when they meet in their Father's House in Heaven; judge something what it will be there, by what it is here, but conceive it will be abundant more, and fuller, and sweeter than it can be here, and wait and hope for the change of your Communion with Saints on Earth, for the Communion of Saints in Heaven.

Thirdly, These Mansions being in God's House, discover to us the greatness of his Love to­wards us; as we are in our Travels in the place of our Pilgrimage, we might delight our selves in thinking of such things which demonstrate God's undeniable Love to us, in order to his re­ceiving us at last into these Mansions.

As in chosing us from all Eternity, to be brought unto them, when he hath passed by others, to be left to lie without his doors for ever.

In sending of his Son to redeem us from our House of Bondage and Thraldom, to Sin and Satan, that we might be Dwellers with him in his own House.

In establishing a Covenant of Grace upon such Terms that were suited to Man's Weakness and Unworthiness; that as Man was driven [Page 29] out of the earthly Paradise, upon the breach of the Covenant of Works, so he may be re­ceived into the Heavenly Paradise upon the Performance of the Conditions of the Cove­nant of Grace.

In gifting and qualifying his Ministers, to in­struct them, and to train them up in the Life of Trial, where they are as probationers for Heaven.

In giving his Holy Spirit to apply Christ's Sufferings, and to make his Minister's Teach­ing to be effectual, to prepar them for the happiness of his House.

In sending Death as his Officer for them, to remove them from a Land and Place wherein they were Strangers, to be Home-dwellers in his House in Heaven.

These are deep matters of our serious Me­ditation on our Journey to our Mansions in our Father's House, of which we know but little, and with which we are affected but a little; but when we are turned out of our House below, and received into our Father's House above, we shall be filled with holy Ad­mirations, saying, How great is the difference betwixt the House from whence we came, and this to which we are come? Death did turn us out of our Cottage, and God hath entertained us in his Palace: We have done living with Men on Earth, with whom after a little time, we had an end; and now we are received to Live with God himself, of which Life there shall be no end. O the infinite goodness of our God, that when others cast us off, [Page 30] God did take us up! When Death did dipossess us of our earthly House, God did take us into the possession of his Heavenly House! When we were turned out of House and Home, where for a while we did live and dwell, and lodge, God hath taken us in, to live and dwell, and lodge with him for ever! O happy we! that we did not find the Gates of this House shut against us, when the door that stood betwixt the two Worlds was opened to us! O what manner of Severity was that of Death unto us, when no entreaties would be heard, when no Medicines could prevail against it, when the tears and cries of Friends were disregarded, and we were turned out of doors! O what manner of Love is this, when so turned out of all and from all, and then our Bodies by all our dearest Friends turned to the Grave, and we for our sins might have been turned into Hell, that God should open the doors of his House unto us, and receive us into Heaven! the thoughts of this Love will delight us so long as we abide in these Mansions, which will be for ever; being greater, better, strong­er Love than that of David to Mephibosheth, thou shalt eat Bread continually at my Table, 2 Sam. 9. 7.

Fourthly, These Mansions being in God's House in Heaven, connote the fulness of Joy that Holy Souls there shall have in the Enjoy­ment of God: Conceive of this by the Joy that the Prodigal was received with into his Fa­ther's House when he returned home, Luke 15. 22. The Father said unto his Servants, bring forth the best Robe, and put it on him, and put a [Page 31] Ring on his Hand, and Shooes on his Feet; 23. And bring hither the fatted Calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24. For this my Son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost and is found, and they began to be merry.

If there be such Joy at the Conversion of a Sinner, returning to God's House below, what Joy will there be at the Salvation of a Sanctifi­ed Soul, when received into God's House above? and not only the Inhabitants of that House, that were there before, shall Rejoyce at their Entrance, but the New Comers themselves shall also be filled with Joy arising in them, upon two accounts.

Partly from the absence of all Evil, there being nothing to molest, or afflict, or trouble them, no want of any thing to the Compleating of their Happiness.

Partly from the presence of all good, that shall encrease their Joy; if they look above them they shall see a good God, a good Saviour, the good Spirit; if within them, a good Consci­ence, good Peace, and a good Frame of Soul; if about them, the good Company of holy Angels and perfected Souls.

All which shall cause in them great Tran­sports of Joy, in holy Triumph, singing Halle­lujahs, blessed be the Father, Son and holy Spirit, that brought us from a place where we were Sojour­ners, to live and dwell in such an House as this; such an House as this; we never were before in such an House as this! We were Lodgers once be­low, and had Chambers in anothers House, but these [Page 32] our Mansions do transcend them all. O the Joy we were filled with in our first entrance here! O what will it be when we shall continue here for ever.

Fifthly, These Mansions being in God's House above, teach the sureness of our admission into them. Those that never were Sanctified Members in God's House below, shall never be Glorified Members in God's House above: Those that fi­nally refused the offers of Grace, shall never have Mansions in Glory: Those that Sinned, and suffer'd Sin to Reign all the Day of Life, shall find the door of God's House shut against them, when the Night of Death comes upon them, Matt. 25 10.

But they that are of the House of Grace, shall have entrance into the House of Glory: For will the Father shut his Door against his Dutiful Children? or God against his Obedi­ent, Penitent, Believing, Sanctified People? Doth he invite them, call them, command them to seek Eternal Life, and promise them if they come when he invites, and answer when he calls, and obey when he commands, to give them a Place in his Kingdom, and a Room in his House; and after all, will he shut them out? will he disown them? will he disinherit them? or will he not rather say, these are they that loved me above all, these are they that did Honour and Obey me, these are they that did sincerely frequent my House on Earth, and they are turned out of the other World; Stand, open ye everlasting Gates, and let the Belo­ved of the King of Glory enter in.

Q. III. What is included in Christ's calling it his Father's House? Never had Father such a Son, never had Son such a Father, in that nearness of Relation as is betwixt this Father and this Son, therefore Christ includes some consolatory Matter to his Disciples, troubled because he was going from them, by saying, In my Father's House are many Mansions.

1. It includes the Greatness of the Interest and Authority that Christ hath in that House, as a beloved Son hath in his Father's House: Christ hath such Power in that House, that he can take in, and shut out whom he will: He is exalted there above all Principalities and Powers, having Power over all the Angels in Heaven, to command and send them as he pleaseth, Eph. 1. 20. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the Dead, and set him at his own Right Hand in the Heavenly Places. 21. Far above all Principalities, and Powers, and Might, and Dominion, and every Name that is named, not only in this World, but also in that which is to come. Heb. 1. 3.—sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High. 4. Being made so much better than the Angels, as he hath by Inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they. 5. For to which of the Angels said he, at any time, thou art my Son, this Day have I be­gotten thee: and again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son. Rev. 3. 7.—He that hath the Key of David; he that openeth [Page 34] and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.

2. It sheweth the Right that all Believers have to those Mansions, forasmuch as Christ's Fa­ther is our Father, and Christ's God is our God, Joh. 20. 17. And therefore we being Children of the same Father with Christ (tho' not in the same Sense) have a Title to those Mansions, being Co-heirs with him, Rom. 8. 17. And if Children, then Heirs, Heirs of God, and Joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

3. It teacheth us the Ground of our Right to, and Hope of those Mansions, because God is Christ's Father, and in him a Father to us, without which we could have had no Reason for our Expectation of Entrance into that House above. We are God's adopted Sons, for the Sake of his only begotten Son, Eph. 1. 5. and we have Mansions above for his Sake, for none are taken in there, but upon his Ac­count.

4. It sets forth the Dignity and Honour put upon Believers, that God's own Son, and they his adopted Sons, should live together in the same House. It was his Condescention that he would come from Heaven, and dwell among Men, Joh. 1. 14. It will be our Exaltation, that being taken from Men, we shall dwell with him in Heaven: It is an amazing Mercy that he will dwell in us, as in his Spiritual house: It will be our admired Glory that we shall dwell with him in his Father's heavenly House.

[Page 35]5. It is an Incouragement to us to be often sending our Prayers to Heaven, we are Stran­gers here, and have many Wants, and should be sending home to our Father for Supplies; and we may be excited thereunto, because Christ is in his Father's house, always ready, as the great Master of Requests, to take our Pe­titions and present them to his Father, having great hope by such a Friend, in such a Court, that our Prayers shall have Audience: Heb. 4. 14. Seeing then we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens, Jesus, the Son of God—16. Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we might obtain Mercy, and find Grace to Help in time of need.

Q. IV. How doth the Certainty of these Mansi­ons appear? It is the objective Certainty that now I speak of, the Subjective Certainty will have place in the Application. Now we are to evidence, that it is sure it is so; afterwards to speak of our Evidence, that we might be assured of our Title to them.

1. The Veracity of the Asserter; Christ taught nothing but Truth, for he was the Truth, and he declares this so plainly, that he pro­fessed, If it had not been so, he would have told them, for he had no design to deceive them.

2. The Impossibility of the Failure; if it had not been so, Christ could not have said so: for Christ could not sin by speaking falsely; in affirming that to be so, which indeed was [Page 36] not so, therefore we must be Believers of this, or Blasphemers of Christ.

3 The Infallibility of his Promise; before he he went from them, he promised that he would come again; that his going was to prepare a Place for them, that at his coming again he would put them into the Possession of it, that they should be there with him, Joh. 14. 3. could this Promise be made good, if there were no such House, or no such Man­sions in that House?

4. The Prevalency of his Intercession; God heareth him always; and this he intercedeth with the Father for, on their Behalf: Joh. 17. 24. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me: Is not Christ ascended into Heaven? Doth not he intercede that his might be with him? Must there not then be such a Place, and such Mansions in that Place?

5. The Verity and Efficacy of Christ's Design in coming from, and going to his Father's house. He came from thence, and there­fore knew what this House and Mansions were. He went thither to prepare a Place for his Dis­ciples. Now what Account or Reason can be devised, why he came and went again, but that those that he came and went for, might be with him in the same House? Especially, when he professedly declares this was his De­sign in coming and going. This was Christ's Design, or it was not; he that saith it was not, [Page 37] contradicteth Christ's Saying; he that saith it was, granteth the Certainty of such Mansions, and of Believers Possession of them in the o­ther World: For Christ's Design will be effe­ctual, or it will not; he that saith it will not, overturns all Christian Religion; he that saith it will, yields the Certainty of such Mansions, and that Believers on Christ shall have such Mansions in his Father's house.

Q. V. How doth Christ say, he goes to pre­pare a Place for his People? The Explication of this might (briefly) be done in Five Propo­sitions.

1. This Place was prepared by God for his People, in his Purpose from all Eternity. Before this World was made, or any house therein, God purposed for them an house in Heaven, where they should dwell with him, when this World shall be no more, and all the houses therein shall be burnt up: tho' their Souls go thither, as they remove out of this World. Mat. 25. 34. Come ye Blessed of my Father, in­herit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foun­dation of the World.

2. Christ prepared this Place by purchasing it for us, when he by Death went from his Disciples. Christ's dying for them was his going from them: Mat. 26. 24. The Son of Man goeth as it is written of him; but woe unto that Man, by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Therefore Heaven is called, the Purchased Possession, Eph. 1. 14. Christ purchased both the Place, and [Page 38] the People that shall dwell in that Place; and both with the Price of his Blood, Act. 20. 28.

3. Christ, by his going, opened the Passage for us, and the Gates of that House which for our Sin were shut against us; he opened the Grave in his Resurrection, and carried away the Gates thereof, and Bar and all: he opened the Gates of Heaven by his Ascention into it, and so prepared the way for us to enter in.

4. Christ prepared this Place as our Fore-runner, taking Possession of it, not only for himself, but also for us; as when many are together on a Journey, one goes before the rest unto the Inn where they are to lodge, to take up room for them that are to come; Heb. 6. 20. Whi­ther the Fore-runner is for us entred, even Jesus—So God hath made us sit together in Heavenly Places, in Christ Jesus, Eph. 2. 6. Christ, as our Head, hath taken Possession, and sits there for us, and we are said, by Reason of our U­nion with him, and as Members of him, to sit together with him.

5. Christ is gone to prepare a Place for us by interceding that we may be received into it: and that what he purchased for us, might be pos­sessed by us: all our Prayers that we might have a Place in Heaven, would have been re­jected, and we for ever shut out, were it not for Christ's Purchase on Earth, and Interces­sion in Heaven.

Use I. How miserable will be the Condition of all that die unconverted, because there will be no Room nor Place for them in Heaven. When their Souls are turned out of the house of their Bo­dies, and their Bodies shall be carried from their dwelling houses, to the house of the Grave, they shall be shut out from God's house above, and go to a Place prepared for them, the House appointed for all that shall be damned.

When a Wicked Man dies, three Things shall befall him.

1. His dearest Friends will not suffer his Corpse to lie long in their house (this also will be done to the best): Tho' it was his own house while he lived, they will carry him out when dead: They soon think of a Coffin (a wooden house, a boarded house) for him, and nail him up therein; they bespeak the making of an house under Ground, carry him to it, lodge him in it, shut it upon him, and there leave him.

2. The holy God, the blessed Saviour, and the holy Angels, at his Command, will shut the Doors of Heaven against his separated Soul; the Charge being given, Let it not come within these Gates, make them fast, and if it knock, and cry, and call, open to me, receive me in, for I have now no other Place where I can go to be happy in; Christ will answer, I know thee not to be any of mine, depart, depart, I know thee not; I know [Page 40] thee to be a Final-impenitent, to be one that didst refuse me to be thy Lord, and now I do refuse to be thy Saviour. If it shall renew its Cry, and call Lord, Lord, open unto me, for I was an Hearer of thy Word, a Frequen­ter of thy Table, where I did eat and drink in thy Presence, and did eat of thy Bread, and drink of thy Cup, and wilt thou not admit me into thy Kingdom, and receive me into a Mansion in thy Father's house? Christ will renew his Denyal, saying, I tell thee, I know thee not; yet I do know thee, that tho' thou wast a Professor of Piety, yet thou wast a Worker of Iniquity; therefore depart from my Gates, be gone from my Door, and from my Pre­sence, for here is no admission for thee, here is no Room, nor Place, nor Mansion for thee, therefore take thine Answer and be gone.

Why! Blessed Lord, whither should I go? thou alone hast the Words of Eternal Life; speak the Word and I shall live. Death hath turned me out of that World where I did live, all my Friends have left me, all my Riches have forsaken me, and my Hope is gone and fled away, except thou speak com­fortably to me. I am turned out of my Earthly House, I want a Lodging, I want a Lodging; I know not where I may have an easy Lodging, ex­cept within these Gates; therefore, Lord, open un­to me: to me, a poor forsaken Soul: to me a for­lorn and wretched Soul: to me, without thy Help and Mercy, now a despairing, remediless, and eter­nally lost Soul. Mercy, Lord, Mercy for such an one; for such an one, in such a Case as I am in; [Page 41] as I am in, for I never saw my self in such a Case as I am in. Will not Mercy now shew Mercy un­to me? Will not Grace be gracious to me? Will not Bowels of Compassion have Compassion on me? Lord, why is thy Door so long shut against me? Why art thou so long before thou openest to me? What meaneth this Delay? I am in Danger, I am in greatest Danger; Devils do pursue me, the Fiends of Hell do follow after me, and except I get with­in these Gates, they will seize me, and drag me to a Place to which I would not go; to which, by any Means I would not go: That's the Place that I do fear; this is the Place that I desire. Lord, Lord, open unto me, and free me from my Fears, and grant me my Desire. Be speedy, Lord, be speedy; delay is dangerous in my Case. Make haste, tarry not, but let me in.

But, woeful Soul! all this Importunity is in vain; these Cries and Calls are all in vain; God then will be inexorable; Mercy then will be inflexible; and then, to obtain Grace and Favour will be impossible; for the Lord from within shall answer, Time was, Mercy thou mightest have had, but wouldest not; the Day is now come, that Mercy thou wouldest have, but shalt not. Time was, I did call to thee, and thou wouldest not hear; the Day is now come, that thau callest unto me, but I will not hear. Thou wast called to repent, but didst delay and then didst not consider that delay was dangerous: I stood at thy Door, and knock'd, and cry'd, and call'd, open unto me, and let me in; but thou didst bar the Door of thy Heart against me, thou wouldst [Page 42] not entertain me, nor afford me a Room in thy Soul, nor let me in; and now thou art a Beggar at my Door, and knockest and criest, and callest, but here is nothing for thee: I will not open, I will not let thee in; be gone, and seek a Lodging where thou mayest find it. Woeful Case!

3. Being denied a Lodging, a Mansion in Heaven, the Host of Devils shall seize the Soul, saying, Dost thou want a Lodging? Come along with us, and we will shew the one: Come with us, and we will guide thee to it. But before I go to see it, tell me where that Lodging is. Where! In Hell. In Hell! Is there any easy Lodging in that Place? Come and see. But if I go thither, I shall not like my Lodging; I fear I shall feel it to be uneasy: But what Company is there in those Lodgings that you speak of? Compa­ny! prepared for! the Devil and his Angels; the Devil and his Men-servants, and Maid-ser­vants, and Women-servants, for all his Servants and his Children.

But what do ye call the Place where these lodgings are, whereof ye speak? Thou Fool! hadst thou a Bible in thy House, and doest not know the Name of the Place, where those must lodge that have no Mansion in God's House? Couldst not thou have learned this from the Ministers of God, but askest us so late, when now it is too late to escape it? But since thou doest acknowledge, that we are more read and knowing in the Scripture than thou art, we will Preach to thee in so many Parti­culars, [Page 43] that such a Sermon from Devils thou didst never hear: For when thou wast in the Body we would not have thee know; but now, out of the Body, we will make thee know; there­fore hear.

1. It is a Prison, didst thou never read, 1 Pet. 3. 19. A Prison! must I go to Prison! what kind of Prison is it? It is,

A Prison that is strong, there can be no breaking out.

A Close Prison, where there will be no Li­berty of walking abroad.

A Dark Prison, where there is not the least glimmering of the Light of God's Coun­tenance.

A Loathsom Prison, where is nothing plea­sant, all is noisom.

A Large Prison, room enough, tho' Multi­tudes are Prisoners there.

A Deep Prison, as God's House is high, so this Prison-house is deep.

But what other Name is there of that Place? No better?

2. It is a Place of Torment: This is still worse. Thou Fool, both blind and deaf! Didst thou never see, nor hear what is written, Luke 16. 24. I am tormented in these Flames. 28. That they come not to this Place of Torment. Rev. 14. 11. The Smoak of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever. Woe is me! Being shut out of God's Rest and House, must I go to a Place of Torment, where there is no Rest? The Hearing of this Place of Torment once, did [Page 44] not torment me, but now it doth, now it doth. What Torment will the feeling of it put me to? But if ye have any good Name to call it by, tell me. Hear,

3. It is a Furnace of Fire. A Furnace of Fire! the Nature of Fire is hot, but Fire in a Furnace will be exceeding hot. But why do ye call it so? Thou sottish Soul! Didst thou never hear nor read, Mat. 13. 42. Shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire.

If there be any better name, tell me. We must tell thee what it is. What!

4. A Lake of Brimstone. Brimstone A Lake of Brimstone! This adds more Vexation, dread and Horror to the former. If it do, it is no more than what thou mightest have read, Rev. 21. 8. The Unbelieving—shall have their Part in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone: And so thou shalt, the Day is come, that thou shalt have thy Part therein. But why do ye add unto my Fears? Is there not one Word that ye do know, that might afford me some Relief? Thou Fool! we did flatter thee in the other World; but now we will deal plainly with thee, and add,

5. It is a Place of Outer-darkness, Mat. 25. 30. of thickness of Darkness, Blakness of Darkness, Jude Ver. 13. So it is, for I can see no Com­fort in any thing ye say of it. However, since my Case is desperate, say on.

6. It is a bottomless Pit. Rev. 20. 3. A Pit! A Pit without a bottom! Whither must I fall! [Page 45] In this dreadful Preaching make one use of comfort if ye can.

7. It is the Second Death. Rev. 21. 8. Death! How glad would I be of death! The Second Death! I would rather die a thousand deaths than continue in such a Place where ye said before my Lodgings were to be. This is some alleviation of my wo, that I might die a second time.

But stay we must give thee one Word of caution, thou must not understand this Death, to be the ceasing of thy Life and being, for it will be a dying Life, and a living Death, and such a death by which thou canst not die.

Oh doleful tidings! Oh dreadful sayings! On Earth I did avoid the hearing of some Preach­ers, because I could not bear the Terrour of their Doctrine, but now Wo is me! I hear, and now must feel what I hear. I had better hearken­ed to preaching Ministers of the God of hea­ven, than to these insulting, terrifying Devils of hell. But let these let me alone, I do not like the Lodgings spoken of. How! Like or not like, thou must not now choose, where thou must dwell, and never change thy Lodg­ings, there is but one place appointed for thee, hale him, drag him along. But tell me, what must I have this Lodging for! For what! For the Pleasure, thou hadst in Sin, and for the Profits of the World which thou didst prefer before God, Christ and the mansions in heaven. Oh dear bought Pleasures! Cursed be that gain for which I lost the happiness of heaven.

Use II. Since there are such Mansions in God's house above Let your care and carriage while you are in the place of your pilgrimage, cor­respond and bear Proportion to the greatness of the Duties incumbent upon you, in Order to your posses­sion of them when you shall be here no more.

I. Prepare for this prepared place. For it is prepared for none, but such as shall be prepa­red for it. Christ went up to prepare this place, and he sends his Spirit down to prepare such for it, that shall be taken up into it. If you are to leave one dwelling house on earth, being either a Tenant at will, or your Lease expired, you will either renew your Lease, or take care to provide an House elsewhere, that you might not lie without doors. You are a Te­nant at will, and might be turned out with­out an hours warning, or God having deter­mined the time of your abode on Earth, when it is fulfilled there will be no renewing your Lease of Life: Be therefore always ready, and prepared for this house above, that you might not lie without those doors. And for this pur­pose practise these three things.

1. Do you become God's Spiritual House, Heb. 3. 6.—Whose House are we, 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye also, as lively Stones, are built up a spiritual House. An old unsanctified heart, is no house for an holy God to take up his abode in: If you are not an house for him, while you live, you [Page 47] shall not have a Room in his house when you die.

2. Get this house of your heart well furnished, fit in some measure for the entertaining of so great a Lord and King: adorn and gar­nish it with all the graces of the Spirit, with Faith in God and Christ, With love to him, with desires after him, with de [...]ight in him, and lively well-grounded hope of living with him. Keep it clean from reigning Sin, search every Corner of it, and sweep out what is in­consistent with a State of Grace; and because Dust and filth will be daily gathering in it, wash it dayly with your Tears and Waters of renewed repentance.

3. Give no occasion by Indulging any Sin, to God to remove from your heart, grieve not the holy Spirit of God to be weary of his Lodg­ing in your Soul, or to withdraw from it. Remember what dwellers have taken up their habitation in you, and behave your self accordingly.

God the Father dwells in every believer. 1 Joh. 4. 13. hereby we know, that God dwelleth in us and we in him, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 15. Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God. So also v. 16.

God the Son dwelleth in every believers heart. Eph. 3. 17. That Christ might dwell in your hearts by Faith. John 14. 23. If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will [Page 48] love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

God the holy Ghost keeps in a sanctified Soul as in his Temple. 1 Cor. 3. 16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spi­rit of God dwelleth in you.

Those that are thus an holy habitation of God on Earth, shall have mansions in his House in heaven. But the unprepared, making their hearts as so many Cages of Reigning lusts, as so many Sties for the Litter of filthy Sins, as so many Dens for unclean Spirits, and ruling De­vils, shall be shut out from those mansions that are prepared for better company.

II. Make Sure of your Title to a mansion in Heaven. For you may be prepared for it, and might not know it, nay might doubt and fear you are not, and consequently that it is not prepared for you: Many claim a right unto it, that have none at all, like a foolish Man that seeth a Lords House and saith, this house is mine, and in it I must dwell, which if he should attempt, the Lord and all his Servants would turn him out, or shut the Gates against him. Thousands are such fools, that leave their house below, hoping for mansions in that above, that shall find the doors shut against them.

That you may be sure, ask your self and faithfully resolve these Questi­ons.

First, Is the owner of that house above your Father? For there is no room there but for his Children, all his Sincere Servants being his Children, none but Children shall en­ter in to dwell there.

Are you like your Father? may you be known to be his Child by your likeness to him, having his holy Image renewed in you?

Do you obey him? His Children are dutiful and obedient. The rebellious must and will be kept out. Is your Obedience chearful and universal! in respect of the Object. All Gods commands. Psal. 119. 6. and of the Subject, with all you heart. Psal. 119. 34. and in respect of the time that it be always. Psal. 119. 112.

Do you please him? Do you fear to offend him?

Do you honour him? Mal. 1. 6. A Son honour­eth his Father, and a Servant his Master. If I then be a Father where is mine ho­nour?

Secondly, Is the Purchaser of that house and mansions in it your Lord and Saviour? Is he both to you? For if he be not received as a Lord, he will not be your Saviour. Reason doth abhor what is so unreasonable, that the Devil and Sin should be your commanding Lords, and you their obedient Servants to your dy­ing [Page 50] day, and Christ at last should be your Saviour; as if you should do the Devil's Work all the Day of Life, and at the Night of Death Christ should pay you your Wages, and Reward you with Heaven, for deserving the Punishment of Hell.

Do you love him with predominant Love, that loved his with so great Love, as by his precious Blood to purchase Mansi­ons for them? for if you do not love him more than all, you do not love him sincerely at all, Matth. 10. 37, 38.

Do you Consent to his Gospel Terms, with­out excepting against any? Is your Soul now espoused to him? 2 Cor. 11. 2. is the Contract made? that so when the great Day of Solemnizing of the Marriage is come, the Son might take you as his Bride into his Father's House, Rev. 19. 7. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honour to him; for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made her self ready.

Thirdly, Is the Holy Spirit of God your Sanctifier, Guide and effectual Teacher? Do you follow his Conduct according to the Scripture Indited by him? Do you walk after the Spirit, and not after the Flesh, Rom. 8. 1. Doth the Spirit of God dwell in [Page 51] you? else you are none of Christ's, nor is Christ yours, Rom. 8. 9. Are you led by the Spirit, and do you by the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Flesh, that you might live with God in his glorious House? Rom. 8. 13. 14.

Fourthly, Are the holy Angels and Saints, the Inhabitants of that House, your example and pattern in doing God's Will? Tho' you cannot equal their degrees of Obedience in respect of Per­fection, yet do you endeavour to come as near to them as you can, in doing God's Will on Earth with Cheerfulness, Constancy and Sincerity, as they do in Heaven, Matth. 6. 10.

Fifthly, Is your Heart set upon the Treasures in that House? or have you none there to set your Heart upon? for if one be there, both are, Matth. 6. 19, 20, 21. Is your Conver­sation in Heaven? Phil. 3. 20. Do you seek those things that are above, where Christ sit­teth at the right Hand of God? Do you set your Affections on things above, and not on the things on Earth, Col. 3. 1, 2. Have those things that have the priority of Dig­nity and Necessity, the priority of your Care and Time? Do you seek those things first of all, that are best of all, most excellent in themselves, and most necessary for, and suitable, and satisfying to your Soul, Matth. 6. 33.

Be careful, close, exact and faithful, in searching whether these things are in you, which if you find, you shall find a Room, a Mansion for you in Heaven hereafter.

III. Let your mind be employed in thinking on your Father's House and your Mansions there; and well you may, when you are sure it is prepared for you, by your being prepared for it. You are Sojourners, absent from your Fa­ther's House and heavenly Home, you are Tra­velling towards it, as you go along on your Journey think on it.

1. Daily. Shall there be a Day, any one Day without some Thoughts of your Eternal Home?

2. Believingly. Sure I am there is such a State, such a place, such an House above, and such Mansions in it; my Lord that came from thence hath said it, and I do believe him; he is gone thither, and there he stays till he come again according to his Promise, and will take all his to be there with him forever. Lord I Believe, help thou my unbe­lief.

3. Joyfully. O What Joy might fill your Heart, while you think there is in Heaven a Mansion for me, for me that am unworthy of a Cottage upon Earth; yet there is for me a Mansion in my Father's House. Lord! what Love is this of thine to me, that thou camest down to Purchase, and art gone up again to [Page 53] prepare a place for me? Might a Room in Hell have been prepared for me, and is there for me a Mansion prepared in Heaven? O how warm is my heart within, when I think what my Lord is gone to prepare for me a­bove! I am going on, I am daily travelling to it: I am a Days Journey nearer to it to Day than I was Yesterday. I am al­most there, the Gray Hairs on my Head tell me I am almost there; my frequent Sicknes­ses tell me I am almost there: I am in (a be­lieving) view of my Father's House; put on my Soul, put on, do not tire in thy way, be not weary in thy Journey to such a glorious Place; thy Day is far spent, thy Night is at hand, when thy Lord will take thee into his Father's House. Dear Saviour! ripen me a­pace for that place that thou hast made so rea­dy for me.

4. Occasionally. When you see a stately House on Earth, think what is my Father's House in Heaven! this Palace is no more, nor so much to it, as a Cottage is unto this Pa­lace, the Marble Stones, the stately Frontis­piece, the artificial Gravings, the adorned Windows, the contrived Rooms, and all that Art and Nature have contributed to the com­mendation of it, is no more than an empty Shew to a real Treasure, or a Shadow to the Substance, or a Sign of a Castle is to the Ca­stle it represents.

Or when you have a good House of your own, with convenient Rooms and Chambers, and Closets, that you Delight your self in your Dwelling, and in shewing them to your Visiters, think how infinitely better is your Fa­ther's House above; and say, I will be thankful to my God for such an House in my Pilgri­mage, where I may lodge as in an Inn; but I will rejoice in the Love and Mercy of my Saviour, that hath prepared a better abiding place for me in Heaven.

5. Solemnly, At some set, appointed, stated times, enlarge your Thoughts in Meditating on what is there to feed your musing Mind withal, which I can commend as a most ex­cellent way to warm the Heart, and inflame the Affections, dwell in your Thoughts:

On the Presence, the glorious presence of the Father, Son, and Eternal Spirit, with whom you shall dwell for ever.

On the Company you shall be delighted in, holy Angels, glorious Saints, Multitudes, innumerable Multitudes of both, all in Perfection.

On the Entertainment you shall have at your Entrance in, and the welcome you shall have to your new Habitation above.

On the Continuance, yea, the Eternity of your Dwelling, without Remove forever.

On the Imployment you shall be for ever ta­ken up withal in that House, to Love [Page 55] and Joy, and praise your Lord to all Eternity.

IV. Let your Tongue be talking of your Father's House, your Home and Mansions there, with your fellow Christians travelling with you to the same Place. What a shame is it to Chri­stians, when they Visit or Journey together, to talk of their House and Lands, of their Shops and Trades, of their Modes and Money, of News, yea, and Sins and Faults of others in a Reproachful way, and not one word of their Father's House, nor of their Mansions above, to excite, or quicken, or comfort one another in the hopes of it; or reprove (where it is needful) the slow Motion, or little progress they make in Grace and Duty, in order to their Preparation for it.

V. Long for the Possession of your Mansions in your Father's House; as an Heir doth of his Inheri­tance. What! have I a Mansion in Heaven? doth it not stand empty till I come? when shall I go to my Father's House? when shall I go see the place my Lord Jesus hath prepared for me?

O that in this Earthly House I could ear­nestly groan to be removed to that House in Heaven; O that in this Tabernacle I could groan as being burdened, that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life; knowing, that whilst I am in this Body, I am absent from the Lord, [Page 56] and from my Father's House! O that I could attain to greater willingness to be absent from the Body, that I may be present with the Lord! and to go home from this strange World to that in Heaven!

Use III. We cannot be possessed of these Man­sions till we die, therefore dying is a flitting from one House to another, not in the same World, but from one House in this World, to another House in the other World, a Remove not for the worse, but for the better, unspeakably better. Every Man's dying is the removing of the place of his Habitation, a going to a new Dwelling: When you are going to a new Habitation in this World, you often send your Bills, that the Congregation would put up their joint Prayers, that you might have God's Pre­sence with you, and his Blessing upon you in your new Habitation. How much more should this be your Desire, that when you shall change your Dwelling on Earth, you might remove to a place where you might have the Presence of God, and be blessed with his Blessings upon you for ever.

There are four Houses that I would advise you to have your Thoughts much upon;

• The One is that all must go from.
• The Second is that all must go to.
• The Third is that most, not all shall go to.
• The Fourth is the best, that only the Good shall go to.

[Page 57]I. Well, Consider the House of your Body, in which your Soul now Dwells, and be sure that your Body be made your Souls Working-house. Let not your Soul live idly in this House, or only dwell there to mind earthly things, or to light your Eyes, or give motion to your Hands and Feet to run up and down, and work for no more than what you must leave behind you, when your House shall tumble down.

Be moved to this advice, because you dwell in an House of Clay, the Foundation where­of is in the Dust, Job 4. 19. that this your House is built upon the Sand, and when the Storms and Winds of Sicknesses and Death shall beat and blow upon it, it will fall, and great will be the fall thereof. This House wants daily Repairs, the Pillars that bear it are waxing old, the Walls are mouldring, the Win­dows begin to be darkened, the Foundation fails, the Roof is Crazie, and the whole house doth often shake, and all that you can do, cannot long Support or shore it up.

II. Often think of the House of the Grave, Job 30. 23. I know that thou wilt bring me to the Grave, the House appointed for all the Living. What manner of House is this.?

1. It is a cold House; cold Death brings the Body to a cold Grave.

2. It is a dark House, no light shineth into it when shut up, there are no Windows to it.

3. It is a common House, for Good and Bad, [Page 58] for Young and Old, for Rich and Poor, for the Wise Man and the Fool, for the Learned and the Ignorant: The common Inn of all.

4. It is a Sleeping House; no working for the World, no praying for Heaven, no repent­ing for Sin, no making Peace with God, no doing any thing for any thing when there. Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thine Hand findeth to do, do it with all thy Might, for there is no Work, De­vice, or Knowledge in the Grave, whither thou goest. Joh. 9. 4. I must work the Works of him that sent me, while it is Day; for the Night comes, when no Man can work.

5. It is a Large House; tho' an house under Ground of Six Foot, will be long enough for one; yet the Bosom of the Earth (yea, some part) can swallow all, and feed upon and con­sume the Flesh and Bones, as to be ready for the receiving of more.

III. Forget not the House of Hell, that you may be diligent to escape it; for in that house are the Chambers of Eternal Death. But to what may I compare this hellish house? Or, Whereunto may I resemble it?

1. It is a Wide and Large House; innumera­ble Lodgers it hath already received; Multi­tudes, from all Parts, are going to it; but it never saith, it is so full that it can hold no more.

2. It is an Hot House; many full of Pain and Aches, go to an Hot house upon Earth, [Page 59] that they may have Ease; but this house will be so hot, that all that are there can have no Ease, Night or Day, or one Moment for E­ver.

3. It is an House of Mourning, weeping, wail­ing and bitter Lamentation. Mat. 25. 30.

4. It may be resembled to a Bedlam-house; for all that are so Mad as to prefer the Creature before God, and Sin before the Saviour, and the World before Heaven, and never come to themselves before they die, are sent thither, where they rage, and rave and Blaspheme like such as are distracted.

5. It may be likened to a Pest-house; all Mankind are sick of the Plague of the Heart 1 King. 8. 38. of which, if they be not cured by Christ the great Physician, they can be cu­red by no other; but shall be sent to the com­mon Place of all that were never healed, and be given over for dead, for damned, to lie un­der the Power of the Second Death.

IV. Let Believers delight themselves in their Title to their Mansions in God's House in Heaven, and comfort themselves when any of their Godly Relations are received into the actual Possession of theirs. When you sit and mourn, weep and lament that they are gone from your house on Earth, you look at the Table where they did use to sit with you, but they are not there; in the Beds where they did lodge, but they are not there, in the Closets where they did read [Page 60] and pray, but they are not there, in what Place soever you saw them in your House, you can see them there no more, they are gone, no more to return, and therefore your Hearts are filled with Sorrow, your Eyes with Tears, and your Mouths with Complaining (but let them not be with discontented and repining) Words; then think of the Change they have made of their dwelling Place, and how much better the house is that they are removed un­to, than yours here is, in which they dwelt with you; and how much better their State is where they are, than yours is where you yet remain to be; as much as Vision is better than Faith, or Fruition is better than Hope, and Possession is better than Expectation, or Joyful Praises in Heaven are better than imperfect re­penting Prayers upon Earth; and then think as if you heard them call to you from their house in Heaven, saying, Weep not for us that are safely lodged, welcomly entertained in our Man­sions of Glory, but weep for your selves, that yet dwell in Houses of Clay, in a sinful, sorrowful World: Ye hope, but we enjoy; ye wait, but we have received; ye expect, but we possess; ye pray, and seldom praise, we always Praise, and need no more to Pray; ye are groaning under Wants, but we have all Supplies; ye are tempted by Devils, we are out of their Reach for Ever; ye desire, pray, prepare and hope to be where we are, but we have no desire nor Inclination to be again with you, where ye are; ye would, and at length shall come [Page 61] from thence to us; but we shall never go from hence to you; for we cannot be in a better Place, nor in better Company, nor in a better State, nor have better Imployment than where we are; but ye may, and must have better with us, where we are, than ye have where now ye be, or else it will be worse with you than yet it is: Therefore weep not for us, but for your selves.

And when ye sit and think the House of their Bodies is fallen (no more to be built till the Resurrection) and the Ruines of it carried and laid in the House of the Grave, and your Thoughts hasten to the Grave (as Mary was supposed to go in haste to Lazarus his Grave to weep there) and descend to the Bottom thereof, then let them rebound as high as Hea­ven, and say, whom did we seek? N. N. they are not here; here is nothing but the Bo­dy, the Soul is in Heaven; here is nothing in this House, but what was the House in which once the Soul did live; but that is gone to its Mansion above; it never came into this Place, but when it flitted from its Earthly House, it ascended up unto its Heavenly House; then follow it in your Thoughts thither, and delight your selves in serious Meditation how it is de­lighted there, and intermix your Mourning because the Body is gone down into the Grave, with Rejoicings that the Soul is gone up to Heaven.

This ye might do that are Mourners upon this occasion, because ye have such good [Page 62] reasons for your hopes, that while the Body of your deceased Relation is sleeping in the Dust, her Soul is received into Glory: as ye know were such as these.

The reasons that ye had of her early Con­version, by her early delight in Holy things, and Persons that were of holy Conversation, and accustomed to holy Discourse, by her fre­quent, yea constant retirement to secret Duties, continuing therein unto the last.

By her Performance of Relative Duties, be­ing Dutiful to her Parents from her Infancy, even in smaller matters, when she had an in­timation of their pleasure, being tenderly loving to her Husband, often a Spur to him in his Ministerial Work, or any thing that was good, but never a Bridle to him in any, be­ing a Sister of great natural and pious Af­fection; not only grieving for the loss of one by Death, and carefully attending of another (her young Brother) in a late sickness at her House, but also concerned for the welfare of the Souls of such (especially) as were Related to her.

Upon her Confinement to her Bed (which was but a Fortnight) she conceived her Life would be but of a short continuance; and finding her head also seized, said, Oh if the work were now to be done, what an unfit time is this! Oh my stupidness! It troubles me, I cannot pray, O pray for me.

Satan made his Assaults; after some Clouds, the Light of God's Countenance did shine into her Soul; for being one Night under heavy Complaints, in the Morning she said to her Friends about her, Ye know not what God this Night hath done for my Soul.

When asked what it was on which she re­lied, said, Nothing but the Righteousness of Christ, who died for such as I am, and I hope is now interceding for me, for me, and I am satis­fied and willing to die.

Two days before she died she called for her Children, and being raised up in her Bed, took first the one, and then the other in her Arms, greatly rejoycing over them, and so­lemnly Blessing of them; afterwards calling for her Relations, said to them, Love one ano­ther; let Love continue; I hope we shall meet in Heaven, and now the Lord be with you.

She was never heard to utter one repining Word, but begg'd of her Relations to sub­mit to God's Pleasure, saying, if it were for his Glory, and he had any more work for her to do, he could and would restore her, but if not, she was satisfied, and God was just in all his dealings.

The last entire sensible Sentence she was ob­served to speak, was this, calling to her Hus­band said, O my Dear, bless God for what he hath done for my Soul; my Head is sore pained, but I am going home.

Blessed Soul! was this thy last sensible word in this place of thy Pilgrimage; I am going home! happy Soul! that art got safely Home, and Lodged in thy Mansion in thy Father's House! thou art gone before; Lord prepare us for that prepared Place; that when we shall follow after, we might also have our Mansions in thy glorious House above! Amen.