THE yeeres of man are threescore and ten, (said David) a great while compared to an houre; but consi­dered with eternity, they seem scarce a minute. The swift re­volution of all-eating time soon rowls up the thread of mans life: the day by houres, the moneth by dayes; the yeer [Page 2] by moneths, our age by yeers soon steps away. Our infancie is like yesterdayes evening, we have slept and forgot it; Our youth, the morning past, our man­hood the mid-day present, old age comes anone. He who hath past these stages, knowes best the truth of this. For time past is a certainty found to be nothing, time to come an uncertainty, seeming to bee much, time present is a fleeter; the Sun goes, and the Sand runs, quickly do we bring our seventy to an end, as a tale that is told. But alas who can promise himselfe that number? not one of multitudes live thus long. How many waies do miserie and death conspire to fetch us off in the severall ages of our life? Poor mor­talls, we are incident to a dissolution every day. Hence some of the wiser Heathen defining our life called it, Mortis imago, an image of death, accessus & decessus, an entrance, and an exit. The Philosophers iudgement was, optimum non nasci, proximum citò ab­olert; but we Christians are men of better hopes, and can make more comfortable description of our pil­grimage. We may call it the dawning of an eternall day, the Eave of a glorious Festivall; a way wherein we walke to blessednesse, and whether this be long or short, the matter is not great; if we waite long, the tediousnesse of expectance will be recompenced with encrease of welcome: if we soon end the jour­ney of this life, the lesse will be our share of misery: whether thus, or thus long or short, a good Christian should not care much: For we know if our earthly house of this tabernacle, &c.

These words stand in the book of God as an ar­gument to confirme something which went before. [Page 3] S. Paul in the precedent Chapter, is in a holy contem­plation, as it were balancing his present afflictions with his future hopes. Those he findes stinted, mea­sured, bordered with timely freedome and delive­rance; but of the latter there is no end, his hopes are things blessed, Chap. 4 8. eternall, tending to his own spirituall advantage and the Churches Emolument. Whence he concludes that his affliction which was but [...]. light & for a moment did work an [...]. ver. 17. With abun­dance upon abundance. exceeding eternall weight of glory. And lest this affirmation might seem strange, the Apostle doth demonstrate how hee collects it, not from the things which are seen, being temporall; from which no such weight of glory can spring, but from the things which are not seen, these are eternall, these make up the weight of the forementioned glory: to these S ^t. Paul hath an eye, of these invisibles he is as­certained, For wee know, saith hee, that if our earthly house, &c.

My Text thus placed in the book of God tenders to our view a double prospect, here is an house and a building to be seen. Now an house we know is no­thing but an habitation for man to abide or dwell in; the thing therefore which is Metaphorically so cal­led, is either these organized bodies which wee bear about, or else it must be understood of that na­turall life or state of being which we have in this world; by three Items charactered out unto us in my Text. First, this house is described ab origine, [...], it is from the earth, so saith the same Author, the first man is of the Earth, Earthie. No better me­tall then the Potter useth to frame his pitchers of, [Page 4] to that the Apostle seems to allude, and intimates the brickle frailty of our present state. Secondly, we have the house described, a statu mutabili [...] of a Tabernacle, a moveable kinde of habitation, every night almost it findes a new place. Here wee have no abiding City, wee continue not at one stay, nec utì, nec ubì, statu nor gradu: We run the chan­ges, passe from one condition to another, so mutable is our earthly house. Lastly, it is pointed out ab in­teritu, it is a house of a perishing dissolving frame, [...], this supposition is not so much to be understood de re periturâ, as de modo sive tempore resol­vendi, it is past all paradventure, that this house of tabernacle will be dissolved, but the manner how, the time when, may be supposed: the Apostle then gives all men leave to imagine that the present trou­bles and afflictions which he then sustained, the great and imminent dangers wherein hee was plun­ged, might happily burst the thread of his life, before his naturall course were run, or by some violent dissolution. If thus or thus, it is but a hastie injuri­ous pulling down of a house which would otherwise dissolve it self after a little more time, for it is but a perisht house.

The latter prospect in our view is a building, not [...] but [...], an habitation of a more rare stately frame, by this we must understand, the state of an holy soul departed, of a good Christian in another world. This building is one of those Mansions of which our Saviour speakes of, Iohn 14. And in the Text we have it described, First, from the builder and author, [...] of God. We attain to our earthly [Page 5] Tabernacle by an order established of God in na­ture; we have by means and second causes, all the things of this life: but the building which is a­bove, is given immediately by God. Thou shalt bring me to glory, saith the Psalmist. It is our Fathers will to give the Kingdom himselfe: sure it will make our future state the more excellent, that we have it immediately from the blessed hand of God. Se­condly, this building is set forth in the quality of it, [...] not made with hands, it is not of a visible make, or frame, tooles and instruments were not imployed to compose it. [...]. The pure eternall will of God framed this mansion according to his own coun­sell, secret to us: A building removed far beyond the reach of mans capacity, which is, Thirdly, described in the Text, from the stability and perpetuity of it, [...] eternall, not for dayes, and for moneths, for times and for seasons, but for ever is this building framed. Lastly, it sets out the dignitie of place, this building is in [...] in heaven, that Empy­real Throne of the most High, where dwells blessed­nesse for evermore. Thus wee have seen the house and building in the severall passages of my Text.

We may next consider whose these are, to whom they doe belong: and remarkable it is, that the Apo­stle doth expresse no speciall interest in the former. He calles it a house of Tabernacle; the word this in English is more then is in the Originall. The house of Tabernacle is a common habitation, where all the sons of Adam dwell alike: Gods Elect can claime no more interest in this then others; well then may the Apostle passe this without an Item of [Page 6] proprietie; whilst he claimes the latter in a speciall manner, saying, We have a building: by which he literally and immediately, points out his own inte­rest, and in his, intimates the right of all the Saints, like as in another place he saith, A crowne is laid up for me, and not for me onely, but for all that love his appearing. True and rightly beleeving Christi­ans have this honour, that the building not made with hands is onely theirs.

The third considerable circumstance in my Text is the order, & here we may note, the first is that which is naturall, then that which is spirituall; the first is of the Earth, earthie, the second in Heaven, heavenly; By the frail house we passe to the firme habitation, when the former is dissolved, the latter takes place.

The last thing I shall propound is the note Cer­tainty: in the first word [...], We know: it was not a thing S. Paul much doubted, or had a meer con­ceit or conjecture of, but a thing of which he was fully perswaded. He knew of a certainty, that when his earthen Tabernacle was dissolved, he should be possessed of the Heavenly building: and what he speakes for himselfe, he intimates for the comfort of others, of all that are vessels of honour, heirs of grace, called by the Word and sanctified.

These the severall passages considerable in the words I read, yeeld us three circumstances of ho­ly doctrine.

• 1 From the description of our earthly Mansion, we may collect, that our estate in this life is fraile, transitory, perishing.
• 2. From the excellency of the building, not made [Page 7] with hands, we gather that the state of a true Chri­stian in the world to come, is blessed and eternall in the heavens.
• 3. By the note of certainty we may conclude, that every converted heart, and carefull soul may and ought to be assured, that when his body shall be dissolved, his soul shall have an happy dwelling with God in heaven.

These sentences of holy doctrine are too plenti­full subjects to be fully discoursed of in one Sermon: I will speak in a word of the two former, and but briefly of the last.

That our state and condition in this life is fraile, transitory, perishing, who can deny? Let old Iacob come in, and he will affirm, that few and evill are the dayes and yeers of his life: and, My dayes are swifter then a weavers shuttle: Oh remember that my life is wind, said Iob: Iob 7.6, 7. And again, is not man born to trouble as sparks flie upward? The Scrip­ture is wont to compare our present state with things most frail & perishing. Our life is as a flower, as smoke, a dew, a blast, a breath, a bubble, it is va­nity, it is as nothing.

I fetch arguments to confirm this from what we are; and what are the best things we can have?

• 1. Consider we have frail bodies, no better then a lump of earth, an handfull of wormes; at best, liable to a thousand griefs, paines, aches, diseases, distempers.
• 2. Have we not frail spirits also, subject to many troubles, doubts, feares, terrours, perplexities and amazes?

What is the union of these, being our naturall life, but a fading, perishing, dying kind of being, still spending it self, and burning out its own candle? They have judged right, who have wrote, that mi­sery and mans life are convertible tearms: And when the Limners do picture sorrow, they make it like a man. Thus from what we are we may see this truth.

And what good things doth this life afford? riches, honours, pleasures, and secular learning.

As for riches, Riches. what are these but a finer kinde of earth, having an high price stamped on it? and if man could compasse all the treasure under heaven, what a deal of discontenting gold would there be? too much to use, too little to content the greedy heart of man: Midas-like we would be glad to be rid of our first wish: Not all, but a part would man have, yet I trow it's the biggest part: Dives would have none so rich as he. Sed, quid juvat im­mensum, what good will a great heap do us? was ever man happy in abundance? great riches is but matter of trouble, dangerous to the possessor, an ill master, a treacherous servant: There is a dying na­ture in them, they have wings and will be gone, and yeeld but little content while they stay; for he that loveth silver is not satisfied with it, this is va­nity and vexation of spirit.

What are honours in this life, Honours. but suppo­sed excellencies, which have no true being, accompanied with cares and cumber, the ob­ject as well of envie as of esteem? If we could go to the ashes of dead Alexander, they'l tell us [Page 9] what he found in his great preferments: surely they would acquaint us, that those honours were not worth the labour, equitandì per Britannos & cursi­tandi per Germanos, pati pruinam. It was a subtle trick of Satan when he tempted Christ with the offer of worldly honours, that he shewed onely the Kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them; never pointing out the cares, troubles, discontents which abounded in those kingdoms, for then they would have been no provocation at all. The man in Plu­tarch said wisely, that he who considers the troubles of a Crown well, would not gather it up in the street. The happinesse of great places is more in that they are thought so, then that they are so. You that are our Senators do now throughoutly know what poor happinesse it is to be incessantly troubled with a world of other mens businesses, and have lit­tle time to think on your selvs and your own affairs; and lo, that is the good of high places. I may com­pare earthly honours to the plate at a Lottery, it is exposed to open view, makes a great shew, and if a man do chance to light on a prise, it is no great mat­ter, only it is drummed out, and trumpeted abroad, to tell the world; and this is the glory of it: Even so, if some of those many that venture hard for ho­nours do speed, it is no such great matter, onely the businesse is trumpeted out, told abroad, and the world hath some apprehension of it; but alas, the wisest of mortals found this also to be vanitie; yea, a fleeting vanitie, Gloria Crocodi­lus. flying fastest from such as pursue it most: How oft hath one day found a man in high honours and low disgrace?

A third sort of the best things of this life are plea­sures; Pleasures. now what froth? what chaffe? what no­things are these? I may sever them into harmlesse recreations, or sinfull delights; the former, being the best of pleasures, are a kind of fading vanities, which perish in the use of them; there is but a meer shadow of content in them, which we apprehend to be before us; but alas, wee seldome overtake it. Cast back your thoughts on our youthfull pastimes, how did we prize our gains and hopes of winning but an handfull of Counters? no pleasures in the world I think can ever so much take us as those did; yet a few years with discretion do shew us what poor contentments they were: Manhood deems as meanly of the frolicks of our youth, age and riper judgement well knows all pleasures to be a fleeting joy, which is gone as soon as had. As for sinfull de­lights, Satan so tampers with our natures, as to make them seem great in expectation before they are at­tained; but when they come to be possessed they vanish: What sugared delights do beloved sinnes promise? but alas, they still shamefully deceive our expectation; the delight wings away, and the act leaves a guilt behind. How little is our life the bet­ter for our pleasures?

The last ornaments of our earthly tabernacles is humane or secular learning; Learning. Litera tutissimae sunt divitiae, quae nec eripi possunt nec gravant cir­cumferentem. Erasm. these I grant are of all the safest treasures, they can neither be plundered, nor be they burthensome to the bearer; but true it is, that no full content or perfection can be had in knowledge; fraile man but weake of brain, hath his vessell too shallow to comprehend suffici­encie: [Page 11] Our study doth but learn us of our want, put us on to a further search into letters, and render us still lesse satisfied. I gave my heart, said Solomon, to know wisdom, and I perceived that this also is vexa­tion of spirit; for in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sor­row, Eccles. 1.17, 18.

Lo thus, my brethren, we have taken a brief view of all the things which our earthly house of this ta­bernacle doth afford, and we have found as well by what we have, as what we are, that our state and condition here is frail, transitory, perishing: As evi­dent likewise will it appear, that the building not made with hands, the state of a faithful soul after this life, is blessed and eternall.

Witnesse first the many titles of excellencie which in Gods book are given to it: The Apostle speak­ing of it, calls it the riches, glory, and inheritance of Saints in light; so he stiles it by way of eminencie: Now riches doth there comprehend all things pro­fitable, glory all things gracefull and delighting; in­heritance signifieth perpetuity, everlastingnesse. In other places it is called light, life, joy, blessednesse; all in abstracts, to intimate the most transcendent perfections that can be. Yea, more, it is affirmed to be a kingdom, to be a Crown; to be a kingdom of glory, to be a crown of life, to be an eternall weight of glory, which passeth not away: The time would fail me to set forth the least part of that high praise, those sweet and admirable testimonies which the holy Scriptures give of it.

1. And in reason it may appear thus, if we con­sider [Page 12] who provided this building, and at what rates it was purchased. Know we then, that as it was not of mans framing, so was it not of his providing; this was such a building as eye had not seen, nor eare heard, nor could it enter into the heart of man, it was not in his power to turn his hand to making of any such provision; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, or give God a ransome; the re­demption of the soul is pretious, man must let that alone for ever, Psal. 49.7, 8. nor could the Angels reach this work, they fell and cannot help them­selvs; nor can their own fellow Angels steed them in this behalf, it was an infinit work to provide these mansions; none therefore but the blessed Sonne of God, who is coequall with the Father, could prepare this building, nor could he obtain it at any lower rate then his own precious blood, shed in a most ig­nominious and cursed manner: and by this we may guesse at the worth of this building.

2. Secondly, consider for whom it is provided: not for the world, Christ would not so much as pray for them; it was for his own, for those who were his Fathers children, the elect of God, holy and beloved, the sonnes and daughters of the King of glory. If men that are evill will provide fair buildings for their children, what buildings will our heavenly Fa­ther by his Son provide for his? Yet more, these Mansions were prepared for the best of Angels, those incomparable spirits which remained pure as they came out of the hands of God. Christ provided the place we speak of for their eternal habitation: which [Page 13] may sufficiently prove the building not made with hands, to be blessed and glorious.

Lastly, call we to mind the chiefe end for which it serves, namely, to manifest therein the highest de­gree of Gods revealed glory, and to participate the most transcendent measure of happinesse to the chiefest creatures; therefore this building, that state and condition must needs be blessed and eternall in the heavens.

If I had time to stay on this point, I could further illustrate the glory of our future condition in the particulars of it: As 1. the taking again of the soul in­to the blessed hands of God who gave it. 2. The beau­tifying of it with glorious endowments, polishing it for an heavenly eternall being. 3. The actuall ad­mittance of it into the Empyreall heaven that is a­bove. 4. The conjoyning or planting of it into the all-ravishing societie of Saints and Angels. 5. The uniting of it to our glorified Saviour as its head or husband. 6. The conferring on it fulnesse of joy and infinite rivers of pleasures. 7. The filling of it with the blessed vision and fruition of Jehovahs face in glory. Take a glimpse of these things in the sight of our minds, and I shall need stay no longer in the confirmation of the point.

Now the light of these holy truths reflected on our selves, doth wonderfully accuse almost all men and women of folly and madnesse, for our so much love, seeking, joying, delighting and contenting our selves in our earthly house of this tabernacle: how foolish and unwise are we to chuse the worser, baser building, to be taken up wholly with the [Page 14] things before us, to place our heart and affections on things below, which are fraile, transitory, pe­rishing. Wee can blame Esau for preferring a messe of pottage before his birth-right; Ahab for selling his soul to get a vineyard; the fool for building big­ger barnes, and solacing his soul with goods laid up; but alas, we are many of us guilty of the same folly; we live taken up with a secure joy out of a vain ap­prehension of pleasure in our present state and the enjoyment of outward things; as if we had chosen them to be our chiefe portion, and this world to be our Heaven: Your consciences can tel you that you are even more guiltie then I can speak; you do and will love most the house of tabernacle, and will not be perswaded to unglue your affection, and take off the eagernesse of your pursuit after the things that perish. We have many warnings, especi­ally in these times, from heaven, from earth, from God, from man, by the losse of goods, friends, hou­ses, lands, fathers, children, husbands, all bespeak­ing us to abate our love to the world, and the things of this world; yet pitie it is, few or none will en­ter into a due and dutifull consideration of the vani­tie of these worldly things, or once in good earnest endeavour to wean their hearts from these earthen Tabernacles.

As faulty likewise and blame worthy are we for our supine negligence, our extream carelesnesse, our want of love to, & esteem of the building not made with hands, the state of a blessed soule after this life. Who hath such high uprising thoughts of our fu­ture condition as it deserves? few there be that take [Page 15] it into serious meditation at all; Most men seem to determine of their soules, (as the Jewes said of Christ) Let God save them, if he will have them: We are bent to enjoy that which is present, and think little what shall become of our soules, when our flesh shall sinke into the grave. As therefore our too much care of this earthly Tabernacle, so our too little regard of the heavenly building, is a just shame and reproach unto us: now to make every soule truely sensible and mindefull of our great miscariage in this businesse, I will give you a Parable of a woman, which travelling with child brought forth a Twin, and both children being presented to her, she falles deepely and fondly in love with the one, but is carelesse, disrespectfull of the other; this she will nurse her self, but that is put forth; her love growes up with the childe she kept her selfe, she decks it fine, she feedes it choicely; but at last, by overmuch pampering of it the childe surfets, be­comes mortally sick, and when it was dying, she re­members her self and sends to looke after the other childe that was forth at nurse, to the end she might now cherish it: but when the messenger came, she findes it dying and gasping likewise, and examining the truth, she understands that through the mothers carelesnesse and neglect to looke after it the poore childe was starved: thus was the fond partiall mo­ther, to her great sorrow and shame, deprived of both her hopefull babes. For reddition of this Pa­rable, you may please to take notice that every Christian is this mother, the children are our bo­die and our soule, our earthly and spirituall [Page 16] building; the former of these it is, that men and women fall deeply and fondly in love with, whilst indeed they are carelesse and neglect the other, this they dresse and feed, nothing is too good or dear for it; but at the last, the bodie surfets, comes by some means or other to its death-bed, when there is litle or no hope of life, then men begin to remember the soul, and would think of som course to save it, the Minister he is sent for in all haste to look after it: but alas! he finds it in part dead, in part dying, and the very truth is, the owner through neglect and carelesnesse hath starved the Soul, and it is ready to goe to Hell, before the bodie is ready for the Grave; and thus the foolish fond Christian, to his eternall sorrow and shame, loseth both his bodie and his soul: and may not this throughoutly check the extreame folly, and indiscretion which the world is guiltie of?

I shall then close these two points with a word of admonition; since it is evident that the building, not made with hands, is so transcendently more excel­lent then the earthen Tabernacle, let it be the high­est of our cares, and chiefest of our endeavours to lay up treasure in heaven. Labour not so much for the food that perisheth, as for that which endureth for ever. Seek all wayes, use all meanes to be clo­thed on with that house from above. And for mo­tive or inducement to this, I will use onely one, not of mine own framing, but a shaft, as it were, out of the Lords Armorie. They are our Saviours own words. What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his own soul?

I come now to the last circumstance of Doctrine; every converted heart and careful soul may and ought to be assured, that when his body shall be dissolved, his soul shall have a dwelling with God in heaven. And first in testimony that there is a certaintie, I alledge, Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus, who live not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Lo here an expresse affirmation of the thing, and a manifest description of the persons. Numerus certus non solum quoad numerum numerantem ut suggerant Armi­niani sed quoad numerum nume­ratum ut ortho­doxi tenent. In the 2. of Tim. 2.19. we have a like proof. The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth who are his; see, my brethren, it is not onely how many are elected, but who they are, who be the very individuall and numericall persons. That regenerate men may and ought to gain assurance is likewise e­vident by such places as enjoyn us strictly to examine our selves, whether we be in the faith or not, 2 Cor. 13.5 to prove our selvs and our own work, Gal. 5.4. to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. Were not the precepts of this kinde strange, if we could not, if we ought not be assured? Adde to this the many properties, qualities, signes, tokens set down in Scripture, to design and note out the Elect of God. Was not Iob certain, that his Redeemer lived? yet we find not, that he had any revelation or extraordi­nary warrant: But why do I instance one, since all the Worthies in Gods book did attain to a certaintie of faith, [...]. Heb. 11.39 and serve as a cloud of witnesses to prove my truth?

1. Which I may yet further confirm by divers ar­guments, the many cleer promises which the Lord made to the faithfull in his Book for their establish­ment. 2 Cor. 1.20, 21. Doth not every dutifull sonne [Page 18] assure himself of that portion which his good Father hath promised him? How much more may the heires of glory be assured of that our heavenly Father so plen­tifully promised?

2 Our blessed Saviour hath fully purchased our salvation, and compleatly justified all his: for God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself from the beginning; and may not we be assured of our inheri­tance since the price is paid?

3 Christ doth continually pray for us at the right hand of God, saying, Father keep them, for they are thine, and thine are mine; and sure it is, none shall take his sheep out of his hand.

4 The Lord hath vouchsafed us his Word and Sa­craments as a specified and sealed Covenant to con­firme it. Now when a man conveigheth any thing unto us by a specified & Sealed Covenant, we expect it sure; how much more may we assure our selves of the Co­venant of God, since he hath given us his written Word and seal to confirm it?

5 Lastly, Christ hath prayed the Father, and he hath sent the Spirit into our hearts to seal every rightly be­leeving soul unto the day of Redemption, to testifie to our spirits that we are of God. Tel me now my bre­thren, are not all these things true? can any considering man therefore so much as think, that when God hath done so much, so many waies of our assurance, a care­ful soul may not, or ought not to be sure, that when his body shall be dissolved, his soul shall have an happie dwelling with God in the heavens?

Vse 1 1 Away then, for application, with popish doctrine of uncertainty, teaching men to doubt perpetually, and even to the end to distrust our Election and salvation; [Page 19] It peremptorily affirming that men can have but a meer conjecture, which weighed doth scarce amount to a probable opinion. This false uncomfortable do­ctrine of the Pontificians, I might iustly and sharply inveigh against, but supposing here are no favourers of Popery I passe it.

Vse 2 2 The next inference is matter of complaint, of the supine carelesnesse and grosse neglect of mens not seeking assurance of this building not made with hands, being a blessed estate in Heaven, when these dayes of sin be done. Past question a reasonable soul doth de­sire nothing more then to be sure of the thing it would have, and as sure it is, that every man pretends to de­sire Heaven, to have his soul saved when hee departs hence: Yet alas, I grieve to see, nothing is so little cared for or sought after, as an assurance of Heaven. We would be sure of health, sure of meanes, sure of friends, sure of preferments, sure of honour, and cre­dit in the world. To be so, wee spend our time and strength, use all meanes, applie our wits, and are wan­ting in nothing which may probably secure us: but to be sure of Heaven, where is the man that acts to the uttermost? or doth seriously endeavour at all? Most men make this the least, or no part of their businesse, it comes not into their mindes, seldome or never do they think upon it: Others vainely presume that God will sure save their soules: upon false or no grounds, they build, yet seem to be very confident. Thus ma­ny have presumed of Heaven, which are now in the depths of Hell. Others deem men can have no assu­rance, but must put it to the mercy of God, and hope well; so they do, and thus rest content. Alasse poore soules! these are very Papists in this point, and are like [Page 20] with the rest of men I speak of, to go to the flames of hell unawares. How can it bee that reasonable souls holding the Protestant Religion should so fool them­selves? Ah! Damned Satan, it is thy doing, thus to delude poore souls, that out of slothfulnesse they might come to hell, rather then take paines to be assu­red of Heaven. Think seriosly my brethren, what folly it is for a Christian to live he knowes not in what state, and when he dies, to go he knows not where; had it not been good for such a man he had never been born? mind this I pray you, and suffer this word of reproof to work upon you, that it may not be our case in the end.

What remaines but that we be all stirred up and provoked by the power of Gods Word to make sure of the building, not made with hands. Let not vain presumptions, blind hopes, and ignorant supposes be­guile our soules. But since we evidently see, that men may and ought to be assured and know, if our earthly house be dissolved, we have a building of God in the Heavens; let us labour after assurance: and the better to satisfie and prevaile with your souls and conscien­ces, I will acquaint you that there are three kindes of assurance.

• 1 Such as God doth require of all men generally as dutie.
• 2 Such as God doth accept of some in mercy.
• 3 Such as God doth vouchsafe to some in bounty.

The first is an assurance of evidence: the Lord doth require that all those to whom the word of salvation comes, should be so well acquainted with it, as to know the promises, understand aright the properties and characters of those to whom they belong, and be able to evidence to themselves, that those promses do [Page 21] belong to them by those properties and characters. That the Spirit by working on thir hearts, doth testifie to their spirits that they are the Elect of God. To at­tain this kinde of assurance, is the duty of every Christian.

The second is when a Christian, not so well versed in Gods Book, is not able so exactly to applie the promises in speciall manner to himself, or evidence by any such particular properties and marks. Yet know­ing in generall the way of Salvation by Christ, applied by Faith and repentance to sinners, doth as it were throw himself as a beleeving and penitent sinner on God, and trusts to be saved by the righteousnesse of Christ; and out of this hope, he loves God and Christ, desires and endeavours to forsake all his sinnes. This I may call a certainty of affiance, which God doth accept of, from many poore ignorant soules in mercy.

The last is an assurance of obsignation, wherby God doth so firmly seal the faith of some, that they do so stedfastly, & undoubtedly beleeve that Christ died for them, as they had seen him die on the Crosse, and he had told them that he did die in particular for them, or as if God from heaven had revealed it by miracle. And whereas it is sufficient if the two former assu­rances exceed doubtings, this doth really exclude doubtings. Now this high kind of certainty is usually given to men after long and fiery trialls, when men have stood long, and in an eminent way for Christ, as did the Apostles, and Martyrs, or when men have been of great standing in piety, and of great integrity in waies of godlines. To such God may, and doubtles doth vouchsafe of his glorious bounty this high kind [Page 22] of assurance; but I conceive 'tis not required of all men as a duty. Thus briefly without obscurity, I have shewed you the doctrine of Christian assurance: let me ear­nestly entreat and prevail with you, to desire and en­deavour after this sweete grace; the excellency, the comfort, the commodities of it are more then suffici­ent motives, if I might illustrate them. How good is it at all times, in all conditions of our life, and especial­ly at our death? I, you will say, we do desire assurance, but how shall we gain it? I answer, we may obtain it,

• 1. By a cheerfull and ready answering the call of God in his Word; when he speakes we must hear, submit our wills, yeeld our spirits to the power of his ordinances. Such hearing is better then the fat of Rammes, and will by degrees work assurance in us.
• 2. By a new and holy conversation: the way to be sure that we have learned Christ, is as touching our former conversation, to put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lust, to be re­newed in the spirit of our mindes. If we walk as the prophane how can we hope for assurance?
• 3. By expressing a true zeal and a religious care for the things of God. S. Paul acquaints us, that he which is of God, careth for the things of God. Wen a mans heart is listlesse and unsolicitous of holy things, he may vainely presume, but cannot warran­tably assure himself to belong to the Election of grace.
• 4. By continuall prayer and endeavour to improve in our spirituall condition; Add to your faith, vertue; to vertue, knowledge, &c. thus an entrance shall be ministred abundantly. By a labour to increase in soul [Page 23] goodnesse, there will come in such a perfection of love as will cast out slavish feares, and settle the heart more and more in a sweet and comfortable assurance. These are the directions which I give, and the Lord blesse them to you all.

And now I have ended my Text, I might stray long to speak of that late grave and worthy Senator, whose Funerall we celebrate. My neighbouring abode and some acquaintance with him for divers years might furnish me with plentifull Encomiums of deserved praise; but it's not my guise to speak much in this kind; briefly then with good conscience I may testifie him to be a man exemplary in all manner of conversation in his family, in his countrey, in publike, in private af­faires: Known he was to be a man of great learning, well skilled in the languages of it, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. and no stranger in its rationall systems: His many vertues were crow­ned with his much zeal for Religion, his great love to zealous, able Ministers, and good people in the worst of times: witnesse, amongst other things, his Pen in their vindication against the gallie inke, which sprang from a bitter spirit, His Answer to the Glasse of Schismes. and a lying tongue. In a word, he was a true Mecenas, a reall Patriot, much loving, and wel-beloved of his Countrey, seeking not theirs, but them. The cause of piety and Professors was in our parts sufficiently known to have a friend on the Bench where he sat. And what was best of all, his goodnesse and vertue did age and increase with him: His righ­teousnesse was not like the morning dew; or, as those who glory to be Patriots for a while, but then like the stellae volantes, lose their blazing light, cause sterility, and go out in a stenchfull nastinesse. Our learned [Page 24] and religious Brother did shine most bright in the evening of his dayes: His faithfulnesse and constan­cie, his zeal and affection, his pains and diligence in the great cause of God and his holy truth, this Church and Kingdome, deserveth all commendations, never ending but with his breath. This will justly number him among the Worthies of our English Nation, who have given up themselves wholly to seek the glory of God and the good of the Land. His me­mory with theirs shal be precious in after ages, maugre all malice: Or, if posterity should be so ungratefull as to forget, yet doubtlesse their glory will increase in a better world. Amongst whom I say, this our bro­ther was not wanting to act his part, even to the end, and so hath brought his gray haires with honour to the grave: And now his earthly house of this Taber­nacle is dissolved, he hath a building of God, not made with hands, eternall in the Heavens.