THe most of us are so exceeding slow of heart to believe The great Doctrine of the Eter­nity of all mankind in the world to come, either in happiness or [Page 2] misery, and so extream backward, to provide for our own eternal condition, as that thereby, it doth a­bundantly appear how ne­cessary it is, that this Fun­damental Point of Divinity should be plainly proved, clearly explained, and powerfully applied unto us.

But before I handle the particulars of it, I shall make an entrance to it by laying down six received Principles, concerning the Six Prin­ciples pre­mised. estate of all mankind until the end of the world; for this purpose that we may all know our selves, and that we may clearly see how this infallible Truth shall be fulfilled, wherein we are all so nearly concer­ned.

First, That every one of 1. Prin­ciple. [Page 3] mankind doth consist of a body and a soul joyned to­gether.

The Exhortation of Je­sus Christ, Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, doth plainly prove, that every one of us have both a body and a soul. Mat. 10. 28.

And these words of the Apostle Paul, Hebr. 12. 9. We have had fathers of our flesh, which cor­rected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits? do clear­ly imply, that we had our bodies originally from our parents, the Psal. 132. 11. fruit of whose bodies, our bodies are: and that we had our souls originally from our God, who is said in Holy Scripture to be the giver of them, and the God of the Spi­rits [Page 4] of all flesh. Numb. 16. 22. Eccles. 12. 7.

It is probable, that the Lord doth create every particular soul, and that he infuseth it into the bo­dy of an Infant, when in all essential parts it is a perfect body, as Adams was, when God gave him his Soul. This is the Com­mon opinion of Modern See Bi­shop Rey­nolds of the Passions, c. 32. Writers about the Origi­nal of the soul, and it is grounded upon those Scri­ptures, where God is said to be the Creator of the soul, and where the Lord is sti­led the God, which formeth the Spirit of man within him; Isai. 57. 16 Zach. 12. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 19.

Secondly, That the bo­dy of every one of Man­kind, 2. Prin­ciple. is mortal, subject to die dayly, and that many [Page 5] waies; some are no sooner Job 14. 2. Gen 5. 5, 20. 27. born, but they die, and they who have lived the longest lives, have died: as sure as we live in the body, so sure we must die in the body, and God knows how soon and how suddenly! What man is he that liveth (saith the Prophet David) Psal. 89. 48 and shall not see death? For what is our life? It is even a vapour (saith the Apostle James) that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Jam. 4. 14.

As the Mr. S [...]yode his Anat. of Mortal­lity. finer the me [...] ­tal of any Glass, or earthen Vessel is, the more subject it is to breaking: so the daintiest bodies are soonest gone; and first or last, we must all die, because the Lord of life and death hath appointed it. Hebrews 9. 27.

[Page 6] Thirdly, That the soul 3. Prin­ciple. of every one of mankinde, is immortal, and no way lyable to be killed; it nei­ther dieth with the bodle, nor sleepeth in it: but im­mediately after the death of the body, the soul go­eth to God that gave it, to give its particular account, and to be adjudged either to go to heaven to be com­forted, or else to go to hell to be tormented; so as that presently after death and particular judgement, the soul doth enter into its endless Eternity, either of comfort or torment.

Solomon saith when the body dies, Then shall the dust return to the earth, as it was: and the spirit unto God who gave it. Eccles. 12. 7.

Our Saviour saith, Fear not them that kill the body, but [Page 7] are not able to kill the soul. Matt. 10. 28.

And Saint Paul saith, It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judge­ment; after death judge­ment presenly follows, as the [...], Heb. 9. 27. comp. Jo. 5. 4. & c. 19. v. 28. Greek words do sig­nifie, and therefore by judgement here, is meant (at lest inclusively) that parti­cular judgement which the Lord doth pass upon every soul immediately after death, for at that instant Bishop usher his Body of Divinity, p. 446. God pronounceth, and the Conscience apprehend­eth a sentence of blessing or cursing, and according­ly the soul is estated in its Eternal condition, either of felicity or misery.

The souls of all those who die in the Rev. 14. 13. Hebr. 12. 23. Lord, in a believing and regenerate e­state, are by the mercy of [Page 8] God absolved and made Luke 16. 22, 25. ch. 23. 43. Acts 7. 59. Phil. 1. 23. perfect in holiness, and are carried by good Angels in­to heaven, there to live in a happy estate of joy and rest, with their ever blessed God and Saviour, and with all the holy Angels, and with all those perfect and blessed souls who went to heaven before them: waiting for the full redem­ption of their bodies, which even in death, and after they are returned to dust, continue still united to Christ, and rest in their graves, as in their beds, till at the last day, they be a­gain united to their souls. Rom. 8. 23. Ps. 16. 9. Isai 57. 2. Job 19. 25, 26.

But the souls of all Peo­ple who die out of Christ, in an unbelieving and un­regenerate condition, are [Page 9] by the justice of God Eccles. 12. 7. Luk. 12. 20. ch. 16. 23, 24. Acts 1. 25. 1 Pet 3. 19 Judev. 6, 7 con­demned to infernal mise­ry, and are haled away by evil Angels into hell, there to remain in torments and utter darkness with the de­vil and his angels, and with all those sad and mise­rabie souls, who were be­fore doomed to that place of torment: and their bo­dies which return to dust and see corruption, are kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resur­rection, and judgement of the great day. Gen. 3. 19. 2 Pet. 2. 9.

A Philosopher being ask­ed by Alexander the great, P. Mor. de ver. cb. Rel. c. 15. Whether there were more men alive then dead? Answered, That there were more alive, be­cause (said he) there are none dead in respect of their souls: We are taught more [Page 10] plainly by Divinity, then ever any where by Philoso­phy, That the souls of all peo­ple are immortal, and conse­quently that they who are dead in their bodies, are alive in their souls, either in heaven or hell; besides these Luke 16 23, 24. two places, for souls separated from their bo­dies, the Scripture acknow­ledgeth none.

Fourthly, That the bo­dies of all mankind who 4. Prin­ciple. have dyed from the begin­ning to the end of the world, shall all be raised again at the last day, and reunited to their own­souls; all the dead shall be raised again with the self­same bodies, and none o­ther, yet so altered in qua­lity, as that then they shall be able to abide for e­ver.

[Page 11] The words of Iohn 5. 28, 29. our. Sa­viour are express and full; The hour is comming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the Resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. And the words of the Apostle are clear and plain, There shall be a Resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust, Acts 24. 15.

And again, The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed, for this cor­ruptible must put on incorrupti­on, and this mortal, must put on immortality. 1 Cor. 15 52, 53.

Let not incredulous na­ture shrink at the possibility of Resurrection, when the God of nature undertakes [Page 12] it [...] Why should it be thought a thing incredible that God should raise the dead? Is it not as possi­ble for God Almighty (with whom nothing is Math. 19 26. impossible) to raise the dead out of their dust, which is something, as to make the world of nothing? is it not as easie with the Lord (for whom nothing is too Ier. 32. 17. hard) to raise man out of his dust in the earth, as to form man of the dust of the ground? It is sufficient to me that the Lord Jesus Christ hath pro­mised me, that if I believe in him, he will raise me up at the last day. John 6. 40.

Fifthly, That all those 5. Prin­ciple. of mankind who shall be raised from the dead, toge­ther with the rest of man­kind, [Page 13] who shall be found alive at the second coming of Christ, being changed in a moment, they shall all per­sonally appear before the judgement seat of Christ to give a publick account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, whether they were good or evil: and they shall all be judged by Jesus Christ to go in their bodies and souls into an everlasting condition, ei­ther of happiness or mi­sery.

Enoch the seventh from Adam I [...]de v. 14, 15. Math. 11. 22. 24. Prophesied of the day of judgement; Our Sa­viour in his Sermons often made mention of it: and the Apostle Paul solemnly warnes us of it, for (saith he) 2 Cor. 5. 10, Rom. 14. 12. Ec­cles. 12. 14 1 Cor. 4 5, We must all appear be­fore the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may re­ceive [Page 14] the things done in his bo­dy according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad; so then every one shall give an account of himself to God, who will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel, and will reward them according to their works, as their works or deeds were fruits and effects, either of their faith, or of their un­beliefe. Mat. 16. 27. Rom. 2. 6, 16.

Again, Saint Matthew tells us, That Jesus Christ the Judge Ioh. 5. 22. Acts 10. 4 [...]. of quick and dead, shall give this comfortable sentence of everlasting life and salvation to all the e­lect among Mankind, who were righteous, and such as had a part in him; Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the [Page 15] world. Math. 25. 34.

And again, that Christ himself shall give this dreadfull sentence of eter­nall death and damnation to all the Reprobate of mankind, who were wicked, and such as had no interest in him, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Mat. 25. 41.

It seems that the proceed­ings of the general and last judgement, shall be so or­dered by the peculiar fa­vour of God, as that the Saints who were in Christ, shall first be judged and ac­quitted, and then with Christ, they shall judge Re­probate men and angels, not in an equal authority with Christ, but as appro­vers of his righteous judge­ment.

[Page 16] Sixtly, That all man­kind shall certainly go into 6. Prin­ciple. that everlasting condition, that the Lord Jesus Christ shall doom them unto; those whom Christ shall absolve, and sentence to in­herit the Kingdom of Hea­ven, shall assuredly go into it, to live eternally happy in it: and those whom Christ shall condemn to go into everlasting fire, shall certainly go into it to be e­verlastingly punished in it; after the act of eternal judge­ment is past, the execution of it will immediately follow; this is proved and insisted upon in the next Chapter.

I Have now brought you within the sight of mans future Eternity, unto that great Doctrine of Eternity chiefly aimed at, which is this, That all mankind at the end of this world, shall go in their bodies and souls into an everlasting condition, either of happiness or misery; The wicked of all mankind, who had no part in Christ, shall go into hell, to endure e­verlasting punishment; and the righteous among [Page 18] all mankind, who were in­teressed in Christ, shall go into heaven, to inherit life eternal; and so all the world shall go into one of these two places or states of Eternity, after that time shall be no more.

The truth of this weighty point of Divinity may ap­pear these two waies.

• 1. By Divine Testimo­nie.
• 2. By Humane Testimo­nie.

First, This appeares to Confir­mation by Divine te­stimony. be so by the Divine Testi­monie of the Spirit of God in the holy Scriptures, who saith concerning the wick­ed, that they shall go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Mat. 25. 46.

When Jesus Christ shall sit upon the Throne of his [Page 19] glory, the people of all na­tions shall be gathered be­fore him, and he will di­stinguish them into two sorts, namely into sheep and goates. Mat. 25. 31. 32.

By Goats are meant the Reprobate of all mankind, who dyed in their Iohn 8. 24. Luke 8. 13. Heb. 10. 39. Mat. 25. 42, 43. sins, and out of Christ: though many of them did profess saith, yet none of them had that Faith unfained, which worketh by Love; for when Christ in his poor Members was an hungred, they gave him no meat, and when he was naked, they clothed him not; and these are the unbelieving and the ungodly of the world, who shal go away into everlasting Metonyn [...]. adjuncti Piseator ad. locum. punishment, that is, they shall go into hell to suffer everlasting punish­ment.

[Page 20] By Sheep are to be under­stood the Elect of God, ta­ken out of all Rev. 5. 9 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Cor. 6. 11. sorts of mankind, who were re­deemed, justified, and san­ctified by Jesus Christ: ma­ny whereof had opportuni­ty to shew forth their faith in Christ, and their love unto Christ, by their Cha­rity to the poor people of Christ; for, when Christ in his poor Members was sick and in prison, they vi­sited him, and when he was hungry and naked, they fed him, and clothed him: And these are the righteous in Christ Jesus, who shall go into [...]. Life Eternal, that is, they shall go into hea­ven to enjoy life eternal. Mat. 25. 35, 36, 37, 46.

Again, This is proved by the Parable of the tares of the field, in the thirteenth cha­pter [Page 21] of Saint Matthews Go­spel.

If you well observe our Saviours Exposition of this [...]arable, you will find, that all people in the world are compared unto good Seed, and Tares.

By Tares are meant the children of the wicked one, who were of their Joh. 8. 44. Titus 1. 16 Father the Divel, for his lusts they would do; though many of them were Christians by name, and Believers by profession, yet they were but formal Christians, and feigned Be­lievers, being such as did offend, and such as were workers of iniquity: And these in the end of this world, shall be cast into a Furnace of fire; that is, into Hell-fi [...]e, where there is for ever wailing and gnashing of [Page 22] teeth. Mat. 13 40, 41, 42. Rev. 16. 10, 11.

By good Seed is to be un­derstood the children of the Kingdom, who were joint-heirs with Christ of the Kingdome of Glory; and these at the last day shall be received up into the third Heaven, and shall shine forth as the Sun in the kingdom of their Father, and that for evermore; for of his King­dom there shall be no end. Mat. 13. 38, 43.

This Divine Doctrine may Further proof by two Ar­guments. be further illustrated, and yet more strongly confirm­ed by these two Scripture-Arguments.

First, at the great Assizes 1. Argu­ment. of the whole world, when all mankind shall so [...]. ap­pear before the tribunal of 2 Cor. 5 10. Christ, as that the secrets of their hearts shall be laid [Page 23] open, they will be found either such as were ignorant and disobedient, and out of Christ, or such as were knowing, obedient, and in­teressed in Christ.

They who shal be found at that notable day of dis­covery, such as had no part in Christ, such as knew not God, and as obeyed not the Go­spel of our Lord Jesus Christ, shal be punished with everlast­ing destruction from the pre­sence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. 2 Thes. 1. 7.

But they who shall be found at that great day of Trial, such as were in Christ, such as did Ioh. 17. 3. Ioh. 6. 40. know the onely true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent: and such as did truly believe in Christ, and sincerely obey him, shall be saved with eternal salvation. Heb. 5. 9.

[Page 24] Therefore all mankind at the end of the world, shal go into an everlasting con­dition, either of wo or weal.

Secondly, either all man­kind after the day of Judg­ment, 2 Argu­ment. shall go into an ever­lasting condition, either of happiness, or misery; or else some of mankind shall be turned into nothing: or else some of mankind shall go into some third place or state.

But not any of mankind shall be turned into Mat. 25. 46. no­thing; for the wicked of all mankind shall go into ever­lasting punishment, therefore they shall have an everlast­ing being, otherwise there would be a punishment infli­cted, & none indured, which is a contradiction; and the righteous among mankind [Page 25] shall go into life eternal, and therefore they shal subsist & live for ever, and so none of mankind shall be annihila­ted, or consumed and tur­ned into nothing.

Nor shall any of mankind go into any third place, or state, because there is no place nor state to be found in the Word of God for any of mankind to go into, after this world is ended, besides Mat. 7. 1 [...], 14. Luke 16. Mat. 25 46. hell and heaven, besides the cursed condition of ever­lasting punishment, and the blessed state of life eternal; and how can any of man­kind go into that which is not?

Therefore, we may cer­tainly conclude, That all mankind at the end of this world shall go in their bodies and souls into an everlasting condition ei­ther of glory or misery; The [Page 26] wicked shall go into an e­verlasting condition of pain and calamity: and the righteous shal go into an everlasting condition of rest and glory, and so all shall go into an eternal state, either of felicity or misery, after that time shall be no longer.

Here it might be shewed, that the Doctrine Of Mans The anti­quity of this poin [...]. everlasting condition in the world to come, hath been re­ceived for a Truth ever since this world began. The holy Gen. 2. 17. ch 3. v 15. 24. Hebr. 11. v. 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 [...], 16. Iude v. 14, 15. Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 25 46 2 Thes. [...], 8, 9, 10 Partriarchs, Pro­phets and Apostles, and the Old and New Testament Saints believed it, and ac­knowledged it: so did the ancient Fathers after them, & the greatest part of Chri­stians in all ages and parts of the world. And all the Reformed Churches now in [Page 27] Christendom do confess it, and do earnestly contend for this Fundamental Article of the Catholick faith.

But I labour to be brief, and therefore instead of in­sisting upon the Antiquity of this point, I shall refer you to the Scriptures and Daille of the use of the Fa­thers, his Preface. and p. 184 & Corpus Conses. Authors in the Margin, and to the last Article of Athanasius's Creed, of the Nicene Creed, and of that ancient Creed, commonly called, The Apostles Creed, whereby you may see with your own eyes, that this is no new, but an ancient Truth, which hath been re­ceived in the Church of God, in all ages of the world.

Secondly, This infalli­ble Doctrine may be pro­ved, Confir­mation by humane testimony if further proof be needful, by humane testi­mony, [Page 28] and as I may say with the Apostle, ( Acts 17. 28.) by certain of our own Poets; for, the wiser sort both of Poets and See P. Mornay of the truenes of the Chr. Religion, ch. 15, 19. V. Grot. l. x c. 21, 22, [...]3. l. q. c. 12 Philosophers were of this opinion, ‘That wicked people shal go after they depart hence, into a horrible place, called Tar­tarus, where they shal be eternally tormented: & that good men, shal go after their departure out of this life, into a pleasant place, called Elizium, where they shal live hap­pily for ever.’

Which opinion of theirs clearly shews, that they had some imperfect notions of Mans future Eternity, either in torment or happiness.

Again, they who Munster, Ortcli [...]s, Heyl [...]n. See P. Mornay, c 1. p. 9. write of the world tel us, That the people of every Nation in the world, are of some [Page 29] Religion, and they who are Alcoran Moham. c. 14. p. 160. c. 20. p. 198 of any Religion, do hold, That there is a life after this life, where it shall go well with the good, and ill with the bad of mankinde for ever; Why else are they Religious?

Doubtless, that must needs be a manifest Truth that appears to be so, not onely by the light of the holy Scriptures, but also by the Light of Nature, and the common opinion (al­most) of all people in the world; Nay, by the com­mon practise of the Divel himself, who as a 1 Pet. 5. 8. roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour: endea­vouring by his temptati­ons, apparitions, possessi­ons, and wiles with de [...]u­ded sinners, to deprive as many of mankind of eter­nal salvation as possibly he [Page 30] can, and to bring them at last unto everlasting dam­nation, from which, Good Lord deliver us.

HAving hitherto proved the Doctrine Of mans future Eternity, I shall in the next place explain it; and first of all I shall mourn­fully look downward, to­wards—the misera­ble Eternity of such as shall be damned, and shew you (so far as I know it by Scri­pture-Revelation) wherein [Page 31] the misery of their everlast­ing punishment, which is the punishment of punish­ments, doth chiefly consist, namely in these three par­ticulars.

1. In their punishment of loss.

2. In their pain of sense.

3 In the everlastingness of both these kinds of pu­nishment.

First, The misery of that everlasting cursed, and 1 Their punish­ment of loss. damned condition that the wicked shal go into at the end of this world, doth consist in their punishment of loss, and that in these four respects.

1. They shal be punish­ed with the loss of the com­fortable, and beatisical presence of God the Fa­ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, [Page 32] They shall depart and go away from the Lord, in such a sort as that they shal never have any savour, nor any refreshing from the pre­sence of the ever-blessed and glorious Trinity.

God being the chief Psal. 113. 68. Math. 19. 17. Psal. 36. 9. Psal. 63. 3. good, and the greatest fe­licity, and his loving kind­ness being better then life, therefore to be punished with the loss of his favour will be as it were the ever­lasting death of the dam­ned, and their greatest loss, and saddest misery.

2. They shal be punish­ed with the loss of heaven, that place of celestial rest and blessedness, where God is said to dwell, whither Christ is ascended, and where the Lord will mani­fest himself unto his people to their everlasting com­fort [Page 33] and happinesse.

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (saith our Saviour) when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, & all the Prophets in the king­dom of God, and you your selves thrust out. Luke 13. 28.

3. They shall be punish­ed with the loss of the bles­sed Communion of all the holy Angels in heaven; for seeing they shal be punish­ed with the loss of the fa­vourable presence of God, & with the loss of heaven, it follows that they shal be punished with the loss of the joyful fellowship of all the holy angels, who do al­waies behold the face of God in heaven. Mat. 18. 10.

4. They shal be punished with the loss of the comfor­table company of all the Saines in heaven, and of all [Page 34] their glorious perfections, & heavenly priviledges; for sith they shal Luke 13. 25, 27, 28. Ioh. 8. 24. depart from the Lord, and shal be shut out of heaven, and cast in­to hell, where they shal for ever remain unpardoned and unsanctified, retaining their vile hearts and sinful natures: therefore it ne­cessarily follows, that they shal be deprived of the happy society of all the Saints, and of all those ce­lestial perfections and bles­sed priviledges, that they shal enjoy, when they shall be ever with the Lord in the kingdome of heaven. Luko 16. 22, to 27.

We think their loss to be very great, who are puni­shed with the loss of the temporal good things of this life; but alas! What is that, to the loss of the e­ternal [Page 35] good things of the life to come?

A Godly This is related by M. Calamy in his Ser­mon on Heb. 11. 13. Gentleman observing the gallant ac­commodations of a pious Noble man, took occasion to speak to him after this Christian manner: My Lord, (said he) you had need make sure of heaven, or else when you die, you will be a great looser; it infinitely con­cerns both great and small, to make sure work about their Salvation, otherwise when they die they will be great losers, for they will lose not onely their com­forts on earth, but also the joyes of heaven, and that without all hope of recove­ry. Luke 16. 23, 24.

Secondly the misery of 2. Their pain of sense. that wofull and cursed condition, called The Mat. 23 33. dam­nation of hell, that the wick­ed [Page 36] shal go into, after the day of Judgement, doth consist in their pain of sense, or in that sensible pain that they shall bee punished withall, in hell, that terrible place of tor­ment, and that in sundry particulars, worthy of our most serious consideration.

1. They sh [...]l be punish­ed universally with a sensi­ble pain, all over; as, in their bodies, and in all the parts thereof, and in their souls, and in all the facul­ties thereof.

These shal go away into ever­lasting punishment; it is spoken of the wicked, after they were condemned to go in their bodies and souls into Everlasting fire, prepared for the divel and his angels. Mat. 25. 41 46.

2. They shall be punish­ed [Page 37] extreamly, with a grie­vous sensible torment in their whole man; for, They shall go into Psal. 9. 17. hell into the fire that never shall be quenched, and into the lake that burns with fire and brim­stone. Mark 9. 46. Rev. 21. 8.

Though fire and brim­stone be terrible, yet the thing thereby signified is more terrible; indeed, in­deed, the largest and most capacious heart alive can­not conceive how extream their pain and misery will be, upon whom the total wrath of God shall abide for ever John 3. 36. Rev. 14 10.

I [...] [...]a [...]n, if Judas, if Spira, and others, were so grie­vously t [...]rmented with de­spair and horrour of Con­science, when the terrours of God were upon them: and if the wrath of God [Page 38] upon Christ for a while, caused his soul to be ex­ceeding heavy, and made his bodie sweat as it were great drops of blood; how Luke 22 44. extreamly, will the infinite fierce wrath of God, tor­ment the damned in hell, when it shall abide on them for all Eternity?

3. They shall be punish­ed continually, without having any ease, intermis­sion or freedom from pain, throughout the infinite space of Eternity; how can it be otherwise, sith they shall be cast into the Bottomless Rev. 20. [...], 3. Mark 9. 43. pit of hell, where their worm dyeth not, and the fire is not quenched: where they have no rest day nor night, but are tormented continually, continually. Rev. 14. 10 11.

I have somtimes thought in my sickness, What if the [Page 39] Lord should alwaies afflict me with such a pain as this is, and should continue me to endure it to all eternity, how miserable then wou [...]d my life be? ‘and yet (saith a learned Dr. Ar­rowsmith A [...]milla Cha [...]ch [...]t. Au­thor, after a long sickness) what is a sick-bed to hell? What is a Fever to those everlasting burn­ings? where the fit never goeth off, the fire never goeth out, the worm ne­ver dieth. Mark 9. 44.’

4. They shal be punished remedil [...]sly, without ever having any remedy, or any help, or hope of remedie.

The Author to the He­brews tels us, That if we sin wilfully, after we have re­ceived the knowledge of the truth, there remaine [...]h no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearfull looking for of judge­ment, and [...]iery indignation, [Page 40] which shall devour the adver­saries. Hebrews 10. 26, 27.

The Sacrifice of Christ, is the onely Dcodat. true Sacrifice, if that be quite rejected, it Annot. can be no more reiterated, neither can there be any o­ther found elsewhere, and so nothing but remediless misery is to be expected; they who shal finally re­fuse Jesus Christ our ever dear redeemer, shal be con­demned to hell without all possibility of being redeem­ed out of it, and without all hope of having any Psal. 49. 7, 8. Luke 16. 24, 25, 26. com­fort in it; and so, they will be left to utter desperation, without either help or hope of remedy; but here is not all, for,—

Thirdly, The misery of that d [...]plorable punish­ment, and fulness of all cursedness, called The [Page 41] Rev. 21 8. second death, which impe­nitent 3. The E­ternity of their mise­ry. unbelievers and ill­livers must endure in Hell, at the end of the world, consists, in the everlasting­ness of it; their punishment of loss, and pain of sence, will last throughout all-E­ternity.

Hearken what the Scrip­ture saith, about the mise­rable Eternity of such as shal be damned; They shall go away into everlasting punish­ment; they shal suffer the venge­ance of eternal fire; the black­ness of darkness is reserved for them for ever; they shall be tormented for ever and ever. Mat. 25. 46. Jude v. 7. 13. Rev. 20. 10.

Oh these [...], Mat. 25. 46 refereth Orig [...]n. words, Everla­sting, eternal, ever, ever & ever! how plainly and fully do they prove the everlasting­ness, and the perpetuity of [Page 42] the punishment of the damned in Hell? After they have been punished with the loss of the happi­ness of heaven, and with the sense of the horrour of Hell, as many years as there are grass piles upon the earth, as there are drops of water in the sea, as there are sands by the sea shoar, as there are motes in the Sun, as there have been leaves on all the trees that ever grew, & as there have been hairs upon the heads of all mankind from the first till the last born; I say, after they have been pu­nished so many years, [...]ay more, after they have been punished so many millions of years as it is possible for the mind of man to con­ceive, their most fearful pu­nishment will be no nearer [Page 43] an end, for it will ever last, and never end, never, ne­ver.

Their souls are Eccles. 12. 7. Dan. 12. 2. Heb. 6. 2. 2 Pet. 2. 17. Ma [...]k 9 46. Joh. 3. 35 immor­tal already, and their bo­dies shal be raised everlast­ing: the judgement that shal be passed upon them is eternal, Hell that place of torment they shal be turn­ed into, continues for ever: their worm of conscience is ever-living, and the wrath of God which shal abide on them is everlasting; there­fore their punishment shal be everlasting, everlast­ing.

Though we may look forward, and forward to­wards—their miserable eternity, yet we shal never see the end of it, and they will never find an end of it; for, after it is once be­gun, it is like a circle that [Page 44] hath no end at all, or like that The Per­sians Pri­son called [...]the. D [...]ex [...]l: Prison, that whoso­ever were cast into it, could never get out again.

In all the miseries man­kind meet withall in this world, they have this poor comfort, they hope their misery will have an end; but the wicked in Hell can have no such hope, and therefore no such comfort; for, they wil know after Christ hath condemned them to go into everlasting fire, that their punishment wil be everlasting and end­less.

If any say unto me, What The E­ternity of the damn­ed a poste­riori, de­scribed. is the Eternity of the Dam­ned in Hell? my reply is this, It is the Everlastingness of their hellish pain and misery, whereby it will e­ver last, and never end, ne­ver, never.

[Page 45] O all ye careless sinners! Obvious applicati­on. see here in this miserable eter­nity, eternity, eternity, the great and abominable evil of sin, and the sad fruit of it: See here, what that wrath to come is, you ought to flee from, and how much it concerns you Mat. 10 28. Luke 12. 5 to fear God, who can cast both soul and body into hell: See here, where the broad way of affected ignorance, un­belief, and wickedness will end, even within the wide gate of the dreadful prison of Hell, from whence there is no return: Behold here, what your sins will bring you unto at last, unless you truly repent of them, and apply Christ by Faith for pardon of them, and power against them.

And flatter not your selvs in hope of a tolerable hell, [Page 46] as thinking that if you be damned, that you may en­dure the torments of hell as well as others; For verely, verely, no finite heart can conceive how great the pain and misery of the damned will be, who shal be punished by an infinite God, for an infinite guilt, throughout the infinite space of Eternity: M Dents Plain­Man's path way to heaven. One says wel, ‘We can go no further in comprehend­ing that which is incompre­hensible, then to know it to be incomprehensible.’

It is not for nothing that God hath ordained Isa. 30: 33: Matth. 5: 22: ch. 25: 41: 46: Maik [...]. 42, 44, 46, 4 [...]: Tophet of old, and that Christ hath so often threatned hell and ever­lasting punishment against impenitent and unbeliev­ing sinners: For, for, as sure as the promises of heaven and life eternal are true; so [Page 47] sure the threatnings of hell and everlasting punishment are true, and they shall be fulfilled in God's appoint­ed time and way. Mat. 5. 18. ch. 25, 46.

Though Reprobate sin­ners are but finite Crea­tures, Objecti­ons and Queries prevented and did sin but for a time, yet because they sin­ned against an infinite good God, and against the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God, and did never repent of their sins, but would have sinned Aquinas primae 2dae Q 87. Art. 5. & Suppl. Par. 3. q. 99 art. 1. eternally if they had lived eternally, therefore these offence is infinite, and it will be just with God to punish them wi [...]h an everlasting punish­ment, and so with an infi­nite punishment in respect of duration, Rom. 3. 8 Rom. 6. 23.

[Page 48] Although all the dam­ned shal be everlastingly punished with the loss of the felicity of heaven, and with the sence of the mise­ry of Hell, yet by how much any of them have been greater sinners then others of them, by so much their V. Ger­rard de in­serno. degrees of punish­ment will be the greater, according to the opinion of most expositors upon these Texts of Scripture, Mat. 11. 22, 23. Mat. 23. 14. Luke 13. 47, 48.

If the worm in hell that dy­eth not, and the fire that is not quenched, be material, as some learned Aug. de civ. D [...]i L. 21 c 9, 10. Lombard L. 4 Dist. 44 [...]q. Suppl. [...]. par. qu: 97 art, 5 Writers do suppose they are, then the damned in Hell will be grievously and everlasting­ly tormented with them; and if they be Metaphori­cal, as it is most likely they [Page 49] are, according to the judgement of several mo­dern Calvi [...], in Isa. c. 30 v [...]ul [...]. Tilen [...]s Syntag p. 2 D. 47. Gerrard de insern [...]. Divines, then the Conscience of damned sin­ners will be like a worm that dieth not, and the [...]rath of God abiding on them, will be like the fire that is not quenched, tor­menting them universally, extreamly, continually, e­ternally.

But what need is there curiously to enquire, or boldly to determin about such niceties as these? It is enough to know, that the pains and torments of Hell to the wicked, will be both eternal and incom­prehensible. Deuteron. 29. 29.

O Reader! if we, who know but in part, The Do­ctrine of the everlasting punish­ment of such as shall be dam­ned, [Page 50] do apprehend their misery to be so exceeding­ly grievous: How ex­treamly miserable wil they find their punishment to be, when they shal fully know it, by woful experi­ence?

As that Bellarm. in Concione de crucia tibus Ge­hennae. youth, who was chosen by a certain King who had no issue, to be heir to the Crown, in case he proved fit for Go­vernment, otherwise to be a Gally-slave, came to know by sad experience how great his punishment was for his negligence and misdemeanor, when (being found upon tryal unfit for a Kingly Throne) instead of being Crowned King, he was made a Gally-slave: even so, the wicked will come to know by woful ex­perience, how great their [Page 51] punishment shal be, for their wilful ignorance and final disobedience, when instead of being preferred to hea­ven, to be ever with the Lord, and with his holy Angels and Saints, they shal be condemned to go into Hell fire, prepared for the divel and his angels: their infernal torment­ing, and tormented com­panions. Matthew 25. 34, 41.

O what cause have we (who have deserved to be everlastingly damned) to magn fi [...] the Lord, who (we hope) hath delivered us from this wrath to come, through 1 Thes. 1. 1 [...]. 1 Cor. 15. 57. Jesus Christ, and to wish out of our zeal to his glory, that all our thoughts, words, and works, may either honour [Page 52] Christ, or dishonour our selves.

I Have already cast mine eyes downward, to­wards—the miserable Eternity of such as shall be damned, and described the horrour thereof unto you, therefore I shall next of all joyfully look upward towards—the blessed Eternity of such as shall be saved, and shew you (so farre as I have attained [Page 53] to see it by Scripture-light) wherein the happiness of their life Eternal, which is the life of lives, doth prin­cipally consist, to wit, in these three things.

1. In their being like un­to Christ.

2. In their enjoyment of God in Christ.

3. In the Eternity of both these heavenly privi­ledges.

First, The happiness of that Eternal blessed and 1. Their conformi­ty unto Christ in holiness and glory. glorious state, that the righteous shall go into at the last day, doth consist, in their being made like unto Christ; for the Apo­stle John saith, That when Christ shall appear, we shall be like him; as Christ is holy and glorious in soul and body, so his people at his appearing shal be holy and [Page 54] glorious in their souls and bodies, and so they shal be like their Saviour in holiness and glory: yet not in equa­lity, but in Similes non pares, Beza Ep. 1 John 3. 2 resemblance, and so with a difference of degrees betwixt Head and Members. 1 John 3. 2.

The souls of all those, who dyed in Christ before his second coming, were immediately after the death of their bodies, and at particular judgement acquitted and made Hebr. 12 23. per­fect in holiness and glory, like to the glorified soul of their Saviour, and when their bodies shal be raised again at the last day, They shall be fashioned like to his glorious body, and so they shall awake in his likenesse. Psalm. 17. 15. Phil [...]p. 3. 21.

[Page 55] The people of Christ al­so, who shall be found a­live at his appearing, They shall be like him; Indeed all Gods Saints shall be 1 Cor. 15. 49. con­formable to their blessed Saviour in perfect purity and glory, and so they shal be, not onely fully freed in their whole man, from all sin, both Original and actual, and from all sorts of sorrows, miseries, and sufferings external, in­ternal, and eternal: but also, they shall be com­pleatly endowed in their bodies and souls with such like pure and heavenly qualities, as the blessed Manhood of Christ is now glorified withall.

As, in their bodies, with 1 Cor. 15. 42, 43, 44, 53. immortallity, Spirituallity, power, and glory: and in their Psal. 36 souls, with perfect [Page 56] light of understanding, where­by 9. 1 Cor. 13. 12. Mat. 6. 10. Rev. 19. 1. they shal know even as they are known, and with perfect freedom of will, where­by they shal be exactly con­formable to the heaven­ly will of God; and again, with perfect order and eleva­tion of affection, whereby they shall perfectly love, and laud the Lord their God, and perpetually de­light themselves in him; and so being glorified in their bodies and souls, they will be fitted for that state of glory and life eternal that they shal inherit from thenceforth, and for ever. Matthew 25. 46. 1 Pet. 5. 4.

Thus, When Christ who is their life shall Col. [...]. 4 R [...] 19 8. 9. Ephes. 5. [...]. appear, then shall they also appear with him in glory, cloathed with the white robes of his ever­lasting [Page 57] righteousness and splen­dour: not having spot or wrin­kle, or any such thing; and so Christ will present them holy and glorious in the king­dom of heaven, where he Isai 60. 21 Ephes. 5. 27. Col. 1. 22. will uphold them in per­fect purity and glory world without end, in so much▪ as that he will be everlasting­ly Glorified and admired in them. 2 Thes. 1. 10. Heb. 13. 8. Rev. 21. 23.

Though we, poor we, know not as yet how glo­rious our Saviour now is in heaven, no [...] consequent­ly how glorious his people shall be, when they shall be like him, yet we may guess at the glory of Christ in heaven by the glory of his Mat. 17. 2. Transfiguration on earth, and we may safely conclude, that the Saints will be satisfied when they [Page 58] shal perfectly bear their Saviours celestial image in the kingdome of heaven, and that then, they will have cause to say, as Peter did upon the Mountain, It is good for us to be here. Mat. 17 4.

If the man who had been long sick, joyed to think that in the grave he should be free from pain and sickness, how may the children of God who have been long sick of sinning, and subject to suffering all their life long, rejoyce, to think, that in heaven, when they shall be l [...]ke Christ, they wil be beyond all possibility of sinning and suffering. 1 Cor. 15. 54, 55, 56, 57. Rev. 21 4.

Secondly, The felicity of that joyful and blessed 2 Their enjoy­ment of God in Christ in the high­est heaven. life, called everlasting life, [Page 59] that the Saints shal inherit both in their bodies and souls after the day of judgement, doth consist, in their enjoyment of God in Christ, in the everlast­ing habitations of heaven; which is the principal part of the happiness of their life eternal, and as it were, the highest pitch of their heavenly felicity.

All the Elect people of God, by whatsoever names and Religions they were called, and distin­guished here on earth, they shal all have in heaven, Communion one with an­other, fellowship with the holy angels, and a full fru­ition of the ever-blessed Godhead in Trinity of Persons; and that in these three respects, which I shal the rather express in Scri­pture-Language [Page 60] for the help of our weak under­standing herein.

1. They shall enjoy God in Christ, in being present with him in the same, Em­pyrean heaven, and ever-blessed Isa. 57. 15. Eternity, where he enjoys himself, and where his glo­rious angels and the blessed souls of his people enjoy him.

Christ hath promised his J [...]. 14. 5. people, that he will receive them to himself; that where he is, there they may be also; and therefore, there they shall be in his appointed time.

Again, the [...] Thes. 4. 1 [...]. Apostle Paul plainly tells us, that we shall be ever with the Lord, & so we shall partake of that fulness of joy that is in his presence, and of those pleasures which are at his right hand for ever­more. Psal. 16. 11.

[Page 61] This, this, is that, which the Saints here on earth, do so 2. Cor. 5. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 23. f [...]cisti nos, &c. inqui­c [...]um est Cor &c. Aug. Conf. lib 1. c. 1. earnestly and ar­dently desire, as that their souls are restless and unsa­tisfied until they come to the full fruition of God in the highest heaven, which he hath prepared for their everlasting home and enter­tainment in the world to come.

2. They shall enjoy God Sicut An­g [...]livident, ita & nos visuri sumus. Aug. de Civ. dei, lib. 22. c. 29. in seeing of him as he is; For, then saith Saint Paul, we shall see face to face, and know even as we are known. 1 Cor. 13. 12.

Again, the Apostle John saith, that then we shall see the Lord as he is; and so we shal enjoy him by our im­mediate and blessed Vision of him. 1 Joh. 3. 2.

All the Saints shall be­hold the glory of their bles­sed [Page 62] Saviour in his heavenly kingdom with the Iob 19. 25, 26. Io. 17. 24. eies of their glorified bodies; and they shall see the blessed De [...]ty in three glorious Persons, with the Isa. 60. 19, 20 Matt. 5. 8. Rev. 22. 4, 5. eies of their understanding fully enlightened with the light of glory: They shal all know the Lord apprehen­sively in all his admirable excellencies and perfecti­ons, and they shall see him whom their soul loveth as it were face to face, clearly and perfectly, and so they shal have a full satisfactory knowledge of God, who is the first Truth, and of all Truths else which may con­duce to their complete happiness.

Zuingerus was so fully per­swaded of this, as that he Melch. Ad. in vit. G [...]rm. M [...]d. p 416. said at the point of death, I am glad that the time is now [Page 63] come, when the Lord will shew himself unto me face to face.

3. They shall enjoy God in Christ, in being perfect­ly one with the Father and Him, as they are one, after such a real manner, as that they shal never be parted from him, but shal be in­dissolubly joined unto him, to their unspeakable com­fort and happiness.

Jesus Christ who cannot but be heard, hath pray­ed both for the beginning and the accomplishment of this blessed union: His prayer is, That all his people may be Ioh. 17 21, 22, 23. one with the Father and him, as they are one: They cannot therefore but be partakers of this blisful one-ness with the blessed Trinity; and being parta­kers of it, they will enjoy God, by their happy con­junction, [Page 64] and immediate communion with him.

All believers through the Holy Ghost, are now insepe­rably united to the glorious Person of the Son of God, as members to their Eph. 1. 2 22. ch 5. 30, 32. Head, and by Christ they are uni­ted to God the Father, the Fountain of Grace and Glory, whereby they are now made partakers of the Divine Light and Life of Grace. 2 Pet. 1. 4.

And this spiritual and mystical union begun here, shall be perfected for ever hereafter, whereby they shall partake of the ever­lasting Light and Life of glory immediately from the Isa 60 19. Rev. 2 [...], 23. Lord of Glory, in such a heavenly, all-satis­fying sort, as that they shall be as fully happy, as possibly they can wish or desire to be.

[Page 65] As all the Elect shall be beatifically united to God in Christ; so they shall be perfectly [...]. 17. 21, 22. Heb. 18. 22, 23. Rev. 7. 9. 10, 11, 12. united one to another in judgement, wil and affection; how much soever they differed on earth, they shall all accord in Heaven, in one scope and act of giving glory and praise to God, and in one perpetual adoration, and fruition of one infinite Deity in Trinity of Per­sons; and so they wil be mutually happy in God, in themselves, and in each other.

Although it is the Soul which doth enjoy God, or that doth partake Manche­ster con­templ. mort. & immort. of the good which is in God; yet the body also shall have a share in the happiness of the souls enjoyment of God in the Kingdom of glory. 1 Thes. 4. 16, 17.

[Page 66] Sith God is an infinite Exod. 3. 14. Psal. 90 2. Rom. 1. 2 [...]. Eph. 1 3. self-existing Spirit, from Eternity, in Eternity, to Eternity, and is his own happiness, and the author and object of All happi­ness, therefore the full en­joyment of God blessed for ever, who is self-sufficient in his Being, and all-sufficient in his Communications, will be a satisfying felici­ty, and as high an happi­ness, as either Saints or An­gels can desire to enjoy. Ps. 73. 25, 26.

I could not but be affe­ctionately taken with the judgement of a pious Dr Ar­rowsmith Armilla C [...]atech [...]t. wri­ter about this particular; ‘Enquire (saith he) of such as are yet militant upon earth, wherein their happiness consists, the answer will be, In their having fellowship with [Page 67] the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ; Let those who are triumphant be asked, What it is that renders their heaven so glorious; their glory so incomprehensible, ye shal have no other ac­count but this, it is be­cause they have now at­tained a compleat fruiti­on of that all-sufficient, all-satissying, ever-blessed, and ever-blessing Object—God in Christ.’

It is the Doctrinal Ob­servation of a worthy Dr An­nesley his Sermon upon Psal. 73 25. Preacher, That God alone is more desirable then any thing, then all things in hea­ven and earth; and no won­der if we consider, ‘That the Lord is such a depth of Divine perfections, as that he possesseth in one onely perfection, the ex­cellencie [Page 68] of all perfecti­ons, in so excellent sort, as that none is able to comprehend it but him­self, Therefore the ever­lasting enjoyment of him, can be no other then per­fect blessedness.’

We may piously think according to the Scrip­tures, that when the Saints shal partake of this heaven­ly fruition of God in Christ, they wil have such a full sence, and real expe­rience of the everlasting love of God unto them, as that they will be for ever Cant. 5. 8 2 Cor. 5. 14 affected with it, and con­strained by it, perfectly to love the Lord their God, perpetually to rejoyce in him, and everlastingly to land him and praise him for their blessed enjoyment of him; and so their 1 Cor. 13 8, 13. Psal. 16. 11 Rev. 5. 11 12. Love to [Page 69] God, joy in him, & thank­fulness to him shal never cease, because it is a part of that heavenly happiness which wil redound from their beatifical fruition of God in Christ.

A day in thy Courts (saith Psal. 84. 20 Sacred King David unto God) is better then a thousand; I had rather be a door-keeper in the House of my God, then to dwell in the Tents of wickedness: If the enjoyment of God in his Ordinances be so un­speakably sweet and de­lightful, how incompre­hensibly comfortable and complacent wil the Saints perfect fruition of God in Heaven be!

I know not how to ex­press it, let your souls think of it; but there is more yet: For,

[Page 70] Thirdly, The perfect 3. The Eternity of their happiness blessedness of that happy condition of heavenly rest and glory, called an eternal weight of glory, that pen [...] ­tent and pious believers shall go into at the last day; consists in the Eternity of it, their glorious conformity unto Christ, and their bles­sed enjoyment of God in Christ, will never end, nor ever alter, but will conti­nue to be the same for ever ever.

Hear what sacred Writ saith concerning the Saints future Eternity; They shall go into Matth. 25. 45. Io. 3. 16. ch. 6. 51. ch. 11. 26. 1 Thes. 4. 17. Rev. 22. 5 1 Cor. 9. 25 life eternal, they shall have everlasting life, they shall ever live, and never dye; they shall be ever with the Lord, and shall reign with him for ever and ever in the Kingdom of Glory, where they shall wear an incorruptible Crown of Life [Page 71] and Glory, and where they shal James 1. 12 1 Pet. 5. 4 Hebr. 5. 15 possess an Eternal inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. 1 Pet. 1. 4.

How clearly and fully do these [...]. words— Eter­nal, everlasting, ever, ever and ever—prove, that the blessed life or happy con­dition that the righteous shall go into at the last day, will never end, but ever continue, ever, ever and ever.

After the Saints in hea­ven have been happy in their glorious conformity unto Christ, and in their blessed enjoyment of God in Christ, as many years as there are stars in the hea­vens, as there have been drops of water rained down from heaven since the begining of the world, [Page 72] as there have been things thought upon, words spo­ken, and actions done by all mankind since the day that God created man; and as there have been let­ters written and printed, since letters, writing, and printing were found out in the world; when they have lived with the Lord in heavenly glory and hap­piness so many Psal. 90. 4 years, nay so many thousands of years, their blessed life wil be no nearer an end, for it will ever last, and never end; Because I live (saith John 14 19. Rev: 1 18. Christ to his disciples) ye shall live also; As Christ, who is the head of his Church, liveth for ever­more, so his people who are his members shal live for evermore; and in this respect he wil satisfie them [Page 73] with long life, even with everlasting Life, which had indeed a beginning, but shal never have an end. Psalm. 91. 16. John 10. 28.

Their souls are Matth. 10. 28. 1 Cor. 15. 53. 2 Cor. 5. 1. Gen. 21. 33. Heb. 7. 25 immor­tal by creation, and their bodies shall be immortal at their resurrection; the hea­ven of heavens which they shall inhabit, is eternal: Their God whom they shal enjoy, is everlasting, their blessed Head and Saviour in whom they shall enjoy the Lord, is ever-living: Therefore their blessed life shall be everlasting, everla­sting.

What can I say more? After the inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven have lived in Celestial Glory and Felicity, as many mil­lions of years as all man­kind [Page 74] could ever number, they will be as far off from the end of their everlast­ing blessedness, as they were at the beginning of it; for their blessed and eter­nal Eternity (after they are once entred into it) is like a Ring, that hath no end at all, and it shall be as an immortal Ring, which they shall eternally wear, in remembrance of the Lords everlasting Love unto them.

All our Earthly enjoy­ments are damped, and made less comfortable to us, because they are but 2 Cor. 4. 18. Pro. 23. 5. Luk. 12. 20. temporal, for a while, we may leave them, or they may leave us, to day before tomorrow: But the Hea­venly enjoyments of the Saints in glory, are height­ned and made more happy [Page 75] and joyful, because they are eternal, and wil be altoge­ther the same, for ever and ever. 1 Thes. 4. 17. Heb. 13. 8.

If any now ask me; what is the Saints Eternity in The Saints Eternity a parte post described. Heaven? My answer is this; It is the infinite length of their blessed life, and hea­venly happiness, whereby it will never end, but ever continue, ever, ever, and ever.

O all ye blessed and thrice happy Saints, see here General applicati­on. in this blessed Eternity, Eter­nity, Eternity, what the Lord hath prepared for them that wait upon him: see Here, where the narrow way of Humility, Faith and Piety, will end, even within the strait gate of the great City of Heaven, where are joyes unconcei­vable, and pleasures for e­vermore: [Page 76] Behold here, how they that sow in tears, shall reap in joy, and how the Lord wil in mercy reward those with the enjoyment of himself, who diligently seek him. Heb. 11. 6.

And rejoice (ye hapyy heirs of Heaven) rejoine, in the Rom. 5. 3. 1 Thes. 4. 18. hope and expecta­tion of this Heavenly glo­ry and happiness to [...]ome, and comfort one another with these things, and let the joy and recompence of reward which hath been set before you, move you to go on unweariedly in the wayes of God, alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor. 15. 58. Heb. 12. 2.

Though all the Saints shall be members and fel­low-Citizens [Page 77] of the Hea­venly Obvious Questions prevented [...]rusalem, and shall be fully and everlastingly happy in their holy and glorious conformity unto Christ, and in their blessed enjoyment of God in Christ: Yet it is probable, by how much any of them (through the Grace of Christ) have glorified God on earth, more then others of them, by so much their degrees of glory in Heaven will be the greater, accor­ding to the Judgement of most Aug. de Civ lib. 22 c. 30. Aq. Suppl. 3 Par. qu. 96. Art. 11 Calv. Inst. lib. 3. c. 25. S. 10. Bu­can. Inst. loc. 39. p. 4, 6. Divines, upon these places of Scripture. Dan. 12. [...]. Matth. 10. 41, 42. Ch. 19. 28. 1 Cor. 3. 8. 2 Cor. 4. 17. 2 Cor. 9. 6.

It is the general Opinion of godly learned men, that the Saints in Heaven will per­fectly and personally know one another, to the mutual comfort [Page 78] one of another; This is usu­ally proved by arguments taken from these Texts of Scripture. Matt. 17. 1, 2, 3, 4. Matth. 8. 11. Luke 16. 23. 1 Cor. 13. 12.

After the resurrection the Saints will neither marry, Matth. 22. 30. nor be given in marriage, but shall be as the Angels of God in Heaven. And their bo­dies being spiritual in qua­lity, they shall be freed from the necessities and im­perfections of the animal life, and upheld immedi­ately by the Almighty po­wer of God, without the use of food and raiment, and all other means that are requisite to the preser­vation of the life that now is. 1 Cor. 15. 28.

When all the Saints shall be like Christ, and shall be brought to the blisful frui­tion [Page 79] of God in Christ, in those eternal Mansions of heaven assigned for them, then prophesying, hearing, and praying, and all du­ties, graces and actions, that were used as meanes to that blessed end, shall 1 Cor. 13. 8. Heb. 4. 9. cease, and then they shall have that everlasting rest that now remaineth for them, which is the endlesse rest of rests; and so they shall keep that everlasting Sab­bath, which is the Sabbath of Sabbaths; and the eter­nal God himselfe (who is goodnesse and perfection wholly incomprehensible) shall be with them, and will be their God, their exceed­ing great reward, their portion, their heaven, their life eternall, their happi­nesse, and 1 Cor, 15. 28. Rev. 21. 3. their all in all: with whom they will be [Page 80] fully satisfied, and in whom they will comfortably ac­quiesce, and contentedly rest to all eternity; yea, the Lord their God will rejoyce over them with joy, and will rest in his love unto them. Zeph 3. 17.

O Sirs! if the blessedness of the life to come, be but revealed in part, and if we who know but part of that part of it, which is reveal­ed, and that thorow a glasse darkly, do conceive the glory and bliss of it, to be unspeakably great: How unconceivably glori­ous and blessed, will the Saints in heaven find it to be, when they shall fully know it by comfortable experience?

In summe, the happiness of heaven, and of the bles­sed life to come called by [Page 81] Divines, the state of glorifica­tion, is such, as that it will please and satisfy all, who shall have a part in it, & it is infinitely greater and bet­ter then can be 1 Cor. 2. 9. 2 Cor. 12. 4. uttered or conceived, therefore let us humbly leave the rest of the felicity of it, to the fu­ture experience of such as shall enjoy it, as we may hope, we shall within a short time, if our hearts be right in the sight of God.

It is reported of the Duke of Bovillon and his army, that when they went to Jerusalem, as soon as they saw the high Turrers, they shouted for joy, [...]ry­ing out Jerusalem, Jerusalem; what cause have we poor pil­grims & strangers on the earth, who are travelling towards the [...]elestial Jerusalem our heavenly country, to re­joyce [Page 82] with joy unspeaka­ble, as soon as we see by faith any glimpse of the ex­ceeding glory and happi­nesse of it, saying with a joyful noyse to God, Halle­lujah, Hallelujah, blessed, and for ever blessed be the Lord, that we 2 Cor. 5. 1. know that if our earthly house of this taber­nacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; Bishop Mall pa­ [...]het. Me­dit. p. 165 An house? ‘yea, a pallace of heavenly state and magnificence; neither is it lesse then a kingdome that abides there for us: a king­dome so much above these worldly Monar­chies, as heaven is above this [...]lod of earth;’

THe great and impor­tant Truth of mans eter­nal state to come, having been both proved and explain­ed, I shall now give you the Reasons of it, which are principally these two.

First the Elect of God amongst all mankind, who were interessed in Christ, shall go in their bodies and soules, after they have re­ceived 1. Rea­son. their joyful sen­tence of absolution, into an everlasting condition of happinesse, for the ever­lasting glorifying of the [Page 84] mercy of God; Rom. 9. 23.

When Jesus Christ shall say to his Elect people in the sight and hearing of all the world, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the king­dom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; and when afterward, he shall bring them triumphantly into the possession of the everlasting kingdome of glory: Then, and from thenceforth, and for ever, it will be fully knowne, that God is essentially mer­cifull, and that his mercy towards them whom he hath chosen in Christ to life eternal, is Exod, 34. 6, 7. Psal. 103. 17. infinite, everlasting, and immuta­ble, to the everlasting glo­ry and honour of the mer­cy of the Lord, and to the perpetuall praise of the glory of his grace. Rom. 9. [Page 58] 23. Ephes. 1. 5, 6.

As now the best of Saints do but see the saving mer­cy of God towards them thorow a glasse darkly, and do but weakly believe it: so they do very imperfectly praise him for it, but when they shall perfectly know at the day of [...] compleat Redemption, that it was the mercy of God, and no­thing, but his [...]ender mer­cy, and free grace in Christ towards them, that Ephes. 1. 4. Rom. 8. 29. elected them, that created them, that redeemed them, that called them, that justified them, that sanctified them, and that hath compleatly saved them, and all for this Finis vi­tae eternae principalis est Dei glo­rificatio. Gerrard. de vita aeterna. great end, that they might for ever magnify him for it; Then, they will perfecty praise the Lord, and give him the glory due to his [Page 86] name, for this gracious and golden chain of mercy, that reacheth from their everlasting predestination, to their everlasting glorifi­cation. Ephes. 1. 3, 4, 5, 6. Rev. 4. 8 9, 10, 11, 12.

As the saved in heaven will know by joyful expe­rience, the [...]at things the Lord hath done for them, and that it is eternal love unto them in Christ, that hath delivered them from the nether-most hell, and that hath brought them to the highest heaven: so they will affectionately praise him for it, and will delight to give glory to the Lord their God, who hath brought them unto his in­comprehensible bliss and glory, through the com­munication of his grace and glory unto them.

[Page 87] And as they will perfectly apprehend that the favour that God beareth unto them in Christ, shall en­dure for ever and ever: so they will glorify him for it, for ever and ever: and will sing without cea­sing the high praises of God, not as the Acaemets at Constantinople, who sung day and night divine prai­ses to God, onely one com­pany after another: But all the Elect angels and Saints in heaven, will unanimous­ly and perpetually praise the everliving God, Fa­ther, Son, and holy Ghost, for the infinite felicity they shall enjoy together in his beatifical presence. Psal. 84. 4. Rev. 7. 10, 11, 12.

Secondly, all the Repro­bate of Mankinde, who 2, Rea­son. had no part in Christ, shall [Page 88] go in their bodies and souls immediately after the dolefull sentence of condemnation hath been pronounced against them, into an everlasting condi­tion of misery, for the everlasting glorifying of the justice of God. Rom. 9. 22.

When Jesus Christ shall say to the Reprobate, in the presence of his elect Angels and Saints, Depart from me ye cursed into everla­sting fire, prepared for the De­vill and his Angels, and when he shall at that instant, cast them into hell, to be ever­lastingly punished; then, and ever after, it will be ab­solutely known, that God is essentially just, and that his justice is infinite, eter­nal, and unchangeable, to the everlasting glory [Page 89] and honour of the justice of God, and to the eternal praise of his unalterable purpose to punish final im­p [...]nitent and unbelieving sinners, according to the desert of their sins. Rom. 9. 22. 2 Thes. 1. 7, 8

The wicked in the world will not now believe the justice, anger, and displea­sure of God, against sin and impenitent sinners, nor will they Isai 26. 10, 11. glorify it, when it is executed upon secure sinners, either in temporal or spiritual judgements: But when the Ira Dei est in [...]er­nus diabo­li, & om­nium dam­natorum. Luther. great day of the Lords wrath is come, then they shall feel: it by woful experience, and shall be for­ced to know, and acknow­ledge the Lord to be just, and their damnation to be just, to the eternal praise and glory of the soveraign [Page 90] justice and wrath of God, against final unconverted sinners. Rom. 3. 8. Revelat. 6. 17.

It is the opinion of sun­dry of our Bishop Reynolds of the passions. Doctor Pearson on the Creed, Master Baxters Saints Rest. 3. Part. English Di­vines, that God intends the glorifying of the 2 great attri­butes of his mercy and justice, most eminently at the day of judgement, and in the world to come; And sure­ly the vessels of mercy, and the vessels of wrath will find it so at the last day, and from thenceforth to all e­ternity. Job 21. 29, 30, 31. 1 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 9. 17.

Ah Christians! Christi­ans! I who write, and ye who read and hear these things, must not onely be spectators of the praise of Gods mercy, and justice, but parties also, upon whom either the infinite mercy, [Page 91] or the infinite justice of God shall be everlastingly glorified, but whether of these, I cannot tell, God knoweth; In the name of Christ, Phil. 2. 12. Hebr. 1 [...]. 28. Let us work out our salvation with fear and tremb­ling, for our God is a consu­ming fire; presumptuous sinners, who go on impeni­tently in their sins, shall at length find to their costs, that they have Rom 2. 5 Jam. 5. 3. treasured up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath, and that the justice of God, as well as his mercy, endures for ever; none more terrible then God provoked, wo, and again wo to them all, against whom mercy it self, shall rise up in judgement. Now consider this, ye that for­get God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to de­liver. Psal. 50. 22.

HAving done with the explication of the do­ctrine, concerning the great state of mans future eternity. I shall in this last Chapter apply it unto you, and that by way of exhortation unto these two duties.

1. Believe it in the ge­nerall, That mans future condition shall be eternal, either in happiness or mi­sery.

2. Provide in particular for your own future con­dition, [Page 93] that it may not be miserable, but happy to all eternity.

First believe it in the ge­neral, 1. Ex­hortation. that the condition of all mankind in the world to come shal be everlasting and endless, either in fe­licity, or misery. Though you cannot see any thing beyond the Grave with the eyes of your body, yet with the eyes of your understan­ding, thorow the perspe­ctive glass of the Word, & by the grace of Faith, you may see beyond this world— the great prospect of Man's E­ternity i [...] the world to come, both that of glory, and that o­ther of torment; and how bles­sed the one, and how miserable the other: Hence Manche­ster Con­templ. one faith, that man is a future crea­ture, the eye of his soul looks beyond this life to­wards [Page 94] Eternity; and hence it is that Faith is described to be Hebr, 11. 1. the evidence of things not seen; the nature and use of Faith, is to be as it were, in stead of sight, or to make the unseen and eter­nal things of hell and hea­ven, which God hath re­vealed, to be in existence, as if our bodily eyes beheld them; therefore that you may believe this universal received Truth, as verily, as if you saw it fulfilled, me­ditate, pray, and confer a­bout it.

1. Meditate of the cer­tainty of this Doctrine— That all mankind at the end of this world shall go in their bo­dies and souls into an everlast­ing condition, either of happi­ness, or misery: and consi­der, you have as plain pla­ces of Scripture, and as [Page 95] strong Scripture—Argu­ments to prove it, as you have to prove any Doctrine contained in the Bible, as appears by what hath been already said in our second Chapter.

Again, consider how that this Doctrine hath been received for a Truth in all ages of the world, not only by Jews & Christians, but also by Gentiles and Heathens; and therefore if you do not believe it, you are worse then Infi­dels and Pagans, because they have onely the twi­light of Nature, and you have the clear light of the sacred Scriptures to con­vince you of the verity of it. Mat 25. 46.

Although none can have good hope to go to hea­ven to enjoy that happi­ness [Page 96] there, which they would not believe here: yet it is to be feared, that many go to hell to feel that misery there, which they would not believe here.

2. Pray to God to give you grace to believe it, and by faith to foresee what the Scripture hath so plain­ly foreshewn [...] who knows but that the Lord may per­swade you of the truth of it, whilest you are pray­ing to him to incline your hearts to believe it? Dan. 9. 21, 22, Mat. 7. 7.

3. Confer about it (if need be) with some able Minister of the Gospel, to the end that you may be strengthened and confirm­ed in your belief of it. Mal. 2. 7. Acts 10. 5. 6.

[Page 97] One told M. Clark on the life of B. Hoo­per. Bishop Hoo­per, after he was in Queen Mary's days condemned to be burned, That life was sweet, and that death was bitter, thinking thereby to have disswaded him from suffering for righteousness sake: But the good B [...]shop re­plyed, The life to come is more sweet, and death to come is more bitter; Surely, such as mens belief is of heaven and life eternal to come, and of hell and everlasting punishment to come, such will be their desires and endeavours to escape the one, and to obtain the o­ther; And this let al men know for certain, That the wicked shall go away into ever­lasting punishment and the righteous into life eternal, at the last day, whether the generality of the world do [Page 98] now believe it, yea, or no▪ Mat. 25. 46.

Secondly, Provide in particular for your own 2 Exhor­tation. condition in the world to come, that it may not be miserable, but happy to all eternity.

That you ought first, and above all, to provide for your own eternal salva­tion, and that it is rare Christian Policy so to do, these places of Scripture do fully prove it.

Seek yee first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be ad­ded unto you. Mat. 6. 33.

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. Luke 13, 24.

Give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for [Page 99] so an entrance shall be mini­stred unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1. 10, 11.

Da [...]nescene makes menti­on of a certain This story is thus ci­ted by M. Strode in his Anato­my of Mortality, p. 118. Countrey where they choose their King of the meanest of the people, and (such was their detestable disloyalty) as that upon any dislike ta­ken, they would depose him and banish him into an Island, where he should be starved to death; one of their Kings more wise then the rest, considering here­of, sent money before hand into the Island into which he feared he should be ba­nished, which coming to pass, the Islanders received him with joy, and he li­ved in plenty amongst [Page 100] them till his dying day.

If men be so wise and careful to provide for this life, which is but tempo­ral: how prudent and pro­vident should they be, for the life to come, which is eternal?

If any say unto me, What shall we do that we may escape everlasting punishment, and in­herit Mark 10 17. life eternal at the end of this life? which is one of the best questions that ever was asked, and my Answer unto it is this; that you may be delivered from everlasting misery, and that you may be provided for life eternal, against the time your temporal life shall end, and be no more, take these three general di­rections.

[Page 101] 1. Learn necessary prin­ciples. Three generall directi­ons.

2. Practise necessary du­ties.

3. Use necessary means. First, if you would be saved from eternal damna­tion, and with everlasting salvation, after this life is ended, then learn the fun­damentall principles of the The first generall direction. christian Religion, that are most needfull to be known unto salvation, as suppose, those Articles of Faith, con­tained in that famous Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed.

But more particularly Foure principles necessary to be known. labour rightly to under­stand these four principles, which are the first things in the Christian Reli­gion, that every one ought to learn, and be­lieve.

[Page 102] First, that there is 1 Tim. 2. 5. 1 Cor. 8 4. 6. Jo. 4. 24. Matth. 28 19. Gen. 1. 1. Psal. 103. 190 one 1. Princi­dle. onely living and true God, who is a spirit infinite in being and all perfection, distinguished into three persons, the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, the Maker and Governour of all things, who made man after his own Image in knowledge, righteousnesse, and holinesse, and so in a happy condition. Gen. 1. 27. with Col. 3. 10. and Eph. 4. 24.

Secondly, that our Gen. 3. 6, 7. Gen. 2. 17. Tit. 1. 15. Rom. 3. 10 to 19. Act. 17. 26: Psal. 51. 5. Rom. 5. 12 18. Eph. 2. 1, 2 first parents Adam and Eve, sin­ned 2. Prin­ciple. in eating the forbid­den fruit, and thereby fell from their original righte­ousnesse, and became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body: and they being the root of all mankinde, the guilt of [Page 103] their sin, was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature convey­ed to all their posterity de­scending from them by ordinary generation; so as that our first parents by their fall brought them­selves and all mankind in­to a sinfull, and damnable condition. Rom. 5. 12. to 20. 1 Cor. 15. 21, 22.

Thirdly, that Mankind 3. Prin­ciple. thus fallen, being Rom. 5. 6 10. 3. 16. Matth. [...]. 18 20, 21, 25. Gal 4. 4. Hebr 4. 15. Jo. 1. 14. Luke 1. 31. Rom. 9. 5. Gal. 4. 4. Phil. 2 8. 1 Cor. 15. 3, 4. unable to deliver themselves out of the estate of sin and misery, God so loved the world, that he sent forth his onely begotten son Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary of her substance, and borne of her, yet without sin, and so became man, and was, and continueth to be God [Page 104] and man in two distinct Acts 1. 9, 10. Col. 3. 1. natures, and one person for ever: who was made under the Law, and was obedient to it, and endu­red the misery which was due to man for breaking of it: who died for our sins, and suffered for our salva­tion, and was buried, and rose again the third day, who ascended up into hea­ven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, from whence he will come to judge both quick and dead, Acts 10. 42.

Fourthly, that the Lord requires all people who 4. Prin­ciple. would be saved through his mercy in Christ Matth. 4. 17. 1 10, 3. 23 Titus 2. 11, 12. to re­pent of their sins, to be­lieve in his Sonne Jesus Christ, to live a holy life, and to wait upon him in his own Ordinances, [Page 105] Prov. 8 32, 33, 34 Mat. 7. 7. ch. 28. 13, 20. as the word, prayer, and Sacraments; And they who by the grace of God sin­cerely obey these precepts, shall be saved, and they who wilfully and finally disobey them, shall be damned, in their souls af­ter death and particular judgement, and in their bodies also, after their re­surrection, and at the ge­neral and last judgement. Mark 16. 16. Rom. 8. 13. Matth. 25. 46.

Though these are the main principles that are most needful to be known unto salvation, yet I shall mind you, not to rest here, but to read and search the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salva­tion, and perfect unto all good works. Jo. 5. 39. 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17.

[Page 106] Secondly, if you would escape everlasting punish­ment, The se­cond ge­nerall di­rection. and inherit life eter­nal at the end of this life, then practise the funda­mental duties of the chri­stian Religion, that are most necessary to be done unto salvation, which are chiefly these four, in re­spect of the acts and exer­cise of saving grace.

1. Repent of all your sins.

2. Believe in the Lord Je­sus Four du­ties neces­sary to be practised. Christ with all your hearts.

3. Live a holy life ac­cording to the rule of all Gods commandements.

4. Renew your repen­tance and faith, all the dayes of your life, as your sins are renewed.

First, repent of all your 1 Repen­tance towards God. sins, both original and actual; Repent (saith our [Page 107] Saviour) for the kingdome of God is at hand; and again, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, and except ye repent, ye shall perish. Matth. 4. 17. Matth. 9. 13. Luke 13. 3.

Now then, that you may truly repent of all your sins, observe these three rules.

1. Search Lam. 3. 4. H [...]ggai 1. 5. 7. Psal. [...]8. 3, 4, 5. Rom. 5. 23. Gal. 3. 10. and try your wayes, whereby you may find out your sinnes of all all sorts; be not too hasty in this duty, but ransack every corner of your heart, and think of your sinnes, till you find them out so farre, as that you can re­member no more: and consider how you have de­served the wrath of God, and the damnation of hell for your sins, that so you may be truly affected, and [Page 108] humbled with the sense of your sinfull and mi­serable condition. Acts 2. 37.

2. Having found out your sins, and considered the wrath and curse of God due to you for them, Psal. 95. 6. Luke 15. 18. 1 lo. 1. 9. Ezek. 36. 31. 2 Cor. 7. 10, 11. 1. Cor. 11. 31. fall down upon your knees, and humbly con­fesse your sinnes to the Lord, and be sorry for them, chiefly as they are contrary to the holy na­ture, and the righteous law of God, and the gracious Gospel of Jesus Christ: judging your selves for them, and praying to God in the name of Christ for pardon of them, and power against them. Luke 11. 4.

3. Forsake your wicked waies, and turn from all your sins unto God, pur­posing [Page 109] and endeavouring for time to come to walk with him in all the waies of his commandments. Ezek. 18. 21, 22, 30, 31. 1 Thess. 1. 9.

Next to impenitency, take heed of late repen­tance; ‘If I had ten thou­sand souls (saith an able M. Cal. in his Ser­mon upon Hebr. 11. 13. Divine) I would not adventure one of them upon a death-bed-repen­tance;’ therefore repent betimes, and lest your re­pentance should be too late, let this be the day of your sincere conversion. Deut. 29. 18, 19, 20. Hebr. 3. 7, 8.

Secondly, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all 2 Faith towards Jesus Christ. Iohn. 3. 16. your heart, and you shall be saved; For God so loved the world, that he gave his on­ly begotten Son, that whosoe­ver [Page 110] believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life. Bucholcerus did so de­scant upon this Text in his last Sermon before his death, that he ravished the hearts of his hearers with the greatness of Gods love to believers; Surely, it cannot but be a taking thing with all people, that Christ ever was, and ever will be, the Common salvati­on of all Believers. Jude v. 3.

Therefore that you may believe to life everlast­ing, endeavour these two things.

1. Endeavour to under­stand how Christ is offered in the Gospel unto sinners, namely to be 1 Cor. 1. 30. Colos. 3. 11. Wisedom and righteousness, and sancti­fication, and redemption, and all in all, unto all sorts of [Page 111] sinners, who see a need of him, and who are willing to have him joyntly toge­ther, for these holy and hea­venly ends. Mat. 11. 28. John 7. 37.

2. Endeavour to receive Christ, (and God in Christ) and to rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered unto you in the Gospel. John 1. 12. Isai 26. 3, 4. Chapter 50. 10.

Say not, I must not pre­sume to accept of Christ, because my sins are many and great, and I am not humbled enough for them; For verily, verily, Christ had not come into the world, but to save sinners, yea, and the 1 Tim. 1. 15. Heb. 7. 25. chief of sin­ners who come to him to be saved: And Christ who is rich in grace, ex­spects [Page 112] not to receive any thing from poor sinners, but to be received by them. Rev. 22. 17.

Therefore Acts 16. 30. 31. Psal. 103. 10. Isa. 64 7. 2 Cor. 8. 5. Iohn 6. 37, 38, 39. Hebr. 5. [...]. defer not your believing, or accept­ing of Christ, but endea­vour to come to him, as God shall draw you, and be willing to close with Christ, and to believe on him, as God shall make you willing: and humbly put your selves upon Christ, and wholly give up your selves unto Christ, to be taught, pardoned, sanctified, and saved by him, in his own appointed time and way, and then know for a certain, that Christ will in no wise refuse you, but will undertake to be the author of eternal salvation unto you, and that God in Christ, will be [Page 113] your God and portion for ever. Psalm. 73. 25, 26.

Thirdly; Live a holy life, according to the Rule 3 New­ness or ho­liness of life of all Gods Command­ments; For the Scripture saith, That without holiness none shall see the Lord; and Matth. 19. 17. Hebr. 1 [...]. 14. 1 Pet. 10. 1 [...]. that godliness hath the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Tim. 4. 8.

And again, That the grace of God which bringeth salvation, doth teach us to deny ungodli­ness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Ti­tus 2. 11, 12. 2 Pet. 3. 11. 1 John 3. 3.

For this end, that you may live a holy life, make use of these three helps.

1. Apply by saith the [Page 114] Rom. 6. 4, 5, 6, 8. Ezek. 36. 27. Mich. 7. 19: 2 Cor. 7. 1. Ephes. 4. 23, 2 [...]. death and resurrection of Christ, and the particu­lar Promises of Sanctifi­cation made to believers in Christ, whereby you may be renewed in your whole man after the image of God, and enabled more and more to dye to sin, and to live to newness and holiness of life. Rom. 6. 4, 6, 14. Galatians 5. 24.

2. Observe the summe of the ten Commande­ments, which is, To Math. 22 37, 38, 39, 40. Rom. 13. 9, 10. love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mindo: and your neighbour as your selves: Love thus exerci­sed in sincerity of heart, is the fulfilling of the Law, and the Epitomy of a pious life.

[Page 115] 3. Get the ten Com­mandements by Deut. 11. 18. Ier. 31. 33 heart, which are the Rule of a holy life: that so, your heart being the keeper of them, you may ever re­member to live according to them: endeavouring by degrees in the use of read­ing, hearing, meditation and the like means, to un­derstand what sins are for­bidden, and what duties are required in every one of the the ten Commande­ments, for that purpose, that you may Ezek. 36. 2 [...]. Iohn 1 [...]. 15, 23. eschew the sins therein forbidden, and perform the duties therein required: having a special care to studie, and to pra­ctise the duties of your re­lations, and to strive most against your greatest sins, and to watch over your Mark 13 35, 37. 1 Pet. 1. 17 thoughts words and wayes, [Page 116] out of a holy fear of sin­ning, & the rather, because your thoughts words and actions must be rewarded or punished for all eternity. Rom. 2 6, 7, 8, 9. 2 Cor. 5. 10.

Whatsoever you do in the practise of godliness, do Caution. all by the Gal. 6. 16 Phil. 4. 13. Rom. 8. 13 1 Cor. 10. 13. Titus 2. 10. 2 Pet. 1. 5, to 11. 1 Iohn 2. 3 Math. 5. 16 Rule of Gods Word, in the strength of Christ, through the help of his Spirit, to the glory of God, the adorning of the Gospel, the strength­ning of your own assu­rance, and the good exam­ple of others: and all this out of singular love and thankfulness to God, for his unspeakable love unto you in Jesus Christ. Luke 1. 74, 75. John 14. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 14.

One Symelces Captain of the Guard to Emperour [Page 117] Adrian, caused this Hic jacet Simil [...]s, cu­jus aetas multo [...]um quidem annorum suit, vixit an [...]os duntaxat Septem. in­scription to be set over his Tomb, Here lyeth Similis, who saw many years and lived but seven. Let all Christi­ans take special notice of it, that they live no lon­ger, then while they live so, as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Philip. 1. 27. Ephes. 2. 1, 2, 5, 1 Tim. 5. 6.

In short let our Conver­sation be in heaven, le [...] our discourse be on things above, let our thoughts be on our future Eternity, and so let us live to God on earth for Eternity, as that we may live with God in heaven to Eternity. 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15. Phil. 3. 20. Coloss. 3. 2.

Fourthly, Renew your 4 Renew­ed repent­ance and faith. repentance and faith, all the dayes of your life, as [Page 118] your sins are renewed; which that you may, pra­ctise these three particu­lars.

1. Commune with your own heart every morning and evening, and consider how, and in what respect you have sinned the day, or night past, either by Commission, or Omission. Psalm. 4. 4. Haggai 1. 5.

2. Having thought of your sins, and manifold failings, Rev. 2. 5. Iob 42. 6. Luke 11. 4 repent, and ab­hor your selves for them, & beseech God for Christ's sake to forgive them, and to cleanse you from them; and withall, Remember that you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righ­teous; who is the propitiation for our sins: and be not faith­less, but believing. 1 John 2. 1, 2.

[Page 119] 3. Resolve with full pur­pose of heart through the grace of Jesus Christ, to sin no more, lest a worse thing befall you. Job 34. 31, 3 [...]. Jo. 5. 14.

Justine Mr. Clark on the life of Iust. Mrt. Martyr would say, it is best of all not to sin, and next to that, after sinning, to repent and amend.

Thirdly, if you would avoid everlasting misery, & The third generall direction. enjoy eternal felicity, after your temporal life is end­ed, then make use of the outward means and ordi­nances of God that are ne­cessary to be used unto sal­vation, and especially of these four sorts following.

1. Hear the word of God publickly preached. Foure sorts of meanes necessary to be u­sed.

2. Pray daily to God everlastingly to save you.

3. Make use of the two [...]ew Testament Sacra­ments, [Page 120] Baptisme, and the Lords Supper.

4. Obey the Ministers of Gods word, who are set over you in the Lord.

First, hear the word of 1. Hear­ing of the word of God prea­ched. God publickly preached, as generally at all times, when you have opportu­nity for it; so especially up­on the Sa [...]bath day; Hear (saith the Prophet Isaiah) and your soul shall live: who hath eares to hear (saith our Saviour) let him hear. Isai 55. 3. Matth. 13. 9.

Again, Christ informes us, that Luke [...]. 40. Rom. 10. 14. Jo. 20. 31. hearing is the one thing needfull: because not onely faith, but also every other grace usually cometh by hearing; yea, and is confirmed and increased by hearing. Acts 14. 21, 22. 1 Pet: 2. 2, 3.

Secondly, pray daily to [Page 121] God in the name of Christ, 2. Daily prayer to God. to deliver you from ever­lasting punishment, and to bring you to life eternal after this life is ended. Math. 6. 10. 13. Luke 21. 36.

Pray in your 1 Som. 1. 13. Mat. 6. 6. Acts 10. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 15, 16. hearts, with ejaculations to God, pray in secret, pray in your families, pray in publick, pray without ceasing. 1 Thes. 5. 17.

Our Saviour saith, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Mat. 7. 7.

And Saint Paul tells us, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. Rom. 10, 13.

Thirdly, make use of the 3. Fre­quent use of the Sa­craments. two New Testament Sa­craments, Baptisme, and [Page 122] the Lords Supper; which are to continue to the end of the world. Mat. 28. 19, 20. 1 Cor. 11. 26.

Make use of your Bap­tisme by way of meditati­on; as sure as you were baptized, so sure you shall be pardoned and saved, if you truly believe in Christ; for Baptisme is not only a Signe, but also a Seal thereof to all true be­lievers. Mark [...]6. 16. Rom. 4. 11.

Again, make use of the Lords Supper, by your re­ceiving of it, as often as you may be called to it, and prepared for it; and as often as you receive, do it 1 Cor. 11. 26. in remembrance of the Lords death, and of the great ends of his death, which was to deliver all those who rightly believe in him [Page 123] from wrath to come, and to purchase an heavenly inheritance for them. As sure as you shall receive Christ by faith in this Sa­crament, so sure the blessed benefits of his death and passion, shall be confirmed unto you in it. Matth. 26. 28. Rom. 4. 11.

Fourthly, obey the Mi­nisters of Gods word, who 4. Sub­mission to the Mini­sters of Gods word. are set over you in the Lord, and submit your selves unto them, for they watch for your soules, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief. Hebr. 13. 17.

Remember what Jesus Christ hath said in this case, He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despi­seth you, despiseth me: and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. Luke 10. 16.

[Page 124] If ye know these things, 10. 13. 17. happy are ye, if ye do them; and that you may be bles­sed in the practice of them, consider these four mo­tives.

First consider, that if 1. Mo­tive. you think of these things so, as to do thereafter, then you may assuredly con­clude, that you shall escape everlasting punishment, & inherit life eternall at the end of this life: and you may draw your conclusion of assurance, into such a like Christian Syllogisme, as this; which may serve instead of an use of exami­nation.

They who 10. 17. 3. Mat. 4. 17. 10. 3. 16. Rom. 8. 13 [...] 10. 2. 3. 17. know those things that make them wise to salvation, who re­pent of their sins, and be­lieve in Christ, & who sin­cerely live a holy life, shall [Page 125] not perish, but have ever­lasting life, saith the Lord in his holy word.

But those who follow the afore mentioned directi­ons, may say, we through grace have learned those things that make us wise to salvation, we repent of our sinnes, we believe in Christ, and we sincerely desire and endeavour to live a holy life:

Therefore we shall escape everlasting punishment, & enjoy life eternal after our temporall life is ended.

And if so, how happy will you be, that ever you were borne; consider of it, as it is briefly expressed in these [...] 10. 3. 2. 10. 14. 3. 1 Cor. 13. 12. Scriptures, when Christ shall appeare, you shall be like him: where he is, there you shall be, that you may be­hold his glory, and see him as [Page 126] he is, face to face: you shall 1 Thes. 4. 17. Psal. 16. 11. be ever with the Lord, in whose presence is fulnesse of joy, and at whose right hand, there are pleasures for ever­more; and so as perfectly happy, as possibly you can be.

Secondly consider, that if through carelesnesse, 2. Mo­tive. you forget the duties you have been exhorted unto, so, as finally to neglect them, then you may sadly fear, that when the Lord shall weigh you in his bal­lance, that you wil befound wanting, and in the number of those who shall bee Dan. 5. 27. doomed at the last day, to go away into everlasting punishment; and then wo, wo to you, it had been good for you, if you had never been born.

In the fear of God con­sider [Page 127] the miseries that will come upon you at the last day, if you dye without re­pentance toward God, and with­out faith toward our Lord Je­sus Christ; and seriously think with your selves, how sad your condition will be, if you be condem­ned with the wicked of the world, to Matth. 25, 41. Mark 9. 43, 44. Rev. 21. 8. depart from the Lord, and from heaven his dwelling place, and to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, and into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.

And how can ye escape the damnation of hell, if you walk in the broad way that leadeth to it, and if you live and dye such ig­norant and disobedient sinners, as the Lord ex­presly threatens to punish with everlasting destruction [Page 128] from his presence, and from the glory of his power? 2 Thes. 1. 7, 8, 9. Hebr. 2. 3.

Some have been moved with Jo. P [...]t. camois B. of Betty in France in his [...]lraught of [...]terni­ [...]y. Num. 75. fear of hell fire, to cause these words of the Prophet Isaiah, ( Who a­mongst us shall dwel with ever­lasting burnings? Isa. 33. 14.) to be written in letters of gold over their Chimney­pieces. O that you who read and hear these things, would be so moved with fear of hell, and fire eter­nal, as to begin forth­with to prepare to escape it!

Thirdly consider, What it is for which, you neglect 3. Mo­tive. to provide for your own eternal well-fare; Is it not either for sin it self, which is altogether evil? or else is it not for the love you [Page 129] bear to this present world, either to the pleasures, [...]ri­ches, or honours of it? all which, are but casks of happiness, and gilded emptiness: yea, they are not onely vain, but vanity it self; Vanity of vanities, (saith the Eccles. 1. 2. Preacher) va­nity of vanities, all is va­nity: and therefore they are no provisions for a bles­sed eternity.

And will you venture to neglect the great duties which concerns your eter­nal salvation, either for so vile a thing as sin, or for such vain things as cannot satisfie your immortal souls? God forbid you should do so! God forbid you should do so!

King Plutarch [...] Apoth. Lysimachus being constrained through thirst to yield his Kingdom to [Page 130] the Scythians for a cup of cold water, when he had drunk it, said, O for what a small pleasure have I part­ed with my great kingdom? whosoever shall loose the eternal good things of the world to come, to gain the temporal good things of this world, will have cause to say, when it is too late; O for how small a matter have I lost the ever­lasting Kingdome of heaven!

For, What is a man profit­ed (saith our Saviour) if he shall gain the whole world, and Matth. 16. 26. lose his own soul? or what shal a man give in exchange for his soul? Mans eternal sal­vation is more worth, yea, infinitely more worth then the whole world.

Fourthly, Consider that the time of your life is the 4. Mo­tive. onely time, that you have [Page 131] to provide for your eter­nal condition: if it be not done here, there is no help afterward; for after death con [...]es judgement, and af­ter judgement, Eternity, either of comfort or tor­ment. Eccles. 11. 3. Heb. 9. 27.

Aquinas was wont to M. Clark on the life of Aquin. say, Make much of time in the matter of salvation: and truly you had need to do so, for the work of salvati­on is great, and the time of your life is short and un­certain, and yet your life­time (such as it is) is your Faire, or market-day for hea­ven, and your Gal. 6. 7, 8. Seed-time for your harvest in the o­ther world, yea, and the onely time that God hath lent you to provide for a blessed eternity; if you do not make sure of heaven, [Page 132] while you live, it will be out of your reach when you are dead, and then you cannot possibly avoid hell, & everlasting misery. Luke 16. 26.

Say not, it will be time enough hereafter, 2 Co [...]. 6. 2 Heb. 3. 7, 8 because, you are not sure of that; sudden deaths are com­mon, and for ought you know, you may dye as sud­den a death as ever any did, and it may be to day before to morrow; But suppose you should be de­livered from sudden death, yet remember that you are going a pace toward the Common death of all men, and consequently, towards E­ternity, either of comfort, or torment; therefore what you have to do about your eternal salvation, do it speedily, and with all your [Page 133] might, least death come, before you are ready for it. Ecclesiastes 9. 10. John 9. 4.

Sad is the story of Filius P. Alexan­der. 6. 1490. Wolfius. Cae­sar Borgias, who said on his sick bed, While I was in health I provided for every thing but death, and now death is come, and I am not provided for it. You may justly fear that this will be one day your complaint, if you presume to put off the great concernments of your everlasting salvation, till sickness or death.

Often De [...]. 32. 29. consider of your latter end, and how you must hereafter live for ever, either in hell or hea­ven: and seriously think with your self, if you were to dye this day, into whe­ther of these two places of Eternity your soul would [Page 134] go, into hell eternal, or in­to heaven eternal; and sith you know not the day of your death, therefore day­ly pray, Lord Jesus, if I should die this day, then grant that this day my soul may be with thee in Paradise, and that my body may be raised at the last day, fashioned like to thy glorious body, and reunited to my soul; and that then, I may be ever with thee, both in body and soul. Luke 23. 42, 43. Phil. 3. 21. 1 Thessal. 4. 17.

One of the Ernestus Dux Lu­nebergen­sis ex Phi­lippi locis Manlionis Germane Princes took for his devise A Candle burning in a candle­stick, with this Motto (A. S. M. C. Hoc est, A [...]is servio, meipsum consumo:) I serve others, and spend my self; In this undertaking I have spent my self like a burn­ing candle, to give you light, and to do you the [Page 135] best service I can for my life, for the furthering of your eternal salvation: hoping, that the Lord will cause this Small Treatise to preach effectually when I cannot, and which is more, after I am dead, and en­tered in my soul, into my endless Eternity.

And now for a conclusi­on, I shall be bold to tell The con­clusion of all. you, whoever you be, that read and hear the things contained in this Book, that though you know the Infallible doctrine of Mans fu­ture Eternity, yet if you do not live answerable to it, you may be for all that, damned to all Eternity, with a Lord have mercy upon us in your mouth, for our blessed Saviour hath said, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter [Page 136] into the Kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven. Mat. 7. 21.

The Italian form of beg­ging is, (as my Gio Tor­riano. p. 51. Author tells me) do good to your selves; As I have been on my knees to beg Gods blessing upon my poor la­bours for you: so I could be content, to come on my knees from God unto you, to beseech you, To do good unto your selves; For, if you hear and learn, and repent and believe, and walk up­rightly, and so be eternal­ly saved, who will have the best of it but your selves? And if you live and dye in ignorance & disobedience, & so be everlastingly dam­ned, who is like to have the worst of it but your selves?

O that every Reader of this Book would think on [Page 137] these things! O that my be­loved parishoners, and worthy friends in Essex, would think on these things! O that my ever dear Kin­dred, and respected Coun­trey men in Lancashire, would think on these things! O that all England would think on these things! O that all the world would think of these things! O that all of you, both small and great would Memento te esse mor­talem, & Annos ae­ternos in men [...]e habe remem­ber these things, That you must all dye, and go into one of these two Eternities, either into everlasting punishment, or into life eternal, in your souls after death, and in your bo­dies also, after the general Re­surrection, & the day of judge­ment; And that the great bu­siness you came into this world for, is, to provide for a blessed Eternity in the world to come.

[Page 138] O that these words were written upon some place in your closets or houses, where you might daily see them: or rather, that they were written upon your hearts, that having them in your minds, you might be moved to prepare for your future Eternity, by your frequent remem­brance of it.

I say once more, O that all of you would seriously think on these things, and of the infinite importance of them! not so, as to trouble your heads or hearts with them, but so, as to be moved thereby, in time, and in this your day, to prepare for Luke 19. 42. your eternal salvation, that as many of you as it is possible, may be kept from perishing everlastingly.

Beloved, my last words [Page 139] unto you, are to tell you, that I can call God and man to record, that I have set Deut. 30. 19. before you, the eternall recompences of hell and heaven, [...]f everlasting punishment, and life eternall, and have shewn you the condition of both states: Behold, I have told you before, what is like to become of you, for ever hereafter; And now in the [...]lose of all, let me be im­portunate with you, to make sure work about your ever­lasting salvation; get it [...]leared up unto you, that Christ is your Lord and Saviour, and you are made for ever. Jo. 20. ver. 28, 29. Phil. 1. 21.

What shall I say more? [...]horowly learn the neces­sary princilpes, sincere­ly practise the necessary [...]luties, and diligently [Page 140] use the necessary meanes, that I have exhorted you unto, and rather Acts 5. 2 [...]. 41. 2 Tim. 3. 3. 1 [...]. suffers then refuse to do what the Lord hath commanded and further others in your calling and place, to do likewise; and then my soul for yours, by the grace of God in Christ, that you shall not perish but shall have everlasting life, after this life is ended.

Now the most infinitel mercifull God, for the infi­nite merits of Christ give [...] grace to do whatsoever he hath commanded, whereby we may be delivered from the infinite misery of Hell, and whereby we may be brought at last to the infinite felicity of heaven, [...] the glory and honour of his infi­nite mercy, world without end Amen, and Amen.