the way to Blessed Eternity 2 Cor. 5. 1. Mat. 7. 14 A Treatise Concerning Man's Future ETERNITY. By john jackson. Mr of Arts of St. john's College in Cambridge and Minister of God's word at Leaden-Roding in Essex. the way to miserable Eternity. Mat. 7. 13 Mat. 25. 41 Mark 9 44 W Faithorne fec: A TREATISE Concerning Man's future Eternity; WHEREIN, The great Doctrine of the Eternity of all Mankind in the world to come, either in happiness or misery, is Proved, Explained, and Applied. By John Jackson M. A. of St. John's College in Cambridge, and Minister of God's word at Leaden-Roding in Essex. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Matth 25. 46. London, Printed by M. Inman, and are to be sold by Nath. Ranew at the Angel in S. Paul's Churchyard, and by Tho. Ford, at his shop in Chelmesford in Essex; and by john Greenwood, at his shop in Lancaster. 1661. To the only HONOUR AND GLORY of GOD: AND To the Use and Benefit of the People of England; AND Especially of his Beloved Parishioners, and Worthy Friends in Essex; And of his Dear Kindred, and respected Countrymen in Lancashire; JOHN JACKSON humbly dedicates this Treatise concerning Man's future Eternity. THE CONTENTS. CHAP. I. COntains six received principles, about the Estate of all Mankind until the end of this world, by way of Preface to the proof of the Doctrine, concerning Man's Eternity in the world to come. Page 1. CHAP. II. Shows by manifold infallible proofs, that all mankind in the end of this world shall go in their bodies and souls into an everlasting condition, either of happiness, or misery. p. 17. CHAP. III. Describes the misery of that everlasting condition of woe and punishment, that the wicked shall go into at the end of the world. p. 30. CHAP. IU. Explains the happiness of that eternal state of Glory, and Rest, that the Righteous shall go into at the last day. p. 52. CHAP. V. Renders the principal reasons, why all mankind after the day of Judgement, shall go in their bodies and souls into an everlasting condition, either of felicity or misery. p 83. CHAP. VI Directs you, how to apply the great Doctrine of Man's Future Eternity, whereby you may escape everlasting punishment, and obtain life Eternal after this life is ended. p. 92. ERRATA. Page 23. line 15. read 2 Thes. 1. 8, 9 p. 56. in marg. ult. r. Eph. 5. 27. p. 10●. in marg. l. ●▪ r. principle. p. 124. l. 24. r. sincerely. A TREATISE concerning Man's future Eternity. CHAP. I. Contains six received Principles, about the estate of all mankind until the end of this world, by way of Preface, to the proof of the Doctrine, concerning Man's Eternity in the world to come. 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 misery, and so extreme 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 ourselves, 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. mankind doth consist of a body and a soul joined 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 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 adam's 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 styled 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 daily, and that many ways; 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 Mortality. finer the me●tal of any Glass, or earthen Vessel is, the more subject it is to breaking: so the daintiest bodies are soon gone; and first or last, we must all die, because the Lord of life and death hath appointed it. Hebrews 9 27. Thirdly, That the soul 3. Principle. of every one of mankind, is immortal, and no way liable 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 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 signify, 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 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 by the justice of God * Eccles. 12. 7. Luk. 12. 20. ch. 16. 23, 24. Acts 1. 25. 1 Pet 3. 19 Judeu. 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 plainly by Divinity, than 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 died 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. The words of * john 5. 28, 29. our. Saviour are express and full; The hour is coming, 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 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 easy with the Lord (for whom nothing is too * jer. 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, 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 public 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 warns 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 the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad; so than 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 unbelief. Mat. 16. 27. Rom. 2. 6, 16. Again, Saint Matthew tells us, That Jesus Christ the Judge * joh. 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 kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Math. 25. 34. And again, that Christ himself shall give this dreadful sentence of eternal 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. 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. CHAP. II. Shows by many infallible proofs, That all mankind in the end of this world, shall go in their bodies and souls into an everlasting condition, either of happiness or misery. I Have now brought you within the sight of man's 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 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 ways. 1. By Divine Testimony. 2. By Humane Testimony. First, This appears to Confirmation by Divine testimony. be so by the Divine Testimony 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 glory, the people of all nations shall be gathered before him, and he will distinguish them into two sorts, namely into sheep and goats. Mat. 25. 31. 32. By Goats are meant the Reprobate of all mankind, who died in their * john 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 unfeigned, which worketh by Love; for when Christ in his poor Members was an hungered, 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 shall go away into everlasting * Metonyn●. adjuncti Piseator ad. locum. punishment, that is, they shall go into hell to suffer everlasting punishment. 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 show 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 of Saint Matthews Gospel. If you well observe our Saviour's 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 Devil, 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 Hellfire, where there is for ever wailing and gnashing of 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 Kingdom 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 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 shall 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, shall 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 * joh. 17. 3. joh. 6. 40. know the only 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 Therefore all mankind at the end of the world, shall go into an everlasting condition, either of woe or weal. Secondly, either all mankind after the day of Judgement, 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 endured, which is a contradiction; and the righteous among mankind shall go into life eternal, and therefore they shall 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 wicked shall go into an everlasting condition of pain and calamity: and the righteous shall 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 showed, that the Doctrine Of Man's 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. jude v. 14, 15. Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 25 46 2 Thes. ●, 8, 9, 10 Partriarches, 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 Christendom do confess it, and do earnestly contend for this Fundamental Article of the Catholic 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' 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, 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 shall go after they depart hence, into a horrible place, called Tartarus, where they shall be eternally tormented: & that good men, shall go after their departure out of this life, into a pleasant place, called Elysium, where they shall live happily for ever. Which opinion of theirs clearly shows, that they had some imperfect notions of Man's 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 tell us, That the people of every Nation in the world, are of some 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 mankind for ever; Why else are they Religious? Doubtless, that must needs be a manifest Truth that appears to be so, not only 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 practice of the Devil 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 deluded sinners, to deprive as many of mankind of eternal salvation as possibly he can, and to bring them at last unto everlasting damnation, from which, Good Lord deliver us. CHAP. III. Describes the misery of that everlasting condition of woe and punishment, that the wicked shall go into, at the the end of the world. HAving hitherto proved the Doctrine Of man's 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 show you (so far as I know it by Scripture-Revelation) wherein 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 shall go into at the end of this world, doth consist in their punishment of loss, and that in these four respects. 1. They shall be punished with the loss of the comfortable, and beatisical presence of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, They shall depart and go away from the Lord, in such a sort as that they shall 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 than 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 shall 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 and happiness. 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 yourselves 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 shall be punished with the loss of the favourable presence of God, & with the loss of heaven, it follows that they shall be punished with the loss of the joyful fellowship of all the holy angels, who do always behold the face of God in heaven. Mat. 18. 10. 4. They shall be punished with the loss of the comfortable company of all the Saines in heaven, and of all their glorious perfections, & heavenly privileges; for sith they shall * Luke 13. 25, 27, 28. joh. 8. 24. depart from the Lord, and shall be shut out of heaven, and cast into hell, where they shall for ever remain unpardoned and unsanctified, retaining their vile hearts and sinful natures: therefore it necessarily follows, that they shall be deprived of the happy society of all the Saints, and of all those celestial perfections and blessed privileges, that they shall enjoy, when they shall be ever with the Lord in the kingdom 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 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 loser; 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 only their comforts on earth, but also the joys of heaven, and that without all hope of recovery. Luke 16. 23, 24. Secondly the misery of 2. Their pain of sense. that woeful and cursed condition, called The * Mat. 23 33. damnation of hell, that the wicked shall go into, after the day of Judgement, doth consist in their pain of sense, or in that sensible pain that they shall be punished withal, 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 shall 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 devil and his angels. Mat. 25. 41 46. 2. They shall be punished extremely, 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 extreme 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 tormented with despair and horror of Conscience, when the terrors of God were upon them: and if the wrath of God upon Christ for a while, caused his soul to be exceeding heavy, and made his body sweat as it were great drops of blood; how Luke 22 44. extremely, 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 sometimes thought in my sickness, What if the Lord should always 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 sickbed 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 shall be punished remedil●sly, without ever having any remedy, or any help, or hope of remedy. The Author to the Hebrews tells us, That if we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgement, and ●iery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Hebrews 10. 26, 27. The Sacrifice of Christ, is the only * 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 shall finally refuse Jesus Christ our ever dear redeemer, shall 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 deplorable punishment, and fullness of all cursedness, called The * Rev. 21 8. second death, which impenitent 3. The Eternity of their misery. unbelievers and ill-livers must endure in Hell, at the end of the world, consists, in the everlastingness of it; their punishment of loss, and pain of sense, will last throughout all-Eternity. Harken what the Scripture saith, about the miserable Eternity of such as shall be damned; They shall go away into everlasting punishment; they shall 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. Judas 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 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 horror 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 shore, 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 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 shall be raised everlasting: the judgement that shall be passed upon them is eternal, Hell that place of torment they shall be turned into, continues for ever: their worm of conscience is everliving, and the wrath of God which shall abide on them is everlasting; therefore their punishment shall be everlasting, everlasting. Though we may look forward, and forward towards— their miserable eternity, yet we shall 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 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 withal 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 will know after Christ hath condemned them to go into everlasting fire, that their punishment will 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. 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 selus in hope of a tolerable hell, as thinking that if you be damned, that you may endure the torments of hell as well as others; For verily, verily, no finite heart can conceive how great the pain and misery of the damned will be, who shall be punished by an infinite God, for an infinite guilt, throughout the infinite space of Eternity: * M Dents Plain-Man's path way to heaven. One says well, 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 threatened hell and everlasting punishment against impenitent and unbelieving sinners: For, for, as sure as the promises of heaven and life eternal are true; so sure the threatenings 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. Although all the damned shall be everlastingly punished with the loss of the felicity of heaven, and with the sense of the misery of Hell, yet by how much any of them have been greater sinners than 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, than the damned in Hell will be grievously and everlastingly tormented with them; and if they be Metaphorical, as it is most likely they 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, than 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, extremely, continually, eternally. But what need is there curiously to inquire, or boldly to determine 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, do apprehend their misery to be so exceedingly grievous: How extremely miserable will they find their punishment to be, when they shall fully know it, by woeful 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 Galleyslave, came to know by sad experience how great his punishment was for his negligence and misdemeanour, when (being found upon trial unfit for a Kingly Throne) instead of being Crowned King, he was made a Galleyslave: even so, the wicked will come to know by woeful experience, how great their punishment shall 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 shall be condemned to go into Hell fire, prepared for the devil 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 Christ, or dishonour ourselves. CHAP. IU. Explains the happiness of that Eternal state of glory and rest, that the righteous shall go into at the last day. I Have already cast mine eyes downward, towards— the miserable Eternity of such as shall be damned, and described the horror thereof unto you, therefore I shall next of all joyfully look upward towards— the blessed Eternity of such as shall be saved, and show you (so far as I have attained 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 privileges. 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 shall be holy and glorious in their souls and bodies, and so they shall 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 died 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 shall be raised again at the last day, They shall be fashioned like to his glorious body, and so they shall awake in his likeness. Psalm. 17. 15. Phil●p. 3. 21. The people of Christ also, who shall be found alive at his appearing, They shall be like him; Indeed all God's Saints shall be * 1 Cor. 15. 49. conformable to their blessed Saviour in perfect purity and glory, and so they shall be, not only 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 completely endowed in their bodies and souls with such like pure and heavenly qualities, as the blessed Manhood of Christ is now glorified withal. As, in their bodies, with * 1 Cor. 15. 42, 43, 44, 53. immortality, spirituality, power, and glory: and in their * Psal. 36 souls, with perfect light of understanding, whereby 9 1 Cor. 13. 12. Mat. 6. 10. Rev. 19 1. they shall know even as they are known, and with perfect freedom of will, whereby they shall 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 shall 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, clothed with the white robes of his everlasting 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 guests 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 shall perfectly bear their Saviour's celestial image in the kingdom 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, rejoice, to think, that in heaven, when they shall be l●ke Christ, they will 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, that the Saints shall 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 shall 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 shall the rather express in Scripture-Language 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 fullness of joy that is in his presence, and of those pleasures which are at his right hand for evermore. Psal. 16. 11. This, this, is that, which the Saints here on earth, do so * 2. Cor. 5. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 23. f●cisti nos, etc. inquic●um est Cor etc. 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 shall enjoy him by our immediate and blessed Vision of him. 1 Joh. 3. 2. All the Saints shall behold the glory of their blessed Saviour in his heavenly kingdom with the * job 19 25, 26. Io. 17. 24. eyes 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. eyes of their understanding fully enlightened with the light of glory: They shall 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 shall 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 persuaded 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 come, when the Lord will show 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 shall never be parted from him, but shall 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 * joh. 17 21, 22, 23. one with the Father and him, as they are one: They cannot therefore but be partakers of this blissful one-ness with the blessed Trinity; and being partakers of it, they will enjoy God, by their happy conjunction, and immediate communion with him. All believers through the Holy Ghost, are now inseparably 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. 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, will 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 will 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. 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; Inquire (saith he) of such as are yet militant upon earth, wherein their happiness consists, the answer will be, In their having fellowship with 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 shall have no other account but this, it is because they have now attained a complete 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 than any thing, than 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 only perfection, the excellency 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 than perfect blessedness. We may piously think according to the Scriptures, that when the Saints shall partake of this heavenly fruition of God in Christ, they will have such a full sense, 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 rejoice 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 God, joy in him, & thankfulness to him shall never cease, because it is a part of that heavenly happiness which will 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 than a thousand; I had rather be a doorkeeper 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 will 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, 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 penitent 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 die; 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 and Glory, and where they shall 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 reigned down from heaven since the beginning of the world, 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 will 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 shall live for evermore; and in this respect he will satisfy them with long life, even with everlasting Life, which had indeed a beginning, but shall 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 shall enjoy, is everlasting, their blessed Head and Saviour in whom they shall enjoy the Lord, is everliving: 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 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 entered 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 heightened and made more happy and joyful, because they are eternal, and will 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 Saint's Eternity a part 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 straight gate of the great City of Heaven, where are joys unconceivable, and pleasures for evermore: Behold here, how they that sow in tears, shall reap in joy, and how the Lord will in mercy reward those with the enjoyment of himself, who diligently seek him. Heb. 11. 6. And rejoice (ye happy 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 recompense of reward which hath been set before you, move you to go on unweariedly in the ways of God, always 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 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 than 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 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 blissful fruition 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 means 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 endless rest of rests; and so they shall keep that everlasting Sabbath, which is the Sabbath of Sabbaths; and the eternal God himself (who is goodness and perfection wholly incomprehensible) shall be with them, and will be their God, their exceeding great reward, their portion, their heaven, their life eternal, their happiness, and * 1 Cor, 15. 28. Rev. 21. 3. their all in all: with whom they will be fully satisfied, and in whom they will comfortably acquiesce, and contentedly rest to all eternity; yea, the Lord their God will rejoice 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 thorough a glass 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 sum, the happiness of heaven, and of the blessed life to come called by 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 than 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 celestial Jerusalem our heavenly country, to rejoice with joy unspeakable, as soon as we see by faith any glimpse of the exceeding glory and happiness of it, saying with a joyful noise 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 palace of heavenly state and magnificence; neither is it less than a kingdom that abides there for us: a kingdom so much above these worldly Monarchies, as heaven is above this ●lod of earth; CHAP. V. Renders the principal Reasons why all mankind after the day of judgement shall go in their bodies and souls into an everlasting condition, either of felicity or misery. THe great and important Truth of man's 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 souls, after they have received 1. Reason. their joyful sentence of absolution, into an everlasting condition of happiness, for the everlasting glorifying of the 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 kingdom of glory: Then, and from thenceforth, and for ever, it will be fully known, that God is essentially merciful, 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 perpetual praise of the glory of his grace. Rom. 9 23. Ephes. 1. 5, 6. As now the best of Saints do but see the saving mercy of God towards them thorough a glass 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 〈◊〉 complete 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 completely 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 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. 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, only 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 Mankind, who 2, Reason. had no part in Christ, shall go in their bodies and souls immediately after the doleful 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 Devil 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 and honour of the justice of God, and to the eternal praise of his unalterable purpose to punish final impenitent 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, than they shall feel: it by woeful 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 sovereign 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 baxter's 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 only be spectators of the praise of God's mercy, and justice, but parties also, upon whom either the infinite mercy, 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 * Rome 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 than God provoked, woe, and again woe to them all, against whom mercy itself, 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. CHAP. VI Directs you how to apply the great doctrine of man's future eternity, whereby you may escape everlasting punishment, and obtain life eternal, after this life is ended. HAving done with the explication of the doctrine, concerning the great state of man's 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 general, That man's future condition shall be eternal, either in happiness or misery. 2. Provide in particular for your own future condition, 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 shall 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, thorough 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 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 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 than Infidels and Pagans, because they have only 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 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 persuade you of the truth of it, whilst 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. One told * M. Clerk 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 dissuaded him from suffering for righteousness sake: But the good B●shop replied, The life to come is more sweet, and death to come is more bitter; Surely, such as men's 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 all 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 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 ye 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 straight 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 so an entrance shall be ministered 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. Country 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 than 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 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. 1. Learn necessary principles. Three general 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 fundamental principles of the The first general direction. christian Religion, that are most needful to be known unto salvation, as suppose, those Articles of Faith, contained in that famous Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed. But more particularly Four 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. 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. only 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 Governor of all things, who made man after his own Image in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, 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 righteousness, 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 mankind, the guilt of 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 sinful, 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 only 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 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 Son Jesus Christ, to live a holy life, and to wait upon him in his own Ordinances, * 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. Secondly, if you would escape everlasting punishment, The second general 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 God's commandments. 4. Renew your repentance and faith, all the days 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 Saviour) for the kingdom 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 ways, whereby you may find out your sins of all all sorts; be not too hasty in this duty, but ransack every corner of your heart, and think of your sins, till you find them out so far, 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 humbled with the sense of your sinful 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 confess your sins 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 yourselves 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 ways, and turn from all your sins unto God, purposing and endeavouring for time to come to walk with him in all the ways 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. john. 3. 16. your heart, and you shall be saved; For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever 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 God's 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. Judas 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. Wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, and all in all, unto all sorts of sinners, who see a need of him, and who are willing to have him jointly 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 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. john 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 yourselves upon Christ, and wholly give up yourselves 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 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 God's 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 * 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 die to sin, and to live to newness and holiness of life. Rom. 6. 4, 6, 14. Galatians 5. 24. 2. Observe the sum of the ten Commandments, 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 yourselves: Love thus exercised in sincerity of heart, is the fulfilling of the Law, and the Epitome of a pious life. 3. Get the ten Commandments by * Deut. 11. 18. jer. 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 Commandments, for that purpose, that you may * Ezek. 36. 2●. john 1●. 15, 23. eschew the sins therein forbidden, and perform the duties therein required: having a special care to study, 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 ways, 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 practice 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 john 2. 3 Math. 5. 16 Rule of God's Word, in the strength of Christ, through the help of his Spirit, to the glory of God, the adorning of the Gospel, the strengthening 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 Emperor Adrian, caused this * Hic jacet Similes, cujus aetas multo●um quidem annorum suit, vixit an●os duntaxat Septem. inscription to be set over his Tomb, Here lieth 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 days of your life, as 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. job 42. 6. Luke 11. 4 repent, and abhor yourselves for them, & beseech God for Christ's sake to forgive them, and to cleanse you from them; and withal, 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. 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. Clerk 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 general 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 publicly preached. Four sorts of means necessary to be used. 2. Pray daily to God everlastingly to save you. 3. Make use of the two ●ew Testament Sacraments, Baptism, and the Lords Supper. 4. Obey the Ministers of God's word, who are set over you in the Lord. First, hear the word of 1. Hearing of the word of God preached. God publicly preached, as generally at all times, when you have opportunity for it; so especially upon the Sabbath day; Hear (saith the Prophet Isaiah) and your soul shall live: who hath ears to hear (saith our Saviour) let him hear. Isai 55. 3. Matth. 13. 9 Again, Christ informs us, that * Luke ●●. 40. Rom. 10. 14. Jo. 20. 31. hearing is the one thing needful: because not only 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 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 public, 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, Baptism, and 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 Baptism by way of meditation; as sure as you were baptised, so sure you shall be pardoned and saved, if you truly believe in Christ; for Baptism is not only a Sign, but also a Seal thereof to all true believers. Mark●6 ●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 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 God's word, who 4. Submission to the Ministers of God's word. are set over you in the Lord, and submit yourselves unto them, for they watch for your souls, 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. 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, than you may assuredly conclude, that you shall escape everlasting punishment, & inherit life eternal at the end of this life: and you may draw your conclusion of assurance, into such a like Christian Syllogism, 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 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 sins, 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 temporal 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 appear, you shall be like him: where he is, there you shall be, that you may behold his glory, and see him as he is, face to face: you shall * 1 Thes. 4. 17. Psal. 16. 11. be ever with the Lord, in whose presence is fullness 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 carelessness, 2. Motive. you forget the duties you have been exhorted unto, so, as finally to neglect them, than you may sadly fear, that when the Lord shall weigh you in his balance, that you will befound wanting, and in the number of those who shall be Dan. 5. 27. doomed at the last day, to go away into everlasting punishment; and then woe, woe to you, it had been good for you, if you had never been born. In the fear of God consider the miseries that will come upon you at the last day, if you die without repentance toward God, and without faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ; and seriously think with yourselves, 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 die such ignorant and disobedient sinners, as the Lord expressly threatens to punish with everlasting destruction 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 dwell with everlasting burnings? Isa. 33. 14.) to be written in letters of gold over their Chimney-pieces. 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 welfare; Is it not either for sin itself, which is altogether evil? or else is it not for the love you 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 only vain, but vanity itself; 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 satisfy your immortal souls? God forbid you should do so! God forbid you should do so! King * Plutarchy Apoth. Lysimachus being constrained through thirst to yield his Kingdom to 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 lose 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 Kingdom 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 shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Man's eternal salvation is more worth, yea, infinitely more worth than the whole world. Fourthly, Consider that the time of your life is the 4. Motive. only time, that you have 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. Clerk 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 life-time (such as it is) is your Fair, or market-day for heaven, and your * Gal. 6. 7, 8. Seedtime for your harvest in the other world, yea, and the only time that God hath lent you to provide for a blessed eternity; if you do not make sure of heaven, 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 die 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 might, lest 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 Borgia, 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 yourself, if you were to die this day, into whether of these two places of Eternity your soul would go, into hell eternal, or into heaven eternal; and sith you know not the day of your death, therefore daily 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 German 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 myself; In this undertaking I have spent myself like a burning candle, to give you light, and to do you the 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 Man's 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 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 yourselves; As I have been on my knees to beg God's 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 yourselves; 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 yourselves? And if you live and die in ignorance & disobedience, & so be everlastingly damned, who is like to have the worst of it but yourselves? O that every Reader of this Book would think on these things! O that my beloved parishioners, and worthy friends in Essex, would think on these things! O that my ever dear Kindred, and respected Country 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 die, and go into one of these two Eternity's, 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. O that these words were written upon some place in your closerts 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 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 eternal recompenses of hell and heaven, ●f everlasting punishment, and life eternal, and have shown 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? thoroughly learn the necessary princilpes, sincerely practise the necessary ●luties, and diligently use the necessary means, 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 merciful 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. Concentric circles with the heading in the outer ring and a flower at the centre. Eternity is like a Circle or Ring, that hath no end.