A VOICE FROM HEAVEN, SPEAKING Good words and Comfortable words, concerning Saints departed. Which words are opened in a SERMON PREACHED At SOUTHWEAL In ESSEX, 6. September, 1658.  
At the Funeral of that Worthy and Eminent Minister of the Gospel, Mr. Thomas Goodwin. Late Pastor there.  
Hereunto is annexed a relation of many things observable in his Life and Death.  
By G. B. Preacher of the word at Shenfield in Essex.  
1 Cor. 15.55. O Death, where is thy Sting?  
Luk. 14.15. Blessed is he that shall eat Bread in the Kingdom of God.  
LONDON Printed by S. Griffin, for J. Kirton, at the Kings-Arms, in Paul's Churchyard, 1659.   

TO The Right Worshipful Sir Henry Wright, Knight and Baronet: And to the Worshipful Mr. John Leech Esquire, Justice of Peace: And to the Good Gentleman, Mr. Richard Sherbrook: Together with the rest of the Inhabitants of Southweal.  
Honoured and much Respected,  
I Do here present you with a Sermon Preached at the Funeral of your Pastor: Loth I was to Preach it, not grudging the Service, but wishing the work had fallen into better hands; More loath I was to Print it, well knowing that there is nothing in this or any thing of mine, worth Publishing to the world: It sufficeth me, if by private Preaching, I may serve God in the place where my lot is cast, I dwell among mine own people. But the urgent importunings both of Ministers and other Christians have wearied me, and being not able to withstand the many Solicitations, I have forced myself to send abroad this Sermon, which I Dedicate to yourselves, to whom of right it doth belong: The occasion of it was the Death of him, who was your Pastor, your Minister, and whose Flock and People ye sometime were. It comes to you by way of Dedication, be pleased to own it with your Christian Acceptation. It is indeed very plain without any flourishings, and therefore can scarce expect a welcome for its own sake: but it tends to keep up the memory of him, whom you sometime loved and delighted in, you may welcome it for his sake: and moreover it contains heavenly comforts, Counsels, which being the Truths of God, you must welcome it for God's sake, and for the sake of your own souls. It comes out somewhat long after the Preaching, and no marvel if it come late, I had much a do to persuade with myself to let it come at all. Though indeed the hand of the Lord upon me in a sore sickness, made it much longer than otherwise it would have been. It is enlarged beyond what it was when I Preached it, because the straits of time (we being benighted and many persons far from their home) would not suffer me to deliver scarce one half of what was then intended: I then only delivered the heads: now you have the enlargements upon those heads.  
And Now, Honoured and Worthy Friends, give me leave a little to vent the sorrows of my heart for this great loss: The blow indeed lights upon you mainly, but not upon you only, but upon the Neighbourhood also, yea the whole Church of God. I have had many sad Letters since his Death bewailing the loss. If others at a great distance be so affected, how should you yourselves much more lay to heart, you may justly call yourselves Ichabod, Glory is departed: The Ark is for the present taken from you. God can Glory over you, and set up the Ark again among you, Amen, the Lord grant it! but yet remember you had a Goodwin among you, some of you, I am persuaded, being the Seal of his Ministry, will remember him as long as you have a day to live. Your Town of Brentwood is famous for its, situation upon an Hill, but its eminency of late years was much from Mr. goodwin's Ministry in that place: Your Hill seemed to be the Candlestick, whereon this burning and shining light was set: He was a Tower, a Beacon, on this Hill. His monthly Lectures, which the Neighbours round about did partake of, made it as the Hill of Hermon and Mount Zion distilling dews upon the Valleys round about. He is now gone and is as water spilt upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.  
Though his Person be dead, let his doctrines live, yea because he is gone, let them the rather remain; He shall Preach to you no more, unless it be by his former labours and holy life, by both which, he being dead yet speaketh; Mr. Goodwin still lives in Weal, if ye his people stand fast in the Lord: which that you may do, as also be blessed with one to succeed, who may call home the uncalled, and perfect what is lacking in the faith of others, is and shall be the  
Prayer of him who is Your Servant in Christ Jesus. GEORGE BOUND.   
REVELAT. 14. v. 13. 
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Writ. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.  
THe words which I have read unto you are part of a Sermon Preached by an Angel, the third Angel mentioned in this Chapter: That they depend upon the foregoing words, 
Ad superiora hac refero. Aret. in loc.  and that the voice from heaven in the Text was uttered by the same Angel is the Judgement of a good expositor. This Sermon, as it may fitly be called, gins from verse the 9th. and we may observe three things concerning it. 1. The Preacher. 2. The Matter. 3. The Method.  
First, the Preacher, viz. God by an Angel from Heaven Preaching and Prophesying to john, what things should come to pass in the latter days: In what age these things were fulfilled, whether in the time of Martin Luther, as some, or later Preachers, as others, I shall not spend time to inquire: The Preacher is an Angel from Heaven, and though the Lord ordinarily Preach to his Church by men upon earth, yet in some extraordinary cases he preaches by Angels from heaven: Ministers indeed are called Angels, Rev. 1.20. and it is no small honour which ariseth to that office from the name which the Persons bear, yet though called Angels, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Pares Angelis.  they are inferior to them which are in heaven: when they come to Heaven; they with other Saints shall be Angels fellows, Luc. 20.36.  
Secondly, The matter of the Sermon is destruction to the wicked both here and hereafter, but Salvation to the Godly, if not in this life, yet certainly hereafter in the life to come, That which this Angel Preached is such, as to which the Scripture in the whole tenor of it consenteth, and is agreeable to the Analogy of Faith: Angels from heaven will Preach, can preach no other: that of Gal. 1.8. Is the supposition of an impossible case, say Expositors. There be indeed Angels that Preach other Doctrines, the Devil and his Angels from Hell in their Instruments false Teachers upon Earth: There be many Errors among the Schoolmen, though they be called Angelical Doctors: This Angel in the Text is from heaven, and accordingly his doctrines Scriptural, as all heavenly doctrines are.  
Thirdly, the Method is Doctrine and Use: The doctrinal part of this Angel's Sermon lies in verses, 9, 10, 11. Where the position is this, that most dreadful plagues do attend Antichrist and his adherents: This position is illustrated by showing, 1. The Extremity. 2. The Eternity of their misery.  
1. The extremity, verse, 16. Drink of the wine of the wrath of God. There is the wine of God's love, the consolations of the Spirit, when the soul is led into the wine-cellar, and there stayed with Flagons, Cant. 2.5. The sweet preparative for that collation, which Saints shall have in heaven, where shall eat and drink at Christ's Table in Christ's Kingdom, Luc. 22.30. But this in the Chapter is the wine of God's wrath like that in Psal. 60.3. Wine of astonishment, or wine given to make them mad. 'Tis added here without mixture, not allayed with one drop of mercy, Jam. 2.13. There is indeed fire and brimstone put into it and mixed with it, but there is little comfort in this addition, it makes the Cup more dreadful: there shall be drinking in Hell, but it is in draughts of brimstone.  
2. The Eternity and lastingness of these evils, the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night: the evils which betid the wicked in this life, are but the beginnings of sorrows, the end will be to have no end.  
This is the doctrinal part, the Application follows in a twofold Use.  
1. By way of Information, showing that God's end in these judgements (next to the taking vengeance on the wicked) is to try the patience of Saints, vers. 12. To try I say the constancy of their obedience, whether they will hold the Faith of Jesus in troublesome times: 'tis easy to sail in a calm Sea, but to encounter raging waves, and tempestuous storms, and not to make Shipwreck of Faith, and a good conscience is the trial of a Christian indeed, one that is not with Agrippa almost, but altogether: here is the patience of Saints, here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the Faith of jesus.  
Object. The wicked are threatened with the Vials of wrath to be poured upon them, but why should this trouble the Saints? they follow the Lamb; how is their patience tried by the judgements inflicted on such as worship the Beast?  
Answ. Yes it doth, because when ever the wicked are made to drink the Cup of wrath, they will be furious, outrageous and exceeding mad (as the expression was before) which rage will vent itself in bloody persecuting the Saints, as the Church hath found in all ages by sad experience.  
Object. Then there is no difference between good and bad, but it may be as ill with them, who follow the Lamb, as who worship the beast; then we may say with the profane ones in Malachy, 
Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur.  what profit is it to serve God? will God suffer the righteous to be slain with the wicked, and the righteous to be as the wicked? Gen. 18.25.  
Answ. That be far from the Lord, and therefore if we mark what follows, we shall be able to discern between the righteous and the wicked, him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not; the worst that can befall them is the loss of this present life, Persecutors can but kill the body, and therefore,  
Secondly, by way of consolation he showeth there is no cause why believers should be dismayed at the troubles, which may betid them in this present life: for while Tyrants make havoc of the body, God cares for the soul and eternal salvation; if they die by the hand of the wicked, this is the hardest measure that can be meted to them, this is the heaviest shock which can befall them, and having once undergone this, perfect blessedness presently follows, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Having thus cleared the coherence, the Text, as you see, is the very Use of consolation, and it affords very great comfort to the people of God: especially if we consider what goes before, and what follows after, for from both it receives both light and strength, and comes to the Church (as the Queen of Sheba to Solomon) attended with a very great train.  
First, that which goes before is a voice from heaven saying Writ. Though every passage in this Angel's Sermon need be attended to, yet this especially: therefore a voice from heaven alarms us to attention; and though every sentence be worth noting, writing, setting down, yet this above all: therefore writ. This word write, 
Nihil hie sine pondere & mensurâ.  is as a finger pointing to some excellent matter, 'tis a Star set by it, and a light held over it, that none may pass by without diligent weighing it, and though there be nothing in Scripture, but hath its weight and worth, yet some truths are most diligently to be heeded, even above others. Divines observe, that the word behold in the beginning of a sentence, and Selah in the end of a sentence, do show, that those are remarkable sentences: so we may say of this word write. All Scriptures are alike true, but some are to be noted by us in a principal manner.  
Secondly, That which follows after is the Spirits sanction, yea saith the Spirit, and as if the bare testimony of the Spirit were not enough to carry the matter, there are two reasons annexed.  
First is, when death comes, they rest from their labours. The wicked have all their comfort here, Luc. 16. Son, remember thou hast had thy good things; so the Godly have all their sorrows here. 'Tis the opinion of some, that Christ's weeping over Lazarus, Joh. 11. was not because he was dead, but because he was to be raised to this troublesome life again, for such is this life at the best to the Godly: had it been Samuel indeed, he might well say, why hast thou disquieted me? 1 Sam. 28.15. The Godly in this life have labours in common with others (sufficient to every one's day is the evil thereof) but besides, they have troubles, which the wicked feel not, Satan's winnowings, buffet, a law in their members warring against the law of their mind: But death stills and quiets all, 'tis to them the silent house and place of rest.  
2. 
Impii judicabuntur secundùm & propter opera sua; pii verò secundùm fidei opera, sed non propter opera.  The second reason is, their works follow, in happy rewards, he means their good works. The best of God's Children have their evil works, but they are washed away in the blood of Jesus, and therefore cannot follow them; their good works do follow through free grace in glorious rewards: they shall be rewarded according to their works, though not for their works; and thus they follow. The works of wicked men follow, but 'tis in everlasting punishments: they shall be rewarded both according to, and also for their works; and thus they follow through divine Justice.  
Having thus opened the words, I might draw from them many useful observations, but because the time will not allow the handling of them, I shall not so much as name them; there is one point only, which I intent to speak to, and it is that wherein the marrow and sweetness of the consolation lies: I shall lay it down almost in the very words of the Text, viz.  
Doct. They who die in the Lord, shall certainly be blessed when they die.  
The Point is so clearly held forth in the Text, that I need not look out for other Scriptures to confirm it, but I shall gain the time in sparing what may bespared: That which I intent is, first to speak to it by way of Explication, and secondly by way of Application.  
There be three things needful to be explained, 1. Who may be said to die in the Lord, 2. What the blessedness is, which they who die in the Lord shall have. 3. The time, when they shall have it.  
I. For the explaining of the first, who may be said to die in the Lord, I shall take notice of two opinions about it, and then lay down a third, which I conceive holds forth the true meaning of this phrase, to die in the Lord.  
First therefore, some widen the Phrase too much, as if it did comprehend and take in all those, who having lived professors of the true God and true Religion, die holding this profession. These make every formal profession, though abstracted from the power of godliness, enough to carry a person to Heaven, making the Gate wide, which Christ saith, Matthew 7. is narrow. Let Men profess the true Religion, that is, be Christians, not Jews, Turks, at least be Protestants, not Papists; let them be Orthodox in Judgement, and not grossly sinful in life; let them but keep their Church, hear, pray, receive, and walk in a round of duties: these shall be saved when they die. This is the opinion of some. This hath proved a spreading leaven, and it is no wonder to see the Assertors of such Doctrine, draw many Disciples after them, it is so pleasing, and who almost would not trade for Heaven, if it may be purchased at so easy a rate? 'Tis a Matchiavilian axiom, that to seem religious is profitable, but to be religious is troublesome; Now if that be enough to make one religious, which was laid down before, I pray what great trouble is it? hear a few Sermons, mumble over a few prayers; they may do this and yet live at ease in Zion. 'Tis usually said to the reproach of zealous professors that some make more a do, than they need, Master favour thyself, be not righteous overmuch, less will serve thy turn: But now if the Kingdom of God consist not in word but in power; If many may strive to enter into Heaven, and yet not be able; 
1 Cor. 4.20 Lu. 13.23. Mat. 11.12  If Heaven must be stormed and taken by violence: then surely every formal, slight serving of God, will not serve the turn, nor suffice to arrive to that blessedness promised in the Text, to such as die in the Lord. Carnal Gospelers may seem to live in the Lord, Rev: 3.1. Have a name to live, and so they may seem and but seem to themselves, and some others, to die in the Lord, but the hoped-for blessedness, where, where will it be?  
Secondly, Some on the other extreme, 
Apellabo Martyrem & praedicabo satis.  narrow the sense of this Phrase too much, limiting and restraining it to those only who die Martyrs, sealing the truth with their blood. Martyrdom indeed is a piece of service tending greatly to the honour of God, and hath always been honourably remembered by the Saints, and will be gloriously rewarded from the Lord; These indeed are meant in the Text, yea, chief and eminently, but not excluding others who die in the Lord, though they die not Martyrs. Many Expositors might be quoted who understand it of all the godly, those who die in their beds, as well as those who die at the stake; Peter was crucified, and dying in the Lord was blessed; 
Beatus est Petrus, dum crucifigitur, sed non minùs est beatus Johannes, dumb in lecto moricur, uterque enim, etc. Aret. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vbi geminum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auget vocem.  John died in his bed, but yet dying in the Lord was blessed. We read Psalm 116.15. That the death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord, not this or that death for kind, but in general whatsoever death they die; and the Original is emphatical, intimating that the Prophet doth not assign it and limit it to any one kind of death, but to whatsoever kind of death; And thus some Translations render it: And though Beza doth translate it as if it pertained only to Martyrs, yet the phrase doth not necessarily import so much, as Doct. Fulke showeth in his confutation of the Rhemish Translation: were it meant only of Martyrs, the verse would rather run thus, Blessed are the dead which are killed or slain for the Lord, or for the Lords cause; Now many die in the Lord, who do not thus die for the Lord; as possibly some may seem to die for the Lord, who do not yet so much as die in the Lord. The Apostle in 1 Cor. 13. Speaks of some, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  who give their body to be burned, and yet have not charity, viz. any work of saving grace, by a Synecdoche; The first Martyrs were Innocents', and such should all Martyrs be, but that all be not so, the Apostle himself intimates; and if this be the meaning of dying in the Lord, than they are all blessed, which the Apostle will not affirm, but rather deny. But to conclude this, we may say, in some sense, all that die in the Lord die for the Lord, viz. as the Psalmist, For thy sake are we killed all the day long, that is, we are liable to troubles and persecutions, more or less all Saints meet with them, even they who have the peaceablest lives and most quiet deaths; But this is not the restrained sense before, which relates only to such as shall be violently killed and murdered in the cause of Christ; therefore,  
Thirdly, If we would know who they be, which are said to die in the Lord, we must mark the phrase and manner of expression, which is very frequent and obvious in Scripture, viz. Some persons are said to be in the Lord, in Christ, when others are said again, not to be in Christ; now such as are thus in Christ, shall be blessed when they die. The Scripture, I say, speaks often, that some are in Christ (who is the Christians Lord, according to those expressions, the Lords day, the Lords table,) See Rom. 16.7. They were in Christ before me, and Verse 11. Them of the Household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord, or in the Lord Christ, Thus 1 Thes. 1.1. Paul writes to the Church, which is in God, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now these phrases denote that blessed and heavenly union, which believers have with the Father and the Son, through the Spirit. 'Tis hard to declare and open what this union is, it is easier to say, what it is not, than what it is: It is usually for distinction sake called mystical, meaning, 1. That it is real, not putative and imaginary, 2. Spiritual; it is so real, that the Scripture speaks as if the believer had a subsistence in the Deity, Heb. 3.14. We are made partakers of Christ, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  if we hold the beginning of our Confidence; The word which is translated Confidence, signifies Subsistence. This and some other Scripture-expressions have made some speak a great deal too high, saying, believers are deified, and some in our days blasphemously, saying, believers are Godded in God, and Christed in Christ. I do acknowledge it is a most transcendent privilege for a poor sinful creature to be united to the eternal Son of God, but what ever this privilege is, we are to look upon it as a very great mystery, 
Christiani esse est inesse.  the perfect knowledge whereof is reserved for Heaven. Well, so it is undeniably, believers are in Christ, united to Christ, yea all Believers; this union is essential to a believers being, it is that which constitutes a believer; It is a strong union, which nothing can dissolve; it is not possible that these ligaments and ties by which the eternal Son of God, and a poor believer are knit together, should ever be broken; See Rom. 8.35. Who shall separate? so we may say, what shall separate? for the Apostles induction is of things, as well as of persons: surely if any thing could do it, than Death is the likeliest, but Death cannot, Verse 38. Death separates a Man and his estate, a Man and his relations, (bury my dead out of my sight,) yea, Death breaks the union of Soul and Body, but not of the Soul and Christ; no nor yet of the Body and Christ, for that part which sleeps, which is the Body, sleeps in Jesus, 1 Thes. 4.14. This union outlives Death: It is with a believer dying, as with Christ dying, Death broke not the Hypostatical union between divine and humane nature in Christ: though it disunited Soul and Body (his death being a true death) yet not God and Man in Christ; So Death disjoins not a believer and Christ, though it disjoin all other things.  
Now than the meaning of the phrase may be clear. Even that they who are in the Lord Christ, that is, united to him, while they live, shall be blessed when they die; they were in the Lord whiles they lived, & still remain in the Lord, though they die, therefore certainly shall be blessed; They die, and so are not in the world, they die, and so are not in the Body; but for all this, they are in Christ, though they sleep, it is in Jesus; thus we read of the dead in Christ, 1 Thes. 4.16. Such as were in Christ when they died, and those Saints, Heb. 11.13. Dyed in Faith, which is all one with the phrase now before us, for by Faith we are united to Christ.  
This might suffice for the opening of the first particular, who they are that may be said to die in the Lord; but before I pass this, it may not be impertinent nor useless to take notice of one phrase, which comes very near this, but is not the same, Romans 14.8. We read of a dying to the Lord; There is a dying in the Lord, as in the Text, and a dying to the Lord, as in that place to the Romans; Dying in the Lord respects our habitual estate, being such as are united to Christ, but Dying to the Lord, refers to our actual deportment in the great work of dying. To dying in the Lord it sufficeth to be true believers, truly engrafted into Christ. Now dying to the Lord requires the exerting and putting forth some acts of Faith, which are Four.  
1. When Death comes, to see the hand of the Lord in it, not so much the malignity of the disease, confluence of bad humours, or what ever may be of the second causes: the eye of Faith still looks unto the Lord; Life is of his giving, and Death is of his sending: our undo are the Lords do. Psalm 46.8. See what desolations the Lord hath wrought, whether national or personal, in the earth, or in the house and family, it is the Lord, he singles out particular persons: Death is as the casting of the lot. The lot is cast into the lap, but the disposing is from the Lord. The lot is cast, and such a Tribe taken, than such a Family, than such a person, perhaps Jonathan a young Man, a good Man is taken: so the lot is cast, such a Parish, such a Family, such a person, and still the disposing is from the lord 'Tis not the drawing a bow at a venture, 
1 King. 22 34. 2 King. 9.5.  but every Arrow is leveled and hath its particular errand, as the Prophet said to John, I have an Errand to thee O Captain: This is to die to the Lord, to see the Lord coming to our particular selves, and saying as to Aaron, Come up and die.  
2. To submit willingly to his hand, and to all those diseases, whereby, as by Axes and Hammers, he is pleased to demolish thy Cottage: yea to submit cheerfully, and welcome death as a messenger, that bringeth good tidings. Welcome fire and faggot, said some of the Martyrs, they embraced and kissed the stake, Oh how cheerful were they! How apt are we to bemoan ourselves, when tidings of death come, as if some dreadful evil were upon us; though indeed 'tis a very childish thing, children cry when they should be had to bed; Dying to a believer is but a going to bed, Isai. 57.2. To die to the Lord is willingly to submit, saying, if the Lord please, he can turn my captivity, and rebuke sickness, and send health: If he say, he hath no pleasure in me, in my life, breath, temporal being, here am I, let him do what seemeth him good.  
3. Whiles under his hand, to lie breathing out thy last breath sweetly to his glory, to lie blessing God, to lie calling upon others to love God and to get into Christ; Not only not to be moved by the pains of sickness, and pangs of death to do or speak any thing to the dishonour of God, but to open our mouth to his glory, and the showing forth his praise: God hath made death to work for a believers good, let them endeavour it may work for his glory.  
4. To give glory to God in a firm belief, that the promise of eternal life and salvation shall now be made good to them, expecting blessedness immediately upon the dissolution; yea to look beyond the grave and mouldering dust, unto the resurrection of the body, being assured that it shall rise a glorious body, death being but the pulling down of a smoky Cottage, that it may be built a stately Palace: as the Soothsayers said upon the burning of the Capitol by lightning, the Gods did suffer it to be, that it might be built better, and more gloriously. Now these are the actings of faith required in him who would die to the Lord.  
Now a Person may die in the Lord and be blessed, who yet doth not thus die to the Lord: for these actings may be suspended, either 1. Through our inadvertency, not considering what duty is incumbent upon us to glorify God in dying. 2. Through violence of diseases, depriving or at least dulling and stupifying the memory, understanding & reason, which are necessarily required to these actings. 3. By some fit of desertion, whereby we come to doubt of our evidences, which alone can make us cheerfully to submit, Lord now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace, now, and not till now, because now mine eyes have seen thy Salvation. And thus I have done with the first thing, which needed to be explained, who they be, that are said to die in the Lord.  
II. I shall now speak to the second, what that blessedness is, which they who die in the Lord shall have: This is an hard thing, if not impossible to do, the Scripture speaks of it as that which is inexpressible, unutterable. See 2 Cor. 12.4. Paul rapt up into heaven heard words unspeakable, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  which it is not possible for a man to utter: yea which is more, unconceivable, 1 Cor. 2.9. it hath not entered into the heart of man. 'Tis in vain to expect that it should be spoken with the Tongue, which cannot be conceived by the heart: As soon may the Earth and Sea be put into a Pot, as the bliss of glorified Saints into the understanding; as soon may you hold the whole earth in the hollow of the hand, as comprehend heaven in the heart.  
Much hath been spoken and written concerning it, doubtless to the great cheering of the hearts of Saints, insomuch that some have been ravished with the news of it, that they have in a kind of impatiency been weary of life, and longed for death, saying, come Lord Jesus, come quickly; yet I believe, that when a Saint comes to heaven, he will say in the words of the Queen of Sheba, 
1 King. 10 6, 7.  It was a true report that I heard upon earth of heaven's glory, but behold the half was not told me.  
The Apostle in the place before describes it Negatively, Eye hath not seen, etc. The eye hath seen much, the ear hath heard more than ever the eye saw, and the heart of man can conceive more than ever the eye saw, or ear heard; yet the heart cannot conceive this. Surely the full and perfect knowledge of this blessedness is only to those Saints who are comprehenders of it: The blind man may say much of light, but nothing comparably to him who beholds the light; much may be said of the sweetness of honey by what is reported of it, but it is nothing to what may be said from the tasting and eating of it. See 1 Joh. 3.2. it doth not yet appear what we shall be, or what glory we shall have, till we come to see this light, and eat of this honey. I might therefore shut up this part in silence, wishing you to wait till this glory shall be fully revealed; but because something may be expected upon the method before laid down, it being one of the three things promised to be explained, and besides, much is said of it in the Scripture to the unspeakable consolation of believers, making them bear up and be of good cheer under present evils, whereof this life is full, whiles they have an eye to the recompense of reward. I shall therefore as the Lord shall enable me, give you a brief collection of what is held forth in Scripture concerning this blessedness.  
I cannot go round about Zion and tell all the Towers, may I at least but point out some; The Israelites rejoiced but to see some clusters from Canaan, and it may refresh our hearts whilst we behold some parts or pieces of this glory laid down before us: They waited for God's time to take possession of that earthly Canaan and so must we, 'tis but tarry till death comes; Death will put us in possession of the heavenly Canaan, than it shall be said to Saints, as to Abraham, Genesis 13.17. Arise, walk through the Land in the length and breadth of it.  
Believers shall be blessed when they die, but wherein doth this blessedness consists? I Answer to the making up of blessedness, it is required, 1. That it be full, 2. That it be lasting. Fullness implies, 1. The absence of all evil, 2. The presence of all good.  
1. Then Saints dying are out of the reach and danger of evil, 
Prastat non esse, quàm miserum esse.  of what may be called evil, even the very appearance of evil: Though there were no good in Heaven, yet it is very considerable that there is no evil: Now evil is two fold, 1. Of sin, 2. of punishment, but neither is in Heaven.  
1. There is no sin there, this is the grand evil, a poisonous weed that grows every where but in Heaven. 'Tis said that no venomous thing will live in Ireland, I am sure it is true of heaven. This weed took rooting in paradise, but it was the earthly Paradise and not the heavenly, whereof Christ speaks, Luke 23.43. and whereof St. Paul, speaks, 2 Cor. 12.4. The best of Saints carry sin about with them: one need not tell them so, they know it to the great grief of their heart, it being that which often fetcheth water from their eyes, and blood from their Souls; Harken but to their Closet doors, and you shall hear sad complaints against it, and mourning over it: This is that stone tied to the birds leg, 
Anselm.  (as one well resembles it upon seeing boys play) which pulleth it down when it attempts to fly aloft. This is that Pharaoh which keeps God's Israel in bondage, and hinders from serving God as they should and as they would. There is indeed a principle of grace in believers, and there is also a body of sin, and in this respect they are like to the tribe of Manasse, half in the Land of Canaan, & half on the other side Jordan. But death will convey them into the heavenly Canaan, 
Col. 3.5:  and the Jordan of sin shall be quite dried up; may not this be one reason why the Apostle calls sins our members which are upon earth, members, because of the dear love we are apt to bear to them, they are as dear as the members of our body, as an eye and hand: and earthly, because they shall not be in Heaven. These sins by the power of grace are mortified in Saints whiles they are upon earth, but in Heaven they shall be nullified, there shall not be an hoof left behind. Here they are cast down, there they shall be cast out. The Lord Jesus will say to sin, that foul Spirit, as Mark 9.25. Come out and enter no more.  
Well then admit this, there shall be no corruption within, I may add farther not fear of any temptation from without, whether of the Devil or from the World.  
What can Satan do? The Devil without us could not harm us, were it not for the Devil within us: he could do nothing upon Christ, John 14.30. Because he was without sin, he found nothing in him to fasten his temptations to; If he do strike, 'tis as nothing, so long as there is no tinder to catch: But besides I believe, though he goeth to and fro in the earth, that Heaven is none of his walk, none of his circuit, it is not in his commission, or rather permission, Add, what can the World do to them who are gone out of the World? Before they were not of the World, now they are not in the World; The World here as the Ivy, twisting about the tree sucks the heart out; It flatters as Jael did Sisera, Butter and Milk in a Lordly dish, and so nails the temples of the Soul to the ground; but after death there shall be no alluring World. The World, and the things of the World, as to them, 
Angeli non habent jumenta.  shall be no more: There is no device in the grave, no trading, no tilling, no shops, no farms or , we shall be as the Angels, who are not cumbered with these things, There as Rev. 12.1. The Moon shall be under our Feet, we shall have as little esteem of these sublinary things, as the dust under our Feet. Thus we have the first branch of the negative part, Saints shall be blessed at death, because they shall not be infected with the evil of sin.  
2. After death there shall be, as no sinning so no suffering; this necessarily follows, for take away the cause, and the effect will cease, there shall be no complaining in those streets, and therefore blessed, for I may apply the words of the Psalmist, 
Psalm 144.14, 15.  Happy are the people that are in such a case: hereupon earth is nothing but Alas, woe is me! woe worth the day! Not only Hell is full of complaining, but the earth also: our days here are full of trouble; Our life is like the Prophet's book, Ezek. 2.10. Written within and without, lamentations, mournings and woe: within are Fightings, without are Fears; We are at no time exempted from complaining because of sin, and it is but seldom but that we are mourning because of trouble; which sorrowful condition of ours upon earth is elegantly set forth in that place, Job 5.7. Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Indeed, in Hell is nothing but evil, from one end to the other, It is a sea of evils, without bank or bottom; On earth are some fair days, though many be stormy and tempestuous, 
a rad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elatus fuit. Isa. 33.24. Isa. 35.10.  but in Heaven whether Saints go when they die, is no fear of any of these things; This is that Tower whether the righteous shall run and be safe, or set aloft out of the reach of danger, Prov. 18.10. There the inhabitants shall not say, I am sick, sorrow and sighing shall fly away; All evil shall be banished many thousand thousand miles from the lines of Saints communication. I shall shut up this part with that comfortable Scripture, 1 Thes. 1.10. Jesus delivers from the wrath to come. If saved from wrath, then from those evils which are the effects of wrath, and where there is no sin to stir up wrath, there can be no evil, which is the consequence of wrath; and thus we have the Saints blessedness negatively, but now,  
2. Positively and affirmitively, to make up blessedness, there must be the presence of all good, which brancheth itself into two parts, 1. The perfection of grace and holiness, 2. The fullness of bliss and happiness.  
1. After death, when the Children of God come to Heaven they shall be made perfectly holy: Heaven is that Holy Land whether they are going on Pilgrimage; See 2 Peter 3.13. There the Apostle saith dwelleth righteousness, there is its Mansion-house and in comparison thereof, here upon earth it is but as in an Inn, or a sojourner. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Heaven is the lot or place allotted to holy ones, Col. 1.12. There is no possibility for a sinner to get in thither, heaven gate is strongly guardded by holy Angels, should they neglect their trust, yet God is of purer & clearer eyes then that a sinner should escape him; Yea were it possible a sinner could steal into Heaven, yet he should soon be thrown out as the Apostatising Angels were, and as Adam was driven out of Paradise, and the corrupt Nations beaten out of Canaan, and the Man without his wedding garment cast out of the marriage chamber; Yea further, suppose a sinner might be let alone, yet he would soon void the place of himself, it being not a proper element for him to live in; As soon may a fish live on dry land, as sinners who drink in iniquity as the fish drinketh in Water, live in that Holy Land.  
But further, there the people of God shall be made perfect in holiness, Heb. 12.23. The Souls of just Men shall be made perfect. They are holy in this life, but not perfectly holy; Yea, here they have a perfect imperfection; Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace perfected; Grace shall not be lessoned, but heightened and increased in glory; Grace shall be swallowed up of Glory, as the rude draught is when the Picture is finished, and as the Morning light is by the noonday. See 1 John 3.2. shall be like God, this is in the perfecting of holiness, which is called our being made like God; God at first made Man after his own Image, that is in holiness, as the Apostle shows, Eph 4.24. Now in Heaven there shall be a perfect restoring of this image. The expression is full, 1 Cor. 15.49. We shall bear the image of the heavenly, but it may be Queried, when shall this be? the answer is in the following verse, it shall be in the Kingdom of God. While we remain in this flesh we cannot bear this image, and yet it is true again that Believers even in this life do bear this Image, the difficulty is easily resolved, here we have the truth, there the perfection of holiness, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the Scripture speaks of true holiness, or the holiness of truth, Eph. 4.24. There is that which is such in truth, though not in perfecton. And surely so great will this change be, when a Believer shall be made perfect, that he will seem to be changed into another Man, as was said of Saul, he would even wonder at himself to see how he differs from himself, what he now is, being a comprehender, and what he was, whiles a traveller below; Great and wonderful is the change in this life, when of a sinner one is made a Saint, where yet a sinful unregenerate part remains, but oh how most admirable, when shall be made a perfect Saint! in whom is nothing that is called sin, no appearance of evil, no defect, no blemish (as is said of Absalon) from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head. This change will be in mind, will and affections.  
1. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  In the Mind shall be light without any darkness, there shall be no mistakes, no doubtings: here though it be given to the godly to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, yet they need pray a prayer for the healing of their ignorances'. Truth's indeed which are necessarily required to be known in order to salvation, are plain, so that he who runs may read, the wayfaring Men, though Fools, shall not err therein, Isa. 35.8. Yet other truths are dark, making darkness their pavilion; Of these the Apostle speaks, 2 Pet. 3.16. Saying in the Scriptures are some things hard to be understood; Thus the Scriptures are compared to a River, where a Lamb may wade, yet again so deep in other places, that an Elephant may be drowned; Such mysteriousness is there in many truths, that the most knowing Saints may be called a generation of seekers, seeking more and more to find out the meaning of them, which shows that there is much darkness remaining in their minds; There is Ignorance as well as Knowledge in the best, yea, more Ignorance than Knowledge in the best, as in the best garden are more weeds than flowers; In this sense we must allow new lights. (not as some who call old errors new lights,) but new discoveries of what before we knew not, whiles the knowledge of these heavenly truths is dropped into us; Son of Man drop thy word, by which expression is meant, that our knowledge comes to us by little and little; 
Dies posterior prioris Discipulus.  Thus the Word of God is precept upon precept, line upon line, now a little and then a little.  
But when Saints shall come to Heaven, the dark side of the cloud shall be taken away, they shall be of the same Intellectual complexion and stature as the Angels are; There all doubts shall be solved, 
Vbi Lutherus cum Zuinglio optimè convenit. in vit. Geyn.  truths cleared, consciences satisfied, controversies ended. As Satan carried Christ upon a Mountain, and in a moment shown him all the glory of the world; So Christ at death takes the Soul and carries it to the heavenly Zion, and in a moment will show it all the glory and excellent mystery of divine truths. 'Tis in this case as with a dull, yet diligent Scholar, he is continually poring upon his Book, cunning his Lesson, and fain would he, but cannot beat it into his head, then comes the Master, who by his skill makes it facile to him, and brings him quickly to understand it, so that even he now wonders at his own dulness; And certainly when a child of God comes to Heaven, he will much wonder at his own dulness to understand, slowness to believe. This is the first, in Heaven the Mind shall be fully and clearly enlightened. Now a word of the other two.  
2. The Will shall be bowed to a perfect conformity to Gods Will, without any Rebellion, in Heaven the Children of God shall be enabled perfecty to keep the Commandments of God. No mere Man since the fall is able perfectly in this life to keep them, but shall be able in another life, because the Will shall be brought into perfect conformity to Gods Will, the Authentic and original Copy: here Grace is mixed, some Faith, much Unbeleef, some conformity, 
Necessitas immutabilitatis non coactionis: libertas a coactione est, essentiaalis voluntatis proprietas, secus enim voluntas esset noluntas.  much Rebellion; We wear a linsy welsey Garment as to our spiritual condition, but then the Will shall be made a Mountain of holiness, an habitation of righteousness, The Will shall be swallowed up of Gods Will, so that we shall not be able to sin, yet no force which is inconsistent with the Will, but then shall the day of God's power shine forth to make the Soul perfectly willing to that which is good, and to that only, than we shall be confirmed in goodness and holiness.  
3. And lastly, the Affections shall be throughly sanctified, and freed from all disorder. The exorbitancy and disobedience of these Affections make sad work here in the most gracious Souls, that oft though we know to do good, 
Jam. 4.17. Rom. 1.18  yet we do it not, which becomes sin, even out of measure sinful: that though we know the truth, yet we with hold it in unrighteousness, whereby our actions becomes unrighteous in the highest degree; Now in Heaven they shall quietly comply with and give obedience to right reason, they shall be as obedient as the Centurion's Servant, who went and came at his Master's beck: The Affections are the Souls Officers, but here they oft become proud exactors, but there as Isa. 60.17. The Lord will make these Officers peace, and these exactors righteousness; The Affections are the Souls feet, the Souls wings to help the Soul with expedition to do the Will of God, but alas, whether do they often carry and hurry the Soul? even to commit sin with greediness, to rush into sin as the Horse rusheth into the battle; They are fiery mettled Horses, 'tis hard to sit them, they often cast their Rider; Hagar like, they contend against their Mistress, but in Heaven the bond Woman shall be cast out, there shall be no Remora of a fleshly part, The Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be set on the top of all our mountains; Grace perfected in glory shall arise against the house of evil doers, and against the help of them that work iniquity, at our very entering the Heavenly Canaan, this Jordan, or stream of vile Affections shall be dried up. Thus have I done with one part, which shows wherein the bliss of glorified Saints consists, they shall have the perfection of grace and holiness. Now,  
2. They shall have the fullness of bliss and happiness; What one said of England is very true of Heaven, 
Verè hortus deliciarum verè puteus inexhaustus.  it is a garden of delights, a fountain of good things which cannot be emptied; It was the saying of one of the Popes, who yet went near to have drawn it dry, but it may without question be fitly applied to Heaven. Surely the children of God shall live an happy life in Heaven; Thus we read of eating, and drinking, and feasting, it shall be with them as with that rich Man, they shall far delicately every day; We read 1 King. 4.22. What daily provision was made for Solomon, 30. Measures of fine Flower, 60. Measures of Meal, 30. Oxen, 100 Sheep, etc. Yet a glorified Saint shall infinitely surpass Solomon, when he shall come to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven, at God's table.  
Here in this life a Believer hath sweet refreshments in his or her Soul's peace, which causeth joy, that passeth Understanding, joy which others know not of, A stranger intermeddleth not with his joy, but this is far short of what they shall have when they shall come to see God as he is, The best Wine is kept till last. The joy which Believers have in this life, arising from their inward peace, is said to be full, 1 John 1.4. Mr. Saunders the Martyr seemed so full, as if he had some to spare, some to bequeath to his Wife, and therefore in his Letter from Prison to her, he legacies this to her, who had no money nor worldly goods to give her: His words are thus set down in the Book of Martyrs; I am merry, and I trust I shall be merry, maugre the teeth of Men and Devils; Riches I have none to endow you with, but the sweet feeling of the love of God in Christ, whereof I thank my God I have a part, that I bequeath to you. Was not his joy full? Mr. Bolton lying on his sick bed, said to his Friends standing about him, that he was as full of comfort as his heart could hold. And truly their joy is full in comparison of the world's empty joys, which are but from the teeth outward, but in respect of Heaven's joy, it is but inchoative and comes far short of it: What is the Morning light to. 
Psal. 36.8. Cant. 5.4.  Noonday? what is a taste to a full draught? to drink of the river of pleasures? What is it to look in at the Keyhole, to the being let in to the Chamber of the Bridegroom? The manner of expression, Mat. 25.21, 23. Is observable, where the good and faithful Servant is bid to enter into his Master's joy; There is not only showed that it shall be a place of joy, but there is hinted the greatness of that joy, such as cannot enter into him, but therefore he shall enter into it. It cannot enter into a Believer, by Comprehension, but he shall enter into it by fruition; yea, there is showed in what measure the Believer shall partake of it, he shall enter into it, not hear of it, or only see it, but go into it, and walk it in the length and breadth thereof.  
And further, if this joy exceed the sweet spiritual joy of Believers, no doubt but it far surpasseth the joy of wicked Men and worldlings: Indeed their joy is often great and full in its kind, they drink Wine in Bowls, they lie upon beds of Ivory, they chant to the sound of the Viol. 
Amos 6.4, 5, 6.  I have heard of one who resolved to spend 500 l. to please his 5. senses, and I have read of another, who provided ponds of sweet waters to drown himself in, after he had spent what time of life he might in surfeiting & wallowing in sensual pleasures. Now can we think these joys may be compared with the joy, bliss and happiness of Heaven, they are not worthy to be named the same day with the spiritual joy of Believers before spoken, which yet as hath been showed comes far short of what shall be in glory; Worldly joys are vain, empty, frothy, those we speak of are full and substantial; They are seeming, painted joys, they do not reach the heart, nor quiet the heart, at least give but a light touch, a kind salute, and pass away; but those whereof we speak are lasting and abiding, they refresh both inward and outward Man, the heart and the flesh, Psalm 84.2.  
I shall here lay down one convincing Argument to prove that the joy which glorified Saints shall have, must needs go beyond all other pleasures and joys whatsoever: take it thus; The higher and greater the mercy is, the greater must needs the joy be; These keep pace, and as one riseth, so the other riseth also, the more weight is hung on, the faster the wheels move, See Psalm 126.2. Our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Now what might cause this great joy, Verse 3. The Lord hath done great things for us, great Mercies are Echoed again with great joys: Now what greater Mercy can a poor Creature be capable of, than to sit in heavenly places? If this be the greatest Mercy, as sure it is in itself, and in the account of gracious Souls, 
Psa. 73.24  witness their waiting, and even longing, till afterward come, when they shall be received to glory, than it must needs provoke the greatest joy, like that spoken of Isa. 35.10. Which some expound of Heaven, they shall come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads (the head being put for the whole Man, as Prov. 10.6. And many other places,) the meaning is, they shall be all over covered with joy, from top to toe. That which is poured on the Head will run down, and thus the joy of Heaven shall be, 
Luc. 6.38.  good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over.  
I shall close up this second part with one consideration more, whereby besides what hath been already said, it may appear, that the life in Heaven and glory shall be happy in exceeding great joy, and it is this, The work of Believers in glory, shall be in continual praising God, singing songs to the praise of free grace, whereby they are brought to Heaven, whiles others, otherwise alike, hewed out of the same Rock, digged out of the same pit, are yet turned into Hell; Now singing is the expression of mirth and joy, as by the bush hung out, we know there is Wine within, singing comes not from an heavy heart. Prov. 25.20.  
Some say it shall be the only work with which the People of God in Heaven shall be wholly taken up, the Jews say that the sacrifice of praise or thank-offerings exceeds all other sacrifices in two things. 1. In the universality, being performed by Men and Angels. 2. In the perpetuity, when all other sacrifices shall cease, this shall remain, this shall outlive all legal sacrifices, and be the proper work of the blessed: when praying shall cease, and hearing cease, Yet praising and singing Hallelujahs shall continue; I may apply hither, Ps. 84.4. Blessed are they that dwell in this house, they shall be still praising God; still or evermore; We have heard what flocking there hath been sometimes to the University, to be present at a Music act; Now in Heaven there shall be continual Music, singing and making melody, continual praising; Some think the very forms of words, wherewith glorified Saints shall praise God, are set down in Rev. 5.13. Blessing, Honour, Glory and Power, be unto him that sitteth on the Throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. And Rev. 11.17. We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty, which art, and waste, and art to come. I have read that holy Chrysostom's last words were, Glory be to God from all creatures, they are as it were the breathe of a Soul in Heaven, before it was quite gone from the earth.  
The sum of all is this, that Believers shall have perfect bliss and happiness. They shall live in Heaven, where shall be pleasures, mirth, singing and rejoicing, above what we are able to express or to conceive. This shall suffice for the first branch of the second part, by way of Explication, They who die in the Lord are blessed. Blessedness must be full, that is, there must be no evil, and there must be all good, the perfection of grace and holiness, with the fullness of bliss and happiness: But now,  
2. As it must be full, so it must be lasting and enduring, and so indeed the bessednesse of Saints shall be, not only for a long time, but for ever. It shall be Eternal, such as is the Eternity of our Souls, which had a beginning, but shall have no ending, called Eviternity, to distinguish from the Eternity of God, 
A part post non a parte ante.  who alone is the first and last, without beginning, without ending. This bliss hath a beginning, henceforth saith the Text, but shall have no ending, it is Eternal. Eternity, at the very naming of it, is enough to amaze our thoughts in studying to know what it is; It is the continuance of any good thing which makes it a full good; Soul take thine ease, thou hast goods laid up for many years, said the rich Man in the gospel: He glories not so much in the abundance of his goods, as in the hope of their continuance. How do Men rejoice in the purchase of an estate, because they have that, not by lease for term of years, but the Deeds run to them, and their Heirs for ever; Though indeed it is not for ever, but far short of that; For besides, what may happen in the interim, at the great day all the Evidences shall be undoubtedly burnt, and it is more than probable from divers Scriptures, the Land also, Heb. 1.11. Isa. 51.6. Matth. 24.35. 2 Peter 36.10, 12. Rev. 21.1. To be sure, the propriety, in these pronouns Mine and Thine, shall cease: Yet the hope Men have of its continuance for some long time; doth much content them. David took it as a great favour, that God would bestow a Kingdom upon him, to raise him from following the sheep to be King over Israel, 2 Sam. 7.18. Yet Verse 19 He saith, This was but a small thing, that which made the mercy great, was that God had spoken of continuing it for a great while to come; he adds, and is this the manner of Man O Lord God? he seems to be much transported in admiring the continuance of his Mercy, though it were not so much to him in person, but to his posterity: Let a thing in itself be never so excellent, yet the fear of losing it, darkens all the excellency of it; Earthly treasures are therefore less to be accounted of because Thiefs may break through and steal them; What true content could the rich Man take in his abundance, when once he heard, This night all should be gone? 
Corneliam nescie an faeliciorem talem virum habuisse, an miseriorem amisisse. Et invito processit vesper Olympo.  'Tis spoken to the humbling of the great ones upon earth, that though they live like Gods, yet should die like Men; Though the good thing be great, yet if not lasting, 'tis not full: yea, the greatness of it, greatens the misery upon the losing. When a Scholar hath been reading a good Book, it troubles him to see Finis; When the people of God have been keeping a day of Prayer in Communion with God, it saddens them much that they should break off, because the day is done.  
But now the blessedness of Saints is not only a great good, as hath been showed, but a lasting good, it shall have no end, 1 Thess. 4.17. They shall be for ever with the Lord, Rev. 3.12. He that goeth in shall go out no more; some interpret it of a Believer in this life, 
Notat gloriae stabilitatem, Pisc. in loc. Isa. 33.20.  to prove no falling from grace, some again interpret it of the state of glory. The life of glory is such a life, to which immortality is essential. 2 Tim. 1.10. We read of life and immortality, that is to say, immortal life; Heaven is a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down, not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. The blessedness of Believers shall be eternal: but what is Eternity? I shall show you how a learned and holy Divine illustrates it to the meanest capicity, Suppose, saith he, the whole World were a Sea, 
Mr. Perkins on the Creed.  and that every thousand years expired, a bird must carry away or drink up one only drop of it: in process of time it will come to pass, that this Sea, though very huge, shall be dried up, but yet many thousand millions of years must be passed before this can be done. Now if a Man should enjoy happiness in Heaven only for the space of time in which this Sea is drying up, he would think his case most happy and blessed: but behold the Elect shall enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven, not only for that time, but when it is ended they shall enjoy it as long again, and when all is done, they shall be as far from ending of this their joy, as they were at the beginning.  
And now by what hath been said, we may in some measure understand, what is that blessedness which the Saints and Children of God shall have; it is great and full, it is also lasting, yea, everlasting, which cannot be said of any thing here below; The best of the world's excellencies are fading, and quickly blasted; No day so pleasant, but ends in a darknight; No Summer so fruitful, but ends in a barren Winter; No Body so fair, but will be changed by death, from Beauty to Deformity: In the days of Noah, they were eating and drinking, but the flood comes and sweeps them all away; Great mirth was among the Philistines, but their banqueting-house becomes their buryingplace; The Monarch of Babel whose head was of Gold, had the feet of clay: 
Sic transit gloria mundi.  All the pomp of the world is like Jonahs' gourd, now flourishing and anon fading, there is that worm in the root of all worldly comforts as will blast them; But the mercies, and joys, and comforts of Heaven are not such, they are eternity mercies, eternity joys, eternity comforts: take away the lastingness, or rather everlastingness, and we blow up Saints happiness. Thus much for the explication of the second thing, viz. What that blessedness is which they who die in Lord shall have. Now a word of the third thing, and so I will come to the Application. Therefore,  
3. Having showed who they be who die in Lord, and what the bessedness is that they shall have, it remains to show in the third place, when they shall be made partakers, and be put in possession of it, and that is immediately upon their death, for so saith the Text, Henceforth they are blessed. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  The Apostle Paul reckons upon his being with Christ immediately upon his departure, Phil. 1.23. Now Christ as he now is, so he then was in Heaven, in glory. The converted Thief is promised he should be received into Paradise, as soon as he was dead, Luke 23.43. This Paradise must be the heavenly one, for of the earthly one we may say, as they of Moses his Body, no Man knows where it is to this day. Again in 2 Cor. 5.8. We may see that the Apostles expectation was to be present with the Lord, as soon as he should be once absent from the body; Stephen's prayer, Acts 7.59. Lord Jesus receive my Spirit, was in vain, or could have no comfortable return, if the Soul doth not at death presently go to blessedness; He doth not pray nor expect that his body should be received to the Lord, but his Soul or Spirit: he knew his body should go to the grave, and he knew also his Soul should go to God, according to what Christ promised, John 14.3. That where he is, there his members should be also.  
If the Children of God do not enter into glory presently at death, they are most lamentably deceived, and sadly frustrated in what they conceive strong hopes and go forth in full assurance of: Doctor Preston used to say, it is but wink and be with God: the closing of the eyes by death, would bring the Soul to the light of life. When Basil that courageous Christian, was threatened with death by the Tyrant, he prayed to God the Tyrant might not change his intentions, lest he should lose his expectation; he expected to change misery for glory. Taylor the constant Martyr, coming within two fields of the place where he was to be burned, 
Mr. Fox Act and Mon.  comforted himself that he was within two styles of his Father's House, which was, in his meaning, Heaven. Another Martyr embracing the stake said, This day shall I be married to jesus Christ. One of the Ancients reproved the immoderate mourning at the death of godly people thus, 
Cypr.  saying, why should we put on black , when our Friends put on white? That is the Robes of glory, calledin the Revelations, the fine linen of Saints. I might heap up instances of this kind, the constant expectation of them that died in faith, is at death to enter into their Master's joy; And though they do not say (as I have read of a blasphemous Monk) give me eternal life which thou owest me, yet in hope of present possession of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, hath graciously promised, they can say with Hilarian, Go forth my Soul, go forth, why tremblest thou, thou hast served Christ thus many years, and dost thou now fear death? I shall add further the earnest desires & long after death in some of the Children of God, surely they promised themselves present blessedness; Saint Paul was not only willing to die, but did desire it, yea, vehemently. See 2 Cor. 5.2. We groan earnestly; Some Saints having their hopes raised up to the fruition of this glory, have been almost impatient, Come Lord jesus, come quickly, and why are the Chariot wheels so long a coming? they even longed to be (as we may say) fingering of it, so as never did a rich Heir long more to be in the possession of his Lands; They have thought every day ten, every year twenty, saying in the words of the Psamist, Make haste Lord, make haste. So then I may say, and so conclude this point, if the people of God do not immediately at death enjoy blessedness, they are the most miserably deluded people of any in the world: Away therefore with that wretched doctrine of the Souls sleeping in death, being altogether Anti-Scriptural, Oh that it might for ever lie dormant and awake no more! It tends much, 1. To the imboldening of sinners in a way of sin, See Matth. 24.48. The evil Servant that reckoned of his Masters delaying his coming, thereupon grew very bold in more and more sin. 2. To the sadning of the hearts of God's people, Prov. 13.12. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. This shall suffice to be spoken to the third and last thing, and also to the whole by way of Explication, the Application follows. In the Application of this point, I shall speak to four uses. 1. Of Information. 2. Instruction. 3. Consolation. And 4. Exhortation.  
1. By way of Information, according to the rule of contraries, 
Oppositorum eadem est Scientia  if they who are in Christ when they die are blessed, than those who are not in Christ when they die are cursed, upon different accounts; Death hath a different complexion; it is like the Red-sea, which to the Israelites was a passage to Canaan, 
Aliis vehiculum, aliis Sepulchrum.  but to the Egyptians a place of drowning to their utter desturction. To such as are in Christ, the day of their death, is better than the day of their birth, being their encrance into everlasting joy: but to others it will be the saddest day that ever came, being the beginning of their sorrows. 'Tis appointed for all to die, in that respect all are alike, but it is not appointed for all to die in the Lord, in that respect there is a great difference of persons: Some die in their sins, John 8.24. Some are taken away in their iniquity, Ezek 33.6. These are cursed when they die, Psalm 9.7. The wicked shall be turned into Hell, which place seems to be commented upon and explained, Psalm 11.6. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. I might here enlarge upon the state of the damned after death, in the same Method as before of the state of the glorified: Before the bright side of the Cloud, now the dark side. A little briefly.  
When Saints die they are freed from all evil, but when sinners die, they launch into a Sea of evils. 1. They will find the absence of all good. A godly Man's miseries terminate with this life, so do a sinner's comforts. I have read of the old Arcadians, that they would weep bitterly when the Sun did set, fearing it would never rise more; sure I am, sinners dying have cause to bemoan themselves sadly, for when the Sun of their life is once set, it will be perpetual night of darkness and misery: They may weep as those did at Paul's parting, Acts 20. shall see the Face of comforts no more: they have their portion in this life, and when once they die, they shall be alarmed with that memento, Luke 16.15. Remember thou hast had thy good things, implying, they shall have them no more. 2. There will be to them not only no good, but all evil, as 1. The evil of sin, there is sinning in Hell, in Heaven there is none, on earth too much, in Hell nothing else. Death cannot kill sin, but it will live when the sinner is dead, and therefore wrath abides for ever, because sin abides for ever: Wrath will keep pace with sin; Sin as oil feeds the fire of God's Wrath; One said to a Swearer, who would not be reclaimed, prithee stay but till thou comest to Hell, there shalt have thy fill of sinning and swearing. Again, 2.  
There is the evil of punishment, therefore Luke 16.28. It is called the place of torment; as there is a place of bliss, John 14.3. I go saith Christ to prepare a place for you; The Jews say, every Saint shall have a star assigned him for his Mansion-place, but they have vain conceits in this, as in many other things; but surely a certain place there is, it is no Ubiquitary Heaven; So surely there is a place of torment: how great this torment is cannot be known by any, but such as feel it; yet it were well if sinners would know it before they feel it, thereby to prevent the feeling of it; And certainly 'tis beyond what can be expressed; And therefore when we would comfort any under the greatest evils, we say, it is not wrath, it is not Hell; Christ but tasting this, and that but for a few hours, though he were the strong one, compared to a Lion, yet did sweat drops of blood; The Scripture expresseth it by weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; Heavy cheer, said Mr. Latimer, where weeping and wailing is served up in the first course, and gnashing of teeth in the second: 
Legati doloris sunt lachrymae.  weeping and gnashing, two strange effects of a strange fire, weeping is from burning heat, and gnashing of teeth from bitter cold; They shall weep, not for their sin, but for their pain; Again, they shall gnash, or envy, and grieve at the felicity of the godly, Psalm 112.10. The wicked shall see it and be grieved, he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. There shall be weeping, some constitutions on earth cannot weep, but there are none such in Hell; Many on earth sin and tremble not, but it is not so in Hell, their hearts ache under wrath; there is no rejoicing, but trembling, and yelling with the voice of Dragons, crying out, woe worth the day that ever they sinned, Aristotle knew nothing worse than Death, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  but the Scriptures show that Hell is far worse, the fiery furnace, the Lake that bnrneth with Fire and Brimstone, which will try the strength of the stoutest Sinner, had he the strength of stones, or brass.  
To this add the Adjunct, as the Saints blessedness shall be eternal, so will the sinner's misery be, and this consideration makes it very dismal and dreadful; Israel's bondage in Egypt was long before it had an end: whiles they were in Babylon they were prisoners in a pit, but yet they were Prisoners of hope, that captivity had an end: Pharaoh had some rest from his Plagues, Exod. 8.15. Jobs condition was extreme sad, who prays to be let alone that he may take comfort but a little, Job 10.20. but it had an end, it was temporal; The sinner's misery shall be eternal. See Rev. 20.10. Shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Hell fire is such as cannot be quenched, Mark 9.44. Though Hell be full of tears, yet these floods of tears shall not be able to quench this fire. I shall add one thing more, and then I shall have fully paralleled the miserable estate of them who die out of Christ, with the blessed condition of such as die in the Lord, viz. one branch of the former discourse was, that the Saints shall enjoy their bliss presently at death; So the wicked when they die shall be presently plunged into misery, it shall be deferred no longer; The Scope of the Parable, Luke 16. shows thus much; though every thing or passage in a parable do not prove, or is not argumentative, yet the scope carries full and strong proof; Parables are like Knives, the haft will not cut, and the back will not our, but the edge will; The scope is as the edge of a Knife, and this seems to be the very scope and drift of that Parable, to show all impenitent sinners what they must look for at death, to be tormented as that rich Man was. Further, see Heb. 9.27. After death to judgement, all must come to judgement, and when? presently after death; The godly shall be judged, but not condemned, the wicked shall be judged and condemned. The Doctrine of the Souls sleeping till the resurrection is no doubt pleasing doctrine to sinners, It would be some lightning to them to think of a reprieve to the general judgement, but the Scripture speaks of a present judgement to them, and of their being presently carried to Hell, Luke 12.20. This night shall thy Soul be required, in the Original it is, this night do they require thy Soul; They, that is, say Expositors, the Devil and his Angels, God's instruments for executing his wrath upon wicked and ungodly men.  
Hear this O Sinner, I come to thee with heavy tidings, such as who ever hears it, might make both his ears to tingle. But woe is me! Sinners are even Hell-proof now a days; When Paul preached of Judgement to come, Felix trembled, Oh that Sinners would tremble whiles this judgement is future, yet to come, when it is come, the stoutest shall tremble: And indeed, better never have been born, then to go out of the world sinners, as we came into the world. Better be Dogs and Toads, than sinners and die such: when they die there is an end of their misery, whereas thou hast Millions of years to lie in Hell under the wrath of God, not only while the Sea (before spoken of) is drying up, which would be in time, though a long time first, but to all eternity, for ever and ever. This is the first use.  
2. By way of Instruction. Are they blessed who die in the Lord? then this teacheth us the true way to true blessedness: All would be blessed, though many be but wishers and woulders in this very thing of so great concernment, having faint, slothful desires, which will Kill them, as Solomon speaks, that is, leave them short of the good they seem to desire.  
It cannot be denied, but that there is in all some desire after blessedness: Though the tree of happiness be cut down, yet there is (if I may so speak) this stump left, a desire after it. There be many that say, who will show us any good? Psalm 4.6. And they spoken of by the Prophet, looked for peace, Jer. 14.19. None say, who will show us any evil, none look for trouble and misery with an expectation of it; All are for good, peace and blessedness. Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  
Now if any be in good earnest this day, enquiring after the way to happiness, (some make a show of enquiring, as Pilate when he said, What is truth? which he loved not, nor cared for to know) they may be directed from the Text; They who would be blessed, must be in the Lord, must by all means get into Christ, john 14.6. I am the way, saith Christ: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  The Article in the Original makes it emphatical, The way, the only way: he adds, and the truth, this is to beget in our hearts a firm belief that he is the only way. But one may say, he is a way indeed, but whether doth this way lead? he adds the life, as if he should say, I am in truth the only way that leads to life or blessedness. Know all Men of a truth, if they be Christless, they will be blisseless, heavenless; 'tis Christ who hath brought life and immortality to light, therefore immortal life must be by Christ. Jesus Christ is that Ladder in jacob's vision, by which Believers climb up to Heaven; Life was a book sealed, but Christ hath opened it; the way of blessedness was shut up, but Christ hath cleared the passage, we must say with the Martyr, None but Christ, None but Christ, Creature righteousness will not open the Door of blessedness: Duties are Creatures, yea, graces are Creatures; Faith itself is no Saviour; So than if we would be blessed, the question which we must put to our Souls is this, are we in Christ? They who are in the Lord Jesus shall be blessed.  
For the trial of this, take this one conclusion, If we be in Christ, than Christ is in us: As we read of Saints being in Christ, Rom. 8.1. 2 Cor. 5.17. So we read of Christ being in Saints, Col. 1.27. 2 Cor. 13.5. Take one place more, wherein this mutual inhabitation is expressed fully, 1 John 3.24. He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him, that is, in Christ, and he in him, that is, Christ dwelleth in him that keepeth his Commandments. So that one discovers the other, viz. if we be in Christ, than Christ is in us.  
Yea, but it may be replied, this is as hard to know as the other; how can Christ be in us? he is in Heaven, him the Heavens must contain till, etc. I answer, the Scripture shows that though Christ be in Heaven, yet he dwells in his people upon earth by his Spirit: and thus in the place last quoted, this is made a mark or note of trial, Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.  
But yet still there is not a full resolution to a conscience that desires satisfaction. But it may be further queried, how I shall know whether I have the Spirit.  
To this I Answer, some know it by its immediate witness, the Spirit bearing witness with their Spirits. Thus Paul, 
Rom. 8: 16. 2 Tim. 1.12.  I know whom I have believed, this is an high attainment, not given to all; And therefore I add, others may know it by its argumentative witness, the Soul drawing conclusions from the effects, which are such as these following.  
1. It is a softening Spirit; Hast thou the Spirit of Christ dwelling in thee? then it hath mollified thy Adamantine heart, thou canst say, my heart by nature is in●exible, impenetrable, but it is made tender, bowed and softened.  
2. It is an enlarging Spirit; Art thou enlarged with David, to run the way of his Commandments? This he desired to do, but could not, till God enlarged his heart, Psalm 119.32. Art thou enlarged in duty, and in graces? stronger in believing, more broken in heart, more frequent and fervent in praying, hearing, receiving, is it thus with thee? 
Sam: 1.5.10.  Thus it was with them who have the Spirit: or rather hast not cause to mourn, as Hannah, because her womb was shut up, so thou, because thy Soul is shut up? Perhaps hast no pant after God, and instead of being enlarged, thou decayest, declinest, and goest down the wind.  
3. 'Tis an enlightening Spirit; The heart naturally is covered with darkness, darkness that may be felt, but where the Spirit dwells, it makes an Egypt, 
Luc. 1.78, 79.  a Goshen: Now hath the day spring from on high visited thee, to give light to thy Soul which sat in darkness? Hath it enlightened thee to know the great evil of sin, the dreadfulness of offended Justice, the preciousness of thy immortal Soul, the sweetness of a pardoned estate, the transcendent excellency of Christ, the Beauty of holiness?  
4. 'Tis a sanctifying and cleansing Spirit; The heart naturally is lamentably sulled and defiled, the Conscience is impure: The Soul coming out of an unregenerate estate, 
Cant. 3.6.  is said to come out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke: The Soul naturally is a smoky, sooted, and defiled thing, but when the Spirit comes in, it cleanseth; Now hath God created in thee a clean heart? which David prays for, Psalm 51.10. The Spirit is compared to fire; Now fire cleanseth the Gold from the dross; hath the Spirit consumed the dross of sin and corruption? 'tis a Spirit of burning, Isa. 4.4.  
5. 'Tis a fructifying Spirit; The heart by nature is a wilderness, as in the Canticles, a barren wilderness, bearing nothing but briars and thrones, and no good fruit; Art thou now become fruitful in good works, or rather art thou not to every good work reprobate? I might add  
6. 'Tis a warming Spirit; The heart naturally is keycold, the conscience benumbed: Is there any spiritual heat, holy warmth in thy Soul? is there always some of the holy fire burning upon the Altar of thy Soul? The sum of all is this, if these things be not in us, or at least a sense of the want of them, with a mourning for to have them, than the Spirit is not in us, and if the Spirit be not in us, than Christ is not in us, and if Christ be not in us, than we are not in him, and if we be not in him, we cannot be blessed: They only are blessed who are in the Lord; There is no other way to blessedness; and thus much for the second use.  
3. By way of Consolation to all true Believers, you are in Christ, and you shall be blessed when you die: 'Tis but waiting a while, till Death, and henceforth you shall be happy. You perhaps are now miserable, but you shall not always be so, 
Psa. 73.24  afterwards thou wilt receive me to glory; Thus that holy Man Asaph comforted himself: Can you not live a little upon hope? 
Heb. 11.26. Heb. 10.34.  Moses eyeing the recompense of reward could suffer rebuke: Those Worthies calling to mind the better and enduring substance, could take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, and can you bear nothing, suffer nothing? True, you have not this glory in possession, but you have it in reversion; 'tis as sure as sure as may be, the entail cannot be cut off: Christ urgeth this as an argument why his Disciples should forsake all & follow him, 
Matth. 19.28.  because they should after sit upon thrones of glory with him; And the Apostle Paul thence presseth, they should be contented to suffer because they should be glorified: Ridlie the Martyr cheered up his fellow, saying, 
Rom. 8.17.  though we have a bitter breakfast, yet we shall have a sweet Supper, meaning in glory. From these passages I may infer to your comfort, who are Christians indeed, that be your present burdens never so heavy, yet glory, yea, I may say, one half hour in glory, will make amends for all: Some persecutors have been very witty to invent most exquisite torments, yet the hope of blessedness hath made them to be as nothing; The Martyrs in their undaunted courage, made no more of them then Samson of the Philistines with'hs, or like the Leviathan in Job, Iron is but as straw, and Brass as rotten wood, 
Job 41.27.  All their troubles and sufferings are but light: they are heavy in themselves, but the weight of glory makes afflictions light. See 2 Cor. 4.17, 18.  
Oh Christians, do but make experiment: when you are apt to droop, and find your Spirit is overwhelmed, run to this as to your Aqua Vitae bottle, take but a sip of it and it will refresh you: you shall be blessed, Writ, blessed are, etc. Yea saith the Spirit; Oh then lift up the Hands which hang down, and the feeble Knees! There is no Cup so bitter, but this will sweeten it; no Fire so hot, but this will slack and quench it. I say again, do but make experiment; God hath provided many supports for his drooping people; but I may say as David of Goliahs' sword, None like to this, no support like the remembrance of glory: One leaf of the tree of life, is better than clusters of worldly comforts. Be thy burden what it will, how heavy soever, yet the calling to mind future blessedness will make it light and easy: 
Gen. 21.19.  But alas, Saints droop, and with Hagar are ready to faint, when there is a Well of water by them, but they see it not, at least have not skill to draw: The Lord open your eyes as he did hers.  
But you will say, when shall we have this blessedness and glory? I Answer, at Death you shall have it, not now, but afterwards. See John 13.36. Christ said to Peter, whither I go, thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards: Christ went to Heaven, thither Peter should come at length when he died. Death is in a sort a cause of this happiness, that is, without which it will not be; And indeed, see how graciously God hath ordered it; Death came as a curse, 
Mal. 2.22.  but it is turned into a blessing: God threatneth to the wicked, to curse their blessings, and promiseth to the godly to bless their curses. Death with one hand holds forth a Sword, even over Believers, to slay their Body, it smites one and other, hip and thigh; But observe its other hand, & with that death opens a door of glory. Who would think that Death should do this? 'Tis as in Sampsons' riddle, 
Edulium ex edente.  out of the eater came meat, it is a riddle indeed, but a very truth. And whereas Death is dismal and dreadful, the King of fears, it becomes now an Anchor of hope, the valley of Berachah or blessing; So that the Saints can welcome it, and say as David of Ahimaas, He is a good Man, 
2 Sam. 18.27.  and bringeth good tidings. They can wait for it, Job 14.14. He was an expectant all his days, yea wish, for it, thus Paul, I desire to be dissolved, Phil. 1.23. They can stand as Abraham, in the door of the Tabernacle, to speak to the Angel, or with Elijah, in the mouth of the cave to meet the Lord coming to them by death; Now how comes this to pass? even because they know they must be as it were beholding to Death, to do them this favour and kindness, to bring them to their blessedness. This sure affords strong Consolation to the Children of God.  
I shall carry on this use of Consolation a little further, to the particular case of any who may be exercised in the loss of godly Friends, they die in the Lord, and therefore are blessed. But you will say, this was matter of comfort concerning those who died under that persecution to which this relates: But mark, the voice from Heaven said, Writ, intimating it is of use in all ages, for what is written is for the Church's Learning and comfort to the end of the World: Blessed are the dead that die now in the Lord. The Apostle in 1 Thess. 3.4. Holds forth this blessedness which Saints shall have after this life is done, & makes it a main argument of comfort to those that survive, having lost their godly friends, verse 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words, and chief with the words immediately preceding, that they are dead in Christ, and so shall ever be with the Lord. This is comfort indeed, and it is but sorry comfort where this hope is not fixed sure: this foundation and no other, will bear up the building of comfort.  
Heathens indeed who knew nothing of the blessedness of such as die in Christ, had their consolatory addresses to their afflicted Friends: They would tell them, Death was that which none could avoid, therefore in vain it was to grieve: 
Mors ultima linea rerum.  They told them it was the common lot of all things; Not only Men, but famous Cities, flourishing Kingdoms had their periods: Anaxagoras comforted himself at the death of his Children, saying, he begat them but mortal ones: 
Heri vidi fragilem ftangi, hodiè mortalem mori.  Epictetus seeing a Woman weeping for her pitcher which she had broken, and next day for her Son being dead, stayed her mourning, telling her it was all one: her Son was but as an earthen pitcher.  
Little better are those comforts wherewith carnal Christians labour to relieve themselves and their Friends in these cases, as thus; Death is the way of all the earth, the house appointed for all living: 
Josh. 23.14. Job 30.23. Psalm 119.109. Jam. 4.14. Isa 40.6.  we carry our lives in our hand: Our life is as a vapour, which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away: All flesh is grass, and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field, the grass withereth, the flower fadeth. These are Scripture-truths indeed, and not taken out of Heathen Philosophers or Poets: They are such as rightly used and applied, may be comfortable to relieve under the loss of Friends and dear relations; But their intendment is not so much for Consolation as for Instruction to us, that hearing of the frailty of this life, we may prepare for eternity. Nor indeed in themselves absolutely can they afford any solid comfort, because they speak only to the condition and state of the Body; But when the state of the Soul after Death comes to be weighed, 
2 Cor. 5.10. Rev. 20.12 John 3.3, Rev. 20 10 Psal. 9.17.  as that all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, and that the Books shall be opened, and great and small must stand before God: when it shall be considered that unless a Man be born again, he shall never see the Kingdom of God: when hear of the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, and that the wicked shall be turned into Hell. I say again, when these things come to be weighed, the other passages barely considered, will be but as a spider's web wherein is no strength, how finely soever it may seem to be woven. But now when we have good grounds to believe concerning our dead Friends, that they loved, feared, and served God in their life time, that they were godly, in Christ Jesus, or in the words of the Text, that they were in the Lord Jesus when they died, when we can comfort one another with these words, This will afford strong consolation, for of such the word of truth saith, they are blessed; They are freed from sin, made perfect in holiness, they are entered into their Master's joy, they would not live again on earth, they are ten thousand thousand times better: This is comfort indeed, this is an Handkerchief to wipe away all tears from our eyes, yea, to make us go away and be no more sad. This is the use of Consolation; Oh that Christians would lay it up as a choice treasure, for so indeed it is; Some may need it for the present, let them make use of it; Others may soon need it, therefore lay it up against a time of need: 'Tis ordinary with us when we find any thing, though for the present we know not what use to put it to, yet we will lay it up, saying, we may need it before seven years come about; So I say of this, you will ere long, one and another, have need of this cordial, therefore keep it by you carefully: you may need it before seven years come about, perhaps before seven days, yea, seven hours come about: God may call you yourselves to die, and what will be your comfort in a sick bed, but to know you are in Christ, and so shall be blessed if you die? He may spare you and take away your Friends, Relations, wherein can you comfort yourselves under such providences but only in this, they were in Christ, and therefore are blessed.  
4. The fourth and last use shall be for Exhortation: It directs itself both to Saints and Sinners: But a word to the first, because there is great need of speaking a little more largely to the other. Therefore  
1. Let all the Children of God, and Members of Christ, study their own bliss, & acquaint themselves before hand with the glory that shall be revealed afterwards. 
Sursum corda.  Set your affections on things above; Let your conversation be in Heaven: Labour in your meditations to be rapt up into the third Heaven: Be often as it were drawing the Latch of Heaven door, and look in, yea, walk through that holy Land in the length and breadth of it: Holy, Heavenly Meditations will enable you to do all this. Let your hearts take possession of Heaven whiles your bodies are upon earth, and this will work a disdain of things below, 
Non satis futura gaudia, nostri nisi renuat conconsolari anima tua donec veniant.  as also a longing after the things above, which ought to be in every Child of God: surely the more we study this blessedness, the more will the desire after it be kindled in our breasts.  
But I shall speak no more to this part of the use, because all a long, and especially in the foregoing use, I have spoken to this matter in particular. Therefore  
2. This use directs itself to such as are yet sinners, out of Christ; My Exhortation to you is this, that you would speedily get into Christ: That you would labour to be such, as that when you come to die, you may be blessed: Die you must. Zerxes that great Commandre, standing in the head of a vast Army, wept to think that within one hundred years they would be all dead, even those valorous Men, who might seem to outbrave and defy death; The impossibility to avoid death is a certain truth at all times, but yet chief to be considered by us in these dying times, times of much mortality, God putting us in fear, that we may know ourselves to be but Men, Psal. 9.20. We are apt to put far away the evil day, 
Amos 6.3. Isa. 28.15  and to make Covenants with death; but when we study seriously the decree of God passing upon all, like the Laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be altered; when we consider our own weakness and frailty, our mould and metal, we cannot but know we must die: If our inside were turned outward, it would be seen that for fear of death, we are all our life time subject to bondage: This lies near our breast, 
Heb. 2.15.  and makes the heart even die within us, while yet we live.  
Oh poor Sinners! die you must, and no doubt but you would be glad to be blessed when you die; Balaam would fain be happy in death, Let me die the death of the righteous, Numb. 23.10. His wish implies, that none shall be blessed in death but the righteous: 
Sic mihi contingat vivere, sicque mori. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Now would you be happy in death, be holy in life: live in the Lord, and you shall die in the Lord: If you be gracious here, you shall be glorious hereafter: To whom to live is Christ, to them to die will be gain; But to them who live without Christ and without holiness, Death will be Death, and Hell into the bargain. 'Tis a frequent and true saying, that holiness is the way to happiness, not the causal and meritorious way, which only is Christ, but yet a way, and therefore the Apostle saith, Ep. 2.10. That God hath ordained that we should walk in it, that wherein we are to walk, certainly is a way, and if any balk holiness the way, they will never find happiness the end: 'Tis said of the Emperor Bassianus, that coming to the Empire, and being to choose a Title, he was wished by one to take the name of Pius, which signifies Godly, but he refusing that, chose rather to be called Faelix, which signifies happy, which occasioned his Friend to make this witty reply, and doth the Emperor think to be happy without being holy? 'Tis much disputed where the place of happiness is, and divers opinions are about it, but it is agreed on all hands about, which is the way that leads to it: The way is but one in this sense, the way of Holiness, which is not only but one way, but also a strait and narrow way, opposed to all lose and sinful walkings: Heaven is a place which receives not the proud, but the humble, not the covetous, but the liberal, not the unclean, but the chaste, not the drunken, but the sober, not the envious and malicious, but such as are of a meek, 
Col. 1.12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, qui idoneos nos fecit. Trem. Beza.  gentle, and loving Spirit: 'Tis the inheritance of Saints, for which persons must be made meet or fitted: The Spirit of God finds persons sinful, but it new moulds them, and changeth them into holy ones before it brings them to Heaven.  
'Tis said of one of the Roman Emperors, when he came to the Empire, he found the City built of Brick, but before he died, their buildings were of Marble: I may apply it to the change which the Holy Ghost makes in the Soul, 
Invenit lateritiam, reliquit marmoream. Suet. in vit. August.  he makes a sinful Soul holy, which is more than to pull down buildings of Brick, and to erect buildings of marble: The result of all is this, that Holiness is the way to blessedness, they who would take Christ for a Saviour, must take him for a Sampler: they who would have the benefit of his death, must take the example of his life. The Exhortation therefore is, labour to be holy, as ever you desire to be happy; Be divorced from your lusts, cast away your idols, subdue the strength of sin, bid no welcome to the Friends of sin, watch against the wiles and fetches of sin: make you a clean heart, get a regenerate heart, the image of God renewed upon your Souls, 
Qui vult finem, vult media ad finem.  cease not till you be partaker of the Divine Nature. In a word, be godly in Christ Jesus: you must use the means in order to the desired end: Must go to the School of Grace, before you can come to the University of Glory.  
I shall now lay down 4. things by way of caution, and then a few closing Counsels, and so I will have done. For the cautions.  
1. Do not think that all shall be blessed, for only they shall be blessed, who are in the Lord when they die: To be in Christ, and to be godly is all one: Now the Scripture saith, not only that all are not godly, but that the number of godly ones, compared with the ungodly, is but small, absolutely considered they are many, Matthew 8.11. Many shall come and sit down with Abraham, etc. Revel. 7.4. An hundred and forty and four thousand were sealed: But comparatively they are but few, Matth. 7.14. Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it, Luke 12.32. Fear not little flock, or as the Original will bear, little, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  little flock.  
2. Do not think that Christ and grace, and a right to blessedness may be had when thou wilt, to be at thy beck, come and it comes: There is this presumptuous conceit in many, which makes them not so much as look after getting into Christ, till they come to die, when they have extreme need of being in Christ, and not to have Christ then to get: 
Luke 19.42.  Let Sinners hear and fear that word and wish of Christ, Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day, the things that concern thy peace! yea, but they might say, we will know them, 'tis yet all in good time. He answers they had lost their day and season, and now they were hidden from their eyes. Will not some bemoan themselves when it is too late in the words of the Prophet? 
Jer. 8.20.  The Summer is past, the Harvest is ended, and we art not saved: The time of grace ends with the time of life to all. Manna must be gathered on the six days of thy life, there is no gathering on the seventh, resembling thy rest in death; there is no devise nor knowledge in the grave; But yet the day of grace may end with some, before they come to the end of the days of their life; And though we know not the expiration of it, nor can say of any particular person, nor any particular person say of himself, that the day of grace is past, unless it were known that he had sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost; Yet Scripture expressions hold forth the truth of the thing, that it is so; And therefore let all presumptuous delayers look well about them, and O Sinner, to day, on this thy day hear the voice of Christ, believe and repent. How knowest thou but this may be the day, this the Sermon, which if thou rejectest, Mercy and Peace may be for ever hidden from thine eyes. Blessedness is not to be had when thou wilt.  
3. Do not think, though thou livest in sin, and goest on in thy wickedness, yet thou mayest come to Heaven at last for all that; Consider, and seriously weigh but these Scriptures, Deut. 29.19. Gal. 6.7. 1 Cor. 6.9. And if this have been thy thought, thy inward thought, (for none will say so, whatever they think) they may well make thee be of another mind.  
4. And lastly, by way of caution, think not that every remiss way of serving of God, will serve the turn to bring thee to blessedness: Lukewarmness is the sin of our age, and the bane of our Souls; Many Christians by profession, are in their spiritual condition, 
1 King 2.1.  like David in his old age as to his bodily condition, so cold, that though they covered him with , yet he got no heat; All the Ordinances under which they lie, will not warm them into any Zeal, but they continue either very cold and frozen, or at most but lukewarm; Like the Climate wherein they live, which is neither extreme cold, nor violently hot, but temperate; they have a profession, but no power, they keep in a round of duties, without being quickened in any love to God, or zeal for God; but alas this will not bring to Blessedness, as was showed before in the opening of the Text. These are the cautions.  
Now to draw to a Conclusion, I have from the Scripture before us, held forth the bliss and happiness of Saints, and thereby an offer hath been made of the same blessedness unto Sinners: It offers itself to you, Oh that you would offer yourselves to it! In this Sermon you may say, Salvation came to your House: it came to your Doors; Heaven goes a begging that it may be accepted; But it fares in this case, as we commonly observe in other cases, proffered things find little acceptance, because proffered: And indeed if we consider the multitude of Sermons that are preached, and how in every Sermon Christ, and Heaven, and Blessedness are offered, yet by very few accepted; We must needs think and judge, the frequent tenders do through the corruption of our hearts, occasion the horrible slighting of them: Silver in the days of Solomon; being common was of no account: The Lord grant this sin bring not upon us the scarcity of the Word, that it should be with us as in the days of Samuel, 
1 Sam. 3.1.  The Word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no open vision. The time may come, when we would give a world to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and shall not see it: To hear one Sermon of Heaven and glory, but shall not hear it.  
I have showed Saints the blessedness which they shall have, and also to Sinners the way how they may share in this Blessedness: I do again counsel Sinners to look after it, yea, in the Name of the Lord I charge you to close with it; Now to provoke you to it, I shall lay down five closing Conclusions very briefly, and so leave them upon your hearts and thoughts.  
1. This Counsel is such as never any repent that took it: It worketh repentance not to be repent of; If any repent of Christ, it is because he never truly knew Christ: They who say, it is in vain to serve God, Malachi 3.4. Are such as never truly served him.  
2. 'Tis such Counsel, as if it be refused, you will certainly repent of the refusal, yea, and that when it is too late: Oh that I had known the things of my peace! will be the doleful lamentation in the scorching flames of Hell.  
3. 'Tis such Counsel as in your own Consciences, when you are serious, you think you ought to take; Yea, Sinners think to do it, whereby they show that they know, they ought to do it; 
Fertur equi Auriga  The reason why it is not done, is not because we do not know it ought to be done, but we are hurried with our strong lusts and corruptions; We are cumbered with our Farms and our Trades, we lose Heaven in the crowd of earthly businesses.  
4. 'Tis such Counsel, as if followed, carries its reward with it, though there were no Blessedness to ensue, no glory afterwards: holiness is happiness, God's work is wages.  
5. And lastly, the contempt of it will not only leave you short of Blessedness, but conclude you under inevitable misery and cursedness, it will bring an heavy shock of wrath and ruin upon Soul and Body.  
Hear the Conclusion of the whole matter; Get into Christ, for this will free you from being cursed, and also make you everlastingly Blessed.  
FINIS.   

CHRISTIAN READER.  
THis Sermon presented to your view, was preached at the Funeral of Mr. Thomas Goodwin, an eminent light and pillar of the Church in the place where he lived, who after he had served his generation by the Will of God, fell on sleep, Sept. 4. 1658.  
He sleeps in Jesus; he gave evident proof that he was one in Christ, and therefore we may conclude from what hath been spoken, he is now Blessed, for blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, or that are in the Lord when they die: He was a good, yea, a precious Man: Let him have the memorial of the righteous, which is and shall be blessed. He was well known to be a Minister of great worth, every way qualified for the work of the Ministry: It was his desire from a Youth to be a Minister (as himself hath sometimes told me) & according to his hearts desire, the Lord in due time disposed of him, and drew him out to that service, fitting him for it, and blessing him in it. How he was fitted for it, the Brethrens in the whole County, and many others to whom he was known in more remote places, will give ample Testimony.  
How he was blessed in it, the many weeping eyes at his Funeral, with the sad complaints still under this great loss do speak: these declare him to have been under God an instrument of much good. Though success do not constitute a good Ministry (for a good Man may fish all night and catch nothing,) yet it doth declare and evidence it: These I remember were his own words, long since in the time of his health at the Lecture in Brentwood, and this evidence he abundantly had.  
He was learned and godly, 
Doctior an Sanctior?  which is a most blessed conjunction, where ever they meet; it is hard to say which of the two did bear the preeminence in him, they seemed to keep pace, and that no slow pace; He was eminent in both. He had much profited in humane Learning, but especially in the studies of Divinity, and in particular had gotten great acquaintance with the Scriptures; He was like Ezra, A ready Scribe in the Law of God, he was an. 
Ezr. 7.6. Acts 18.24.  Apollo's, mighty in the Scriptures. He was but young, yet his attainments were very great, God gave of his Spirit abundantly to him. In Praying he was a sweet Soul, full of the breathe of the Holy Ghost: In Preaching he was very powerful, speaking to his Hearers as if he had been within them: In his walking he was an Exemplary Christian, an Exemplary Minister, he might say to his people, as Gideon to his Soldiers, Look on me, and do likewise. 
Jud. 7.17.   
His Preaching was such, that the godly learned did admire him, and yet the meanest capacities (they of the Belfry, as is Mr. Latimer's expression) did understand him; he had such a winning way, that his Sermons were not tedious, but his Hearers seemed to be chained to his lips.  
He was a great Pains-taker; in preaching so often, and yet carried on with delight: I am persuaded, he might have said in the words of that holy Bishop, My witness is in Heaven, 
Cowper.  that the love of Christ, and people's Souls, made frequent Preaching my recreation and pleasure.  
His Words seemed to come from his very heart, one that did eat the roll, as the Prophet is bid, 
Ezek. 3.1.  before he gave it to his Hearers to digest: An Argument that they came from the heart, was his earnest driving on, that they might go to the hearts of his people; He thought he had done nothing, till his Hearers hearts were more renewed, and their Lives more reform: Till (to use his own words) he could read the sabbath-days work, in their Weekdays conversation.  
His Life was a looking-glass, wherein the people might see to dress and attire their Conversation: I may say in the words of the Apostle, 1 Thess. 2.10. His people were Witnesses, 
Ille solus praedicat viuâ voce, qui praedicat vitâ & voce.  and God also; how holily, and justly, and unblamably, he behaved himself among them: being as a Minister of Christ ought to be, a lover of good Men, sober, just, holy, temperate, Tit. 1.8.  
He was very zealous in the work of Reformation: The zeal of God's House did even eat him up, and in the cause of God he shown undaunted Courage, vigorously pursuing what might make for the glory of God, in despite of all opposition; one might stand upon his grave, and say as a great person said over the grave of Mr. Knox, Here lies one who never feared the Face of any Man. I knew him well, yet could I never perceive that he was sinfully, and proudly puffed up, though his large endowments might have tempted him thereunto, but in his whole Conversation, as far I could judge, did behave himself holily, humbly.  
He lived free from worldly Encumbrances, but very full of cares for the promoting Gods glory, and his people's Salvation: He hath sometime told me in the time of his health, how sadly it would go to his heart, (upon hearing the Bell ring sometime in the night, which gave notice that some person was dead) that any one should be sick and die, and himself their Pastor have no notice of their sickness, nor be so much as desired to confer with them about their spiritual estate: His Lamentation was in these words, Moriuntur oves, dormitat Pastor, The shepherd lies a sleeping, while the sheep lie adying. The great care of Souls made him study how to quit himself from being overcharged with the cares of this life, declaring by his little meddling with the things of the world, that he sought not the things of his own, but the things of Jesus Christ; This should be the endeavour of every sincere Christian, but especially of every faithful Minister.  
The Palm Tree, 
Psalm 92.12.  to which the righteous is compared, is least in the body or trunk near the earth, and biggest in the boughs nearest Heaven: The frame of the fleshly heart in the body being close shut up in that part which is towards the earth, but more broad and open in the upper part towards Heaven, shows what should be the spiritual frame of every gracous heart: Thus was it with this good Man, 
2 Tim. 2.4  and precious Servants of Jesus Christ, he abhorred to be entangled with the affairs of this life, that Heaven might have the more room in his heart.  
In a word, He was a Minister of the Gospel, and he did, Hoc agere, endeavour the fulfilling of his Ministry; He did intent his work, he made it his business, being one who studied to approve himself to God, a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, 2 Tim. 2.15.  
He was taken away young, but he did work while it was day, yea, he laboured much, as if he did foresee, he had not long time to work in: Diu vixit, et si non diu fnit, He did much work in a little time. 'Tis much to be lamented that his Sermon notes were written so illegibly, through a quick and hasty writing, whereby it becomes impossible, they should ever be published to the glory of God, and the benefit of the Church.  
Thus have I given a brief account of what he was in the time of his Life and Health: Divers know what hath been spoken, is no other than what might be spoken deservedly and in truth; yea, much more might be spoken without any suspicion of Flattery. The sum of all is this, He lived in the Lord, he lived to the Lord.  
I may add, He died in the Lord, yea, died to the Lord, as may be judged by his deportment under that sickness which ended his days: Dying to the Lord as hath been showed, is when a person cast upon his sick bed endeavours the exercise and laying out of his graces to the glory of God, and the profit of them with whom he doth converse: Thus did he very sweetly, so far as could possibly be expressed, considering the shortness of his sickness, being but for the space of fourteen days, as I best remember, and the Stupifyingnesse of his Disease, seizing and much dulling his Spirits.  
He did much impair the strength of his outward Man, by a free letting out himself in discourse about Heavenly things to some Neighbours, who came to visit him, the first Sabbath after he was taken: This did much increase his distempers, and of this he was the day following very sensible, and could not but confess it to me, at my first visiting of him; At this my first visit, in discourse I spoke to him by way of remembrance, if need were, about that Christian duty of willing submission to Gods Will, under every dispensation of providence, and so that of his present sickness in particular: To this counsel he readily concurred, and withal added, that it was his desire to reach further, and not only to submit, which an ordinary Christian might do, but to raise up himself to Courage and Cheerfulness under the rod; Annexing also a reason, why he of all Men should not droop under Affliction, saying, he blessed God, that hitherto he could date his choicest mercies from some great Affliction.  
I sometime in discourse, held forth what desperate attempts Satan had made upon God's Children, when they were brought low by sickness, and therefore counselled him to set Faith on work, being the only Shield to quench the fiery darts of the Devil: To this he replied, that I bless God, as yet, Satan hath got no ground by this Affliction. This passed, I think at a second visit. But coming to him again after a few days, (it was on the Sabbath day, the last Sabbath to him in this life,) I found him brought low by his sickness, insomuch that I then began to fear he would not break it: Hereupon I entered a more close discourse as to eternity, hinting withal my own fears, that his sickness might be mortal, he took it (as he expressed himself) exceeding kindly, and gave me a full Answer to what in my discourse I drove at. Dear Friend, said he, two days since I overheard the Doctor speaking to my Wife, as if he feared me: and I bless God who so ordered it that I should hear it: For indeed till then, I did not so seriously consider of death, as since I have done; I did all a long my sickness set my heart to endeavour a sanctified use of the Lords hand, but overhearing that, I thought it needful to look most carefully into my heart, as to evidences for eternity, and truly, saith he, upon a thorough search of my heart, I bless God, I find good old evidences, though I be but a young Man, and they stick very close to me: But Friend, said he, one thing I must tell you troubles and afflicts my Spirit very much, that when I grew very serious, being exercised about serious work, the searching of my heart for eternity evidences, I perceived this seriousness of mine, was judged by some to be melancholy for the fear of death: Now this indeed troubles me very much, that any should take me to be such an one, who am afraid to die.  
Some other visits I gave him, but for fear of wronging him being very weak; I only upon his desire prayed with him and left him: At one of these times he spoke privately to me, that he was willing to have discoursed, but because of some Company in the room, he judged it not convenient.  
Upon Friday, the day before he departed, I had some discourse with him, which was occasioned thus: Some godly Neighbours had agreed a private meeting to seek the Lord for him, and they had desired me to meet with them: Now that I might know the better how to order my Petitions, I thought it needful to visit my sick Friend in the way, and thereby to be better informed, whether his sickness did increase upon him; I came to his Bedside, but he laystil, and seemed not to know me: Hereupon his Wife asked him if he knew me, he said yes, and called me by my name; but withal asked if it were Thursday, (supposing I had been come to the Lecture, and so by the way visited him:) I then told him it was Friday, and so gave him an account whither I was going, even to join with his people in seeking the Lord for him, and desired to know, what he would have us most importune the Lord for on his behalf.  
After a little pause, he broke out into most affectionate speeches, to express his own sense of his people's love to him, and how greatly his Love was set upon them: I could not bear away all his words, but he was full of these, Oh my poor people! Oh the Souls of my poor people! How dear, how precious are they to me! Oh if God should spare me, how would I lay out myself for them! After this he prayed me to commend him to his people, and tell them, that wherein he desired their prayers was to beg of God a clearer sense of his love, saying, not that I altogether want it, for I bless God, I have it, but saith he, Sometimes— and so laid down and said no more, and I finding him to be much spent with speaking, durst not urge him any further, but went away partly rejoicing that though Satan did buffet, yet that he had been able to prevail no further.  
On the next day being Saturday, (in the evening whereof the Lord took him) I went again to him in the afternoon, but before I was up the stairs, I heard him speaking with a very loud voice; This at first hearing struck my heart, perceiving his distemper was come to that height, that there could be no hopes conceived of his life: before I went in, I stood hearing him a little time at the door, 
Cygnea cantio. Oportet Episcopum concionantem mori.  and by and by went in, and stood by his bedside, attending to what he spoke; where indeed I heard a precious, powerful discourse about the sweetness & fullness of Christ: It was spoken just as if he had been in the Pulpit preaching: I could not but stand and wonder to hear a distempered head vent such a discourse, so methodical and so clear, with the quoting of Scriptures, and no failing in sense, and not much faltering in words; he quoted 1 Cor. 3.21, 22, 23. And went as far as he could in rehearsing the words, All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollo's, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things— here his mouth being much claimed he could not get out his words, but yet made a shift to add, because ye are Christ's: I know the distemper of his head was the cause of this loud speech, but yet I believe this distemper was a means to draw forth what was in his heart. Now perceiving that he had spent himself far beyond what his then little or no strength would bear, I spoke to him saying; My dear Friend, though your discourse may be very profitable to myself and others that stand by, yet I know it doth much spend and weaken you, and so wished him to forbear and lie still; Hereupon he did cease a while, and after some little pause, he spoke again in some few, (but very sweet words,) which were these; Well, it is a sweet thing when he that speaks of Christ, hath Christ dwelling in him at that time when he speaks. After this he spoke no more while I was there, neither can I learn of others that he spoke any more, but left those for his last words: And so falling into slumberings and cold sweats before midnight, he gave up the Ghost. He had finished his Testimony; The Witnesses cannot be slain till this be done, Rev. 11.7. His work was done, and now he hath his Crown; Our work is not yet done, but it remains that we be followers of the Saints, as they were followers of Christ, then shall we also receive the Crown, 
2 Tim. 4.8.  the Crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give, not to a Paul only, a Minister, a Preacher of the Gospel; But to them also that love his appearing.