OF THE FOUR LAST AND GREATEST THINGS: Death, judgement, Heaven and Hell.  
The Description of the Happiness of Heaven, and misery of Hell, by way of Antithesis.  
WITH The way or means to pass through Death, and Judgement, into Heaven, and to avoid Hell.  
By WILLIAM SHEPHERD, Esquire.  Revel. 21. 7, 8. 
He that overcometh shall inherit all things, And I will be his God. And he shall be my Son. But the fearful and unbelieving and abominable, Murderers, Whoremongers, Sorcerers, Idolaters, and all Liars shall have their part, in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.  
LONDON, Printed by G. Dawson for Thomas Brewster, and are to be sold at his Shop a little within Creed-lane, near the West end of Paul's, at the sign of the three Bibles. 1649.   

To the Right Honourable, the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of PARLIAMENT.  
Worthy Gentlemen,  
WHen the World was shaken by Adam's sin, God secured it by the promise of his Son. When Canaan was distressed by the 
Gen. 3. 15. Judg. 6.  Midianites, he sent his servant Gideon a Saviour to it. Now England is distracted, and her foundations out of course, he hath raised you up (the unwearied Worthies of our Nation) to repair the breaches, and settle the foundations thereof. A work albeit very honourable; yet (as yourselves have very well experimented) very hardly accomplished. For wha● from the rage of professed adversaries, the inconstancy, ingratitude, ignorance, and wilfulness of seeming friends, blinded with their own unruly passions, whereby they have foolishly mistaken the men and their meaning, Yourselves have been sometimes by the mutinous distempers of the common multitude brought into great peril of destruction: those whom you have saved, & who for your safety ought to have sacrificed themselves, being willing to have you destroyed and sacrificed. But unsearchable providence (hitherto your Sanctuary amidst these perils) hath wheeled and driven on (though in somewhat a dubious method) your great Counsels, through your adversaries attempts. And it's often appearing for you and your Armies (as from under a Cloud) doth assure myself, & the many thousands that love and honour you, that a work carried on with so many hands and heart's; so much prayer life and spirit; so much faith and patience, cannot by the rage of man (which in all times hitherto hath praised 
Psal. 76. 10.  God be disappointed of its end.  
And now Right honourable, sigh this providence hath given you, in appearance, some hope of a little breathing time. I crave leave humbly to present you with this small Treatise of the ●o●re last things, Death, judgement, Hell and Heaven: wherein are plainly but profitably handled things of highest concernment, and therefore well becoming men of choicest employments. I know your wisdoms and piety need not be minded in whose presence you stand, whose part (in the managing of the weighty affairs of the 
Math. 12 16.  Kingdom you act, to what strength you are engaged for all your glorious, and never to be forgotten deliverances, 
Rom. 2. 6  and to whom ere long for the work you have done, words you have spoken, and ends you have had therein, you must give an account. You n●●d not be minded that for every word you speak, an account must be given by you, who by speaking one word may make or mar a Kingdoms We need not tell you that it is a double crime which is committed under the sacred name of authority and greatness; that the sins of great ones in the politic, are as dangerous as pestilent Fevers to the natural body. 
Ps. 82. 8.  Shall we mind you (Gods amongst men) that you shall ●h●r●v die like men, and that impartial Death knoweth no faces, that Heaven is the reward of the righteous, Tophet is prepared of old for Kings: That you and we must all appear before ●he highest bar, where all your judgements shall be rejudged, your secrets discovered, and yourselves rendered responsable not only for all the good you have not done, but for the evil you have not hindered: have we need to comfort you under your matchless labours, and to tell you of Beds and rest at hand? you know how to 
Esa. 57 2  arm yourselves against Reproaches, Censures and Slanders, with the meditation of the day of Revelation when the Lord shall bring to light the hidden things of darkness, 
Rom. 2. 5 1 Cor. 4. 5. Math. 10 ●●●●6.  and then shall every man [that deserves it] have praise of God. And that there is nothing ●●d● but shall be then made know●. These general truths, and such like as these largely discussed in this Treatise, albeit you do very well know already, and are established in them● yet since the best of men to so easily forget them, and are at some time or other to seek in them; shall I beg leave in these few lines to become your remembrancer thereof? The Lord hath many times (Right Honourable) remembered you in your low estate; his people from all places are mindful of you, you have the blessing of many thousand prayers upon you; you are engaged in as acceptable a service to God and good men, as ever any Assembly was; as great expectation there is from you as ever was, from any Parliament of England, and as likely you are to have opportunity to render your names renowned to succeeding generations, as ever any Parliament of ours had. There are still those amongst us that would again cast us into the Fire and Water, Mark 9 22. And we say to you our Masters, help us, save, or else we perish; If you can do any thing have compassion on this almost expired Kingdom: the Lord grant you may keep back nothing from us that may do us good; and that your own ways, ends, wills, and interests may be s●●allowed up in that work you are called unto; and that therein your motion may be like that of the Heavens, intrinsical and from within swift with the primum mobile; but slow with your own: And if herein you may have any furtherance by these plain meditations, it can be no dishonour to you, but will be much honour and comfort to me, who begging pardon for my boldness and plainness, Pray, that the God of Heaven will give you all such a spirit as is fearless of danger, faithful to your trust, and successful in your great work.  
Which will be the daily Prayer of Your most humble Servant WILLIAM SHEPHEARD.   

To the Reader.  
Christian Reader.  
THou hast here presented to thy view, a plain but profitable Treatise of the four last things, Death, Judgement, Hell and Heaven. And these, if they (having respect to Saints or Sinners) wereever needful and useful; then in this evil and perilous time: wherein, albeit the foundations of the world seem to shake, and Heaven 
Luke ●●. ●●● 26.  and Earth to be passing away; and albeit, there be trouble ●mongst the Nations with perplexity, the Sea and Waters roar; insomuch as men's [yea, godly men's] hearts fail for fear, and with looking after the 
Mat. 24. 12.  things which are coming on the world: yet iniquity doth abound, and the whole Earth seemeth to be filled with 
Gen. 6. 11.  violence and wickedness, and most men live as if there were neither God nor Devil, Heaven nor Hell. It is true, these things are continually sounding in our ears: and is it not as true (and woe and alas that it is so!) they do for the most part, as soon pass through the ears of the hearer, as from the mouth of the speaker● Whence 
Vox audita perit. Amos 6. 3.  else is it, that wicked men approach to the seat of iniquity: but that they put far from them the evil day? Whence is it that they cry peace, peace, and sing a requiem to their Souls, with the fool in the gospel; but 
1 Thess. 5. 3. 2.  that they forget that sudden destruction is at hand, and 
Luk. 12. 19, 20  this night their souls may be taken from them● whence is it, that good men's hearts shake so at the present 
Heb. ●2. 27. ●8  shaking of things in the world; but that they have forgotten the Kingdom that cannot be shaken● whence is it, that the good and bad both slumber and watch not; but that they have forgotten that the coming of the Lord is nigh, and he will come as a 
Mat. 25. 1, 2, 3, etc.  Thief in the night? And whence is it tha● there is such an overflowing of sin in the world, but from hence, that men think not enough of these things. For the prevention and cure therefore of these epidemical evils; I have gathered and bound up together these heavenly truths, as medicine made of many ingredients and give it you in writing. And oh that now we could persuade you to turn aside from you●●age● 
Litera Scripta manet.  pursuit of earthly things, and come and see what it is, and try what it will do! And for this may we prevail with you to look into them, and keep them as a sign upon your hands, as fron●●e●s between your eyes, that you will write them on the posts of your houses and your gates, or rather on the tables of your hearts, that they being ever in your sight, may be never out of 
Deut. 6. 6, 7, 8.  your mind. Remember and forget not, that very shortly the grie●ly Sergeant Death will a● rest you, and clap you up in the Prison of the grave, where you shall by and by hear the dreadful vo●ce of the last T●ump● crying a wake ye dead, and come to judgement: look sometimes in at H●ll gates, and think of the wrath to come; and at other times take a view of the Heavenly Canaan, and walk a turn or two in the Paradise of God. If the thought of one of these, how much more shall the thought of them all make us apply our hearts to wisdom. Th●se thoughts, w●ll 〈◊〉 less, much settle the hearts of Saint, in this shaking time, 
1 Cor 15. 31. Psal. 1. 1. 5. Mat. ●. 15. Col. 1. 12. Deut 32. 39  make them active for God, careful to 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 so, that they may be always ready to die, able to stand in the Judgement; sure to escape the damnation of Hell, and to be made meet for the inheritance of the Saints in heaven. And oh, that men were thus wise to understand this, to consider their latter end.  
Thy Christian friend, W. S.   

Of the four last and great things, Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell, and the things that concern the same.  

Of Death. DOCTRINE.  
All men must die; or, There is an unavoidable necessity of dying laid upon all men. Hebr. 9 27. It is appointed to men once to die. Psal. ●9. 48. What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? not a man. Eccles. 6. 6. Do not all go to one place. Job 30. 23. I know thou wi●● bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.  
FOr the opening of this point, we must say something to these three things; First, what this death whereof we speak is: Secondly, What necessity there is that all men must die this death: Thirdly, Wherefore this necessity is imposed upon mankind, and wherefore it is so.  
For the first, By death here, we mean, not the privation of our communion with God, or the separation of soul and body from God's favour in this world, which is caused by sin, and is called an alienation from the life of God: or, the second death, or spiritual death, Luke 1. 79. Ephes. 2. 1, 2, 4. 18. or the separation of the whole man from God's heavenly presence and glory to be punished with everlasting fire in Hell called eternal death, or the perdition of soul and body in Hell, or the second death. And this is proper only to wicked men, and cannot touch the godly, Rom. 6. 23. Revel. 20. 6. 4. Rom. 8. 6. 2 Thess. 1. 9 Matth. 10. 28. Rev. 2. 11.  
But by death in this place we intent the privation of the life of the body, or the separation of the soul from the body for sin: or the change of this mortal for an immortal life. And this is called a bodily or worldly death, or the first death. And this death is common to all men good and bad, Heb. 9 27. 1 Cor. 15. 32. Gen. 5. 24. 35. This death is either natural (i.) when a man liveth out his full days and then dieth: or violent, (i) when a man's death is hastened by some violent accident, that a man doth kill himself, or is killed by another. Also it is said to be common and ordinary, when it is by an ordinary or usual means, or extraordinary when it is by some strange or unusual m●ans, Numb. 16. 29.  
〈◊〉, The necessity we here speak of is not absolute but limited to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. For he may if he please dispense with his own Law and the penalty thereof, and exempt some men from this common lot of mankind, as once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, who is said to be translated that he did not 〈◊〉 death, Hebr. 11. 5. Gen. 5. 24. so afterwards Eli●h, 2 Kings 2. 11. and as again, he will do with those which shall be a live at Christ's coming to judgement, 1 Thess. 4. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 51. W● shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. But in an ordinary way, God hath appointed to all men once to die; and to this law of the King of Kings must all men young and old, rich and poor without difference, of necessity submit.  
For the third thing, 1. That it is so and must be so that all men must die, these reasons may be given for it. 1 God in his eternal counsel hath decreed it, Heb. 9 27. It is appointed to men once to die. And his counsel standeth fast for ever, and the thoughts of his heart unto all generations, Psal. 33. 11. Esay 46. 10. We read in ●say 28. 15. of some that had made a Covenant with death That it should not come ●igh the●. But God tells them, v. 18. That he would disannul their Covenant, for the Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to ●ought, and maketh the devises of the people of none ●ffect. 2. Man's sin hath deserved it. Gen. 2. 17. In the day thou ●●test thereof thou shalt surely die. Rom. 5 12. As by one man sin ●ntred into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. Rom 6. 23. 1 Cor. 15. 22. As in Ad●m all die, (i) sin and death came upon all men. 3. Man in his nature is mortal and corruptable, as the Trees, as therefore these, however some of them, as Oaks and the like, live longer than others; yet do all of them in time by age whither and die, and none of them live for ever, because they are of a dying nature: so it is with men; though some of them live longer than others, yet experience shows u● that they all die at one time or other, Eccles. 6. 6. 7. Though ●e live a thousand year● 〈◊〉. Do not all go to one place? 4. Unless the body die it cannot be capable of that state to which it is ordained. For the wicked man must have such a body as is fitted everlastingly to burn without consumption, and the godly man must have such a body as is capable of the everlasting enjoyment of the glory of heaven, which the present body cannot do. As therefore the seed which is ●own is not quickened unless it die, so unless these bodies of the Saints die, they cannot have those new bodies prepared for them, which are bodies with new qualities. 1 Cor. 15. 37, 39, 40, etc. It is ●own in corruption, it is raised in incorruption, it is sow● in dishonour, raised in glory, sown in weakness, raised in power, sown a natural, raised a spiritual body. The bodies of the Saints shall be then sound, and of a nature that cannot corrupt, glorious and com●ly without any deformity: powerful that is able to continue without the humane helps of meat, drink, and , without which they cannot new be kept: they must put off their old ragged  of mortality if ever they mean to put on the princely ●obes of immortality and life. 2. And thus God will have it, and his providence hath disposed of it for the manifestation of his own glory; the glory of his Justice in the punishment of man's sin, the glory of his Truth in making good his word, and the glory of his power in the resurrection of the bodies of men. Io. 9 3. 11. 39, 40.  
It is needful that we answer one objection, ere we go further. If death be Object. the wages of sin, and Christ hath given satisfaction for the sins of his people, how comes it to pass that they die?  
To this we answer: 1. This objection may be made against all the afflictions Answer. of God's people▪ 2. Christ never promised by his Word, nor intended by his Death to free his people from afflictions and so from death, but f●om the evil and hurt thereof only: and so he doth free his people from death insomuch as it is not now a curse but a blessing, a token of God's love, and means of man's good. Christ as he took not away sin itself, but the guilt thereof, so he took not away death itself, but the sting thereof, Revel. 14. 13. Rom. 8. 28. Hebr. 12. verse 8. 10. Revel. 3. verse 19 1 Corinth. 15 〈◊〉 56.  
If any man shall ask now when he must die?  
We must answer him that we know not when, for as there is nothing in 
ivest Q●●. Answer.  the world more certain than death, so there is nothing more uncertain than the time when men shall die; this God hath kept in his own hands. This only is certain that at the longest it will not be long, for man's age is but short. Psal. 9 5. As a hand breadth, and as nothing before God. job 14. 1, 2. Man that is borne of a woman is of ●ew days etc. He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not. Psal. 102. 11. 03. 15. 144. 4. Psal. 89 47. Remember how short my time is? job 7. 6, 7. 20. 16. 22. jam. 4 14. Esay. 48 6. All flesh is grass. Psal 90 10. Isa man li●● to 〈◊〉. or by reason of strength to 80. yet is it soon cut of and we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And how much of this in thy life is spent already? But perhaps thou mayest not live out half thy days, for men like sheep die of all ages. Psalm 55. 23 and this doth commonly fall out that the longer men think to live the less while they have to live. 1 Thes. 5. 3. Luke 12. ●. 20.  
This p●ynt being cleared let us now see what use may be made of it. Use. 1 And first it may serve us for exhortation to divers things, and this two ways. First, as having reference to our own death. Secondly, as having reference to the death of others. As having reference to our own death, it doth serve to exhort and persuade us to these things. First to believe it: let us believe it, that we must die, and that of all this world of men, women and children now alive, there will not after a few years one be left. Scarcely will a man believe that seethe a great appletree thick of clusters that ever these will fall one by one; and yet being ripe how soon will they be all dropped down and gone? So it is of men, one generation passeth and another cometh. Eccles. 1. 4. Secondly, to think of it: let us meditate and consider of this, that we must die. For however it may be thought a vain and needless persuasion to persuade men to believe and think they shall die, and every man will be ready to say he doth believe this and it is never out of his thought, and who doth not so? Yet it is more than manifest by most men's lives that they do not so. For doth that man that taketh nothing about him to defend him against ●oule weather believe he shall meet with it in his journey? Doth he that makes no provision for a new, believe he shall shortly be put out of his old house? Doth he believe he must shortly put of his old, that makes no provision for new ? Doth the Th●●fe or Murderer believe there is a Prison and Gallows for Thee●es and Murderers whilst he doth kill or steal? Or doth that Servant while he wasteth or spoileth his Master's goods, or abuseth his follow Servants think of his Masters coming to call him to an account? Nor doth he that neglecteth all the care of provision for another life think of it that he must shortly go out of this life. Can it be that the profane Scorner, cruel Oppressor, licentious Epicure or s●●●re Libertine should be persuaded that he must shortly die, and after death come to judgement? Hath he not rather with them in Esay. 28. 15. made a Covenant with death that it shall not come nigh to him? And doth he not say with them in Amoz 9 10. evil shall not overtake me? Albeit they see wise men die and likewise the foolish, is it not their thought that their houses shall continue for ever? Psal. 42. 11. It is certain this lesson no man can learn till God teach it him: otherwise Moses had not need in a time of mortality when so many fell on his right hand and on his left hand to pray Psal. 90. 12. Lord teach us to number our days. It is a p●ant of Gods own planting in man's heart, sadly and seriously to think and be persuaded of the vanity and shortness of man's life, that it is but a Tale, a Shadow, a Sleep, a Race, a Bubble, a Smoke, a Wind, a Flower, to think how many ways and how easy a man may take his death, that our life is short and much of it passed already, that the day of our death is at hand, that our Sun is about to set, that our Shadow declineth and is ready to vanish, that it is certain we must die; but uncertain when we must die; these and such like thoughts as these God's spirit only suggesteth, and the Devil with all his might opposeth. Esay. 28. 15. Luk 12. 19 Psal. 30. 4, 5. Let us then think of it that death is the common condition of mankind, and that ourselves are mortal and may and must die shortly: and let us say with Barzillai. 2 Sam. 19 37. How long have I to live? If it be asked, How we must think of it? We answer first daily and continually; not once a week, much less is once a month, or once a year sufficient to entertain this meditation of death. 1 Cor. 15. ●1. I die daily. 2 Cor. 21. 23. in deaths often. First, death hangeth over my head continually, and I do incessantly prepare myself for it. Psal. 119. 109. Secondly, seriously and sadly, as of a thing that doth most of all concern us, not cursorily, scornfully or profanely as 
.  the Gentles. 1 Cor. 15. 32. Esay. 22. 13. Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall die. Thirdly, profitably so as to make some advantage thereby to our souls. Psalm 90. 12. Teach us so to number our days as to apply our hearts to wisdom. Fourthly, let us think of it as near, and at the doors, and not with those in Amoz 6. 3 and the evil servant Mat. 24. 28. as fare of, as a thing delayed or prolonged. Ezek. 12. 22. 11. 11. Prov. 7. 19 To quicken us up to this duty let us consider these things. First, this meditation of death will keep the heart in a good frame. First, in a repenting frame Jon. 3. 4. 5. 6. etc. Secondly, in a patiented and a contented frame Job 1. 21. 2 Sam. 12. 23. Thirdly, in a sober frame towards the vain delights of this world; we shall not easily be intemperate in the use of that we look upon as perishing in the using Eccles. 6 11. 12. chap. ●. ●, 2. chap. 5. 9, 10. 15. Fourthly, in an humble frame for we will not be lifted up with any thing we have or think we have whilst we are persuaded we must shortly leave it Gen. 18. 27. Acts 14, 15. 5. This will keep the heart in a watchful and careful temper. 2 Cor. 5. 6. 9 2 Tim. 4 5. 6. Secondly, this meditation will be a preservative unto us to keep us from doing evil, and a spurr to provoke us to good Amoz 6. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 5. 2 Cor. 5 6, 7. 2. Pet. 1. 13, 14, 15. Thirdly, this meditation will make us to take care to provide for death and keep us from being surprised thereby unawares which will be dangerous to us. Mat. 24. 48, 49, 50. Helps. To help us in this meditation let us use these means. First, let us have our Coffins always ready in our houses. Remember to die: Written in great Letters before us: and (if we may) have our Sepulchers in our gardens Io●. 19 41. Mat. 27. 57, 58, 59, 60. Secondly, let us read oft those Scriptures and Books that treat of man's mortality. Thirdly, let us look often upon the examples of mortality. Eccles. 7. 4. It is better to go to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting, because this is the end of all men, and ●●e living will ●●y it to heart. Let us look much on our dying and think much on our dead friends and say as David I shall go to them. Fourthly, pray that God will mind us of it. Psal. 90. 12. Thirdly, the third main duty we are from hence to be exhorted to, is to prepare for death before it come; we use to provide for a great journey when we are to undertake it, a great while before: and before we go out of one house we use to take care where we may have another: And th●● is great reason for this. 1. because it is a needful care. 2. It is a wise care, it is a high point of holy wisdom so to do, and extreme folly to neglect it. Pro. 10. 5. 3. It is a glorious care, it will be much to the honour and praise of him that doth take it, and to the shame and reproach of him that doth neglect it. 4. It is a profitable care, for this will much joy the heart and assuage the evil of death when it comes. Fiftly, we if we be found unprepared for death when it comes are undone for ever. If you shall desire to know when this preparation must be made? We answer: this work of preparation for death (being the work of a believer) must be set upon presently and 
.  without delay, and may not be put of to the morrow, much less to the time of old age, or of, or after men's death. For 〈◊〉, although it be certain that a 〈◊〉 shall ●●e, yet it is uncertain when he shall die. Secondly, no man knows what a day may bring forth; perhaps he may not have to morrows time to 
.  do it. Thirdly, he will be less ●it to morrow than he is to day. Fourthly, ●he latest preparation is never to late, but the late preparation is seldom true. Fifthly, it will be hard late to do any thing to it when death comes; for we shall be then most of all unfit for the work. Sixtly, old age is also a most unfit time for 〈◊〉 Eccles. 12. 1. 2. Seventhly, when we come to d●● we shall find it enough to do that work, it will therefore be our wisdom to have nothing else to do at that time but to die. Eightly, It will be too late to do any thing after death, for there is then no time of amendment of any thing; for as death leaves m●n, so judgement will find them. Ec. 9 10. Ninthly, we read but of one that did put of this care to the last and prospered in it: and this instance is extraordinary. If now you shall ask how this preparation must be made? We answer, It hath respect to two times. First, to all the time of amans life. Secondly, to the time a little before his death. First, all the time of a man's life. Generally a man is to labour to be a new Creature by faith and repentance, and to live a good life endeavouring to be better and better still, and 〈◊〉 to be sure to do a good day● work whilst he doth live, for he that lives well cannot do ami●s, and he that lives the life shall be sure to die the death of the righteous. 2 Pet. 16. 7. 11 etc. 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Gal. 6. 6. More especially we must labour for. First, peace with God in Christ, and peace in our own Consciences. Rom. 5. 1. 2 Pet, 3. 14. Secondly, the saving knowledge of God in Christ. Io●. 17. 3. 3. A life regulated by God's spirit, 
 and word. Rom. 8. 14. Phil. 4. 7. There are degrees of life eternal, and it is begun here, the resurrection out of sin to holiness of life, is the beginning of eternal life. Rev. 20. 6. Col. 1. 13. Gal. 2. 20. More particularly let us do these things. First, let us get unto Christ by faith and thereby make our peace with God and get an assurance of a better life when this is at an end Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord (i) in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15. 22. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. (i) As by Adam sin and death came over all, so by Christ grace and life came to all believers. 2 Pet. 3. 14. ●uke 2. 28, 29. Now let thy servant departed in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation. (i) I do willingly and cheerfully leave this present life. Heb. 11. 13. joh. 8. 24. He is the ●●tter to leave his old when he knows where to have a new and a be●●r dwelling. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 2. etc. Secondly, let us pray continually that God will fit us for death, say with Moses Psal. 9 12. Lord teach me to number my days, so as to apply my heart to wisdom. Thirdly, let us labour to mortify our sins daily, for here in lieth the strength of death. 1 Cor. 15. 56. For this purpose let us confess it, be humbled for it, cry to God for p●rdon of and power against it: and effectually apply by faith the death of Christ against it, so shall we be sure that God will redeem our souls from the power of 
 the grave and receive us. Psal. 19 15. Fourthly, let us enure ourselves to die by little and little (that is) not only live every hour as if we were dying, but by our afflictions as lesser deaths prepare for our great death. 1 Cor. 15. 3●. I die daily. (i) I am not only in danger of death daily, but I do thereby enure and prepare myself to die daily. By undergoing a lesser, we shall be prepared to undergo a greater burden; so men that are to run a large race prepare themselves for it by the running of a shorter race. For this cause did Bilney the Martyr oft times before his burning put his little finger in the candle, thereby the better to be prepared to suffer the burning of his whole body. 2 Cor. 11. 23. 2 Cor. 1. 9, 10. Fifthly, let us always watch and wait for Christ's coming to us in particular, by our death (that is) shaking of security as we would shake of sleep, let us take great heed that we not overcome by sin or Satan, and looking always for death, be in a dying posture, and live every hour as if it were our last hour. job. 14. 14. All the days of my appointed time I will wait till my change come. Luk. 2. 25. Motives. 1. It will be very profitable for us so to watch. 2. It will be very dangerous for us to neglect it. See Mat. 24. 42. to the end of that chapter and Mat. 25. 1. to verse 14. Sixthly, let us be able to look beyond death into heaven and the glory thereof. Heb. 11. 25. 2 Cor. 5. 1. He will not care much to be turned out of the house he dwells in when he knows where to have a better house at hand to go into. Seventhly, let us keep our hearts from being glued by overmuch love to the world or any thing in it, for by how much the more we love, by so much the more we shall grieve when we leave it. 2 Sam. 18. 33. Eightly, let us get as much of the taste of heaven here as we can, that the sweetness thereof may make us more to desire the full fruition of it. The preparation to be made a little before and at the time of a man's death lieth in these things. First to Godward. Secondly to man-ward. To God-ward. ●. If sickness go before death, we are the● 〈◊〉 to look upon it as God's hand and that for our sin. Lam. 3. 39 joh. 5. 14. 1 Cor. 11. 20, 21. and 30. 2. We are to labour to renew our saith and repentance, and so to get a renewed assurance of God's favour by an earnest seeking of him by prayer, so David Psa. 32. Psal. 38. Psal. 39 2. To man-ward ourselves and others, when we be sick, we are to call in help from the prayers and counsel of good people, who are able to help us herein. Mark 2. 4. jam. 5. 14. Heb. 3. 1. 2. We are to use the best outward means we can for the recovery of our health. 2 King. 20. 7. Luk 1●. 3 4. Matt. 9 12. 3. We are to set our house in order (i) to make our will (if it be not made before) and give direction what we will have done after our death. 2 Sam. 23. Gen. 25. 5, 6. 4. We are (as much as we may) to endeavour to be reconciled to our Neighbours with whom we are at difference. Matt. 5. 25. Rom. 12. 8. 5. We are to get and make use of all the comfortable meditations we can think of against the fear of death. 6. If we be Magistrates or Ministers we are to do what we can to further the well ordering of the Commonwealth and Church after our death. Deut. 32. 2. 1 Kings 2. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 5. In death itself, or being about to die, we are to give up our souls to God. (i) to his care and keeping, being his by redemption. Psal. 31. 5. Luk. 23. 46. Acts 7. 59 And this we are to do. 1. Beleevingly as Stephen Acts 7. ●6. 59 died in the embracements of the Lord Jesus Christ and calling upon his name. job. 13. 15 1 Sam. ●0 6. Heb. 11. 21. 22. 13. These 〈◊〉 in faith. 2. Charitably so Stephen. Acts. 7. 20. Lord ●ay not this sin to their charge and Christ Luk. 23. 34. 〈◊〉 forgive them. 3. Patiently. 2 King. 20. 2. jam. 5. 7, 8. 4. Obediently and submissively so Christ Matt. 26. 39 not as I will but as thou wilt. Phil. 
〈◊〉 defecta, 〈◊〉. etc.  2 8. Rom. 14. 7, 8. 5. And we are then like the Swan to endeavour to sing sweetest by our devout prayers and praises to God, and gracious speeches to men: So jacob Gen. 49. David 2 Sam. 23 Christ Luke 23. 34. Stephen Acts 〈◊〉 56. Isaac Heb. 11. 22. job. job. 1. 21. we shall say somewhat more to this p●●nt in the next branch which we are now to descend unto. 4. The fourth thing we are to be exhorted unto from this doctrine of the necessity of dying is to make a virtue of this necessity and not to fear death, but when we see our time is come to die, let us resolutely patiently and willingly undergo ●t. A natural and moderate fear of it, as it is an Enemy to nature 〈◊〉 be cha●ged as an evil upon us, being no other but what was in the 〈◊〉 h●●rt of Christ Jesus: but an immoderate afflicting distracting fear of it is to be avoided of all Christians. And for the Cure hereof and our further fitting for death, let us be well instructed in the nature thereof to a believer as it is set forth in the Gospel, wherein we have these considerations. 1. That there is a necessity of it, and it cannot be avoided. Psal. 49. 7. 2. It is sancti●ed and sweetened by Christ's death so as it is not now a curse but a blessing, a passage, a departure, a change of rooms, a going out of a worse place into a better. 3. Assoon as the body goeth out of this world it goeth to a place of rest where it shall be troubled no more, and then God's Covenant of peace shall be made good to it. And (to speak properly) the 
.  believing Christian doth not die, he lieth down to sleep in his bed, for his death is but the bodies going to bed, and to sleep after the many labours of the day of this life are ended, out of which he shall awake after the night of death is past, at the morning of the resurrection to everlasting life, and no s●oner is the soul out of the body than it is in possession thereof. Esay. 57 2, 3. The righteous are taken away etc. he shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds etc. 2 King 32. 20. Thou shals be gathered to thy father's in●eace. Matt. 9 24. Acts 7. 60. He fell asleep. 4. The body by death is not reduced to nothing, as the body of a bea●t is, but it is only resolved to earth again, where the ●otting of it is only to refine it, that as the Corn which first di●●h it may arise more glorious. 1 Cor. 15. 36. Gen. 3. 19 So that death to the Saints is neither total, but of the body only; nor perpetual, but for a time only Rom. 8. 10. 5. God is as much the God of the dead as of the living believer Mat. 22. 34. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (i) his Covenant is with them to make them happy in communicating to them grace life and glory, and this Covenant is with the body as well as with the soul. Rom. 14. 8. Whether we live or die we are the Lords. 6. The body and soul of a believer notwithstanding the death of the body is still a member of Christ. Ephe. 5. 30. Rom. 14. 8. Death divides us not from God, but brings us home to him. 7. God hath the power of death and the grave, and his providence doth dispose thereof and of everything therein, and he will be with the believer in this estate to support him under and deliver him out of it, and to turn it to his good and he w●● not leave him till he hath settled his soul and body in heaven. Rev. 18. I have the Keys of Hell and Death. (i) power to keep from or deliver to death. jude verse 9 Acts 4. 28. Psalm 16. 10. 11. Thou wi●● not leave my Soul in grave nor suffer thi●● holy one to see corruption. Heb. 2. 14, 15. Acts 2. 24. Psalm 116. 15. The death of his Saints is precious to him. (1.) either God will preserve them from wicked hands, or will sharply revenge their death on them that kill them, Acts 20. 24. 2 Kings 1. 13. Psal. 72. 14. 8. The death of the believer cannot separate his soul from Christ's love to it, or its love to Christ, john 11. 5. 20. 3. 1. Rom. 8. 38. 39 What shall sep●rate us from the love of Christ, Shall death etc. 9 Death reacheth to the body only and not to the soul. Mat. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the Soul etc. 10. By death God requireth again of us that soul he ●●usted 
.  us with, and every honest man will willingly deliver up his trust when it is required Eocles. 12. 12. 11. The sting of death is now taken away to the believer that it cannot hurt him. 1 Cor. 15. 55. Buzz it may snake whose sting ●● pulled out. 1●. The Angels will be ready to receive and carry the believers sold into the presence of the God of peace in Heaven. Luke. 16. 22. 23. Death shall be destroyed and it is the last Enemy that shall be destroyed. ●evel. 20 v. 14. ● C●rin●h. 15. v. 26. Rev. 20. 14. 14. The body of the believer shall be gloriously raised after death to die no more, for then death shall be swallowed up into victory, and body and soul united and placed in eternal felicity: for the soul being loosed out of prison, the body may not be kept in prison. 2 Cor. ●. 1. Rev. 21. 4. 20. 13. 1 Thes. 4. 13. Psalm 49. 14, 15, 16. 8, 9 1 Cor. 15. 43. john 6. 39 Rom. 8. 11. To say all in one word, death to the believer makes a happy change, and doth infinitely better his condition, for it breath him from all evil and puts him in possession of all good. It breath him from the evil of sin and punishment felt and feared, present and to come, and puts an end to all his 
.  cares, fears, tears, labours, griefs, combats with sin, the world and the Devil; for in death he gets beyond and above them all. It is a passage and going from Aegyt to Canaan; out of an old rotten house wherein a man hath no estate at all, into a glorious Mansion and Kingly palace of his own inheritance; the going out of a base prison to a glorious liberty; the return from a banishment to his own Country and home; the coming to the haven after a long and dangerous voyage by sea: It is a going to bed after a man hath laboured hard all day and is ●yred and weary: It is a going from corruption to incorruption, from mortality to immortality, from death to life, from earth to heaven, from a miserable to a happy life. It is the putting off a man's old ragged , to put on princely robes: It is a losing from the shore, and a launching out into the main, to take possession of a Kingdom: It is the door of Heaven the ga●e of Life; the entrance into perfect peace and security, the day break of eternal brightness. It is the consummation of a man's victory, the beginning of glory to be perfected at the day of Judgement. Here the law of the fle●● shall no more oppose the law of the mind. Then shall be perfect rest, settled peace, a sure inheritance, without any feeling of trouble, or fear of l●sse. Then shall be the burial of all sins, the raising of all virtues: Then shall the soul fly out of the body, as an Eagle above the Clouds, where shall be neither nets nor snares to take it. Who would fear or fly from this change? Who would not be glad and desirous to embrace it? 2 Cor. 5. 8. Esay 57 1. 3. Ec●les. 12. 7. The Spirit returneth to God that gave it being absent from the body we are present with the Lord. Rev. 14. 13. Blessed a●● the dead that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours etc. Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is best of all. Phil. 3. 20, 21. Our Conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto hi● glorious body and 1 Thes. 4. 14. 17. Luke 16. 22. When Laz●●●● died it is said the Angels carried his soul into Abraham's b●some, an all●sion (as some would have it) to the sweet delights and fellowship the Saints shall have with Abrham (the father of the faithful) in Heaven, as at a Feast whereat in the Eastern Countries they used to lean on one another's breast john 13. 23. others would have it a m●ta ph●● from Fathers who embosom and hug their Children when wearied with long running about, or have met with a knock and come crying to them. By death the soul is married to Jesus Christ her dearest husband; the which hath been here kept at a distance from him: but than it shall be more nearly united to him and enjoy the beatifical vision of the Godhead the chiefest good, and then is there but one step more, and soul and body together shall have the complete enjoyment thereof. Then shall the believer not only be brought into the house of his Father prepared from all eternity for him, but he shall also there for ever have and enjoy the fellowship of all the blessed Saints and Angels; and of his dearest friends who died in the Lord before him. Heb. 6. 20. 1●. 23. 2 Sam. 12. 23. Who then would not be willing to die? It is no ma●●ail● therefore i● Paul in the Contemplation or all these things desired to be dissolved Phil. 1. 23. and that the Saints desire to be unclothed of their house of clay. 2 Cor. 5. 2. And that the wicked do so much desire to di● the death of the righteous. Numb. 23. 10. And that the Maityrs loved not their▪ lives unto death Rev. 12. 11. Acts 20. 24. but refused deliverance from death when they might have had it Heb. 11. 35. they were as willing to die as to live, Out of all this we may then conclude upon the believers death with Solomon Eccle●● 7. 3. The ●a of death is better than the day of his birth.  
But here it may be objected that death is a fruit of God's curse, the wages of ●●n, the destruction of nature and a bitter and dreadful thing?  
To which we answer thus. It is bitter and dreadful in itself, but it is the way all flesh do go, and Christ himself went into glory, and the nature of it is now changed (as we have already showed) the sting of it is gone, and it cannot hurt us, and it is sanctified and sweetened by the death of Christ who will be with us, and enable us to endure it. Esay. 43. 2. Oh! but you will say I am afraid of a long and strong disease, and a painful death? To this we say: Perhaps it may be otherwise, for some die with little, some without any pain at all. But if it be so either god will lessen the pain or greaten thy strength and comfort. 2 Cor. 1. 5. 10. 13. And very long the disease cannot be. It is but like one swallow of a bitter pill and be cu●ed of all diseases, one thrust out at a narrow gate, and we are out of prison, it is but one wink and all is past 2 Cor. 4. 17.  
Oh! But some will say the grave which follows death at the heels is a dreadful spectacle?  
To this we answer; That the grave shall be no other to the Saints but as a sweet bed wherein they shall sleep quietly and feel nothing. Esay. 57 1. 3. And Christ (the members of whose body they still continue to be) will be there with them and bring them from thence into heaven Ephes. 5. 30. Psal. 16. 9 0.  
Fifthly, The ●ifth thing to which we are to be persuaded is, that since we must shortly die and by death be for ever separated from our worldly enjoyments, that we do not overmuch desire them before we have them, not to much delight, glory, please and content ourselves, or trust in them when we have them, nor much be grieved for them when we lose them. Riches, Honours, Offices, Authority, Command, Friends, Pleasures, and the rest what are they? What can they do? Matt. 6. 19, 20. Lay not u● for yourselves treasures on earth, etc. Jo 6. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, etc. 1 Cor. 7. 29. Let them that have wives be as if they ●ad none, 1 Tim. 6. 1●. Trust not in uncertain riches, Psal. 62. 10. If riches increase, set not thine heart upon them, Prov. 23. 4. Labour not to be rich. But for the Cure of this consider these things: 1. That all Silver, Gold, Pearls, etc. are but vile things, Earth upon Earth, Matth. 6. verse 19 Silver and Gold is but White and Yellow earth, Pearls the guts and garbage of the Earth, all of them but thick clay: Hab. 2. 9  
2. Riches, Honours and the rest, reach no further then to this life, job 17. 15, 16.  
3. They can do little for us, while we have them, they can procure us no spiritual or solid joy, they cannot preserve or deliver us from any great evil: Prov. 10. 2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing. Prov. 11. 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath: Psal. 49. 6, 7. They that trust in their wealth, etc. none of them can by any means redeem his brother, etc. Luke 12. 15.  
4. They are of a perishing, vanishing nature, they perish with the using, they are but as heaps of Snow or Chasse, they melt away between our singers, as butter before the Sun, and are gone we know not how: they that lean upon and trust unto them are as men that trust to a hillock of Ye or heap of Snow: Psal. 30. 6, 7. Esay 40. 6. All flesh is grass and the glory thereof as the flower of the field. Prov. 23. 9 job 38. 22. they are rather the shadow and appearances of things than the things themselves, 1 Cor. 7. 3●. The fashion of this world passeth away: It is (as one saith) like the water of a river that runs by a City, or as a fair picture drawn upon the Ye that melts away with it. The pomp of this world is but a fantasy, and the glory of it an opinion, there is nothing of any firmness or solid consistency in the creature; it is but a surface, outside, or empty promise: all the beauty of it is but a skin deep: Psal. 39 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain shadow: (i) he leadeth an imaginary life rather than a life itself. It is but an ig●is fatuus, a walking fire that leads men into brakes and ditches; so the hue of this world deceiveth and carrieth them another way out of the right way, for both the words and shows of the wo●ld are full of fraud.  
5. That which is good and real in it is as transitory as a hasty headlong river. The posting ●un of all worldly pleasure after a short gleam of vain glistering, sets in the Ocean of endless sorrow, sic transit glori● mundi.  
6 All these things are but a piece of vanity, Eccles. 1. 3. vainitie of vanities and all is vanity, (i) most vain and exceeding full of vanity, it hath no continuance, solidity or profit in it, but is full of unprofitable travail and false deceit: men come to the world's felicity as to a lottery with heads full of hopes but return with hearts full of blanks.  
7 They are not only vain but vexing, they do not only not satisfy but torture and torment the mind, as the body is tormented being set on a ra●k or bed of thorns; the care of getting, the fear of keeping, and the grief of spending and losing like three vultures, do continually feed upon and ●at up the heart 1 Tim. 6. 10. Ephes. 6. ●●. 5. 1●. Psal. 127. 2.  
8 They are most uncertain things, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Trust not in uncertain riches. Job 38. 22. For happily they may be taken from us and leave us before we die, Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine eye upon that which is 〈◊〉 For riches certainly make themselves wings and fly away as an Eagle towards heaven, Prov. 27 4. Riches are not for ever, and doth the Crown endure to every generation? But were we sure they could continu● with us, we may not continue with them for our life itself is most uncertain, this only is certain that we must shortly die and leave all these things behind us, and go as naked out of the world as we came into the world Job 1. 21. Psal. 49. 16, 17. He shall take nothing away when he dieth, neither shall his pom●●●●scend after him, Eccles. 6. 11. and being once dead we shall live no more this life: job 14. 14. If a man die shall belive again? Yea let us be hence persuaded not much to desire or care for life itself, but use it as if we used it not: Let us desire it only for God's glory and his people's good, and so long as it may serve in order thereunto; otherwise, let us desire and choose rather to die, Phil. 1. 23. Psal. 10 2. 26. Esay 5. 17. 2 Pet. 3. 12.  
6 The next thing to which we are to be exhorted is, That since it is certain we must die, and that we cannot tell how soon this may be: and that after death there is no more time or place of doing good to ourselves or others. That from hence we be stirred up to be active and industrious in God's service while we live, as men that have much work to do, work so much the faster, by how much the nearer they see the night approach, Gal. 6. 10 As we have then opportunity, let us do good, Eccles. 9 10. All that thine hand shall fin●e to do, do● it with all thy power, for there is neither work, nor invention, nor knowledge, ●●r wisdom in the grave whither thou goest, Eccles. 12. 1. Remember (i) [know, love, fear, and serve] thy 〈◊〉 in the days of thy youth, etc. before dust return to dust, verse 7. Death is the night where●o no man can work: old age the evening and latter part of the day, when it is ill working. To provoke us hereunto, let us set before us, 1. the example of good men. 2. The examples of Devils and bad men: Of good men P●●d: 2 Tim. 4. 5. I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departing is at hand, watch therefore etc. Peter, 2 Pet. 1. 10. 14, 15. I shall not be negligent to put you always in remembrance etc. And I think it meet to stir you up, etc. Seeing I know the time is at hand that I must lay down this my tabernacle etc. 2 Pet. 1. 5. Christ. Luke 12. 31, 32. Paul Acts 20. 28 25. The Devil also and wicked me, by how much the more short they do perceive their time is, by so much the more they do bestir themselves to improve that time to ou● work the children of light in a quick dispatch of the works of darkness. Rev. 12. 12. Luke 16. 4, 5. Mat. 8. 29. And thus we have done with the exhortations deduced from this point as it hath reference to our own death. Now there follows an exhortation draw from this point as it hath reference to the death of others. And so it is useful to exhort and persuade us to these things: 1. As to our friends 2. as to our enemies. As to our friends, 1. living, let us look upon and make use of them: as mortal and dying friends, and such as were born to die, 1 Cor. 7. 29. Let them that have wives be as though they had none. 2. Dead, let us not mourn for them above measure and as without hope: 1 Thes. 4. 13. Against this disease let us applp a remedy by these considerations: 1. be they good or bad friends that are dead: it is God's pleasure to have it so, and this we must patiently abide, Psal. 90. 3. Ezech. 24. 5. 2. They must have died one time or other, for man is born to die and cannot avoid it, job 14. 1, 2. 3. It may be we had them long and therefore we should be content now to let them go. 4. They were ●ent us of God, and there is great reason we should be content to let him have them again when he requires them. 5. Our dead friends are not at all sensible of our grief. 6. Our case herein is not singular, but common to the Saints and to men, 1 Pet. 5. 9 7. This affliction cannot hinder Christ's love 10. 11. 5. 8. Christ is sensible of our sorrow and mourneth with us, 10. 11. 33, 34. But if they be Saints that are departed, there are some other things to be said for our quiet and comfort. 9 They have made a blessed and happy change (as we have already showed) and we are not to be much troubled at our own loss which is so much to their gain: they are but gone to bed, and in a sweet sleep a little before us, 10. 11. 11. Ps. 37. 7. Luke 16. 24. 10. They are not gone from, but a little before us, and we shall shortly go to them, 2 Sam. 12. 23. 11. They shall rise again, and we shall meet again and live together for ever in a far better condition than we are or can be in here, 1 Thess 4. 3. 2. In the second place, let this persuade us not to trust too much in friends: Psal. 146. 3. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the sons of men, for there is no help in him, his breath departeth, he returneth to his earth: in that very day his thoughts perish, Esay 2. 22. Cease from man whose breath is in his nostril's, for wherein is he to be esteemed. 2. As to Enemies, Let this persuade us, not to live in fear of them, be they never so mighty, rich, cruel, etc. able and willing to hurt us. For first, all their power can reach but to the body, it cannot touch the soul, Mat. 10. 28. 2. They can do no more to our bodies then God hath decreed, and shall give them leave to do, Acts 2. 23. Revel. 2. 10. Luke 8. 3●. job 1. 4, 5, 6. 3. They must shortly die, and then that power they have will be taken from them: Matt. 2. 16. 19 job 3. 17. there (i) in the grave the wicked cease from troubling. Thus we have done with the use of exhortation.  
The next use we shall make of this point shall be for consolation, and this Use 3 is to the Saints under all their lesser deaths, the troubles of this present life which they either feel or fear; this great death will shortly come and put an end to them all: job 3. 17. There the weary be 〈◊〉, etc. they hear not the voice of the oppressor: for being once dead, they can die no more. This very Use the Holy Ghost doth make of this point, 〈◊〉 Rev. 14. 13. Esay 7. 1. for as it is a comfort to a man in a dark prison that he hath no light but through a little hole; If looking through it he can see some pleasant object that doth delight him, it will make his imprisonment seem shorter and lighter: So doubtless will it comfort God's people to contemplate this door of hope shortly to be opened to them, by which they shall be let out of all the troubles of this present life into a place and estate of perfect peace and liberty.  
Use 4 But here that we be not mistaken, and to the end that the comforts before reached out and offered to the Saints be not catched hold of, and assumed by the wicked that have nothing to do therewith; we shall subjoin a word or two of ●yall and examination: If we be the persons to whom the comforts before he●● forth do belong, who shall have a happy change; who shall be blessed in d●ath, rest from their labours after death, being dissolved shall be with Christ: who shall have hope in death, whose flesh shall rest in hope, whose 〈◊〉 bodies shall be with Christ, who shall have hope in death, whose flesh shall rest in hope, whose vile bodies shall be made like Christ's glorious body: who shall have peace, who shall rest in our beds, and be gathered to our graves in peace, we must be able to give this Character of ourselves. That we are upright, righteous persons, perfect and merciful men, such as do study to approve ourselves in all things towards God and men. 2 Cor. 1. 12. 9, 10. Prov. 14. 31. 32. Psal. 37. 7. Esay. 57 1. 3. Numb. 23. 10. That we are in Christ Jesus. (1) eng●a●●ed into him by faith. Rev. 14. 13. And if so then are we; 1. New Creatures. (that is,) we have new qualities of holiness created in us. Rom. 8. 38, 39 2 Cor. 5. 2. 2. We are dead to sin and alive to righteousness. Rom. 6. 3, 4. etc. 3. We walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Rom. 8. 10. 19 2 Cor. 5. 1. 5. 4. We have tender hearts. and humble ourselves before God, his word, and his judgements. 2 Kings 22, 19, 20. We are also active and industrious for God's glory and his people's good. Phil. 1. 1, 2 etc. 1 Pet 1. 12. Our conversation is heavenly. Phil. 2●, 21. We are Saints and such as make the Lord ●u● portion. Psal. 16. 5 These are God's people who have the Lord for their God, and to whom the comforts of this point belong. Mat. 22. 32. What then have reprobate, unregenerate, unbelieving, 〈◊〉, unmerciful, deceitful, careless, hardhearted, proud, 〈◊〉, wicked and impenitent persons to do with those comfortable promises and discoveries? they have no part nor portion herein, but their portion 〈◊〉 in the next use.  
Use. 5 The next and last use to be made of this point of death's certain and speedy approach is of very great terror and discomfort to, all wicked and ungodly persons, such as we have before secluded from all the comfort of this point. The licentious ●●●cure that saith, 1 Cor. 15. 32. Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall die. Luke 12. 19 Psal. 49. 18. The secure wordling that doth think his house shall continue for ever Psal. 49. 11. and that he hath enough for many years. Luk. 12. 19 The proud who trusteth in his goods and glorieths in the multitude of his wealth Psal. 49. 6. and all other sinners whatsoever, that walk in the way of their own hearts, and either mind not at all, or put fare from them their dying day. Eccles. 7. 9 Amo● 6. 3. All these are to know to their grief and astonishment that they must certainly and shortly die and that very suddenly, and when they least of all expect it, their souls will be required of them, and return they must to God to give an account of all the things they have done in their flesh, and from thence be sent packing to hell: their bodies shall ●re long chop into the earth when they must leave all their worldly enjoyments they so much glory and rejoice in, and settle upon to others, and be gone from hence to be seen no more; A change they also shall make, but not from a worse to a better estate, but from a better to a worse estate, they shall go from peace to trouble, from liberty to bondage, from life to death, from their heaven to hell, and from the enjoyment, and the hope of all in this world, which either is, or they esteem to be good, to all that is evil, or if they do (as some of them do) go from a sad condition here, they go into a worse, out of the Frying-pan they g●● to the Fi●e, ●ut of Prison to the Gallows; they are launching into an infinite ocean of scalding Lead, and in it they must swim naked for ever. In one word, they are passing out of the world into death and the grave, and from thence to judgement. Of which we are to speak in the next place.   

Of JUDGEMENT. DOCTRINE.  
There is without question a great and terrible Assist or day of general Judgement set and to come, wherein every one must be brought to account, and be judged for all his thoughts, words, and works.  
IN this point we shall say something for Explication, something for Confirmation, and something for Application. For Explication, 1. It shall be a great day, and so it is called, ●ude v. 6. Mal. 4. 5. It is so called, 1 for the great assembly and meeting that then shall be. If all the Juries and people of the Kingdom were to meet at one grand Assize before the King himself for the trial of all the Delinquents in the Kingdom, this would be a great day: how great then will that day be wherein all the Men, Women and Children that ever were, are, or shall be, must appear before the Lord Jesus to be judged? 2. It is called a great day because there are great things to be done on that day. It is also called a terrible day, because there are terrible things on that day to be seen and done. Io●● 3. 2. Rev. 20. 12, 13, 14. 13. 16. joel 2. 31. Mal. 4. 5. It is also called the day, or that day, by a specialty, Luke 21. verse 34 Rev. 6. 17.  
This day we call the day of the general Judgement, to distinguish it from the particular Judgement which every man receiveth at his death, for every man's death's day is his doomsday, Hebr. 9 27. Eccles. 12. 7.  
This is to be a day of Judgement: For in it there shall be a formal and ●udiciall proceeding; Judgement containeth three things, 1 Examination of the cause wherein it is requisite, there be two things, 1. an equity in all things and persons: 2. a laying open of this equity: 2. a giving of Judgement upon the cause: 3. the doing of execution according to the Judgement, all this shall be then done: For the Judge shall sit, parties shall be cited, evidence given in, a trial had and passed, and judgement given; men shall be formally and orderly examined, condemned and punished, Rev. 10. 11, 12. Matt. 25. verse 40. etc.  
This day is decreed and set, Acts 17. 31. He hath appointed a day wherein to ●●dge the world. And it is not past, but yet to come; nor shall it come till the end of all other things be first come: 2 Thess. 2. 1, 2, 3. nor is the very certain hour or day to be known by man, Matt. 24. 42. 25. 1●.  
All flesh young and old, rich and poor, male and female must then appear, none shall be so great to avoid it, none so little as to be forgotten. And they must, (must you say is for the King) so saith the King of Kings, they must appear and that in person, they may not appear by proxy, nor may they be excused for their default, or make delay, or have a day over, but they must then and there appear to give anaccount, Revel. 20. 12. I saw the dead great and small stand before God. 2 Cor. 5. ●0. We must all appear before the judg●●●● seat of Christ: Eccles. 11. 9 God will bring thee [i. the young man] to judgement; though thou be unwilling to come, God will bring t●●● by force, Hebr. 6. 27. Rom. 14. 10.  
That all thi● is out of all question, will appear by the Confirmation which follows in the next place; 1. That it is so. 2. That it must be so: That it is so, 1. many Scriptures of the old and new Testament do foreshow it: Da●. 12. 1, ●ard 7. 26. 22. Eccles. 11. 9 Mal. 4. 5. joel 2. 31. jude verse 14, 15. Acts 17. 31. Rom. 14. 10. Acts 10. 42, 43. to him give all the Prophet's witness, that he is ordained of God to be judge both of quick and dead. Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh; (i.) It is as certain as if he were come. 2. The Devils and wicked men at one time or another believe it, and tremble to think of it, M●t. 8 ●9. Art thou come to torment us before the time. james 2. 19 The Devils believe and tremble; their hearts ache and quake within them. 3. All the Godly expect it, 2 Pet. 3. 12. 4 Many signs there have been and are foreshowing it. 5. The prayers of good and sins of bad men will bring it about, Rev. 22. 17, 20. chapped. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.  
2. That it must be so, reason doth evince it: 1. For it will not stand with the justice, mercy, and goodness of God that it should be otherwise then well with the good, and ill with the bad at last, since it falleth out often, that the condition of the best men is worst, and of the worst men is best in this life. How can it stand with the justice of God, that wicked persecutors should go unpunished, and not receive a reward of their works, and that the godly who have suffered so much injury from wicked men should not be righted and recompensed. There is nothing in all the world doth more certainly prove the day of judgement than the injustice of the wicked world; for thus we may reason, will the Lord certainly punish the wicked and reward the just; this being not always in this life, it must be certainly at the day of judgement, Beli●es, what mistakes and misconstruction do the justice of God and inocency of godly men lie under in this life, and how much do the names of God and godly men su●●er hereby, and when or how will they or can they be delivered, but at and by this day of judgement? For the clearing thereof therefore and manifestation of God's justice and godly m●●s integrity, the●● must be of necessity such a day to come: Hence it is called the day of the Revelation of the righteous judgement of God. 2 Thess. 6. We glory in your patience in your sufferings which is a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God. The Saints sufferings here are (as one saith) an ocular demonstration of a future judgement, where all their wrongs shall be righted, and all their labours of love recompensed, james 5. 8. Rom. 2. 5. That therefore there is such a judgement to come we do rightly profess in one of the Articles of our Creed That jesus Christ shall come from Heaven to judge the quick and dead. 2. God's decree hath set it, Heb. 9 27. It is appointed to man once to die, but after this the judgement. 3. His word hath spoken it and his truth must perform it. We have done with the Confirmation▪ but we must answer two or three objections ●re we can make our Application. Object.  
Answer. It may be said, God judgeth men now, he judgeth men everyday.  
To this we answer, This judgement is begun here on good and bad; God judgeth men by his word, by their own Consciences and by his administration and the disposal of his works: but the final and solemn consummation and manifestation thereof is not till this day of judgement.  
Object. 2 It may be also objected out of that place john 12. 47. that Christ saith He came not to judge the world but to save it.  
To this we answer, That by those words Christ meaneth nothing but Answer. this, that he came not then when he came first into the world to judge or punish men for sin, but to save men from sin, and for that purpose then, rather to execute his priestly and prophetical office than his kingly office in the judgement and punishment of sinners, which is to be done at the time of his second coming to judgement.  
Object. 3 There is yet one more objection to be answered, which is this, There needeth no other judgement then what is already. john. 3. 18. 5. 24. He that believeth shall not come into judgement, but he● that believeth not is condemned already.  
To this we answer, that the sense of this place is by Interpreters thus, that the believer shall not be judged to condemnation, but in the judgement of absolution he shall be judged. And as for the unbeliever he is condemned already by that ancient sentence Gen. 3. 19 2. 17. Gal. 3. 19 he is condemned also by God's council and decree, by God's word and by his own conscience, the sentence is as it were passed, the halter about his neck, nothing to be done but turn him over the ladder of life, and he is gone for ever. Or he is as sure to be condemned as if it were done already: but the full and solemn declaration and execution of this is not till this last judgement.  
And now we shall come to the application of this point and consider what profitable uses we may make thereof wherein we must premise these things, that some of the uses are deduced from the general doctrine of the last judgement, and some of them from some particular branches of this doctrine, or some things that do accompany this judgement; As the firing of the world, the end of all things and the like: And some of the uses are appliable to all men, but some to good men and some to bad men only.  
Use 1 The first use shall be of Instruction and discovery, to show us some things concerning this point of the last judgement. 1. Who shall be Judge? The Lord Jesus Christ, God and man, as to the external visible act, is to be the Judge of quick and dead. Acts 17. 31. 10. 42. And herein his divinity and humanity both shall be exercised. But as to the consent and authority the whole Trinity shall be Judge. Rom. 2. 5. 16. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Christ Jesus the second person of the Trinity is to be the Judge. 1. That as he was judged by the world so the world may be judged by him. 2. That as 〈◊〉 people have seen him in his state of humility, so they may see him in a state of glory. 3. That thereby he may perfect his Kingly office. 4. Because the Father hath committed all judgement to him. John 5. 27. 22. 5. That he may have the same honour with his Father. 6. That the judge may be visible.  
If that be objected which is in Matt. 19 28. 1 Cor. 6. 2. that the Apostles and Saints shall judge the world?  
The answer is this. That some take the sense of this text to be but this. That their doctrine, faith, and grace shall rise in judgement against the unbelief and wickedness of the world and leave them inexcusable. Heb. 11. 7. Mat. 12. 41, 4●. Others thus. They shall sit with him as assistants and approve of the sentence; as justices of peace with the judges. Others thus. They shall according to their measure partake of the glory of Christ's Kingdom and be therein preferred before others. Luke 22. 30. Rev. 10. 4. 2, 26 D●●. 12. 3.  
2. What this judgement shall be? It shall be that whereby Christ will judge all men without exception according to his word, some to eternal life, some to eternal death.  
3. The place where this judgement shall be? For this some have thought that the place of this judgement shall be over the valley of Jehosa●hat n●●r to jerusalem, and for proof hereof have alleged some reasons and some places of Scripture. As joel 3. 1, 2. 2 Chron. 20. 1. 22, 23. etc. But this opinion seemeth to be very doubtful; and it is more probable it shall be in the air and aloft; from th●se Scriptures. Luke 21. 27. Mat. 24. 27, 28. 30, 31. 1 Thess. 4. 17.  
4. The time when this judgement shall be? For this some have held, it shall be at the end of 6000. years. Others immediately after the discovery of Antichrist. Others at another time. But these things are not, certain. Yet as to this point the Scripture seems clearly to h●ld forth these things. 1. That God's people shall have a more certain knowledge of the time when this judgement shall be then wicked men shall have: they may perhaps be able to see and say in what age it shall be. 1 Thess. 5. 1, 2, 3. etc. But the very precise time no man or Angel can or shall know, for this knowledge is hid from man, and kept in Gods own power. 1. For his own glory. 2. For his people's good, to the end they may be always upon their watch, 
.  and still ready and prepared. Therefore God hath kept one day from us, that we may watch every day. There is nothing more certain than that Christ will come, but nothing more uncertain than the time when. Christ will come to judgement. Mat. 24. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the Angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so likewise shall the coming of the So●●e of man be. Acts 1. 7. Mark 13. verse 32.  
2. That this day shall come, when it doth come, suddenly and unexpectedly as a thief in the night, and a snare upon the blind and secure inhabitants of the world. Luke 21. 35. When they shall cry peace, then shall come sudden destruction. 1 Thess. 5. 3. Matt. 24. 38. As in the days before the 〈◊〉 they did eat and drink etc. and knew nothing till the flood took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of man be  
3. This day is not fare off but near at hand, and is hastened by the sins of wicked, and the prayers of godly men. 1 Pet. 4. 7. Rev. 22. 17. chap. 14. 14, 15. etc.  
4. The manner and order of this last judgement, and of Christ's coming to it. This judgement will be in itself, and to all wicked men exceeding terrible and dreadful; For as the judge so the judgement will be most impartial just and righteous. Rom. 2. 2. We are sure the judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. If Gods temporal judgements which were only shadows hereof were so terrible, how much more terrible will the substance thereof, and the execution thereof, this last judgement be? See joel 2. 1, 2. 31. etc. Zeph. 1. 14, 15, 16. This judgement is resembled and likened to terrible things, as Lightning, Thiefs in the night, the Childbirth of a Woman, the coming of a judge to guilty Persons etc. Notable is that place in Rev. 6. from v. 12. to the end of the chapter, upon the opening of the sixth Seal, being a prophecy of temporal judgements only to come upon the Roman Empire already fulfilled upon divers great men and others therein, enemies of Christ and his Members. And I behold and there was a gr●at earthquake, and the Kings of the earth, great men, rich men, chief Captains, mighty men &c. [notwithstanding their valour, power, wit, riches and friends] 〈◊〉 themselves amongst the R●cks and said to the mountains fall on us, and hid us from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne, an● from the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand? Esay. 34. 6. 8. Ezek. 10. 11, 12. chap. 30. 2, 3. 9 Esay. 13. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Of this day than we may say much more, who shall stand, who shall be able to abide it? Mal. 3. 2. This day therefore in 2 Cor. 5. 11. is called the terror of the Lord. But the days of temporal judgements the great and terrible days of the Lord. Terrible this judgement will be. 1. For the things which shall go before it. 2. For the things which shall accompany it. 3. For the things which shall follow after it. For the things which shall precede it we will not speak of those foregoing, but remote signs Which Divines say are 8. [To wit] 1. The preaching of the Gospel. 2. The Apostasy of professors. 3. The revealing of Antichrist. 4. Great wars and troubles in the world. 5. Great trouble in the Church. 6. False Christ's. 7. The calling of the jews. 8. Strange signs in Heaven. But of the immediate signs which shall appear a little before Christ's coming to judgement. For some think that alittle before this, the powers of Heaven shall be shaken, the Sun and the Moon shall be darkened, and the Stars shall fall from Heaven, out of Mat. 24. 29, 30. Luke 21. 26. and that these Prophecies are to be taken literally, that there shall be strange events in Heaven and Earth, that the frame of the whole universe shall shake as a house that gives a Crack when it is ready to fall. And it is most probable that that which the Apostle 2 Pet. 3 10. prophesieth concerning this day. The day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night, in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a noise [like a mighty Whirlwind or Temp●st, roaring and carrying all before it] and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up. And after v. 11. That day of God by the which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved: answerable to that in Mat. 24. 29. 30. The Sun shall be darkened and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. By which is understood the purging renewing and changing of their form and not their utter destruction; by comparing these places with Psal. 102. 26. Rom. 8. 21. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Rev. 20. 11. After this there shall be new heavens and a new earth. This thing we say it is probable is to go immediately before Christ's coming, or that Christ shall come in this fire: And as the day of judgement is the last day, so it is likely the judgement itself is one of the last acts of this day. For the text ●aith, that 〈◊〉 ●●ely after, these strange signs and sights, the on of man shall appear: Matth. 24. 29, 30. and in and by this change of all things, it is probable that change shall be made of the Saints, whereof the Apostle speaks 〈◊〉. 15. 51, 52. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a 〈◊〉, etc. Some understand by the sign of the Son of man, Matth. 24 30 some ex●●●ding glory which shall appear in heaven before the appearing of the So●●e of man himself, which others take to be meant of the dreadful dissolution of the world by 〈◊〉 immediately to forego his appearing.  
2. The coming of the judge shall be terrible: For 1, it shall be cons 〈◊〉 as the Lightning, for he shall appear in his humane shape, so that every eye and those that have 〈◊〉 him shall 〈◊〉 him, Rev. 1. 7. Acts 1. 11. 2. It is not improbable (as we have touched) that he shall descend and come in the clouds in the midst or at the end of that 〈◊〉, Psal. 50. 3. God shall co● and shall not keep silence, a fire shall 〈◊〉 before him, and a mighty tempest shall be round about him: 2 Thess. 1 6, 7. When the Lord I●sus shall show himself from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flaming fire: 3. his coming shall be sudden like the coming of the Lightning, Matth. 24 27. 4. his coming shall be with great power, brightness, majestre and glory, Psal. 18. 7, 8, etc. So Matt. 24. 30. Chap. 25. 31. He shall co●e 〈◊〉, and sit mounted on the clouds, as on a stately Throne, Acts 1. 9 11. env●●oned as with a flame of fire attended with an 〈◊〉 h●●t of heavenly Angels, there shall not one of them be left in heaven, but they shall all minister to him in this work: What a bright day will this be, when so many glorious Suns shall shine in the ●●rmament together, and 〈◊〉 all the Sun of righteousness out●●●ning them so much, that the Sun shall 〈◊〉 but a 〈◊〉 to him, 2 Thess. 1. 7, 8. 1 Thess. 4 17. Matth. 6. verse 27. Luke 21. 27. Matth. 25. 3●. 〈◊〉. 15. 16.  
3. An unconceivable and unspeakable hortour and fear shall seize upon all especially upon all wicked men: Luke 21. 25, 26, 27. And there shall be signs in the 〈◊〉 and in the 〈◊〉, and in the Stars, and upon the Earth d●●●resse of 〈◊〉 w●th 〈◊〉, the Sea and the Wav● roaring, men's hearts failing them for 〈◊〉, and ●or 〈◊〉 after the things which are coming on the earth: For the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be 〈◊〉, etc. Matth. 24. 30. Then shall the sign of the Son of man appear in Heaven, and all the tribes of the Earth shall 〈◊〉. Revel. 20. 10. 〈◊〉 and Earth shall ●●e away before him: Rev. 6. 18. The King Captain's 〈◊〉 great men shall run into holes and corners.  
4. There will be a long 〈◊〉 terrible ●●und of a Trumpet made by Christ's 〈◊〉, an 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 Christ's voice and the last Trump, like unto that at the giving ●t the Law Exo. 19 15. and as at their solemn meetings they did 〈◊〉 men together ●y a Trumpet, so n●w by this Trump, the dead in Christ shall be first raised and called before Christ, and the rest of the dead afterwards, john 5 28. And by the Ministry of this and the rest of the Angels, as by his 〈◊〉 and executioners he shall send, cite, summon and gather together all Nations before him, 1 Thess. 4. 16. Mat 24. 31. 1 Corin. ●5 52. Matt. 25. 32. And thus much for what shall go before the judgement. It will be terrible also for the things which shall accompany the Judgement itself. For the proceeding herein shall be much after the manner of the Judicatures of men. For here in are thrones prepared for the Judge, his 〈◊〉 and assistants, and they shall sit on them, Dan. 7. verse 10. Matth. 19 verse 18. Re●. 20. verse 11.  
2. There is ●. a law making the offence, and a punishment appointed for the ●ssence: 2. a hearing of the cause wherein is an offence proved to be done 〈◊〉 sentenced to be punished: 3. the sentence executed according to that ●aw. In the doing of 〈◊〉 are two parts, 1. a hearing of the cause, 2. a doing of execution, and in the first of these are four parts; 1. an accusation: 2. an arraignment: 3. an examination of witnesses or giving of evidence: 4. a giving of sentence, So here. The judge being on his Throne and all Nations convented before him, every man is brought forth, his case is examined, and he receiveth his sentence according to it. But to open this yet more fully let us examine these two things, 1. by what men shall be tried. 2. how it shall be done: 1. By what? They shall be tried ●y their words and works by which their faith or infidelity shall be discerned, Matth. 25. 35, & 42, etc. jude v. 15. 2 ●or. 5. 10. 2. How they shall be tried: 1, by discovery of the fact: 2, by discovery of the Law. By discovery of the fact, For which purpose, The books of God's 〈◊〉 knowledge, 〈◊〉 every man's own conscience as an informer accusing and as a thousand with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 then ●ly and lie so open, that every man shall have all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ●●d shall be left, and sit down speechless, excuseless and self- 〈◊〉, jude v 15. And this shall be such a discovery as nothing shall escape it, for it shall be of every thought of ou● heart, though never so secret; every 〈◊〉 ●f our 〈◊〉, though never so carelessly uttered; every glance of 〈◊〉 eye, every moment of our time, every omission of good, every commission 〈◊〉 done by ourselves, or by others, and suffered by us, of every 〈◊〉 we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of every good thing committed to us, of every work we have done, ●f every company we have kept; all this must be brought to judgement: And our 〈◊〉 that ●e n●w written (as it were) with the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 shall then be by the fire of the last day made most legible, Matth. 25. 19 Rom. 2. 1, 6 R●●. 20. 12 Eccles. 20. 1. God will bring every work to judgement, with every 〈◊〉 thing whether good or evil. 1 Corin. 4. 5. judge nothing before the time, till the Lord come, who will lighten things that are hid in darkness, and make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the heart manifest, and then shall every ma● 〈◊〉 praise of God. 〈◊〉. 50. ●1. I will reprove th●●, and set them in order befor● thine eyes. 2. This that be by discovery of the word of God, Law and Gospel; For men shall have that light therein as to see, 1. what they should have done: 2. what they have done against it: 3. what they must 〈◊〉 for it. They that have had no more but the law of nature shall be judged by that alone; they that have had the law written, by that also; they that have had them both and the Gospel shall be judged by them all: Rom. 2. 12. 16. john 1 2. 48. Thus th●●●yall and hearing of every man's cause being done and passed, there shall be a separation made of the good and bad: the good shall be set on Christ's right-hand, a place of dignity and safety; the bad on his lefthand, a place of neglect and forsaking, Matth. 25. 33. Then the sentence shall be pronounced, and this is twofold: 1. of Absolution to the good, the sheep on his right hand in these words. Come ye blessed, etc. every word full of sweetness and comfort. 2. Of Condemnation to the bad, the Goats on his left hand in these words. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels: a sentence breathing out nothing but fire and brimstone, stings and horrors, every word whereof hath in it a deadly sting. Depart, be gone, from me: from God, this were Hell enough to go from God the chiefest good, But oh God let me go with a blessing, nay with a curse and vengeance: G●yee 〈◊〉. Whether Lord must I go? Let me go to some good place of pleasure? ●●y to H●ll fire, a fire as bad as God's wisdom can devise, of old by him devised for thy torment; yet let me I pray thee come out again? ●ay into everlasting fire. Grant me then but some good company there? nay with the Devil ●●d his Angels. And thus we have the terribleness of the judgement, and that which doth accompany it.  
Now that which followeth it is the execution of this sentence, and this will be much more terrible. For 1. it will be sudden and present, there can be no reprieve, the 〈◊〉 be no delay. 2. I● will be certain, no pardon no● other thing can happen or come between the Cup and the Lip to prevent it. 3. It will be unresistable and unavoidable; for no power or policy can rescue the prisoner. 4. It will continue to all eternity. The wicked being then under that shame and contempt spoken off by Daniel chap. 12. v. 2. and under ten thousand time● more horror and grief, than ever any guilty condemned person was after his sentence of condemnation pronounced shall be violently pulled down to Hell from the presence of the glorious God, jesus Christ, all good Angels and Men, and their godly friends, who shall be then so far from pitying and praying for them, that they shall rejoice in God's justice upon them, and there they must suffer the pain and horror of eternal, easeless, and remediless vengeance in a dark dungeon; the gates whereof are to be for ever shut upon them, whilst the godly shall be taken up into heaven, there to enjoy everlasting rest, glory, and peace. Matth. 25. 46. And they shall go into everlasting pain, and these into eternal life. Revel. 20. 14. Death and Hell, (i) the heirs of Death and Hell; the reprobates shall be cast into the lake of fire this is the second Death, of which we shall anon speak largely: 2 Cor. 5. 10. 7. This judgement being dispatched, the end of all things shall come, Matth. 13. 40. 24. 3. 31, 32, etc. 1 Cor. 15. 23, 24. 8. This doctrine of the last judgement, and Christ coming aught much to be thought upon of every Christian, Rev. 22. 12. 9 By this we may be taught also; That God will have the glory of his justice to be seen. 2 Thess 1. 4. 10. Lastly, this doth discover to us God's goodness in forewarning man of this day, for by this means he may be prepared for to receive the good of it, and forearmed against the evil of it: so we have done with the Use of Instruction.  
Use 2 In the next place let it be to exhort and persuade us, and that to divers things. 1. This point of the last judgement and Christ's coming thereunto, being an unquestionable truth, an Article of our Creed and Principle of our Christian faith, let us not doubt of it, but steadfastly believe it. Heb. 6. 2. 2. It being a point of so great moment and high concernment to us let us meditate and consider of it, and this let us do. 1 Pup●sely and willingly as job did. job 19 25. I know that my redeemer liveth &c. not accidentally and unwillingly as devils and wicked men do. ●●mes 2. 19 Acts 24. 25. 2. Beleevingly so job 19 25. not doubtfully as those wicked in 2 Pet. 3. 4. There shall be m●ckers who shall say where is the promise of his coming. 3. Desirously as a good day to be wi●●ed for, so the Church Rev. 22. 17. The Spirit and the Bride say come, not fearfully as an evil day to be avoided as Foelix did Act. 24. 25. And as he disputed of the judgement to come Foelix trembled and answered, go thy way for this time, and when I have a convenient time I will call for thee. 4 Often and continually Mat. 24. 44. not once a year once a month or once a week only: let us think we ever hear this voice sounding in our ears, awake ye dead and come to judgement. 5. Seriously so as to prepare for it Luke 12. 35. 40. Be ye ready also, for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 2 Pet. 3. 10, 11, 12. The day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night etc. what manner of persons ought ye th●● to be in all holy conversation an● godliness etc. looking for the coming of this day etc. not scoffingly as those 〈◊〉. 2 Pet. 3. 4. And in the meditation of this day let us think of. 1. The certainty and unavoydablenesse of it. Acts 1. 11. 2. The terribleness of it. 2 Cor. 5. 11. 3 The nearness of it, at least to every man in particular Rev. 1. ●. To prevale us to consider much of this time, we are to kn●w. 1 That it is a wise profitable and useful meditation, and will certainly leave some good impression behind it upon the heart. Deut 32. 29. For it serves 1. To take of our hearts from the vanities of this life: he will not much care for that house which is shortly to be burnt down about his cares. 2 Pet. 3. 1●. 2. It will serve to make us patiented under our present troubles to consider that this time will put an end to them job 19 25. 3. It will make us have a ●are to keep our Accounts always in a readiness whilst we are still in expectation of the coming of our Master to call us to 〈◊〉 account Rom. 14. 12. 4. And finally it will much serve to forward the work of grace, restrain us from evil, and make and keep us good Rom. 14. 10. 12, 13. Why dost thou condemn brother, or why dost thou despi●●thy brother? For we shall all appear before the judgement S●ate of Christ, so then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God, Let us not therefore judge one another any more etc. Math. 3. ●. Who hath forewarned you to fly from the wrath, God's judgement to come, in this but especially in the next life. 1 Thess. 1. 10. Mat. 23. 23. Acts 3. 19 Amend your lives therefore and 〈◊〉 that your sins may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send jesus Christ etc. whom the heavens must contain until the time 〈◊〉 all things be restored etc. Acts 17. 30, 31. And the time of this ignorance God regarded not, but now he admonisteth all men every where to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath given 〈◊〉 assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Remarkable for this is that place, Eccles. 11. 9 Rejoice O young man [thou that presumest of thy ag●, and puttest far of the evil day of Death and judgements and let thine heart cheer thee, etc. [like the fool in the Gospel Luke 12. 〈◊〉, please thyself in thine own vain concelts and wilfulness] walk in the 〈◊〉 of thine own heart [pursue thy pleasures and satisfy thy lusts without 〈◊〉] but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement. Now to help us in this meditation let us use these means, 1. Let us read and hear often those Scriptures and other books which treat of this subject: 2. Let us speak much of it with them who do most think of it: 3. Let us observe much those things amongst men which do resemble it, as the Lightning, judicatures of men and the like: 4. Let us still pray to God to put and keep this meditation in our hearts.  
In the third place we are to be exhorted, that believing and thinking of this last judgement, and Christ's coming to it, we do prepare for it. This is Christ's counsel, Matt. 24. 44. Therefore be ye also ready, for in an hour that ye think not, will the Son of m●n come: Luke 12 40. Be ye also prepared therefore. Matth. 25. 13 Watch therefore, etc. for ye know not the day nor the ●ou●● when the son of man cometh. Luke 21. 6. Watch ye therefore and pray always. And this we must do for these reasons, 1. because this day hasteth and will steal upon us unawares if we look not to it: Luke 21. 35. As a snare it shall come on them that dw●● on the earth. Rev. 3. 3. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 〈◊〉 ●●y the mo●e sudden the more terrible for 1, it amazes and exanimates a man, as an unexpected storm doth the Mariner: 2. it cannot be prevented. 2 That which we do in the mater of preparation must be done before that day come, for it will be then too late to do any thing to it: and delay in this case is very dangerous, for though we could be sure of time, yet we cannot be sure of grace as we have set forth to us in the instance of the foolish Virgins, Matt. 25. 9, 10. They which neglect to get grace here have no way left to get any then. And no other man's goodness will then stand them in any stead. Psal. 95. 11. Matt. 24 43, 44. it will be too late to bolt the door when the thiefs are broken into the house. 3. If at that time we be not prepared we are undone forever, if we be prepared we are made for ever, Matth. 25. 9, 10, 11. 4. None but such as are prepared will be able to stand justified in that judgement. Luke 21. 36. Watch, etc. that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.  
If now you shall ask me how you may be prepared for Christ's coming.  
I answer 1. We must labour for true repentance, which doth consist in contrition, confession, faith, and reformation. Acts 17. 30, 31. Now God commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained. etc. 1. Cor. 11. 31. If we judge ourselves we shall not be judged. Now let us weep over him in time because we have offended him, lest we be forced to weep and wail to late that we did not weep in time Acts 3. 20, 21. Repent and amend, that your sins may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ etc. Mat. 11. 20, 21. Luke 13. 3, 5. 2. We must believe and obey the Gospel of Christ Acts 16. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved. By this faith we are united to Christ the Judge, and make him a sure friend to us Phil: 3. 9 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. 2 Thes. 1. 10. when Christ comes to Judgement he shall be admired of all them that believe, And he is a Saviour only to them that obey him Heb. 5. 9 But he will show himself from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that do not know God, and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thes. 1. 7, 8. 3. we must labour for a holy and unblameable life. 2 Pet. 3. 11. Seeing then all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting to the coming of the day of God. And after verse 14. be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless. Rev. 3. 4, 5. They who have not defiled their garments (i) have kept themselves from the contagion of sin, even from the show of evil, jude ver. 23. they shall be clothed in white (●) gloriously and their names shall not be put out of the book of life, in which the names of the elect are written. But the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement. Psal. 1. 5. and into the holy City there shall not enter any unclean thing, neither whatsoever worketh Abomination, or Lies, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation. 21. 27. 4. We must labour with all diligence to make good our Election to ourselves, for thereby we shall be made sure of salvation; if we can be sure our names are written in the book of life. Reve. 21. 27. Reve. 20. 12, 15. And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened which is the book of Life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the books according to their 〈◊〉. And whosoever was not found written in the books of life was cast into the ●ake ●of fire. And we shall find out our Election by our Sanctification. Rom●n●s. 8. 30. 2 Pet. 1. 10, 11. and jude ver. 1. 1 Thes. 4. 7.  
5. We must have a care to to keep our Accounts always even between God and us. For this purpose we must 1. set them down exactly. 2. We must cast them up often. Thus thriving men and such as mean not to be bankrupts use to do by their Civil accounts. 6 We must seek the Lord now whiles he may be found. Esay 55. 6. Let us now su● out our pardon, and make our peace with him in Christ and get the favour of the Judge, for now is the day of mercy, of grace, the day of Judgement is a day of wrath and vengeance. 2 Cor. 5. 10, 11. Luke 3. 7. Rom. 2. 5. 7. We must not sleep in 〈◊〉 but be always awake unto righteousness and having our Accounts ready, live always in an expectation of Christ's sudden appearance. Luke 21. 34, 36. Matth. 24. 42. Rom. 14. 12. 2 Thes. 5. 4 6 It is doubtless one main cause of the freedom and boldness of men in sinning, that either they think not of giving any account at all, or if they do they put that day far from the●: he that without all consideration taketh up money and runs in debt, doth certainly never mean to pay it again. Come saith the Harlot Prov. 7. 8. Let us take our pleasure to the full etc. my husband is gone a far journey etc. Matth. 24. 48. The evil servant that smiteth his fellows, and eateth and drinketh with the drunken, saith, My master doth defer his coming Amos 6. 3. They put far from them the evil day and approach to the seat of iniquity. 8 If we be professors of religion, we must not be content with the lamp of profession only, but also labour to get the oil of true grace and piety in our hearts. Matth. 25. 1. 2, 3, etc. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 9 We must be faithful and active in the places wherein God hath set us, and in the trusts put into our hands Mat. 24. 46, 10. We must pray always Luke 21. 36. Pray with David Psal. 143. 2. Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant, for in thy fight shall no flesh be justified. 11 And thus we must love, long, and wish, for the speedy coming of this day and of Christ our dearest friend Rev. 22. 17. 2 Pet. 3. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 7. And rejoice that it draweth nigh Acts 3. 19 Luke 21. 28. 12. We must continue withpatience a●d sobriety to wait for Christ's coming till he come. For 1. it will be long ere he come Mat. 25. 5. 2. A general security will be upon all sorts of people Mat. 25. 5. 6. Mat. 24. 38. 39 3. Security is dangerous to all Mat. 25 5, 6. 7. 8. 4 Herein is watchfulness indeed, in an earnest care and bending of the mind, to live every day as one would live upon his Judgement day, which may fall out to be every day for aught that he knoweth. Thus let us be always prepared, for Christ will come in an hour that we think not of. 4. Since at the day of judgement every man shall receive according to his works, let us be from hence exhorted in the next place to take care that our works be good, and that we be fruitful in good works Rom. 2. 6. 7, 8. Especially in succouring the needy members of Jesus Christ Mat. 25. 35. I was hungry and ye fed me etc. The last definitive sentence shall pass upon men according to their forwardness and freeness in showing mercy to the family of faith and the meanest kindness done to them, Christ will accept, and will reward as done to himself. Mat. 10. 41. 42. God is not unfaithful that he should forget your labour of love etc. 5. In the next place, since at this great day our conscience shall give evidence against us and either accuse or excuse us, and it will be a time of great trouble; let us labour to get good and quiet consciences towards God and man. 2 Pet. 3. 14. And if at any time the conscience happen to be defiled or disquieted by sin, let us by repentance and application of Christ's blood by faith, get it to be cleansed and quieted again. A good conscience will be more worth than all the world's good at the day of judgement Acts 24. 16. 2 Cor. 1. 12. 6. In the next place let this serve to persuade us that are God's people, to be patiented under all the sufferings of this present life james 5. 6, 7, 8. Be patiented therefore for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh: and then when he comes all will be well, for then his people shall have rest from all their troubles. 2 Thes. 1. 6, 7. But of this we shall have more in the use of comfort. 7. Let us be persuaded in the next place to think and speak more reverently of the Judge of all flesh, the Lord Jesus. If we honour our civil Judges, we are much more bound to honour this Judge. Rev. 14. 7. 8. Since that at this day of judgement all things shall be dissolved by fire: Let this in the next place persuade us to moderation in our desires after, and delights in all earthly things, the works either of creation or natures daily production, or arts invention 2 Pet. 3. 11. 1 Cor. 7. 31. Let us use the world as if we used it not. 9 In the next place, since after the dissolution of all things there shall be n●w heavens, and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2 Pet. 3. 13. (i) none but righteous persons: Let us then labour by regeneration to be such persons. 10. Since this time of Christ's second coming will be such a troublesome time: Let us take care to be in a safe place at that time, as men do when a city is to be stormed: Let us put ourselves into God's hands. Psal. 31. 5. 11. In the next place let this persuade us to a reverend fear of God's judgements which are so terrible. Psal. 119. 120. Hab. 3. 16.  
Quest. But here a question may be made whether there be any prepared for Christ's coming? And whether any shall be thought worthy to escape the things that at that time shall come upon the world, and that will have cause to rejoice at Christ's coming? And who they are that shall be thus prepared & c? To the first part we answer, That doubtless there are such as doth clearly appear by these Scriptures Luke 21. 28, 36. Acts 3. 19 Rev. 22. 17. Ans. For answer to the second part, since the day of judgement is a day of so much good to some, and so much evil to others: that some shall have cause to rejoice, others to weep and howl when it comes, we shall spend some time in examination. For which purpose,  
Use. The next use therefore shall be a use of trial and examination to show men of which side and sort they are, and to discover to them whether they are of the sheep of Christ, and shall at the day of judgement be set on his right hand and taken up to glory; or whether they be goats to be placed on his left hand and sent down to hell. Let us try ourselves whether we be in the faith or no. 2 Cor. 1. 5 Let us see whether our names be written in the book of life. (i) whether we are elected to life, and our names are written in heaven, to be taken up into life and glory with them that are appointed thereunto; for those whose names are not written there, are to be cast out Rev. 21. 27. And hence it is that this Book is to be opened at the day of Judgement Rev. 20. 12, ●5. to see whose names are written there. Rev. 3. 5, 21, 27. Phil. 4. 3. The work is then to find whether our names are written in this Book of life, for if once written there, they can never be put out again. But you will say how shall we know this, which is not to be known? we answer First this is to be known 1. For otherwise Moses spoke he knew not what in Exod. 32. 31, 32. And Christ's speech must needs be idle in Luke 10. 12. When he bids his disciples rejoice that their names were written in the Book of life: And the Apostle 2 Pet. 2. 10. spoke unadvisedly when he bid them make their Election sure 2. The Saints have known this job 19 25, 26. 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. Secondly their names are written in the Book of life. (i) they are Elected which are Christ's sheep: And they are Christ's sheep which have. 1. Christ's Ear mark an inward and effectual C●l●●ng (i) that are drawn by the work of God's Spirit from sin to holiness, and made of sinners saints and sons of God. 2 Tim. 1. 9 1 Pet. 2. 9 Acts 2. 39 Rom 8. 28, 30. Whom he predestinated them he called. etc. 2. Christ's brand mark brotherly love. 1 John 3. 14. john 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye love one another. 3. His mark in their foreheads, they mourn for sin. Ezek. 9 4. 2 Pet. 2. 7. 4. His Seal the spirit of God. Rom. 〈◊〉. 8, 9, 10. 5. They feed in his pastures upon his ordinances and grow and thrive thereby in grace. Ephes. 2. 21. Psal. 23. 2. Psal. 84. 7. 6. That are like to sheep in nature and quality. 1. Tractable and meek, that may be easily governed and reduced from their strayings. Psal. 100 3. Esay. 11. 6. Matt. 5 5. Ephes. 4. 1. 2. 2. . Tit. 2. 5. 3. Innocent. Matt. 10. 16. 4. Patient. james 5. 7, 8. 1 Pet. 1. 6. Psal. 40. 〈◊〉. Esay. 53. 7. 5 Profitable Phil. ver. 11. 6. Temperate Tit. 1. 8. Luke. 21. 24. 1 Peter. 1 6. 7. Sociable and loving. Heb. 10. 25. Ephes. 4. 1, 2. 8. Clean from soul. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Rev. 3. 4 5. 7. They have not only a form but a power of godliness, not only oil in their lamps but in their vessels also Matt. 25. 1, 2. 3. etc. 8 They are active and faithful in their places for God's glory and his Churches good Matt. 24. 46. And finally they are such as believe and obey the gospel of jesus Christ, turn from sin sincerely, stick to God constantly, and suffer patiently the evil of this present time, desire, wait, and lock for the appearing of this Christ to judgement. 2. Thes. 1. 7, 8. Matt. 24. 48, 13, 33, 37. Heb. 10. 25. To these Christ's coming and the last judgement will be very joyful and acceptable. But such as are not called out of the world, and from their sins, that are secure, unregenerate, that hate God's people, rejoice in iniquity, have not the spirit of Christ, forsake the fellowship of God's saints and ordinances, profit not under them, but grow worse and worse, do not employ, or misimploy the Talents God hath trusted them with, are hurtful, intemperate, filthy, fierce, that are impenitent, unbelieving, Apostates, hypocrites, Idolaters, whoremongers, murderers, liars, and such like, have little cause to rejoice in this day. To all these Christ's coming will be terrible, and the judgement day a sad day, as we shall show you by and by. Io. 3. 3. 1 joh. 2. 9 1 Cor. 1●. 6. Rom. 8. 9 Matt. 25. 14. etc. 44. 49. etc. 2 Thes. 1. 8. Luke. 13. 5. Rev. 21. 8 Heb. 10. 25. Matth. 24. 51. Luke 21. 34.  
The next Use shall be a use of Comfort to all believing Christians, that have the characters of Christ's Sheep we have before given upon them; and truly to them the●e do issue forth many streams of comfort from this doctrine of the last judgement and Christ's Coming thereunto, 1. It may comfort and quiet them against the fear of Condemnation for their sin, for he that is their Saviour that died for them, their intercessor, their brother, their friend, their husband, and head shall come to be their judge: What need have they then to fear his severity, or a hard, or harsh sentence from him? Or what reason have they to doubt of their cause, how it shall go with them? Io. 5. 22. The Father hath committed the judgement to him. 2. It may comfort them against the meanness and contempt of Christ (the Christians God) when he was in the world: for he, albeit he did then appear in weakness, and in a mean condition, yet shall he appear the second time with power and great glory, to the admiration of his friends and terror of his enemies. 2 Thess. 1. 7, 8, 1●. When the Lord jesus shall show himself from Heaven with his mighty Angels; Inflaming fire etc. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made marvellous in all them that believe. 3. It may comfort them against the horror of the grave, and the corruption of the body; for at Christ's coming it shall be brought before him: therefore it must be raised and restored. job 19 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and he shall stand the last day on the earth, etc. 4. It may comfort them against persecutions, for when Christ comes the persecuted shall be delivered and rewarded, and the persecutor punished, 2 Thess. 1. 4, 5. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you which are troubled rest with us, When the Lord jesus shall sh●w himself from heaven, etc. 5. It may comfort them against the ●ast judgement of men and things; evil men and evil things are now called good, and good evil: Esay 5. 20. But at this last judgement all men and things shall appear in their colours, and be seen to be as they are, Matth. 10. 25, 26. There is nothing covered that shall not be disclosed, nor ●id that shall not be known: and when shall this be if not at this day, which shall be the day of the declaration of the just judgement of God. Rom. 2. 5. and the time when God will lighten things that are hid in darkness, and make the counsel of the heart manifest and then shall every man have praise of God, 1 Cor. 4. 5. Rom. 14. 12, 13. Then the righteous cause and person trodden down, here shall have the upper hand. Psal. 49. 14. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, (i) at the day of the resurrection, after the night of death and the grave is past: Then it shall be known who was in fault, joseph or his Mistress, Gen. 39 7, 8. etc. 17, 18, 19 Whether it were Ahab or Eliah that troubled Israel, 1 Kings 18. 17, 18. And whether Christ or the Scribes and Pharisees (that did so much censure him) were most faulty. Then will it be seen, who indeed is the hypocrite, the factious, seditious, 〈◊〉 person, who is the truly fool, and who is the truly wise man; there will be a resurrection of names as well as of bodies. 6. It may comfort them against the injuries they su●●er by unjust judges, and their unjust sentences, jam. 5. 6, 7, 8. Eccless. 3. vers. 16, 17. 5. 8. Esdras 7. 32. the most high shall appear upon the seat of judgement, and misery shall vanish. 7. It may comfort them against all manner of misery and sorrow: when Christ shall come to judgement, all sorrow shall be done away, and perfect deliverance shall come to them, Then shall all tears be wiped away from their eyes, Luke 21. 28. When ye see th●se things, lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh. It is called therefore a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3. 19, 20, 21. This held up jobs head above water, who otherwise had been overwhelmed with the floods of affliction, job. 19 25. and Daniel 12. 1, 2. and those Saints in Hebr. 11. 35. and as the summer after the winter, so Heaven after these sorrows will be much the sweeter. 8. This may comfort them against the dissolution of Heaven and Earth; these shall be dissolved, but we shall have new Heavens, and a new Earth: (i) we shall have them with renewed qualities, shining with brightness and glory, somewhat proportionable to the Saints, to delight their eyes and minds; Wherein shall dwell righteousness: (i) none but righteous persons, 2 Pet. 3. 12. Esay 1. 21. 9 This may comfort them in respect of all the good they do, and evil they suffer: it is perhaps little heeded of men, they do as much as they can obscure it, and the glory of the Saints for it: when Christ comes to judgement, he will trumpet out their praise. Matth. 25. 35. I was hungry and ye fed me, etc. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Then shall every one have praise of God.  
The next and last use we shall make of this point of the last judgement is a use of discomfort and reproof to two sorts of people. 1. It is for the great terror and fear, and sharp reproof of all such as viewing themselves in the glass of the former discoveries find themselves to be not the Sheep of Christ but Goats, as Murderers, Whoremongers, Pornicators, Sorocrers, Liars, Persecutors, Oppressors, Buggers, Thiefs, Drunkards, Raylors, Extortioners, Disobedient, Unbelieving, Idolatrous, Ignorant, Unregenerate, Unpenitent, Fearful, Hypocritical, Apostate, Unprofitable, Formal Persons, and such as are ha●ers and despisers of Christ, his People, his Graces, and Ordinances: And yet if they think at all of the day of judgement, and of Christ's coming it is as of a day far off, or a day that will not hurt them; or (which is worse) do neither believe it nor thing of it at all, or (which is worst of all) if they do think or speak of it, it is to mock and jeer at it. They say l●t him make haste with his work that we may see it, Esay 5. 19 Where is the promise of his coming, 2 Pet. 3. 3. Out of a profane boldness and infidelity as provoking God to bring 〈◊〉 that once which he hath so long threatened: or by an impudent boasting of their own innocency, as if Gods coming to judgement should find them not guilty, or not s guilty as they are charged to be: they desire the day of the Lord, Amos 5. 18. jor. 5. 11, 12, 13, etc. To all these we have this to say: 1. They are worse than the Devils who do believe the day of judgement and tremble to think of it. Matt. 8. 29. jam. 2. 10. 2. The time will shortly come, when all Gods words which he hath spoken concerning this thing shall be no longer delayed but come to pass and be performed against them. Eze●k. 12. ●1, 2, ●, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. 2. Pet. 3. 20. The day of the Lord will come etc. I●r. 5. 13, 14. 3. This day will come too soon for these men when ever it comes. 4. It will come on a sudden, and when they least of all do think of it: It shall come as a thief in the night. 2 Pet. 3. 10. 5. It will be a terrible day to them, for they must then be brought to judgement and cannot avoid it. 2. Then shall all their sins (which now they will not see) be represented to them in their colours, as a debt they are not able to pay, nor any will pay for them, for which the Sergeant is ready to arrest them, the Gaol ready to take and keep them, till they have paid the utmost farthing which will never be, and this shall be laid open to men and Angels. 3. They can look for no other but to hear against them pronounced that dreadful sentence, Depart ye cursed into, etc. and in what a case will their hearts be to hear it. 4. They must expect a speedy and certain execution thereof like that of Haman, Esther 7 8. Mat. 24. 50. Cut him asunder and give him his portion with Hypocrites. 5. The punishment will be intolerable, the time eternal. But to them which so much desire the day of the Lord; we have this further to say out of Zeph. 1. 12. 15. An●os 5. 18. To what end is it for you: the day of the Lord is darkness and not light: the great day of the Lord is near, and hasteth greatly. It is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wastenesse, and dissolution, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness to them which are settled on their lees, that say in their hearts, the Lord will neither do good, neither will ●e do evil. To them and all the rest we say: There remains nothing for them: But a fearful looking for of judgement and violent ●ire which shall devour the adversaries, Hebr. 10. 27.  
2. The second part of this use is to blame Goods pe●ple. If t●ry of judgement be a dreadful day, near at hand, and will come when men least think of it, are not God's people blame-worthy that they do not think more seriously and frequently of, and prepare more carefully for this day?  
That this security may be and is the fault of Gods own people is evident. Matth. 24. 5. Whiles though bridegroom ●arried long, they all slumbered. Matth. 25. 38, 39, etc. 1 Thess. 5. 3. When Chri●● comes shall he find faith on the earth? Lu●e 18. 〈◊〉. Psal. 30. 7. 1 Cor. 11. 29, 30, 31. And hence it is partly that their hearts are so much set upon the things of this world▪ they do so little mind the making up of their accounts, and that they are so impatient under their lustering, and so careless and uncircumspect in their lives; because they d●● not more mind the second coming of Christ to judgement, and the near approach thereof: It was to Christ's own Disciples he said, Luke 21. 34 Take heed to yourselves least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeiting, drunkenness and the cares of this life; and lest that day come on you at unawares, Matth. 24. 42, 43, etc. Matth. 25. 12, etc. And truly as this is an evil to which the Saints are liable, so is it not without danger enough to them. The danger is set out and illustrated at large in Matth. 24. and chapped. 25. in the parable of the Virgins, and the Householders neglect of his house, and the Thiefs breaking in thereby, and the sudden coming of the Master upon his evil Servant; for albeit it cannot overthrow the elect, and prevent their salvation (for this is impossible to be done) yet so far it may take upon them that they may be very hardly saved. 1 Pet. 4. 18. Matth. 26. 39 It is true, the great soul Thief, the Devil, come he at what hour he will, cannot rob him, and spoil him of his salvation; but it is as true, he may notwithstanding affright him sorely and much endanger his salvation. That Soul to whom when Christ shall come in his particular Judgement at his death, and find him somewhat careless and secure, may perhaps not know and much doubt whether it shall be saved or not. And truly we cannot say but the last coming of Christ to judgement in general may at the first be somewhat terrible, as the coming of the Master on a sudden to the servant whose accounts are not made o●n, and the coming of the Thief to the Housholder that looketh not for him, though he knoweth he shall not rob him: and (as it seems) the ●ive wise, but slumbering Virgins were, at the sudden coming of the Bridegroom. The more watchful we are, and shall be found, the more confident assured and comfortable, doubtless we shall be found when Christ comes to judgement: But if we be otherwise, we may be saved; but it will be perhaps as a firebrand plucked out of the fire, and as Lot was saved out of the destruction of Sodom, Gen. 19 16. It will be God's decree and his care to keep us, and not by our watchfulness and care to keep ourselves, it will be by his holdfast of us, not our holdfast of him.   

Of Heaven, of Hell.  
IN the handling of this subject of Heaven and Hell, (to omit all curious, endless, needless and fruitless questions) we shall endeavour for the doctrinal part to prove 3. things necessary to be known, 1. That there is such a state to come as Heaven and Hell is: For he that is such a fool as to say ●n his heart, there is no God, may be such a fool also as to say, there is neither Hell nor Heaven. 2. What Heaven and Hell are: that the one is a very glorious and happy, the other a very base and miserable condition. 3. That there are degrees of this happiness and misery. And then last of all, for the use of all this, we shall show, how we may attain to the one, and escape the other. And for a foundation of all our structure, we will first of all lay down this doctrinal proposition or point.  

DOCTRINE.  
That there is a Heaven and a Hell, that this Heaven is a state of wonderful happiness, And this Hell is a state of wonderful misery, And there are degrees of this happiness and misery. These parts we shall take and handle asunder.  

That there is a Heaven.  
THat there is a heaven may appear by these things. 1. Otherwise the condition of the best men will be worst, for in this life they receive most evil things. Luke 16. 25. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 1 Cor. 15. 19 2. How otherwise can God be just, or appear to be just? And shall not the judge of all the earth do right? If God proportion the worst ●sta●● to the best men he must at least seem to be unjust, which cannot be. 2 Th●●salonians. 1. 5, 6, 7. It is a righteous t●●●g with God 〈◊〉. to gi●e you rest who are troubled. It is a manifest taken of the righteous judgements of God. This time and state is therefore called, The time of the re●●lation of the righteous judgements of God. Rom. 2. 5. 3. Otherwise the●e is no reward for the righteous for all the good works they have done. And the reward of their works shall be given them. I●say 3. 10. 4. Otherwise the greatest part of the Scripture must be false, and the promises of heaven to the righteous must be of no force, for the Scripture saith there is a Heaven and God hath promised it to the righteous, and it is purchased and prepared for them. Matth. 2 5. 31, 5, 12, 19, 8, 1●, 21. Coloss. 1. 5. Heb. 10. 34, 5. It is begun here and men have a little taste of it in this life, which is an evidence to them of the full fruition thereof in the life to come. Rom. 5. 2, 8, 23. Mark 9 45, 6. If there be a God, there is a Kingdom of God: But the first is true. 7. There is a resurrection of good and bad and therefore a place for good and bad.   

That there is a Hell.  
THat there is a Hell may appear by these things. 1. Otherwise the condition of the worst men will be best, for in this life they (for the most part) receive good things. Luke 16. 25. They are not afflicted as other men. (i) The righteous, for there are no other men but the righteous and the wicked. Psal. 78. 5. 2. Otherwise God's justice is not seen in giving to every man according to his deeds as in that Rom. 2. 5, 6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. 2 Thess. 1. 6, 7. When the Lord jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire to take vengeance etc. 3. Otherwise the sinner shall escape unpun●hed for his sin; for many of them are not plagued at all for their sins here. And yet the reward of his hands shall be given him. Esay. 3. 11. And every one mu●● receive according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 4. Otherwise the word of God, that doth assure us there is a Hell, and all the threaten of God against sinners, that they shall be cast into bell etc. are false Esay. ●0. 33. Tophe● is prepared of old etc. Psal. 9 13. The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God. Matt 5. 22, 10, 28, 18, 9 5. It is begun here and they have a taste of it in this present life, for what else is it that doth cause that horror of conscience in some men, but the fear of lying for ever under God's wrath in this place, judas. Matt. 27. 7. Acts 1. 25. Spirit etc. Belshassar. Dan. 5. Herod. Nero and others.   

What Heaven is.  
IN the opening of this point we shall show first in general what is either properly, or figuratively and by way of resemblance and of it. And 2 in some particulars wherein it doth consist.  
Heaven is the blessed state and condition made and appointed by God, for the eternal happiness of the godly and elect, after this life is ended, with God and his blessed Angels above, where the most lively visible and Comfortable discovery of God's gracious presence is; a little taste whereof we have here, a greater when Soul and Body are separated by death, And the full fruition whereof we have when the Body shall be raised and Soul and Body united together.  
As touching this place and condition, we must first know, that the excellency, glory and sweetness thereof, no mortal heart, or created understanding can possibly conceive and comprehend to the life. For S. Paul tells us, 1 Cor. 2. 9 That neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, n●●ther heart of man conceived, the incomprehensible height and glorious mysteries of that heavenly wisdom and inutterable, divine sweetness revealed in the Gospel: How transcendently then unutterable and unconcewable is the fulfilling perfection, the real, actual, and full fruition of all those evangellical revelations accomplished to the height in the highest heavens through all eternity. But this is certain, that this state and place is a state and place of inconceivable happiness and pleasure. For if the Disciples of Christ in the Transfiguration, were so taken and ●avished with a little glimpse of this glory, that they desired they might for ever enjoy it. Matt. 17. 2, 3, 4. What then will the full view thereof be? and if the taste of it only be a ●●y that passes all understanding Phil. 4. 7. a joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. Then the whole cup and full draught thereof must needs be an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Cor. 4. 17. There is a fullness of joy in it. Psal. 17. 15. The soul shall have so much that it shall desire no more; it shall have so much that it can receive no more, as a vessel that is full to the top. It is a rich inheritance. Ephes. 1. 18. No man can know it in the extent, but he that enjoyeth it: and all that can be said of it, can but as he that drew out the whole body of Hercules by his foot, frame unto us a conjecture of the matter that will come●ar●● short of the thing itself. The Scripture doth set it forth unto us by the most excellent and precious things that are in the world: It is called a kingdom and crown, which is the top and Crown of all earthly happiness; In this there is a confluence of all 〈◊〉, pleasures, glory, and what man's heart can with for outward welfare and felicity: they that possess this are said to be Kings, and to have Crowns, Matth. 25. 34 Rev. 1. 6. 2. Tim. 4. 8. james 1. 12. And what what will not men do and suffer for a Kingdom. It is called an Heavenly Kingdom. Matth. 7 21. to note that it exceedeth in glory and excellency all earthly Kingdoms, as farrens' Heaven surpasseth the Earth and more. It is called also, the Kingdom of God. Acts 1●. 23. a Kingdom of Gods own making, (who doth all things like himself) filled and shining with all Majesty; leisure and unspeakable 〈◊〉, beseeming the dwelling of the King of Kings: It is said to be also a kingdom in●corruptible, 1 〈◊〉. 1. 4 and that cannot be shake●, Hebr. 12. 28. It is not subject to any hazard, 〈◊〉 change as earthly Kingdoms are (for all 〈◊〉 is grass, and the glory thereof as the flower of the field, Esay 4●. 6.) but it will be as fre●h and as full many thousand of years hence as it is at the first. It is also said to be undefiled: 1. Pet. 1. 4. to note that it may be had and kept without any sin at all; which hardly can be in the having and holding of earthly kingdoms: they are accompanied with many temptations, so there is a transcendency in this kingdom above all earthly kingdoms.  
It is compared to light, 1 Tim. 5. 16. It is compared to honour and glory, 2 Cor. 4. 17. It is compared to life, than which what more sweet? it is expressed by the things that are most desired of men. Think we if a man that hath a sound mind in a healthy body, and that hath together and at once all the most exquisite and ravishing delights and contents to body and mind, that all the world can afford? and all this is nothing to set forth this estate; for all th●se things are no more to be compared to the glory of Heaven, than the shadow it to be comp●●ed to the body. But by these earthly things the holy Ghost doth paint out this heavenly happiness to us. It is compared to a royal fea●●, a glorious City, and the ●ike. Think we upon a Virgin of mean condition and in great 〈◊〉, graciously adopted by, and taken and ●●pou●ed to, a husband of great worth, as a Prince o● the like; one she loves dearly and longs for much, one she hath been long kept from, now to be gloriously and richly married unto him in a stately palace and glorious City, never to be ●undred from him again: what ravishing joy and sweet delight would it be to such a Virgin? This doth a little shadow out unto us the happy condition of a Christian in Heaven. For Christ hath espou●●● him (though most unworthy) to himself, and having loved him first, makes him to love Christ, and long after him, but the marriage is not to be consummate till they meet in Heaven, Ezech. 16. 4. 1 Io. 4 17. Phil. 1. 23. 2 Cor. 5, 6, 7. Rev. 22. 20. 17. Rev. 19 7. Rev. 21. What joy will it be (think we) to an heir of a Kingdom or rich inheritance, that hath been long kept from it, in much warn and misery; now to have the full and peaceable possession of it, as David had at length of his kingdom, Psal. 18. What joy is it to a man that hath been long at Sea in a dangerous voyage, even fainting with desire to see the land, now to arrive at his desired haven, in a goodly country and amongst his dearest friends, and there to be royally feasted, and entertained with all possible delights? What joy to a man banished from his country and friends, into an unknown uncomfortable place, and there to be imprisoned and hardly used without any hope of return; for him to return to his country and friends, and there to feast and rejoice together. What joy to a man under the Turkish tyranny and bondage, and there designed to death, to be redeemed and brought from thence, and advanced to great glory? What joy to two dear friends that have been long asunder now to meet together? What are all these things but life from the dead? yet all this is nothing to the happiness of the Saints in heaven. Th' sweet content of a Christian in this estate is resembled to the sweet sleep of an Infant in its mother's bosom. Luke 16. 23. If A●asucrus (to discover his great glory and riches) could make such a feast as he did, Esth. 1? What manner of banquet then, how magnificent, how full of majesty will the feast of the King of Kings be, which he will make to feast his dearest friends to all eternity? we may well think it to be as great as the power and wisdom of the maker can reach unto; which must need, be incomparable and above all meas●●e infinity. And if God hath made such a world for a world of wicked men, for a a place of banishment, for a vale of misery; what place hath he made for his dearest and holy friends, in the ti●e of j●y and marriage of his Son? If our Goal contain so great matters what shall o● Country and Kingdom do? To say all in a little room, in the words of a learned man, In heaven the Lord shall be the Sun without rising, or setting; there we shall partake of the greatest good without envy; there shall be fullness of joy without disdain, perpetual triumph without war, perfection with out any defe●t, perpetuity without end: God shall dwell in his people most clearly; he shall crown them with all good things; he shall remove all sorrow and mourning from them; Christ shall give them of the tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God: to them he shall give the morning Star●● Christ shall ●wn and honour them in the ●●ght of God & Angels. The pure river of livingwater shall flow to them they shall be satisfied with the fruit of the tree of Life; they shall enjoy eternal health, they can never sin, they shall be for ever with God and the Lamb: there we shall not lose a friend, nor fear an enemy; there we shall live with good affection without defect; there no man shall be born, for no man shall die, no man shall increase or decrease; no man shall hunger or thirst but sati●●ie shall be immortality, and meat variety. It is life, therefore sweet; It is an inheritance, all men desire this; It is a crown and a kingdom; all men aspire to this: it is light, all men delight in it; It is honour and glory, and all men labour to this; and it c●st Christ his precious blood, it must needs be some rare purchase for which so much was paid. 1 Pet. 1. 18. There we shall be ●ed with Angel's food which shall be to us a continual feast; there we shall be clothed with immortality and glory: 1 Corin. 15. 43. There shall be chastity without uncleanness, sanct●●y without pollution, gravity without foolishness, temperance without gluttony: there the mind shall be always sober, holy, pious, wholly and always addicted to the love of God. But we shall open these things yet farther in some particulars.  
As the misery of Hell, so the happiness of Heaven doth 〈◊〉 of two parts, 1. in ●●exemption and 〈◊〉 of all ●●●ll. 2. In a fruition of all good. The righteous in heaven shall be freed from all manner of evil, from evil spiritual; for they shall not, they cannot sin; that which makes the holy man here to cry out, O wretched man that I am, etc. Rom. 7. 24. they shall be freed off: the Conscience shall not be unquieted any more; corporal, for there shall be no more offence to the body, by hunger, thirst, cold, weariness, heat, ●●ame, sickness, death, nothing shall annoy either soul or body; it shall neither feel nor fear disturbance: Otherice blessed condition, that is so exceeding happy, and whose happiness is so infallibly secured, Revel. 21. 4. Esay: 5. 8. It is said of this estate: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, etc. And again, Revel. 7. 14, etc. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and they shall hunger no more nor thirst any more: neither shall the Sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And again, Esay 57 1, 2. it is said, The righteous are taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace, they shall rest in their beds. And in Matth. 11. 29. Come unto me all ye that are 〈◊〉 laden, etc. you shall find rest to your Souls: of this time and state it is that Christ speaks, Mat. 22. 30. They neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the Angels of God in Heaven. Hebr. 4. 9 There remaineth a rest for the People of God: the which was signified by the rest the Jews had in the ●●nd 〈◊〉 Canaan, Psal 95. 11. This is that also the whole creation waits for: Rom. 8. 22, 23. For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together till now: And not only they, but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the spirit; 〈◊〉 we ourselves gr●●n within ourselves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, for the Redemption of our body. Nay then, shall do 〈◊〉 self be swallowed up in victory: 1 Cor. 15. 54. So that the triumphant ●oulin 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 our Lord jesus 〈◊〉. So that here we see 〈◊〉 immunity and freedom from 〈◊〉, for Death and the 〈◊〉 shall be abolished, and that last enemy shall be destroyed. Coll. 3. 3. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law. Christ hath taken away the sin, satisfied the Law, and obtained eternal freedom for his own. They are never to return into bondage o● to feel evil any more. They are no more to come into this place; for they are to dwell on high where no evil can reach them. The Devil shall be shut up in chains of darkness in the prison of Hell. Rom. 16. 20. no wicked people or thing shall be in Heaven, for there dwelled righteousness: there shall be therefore perfect freedom without any possibility of returning to bondage.  
The second part of the happiness of heaven, is in the fruition of all good, corporal and spiritual, and albeit this doth consist of many particulars, yet all these seem to be intended and contained in those three words in Rom. 2. 10. Glory, Honour and Peace, in opposition to the ●●ame, Contempt and Trouble, by which the misery of Hell is described. The glory o● the Saints in Heaven 〈◊〉 wherein a part of then happiness shall consist) shall be in these things 1. in their bodies, which being glorified, shall be most beautiful and excellent, either as it springs out of the blessed beauty and excellency of the soul, or as it is ind●wed with an heavenly excellency originally implanted by God in itself: For the Spirit of God and glory shall thou rest abundantly upon them. 1 Pet 4. 14. The body be●●●s the freedom that it shall have from all the evils thereof, as lament, mis-shapenesse, sickness, hunger, nakedness, weariness, cold and the like, it shall be gloriously endowed with many positive and wonderful excellencies, as 1. Immortality, for it can never possibly die, 1 Corinth. 15. verse 54. but it shall live as long as God doth live, so that herein their condition is a thousand times more happy th●n it was in the state of innocency in Paradise. 2. Incorruptiblenes, for every glorified body shall be for ev●r utterly impossible with any corruptive quality, action or alteration, and cannot be subject to any inward decay or dissolution, 1 Cor. 15. 42. 54. 3. Power, when to the Souls native strength there shall be an addition of glorifying vigour, and Gods mighty spirits more plentiful habitation; and it shall also put on a body which brings with it besides his own inherent power an exact ableness and readiness, fitted to the Souls highest abilities; how incredible mighty may we conceive a Saint in Heaven to be? 1 Cor. 15 43. 4. spiritualness, 1 Cor. 15. 44. The glorified body shall be more of the nature of the Spirit (i) more active not needing food etc. and more subject to the Spirit; and be more fully possessed with the Spirit. 5. Beauty and a shining amiableness: 1 Cor. 15. 43. The glorified body shall have an exquisite feature and stature, a well-favoured and comely proportion, and mutual correspondency of all the parts thereof, a sweet and amiable colour, and a bright shining splendour of celestial glory, and a cheerful, lively, lightsome aspect; and all this preserved in perpetual freshness, with new supply of heavenly activeness by a more glorious Soul: yea, the very nakedness, now the shame thereof, shall be then the glory of it, Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned, like unto his glorious body. A glimpse of which we have in Christ's Transfiguration. Matth. 17. 2, 13, 43, 2, 4 2. A second part of this glory shall be in the soul, wherein 1. The understanding shall be abundantly and comfortably enlightened, and enlarged to the uttermost, that the creature can reach unto, in all natural things that may delight, and especially in heavenly things, as in God's word, the glorious mysteries of the holy Trinity, The union of Christ's natures, the union of his elect unto him, God's eternal council in election and reprobation, and the like. 2. The will shall be conformable to Gods will. 3. The memory shall still keep what it knows. 4. The affections shall be according to the perfect pattern. And all this shall be in perfection 1 Cor. 13. 10, 12. For when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. And it must needs be where there is so much grace there should 〈◊〉 to much Glory, for wisdom make, the face of man to 〈◊〉. What with the glory of the soul, and th● body together it is an exceeding weight of glory. It is said therefore D●n. 12. 2 They shall 〈◊〉 as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father. And therefore it is that they are compared to King's 〈◊〉. 21. 26. There is glory in this, therefore it is called a glorious inheritance Ephes. 1. 1●. And a glorious liberty Rom. 8. 21. And this shall be of the whole man, body and soul.  
2. The honour of the Saints in Heaven (wherein another part of their happiness shall consist) shall be in these things. 1. As conquerors and 〈◊〉 by whom their spiritual enemies have been vanquished, as Judges by whom the world hath been judged, they sit down in triumph for ever. Rev. 16 1 Cor. 6. 2. Psal. 49. 14. The righteous shall have dominion over them (i.) The wicked. In the morning: for their beauty shall consume. etc. Rev. 21. 2. 2. They shall be Citizens and freemen of a stately and glorious City Hebr. 11. 10. Rev. 21. They shall be members of a glorious society and company of the blessed Trinity, holy angels and just and perfect men. Heb. 12. 22, 23, 24. 3. They shall inhabit a great and glorious house. John 14. 2, 3, 4 They shall have the estimation, approbation, and commendation of God, Angels, and good men. Mal. 3. 17. Matth. 25. 21. 23. 34. Well done good servants etc. Come ye blessed. etc. Matth. 19 28. They shall stand in the presence of God, and attend (as it were) upon him in his privy chamber, and they shall do nothing but serve him, their work shall be to praise God: and if it be an honour thus to serve in the presence of a King? what honour is it thus to serve in the presence of the King of Kings? Psal. 17. 15. I shall be satisfied with his 〈◊〉 etc. See a little of all this, as in a Glass, in the example of Mordecai, a man, though in himself, and towards the people, of much worth and merit, yet despised and rejected of men, and now, for his goodness and fast ●●●●ving to his God, in great distress and much danger; by and by, quit of all his misery and advanced to great honour, to wear the Kings own Royal Ring and apparel, and to ride upon the Kings own horse, and to be the next man to the King Esther 5. 6. Also in the example of joseph, this day in the prison, in the dungeon, under much contempt, and to morrow, advanced to great honour, to be the second man of the kingdom etc. Gen. 41. 14. 42, 43. So the Saints by their death shall be taken from all their contempt and misery here, and carried to much honour and happiness as was Lazarus Luke 16. 20. 1. And this of God who raiseth the beggar from the dunghill to set him amongst Princes 1. Sam. 2. 8. This honour shall be to all the Saints Psal. 139. 9 And thus shall it be done to the man whom the King shall honour. Esther 6. 9  
The third term by which the happiness of heaven is expressed is Peace which indeed doth comprehend all good things to the soul and body called in Psalm. 16. 11. Fullness of joy and pleasures. And this is in divers particulars. For 1. There will be joy, delight, and contentment, there will be true and solid joy, there will be plentiful and ample delight, there there will be a pure and perfect delight, every man shall have as much as he would, he shall desire no more, nor yet shall he be glutted with what he hath: every vessel of mercy shall be as full of mercy as it can hold, and it must needs be so, for heaven is a place ordained for joy and delight. 2. There is nothing but happiness there, 3. It is the consummation of all happiness and joy. 4. The persons there to be entertained are the persons of Gods singular love, ●ight de●● unto him. What feast think we then will God make for the entertainment of his dearest friends. If an earthly king would make such a royal feast as Esther. 1. What feast can the King of kings make Matth. 25. 23. john 16. ●2, ●4. Psalm 16. 11. R●●. 21. 4. Good measure pressed down shaken together and ranning over Luke 6. 38. Every part of body and soul shall be filled with wonderful sense of delight and sweetness, Yea, even the whole man shall drink down rivers of pleasures, and in the fullness thereof be made drunk. There we shall enjoy the Sabbath of our thoughts, and that sweet tranquillity of mind, which we shall receive from the presence and fruition of that good whereunto our desires have carried us; when they shall have reached their object, when they shall be really, and eternally, present with and united to it. Every passion and faculty of the soul shall have its happiness, for it shall be freed from all that may disturb it. The soul must needs be wonderfully contented and pleased, w●●h that excellent glory wherewith the shall be invested. Then will be that sweet tranquillity of mind, resting in the fruition and possession of good. The bo●y must needs be marvellously taken with 〈◊〉 singular happiness wherewith it is 〈◊〉. For every sense thereof shall be ●●lled with its several singularity, and excellencies of ad p●ssible pleasure and perfection: The eye shall be delighted in the beatifical beholding of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the blessed Angels, and Saints; The ear with the melodious harmony of that Hallelu●a● The smell with the odoriferous perfume of all the flowers of the Paradise of God, of all that may delight it, And the taste with that bread of life which shall so satisfy him that eateth thereof, that he shall not hunger or thirst any more. If you ask, whence this joy and delight which the Saints in heaven shall have ariseth? we shall answer you. From that Glory and honour and the rest of the happiness of the Saints before spoken of, which the glorified person shall have.  
2. From peace, for he shall have peace internal with God; and his own conscience; that blessed peace that passeth all understanding: Phil. 4. 7. Wherein a part of God's Kingdom is Rom. 14. 17. part of Christ's Legacy. John 14. 27. a continual feast Prov. 15. 15. Which the world, can neither give nor take away. Peace external, with good men, against Satan, persecutors, wicked men, all the creatures. job 5. 23. His enemies shall be at peace with him. Prov. 16. 7. Peace without war, a safety without an enemy: For the last enemy which shall be destroyed i● death; and therefore this peace shall be eternal also. It is the complaint of God's people Psalm 120. 5, 6. That they live amongst them that hate peace. Woe is me etc. My soul hath too long dwelled with him that hateth peace: They shall then be freed of this misery. 3. From the blessed vision of God: 1. For the glorified person shall see as he is seen, he shall have a most clear, beatifficall, sweet, and comfortable beholding of God, by the understanding of the mind: as far as the creature is capable. And this sight of God shall be 1. True, not imaginary and by delusions. 2 It shall be perfect according to the capacity of the soul. 3 It shall be immediate without the help of any other thing. 4 It shall be joyful as one that seethe his dearest friend, and not terrible as one that seethe his Judge, or Tormentor. And this must needs be a blessed thing. For 1. God is Light. 2 He is joy: 3 He is satisfying to the soul. 4 There is participation of him by this means to the creatures. 1 Io. 1. 5. Psal. 16. 7. 171 joh. 3, 2. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Cor. 13. 12. job 19 5. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall see him, etc. And faithful shall also have a sweet, and comfortable and certain knowledge of one another, Mat. 27. 3. 4. From the perfect conformity of the whole man to Gods will, for then the work of grace shall be perfect and entire. 1 Cor. 13. 10. When that which is perfect i● come, then that which is in part shall be done away, then, and there, the faithful shall not sin, for they shall enjoy a perfect rest, which cannot stand with sin, and they shall do Gods will perfectly as the Angels in heaven, and as Christ himself. Mat. 6. v. 10. 22, 30. Psal 103 v. 21, 22. 1 Jo. 3. 10. 2 Cor. 3. 18. We shall all meet together, etc. unto a perfect man, and the measure of the age of the 〈◊〉 of ●hrist, Ephes. 4. 13. The Church shall be glorious at last, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. Ephes. 5. ●7. When he is manifest we shall be like him. 1 Jo. 3. 2. Then shall the Saints be freed from that body of death, under which they groan so much now; then shall they be freed from that body of corruption under which they cry out so much, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me etc. Rom. 7. 23, 24, 25. Rev. 〈◊〉. 4. 1●. 5. From their fruition of what they have, for they shall not only have much, but enjoy what they have; they shall therefore know it, that is theirs, what it is, and that they cannot lose it, none can take it from them. There are these things in fruition, 1. there must be a propriety in the thing: 2. a possession of the thing: 3. an accommodation of it to the ends for which it is appointed: 4. an assurance that they shall not lose it: all this is here, for than he shall dwell on high, and his defence shall be the munition of Rocks, Esay 33. 16. compare then the happiness and security of this estate together, and we must needs say it is a very happy estate, john 10. 28. 6. From their contentment and satisfaction in it. For than shall they not desire more or other than they have; but God alone shall be their portion: they shall desire none other with him, or besides him; then shal● it come pass that God shall be all in all, 1 Corinthians 15. verse 28. 7. From their work and Employment which shall be that and nothing but that, wherein the regenerate man doth much delight, Rom. 7. 21. They serve God night and day in his Temple, and sing praises to him. Revel. 7. 15. Halleluia, Salvation and glory, and honour, and power unto the Lord our God. Revel. 1. 1. And when those Beasts gave glory, and honour, and thanks to him that sat on the Throne, who ●●o●th for ever and ever: the four and twenty E●●ers fall down before him that sat on the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever, and cast their Crowns before the Throne, saying, Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory, and honour, a●d power, for thou ha●● created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created, Revel. 4. 9, 10, 11. And they sung a new Song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the Book, and to open the Seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, tongue, and nation, and people. i. From the state of the wicked, as the Israelites turned back on the Sea and saw the Egyptians drowned, themselves delivered. And as there shall be no evil person, so there shall be no evil work there. Revel. 21. 27. 22. ● 〈◊〉. 15. 2 Pet. 3. 13. All things that offend shall be removed. Mat 13 41. 9 That nothing shall disturb their happiness, or in the least measure lessen it; and that there shall be no intermission of it, but that it shall be night and day continued. Great peace shall they have that keep thy Word, and nothing shall offend them, Psal. 119. 165. Your joy shall no man take from you, Io. 16. 22. Add we to all this the suddenness and ●nexpectednesse of them, the place, the company, and the time, wherein, and with whom all this happiness shall be enjoyed: and we will see and say that there is indeed matter of wonderful joy and delight in it, 1. From the place in 3. particulars, 1. It is above and on high, it shall be very conspicuous, and therefore more glorious; it doth somewhat add to the glory of a building, that it is a little mounted Jerusalem which is above Gal. 4. 6. Acts 1 9, 10, 11. 2. It is a place of unmeasurable greatness and largeness; it adds to the glory of a ●arm, and the happiness of hi● that owes it, that it is spacious; to have 〈◊〉, that very good; a fair 〈◊〉 it, and ●ll in a sweet soil, and fa●●ly situated, all this together is in this possession: for the Heaven is the biggest of all created bodies, and infinitely bigger than the Earth: 2 Cor. 12. 2. and all this shining with exq●●●te glory and brightness of purest light. Men love stately houses built by curious workmen, especially if ●hey be safe, pleasant, and delightful h●●●tations. Such is this, Heb 11. 12. Jo. 14. 2. In my father's house are many mansions. It is called the great City. Rev. 21. 10. and the City of the great and mighty King and Lord of Heaven and Earth: made of purpose for the manifestation of his glory, and the habitation, and entertainment of his dearest friends. 3. It is a place of incomparable and supercelestial light of a perfect and constant light: for there shall be no night there. It is set out by a City whose wall is of Jaspar, building of Gold, Gates of Pearls, and foundation of precious stones. I● needs not the light of the Sun and Moon, For the glory of the Lord shall enlighten it, and the Lamb shall be the light thereof. And it must needs be infinitely shining and bright; for God himself in his most transparent glory shall there shine out most admirable: the glorified body of Christ shall shine brighter than the firmanment, and the splendour of many millions of glorified bodies, by the brightness of God communicated to them outshining the Sun and Stars in brightness shall there concur. It is called therefore the inheritance of the Saints in light, Collos. 1. 12. Revel. 21. 13. Mat. 17. 2. Dan. 12. 3. Phil. 3. 21. Collos. 3. 4. Exod. 34. 29. 2. For the company, the society & company shall add much to the felicity of the Saints in Heaven; For their company shall be, God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, The Patriarches, Prophets, and Apostles, the Marty●● and Saints; Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, and all our godly friends departed; for we shall all meet together, and be for ever with the Lord: and with these they shall have a familiar acquaintance: they shall all rejoice in each others happiness, and thereby increase each others joy. This I say, etc. That ye may also have fellowship with us, and that our fellowship also may be with the Father, and with his Son 〈◊〉 Christ, 1 Jo. 1. 3. 1 Thess. 4. 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up, etc. and so shall we be for ever with the Lord. Jo. 17. 24 Father I will that they which thou hast given me be where I am, that they may behold that my glory which thou hast given me. Hebr. 12. 22, 2●, 24. But ye are come to the mount Zion the City of the living God, the heavenly jerusalem, the company of innumerable Angels, the Congregation of the first born written in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the Spirits of just and perfect men, to Jesus the Mediator of the new Testament, etc. Phil. 2. 1. Psal. 17. v. 15. Rev. 21. v. 3. 22. 33. Mat. 8. 1●. Mat. 13 28. Luke 20. 36. 1 Thes. 4. 13. And there shall be none but saints there Rev. 21. 27. 22. 3 ●4. 15. 2 P●t 3. 1●. So that than our Union and Communion with God shall be perfect. Suppose we a wife that loves her husband dearly and desires his company much above all things in the world; but hitherto his occasions have been such that she could not enjoy him: now that he is resolved to live at home always with her; how comfortable and joyful a thing will this be to her? So now the Church of Christ, and Christ heretofore kept a part shall for ever dwell together, and be parted no more. 3. For the time of enjoyment of this happiness, it shall be for ever ●nd ever. It is therefore called an inheritance, 1 Pet. 1. 4. Acts 20. 32. and everlasting life Mat 25. 46. If we ask why God should give an eternal reward for temporal service, we must answer, because it is his pleasure: as it is his pleasure to give a Kingdom, for to give an everlasting Kingdom. And it is a gift like himself, and ●●t for such a one to give, Luke 12. 32. james 1. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Now put all this together, and then let us think what a state and condition heaven is, and whether he be not a happy man that is born to inherit this. May we not say of this; O joy above all▪ 〈◊〉 yes and without which there is no joy; when shall I enter into thee, to see my God that dwelleth in thee! O everlasting Kingdom! O Kingdom of all eternities! O Light without end! O Pence of God that 〈◊〉 all understanding! in which the Souls o● Saints do▪ rest with thee, and everlasting joys are upon their heads, and all pain and sorrow is fled from them! O how glorious a Kingdom is thine O Lord, where in all Saints do dwell with thee, adorned with light as with apparel, and having Crowns of precious stones on their heads! O Kingdom of everlasting bliss, where thou O Lord the hope of all Saint's art, and the Diadem of all their perpetual glory rejoicing the● on every side with thy blessed sight! In this kingdom of thine, there is infinite joy and mirth without sadness, health without sickness, life without death, ease without pain, light with out darkness, and all good without any evil; where youth flourisheth that never waxeth old, life that knoweth no end, beauty that never fadeth, love that never cooleth, health that never dimini●heth, joy that never ceaseth, where sorrow is never felt, complaint is never heard, matter of sadness is never seen, nor evil success is ever feared. For that they possess th●e O Lord which art the perfection of 〈…〉.   

What Hell is.  
IN the opening of this point we shall take the same course as w● do in the opposite branch. 1. What it is in general. 1. Wherein it doth consist in some particulars.  
Hell is the miserable state and condition, made and appointed by God, for the eternal torment of the wicked and reprobate, with the devil and his Angels after this life is ended, beneath, where the most lively sensible, and terrible discovery of God's wrath is. A little taste whereof men have here, a greater after death. And the full and perfect suffering whereof they have after the resurrection of the Body, and reuniting of Soul and Body together.  
As touching this place, and state also, we must conceive the sorrows and pain thereof as inconceiveable and inutterable as the other. If the weight of the little finger of God's wrath herein be so heavy as insupportable, what will his whole loins be? If the taste of it be so intolerable, what will the full cup thereof be? yet so it is, For the Holy Ghost speaking of that little, men do see and feel in this life, expresseth it thus. A wounded Spirit who can bear: Pro. 18. 14. It is intolerable for so that manner of speech doth intent. This weight made Christ himself, though he knew he should get out of it wuickly, yell, and whiles he was under it, was supported by a mighty strength, to sweat drops of blood, and cry out aloud Lord, Lord, Why hast thou forsaken me? This is it that hath made the faithful themselves (though supported by God's hand) so heavily to lament, and so bitterly to bemoan their estate. Psal. 77. This is that which hath made the wicked weary of their lives, and to choose death rather than life, as judas, Saul, Spira, and others. It is but the apprehension of this state to come, and near at hand that mako● those kings and great persons Rev. 6. 15, 16, 17. To hid themselves and to say to the mountains fall on us and hid us from the face of him that sitteth on the Thronc●, and from the wrath of the Lamb, For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to sta●d? like unto that Esay 33. 14. The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites: Who amongst us shall dwell with devouring ●ire, Who amongst us shall dwell with with everlasting burn? If a glimpse and a glanse of this now, and that seen a far of●, be so dreadful and horrid, what will the weight and feeling of it present be, then, when the wrath of God shall for ever in all extremity rest and remain upon them? for besides the less of Gods blessed and joyful presence and favour, (getter than life) and an eternal separation from those everlasting joys and delights above, ther● is the pain of feeling the torment of an everlasting red hot scorching fire, without any possibility of dying or being ever consumed. All that can be said of it, cannot come near it; all that can be felt here, is nothing to it. If the fire of Hell be a true fire (as some suppose) it doth as far exceed our hottest fire, as ours doth exceed the painting on the wall: And it must needs be so; for the one was created for comfort, the other purposely to torment; the one is made by the hand of man, the other is tempered by the angry arm of almighty God; with all terrible and tormenting ingredients to make it most fierce and raging. It is said to be prepared, Matth. 25. 41. as if God's wisdom and power were set on work deliberately to devise it. And when God shall take upon him to do a thing for the uttermost declaration (in a certain sort) of his power, wisdom, and justice: what a thing will it be be? will not the work belike the workman? who knoweth the power of his wrath? Psal. 90. vers. 11. And the thunder of his power who call understand? job 26. 1●. Consider the making of Angels and men, and the making of this transitory world; and then imagine what God can do? Moreover, this fire is blown by the airy breath, the other by the angry breath of the great God, which doth burn far hotter than ten thousand rivers of Brimstone. The pile thereof (saith the Prophet) is fire and much wood, ●he breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it, ●say 30. 33.  
Our fire must be fed continually else it goeth out, that burneth always without feeding; ours giveth light, that giveth none; ours consumeth and dispatcheth; the matter laid in it; that tormenteth but consument not, our fire may be qualified or put out, but that hath neither abatement, nor possibility of putting out: if the several pains of all the diseases incident to our nature, as the Stone, Gou●, Colic, broken Bones, Toothache, and th● rest, and with all, the most exquisite tortu●os which have been or may be inflicted upon man by any Tyrant; and with all also, all the griefs, horrors, and despairs, that over rend in pieces any heavy heart and vexed conscience, as judas, Spira, etc. if all these together and at once were upon one man, yet would they come infinitely short of the pain and anguish that shall torment the soul and body of the wicked in hell. But by these corporal things we may the better attain to ●he view of those spiritual matters. The evil conscience here (a ●●ame of this in●ernall fire) is compared to a Lion, a Serpent, a Sword, and Fir●, job 20. Eccles. 2●. 2. to broken Legs, a Bone crushed to pieces, Psal. 〈◊〉. It i● compared to darkness, shame, and contempt, to death and the like; things man's nature do most of all abhor. Suppose we, a man that for a long time hath enjoyed a Kingdom, and all the glory that the world can afford, that he is now to be banished into a strange Country, and there to be for ever kept in a filthy s●inking Dungeon amongst Snakes and the like: Or a man that hath been long wedded to a wi●e he loves dearly, and with whom he hath lived sweetly; and he is now to be divorced from her and made to marry a loathsome filthy creature, and with her to spend all his days, in all the misery besides, that such a life is capable of: What torment and misery will the torment and misery of such a man be? But alas, this cannot come near to that torment we speak of. Think we of a man much more in debt than he hath to pay to a furious and implacable creditor; apprehended by fierce S●rjeants, in Prison under a fierce and cruel Jailor, having no friend to secure him, that looks for no other but to spend his days in th●● miserable estate. Or of a Traitor, that hath uncensed his Prince, who hath sent out his fierce officers, and apprehended and cast him into Prison under a merciless Keeper, to be judged before a dreadful Judge, who is sure to be condemned, and to suffer most exquisite torments. Or think we of what we can, and we can think of nothing that can give us a taste, or discover a glimpse of it unto us. The wicked indeed have their Kingdom and their glory here, their portion is in this life, Psal. 17. 14. Luke 16. v. 25. And they are w●dded to this world which they make their God: but they shall be suddenly taken from it, and cast into Hell, they spend their days in wealth and suddenly go down to Hell, job 21. 15. And woe, woe unto them, for the misery that shall come upon them, james 4. 3. Phil. 3. 19 They mu●● with the Devil and his Angels to everlasting fire, Matth. 25. 41. there to lie, until they have paid the uttermost farthing which will never be. Matth. 5. 26. and what else can be expected, for they have provoked to the uttermost the wrath of the King of Kings against them. And if the wrath of an earthly King be as messengers of death, Prov. 16. 14. and as the roaring of a Lyon. Prov. 19 12. how terrible will the wrath of the King of the Kings of the earth be, Heb. 12. 29. 10, 31.  
If we would know reasons why this condition shall be so importable, they may be these among others: 1. because they shall look upon the angry countenance of God, and apprehend t● the uttermost his ireful indignation, and that so unmeasurably fearful and terrible sustain it; Rev. 6. 16. 2. The guilt of sin shall still be to the uttermost upon the heart to feel, and as an hideous object in the ●ye to see, and this always before them, and continually on them. No debt though of millions, and to the cruelest creditor in the world; so dreadful as sin: no Writ so frightful as the curses of Gods Law. No Arrest so irksome, as he biting accusation of the conscience. 3. The continuance of their misery, that they shall be ever dying and never able to die, ever destroying and never destroyed, doth mightily dismay them, and add to the weight of their misery. 4. God hath made this estate of purpose so miserable, and will make the creature able everlastingly to undergo it. 5. The knowledge that the creature shall then have to the uttermost of God's wrath, it's own misery, etc. for Sapiens miser magic quam stultus miser. It is called Death, which is bitter, and who doth not shun it; it is called a Prison, who will not labour to keep out of it; it is called darkness, who doth not abhor it; it iscalled shame and contempt, who doth not labour to avoid it. But this shall yet farther appear in the things tha● follow.  
There are also two parts of Hell, as there are of Heaven, 2 Thess. 1. 9 1. The pain of loss, or an exemption from all good. 2. The pain of sense, or the enduring of all evil. Matth. 8. 29. The damned in Hell are deprived of all good, and means, and hope of good. Their Consciences shall have no more peace, they can do nothing else but sin; their bodies shall have no more ease nor rest, but torments day and night 〈◊〉. 14. 10. They shall hunger, and have nothing to eat; thirst, and have nothing to drink; be cold, and have nothing to heat them; hot, and have nothing to cool them; weary, and cannot rest, sick, and dying, and yet cannot be well nor yet die. And no marvel that they are deprived of all other good, for they shall be deprived and for ever separated from that summ●on bonum, the chiefest good, and well spring of all good: they shall be for ever driven out of and excluded from the blessed, sweet, and comfortable presence, of the most glorious God blessed for ever, the Lord jesus Christ, the blessed Spirit, and all the blessed ones, and those that were their dearest friends, who shall then justly abandon them with all loathing and scorn, and forgetting all neernes, and bonds of nature shall rejoice in the justice of God in their everlasting condemnation: So that no eye of God or man shall then pity them; no prayers, promises, or means be then heard or prevail in their behalf; or any one in heaven or earth be heard to speak for them. The serious thinking of this loss will then more afflict the understanding Soul, than all the extreme sufferings of Sense; to be shut out everlastingly and unrecoverabl●ly, and to be for ever banished of the blessed sight of God, which had they ever had but a a taste of, they would know to be an incomparable l●sse, and greater than the lose of ten thousand worlds: this renting of the Soul from God, and the horrible sense of Gods forsaking, and casting it of is incomparably more grievous than the renting of Soul and Body asunder. And then withal they shall think of their shameful negligence, and wilful folly in the neglect and refusal of the means of salvation, how near they were to it, how easily they might have had it, how much they are deceived, how these men are exalted that they thought fools, and they proved fools that thought themselves wise. And in those and such like thoughts, what then will be the gnawings of the never dying Worm: what rage of their guilty Consciences, what furious despair, what horror of mind, what distractions and fears what bitter looking back upon their misspent time in this world: what cursing of the day of their birth, their Brethren in iniquity, and even blaspheming of God himself; what tearing of the hair, gnashing the teeth, wailing and wring the hands; no tongue can tell, no heart can think.  
The second part of Hell is the pain of Sense, or enduring of evil, which though it doth comprehend many particulars, yet perhaps also may be all intended and comprehended in the terms of Shame and Contempt in Dan. 12. 2 and th●● employed in Esay 57 31. in opposition to that Glory, Honour and Peace, by which the felicity of Heaven is set forth. The unhappiness of the wicked in Hell we must needs conceive to be in the contrary, 1 that there shall be an ugliness and loathsomeness in them, and in their bodies and souls both; for they shall have nothing in or upon them, nor shall they come near to any thing that may make them glorious, they are separated from God and all good●●●s as far as Hell from Heaven; they shall then be perfectly wicked, and therefore perfectly filthy and unclean, Rev. 10. 11. their fellowships is with unclean spirits, Matt. 12. 43. and they 〈◊〉 like unto them. Those therefore that are to be cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone (amongst the rest) are said to be abominable, Rev. 21. 8. And in Esay 66. ●4. They shall be an abhorring to all flesh. Their bodies shall be immortal also, but this shall be their death that they cannot die; they shall be ever dying, but never die. It is called therefore an everlasting destruction; so that they shall be an everlasting abhorring: they shall be always corrupting but not corrupted, always decaying but not decayed. Their bodies shall be powerful also; but alas for this power, there shall be an addition of suffering-strength, for God will make them able to endure, what else were intolerable, and he will give them strength to bear that burden which otherwise were insupportable: for they shall be able to live so as always a dying; but so shall die, as that they shall always live; they who torment, shall never be weary, they who are tormented, shall never be killed. They may have also more power to sin, for they shall be given up thereunto without restraint, there shall be no grace nor means of grace three; the natural ability or capacity of receiving or doing good shall be lost. And if the light in them be darkness, how great is the darkness? Their vile bodies shall be yet more vile, and as vile as sin and misery together can make them. And because the body hath sinned, therefore is the body to be vexed with corporal pains. The damned body shall be more spiritual also: but woe worth this spiritualness, for it shall be now immortal like the soul; but happy were it for it if it could die. Their bodies also will be then much more deformed and ugly: if sin or misery, the fellowship of Devils, in a smoackie, filthy Dungeon, can make a man filthy and ignominious, the persons of the damned must needs be so. God's Spirit hath forsaken them and Satan hath filled their heart.  
2. The understanding and memory of the damned soul shall also then without doubt be much greater, and shall be so far forth enlarged and confirmed as it may thereby be made more capable of misery: for as grace shall be perfect in heaven so shall per●●bation in hell, the minds of those damned wretches shall be tormented with anger, fury, madness, sorrow, fear, outcries, and the like; 1. With the sense of their sin which now they shall see in order before them Psal. ●0 21. in quantity and in quality, as it is in God's eye, and his words censure, all which they shall now see and remember at once exactly. 2. In the sense of the happiness they have lost, by the loss of God's favour and presence, the society of good Angels and men, of the happiness of which, then, they shall be doubtless far enlightened to see the extent; for there shall be nothing wanting to make them perfectly miserable. But they shall neither see nor remember any thing at all that may conduce to their ease, or release the● of their misery, here they shall envy the happiness of the Saints, despair of help and mercy; and be utterly destitute of all courage to support. If the near approach to God and an intimate communion with him draw a ●ustie and glory upon the person approaching, than the eternal separation from God with an eternal communion with the Devil that unclean spirit, and all wicked men must needs attract a shame and a dishonour to the person that is in such a fellowship with them Exod. 34. 29, 30. 2 Cor. 3. 18.  
2. The dishonour and shame of the wicked in hell (wherein another part of their unhappiness shall be) i● in these things. 1. That they must for ever suffer under the brand of base Cowards, the slaves of Satan, by whom they have been carried captive at his pleasure, and notorious malefactors, justly for the same devoted to this condition. 2 Their company and society shall be those unclean spirits: The 〈◊〉 fall and unbelieving the abominable, whoremongers, murderers, dogs, enchanters, etc. Like snakes, and serpents, frogs, and toads, and such like creatures. This is the second death. Rev. 16. 13, 21, 8, 22, 15. 3. And this in a blind narrow; and stinking prison. Rev. 9 1. 1 Pet. 3. 19 4. They shall be neglected, rejected, and despised of God, good angels and good men Psalm 119. 18. Psalm 1. 5. Go ye cursed Matth. 25. 26, 41. Matth. 19 28. 5. They have no master to serve but the devil, no work to do but sin, and suffer for sin. And if it be a shame and dishonour to be the mean servant of a base and unworthy person, and to serve him in a base and servile work, as to cleanse his houses of office or the like: then, the work and service of the damned in hell to the devil must needs be shameful and dishonourable indeed Prov. 6. 33. He shall find a wound and dishonour, and his reproach shall never be put away. The least part of this dishonour and infelicity we may consider in that example of proud Haman, Esther chap. 6. and 7. Tumbling from his exceeding great height of honour and earthly felicity, upon a sudden, and when he least thought of it, into a most shameful condition and extreme misery and contempt. And this of the lord Who shall cut off the Spirits of Princes, and is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psalm 76. 12. That poureth contempt upon Princes Psal. 107. 40. That bringeth Princes to nothing; and maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Esay 40. 23. That maketh the strength of the mighty weak Job. 12. 21.  
The opposite term to peace is trouble or no rest, which also must comprehend many particulars. In hell there is no rest Rev. 14. 10. But torments day and night Rev. 20. 10. It is a place that deprives from all comfort that is ordained for torment only. And this also is in divers particulars, For 1. There will be sorrow, anguish, and discontent, such as none like it. For 1. it shall be in such a place as is ordained for torment. 2. The persons to be tormented there, are men forsaken of God for e●er. 3. Their Executioner will be their malicious, eternal, and powerful enemy. 4. There is not the least comfort, no light to comfort the eye, water to cool the tongue, nor courage to support the heart. 5. It is the consummation and compleatment of all misery. It must needs be an ample torment, every vessel of wrath will be full of wrath also, every part of body and soul shall be filled with wonderful torment. There is nothing but torment in hell, The soul the most tender part shall be distracted to think upon. 1. All the sin that ever it hath committed. 2. The time and means of grace which it hath neglected, trifled away and despised, and the eternal misery it hath acquitted. And they then shall think of their shameful negligence and wilful folly in neglect and refusal of the means of Salvation how near they were it 〈◊〉, how easily they might have had it, how much they are deceived, how those men are exalted that they thoughts fools, and they proved fools that thought themselves wise. And in th●se and such like thoughts, what then will be the gnawing of the never dying worm? what rage of their guilty consciences? what furious despair? what horror of mind? what distractions and fears? what bitter looking back upon their misspent time in this world? what cursing of the day of their birth? their brethren, in iniquity; and even blaspheming of God himself? what tearing the hair; gna●●ing the teeth wailing and wring the hands? no tongue can tell no heart can think. See a little of it in this familiar example. A man of mean condition is very likely and in great hopes to attain to be a special favourite of the King and by that means to come to great fortunes indeed, he is fair for it, and in his own thoughts so sure of it, that he cannot miss of it: and at length by some small mistake, or some little neglect he is utterly defeated; and doth not only lose the king's favour but incur his displeasure, and is perpetually banished his presence, and committed to perpetual imprisonment, how much will this afflict the mind of such a man? So it is in this case. The wicked man especially that is under the means of Grace is fair for heaven, and near to eternal life▪ and might no doubt with more ease attain to it, than many of them do go to hell; he dreams all his days that heaven is his, and makes himself sure of it: but at last when he thinks to take possession of it, he is irrocoverably and endlessly cast and thrust into hell. 2 Thess. 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power. Matth. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed. etc. And then shall they say too late. How have I hated instruction. etc. Prov. 5. 12. Remember haman's case Esthe● ch. 6. et 7. It shall be tormented with the memory of pleasures past, and with the apprehension of pains present and to come; it shall free at its own folly and misery: and grieve to set the prosperity and happiness of the godly in heaven: there must needs be grief unmeasurable. For the creature hath lost all that good wherein it delighted, it is disappointed of all that hope wherein it ●elied, and it wanteth all that it desireth: and it is unable to remove what it suffers, to recover what it looseth, to supply what it wanteth. All the faculties and passions of the soul shall suffer; for their joy and delight shall be drowned with sorrow, and their sorrow shall none take from them, if they love and thing they shall not enjoy it, if they hate it they shall have it; if they l●ath, they cannot leave it, if they desire, they cannot have it. The body likewise will have no part free, for every sense shall have a singular kind of suffering. The eye shall be afflighted and afflicted, with the ugly and fearful light of devils: and the torments, and tormented before it. The ear with the horrible noise, clamour and cry, and cursed blasphemies of tormented, and the confused noise of the tormentors shadowed in the cry of the children in the valley of Hinnon, when they were sacrificed by their parents. The smell with the stinch of fire and brimstone, and other filth, shadowed also by that valley where men did use to lay all the filth of the city: the taste with most ravenous hunger and thirst, and all the sensible parts with burning fire. Luke 16. 24. 1 Pet. 4 18. Rom. 9 22. Rev. 20. 15. Matth. 5. 21. 22, 11, 22. 24. Mark. 9 44. Matth. 8. 13, 22. 24. Luke 16. 23. 13, 28.  
And now if you ask me whence all this anguish and torment ariseth? We shall answer, we have touched it before; but to give yet further light herein, it ariseth, 1 From the shame and dishonour we have before spoken of: 2 From their unquiet estate, fro the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast out mire and dirt. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esay 57 20. 21 No no internal Peace: but they are still under that torment, Prov. 18. 14. which who can bear? their conscience doth still presage to them terrible things, they see so much that their hearts sink to behold it; there is no terror of Conscience here like it, no peace with God, but an irreconcilable hat●ed and war. No external peace from good men, devils, or wicked men, no not among themselves; but as they delighted in war and trouble, so they shall have enough. Psal. ●8. 30. 109. 17. And this trouble also shall be eternal. 3. From the loss of God's presence, and blessed vision: for they are to be driven out of God's presence, and shall never see any thing in God that may yield them any comfort: if they look upon him at all, it must be as an angry Judge, as a terrible Enemy. They are to go from the Presence of God and Glory of his Power. 2 Thess. 1. 13. according to God's sentence. Go ye cursed, etc. Mat. 25. 41. And that Mat. 7. 23. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I know ye not, and instead thereof shall see nothing but Devils and damned Spirits, nor shall they have any other fellowship but this with the Devil and his Angels. Mat. 25. 41. Of this punishment than may they say, that are to undergo it as Cain, Gen. 4. 12, 13. that was to be driven out from God's presence. My punishment is greater than I can bear. 4. From the Enmity and inconformity of the whole man against and to the will of God; not because the wicked in Hell shall define to do Gods will, or be grieved that they cannot do (for this is grace) but because from their eternal mind & practise to sin, they have drawn upon themselves an eternal misery they shall then do nothing else but sin, & suffer for sin, for there shall be nothing to keep them from sin. 5. From their feeling of what they have, for they shall not only be under amiserable condition, but they shall feel their misery to the uttermost, a man may be in desperate case, and yet not feel it, for he may be senseless: they shall see their misery to the full, and they shall know that it will be endless; all the powers and faculties of their souls and bodies shall be very quick to apprehend, and very lively to feel their present and future misery: Nay, (if it can be) they shall apprehend worse than they feel. 6. From their discontentment in their condition, for they shall be utterly impatient of their estate, and this also shall add to the misery of their condition, Luke 21 v. 19 And hence shall arise those bitter execrations and cursed blasphemies against God, other men, and themselves. Rev. 1. And they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their soars, and repent not of their deeds: their work shall be to curse and ban, and to blaspheam. 7. From they happy estate of the godly: for it shall be a pa●● of the torment of the damn●● that they shall be compelled to behold the godly placed in heaven and enjoying eternal bliss, and themselves shut out with 〈◊〉 hope of a b●ter state, Mat. 13. 〈◊〉 16. 23. It is elegantly set forth in the book of Wisdom, which though 〈◊〉, yet ●●r ornaments sake we will set down at large. Then shall the righteous stand in great boldness before the face of 〈◊〉 him, and taken away his labours: When they see him they shall be vexed with horrible fear, and shall be amazed for his wonderful deliverance; and shall change their minds, and sigh for grief of mind, and say within themselves, this is he we sometimes had inderision, and in a Parable of reproach; we ●ools thought his life madness, and his end without honour. How is he counted amongst the children of God, etc. which doth show three things in God, 1. how little he regards them: 2. how far he is from helping them: 3. how exceeding hotly he is displeased with them. 8. That there is no avoiding of this, or any part of it, no relief, ●ase, or comfort under it, nor any intermission of torment to be expected. Mat. 22. 13. Luke 16. 24, 25. ●ev. ●0 10. no place for repentance in God, though they seek it with tears of blood: nay so far will God be from pitying or helping them; that he will laugh at their destruction, and mock when their fear cometh. Prov. 1. 6. 27, 28. 9 Add we to this the suddenness and unexpectednes, the place and time in which, and they company with whom; all this misery shall be endured and we must needs say, that it is misery incomparable: 1. For the place in 3. things, 1. The place appointed for the Damned is beneath, and (as is probably conjectured) in the heart of the Earth. Luk. 16. 26. They go down into Hell. Psal. 55. 15 Deu●. ●2. 22. 2. It is a place of straitness, able only to contain that huge multitude that must be for ever shut up therein. It is set forth therefore by a Prison, a place of restraint, a Pit, a Dungeon, a Lake, places that are not great, Revel. 9 1. 1 Pet. 3. 19 I●r. 38. 6. The earth itself (in which it is conceived to be) is not great. 3. It is a place and state of perfect and complete darkness, and without any light at all. For there shall be all night, no day; they shall be bound with the bonds of darkness, and of everlasting night: we read of a dreadful darkness, one of those grievous plagues that God inflicted upon Egypt, Exod. 10. 22, 23. But alas, what was that to this? It is called utter darkness, Mat. 8. 12. 22. 25. 30. It is called in jude 〈◊〉. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 17. it is called the blackness of darkness (i) extreme darkness. And it must needs be so dark, that is so far remote from all that may enlighten it: yet it is a strange darkness, to be dark where fire is; as it is a strange fire where no light is: and this darkness must needs be then a dreadful darkness, that is so extraordinary, when all ordinary darkness is terrible to nature. 2. For the company the wicked shall have in Hell, they shall be such as cannot but add to their misery, for they shall have no other company but Devils and wicked persons, Mat. 25. 26. Go ye, etc. into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Their fellowship shall be with Devils, and with them they must be for ever. Their company shall be the fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, dogs, whoremongers, idolaters, sorcerers and all liars. Rev. 21. 8 22. 15. They shall still live with, and look upon their deadly enemy the Devil that by his bewitching deceits, and malicious and cunning devises hath brought them into this misery, and doth now triumph and rejoice therein over them: they shall still live and look upon the Devil their powerful and malicious executioner; they shall still live with and look upon those wicked men that by their wicked Counsel and example have helped together to bring them into this miserable estate, and they shall still live with, and look upon also those men, whom they themselves by their wicked example and counsel have been a means to draw into this misery: and how much this will add to the heavy weight of misery upon them, no heart can think, or tongue express. It is one case and help against many a misery to go from the sight and sent of it, For out of sight out of mind; but from this we may not, we shall not go; we must have it still in sight, and therefore still in mind. 3. For the time of enduring this misery, it is everlasting, Mat. 25. 46. These shall go into everlasting pain, and v. 41. everlasting fire, J●de v. 6. Mat. 5. v. 2●. Dan. 12. 2. ●●ark 9 43. 2 Thess. 1. 9 And this drives the 〈◊〉 to the head. [Bolton] The consideration of this eternity will so torture the damned soul, that he would think himsel happy, if he might endure those pains no more millions of years than there be sands upon the Sea shore. For this thought would comfort, my misery will once have a●end. But alas, this word never will ever rend the heart in pieces with much rage, and give still new life to th●se in●offerabl● sorrows which infinitely exceed all expression, or imagination. Let us suppose▪ this great body of the earth on which we 〈◊〉 to be turned to Sand, and a Wron to come but every hundred thousand year, and carry away one grain of this great heap, what an innumerable number of years would be spent before this heap of Sand would be fetched away: And yet we and alas, that ever thou wast born; when thou hast lain all this time in this misery thou art no nearer coming out, thou the first hour thou interest in! Now suppose what it is to lie one night in some disease, and have all the helps and comforts for ●ase; what will it then be to lie in this estate for ever? O eternity, eternity, eternity. If you shall ask why the temporal 〈◊〉 is punished with eternal punisment? We answer, 1. Because God's ●ustice can never be satisfied by the sinner's punishment. 2. The sinner's mind to sin is eternal. 3. The souls and bodies to be punished shall be eternal. 4. The sinner doth sin all his time, and God doth punish all his time, which is eternal. 5. The stain of sin is eternal. 6. The sin is against an infinite God, and therefore the punishment is an infinite punishment. So now, put all this together, and then think what a state and condition Hell is; and whether it had not been good for a man never to be born, rather than to be born to this condition. Matth. 26. vers. 24.   

That there are degrees of joys in heaven.  
IT is certain and infallible, that the glory of heaven is the gift that God bestows upon all the Saints, and every Saint shall be full of glory: and that as some do and suffer more than others here: So they shall have and receive more glory, than others hereafter.  
That this is so, is more than probable. Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, shall shine as the stars for ever and ever. 1 Cor. 15. 41. The Apostle speaking of the bodies, of the glorified bodies of the Saints in heaven, useth these words: There is another glory of the Sun, another glory of the Moon, another glory of the stars: for one ●arre differeth from another star in glory. So all 〈◊〉 is the resurrection of the dead. 2 Cor. 9, 6. The parable of the Talents Luke 19  
Rea●. ●1. For though God give not heaven for, yet he gives it according to our works: and some men's works do fare exceed others. 2 All are not alike capable, but differ as vessels, that are some greater and some less. If it be asked then who shall have most glory? The answer must be this. 1 Those that suffer most for Christ's sake. Matth. 5. 12. Great is your reward in heaven. 2 Those that do most good for others souls. Dan. 12. 2. They shall shine as the stars etc. 3 Those that are most humble. Matth. 18. 1, 2, 3, etc. Christ being asked, who should be the greatest in the Kingdom of God, he sets a little child before them and saith. He that shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.  
Now that we have made it appear that there is a heaven, and that it is such a heaven, such a happy and blessed estate, and that there are degrees of this happiness; you will say unto me Quorsion 〈◊〉? What of all this, or what is 〈◊〉 to us? That we may therefore know these things for ourselves: Let us see what use may be made of all this, for our own profit.  
Use 1. This then serveth for instruction, to 〈◊〉 the folly and madness of the men of the world, that willingly deprive themselves of this endless glory for a few base lusts, that be●eave themselves of a room in the city of pearls; for a few carnal pleasures, that shut themselves out of everlasting habitations, for a little transitory pe●●e, that wilfully keep themselves out of this palace of infinite pleasure: for the short fruition of worldly trash and trifles. These are like profane Esau, that sell their birthright for a mess of portage Heb. 12. 16. These are like the co●k in the fable, that let go a pearl for a barley corn. Will not every man think him out of his wits, that is promised a Kingdom, ●he will forbear to do some small matter that will not profit, but hurt him to do, and do some small thing he may easily do; and he will not do this little for so great gain? certainly every man will think him so. Should not a man rather, sell all that he hath to gain this Matth. 13. And account all but durg in comparison of this Phil. 3 [Jerome] What saith the father. fire, gallows, etc. All the torments of hell, so I may enjoy the pleasures of heaven. Who doth not then marvel at the wisdom of the men of this world (rightly termed folly) that embrace straw, and contemn gold, set their hearts upon that which is not, and so greedily follow after shadows, and neglect that which is, and let go enduring substances; what folly and madness is this?  
2. Exhorta. To divers duties. 1 Let us labour to see, know, and believe this. But you will say of this as of death, is there any man alley, that makes a question of this, whether he shall die, or whether there be a hell or a heaven or no? Yes certainly it is more than manifest, that most men do not know nor believe this truth: for if they did, it is not possible they should live as they do. To know, is to know by causes, and for ourselves, and to apply to ourselves, and our own private profit what we know: which is the knowledge we are pressed to in this place. To believe (because the God of truth hath said it in his word, that there is a heaven to reward the righteous, and a hell to punish the wicked, that we must all die, and after death come to judgement: and to live so as those that expect such things. 2 P●t. 3. 14. Wherefore beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. Let us consider it well, spend many thoughts upon it, enter into deep meditations of the inestimable glory of it, and view that heavenly Canaan well. And to help us herein, let us pray with the Apostle, Ephes. 1. 18. That we may be enlightened to see what is the riches, and glory of this inheritance. These things beleevingly thought upon will bring us much profit. 1 They will expel other thoughts. 2 They will keep us from sin, we shall say then, shall I sin, and for a few base lusts lose such a place as heaven is. 3 They will provoke us to good works, and make them more easy to us. 4 They will make us bear the cross the more patiently, as they did the Martyr who said well, Though I have a sour breakfast, I shall have a sweet sup●●●. 5 They will more inflame us with the love 〈◊〉 this felicity, and consequently make us more to strive to attain it. 2 In the second place this may exhort us, to use the means, and take the course to attain to this happy estate. 2 To get assurance that we belong to this estate, and shall come at the last to it; For the first of these, we are to see that we labour and strive to get into this golden city, where streets, gates, walls, and all are gold and pearl: Nay, where pearl and all is but as mire and dirt and nothing worth. 2 Pet. 3. 13. 14. And now, and now only is the time to do this. And to move us hereunto, we are to consider th●se things. 1 It is a thing to be done, heaven may be had if we seek after it: Matth. 7. 7. 2 It is an excellent condition as we have shwed. 3 It is an everlasting happy condition, 4 Else we perish everlastingly. If now you shall ask how you may attain, or which way you may come to it: we must answer you. We must go the way. And herein there are 2 things. 1 That we know the path that leadeth to this blessedness. 2 that we tread this path until we do attain it. As he that would go to any place here, must first know, and then go the way thither and not another way. If you desire to be showed this way, we must first of all show you, that is the way that God's word prescribeth, that a man that will come to heaven must walk; this is the King of kings high way, james 2. 8. That leads to true blessedness, he then that means to come thither, must be acquainted with the word of God, both Law, and Gospel. And for that purpose he must be a diligent hearer, reader, and meditatour of it Psalm 1. Psalm 119. john 〈◊〉. 39 Acts 20. 32 And this is that, that showeth us the way; it showeth us Christ who is the way, it gives us grace and makes us sit for glory: this is as the star that brought the wisemen to Christ. See Matth. 7. 24. Rom. 10. 14. Ephe 4. 11 1, 13. 2 Cor. 5 19 Heb. 1. 1.  
If you desire yet to be farther instructed in this point, you must observe with us 3 things, 1 some lets or hindrances, that do keep men from heaven, and the way which must be removed. 2 Some helps and furtherances, as provision for the journey, that do help onwards in the way to heaven, that must be used. 3 the steps of this way itself. The hindrances and impediments are many But to give you some 1 All sin in general is a hindrance to men's attainment of true blessedness, for every sin is a step in the contrary way, and leadeth towards hell. But there are some special things that l●t, as 1 Inf●delitie; the J●ws could not ente● into the earthly Canaan, because of their unbeleef Heb. 3. 19 And the Christian will be kept out of the heavenly Canaan by his unbeleef. job. 3. 18. 2 Pride James 4 6. God ref●●teth ●e pr●●d: When m●n are puffed up and 〈◊〉 so big, with the conceit of their own external o● internal worth, they cannot get into heaven. Matth. 19 24. It is easier for a Ca●●ll to go through the eye of an●●dle. etc. 3. Trusting to a man's self and his own righteousness Rom. 10. 3 Gal. 2. 17. 4 A remiss and careless seeking of it, men will not give enough for it, he that would have heaven must go beyond all men Luke 13. 24. 5. Presumptuous security, whereby a man is content in his present condition, presuming all is well when it is not so, Matth. 25. 43. 44. and v. in the parable of the ●ive ●●●lish virgins.  
The helps and furtherances that must be used, are. 1 Resolution, as a man that prepares for a journey doth gird up the loins &c 2 All the means and ordinances of grace. And the spiritual traveller can no more go to heaven without the constant and conscionable use of th●se, than a traveller here can go a great journey without a guide, food, and other provision for his journey. These means are the Word, and Sacraments, prayer, and the rest i● the Sanctification of the Sabbath, all which being the means to beget increase and che●●●, grace, which is he way and means to attain to glory must be carefully and constantly used of all those th●t look to ●●me to glory: Io●n● 6. 24. Act● 20. 32. john 5. 29. Rom. 10. 13. 2 Cor. 5. ●9. 1 P●●. 100LS. Esay. ●8 14. Rom. 10. 14. They That call upon the Lord shall be saved.  
3. The steps of this way itself, are in general, the conformity of a man's ways in righteousness and holiness to the will of God, doing good and avoiding evil; or a walking in holiness and righteousness before him: Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heavens; but he that doth the will of my Father in Heaven: Matth. 7. 2●. They therefore for whom this place i● prepared, and that shall be Inhabitants of this heavenly Jerusalem, are said to be, the righteous, just, Saints etc. Elay ●7. 1. Righteous men are taken away from the evil to come. Mat. 25 46. The righteous shall go into everlasting life. Mat. 1. 43. Then shall the just shine as the 〈◊〉 the kingdom of their Father: and heaven itself. Col. 2. 1●. It is called the inheritance of the Saints, of them that are sanctified Acts 20. 32. Hebr. 12 14. Revel. 21 27. For it is but reason, that they that would have the wages of eternal life of God hereafter, should do his work here: Hebr. 12. v. 28 If yet you d●si●e to see this branched out further in 〈◊〉; we may observe it to be noted out unto us to ●ivers gracious works of God's Spirit in us and by us: as,  
1. In Sanctification, that is, the peculiar work of God's Spirit, creating in the elect, converted souls, that new quality of holiness; whereby they can in some measure truly hate their own sins, with firm purpose to leave them and love God's Law with resolution to do it in some good measure. For all those, & those alone that are sanctified here shall be saved hereafter. And this sanctification, is one part of the will of God that must be done of all that will be saved. 1 Thess. 4. 3. This is the will of God, even your Sanctification. Rom. 8. 3. Whom he will glorify, he will sanctify. And this we know doth comprehend two things, Mortification of sin, and a quickening virtue to goodness. And the first or rather the Spirit in the first, worketh by these degrees, 1. it doth make a man labour to find out his sin, especially roo●-sin. 2. It makes him loath it, and be weary of it, and desirous to be rid of it. 3. It maketh him to fetch power from the death of Christ, in the use of all the means of grace to kill it. 4. It maketh him to apply this power as a corasive to proud flesh, to eat out his sin. The second worketh thus: 1. It maketh a man labour to find out that righteousness which God retquireth. 2. To strive for a willingness of heart ●o perform it. 3. And that he may so do to fetch power from Christ in the use of all the means of Grace. 4. A love to all good persons and things. And by these pure motions as streams, the fountain is known to be pure. Io. 4 14. 5. A pure and a holy life showeth the heart as the fruit doth the Tree to be good.  
2. In Regeneration, That work of God's wonderful power, begetting the Elect again to himself, by the Word and Spirit; thereby making them the children of God through 〈◊〉 in Christ, who were the children of w●●th by 〈◊〉: which is one of the first steps in the way to salvation. And all those, and those only that are regenerate here of God, by his Spirit and Word, by a spiritual birth, and by that means made new creatures, shall come to this happy place, john 3 3. Christ's own words. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a 〈◊〉 be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God Joh. 1. 13. 1 Pet 1. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 3. who hath begotten us again to a lively hope, etc. To an inheritance, etc. For flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 15. 50. Jo. 1. 14. And this work where it is wrought doth show itself thus: 1. by the change, their hearts are changed, their stony heart is turned into a heart of flesh, etc. and their lives are altered; they are other men as Paul and Manassah: they have new thoughts, words, and works. Gal. 1. 22. 2. They desire after, and delight in the means of Grace, 1 Pet. 2. v. 2. 3. They know how to work and do work in the work of God.  
3. In Repentance, (a fruit of sanctification) which is, where a man is sorely displeased with himself for his sins, because they are offensive to God and against his Law; and a true hatred of all sin, a settled, constant desire and endeavour to order his life by God's Word. For those only that turn from all sin to God in heart and desire, and labour to show the same by eschewing all manner of evil, and doing all manner of good shall be saved. It is called repentance unto life, Acts 11. 18. Ezech. 18, 21 Mat. 18. 3. Christ's own words, Verily I say to you, except you be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 3. 19 Amend your lives therefore and turn, that your sins may be blotted out, when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And this repentance if it be true, hath these things in it. 1. a hearty grief, chief, because we have offended a gracious God that hath been so good to us. Psal. 51. 4. 2. An unf●●ned hat●ed and detestation of all sin: especially of that we have loved most Psal. 119. 104. 3. A groaning under the burden of it. Luke 15. 17. he to whom sin is a burden shall come to this rest. Mat. 11. 28. Acts 3. 9 4. A constant resolution against all sin especially our own sin, Psal. 119 57 5. An earnest striving all our life time against all that we know to be evil. 6. A practice in some measure in now, obedience, Luke 1. 6. sin gins to be left, corruption gins to work out. 7. A daily examination of ourselves, judging and humbling of ourselves for our sins. Psal. 32. Rom. 7. 8. A quick apprehension of God's word against itself. Acts 2. 37. 2 Kings 22. 19 9 A love of the word of God and Ministers thereof, as that by which we have had our healing, as a man will do the Physician and Physic that cured his body.  
4. In an effectual or inward calling: the special and free work of God's spirit, singling and drawing the elect from the reprobates, making them that they were not before, Saints, etc. for they, and they only who are inwardly called by God's Spirit, as well as outwardly called by God's Word, out of the state of nature ot the state of grace, to faith and repentance, shall be saved. And all such as are delivered into the kingdom of his dear Son. Col. 1. 13. This calling is a sure sign that one is ordained to everlasting life. Rom. 8. 30. Whom the Lord hath called, them he hath also glorified. For these are the Vessels of mercy prepared to glory, and on whom God will declare the riches of his glory, even them whom he hath called. Rom. 9 22, 23, 24.  
The evidence of this is 1. when the soul doth answer to God in every thing he doth require, Psal. 27. 8. 2. when a man is made a new creature by the powerful work of regeneration.  
5. In our Faith, that gift of God whereby the regenerate heart receiveth Christ, and all his benefits to itself, as they are offered by the word, or that tift whereby the believer is persuaded that the word of God is true, and doth belong all unto itself. And those only that have a true justifying Faith here in their hearts, shall be saved hereafter, and none others: and those shall be saved, for God hath promised salvation to them. Jo. 3. 36. He that believeth shall be saved. 1 Pet. 1. 9 receiving the enyo, your Faith, even the salvation of your Souls: for this bringeth us unto and into Christ, who is the way to salvation; and hath the Keys of Heaven doors that openeth and no man shutteth. io ●4 6 Rev. 14. 13. Acts 16. 30, 31. And this Faith may be found by these signs, 1. It is bred by the word, Rom. 10. 17. Law and Gospel. 2. It gives a power against the powerful work of Satan. Ephes. 6. v. 16. 3. It makes a man earnestly desire reconciliation with God, and assurance of his favour. Psal. 106 4. 31. 16. 4. It makes a man careful to please God, though he displease himself in it. Heb. 11. 5. Gen. 22. 10. 5. It makes us to long for Christ, for a more abundant taste and participation of his heavenly grace and gifts. Cant. 1. 11. 6. It raiseth in us a heavenly and spiritual joy. 1 Pet. 1. 8. 7. It purgeth the heart of sin, Acts 15. 9 8. It moveth in us a love to God and all his People. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Gal. 5. 5. james 2.  
6. In our justification, in the forgiveness of our sins, by the sufferings of Christ, and the imputation of righteousness, by his obedience through faith: for whosoever is justified shall be saved, and so è converse: Rom. 8. 30. Whom he justified them he also glorified. This doth consist in the pardon of sin, which may be known to be ours, if we have repent of it, 1 John 1. 9 and of the imputation of Christ's righteousness which may be known by such a peace of Conscience as 1. doth follow or accompany trouble of Conscience. 2. As doth make one careful to preserve a good Conscience. Rom. 5. 1. Heb. 13. 8. 2 Corinth. 1. vers. 12.  
7. In our adoption, which is, the taking of a man, the child of wrath by nature, to be a child of God by grace. For they that are to inherit heaven hereafter are the children of God here, and so è converso: Rom. 8. 15, 16, 17. If we be children, then are 〈◊〉 heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, which we may know by these things, 1. If we do partake of the divine nature by Regneration. Io. 1. v. 13. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2. If we have such spiritual affections towards God, as children have natural affections towards Parents. 3. If we have the Spirit of Adoption, that gi●t of the spirit assuring us of our Adoption, Rom. 8. 15. 4. If we do willingly submit unto, and desire wholly to be governed by the spirit of God, Rom. 8. 14. 5. If we do in some sort resemble God.  
8. In a true love, that holy affection of the heart causing us to delight in God for his goodness sake, and in our neighbours for God's sake, jam. 1. 12. The Lord hath promised the Crown of life ot them that love him. And this we may know by these thing, 1. That we desire a more near union to him: 2. we are well pleased in him 3. We much esteem him. 4. we are careful to please him. 5. we hate that he hatheth. 6. We are zealous for him. 7. we love his ordinances and servants by which we have intercourse withhim.  
9 In a true love to God's people, whereby a man is moved to wish them well and labour their good: 1 Io. 3. 14. Hereby we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren: which may be known by these things, 1. That we love them all; those that have no respect to us, as well as the rest. 2. That we love them for their goodness sake: Psalm. 16. 3. 1 Cor 12. 26. 3. That we have a fellow feeling with them in their misery. 4. That we are willing and ready to do them all the good we can, & do help and secure them in their misery. Matt. 5. 34, 35. I was sick and ye visited me, etc. they that shall rest Esay 57 1, 2. are merciful men.  
10. In the true filial friar of God, Psal. 145. 19 that holy affection of the heart awing us, and making us loath to displease God by sin, in respect of his great goodness and mercy, and for a love we bear to righteousness: The Lord hath promised to 〈◊〉 the desire of them that fear him; And that he will h●ar their cry, and save them And this fear those men have, that 1 do love God. 2. that are truly humbled, Gen. 33. 3. 3. that are afraid of sin, Exod. 4. 3. Psal. 16. 8. 4. that hate sin, Pr●v. 8. 13. 5. that depart from evil, Prov. 3. 7. Luke 1. 74. 75.  
11. In true saving knowledge: in the clear and distinct understanding of heavenly truth contained in the word by the spirit, Io. 1● 2. This is life eternal to know thee, the true God, etc. and then it is true, 1. when it is distinct: 2. universal of all truths in a good measure: 3. it is humbling: 4. it is experimental. 5. it is joined with practice.  
12. In new obedience; when a man is ready to do Gods will in all things, though never so much against heart: Rom. 6. 17. Psal. 119 6. And this must be, 1. of the whole man inward and outward: 2. it must be to the whole word. 3. it must be always & in all places, times, and companies.  
13. In a true joy, a sweet motion of delight in the soul, raised by the sense of God's favour in Christ, whereof the sold by good grounds is assured. A glimpse of heaven upon earth, 1 Pet. 8. 9 Saint Peter speaks of such as rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory: That they shall receive the end of their Faith, even the salvation of their souls; which is known by these things: 1. it goeth with faith: 2. it followeth godly sorrow: 3 it is in heavenly and spiritual things: 4. it is the fruit of the spirit: 〈◊〉. it is a lasting joy: 6. it is a victorious joy: 7. and it is a solid joy.  
14. In patience under the Cross: when a man is able to bear the cross quietly with a ready submission to Gods will, who will have it so for his own ends. Jam. 1. 12. B●essed is the man that endureth tentation, for when he is ●ried he shall receive the crown of life. 2. Thess. 1. 8. And this patience we shall know to be ●●ue by these things. I when a man doth find fault with the least inclination to impatiency. 2 When he doth not go about to limit God. 3 When a man doth more fear the evil of sin, than he doth the evil of punishment. 4. When a man is the better for the cross. Rom. 5. 8. Psalm 119 67. Dan 12. 10. 5. When he doth wholly resign up himself to God in it. Heb. 12. 9 David 〈◊〉 El●e.  
15 In the earnest of the SPirit, in their heart's, whereby they are sealed upto the day of redemption, and assured of heaven. 1 Cor. 1 22. Ephes. 1. 14. 4. 30. Rom. 8. 16. 17. Which beareth witness with our spirits that we are Gods children, and kn●w● by the fruits thereof as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, and the rest Galla. 〈◊〉. 22.  
16. In their Spiritual poverty, or humbleheartednesse in the sight and sense of their own spiritual wants, when a man is tamed by affliction, so that he hath a lively feeling of his spiritual poveritie and want: and is humbled and made low thereby. Matth. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.  
17 In their holy mourning for their own and others sins, and the miseries of God's people: Matth. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. They that mourn for spiritual things in a spiritual manner, and upon spiritual motives Luke 6. 11. Blessed are they that weep etc.  
18 In humility, when a man looking on his worse● part, hath a mean esteem of himself, and a higher esteem of others, and doth walk humbly before his God; in a patiented bearing of evil and doing of good Prov. 18. 12. Before glory goeth lowliness: Philip. 2. 7. 8, 9 Matth. 5. 23. 4. Matth. 18. 12. 3, 4, 5. Whosoever shall humble himself as a little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  
19 In their mercy and pity, to them that are in misery: When we pity and help and secure them in their misery. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy: Matth. 5. 7. Esay 57 1. Merciful men are taken away etc. Matt. 25. 34. I was hungry and ye fed me etc. Sell that ye have and give alms, make you bags which wax no● old, a treasure that can never fail in heaven etc. Luke 12. 33. Where no thief cometh, nor moth corrupteth.  
20. In a lively hope, to an assured expectation of all goodthings promised Rom. 8. 14. We are saved by hope. This is an anchor to the soul sure and steadfast. Heb. 〈◊〉. 19 And then true, when 1 it ariseth out of faith Heb. 11. 1. 2 It followeth 〈◊〉 effedtuall cal●ing: Ephes. 1. 18. 3 It makes a man use all good means to have the thing hoped for. 4 It makes a man sit himself for the thing hopes for: he that hath this shall not be ashamed of it. Rom. 5. 5. 1 john 3. 3.  
21 In a broken hearts and contrite Spirit, when it is b●u●sed as it were to powder through deep grief, from the apprehension of God's wrath against him for 〈◊〉, Psal. 34. 18 Psal 50. He 〈◊〉 such 〈◊〉. Psal. 147. 3. Ezek. 6. 26. Rom. 7. 8 〈◊〉. P●ritie and 〈◊〉 of heart, that have hearts partly freed from the 〈◊〉, and endeavouring 〈◊〉 to be more 〈◊〉 from the gu●lt and punishment of 〈◊〉 and from the power of sin by 〈◊〉. Matth. 5. 〈◊〉. Blessed are the pure●● heart, for they shall see God Rev. 7. 14. These are the● which 〈◊〉 m●●e them white etc. ver. 9 Clothed with white Rolls in 〈◊〉 of purity. 1 Tim. 1. 5.  
23. In their 〈◊〉, their mutual concord and agreement with their brethren: Matth. 5 9 Blessed are the peace makers: Gal. 5. 24. Fruit of the Spirit is peace.  
24. In their sincerity and uprightness, when the heart is right towards God and man: studying to do all things to please God, and not for any by 〈◊〉. Esay 57 2. Upright men are taken away.  
25. In doing good in every state and condition of life. Rom. 2. 6. 7 Go● will reward every one according to his work: That is to them who through patience in 〈◊〉 seek glory: etc. Eternal life, ver. 10. To every man that doth good shall be Glory, Honour, and Peace.  
26 Especially by fruitfulness in well doing. Matth. 7. 19 When we forget what is past and prosse forward to more, not trusting to what who have done. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, and he that honoureth him shall be honoured. Phil. 3. 13. job. 15. 8. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Matth. 25. 37. 38. Christ shall say to them I was an hungry and ye fed me etc. And they shall say unto him, Lord when saw we thee an hungry and fed thee, etc.  
27 In picking close to God herein, in improving all our talents and opportunities for this end, and mightily opposing all that doth oppose us herein. 2 Tim. 4. 7. 8. I have fought a good sight and have finished my course, I have kept the faith, From henceforth is ●aid up for me the crown of righteousness etc. 1 Pet. 5. 4. Matth. 25. 21.  
28 In labouring by their example and Counsel to convert others to righteousness: Dan. 12. 2. And they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the ●arres for ever and ever.  
29 In cherishing and furthering every good thing.  
30 In persevering in good: Mark 13. 13. He that continueth to the end shall be saved. Rev. 2. 10. Be faithful to the death, and I will give thee a crown of life.  
31 In loving and ●onging for the appearing of the Lord jesus Christ: 2 Tim. 4. 8. Luke 21. 8. Rev. 22. 17. 20. Rom. 8. 10. 23.  
32 In embracing and reverencing the truth 2 Thess. 〈◊〉. 10.  
If now upon all this we shall begin to think that this way is impossible to be gone, we must answer and tell you in Christ's words, the way t● heaven is a narrow and a strait way. Matth. 7. 13. 1 Pet. 4. 18 For 1 It is a persecuted way. 2 Tim 3. 11. 12. 2 It is a way through many troubles Acts 14. 22 james 〈◊〉. 12. 2 Cor. 4 17. Typed by the travel of the Israelites through the wilderness. 3 It will admit of no turning: Acts 13. 10. 4 It crosseth all a man's corruptions 1 Cor. 1. 23. Rom. 5. 5 There are many enemies against them that walk in this way. But all this is but to make us to do as Christ doth exhort, Strive to enter in etc. Luke 13. 24. Use all means and be at any charge to attain it. Esay 55. 1 Prov. 23. 23. Matth. 13. 44. And that we may not go without it, Let us 1. begin bet●●es to deal upon this purchase. 2 Labour earnestly, neglect no time nor means. 3. Be industrious as men that cleave a knotty piece of wood. 4. Let us be sure to bid enough for heaven. 5 Let us go through, and let us resolve to go through with the bargain what ever it cost us: for wisemen have given their life for it; and it is the best bargain in the world.  
3. The 3. duty whereunto (in this use) we are to be exhorted is, That we labour to get an assurance of heaven before we die. 2 Pet. 1. 10. For 1 We know not how soon we shall die, and then we must part from the present things we have here: It is good then to be assured of better, before we leave these things. 2 This assurance brings a world of joy with it. Rom 14 17 3. It will be one special means to keep of many of Satan's tentations Ephes. 6. 16 4 Hereby we shall be able to come with boldness to the throne of grace Heb. 4. 14. 16. And to move us thereunto, let us consider theseunto, let us consider these things. 1 It is possible to attain it, for some of the Saints have attained it. Exod. 15. 2. joh 19 23. joh 20. 21. ●7, 28. Ephes. 1. 14. 2 We have means to attain it, and time also to make use of that means job 14. 14. 19 joh. 12. 36. 3 God requires it 2 Pet. 1. 10. 4. Many excellent benefits flow from hence to us, and (amongst the rest) we shall have a taste of this happiness here, we shall have a heaven upon earth.  
If now you shall ask how you may come by this assurance, we must make the answer in 3 branches. 1 This assurance cannot be had presently; for commonly it is not gotten without much labour & ado, and that for a long time, and after a long waiting. 2 The best means that can be found of our assurance herein, will be the work of the spirit of God, so much as we can find of the work of the Spirit in our Sanctification, Regeneration, Repentance, Faith, Love, Joy, etc. So much assurance we may have upon solid grounds of our salvation, and the more we find of the one, the more we have of the other: 2 Pet. 1. 5. 6, 7, 10, 11. Psalm 15. 1. 2. etc. Rom. 8. 28. 30. 3 The means of increase of grace, which are 1 The constant use of all the means of grace, the word. Psalm 1. 3. Acts 20. 32. The Sacraments. 1 Cor. 11. 26. Prayer. Matth. 7. 7. And by this means we shall get into Christ, by and from whom, all our virtue to grow and increase doth come: as the branches from the tree. joh. 15. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 5. In the third place for application of this point of heaven's happiness, there are some uses to be directed to them only that upon a serious examinatin of themselves, find themselves to be justly entitled to this blessedness, and those are 4. first of all they are from hence, to be taught thankfulness to God, who hath bestowed this gift upon them, prepared them for it, and doth preserve it fo● them, and them for it: to be delivered from such an evil as hell, is no small favour; but withal to be brought to such a good as heaven, is a favour above all comparison. If a man (of whom we may deserve something) should bestow a good farm upon us in fee simple, we should think ourselves bound to owe him much thanks for this. What thanks then think we do we owe to God (from whom we can merit nothing) who hath freely given us a Kingdom, nay more than all the Kingdoms of the world at once: For the gift of God is eternal life through jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6. 23. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God: Ephe. 2. 8. Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Coloss. 1. 12. Well may we assume the Apostles words; 1 Pet. 3. 4. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us to a lively hope by the resurrection of jesus Christ to an inheritance etc. 2 They are from hence to be learned to rejoice in the hope and expectation of this happiness; who is there that is born to a crown, and doth not rejoice to think of it? The godly have as much cause to rejoice for the happiness to come upon them, as the wicked to weep and howl for the misery to come upon them. james 1. 1. 2. Rom. 5. 2. We rejoice under the hope of glory. Luke 10. 20. Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven Luk 21. 28. 1 Pet. 1. 13. 3 They are from hence to learn patience and comfort under the cross: have we many and grievous afflictions here? it will not be long but we shall be freed of them all, and we shall be made amends for all; are we poor here? we shall have a kingdom then; are we in trouble here? we shall have rest then; are we under shame and contempt here? we shall have honour then: 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light afflictions here, which are but for a moment, cause unto us a far more excellent ●nd eternal weight of glory. Rom. 8. 18. I 〈◊〉 of this present time are not worthy 〈◊〉 the glory which shall be showed unto us: The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 1 〈◊〉 5. 6 7. And this will be a time of refreshing, Act, 3. 19 And then there shall be, no more curse; and all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow. etc. Rev. 22. 3. Let us wait till then, Jam. 5 7 Be patiented my brethren to the coming of the Lord; behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the Earth, and hath long patience for it till he receive the former and the latter rain, Mat. 12. So let us wait, jude 21. 4 They are from hence to learn moderation in their desires after, and use of, these earthly things, since they are shortly to have so much, they may be content with a little in the meantime; nor should they much esteem those things they have, since shortly they must leave them for far better things. It is not for him that is born to a kingdom, to set his heart upon an old rotten Cottage. 1 Cor. 7. 31. In the fourth place for application, since, heaven is such a place and condition, Let us all be then persuaded, not only to get it for ourselves, but to do our best to help others to it also, bonian que communius comelius, the better the thing is the more we should desire the communication of it to others, and the more goo● we shall do thereby, there is room enough in heaven for us all, and it will not lessen, but increase our happiness to have others to partake of the same happiness with us: they that turn many to righteousness shall shine, etc. it is one note and mark of our being in the state of grace, and our going to the state of glory (as we have showed) to be of this making, Psal 51. 13. Gal. 4. 19 Luke 22. 32. grace is communicative, for there is love in it, which is b●utifull and good; and he that hath tasted the sweetness of God's goodness; himself, hath so much love to others, that he desireth, that all others should cast thereof with him; it is the nature and temper of all the heavenly passengers. Let us every one of us therefore be of this heavenly mind, not to hinder men in the way by laying blocks of ill example or bad council, but rather by all good persuasions and examples, labour to have as many with us to heaven as we can, the father his children, the husband his wife, the wife her husband, one friend and neighbour another; and for this purpose, let us instruct, reprove, and admonish them ourselves? and let us draw and bring them to jesus Christ, who is the way; and for this purpose let us pray for them, and draw them to the means and ordinances of grace, the word, prayer, and sacraments; by which as by a Conduit pipe, grace and glory, Christ and all, is conveyed and derived to us. So let us bring the sick souls of our friends now to Christ, as men did the sick bodies of their friends to Christ heretofore, and were healed: let us persuade them to wash in that heavenly bath, that is open for sin and transgression, Zach. 12. 1. Let us say, Come let us go up to the house of the Lord, etc. Esay 2. 3. In the last place, since it is so, that there be degrees of glory in heaven, and some shall have more than others: Let it then be to persuade us to labour for the utmost degree of glory, by doing and suffering: let us not only labour to be good, but to be passing good; to do good, but to do much good; to do all the good we can, not only to suffer for Christ and righteousness sake; but to suffer gladly and willingly, any thing for Christ's sake, We will end with the Apostles exhortation, in the 1 Cor. 15. 59 therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the works of the Lord; forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord: i. not without a reward from God, seeing there is an eternal life.   

That there are degrees of torments in hell.  
IT is most certain, that the torments of hell shall be imposed upon every impenitent sinner, and he that bears least thereof, shall bear an intolerable burden: yet it is more than probable, that as some sin more than others▪ so they shall be punished more than others: and therefore that there shall be degrees of torments in hell. Matth. 23. 14. woe unto you Scribes etc. Therefore you shall receive the greater damnation. Matth. 11. 22. It shall be easier for Tyre and idon in the day of judgement thou for you. Matth. 5. 22.  
Reas. For God's justice so requireth, and the judge of all the earth will do right. If then it be demanded who shall have most torment? The answer will be, he that hath most sinned: And the aggravation of sin will rest upon these circumstances. 1 Upon men's knowledge for they that have much knowledge, and yet sin much: must look for much torment. Luke 12. 48. 2 Upon man's will, for the more of the heart runs to a sin, the greater is that sin, in which respect, some sinful thoughts are deemed greater than other sinful works. 3 Upon the means of amendment, for they that have had much means of amendment, & yet are as ●ad as ever they have been, must look for a great share of hell. 4 Upon the hurt they do by their sin, for the more hurt they do by their sin, the more torment they must expect to suffer in hell for their sin: hence it was (as it is conceived by some) that Dives would have had his friends admonished, lest they being hurt by his counsel or example, this might cause increase of this torments in after time.  
Now having made it to appear, that there is a hell, and that it is such a hell, a miserable and intolerable condition: And that there are degrees of this misery. Let us b●ing home this a little ne●rer to ourselves, and consider what use the Holy Ghost in the Word of God teacheth us to make of all this.  
Use 1. First then let his be to set forth, the folly and madness of those men, who though they hear before of such a state and condition, and are forewarned thereof: yet wilfully run themselves upon the hazard of everlasting undoing therein, to have the fulfilling of a few base lusts here: these show plainly that either they believe none of these things, or if they do, that they suppose they have made a Covenant with death, and are at agreement with hell, that it shall not touch them. Esay 28. 15. They run upon all this danger, as the horse unto the battle. jer. 8. 6. Being ignorant of God's judgement. ver. 7. What will it profit a man to win the whole world, and lose his own soul Matth. 16. 26. Will we not think that man mad, who being told that if he go such a way, he will fall into a dangerous 〈◊〉 it, or be torn in pieces of wild beasts: that ha●ing no need will notwithstanding adventure that danger? doubtless every man will think him so. [Bolton] Ah then is it not madness above admiration, and that which may justly astonish heaven and earth, that men who are reasonable creatures, that have eyes in their heads to foresee, and hearts in their bodies to tremble, consciences capable of horror, and bodies and souls that can burn in hell; that may (by taking less pains in the right way then a drunkard, wordling, or other wicked man in the ways of hell) escape everlasting pains, yet will not be warned or moved; until though fire of that infernal lake flame about their ears. O monstrous madness! and merciless cruelty to your own souls.  
2. Let us then consider of this, see and believe this. For whatsoever men may pretend, or imagine, they do not believe there is any such place as hell is, for if they did, they could not so desperately and inconsiderately, run into evil as they do. Deut. 32. 29. Esay 27. 11. Let men therefore know and believe as a part of God's infallible truth, that there is a hell, and that the torment thereof is extreme and perpetual, and let them labour to avoid it. (& cries [Ward] In hell there is nothing heard but 〈◊〉 In hell the fire ne'er slakes, nor worm 〈◊〉 dies. But where this hell is plac●d (my muse stop there) Lord show me what it is, but never where.  
Let us then spend many thought, in the meditation of this also: and for this also pray, that God will open ●he eyes of our mind; that we may see that which the devil labours with all his might to keep from us, what is the misery of this condition, and let us know it for ourselves, for this knowledge will be very profitable to us. 1 It will keep us from sin, and it is the afore proposed as a remedy and help against it. 2 It will wean us from the world, and make us prepare for heaven. 3 It will make us more afraid of the place, and of sin leading to it: and provoke us with more care and study, to endeavour to avoid it, Forewarned and forearmed. 4 It will make us more thankful to God and Christ for the work of Redemption, by which we are freed from such a misery. But to forget these things, or to put fare from us ●he thought of death, judgement, hell, and heaven, is to open the stood-gates, and let lose the reins to all unrighteousness, as the minding and expecting of them, is to shut up and restrain them. job gives this as the reason of his care to walk with his God, job 31. 23.  
For God's punishment was fearful to me, etc. Amos 6. 3. Ye that put fare away the evil day, and approach to the seat of iniquity.  
2. Let this then persuade us, to use all the possible means we may to escape this place and condition. Matth. 3. 8. To fly from the wrath to come. And for this let us hearken to the counsel of God's Word Luke 16. 31. Which is to fly all sin: for that leads to this misery. Let us therefore resolve to do or suffer any thing rather than knowingly, wittingly, and willingly, to sin against God. Let us invincibly oppose all the motions and temptations to sin, watching and praying continually against it that we may be found worthy to escape the things that shall come upon the world. Luke 21. 36. And to provoke us to this let us consider these things.  
1. What a terrible place hell is (as we have showed) 1 Torment inexplicable. 2 No manner nor measure of ease or comfort. 3 all this endless. 2 There is a possibility now of escaping it, the promise is to all, and God is rich in mercy to all that call upon him, Christi● merits are sufficient for all, and the greatest sinners have found mercy, that have sought it with repentance.  
If now you shall ask what is the cause, that most men notwithstanding they know this; do so desperately hazard themselves: and are so careless to avoid so great a danger, We shall answer: these 4 causes especially.  
1. Security, They are asleep in sin, and so as jonas was sometimes in the ship, do not apprehend any danger though there be never so much. Or 2 Presumption. They are in a dream of another case then indeed they are in, for they that do spiritually sleep, do spiritually dream, and as a man out of his way, that notwithstanding is confident he is in his way, will not heed them that shall tell him so; so is it in this case. 3 Delay, if it be so that men do think there is some danger in the case, they think it is time enough, and they will look to it hereafter. 4 Remissness, We think a little will serve, and that we have done enough; and so as good never a whit, as never the near: Be because we have not done enough, we have undone ourselves for ever. For Remedy whereof we must labour to be throughly awaked, examine our case, and put ourselves in the balance of the Sanctuary: see which way we are going, and if we find we are going the broad way to destruction, let us make haste with all care to get out of this way into the narrow way that leadeth to life Psalm 119. 59 I have considered my ways and turned my feet to thy Pe●timonies. If now you shall ask what means you may use and what course you may take to escape this miserable condition, we shall answer you in these particulars, wherein also you may se● who are yet in this broad way to destruction. 1. Harken to the counsel of God's word, and his faithful servants speaking to us by it Luke 16. 28. 29. For as the neglect and contempt of this brought the old world into hell 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. So the heeding and obeying of this will keep men out of hell. 2 Pray earnestly for God's favour in the pardon of our sins  
3. Get the spirit in us to help us. Rom. 8. 26. 4. Make Christ our friend and bring him to God for us. 5. Get out of the broad way of our own hearts in evil, and forsake the way of sin which leads to this misery, resolve to do any thing and suffer anything rather then sin, and so get into the narrow way of God's mind in good.  
For they for whom Hell is prepared, and that shall be members of this black and h●ll●sh crew, shall be the unrighteous, the wicked that do o●tend, that do iniquity, etc. Psal. 9 17. 1 Cor. 6. 9 The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Mat. 13. 41. They shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which d●e iniquity. If yet you desire to see it further set forth, what evils especially they be that bring men to this miserable condition, that all m●n must avoid as the way, as they will avoid this as the end. 1. The cherishing, nourishing, and sparing of sin; for if we kill not sin, sin will certainly kill us, Rom 8. 15. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit, ye shall live. Mat. 18. 7, 8. 9 Wherefore it thy hand or thy foot cause thee to offend, cut it off and cast it from thee. It is better for the 〈◊〉 enter into life, halt or maimed, then having two hands, or two feet to be cast into everlasting ●ire. And if thine eye cause thee to offend, pl●ck●n●ous, and ●●st it from thee. It is better to enter into life with one eye, then having two eyes to be cast into hell fire And then a man doth cherish and spare his sin, when 1. he will not endure reproof for it, when he will not have his sin disturbed. 2. When he doth labour to hid his sin. job 20. 12, 13. 3. When he doth plead for his sin. 4. When it is pleasant to him. 5. When he doth not care to be rid of it, nor doth groan under it. 6. He cares not to know what that good will of God is; nor doth he labour to bring his heart to it. 7. He cares not to draw nigh to God in the means of grace. Job 21. 14 They say to God depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. 8. Their fruits are the fruits of the flesh, and this showeth them to be bad Trees.  
2. The continuance in an Unregenerate state, which is the natural state and condition of every man: there is no hope for any man to escape damnation, but for such as are begotten again by this work. And this is the condition of all these persons following: 1. Such as in whom there is no change at all wrought, but they are still in their pure naturals; as they were born, so they live, and they mean to die. 2. Such in whom is there no desire after, nor delight in the means of grace. 2. Such as have neither will nor skill to any of God's works, as Prayer, or the like. 4. Such as have no holy motions, for these are like the breath and beating of the Pulse; that show the natural life: and where they are not, it is a sign the body is dead. And to where those are not, it is a sign the soul is dead; and that there is no spiritual life begun in it.  
3. Impenetency in Sin; it is not man's sin so much as his not repenting of his sin that damns and undoes him. Manasseth and Paul sinned much; but they repent and were saved. Ezech. 18. ●1. Cast away all your transgressions, etc. For why will you die o house of Israel. And this is then most pernicious, when God calls Upon men to repent; when men are exhorted and persuaded to 〈◊〉, and will not hear? Matt. 11. 20, 2●. 12. 41, Acts 17. 30. 2 Chron. 36. 11, 12. 14, 15, 16. And they do continue in their impenitent estate. 1. That do not see a filthiness in sin, but think it a beautiful thing. 2. That are not burdened with sin, though they have never so much upon them. 3. They whose hearts are like a Vessel without a hole, where into the word cannot Pierce. 4. They who live in sin still, and leave no sin. 5. They that cry not out of their sin and bewail it. 6. That are untractable to Gods will. Hebr. 3 13. Rom. 2. 5. 7. That will not endure a plain and sincere Ministry, they will not be awaked out of sin; as a man disturbed is angry doth show he is willing to sleep on, and not to be awaked; so it shows these men are not willing to come out of their sin. Better to endure the pain of Repentance here, then everlasting pain hereafter: for one of them must be endured. Luke 13. 3. 5. Christ's own words Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  
4. An effectual or outward calling when men are moved by the Word, or afflictions to repent, but do not; such men as are still under the power of darkness, such are they that hear the word, but do not repent of sin; nor believe the Gospel: such are like to a man in a dead sleep, when he is called, who hears not, and therefore lies snorting still in his sin. These answer not Gods call, but put them off with delays and excuses. Luke 14. 16, 17. Math. 20. 16. Prov. 1. 24. Because I have called, and ye refused. I have stretched out my hand, and none would regard: those that were called to the Supper; one saith, I have bought a farm; another, I have married a wise; a third, I have bought oxen. 2. These continue still in their unregenerate state and are not changed at all.  
5. Infidelity, the privation and utter want of Faith: when God's promises are wholly disinherited: for such men as believe not, are damned already (that is) as sure to go to hell as if they were there already. Jo. 3. verse 36. He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life: And he that obeyeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him: Rom. 1. verse 20. Heb 3. verse 2●. They could not enter in, because of unbelief. Mark 16. verse 16. He that believeth not shall be damned. And this unbelief may be discerned by the effects thereof, also which are 1. by a man's weakness to withstand temptation, that he is carried and hurried hither and thither with every temptation. 2. That a man takes so little care and pains to be reconciled to God. 3. That a man doth so little care to please God. 4. That a man doth so little desire after grace. 5. That a man hath no spiritual joy in him. 6. That the heart is so foul and unclean still: And 7. that they have so little love to God and his People, 1 john 3. 14, 15.  
6. In a man's own guiltiness, when a man's sins remain upon his soul being unpardoned, because they are not repent of; and he hath nothing to do with Christ's righteousness, but must stand upon his own bottom: the plague of wicked men, Psal. ●9. 27. Lay iniquity upon iniquity, and let them not come into thy righteousness. Matth. 22. 11, 12. Man how camest thou in hither not having on thy wedding garment, that knoweth not what a troubled Conscience for sin, and quieted by Christ's blood doth mean; and therefore take no care, use no pains to keep the Conscience quiet and good.  
7 If we continue still as we are by nature the base born of Satan, by similitudinary resemblance: we are said to be the Devils children, such as bare his image and resemble him in malice and subtlety, called children of wrath, of the flesh, of perdition, of Death, of Hell. john 8. 41. 44. You are of your father the Devil and his works will ye do. And thus it is, when we have none of the divine nature in us: nor any good affection towards God at all, we are more like unto Satan than unto God; and when Satan, and not God's Spirit hath filled our hearts, and we are led by the Devil and not by the Spirit of God.  
8. In the warn of love ot or hatred of God, the case of all wilful disobedient sinners: for every man that is wicked (as every man is in his estate of nature) doth hate God, Rom. 1. 30. which doth appear by his desire to have God departed from him, job 20. by this that he doth not regard him, nor care to please him, that he careth not for God's glory; nor doth he regard his ordinances.  
9 In the hatred of God's people, when men have a settled malice against them without cause, that they neither wish them well, nor endeavour their good. 1 Jo. 2. 11. He that hateth his brother is in death. Verse. 15. is a man slayer; and ye know that no manslayer hath eternal life. 1 Jo. 3. 13. 15. Psal. 34 21. They that hate the righteous shall perish: which may be thus discerned: 1. That they love not one of them but for some respect: 2. That they hate them for their goodness sake. 1 Jo. 3. 12. Because his own works were evil, and his brothers good. 3. That they rejoice nover them, and that they ●o not pity them nor yield them any help in their misery. Math. 25. I was hungry and ye fed me not, sick and in prison, and ye visited me not; naked and ye clothed me not, etc. Judgement merciless, shall be to him that showeth no mercy Jam. 2. 13.  
10. In Presumption or the want of God's fear: either they fear him not at all, or if they do; it is as an angry Judge, and with a servile fear, they sin nothing the less but the more. Rom. 3. 16, 17, 18. The fear of God is not before their eyes. And therefore they love not God; they are not humbled before God, do not fear sin nor departed from it Jer. 5. 22.  
11. In their Ignorance, want of the true knowledge of God and heavenly things, when either they have not and cannot, or have means and will not know. 2 Thess. 1. 8, 9 Ephes. 4. 18 The Lord will come from heaven in flaming fire, to render vengeance on them that know him not, etc. And then it is not true, if there be any, when it is confused, partial, proud, without experience or practise.  
12. In disobedience; when a man refuseth to hear, and do what God requireth. 2 Thes. 1. 8, 9 He shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance, etc. and obey not the gospel. 1 Pet. 3. v. 19, 20.  
13. In the want of true joy: for their joy if any is, 1. without faith: 2. and did not follow godly sorrow; 3 it is in carnal and earthly things, Psal. 4. 6. 4. it is a fruit of the flesh and not of the spirit. 5. And it is not a solid lasting nor victorious joy, Eccles. 7. 8.  
14. In impatiency under the Cross, wherein men cannot submit to God and be quiet, but fret and repine: one of the sins that provoked God so much against the Jews, and kept them out of the earthly Canaan. Psal. 106. 25, ●6. Dan. 12. 10. Psal. 78. 41. 2 Kings 6. 33. For it makes God to increase the Plague still until at last he utterly destroy, Levit. 26. 21. And they discover it in these things 1. They limit the holy one of Israel; and neither can or will endure to wait upon him: 2. They are troubled only with the evil of punishment, and not at all with the evil of sin as Pharaoh: 3. They are not the better but the worse for their crosses: 2 Chron. 28. 22. This is King Ahaz, who in the time of his affliction did trespass, yet more and more.  
15. In the absence of the Spirit of God, which they have not jude 1. 19 and the presence of Satan that evil Spirit, wherewith they are filled. Acts 5. 3. by the illusion whereof, they prosume of salvation, having no right to it, nor reason for it. And as this is of the flesh, so it yields the fruits of the flesh, as adultery and the like. Gal. 5. 19  
16. In their spiritual fullness: that in their pride and high conceitedness of their own sufficiency feel no need of Christ; that in their own sense think they have all things, and want no spiritual good thing. Luke 1. 53. Luke. 8. 24, 25. W● 〈◊〉 you that are full, Rev. 3. 17. Luk. 18. 9, etc. He filleth the hungry with good things, but the rich be 〈◊〉 empty away.  
17. In their wicked joy and mirth, that are so drowned in their present pleasures that they eat all pains & crosses for godliness or God's glory, rejoice in wickedness and in earthly things at the best; and mourn not at all for any spiritual thing, Luke 6. 25. woe unto 〈◊〉 that now laugh, for ye shall wail and we●y. Jam. 5., 1 2. 5.  
18. In pride, that haughtiness of mind, when a man is puffed up with a conceit of his own excellency to the neglect of God, and contempt of men; that which brought Satan to Hell. Prov, 18. 12. Before destruction the heart of man is ●aughty. Math. 23. 12. He that exaltech himself shall be brought low. Ezech. 28. Obadia, vers. 3. The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee; thou that dwellest in the cliffs of the Rocks, etc. Though thou exalt thyself, etc. Yet I will bring thee down.  
19 In their cruelty and unmercifulness towards 〈◊〉 in misery; that have not a heart to grieve nor a hand to help them. Jam. 2. 13. Condemneation merciless, shall be to him that showeth to mercy, Jam. 5. 1. etc. Weep and ●owl ye rich men for the misery that shall come upon you etc. Behold, the hire of the Labourers is of you kept buck; and it cryeth in the ears of the Lord: ye have condemned and killed the just. Luke 16. 20, 21. Dan. 4. 24.  
20. In despair or want of hope or presumption, a groundless vain hope, that hath no foundation, that brings to fruit. Job 8. 13. The hope of such shall perish, and be cut off: and their trust shall be as the Spider's web: and then they shall be ashamed of their hope. Psal. 25. 3.  
21. In a hard and stony hears: when the heart is disobdient and unyielding: which men get by custom in sin, God's judgement and Satan's malice. Rom. 2. 5. Thou after thine hardness, and as a treasure, wrath againist the day of wrath and declaration of the just judgement of God. Rom. 9 18. He showeth mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth: so then, those that are hardened are such on whom he showeth no mercy, therefore such are to perish.  
22. In their unclean hearts, that have hearts spiritually defiled with Sin: that are either a generation cleansed in their own eyes, and not indeed; and have an outward cleansing: or, are openly and professedly filthy and abominable Esay. 64. 3. Ephes 5. 5. Rev. 21. 27.  
23 In their hatred and variance, when being of contrary desires and opinions, they fall out amongst themselves. Matth. 5. 22. Rom. 1. 29.  
24 In their hypocrisy, when men cloak in fidelity and sin, with the appearance and show of faith and repentance: Woe to you hypocrites, Matth. 23. 1●. 28. You shall receive the greater damnation etc. ver. 14. 2 Tim. 4. 1.  
25 In doing evil in every state of life. Rom. 2. 9 Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul that doth evil etc. Gallat. 6. 7. He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap Corruption Esay 3. 11. woe to the wicked, the reward of his works shall be given him.  
26 Especially they that be fruitful in evil doing: Heb. 6. 8. For if every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, Matth. 7. 19 Much more the trees that bring forth evil, and much evil fruit: and especially if they glory in it. Phil. 3. 1●. Their end is damnation, they glory in their shame.  
27 In hanging lose from God, in not using, or misimployment of our talents Matth. 25. 30. Cast that unprofitable servant into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. All such as suffer Satan to carry them captive to their own destruction.  
28 In drawing otoers by their council and example to sin with them: Matth. 23. 13. 15. woe ●e unto you etc. For you compass Sea dn Land to make one of your profession, and when he is made, ye make him two fold more the child of hell than yourselves.  
29. In hindering the growth of goodness, like tares amongst corn. Matth. 13. 30. Matth. 23. 10. Acts 13. 20. They are to be burnt.  
30 In gluttony and worldliness. Phil. 3. 19 The end of such men is destruction of body and soul in hell. Matth. 19 28.  
31 In Apostasy, and progress from evil to worse. 1 Tim. 5. 12. 2. Tim. 3. 13.  
22 In not enduring to think of the coming of the Lord Jesus to judgement, They shall call on the mountains to cover them, etc.  
33 In Heretical opinions, Rom. 3. 8. 2 Thess. 2. 10. 12. God shall send them strong delusions to believe lies, that they may be damned, etc. 2 Pet. 2. 1.  
If a man would now desire to know which way he is passing, whether he be going to heaven or to hell; Let him examine himself by these rules, and try himself by the particulars aforesaid. And thereby he shall soon see which way he takes, and to what 〈◊〉 will come: If he be going the broad and easy way of sin which man's carnal reason directeth, and man's corrupt will and affections embraceth, he is going the way to destruction, if he walk after the prince that ruleth in the air, after the course of this present world: then he is still in practice, as we are by nature, The child of wrath. There are three sorts of men. 1 Such as are affected with desperate horrors and fears as judas, these will not escape hell. Matth. 27. 5. 2 such as are sottish and senseless, that fear nor, or care for any thing: these are not the likely men to escape it. 3 The vain presumptuous man that 〈◊〉, and hath no ground for his hope. 4. Such as have a lively hope upon good and solid grounds; these may expect deliverance from ●●ll and the obtaining of heaven. 2 Tim 4. 8. We shall shut up this part in the words of M●ses Deut. 32. 29. Oh that they were wise than they would understand this, they would consider their latter end.  
3 The 3. thing we are to be exhorted to, is to g●t (if possible we may) an ass●ance that we shall escape this miserable condition: that God hath not appo●uted us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord jesus Christ. And the best means to assure us of that, is to be assured that we are not in the way. If you can assure me that you go nor the broad way of sin that leadeth to destruction, I can assure you, you shall never come to the place of destruction: And if we can be assured we are appointed to salvation, we may be sure we are not appointed to wrath. And therefore herein for further satisfaction in this point, we must refer and send you to the evidences of our assurance of salvation.  
In the fourth place for application, if it be so that hell be such a miserable place, state, and condition? Let it be the● for the terror and dread of all those men, which upon the view of their own heart's, and lives, in the glass before proposed to them, find themselves to be in the broad way to this misery, to call upon them to fear: to turn their laughter into mourning, their joy into sorrow, and to weep and howl for the misery that shall come upon them, do you laugh now? Oh woe to you that laugh now, Luke 6. 25. For you shall mourn and weep. Are you m●●●y now, truly you have little cause were all well known; your case is little otherwise then that of the devils, who are delivered into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto Judgement. 2 Pet. 2. 4. As condemned prisoners and malefactors, they are shortly to be haled out to a dreadful execution. Are you confident and fearless? truly it is marvel, for the heavy wrath of the Almighty like a sharp sword, by a small thread hangs over your heads: and when this thread of your life breaks, (and it will break shortly) than will it f●ll upon you to the uttermost: And who shall be able to abide it? Rev. 6. 17. Will you not fear him that hath the keys of hell and death? Matth. 10. 28. Fear him that when he hath killed the body can cast soul and body into hell 〈◊〉, fear him: Ephes. 2. 1. 2. 1 Tim. 5 6. Were it not so that you were spiritually dead, twice dead and therefore senseless, and (as it is) that the god of this world hath blinded your eyes, that you cannot see the things that belong to your peace: Luk● 10. 42. you could not be so confident, and secure as you are: did you see but the least part, of what is to come upon you shortly: you would soon change your note, and as B●lshassar when he saw the hand writing upon the wall, their countenance would be changed, their thoughts would be troubled; so that the joints of their loins would be loosed: and their knees would smite one against another. Oh that thou hadst known these things, but now they are hid from thine eyes: Luke 19 42. Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that the Lord shall deal with thee. Ezek. 12 14. When his wrath is kindled but a little (O but a little) blessed are they that trust in him: Psal. ●1. 12. For who (O Lord) knoweth the power of thy anger, the thunder of thy power who can understand. Job 2●. 14. Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. Remember and forget not That the day of the Lord, that great day and terrible day of the Lord is at hand: the coming of the Lord jesus draweth nigh. That before this the Sun shall be turned into darkness, the moon shall not give h●r light, the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Matth. 24. 29. The heavens shall pass away with a noise: the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth with all the works thereof shall be burned up. 2 Pet. 2. 10. Then shall come days, or, that great day, or day of his wrath Rev. 6. 17. The day of judgement and destruction of ungodmen. 2 Pet. 3. 7. When the dreadful and glorious sign of the Son of man in heaven shall be seen. Matth. 24. 30. The Lord jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire. 2 Thess. 1. 7. 8. And he shall come in the clouds of heaven, and all his holy-Anggels with him, with power and great glory. Luke 9 26. 〈◊〉 admired of all his saints. 2 Thess. 1. 10. and then the Lord shall descend from above with 〈◊〉 shoat, and the trumpet, that is, [first loud, shrill, terrible] trump, the trumpet of God shall sound, and the dead shall be raised, 1 Thess 4. 16. 1 Cor. 15. 50. And all the kindreds and Tribes of the earth shall mourn. Mat. 24. ●0. Because of him, and shall hid themselves in the holes of the earth, and they shall say to the mountains, and the rocks, fall on us, and hid us from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for that great day of his wrath is come, and who shall stand. Rev. 6. 17. And then shall he send his Angels: with this great sound of a trumpet to gather together his elect from the four winds: Mat. 24. 31. And then shall all flesh appear before his judgement seat. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Who is the judge of quick and dead: Acts 10. 42. And he shall sit whose garment shall be white as Snow, and the hair of his head like pure Wool; his Throne like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire; a fiery stream shall issue and come before him, thousand thousands shall miniver unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand shall stand before him, the judgement shall be set, and the Books shall be opened: Dan. 7. 9, 10. Judas 14. And before this Judge, for his knowledge is infinite, his courage in comparable, his uprightness incorruptible, these wicked Catifs shall have a most just and equal trial, and be convinced by more than a thousand witnesses; and being separated as Goats from the Sheep of Christ, hear that dreadful sentence. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, which shallbe speedily, effectually, and eternally executed in the state & place we have before spoken of, And what will ye do in the time of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far, and to whom will ye fly for help, and where will lyee leave your glory: oh consider this, all ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be non● to deliver you. Esay 10. 3. 4. Psal. 50. 22.  
In the third place, if Hell be such a miserable condition, then how much thanks do they owe to God, that are delivered and preserved from this estate; that are not appointed to wrath: but to obtain salvation by our Lord jesus Christ. Had a man been taken captiveby the Turks, and there being appointed to die; and another man no way obliged to him, of whom the captive had deserved no good but evil, should ransom him at a great rate; all men would say that this captive was infinitely bound to give thanks to this redeemer. But ala●! what is this to the work of redemption by the Lord jesus Christ? surely, nothing at all: then are we much more bound to God, who hath translated us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, Col. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 57 Ps. 16 9, 10 11. 1 ●et. 18. 19  
In the fourth place, if Hell be such a miserable condition, and there be no persuading of us to keep ourselves from it; yet let us be persuaded not to further others towards this misery, as all men do, that by wicked council or example, provoke, persuade, and draw men to sin, or dishearten, or drive them back from good: a monstrous and barbarous cruelty, yet common in most; yea, frequent in Parents to children; but rather let us pity them that are under this misery, and do what we can to keep others; especially these that are near us from it. If we saw another, one of our children especially, ready to fall in the fire or water, do we not, should we not, do our best to save and preserve them; even nature teacheth it: much more then, let us so do in this case: by Council, Prayer, and Correction also where we have authority, jude 22, 23. And have compassion on some in putting 〈◊〉, & other, save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. And to move us hereunto, let us consider, 1. that he that converteth a sinner from going astray out of the way, shall save a soul from death and hid a multitude of sin, Jam. 5. 20. 2. H. this turneth others to righteousness shall 〈◊〉 the Stars for ever and ever, Dan. 12. 2. 3. Otherwise we shall seem to be worse than the damned in hell: for Dives would have A●●●ban to send to his brethren to 〈◊〉 them that they might not come into this place, Luke 16. 27. 28. 4. hereby God is glorified much.  
In the last place since it is so, that there be degrees of torments in Hell, and that the wicked man will thither, say what we can. O that we might yet persuade him not to sin so much! if he will to hell, and there be no nay, he would a● lest provide, that his torments in hell may not be in the most extreme degree! But if none of all this will do to persuade him; then have we no more to say to him, but the words of the Holy Ghost Rev. 22. 1●. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: And be which is filthy, let him be filthy still.     
Finis.