WHatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our instruction, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope, Rom. 15.4. Now, not onely the words, sayings, and doings of God, and good men, be there recorded; but also many of evil Angels, and evil men: in which, though we cannot say of them properly, Hear the words of the Lord; but rather, as our Savior saith in the Parable of the unjust Judge, Luke 18.6. Hear what the unjust Judge saith: hear what this, or that evil man, or evil spi­rit saith: yet in as much as they are recorded of God, and by his Spirit, it is certain that they may not be only lawful to be conside­red by us, but also useful too, for therefore hath the holy Ghost there recorded them, that we might receive instruction by them. For as there is no weed so stinking, but the Bee may gather honey there­from, as they use proverbially to say, so neither is there any say­ing, or doing of evil men, or devils so bad, but a good and wise heart, by the guidance of that Spirit, that lead his servants to re­cord them, may get instruction and profit by them; as our Savior observes from the Parables of the unjust Judge, and unjust Stew­ard, Luke 16. & 18. And Solomon from the vineyard of the sloth­ful man, & from the field of him that was void of understanding, Prov. 24 30, 31, 32. Even as no saying or doing of God is so good, but an evil minde may abuse it to its own ruine, turning his grace into wantonness; and that that is for a welfare into a snare,In the Hebrew it is [...] and what he gives as a Table, into a trap, as Jud. 4 Psal. 69.22. de­stroying it self, because there is help in God, Hos. 13.9.

Though then what I have proposed to be considered, be the words of Balaam, and he was a bad man, a false prophet, Diviner, or Sooth-sayer, as appears in 2 Pet. 2.15, 16. Jude 11. Rev. 2.14. Numb. 24.1. Deut. 23.4, 5. Numb. 31.16. and divers other places, yet for as much as To the pure all things are pure, and the holy Ghost hath recorded them by Moses for our usefulness, we may consider them, and see what instruction is afforded in them.

The occasion of them was this: Israel travelling towards the Land of Canaan, to take possession thereof, by Gods guidance and conduct of them, they pass by the borders of Moah; thereupon Balak King of Moah is troubled, and that he might be confident to fight them (though giving him no cause) he sends for Balaam (famous in the East Countreys, it seems, for Divinations) to come and curse them; perswading himself that whom he cursed, should be accursed, and he might then prevail against them, Num. 22.6. Balaam at first refuses to go, God forbidding him. Balak sends to him again more Messengers, and more honorable, with greater proffers. Balaam, though he had a minde to the wages of unrigh­teousness, durst not go with them without leave from God. God, knowing how to answer him according to his idol, and yet glo­rifie himself, and magnifie his people in over-ruling his attempts against them, lets him go: yet sets his Angel in the way to resist him, and opens the dumb Asses mouth he rode on, upon its sight of the Angel, to reprove his folly; and charges him by his An­gel to say nothing to Balak, but what he bid him, and so lets him go on. Being come to Balak, they prepare Altars and offer Sacri­fices, as proving if God might be moved by them, to put a curse into his mouth against them, and goes to meet with God, who puts these words into his mouth that follow: Balak King of Moab hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the East, saying, Come curse me Jacob: and come, defie Israel. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defie, whom the Lord hath not defied? For from the top of the Rocks I see him; from the bills I be­hold him. Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob? and the num­ber of the fourth part of Israel? To which he adds, as admiring and implying their happiness, especially as to his Death, and after state, Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like his. Where we may note,

That these were the words that God put into his mouth, ver. 5. [Page 5] and so divine words, and full of truth and rightness in themselves; and the truth of divers passages herein are evident to be true: as, that they are a people dwelling alone, and not accounted (or, [...] as the He­brew and the Latine hath it, Scipsum non annume­ [...]at. numbers not himself,) among the Nations, which the truth of all Histories to this day witnesseth: For though they are dispersed among all nations for their sins, yet they ever dwell, as it were, by themselves, as a distinct people or nation, from all those among whom they dwell, not reckoning themselves with them; and their dispersions all over, notwith­standing the Bishop Usher reckons up in his An­nals, as slain of them in sundry places, in the wars under Titus and Vespasian, 254490, be­sides in the siege of Jerusa­lem 1100000 in all 1354490 and N [...]cepho­rus tells of millions of them destroyed in Adrians time, yea 53 wyriads in one dey, besides what were slain in the tu­mults in Tra­ [...]ans time. numerous multitudes of them that have at sundry times been in divers places slaughtered, testifie their number to be exceeding great, and such as Balaam might well say of them here, Who can count their dust?

In the words of the Text, we may consider

1. Who he was that spake the words: Not Israel, but Balaam. Its he that's meant of in the word [me, or my soul.]

2. The matter spoken. And that is considerable,

• 1. In general. A good Wish, or Desire.
• 2. In particular. That he might die the death of the righ­teous, &c.

1. From the first of these: The person wishing, Balaam, a bad man; we may briefly note

Note 1. That good words may sometimes be in bad mens mou [...]hs. As the Greek Proverb is, Oftimes [...]. a fool may speak sea­sonable sayings. God is the Lord of Hosts. All creatures are his. And as in the former Chapter he put a mans voice into an Asses mouth; as if she had had a mans understanding in her bruitish heart, and a mans wit in her dull head. So in this, and the fol­lowing Chapter, he put divine words, words of truth, into the mouth of a wicked man. As Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light, so his ministers may be sometimes transformed into ministers of righteousness; not onely through evil design of their own, but also sometime by Gods over-ruling power and pro­vidence. So the Spirit of God came upon Saul, and he prophe­sied, even when he was in his persecutions of David, 1 Sam. 19.20, 23. and Caiaphas spake by the instinct of the Holy Ghost, in saving, It behoved one man to die for the Nation, &c. John 11.50, 51. Yea as sometime Satan may insinuate his words into good mens mouths, as when Peter bid Christ favor himself. So also God some­times puts good words into evil mens mouthes: And that

[Page 6] [...]. Ori­gen in Gels. lib. 7. This is, God bieng a lover of mankinde, hath made known the truth, and what is to be known of him, not e [...]l [...]y to those that are addicted to him, but also to such [...] are without his sin­cere worship, or godlin [...]ss to­wards him, though s [...]me doing things n [...]w [...]hy of that knowledge live ungodlily.1. Because God is good to all, and Christ the true Light that lighteth every one coming into the world, and his Spirit judging, or striving in man, that they might be turned in to God, and be saved. As it is said, God would have all men saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth; for there is one God, and one Mediator of God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, a testimony in due time, 1 Tim. 2.4, 5, 6. Whence it is said, Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding lift up her voice? As if he would say, Can that be denyed or doubted of? Prov. 8.1, 2, 4, 5, &c. Thence it is said, That the heathen with-held the truth in unrighte­ousness; for what was to be known of God was manifest in them, for God shewed it them. Though when they knew God, they glori­fied him not as God, nor were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, letting in something of Gods light, though reject­ing the life and power of it, and obeyed it nor. Thence we finde good speeches in the Heathen, though they liked not to be made good by Gods light and goodness discovered. We may instance one in Juvenal to this purpose.

But this was still more evident in the Jews, as is to be seen in Rom. 2.17, 18, 19, 20, 21, &c. They knew, and could speak of many excellent things, though they that so spake, abode still wic­ked: and so the Gospel is as a Draw-net that being cast into the sea, catches fishes good and bad. Whence many receiving its light may speak well, though not receiving its life and power they live ill, Math. 13.47, 48. and fail of the grace that God afforded them, receiving it in vain, Heb. 12.15, 2 Cor. 6.1.

2. For a testimony to others, that they might have means of understanding and help in the way of God. And so as Balaams Ass spake with a mans voice, for his Masters sake; so might Ba­laam have those divine Raptures, and speak the language of Gods true Prophets, for Moabs sake▪ That they knowing who was the true God, and seeing his great goodness to, and the good condi­tion of his people, and who they were, might have opportunity of [Page 7] joyning themselves to them, and enjoying their happiness with them. And it is thought by many,Vident Chaldaei in Coelis qued Balaam reli­quit in Scriptu­ris, orietur Stella ex Ja­cob &c. Bern. in Concep. B. Mariae. Ipsa veritas cogente natura­etiam ab invi­lis pecteribus eramp [...]t La [...] lib. 2. cap. 1. that the Prophecies of this man out of the mountaines of the East, preserved amongst the children of those Eastern Countreys, gave that understanding to the Wise-men out of the East, that are said upon the Birth of Christ to have seen his star, and to come and worship him, Mat. 2.1, 2.

3. For the greater testimony to God and his truth, while they have such force and evidence, as to gain a confession from those that love them not, but are their enemies. As its an evidence of the strength of a mans Cause, when the adversary cannot but ac­knowledge it. An evidence of the righteousness of Gods Cause, when he appeals to mens Consciences to be Judges in it, Isa. 5.3, 4 Their Rock is not as our Rock (saith Moses of the Nations) our Ad­versaries themselves being Judges, Deut. 32.31.

4. In extraordinary Cases, such as this was, it is for the good and advantage of Gods choice people. And so it is affirmed in Deut. 23.4, 5. The Lord would not hearken unto Balaam, but tur­ned the Curse into a Blessing, Because the Lord their God loved his people. And in Josh. 24.10. I would not hearken unto Balaam, but he altogether blessed you, and I delivered you out of his hand. Whence also the Prophet Micah bids Israel remember what Balaam the son of Beor answered unto Balak, That they might know the righteousness of the Lord. That is, his faithfulness to his people, Mich. 6.5. So Sauls prophecying was that David might escape him. Ʋse And this commends the goodness of the Lord, both as he is the Savior of all men, and as especially of those that believe, though it condemn the badness of men that abuse his goodness, who could not abuse his goodness were he not so good to them, and would not abuse it, and rest short of his gracious good end in extending it, if they were not so bad.

2. It instructs us as not to receive every word that good men may say; for sin and corruption in them, and Satan getting ad­vantage thereby, may sometime mis-lead them to speak amiss, as Peter to our Lord in Math. 16.23. [...] Whence the Apostle next to his direction, Not to despise prophecying, adds, Try all things, and hold fast that that is good. And thence also good men sometime, un-say what they have foresaid, and vary from it; as Austin had his Book of Retractations. So also not to reject all that may be said by evil men, because evil men; at least not to reject Gods savings and good counsels from them: though no body would wisely go [Page 8] to seek the Lord, or enquire after his minde by them, when bet­ter means are afforded. The Scribes and Pharisees (saith our Sa­viour) sit in Moses Chair, all therefore whatsoever they bid you do, (namely, as holding forth, and setting forward Moses Law) that observe and do, Math. 23.2, 3. And its observable, that after our Savior had testified against Judas, John 13.19. he immediately adds, Verily, verily I say unto you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. As implying, that what Judas had preached by his Mission of him, was never the less to be regarded by others, though he himself miscarryed. Gods words are Gods words, and in them­selves have the same truth and holiness, though in a wicked mans mouth; nor doth he disown his Statutes, though an evil man de­clare them, but onely the evil man that declares them, Psal. 50.16, 17. Even as Christ saith not, he never knew his Name when evil men prophesied in it, and thereby cast out devils; but he knew not the men though doing such things therein, that wrought iniquity, and abode in evil, Math. 7.22.23. St. Paul cites some­times the sayings of Heathen Poets, and hath made them Cano­nical Scripture by his citing them; and it cost a good man his life that he neglected to hear counsel from God by a heathen. 2 Chron. 35.22. Josu [...]h was slain in battel, not hearing or hearkning to the words of Necho King of Egypt, from the mouth of God.

Bern. de 206 Dis [...]. 3. Au­divit Balaam sermones Dei, & vis [...]s omnipotentis intui [...] est, sed cadeb [...]t opertis coeulis, sic multos videtis had estu­dentes Se [...]s [...]at [...], &c Again, let no man lift up himself in having knowlegde and ability to preach, and speak Gods word, and give good language to, or of Gods people, seeing that's a gift a bad man may have, and be never the better, but the worse for it: Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall inherit the Kingdom, but he that doth the will of God, that hears the word of God and keeps it. Better to be but a hearer and a doer, than a Preacher and no doer of the word of God. As many might help to build Noahs Ark, that not entring it, perisht in the Flood: So it is here, Mat. 7.21, 22.

2. As to the matter of the words in general: They are a wish, a good wish or desire, such a wish as a good man may wish.

Thence note, 1. Gods dispensations to men may beget good things in them, that yet are not made good by them. So here, what God said and shewed to Balaam, produced in him an en­lightned understanding, an apprehension and perswasion that Israel was a righteous and a good people; and that continuing so, they should have a good Death, and a desirable End, and there­fore [Page 9] he also commends and blesses them. as a happy people; and had good desires that his soul might dye their death, and his latter end be like to his. Yea, this note is further confirmed, if we view other expressions of what was begot in him, as a resolu­tion to obey God, and an actual obedience too in many things, when God said, Thou shalt not go with them (the Messengers of Balak) thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed; though it made him not good, yet he was so far obedient that he did not go with them, nor do the evil God forbad him, Numb. 22.12, 13. and when Balak sent more, and more honourable Messengers with proffers of greater honours and rewards, he had such an awe of God upon his spirit, that he tells them, Though Balak would give him his house full of Silver and Gold, he could not go beyond the word of the Lord his God; both calling God, his God, and protesting his ad [...]aering to his word: And when he see the Angel standing in the way against him, because his way was perverse before God, yet he so far submits himself as to say, if it displeased him, he would go back again; and God permitting him to go on, he told Balak, the word that God put in his mouth, that should he speak, vers. 38. and Chap. 23.12. Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put into my mouth? and justifying himself against Balak, angry with, and faulting him for not curring, but blessing Israel, he saith, Told I not thee that all that the Lord speaketh that I must do? all that, and nothing but that. What obedience and constancy in his obedience is here? and Chap. 24.12, 13. Spake I not to thy Messengers which thou sent est to me, saying, if Balak would give me his house full of Silver and Gold, I cannot go beyond the Com­mandement of the Lord, to do good or evil of mine own mind? but what the Lord saith, that I will speak; as resolving and holding fast his resolution to obey God whatever honour and preferment he thereby lost, though a house full, yea, Balak's house full of Silver and Gold; and Balak being a King, his house sure was a great house, a Palace. I fear a few handfuls of such metal would tempt many now adays to revile the fearers of God, and to turn Men-pleasers therein: especially if such men as Balak was. Yet Balaam stood so to his tackling, that he will not be tempted by a house full of Gold and Silver. Yea, he makes Balak stamp and clap his hands at him, and bad him flee to his place: he thought to have promoted him to great honour, but now the Lord had kept him back from honour, Chap. 24, 10, 11. How far may a [Page 10] man go, and yet be a bad man, a false Prophet for all that! Balaam seemed here to outstrip St. Peter at some time. Balaam through fear of God, displeases and angers Balak, because he will not disobey God, and curse his people. And Peter at the voice of a so [...]r [...] Damsel, denies his Master Christ, yea, with swearing and cursing himself, disowns him; yet both being overborn by fear, neither of their actings are reckoned to them. Not Balaam [...] for good, because it was not out of love to God and his people that he blest them; but out of fear and constraint: he durst do no otherwise. Nor Peter's for evil; for it was not out of hatred or ill will to his Master, but meerly as one over­born by fear; and therefore also they both repented them, as it appears; for he that acts but out of fear, when that fear is over will recoyle, and not endure to the end. Balaam it seems look­ing back to that honour he deprived himself of, though he durst not curse Israel, yet gave bad counsel against them, and therein spake, and did beyond what God bade him, as is evident in Numb. 31.16. Rev. 2.14. having an eye therein to the reward or wages of unrighteousness, as is said 2 Pet. 2.15, 16. Jud. 11. and Peter when Christ looked back upon him, looking back upon the disservice done his Master, went out and wept bitterly, and after­wards boldly confessed him, Act. 4.10, 11, 12. Luc. 22.62 so that its not good to be hasty to judge good or evil of men by some present actings, but the end is to be attended. But besides those effects in and upon Balaam before mentioned, what ex­cellent rapture had he? and what excellent things speaks he of Israel? whereas many an honest heart can speak little of, or for God and Christ, or the priviledges of his people: and may never meet with a trance or rapture all their dayes; but go mourning and are afflicted from their youth up, as Heman saith of himself, Psal. 88.15. How various herein are Gods deal­ings with men? how unsearchable his judgments, and his wayes are past finding out! But why this surely?

1. To instruct us, not to rest in desires, wishes, fear of offend­ing God, and incurring his displeasure, resolutions and such like operations, as sure evidences of our good estates or condi­tions with God; or as things that so accompany salvation, as that we perswade our selves we cannot therefore miss of it, because such things be found in us; for these are insufficient to justifie us or declare us to be righteous. Men may have these, [Page 11] and not be in Christ, out of whom we have not life, whatever we may have by and through him, either dispensed to us, or wrought in us. Balaam had these and yet was a wicked man, and perished in his wickedness. Had he indeed followed on through this desire to seek to know the God of Israel, and to be made one with Israel, and so to have been brought in to Christ, that he might have had his hope and rejoycing in him, and been renewed by him, he might have done well, and become a good man. He had advantage given him for that, and something ef­fected of tendency to that, but not heartily yeilding up to it, but looking back to the wages of unrighteousness that were in his eye, all his fruit was blasted, and withered like grass upon the house top; his desires languished and brought not forth an hearty effectual endeavour after what was desired, and his resolutions were lost, while his subtlety undermined what his fear had led him to, namely his blessing of Israel. And all his raptures and visions were but like to flashes of lightning in a dark Night; which though at present they make all things in the Room visi­ble, yet are presently gone again, and leave the Room as dark or darker than they found it, not like the morning light, that abides and encreases more and more unto the perfect day; as the way of the the upright is, Prov. 4.18. Its the being in Christ, and so of the Circumcision, and Israel of God, the worshipping God in spirit and truth, rejoycing in Christ Jesus, and having no confidence or glorying in the flesh, which renders us of the bles­sed people, and in a happy condition, Philip. 3.3. not the being inlightned into and having abilities to discourse of them and their excellencies, nor our having bare desires and some languid wishes and endeavours to dye like them, and have share with them.

2. To instruct us not to take up in raptures, revelations,Aliqui don [...] Spi [...]tu, Sancti [...]er meri­t [...]m sed pe [...]f­ [...]us forti [...] tur sicut sunt propheti [...] cu­ [...]t [...]es, &c. [...]nc est quod Balaam p [...]pulo Dei bene [...], &c. Be [...]n. in [...]oen. Dom. ex­cellency of knowledge, expressions, &c. seeing these may be, where the heart is not right, not subdued to be of the Israel of God. It is not every one that hath such visions, raptures, tran­ces; much less none but they that shall inherit the Kingdom, and enjoy the blessing; but every one that hears the Word of God and doth it, though he never meet with any such things all his dayes. Men may have such things and be hurt by them, thence the Apostle tells us it was doubtless not expedient for him to glory in such things; yea, that God was pleased to give him a [Page 12] Thorn in the flesh, a Messenger of Satan to buffet him, to prevent the hurt he was in danger to fall into by them, 2 Cor. 12.7.8. Lest I should (saith he) be exalted above measure through the abun­dance of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, left I should be exalted above mea­sure. He goes twice over with it, to signifie the certainty and greatness of the danger of it, and the great care and faithfulness of Christ to prevent it, these therefore are not the things to be so much gloryed in, much less rested and relyed upon; but ra­ther and only the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, even the know­ledge of Christ, and of him Crucifyed. Gal. 6.14. 1 Cor. 22. But I pass on, and come

2. To consider the matter of the Text in particular, the thing desired. Let me (or my soul) dye the death of the Righteous (or up­right ones) and let my latter end be like his. Wherein

These truths are contained, seen and confessed by Balaam.

That Obs. 1 death is common both to righteous and wicked ones, and they have both a latter end (an [...]) or after part. Let me dye the death of the Righteous, and let my latter end be like His.

That Obs. 2 there is a very desirable excellency in the Death and latter end of the righteous, above that of other men, especially the wicked: such as even wicked men that care not to live their life, and to have their beginning and progress, yet desire to have their death and latter end like theirs.

These are both of them truths, and never the less truths for coming out of Balaams mouth; but rather the more evident and observeable truths because confessed by Balaam also, even by such as are not the Children and lovers of the truth. Let us veiw them briefly and in order.

Point 1.Death is common to the righteous and the wicked, and both of them have their latter end. There be two branches of this proposition,Death common to good and bad and both branches are implyed fairly. Balaam being an unrighteous man, a Diviner and Enchanter, sees and acknow­ledges he must dye, and have a latter end or an after part: else no ground for his wishing so to die, as, or that his latter end might be like that of the righteous: and it is clearly implyed and taken for granted by him, that the righteous hath his death, and his latter end, or after part. Both have them therefore, though it is implyed that they are not the same to both: nor indeed the one like to the other; for if they were, there was no ground for [Page 13] wishing or desiring a likeness of them. This is common to both, they shall dye and they shall come to an end or after part; that's the substance of the first point or proposition: the inequality and unlikeness between them belongs to the second.

Consider we first the former in both Branches: and so first,

That they must both dye. Death is common to all men;Bran. 1. Good and bad must dye. yea it is the way of all flesh, and the Grave the house appointed for all living, Josh. 23.14. Job. 30.25. The way of all the earth we see, saith the Psalmist, wise men dye, likewise the fool, and the brutish man perish, Psal. 49.10. Abraham is dead, and the Prophets are dead, and so be the Apostles, and all generally that have been before us, and now are not, except Enoch and Elias, one of which was translated, and the other taken alive into heaven, but all else generally have dyed; and all that come after us shall dye in like manner, except those believers that shall survive to the coming of the Lord Jesus, who shall not dye as others; so as to sleep or rest in death, as the Apostle witnesses, saying, Be­hold I shew you a mysterie, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trump; for the Trump shall sound, and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed; so also 1 Thess. 4.16, 17. though in the change shall be something exceeding suddainly answering to Death and Resurrection in a moment; but for all others they do, and must look to dye, that is, to have their breath and spirit taken from them, their Souls and Bodies separated each from other, and that necessarily, as in 1 Sam. 14.14.Reasons why D [...]th i [...] com­mo [...] Re [...] we must needs all dye, and we are as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any persons, &c. For righteous and wicked be both men, partakers of the same humane nature, one as other; and this Death we now speak of, the bodily Death which the proposition is intended of, is, that that pertains to men as they are partakers of the nature of man; and that neither the righteous put off by being righteous, though they partake also of the Divine nature, 2 Pet. 2.4. Nor the wick­ed by his being wicked, though he therein become also of the wicked one, 1 Joh. 3.12. Righteousness and wickedness make a difference of the state of men toward God, and of the frame of heart, and the way of conversation and life, but makes not an alteration of the common nature or humanity so as to cause it to cease in either party. It is appointed to men once to dye. Heb. 9.27. [Page 14] to men, namely, in the capacity and consideration of men, not to the righteous only, nor to the wicked only as such, but to men; and that also because

Reas. 2 Both righteous and wicked sinned against God in the first man; for by one man sin entred into the world, and Death by sin, and so death passed over all men, because all sinned. Rom. 5.12. and that was the Original cause of Death, the wages o [...] sin is death, Rom. 6.23. now not only they that [...]w are wicked and ungodly sinned in Adam, but all men, eve [...] [...]ich also as are now made and become righteous in and by Jesus Christ, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Heb. 2. [...] Rom. 3.23. where all is expressed, none is excluded from it. The Prophet putting in himself with all his Brethren, saith, We all like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every man to his own way. Isa. 53.6. And the Apostle, If we say we have not sinned, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us, 1 Joh. 1.10. And because of this sin

Reas. 3 Both those that are righteous, and those that are wicked, were condemned to dye; the judgment that passed upon Adam in the day he sinned, passed upon him not only as a single particular person, but also as the root of all Mankind, and their inclusive Father, in whose loyns seminally all were, and so when it was said to him, Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return, death in and by vertue of that Sentence was denounced and passed upon all men, Gen. 2.17. with 3.18. Rom. 5.12, 16. (only by special favour and prerogative through Christ, God exempted one or two as instances of immortallity, and of such a change as in which he will exempt those that are alive at Christs appearing in the faith of him, as we said before.) This is included in what the Apostle speaks of, when he saith, The judgment was of one offence to condemnation, and through the offence of one, judgment came upon all to condemnation. Rom. 5.16.18. in which it was ap­pointed of God to men once to dye; whereupon

Reas. 4 Man, all men generally, is become flesh. Flesh and blood, infirm, weak, like other earthly creatures, even like the bruit beasts that perish, as is said Psal. 49.12. Man in honour abideth not; he is like the Beasts that perish; in respect of the frailty and diseasedness of his body and outward man, and lyableness to be penetrated, pierced, wounded, killed, dye of hunger, thirst, cold, or the like: whence that of Solomon, Eccles. 3.18.19.20. I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men, that God might [Page 15] manifest them, (or that they might clear God) and see that they them­selves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men, befalleth beasts, even one thing befalleth them. As the one dieth, so dieth the other, yea they have all one breath, (their breath in all of them is in their no­strils now) so that a man hath no preheminence (that is in respect of the temper of his body, and its mortality and lyableness to death) above a beast, for all is vanity. Both man and beast of a vanishing, momentany continuance in this life, all go unto one place, all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again; For all flesh is grass, (as well that of men, as that of beasts, or birds or fishes) and all the goodli­ness of man is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bleweth upon it, (that is his an­ger whence the Sentence of Death proceeded) surely the people is grass, Isa. 40.6, 7. Now then, in as much as the righteous as men, are flesh as well as the wicked, they are also both subject and ly­able to death.

True it is, that Christ hath died for all, Reason 5 and given himself a ransom for all, to ransom and redeem all from under that sentence of death and condemnation deserved by us, and due to us: but that was not to this end, that the bodily death should not come up­on us, or any of us; but to redeem us from under the state of ob­ligation upon the account of that our sin and fall to eternal death, or a perishing from Gods presence: and also from being left un­der the power and tyranny of Satan, and his absolute dispose of us, and doing his will with us upon the account aforesaid; that we might be under the hand, power, and dispose of a man, even of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died, rose, and revived, that he might be Lord (Ruler and Disposer) of both quick and dead; and that we might being under him, be in a possibility and capacity of sal­vation; and so in coming to him at his Heavenly Call, and yield­ing up our selves to him, to hope in his grace, and to obey and follow him, we might receive forgiveness of our sins, and be ju­stified and acquitted of all things, from which we could not be acquitted by the Law of Moses, and consequently no other way, and so that we might by him be brought back again to God, and be made partakers of eternal life. And that he having power as Lord and Judge over all men, even over those also that obey not his Calls, or believe not in him, might raise and judge them ac­cording to his good pleasure. Of which further by and by.

Now these being the ends of Christs dying for men, his death [Page 16] is no hinderance to dying men; For God pronounced the sen­tence of Death upon men after the interposure of the Mediator, as appears Gen. 3.15.18. He first provided, and promised that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the head of the Serpent; and then afterward, notwithstanding that, sentenced both the man and the woman, and in them all of us to die, and return to dust, out of which we were taken. Now that sentence that was pro­nounced after the promise of Christs coming and dying for us, is not letted and prevented by his dying, onely as the promise of Christ to die▪ laid a foundation of our hoping in him to have this Death abolished, so as that we might not be hurt of it, or kept out from obtaining and receiving the blessing of God by it; so ac­cordingly his actual dying was the bringing forth that foundation and ground of hope in him into act, that we might die in hope also of that better life that he hath promised us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reason 6 Nor doth the justifying the Believer through the faith of Christ, or the giving him divine life in his Spirit, making him alive to God, hinder the bodily death, as experience shews The body is still dead, or under Death because of sin, though the Spirit be life for righteousness sake, Rom. 8.10. The justification received in believing on Christ, being but as to his state toward God, to the freeing him from his wrath, and from lyableness to the eternal Death, in the second Judgement that shall be in the end of the world, the wrath to come; and to the admitting him into fellow­ship with him, and with the Saints and Holy Ones in his Spirit and inward man, as to his being accepted and accounted as righ­teous with God in Christ, and an Heir of the Promises of God here and hereafter: but it exempts not from the bearing the sen­tence of the bodily Death, through which he also must pass as well as Christ,Reasons of Gods ordering Death to the Righteous. that he may enter into glory with, and through him. Yea, there be divers reasons why God orders that his peo­ple shall lye under the Sentence of Death, though righteous, and pass in their due times through it. As to say,

1. To shew that he is the Lord, and disposes of his creature as he pleases: And seeing he hath in his great and infinite wisdom, and by his righteous will pleased so to order it, that both the righ­teous and sinners shall submit to that Sentence, we being the clay and he as the Potter over us, its meet that we be all silent before him, and subject to him, practising obedience even in so suffering.

[Page 17]2. That we might have the thought and remembrance of it, as a spur to stir us up, and provoke us to many excellent and pro­fitable duties and exercises: As for instance,

1. To seek him more earnestly, and apply our hearts to wisdom in the knowledge of him in Christ Jesus, seeing our times for that are not always. Whence that Prayer Psalm 90.11. Teach us so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

2. To quicken us to serve him in our generations in doing good, knowing that our time is but short; to be plying our bu­siness for glorifying him here, and laying up for our selves a good foundation against the time to come. That we might do what our hand findes to do with all diligence, because in the Grave whi­ther we go there is no work, no praising God, &c. Eccles. 9.10. Psalm 115.17.

3. To make us alwayes more watchful and fearful to offend God, seeing our time is limited here, and is in his hand, and if we take liberty to wander from him, we may in the mean while be taked hence, and so it may go ill with us. To this purpose are those sayings of our Savior, Watch, for you know not what hour your Lord comes, Math. 24.42, 44. Luke 21.34.36.

4. To exercise Faith in the truth, power, and faithfulness of God in Christ, for the bringing us to glory, notwithstanding Death and Grave, John 11.25, 26, 40. 2 Cor. 4.13, 14, 15, 16. 1 Thes. 4.14, 15. 1 Cor. 15.2, 3, 4, 12.58.

5. To comfort us, and perswade us to patience under our suf­ferings here, and make us the willinger to chuse to under go them, rather than to sin agaiast him, and turn from him. Seeing Death will come and put an end to them, and give us as it were a discharge from them all, we may the better hold out to the end, because it will not be long to it; this life being but a vapor that ap­pears a little while, and then vanishes, Jam. 4 13, 14. The Apostl [...]s thus comforted themselves in their sufferings, partly in the consi­deration of the momentaniness of them, they being but the suffe­rings of this present time, which Death will finish, 2 Cor. 4.4.17, 18. Rom. 8.18.

6. To moderate their affections to, and endeavors after these earthy, worldly things, that so they may be the more given up to seek and serve the Lord, seeing the time is but short and un­certain that we shall, or can be here to enjoy them, or want them, 1 Cor. 79.2, 30. 1 Joh 2.16, 17. The world passeth away, & the lust of it.

[Page 18]3. He orders it to give us more abundant sence and percep­tion of the odiousness of sin to him; and so to admonish us not to sin against him, but to stand in awe of him, while we see and find that notwithstanding all that Christ hath done for our Re­conciliation and Restauration into his favour, yet he will have such things pass upon us still in our persons, and be sustained by us; for Death is the wages of Sin, Rom. 6.23. and if for our sinning once in Adam, God will have such a punishment lye upon us all in all generations, though Christ also hath interposed between God and us, what may we not fear will befall us if we dare still in our persons to sin again and again against him!

4. He orders it to occasion in us a deeper sense of the love of God and Christ to us; of God in abasing Christ, and of Christ in abasing himself for us, so low as to dye for us, while we have the experiments of it, and of the things that tend to it in our selves, though without the curse and sting in it, which our Lord by suffering them, took away, we are aptly minded to consider what it was to him that endured it as the curse of the Law, and so with its sting and venom in it; and so how great love that was that led him so to do for us.

5. He orders it to be an end, or put an end to our sorrows, labours, temptations and exercises here, that we may rest from them all, and be at quiet from molestations, from men and De­vils; for there the wicked cease to trouble, and there the weary be at rest; they hear not the voice of the Oppressors, Job. 3.17.18. they enter into peace, and rest in their beds, &c. Isa. 57.1, 2.

6. To conform us to his blessed Son in sufferings and death, and so in exercising such faith in God and submission to him in resigning our selves to his merciful dispose, as he also exercised in resigning up his spirit to him, depending upon him to dispose of it, and in due time to raise him, Rom. 8.29, 30. Luc. 23.46. with Psal. 31.5.

7. To give them advantage of their more abundantly testi­fying their love and obedience to God and Christ, in laying down their lives for him, as he may call any of them thereto; and so to magnifie him in their deaths, as Philip. 1.20. It is the desire of Lovers to have some advantages or occasions given them to shew the greatness and reallity of their love to them they love; whence that, What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits? Psal. 116.112. and its some satisfaction and rejoycing when such advantages [Page 19] are given them. Now herein Christ gives us a possibility of such advantage of that desireable satisfaction of love to him, that we may sometimes shew it in dying or exposing our lives to dangers of it for him, Rev. 12.11.

8. To shew forth more abundantly the excellency of his power and glory in the Resurrection, in raising them up again from the dead. For his power is made manifest in weakness, and is perfected in infirmities; how much more when we are so alto­gether under the power of death and the grave, that it may seem impossible to be revived or brought up again. If the greatness of the power of God was seen in raising up Christ from the dead, sure the greatness of the power and glory of Christ will be seen in raising up his people again, and making them therein con­formable to himself, Eph. 1.19, 20. Philip. 3.20, 21. this will be such an evidence of his power, as shall make them indeed to know how infinitely great he is, and how true and faithful in his promises. Thence its said, I will open your graves, oh my people, and cause you to come out of your graves, and ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you out of your graves, and put my spirit into you, and ye shall live, then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and have performed it, &c. Ezek. 37.12, 13, 14. To such purposes, and for such like good, holy, and gracious, and glorious ends doth God order death up­on the righteous also, and indeed in all this chiefly to magnify the greatness and glory of the Lord Jesus, and his own in him, and for the benefit and profit of us. Whence its said that death also is ours, the believers, not they its, but it theirs; their advantage mercy and priviledge, 1 Cor. 3.21, 22. and according to these several considerations might we apply it. And especially

To provoke us to consider our mortallity, that we must die, and Ʋse. 1 therefore submitting our selves to the will and appointment of God therein, through Jesus Christ (which we may the better do because its ordered through Christ as the Mediator of God and us, and so in love and faithfulness to us, for our profit and commodity) to live and pass our times here, as those that know and believe that we must die. So little setting our hearts and affections upon this life and world, either to seek or delight in the enjoyment, or grieve for the want and loss of the things thereof, as they that know that they and our enjoyments or wants of them, are but very momentany: and as having better things [Page 20] in Christ prepared for us, to be the more earnest and diligent in seeking after them, in seeking his face and favour, and serving, him in our generation, being so much the more earnest therein, as we know our times here are short and uncertain; and not giving way to our hearts to wander after vanity and iniquity, lest he putting an end suddenly to our lives, we be found wander­ed from him out of the way of understanding, and so miss of his salvation.

2 And seeing we must die, and death will put an end to our present sufferings, temptations and afflictions, stablish we our hearts in the way of God, to hold fast the profession of our faith, and the practice of godliness firm without wavering to the end, as knowing that our sufferings here, will not, nor can be everlasting. Yet a little while and Christ will put us to bed in the grave, where we shall rest from all our labours and sorrows, and be out of the reach either of Satan to tempt us, or of the world to persecute or oppress us. The worst that men can do against us, is but to kill our Bodies, and our Bodies must die, though we do not yeild them up to the Lord to glorifie him in the life and death of them. And if men do oppress and afflict us till we die, yet then have they no more that they can do against us in which they may afflict or trouble us, Math. 10.28. Jam. 5.8.

Reasons of Death in re­spect of the wicked.As for the wickeds dying, they living in their sins and wicked­ness, and not repenting thereof, they must needs die, as being

1. Not justified from their sins, the wages whereof is death, Rom. 6.23.

2. Yea, they besides the sin of Adam, upon the account where­of the first Death was pronounced and passes upon all, by their personal sins and wickednesses oftentimes provoke God to cut them off signally insuch times and wayes as else they might not have died in. For though Pharaoh, Saul, Haman, Judas, &c. as men and as sinners must have dyed; yet they needed not, nor might haved dyed at such times, and in such wayes as they did, had they not been guilty of such hainous personal wickednesses as they were: otherwise such their deaths should not have been punishments to them for such their sins, as it is certain they were. See Psal. 55 23. Yea sometimes Gods people also by some sinful wayes or acts pull upon themselves untimely and exemplary deaths. God chastening them and making them examples and admoni­tions to others in such wayes, in which he also may prevent the [Page 21] perishing of their souls, as is evident in 1 Cor. 11.29, 30. For this cause many are sick and weak, and some are fallen asleep: But

3. Besides, God in mercy to men even such as are wicked, hath ordered Death to them, that the consideration of it might awake them to repentance, while a day of grace is vouchsafed to them, that ceasing to be wicked, they might not die for ever. Isa. 55.7. Ezek. 33.12.

4. And for the sake of the righteous and in mercy to them, that (they persisting in their wickedness, and not turning therefrom) the world might not be alwayes pestered with them, nor they be alwayes a vexation and mischief to them that walk with God and fear him. But that the yoke may be broken sometimes off their necks, and Gods anger against his people cease in their destruction, as I [...]a. 10.25. and as we have instances in the Deaths of Pharoah, Haman, Ahitophel, Saul, and divers others, from whose wrath, malice and mischeivous madness, God gave his servants deliverance by cutting them off by Death in his due time. Yea,

5. For the benefit of the world too, and such as yet are igno­rant of, and opposite to God and his truth. Partly, that they might be delivered from such teachers of, and provokers to wick­edness, by their evil examples, counsels, compulsions, and with­holding from them the wayes and means of life. And partly, that they might by Gods exemplary judgments upon them in their deaths and destructions, be awakened and made to see the evil of wickedness, and the truth of Gods words, and goodness of the wayes of righteousness: as Psal. 58.11.Psal 9 16. Seeing the wicked also shall die, it may instruct us

1. Not to be afraid of the fury of the oppressor, so as to turn Ʋse. 1 aside from God to avoid that. For besides that the arms of Christ do judge the people, and he can by his strong arm put by the most stout hearted, cruel Tyrants and oppressors from their de­sires and purposes of oppressing and harming his followers; and can gather his Children with them, and keep them safe from those that would hurt them: their time also will come to die, (as David said of Saul in his persecuting him, 1 Sam. 26.10.) and then he shall cease from all power of troubling and molesting us in the day that the wickeds breath goeth out of his nostrils; all his thoughts, purposes or intentions for evil against us shall perish. With this the Lord Jesus comforts his followers and people, the Nation that knows his righteousness, and have his Law in their [Page 22] hearts, in Isa. 51.7, 8.12, 13. Fear ye not, saith he, the reproach of the people, neither be ye afraid of their revilings, for the Moth shall eat them up like a Garment, and the Worm shall eat them like wooll: But my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation to all generations. And again, Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be made as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy maker, and hast feared all the day [...]ing, because of the fury of the oppressor? And where is the fury of the oppressor? when God doth but take away his breath and life from him (as he will at some time or other, and may at any time when he will) what becomes then of all his rage and wrath? his Cruel Threatnings? Bloody Laws and Decrees? Unjust Oppres­sions? or the like. Surely they shall all vanish with him.

2. It may instruct us also not to envy their prosperity, and reprove such as so do. To that purpose is that in Prov. 23.17, 18. Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Upon this account, for there shall be an end, name­ly, to thy suffering from them, and of their lives and power to put thee to suffering, as also of their enjoying those their enjoyments for which thou art apt to envy them. As it is more evident in that parallel Counsel, Psal. 37.1, 2. Envy thou not because of evil doers, for they shall soon, be cut off as the Grass, and wither as the green Herb, &c.

3. It may also admonish the wicked to cease from his wicked­ness, and from his priding in himself in, or pursuing after those things for and by which he is made wicked, and hardened in his wickedness: Seeing he must die, and then all his glory and what he prefers before God and his ways must be at an end with him; yea, he also must give an account and be judged after that for all his wickedness too. But that leads us to consider

Bran. 2. Both have a latter end.The second Branch of this point, viz. That both righteous and wicked have, or shall have their end. We have this asserted of both in Psal. 37.37, 38. Mark the perfect man and consider the upright, for the End of that man is Peace. But transgressors shall be destroyed together; the End of the wicked shall be be cut off. There is the End both of the upright, and of the wicked.

But Object. it is said in 1. Joh. 2.17. That he that doth the will of God, shall abide for ever. How is it then that he hath an end? how shall we understand it? Again it is said of both righteous and wicked, That these, the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, and the [Page 23] righteous into everlasting life, Math. 25.46. How then can either of them be said to have an end, seeing the one is everlastingly punish­ed, and the other lives everlastingly? Yea, it would be an hap­piness to the wicked to have an End, for then he should not be everlastingly punished. And a loss and exceeding dammage to the righteous to have an End, for then should not he be in a state of Eternal life, or Endless happiness.

Those sayings have reference to the state of the good and bad, Ans. as to the favour or displeasure of God towards them, and the effects and products thereof, especially in the life, or world to come. And so he that doth the will of God, in believing the Gospel, and so in Christ Jesus, and obeying him and his holy Spirit in his heavenly instructions and counsels, abides for ever. That is, is evermore in the favour of God, and hath therein and therefrom a state of happiness, that is not terminated by Death, or ends not with this present world, and the enjoyments, lusts, or desires thereof. But even in the time and state of Death they are blessed, and shall be raised up from death, and shall enter into an eternal life, or everlasting state of happiness with Jesus Christ. And that because Jesus Christ himself, the great Doer of the will of God, in what he appointed him to, in his incarnate state, as made man for us, abides for ever. Though he did once die for our sins, yet he is alive for evermore, and lives to intercede for, and help and bless those that in and through him do the will of God, in an hearty believing on him, and obeying his heavenly doctrine. Because I live, saith he, ye shall live also, Joh. 14.20. That is, ye shall abide and enjoy the favour of God, and therein live for-ever. But those that are disobedient to God and Christ, evil and wicked, and so persist, they are under the wrath of God, and that abides upon them in life and death. And though they also by vertue of Christs having died for them as men, being risen again, and his being Lord and Judge of them,What meant by their latter end. and all men, shall be also raised again from death and grave, yet it shall be to an eternal state of wrath and misery. But now the End here spoken of

1. May be meant of their latter end as to this life, and their being here in this world. And so both the good and the bad have an end here: neither of them shall be here in this world, and mortal state alwayes; but as to that shall have an end, an Exitus or going away hence, so as to be no more here seen. Psal. 39.13. [Page 24] Their place shall know them no more; neither shall they, either the one or the other of them, return to it again, Job 7.10, & 10.21. & 16.22. Neither shall the wicked live here always to sin and do mischief, oppress and grieve the righteous, &c. Neither shall the righteous live here always to do good, or to suffer evil among an untoward, crooked, and wicked generation. And so death, and the day of it, is the latter end to them both, and the words are [...], a double expression of the same thing. Or else the word rendred latter end

2. May signifie otherwise. In the Hebrew it hath its deriva­tion from a word that signifieth, [...] after, and so may be rightly ren­dred after-part, or after-state. And indeed because the end is after the beginning and middle of a thing, therefore the word is sometime translated the latter end. As also because our posterity succeed and be after us, and are sometimes called them that come after, therefore speaking of them it is sometime rendred posterity. And because the reward is after the work, and usually at the end of it, therefore it is sometime understood to signifie, and so is rendred, the reward; and in any of these three senses it may be here translated: either Let my end, or latter end, in the sense above gi­ven, the end of my life, or days here, be like his. Or else, Let my po­sterity be like his; for the seed of the righteous are in the blessing, Psa. 37.26. They are the blessed of the Lord, & their offspring with them, Isa. 65.23. Psal. 115.14, 5. and exceeding great happiness is pro­mised to the posterity of Israel in the latter days, when God will save them, and they shall bud and blossom, and fill the earth with in­crease, Isa. 27.5, 6, 7. Or else, and that I rather pitch upon, and think to be the sense, Let my reward (my after-part, namely, that that follows the thing last before mentioned, that is my death, let that that follows that, or is after it) be like his. And so it signifies that both the wicked and the righteous have a state, or part after death; a state in which shall be their rewards and recompence for what they have done here in this life. And that agrees well e­nough with the Scriptures above objected, and is an evident truth. Not therefore to be judged a truth upon Balaams autho­rity, because he saith it; but because they were the words of God in his mouth, and that which thence issued forth; and because the sayings of Gods testimony every where do attest, or assert it. And so we may say, it was a truth manifest also to Balaam though he was wicked. For the Scriptures frequently tell us, that

[Page 25]1. As there is a state of Grave after Death to the body in which that returns to the earth whence it was taken, so the Spirit also hath its state in which it shall go to God, Eccles. 12.7. which the Wise-man speaks of man indefinitely, not of either the righ­teous onely, nor the wicked onely, but of man whose dust goeth to the earth, his spirit shall go up to God to receive its doom and disposal by, and from him. As the like is also implyed, Eccles. 3. 21. where Solomon having said, that man dies as the beast dies, all are of the dust, and all go to the dust again, in respect of the body, and the mortality come upon all by sin, both are alike; imme­diately adds as an exception as to the spirit, or inward part of the man or beast, that there is great difference. Who knows (that is, or may be, considers, mindes, or takes notice of) the spirit of the sons of men that it geeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that it de­scends, or goes down to the earth? The spirit or breath of the beast goes out with the body, and goes to the earth as the body doth in a sort, it survives not the body: But it is not so with the spirit of the sons of Adam, or man, That goeth upward, or ascends to God that gave it, (as the other Proof saith) that so it might be judged or disposed of by him, as Heb. 9.27. The Judgement is appointed un­to men indefinitely after death, so as the soul or spirit is placed either in Paradise, or in a state of Rest, as our Lord said to the Malefactor that confessed him, To day shalt thou be with me in Pa­radise; which could not be said of the body, for that went to the grave, but of the spirit, which Paul proved (either out of the body, or in the body he knew not whether) to be wrapt up into the third Hea­vens, or into Paradise, while he was not yet taken away by death, but survived many years after, 2 Cor. 12.6, 7. otherwise called A­brahams Bosom, Luke 16.22. Or to be with Christ Phil. 1.23. Or else to be disposed of to prison, or a state of hell and doleful mi­sery, 1 Pet. 3.20. Luke 16.23. Yea, and beside this, men after bo­dily death differ from the beasts also, in that

2. There shall be a state of Resurrection unto them, when the dead and deceased shall both in body and spirit reunited, be brought to a living state in union together, as the Scriptures abun­dantly testifie, a Resurrection both of the just and unjust, Act. 24.15. For all that are in the grave, whether good or bad, righteous or wicked, shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth, saith our Lord Jesus himself, John 5.28. Yea, the Sea shall give up her dead, and Death and Hell shall give up the dead in them, Rev. [Page 26] 20.13. And this in order to their being all brought before him, as the Great and Soveraign Lord and Judge of all bath quick and dead. For

3. There shall be a state of Judgement, wherein all men be­ing raised from the dead, shall be brought to appear before the Tribunal or Judgement-seat of Christ, to give account of them­selves to him, and receive of him rewards according to the things done in the body by them, whether good or evil; and then shall properly be the reward, full recompence, and end of every man good or bad, according to his works, 2 Cor. 5.10. Rom. 2.11.16. & 14.9, 10. in which both they that have done good, and they that have done evil, shall be everlastingly disposed of by Jesus Christ, in a way of infinite equity and righteousness; therefore also it is called both, The righteous Judgement of God, Rom. 2.5, 6. because of his righteousness in judging and disposing rewards and recompences, and the eternal Judgement, Heb. 6.2. because of the lastingness of that Judgement, as to the rewards and re­compences therein ordered, and the state of man according to it, that shall succeed and follow upon it. And all these three may be included here in the latter end.

The grounds of this latter end.Now that there shall be such a latter, or after-part, or end for men good and bad, stands as upon the will and pleasure of God: so upon that as manifested in Christ Jesus, and his undertakings and performances. I cannot say, that if he had not come in the flesh and dyed for us, there should have been nothing to man af­ter death, but an annihilation, being made both in soul and body like the beasts that perish. What manner of death or dying, man must have sustained, with the curse in it I cannot say; but doubt­less it would have been very miserable: and what the state of the soul would have been after, it is not expressed. Something of it may be conjectured, if not certainly known, from the ago­nies in Death, and the Hell into which Christ descended at, or upon his Death; in which his soul was not left in hell, yet that it came into it, is there implyed, in that it is said it was not left in it, as ours must have been had not his come into it, or had it been left in it. And what is writ in Psalm 18.4, 5. & 116.3, 4. is ap­plicable to Christ: The sorrows of death compassed me about, and the pains or pangs of hell took hold upon me. I found wo and sor­row. But sure it is, that the after-state of man should not have been the same as now it will. For as by Man came death, so by Man [Page 27] also the resurrection of the dead: for as in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive, 1 Cor. 15.21, 22. It is by vertue of Christs having been made flesh for us, and suffering in the flesh for us, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, therein giving himself a ransom or price of redemption for all; and by Death destroying Death, and him that had the power of Death, the De­vil, and so buying us all into his own Lordship and dispose, and being filled with the fulness of the Spirit and Power of God, and so made a quickning Spirit, able by his Word and Spirit both to quicken dead souls that listen to him and hear his voice, and to quicken and raise up dead bodies too, that he is become the Re­surrection and the Life; and so having abolished death, will raise up and revive all men from under the Sentence and Judgement of it, and present them before himself to be judged by him as their proper Lord and Savior to whom they owe their life, and ought to have lived, and by whom they should have sought for salva­tion, looking to him for it, as in whom alone there is righteous­ness, strength and salvation for them, 1 Pet. 3.18. 1 Tim. 2.6. Heb. 2.9, 14. 2 Tim. 1.10. 1 Cor. 15.45. John 5.21, 22, 26, 28. & 11. 25, 26. 2 Cor. 5.10.14, 15. Isa. 45.22, 23, 24. Acts 4.11, 12. Yea the dispose of men by him both in the state of death, and separa­tion of soul from body, and in the state of resurrection, depend upon and springs from his being Lord and Judge both of quick and dead, through his having died, risen and revived, Acts 10.40.42, 43. Rom. 14.9, 10, 12. that he may be honored and glorified in all, and so the Father in him; and to that purpose that his power, wisdom, mercy, justice, holiness, love, and other glorious Attributes might be most brightly displayed and glorified, and he be admired in all his Saints, &c. Philip. 1.10, 11. Isa. 49.4, 5. 2 Thes. 1.8, 9, 10. for the greatness of his power will be gloriously displayed in his raising all, and bringing them before him, and executing Judgment on them. His wisdom, justice, mercy, good­ness, love, and holiness, &c. in the final sentencing and disposing of them; and in all the vertuousness and preciousness of his cross, blood, and sacrifice with God for men. As Lord and Judge of the Dead it appertains to him, and he will dispose of the dead, and take care of them that none of them be lost as to their bodies, but that they be forth coming, and raised up by him at the last day, John 6.38, 39. and of their spirits, that they be disposed of to Paradise or prison; to Heaven with Christ, or to hell torments [Page 28] till the last day, as is noted before. And as Lord and Judge of the living it appertains to him to, and he doth order and dispose of all here in this life as he sees good. And when he pleases puts an end to the lives both of good and bad: and being raised again give them their rewards according to their works, in equity and righteousness. For which that there be an aftertime is re­quisite and necessary, and that it shall be so, is most certain. For

1. The righteousness and stedfastness of his Law and Doctrine, his love of righteousness, and hatred of iniquity, and his righte­ousness in rewarding vertue, and punishing sin and wickedness must be declared, 2 Thes. 1.4, 5, 6. Heb. 6.10, 11. He is the righ­teous Lord that loveth righteousness, Psal. 11.7. And He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, [...] S. p [...], Ajax. Flag. but hates all the workers of iniquity, Psal. 5.4, 5, 6. And therefore hath in his Law and Doctrine pro­mised and proposed great rewards and blessings to the righteous, and threatned great wrath and punishment to the wicked, Levit. 26. Deut. 28. But,

2. This Time is not the time in which these things are suffici­ently manifested and fulfilled. This is but the time of workings, not of recompencing and rewarding. All the time of this life is a time of work and labor; and therefore there must be another time of reward. For here neither are the righteous evidently rewar­ded with, or enjoy the promised blessings, Heb. 11.13. nor the wicked punished according to their wickedness, so as may either sufficiently evidence Gods love and faithfulness to the one, or his wrath and hatred against the other, & the truth of his threatnings.

True it is, that God doth give some rewards, or rather en­couragements to goodness here in inward peace and comfort, and oft-times in outward and signal preservations and deliverances from dangers, and benefits conferred; Especially to Societies and Companies of men, as Cities and Nations doing righteously and cleaving to it. For otherwise there would be no encourage­ments here to serve God and walk in his wayes that might induce the world thereto, or such as are chiefly yet sensual: But his ser­vice must needs be a sad and uncomfortable exercise, and espe­cially in communities or common bodies, as Kingdoms, Cities, and Common-wealths as such, which (as one well observes) shall never be restored into their publick capacities again, to be as such rewarded. Nor would it be known by experience or ratio­nally thought that the giving such benefits here appertained to [Page 29] God, or that he takes notice of mens righteous or evil doings, if God should give such mercies to none that ask or desire them, or that fear and serve him. And again on the other hand, true it is, that some wicked men (and especially Nations and Com­mon-wealths for the reason above noted) are punished here with severe and smart judgments for their wickedness, as Egipt, De civ. Dei, lib. 1 cap. 8. Si nulium pec­catum nunc pu­nires aperte di­vini [...]as nulla esse divina pro­videntia crede­retur. Babi­lon, Jerusalem, Pharaoh, Saul, Haman, &c. otherwise (as St. Au­gustine also notes) men would believe no Divine providence nor have sufficient evidence of Gods anger against wickedness, to move them to beware of it, and fear the judgements further threatned. But yet neither are the encouragements here given to the righteous persons, especially in their personal considera­tions, such as either answer or evidence the greatness of Gods love to them, or come up to such promises as, The meek shall in­herit the earth, and delight themselves in the abundance of Peace, Psal. 37.11. that they are blessed of the Lord, and shall endure before him for ever. And many the like, nor are they common or general to all of them, as to such at least as are outwardly and visibly testifyed. Many of them in the eye of the world, and to their own sense (as some of themselves oftimes complain) being plagued all the day long, and afflicted every morning.Mala corporis, bona sunt ani­m. Lact lib. 5. cap, 7. So as they are ready to say, and others to think, that they in vain cleanse their hearts, and wash their hands in innocency, Psal. 73.13, 14. being as the Scripture saith else where, oftimes killed all the day long, and made as Sheep for the slaughter, Rom. 8.36. Yea, seem to the world to die miserably, and receive no reward here for their love to righteousness, and to God, and Christ testified in their death. As on the other hand the wicked oftimes prosper all their lives, become old, and grow great in power, have none, or no re­markable wrath testified against them, either in their life (their houses being safe from fear, and they prospering in the world) or in their Death, having no bonds therein, as Psal. 73.3, 4, 5-12. Job. 21.6, 7, 8, &c. Yea, and they of them that are punished here, are not punished beyond what some one of their innume­rable sins may deserve, nay little more than what lays upon all good and bad, commonly befalls them. For what had Pharoah more than Josiah in being Drowned; or Saul in being killed in the Battel; or Haman in being hanged, more than ordinarily is felt in men dying? except the suddainness, the frightfulness, pub­lickness and shame therein, or some such concomitant making [Page 30] their falls exemplary, and testimonies of vengeance. Many a man that dies on his bed of the Colick, or Stone, or Strangury, endures more torment: yea, and many righteous persons endure as suddain, violent and shameful Deaths, even for righteousness, as many Martyrs, and those mentioned Heb. 11.35, 36, 37. St. Lawrence on the Gridiron endured as much for Christ, as Ahab and Keliah for Idolatry and Adultery, whom the King of Babylon roasted in the Fire. Jer. 29.22, 23. as to what was visi­ble. Here all things happen to the outward eye promiscuously, and to all alike, as to the evil, so to the good; as to him that fear­eth the Lord, so to him that feareth him not. God now causing his Sun to shine on good and bad, and his rain to fall on the just, and on the unjust. Matth. 5.45. he desiring the Death of none, no not of the wicked, invites them by his goodness, long-suffering and forbearance to repentance. And some of them doubtless are led to repent thereby, though others harden their hearts there-against, and in their impenitency treasure up wrath against the day of wrath, and revelations of the righteous judgment of God, Matth. 11.21.23. and 12.41. Rom. 2.4, 5. and on the other side God often corrects both good and bad, that he might exer­cise the faith of the one, and more purifie and prepare them for his glory, making them therethrough partakers of his holiness: and that he might admonish and awaken the other to repentance that his soul might be kept from going down to the pit, &c. Job. 33.29. and some are awakened thereby to repentance, though some when Gods hand is lifted up will not see,Deus non ex­clusit mala ut ratio virtutis constare posset. Lact. Isa. 26, 9, 10. though indeed the righteous have the greatest share of troubles and evils here, for the greater evidencing and adding worth and luster to their faith and obedience. And also for the preparing them for, and magnifying or inhancing their after-rewards. Their light and momentany sufferings here, working for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. As also because they have all their punishment here, none hereafter. As the contrary may be some reason of the wickeds more prospering here, Luc. 16.26. and so as Austin well observes, Tam patien­tia Dei ad poe­nitentia invi­tat males; sicut flagellum Dei od patientiam erudit bones Item [...], miseri­cordia Dei fo­vendos ample­ctitur bones: sicut severitas Dei pnniendos corripit malos, &c. Ang. de ci vit. Dei, lib. 1. cap. 8. the patience of God invites the wicked to repentance, and the Rod of God nurtures the good to patience. Sometime again the mercy of God embraces the good that are to be cherished; and the severity of God chastens the wicked that are to be punished. Again, God [Page 31] would have these temporal matters common to both. That good men might neither greedily covet what good things they see, to be but the portion of the wicked here, nor shamefully avoid such troubles as they see for the most part befall the good. Here then, evident it is, is neither the time nor place of the full manifestation of Gods righteous judgment on either: And therefore

3. It remains that seeing God hath said he will punish all the workers of iniquity, and reward all that are righteous and pa­tiently persevere in well doing; that there must be another, an aftertime and state in which his word, that must not pass or fall to the ground, shall be accomplished, and his righteousness both to the one and the other, and his love to righteousness and hatred of iniquity, be fully manifested, Rom. 2.5. which must therefore be after Death. But then again

4. Seeing in the state of Death and separation of the Body and Soul (though indeed there is a different dispose of their Souls, as aforesaid, and as will after appear and be more cleared; yet) what is done then to the Soul or Spirit by way of reward or pu­nishment, is neither of the whole guilty or praise-worthy subject. The Body having sinned also, and been active in the wickedness of the wicked, and on the other hand hath wrought what is good, and suffered injuries and wrongs for Christ and righteousness sake in the righteous; and its but right and reasonable that the whole that shared in the work, should share too in the wages, (though the soul in both being the principal agent and mover of the body, its not unreasonable that both in the one and the other it have the precedency, and so have what is allotted in the sepa­rated state while the body lies dead and sensless:) as also seeing what happens to the soul or spirit, is not openly evident to the world, (if evident to those spirits that partake of like state) and its meet that Gods righteousness be as openly and evidently seen in the world, to men & angels, as mens works have been, & as his Law and Doctrine have, which they therein kept or broke, as also the Promises and Threatnings therein. As also many things in the spirits (and bodily actings too) of men have been here hid, as also much of the reason of Gods dealings here; and he hath pro­mised open-rewards, therefore it follows that it is necessary that there be a resurrection and reviving both of good and bad from the dead, and the bringing them to a publike, visible, open and manifest Judgement; so as God and Christ may be openly and [Page 32] manifestly glorified. And the good and bad receive open and manifest recompences for their works. So as both the good may be openly honoured and rewarded in the veiw of those that have derided, and reproach'd them, and from and amongst whom they have suffered for and practiced righteousness. And the wick­ed be openly judged amongst and by, and punished in the veiw of those over whom they have here gloryed and triumphed, and whom they here falsly judged and condemned. Such the grounds and reasons for this after-state.

The Ʋse. consideration of which as thus far carried on by us, or ra­ther as so to be carried on by Christ, may put us upon a more serious consideration of our Mortallity and Death: and seeing that our life here is so momentany and uncertain, so as it is com­pared in the Scriptures to most flitting things, as a shadow, Job. 8, 9. and 14.2. a vapour. [...] the shadow of smoke. And [...] the dream of a sha­dow in S [...]pa and Pindar. Jam. 4.14. a post, swifter than a post. Job. 9.25, or a Weavers shuttle. Job. 7.6. and the like (as some of the heathen have compared them to a shadow, or smoke, or a dream, or the dream of a shadow, and man himself to an image or shadow) and so we know not how soon we may be at that after-part; therefore to be more serious, passing the time of our present so journing in the fear of God, 1 Pet. 1.17. Remembring our Creator in the dayes of our youth, or choise, while yet Life and Death are before us, and either of them may be chosen by us. Not to live like (because as to our Bodies, we are mortal and must die, as) the Beasts, or like the Epicures that say, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die; as if there was nothing for us after death either to enjoy or suffer, and as if the old Verse of the Epicures were true, viz.

So making the consideration of our Death an argument to provoke us to mind and follow after the fading pleasures and en­joyments only of this fading life: banishing the remembrances of God out of our hearts, as those wicked ones in Job. 21.13, 14. and 22.16, 17. that say to God, Depart from us, we desire not not the knowledge of thy wayes. What can the Almighty do for us? But seeing there is something after Death good or bad to be reap­ed by us according to our lives here; it should stir us up to live as men endued with principles of understanding and reason, and [Page 33] so capable of knowing and improving those truths concerning us, minding and thinking on him who in creating and making us and all other creatures, preferred us before and above them, and prepared another and a further life for us, beyond what he gave or gives them; that in calling to mind what he hath done for and to us, both in the first Adam, and in our own persons, as in and from him, in making us men indued with his image and likeness, and capable of higher happiness than the Beasts of the earth, over which he also gave us dominion: and also, and espe­cially in the second Adam, our Lord Jesus, in whom he hath ran­somed us from the Death we fell into in the first Adam, and bought us into his own merciful and righteous Lordship and dis­pose, and given us eternal life; a far better portion and happi­ness than either what we may have in this life and world, or might have had in and from Adam; considering also that he hath appointed a Day of Death for us, and after that a Judgment by him that died for us, and rose again, whereof also he hath given assurance [...]. or faith, to all men that he hath raised him from the dead, Act. 17.31. we may set our selves to seek him, the know­ledge of him and of his will, which we may find in his revelations of them to us by Jesus Christ, that so knowing and yeilding up our selves to him to the obeying and doing his will (wherein we shall be reputed righteous) we may be well, mercifully, and comfortably disposed of by him in the after-state, avoiding and abandoning all those things that might withdraw us from him, and from the obedience of his will, and following after, or yeild­ing up our selves to what may further us therein. But the fur­ther opening and improvement of this Use will better fall in after and upon our consideration of the second point; viz. Point 2. The excellency of the Death and end of the righteous.

That there is a very desirable excellency in the Death of the Righteous, and in his latter end above that of other men, espe­cially of such as are wicked. So as even the wicked that care not to live their life, and to have their beginning and progress, yet understanding it, desire to be like them therein.Tartus est pie­tatis [...]ructus. tanta justitiae merces ut ne ab ipsis [...] quid [...] nin des [...]rari qu [...]at impiis & injustis. It is in a manner St. Bernaca's observation upon the words; For, saith he, such or so great is the fruit of piety, and such the reward of righteousness, that it cannot but he desired of the wicked and unrighteous. Bern. in Ps. 91. Ser. 7.

This doth suppose and imply the second Branch of what we noted in our entrance to discourse of the former Proposition, viz. [Page 34] That the Death and end of the righteous, H [...]e the Scriptures m [...]n [...] the wo [...]d wicked. are very different from those of the wicked, &c. of any that are not righteous, which I only distinguish from the wicked, as the Scriptures usually by the wicked understand men, not only ignorant of and out of Christ, unjustified persons, but also evilly affected towards and opposite to Christ, and the truth of God and his grace in the discoveries and teachings of it, so as to act contrary, and in opposition to it against light and knowledge, and that with stubbornness and wilfulness, and often to the endevouring the mischief of the righte­ous, and suppression of the truth of God. Now that the righte­ous mans Death and after-end or part, differs from that of the unrighteous and wicked, so as to be far better, we shall make evident through Gods help and assistance in what we shall speak thereof.

1. Positively, as considered in themselves, and then also a little.

2. Comparatively, as comparing them with the sinners and wickeds.

1. In speaking positively of them we shall consider.

1. Who are the Righteous, whose Death and latter end are so com­mendably excellent, and how they come to be so; or wherein their righteousness standeth?

2. What is the Death of the Righteous, that is so desireable? And

3. Wherein, or upon what accounts it is desirable.

4. What the after-part or latter end of the Righteous, and the desirable­ness thereof.

VVh [...] [...]e the Righteou [...].1. Who be these righteous ones, and upon what account, or wherein any is so? To which let us mind

1. That the righteous are denominated from righteousness, so as they are righteous in whom righteousness is found, or they in it, and by whom it is practised. Now righteousness is in it self an exact and perfect straightness or rightness, so as to be without blame, fault or crookedness in every thing or re­spect, and so its absolutely in God in the first place, and he both Father, Word, and Holy Spirit, is called, the Just God, or the righteous Lord, Psal. 119.137. Jer. 12.1. Job. 17.27. Zeph. 3.5. Deut. 32.4. yea, the most just or upright, Job. 34.17. Isa. 26.7. because righteousness is essential to him, and he and his will the most perfect rule of righteousness; but he liveth and dieth not: nor of him can we understand the words, who is eternal, and without beginning, end, or reward.

[Page 35]2. That we have to speak of righteous men, and righteous­ness, as found in or upon man, and so we may say generally that Righteousness is a conformity in man to the wiil and minde of God, and they are righteous that are so; and so are right and straight according to Gods minde. [...] And such is the signification of the word here translated, Righteous, Ʋpright, or Right. And so

1. God made man Jashir, upright, suitable to his minde, not crooked or perverse, bending from him, or faulty before him, Eccles. 7.29. And that was mans primitive, original, created state called also His likeness, or similitude; but according to this righ­teousness or uprightness, there is no man found while here living upright in himself, man having found out many inventions, Eccles. 7.29. For all have sinned and swerved from that first cre­ered uprightness and integrity, and have failed of the glory of God, Rom. 3 23. But God still abides just and righteous, though man be fallen from him; and that rightness and uprightness that he gave or made us in, his acts, doings, ways, words and works are all righteous, and there is no iniquity in him. And

2. He gave a righteous, just and holy Law, as a perfect Rule of righteousness: according to which he that should do should live, and enjoy his favor and blessing; but he that swerves there­from, and continues not in all things contained therein, is crook­ed and unjust; unrighteous and condemned by it to die, yea ac­cursed and blasted of God in his most holy and righteous Sen­tence. But this coming in upon fallen man, and being propo­sed to him as a Rule, to measure himself by, and square his heart and actions after, findes him so desperately crooked and distor­red by his fall, that it altogether pronounces against man and condemns him. And while man would set himself to conform himself to it in heart and way, he is thereby convinced that he is wrong and unrighteous: For by the Law is the knowledge of sin; yea, sin taking occasion by it, it is more awakened and stir­red up to exert and act forth it self, when it findes the Law its enemy to forbid, restrain and curb it, and strives to bear it down before it, or else secretly to elude it. And so man in stead of being made just and righteous by it, is discovered to be more vile and sinful; yea, occasionally is made so, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 5.20. the Law entred that sin might abound. And in Chap. 7.5 8, 9. The motions or passions of sin that were be the Law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto Death: And sin taking oc­casion [Page 36] by the Commandment, wrought in me (saith he) all manner of concupiscence, or all lusting or coveting. So that according to that Rule we are all pronounced unrighteous: There is none righteous, no not one, Rom. 3.10. None that doth good, no not one, ver. 12. All gave out of the way, all together become unprofitable, every mouth stop­ped, and all the world guilty before God, vers. 13.19. What ever conceits men may have of themselves, or one of another, yet by the deeds of the Law no flesh living is, or shall be justified in the sight of God, ver. 20. As many as are of the work [...] of the Law, and claim life and righteousness, the promises and blessing to themselves that way, are all deceived, and are under the Curse: the Law saying, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them, Gal. 3.18. And there is not a man found living here upon earth that doth so con­tinue in all things to do them. Not a just man upon earth that doth good, and sinneth not, Eccles. 7.20. The whole first Adam, our na­tural Root, with all of us, even all the natural branches naturally springing out of him, being all rotten and corrupt, crooked and perverse, bowed down from God to the creature, and from lo­ving one another, to love our selves with a perverse love: but neither God nor our selves, nor one another as we ought, and in a way, manner, and measure conformable to his will. And all our blossoms or what proceeds from us, goes up as dust: all our thoughts, words and works corrupt and abominable, filthy and stinking, Psal. 14.1, 2, 3. Rom. 3.10, 11, to 19. Such the unrigh­teousness and unrightness of mankinde, and notwithstanding all the Law can do to rectifie and mend us, the Law could not make us just, the flesh in us prevailing against it; and multiplying sin by occasion of it, Rom. 8.3. with 7.8. What then be these righteous or upright ones, whose death Balaam would die, and whose latter end he would have like his? What, shall we take them to be An­gels! No sure. They die not, those especially that be righteous, holy and good; and for the damned ones, they are far from be­ing righteous or upright. No, we must finde them in the nature of men, and amongst men: To which purpose

3. God still being righteous, holy and good, and his Eternal Word and Almighty Spirit, by whom he made and gave being to all things, abiding still just and upright, and eternally so, (pit­tying fallen miserable man, being under the Sentence of a most dreadful Death, by none to be desired, for his unrightness; and [Page 37] devising how to deliver him therefrom) created a new thing in the earth, such as was not found in all his first Creation; a new Root of Righteousness and Plant of Renown, a Righteous Seed out of the sinning woman, by a wonderful and most glorious way, even by ordaining and in due time sending forth his own Eter­nal Word, his onely begotten Son made of a woman: and so ta­king the seed of the woman, the nature of a man, into a perfect, entire, and personal union with himself, did so sanctifie that Branch of mans nature in the conception of it, and uniting it with himself, that therein (and so in him as become man, Imma­nuel, God with us) there was no stain or pollution of sin. He knew no sin. 2 Cor. 5.21. nor did he any sin, nor was any guile found in his mouth, 1 Pet. 2.22. Him he made to be his Lamb for taking away the sin of the world; a spotless Lamb and without blemish before him in heart and life, doing ever and in all things what pleased his Father, to his utmost content and satisfaction, Job. 8.29. 1 Pet. 1.19. Math. 3.17. Isa. 42.1. He only of all men, or persons partaking of the humane nature, was and is the holy and just One, Act. 3.14. and 7.52. Jesus Christ the Righ­teous, 1 Job. 2.1. and he was just and righteous according to the Law which he was made under, and was subject to (Gal. 4.4.) for our sakes, never breaking it, or doing any thing short of what was required of man in it. So as that God testifies of him once, and again, that he was well pleased in, or with him, Math. 17.5. for he delighted to do his will, his Law was in his heart, his ear he opened, and he was not rebellions nor turned back, Psal. 40.7, 8, 9. Isa. 50.5, 6. Heb. 10.7. and indeed in respect of his perfect obedience to God, and conformity to his Law, he was justified thereby, and ought to have lived and to be blessed; but yet though he had done so, and those things were due to him, God his Father willing him to lay down all that life and blessing, and take upon himself (as our nature and Law, so now) also our sin and curse, and notwithstanding life and blessing was his due, to die for us and be made a curse; he willingly for our sake did so, and so he suffered, the just for the unjust, and died for the ungodly, that he might bring us unto God, Rom. 5.6. and 1 Pet. 3.18. it happened to him, the righteous One, according to the work and desert of us wicked and ungodly ones, that it might happen to us ungodly ones ac­cording to the work of him the just and righteous One; for he [Page 38] that knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, and he hath redemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, that so the blessing of Abraham for (or concerning or unto) the Gentiles might be in Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith, that is, that he might be made the righteousness of God to us, and we might be made righteous by and in him, and inherit the life and blessing promised by the law to the righteous; and so the righteousness of the law be fulfilled in us, walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit given us in and through him, Gal. 31 13.14. 2 Cor. 5.21. and 1 Cor. 1.30. Rom. 8.4. So that this righteous One having dyed for all, and therein given himself a ransome for all from under that sin and sentence of death upon all, there is now in and by him wrought for us a compleat righteousness even the righteousness of God through the faith of him (he saith not the faith in him, [...]. but of him, the Gospel) unto (or for) all (even for all men, for the free gift is for or unto all men, for the justi­fication of life) and upon all that believe, Rom. 3.22. and 5.18.

So then here we have found a righteous man, a perfectly righteous and upright One, in whom no crookedness or guile in the least; and that not only in himself, and for himself, but for us too; as a root and fountain of them, and of all life and blessing for all other men, for his name is called The Lord our Righteousnesse. Jer. 23.6. 1 Cor. 1.30. But no man I think would wish to die such a death as he dyed, so as to be a curse in dying: no it cannot be understood of him as to that clause, the word Righte­ous or Ʋpright being of the plural number also, and including more: though as to the latter end or reward rendred in the singu­lar number, like his, it may be meant of him, as to the infinite portion of life and happiness he hath received in the nature of man for us upon the account of his Death and sufferings; or it may signifie like the latter end, or after-part of him, that is, Israel, or any one of them righteous or right ones, whom we must find also plu­rally. That we may make our Doctrine come up to the language of the Text, and so find that there are other persons, diverse, or many persons righteous, and so there are, but all in him the righteous and just One, the righteousness of God for us, and root of righteousness to us; And so we find, that by the obedience of one, many shall be made righteous, Rom. 5.19. And I say unto you, Many righteous men and Prophets have desired to see the things ye see, &c. [Page 39] Math. 13.17. To shew how this comes about, and wherein they are righteous, observe

4. That God having provided such a righteousness as his Son, and that in his Son for us, even for the justification and salvation of us sinful men in general; now it is his will that we close with, come to, and believe in the name of this his Son, the righteous One, seeking in him, and in the faith of him (as eviden­ced and made known to us) remission of all our sins, justification and acceptation of our persons, the holy Spirit of God, and his heavenly gifts, and blessings, wisedome, righteousness, holi­ness, redemption, and in a word all things pertaining to life and goddness. To which purpose he declares and proclaimes him to men in the Gospel; teaches the knowledge of him, and there­in draws to him, so as every one that hears and learns of him (the Father) comes to him, and believes in him, 1. Joh. 3.23. Joh. 6.29. This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. And this is his commandement that ye believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another. Therefore also he calls, Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my holy Spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles, Isa. 42.1. And this is my well-beloved Son, hear ye him, Math. 3.17. and 17.5. And Christ also calls us to himself: Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest: and if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink: He that believeth on me, as the Scriptures have said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters, Math. 11.28. Joh. 7.37, 38. and many the like. In which he inclusively promises the gift of righteousness, that he will make such righte­ous with God, there being no rest or satisfaction to any without that. Now then all they that by the gracious call of God and Christ are overcome or prevailed with to come to him, [...]. Our Saviore being righte­ousness it self, is pertook of by the righ­teous O [...]ig. in C [...]ls. lib. 6 look to and believe in him (upon the account of what he hath done and suffer­ed for them in himself, and of the fulness of that provision made ready in him, and his readiness and faithfulness, as he hath also promised, to communicate it to them, and in a word, through the grace discovered in the call to them,) to them Christ is made righteousness, and they are justified and acquitted of their sins in him, and accepted as righteous persons, and Christ also is faith­full to wash, sanctifie and frame them to his minde, leading them from all their Idols, former evils and abominations, unto God [Page 40] in himself, to behold his glory and glorious grace, love him, de­pend on him, yeild up to him, to worship, serve and obey him, and to love one another, and to seek the good of all to their ca­pacities, and so to write his law in them: these I say, as looked upon in Christ, (in whom and for whose sake they are accepted, even in his spotless and perfect righteousness,) are righteous in the sight of God; and doers of righteousness, in as much as they are led by and follow the Spirit of God, who makes it his busi­ness to glorifie Christ to them, and lead them into him and after him; and so to confirm them in him, and conform them to him. In a word, they are righteous that are in Christ Jesus, and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, Rom. 8.1. that are the Israel of God, the Circumcision, cut off from all hope and con­fidence in themselves, their fleshly birth, breeding, wisdom, righteousness or conceits of holiness, as seeing an emptiness and in­sufficiency in them all, and as seeing an excellency in the know­ledge of Christ, and of the grace of God in and through him, and so they come off from all carnal, Mosaical, or much more, devi­sed worships (and much more as to seeking life or putting righte­ousness, life, or holiness in them) to worship God in the Spirit, rejoyce in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; in which their being made in Christ, and brought to have their de­pendance upon and rejoycing in him, they are of the seed of Abra­ham and heires according to promise, such as Isaac was, and not as Ishmael who was born after the flesh; as those be that trust they are Christs because of their fleshly birth, or indeavours or priviledges: that from such things conjecture and hope they are of those that Christ dyed for, and are the children of God. And yet as Isaac also had two sons Jacob and Esau, the one a simple-hearted man, the other a cunning hunter that sold his birthright for a mess of pottage: so of those that come to God by Jesus Christ, and rejoyce in his goodness and graciousness to sinners, there are some that abuse this grace and turn it into wantonness, saying, Let us do evil that good may come thereof; sin that grace may abound; or because we are not under law but under grace; and so in some eager pursuit of some worldly lust, honour, riches, or fleshly lust after wine, women, &c. sell their birthright in the Gospel. These as Esau are rejected too (as well as those that are of works like Ishmael) and are not righteous, though they may be sons of the Church, and, in a sort, of God, as to repute. But [Page 41] those that being brought into Christ, baptised into his name; and made the Sons of God by faith in him, do also mind the grace of God, and so effectually receive it as to be made simple and upright hearted unto him thereby, obeying their Father and Mother, God and his Grace, or the Jerusalem above, the Mo­ther of us all, Gal. 4.26. and so walk after the teachings of his grace (which is the same with walking after the Spirit, it being the holy Spirit that breaths therein and teaches us) that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righte­ously and godlily in this present world, (not with the Edomites embracing this present world, but with Jacob) looking after (the blessing, the inheritance promised in Christ Jesus, and so) the blessed hope, even the appearance of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, &c. Tit. 2.11, 12, 13, 14. [...] these are Israelites indeed, the upright and the blessed Seed, being righteous (as by all hereabout said may be seen) in a double respect.

1. In regard of Christ as their righteousness put on by them and made of God righteousness to them,In what respect the godly are said to be righ­teous. Gal. 3.26, 27. 2 Cor. 1.30. accepted in him the beloved, Eph. 1.6. and abiding in him are pre­sented without rebuke and blame, as in him in the sight of God, Col. 1.21, 22, 23.

2. In regard of their being in a measure by and through Christ conformed to him, and made righteous in their way and demea­nour, doing those things that are right and good in the sight of God and our Saviour, the imperfections and defects wherein are taken away and covered in and by him believed on, and that that is of his Spirit and spiritual operation in them, made acceptable through him, 1 Job. 2.29. and 3.21, 22. 1 Pet. 2.5. And in this latter consideration, they are right or upright, as the word in the Text signifies, in and through Christ.

1. In that they disclaim and renounce themselves and all things of themselves, their own works, worthiness and righteousness, and only believe in, close with, and have their life and rejoyc­ing in Christ Jesus; living not by or upon their own works, but by faith; even by the Faith or Doctrine of the Son of God be­lieved and minded, and the grace therein testified, in that he loved them, and gave himself for them, Gal. 2.20. which who so slight, and are lifted up above, as thinking it too simple and mean a ground for their hope, their hearts are not upright in [Page 42] him, Heb. 2.4. they that are seeking something else besides and above the vision of him that shall come, and will come, and will not tarry (that is, of Christ Jesus and the grace in him) their Souls are not upright in Christ; For the upright love him, (Cant. 1.4.) and so content themselves there, and keep them only and singly for all things to him; as believing that in him they are compleat, and have all things freely given them in and with him, both pertaining to life and godliness, and so wisdom, righteousness, holiness and redemption (as was said before) yea eternal life; yea, the promises both of this life, and of that to come, so as that in the knowledge, believing, and understanding of him and the grace in him, they shall have all things admini­stred to them, Col. 2.9, 10. 1 Tim. 4.8. 2 Pet. 1.3, 4. Rom. 8.32. and so they abide in him, in the belief of his grace and obedi­ence to his Counsels and Instructions, looking to and depend­ing upon him and God, in and through him for all things. And herein

2. They deny all ungodliness, all evil, unbeseeming and hard thoughts of God, Atheism, Idolatry, or Idolatrous conceptions directing them to seek for life, righteousness, safety and satisfa­ction in something out of him: or of some other power than of God in him; as judging some insufficiency or want of gracious­ness in him, with all prophane neglects of him, his way, worship, and service, so as that though evil thoughts, temptations and motions may be suggested to them by Satan, or spring up in them through their corruption, as if there were no God, or as if he loved them not, or cared not for them, because he afflicts and tryes them. Or as if he minded not mens wayes or walkings, because he prospers the wicked and afflicts the righteous: or as if his testimonies were not true, or it were in vain to worship and call upon him, &c. yet through the grace of God, and his testi­mony (the faith of Jesus) kept to, they reject these and deny them, and do not yield up themselves to them to be carried away by them, Psal. 73.1, 2, 3.13, 14, 15, 16.

3. Knowing him to be Lord, and to have the dispose of all things in heaven and earth, and that the promises of this life that is, and of that to come, are in him all Yea and Amen, affirmed and confirmed for, and with those that cleave to him, and that he is wise in heart, and holy in way, loving, faithful, and merci­ful to all (as is evident to them in what they believe he hath al­ready [Page 43] ready done in his Death and Sufferings for all) especially to them that wait upon him: being the Saviour of all men, and espe­cially of them that believe; they in the light direction and strength of this grace, do also deny worldly lusts, lusts of cove­tousness after more and greater honours, preferments, riches, pleasures and delights to the flesh, or whatever else the world hath in it, and proposes to us to allure and draw us from him. Knowing also and believing that in fearing God and cleaving to Christ in the conduct of his Word and Spirit, they shall want no­thing that is good for them. Psal. 23. and 34.9, 10. and 84.11. Mat. 6.33. but shall have all their needs supplyed, and a better portion here (though in less) having his love and favour with it, than those that have far more without them, Psal. 37.16. Prov. 15.16. and 16.8. So that though discontentedness with their lot and portion here, sometimes arises in them, and lustings and covetings after more assail them, yet they war against them, and in minding and taking heed to the vision or testimony of Christ, deny them, Psal. 73.22, 23, 24.

4. And knowing and beleiving that all their approach to and acceptance with God is only in and upon the account of Christ Jesus; and that they in themselves are every where imperfect, yea of themselves as of themselves to have no sufficiency to any good thing, nor any thing truly good, pleasing and acceptable to God dwelling in them; they are sober in the thoughts of them­selves, not thinking of themselves above what is meet, as if for their own betterness or goodness, they were more favoured of God, or were able of themselves as of themselves to do or perform any thing pleasing to God, or profitable to themselves or others, or able to find out the things of God and Christ otherwise, and further than by his holy Spirit in his testimony he gives them understanding and discerning of them; or were worthy to have them revealed to them, rather than others: and so exercise not themselves in things too high for them, Rom. 12.3, 4. 2 Cor. 3.5. Rom. 7.14. Psal. 131.1, 2. and so are sober. And though proud, aspiring, high conceited thoughts of themselves, and their parts, gifts, attainments, abilities, doings and worthiness may be darted into them by Satan, or spring up in them from their own corrup­tion; yet through their cleaving to this grace of God in Christ they are helped to repel them, or humble themselves before God for them, on discovery of them. Mat. 18.1, 2, 3. 2 Chron. 32.25, 26. Coll. 3.12. Eph. 4.2.

[Page 44]5. Yea, and in considering the same things of their unwor­thiness, and their being all that they are by the grace of God, &c. they are also moderated and made sober in their desires of, pur­suits after, and use and enjoyment of the things of this life, not judging themselves worthy of great things by way of riches, ho­nours, apparels, buildings, &c. yea in the belief of the only ful­ness in Christ, seeing the vanity of this world, and their portion being in Christ, and laid up with him in heaven; and that their life is in him, and in what they have there, they are not transpor­ted with their enjoyments of any great or good things of this life; nor give up themselves to pride or vaunt themselves of and in them, or fill themselves to excess with them: but are sober in all things; so as repelling by the grace of God the contrary motions and risings of corruptions: or repenting and humbling them­selves for them, if at any time overtaken with them, Heb. 11.13, 14, 15, 16.

6. In the view of the same grace in Christ, and the righteous­ness of God towards us in and through Christ, and his love of righteousness testifyed in all he hath done in Christ for us, and his hatred of unrighteousness there also manifested, they are led and framed to a righteous demeanor toward others; so as behold­ing all things ordered of God in Christ, whose wisdom, good­ness, and holiness is so brightly displayed in the Gospel; they are led to submit to his orders, and so to those he sets over them for his sake, as Kings, Magistrates, Rulers, Governours, Fa­thers, Mothers, Masters, &c. or in any place of superiority, not withholding from them that honour, subjection, duty, love, and obedience he requires of them toward them; whether they be good or froward; knowing and minding that they be well and wisely, and holily ordered of God over them, and for good by way of protection, maintenance, encouragement; or tryal or exercise of their faith and obedience to God. As also, beholding those that are their inferiors, and any way committed to their care, or to be walked before, as such as are to be helped in the way to life, to take such care of them, and to act forth and exer­cise such righteousness toward them as becomes our places and stations, and so to wrong or injury none in word or deed, as to their honour, life, chastity and purity, estate, name, or otherwise; loving to all, especially their Brethren in Christ; content with their own portion, knowing that their portion in Christ and God [Page 45] is exceeding good, and that in walking with and depending on him, he will in all things do what is best for them, by the help of Gods grace, repelling all contrary motions and temptations.

7. Yea, the view of his love and grace towards them and all men, principles and instructs them to be loving and charitable to all men: and so righteous in giving forth or ministring to them of those things, spiritual or temporal, that are deposited or betrust­ed with them, for them and their good, according to their needs and wants, and their own furnitures and capacities for extend­ing relief and help to them, by instruction, counsels, comfort, outward supplies, in giving to relieve their poverty, exercising their skill for healing and helpfulness in sicknesses, sores, &c. and some observe that the word righteousness is put sometimes for alms or charity, as in Psal. 112.9. with 2 Cor. 9.9. So the righ­teous man is sometime described to be a merciful man, and the merciful man joyned with the mention of the righteous or up­right, as Psal. 37.26. The righteous is ever merciful and lendeth, his seed is in the blessing, and in Isa. 57.1. The righteous perisheth and no man layes it to heart, and merciful men (or men of kindness) are taken away, none considering that they are taken from the evil. And indeed, it is but right and just, that as we have all our life and hope of happiness in and from the mercy of the Lord to us, so we again should put on the bowels of mercies and kindness, and be full thereof to others; and that as God doth in and by Christ give us talents of outward or inward blessings for the good of others; so that we should not withhold good from the owners thereof, or those for whose good we are betrusted with it, Prov. 3.28, 29. Luc. 6.36. and 16.9.11, 12. Col. 3.12. Eph. 5.1, 2.

8. In a word, this grace of God in Christ believed and lived upon leads and instructs the soul; and the righteous and upright are answerably, in their being led by it, framed and helped to ac­knowledge God in and through Jesus Christ in all things, so as in all their straights, needs, and afflictions to have to do with him, hoping in his mercy, and believing his promi­ses, to make their requests and addresses to him in Christ Jesus for such supplies of grace and mercy, for help in the things of this life, or for help against the enemies of their souls, as to things pertaining to the life to come, or for supplying with what is requisite to promote their faith in Christ or service of God, as also in such straits and tryals, eying them as ordered of [Page 46] God in wisdom, faithfulness and righteousness, to submit to him therein; and justifie or glorifie him in them: in all services and sufferings to lean upon him and trust in him and his strength and righteousness: and in all benefits and mercies received, whether for this life or that to come, to give thanks to him by Jesus Christ, yeilding up themselves more readily, chearfully and perfectly to be his, and to serve and glorifie him in word and conversation, so in all things exercising themselves to Godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God who cannot lie, promised from before the ancient times, and the promise whereof he hath confirmed both by his Oath and by the blood of his only begotten Son, through whom, and whose mediation he may, and is led to, look for it and confidently expect it at his blessed appearing, Tit. 2.12, 13. 1 Pet. 1.13, 17. Eph. 5.20. Coll. 3.17. Philip. 4.5, 6, 7. Heb. 13. 15. Prov. 3.4, 5, 6. Tit. 1.2. Heb. 6.13, 17, 18. and 9, 15. Phil. 3.20.21.

9. And lastly upon sight of shortness in these things, or any of them, or any other matter that the grace of God instructs and leads to, to groan under it, and seek to God through Christ for his further increase of grace in it, and conformity to God and his will thereby, and in sight of aberrations and swarvings from the ways of God and his grace, to seek diligently for pardon and healing in the blood of Jesus: and that the heart and soul may be turned in to Gods testimonies; waiting upon God in his word and ordinances; and so cleansing the heart and washing the hands in innocency, not approving themselves in any wickedness and way of iniquity, Prov. 28.13. 1. Joh. 1.7, 8, 9. and 2, 1, 2. Psal. 119.59, 60. and 73.13. 2 Cor. 7.1. And they that so believe in Christ and walk after the Spirit of God, are indeed up­right men and righteous ones, and such as Balaam wisht he might be like in his Death and latter end.

2. What is meant by the Death of the Righteous here.

A proper Death of the righteous.1. There is a Death of the righteous, that is so properly their Death, as it is not common to any else with them, and its a Death properly of their soul too, and possibly Balaam might mean here of that: though if he did, he took nor the course to obtain it; but only rested in the desire, and wish of it, and that is a Death unto sin, and self, and world, through the knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, of which the Apostle speakes in 1. Pet. 2. 24. Mentioning it as

[Page 47]1. A Death unto sin, as we translate or read it, Christ himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree: that we being dead to sin may live to righteousness. Wicked men are dead in sin, Eph. 2 1, 5. and the righteous die to sin. Thence in Rom. 6.2. How shall wee that are dead to sin live any longer therein? And, reckon your selves dead in­deed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, ver. 11. And this is effected by the discoveries of the grace of God in Christ towards the soul, and the abundance of the grace brought unto it in him, causing the soul so to love God and like the injoy­ment of his love and favour (and so the ways leading to it and in which it is to be perfected and maintained) as therefore to aban­don and hate every false way, every way of iniquity and sin, ei­ther as to judgment or conversation, as in Psal. 119.104. and 97. 10, 11. so as to be as dead to the allurements and inticements thereof, and lively, apt and ready to the Lord and his service, and so to every good way and work for his sake.

2. A Death to self, as ceasing, through the same grace discer­ned, to have, or look to have, its rejoycing from its self; its hope, confidence, or spiritual life in and from its own fleshly excellencies or priviledges, that i [...]sometime in the state of ignorance of Christ it hath, finding the life of its owne hand, as is said Isa. 57.10 This is that the Apostle saith, Gal. 2.29.20. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God, I am crucifyed with Christ, yet I live, yet not I but Christ that liveth in me, &c. And Philip. 3.3. We rejoyce in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. When for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, the soul parts with, and yeilds up that confidence and rejoycing it had in its owne works, frames, righteousness after the Law, or in any thing of the flesh, as seeing an emptiness and insufficiency there­in, and lives upon Christ and the fulness in him. And herein is a Death to the Law also.

3. A Death to the world, when through the perception of the same grace and hope of glory, and reception of the same; it is ta­ken off from having its glorying or rejoycing in the Worlds in­joyments, love, favour, fellowship, friendship, riches, honours, approbation, principles and rudiments; as also from all indea­vours with purpose of heart thereafter, contenting it self with the approbation, love, and fellowship of God in Christ, and with his care, provision and protection, being as a crucified thing or person to the world through the cross, Gal. 6.14. 1 Cor. 15. [Page 43] 31. And this Death in each of these branches is a desireable Death, though not to the flesh and carnal minde, yet to the illumi­nated understanding, as Balaams was, or might be at this time when he saw the visions of the Almighty and had his eyes open; [...] [...]um est illud Eu [...]ides [...] To [...] is to d [...] and t [...] dy is to live in these things. for this Death leads to a Divine and heavenly life to and in God and Christ, and in the faith of his grace and love; whence also the stable peace, safety and satisfaction of the soul springs up, it is kept in perfect peace, stayd upon the Lord, delighted in and satisfied with him, for the great disturbances and dangers of the soul are from its love of and living to sin; its love of and living in, or desiring to have its life and peace and comfort in its self, and in the injoyments of the world, for all these things being either full of mutability and vanity in themselves, as the life of a mans own hands, or his fleshly self-righteousness and the things of the world: or else being directly opposed by the law of God and the discoveries of wrath and curse there against as in all ways of sin, the soule can there have no setledness or peace. But now being dead in its affections to and dependences on such things, and having the heart set upon and confiding in Christ, and God in Christ, it is established and fixed so as not to be moved, and lives because Christ lives, Joh. 14.20. Who cannot cease to live, and who lives to obtain life for and maintaine life in the soul, Psal. 112. 6, 7, 8. And this living in and to the Lord, here leads assuredly to the injoyment of eternal life for ever, a most blessed and desi­rable state, but yet

The Death of the righteous as to the natu­ral Death, bet­ter then that of the unrighte­ous.2. Though this would stand well enough with the words, and possibly might be in Balaams sense, yet its most usually otherwise understood, and there is more certainty, or probability at least, that he rather desired to die as the righteous in respect of his de­parting hence by bodily Death, and so we carryed it all along in the former pro position, and cannot exclude, but must include it here, as being that which, without peradventure, Balaam and many a wicked man hath desired and yet do: nor may the Hebrew word that signifies my soul (let my soul die the Death of the righte­ous,) inforce us to understand it in the former sense, at least not in that only, for both the word (Soul) is diversly used in the Scripture, and oftentimes is put for the person indued with a soul, as when its said Gen. 2.7. man became a living soul, its all one as a living man or person. And so its evidently meant, when its said: So many souls came out of the loines of Jacob, as in Gen. 46. [Page 49] 15, 18, 22. and 12.5. Exod. 1.5. and 12, 4. and many other places, yea sometimes its used to signify the body, as a dead soule, according to the Hebrew reading is used to signify a dead bo­dy, in Levit. 19.28. Numb. 5.2. and so its rightly enough read here. Let me die, &c. But then

3. Wherein is the death of the righteous in this sense Desirable that any wicked man should desire to die it? Wherein its better, neg [...] ­lively answe­red. Surely

1. Not as to the outside, the sensible part of it, as to the way of the separation of soule and body, and what is sustained by them therein, for the Scriptures imply that the Death of the wicked is more desirable in that respect then the Death of the righteous. And therefore we find a good man envious at the wicked upon that account, because they have no bands in their Death, nor are in plagues as other men, Psal, 73.3, 4. And at the best all things hap­pen alike to all, Eccles. 9.12. so that it befalleth to them that feare God, as to them that feare him not, sometimes God gives them that feare him a quiet, peaceable and easie death, as he did to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and many others. And so it often befals evil men too, and sometimes the one and the other die with much pain and bitterness, but more often the Death of the righteous is in this respect less desirable and chusable then other men, because God judging them here for their sins, that they may not perish hereafter with the world. Either

1. Lays his hand often more heavily upon them here, filling them with paines, aches, yea the multitude of their bones with strong paines, Job. 33.16, 17, 18. as Lazarus, Luk. 16.21, 22. Yea sometimes with pestilence, famine, and the like, as many of those that fell in the wilderness, or rather those in the seige of Jerusa­lem, in which there were some righteous judged with the wicked, as is implyed, Ezek. 21.3, 4. Yea some Interpreters think those mentioned as fallen asleep in 1 Cor. 11.29, 30. dyed of the pestilence.

2. But more especially he often gives them into the hand of sinners to whip, and scourge them by bodily and bloody persecu­tions, so as they dy greivous deaths in the sight of men, being put to sorrow, shame, reproach and manifold abuses: as may be seen in the Lord himself, who was taken with the wicked hands of the Jewes, crucified and slain, after many scornes and scour­ges, and abusive carriages towards him, so as with reproach to break his heart, Psal. 69.20. besides the hiding of Gods face from [Page 50] him, and many bitter agonies in his soule for our sins sake, in which God sometimes for tryal and exercise of his servants faith and patience, and for correction for their sins, may conform some of his servants to him; as also is seen in what befel diverse of the Saints of God put to cruel sufferings by blood-thirsty men, as both the Histories of the Scriptures and of the primitive times of the Churches after the Apostles testify: To this purpose is what we read, Heb. 11.35, 36, 37. Others were tortured not accepting deliverance; others had tryals of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea of bonds and imprisonments; (in which also we find by reading that many Martyrs have dyed) they were slaine with the sword, they wandred about in sheep-skins and goats-skins, being destitute, tormented, and afflicted. Many such persons, good and upright men both in the primitive and later persecutions suf­fered such things, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted; (or as some read it, were burnt with hot irons) some dyed in the waters, some in the fire, some rosted on grid-irons, some pulled in pieces, devoured by wild-beasts, and su­stained any cruelty the wit or malice of men and Devils could de­vise. Daniel prophesied also, that many such should fall (that is die or be slain) by the sword, and by flame, and by captivity, and by spoile, Dan. 11.33. And surely these are in themselves no desira­ble ways of dying, nor the thing Baalam wished for or desired. Men generally both good and bad, desire rather, if God see, it good, to die easier Deaths, and indeed the wicked do ordinarily die as the righteous, or better in this respect, some of them too die by the sword, some by famine, some by flame, some by pestilence, some by the halter or gibbet, &c. and multitudes of them of a natural and quiet Death; even as also many of the righteous do so that this could not be the meaning of Balaam, nor doth the pre­ciousness of the Death of the righteous stand therein. But

affirmatively.2. In that which is less visible, that that appeares in the sight of God, as is said Psal. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints, Psal. 72.14. And so as to the soul in his dying or departing this life, its leaving the body, and ceasing therein to reside and live, and give life to it, and that is it that Ba­laam respected. Not that his body simply might die as the righte­ous mens bodies, but that his soul might die or depart this life or body, so as the righteous or upright ones. And that is desireable both in respect of

[Page 51]1. The state of the soul, and so of the person in dying or in Death.

2. The advantages accrewing to them by their Death.

1. The death of the righteous, or the dying of their soul, as it signifieth its departing this life or body, is very excellent and pre­cious in regard of their state in their death or dying. For

1. They die in the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ who is Lord of all, Rev. 14.13. Act. 10.36. and so they are said to die, because

1. In the faith of him, as it is said of the Patriaks, all these dyed in the faith, Heb. 11.13. and also because

2. Inclosed in and compassed about, as it were, with the ver­tues of his death, sacrifice, and mediation, which gives infinite safety and security against what might harm, and powerful title to what he hath thereby purchased, and obtained.

3 In his favour also, beloved of him as he was of his Father, as he saith himself in Job. 15.9. And

4. In him as united with, standing and abiding in him, as a Root in the soyl, Col. 2.6, 7. or as a Branch in the vine Joh. 15.1, 14. or as a Member in the body, 2 Cor. 12.27. and so interested in the fatness of the soyl or stock, the good things that are Christs; and so in all the safety, honour and welfare of the Head. And by vertue hereof

2. They die in a state of choice and peculiar favour with God, (Christ in whom they are, being his beloved one, owned, accepted and justified) however otherwise accused and condemned here of men; and this is signifyed by the white robes to be given them, Rev. 6.11. whether they die a natural death, and quietly in their beds, or a violent, sharp or shameful death, all is one, dying in Christ they die in Gods love and favour even as he did. Thence it was the great desire of the Apostle Paul to win Christ and be found in him, Philip. 3 8, 9. knowing that otherwise it could not be well with him, but in him he should be found of God in peace, and without blame before him, 2 Cor. 5.9. 2 Pet. 3.14, 15. Coll. 1.22, 23.

3. They die in Covenant with God, for Christ is given for a Covenant to the people, an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure, Isa. 42.6, 7. and 49.8. and 55.3. 2 Sam. 23.5. and so he is still their God even in death, Psal. 48.14. God having inga­ged himself to Christ, and to all in him, to be their God, and to own them for his peculiar ones, and to do good to all in Christ accor­ding to the greatness of his love and mercy for Christs sake. They [Page 52] that are Christs are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to pro­mise, or to the Covenant made with Abraham, the summe whereof was, that he would be his God, and the God of his seed after him, Gal. 3.29. Gen. 17.7. (Covenant and promise signifying one and the same thing with the Apostle, Gal. 3.15.16.29.) and the being Christs, is a consequent of being in the faith of Christ, and of ha­ving thereby put on Christ, Ver. 26, 27, 28, 29. So as that dying in Christ or in the faith of him, they must needs be in the Covenant of God.

4. They die in hope, or have hope in their death, Prov. 14.32. the righteous hath hope in his death by vertue of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, the heir of all the promises and blessings of God, and the Covenant of them to us, dying in him heires of God and his promises; there must needs be great hope for them, even of the injoyment of all the good that is promised, and by Christs death and mediation assured and secured, which respect the state after death, and in the life or world to come; for also in Christ

5. They are holy to God, he being made holiness to them, 1 Cor. 1.30. they are Gods portion as well in death as in life: his Saints, Psal. 116.15. and God is not ashamed to be called their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in their dying, as well as in their living: and therefore from, and in all these

6. They are blessed in their Death. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, Rev. 14.13. that is, they are happy, they are deli­vered from their sins, for blessed the man whose iniquities are forgi­ven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, Psal. 32.1, 2. they have nothing to be charged fur­ther upon them, nay all blessing is theirs, a happy and most de­sireable state.

2. Exceeding great too are their advantages thereby, as to say

1. Their fight is fought, their labour and work finished, and their race run, they have now no more to do that may be looked upon, as any condition to be performed by them, upon which the promises of God, and their injoyment of happiness is in any wise suspended; while we live here there is yet an If upon us, some thing to be done by us, upon which our happiness is in a sort suspended, so as in failing therein we may pull judgment upon our selves, as in Coll. 1.22, 23. Christ will present you blameless, if you continue in the faith rooted and grounded, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, Heb. 3.6. whose house we are, if we hold [Page 53] fast the confidence, and the rejoycing of the hope firm to the end, 1 Cor. 9.24. So run that ye may obtain. If we die with him, we shall live with him; if we suffer with him, we shall reign with him, 2 Tim. 2.11, 12. But now when death comes and passes upon the righteous, they may say with Christ, it is finished, or as Joh. 17.4. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do; or as the Apostle Paul, I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth no more work to do, but only to go to God, and the Crown is reserved, and laid up for them, to be given them at the day of Christ, 2 Tim. 4.8. their labour is at an end, their warfare accomplished, and they go to rest. And so

2. Their sufferings and sorrows are at an end too, here they have laboured and suffered reproach, and many afflictions are while they are here endured by them, through much affliction and tribulation we must enter the Kingdom, Act. 14.22. Ye shall weep and lament, saith our Saviour to his Disciples, and ye shall have tri­bulation, Joh. 16.20, 21, 22, 33. This is their seed-time when they go forth weeping, bearing forth their precious seed, Psal. 126.6. now they are in heaviness through manifold temptations if need be, 1 Pet. 1.7. grapling sometimes with their own corruptions, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this Death, the Law in their members warring against the Law of their mind, Rom. 7.23, 24. they have lusts warring against their souls, that they must abstain from and strive against, 1 Pet. 2.11. Heb. 12. 3, 4, sometimes with Satan winnowing, tempting, buffetting, and every way playing their adversary, 1 Pet. 5 8. Eph. 6.12, 13, 14. Luc. 22.31. 2 Cor. 12.7, 8. Sometimes with the world, frowning, threatning, opposing, persecuting them in sundry and divers sorts, Joh. 15.16.19. 1 Joh. 3.2. 2 Tim. 3.12, 13. Sometimes under the righteous and merciful hand of God afflicting and rebuking, and sometimes more sharply scourging and filling with bitterness, Heb. 12.6, 7. Pro. 3.11, 12. Job. 19.21. Many are the afflictions of the righteous here, Psal. 34.19. But now in their death all these are at an end, they then are delivered from the evil, so as no more to be under the grief or vexation thereof, Isa. 57.1. neither evil men nor evil spirits shall any more afflict or exercise them, nor will Gods hand go any further upon them to afflict them: They rest from their labours in both senses, even from their labouring under pains taking and sorrows too, and hear the voice of the Op­pressor no more, Job. 3.17, 18.

[Page 54]3. Their dangers are now all past, they are past the danger of sinning, offending, and provoking God to displeasure which they are in, so long as they live, there is need of watching and pray­ing alwayes till that day be come, Luc. 21.36. but in their yeild­ing up their spirits to God, they are past those snares that before they were among; then the Devil hath no more power to tempt them, nor are they any more in danger to be tempted by him or overcome of him, or of any of the flatteries or threats of the world, the persons or things therein; their race is run, their goal is obtained, no further danger now of fainting, failing or start­ing aside, the Devil or world can no more now come at them to touch them, for their spirits go to God, and are in his hand and dispose, and their state from henceforth fixed, so as they are in no danger of going to hell now, being therefrom exempted and otherwise disposed of for ever, Luc. 16.27. And surely this is a most desirable condition to be out of all labour, sorrows and dan­ger which this world is full of perpetually. Yea,

4. Now they go home to be with Christ, in his presence and sure protection, as at home with him, and in the enjoyment of him in their spirits, where it is better to be than any where here, Philip. 1.23 2 Cor. 5.8. But that leads us to the next particular, viz.

The latter end of the righteous4. The after-state or latter end of the righteous, what that is, and what its excellency. The very discovery of it will shew its excellency abundantly; and its considerable in three Branches.

Bran. 1. In the seperate or dead state▪ 1. As to body. In the state of separation of soul and body after Death: and that

1. In respect of their body: indeed as to its visible appearing condition it differs nothing from the state of the body of the wicked; for they both are of the dust, and both go to the dust; even Christ himself made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, Isa. 53.9. yea, many times in that respect the wicked have the advantage; they get honorable Burials when the bodies of the Saints sometimes get none at all, or very mean ones. We read that the wicked rich man whose soul went to hell, yet as to his body, it after death had a burial, Luc. 16.22. which in many wicked rich men is very honorable; but as for poor La­zarus though after his death carried into Abrahams bosome, yet we read of no burial afforded him. Nay, we read of many of the Saints, that their dead bodies have been given for meat to the sowls of heaven, and their flesh to the beasts of the earth. Psal. 79. [Page 55] 2, 3 But yet for all this, the bodies of the righteous are in a better state after death, than the bodies of the wicked; let the wicked do what they can or will to and with them, for not an hair of their heads shall perish, Luc. 21.18. Yea, their bodies be happy because they be their bodies who are in Covenant with God, and in his favour in their death, and their death puts not an end to their being so; whence God is called the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, after they were dead and buried, and long before the time of their resurrection, Exod. 3. and that pertains not to their spirits only, but to their bodies also; for by that our Saviour proves the resurrection of the dead which is properly of the body, as the Apostle shews clearly in 1 Cor. 15.57. This corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality, and he shall change our vile body, that it may be fashion­ed to the likeness of his glorious body, Philip. 3.21. I say our Saviour proves by that his being the God of Abraham, &c. that the dead shall rise, as implying that he is God of their bodies also, Mat. 22. 32, 33. So that the bodies of the righteous, even when in the grave, are Gods to take care of and in Covenant with him, to bring in his due time, as the members of Christ to the enjoyment of his blessing; even as the body of our Lord Jesus Christ when dead, had the denomination of the Lord,1 Cor. 6.16, 17 because his body that was and is the Lord, and in union with the Deity, though then dead, Mat. 28.6. Come see the place where the Lord lay; So also the bodies of the Saints have the denomination of the Saints whose bodies they were and are, and so have interest in the Co­venant and Christ, in which and in whom they are, though dead. So Davids body, and Abrahams, and Isaacs, and Jacobs, are called by their names in the Scriptures. These were the dayes of the years of the life of Abraham—and he dyed—and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him, that is his body, Gen. 25.8. the like is said of Sarah, Abraham buried Sarah his wife, Gen. 23.19. and so its said of Isaac, Gen. 35.28. and of Jacob, Gen. 50, 1.13. and this rela­tion of their bodies, as being their bodies, intitles them in and through Christ, to all the future happiness of them. But

2. In repect of the spirit departed,2. As to Spirit. their state is exceeding good and desirable; for

1. It is and abides in its separated state in Christ, and in and through him in a state of bless; for so it is said, Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord, not only blessed in their death, but when dead [Page 56] also, all those things said before of their state in death, being and continuing to be their portion even to the Resurrection also, Rev. 14.13. being clearly and for ever delivered, and at rest from all their labours, griefs, fears, dangers, and in a state of quiet re­pose and safe rest: whence it is said, They rest from their labours, and their works follow them, and that they must rest for a little season, Rev. 6.11. and they shall enter into peace (into a quiet, setled, per­fect state, so as they may be capable of it in their state of sepa­ration) they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his upright­ness, Isa. 57.2. being clearly and fully discharged of all their sins, and arrayed in the perfect righteousness of Christ as in white robes in the presence of God all that time of their rest, Rev. 6. 11, 12.

2. In an impossibility of failing of the reward promised to, and prepared for them; there being no passing now from them and their state, to a state of misery, as was noted before; nay, their works do follow them, not only shall, they are in possession of some, and that no inconsiderable fruit and recompence of their good works in this state, being so at rest, and at home, as no more any trouble to pass upon them, no other Purgatory, no not so much as for the Malefactor that died with Christ on a Cross for his offences, he was that day to be in a better place: For

3. The spirit of the righteous goeth forthwith upward to God, and is disposed by him in a state of welfare exprest by Abraham's bosome, as being under the enjoyment of the Covenant, and the promises made with him, as it is capable in that separated state, Luc. 16.21. and is said to be (as the Malefactor above-mention­ed) in Paradise, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise, Luc. 23. 43. which signifies a state or place of exceeding delight or plea­sure, its Notion in the Greek being that of a delightful Garden, such as God at first planted, and put Adam and Evah into, Gen. 2. and so it signifies, that it is in a state of exceeding pleasure and delight; yea, it is mentioned (I think) as equivolent to the third heavens, 2 Cor. 12.2.4. and why not, seeing it is expresly said to be with Christ, Luc. 23.43. Philip. 1.23. which is said to be far better than to be here in the flesh, though in Christ, and under the favour of God here also. Again its said to be, when absent from the body, at home with the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.8 so as a child at home with his Father, or a Wife with her Husband; now as the condi­tion of the child is more safe, comfortable, and desirable when at [Page 57] home with a loving, tender, vigilant, rich and careful Father, than when its absent and abroad from him, though provided for by him, and supplyed in its wants: and much more the state a wife with her husband, loving, tender and every way able to main­taine her; to be at home with him and in his bosome is more sweet and contentful then to be, though the same mans wife, at distance from him, in a travel or pilgrimage; yea though there­in cared for too, and provided for by him: so also is the state of the soul or Spirit returned to God and at home with Christ: A blessed state, and so its said, They are comforted, Luc. 16.25. such the happy state of the soul then. Yea its happiness herein is more then we can in mortal bodies comprehend, for when this earthy house of this Tabernacle is dissolved, it hath then, and is in posses­sion of a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, so the Apostle implies when he saith, not we shall have, but we have an house not made with hands, &c. 2 Cor. 5.1. And yet this is not all the after-state desirable, its yet incompleat while thus: and in a state of desire, and patient waiting still, in respect of its having the fellowship of its body in its happiness, and full victory over, and revenge of all enemies, and fruition of the Kingdom promised, as is implyed in that cry under the Altar, and the answer to it, Rev. 6.10, 11. There is therefore besides all this a further state.

2. The after-state in respect of the Reunion of soul and body,2. Branch. In the Resurre­ction. or Resurrection from the dead, for they shall be raised againe, and so shall the unjust and wicked as we see before, Christ having dyed and given himself a ransome for all, and thereby abolished the death, that upon our first Fathers transgression came upon all, so as to have obtained the keyes of hell and death into his hand, for the raising up all (from death and grave; and out of the hell in which they are detained till the time of the Resurrection, and their appearing before him) to be finally judged by him: but yet the righteous shall differ from others in the Resurrection as well as in the glory that shall follow, for they, the righteous shall be more excellent than their neighbour then more apparently, Prov. 12.26. For

1. They, the righteous, the dead in Christ shall be first raised, 1 Thess. 4.16. they shall have the praeheminence therein as to the order and time of their being raised; for Christ who is risen already before his members and people, and is become the first [Page 58] fruits of them that sleep is the first therein, then afterward they that are Christs at his coming, that is, they that are his in a pecu­liar sense, [...] dein ceps postea. his people, flock, members, his in union with him, they shall rise first, at his coming; and then afterwards shall the end come, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even his Father, 1 Cor. 15.23, 24. for he shall reign (namely at his coming, 2 Tim. 4.1.) till he have put down all authority and power, even the last enemy too, which is Death: but the righte­ous shall be raised up to the injoyment of the Kingdom and reign­ing with him in his manhood and Mediatorian capacity before he deliver it up; for they live and reign with Christ a thousand yeares, saith Rev. 20.4.6. and that before the rest of the dead be raised, Ver. 5. which (namely the raising of the rest) will be at the end, when the thousand yeares are ended, when (or somewhat before) he shall deliver up the Kingdom, for he must reign till he have put down all authority and power, the last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death, which he shall destroy in the raising up all the dead; even those not raised till the thousand yeares be ended; and in his casting death and hell into the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone in the great and last Judgment, as in Rev. 20.11, 14. for good and bad, first and last shall be raised and judged by him, Joh. 5.28, 29. but the good, the dead in Christ, shall be raised first, and then in the same moment in the twinkling of an eye the living surviving believers shall be suddenly changed, and all of them, both the raised, and the changed, shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the ayr, 1 Thess. 4.16.

2. They, the righteous in the Resurrection, also shall have a glorious and joyful manner of rising, Ingenti An­gelorum jubilo & acclama­tione, Aret. both as it shall be ac­companied with a mighty shout: probably (and as some think) of the Angels greatly rejoycing: or also of the Spirits of the just co­ming with Christ as triumphing that that time is come, or of Christ by the voice of the Archangel and trump of God, Vox Domini hortantis ut experrecti pro­perent E [...]as in 1 Thes. 4.15. exhorting the dead Saints, awaking to make haste to meet him; and by that voice inabling and exciting them thereto: as when raising Laza­rus he said, Lazarus come forth, Job. 11.43. and as coming down in their spirit with Christ (those that sleep in Jesus shall Christ bring with him. 1 Thes. 4.14. And, the Lord my God shall come, and all the Saints with thee, Zech. 14.5.) and so on a sudden enli­vening their bodies, when in a wonderful, joyful, and glorious state being caught up to meet the Lord, they shall come down to [Page 59] the earth together, and be ever with him, as noted before, 1 Thes. 4.16.

3. They, the righteous shall be raised up as in Christ, as mem­bers of Christ in union with him, and so by the Spirit of God and Christ, as the Spirit that now dwelleth in them, as Rom. 8.11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodyes by the Spirit which dwelleth in you. And therefore also

4. To a more excellent state, even fellowship with Christ their Head, Lord and Husband, briefly called the Resurrection of life, Joh. 5.29. which leads us to the third

Their after-state when raised,3. Branch. The raised state and that shall be exceeding excellent, and most desireable both in respect of the body, and of the soul or spirit, and so of the whole person, yea their whole company, society, or fellowship.

1. In respect of their body raised:In respect of the body It shall be in a very happy and glorious state, fashioned (saith the Apostle, Philip. 3.21.) to the like­ness of Christ glorious body, whose body was so glorious in its ap­pearing to Paul (for he was last of all seen of him in his raised state after he was ascended and glorifyed, 1 Cor. 9.1. and 15.8.) that he tells us the light that shone about him from him was brigh­ter than the Sun in brightness, above the Sun though at midday, Act. 26.13. freed from all its former bondage to corruption, either of sin or mortallity, yea from all its former infirmity in the living state of it in the flesh, and much more from all the putrefaction and rottenness that it lay under in its dead state in the grave or dust. All those things shall he totally shaken off from it, and the contrary most heavenly and glorious properties and endowments shall then cloth it, it shall not be flesh and blood as now it is, for flesh and blood, a natural body shall not, nor can inherit the Kingdom of God, though it be the same body that is now flesh and blood, as to its essence or substance, yet it shall not be then flesh and blood as now, a body so nourished and kept up by the continual supply or maintenance of its blood, in which is now its life: Neither shall corruption, that now is inseparable from its natural state, inherit incorruption, 1 Cor. 15.50. but though sown in corruption, it shall be raised in incorruption; though sown in dishonour, it shall be raised in glory; though sown in weakness, it shall be raised in power; though sown a natural body, it shall be raised a spiritual body; such as in which we shall bear the image [Page 60] of the heavenly; even as now while natural we bear in it the image of the earthy Adam, 1 Cor, 15.42, 43, 44, 45. an excee­ding happy state of the body possessed of incorruption and im­mortallity, so as to be incapable of corrupting, putrifying, or de­caying any more, or of dying or turning again to dust, or of any thing tending thereto, Ver. 53, 54. Yea on the contrary, clothed with unchangeable and most excellent beauty and glory.

In respect of their Spirit.2. The Spirit or soul also then shall be possest of this glorious body, and have it a companion in all its glory, and an instrument or organ of all its spiritual and heavenly service of God and the Lamb in the Kingdom: (for his servants shall serve him, Rev. 23.3.) as here it was a companion in its sufferings and labours in this mortal state of corruption; and it shall also be perfect in its spiri­tual capacities, its knowledge, and perception of things, and its injoyment and love of God and Christ, and one another therein, as the Apostle says, 1 Cor. 13.10, 12. when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away: now we see darkly as through a glass, but then face to face: now know I in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known; and then that shall be perfectly ful­filled, that they shall no more need to prophesie and to say one to another, as teaching one another, know the Lord, for they shall all know (that is discern, acknowledge, like, worship) me from the least of them to the greatest of them, Heb. 8.11. And so

In respect of the whole man.3. In their whole person, they shall be made compleat and perfect, perfectly conformed to the Lord Jesus: it doth not yet appeare what we shall be (that exceeds all that we can know and understand now fully and distinctly; yea the Apostles in mortal bodies, though exceedingly gifted and filled with the Spirit, knew it not (which is an intimate commendation and magnifying the glory and happiness of that state) but we know that when he ap­peares, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is: he saith not only, we shall be like the Angels of God, though that our Savior tells us we shall be equal unto them (the children of God, and children of the Resurrection) so as neither to need marrying nor giving in marriage; nor in a capacity to die or to have soul and body separated any more, as now they are by death, and so in a state as far above the necessities and refreshments of this life, as the Angels of God, Luc. 20.35, 36. but thats not all, but we shall be like him, even like to Christ, and so both in the resur­rection put into an immediate capacity of the heavenly and eter­nal [Page 61] glory: and being raised, be actually put into and possessed of it, 1 Joh. 3.2.

4. As to the whole Body and Society of the Church of God and members of Christ, in that raised and changed state,In respect of the who [...]e Church. they shall be

1. Perfectly united, being freed from all sin, ignorance and enmity in every individual; and so of all that might tend to dis­unite, and divide the hearts and affections of one from another any more; as now we are too apt to be disunited, no more envyings and swellings; no more grudgings and prejudices one against another then, no more judgings and despisings of one another: The envy of Ephraim shall cease, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not oppress Ephraim any more, Isa. 11.13.

2. They shall be ever with Christ their Head, 1 Thes. 4.16. being al I caught up into the ayr to meet the Lord we shall be ever with the Lord, and so in and with him as a city compacted and at unity in it self, the holy city, the new Jerusalem, and so represented in Rev. 21.2, 10. with Psal. 122.3. no rent or breach there­in, no cord to be loosed, or stake to be pulled up or taken down for ever, Isa. 33.20. and the portion of them all together in and from Christs presence with them, exceeding happy; for there he the glorious Lord will be to them a place of broad rivers and streames, wherein shall go no Gally with oares, nor shall gallant ship pass thereby, for the Lord is their Judge, the Lord shall be their Law-giver, the Lord is their King and he will save them, Isa. 33.22. Thence also

3. They shall be for ever quiet and free from all external mo­lestation from men or devils, or from any hand or stroke of God upon or against them; for all their enemies shall be cut off and con­sumed, all that watch for iniquity, &c. Isa. 29.20. and they shall dwell safely then; when Gods everlasting armes shall have raised them up from under all adversities or sufferings, and thrust out the enemy, and shall say, Destroy, Deut. 33.27, 28. then there shall none hurt or destroy in all Gods holy Mountain, or glorious triumphant Church, for the devil and his instruments shall have no more any power, or be in any capacity for ever to molest them, he and they being shut up in the prison and in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, Isa. 11.9. Rev. 19.20, 21. and 20.2, 14. there shall be no more any Canaa­nite [Page 62] to vex, oppress, or occasion disturbance to them in the least: none to be as a pricking bryer or grieving thorn unto them, none of them that despised them, Zech. 14.21. Nah. 1.15. Ezek. 28.24. For they shall be above the reach of the malice of either men or devils, and there shall be no more curse there, no blast or withe­ring word or work from God any more upon any of them; but salvation shall be their everlasting walls and bulwarks; and the days of their mourning shall be for ever ended, Rev. 22.3. Isa. 26.1. and 60.20. Rev. 21.3, 4, 5.

4. They shall be in the presence of God, and in the full injoy­ment of his love and favour for ever; so as he shall be with them, his Tabernacle among them, they shall be his people, and God himself with them their God, and they shall see his face, and be­hold always and uninterruptedly the light of his countenance, without any ecclipse or withdrawing of it from them, for there shall be no night there, nor going down of their sun for ever, Rev. 21.3, 4. and 22.3, 4. Isa. 60.20.

5. Thence they shall have fulness of joy and satisfaction in the presence of God and of the Lamb, which is compared to a pure river of water of life, cleare as chrystal, proceeding from the Throne of God and of the Lamb, which shall be then gloriously among them; In which fulness of joy shall be no mixture or abate­ment at any time, but they all shall have everlasting joy on their head (everlasting joy in respect of Christ, their Head, among them; as also through the perfect knowledge of God fil­ling their minds and understandings) they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away, Rev. 21.4. and 22.1. Psal. 16.11. Isa. 51.11. they shall enter into, and be fil­led with their Masters joy, Math. 25.21, 23. And that because also

6. The glory of the Lord shall be upon them, making them unspeakably glorious, in each and all of them, which they shall appear in and possess with him, even the glory of the Lord Je­sus, which who can understand, comprehend, or express! Isa. 60.1. Rev. 21.11. Coll. 3.3, 4. 2 Thess. 2.14. Yea

7. They shall raign with him in his glory, as Kings and Priests also to God and Christ, having his name openly in their forehead, even his authority, power and unspeakable excellen­cies gloriously instampt upon them, and all things and persons beside shall be under and in subjection to them: for they shall [Page 63] judge the world; yea the Angels too, sitting upon thrones with Christ, yea upon the throne of Christ, as he is set down with his Father in his throne, having overcome, Rev. 2.26, 27. and 3.21. with, 22.5. Luc. 12.32. and 22.28, 29. Rev. 20.6. and 5.10. and 1.6. 1 Cor. 6.3, 4. Rom. 8.17. 2 Tim. 2.11, 12. Yea and

8. All this in the new Heavens and new Earth, in which dwells righteousness; which he will create and make for them when these shall be past away at his coming, and be destroyed (at least then as to the present state and frame of them, and of Church and State in, and under them,) Dan. 7.27. Rev. 21.1, 2. 2 Pet. 3. 10, 11, 13, 14. which new heavens and new earth shall abide be­fore him for ever, and they therein injoying the righteousness of God in the full accomplishment of all his glorious and gracious promises for ever, Isa. 66.22. Yea and

9. When he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God his Father, as Man or Mediator, then God shall be all in all after an inconceivable manner, 1 Cor. 15.28. then shall we know as we are known, and see him as he is, Aug de civit. Dei l. 22. c. 29. ita nobis erit Deus no­tus & conspi­cuus &c. Ejusdem cap. 30. Videbitur sine fine, amabitur sine fastidio, laudibitur sine fatigatione. Vacabimus & videbimus, vi­debimus & amabimus, amabimus & laudebimus. Hoc est quod erit in Fine si­ne F [...]ne, n [...]m quis al [...]us r [...] ­s [...]r est finis, nisi p [...]venite a [...]g [...]um e­jus nullus est Finis. 1 Cor. 13.12. 1 Joh. 3.2. and have that blessed vision of God which shall be most fully and perfectly satis­fying; for then (as St. Austin also writes) God shall be so known and manifest as to be seen in spirit of every one in every one of us: seen of one in another, seen in himself; seen in the new heavens, and in the new earth, and in every creature that then shall be: Seen in every body, even by or through the bodyes whi­ther soever the eyes of the spiritual body shall direct their sight, yea the thoughts of one shall be open and manifest to another, &c. and God shall be the God of his people fully and most immediately, even all their satisfaction: all things that may holily be desired, their life, health, food, riches, glory, peace, honor, and all good things. He shall be the end of their desires, who shall be endlesly seen, loved without any thing of loathing, and praised without their being weary with praising him. When they rest in him as fully known and injoyed, rest in him and behold him, behold and love him, love him and laud him: this shall be in the End without End: for what else is their End then to come and attaine to the glorious Kingdom whereof there is NO END. Oh the unfathomable heighth and depth of peace, happiness, joy, glo­ry, and all fulness of bless, honor, dignity and felicity that shall be their portion in that day?

Such, but far beyond what I have expressed, or can express, shall [Page 64] be the after-part of the righteous in that life or world to come. In a word, the Apostle comprehends it in this tearm EVERLA­STING or ETERNAL LIFE: So in Rom. 6.22. Being made free from sin, and become the servants of God, ye have the fruit unto holiness, and the END EVERLASTING LIFE. And in 1 Joh. 2.24, 25. Let that which ye have heard from the begin­ning abide in you: if that which ye have heard from the begin­ning abide in you, ye shall continue in the Father and in the Son, and this is the promise which he hath promised us, even ETER­NAL LIFE. Sometimes it is called the EVERLASTING KINGDOM of our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST, 2 Pet. 1.11. or HIS HEAVENLY KINGDOM, as 2 Tim. 4.18. or GODS ETERNAL GLORY, as 1 Pet. 5.10. A latter End, or reward infinitely desirable in it self as comprehending in it all good; and all good perfectly, and all good perpetually, and all good endlesly and eternally to be fully injoyed, because it is God himself, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, and he is all good, and perfectly, per­petually, endlesly and eternally Good: and he is their Portion and their Exceeding Great reward, Whence this happy state. Psal. 16.5, 6. and 73.26. Gen. 17.1. The strength of their hearts here, and their PORTION FOR EVER.

But Quest. why, or whence is it that the Death and End of the Righte­ous is such, and so good as is said, and above all that can be said?

Ans. Negatively.1. Not from themselves, nor from the desert of their righte­ousness, they being in themselves earthly, frail, and sinful crea­tures, could not possibly do or act any such goodness or righte­ousness (much less of our selves) as should deserve or render them worthy of such an end and recompence; nor could a finite obe­dience of a finite creature be commensurate with an infinite re­ward in its worth and vertue: and therefore neither shall they make themselves the burthen of their endless rejoycings, and ever­lasting songs, but rather shall say Not unto us, Not unto us give we glory. It is true, that righteousness is better in it self than wickedness, and God is just to difference them in his retribu­tions; but neither is their righteousness that he rewards, of them­selves, or their owne righteousness, but their righteousness is of the Lord, Isa. 54.17. Nor is that righteousness so perfectly em­braced and walked in by them, but that in many things they of­fend and sin, so as should God enter into jugdment with them, and [Page 65] be strict to observe what they do amiss, they could not stand or be justified in his sight, as themselves have acknowledged, Psal. 130.3, 4. and 143.2. they could have no salvation or deliverance from wrath and the portion of the ungodly, (much less reward, and much less, yet such a reward for their works) but through the forgiveness of their sins, Luc. 1.77. and therefore also when God promises his people what he will do for them in the last days in their restauration (the great substance of which is the glory to be injoyed in the Kingdom of Christ,) he puts in such a Caution against ascribing it to themselves. Not for your sakes do I do these things: Not for your sakes, be it known to you: oh house of Israel, be asha­med and confounded, saith the Lord; Ezek. 36.22, 32. even as Mo­ses did before upon their first entring the Land of Canaan, the type and figure of this promised inheritance; Speak not in thime heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast out these nations, saying; for my righteousness, the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: not for thy righteousness, nor for the uprightness of thine heart dost thou go to possess this Land, &c. Deut. 9.5, 6. and yet it is the reward of righteousness that God will give, and that wherein he will testi­fie his great love to righteousness, and to the righteous. As it is said, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom; for I was hungry, and ye fed me; naked, and ye clothed me, &c. Math. 25.35, 36. rendring that as the reason of their receiving that reward. As also the Apostle saith, God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, &c. Heb. 6.10, 11. It is true therefore that God doth and will reward the righteous, and with respect to their righteous­ness, and not the unrighteous; otherwise it would be no motive or incouragement to righteousness. But true it is also, that nei­ther is that righteousness of themselves, nor deserves it those re­wards as it is in and from them. But positively

2. It is from God himself. He is as the End,Ans. Affirmatively. so also the begin­ning of their welfare, as the Last end of their desires and injoy­ment: so the First cause, spring, and original whence it all had its rise and issue. He is the Alpha as well as the Omega of all their felicity, Isa. 41.4. and 44.6. and 48.12. and to him they must acknowledge it and will sing Hallelujahs, or praise ye the Lord, To thy Name be the glory, Rev. 19.1, 4, 6. Psal. 155.1. For

1. It springs from his good pleasure, this love and good will to man, whom as he created in his own image and likeness at first by and for his only begotten Son, the express character of his own [Page 66] Majesty: so he so loved him as both to prepare an infinite reward for him being righteous; or for such, or so many of them as should be found righteous before him; for the manifestation of the riches of his grace, and glorious bounty and goodness to him; and also when he fell from his primitive and created righteousness in which he made him, he made his Son, (the increated image of his per­son and of his essential righteousness) to be in the image and like­ness of the fallen man, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and under sin, and curse, and condemnation (only without sin in him) that he being clothed as it were with mans unrighteousness as imputed to him, and swallowing up the sin and curse, might himself be­come his perfect righteousness, and conforming him to himself in holiness and righteousness, might make him also the subject in, and with himself of that infinite reward prepared for the righte­ous, even that infinite glory and inconceivable happiness which he had before the world prepared for them: as it is said, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the foundations of the world, Math. 25.35. and Fear not little Flock it is my Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, Luc. 12.32. Thence the Praedestination to the adoption of children, and to the obtain­ing of the inheritance, is said to be according to the good pleasure of his will, and according to his good purpose, Ephes. 1.5, 11.

2. It springs from his love to righteousness, even to the righte­ousness of faith; or to his only blessed Son made in the vertues of his abasement, obedience, and sufferings, righteousness to them: as his love and pitty to man led him to give his Son to ransom him from his unrighteousness, and to be his righteousness; so his love to righteousness, even to his Son, made mans righteousness, leads him so to love man as found therein, as to think nothing too good or great for him, even himself, and all his fulness of grace and glory to be his portion in life and death, but most fully and manifestly in the life to come. Thence the care of the Apostle to be found in Christ, in order to his apprehending that for which he was apprehended of Christ, and to his obtaining the price of Gods high calling in him, Philip. 3.8, 9, 12, 14. God loving them that love Christ, because they love Christ, with this manner of loving of them, whence he so rewards them, Joh, 16.27, 28. whence also their election, though before the foundation of the world, is said to be in Christ, and their praedestination to the adoption of children to be by Christ. So as with respect to him namely, Eph 2.4, 5. And so

[Page 67]3. It springs from the infinite excellency of the person, and the precious vertuousness of the abasement and obedience of the Lord Jesus to the death, the death of the Cross, and the force and prevalency of his mediation of the new Testament with God his Father in the vertues thereof, that the called might receive the pro­mise of the eternel inheritance, Heb. 9.15. 2 Thes. 4.14. 1 Pet. 5. 10. For though, if man had abode in his innocency, he I believe should have been very happy, out of the love that God beares to righteousness, and to man as his creature abiding righteous: yet as it is no where said, so neither find I sufficient ground to be­lieve, that he should have had the same happiness that now he shall have in, and upon the account of Christ Jesus: he not only delivering him from his sin, but being made also such a righteous­ness to man as made in him, as becomes a new and more glorious foundation of his future happiness, then his owne personal righte­ousness as a pure creature could have been; Therefore also it is said, that Gods eternal purpose about the Gospel-contents were purposed in Christ Jesus, Eph. 1.11. and that Christ at his co­ming shall be admired in all his Saints: it being the glory of Christ that shall then be manifested in and upon them; even that that he hath by the vertues of his abasement, sufferings and death, acquired into the nature of man for us, and to be communicated by and with him to us, 2 Thes. 1.10. and 2.14. Its the great commendation and Manifestation of the strength and excellency of this foundation, that it is counted worthy of, and meet for such a glorious superstructure to be built upon it, and that its able to support and uphold such a weight, an exceeding and eter­nal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. Sure if our sufferings in, and for him work for us such a weight of glory, as some particular re­wards of them in that Kingdom, what did his sufferings for us work (whence all our sufferings for him have their foundation, motive and value) but even the whole Kingdom it self, and all its glory! Such was his unspeakable love and grace in abasing himself so low at the will and appointment of his Father, and suffering so great things for man, that as he is accounted worthy to receive of God his Father highest dignity, honor, and glory in the manhood, and for men, even power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing, Rev. 5.12. so also such is the infinite prevalency of his mediation with his Father through the same, that he obtains of him what he desires: and such is his [Page 68] infinite love and grace to his that love and obey him, that as his Father loves him, so he loves them, Joh. 15.9. and therefore aim'd at, askes and obtaines of his Father for them, the highest and most inconceivable happiness and glory that may be injoyed by them: whence also we may say, that

4 It springs from Christs unspeakeable love to them, as his Members, Spouse, Inheritance; which is such as that he thinks nothing too good or great for them, that he hath in his power, or may by his power and prevalency obtain of God for them. Thence he tells them, that he appoints to them a Kingdom as his Father appointed him, that they may sit, and eat, and drink with him at his table in his Kingdom, and sit on thrones, &c. Luc. 22.28, 29. Rev. 2.26, 27. and 3.21. and to give to them to sit with him on his throne: and he gave himself for his Church, that he may san­ctify it with the washing of water in the word; to present it to himself a Glorious Church, &c. Ephes. 5.26, 27. improving all the infinite vertues of his Cross and Sufferings, and all the authority and po­wer he hath with his Father, and over all things, for the advan­cing them to the heighth of happiness. How great must that hap­piness needs be? how great that glory that shall be to the heighth of Christs power and interest! by which also they are prepared for that glory and brought to it too. Whence the Spouse glories also, my beloved is mine. He, and all that he is and hath, and I am his, to love, delight in, and make me happy; as well as also to obey and serve him. Yea

5. It springs from the love both of the Father and Son to them, which leads them so to accept of any their breathings after them, love and services to them, as to reward them not after their wor­thiness in themselves, but according to the graciousness of their own acceptance of them in their love to them, and according to the infinite munificence and magnificence of so great and glorious persons: so as they may shew forth the glory of their grace and love therein to them, and upon them.

6 It springs from the truth and faithfulness of God and Christ: for whereas love and goodness led or moved God and Christ to promise so great and glorious recompences to them that over­come their corruptions, and lusts, and wills, and enemies, in the power of his grace given them in Christ; and that do not through sloth, cowardliness, or contempt of the riches of his goodness, unbelief, or the like, yeild themselves to them: his faithfulness, [Page 69] truth, and power are ingaged to perform and make good these in­gagements to them. To which he hath bound himself both by promise and oath, that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye, they may have strong consolation that flee for refuge to the hope set before them, Heb. 6.13.17, 18. Now God is faithful and able to perform that that he hath promi­sed, and will not faile: his righteousness shall be seen and glori­fied therefore in the performance to the heires of promise, 2 Thess. 1.5, 6.

7. Lastly it springs also from the great wisdom of God, that such and so great a reward and End was prepared for, and is pro­mised by him, that he may induce and incourage the hearts of poor mortal creatures to obedience to the faith of Jesus, and to the way and practise of righteousness. For such is the power of corruption, errour, and ignorance in us naturally; such the pow­erful influences of this world, and its allurements upon us, such the force also of its threats, frownes and hardships to be met with in the way of God: and such the force and violence of Satan in thrusting against us in, and with all afore-mentioned, and en­deavouring to ruine us; that did not God bid so high for us and our service, he would have few that would deny themselves of the baits, and encounter with, and stand against the difficulties and discouragements they meet with. But the veiw of such a price, or prize kept in the eye may, and doth, and will allure, and draw, and keep up the heart in, and through Christ Jesus to all the services, and carry through all the sufferings he calls to. Thence those frequent expressions of respect to the reward had and exercised by the Saints, as the Patriarchs, Heb. 11.9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16. Moses Vers. 25.26, 27. the Apostles, 2 Cor. 4.12. 14, 16, 17, 18. and 5.1. Philip. 3.12, 14. Yea Christ himself as man, Heb. 12.2. and the frequent mention and proposal of it to others to animate and hearten them on, as in 1 Cor. 15.58. 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. with 7.1. Heb. 6.10, 11, 12, 13. and 10.35, 36, 37. Rev. 2. and 3. and God is just to perform his bargaine; ha­ving given also an earnest of it to his servants, Eph. 1 13, 14. Such the grounds and reasons of this so happy a Death, and after-state, which yet we have hitherto considered only absolutely: it will be yet more manifest (contraries being set off and illustrated the more by their contraries) to be desirable, if we veiw the contra­ry condition of the Death and after-part of the unrighteous and [Page 70] wicked,The after-part or latter end of the wicked. and so veiw it Comparatively. Comparing it with the portion of the wicked, and see how it excels that. But who can express either of them to the life, either the excellency of the End of the righteous, or the misery of the End of the ungodly and wicked? the Psalmist tells us: The End of the transgressors shall be cut off, Psal. 37.38. Eli tells his Sons, it will be bitterness in the End, 1 Sam. 2.26. Yea the Apostle Peter implies it to be inexpressible bitterness, bitterer than wormwood (as is said of the End of the whorish woman, Prov. 5.3, 4.) when he saith; what shall the End be of those that obey not the Gospel? as wanting words to express the bitterness and badness of it, 1 Pet. 4.17, 18. We might shew it to be in all things contrary to the End of the righte­ous or upright, both as to their state in dying, and as to their after-state both in the time of their being dead, and in and after their Resurrection. But I shall but hint at it, because I would not be too tedious. And so

In Death.1. Whereas Death to the righteous is an End to all their mise­ries, sorrows, and troubles; on the contrary, Death to the wic­ked is an End to all their good. Thou in the life time (saith Abra­ham to the rich man) received'st thy good things, Quis s [...]it an adj [...]nt ho­dic [...]nae crastina sum [...]ae Tem­pora Dii superi [...] Hor. Luc. 16.25. All in this life time, nothing after: and alas, this life time is very short and uncertaine, very momentany and hidden at all times, as to the length and duration of it; in continual dangers and jeopardies of being cut off. Its so in Gods hand, that he can cut it off as a weaver his thred when he will, and thats very easily; So that their good is, (as Job saith) not in their hand, Isa. 38.12. Job. 21. 16. and that very consideration takes off exceedingly from the sweetness of their present portion, that they know not how soon or suddenly they shall loose it all: but loose it all, it is certain, and they cannot but know it, they must; for the living know that they must die; and they see wise men, even those that are wisest for this world die also; and the bruitish and foolish persons perish and leave their wealth, their houses, and lands, and so all the comforts they have here, to others, Psal. 49.10. Yea, and besides the know­ledge of the uncertainty of the good things they have here, there is a deal of mixture of vanity and vexation of spirit with them very frequently: but what ever good or sweet they have with that mixture, Death when it comes sweeps it all away; their silver, gold, houses, lands, wives, children, pleasures, honors, gay cloths, dain [...]y fare, &c. Yea, though Crowns and Kingdoms, all [Page 71] goes at Death, and then they must have no more good for ever. Were there nothing else to be said of their portion or after-part but that in their death they loose and part with all comfort for ever, and have no more any good thing befal them, it were enough to render their part and lot very inconsiderable and de­spicable: Yea, though it might be had in the amplest, surest manner here, and for many yeares continuance, in comparison of that of the righteous. But alas, this is but the least piece of its worthlesness and wretchedness. For

2. Death is the inlet to them to infinite and endless miseries: for they die out of Christ, and have no share in him, or in the blessings in him, and so they are accursed both in soul and body. Its true, the body (as we said before) may be more honorably in­terred than the righteous mans; but yet its the body of a wicked man that hath no part in Christ, and therefore dies in his sins, which are all chargeable upon him both soul and body, and the punnishment hangs over him, and begins now to seize upon him. Being not in Christ, he is not in Gods favor and acceptance nor under any promise of any good, mercy, or blessing: but under all the threatnings of curse and misery; his hope is perished, what ever he had in the world, its gone with the world; and if he had any hope in God upon account of his birth, parentage, profes­sion, works, goodness in his own eyes, its blown all away with his breath which he breathed our when he gave up the ghost. If he plead it in the resurrection, it will not stand, Math. 7.22, 23. there is no hope for him of any good for ever, his body is reser­ved in the grave against the day of evil and vengeance, and shall then be brought forth from it; there being no darkness or shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves from punishment, Job. 34.22. So that their bodies are in far worse case than the bodies of the beasts, and his spirit is disposed of by God to a restless, unquiet, miserable case, like that of the damned spirits or evil Angels, that are as it were prisoners in chaines of perpetual darkness reserved to the Judgment of the great Day, 1. Pet. 3.19, 20. and 2 Pet. 2.4. And then

3. Their resurrection and raised state is still worse than their death and dead-state; for as that is not in the first resurrection,In and after the Resurre­ction. the resurrection of the just (on the raised, wherein the second Death shall have no power,) Luc. 14.14. Rev. 20.5, 6. so when it comes, its not as of Christs members, and by his spirit in dwelling in them, [Page 72] but by his terrible and powerful voice, forcing them, will they, nill they, out of their graves and several receptacles, to appear before him as their dreadful angry and impartial Judge, in bodies indeed immortal and uncapable of dying any more as to a dissolution of them, and separation of them from their souls as before (which will be their exceeding misery; for now they cannot be made senseless of pain and misery as they were while in their graves) but everla­stingly united with their spirits, that both bodies and spirits that sinned together, may be cast into destruction together, and suffer together an everlasting punishment, Math. 25.46. both body and soul being cast into hell fire, Math. 10.28. To which pur­pose, Christ (whom they have sinned perpetually against, despi­sing his counsels, slighting his instructions, hating him and his reproofs, and ways, and truths, and people: and whose love and blood, and all the grace thereby procured for, and held forth to them, they set at naught) he shall come in flaming fire to render ven­geance on them, and gathering them before him, the heavens shall re­veal their iniquities, and the earth shall rise up against them, Job. 20. 27. and all their sins and wickednesses shall be ript up in the sight and veiw of God, and Angels, and men, with all their ugliness, aggravations, circumstances; and then they shall by him be ad­judged to, and undergo that terrible sentence, Depart devil and his Angels, Math. 25.41. whereby they shall be for ever thrust out from God and Christ, and from all his holy Ones with infi­nite shame, reproach, and ignominy, never to taste of their hap­piness or felicity, being everlastingly accursed of God, and thrust away with most dreadful, miserable, and damned spirits, whose company and counsel they here liked and followed after, into a state of darkness or uncomfortableness, distress and anguish in the sense and feeling of the most severe wrath and vengeance of God poured out like fire, and burning for ever upon them, without end,Quanta satius est pro perpe­tuis bones maela brevia pensare, quam pro brevibus ac caducis bonis mala perpetua sustinere? Loct. lib. 6. ease, or intermission: their worm never dying, nor their fire ever quenched; there shall be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Lo such is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed of God for him, Job 20.29. Oh dreadful, heavy, and infinitely wretched portion? infinitely worse than the worst condition that any man is or can be here in; and therefore how much more than that of the righteous, in which are all things infinitely happy and glorious? But I shall say no more to it, this brief hint may suffice

Why the unrighteous and wicked have so sad a death and latter end, The reason of the sad end of the wicked. divers reasons might be given reduceable to two heads: I shall men­tion but a hint to either: that is to say,

1. It is of themselves only as to desert, for though Satan tempt, and the world allure, and corruption move to disobe­dience and rebellion against God; yet, through the grace of God afforded, they might resist; and complying with the light, truth and grace afforded, might be helped; but putting the fear of God from them, they choose to walk after sin and Satan, stubbornly persisting therein, and refusing to turn at wisedoms reproofes, or having begun to turn, returned back again with the Dog to his vomit, and to the Sow that is washed to wallow in the mire, till death seized on them: and therefore their sin be­ing theirs, their punnishment and destruction too is of them­selves, Prov. 1.20.24, 25, 26, &c. Hos. 13.9. Rom. 1.18, 19, 20, 21. &c. and their punnishment and misery is so great, hor­rible, and inexpressible.

1. Because their sins are innumerable, and every one of them exceeding great, as there is therein a slighting or contempt of God and his authority, power and goodness, which is infinite; a slighting also or contempt of Christ, and all done and suffered by him for them, and all his love therein testified, and all the good there-through done and extended to them; a grieving also and rejecting of the love and loving calls, reproofs, and strivings of the holy Spirit with them, and withall making no account either of Gods favour to seek it, or of his wrath to en­deavour to avoid it; an abuse of all his mercies and good things here bestowed, and slighting all corrections used for their amend­ment; and a careless despising all the glory and happiness by him tendered; which things being against an infinite Deity, and his infinite Attributes, put an infiniteness into the demerits of their sins, and so pull upon them an infinite punishment. And then

2. Because they dying in their sins dye out of Christ, and shall rise again our of him, they have no forgiveness of their sins through him, and so must answer for them, and bear the punish­ment of them themselves: which being not otherwise, to be infinitely endured, but in the infiniteness of their time of suffer­ings, will occasion their endlesness to them.

[Page 74]2. It is of God as to the decreeing, sentencing and inflicting it as a most just and righteous Judge; and the most unspeakably injured and provoked Majesty; who will herein shew forth his righteous judgment, Rom. 2.6.11. and therein

1. Testifie his infinite holiness and purity in his perfect hatred of sin and iniquity, Isa 6.3. Apoc. 11.3.

Prov. 1.24, 25, 26, 29.2. Avenge his own despised authority, power, love and good­ness, laws, counsels, &c. slighted and contemned by them.

3. Avenge the injuries done to Christ in their slighting all his love,Psal. 2.3, 4. sorrows, sufferings for them, and Grace therein declared and tendered to them: and therein also▪

1 Pet. 2 7, 84. Magnify and glorify his Son and the infinite preciousness of his blood and sacrifice despised by them; in taking such an un­speakable vengeance of their injuries to him, upon them.

Zech. 7.11, 12.5. Avenge the abuses and slightings of all the addresses of the holy Spirit to them, and gracious patient waiting upon them.

6. Avenge the abuses of, and unthankfulness for the Ministry and service of his holy Angels about them, and of all other mer­cies in all his creatures afforded to them, Rom. 2.4, 5, 6, 11.

7. And in a word, all their abuses of themselves and one ano­ther, but chiefly of his Sion; his people and servants sent to, or living amongst them, and deserving better use from them: this last is particularly mentioned, Math. 25.41, 42, 43, 44.

No marvail now if a wicked man enlightned to see any thing of these matters, wisht to die the death of the righteous, and to have his latter end like to his!The latter part of the point considered in answer to two questions. about which (having spoken to the first and main business of the point about the excellency of the Death and latter end of the righteous or upright ones) it remains that we speak a little as in the latter part of the Point we added, that they be such as that even the wicked that care not to live their life, or to have their beginning and progress, yet understanding them, desire to have their Deaths and latter ends like theirs. Concerning which, I shall only propound and speak to a Que­stion or two, and so come to the Application. And so

1. Whereas Balaam in wishing or desiring thus, implies that he thought it possible (though not certain that it would be so) that he might dye the death of the righteous,Whether a wicked man may die a righ­teous mans and that his latter end might be like his; being in a manner a prayer: and men use to pray for what they think possible, Thence it may be que­ried.

Whether is it possible, that a wicked man as Balaam was, Quest. 1 may obtain to dye the death of the righteous, and to have his latter end like his, To which I shall answer by distinction.

That a wicked man abiding a wicked man,Ans. 1. Not abiding wicked. can by no means have such a death, and after-part as the righteous and upright ones. Except your righteousness (saith our Saviour) exceed the righ­teousness of the Scribes and Pharasees, ye can in no wise enter the King­dom of God, Math. 5.20. that is, except men be truly righteous they cannot enjoy Gods Kingdome which is the end and portion of the righteous;Reasons of it. and the reason is because

1. It is against the purity and holinesse of God to admit wick­edness, and so wicked men abiding and continuing such, into such nighness with himself, and so into his favour and affection as the righteous be; for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, Psal. 11.8. and the righteous, Psal. 146.8. but he is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, evil may not dwell with him: fools may not stand in his sight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity, Psal. 5.4, 5. He is of purer eyes than to behold evil and iniquity, Hab. 1.13. and therefore cannot admit wicked men, as, and while such, to come into his Kingdom, and have part with the righteous.

2. That would make void all the ends and intents of the Death of Christ, and all the whole work and business of his undertake­ing; for if men might be saved and enjoy God in their sins, then they might have been saved without Christs coming and suffer­ing for them: for why should Christ come to take away sins, and wash and make us clean from them, if God can endure them in his sight and presence unwashed away from men? yea and why then was God angry with men for sinning? yea and Christ should then fail of his undertaking, if undertaking to bring men to God clean and pure from their sins, he should bring them in their uncleanness to him; in vain is a costly Bath prepared for washing and healing men, if they may be well with­out it. Christs coming therefore on purpose to take away our sins in order to our enjoyment of happiness, is an evident demonstra­tion that we may not be happy in them. Thence our Saviour saith to St. Peter, Except I wash thee, thou hast no part with me, Joh. 13.8. Yea

3. That stands cross to all the purposes, declarations and threatnings of God in the Scripture which cannot be broken, [Page 76] God cannot lye, but he hath purposed, said, decreed, and de­clared that no unclean or unrighteous thing shall inherit his Kingdome, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Ephes. 5.3, 4, 5. either then we must cease to be wicked, or else no part with the righteous, for the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the just, Psal. 1.4, 5. Yea

4. They being an abomination each to other; the sinners to the righteous, much more to the most holy and righteous God, how shall they endure to live together, and enjoy the same end, reward and portion? Prov. 29.27. Yea and lastly,

5. God should not be just, should he reward wickedness as he doth righteousness: and God forbid that the Judge of all the earth should do unjustly, Rom. 3.5, 6. Gen. 18.25. But

Answ. 2. They may if they become righteous, as they may.It is very possible that wicked men may by the grace of God cease to be wicked, and be converted to righteousness, and so they maybe brought to enjoy the same end with the righteous. And of the truth of this, Manasses, Mary Magdalen, Paul, the ma­lefactor on the Cross, that but there beginning to confess Christ, found mercy, and was that day with him in Paradise, Luke 33.40.43. and many more are evident proofs and instances. Yea, this is clearly signified and held forth throughout the Scriptures, that wicked men may be converted from their wickedness, and being converted, they become one in way and end with the righ­teous. For,

Reasons of that answer.1. This was the end of Christs coming into the World, and dying for all men, even the ungodly and sinners: suffering the just for the unjust or unrighteous, that there-through he might both remove the curse from off the nature of man, and obtain power and spirit into himself as man, so as he might both by his power and spirit call and quicken men (being ransomed from under the curse) unto the knowledge of God and faith in himself; and also when so, to forgive and justifie them, washing them in his own blood and renewing them also by his own Spirit, into his own image and likeness from glory to glory: To which end

2. God in and by him, and he in the power of God, hath or­dered repentance and forgiveness of sins to be preached in his Name amongst all Nations for the obedience of faith, Luke 24, 47. in and by which he is calling, commanding, and encouraging all men, the wickedest as well as others, every where to repent; [Page 77] because he hath appointed a day to judge the World, &c. Act. 17.30, 31. Yea he is calling sinners to repentance, and causing his servants whom he hath saved from their sins, and reconciled to God, to teach sinners the way, that transgressors might be turned unto him, while it is a day of Grace, an accepted time, Math. 9.13. Psal. 51.14, 15. 2 Cor. 6.1, 2. with 5.19, 20. In which time also

3. He is by his spirit accompanying his calls, bringing his word nigh to men, even to their hearts and mouths that they might receive it, believe, and be saved. So as the Kingdom of God is therein, and there-through made nigh to men, which king­dome is righteousness and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost, Rom. 10.8, 9. Luke 9.9, 10. Rome 14.17. the holy Spirit in the means vouchesafed, striving with, or judging in men; reproving and convincing them of sin, righteousness and judgment; opening the eyes that they might see, and their eares that they might hear, so that they might understand with their hearts, and be convert­ed and Christ might heal them, Gen. 6.3. Joh. 16.9, 10, 11. Math. 13.15. Yea so nigh doth God bring his word to men, that Satan is said to take it out of the hearts of those that are in their hearing, and receiving it, compared but to the way-side, Math. 13.19. Luke 8.12.

4. They that do in hearing, hear; and in seeing, see; that is, when God by his Spirit is bringing light and salvation to them, shewing them his truth and teaching them his way; they that then wink not with the eye, stop not the eare, nor harden their heart against his discoveries, calls and operations; but listen and look to him in the power and grace preventing them, and so turn at his reproofs and be converted, they come to Christ and to God in and by him, and are translated from a state of sin to a state of righteousness, and from the power of Satan unto God, to receive remission of sins, and inheritance among the sanctified by faith in him, Isa. 42.18, 19 and 45.22, 23. Math. 13.16, 16. Prov. 1.23. Joh. 6.44, 45. Acts 3.19. and 26.18. Joh. 5.28, 29. and these are all justified from all things from which they could not be justifyed otherwise, and abiding in that grace into which they are called, they shall have their portion among the Saints and righteous ones, Act. 13.38, 39. 1 Cor. 6.9.11. 1 Joh. 2.24, 25.

[Page 78]5. And for as much as this grace in Christ is prepared for all men, and is in the Gospel declared and tendred to all, he being the propitiation for the sins of the whole world; and all invited and called to attend and listen to him that they might in the re­ceit of this grace be saved; there is a Doore opened, and during the day of grace held open unto all, so as by the grace afforded through Christ, any man yeilding up to the calls of God and seeking and following on to know him, may be brought into Christ and be justified and saved, Isa. 25.6. Rom. 3.22, 23, 24. and 5.18. 1 Joh. 2.1, 2. Isa. 45.22. and 55. 1, 2, 6, 7. Rev. 22.17. In a word

6. There is in Christ through his pretious Death and Sacrifice, such plenteousness of redemption, even forgiveness of sins, and he so liveth for ever, and makes such powerful intercession for transgressors, and is so loving to man and patient toward sinners; and God so loath any should perish, having no delight in the Death of the wicked, that as he calls such also, and extend, by and through Christ his holy Spirit to enable them to obey his calls, so any wicked man obeying his call, is by the blood of Christ washed from his sins, and by his powerful intercession with God for him, in coming to God by him (who will in no wise cast out him that comes to him) is accepted of God and saved, Psal. 130.4, 7. Col. 1.14. Heb. 7.25. Isa. 53.12. Ezek. 33.11. 2 Pet. 3.9, 15. Joh. 6.37. 1 Cor. 6.11. These things considered, it is not a vain thing for men, even wicked men to wish, desire, seek, and endeavour (so as they submit to seek in the right way, and in good earnest, striving to enter the strait gate while it is yet open, and not shut against them, Luc. 13.24, 25.) to attain this end, Deut. 3 [...].46, 47. But for men to wish and would, desire and crave, and yet be slothful and refuse to strive, or to strive and labour in a wrong way, rejecting the grace of God and his truth, in the evidences and operations thereof; or to wish to have the portion, end, and reward of the righteous, and yet continue and keep on in the ways of errour and sin, this is foolish, absurd, and boot­less. Such as Balaams wishing was, who therefore notwithstand­ing this wish, was slain by Israel, and dyed the Death of, and among the wicked, Numb. 31.8. The fluggard wishes and desires, but hath not, because his hands refuse to labour, Prov. 13.4. and 21.25. and many in such ways as are wrong, or when too late, seek to enter, and shall not be able, Luc. 13.24, 25. Rom. 9, 30, 31, 32. But

Seeing the wicked sometimes seeing the goodness of the death and lat­ter end of the righteous, in some measure desire them, Que. Why do any wicked not en­deavour it. whence is it they become not righteous, or walke not in the way to them?

To this many things might Ans. Reasons of it. be said: I shall but touch upon some of them. As to say,

1. They see something of their end but not so fully and pre­vailingly as to make them love and like the way they walk in thereto, because they wink with the eye, and follow not on to know: light comes upon them sometimes more than they desire; but they desire not to minde much the light that comes upon them, that they might get a further light into what it shews them. They see and hate, Joh. 15.24. and that because

2. They are sensual, and love to please and satisfie their senses in present injoyments: indeed because they apprehend sweetness and pleasure in the latter end of the righteous, they desire them: but because they feel and finde sweetness in the world and present ways of sin, they love them and retaine them; and being more affected with present sweets then futures (the ways to which also would deprive them of much of whats present) they hold fast what they have (or endeavour so to do) though with hazzarding the loss of the other. Nay, because the light that discovers the end of the righteous reproves their ways, and would deprive them of the pleasures of sin, they therefore hate the light, and put it from them, or turn from it, and so come not so to see as to be conver­ted by it, Joh. 3.19, 20. Job 24.13, 14, 17. Math. 13.15.

3. Winking with the eye, and not abiding in, or following the light, Satan gets more power upon them to blind and harden them, as 2 Cor. 4.4. stealing out the light or seed of life from their hearts, Luk. 8.12. and so moving them to doubt of or disbe­lieve again what they have seen, Gen. 3.1, 3, 4. or also filling them with strong delusions to believe lies, 2 Thess. 2.10.11, 12. as per­swading them

1. That they may have their present pleasures of sin, and the future good things prepared for the just and righteous ones too, Deut. 29.19.

2. That they may repent soon enough hereafter, Pro. 6.10.

3. That God is gracious, and will forgive their sins, though they live in them upon the account of some outwardly religious injoyments, or services, or priviledges, Jer. 7.4, 5. Isa. 28.14, 15. and 66.1, 3. Math. 3.7, 8, 9. Joh. 8.33, 34. Math. 7.21, 22.

[Page 80]4. Sometimes, that there is no hope for them, and that there­fore they had as good sit still as strive to enter to no purpose, Jer. 18.11, 12. Or

5. That they are in the way already to that good end, when they are not but quite out of it, Pro. 30.12. Rom. 9.31, 32. Rev. 3.14, 15. and many such like deceits, which God justly leaves them to for their having pleasure in unrighteousness, and not re­ceiving the love of the truth that they might be saved; 2 Thes. 2.10, 12.

4. Their pride oftimes hinders them from seeking after God, or accepting of his salvation, and submitting to the simplicity of his ways, as Hos. 5.5. and 7.10. Psal. 10.4. Joh. 9.25, 26, 40. they love the praise of men more than the praise of God, Job. 5.44. and 12.43. and so the retaining other lusts, as covetousness, slothfulness, &c.

Applic.The consideration of all hitherto said upon this second point, together with these Questions and Answers, is diversly useful; As

Ʋse. 1 Exhortation to allFirst to exhort and provoke all men to seek in the first place for the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, as in Math. 6.33. as that that is infinitely worthy our seeking and endeavouring af­ter, not only to wish and desire with Balaam to die the Death of the righteous, and to have our latter end, or after-part like his, but to seek it, and seek it in the first place above all other things, as counting all other things below it,Nobis nullus labor est recu sante [...]quoad acquira [...]tur quod nullo modo possit a­mitti. Lact. lib. 6. cap. 4. and inferiour to it: things mo­mentany and vain in comparison of Gods Kingdom, and the glorious performance of his precious promises, and so the injoy­ment of his righteousness therein, and what may give us right and title to it, while we are made therein of the righteous seed or peo­ple of God. Seek we these things as earnestly as Balaam and Ba­lak did to get the people of Israel cursed; as I once knew a good man that was much moved and stirred up to seek diligently after God, partly upon this consideration; Were Balak and Balaam (would he often say) so earnest to seek to have the people of God cursed, and should not I be as earnest to seek to be blessed of God? a very good improvement of so bad a matter. Now the way to obtain this blessing, and so to die the death of the righteous, and have their end and reward, is to be indeed righteous, and do and practise righteousnes by the grace of God. The way to which is

1. To mind and diligently attend to the word of righteousness, [Page 81] as it is called, Heb. 5.13. the Doctrine of the glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus, in which the power and arm of God is put forth for pulling us out of our unrighteousness, and turning us unto righ­teousness, Dan. 12.3. Act. 26.17, 18. thats the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth, yea and the word of faith by which heard and minded, faith is begotten; even the believing with the heart unto righteousness, Rom. 10.9, 10, 17. and 1.16. this is the arm and engine wherewith God and Christ, by the holy Spirit (accompanying it and breathing therein, and dispen­sed thereby) worketh and accomplisheth his whole work in the heart that receiveth it. Whence men are so much in the Scrip­ture, in order to their being made righteous, called upon to come to Christ, listen to him and his voice, receive his sayings, and the like, Isa. 55.1, 2, 3. and 18.3. and 42.18, 19. Pro. 4.1, 10, 20, 21, 22. and 5.1, 2. and 8.1, 4, 5, 6, 31, 32, 33. Jam. 1.18, 19, 21. And in this listening to the Gospel and seeking after it

2. Wink not with the eye, but be willing to see and learn what it discovers to us, whether of, and concerning God and his grace and mercy to mankind, and so to us all in Christ Jesus: or what it discovers of us, and our sinfulness, the vanity and emptiness of all our wisdom, works and endeavours for righteousness of our own, or in our strength or ways; as also of all fleshly privi­ledges, and worldly injoyments, for justifying us, or making us happy; and hate not, but suffer such discoveries, convincements or reproofs, as are therein brought unto us, Math. 13.15. Isa. 42.18. and 45.22. and 65.1. and 40.10, 15. and 41.27.29. and 42.1, 2, &c. Yea

3. In taking notice of what is in the light of Gods testimonies discovered to us; turn we at Christs reproofs, as knowing that they are the way to life, rejecting and casting away whatsoever therein is discovered to be an Idol; a vain and false object or matter of trust, stay, and confidence to our soules, or what we seek for delight, shelter and safety in that will not profit us: and so generally put­ting away from us what ever evil in heart or hand, way or work, is discovered to us to be in, and with us; denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, so as to confess them to be such and no better than that divine light discovers them to be, and looking to God to cleanse and deliver us from them: and as he is helping and strengthening us, laying them aside and renouncing them, Prov. 1.23. and 6.23. Tit. 2.11. Jam. 1.21. 1 Joh. 1.9. Prov. 28.13. And

[Page 82]4. In taking notice what that heavenly word and testimony, and the holy Spirit therein, and there-through discovers of Christ and the fulness, richness and freeness of the grace in him, and in God, in and by him; as that discovered affects and works upon our hearts, and draws us unto Christ, and raises us up to hope and trust in him, approach to, and seek more knowledge of, and acquaintance with him; and leads, frames, moves, and strength­ens us to look up to God in and by him; seek him, admire him, hope and trust in him, rejoyce in, and obey him: So yield we up to follow the holy Spirit therein, and to be framed thereby: not turning away therefrom, or looking off from it to any other thing to work in us or frame us; but only to such arguments and mo­tives as that Doctrine presents us with in every case; not greiving the holy Spirit, or rebelling against it, but in and by the light, power and operation of it. Be ye saved, Isa. 45.22. Be ye reconciled, 2 Cor. 5.20. Be ye converted and turned in to God, Act. 3.19. Be ye separated unto God. Be ye inlarged, 2 Cor. 6.14, 17. Be ye wise, and of an understanding heart, &c. Prov. 8.5. and the like.

5 And as the same grace coming in, making free, leads, and moves, and strengthens; so in obedience to its teachings yeild up our bodies, powers and members, weapons and instruments of righteousness, to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world: doing and walking in the Commandments of the Lord, given to us by Jesus Christ, looking to, and depending on God for strength, help, and direction always therein, Joh. 8. 32, 33. Rom. 6.12, 13. Tit, 2.12, 13. 1. Thes. 4.1, 2, 4.

6. And in all this be not slothful, nor give way to discourage­ments from within or from without, but minding the grace of God and his truth set before us; follow we on to know him and to seek him, and provoke we one another, and be we willing to be provoked one by another thereunto; casting away the weights that press down, and the sin that easily besets, run we with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of the faith; accepting all such helps therein and thereunto as God pleaseth to afford us, Heb. 6.12. and 3.1, 8, 12, 13. and 12.1, 2, 15. as in walking with wise men, hearing their reproofs and coun­sels, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: building up our selves in the most holy faith, praying in the holy ghost, keeping our selves in the love of God, and waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, avoyding and keeping far from the contrary thereunto, Prov. 6.7, and 13.18, [Page 83] 20. and 15.31, 32. and 29.15. Eph. 4.3, 4. Jude 20.21, Rom 12.2. 2 Cor. 6.14, 15. and 7.1. considering

1. That these are the great concernments of our souls,Motives. the matters of eternity; in which if we obtain we are happy for ever, and miserable for ever if we miss, as all abovesaid in opening and explicating the end of the righteous and of the wicked evinces. And as it is said, Deut. 32.46, 47. it is not a vaine thing for thee, for it is thy life, &c. Now the greatest things and of greatest con­cernment to us, are chiefly to be regarded by us: were they other mens concernments and not our own, yet in some cases being weighty and of great concernment to them, they ought not to be negleded or carelesly looked after by us: it would be unfaithfulness and uncharitableness in us, especially if put upon us: but how much more should we take care of these things, seeing it is our selves that are here concerned, and not others only. In­deed it might be for the great furtherance of others also, that we be thereby made good examples to them, fitted for their helpful­ness, and filled with charity to help them: but its not so much others as our selves, and sure we are nearest to our selves, and especially in things not of light moment, but of greatest weight: were they matters of our estate, we would be industrious in them, if they lay at the stake, or were under question, but how much more may the concernments of our persons immediately chal­lenge our care and industry?Vivitur exi­guo meliu [...] Horat. the things of this world lye without us, and men with a little may live comfortably, and many do so, yea more comfortably than others with abundance, and therefore losses in the world might not so pinch us, if reason (and much less if grace) rule us, but our persons cannot be ill, but the paines and evils will touch and grate upon us, yet were they but matters of body, as our health, ease, liberty, &c. we are careful there, and would count it folly and madness to be neglectful of them: though yet men may be comfortable in those things too in their spirits: the spirit of a man will sustain its infirmities, but a wounded spirit who can bear? Prov. 18.14. Yet if all these should press us here, they may do so, and be but for a season, and be over and at an end when Death comes. But these are the great matters of our souls, and for ever, which if we miscarry in, render all other things to no profit or advantage, and our selves miserable for ever: the loss and misery of our soul [...] [...]eing insuperable, neither to be born with patience, no [...] [...] ways bought off or to have end or [Page 84] mittigation. What will it profit us (as our Saviour saith, Math. 16. 26.) to win the whole world, and loose our own souls? or what shall be given for exchange or recompence! what will the rich mans full bags or full barns do him good? what his beautiful wife, or pretty children, what the multitude of freinds and lovers, that may wail the loss of him, or joy in their inheriting what he leaves behind him? yea what is any thing, what are all things to him when his soul in the depth of hell and misery, is stript of all things, and can now receive no ease or comfort from any of them? As on the contrary, what harm is it to the poor man that he endures or hath endured pinching poverty, and grinding griefs, the scorns of the proud, and the contempt of the covetous, that he leaves no estate to others, but only his children perhaps, to God and his providence (who also accounts the seed of the righteous as in­cluded in his blessing) what if his name be cast out on earth, and no man here miss or desire him; if his soul while here be accepted of God, and when taken hence, be in the bosome of Abraham, and in the embraces of Christ, never to grapple with sorrows or suffer­ings any more for ever! what hurt is all that to him! our own in­terests here then if any where, should excite our earnestness, and quicken our affections to diligence in these things.

Mot. 2.Again, how earnest, zealous, and industrious hath God and Christ, and the holy Spirit been, and yet are, for us to bring us to this happiness, and prevent our miseries! when God made us at first, how much did he, how great works wrought he that we might be well provided for, and feel no misery! The frame and fabrick of heaven and earth, and all variety of creatures therein, and his not resting from his works till he had provided us of all things that might give us rest, do abundantly testifie. But when we had by our sin forfeited all these benefits, see how our miseries rather added to his diligence, and increast the workings of his love and pitty toward us, then any whit abated them, we had made him more work, and he disdained it not. He looked out for a ransome for us, and found it, when neither men or Angels could have invented one. He rested not in the ministry of Angels to us, nor institutions of Laws and Ordinances pointing us out a way of righteousness that the man that doth them might live there­in; but finding a defect in all those sacrifices and appointments, and that our misery was such as no Law could provide against it, no work of ours remedy us in it; he spared not his own Son, but [Page 85] sent him forth for us, made him flesh, and sin, and a curse, deli­vered him up for us to Death, and therein laid upon him the ini­quities of us all; raised him up for our justification, exalted and glorified him, filled him with all his fulness for us, made him the great High-Priest to plead for us, and make reconciliation for our sins: Our Prophet to instruct and guide us in the way to life: our King to command, govern and rule us; to save, protect and ho­nor us: the Lord of all to controul all enemies and evils, and order all creatures as may be best for us; our Physician to heal us, &c. He declares him, calls to him, draws us by his love and its cords, his bounty, goodness, forbearance, inviting us to repentance, his corre­ctions tend to drive us from our Idols, and force us to seek after him, that we may live, Christ also he hath been, and is as zealous of our good, and spared no paines or cost to do us good and help us. He accepted his Fathers will, came down from heaven to do it, did it with cheerfulness, delighted to do it, was incarnate, acted, and did good; suffered, sorrowed, dyed, and therein bare our sins and carryed our sorrows; rested not till having made a purgation for our sins by his blood, slain the enmity, broken down the wall of partition, destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; abolished death, taken out of the midway what might hinder us from coming back to God and to happiness; made peace for us, perfected righteousness, obtained an eternal redemption: offering up himself a perfect sacrifice to his Father, he received of him what ever power, glory and fulness might furnish and fit him to be the Author of eternal salvation to all that obey him, and then he sat down and rested at the right hand of God. And yet as the Father worketh hitherto for our good, so he worketh also; and is faithfully mediating with him for us, and digging about and dressing us, sending forth his servants, and with them his Word and Spirit, calling, counselling, &c. The holy Spirit also as he was one in devising help and preparing it, in prepa­ring and sanctifying the body of Christ, and strengthning him in all his services and sufferings for us (for in the eternal Spirit be offe­red up himself without spot to God, Heb. 9, 14.) so he in the name of Christ and of God in him, strives in and with men, inlightning, calling, reproving, convincing, moving, promising, threatning, withdrawing, and returning againe and using all means to wooe and turn us to Christ, and confirme us in him that we might live and not die. Now shall God, and Christ, and his [Page 86] Spirit, be so concerned in us and our welfare, and shall we be sloathful and neglective for our selves? how then can, or shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation that the whole blessed Tri­nity are so diligent to promote!

Mot. 3. [...] is propenso Co [...] ­lo & accurate introspicere, omni studio in aliquid incumbere, heedful­ly to p [...]y in­to, to look wistly at a thing. Mot. 4.The holy Angels are taken with what God hath done for us to do us good, peeping down as it were diligently prying into it, 1 Pet. 1.12. and they rejoice in our welfare, Luke 15.10. and shall not we be much more inquisitive into them, and diligent in endea­vouring after what they rejoice in, and we should much more: they joy for us when well, and surely we should much more joy for our selves; and if we neglect it, we our selves must bear it, Prov. 9.12.

The evil Angels or Devils are busie and earnest to seek our ruine, and make themselves and us everlastingly miserable; and their rage is great as their time is shorter, Rev. 12.12. and shall not we much more be industrious in seeking after our own good and welfare? that we may avoid their snares, and attain what they have lost, and envy that we should find it, even eternal happiness? shall our enemies be diligent and vigilant to harm and kill us, and shall we sleep and be slothful, and not stand up­on our Wa [...]ch and Guard, watching and praying against them? and using all means to prevent our misery and their designs up­on us? Satan compasses the earth and walks to and fro therein, and seeks whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5.8. Job 1.7. and shall we sit still and not go to and fro to seek for knowledge and get understanding, to be delivered from him and his snares, and ob­tain everlasting happiness?

Mot. 5.The wicked are busie and eager, and earnest to serve the devil and work out their own misery, and poison themselves and us, and one another with their evil principles or examples; or to oppress and crush us with their wicked and malicious designs, making themselves and one another, and all of us miserable so far as they can: and shall not we be as careful, solicitous and dili­gent to do our selves, and one another, and all men good, and to serve God, and make sure of heaven? &c.

Mot. 6. Per mare per terras, &c. Trahit sua quemq, voluptas.The children of this world are [...]ger for the world: for riches, honours, pleasures; plotting, a [...] [...]ning, riding, venture­ing soul and body, and all for [...]: rising up early and fit­ting up late and eating the [...] [...]lness: the covetous man for riches, the ambitious m [...] [...] the voluptuous man [Page 87] for his pleasures and jollity, watching and taking their oppor­tunities for hawking, hounding, whoring, sporting, &c. every one for that his heart carries him out after; and shall not we be as industrious for Heaven, and God, and Christ: as the Apostle saith, they that strive for Masteries are temperate in all things, and they indeed for a corruptible crown, and should not we do more for an incorruptible? 1 Cor. 9.25.Mot. 7. Parva nam [...] exemplo est, magni f [...]rin [...] laboris, Ho [...].

Yea every creature is busie in what its office and work is, the Beasts to feed themselves, which is the best happiness they are ca­pable of, the Birds to feed themselves, and sit and sing, &c. the Bee follows its making of honey, the Spider to make its web, the Ant prepares her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest, &c. the Rivers run from their springs into the Seas, and the Seas ebb and flow: all things are full of motion, and la­bour; and shall we only be idle and sit still or do nothing, or act but lazily for that which was the end of our coming into, and con­tinuance of the world? that is to say, the everlasting welfare of our souls, Eccles. 1.4, 5, 6. let not all these rise up in Judgment against us and condemn us.

The Queen of the South came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; Mot. 8. [...] Chris. H [...]m [...]. 6. in Gen. Mot. [...]. and we have the wisdom of one grea­ter than Solomon brought to us in the Gospel and preserved among us, and shall we not prize it, and improve it to our own and one a­nothers happiness? Math. 12.40.41. It were profitable to do as St. Chrysostome exhorts his hearers, take the holy Bible in our hands, call together our neighbours, and by those divine Oracles water thence our own minds and theirs that are with us, that so we may escape the devices of the wicked one, and reap many good benefits to our selves. To say nothing of many diligent to travail far and near, and hazard their lives and souls to see fashions, and shall not we be more industrious to see and enjoy the heavenly country?

9. And to say no more: The time past may suffice us to have wrought evil and sought after our ruine: its time now to awake to righteousness and give diligence that we fail not of the grace of God, lest our time be put to an end, before we think of it, and we be lost for ever for want of wisdom and diligence to im­prove our times and opportunities while we had them, 1 Pet. 4.3▪ 4. Rom. 13.12, 13. These and the like things should be con­sidered by us.

Ʋse. 2 Exhortation to believers.It may also further exhort and provoke all that are in the way of righteousness, and following after it, to hold on their way, and be not turned aside by any means from it, seeing it hath such an end and reward at last in death and after death. Cast not away your confidence which hath a great recompence of reward; but we have need of patience that after we have done the will of God, we may receive the promises; for yet a while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man (yea if he) draw back, my soul (saith God) shall have no pleasure in him, Heb. 10.35, 36, 37, 38. as good not at all, as not to the end: better never to know the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy com­mandment, 2 Pet. 2.20, 21. and therefore

Rule 1.Abide in Christ, in the minding and eyeing him and the grace given us in him, and so in the likement of him, and well pleased­ness with him, by that grace affected in us, take heed of a decay of our first love, or a leaving it; but be diligent and daily in the consideration of him, and the grace given us in him, 1 Joh. 2.28. Joh. 15.4, 5. Rev. 2.3, 4, 5. Heb. 3.1, 2.7. and 12.2.15. and

Rule 2.Let Christs word abide in us: forget not, nor let slip that which we have heard and received concerning him and from him, they will admonish, instruct, and direct us every where; yea they will strengthen and frame us to abide in the faith, and likement of him, and dependance on him; for the Gospel of Christ is the power of God to Salvation (for the preservation and keeping from falling) of every one that believes, Joh. 15.4. 1 Joh. 2.24, 25. Heb. 2.1.3. Col. 3.16. Rom. 1.16. and 16.25, 26.

Rule 3.Hold fast the ordinances, traditions, or observances delivered to us by the Apostles, for our edifying our selves and one another in the faith of Jesus; such as be our Christian communion and fellowship in the Gospel; not forsaking the assembling of our selves together; But exhorting one another while it is yet called to day; and therein provoking one another to love and good works, praying in the holy Ghost both by our selves and together with, and for one another, and for all Saints, breaking bread or observing the Lords Supper and whatever ordinances of the Gospel, the Apostles having received them of the Lord delivered to us, for our helpfulness, growth and preservation in grace, 2 Thess. 2.14, 15. 1 Cor. 11.2.23. Col. 2.5. Heb. 3, 12, 13. and 10.24, 25. and 13.1. Jud. 20, 21. Eph. 6.11.18, 19.

Beware of,Rule 4. watch and pray against all that may harm us and occasion our turning aside, plucking out the right eye and cut­ting off the right hand or foot to that purpose, where they offend us, lest by retaining them they prejudice us, mis-lead, and undo us, Mark 9.43.48. Math. 26.41. and so

1. Beware of false Prophets that under fair and specious pre­tences commend somthing as right, or as righteousness to us,Cant. 1. which is not so, to deprive us of our reward in Christ, by corrupting us from the simplicity in him; the belief of his doctrine and of the sufficiency thereof, and of the grace in him for us in all things; directing us to some other law, doctrine or observation as ne­cessary for us beside him, and what he proposes to us, or as ren­dring something in and of him doubtful, needless or vain for us, Math. 7.15, 16. and 24.4, 5.23, 24, 25. 1 Joh. 2.18, 19. and 4.1, 2.6. 2 Joh. 7.8, 9. Gal. 1 8.9. Cease to hear the instructions that cause to erre from the words of knowledg, Prov. 19.27. and go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lip of knowledg, Prov. 14.7.Cant. 2.

Beware of eyeing and looking upon our own attainments, a­bilities, or seeming excellencies and fulness, and so of being there-through puffed up with pride, and becoming high-minded; pluck out that right eye and cast it away, for its exceeding dangerous; for pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty mind before a fall; Be not high minded therefore, but fear as knowing thou standest not upon thine own goodness, but by faith in Christ, Prov. 6.13. and 16 18, 19. and 18.12. Rom. 11.20, 21.Cant. 3.

Beware of eyeing and looking upon the pomp and splendour of the world, and their present portion, power, policy, multi­tude, and strength for oppressing the truth: or on the contrary, on the low estate, persecutions, troubles and afflictions that the seek­ers and followers of the Lord are here exposed to, or that thou thy self meetest with: or art threatned with, and in danger of, or likelihood to fall into, for thereby some have been turned aside, and have fallen from the way of righteousness. Thus Asaph had like to have stumbled, and to have turned aside; therefore pluck out thy right eye here too, and cast it from thee, minding the Te­ [...]imony of God which declares the sad end of the wicked, not­ [...]ithstanding all their enjoyments, and the good end of the Lord [...]ward the righteous in ordering their tryals and afflictions; and [...] good end he will make with them in the conclusion, Psal. 73. [...] ▪ [...]3, 12, 13, 14, &c.

Cant. 4.Beware of the love of this world, and the things of this world; as its favour, friendship, flatteries and the like, lest thy heart be snared with them; either so as through lust after them, if not had; or through content taking in them, or cares about them if enjoy­ed; or griefs about them if mist or lost, to have thy heart choked, and the love of God eaten out of thee: or to have thy heart sur­feited and drunken with them, or carried away with foolish and noysome lusts after, and unsober use of any of them to thy de­struction. Love not the world nor the things of the world. If a­ny man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, Joh. 2. 15, 16, 17. and he that will be a friend of this world, is an enemy of God, Jam. 4.4 See also Math. 13.22. 1 Tim. 6.9, 10, 11. Luke 31.34, 35, 36. if riches increase, set not your hearts thereon, Psal. 62. 9, 10.

Cant. 5.Beware of poreing too much upon thine own barrenness, dead­ness, sinfulness, unworthiness, or the little profiting by the means of grace, or by Gods dealing with us; or the afflictions, crosses, temptations, desertions thou meetest with from God in the hi­dings of his face, or the like: or what of that nature may, and as they tend too, discourage in thy attending to and following af­ter him, but cast away those weights that press down, and con­sider what Christ sets before thee in Isa. 51.1, 2, 3. &c. Hearken unto me, saith he, ye that follow after righhteousness, that seek the Lord. Look to the Rock out of which ye were hewn, the hole of the pit out of which ye were digged. Look to Abraham your Father, and Sarah that bare you, for I called him alone, and blessed and encreased him, Where by the Rock out of which ye were hewed, may either be meant Christ; and by the hole of the pit out of which we were dig­ged, the low estate of his abasement and sufferings out of which we were begotten of God, to seek him and follow after righteous­ness, or else the low estate out of which he digged or pulled us. And then its the same with that in Heb. 12.2. Look to Jesus the Author and finisher of the faith, and that in Eph. 2 11, 12, 13. Remember what you were before saved by grace, and yet how by his grace and sufferings ye were saved. Or else the next words explain the former; namely, Consider Abraham the father of us all, as belie­vers, and Sarah our Mother, the Type of the heavenly Jerusalem, the Mother of us all, Rom. 4.16. Gal. 4.26. how dry his body, how barren her womb, how alone they were, and how likely so to have remained, in respect to fruitfulness, when God called them, and [Page 91] yet his call and blessing upon them made them increase. And so God will comfort Sion, and will comfort all her waste places, and make her wilderness like Eden, and her desart (those of her that are most desolate forsaken and forlorn, in following after righte­ousness and seeking the Lord) like the Garden of God. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, the voice of thanksgiving and melody, And verse 4. His righteousness, even the accomplishment of his promises is near, his salvation (or deliverance for saving) is gone forth (is on the way to you and draws nigh,) so that hold but on a little longer, and you shall obtain them.

Beware of too wi [...]eying and looking upon the faults and of­fences, pride, slightings, weaknesses and miscarriages of brethren;Cant. 6▪ or of such as make profession and worship with us, they may some­time occasion stumbling and turning aside. If thy right eye offend thee there, pluck it out and cast it from thee, putting on charity which covers a multitude of offences, 1 Pet. 4.7.8.

Beware of evil company and fellowship with vain,Cant. 7. empty and sinful persons. Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; either as to marriage with such, or as to holding great correspondency and intimacy, or making leagues with them. The Canaanites drew away Israel by such means from God. A companion of fools is in danger to be destroyed, Prov. 13.20. Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sate in the seat of scorners. Be not therefore amongst wine-bib­bers, among riotous eaters of flesh, a companion of Harlots, or vain persons, or bound up in friendship with angry furious persons, lest they prove a snare to thee, and undo thee, 2 Cor. 6.14, 15, 16, 17. Psal. 1.1. Prov. 1.10, 11.15. and 22.24, 25. and 23.21, 22. and 24.1, 2.

Lastly, beware of the receiving the Grace of God in vain,Cant. 8. or overly; for that's a great or main ground of, and way to the fail­ing in all the other particulars, and in time of temptation and sufferings for the Gospel causes or occasions a falling off; there­fore give we diligence that we fail not of the Grace of God, lest any root of bitterness spring up, &c. Math. 13.5, 6.20, 21. 2 Cor. 6.1. Heb. 12.15, 16. But I shall forbear any further particulars, only add some considerations over and besides what is said in the fifth Caveat for further helpfulness.

Consider the wonderful encouragement thou hast in God and Christ,Help [...]. and the engagement thou hast thence to continue in the [Page 92] faith and obedience of him. It may be seen in diverse particu­lars; as

1. Consider what he hath already done for thee to manifest his love and goodness to thee, and sufficiency to help and save thee. Did he not devise and find out a way to help and save thee, when thou wast wholly lost, and his own Word, Truth and Law stood against thee? and it was above the reach of men and Angels, much more of thine own power and wisdom, either to help thee or to find out a way whereby God might help thee. He was both infinite in wisdom and understanding to find out the way, and in power to be able to bring it about, and hath actually devised and made the way for thy welfare, in his giving his only Son for, and to thee, as before hath been noted: and Christ hath come forth, suffered and dyed for thee to ransom thee from curse, by being made a curse for thee, and to obtain blessing for thee, and give it to thee. Now he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all while sinners and ungodly, how shall not be also freely give us all things with him that may further conduce to our welfare and salva­tion? 1 Rom. 8.32. if he hath reconciled us to himself being enemies, by the Death of his Son, how much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life? Rom. 5.10. and Christ having laid down his life, and shed his blood for thy redemption and justification, what mayst thou not hope in him that he will do for thee? and what art thou not obliged to do for his service and glory? where is there any that so loves us, and hath so done for us that we should turn from him to them? had any paid a great debt for thee and freed thee from prison, and taken thee home to him to maintain thee, when else likely to have perished, wouldst thou not be very confident of his after-freindship to thee, and think thy self greatly ingaged to love him, and be ready to do him service.

2. Consider again what fulness and sufficiency is in him for us, to help and succour us all along, and in all tryals and temptations, to save us from all enemies, and bring us to the inheritance. Among the Gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord, nor are there any works like thy works, saith David, Psal. [...].8. In Christ God hath provided all things for us pertaining to life and godliness, all things are there ready, Math. 2 [...] 4. in him it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell; yea, all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him as in our Head and Saviour, and in him we are compleat. Coll. 1.19. and 2.9, 10. Against the guilt of [Page 93] our sins, there is in him through his blood plenteousness of redemp­tion, even forgiveness of sins that the conscience of them might not drive us by despair from him, but that confessing them and repenting, we might seek and obtain mercy in and by him, Psal. 130.4, 7. 1 Joh. 2.9. and 2.1, 2. Eph. 1.7. through that plen­teousness of redemption in him thou maist oppose to the greatness of thy sins, the greatness of his mercy and grace, Psal. 145.8. Eph. 2.4, 5. against the multitude of thy sins the multitude of his mercies, Psal. 5.7. and 51.1. to all such as seriously turn to him for it, he will multiply pardon, Isa. 55.7.Isa. 45.23.24. Against the considera­tion of thy weakness there is infinite strength in him to support and inable thee under what tryals, and unto what services he doth call thee: Against the consideration of thy folly and bruitishness, there is in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and upon him the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to inlighten and instruct thee, and to make thee wiser than thine enemies, even wise to sal­vation, and therein to be wisdom to thee, Isa. 42.1. 1 Cor. 1.30. Against the corruption of thy nature and natural disposition, there is in him Spirit and Grace to renew, wash and sanctifie thee, so as to present thee white and pure, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; he being made thy sanctification, 1 Cor. 1.30. Eph. 5.26. Satan is strong to tempt and trouble thee, but there is in him greater power to uphold and succour thee, 1 Joh. 4.45. Against the power, policy and malice of the world, he hath over­come the world, and hath greater wisdom, power, and love to strengthen, help and succour thee, Joh. 16.33. In a word, there are all things in him, and that in all fulness that are needful and fit for thee to save and satisfie thee. Riches and honor are with him, yea durable riches and righteousness: his ways also are full of pleasantness, and all his paths peace, Prov. 3.17. and 8.18. Now who would a poor man be willing to retain to and remain with, but such a person as can every way supply his needs?

3. Consider, God in Christ hath made a Covenant, and rati­fyed it in his precious blood and confirmed it with his oath, in which are all precious promises for administring all supplies of grace out of that infinite fulness in Christ for thee, according to thy needs in thy attending to, and abiding in him: a Covenant ordered in all things and sure which Christ also hath undertaken as the Me­diator of it in the vertues of his precious blood, and by his power­full intercession to see made good to thee, Heb. 9.15. A Covenant [Page 94] in which is provided and promised the writing his Law in thy heart, putting his feare in thy inward parts, teaching thee the knowledge of God, and the everlasting blotting out thy sins, so as to remember them no more, Heb. 8.10, 11, 12. Yea, in a word, all grace necessary and good for this life, and for that that is to come, 1 Tim. 4.8.

4. Consider that God is faithful that hath promised and can­not lie, nor will faile or forsake them that seek and wait upon him, Heb. 10.23, 24. and 13.6, 7, and Christ is faithful to him in all things that he hath appointed him to: both as the Apostle of our profession to teach us in that Covenant, and as the great High-Priest to mediate the dispensation thereof for us, and give down its promised contents to us; and he will not fail, nor be discoura­ged till he have set Judgment in the earth, Heb. 3.1, 2. Isa. 42.3, 4. And of the faithfulness of God and Christ to uphold, save and satisfie the hearts of those that wait upon him, there is a cloud of witnesses, even all his Saints in all ages; who have ever lived and been preserved through the faith of him to salvation, Heb. 11. tot. and 12.1. Yea art not thou thy self a witness hereof? hath he been a barren wilderness or land of darkness to thee? what iniquity hast thou found in him that thou shouldst forsake and leave him? well said the holy martyr Polycarp, Above fourscore years have I served him, Epist. S [...]i [...]. Euseb. lib 4. chap. 15. and he never harmed me, and therefore I will not now deny or forsake him, when he was about to be burnt for his name sake, Jer. 2.5, 31.

Help. 2.Consider the exceeding emptiness of all other things or per­sons, states or injoyments out of him; whither wilt thou go from him to help or mend thy self? he only hath the words of eternal life; no salvation but in him, and in the way of his commandments, Act. 4.11, 12. Joh. 6.68. none else was crucifyed for thee, nor wast thou baptised into any other name, 1. Cor. 8.13. if then thou tur­nest from him, thou must needs go after vain things, and things that cannot profit thee: there is no sacrifice but his available with God for thee,Job 5.1. 1 Sam. 12.19, 20. Heb. 10.26. to which of the Saints then wilt thou turn, if thou neglect him? if thou go to the wise virgins having foolisly neglected him, thinking they will sup­ply thee, thou art deceived: they will tell thee their oyl they have is too little for themselves and thee too, and bid thee go and buy somewhere else, Math. 2 [...].9. If thou goest from Christ to Anti­christ, the Pope and his Ministers, they will tell thee indeed they [Page 95] can redeem thy soul from purgatory, which is nothing; but from hell, they cannot redeeme thee; they may tell thee they can give thee pardon and prevent thy misery: but their indulgences are so void of a bottome, that if thou rely on them thou wilt drop through into destruction: if thou goest to men,See D. Tailor disswasive from popery, c [...]. 2. §. 4. men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degre are a [...]ly, to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter than vanity. If thou flee to riches, they make themselves wings and will flee away from thee. Yea all things will fail thee; and against the wrath of God from whom thou with-dra­west, no power can defend thee, nor pollicy shift thee, or secret hiding place secure thee: if thou betakest thy self to thine own righteousness and works, they shall not profit thee, Isa. 57.12. for if they could have saved thee, Christ came and dyed in vaine, which could not be.

Consider the brevity of all things here: the afflictions,Help. 3. tryals and sufferings here that thou hast to grapple with, are but short, the minding that will be a means to perswade thee to hold out a little longer and endure them: they are but momentany, 2 Cor. 4.17. and that consideration in part helped the Apostles as there is implyed. The pleasures or injoyments of the world for which sin and satan would perswade thee to exchange eternal life, are short too, the pleasures of sin are but for a season, and that might be in Moses eye too. Heb. 11.25. and so riches are not for ever, nor doth the crown endure to every generation, Prov. 27.24. after a little while both the good and the bad of this world will be gone: the world passeth away, and the lust of it; yea, and the enmity and troubles of it too: Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry, Heb. 10.37. And then

Consider (what we have been in this Treatise all along consi­dering) the happy end and reward of the righteous at Christs co­ming,Help. 4. and their exceeding joy that have waited for him, and shall then say with shouting; Lo, this is our God we have waited for him, and he will save. This is the Lord, whom we have tarryed for, we will rejoyce and be glad in his salvation, Isa. 25.9. And on the contrary the sad end of those that have not waited for him, but hasted from him, and turned aside to crooked paths, they shall have sorrows multiplyed upon them then, being led forth with the workers of iniquity, Psal. 16.4. and 125.5.6. whose doleful end we have before mentioned. Let these things be considered, and they may be useful through Gods blessing to perswade us to cleave to [Page 96] Christ, and persevere to the end with him.

Ʋse. 3 Disswades from envying the wicked.A third use is, to discover the causlesness that the righteous have to envy and fret at the prosperity and portion of the wicked: surely they have no cause so to do, if they consider either the hap­piness of their own estate, as to the end or after-part thereof espe­cially: or the misery and wretchedness of the state and condition of the wicked, especially as to their end that hastes apace. See to that purpose, Psalmes 33. and 73. throughout, as also Prov. 3.31. and 23.17, 18. Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long: for there is an end. Consider that both thine own and the goodness of it, the end that death will put to thine afflictions and sufferings, and the reward and recompence that will be after, which is thine expectation that shall not be cut off, as also the sad and calamitous end of the wicked thine ene­mies. See also Prov. 24.1, 2, 19, 20.

Ʋse. 4 Reproof to our feares of death.It may also reprove and check any fearfulness of Death, or loathness to die found, and given way to in and by believers. Why should we fear death, seeing Christ hath abolished Death for us, and made it (to all in him without doubt) better than the day in which they were born, Eccles. 7.1. 2 Tim. 1.10. the out­let to sorrows and miseries, and in-let to all happiness; a passage to rest, and peace, and freedom from all evils, and to the nearer and fuller injoyment of Christ, and of the happiness given us in him! The Apostle was not afraid, but desirous to be dissolved and to be with Christ, and sure if we knew and loved Christ as well as he, and loved the world as little, we should be so too: and though David had some risings of fear in the veiw of it, yet see how he checks them in, Psal. 49.5. Why should I fear in the days of adversity, when the iniquities of my heels do compass me about, seeing none can escape it, and the Lord will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, (or of hell) and will receive me, saith he Vers. 15. The con­sideration of the end or reward of the righteous, which we have in some measure been veiwing; as it should provoke us to dili­gence in seeking to be found in Christ as our righteousness; so being so to incourage us to lay down our lives when he calls for them from us, and especially in a way of suffering for him, with as much readiness as a childe to leave some poor cottage where he did sojourn, to go to his Fathers full and stately house: or a wife to leave some place of pilgrimage and hardship, to go to live with her loving, rich, and tender husband. But how much [Page 97] do we generally both live and die more by, or according to sense, than by or according to faith? and yet as it is a mercy to live out our days, to be serviceable in them to God and men, that fulfil­ling our work we may receive the fuller reward; or having through wandring weakned our selves, to live to recover strength, and not be taken away in the midst of our days in wrath and Judg­ment: so the Saints have been, and we may be loath to die, and submissively desire to be spared of God, so as we may come to our graves as a Rick of Corn fully ripe, Psal. 39.13 and 102.24. Job 5.26. Phil. 1.24. Isa. 38.3, 4.

It may also incite and provoke wicked men to consider with themselves the sad and doleful state and way they are in, Ʋse. 5 Exciting wic­ked man to rep [...]. and to awaken betimes while yet they may, and there is yet a day of grace and mercy afforded them to repentance; that so they may not know what the death of the wicked is, and the after-part that will follow: but that that sad and endess misery may be prevented from them, it speakes aloud to all such in the language of the holy Ghost in Isa. 55.7. not only to wish, and desire, and pray as Balaam here did, Oh let me die the Death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like his; but to forsake their ways, and let go their vain and evil thoughts, and turn to the Lord, who is gracious; and to our God, who will multiply to pardon: and who hath said and sworn as he lives he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he turn and live, and therefore calls, Turn ye: turn ye, why will ye die? Ezek. 33.11. There is all the reason in the world that a wicked man should turn from his wickedness, and not go on in it; for if he go on, there is a gulf before him into which he will fall, and wherein he will certainly perish for ever; all the word of God stands against him; yea, all the love and mercy of God and the sufferings, blood and purchase of Christ thereby, will come in and plead against him, and ly upon him, and aggravate his misery if he turn not in time: his peace, prosperity and comforts will all flee away and vanish ere long, as smoke in the wind: and his miseries and sorrows will come thick and threefold upon him, and crush him in peices for ever. And on the other side, if he repent and turn, the word, and promise, and oath of God: the suffe­rings, blood, sacrifice and mediation of Christ, and the holy Spirit in and with all are for him, and assure him of a gracious in­tertainment with God; of washing, cleansing, forgiveness and healing by Christ, and of an everlasting happy portion; his death [Page 98] than will be good, and his resurrection better, and his after-state best of all. He shall have what Balaam here wisht to have, his soul shall die the death of the righteous, and his latter end shall be like his.

Ʋse. 6 Reproof to the wicked not turning and to such as backslide.It proclaims the desperate folly and madness of wicked men, that will yet persist in their wickedness, notwithstanding such a discovery of the end of those that so do: but much more the despe­rate madness of such as having been through the grace of God brought into the way of righteousness, do for any occasion, or upon any account either of discontent with their owne way and portion, or coveting after the way and portion, or injoyments of any other, turn from the way of righteousness: these do as those who being brought safely out of the dangers of the seas, and of perishing there by some storm, and being set safely on a rock on the shore, should because the wind blows cold upon them, or because they see some little fishes play, or rather some perishing men float on the waves, throw themselves headlong thereinto to their destruction, but indeed far worse. If I say to a righteous man, saith God, thou shalt surely live; if that righteous man trusting in his righteousness, commit iniquity, he shall surely die, Ezek. 33.13. If we turn from God, we must needs go after vain things, and things that profit not, 1 Sam. 12.21. but thats but an easie and soft expression in comparison of what the holy Ghost hath elsewhere, as when he saith, Thou wilt destroy all those that go a whoring from thee, Psal. 73.27. And they shall be destroyed with an everlasting de­struction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, that obey not the Gospel, 2 Thes. 1.7, 8. and they are said not to obey the truth that abide not in it, Gal. 3.1.

Ʋse. 7 Instruction to moderation in mourning for deceased be­lievers.But lastly, it may instruct us to moderation in our mourning for the death of such as are righteous and die in the Lord; that we should not mourn for them as those that are without hope, either of or for them, or of our enjoyment again of them; there is no cause of so mourning for them; nay, but as our Saviour said to his Non est lu­gendus qui ante, cedit sed plane de­siderandus, profectio est quam putas mortem. Ter. de patien. [...] apud G [...]aec est mori. Disciples mourning at their hearing of his leaving them, If ye had loved me ye would have rejoiced, because I said I go to my Father, for my Father is greater then I, Joh. 14.28. So in re­spect of such persons when taken away by death, we have rather cause of joy and gladness than of lamentation and sadness, for they are gone to a better place and state, as to their spirits, which is the [Page 99] main of them: and their bodies too are more at ease than they were before; they dying in the Lord (as we have seen) are blessed at the present, and they shall come again in their personal and bo­dily capacities after a while with Christ to the enjoyment of his Kingdom: yea, so as the living Saints shall not prevent them; as is said, 1 Thess. 4.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, which words we have to comfort one another with in this case, left on record for our in­struction; indeed some cause of mourning, and in some regard of great lamentation we may have sometime; as Abraham is said to have sorrowed for Sarah, Jacobs sons for him, and the people of Israel for Moses, and divers others; but the Jews write the middle letter of the word used of Abrahams weeping very small, to signi­fie, they say, [...] his moderation in respect of his belief of the resur­rection, but its said Act. 8.2. That devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and to have made great lamentation for him. When persons are very useful among people, and a great blow, breach, or loss comes to the Survivers by their removal; then there is ground for great lamentation in respect thereof, and especially upon those that it falls so heavy upon; as for the loss of our so­ciety with them, and their useful company, or the loss others have of them: but in regard of themselves there is cause of rejoycing, singing and making merry, for that thei [...] race is run, their dan­gers past, their cares and labours are at an end; their goal ob­tained, and their reward ascertained. And it seems the Jews did apprehend the same truth as Balaam here, that the death of the righteous was a desireable thing, and matter of gladness; for when they (who accounted themselves the righteous nation) died, they had musick and melody upon their departing, as appears by that passage of our Saviours finding Minstrils at the house of Jai­rus when his daughter was dead, Math. 9.23. and sure by how much the more the grace of God is unfolded by the death and re­surrection of the Lord Jesus, and his Spirit opening the grounds, ends and vertues of it, in and by the Gospel to us: so much the more gladness when righteous persons die in their righteousness; It's that that good men have desired before they attained it, as the Apostle Paul, Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ, which is [...]etter. And it's that that bad men have wished they might have the happiness of obtaining, as appears in the Text; Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end, &c. Now when any attain that which is desireable on all hands (and espe­cially [Page 100] when they have lived to a good old age, and have filled up the number of their days, and served their generation by the will of God) should we mourn for them without rejoycing? or should we mourn so in respect of our own losses, as not to qualifie and take up our selves with the consideration of their gain. If a heathen man could comfort himself over the death of his deceased daughter,Non a nissa sed praemiss [...], Cic. with the consideration that she was not lost, but only gone or sent away before; how much more may we Christians when we may say it with this addition, that they are gone before to heavenly and happy mansions, to the bosome of Abraham; nay to the presence and enjoyment of the Lord Jesus in their spirits; and that they shall come again with him: and though their bodies now lie covered up in earth and ashes, or dust; yet they also shall be raised up again in honour when Christ appears, and then both body and soul shall appear in glory with him, and enjoy so happy a portion as exceeds all expression▪

And now I have finished what I had to say to my Text, but yet not my discourse without a word of Application of it up­on this last account to that which occasioned my thoughts of it, which was the death and interment of a good and vertuous Gen­tlewoman, Mrs. Barbara Whitefoote of Hapton in the County of Norfolke; A woman well known in the Country, not so much for her outward greatness as to estate in the world (though God gave her a good sufficiency there too) as for the good she did in the world; and especially to the places and people near her: Her profession and practice proclaimed her a Christian more then in name only: a follower after righteousness, and a seeker of the Lord; one that we judge to have sought first Gods Kingdome and his righteousness, and therefore we question not but she hath now obtained. A woman of a good report many years, and of noted zeal and fervency in what she apprehended to be the truth and right way of God, walking for diverse years with, and of good note, among some people called Independants: amongst whom her love and liberality, zeal and diligence in seeking after God, according to their principles, were conspicuous, and her yet remaining works for them and their entertainment speak yet for her. But it pleased God in process of time to open her understanding in the Scriptures of truth and righter way of the Lord, in giving her to perceive his Grace in Christ to all mankind, according to the received doctrine of the Church [Page 102] of England, and freeness to impart it to all, and interest any of all there-through in his everlasting Covenant in coming to him, and to bring her into acquaintance with a people believing and walking therein. Chiefly I think, by means of her son in law, Mr Jeremy Coleman, Minister of Hethersest in Norfolke, a man of a sweet and excellent spirit, and usefully precious in his ge­neration; who some years before her, though young, was taken away as a chastisement to many yet surviving. How readily she received the Testimony of the Grace of God in its extent, and how well she relisht it, and retained it, and how blamelesly and uprightly she walked in it for divers years before her decease, and untill her decease, I suppose many can Testifie. And so that she was so far as men may judge, a truly righteous person; be­cause seeking and accepting of the Lord Jesus Christ only to be her righteousness in her generation to her capacities, which were none of the meanest. Her constancy in the faith of Christ, her love to it, her charity and liberality, her blamelesness, &c. yet live in the memories of diverse, though she be dead now some time since, and long may they there live. A woman she was that had a close therefore better than his that died unlamented, and in­deed worthy to be lamented in respect of others, though to be re­joiced in, in behalfe of her self. The loss many have and will have of her, is to be bewailed by us; for as she was good and useful to many while she lived, so now being dead that usefulness cannot but be missed. Chiefly her onely son hath a loss of her, whom she had a most motherly and affectionate care of, being as yet in his minority, and a little too much indulgence for his sake, and to have seen him well disposed of, and much more, truly well disposed, she could have been glad, if God had pleased, to have lived here yet a little longer: otherwise for her self content to be dissolved and to be with Christ. How gravely and graciously (as I was informed, I being then not there) she did in­struct and admonish him, when her sickness began to seize on her, and she thought death approached, some yet can well remember [...] and I pray God he himself may not forget it, but may follow her good admonitions, advise and practises as long a [...] he lives. A lo [...] the town and neighborhood had of her, who may w [...] [...] lament that one so useful to, and among them [...] The good relief the poor had, and the good [...] and matters of health; the sick and [...] [Page 102] the good opportunities such as would, had, and more also might have had, for receiving instructions in the Gospel and truth of God for their souls by her means, as a countenancer and promoter thereof, speak for lamentations upon her death, her freinds and relations have the want and loss of her company and acquain­tance: Chiefly her ou [...] Daughter [...] of Ya [...]mo [...]h. but she we trust is above the reach of loss and wants as to her self. In many respects therefore her Death is greatly to be lamented, but in respect of her death it self, and in respect of her self in and by death, cause of gladness and much rejoycing. That she did well while she lived, and lived so long as she did, (con­sidering her weak body, much craziness and often infirmities) to do so much good as she did, and that she dyed in the faith of Christ, and hope of his glory to be revealed upon her, and in­joyed by her at the appearing again of the Lord Jesus; these are matters to be rejoyced in and for. Her righteous doing here is at and end, but her righteousness in which she was righteous, and which in that righteousness she did, endureth for ever: for she was righteous in that sense of righteousness too as it is taken for mercy and almsdeeds: so that it might be said of her, she dispersed and gave to the poor, her righteou [...]ness endureth for ever, and therefore her h [...]rn shall be exalted with honor, Psal. 112.7 The consideration of the goodness of her life, but much more of the happiness of her death, and of her state as dead, put me in minde of what Balaam wisht, and put me upon explicating it in order to the considera­tion of the desirableness of what he wished and desired. Well, she is gone, and gone to the best place, we trust that she could go to, even to the presence of the Lord Jesus, in whom and through whose grace, she and what she did, had allowance and acceptance: and with whom she is above our wishing and praying for any thing more for her, except that Gods Kingdom may come, and therein the accomplishment of hers and all our happiness. Being a woman that feared God, and wrought righteousness, as she was accepted of God, so she may be praised of men: for favour is deceit­ful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised: and though I cannot say of her in all things as was said of that unparalel'd woman, Prov. 31. yet we may say in her com­mendations, she was doubtless among the daughters that did ver­tuously; though I will not say that she e [...]elled all the rest, Prov. 31 30, 31. Let us also imitate whatsoever was truly praise-worthy [Page 103] in her, giving diligence that we may die the death of the righteous by living their life, that our latter end may be like hers.