their anchor of hope was even gone, and they had Cap.56. little or no comfort at all; but those that have added One vertue to another, and have been diligent to make their calling and election fure, they come to Heaven with much glory and joy, and that should be our care fo to live in adding one grace to another, that when we dye our deaths may be glorious. Yet further, from the confideration of this glo- ufe 11. ry revealed, which God hath prepared for his Saints, we are to draw this meditation, If Heaven be foglorious, then we had need fill up the comfort of our lives by doing and getting as much good as we can while we live here, that we may as much as poffibly we can recompence that which we fuffer in the staying from the poffeffion of fuch glorious things referved for us, when we hear of fuch things as these are, we cannot but think in our felves, it were better for us many ways to be in Heaven, this life is but a bondage to us while we are abfent from fuch things, and therefore we had need have fomething to recompence this bondage; we had need do much good, and get much good, while we live, to pay the charges of our lives; what a tedious thing is it to us to live fo much to fenfe as we must neceffarily do here, when we are heirs of fuch glorious things? if we do not do much good,and get much good here, what have we to sweeten and recompence this tediousness? If a man be from home, and by his abfence suffers much lofs of what he might have had at home, he is the more diligent and careful in his journey to get fomething that may recompence this lofs; fo it fhould be with us: It cofts us dear (as I may so speak) to live in the world, for it costs us Cap. 57. us the forbearance of fuch glorious things; if we fill not up our lives with fervice for God, what have we to pay our charges to countervail this that our lives here coft us? 12. CHAP. LVII. The great things of eternity to be much fought after. T He last Use is an Ufe of Exhortation to all, now to set your hearts to feek after these great and bleffed things of eternal life that have been opened: O that now the hearts of people that have been wandring after other things might be brought in, and fet upon eternal life and Heaven: Let every foul reafon with it felf: Are there indeed fuch things to be had? hath God fuch intentions to communicate himself thus to mankinde? And am I the man or woman that fhall lofe all this? that fhall never be partaker of this? O wo unto me that ever I was born! In Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets, fays Chrift, were till fohn, but fince that time the kingdom of God fuffereth violence: The Law and the Prophets did but darkly reveal the things of the Kingdom of God, but St. John he did more clearly reveal the things of that Kingdom, and fince that time the kingdom of heaven fuffereth violence: O that it might be faid concerning any man or woman that have heard this argument opened; fince that time that the recompence of reward was opened, the kingdom of heaven hath suffered violence: patriam Plotinus. apud Au violence: Surely there is ftrength enough in that Cap. 57. which hath been faid to draw forth the heart with Fugiendu violence after it. I remember Plutarch reports in est ad clathe life of Camillus of the Gauls, that after they had rifsimam once a taste of the fweet wine of the grapes that ibi pater, grew in Italy, they inquired in what Countrey fuch ibi omnia fweet wine was, and after they understood where the grape of that wine grew, they would never be guft.lib. at reft till they got to that Countrey where fuch de Civit. fweet and pleasant things grew. I have endeavored 9. 16. in the opening of this point, to bring unto you some of the Clufters of Canaan, and fome of that wine which is to be drunk in the Kingdom of Heaven; now if you account it to be sweet and good, let not your hearts be at reft till you come at that Countrey, till you come to enjoy the sweet and good of that Countrey. Itis reported of one Adrianus, who seeing the Martyrs fuffer fuch grievous things in the cause of Christ, he asked what was that which caufed them to fuffer fuch things; and one of them named that Text, Eye hath not feen, nor ear hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what is laid up for thofe that love God,and the naming of that Text converted him, and had fuch an effect as made him to profefs Religion, and fo to profefs it, as to be a Martyr for it: You have not onely one Text named, but many have been used about this argument, let not all be in vain. We read in Mark 10.17. of a yong man that came running, and kneeled before Chrift, and asked him, Good Mafter, what fhall I do that I may inherit eternal life? O that God would move the hearts now of fome yong ones, that Cap.57. that hearing what eternal life means, they may now come running to get part in it, that that activity and vigor of their youth may be exercised and spent about this, What may I do that I likewife may be partaker of eternal life, and of thefe glorious and blessed truths that are here revealed? You that are in a poor condition in the world, that have little here, here are great things for your hearts to make after, here are glorious things that are as obvious for you ac for the greatest in the world; you cannot expect to have great matters in the earth, but here you may expect to have great matters. You that are old likewife, though you have not been acquainted with the excellency of the Kingdom of God, now blefs God that you may yet further know more concerning it. If a man come to know more of an inheritance that did befal him, or of any outward gain then before, he is glad that he lived to that time; fo bless God that you may know yet more concerning eternal life before this life be at an end. What is it that your hearts are set upon? There are none but their hearts are set upon fome good that they apprehend to be good; Now what is that good? Certainly there is an eminency of all good contained in this. It was a charge of God unto Baruch, that we read of in Fer. 45. ult. Seekeft thou great things for thy felf? Seek them not, for I will bring evil upon all flesh, and that which I have planted I will pluck up : The argument runs thus, Seekeft thou great things for thy felf in any outward matter? do not feek them, for I am about to bring evil upon my people, the time of publique calamity is coming, and doeft thou feek great things for thy felf? But when we are about about this argument, the glory of the Kingdom of Cap. 57. God, Doeft thou feek great things for thy felf? We cannot fay, Seek them not: God would have his people feek glorious things for themselves,feek them to the utmost that poffibly you can: So follow these things as not to be fatisfied with any thing under thefe. tisfied God would have his fervants to be of fuch fpirits, Gods peoas though content with the leaft mercies they do en-ple are fa joy, to acknowledge themselves unworthy of them, with no yet not to be fatisfied with the greatest things in the worldly world for their portion. What, will a reprobates their porgood for portion ferve you? Certainly, the glory of the world, ion. if you had it all,it were but the portion of a reprobate. What, will a Dogs portion fatisfie you? All the things of the world are but Dogs meat, fo the Apostle calls them in Phil.3. I account all things in the world as drofs and dung, or dogs meat, and will σκύβαλα. this fatisfie you? Is there nothing else for you to feck after Firft feek the Kingdom of God (fays Chrift) and the righteousness of it, let that be your first endeavor: Strive to enter into the ftrait gate, though it be never fo ftrait, yet if it be the way unto life, and unto these things, ftrive to enter: We have not fpoken more then that is real. It is a faying of one, Neither Chrift, nor Heaven can be hyperbolized; Nec Chrithat is, there cannot be more faid of the excellency Calum paof Chrift, and of Heaven, then it is in its felf, and ritur bytherefore do not think any thing that hath been fpoken is an hyperbole, but a real expreffion of fome little glimpfe of the glory of the recompence of re-. ward. It may be fome of your hearts when you hear much Y y tus, nec perbolem. |