The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 1 · Meditation 26 – Meditation 30

The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven · Treatise 1 · Meditation 26 – Meditation 30

p. 12026. Let Satan farde sinne as he pleaseth, let men couer sinne as they can, sinne is a monstrous cruell thing, therefore beware to commit it, to continue in it.

OH, ô my soule, when shalt thou find eye salue to cleare thy sight, to the p. 121end that thou mayest once see sinne in the owne vile colour of it? When shall that deaw come downe from heauen, which may happily soften thy heart, and make it so dilicately tender, that thou mayst once feele sinne in the owne weight of it, and so be made at length to know it in thy owne horrible nature, with all it drawes after it, and hath ioyned vntounto it; and all to the end, that I before I be made to lay downe this earthly tabernacle, may be moued to abhorre it; yea to hate it, and with the hazard and losse of all I hauehave, to arme my selfe against it. Stop thine eares, ô my soule, against Satan, and close thine eyes vponupon him also, when he speaketh to thee touching sinne, when he bringeth thee before sinne, or sinne before thee: for beleeue me, he will colour and farde it so, that he will make thee take it for some sweet, pleasant, wholesome apple, while it is that onelyonly bitter and destroying poyson, which slayeth bodie and soule. Open thy eares, ô my soule, to heare thy God: enlarge thy heart, ô my soule, to beleeue thy God when he speaketh to thee touching sinne, for he will tell thee, that sinne is an vgly defiling p. 126thing, and a monstrous vgly defiling thing; yea, that sinne is a cruell, monstrous defiling thing. Sinne is an vgly defiling thing, making the sinner foule; yea, euen foule in his eyes, before whom alone he hath speciall neede to be cleane; and so in the eye of God his maker, and iudge. Sinne is a monstrous, vgly, defiling thing: for none can possibly wash away that filth which it draweth vponupon man, beside that cleane one Iesus Christ by his owne hands. Sinne is a cruell, monstrous, vgly thing; for euen this cleane one Iesus, cannot possibly wash away this filth with his hands, but onelyonly by the lauers of his precious bloud. Thou thinkest, ô my soule, that it is a great miracle, when thou hearest that Naaman the Syrian was cleansed of his leprosie,1. King. 5. 14.1 Kgs 5:14 by washing himselfe seuen times in the riuer Iordan. Thou thinkest much of that poole, which being troubled by the Angell, was able to cure that man who first stepped in into it of whatsoeuer disease he had.Iohn 5. 4.John 5:4 Yea, thou meetest (as thou must confesse) with a strange wonder, when thou seest thy Maister with his owne hands, powring out water in a bason,Ioh. 13. 4. 5.John 13:4John 13:5 and washing his disciples p. 127feete. But ô what a wonder doest thou finde, ô my soule, beside Matthew in his 27. Marke in his 14. Luke in his 22. and Iohn in his 19. for there thou mayest see blessed Iesus, not rising from any table, but fixed to a tree, not powring forth water to wash the feete of any, but yeelding forth, out of vnspeakable louelove, and with incomparable contentment, his very heart bloud for the washing of the soules of all such, who can by a true liuely faith receiue this his bloud, and retaine the same. The Papist mixeth this bloud, as not sufficient for him, and mocketh it, as not onelyonly requisite for him: yea which is more, he auowedly controlleth this which we speake, (being so taught of God) touching his bloud, as not alwayes requisite for him. And which I must necessarily deplore and lament, ô my soule, a very world of Protestants, in this our time, abuse this bloud of blessed Iesus, onelyonly able to wash sinners, as if it were not so precious, so honourable as holy Scripture affirmeth it to be. The blind Papist mixeth this bloud (as not sufficient to wash away his sinnes) with the milke of his mother Marie, but spake p. 128Isaiah the Prophet so,Isa. 53. 5.Isa 53:5 when he affirmed that none beside Iesus was wounded for our transgressions, and that we are not otherwise healed but by his stripes? Spake Zachariah so,Zach. 13. 1.Zech 13:1 when he saw that great fountaine opened for the house of Dauid, and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleanenesse? Did he who was sent before blessed Iesus (to shew what a one Iesus was) see this which the blind Papist seeth? No, no, ô my soule, for is not this his testimonie touching him, Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world: Io…. 1. 29.yea did that man, who lay nearer our blessed Sauiour then euer Saint Francis or any Papist did, perceiue this? No forsooth, for speaketh he not thus,Ioh. 1. 7.John 1:7 The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vsus from all sinnes. The blind Papist, ô my soule, mocketh this also, as if Christs bloud were not fit onelyonly to wash away sinne, and therefore he dare maintaine that those villanous Poenitentiaries (who are accustomed, with the Priests of Baal, cruelly to launce thēselues to the effusion of their bloud) do not lyingly thinke, that thereby they deserue remission of sinnes at the hands of that great Maiestie. O vile p. 129Papist! be ashamed here, is not thy bloud such a bloud as thou thy selfe art? Vile art thou, for thou art a sinner, and I must think that thy bloud is as vile, for is it not the bloud of a sinner? and can the vile bloud of a vile sinner possibly pacifie the wrath of that holy God, before whom the heauens are not cleane, and who found no stedfastnesse in his Saints?Iob 1. 15.Job 1:15 O vile Papist! was it euer lawfull to sacrifice a man to God?Iob 15. 15.Job 15:15 O wilfull, malitious, ignorāt Papist! could the very bloud of Iesus hauehave bene a sufficient sacrifice for sinne, had it not bene the bloud of him, who was not man onelyonly, but God and man also, and therefore hearest thou not the Spirit affirming, that euen God by his owne bloud hath purchased a Church to himselfe?Act. 20. 29.Acts 20:29 This moued that Peter (shamed by the Pope Peter, his alledged, but Iudas his true successor) to affirme, that we are not redeemed by any bloud,1. Pet. 18. 19. But by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ that Lambe of God, vndefiled and without spot. O heauens, will ye not take part with your holy maker here against the hellish Papists? Much bloud saw that Sunne, which enlighteneth this earth, shed betwixt that day that Cain slue Abel, and p. 130that day in which the bloud of Iesus was shed on the crosse, not preassing to hide his face: but did he behold the bloud of his maker, with any kinde of countenance, when it was shed? No, no, for he couereth his face from the third houre to the ninth.Mat. 27. 4.Matt 27:4 But no wonder, for before that day he neuer saw, sanguinem purum & purificantem, cleane and cleansing bloud shed. O hard earth, wilt thou not here take part with thy Maister also, against the indurate Papist? Much bloud drankest thou in betwixt that day in the which Cain slue Abel, and that day in the which Iesus his bloud was shed, abiding in the meane time firme and stable. But canst thou, ô hard earth, abide stable when this honorable bloud of Iesus falleth vponupon thee?Mat. 27. 51. 5….Matt 27:51Matt 27:5 No, no, for the verie graues open their mouthes, when that bloud beginneth to bedeaw thee, so that a great number who were dead arose, and went into the holy citie. Yea the very hardest stones did cleaue asunder when this bloud was shed; albeit the flintie heart of the Papist, harder then the stone, cannot be moued to thinke honourably of this bloud. Alwayes, ô my soule, no wonder it is, that the hard earth with the hardest p. 131stones were so moued: for to that day she neuer dranke in any cleane and cleansing bloud. The Papist also, ô my soule, controlleth this, as a manifest vntruth; for he would hold vsus in hand, that sinnes may be washed away where no bloud is shed, for he is afraid to auow that his reall, externall vnbloudie sacrifice of the Masse (as he lyingly and shamefastly, misled by that old shamelesse lier Satan, and that for his foule particular speaketh) is a sacrifice propitiatorie, for the sinnes of the liuing here on earth, and of the dead in his impure foule Purgatorie? O Paul, wilt thou (led by the good Spirit of truth) subscribe with the Papist to this point? No, no, Paul answers, I will neuer, either subscribe neare hand, nor hearken afarre off vntounto that abhominable lye; for as Christ Iesus no otherwise purchased a Church vntounto himselfe then by bloud, so without bloud there is no remission (saith Paul.) Heb 9. …2.Heb 9:2Our sensuall Protestants, alas, ô my soule, turning the grace of God into damnable wantonnesse in this foule age, abuse fearefully this onelyonly honorable, and meritorious bloud of Iesus: for he holdeth not the shedding of it for sinne, to be a sufficient meanes to affray him p. 132from the committing of sinne, yea from wallowing in vncouth sinnes, euen with delight, as if he were some filthie swine, made with his face downward, and not a man whom God hath honored with his owne Image. Tell me, tell me, ô my soule, if any man would either of purpose, or with pleasure, defile his outward garment with any kinde of filth, if he could be perswaded that nothing could cleanse it againe, but a vessell full of his owne best bloud. Now telleth not the Scripture thee, ô my soule, that thou being defiled with sinne, canst not possibly be cleansed frō it, but by the bloud of Iesus onelyonly. Shalt thou then at any time attempt to commit sinne of purpose, and to continue in sinne of purpose? and if thou darest do so, canst thou think thy selfe to be one, who either esteemeth honorably of that honorable bloud of Iesus, shed to cleanse thee, or reuerently and honorably of that blessed God who shed his bloud for thee?

27. Honorable, precious, and forcible beyond measure is that cleane and cleansing bloud of Iesus, blessed for euermore.

p. 133SInne is a filthie thing▪ yea a most cruell filthie thing, ô my soule, as thou mayst easily perceiue, and let this humble thee. Alwayes honorable and precious is that bloud of Iesus: forcible and strong beyond measure is that bloud of blessed Iesus, and let this comfort thee. Iesus his bloud is honorable and precious, for it can do away the filth of sinne, making a man euen cleane in his eyes, before whom the well informed child of God striueth specially to be cleane; forcible and strong is that bloud of Iesus, for it can wash a man, not from one sinne, but from eueryevery sinne, yea from all sinnes, were they neuer so monstrous, so presumptuous. Hast thou not, ô my soule, considered that first Chapter of Matthew for thine information, yea for thy speciall consolation, touching this point? O blessed Iesus my Sauiour, of whom art thou come according to the flesh, and so what fathers, what mothers, hath thy Maiestie as thou art man? is thy Maiestie, ô my Sauiour, onelyonly come of Abraham, and not of Pharez also, whom Iudah begot on Tamar his daughter in law? Will thy Maiestie, ô my Sauiour, hauehave Sarah onelyonly, the wife of Abraham for thy p. 134mother, and not Rahab the harlot, and Ruth the Moabitesse also? But wherefore, ô my soule, would blessed Iesus hauehave such fathers and such mothers according to the flesh? Surely, surely, to testifie before God, Angels, and men, that he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, were their sinnes neuer so many, and so monstrous, prouiding that they by a liuely faith could keepe that bloud which he hath shed to wash them, and by sincere repentance accompaning this their faith, testifie to the world that they hauehave learned (being taught by the Spirit) to account honourably of this his bloud shed for them?Mark. 2. 17.Mark 2:17

28. Cleane Iesus, will not wash thee, in his cleane clensing bloud, to the end that thou mayest proue a swine, but a swan, a filthie dogge, but a cleane turtle doue, and so not a bond slaue to sinne and Satan, but a free king to God his and thy father.

O my soule, I will tell thee to thy comfort, were thy sinnes neuer so manie, p. 135nor so monstrous, that precious bloud of Iesus who hath loued thee, is sufficiently able to wash thee from them all. Alwayes, I must tell thee for thine information, and reformation, that Iesus will not wash thee in his bloud from thy many sinnes bypast, from thy vgly sinnes present, to the end, that thou mayest afterward defile thy selfe with sinne, or continue in the trade of thy present sinnes, but to the end, that thou being washed by him,Reuel. 1. 5. 6.Rev 1:5Rev 1:6 mayest proue a spirituall King subduing sinne, and a spirituall Priest, offring vp thy selfe in bodie and soule, in a liuing sacrifice, and holy vntounto God. Tell me, tell me,Rom. 12. 1. 2.Rom 12:1Rom 12:2 ô Zacharia the father of Iohn the Baptist, wherefore came Christ into the world, bringing cleane and cleansing bloud with him; was it not that we being deliuered from the hands of our enemies, should serue him without feare?Luk. 1. 74. 75.Luke 1:74Luke 1:75 O Paul, tell me wherefore died my Lord and life Iesus Christ for me; was it not, that I henceforth should not attempt to liue to my selfe, but vntounto him who died for me and rose againe.2. Cor. 5. 15.2 Cor 5:15 Yea, tell me ô Paul, wherfore hath our glorious God appointed that his blessed Gospell, to be preached p. 136(which I may iustly call that handfull of hysope, by the which our soules are sprinkled with that cleansing bloud of that cleane Lambe, who making that destroying Angell to passe by vsus, while others die;Tit. 2. 11. 12.Titus 2:11Titus 2:12) was it not, ô my soule, that we denying all vngodlinesse, and worldly lusts, should liue holily, and righteously, and soberly in this present world?

29. Louing, and liberall Iesus communicates all his riches, and priuiledges to all his kingly, and cleane members.

HAth that great God, and blessed Sauiour of the world loued thee, ô my soule, and louing thee, washed thee from thy sinnes in his bloud; yea, renewed thee so by his Spirit, that thou darest not attempt to liue to thy selfe, seeking such things as may profit thee, and pleasure thee, but vntounto him that died for thee, studying alwayes to do those things which may please him, and conquer glorie vntounto him. Be sure, be sure, ô my soule, that this blessed one, thy great Sauiour, inioying all priuiledges, hath no priuiledge p. 137in a manner, whereof he will not gladly make thee partaker. And must not this comfort thee against all tentations, and crosses, if thou canst louelove him and cleaue vntounto him? And shall not this confound thee, knowing this to be true, as thou must know it to be most true; if thou darest attempt to forget him, and be vnthankfull vntounto him.Ioh. 20. 17.John 20:17 Iesus hath a God, ô my soule, and he will hauehave his God to be thy God. Iesus hath a Father, and he will hauehave his Father to be thy Father. Iesus is not onelyonly cloathed with an humane nature, but also with a diuine nature, and he will hauehave thee to be partaker of the diuine nature also.2. Pet. 1. 4.2 Pet 1:4 Iesus is the Lord his Christ, and so that holy one whom the Lord hath annointed with oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes,Psal. 45. 7.Ps 45:7 to be the great King and Priest of the Church, and he will hauehave thee made a King and a Priest vntounto God his Father also.Reuel. 1. 6.Rev 1:6 Iesus is the heire of that inheritance immortall, and vndefiled, and which fadeth not away: and he will hauehave thee to be an heire of that kingdome annexed with him. Yea, this Iesus is entered alreadie into that heauen of heauens, euen in my nature, sitting at the right p. 138hand of God;Ioh. 17. 24.John 17:24 and he will hauehave thee, ô my soule, to be there euen with this my bodie also. Yea, till I be there in bodie and soule, and the whole members of Gods elect with me; that holy one, that blessed one Jesus, who is louelove it selfe, (for otherwayes he had neuer died for me) will account himselfe to be imperfect; yea, to be maimed as it were; such is y^e force of that louelove wherewith he loued vsus, and so rarely inestimable are these heauenly priuiledges, vntounto the full fruition and euerlasting possession whereof he will hauehave vsus necessarily aduanced. Shouldest not thou then louelove this Iesus, ô my soule, yea, crie to thy God vncessantly for such an heart as may louelove him, yea, louelove him vnfainedly who hath loued thee so dearely. Yea, shouldest thou not out of the sense of this, long to be dead, to the end (that by death being happily trāslated where he is) thou mayest liue with him for euermore. Out of the sense of the force of this louelove,Ber. ser. 2. de ad vent. … Bernard could say: Vbi bene erit lino Christo? aut vbi male esse potest cum illo? Where shall a man be well without Christ? or where shall a man be euill with Christ? and againe citing the words of the Apostle. 2. Thes. 4. 17. p. 139Bonum mihi tribulari Domine modo ipse sis mecum, quam regnare sine te; epulari sine te, sine te gloriari, melius est in canimo habere te mecum, quam esse sine te vel in coelo. It is better for me to be afflicted, ô Lord Iesus, if thou be with me, then to raigne without thee; then to fare daintily without thee, then to enioy all glorie and mirth without thee. Yea, it is better for me to hauehave thee in a firie fornace with me, then to be in heauen withou thee.

30. He whom blessed Iesus hath made a sonne vntounto God, to serue his Maiestie for a while; shall also be made by Iesus a King vntounto God, to reigne with him for euer.

BLessed, blessed, ô my soule, beyond measure, are all those whose father almightie, God in his dearest Sonne Iesus hath become. And therefore, I cannot wonder that that disciple, whom Iesus loued speaking hereof, was moued with a shrill voyce thus to crie forth, ressembling some messenger sounding from a publicke place some speciall proclamation. Behold what louelove the father hath shewed p. 140on vsus, that we should he called the sonnes of God. Maine sonnes indeed hath his Maiestie: yea, our God hath a verieworld of sonnes: blessed for euermore be that his onelyonly Sonne Iesus,Reuel. 7. 9.Rev 7:9 who at a great rate hath purchased these sonnes vntounto him. Alwayes, Scripture telleth me, ô my soule,Reuel. 1. 6.Rev 1:6 that God our Father will make all these his sonnes Kings, and eueryevery one of them a King, not to reigne for a while, honoured with a fading crowne, but to reigne for euermore in that kingdome which is immortall,1. Pet. 1. 3.1 Pet 1:3 and vndefiled, and which fadeth not away. What earthly king, ô my soule, hauing many sonnes, is able to make all his sonnes kings? and yet foolish men dreame that men be happie who be the sonnes of kings; yea of great men: howbeit none can be possibly happie, but such as being borne ouer againe by the Spirit, and by the word of God, be made the sonnes of the most high,Iohn 3. 3.John 3:3 and so kings, at length to reigne in spite of all tyrants and tyrannie for euermore. I shall not offend therefore, ô my soule, albeit my coate now be course, my bread browne, my drinke small, my crowne sharpe and pricking, hauing terrors within, and p. 141troubles without. Knowest thou not, ô my soule, how thy Lord and Sauiour, comming to this earth, that by his death he might draw thee to heauen, was cloathed, entertained, and crowned heare, and yet, blessed be his name in despite of all hellish, and earthly powers, is he not crowned now in that highest heauens, with that crowne of incomparable Maiestie,Mat. 28. 18.Matt 28:18 hauing all power in heauen and on earth giuen vntounto him; yea, possessing a name aboue all names which are named in this world, and vntounto the which euerie knee must bow.Phil. 2. 9. 10Phil 2:9Phil 2:10 O beleeuing citizen, countrieman, and beggar; canst thou lift vp thine eyes aforehand to see? canst thou bow thine heart aforehand to taste those vnspeakable ioyes thou shalt possesse, that incorruptible glorie shall compasse thy very clay vessel, whē thou being glorified, through the Lambe, with the Lambe shalt go in and out before the Lambe, in that new Ierusalem which is aboue; hauing on thy head that crowne of endlesse glorie, clothed with a long white robe, hauing palmes in thy hand, and crying ioyfully with a loud voyce.Reuel. 7. 9. 10.Rev 7:9Rev 7:10 Saluation cometh of our God that sitteth on p. 142the throne, and of the Lambe. Let it be thy meate and drinke then while thou soiournest here, ô my soule, absent in bodie from that Lambe of God thy Sauiour, to thinke vponupon this Iesus, to seeke this Iesus, to serue this Iesus, who hath called thee vntounto this honour, to be the child of God,Psal. 16. 11.Ps 16:11 and so to be a King for euer, to possesse fulnesse of ioy in Gods presence, and at his right hand pleasures for euermore.

AMEN.

THE SECOND PART OF THAT HEAVENLY CHARIOT:

Layed open for the weaning of the foolish hearts of the senslesse Christians of this our dead time, from the deceiuing milke of things below here, and for the winning of them vntounto the knowledge, louelove, and obedience of that onelyonly true God, in whom, and with whom, all true riches and pleasures be onelyonly to be found.

1. IOH. 2. 15. 16. 17.

LoueLove not the world, neither the things that are of the world. If any man louelove the world, the louelove of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, (as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life) is out of the Father, but is of the world and the lusts thereof, but he that fulfilleth the will of God, abideth for euer.

p. 145TO THE VERY SINCERELY RELIGIOVS AND TRVLY HOnorable, Sir Robert Carr of Ancrame; Gentleman of the Bed-chamber, to Prince CHARLES, Prince of great Britaine, and one of his Highnesse priuie Councell.

Grace and peace through Iesus Christ our Lord.

HAuing dedicated the former part of this heauēly Chariot vntounto that religious worthie Ladie, Anna Carr, Ladie Balmermoch, your nearest and dearest kinswoman: I could find none vnderunder whose wings this second part thereof could passe forth so fitly, so securely, as vnderunder your name, being p. 146so neare in nature, but much more in grace to that religious Ladie. Yea, these my simple meditations hauing longed and called in a manner these monethes by-past, for your patrocinie, who is fitter for them then they can possibly be for you? you being the scholler of that blessed Maister, the Spirit of grace and truth, who hath learned what sinne and nature is, what Christ and grace is, not to be the naked hearing of the eare, but by the inward feeling of a true religious soule, and well informed and reformed conscience. Sure I am that these, who had occasion to see and conferre Abraham after his triall, with Ioseph after his imprisonment, and with Dauid after he was brought from the vncircumcised land, to the royall crown of Iudah, could not but find rare information, and wonderfull consolation, reso…uing them about the condition of Gods seruants here, and comforting them against all assaults p. 147could possibly ouertake them, in seeking and seruing of him: and shall not these my simple meditations be acceptable to you, who hauing learned out of Scripture, from your youth with Timothie, and since your youth out of rarest remarkable experiences, what sound, what colour, what smell, what taste, what touch things heauenly hauehave? So that now you being presented before all crosses and tentations, yea, before diuels and death, can from a chearfull heart and with a smiling countenance, sing melodiously with that sweetest singer, that 71. Psalme. I recommend these my simple weake meditations to your fauourable acceptance, and carefull protection, and your selfe from my very soule, to the sauing protection, defence, and consolation of that blessed God, with whom there is no shadow of turning, who hath bene, is, and shall not onelyonly be with you to the end of your time, but p. 148who shall hauehave you with him in eternitie for euer. For the which I shall not ceasse while I breathe to pray to God as,

Your humbly deuoted in our common Sauiour: D. L.