Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference, Lecture 2
THE SECOND LECTVRE, OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION.
IOHN, CHAP. xiiii. VERS. 3.4.5.6.
3 And if I goe to prepare a place for you, I will come againe, and receiue▪ you vntounto my ſelfe; that where J am, there may yee bee alſo.
4 And whither I goe, yee know: and the way yee know.
5 Thomas ſaid vntounto him, Lord, wee know not whither thou goest: how can wee then know the way?
6 Ieſus ſaid vntounto him, J am that Way, and that Trueth, and that Life. No man commeth to the Father, but by mee.
HAving heard already (welbeloued Brethren) two arguments, whereby the Lord comforteth his Diſciples, who were heauily caſten downe for his departing, and taking away of his bodily preſence from them: The firſt is, Faith in Chriſt: Howbeit when I goe away, ye ſhall not ſee me, yet ſettle your hearts vponupon me, follow mee with the eyes of your ſoule, reſt vponupon me with a true faith, & then in the midſt of all troubles, ye ſhal get comfort & eaſe to your ſoule. The ſecond argument is taken from their owne weale: My departure is to prepare a place for you in Heauen: if I goe not before you, yee can get no place there: (for neuer man either got, getteth, or ſhall get place there, but onelyonly by the vertue of the Aſcenſion of Chriſt) It was not for his owne cauſe he entered into Heauen, but for vsus: he paſſed with blood before vsus, to get vsus an entry by his blood: He by his Aſcenſion opened vp to vsus all the yates of Heauen, that we might goe in there. His Aſcenſion to Heauen, is of ſuch force, that it is able to prepare a dwelling place, and it were for a thouſand worldes, if men could hauehave faith in him. Now I come to the third argument, wherby he comfortes them▪ which is taken from the ſecond cōming to Chriſt to glorify them fully: And this of all other argumēts brings greateſt comfort to the ſoule. The former arguments are indeede very comfortable: faith worketh a great joy in the heart of a ſinner: becauſe faith makes Ieſus to bee preſent to the ſoule, euen then when it is abſent from the Lord, and walking yet in this pilgrimage here on the earth: Againe, it is a greater comfort to the ſoule, when we heare that Chriſt hath prepared a place for vsus in Heauen, wherein faith ſhall be changed in ſight, & we ſhall ſee him face to face▪ and glorifie him without any ſtay or intermiſsion: yet none of theſe wil furniſh vsus perfect ioy, if there be no more: for the conſcience of our owne weakneſſe, and the ſight and feeling of ſinne within vsus, maketh vsus oftentimes to doubt, brangleth our faith, and ſtayeth our full conſolation. And albeit we heare, that Chriſt hath prepared a place for vsus, and opened the Heauen to vsus, yet our own weakneſſe and infirmity telleth vsus, we cannot be able to come there, & to enter into the poſſeſsion of the inheritance prepared for vsus: But here is matter of perfect ioy, and full conſolation, when we heare that Chriſt will come again in his own perſon, & take vsus to the Heauēs to the place hee hath prepared for vsus: whereunto otherwiſe, in reſpect of our weaknes, we could neuer come: Jf, ſaith Christ, I goe to prepare a place for you, I will come again, & receiue you vntounto my ſelf, that where J am, there may ye be alſo: As if he had ſaid, I depart not from you to remain abſent from you for euer. I purpoſe not ſo to do, but I will come again to you, to take you vp to the place that I hauehave prepared, that ye may remain with me in the Heauens, & be partakers of my glory for euer. No queſtion, this was a great matter of comfort and ioy to the Diſciplis, when they heard, that Chriſt would come again to them, & take them with himſelf to glory: & doubtles this made them after Chriſts Aſcenſion, to hauehave their eys, hearts, & affections lift vp to Heauen, waiting for his bleſſed appearance. Brethren, it is the cōmon cuſtome of all the Saincts, when they heare & belieue that Chriſt is to come again out of the Heauens, to take them to that place of joy, which he hath prepared for them, te re…oyce, vnderunder the hope of that glory, with a joy vnſpakeable & glo…ious, & to ſet their hearts aboue, & to hauehave their conuerſation in Heauen, from whence they looke for our Sauiour to come, to change our vile bodies, that they may be like his glorious body, &c. Indeede it is true, our hope & waiting for Chriſt, is ay cōjoyned with ſighing & ſobbing, becauſe we hauehave not as yet gottē the ful fruitiō of our inheritāce. And therfore Paul ſaith, Wee who hauehave gotten the firſt fruits of the Spirit, euen we, ſigh in our ſelues, waiting for the adoption, euen the redemption of our bodie, Rom. 8.23. There ye ſee, with waiting he conjoyns ſighing: & indeed the ſorow & ſighing of the godly, is exceeding great, while as they are abſent frō their Lord: But it is alſo true, that with this ſighing & ſadnes, they find a ioy vnſpeakable & glorious: yea, ſuch a ioy, as all the ioyes and outward comforts in the world cannot be able to furniſh vntounto men. The naturall man, who ſeeks to hauehave ioy in outward thinges, neuer wiſt what true ioye meaned: thou that ſeeks ioy in thy riches, thou neuer knew true ioy: thou who ſeekes ioy in honour or preſerment, thou finds but a ſhadow of ioy: thou who ſeeks ioy in the pleaſurs of the fleſh, thou finds nothing in the end, but diſpleaſure, in ſtead of ioye: But the godly, in waiting for the comming of their Sauiour, find ſuch a ioy, that the heart of no naturall man is able to conceiue: and if thou found but one ſparke of this ioy into thy heart, thou would count nothing of all world…ie ioyes, in reſpect of it: yea, thou would bee content to renounce all worldly pleaſures, that thou might bruik it. Now, Brethren, if our ioy be ſo great, euen now while we are abſent frō the Lord, and are only waiting for his bleſſed appearance, O how great ſhall our ioy be, when our faith ſhall be turned in ſight, & when we ſhall ſee him face to face, and when hee ſhall put vsus in the full poſſeſsion of that inheritance, which now wee are hoping and longing for! But leauing this, I goe forwarde to the fourth argument of their conſolation, which hee taketh from the knowledge they had both of the place where he was going to, & likewiſe of the way which led them to that place: For, ſaith he, whither I goe, ye know, and the way ye know. As if he had ſaid, In the mean time, while I am come again to you, let this comfort you, that both ye know the place wherevnto now I am going firſt, and wherevnto next ye ſhall follow me: and alſo, that ye know the way wherein ye ſhal walke, that ye may come to that place: yee knowe both the one, and the other: And if there were none other thing, but this knowledge, it may ſerue to comfort you, the time of mine abſence from you, while I come againe, and take you to that place with my ſelfe. Marke the Leſſon, Brethren, It is a great comfort, to a man who is abſent from the Lorde, and woulde faine bee preſent with him, to knowe the place where the Lord is, and likewiſe to knowe the way howe hee may come to that place where hee may find the Lord, and enioye his bleſſed preſence: Ye know this by experience, that if a Pilgrime bee wandering in his iourney, and in the meane time knowe no place, where at length hee maye come to reſt in, it will bee a ſore griefe to him: and againe, yee knowe, howbeit hee knewe a place where to find reſt, and yet knew not the way how to come to that place, he will be very baſed, and exceedingly caſten downe. But by the contrary, if the Pilgrime in his iourneying, knowe both the place wherin to reſt, and likewiſe the way how to come to it, he is greatly reioyced, becauſe hee hath a ſure hope to come to his reſting place: Euen ſo fareth it with vsus, who are Gods Children: while in this Pilgrimage we are wandering, abſent from the Lord▪ if wee neither knowe the place where the Lord is, and where wee may find reſt for our ſoules with him, neither know the way, how to come to it, wee cannot but bee wonderfully diſcouraged: but i… on the other part, wee know both the place of our reſting, (that permanent City that hath a foundation) and alſo the way how to come to it, it cannot bee poſsible, but our ſoules muſt reſt in hope to come there. So yee ſee, the knowledge of the place whither wee ſhould goe to ſeeke the Lord, and of the way that leadeth to that place, furniſheth great comfort and ioye to the ſoule: Whereas by the contrary, the ignorance and mi…kenning of the place and way▪ is euer accompanied with great dolour and ſadneſſe.
Nowe to goe forwarde: The Diſciples, when they heare theſe words that Chriſt vttereth, of the way and the place, they miſtake him, and vnderſtand him not: and therefore Thomas, one of their number, opponeth himſelfe to the Lords words: and whereas the Lorde had ſaide vntounto them, they knewe both the place whither hee vvas going, and the vvaye, Thomas opponeth himſelfe to both: affirming, That they neyther knewe the place, nor the vvaye: For, ſayeth Thomas, Wee knowe not whither thou goe… howe can wee then knowe the Waye? As if Thomas had ſaid… ▪ LORDE, thou ſayeſt vvee knowe vvhither thou …s and we know alſo the way▪ but we know not whither thou goeſt, and therfore we cannot know the way: both the place and the way are vnknowne vntounto vsus. Theſe wordes at the firſt face would ſeeme to hauehave a direct contradiction to the Lordes wordes: but if wee weigh and conſider the matter deeply, as it becommeth, wee will finde that in effect there is no contradiction, but both may ſtand very well together: for the Lord ſpake of a begun and a generall knowledge, which the Lord communicateth to eueryevery one that is a true member of his body: And this knowledge, how ſmal ſoeuer it be, the Lord accepteth of it: for it was propheſied of him, that he ſhould not break the bruiſed reed, nor quench the ſmoking flax, Eſay. 42.3. But rather where he finds any knowledge begun, he cheriſheth it, & maketh the ſoule to grow from knowledge to knowledge, till it come to perfection. But Thomas miſtaketh the Lord, for hee thinketh that the Lord ſpeaketh of a diſtinct and perfect knowledge and this maketh Thomas to oppone againſt the Lord, and to affirme, that they neither knew whither hee went, nor yet the way. And theſe two ſpeakinges may very well ſtand together, that they had a begun and confuſed knowledge both of the place whither the Lord went, and of the way to that place: of the which knowledge the Lord ſpake: and neuertheleſſe, that they knew not diſtinctly & perfectly, neither the place nor the way, of the which knowledge Thomas meaneth. The like of this is to be vnderſtood when wee ſpeake of the knowledge the Prophets had of the calling of the Gentiles: for with good reaſon wee may ſay, that the Prophets knewe the calling of the Gentiles, becauſe they had it fore-told them in their propheſies. Yet Paul ſaith, that the calling of the Gentiles was a myſtery which in other ages was not opened vp vntounto the ſonnes of men. Theſe two ſayings ſtand very well together: neither is there any contradiction in them: for the one is to be vnderstood of a begun and imperfect knowledge: the other of a diſtinct and perfect knowledge. Againe, wee may ſay, Chriſt ſpake of the knowledge which the Diſciples ſhould hauehave had, and might hauehave had, if they had taken good enough heed to Chriſtes doctrine and inſtructions: for howe oft had the Lord preached to them, of the kingdome of Heauen, which was the place, whither hee was firſt to goe, and they next to follow him? Howe oft ſpake hee vntounto them, of the Father, who ſent him for the Redemption of the Worlde? Howe often ſpake hee vntounto them, of the right way that ledde to Heauen? Yea, hee pointed it out with his finger; as when he ſaid, I am the light of the world, IOH. 8. &c. Therefore, ſeeing the Lord ſpake of theſe things ſo many times, and ſo clearly, and was ſo carefull to inſtruct them, the Diſciples might well enough hauehave knowne both the place and the way: and their negligence cannot bee excuſed, who were ſo rude and ignorant, and profited ſo little in theſe things. And ſo Thomas by this his anſwering to the Lord, letteth vsus ſee how little knowledge he had attained vntounto; notwithſtanding of all the trauell the Lord had taken to inſtruct them: Alwayes out of theſe wordes of Thomas, wee may take vp a profitable Leſſon, concerning the order of our knowledge of heauenly things: Thomas ſaith firſt, Wee know not the place where thou goeſt: and vponupon this hee gathereth, Wee cannot knowe the waye: Then the Leſſon is, Wee muſt firſt hauehave a knowledge of the place where we ſhould goe to, before wee can hauehave a knowledge of the way that leadeth vntounto the place: Wee muſt firſt hauehave a knowledge of Heauen, and that there is life, glorie, and happineſſe laide vp for the Sainctes there: Wee muſt know what manner of glory wee hauehave to looke for; and then it is time for vsus to inquire what way wee may come to Heauen: what way we may attaine to that glory and happineſſe: For there is no man that will take on a journey, till he know where he would be, and what ſhould be the end of his labour: He that runneth, hee will ſet vp a marke before him, that he would be at: Paul ſaith of himſelfe, 1. Cor. 9.26. I ſo runne, not as vncertainly: ſo fight I, not as one that beareth the aire: that is, I runne not, nor I fight not, for nought: but I runne, to get the crowne: I fight, that I may get the victory: Hee ra…ne with all his might towardes the marke, for the prize of the high calling of God in Ieſus Chriſt, Philip. 3.14. So, we muſt firſt hauehave the prize and the marke of the high calling ſet before our eyes; and thereafter we muſt enter into the way that leadeth to that marke. There are none of the Sainctes, but they hauehave euer Heauen ſet before their eyes: they deſire, they ſigh and ſobbe to bee there, becauſe they know, that there, in the preſence of the Lord, there is fulneſſe of ioye; and that at his right hand, there are pleaſures for euermore, Pſal. 16.11. And therefore Paul ſaith of them, that they hauehave their conuerſation in Heauen, from whence they looke for their Sauiour, euen the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, who ſhall change their vile bodies, that they may be faſhioned like vntounto his glorious body, &c. Philip. 3.20. And in the viii. Chapter to the Rom. verſ. 23. hee ſaith, that they who hauehave gotten the firſt fruits of the Spirit, they ſigh in themſelues, waiting for the adoption, euen the redemption of their bodies: And (Tit. 2.13▪) he ſaith, We looke for that bleſſed hope, and appearing of that glory of that mighty God, our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt: And therefore, ſeeing their eyes are alwayes ſet vponupon Heauen, and vponupon that glory that is there, the Scripture eſpecially inſiſteth in the way, wherby we may come there: & our Preaching, for the moſt part, is all of that way: to wit, of Ieſus Chriſt, and of that grace that we hauehave of him: And ſo the Lord Ieſus, hee…e in his anſwere that he maketh to Thomas, ſpeaketh nothing of the place, neither of the Father, to whom he was to goe: but preſupponing that they had ſome knowledge thereof, he paſſeth by them for the preſent, albeit heereafter hee will ſpeake of them. And in his anſwere to Thomas, hee inſiſteth vponupon the way, and he ſaith, J am that Way: And then he telleth more plainly, how he is the Way, when hee ſaith in the words following, that hee is that Trueth, and that Life: So that if wee would come to the Father, we muſt come by him: for, No man, ſaith he, commeth vntounto the Father, but by me. And therefore, wee ſhall ſee firſt how Chriſt is called the Trueth, and the Life, that wee may ſee the better howe hee is the Way. He is called the Trueth in ſundry reſpects: as firſt, he is called Trueth, becauſe he is true: as Iohn ſpeaketh of him in his firſt Epiſtle, Chap. 5. verſ. 20. We know that that Son of God is come, and hath giuen vntounto vsus▪ a minde to know him, which is true: and wee are in him that is true: that is, in that his Sonne Ieſus Chriſt. Next, hee is called the Trueth, becauſe hee is full of trueth: yea, of his owne eſſence and nature, he is Trueth it ſelfe. Iohn ſaid before of him, Wee ſaw him full of grace and trueth, Iohn, 1.14. And Paul ſaieth, that the fulneſſe of the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily, Coloſſ. 2.9. Thirdly, hee is called Trueth, becauſe from him, as the Author and Fountaine, all trueth doeth flowe and proceede: And therefore Iohn ſaide, Chap. 1. verſ. 17. The law is giuen by Moſes, but grace and trueth, by Ieſus Chriſt. Fourthly, hee is called the …ueth, becauſe hee is the matter and ſubject of all trueth, and all trueth is grounded vponupon him: And in this reſpect Iohn ſaieth, EueryEvery ſpirite which confeſſeth, that Ieſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is of God: and eueryevery ſpirite that confeſſeth not, that Ieſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is not of God, but is the ſpirite of the Antichriſt, Iohn, 4.2. And Paul ſaith, Another foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Ieſus Chriſt. 1. Cor. 3.11. Fiftly, hee is called the Trueth, becauſe all trueth is in him… that is, ratified, confirmed, and eſtablished in him: for as the Apoſtle Paul ſaieth, in his ſeconde Epiſtle to the Corinthians, Chap. 1. verſ. 20. All the promiſes of God are Yea and Amen in him: that is, all hauehave their foundation, and ground, and all hauehave their accompliſhment in him: For and if thou bee not in Chriſt, thou canſt hauehave no right to any of the promiſes of Grace: Thou ſhalt neuer find the power and vertue of them to bee communicated to thy ſoule: No, the blood of Ieſus muſt bee firſt ſhed, and next thy conſcience muſt bee ſprinkled therewith, before that euer thou find the force and power of any of theſe promiſes conuoyed to thy ſoule: So all are grounded vponupon his blood. Then ye ſee, it is not without good cauſe, that Chriſt claimeth this Style as proper to himſelfe, That he is the Trueth: becauſe he is true, becauſe he is full of trueth, becauſe from him is all trueth becauſe of him, as the proper ſubject, is all trueth: and laſt, becauſe in him all the promiſes of God hauehave their trueth and accompliſhment.
Now let vsus ſee how hee is called Life: and this Style the Lord taketh to himſelfe for ſundry reſpects: And firſt, becauſe he liueth, and liueth eternally: yea, he is Life it ſelfe. Secondly, becauſe hee liueth by himſelfe: he liueth not by another, as creatures doe: for he ſaith of himſelfe, As the Father hath life in himſelfe, ſo hath hee likewiſe giuen to the Sonne, to hauehave life in himſelfe, Iohn. 5.26. Thirdly, becauſe through him, and by him, all thinges that hauehave life, liue: Yea, this ſame naturall life, that wee liue heere on the earth, wee liue it by him: For Iohn, ſpeaking of him, ſaieth, (Iohn, Chap. 1. verſ. 4.) In it (that is, the Worde IESVS CHRIST,) was Life: and that Life was the light of men: That is, hee gaue life to men, euen in the very firſt creation: and not onelyonly liue wee this naturall life by him; but alſo, by him wee liue a ſupernaturall life: I am crucified with Chriſt, (ſayeth the Apoſtle Paule to the Galatians, Chap. 2. verſ. 20.) but I liue: yet not I anie more: but Chriſt liueth in mee: and that that I nowe liue in the fleſh, I liue by Fayth in the Sonne of God, who hath loued mee, and giuen himſelfe for mee. There yee ſee clearely, that the Apoſtle Paule affirmeth, that the Spirituall Life, is onelyonly the benefite of CHRIST. And Iohn teſtifieth the ſame, in the firſt Chapter of his Euangel, and the fift verſe where hee ſayeth▪ That Light ſhineth in darkneſſe: That is … ter that through our Fall, and defection from GOD, … wonderfull and horrible great Darkneſſe had entered in, and ouer-gone the ſoule of man, ſo that there was nothing to be looked for of man, but vtter darkneſſe, and eternall death; then he illuminated the ſoule of man with ſpirituall light, that hee might be reſtored againe to eternall life: Therefore, ſeeing Chriſt liueth, ſeeing hee liueth by himſelfe, ſeeing all thinges liue by him, good reaſon hath hee to call himſelfe that life. Now hitherto wee hauehave let you ſee in what reſpectes Chriſt is called the Trueth and the Life; whereby wee may eaſily perceiue howe Chriſt is called the Way: Chriſt is called the way to the Father in two reſpects: Firſt, he is the Way, as hee is the Trueth: Next, hee is the Way, as hee is the Life: for we muſt firſt goe to the Father by Chriſt, as he is the Trueth: and thereafter we muſt goe to the Father by him, as he is the Life: for this way to the Father hath two parts: The firſt part is Trueth: the ſecond Life: and therefore if we would come to the Father, we muſt begin at the Trueth: wee muſt enter into the way to him by Trueth. Now, howe enter wee into this way to the Father, by the Trueth? Howe is the Trueth, the beginning of the way? I will tell you: Whileſt we addreſſe our ſelues to God, to the Father, wee muſt firſt of all perſwade ourſelues and hauehave full aſſurance, that Chriſt is the Trueth: that all his wordes are true: that all the promiſes of God are true, and are accompliſhed in him. After we hauehave entered into this way to the Father, by Chriſt, as he is the Trueth, wee muſt next enter into the way to the Father, by Chriſt, as he is Life: But how enter we into this way, by him, as he is Life? How bringeth Chriſt vsus to the Father, as he is Life? I anſwere, Whileſt we are going to the Father, wee muſt ſtedfaſtly belieue, and bee fully aſſured, that Chriſt is Life, and that all life is from him, as from the Fountaine; and that whatſoeuer life wee hauehave, we hauehave it through him. Then ye ſee, Chriſt is the way to the Father: firſt, becauſe he is the Trueth: next, becauſe he is the Life. If thou wouldeſt come to Life, begin at the Trueth; for the firſt leadeth vsus to the ſecond: For this word of Trueth, euen the Goſpel of the Lord Ieſus, when it is preached, if we heare it reuerentlie, and ſtedfaſtly belieue it, and let it ſettle deeply in our ſoules, it will bee powerfull at the laſt, to bring foorth life in vsus: Were thy ſoule neuer ſo dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes, yet receiuing this Word of Trueth, thou ſhalt riſe from death, and liue. The Lord (in the ſixt Chapter of Iohn, and the 63. verſe) letteth vsus ſee this great force of this Word, when he ſaith, The words that I ſpeake to you, are Spirit and Life: that is, they are a moſt powerfull meane, to miniſter and furniſh vntounto vsus, that Spirite, and that Life of God. And in that ſame Chapter alſo, vvhen the Lord asketh at the Apoſtles, If they would leaue him? as many of them did, who had followed him before, Peter anſwereth, in the name of the reſt, To whom ſhall we goe? thou haſt the words of eternall life: where ye ſee, Peter out of his own experience, affirmeth, that the vvords vvhichwhich hee heard of Chriſt, vvere effectuall to vvorke eternall life: vvhichwhich made him, and the reſt of the Apoſtles, vvith pleaſure to remaine vvith Chriſt. Thou that by the hearing of the vvord, findeſt the life of God to bee conuoyed to thy ſoule, vvilt eaſily bee perſwaded, that hee vvho is the Author of that vvord, is life himſelfe: for how vvere it poſsible, that there could be ſuch a power in that vvorde, to giuegive life, except hee, vvhoſe vvorde it is, vvere the Fountaine and Well-ſpring of all life? Then ye ſee, by vvhat order vve come to the Father: Wee muſt firſt begin at the Trueth, then, by the vvord of Trueth, vve muſt be led to Life: and then, we muſt goe on, piece and piece, in that Life: vvee muſt continue and perſeuer in it: and ſo doing, it is not poſſible, but at laſt vvee ſhall come into that eternall Life, vvhichwhich is hid vp in God, and ſhall bee reuealed in that great day. Then, in a vvord, vvouldeſt thou hauehave the ſumme of all that vve hauehave ſpoken in this matter? This is it, Euen that vvee belieue in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt: The vvay to the Father, is Chriſt: vvhen vvee belieue in him, vvee are vvalking in this vvay: vvhen our fayth increaſeth piece and piece, vvee goe on forward, vve continue, and perſeuer in that vvay.
Now in the ende of the verſe, he preuenteth, and anſwereth the thing, that ſome might hauehave objected againſt this doctrine, That he was the way: for it might hauehave bene ſaid to Chriſt, Albeit thou bee the way to the Father, yet thou art not the only way; there are many other wayes beſide thee. To this the Lord anſwereth, I am the onelie waye to come to the Father: for (ſayeth hee) None commeth to the Father, but by mee: That is, I am ſo the waye, to the Father, that there is none other waye to come to the Father beſide me: And whoſoeuer ſeeketh to come to the Father by another way beſide me: or whoſoeuer ſeeketh to come to the Father any other way, but by me, he ſhall be diſappointed, he ſhall neuer find the Father: thou that ſeeks to come to Heauē another way, nor by Chriſt, I giuegive thee that doome, thou ſhalt neuer ſee Heauen, Men dreame to themſelues another way to come to Heauen, nor by Chriſt: the Papiſts deceiue themſelues, and the whole worlde; teaching them to ſeeke Heauen, by their owne merits, by their own works, and to come to the Father by the mediation & interceſsion of Angels, of the Saincts departed, &c. But all this is folly, for there is one only way to Heauen, and that a very ſtrait and narrow way, by Ieſus Chriſt: Indeed the way to Hell is a very broade way: that is, there are many wayes that leade to damnation: for there is not a ſinne that thou committeſt againſt God, but it leadeth thee to Hell: Whoredome leadeth a man to Hell, Murder leadeth a man to Hell, Drunkenneſſe leadeth a man to Hell; all the foule affections of thine heart, leade thee to Hell: But there is one only way to come to Heauen, Fayth in Ieſus Chriſt. Therefore, thou who wouldeſt come to Heauen, and dwell with the Father for euer, leaue all other wayes, for they are but pathes, that leade to damnation: and take thee to that only one way: belieue in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and through him thou ſhalt bee aſſured to get life and glory. To this Lord Ieſus, with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all prayſe, and honour, for euer. Amen.