The Lambs Spouse, Section 4
The fourth Section.
THe priuiledges and prerogatiues of this mariage, remaine to bee considered, and they are principally foure: first a perpetuall and solemne sabboth, which the saints of God shall inuiolably obserue in singing the new song of their redemption, Apoc. 14. 3. they with one voyce and heart shall singe, and acknowledge that Christ hath redeemed them to God by his bloud out of eueryevery kindered, and tongue, and people, and nation, Apoc. 5. 9. and hath made them vntounto their God, Kings, and Priests, and in the 7. chap. 10. 11. 12. they shall found forth this foreign, or thankesgiuing: and they cried saying, saluation commeth of our God that sitteth vponupon the throne, and the lambe, and they shall fall before the throne on their faces, and worship God saying, Amen, praise, and glory, and wisdome, and thankes, and honour, and power, and might, be vntounto our God for euermore, Amen. Finally their voice shalbe like the voice of great …aters and as the vyoce of strong thunder, saying halleluia, our Lord GOD all mighty hath raigned, Apoc. 19. 6. more-heareof … may read, Isai. 66. 22. Apo. 21. 3. Apoc. 11. 17. but this Sabboth shalbe without peculier Preist, for all shalbe preists vntounto God, it shalbe without Temple, or Ceremonies, for God, and the Lambe are the Temple of it, and shall supply these occasious.
Wherefore seeing that there is an eternall rest in Heauen, and that our Sabboth, which according to Christ his institution, the Apostles practise, & the custome of the vinuersal Church, we keepe the first day of the weeke in memory, and honour of Christs resurrection, is a tipe, and representation of it, it must reach vsus to obserue it, both incorruptly touching the out-ward forme, and spiritually touching the the inward disposition of our mindes, and hearts, or els we shall neuer keepe it in heauen, for God will neuer honour vsus in Heauen Luke. 9. 26. vnles we honour him in earth, and neuer perfect vsus in heauen, vnlesse by the workes of sanctification wee begin it heare, Apoc. 20. 6. 7.
The second priuiledge, and prerogatiue is the actuall, and eternall inheritance, and possessing of the new heauen and the new earth, part of the dowry, & ioynter of the Saints. 1. Pet. 1. 4. Apo. 5. 10. 2. Pet. 3. 13. Rom. 8. 21. 22. Math. 5. Now whether they shall sometimes by locall motion, and bodily presence, (albeit some new, and learned writers out of the. Apoc. 5. 10. and Apo. 21. 8. 2. Pet. 3. 13. before named, and from the nature of a glorified body that can both, ascend, and discend at his pleasure, doe collect, and would conclud it) or which is more probable, and likely by vision, and heauenly contemplation, and noe absurdite, for if Saint Steuen being on earth and hauing noe doubt his eyes, for the present clarified, looked vp into Heauen, and saw Christ sitting on the right hand of God. Act. 7. ver. 56. why may not a glorified body by his glorified eyes, and the aire, and skye, being also purified looke downe from Heauen, and contemplate the Earth &c. But because this poynt is difficult, and the knowledg of it, is rather coniecturall then certaine, wee must bee content to bee ignorant of it, vntell the day, when all secrets shalbe made manifest; and let vsus in the meane time make some vse of the point as most may concerne vsus; Here is matter of consolatiō for poore Christians, that either neuer actually possessed any worldly goods, lands, or liuings, as Lazarus, and others, or hauehave beene with the religious Hebrewes, by the enimies of the truth dispoiled, and depriued of them, Heb. 10. 34. or els by the men of the earth, whose portion is (as it is to be feared) in most, or many of them (only) in this life, and that enclose, and hedge in, al to themselues and their proper vses, vnmercifully turning men out of home, house, and liuing; well let them possesse, their soules in patience, and in faith, and hope, apprehend and waite for it, for they shall one day inherite the new Heauen, and the new Earth, they shall hauehave roome enough, and larg demaines when their enimies repining at it, shall remaine foreuer excluded, and excomunicated from them, and it.
The third preuiledge is that the Godly then compleatly, and perfectly, and foreign shalbe all kings, preists, Prophets, Apoc. 5. 10. and so partake of Christ his dignity, and offices, As Kings they shall raigne with Christ, and triumph ouer Satan, and all the wicked, yea, and treade them vnderunder their feete Rom 6. 20. Mal. 4. 3. As Preists they shall eternally praise God, and the Lambe for the redemption of his people. &c. and perfectly obey his will Apoc. 22. 3.
And as Prophets they shal (as far forth as is possible for a finite, and circumscriptible creature) knowe GOD, and see him, and exquisitely vnderstand all things that shall concerne their felicitie. 1. Ioh. 3. 3. 2. Cor. 12.
Vse. Wherefore if euer wee looke, and hope to be Kings, Priests, and Prophets in Heauen, let vsus as spiritually, so conscionably practise these offices in earth: for the practise of them in this life, and in the life to come differ not in essence, and substance, but onelyonly in place, and degrees, let vsus then as Kings rule, and raigne ouer …ur affections, and desires, and gouerne our familyes (like so many little Churches) in the feare of GOD. Let vsus as Priests consecrate our selues, soules, and bodies to Christ, and his worship, and seruice, and pray continually to GOD in behalfe of our selues, and our domestiques. Lastly, let vsus as Prophets, labour to bee rich in the knowledge, and vnderstanding of Gods will, and so (to our vtmost power, and skill) impart, it (as occasion, and our calling shall require) vntounto others, especially to those of our owne family. Gen. 18, ver. 17. 18. The fourth priuiledge of the Saints in glory is their glorious, and perpetuall triumph, and perfect victory ouer sinne, death, hell, satan, and his angels, and all the reprobate whatsoeuer. Sinne, and death, and hell shalbe a bolished, and cease foreuer. 1. Cor. 15. 55. 56. 57. & in respect of the Godly bee destroied, as Apoc. 20. 14. Antichrist, and his members shall no more assaulte, and persecute vsus, for the beast, and the false Prophet shall be cast aliue into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, Apoc. 19. 20. and all the members, and worshippers of the beast shall drinke of the pure wrath, and …ee tormented in fire, and brimstone before the Holy Angels, and before the Lambe. Apoc. 14. 10, 11. they shall goe forth, and looke vponupon the Carcases of the men that hauehave transgressed, Isa. 66. 24. Finally the Saints shall treade downe sathan, and all their enemies vnderunder their feete, Rom. 16. 20. and shall stand before the Throne, and before the Lambe cloathed with long white robes, (Uiz. of purity, and inocency,) and hauing palmes, (in signification of victory) in their hands. Apoc. 7. 9.
Vse. Wherefore the due consideration of this last prerogatiue, as also of the former must kindle, and worke in vsus, an earnest, and continuall expectation, and longing after our full, and finall redemption, and perfect glorification. The dutifull wife should not so long, and looke for the returne of her husband, farre, and long time absent, the husbandman so hope, and waite for the haruest; the Mariner the hauen, the wayfaring-man, his iorneyes ende, the woman in trauell her deliuerance, the Captiue his liberty, as wee should wish, and waite for, pray for, and expect the time of the marriage, and our consumation.
Vse. If wee would bee perfect conquerers, and raigne, and triumph with Christ in Heauen, we must in earth take his part against the mighty. Iudg. 5. 23. We must vnderunder the condu…t of our generall Christ Iesus our Heauenly Michaell, as his Angels, and souldiers, fight against the dragon, and his Angells, and wee shall ouercome by the bloud of the Lambe, and by the worde of his testimony, and by not louing our liues vntounto death. Apoc. 12. 7. 11. Finally wee must put on the whole armour of GOD; fayth, hope, conscience, confession, and profession of the truth, righteousnesse, and the sworde of the Spirit which is the worde of GOD, Ephesi. 6. 13. And wee must pray constantly with all manner of prayer, and supplications in the Spirit for our selues, and for all Saints. &c. And by the right vse, and continuall handling of these, wee shall crucifie the flesh with the affectons, and lustes thereof. Gallathians. 5. 24, wee shalbe able to resist in the euill day, and hauing finished all things to stand fast, and wee shall ouercome sathan▪ and all his batteries, and temptations; and then after all our fight, contention and victory ended, wee shall in the life to come, eate of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradice of GOD, Apoc. 2. 17. we shall eate of the hidden Manna, Apoc. 2. 17. wee shall hauehave power ouer nations, vers. 26. wee shall bee cloathed with white araye, and our name neuer put out of the Booke of life, Chap. 35. wee shall be pillers in Gods house, and goe out no more, 16, 12. And to conclude, we shall sit with Christ in his Throne, euen as he sitteth with his Father in his throne, Apoc. 3. 21. which God at length fulfill, and accomplish in vsus, for his most deerely beloued sonnes sake, Iesus Christ our onelyonly, and all-sufficient redeemer, and mediator, Amen.
NOw we are briefly to consider the place where this marriage shalbe solemnized, and all this glory, ioy, and priuileges eternally possessed, & communicated vntounto vsus. The place therfore is the highest heauens, the throne of GOD, and the Lambe, the heauenly Hierusalem, the Cittie of the liuing God, Paradise, the seates, and habitations of the saints, & Angels, the wedding chamber: and finally, the new heauen & the new earth. This blessed heauen is a place in respect of substance subiect to no change, and corruption, in respect of quantity, and extent farre exceeding other places, and of sufficient capacitie to receiue all the elect of God; in respect of qualities, it is of all places most bright, most glorious, most pleasant: finally it is such a place wherin no euill can be feared, and no good can be wanting, and in which GOD doth offer himselfe to bee seene of men and Angels face to face; and the humanitie of CHRIST more glorious then the Sunne▪ shall bee seene, and bee beheld with vsus, euen with our bodily eyes. Apoc. 21. the whole Chapter, and Chapter 22 from the first verse to the sixt verse, Hebrew. 11. Iohn. 14.
Wherfore fat be it from vsus; that vainly looking for a visible Church heere without all spot, or wrinckle in order, and maner, and seeing, and finding it not, proudly, vnthankfully, rashly, and without cause to deuide, and seperate our selues (as is the maner of Schismatickes) frō the Church of God, which notwithstāding al other defects, whether in doctrine that is not fundamental or policy. yet firmely and purely retaineth the scūd Preaching of Apostolicall doctrine, pure inuocation of Gods name in Christ, and right vse of the two Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Lords supper, for these notes are essentiall, substantiall, and of the life of the Church, other things are outward, accidentall, and circumstantial, and rather of the comelinesse, well beeing, and ornament, then, of the simple necessity, and essence of the Church, yet it were to be much wished that the defects were supplied, abuses remoued, & corruptions taken away, but it must bee done by thē who hauehave lawfull authority▪ & in order without tumult, and rashnes, and repugnance, cause, and sound ground, In the meane time, it is the dutie of priuate persons to take the benefit of the word, and sacramēts with thankesgiuing, least God for their vnthākefulnes in time take it away, and to pray for the amendment of that which is amisse, and patiently expecting it, in the interim to walke in their seuerall callings with diligence, and conscience.
Vse. 2. Seeing all blisse, felicitie, and euer-during happinesse is onelyonly in heauen, and not in earth▪ wee must not rest in these temporall and transitorie things of honour, wealth, preferment, beauty, buildings, credit pleasure, delights, recreations, outward peace, and prosperitie, neither must wee thinke that true felicitie and happinesse consisteth herein; for first all these are vncertaine, and transitorie, as the grasse, vapor, flower, shaddow, they are like Ionas his gourde of one dayes continuance, and are like Reeds, or rotten posts fayling, and causing them to fall that leane vponupon them.
Secondly they are rather (by reason of our corrupt nature) fnares, baits, and traps to deceiue, and hurt vsus (as infinite, examples euince) thē simply meanes, and instruments of our selicity, and faluation.
Thirdly they cannot saue our soules, and make vsus blessed before GOD, as Solomon acknowledged when hee called them all vanity of vanities, but this worke is proper onelyonly to grace, and GODS speciall mercy in Christ.
Fourthly, they are no especiall, and proper endowments of Gods, Church, and Children, (though sometimes they in good sort enioy them, and pertake of them) for the wicked commonly possesse them in farre greater measure then the Godly who are rather rich in minde, and in grace, then in these externall, and perishable profits, honours, and pleasures. Wherefore wee must eleuate our hearts, and mindes farre aboue these earthly, and momentary things, and seeke the things aboue; wee must get vsus vp into the mountaine of deuine contemplation, and by the eyes of true fayth, behold▪ and view our Country the Heauenly Canaan: we hauehave no abiding Citie here, wherefore we must seeke one to come hauing a foundation, Heb. 11. verse.whose builder, and maker is GOD. And as for these worldly, and outward things wee must onelyonly vse them so farre forth as they are lawfull, and are helpes vntounto vsus for the furthering of of our Iorney, & the aduancement of Godlinesse, and no otherwise; for els it is better that they should perish then wee; and it is farre better that wee should alienate▪ and withdrawe our mindes, and affections from them, then that they should seperate vsus from GOD (as they doe the most) and depriue vsus of the kingdome of Heauen; and in this case if they were as deere, and necessary vntounto vsus, as our eyes, handes, feete, yea Fathers, and Mothers, yet we must cut them off, and hate them.
And thus much touching the place.
The fourth and the last branche, is the manifold vses and applications of this doctrine of the heauenly mariage; first by consideration hereof, wee must be stirred vp, and doe our vtmost endeuour to mortifie, and ouercome all worldly desires, and earthly pleasures; for otherwise we cannot addict and wedde our selues to these, and withall truely prepare our selues for the comming of Christ: for touching riches, and worldly cares, there is such an antipathy, an opposition betweene them and grace, that the one cannot consist without the other: for as the eye cannot at one instant, beholde heauen and earth, euen so a man cannot serue GOD and the world together, they are so aduerse and contrarie; And as those places where gold and siluer growe, are in all other respects most barraine, and fruitlesse, so where the louelove of money, riches, and the world doe beare swaye, and preuaile, there true zeale, and sincere godlinesse can neuer▪ bee found; and as touching pleasures, they are the matter, and fewell of euill desires, they are honey mixt with poyson, and they are as Haw-thornes, and bryers, which albeit some-times they beare goodly leaues, and flowers; yet if a man gripe them hard, they will pricke and wound him; wherefore it standeth vsus vponupon to be wary of them, and when wee vse them, to vse them charily and moderately.
Vse. 2. Secondly, wee must learne hence to bee forward, and constant in well-doing, and still to repaire our ruines, and prepare our selues vntill the last breath; for hee onelyonly that continueth (in godlinesse, and patience) to the end, hee shall bee saued, hee that is found watching and wakefull at his maisters comming, shall be blessed, Luk. 12. 36. 37. and he that fainteth not in weldoing shall in due time reape Math. 24. 13. Luke. 12. 38. Gal. 6. 9. Otherwise we, if we faile neuer so prosperously, and sinke at the Hauen mouth; if we trauell directly to Heauen, and turne backe almost at our iorneyes end; if wee doe God good and faithfull seruice in our youth, and afterwards proue faithles, and prefidious in our elder yeares; and finally if we begin in the spirit, and end in the flesh all our former endeuours labours, and sufferings are to noe purpose, all our righteousnes shal be forgotten, and we shall die in the sinnes and transgress…ns that we hauehave committed, Eze. 18. 24. Wherefore if the hope of Ransomming worke patience in the captiue, assurance of liberty, and freedome constant labour, and faithfulnes in the prenrise▪ and seruant; and expectation of victory, and spoile, constant resolution, and valowrous courage in the souldier: why should not much more the certaine, and vndoub…ed hope, and assurance of this happines, and eternall coniunction with Christ make, & moue vsus to be constant, & vnmoueable in all duty of piety, charity, & Iustice, knowing that our workes are not in vaine in the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 58.
Vse 3. Thirdly the assured expectation of this Heauenly, and glorious vnion must teach vsus with the patriarks, Prophets, Apostles, Martirs, Confessors and with all the Saints of God both of former, and also of later time to endure and vnderunder goe all sicknesses, trials, afflictions, losses, contempts, and persecutions ioyfully, and patiently, Heb. 11. 25. 2. Cor. 4. 16. 17. 18. and Heb. 11. 8. 9. For first they are but momentary, and neuer beyond the date, and terme of this life, secondly Christs yoake is easie and his bu… then light▪ Mat. 11. 31. & he wil lay vponupon his no greater burden, then he will make them able to beare. 1. Cor. 10. 13. But will giuegive foreign idest an issue, and euasion with the temptation. Lastly GOD will recompence, and reward these temporary, and transitory euills, and sufferings with an infinite waight of glory in all his Saints. 2. Cor. 4. 17. 18.
Vse. Fourthly the vse of this doctrine serueth notably to mollifie, and mitigate the sorrowes of death, and all the paines, and pangs of it, for the stinge of it, (viz. eternall condemnation,) is taken away. 1. Cor. 15. ver. 55. 56. Secondly it is not a plague vntounto vsus, but onelyonly a temporary correction, nay a narrow wicket, or gate to intromit, and send vsus forthwith into the possession of eternall life. Apoc. 14. 13. for if wee bee loosed then we goe straitly to the Lord. Phil. 1. 23. if wee remoue hence wee dwell with the Lord, & are married vntounto him. 2. Cor. 5. 8. and (to end the poynt) wee rest from all the labours of this life; and our workes (First the rewarde of them in mercy, and fauour) follow, and attend vponupon vsus as an honourable guard. Apoc. 14. 13. Wherfore let vsus not feare death & dā nation, but let vsus arme our selues with faith, & hope, & let vsus often, & seriously meditate vponupon the life to come, & the glory of it, and wee shall (when the time is come) be willing to die, & die with much comfort, and assurance.
Lastly (amongst many other vses) wee must not mourne vnmeasurably for our friends, and kinsfolkes, or any other that liue, and die in the Lord, for they are with God, & in perfect blisse. And as any man will rather reioyce, then sorrow, if his sonne, daughter, friend, kinsman bee happely, worshipfully, honourably, preferred in marriage, albeit hee is otherwise to want their ordinary company, and presence, so should wee rather reioyce that they now are perfited, and most honourably, and gloriously wedded to Iesus Christ, their King, and head, then mourne as they that hauehave no hope.
It is indeede lawfull, and fit to mourne, for nature, and religion warranteth it, but it must bee in measure, and for our sinnes that hauehave depriued vsus of them, & for that the Church feeleth and findeth the losse of them, then for any priuate and carnall respect, and herein notwithstanding wee must submit our wills to Gods will, and rather labour to im…sitate their excellent and manifold vertues, then to lament immoderately, or ouer-long for their departure; but alas the world knoweth not, nor acknowledgeth good, and godly men. The righteous, and mercifull men, (as wee hauehave had lamentable experience within these few yeares) of all rancks and callings, dye, they are taken away from the euill, and rest in peace, and no man considereth it in heart, or vnderstandeth it. Isa. 57. 1. and therefore because the world maketh no more account of them, and is not worthy of them, GOD most iustly depriueth them of their presence and comfort.
And thus much of the solemnization, and the priuiledges and vses of it.