Dying Thoughts Upon Philippians 1:23, Appendix · Part 2
The Reaſons and Helps of my Belief and Hope of this Perfection.
1. NAtural Reaſon aſſureth me that God made all Creatures fitted to their intended uſe: Even Bruits are more fit for their ſeveral Offices, than Man is. He giveth no Creature its faculties in vain: Whatever a wiſe Man maketh, he fits it to the uſe which he made it for. But Man's Faculties are Enabled to think of a God, of our relation and our duty to him, of our hopes from him, and our fears of him: Of the ſtate of our Souls related to his judgment; of what will befall us after Death, reward or puniſhment, and how to prepare for it: This Nature, and its faculties, and powers, are not made in vain.
II. Reaſon aſſureth me that all men are bound by Nature to prefer the leaſt probability of a Life of Everlaſting Joy, before all the Proſperity of this World; and to ſuffer the loſs of all this ſhort Vanity, to eſcape the leaſt poſſibility of endleſs miſery: And Nature hath ſuch notices of Rewards and Puniſhments after Death, that no Man can ſay that he is ſure there is no ſuch thing. From whence it followeth that all men are bound by the very Law of Nature to be Religious, and to ſeek firſt and moſt their Salvation in the Life to come. And if ſo, It's certain that there is ſuch a thing to be obtained: Elſe God had made the very Nature of Man to be deceived by itſelf, and to ſpend the chief part, yea all his life, through labour and ſuffering for that which is not; and ſo made his greateſt duty to be his greateſt deceit and miſery: And the worſt men ſhould be leaſt deceived. But all this is not to be imputed to our wiſe and good Creator.
III. The univerſal ſenſe of Moral Good and Evil in all Mankind, is a great evidence of another life. The vileſt Atheiſt cannot abide to be accounted a Knave, a Lyer, a bad Man; nor will equal a vicious Servant with another. All would be thought good who will not be good. And doth not God make a greater difference than Man? And will he not ſhew it?
IV. The World is actually ruled much by the hopes and fears of another life, and cannot well be ruled without it, according to the Nature of Man: But the Almighty, moſt Wiſe and moſt Holy God, needs not, and will not rule the World by meer deceit.
V. The Goſpel of Chriſt hath brought Life and Immortality into a clearer Light than that of Nature. And it muſt be by believing in Chriſt that we muſt have our full ſatisfaction. O what hath God done in the Wonders of Redemption to make us ſure? And againſt the doubts that are apt to riſe from ſome hard particular Text of Scripture, it muſt be conſidered, I. That Chriſt and his Apoſtles did put the aſcertaining Seal of the many uncontrolled Miracles to the Goſpel Doctrin, primarily; which Doctrin, 1. Was delivered and ſealed Eight years before any of the New Teſtament was written, and almoſt Seventy before the laſt. 2. And Chriſt did not ſpeak in the Language that the Goſpel is written to us; ſo that being but a Tranſlation as to his own Words, the Matter is the thing firſt ſealed.
II. And that it was the two Legiſlator-Mediators, Moſes and Chriſt, who came with the great ſtream of uncontrolled Miracles; It being neceſſary that men ſhould have full proof that a Law or Doctrin is of God, before they believe it: But the Prieſts and Prophets after Moſes, and the Preachers and Paſtors of the Chriſtian Church, who were not Commiſſioned to bring men any New Laws or Goſpel, but to proclaim and teach that which they received, needed no ſuch New Teſtimony of Miracles.
III. The Belief of every particular Prieſt or Prophet after Moſes, or every Paſtor after Chriſt and his Apoſtles, was not of the ſame degree of neceſſity to Salvation, as the belief of the Law and Goſpel itſelf. Therefore though all the Holy Scripture be true, the Law and the Goſpel muſt be much differenced from the reſt.
IV. The Hiſtory of the Law and Goſpel have full aſcertaining hiſtorical Evidence; or elſe there is none ſuch in the World. Therefore the Doctrin muſt be true.
V. The Propheſies fulfilled prove the Goſpel true.
VI. And the Divine Impreſs on the whole.
VII. And the ſanctifying work of the Spirit wrought by it, in all Nations and Ages, on ſerious Believers, is a conſtant Divine atteſtation.
VIII. And as my Faith hath ſo ſure a Foundation, it confirmeth my Faith and Hope that it hath been ſo long and great a work of God by his Word and Spirit on my Soul, to raiſe it to believe, and love, and deſire that Holy ſtate of Perfection and Fruition which I hope for: That which hath made me ſo much better than I elſe had been, and turned my Heart and Life, (though imperfectly) to things above the Pleaſures of the Fleſh, muſt needs be of God: And God would never ſend his Grace to work my Heart to Deceit and Lies, and give me ſuch Graces as ſhall all be fruſtrate: His Spirit is the Earneſt and firſt Fruits of Glory.
IX. And all the courſe of Religious and Moral duty which he hath commanded me, and in which he hath employed my life, were never impoſed to deceive me; I am ſure by Nature and Scripture that it is my Duty to love God and my Neighbour, to deſire Perfection, and to ſerve God, and do good with all my time and power, and to truſt God for my reward, believing that all this ſhall not be in vain; nor that which is beſt be made my loſs. O bleſſed be God for Commands and Holy Duty: For they are equal to Promiſes: Who can fear that he ſhall loſe by ſeeking God?
X. As God hath ſealed the Truth of his Word as aforeſaid, ſo he hath by an inſtituted Office and Ordinance, ſealed and delivered to my ſelf, his Covenant with the gift of Chriſt and Life, in Baptiſm, and the Lord's Supper.
XI. He hath given me ſuch a love to Holy Things and Perſons, that I greatly long to ſee his Church in perfect Light, and Love, and Concord: Oh how ſweet would it be to ſee all men Wiſe, and Holy, and Joyfully praiſing God: Every Chriſtian longs for this: And therefore ſuch a ſtate will be.
XII. I have found here the great benefit of the Love and Miniſtry of Angels, ſuch as is deſcribed in Pſal. 91. They have kept me Night and Day; which confirmeth my hope, that I ſhall dwell with them; for I love them better than men, becauſe they love and ſerve God better.
XIII. That low communion which I have here with God by Chriſt and the Spirit, in his anſwer to my Prayers, Supports, Comforts, Experiences, tends to more.
XIV. The pleaſure which I have by Love in thinking of the happineſs of my many, many, many holy departed Friends, and of the Glory of Chriſt, and the heavenly Jeruſalem, is ſure ſome hopeful approach towards their ſtate.
XV. When I ſee the Fire mount upward, and think that Spirits are of a more ſublime and excellent Nature than Fire. And when I ſee that all that is done in this World, is done by Spiritual unſeen powers, which move this groſs and droſſie Matter, it puts me paſt doubt that my Soul being a Spirit, hath a vaſt and glorious World of Spirits to aſcend to. God hath by Nature put into all things an aggregative uniting inclination. Earth hath no other natural motion. The aſcent of Fire tells us its Element is above: And Spirit… naturally incline to Spirits, and holy Spirits peculiarly are inclined to the Holy.
XVI. I am ſure, 1. By underſtanding that I underſtand, and by willing that I will, &c. 2. I am ſure by theſe Acts that I have the power or faculties to do them. For none doth that which it cannot do. 3. And I know that it is a ſubſtance that hath theſe powers: For nothing can do nothing.
My Soul then being certainly an intellective, Volitive, Vital ſubſtance; 1. I have no reaſon to think that God who annihilateth not the leaſt Sand, will annihilate ſo noble a ſubſtance.
2. Nor that he will deſtroy thoſe Powers which are its Eſſential form, and turn it into ſome other thing.
3. Nor that ſuch Eſſential powers ſhall lie as dead unactive, and ſo be continued in vain.
4. There remaining therefore nothing uncertain to natural Reaſon, but the continuance of Individuation to ſeparate Souls. 1. Apparitions, and Wirches caſes have put that out of doubt, notwithſtanding many Fables and Deluſions. 2. Chriſt hath put it more out of doubt. 3. While ſubſtance, faculties and acts continue, it is the errour of our ſelfiſh ſtate in Fleſh, which maketh any fear too near a Union which ſhall end our individuation. The greateſt Union will be the greateſt Perfection, and no loſs to Souls.
XVII. God's wonderful Providences for the Church and ſingle Saints on Earth, are ſuch as tell us of that love and care, which will bring them afterwards to him.
XVIII. The Nature of God taketh off the terrour of my departure much: I am ſure I ſhall die at the will, and into the Hand of Infinite Eſſential Love and Goodneſs: whoſe love ſhould draw up my longing Soul.
XIX. I am going to a God whoſe Mercies have …ong told me, that he loveth me better than my deareſt Friend doth, and better than I love my ſelf, and is a far better chooſer of my lot.
XX. As he hath abſolute right to diſpoſe of his own, ſo indeed the fulfilling of his Will, is the ultimate end of all things, and therefore moſt deſirable in itſelf And his will ſhall be fulfilled on me.
XXI. I go to a glorified Saviour who came down to fetch me up, and hath conquered and ſanctified Death, and made it my Birth-day for Glory, and taketh me for his dear bought own and intereſt, and is in Glory ready to receive his own.
XXII. I go to that Saviour who on the Croſs commended his Spirit into his Fathers Hand, and taught me with dying Stephen to ſay, Lord Jeſus receive my Spirit.
XXIII. I go no ſolitary untrodden way, but follow all the Faithful ſince the death of Abel to this day, (ſave Henoch and Elias) who all went by Death into that glorious World where I ſhall find them.
XXIV. I have ſo long groaned under a languid Body, and in a blind, diſtracted, and by Man uncurable World, where Satan by Lies, Malice, and Murder reigneth in—alas how many, and ſpecially am ſo weary of my own darkneſs and ſinful imperfection, that I have great reaſon to be willing of deliverance.
XXV. I have had ſo large a ſhare of Mercies in this World already, in time, and manifold comforts from God, that reaſon commandeth me to reſt in God's time for my removal.
XXVI. I ſhall leave ſome fruits not uſeleſs to ſerve the Church when I am gone: and if good be done, I have my end.
XXVII. When I am gone, God will raiſe up and uſe others to do his appointed work on Earth: And a Church ſhall be continued to his praiſe: And the Spirits in Heaven will rejoice therein.
XXVIII. When I am gone, I ſhall not wiſh to be again on Earth.
XXIX. Satan by his temptations and all his inſtruments would never have done ſo much as he doth in the World to keep us from Heaven, if there were not a Heaven which Conquerors obtain.
XXX. When darkneſs and uncertainty of the manner of the action and fruition of ſeparated Souls would daunt me, it is enough to know explicitely ſo much as is explicitely revealed, and implicitely to truſt Chriſt with all the reſt: Our Eyes are in our Head; who knoweth for us? Knowledg of Glory is part of fruition: And therefore we muſt expect here no more than is ſuited to a life of Faith.
XXXI. All my part is to do my own duty and then truſt God; obeying his commanding will, and fully and joyfully reſting in his diſpoſing and rewarding will. There is no reſt for Souls but in the Will of God, and there with full Truſt to repoſe our Souls in Life and at Death, is the only way of a ſafe and comfortable departure.
XXXII. The glorious Marriage day of the Lamb cannot now be far off, when the number of the Elect ſhall be compleat, and Chriſt will come with his glorious Angels, and will be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all Believers, and there ſhall be a New Heaven, and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteouſneſs, and that Kingdom ſhall come, where that which God hath prepared for them that love him, Eye hath not ſeen, Ear hath not heard, nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man to have a formal, full conception of it.
Come Lord Jeſus; come quickly, Amen.
Fear not then, O my Soul, to lay down this Fleſh: Mercy hath kept it up for my preparing work; but, O what a burdenſom and chargeable a Companion hath it been! Is it better than the dwelling place of perfect Spirits? O what are my groans and all my cold and faint Petitions, and my dull Thanksgiving, to their harmonious joyful Praiſe? If a Day in God's Courts be better than a Thouſand, what is a Day, yea, what is Everlaſtingneſs in the heavenly Society and Work; O how hateful a thing is darkneſs and unbelief, when the remnants of them thus ſtop poor Souls in their aſcent: And make us half unwilling to go home? What! unwilling to be with my glorified Lord? Unwilling to be with Saints and Angels, who are all Life, & Light, and Love? Unwilling to ſee the Glory of Jehovah? O fooliſh ſinful Soul! Hath Chriſt done ſo much to purchaſe the heavenly Glory for thee, and now art thou unwilling to go into the poſſeſſion of it? Haſt thou been ſeeking, and praying, and labouring, and ſuffering ſo many Years, for that which now thou ſeemeſt ſcarce willing to obtain? Doſt thou not judge thy ſelf unworthy of Eternal Life, when thou no more deſireſt to enjoy it? All this is long of thy too much adherence unto SELF and SENSE: Thou art ſtill deſiring ſenſitive ſatisfaction, and not content to know thy part, wouldſt know that for thy ſelf, which Chriſt knoweth for thee: As if thou couldſt better truſt thy ſelf than him? Fear not, weak Soul, it is our Fathers good pleaſure to give thee the Kingdom: Truſt infinite Power, Wiſdom, and Love: Truſt that faithful gracious Saviour who hath ſo wonderfully merited to be truſted: Truſt that promiſe which never deceived any one? and which is confirmed by ſo many Miracles, and by the Oath, and by the Spirit of God. Whenever thou departeſt from this houſe of Fleſh, the Arms of Mercy are open to embrace thee, yea, Eſſential tranſcendent Love is ready to receive thee: The Spirit of Love hath ſealed thee to that bleſſed ſtate? Chriſt will preſent thee juſtified and accepted. Moſt of my old holy familiar Friends are gone before me, and all the reſt that died ſince the World began. And the few imperfect ones left behind, are haſting after them apace, and if I go before will quickly overtake me: Though they weep as if it were for a long ſeparation, it is their great miſtake: The gate of Death ſtands all Day open, and my ſorrowful Friends are quickly following me, as I am now following thoſe for whom I ſorrowed. O pitty them who are left a while under the temptations, dangers and fears which have ſo long been thy own affliction? But be not afraid of the Day of thy deliverance, and the boſom of everlaſting Love, and the Society of the wiſe, and juſt, and holy, and of the end of all thy troubles, and the entrance into the Joy of thy Lord, and the place and ſtate of all thy hope. O ſay, not notionally only as from argumentative conviction, but confidently and with glad deſire and hope TO DEPART AND BE WITH CHRIST, IS FAR BETTER than to be here.
But, O my God, I have much more hope in ſpeaking to thee, than to my ſelf. Long may I plead with this dark and dull, yet fearful Soul, before I can plead it into joyful hope and heavenly deſires, unleſs thou ſhine on it with the light of thy Countenance, and Thou whom my Soul muſt Truſt and Love, wilt give me Faith and Love themſelves. I thank Thee for convincing Arguments: But had this been all the ſtrength of my Faith and Hope, the tempter might have proved too ſubtile for me in diſpute. I thank thee that ſome experience tells me, that a holy Appetite to heavenly Work, and a love to the heavenly Company and State, doth more to make me willing to die, and think with Pleaſure of my change, than ever bare Arguments would have done. O ſend down the ſtreams of thy love into my Soul, and that will powerfully draw it up by longings for the near and full fruition. O give me more of the divine and heavenly Nature, and it will be natural and eaſie to me to deſire to be with Thee! Send more of the heavenly Joys into this Soul, and it will long for Heaven, the place of Joy. I muſt not hope on Earth for any ſuch acquaintance with the World above, as is proper to the enjoying ſtate. But if the Sun can ſend its illuminating, warming Rays, to ſuch a World as this, according to the various diſpoſition of Recipients; doubtleſs Thou haſt thy effectual, though unſearchable, waies, of illuminating, ſanctifying, and attractive influence on Souls. And one ſuch Beam of thy pleaſed Face, one Taſte of thy complacencial Love, will kindle my love and draw up my deſires, and make my pains and ſickneſs tolerable; I ſhall then put off this cloathing with the leſs reluctancy, and willingly leave my Fleſh to the Duſt, and ſing my Nunc dimittis, when I have thus ſeen and taſted thy Salvation. O my God, Let not thy ſtrengthning comforting grace now forſake me, leſt it ſhould overwhelm me with the fears of being finally forſaken. Dwell in me as the God of Love and Joy, that I may long to dwell in Love and Joy with Thee for ever. As Grace abounded where ſin abounded, let thy ſtrengthning and comforting Mercy abound, when weakneſs increaſeth, and my neceſſities abound. My Fleſh and my Heart… faileth, but Thou art the ſtrength of my Heart and my Portion for ever. This ſhort life is almoſt at an end: But thy loving kindneſs is better than life: I know not with what pains thou wilt further trie me: But if I love Thee, thou haſt promiſed that all things ſhall work together for my good. The World that I am going to by Death is not apparent to my ſight. But my life is hid with Chriſt in God; and becauſe he liveth we ſhall live; and we ſhall be with him where he is; and when he appeareth we ſhall appear with him in Glory; and ſhall enter into our Maſters joy, and be for ever with the Lord, Amen.