The Saints Everlasting Rest, Treatise 1 · Chapter 7 · Section 6
SECT. VI.§. 6.
SIxthly.6It will be a seasonable Rest. Mark 12.2. Luke 20.10. Psal. 1.3. Isa. 50.4. Again, a further excellency is this: It will be unto us a seasonable Rest. He that expecteth the fruit of his Vineyard in season, and maketh his people as Trees planted by the waters, fruitful in their season; he will also give them the Crown in season. He that will have the words of Joy spoken to the weary in season, will sure cause that time of Joy to appear in the meetest season. And they who knew the season of Grace, and did repent and believe in season,Gal 6 9. shall also if they faint not, reap in season. If God will not miss the season of common Mercies, even to his enemies;Jere. 5 4. and 33.20. but will give both the former and latter rain in their season; and the appointed weeks of the Harvest in its season, and by an inviolable Covenant hath established day and night in their seasons: Then sure the Harvest of the Saints, and their day of gladness shall not miss its season. Doubtless he that would not stay a day longer then his promise,Exod. 12 40, 41. but brought Israel out of Egypt that self same day that the 430 yeers were expired; neither will he fail of one day or hour of the fittest season for his peoples glory. And as Christ failed not to come in the fulness of time, even then when Daniel and others had foretold his coming; so in the fulness and fitness of time will his second coming be. He that hath given the Stork ▪ Jere. 8.7.the Crane, the Swallow, to know their appointed time, will surely keep his time appointed. When we have had in this world a long night of sad darkness, will not the day-breaking, and the arising of the Sun of Righteousness be then seasonable? When we have endured a hard Winter in this cold Climate, will not the reviving Spring be then seasonable? When we have (as Paul) sailed slowly many days,Acts. 27.7, 9. and much time spent, and sailing now grown more dangerous; and when neither Sun nor Stars in many days appear, and no small tempest lieth on us, and all hope that we shall be saved, is almost taken away, do you think the Haven of Rest is not then seasonable? When we have passed a long and tedious Journey, and that through no small dangers; is not Home then seasonable? When we have had a long and perilous War, and have lived in the midst of furious Enemies, and have been forced to stand on a perpetual watch, and received from them many a wound; would not a Peace with Victory be now seasonable? When we have been captivated in many yeers imprisonment, and insulted over by scornful foes, and suffered many pinching wants, and hardly enjoyed bare necessaries; would not a full deliverance to a most plentiful State, even from this prison to a Throne, be now seasonable? Surely, a man would think who looks upon the face of the World, that Rest should to all men seem seasonable. Some of us are languishing under continual weakness, and groaning under most grievous pains, crying in the morning, Would God it were evening, and in the evening, Would God it were morning; weary of going, weary of sitting, weary of standing, weary of lying, weary of eating, of speaking, of waking, weary of our very friends, weary of our selves: O, how oft hath this been mine own case; and is not Rest yet seasonable? Some are complaining under the pressures of the times; weary of their Taxes, weary of their Quartering, weary of Plunderings, weary of their fears and dangers, weary of their poverty and wants; and is not Rest yet seasonable? Whither can you go, or into what company can you come, where the voyce of complaining doth not shew, that men live in a continual weariness? but especially the Saints, who are most weary of that which the world cannot feel. What godly society almost can you fall into, but you shall hear by their moans that somewhat aileth them? some weary of a blinde minde, doubting concerning the way they walk in, unsetled in almost all their thoughts; some weary of a hard heart, some of a proud, some of a passionate, and some of all these, and much more some weary of their daly doubtings, and feares concerning their spiritual estate; and some of the want of spiritual Joyes, and some of the sense of Gods wrath and is not Rest now seasonable? when a poor Christian hath desired, and prayed, and waited for deliverance many a year, is it not then seasonable? When he is ready almost to give up, and saith, I am afraid I shall not reach the end, and that my faith and patience will scarce hold out; is not this a fit season for Rest? If it were to Joseph a seasonable message, which called him from the Prison to Pharohs Court: Or if the return of his Benjamin, the tidings that Joseph was yet alive, and the sight of the Chariots, which should convoy him to Egypt, were seasonable for the Reviving of Jacobs Spirits; then me thinks, the message for a release from the flesh, and our convoy to Christ, should be a seasonable and welcome message.Dan. 6.19, &c. If the voice of the King were seasonable to Daniel, early in the morning calling him from his Den, that he might advance him to more then former dignity; then me thinks that morning voice of Christ our King, calling us from our terrors among Lyons, to possesse his Rest among his Saints, should be to us a very seasonable voice. Will not Canaan be seasonable after so many years travel, and that through a hazardous and grievous Wilderness? Indeed to the world its never in season: they are already at their own home; and have what they most desire: they are not weary of their present State; the Saints sorrow is their Joy; and the Saints weariness is their Rest; Their weary day is coming, where there is no more expectation of Rest: But for the thirsty soul to enjoy the fountain; and the hungry to be filled with the bread of Life; and the naked to be cloathed from above, for the children to come to their Fathers house, and the dis-joyned members, to be conjoyned with their Head; me thinks this should be seldom unseasonable. When the Atheistical world began to insult, and question the Truth of Scripture promises, and ask us, Where is now your God? where is your long lookt for glory? where is the promise of your Lords coming? O, how seasonable then, to convince these unbelievers, to silence these scoffers, to comfort the dejected, waiting believer, will the appearing of our Lord be? we are oft grudging now, that we have not a great share of comforts; that our deliverances are not more speedy and eminent; that the world prospers more then we; that our prayers are not presently answered; not considering, that our portion is kept to a fitter season; that these are not always Winter fruits, but when Summer comes we shall have our Harvest. We grudg that we do not finde a Canaan in the VVilderness; or cities of Rest in Noahs Ark; and the songs of Sion in a strange Land; that we have not a harbor in the main Ocean; or finde not our home in the middle way; and are not crowned in the midst of the fight; & have not our Rest in the heat of the day; and have not our inheritance before we are at age; and have not Heaven, before we leave the Earth; and would not all this be very unreasonable? I confess in regard of the Churches service, the removing of the Saints may sometimes appear to us unseasonable; therefore doth God use it as a Judgment▪ and therefore the Church hath ever prayed hard before they would part with them, and greatly laid to heart their loss? Therefore are the great mournings at the Saint departures, and the sad hearts that accompany them to their graves; but this is not especially for the departed, but for themselves and their children, as Christ bid the weeping women; Therefore also it is that the Saints in danger of death, have oft begged for their lives with that Argument; What profit is there in my blood when, I go down to the Pit? Psal. 30.9. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? Psal. 88.10. for in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks? Psal. 6.5. And this was it that brought Paul to a streight, because he knew it was better for the church that he should remain here; I must confess it is one of my saddest thoughts, to reckon up the useful instruments, when God hath lately called out of his Vineyard, when the Loyterers are many, and the Harvest great, and very many Congregations desolate, and the people as sheep without shepherds, and yet the laborers called from their work, especially when a door of Liberty and opportunity is open, we cannot but lament so sore a judgment, and think the removal in regard of the Church, unseasonable: I know I speak but your own thoughts; and you are too ready to over-run me in application: I fear you are too sensible of what I speak, and therefore am loath to stir in your sore. I perceive you in the posture of the Ephesian Elders, and had rather abate the violence of your passions: our applications are quicker about our sufferings then our sins; and we will quicklier say, This loss is mine, then This fault is mine. But O consider, my dear friends, hath God any need of such a worme as I? cannot he a 1000 wayes supply your wants? you know when your case was worse, and yet he provided. Hath he work to do and will he not finde instruments? And though you see not for the present where they should be had; they are never the further off for that. Where was the world before the creation? and where was the promised seed, when Isaac lay on the Altar? Where was the Land of Promise, when Israels burden was increased? or when all the old stock save only two were consumed in the Wilderness? Where was Davids Kingdom when he was hunted in the Wilderness? or the Glory of Christs Kingdom when he was in the Grave? or when he first sent his 12. Apostles? How suddenly did the number of Labourers encrease immediately upon the Reformation by Luther? and how soon were the rooms of those filled up, whom the rage of the papists had sacrificed in the flames? Have you not lately seen so many difficulties overcome, and so many improbable works accomplished, that might silence unbelief, one would think, for ever? But if all this do not quiet you (for sorrow and discontent are unruly passions) yet at least remember this; suppose the worst you fear should happen, yet shall it be well with all the Saints; your own turnes will shortly come; and we shall all be hous'd with Christ together; where you will want your Ministers and friends no more. And for the poor world which is left behind, whose unregenerate state causeth your grief; why consider; shall man pretend to be more merciful then God? Hath not he more interest then we both in the Church and in the world? and more bowels of compassion to commiserate their distress? There is a season for Judgment as well as for mercy: and if he will have the most of men to perish for their sin, and to suffer the eternal tormenting flames; must we question his goodness, or manifest our dislike of the severity of his judgments? I confess we cannot but bleed over our desolate congregations; and that it ill beseems us to make light of Gods indignation: but yet we should (as Aaron when his sons were slain) hold our peace,Levit. 10.3. Psal. 39.9. and be silent, because it is the Lords doing: And say as David, If I (and his people) shall finde favor in the eyes of the Lord, 2 Sam. 15.25, 26.he will bring me again, and shew me them, and his Habitation: But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do with me as seemeth good unto him. I conclude then, that whatsoever it is to those that are left behinde, yet the Saints departure to themselves is usually seasonable. I say, usually, because I know that a very Saint may have a death in *Secundum quid.some respect unseasonable, though it do translate him into this Rest. He may dye in Judgment as good Josiah: he may die for his sin:1 Cor. 11.30, 32. For the abuse of the Sacrament many were weak and sickly, and many fallen asleep, even of those who were thus Judged and chastened by God, that they might not be condemned with the world: He may die by the hand of publike Justice; or die in a way of publike scandal: He may die in a weak degree of grace, and consequently have a less degree of glory. He may die in smaller improvements of his talents,Luk. 19.17, 18, 19. and so be Ruler but of few Cities. The best Wheat may be cut down before its ripe; Therefore it is promised to the Righteous as a blessing, that they shall be brought as a shock of Corn into the Barn in season.Job 5.26. Nay its possible he may die by his own hands; Though some Divines think such Doctrine not fit to be taught, least it encourage the tempted to commit the same sin;Mr. Capell Temp. but God hath left preservatives enough against sin, without our devising more of our own; neither hath he need of our lie in his glory. He hath fixed that principle so deep in Nature, that all should endeavor their own preservation; that I never knew any whose understanding was not crazed or lost, much subject to that sin: even most of the Melancholly are more fearful to die then other men. And this terror is preservative enough of that kinde, That such committing of a hainous known Sin, is a sad sign, where there is the free use of Reason: That therefore they make their Salvation more questionable: That they die most woful scandals to the Church: That however, the sin it self should make the godly to abhor it, were there no such danger or scandal attending it, &c. But to exclude from salvation of all those poor creatures, who in Feavers, Phrensies, Madness, Melancholly, &c. shall commit this sin, is a way of prevention which Scripture teacheth not, and too uncomfortable to the friends of the deceased. The common argument which they urge, drawn from the necessity of a particular repentance, for every particular known sin; as it is not universally true, so, were it granted, it would exclude from salvation all men breathing: For there was never any man (save Christ) who died not in some particular sin, either of Commission, or Omission, great or small, which he hath no more time to repent of, then the sinner in Question; But yet, this may well be called, *Secundum quid.untimely death: But in the ordinary course of Gods dealings, you may easily observe, that he purposely maketh his peoples last hour in this life, to be of all other to the flesh most bitter, and in the Spirit most sweet, and that they who feared death through the most of their lives, yet at last are more willing of it then ever; and all to make their Rest more seasonable. Bread and drink are alway good; but at such a time as Samarias siege, to have plenty of food in stead of Doves dung, in one nights space; or in such a thirst as Ishmaels or Sampsons, to have supply of water by miracle in a moment; these are seasonable. So this Rest is always good to the Saints, and usually also is most seasonable Rest.