Paradise Opened, Letter
Dear Lady, and Siſter in the Lord;
I Shall now addreſs my ſelf to you in a few lines, and ſo conclude. I know you have for many years been the Lord's Priſoner. Great have been your Trials, and many have been your Trials, and long have been your Trials; but to all theſe I have ſpoken at large in my Treatiſe called The mute Chriſtian under the ſmarting Rod, which you have in your hand, which you have read, and which God has greatly bleſſed, to the ſupport, comfort, quiet and refreſhment of your ſoul under all your Trials; and therefore I ſhall ſay no more as to thoſe Particulars: But knowing that the many weakneſſes that hang upon you, and the decays of Nature that dayly do attend you, ſeem to point out an approaching diſſolution; I ſhall at this time give you this one word of Counſel, viz. That every day you would look upon Death in a Scriptureglaſs, in a Scripture-dreſs, or under a Scripture-notion: That is,
Firſt, Look upon death as that which is beſt for a believer; Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a ſtrait betwixt two, having foreign. N…c Chriſtus, nec caelum patitur hyperbolen ſaith one, here it is h…rd to hyperbolice.a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt, which is far better: The Greek is very ſignificant; far, far the better, or far much better, or much more better; 'tis a moſt tranſcendent expreſſion: Eccleſ. 7. 1. Better is the day of death, than the day of ones birth. A Saint's dying day is the day-break of Eternal Righteouſneſs. In reſpect of pleaſure, peace, ſafety, company, glory, a Believer's dying day is his beſt day. I have read of one Trophonius, that when he had built and dedicated that ſtately Temple at Delphos, he asked of Apollo (for his recompence) that thing which was beſt for man: The Oracle wiſhed him to go home, and within three days he ſhould have it; and within that time he died. It was an excellent ſaying of one of the Ancients; That is not a death, but life, which joyns the dying man to Chriſt; and that is not a life, but death, which ſeparates a living man from Chriſt. But
Secondly, Look upon Death as a remedy, as a cure; Death will perfectly cure you of all corporal and ſpiritualƲltimus morborum medicus mors diſeaſes at once; the crazy body and the defiled ſoul, the aking head and the unbelieving heart: Death will cure you of all your ails, aches, diſeaſes and diſtempers. At Stratford-bow in Queen Mary's days, there was burntAct. and Mon. Fol. 1733. a lame man and a blind man at one ſtake; the lame man, after he was chained, caſting away his crutch, bad the blind man be of good comfort; for death (ſaith he) will cure us both, thee of thy blindneſs, and me of my lameneſs. And as Death will cure all your bodily diſeaſes, ſo it will cure all your ſoul diſtempers alſo: Death is not Mors hominis, but Mors peccati; not the death of the man, but the death of his ſin. Death will work ſuch a cure, as all your Duties, Graces, Experiences, Ordinances, Aſſurances, could never do; for it will at once free you fully, perfectly and perpetually from all ſin; yea, from all poſſibility of ever ſinning more: Sin was the Midwife thatPecc…tum erat obſtetrix mortis, &c. mors ſepu…chrum pec a…i. Ambroſe de bono mortis, c. 4 brought death into the World, and death ſhall be the grave to bury ſin; and why then ſhould a Chriſtian be afraid to die, or unwilling to die, ſeeing Death gives him a Writ of eaſe from infirmities and weakneſſes, from all aches and pains, griefs and gripings, diſtempers and diſeaſes, both of body and ſoul: When Sampſon died, the Philiſtines alſo died together with him; ſo when a Saint dies, his ſins die with him: Death came in by ſin, and ſin goeth out by death; as the worm kills the worm that bred it, ſo death kills ſin that bred it. But
Thirdly, Look upon death as a reſt, a full reſt; a believer's dying day is his reſting day: It is a reſting dayRev. 14. 13. Job 3. 13, to 17. 2 Theſ. 1. 7. Micah 2. 10. Jer. 50. 6. from ſin, ſorrow, afflictions, temptations, deſertions, diſſentions, vexations, oppoſitions and perſecutions. This world was never made to be the Saints reſt: Ariſe, for this is not your reſting place; they are like Noah's Dove, they can reſt no where but in the Ark, and in the Grave. In the grave (ſaith Job) the weary are at reſt: Upon this very ground, ſome of the moſt refined Heathens have accounted Mortality to be a mercy, for they brought their friends into the World with mournful Obſequies, but carried them out of the world with all joyful ſports and paſtimes, becauſe then they conceived they were at reſt, and out of Gun-ſhot. Death brings the Saints to a full-reſt, to a pleaſant reſt, to a matchleſs reſt, to an eternal reſt. But
Fourthly, Look upon your dying day as a reaping day. Now you ſhall reap the fruit of all the prayers2 Cor. 9. 2. Gal. 6. 7, 8, 9. Iſa. 38. 3. Mat. 25. 31, to 41. that ever you have made, and of all the tears that ever you have ſhed, and of all the ſighs and groans that ever you have fetched, and of all the good words that ever you have ſpoke, and of all the good works that ever you have done, and of all the great things that ever you have ſuffered: When Mortality ſhall put on Immortality,Eccleſ. 11. 1. 6. you ſhall then reap a plentiful Crop, a glorious Crop (as the fruit) of that good ſeed that for a time hath ſeemed to be buried and loſt. As Chriſt hath a tender heart, and a ſoft hand, ſo he hath an Iron memory; he punctuallyMat. 10. 24, 25. remembers all the ſorrows, and all the ſervices, and all the ſufferings of his people, to reward them and crown them; Rev. 22. 12. But
Fifthly, Look upon your dying day as a gainful day, there is no gain to that which comes in by death; Phil 1.Eccleſ. 7. 1. Phil. 1. 23. 21. For me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain: A Chriſtian gets more by death, than he doth by life; to be in Chriſt is very good, but to be with Chriſt is beſt of all. 'Twas a mighty bleſſing for Chriſt to be with Paul on earth, but 'twas the top of Bleſſings for Paul to be with Chriſt in heaven. Seriouſly conſider of a few things.
Firſt, That by death you ſhall gain incomparable Crowns. 1. A Crown of Life, Rev. 2. 10. Jam. 1. 12. 2. A Crown of Righteouſneſs, 2 Tim. 4. 8. 3. An Incorruptible Crown, 1 Cor. 9. 24, 25. 4. A Crown of Glory, 1 Pet. 5. 4. Now there are no Crowns to theſe Crowns, as I have fully diſcovered in my diſcourſe on The Divine Preſence; to which I refer you. But
Secondly, You ſhall gain a Glorious Kingdom, Luk. 12. 32. It is your father's pleaſure to give you a Kingdom. But death is the young Prophet that anointeth them to it, and giveth them actual poſſeſſion of it. They muſt put off their rags of Mortality, that they may put on their robes of Glory. Iſrael muſt firſt die in Egypt, before he can be carried into Canaan. There is no entring into Paradiſe, but under the flaming ſword of this Angel Death, that ſtandeth at the Gate. Death is the dirty Lane through which the Saint paſſeth to a Kingdom, to a great Kingdom, to a glorious Kingdom,Heb. 12. 28. Dan. 2 44. cap. …. 3. Rev. 19 7. to a quiet Kingdom, to an unſhaken Kingdom, to a durable Kingdom, to a laſting Kingdom, yea, to an everlaſting Kingdom. Death is a dark ſhort way, through which the Saints paſs to the Marriage-ſupper of the Lamb. But
Thirdly, You ſhall gain a ſafe and honourable Convoy into that other world, Luk. 16. 22. Oh, in what pomp and triumph did Lazarus ride to heaven on the wings of Angels! The Angels conduct the Saints at death through the Air, the Devil's Region; every gracious ſoul is carried into Chriſt's Preſence by theſe heavenly Courtiers. Oh, what a ſudden change does death make! behold, he that even now was ſcorned by men, is all on a ſudden, carried by Angels into Abraham's boſom. But
Fourthly, You ſhall gain a glorious welcome, a joyful Rev. 4. 8, to 11. Luk. 15. 7, 10. Heb. 12. 23.welcome, a wonderful welcome into heaven. By general conſent of all Antiquity, the holy Angels and bleſſed Trinity rejoyce at the ſinner's Converſion; but oh, what inexpreſſible, what tranſcendent joy is there, when a Saint is landed upon the Shore of Eternity? God and Chriſt, Angels and Arch-angels, all ſtand ready to welcome the Believer as ſoon as his feet are upon the threſhold of Glory. God the Father welcomes the Saints as his elect and choſen ones, Jeſus Chriſt welcomes them as his redeemed and purchaſed ones, and the Holy Spirit welcomes them as his ſanctified and renewed ones, and the Bleſſed Angels welcome them as thoſe they haveHeb. 1. ult. guarded and attended on. When the Saints enter upon the Suburbs of Glory, the glorious Angels welcome them with harps in their hands, and ditties in their mouths. But
Fifthly, You ſhall gain full freedom and liberty from all your enemies within and without, viz. Sin, SatanLuk. 1. 70, 71, 74, 75. and the World. 1. Death will free you from the indwelling power of ſin: In heaven there is no complaints;Rom. 7. 23. as in hell there is nothing but wickedneſs, ſo in heaven there is nothing but holineſs. 2. Death will freeGal. 5. 17. you from the power and prevalency of ſin: Here ſin plays the Tyrant, but in heaven there is no Tyranny, but perfect felicity. 3. Death will free you from all provocations, temptations and ſuggeſtions to ſin. Now you ſhall be above all Satan's batteries. Now God will makeRom. 16. 20. good the promiſe of treading Satan under your feet: Some ſay Serpents will not live in Ireland. The old SerpentRev. 12. 8, 9. cap. 21. ult. is caſt out, and ſhall be for ever kept out of the new Jeruſalem above. 4. Death will free you from all the effects and conſequents of ſin, viz. loſſes, croſſes, ſickneſſes, diſeaſes, diſgraces, ſufferings, &c. when the cauſe is taken away, the effect ceaſes; when the fountain of ſin is dried up, the ſtreams of afflictions, of ſufferings muſt be dryed up; the fuel being taken away, the fire will go out of it ſelf. Sin and ſorrow were born together, do live together, and ſhall die together. To open this fourth Particular a little more fully to you, conſider theſe four things.
Firſt, That death will free you from all reproach and ignominy on your names. Now Elijah is accounted the1 King. 18. 17. N…hem. 6. 6. Pſal. 69. 12. Jer. 15. 10. Troubler of Iſrael, Nehemiah a Rebel againſt his King, and David the ſong of the Drunkards, and Jeremiah a man of contention, and Paul a peſtilent fellow. HeavenAct. 24. 10. wipes away all blots, as well as all tears; as no ſins, ſo no blots are to be found in that upper world. The names of all the Saints in a ſtate of Glory are written (as I may ſay) in Characters of Gold. But
Secondly, Death will free you from all bodily infirmities and diſeaſes; we carry about in our bodies the matter of a thouſand deaths, and may die a thouſand ſeveralAbove all things let us every day think … our laſt day, … … naus. ways each ſeveral hour: As many ſenſes, as many members, nay, as many pores as there are in the body, ſo many windows there are for death to enter in at; death needs not ſpend all its arrows upon us; a worm, a gnat, a fly, a hair, the ſtone of a raiſin, the kirnel of a grape, the fall of a horſe, the ſtumbling of a foot, the prick of a pin, the pairing of a nail, the cutting of a corn; all theſe have been to others, and any one of them may be to us, the means of our death, within the ſpace of a few days, nay, of a few hours. Here Job had his Botches, andJob 2. 6, 7. Iſ… 37 21. … …8. 5. … 20. Ma…. 9. 20. Hezekiah had his Boil, and David his Wounds, and Lazarus his Sores, and the poor Widow her Iſſue of Blood. Now the Feaver burns up ſome, and the Dropſie drowns others, and the Vapours ſtifle others; one dies of an Appoplexy in the head, another of a Struma in the neck, a third of a Squinancy in the throat, and a fourth of a Cough and Conſumption of the lungs; others of Obſtructions, Inflamations, Pluriſies, Gouts, &c. We are commonly full of complaints; one complains of this diſtemper, and another of that; one of this diſeaſe, and another of that; but death will cure us of▪ all diſeaſes and diſtempers at once. But
Thirdly, Death will free you from all your ſorrows, whether inward or outward, whether for your own ſinsPſal. 38. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Pſal. 119 136. Nehem. 1. 3, 4. or the ſins of others, whether for your own ſufferings or the ſufferings of others. Now, it may be, one ſhall ſeldom find you, but with tears in your eyes, or ſorrow in your heart; O, but now death will be the funeral of all your ſorrows, death will wipe all tears from your eyes, and ſorrow and mourning ſhall flee away; Iſa. 51. 11. But
Fourthly, Death will free you from all thoſe troubles, calamities, miſeries, miſchiefs and deſolations, that areIſa. 57 1. M…h 7. 1 to 7. a coming upon the earth, or upon this place or that. A year after Methuſelah's death, the Flood came, and carried away the old world: Auguſtine died a little before the ſacking of Hippo: Luther obſerves that all the Apoſtles died before the deſtruction of Jeruſalem: And Luther himſelf died a little before the Wars brake forth in Germany. Dear Lady, death ſhall do that for you, which all your Phyſicians could never do for you, which all your Relations could never do for you, which all Ordinances could never do for you, nor which all your faithful Miniſters could never do for you; it ſhall both inſtantly and perfectly cure you of all ſorts of Maladies and weakneſſes both inward and outward, or that reſpects either your body or your ſoul, or both. Oh, my dear friend, is it not better to die, and be rid of all ſin; to die, and be rid of all temptations and deſertions; to die, and be rid of all ſorts of miſeries; than to live, and ſtill carry about with us our ſins, our burdens, and ſuch conſtant ailments, as takes away all the pleaſure and comfort of life? Here both our outward and inward conditions are very various; ſometimes heaven is open, andLamen. 3 8, 44, 54 55, 56, 57. Pſal. 30. 7. 1 Theſ 4 17, 18. Iſa. 35. 10. ſometimes heaven is ſhut; ſometimes we ſee the face of God, and rejoyce, and at other times he hides his face, and we are troubled: O, but now death will bring us to an invariable Eternity. It is always day in heaven, and joy in heaven.
Sixthly and laſtly, You ſhall gain a clear, diſtinct and full knowledge of all great and deep Myſteries; the Myſtery1 Cor. 13. 10, 12. of the Trinity, the Myſtery of Chriſt's Incarnation, the Myſtery of Man's Redemption, the Myſteries of Providences, the Myſteries of Prophecies, and all thoſe Myſteries that relate to the Nature, Subſtances, Offices, Orders and Excellencies of the Angels. If you pleaſe to conſult my String of Pearls, or the beſt thing reſerved till laſt; with my Sermon on Eccleſ. 7. 1. Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth; which is at the end of my Treatiſe on Aſſurance; both which Treatiſes you have by you. There you will find many more great and glorious things laid open that we gain by death: And to them I refer you. But
Sixthly, Look upon death as a ſleep; the Holy Ghoſt hath phraſed it ſo above twenty times in Scripture, to1 Cor. 11. 30. cap. 15. 51. Joh. 11. …. Mark 5. 39. The Greeks call their Churchyards Dormitories, ſleeping places; and the Hebrews …-… im, the houſe of the living. ſhew that this is the true, proper and genuine notion of death. When the Saints die, they do but ſleep; Mat. 9. 24. The maid is not dead but ſleepeth: The ſame phraſe he alſo uſed to his Diſciples concerning Lazarus, our friend Lazarus ſleepeth, Joh. 11. 11. The death of the Godly is as a ſleep; Stephen fell aſleep, Act. 7. 60. And David fell aſleep, Act. 13. 36. And Chriſt is the firſt fruits of them that ſleep, 1 Cor. 15. 20. Them which ſleep in Jeſus, will God bring with him, 1 Theſ. 4. 14. The Saints of God do but ſleep when they lay down in the Grave; that which we call death (in ſuch) is not death indeed, it is but the image of death, the Shadow and Metaphor of death, death's younger Brother, a mere ſleep, and no more. I may not follow the Analogy that is between death and ſleep in the latitude of it, the Printer calling upon me to conclude. Sleep is the Nurſe of Nature, the ſweet Parentheſis of all a man's griefs and cares. But
Seventhly, Look upon death as a departure, 2 Tim. 4. 6. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. He makes nothing of death: It wasDeut. 32. 49, 50. no more betwixt God and Moſes, but go up and die; and ſo betwixt Chriſt and Paul, but launch out, and land immediately at the fair Haven of heaven; Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a ſtrait betwixt two having a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt, which is far better. Paul longed for that hour wherein he ſhould looſe Anchor,foreign, ſolv…r… Anch ram: Or it may be rendered to return home, or to change roo…s. …t is a ſimilitude …aken from thoſe that depart out of an I…n, to take their journey towards their own Countrey. and ſail to Chriſt, as the Greek word foreign, imports. It is a Metaphor from a Ship at Anchor, importing a ſailing from this preſent life to another Port. Paul had a deſire to looſe from the ſhore of Life, and to launch out into the Main of Immortality. The Apoſtle in this phraſe foreign, hath a reference both to his bonds and to his death; and his meaning is, I deſire to be diſcharged and releaſed, as out of a common Goal, ſo alſo out of the priſon of my body, that I may preſently be with Chriſt my Saviour in heaven, in reſt and bliſs. After Paul had been in the third heaven, his conſtant ſong was I deſire to be with Chriſt. Nature teacheth that death is the end of miſery; but grace will teach us that death is the beginning of our felicity. But
Eighthly and laſtly, Look upon death as a going to Bed. The Grave is a Bed wherein the body is laid to reſt, with its curtains cloſe drawn about it, that it may not be diſturbed in its repoſe: So the Holy Ghoſt is pleaſed to phraſe it; He ſhall enter into peace, they ſhall reſt in their beds, every one walking in their uprightneſs. Iſa. 57. 2.As the ſouls of the Saints paſs to a place of reſt and bliſs, ſo their bodies are laid down to▪ reſt in the Grave, as in a Bed or Bed-chamber; there to ſleep quietly, until the morning of the Reſurrection. Death is nothing elſe, but a Writ of eaſe to the weary Saints; 'tis a total ceſſation from all their labour of nature, ſin and affliction: Bleſſed are the dead that die in the Lord, that they may reſt Rev. 14. 13.from their labours, &c. Whilſt the ſouls of the Saints do reſt in Abraham's boſom, their bodies do ſweetly ſleep in their beds of duſt, as in a ſafe and conſecrated Dormitory. Every ſincere Chriſtian may, like the weary child, call and cry to be laid to bed; knowing that death will ſend him to his everlaſting reſt. Now you ſhould always look upon death under Scripture Notions, and this will take off the terrour of death; yea, it will make the King of Terrours▪ to be the King of deſires; it will make you not only willing to die, but even long to die, and to cry out, O that I had the wings of a dove, to fly away, and be at reſt. At death you ſhall have an eternal Jubilee, and be freed from all incumbrances. Now ſin ſhall be no more, nor trouble ſhall be no more, nor pain nor ailments ſhall be no more. Now you ſhall have your Quietus eſt, now the wicked ſhall ceaſe fromJob. 3. 17. troubling, and now the weary ſhall be at reſt, now allRev. 7. 17. tears ſhall be wiped from your eyes, now death ſhall be the way to bliſs, the Gate of Life, and the Portal to Paradiſe. It was well ſaid of one, ſo far as we tremble at death, ſo far we want love; it's ſad when the contract is made between Chriſt and a Chriſtian, to ſee a Chriſtian afraid of the making up the Marriage. Lord (ſaithAuſtin. one, I will die that I may enjoy thee; I will not live, but I will die, I deſire to die, that I may ſee Chriſt; and refuſe to live, that I may live with Chriſt. The broken Rings, Contracts and Eſpouſals, contents not the true Lover, but he longs for the Marriage day. It is no credit to your Heavenly Father, for you to be loth to go home. The Turks tell us that ſurely Chriſtians do not believe heaven to be ſuch a glorious place as they talk of; for if they did, they would not be ſo unwilling to go thither. The world may well think that the Child hath but cold welcom at his Father's houſe, that he lingers ſo much by the way, and that he does not look and long to be at home: Such Children bring an ill report upon their Father's Houſe, upon the Holy Land; but I know you have not ſo learned Chriſt, I know you long with Paul; to be diſſolved, and to be with Chriſt; andPhil. 1. 23. with old Simeon, to cry out, Lord let thy ſervant depart Luk. 2. 29.in peace. That God whom you have long ſought and ſerved, will make your paſſage into that other world ſafe, ſweet and eaſie. Now, to the everlaſting arms of Divine Protection, and to the conſtant guidance and leadings of the Spirit, and to the rich influences of Chriſt's Sovereign Grace, and to the lively hopes of the Inheritance of the Saints in light, he commends you, who is
Dear Siſter, yours in the ſtrongeſt Bonds. Tho. Brooks.