The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 24 – Errata
CAP. XXIV. Containing a briefe explication of the laſt words of the (yee ſhall live) by way of motive.
I Have onelyonly one motive to adde to perſwade you to mortifie ſinne, and that is the words of my text: if yee doe this, you ſhall live; life, as you have heard, is a large word, and doth ſignifie not onelyonly the life naturall, but that of grace and glory; now here I take it; for the life of glory, as ſtanding in oppoſition to the death, that is ſet over in the former part of the verſe, which is that eternall puniſhment in hell, which ſhall be certainly inflicted on unmortified men, that live after the fleſh, and this life that is ſet in oppoſition thereunto, is that life, that certainly may be obtained, by ſuch as doe mortifie the fleſh, and endeavour to deſtroy that body of ſinne, now this happineſſe that is here ſpoken of, if I had the tongue of men and Angels, yet could I not ſufficiently ſet it out, yet to give you a taſte of what is revealed, that you may gueſſe at what is not revealed, but beleeved, and waited for, ſome thing the Scripture ſaith of it.
1 There ſhall be a perfect victory over all your enemies, over ſinne that hath beene ſo turbulent; over death, that hath beene ſo fearfull, and over hell that is ſo dreadfull, ſo as now wee may boaſt,1 Cor. 15.55. as he that putteth off the harneſſe, and triumphs, becauſe that his warfare is accompliſhed, and our ſinnes are pardoned:Eſa 40.2. here the Church triumphant, doth change their ſwords into Scepters, their corſlets into Crownes, and their garments rouled in blood, into long white robes to follow the Lambe whitherſoever he goeth; now we may ſing with the Saints, the ſong of Moſes Haleluiah unto him that dwelleth in the higheſt, and to him that ſitteth on the throne for evermore.
2 There ſhall be a reſting from all our labours, from all our workes, either of body or of mind, ſo farre as they did conſiſt in our ſeeking, for the preſervation of our preſent beeing, or from the attainment of our future well-being: here it is laid upon us, to eate bread in the ſweat of our faces: and to indure heat and cold, hunger,Gen. 3, 19, and nakedneſſe, but there ſhall be an end of all theſe, poore Lazarus ſhall reſt in the boſome of rich Abraham, and all the bleſſed Saints ſhall ſit downe with Abraham, Mat. 8.12.and Iſaack, and Iacob, in the Kingdome of God: here there is our worke of faith, and labour of love, our hope waiting for the accompliſhments of the promiſes, and our teares of godly ſorrow unto repentance, ariſing from a bleeding, and broken heart: but there our faith ſhall be turned into viſion,Hebr. 4.9. our love and hope, into fruition, and then all teares ſhall be wiped from our eyes, doubtleſſe ſuch a reſt there is for the people of God.
3 There ſhall be the viſion of God, that is, wee ſhall be brought into the preſence of God, and ſhall ſee God in Chriſt, the beames of the Deity ſhall be ſo reſplendent from Chriſt his humanity, as that wee ſhall ſee him; as wee are ſeene; there fore our Saviour prayeth that where hee is, John 3.2. John 17.24.there they may bee alſo, that they may behold his glory: a glimps of this there was in the transfiguration, when Peter ſaid, it is Good for us to be here, and in that of Saint Paul, when hee ſaw things unutterable.
1. We ſhall ſee with greater inlargements of knowledge. No Eagles eye ſhall be ſo ſtrong that can looke on the Sun, as ours then that can looke upon him, at whoſe preſence the ſight of many ſins would vaniſh into darkneſſe. If Adam in the ſtate of nature could underſtand ſo much of God, as to give names unto the creatures; ſure in the ſtate of glory, there will bee a great augmentation of that fight; ſo that he that was an unlearned man, ſhall know that at once that many agreat Doctor have been many yeere bearing their heads about.
2. Againe, in reſpect of the ſight, this ſight muſt be glorious, the light of the Sunne is no more to be compered unto it, then the light of the Candle is in the light of it: no, nor as one obſerveth well, it is tanquam unus maximus Sol, all the whole heaven, it is, as it were nothing but all glorious Sun.
4. Laſtly, wee ſhall enjoy the fruition of God,Rabeus. quod originatur in viſione perficitur in fruitione; that which is begun in the viſion of God, ſhall be perfected in the fruition of God: Dives ſaw Abraham a farre off, and Lazerus in his boſome; but what was this to Dives, it was no eaſe to him, but as we ſhall ſee him, ſo wee ſhall enjoy him; hee will love us with an everlaſting love, and we ſhall live with him for ever;Pſal. 36.8.9. nay wee ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fulneſſe of his houſe, and he ſhall make us drinke of the rivers of pleaſure, for at his right hand is fulneſſe of joy and pleaſure for evermore.Pſal. 16. vit. If a man had a certaine meaſure of joy in heaven, were it not full, it would not content the minde of a man, and if he had fulneſſe, were it not perpetuall; it would not give content, but now ſeeing this joy is both perfect and perpetuall, there will bee full content in it.
To conclude all, bleſſed and happy are all thoſe that have mortified this body of ſinne, out of an hatred and holy indignation againſt it, they are carefull to ſinne no more; for they ſhall live a life of grace here, and life of glory hereafter.
FINIS.
Errata.
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End of the text · Thomas Wolfall, The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification (1641)