A Prospect of Eternity, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Ʋſe of Exhortation.Branch 2 The next branch of the Uſe ſhall be, That we would make ſure of Eternity.
THere are two great ends, Why the wombe delivered us into the world; the one is to adore an eternall being; the other, to obtaine eternall life; and where the firſt is rightly performed, the ſecond is infallibly accompliſhed. It was a good queſtion the young man propoſed, What ſhall I do to inherit eternall life? Luk. 10. 25.And indeed the anſwering of this queſtion cals for all our cares, feares, troubles, time, duties, induſtry and what ever fals within the verge of our higheſt and moſt extended capacities. Things that are moſt precious, we moſt ſecure, and expoſe to them to the leaſt hazard, our jewels are lockt up in our cabinets, our gold ſeald up in the coffer. Now the excellency of man is his ſoul, the excellency of the ſoul is life, and the excellency of life is eternity, and with what ambitions ſhould we graſpe the diademe of a bleſſed eternity? What artifices did Si peccandum eſt, pro corona eſt peccandum.Abſalon uſe to ſecure his Fathers throne to himſelf? he lies with his Fathers Concubines in the ſight of the people, 2 Sam. 16. 22.a moſt odious practiſe. What 2 Sam. 13. 9.wayes did Ammon uſe to ſecure his beauteous Siſter for his luſtfull embraces? he bolted out all that might interrupt his unnaturall inceſt. What Luk. 12. 20, 21.thoughts did the Rich man take to ſecure his plenties, the overflowing abundance of his fruites? he erects new barnes, and leaves not his Corn either a prey for the birds, or a morſell for the Gleaners. And the Barbarous Turke he kils all his younger Brethren, and ſacrifices them to his bloudy ambition, that he might ſecure the Crown to himſelf. And ſhall we be Omnia ei ſalva ſunt cui ſalva eſt aeternitas.leſſe ſolicitous in our fears, cares, our holy policies, and ſacred ſtratagems to ſecure etetnity, that everlaſting bleſſedneſſe which is the ſupreme gift of God, the reward of Saints, the honour of Angels, the rich proviſions of heaven, and the totall of all Chriſts merits and bloudy paſſion? How canſt thou (dear Chriſtian) be ſatisfied, or thy heat chilled, and ambitions ſurfeted, till thou haſt obtained the reverſion of a glorious eternity, and God hath entailed on thee a crown of 2 Pet. 1. 10.immortality? Review with thy ſelfe the bowels of Gods pity, the voice of Chriſts bloud, the deſperateneſſe and activeneſſe of Satans malice, the ſhortneſſe and uncertainty of thy own life, the accuſations of thy guilt. Nay the very preſent glory of the triumphant Saints, all call upon thee to make ſure of eternity. Canſt thou ſleep on the main maſt, with the dreadfull Ocean under thee; or take up thy lodgings in the enemies field? What doeſt thou elſe, when thou haſt nothing to ſhew for eternity? Conſider thy danger and diſadvantagein this. Thoſe who can clear up no propriety in a bleſſed eternity, may be conſidered under a double notion.
I. As ſinners; and with what a multitude of dangers is every Chriſtleſſe ſoul encompaſſed? He is but as a wanderer in the wilderneſſe, who may be a prey for every beaſt; he is out of all protection. God may ſuffer,
1. Satan to deſtroy him; had not Job been a righteous man, his diſeaſe Job 2. 4.probably had been his death, and Satan had not only been his tormentour, The danger that every wicked man is in.but his executioner; every wicked man is Satans priſoner, and who knowes how ſoon he may be his prey?
2. God may ſuffer the Creature to deſtroy him, as the Lyon did the Prophet, 1 King. 13. 24.the Bears the children, and the 2 King. 2. 24.wormes King Herod in all his magnificent Act. 12. 23.pompe. Every creature is up in armes againſt a wicked man, and wants only the word of commiſſion to fall on and deſtroy him. Gods wrath, and his wretchleſneſſe can turne the perſumes of the world into ponyards, as the Pope who died with joy.
3. God may ſuffer him to deſtroy himſelf, as Judas did, and to become his own aſſaſinate. It is only the untired, boundleſſe patience, and infinite long-ſuffering of God, that keeps the wicked mans knife from his own throat. Every ſinner, did not Gods mercy throw a chaine over him, he would make his grave in his own wounds; he would with Saul fall on 1 Sam. 31. 4.his own ſword, or like the Jaylour Act. 26. 27.be ready to fall a ſacrifice to his own bloudy diſtemper. For God withdrawing his providentiall care from a ſinner, what ſhould hinder, but that nature it ſelf ſhould become a ſtepmother?
4. God himſelf may deſtroy a wicked man by an immediate execution, as he did Aarons two ſons; Lev. 10. 2.theſe unhappy brethren who were brethren not only in nature, but in iniquity and miſery, who as they came from the ſame wombe, ſo they found the ſame death; I ſay, theſe brethren offered up ſtrange fire but once; but a ſinner is continually offering the ſtrange fire of his luſts, and therefore God himſelf may breake him in pieces as a Potters veſſell.
5. And laſtly, God may ſuffer good men to deſtroy him. As Phinehas, who quenched the luſt of that adulterous couple Zimri and Cosbi with their Numb. 25. 14.own bloud. The good mans zeal and the bad mans fury may either deſtroy the wicked man, he hath no ſecurity, his life is a prey for any that God will ſuffer to ſeize upon it. He is outlawed, a condemned man; every tile on the houſe, every thiefe on the way may diſpatch, him and this is to be conſidered, his death and his damnation go both together when he dies, he dies for good and all, he dies everlaſtingly, thus for the ſinners danger.
And ſo for the diſadvantage of a pendulous, doubtfull, wavering Chriſtian, that can ſhew nothing for eternity; how doth this ambiguity, and unſatisfiedneſſe diſcourage duty, diſtract his ſpirits, edge temptation, make way for Satan, and cauſeth himſelf to be a burden to his own ſoul? What ſighs doth this heſitancy raiſe, what ſorrows doth it ingender, what teares doth ſpring, and veyle the heart with perpetuall mourning, eſpecially, when the poor trembling ſoul conſiders, That every moment he is ready to be diſrobed of the fleſh, turned out of the ſinking cottage of his body, and to be diſinherited of all his patrimonies here; and he knows not whether he may not beg with a vain importunity, a drop of water to all Luk. 16. 24.eternity. How then ſhould every of us aske the queſtion, as the Spouſe in another caſe the, Spouſe asketh, Did Cant. 3. 3.ye ſee my beloved? ſo our enquiry ſhould alwayes be, Is my name written in heaven, have I an intereſt in Chriſt, will the Lord make over glory to me, did I ever enjoy the ſmile of God, which is the porch to a glorious eternity? I ſay, reſt not, feaſt not, delight not thy ſelf, ſleep not till God hath morgag'd the leaſe of a joyous eternity to thee. We ſhould not ſleep quietly, till God had put the crown of immortality under our pillow, till we were ſure of an eternall reſt. And now on the contrary, the aſſurance of eternity, did God deliver the deeds of glory into our poſſeſſion, how would it wing duty, fill the ſales of grace, of faith, love, joy, &c. ſweeten affliction, Jam. 2. 2.put a comelineſſe on the blackneſſe Cant. 1. 5.of trouble, make Chriſts yoak not only eaſie, but pleaſant and complacentiall.
In a word, How would a certainty of eternall glory make the Saints condition here, even while he Gen. 47. 9.writes Pilgrime, to be truely Angelicall?
Now to re-inforce this Argument, that I may bribe your induſtry, to get ſomething under Gods hand for thy future eternity, let it not ſeem a digreſſion to ſupply your thoughts with ſome few Conſiderations.
Arg. 1 Conſider, Thou canſt have aſſurance of nothing on this ſide eternity: Death will ſtrip thee of all thy enjoyments, the grave ſhall find thee as bare, as the womb delivered thee, only with this Job. 1. 21.difference, the wombe delivered thee Quod dicitur nudus revertar illuc, intelligitur in illum ſtatum quem habuit in utero matris. Aquin. in Job cap. 1.enricht with a life, landed thee alive in the world, but the grave ſhall receive thee only a cold dead piece of clay, covered with a winding ſheet. Death is called an uncloathing, 2 Cor. 5. 4. We that are in this tabernacle d… groan, being burdened; not that we would be uncloathed, that is, not that we would die. I ſay, Death is an uncloathing, becauſe it pulleth off all outward things from a man, it puls off his rayment, his riches, his land, his honours; yea death uncloathes the very bones, our fleſh quickly weares off in the grave. There was little difference between Job on the dunghill, and Job in the grave, in point of poverty, only that dunghil kept him a priſoner fettered with various miſeries, and the grave looſened him, and enfranchiſed him to eternall liberty. Death will rob and ſtrip thee of all thy glittering titles, flouriſhing revenues, pleaſing dalliances, and ſweeteſt, moſt indeared relations, will impoveriſh thee of all thy claimes and fruitions thou didſt ſport and pride thy ſelf with: the duſt of the rich man and the poor, the honourable and the ignoble promiſcuouſly mingled, will take away all the diſtances, degrees, and differences between them. Death will bury indifferently the Crowns of Kings, and the ſhackles of Priſoners, the roabs of Princes, and the rags of beggers, the Gallants bravery, and the peaſants ruſſet, and the Courtiers luxury, and ſhall caſt them all into an equall denudation and poverty. Pliny in the Natura noverca unum hominem animantium cunctorum alienis velat opibus: caeteris veria tegumenta tribuit, teſtas, cortices, coria, ſpinas, villos, ſetas, plumam, pennas ſquammas, pellem; trunceos etiam arboris cortice interdū gemino a frigoribus & calore tutata eſt: hominem tantum nudum, & in nuda humo, natali die abj ecit. Plin. Nat. Hiſt.Preface to the ſeventh book of his Naturall hiſtory, complaines, and doth as it were chide with nature it ſelf, for turning man into the world in ſuch a helpleſſe forlorne condition, as if men were dealt more hardly with, then any other creature, the birds of the aire, or the beaſts of the field. I ſhall not commend the reluctancy of this Heathen againſt the Providence of God; but ſhall only ſay, the wombe doth not (as before was hinted) deliver us more helpeleſſe, naked, forlorne, then death doth make us, or the grave ſhall finde us. Death ſhall fully Abſalons beauty, and ſpoile Herods bravery, ſhall deſtroy Agags delicacy, and put an end to all Solomons temporall felicity; death is a worme that will conſume all the felicities on this ſide 2 Sam. 18. 14.the veil; but only the riches within 1 Sam. 15. 31, 32.the veil, as they are unſearcheable, and admirable, ſo they are immarceſſible, Act. 12. 23.and inamiſſible. Therefore make ſure of eternity, all other things are fledged, and will eſcape our embraces; only the revenues of glory, the Crown of Righteouſneſſe, 2 Tim. 4. 8.the honours of heaven we ſhall Et ibi vita ſine morte, veritas ſine eriore, felicitas ſine perturbatione.finde for ever. Neither death nor confuſion ſhall make the triumphant Saint look pale, or wither the magnificent preparations of a bleſſed eternity.Aug. Enchir.
Arg. 2 Conſider in the next place, as an argument to provoke you to make ſure of eternity; That a chief part of the Angels bleſſedneſſe conſiſts in this, that they Mat. 18. 10.are confirmed in their eternall happineſſe; Aeterna electio beatorum Angelorum, eſt praedeſtinatio, qua deus ab aeterno Angelos quoſdam ex gratia conſtituit in communione ſui perpetuo conſervare, & in bono in quo eos creaturus erat confirmare ad beatitatis ſempiternae fruitionem. Polan.that Jeſus Chriſt is their Mediator ſuſtentationis, as our Divines ſpeak, and that they are incapable of following the curſed example of their fallen companions, but are ſetled for ever in their triumphancies; I ſay, this is one of the chiefeſt pearles in the Crown. Now let us ſtrive after, and make it our great plot and deſigne to obtain this Angelicall happineſſe. Let the nobleneſſe of the argument be a golden ſpur to you to purſue this ſervice. It is the Angels happineſſe to be confirmed in a glorious eternity; and let it be your ſollicitouſneſſe; it is their felicity, let it be you duty. Thoſe bleſſed Spirits, who never eclipſed Gods glory with one ſingle offence, rejoyce in this, that they are ſealed to a bleſſed eternity. And ſhall not we endevour after, pray for, draw out all our deſignes to attain the accompliſhment of that happineſſe, which runs 1 Tim 5. 21.parallel with the felicity of the unſinning Angels viz. to get a bond for Luk. 20. 36.heaven. This is, to wit; (to make ſure of eternity) to be in an equality with the Angels.
Arg. 3 A third plea may be to promote this duty, To loſe eternity is not only a naked privation, a meer loſſe, a diſappointment only of happineſs. When we loſe heaven; we do not onelyonly as the mariner Mat. 25. 12.loſe our good winde, which Mat. 16. 26.would bring us to the harbour, but the loſſe of eternity compriſeth all Jon. 14 16.varieties of miſery; privative miſeries, the loſſe of God, of Chriſt, of the Poenae damnatis ſecundum corpus, & ſecundum animam infligentur. Corpus quidem poenis variis quoad omnes ſenſus afficietur, & anima ſecundum omnes ſuas potentias cruciabitur. Gerſon.ſoul, of the Comforter, of the Saints company, of what we have enjoyed, of what we did enjoy, of what we might enjoy; poſitive miſeries, torment of ſoul, anguiſh of mind, agonies of conſcience, exquiſite, dilacerating, corroding torture of body, (as more …ully hereafter). The loſſe of eternity it comprehends accumulative, exaggerated, multiplied, pullulated calamity: Miſery from God, from S…tan, from the good Angels, from our ſelves. As Condemnation doth not only deprive the Priſoner of the liberty of his perſon, the credit of his name, the enjoyment of his poſſeſſions, the refreſhing of his friends; but it expoſes him to the burden of his chaines, the reproach of the world, and to the torment and ſhame of a ſuddain execution. And therefore let this fire your hearts to ſecure eternity, elſe ye will be expoſed to as many varieties of miſery, as there are ſparks in the ſurnace, or wounds in your own conſcience. The loſſe of eternity includes all poſſibilities of future miſery. David complaines he Pſal. 44. 22.was killed all the day long; but in loſing eternity we ſhall be killed to all eternity.
Arg. 4 Let this incentive be added, The neglect of this duty of making ſure our eternity: It diſappoints the end of our creation, the offers of grace, the promiſes of the Goſpell, the voice of Chriſts bloud, the cals of heaven, and the conſtant courting and incitation of the Spirit within us: All theſe with an unanimous voice cry out to the ſoul, let your firſt worke be to ſecure your everlaſting condition, the methods Luk. 19. 42.thods of divine Providence, the ſweet Rev. 2. 10.yet ſeverall varieties of Goſpell diſpenſation, Joh. 3. 16.the ſtriving, patience, waiting, Luk. 22. 29.importuning of God himſelf, cry out, Make ſure eternity. The promiſes of God are nothing but bonds for eternity; the offers of grace invite us to eternall glory; the rules, counſels, directions by a holy manuduction lead us in the way to eternity: therefore the Goſpell it ſelfe is called eternall, Rev. 6. 14. And this omiſſion of this duty will caſt a reproach and defamation on all the indulgence of divine compaſſion.
Arg. 5 And laſtly conſider, this duty of ſecuring eternity, is not only plauſible, but feaſible. Smiles from God may be had, an intereſt in Chriſt may be gained, a worke of grace may be acquired, Rom. 8. 16.ſome token, ſome pledge of Gods love may be purchaſed, ſome internall Eph. 1. 4.teſtimony and witneſſe may be ſuppena…d 2 Cor. 1. 22.by prayers, and tears, and expectation, ſome privy ſeal, private bond for eternity may be found out; and therefore let all thy capacities be De electione ſua unusquiſque noſtrum ſecurus eſto, ſecurita e non carnis ſed ſpiritus, non ſenſus & experientiae, quae eſt alterius vitae, ſed fidei qua pe…ſeveramus in charitate Chriſti ad finem. Polan. Synt.wound up, heart, hand, time, talents, ſtrenght, to get a bond for eternity. The Apoſtle, 2 Pet. 1. 10. cals upon us, to make our Calling and Election ſure.
Now Election is our eternity a priori, and Glory is our eternity a poſteriori, the one before the creation of world, and the other after the diſſolution of it. God, I ſay, impoſeth it upon us as our duty, to make our election ſure; and therefore our election to Pſal. 84. 11.eternity, and our poſſeſſion of it may be made ſure: God layes not commands on us which imply impoſſibilities: No, but as election, ſo glory may be aſcertained; the ſpring of mercy is in election, and it bubbles out in calling, and runs to and fro in obedience and faith, and at laſt it loſeth it ſelf in the Ocean of glory. So that its poſſibility of accompliſhment ſhould be a good inducement to duty, and how ſweet a ſmile from God gained at laſt, (as moſt certainly it may be, unleſſe the default lie in us) which God ſhall morgage to thy ſoul, for thy ſecurity of eternall bleſſedneſſe will be, I may admire, but not depaint or deſcribe.
And that this branch of the exhortation may not be incomplete, let me carry the torch before you in ſome few directions.
Dir. 1 Be earneſt in prayer: Prayer perfumed in the bloud of Chriſt, hath the key of the Treaſury door, where all bleſſings are ſtor'd up. It is an omnipotent duty, ſo God himſelf ſaith, Iſa. 45. 11. Concerning the works of my hands command ye me. The Prayer of faith can draw the curtain from before Gods face, ſcatter the cloud between him and the ſoul, cauſe God to hold forth the ſcepter of grace, and can induce Rom. 5. 5.Jeſus Chriſt to ſhed a dew of love upon the ſoul, fervent, invincible, importunate, believing, irrefiſtible prayer, can as it were take the ring from off Chriſts finger and put it upon the ſuppliants. This Protomartyr Stephen, Act. 7. 53.when he was breathing out his laſt breath in holy prayer, God drawes the curtaines of the heaven and ſhewes him his glory, and Chriſt at his right hand. Prayer as it can baniſh that ſcrupulous muntinie of the ſoul, ſo it can make way for a ſoul-ſatisfying ſmile. And pray for theſe three things.
1. A ſoft heart.1 Pet. 3. 16.
2. A ſerene conſcience. And1 Tim. 1. 5.
3. A ſpirit fired with zeal. This threefold cord hell it ſelf cannot break: theſe three divine characters are Chriſts marke for glory; the pledges of that love he will be drawing out to eternity.
To aſſure thy eternity,
Dir. 2 Labour after a reall and rich faith, a faith which continually breaks out, and ſparkles forth in vigorous acts, and the ſparke of faith, will at laſt be turned into the flame of aſſurance, which is is only praemium fidei emeritae, the compenſation of a long-fighting and experienced faith: Aſſurance it is the triumph of faith, its jubilee, its preſent hallelujah, its conſummation, the Spirit at laſt, as the Philoſophers ſtone, will turn the ſilver of faith into the gold of aſſurance. Faith is only aſſurance in incunabulis, in the cradle, and aſſurance is faith with the crown. Thus Job after all the conflicts, wreſtlings, and exerciſes of his faith, with the loſſe of his eſtate, the malice of a Devill, the curſing and curſed temptations of his wife, the ſcoffes and hypocriſies of his friends; he at laſt breakes out into a triumphant aſſurance, I know my Redeemer lives, and Joh 19. 26.that with theſe eyes I ſhall ſee him, &c. Cauſa inſtrumentalis fiduciae eſt fides, & fidei verbum.Faith will ſprout out and bloffome forth into a greater certainty. And therefore pray, read, hear, and uſe all thoſe means which uſually generate and produce faith.
Dir. 3 That thou mayeſt finde ſome evidence for thy everlaſting condition, study holineſſe, and exactneſſe of life. Thou canſt not walke with a trembling heart, even foot, and watchfull eye, and yet miſcarry; I ſpeak not of a morall unblameableneſſe, but of an evangelicall holineſſe, that is, when we ſtudy to tread ſurely, and walke in-offenfively upon a threefold account.
1. Obedience to God.
2. Love to Chriſt. AndJoh. 14. 15.
3. Pity to our own ſouls.
Now Sanctification is the eccho of Election, Holineſſe the bloſſoming of happineſſe, and Piety the dawning Bona opera ſunt via ad regnum. Noſtra converſatio in coelis eſt per vitam coeleſtem, quia in terris vitam agimus puram, qualem Angeli agunt in coelo. A Lap.of felicity; and therefore a holy converſation is called a converſation in heaven, Phil. 3. 20. While we live purely, and walke cloſely with God, we draw a map of heaven, we live more like Angels then Men, we are as corporeall Angels, we enjoy heaven upon earth two wayes:
1. In a pure converſation.
2. In ſpirituall conſolation. 2. Pet. 1. 8. In a holy life, we follow Chriſt in the ſame tracke to glory. Thou 1 Cor. 11. 1.mayeſt read thy eternall life in thy Prov. 24. 16.ſpirituall, and ſee Veſtigia beatitatis in vestigiis ſanctitatis. I ſpeak of holineſſe ratione partium, non graduum, of parts, not degrees, elſe heaven door would be ſhut to all, but God expounds deſires after perfection for the attainment of it. So you may ſee Gods ſmile, and your own crown in the glaſſe of a holy life, and ſo thou mayeſt aſſure eternity to thee, by beginning heaven before thou comeſt to heaven.
Dir. 4 If thou wouldeſt have ſomething to ſhew for thy eternity, Often enter into the withdrawing room of thy own heart, and ſearch for ſome tokens of love there. Thou mayeſt read the intentions of Coelum non tantum ſit ſuper nos, & juxta nos, & circa nos, ſed & intra nos.Gods concerning thee, in the impreſſions of thine. Men need not climbe up to heaven in a vain curioſity to ſearch the records and regiſter book, to ſee whether their names be pricked down for glory. They may dive into their own ſouls, and ſee Gods will concerning them in his worke upon them; as the Mariner in the darke night, that he may finde whether he be near land or no, throwes down his plummet, and happily he obſerves himſelf near the ſhoar, but it is not by his eye, but his plummet; throw down the plummet, make a curious, narrow, impartiall, diligent ſearch into thy own ſoul, and ſee what humility, what ſelf deniall, what ſin-abhorrency, what affectionateneſſe to Chriſt, what raviſhings of the Spirit, what love to the Ordinances, what zeal for Gods glory, what contempt of the world, what ſympathy with the afflictions, and deſires after the ſociety of the Saints, &c. And if thou findeſt any impreſſions of grace, any ſpirituall work, any ſaving, ſavory, diſtinguiſhing operations upon thy heart, that the Spirit hath been there with his cure, thou art in the port of a glorious eternity already, thou mayeſt ſee the face of God in the water of thine own heart. If Chriſt ſit Eph. 3. 17.in the throne of thy heart here by a Confirmavit quaſi ſigillo promiſſiones ſuas deus, dando juxta eas pignus futurae haereditatis, gratiam ſc. qua nos vexit, & ſignavit in filios dei. Chryſ. Theod.worke of grace, thou ſhalt ſit in the throne with him, and enjoy the weight of glory; the work of grace foreruns the wayes of glory; grace and glory differ non ſpecie, ſed gradu, in degree not kind, as our Divines ſpeak; here the Spirit is a refining ſpirit, above a raviſhing; the Spirit doth ſeal, Eph. 1. 13. as well as ſift it; doth win to Chriſt and ſo to glory, Col. 1. 27. as well as wean and winnow it from ſin; the Spirit is the pawn, as well as the Eph. 1. 14.purifier of the ſoul; grace is but the dawning, heaven is the noon day, 2 Cor. 1. 22.death will blow the bud of grace into the flower of glory. So the Pſalmiſt joynes grace and glory together, as indeed they are individuall and inſeparable, Pſal. 84. 11. grace doth but uſher in glory, grace is but the greener fruit of heaven. So that to get ſecurity for heaven and eternall felicity, is to ſearch for ſome privy token in thy own ſoul; ſee the prints of Jeſus Chriſt there; and he will know his own hand, when death ſhall ſummon thee to him.
Dir. 5 That thou mayeſt get ſome oertainty of thy everlaſting condition, Electionis noſtra ad viram aeternam comes eſt crux & afflictio a mundo, ſed ejuſdem comes …ſt & victoria certa. Polan.Labour after not only a patience under, but a joyfulneſſe in afflictions, and trouble. It is the Apoſtles advice, Jam. 1. 2. and the character of a Chriſtian, the heir of the promiſes, to triumph in tribulation, to carry Chriſts Croſſe with gladneſſe, and not weariſomeneſſe: therefore Martyrdome in the Abſit mihi gloriari niſi in cruce Chriſti, crux eſt ſcala heatae aeternitatis. A Lap.primitive times was called Corona Martyrii, the Crown of Martyrdome, the Croſſe going before Crown. It is the Apoſtles argument, Rom. 7. 18. If ſo be that we ſuffer with him, we ſhall alſo be glorified together; obſerve the together, inſeparably, unqueſtionably. If we drinke of the cup of gall with him, we ſhall likewiſe drinke of the cup of gladneſſe with him; if we fall into the Martyrs fire, we ſhall likewiſe enter into the Maſters joy; when a believer is filled with alacrity in ſuffering, it is probable he ſees the crown before him, as Paul, Col. 1. 24. Wherefore we rejoyce Col. 1. 24.in our ſufferings; and why? one great Paulus oſtendit quomodo ſe gerat in afflictionibus, non ſolum animo ſorti, ſed laeto & alacri. Dav.reaſon was, thoſe Martyrdomes ſtormed heaven for him. The troubles and wounds of a Saint here, they are thoſe skarres, which ſhall be his trophees for ever, and his ſighs ſhall be turned into everlaſting perſumes. So that one means to ſecure eternity, is to labour after life, courage, magnanimity and alacrity in ſufferings, which are thoſe bloudy badges of Chriſt, which he will cure and crown with eternall felicity; if thou followeſt Chriſt in via arctiore in a rough way, thou wilt find him in patria uberiore, in a glorious home. Therefore do not decline, ſhift, find out methods for the evaſion, and eſcape of neceſſary afflictions.