The Fountain of Life Opened Up

Inference number one The Christian religion is the greatest friend to the peace and tranquility of states and kingdoms. Nothing is more opposite to the true Christian spirit than implacable fierceness, strife, revenge, tumult, and uproar. It teaches men to do good and receive evil, to receive evil and return good. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3 verses 17 and 18 The church is a dove for meekness. Canticle 6 verse 9 When the world grows full of strife, Christians then grow weary of the world and sigh out the psalmist's request, O that I had wings like a dove, then would I fly away and be at rest. The rule by which we are to walk is, If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, For it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12 verses 18 and 19 It is not religion but our lusts that make the world so unquiet. James 4 verses 1 and 2 It is not godliness but wickedness that makes men bite and devour one another. One of the first effects of the gospel is to civilize those places where it comes, and settle order and peace among men. Happy would it be if religion did more obtain in all nations. It is the greatest friend to their tranquility and prosperity. Number 2 How dangerous a thing it is to abuse and wrong meek and forgiving Christians. Their readiness to forgive often invites injury and encourages vile spirits to insult and trample upon them. But if men would seriously consider it, there is nothing should more deter and affright them from such practices than the spirit of forgiveness. You may abuse and wrong them, and they must not avenge themselves, or repay evil for evil. True, but because they do not, the Lord will, even the Lord to whom they commit the matter, and He will do it to purpose, except ye repent. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. James 5 verse 7 Will ye stand to that issue? Had you rather indeed have to do with God than with men? When the Jews put Christ to death, He committed Himself to him that judgeth righteously. 1 Peter 2 verses 22 and 23 And did they gain anything by that? Did not the Lord severely avenge the blood of Christ on them and their children? Yea, do not they and their children groan under the doleful effects of it to this day? If God undertakes, as He always doth, the cause of His abused, meek, and peaceable people, He will be sure to avenge it sevenfold more than they could. 3 Let us all imitate our pattern, the Lord Jesus Christ, and labor for meek, forgiving spirits. I shall only propose two inducements to it, the honor of Christ and your own peace, two things dear indeed to a Christian. His glory is more than your life and all that you enjoy in this world. O do not expose it to the scorn and derision of his enemies. Let them not say, How is Christ a lamb, when his followers are lions? How is the church a dove, when its members tear and devour like birds of prey? Consult also the quiet of your own spirits. What is life worth without the comfort of life? What can you have in all that you do possess in the world, as long as you have not the possession of your own souls? If your spirits be full of tumult and revenge, the Spirit of Christ will grow a stranger to you. That dove delights in clean and quiet breaths. O then, imitate your Lord in this grace also. Chapter 31, page 376 Second Excellent Word of Christ upon the Cross Behold thy mother. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. John 19, 27 In this second memorable and instructive word of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross, he has left us an excellent pattern for the discharge of our relative duties. It may be well said, the gospel makes the best husbands and wives, the best parents and children, the best masters and servants. It furnishes the most excellent precepts and proposes the best patterns. Here we have the pattern of Jesus Christ presented to all children for their imitation, teaching them how to equip themselves toward their parents, according to the laws of nature and grace. Christ was not only subject and obedient to his parents while he lived, but manifested his tender care even while he hung in the torments of death upon the cross. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. These words contain an affectionate recommendation of his distressed mother to the care of a dear disciple, a bosom friend. The design and end was to manifest his tender respect and care for his mother, who was now in a most distressed, comfortless state. For now was Simeon's prophecy, Luke 2.35, fulfilled in the trouble and anguish that filled her soul. Her soul was pierced for him, both as she was his mother and as she was a mystical member of him, her head, her Lord. And therefore he commends her to John, the beloved disciple, saying, Behold thy mother, that is, let her be to thee as thy known mother. Let thy love to me be now manifested in thy tender care for her. The manner of his recommending her was very affectionate and moving. Behold thy mother. As if he had said, I am now dying, leaving all human society and relations and entering into a new state where neither the duties of natural relations are exercised nor their comforts enjoyed. It is a state of dominion over angels and men, not of subjection and obedience. This I now leave to thee. Upon thee do I devolve both the honor and duty of being in my standing room to her as to all dear and tender care over her. It was also a mutual recommendation. To his mother he said, Woman, behold thy son. Not mother, but woman. Intimating not only the change of state and conditions with him, but also the request he was making for her to the disciple with whom she was to live as a mother with a son. The time when his care for his mother so eminently manifested itself was when his departure was at hand and he could no longer be a comfort to her by his bodily presence. Yea, his love and care manifested themselves when he was full of anguish, both in his soul and body. Hence, Christ's tender care of his mother, even in the time of his greatest distress, is an excellent pattern for children to the end of the world. There are three great foundations or bonds of relation on which all family government depends. Those of husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants. The Lord has planted in the souls of men affection suitable to these relations, and to his people he has given grace to regulate those affections, appointed duties to exercise those graces, and seasons to discharge those duties. So that, as in the motion of a wheel, every spoke takes its turn and bears its stress, in like manner, in the whole round of a Christian conversation, every affection, grace and duty, at one season or another, comes to be exercised. But yet grace has not so far prevailed in the sanctification of any man's affections that there will be no excesses or defects in their exercise towards our relations. Yea, in this eminent saints have been eminently defective. But the pattern set before us here is a perfect pattern. As the church finds him the best of husbands, so to his parents he was the best of sons. And being the best and most perfect, he is therefore the rule and measure of all others. Grace knew how the corruptions we draw from our parents are returned in their bitter fruits upon them again, to the wounding of their very hearts, and therefore it pleased him to commend obedience and love to parents in his own example. It was anciently a proverb among the heathen, it is good to be an old man or woman, only in Sparta. The ground of it was the strict laws among the Spartans to punish the rebellion and disobedience of children to their aged parents. And shall it not be good to be an old father and mother in this land, where the gospel of Christ is preached, and such an argument as this now set before you urged, an argument which the heathen world never heard. Let all that sustain the relation of children seriously ponder this example of Christ proposed for their imitation, in which we will consider what duties belong to the relation of children and how they are enforced by Christ's example. Roman numeral 1 The duties pertaining to the relation of children. Number 1 Fear and reverence are due from children to their parents by the express command of God. Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father. Leviticus 19 verse 3 God has clothed the parents with his authority. He has entrusted to them the care of the souls and bodies of their children. And he expects that children reverence them, although in respect of outward estate or honor, they be never so much above them. Joseph, the lord of Egypt, bowed down before his aged father with his face to the earth. Genesis 48 verse 12 Solomon, the most magnificent and glorious king that ever swayed a scepter, when his mother came to speak with him for Adonijah, rose up to meet her, bowed himself to her, and set her upon his right hand. 2 Kings 2.19 Number 2 Dear and tender love is due from children to their parents. And to show how strong and dear that love ought to be, it is joined with the love you have for your own lives. As it appears in the injunction, to deny both for Christ's sake. Matthew 10.37 The bonds of nature are strong and direct between parents and children. Oh, the care, the cost, the pity, the tenderness, the pains, the fears they have expressed for you. It is worse than heathenish ingratitude not to return love for love. This filial love is not only in itself a duty, but should be the root or spring of all your duties to them. Number 3 Obedience is due them by the Lord's strict and special command. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise. Ephesians 6.1 Filial obedience is not only founded upon the positive law of God, but also upon the law of nature. This is right, says the apostle, that is right both according to natural and positive law. However, this objection and obedience is not absolute and universal. God has not divested himself of his own authority to clothe a parent with it. Your obedience to them must be in the Lord, that is, in things consonant to that divine and holy will to which they, as well as you, must be subject. Yea, even the wickedness of a parent exempts not from obedience where his command is proper. Nor, on the other hand, must the holiness of a parent sway you where his commands and God's are opposite. Yield yourselves therefore cheerfully to obey all which they lawfully enjoin, and take heed that the sin fixed on heathen who know not God be not found upon you. Disobedience to parents. Romans 1.30 Remember, your disobedience to their just commands rises much higher than an affront to their personal authority. It is disobedience to God himself who commands second and strengthens theirs upon you. Submission to their discipline and rebukes is also your duty. We had fathers of our own flesh that corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Hebrews 12.9 Parents ought not to abuse their authority. Cruelty in them is a great sin. Wrath and rebellion in a child against his parents is monstrous. Two considerations should not fail to bring children into a submissive frame, especially to godly parents. Their aim is to save your souls from hell. They judge it better for you to hear the voice of their anger than the terrible voice of the wrath of God. And when they rebuke and chasten, it is with grief in their hearts and tears in their eyes. It is no delight to them to cross, vex, or afflict you. But for their duty to God and tender love to your souls, they would neither rebuke nor chasten. And when they do, how do they afflict themselves in afflicting you? Faithfulness to all their interests is due to them by the natural and positive law of God. As far as in you lies, you are bound to promote, not to waste and scatter their substance, to assist, not defraud them. Whoso robbeth his father or mother and saith, it is no transgression, the same is the companion of a destroyer. Proverbs 28, 24 To dispose of their goods, much more of yourselves, without their consent, is ordinarily the greatest injustice to them. And more especially, the requital of all their love, care, and pains for you, is your duty, so far as God enables you. Let them learn to show piety at home and requite their parents. 1 Timothy 5, verse 4 It is a saying frequent among the Jews, a child should rather labor at the mill than suffer his parents to want. And to the same effect is that other saying, your parents must be supplied by you, if you have it. If not, you ought to beg for them, rather than see them perish. It was both the comfort and honor of Joseph that God made him an instrument of so much succor and comfort to his aged father and distressed family. Genesis 47, verse 13 And you are also to know that what you do for them is not alms or charity, it is but requiting them, which is justice, not charity. And it can never be a full requital. Indeed, the apostle tells us, 2 Corinthians 12, verse 14 that parents lay up for their children and not children for their parents, and so they ought. But surely if providence impoverished them and blessed you, an honorable maintenance is their due. Even Christ himself took care for his mother. Roman numeral 2 Consider how the example of our Lord, who was so subject to them in his life, Luke 2, verse 51, and so careful to provide at his death, enforces all those duties upon children, especially upon gracious children. Number 1 His example in this has the force and power of law, yea, a law of love, or a law lovingly constraining you to an imitation of him. If Christ himself condescends to be your pattern, if God is pleased to take relations like yours and go before you in the discharge of relative duties, oh, how are you obliged to imitate him and tread in all his footsteps. This was by him intended as a pattern to facilitate and direct your duties. Number 2 He will call you to account in judgment how you have answered the pattern of obedience and tender care he set before you in the days of his flesh. What will the disobedient plead in that day? He that heard the groans of an afflicted father or mother will now come to reckon with the disobedient child for them. And the glorious example of Christ's own obedience and his tenderness to his relations will in that day condemn and aggravate, silence and shame such wretched children as shall stand guilty before his bar. Inference number 1 Has Jesus Christ given such a pattern of obedience and tenderness to parents? Then there can be nothing of Christ in stubborn, rebellious children. The children of disobedience cannot be the children of God. If divine providence directs this to the hands of any that are so, my heart's desire and prayer for them is that the Lord will manifest to them their sinfulness while they consider the following inquiries. Have you not been guilty of slighting your parents by irreverent words or conduct? To such I commend the consideration of Proverbs 30, verse 17, which methinks should be to them as the handwriting that appeared upon the wall to Belshazzar. The eye that mocketh at his father and despises to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out and young eagles shall eat it. That is, they shall be brought to an untimely end and the birds of the air shall eat that eye that but for the parent it despised had never seen the light. It may be you are vigorous and young, they decayed and wrinkled with age, but saith the Holy Ghost, despise not thy mother when she is old, Proverbs 23, 22. It may be you are rich, they poor. Own and honor them in their poverty and despise them not. God will requite it with his hand if you do. Have you not been disobedient to the commands of parents? A son of Belial is a child of wrath if God give not repentance to life. Is not this the awful brand set upon the heathen, Romans 1, 30? Woe to him that makes a father or mother complain as the tree in the fable that they are cleft asunder with the wedges that are cut out of their own bodies. Have you not risen up rebelliously against and hated your parents for chastening you that they might save your soul from hell? What is this but to resist an ordinance of God for your good, and in rebelling against them to rebel against the Lord? Well, if they do not, God will take the rod into his own hand, and him you shall not resist. Have you not been unjust to your parents and defrauded them, first helped to make them poor and then despised them because they were poor? O whore of wickedness, what a complicated evil is this! Thou art in the language of Scripture a companion with the destroyers, Proverbs 28, 24. This is the worst of theft in God's account. Are you not or have you not been ungrateful to parents, leaving them to shift for themselves in those straits into which you have helped spring them? O considerate children, this is an evil which God will surely avenge except you repent. What, to be hardened against thine own flesh, to be cruel to thine own parents, that with so much tenderness fed thee when else thou hast perished? If any one of my readers be guilty of these evils, to humble you for them and reclaim you from them, I desire that these few considerations may be laid to heart. The effects of your obedience or disobedience will remain upon you and yours to many generations. If you be obedient children in the Lord, both you and yours may reap the fruits of your obedience in multitudes of sweet mercies for many generations. So runs the promise, Honor thy father and mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Ephesians 6, verses 2 and 3. You know what an eye of favor God cast upon the Rechabites for this. Jeremiah 35, verses 8 through 19. And as his blessings are by promise entailed on the obedient, so is his curse upon the disobedient. Whoso curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. Proverbs 20, 20. That is, the lamp of his life shall be quenched by death. Yea, say others, and his soul also, by the blackness of darkness in hell. Though other sins do, this sin seldom escapes exemplary punishment, even in this world. Heathens will rise up in judgment against you and condemn you. They never had such precepts or examples as you, and yet some of them would rather have chosen death than done as you do. But why speak I of heathens, the stork in the heavens? Yea, the beasts of the earth condemn the disobedience of children. These are sins inconsistent with the true fear of God in whomsoever they are found. A man is indeed what he is in his family. He that is a bad child can never be a good Christian. Either bring testimonies of your godliness from your relatives, or it may be well suspected to be no better than counterfeit. Never talk of your obedience to God while your disobedience to the just commands of your parents gives you the lie. A parting time is coming when death will break up the family, and when that time comes, oh how bitter will the remembrance of these things be. Surely this will be more insupportable to you than their death, if the Lord open your eyes and give you repentance. 2. Have you such a pattern of obedience and tender love to parents? Then children, imitate your pattern as it becomes Christians, and take Christ for your example. Whatsoever your parents be, see that your conduct towards them is such as becomes your profession of Christ. If your parents are godly, oh beware of grieving them by any unbecoming conduct. Art thou a Christian indeed? Thou wilt then recognize thyself obliged to them in a double bond, both of grace and nature. Oh what a mercy would some children esteem it if they had parents fearing the Lord, as you have. If they be carnal, walk circumspectly in the most careful and punctual discharge of your duties. For how knowest thou, oh child, but hereby thou mayest win thy parents? Wouldst thou but humbly and seriously entreat and persuade them to mind the ways of holiness, speaking to them at fifth seasons with all humility and reverence, expressing your wishes by relating some pertinent history, or proposing some excellent example, leaving their own conscience to draw the conclusion, and make the application. It is possible they might ponder your words in their hearts, as Mary did Christ. Luke 2 verses 49 and 51 And would you but add to all this your own earnest cries to heaven for them, and your own daily example, that they might have nothing to complain of you, and thus wait with patience for the desired effect. Oh, what a blessed instrument might you be of their everlasting good. Number 3 Let those who have children that fear the Lord, and endeavor to imitate Christ in these duties, account them a singular treasure and heritage from them, and give them all due encouragement. How many have no children, and how many have such as are the very reproach and heart-breaking of their parents, bringing down their hoary heads with sorrow to the grave. If God has given you the blessing of godly children, you can never be sufficiently thankful for such a favor. Oh, that ever God should honor you to train up your children for heaven. What a comfort must it be to you, whatever troubles you meet with abroad, when you come home among godly children that are careful to sweeten your life by their obedience. Especially what a comfort is it, when you come to die, that you leave them allied to Christ, and so need not be anxious how it shall be with them when you are gone. Take heed of discouraging such children, from whom so much glory may arise to God, and so much comfort to yourselves. Thus let Christ's pattern be improved, who by such eminent holiness in all his relations, left you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. Chapter 32, page 386, Third of Christ's Words upon the Cross to the Penitent Thief. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shall thou be with me in Paradise. Luke 23, 43 In this scripture you have the third excellent saying of Christ upon the cross, expressing the riches of free grace to the penitent thief, a man that had spent his life in wickedness, and for his wickedness was now to die. His conduct had been vile and profane, but now his heart was broken for it. He proved the convert, yea, the first fruits of the blood of the cross. In the former verse he manifests his faith, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. In this Christ manifests his pardon and gracious acceptance of him. Verily I say unto thee, Today shall thou be with me in Paradise. In which consider, number one, the matter or substance of the promise made by Christ that he shall be with him in Paradise. By Paradise he means Heaven itself, which is here shadowed to us by a place of delight and pleasure. This is the receptacle of gracious souls when separated from their bodies, and that Paradise signifies Heaven itself, and not a third place as some have imagined, is evident from 2 Corinthians 12 verses 2 and 4, where the apostle calls the same place by the names of the third Heaven and Paradise. This is the place of blessedness designed for the people of God. So you find Revelation 2 verse 7, To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. That is to have the fullest and most intimate communion with Jesus Christ in Heaven. And this is the substance of Christ's promise to the thief, Thou, that is thou in spirit, or thou in the noblest part, thy soul, shalt be with me in Paradise. Number 2 The person to whom Christ makes this excellent and glorious promise was one that had lived sinfully and profanely, a very vile and wretched man, now justly under condemnation. But the Lord gave him a penitent, believing heart. Now almost at the last gasp, he is soundly in an extraordinary way converted. And being converted he owns and professes Christ amidst all the shame and reproach of his death, vindicates his innocency, and humbly supplicates for mercy. Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Number 3 The set time for the performance of this gracious promise is today. This very day shalt thou be with me in glory, not after the resurrection, but immediately from the time of thy dissolution. Thou shalt enjoy blessedness. Number 4 We have here the confirmation and seal of this most comfortable promise to him, with Christ's solemn assertion, Verily I say unto thee, Higher security cannot be given. I that am able to perform what I promise, for heaven and the glory thereof are mine. I that am faithful and true to my promises, and have never forfeited my credit with any, I say it, I solemnly confirm it. Verily I say unto thee, Today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Hence we have three plain obvious truths for our instruction and consolation. Number 1. There is a future eternal state into which souls pass at death. Number 2. All believers are, at their death, immediately received into a state of glory and eternal happiness. Number 3. God may, though he seldom doth, prepare men for this glory, immediately before their dissolution by death. Proposition 1 There is a future eternal state into which souls pass at death. This truth is a principal foundation stone to the hopes and happiness of souls, and is briefly established by the following arguments. Number 1. The being of a God undeniably evinces a future state for human souls after this life. For if there be a God who rules the world which he hath made, he must rule it by rewards and punishments, equally and righteously distributed to good and bad, putting a difference between the obedient and disobedient, the righteous and the wicked. To make a species of creatures capable of moral government, and not to rule them at all, is to make them in vain, and is inconsistent with his glory, which is the end of all things. To rule them, but not suitably to their natures, consists not with that infinite wisdom from which their beings proceeded. To rule them in a way suitable to their natures, namely by rewards and punishments, and not to bestow or inflict them at all, is utterly incongruous with the veracity and truth of him that cannot lie. So then, as he hath made rational creatures capable of moral government by rewards and punishments, he rules them in the way suitable to their natures, promising, It shall be well with the righteous, and ill with the wicked. These promises and threatenings can be no cheat, merely intended to terrify where there is no danger, or encourage where there is no real benefit. But what he promises or threatens must be accomplished, and every word of God must be fulfilled. But it is evident that no such distinction is made by the providence of God, at least ordinarily and generally in this life. But all things come alike to all, and as with the righteous, so with the wicked. Yea, here it goes ill with them that fear God, they are oppressed, they receive their evil things, and wicked men their good. Therefore we conclude the righteous judge of the whole earth will, in another world, recompense to everyone according as his work shall be. Number two, As the very being of God evinces it, so the Scriptures plainly reveal it. These Scriptures are the system of laws for the government of man, which the wise and holy ruler of the world hath enacted and ordained. And in them we find promises made to the righteous of a full reward in the world to come for all their obedience, patience and sufferings. And threatenings made against the wicked of eternal wrath and anguish as the just recompense of their sin in hell forever. Treasuring up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life. But unto them that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil. Romans 2 verses 5 through 10. So 2 Thessalonians 1 verses 4 through 7. We ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye also suffer. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire. To these plain testimonies multitudes might be added if it were needful. Heaven and earth shall pass away but these words shall never pass away. Number 3. As the scriptures reveal it so the consciences of all men have some presentments of it. Where is the man whose conscience never felt any impressions of hope or fear from a future world. If it is said that these may be but the effects of education that having read some things in the scriptures or heard them from preachers we raise up to ourselves hopes and fears about them. I demand how the consciences of the heathen who have neither scriptures nor preachers came to be impressed with those things. Does not the apostle tell us that their consciences work upon these things. Romans 2 verse 15. Their thoughts with reference to a future state accuse or else excuse. That is their hearts are cured and encouraged by the good they do and terrified with fears about the evils they command. Whereas if there were no such impression respecting the future conscience would neither accuse or excuse for good or evil done in this world. Number 4. The incarnation and death of Christ are in vain without it. What did he propose to himself or what benefit have we by his coming if there be no such future state? Did he take our nature and suffer such terrible things in it for nothing? If you say Christians have much comfort from it in this life I answer the comforts they have are identified with and inseparable from faith and expectation of the happiness to be enjoyed as the purchase of his blood in heaven. And if there be no such heaven to which they are appointed no hell from which they are redeemed they do but comfort themselves with a fable and bless themselves with a thing of naught. Their comfort is no greater than the comfort of a beggar that dreams he is a king and when he awakes finds himself a beggar still. Surely the end of Christ's death was to deliver us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 10 Not from an imaginary but a real hell to bring us to God. 1 Peter 3.18 To be the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him. Hebrews 5 verse 9 Inference number 1 Is there an eternal state into which souls must pass after this life? How precious then is your present time upon the improvement whereof that state depends. Oh what a huge weight hath God hung upon a small wire. God hath set us here in a state of trial and according as we improve these hours so will it fare with us to all eternity. Every day, every hour, nay every moment of your present time hath an influence upon your eternity. Do you believe this? What, and yet squander away precious time so carelessly, so vainly? When Seneca heard one promise to spend a week in recreation with a friend that invited him, he wondered that he should make so racial promise. What, said he, throw away so considerable a part of your life? How can you do it? Surely our prodigality in the expense of time argues that we have little sense of vast eternity. Number two. How rational are all the duties and self-denial of religion which serve to promote and secure future eternal happiness? So vast is the disproportion between time and eternity, between things seen and things not seen as yet, between the present vanishing and the future permanent state, that he can never be justly reputed wise that will not let go the best enjoyment he hath on earth if it stand in the way of his eternal happiness. Nor can that man ever escape the just censure of notorious folly, who for the gratifying of his appetite and present pleasure parts with eternal glory in heaven. Darius repented that he had lost a kingdom for a draught of water. O, said he, for how short a pleasure have I sold a kingdom? It was Moses' choice, and his choice argued his wisdom, rather, to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Hebrews 11 25 Number three If there be such an eternal state into which souls pass immediately after death, how great a change does death make upon every man! O, what a serious thing is it to die! It is your passage out of a swift river of time into the boundless and bottomless ocean of eternity. You that now converse with sensible objects, with men like yourselves, then enter the world of spirits. You that now see the continual revolutions of days and nights, passing away one after another, will then be fixed in a perpetual now. O, what a serious thing is death! The souls of men are now, as it were, asleep in their bodies. At death they awake and find themselves in the world of realities. Let this teach you both how to assist dying persons when you visit them, and to make every day some provision for that hour yourselves. Be serious, be plain, be faithful with others that are stepping into eternity. Be so with your own souls every day. O, remember eternity! Proposition number two All believers are, at their death, immediately received into a state of glory and eternal happiness. This day shalt thou be with me. This proposition the atheist denies. He thinks he shall die, and therefore resolves to live as the beasts that perish. Berilus, and some others after him, taught that there was indeed a future state of happiness and misery for souls, but that they shall not pass into it immediately after death, but sleep till the resurrection, and then awake and enter it. But have they found any such intimation in the Scriptures? Not at all. The Scriptures take notice of no such interval, but plainly enough deny it. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 8 No sooner parted from the body than present with the Lord. Philippians 1 verse 23 Having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. If the soul of the apostle was to sleep till the resurrection, how was it far better to be dissolved than to live? Surely Paul's state in the body had been far better than his state after death, if this were so. For here he enjoyed much sweet communion with God by faith, but then he would enjoy nothing. The Scriptures place no interval between the dissolution of a saint and his glorification. They speak of the saints that are dead as already with the Lord, and the wicked that are dead as already in hell, calling them spirits in prison. 1 Peter 3 verses 19 and 20 Assuring us that Judas went presently to his own place. Acts 1 25 And to that sense is the parable of Dives and Lazarus. Luke 16 22 But let us weigh these four things more particularly for our full satisfaction on this point. 1. Why should the happiness of believers be deferred, since they are immediately capable of enjoying it as soon as separated from the body? This Reformation audio track is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available, free and for sale, in audio, video, and printed formats. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog, containing thousands of classic and contemporary Puritan and Reform books, tapes, and videos at great discounts, is on the web at www.swrb.com We can also be reached by email at swrb at swrb.com By phone at 780-450-3730 By fax at 780-468-1096 Or by mail at 4710-37A Edmonton Edmonton Alberta Alberta T6L 3T5 You may also request a 3T5 3T5 3T5 3T5 3T5 3T5 3T5 3T5 3T5 3T5 I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the Papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying His word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The Prophet's words then are very important when he says that God had commanded no such thing and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay what he never knew.