Use. O blessed man that feels in his soul this blessed testimony! what is here comparable to it? riches are deceitful, pleasure is a toy, the world is but a bubble, only our assurance of Heaven is the only real comfort that we have on earth; who then would not study to make this certain? if we purchase an inheritance on earth we make it as sure, and our tenure as strong, as the brawn of the Law, or the brain of Lawyers can devise, we have conveyance, and bonds, and fines, no strength too much; and shall we not be more curious in the settling our eternal inheritance in Paradise? a man can never be too sure of going to Heaven; and therefore in Gods fear let us examine the testimony of our spirits by the inward tokens, and by the outward fruits: let us examine the testimony of Gods Spirit by the means and the difference; and if we find both these testimonies to accord within us, how blessed are we in this vale of ⟨p. 204⟩tears! it is an heaven upon earth, a Paradise in a wilderness, in a word, a comfort in all miseries, be they never so embittered. See a Thief hanging on the Cross, an Engine of most grievous torture; but who can tell the joy that entered into him before he entered into Heaven? you may guess it by his desire to be remembered of Christ when he came into his Kingdom; he begs not for life, nor pleasure, nor riches, nor honour, no, there is one thing necessary; give him Heaven and he cares for nothing; to this purpose doth he address himself to our blessed Saviour,1 and he asks— what? if thou be Christ, save thy self, said the Jews in derision, and if thou be Christ, save thy self and us, said the other Thief to him; but this was only for the bodies safety: and here is a man quite of another mind, let the Jews rack him tear him, break all his bones, and pull him into atoms, if our Saviour will but do so much as remember him in his kingdom, he desires nothing more: O blessed Christ speak comfortably to his soul that begs it thus vehemently at thy hands! but why do I prevent? the bowels of our Saviour yearn to hear him; remember him? yes, he will remember him, and he shall be with him; comfortable news! how leaps his heart at these so blessed words? his desire is granted, and Heaven is assured, and the Spirit of God, yea, the God of Spirits thus testifies it to him, to day [shalt thou be] with me in Paradise.]
Ʋse. O blessed man that feels in his soul this blessed testimonie! what is here comparable to it? riches are deceitfull, pleasure is a toy, the world is but a bubble, onely our assurance of Heaven is the onely reall comfort that we have on earth; who then would not studie to make this certain? if we purchase an inheritance on earth we make it as sure, and our tenure as strong, as the brawn of the Law, or the brain of Lawyers can devise, we have conveyance, and bonds, and fines, no strength too much; and shall we not be more curious in the setling our eternall inherit•nce in Paradise? a man can never be too sure of going to Heaven; and therefore in Gods fear let us examine the testimonie of our spirits by the inward tokens, and by the outward fruits: let us examine the testimonie of Gods Spirit by the means and the difference; and if we find both these testimonies to accord within us, how blessed are we in this vale of ⟨p. 204⟩tears! it is an heaven upon earth, a Paradise in a wildernesse, in a word, a comfort in all miseries, be they never so embittered. See a Thief hanging on the Crosse, an Engine of most grievous torture; but who can tell the joy that entred into him before he entred into Heaven? you may guesse it by his desire to be remembred of Christ when he came into his Kingdome; he begs not for life, nor pleasure, nor riches, nor honour, no, there is one thing necessary; give him Heaven and he cares for nothing; to this purpose doth he addresse himself to our blessed Saviour,1 and he asks— what? if thou be Christ, save thy self, said the Jews in derision, and if thou be Christ, save thy self and us, said the other Thief to him; but this was onely for the bodies safetie: and here is a man quite of another mind, let the Jews rack him tear him, break all his bones, and pull him into atomes, if our Saviour will but do so much as remember him in his kingdome, he desires nothing more: O blessed Christ speak comfortably to his soul that begs it thus vehemently at thy hands! but why do I prevent? the bowels of our Saviour yearn to hear him; remember him? yes, he will remember him, and he shall be with him; comfortable news! how leaps his heart at these so blessed words? his desire is granted, and Heaven is assured, and the Spirit of God, yea, the God of Spirits thus testifies it to him, to day [shalt thou be] with me in Paradise.]
- 1Luke 23.37, 39.
