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A54010
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Invisible realities, the real Christian's greatest concernment in several sermons on 2 Cor. 4. 18 / by Henry Pendlebury ...
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Pendlebury, Henry, 1626-1695.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing P1140; ESTC R6886
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66,843
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144
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what we shall be In both these places we have a Discovery that is to be made of the Sons of God Behind all that is yet manifest or doth yet appear there is a Manifestation of the Sons of God it doth not yet appear what we shall be O Sirs the Sons of God shall be manifested with and appear in much Glory much internal Glory in their Souls and Bodies much external Glory in their Privileges and Possessions that is not yet manifest neither doth yet appear 3. Glory to be revealed Rom. 8.18 1 Pet. 5.1 And also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed Here is a Glory to be revealed to be opened and uncovered that is yet covered and unseen a Glory to be thus revealed in us or among us us who are now suffering among Men. 4. Wrath to come on Sinners 1 Thess 1.10 Matth. 3.7 O Generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to come Wrath to come in another World and in an eternal Estate besides and behind all that comes and is seen in this World and present Time 5. Second Death that poor Creatures dead in Trespasses and Sins have to pass under when through the Door of the first Death Rev. 2.11 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second Death Rev. 20.6 Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on him the second Death shall have no Power There is then you see such a thing as a second Death O think on it poor Sinners it 's an unseen thing but an unquestionable thing there is such a thing certainly and it 's a dreadful thing the first Death is nothing the breadth of it is but a step the length of it is but a moment of Time or two but the second Death is something there are the Chambers of Death where you shall be led from one Misery to another and where you shall dwell for ever 3. The Being of unseen things is manifest from the special Distribution or Distinction that the Scripture makes of things into two ranks or sorts This is another thing that will yet put this Truth out of question We find the Holy Ghost distributing things 1. Into things present and to come Rom. 8.38 For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers or things present or things to come c. 1 Cor. 3.22 there again you read of things present and to come 2. Into those of this Life and of the Life to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness hath the Promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come 3. Into things of this World and that to come Luke 20.34 35. The Children of this World marry and are given in Marriage But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection from the Dead c. Eph. 1.21 Every Name that is named not only in this World but in that which is to come 4. Into things Above and things on Earth Col. 3.2 Set your Affections on things above not on things on the Earth 5. Things in Heaven and in Earth Col. 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth 6. Things Temporal and things Eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 The things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal 7. Things Visible and Invisible Col. 1.16 For by him were all things Created visible and invisible i. e. all the Creatures for they are all visible or invisible and as there are visible so there are invisible unseen Creatures Thus things are distinguished into things present and to come Now the things present the things of this Life are visible are seen things and the things to come the things of the other Life are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 invisible and unseen 4. The Being of unseen things is evident from the Examples or Experience of those that have been brought within some sight of unseen things thus Peter James and John had a Praeludium a Prefiguration of the unseen Glory of Heaven in Christ's Transfiguration Mat. 17. So Stephen when dying saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the right Hand of God Acts 7.55 Mark he saw into Heaven and beheld Christ there in his Glory If any would enquire here de modo how the Heavens were opened and how he saw the Glory it 's both beside my present Work and above my Ability to satisfy their Curiosity Res patet modus latet Again Paul tells us that he was caught up into the third Heaven into Paradise the Place of God's Glory the Habitation of Saints and Angels and that there he heard wordless words things impossible to be uttered 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. Mark pray he tells us again and again whether out of the Body or in the Body I can't tell God knoweth but this he can tell that he was in the third Heaven in Paradise and heard unspeakable words So on the other side as Stephen a little before his Death had a foresight of the unseen Glory above and dying went into the full Possession of it so Judas a little before his Death had a foretaste of the Woe and Worm below and dying went to the full Experience of it Acts 1.25 From which Judas by Transgression fell that he might go to his own place So the Sodomites are set out Jude 7. not only for an Example of Admonition to warn other Sinners but as an Example of Conviction to convince other Sinners that there is an eternal Fire or for an Example of this Truth that there are Sufferings not seen remaining for impenitent and secure Sinners as those that hear these words shall see and find one day if Repentance and Grace prevent not 5. From Scripture-Visions wherein the Lord hath made clear discoveries and visible representations of invisible things things not seen unto his Servants The unseen Judgment to come was thus seen by Daniel in a Vision Dan. 7.9 10. I beheld till the Thrones were cast down and the antient of days did sit whose Garment was white as Snow and the Hair of his Head like the pure Wooll his Throne was like the fiery Flame and his Wheels as burning Fire Verse 10. A fiery Stream issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Judgment was set and the Books were opened By John in another Vision Rev. 20.11 12 13. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose Face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them Ver. 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works Ver. 13. And the Sea gave up the Dead which
others the scope of all his Studies Prayers and Sermons was directed by him to the saving of himself and those that heard him And in his Conversation were so expressed the Power and Life of all his Ministerial Acts in a Holy Imitation of his Lord and Master Jesus Christ as did shew him to be really perswaded in his Heart that there was more than ordinary Care required of him to keep himself in all Respects pure from the Blood of Souls and the Lord who is the searcher and trier of the Heart and who loves Truth of Grace in the inward parts did crown his Ministerial Endeavours with great Success He did not run in vain nor labour in vain nor spend his Strength for nought but he had Seals of his Ministry all along from the beginning to the close thereof and the Lord ordered it so wisely in his Providence that sometimes the notice or the saving Success of his Ministry was then brought unto him when it conduced most to his inward Support and Consolation Then to give one Instance of many when he was banished by the Oxford Act at the first House he took up his Lodging as a poor Exile from his own Home he who saluted him as his Spiritual Father related to him that he was the Instrument of his Conversion by preaching a Lecture-Sermon at Leigh Church Mr. Nathaniel Hilton of London gave a Stipend for a Weekly Lecture at Bolton every Monday of the most eminent Ministers in the County to four in their Courses among whom this worthy Servant of Christ was chosen one other two were Mr. Roger Baldwin and Mr. Henry Newcome who are both sometime since removed by Death Cease Lord by whom shall Jacob arise for he is small He was a great redeemer of his Time there was not so much as a Day spent by him in Idleness the sense of unseen things was so deeply imprest upon his Spirit as made him fill every Leaf in the Book of his Life with those great and weighty Works which were incumbent on him in his Place When Persons that had been converted by his Ministry gave notice to him thereof he would with great Humility lift up his Eyes and Hands towards Heaven and say Lord who am I that I should be so far honoured as to be the Instrument in the converting of one Soul He was Eminent for Contempt of the World he never sought great Places for himself and when they were offered him he declined them he was content to move in an obscure and low Sphere so he might but be an Instrument of doing good to Souls he would not be drawn nor driven away to any other Business but continued in his laborious Course of Preaching twice every Lord's Day administring the Lord's Supper Monthly He was a constant Mourner for the Sins of the Nation and was greatly concerned for the rising Generation and bent his Discourses tâ— establish them in the true Religion He welcomed his last Sickness with deep Submission to the Will of God He expressed his Contentedness if his Lord and Master whom he served with his Spirit in the Gospel had any more Work for him to accomplish in the Church below but if not he was willing to depart desirous to have his own Blessedness among the Saints above and to be with Christ as being far better He had little pain in the beginning of his Sickness and was much in blessing of God for dealing so gently with him and carrying on his long Visitation with so great ease to him He kept his resigned Frame to the Will of his Heavenly Father and said I have had more Time to work for my own and others Souls than I made accompt of when I was Young and so if God have no more Work for me to do I am free to go to my Rest I have had enough of Living and am filled and satisfied with this Life upon Earth There came Friends from all Places where he had preached to visit him to whom he always dropped some word of sutable Counsel He advised those who told him they were converted by his Ministry to give God the Glory and to walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith they were called He exhorted those who had profited and were built up in Grace by his Labours to go on their way rejoicing tho they should see his Face no more He cautioned rich and trading Professors to take heed that they lost not their Souls in a croud and hurry of earthly Business he charged them to remember the Saying of Sir Thomas Moor there is a great Truth in it as well as a Scum of Wit There is a Devil that is termed Business that carrieth more Souls with him to Hell than all the Devils in Hell beside O beware of the Devil when you come to be in my Condition your full Bags your full Shops and full Houses will stand you in no stead Some of his Reverend Brethren in the Ministry did visit him with whom he freely conversed and whom he always desired to pray with him as he did all his other Christian Friends and amongst the rest Reverend Mr. O. H. was with him and in his Discourse propounded these Queries here inserted to which be returned with great composedness of Mind the following Answers What are your Thoughts as to Justification by Christ's imputed Righteousness I look only to be justified by Christ's Righteousness received by Faith Being ask'd What Evidence he had for Heaven He said he had good grounds of Hope many Years ago concerning his State of Grace tho be was full of defects yet the Merits of Christ were alsufficient on which he trusted Are you satisfied that you have delivered in your Sermons nothing but such Gospel-Truths as you can own at the Tribunal of Christ Excepting humane Frailty so far as I can remember I have never delivered any thing to my Hearers but what I dare die with and go with to Judgment Mr. H. continued Whether have you any comfortable Seals of your Ministry He answered I bless God I have and have had more Fruits appearing since my Lying down than I knew of before especially many young Persons have appeared hopeful What are your Thoughts now as to your Non-conformity Do you repent of it I bless God I am abundantly satisfied with it and if I was to make my choice over again and if it were possible for me to see all the Sufferings which I have undergone for it which are nothing to what many of the precious Servants of God have suffered and if they were all laid together I would make the same Choice which I have made and take my Non-conformity with them and I bless God that I never so much as tampered with them What Legacies have you to leave I am unfit to give Counsel to you my Brother but the words of the Apostle I leave with you Be not weary of Well-doing and you shall reap in due Time if you faint not In the latter