Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A54656
|
The gain of Godliness being a consideration of I Tim. 4. 8. / by Charles Phelpes.
|
Phelpes, Charles.
|
1682
(1682)
|
Wing P1977; ESTC R131
|
86,937
|
202
|
the half was not told us by them this life and immortality exceeds the same which we have heard of it 1 King 10. 6 7 8. But no more to that 3. We come in the last place to evidence and shew that Godliness hath and those that unseignedly and preseveringly exercise themselves thereto have the promise also of the life to come of this most excellent desirable and eternally happy and blessed state of which we have before given some broken imperfect and brief account To this purpose the Apostle Paul speaks in the presence of King Agrippa and some other great persons saying And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our Fathers to wit the promise of a blessed and joyful resurrection from the dead and of an everlastingly happy state afterwards which was made unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. Gen. 22. 7. Exod. 3. 6. with Luk. 20. 35 36 38. Act. 24. 14 16. Heb. 11. 9 10 13 16. Unto which promise saith he our twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come Intimating that they rightly judged and concluded that no persons could enjoy the compleat benefit of that promise made unto the Fathers but such as were sincerely pious and devout persons such as walked in the steps of the Faith of our Father Abraham And therefore they did instantly and constantly serve God in holiness and righteousness that they might enjoy the benefits and blessings of that promise Act. 26. 6 7 8. Psal 119. 166. To the same purpose also the Apostle James speaking concerning them that were Rich in faith though poor in this world saith of them that they are Heirs of that Kingdom which God hath promised unto them that love him Jam. 1. 12. and ch 2. 5. And the Apostle John writing unto them that did believe in the name of the Son of God in general saith Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father And this is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life 1 Joh. 2. 24 25. Rev. 2. 7 10 11. and chap. 22. 12 14. This promise as we have said before is conditionally propounded and assured unto all however where the Gospel of Christ is plainly taught and proclaimed that upon their performing the conditions of the New-Covenant by the help and assistance of the blessed spirit of God which he will not be wanting to give them preventingly they might be made partakers of the blessings therein assured and promised For so God loved the world of fallen sinfull mankind that he gave his onely begotten Son namely to be the Saviour of it That whosoever of the world believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 14 15 16 17 35 36. and chap. 5 24 25 40. Isa 55. 1 2 3. But they onely are the Heirs of it I now speak of adult ones and shall assuredly receive and enjoy the choice and everlasting benefits of it who do exercise themselves unto true and sincere Godliness and Goodness and continue so to do unto the end of their lives for they do perform the terms and conditions of that New-Covenant To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality God will render eternal life Rom. 2. 7 10. Hence the Apostle thus intreats exhorts and encourages the believing Hebrews saying unto them And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 11 12. And again he faith unto the same believers Ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promises chap. 10. 36 38. But having mentioned somewhat to the same purpose before in the fore-going part of this discourse and thereby prevented my self from further enlarging thereto here I shall adde no more unto it Onely for our further helpfulness and encouragement we may enquire into and consider these two things namely 1. Whose is this promise that is assured unto Godliness and consequently unto them that sincerely exercise themselves thereto 2. How is this most excellent promise confirmed and established that we may firmly expect to receive the blessings thereof upon our exercising our selves to true Piety and Holiness 1. Whose is this promise that is assured unto Godliness and consequently unto them that sincerely and perseveringly exercise themselves thereto Or who is he that hath promised eternal life to the truely Godly and Holy persons And he is The living God as he is styled in vers 10. He that lifts up his hand unto heaven and saith I live for ever Deut. 32. 40. That God who onely hath immortality 1 Tim. 6. 16. And him we may further consider 1. As a Gracious and merciful God one who is full of tender bowels of compassion and affection to mankind Tit. 3. 4. Jam. 5. 11. Especially towards them that heartily seek and serve him as the Apostle also signifies in what he saith of the living God in vers 10. Namely that he is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe His Charity and Mercy moved him to promise his dear Son from the beginning of the world to be the Saviour of the world and in the fulness of the time to send him according as he had before-promised whom he hath given For a Covenant of the people Isa 42. 6. Through the tender mercies of our God the day-spring from on high visited us To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Luk. 1. 70 80. Isa 55 3 4. And he hath by the grace of God tasted death for every man and is raised again from the dead and hath by his precious blood obtained and ratified the New Testament of exceeding great and precious promises 2 Cor. 1. 20. And this everliving and true God who hath so greatly and wonderfully manifested the sincerity of his love and kindness towards us in sending his well-beloved and onely begotten Son to be the Propitation for our sins doth still keep mercy toward the Heirs of his promise otherwise they could not be made partakers of the blessings and benefits of his Covenant Hence we have frequently such expressions as these made use of in the holy Scriptures to wit The great and dreadful God who keepeth Covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his Commandments Deut. 7. 9. Neh. 1. 5. Dan. 9. 4. All the Paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimomonies Psal 25. 10. He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Thou wilt
6. is ratified and made sure by the most precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Indeed the first Testament was confirmed and Dedicated with blood For Moses took the blood of Calves and of Goats with water and Hysop and sprinkled the book saying This is the blood of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you Exod. 24. 3 8. with Heb. 9. 18 20. But this better and far more excellent Covenant and Promise which is entail'd on sincere Piety is ratified and established by the blood of the Son of God who is the Mediatour of it Thus when our Lord Jesus instituted his Supper in the night in which he was betrayed He took the Cup and gave it unto his Disciples saying Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins Matth. 26. 27 28. This Testament of exceeding great and precious Promises is confirmed by the Blood of himself who is the Testator For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be brought in the Death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testator liveth Heb. 9. 16 17. Hence this Covenant is called The New Testament in his Blood Luke 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 25. And his Blood is said to be The Blood of the New Testament or Covenant Mark 14. 24. Heb. 10. 29. and the Blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13. 20. And our Lord Jesus who hath obtained sealed and ratified this New Testament with his own Death is raised again from the Dead and is now Alive a 〈…〉 ives for evermore and is the Mediator 〈…〉 is New Covenant to see to the faithful Execution and Performance of his own last Will and Testament As the Apostle saith And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament That by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the First Testament They which are called to wit called according to purpose so as they unfeignedly obey the call might receive the Promise of the eternal Inheritance Heb. 9. 14 15. So that the Promise being thus Confirmed by the Oath of the ever-living and eternally unchangeable God and by the Blood of the eternal and Immutable Son of God Heb. 13. 7 8. appears hereby to be a faithful and true saying and therefore as we have said is worthy of all hearty and honourable Acceptation and Entertainment from us all To conclude all then in a few words Let us all so carefully and seriously minde and consider the General Gainfulness of sincere Piety and Goodness both in this present State which we are now in and in that future and eternal State which we must hereafter enter upon which is fully and abundantly evidenced in this that it hath the Promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come And that the Author and Maker of this Prom 〈…〉 s the living God the Incorruptible God the most Merciful most Powerful and Faithful God And that this Promise is ascertained and confirmed by his most solemn Oath to shew unto the Heirs of his Promise the Immutability of his Counsel and that it is also Ratified and Established by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 7 8. And who ever liveth to see to the performance of his Covenant and Promise Heb. 1. 10 12. that we may resolvedly and constantly deny Impiety and all sinful and worldly lusts and affections by the aid and assistance of the Spirit of Grace lest we come short of enjoying the Benefit and advantage of this excellent and most beneficial promise as Heb. 4. 1. And let us uprightly and perseveringly follow after and exercise our selves not to the Form only or mainly but to the Power and Practice of real Godliness that so we may have an Interest in and an enjoyment of The Gain and Advantage of Godliness both now in this present Day and to the Day of Eternity O let us not by observing lying Vanities which cannot save us from evil nor satisfy us with good forsake our own Mercies God hath Inseparably joyned together our Duty and our Interest that we cannot Possibly have the Latter unless we sincerely perform the Former nor can we heartily exercise our selves to the Former but we shall without all doubt be made Partakers of the Latter What God therefore hath so joyned together let no man fondly imagine or foolishly endeavour to put asunder As by annexing and assuring this general and most valuable advantage to Godliness God doth Intimate our backwardness to exercise our selves thereto and our averseness therefrom So in that he proposes and promises such a Reward to Piety He doth plainly give us to understand that it is his gracious Mind and Will that we should be Good and Pious that we may be truly Blessed and Happy We must indeed take Christs Yoak upon us and unseignedly undertake his service if we will meet with and find Refreshing to our Souls But that we may heartily and willingly so do He doth assure us that it is an easie that it is a gainful one and so draws us to take the Yoke upon us with the Bands and Cords of Profit and Advantage both Earthly and Heavenly And thus he did allure his people in former times to the well-pleasing service of him by assuring them that it would conduce unto their own Advantage and Interest And now saith he by Moses What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul to keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy Good But for what Good should they do this surely for their present and for their future good for their earthly and for their heavenly advantage And so much may be signified in what immediately follows with a note of attention perfixed thereto namely Behold the Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy God the Earth also with all that therein is Deut. 10. 12 13 14. O then Let us Exercise our selves unto Godliness For Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come This is a Faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation THE END Books to be Sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside A Hundred select Sermons on several Texts by Tho. Horton D. D. Sermons on 4 select Psalms viz. 4th 42 51 63. by Tho. Horton D. D. Mr. Baxters Christian Directory Sermons on the whole Epistle of Saint Paul to the Collossians by Mr. J. Daille translated into English by F. S. with Dr. Tho. Goodwins and Dr. John Owens