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A55419
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The kingdom of heaven explain'd, and the way to glory manifested by Christ Jesus, the Lord and King of that kingdom held forth in a parable in Mat. 22 from verse 1 to ver. 13 : with some brief meditations upon the said parable / by James Pope.
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Pope, James, fl. 1675.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing P2901; ESTC R4510
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17,062
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46
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excellency in the Gospel and the knowledge of God thereby Now we see a Glorious beauty in Holiness and in the the ways of God before we counted them Fools that made much ado about Religion To know how they might walk and please God But now I see they were wiser then we Now we can prize a Crucified Christ and an interest in him above the world and all that is in it as Paul did Phil. 3. 7 8 9. 2. Note A second Note If we have imbraced the Call of God in the Gospel our affections are set upon other Objects then they were before for before the world either in the pleasures of it or the riches of it or the honour of it carried away our joy our delight our desire our love but now we can rejoyce in Gods word above all Ps 119 162. I rejoyce in thy word as he that findeth great spoyl This is more to be desired by a Gracious soul then much fine Gold and is sweeter then Honey and the Honey Comb. Psal 19. 10. Now the desire is after the knowledge of God and Christ which before was after earthly things which carries the soul out to the use of such means as tends to the attaining thereof as praying reading hearing conversing and though others may do the same thing yet not to the same end they do it to grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. To wit That they may grow in grace and the knowlede of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Their love is now set on God and the ways of God and the People of God which before were dispised But I do but hint those things which will be found in those that have imbraced the Call 3. Note Again When Souls have imbraced the Call they can never more after that sin with full consent of the will If any Evil be committed it is by means of the Law of the Members that doth rebel against the Law of the Mind which causes a continual VVar between the flesh and the Spirit which carries the Soul to God to cry out for help against this Rebel this Law in the Members as David in Psal 19. 12 13. It will be the great care of such Souls to keep their Garment undefiled Râ—v 3. 4. He that hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is pure Joh. 3. 3. Let us carefully and faithfully prove our selves by these things and by what else the Lord may help us in that we may not miscarry in this matter that is of such wonderful concernment as relates to our eternal weal or woe our eternal life or eternal death for a little time will bring to the gates of Eternity and time will be no more Then it will be too late for foolish Virgins to cry Lord open to us Now is the time for us to hear that our Souls may live Isa 55. 3. But suppose we have all this while neglected to hear and have had our excuses as the bidden Guest had Let me admire the patience of God that has spared us so long while we have provok'd him by delaying to hear O doubtless he might have said long ago They shall not tast of my Supper But seeing it is no worse but that the Lord is still sending after us let us take heed of delays lest we come to the Gate of Mercy when it is shut and must never more be opened 3. Vse A Third use therefore that we may and ought to make use of this Parable is to perswade and exhort poor Souls to come at in the Call 1. Motive And for Motives consider that Eternity of weal or woe depends upon the well or ill spending of a little time Exod. 11. 3. If the Tree falleth towards the South or towards the North in the place where it falleth there it shall be A little moment let slipt may lose Heaven and happiness and plunge us under the unsupportable Vengeance of an infinite God Oh While it is called to day harden not your hearts so long till God sware in his Wrath you shall not enter into his Rest. Heb. 3. 11 15. After the Lord had Sworn in his wrath they should not enter it was then too late to attempt it as appears Numb 14. 42. 43 44 45 Let us not say we have bought a Farm bought Oxen or Married a Wife but come at the first invitation lest the door be shut and you stand and knock to no purpose Prov. 1. 24 25 26 27 28. It will be a dreadful thing for the great God to laugh at poor Souls in their misery surely that will increase their misery If one were in great distress and should see one that had power to help that would only look upon him but not pity him nor yield any relief to him it would be very grievous to him But if he should stand and mock at him it would be much more grievous To hear such a one say Nay you are served well enough I called upon you to avoid the danger but you slited my Advice though I profer'd to save you out of it yea I pray'd you and intreated you to let me help you out of this horrible Pit but ye refused Psal 40. 2. No intreaty would serve therefore if you can now save your self do I 'le have nothing to do with you This will greatly increase their woe even so and much more will be the aggravations of their torment who shall have the Lord speak so to them as Prov. 1. 20 22 23 24. O that poor Souls would not let slip the day of Grace My spirit shall not always strive with Man for that he also is flesh Gen. 6. 3. Shall God in pity say as he did to Ispael of old Deut. 32. 29. O that they were Wise that they would consider this that they would remember their latter end And shall we not regard it it will be sad with those Souls that shall make light of the Call till God will send no more after them but shall send to those that will come and for ever exclude those bidden ones and they forced to cry out as they in Jeremy Jer. 8. 20. The Harvest is past and the Summer is ended and we are not saved 2 Motive To come at the Call of God is because we are every day further off from God then other we are like a Ship under Sayl driven by fierce Winds it cannot stand still but is in perpetual motion toward some Port or other and is every hour nearer to the place whither they are bound so long as the Wind is for them Those that are bound for Hell as all Men and VVomen in the VVorld are before Conversion they get nearer and nearer Hell every day and they run a very swift Courage the Devil trims the Sails and raiseth the wind of temptation and makes good the Proverb They must needs go that the Devil drives But he perswades them they were bound for Heaven that blessed Country that Abraham sought after for the Devil
hearts till they saw themselves lost by sin and obnoxious to the Wrath of God by reason thereof We will never go to the Physitians till we be sick Labour to affect thy heart with the filthy nature of sin it made Glorious Angels ugly Devils if man that was made after the Image of God more vile then a Toad or Serpent Yea one Sin brought a Curse upon the whole VVorld then consider what a World of Sins will do to one man Again consider that although thou have forgot most of thy sins which are without number God hath not forgot any of them but they are all charged in Gods Book till Repentance wipe out the Score Again consider That so long as thou continuest in thy sinful state thou art pleasing and serving the Devil instead of God and he is thy God though thou think not so it may be Again consider How little time thou hast for so great a work as to make thy Calling and Election sure and it may be a great deal less then thou art aware of Then again consider The infinite Grace and patience of God thou mightest have been in Hell stand and wonder thou art not O let mercy melt thee let Grace move thee let this love of Christ constrain thee he that dyed for sinners to save them from their sins and from the Wrath of God 1 Pet. 3. 18. 1 Thes 1. 10. He hath sent his Servants to compel thee to come in by Wooings beseechings intreatings then why wilt thou famish among the Swine seeing there is a plentiful Marrriage Feast prepared for thee if thou wilt but come and accept of it Come then without delay for all things are ready God hath given Christ Christ hath given himself he hath ascended up on high and given Gifts unto Men for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry Eph. 4. And he hath made his Ministers willing to spend and be spent for the good of poor Souls in all Ages Many of which have witnessed a good Confession unto Death for the sake of poor Souls He hath given us his Laws his Ordinances his Scriptures Yea and will give us his Spirit also if we will but come and ask it Prov. 1. 22. Come therefore for all things are ready Prov. 9. 1 2 3 4. Quest But what must I do that I may be welcome when I do come Answ First Come willingly and cheerfully come as a hungry man goes to a Rich Dinner for such are invited Rev. 22. 17. Joh. 7. 37. Luke 1. 53. Such have the promise Mat. 5. 6. Secondly Come prepared with a Wedding Garment 1. Direct First Be sure put off all thy Old Rags of Sin and Ungodliness Isa 55. 6. 7. 2. Direct Secondly Put off all the Rags of thy Unrighteousness Isa 64. 6. For although thou must do good works to glorifie God and do good to men yet take heed of making this thy Wedding Garment for which thou would st be accepted Secondly Having put off thy old Rags put on the New Robe of Christs Righteousness that fine Linnin Rev. 19. 8. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Rom. 13. 14. 3. Direct Thirdly Take heed of defiling thy Garments for those that are careful in this Shall walk with the Bride groom in White in the Marriage Chamber Rev. 3. 4. We see among People a great care to have the body adorned but O the little care of keeping themselves unspotted of the World that is to be found among many When they are to go into the presence of the King to stand before him and to hear his voyce in the Ministry of his VVord I am afraid many professing Godliness take more care and spend more time to have their Garments fashionable and compleat and their Attire neatly set then they do to have their Souls trimmed for to come before the Bridegroom the time spent in Prayer is but little which many before they go before the Lord that they might be helped to serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly fear as Heb. 12. 28. I desire that our fine fashionable People would Read conscionably 1 Pet. 3. 3. 4. 5. That they might lay aside their bables and learn of the Holy Women that trusted in God to adorn themselves I fear indeed that while so much care is taken for the Body to adorn it it is no other then the Fruit of a proud heart which renders a person more odious in the Eyes of the King of Heaven then the nastiest Begger with his Lousie Rags would be in the presence of an Earthly King Pride is not the only defiling sin there are more attending it for there must be Covetousness to maintain pride and as pride promotes Covetousness so also Uncharitableness is Prides Hand-maid But in a word every sin is a stain in the VVhite Linen O therefore watch against evil words with David 93. Psal 1. VVatch against thoughts Jer. 4. 14. VVatch against evil actions And in order hereunto labour against a Carnal frame a Dead frame a Backsliding frame and labour after Calebs frame Who followed the Lord fully and the Lord brought him unto the promised Land when others fell in the Wilderness Even so the Lord if thou follow him fully and faithfully will certainly bring thee into Eternal Rest with the Bride Croom when others are shut out among the Dogs see Rev. 21. 7 8. and Chap. 22. 14 15. Again As thou art careful to have admittance into the Marriage-Chamber to have a VVedding Garment and to have it clean so be careful of thy Family wouldst thou not be glad to have thy Friends and Relations admitted take heed thou do not promote sin nor countenance sin in any It is grievous to see how many Parents promote Pride in their Children dressing them up with toys which is as it was a watering of that Cursed Root You may observe how the Child will mince and jet when it is made more fine then ordinary And so by this means instead of bringing them up in the nurture and Admonition of the Lord They further them in the service of the Devil But I must close all Now therefore to that end thee and thine may not fail of entertainment in the Marriage Chamber pray often and earnestly not only publickly but also privately Hear the word of God constantly conscionably and diligently labour to retain it carefully prove what thou hearest knowingly and what thou findest to be the mind of God practice it faithfully bring duty into practice effectually and zealously and God shall make thee happy eternally FINIS