Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n
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A07208
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Hearing and doing the ready way to blessednesse with an appendix containing rules of right hearing Gods word. By Henry Mason, parson of S. Andrews Vnder-shaft London.
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Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647.
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1635
(1635)
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STC 17609; ESTC S102307
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184,084
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830
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the Lamb is the light of it he giveth us the reason why all outward helps and meanes are of no use there It is not because there is no service of God used there for they shall sing praises to him without ceasing nor it is not because men there shall bee deprived of life and strength and vigour for there they never dye nor never hunger nor never faint but the reason is because God and his Sonne Christ shall without any meanes supply all good things unto them by vertue derived immediately from themselves and that in a more plentifull and more excellent sort then all secondary meanes or causes could do This also is further signified by that of the Apostle where he saith that Christ shall deliver up his kingdome to God and shall himselfe be subject unto God that God may bee all in all 1 Cor. 15.24 28. that is Christ shall cease to govern his Church in that manner of administration that now he useth and God shall doe all by himselfe And by this it appeareth to be true which I said in the second place that in glory and in the state of heavenly blessednesse we enjoy God immediately both in respect of presence and in respect of influence C. Thirdly I say yet further that this immediate fruition of God supplyeth unto the Blessed all good things and expelleth or driveth away all evill This the Scripture saith also S. Iohn saith of the Saints in heaven that God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall bee no more death neither sorow nor crying neither shall there bee any more paine Apoc. 21.4 By this he signifieth the removing of all evill or whatsoever might hurt or afflict He goeth on and ver 6. I saith the great King will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely He that overcommeth shall inherite all things and I will be his God and he shall bee my son meaning that hee would give him all things necessary for blessednesse and an happy life And from hence it followeth that in the blessednesse of heaven there is neither want of good nor presence of any evill And now these particulars laid together the summe of them gathered into one is that the true blessednesse which is in heaven communicated to the Saints is an immediate fruition of God of and by himselfe supplying all good things and expelling or driving away all evill things And this may serve for clearing of the first question 2. Quest The second is why this blessednesse is ascribed or appropriated to the service of God Answ To which question my answer is blessednesse is ascribed to holinesse or Gods service partly because holinesse is a necessary condition for qualifying of those persons which shall enjoy it and partly because it is a kinde of cause that doth effect or procure it 1. It is a necessary condition c. for so the Apostle teacheth us when he saith Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. .i. as before I explained the word no man shall enjoy God in his glorious presence Heb. 12.6 And so S. Iohn Blessed are they that doe his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City For without are sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie Apoc. 22.14 In which words 1. When he saith Blessed are they that doe his commandements that they may have right c. he intimateth that obedience to Gods will is a condition upon supposall whereof men may attain this blessednesse And 2. when he saith for without are sorcerers c. Hee telleth us in plain termes that no wicked man shall ever enter into heaven 2. Holinesse and Gods service is a kinde of cause that procureth this blessednesse for them that serve God A kinde of cause I call it by way of qualification or diminution because it is neither any proper efficient cause which by vertue in it selfe may effect it nor any meritorious cause which by its worthinesse can deserve it And yet a cause it is because it is an outward object which moveth God for his promise sake to confer heaven and happinesse upon them that doe serve him and keep his commandements This the Logicians call causa procatarâ—ticâ— or a morall cause which worketh by way of object and I did therefore call it a kinde of cause because I am so warranted by the Apostle who speaking of affliction born with patience and obedience to Gods will saith of it that it worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 And if patience in affliction doe this no man may deny the like to all other parts of obedience and if they may be said to work for us eternall glory then no man may hinder me to say that they are a kinde of cause to procure this glory I conclude then that Gods service is both a necessary condition and a kinde of a cause to procure blessednesse and therefore to it blessednesse is rightly ascribed And so the second question is answered 3. Quest The third question is how may men bee said to be blessed in this life in which we are absent from the Lord and enjoy him not in such immediate sort as hath been said Answ I answer as Cajetan doth Hic in spe in futuro in re Here wee are blessed in hope but shall be blessed indeed in the world to come For as the Apostle saith of the heire in his minority that though he differ nothing from a servant in his present condition of subjection yet hee is Lord of all because he hath the right to all for the present and shall have the possession of all when the full time is come Gal. 4.1 so and in the like sense we who are subject to many crosses in this life yet may bee said to be blessed because now we have a right to that blessed estate and shall in due time have the possession of it Thus much for this question as also for the clearing of the whole point Vse 1. This serveth first to set an edge on our zeale and to make us in love with heaven and eternall life because here are such things as men do desire and seek after 1. For first men desire wealth and lands and abundance of needfull and usefull things The labourer carieth heavy burdens and sweateth under his labour that hee may earne wages the shopkeeper forbeares meate and drink and sleep that hee may increase his gaine the Merchant ventureth life and living that he may make his stock great and every man taketh pains and endureth hardnesse and undergoeth dangers that he may become rich or reap a plentifull reward and they do it to obtain a corruptible treasure But the blessednesse we have spoken of hitherto hath plenty of all good things without lack without measure without end The bags here wax not
By vertue of Gods promise I grant it to be due For God hath promised heaven to good works as hath beene shewed already and promise is due debt as wee use to speake and all men do acknowledge Even a mans word tieth him to performance Gods word must needes tie him much more From hence it is that the Apostle speaking of the crown of glorie laied up in heaven for theÌ„ that serve God aright stileth God by the name of a righteous or just judge in bestowing of that reward 2 Tim. 4.8 And in an other place God saith hee is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 Where 1. when hee saith that God doth not forget their good works hee meaneth that he leaveth them not unrewarded And 2. when he saith that God is not unjust to forget them he implieth that God should bee unjust if he did not reward their labour in his service But he speaketh more directly to the same purpose 2 Thes 1.6 7. It is a just thing with God saith he to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with us Where wee may note that it is a point of justice in God as well to reward the patient suffering of Martyrs and Confessors as the wrong oppressures of persecutors and evill doers Be it granted then that a reward is due to well-doing by vertue of Gods promise who for our encouragement hath tied himselfe by this bond But yet notwithstanding there is no merit or worth in our best works by which wee may laie claime to such a reward This is cleare by the words of a S. Paul who speaking of Martyrdome and patience in persecution for CHRISTS sake which is one of the most glorious works to which CHRIST hath promised his reward yet even of this hee saith I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory that shall be reveiled Ro. 8.18 And 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction saith hee worketh for us a more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Where by elevating our service in suffering for CHRIST and amplifying the reward that is given unto us for it he plainely sheweth that there is no equality or proportion betweene the work and the reward Our Saviour also when we have done all things that are commanded us And yet who is there that doth so but upon supposition that we have done all yet he teacheth us to say unto God Wee are unprofitable servants wee doe that which is our duty to doe Luk. 17.10 Hee meaneth that because it is no more then our duty doth binde us to therefore we cannot plead merit or desert God oweth us no thanks for it no more then a master oweth thanks to his servant when he hath done what he is bound by his place to do I conclude then that the reward of blessednesse promised to well-doing is due by Gods promise and not for the worth of any works And now out of all these things laied together the conclusion followeth which I propounded in the beginning that the keeping of Gods word is availeable to happinesse as a service to which eternall life is promised for a reward And hence we have these deductions for our further use 1. Seeing holinesse is a necessary condition required unto blessednesse this may be for an Admonition to all evill doers who live in any sin against conscience They may hence take notice how fearfull their state is for the present and how needfull it will be for them to begin a better life For I suppose there is no man living so desperatly madd but desireth that he may be happy nor is there any man among Christians but knoweth that happinesse is no where to be had but with God in heaven and now it appeareth by the declaration of this point that no evill doers shall ever enter into that place Take a view if ye please of all the ungodly men in the world and ye will not finde that ever any one of them hath been heretofore or shall hereafter bee received in at heaven gates In heaven I confesse there are a great multitude which no man can number of all nations and kinreds and peoples and languages but among all these there is not one drunkard nor one adulterer nor one slanderer nor one oppressor nor one deceiver nor one lier nor any one evill doer Again in heaven there is no defect or want of roome In my Fathers house said our Lord there are many mansions Ioh. 14.2 There is a mansion for the Prophets they are in the Kingdome of God Luk. 13.28 And there is a mansion for the Apostles They shall eate and drink with CHRIST in his Kingdome and sitt on thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luk. 22.30 And there is a mansion for the Martyrs they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Apo. 14.4 There is a mansion for the penitent thiefe this day saith our Saviour shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Luk. 23.43 And in a word there is a mansion for every righteous man they shall shine forth as the sun in the Kingdome of their father Matt. 13.43 And in these mansions are lodged all nations and countries in the world They shall come from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Luk. 13.29 But now on the contrary side search the book of God throughout from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation and see whether ye can find any mansion any roome any hole reserved for drunkards or harlots or whoremasters or deceivers or slanderers or any other such wicked and ungodly mâ—n Oh then think upon this all ye that forget God turne unto him betime wash yee make you cleane put away the evill of your doings cease to do evill learne to do well that your sins may be made as white as snow and your soules deare in Gods sight and your selves my abecome citizens of the holy City which is above with God 2. Seeing Gods rewards in heaven are squared and proportioned according to our services good works this may be for the comfort and encouragement of all well minded people They may bee comforted in that good which they have done already as Ezekiah coÌ„forted himselfe with the remembrance of his upright life When he was in his greatest sorow and sicknesse he cheared himselfe by saying unto God Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Is 38.3 And so Nehemiah Remember me O my God saith he concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof Nehem. 13.14 And so may every good Christian pray and expect a blessing from God for the