Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n
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A43583
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Meetness for heaven promoted in some brief meditations upon Colos. 1. 12. discovering the nature and necessity of habitual and actual meetness for heaven here, in all that hope for heaven hereafter. Designed for a funeral legacy. By O.H. an unworthy minister of the Gospel of Christ.
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Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702.
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Wing H1771; ESTC R216793
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64,886
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for God will not permit his children to keep company or familiarly converse with such on Earth 1 Cor. 5.11 and therefore shall not be associated to them in the other world and God is not well pleased with such 1. Cor. 10.5 7. 4. Nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the Kingdom of God such filthy Sodomites shall rather have fire from Heaven then be admitted into that holy place These horrible acts of filthiness are not fit to be named among Saints and surely the committers of them cannot be entertained among Saints See Eph. 5 3 4. They are given up Rom. 1.24 5. Nor Thieves Not only open robbers by the high-way or breakers of houses but gamsters that cheat others or purloyning wastful Servants deceitful Tradesmen or wilful Bankrupts that basely get others Estates into their hands and never intend to pay their just debts These men without restitution shall have their ill-gotten silver and gold to torment them like burning mettal in their bowels Jam. 5.2 3. 6. Nor Covetous These are fitly joyned to Thieves that run out with inordinate affection to the world and suck her breasts with great delight that inlarge their desires as Hell These must be shut out of Heaven for they have their portion in this present life Psal 17.14 and are real Idolaters Col. 3.5 Eph. 5.5 These must be banished Heaven 7. Nor Drunkards Not only such as bruitifie themselves and drink away their Reason but such as sit long at it continue till wine inflame them yea though they be not intoxicated yet they purchase a woe to themselves that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Isa 5.11 22. 8. Nor Revilers These are properly annexed to drunkards for the godly are usually the drunkards song that scoff and jear at serious godliness and break their scurrilous jests upon the holiest Saints but there 's no railing among Angels or Saints in Heaven Jude 9. nor shall such come there And one would think they do not desire to come there with those they so abuse 9. I may add Backbiters that love to take up and blaze abroad a false report against their Neighbours these are excluded Gods Tabernacle Psal 15.1 3. that fling all the dirt they can in the face of such as do them no hurt wounding them secretly with a privy stab or behind their backs God will hold the door of Heaven against such 10. Swearers that prophane the glorious and tremendous name of the eternal God by horrible oaths curses and execrations Blasphemers of old were to be put to death and if men now spare them the flying roll of curses shall go out against such and cut them off Zech. 5.2 3 4. Those that swear fall into condemnation Jam. 5.12 11. Lyars that invent or utter lies upon any account whatsoever these carry their own doom in their Consciences and they may read the doleful sentence in Rev. 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth or maketh a lye The God of truth hateth lyars and will banish them from his court as David did Psal 101.7 12. Apostates that once made a fair shew but are renegadoes to the truth way people worship of God they bring a great reproach on Religion and our blessed Saviour pronounceth such as put their hand to the plow and look back to be unfit for the kingdom of God Luk. 9.62 Gods soul will have no pleasure in them Heb. 10.38 Oh the dreadful end of these that turn their backs on Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 21. Hearken you sinners if any of you be of this number read and tremble there 's no room for you in this glorious City above you must be shut out Living and dying in this estate there 's no more mercy for you then for the Devils Heaven is shut against you Hell is open for you How can you escape the damnation of Hell Mat. 23.33 Alas you are daily filling up the measure of your sins the Ephah is well nigh full t'other sin t'other neglect more and next news you may hear the talent of Lead may be cast upon the mouth of the Ephah and thy Soul carryed into thine own place Zach. 5.7 9. One Oath more one Lye more one fit of Drunkenness more and thy iniquity is full thy Soul is gone Who can tell but God may say to thee as to the rich man Luke 12.29 This night shall thy Soul be required of thee Or as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that is the Devils shall require thy Soul Oh how greedily are infernal Fiends watching for a commission to break thy neck in thy travelling or to strangle thee in thy bed and hurry thee headlong into Hell with them Thy iniquity is filling up the sun-shine of prosperity ripens it apace the sweet rain of Gospel Ordinances brings Weeds to perfection as well as Corn. As Gods children are making meet for Heaven thou art making meet for Hell Rom. 9.22 23. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Made up made ready like sticks dryed and bundled up to be cast into the fire It is not said that God fits them for destruction as it s said ver 22. of the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory No no there needs no more to a sinners making meet for Hell but a leaving him to himself he will fall apace downwards to damnation with his own weight Ah sinner thou little knowest how soon thy foot may slip off this slippery battlement on which thou standest into the precipice of eternal destruction Little dost thou know how soon that flaming sword that hangs over thy head by the twine-thred of thy natural Life may fall upon thee and separate Soul and Body and follow this stroke of vengeance into the other world Methinks thou shouldst not eat nor drink nor sleep quietly in this so dangerous damnable estate Every sin thou committest is a treasuring up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 Look to 't the Judge standeth before the door Death is ready to lay its cold hand of arrest upon thee There 's but a step betwixt you and death and that door that lets you out of time sets you in eternal torments and are you taking long strides to Hell Shall you not be there soon enough Can you not sink your selves low enough Must you needs add drunkenness to thirst Impenitency to your sin Alas you love to wander you hate to be reformed yea you hate instruction and cast his words behind you Psal 50.17 Ministers follow you from the Lord with tears intreaties arguments to perswade and means to direct and willingness to assist you the best they can in your preparations for a future state but you are shy of conversing with them you conceal your state from them
be above with God CHAP. XIII Some practical Inferences from this Doctrine USE of all this briefly is in four consectaries 1. That there is undoubtedly such a future state as bliss and blessedness for Gods ' Children after this life There remaineth a rest to the people of God Heb. 4.9 I need not go about to prove this it s sufficiently and abundantly confirmed by abler hands not only from Scripture but Nature Reason Divine Providence in the world and the grace of God in the hearts of his people Enough is said to silence Atheism in our Spirits and to stop the mouths of all Atheists on Earth Can any rationally imagine that God should endow Man with such a noble Soul and endue that Soul with such noble faculties of Mind Will and Conscience and Affections capable of knowing loving injoying God with fears and hopes of a future state and all this in vain Can we think the holy just good wise righteous God will always promote the wicked and punish the godly and not right these things in the next world Hath Christ come into the world to no purpose What would become of his Birth Life Doctrine Death Resurrection Ascention Intercession coming to Judgment if there were no life of future retribution What would become of the precepts promises threatnings motives means helps to an holy life here and to attain eternal life hereafter if there were no such thing Can we imagine that the great God governs the world by a lye Are Heaven and Hell bug-bears or meer imaginations of brain-sick fools Is there not a reality in Satans temptations to draw or drive us from God and future happiness Or are there no Devils or Spirits and so by consequence no God Away with these wild conceits contrary to the sentiments of all Mankind 2. Then it follows that assurance is attainable not only objective assurance that there is a glorious inheritance and that God will give it to some but subjective also that this is mine that its for me I have a title to it else how could persons thank God for making meet for this inheritance This assurance ariseth from actings of Faith and produceth rejoycing in hope of this glory of God Rom. 5.1 The gospel is a gospel of peace not of fears and doubts Assurance may be had not only by divine revelation but in the use of ordinary means I know in whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.12 Read on and you 'l find not only his assurance of his present state but his perseverance and future felicity and it s not his peculiar priviledge but common to other Believers 2. Cor. 5.1 It s true God is a free Agent and may bestow it on whom and when he pleaseth Some have it most clearly at first Conversion as Bernard for a time after his Conversion remained as it were deprived of his Senses by the excessive consolations he had from God Cyprian saith He thought before his Conversion it was impossible to find such raptures and ravishments as now he found in a Christian course Many a close walking Christian can set his seal to this truth only it ordinarily comes in after hard conflicts with temptation wrestlings with God much experience and exact walking with God There is Salvation and there is the joy of Gods Salvation Psal 51.12 This saith Mr. Latimer is the sweet-meats of the feast of a good Conscience There are many other dainty dishes at the feast but this is the banquet This is better felt then expressed but must be endeavoured after prayed for Ask saith our Lord and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Joh. 16.24 3. That the work of thankfulness is the great duty of a Christian This this is the proper character and imployment of a Christian God commands it priviledges call for it gracious Souls have been much in it it is comprehensive of mans whole duty Vrsin entitles the practical part of his Carechism de Gratitudine of Gratitude Oh that Christians were more in it Praise is comely for the upright This is the Epitome of Religion the Emblem of Heaven the proper Air in which a Christian breaths It s most acceptable to God creditable to Religion and profitable to the Christian Mr. Fox tells us the City Zurick ingraved the Year of their deliverance from Popery upon Pillars in Letters of Gold for a lasting Memorial And have not Christians cause to thank God for grace and glory The Heathens could say Call a Man ingrateful and you cannot call him worse Hezekiah brought wrath on himself Judah and Jerusalem for not rendring to the Lord according to benefits done to him 2 Chron. 32.25 Oh Sirs you little know what an evil ingratitude is you fill your Souls with guilt you too much resemble wicked men whose character is unthankful 2 Tim. 3.2 That sin makes hard times yea it makes you like the worst of Heathen for which sin God gave them up Rom. 1.21 24. you act disingenuously as those that have served their turns of God and then disown him How can you own God in the next strait that are so much in arrears Will not your mouth be stopt and Conscience fly in your face Do you not daily depend on God for new Mercies And is not thankfulness a natural duty Is not gratitude for Spiritual Mercies a great evidence of your interest in them And is not every Mercy sweetened by thankfulness Nay is not this a mean to continue them The more thankful any have been the more eminent they have been Their graces have shined and glistered like Pearls and Diamonds Yea once more the more thankful you are and the more cause of thankfulness you will both have and see Thankfulness for what you are sure you have will produce a fuller evidence of that you are doubtful of The Lord humble us for our gross ingratitude which is as one saith a Monster in Nature a Solaecism in Manners a Paradox in Divinity and a parching Wind to damme up the Fountain of Divine Favours You 'l say Oh Sir I could be thankful with all my heart if I knew I were fit for Heaven and that my Soul shall at death enter into peace but alas as long as I am doubtful and at uncertainties how can I be thankful Conscience would check and condemn me and indeed I have more cause to be humbled and ashamed for my unmeetness then thankful for any meetness I find in me for Heaven Ans 1. There may be grounds both of humiliation and thankfulness in the same soul and subject Let the best Saints do the best they can and attain to the highest pitch imaginable they shall have cause of humiliation for their defects 2. Holy jealousie fears cares do well in Gods Children to keep them humble and indeed as grace increaseth fight of imperfections increaseth and sense of short-coming the more discoveries of Gods holiness the viler will the Christian be in his own eyes as Job and Isaiah Job 42. Isa 6.5