to evince the truth of it but convince the Conscience of the necessity of it and perswade the Affections to comply with it 1. It s fit persons be made meet because no man by nature is meet for Heaven Man is estranged from God even from the Womb Psal 58.3 and are these fit to live with God till brought nigh Man is shapen and conceived in sin Psal 51.5 and is this fit to dwell with an Holy God till sanctified Man is dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 and is such a dead block meet to converse with the living God Man is darkness Eph. 5.8 and what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6.14 Man by nature is a child of wrath Eph. 2.3 and how can dryed stubble dwell with consuming fire Alas we are all enemies to God in our minds Col. 1.21 yea enmity it self Rom. 8.7 and can two walk together except they be agreed Amos 3.3 Can the sin-revenging God and the guilty sinner hold intimate correspondence till they be reconciled O no it will never be Heaven and Hell will as soon joyn as God and an unregenerate sinner Will the holy God take such vipers into his bosom Can you imagine God will deface or lay aside his immaculate Holiness to take you from the Swine-sty into his holy Sanctuary What cleanly person can endure to have a filthy swine a bed and board with him in his Parlour or Bed-chamber Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee Psal 94.20 No no God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity with liking and delight Hab. 1.13 If God should take men a caeno ad coelum from the dunghil into his Palace others would conclude that God is reconciled to sin that its an harmless thing and not that abominable thing which his Soul hates No it can never be graceless sinners so remaining cannot dwell with God Psal 5.4 5. 2. Because this is the divine ordination and appointment that there should be a connexion betwixt grace and glory holiness and happiness Psal 84.11 As Sin and Hell are joyned by divine commination so Grace and Heaven are knit together by divine promise So saith the Text Rom. 2.7 10. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life This is a connexion of grace not of merit of promise not of debt yet inviolable for Gods Justice and Truth are ingaged in it It s fit the infinite God should distribute his Mercies to whom and upon what termes he pleaseth now he hath said peremptorily without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 All things are ordered and wrought after the councel of his will Eph. 1.11 First he chuseth them before the foundation of the world that they should be holy Eph. 1.4 They are redeemed to be holy Tit. 2.14 called with an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 and therefore they are holy Brethren that are partakers of this Heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Let wicked scoffers mock on to their guilt and cost Such there are in the world and such must they be if they think to inherit Heaven Its Gods ordination you must be Saints in this world or never Crowned as Saints in the other tho' Canonized for Saints by Men when gone Consider sinner whose word shall stand Gods or thine Thou hopest to go to Heaven without Saintship or meetness for it God saith it yea swears it Heb. 3.18 that thou shalt never enter into his rest This is Gods councel that men must be brought through Sanctification to Salvation 2 Thess 2.13 and can you think to overturn his appointed Will or contradict his Councels Must the Earth be forsaken for thee Must the immutable God falsifie his word to save chee against his will yea against thy will For thou wilst not come to him for life God will not be merciful to any wicked transgressour The eternal determination of Heaven is recorded in that chain of Salvation Rom. 8.30 and all the Men on Earth and Devils in Hell cannot break one link of it Predestination Vocation Justification Salvation or Glorification Go try the turning Day into Night or Winter into Summer or stop the course of the Sun before thou think to divert the proceedings of grace in the salvation of Souls but its vain to attempt either for his councel shall stand and he will do all his pleasure 3. This is the design of God in all his Ordinances to make Souls meet for Heaven It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 Ministers and Ordinances were given for perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4.11 12 13. This is the means of Conversion the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the means of edification of resolution of doubts consolation and confirmation so are the Seals of the Covenant given to this end to bring Souls onward to this glorious Inheritance Now Sirs consider shall you receive this grace of God in vain Shall all the Ordinances be lost upon you You must give account of Sabbaths Sermons Sacraments shall they be the savour of death unto death to you or the savour of life unto life Alas how do poor Ministers toyl and travel pray and watch weep and sigh to the breaking of their Loyns spending of their Spirits to bring you to God and Heaven and you pretend kindness to us but have no real kindness to your own Souls we dare not but warn you in the name of Christ lest you fail of the grace of God and fall short of this Inheritance We watch for your Souls as those that must give an account O let us do it with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 If it be uncomfortable to us it will be unprofitable to you Must our sweat and labour be in vain But it will not be in vain to us for our work is with the Lord we shall not lose our reward God will pay the Nurse though the Child dye Our Crown will be given us if we be faithful though we be not successful for that 's in Gods hands But woe be to those souls that have sitten under powerful Ordinances and miss of this Inheritance O woe woe to you you cannot miss of Heaven but be plunged into a deeper Hell O ease our Hearts and save your own Souls Kill us and damn your selves nay murder your selves and you again Crucifie Christ whose person we represent Rather give us leave to espouse you to one Husband 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fitted you as things that are pieced together glued or soddered let us do so with you that we may present you as chast virgins in Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 Would to God this were the fruit of our labours 4. This is the design of all Gods Providential dispensations Mercies afflictions smiles frowns come upon this errand to make Souls meet for Heaven Cords of love draw rods of wrath drive the poor sinner
1. That all those and only those that shall partake of the Heavenly inheritance in the other World must be made meet for it in this World All that I shall do in the Doctrinal part is 1. For Explication 2. Confirmation 1. To shew what this meetness is then prove the necessity of it CHAP. II. Distinctions about meetness for Heaven What habitual meetness is Both relative and real 1. FOR a more methodical proceeding in explaining this Subject I shall premise some distinctions by which you may understand what that meetness for Heaven is that I mean 1. There is an aptitudo Legalis Evangelica a Legal and Evangelical meetness Since the fall of Man no meer Man can fulfil all Righteousness or by his own power attain to any thing pleasing to God so a legal meetness is not attainable We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God See Rom. 3.23 24. ch 8.2 3 8. Gal. 3.10.13 2 Dist There is an aptitudo operum personae i. e meetness of works and of the person This explains the former in the Covenant of Works the person was accepted for the works sake but in the Covenant of Grace the work is accepted for the persons sake If the person be accepted in the beloved Eph. 1.6 God owns both person and offering as he did Abel Heb. 11.4 6. But what proportion can the best Services of the best Men bear to this Eternal Reward Luke 17.10 Nor can Humane Sufferings purchase this Glory to be revealed Rom. 8.18 3 Dist There is aptitudo perfecta progressiva a perfect compleat meetness for Heaven This is compatible only to the Spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 But who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Prov. 20.9 Alas we know but in part and so love but in part 1 Cor. 13.12 Even Paul that was perfect in point of sincerity yet was not already perfect in point of degree but was pressing forward Phil. 3 12-15 Christians here below are but in via non in patria in the road to perfection singing the song of degrees and not in the height of Zion Sincerity is Gospel perfection and the Christians preparation together with a progressive motion 4 Dist There is aptitudo habitualis actualis an habitual and an actual meetness for Heaven or which may be thus distinguished there is a jus haereditarium and a jus aptitudinale an hereditary right and an aptitude or actual fitness for this Inheritance My Text includes both and I shall open both for they are both necessary in their kind and in this sense Gods Children are said to be counted worthy of Kingdom of God 2 Thess 1.5 and saith Christ They shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Rev. 3.4 And therefore are we exhorted to walk worthy of God who hath called us unto his Kingdom and Glory 1 Th. 2.12 It imports a conveniency suitableness answerableness in a limited Gospel-sence like Children of such a Father as Heirs of such an Inheritance as Candidates for such an Office and Honour There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemliness appertaining to every Calling Princes Magistrates Ministers must have a decency and suitableness to their Profession So here Well then I shall chiefly speak to this twofold meetness 1. Habitual meetness which is in opposition to perfect unmeetness i. e. a state of Nature Unregeneracy 2. An actual meetness which is contra-distinct from imperfect meetness and both are necessary in their kind Quest 1. What is that habitual meetness for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light without which Men can never attain to it or have eternal possession of it Answ This habitual meetness consists in a twofold change 1. Relative 2. Real 1. It consists in a Relative change This also is twofold viz. 1. Justification 2. Adoption 1. The poor sinner is standing at Gods Bar as a guilty Malefactor under the dreadful Sentence of a just Condemnation for all the World is become guilty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subject to judgment before God Rom. 3.19 Not a Son of Adam can plead innocence It s well if we be as the blushing Rose the Lilly-whiteness is lost He that believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 and the wrath of God abides on him verse 36. It was on him when he was born and it abides still on him if not taken off him by Justification Who can think the Prince will promote him to Honour that is under an attainder for Treason He must be cleared of that charge or he is fitter for Execution then Promotion Pardon must precede preferment You must be first in Christ Jesus and then there is no condemnation to you Rom. 8.1 You must be received into Favour before you be promoted to Honour The sinner must be justified before he can be glorified Rom. 8.30 Never think of ascending to Heavenly Glory under the load of guilt That guilt will shut Heavens gates against thee The guilt of one sin will press a Soul yea millions of Souls to Hell for the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 O therefore what need is there of Justification as the introduction to Salvation You must be justified by his grace if ever you be made heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life Tit. 3.7 Never think your sins will be blotted out in the day of refreshing except you repent here and be converted Acts 3.19 You must be justified by faith that you may have peace with God here and so rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.1 2. You cannot think to leap from the Bar to the Throne But must be cleared by order of Justice through Christs satisfaction in the Court of God This this is absolutely necessary to a meetness for this Heavenly Inheritance 2. Adoption This is another Relative change Alas by nature we have quite lost our Filiation and so forfeited our Childs part of the Heavenly Inheritance We are exules a Regno banisht out of Paradice and there are placed Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life Gen. 3.24 Yea we are voluntarily gone into a far Countrey have wasted our substance disowned our Fathers house are feeding swinish Lusts and feeding our selves with poor husks of worldly things and till we be adopted and admitted again into our Fathers house we are not fit to eat the Childrens Bread or heir the Childs Inheritance God himself hath contrived a way how to settle the best Inheritance on such as he finds strangers Jer. 3.19 But I said how shall I put thee among the Children and give thee a pleasant land a goodly heritage of the hosts of Nations Then I said thou shalt call me my Father and shalt not turn away from me Oh blessed contrivance And will any think to cross Gods contrivance Shall Mens solly challenge infinite Wisdom Is not the Heavenly Inheritance Gods own to give And doth not
towards that which suits the fancy but sound conviction and deep humiliation never prepared the Soul to a judicious relish of divine things nor do they produce those blessed effects in heart and life as in Gods Children Oh how many poor sinners are going on in a golden dream and fear no danger till they be past hopes of recovery Many think they are travelling towards Heaven and never question it till as they are stepping out of this world as they think into Heaven miss their footing and drop down into Hell That never see their errour till it be too late to retrieve it Oh that men were awakened in time If you stay till death have struck its stroke it will be too late Imparatum inveniet dies judicii quem imparatum invenerit â—â—es mortis The day of judgment must needs find him unready that the day of death finds unready Men have a conceit that the interval betwixt death and judgment may do great things to make them meet for Heaven but they are mistaken Death launcheth you into the boundless ocean of Eternity It is appointed unto men once to dye and after that the judgment Heb. 9.27 Ah Sirs what think you Is there an Heaven or Hell after this life or is there not And are you not certain whether you do enter by death into eternal happiness or misery and yet can you be quiet If you were not loose in your belief of future things you would be restlefs as long as you are doubtful You owe your ease to nothing but your Lethargy If you were not infidels you would be distracted What Man The next moment may be roaring in Hell and not repent on Earth He is worse then a Devil that trembles not under divine wrath What if it have not siezed on you as on Devils The flame is at next door wrath hangs over your heads the only reason you see it not is because you are blind The Lord open your eyes and I need not preach terrour to you your hearts will meditate terror Fearfulness will surprize you hypocrites and make you say Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire with everlasting burnings Isa 33.14 It s a wonder you do not run up and down like mad men surely you have taken some Opium to cast you in a dead sleep or intoxicate your Spirits Or as some Malafactors do that dare not dye sober Yea some wiser Heathens took great draughts of Wine saying That no voluptuous person can go in his Wits into an invisible state But is this a making meet for Heaven or Hell Can rational persons think to escape the ditch by winking Or will men say as it s reported of Robert Duke of Normandy William the Conquerours Father going on Pilgrimage to Jerusalem falling sick was born in a Litter on Saracens shoulders and said He was born to Heaven on the Devils back Alas will you trust the Fiend of Hell to bring you to Heaven Is he grown so full of charity to Souls Oh forlorn case of miserable sinners have you no better a friend then Satan That you can be content to be rockt asleep in his cradle and carried with ease to Hell rather then ride in our Lords chariot paved with Love to Heaven Is security your best fence against misery Can these poor fig-leaves of temporary Righteousness secure you from divine Vengeance Can you be content to stand by that another day that you dare not put to the tryal here Alas I am afraid 1. Some are ignorant sots that know not what is necessary to a meetness for Heaven Most think if they have but time to say at death Lord have mercy upon me God forgive me my sins Lord Jesus receive my Soul they think they have made their peace with God especially if they can say they forgive all the world and dye in charity with all and send for the Minister to pray with them and receive absolution and the Sacrament when perhaps they are little fit for such a solemn Ordinance then the Minister recommends their Souls into Gods hands commends them at their Funeral and now they are certainly gone to Heaven these poor wretched sinners blessed their Souls whilst living and men must praise them and account them blessed when dead Psal 49.18 2. Most are inconsiderate They consider nothing but meer objects of sense like the kine of Bashan go out at their breaches every one at that which is before her Amos 4.1 â—3 They never mind things out of their natural sight they put far away the evil day Am. 6.3 little thinking what will be in the end of their sensual ways Jer. 5.31 Either they say to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa 56.12 or else in Atheistical scorn and mockery Let us eat and drink for to morrow we dye 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us be merry while we may we shall never be younger when we are gone all the world is gone with us as if there were no reckoning or rendering day or retribution in the other world but let such study Eccl. 11.9 10. Rom. 8.13 Luk. 12.19 20. Psal 9.17.2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9. Job 3.18 Psal 50 23. Oh Sirs disappointments are dreadful It s sad with a witness to be confident of Heaven and yet doomed to Hell As Hamilcar dreamed he should the next night sup in Syracusa which indeed he did not as a Conqueror as he hoped but as a Prisoner Oh how will it double your damnation to live in confident hopes of reigning with Christ yet to be judged by him and banished from him for ever If you say Soul take thine case and God say Devil take his Soul Whether of these think you will prevail CHAP. XI An Exhortation to all persons to get meet for Heaven 2. THE latter Use is Exhortation 1. To Sinners 2. To Saints to get meet for this Heavenly Inheritance The former by an habitual the latter by actual meetness for this glorious state I shall need to say the less to move you to it having urged practical Reasons from our natural unmeetness divine ordination the design of ordinances providences the season of life for it the work and priviledges here require it the inconsistency of a contrary-frame to that glorious inheritance Most of these are levelled to the state of unsanctified graceless Souls therefore I shall say the less to that branch Oh that I had here the Tongue or Pen of an Angel The Bowels of blessed Paul to perswade sinners to look after a meetness for Heaven Consider 1. What else have you to do in the world Your very Children will tell you that Mans chief end is to glorifie God and injoy him for ever If you attain not these ends you live in the world to no purpose you are unprofitable cumber-grounds 2. You frustrate Christs undertakings in the world and do what you can to render all his merits useless you tread under foot the Son of God count the blood of the Covenant an
unholy thing and despise if not despight the spirit of grace Heb. 10.29 you say plainly I like not the purchase I will have none of it you call Heaven cabul a dirty thing as Hiram called Solomons twenty Cities he gave him And can you think much to be dealt without Heaven that thus judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 3. Every day sets you nearer Heaven or Hell It s reported of the Pious Lady Falkland that going to bed at night she usually said Now am I nearer Heaven by one day then never I was One day added to your time is a day taken away from your life Oh think when you have heard a Sermon or spent a Sabbath I am now nearer Heaven or Hell this word hath been to me the savour of life unto life or of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 It sets me forward some way if I bring forth meet and suitable fruit I shall receive a blessing from God if bryars and thorns I am rejected nigh to a curse whose end is to be burned Heb. 6.7 8. The word either hardens or softens Woe be to me if all that God doth doth further my more dreadful condemnation 4. Eternity brings up the rear of time If it were but a making fit for a days pageantry there would be no such great need of curiosity to get matters ready though it s said Jer. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her ornaments or a Bride her attire though oft it is for the short shew of a Marriage day Oh but this is for Eternity That curious Painter being demanded why he bestowed so much labour on his Picture answered Pingo Eternitati I paint for Eternity Indeed there 's nothing of value but what relates to Eternity Eternity gives an accent and emphasis to all created beings The Apostle thought all visible sublunaries not worth a cast of his eye in comparison of this Eternity 2 Cor. 4.18 See a Book called Glimpse of Eternity on that Text. Alas Sirs is Eternity nothing with you Oh my Friends this if any thing is worth preparing for to be for ever with the Lord to injoy God ten thousands of millions of years or to be banished from his presence and be tormented with Devils and damned Souls for ever Oh this word for ever is amazing A godly man in company sate in a deep muse and being demanded what he was thinking of Answered only with repeating for ever for ever for ever for a quarter of an hour together This is indeed a confounding consideration Oh that you would solemnly lay upon your hearts the great things of another world On the one hand the injoyment of God Christ the company of Saints Angels the perfection of your natures a crown of glory fulness of joy and pleasures at Gods right-hand for evermore through the perpetual Ages of a boundless Eternity This were worth praying groaning obeying suffering for a thousand years to get read for and possessions of at last On the other hand to think of the sting of Conscience the company of Devils and damned Souls the loss of God Christ Heaven your precious Souls the burning Lake the bottomless Pit the scorching Flames and this for ever and ever an endless duration Oh Sirs if you should but look down into that stupendious gulf what a change would it work in your hearts You would banish your vain company lay aside your worldly business cast off your sensual pleasures and mind nothing else till your Souls be secured to all Eternity This would be as the cry at midnight Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye forth to meet him Matth. 25.6 As sleepy as they were this startled them so it would you as if you heard a voice as out of the Clouds Sinner thou art now summoned to appear before the dreadful tribunal of the all seeing Judge to receive thy final sentence and to be sent to an everlasting state of weal or woe stay not one moment in thy state of unregeneracy hast hast yea make post hast out of it fall to the work of Faith and Repentance as for thy life defer not one day now or never You 'l say can I make my self meet for Heaven What can I do The work is Gods I answer God is the efficient but he will make you instruments in this work Gods grace and Mans duty are very consistent Study Phil. 2.12 13. Up and be doing and God will be with you Though God must turn yet you must endeavour to turn your selves Ezek. 18.30 31. Though God make you a new heart yet he will have you make you a new heart Oh Sirs fall close to the work examine prove try your states by the rule of the Word attend the most piercing powerful Ministry search out all your iniquities and confess them before the Lord with grief hatred and shame beg converting grace as for your lives plead with God for pardon through the Blood of Christ solemnly renew your Paptismal Covenant in taking God for your God and giving up your selves to him and then read meditate watch and pray mortifie your beloved lusts obey the commands of God and do these things speedily seriously and constantly and see what the effect will be If you will fall to it well and good if not you are guilty of self-murder and remember you are this day warned 2. I turn me to truly gracious Souls that are in a safe state for the main as to habitual meetness but I fear are far short of that actual meetness that is requisite as to a lively exercise of suitable graces clear evidence of spiritual state dispatching work off their hands being mortified to time and longing for Heaven Alas the wise Virgins slumbered and slept I fear few of us are in that readiness we ought to be in might have been in or that others have attained to nay it s well if now our Souls be in that frame that sometimes we have been in What decays of love zeal tenderness what backslidings deadness hardness worldliness formality do Gods Children fall into What staggerings in our Faith of the reality of unseen things How uncertain about our Title to this Inheritance Doth not our slavish fear of death shew thee Our instability and variable motions in Religion our distractions in holy duties our frequent closing with temptations and too oft stepping aside into sin our intermitting duties of Gods worship and strangeness growing betwixt God and our Souls our unreadiness in our accounts our unwillingness to go to God All these too sadly demonstrate our unmeetness for Heaven Alas Friends are we not yet meet Let us be ashamed of our slackness what have we been doing with all that time these helps and priviledges we have had Have not many young ones and others out-stript us and are got to Heaven that set out after us Are we not ashamed of our loytering and lagging behind What 's become of the many warnings we have had in our selves and others Have we any greater