Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A62109
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Saints like Christ: or, somewhat of truth delivered to the congregation at headly in Hampshire By Jo. Symmonds, M.A.
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Symonds, Joseph.
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1650
(1650)
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Wing S6357; ESTC R222482
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66,641
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157
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and doth also open Saints hearts The one is opened for goodnes to goe forth the other for goodnes to come in and goodnes being receiv'd in wil not lie stil it wil set such that have it upon employments sutable to the wil of Christ as by receiving what is Christs 't is in some measure changd into the likenes of Christ by receiving Christs love the hearts of such receivers are chang'd into the nature of Christs heart and so become heavenly heavenly within and being heavenly within it wil be heavenly without The fruit like the seed Saints like Christ Excellent things are spoken of Saints in glory so of Saints on earth The behaviour of Saints in glory is very commendable They enjoy perfection and from that perfection act The amiablenesse and admirablenes of Gods presence drawes out all the abilities of Saints when in heaven to act answerable unto the Lawes nearenes and dearnesse of such a relation as is betweene God and them So here on earth such that enjoy God though they cannot do for God so immediately and fully yet it is their desire to close with God and to give out themselves to God and to carry themselves in-offensively in the world and as much as in them lies to do good to all Excellent things are spoken of the City of God of the holy Jerusalem of the Lambes wife of shee that is a dressing a making ready for to be joyn'd to Christ Shee is beautiful now but she shal appear more beautiful shee is faire and pleasant and now the delight of Christ his love his dove his undefiled shee shal be the same in heaven onely this more perfect Christs spouse his Sister his dove is but one shee that is his on earth shal be his in glory shee that is his faire one here shal be his glorious one above that now is his bosome friend shal be his Throne-companion Throni sui compos The desires I know of all you that are Godly that are some of Christs holy ones speake experience is that your sweet Saviour would now raise all your desires to him fasten all your thoughts upon him draw all the powers of your souls up on high to him free you from every weight that holdeth you down knit you to him with a knot of love that so your joy in the injoyment of him might be abundant your fellowship with Saints sweet your dayly walking heavenly giving occasions to all that are Godly to magnifie God on your behalf Look to it Souls you are in some measure glorious now if you are such that shal appear with Christ in glory hereafter That glory is sparkl'd in now which shal shine in clearly and apparently you have now some beams shortly the ful light of the clear and glorious Sun himself For the ever-blessed and glorious God wil let in such a light such a clear light such a great light and withal give such a great strength of light unto Saints that they shal be wholly light and in them shal be no darkness at all Beloved I now commend you to God that can make you children of Light and enable you as children of Light to walk in Light to the praise of his great name and to the refreshing of the bowels of Gods people to the rejoycing of all that delight in goodnesse Christs Saints are all rare pieces God grant all these pieces may be set in order fitly united together then wil glory appear exceeding glory transcendent glory glory in the Church glory on earth like that glory that is amongst the Saints that are Triumphant in heaven I shal say no more of that Doctrine I shal yet give out somewhat from the Text that may be further useful to your souls and it is this Doct. There are some precious souls in the world in this sinful world in this wicked vile ignorant and naughty world Joh. 17.24 1 Joh. 5.19 Joh. 12.31 14.20.16.11 2 Cor. 4.4 Isa 5.14 Mat 7.13 Jer. 3.14 Rom. 11.5 Luke 12.32 Rev. 3.4 Col. 2.22 1 Joh. 5.5 Joh. 1.13 in this world wherein Satan bears such sway who is the Prince of the world a cheif one in it so farre as it is a sinful world and inhabited with sinful men The Devil hath many nay the greatest part yet God hath some a remnant here and there one a little flock a few that are undefiled and that are lovely before him that have kept their garments cleane that are unblameable unreprovable before him they have overcome the world being borne not of bloud nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God Every age though it hath brought forth never so many weeds though it hath abounded in trash yet hath brough forth some precious flowers some jewels have been found amongst the rubbish In the first degenerate age there was an Abel after that a Seth and to him was borne Enos at which time men began to cal upon the name of the Lord. Gen. 4.26 After that Enoch that walked with God one that was the Phenix of that age Gen. 5.24 one that was translated out of his own being into a being in God one that lost nothing by losing what was his own by noture and according to the flesh After this God left not himself without testimony Though the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and the whole earth was corrupt before God Gen. 6.9 yet then appeared Noah a just man and perfect in his generations Gen. 6.9 and one that walked with God on that gave up himselfe to God to be at his direction and at his service to do what was agreeable to the wil of the Lord. And as the world was replenished and grew on though there were many wicked men and much wickednesse in the world yet some God had that were good though very obsure and hardly to be perceiv'd in those darke times At length appear'd Abraham after him Jsaac and Jacob with other worthies and when Elijah complains of the worlds emptines in respect of good men and that he alone was left yet God tels him he had seven thousand in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baall I confesse ' its a very few considering how many thousands were in Israel yet you see there were some though hid and conceal'd in those cloudy daies of Idolatry and superstition 1 King 19.18 God may let men follow their owne pernicious waies and there may be a great forsaking of goodnes yet some shal cleave to truth though it may be but a few Isa 6.13 a tenth There may be many weeds in a garden yet some good herb may be found abundance of trees in a feild yet some corne a world of earth yet some vains of precious oare a great deale of clay of durt and stones yet some pearles and precious jewels are now and then found God hath excellent material here and there he wil bring them together and of
proper to Christ onely Morales actiones quibus legi morali satiisfecit hae nostram vitam mores ad dilectionem Det proximi excitabunt Some are morall these last are onely imitable you may take all thus some actions there are of Christ which he did as God some as Mediator some as man The last are binding to us to follow every action of Christs is for our instruction some way or other and carefull ought we to be to make use of it as we should that so none of Christs doings do not passe by us un-observ'd and taken notice of but that we rightly ponder them Omnis Christi actio nostra est instructio sed diversimode c. that what is to be admired and wondred at we may admire and wonder what invites to praise let them have it and what is to be imitated let them be set before us and strive to imitate and though we cannot act to perfection yet let us act with affection and though we cannot do as we should yet let us desire to do it and though the bodies pace be slow yet may your souls be nimble Paul though he could not take hold on yet did he reach out to those things that were before And be sure to send love to Christ and let that tell him that all of soul and body is following after And that whatsoever your doings are yet your desires are right for they are to please him and glad would you be to be comprehended in that saying of the Apostle As he is so are we in this world Blame none for desiring this to be like Christ He that is like Christ is very excellent and the more this likenesse is perfected the nearer is the soul to glory 'T is an excellent discovery of a vertuous soul to see it continue good let the times places and people be never so bad and so doubtlesse it manifests a heavenly excellency within when a soul that lives in this wicked ungodly world appears in life and conversation heavenly shines out in a dark world though not with so clear a light as Christ yet is his light shining out like Christ A handsome imitation from some is as pleasing as great action from others Lord thou art not strict to mark what is done amisse look not on our actings which are imperfect but Lord consider what our desires are how we desire to conform to thee and help Lord with thy spirit As thou art a loving God let us be loving christians as thou art a glorious Husband let us be a glorious Spouse as thou art a soul-pittying-Saviour let us be soul-obedient Saints As thou art a fountaine a Sea let us be streams at least drops and though we are not of such worth as thou O Christ Quantum unusquisque est inâ—oculis Dei tantum est c. yet let us be true coine and as pounds and pence may have one stamp and the least though not of so great a value as the best yet of some value Mark us sweet Jesus for thine though the mark be never so small that so what the Pharisees messengers answered thee concerning the Image and superscription upon the Tribute-money saying it is Caesars so Lord let the Image and stamp upon our souls be Christs That so our life our love our actions may be such as Christs Christ and us may have one way one will one affection one mind our bent and purposes the same with Jesus Christ Now the work goes on now is the mirth now thriving when all agree in one when all the Souldiers do like the Captaine all the servants like the master all the followers like the leader all the members as the head directs and that there are no divisions commands answere with obedience examples sutable to the pattern learners like the teacher Saints like the Saviour As he is so are we c. Doct. Obs True Saints are such that are very like Jesus Christ There is some speciall singular thing in Saints that is not in men of the world there is a singular vertue in a Jewell that is not in another stone which makes it esteemed there is a peculiar choice excelling in Saints that makes them so extold there is somewhat in them that others have not seen nor known 1 Cor. 2.10 which is manifest to them by the spirit they are begotten of God and so come to be like Christ as children of one father are like one another A holy Christ the Son of God and holy Saints children of God Heb. 2.11 all of one for which cause Christ is not ashamed to call Saints brethren and from this brotherhood it is that Christ and christians are good friends that there is so much union peace and affinity that they can speak together confer together dwell together feed together lodge together and live together the God of Christ the God of Saints the Father of Christ the Father of Saints 't is the words of Christ the soul-delighting words of the Elder brother to the Younger sent by Mary as a message of comfort to the Disciples Ad perturbatos Discipulos accurre Io. 20.17 Go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God Here 's a cordial the Disciples were troubled at their Masters being crucified and 't is likely were very much grieved Christ forgets them not but sends them news of his Resurrection and of his Ascending into glory and that they should ascend likewise for his Father would not entertain him alone but them also The inheritance of glory belongs to Saints as well as Christ all Gods children shall partake in this kingdom Rom. 8.17 The spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Donorum patris caelestis sunt participes And if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ Christ had bled freely for them and his message is sweet to them willing his should know what glory is provided for them 1 Joh. 3.2 Phil. 3.21 Rev. 3 21 and therefore tels them they should be like him their vile bodies made like his glorious body and sit with him in his Throne those that are like him in grace shall be like him in glory they that are partakers with him in bearing the crosse shall be partakers with him in wearing the crown Christ is fashioning his daily for himself and when he hath brought his work to that perfection here that they come unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ and to perfect man Eph. 4.13 he will remove them to glory for the church is heavens nursery and as Christ sees fit he draws out those precious plants that are like himself and sets them with himself Small pieces of gold are look'd to and kept safe if like Christ you are well enough souls 't is no matter who you are unlike if