Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A61221
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Of happiness wherein it is fully and particularly manifested that the great happiness of this life consisteth in the fear of God and keeping his commandments in opposition to the pleasures of sin or the pretended conveniency of disobdience / by Richard Stafford.
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Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing S5128; ESTC R29533
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599,907
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686
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commit the same offence Why will they not be perswaded to come out of such a way To draw off from so great a danger VVhen Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the Sea-shore the People feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his Servant Moses Exod. 14. 30 31. And have you not known some who have been as it were drowned in a Flood of Drink Who have brought themselves into the Dropsy and other Diseases and several ways have came to an untimely fearful end And will you not fear the Lord and believe on the Lord his Son and Apostles who make mention of worse things to come hereafter then what we see commonly happen How oft is the Candle of the wicked put out And how oft cometh their destruction upon them God distributeth Sorrows in his Anger Job 21. 17. How many have we heard to have killed themselves with Brandy who have burnt up their own Vital Spirits with the greater heat of Liquors and by innumerable Accidents have been hastily cut off and all occasioned through Intemperance Job calls it their Destruction for themselves are the Author of it and is not God displeased with Mens doings after this manner Some may be apt to say this is too home But it is too trueby sad and daily experience and fit to be observed that all henceforward may take care to themselves Examples should be taken Notice of and VVritten for our Admonition upon whom the ends of the VVorld are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. In this Generation also where Drunkenness doth abound and the Men are sâ—tled on their lees Zeph. 1. 12. If any hath a real love and compassion for Mankind he is not to be blamed if he doth use the most plain and obvious expressions to prevent those evils which come upon them by their Sin and Folly. Any words are more tolerable then to suffer the thing it self Several will find fault with this way of Writing used in this Chapter especially But they are desired to consider likewise how the stile of Scripture runs exactly according to those Times when it was first Penned and that is to be the Rule of all after Ages If others think that here it Psal 119. 42. hath been varied from when those common sayings and excuses were inserted which are not to be found in the Word yet there it is said Answer a fool according to his fully least he be wise in his Prov. 26. 5 own conceit It hath been endeavoured to convince them in their own way of Arguing for why should Wickedness brave it out and pass uncontradicted We have assurance that one time yet to come All iniquity shall stop her Mouth Psal 107. 42. The means to accomplish which is to take off that Colour and Varnish of Reason to discover that plausible shew of Wit with which Men countenance their Sin. For he flattereth himself in his own sight until his Iniquity shall be found to be hateful Psal 36. 2. Which hath been here somewhat manifested according to the Ability God hath given Let the Mad and Frantick World pause for a while why you may continue Men still and yet go in another way You may still retain the same Affections and Desires and have them at present in a good manner contented however you may refrain for a little while from the full Gratification of them You are now all for good Drink the prescribed Measure is now much better then excess but for further encouragement Our Lord said just before his Passion I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine until that day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of God Mark 14. 25. And in this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all People a Feast of fat Things a Feast of Wines on the lees of fat things full of Marrow of Wines on the lees well refined Isa 25. 6 Indeed such gross and sensual Pleasures are not to be expected in Heaven as result from Eating and Drinking even here it is said well refined But undoubtedly others will be substituted in the Room which shall more refresh then these do now according to what another Prophet saith Their heart shall rejoyce as through Wine their heart shall rejoyce in the Lord Zech. 10. 7. It shall give us alike satisfaction as Wine doth now but as much greater and of longer continuance as the Infinite and everlasting God in whom all fulness dwells doth exceed that little and empty delight which is now to be had from the Creature The Spirit of God condescends to our Infirmity and exhorts to his Obedience by promising the same things which we now eagerly desire after Who is all for pleasant Drink hath the very same invitation to follow after the things of his Kingdom If the Drunkard will leave off his sinful Courses he shall find more content and less inconveniency moreover exceeding great and Eternal Happiness hereafter Perhaps he will say he hath been so long used to it that he cannot Indeed a wicked habit is not quickly or easily shaken off it crept on by degrees and will stick close but there is an absolute necessity Except ye repent ye shall perish twice asserted Luke 13. And that is a through change of mind and reformation of Life if he hath been guilty of Drunkenness let him ask Pardon for it and be so no more Seek for the Grace of God which is sufficient to subdue the power of this or any Sin. The Man must be sure sincerely to labour together therewith and endeavour to be freed from Sottishness the same way he got it let him daily deny himself somewhat and abridge a little of his wonted Measure by this means he may be at length free from it It is commonly pleaded by him who lies under a custom of sin that he cannot forsake it So he flatters and beguiles his own Soul that either God will not require him to do an impossible thing and therefore he shall be excused or he is an hard Master to shut a Man out of Heaven and cast him into Hell for a thing he could not help But O wicked Servant Wherefore dost thou to keep thine own wickedness accuse God foolishly and falsly For he will not lay upon Man more then right that he should enter into Judgment with God Job 34. 23. Repent if peradventure the iniquity of thine heart may be forgiven Consider seriously thou alone hast wilfully brought thy self under the Power and Slavery of Sin. By former hardening thy heart and not hearing Gods Voice when thou hadst more strength and sin less At the first entrance upon the Practice of it thou couldst more easily have not done then done it after thou couldst refrain with a small irksomness till sin at length began to prevail through thine own neglect to resist and willingness to entertain it And because it is more difficult to part with thou concludest impossible No habit however long in contracting is impossible to be removed it may be
have abundance and Variety of Meat Drink and Raiment Go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God accepteth thy Works Eccles 9. 7. Whatever thy Fare be take it with a contented mind for he is well-pleased with thy doings feed on with Comfort for he sanctifieth it to thee Is thy Bread course Thou hast an healthy good Stomach and be satisfied for a little while Thou art called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb Rev. 19. 9. Is thy Liquor small Yet quench thy thirst therewith at present For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you Deut. 12. 9. Thou shalt drink new Wine in his Kingdom Thou shalt eat the labour of thine hand happy shalt thâ—u be and it shall be well with thee Thy wife shall be as a fruitful Vine by the side of thine House thy Children like Olive Branches round about thy Table Psal 128. 2 3. There is unexpressible comfort in conjugal Love when others in unlawful Mixtures meet with nothing Ezek. 16. 45. but Repentance and Loathsomeness and then his Children are more dear to him then the seed of the Adulâ—erer Sons of Whoredom or of those vilest Men who are without natural affection Rom. 1. 31. Who is thus blessed at Home doth not so much resort forth to the Ale-House He doth not wring tears from his Family least he should bring them to a morsel of Bread neither doth he spend that for himself which they want indeed he hath as much liberty and right to good Drink as others which he accordingly receives with Moderation and so hath more enjoyment of it for he hath all the pleasure but none of the sin and inconvenience which attend those who add Drunkenness to Thirst They for the time forget then cares and misery which are either regrets of Conscience or misfortunes of the World but our good Man hath not the first as for the latter he can comfort and remedy himself a better way He can trust in God have recourse to his Word pacifie himself with faith and hope of better things to come look upon the example of Saints heretofore from hence springs up greater and more enduring comfort then from the sparklings of Wine or heaviness of Ale. He hath an excellent end to himself in what he doth for he labours to eat and he eats to live and he lives to know and serve the Lord which tends toward the receiving according to his gracious Promises Eternal Glory and Reward If he doth now find weariness in work it shall not be so always the times of refreshing will come This life was not given to follow after ease and pleasure and though the practice of several seems to the contrary yet they may come to affirm it would have been better for them if they had taken the same honest pains as themselves saw others did God will not forget the labour and care of some who had just food and raiment or not consider the Jollity and Wantonness of others who did neither Sow nor Spin â—et devoured the fatness of the Earth and were arrayed in the best apparel All things will be set aright at the last the very reflection or looking back if nothing more be added when they are both past will set them equal for what difference is between him who had a pleasant or troublesome Voyage when over It will be an addition to the happiness of Heaven the more tribulation one comes out of from the World. Let the mean person be sure to abound in love and zeal for God it shall go as well with him at last as with his rich Neighbours there is not such a vast difference as some would be apt to think between his and their present contentment if any exceeding upon the strict survey it may be found of his side That Man is most happy who is so at the end Every Sun-setting sets him one step further to Day more then Yesterday to Morrow he comes yet more nigh He goes on from Sabbath to Sabbath from one Festival to another towards the place of Eternal Rest and Rejoycing He confesses himself to be a Stranger and Pilgrim upon Earth and declares plainly that he seeks a Country Heb. 11. 13 14. Not that which he is in already for he must not continue herein and therefore desires a more lasting Country let others do what they will for his part he will make it the greatest and only business of his life to get thither The bare hopes whereof do yield him mighty support under the most heavy and wearisome labours these will be ended and the Angels shall carry him into Abraham Bosome a place of sweet repose When he comes upon the Bed of last Sickness he shall rest thereon Being assured he is going into a better State he can lye down in quietness and have rejoycing within when the outward Man is giving up the Ghost That God whom he hath sincerely served throughout his life will deal bountifully with him at last Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. What were his past services to be so highly commended by our God His only Son was pleased to say Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit John 15. 8. Lord thou hast but what is thine own from thee alone did proceed what thou graciously vouchsafest to accept He gives grace to enable us here and rewards with glory hereafter Who can sufficiently admire his love and goodness He might have commanded us to go through Fire and Water to have done some hard thing before we should arrive at his Kingdom but he hath brought us into a wealthy place where we enjoyed inward peace of mind and had all things necessary for our bodies where we did meet with but little evil and hardship not worthy to be accounted so What is become of that light affliction which was for a Moment now we are possest of the exceeding and eternal weight of Glory How slender a matter is the denial of a lust or crossing a corrupt inclination seeing we are entred into life and enjoy as great Happiness as the powers of Soul are capable of receiving Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Psal 73. 1. He is loving to every Man but the greatest part did reject his goodness What Enemies were they to themselves But blessed are those who did not forsake their God as the wicked do Whither should we have went but unto him who then held forth the Words of Eternal Life and now gives the thing it self When we were in the Wilderness he was our Guide and Comfort in the Waâ— Others catcht at every thing they found there and could not be satisfied whilst we used it as we passed through did thank our God he made it so commodious to sojourn in but