Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A45347
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Christ's ascension into heaven asserted and practically improved in several sermons / by Joseph Hallet ... whereunto is added by way of preface some account of the pious author.
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Hallet, Joseph, 1628?-1689.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing H450; ESTC R30724
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41,914
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130
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thither till he hath first prepared him here Earth must be put off before Glory can be put on and therefore in that 17 John 19. Christ says I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the Truth And then he cries Let them be glorified as I am glorified GOD must take up the room in the Heart before the Heart shall find a room in Heaven and there Paul 1 Col. 12 13 14. Gives God thanks that he did not only provide Heaven for his People but made them meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light that is prepared them for Heaven as well as prepared Heaven for them So then when Christ prepared a place for his People in Heaven he makes them meet for the place 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. No getting into Heaven in our old Rags Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead To an Inheritance incorruptible reserved in the Heavens Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation So then if you be kept for Heaven Then you shall be made meet for Heaven he must first put on the Robe of Christ's Righteousness that will put on the Robe of his Glory Keep them from the Evil of the World saith Christ And what then Why then Father saith he I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me John 17.15 24. And thus have you had another end of Christ's getting to Heaven in order to the Comfort of his People he went thither that he might prepare a place for his People and prepare them for the place Matter of most excellent comfort to all that have any Interest in him T is like that River in the Garden of Eden which was parted into four Streams Gen. 2.10 which are as so many Channels full of Comfort for fainting Hearts 1. The first Stream is this Is Christ gone up into Heaven why then thou mayest be sure be thine Enemies what they will and who they will in this World thou art safe Thy Saviour is above them and what needest thou fear This Jethro intimates as the Reason of the Destruction of those that were proud Enemies against God's People Exod. 18.11 In the thing wherein they dealt proudly God was above them That God's People were now delivered and his Enemies under foot was because God was above them And the Psalmist makes God's People's Deliverance as an Inference from the High place of God's Habitation Psal 97.9 10. Thou Lord saith he art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods God dwells above as if he should say Well What then He preserveth the souls of his saints he delivereth them out of the hands of the wicked This is God's People's Confectio Alchermis A most excellent Cordial in their Fainting Fits Have they potent and mighty Enemies Men in High places Yea But remember thy God thy Saviour is above them he is in a higher place he that died for thee and was laid in the Grave for thee is got out of his dark Pit again and is risen above all Principalities and Powers He that is for thee is above thee and what needst thou fear 2. Here comes another Stream of Comfort too Is Christ risen is he got on high and that on this Errand to prepare a place for his People in Heaven Here then is a warm Cloth for a cold Condition for your Poor Ones that are in Christ You that have scarce Houses or Home in this World that can say with Christ as he did when he was in the World I have not where to put mine head no setled Habitation Why be patient a while all Christ's Members will be bravely lodged e're long He that purchased an Inheritance for the Saints in Light is gone to take up Lodgings for thee In an inheritance incorruptible that fades not away saith Peter Mansions made without hands saith Christ Then thou shalt have a House that is of too firm a Workmanship for a Humane Hand and that 's incorruptible It was curiously made and shall be curiously kept It fades not away 1 Peter 1.4 Some of you have poor smoaky Houses scarce a Roof to creep in under and in a little time none may why for all this if they are of Christ's Body their Head will bring them into a brave House shortly he is gone their Harbinger into Heaven and will get them good Lodgings I have read that Valens the Arrian Emperor did threaten St. Basil one of the Greek Fathers That he should be safe neither by Sea nor by Land from his Power Why said he for all the Emperor's Rage I shall be in Heaven or under Heaven Why so though thou be driven to and fro and hast no abiding place of safety to put thy Head in yet maugre the Malice of Men and Devils thou shalt be in Heaven or under Heaven After Luther had withdrawn himself from the Whoredoms of Babylon I have read that one of the Cardinal 's in a great Huff told him That he should not have a place in all the Empire to keep him And what said Luther why he smiled and said If Earth cannot keep me Heaven shall Why so thou poor Soul it may be thou starved thou persecuted One bear up Man hast thou no abiding place on Earth yet thou hast one provided for thee in Heaven He that hath the keeping of that glorious House is gone to look out a Room for you 3. Is Christ gone to Heaven why then here comes a third Stream out of this Eden And that is thou hast a Remedy against Death it claps Sugar into thy Mouth against that bitter Cup and makes the pale Enemy to smile upon thee If thou canst lay but a well grounded Claim to an Interest in Christ thou hast no reason to fear to die No rather thou hast reason to long for that hour above all the Pleasures of the Earth For what is Death then 'T is but a going to our Inheritance To take actual possession of our new purchased Lands a going to the Lodgings Christ hath took up Thy Christ is in Heaven though he hath not taken away Death he hath taken away the Sting of Death and altered the Errand and Message of Death Death now shall but carry thee and not strike thee 'T is but a Trap-door to let thee into that stately Palace where thy Saviour is No looking upon Death now as a grim Herald but a welcome Messenger a Messenger sent of God to guide thee and bring thee safe into thy Father's House since Christ our elder Brother is in Heaven 't is a great shame now if every good Man doth not look upon Death as old Jacob did upon his Son Joseph's Waggons come from Aegypt to carry him away Why the Spirit of the Old Man revived as 't is said when he saw them
Graces of God's Spirit were not given down in that full and abundant measure till after Christ's Ascension The Apostles had after Christ's Ascension as in the 2 Acts a greater measure of the Holy Ghost poured down into them they had been given to the People of old The Disciples living in the Enjoyment of Christ's corporal Presence were so hung upon that that they were less capable of his spiritual Presence and therefore Christ must be gone that way might be made for this Spiritual appearance an infinite comfort in this Age of great work and difficulties that God's People may now go with boldness to beg greater measures of Grace yea and expect them too for this was the end of Christ's Ascension That if Troubles grow and Work increase a Soul may now expect higher and more enlarged Graces Christ did ascend not only to give you Gifts to bring you to Heaven but to give you Ministers enriched with eminent Abilities to fit you for Heaven Eph. 4.10 which by the way may shew Men how ill they requite the LORD when they band themselves against him Your Graces and your Ministers were alike the Fruit of CHRIST's Ascension that oppose them is to resist the GRACE of GOD. 4. Christ ascended on high to make Intercession for his People My Brethren Christ got into Heaven not only to open a way for his People to pray but that he might himself pray for his People Heb. 9.24 He is entred into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us It was requisite that Christ should ascend into Heaven that as he executed the Office of a Priest by offering himself upon the Cross for us he might also do it by appearing before God in Heaven to make Intercession for us There is he now holding up his Blood his Wounds to the Father that poor Worms may be pardoned poor Souls saved poor Bodies raised and then both glorified 'T was such a Priest we wanted saith Paul Heb. 7.26 Such an High Priest became us who is holy made higher then the Heaven which by the way doth shew us the advantage which God's People have by Christ's absence more then they should by his Presence Christ could never have fulfilled the Office of his Priesthood by making Intercession for his People if he had not gone bodily into Heaven and therefore 't is said If he were on Earth he should not be a Priest Look on this now as an unspeakable comfort that our Saviour is now in Heaven bodily appearing before God making Suit and Intercession for his People that their Sins may be pardoned that their Prayers may be heard that their Souls may be saved that their Enemies may be disappointed this was typified under the Law in the 28 Exod. 9 10 11 12 29. Aaron the Jewish High Priest was to bear the Names of the Children of Israel in the Breast-Plate of Judgment upon his Heart when he went into the holy Place for a Memorial before the Lord continually and this Type was fulfilled in the Ascension of Christ as in Heb. 9.24 Christ is entred into Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us Thither he is gone with the Names of all his People not on his Breast but in his Heart to make Intercession for them to his Father The Comforts whereof may be gathered from the two principal Parts thereof 1. The Presentation and Tender of his own Blood to his Father which he shed for our Sins a Blood of so much worth and value as God himself cannot ask more for 't is the Blood of him that is his fellow that is as much as to say the value of it is infinite not infinite only by way of price but efficacy A Blood that dyes white that make Sins of a Crimson and a Scarlet-dye like Snow and Wool 2. A making request for us Thus did the High Priest who was a Type of Christ enter into the holy of holiest which was a Figure of Heaven not only with Blood but with Incense which did signifie his Prayers to his People that by both he might perform the Office of an Intercessor Levit. 16.12 What the High Priest did typically within the Vail Christ doth now really within Heaven And therefore he is said to enter in by his blood into the holy place Heb. 9.12 and not only so but with his incense too Revel 8.2 3. whereof it is said that much was given him that he should offer it with the Prayer of the Saints Now indeed his very Blood hath an interceding Voice and therefore it is called the Blood that speaketh Heb. 12.24 My Brethren all that is in Christ hath a Voice to beg his Peoples Pardon A happy People to have such an Advocate his Person prays his Office prays his Humiliation his Exaltation all have a Voice to beg mercy for a poor Sinner like Paul for Onesimus a Mediator for him and a Sponsor for him Philem. 9.10 A Mediator I beseech thee for Onesimus saith he and a Sponsor if he hath wronged thee or oweth thee any thing put it on mine account I will repay it Thus is Christ both a Mediator and Surety Hence he is called a Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 And a surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 So that he doth not only pray for us but promise for us he doth not only beg for us but engage for us His Person that cries for Mercy The Nature that hath sinned suffered His Merits that cries for mercy The Debt which was due is satisfied His Will that cries for mercy Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am John 17.24 Thus is Christ a compleat Intercessor All in him intercedes and he intercedes for all in us For Sin to be pardoned for Sin to be purged for the Soul to be saved for the Person to be glorified hence come all our Mercies priviledges all our Hopes for 1. Hereby we come to be brought into a more familiar acquaintance with and enjoyment of God himself I pray for these saith Christ That as thou father art in me and I in thee they also may be one in us John 17.21 That God and his People are as one was the Purchase of his Blood but that they are fastened in the most uniting Bond of Love and Affection is the Fruit of Christ's Prayer 2. Hereby we come too to be furnished with all spiritual Graces for our spiritual Employments I will pray the father saith Christ and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth John 14.16 17. Every glance of God on thy Heart every motion of his Spirit in thy Soul every impression of Grace on thy Spirit is the Fruit of the Intercession of Christ 3. Hereby come all our Services to be sanctified The High Priest was to bear the Iniquity of the holy things of the Children of Israel Exod. 38.28 So doth Christ He