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truth_n good_a true_a word_n 4,752 5 4.0523 3 true
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A67184 A sermon at the funeral of the right honourable Henry, Earl of Warrington, Baron Delamer of Dunham-Massy, Lord Lieutenant of the County-Palatine of Chester, and one of the Lords of their Majesties most honourable Privy Council preached at Bowden in Cheshire / by Richard Wroe ... Wroe, Richard, 1641-1717. 1694 (1694) Wing W3728; ESTC R12138 16,713 33

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death the tree may fall toward the South or toward the North States as opposite as North and South distant in place and scituation different in quality and condition the South that denotes the Region of Light of Rejoycing and Pleasure the North that implies the Land of Darkness Sorrow and Sadness so are those terms frequently used both in phophane Authors and in Sacred Writ and very appositely to denote the Distance and Opposition that is between them Man who in the Wise man's words was made to be immortal created to a never-ending duration being put into being was never to cease to be was by the bounty and kindness of his Maker design'd for a blessed Immortality and made capable of the enjoyment of it but life and death being set before him with a liberty to make his choice by refusing the one he made himself liable to the other forfeited happiness and became obnoxious to misery That the first of human Race did so we learn from unerring Revelation that we are all prone to make the same wrong choice we are sensible of by sad experience and tho Heaven and Hell Life everlasting and eternal Torments be Articles of our Creed yet they seem to have no more influence on the generality of men than things of meer notion and uncertain speculation since most men live as if born meerly for this world and never trouble themselves about the Interest of the other A fatal mistake this and which directly tends to Atheism and Immorality for if men be made only for the enjoyments of this life then it is natural to conclude that they may make the best on 't and live as they list nor can there be any effectual Remedy to this dangerous Error but the firm belief and certain perswasion of a future state wherein men must give account of their actions and receive according to their doings and therefore it hath been the great design of all Divine Revelation to impress on men's minds the notions of Rewards and Punishmets hereafter as the most powerful Argument to influence their actions and behaviour here and 't is the great Prerogative of the Gospel That it hath brought Life 2 Tim. 1. 10. and Immortality to light viz. has revealed Heaven more plainly and threatned Hell expresly and given the greatest evidence and assurance of both viz. the Testimony of God himself Now if we consult his Sacred Oracles we cannot doubt of the Truth nor be ignorant of the nature of that State with relation to the different portions therein allotted to good and bad men for Scripture every where tells us in general That Glory and Happiness is prepared for Good Men and Hell and Torments are reserved for the wicked more particularly 1. It describes the nature of both states in most Emphatical Charactars 2. Heaven is expresly promised to the Righteous 3. Woe and Misery are positively threatned to the reprobate and impenitent 1. The nature of both states is plainly described Under the Old Testament indeed in more dark Characters and more general Expressions yet such as all centre in the notion of two opposite States the one of Happiness the other of Misery and tho we should grant that Heaven tho frequently mention'd in the Old Testament yet is generally tho not always to be understood of the upper Region of the Clouds the Firmament or the starry Skie and that Hell there usually imports no more than the grave or state of the dead yet in the New Testament Heaven is the Name of a state and place of happiness and Hell is the seat of Torments prepared indeed for the Devil and his Angels but assign'd in common with them as the portion of hypocrites and unbelievers On this account the Revelations of our Blessed Saviour are call'd the Gospel of the Kingdom and the St. Mat. 4. 23. Doctrine of the Gospel is stiled the Kingdom of Heaven as that which most fully discovers and directly leads to it and all the Characters there given of it are such as tend not only to rectify men's notions and raise their conceptions of that Blessed State but also to excite their Affections and invigorate their Endeavours after the attainment of it 'T is Life and Glory Light and Joy a Kingdom and a Crown Pleasure for evermore an Inheritance that fadeth not away and in one word everlasting Life which includes all that can conduce to make man happy for ever both in Soul and Body Opposite to this there is another place as distant in situation there being a great Gulph fixed between them as different in quality being the place of Torment everlasting chains of Darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched where there is every thing that speaks horror to humane Nature nothing wanting that can torture the Body or afflict the Soul of Man I need not mention all the places which are so many that you cannot miss of them so plain that you cannot be ignorant of the meaning of them And lest any should surmise that they are only Legends of a state we know not the Gospel gives us the greatest certainty and assurance of the reality of them For 2. Heaven is expresly promised to the Righteous and greater assurance we cannot have of any thing than the word of God himself who cannot be deceived and will not impose on us and as we cannot without injury to the Divine Wisdom imagine That the Son of God was sent to purchase with his precious Blood any thing less than Happiness and Immortality so can we not without the highest affront to his Goodness and Truth doubt of his readiness to confer it on those for whom it is prepared No his Word is faithful and true his Promises certain and unalterable and that there are Rewards for Good and Righteous Men is as evident as any Object of Faith as certain as the Being of God For he Heb. 11. 6. that comes to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him doubtless he is so himself having said it and all his promises are yea and amen Now to us are given exceeding 2 Ep. 1. 4. great and precious Promises as St. Peter speaks and the New Covenant is said by St. Paul to be established Heb. 8. 6. upon better Promises in respect of the clearer dicoveries and greater assurances that the Gospel gives of a Future state of Life and Glory Our Blessed Saviour has assured his followers that in his Father's St. John 14. 2. V. 2 3. house are many Mansions and that he is gone before to prepare a place for them and his Apostle St. Paul who in a Vision was caught up into and had a prospect of those beatifick Mansions has assured us That when he shall come again with crowds of 1 Thes 4. 17. Angels we shall be caught up together with them in the clouds