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A07208 Hearing and doing the ready way to blessednesse with an appendix containing rules of right hearing Gods word. By Henry Mason, parson of S. Andrews Vnder-shaft London. Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647. 1635 (1635) STC 17609; ESTC S102307 184,084 830

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excluded thence 2. Arg. A second Proofe or argument to shew that the keeping of the commandements is a necessary condition required of them that shall be blessed is because God hath assigned hell as the proper habitation of all ungodly persons It is said of Iudas that when in despaire of mercie hee had hanged himselfe hee went 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his proper place or as our Translation hath well rendred the word to his owne place Where there is no doubt but hee meaneth hell whither Iudas went for his transgression and he calleth hell his owne or his proper place 1. because he had deserved and purchased it by his sin For as it is said ver 18. Hee purchased a field with the reward of iniquity so it is true that he purchased hell with the practice of his iniquitie 2. It is called his own place because God had assigned and appointed that place to Iudas and all such as Iudas was who sell CHRIST either for profit or pleasure And for this cause it is that the Judge at the last day will say to the wicked Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels And if hell be the place deserved by the wicked and destinated to them by Almighty God then heaven can be no place to receive such persons in And therefore if these men go out of the world without repentance they go to hell without all redemption And by this it appeareth that the keeping of Gods word is a necessary condition required to the qualifying of that person that shall bee made partaker of blessednes an happie life And this is the first consideration in respect whereof the keeping of Gods word is availeable to eternall life II. A second is that the keeping of Gods word is availeable to salvation as a service or worke whose reward is blessednesse and eternall life For the clearing of this I will set downe three conclusions 1. Concl. Blessednesse is the reward of well doing or which is all one of the keeping of Gods commandements This may be proved first in generall and then in particular 1. In generall thus David saith The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether And then he addeth Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward Ps 19.9 11. And Ps 58.11 Verily saith hee there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth And so our Lord saith of himselfe that when hee cometh to judge the world he will reward every man according to his work Matt. 16.27 And S. Paul God saith hee will render to every man according to his deedes To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seeke for glorie and honour and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth indignation and wrath Rom. 2.6 7 8. Where 1. when he saith God will render according to works he sheweth what the rule is by which God will proceed in judging of the world namely according to mens works 2 When he saith To them who by patient c. he explaineth that rule by particular instances He will render to men according to their workes 1. to them which continue in well-doing he will render eternall life as their reward and to them that are contentious and disobedient shall be indignation and wrath By all which thus much is apparent that in generall God rewardeth well-doing with blessednes and eternall life 2. Now in the 2. place let us consider how God rewardeth particular and speciall vertues and wee shall finde 1. that hee rewardeth Martyrdome and patience in suffering for CHRIST with blessednes and eternall life So saith our Saviour Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Blessed are yee when men revile you and persecute you c. for great is your reward in heaven Matt. 5.10 11 12. 2. Hee rewardeth mercifulnesse to CHRISTS Disciples or Confessors He that giveth a cup of cold water onely to a Beleever in the name of a disciple he shall in no wise lose his reward Matt. 10.42 3. He rewardeth almsdeeds to the poore and needie So our Saviour When thou makest a feast call the poore the maimed the lame the blinde and thou shalt be blessed For thou shalt bee recompensed at the resurrection of the just Luk. 14.13 14. 4. Affiance in God and his promises hath a promise of reward So the Apostle Cast not away your cōfidence which hath great recompense of reward Heb. 10.35 5. Faithfulnesse and obedience in servants toward their earthly masters hath a reward from God farre more then their service is to men Servants saith the Apostle obey in all things your Masters not with eye service as men-pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God And whatsoever ye do in your service to your masters do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that of the Lord yee shall receive the reward of the inheritance Col. 3.22 23 24. Thus the Scripture goeth before us in diverse particular duties shewing how God doth reward them and by these giveth us example how to judge of all the rest And from hence the conclusion is apparent and cleare that both in generall and in each particular heaven and happines is the reward of well-doing 2. Concl. This reward of blessednesse allotted to good works is for the measure of it squared proportioned according to the goodnesse of the works For though all good works are rewarded with blessednesse Yet all are not rewarded in the like measure and degree Those good works which excell other in goodnesse shall exceed other in the greatnesse of the reward For every man saith the Apostle shall receive his owne reward according to his owne labour 1 Cor. 3.8 Hee speaketh there of some that planted and some that watered and of them he saith that every one shall receive his owne reward Hee meaneth hee that planteth shall receive the reward of a planter and he that watereth shall have the reward of a waterer To the like purpose our Saviour saith He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward Matt. 10.41 By which speeches this is implied that there is one kinde of reward belonging to a prophet doing his dutie in his place and an other belonging to a righteous man as hee is righteous And hereto agreeth that of the prophet They that be wise shall shine as the firmament and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the starres for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 The conclusion is cleare the greatnesse of the reward is squared according to the goodnesse of the work 3. Concl. This reward of well-doing is due to it not for the worthinesse of the work but by vertue of Gods promise
services For what can be too hard for him in Gods commandements who hath forsaken every thing that is forbidden by them Thus the purging of the heart from all sin maketh a man ready for obedience of every commandement which is the very crowne and the glory of our hearing III. This cleansing of the soule from all sinfull lusts inviteth God to assist us with grace and to blesse our hearing with successe and to increase all his mercies towards us For the secret of the Lord is with them that feare him and he will shew them his covenant Psal 25.14 And my sonne saith Solomon if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee c. then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God For the Lord giveth wisedome out of his mouth commeth knowledge and understanding Prov. 2.1 5 6. And of Cornelius wee reade that hee being a devout man and one that feared God and gave much almes to the people and prayed God continually God was so well pleased herewith that first hee sent an Angel from heaven to direct him what course hee should take for saving of his soule and then hee sent Peter to tell him those things by which both hee and his houshold should bee saved and lastly while Peter was preaching and Cornelius was hearing he powred downe the holy Ghost upon all them that heard the word Act. 10. And so it will bee with us if wee bee like to Cornelius in devotion serving God in purity of heart we need not doubt but God will send us such Teachers as may direct us in the waies of salvation and will grant us the assistance of his Spirit to blesse our hearing with an happy successe But on the contrary if any man come to heare Gods word with the conscience of knowen sinne or with any lust that lieth unmortified within him such a one provoketh God to blind his eyes and to curse his labors To this purpose the Prophet speaketh Ezek. 14.6 7 8 9. Say to the house of Israel Thus saith the Lord God Repent and turne your selves from your idols and turne away your faces from all your abominations For every one of the house of Israel or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel which separateth himselfe from me and setteth up his idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and commeth to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning me I the Lord will answere him by my selfe and I will set my face against that man and will make him a signe and a proverb and I will cut him off from the midst of my people and yee shall know that I am the Lord. And if a Prophet be deceived when hee hath spoken a thing I the Lord have deceived that Prophet c. Note here 1. the sinne that is supposed to bee in this people If they set up their idols in their heart c. He meaneth if they cherished idolatry in their heart and looked on their abominations as the thing that they loved 2. Consider the punishment that God threatneth against this sinne and that is twofold 1. That if such a one should come to a Prophet for instruction God would give him the answere and set his face against him c. that is instead of instructing him in his word hee would persecute him with his judgements and 2. that if a Prophet were deceived as some times they were God in his anger did suffer him to erre for a punishment to that man that came to heare with a polluted soule 3. Note the remedy or the meanes how to avoid this judgement and that is set downe in these words Repent and turne your selves from your idols and from your abominations Lay these notes together and then yee may see that if a man come to heare Gods word with a purpose of sin in his heart for every such sinne is his idol God will give him over to be seduced and to be plagued for his sin and that the purging out of sinne is the way to avoid all this mischiefe Agreeable hereunto is that also of the Apostle where hee saith of Antichrist that his comming should bee after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and that for this cause God should send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie that they all might bee damned who beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2. Thess 2.9 10 11. By all this we may see that if any man come to heare Gods word with a cleare conscience purged from dead works God is ever ready to teach and direct that man in the right way to heaven But if any come with a conscience defiled with knowen sinne God forsaketh that man and leaveth him to false teachers to bee seduced and mis-led to his ruine Thus the point is cleared that he who will heare with profit must first empty his soule of all sinfull lusts the uses follow Vse 1. Seeing such preparative duties are required for a profitable hearing of Gods word every wise Christian should examine himselfe how well he hath performed those duties and by them ploughed up the fallow ground of his heart that the good seed may be received into a good soile More particularly whether before his hearing hee have laboured to empty his heart of earthly thoughts that so hee might bee at leasure for God whether he have used to season his mind with heavenly thoughts at home that hee might be attentive in Gods service and whether by due examination of his wayes hee have sought to cast out all unlawfull lusts out of his soule or whether hee have not rather busied his mind with thoughts of the world when he was come before God to be instructed in his word or whether hee have not gone into Gods house without thinking whither he was a going or finally whether he have not caried some sin with him into the Church which no perswasions of the Preacher could make him to forsake Those that have prepared themselves before hand may comfort themselues with this thought that the good seede hath been sowen in good ground and therefore will bring forth fruit to eternall life But if we consider how little fruit of obedience there appeareth in the world we may well think that most men have used but small preparation before their hearing And therefore now it is high time to beginne this so necessary a work that their negligence do not make their labors fruitlesse Vse 2. Seeing the heart is not fit for the seed of Gods word till the rubbish bee weeded out and the superfluities of sinne purged away it standeth us upon to search every corner of our soules lest some lust lie lurking there which wee have not discovered nor have had