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blood_n drink_v eat_v life_n 35,257 5 6.0489 4 true
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A57736 Heavenly-mindedness, and earthly-mindedness in two parts : with an appendix concerning laying hold on eternal life / by John Rowe. Rowe, John, 1626-1677. 1672 (1672) Wing R2064; ESTC R17610 104,542 266

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an happiness here on earth but our great hope should be above we should cast anchor within the veil Heb. 6.19 expect happiness in what is to be enjoyed on the other side of time If the main of our hopes and expectation be in this life we and our hopes are like to perish together for we our selves must die and the things we hope for and make account of as our happiness they must die and perish it is good therefore to have such an hope as will not fail us nor deceive us If we look for the main of our happiness yea our onely true happiness in the next world not in this world this is such a hope as will never deceive us A man that hath fixt his hopes in eternal things when he hath lost any temporal thing the main of his happiness is still where it was his hopes and expectations were carried above this world and therefore whatsoever his losses and disappointments were here on earth this doth not shake his happiness his happiness was placed elsewhere before and he is at the same point still 6. To lay hold on eternal life it is not to suffer the comfort of eternal life to be wrested from us As we ought to live much in the hope and expectation of eternal life so we ought to take comfort in the hope and expectation of eternal life Rom. 12.12 Rejoycing in hope As we ought to hope for eternal life so we ought to rejoyce in the hope of eternal life I conceive that much of the force of the Text lies here Lay hold on eternal life unto which thou art called and hast made a good profession before many witnesses It is as much as if the Apostle had said Thou hast a true and an undoubted title to eternal life thou hast a firm sure title to eternal life thy vocation and calling as a Christian ●ntitles thee to eternal life Lay hold on eternal life unto which thou art called that eminent profession of faith which thou hast made as a Christian and as a Minister both in thy life and doctrine this gives an evidence and proof of thy right and title to eternal life Now this is the force of the Apostles argument Since thou hast so firm a title to eternal life lay claim to it as thy own live in the hope and comfort of it and do not suffer the comfort of eternal life to be wrested from thee Much of the meaning of the Text seems to be contained in this The Greek word as it signifies to pursue after a thing so also to hold it fast and retain it when once we have gotten it So that the designe of the Apostle is to perswade Timothy to hold firm and fast the hope of eternal life not to part with the hope of salvation upon any terms Lay hold on eternal life it is as much as if it had been said Do not part with thy hopes of salvation and eternal life upon any terms The stedfast assured hope of salvation is the great thing that must carry us thorow the difficulties sufferings and afflictions of our pilgrimage here on earth Therefore doth the Apostle exhort the Thessalonians that they would take for an helmet the hope of salvation 1 Thess 5.8 Putting on the brestplate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation Intimating thus much that if they had a well-grounded hope of salvation this would fortifie them against all the afflictions they were to meet with here by the way Whatever afflictions sufferings and troubles we meet with here in this world if we can cast an eye to the heavenly country and see that we have a part there all is well above there is none of those troubles fears sorrows where the main of our hope happiness and expectation lies Therefore let us not part with or let go the comfort of eternal life if we part with the comfort of eternal life we lose that which must be the standing comfort of our life nothing can bear us up under the afflictions of this life but the solid well-grounded assurance of eternal life Lastly To lay holy of eternal life it is to look after the first fruits of the spirit and to labour after an inchoate possession of eternal life in our souls here on earth Our Saviour teacheth us He that eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath eternal life Joh. 6.54 He hath it that is he hath it in the beginning of it And concerning his Sheep he saith I give them eternal life Joh. 10. He speaks in the present tense what he doth do for the present I give unto them eternal life Christ hath already made over eternal life to his people he hath given them a right and a title to it and he hath given them the beginning of it in their souls here on earth it is a great Text Joh. 4.14 The water that I shall give shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life The plain meaning seems to be that Grace and that of the Spirit of God which Christ hath given to his people here on earth shall never leave them till it hath brought them to eternal life The Spirit of God that is in the hearts of the Saints and the Grace of Godwhich is wrought in them shall nover leave them till it hath brought them to eternal life Hence it is that the Spirit of God is called the earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.14 an earnest is part of the bargain the Spirit of God that dwells in the hearts of Believers is an earnost of eternal glory for what is heaven but a fuller manifestation of the Spirit of God in us which manifests and puts it self forth in part in us here on earth So that so far as we are sensible of the indwelling of the Spirit of God and the operation of it in our souls so far we have an carnest of eternal glory This is that water which shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life We should labour therefore to be sensible of the indwelling of the Spirit and of the operation of the Spirit of God in us in a way of grace and of comfort In this sense we should lay hold of eternal life that is we should be earnestly pressing and making after it in our own souls we should pray carnestly that God would let down more of eternal life into our souls here on earth As he once said Lord come down to me or take me up to thee We should pray that eternal life may come down more into our souls here on earth This should be the highest ambition of a Christian to perceive and feel more of the dawnings puttings forth of eternal life in his soul here on earth It is not impossible for us to perceive and feel the dawnings and puttings forth of eternal life in our souls here on earth and this is that we should earnestly pray for Someof the last words
live always If I am sure to live why do I fear death If we lay hold on eternal life and finde the beginnings of that life in our souls we have that life set up in us which cannot expire Joh. 6.44 He that eats my flesh and drinks my bloud hath eternal life How can that be lost which is eternal that which is eternal cannot be lost It is a great skill to be able to distinguish between this natural life which we live in common with other men and that spiritual life which we live as Christians The natural life of a Saint is subject to death as other mens is although the curse of it be taken away but there is a life in a Saint and that is the life which he lives in and by the Spirit of God and this is such a life as cannot be extinguished We should labour for that spiritual skill as to be able to distinguish between these two kindes of life and not be without hope as other men when this natural life ceaseth we should remember there is a life in us that cannot dye If we have begun to know God to love God to live upon him and to live to him here on earth we shall not cease to know him to love him to live upon him to live to him in eternity and to eternity Vse 1 1. We come now to the Uses of this Doctrine and there are onely two that we shall make of it The first Use shall be of Reprehension If we ought to lay hold on eternal life two things are hence to be reprehended 1. That we are so much taken up in following this world and in the pursuit of temporal things 2. That we are so much addicted to the love of this life I. We are to be reprehended that we are so much taken up in following this world and in the pursuit of temporal things Lay hold on eternal life If we ought to lay hold on eternal life then we ought to live above the world and contemn it The eager pursuit of this world is most contrary to our laying hold on eternal life We cannot pursue two things at once while we are pursuing hard after the world we must needs let Heaven and Salvation go The greatest part of men think not on eternal things they live as if they were always to live here on earth they never think of a future state nor do they provide for it But if we ought to lay hold of eternal life if that ought to be the mark and scope in our eye that shews that we are far wide of that which ought to be our true mark and scope when we are wholly taken up with temporal things and neglect eternal II. We are to be reprehended that we are so much addicted to the love of this life We are commanded to love eternal life and to lay hold on that but we are found of this life and loth to part with it He is a rare soul that is satisfied with life here on earth and hath such an apprehension of the reality and excellencie of eternal life that this life groweth out of esteem with him I grant that this natural life is a blessing as other temporal blessings are but as it is possible for us to love other things too much so it is possible yea too common to love this life too much and it is the wisdom of God to imbitter this life to us by many afflictions because we are so fond of it and that he may weary us out of it and cause us to long for that which is the true life Vita longa long a infirmitas a long life is a long infirmity and we may adde Longa tentatio a long temptation What is our whole life but a life of tryals and temptations It is true we may value and prize life for these two ends 1. To work out our Salvation to make ready for the coming of the Bridegroom 2. That we may do some work and service for God that we may glorifie him upon the earth and finish the work that he hath given us to do But to be over-fond of this life meerly for lifes sake is a certain signe of unbelief It is a signe we have little knowledge of another life little acquaintance with eternal life Had we a prospect by faith of a better and more excellent life we should not be so over fond of this life Vse 2 2. By way of Exhortation to exhort us all to put the duty of the Text in practice Let us labour to lay hold on eternal life Oh! let us labour to call up our hearts from visible things to invisible from present things to future from momentary things to eternal the things of the other world are never the less real because they are out of sight Atheists think that eternal life and all future things are but a fiction but we may use to them that Speech of Cyprian In aeternam poenam serò tandem credent qui in aeternam vitam credere noluerunt Cyprian They shall believe too late to their eternal torment who would not believe to eternal life But let Atheists and Scoffers say what they please we do know or ought to know that eternal life is the greatest reality God that cannot lye hath promised us eternal life Titus 1.2 The great promise of the Gospel is eternal life 1 Joh. 2.25 This is the promise that he hath given to us eternal life Unless we make God to be a lyar we must take eternal life for the greatest reality In the prosecution of this Use I shall onely propound some Directions for the better putting in practice of this duty to shew us how we ought to lay hold of eternal life 1. Let us have great and admiring thoughts of eternal life We should labour to have our hearts raised up with the consideration of the excellencie of this life Quanta erit illa faelicitas ubi nullum erit malum nullum latebit bonum Aug. Civit. Dei. How great shall that happiness be where there shall be no evil present and no good shall be wanting where we shall be wholly taken up in the praises of God and God shall be all in all we shall see and love love and praise as Austin expresseth it This natural life which now we live is not worth the name of life in comparison of eternal life nay it deserves to be called a death rather then a life for we always carry about sin with us which is the matter cause of death But in eternal life we shall not onely be free from sorrow but from sin the cause of sorrow yea we shall be free from the possibility of sinning Mans first happiness in the state of Innocencie was posse non peccare a power not to have sinned His last happiness in Heaven is non posse peccare not to be able to sin at all Though man in his first estate was endowed with such a power