Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A79165
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A glimpse of eternity Very useful to awaken sinners, and to comfort saints. Profitable to be read in families, and given at funerals. By Abr. Caley.
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Caley, Abraham, d. 1672.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing C291; ESTC R226192
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159,519
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230
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seen 6 Heb. 11.1 And that these are meant by things seen and not seen the Apostle secondly further explaineth in the following words the things that are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal which are not onely exegetical explaining what is meant by things seen and not seen but as the word for implies contain the reason why they aimed at one and not the other the things that are seen are temporal all the visible things of this life whether prosperous as health liberty riches honour and the like or adverse as sickness poverty persecution death they are for a while (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a short season so the word is else-where rendred (w) Mat. 13.21 Heb. 11.35 therfore saith the Apostle we look not at them we make them not our aim we trouble not our selves much about them they are things of a higher nature we look at such as neither eye hath seen nor ear heard of and these are such as are durable the things which are not seen are eternal And here there are two things I shall speak to 1. That the things not seen the things of another life are eternal Or thus that the condition of man after this life is an eternal condition 2. That That which puts the weight upon things not seen and rendereth them proper Objects of a Christians aim and choice is because they are eternal I shall speak to these distinctly in the Doctrinal part and then joyn them together in the Application CHAP. I. Of Eternal Invisible things the first Argument from God I begin with the first 1. THat the vnseen things of another life are Eternal the condition of man after this life is an eternal condition After a few daies are spent we must all enter upon that long day that hath no evening that infinite duration that hath no end that unlimited Eternity which alwaies hath been and is and shall be the same for ever and ever when man dyes he goeth to his long home (x) Eccles 12.5 the body goeth to the Grave which the Scripture calls its house or home the Grave is my house (y) Job 17.13 All the Kings of the Nations lye every one in his own house (z) Isa 14.18 and this is a long home being to lye there till the Heavens be no more (a) Job 14.12 and Solomon saith of these daies of darkness in the Grave that they are many (b) Eccles 11.8 But the soul goeth to a longer home the home of Eternity as the Septuagint reads it believers go to their home their Country their Fathers house Wicked men go to their home their own place as it was said of Judas (c) Acts 1.25 both Saints and Sinners when they go hence enter upon a new but never ending condition whether Death lands them upon the desired haven of rest and happiness or casts them upon the black shore of misery and torment whether they be received into Heaven or doomed to Hell whether they rise to the resurrection of Life or the resurrection of Condemnation they are equally put into an endless everlasting condition the one riseth to everlasting life the other to shame and everlasting contempt (d) Dan. 12.2 The latter go away into everlasting punishment the other into life eternal (e) Mat. 25. last The truth of this I shall demonstrate from these following Arguments 1. From God it is true God enjoys all happiness in himself and can receive no addition thereunto from the creature all his happiness is in himself in the injoymeut of himself in the contemplation of his own perfection he was as happy before Heaven or Earth Angels or Men were made as he is now and would be so were all creatures reduced to their first nothing as Seneca divinely if the world were consumed all the Angels annihilated and nature cease to be yet being left to himself he enjoyeth all in himself but though he be in himself God over all blessed for ever yet it pleased God for the manifesting the Glory of his Attributes to make a world of Creatures and among others Angels and Men upon whom he imprinted some more conspicuous Characters and Draughts of his own Perfections and among others made them partakers of his own Immortality that upon them he might manifest the Glory either of his Mercy or his Wrath. What if God willing to shew his wrath and make his power known indured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and that he might make known the glory of his mercy on the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto glory * Rom. 9.22 23. To this purpose though he made both righteous yet he left both to the freedom of their own will that if they did well they might do it out of choice and good-will not of necessity if they did ill it should be by their own default And though God was no ways the cause of eithers sin nor ordained either to punishment without reference to their sin yet he foresaw they would abuse their free-will by sinning against him and by sin make themselves obnoxious to his wrath and accordingly ordained that those Angels that stood and those of Mankind that after their Fall would accept of a Mediator should live eternally with himself in Glory and Happiness On the other side that those of the Angels who left their first habitation and those of the Sons of men who rejected the help of a Mediator should for ever feel the weight of his displeasure So that to deny the eternal condition of Man after this Life is quite repugnant to that great Design of God whereby he appointed both Angels and Men to be for ever either the perpetual Objects of his Free-grace or the everlasting Monuments of his justly deserved Wrath. But to improve this Meditation a little further We read of worlds in Scripture by which he made the worlds 1 Heb. 1.2 By faith we understand that the worlds were made by the word of God 2 Heb. 11.3 Though some think it is spoken in the plural Number after the Jewish mode who used to mention a three-fold an inferior a middle and a superiour World as Camero observeth and others conceive that by Worlds may be meant the Age or World of the Jewish Church under the Law and the Christian Church in the times of the Gospel called the World to come 3 Heb. 2.5 yet I see no cause why by Worlds we may not understand the present World 4 Tit. 2.12 and the future World or as they are distinguished 5 Mat. 12.32 this world and the world to come this World is but of short continuance The fashion of this world passeth away 6 1 Cor. 7.31 the World to come is a World without end this World is like a Comet that blazeth for a time and then disappeareth the World to come is as a Fixed Star or
yet they are materially good in regard of the matter accepted of him though doing these Duties be not a degree in the thing ye it is a degree to it though in the state they were it is not available to Salvation yet b this a man renders himself more c pable of Salvation and presents himself as a subject more fit for God to work on though I cannot say with the Romanists that he who improves his natural abilitâ—es doth out of congruity merit justifying and saving Grace or that God hath absolutely bound himself upon the exerting and putting forth of these natural abilities to bestow supernatural Graces because that of our Saviour To him that hath shall be given is to be understood in the same kind yet certainly God is never wanting to those who are not wanting to themselves the Apostle saith that God will have all men to be saved (e) 1 Tim. 2.3 As a King really willeth and desireth the welfare of all his loyal Subjects though not with that degree of willingness that he doth the welfare of some special Favourite whom he raiseth to great preferment in like manner though God doth not will the Salvation of all with that degree of willingness that he doth the Elect yet he willeth it with a true and real will though not with an absolute efficacious will and resolution as a thing which he absolutely resolveth shall come to pass as he doth the Salvation of his Elect yet he doth it with a conditional will if they will come up to the terms of the Gospel though he doth not deal with all men in a Covenant of Grace yet he dealeth with all in a Covenant of righteousness if I may so term it if they do well they shall be accepted if they believe and repent they shall be saved and he bestoweth upon them many means and helps to this end no man shall have any cause to plead at the last day I knew thou wert a hard Master reaping where thou hast noâ— sown I was not wanting in using the Mean but thou wert wanting in giving a Blessing I did what I could on my part but thou failedst on thy part no God will silence any such plea as he did with that unprofitable servant Why didst thou not put out my money to the Exchangers Why didst thou not improve that power I gave thee God will then make it appear that every mans destruction is of himself that God would have healed Babylon but she would not be healed that he would have gathered men as the Hen doth her Chickens but they would not Seeing then Gods bowels are not straitned to us let not us be straitned in our own bowels let us carefuly use the means God hath appointed improve those talents put forth that power he hath given us it is in vain to expect God should help us unless we help our selves as we can do nothing without Gods assistance so God ordinarily will do nothing without our co-operation 3. We should carefully observe and improve those seasons and opportunities which God puts into our hands though the whole time of life be given us to make provision for Eternity yet there are some particular seasons when this may best be done some certain articles of time when God maketh more immediat offers of Eternal happiness As 1. When we find some more than ordinary impulse to seek God in some duty of his own appointment sometimes when our thoughts are taken up with other things we find a motion darted into our minds to seek God by prayer or some other duty and many times one motion after another and when God thus provokes us to seek him it is a sign that is a time when God is willing to be found of us When God bad Moses come up into the Mount to him it was an argument he would meet him when he came there When Christ told his Disciples Behold I go before you into Galilee there shall you see me the Disciples going found as he had said In like manner when God prompts us into his presence it is a good argument we may then prevail with him 2. When God prepareth the heart and puts it into a frame and temper in some measure suitable to the duty as when there is wrought in us an aweful apprehension of the Majesty and holiness of that God before whom we come alively sence of our own unworthiness to come into his presence a serious consideration of the solemnity of the duty we are about an earnest desire to meet God in the way of his own appointments when God is pleased to work up our hearts into such a frame these preparations are not in vain Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Psal 10.17 3. When God is pleased to enlarge the heart and vouchsafe a special assistance in the duty when a man stirreth up himself to take hold of God and continueth wrestling with God by a holy importunity He shall approach to me for who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me (i) Jer. 30.21 and let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me (k) Isa 27.5 and he shall make peace with me 4. When the hearts of Gods Ministers are enlarged when those goads nails given from one Shepherd are powerfully fastned upon the the conscience by the Masters of the Assemblies When Christ was teaching it is said The power of God was present to heal It holds true in regard of spiritual healing (l) Luk. 5.17 when the Word is powerfully preached God whose way is in the Sanctuary whose Walk is in the midst of the golden Candlesticks is then more specially present to make his word effectual We then as workers together with him beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain then followeth Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation (m) 2 Cor. 6.1 5. When there is wrought in the heart some remorse for sin When John Baptist preached in the Wilderness of Judea the people went out to him and were baptised of him in Jordan confessing their sins and then he tells them Now also is the Axe laid to the root of the tree (n) Mat. 3.10 6. When there are stirred up in the soul some desires after grace and Salvation Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters then Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon while he is near (o) Isa 55.1 7. When God by threatning or inflicting some great judgment doth awaken and terrifie the Conscience Thus the Prophet having threatned a sore judgment he adds Therefore now also saith the Lord turn to me with all your heart c. (p) Joel 2.12 8. The time of sickness when a man cometh to apprehend he must die forthwith enter upon his eternal condition Tully observeth when men draw near to death then they begin to think of Vertue and