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A12093
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Mans last end the glorious vision and fruition of God. By Richard Sheldon Doctor in Divinity, one of his Maiesties chaplines
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Sheldon, Richard, d. 1642?
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1634
(1634)
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STC 22396; ESTC S102411
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66,288
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126
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salvation but because man being in his soule and powers thereof changed renewed and enabled by the precious giftes of grace shall and may cooperate to his salvation yea the Apostle dares to professe himselfe 2 Cor. 3. 9. and such like to be Gods-helpers in the ministery of salvation If God did not requyre mans good and pious conversation as a meanes and necessary way leading to salvation then should not the faculties powers of mans soule neede to be sanctified and elevated with such supernaturall giftes and graces for the working and effecting of such actions of pietie and godlines but seeing he requires them yea most necessarily requires them as welnye every page of sacred Scripture proclaimes it should seeme a kinde of iniquity in God which be farre from him to require such actions of man yea and to condemne for the want of them if hee should not by his graces be ready to enable man for the doing and performing of the same Hee doth it then and this surely by no other meanes then by investing the soule and every power of her with such divine gifts graces and vertues as so divine actions doe require Bernard truely to Bern. ser 83. in canst this purpose The soule cannot seeke after God unlesse she be prevented by grace Austen more fully Grace is therefore given not because wee have done works but that we may doe them that is not because Epist 105. a sixt to 2 circaâ—med we have kept the law but that wee may keepe the law And againe Even as man should not have wisedome understanding counsell fortitude knowledge piety the Isa 11. 2. feare of God except according to the Propheticall saying he had received the Spirit of wisedome and understanding and counsell and fortitude and knowledge and piety and the feare of God and even as he should not have vertue charity continency except he should have received the holy Spirit whereof the Apostle speaketh you have not received the Spirit of feare but of vertue charitie contineney so neither should hee have faith unlesse he had received the Spirit of faith according as it is written I have beleeved therefore Psal 115. I have spoken and we also doe beleeve and therefore wee speake So then the source roote and fountaine of all these godly actions and motions which leade to salvation are the graces of God because proceeding from his graces enabling us for them which Sap. 10. 25. graces he who hateth nothing of all that he hath made he that willeth all should be saved and come to the knowledge of his truth He who delighteth not in the 1 Timoth. 2. 4. death of a sinner but that he turne from his wickednes Ezec 33. 11. and live He who lightneth every man that commeth Ioh. 1. 9. into the world Hee who hath placed his Tabernacle in the Sunne to runne his race with swiftnes and Psaâ— 19. 6. to spread his beames with graciousnesse that nothing can scape the warmth of his illuminations He who Reve. 3. 20. standeth at the dore and knocketh that if any man open to him he will enter in sup with him and bee his guest He I say who is out of his goodnesse thus Reve. 22. 17. graciously disposed towards his creatures freely and frankely offers and presents the same unto them in a holy serious manner that they may have life yea have it more abundantly according Ioh. 10. 10. to that of himselfe I am come that they may have life and have it more aboundantly And thus it appeareth how by grace presented and received received by the efficacy of it selfe the Saints and servants of God do walke in those wayes where by they come to be saved whereby they are enabled in some good measure truely to doe that which otherwise should be impossible to nature vitiated and corrupted Austen for De grat et lib. arbitrio cap. 16 â—07 this purpose excellently thus It is certaine we may keepe the Commandements if wee will but because the will must be prepared by the Lord we must aske of him that we may have a will to do so much as wee ought willingly to doe It is certeine that we do then well when we will but he maketh us able that we may will good of whom that is written which I expressed a litle aboue The will is prepared of the Lord of whom it is said The wayes of men are directed of the Lord. And he it is that willeth their way of whom it is said It is God that doth worke in us both to will to doe It is certaine that we doe when we doe but he maketh that we may doe giving most powerfull strength and ability to the will who hath said I will make you able that you may walke in my justifications and keepe and doe my judgements Thus he most excellently declaring the working of grace in us and our working by grace Grace the reward whereof is eternall life and our good keeping of Gods Commandements in a partiall measure according to this state not in a full perfect measure of degrees Thus concluding these my meditations touching the last end of man I earnestly intreate the religious Reader seriously to thinke and meditate on the glory and aeternity of this Land of promise both shewed and promised so faithfully and seriously unto him in sacred Scriptures The glories and excellencies thereof do infinitely surpasse the fruites that were brought unto the children of Israel out of the Land of promise which Num. 13. 28. notwithstanding did so prevaile on the hearts of the faithfull that the desire to obtaine the said fruits enabled them with a spirit of courage to undergoe all perills and hazards for the attaining of them many there were indeed whom the spirit of feare and trembling restreined from going into that happy land because they heard that the sonnes of Enacim giants robustious men were therein and thereby perished deservedly for their incredulity and disobedience Oh let not the like spirit of Incredulity and disobedience have dominion over the hearts of any Christians I especially meane those who professe to know God arightly for if we know God arightly let us walke to him arightly diligently fervently O gracious God thou the onely wise and most powerfull God doe thou vouchsafe for thy deare Sonnes sake to enlarge and widen our streightened hearts by the Spirit of grace that we may runne to thee and in the end also attaine thee by the way of thy Commandements preset to us by thy selfe To my soule I say and resolue that it be praying to God the Father in his Sonns name that shee may be endewed with such a spirit of grace that enamoured with the consideration and love of this happines shee may in the imitation of that holy man ever breathe out thus O my soule if we ought continually to endure torments that we may see Christ in his glory with God the Father and to be associated to the fellowship of his Saints were it not meete patiently and willingly to suffer all that is sorrowfull that we might bee made partakers of so great a good and so great a glory Let the Devills therefore lye in waite and prepare their temptations let fastings and hard-clothings breake and sub due our bodies let labours oppresse watchings afflict let that man disquyet me this man crie out against me let cold bowe and pinch me heate burne me let my head ake my brest faint my stomacke swell my face waxe wanne pale let me in every part be weakened and let my life faile me in griefe sorrow my soule in mourning heavinesse let rottennes enter into my bones and abound under me so that I may find rest in the day of Tribulation and may ascend up to the people of God O my God giue me a spirit to awake early in the morning unto thee and that my soule may thirst after thee yea that my very flesh may be manifestly and manyfoldly even bent unto thee O be thou the Horizon of my heart at noone day the desire of my soule at midnight O let all that is within me long after thee that I may in the end come to see and behold thee as thou art in thy selfe my blessed end my happinesse the God of my heart my part and my portion for ever AMEN Recensui hunc Tractatum cui Titulus est Mans last end c. unà cum Epistola Dedicatoria ad Serenissimum Regem Carolum et praefatione ad Lectorem qui quidem liber continet pag. 83. in quibus omnibus nihil reperio sanae doctrinae aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus cum utilitate publica imprimatur ita tamen ut si non intra septem menses proxime sequentes Typis mandetur haec licentia sit omnino irrita Ex aedibus Fulhamiensibus prid Calend. Septem 1633. Guil. Bray The Errata Page 10. lin 8. for that read and p. 20. l. 5. reade is his end pa. 57 l. 29 for him r sinne p. 82 l. 30. for roule r. walke pa. 87 r. If we be found p 99 l. 2 r. or as meâ—rits pag 100. l 31 r. table of faith p. 102 l. 29 according to diverse readings In the notes Pag 25 read presences pa 43 for Trinitate r Civitate pag 60 r q. 82. p. 68 r. 19. p. 103. r. Cor. v 16.
MANS LAST END THE GLORIOVS VISION AND FRVITION OF GOD. By Richard Sheldon Doctor in Divinity one of his Maiesties Chaplines 1 Ioh. 3. 2. Wee know that when he shall appeare wee shall be like him for wee shall see him as he is LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IONES dwelling in Red-crosse-streete 1634. TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE DREAD SOveraigne Sacred and divine is Royall MAIESTIE and it is the glorie thereof to protect sacred things This my Meditation vpon Heavens Loadstone the glorious vision fruition of God though in respect of the authour and the stile it may seeme unworthy of your Maiesties iudicious eye yet in regard it is in it selfe asubiect most sacred and sacredly handled agreeing to the rule of holy faith I humbly presume to crave from your Maiesty both prâ—â—ection and gracious acceptance of it which my minde presumes I shall most assuredly haue Protection because I humbly craue it from the Defender of that faith the happy end and fruite whereof is the glorious vision and fruition of God Gracious acceptance because it cannot but be a subiect most acceptable to your religious and pious mind which like that of Moses is daily looking on this most glorious reward For this to the ioy of your people and for the example of all greatnesse Comes testified confirmed both by your Maiesties reverent attention to the word Read or Preached fervent and intentiue devotion to Gods prayses in prayers celebrated but especially by your Maiesties daily often times of prayers O that the whole Britaine-Orbe at least the whole Tribe of Levy therein were composed and ordered according to this your Maiesties example Goe on glorious Prince let not your Hand cease to protect enlarge the virgine-faith which yee professe to raise up despised Discipline for the glory of our Church to mainteyne iustice and iudgement and with Clemency to establish your Throne And that glorious God whom yee serue with feare trembling shall and will in the end bid you enter into that his owne ioye the glorious vision and fruition of himselfe Amen Your most Excellent Majesties loyall subiect and servant Richard Sheldon To the Religious Reader CHristian Reader whosoever thou art into whose hands this Treatise may come I advise thee that howsoever this diamond of thy felicity come thus rudely yet clearly and truely presented unto thee thou make such good use of this and the like that thou mayest happily in the end enjoy the glory it selfe Meditating hereon thou wilt easily see how degenerate thou art from thy owne Originall dignity if by the contagion of unrepented sinne thou deprive thy selfe of that gemme which God hath prepared for thee and all those that feare him and love his comming Had the naturall Sages of the world knowne this end of man whereas some of them as the Grecians called him a little world an Earthly God Others as the Egiptians and their Trismegistus the miracle of the world they would in respect of the glory expected and to be revealed have termed him the miracle of heaven a glorious companion by grace of majesty it selfe thus entring into and diving into the Lords owne Ioy it selfe But whence hath man this but from the free grace of the Father By whom hath hee this but by the humble obedience of the Sonne to the Father By what all this but by obedient faith in the Saviour The first is the fountaine the second is the way and meane of this glory the third is the condition without which this glory is not obtained O then having found this most precious diamond and from whom it is God the Father By whom it is Christ Iesus the Sonne for whom it is the faithfull and loving beleevers Presse thou on towards the marke for the price of this high calling of God in Christ Iesus the glorious vision and fruition of God himselfe AMEN Thine in CHRIST IESVS RICHARD SHELDON THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOKE Section 1. Sheweth joyntly wherein the nature and condition of an end and last end may consist Sect. 2. Wherein is joyntly shewed by sundry arguments and cleare demonstrations that the object of humane felicity or last end of man cannot be riches pleasures nor honour taken severally or joyntly pag. 9. Sect. 3. Shewing that God onely is the last end of man and his finall happinesse pag. 18. Sect. 4. God being the object of mans happinesse and his last end it is shewed by what union he is knitte and united to the Soule and thereby the Soule made happy pag. 25. Sect. 5. Wherein is more particularly handled in what action or actions the last happinesse of man doth specially consist pag. 50. Sect. 6 Conteines certaine observations touching the glorified bodies of the beatified and their glorious qualities pag. 63. Sect. 7. Wherein is breefely and in generall laid downe the meanes and way whereby eternall happines is to be attained pag. 92. MANS LAST END THE GLORIOVS VISION AND FRVITION OF GOD. First Section shewing Ioyntly wherein the nature and condition of an end and last end may consist THE nature and essence of an end in generall is to be that for which another thing is intended as a meanes to attaine the same end Or Wherein the nature of an end doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus An end is that which moveth to motion or action which respect and formality of an end in the last end requires further that it be that for which all other things are intended and it not for any one of them singly taken no nor for all of them taken together and unitedly Whence from by inevitable consequence it followeth that the last end of man is that to which all the actions of man yea man himselfe is to be referred as being that by which and in which his full rest and last perfection is intended Herehence it also followeth most clearely first that the last end of man must needs be farre better than man and all that is in man as being that which must give full perfection and rest to man and all that is in man The end finall is ever better than that which is for the end the house is better than the lime timber and stone which are for the house and man better than the house for whose use the house is so the end of man better then man Secondly the last end of man must be such as doth fully satiate and quiet all the desires of man for that is the last end of every thing which when it is had giveth perfect rest and repose Austin Truly wee say that to be the last end of man not wherewith he is so consumed as that he ceaseth to be but that wherewith he is so perfited that he may fully and perfectly be By which it may appeare that the inordinate love of mans owne selfe is farthest off from being the last end of a mans owne selfe for an inordinate mind is ever a punishment and affliction to it selfe In Austins phrase God