our Lord say such honour shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father Matth. 20.23 Can you think to wrest Heaven out of Gods hands whether he will or not And must he falsifie his word to gratifie you Will he set the Crown on Rebels heads Or give this Inheritance of Saints to the Devils slaves No doubtless you must be adopted Sons or no Lawful Heirs Bastards heir no Land Jephthahs Brethren thrust him out saying Thou shalt not inherit in our Fathers house for thou art the Son of a strange Woman Judg. 11.2 And what bold intruder art thou that darest expect to claim such an Inheritance as Heaven without the relation of a Son Adam its true was Gods Son by Creation but alas he and we in him have quite lost that sweet Relation and we must either be restored in Christ Gods well-beloved Son or we are like to be banisht for ever God sent his own Son that through him we might receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4.5 6. And have you the Spirit of his Son in your hearts to cry Abba Father which elsewhere is called the spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 Tell me not that all Men are the Sons of God So were the Devils God will make you know that this is a peculiar priviledge known to very few injoyed by fewer but it is the fruit of singular Love and is attended with this unparalell'd advantage of seeing God as he is and a day is coming when these Sons and Heirs in disguise shall then be like their Father 1 Joh. 3.1 2. then Atheists that will not believe that there is any such difference among Men and bold intruders that dreamed of a right without pretending or proving their Adoption shall be utterly confounded 2. But besides this Relative change there is also a real change upon those Souls that God makes meet for Heaven and this consists in 1. Conversion to God 2. Covenanting with God 1. Conversion to God This is expressed in the words immediately following my Text Ver. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son This is a description of Conversion and a preparation for Glory Compare this with Acts 26.18 See there the priviledge annexed Observe it Conversion makes Saints and only Saints partake of this Inheritance If all the Men on Earth and Angels in Heaven should joyn their Forces together they could not save one unconverted Soul Truth it self hath asserted it with a solemn asseveration Matth. 18.3 Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The like doth the same mouth assert with a fourfold asseveration Joh. 3.3 5. I wonder often how careless sinners ners that are conscious to themselves that never any such work passed on them can eat and drink or sleep quietly and never so much as ask this question Am I converted or am I not If I be when or how did my Soul pass through the pangs of the new birth What tears fears what groans and agonies hath it cost me What fruits hath it brought forth in me Where 's this new Creature the Divine Nature the Image and Seed of God working Heaven-wards What stamp what sheep-mark can I shew as the fruit of Gods being at work on my Soul and an earnest of this glorious Inheritance But if there be no such change as I doubt there is not how can I be quiet Sure my pillow is soft or my heart hard and my Conscience seared that hear or read my own doom in such a Scripture from the mouth of the Judge himself standing at Heaven-gates and shutting me out as if he named me saying Be gone thou unconverted sinner I know thee not converting Grace never changed thy Heart or Life though I often summoned thee and knockt at thy door yet thou hadst no heart or desire to turn from thy sinful ways nor so much as fall down on thy knees and ask this grace of Conversion of me or use the means for it or so much as examine whether thou hast it or no but wentest on in a golden dream and now I must tell thee roundly to thy cost depart oh be gone from my presence thou poor wretched unconverted sinner This state this place is for none but sincere Converts 2. Covenanting with God When the glorious day of our Lords appearing shall spring he calls forth his covenanted people to crown his gracious promises with compleat performance Psal 50 5. Gather my Saints together those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice q. d. I take little notice of common or outside Worshippers they shall be set on my left hand but there is amongst you some serious Souls that look beyond the Ordinance I have observed them they have solemnly devoted themselves to me and accepted me in a Covenant-way These these are the persons and these only that I have taken for the lot of my inheritance and for whom I have laid up a safe and satisfying inheritance But to the uncovenanted soul or hypocritical pretender to covenant God will say What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth Psal 50.16 What ground hast thou to own me Or to claim any thing from me for this world or another Man as a creature can have no intercourse with God but in a Covenant-way much less can a sinner expect any good from God but by vertue of Covenant But what canst thou say for this promised Inheritance that hast nothing to do with the promises For all the promises of God in Christ are yea and amen 2 Cor. 1.20 But thou hast never spent one hour solemnly to review and renew thy Baptismal Covenant and ingage thy Soul to God and since thou art an Alien from the Commonwealth of Israel and a stranger from the Covenant of Promise by consequence thou art without Christ and without God in this world and therefore without hope of a better state in the other world Eph. 2.12 But strangers and forreigners are become fellow-citizens with the Saints of this new Jerusalem ver 19. How is that Doubtless by taking this sacred Oath of Fealty and Allegiance to the King of Heaven By Covenant you have a title to all the good things of Earth and Heaven Sinner think of this thou that lovest to be loose and scornest the setters of this Holy League thou dost in effect say I will have none of God Christ Pardon Heaven If I must have them on no other terms but under such bonds and obligations let them take this Heavenly Inheritance for me And dost thou think this golden chain of honour worse then the Devils iron fetters of sin and amazing reward of flames and torments If you need not God and Heaven be it known to you God needs not you but can strain for the revenue of Glory to his Justice
the Life of Paul the aged within a few days and my Lord only knows how soon my sun may set though I cannot say my Natural Vigour either of Body or Mind is in the least abated but I am mortal and am loath to be surprized unawares 2. I see a great failure in my self and other Christians in this that terminate our studies and endeavours in getting a title and then think all is well we need no more but surely there is much behind we have abundance of work upon our hands for obtaining actual meetness without which we cannot evidence our habitual meetness 3. I never yet met with any Treatise upon this subject though it be of great importance for every Christian surely Heaven is worth minding and methinks Abrahams Query in another case should be ours Gen. 15.8 O Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it 4. I have observed a commendable practice of some Christians which is to order some Books to be distributed at their Funerals The first that I knew of that nature was Mr. R. A. his Vindiciae Pietatis and some other practical pieces which by Gods Blessing have done much good Such a Memorandum would I bequeath as my last Legacy to you my dear People amongst whom I have laboured above thirty nine years in publick and private serving the Lord in some measure of Integrity and Humility with many Tears and Temptations through variety of Dispensations Excommunications Banishments Confiscations and Imprisonments but out of all these the Lord hath delivered me and set my feet in a large place and God that searcheth the heart knows what hath been my design in studying preaching praying preparing you a place to meet in to Worship God and what are the agonies and jealousies of my Spirit to this day least I leave any of you unconverted and so cashiered from Gods presence at the great day and now at last I solemnly charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels that you rest not in a graceless state another day lest that be the last day and you be found unready And I solemnly require you that have a principle of Grace gird up your Loins trim your Lamps and observe these few Rules and the dispositions mentioned in this small Treatise I only hint further Be much in the love of God Dayly act Faith on Christ Walk in the Spirit Design Gods Glory Intermit not holy duties Be not content therein without communion with God Mingle Religion with civil acts Increase every Grace Redeem time Profitably converse with Gods Children Aim at perfection Maintain tender Consciences Keep strict accounts Study the life of Heaven Be still doing or getting good Set God before your eyes Trample on worldly things Live in dayly view of death Be nothing in your own eyes Be much in heavenly praises Say O Lord who am I and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto What is man what am I the least and worst of the children of men that the heart of God should be working for me and towards me in infinite bowels of eternal love That the Lord Jesus should shed his heart-blood for me That the holy Spirit should take possession of me That God should provide such an inheritance for me Assure me of it by precious Promises seal it to me in his holy Supper That ever God should give me an heart to fear him Heal so many backslidings Prevent total Apostacy Pardon all my iniquities Vouchsafe me such large priviledges Supply my wants Hear my Prayers Help me over so many a foul place in my journey Brought me to the borders of Canaan Given me so many foretasts of the promised Land Tells me the Jordan of death shall be driven back and give me a safe passage to Heaven O Blessed blessed be God all this is from sovereign Grace God doth what he pleaseth I would not exchange this hope for the worlds possessions Eternity will be little enough to be taken up in the praises of rich grace Thus the gracious Soul may quickly lose it self in these Divine Praises and Contemplations as that zealous German Martyr Giles Titleman who in his Prayers was so ardent kneeling by himself in some secret place that he seemed to forget himself being called many times to meat he neither heard nor saw them that stood by him till he was lift up by the Arms and then gently he would speak to them as one waked out of a deep sleep Oh that there were such a spirit in Gods children That our hearts were so intent on things above as to pass through the world as unconcerned in it Then shall you be content to leave all and go to Christ Then will you not be afraid of the King of Terrors though armed with Halberts Racks Fires Gibbets then will you have a brighter Crown and higher degrees of Glory and shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and as one Star differs from another in Glory so you will be set in the highest Orb and having had largest capacities on Earth shall have fullest joys in Heaven I will conclude with the blessed Apostles Prayer 1 Th. 3.12 13. The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men even as we do towards you to the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints Amen and Amen Thus prayeth Your Servant in our dearest Lord Oliver Heywood COLOS. 1.12 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light CHAP. I. The Text opened Doctrines raised and explained PRayer and Praise are the two wings upon which a devout Soul mounts Heavenwards Prayer fetcheth down occasions of Praise These two are as Chariots and Factors to maintain intercourse betwixt God and his Children Paul was a great man in both for after the Inscription Subscription and Benediction in this Epistle he falls to Praise ver 3. then to Prayer ver 9. and in the Text he falls again to Praise and Thanksgiving wherein observe 1. The Duty Praise 2. The Mercy for what In the former observe 1. The Act giving thanks 2. The Object the Father 1. The Act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies a being of a good Grace having a very grateful Spirit and expressing it in words and actions Col. 3.15 Be ye thank ful or be ye amiable one to another or grateful both in conferring and receiving Benefits But here it referrs to God Obs 1. That thank fulness is the duty and property of a Christian Thankful retribution for Mercies is the study and enquiry of gracious Souls Psal 116.12 Prayer and Thanks are like the double motion of the Lungs the air of Mercy that is sucked in by Prayer is breathed out again by the duty of Praise O happy Christian that can and must in every
matters to mind Do we not bring dishonour to God and discredit to our Religion by our backwardness And can we have that comfort and confidence in meeting the Bridegroom of our Souls as is fit Alas our Lord will be less welcome if he surprize us unawares as I have told you Ah Sirs you little know how near death is and therefore should be always ready to meet our Lord. It is matter of great lamentation that so few of Gods Children are meet for their home and like wayward Children are loath to go to bed though God hath taken a course to weary us out of the world The Lord help us to lament and lay to heart our great unmeetness for Heaven When sin security senselesness steals in upon thy Spirit search it out mourn for it confess it beg a pardon of it and recover thy self quickly out of it be not satisfied with any distance from God recover thy wonted familiarity with thy best friend and mend thy pace towards Heaven as a man in his journey that hath been hindered hies the faster to recover his way lost by his stay breath after more likeness to God fitness for every dispensation and long to be with God in Heaven Alas Sirs you little know how near you are to Eternity You see the sands that are run to the nether end of the glass but the upper part as one saith is covered with a mantle you know not how few sands are yet to run God forbid that you should have your Evidences to procure when you should have them to produce If you be not sure of Heaven you are sure of nothing all worldly things must leave you or you must leave them Dispatch all but this off your hands and be as the bird on her wings to her nest or the traveller whose mind is still on home home nothing will please him but home Say with Calvin Vsquequo Domine How long Lord shall my Soul be at a distance from thee Come Lord Jesus come quickly CHAP. XII The second Doctrine briefly handled that a meetness for Heaven is a mercy worth thanking God for I Proceed briefly to explain the second Doctrine in my Text which is That its a transcendent Mercy worth thanking God for to be made meet for the Heavenly Inheritance If we must thank God for Daily-bread for Houses Health Estates Worldly comforts and accommodations for our Bodies how much more should we thank God for Heaven and a meetness for Heaven without which we shall never come there The truth of this I shall demonstrate in these seven particulars 1. Spiritual Mercies are of most worth and deserve most thanks from us to God But this is a Spiritual Mercy Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so may signifie spiritual things as well as places i. e. Graces Priviledges Comforts or whatever hath a tendency to the good of the Soul or eternal Salvation in Heaven These indeed are a Benjamins portion a goodly heritage the quintessence and marrow of all Blessings If God should give you the whole World and put you off therewith you are cursed and wretched if he give you Grace and Glory you are happy if you had nothing else Our Lord thought that a plenary Benediction with which he begins his first Sermon Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God There 's the mercy promised and the qualification for it both choice Blessings 2. That which is the purchase of Christ is worth our thanking God for but this is the fruit of Christs purchase It s not only a purchased inheritance nor did Christ only purchase us to be heirs of this inheritance but he hath purchased a meetness in Believers for that Inheritance Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works How do men thankfully celebrate Christs Nativity But that mercy of Christs being born into the world though transcendently great will never advantage you unless Christ be in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27 his dwelling in your hearts by Faith Eph. 3.17 intitles you to the inheritance he hath purchased Look within thee Man as well as without thee and above thee for the fruits of Christs purchase and occasions of thankfulness to God 3. The operations and fruits of the Spirit are surely worth thanking God for but this is one of the most glorious fruits of the Spirit to fit Souls for Heaven Our Lord promiseth to send the Holy Ghost to supply the want of his Bodily presence and it is the richest gift that ever proceeded from Father and Son such as have it out of their Belly flow Rivers of living water Job 7.38 39. God is to be admired in all the saving works and actings of the Spirit the convincing humbling sanctifying supporting satisfying sealing comforting quickening inlarging confirming witnessing and reviving operations of it Alas we had never lookt after God had not the Holy Ghost knockt at our doors we had been blind in the things of God but that the Spirit inlightened us dead but that the Spirit enlivened us we had wandered for ever but that the Holy Spirit reduced us our hearts had been for ever hardened from Gods fear had not Gods Spirits softened us we should have been unlike God but that the Holy Ghost stampt Gods Image upon us whatever hath been done upon our Spirits to fit us for Heaven the Holy Ghost hath been the Agent yea that Spirit that we have quenched grieved resisted vexed what cause then have we to be very thankful This is the golden Oyl that runs through the golden pipes of Ordinances into the candlestick of the Church Zech. 4.11 12. 4. The Gospel-dispensation is great matter and ground of thankfulness It is a mistery which in other ages was not made known to the sons of mon Eph. 3.4 5. But what is the marrow and main design of this Gospel-revelation Why ver 6. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel Oh glorious design Oh blessed Charter But what are we better unless we be partners of this priviledge Therefore chap. 2.19 saith Christians are fellow-vitizens with the Saints This is the Gospel way of infranchising and incorporating poor strangers in the Immunities of Heaven and surely this is worth thanking God for The Charters of some Cities cost them dear and the Chief Captain said to Paul with a great summe obtained I this freedom Paul said and so may Believers say in this sense but I was free-born Acts 22.28 Though it cost Christ dear yet it costs us nothing but reception This new Jerusalem is built all of Free-stone and shall not our shoutings echo grace grace to the Head-stone Jesus Christ
thing give thanks 1 Th. 5.18 This is Christianorum propria virtus saith Hierom a practice proper to Christians to be heartily thankful for crosses as Job was ch 1.21 2. Here is the object of this Thankfulness that is God under the notion and relation of a Father God imports Glory and Majesty Father signifies Mercy Love and Clemency Doct. 2. It becomes Christians to approach to God as an indulgent Father Oh how much sweetness and endearedness is in this word Father therefore Christ teacheth us to begin our Prayers with Our Father this relation quickens our Faith and engageth Gods Love Bowels his care power and all for his Children Matth. 6.32 There 's comfort in a Father much more in an Heavenly Father Evil men may be good Fathers Mat. 7.11 how much more will a good God be a good Father Tam Pater nemo tam pius nemo none can be so good and so much a Father as he 2. The matter and ground of Thankfulness referrs to God the Fathers care and kindness to all his Children This is twofold 1. Providing for them an inheritance 2. Preparing them for it 1. Providing for all his Children an inheritance Wherein are considerable four things 1. The nature of Heaven inheritance 2. The quality of it in light 3. The Inhabitants Saints 4. Their right to it partakers A word of every of these 1. The nature of this Coelestial Glory it is called an inheritance partly alluding to Israels possessing the Land of Canaan partly to signifie that it is not given us for our Merits but by his Free-grace and Mercy therefore called the Reward of the Inheritance Col. 3.24 because it is conveyed as by a Father to his Child of bounty and not earned as wages by a Servant due from his Master Doct. 3. God as a Father gives Heaven as an inheritance to his Children All Gods Children are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Oh happy Souls that are heirs to such an inheritance 2. The property or quality of this inheritance it s in Light Which is meant 1. Of the light of Truth or Faith or that Gospel light whereby Gods Children are savingly enlightened Or 2. Of Light of glory where there is perfect Light and Delight Joy and Felicity for God dwelleth in inaccessible Light 1 Tim. 6.16 Doct 4. Heaven is a place and state of unexpressible Light Rev. 21.23 And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof 3. Here is the proprietors the owners of this glorious inheritance i. e. Saints sanctified souls it s purchased for them vouchsafed to them only others have nothing to do with it no dirty dogs or filthy swine shall trample on this golden pavement 1 Cor. 6.9 Rev. 21.27 Doct. 5. Only Saints or sanctified souls are heirs of Heaven Without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 No grace no glory The inhabitants of that City are called yea are really holy Isa 43.4 4. But how come they by this high Honour Have they a good Title to it Answ yes they are partakers of it so faith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either that which falls to them by lot then it is the decision of Heaven these are joyned Acts 8.21 Or else by a persons own choice which our Lord saith shall not be taken away Luke 10.42 Doct. 6. Every Saint of God is already partaker of an Heavenly Inheritance The promise or the Mercy promised is sure to all the seed Rom. 4.16 Why so Because it is by Grace on Gods part and by Faith on our part And God will have it so of his good pleasure A sincere Christian partakes of Heaven 1. In Pretio In purchase The price is laid down for it it s a purchased possession Eph. 1.14 2. In Promisso It s theirs by promise as Canaan was Israels by promise and that Land of Promise was a Type of this Heavenly Inheritance Jam. 1.11 3. In capite Saints partake of Heaven by their union to their Head who is in Heaven Eph. 2.6 And hath made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus Oh happy Souls 4. In primitiis In the first-fruits or earnest 2 Cor. 5.5 Who hath also given unto us the earnest of his Spirit Pignus redditur Arrha retinetur A pledge is restored but an earnest is retained because its part of the bargain A faithful Man will not run back from his bargain nor lose his earnest Nor will the Covenant-keeping God He is faithful who hath promised who will also do it 2. The other part of the Text in the second branch is not only providing an inheritance for his Children but preparing them for that inheritance Solomon saith Wisdom is good with an inheritance Eccl. 7.11 Alas what should a Fool do with a great Estate Yet it often falls out so that worst Men have most of the World But saith Mr. Jo. Dalleus on this Text It is not so here as in worldly things that fall into the hands of those that are most uncapable to improve them right but God gives a suitable share of true Wisdom with this inheritance As when Saul was anointed King he was turned into another man 1 Sam. 10.6 Alas what is Heaven to us unless we be fit for it Our dear Lord Jesus that went to prepare a place for us must also prepare us for that blessed place In this second branch we have 1. Something implyed 2. Something expressed 1. That which is implyed is that no Man is fit or meet for Heaven by nature Thence observe Doct. 7. That every Soul by nature is altogether unmeet for Heaven 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient or meet for its the same word with this of our selves to think any thing as of our selves Alas what Merit either of congruity or condignity can there be in Man to obtain Heaven If he cannot think well sure he cannot will well act well to deserve or fit himself for such a Mercy especially since Man by nature is a Child of wrath a Limb of Satan dead in sins banisht out of Paradice hath no heart to look that way nay hath enmity in his mind to what is good God doth all Dignatus est nos assumere The Sun of Righteousness shines on these dunghil souls He alone makes Vessels of Honour He fills them with the Treasures of Grace and fits them for Glory Inhabiles habiles faciens Of unfit making them fit i. e. meet for his glorious presence 2. Here is something expressed that is held forth in these two propositions Doct. 8. That all those and only those that shall eternally partake of the Heavenly inheritance in the other World are made meet for it in this World Doct. 9. That its a transcendent Mercy worth thanking God for to be made meet for Heaven Of these two last in their order