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A39884
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The Christian directed in his race to heaven, or, A short account of that knowledge and practice that leads thither by James Forbs.
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J. F. (James Forbs), 1629?-1712.
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1700
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Wing F1442; ESTC R29428
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47,247
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honestly But I beseech you the rather to do this that I may be restored to you the sooner Phil. 1.19 20 5. Give obedience to their Doctrine and submission to their censures which are according to the Gospel and adminstred in the name of Christ Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account that they may do it with Joy and not with Grief for that is unprofitable for you 6. If they devote themselves Souls Bodies Strength Time Talents with whatever is dearest to them wholly for the service of your Souls and to comunicate Spiritual things unto you its agreeable to the mind of Christ and sound reason that you should communicate temporal things unto them according to your abilities and as the necessities in doing or suffering do require Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teaches in all good things 1 Cor. 9.6 7 8. Have not we Power to forbear working Who goeth a Warfare at any time on his own charges Who plants a Vineyard and eats not the Fruit thereof And who feedeth a Flock and eateth not of the Milk of the Flock Say I these things as a Man Or saith not the Law the same also For it is written in the Law of Moses thou shall not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn Doth God take care for Oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is written that he that Ploweth should Plow in hope and he that Thresheth in hope should be partaker in hope If we have Sown unto you Spiritual things is it a great matter if we should reap your carnal things Do not ye know that they which Minister about Holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord Ordained that they which Preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Tim. 5.17 18. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine for the Scripture saith Deut. 25.4 Thou shall not muzzle the Ox that treadeth down the Corn. And Matth. 10.10 The labourer is worthy of his reward If these or the like expressions were only the words of a Man whose interest led him so to speak they might well be suspected as savouring of selfishness but by this time you and I know one another so well that ther 's no need for me to Apologize for my thus writing Though my administrations amongst you have been attended with many other infirmities yet in time I know you will bear me witness that I have not sought yours but you neither indeed needed I to do so for I must bear you this Testimony that since my necessities have called for supply you have been more ready to communicate than I to receive My end is to inform you of the Mind of God in this thing and to confirm your Faith in your Practice doing what you do as an Ordinance of God upon which you may expect a Blessing according to Matth. 10.40 41. He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a Cup of cold Water only in the name of a Disciple verily he shall in no wise lose his reward And though you are sufficiently instructed yet this may be of use to others Duties of Church Members towards one another 1. Study unanimity or oneness of Mind as much as is possible 1 Cor. 1.10 I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment Phil. 2.1 2. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and mercy fulfil ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same Love being of one accord of one mind Rom. 15.5 The God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that ye may with one Mind and Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Make conscience of that necessary but so much neglected Duty of Brotherly Admonition Matth. 18.16 17. If thy Brother Trespass against thee go and tell-him his fault between thee and him alone If he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother but if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established And if the shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church But if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen Man and a Publican Rom. 15.14 I my self am perswaded of you Brethren that ye also are full of Goodness filled with all Knowledge able also to admonish one another 2 Thes 3.15 Col. 3.16 3. Mutual Exhortation is another Duty Heb. 3.12 13. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the living God But exhort one another Daily while it is called to Day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulless of Sin And 10.24 25. Let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the Day is approaching 4. Let not them that are strong in respect of Knowledge Gifts Graces Experiences Attainments and Enjoyments Undervalue or Disesteem the Weak and let not the Weak envy them that are Strong Rom. 15.1 2. We that are Strong ought to bear with the Infirmities of the weak and not please our selves And 12.3 I say through the Grace given unto me to every Man that is among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think but to think Soberly according as God has dealt to every Man the measure of Faith v. 10. In Honour preferring one another 1 Cor. 12. Chap. throughout Especially v. 18.21 22. God hath set the Members every one of them in the Body as it hath pleased him The Eye cannot say to the Hand I have no need of thee nor again the Head to the Feet I have no need of you nay much more those Members of the Body which seem to be more feeble are necessary and those Members of the Body which we think to be less Honourable upon these we bestow more abundant Honour and our uncomly parts have more abundant comliness Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in
THE Christian Directed IN HIS RACE to HEAVEN OR A Short ACCOUNT of that Knowledge and Practice that leads thither By JAMES FORBES Minister of the Gospel at Glocester LONDON Printed by J. Brudenell for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three-Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1700. THE CHRISTIAN Directed IN HIS Race to HEAVEN FIRST Consider often the Great End of your Creation and Redemption by Christ The great Jehovah was no more a Debtor to you than to the most worthless Worm that creeps upon the Earth the Distinguishing you from Brutes Sensitive and Imanimate Creatures is a meer Act of Favour in Furnishing you with such an Excellent Immaterial Immortal Spiritual and Divine Substance the Soul consisting of Understanding Will Conscience Memory and Affections whereby you are capable of the Knowledge of and Communion with the High and Lofty One that Inhabits Eternity Your Body is also wonderfully framed Ps 139.14 and fitted by the hand of an infinite Skilful Artificer both for Services and Sufferings I beseech you therefore by the Mercies of God that you Consecrate your selves Souls and Bodies a Living Holy and acceptable Sacrifice to the Author of your Being which is your Reasonable Service Rom. 12.1 And Glorify him with both as knowing you are not your own you are Bought with a Price 1. Cor. 6.20 O remember you were sent into the World for Higher Ends than meerly to Eat Drink Sleep and satisfy the Lusts of the Flesh Study to Answer the Ends of your Creation and Redemption The Second Thing I commend to you is in the Words of the Wise Man Prov. 2.3 4 5 6. If thou Cryest after Knowledge and liftest up thy Voice for Understanding if thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid Treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God For the Lord giveth Wisdom out of his Mouth cometh Knowledge and Understanding Be well Grounded in the Infallible Assurance of a Deity s being the first Letter in the Alphabet of Christianity Believe that there is a God Heb. 11.6 Give Credit to Scripture-revelations concerning him that he is such a one as is there Described and let the Knowledge of his Incomprehensible Perfections leave some suitable Impresses upon you Spirits Contemplate often the Infathomable depth of the Divine Glory of his Attributes and you will find it to be an Exercise both Pleasing and Profitable John 17.3 This is Life Eternal to know God 1. Look upon him as an Eternal Being which knew no beginning and shall have no end the Alpha and Omega the First and the Last Gen. 21.33 Isa 44.6 and 57.15 Rom. 1.20 Revel 1.8 Such an Antiquity as is Eternity is truly Honourable This will make you have an undervaluing Esteem of the Choicest Creatures which are of Yesterday and at best but Breathing nothings in Comparison of him Ps 103.15 16. As for Man his Days are as Grass as a Flower of the Field so he flourisheth for the Wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more but the Mercy of the Lord is from Everlasting to Everlasting to them that fear him and his Righteousness to Childrens Children And 102.25 26 27. Of old hast thou laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the Work of thy Hands they shall Perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax Old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou Change them and they shall be Changed but thou art the same and thy Years shall have no End The Children of thy Servants shall continue and their Seed shall be established before thee 2. Survey his Glory as he is the being of beings both as to their original and continuance Acts 17.24 25. The Apostle there brings a practical inference from this Position that seeing God is the Being of Beings all acts of Adoration should be sutable to so glorious a Being God that made the World and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in Temples made with Hands neither is Worshipped with Mens Hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all Life and Breath and all things v. 29. For as much then as we are the Offspring of God we ought not to think that the God-head is like unto Gold or Silver or Stone graven by Art and Mans device John 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in truth 3. Take some view of the Infiniteness of his Wisdom Prov. 3.19 20. The Lord by Wisdom hath founded the Earth by Understanding hath he established the Heavens by his knowledge the Depths are broken up and the Clouds drop down the Dew Such a Survey will cause a Soul-humbling reflection upon your own folly and ignorance Prov. 30.2 3. Surely I am more brutish than any Man I neither learned Wisdom not have the knowledge of the Holy Who hath ascended up to Heaven or descended Who hath gathered the wind in his fists Who hath bound the waters in a garment Who hath established all the ends of the Earth What is his name and what is his Sons name if thou canst tell This will make thee believe that he can make thee wise unto Salvation notwithstanding of all that darkness and folly that 's upon you Job 12.13 With him is wisdom and strength he hat counsel and understanding And you must needs break forth into admiration Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! And into that Apostolical Doxologie 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be Honour and Glory forever and ever Amen Jude 25. 4. Survey him in the Glory of his Immensity Ubiquity Omnipresence and Omniscience And your great care will be at all times and in all places to walk as under his All-seeing eye saying with the Psalmist Psal 139.2 3. Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising thou understandest my thought afar off whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I say surely the darkness shall cover me even the Night shall be light about me yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the Night seemeth as the Day the darkness and the light are both alike unto thee 1 Sam. 16.7 1 Chron. 28.9 The Lord searches all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts Psal 7.10 Heb. 4.13 Acts 17.27 28. God is not far from e-every one of us for in him we live This also would much heighten your apprehensions of God in all addresses to him as being one that filleth Heaven and Earth Jer. 23.24 1 King 8.27 Will God indeed dwell on the Earth Behold the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee how much less this House that I have built Is 66.1 with Acts 7.49 Thus saith the Lord the Heaven is my Throne the Earth is my Footstool