Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A62906
|
A discourse on 2 Cor. III. 6 ... by Samuel Tomlyns ...
|
Tomlyns, Samuel, 1632 or 3-1700.
|
1699
(1699)
|
Wing T1858A; ESTC R37158
|
25,093
|
52
|
good things for us else he could not bequeath them to us We were such Criminals such guilty Creatures that Jesus Christ could not live and give any good to us or bestow any Spiritual Blessing on us but he must die to bequeath Legacies all Spiritual Good Things must come swiming to us in the Blood of Jesus Christ 3. That Jesus Christ should empty himself to fill us impoverish himself to inrich us You know saith Paul The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his Poverty might be Rich 2 Cor. 8 9. The Lord of Heaven and Earth the Heir of all things was in a meaner and lower condition than Birds and Foxes The Birds of the Air have Nests and Foxes have Holes but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head Luke 9.58 The Curse took hold of him that the Blessing might flow to us Death came to him that Life might be derived to us 4. Consider how sweet comfortable and refreshing Christ's Testament is 1. In a Covenant there are Two Parties obliging themselves to each other but in a Testament there is but one Party Bequeathing and that is Christ 2. Covenants are Vacated and Disanulled by the Death of one or both of the Confederates but a Testament is not disanulled but established by the Death of Christ We are Heires in Reversion and Heires in Possession by our own Death 3. A Testament is irrevocable because it is built on something past and that cannot be undone Jesus Christ hath died and this gives eternal force to his Testament The Benefits and Legacies of Christ's Testament come to us in a Righteous way what he Bequeathes he Purchases and there is a powerful and effectual way to execute Christ's Testament The Holy Ghost fulfills the Promises and bestowes the Legacies of this Testament Men are Taught and do know God as the true God and their God they are drawn and do choose God for their God and Portion and do sincerely become a Peculiar People to him and they are caused to walk in his Statutes and to keep his Judgments and Commands 2d Vse of Exhortation 1. Branch O seek to have Benefit by Christ's Testament to be his Legatees yea his Heires O be not contented with a short Reprieve and with meer Patience and Forbearance Do not satisfie your selves with some present Almes of Mercy and Temporary Relief but seek a Rich and lasting Portion an Eternal Inheritance Let not this quiet you that you are Stewards of Temporal Things but make sure you shall be Heires of an everlasting Salvation and Kingdom Do not onely catch at God's Riches in Earthly things Psal 10.24.3 but lay hold of the Riches of Christ for Eternity Ephes 8. O prize and secure your Interest in this Testament for 1. It mainly and principally respects the Soul and Eternity The Soul shall find rest Matth. 11.28 Isa 55.2 of it self in fatness and obtain Salvation 1 Pet. 1.9 2. This is a Comprehensive Testament here is Grace given and Glory bequeathed 1. Galat. 6. 2 Thes 2.14 3. Here are the greatest most precious and Invaluable Legacies bestowed God gives himself as our God Father and Portion Jer. 31.33 and Jesus Christ bestowes himself as a Head Husband and Saviour 2 Cor. 12. Ephes 5.23 That you may have benefit by this New Testament I would Counsel and Advise these Two things 1. O be Married to Jesus Christ the Testator Rom. 7.4 as Adam awaked out of his deep sleep to Marry Eve so Christ is awaked and Risen from the Dead to Marry poor Soules and to settle his Riches and Inheritance on them 2. Cry and seek for the Spirit Luke 12.2.13 he is the Faithful and Powerful Executor of Christ's Testament he can open blind Eyes break hard Hearts quicken dead Soules 2d Branch of the Vse of Exhortation O be Grateful be Thankful to the Testator that hath established this New Testament give your selves to Christ 2 Cor. 5.5 and serve him Psal 22.30 Yield your selves to God as those that are alive from the dead Rom. 13. Offer your selves to God as living Sacrifices Rom. 12. Turn to Christ Acts 11.21 Run to Christ Isa 55.15 Live to him 2 Cor. 5.15.54 Be his Portion and Possession Isa 53.12 Psal 2.8 Be First-Fruits to God and the Lamb as those that are obliged to it by Redemption and as those that are enabled thereunto by Regeneration We are Redeemed to be First-Fruits we are Begotten to be First-Fruits Rev. 14.4 James 1.18 2d Doctrine Gospel Officers are Ministers of the New Testament this is their Honour and Glory that they are sent forth into the World with the Word and glad Tidings of Reconciliation in their Mouths and the Testament of the Son of God in their Hands 1. They are to reveal to the World this Great Secret this deep and wonderful Mystery that the Son of God hath set his House in Order and made his last Will and Testament The World is an utter stranger to this Supernatural Truth the Church only knows it and is acquainted with it Psal 25.14 This is spoken of as a great Mercy that God will Reveal this Secret and shew his Covenant unto any 2. Christ's Officers are to open explain and expound this Testament it is so Rich Full and Comprehensive that Ministers may Study Meditate Contemplate on it all their days and Preach it throughout their whole Life This is the Eminent and Noble Employment of Ministers to Preach to the World the unsearchable Riches of Christ 2 Cant. 3. 2 Cor. 2.14 They are to give forth the Savour of Christ's Ointments to pour out his Name as Ointment to shed abroad the sweet savour of the Knowledge of God and Christ in every place to bear Christ's Name before the World Acts 9.15 The Church is compared to a Company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariot as by her Officers she draws Christ's Spiritual Chariot and him sitting in it through the World 1 Cant. 9. with 3 Cant. 9 10. 3. They are to urge and press on Men to lay hold of this Covenant of this Testament of the Son of Cod As it is eminent Grace in God to shew us this Covenant Psal 25.14 so it is our main and most important duty to lay hold on this Covenant on this Testament Isa 56.4.6 We have nothing to relieve our Fainting and Famishing Soules we have nothing to bear up our sinking Spirits but the Testament of Christ 1. Here is a most clear Revelation of Spiritual and Eternal things Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 The way to the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing the Vaile stood and continued before the most Holy Place notwithstanding all the Sacrifices of the Law but when Christ died the Vaile of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom and we have boldness to enter into the Holiest even
into Heaven it self by the Blood of Christ The invisible World is more discovered 2. This Covenant and Testament is ordered in all things 2 Sam. 23.5 it is so wisely ordered as that it meets with all our Objections and may silence them It meets with our doubts and fears and may banish them It meets with all our wants and supplies them It is so ordered that there is a Legacy suited to all the Noble and Principal faculties of our Souls 1. God Promises concerning his Elect People that they shall all know him from the greatest to the least Isa 31.34 Here is a Legacy of Light and Knowledg to the understanding 2. God promises Pardon that he will be merciful to Unrighteousness and will remember Sins and Iniquities no more in the same Text. Here is a Legacy to the Conscience It is Pardon that doth quite Conscience and establish its peace 3. There is a further Legacy that God will write his Law in the Heart and put it into the inward parts this is a pretious and noble Legacy to the Will to renew byass and rectify it 3. This Testament hath the strongest confirmation Of old God gave his Oath to shew the immutability of his Counsel Heb. 6.17 19. That the Heirs of Promise might have strong Consolations but now the Son of God hath bled and his Testament is established by his own death Heb. â— 15 4. What can we look for if we are not interested in this Testament A day of Wrath Vengeance and Destruction will be our portion We shall be stript and deprived of all Good and be loaded and burthened with all Evil We shall be felled down as barren Trees for the Fire be vinnowed as chaff out of the Floor into the Furnace and be silled up as Vessels of Wrath. 1. Vse Of Information This shews us how Excellent and Honourable the Office of Christs Ministers is that they are imployed and conversant about the Testament of the Son of God that they are to open its Fulness Explain and discover its Riches and to urge and press Men to lay hold of it They are to warn Men of their danger out of Christ and to press Men to fly into the City of Refuge and sit down under the shadow of Christ and so to flee from the wrath to come They are to beseech Men through the Mediator to be Reconciled to God and to woo Men to be Espoused to Christ 2 Col. 13. They are to set forth the free Grace of God in forgiving giving all Trespasses and in giving liberally and largely according to his Divine Power he gives all things that appertain to Life and Godliness 2 Pet. 13. Rom. 8.32 And freely with Christ gives all things also 2. Vse If Gospel-officers are Ministers of the New Testament this may Reprove such as call themselves and would be accounted Ministers of the New Testament yet only Preach and press Moral Duties and build up a Natural Religion but seldom or very little touch on the great Principles and Truths of the Gospel as if there were no Testator or New Testament They urge Duty but they little themselves understand and therefore are very unable to Reveal to others How Men shall recover Life and Righteousness attain Power and Strength and to partake of the Eternal Inheritance They Treat of the New Covenant as if it were only a Mistress to command Work and not as a Mother to give Life and Strength As if Christ was little more than a Political Head to make Laws and exact Obedience to them and not a Natural Head to give Life and influences to his Members to enablthem to obey 3. Vse Are Christs Officers Ministers of the New Testament Then 1. This should encourage Ministers to Preach and People also to Hear 1. This should encourage Ministers to Preach the Gospel cannot be wholly Preached in vain Jesus Christ must have Sons to bear up his Name Psal 72.17 and Heirs to possess his Goods and Inheritance He that sowed in Tears must reap in Joy he must see his seed and the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied God's Promises to Christ must be fulfilled and executed that he shall have the Heathen for his Inheritance the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession God's great Servant must receive a great and glorious Reward for his Work All King's must fall down before him as Worshippers all Nations must serve him Psal 72.10 11. When Ministers Preach the Gospel the Hand of the Lord is with them Acts 11.21 to open hearts to break the Rock in pieces to draw Men to Christ to subdue them to his Kingdom and Government As Christ speaks in so he works with his Ministers when they Preach Christ ingrafts the Word 2 Cor. 13.3 with Mark 16. last Jam. 1.21 And when they Teach the Spirit writes an Epistle and powerfully impresses the Doctrine of the Gospel on Mens Souls the Wilderness must be manured and Sowed The Meal of Men must be Levened Christ will come forth as a deliverer and turn Men from Ungodliness Rom. 11.26 He will Circumcise the Heart to love him and Baptize with the Spirit make Men free from the Law of Sin and Death 2 Col. 11. Matth. 3.9 Rom. 8.2 Psal 110.3 and render them a willing People in the day of his Power Isa 9.6 He will beget a Holy seed as an Everlasting Father and quicken Souls dead in Sins and Trespasses as he is the Resurrection and the Life 2. This should perswade and incourage Men to hear and listen to the Ministers of the New Testament It is very necessary that Men should bâ— rescned and delivered from the Covenant oâ— Works from a killing Letter and a Ministry oâ— Condemnation O listen to the Ministers of thâ— New Testament lay hold of it do not makâ— light of all that Christ hath purchased and bequeathed Do not continue Spiritually poor oâ— be shut out of the Kingdom and come short of thâ— Glory of God Do not satisfy your selves witâ— momentary Enjoyments till you are driven out 〈◊〉 this Earth and turned into Hell Attend on thâ— dispensation of the Gospel it is clothed and anâ—mated with the Spirit this is a Seed so powerful that is changes the Soul It is a writing thaâ— alters the Table and turns a Heart of Stone inâ—â— a Heart of Flesh 2 Cor. 3.3 The Gospel is 〈◊〉 Glass that changes the Spectators and transformâ— them into the glorious Image of God 2 Cor. 〈◊〉 last The Holy Ghost is as a Tongue of fire oâ— them so that they do not speak cold words bâ—â— they throw Coals into the bosomes of Sinners anâ— cast chaines of light and love about Souls Cant. 6 7. Isa 45.14 They sow but God makes tâ—â— Seed to take root and grow 2 Cor. 3.6 7. Minâ—sters do call Sinners to come out of their Prisoâ— but Christ opens the door Acts 16.14 They bâ— Sinners to rise and come out of their Graves Epâ— 5.1 but it is Christ that breathes Life into theâ—