and the humbler the Soul is the fitter for God Isa 57.15 and 66.2 Thank God for that humility 3. You may and must be thankful for the Mercies which you have and cannot deny but God hath vouchsafed You have your lives for a prey are out of Hell which is more then you deserve you have abundant outward Mercies do not these deserve thankfulness Yea Christ hath purchased grace and glory for some nay further he hath put thousands into possession of this inheritance and should not this make you thankful Yea further Heaven is offered to you and you are under the means of grace and in a possibility of obtaining this happiness which Devils and damned Souls are not and is not this ground of thankfulness 4. Be sure you keep in mind the distinction of habitual and actual meetness for Heaven If you have not the former either relative or real be not adopted or justified are neither converted nor covenanted with God I say the Lord have mercy on you your case is doleful you have great cause of lamentation Oh man I am not now speaking to thee Be afflicted and mourn let your laughter be turned into mourning your joy to heaviness Jam. 4.9 Yea you graceless rich men weep and houl for your miseries that shall come upon you Jam. 5.1 I have not a word of comfort from the Lord to you Your eatthly inheritances shall be taken from you and you shall be thrust into the dungeon of Hell You may for a while kindle a fire and walk warm in the sparks you have kindled but faith God this shall you have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sorrow Isa 50.11 Stand you by while the Saints take comfort in their portion Read Isa 65.13 14 15. It is to you the heirs of promise to whom I am now speaking and bear you this in mind that its one thing to have right to this inheritance another to know you have right Many a gracious Soul is much in the dark about its relation yet its state safe for the main What sayest thou Hast thou not the things that accompany Salvation Heb. 6.9 Hath not God been dealing with thy heart as he useth to deal with such as he designs for Heaven Hast thou not seen thy woful state by Nature The necessity of Christ and grace Hast thou not experienced a change from Nature to Grace from Death to Life Hath not this new birth cost thee griefs and groans prayers and tears Dost thou not delight now in what thou didst disdain Is not thy principle rule end otherwise then formerly Hast thou not changed thy company courses manner of life Speak out man belye not thy self deny not Gods grace something like grace thou seest in thy self and to be sure Satan and World oppose it and man and thy self could not work it It is of God a seed sown by the hand of omnipotency And he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 As to actual meetness for Heaven I refer you to what hath been laid down before look it over deal impartially see if your experience do not answer those heads hath not God helped you in the exercise of the graces of Faith Hope Love Humility Hath not God given you some grounded evidence of sincerity by diligence in duty reflection on your state appealing to God and pleading with God for the Spirits sealings Hath not God helpt you to be dispatching your work off your hands Spiritual Temporal Relative and Publick Are you not much mortified to corruption worldly injoyments and have you not spiritualized earthly things and got more intimate familiarity with God What say you to these things Do not your hearts eccho back with your probatum est setting your seal to these things I have not time nor room to inlarge further but I would have you diligently compare your selves now with what you were some years ago Is not your Repentance more Evangelical Doth not the sense of divine love extort from you more tears of godly sorrow and more vehement hatred of all sin purely it is offensive to God Hath not your Faith been more vigorous in its actings upon your dear Lord In closing more fully with promises Have you not been more frequent and serious in renewing your Covenant with God And have not such dayes and duties been solemn heart-melting opportunities Have you not been more constant and inlarged in the duty of secret Prayer with shorter intermissions and more favouriness Do you spend your time better then formerly Do you fill up every vacancy with some useful business for Earth or Heaven Have you not more incomes of grace and assistance in duties both as to matter and manner To knit your minds and raise your affections to God and sometimes suggest words to you Do you not more concern your selves for the Souls of Relations and others in Prayer and Discourse being more weighted with the necessity of their Conversion Are you not more endeared to Saints as Saints though poor or disobliging and of a different perswasion Have you not got power over your Passions to regulate them And if you feel unruly motions can you pray them down and through grace calm them Can you not put up injuries and affronts and not only so as not to revenge and forgive but pray more heartily for the repentance and remission of such as are most malicious against you Is it not more the grief of thy heart when God is dishonoured his Spirit grieved his Gospel reproached by the sins of profane or professours If thou think any body is offended by thee is it not more a real trouble to thee then formerly And thou canst not be quiet till thou seekest Reconciliation And if thou be conscious of giving them just occasion thou confessest thy fault and humblest thy self to them Hast thou not learned more faithfully and discreetly to manage the duty of private admonition of an offending Christian Drawing out bowels of compassion for and to such as are fallen Do not publick concerns of Church or Nation lye nearer thy heart daily Canst thou not more rejoyce in the gifts graces holiness usefulness of others though it obscure thine Art thou not more glad when corruptions are mortified then gratified When occasions of sinning are removed rather then afforded though it cost thee dear Dost thou not more sensibly understand the sweet life of faith in temporals Committing all to God thou findest provisions have been strangely made Are not thy affections more spiritualized towards dearest Relations Dost thou not love them in the Lord and the Lord in them and canst freely part with them upon Gods call Art thou not more taken up with Gods Mercies to give him the glory of them then any personal content thou hast in them Is not thy heart daily more weary of the world and longing for Heaven Yet after all this canst thou not say thou art nothing deservest nothing but Hell And if God glorifie his Justice in thy confusion thy mouth is stopped and thou must justifie him for ever with flames about thine Eares Dost thou not account thy self the greatest of Sinners least of Saints and by the grace of God thou art what thou art And this thou canst truly say that God is more thy exceeding joy and Christ more precious to thy Soul then ever Canst thou in thy sober solid setled frame answer these questions thy state is safe and sweet and thou art meet for Heaven yet not so meet but still breathing after more meetness till thy last gasp of breath for no man on this side death was ever meet enough and all must be ascribed to grace grace in the foundation grace in the topstone I shall conclude all with a part of a Poem in Mr. Herbert called Grace p. 52. Death is still working like a Mole And digs my Grave at each remove Let Grace work too and on my Soul Drop from above Sin is still hammering my heart Vnto an hardness void of love Let suppling Grace to cross his art Drop from above O come for thou dost know the way Or if to me thou wilt not move Remove me where I need not say Drop from above 2 Cor. 5.8 We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent frrm the body and to be present with the Lord. Amen FINIS Some Books to be Sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside A Call to Sinners such as are under sentence of Death and such as are under any prospect of it from the long suffering and gracious but most righteous God Three Questions resolved briefly and plainly viz. 1. What Conceptions ought we to have of the blessed God 2. What are those Truths whereof the Knowledge appeareth most indispensably necessary unto our Salvation and therefore to be first and most learnt by us 3. What is the change wrought in a Man by Gods H. Word and Spirit before he can safely conclude himself passed from Death to Life Being the Summ of three Sermons The Christian Temper Or the Quiet state of Mind that Gods Servants labour for Set forth in a Sermon at the Funeral of Mrs. Vrsula Collins A seasonable Question plainly resolved viz. What are we to judge of their spiritual estate who neglect the Lords Supper And what is that discerning of the Lords Body in it without which men do Eat and Drink their own Damnation The Christians earnest Expectation and Longing for the Glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Set forth in a Discourse occasioned by the Decease of that Excellent Christian and Minister of Christ Mr. Noah Webb late of Sandhurst in the County of Berks. FINIS In Answer to this question see 3 Opinions in Dr. Tuckney Theses Praet Theol. ubi videa praeclare furius disputata p. 269. ad p. 292.
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
to evince the truth of it but convince the Conscience of the necessity of it and perswade the Affections to comply with it 1. It s fit persons be made meet because no man by nature is meet for Heaven Man is estranged from God even from the Womb Psal 58.3 and are these fit to live with God till brought nigh Man is shapen and conceived in sin Psal 51.5 and is this fit to dwell with an Holy God till sanctified Man is dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 and is such a dead block meet to converse with the living God Man is darkness Eph. 5.8 and what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6.14 Man by nature is a child of wrath Eph. 2.3 and how can dryed stubble dwell with consuming fire Alas we are all enemies to God in our minds Col. 1.21 yea enmity it self Rom. 8.7 and can two walk together except they be agreed Amos 3.3 Can the sin-revenging God and the guilty sinner hold intimate correspondence till they be reconciled O no it will never be Heaven and Hell will as soon joyn as God and an unregenerate sinner Will the holy God take such vipers into his bosom Can you imagine God will deface or lay aside his immaculate Holiness to take you from the Swine-sty into his holy Sanctuary What cleanly person can endure to have a filthy swine a bed and board with him in his Parlour or Bed-chamber Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee Psal 94.20 No no God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity with liking and delight Hab. 1.13 If God should take men a caeno ad coelum from the dunghil into his Palace others would conclude that God is reconciled to sin that its an harmless thing and not that abominable thing which his Soul hates No it can never be graceless sinners so remaining cannot dwell with God Psal 5.4 5. 2. Because this is the divine ordination and appointment that there should be a connexion betwixt grace and glory holiness and happiness Psal 84.11 As Sin and Hell are joyned by divine commination so Grace and Heaven are knit together by divine promise So saith the Text Rom. 2.7 10. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life This is a connexion of grace not of merit of promise not of debt yet inviolable for Gods Justice and Truth are ingaged in it It s fit the infinite God should distribute his Mercies to whom and upon what termes he pleaseth now he hath said peremptorily without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 All things are ordered and wrought after the councel of his will Eph. 1.11 First he chuseth them before the foundation of the world that they should be holy Eph. 1.4 They are redeemed to be holy Tit. 2.14 called with an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 and therefore they are holy Brethren that are partakers of this Heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Let wicked scoffers mock on to their guilt and cost Such there are in the world and such must they be if they think to inherit Heaven Its Gods ordination you must be Saints in this world or never Crowned as Saints in the other tho' Canonized for Saints by Men when gone Consider sinner whose word shall stand Gods or thine Thou hopest to go to Heaven without Saintship or meetness for it God saith it yea swears it Heb. 3.18 that thou shalt never enter into his rest This is Gods councel that men must be brought through Sanctification to Salvation 2 Thess 2.13 and can you think to overturn his appointed Will or contradict his Councels Must the Earth be forsaken for thee Must the immutable God falsifie his word to save chee against his will yea against thy will For thou wilst not come to him for life God will not be merciful to any wicked transgressour The eternal determination of Heaven is recorded in that chain of Salvation Rom. 8.30 and all the Men on Earth and Devils in Hell cannot break one link of it Predestination Vocation Justification Salvation or Glorification Go try the turning Day into Night or Winter into Summer or stop the course of the Sun before thou think to divert the proceedings of grace in the salvation of Souls but its vain to attempt either for his councel shall stand and he will do all his pleasure 3. This is the design of God in all his Ordinances to make Souls meet for Heaven It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 Ministers and Ordinances were given for perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4.11 12 13. This is the means of Conversion the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the means of edification of resolution of doubts consolation and confirmation so are the Seals of the Covenant given to this end to bring Souls onward to this glorious Inheritance Now Sirs consider shall you receive this grace of God in vain Shall all the Ordinances be lost upon you You must give account of Sabbaths Sermons Sacraments shall they be the savour of death unto death to you or the savour of life unto life Alas how do poor Ministers toyl and travel pray and watch weep and sigh to the breaking of their Loyns spending of their Spirits to bring you to God and Heaven and you pretend kindness to us but have no real kindness to your own Souls we dare not but warn you in the name of Christ lest you fail of the grace of God and fall short of this Inheritance We watch for your Souls as those that must give an account O let us do it with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 If it be uncomfortable to us it will be unprofitable to you Must our sweat and labour be in vain But it will not be in vain to us for our work is with the Lord we shall not lose our reward God will pay the Nurse though the Child dye Our Crown will be given us if we be faithful though we be not successful for that 's in Gods hands But woe be to those souls that have sitten under powerful Ordinances and miss of this Inheritance O woe woe to you you cannot miss of Heaven but be plunged into a deeper Hell O ease our Hearts and save your own Souls Kill us and damn your selves nay murder your selves and you again Crucifie Christ whose person we represent Rather give us leave to espouse you to one Husband 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fitted you as things that are pieced together glued or soddered let us do so with you that we may present you as chast virgins in Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 Would to God this were the fruit of our labours 4. This is the design of all Gods Providential dispensations Mercies afflictions smiles frowns come upon this errand to make Souls meet for Heaven Cords of love draw rods of wrath drive the poor sinner
for God will not permit his children to keep company or familiarly converse with such on Earth 1 Cor. 5.11 and therefore shall not be associated to them in the other world and God is not well pleased with such 1. Cor. 10.5 7. 4. Nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the Kingdom of God such filthy Sodomites shall rather have fire from Heaven then be admitted into that holy place These horrible acts of filthiness are not fit to be named among Saints and surely the committers of them cannot be entertained among Saints See Eph. 5 3 4. They are given up Rom. 1.24 5. Nor Thieves Not only open robbers by the high-way or breakers of houses but gamsters that cheat others or purloyning wastful Servants deceitful Tradesmen or wilful Bankrupts that basely get others Estates into their hands and never intend to pay their just debts These men without restitution shall have their ill-gotten silver and gold to torment them like burning mettal in their bowels Jam. 5.2 3. 6. Nor Covetous These are fitly joyned to Thieves that run out with inordinate affection to the world and suck her breasts with great delight that inlarge their desires as Hell These must be shut out of Heaven for they have their portion in this present life Psal 17.14 and are real Idolaters Col. 3.5 Eph. 5.5 These must be banished Heaven 7. Nor Drunkards Not only such as bruitifie themselves and drink away their Reason but such as sit long at it continue till wine inflame them yea though they be not intoxicated yet they purchase a woe to themselves that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Isa 5.11 22. 8. Nor Revilers These are properly annexed to drunkards for the godly are usually the drunkards song that scoff and jear at serious godliness and break their scurrilous jests upon the holiest Saints but there 's no railing among Angels or Saints in Heaven Jude 9. nor shall such come there And one would think they do not desire to come there with those they so abuse 9. I may add Backbiters that love to take up and blaze abroad a false report against their Neighbours these are excluded Gods Tabernacle Psal 15.1 3. that fling all the dirt they can in the face of such as do them no hurt wounding them secretly with a privy stab or behind their backs God will hold the door of Heaven against such 10. Swearers that prophane the glorious and tremendous name of the eternal God by horrible oaths curses and execrations Blasphemers of old were to be put to death and if men now spare them the flying roll of curses shall go out against such and cut them off Zech. 5.2 3 4. Those that swear fall into condemnation Jam. 5.12 11. Lyars that invent or utter lies upon any account whatsoever these carry their own doom in their Consciences and they may read the doleful sentence in Rev. 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth or maketh a lye The God of truth hateth lyars and will banish them from his court as David did Psal 101.7 12. Apostates that once made a fair shew but are renegadoes to the truth way people worship of God they bring a great reproach on Religion and our blessed Saviour pronounceth such as put their hand to the plow and look back to be unfit for the kingdom of God Luk. 9.62 Gods soul will have no pleasure in them Heb. 10.38 Oh the dreadful end of these that turn their backs on Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 21. Hearken you sinners if any of you be of this number read and tremble there 's no room for you in this glorious City above you must be shut out Living and dying in this estate there 's no more mercy for you then for the Devils Heaven is shut against you Hell is open for you How can you escape the damnation of Hell Mat. 23.33 Alas you are daily filling up the measure of your sins the Ephah is well nigh full t'other sin t'other neglect more and next news you may hear the talent of Lead may be cast upon the mouth of the Ephah and thy Soul carryed into thine own place Zach. 5.7 9. One Oath more one Lye more one fit of Drunkenness more and thy iniquity is full thy Soul is gone Who can tell but God may say to thee as to the rich man Luke 12.29 This night shall thy Soul be required of thee Or as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that is the Devils shall require thy Soul Oh how greedily are infernal Fiends watching for a commission to break thy neck in thy travelling or to strangle thee in thy bed and hurry thee headlong into Hell with them Thy iniquity is filling up the sun-shine of prosperity ripens it apace the sweet rain of Gospel Ordinances brings Weeds to perfection as well as Corn. As Gods children are making meet for Heaven thou art making meet for Hell Rom. 9.22 23. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Made up made ready like sticks dryed and bundled up to be cast into the fire It is not said that God fits them for destruction as it s said ver 22. of the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory No no there needs no more to a sinners making meet for Hell but a leaving him to himself he will fall apace downwards to damnation with his own weight Ah sinner thou little knowest how soon thy foot may slip off this slippery battlement on which thou standest into the precipice of eternal destruction Little dost thou know how soon that flaming sword that hangs over thy head by the twine-thred of thy natural Life may fall upon thee and separate Soul and Body and follow this stroke of vengeance into the other world Methinks thou shouldst not eat nor drink nor sleep quietly in this so dangerous damnable estate Every sin thou committest is a treasuring up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 Look to 't the Judge standeth before the door Death is ready to lay its cold hand of arrest upon thee There 's but a step betwixt you and death and that door that lets you out of time sets you in eternal torments and are you taking long strides to Hell Shall you not be there soon enough Can you not sink your selves low enough Must you needs add drunkenness to thirst Impenitency to your sin Alas you love to wander you hate to be reformed yea you hate instruction and cast his words behind you Psal 50.17 Ministers follow you from the Lord with tears intreaties arguments to perswade and means to direct and willingness to assist you the best they can in your preparations for a future state but you are shy of conversing with them you conceal your state from them
Zech. 4.7 Especially since our freedom rescues us from Hellish tortures as Pauls did him from scourging and makes us heirs of Heaven 5. Peculiar advantages not afforded to all gives grounds of thankfulness such is this Our Lord said Matth. 11.25 26. I thank thee O Father Lord of He aven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Alas what have any of us but what we have received Discriminating kindnesses call for the greatest gratitude What did God see in any of us that might procure for us Heaven Or within us what preparation for Heaven You and I are of the same polluted lump of Mankind as others Most unlikely to become heirs of such a glorious inheritance as Heaven is What could God see in us to attract his heart to us Nay what did he not see in us to turn his stomach against us It was the kindness and love of God our Saviour Not by works ef Righteousness which we had done but according to his Mercy he saved us Tit. 3.3 4. Alas what loveliness could God see or foresee in us to make us Children then heirs of God joynt-heirs with Christ We may say with honest Judas Job 14.22 How is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the world It must be answered Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight When thousands are left why art thou taken How came it to pass that when Philosophers and wise Sages of the World bewildred so in the dark about felicity that God should shew you the right way to true happiness and lead you into it and in it Surely all is of free grace 6. Fittedness to any duty or dispensation is a Mercy worth thanking God for Such is the Christian frame that makes meet for Heaven such a person is fit to do Gods will or suffer Gods will he is suited to a prosperous and adverse condition his foot standeth in an even place like a Watch in a Mans pocket turn it this way or that way it keeps its motion so the Christian in all conditions his station and motion Heaven-wards The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17.9 He is utrinque paratus ready for any thing that God calls him to Like the man of God mentioned 2 Tim. 3.17 That is perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Oh what a blessed thing is it to be in a capacity to embrace a motion to pray read conser meditate receive the Lords Supper upon an invitation from Men or summons from God! The Church in Cant. 5.2 found the want of this when she saith I sleep but my heart waketh i. e. I have the principle but want the exercise of grace and alas how unready was she to entertain her beloved though she had given him a call and the sad consequences of this unfit frame are obvious both as to her sin and suffering But oh what a mercy is it to have an heart ready pressed for Gods service Give God the glory of it and its worth something to be in a readiness for Mercy Affliction Death Judgment as those are that are meet for Heaven It was a noble Speech of Basil when Modestus the Praefect threatened Confiscation Torments Banishment he answered He need not fear Confiscation that hath nothing to lose nor Banishment to whom Heaven only is a Countrey nor Torments when his Body would be dasht with one blow nor Death which is the only way to set him at liberty Polycarp was ready for Beasts or any kind of death for he was ready for Heaven For as this Christian is delivered from danger by death so from the fear of death Heb. 2.15 Death it self is the day break of eternal brightness to the Child of God and is not this worth thanking God for 7. Heaven is surely worth thanking God for Could we get a glimpse of that state and place of glory and this inheritance of the Saints in light together with our title to it Oh how would it dazzle and transport us its said that the Temple of Diana was so bright that the Door-keeper still cryed to such as entered Take heed to your Eyes Much more may we say so of the surprizing glory of the Heaven of Heavens and therefore our Lord saith None can see his face and live But death blows dust out of the Eyes of glorified Saints and the Morning-Star at the Resurrection doth so fortifie the sight that it can behold this inaccessible light with admiration even as all the Stars look upon the Sun Fear not little flock saith our Saviour Luk. 12.32 for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Is not a Kingdom worth thanks and such a Kingdom and to have this freely of gift not to wade to it through Wars and Blood and all this by hereditary right which is the clearest title Oh Sirs do you know what Heaven is It is the immediate injoyment of God an immunity from all evils a possession of all good the perfection of our natures the maturity of our graces the destruction of all sin the banishment of Satan and his temptations the fulness of joy and total death of all grief Indeed it is such a state as can neither be expressed nor conceived How vile and contemptible would all things below appear to one that with Paul is rapt up into this Paradice I read of one Adrianus an Heathen that was present when Martyrs were examined and tormented he asked What was the Reason they suffered such Tortures it was answered in the words of that Text 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The very rehearsal of which words converted this Adrianus and he became a Martyr also Oh what a transcendent reward is there in these Mansions above And God doth not grudge us the knowledge of these glorious things He is not like some rich men that will not let their heirs know what they will do for them till they dye no the Text saith ver 10. that God revealeth them to us by his Spirit and v. 12. that we may know the things freely given to us of God We may know them perceptively not comprehensively by Faith tho' not by Sense We know but yet in part non rem sed aliquid rei but then we shall know as we are known not as God knoweth us for our knowledge and Gods must not be so comparatively likened but as holy Spirits know us both now and for ever we shall both know and be known by immediate intuition yet in this world God gives his Children though differently some glimpses and dark representations per Species as through a glass by Metaphors or Parables and this discovery is to raise up our hearts in thankfulness admiration and longing desires to