And then the life of every 1particular christian is theirs, for God suffers them to enjoy it so long as life may be a benefit to gather the more assurance of salvation, and to do their work that he hath given them to do here, and when they have done their work they are gathered to their Fathers: so that life is the Churches. And indeed life is a special benefit, Because bight advantage of life we further our reckonings, a good christian, 2the longer he lives, the larger ⟨p. 12⟩good accounts he hath, all his sins are wiped away, they shall not be laid to his charge, all his deeds, to a cup of cold water, shall be set on the score, And he shall be rewarded: there is not a sigh, not a tear, but it is registered: the longer a man liveth, if he should live Methuselah his days, the richer he should be in good works, and the more rich he is in good works, the more he shall have his part and share in glory after, and therefore Life is yours. The longer he lives the happier, the time in which he lives is for his good, and he makes the time happy, and it is happier for himself: ⟨p. 13⟩the more rich he is in good works, the more rich he shall be in glory after. These 3things being so, we should be very thankful that God yields to us this life, for besides an advantage of doing good, It is a preparative to a better. This life is (as it were) the seminary of Heaven; Heaven indeed is the true Paradise of all the Plants of God, but they must have a seminary to be planted-in first, and therefore the Church is called the Kingdom of Heaven, because we are first planted here. Now this life is an advantage, we are planted here in the Church, to grow a while until we be taken ⟨p. 14⟩from your seminary the Paradise of the Church, to the Paradise in Heaven. So Life is ours for that end. I will not further enlarge the point, it is clear.
And then the life of every 1particular christian is theirs, for God suffers them to injoy it so long as life may be a benefit to gather the more assurance of salvation, and to doe their worke that he hath given them to doe here, and when they have done their worke they are gathered to their Fathers: so that life is the Churches. And indeede life is a speciall benefit, Because bythe advantage of life we further our reckonings, a good christian, 2the longer he lives, the larlarger ⟨p. 12⟩good accounts hee hath, all his sinnes are wiped away, they shall not be laide to his charge, all his deeds, to a cup of cold water, shall be set on the score, And he shall be rewarded: there is not a sigh, not a teare, but it is regestred: the longer a man liveth, if hee should live Methushelah his days, the richer he should be in good workes, and the more rich he is in good workes, the more he shall have his part and share in glory after, and therefore Life is yours. The longer he lives the happier, the time in which he lives is for his good, and he makes the time happy, and it is happier for himselfe: ⟨p. 13⟩the more rich he is in good workes, the more rich hee shall be in glory after. These 3things being so, we should be very thankefull that God yeelds to us this life, for besides an advantage of doing good, It is a preparative to a better. This life is (as it were) the seminary of Heaven; Heaven indeede is the true Paradice of all the Plants of God, but they must have a seminary to be planted-in first, and therefore the Church is called the Kingdome of Heaven, because wee are first planted here. Now this life is an advantage, we are planted here in the Church, to grow a while untill we be taken ⟨p. 14⟩from your semina ry the Paradice of the Church, to the Paradice in Heaven. So Life is ours for that end. I will not further inlarge the point, it is cleare.
- 13 The life of every particular Christian.
- 2The benefit of longer life
- 3Use of this particular. Thankfulness for life.Vse of this particular. Thankfullnes for life.
