A27107:278
The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please…
The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please God / amplified by the author
A27107:278
The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please God / amplified by the author
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. The presenting of all the Elect unto his Father: Behold,1 O righteous Father, these are they whom thou gavest me, I have kept them, and none of them is lost. I gave them thy word, and they believed it, and the world hated them, because they were not of the world, even as I was not of the world. And now, Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; and that I may be in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one: that the world may know that thou hast sent me; and that thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
2. Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to God,1 even the Father; that is, shall cease to execute his office of Mediatorship, whereby as he is King, Priest, Prophet, and ⟨p. 84⟩supreme Head of the Church, he suppressed his Enemies, and ruled his faithful People by his Spirit, Word, and Sacra•••ts. So that his Kingdom of Grace over his Church in this World ceasing, he shall […] immediately as he is God equal with •he Father and the H. Ghost, in his Kingdom of Glory for evermore. Not that the dignity of his Manhood shall be any thing diminished, but that the glory of his Godhead shall be more manifested; so that as he is God, he shall from thenceforth in all fullness, without all external means, rule all in all.
2. Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to God,1 even the Father; that is, shall cease to execute his office of Mediatorship, whereby as he is King, Priest, Prophet, and ⟨p. 84⟩supreme Head of the Church, he suppressed his Enemies, and ruled his faithful People by his Spirit, Word, and Sacra•••ts. So that his Kingdom of Grace over his Church in this World ceasing, he shall 〈…〉 immediately as he is God equal with •he Father and the H. Ghost, in his Kingdom of Glory for evermore. Not that the dignity of his Manhood shall be any thing diminished, but that the glory of his Godhead shall be more manifested; so that as he is God, he shall from thenceforth in all fulness, without all external means, rule all in all.
From this Tribunal-seat Christ shall arise, and with all his glorious company of Elect Angels and Saints, he shall go up triumphantly in order and array unto the Heaven of Heavens, with such an heavenly noise and music, that now may that song of David be truly verified, 1God is gone up with a triumph, the Lord with the sound of the trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises unto our King, sing praises: for God is King of all the earth, he is greatly to be exalted. And that Marriage-song of John, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him:2 for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her self ready. Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
From this Tribunal-seat Christ shall arise, and with all his glorious company of Elect Angels and Saints, he shall go up triumphantly in order and aray unto the Heaven of Heavens, with such an heavenly noise and musick, that now may that song of David be truly verified, 1God is gone up with a triumph, the Lord with the sound of the trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises unto our King, sing praises: for God is King of all the earth, he is greatly to be exalted. And that Marriage-song of John, Let us be glad and rejoyce, and give honour to him:2 for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her self ready. Allelujah; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
The Third and last degree of the blessed state of a Regenerate Man after Death, begins after the pronouncing of the Sentence, and lasteth eternally without all end.
Here my Meditation dazzleth, and my Pen falleth out of my hand; the one being not able to conceive, nor the other to describe that most […] and eternal weight of glory (whereof all the afflictions of this present life are […] ) which all the Elect shall with the blessed Trinity,1 enjoy from that time that they shall be received with Christ,2 as joint heirs into that everlasting Kingdom of Joy.3
Here my Meditation dazeleth, and my Pen falleth out of my hand; the one being not able to conceive, nor the other to describe that most 〈…〉 and eternal weight of glory (whereof all the afflictions of this present life are 〈…〉 ) which all the Elect shall with the blessed Trinity,1 enjoy from that time that they shall be received with Christ,2 as joint heirs i•to that everlasting Kingdom of Joy.3
Notwithstanding, we may take a scantling thereof, thus:
The Holy Scriptures set •orth (to our capacity) the glory of our eternal and heavenly life after Death in four respects.
1. Of the Place.
2. Of the Object.
3. Of the Prerogatives of the Elect there.
4. Of the effects of those Prerogatives.
THE place is the Heaven of Heavens, 1or the third Heaven called Paradise, whither Christ (in his humane Nature) ascended far•above all visible heavens. The Bridegroom's chamber, 2which by the firmament,3 at by an azured curtain spangled ⟨p. 86⟩with glittering stars and glorious planets, is bid, that we cannot behold it with these corruptible eyes of Flesh. The Holy Ghost (framing himself to our weakness) describes the glory of that place, (which no man can estimate) by such things as are most precious in the estimation of Man. And therefore likeneth it to a great and a holy City, named thea heavenly Jerusalem, where only God and his people (b who are saved and written in the Lamb's book) do inhabit, all built cof pure gold, like unto clear glass, or crystal: the walls of jasper-stone, the foundations of the walls garnished with twelve manner of precious stones, having dtwelve gates each built of one pearl: ethree gates towards each of the four corners of the world, and at each gate a•. fAngel (as so many Porters) that gno unclean thing should enter into it. It is hfour square, therefore perfect: the length, the breadth, and height of it are equal, 12000 furlongs every way; therefore glorious and spacious. Through
as witnesseth S. Paul, 1who was in it, and saw it. O let us no• then do•e so much upon these wooden cottages, and houses of mouldering clay, which are but tents of ungodliness, and habitations of Sinners, […] let us look rather, and long for this heavenly city, *whose builder and maker is God, which he (who is not ashamed to be called our God) •ath prepared for us.3
as witnesseth S. Paul, 1who was in it, and saw it. O let us no• then do•e so much upon these wooden cottages, and houses of mo•ldring clay, which are but tents of ungodliness, and habitations of Sinners, 〈…〉 let us look rather, and long for this heavenly city, *whose builder and maker is God, which he (who is not ashamed to be called our God) •ath prepared for us.3
THE place is the Heaven of Heavens, 1or the third Heaven called Paradise, whither Christ (in his humane Nature) ascended far•above all visible heavens. The Bridegromes chamber, 2which by the firmament,3 at by an azured curtain spangled ⟨p. 86⟩with glittering stars and glorious planets, is bid, that we cannot behold it with these corrup•ible eyes of Flesh. The Holy Ghost (framing himself to our weakness) describes the glory of that place, (which no man can estimate) by such things as are most precious in the estimation of Man. And therefore likeneth it to a great and a holy City, named thea heavenly Jerusalem, where only God and his people (b who are saved and written in the Lamb's book) do inhabit, all built cof pure gold, like unto clear glass, or crystal: the walls of jasper-stone, the foundations of the walls garnished with twelve manner of precious stones, having dtwelve gates each built of one pearl: ethree gates towards each of the four corners of the world, and at each gate a•. fAngel (as so many Porters) that gno unclean thing should enter into it. It is hfour square, therefore perfect: the length, the breadth, and heighth of it are equal, 12000 •urlongs every way; therefore glorious and spacious. Through ithe midst of her streets ever r•nneth the pure river of the Water of Life, as clear as crystal; therefore wholesome.k And on either side the river is the tree of Life, ever growing; which beareth twelve manner of fruits, and gives fruit every month; therefore fruitful. And the leaves of Tree are health to the Nations: Therefore healthy. There is therefore no place so glorious by Creation, so beautiful with delectation, so rich in possession, so comfortable for ⟨p. 87⟩habitation. For there the Ki•g is Christ; the law, is Love; the honour, Verity; the peace, Felicity; the life, Eternity. There is Light, without darkness; Mir•h, without sadness; Health, without sickness; Wealth, without want; Credit, without disgrace; Beauty, without blemish; Ease, without labour; Riches, without rust; Blessedness, without misery; and Consolation that never knows end• How truly may we cry out (with David) of this City,* Glorious things are spoken of thee, O th•• City of God: and yet all these things are spoken but according to the weakness of our capacity• For Heaven exceedeth all this in glory, so far, as that† no tongue is able to express, nor heart of man to conceive the glory thereof: