A29372:219
Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London
Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by William Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by Willam Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1668
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermon 3: The way to obtain a sure and great Reward. SERM. III.
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.
Quest. But then, are there any degrees of glory? for it would seem here, that the Apostles have some degree of glory above other men. Are there any degrees of glory?
Answ. Yes surely, there are degrees of glory. For as one star differeth from another star in glory, so shall the resurrection be, saith the Apostle.
But though there be degrees of glory, all that glory that the Saints shall have in heaven, shall be of one piece; for there's no envy there. Envy! there is none in heaven. And whence comes Envy? We may see that among our children, or among men. If you have four or five children, and make them clothes, if they be clothes made all of a piece, they do not envy though ones clothes be bigger then another's. But if they be not made all of a piece, or my Brothers clothes are better then mine, or my Sisters clothes are better then mine; but when they are all of a piece, they do not envy. So if you invite twenty men to dinner, and they all eat of the same dish, there's no envy: but if you have a meaner dish for those that sit at the lower end of the Table, say they, Indeed we sat at such a Table but we had a meaner dish: and so they envy. But if one man eat more then another, yet if they eat of the same dish, there is no envy. Now in heaven there is no Envy: for though there be degrees of glory, yet it shall be all of a piece, and all of a dish. But now though this glory in heaven shall be all of a piece, and though there be degrees of glory in heaven, yet I don't think this Scripture to be understood of the degrees of glory in heaven; for there's no judging of the twelve tribes in heaven: Christ shall then at last give up his kingdom unto the Father. This is spoken therefore of a glorious Judgement on this side heaven; and it ⟨p. 66⟩is here promised unto the Apostles above all others, as a reward suitable to them: for they were twelve, preached to the twelve tribes; some received the Gospel, some did not: and therefore here is a reward propounded suitable unto them. But thus much for the reward that concerns the Apostles, (by the way).