A64979:214
Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment
Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment by Thomas Vincent ...
London: printed for George Calvert, 1667
Christ's certain and sudden Appearance to Judgment. › Chapter 9
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.
they will see the Crown which will be put upon the head of the righteous, which will have more worth then in their esteem, than all the Crowns and Sceptres of the greatest Kings upon the earth; then they will be clearly convinced that the choicest treasures were in Heaven, and the sweetest delights were to come, and the thoughts of missing this Crown and glory, such treasures and sweetness, will tear their very hearts: they must go away from heaven and happiness.
they will see the Crown which will be put upon the head of the righteous, which will have more worth then in their esteem, than all the Crowns and Scepters of the greatest Kings upon the earth; then they will be clearly convinced that the choicest treasures were in Heaven, and the sweetest delights were to come, and the thoughts of missing this Crown and glory, such treasures and sweetness, will tear their very hearts: they must go away from heaven and happiness.
2. In going away they shall remember the capacity which they had once of obtaining this happiness; if they had been brutes indeed, and had capacity ⟨p. 122⟩for a sensitive life only; and grace and glory had been removed so far beyond their reach, that it had been impossible for them to attain it; it would not much trouble them to lose it, whatever other miseries they should endure; but they were capable of the beginnings of Heaven in the life of grace, and the completing of their happiness in glory; they will remember that they had souls endued with reason, and hereby advanced to a higher capacity than beasts; that they had minds capable of divine contemplation, and hearts capable of divine affection; that they had wills which might have chosen God for their portion, and Heaven for their heritance; that they had desires, and loves, and hopes, and joys, which if they had wrought-god-ward, and Christ-ward, as they did toward the creature, if they had wrought upward, and heaven-ward, as they did downward and towards the earth, and earthly things, they might have been happy for ever; they will see that others, who had the same natures, as they had, and were guilty at first of as great sins, as they had committed, yet repented and turned, believed and reformed, were changed and saved; and with unexpressible vexation they will think that thus it might have been with them, if they had not been fools, if they had seriously endeavoured to fill up the capacity, which God hath given them.