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The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard Pastor to the church of North-Hampton in New-England. ; [Nine lines from Philippians]The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard Pastor to the church of North-Hampton in New-England. ; [Nine lines from Phillipians]
Boston: printed by Samuel Green for Samuel Phillips, 1687
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Safety of Appearing in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. › Chapter 11
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.
4. God has made heaven on purpose to bestow it upon men; together with the angels: the earth was made for man, and so was heaven too: God raised this glorious building on purpose to entertain men: it is a Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, Mat 25.34. God has prepared for them a City, Heb. 11.16: this was one of the first works that God ever did to prepare this place of blessedness for men: he did not need any heaven for himself: he was infinitely ⟨p. 319⟩happy before heaven was made: but he made it on purpose for such as shall come to Christ: how then can we think that God is unwilling to bestow it upon them: now it is made, he will not say it is too good for them: he turned man indeed out of Paradise that was made for him, because that was made for him only so long as he retained his integrity: but the heavenly Paradise was made for such as will come unto Christ.
5. This is but proportionable to that design that is upon the heart of God: men do not stick to do great things for the accomplishing of designs that lie much upon their hearts; Princes will be at vast expense to show their magnificence, the Artist will take a great deal of pains to show his skill: and God has a design upon his heart to manifest his glory: and has done great things for that end: he made this glorious fabric of heaven and earth, to be as a glass wherein his glory is represented, and the eternal salvation of such as you is greatly subservient to this end, Eph 1.5, 6. Eph. 2 6, 7. here is nothing in this contrary to Gods glory: nothing that is an hindrance to it: but it suits that end: the mercy of God is much honoured by his pardoning and saving of sinners: Micah 7.18. herein is seen what free compassion is in the heart of God: it is much for the glory of God to lead sinners through all the difficulties of the way unto heaven, it is much for the glory of God, notwithstanding all their unworthiness to bestow heaven upon them: it is much for the glory of God to have multitudes in heaven to be spectators and admirers of his glory,