N01272:192
Meditations on the glory of the heavenly world. I. On the happiness of the…
Meditations on the glory of the heavenly world. I. On the happiness of the soul of believers, at the instant of their separation from their bodies. II. On the glory of the bodies of God's children, in the resurrection world, when they shall be as the angels of heaven. III. On the glory of both soul and body in the heaven of heavens, after the day of judgment, to all eternity. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Six lines of quotations]
Boston in N.E. printed: : Sold by Benjamin Eliot, at his shop in King Street., 1711
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Inf. IV. Shall the Children of GOD be as the Angels of Heaven in another World? then they should endeavour to be & do as like them as may be whilst in this World. We should aim & endeavour after that which we cannot attain unto […] We cannot attain ⟨p. 171⟩unto that Perfection in Holiness which the Children of the Resurrection shall have, yet should we aim at it. Phil. 3. 11, 12. If by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead. Not as though I had already attained, or were already Perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. I (says Paul) was running away from Christ, but he apprehended me, He stopped me and converted me, that he might make me perfectly holy and happy in the Resurrection World; This perfection am I striving after. So should we endeavour to be as the Angels of Heaven, in respect of our Obedience to God, to do his Will an Earth as they do it, Heaven. Then's is a willing Obedience: They are glad to be employed in any Service for GOD: They hearken to the Voice of his Word and do his Pleasure: They Serve the LORD […] and fervently, and so should we be fervent in Spirit Serving the Lord. They are never, weary in Serving GOD. We should not be weary in well doing. The holy Angels are constant in ⟨p. 172⟩their Obedience, they do not draw back. The Living Creatures, (Angels are they) turned not when they went: they went every one straight forward, Ezek.1.9. To turn back from the holy Commandment is to be like the Angels of Hell, and not like the Angels of Heaven. Angels are humble Spirits. They will visit Prisons to be helpful to the Servants of Christ. When Peter was in Prison, an Angel visited him there: They will do kind Offices for Poor beggars. They will help a poor Lazarus in his way to Heaven. So should we Condescend to men of low Estate, Rom.12.16. Angels do good to those unto whom they Minister freely. They knew that we cannot require them for any thing they do for us, our Clarity should be like theirs. Luk.6.35. Do Good, and Lord, hoping for nothing again. Angels are beneficent to unworthy Ones. To unthankful Murmurers. Such were the Children of Israel in the Wilderness, yet when God commanded them to do it, they supplied them with Bread every Day.