N01667:46
Practical truths, plainly delivered
Practical truths, plainly delivered: wherein is showed, I. That true believers on Jesus Christ, shall as certainly enjoy everlasting life in heaven, as if they were there already. II. That there is a blessed marriage between Jesus Christ the son of God, & the true believer. III. That men are infinitely concerned, not only to hear the voice of Christ, but that they do it, to day. IV. The work of the ministry, described, in an ordination sermon. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Seven lines of Scripture texts]Practical truths, plainly delivered: wherein is shewed, I. That true believers on Jesus Christ, shall as certainly enjoy everlasting life in heaven, as if they were there already. II. That there is a blessed marriage between Jesus Christ the son of God, & the true believer. III. That men are infinitely concerned, not only to hear the voice of Christ, but that they do it, to day. IV. The work of the ministry, described, in an ordination sermon. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Seven lines of Scripture texts]
printed by B. Green for Daniel Henchman, 1718
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.
USE, I.
Woeful is their Error, who think that there is no World, nor any Life but what is Present and Temporal. Such Men are worse than Balaam, who as wicked as he was, yet had so much Religion as to wish that he might dye the death of the Righteous, Numb. 23.10. If there is no other World but this, why would he desire to dye the Death of the Righteous rather than of the wicked? For as to what is visible as the one dies, so dies the other; but he was convinced that when a Righteous Man dies his Soul goes to a better World, but when a wicked Man dies, his Soul goes to a woeful World, his knowledge of that made him say, O let me dye the death of the Righteous. There is a visible World, which with the things belonging to it are Temporal, there is also an invisible World, and the things there are Eternal. So says the Scripture, 2 Cor. 4.18. The things which are seen are Temporal, but the things which are not seen are Eternal. There is this present World, that's Temporal. This World shan't continue always in its present State. 1 Cor. 7.31. The fashion of this World passeth away. The Earth and the works therein shall be burnt up; All these things shall be dissolved. Life in this World is Temporal. There is no Creature on the Earth whose Life is Everlasting. Especially the ⟨p. 30⟩Life of Man, is but as a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and vanisheth away: but there is also a World to come. That's an Eternal World, The Life there is an Everlasting Life. The Resurrection World, is a World to come. They that obtain that World are Immortal ones, Neither can they dye any more, Luke 20.30. The Heavenly World, is a World to come as to our Enjoyment of it. That's an Eternal World.