Meetness for Heaven Promoted, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Text opened; Doctrines raiſed and explained.
PRayer and Praiſe are the two wings upon which a devout Soul mounts Heavenwards: Prayer fetcheth down occaſions of Praiſe: Theſe two are as Chariots and Factors to maintain intercourſe betwixt God and his Children. Paul was a great man in both, for after the Inſcription, Subſcription and Benediction in this Epiſtle, he falls to Praiſe, ver. 3. then to Prayer, ver. 9. and in the Text he falls again to Praiſe and Thanksgiving; wherein obſerve,
1. The Duty, Praiſe.
2. The Mercy for what.
In the former obſerve,
1. The Act, giving thanks.
2. The Object, the Father.
1. The Act, foreign: It ſignifies a being of a good Grace, having a very grateful Spirit, and expreſſing it in words and actions. Col. 3.15 Be ye thank ful; or be ye amiable one to another, or grateful, both in conferring and receiving Benefits: But here it referrs to God.
Obſ. 1.
That thank fulneſs is the duty and property of a Chriſtian.
Thankful retribution for Mercies is the ſtudy and enquiry of gracious Souls; Pſal. 116.12. Prayer and Thanks are like the double motion of the Lungs; the air of Mercy that is ſucked in by Prayer is breathed out again by the duty of Praiſe. O happy Chriſtian that can and muſt in every thing give thanks! 1 Th. 5.18. This is, (Chriſtianorum propria virtus) ſaith Hierom, a practice proper to Chriſtians, to be heartily thankful for croſſes, as Job was ch. 1.21.
2. Here is the object of this Thankfulneſs, that is God, under the notion and relation of a Father: God imports Glory and Majeſty; Father ſignifies Mercy, Love and Clemency.
Doct. 2.
It becomes Chriſtians to approach to God as an indulgent Father.
Oh how much ſweetneſs and endearedneſs is in this word Father, therefore Chriſt teacheth us to begin our Prayers with [Our Father]; this relation quickens our Faith, and engageth Gods Love, Bowels; his care, power, and all for his Children, Matth. 6.32. There's comfort in a Father, much more in an Heavenly Father: Evil men may be good Fathers, Mat. 7.11. how much more will a good God be a good Father; [Tam Pater nemo, tam pius nemo] none can be ſo good, and ſo much a Father as he.
2. The matter and ground of Thankfulneſs referrs to God the Fathers care and kindneſs to all his Children: This is twofold.
1. Providing for them an inheritance.
2. Preparing them for it.
1. Providing for all his Children an inheritance; Wherein are conſiderable four things;
1. The nature of Heaven, inheritance.
2. The quality of it, in light.
3. The Inhabitants, Saints.
4. Their right to it, partakers.
A word of every of theſe.
1. The nature of this Coeleſtial Glory; it is called an inheritance, partly alluding to Iſraels poſſeſſing the Land of Canaan; partly to ſignifie that it is not given us for our Merits, but by his Free-grace and Mercy, therefore called the Reward of the Inheritance, Col. 3.24. becauſe it is conveyed as by a Father to his Child, of bounty, and not earned as wages by a Servant, due from his Maſter.
Doct. 3.
God as a Father gives Heaven as an inheritance to his Children.
All Gods Children are heirs of God and joint heirs with Chriſt. Rom. 8.17. Oh happy Souls that are heirs to ſuch an inheritance!
2. The property or quality of this inheritance; its in Light: Which is meant, (1.) Of the light of Truth or Faith; or that Goſpel light whereby Gods Children are ſavingly enlightened: Or, (2.) Of Light of glory, where there is perfect Light and Delight, Joy and Felicity, for God dwelleth in inacceſſible Light. 1 Tim. 6.16.
Doct 4.
Heaven is a place and ſtate of unexpreſſible Light.
Rev. 21.23. And the City had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to ſhine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
3. Here is the proprietors, the owners of this glorious inheritance; i. e. Saints, ſanctified ſouls; its purchaſed for them, vouchſafed to them only; others have nothing to do with it; no dirty dogs or filthy ſwine ſhall trample on this golden pavement. 1 Cor. 6.9. Rev. 21.27.
Doct. 5.
Only Saints (or ſanctified ſouls) are heirs of Heaven.
Without holineſs no man ſhall ſee God, Heb. 12.14 No grace no glory. The inhabitants of that City are called, yea, are really holy. Iſa. 43.4.
4. But how come they by this high Honour? Have they a good Title to it? Anſw. yes, they are partakers of it; ſo faith the Text, [foreign] Either that which falls to them by lot; then it is the deciſion of Heaven; theſe are joyned: Acts 8.21. Or elſe by a perſons own choice, which (our Lord ſaith) ſhall not be taken away. Luke 10.42.
Doct. 6.
Every Saint of God is already partaker of an Heavenly Inheritance.
The promiſe, (or the Mercy promiſed) is ſure to all the ſeed, Rom. 4.16. Why ſo? Becauſe it is by Grace on Gods part, and by Faith on our part: And God will have it ſo of his good pleaſure.
A ſincere Chriſtian partakes of Heaven.
1. In Pretio.] In purchaſe: The price is laid down for it; its a purchaſed poſſeſſion, Eph. 1.14.
2. In Promiſſo.] Its theirs by promiſe, as Canaan was Iſraels by promiſe; and that Land of Promiſe was a Type of this Heavenly Inheritance. Jam. 1.11.
3. In capite.] Saints partake of Heaven by their union to their Head who is in Heaven; Eph. 2.6. — And hath made us ſit together in Heavenly places in Chriſt Jeſus. Oh happy Souls!
4. In primitiis.] In the firſt-fruits or earneſt; 2 Cor. 5.5. —Who hath alſo given unto us the earneſt of his Spirit. [Pignus redditur, Arrha retinetur:] A pledge is reſtored, but an earneſt is retained, becauſe its part of the bargain. A faithful Man will not run back from his bargain, nor loſe his earneſt: Nor will the Covenant-keeping God: He is faithful who hath promiſed, who will alſo do it.
2. The other part of the Text in the ſecond branch, is not only providing an inheritance for his Children, but preparing them for that inheritance. Solomon ſaith, Wiſdom is good with an inheritance. Eccl. 7.11. Alas, what ſhould a Fool do with a great Eſtate? Yet it often falls out ſo, that worſt Men have moſt of the World: But, ſaith Mr. Jo. Dalleus on this Text; It is not ſo here as in worldly things, that fall into the hands of thoſe that are moſt uncapable to improve them right; but God gives a ſuitable ſhare of true Wiſdom with this inheritance: As when Saul was anointed King, he was turned into another man; 1 Sam. 10.6. Alas, what is Heaven to us unleſs we be fit for it? Our dear Lord Jeſus that went to prepare a place for us, muſt alſo prepare us for that bleſſed place. In this ſecond branch we have,
1. Something implyed.
2. Something expreſſed.
1. That which is implyed, is that no Man is fit or meet for Heaven by nature. Thence obſerve,
Doct. 7.
That every Soul by nature is altogether unmeet for Heaven.
2 Cor. 3.5. Not that we are [foreign] ſufficient or meet (for its the ſame word with this) of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves. Alas, what Merit, either of congruity or condignity, can there be in Man to obtain Heaven? If he cannot think well, ſure he cannot will well, act well, to deſerve or fit himſelf for ſuch a Mercy; eſpecially ſince Man by nature is a Child of wrath, a Limb of Satan, dead in ſins, baniſht out of Paradice, hath no heart to look that way; nay hath enmity in his mind to what is good. God doth all: [Dignatus eſt nos aſſumere.] The Sun of Righteouſneſs ſhines on theſe dunghil ſouls: He alone makes Veſſels of Honour: He fills them with the Treaſures of Grace, and fits them for Glory: [Inhabiles habiles faciens;] Of unfit making them fit, i. e. meet for his glorious preſence.
2. Here is ſomething expreſſed that is held forth in theſe two propoſitions.
Doct. 8.
That all thoſe and only thoſe that ſhall eternally partake of the Heavenly inheritance in the other World, are made meet for it in this World.
Doct. 9.
That its a tranſcendent Mercy worth thanking God for, to be made meet for Heaven.
Of theſe two laſt in their order.
1. That all thoſe, and only thoſe that ſhall partake of the Heavenly inheritance in the other World, muſt be made meet for it in this World.
All that I ſhall do in the Doctrinal part is,
1. For Explication.
2. Confirmation.
1. To ſhew what this meetneſs is, then prove the neceſſity of it.