The Way to Heaven Discovered, Title page – To the reader
THE WAY TO HEAVEN DISCOVERED: And, The Stumbling-blocks (caſt therein by the World, Fleſh, and Devill) removed.
OR, The ready way to true Happines: Leading to the Gate of Full aſſurance.
WITH A word of Reproof to the ſcattered, diſcontented Members of the late Parliament.
And a word of Adviſe to the preſent Supreme Authority of ENGLAND.
By ROBERT PURNELL.
MAT. 23. 13.
Woe unto you, Scribes and Phariſees, for ye ſhut up the kingdome of heaven; ye neither goe in your ſelves, nor ſuffer them that are entring, to goe in.
ISA. 57. 14.
Take up the ſtumbling-blocks out of the way of my people.
Printed for William Ballard of Briſtol, and are ſold by J. Griſmond in Ivie-lane, London. 1653.
THE EPISTLE TO THE Impartiall READER.
Unbyaſed Reader,
THe Lord by the Prophet, Iſa. 57. 14. ver. latter part, ſaith, Take up the ſtumbling blocks out of the way of my people, that ſo they may walke, as Jer. 31. 9. in a ſtraight way, wherein they ſhall not ſtumble. Mal. 2. 8. But contrary to this, not onelyonly the World, Fleſh, and Devill, but many of the leaders of the people have caſt blocks in the way, and cauſed many to ſtumble, not minding the commands of Chriſt by Paul, Rom. 14. 13. Let no man put a ſtumbling block, or an occaſion to fall, in his brothers way. I have endeavoured in this enſuing Diſcourſe, or Treatiſe, to remove thoſe ſtumbling blocks that by experience I have found caſt in mine own way, either by the World, Fleſh, or Devill, which in ſome meaſure are now removed, and my deſire is, that I might be an aſsiſtant to others that have not theſe blocks removed; which is my end in preſenting theſe things to publick view: that which I have received by immediate inſpiration, and mediate Declarations, viz. ſome of thoſe things I learned in reading the Scriptures, ſome in hearing the word preached, ſome in conference amongst Chriſtians, ſome in reading the writings of godly men: but I have not (as I know of written one line received from either of theſe, but that and onelyonly that which I have not onelyonly heard, but heard and ſeene by experience in mine own ſoule, ſo that the things are living upon mine own ſpirit, and I doubt not but that the ſpirits of many ſhall be refreſhed by it when it commeth to publick view; and I could wiſh that thoſe that have greater meaſures of light▪ would undertake to write more diſtinctly & clearly in order to the removing of theſe ſtumbling blocks, or any other blocks caſt in our way, by our ſoule-murthering enemies: eſpecially, in theſe dividing dayes, wherein men make it their great worke to caſt ſtumbling-blocks one in anothers way, ſo that while we are conteſting about the garment of Religion, the power thereof is much abated: Men diſpute for Honour ſake, and Victory ſake, not for truths ſake; and in the meane time, many poore drooping ſoules lye languiſhing, and the enemies of Chriſt and his Kingdome rejoycing, and the ſoules of moſt ſtarving, our Goſpell is turned into a Covenant of workes, by our Legalliſts; or elſe into a doctrine of Licentiouſneſſe, by our new upstart wantons: I meane the Raunters, and Hypocriticall diſſemblers, and Vice-advancers, and Ordinances for ſakers who like ſwarmes of Drone Bees are buzzing in our eares) whoſe dayes are ending, and plagues be coming, as in 2 Pet. 2. 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22.
But for all ye whoſe hearts are upright with the Lord, the time is at hand, when the reproach and contempt that is now caſt upon you, ſhall be quite taken away; for your Father will make you the head and not the tayle, as doth appeare by theſe Scriptures, Iſa. 62. 8, 9. Joel 2. 23, 24. Mich. 4. 4. Amos 9. 13, 14. Zech. 8. 12. Iſa. 41. 18, 19. Jer. 31. 12. Iſa. 30. 23. Iſa. 55. 13. and Iſay. 66. 6, 7. and 65. 21, 22. and 61. 4. and 60. 10. &c.
Thoſe contemptible deſpiſed Saints that now many doe thruſt ſorely at, and others look a ſquint upon, ſome ſhut the doore againſt, others turn their backs upon, and moſt of men, do either neglect them or deſpiſe them; But, Oh! poor Saints lift up your heads, your redemptirn draweth nigh, ye ſhall receive of his fulneſſe grace for grace, what ſoever grace there is in Chriſt, there is the like ſtamped upon every true Chriſtian. Is Jeſus Chriſt called the beloved of God? ſo are the Saints too. Is he called the Son of God? the Saints are alſo called the Sons of God. Is Chriſt called Heire? the Saints are ſaid to be Heirs, coheires with Chriſt. Is he ſaid to be elect and precious? ſo are the Saints, 1 Pet. 1. 2.
Is he called the light of the world, the true light? they are called alſo, light in the Lord, Eph. 5. 8.
Is he ſaid to be ſanctified? So are the Saints alſo, For their ſakes ſanctifie I my ſelfe, that they alſo may be ſanctified through the truth, Iohn 17. 19.
Is he ſaid to be full of Grace and Truth? ſo are the Saints too; ſome of them, as Stephen, full of Grace, Acts 7. 55. and Mary full of Grace. Thus doth the Lord honour thoſe that doe honour him with ſuch titles of honour; and the conſideration of this doth put the Soule upon Spirituall duties from Spirituall principles, as from the ſence of Divine love that doth conſtraine the ſoule to wait on God, and to act for God, Rom. 6. 1. How ſhall we that are dead to ſinne live any longer therein? So againe, I beſeech you brethren, by the mercies of God; that ye preſent your bodies a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, &c. Rom. 12. 1. So John, Theſe things I write unto you, that ye ſin not. What was it that he wrote? He wrote that we have fellowſhip with the Father and the Sonne, and that the bloud of Chriſt clenſeth us from all ſinne. And that if we confeſse our ſinnes, he is faithfull and juſt to forgive us our ſinnes; and that, if we ſinne, we have an Advocate with the Father Ieſus Chriſt the righteous: Theſe choiſe favours and mercies the Apoſtle holds forth as the chiefeſt meanes to preſerve the ſoule from ſinne. There is nothing in the world that renders a man more unlike a Saint, and more like to Sathan, then to argue from mercy, to ſinfull liberty; from Divine goodneſſe, to licentiouſneſse, which is the Devills Logick.
The love of Chriſt being placed in us, the ſame love will be conſtraining of us to have all our converſations and wilkings to be ordered as becometh children of ſuch a Father; the members of ſuch a body; the Heyres of ſuch promiſes; the Temples of ſuch a Holy Ghoſt: and the hearing and believing then of what God hath done for us in Christ, is the moſt prevailing meanes of drawing men in to believe in Chriſt. Rom. 5. 9, 10. God hath commended his love to us in this, that while we were yet ſinners, Christ dyed for us, and ſo a right truſting in him ſpringeth from the very power of his Holy Spirit in us working the ſame, in the opening and Declaration of his name unto u…. Pſalme 9. 10. this is a Faith that ſpringeth from, and worketh by love.
But ſuch a Faith none can have, till the love of God is diſcovered to them, and ſo they ſee and believe his goodneſſe towards them. The ſerious conſideration of this would put a check upon that prepoſterous mistake about mens teaching the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation unto the world, and limitting the Goſpell and death of Chriſt unto a few only, which is not in the Commiſsion of Christ given to the Apoſtles, but rather to preach the Goſpell to every creature, and to invite them to that feaſt prepared by Chriſt, and all things ready for their entertainment, and that God is willing to receive them, and ſo invite all and call upon all to goe to the wedding to believe and ſubmit unto him; and when this Goſpell hath taken its effect upon ſome, that they are perſwaded to let goe all for him, to receive him, to believe in him, and cleave to him, then to minde them of the Doctrine of Election, as the Apoſtles did apply it to believers, minding them it was Gods goodneſſe and free grace to elect them in Chriſt before the foundation of the world; ſo that now they are begotten to the Faith, they are to give all diligence to make their Calling and Election ſure; but many men endeavour to hold forth to the world thoſe decrees of Election and Reprobation, which they rightly understand not, making them dangerous and unprofitable Doctrines, which otherwiſe in due place and manner propounded are very ſafe and wholſome, for herein they goe beſides the rule, preaching an uncertaine ſound, which the world can make no good uſe of: for when they heare it, what uſe can they have of it, but to perplex, or harden them? for what other conſequence can they naturally draw from thence then this, Either I am Elected, or not; If I be, then I am well enough, no ſinne can, or ſhall hurt me: no matter whether I heare, pray, read, or not: If otherwiſe, I ſhall but here torment my ſelf with a melancholy and religious life in vaine: what profits it for me to pray unto him? no duties will profit me, therefore I will take my pleaſure; no actions of mine can either help or hinder, &c. whereas he ſhould be wraſtling with God, as Jacob, and give him no reſt till he had obtained the bleſsing.
What I have endeavoured to preſent before you, in this enſuing Treatiſe, as in a Map, doe you conſider more particularly, viewing and weighing well the ſtumbling-blocks caſt in youo way, and the corruption of your owne underſtanding, memory, conſcience, will, and affections, with thoughts, words, actions, omiſsions, commiſsions; we cannot likely goe too far in theſe things, nor wrong your nature: yea, take a man that thinketh worſt of himſelfe, he is far worſe then he thinketh himſelfe to be. In a word, our well-being doth much depend upon our removing theſe ſtumbling-blocks; and removed, they cannot be without Faith, and Faith is the work of the Spirit of God in us, out of the free love of God to us, not for any good done by us, or foreſeen in us; but being by nature all in miſery we were objects of mercy, Ezek. 16. 6. and ſo after in mercy he had clenſed us, we were beautifull through the comlineſſe that he had put upon us, ver. 14.
Election is the Election of grace; Vocation is according to grace; Regeneration was of Gods owne will, Faith is the gift of God, Justification is freely by grace, Forgiveneſſe of our ſinnes is according to the riches of his grace, Eternall life is the gift of God; all the Portion that God expecteth of us is Poverty.
Oh! the conſideration of this free love of God held forth in the Goſpel, will engage the ſoule to a conſtant ſpirituall combat by faith, and hope, and other graces of the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, and ſo by the ſpirit mortifie the deeds of the fleſh, daily crucifying the fleſh with the affections and luſts; this love, as an inward principle, worketh out pollution and corruption, as being repugnant thereunto; it putteth the ſoule upon true endeavours, to purifie both ſoul and body, perſon and converſation, from all corruption univerſally, both in kinde and degrees.
This word of grace hath a purifying faculty in it; Ye are clean through the word I have ſpoken to you, ſaith Chriſt, John 15. 3.
Againe, the Word is as an Antidote againſt ſinne, Pſal. 119. 11. and as a lamp diſcovering the ſpot, Rom. 7. 7. and as a Starre conducting to Chriſt the Fountain of purifying, 1 John 2. 1, 2. Zach 13. 1. and as a rule according to which we are heedfully to order our converſation, Pſal. 119. 9. and the chiefest motive unto ſelfe-purifying, 2 Cor. 7. 1. The appearing of this ſtirreth up fervent deſires and prayers for thorough purity. Pſal. 19. 9. Clenſe thou me from ſecret faults; purge me with Hyſop, and I ſhall be cleane, Pſal. 51. 7. Waſh me, and I ſhall be whiter then ſnow, &c.
Avoid Satan, How can I do this evill, and ſin againſt God? I muſt love him becauſe he loved me firſt, his free grace hath appeared unto me; I muſt runne after him, he hath ſet my feet at liberty.
I muſt run the wayes of his Commandements, he doth let my ſoule live, therefore I muſt prayſe him: he hath made the Tree good, therefore the Fruit muſt be good.
Robert Purnell.