Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	earth_n	heaven_n	militant_a	4,766	5	11.7120	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46702	The vvorks of heaven upon earth, or, The eccellencie of praise and thanksgiving in part displayed in a sermon, inlarged into a treatise, preached at Taunton in the county of Somerset May 11. 1648, being the day set apart for the annuall commemoration of the deliverance of that town, by the reliefe which they received on May 11. anno 1645 / by Henry Jeanes ...	Jeanes, Henry, 1611-1662.	1649 (1649)	Wing J513; ESTC R20545	60,248	86

principall and chiefe point of the revealed will of God touching mans duty Thankesgiving saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homil. 1. ad pop Antioch Chrysostome hath no good that is equall or a peere unto it as there is no evill worse then blasphemy Indeed it excells all graces and duties in its end many in its duration 1. All of them in its end Gods glory and honour though not absolutely yet in the manner of its reference thereunto which is more full expresse and immediate then in any other graces or duties All other graces and duties aim at this end remotely but thankesgiving immediatly they all looke towards it virtually and implicitly but praise and thankesgiving formally and expresly To celebrate and set forth the honour and glory of God is the study and businesse of the thankfull man as his maine so his sole and proper work 2. It excells many of them in duration Many graces and duties as Faith Hope Almes c. many Ordinances as preaching of the Word Sacraments Discipline c. have place onely in this life as being required because of the Churches state of imperfection here upon earth and therefore there is neither need nor use of them in heaven in the Church triumphant where they shall all be swallowed up in a present perfect and full fruition 1 Cor. 13.8 Whether there bee prophesies they shall faile whether they be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it ●hall vanish away but the grace of thankfulnesse shall never expire The duty of thankesgiving is heaven worke and worship Rev. 19 1. and therefore shall last to all eternity for ever and ever even when we have obtained salvation to the utmost our perpetuall task shall be to sing Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb. I proceed secondly unto a comparison of thankfulnesse and thanksgiving with a prayer of Petition The prayer of thanksgiving is more Needfull more Comfortable more Honourable then the prayer of petition First more Needfull and that First Necessitate Praecepti wee are more deeply obliged unto the prayer of thanksgiving then unto the prayer of petition For first lay the matter or object of both duties together in the scales and see whether or no our blessings and deliverances the matter of thanksgiving doe not weigh downe to the ground our wants and miseries the matter of our petitions The comparison is easily to be justified in temporall benefits but as for spirituall ones there is no comparison to be made betwixt them and the gr●●test wants and suff●rings that are imaginable For they are not to be compared with the smallest skantling of grace or the least spark or beame of that glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 And secondly All our wants and miseries are not only deserved but also suppererrogated fot by our sinnes whereas our mercies are all unmerited And doth there not lie upon us a greater obligation to bee thankfull for undese●ved mercies then to sue for removall of deserved evils Secondly Thanksgiving is more necessary then petition necessitate medii The prayer of petition is necessary to sanctifie afflictions but the prayer of thanksgiving is by farre more necessary to sanctifie blessings For according unto the degree of dangers is proportioned the degree of the necessity of remedies and prosperity is a more dangerous a shrewder and more shaking temptation then adversity The Sun by the fervency of its beames made the Traveller as it is in the Fable throw away his cloake whereas a great Wind and terrible Storme made him wrap it faster about him We are therefore in greater danger of being swolne and puft up with mercies victories and deliverances then of being imbittered with wants losses and crosses and therefore there is more need of prayses to sanctifie those then of petitions to season sweeten and as it were allay the bitternesse of these Secondly The prayer of thanksgiving is more Comfortable then the prayer of petition because it is a stronger argument of our being in a present estate of grace and of our title unto a future estate of glory 1 T is a stronger argument of our being in a present estate of grace because a surer evidence of our sincerity and spirituall ingenuity First of our sincerity Flesh and bloud nature base selfe-love may put us on a kind of mercinary petitions which may be consistent with the very depth of hypocrisie for in them our supposed and desired good takes the upper hand of Gods glory Now thanksgiving is a selfe-denying grace that gives Gods glory the supremacy in all our thoughts desires aymes and proposals and therefore proceeds from the greatest height and perfection of of grace that is attainable in this life 'T is secondly a surer Evidence of our spirituall Ingenuity even staves will beg when the whip is shaken over them servile dispositions may by extremities be dragg'd unto petitions whereas thanksgiving is a free-will offering not wrung from us by our wants or necessities we are drawne unto it onely by the coards of a man by the bonds of love Hos 12.4 and therefore it argues a spirit of adoption a sonne-like temper and holy freedome and bravery of spirit Secondly The prayer of thanksgiving is a stronger proofe of our titleunto a future estate of glory then the prayer of petition for 't is a principall worke and worship of heaven and can wee have a better argument to assure us that we shall goe to heaven when we leave the earth then our love and performance of the worke and worship of heaven upon earth A thankfull soule is a kinde of heaven upon earth it holds consort with the musick of heaven and therefore can never bee excluded from heaven Lastly thankesgiving is more honorable then petition and that for these following reasons 1. It out-strips it in reference to its end Gods glory unto which it lookes more and contributes more then petition It lookes more to Gods glory then petition because it lookes onely unto ' Gods glory whereas in petition respect may be had unto our own good This Argument is used by * Nobilior in sese perfectior est gratiarum actio quam petitio quia in petitione soepe bonum nostrum spectatur sed in gratiarum actione Dei honor tantum Lib. 2. c. 9. Thes 93. Dr Ames in his Marrow of Divinity Giving of thanks is more noble and perfect in it selfe then petition because in petition often our own good is eyed and regarded but in giving of thankes onely Gods honour The Lord Jesus said it is more blessed to give then to recieve Now a subordinate end of petition is to receive some good from God but the sole end of thankes is to give glory unto God Secondly as it aimes more at so it contributes more unto Gods glory then petition for it confesseth and magnifieth Gods mercy in actuall blessings and deliverances whereas in petition there is onely an acknowledgement of

with other graces and duties First from the synonomous Titles or appellations of it which are very high and honourable It is an honouring blessing magnifying glorifying and exalting and extolling of the infinitely-blessed great and glorious God not by way of efficacy for so his glorious name is exalted above all blessing and praise Nehem. 9.5 His glory greatnesse and blessednesse are infinite and therefore uncapable of either addition or dimunition but by way of Testimony declaration and acknowledgement It is a powring forth of the name of God as oyntment Cant. 1.3 a spreading and displaying a setting forth of all the glories perfections and excellencies which are in God unto which yet thereby there can be no more reall accession then there is unto the brightnesse of the Sun by reflection of its beames from a wall or glasse Secondly from the Subject of it which in Paradise was Adam in his estate of innocency in Heaven is the manhood of Christ the glorious Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect in Earth the Servants and Saints of God all those that seek and feare him Psal 22.26 Psal 113.1 Psal 135.20 Psal 145.10 All those that are of the Fountaine of Israel Psal 68.26 River in Loc. that is who are children of the Promise borne after the spirit like Nathanael true Israelites indeed Jews inwardly whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.29 By Adams fall man came short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 all his faculties were miserably out of tune so that he was utterly unable to yeeeld forth the sweet musicke of thankes But though the first instrument that God made for this was crackt yet God would not have this great and glorious worke to die upon the earth but that still there might be a people set apart for his prayse he purchased his church by the unvaluable blood of his sonne Isa 43.7 Every one that is called by my name I have created for my glory I have formed him yea I have made him vers 21 This people have I formed for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise The latter words expound the former To be formed for Gods selfe is to be formed for to shew forth his praise The Church was made formed created for Gods glory to shew forth his praise For this worke the Church is exalted by many unspeakeable priviledges above the rest of mankinde 1 Pet. 2.9 yee are a chosen generation a royall preisthood an holy nation a peculiar or purchased people that you should shew forth the prayses of him who hath called you c. Now surely that must needs be the peculiar priviledge of the Church which is a proper end of her being and of all those dignities which God hath conferred upon her But now that there may be no mistake we must distinguish betwixt an Obligation unto and an Acceptable performance of the duty The Obligation lies upon all because first the Command is generall and exempts none Psal 150.6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Secondly Gods mercy is universall and reacheth unto all Psal 145.9 But now if we speak of a due and acceptable Performance of the duty Praise as the Psalmist sayth waiteth for God in Sion Psal 65.1 which words may be expounded by those of Paul Ephe. 3.21 unto him be glory in the Church Gratitude is a grace seated in and Thanksgiving a duty performable by onely the true and genuine members of the Church misticall the body and fulnesse of Christ Ephe. 1 23. and this appropriation of the duty unto the Church might be signified by the very Name that was given unto that tribe which was in an especiall manner a type of the Church It was called Judah that is Praise However then all men are obliged unto the duty by the generallity of Gods both command and mercy yet they onely who are truely Church members and so members of Christ are enabled for and accepted in performance of the duty First they onely are enabled and gifted for the duty they onely have the gift and grace of thankfulnesse their hearts alone are set in a right tune by God and soe none but they can make this musick All others are out of Christ and without him severed from him we can doe nothing saith our Saviour Joh. 15 5. in this or any other duty Tract in Ioan. 81. De Verbis Apost Serm. 13. Least any s●ith Austin by occasion of those foregoing words in the same verse He that abideth in mee and ●in him bringeth forth much fruit might conjecture that the branch which did not abide in Christ might bring forth of it selfe some though but a little fruit Christ doth not say without me yee can doe but a little or a small matter or without mee if yee doe any thing it will be with a great deale of difficulty but without mee yee can doe nothing at all A spirituall knowledge of God and his mercy is as you shall here annon a roote of Thanksgiving The unregenerate then cannot but bee unable for it who have their understandings darkned Ephe. 4.18 Now as Doctor Feild notes out of the booke called Destructorium Vitiorum Feild of the church p. 254. though a man may know in the darke the length breadth and other dimensions of a thing but not whether it be faire or foule white or black so however wicked men in that dark condition and obscurity of discerning into which sin throwes them may finde out that there is a God and that hee is the beginning and cause of all things yet they cannot know how faire how good how mercifull and how glorious hee is that so they may love him c. praise and thanke him unlesse they have an illumination of grace To propound Gods glory as the highest end is required in all true thanksgiving and therefore unregenerate men have no ability for the worke because their hearts are utterly voyd of that which is the originall of such a proposall that love of God which the Schoolemen cal a love of Freindship whereby God is loved for himselfe for that absolute goodnesse which he hath in himselfe The highest kind of love that they can reach unto is a Love of Concupisence whereby they desire to make use of God to serve their owne turnes Their love of God is but a circular love that begins and ends in themselves in their owne commodity and benefit Reall and sincere thankfulnesse cals for the soule the tongue and the life And neither soules tongues nor lives of the unregenerate can beare a part in this duty Not their soules seeing every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not onely imaginations but also the purposes and desires are onely evill continually Gen. 6.5 not secondly their tongues Mat 12.34 O. Generation of Vipers how can yee being evill speake good things Not their lives A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.18

Gods ablenesse and willingnesse to blesse and deliver And it makes more to the praise of ones goodnesse to acknowledge that he hath given then that hee can or will give Secondly the precedency of praise may be concluded because it is of greater use in heaven then petition Some have affirmed that praise shall bee our whole and onely imployment in heaven Field of the Church Dr. Edw. Reynolds on Psal 1●0 pag. 433. but others of equall note for piety and learning think there is no danger in affirming that the Saints in heaven and the blessed Angels doe pray though not for particular persons yet for the generall state and condition of the Church militant as also that the Saints departed pray for their own resurrection publick acquital in the day of judgment and perfect consummation of their happines in their bodies as well as soules But we need not meddle with this dispute for though it bee not the whole and onely yet it is the ohiefe work and busines of all the host of heaven the manhood of Christ the glorious Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect Rev. 4.8 Rev. 7.12 They have little use of the prayer of petition in comparison of the prayer of praise and thankesgiving the matter of which is as wide as heaven as infinite as God himselfe as lasting as eternity Hence is it that by Bernard in dedicatione Ecclesiae Serm. 2. this world is called the house of prayer he meanes the prayer of petition and heaven the house of praise What is heaven but a * Mr. Herle circle of the beatifical vision and love of God of praises and songs unto God As Austin speakes our Circle of imployment there will be vacabimus videbimus videbimus amabimus amabimus laudabimus laudabimus cantabimus c. There we shall alwayes delight to see and seeing to love and loving to praise and praising to sing and singing to praise and so backe again Thirdly the end excells that of which it is an end Now as * Gratiarum actio est secundarius finis omnis petitionis religiosae qui enim recto aliquid petit à Dco non idcirco tantum petit ut accipiat nedum ut in voluptates insumat Jac. 4.3 sed ut acceptum referaturdenuò ad gloriam dei qui dedit Medul Theol. l. 2. c 9. Thess 91. Docter Ames well observeth Giving of thanks is a secondary end of every religious petition for he that craveth any thing at Gods hands as he ought to doe doth not only therefore crave it that hee may receive it much lesse that he may consume it upon his lusts but that being received it may be referred or returned back unto the glory of God For this hee quotes 2 Cor. 1.11 You also helping together by prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us by the meanes of many persons thanks may be given by many in our behalfe unto which wee may add 1 Chron. 16.35 Psal 106.47 and say yee Save us ô God of our salvation and gather us together and deliver us from the Heathen that we may give thanks to thy holy name and glory in thy praise Psal 9.13.14 Have mercy upon me ô Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftst me up from the gates of death that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the Daughter of Sion As also Psal 142.6 7. Attend unto my cry c. Deliver mee from my persecuters c. bring my soule out of prison that I may praise thy name 4. Thankesgiving transcends Petition because we are naturally more unable for and averse from it then petition for in our natures there is a disability unto and an aversation from as all good things so especially the best things the most spirituall and refined duties 1. We are naturally more unable for thankesgiving because more unmindfull and insensile of benefits and comforts then of wants necessities and crosses those are written in sand nay in dust these in marble nay in metall in brasle Who almost but is more affected in a way of griefe with the aking of the head nay finger then in a way of joy with the health of the whole body * Insitum hoc à natura bumano ingenio ad tristia acriter flectere oculos praeterire quae laeta ut muscae ejusmodi insecta laevibus politisque locis non diù insident scabris adhaereseunt sic querula ista meus meliorem sortem peviter transvolat asperam non dimittit tractat inspicit plerumque auget atque ut amantos in domina sua m●nquam non inveniunt cur eximia ●a ante omnes sic dolentes in suo luctn Lipsius de Constantia Look as Flies skip over those parts which are smooth sound and healthy and onely stick upon those which are itchy scabbed or any other wayes unsound diseased and disaffected so our mindes and affections which naturally are querulous and discontented lightly passe over mercies and joyfull occurrences but for disasters and all sad events they take a serious and through view of them they stay even dwel upon them and receive from them a deep and lasting impression and so accordingly most tragically amplifie them as if they were peacelesse That deliverance which hath occasioned our meeting at this present was so allyed unto a miracle and withall so great and I may say generall concernment as that God might justly expect from all wel-willers unto the publick a ravishment of joy such a doxology which Hierome if I forget not relates of the Primitive Church that was like a clap of Thunder and roaring of of the Sea such an extasie of thankes as the Psalmist reports of the Jewes Psalm 126. who were like men that dreame their mouthes being filled with laughter and their tongues with singing But now our carnall tempers doe so unfit and indispose us for this most spiritual duty as that passed losses of a farre inferior alloy and present fears and jealousies doe not onely allay but even drown the voyce of our joy an thanksgiving * Mr Marshal in his Sermon preached to the House of Commons Septemb. 7. 1641. at their publick thankesgiving for the peace coucluded between England and Scotland hath in his Preface a remarkable passage touching this argument In a day of humiliation saith he even wicked men have affections stirring in them consciousnes of evil guiltinesse of mind sense of wrath astonishing and oppressing feares arising from the apprehension of neere and unavoydable dangers are naturall meanes to make even Pharaohs Ahabs and Ninevites mourn and humble themselves before God But in a keeping a spirituall rejoycing unto God little or no help is to be expected from the flesh and that is one reason why commonly dayes of thankesgiving are translated with much lesse affection life and savour then dayes of Humiliation Secondly We are more averse from the prayer of thankesgiving