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
A58146	Blessedness, or, God and the world weighted in the balances of the sanctuary and the world found too light preached in a sermon at Paule, before the Right Honourable the Lord Major, Aldermen, and commonalty of the city of London, on a thanksgiving-day, for the prosperity of our navy in a conflict with the Spaniard, October 17, 1656 / by Francis Raworth ...	Raworth, Francis, d. 1665.	1656 (1656)	Wing R372; ESTC R18645	28,408	72

BLESSEDNESS OR GOD and the WORLD Weighed in the BALANCES OF THE SANCTUARY AND THE World found too light Preached in a Sermon at Pauls before the Right Honorable the Lord Major Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of London on a Thanksgiving-Day for the prosperity of our Navy in a conflict with the Spaniard October 17. 1656. By Francis Raworth Teacher to the Church at Shore-ditch London Printed by T. Maxcy for John Rothwell at the Fountain in Goldsmiths-Row in Cheap-side 1656. To the Right Honorable ROBERT TITCHBURNE LORD MAjOR And the Right Worshipful the ALDERMEN of the City of LONDON Honorable and Beloved IT cannot be denyed but that our greatest happiness in this world is That we have liberty to make provision for the world to come yet generally so unhappy are men as that they little ponder upon their future Crown and little consider of their present race but either they vainly mis-spend their time to allude to the Roman Emperor in gathering Cockle shells in heaping together the Mammon of unrighteousness or in a more degenerous way in a base drudgery for the lusts of the Flesh The Profession of Christianity laboreth under two Extreams some pretend to an Anticipation or prevention of Heaven and would fain perswade us that there is no state of Glory after this life These men notwithstanding their present Triumphs are under great Temptations and in a sober sense are rather besides their wits then above Gods Institutions Others charge the faithful Professors of Religion with usurpation against God with Antedating the state of Perfection as if they did confound the distinction between the Church Triumphant and Militant No say they Purity and Holiness are our aim on earth but our possession onely in Heaven These Sensualists may learn that the great change of man is made in this world and onely confirmed in the next the Tribunal Bar Regenerates no man but publiquely and finally acquitteth the Regenerate Heaven must first enter into us before we can enter into Heaven though the perfection of Purity be onely in Heaven yet the principle of Purity is to be had on Earth He that dies a sinner shall never rise a Saint He that by the Love of the Brethren shoots not the gulf here shall never pass from death to life hereafter He that hath not God to be his Lord now shall never have the Lord to be his God Wo be to that man that was born and is bred and shall be buried in sin that goes out of this world in that condition that he came into the world with happy had he been that he had never been born happy if when dead he never should have had a resurrection because he shall arise not so much to be judged as to be condemned Nothing is so much discoursed of as blessedness yet nothing so little understood some place it one thing some in another yet both amiss some men would be happy but without communion with God which is impossible These should know That God hath not onely Mines of Brass but Mines of Silver and Gold and that though the enjoyment of this world be not an Argument of Gods anger yet it s no argument of his peculiar love and therefore we must take heed of valuing the good things of Gods foot-stool above the good things of his Throne My work in this Sermon hath been to give the world its due both in its white and black sides I have weighed the blessedness of this world and of the next in the Balances of the Sanctuary and notwithstanding this world be pondrous in a providential sense yet comparatively by the verdict of God himself it is found too light to which when you had given a patient hearing you were pleased by your order to importune its publication I have satisfied your request and my prayers to God are That because it is a subject of the highest nature that it may have the deeper Impression on your hearts That as God hath lifted you up into the seat of Honor so you may lift up that God with Thankfulness That as you have publick Opportunities to do good to restrain Prophanation and discountenance Error so you may have hearts suitable to your Opportunities That as God hath thrown into your laps the outward Happinesse of this World so you may prize the Benefactor and set a greater Estimate on the light of his Countenance the least beam whereof is worth ten thousand Worlds Your Honors and the Churches Servant in the Gospel Francis Raworth PSAL. 144. ult Happy is that people that is in such a case yea Happy is the people whose God is the Lord. WHatsoever the Prophet David whose Character is A man after Gods own heart doth undertake he performs it cordially and heartily If he be in a gratulatory vein and fall to the praises of God he cannot nullifie and debase man too low with him He is but vanity and his days are but as a shadow not worthy to be taken notice of ver 3 4. And he cannot magnifie and advance the Lord too high He is his Goodness his Fortress his Tower his Deliverer and his Shield If he be in a praying posture he is so pathetical and powerful as if God q. d. could not deny him audience Bow the Heavens O Lord and come down send thine hand from above and deliver me out of great waters I and with such a majesty and life as if he had the key of Gods Armory to open it at pleasure and to throw out swords and flaming fire of wrath against the wicked Cast out lightning and scatter them shoot out sharp arrows and destroy them ver 5 6 7. Finally If he begin to exalt God he sets him out with such beauty and excellency as no Creature or created comfort can be preferred before no not possibly be weighed in the balance with him to which purpose it is observable that as the maledictions threatned against David were presented by the Prophet under three forms of War Famine and Pestilence so here in the latter part of this Psalm the Blessings of God are expressed under three contraries against the Pestilence is opposed this Petition That our sons may be as Plants grown up in their youth ver 12. Against Famine That our Garners may be full affording all manner of store ver 13. Against War That our oxen may be strong to labor that there be no breaking in nor going out that there be no complaining in our streets ver 14. And my Text is an Epiphonema with which he concludes Happy is that people that is in such a case c. There is a double blessedness sinistra beatitudo a Blessedness of the left hand a Blessedness of this World And secondly There is dextra beatitudo a right hand Blessedness a Blessedness of Grace of Salvation This Blessedness is the aim of men on earth but the perfect possession onely of men in Heaven Accordingly there is a double interpretation of this Text suitable