Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	catholic_n	church_n	visible_a	2,907	5	9.9387	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75616	Armilla catechetica. A chain of principles; or, An orderly concatenation of theological aphorismes and exercitations; wherein, the chief heads of Christian religion are asserted and improved: by John Arrowsmith, D.D. late master both of St Johns and Trinity-Colledge successively, and Regius professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge. Published since his death according to his own manuscript allowed by himself in his life time under his own hand.	Arrowsmith, John, 1602-1659.	1659 (1659)	Wing A3772; Thomason E1007_1; ESTC R207935	193,137	525

God careth for The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX hic eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year That land was then the onely habitation of Gods Church and besides a lively type of the Catholick Church which was afterwards to be spread over the whole face of the earth whence it is that beleevers in all places were styled inward Jews and the Circumcision Rom. 2. end Philip. 3. 3. This continual care of God over his Church and the members thereof appeareth I. From the provision made by him for inferiour creatures So our Saviour argueth Behold the fowls of the air for they Matth. 6. 26. sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they They have no caterers to bring in provision from them no barns to fetch provision out of yet want it not but go cheerfully on chirping continually because God feedeth them and that sometimes in a way little less then miraculous if that be true which is reported by some good writers namely that when the young ravens are forsaken of their dams and left bare out B. Andrews pattern of Catechistical doctrine pag. 60. of their own dung there ariseth a worm which creepeth to their mouths and becomes nourishment to them § 2. II. From the conduct of Israel after the flesh in former times A breviate of that Nations story will presently let us understand how they were brought into that land whereof this place in Deuteronomy speaketh and cared for there by a thousand providences Time was when Joseph was raised up to be a nursing father to them that by a most remarkable dispensation He had been formerly sold into Egypt was imprisoned without cause cast as Junius thinketh into that prison whereunto such were put as had most highly offended the king to be sure into one where his feet were burt Psal 105. 17 18. in the stocks and he laid in irons Had not his prison-house been so bad it is like he should not have had opportunity to make himself known to butler and baker of Pharaoh who were his fellow-prisoners The butler being restored to his place according to Josephs interpretation of his dream forgets to acquaint Pharaoh with him till all other means had been used to quiet the kings minde and none found effectual then he speaketh and then is Joseph speedily advanced Being so he becometh a preserver of the Church in his father brethren and their families Afterwards when there was risen another generation that knew not Joseph and the king of Egypt had set himself by force and art to extinguish Israel the bush although burning was not consumed in the midst of the fire their burdens were increased yet their persons multiplied and Moses ere-long raised up to deliver them out of their bondage A man preserved by the daughter of that Pharaoh whom he was called to destroy and by that means brought up at court yea instructed there both in the Art and Government and in all the learning of the Egyptians Under his conduct God did for them as one Prophet speaketh terrible things which they looked not for Puls them out of Pharaohs bosome in spite Isa 64. 3. of his heart at their departure sendeth them laden away with the jewels and treasures of Egypt maketh a passage for them through the sea and accompanieth their hosts into the wilderness There providence fetcheth them water out of a rock then which nothing drier and bread from heaven which is wont to grow out of the earth There their food is Manna Quails a cloud and pillar of fire their guides when this servant of God was dead up steps Joshua in his room bringeth them into and settleth them in the promised land which proved to them after their settlemement by lot an habitation of righteousness and mountain of holiness A land flowing not onely with temporal but also with spiritual milk and honey after Solomon had erected a magnificent Temple for them which was the wardrobe of those ceremonies wherewith God was then to be served Then were they as the Psalmist hath it abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Gods house and made to drink of the river of his pleasures But their sins having at length cast them out of that good land and occasioned the burning of their Temple God left them not destitute of his help but ordained for them sundry refreshments in the time of their captivity This among others in Esthers time King Ahasuerus under whom they then were in a state of captivity had his sleep taken from him would spend the time not in this or that exercise but in reading of all books cals for that of the Chronicles of all places hath that read to him which concerned a good service done by Mordechai a Jew doth not onely take notice of it but enquire what reward had been given him understanding he had received none causeth Haman his favourite to be called putteth him upon doing singular honour in the view of all men to this Mordechai giveth his wife Queen Esther occasion of impleading this Haman discovering his plot against all the Jews and preventing that massacre of them which should speedily have been executed Yea providence went on to work so happily in the hearts of those Monarchs who then held them captives as not long after to proclaim their deliverance and liberty for them to rebuild both Jerusalem and the Temple which they also attempted Whilest the second Temple was building by Herod not so magnificent as the former yet in some respect more glorious if Josephus misinform us Nunquam interdiu nè interrumperetur aedificatio pluisse Joseph Antio Judaic lib. 15. cap. 14. not for the space of almost ten years it never rained all that while in the day time the providence of God so ordering it lest the work should be interrupted Yea so remarkable was the power and greatness of God in assisting the builders then that we finde him in Haggai and Zechary their Prophesies which were both written about that time frequently styled by that name The Lord of hosts particularly five times in four verses of Haggai Thus saith the Lord of hosts yet once Hagg. 2 6 7 8 9. it is a little while and I will strike the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts The glory of this latter house shall be greater then of the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts That which raised the glory of this second above that of the first Temple was the personal presence of Jesus Christ in it His coming

understanding God is greater then our heart and knoweth 1 Joh. 3. 20. all things Everlasting duration Behold Job 36. 26. God is great and we know him not neither can the number of his years be searched out Omnipresent immensity Great is our 2 Chr. 2. 5 6. God above all gods Who is able to build him an house seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him Secondly each particular dimension is elsewhere applied to these very attributes though some with more clearness then others Height to Gods Sovereignty He that is higher then the Eccles. 6. 8. highest regardeth and there be higher then they Depth to his Omniscience O the Rom. 11. 33. depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! Length to his Eternity He asked life and thou gavest it to him even length of days for ever and ever Psal 21. 4. Which Calvin and the Chaldee paraphrase apply to Christ understanding thereby the eternal duration of his kingdome Lastly breadth to his Omnipresence but covertly in that of Isaiah The glorious Lord will be unto us a Isa 33. 21. place of broad rivers and streams to signifie that protection and safety which his presence with his Church in every place affords to all the members thereof like a broad river encompassing a fenced town on every side Thirdly Me thinks there is somewhat exprest in Zophars speech which as to the two former particulars tends to this interpretation For having said It is as high as heaven he presently adds What canst thou do meaning perhaps what are thy weak abilities to his omnipotence He in regard of his Sovereign power can do all things but thou alas what canst thou do And after affirming It is deeper then hell he subjoyneth what canst thou know as if he had said what are thy shallow apprehensions to the depth of his thoughts He in regard of his omniscient understanding knoweth all things but thou poor man What canst thou know § 2. If it be asked why I expound all these clauses of God seeing the particles It and Thereof It is high as heaven The measure thereof seem to relate unto somewhat else My answer is that Expositours differ much about this very thing and according to their several apprehensions translate the words after a different manner The vulgar Latine and our old English translations carry all to Almighty God who was mentioned in the verse before Canst thou finde out the Almighty reading it thus He is higher then heaven what art thou able to do His length exceeds the length of the earth c. Others considering that divers words in the original text being feminine will not agree in construction with Eloah and Saddai whereby God is there exprest have therefore looked back to the sixt verse for an antecedent where they meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome and expound all of it inserting the word Sapientia into their Latine translations as Oecolampadius and Junius do But for my part there is I conceive a word nearer hand which will serve the turn better and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfection Canst thou finde out the Almighty unto perfection It that is the Perfection of God is as high as heaven c. And herein I joyn with Castellio whose translation is fully squared to this sense for so he readeth the place Tune Dei intima pervestiges aut ipsam adeò perfectionem Omnipotentis invenias Quae cùm coelum altitudine adaequet quid ages c. Now I interpret the words as before because however they be read whether God or wisdome or Perfection be taken for the antecedent it cometh to one and the same issue for the Wisdome of God is himself and his Perfection comprehends not Wisdome onely but all his other excellencies whatsoever insomuch as Lessius intitleth his book concerning the Attributes De perfectionibus divinis The way thus cleared I now proceed without further interruption to single out the particular dimensions and discourse of them in their order § 3. Seeing all divine perfections far transcend humane capacities the safest way as I humbly conceive for us to make a due estimate concerning the height of Gods sovereignty is to compare it with that of earthly potentates which is within the compass and reach of our understandings Verily it is not without cause that S. Paul styles him the 1 Tim. 6. 15. blessed and onely potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords that Moses Melchisedech and Abram entitle him the most high God Gen. 14. v. 18 19 20 22. four times in one chapter For upon search it will appear that his Sovereignty excels that of the high and mighty ones upon earth in point of Extensiveness of Unaccountableness and of Almightiness I. In point of extensiveness His kingdome Psalm 103. 19. ruleth over all The whole earth and sea which make but one globe is to the Universe but as a little central point the mightiest potentate hath no more but his share in that little Whereupon Seneca bringeth in his wise vertuous man with this censure and sarcasme in his mouth Is this that Point Hoc est illud punctum quod inter tot gentes ferro i●ni dividitur O quàm cidiculi sunt mortalium termini Punctum est istud in quo navigatis in quo bellatis in quo Regna disponitis minima c. Senec. Natural quaest lib. 1. in Praefatione which so many Nations of the world do so strive to divide among themselves by fire and sword O how ridiculous are the bounds of mortal men All that in which they sail to and fro manage their wars and set up their petty kingdomes is but a Point Whereas the Sovereignty of God extendeth it self to the whole earth and sea yea to heaven and the heaven of heavens giving laws not onely to the visible host of sun moon and stars but also to the invisible host of Angels who are said to Psalm 103. 20. excell in strength and to do his commandments hearkning unto the voice of his word Yea there is not a Devil in hell that can go beyond the length of his chain for even those legions of darkness are though much against their wils subjected to the empire of the father of lights Yea whereas the dominion of worldly Potentates reacheth but to the outward man and their laws cannot directly oblige the conscience so as to bring upon it a guilt binding over the soul to death his do And in this respect St James telleth us that there is one James 4. 12. law-giver one and but one who is able to save and to destroy The style which Paul giveth earthly governours is masters Ephes 6. 5. according to the flesh but Moses calleth Numb 17. 16. God the God of the spirits of all flesh to imply that however there be many who lord it sufficiently over the flesh and outward man there