Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	heaven_n	lord_n	name_n	17,669	5	5.4642	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88682	A sermon preached on January the 1st. 1680[/]1 In the new church at Port-Royal in Jamaica, being the first time of performing divine service there. Published at the request of Sir Henry Morgan, and other gentlemen, by whose liberal contribution the said church was erected. By J. L. LL. B.	J. L.	1681 (1681)	Wing L38A; ESTC R227275	8,334	34

requires Though Types cease yet the Temple was not meerly Mystical in the use of it but had a natural convenience for the multitude of those that kept Holyday why therefore may not our Churches multiply where the Gospel is spread as well as the Lords-day succeed the Sabbath Time and Place convenient being always necessary for Sacred Actions It is therefore your Glory who have been as forward to build God a House as the warrant is uncontroulable and if the Shunamites kindness to a Prophet in building and furnishing a Chamber be kindly accepted of God what Favourites shall they be who like the man after his own heart delight not in their own Houses till God's be finished David indeed was not permitted to build the Temple not barely I suppose as a Warriour but because he was a man of bloud in the matter of Uriah for the Centurion was a Souldier too And I hope Ecclesiastical and Military Discipline duly observed will be mutual Supports to each other uniting Strength and the beauty of Holiness To David's Harp therefore let our Souls be tuned let us rejoyce with him who was glad when they said We will go into the House of the Lord which he appropriates to himself and makes Holy by a peculiar making of his residence and affording his Graces there The second thing to be spoken to 2. There is supposed in every ordinary Consecration whether of Persons Things or Places a delivery made by Man taking possession by God who does it not by Proxy but is immediately and personally present Where he assumes or reserves any thing or Place to himself his presence constitutes and makes an extraordinary Consecration which presence follows in the Ordinary thus when Jacob saw that intercourse between Heaven and Earth he concluded that the Lord was in that Place and the Heavenly Messengers ready to convey the Petitions of humble Penitents into his Presence-Chamber Whereupon Luz changes its name and property that in Bethel i. e. the House of God his Vows may be performed Thus the Divine appearance to David Moses and Joshua made the places Holy by his own appointment From whence I presume may arise St. Peter's forwardness in building three Tabernacles at the Transfiguration The imitation of whose Zeal in the other ordinary way will not I hope be look'd on by Posterity as a Frantick act of yours as if you wist not what you did In the forementioned Examples God's preceding Presence made Places Holy in the ordinary Consecration which now concerns us God makes them so by his gracious acceptance and a more immediate communication of himself therein From hence Cain called the place of his Father and Families Devotion the face of God and Abel had a signal Testimony of his Presence by firing of his Sacrifice Thus God took possession of the Tabernacle of the Temple when dedicated to his Service he was with Abraham and Jacob by promise with Moses and Joshua by assistance The Lord of Israel can accompany his Servants in all Places but they are most sure to find him where he has put his Glory and in a more especial manner placed his Name which in the Law is Domus Mansionalis Omnipotentis Dei Our Saviour honoured the Anniversary of the third Dedication under the Maccabees with his Presence which Solemnity was afterwards used by Eugenius first who was followed by other Christians as may appear by Ecclesiastical History many approving of the Custom From whence the Canonists conclude it to be a necessary Church-Constitution which none inferiour to a Bishop could perform according to the Law definition Res sacrae sunt quae per Pontifices ritè consecratae sunt though some would give the power of Consecration to Princes and Governours or at least of deputing others to do the same Thus they say Solomon bore a great part in the Consecration of the Temple and Constantine himself called that great number of Clergy to his Church at Jerusalem nay an Helvetian Professor says Antiquitus haec Authoritas semper fuit Magistratus Politici But with what Authority he speaks I understand not nor shall I thereupon undertake to dispute Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction rather hoping that Necessity being our Advocate will easily excuse the want of that Formality we desire since we perform the Essential part by a Pious Intention Peter Martyr distinguishing between an Inward Temple and an Outward meaning by an Inward Man by the Outward a Place of Worship says That we consecrate a Place when first we apply it to Sacred Uses as Man is dedicated to God in Baptism From whom we dissent not since he further agrees with the Ancient manner according to the Registry of Eusebius concerning the performance at Jerusalem where they adorned their first Assembling in the Church with Praying Praising Thanksgiving and Preaching Nay a Jesuit and great Metaphysician confesses That by simple Intention of Will and plain Benediction an Oratory or Church may be separated from Prophane or Common Uses So that though we cannot use all customary Ceremonies I shall not fear the Accusation of a Romanist against Aeschardus as if by some omission he had rather Prophan'd than Consecrated a Church I shall not think my self bound to make any Apology for Administring the Sacrament in a place no otherwise Consecrated as Athanasius did when accused by the Arians for so doing If there be any Error in Scituation or Church-Architecture which the great Cardinal so much stands on I will not invoke St. Dunstan's Shoulder to remove any part of it into its proper place We may dislodge Satan without Exorcisms who will flee if we resist him nor need we any Miracles either to allow or disapprove of our Free-will-offering since every Creature of God is sanctified by the Word and Prayer This in former times was sufficient to procure a Reverential behaviour in such Places not from any inherent Holiness in them but that which was and is objectively adherent to them through Christ's promises by united Devotions and participating of the Sacraments is a Communion of Saints And O that we were joyntly resolved to fulfil the Prophecy of the Church which is in our own power to do Many people shall say let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths For out of Sion shall the Lord go forth and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem In his House therefore let us meet him where he is to be found with an early and humble Devotion and when we appear in his Church let not the neglect of our Duty there prove greater than Absence which brings us to the last thing 3. The necessity of a suitable Respect to the Place where God's honour dwelleth which suitableness betwixt Honour and Merit is required by natural Justice This Eastern custom of pulling off the shoes would aptly lead us to a view of the several Reverential behaviours practiced in our own Church in all which we pay but one Divine one and that is to God But I shall not at present trouble you with Circumstantials a word or two of the most Essential parts of our deportment shall set you all at liberty There is in the first place supposed an awful coming to the Place where Reverence is required for in the words to Moses draw not nigh hither which St. Stephen omits there is no excuse afforded for our neglect God thereby only forbidding an impudent Intrusion into the Sanctum an entrance into Ministerial Offices without Commission but to his House all are bidden and the slighting of the invitation would be a high contempt If only the Command of his Vicegerent were to be produced in this affair since Via Regia is quasi Sacra that contempt is so unwarrantable that I wonder how Absenters can pretend to Conscience which is the strongest Sanction of the Law obliges us to Obedience and bids us not rob God of the least of his Retinue unnecessarily Having made our entrance into the House of God the wise man says we cannot be too attentive when God speaks and pronounces our welcom let no Prejudice or Partiality no affection for a Party make Paul and Apollo's the heads of Faction which is in effect the dividing of Christ himself Let not his positive Laws of Baptism and his Supper be so much slighted as they now seem to be but what is most of all suitable to the present occasion let our first Assembling together be seasoned with Praises and Prayers the chief Ingredients requisite for a true Consecration 1. Under the first head This Noble Structure seems to speak the Language of the Son of Syrack and bids us praise famous men whose modesty perhaps would not bear the Truth in the rehearsal of their Liberal Acts and such a Flattering Orator might well expect the same Fate which attended Constantines viz. to be silenced for too much commending him on the same occasion However we are obliged to praise God for raising such Benefactors for giving of us Nursing-Fathers and Defenders or Religion not only Martyrs and Confessors but such as dare live and do as well as suffer for the promotion of the Gospel That we are not confined to Caves and Dens which more refined Christianity was contented with That he hath given us all blessings Spiritual and Temporal in his Son the conformity to whose Example will be the praising of him in the highest Key 2. Then let us pray for the continuance of all his Mercies that our Candlestick may not be removed that the devices of Foreign and Domestick Enemies may be frustrated that all Heresie Schism Faction and Rebellion may be restrained by the men of Courage to whom Authority is committed that we may be as a City compact together even all who profess the Name of Christ the Harmony of the Gospel being powerful to unite our hearts and minds so that the Cross may be still more and more Triumphant till thou O blessed Saviour hast obtained the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy Possession To whom with the Father and blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all Honour and Glory from this time for evermore Amen FINIS

this I have the rather pitch'd on because of some part of his speech v. 48 49 50. so grosly mistaken and urged by those Zealots who would have all our Churches thought Superstitious or at least all expences about them Superfluous Cost and Magnificence not becoming the simplicity of the Gospel As if a Manger were still as fit for a Glorified Saviour as a Throne and they becoming like the Beasts that perish the only fit Company for him The reason perhaps why so many of God's Houses were turned into real Stables and Dens of Thieves But I hope none of their Survivors are come hither also nor can I fear St. Stephen's Fate to be gnashed on with the Teeth from the severity of that truth which now is seasonable to be spoken And so with Reverence I come to the words of God which are a Command of shewing a respect to the Place of his Presence manifested by a glorious appearance in the Bush and is therefore called Holy From which without running into many particulars Three Observables arise 1. A distinction of Places 2. The reason of the distinction viz. God's peculiar Residence and dispensation of his Grace 3. The Inference thereupon a suitable Respect and Reverence 1. We must learn to distinguish between Sacred and Prophane Places the omission and neglect whereof made God express his anger by the mouth of Ezekiel chap. 22. vers 26. Though he be not a local God of the Hills or of the Valleys his Presence not to be circumscrib'd yet his condescention is so great to the Sons of Men that he delights to be in the midst of them in publick Places of Audience when they present their Addresses to him Adam in his short time of Innocence knew where to meet him with a pleasing Aspect when he had no occasion to palliate his Crime or hide himself his Sons knew where to offer their Sacrifice From whence should we trace History to the Purest times of Christianity it would in one continued Series strongly justifie the same Practice and confirm our present Assertion This Observable only we will not omit viz. That when the Passion was represented to Abraham on Mount Moriah the Conception to Moses on Mount Sinai the Intercession of Christ to David in the Threshing-floor of Araunah two of which places were appointed for the Temple and Tabernacle there was enjoyned a distinction of Persons in respect of the Places proportionable in some sort to that difference between Persons and Places in the Temple and Tabernacle Abraham and his Son may go yonder but the People must stay here Moses and Joshua must pull off their shoes and shew Reverence till they were impower'd to execute the Priesthood David 's Altar was erected only near the place of the Angels appearance The direction in which behalf was universal Persons Garments Sacrifices Ornaments had their distinctions the Tabernacle was Holier then the Camp and the same Order lived in the Temple Solomon and Ezra had patterns to be directed by and how zealous the Jews were in the observance of them is sufficiently manifested by their Resentment of Pompey's insolent Invasion of the Sanctuary which he termed Grande Impiae Gentis arcanum though to his own ruine as their Story supposes Herod though guided only by Ambition would not expose the View of it to unqualified Persons as may appear by the severe sentence inscribed over the Gates against all Rude Intruders And shall there now less Honour be given to God less Holiness in the Place of his Worship since his only Son was really Sacrificed then when he was offered only in Shadow when our Saviour in a Holy Rage after his Baptism and before his Passion expelled the Merchants and Usurers from the place where the Christian Church was best represented where Instructions and Devotions were to be performed after his Expiration he shewed hereby that this distinction of Places should be of equal extent with the benefit of his Baptism and Passion should continue as long as the necessity of Prayer and Peaching the Gospel licensing all Fabricks erected for the same use by his own and his Apostles examples who disputed instructed and prayed in smaller Synagogues which succeeding Ages have warrantably imitated How hot the Zeal of Christians was in this affair appeared by their erecting Oratories as soon as they durst creep out of their Caves and Dens what was the care and cost of the good and great Constantine few are unacquainted with Justinian's pious Emulation one 's equalling the Letters of the Roman Alphabet another the days of the year with the number of their own Churches a small part of History will inform us And though what was so well intended was soon corrupted and many Fopperies introduced yet the abuse must not wholly frustrate the end The Ancients we know condemned the opinion of Merit feigned Miracles superstition of Reliques and Saints yet they applauded the Essential part of the work and the Founders acknowledging our Saviour's approbation of the Centurion's character to be sufficient Authority for their imitation of him However since decency and order never want disturbers and there are such as look on the erecting convenient Places for God's Service as Superstitious though he expresly appropriates a House of Prayer to himself it may not be improper to examine the strength of their most cogent Arguments As to the practice of the Patriarchs which they urge what parity is there between their case and ours were not their Habitations movable their Congregations their own Families so that fixed places for Divine Worship was not suitable to their condition yet conveniences they had and in such case Daniel's Den or Jonas his floating Island supply the place of a Church so Devotion do but consecrate it What is fetched from Isaiah where God says Heaven is his Throne and Earth his Footstool asking where is the House they would attempt to build him they fortifie with the 48th verse of this Chapter God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands which Texts speak this sence only That God who is Incomprehensible will not be thought to be imprisoned like the Heathen Idols or chained like the Tyrians Titular Deity but he disowns not such a place where a Congregation might joyfully meet together to the honour of his Name Thus St. Stephen tells the Jews that God who had the whole World for his Palace was not to be confined to their Temple so as to preserve it from ever being destroyed since they were grown Rebellious and had been guilty of shedding the bloud of the Lord of Life From our Saviour's discourse with the Woman of Samaria and the Apostles Injunction that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath and doubting I can infer only this God's Worship under the Gospel shall not be confined to the Mountain or Temple at Jerusalem which Christian Liberty I think would have been improperly so called did it forbid erecting other places convenient for that Devotion which Christianity