Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	angel_n	descend_v	ladder_n	1,870	5	11.7110	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03272	The baptizing of the eunuch in three sermons vpon Act. 8. 36. 37. 38. By Samuel Hieron.	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1613 (1613)	STC 13391; ESTC S119040	44,470	65

about our Faith If that be not good what becometh of all our hope for life eternall And thinke what a wofull thing it is herein to bee mistaken I said Faith is the Tenure we hold heauen by Now put case a man hath continued a sute at law a great while trusting to a certaine piece of writing which he hath in a boxe if at the day of hearing that writing proue insufficient what becommeth of him wee know hee looseth all his former cost he is cast out of doores and misseth that which hee thought he should haue enioyed all his daies So in this A man maketh account he hath Faith sufficient to saluation hereupon he goeth on without feare of future euill at the day of reckning his faith proueth counterfet thinke then in what a wofull case is that man Wee may guesse somewhat herein by a speach of Christs Many shall say to mee in that day Lord haue we not in thy name prophecied c. and yet it shall be said to them Depart from mee c. k Math. 7.22.23 It seemeth these will bee very confident and make full account to be saued But now when for all this it shal be said Depart we may well tremble to thinke vpon their misery For the more sure a man is in his owne opinion the greater confusion vexation it will be to him to be disappointed of his hope How necessary a matter is this to be vrged in these secure times It would make a mans heart woe to thinke how exceeding carefull men be in other things but how desperate in this point concerning Faith Is this lease good is this bond good is this cloth for my garment good is this beast good is this ground good is this husbandry good is this corne which I haue chosen for my seed good Wee abound in these inquiries and are scarsely euer satisfied wee are still ielous and afraid lest it should not bee as wee desire But who amongst many makes a question touching his Faith who saith to himselfe Here is much speaking of Faith and it is taught that without it there can be no saluation what is my Faith which I promise myselfe I haue such as it ought to bee sure if it be not I can neuer be saued Who is it that thus communeth with his owne soule Who keepeth this priuy audite within himselfe I hearkned and heard and no man spake aright said Ieremy of old l Ier. 8.6 He would euen deliuer vp the like verdit of the men of this generation if he were now liuing It is the great pollicy of the Diuill to leade men on and to lull them a sleepe in their carelessenes it filleth his barnes and helps to encrease his kingdome A debating with a mans selfe touching his hope of a better life is a very first step towards heauen Sathan knoweth that if men should once put it to the question how their Faith is they should see such scantnes in themselues that way that the very sight thereof would make them looke about and begin a better course wheras now presuming al is well they run on headlong and will surely be in the pit before they be ware When thou art perswaded and called vpon to examine thy selfe whether thy faith be right and sound why man saith the diuell by and by vnto thee wherfore shouldst thou doubt it Hast not thou beleeued in God euer since thou couldst remember Hast thou done thus well hitherto and shouldst thou now beginne to make question of thy Faith Feare not doe not doubt but thou art euen as good a beleeuer as the best Thus with these and the like charmes this subtile enemy rockes men asleepe and encourageth them to feed themselues with vaine perswasions and to trust on lying words which cannot profit m Iere. 7.8 Let therefore the doctrine taught worke to the reforming of this common euill from which scarce one of many is able well to cleere himselfe We hope to be saued we say we haue faith we would take it for a wronge if any man should call vs vnbeleeuers Oh let vs remember that there is a faith which will deceiue a kinde of beleeuing which is but counterfet Let vs not content our selues with supposals with idle imaginations which haue no ground but let vs bring our faith to the touch-stone and let it be tried throughly whither it will hold in the day of account or no. There is nothing more contrary to Christianity then presumption nor any in worse case then they which are most secure and make themselues beleeue that all is with them as it should We read that Iacob in his dreamesaw a Ladder vpon the earth of which the top reached to Heauen n Gen 28.12 This Ladder betokened Christ as Christ himselfe hath reference to it in his speech to Nathaniel touching Angels ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man o Ioh. 1.51 Now to apply this to my present purpose we know that hee which climbeth vp a ladder is especially carefull of his footing and hold and looketh diligently and aduisedly to euery step So doth he which is in Christ and is by him and through him getting vp to heauen he is alwaies trying whither his standing be sure and whither his hold that he hath caught be such as will not deceiue him Thus he worketh out his saluation with feare and trembling p Phil. 2.12 and happy is he who is so busied And so I haue laboured to presse the vse of this necessary point In the matter of faith it is a dangerous thing to be deceiued If a mans faith be vnsound all his hope is ouerthrowen it is easie to be mistaken our Heart is deceitfull q Ier. 17.9 and in our owne cases wee are partiall iudges Sathan is cunning and will beguile vs with a shadow of Faith and there is a faith which is very like to true Faith but yet will deceiue vs what then can be more behoofull then to proue our faith that we may be sure it will not faile vs most when we shall need it most This is the summe And to the end wee may bee the better prepared for this duty of Triall I come now to the next doctrine as the Text giueth occasion to shew what kinde of Faith it is which is auailable to life eternall and which is therefore called the Faith of Gods elect r Tit. 1.1 because it streameth from Election and is a pledge thereof The 2. Doct. The next doctrine then is That onely that Faith maketh a man capable of saluation and giueth him an interest into life eternall which is with all thy heart This is direct out of the words If thou beleeuest with all thy heart thou mayst that is If thy beleeuing be sincere and thy faith vnfained thou mayst finde comfort in this Sacrament otherwise it will be to thee but an idle signe In all matters betwixt God and vs this is a chiefe thing