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
A62814	A remedy for the vvarres: or, Certaine deplorable expressions, of the great miseries and wofull effects, which the horrid, bloody, cruell, domestick, and intestine warres, have lately produced (amongst us) in this our kingdome of England. Together, with spiritual salves for the cure thereof. By John Tarlton, preacher of Gods word, and minister of Ileminster, in the county of Somerset.	Tarlton, John.	1648 (1648)	Wing T167A; ESTC R222135	126,290	313

with bread as without it The leane kine may eat up the fat kine and be never the fuller Gen. 41.4 we may eat much and not be filled and drinke our fill and not have enough Hag. 1.6 and cloath our selves and not be warme and earne wages and put them into a broken bagge So that all outward things will be nothing beneficiall unto us without Gods Blessing upon them and also upon us in the use of them True it is indeed that I finde in Scripture mention made of the staffe of bread by which Metaphor I am taught that bread in its latitude is the prop fulciament and support of our naturall life But withall we ought to know that as bread is the staffe of our life so Gods Blessing is the strength and as it were the staffe of that staffe And unlesse his blessing rest upon the meanes of our sustentation the staffe we rely upon will prove no other then a reed of Aegypt that instead of supporting our bodies will pierce our hands Or like Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his rod cast upon the ground if we take it by the wrong end Exod. 4.3 without prayer and thanksgiving it will turne into a Serpent that will rather sting us with diseases then nourish us unto soundnesse of health Loe thus the outward things of this life if we receive them not rightly and use them holily as God commands us they being sanctified by the word of God and by prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 Instead of being unto us helpefull and beneficiall they will prove hurtfull and prejudiciall Oh then beloved how great cause have we to pray with David that the same God that prepares a Table for us and make our Cup to overflow that he that gives us the staffe of Bread would also give us the staffe of his Blessing Psal 23.4 that his Rod and his Staffe may continually comfort us Deceive not thy selfe whosoever thou art to thinke by thine owne industry to raise thee a fortune without God For it is not he that riseth early Psal 127.2 nor goeth late to bed nor eates the bread of carefulnesse that is in an infallible way to be rich No when all is done Prov. 10.22 It is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich A Fortune collected by meere industry and without Gods speciall Blessing shall shortly melt away and not have the Blessing of continuance unlesse it be obtained by suit at his hand who must prosper unto us the worke of our hands It will therefore be good for us to take the advice the blessed Spirit of God gives us Rev. 3.18 I councell thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou maiest be made rich and white raiment that thou maiest be clothed To purchase a Patrimony by our Prayers and to lay the foundation of our wealth in Religion And every stone and spit of earth we bring towards this building still to pray for a blessing Psa 90. ult Prosper thou the worke of our hands upon us O Prosper thou our handy worke And now what hath been spoken of our estate Naturall is no lesse true of our estate Spirituall In both it is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich Iohn 15.5 Act. 17.28 for without Him we can doe nothing In him we live move and have our being for our estate Naturall And it is He also that worketh in us both the will and the deed for our estate Spirituall Phil. 2.13 So that unlesse he give a Blessing to the labour of our hands we may with Peter toile all night and catch nothing Luk. 5.5 Paul may plant and Apollos water I may preach you may hear 1 Cor. 3.7 but no increase unlesse God give it Oh then beloved how needfull it is for us to pray unto the Father of lights Iam. 1.17 that he from whom every good and perfect gift doth descend would open unto us the Ministers of his word a doore of utterance that may give a free passage unto his Gospell And that he would also open unto you our Hearers a doore of enterance that his word and spirit may enter into your hearts and dwell there And that we may all of us bring forth the fruits thereof in our conversation to Gods glory and our everlasting consolation O Pray c. And thus I passe from the Necessity of Prayer unto the Dignity of Prayer For the Dignity and excellency of Prayer Our life faith Job is Militia super terram a Warfare upon the Earth Eph. 6.12 and we wrestle not onely saith Paul with fiesh and blood but with principalities and powers c Indeed by our prayers and importunate suits we wrestle with the greatest Power of all even with God himself Mat. 11.12 and offer a kinde of Sacred Violence to the Kingdome of Heaven It was in this Harnesse that good Jacob was clad Gen. 32. when he strugled with the Angell all night for a Blessing and prevailed So that Prayer is the great prevailing ordinance of God Oratio est telum quo vulneratur cor Dei saith S. Ambrose Prayer is the weapon that wounds the very heart of God and makes it bleed in tender compassion towards his Supplicant Preces lachrymae arma sunt Ecclesiae Prayers and tears are the Churches weapons Preces lachrymae vincunt invincibilem ligant Omnipotentem saith S. Hierome Prayers and tears overcome the invincible and bind the Omnipotent Faithfull Prayer is a chaine to tye up Gods hands from punishing And such a Chaine it was that Moses cast over the armes of God to preserve the Jsraelites from destruction insomuch that God himselfe doth even sue unto Moses the Master unto the Servant that he would suffer his vengeance to breake out upon his people Let me alone Exod. 23.10 saith God that my wrath may wax hot against them that I may consume them Flectitur iratus voce rogante Deus What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The strong most mighty and omnipotent God to be overcome by weake infirmed mortall and impotent man through the power of faithfull and fervent Prayer O the Excellency and the Efficacy of devout Prayer It it Gladius Arcus Christiani The sword and bow of a Christian Jocob gave Joseph one portion above his brethren Gen. 48.22 which he got of the Amorites by his sword and by his bow But the Chaldee Paraphrast translates it By my Prayer and by my Supplication Which Translation proveth that Prayer is the Sword and Supplication is the Bow of a Christian whereby he subdueth all his Enemies It is Scala coeli the Ladder of heaven on which the Angels ascend and descend to our reliefe and succour It is Clavis Coeli the Keye of heaven and if the wards of this Key be of Faith it will unlock unto us the doores of everlasting life Against whom can you imagine the gate of Heaven to be surer and faster

to free our selves from the guilt of Infidelity Hypocrisie and Obstinacy let us speedily put in practice the Meanes here prescribed viz. Prayer Humiliation and Casting away all our Transgressions Concerning the first of these viz. Prayer I shall not need to say much because I have spoken so largely thereof already yet notwithstanding in regard Prayer is one of those Meanes here prescribed for the Aversion of the judgement of War from us I shall therefore speake a little more thereof Prayer is the great prevailing Ordinance of God both for a prevention from our falling into evils and also for our speedy deliverance out of them being fallen into them The Saints of God have ever made Prayer the Alpha and Omega of all their Actions The good and right use of holy Prayer amongst devout and Religious persons hath alwayes been esteemed both the first and last Remedy in our greatest dangers as being most prevalent with God for our speedy deliverance For when all earthly Policy and worldly Stratagems are fled from us and all our former fast friends shrinkingly from us have forsaken us and Death stands at our elbowes ready to seize upon us yet still Prayer is left with us as a gracious Oratour and an effectuall Advocate to intercede for us And unto this we have Gods owne Injunction Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble so I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And here also we must remember that our Prayer must be cordiall if it be prevalent Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed cor clamat in aure Dei It s not the voice but the vote not the musicall harmony but the heart that cryeth in the eare of God Thus Hannah prayed 1 Sam. 1.13 she spake in her heart her lips onely did move but her voice was not heard Yea Prayer hath also beene the Practice of the Saints of God in the time of their calamity as for example David Prayed to the Lord when he was in trouble Psal 120.1 and the Lord heard him Hezekiah Prayed to the Lord to send him aide against the King of Ashur 2 King 19.15 16 17 18 19. 2 King 6.18 And he prevailed Elisha Prayed to the Lord to smite his enemies with blindnesse that were sent to apprehend him And he obtained Jehoahaz 2 King 13.4 Prayed to the Lord being surprized by the King of Aram And he was delivered Asa 2 Chro. 14 Prayed to the Lord for aide against his enemies And the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah and the Ethiopians fled Jehoshaphat 2 Chro. 20 Prayed to the Lord for helpe against the Ammonites Moabites and inhabitants of Mount Seir his enemies that came against him to destroy him And the Lord laid ambushments against them and they fought one against another and when the Ammonites and Moabites had destroyed the men of Mount-Seir then every one helped for to kill each other The Israelites cryed to the Lord when they were in trouble Exod. 2. Iudg. 6. Psal 107. and he heard them and delivered them Loe thus the Lord hath formerly heard the Prayers of his servants being in afflictions and also granted their requests for his glory and their comfort and still he is the same God his hand is not shortned Esay 59.1 And therefore let us not neglect to practise this duty of Prayer it being the great prevailing Ordinance of God either to prevent us of falling into troubles or else to free us out of them being fallen into them For the Second viz. Humiliation We have Gods Querie to the Prophet Elijah concerning the Aversion of Gods judgements from Ahab Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me 1 King 21.29 Because he humbleth himselfe before me I will not bring the evill in his dayes but in his sonnes dayes will I bring the evill upon his house And when God by his Prophet Jonah threatned the Ninevites adhuc quadraginta dies Nineve subvertetur Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed Yet notwithstanding upon their Humiliation that threatning was reversed and the Nirevites preserved And God saw their workes Iona. 3.10 that they turned from their evill waies and God repented of the evill that he had said that he would doe unto them and he did it not What were the sinfull Ninevites spared from Destruction through Gods mercy towards them upon their Humiliation Oh then how ought we in this our present and deplorable condition to make expression of our Humiliation with zealous Nehemiah Neh. 1.4 who when he heard of Jerusalems Calamity He sate downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven Humility is the first helpefull step by which we ascend the heavenly Throne of Gods sacred Majesty for mercy and also the first raising Round of Godly Jacobs long reaching Ladder by which like swift Angels our pretious Soules climbe up to God in Heaven and his holy Angels and heavenly blessings descend downe to us upon earth Loe thus the most great and glorious God whose habitation is in the highest Heavens Esa 57.15 yet also vouchsafeth his gratious presence to dwell amongst humble minded men here upon Earth in the lowest hearts Therefore one of the meanes to obtaine mercy in this our present misery is in by and through Humility But admit thou canst not by thy Humiliation obtaine at the hands of God the deliverance of a Nation from a Generall calamity yet notwithstanding thou shalt thereby procure for thy selfe the Marke of the Servant of God Ezek. 9.4 And although our Humiliation be not the cause of healing our Lands distempers yet notwithstanding it is one of those meanes which God hath ordained for procuring the Cure thereof and therefore it must not be neglected by us for God hath commanded us to use the meanes to attaine the end And using the meanes as we ought there will be no cause for us to doubt of Gods blessing upon them Despaire not then of helpe in thy greatest dejection for there is yet Balme in Gilead and Hope in England And as Shechaniah once said unto Ezra in another case Yet now there is Hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10.2 The which I hope may not unfitly be applyed to us English Natives in these many present and great distractions amongst us For God is more mercifull then we have been sinfull if we can be truely sorrowfull And for the proofe hereof I will declare unto you two examples in the holy Scriptures The one in the time of the Law And the other in the time of the Gospel 1. That in the time of the Law shall be that of Manasseh the King of Judah He was a notorious Malignant against the Lord He committed many horrible and hainous abominations wherewith the Lord was wrathfully displeased against him He shed so much innocent blood till he had filled Jerusalem from one end

the Old World Gen. 7.21 Then the Deluge took his part so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against the beastly Sodomites Gen. 19.24 Then the fire and brimstone from Heaven took his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against the blood-thirsty Aegyptians pursuing the Israelites Exod. 14.28 Then the Red-sea took his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those Rebellious Persons Numb 16.32 Korah Dathan Abiram and their Complices Then the Earth tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those cursed Amorites Iosh 10 11 12 13. warring against the Gibeonites Then the Sunne the Mooone and the Hailestones from Heaven tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction And the Starres also in their courses fought against Sisera Iudg. 5.20 When He fought against those reviling Mockers of the Prophet Elisha 2 King 2.24 Goe up thou bald-head Goe up thou bald-head Then the Beares tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those accusing Idolaters of the Prophet Daniell Dan. 6.24 Then the Lions took his part and so he wrought their Destruction Loe Thus the Lord hath not onely these but also all other Creatures in the world ready at his owne command to fight against wicked Persisters in sinne At the beginning the greatest and strongest Creatures were by Nature and Creation subject to Man but alas now not onely they but also all others both great and small are either become our Enemies or else our Conquerers And what must this then teach us but onely how Odious hatefull and abominable Sinne is in the sight of Almighty God Sinne It was forbidden by God It was condemned by Angells It is revenged by Beasts And punished by Divills It drave Adam out of Paradise It kept Moses from Canaan It destroyed the Inhabitants of Jerusalem And it hath also excluded infinite thousands from the Kingdome of Heaven It was wilfully committed by the disobedience of Man It was willingly redeemed by the life of Christ It was faithfully reproved by the death of Martyrs And yet still it is wickedly maintained by the practice of Multitudes Oh whose heart bleeds not within him to see such a wicked Monster made more account of then all other good things in the world which was hatcht by the Devill fed by the life of Soules and yet still raignes that it might winne Millions of Soules unto Condemnation Shall reasonable Men rescue it when unreasonable Beasts fight against it Every Creature in his kinde cries Vengeance against it It made the Angels Damnable It made the World Abominable It maketh the Beasts Corruptible And it maketh Men Miserable Miserable I say by Birth for they were borne in it Miserable by Life for they are vexed with it And most miserable by Death for then they shall be accursed by it Loe Thus doth the Earth cry woe unto Sinne for it cursed her Thus doth the Heavens hate it for it destroyeth her Children Thus doe the Starres fight against it for it dazleth their Light And thus doe the wilde-Beasts warre against it because it increaseth their Groanes It was the Jewes complaint in their extremity O Lord Ier. 14.7 though our Iniquities testifie against us deal with us according to thy Name for our Rebellions are many we have sinned against thee It was the Wickeds expression in their Calamity for sinne We roare all like beares Esa 59.11 12. and mourne like doves we look for equity but there is none for health but it is farre from us For our trespasses are many before thee and our sinnes testifie against us So that unlesse thou leavest thy Sinnes expect no Peace but look for mourning instead of mirth according to that Curse imposed upon the Jewes for their sinnes declared by the Prophet The Earth lamenteth and fadeth away Esay 24.4 5 6 7 the world is feebled and decayed the proud people of the earth are weakned The earth also deceiveth because of the inhabitants thereof for they transgressed the lawes they changed the Ordinances and brake the everlasting Covenant Therefore hath the Curse devoured the earth and the inhabitants thereof are desolate wherefore the inhabitants of the land are burned up and few men are left The wine faileth the vine hath no might all that were of merry heart doe mourne Thus beloved we see that Sinne is the Cause and Punishment the Effect So that Sublatâ Causâ tollitur Effectus The Cause being taken away the Effect ceaseth And untill then expect no Peace For so long as our hearts are full of Corruptions let us look to have our lives full of Afflictions Afflictions are divine medicines sent from God to correct our corruptions Yea they are Chastisements for sinnes that are past and also Preventions of sinnes that are to come like a Prophylacticke Phlebotomy or a Preservative Purgation And hence is that expression of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 11.32 We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world So that we have here Life and Death set before us performe the Meanes prescribed and we shall live comfortably neglect them and we shall perish miserably Loe this truth the Author of all truth hath expressed Levit. 26.17.18 I will set my face against you and ye shall fall before your enemies and they that hate you shall reigne over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not for these things obey me then will I punish you seven times more according to your sinnes Hence then we may learne that if the former punishments of Pestilence Famine and the Sword which lately have beene amongst us and upon us will not reclaime and reforme us then the Lord will send more and heavier judgements upon us untill we either are converted or confounded And now for a Prevention of Englands Confusion let me speake unto her as once the Lord did by his Prophet Jeremiah unto Jerusalem Jer. 6.8 Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soule depart from thee lest I make thee desolate as a Land that none Inhabiteth So say I both freely and mournfully Be thou instructed O England learne righteousnesse and speedily be reclaimed from all thy wickednesse lest the righteous Lord in displeasure against thee suddenly depart from thee and so thou becommest a Desolation The which Desolation that we may all escape let every one throughout this whole Kingdome seriously examine his owne heart of all those sinnes wherein at this day he stands guilty before the Lord and search and try his wayes and speedily turne unto the Lord our God And for a prevalent Motive hereunto Let all Traitors against the King call to minde Gods just Judgements upon Ahithophell 2 Sa. 17.23 2 Sa. 18.14 1 Sam. 8.3 1 Sa. 4.18 2 Sa. 20.22 Ester 7.10 Rebels upon Absalom Corrupt Judges upon Samuels Sonnes Idle Ministers upon Eli Wicked Magistrates

our President Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the throne of God Heb. 12.2 Oh what a comfortable and joyfull day will that be to thy immortall and pretious Soule when stepping forth of her earthly Prison and speedily conducted by the blessed Angels to the Tabernacle of Heaven she shall rejoycingly be there received by the honourable Companies of that heavenly Consistory viz. with all those blessed Spirits mentioned in the holy Scriptures viz. Angels Arch-angels Vertues Powers Principalities Dominations Thrones Cherubims and Seraphims also with the holy Patriarches Prophets Martyrs Innocents Confessors and Saints of God together with the blessed Apostles and Disciples of Jesus Christ all which shall then greatly triumph and exceedingly rejoyce at her Coronation and Glorification Yea and farre more Happinesse she shall enjoy than all this viz. the Knowledge of the invisible Nature of the most blessed Trinity The All glorious and Beatificall VISION the sight of God which maketh us happy of which St. Augustine saith Haec sold est summum bonum nostrum This SIGHT of God is our onely and chiefest Happinesse in which consisteth the Soveraigne Good and Life of the Soule which no mortall Eye hath seene nor Eare hath heard neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man The which SIGHT of God is the full Beatitude and totall Glorification of Man Loe this is the Happinesse which the Soule of a Christian Spirituall Fighting Conquering Souldier shall for ever enjoy Where she shall sing Hallelujah Praise Rev. 5.13 and Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for evermore Quest But here peradventure some may demand What shall I doe when I have been a long while under the grievous and weighty pressure of many Troubles great Crosses and heavy Afflictions and still continue under them seeing as yet no probability by sublunary assistance of ease in them no likelyhood of freedome from them or Deliverance out of them Answ If this now be or at any time hereafter shall be thy deplorable Condition Loe then I beseech thee in the Bowels of Jesus Christ as a Sympathzing Brother of thy sorrowes murmur not thereat but acknowledge God to be righteous and that thou sufferest justly for thy sinnes and be not sorrowfull because thou sufferest but for the Cause of thy suffering which are thy sinnes which thou hast committed According to that complaining Querie of the Prophet Jeremiah Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sinne Lam. 3.39 And also labour for to live by Faith and not by Sense For the Just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 Ever being mindfull of and also constantly depending upon the Providentiall name of God amongst the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denoteth unto us the speciall Prodience of God towards his children in all their distresses resolving also constantly in thine owne Soule without wavering that whether longer continuance of Life or speedier seizing upon by Death shall befall thee yet notwithstanding according to that comfortable Expression of the Apostle Antid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 The continuall Consideration hereof should serve as a spirituall Antidote to preserve thy afflicted languishing Soule for ever from Despaire And God Almighty who is the onely Physitian both of Soule and Body and can at his pleasure apply a Remedy to every Malady according to each particular Persons severall wants and necessities give a speedy comfortable helpfull healing Blessing to the divine Operation thereof within thee Of which my selfe can speake both comfortably and experimentally who being fast lock't in Prison for my Kingly Fidelity with diverse others of the ministeriall Function and having not any corporall Sustenance allowed us for above forty dayes together wherewith to preserve our languishing naturall Lives they all ended their dayes in the same Prison and shortly after all their Deaths my Body was from Prison enlarged and Life from Death under God thereby preserved Loe thus farre the speciall Providence of God extended unto me when I was wel-nigh brought to the Period of my Life and almost cast into the cruell jawes of devouring Death Blessed be the God of my Life and Liberty for it for ever Beloved a Valiant and Couragious hearted Souldier will not be discouraged at the roaring of Cannons the clashing of Armes the clattering of Weapons or the hideous noise of furious Enemies comming siercely upon him although that military Service be never so sharp or dangerous unto him because he expects to receive some rich Booty to himselfe when the Battell is ended so in like manner a true crucified Christian who hath the blessed Spirit of God in him which is the only Spirit of all true Valour and Courage will not be daunted or dismayed at the comming on of Troubles Crosses or Afflictions how great or many soever they be because he is not left to himself alone as a Souldier in the field when all his pusilanimous spirited fellow-Souldiers have deserted the Service and forsaken him but hath the All-powerfull Lord of Heaven with him compassing him about with his speciall Providence as a never-failing Shield and defensive Buckler to preserve him from perishing onely bringing him into the Field that so he may fight against his Enemies and thereby have the great Glory and rich Reward of a magnanimous spirited and valiant Conquerour In earnall Judgment and the fleshly Eye of humane sense and reason the rich Gluttons case was desirable Luke 16. and poor Lazarus condition despicable but the poor Man was received to Mercy and the rich Man rejected to Judgement And herein beloved we may behold the great grosse and palpable Errour of the carnall mens Judgement of this World who conceive their chiefest Happinesse consisteth in creature Comforts and esteeme it their greatest Delight to swim in the Confluence of all outward good things and account it their principall Felicity to be in the present possession of outward Pomp and earthly Prosperity Loe thus blind erroneous and ignorant are carnall-minded men in their naturall Condition But the Children of God to whom the heavenly light of Truth hath appeared who have been often exercised in Troubles Crosses and Afflictions being crucified Christians living unto God and not to themselves are of a contrary Judgment knowing assuredly that Afflictions are necessary physicall Potions for their Soules to purge out their sinfull Corruptions to try and exercise their Faith and to refine their Soules whereby they may be the fitter Receptacles for the Spirit of God Although the Heaven of Heavens be exceeding High yet notwithstanding the Gate thereof is very Low and none but humble hearted and lowly spirited Persons being crucified Christians shall enter therein Beloved we may not think to goe to Heaven in beds of Downe we must in this Vale of misery passe through an