Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A07953
|
The devout soules search with the happie issue of comfort found : in a sermon, preached at Paules Crosse, Ian. 14. 1610 / by Thomas Myriell ...
|
Myriell, Thomas, d. 1629.
|
1610
(1610)
|
STC 18323; ESTC S1309
|
34,861
|
106
|
is not able to extenuate loue Faith and hope two great victors c 1. Cor. 13.13 but the geeatest of these is loue 1. Cor. 13.13 The greatest though not for the d NoÌ„ propter eminentiam sed propter permanentiam August emineÌ„cie here in this life yet for the permanency when this life is done Which threefold strengh of loue is well exemplified in these three holie women who loued Christ in his life and e Luc. 8.3 ministred vnto him of their substaÌ„ce Lu. 8.3 Loued him at his death f Ioh. 19.25 wept for him at his Crosse Ioh. 19.25 Loued him after death g Mar. 16 1. and ran with oyntments and odours to embalme him in his graue Mar. 16.1 Where their forward deuotion beeing preuented by his early resurrection and their sorrowful eies in stead of his dead bodie presented with the sight of a glorious Angell suddenly their hearts were filled with as much new fear as before they were cloyed with old vexing griefe But hee which defraudes not good intention of the due incouragemeÌ„t neither denies simple deuotion of her right instruction purposely sent his Angell both to direct theÌ„ against their errour to comfort them against their feare which made the Angell according to his charge kindely to bespeake them saying Be not afraid yee seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified c. In which words Right honorable Right worshipfull and welbeloued Christians we may consider two things First the persons speaking or doing Secondly the matter spoken or done The persons in these words But hee saide vnto them And they are two The Angell directing the women enquiring The matter in these wordes Be not afraid ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was c. And it is threefold First the Angells consolation Be not afraid Secondly the womens enquisition Ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified Thirdly Christs resurrection He is risen he is not here behold the place where they put him Of these in order And first of the persons Touching the first of the two persons Our Euangelists heere calleth him h Mar. 16 5. a young man Mark 16.5 But Saint Matthew plainely chap. 28.2 calleth him i Mat. 28.2 the Angell of the Lord. An Angell then it was in the forme of a youÌ„g man which outward forme Angels sometimes vsed as one vseth a garment to put on and off at pleasure as also their eating of meate done saith Saint Augustine k August ad Deogratias Epist 49. non necessitate sed potestate not by any necessitie which was in themselues but by a power which they had from God vsing things agreeable with vs and carrying themselues suteable vnto vs that their strangenesse might not be terrible but their familiaritie comfortable This Angel therefore being sent to comfort not to astonish tooke on him the forme of a young man in his apparition to these most deuout women Of a man a forme customable that he might not affright of a young man a forme amiable that hee might delight Now the word Angell signifieth a messenger A name saith Augustine l August in Psal 104. Ex eo quod est spi iâ—u est ex eo quod agit ang luâ— est Ibid. officij non naturae declaring an Office not describing a nature For in that he is he is a spirit in that he is sent he is an Angell but a name wel beseeming those pure louing and ready spirits who alwayes beholding Gods face in heauen are readie to execute his commaund on earth The chiefe of all Gods creatures excellent in all things but for three things most excelleÌ„t that is to say purenes of substance readines of obedience feruentnes of charitie Which three things the Psalmist couertlie notes Psal 104.4 m Ps 104.4 He maketh his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire Hee maketh them spirits there is their pure substance He maketh theÌ„ Ministers there is their readie obedience he maketh theÌ„ a flame of fire there is their heate of loue But Moyses declares these thinges more plainely in the making of the Cherubims which were placed ouer the mercy-seate in the Temple These he made n Exo. 25.19 of the purest golde with their wings stretched out and their faces one towardes another Exod. 25.19 Of the purest gold there is the dignitie of their substance for of all mettalls gold is most excellent With their wings stretched out there is the readines of their obedience for of all creatures winged are swiftest With their faces one towards another there is the feruentnesse of their charitie for of all the gestures of the body none is so amiable as kindly to behold him in sight to whom we are beholden of dutie That their nature is pure their mansion declares o Mat. 18 10. For they alwayes behold the face of God in heauen Matth. 18.10 Into whose presence no impure thing can be admitted p Reu. 21.27 Reuel 21.27 Hence for their shining they are called Starres and for their brightnes in shining q Iob. 38.7 Starres of the morning Iob. 38.7 That their obedience is swift their name declares A quo dominatio ab eo denominatio From the the qualitie super-eminent is the name deriued Hauing then the name of a messenger they are signified to be most diligent in executing a message Hence as for brightnes they are compared to the starres so for swiftnes they are likened to the windes r Psal 18.10 Hee rode vpon Cherub and did flie hee came flying vpon the wings of the wind Psalm 18.10 That their charitie is most seruent the scripture is euident For euery way they desire our welfare Touching our inward estate so much wish they our greatest good that they ioy in our Å¿ Luc. 15.10 conuersion to God Luk. 15.10 Not only for that by the conuersion of good men i Iacob de vorag dom 3. post Tri. their number is made vp againe u Stell in Luc. 15.10 Nor yet onely for that they see such a glorious fruit of their custodie and charge that men by repentace forsake the Tents of vngodlines like good Christian Souldiours warre vnder the banner of Christ But also for that by the conuersion of the faithful * Chrysost in Matth. bom 1. Facta est vna omnium perixtio saith Saint Chrysostome there is made a mixture of all creatures together the Angels ioyne company with men in praising God on earth as it fell out when Christ was borne and men are added to the quiers of holy Angels in heauen as it comes to passe when a Christian dies For our outward estate they waite on vs as if they were more ours then their owne a Mat. 18.10 See saith our Sauiour that yee despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you their Angels doe alwaies behold the face of my father which is in heauen Mat. 18.10 Iustly he saith their Angels for they are
Eue signifieth life and Marie importeth bitternesse but they were both coÌ„trarie to their names for Eue in stead of life brought death and Marie in steed of bitternesse brought sweetnes Now these women were the reporters and proclaimers of this benefite The gloriousest message that euer was was first committed to a woman because the woman first hasted to heare it As Marie was the meane betweene God and man to beare Christ and bring meanes of saluation so these women were the meane betweene the Angell and men to preach Christ and bring newes of the resurrection As there was a progresse in the denunciation of death from the diuell to the woman from the woman to the man so there was a processe in the anunciation of life from the Angell to the women from the women vnto men For a Missae ab angelo opus faciant Evangeli siae factaque Apostole apostoloruÌ„ festiuantad annunciandum mane miseritordiam dominâ— Bern. super Cant. Ser. 75. sent from a Angell they doe the worke of an Euangelist and being made Apostles to the Apostles they goe forth with speed to sing the mercies of the Lord betimes in the morning b Quae prima iuit ad culpam nuÌ„e prima currit ad veniam Ludolp de vit Chri. patt 2. cap. 71. The woman therefore which first fell to transgression doth now first fell to transgression doth now first bring newes of remission and she which at first brought death into paradise doth now first of all fetch life from the sepulchre c Id ibid. Contenders de morte rapere vitam quae offendens de vita rapuit mortem contending saith one out of death to fetch life which before offending out of life did bring death Thirdly it was decencie Decencie two waies First naturally which allowes it neither for customable nor commendable for matrons to goe alone And indeed in so heauy a case as death at so vnwoÌ„ted a season as night to so dismall a place as the graue if they had gone single they might haue fainted and fallen d Eccle. 4.7 vasoli saith the Preacher Eccl. 4.7 Woe be to him that is alone especially if he be alone in his woe Therefore as all had lost so all sought and happily blessedly all found Secondly spiritually which required that amidst so many enemies of the resurrection sufficient witnesse should be produced to confirme the truth thereof Now the scripture saith e Deu. 19.15 in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word shall stand Deu 19.15 Two then might haue serued but here were three and f Eccle. 4.12 a three-fold cord is not easily broken Eccle. 4 12. In a word then As deuotion stirred vp these women to seeke and finding incouraged their deuotion so let precept moue vs to be deuout that practise may bring vs to the like blessed finding A first we all shamed not to imitate woman in following the diuell to damnation let vs now much lesse shame to imitate these women in running to Christ for saluation Though they be women their example is notable Peter himselfe at their word ran out Iohn not onely runnes out with Peter but g Ioh. 20.4 out-runnes him Ioh. 20.4 Peter hath his name from Petra a rocke and yet he relented at the loue of Christ but h O grauiores saxo plumbo quos ta ti a noris vinculum non tâ—â—bit fâ—rsum ad deum ex quo prins tâ—aâ—it deum corsum ad homines â—nselme lib. de simil Oh harder and heauier than stone and lead are their hearts saith Anselme who are not drawne from earth to loue God in heauen by that band which drew God out of heauen to loue man on earth The graue of Christ is our hiding place As the beastes that are hunted by men flie into dennes and holes of the earth for safetie against the furie of dogges so let vs which are become like the beastes that perish when we are hunted by Sathan that mightie Nimrod flie hide our selues in the graue of Christ There and no where else i Et Reuera vb firma tutaque secutitas est oisi iâ— vulucribus Saluatoris Bern super Cant. Serm. is firme and safe securitie to be found It is his promise he will not shrinke froÌ„ it Trie him O feeble soule in thy greatest need k Psal 91.3 he shall preserue thee from the snare of the hunter Ps 91.3 Thus much touching the persoÌ„s The matter follows first of the Angells consolation Be not afraid At the first hearing whereof peraduenture some may be afraid that it is not the voice of a good Angell from heauen it sounds so like the rotten stay of securitie which the Diuell gaue our first parents to rest on earth wheÌ„ he said Ye shall not die at all l Gen. 3.5 Gen. 3.5 For doth not the Scripture by precept commaund Feare Do not all holie men by practise commend it Was it not at first created and framed a qualitie in the soule of man Was it not afterwardes an affection in the soule of him which was both God man Hearken deare Christians He saith not Feare not at all but he meaneth m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne auonito stupore exterreamini Feare not too much And indeed in this dutie great discretion is to be vsed Therefore the scripture sometime saith Feare sometimes againe Be not afraid Feare for too little feare is want of grace Be not afraid too much feare is want of faith Feare too little feare is presumption Be not afraid too much feare is desperatioÌ„ And this very precept Be not afraid instructs vs in three points First who it is that ought to be feared Not men not Angells not diuels but God only The seruant feares not his fellowes in the familie but n Mal. 1.6 Mal. 1.6 God is Paterfamilias maister of the familie and the Angells be o Reu. 22 9 our fellow seruants Reu 22 9. Againe whom we must worship him must wee feare for feare is a speciall part of Gods worship But p Mat. 4 10. Thou must worship the Lord thy God onely and him alone serue Matth. 4.10 Therefore the Lord God must onely be feared Secondly who it is that ought to feare Not such as q Custodes quideÌ„ digni sunt qui â—erreâ—ntur vos autem discipulae domini ne terreâ—mini The op in Mat. 8. seek Christ like these blessed women but such as kill Christ like the cursed Iewes As there is a twofold composition of men that is of pride and humilitie so there is double disposition in God of Iustice mercie He which is r Lactant. Instâ—t lib. 1. cap. 1. ergâ—pios indulgentissimus Pater a most louing and gentle Father to the righteous the same is also aduersus impios rectissimus iudex A most seuere and iust iudge to the wicked And heere the verse same God by his Angel so frighted the wicked