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	power_n	principality_n	1,953	5	10.9253	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07450	The Christian mans assuring house. And a sinners conuersion Two sermons; the former, preached, before the Prince his Highnesse at St. Iames: the other to his Maiesties houshold at White-hall, on Sunday the 6. of February by George Meriton Doctor of Diuinitie, and Deane of Peterborough.	Meriton, George, d. 1624.	1614 (1614)	STC 17837; ESTC S112663	30,464	58

a true knowledge in our vnderstanding This light this heat this strength of action had this blessed conuert First she knew there was her light Then shee carried a Box of oyntment there was her heat Then she stood she wept she watered she wiped she kissed she annoynted Christs feet Heere was her strength in action Now as the first degree vnto amendment of life is knowledge knowledge of God whom we haue offended and knowledge of our selues who are offendours according to that in the 51 Psalme Wash me O God from mine iniquities and clense me from my sins sayth Dauid why so Because I know mine iniquities and my sinnes are alwaies before me So the second step to Conuersion is presently to goe vnto him that can heale that can pardon that can cure our infirmities Thus went this woman on she had knowledge of Christ and then forthwith she goeth vnto him She knew that her sins were like snakes in her bosome which she would not hauing knowledge of them sleepe with all but by and by labour to rid herselfe from them Vnhappy Pharaoh being plagued with frogges in his Bed in his ouen in his kneading troughes and all his chambers feare caused him to seeke vnto God but when Moses sayd vnto him Exodus 8. 9. verse When shall I pray for thee that these frogges may be destroyed he answereth in the tenth verse that he should doe it to Morrow It had beene fitter for a man in his case to haue requested Moses to pray presently but hee was content to deferre and put off his deliuerance Many are there in the worlde at this day iust of Pharaohs stampe who hauing their sinnes croking in their consciences as the frogges crawled in Pharaohes chambers are yet contented to delay their Conuersion from day to day To Morrow say they or some time heereafter will serue the turne But Marie was of another minde for being a woman whose vsuall commendation is to keepe at home the leaueth her owne house beeing a sinner she steppeth into the house of a Pharisie who could not abide the presence of a Sinner she made no bones contrary to the rule of modesty to thrust herselfe amongest a company that sat at meat nothing could withhold her from the house where her Sauiour was vir● egeno inutilis pud●r sayth the Prouerbe ouermuch shamefastnesse is no profitable vertue for a beggar Marie therefore takes not counsell with the world shee respects not the speech of men which many times cause vs to surcease from good actions she feared not the mockes and scoffes of the Pharisies she stayed not till Christ had dined and come foorth with his disciples she forgat circumstances of behauiour And remembred nothing but God and her sinnes when shee knew where Christ was shee could not rest till shee came vnto him Why could she not haue inuited Christ vnto her owne house as Matthew and Zache did who were also sinners She knew that hee receiued sinners did eat with sinners I but Mary made more haste then so shee had fire in her bowels the Spirit of God was as a flame within her Beside she was an humbled and a broken hearted sinner deeming herselfe now vnwoorthy to receiue Christ vnder the roofe of her house if like a dog she might wait at his feet and there receiue but the crums of his goodnes mercy she thought that enough for her A notable example for vs to follow teaching vs in our necessities both 〈◊〉 whom and how to goe euen to ru●…e vnto our God with a broken heart So did the Centurion in the third verse of this Chapter So did the Cananitish woman Math. 15 So Dauid in all his troubles Lord sayeth he Psalme 143. Deliuer mee from all mine enemies for I hide mee vnder the shadow of thy wings that I may bee defended by thy power So did Moses and Aaron who to auoide the Rage of the people betooke themselues vnto the Tabernacle of their God Numb 16. Vnto this course are wee inuited by our Sauiour himselfe in the 11. of Mathew Come vnto mee you that trauell and are heauy laden and I will refresh you Who euer cried vnto God and was not heard who euer sought him with his heart and did not finde him who euer shrowded himselfe vnder the shadow of his wings and was not protected by him As a father is pittifull vnto his owne children so hath the Lord mercy of them that feare him hee knoweth whereof wee are made hee remembreth that we are but dust When Kings are in their Courts and keepe their Priuy Chambers none may speake vnto them nor yet approch neere them but Nobles and parsonages of great account but if they walke into the fieldes take a iourney or ride a hunting euery shepheard and Peasant of the Country may haue free accesse and speake his minde So may wee say of Christ being in his glory in the Court of heauen in the Chamber of his Maiesty those who familiarly neerely conuersed with him were Angels Archangels Principalities and Powers but being made man and become a Traueller in this worlde Publicans Theeues Harlots notorious Sinners they came vnto him He speaketh he giueth audience to them for Mary a great Sinner resorted vnto him and was receiued The Pelagian heretikes for that Mary went vnto Christ conclude from hence that man hath free wil and power in his owne nature to seeke after God But the truth is that he who receiued Mary did also make her come Therefore doth Gregory call Christ both trahentem and suscipientem the drawer and the receiuer Riuers runne howerly into the Sea yet doth not the Sea thereby ouerslow the banckes because as the Preacher tells vs out of the Sea did they first proceed Secretly doth the Sea by pores and hidden veines send his waters out publikely by riuers receiueth them home againe Euen so did Christ with this woman he called her secretly he instilled deuotion loue repentance into her heart he called her vnto him by priuate inspiration but he receiued her openly as the Sea doth the riuers The gifts of grace which after an inuisible manner did issue from him by a visible returning were made acceptable vnto him Surely if Christ had not called Mary had neuer thought of comming The spirit came saith Ezechiel in his second chapter and set me vpon my feet If the spirit had not entred the prophet had not been raised neither can sinners rise till Gods spirit raise them vp they cannot goe till they be mooued They are not vnlike the Eccho in the wood for as the Eccho hath no power to speake first but onely to answer so is it with all kinde of sinners Gods voice must sound before they haue power to speake He must draw before they can obey Hee must often call yet will they slowly answer And herein also doe they resemble the Eccho which though many words be spoken yeelds but few againe Mary then being priuately called did openly come

other from the meanes wherby it is perswaded vnto vs. They find it in some cōfortable feelings which are oftimes deceiptfull We hold it by way of pledge as an ernest in a bargain which putteth all out of question 2 Cor 1.22 They tell this vs is arrogācy we with S. Austin S. Austin de verbis D●…m serm 28. say this is faith they pride We deuotion And albeit this assurance be in some more euident in some more obscure according to the measure of the receit of that which giueth testimony yet are the sonnes of God sealed with au Eternall and inuiolable Character in the beholding whereof they haue an assurance of life Wee know saith S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 3.2.14 that he abideth in vs wee know that we are of the truth We know that when hee shall appeare we shall be like vnto him We know that we are of God Heere is then no morall supposition no variable conceipt of Man which begets anxi●ty and perplexity of minde 1. Ioh. 5.19 But Scientia a knowledge which giueth an entrance vnto the Thrane of Grace with boldnesse How Now our last Question and greatest is how this our assurance may be obtained The generality of the meanes saith my Text is Diligence Giue rather diligence we must not stand all the day idle in the market An put as dormitanti tibi Confecturos Deos Doth any man thinke it shall be thrust into his pocket There belongs more vnto it then hold and haue it The Kingdome of heauen comes not by obseruation Diligence that industrious workemaister must build our assurance ●or iustum est saith Gregorie vt illi consequantur stipendium qui suum commodare reperiuntur obsequium The Labourer is worthy of his hire And as Diligence our carefull endeauour is the meanes in generall so in particular must we carry this Item with vs that in our first setting out we mount not too high Qui nescit viam ad Mare Amnem sibi queras Comitem saith the Poet. The surest way to finde out the Sea is to be guided by a Riuer The beginning of our search must be in our selues and so must we goe vp as by Iacobs ladder to the counsell of our God For in our selues hath God set signes and testimonies of our Calling Election which will not deceiue vs. Heere therefore is our Diligence our trauaile our labour to be bestowed The tokens or testimonies which God hath giuen vs are three two within vs One without vs. Within vs wee haue first a testimonie of Gods Spirit Then another of our owne The Spirit of God saith S. Paul Rom. 8.16 beareth witnesse together ther with our Spirits that we are the sonnes of God Without vs is our new obedience Make your Election sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by good workes so it is in the vulgar transtations And as this well agreeth with the scope of the Text so doth Master Beza confesse that hee sawe two Greeke mannscripts wherein these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were expressed One witnesse sayth Baldus is no witnesse vni testi ne Catoni quidem credendum est sayth S. Hierome In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euery truth stand God therefore hath prouided for vs a threefolde that is a perfect euidence For as the number of three is compleate which is contained in a beginning in a middle in an ending So is this euidence funiculus triplex a perfect testimonie Begunne by Gods Spiritte Seconded with our owne and ended with good workes Our first euidence in Gods spirit Et vbi Spiritus testatur ambiguitas non relinquitur saith Chrisostome in his fourteenth Homely vpon the Romans And this testimonie of the Spirit is without exception neither Deceiuing nor deceiued not deceiung for it is the Spirit of truth Not deceiued for it searcheth all things euen the deepe things of God If an Angel should come from heauen vnto vs as he did to Marie and tell vs in the name of God that we were called elected would we stand in doubt Rather would we not esteeme him a Messenger of most ioyfull tidings But so much the more certaine is the testimony of Gods Spirit by how much hee is more acquainted with the minde of God then an Angel is and can lesse deceiue Yet howsoeuer as Paul witnesseth 1. Tim. 4. the Spirit speaketh euidentlie such for all that is our naturall presumption as many dreame they are Rich when in truth they are but poore boast of the Spirit and are well perswaded of their Calling and ●…ection when they are nothing lesse Yea dye in a gr●…t conceipt of saluation and yet are damned A g●…e the sleights of the Diuell are strong illusions He foisteth in many times another testimony than euer God gaue vnto vs especially working vpon the weake heart of man which being full of selfe loue is easily perswaded of any good to it selfe Two things then for our better security must be obserued First how the testimony of the spirit is framed in vs Secondly how it may be discerned by vs. It is not framed by extraordinary infusion or by Enthusiasme that is ordinary reuelation without the word It is no suddaine act in the soule or hasty conclusion without discourse but made by application of the promise of the Gospell in the forme of a practique silogisme The proposition whereof is this whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ is called is chosen to euerlasting life This is the word of promise which is opened and applied to the heart by the Ministers of the Gospell set apart for that purpose Now whilest a hearer of this word giues himselfe to meditate and consider of the same comes the spirit of God and enlightens his eies and opens his heart and giues him a double power One is a will to beleeue and the other to beleeue indeed and that in such a sort as a man with freedom of spirit shall be able to make the assumption and say But I beleeue in Christ I trust not to my selfe all my ioy and comfort is in him And hence ariseth the blessed conclusion which is the testimony of the spirit Therfore am I the child of God called and elected vnto euerlasting life This is the frame of it Now as the operation of an Angell of God may be discerned from the Spirit of God by the working for as S. Bernard speaketh Angelus suggerit spiritus ingerit So the way to discerne the Spirit of God from naturall presumption or sathanicall illusion is by effects Ex fructibus cognoscetis saith our Sauiour ye shall know it by the fruits The fruits to discouer it are especially two Couched together by S. Paul in one peece of a verse Rom. 8. It makes vs crie Ahba that is Father The first fruit is to crie to pray earnestly out of a touched heart with asence and feeling of sinne We are not able to pray of our selues saith the Apostle It is the spirit