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 |
|
A54657
|
Happy merchandise or Wisdoms excellency darkly discovered or rather greatly obscured by words without knowledge By Charles Phelps.
|
Phelpes, Charles.
|
1670
(1670)
|
Wing P1978; ESTC R218239
|
66,695
|
104
|
a greater degree of glory afterwards men that delay the applying their hearts to understanding till the evill dayes come they cannot have such opportunity for exalting Wisdome to others and so doing them good as those that heartily imbrace it in their more youthfull dayes and therefore not so much fruit will abound to their account in the day of the Lord. They that are wise will shine as the firmament and they that turne many to righteousness as the starres for ever andever Dan. 12. 3. But. 3. It is needfull for us to seek and get Wisdome and understanding in the present time and dangerous to neglect it because our times are not in our owne hands but in the Lords and we cannot boast our selves of the morrow for we know not what a day may bring forth Prov. 27. 1. In Gods hand is the soule of every living thing and the breath of all manking Job 12. 10. and how many doth he cut off in their full strength being wholy at ease and quiet whose brests are full of milk and their bones moistened with Marrow Job 21. 22 24. and if he cut of or shut up or gather together then who can hinder him Job 9. 12. 13 and 11. 10. and 12. 14. There is no man hath power over the Spirit to retaine the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that warre neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it Eccles 8. 8. And in the grave there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor Wisdome Eccles 9. 10. no hoping for Gods truth Isay 38. 18. None to preach the Gospell or to Commemorate Gods praises Psal 6. 5. and 88. 11 12. and 115 17 18. And besides all this the state of man is then fixt for ever when theydye there is then a great gulfe fixed so that there is no passing from one place or state to another no not forever But as the tree falls so it lies whither toward the south or toward the north In the place where the tree falleth there it shall bee Luk. 16. 26. Eccles 11. 3. Let us consider this according to what the Apostle James saith Go to now ye that say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a city and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine Whereas you know not what will be on the morrow for what is your life It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Therefore because our lives are so uncertaine and brittle to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not in the present season to him it is sin Jam. 4. 13. 17. All that hath been said doth in some measure shew that it is good and needfull for us to search diligently for Wisdome and understanding in the present opportunity And it may be of usefullness to us 1. To shew unto us who are fooles indeed even such as procrastinate and delay their seeking Wisdome such as know not or take no notice of their time Eccles 8. 5 7. They are more bruitish herein then many creatures that have no understanding The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times and the swallow and the turtle and the crane observe the time of their oming but my people saith the Lord know not the judgement of the Lord how doe ye say we are Wise Jerem. 8. 7 9. such are instructed to goe to the Ant and consider her wayes though she be without the understanding that men have yet she provideth her meat in the summer in the proper season Whereas sluggards Whom God teacheth more then the beasts of the earth and maketh wiser then the foules of heaven observe not the proper time Job 35. 11. Nay herein also men are preferred before or have greater advantages then the ants that weak people they have no ruler overseer arguide whereas generally we have some parent or yoke fellow or relation or faitfull friend to Counsell and provoke us to doe whatever our hand findeth to doe with our might Prov. 6. 6 10. Eccles 9. 10. 2. It may exhort us all not to have fellowship with men in their unfruitfull workes of darkness but to redeeme the time especially when the dayes are evill that we may understand what the will of the Lord is Ephes 5. 11 17. and with David to thinke on our wayes and turne our feet to Gods testimonies to make haste and not delay to keep Gods commandements Psal 119. 59 60. And to ingage us hereto consider the last instruction noted in this Affirmation Viz. 4. He is and shall be an happy man that findeth Wisdome and getteth understanding The translatours have put in is and read happy is the man but it is more full left out and read Happy the man that findeth Wisdome c. namely happy now and for ever Happiness is a deliverance from evill and an injoyment of all good according to that Psal 84. 11 12. the Lord God is a sun and sheild and will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Blessed happy as is evident in the former verse is the man that is in such a case so here He that is and shall be thus happy is such an one as findeth Wisdome c. Not that hath found simply but to him that by patient continuance in welldoing seekes for glory c. Rom. 2. 7. to such as alwayes abide in this exercise and are not weary of welldoing he that indureth to the end the same shall be saved Gal. 6. 9. Matth. 10. 22. Otherwise all will be in vaine Men may have run well in former times and yet by some meanes be hindred from Obeying the truth They may draw back after they have begun well and then during such neglect of or departure from this exercise Gods soule shall have no pleasure in them Gal. 3. 1 3. and 5. 7. Hebr. 10. 38. When the righteous man turnes away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live Shall he be happy All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he dye Ezek. 18. 24. But she is a tree of life to all that lay hold on her and happy is every one that retaineth her He that getteth Wisdome loveth his owne soule he that keepeth understanding shall finde good Prov. 3. 18. and 19. 8. Happy is such an one and it shall be well with him for ever Psal 128. 1 2. like to those sayings of our Saviour He that beleiveth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 15 16 18 36. He that cometh to me shall never hunger he that abideth in me shall bring forth fruit but if a man abide not in him he is cast forth as a branch and whitereth and