Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A39251
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The folly of atheism demonstrated to the capacity of the most unlearned reader by Clement Elis ...
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Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700.
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1692
(1692)
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Wing E555; ESTC R17534
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80,333
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176
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a Guide who confesseth himself to be blind 2. When he persuades us to believe there is no GOD it cannot but be very fit to ask again Is it safe so to do Or Is it unsafe to do otherwise He cannot assure us 't is safe to believe there is no GOD because he cannot make us know that there is none And he must needs confess 't is not unsafe to believe there is a GOD because it can do no hurt Is it reasonable then to leave the safe way we are already in that we may follow him into another wherein he cannot promise us any safety at all 3. If he would have us to believe there is no GOD 't is not unreasonable to ask him Why would he have us to believe it Or What good will it do either him or us If it will do neither any good Why should he persuade us or we be persuaded to an unprofitable thing There is danger in it and what reason is there to do what we know 't is dangerous to do till we see what good may come of it 4. If he say 't is fit to believe it merely because 't is a truth We must needs ask again How doth he know 't is a truth But yet 't is in vain to ask him this because 't is impossible for him to tell us how he knows it or to know it And therefore we have yet no reason to believe it is a truth because he only calls it so who doth not know that it is so But suppose it were I hope it may be fit to ask him again Is he in good earnest and would he indeed have us to belive it for a truth If he be not willing we should believe it why doth he tempt us to believe it If he would indeed have us believe it would he not also have us behave our selves as men of that belief If not to what purpose are we to believe it If he would have us behave our selves as men that believe not a GOD then may we do what we will and can we may rob his House take his Money defile his Wife and cut his Throat If he deny this let us ask him What is it that can make it unlawful for us to do any of these things What should restrain men from doing any thing they can for their own advantage This is all that the Atheist can gain by persuading men to be of his Opinion That he lays himself at every man's mercy to deal as he will with him and cannot say That man sins that knocks him on the head for his good advice 2. If there be a GOD every one that is VVise will not only think himself highly concern'd to believe it but so to live and behave himself in the world as may be most pleasing and acceptable to GOD. To what purpose can it be tobelieve that there is a GOD or what good can this belief do us if it do not engage us to live as men who are sensible that they have a GOD over them whom they are concern'd to please in all things Certainly if there be a GOD who made us and all things He must needs be concern'd with us and we with Him And as we can expect no good thing but from Him who is the Author and Disposer of all things so neither can we hope to receive any good thing from him if we do not our endeavour to please Him Why should we thinkHe will bless us according to our desire if we be not careful to serve and honour him according to his Will That therefore we may reap the good and benefit of this so necessary a Belief we are to consider well what it is that we believe and what duty that belief must needs bind upon us That which we believe is That there is a GOD and to be GOD is to be the first Cause and Author the Maker Preserver Lord and Governour of the whole World and all things therein the Fountain of all Power and Wisdom and Goodness and therefore the highest Power the greatest Wisdom and the chief Good Now if GOD be all this then it is very easy for every one to see certain duties lying upon us as we are the creatures of GOD which naturally arise from what we believe even from this one point That there is a GOD. 1. GOD being the first Cause Author and Maker of all things He is the very Fountain and Original of all Being and Life Power Wisdom and Goodness All these are in him originally as in the inexhaustible Spring and Fountain and there can be nothing at all of any of these things in the World but what is derived from him neither can any of these be any longer in the world than it pleaseth him All this must needs be very plain to every Understanding If then we will live as men who are sensible that there is a GOD by whom we live and without whom nothing can have either life or being We must needs First have the highest and most honourable Thoughts of GOD the greatest reverence and esteem for him that can possibly be in the heart of man We are not to conceive of him as of one whose excellencies and vertues tho' they exceed those of any other Being whatsoever are yet contain'd within such or such bounds or limits or are at such a degree and no higher but we are to think of him as of one who in the Perfectictions of the Divine Nature is infinitely above all the thoughts of Men and Angels of incomprehensible Glory and Majesty of boundless Power Wisdom and Goodness such as is to be always admired and adored but never to be fully seen or understood We are however to labour every day to know more and more of him that the more we know the more we may admire and love and rejoyce and even be ravish'd with those unconceivable excellencies which to discern more clearly will be our eternal happiness in Heaven Our hearts therefore should be always fill'd with and our mouths should sound forth the praises of GOD every one singing with the holy Psalmist Bless the LORD O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Psal. CIII 1. Bless the LORD O my soul. O LORD my GOD thou are very great thou art clothed with honour and majesty Psal. CIV 1. While I live will I praise the LORD I will sing praise unto my GOD while I have any being Psal. CXLVI 2. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD Psal. CL. 6. Be thou exalted O GOD above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth Psal. CVIII 5. Blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Neh. IX 5. Secondly It must needs be our Duty to walk humbly before GOD and to abase our selves in his Presence whose eyes are continually open upon us We must always bear in mind that he is our GOD and Maker and we are at best but the work