Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	bless_v	lord_n	praise_n	6,339	5	9.8316	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96298	A thankefull remembrance of Gods mercy to several persons at Quabaug or Brookfield partly in a collection of providences about them, and gracious appearances for them: and partly in a sermon preached by Mr. Edward Bulkley, Pastor of the Church of Christ at Concord, upon a day of thanksgiving, kept by divers for their wonderfull deliverance there. Published by Capt. Thomas VVheeler. [Five lines from Psalms]	Wheeler, Thomas, ca. 1620-1676.; Bulkley, Edward, d. 1696.	1676 (1676)	Wing W1600; ESTC W35426	40,779	64

us 6thly It is a most Heavenly duty the very work of the Saints in Heaven When all other work Ceaseth this shall not Cease to all Eternity The more you are in the Exercise of this Spiritual Service the more there is of the Life of Heaven upon Earth This day you meet together to praise the Name of the Lord who were together in such a danger that you almost despaired of Life as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.8 Look that your praises be such that God may be well pleased with them and with you in the performance of this Service 1. Let them be Cordial with the heart yea with the whole heart Psal 9.1 1. See that your hearts be taken up with an Admiration of Gods favour and Bounty towards you as David Psal 139.14 Admire the Lords sparing delivering and restoring mercy 2. All our Service and worship of God must be with the heart and from the heart God calls for the Heart in all Prov. 23.26 He would have the Heart in prayer praise hearing the word and all other performances the Lord is n Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth John 4.24 2. Let them be Verbal Psal 34.1 and 51.15 Hos 14.2 We will Render the Calves of our lips 1. In singing Psalms a duty in Gospel times Col 3.16 And then most seasonable when God gives Cause of Rejoycing in his mercies James 5.13 If any be merry let him sing Psalms Psal 126.1 2. when the Lord turned the Captivity of Zion c. our mouth was filled with Laughter and our Tongues with singing 2. In declaring Gods goodness unto others Extolling his Name speaking of his loving kindness Psal 66.18 Come hither saith the Prophet all you that fear God and I will tell what he hath done for my Soul What Deliverances I have received and Victories I have obtained what Answers of prayer I have had So Psal 145.21 my mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord c. In Luk. 8.38 39. Christ Commands the man out of whom he had cast the Devils to shew how great things God hath done for him 3. Let them be real praises praise him not only in our words but in all our wayes living to the honour of his Name which is called upon us and of the Gospel professed by us Phil. 1.27 Only let your Conversation be at becomes the Gospel of Christ That is a main thing to be attended to Psal 50.23 He that will offer praise aright must also order his Conversation aright Confession and Conversation must go together in a thankful man Psal 116.8 9. I will walk before God in the Land of the living Inward Affection must be manifested in our outward Conversation Therefore look well to your wayes Elder and younger walk holily and Righteously live soberly Righteously and godly in this present world else all your praises are vain The Lord will not accept them Let our praises be Continual Psal 34.1 and Psal 63.4 I will bless thee while I live Rest not in the work of a day but remember Gods mercies all your dayes Be not like the Israelites Psal 106.12 They sang his praises but soon forgot his works You that are young remember the Lord in your best dayes and let us all both Elder and younger remember him all our dayes Remember him to Love him serve honour and glorifie him Remember your Promises and Engagements to him If we remember not his mercies to praise him he will remember our Ingratitude against him therein by Cutting us short of his blessings and plaguing us with his Judgements 5. Let all our Sacrifices of praise be offered up to God in the Name of Jesus Christ that so they may be a sweet savour before him God smelled a sweet savour in Noahs Sacrifice after that wonderful preservation from the Floud of waters Gen. 8.20 Noah looked to Christ Heb. 13.15 Col. 3.17 In him God will be well pleased with you And that Testimony you shall have one day from him that you pleased him in your returns to him Let us thus now Render to God whiles we are here on Earth and we shall Reap the Fruit of all in the great day of Christs appearance when God will Render to every one according to their works Rom. 2.6 7. Then those that have carefully observed all Gods dispensations about them and been follicitous what to Render to him giving up themselves to him Loving fearing and obeying him walking in holy Fellowship with him in his own Appointments they shall be received by him into his Everlasting Kingdome there to be with him singing praises to him that sits on the Throne and to the Lamb for Evermore FINIS

observe not only some but All his Benefits Though one mercy should raise our Hearts to Heaven yet the more to quicken and enlarge them we should take notice of All the variety of them as praise is a difficult duty so it is difficult raising our hearts to the duty We are dull and Listless to all duty but especially to Thankfulness We are slow to go to God for mercy in our Troubles and Distresses but more slow to Return praise after Deliverances vouchsafed Hence that Expression in Psal 107. Psal 8.15 21 31. Oh that men would praise the Lord as if he should say It 's rather to be wished then expected Luke 17.17 18. There were Ten cried Lord have mercy upon us but only one Returned to give Thanks to Jesus Christ when cured The second part of the Doctrine Gracious and Humble Hearts observing Gods goodness towards them are studious and Sollicitous what to Return to him So the Prophet here what shall I Render to the Lord c. so 2 Sam. 7.1 when God had brought him to Rest in his Kingdome after so many wandrings he was studying how to advance the honour of God who had done so great things for him had so delivered him so advanced him to honour and Renown 1 Thes 3.9 what Thanks saith the Apostle can we Render c. The Reasons hereof are Reason 1. From the Consideration of the Nature of the Benefits Gods people enjoy The Prophet here may well say what shall I Render c. and so may every Child of God say All that are in Covenant with him what shall we Render for the Benefits we have received from our God 1. They are great mercies even very great as the promises of good to be given are great Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 so the good promised and bestowed They are great favours especially in spiritual blessings He gives great Deliverances as Psal 18.50 he doth great Things for his as Psal 71.19 and 86.13 2dly They are very many There is an All of them as in the Text an All that is beyond Expression Psal 139.14 more in number then the sand There is a multitude of them This was an Aggravation of Israels sin that they remembred not the multitude of Gods mercies Psal 106.7 3dly They are Everlasting mercies Psal 136. In every verse thy mercy endures for ever Gods people see and acknowledge Everlasting mercy even in outward and temporal blessings much more in spiritual and Eternal Because though the mercies themselves do not Indure for ever yet the Foundation of all to Gods people is Everlasting grace mercy And besides even these do in some degree tend to further their Everlasting blessedness helping them on in their way to their Fathers house in heaven therefore there is Reason to study and be Sollicitous what to render to God for them Reason 2. From the Consideration of the person from whom the Blessings and Deliverances come and to whom the Return is to be made and that is the Lord what shall I Render to the Lord for His Benefits 1. All the good we enjoy is from the Lord we are the Receivers He the giver They are his Benefits yea the gifts of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings the great and mighty God who Inhabits the Throne of glory Oh that the God of glory should have any respect to us dust and Ashes that he should do so great things for us worthless ones Psal 113.5 6 7. who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on High who humbleth himself c. He raiseth the poor out of the Dust c. A good look from a Prince or some other great and honourable person is more then a greater thing from a meaner person 2dly Our Returns are to be made to the Lord and therefore we had need be Careful what we present to him This Reason God himself gives why he Curseth the deceiver who hath a male in his Flock and offereth to God a corrupt thing because he is a great King Mal. 1.14 and therefore he sharply reproves them for offering the halt and blind vers 8. Persons are usually Careful how they carry themselves towards a great man in returning Thanks to him for favours received from him much more here ought there to be Care The Return is to be made to God Solomon gives this Reason of the magnificence of the house he was to Build It was for the Lord who is a great and glorious one 2 Chr. 2.5 Any manner of house would not serve the turn the best Timber and stone must be provided and it must be wrought in the best manner and by the most Skilful persons that could be procured This was Abels Commendation that he brought of the Firstlings of his Flock and of the fat thereof Gen. 4.4 and to him God had Respect and to his Offering Reason 3. From the Consideration of the person that is to make the Return to God what shall I Return I that am so unworthy of the least mercy I that have had so many mercies so great Deliverances I that am notable to Render any thing beseeming his Majesty I that am under so many Bonds and Obligations I that am so priviledged by God what shall I Render c. Hence that Expression 2 Sam. 17 18 19 20. What can David say c. David the youngest of all my Fathers Sons and yet was preferred before them David that was a Shepard and now advanced to Regal dignity David that was so persecuted by potent and cruel Enemies and hath been so graciously and wonderfully preserved This makes a thankful heart studious especially Considering these three things therewith 1. All that we can Return is but little to his mercies but mites for Talents words for wonders All is as nothing 2dly What we Return to God is and by Reason of sin indwelling will be mixt with many Imperfections our best Services are but as torne Rags menstruous Cloaths Isai 64.6 Even our Robes our best Services need washing in the Blood of the Lord Revel 7.14 3dly All that we can give to God is His own and is but little of his own and therefore the Saints are sensible of their own Inability to make any meet Requital to God Mark holy Davids Expressions after his and the Princes offering towards the Building of the Temple 1 Chron. 29.10 to 15. vers a full place to prove all these three particulars before mentioned Use I. By way of Instruction or Information Instruct 1. A Soul in a thankful frame in a Tune of Thanksgiving can never be sufficiently satisfied in thinking and speaking of Gods mercies and favours towards him The Prophet had before in this Psalm spoken of Gods goodness towards him acknowledged his Bounty what God had done for him yea again and again repeated it and yet he is here still at the same work in the Text What shall I Render c. yea again Psal 16.17 How great hath Gods goodness been in hearing prayer

to afflict him with Warrs Learn to trust in God in the most deadly dangers Let him be your Refuge in all Storms He is able to keep that which is committed to him To him belong the Issues from death Psal 68.26 9. Make this Return to God for all his Bounty and mercy to you to make God your exceeding joy as David did Psal 43 4 and to rejoice in him the God of your Salvation yea the God of all Salvations Temporal Spiritual and Eternal You cannot praise the Lord aright nor walk worthy of him except you rejoyce in him Psal 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord you Righteous for praise is comely for the upright This duty is urged upon the Saints Phil. 3.1 and 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say Rejoyce We should not only rejoyce before the Lord in his blessings that he vouchsafeth us as Life health Corn c. Deut. 12.12.18 That God alloweth yea enjoyneth his people but Rejoyce in the Lord Let not our joy be Carnal in our preservation from death in the Life 's of our Relations in Crops houses Lands Children but let our joy be Spiritual Let not our chief joy be in Church Priviledges and Ordinances but on Christ Jesus Such are the true Circumcision who rejoyce in Christ Josus and put no Confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3.3 Psal 97 12. Rejoyce not in sin that is an ill Requital the pleasures of sin are but for a Season and that joy will End in sorrow but Rejoyce in the Lord and that joy can no man take from you And that we may the more rejoyce in him Let us endeavour to be more clearing up our Interest in him as our God in Christ Jesus That we may be able to say as Psal 48.14 This God of Salvation is our God well may they rejoyce in God that have him for their God for then he will be their guide unto death their God for ever ever 10. and Lastly Render to God praise and Thanksgiving so the Prophet promiseth in verse after the Text I will take the Cup of Salvation wherein he alludes to their solemn feasts wherein they had Cups and in the use of them they returned praise to God for the blessing they had received from him Commemorate Gods mercies to our selves and others and praise his great his holy and Reverend Name this we are frequently exhorted to Psal 22.25 And 61.8 And 107 13 14 15 you were as prisoners shut up for a time but God hath brought you out into a large place Oh give Thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for Ever Moi 1. God hath given you your desires and Answered your prayers therefore do you Answer his Expectation what Cause have you to bless the Name of the Lord Psal 66 19 20 so David verily God hath heard me he hath been Attentive to the voice of my prayer Blessed be God which hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me as Hannah said to Eli 1 Sam. 1 27. For this Child I prayed c so may we say for this mercy I prayed for this deliverance for this Return to our Habitations and Relations for this dayes liberty we sought the Lord and he hath given us our hearts desire he might have made more breaches continued our distresses longer let therefore the Redeemed of the Lord say The Lord is good and gracious for his mercy endures for ever 2. This is the way to keep and hold Gods blessings still with us It is via Conservandi God will not take away his mercies from us from the Country if we Return praise to him They giving God his Rent the Tribute he expects he will not turn them out of doors not strip us of his Benefits By giving praise we glorifie him Psal 50.23 He that offereth or sacrificeth praise glorifies me He acknowledgeth his glorious Attributes as in going to God by Petition so in the Sacrifice of praise and gratulation 1. In praising him we give him the glory of his goodness in the Communication of good to us Psal 119.68 Thou art good and dost good c. Bonum est sui diffusivum It is the nature of goodness to be Communicative 2. The glory of his mercy in pittying us in our miscry doing so much for us who had plunged our selves into a Sea of misery Confessing our own Indignity we acknowledge all to be from mercy Lam. 3.22 as the Church then so may we say now It is the Lords mercy we are not consumed 3. The glory of his wisdome in ordering all Events for his peoples good and ruling all the world for his Churches benefit All is theirs 1 Cor. 3.21 22. 4. The glory of his power in Effecting all those things for us which we our selves could not do we cannot help our selves with any mercy not make the Sun to rise a drop of Rain to fall nor Cause the Earth to bring forth c. All is the work of God 1 Chron. 29.11 12. Isai 26.12 5. The glory of his Truth in his Word making good the same to us and to his Church Rev. 15.3 so in that Song after their Victory over the Beast Just and true are thy wayes Mot. 3. This will open Gods heart and hand to give more and so it is medium impretandi a means to prevail for more mercies 2 Chron. 20.22 And when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set Ambushments against the Children of Ammon c. a man puts in but a Bucket full of water into a Pump but it returneth more The more praise we return the more good shall we receive A thankful Christian is a blessed Christian would you have future mercies be thankful for present mercies say not If I had such a mercy I could be thankful and praise the Name of the Lord praise him for what thou hast received and thou maiest have more God will showr down his blessings of grace and goodness upon thee 4thly These praises of God rightly performed are very acceptable to God They are delitiae Caeli God delights in them Heb. 13.15 Psal 69.30 31. And that should make us more delight in this duty because it is so pleasing to God Psal 22.3 He Inhabits the praises of Israel He loves to sit by them and to hear them when their hearts are in Tune when they sound forth his high praises 5thly It is a signe that the good things which we enjoy are given as blessings from the hand of a Fathers love when they work this in us to carry up our Affections to be much in blessing him for them A man may abound in good things which are in themselves blessings and yet be no blessing to him that hath them but be turned into Curses How may I know will some say that this and that gift these deliverances are blessings to us even hereby when they work this disposition in us to bless and praise the Lord who hath so blessed