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	zion_n	2,766	5	12.0182	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29748	Christ the way and the truth and the life, or, A short discourse pointing forth the way of making use of Christ for justification and especially and more particularly for sanctification in all its parts, from Johan. XIV, vers. VI : wherein several cases of conscience are briefly answered, chiefly touching sanctification / by John Brown.	Brown, John, 1610?-1679.	1677 (1677)	Wing B5028; ESTC R27232	262,893	482

the body of death The objecter would consider that having subjected his consent to Christ he is delivered really from that naturall state of bondage under sin as a lawfull Lord how be it the 〈◊〉 now wanting a tittle is making 〈◊〉 v●…sions to trouble the peace and quiet of the soul. Fourthly It may be said But what can then in the meane time keep up the heart of a poor soul from si●…king Answer Severall things if rightly considered might helpe to support the soul in this ●…ase as 1. That they are helped to wreastle against this body of death in all the members of it so soon as they discover themselves were it their right eye and right hand 2. That those lusts gaine not ground upon them or if they do seem to gaine ground yet they attaine not to a full dominion not 〈◊〉 their consent 3. That God is faithfull and therefore the promised victory shall be had in due time and Satans head shall certanely be bruised 4. That the wreastling soul is about his duty carrying as a good souldier of Jesus Christ fighting the battels of the Lord and waiting on Him in faith and hope But further Fiftly some may say If I were keeped from yeelding my wrestling and standing would yeeld me some comfort but when lust so stirreth as that it conceiveth and bringeth forth sin Iames 1 15. what can support or comfort me then Answer 1. Corruption can not stirre in us but therein we sinne for the very first rise the motus primo-primi as they are called are sinfull being contrare to the holy law of God and the very inbeeing of that Old man is our sin for it is sinfull and rebellious against God yea it is very enmity rebellion it self when Satan cometh with a temptation from without he findeth alwayes much in us to intertaine the temptation So that the very stirring of corruption which is occasioned by the temptation from without is ou●… guilt 2. It is true it is our duty ●…o set against the first riseings and motions of corruption when it first enticeth before it hath conceived of brought forth sin and it will argue grace in life and in action to be able to hinder the motions of lust so farr that it shall not conceive and bring forth sin Yet we may not say that there is no grace in the soul or no measure of Mortification attained where lust sometimes not only enticeth but conceiveth and bringeth forth sin The sad experience of many of God's worthies registrated in the word cleareth this abundantly We must not say Such an one is fallen Therefore he is dead Paul reasoneth otherwayes Rom. 7. 3. Yet even then when lust conceiveth and bringeth forth sin this may comfort and bear up the heart of a poor beleever 1. That though corruption prevail so farr as to bear down all opposition run downe all that standeth in its way yet it getteth not the full consent of the soul there is still a party for God in the soul that opposeth so farr as to protest against it or at least to dissent from it and not to will that which yet is done and positively to will that which cannot be gotten effectuated 2. And farther this may bear up the poor soul that there is a party within which though for a time dureing the violent overruning of corruption can do little more than sigh groan in a corner yet is waiting longing for an opportunity when it may appear more for God and against that wicked usurper 3. So also this may comfort the poo●… soul that as it perceiveth corruption stirring and the old man moving one member o●… other it runeth away to the king and when it is not able to apprehend the Treator take him captive to the court of justice doth there discover the Taitour and tell the king that there is such or such a traitou●… acting such and such rebellion against Him and his lawes and comple●… and s●…k help to take the rebell prisoner and bring him bound hand and foot to the King that He may give out sentence against him that is when he can do no more against that rageing enemie maketh his complaint to the Lord lyeth before Him ●…ghing groaning for help strength to withstand and oppose more this enemy Lastly some may yet Object say if it were not worse with me than it is with others I could then be satisfied but I see some mightily prevailing over corruption and I am still at under and can get no victory and can I choose but be sad at this I Answere 1. Dost thou know for a certan●…ty that those persons whose condition thou judgest happy are altogether free of the inward stirrings of those lusts that thou art brought under by Or dost thou know for a certainty that they are not under the power of some other corruption as thou thinkest thy self under the power of that corruption whereof thou compleanest What knowest thou then but they may be as much complaining on other accounts as thou dost on that 2. But be it so as thou supposeth that thereis a difference betwixt thy condition and the condition of others knowest thou not that all the members of the body are not alike great and strong as not being equally to be imployed in works requireing strength Are there not some young strong men in Christs family some that are but babe●… May not a Captane send some of his souldiers to one post where they shall possibly not see the enemy all the day long and some others to another post where they shall have no rest all the day And why I pray may not God dispose of his souldiers as He will He knoweth what He is doing It is not saife that every one of the souldiers know what are the designes of the Commander or Generall no●… is it alwayes fit for us to know or to enquire what may be the designes of God with us and what He may be about to do He may intend to imploy one in greater works than another and so exercise them otherwayes for that warfare and work It may suffice that the prevailing of others may encourage thee to hope that at last thy strong corruptions shall also fall by the hand of the same grace of God 3. If thy sadnesse ●…avoure not of envy f●…etting thou should blesse Him that hereby thou art put to the exercise of spirituall sorrow 4. It is well of this bring thee to blesse God for the successe of others because hereby his grace is glorified 1 Cor. 12 26. Therefore 5. Let this satisfie us that He is the Lord who doth what He will in heaven and in earth and may dispose of us as He will and make of us what He will for his owne glory And that we are to minde our duty and be faithfull at our post standing and fighting in the strength of the Lord resolving never to comply with the enemy and

more constantly at the fountaine yet when we have fled to Christ and taken our filthinesse to the open and appointed fountaine we can answere the accusations of conscience in law and have peace 3. But I am apt to think will some say That if I had once taken the right way to get my sins filthinesse purged away my conscience would trouble me no more but now so long as it doggeth me thus I cannot think that the way which I have taken is the right way Ans. Though the Lord may think good to suffer conscience to trouble a man for a time though he hath taken the right way as is said for a further exercise and tryall to him yet the beleever will have no losse nor disadvantage by examineing his way and trying whether he hath laid the matter cleanly over on Christ or whether he hath laid too much weight on his own humiliation sorrow and paines and whether he beleaving the matter on Jesus and exspecting to be washen alone in his blood or looking in to himself and exspecting some helpe in the matter from self And after tryall would mourne for any failing he gets discovered and still be about that work of runing with filth to the fountaine But withall they would go to Christ for helpe because without Him they cannot come to Him they cannot come or carry their soul to the fountaine opened for sin and uncleannesse So that in all this work there would be a single dependance on Christ for understanding and strength to go about this work aright Thus have we endeavoured to cleare up Christ's being the Way to the Father first and last and how all beleevers or unbeleevers are to make use of him as the way to the Father whatever their condition be from all which we may see 1. That such are in a wreatched and forlorne condition who are still strangers to Christ and will not lay hold on Him nor come to Him and walk in Him and make use of Him They are unrighteous and unholy and dayly contracting more guilt and more filth and they know no way either for justification or sanctification but a way of self which will prove like the brooks which run dry in summer disappoint the weary travailer when he hath most need They are without Christ and so without the way the only way the saife and sure way to the Father And oh if all that is here spoken could induce them to think once of the misery of their condition and to seek out for reliefe that they might not only be saved from their state of sin and misery but brought into a state of salvation through Jesus Christ so that they might be justified before God from all that justice the devil the law or conscience could lay against them and throughly sanctified and so at length brought home to the Father faire and spotlesse 2. Upon the other hand we see the noble advantage of beleevers who through grace are entered into this way for it is a full and compleat way that shall carry them saife home they shall finde that He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through Him And O if they were sensible of this How would it excite them to thankfulnesse How would it encourage them to run thorow difficulties great and many 3. We see what a special duty lyeth upon beleevers to make special use of Christ in all things as the way to the Father and so march to heaven in Him as the only way march in his hands or rather be carryed in his armes and bosome This were to goe from strength to strength till at length they appeared in Zion and landed in that pleasant place of rest where the weary are at rest and yet rest not day nor night but sing praises to Him that hath redeemed them by his blood out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation saying blessing honour glory power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb forever and ever Revel 5 9 13. 4. Hence we may see the cause of the leannesse of beleevers of their wanderings of their short comings of their many defilements c. viz. their not constant making use of Christ as the way in all things according to the tenor of the gospel Oh if this were laid to heart and mourned for and if grace were sought to helpe it This one point of truth That Christ is the way well understood and ●…ghtly put into practice would do all our businesse both as to justification and sanctification and were poor sinners once entred into this way and had they grace from this way to walk in it it would prove their life and salvation for it is the marrow and substance of the whole gospel So that there needeth little more to be said yet we shall speak a little to the other particulars in the text CAP. X. The Truth Some generalls proposed THat what we are to speak for the clearing and improving of this noble piece of truth That Christ is the Truth may be the more clearly understood and edifying we shall first take notice of some generalls and then show particularly how or in what respects Christ is called the Truth and finally speak to some cases wherein we are to make use of Christ as the Truth As to the first There are foure generall things here to be noticed First This supposeth what our case by nature is and what we are all without Christ who is the Truth as Frst. It supposeth that without Christ we are in darkness mistakes errors yea we are said to be darkness it self Ephes. 5. 8. yea were sometimes darknesse c. Iohn 1 5. and of darknesse 1 Thes. 5 5. yea under the ●…ower of darknesse Col. 1 13 Iohn 12 35. 1 Iohn 2 vers 11. walking in darknesse 1 Iohn 1 vers 6. and abideing in darknesse 1 Pet. 2 9. 1 Thes. 5 4. Iohn 12 46. we wander and go astray as soon as we are borne speaking lies Psal. 58 3. yea we go astray in the greatnesse of our folly Prov. 5. last we are all gone astray Esai 53 6. See also Psal. 119 67 176. So far are we from any knowledge of or acquantance with Truth or with the way of truth Secondly it supposeth that we cannot turne-in to the right way a Spirit of errour and untruth leadeth us continually wrong like the sheep we wander still and we weary ourselves in our wandering and so spend all our labour and paines in vaine Being under the power of untruth and errour we cannot walk one step right Thridly Though all other wayes beside Him who only is the Way and the Truth be false wayes and by-wayes leading us away from the true testing place and from that Way which is the Truth yet we are prone and ready to cleave to those false and erroneous wayes to grippe to shadowes andto leane to them as if they were the wayes of truth Such