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
A88695	The persecuted minister, in defence of the ministerie, the great ordinance of Jesus Christ. Setting forth the severall names of Apostles, prophets, &c. [brace] 1. That there is a ministerial office. 2. That the sacrament of baptisme by a lay-person is invalid. 3. That necessity is no plea. 4. That the long omission of the Lords Supper is unwarrantable. With many other things, plainly and methodically handled / by William Langley late of S. Maryes in the city of Lichfield, minister ...	Langley, William, b. 1609 or 10.	1656 (1656)	Wing L408; Thomason E860_4; ESTC R202682	143,990	208

but the satisfying of their own ends which will prove destructive in the end A second thing in which this Office chiefly consists is in praying for and with the people James 5.14 Acts 6.4 The Ministers are Gods mouth to the people and for the people to them in constant preaching for them in fervent praying If people rise up against their Pastors let their Pastors fall on their faces for the people Thus did Moses and Aaron Samuel little lesse 1 Sam. 12.23 God forbid c. Absit à me hoc peccatum Christ that good Pastor and Bishop was earnest in prayer for his own Father keep them and for his Enemies Father forgive them Precatio praedicatio prayer and preaching are holy actions both sisters in Gods service the one must not thrust out the other Saint Paul often practised this as we may read in his Epistles beginning and ending them with prayer He that bids despise not prophecying saith in the same Chapter pray continually 1 Thes 5. In solemn actions it hath ever been the custome of the Church of God to begin with prayer Christ sent not his Apostles without prayer John 17.17 Father sanctifie them through thy truth The Deacons are not chosen without prayer Acts 6.6 Nor Matthias one of the seventy in the room of Judas without prayer Acts 1.24 It was the laudable and commendable custome of the Church to begin with prayer Almighty and most mercifull Father c. Every important action requires prayer much more the preaching of the word Those that represent God and carry his message to the world should be consecrated by publick devotions private prayer is commendable but publick much more pure hands are accepted in every place but especially in the Sanctuary The Lord saith the Psalmist that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Sion he saith not The Lord that made heaven blesse thee upon earth nor the Lord that made earth blesse thee out of heaven but the Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Sion blessings come originally from Heaven mediately through Sion Humble advise of the late Assembly As we are to pray in every place so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies which are not carelesly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his Word and Providence calleth thereunto Now that prayer may have acceptance there is required First that it be made in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ through whom our persons are accepted and all our performances are as sweet smelling incense 1 Pet. 2.5 Secondly that it be made by the help of the Spirit who helpeth our infirmities and teacheth us to cry Abba father Rom 8.26 Thirdly according to Gods will 1 John 5.14 for if we require mala things in their own nature bad or not good to us or male good things for bad ends God will not hear us Jam. 4.23 Fourthly with reverence becoming the Majestie of GOD suitable to his Omnipotency and Holinesse Psal 95. falling down c. Eccles 5.1 Not offering the sacrifice of fools It was a tart rebuke that the Emperour Augustus gave to a Citizen of Rome who inviting him to a slender banquet no waies answerable to his greatnesse and majestie tells him Nesciebam me tibi tam familiarem esse I never knew before that thou and I were so familiar So will the God of all the world say unto such as give not that respect unto him befitting his greatnesse and glorious Majestie to whom belongeth all reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 Fiftly with humility which is a comely garment for every member of Christ Be ye cloathed with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 humilitatem insinuate as in the vulgar Latine that is in sinu habete cherish it in your bosome with loves heat that it may be both hearty and ready for use when occasion is offered S. Augustine calleth it the first second and third virtue of every Christian the Pharisee goeth from Gods door without an alms he was proud and arrogant but the humble Publican receives a blessing Never did any that begged with humility but either had his desire or better than he desired Reverend Bede writing of the Publican saith Appropinquare noluit ad Deum ut appropinquaret ad illum He would not draw neer that he might draw neer He that will not be a mountain in Christs way must not be a Mountebank of his own virtue but levell himself even with the ground for he fills the hungry with good things but the rich he sends empty away So the rich in their own conceit and proud of their own gifts shall be sent empty from Christs gates Let us empty our selves and deponere magnificentiam abhorre our selves Job 42.6 Casting our crowns and glory the best things we have at the feet of Christ Revel 4.10 Sixtly it must be made in faith for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Faith is a Mother-virtue without which all things are to no purpose therefore we are exhorted to ask in faith Jam. 1.6 Cain offered a sacrifice aswell as Abel but it was Abels faith in Christ that made Abels sacrifice accepted Heb. 11 4. Seventhly it must be with fervency for the life and soul of any duty is not the outward action but the inward affection of the heart Lycurgus enjoyned his people to offer little sacrifices to their gods for saith he they regard more the inward affection than the outward action a rule which our great Lawgiver hath given us Mat. 6.7 When ye pray use not much babbling It is said of the Publican Oravit paucis Buter sed affectu multo He couch't much devotion in a little room and yet all the vertues of a true penitent are found in him confession contrition faith and amendment of life If we bring our sheep to Gods Altar and them alone we had as good have left them behinde they are not worth the carriage Isa 1. To what purpose is c. When the Searcher of the reins shall finde a carkas of Religion without a quickning spirit he will turn his countenance from it Deus non habet gratum offerentem propter munera sed munera propter offerentem God valueth the offerer by the gift not the gift by the offerer Non corticis sed cordis Deus He regards not the rinde of the lips but the root of the heart the inward parts Psal 51.6 integer and rectus are joyned together Job 2.3 So we must have these two properties We must be recti straight not crooked and integri sound not hollow our Tabernacles must have gold within as well as without Exod. 25.11 Lastly it must be directed only unto God through Jesus Christ without the Invocation of Saints or Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly belong to God Mat. 4.10 Therefore we may not so much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give any adoration to Saints or Angels But fearing I have been too long on

of all I mean his false friend placed in his room was mortally hated of all men for his sedition and cruelty and afterwards came to an untimely end Such as take delight in persecution especially of Ministers hale judgments one their own heads which I pray God divert I beseech you consider sin is habituated by custome and hardned by impenitency if you cannot stay your self from going in sin stay your self from going on if you will break out timely break off by repentance Let God be glorified in an humble acknowledgment It is the voice of a friend Aut praevenire errori aut revocare errantem Either to prevent a man before he erreth or to recall him erring When mens wits and the Devils to help have found out the fairest pretexts for sin Gods justice strikes off all and leaves sin naked and punishable Many pretences have been found out for many sins besides distinctions mitigations qualifications extenuations colours questions necessities inconveniences tolerations ignorances c. But when man hath done God beginneth one argument of Gods now is stronger than all ours Thou shalt not doe this Consider the examples of Vzzah and Vzziah for Vzzah God had charged that none but the consecrated Priests should touch the Arke Vzzah seeing the Oxen shake the Arke put forth his hand to stay it up Was this a sin to stay the Ark of God from falling Yes God proveth it he layeth him dead by the Arke side For Vzziah God had charged Numb 18. That none should invade the Priests Office The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death Vzziah will come to the Altar with a Censor in his hand to offer Incense Why is this an offence to offer to the Lord Yes God maketh it manifest Vzziah is a Leper to his dying day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes Hym. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I crave thy pardon Lord for what 's amiss And in thy word unseemly handled is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The One in Three I laud and doe adore The Three in One acknowledge and no more The persecuted MINISTER In defence of the MINISTERIE The great Ordinance of JESUS CHRIST Setting forth 1. The continuance of it 2. What is required to the constituting of Gospel-Ministers 3. The excellency and dignity of their calling 4. What respect they ought to bee of amongst Christians 5. That the contempt of them is a great and grievous sin All which are plainly and methodically handled THE SECOND PART By WILLIAM LANGLEY late of S. Maryes in the City of Lichfield Minister Vtinam ex eorum sim numero qui pro veritate decertant in hominum offensionem incurrunt Greg. Naz. orat 21 Greg. Mag. in Ezek. Nihil ad defendendum honestate tutius Nihil ad dicendum veritate facilius He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10.16 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God 2 Cor 10.4 Who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded Prov. 13.13 To the Right Worshipfull truely Noble and Virtuous Sir GEORGE BOOTH Knight and Baront Grace and Peace be multiplied I Presumed Right Worshipfull to dedicate the former part to a Kinsman of your Worships and a highly Honoured friend of mine this pleads your Worships Patronage against the oppugners of CHRISTS great Ordinance THE MINISTERIE Never did any that was in this Sacred Function if of any merit depart ashamed and discontented from your face whereas by others they are wondred at ut pueri Junonis avem made a spectacle unto the world Angels and men and are the filth and off-scouring of all things these scorners of so sacred an Office make a low step to their own damnation for indignities done to the Ministers of the Gospel shall not sleep in the dust but stand up in judgement If policy were my aime some Bramble should be my Patron under whose shadow I might for the present have shelter and protection perhaps honour and advancement but plain dealing is a jewell of great price and of that worth and excellency that with it I had rather embrace a mean condition than all the world with indirect dealing and dishonesty I have made choice of your Worship whose Name like a pretious ointment hath sent forth a fragrant smell To omit the ingenuity of your minde generosity of spirit milde temper and sweet disposition with many other shining virtues I will onely mention your piety in the worship of God and pity to all his poor distressed Members There are I finde four degrees of Honour naturall by Birth externall by Riches internall by Virtue and supernaturall by Grace though God hath blest you with all yet all must crouch to the last and kisse the Scepter of the Christian Noble for what is to draw our pedigree from Noahs flood may we not descend as well from cursd Cham as blessed Sem and therefore the best derivation is from Heaven Tota licèt veters exornent undique terrae Atria Juven lib. 3 Sat. 2. nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus This moved Ambrose to tell Auxentius Quid Honorificentius quàm ut Imperator Ecclesiae Filius dicatur VVhat Honour can be greater than that the Emperour should be call'd the Son of the Church Let me adde poor Man the son of God yet this honour have all his Theophilus was Noble because Theophilus a lover of God As this is your highest privilege let me intreat you to esteeme it your highest honour that so when all things cease and be not you may not cease to be immortal inestimable Bonum est suum esse saith Seneca It is a Royall thing to be a mans own but much more to be guided by the Law of CHRIST I grieve to see that our Age yields so few Josephs of Arimathea to step forth to their Pilates and speak for the honour of Jesus so few Esthers that adventure their lives for the safeguard of the People upon her resolved terms If I perish I perish so few Pauls that vindicate the glory of our Israel THE MINISTERIE though the great red Dragon hath drawn away a great part of the starres of our firmament yet God be praised some continue in their orbes to give light to this crooked Generation which is to your Worship and many more the joy and rejoycing of your heart There are I know too many full of subtilty that seek their overthrow and study their finall fall but An curat oves oviumque magistros Let your zeale for Truth against every opposite Errour remain constant to the provoking of others and let them say of your Worship Ad similitudinem vivimus VVhat I have done in this Treatise is for publick benefit and

God he that is an avenger of Fornication and Covetousnesse is God he that calleth unto this holinesse is God he therefore that despiseth our admonition in this case despiseth not man but God God the Father who created us in holinesse God the Son who renued us unto holinesse and God the Holy Ghost who keepeth us in true holinesse But how doth the Apostle prove this Proposition He that despiseth c because saith he God hath sent his holy Spirit among you There are two Readings of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we translate with Marl and Beza God hath given us his holy Spirit then Pauls argument is thus framed he that despiseth us despiseth not man but God for we write not out of our own authority but as inspird by the blessed Spirit which is God If according to the best Copies God hath sent his holy Spirit among you then the Apostle thus argueth God hath sent his Spirit to this end that you may discern sanctification to be his will His Spirit is our keeper Rom. 8. Our Comforter John 14. Our Teacher 1 John 2. and therefore quench not the Spirit in endeavouring to quench the gifts of the Spirit He that stoppeth his ears and hardneth his heart in the Preachers Exhortation by the Lord Jesus little regardeth the will and word of God despiseth not man but God Despise him not at your perill you despise God himself and you shall not go Scot-free on your souls be it that hear me this day whose Table-talke is furnished with jests and invectives against Ministers and whose study is how to vex afflict and torment them Themistocles was ever banished in peace but sent for home in warre We are passed over in the daies of pride as uselesse creatures but when the wrath of God falls on their naked conscience then the Minister is thought on when your pulse beats sickly and you lie on your groaning beds then are they intreated for counsell and advise What a madnesse is it to contemn those living whom if God own you in mercy you will love dying I am sick and like to die is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physitian there tell some tydings from heaven some comfortable things of Sion I beseech you you are the Ambassadours of Christ and bring the glad tydings of peace and is there no comfort no peace for me thus they that in fair weather beat us in foule run for shelter to us We shall be thought to be good Ministers untill unpleasing things drop from us and then farewell good conceit as Tertullian spake merrily of the Heathen Unlesse God please man he shall be God no longer But alas say some what are you and what is your calling why doe ye lift up your selves the Congregation is holy c. First you are but men it is true yet men of God called and deputed his Officers and Ambassadours intrusted with high and holy mysteries 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man c. Secondly you are weak men its true subject to the like passions with others yet our word is powerful and the proudest of you if God intend you good is turned by our Ministery and if the word be not the savour of life it is the savour of death We have this treasure saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.7 Thirdly you die like men its true but our words live and it is the immortal Word of God that lives and abides for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born anew c. Fourthly all you say is but talk words are but winde Well if you call the preaching of Gods Word talking for ought I know you may talk of mercy and have none it is such talking as will tend either to thy conversion or confusion for whom we loose on earth are loosed in heaven and whom we binde on earth are bound in heaven Lay aside therefore contempt and disdain of those whom God hath chosen to bring thee the glad tydings of salvation The Idolaters and Heathens doubtlesse shall rise up in judgment against the men of this generation How were Baals Priests esteemed by Jezebel the Priests of the Grave by Ahab the Aegyptian Priests by Pharaoh Masse-Priests by Papists and the Mufti by the Turks And yet the true Preachers of the Word that hold forth the saving doctrine of salvation are amongst Christians as spectacles unto the world as laughing and gazing-stocks 1 Cor. 4.9 I am afraid it will befall many as it did Saul who sought Samuel when he was dead whose counsell he did not regard whilest he was alive It is observed that the contempt of the Ministery leadeth to the greatest and foulest sinnes for it is not possible that any should honour the Message of God and despise him that God hath chosen to bring it and this very sinne opens a gap to all wickedness and ushereth in monstrous impieties Sathans kingdome as is observed standeth on four props especially all which I finde in the 8th of S. John 1. Railing verse 48 Say we not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a Devil The Pharisees in their wickedest actions the persecuting of Gods Prophets thought they did God service and in their foulest words railing against Christ the Son of God they think they doe well Say we not well It is said of the Lyndians that they worshipt Hercules the best when they railed the fastest So many in railing and reviling think it an ornament a grace a badge of zeal and that there is nothing amisse Say we not well No no such saying derogates from God the honour of Christianity and most unbecoming the Gospel of Christ But who railed thus No Rabshakeh no Shimei no sons of Belial but such as called themselves holy verse 33. We be Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man Oh the great delusion of the Devil to blinde men and women so that they think they say well when they sin foulest in those words of Christ who condemns the Pharisees glosse who judged that murder which consisted onely in the actual depriving a man of his life you shall finde three degrees of sin and three degrees of punishment Mat 5.22 The degrees of sinne are angry thoughts scornfull gestures and opprobrious words to the first is opposed Judgment to the second a Councel to the third Hell fire It is the saying of S. Hierome to strip men of passion is to make them no men Est hominem de homine tollere S. Paul bids Be angry and sinne not Ephes 4 26. He alloweth that which is natural and condemneth that which is culpable so Gerson Ira non est peccatum quoad esse naturae sed quoad esse moris That our anger should not prove faulty Christ sets down two Rules for our direction 1. Concerning the matter with a brother 2. The manner unadvisedly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is left out in many both old and new Translations but some Greek Copies as Erasmus