Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	church_n	earth_n	militant_a	5,036	5	12.4963	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00888	The deuills banket described in foure sermons [brace], 1. The banket propounded, begunne, 2. The second seruice, 3. The breaking vp of the feast, 4. The shot or reckoning, [and] The sinners passing-bell, together with Phisicke from heauen / published by Thomas Adams ...	Adams, Thomas, fl. 1612-1653.	1614 (1614)	STC 110.5; ESTC S1413	211,558	358

capable of the Church-goods though not pliable to the Churches good Thus hauing prouided for the estate of his Inheritance of his Aduancement of his Carkasse he comes last to thinke of his Conscience I would to God this were not too frequently the worlds fashion Whereas heretofore Primogeniti eo iure Sacerdotes the first-borne had the right of Priesthood now the younger Sonne if he fit for nothing else lights vpon that priuiledge That as a reuerend Diuine saith Younger Brothers are made Priests and Priests are made younger Brothers Yet alas for all diseases Nature prouideth Art prepareth Medicines He is fed in this Country whom that refuseth An estate lost by Shipwracke on Sea may be recouered by good-speede on Land And in ill health for euery sore of the bodie there is a salue for euery maladie a remedie but for the Conscience Nature hath no cure as Lust no care Hei mihi quod nullis anima est medicabilis herbis There is no hearbe to heale the wounds of the soule though you take the whole world for the Garden All these professions are necessarie that mens Ignorance might not preiudice them either in wealth health or grace God hath made men fit with qualities and famous in their faculties to preserue all these sound in vs. The Lawyer for thy wealth the Physitian for thy health the Diuine for thy soule Physitians cure the body Ministers the Conscience The Church of Israell is now exceeding sicke and therefore the more dangerously because she knowes it not No Physicke is affected therefore no health effected She lyes in a Lethargie and therefore speechlesse She is so past sense of her weakenesse that God himselfe is faine to ring her Passing-bell Aarons bells cannot ring lowd enough to waken her God toles from Heauen a sad knell of complaint for her It is I ●hinke a custome not vnworthie of approbation when a languishing Christian drawes neere his end to tole a heauie Bell for him Set aside the preiudice of Superstition and the ridiculous conceits of some olde Wiues whose wits are more decrepit then their bodies and I see not why reasons may not be giuen to proue it though not a necessarie yet an allowed Ceremonie 1. It puts into the sicke man a sense of mortallitie and though many other obiects should do no lesse yet this seasonably performes it If any particular flatterer or other carnall friends should vse to him the susurration that Peter did once to Christ Master fauour thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee though sicknesse lyes on your bed Death shall not enter your Chamber the euill day is farre off feare nothing you shall liue many yeeres or as the Deuill to our Grandmother you shall not dye Or if the May of his yeeres shall perswade himselfe to the remotenesse of his Autumne or if the loue of earthly pleasure shall denie him voluntarie leasure to thinke of Death As Ep●minondas Generall of the Thebans vnderstanding a Captaine of his Armie to be dead exceedingly wondred how in a Campe any should haue so much leasure as to be sicke In a word whatsoeuer may flatter him with hope of life the Bell like an impartiall friend without either the too broad eyes of pittie or too narrow of partiallitie sounds in his owne eares his owne weakenesse and seemes to tell him that in the opinion of the world hee is no man of the world Thus with a kinde of Diuinitie it giues him ghostly counsell to remit the care of his Carkasse and to admit the cure of his Conscience It toles all in it shall tole thee in to thy graue 2. It excites the hearers to pray for the sicke and when can Prayers be more acceptable more comfortable The faithfull deuotions of so many Christian-neighbours sent vp as Incense to Heauen for thee are very auaileable to pacifie an offended Iustice. This is S. Iames his Physicke for the sicke nay this is the Lords comfort to the sicke The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if hee haue committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him Now though we be all seruants of one familie of God yet because of particular families on earth and those so remoued that one member cannot condole anothers griefe that it feeles not non dolet cor quod non nouit The Bell like a speedie Messenger runnes from house to house from eare to eare on thy soules errand and begges the assistance of their Prayers Thy heart is thus incited to pray for thy selfe others excited to pray for thee Hee is a Pharisee that desires not the Prayers of the Church he is a Publican that will not beseech Gods mercie for the afflicted Thy time and turne will come to stand in neede of the same succour if a more sodaine blast of Iudgement doe not blow out thy Candle Make thy sicke Brothers case thine now that the Congregatio● may make thine theirs hereafter Be in this exigent euen a friend to thine enemie least thou become like Babell to be serued of others as thou hast serued others or at least at best in falling Nero's case that cried I haue neither friend nor enemie 3. As the Bell hath often rung thee into the Temple on earth so now it rings thee vnto the Church in Heauen from the militant to the triumphant place from thy pilgrimage to thy home from thy peregrination to the standing Court of God To omit manie other significant helps enough to iustifie it a laudable ceremonie it doth as it were mourne for thy sinnes and hath compassion on thy passion Though in it selfe a dumbe nature yet as God hath made it a creature the Church an instrument and Art giuen it a tongue it speakes to thee to speake to God for thy selfe it speakes to others that they would not be wanting Israell is sicke no Bell stirres no Balme is thought of no Prophet consulted not God himselfe sollicited Hence behold a complaint from Heauen a knell from aboue the Clouds for though the words sound through the Prophets lips who toles like a Passing-Bell for Israell yet they come from the mouth of the Lord of Hoasts The Prophet Ezekiell vseth like words and addes with them the Lord of Hoasts saith it There is no doubt of his spirituall inspiration all the question is of his personall appropriation It is certaine that the Prophet Ieremie speakes here many things in his owne person and some in the person of God Now by comparing it with other like speeches in the Prophets these words sound as from a mercifull and compassionate Maker Why is not the health of my People recouered Mei populi saith God who indeede might alone speake possessiuely Mine for hee had chosen and culled them out of the whole world to be his people Why are not My people recouered There is Balme and there are Physitians as in Esay What could I haue done more for my Vineyard The words are

nature of mans the effects and helps of dubitation according to the saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doubting is the Mother of questioning He that doubteth not will not aske no Gods demaunds are not to satisfie himselfe but vs Illations vpon our actions That from the proposition of our sinnes and the assumption of his questions we may conclude against our selues as Dauid I haue sinned Neither can we giue sollution to his interrogatories Who dares who can answere God hee is not as a man saith Iob that I should answere him The intent is then to iustifie himselfe to put into our conscience a sense a Science of our owne iniquities God so apposed Ionas Doest thou well to be angry And againe Doest thou well to be angry for a Gourd Art thou discontent for so contemptible a thing a poore vegetatiue creature and doest thou grudge my mercie to so many rationall creatures brethren of thine owne flesh Gods question was a manifest conuiction as strong as a thousand proofes Ionas sees his face in this little Spring as if he had stood by a full Riuer Christ that had the best methode of teaching and could make hearts of flint penetrable moued his Disciples mindes remoued his aduersaries doubts frequently by questions He starts Peter that was numinis Dei et nominis sui immemor forgetfull of his God of himselfe with a quid dormis what sleepest thou Hee rectified the mistaking iudgements of his Apostles that turned his spirituall dehortation from the Pharises leauen to the litterall sense of forgotten bread with a double demaund Obliti ne estis c. Doe ye not yet vnderstand nor remember the fiue loaues of the fiue thousand c. Could so miraculous a Banket as quickly slip from your mindes as it did from your mouthes So hee informed their vnderstandings concerning himselfe which so much concerned them to know Whom doe men say that I am All which impli●d not his owne ignorance but impelled their knowledge Hee knew all the former questions so well as the latter whereof hee could no lesse be ignorant then of himselfe Onely hee spake in a catechising forme as the Ministers question succours the Nouices initiall vnderstanding His reproofes to his enemies were often cloathed in these interrogatorie roabes How say they that Christ is Dauids Sonne When Dauid himselfe calleth him Lord confuting that false opinion that the Iewes had of their Messias whose temporall Monarchie they onely gaped for If hee was onely to be the Sonne of Dauid in the flesh how doth he call him Lord and equall him with the Father A question that did enforce a conclusion himselfe desired and a confusion of his enemies conceits The like ver 4. He cramped their criticall and hypocriticall exceptions with a question The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men which confuted their arrogance though they would haue salued it with ignorance ver 7. We cannot tell This manner of discussing is not more vsuall with God then effectuall It conuerteth the Elect it conuinceth the Reprobate Wheresoeuer it is directed it pierceth like a goad is a sharp stroke to the conscience and howsoeuer the smart is neglected it leaueth a print behind it If wee take the words spoken in the Person of God they manifest his complaint against Israell When God complaines sinne is grieuous Wee neuer read God breaking forth into this compassionate forme of speech but Iniquitie is growne proud of her height She nestles among the Cedars and Towers like Babell when hee that can thunder it downe with fire doth as it were raine showers of complaint for it It argues no lesse goodnesse in the Father then wickednesse in the Children when hee doth plaine that can plague and breath out the ayre of pitie before he send the storme of Iudgement So you may see a long prouoked Father that after many chidings lost to his deafe Sonne after some gentle chastisements inflicted and intended to his calling home he findes his errours growing wilder his affections madder his heart more senselesse his courses more sensuall hee stands euen deploring his wretchednesse that could not amend his wickednesse and whiles Iustice and Mercie striue for the masterie as loath that his lenitie should wrong his Integritie or yet that he should be as an executioner to him whom he had begotten to be an executour to himselfe hee breakes out into complaint With no lesse pitie nay with farre greater mercie doth God proceede to execute his Iudgements vnwilling to strike home for his mercie yet willing not to double his blow but to lay it on sure at once for our sinnes and his owne Iustice Or as some compassionate Iudge that must censure by the law of his Countrey an Hereticke striues first with arguments of reason to conuert him that arguments of yron and steele may not be vsed against him and finding his refractarie disposition culpable of his owne doome by wilfully not being capable of good counsell proceedes not without plaints and teares to his sentence So doth the most iust God of Heauen with the most vniust Sonnes of men pleading by reasons of gentle and gracious forbearance and offering the sweet conditions of happy peace and as it were wailing our refusall before hee shoote his arrowes and consume vs or make his sword drunke with our bloods God hath Armies of Starres in the skie Meteors in the ayre beasts on the earth yea of Angels in Heauen greater Hoasts and lesse and whither he sends a great Armie of his little ones or a little of his great ones he can easily and quickly dispatch vs Loe he stayes till he hath spoken with vs and that rather by postulation then expostulation He is not contumelious against vs that haue been contumacious against him If his words can worke vs to his will hee will spare his blowes Hee hath as little delight in smiting as we in suffering nay he suffers with vs condoling our estate as if it were which cannot be his owne For wee haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Hee feeles the griefes of his Church the head ak●s when the members suffer Persecutors strike Christ through Christians sides Saul strikes at Damascus Christ Iesus suffers in Heauen Mediately he is smitten whiles the blowes immediately light on vs. He could not in the dayes of his ●lesh forbeare bitter teares at Ierusalems pres●nt sinne and future iudgement How grieuous is our iniquitie how gracious his longanimity He that weeps for our auersion passionately desires our conuersion vnfainedly How pathetically he perswadeth his Churches reformation Returne returne oh Shulamite returne returne How lamentingly deplores he Ierusalems deuastation If thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Let vs not thinke him like either of those Mimicks the Player or the Hypocrite who truly act the part one of another but hardly either of an honest man

further it groweth Many interdictions rung peales of menaces in the Apostles eares that they should speake no more in the name and word of Christ they did all rather like Bells toll them into the Church to preach it more feruently The Princes of the Nations would haue hedged it in with their prohibitions but the Word of Heauen and edict of Gods spirituall Court of glory scorned the Prohibitions giuen by their temporall or temporarie Lawes They might easier haue hedged in the vvinde or pounded the Eagle The Iewes would haue cut downe this Tree at the roote the Gentiles would haue lopped off the branches They stroke at Christ these at his Ministers both strucke short If they killed the Messenger they could not reach the message The blood of the Martyrs spilt at the roote of this tree did as it were make it spread more patently There neuer died Preacher for Christ his cause but almost euery ash of his burned flesh bred a Christian. The old Foxes of Rome that had caliditatis paululum calliditatis plurimum little warmth in their bloods great subtilty in their pates studied plotted acted by cares stratagem● engines to giue a fatall finall subuersion to the Gospell yet they liued to see it flourish and because it flourished died fretting themselues to dust So let thine enemies perish oh Lord and burst their malicious bowels that haue euill will at Syon and despight this Balme It grew maugre all the aduerse blasts and floods which the billowes of earth or bellowes of Hell could blow or powre out against it Let them loose a Barrabas from prison whiles they shut a Barnabas in prison let them giue Demetrius libertie whiles they shackle Paul and at once burne the professours and reward the persecutours of the Word behold for all this this Balme flourisheth and sends forth his sauing odours The Philistines shut vp Sampson in the Citie Gaza they barre the gates watch and guard the passages and are ready to study for the manner of his death The Iewes shut vp Christ in the graue they barre it they seale it they guard it sure enough thinkes the Iew hopes the Deuill to keepe him fast The Gentiles shut the Apostles in prison chaine them beate them threat them with worse that had felt already their bad vsage now they clap their hands at the presumed fall of the Gospell Behold Sampson carries away the gates of Gaza Christ the bands of death the Word the barres of the prison What shall I say still this Balme flourisheth Viuit viget liber est supra hominem est As Ioseph incipit a vinculis ferreis finit ad torquem aureum begins at yron ends at golden chaines so this Balsame the more it is strucke at with the cudgels of reproach and persecution the faster the fuller the further it groweth It is like the Vine for this vertue onely the Vine but onely nourisheth the Balme both nourisheth the good and expelleth the euill that is in man These two are Gods trees When euery God saith the Poet chose his seuerall tree Iupiter the long-liued Oake Neptune the tall Cedar Apollo the greene Laurell Venus the white Poplar Pallas whom the Poets faine to be borne of Iupiters braine and Mythologists interpret Wisedome chose the Vine Our true and onely God that oweth all hath more especially chosen the Vine and the Balme one for preseruation the other for restauration of our health Onely the Balme hath both elementall Phisicke and alimentall vertue in it As it giues boughes spaciously so fruit pregnantly plentifully The graces of God hang vpon this tree in clusters My beloued is vnto me as a cluster of Camphire in the Vineyards of Engedi No hungry soule shall goe away from this tree vnsatisfied It is an effectuall word neuer failing of intended successe What Gods word affirmes his truth performes whither it be iudgement or mercie Nec verbum ab intentione quia veritas nec factum à verbo quia virtus His word differs not from his intent because he is truth nor his deede from his word because he is vertue What he intends hee declares or rather what he declares he intends he is iust and what he declares and intends he performes hee is powerfull This is that Delphian sword that vniuersall instrument whereby he made whereby he supports the world It is not a fruitlesse and ineffectuall word as mans Propter nostrum dicere et velle nihil in re mutatur saith the Philosopher Our speaking or willing puts no change into any subiect A man is starued with colde famished with hunger wee aduise him to the fire to repast is hee euer the fuller or fatter for our word Not vnlesse like a Camelion he can liue by ayre But Gods word is fruitfull it feedes Man liues not by bread onely but by Gods word Our word and will is like an Idols power Gods volo is sufficient Voluntas eius potestas eius His will is his power One fiat of his was able to make that was not but had else line in euerlasting informitie to constitute nature when it is not to confirme or change nature vvhen it is When GOD was in the flesh and went about doing good a faithfull Centurion for his seruant so desperately sicke desired not the trauell of his feet nor a dramme of his Phisicke nor so much as the imposition of his hands but dic verbum tantum Lord say the word onely and my seruant shall be healed This word is so effectuall that it shall neuer faile of the purpose it first was sped for The Sunne and Moone shall faile in their motions day and night in their courses the earth totter on her props Nature it selfe shall apostate to confusion before Gods word fall away vnaccomplished whither hee d●spenseth it to affect mans heart or disposeth it to effect his will Of so powerfull efficacie is that word which the world despiseth As this Balme spreads patently for shadow potently for fruit so all this ar●seth from a little seed Gods smallest springs proue at length maine Oceans His least beginnings grow into great works great wonders How stately th● world begins how lame it is at last The Tower of Babe●l is begunne as if it scorned Heauen and scared Earth how easie a stratagem from God ouerthrowes it though he neuer laid finger to it Nebuchadnezzar begins with who is God and anone scarse reserues to himselfe the visible difference from a beast Another Nebuchadnezzar exterminates all Gods from the earth that himselfe might raigne solus Deus in solio who was rather Daemon in folio onely God behold a silly woman ouerthrowes him in his great Holophernes With such proud entrances doth the vvorld begin his Scaenes with such ridiculous shame doe they lagge off Our God from small beginnings raiseth mountaines of meruailes to vs of praises to himselfe Euen Ioseph that is in prison shall ride in the second Chariot of Egipt Drowning Moses shall come

but their owne wantonnesse ministring Medicines which God neuer prescribed to them How can their feete seeme beautifull when like monsters they haue too many toes on them as the Giants sonne or too few as Adonibezeck and those whom hee maimed offending either in excesse or defect But it is gods fearefull protestation in the end of the Booke summing and sealing vp all the curses that went before it If they adde hee that hath power to adde plagues with an euerlasting concatenation will multiply their miseries without number or end If they diminish hee that can abate his blessings so low that not the least scruple shall remaine will returne them their owne measure And for you my Brethren heare the Apostle Let no man beguile you with Philosophie and vaine deceit or please you with false Balme You may say of their naturall learning as Albumazer of Boleno Henbane whiles it growes saith hee in Persia it is venemous but if transplanted and growing in Ierusalem it is not onely good medicine but good meate Well if it were possible that an Angell from heauen should preach another Gospell then that which God hath deliuered and his Apostles preached anathema sit let him be accursed the true Balme comes onely from the garden of the King of heauen 7. They write of the Balsame tree that though it spread spaciously as a Vine yet the boughes beare vp themselues and as you heard before that they must not bee pruined so now here that they neede not bee supported Gods word needes no vndersetting It is firmely rooted in heauen and all the cold stormes of humane reluctancie and opposition cannot shake it Nay the more it is shaken the faster it growes The refractary contentions of worldlings to plucke it down haue added no lesse strength then glory to it Nor can the ministeriall office of the dispensers of it be called an ayde or vnderpropping to it It is not the Balme but you that stand in neede of our function He that owes it is powerfull enough to protect it You cannot apply it to your selues without the Phisitians help If you could or did not more want vs then that doth you should see it flourish and spread without vs. Hee that supports all by his mightie word askes no supporter for it selfe The Church of Rome challengeth more then the Church of God that she beares vp the word and because she assumes to carrie the keyes she presumes that the dore of Heauen hangs vpon her hindges They say the Church is a Pilar wee may ioyne issue vvith them and yeeld it as a reuerend Diuine said For a Pillar as it vpholds something so is vpholden of something If then the Church be a Pillar Christ is the Rocke whereon it stands now take away the Rocke downe comes the Pillar The Rocke is well enough without the Pillar not the Pillar without the Rocke Yet how fondly They that would build all on their Church yet build their Church on Peter and not onely on Peter that was weake but on his fained Successour who is weaker Now this Hei●e built on Peter and this Church built on this heire must vphold the word as they say Atlas did the world But alas if the word doe not bea●e them they will fall like water spilt on the ground not to be saued or gathered vp These are miserable arrogant impudent wretches that thinke Gods word could not hold vp the hands like Moses vnlesse Aaron and Hur h●lped him if the Pope and his Councels were not forcing all our ●redite to the Gospell for this because their Church allowes it Gods word must then stand or fall at mans approbation or dislike Oh indignitie to the stable ordinance of an eternall Maiestie It is enough for the lawes of a temporall Prince to haue some dependance on his Officers promulgation Hee that tooke no man nor Angell to his Councell when he made it demaunds the succour of none to preserue it Hee is content to propagate the sound thereof through vs his Trumpets if it had neuer beene preached by man it should not haue lost the effect Heauen and Earth shall sooner runne like scorched skinnes to heapes then any iote as small a Character as the Alphabet affords shall ineffectually perish If man could denie this Office God could speake it by Angels by Thunder by Lightning Confusion Terrour by Frogges Lyce Caterpillers Blasting Plague Leaprosie Consumption as he hath sometimes holding his peace preached actually to the World It is his owne Balme and shall spread to his pleasure and hath no weakenesse in it to neede mans supportance Blessed are we vnder the shadow of the Branches and wise if we build our saluations on it 8. Phisitians write of Balsamum that it is paratu facile et optimum easie and excellent to be prepared This spirituall Balme is prepared to our hands it is but the administration that is required of vs and the application of you Not that wee should slubber it ouer as the Sonnes of Eli in preaching nor that you should clap it negligently to your selues in hearing A mortall wound is not to beiested withall though the Phisitian hath in his hand the Balme that can cure it Your diseases are as different in your consciences as in your carkasses Your constitutions of body are not more various and often variable then your affections in foule There must be some wisedome in vs to hit the right boxe and to take out that Phisicke which God hath made fit for your griefes Wee are sure the shaft that shall kill the Deuill in you is in Gods Quiuer indiscretion may easily mistake it misapply it This Balme is ready soone had and cheaply let not this make you disesteeme it Gallant humours vil●pend all things that are cheape But if in Gods Mart you refuse his Wares because their price is no greater you may perhaps one day when they are gone curse your withstanding your Markets And being past obtayning prize it the higher because in the dayes of your sacietie you did vnder-value it The guests in the Gospell bidden to a Supper gratis make light of it when the Feast-maker had protested against them that they should neuer tast of his Supper they doubtlesse would haue beene glad if their money could haue purchased it though it cost one his Farme and the other his Oxen. 9. Balme is vtilis ad omnium morborum expugnationem good against all diseases The Receipt that Linus Hercules his Schoolemaster gaue him when he taught him wrastling was onely a Balme Darius saith Renodaeus so esteemed it that non modo inter pretiosissimam supellectilem reponeret sed cunctis opibus praeponeret hee did not onely lay it vp amongst his richest treasures but euen preferre it before them all This spirituall Balme is farre more precious in it selfe and fructuous to all men if they apprehend it in knowledge apply themselues to it in obedience possessing it in science in conscience Philosophers