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	triumphant_a	4,427	5	11.4398	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12210	Yea and amen: or, pretious promises, and priviledges Spiritually unfolded in their nature and vse. Driving at the assurance and establishing of weak beleevers. By R. Sibbs D.D. master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and preacher of Grayes Inne London. Reviewed by himselfe in his life time, and since perused by T.G. and P.N.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1638 (1638)	STC 22521; ESTC S102402	91,199	446

his dayes God did this to mind him that he had that strength whereby he prevailed out of himselfe A Christian then should set upon nothing in his owne strength Hannah saith comfortably No man shall bee strong in his owne might God is all our sufficiency man naturally affects a kinde of divinity and will set upon things in confidence of his owne abilities without prayer and seeking of Gods help hee thinkes to compasse great matters and bring things to a good issue by his owne wit and discretion Oh delude not your selves this cannot be Acknowledge God in all thy wayes and hee shall direct thy paths seeke unto the Lord in every enterprize thou goest about acknowledge him in the beginning progresse and issue of all thy employments what doe we but make our selves gods when wee set upon businesse without invocation and dependance A Christian is wondrous weake even vanity of himselfe but take him as he is built upon the Promises and as he is in God and then he is a kind of almighty person ●e can doe all things through Christ that strengthens him A Christian is in sort omnipotent whilst hee commits his wayes to God and depends upon the Promise otherwise he is weaknesse it selfe the most impotent creature in the World Let God therefore have al the glory of our establi shing and depend on him by prayer for the same As all comes of his meere grace so let all returne to his meere glory Not to us Lord not to us but to thy Name he given the praise it is the song of the Church militant on Earth and it is the song of the Church triumphant in Heaven that all glory is to God in the whole carriage of our salvation The Promises are in him hee only made the covenant and he must performe it to us without him we can doe nothing labour therefore to be wise in his wisdome strong in his strength to be all in all in Christ Jesus How shall wee know that a man hath establishing grace His assurance is firme when his temptations are great and his strength to resist little and yet notwithstanding he prevailes over them Sathan is strong and subtill now if we can stand against his snares it is a cleere evidence of greater strength than is in our selves In great afflictions when Go● seemes an enemy and clouds appeare betweene him and us if then a mans faith can break through all and in the midst of darknesse see God shining in Christ upon him and resolve Though thou kill me yet I will trust in thee here is a strong establishing In the times of martyrdome there was fire and faggot and the frownes of bloudy men but who were the persons suffering Even many Children Old men and Women the weakest of creatures notwithstanding the Spirit of God was so strong in these feeble ones as their lives were not pretious to them but the torments and threatnings of their cruell Persecutors were cheerfully undergone by them as Heb. 11. Here was Gods power in mans infirmity If we have not something above nature how is it possible wee should hold out in great trials Meanes to obtaine stablishing grace By what meanes may a Christian obtaine this stablishing grace First labour for fundamentall graces if the root be strengthened the Tree will stand fast Humiliation is a speciall radicall grace the foundation of Religion is very low abasement of spirit is in all the parts of holinesse every grace hath a mixture of humility because they are all dependances on God Humility is an emptying grace and acknowledgeth that in our selves there is nothing If God withhold his influence I am gone if he withdraw his grace I shall be like another man as Sampson was when his haire was cutoff Selfe-emptinesse prepares for spirituall fulnesse When I am weak saith blessed Paul then I am strong that is when I feele and acknowledge my weaknesse then my strength encreases otherwise a man is not strong when he is weake but when he is sensible and groanes under the burthen of his infirmities then is he inwardly strong Another fundamentall grace is dependance upon God for considering our owne insufficiency and that faith is a grace that goes out of our selves and layes hold of the righteousnes of another to justi fie us nothing can be more necessary to quiet the soule Beleeve and you shall be established as the Promises are sure in themselves so should we repose firme confidence in them But how doth God establish us by faith By working sound knowledge in us This is life eternall to know thee Iohn 17. When we know the truth of Gods word aright we have a firme ground to depend on for the more a man knowes God in Covenant the more hee knowes Christ and the promises the more he will trust and rely upon them They that know thy name will trust in thee saith the Prophet Therefore labour for certainty of knowledge that thou maist have a certainty of faith What is the reason our faith is weak Because wee are carelesse to increase in knowledge The more wee know of God the morewe shall trust in him The more we know of a man that he is able and just of his word the more safely we put confidence in him So the more our security is in Gods promises as his bonds encrease so our trust will be strengthened Thirdly if thou wouldst have stablishing grace beg it earnestly of God Our strength in him is altogether by prayer bind him therefore with his owne promise beseech him to do unto thee according to his good Word he is the God of strength desire of him the spirit of strength alledg to him thy own weaknesse and in ability without him that if he helps not thou shalt soone be overcome lay open thy wants in Gods presence shew him how unable thou art of thy selfe to withstand temptations to beare crosses to performe duties to doe or suffer any thing aright turne his gracious promises into prayers desire God that hee would stablish thee by his grace that he would prop and uphold thy soule in all extremities What is the reason that Christians are so daunted and flie off in time of danger They have no faith in the promise The righteous is as Mount Sinah that shall not be moved hee builds on a foundation that can never be shaken for the heart is never drawne to any sinfull vanity or frighted with any terrour of trouble till faith lets goe its hold out of God there is nothing for the soule safely to stay it selfe upon No marvell to see men fall that rest on a broken Reed Alas whatsoever is besides God is but a creature and can the creature be other than changeable The comfort that we have in God never fadeth it is an abiding lasting comfort such as contents the soule and satisfies all the wants and desires of it which things

justice truth faithfulnesse providence wisedome and all-sufficiencie All which shall ever work together for the best to them that love his appearing So for Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God All his glorious titles and attributes serve like wise for the everlasting comfort of his poore Saints on earth Hee is called the Husband of his Church to cherish and maintaine the same His love unto his Church is farre above the love of any husband to his wife Hee is called the Saviour of the World because hee so loved the world that hee gave his life for it and hath promised that whosoever beleeveth on him shall not perish He is called the Fountaine of life the Well of life the Water of life the Bread of life the Way the Truth and the Life because that in him is our life and by him wee are fed and nourished to eternall life here in him wee obtain the life of Grace and in the World to come shall for ever enjoy the life of Glory So likewise for the Holy Ghost what heavenly attributes are ascribed to him in the Scriptures He is called the Comforter of Gods servants The Sealer of the Redemption of Gods children in their hearts he teacheth the Elect to call God Father hee beareth witnesse with their spirits that they are the Sons and Daughters of God he teacheth them to pray as they ought hee fills them with peace that passeth all understanding And refreshes their spirits with such unspeakable joy as eye hath not seene nor eare heard the like He that is instructed by the Spirit knoweth the things of God which a naturall man is ignorant of The holy Ghost doth call to rememberance the doctrine of God taught unto his servants writes the same in their hearts so that the operations of the blessed Spirit are all appropriated to them that love God and they alone have their right in them The direction comfort teaching and guiding of the Spirit of God doe serve entirely and peculiarly to order and work all things together for the best to the Godly Yea the Angels themselves are called Messengers and ministring Spirits appointed by God to attend and wait upon his servants Hee gives his Angells charge over these to serve them in all their wayes and to pitch their tents round about them whensoever God pleaseth to call any of his out of this world the Angels are a safe conduct to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome And at the last judgement the Lord shall send forth his Angells to gather his Elect from one end of the world to the other that they may fully enjoy that which they have long waited for even eternall blisse and glory Vnder the Angels all other creatures are likewise made serviceable for his peoples good Princes in authority are called in Scripture nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto the Church of Christ the end of all magistracy being that we might live religiously and peaceably in all the wayes of God Ministers also are stiled in the Word by the names of Watchmen and Seeds-men and spirituall Fathers to beget men againe to the kingdome of Heaven they are called Gods Husbandmen to manure and till his ground They are called Gods lights and the Salt of the Earth both to enlighten the Church with the light of the glorious Gospell whereof they are Ministers and to season them with such savoury and sweet instructions as may make them wise to salvation this being the very end of all Gods giving gifts to men that they might build up the Church of Christ here below So also the Word of God is called the savour of life the power of God unto salvation It is the seed of God which being sown in the hearts of Gods children springeth up in them to everlasting happinesse Gods Word is a light and a Lanthorne to guide and direct us in all his wayes it is the Sword of the Spirit to arme us against sin and to maintaine us in grace The Sacraments likewise are the Seales of life and pledges of our salvation in Christ and Ex communication though it bee rough and the extreamest censure of the Church and therefore ought to be undertaken upon weighty grounds yet the end of it is to save the soules of Gods people and to make them by repentance turne unto him So all outward gifts as beauty strength riches and honours these are given by God to serve for the good of his children As the beauty of Hester was an instrument of her preferment whereby she became a preservation to Gods children and an overthrow of her and their enemies Iosephs outward honours and wealth were made by Gods disposing hand a meanes of the preservation nourishment of the Israelites in the time of their great extremity and famine the like may be said of learning and other naturall acquirements all which do often tend to generall and publike advantages Yea the outward gists of God which are bestowed upon reprobates are still for the good of his for they who had skill and knowledge to build Noahs Ark though they themselves were not saved therein yet were they the meanes of Noahs preservation and so it many times falleth out that men of excellent parts and great abilities without grace though themselves are not profited thereby yet God so useth them as their gifts much conduce to further and build up the Church of Christ. Even outward favour of Princes oft tend to Gods servants good A just man as the Heathens could say is a common benefit And so a true Christian whatsoever good he hath it is communicable to all the faithfull and therfore S. Paul saith of him selfe that he was a debtor to all men both Iewes and Gentiles and that hee became all things to all men that he migh twin some But here the maine question will be and the difficulty arises how all ill things can work together for the best to Gods children I shall therefore demonstrate 1 The truth of this how it can be so 2 The reasons why it is so 3 Observe a caution that it be not abused 4 Let us see the sweet and comfortable use of this Doctrine That this may the better appear we must know that all evill things are either 1 Spirituall evill things 2 Outward evill things And for spirituall evill things they are either First Sinne. Secondly That which hath a reference to Sinne as being evils following after sinne The first sin of all which hath gone over whole mankinde and is spread abroad in every one of us this by Gods mercy and our repentance prooves to al beleevers a transcendent good for the fall and sin of the first Adam caused the birth and death of the second Adam Christ Jesus who notwitstanding he was God took upon him the nature of man and hath made us by his comming farre more happy than if we had neverfallen neither would God have

to be exalted when we are poore then are we most rich and when we are dead then doe wee live For God worketh all by contraries hee lets men see his greatnesse and his goodnesse that so they may admire his works and give more glory to him he worketh without means and above meanes and against meanes out of misery hee bringeth happinesse and by hell bringeth men to heaven Which as it manifesteth Gods glory to his creatures so it serveth for the confusion of mans pride that hee may discern he is nothing in himselfe but is all that he is in the Lord. The third cause why all things work for the best to them that feare God Is Gods covenant with his Church when once this gracious covenant is made that hee will be their God and they shall be his people that he will bee their Father and Protectour must not all things then needs serve for their good When as God tells Abraham I am thy God All-sufficient only walk before me be thou perfect Doth not this engage him to set his power mercy his wisedome and providence all on work for the happy estate of Abraham When once God by his promise is become our God there is a covenant betwixt us and the creatures yea and the stones in the street that nothing shall wrong us but all conduce to our good The Angels are ours their service is for our protection safety welfare Heaven and earth is ours and all things in them for our behoofe Christ himselfe and together with him all things else are become ours in him we are heires of all What a wondrous comfort is this that God hath put himselfe over to be ours whom to enjoy is to possesse all things and to want is misery unexpressable Had we all the world without God it would prove a curse and no blessing to us whereas if we have nothing and enjoy God we have happinesse it selfe for our portion If we have no better portion here than these things wee are like to have hell for our portion hereafter Let God be in any condition though never so ill yet it is comfortable He is goodnesse it selfe And indeed nothing is so much a Christians as God is his because by his being ours in covenant all other things become ours and therefore they cannot but cooperate for our good When thou art in the fire and water I am with thee saith God And Thou art my Buckler my Glory and Shield therefore I will not be afraid though ten thousand of people shall be set me round about saith David for salvation belongeth unto the Lord. And if God be on our side who can bee against us If God justifie us who shall condemne us Can any thing hurt us when hee is become our loving Father Neither death nor life nor things present nor things to come nor principalities nor powers nor any thing whatsoever can separate us from his love toward us A fourth ground why all things fall out for the best to the Saints is The foundation of this covenant of God with his Church which is Christ Iesus who by his bloud hath purchased our peace hee being God became man and is the sole Author of all our comfort Without Christ God is a consuming fire but in him a most loving Father and ever well pleased God promiseth in Christ his Sonne to marry his people unto himselfe for ever Yea saith he I will marry thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in mercie and everlasting cōpassion Now upon this blessed contract made in Christ to his Church what followeth In that day saith the Lord I will heare the heavens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the Corne and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall heare Israel and I will have mercy upon her that was not pittied And I will say unto them which were not my people thou art my people And they shall say thou art my God Where wee see what is the reason of all their happinesse even this that God will marry them to himselfe So that this marriage worketh all our blisse our conjunction with Christ and reconciliation through his death is the cause of all our comfort in him wee have the adoption of Sonnes Hence it is that we are at peace with God and have freedom from all harmes Christ in his greatest reproach and deepest humiliation had his greatest triumph and exaltation In his death on the Crosse he vanquished Death and entred into eternall life When Christ came into the world and took upon him our nature even then the greatest Monarch in the world Augustus Caesar was at his command whom he so ordered as that by his causing all the world to bee taxed Christ was manifested to be borne at Bethlehem in Iury. How commeth it to passe that death which is fearefull in it selfe cannot hurt us The reason is Death is swallowed up in victory by his death It is Christ that sanctifieth all crosses afflictions and disgraces to the Saints advantage The evill of them all is taken away by him and turned to his peoples good How commeth it to passe that the Law cannot hurt us which pronounceth a curse against every one that abideth not in all things written therein to do them The reason is Christ was made a curse for us he was made under the Law that hee might redeeme us who were under the Law and thus is Christ a meritorious and deserving cause of procuring all good to us and removing all ill from us He doth not only overcome evill for us but also overcommeth evill in us and gives us his Spirit which unites us to himselfe whereby wee have ground to expect good out of every ill as knowing that whatsoever Christ wrought for the good of mankinde he did it for us in particular In Outward favours grace makes us acknowledge all the blessings wee have to be the free gifts of God and invites us to returne the glory to him Gods servants take all occasions and opportunities of doing good by those gifts and abilities wherewith they are endowed When Hester was advanced to great honor Mordechay told her that God had conferred that dignity upon her for his peoples welfare that she might be a means of their safety Whereas on the contrary a proud heart destitute of the Spirit of Christ ascribes all to it selfe waxeth more haughty and growes worse and worse the more good he enjoyes A gratious soule upon the sight of the evill of sin in it selfe is more deeply humbled before God and with S. Paul crieth out of his wretchednesse A heavenly minded man being smitten for his wickednesse laboureth for subjection under the hand of the Almighty and saith I will patiently abide and endure thy correction because thou Lord hast done it When the gracious man is held under the crosse and suffereth bitter things he saith It is good for me that I am afflicted for