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
A43776	A sermon preached at the funeral of the Right Honourable Robert Earl and Viscount Yarmouth, Baron of Paston and Lord Lieutenant of the County of Norfolk by John Hildeyard.	Hildeyard, John, b. 1662 or 3.	1683 (1683)	Wing H1982; ESTC R28072	19,112	41

A SERMON Preached at the FUNERAL OF THE Right Honourable ROBERT EARL and VISCOUNT Yarmouth Baron of PASTON and Lord Lieutenant of the County of NORFOLK By JOHN HILDEYARD D. LL Commissary of the Arch-Deaconry of Norfolk and Rector of Cowston in the Diocess of Norwich Mors aequo pede pulsat Pauperum tabernas Regumque Turres Horat. LONDON Printed by S. Roycroft for George Rose Bookseller in Norwich and Robert Clavel at the Peacock in St. Paul's Church-yard in London 1683. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The Truly Vertuous and Regularly Pious Lady THE LADY REBECCA COUNTES DOWAGER Yarmouth The Author wisheth all Prosperity on Earth and Eternal Happiness in Heaven And in all Humility as a Testimony of his Gratitude Dedicates this Sermon owning himself Her Honours Most Faithful and Ever Devoted Servant and Chaplain JOHN HILDEYARD Revel IV. 4. And round about the Throne were four and twenty Seats and upon the Seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting cloathed in white Rayment and they had upon their Heads Crowns of Gold IT is our Christian Priviledge that sometimes we May and when Spectacles of Mortality lye before us as now it is our Christian Duty that we should take a View of the Top of Tabor even whilst we dwell upon this our Native Calvary mount up our Thoughts and fix our Meditations on the Thrones in Heaven whilst we have our Conversations on Earth 'T is true the Excellency Glory and Splendor of Heaven no finite Brain no created Understanding can possibly perceive or comprehend according to its full Proportion for it is a Fruit of our Fall with Adam and an Inseparable Adjunct of this mortal and unglorified State here below concerning things Coelestial That what we know we know it but in part Yet as a tender affectionate Father by giving of his Child a Glimps of some Rich and Orient Pearl makes the Child big with Desire and Impatient for a full Sight thereof and a grasping of it in his own Hand So our Heavenly Father full of Compassion to the Sons of Men though he detains from the Eye of our Sense a full Comprehension of that Glorious State while we are in the body yet now and then he is pleased to give us a glimpse to let fall in his Word some Sparkles of it that he may Inflame our Affections and set our Faith on Tip-toes that so we having the Eyes of our Souls within the Vail in this Valley of Tears and Troubles may always be refreshed with the very Remembrance of those Glories that are about His Throne A Telescope is an Instrument of Man's Invention that he may take a better View than his weak Eyes of themselves can have of those splendid Lamps that so much beautifie the Cope of the nearest Heavens Whereto the Apostle seems to allude when he tells us that we can only behold the things placed above this Region of our Mortality as through a Glass Such a Glass such a Telescope is this my Text which gives a general Description to us of that great and unexpressible Glory which the Saints have who are glorified with God in Heaven There were some indeed called Chiliacts whom later days by exposition of the Name have stiled Millinaries who looking for a New Heaven on this Old Earth would have these words understood of the Church Militant But I could produce a Cloud of Witnesses to make good his Words who tells us it is not imaginable that any Company of Men any Congregation of Saints should ever be found on Earth of so unmixt a Purity and so exact Perfection as is here described The words then must be understood of the Church Triumphant as clearly appears from the 2d ver of this Chapter which testifies That the Throne about which the Seats of these Elders stood was fixed not on Earth but in Heaven And round about the Throne were four and twenty Seats c. From what hath been said you see my Text is a true Jacobs Ladder on which our Souls in their Meditations may ascend from Earth to Heaven And in this Ladder I shall remark to you five most beautiful Rounds or Staves which in plainer Terms I would call the Parts of the Text. First The transcendent Excellency of those Places in which the Saints were made Conspicuous to St. John 24 Seats 2dly The Transcendent Dignity of the Persons upon those Seats they were Elders 3dly Their Posture they were sitting the Saints of God were represented to St. John in the same posture our Creed describes the Blessed Jesus sitting in Heaven to express their permanent perpetual and unalterable Rest they are at Quiet they are at Ease without Molestation without Trouble and that to all Eternity 4. Their Vesture clothed in White Whence we note that however Foul-mouths may bespot it yet White Rayment is the fittest most comely and significant Habit for those that wait at God's Altars yea for them too to be represented in that sit about his Throne 5thly Their Ornament And they had upon their Heads Crowns of Gold We in England borrowed our Proverb from the Latines That The End Crowns the Work give me leave here too to borrow from a Latine Author the Observation That a Crown ends my Text importing that the greatest Men Kings on Earth can have no greater Glory than to be Saints in Heaven And Saints on Earth shall have so much Glory as to be Kings in Heaven And being met to Celebrate the Funeral of a Person Great Indeed Great in his Descent Great in his Worth Great in the Favour of his Prince and what is best of all Great in the Favour of God I shall not doubt with all your Approbations to determine his Earthly Coronet is changed into an Heavenly Crown and so the Text and the Occasion will friendly conclude alike From the first General of the Text the Transcendent Excellency of those Places in which the Saints were made Conspicuous to St. John I must denote unto you Three eminent Circumstances First Their. Names Seats 2dly Their Situation Round about 3dly Their Number Their Names Twenty Four First their Names Seats So indeed our English Translation renders it and so the Vulgar with respect I presume to the following word Sitting But Cornelius a Lapide Beza Complutensis Regius with our own Learned Hamond and a Multitude more express them by the Name of Thrones according to the Original and agreeable to the Title our Blessed Lord gives them St. Matthew the 19th where telling his Disciples it is equally impossible for a Camel to be squeezed through the Eye of a Needle as for a Man whose Heart is swelled with pride of and enlarged with desires after Riches to enter in at the straight Gate of Eternal Life At which Doctrine whilst the Disciples stood mute and astonished St. Peter breaks silence and saith But we have forsaken all and followed thee and what shall we have therefore What Reward what Compensation shall be given us for this To whom our

by a Word indefinite to shew that they are Infinite Gods Hand unto his Children is not scant like Isaac's he hath more Blessings in store than one For the Welcome recorded by St. Matthew is general to all Come ye Blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you A Kingdom larg enough for all no fear of straightness there where St. John whilst yet in the Spirit beheld and saw a great Multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues And of all these saith St. Paul Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved And of this Number were the Elders in the Text most certainly which naturally brings me to the Second General The transcendent Dignity of the Persons placed upon the Throne They were Elders But alas their Number was small they were but twenty four answerable to their Seats I have read That under this Number St. Jerome understood the Jewish Division of the Old Testament into twenty four Books Others have thought here meant The Distribution of the Sons of Aaron into twenty four Classes by King David Others say That the Saints in Heaven were represented here under the Form of the Governours in the earthly Jerusalem anciently composed as the Jews relate of twenty four Rectors or Heads of the twenty four Quarters of High Streets of the City But herein I willingly close with Primasius That the Catholick Congregation of all Churches which issue from the Vniting of Jews and Gentiles when the whole Body whereof Christ is Head fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every Part supplyeth shall have its Consummation in Eternal Bliss and Glory is here set forth by the Twelve Patriarchs the Founders of the Jewish and the Twelve Apostles the Founders of the Christian Church in Robes of Purity and with Crowns of Glory They making up our number of twenty four by whom principally and chiefly the Saints of the whole World were converted And therefore being such glorious Instruments it hath pleased the Holy Ghost to make them Representatives of the Church which Christ hath redeemed unto God by his Blood out of every Kindred and People and Tongue and Nation and placed about his Throne of Glory And now these Representatives are here stiled Elders First Negatively not in respect of Age for there are no Gray Hairs in Heaven the Soul waxeth not old when in the Body much less when in its Glory No Elders in the Resurrection Children that died in their Cradles shall then step over to Perfection of Age and old decrepid Bodies be restored unto Strength and Vigour both made Perfect in the full measure of the Stature of Christ Young or Old Maim'd or Perfect whilst in the Body at the Resurrection we shall all arise in the vigorous and flourishing Age which Christ himself arose in and that was about thirty three We are told by some That all the Angels that have appeared under both Testaments have appeared in such an Age. And others say that this our Saviour meant in that saying of his That in the Resurrection we shall be like the Angels of God But secondly and positively they are stiled Elders in respect of their Dignity to shew the Honourable and Venerable Estate of the Saints in Heaven Elders is a Title of Honour and hath been in all Nations and Languages given unto Men Eminent in Place both in Church and State Thus the Representatives of the Majestick People in Old Rome had the Name of Senators which signifies Elders Thus the Judges of the great Jewish Sanhedrim were stiled Zekenim Elders Nor doth that known Title of Aldermen by which we dignifie the Governours of our Metropolitan Towns and Cities bear any other signification which in right Orthography should be Eldermen Nay Bishops and Superintendants of the Christian Church are frequently in the New Testament expressed by the Name of Elders too But perhaps there is more than an Expression of Dignity aimed at in this Title of Elders when ever applyed to the Saints in Heaven even to intimate who they are that shall have a Place there viz. Such as walk in the good old Ways and maintain the good old Truths of the Prophets and Apostles Without doubt that which in Religion is most Ancient is most True and Divine Of whatsoever it may be said It was not so from the Beginning may well be rejected for spurious and forged It cannot be concluded to be from him that is the Ancient of Days but from the spirit of Novelty who endeavours to make men change their Religion as they do their Fashion that he may plunge as many as he can in the same Damnation with himself but for them who hold fast the form of words received who contend for the Faith anciently delivered who keep close to the good old Path of Righteousness and Religion My other three Generals in the Text do tell them There are Seats about the Throne prepared White Garments of Honour and Purity fitted and made ready and Crowns of Gold held forth to all which having spoken something in the opening of the Text I pass them over and shall now pass on to a new but sadder Subject It is Comfortable and Glorious for a Christian to consider the Joys of Heaven but when it is remembred that before his Entrance into them he must twice put off the Old Man once with its Lusts of the Flesh and afterwards with the Flesh of Mortality it is a putting Mirrh into his Wine to remember that we must all lye down in the Dust and in the Dishonour of the Grave is a great allay to all Delight we have in the Expectation of the Glories above But none can reverse the Sentence no Man can escape the Doom Witness the Spectacle before us If Honourable Birth and Ingenuous Education if Wit and Learning if Courage and Greatness if Loyalty and Piety if any thing could have given Immunity have gone for a good Plea have put in a Bar against a Sad Day this sad Scene of Sorrows had not been the Entertainment of this Assembly nor we at this time with Sorrow in our Faces met to Celebrate the Obsequies who have so often met with Joy in our Countenances to welcom the Arrival amongst us of the Right Honourable ROBERT Earl and Viscount YARMOVTH Baron of PASTON Of whom to speak fully and satisfactorily is fitter for a History than a Sermon But though I cannot draw his Image in full Proportion yet some Glimpses I shall give you of his Vertues that they may find a Place in your Memories and live in your daily Imitation It is expedient nay expected that somethings should be said though all cannot For my own part he was pleased to give me so intimate Acquaintance with him and that so filled me with just Arguments of his Praise that I am more at a loss to determine what to leave out than what to say Therefore begin I would but where shall I