Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	corn_n	hear_v	oil_n	2,009	5	9.5924	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14661	A learned and profitable treatise of Gods prouidence Written for the instruction and comfort of the godly: for the winning and conuersion of sinners: and for a terror to the obstinate and prophane: diuided into sixe parts. By Ralph Walker preacher of the Word.	Walker, Ralph, preacher of the word.	1608 (1608)	STC 24963; ESTC S119338	149,135	374

gouernment hath effected whence we conclude that hee is not so tied to second causes as that when they faile his Prouidence ceaseth vnto vs for sometimes he worketh without meanes and sometimes contrarie to their nature for the declaration of his mightie power and wonderfull goodnesse But it is to be obserued that when God worketh either of these two waies hee vseth an incomprehensible and innisible vertue of working proper to his Deitie only thereby teaching vs not to put any confidence in second meanes but euen thē when they wholly faile assuredly to hope for deliuerance from God who at the very time of greatest distresse is alwaies neerest vnto his children The third and vsuall way of Gods gouerning 3. Vsually by meanes is by second means appointed in his heauenly wisedome for that purpose As by the heate of the Sunne and dropping of the clouds the earth to yeeld her fruite the grasse of the mountaines to nourish the beasts man to bee maintained by the sweat of his browes to bee fed by bread to be warmed by the fire to bee kept from cold by his cloathes by studie to get learning Foolish conclusions from the immutabilitie of Gods decree are here condemned by learning to come to prefermēt by foresight to eschew dangers and so vsually in all other things So that the neglect of ordinarie meanes is a contempt of Gods ordinance and a sin of presumption This the Lord giueth vs to vnderstand when hee saith Hosea 2.21 I will heare the heauens the heauens shall heare the earth the earth shall heare the corne wine and oyle and the corne wine and oyle they shall heare Israel And thus much for these two first what Gods Prouidence is secondly the order hee vseth in gouerning by the same Now to the answering of certaine questions which offer themselues after this manner Quest. 1 The first Why God doth somtimes worke without meanes and sometimes against means that is contrarie to their naturall working Ans By one godly meditation the minde is led vnto another and by a diuine contemplation of Gods wonderfull working the soule is moued to take ioy and comfort and to stay it selfe on the Creator alone Therefore although Gods children are not curiously to fearch into the reasons of their heauenly Fathers gouernment yet the rules of godly humilitie being obserued we will enquire somewhat into them Reasons of Gods working sometimes without sometimes against meanes The first whereof may seeme to be this that wee should learne and know that hee doth not alwaies gouerne by meanes because hee cannot rule without them but that hee will at his pleasure manifest his infinite power ouer his creatures and his exceeding great mercie to those which loue and feare his name Secondly whereas it is the nature of men where they see no ordinarie meanes of effecting there to attribute the euents vnto chance and fortune the Lord therefore declareth this his wonderfull power to shew himselfe the sole effecter of all things Lastly God sheweth this his power in gouerning to the end wee should put no confidence in second causes but wholly relie vpon his power and goodnesse begetting in vs this double assurance the first that he is able the second euer readie to helpe in our greatest miseries Quest. 2 The second question is why God doth gouerne the world vsually by meanes whereas he is able to gouerne it without them Ans The answere is first Reasons of Gods gouerning vsually by meanes wheras be is able to gouerne without them to shew his wonderfull loue and goodnesse to his creatures in that by the vse of them he approues of what he hath created and further giues this honour vnto them to bee if I may so say coworkers with him in his wonderfull gouernment Secondly whereas we are naturally subiect to blindnes error and ignorance God vseth means in his gouernment to be as certaine steps to bring vs to the knowledge and acknowledgement of him A third reason is to manifest that he is the Creator of all things appearing in this in that hee hath the commaund and vse of all things for the accomplishing of that which in his heauenly wisedome he had decreed A fourth reason is to excite vs to heartie thanksgiuing If they prooue othervvise it is because of our bad vsing them in that all creatures are meanes of our good and ordained by God to bee helpes and furtherances both of soules and bodies vnto eternall glorie Indeede they often turne to our greater condemnation but this is by accident in respect of vs not of the creatures Simile As wholesome meate in a good stomacke is well digested but in a bad stomacke and a diseased bodie turnes into cruditie The cause is not in the meate for then it would worke the like effect in all but in the stomacke of the bodie that is euill affected Fiftly whereas God vseth all his creatures as meanes in his gouernment it is to teach vs that none of them are in their kinde to be contemned or despised because they are the creatures of God and instruments of his glorie Lastly God doth commonlie vse meanes in his gouernment because we should not presume of his power or Prouidence either by neglecting the meanes appointed by himselfe for the sauing of our soules or by reiecting the helpes ordained for the preseruation of the body For in all things we must haue respect vnto Gods will reuealed in his word and not vnto his secret wil wherof wee are ignorant Now the reuealed will of God teaching by his owne ordinance at first in the person of Adam Gen. 3. as also euer since both by precept and practise that wee must vse the meanes appointed 1. Tim. 4. Not the vvant but the contempt of meanes doth abridge vs of helpe from God being sanctified vnto vs by his word and prayer wee shall not only tempt God in the neglect of them but also become vnnaturall vnto our selues in that we regard not the meanes whereby our safetie is procured Lest therefore we should be guiltie of the one or faultie in the other it hath pleased God for our example commonly to vse them who otherwise because his power is infinite could as easily gouerne without them Quest 3 The 3. question is what these meanes are which God vseth in his gouernmēt Ans As Gods power is infinite and his creatures not to bee numbred so because GOD rules by all the meanes are not to bee counted They may bee reduced into two sorts heauenly or earthly concerning this life or concerning a better yet none can in very deede be so properlie said to concerne this life as that they doe not after a certaine maner concerne a better also But I will onely recite a few and those especially which concerne Gods children As the Law the Gospell the Administration of Sacraments the ministerie of men prosperitie aduersitie good Angels and the heauenly hoast as the Sunne the Moone the starres

of saluation also And therfore as God doth predestinate to saluation so hee doth predestinate withall the vsing of the meanes whereby men shall be saued as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the originall plainly teacheth And howsoeuer we dare not teach that the omitting of these things is the cutting vs off from saluation because God is not tied vnto outward meanes yet we truly affirme that the contempt of thē knowing them to bee meanes of saluation ordained by God doth cut men off that they cannnot bee saued Now if it be an omitting of the meanes to haue a price in our hands to buy them and not to haue the hearts to disburse it whether our seeking of occasions to be absent from the word blessed Communion whether our backwardnesse to come when wee are so often inuited whether our small regard in hearing and lesse in practising be an omission or a contempt I leaue to God and mens consciences to determine only this I am sure it is too nice a distinction to stand vpon in matters of saluation the failing in the one is a signe of falling into the other and in thee that art not able to answere an idle thought it will bee Christian wisedome to preuent so vile a deede But let these men remember that since the Law leades vs to Christ The Gospell is the povver of God to saluation and the Gospell begets faith and repentance comforts vs in aduersitie humbles vs in prosperitie declares Gods loue vnto vs shewes how wee should loue him reueales his power our weaknesse his wisedome our folly his grace our naturall miserie enlightens our dark vnderstandings informes our iudgements confirmes our faith reformes our lines that therefore these blessed meanes with others ordained in them are sole declarers of the way to happinesse excite vs to walke in it who otherwise would not enter it and being entred doe keepe vs in the same And therefore as the man that desireth to be at a citie shall neuer come at it if he reiecte the waies leading to the same so many fooles wishing after many daies spent in the lusts of their flesh to bee at new Ierusalem and yet all their life time reiected the waies that God appointed for the leading vnto it will rather despaire in what they desire then haue any assurance of their comming thither Therefore howsoeuer the wicked and foolish desire to die the death of the righteous and at last to be partakers of their blessednesse and yet reiect the meanes whereby they should attaine it like men that desire their health and yet are neuer well but when they fall into surfets yet let the righteous haue these blessed meanes euermore in high estimation let them be sweeter to them then the honey and honey combe for by them Gods seruants are taught and in keeping them there is great reward Vse 2 Secondly whereas God is not so tied to meanes but that he sometimes worketh without them and sometimes against thē we learne euen thē to trust in the Lord when miseries doe most beset vs and when no apparent meanes of deliuerie can appeare vnto vs. God will diuide Iordan and make the sea to stand on heapes that his children may passe and be deliuered God can strike the stonie rocke cause the heauens to raine Manna make the walles of Iericho to fall at the sound of a trumpet put a hooke in the nostrels of Zenacherib make a little oyle and meale a long time to nourish his children hee can feed them by the fowles of the heauen he can cause the irons to fall off and the gates of the prison to open of their own accord hee can muster an armie of his meanest creatures able to subdue the mightest Princes therefore since this mightie and fearefull God is one and the same whose mercie is not diminished nor his arme of power shortned there is good cause why we should alwaies hope in him and then especiallie when we are most destitute of apparent helpe and comfort Luke 15. The father wil neuer declare his loue so euidently to his sonne as when others doe oppose themselues most stronglie against him and shall not God both in power and mercie infinite at such times especiallie regard his children Bern. in Cant. Nihil omnipotentiam deiclariorem reddit quàm quod omnipotentes facit omnes qui in se sperant Nothing more declares the omnipotencie of God then Gods making those to be conquerers in all things that put their trust in him And therefore saith Dauid They trusted in thee Psalm 18. and were not confounded No meruaile O Lord for thou art the rocke the shield the fortresse the horne the refuge the strength of thy people how then can they fall 1. Iohn 3. thou art iust in thy promises how then can they bee destitute of aide when thou hast promised that if they aske thou wilt minister it vnto them thou hast elected them of thy grace Luke 11. and redeemed them of thy rich mercie how then since thou hast giuen the greatest the dearest shouldest thou denie the lesse or that which is of smaller value Tria considero in quibus spes mea tota consistit charitatem adoptionis veritatem promissionis potestatem redditionis I consider three things saith Bernard wheron my whole hope is staid in the greatest troubles Jn Cant. Gods loue in adopting his truth in promising and his power in deliuering what then if the tempest grow strong Psalm 46.2.3 and the waues of this troublesome sea rise on high what if sands and rocks inuiron thee that thou art likelie to bee eaten vp of the one or broken on the other what if the tacklings breake and the mast blow ouer yet trust in the Lord this threefold cord fastned on Christ makes a strong cable and a firme anchor whereon whosoeuer relieth shall neuer perish in the greatest tempest though both the wind and the tide bee against them For if Gods Prouidence extends to his meanest creatures then much more to his children as Christ himselfe teacheth and if at all times Matth. 6. sure then especially when the greatest troubles dangers beset them Wherefore we conclude that since the Lord of hosts is with vs Psal 46.1.4.7 As Shiloah that comforted Hierusalem and the God of Iacob our refuge therefore there is a riuer whose streame shall euer make glad the citie of God therefore if we make him our hope and strength he will be a help readie to be found in the greatest troubles Lastly Jn that God is Inflicter of all punishment since it is a priuiledge belonging to God alone to bee the inflicter of all punishment we are taught in all Christian wisdome to repent vs of our sinnes to take hold on Christ to clense our selues from all filthines of the flesh and of the spirit and to grow vp vnto holinesse in the feare of the Lord that so he may be induced not to enter into