Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A32726
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A treatise of divine providence I. In general, II. In particular, as relating to the church of God in the world / by ... Mr. Steph. Charnocke ...
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Charnock, Stephen, 1628-1680.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing C3712; ESTC R13224
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166,401
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418
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And when Abraham returns from the Victory v. 16. the rest of the delivered Captives are mentioned in the bulk Lot only in particular As though all that had been done had been done by God only for Lots sake They might have preserved the whole Prey to themselves had it not been for this Jewel too precious in Gods accompt for their Custody And the fearful Curse that God pronounced against the Ammonite and Moabite that they should not come into the Congregation for ten Generations though any of them turned Proselytes was because they came not out with so much as Bread and Water to meet the Israelites and because they hired Balaam to Curse them Deut. 23.3 4. The utter wasting of Nations and Kingdoms is because they will not serve the interest of God in his People Isa 60.12 For the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted God will bring an utter Consumption upon those people that refuse to love them much more upon those that hate them 6. What esteem then should there be of the Godly in the World The Providence of God being chiefly for the good of his People cannot well fall upon them but some drops will fall upon those involved with them in a common interest When the Corn and Wine and Oyl hear Jezreel the Seed of God and the Earth hears the Corn and the Heavens hear the Earth and God hears the Heavens * Hos 2.21 22. When their supplications come up to the great Superintendent of the World many of the Wicked will fare the better for that Providence which is given only in answer to Jesreels Prayer God causes his Sun to shine upon the unjust upon them not for their sakes When Nebuchadnezzar issued out that unjust order for the slaying the Chaldeans for not performing an impossible command in telling him the Dream he had forgotten Daniel was sought out to undergo the same fate Yet by his Wisdom God bends the heart of Arioch the Executioner of this Decree to stay his hand * Dan. 2.12 Daniel goes to the King God stayes Nebuchadnezzars Fury and moves his heart to give them time The Providence is chiefly intended for the preservation of Daniel and his Godly Companions but the rest of the wise men have the Benefit of it As the water with which a man waters his choicest Plants and Flowers in his Garden is intended only for them yet some falling off from those Flowers refresheth the Weeds that grow under them If God had not had such flowers as Daniel and his Companions the Weeds in Chaldea had been plucked up Yet the ungrateful World takes no notice of the benefits they receive from this Salt of the Earth which preserves them and to whom they are all so much beholding Lot had been the occasion of restoring Zoar from Captivity as I mentioned before Gen. 14.8 for the Inhabitants of that City were engaged with those of Sodom in the Fight against the four Kings And the King of Bela the same is Zoar And perhaps were carried Captives with the rest of their Neighbours And it had been saved from the Flames which fell upon Sodom meerly by Lots prayer Gen. 19.21 See I have accepted thee concerning this thing that I will not overthrow this City for the which thou hast spoken yet he found them a surly people and was requited with a rude reception notwithstanding his kindness verse 30. He went up out of Zoar for he feared to dwell in Zoar It was not likely he was so distrustful of God that he should overthrow it when he had absolutely promised him the contrary Therefore most likely for some churlish threatnings from them Nay Sodom it self was beholding to him for a small respite of the Judgment intended against them For God tells him he could do nothing till he were come thither * Gen. 19. And it was so for Lot was entred into Zoar before a drop of Brimstone and Fire was rained down upon Sodom * Ver. 23.24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom when when Lot was entred into Zoar This good the Wicked World get by Gods People is so evident that sometimes wicked men cannot but take notice of it Laban a selfish Idolater was sensible of it Gen. 30.27 I have found by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake It was a Lesson so legible that he might have learned it sooner than in fourteen years The Church is the chief object of preservation wicked men are preserved for their sakes as Dung is preserved not for its own sake but for the manuring a fruitful field and Thorns in the Hedge are preserved for the Gardens sake 7. 'T is then a very foolish thing for any to contend against the welfare of Gods People 'T is to strive against an Almighty and unwearied Providence Men may indeed sometimes be suffered by God for holy ends to have their Wills in some measure upon the Church but not altogether They must first depose him from his Throne blind his eyes or hold his Arm. 'T is as foolish as if a worm should design to dig down a Mountain or Chaff to Martial it self in Battle Array against the Wind or for a poor Flye to stop the motion of a Milstone 1. 'T is foolish Because it is exceeding sinful What is done against the Church is rather done against God than against it Since all her Constitution Worship Observances are directed to God as their ultimate end so that to endeavour to destroy the Church is to deny God a Worship deprive him of his Sanctuary break open his House Ravish his Spouse cut off Christ's Body rob him of his Jewels and will be so interpreted by God at the last upon the scanning of things If the Church be Gods house the Enemies shall answer for every Invasion every forcible Entry for the breaking down the Gates and Bars of it God will sue them at last for dilapidations 2. Very unsuccessfull Shall God be afraid of the multitudes and power of Men No more than a Lyon or a young Lyon roaring after his Prey when a multitude of Shepherds are called forth against them shall he be afraid of their voice or abase himself for their noise * Isa 31.4 Noise and Clamor is all they can do and that not long The fierceness of the Lyon quickly scatters them The Associations and mens girding themselves against the Church is but a preparation to their own Ruine Isa 8.9 Associate your selves together oh ye People and ye shall be broken in pieces three times repeated Your Counsels saith he shall not stand against that presence of God that is with us For God is with us 3. It is very Destructive too God will not alway be still and refrain himself he seems to do so for a while but when he doth arise he will destroy and devour at once * Isa 42.14 he will make but one morsel of them
his as long as the World lasts How can Christ be with them and that to the end of the world if all the parts of his providential government were not ordered to serve this end the good of the Church For the Church is the fulness of him that fills all in all Eph. 1.23 that fills all in all places all in all actions and motions for the good of his Church which is his body Thirdly 3. God in the Church discovers the glory of all his attributes 'T is in a mans house where his riches and state is seen 'T is in the Church God makes himself known in his excellency more then in all the world besides Psal 76.1 In Judah is God known his name is great in Israel in Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion 'T is in his Church he doth manifest his power 'T is called therefore a glorious high Throne Jer. 17.12 a glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary Kings use to display all their Glory and Majesty upon their Thrones in this sense Heaven is called Gods Throne Isa 60.1 because the prospect of the Heavens affords us discoveries of the wisdom and power of God more then in any other visible thing both in their essence magnitude and motion So is there a greater discovery of Gods attributes in the Church which is also styled Heaven in Scripture then in the whole World besides There it is that the Angels look to learn more of the Wisdom of God then they understood before * Eph. 3.10 'T is there the day of his power dawns Psal 110.3 'T is there his Saints see his power and his glory Psal 63.2 the Sanctuary is called the firmament of his power Psal 150.1 The glory of Gods attributes is centered in Christ in a higher manner then in the creation and in that work did excel themselves in what they had done in the framing of the world and the Church being the glory of Christ all those attributes which are glorifyed in Christ do in and through him shine forth more clearly upon the Church then upon any other part of the world He styles himself their Creator as much as the Creator of the whole frame of Heaven and Earth Isa 43.15 I am the Lord your holy one the Creator of Israel your King As though all the attributes of God his power in Creation his holiness in redemption were designed for none else but them And indeed by virtue of the Covenant they are to be so for if God be their God then all of God is theirs What wisdom power sufficiency grace and kindness he hath is principally for them If God be their God it is in their concerns he will glorify himself as a God in the manifestation of all his perfections This cannot be without the ordering all providences for their advantage Fourthly 4. There is a peculiar relation of God and Christ to the Church upon which account this Doctrine must needs be true God is set out in all relations to manifest his great care of his people He is a Father to provide for them * Isa 68.5 A Mother to suckle them * Isa 49.15 Christ is a Husband to love and protect them * Eph. 5.29 A Brother to counsel them * John 20.17 And when all these Relations meet in one and the same person the result of it must be very strong Any one relation where there is affection is a great security but here all the relations are twisted together with the highest affections of them in God to the Church A Father will order all for the good of his child a Mother for her Infant a Husband for his Wife and one kind Brother for another So doth God for his People and whatsoever those Relations bind Men to on Earth in respect of Care Love and Faithfulness that is God to his Church The Church hath that Relation to God which none in the World have besides They are his Jewels therefore he will keep them they are his Children therefore he will spare them * Mal. 3.17 They shall have protection from him as they are his Jewels and Compassion from him as they are his Sons The Church is Christs Flesh as dear to him as our flesh is to us as much his as our flesh is ours Eph. 5 29. No man hates his own flesh but nourisheth it as Christ doth his Church No man can have a higher value for his own flesh then Christ hath for his Church The Church as Tertullian speaks is nothing else but Christus explicatus * Câ—â—ist unfolded and as considered in Union with Christ is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 'T is the Apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 A tender and beloved part The Church is Christs Spouse the contract is made the Espousals shall be at the last Day The Members are pick'd out one by one to be presented to the Lamb at last as a Glorious Bride for him Rev. 21.2 And all Gods dealings with them in the World are but preparations of them for that State Upon the making of the Match God promises a communion of Goods Hos 2.20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness which is a fruit of Marriage the Wife being invested in her Husbands Estate When God hath given the blood of his Son for the Church he will not deny her the service of the Creatures but Joynture her in that as one part of her Dowry In that day will I hear the heavens c. ver 21. In what day in the day of betrothing in the day of the Evangelical Administration when the contract shall be made between me and my Church Heavens Earth Corn Wine and Oil the voice and motions of all Creatures are for Jezreel which signifies the seed of God This great Prince he hath a care of all his subjects so more peculiarly of his Spouse and Princess which is his seed too and all Creatures shall be her Servants This Fatherly Relation and Affection is strong and pure not as the love which acts an ambitious man to Ambition or a covetous man to Wealth which respects nothing but the grasping and possessing the Objects they dote upon and have nothing of love for the Objects themselves therefore deserves not the name of Love But it is the love of a Father whose love is pure towards his children He seeks their good as his own Consider these two things 1. God hath a peculiar love to this very Relation and often mentions it with delight as if he loved to hear the sound of it in his own Lips Cant. 8.12 My vineyard which is mine is before me Me My Mine The Church is alwayes under his Eye seated in his Affection and God is pleased with his propriety in them God never calls the World My World though he created it sometimes he saith the Earth is mine but it is either to check the presumptions of Men who ascribe