Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	day_n	lord_n	sabbath_n	9,284	5	10.5348	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62374	A brief and plain commentary with notes, not more useful than seasonable, upon the whole prophecie of Malachy delivered, sermon-wise, divers years since at Pitmister in Summerset / by William Sclater ... ; now published by his son William Sclater ...	Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1650 (1650)	Wing S913; ESTC R17140	147,505	246

promise useth those means prescribed for his comfort expecting by hope the performance of what is promised And it hath in it three things 1. A promise of God to rest on 2. Walking in the wayes that God hath prescribed 3. Expectation of performance in use of the means Or briefly thus when a man using the means prescribed waits for the performance of what is promised as in this place here is 1. Promise of plenty 2. The means repentance 3. Faith in use of the means prescribed Now when a man fails in any of these he proves God indeed but that proving is tempting As for example when a man throwes himself into an unnecessary danger he hath no promise of protection as the devil tempted Christ to do Matth. 4.6 He may make experiment of Gods truth so doing but indeed is a tempter of God So likewise when a man having holy means prescribed neglects to use them as having meat looks to be fed as Elias was by Angels that he may prove God this also is tempting of God See we the means with this now prescribed the observation will be A man that would have a comfortable experience of Gods truth in his promises Observ must tye himself precisely to those means that the Lord prescribes Act. 27.31 The Apostle had received a promise from God for preservation of him and his company in the shipwrack they seeing the ship like to break begin by means not prescribed to provide for themselves but the Apostle tels them that unless they tarry in the ship they cannot be safe And let it teach us to walk in Gods high-way if we look for comfortable deliverance Vse out of any troubles Reproved those that neglect the means vouchsafed as how many both in temporal and spiritual things there be that fain would be saved but means of their own they seek at least neglect use of means by God prescribed and vouchfafed unto them Secondly such as in dangers and extremities betake themselves to means of their own that have no warrant from God As how many in these dayes of scarcity to pilfering and stealing prophanation of the Lords Sabbath c. Though the Lord hath often protested that obedience is the best means of preservation Deut. 28. If I will not open the windowes of Heaven See Gen. 7.11 2 King 7.2 Meaning that the Lord would give them plentiful means and a plentiful blessing with them Where note the power of repentance how prevalent it is with God to draw down his blessings upon us it turns the greatest penury into abundance See this first in feigned repentance by Ahab it respits Gods vengeance though but counterfeit 1 King 21. ult In Nineveh Who knows saith the King whether the Lord will repent of the evil and return and leave a blessing behinde him See Jon. 3.10 See Psal 106. in the example of the Israelites Beloved let us prove God with this It hath pleased God a long time to follow us with his judgments Vse in this Kingdom as Amos 4. And what marvel Isa 9.12 13. If the Lords wrath be not ceased but his hand stretched out still sith the people turneth not to him that smites them nor seek the Lord of Hostes Now beloved that we could be perswaded by repentance to seek the Lord and would prove him a whiles with this as we have provoked him by our sins so we would prove him a little with repentance how easily could the Lord turn our penury into abundance It was a prophane speech of the Prince 2 King 7.2 Though the Lord should open the windowes of Heaven this thing could not come to pass And as prophane is the thought of our people because perhaps we see no means mens hearts we say are hardend c. But in whose hand are the hearts of men How moved he the hearts of the people that led Israel captive to pity them Psal 106.46 See Gods favour to Israel in the eyes of the Egyptians that before had oppressed them neither is his hand shortened Prove the Lord with this Observe again secondly how plenty and scarcity are all the works of God Observ be the means what they will as scripture abundantly evidenceth He turneth the rock into a spring he maketh a fruitfull land barren he maketh the earth iron and the Heavens brass Again he opens the windows of Heaven he brought grass-hoppers upon Egypt he calls for a winde and sweeps all away He sends the Canker-worm and grass-hopper to devour as his instruments to be avenged of our sins it 's he that rebukes them c. Amos 3.6 No evil to wit of punishment but the Lord doth it Now Vse this serves for the reproof of those Naturallists who ascribe all things to Nature and never look up to the God of Nature whose will these second causes fullfil and accomplish dearth and plenty with them all come from Nature drought and immoderate rain but who sends the drought who rain Is it not the Lord Elias prayes for drought it 's given prayes for rain it 's given also Iam. 5.17 18. So in these inundations of late the windes observed but God not seen in them though as David saith he brings the windes out of his treasures Well beloved let us learn to hear the rod and him that smites Mic. 6.8 Surely of all these means we may say as Elias of the still voyce the Lord is in them 1 King 19.12 And what else should be the reason that the same causes have not allwayes the same effects but that the first cause tempers and over-rules them Nature ever works constantly and to the utmost of her power Natural faculties are applyed and brought to action by the power of God And therfore take we the Prophets advice Hos 6.1 as the Lord hath smitten us so to him let us return it 's he alone that can heal us VER 11. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes c. NOte we here Observ by how many mean instruments God can take vengeance of his people caterpillars and cankerworms creatures of no great power yet see how the Lord by them can avenge him of his people ● How dealt the Lord with the Egyptians by grasshoppers froggs lice flyes haile c. And let us learn hence to take heed how we provoke the eyes of the Lords glory Vse seeing by the meanest of his creatures he can thus be avenged of us thou that boastest of strength of body and promisest to thy self long life how soon can the meanest and vilest spider kill thee c. VER 13 14 15. Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet yee say what have we spoken so much against thee Yee have said it is vain to serve God c THe crime laid to their charge stout words against God In them consider the blasphemies themselves 1. Vain to serve God 2. Proud blessed Arguments whereby they prove it 1 From their own experience what profit have we had The interrogation

God gives thee eyes to see the sins of thy parents and to fly from them Ezek. 18. Humble thy self even for thy fathers sins See Dan. 9. Neh. 13.18 But specially learn to fly from them and for this cause inform thy self by the word of God touching thy duty and ever set thy self these bounds to follow thy father no farther then he follows the Lords commandment great is the benefit of such wisdom Prescription in errour is no feasible plea in the Court of the Lord. What if thou couldest say Popery whordom covetousness c. had continued in thy lineage to a thousand descents This may aggravate thy sin but shall not excuse it And therefore observe every where how the Lord adds this as the aggravating circumstance Psal 95.10 Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation and Act. 7.51 Alwayes ye have resisted the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do ye And therefore Vse vain and hellish is that speech of prophane ones amongst us that because they are able to prescribe in sinning therefore procure themselves immunity from the wrath of the Lord. How often hear we those speeches from our people Thus have I alwayes used and my father before me Now brethren put it in some other case in sins against the second table and see how odious a defence this would be if a man should plead thus in his whordom thus my father hath used before me if in theft c. How should we abhorr him And yet in sins as vain as the excuse is must go for currant Psal 78.8 Be not as your fathers a disobedient and rebellious generation and Psal 95.9 in tempting God and hardness of heart Ezek. 20.18 Walk not in the ordinances of your fathers to defile your selves with Idols and for th●s cause see Zech. 1.5 Your fathers where are they and remember what Peter speaks 1 Pet. 4.3 It s enough if any thing were enough that we have spent the former part of our life in vanity ignorance c. To the dishonour of our God Sins never so long continued shut not out from mercy if repentance unfeignedly be performed Observ 3. Luk. 19.42 If thou hadst known in this thy day c. that is if after all this contempt of my word all this innocent blood of my Prophets shed amongst you if in this day thou knewest and wouldest embrace the things that concern thy peace happy wert thou Act. 17.30 The times of this ignorance God regarded not but now he admonisheth every man to repent The reason is nothing but the endless mercy of the Lord that knows no limits of time so be it repentance can be performed If a man turn whensoever he turn he shall live Ezek. 18. c. Now mark the forward use prophane men make of this doctrine Vse sith there is place for pardon after so long continuance in disobedience vain therefore to take thought too soon a little in old age or on the death-bed will serve the turn for Gods mercy never rejects repentance from pardon if at any time heartily performed Well beloved this is true But shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid Rom. 6.1 Know we therefore that that God who hath promised to give pardon whensoever repentance is performed hath not all-wayes given repentance when it 's sought for nay hath threatened to deny repentance to them that contemning it offered in the means respit the day of their conversion unto God How howls Esau for the blessing How fain would he come to heaven How bewailes he the loss of Gods favour with tears Heb. 12.17 and yet obtains it not and what saith wisdom Prov. 1 24 26. I called you heard not you shall call but shall not be heard you shall seek mee early but not finde mee And therefore mark what Esay saith Isa 55.6 Seek the Lord while he may be found Is there any time when the Lord will not be found Answ Yes no doubt not but that his mercy is everlasting but for that men cannot seek it when the time is over-slipt Ezek. 24 13. Hence then let us learn beloved that perhaps have lived long in our sins now at the length to seek God if he may be found of us And mark how lovingly the Lord invites us who have gone astray c. a long time yet return unto mee and I will turn unto you as if he had said yet at the length return there is hope of mercy and forgiveness Beloved the Lord is the same to us as he was to Israel and still saith to us as to them though ye have long gone astray yet if now at length we could return there were hope of mercy and forgiveness Let me thus apply it to every of us and let us all think this spoken to our selves Thou that art ignorant and lived thus all thy life long if now at length thou couldest be admonished to repent God regards not thy past sins upon performance of present repentance so to all other sinners and mark how the Lord protests he delights not in our death why will ye dye saith the Lord See Hos 13.9 And let not Sathan prevail with thee so far as to think as the saying is too late now for the promise of remission is made to repentance without all limitation of time person or number of offences and this be assured out of the word of God that howsoever there is no sin so light but deserves a thousand hells yet none deadly in the event but impenitency yea the very sin against the Holy Ghost were capable of pardon if capable of repentance And Observ 4. if these things move us not what shall we say but as the Lord by his Prophet thy destruction is from thy self salvation of me this only be sure of that thou bring repentance What that is we shall see anon if we shall first observe the state of man during impenitency which is the next thing to be considered in the text The State and condition of impenitency it s nothing else but a continuall straying from God as Ier. 2.27 They have turned unto me the back therefore 1 Pet. 2. ult We are said to go astray like sheep and the Scripture every where calleth it a wandring from God And beloved let this be holden of all men whose hearts are not turned and renewed by the Holy Ghost Let their civill honesty be never so great their zeal and devotion never so fervent till the heart be changed all is but celer cursus extra viam What learn we hence Surely to take notice of our own misery whose hearts the Lord hath not yet turned unto him we are as men in a wilderness fain perhaps we would finde the way to heaven but cannot nay the more we strive the further out of the way and this is the misery of every impenitent sinner Then hence learn all such to pray with Ieremy Chap. 31.18 19 Convert thou us O Lord and we shall be converted