Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	jacob_n	ladder_n	1,902	5	11.5153	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95842	An antidote against sorrovv, in order to the obtaining of sanctified joy. An excellent treatise first written in French by N. Vedelius, then translated into Latine by Gallus Pareus, and now into English, by Cadwallader Winne, M.A.	Vedel, Nicolaus, 1596-1642.; Winne, Cadwallader, b. 1622 or 3, translator.	1650 (1650)	Wing V167; Thomason E1421_1; ESTC R209478	59,453	229

Elkanahs wife being in bitternesse of soule to bee drunke grounding his conjecture upon some signes he had observed in her misperswading himselfe This conjecture notwithstanding is sometimes true whereof Amon is an example who when hee had an intention to commit incest with his sister was vexed insomuch that he fell sick by reason of anguish of heart How Ahab was overwhelmed with sorrow when hee could not enjoy another mans goods Naboths vineyard How heavy was Antiochus the Tyrant when his sacrilegious will could not put into execution the devastation of Jerusalem And was not Herod sorry because of the rash oath hee made to that infamous Herodias which beheaded John Baptist It is a symptome oftentimes of hypocrisie which our Saviour intimates when he saith Be not as the Hypocrites with a sad countenance Mat. 9.16 Further experience teacheth that those that are more naturally prone thereunto are proud and cruell What hath been said doth manifest its deformity and shew that it out-strips in filthinesse and uglinesse even those cruell beasts which superstitions Aegypt did adore and now seeing thou art one of the number of Gods children beware thou givest it an habitation in thy soule the temple of the Holy Ghost but rather let thy mind abound in all godly mirth which is as befitting thy eminent condition as sorrow is unbeseeming He that rejoyceth according to Gods commandment receives adversity at his hands as thankfully as prosperity He patiently submits his neck to the yoake Hee knowes the crosse to be the cognizance of Gods love and a most soveraigne cure for his spirituall disease the end of his conflict victory the crowne of the lambe and eternall glory He confides in God and resteth upon his promises committing his care unto him to provide all necessaries Hee payes his vowes he offers daily the sacrifice of prosperity and with the calves of his lips his morning and evening oblation he serves God cheerfully and with fervent zeale he is at peace with his neighbour and meekly covers his failings he knowes this world to be a place of pilgrimage heaven to bee his countrey whither hee steeres with cheerfulnesse not suffering himselfe to be misled out of the way thither by any occasion though seeming weighty to flesh and bloud He placeth his happinesse in God he makes a difference betwixt such grievous afflictions as come of their owne accord and those whereinto hee plunges him-himselfe The former as being unavoidable he patiently endures the latter hee warily eschews Hee knows that his soule is not a slave or vassall to his body but Gods servant He resisteth adversitie with an unconquerable courage he is of such an heroicall mind as beseemes him who is the Prince of the creatures his countenance void of hypocrisie and pride speaks the happinesse and majestie appropriated onely to Gods children yea his countenance and all his gestures intimate his mirth and integrity which resteth in his bosome and evidently shew he is in no wise given to this world And howsoever his body being his viler and ignobler part is here upon earth yet his soule being the nobler and diviner hath its conversation in heaven like Jacobs ladder whose lower part was set upon the earth the top reaching to heaven He obeyes the advice of the wise man who saith A cheerfull and good heart will have care of his meat and diet Eccl. 30.27 that is will rid it selfe of impieties and sorrow which as they are exceeding unbecomming so they are as hereafter shall bee declared pernicious and hurtfull Here thou seest a briefe character of such a one as rejoyceth in the Lord judge then whether thou dost not amisse in preferring vice before vertue filthinesse before honesty monstrous deformity before heavenly beauty the representation or Idaea of hell where there is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth before the resembance of God and heavenly felicity CHAP. II. The second ground or reason is drawne from the pernicious effects thereof HItherto thou hast seen one only table now thou shalt behold another more deformed than the former for the vitiosity of sorrow consisteth not onely in filthinesse and deformity but in a greater measure of evill it being not onely monstrous to be lookt upon but very dangerous and pernicious which is so much the more difficult to bee discerned by how much it shrowds it selfe under hypocriticall love and while it beguiles us under the mask of friendship promising I know not what comfort and profit But if thou wilt prie more narrowly into it thou shalt discover it to be no lesse traiterous unto thee than was Joab unto Amasa who under the vizard of friendship sheathed his sword in his bowels Thou shalt perceive it to be thy malicious enemy and so much the more to bee feared by how much it bee more familiar with thee Thou shalt discover it to be a serpent that thou nourishest in thy bosome and a viper that thou engendrest for thy owne destruction And I beseech thee what profit and comfort canst thou purchase thereby seeing it is but vanity Heare the spirit of God saying What hath a man of all his labours and of the vexation of his heart wherein hee hath laboured under the sunne For all his dayes are sorrowes and his travell griefe yea his heart taketh not rest in the night time This is also vanity Eccles 2.22,23 Heare the wife man also who saith that therein there is no profit Eccl. 30.25 It is conducible then neither to thy soule nor body neither furthereth it thy affaires unlesse thou enjoyest some peculiar privilege not afforded any one living Will it restore unto thee thy countrey which is now in the power of thy enemies will it rid thee of thy miseries will it deliver thee from injuries and molestations will it performe thy businesse will it provide or care for thy family will it pay thy debts will it prosperously discharge thee from thy law sutes will it extoll thee to honours and dignities shalt thou thereby obtain more health more strength more knowledg more esteeme more love No verily for future things are not within thy power and what is past cannot be recalled Go to then thou little miserable caytiffe hide thy selfe in some corner or other labour with might and maine search out all the meanes and occasions to diminish it Weigh a thousand and a thousand times with thy selfe the high stature of Goliah afflict thy selfe as being of a little stature thou wilt never attaine to his In short all worldly sorrow is vaine and unprofitable and would it were onely so thou shalt find it grievous and most pernicious unlesse with speed thou dischargest thy selfe there from Know this it drawes after it a numerous swarme of evils aswell corporall as spirituall as touching temporall evils it makes mans life altogether miserable infinitly increasing the miseries that are the ordinary concomitants thereof whether thou considerest his businesses and counsells the calamities themselves or at last his whole person As

his promise It robs God of his fatherly care he hath of us infringing that hope which should be reposed in him Hence the Apostle joynes it with diffidence saying That yee sorrow not as others which have no hope 1 Thes 4,13 It makes him ungratefull blotting out his remembrance so many corporal and spirituall blessings whereof hee hath had experience by Gods goodnesse which if hee would thinke upon he would not suffer himselfe to bee carried headlong thereby And because his mind is fixed upon evill his affliction also being either real or imaginary he makes little or no reckoning of Gods benefits but buries them in oblivion not without an execrable brand of ingratitude It makes him not to imploy all the faculties both of his body and soule in Gods service with such a measure of zeale as is meete Serve the Lord saith the Prophet David with gladnesse and come before his presence with a song Psal 100.2 Thou shalt rejoyce in thy feast c. Seven dayes shalt thou keep a solemne feast unto thy Lord thy God and therefore shalt thou surely rejoyce Deut. 16.14,15 This alacrity in serving God cannot even in the least degree be performed by him nay hee is as remisse in all the actions of his life as he is negligent in Gods service And thus thou seest how hainously he offends God In relation to his neighbour hee is suspicious unaffable unmannerly testy contentious whereby hee renders himselfe vitiously deformed hatefull and odious In relation to himselfe it makes him to incurre no lesse reproach and ignominy than filthinesse for generally it argues the weaknesse of his understanding joyned with foolishnesse yea beastlinesse and declares him to be besides himselfe whereby it happens that hee judgeth foolishly of the cause of his sorrow and embraceth falsehood instead of truth Hence the Apostle joynes it with false opinion saying No sorrow for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Heb. 12.11 where wrong judgement is taxed which accompanieth it particularly it makes him ignorant of his owne condition and to take at least for a time no consideration of himselfe for being call'd hereunto to wit to be a joyfull heire of the Kingdome of Heaven by the right of Adoption coheire with Jesus Christ and Lord of all the Creatures he ought not to make his firme aboad in this world neither to place his happinesse therein but as a sojourner to travell to his heavenly Countrey Wherefore he should alwayes go forward not stand still much lesse retreat backe but despising the world and all the concupiscences thereof couragiously to remove all obstacles hindring him thither and to place his happinesse in God of whose love whosoever is once perswaded doubts not but hee will lead him by his fatherly providence in this desart and pilgrimage Wherefore he should carry with him a high generous and undaunted spirit which is altogether becomming the sonnes of the King of Kings This he should have continually before his eyes and diligently and seriously consider thereupon how wisely then would hee order his life and conversation with what happinesse would hee live in this world But sorrow as a deadly phrensy buries all these things in oblivion so that it makes one forget his originall and estate his owne name nay himselfe It makes him wholy bent upon this world miserably torturing himselfe for the losse which hee either sustaines or feares to be of honours riches pleasures or the like as may be seene in that young man who when he had heard he should sustaine the losse of his riches went away sorrowfull leaving Jesus Mat. 9.22 which discovered him to be desperately enamoured of this world and to seek his abode and solace therein whereas hee should seek for tranquillity in Heaven and felicitie in God It comes to passe that he is pensive upon any occasion disordering afflicting macerating and suffering himselfe to be easily missed out of the way to his heavenly countrey In a word he is like a foolish traveller who being given over to commit innumerable fooleries can never attain to his journeyes end And there is another sort of foolishnesse discernable in him for after he hath once wandred out of the King of heavens high-way hee so misgoverns himselfe as that without any circumspection he takes hold of every thing which even at the first blush offers it selfe to his view He is not contented to bee exercised with more waighty occasions and afflictions but as if his life were not miserable enough of it selfe he fabricates to himselfe daily new miseries so that he will be sorrowfull upon any ridiculous vile and slight matter whereof if hee bee questioned by a certain Jonadab a faithfull friend Thou being the Kings sonne why art thou leane from day to day 2 Sam. 13.4 Certainly he will not be lesse ashamed to confesse the cause of his sorrow than Amon was of the intended detestable incest Hee is vexed at one small word though well spoken yet taken by him in ill part or if one speak amisse hee will interpret it to be worser He will be so farre moved by an oblique aspect by a vaine and counterfeit Messenger by a slight fault of his Maid-servant and man-servant as to forget all the benefits he possesseth in heaven and earth which is a thing unbefitting him who is the sonne of the King of Kings and heire of the Kingdome of heaven Besides sorrow discovers in him another kind of foolishnesse in that hee reduceth thereby the soule in subjection to the body which should governe the body and it onely be ruled by a diviner spirit And wereas hee should rather oftentimes suffer set light by and in some measure concoct it he out of a kind of brutish selfe-love had rather be miserable than happy of a crazed than found mind Moreover it shewes him to be abject and destitute of a generous and heroicall spirit which resides in the hearts of the children of God neither endeavours he with such a courage as is fit to remove the obstacles which in this life hinder him from the attainment of the kingdome of heaven but stoopeth to the difficulties that withstand him he is of a vile abject spirit and as much as in him lyeth renounceth his owne right thereunto Further the deformity thereof shewes it selfe by externall symptomes It makes him to be of a heavy countenance poring upon the earth oftentimes to weep not unlike a silly foole or soft woman otherwhile his speech failes him or his tongue faultereth yea by his silence he speaks his infamy He abandons the societie of men hiding himselfe in corners even as the malefactor to escape the sight of the magistrate It impaires his good name or reputation and especially when the cause inducing him thereunto is unknowne or of no reckoning thereupon he renders himselfe suspicious that hee hath committed or is about to perpetrate some heynous sinne but this suspicion is oftentimes false as may appeare by Ely the Priest who thought Anna