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	lord_n	rain_n	2,129	5	9.7306	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02492	A sermon preached at Barstaple vpon occasion of the late happy success of Gods Church in forraine parts. By G.H. D.D.	Hakewill, George, 1578-1649.	1632 (1632)	STC 12620; ESTC S117907	16,704	39

here of is apparent the Church is the spouse and he the husband of this spouse the Church the body and he the head of this body the Church the family and he the father of this family the Church the armie and he the Generall of this armie the Church the kingdome and he the Soveraigne of this kingdome and if the spouse suffer can the husband be insensible of it if the body suffer can the head be insensible of it if the family suffer can the father of the family be insensible of it if the armie suffer can the generall be insensible of it if the kingdome suffer can the soveraigne be insensible of it nay a far neereunion there is betwixt Christ and his Church than betwixt the husband and the spouse for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they two shall be one flesh one flesh they are but the wife liues not by the soule of the husband as the Church doth by the spirit of Christ the wife feeds not upon the flesh of the husband as the Church doth upon the flesh of Christ the wife is not bought with the bloud of the husband as the Church is redeemed by the bloud of Christ and by this meanes becomes neerer unto him than his owne right hand dearer than the apple of his eye Here is our comfort then there being so many obligatory relations and mutuall ingagements betweene God and his Church the enemies of the Church are therby made his enemies and if God be on our side who shall be against us To fight against God is as if a man should spit against the winde which carries it backe in his owne face the furie of Gods enemies against his Church is but as the ratling of a violent haile-storm upon the tiles which makes a great noise for the time as if it would beate down the house but is cast off as soone as it comes on and then lies on the ground and within a while melts away or as the proud surges of the sea which come swelling and roaring towards the rocke as if they would rend it in peeces and carrie all before them but the issue is that they dash themselves against the rock and so turne into froth but the rock being onely washed remaines where it was so is it with the Church which is built upon the rock the windes may blow and the flouds arise and the raine beate upon it but it falls not because t is built upon a rocke and the gates of hell shall never be able to prevaile against it The third considerable point in this Imprecation is the hand by whose power the enemies of God shall perish that is by the hand and power of him whose enemies they are and therefore doth Deborah as we see by an apostrophe turne her to the Lord and directs her speech to him So let or so shall all thine enemies perish O Lord that is they shall thus perish by thy hand and hence it is that in so many passages shee ascribes the victorie wholy to the Lord Deborah said unto Barak Vp for this day wherein the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand is not the Lord gone out before thee and in the next verse immediately following The Lord discomfited Sisera and all his charriots and all his host with the edge of the sword before Barak it is not said that Barak discomfited them before the Lord but the Lord before Barak and againe in the 23. of the same Chapter So God subdued on that day Iabin the King of Canaan before the children of Israel Though Barak signifie lightning yet was hee but as a thunder-bolt in the hand of God against Sisera and though Deborah signifie a Be yet no doubt but her diligence and providence in assisting Barak was overruled and guided by the providence of God and so much her selfe upon the matter confesseth in this very song they fought from heaven the starres in their courses or paths fought against Sisera they fought from heaven who was that but he Lord of heaven and earth which Iosephus thut expresseth There suddenly fell a storme saith hee of raine mixed with haile which the wind drove against the faces of the Canaonites and tooke away their sight making those that carried darts and such as served with the sling unprofitable in their service the Targetiers likewise having their hands benummed with cold could scarcely weild their swords but the tempest beating on the backes of the Israelites not onely wrought them lesse offence but made them also more forward being whetted thereunto by the manifest signe of Gods favour and presence whereupon disarraying and breaking through their enemies battel they made a great slaughter of them so as a part of them fell by the weapons of the Israelites the rest were overrunne by their owne horsemen and chariots Hitherto Iosephus much like wherunto is that storie which Eusebius out of Apollinarius and Tertullian reports that the armie of Marcus Aurelius warring upon the Marcomannians being in sore distresse for want of water and having at that time in his pay a legion of Christians which served under him they all with one consent the signe being given fell upon their knees and earnestly praied God for reliefe who instantly thereupon sent such a storme of thunder and lightning and raine and haile as it amazed their enemies driving full in their faces but refreshed them to the utter discomfiture of the one and victorious triumph of the other and thus the Emperour himselfe though by religion a Pagan by his letters signified to the Senate and thereupon gave not onely that legion the name of fulminatrix but strait charge that none should be put to death or punished for being Christians All which considered great reason had Gideon in the crie of his souldiers to preferre the sword of the Lord before his owne as t is in the seventh Chapter of this booke The sword of the Lord and of Gideon not the sword of Gideon without the sword of the Lord nor the sword of Gideon in the first place and then the sword of the Lord but first the sword of the Lord and then the sword of Gideon the sword of the Lord to direct and the sword of Gideon to execute the sword of the Lord as the primarie esficient and the sword of Gideon as the subordinate instrument the sword of the Lord without the sword of Gideon in the ordinary course will doe nothing and the sword of Gideon without the sword of the LORD at all can doe nothing Navies of ships troopes of horse regiments of foote fortresses ramparts artillerie munition and all military provision without him availes nothing hee it is who directs the bullet and the arrow to the marke who sharpens the sword that it may enter in to glut it selfe with flesh and make it selfe drunke with bloud who gives wisdome to the captaine and courage to the

may lawfully pray against their designes though not against their persons as David prayed against the plots and policie of Achitophel O Lord I pray thee turne the counsell of Achitophel into foolishnesse or we may pray against their persons indefinitely though not particularly as thus let them be confounded what ere they be and turned backe that hate Sion let them bee as the grasse upon the house tops which withereth before it groweth up wherewith the mower filleth not his hand nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosome or lastly we may pray against their persons in particular conditionally though not absolutely first we are to pray for their conversion and then if maliciously and wilfully they persist in their obstinacy in the second place for their confusion This was Davids method fill their faces with shame that they they may seeke thy name O Lord that is that they may be converted unto thee but in case they will not be converted but stand out in their rebellion and go on still with an hard heart ahigh hand a stiffe necke and a brazen forehead then it followes Let them be confounded and troubled for ever yea let them boe put to shame and perish if by shame they will not bee wrought to conversion from shame let them be brought to confusion but then we must here remember that we doe not so much rejoyce because they perish as because by their perishing the Church of God is delivered and the glory of God advanced in the manifestation of his justice and for that reason the same Prophet presently addes That men may know that thou whose name is only Iehovah art the most high over all the earth that thou art the supreame Iudge of the world and sittest in the throne that judgeth right to which very purpose is that in another Psalme The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance hee shall wash or bathe his feete in the bloud of the wicked so that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth therefore shall the righteous rejoyce in the vengeance and bloud of the wicked not because their bloud is shed but because by the shedding of their bloud men are brought to know and acknowledge that he is the God that judgeth the earth with righteous judgement for shall not the Iudge of all the earth doe right finally hereunto likewise accordeth that song of triumph Rev. 19. after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Alleluja salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his judgements for hee hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand and againe they said Alleluja This rubbe being thus remooved I now come to the second part of this first branch which is what these enemies of God are The enemies of God either acknowledge no God as professed Atheists or acknowledge a God but not the true God as Idolaters or the true God but goe not to him the true way that is by IESVS CHRIST as Mahometans and Iewes or goe to him by IESVS CHRIST but not by him alone as Romanists or goe by him alone but withall fancie to themselves and obstinately maintaine some erroneous opinion in fundamentall points as Hereticks or are sound enough in fundamentall points but out of an affectation of singularity separate themselves from the congregation as schismaticks or lastly joyne themselves to the congregation but either with false hearts as hypocrites or foule hands as prophane persons having both of them a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof these may all of them in some sense though in a diverse manner in a different degree be termed the enemies of God And againe to speake generally they are all Gods enemies who blaspheme Gods name who with hold Gods right who prophane Gods day who dishonour Gods house who abuse Gods word whou nreverently or unworthi ly receive Gods Sacraments who despise Gods ordinances who neglect Gods commandements who disgrace or disesteeme Gods ambassadors But by the enemies of God here in this place undoubtedly are to bee understood the enemies of his Church that is such as persecute it or for professions sake oppose themselves against it such an indissoluble linke and reciprocall connexion there is betwixt God and his Church that it cannot be but that the enemies of the one should be the enemies of the other The reproches of them that reproched thee are falne upon me saith the Psalmist as a member of the Church and againe Doe I not hate them O Lord that hate thee and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies And as Gods enemies are the Churches enemies so the enemies of the Church are Gods enemies and therfore they are Gods enemies because they are the Churches enemies Loe thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head and why were they thine enemies the reason is there immediately added They have taken crafty counsell against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones because they tooke counsell against his people and consulted against his Church therfore were they his enemies Remember Lord saith the same Prophet the reproch of thy servants wherewith thine enemies have reproched them therefore they were His enemies because they reproched his servants that is his Church and in this very Chapter Curse ye Meroz saith the Angell of the Lord curse bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not up to the helpe of the Lord against the mightie wherby he intitles the Churches quarrells to the Lord. But above all we have to this purpose in the ninth of the Acts a singular testimony from the mouth of the Lord himselfe as it were an oracle speaking to us from heaven where wee read that when Saul who afterward was called Paul was breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord that is the Church and to that end was upon his journey to Damascus being amazed with an exceeding bright light which shone round about him he heard a voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and he said Who art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Iesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kicke against the pricks Iesus whom thou persecutest why Iesus was then in heaven and Saul on earth Saul clothed with misery and mortality here below and Iesus above sitting at the right hand of God in glory and majesty farre enough out of Sauls reach how then could Saul persecute Iesus surely none otherwise but because he persecuted the members of his Church which Iesus takes to heart as if himselfe had beene persecuted in his owne person The reason