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
A90384	The fear of God: vvhat it is, and exhorted to as one of the great lessons God calls upon men to learn by his great dispensations in the last days. In a sermon preached unto the Church of Christ meeting in Petty France London, the tenth day of the sixth month. Anno 1656. By the faithful servant of Christ John Pendarves a little before his death.	Pendarves, John, 1622-1656.	1657 (1657)	Wing P1137; Thomason E907_3; ESTC R3183	20,112	38

David tells us the like Psal 36.1 they have not this true Son-like fear natural men are unacquainted with it 2 That this fear comes by union with Christ and his Spirit that is the cause of it you may see Psal 86.11 Vnite my heart to fear thy name this fear of God it comes by vertue of an union with Jesus Christ by faith for the spirit of the fear of the Lord it is given to Christ Isa 11.2 And he received of that annoynting to shed it abroad amongst his Members and to give it to those that are united to him and no further then we live in union with Christ by faith can we bee partakers of this gracious frame of spirit to fear the Lord in truth this is a Lesson which the Spirit teaches and therefore it was by the Spirit that David cries out Come yee children and hearken unto mee and I will teach you the fear of the Lord Psa 34.11 and this God hath promised to give to his people Jerem. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me But if you ask me how the Spirit works this in the heart of a Beleever 3 I say it is through the discovery of the glory of God in his Word and Works by Christ by the Glory of God I understand his Attributes when Moses desired to see Gods Glory he shews him his Attributes in Exod. 34.5 6. he proclaimed the Name of the Lord and what is it why The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth This is the discovery of Gods Glory the discovery of his Name 1 Hee begins with his Attribute that denotes his Soveraignty and Dominion The Lord Salomon tells us The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdome and indeed until a Soul understands something of the Soveraignty and Dominion of God over him hee never comes to make a right use of Gods love and goodness for until the Soul comes to see that God orders all things in Heaven and Earth and that he is in the hands of the great God to dispose of him as he will and that he can destroy him and cast him to Hell if hee pleaseth he cannot finde any sweetness in the tenders of Grace in the Gospel nor apply his Soul in reality to them and therefore I finde that when the Prophets of God of old time brought Gods Message to the Sons of men they usually spake to them as from the Lord saying Thus saith the Lord you have it sometimes twice in a verse setting forth Gods right of Soveraignty over them to whom they delivered their Message and this is that which is exceeding needful to bee set upon the hearts of the Sons of men when they come to hear Gods Word or have any thing to doe in his Works when the Soul considers Gods Soveraignty over him it causes him to stand in awe and fear before him and therefore by this you may try your selves whether this fear of God be in you or no Did the Lord ever shew himself to you as the Soveraigne Lord and make you to lye at his feet as dust and ashes and as clay in the hands of the Potter for if ever God have wrought this fear in your heart this was your frame I know many have a notional knowledge of Gods Soveraignty and are able to write Books of it but are your hearts really affected with it so as to lye low before the Lord in the apprehensions of it I finde it hard in every action to know this God to be the Soveraigne Lord of all and that he ruleth in all things and wee are to obey him in thought word and deed and to fear continually before him But 2 There is Gods goodness which is another thing wherein his glory appears he is the Lord God merciful and gracious and this following the former much conduces to fear him when the Soul considers that the great God that made the Heavens and the Earth and before whom all Nations are but as the drop of a Bucket should offer tenders of Grace and Mercy to be reconciled to such a poor sinfull Creature this inclines the heart to hearken to him and fear before him knowing this that he is the Lord that exerciseth loving kindness judgement and righteousness in the earth Jerem. 9.24 and that he is good to all those that fear him Psal 34.9 10 11. this brings the heart over to God indeed when Gods greatness and goodness is displayed before the Soul together this works up the heart in reality towards God O how doth David admire Gods love when he considers the great Works of God in Psal 8.3 When I consider the heavens the works of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast made what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him and at vers 9. O Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth he could not but admire and fear and fear and admire Gods great name But again 3 Let us also consider Gods power which much conduces in the hand of the Spirit to work this fear of God in our hearts and therefore you shall finde when God calls upon his people to hearken to him hee useth such kinde of expressions as these Thus saith the Lord that made the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth that they cannot bee moved And what a strong influence it hath you may see in Jer. 10.6.7.10 12 13. There is none like unto thee Oh Lord thou art great and thy Name is great in might Who would not Fear thee thou King of Nations the Lord is the true God and the everlasting King at his wrath the earth shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation he hath made the earth by his power he hath established the world by his wisdome and hath stretched forth the heavens by his discretion hee maketh lightning with rain and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures Very gloriously you see the Prophet sets forth the greatness of Gods power when he comes to declare a message to the people from him So also the Prophet Isaiah in the 40. Chap. 12 13 14 15 16 17. sets forth Gods Power as he hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the Mountains in scales and the Hills in a ballance Behold the Nations before him are but as the drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the ballance he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing and all Nations before him are as nothing And if that bee not enough he tells you They are counted to him less than nothing and vanity So vers 22. It is hee that sitteth upon the Circle of the earth and the Inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that stretcheth out

The Fear of God VVhat it is And EXHORTED TO As one of the Great Lessons God calls upon men to learn by his great Dispensations in the last days In a Sermon Preached unto the Church of Christ meeting in Petty France London the Tenth day of the Sixth Month. Anno 1656. By that faithful Servant of Christ John Pendarves a little before his Death LONDON Printed by R. I. for Livewell Chapman and are to be sold at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1657. TO THE Church of God WHICH He hath purchased with his own Bloud meeting at ABINGDON Precious and Beloved THis Sermon is especially commended to your view as being those which I judge have most right unto it because of that near relation which was between you and the Author of it a taste of whose savoury spirit you may here behold near his Death which you have often heard and seen in his Life it is doubtless a losse yea a very great losse as to Sion in general so especially to you in particular to have such a painful Labourer taken out of the Vineyard but I hope you have learned as in other things so in this to say a Act. 21.14 the Will of the Lord be done this is our comfort that God b Mal. 2.15 hath a residue of the Spirit and hee will never want Instruments to doe his work by if he take away Moses hee will raise up a c Josh 1.1 2. Joshua and if he take away an Elijah he will d 2 King 2.9 double his Spirit upon some Elisha and who knows but God may take away such tall Cedars that some low Shrubs may grow up and be active for God in their generation Surely every such Dispensation as it is a spectacle of our Mortality so it loudly calls us to our duty to e Joh. 9.4 work whiles it is day that with Paul wee may have f 2 Tim. 4 7. fought our fight before we shall finish our course and with David g Acts 13.36 we may serve our generation by the Will of God before we fall asleep As touching the Work it self which you are here presented with it treats concerning the fear of God a Subject which I desire may be as profitable as it is seasonable in this our day wherein though Gods Judgements h Isa 26.9 have been abroad in the earth yet the inhabitants of the World will not learn Righteousness i Psa 36.1 and the transgressions of the wicked doe plainly declare that there is no fear of God before their eyes and if wee look into the Lives of Professors we have cause to fear that there is but little of this filial fear to be found among them which should cause them to k Psa 4.4 stand in awe and not sin and too many there are that profess to fear God that yet fear not to sin against him but how much soever this being neglected yet it appears to bee our duty and that which God calls for from us by vertue of his Supremacy over us If I bee a father where is mine honour and if I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts Malachy 1.6 but I shall not Expatiate upon this point but referre you to the Discourse it self for further information concerning which the Reader is to bee further premonished that this Sermon being not intended by the Author for the Press nor his Notes left behind him neither being alive to correct it it may want somewhat of that lustre which otherwise might have attended it yet however to satisfie the desire of some godly Friends as also for the general profit it is here presented to Publick view as fully as it could be taken out of one Short-hand Copy written from his mouth and I desire that the l Deut. 33.16 blessing of him that dwelt in the Bush may goe along with it that the fear of God may hereby be wrought where it is not and increased where it is that those that fear not God may be made to fear him and those that doe fear God may fear him more and more And now Dear Brethren I shall leave it with you as the words of your dying Pastor not doubting but it will be of weight upon your spirits and some satisfaction to you to read his Works when you cannot hear his words this only I shall adde as my desire to you and of you that you would not only read the words but doe the works that his words may be read in your works and your Lives may bee as so many Volumes of his Labours that as on Earth you were his joy so in Heaven you may bee his Crown and as hee is gone before you may follow after and at last meet together and sit down together in the Kingdome of Glory to which place and portion that you with my self may have a safe Conduct is the ardent desire and prayer of Yours in our Head Christ JOHN COX The Fear of God Opened and exhorted too from Revel 15. the former part of the fourth verse Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name BEfore I come to speak more particularly to these words I shall offer something in a more general way in relation to this Book of the Revelations which wee finde commended especially to the Churches of Christ as you may see in Chap. 1. vers 11. What thou seest write in a Book and send it to the seven Churches c. You may take notice of the way and order wherein the Spirit of God walked in the discovery of Truth to the Saints under the Gospel and it is worthy your observation how that first the Spirit of Jesus Christ being poured out upon the Apostles did in the first place by them instruct the people to whom they preached touching those foundation truthes as I may so call them which did especially set forth Gospel-faith and you may observe how the Wisdome of God is very glorious in this way and method wherein the Lord did lead forth the Apostles those Primitive Preachers of the Gospel and those that were under the conduct of the Apostles in their days First The Lord made known to them the Doctrine of Grace in order to their beleeving in the Lord Jesus Christ And then Secondly They were instructed in the Doctrine of Baptisme and after this Thirdly They were gathered into Church Order to waite upon God for further discoveries of truth Fourthly After God had by the Apostles and others in their days set the Churches of Christ in order then Jesus Christ sends this Book of the Revelation to them and I finde it not given to them till then and doubtless that confusion that over-spread that part of the World called Christendome hath sprung very much from those that have preached truth in that they did not first lay down those foundations truths of Faith and Order And though I would not ascribe over much to order yet you

the Heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in That bringeth Princes to nothing and maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity Thus you see Gods Power which is another of his Attributes and did but persons consider this who would not fear and tremble before him Again This fear of God is very much kept in the hearts of the children of God by eying the Providences of God and the Works of God as it is in the description there is a hand of God in all things that come to pass in the world But oh how many are there that live in the world like Atheists not eying God at all or else perhaps a little at morning and evening I do not speak against this but their fault is they do not eye God continually and therefore if they have got a little of the fear of God upon their hearts after prayer in the morning they quickly lose it by going out into the world and therefore it is of excellent use to keep the fear of God alive in the heart to see God in every business wee are imployed in with David to set the Lord alwayes before us and you may see in that 107. Psalm at large how excellently the Providences of God are set forth relating to various conditions to raise up the hearts of persons to fear him and love him and praise him Oh then what 's the reason that Professors are found so light and vain in their conversations but because they do not eye God in his Providences the fear of the Lord is not really in their hearts and continually before their eyes if it were they durst not bee so light and vain in their spirits as oft-times they are and so also the great work of Redemption is that which causeth souls indeed to fear God as I might abundantly shew you but I must hasten and therefore shall pass on to a 4 Thing in the description which further relates to the manner how this fear of God is wrought in the heart and that is by the consideration of the vast disproportion which is between God and the Creature this is that which tends much to the begetting of the fear of God in the heart consider those expressions used by that Servant of the Lord Abraham in his drawing nigh to God in Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes he did not look upon it as a small matter to come and pray to God and speak to God as too many poor Creatures do that come to God without that reverence of him in their hearts and such a gesture in their bodies both publickly and in their Families and Closets as becomes persons in their drawing nigh to God by prayer and so Salomon presseth us to reverence and fear upon this account Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou art upon earth therefore let thy words be few and also that fore-mentioned place Isa 40. sets forth the disproportion between God and the creature Behold all Nations before him are but as the drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the ballance hee taketh up the Isles as a very little thing And therefore if men did but consider what this great God is they durst never walke proudly before him nor speak proudly against him but would even cast themselves upon the ground as those of old did when they spake to God And oh that the consideration of Gods greatness and that vast disproportion that is between him us were more upon our hearts that so we may fear before him continually and so I shal come in the Fifth place to speak to this fear of God with respect to the nature of it and the fruits and effects of it which is set forth in the Description by two things First A thinking highly of God in all his Attributes Secondly A having respect to all his Commandements 1 This fear of God is that whereby the soul is made to think highly of God in all his Attributes it brings a soul to thinke highly of Gods Name which is his Attributes see it in David a man fearing God Psal 111.9 10. Holy and Reverent is his Name and hee subjoyns The fear of the Lord c. 2 This fear of God causes the soul to have respect to all Gods Commandements the man that truly fears God he trembleth at the word of God hath God said it it shall be done saith the poor humble soul what ever it bee that God commands though it bring never so much loss or shame or suffering upon mee yet if the fear of God be in my heart I shall do it A soul that truly fears God will endeavour to avoid in thought word or deed what ever offends God and dishonours God as hee would avoid hell And therefore Solomon tells us The fear of the Lord is to depart from evill Prov. 3.7 Yea to hate evill Prov. 8.13 And therefore take a soul that hath the fear of God upon his heart and hee looks upon it as a dreadful thing to sin against God and to dishonour God in thought word or deed and therefore as much as may bee such a soul will avoid the occasions of sin you may see it in Agur in Prov. 30.8 9. saith he Give me neither poverty nor riches and why because both those states were dangerous temptations to sin against God and the best way to avoid the sin is to avoid the temptation But alas How many are there in this our day that are bold and venterous upon temptations that will rush in upon them without fear How few are there that have this in their prayers to God Lord give mee not riches but on the contrary how do many run into multitude of business in the world which so takes up their time and hearts that they are not fit to serve God in their Generation Not considering that of our Saviour How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdome of Heaven But the fear of God it teaches the soul to avoid the occasions of sin and to abstain from all appearances of evill according to that of Paul in 1 Thess 5.22 And surely if wee are to pray Not to bee led into temptation then wee are not to lead our selves into temptation But first to seek the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added unto you And thus the Fear of God teaches to abstain from what God hath forbidden and to do what God hath required to thinke highly of God in all his Attributes and to have respect to all his Commandements And thus you have the Description opened and proved concerning the fear of God I cannot come to the other duty of giving glory to his name and therefore shall make some Application of what hath been