Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	enter_v	kingdom_n	scribe_n	2,162	5	10.3257	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12386	The sinners confession by Henrie Smith.	Smith, Henry, 1550?-1591.	1593 (1593)	STC 22700.5; ESTC S2886	13,055	32

the wicked Iewes Actes 13. 50. that woulde neither beleeue the doctrine which Paul preached nor could abide that the Gentiles should be brought to the faith of Christ. The high Priests thought them selues too high to haue poore humble Christ amongst them the Scribes and the Pharesies in their owne conceipt were too good too wise and too holie to receyue him into their companie and not content to sequester and estrange themselues from Christ they disdained also that hee should be conuersant with Publicans and sinners as though he were not worthie to be conuersant amongst men If it were the office of Christ to conuert sinners why should the Pharesies bee offended at him if he were sometime conuersant with sinners to work their conuersion If Christ were a Phisition to cure the sickenes of the soule that is to saue the people from their sinnes why should the Pharesies murmur at him for keeping company with Zaccheus that was sicke in soule for as it is expedient for the Phisition to visite hys patients for their better recouerie so it was conuenient Christ should visite sinners for their speedier conuersion But as the Phisition that resorteth to sicke persons is not straightway infected so the soules Phisition that conuerseth with sinners is not therby polluted And therefore as Christ perfourmed his office though the Pharesies murmured so let the ministers of GOD learne by his example to performe theyr dueties though the wicked be offended It was the office of Christ to call sinners to repentance yea he came to call Pharesie sinners aswell as Publican sinners if the Pharesies would haue confessed themselues to be sinners as the Publicanes did but because they stood so much vpon their owne righteousnesse and despised others therefore Christ denounceth so manie woes against them and preferreth the penitent Publican that trusted in the Lords mercie before the proud Pharesie that trusted in his owne merites Though Paul was a Pharesie and the sonne of a Pharesie yet he shameth not to confesse himselfe one of the chiefe sinners which Christ came to saue So if the Pharesies that murmured at Zaccheus would haue been saued they shuld haue confessed themselues chiefe sinners as Paul did They should not haue accused Christ for keeping company with sinners but they shuld haue accused themselues for not keeping companie with Christ. The iust man saith Salomon Pro. 18. is the first accuser of himselfe but the Pharesies are so far from accusing of themselues that they begin to accuse Zaccheus and Christ together Thus the Pharesies of our time that make religion a cloake to couer their corrupt dealing haue thys propertie to thinke other men to be hainous sinners and themselues onely to be righteous insomuch as they wil not stick to speake like that proud people that was wont to say Depart from me for I am holier than thou and like that presumptuous pharesie Luc. 18. I. thanke God I am not as others are extortioners vsurers adulterers drunkards or such like I sanctifie the Saboth which other men prophane I frequent sermons which they neglect I reuerence the name of God which they blaspheme I pay tythe which others with-holde and I fast oftentimes which they doo seldome or neuer These were the speaches of the Pharesies that liued in the time of Christ whom he so often calleth hypocrites and these are the speaches of the hypocrits of our age that seeme to liue after the straightest sect of our religion Act. 26. They wash the outside of the cup and of the platter that is they iustifie themselues and seeme meruailous holie in the sight of men which can discerne by the outward appearance onely but vnto God that seeth and searcheth the secretes of the harts and reynes they appeare like paynted tombes full of dead mens bones and all filthines that is they haue their inward parts full of rauening and all kinde of wickednes Wherefore as Christ said to his Disciples Except your righteousnes exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes Pharesies you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen so I say vnto you that except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of these Pharisaicall hypocrites ye cannot be saued These holy Pharises did vse to cal the Publicans not vsurers nor extortioners as they themselues were but by the general name of sinners as thogh they themselues were free from sinne Thus the papists at this day do vse to cal the most sincere professours of the Gospell not Lutherans Caluinists Zuinglians or protestants as they wer wont to call them but now they tearme vs heretiques a name more odious than anie other whereas in the meane season they themselues are of all other the great heretiques So the Atheists of our time when they cannot accuse the godlie that are amongst vs of vsurie or briberie or extortion or drunkennes or anie such notorious sinne they call them hypocrites which is the summe of all when as in verie truth they themselues do best deserue that name but it makes no matter what they cal vs neither are we to be moued at their despiteful speaches for as the bitter taunts of these murmuring pharises could not hinder Zaccheus in his conuersion so the slaunders of these godles men must not discourage the seruaunts of God from their good profession The Pharises did Zaccheus great wrong for calling him sinner when he had repented of his sinne and the Atheists at this day do greatly wrong the true professors in calling them hypocrites which haue truely repented of their former sinnes and endeuor by al good means to lead a godly life Therfore as Zaccheus preferred his soules health before al their murmuring so it behooueth vs to looke to our soules saluation notwithstanding al the reproches and slanders that are deuised against vs. And as the Pharises might call Zaccheus sinner but could not hinder his Conuersion so the malicious worldlings may take awaye our goods our good names yea and our liues also but cannot depriue vs of our saluation Wherefore as our Sauior said to his Apostles Feare not them that can kill the bodie and then can doo no more so I say vnto you Feare not the frownes of the wicked for they are not able to hurt your better part seeke not to gaine the fauor of the world for the whole world is not able to saue a soule but feare to offend him that is able to destroy both bodie and soule in hell and seeke to please him that is able to saue them both in heauen for euer Now followeth another frute of Zaccheus conuersion namely his good confession for as he beleeued with the hart vnto righteousnes so hee confessed with the mouth vnto saluation Whē Zaccheus was mocked of the Pharises it seemeth that hee should stoup downe for shame but when hee was thus reproued reuiled by them the scripture saith that he stood vp in signe of gladnes As the Apostles went away reioycing

him cheerefully Still Zaccheus is a Receiuer before he was a receiuer of custome now he is a receiuer of Christ. Zaccheus receiued Christ two waies first into his hart when he desired to see him then into his house when gaue him hospitalitie Manie receiued Christ to house but not into their hearts and therefore receiued him grudgingly but Zaccheus receiued Christ first into his hart and then into his house and therefore receiued him ioyfully Of Zaccheus his ioyfulnes we must learne to be ioyfull when we do anie thing for the cause of Christ wee must bee glad to harbour Christ in his members as Zaccheus was ioyfull to harbor Christ himselfe As before in comming downe from the tree Zaccheus shewed his obedience so heere in receyuing Christ into his house hee sheweth the loue that he bare vnto him If Zaccheus had not loued Christ he might haue sent him to some common Inne but Zaccheus is content to receiue Christ into his owne house yea he reioyceth to haue gotten so good aguest like Abraham that vsed to sit at the doore of his Tent and reioyced to enterteine strangers that went by the waye and therefore though Zaccheus were a Gentyle borne yet heerein he sheweth himselfe the childe of Abraham because hee dooth the workes of Abraham Iohn the eighth chapter the nine and thirtieth verse So did Abraham and so must wee doo if wee wyll shewe our selues to be the children of Abraham When Abraham thought onelie to haue enterteined men hee receyued Angells in the shape and likenesse of men and when Zaccheus thought to enterteine the sonne of man he receiueth the sonne of God himselfe Let vs therefore as the Apostle willeth vs Heb. 13. 2. bee mindfull to enterteine strangers forasmuch as thereby some haue receiued Angells into theyr houses vnawares and why should not wee hope to entertein the like or better guests if we be giuen to hospitalitie as those godly fathers were For as the Angels came to them in the likenes of men so Christ himselfe comes to vs in the likenes of a poore man of a lame man and of a blinde man and when hee commeth he commeth hungrie or thirstie or naked or harborlesse or sicke or imprisoned and happie are they that feede or cloathe or harbor or visite him when hee commeth thus afflicted When Abraham enterteined the Angells he was not onely busie himself but his wife and all his household were carefull to make prouision for them so when Zaccheus receiued Christ into his house his whole familie no doubt were no lesse willing carefull to enterteine Christ than their Maister was and therefore not onely to Zaccheus but euen to his whole house Saluation is promised because the whole familie reioyced at Christ his comming Let rich men learne of Zaccheus to enterteine Christ in his needie members and let rich mens seruants learne of Zaccheus familie to shewe themselues merciful like their merciful masters that they maye receiue the reward of mercie and hospitalitie at the last day Come yee blessed for I was harborlesse and yee tooke me in Generally as Zaccheus gladly receyued Christ so let euerie one that is able be glad to distribute to the necessitie of the poore Saints if we haue much let vs giue plentifully if wee haue little let vs giue gladly of that little if we be not able to giue a pennie yet haply we may affoord a morsell of bread but if not that yet ther is none so needie that cannot giue a cup of colde water and euen so small a gift shall not lose his iust reward Matth. 10. 41. Zaccheus receiued Christ into his heart but manie amongst vs are readie to driue Christ out to receiue sathan in stead of him Zaccheus receiued Christ into his house but there are manie rich men amongst vs that like Diues Luc. 16. will not affoord poore Lazarus the crummes that fall from their table but as the damsell Act. 12. opened not the doore for ioy when she heard Peters voyce so by contrarie these men for verie griefe shut their gates when they perceiue a begger there Finally Zaccheus was ioyfull when hee enterteined Christ but manie amongst vs are sorrowfull when they should releeue the poore like churlish Nabal 1. Sam. 25. that reuiled Dauid when hee should haue releeued him So long as Iob prospered he kept a worthie and a worshipfull house he suffred not the stranger to lie in the streetes but opened his doore to the trauailer that went by the way Job 31. 32. but now manie Gentlemen of the countrey are content to suffer the stranger the fatherles and the widdow not onely to lye but euen to starue and die in the streetes with hunger and colde neuer receiue them to house or harbour nor affoord them anie releefe or succour But as the voyce of Abels blood did crie from the earth to God for vengeaunce against hys brothers crueltie so the voyce of the poore and their piteous cries shall enter into the eares of the Lord and their guiltles blood which is powred foorth in euerie place without all compassion shall pull downe hastie and sodaine vengeance from heauen vppon the heads of these vnmercifull cormorants vnles while this time of mercy lasteth they shewe mercie to their distressed neighbors Thus you haue heard how Zaccheus behaued himselfe in enterteining of Christ now you shall see the behauiour of the Pharesies in disdaining at Christ. When all they saw it they murmured saying that hee was gone in to lodge with a sinfull man Before they hated Zaccheus for his vyces because he was couetous now they enuie him for his vertues because he was giuen to hospitality For the wicked wil alwaies haue somthing to finde fault with in the children of God like the sonnes of Iacob Gen. 37. that hated their brother Joseph because of hys dreames and like Saul that vnhappy King that enuied Dauid for his happy victoryes 1. Sam. 18. 29. Thus the wicked when they cannot charge the godly with any greeuous crime they begin to grudge at their weldoing and therefore not onely Zaccheus is hated for receiuing Christ but Christ is hated also for being his guest When they could not accuse Christ for sinne they accuse him for companying with sinners for they must still bee accusing some or other for one thing or other like their father the diuell that both by name Reuel chapt 12. verse 10. and by nature Job 1. 6. 7. is a continuall accuser of the brethren It had been the duetie of the Pharesies to haue receiued Christ made much of him as Zaccheus did but they are so farre off from enterteining him themselues that it greeueth them to see Zaccheus giue him enterteinement And surely such is the peruerse nature of the wicked that they will neither receiue the grace of God when it is offered them nor willingly suffer anie other to embrace the same like