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	righteousness_n	scribe_n	2,630	5	11.0710	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20744	Tvvo sermons the one commending the ministerie in generall: the other defending the office of bishops in particular: both preached, and since enlarged by George Dovvname Doctor of Diuinitie.	Downame, George, d. 1634.	1608 (1608)	STC 7125; ESTC S121022	394,392	234

David and Abraham he wept for the miseries which he foresaw would fall vpon them and for preventing of them often would he haue gathered them vnder his wings as the hen doth her chickens but they would not he I say would and they would not Oh the bowels oh the compassion oh the perfectiō of Christianity wicked men are hard hearted towards vs our bowels yearn melt towards thē they curse vs we blesse them they afflict and persecute vs and we desire to keepe off all trouble and sorrow from them except that sorrow which will worke vnto them such ioy as shall neuer be taken from them This is a hard lesson to flesh blood yet hitherto must we come or we passe not beyond Scribes and Pharisees and except our righteousnesse exceed theirs we cannot possibly enter into the kingdome of heaven Againe as no man no not the wicked ought to bee strangers vnto our affection so least of all those that are of the same faith with vs. Wee should be like Hippo●ra●es twins weeping together and laughing together In the body of man if but a finger ake all the rest of the members are sensible of it can we be members of the mysticall body of Christ and haue no feeling of the miseries of our brethren If any man offer to strike at our head the arme presently lifts it selfe to ward of the blow and shall not we if God shake the sword of his heavy displeasure against any of his children speedily lift vp our hands vnto him by the importunity of our prayers turne away the plague that it light not vpon them Certainely they that are not touched with compassion in the dangers of Gods Saints are not the true Children of Abraham and because they refused to be advocates for them in the day of need neither shall themselues finde an advocate that will open his mouth to speake for them in the day of their extremity Lastly seeing Abrahams desire is rather that evill men be spared then the good destroyed and his hart inclineth so much vnto pittie it lessons you my Lords also that although through hope of impunity yee may not giue liberty to sinne yet should you rather incline to too much mildnesse then severity In doubtfull matters it is not only more iust but more safe also to follow the favourablest construction and more Christian like is it in such a case to let the guilty escape then to condemne the innocent It is much safer for a man to render account of his mercifulnesse then of his cruelty Nero in his fiue first good yeares when he was to subscribe to the condemnation or execution of any was wont to say Qu●m Vellem nescire literas would to God I could not write a letter Nay God himselfe saith Why will yee die ô yee house of Israell and as I liue I will not the death of a sinner And therefore it should be your delight also suffundere potius quam effundere sanguinem rather to bring bloud into the face then to shed it out of the body Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum ect ne pars sincera trahatur all other waies must first be tried but if the wound grow incurable it is better to cut off a part then to hazard that which is ●ound too And so much for the second part which is Abrahams affection The third and last part is the Argument whereby hee would both warrant his owne affection and perswade God to be of his minde and is laid downe in these words Should not the iudge of the whole world doe right that is as we haue shewed the iudge of the whole world must needs doe right The reason stands thus To enwrap the good together with the wicked in the same punishment seemes not to be iust and therefore neither maiest thou doe it for thou art the iudge of the whole world must doe right Surely if so to enwrap good and bad were vniust God may not doe it and the argument followes necessarily But is it vniust so to doe Abraham seemes to make no doubt of it for he goes not about to proue it and yet we haue in the first part clearely demonstrated that God oftentimes doth so What then is there any vniustice with God God forbid yea let him be iust in all his sayings cleare when he is iudged In rebus divinis magna caligo said Cato in many of Gods actions there is so much obscurity that we see not the reasons of them yet this is certaine Occulta esse causa potest iniusta esse non potest the reason of them may be secret but vniust it cannot be For he is essentially iust even iustice it selfe and in rebus divinis ratio facti est voluntas facientis in divine actions the will of the doer is sufficient to iustify the deed For the will of God is the prime rule of iustice and to seeke higher is to seeke a former then the first which is meere folly whereas therefore I finde a reason I will praise him where I finde none I will admire him and acknowledge my selfe that am but a bubble but a shadow but the dreame of a shadow rather to faile in vnderstanding then God in iustice Howbeit in this point we haue sufficient reason to cleare the iustice of God For which of the Saints of God is without sinne And which of them hath not deserved by sin to be severely punished Suppose they liue vnblamably in the sight of men yet the eye of God that trieth even the heart and raines beholdeth much folly and iniquity in them Doe they not together with the wicked too much loue temporall things Too much I say though happily not so much Doe they not liue too familiarly with them never rebuking them nor shewing any dislike of their wicked courses Questionlesse they doe and therefore no marvell if partaking in the same sin they partake also in the same punishment et amara sentiant quia amari esse noluerunt drinke with them of the same bitter cup because for their amendment they would not bee sharpe and bitter vnto them The action of God being thus cleared from vniustice what shall we say of Abraham and his assertion I might dispatch him in a word and say let God be true and every man a lier saue that I desire to dismisse him with all reverence and as farre as I can to free him from blame also Shall I say then with some that he speaketh in the opinion of infidels who thinke it a high point of vniustice so to involue both good and bad together I cannot for it becometh not the father of the faithfull to presse vpon God the arguments of vnbeleeuers Shall I say his meaning is that it cannot every way and in all respects bee alike to both without vniustice This indeed I confesse would be great vniustice but God never suffers it to be so Sub vno igni aurum