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
A38026	Polpoikilos sophia, a compleat history or survey of all the dispensations and methods of religion, from the beginning of the world to the consummation of all things, as represented in the Old and New Testament shewing the several reasons and designs of those different administrations, and the wisdom and goodness of God in the government of His church, through all the ages of it : in which also, the opinion of Dr. Spencer concerning the Jewish rites and sacrifices is examin'd, and the certainty of the Christian religion demonstrated against the cavils of the Deists, &c. / by John Edwards ...	Edwards, John, 1637-1716.	1699 (1699)	Wing E210; ESTC R17845	511,766	792

inviolably kept the Law himself he most strictly observed both the Tables of it all his Life Again he obliged others to keep and obey this Law He always inculcated the use and necessity of it in Mens Lives 2. He came to fulfil it i. e. to teach Men to observe the Full Design and Vtmost Intent of the Moral Law This is first clear from the Context ver 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven i. e. he shall be a very despised and contemptible Person under the Christian O●conomy who shall diminish any of the Precepts of the Moral Law They must be taken one with another The Decalogue is full and comprehensive Anger as well as Murder is prohibited in the Sixth Commandment and so in the rest the full Virtue and Extent of the Law are to be observ'd And not only he that breaks the least of these Commandments but he that teacheth men so to do as it follows in that verse shall be called the least c. he shall not be reckon'd a person fit for the Evangelical Administration he is a piti●ul narrow contracted Soul Such are the Scribes and Phari●ees and the great Doctors of the Law they cramp the Decalogue they rest in the Letter and Surface of it and remember not what David saith that the Commandments are exceeding broad But I say unto you saith our Saviour except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven ver 20. And then in the remaining part of the Chapter our Saviour proceeds to acquaint his hearers particularly how these Scribes and Pharisees and those from whom they receiv'd their Notions had mistaken the true meaning of the Law and had perverted the genuine Sense of it by their false Glosses and Interpretations But not only the Context but this very word it self which is here used leads us to this thing which I am now offering to you The known and common signification of the Greek word which is rendred to fulfil is to accomplish a thing fully to bring it to Perfection The word is properly used when a Man doth as much as he can and acts his best Thus the Apostle saith of himself I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 19. It is the same word which our Saviour useth here when he saith he came to fulfil the Law How did St. Paul fulfil the Gospel of Christ He labour'd abundantly than the rest of the Apostles he travel'd from place to place from Ierusalem and round about unto Illyricum as he saith in the same verse he went his Circuit he took extraordinary pains wheresoever he came he was careful to instruct people in all the necessary Doctrines of Christianity and to keep back nothing from them Thus he fulfilled or fully preached the Gospel And this is the sense of the word in other places of the New Testament You will find our Saviour himself and his Apostles and others applying this word to such things as are fully Accomplished and are become entire and compleat And so here Christ saith he came to fulfil the Law the Precepts of the Moral Law dispers'd up and down in the Books of Moses and the Prophets and summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments he came to fulfil these not only by representing them to us Intire and Perfect by giving us a full and compleat account of them but by supplying them and filling them up when they were diminish'd and impaired by the corrupt Glosses of the Iewish Doctors So that there are no New Commandments added by Christ but some of the Old ones which were corrupted and others which were quite taken away are renewed and restored and so the Body of Commandments and Moral Precepts is perfected and consummated This is to fulfil this is the plain and obvious sense of the word so far as I apprehend But others understand it thus Christ came to fulfil the Law i. e. to add some New Moral Precepts to it which were no part of the Law before to increase the number of the Commandments and thus in a sense different from what was allowed before to fill up the Law Accordingly they hold that our Saviour in the fifth Chapter of St. Matthew is a New Lawgiver and commands things which were not commanded before Christ say they opposed to Moses's Moral Precepts some New and Contrary Precepts of his own as about Swearing and Divorce c. Some of the Fathers were of this judgment or at least have utter'd some words which favour it But it is not to be denied that the Papists generally as also the Socinians expresly hold this These latter follow their Master Socinus who in his Explication of the 5 th Chapter of St. Matthew interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the foresaid Sense and tells us that Christ's Sermon contains New Precepts which never were before Some Antinomians and Anabaptists not to mention some others plainly assert this and that with much concernedness These all hold that Christ fulfil'd or perfected the Law not only by a clearer Explication of the Precepts of it but by an Addition of New Precepts And this indeed follows on what was asserted by them before viz. that Christ's Laws in Matth. 5. are opposed to Moses's If there be an opposition then that is injoin'd in one which is not in the other then Christ added to what was commanded by Moses But all this is a mistake for the Opposition which is observable in Mat. 5. is quite of another kind Christ there opposeth himself to the Scribes and Pharisees and his Interpretation of the Law to theirs In this manner he speaks Ye have heard is hath been said of the Antients or as we translate it those of old time Thou shalt not do this or that you attend to the sayings of the Antient Iewish Doctors who are the Persons that have perverted the Law and you tread in their steps you espouse their Opinions you have learnt of them to misinterpret and corrupt the Law for you interpret those Commandments Thou shalt not kill thou shalt not commit Adultery of the outward Act only of Killing and of Adultery and you will not believe that Hatred and Malice are forbidden by the same Commandment which forbids Murder or that a lustful Eye is a breach of the Commandment against Adultery and so in other instances you miserably mistake and corrupt the Law This is the sense of our Saviour in this Chapter And hence it is plain that here is no such thing as New Precepts or any kind of Commands contrary to those that were given by Moses We do not hear Christ say it hath been said by Moses or you read it in the Law but it hath been said by them of old he quotes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antients i. e. the Masters of Tradition the

and express Acts of Belief And to Faith I may adjoin Hope for Hope is founded on Faith and therefore Faith being more clear and express under the Gospel as I have said it follows that Hope is so too it is more stable and firm more sure and certain than the Hope of those before Christ's coming and on this account the Gospel is deservedly call'd the bringing in of a better Hope Heb. 7. 19. Christians having seen the accomplishment of all those things which ●ormer Ages had no experiment of their Hope must needs be bettered i. e. exalted and increased And as for Charity and all the rest of the Virtues Graces and Duties required of us for I will speak of them altogether they differ from what they were under the Mosaick Dispensation as to these following things 1. There are greater measures of every Grace now under Christianity than there were under the other Dispensations Christians reach now to higher Degrees and Perfections of Virtue than those under the Law did And this indeed was the design of the Gospel this Dispensation came in the last place to add a greater Perfection than ever any other preceding Models of Religion pretended to 2. A greater stri●tness and ●nactness in all Duties is required now than was under the legal Dispensation This you must know that tho the Rigour of the Law be abated under the Gospel yet the Evangelical Obedience is stricter than that of the Law Except your Righteo●sness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yo cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven saith our Saviour Mat. 5. 20. A more circumspect and accurate way of living is expected from Christ's Disciples than from those of Moses A more severe sanctity and conformity to God's Will are required of them than of these But yet I must add in the third place That whereas the Law which did in a manner revive the Covenant of Works required perfect Works and sinless Obedience the Gospel requires no such thing but accepts of imperfect but sincere Obedience which is made acceptable by Christ's Satisfaction Under the Gospel Men are not so much obnoxious for offending as for continuing obstinately in their Offences And Mercy is now denied not for Sin committed but for persisting in Sin without Repentance This is a grand Difference between the Law and the Gospel that was harsh and rigorous this is gentle and favourable Again Duties are further extended and enlarged now than they were before Which must needs be because the State of Christianity is wider and larger than that of Iudaism There is more Love now because the former aversness and enmities are removed C●rist as the Apostle saith sath abolish'd in his Flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances i. e. the Mosaick Law consisting in Precepts about peculiar Rites and distinct Observances whereby the Gentiles were differenced from the Iews which made a breach between them But a Vniversal Charity breaths in the Gospel and the Exertments of it are of greater latitude than those heretofore Elijah call'd for Fire from Heaven upon his Enemies and was not blamed but heard by God 2 Kings 1. 10 12. but Iames and Iohn Apostles of Christ did the same thing and were severely check'd for it Luke 9. 54. And we read that St. Peter was commanded to put up his Sword when he drew it in his Master's Quarrel which certainly was the best in the World The reason of this is not only because the Evangelical Temper is more mild and loving than that legal one but because its Laws are more extensive and more favourable Nay whereas the Old Law commanded Love to their Brethren the Gospel bids us shew that Love by dying for them if there be occasion Iohn 15. 12. 1 Iohn 3. 16. And in other Circumstances I might shew that the Evangelical Obedience is larger and more comprehensive than that of the Law In the fifth place this must be said likewise that some particular Graces and Duties flow more g●nuinely from the Spirit of the Gospel than from the Legal Principles and are more frequently inculcated and more closely urged on our Consciences and Lives in the New Testament than they are in the Old These special Graces and Exercises of Evangelical Righteousness are purity of Heart and inward sincerity minding the manner of our Duties and serving of God from an inward love of Holiness a shunning of secret Sins a constant sense of our Weakness and Unworthiness of our Inability of our selves to think or do any thing that is good and acceptable to God a being weary and heavy laden under the sense of Sin a feeling of the odious Nature of it and loathing our selves for it Self-denial and Mortification an absolute resigning our selves Souls and Bodies unto God a subduing all our Carnal Desires Lusts and Appetites a refraining from the least Sins making conscience of all Offences evil Thoughts idle Words abstaining from all appearance of Evil renouncing every Sin tho against our Profit and Interest a universal hatred of all Vice without any reserves a continual watchfulness against all Temptations and striving by all means to conquer Sin in us moderation in the use and enjoyment of the good things of this Life a using this World as not abusing it a possessing our Souls in patience in the midst of all Afflictions and Tribulations an entertaining all Occurrences with thankfulness and contentedness and a preparing for the worst a quelling of all inordinate Passion and suffering not the Sun to go down on our Wrath ●a●●●bstaining from all reviling and bitterness of Speech ye● a praying for our Persecutors Bowels of Mercy tender-heartedness pity and compassion weeping with those that weep and bearing one anothers burdens mildness and meekness towards all Men laying aside revenge and forgiving those who have done us wrong yea loving and doing good to our very Enemies Truth and Faithfulness towards those we converse with simplicity open-heartedness sincerity in words and actions a profound humility and lowliness of mind a preferring others before our selves a minding not of high things but condescending to those of low estate the spirit of Supplication and Prayer taking delight in communion with God daily presenting our selves before the Throne of Grace to ask pardon of our Sins for Christ's sake peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost contempt of the World heavenly-mindedness a Spirit raised above the Earth breathing and longing for Heaven and a better State a living on the Life to come a depending on the unseen Glory hereafter a pre●erring Heaven and everlasting Joys before all things here below a making God the ultimate End and referring all to his Glory not fearing Death but chearfully expecting it lastly growing in Grace daily increasing in Godliness and Righteousness aspiring to the highest degree of Holiness and striving for the utmost perfection we are capable of This is no new Draught of Religion but such as the most Holy Men before

Plain Evident and Undeniable Let us then be sensible of the Goodness of our Condition and of the Eligibility of it before that of those who lived before this fulness of time came Whereas the Jewish and Gentile Religion were defective and corrupted and Ignorance and gross Mistakes had invaded Mens minds and the True Worship of God was enervated and destroy'd by Atheism and Superstition God was pleased to restore and new model Religion and to give Men a perfect and exact Rule whereby they might reform their Lives and be conducted to Blessedness And this is the Christian Institution which every way surpasses both Judaism and Philosophy it discovers the most absolute Worship of God and dictates the most accurate Precepts of Morality and directs us to the only Means of Salvation This is the sole Prerogative of Christianity and we owe it to the immediate Revelations and Dis●overies made by God himself Most Men that stile themselves Christians know little or nothing of the Excellency and Preheminence of the Dispensation that bears that Name But let us endeavour to be of the Number of those who both understand and admire the superlative Excellency of the Christian Oeconomy which we are under 2. Let us not only understand and admire it but let this most Blessed Dispensation stir up our most thankful Resentments Behold with grateful minds how our Condition is unspeakably better than that of the Persons who lived under other Dispensations and particularly than that of the Iews who were under the Dispensation which was immediately before ours We have cause to thank the Merciful Lord of Heaven and Earth that our Lot is cast into such Times that we were reserved for this Best of Dispensations that we are blessed with a most Excellent and Worthy Religion a Religion that is in it self Reasonable and every ways adapted to our rectified Faculties and enlightened Minds a Religion that hath the most lively Principles to actuate and inform us the comp●eatest Rules to guide and direct us and affords us the most effectual and powerful helps to Virtue and Godliness a Religion that holds forth the dreadfullest Punishments to deter us from Vice and assures us of the Highest Rewards to animate and as it were to bribe us to Virtue a Religion that comprehends in it all the Excellent Things which the most improved Philosophers talk'd of and innumerable more not to be parallel'd by any Model of Religion whatsoever a Religion that contains nothing in it but what is of great Moment and Importance and is admirably serviceable to the best and most advantageous Purposes Let us account it an unspeakable Mercy and Favour that we are the Disciples of so worthy and excellent an Institution Let us la●d the Divine Goodness that we have these Infallible Oracles to guide us that we are taught of God and that Iesus Christ is our Instructer This is sufficient to raise our Esteem and Value of this Dispensation By this we have the Advantage of all that went before us and this it self is the greatest Advantage For now the Word hath been made Flesh and hath pitch'd his Tabernacle on Earth and hath dwelt amongst us and all the Benefits and Privileges of his Coming are offered to us It seemed good to God to confer this singular Honour upon Vs We see Christ's Day and hear his Gospel we have the Completion of all the Mosaick Types and Representations and all the Prophecies and Promises are fulfill'd before our Eyes We cannot complain that our Religion is harsh and difficult like that of the Iews for all those troublesome Observances are removed and no burdensome Service no intolerable Homage is required of us Our Service is perfect Freedom wherefore we are engaged to stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Now since the Woman the Church is clothed with the Sun she hath the Moon the old Mosaick Laws and Ceremonies which shined with a faint and borrowed Light under her feet Let us disregard those old dark Types and Shadows in comparison of the clear Light of the Gospel and let us heartily bless God for so great and matchless a Mercy as the New Dispensation of Christ Jesus 3. I infer as the Meliority of our Condition so our greater Obligation to Holiness and strictness of Life Old things are pass'd away and behold all things are become New under the Gospel-Dispensa●tion Let not our Lives be the only exception to it Let the Manners of Christians speak the Transcendency of the Gospel above Philosophy Let us live better than the wisest Heathens in as much as our Rules of Living excel theirs Let it never be said that the Behaviour of Pagans outstript that of Christians and that the Gentile Religion made better Men than the Gospel doth It is true the Pagan Moralists spoke highly against Vice and always rhetoricated in their Declamations against it but the Business of Christians is to live those Great things which they discours'd of Let there be observed not only a great Elogium of Virtue in our Words and Professions but let us take care that all Men may read the Excellency of our Religion in our Lives and thereby discern plainly the vast difference that there is between a Christian and a Philosopher Let us urge it on our Minds and Consciences as our indispensible Concern to yield impartial Obedience to our Master's Commands and to govern our Lives by the unerring Rules which he hath given us Let us not bear the Noble Title of Christians without the true Badges of Christianity Let us not prophane this Name by acting contrary to it Either let us lay aside this glorious Character or do things worthy of it We have a Holy Religion therefore our Conversations should be so too Here our Saviour's words are to be remembred Vnless our Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees of the most strict Pretenders to Judaism as well as Philosophy unless we live more Heavenly Lives and under a greater Sense of Religion we must not expect to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven we shall never attain to Happiness For the Gospel-Oeconomy requires greater strictness than that of the Law as well as of any other Dispensation because the Means of Grace and the Methods of Salvation are much more powerful now and we ought to find and feel that Power in us Let us then think speak and live as those who have such clear and plain Discoveries of God's Will such Divine and Heavenly Truths made known to us with a prospect of such glorious Things hereafter as may effectually encourage us to embrace those Truths and to frame our Actions according to them How shameful will it be that so admirable a Religion should produce nothing but empty Shews and Formalities fair Words and goodly Appearances that it should make us Christians only in Title and Profession and leave us worse than Infidels in our Manners Is our Religion the best why are not we