Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	exceed_v	righteousness_n	scribe_n	2,764	5	11.0489	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09376	A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1607 (1607)	STC 19677.5; ESTC S2273	415,205	614

the world so the same word of God which beleeued and obayed by godly men is their saluation disobayed and refused by vngodly men shall be their condemnation And thus much for the two ends why Noah prepared the Arke consequently of the second effect of Noahs faith It followeth And was made heire of the righteousnesse which i● by faith Here is the third and last effect whereby the excellencie of Noahs faith is commended It made him an heire and that not of the world for so he was besides but of that that the world could not yeeld of righteousnesse and that of the best of all euen of that righteosnesse which is by faith These words haue relation to that testimonie which God gaue of Noah in Genesis 6.9 Noah was a iust and vpright man and walked with God Now that which is spoken there more generally is here particularly opened and vnfolded he was iust or righteous how hee was righteous by the righteousnesse of faith so that these words are a commentarie vnto the other But because that that is here affirmed of Noah is a most glorious thing his faith made him an heire that is made him that was heire of all the earth a better heire therefore these words are to be well waighed For their full opening three points are to be considered 1. What is the righteousnesse here spoken of 2. Why it is called the righteousnesse of faith or by faith 3. How Noah was made Heire of it by his faith For the first That righteousnesse by which Noah and all holy men are to stand righteous before God is not a righteousnesse of any nature but such a one as is appointed of God for that purpose That wee may knowe it the more distinctly wee must examine the seuerall kindes thereof Righteousnesse is of two sorts Created Vncreated Vncreated is that which is in God and hath no beginning nor ending no meanes nor measure Of this speaketh the Prophet Psalm 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord. This cannot make any man righteous for two reasons First for the Godhead and it are all one It is in God essentially A man is one thing and his righteousnesse is another But God and his righteousnesse are all one And therefore it is as impossible for any man to haue this righteousnes as it is to be God Secondly it is infinite and mans soule a finite creature and therefore not capable of any thing that is infinite and consequently not of the vnmeasurable righteousnes which is in the godhead Therefore this we must leaue vnto God as proper to the Deitie Created righteousnesse is that which God frameth in the reasonable creature Men and Angels Of Angels we are not to speake though theirs and man 's differd not much in nature at their creations Created righteousnesse of man is of 2. sorts Legall or Euangelicall Legall righteousnesse is that which the Morall law prescribeth Euangelicall that which the Gospell hath reuealed Of legall righteousnesse I finde there are three sorts spoken of 1. One that is a perfect righteousnesse 2. One that is a ciuill righteousnesse 3. One that is an inward righteousnesse Perfect righteousnesse Legall is the perfect fulfilling of the law in a mans owne selfe And by this shall no man liuing be iustified before God for no man since the fall of Adam is able perfectly to fulfill the Law If any can then shall he be righteous by it but none did nor euer can therefore no man shall stand righteous by perfect legall righteousnesse in himselfe Some will obiect But a regenerate man may for he is restored by grace therefore though by Adams fall a man is disabled yet by regeneration hee is inabled to fulfill the law perfectly I answere It were so if they were perfectly sanctified in their regeneration but they are sanctified but in part and it is not perfect vntill death Obiect 1. Thess. 5.23 We are sanctified throughout spirit soule and body If all those what then remaines vnsanctified therefore our sanctification is perfect I answere It is perfect in parts but not in measure nor degree As a childe is a perfect man in all the parts of a man but not in the quantitie of anie part So a childe of God is perfectly sanctified in all parts but not in the measure of any part vntill flesh and mortality and corruption haue an end Secondly some may obiect The virgine Mary sinned not I answere so teacheth indeede the Church of Rome that she neuer sinned that her life was free from sinne ●ctuall and her conception from sinne originall But so taught neither the Scripture nor Gods Church but contrariwise it is more then manifest shee was a sinner For first she confesseth her soule reioiced in God her Sauiour but if she were no sinner she stoode in neede of no Sauiour Againe she died but if she had not sinned she should in Iustice not haue died For death entred by sinne and where no sinne is there death is not due Thus no man can be righteous by the perfect righteousnesse of the law in himselfe Secondly there is a ciuill righteousnesse and that is when a man in his outward actions is conformable to the law especially to the Commaundements of the second Table For example hee is free from the outward actions of murther adultery or theeuery and such like or he can refraine his anger and ouercome his passions that they shall not break out into open violence to the view of the world and for the first Table he comes to the Church professeth religion All this is a ciuill righteousnesse and by this can no man be iustified nor made righteous For first it is not a perfect but a most imperfect righteousnesse and therefore cannot iustifie It is so imperfect that it is as good as none at all in Gods sight for it is but an outward and constrained and dissembled obedience and wants the inward and true obedience of the heart and soule Secondly it cannot make a man righteous for wicked men haue it which are vnrighteous and cannot be saued Haman hated Mordecay in his heart yea his heart boyled in malice against him yet the Story saith That neuerthelesse he refrained himselfe till he came home Ester 5.10 And therefore Christ saith that except our righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies we cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Math. 5.20 Now what was theirs but an outward ciuill righteousnesse whereby they kept the law onely in outward actions as appeareth in that Christ afterward in the same Chapter expounding the law doth reduce it to the inward which is to his full and proper sense So then yet wee haue not found that righteousnesse which may make a man righteous Thirdly there is a righteousnesse called the inward righteousnesse of a Christian man which is this A man hauing repented and his sinnes being forgiuen hee is by the holy Ghost sanctified inwardly in his soule and all the parts powers of

this commaundement was personally directed to Abraham and concernes not vs as it did him yet it hath his force and vse euen to vs. For though we are not to goe out of our Country and leaue our liuings and habitations yet we must doe that that is proportionable hereunto That which is commanded to Salomons wife is to all Christians Harken O daughter and consider incline thine eare forget thy owne kindred and thy Fathers house so shall the King take pleasure in thy beauty Psalm 45.10.11 This wife of Salomon is the soule of euery Christian the spouse of Christ the true Salomon who by nature is daughter to heathen Pharaoh that is to sinne corruption and wrath but being maried to Christ must forget her owne kindred and Fathers house that is their owne nature and naturall affections and carnall desires and then shall Christ our King and spirituall husband take pleasure in vs and reioice to doe vs good And this is the chiefe trauailing of all and most acceptable to God when a man goeth out of himselfe and denieth his owne desires to obay God and to serue Christ Iesus Thus we see the matter of his obedience Now followeth the end Which he should after receiue for inheritance The second particular in his obedience is the End why he went out of his owne Country namely to inherite another that is the land of Canaan called else-where the land of Promise because God promised it vnto him and to his ●eed Now Abraham at Gods commaundement went out of his owne Country into this place to inherite it and to take possession of it But it may be obiected He inherited it not yea furthermore Stephen saith Act. 7.4 God brought him in but gaue him no inheritance in it no not the bredth of a foote I answere though Abraham did not inherite it personally himselfe yet he may be said to inherite it two wayes 1. Sacramentally or Mystically 2. In his posteritie First Sacramentally thus The land of Canaan is to be vnderstoode not onely as a Country of Asia fruitfull and fertile and plentifull of all good things wherein the onely visible Church was confirmed till Christs comming But further as a Type of the heauenly Canaan where the triumphant Church raignes in glory with God And thus Abraham did in his owne person inherite it for he was translated from this world after his death into the glory of heauen And in that respect the glory of heauen is rather called the bosome of Abraham Luke 16 then of any other the Patriarkes both for the excellencie of his faith as also for that the promise of inheriting the land of Canaan was first of all personally made to him which because he enioyed not he was recompenced with the fruition of the true Cannaan From hence we learne a notable doctrine That God in performing of his promises giueth not oftentimes the verie particular thing promised but something equiualent or proportionable to it or else better Thus in the fift commaundement obedient children are promised by God long life as a reward for honouring their Parents Now when hee takes them away in their best age as hee did Iosias 2. Kings 22.10 hee giueth them eternall life which is not onely proportionable but farre exceeding the thing promised So heere hee promiseth Abraham the land of Canaan but when it comes to the performance hee giues him a better euen the true Canaan the kingdome of heauen The vse heereof is to teach vs wisedome for the true discerning of Gods mercifull performance of his promises for he performeth them not alwayes one way vnto his children sometime he giueth the very particular thing promised as vnto the children of Israel their deliuerance out of Egypt vnto Hezekiah the restoring of his health and such like Sometime he giueth not it but something which shall be as good or better vnto his children as when they are in some great danger and craue deliuerance or in some necessitie and haue promise of supply God oftentimes deliuereth them not but giueth them patience and feeling of his fauour in such sort as is many degrees more comfortable vnto them And herein God heareth their prayers and performeth his promise to them to their full contentation Secondly Abraham inherited Canaan in his posterity For though God promised it to himselfe when he was 75. yeeres olde Gen. 12.4 and to him and to his seede Gen. 15.7 Yet neither he nor his immediate seede enioyed it but his posteritie the Israelites 430. yeares after the promise as S. Paul proueth Galath 3.17 And so Abraham inherited it in his posteritie which is a part of him and they inherited it many hundreth yeares euen vntill the comming of Christ. As afore we learned that God in the performance of his promises giueth not alwayes the thing promised so heere let vs learne that he doth not alwayes performe them to the same parties and yet most truly performeth them If therefore God doth not to our selues nor in our times accomplish his promises or prophecies we must not be impatient but waite in patience For as the holy Prophet saith The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the last it shall speake and not lie though it tarie waite for it it shall surely come and shall not stay Habba 2.3 To this end Dauid also most diuinely saith Psalm 97.11 Light is sowen for the righteous and ioy for the vpright in heart See light and ioy belongs vnto them but how It is sowen that is it is in hope and expectation and not alwayes in fruition Therefore as the Husbandman casts his seede into the earth and is content to stay almost a full yeere without it or any profit of it and yet is patient all that while because he is sure it will come bring encrease with it So must wee waite patiently on the Lord and know that whatsoeuer he hath promised we or ours after vs shall be sure to enioy it And though we doe not what great matter is it if our children doe For we know that oftentimes the Father soweth and dieth ere the haruest and so the sonne reapeth So for Gods great and gracious promises which are sowen vnto the Fathers if themselues do not their children are sure to reape the comfortable haruest of performance And thus we see how Abraham inherited the land of Canaan which is called the land of Promise because it was so long and so often promised to so many great Patriarkes In the second place it is to be obserued when God promised this vnto Abraham euen then when the land of Canaan was possessed by many mighty Kings So that it may be here further doubted how Abraham could take any comfort in this promise seeing it was at that day held by almost 40. Kings greater and lesse as we may see in Ioshua Chap. 10.11.12 and further The people were many and strong the Cities were strong walled and full of huge Giants Numb 13.28.29 Yet for all this he

beleeuers that haue bin in the world Let this teach vs whē we see our own sins how hideous monstrous they be yet not to despaire And whē we see other men liue in extream dissolutenes yet not to iudge of them before the time but euen then with hope and comfort remember that God who quickneth the dead and calleth things that are not as though they were And in that hope let vs perswade our selues that he may quicken our dead hearts and reuiue vs by his grace And therefore in that hope let vs raise vp our selues to vse all holy meanes of Gods Word Sacraments and Prayer which if we carefully and continually doe wee shall see wonders wrought in vs that as they saide of Paul This man preacheth the faith which afore he destroyed and therefore glorified God for him Galath 1.22.23 So shall men say of vs This man hates the profanenesse that afore he liued in and loues the religion that afore hee mocked Such miracles will the Lord worke in vs if with faith and diligence wee vse the holy meanes that so all that see vs shall Glorifie GOD for vs. Thus wee see generally how great the issue and posterity of Sarah was But it is more particularly inlarged by two comparisons As many as the starres in the skie or as the sands by the sea shore which are innumerable His comparisons are two One taken from the heauens as many as the starres in the skie The other from the earth as the sands in the Sea And these two are vsed by the holy Ghost being things of incredible number to expresse the multitude of the Israelites that came all from Sarah Not but that other things also are of as great number as the drops of water dust of the earth hairs of mens heads c but these two are most common and prouerbiall phrases whereby to expresse a multitude And againe the starres of the skie are rather named then any other because God himself in the beginning pleased to vse it to Abraham when he had neuer a childe Gen. 15.8 God caried Abraham forth in the night and bad him count the starres if he could and said so shall thy seede be And Moses afterwards vseth the same comparison Deut. 10.22 Our Fathers went downe into Egypt 70. persons and now the Lord hath made vs as the starres of the skie in multitude Now because all men are not Astronomers as Abraham and Moses were and that ignorant men might say they can perceiue no such matter in the starres Therefore hee vseth another comparison which euery Country-man may discerne how innumerable they be namely the sands of the Sea-shore And least any should say I dwell in the mid-land Country and neuer saw the sea sand and am ignorant and so cannot iudge of the starres therefore to put him out of doubt the holy Ghost assures him in the end of the verse that they are both innumerable that is not in themselues or to God but in regard of man and mans skill vnable to be counted Concerning these two comparisons let vs obserue the manner or the phrase of speech in them vsed Secondly the matter in them intended For the first wee are to knowe that the speech is not proper but figuratiue For properly they were not as manie as the starres or as the sands neither are the starres or sands innumerable but it is a figure called by the Rhetoricians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an excesse of finenesse of speech or an excessiue elegancie And as it is ordinarie in all Writers and euen in common speech so it is not refused by the holy Ghost but vsed both heere and in the two forenamed places and the like also of the same nature but in other phrases in other places as Saint Iohn 21.25 I suppose saith hee if all the sayings and doings of Christ were written the world could not containe the bookes that would be written Meaning they would be exceeding many and more then would be needefull for saluation And Deuteronomie 9. verse 1. Moses saith That the Cities of the Canaanites were great and walled vp to heauen Meaning that they were very high and so high as was possible for Cities walles to be and as was impossible to haue beene scaled in all mennes reason had not GOD fought for them These and such like are common in the Scripture and seeing wee allowe that libertie to all Writers and to our selues in common speeche no reason to denie it to the Scripture which was written for all mens vnderstanding and therfore in such phrases as are vsuall and ordinarie with all men And the like liberty is heere taken also in another figure as many as the sands by the shore of the sea the word properly signifieth and soundeth the lippe of the Sea Now the sea hath no lippe but it is a speech taken or borrowed from man or beast who haue lippes and the sea shore resembleth a lippe For looke what a lippe is to them the shores are to the sea as the two lippes doe inclose the mouth so the two shores on both sides doe inclose the Sea which lieth as in a mouth betwixt them From hence we may learne profitable instructions First that therefore Rhetoricke is a warrantable good and lawfull Art and it ariseth thus That which the holy Ghost practiceth must needes be not onely not euill but good and warrantable But the holy Ghost vseth and practiceth Rhetoricke heere and in many places else of the Scripture Therefore it is a good and lawfull Arte. The proposition is vndoubted the assumption is cleare both by these places and almost the whole body of the Scripture many of Saint Pauls Epistles many of Christes owne Sermons Saint Iohns Gospell many of the Prophets especially Esayah haue as much and as elegant Rhetoricke in them as any VVriters in the vvorlde and beside all other vertue and Diuine power in them doe euen for figures and ornaments of Arte match any Oratours that haue vvritten in the Greekes or Latines Nor would it bee anie hard taske to vndertake to prooue and illustrate euery approued rule of Rhetorick out of some part of Scripture Now if it be lawfull to practice the rules of Rhetorick then is it lawfull also to collect those rules together to pen them and to make an Art of them They therefore that holding the contrary doe say or teach or write it is vnlawfull goe against the streame and common practice of the Scripture and rules of common reason Secondly heere it is apparant that in preaching Gods word it is lawfull and warrātable for a Minister to vse Rhetoricke and eloquence And the reason is good for that which the holy Ghost vseth in penning of the Scripture the same may Gods Ministers vse also in preaching the same They therefore that denie that liberty to Ministers are too rough and rugged and pull out of the hand of the Ministers one of his weapons out of the wings of the