Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	pharisee_n	righteousness_n	scribe_n	3,209	5	11.4035	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61638	Shecinah, or, A demonstration of the divine presence in the places of religious worship being an essay, tending to promote piety, prevent apostacy, and to reduce grosly deluded souls, first to their right wits, then to the right waies, of Gods publick instituted worship / by John Stillingfleete ...	Stillingfleet, John, 1630 or 1-1687.	1663 (1663)	Wing S5680; ESTC R9466	109,230	256

character had this been of St. Pauls Christianity and Saintship I live according to the light within I am directed by the rule of Reason I avoid all those gross sins that the light of nature checks mee for I am no sensualist nor swearer nor drunkard nor adulterer or prophane person yea but what is all this to the life of Faith in the Son of God And indeed Paul could have said all that and much more whilst hee was in his wretched estate of unregeneracy Yea as touching the Righteousness of the Law hee was blameless Phil. 3.6 Hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an one that in the judgement of others hee could not be complained of as a breaker of any Law hee was a strict Pharisee a very exact observer of Gods Law Yet how doth hee esteem of these things which once hee counted his gain vers 7. Vers ● But what things were gain to mee these I counted loss for Christ The inside the outside the all of a Moralist reaches no further than the meer outside of a true Beleever I have sometimes thought that the Pharisees prayer which describes his profession of Holiness meerly by negatives was a pretty exact character of that Religion that is most exactly squared by the Light within Quaker God I thank thee sayes the Pharisee that I am not as other men are Extortioners Unjust Adulterers or even as this Pablican Luk. 18. Thus they ordinarily make up their Profession of Negatives they are none of the debaucht prophane swearing rabble Alas what is all this to the Positive part of Christianity to the life of Faith and Holiness in a crucified Jesus and depending upon his Righteousness for eternal salvation Look but to the Positive Practical part of a Pharisees Religion see how they are shamefully out-stript Vers 12. I fast twice in the week Vers 12 I give Tithes of all that I possess Alas what hopes of Heaven in the way of such a Profession that leaves men far short of Pharisaical Holiness When as our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount tells us plainly Mat. 5. ● Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Well! when all is done the life of Faith is the life that a true Christian must lead that will bring him to Heaven This the Word of God teaches and this was St. Pauls practice when hee out-went his own former Pharisaical Holiness Phil. 3.8 9 I do count all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith § 6. Secondly Heavenly-mindednesse 'T is the VVord of God onely directs us to this ●ol 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Set your affections upon things that are above not upon things that are below The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To set our affections implyes a double act of the soul the one of the mind meditating the other of the will loving and embracing Things above should be objects of a true Christians thoughts will and affections Doth any Loadstone in the world draw Heaven-ward except the VVord of God To mind things that are above is quite crosse to our natural inclinations and our carnal desires And if ever wee are effectual in this duty wee must attribute it wholly to Gods Presence in his VVord that sets it home closely and powerfully upon our hearts Hence S. Paul Phil. 3.2 Our Conversation is in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Citizen-ship it is in Heaven The VVord of God is a Christians Charter that entitles him to be a Citizen of the New Jerusalem Look to the wisest man in the world that wants Grace and the direction of the VVord hee hath much of the Devil and of the Beast in him his very wisdome is both sensual and Devilish VVill not such as these are stand upon their own heads and shake their heels against Heaven rather than set their hearts and affections and minds there 'T is the VVord of God alone that herein is like to water which mounts up as high as its first rise it had its Original from Heaven and it rests not till it brings mens minds thither again at present and both soul and body too of all true Beleevers at the last § 7. 3. Mortification of all the most hidden and secret sins Rom. 6 1● Col 3.5 Let not sin raign in your mortal bodies c. Mortisie therefore your members that are upon the earth that is wee must study how to repress and beat down all our corrupt nature however it breaks out whatever affections or unlawful actions do arise wee must slay in their first rising This is a peculiar injunction of the VVord of God to promote inward mortification of the whole body of sin and all the members thereof And this speaks First A serious purpose of resisting of sin and this turns the heart from the waies of sin Secondly An avoiding all the occasions of sin this keeps the heart from returning unto sin Thirdly A daily use of the best means to subdue sin this helps us to a constancy in our purpose against sin that wee may prosperously go on in this work of God § 8. 4. Inward Humility of the mind Be clothed with Humility Pet. 5.5 1 Pet. 5.5 To make Humility the inward ornament of the soul is onely an effect of the VVord of God which no other Rules can reach unto And herein the VVord of God is no waies unreasonable in this Rule for our inward soul-adorning If wee consider man either as a creature depending upon God or as a sinful creature defiled with Original sin or as a renewed creature accomplished with grace the free issue and product of Gods distinguishing mercy who may by grace become sincere but can never be made innocent or as one endowed with humane Learning though his knowledge be much yet his ignorance is greater Such like considerations as these are speaks it highly rational for a man to be truly humble The highest Moralists are ignorant of this spiritual duty because they are unacquainted with those pressing motives that the Word of God urges us to humility with Let never so great a shew of humility be made if wee own not the Word to teach us our very humility will discover our pride Wee may perhaps make a shew of humility because there is some real comeliness in that grace but not in that way or manner that the Word directs us and so wee discover our pride in that wee will not be beholding to the Word to teach us Such duties as these are come not from corrupt nature nor indeed can they for nothing crosses it more than these VVe need not suspect the Devil to have a hand in the putting of us upon the sincere