Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	heaven_n	key_n	shut_v	2,799	5	9.3206	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01453	The portraitur of the prodigal sonne liuelie set forth in a three-fold discourse.1. Of his progresse. 2 Of his regresse. 3. Of his ioyfull welcome home. Published by Samuell Gardiner Batchler [sic] of Diuinitie.	Gardiner, Samuel, b. 1563 or 4.	1599 (1599)	STC 11579; ESTC S105696	153,821	288

shed It cannot bee expressed howe a sorrowfull soule in all humilitie throwing downe it selfe before his mercie seate is acceptable vnto God and gracious in his eyes It is not possible that hee shoulde bee shut out that knocketh at his doore or not finde comforte that is sorrowfull for his sinnes or that his teares shoulde not bee put into the bottell and GOD shoulde not wipe awaie all teares from his eies Psal 126 Hee that nowe goeth on his waie weeping a●d beareth forth good seed doubtlesse shall come againe with ioie and bring his sheaues with him This much holie Scripture aboundantlie doth approoue but principallie the president of this prodigall person For hee no sooner crieth but the Lorde heareth him no sooner returneth but the Lorde meeteth him naie to manifest his longing after him he a far off espieth him and at hand embraceth him God the father therefore his aboundant mercie towardes vs his wicked and rebellious children in this example is set before our eyes It is heere twofold wise propoūded vnder which two kindes whatsoeuer more particularlie may be further illustrated properlie is cōtained The first is his mercy towards vs a far off the second is his mercie towardes vs being nigh and in presence with him In the description of the first these notes as euident demonstrations thereof are premised and prefixed His seeing him a far off his falling on his necke his kissing him We wil first intreat and discourse of the first His seeing him a far off He beginneth with this first because this is that which chiefly worketh in vs for his grace The grace of God the cause of our conuersion A similitude and louing countenance must go before else how should our repentance and conuersion followe after A sinner is like the Eccho which cannot speake first but must answere a voice God must call before we can come hee must speake first and then we aunswere and say with holy Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth 1. Sam. 3 We haue nothing of our selues without the grace of God For of his fulnes haue we al receiued grace for grace A similitude When wee beholde our face and image in a glasse the shadowe of it moueth as the man mooueth whose image the same is the countenaunce thereof cannot looke vpwarde vnlesse the man himselfe the substance of that shadow looketh vpwarde first Wee are Gods image as he moueth vs so we are moued we cannot looke vp to heauen of our selues God first must lift vp our eies thereunto A similitude It is easie for any man to kil himselfe but impossible againe to giue life vnto himselfe it is easie for a man to kill himselfe with sinne but it is not in his power to quicken himselfe by repentance of his sinne Hence is it that Christ saith No man cōmeth to the father Ioh. 6 vnlesse the father who sent me draweth him And that the church praieth thus Drawe me after thee Cantic 1. and we wil run vnto the sauor of thy sweet ointments ●zech 2 When as God commmanded the Prophet Ezechiel to raise vp himselfe and to stand vpon his feet immediatly the spirit of God did come vpon him and set him vpon his feet he had neuer beene able to haue risen of himselfe if the spirit had not helped him There be certaine birdes of verie swift flight A similitude but therewithall so long winged as if by chaunce they fall vnto the ground their traine so traileth vppon the ground as they cannot mount vp againe anie more and recouer their flight It is so with vs who sometimes of a sudden would soare verie high and as a birde would flie swiftly vp to heauen but our wings and feathers so spread the groūd as whensoeuer we fall downe to it againe as commonlie we doe being earthly minded we rise no more vp vnlesse that God himselfe erecteth vs by his spirit As Rachels cattell could not drinke of the water of the brooke before Iacob had rolled away the stone that couered it Gen. 29 so there is a stone which laieth ouer our hearts which vnlesse God first remoueth we can not drink of the waters of repentance For it is God only that mollifieth my heart and taketh away this stone as the iust man Iob saith Iob. ●3 The Prophet admiring the power of god who with water forced out of a stonie rocke satisfied his people exclaimeth in this wise Which turned the hard rock into a standing water and the flint stone into a springing well may not wee likewise admire the Lords power and celebrate his praise who of his goodnes striketh the stonie hearts of sinners and forceth out of them the water of repētance Psal 114 A similit●●● There are sundrie locks which are so made as they easily may be locked without keyes but they cannot againe be open without keyes We may locke and shut out our selues from the kingdome of heauen but without him that hath the keyes of Dauid to open when no man can shutte and shut when no man can open wee can not open the doore of this kingdome Turne me O Lord saith the Prophet Ieremie and I shall be turned Th●●r 2 5 We of our selues doe turne from God and do not turne vnto him vnlesse God himselfe doth turne vs. Wee are without God as Samson without eyes and remaine in the blindnesse and ignorance of our sinne It is God who openeth our eyes and our hearts deliuereth vs from our sinnes our spirituall enemies God saw the prodigall sonne a farre off and this immediatelie brought him nigh vnto him as hee seeth vs sinners when wee are yet farre from him and thinke of any thing rather then of him And this is that which moueth our affections reconcileth vs again vnto him A similitude The Sunne is of that forcible nature and power that it pearceth the verie heart of the earth it engendreth gold and diuers other mettals in the bowels thereof so the reflexion of the Sun beames of Gods grace so radiantlie and forciblie worketh in mens harts as it bringeth forth the golde of faith out of them and diuerse other good effects and motions of the spirit Dauid extolling the power of God who rebuking the red sea made the waters of it stand vpon an heape and made the waters of Iordan start aside for the people to go through thus wondreth at it saying What aileth thee O thou sea that thou fledst ●●al 114 thou Iordan that thou wert driuen backe But I ceasing not to wonder at this mans turning backe I expostulate the case thus What ayleth thee O thou sinner that thou fleest and thou runnagate prodigall sonne that thou turnest backe Wee cannot sufficientlie wonder at Gods grace who made this vncleane wretch the doung of the earth and the Clay of the streetes purer and brighter then the starres and Sunne before him Rom. 11. Oh the deepenesse of the riches both of

vppon the earth with the other at one time Dagon cannot stande before the Arke of God wee cannot worship God and the Idoll of this worlde ●uke 10 One thing is necessarie as Christ telleth Martha A similitude If thou grauest with one knife or sewest with one needle thou shalt ridde and dispatch a great deale more worke then thou shouldest if thou wroughtest with two togither for one of them will hinder an other so much riches will hinder thy religion and the further thou goest from the world the neerer thou commest vnto God There be manie Cities and townes corporate which are endowed with customs priuiledges differing from others yet are they not so contrarie but one may haue the freedome of diuerse of them at once But Babylon and Hierusalem heauen and earth God and Mammon are at such mortall and deadlie foade togither as they may not be matched and combined togither We cannot be a free Denison in heauen aboue and be a bond seruant to this wicked world beneath There can be no fellowship betweene righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse Co● 6 no societie with light and darkenes no vnitie and agreement with God and Beliall We cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord 1. Cor. 10 and of the table of Diuels We read in h●lie scriptures how the Samaritanes would haue confounded these extremities and mangled Gods religion 2. King 17 and mingled therewithall their idolatrous superstitions Naaman the Syrian was such a kinde of fellowe hee was content to offer incense 2. King 5 and sacrifice to God but with it hee woulde keepe still the fauour of his Prince and the credite of his place he woulde repaire betweene times with his maister into the house of Rimmon Nicodemus was willing to be a professor Iohn 3 and to becom Christs disciple but he would not come by day but by stealth in the night for feare of the Iewes of the losse of his authoritie and good estate in this world The gallaunt young Gentleman Matth. 19 that shewed so much zeale of the Kingdome of heauen as if hee had meaned presentlie to haue gone thither woulde not depart with his worldlie possessions for the purchase of that kingdome Hee was of that mind to haue heauen and the world or to haue no heauen at all But this could not bee Matth. 6 for they are two imperious and contrarie maisters whom no man can serue togither at one time As the people of Israel neuer had Manna Exod. 16 and the flesh pottes of Egypt at one tyme so is it not permitted vs to taste at one time of the delightes of heauen and the pleasures of the worlde for the loue of the one breedeth the loathsomnesse of the other As the stomacke if it be distempered with rawe humours it cannot rellish well sauourie meate A similitude so our soules o●●rburdened with worldlie grosse affections we cannot ta●e of heauenly consolations Exod ● When as Pharaoh gaue commaundement to the Hebrew people to offer sacrifice to their god in Egypt Mos●s made answere that it could not so b● Shall we saith he offer vnto God the abhominations of the Egyptians Iohn 2 When Iesus entred into the Temple of Hierusalem and chased out the prophane Marchants and copesmates from thence hee did by that example not obscurely teach vs that there is no roome for such in the Church whose godlines is their gaine who trade themselues wholie to the affaires of this worlde Inasmuch therefore as this mans prosperitie puft him vp with pride and drew his heart farre from his due obedience to his gracious father let vs that stand take heed least we fall and greatly stande in feare that when the worlde fauoureth vs the diuell will most tempt vs and estrange our hearts from the seruice of God Let vs not therefore f●● the loue of out earthlie and worldly portion f●●s●ke our heauenlie father who is a better portion H s house is little Zoar ●●n 19. the citie of refuge vnto which Lot fled and was pres●●ted when Sodome was destroyed In his house are many dwellings his house is made of golde and his gates of precious stones If we abide there we shall haue riches at our desire For riches and plentiousnesse is in his house and at his righ hande are aboundant pleasures for euermore When as Gorgias came in battell against Iudas 1. Mat. 4 and Iudas made his solemne oration to the Iewes that were in the camp among other things which he charged them hee peremptorily commaunded them that they should not be too greedie of the spoile of their enemies but should stande to it like men and first fight manfully ouercome the enemie there would be time afterward inough and inough to diuide the pray among them so forasmuch as our life is a warfare Ephes 6 and we fight not only against flesh and blood but against principalities against worldly powers against spiritual wickednes which is in high places let vs not too couetously seeke worldly wealth Let vs first gird vs with our swords vpon our thighes and march against our enemies the world the flesh the diuel let vs first kill them who seeke to kill vs and after the victorie and conquest is ours we shall all of vs in heauē with ioy and gladnes diuide the spoyle among vs. The eight Chapter Of the waste which the prodigall sonne made of his portion Vnder which how transitorie worldly ryches are euidently is declared THe holie Prophet well perceiuing the bias of the world how fondly it is fixed vpon imaginarie pleasures momentanie delights thus grauely vehementlie reprooueth their foolishnes O ye sons of men ●sal 4 how long wil ye blaspheme mine honor and haue such pleasure in vanitie and seeke after leasing He accounteth worldly pleasures but vanitie and leasing because they promise vs ioy and do giue vs sorow they promise vs continuance and dissemble like hypocrites and suddenly do forsake vs. This is plainly seene in the hystorie of this man for be rufled not long in his iollitie and excesse but he suddenlie did sinke and from a great flood came to a low ebbe his part was soone plaied and like to a game-player hee departed from the stage to put off his vesture For the text sheweth howe not long after as he parted from his father so he departed from his fathers substance In him is fulfilled the saying of the Psalmist Psal 37 I my selfe haue seene the vngodlie in great power and flourishing like a greene Bay tree and I went by and hoe he was gone I sought him but his place could no where be found The regard therefore of this so mutable and transitorie a condition of this present worlde is argument inough if there were no other reason to weane our soules from the loue thereof to the onely loue of God A similitude The world doth serue vs as the hangman doth