Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	abraham_n	faith_n	promise_n	2,324	5	7.4790	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91900	The saints longings after their heavenly country. A sermon preached at St. Pauls church on Tuesday the sixth of June; 1654. At a solemn anniversary meeting of the Cheshire Gentlemen, and freemen of the City of London, born in the same county. / By that faithful and painfull servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Ralph Robinson late minister of Mary Wolnoth London.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1655 (1655)	Wing R1712; Thomason E848_3; ESTC R207320	21,164	43

word of God Reason can see no reason why any thing much less such a glorious Fabrick should be produced out of nothing but faith beleeves that the world with all things therein contained were made at first out of no pre-existent matter by the powerful creating word of God Thus the Apostle amplifies the Argument in hand by describing the nature of faith He doth it Secondly by illustrating the grace of faith from the examples of the beleevers of the Old Testament These are either such as lived before the Flood as Abel Enoch Noah of whose faith he speaks fully vers 4 5 6 7. Or they are such as lived after the Flood in the several Ages of the world of whom he makes largely mention what glorious undertakings their faith carryed them through from vers 7. to the end of the Chapter The Text falls under the description of the faith of the renowned Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Abrahams faith is commended by two eminent acts of it First By his readiness to forsake his native Country upon a divine Command By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an Inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went vers 8. A call from heaven will make a beleever do any thing though it seem never so irrational never so self-destructive Faith hath feet to walk after God it hath no heart to dispute against God or against any of his Commands Though Abraham knew not whither he went yet he knew whom he followed though the Traveller was ignorant yet he did beleeve he had a skilful Guide The wise God can neither mis-lead nor mis-place any of his Children Secondly The faith of Abraham is commended by his so journing in the land of Promise as in a strange Country vers 9. And in this act did Isaac and Jacob concur with him By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange Country dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise The holy patterns of Parents are very prevalent to perswade their children It was much that a man should be contented to leave a certainty for an uncertainty but it was exceeding much that when he came to the place which was promised he should not live in a fixed habitation but in moveable Tabernacles It is a high and noble act of faith to get the affections unglued from the things of the world Nothing but victorious Faith can obtain victory over the world The reason of that loosness of heart which was in these holy Patriarchs from the land of Canaan was the certain perswasion they had of a better Canaan Their faith did not rest in the land of Promise as if the possession of that could make them happy they looked higher namely to the Celestial Canaan of which they knew the Terrestrial was but a Type They looked for a City that hath foundations whose maker and builder is God v. 10. They expected another dwelling they had another place in their eye and therefore sat so loose from the place of their present abode This Country must either be their own earthly Country or some other It was not their own Country for saith the Apostle If they had been mindful of that Country from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned vers 15. Therefore of necessity it must be some other Country if they looked after another Country it was either an earthly or an heavenly not an earthly for no earthly Country would recompence the loss of their own And therefore he concludes that it was a heavenly Country which they reached after But now they desire a better Country that is an heavenly I shall first open the words and then lay down the points which they do afford us But now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This phrase doth not here signifie time but hath the force of an illative conjunction T is as much as atqui igitur as Beza observes well upon the place They did not seek an earthly therefore an heavenly Country We meet with the same expression 1 Cor. 15. 20. But now Christ is risen from the dead thatis therefore is Christ risen So in this place But now they desire that is therefore they desire from whence saith Estius it appears how weakly they argue who would from this Text prove that the holy Patriarchs do not yet injoy the vision of God but are still in expectation of it This phrase speaks nothing at all of time They desi●e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies not a cold faint frigid with but a strong vehement earnest desire such a desire as a covetous man hath after his Mammon The love of mony is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith 1 Tim. 6. 10. T is the very same word which is here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Never did a hungry Earth-worm thirst after silver and gold more than these holy Patriarchs did now thirst after heaven they had burning flaming affections their souls were in a fervent heat after this Celestial Object A better Country This word Country is not in the original Text but is necessarily to be supplied for the Apostle speaks of a Country vers 14. The nature of this Country the Text tells us namely an heavenly It is called a Country in opposition to that moveable unsetled estate which they had in Canaan there they lived in Tabernacles but they were in expectation of a place where they should have a fixed abode This he calls an heavenly Country The Text consists of three general parts First The notion by which heaven is described T is a Country Secondly The nature or quality of this Country T is an heavenly Country Thirdly The beleevers affection this heavenly Country he desires it very earnestly These three afford us a threefold Observation First That heaven is a beleevers Country Secondly That this heavenly Country is the best Country Thirdly That true beleevers have vehement and strong desires within them after this heavenly and better Country Doct. 1. That Heaven is a beleevers Country A wicked mans Country is here below here he lives and here he desires to live An unbeleever is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Socrates called himself he is a Citizen of the world terrae filius a son of earth He is one that minds only earthly things His delights his contentments his happiness are in this life Psal 17. 14. And if he might have security that he should alwayes continue here he would never desire any other place of abode Give him Paris and let who will injoy Paradice But the true beleever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2. 19. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Citizen of heaven a free Denizen of that Country where Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God Beleevers do disclaim and disown

declaim very bitterly against devourings and spoilings There were Kine of Bashan seeding in the mountain of Samaria which did nothing but oppress the poor and crush the needy Amos 4. 1. The Prophet complains of Jerusalem the City of God that she was wholly oppression in the midst of her Violence and spoil was heard in her Grief and wounds were continually in the sight of God Jerem. 6. 6 7. Scarce is there a Kingdom in the World so well governed but oppressive Acts may be found in it The Ass of the Fatherless is driven away and the Widows Ox taken for a pledg the naked are made to lodge without cloathing and to be without a covering in the cold The fatherless are plucked from the Brest and the sheaf is taken from the hungry Oh that many such unrighteous actings were not to be found in our own Land Well however it be on earth most certain it is That in this heavenly Country there is none of this work If a man travel from one end of Heaven to another he shall hear no complaining in the streets of it there is no crying Widows no sighing of the Fatherless by reason of violence and oppression there are no Plunderers no Exactors to be found in and oppression there are no Plunderers no Exactors to be found in all this land of righteousness Judgement doth here run down like waters and Righteousness as a mighty stream That is a very glorious promise which is made to the Church Isa 60. 18. Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders This promise shall perfectly be fulfilled in Heaven there shall neither be wasting nor destruction to all eternity There is no unrighteous person in Heaven as hath been shewed before and where there are no unrighteous men there cannot be any unrighteous acts Fourthly There is neither sickness nor weakness in this Country In all earthly Kingdoms there are diseases and sicknesses of several sorts the whole world indeed by reason of sin is but a Lazaretto a great Hospital of sickly creatures Though the Climate be never so temperature the Air never so pure yet cannot weakness and pains be kept out of any wordly Kingdom or Family Tombs and Sepulchres are to be found in every Country which is an argument that diseases and dyings have been and still are there A man can hardly peep into a Family but he shall see some Emblem of mortality In all Kingdoms men eat and drink and where there is eating and drinking there will bee dying In the state of Innocency man should have eaten and lived but now they eat and die But now Heaven is a healthy Country The Angels of God that have lived there ever since their Creation have never yet felt head-ach or pain And the bodies of the Saints that shall spend their eternity there after the Resurrection shall not feel one moments sickness They shall bunger no more nor thirst no more neither shall the Sun light on them nor any heat but God shall wipe away all tears from their eies Rev. 7. 16 17. Plagues Feavers Coughs Consumptions Stone Gout Head-ach and other diseases are things unheard of in this heavenly Country This is good news for sickly Saints You that have lain bed-rid on earth you that have had the Cottage of the body often set on fire by burning Feavers you that have seen the pillars of your earthly house decaying by lingring Consumptions you that have felt the tormenting pains of Ulcers of Stone and other grief creating distempers if you can but get within the bounds of this heavenly Countrie you shall never feel any such afflictions You shall for ever have perfect health both of bodie and mind without the least distemper One blast of that pure Air which comes from the spicie mountains will Antidote the craziest bodie against Diseases and put it into a state of undecaying health Fifthly It is a Land in which there is perfect peace and quietness The Kingdoms of this world are full of strife and contention The servants of God though they are a meek and peaceable people desiring to follow peace with all men yet they cannot injoy peace Woe is me faith David that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwel in the Tents of Kedar my soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace I am for peace but when I speak they are for War Psa 120. 5 6 7. The Nations of the world are full of tearings tumults seditions emulations variances and strifes but now in Heaven there is none of these briars and thorns there is neither maligning nor undermining nor envying one another but perfect Amity and perfect Charity amongst all the Inhabitants thereof All those sinful distempers which occasion strife on earth are banished out of Heaven Pride is one of the mothers of Variance Onely by pride commeth contention Prov. 13. 10. In Heaven there is no Pride and therefore no Contention Whispering and Tale-bearing is another root of discord Where there is no tale-bearer the strife ceaseth Prov. 26. 20. There is not one of these kindle-coals in Heaven and therefore no discord Difference of judgement is another cause of variance In heaven all the Inhabitants are of one mind and therefore no disagreement The Apostle tels us that wars and fightings amongst men arise from those lusts that war in their members Jam. 4. 1. In Heaven all these lusts are perfectly mortified All the dwellers in this Country are such as seek one anothers good as well as their own There is no growing one upon another no incroaching one upon another within the Bounds of this Country Consider it In Heaven there is perfection of Love in the Saints to God and to one another Every Saint sees the Image of God clearly not onely in himself but in every other Saint which is a strong Load-stone to draw out the Affections And besides all those imperfections blemishes spots which were in the Children of God whilst they had their abode on earth which rendered them less lovely to one another are now removed The bodie ariseth out of the grave as free from sin renders Saints very lovely one to another and because there is perfect love there must of necessity be perfect agreement Heaven is a place of peace there shall never be jarring or contending to all eternity which gives it the preheminence over all earthly Countries Sixthly It is a Land wealth and plenty Here is the best provision bread of life and water of life The meat that indures to eternal life Joh. 6. 27. Here is mountains of Spices how pleasant how plentifull is this Country A Martyr wrote to his friend a little before his death That he was going to that Country where Gold and Silver bore no price And well may it be thus said of Heaven which is the City whose streets is of pure Gold Rev. 21. 21. The Uses are these First With what eyes do they look on Heaven that prefer their