Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	according_a	holy_a	truth_n	2,392	5	5.1254	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57739	The blessedness of departed saints in their immediate enjoyment of God in glorie Propounded and improved in a funeral-sermon, upon Revel. 14.13. March 3. 1651. By Joseph Rowe, minister of the Gospel, and pastor of Buckland-monachorum in Devon.	Rowe, Joseph, b. 1617 or 18.	1654 (1654)	Wing R2067A; ESTC R218416	20,652	33

heaven Although the body of this Saint had not a pompous funeral as the rich mans had yet his soul was attended by the glorious Angels and by them instantly conveyed to the glory of heaven represented under these tropical expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Rom 4.11 Abrahams bosom This happiness is represented by the bosom of Abraham rather than of any other Saint because he is the * Peter Matt. in 2. reg 2. Father of all those that believe and the head as it were of all those men whom God takes into covenant with himself The phrase is borrowed either from * Cameron Mytoth in locum Marriners who carry their ships out of the tempestuous Waves into the good harbour or quiet bosom of the sea or from the * Capel Spicil in ocum custom of the Eastern Nations who at their banquets use to lean on lie in each others bosom or rather From the practise of tender parents hugging and imbracing their little ones into their bosoms Even so the souls of the Saints immediately upon death are carried by the Angels who are Gods Pilots from the troublesom sea of this world to rest and safety in the harbour of heaven and to sit down as at a banquet with Abraham and other believers in that glorious place where they shall be honoured not onely with the fellowship and imbraces of the Saints but of God himself their tender Father in whose * Psal 16.11 presence there is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for ever more Thus was it with Lazarus and thus shall it be with all the Saints the ending of this life will be to them the beginning of happiness in the next When their faith ends as it doth when this life ends then shall they receive the salvation of their souls 1 Pet. 1.9 There is a passage in the 12 of Eccles 7. fully declaring the condition of souls in and after death and I hope I may without A rigid censure place it under this Topick place The words are these Then meaning the time of death shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it As certainly as the dust that is the body goeth down to the dust so certainly the spirit that is the soul goeth up unto God to be judged and to receive Either of his justice in a sentence of immediate condemnation or of his mercy in an instantly beginning and everlasting salvation The soul without delay upon its separation from the body repairs to God to receive according to her demerits either chains and torments in hell the prison of disobedient spirits or frcedom and blessedness in heaven the mansion of glory And this is the first Scripture Argument Secondly the truth of the former Doctrine may be demonstrated The second Argument of Scripture to prove the former Doctrine from such Text of holy Writ as hold forth the knowledge and faith of Gods people in and about their immediate happiness after death and their desires to depart hence that so they may be with Christ in happiness and glory We may read the knowledge and faith of the Saints about this truth in that excellent portion of Scripture 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands evenal in the heavens In this verse our * Calvinus in locum body is compared to a tent or tabernacle the glory of heaven to an eternal house When the soul is called away from sojourning in the tabernacle of the body she instanly goeth to dwel in that eternal house of glory above This the Apostle and other of the Lords people knew and believingly received as an undoubted truth And upon this account is it that death hath been so earnestly desired by them I have a desire said S. Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is farr better Phil. 1.23 Yea this is the defire of all the Saints 2 Cor. 5.8 We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. The souls of the Saints straightway upon death enter into the society and fellowship of Christ in glory Assoon as they depart hence they go to Christ and are present with him instantly upon their absence from the body Now the knowledge and faith of the Lords people concerning this was it that made them so desirous of death Did their souls die or sleep or pass through the penances of Purgatory before they went up to heaven death were not so desirable as the Saints guided by the unerring spirit know it to be neither yet should they be with Christ upon death which they fully know and firmly believed but in an estate of further distance from Christ then whilst they were here upon earth which is expresly contradictory to the word of Truth The last Scripture-Argument The third Scripture-Argument for probation of the Ductrine I shall urge for confirmation of the former Truth is deduced from Scriptures representing promises from God to the Saints of immediate entrance into glory upon their respective dissolutions and the prayers of dying Saints that God would according To his promise receive up their souls to himself in glory We may see these promises in the following quotations The first is Esay 57.2 He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightness In these words we have a gracious promise made out to all those that walk uprightly before God that upon their deaths they shall enter into peace and rest in their beds These expressions He shall enter into peace import and hold forth that happiness which upon death shall be bestowed upon the souls of the upright in their immediare enjoyment of God in glory the last clause they shall rest in their beds sheweth that as the * Synod Annot. in locum souls of the Saints go unto a place of rest bliss so their bodies are laid to rest in the grave as in a bed or bed-chamber until the generall resurection The other quotation is Luke 23.43 To day said Christ to the penitent thief thou shalt be with me in paradise That is this very day in thy soul thou shalt be with me in Paradise Christ means not the earthly Paradise for that is supposed destroyed by the flood neither can the soul which is spiritual be affected with earthly delights but the caelestial Paradise which is no other than heaven as is plain by 2 Cor. 12.2 4. verses The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Paser lex Graecolat signifieth a most pleasant garden set forth with fruitfull trees of all sorts And by a * Diodati in 23 Luke 43. figure taken from the garden where Adam was put when he was in the state of innocency is here used as elsewhere in *

directed by her train and as the course of a ship is steered by the belm so to use a common and familiar comparison is the life of Christians rightly ordered by a dayly consideration of their latter end It is reported in Histories of Philostates that he lived seven years in his Tomb that so he might be throughly acquainted with it The all-wise God Deut. 32.29 commends the serious contemplation of our latter end as an act of spiritual wisdom Oh that they were wise that they understood this That they would consider their latter end Thus of the first dutie I can but hint at the following duties The next of which is Dutie 2. A carefull using of religious kindred and acquaintance to the best advantage They shall not alway remain with you in this earth while you enjoy their company improve it to the utmost Religious and godly persons are as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 While we enjoy this light it is our dutie to work by it The light of their company and counsel will shine upon us but a while Therefore as our Saviour adviseth in reference to himself and Gospel John 12.35 While we have the light we should walk in it Godly persons are but lent us for a time Oh let us receive what good we may from them before the Lord call them hence to himself by death It will be the condemnation of many wicked ones that they have godly friends and make no good use of them The last dutie commended to the Saints from the former Doctrine is Cheerfulness and resolution under the assaults of death the King of fears Dwy 3. When we are to encounter with death let us consider we are to do no other than what the Saints have undergone before us Abraham Isaac and Jacob yea all the holy men and women that trusted in God our Saviour himself not excepted have encountered with this enemie We should methinks boldly look death in the face sith so many of Gods Worthies have skirmished with it and so made way to themselves for an immediate passage unto glory And this bring me to the last and principal Point of the Text. True believers Doctr. 2. immediately upon death are called unto and crowned with blessedness in the kingdom of glorie The Saints instantly upon their leaving of the earth go to live with God in heaven Though they are not fully glorious or so gloriously happy as they shall be when both bodie soul shall shine with glorie yet immediatly upon their respective deaths they enter into glory and have such a measure of it given forth to their souls as they in that condition are capable to receive There is much in Scripture for the confirmation of this truth I shall refer the quotations to and draw them from several Topick places And so The Doctrine may be confirmed First from Scriptures declaring the immediate reception of departed Saints into the kingdome of glorie 1. Argument of Scripture to prove the Doctrine It is said of faithfull Abraham Gen. 25.8 That he gave up the ghost and died and was gathered to his people As soon as he was dead he was gathered to his people This is spoken not in regard of his bodie he being buried where few or none of his Countrevmen and kindred lay interred but in regard of his soul and the phrase intimates that his soul straightway upon its coming forth of the bodie was carried to that place of happiness where his pious countrey-men and predecessors were before him And this place is no other than heaven which is the congregation-house for the receiving of the spirits of just men made perfect We find this also affirmed of Isaac that he died and was gathered to his people Gen. 35.29 The same is said of Jacob. Gen. 49.33 He gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost and was gathered to his people The meaning of these expressions is that as soon as these holy men died their souls went to the mansions of eternal felicitie and to the companie of glorified Saints in heaven So much may evidently be concluded from the now recited texts compared with Matth. 8.11 where our Saviour saith that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven Taking it for granted that these Patriarchs were alreadie in heaven And to remove all scruples this Christ spake long before his death and ascension into heaven by which as Popish sophisters imagin he opened these everlasting doors and made enterance for his Saints who were before shut out The Scriptures upon which they build thi●● idle fancie are wrested and misapplied These words of Heb. 9.8 The way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing are grosely mistaken For 't is not said as one well observes that the way to the holiest was closed D. in Heb. 9.8 or shut up but that which is affirmed is that the way to the holiest which is heaven was not yet manifest while the first tabernacle was standing that is was not so clearly revealed as it was afterward by the light of the Gospel That of S. John 3.13 makes nothing for it The place cannot be interpreted so as if no man ascended heaven before Christs ascension the foregoing allegation from S. Matthews Gospel and many other Scriptures plainly contradict it We are therefore to unsterstand that verse not in a literal but in a spiritual and figurative sence Calvin in locum By ascending up to heaven is meant a pure knowledge and a spiritual light of understanding in and about the mysteries of God To ascend heaven here is with an understanding eye Piscator ad locum to prie into the mysteries of heaven and to be admitted as privie to the counsels of God Another wrested Scripture Heb. 11.39 These All having received a good report through faith received not the promise From hence it is by some inferred that these worthies went not to heave when they died To this we say that the present place speaks not of the * Cameron in locum condition of these Saints after death but of somewhat concerning them before and at the time of their death They died and received not the promise that is the great promise Christ incarnate and the happy and gloriousestate of the Church under him They had Christ onely in promise dying ere they received a real exhibition of this promise They died in expectancy of Christ to come whom we now enjoy in life and death as come Thus you see notwithstanding these cavils the Patriarchs upon their deaths forthwith entered into glory So did the poor Lazar also He died and forthwith upon his death the Angels carried him into Abrahams bosom Luke 16.22 That is to the happy society and fellowship of Abraham and other * Pescator Diod ati in Lib. 16.22 believers in the Kingdom of