Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	add_v	place_n	zion_n	17	3	8.7286	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86450	The valley of vision, or A clear sight of sundry sacred truths. Delivered in twenty-one sermons; by that learned and reverend divine, Richard Holsvvorth, Dr. in Divinity, sometimes Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Master of Emanuel Colledge, and late preacher at Peters Poore in London. The particular titles and texts are set downe in the next leafe.	Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649.; Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649. Peoples happinesse.	1651 (1651)	Wing H2404; Thomason E631_1; ESTC R202438	355,440	597

companie blessed the wombe that bare him Lek 11.28 he presently replies Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it In like manner the Prophet David having first premised the inferiour part and outside of an happy condition fearing lest any should of purpose mistake his meaning and hearing the first proposition should either there set up their rest and not at all take in the second or if take it in yet do it preposterously and give it the precedence before the second according to the worlds order virtus post nummos In this respect he puts in the clause of revocation whereby he shews that these outward things though named first yet they are not to be reputed first The particle Yea removes them to the second place it tacitly transposeth the order and the path of piety which was locally after it placeth virtually before 'T is as if he had said Did I call them happy who are in such a case Nay miserable are they if they be onely in such a case The temporall part cannot make them so without the spirituall Admit the windows of the visible heaven were opened and all outward blessings powred down upon us admit we did perfectly enjoy whatsoever the vastnesse of the earth contains in it tell me What will it profit to gain all and to lose God If the earth be bestowed upon us and not heaven or the materiall heaven be opened and not the beatificall or the whole world made ours and God not ours we do not arrive at happinesse All that is in the first proposition is nothing unlesse this be added Yea happy are the people which have the LORD for their God You see in this part there is aliquid quod eminet something which is transcendent Therefore I will enquire into two particulars see both what it is that transcends and what is the manner of propounding of it The manner of propounding it is as I said corrective or by way of revocation the summe whereof is thus much That temporalls without spiritualls in what aboundance soever we possesse them cannot make us truly happy They cannot make happy because they cannot make good They may denominate a man to be rich or great or honourable but not to be virtuous Nay Seneca carrieth it a little further Non modò non faciunt bonum fed nec divitem They are so farre from making a man good that they make him not truly rich because they encrease desire and riches consist in contentation Not he that hath little but he that desires more is poor nor he that hath much but he that wants nothing is rich Yea and we may go further then Seneca They are so farre from making good that they often make evill if they be not sanctified they possesse the heart with vile affections fill it full of carnall and sinfull desires Wheras there are foure good mothers which bring forth ill daughters prosperitie is one Truth begets hatred securitie danger familiaritie contempt prosperitie pride and forgetfulnesse of God In this I might well make a stop but there is one degree more They are so farre from making good that they do not bring good but many evils and inconveniences They bring not the good of contentment but infinite distractions they are aureae compedes as S. Bernard speaks fetters or manicles which entangle the soul that it cannot attend upon better things Nor the good of freedome they do enthrall the soul to that which is worse then it self and it cannot be apprehended how a thing worse then our selves can make us happy Lastly not the good of safetie for they oftentimes expose us to dangers Multos sua felicitas stravit as Gregorie speaks Many men their lives had been longer if their riches had been lesse their happinesse made them miserable consolationes factae sunt desolationes as S. Bernard again Upon these grounds the Psalmist had very good reason to sequester them from true happinesse and by this corrective particle to reduce them to the second place though he set them in the first He knew very well that they are burdens shares impediments to piety as often as furtherances He knew them to be vain and transitory things Prov. 23.5 that we cannot hold They make themselves wings as Solomon speaks They are onely the moveables of happinesse Bractealis felicitas as Seneca 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen What 's that S. Austin seems to translate it felicitas fallax a fabulous and personate felicitie Nay not onely fallax but falsa fictitious spurious deceitfull which leaves the soul empty when it most fills it that being most true which the same Father adds felicitas fallax major infelicitas falsa felicitas vera miseria Therefore that I may shut up this point let this be the use of it We must learn from hence to regulate our judgements according to the wisdome of the Spirit revealed in the word And that we may do if we keep to Gods method and set every thing in the due place where God hath seated it Now the Scripture constantly doth give the inferiour place to these temporall things If to come after be inferiour it sets them there Seek first the kingdome of God c. Matth. 6.33 If to be below be inferiour it placeth them there Set your affection on things above c. Coloss 3.2 Even gold and silver the best of these things they are seated under the feet of men and the whole world under the feet of a Christian Rev. 12.1 to teach us to despise it Lastly if to be on the left hand be inferiour the Scripture reckons them there too they are called the blessings of the left hand to teach us to give them the same place in our affections In one sense we may put them on the right by using them to God's glorie but in love and esteem they must be on the left S. Hierome illustrates it by this similitude As flax when it is on the distaffe it is on the left hand but when it is spunne into yarn and put on the spindle it is on the right so temporall things in themselves when first we receive them they are as flax on the distaffe all this while on the left hand but spinne them forth and use them to God's glorie they are as yarn on the spindle transposed to the right Thus we must learn to order them to the right hand onely for use to the left for valuation Otherwise if we pervert God's order and put them on the right it is to be feared they will set us on the left at the day of judgement if we elevate them above they will keep us below and make us come after if we set them before The highest place they can have is to be seconds to pietie here holy David placeth them though he mentions pietie last yet he giveth it the precedence in this word of revocation Yea happie that is Yea first yea more

any man should be ignorant he doth not reserve the knowledge as long as he doth the thing the thing shall be given then it is promised now in the meane time it is God that hath promised it it is God that gives it That is the first thing that the Apostle implies Then if we look to the manner of the conveyance it is in this word it is by promise it comes to us by deed by good deed good assurance There is no better deed then that that is written by the Finger of God and sealed to us by the blood of Christ The promise depends both upon the merit of Christ and upon the truth of God He lets us see therefore the conveyance in this word that though we cannot yet come to see the glory of the crown in the thing we may see it in the conveyance and promise As he that is the Heire apparent to any great matter but is not come to the possession though he cannot behold the inheritance as his owne with the eye of sence he may with the eye of reason if he cannot read it where it is Scituated he may in his deeds and conveyances It is all that the Saints had to shew for Heaven when they were on Earth they could see Heaven in the promise they could see and read it in the conveyance Abraham did see Christs day and he that sees Christs day of his first appearing by faith can see his second appearing The Apostle tells us Heb. 11. of all the Saints in the Old Testament though they inherited not the possession of the promises they saw them a far off in the tenure of the promises God deales with us as he did with Moses because he would not bring him to the Land of Canaan he carries him to the Mount and shews it him there he shews it in a Vision in the Vision and glasse of the promises before he translates us he shews us what Heaven is Indeed when we come to Heaven there we shall see from the Mount of Vision but here we may look from the Valley of Vision that we may know what the conveyance is whence it comes the Apostle adds this word The Crowne of life the Crowne promised Yet he tells us not where it is promised nor in what place of Scripture The Apostles were full of quotations yet sometimes they did forbeare them too It had been but an easie labour but yet it was needlesse being a promise of a thing so precious as indeed all the promises are precious promises as the Apostle speaks being a promise so precious he supposed that every man that was conversant in the word of God would be sure to treasure up these Scriptures of all Scripture promises and of all promises those that concerne Heaven are most precious A man that accounts the Book of God a Jewell the most precious of all the Jewells are these promises that concerne Heaven He supposed that every man would pluck these and treasure and lay them up in the Store-house of his heart that he may pick comfort from them in the time of need he names them not therefore that every man might get these It was needlesse in another respect too there is hardly any Booke in the whole Bible in which there are not promises of ●alvation It is the sum of both Testaments there are promises of the Crowne of life every where In the Psalmes oft times With thee is the Well of life In thy presence is fullnesse of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore When I awake I shall behold thy face in righteousnes You have it in the Book of the Proverbs oft repeated Length of dayes are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory You have it in the Prophets oft Those that are just shall shine as the stars of the Firmament in glory It dropt oft from the mouth of Christ and oft from the mouths and pens of the Apostles What need was there to point out any place where the promise was made when it is made in every place A man cannot open the Bible almost but he shall hit on it God would plant this foundation of faith in every part any man that is not conversant in reading the whole let him cast his eye on any part he shall meet with this there are frequent iterations of it it was renewed daily being the grand promise of the rest it was fit it should have many repetitions and many renovations There was no way it could be conveyed to us by any assurance but by promise even the least blessings there is no blessing that we look for in act but it is conveyed by promise If it be comfort to a distressed man that is oft repeated Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you If it be the promise of support and strength in sicknesse that is repeated He shall make all his bed in his sicknesse What say I more If there be promises of lesse blessings there must needs be of the greatest that that comprehends all in it the promise of glory the Crowne of life it is the course that God observes in Scripture he gives all by promise he gives it twice because he would be sure to give Heaven to us he gives Heaven in the PROMISE that is Heaven in hope and then in act that is in possession and fruition There is a great deale of reason if we look on our selves or on God First look on God it was fit he should give it by promise Partly for the better testification of his truth that he might appeare to be Deus verax a God of his word The truth of God could not appeare unlesse there were a word to make good and fullfill his gift and that could not be but by promise this glorious Attribute would fall to the ground but for that there might be some suppositions of him to be a God of infinit goodnesse and purity but we had not had experience of it but by promise And then for the demonstration of his wisdome that he would not give Heaven without advise and deliberation and not as we give rashly He took counsell the gift of glory is a work of counsell a work of counsell in the first ordaining Ephes 1. We are predestinate according to the Counsell and purpose of his will God doth all advisedly as he begins with counsell so he carries it along with counsell there is no better testimony of his wisdome then to give it first by promise he disposeth it by degrees that he may appeare to be a wise God he gives it by deliberation and therefore by promise Lastly for the better demonstration of his goodnesse that he might appeare to be Deus bonus Promise is a kind of debt he that gives a promise makes himselfe a Debtor Whereas we are all Debtors to God debtors to his justice in regard of our sins debtors to his love for

we grow and a great deale of need because of these pitches that are set us Then it is not onely a necessary but an honourable thing It is observed of the Ancients for corporall stature and it is a good Opinion of them Homer alway brought in his Heroes his worthies he presented them in tall high stature Hector and Vlisses and Agamemnon these that were Prin●es men of renoune he made them come in tall stature Plinie sayth that tall stature used to be a portment fit for Princes Therefore Augustus is commended for that and Cornelius for the same and Procopius concerning Beresebius And the Scripture gives the same commendation of Joseph Gen. 39. Joseph was a goodly person And Saul was higher then all the people from the Shoulders upward And Herodotus observes that the Ethiopians use to choose their Kings of the highest stature And in Plutarch it is observed that the Lacedemonians set a Mulct upon one because he had married a little wife because they thought it would be a disparagement of the Princes that should be brought forth If they had so good respect to the stature of the outward man how goodly is it to be so spiritually to God For corporall stature sometimes is not an Ornament for if the mind be not answerable it is rather a disgrace and it may be beyond those proportions that are required in Decency of stature But we cannot exceed in the spirituall no measure can exceed Therefore if it be a thing so honourable and so lovely with men and of God he that is so comes neare the similitude of Christ and of God and is nearest the state of Tryumphants and most out of the millitant state he is most in Heaven and hath most of God in him Then I will shut up this point with the Exhortation of St. Jerome in one of his Epistles that we all take care as we grow in dayes and yeares so to grow in the knowledge of God in grace and virtue in the strength of virtue that it may be said of us as Paul saith of the Thessalonians that their faith did grow exceedingly and their love one towards another abounded That is to grow from strength to strength I have done with that There is a peice behind another generall part almost halfe the Text but it will not now beare a generall handling It is the rest of all it takes away the objection From strength to strength but when shall we rest When we appeare before God in Zion There is the time of remuneration and rest There are three passages remarkable I will but mention them The glorious place Zion And a glorious presence there They appeare before God in Zion And then Every one of them appeare I will but touch them breifly for there is a double signification of all these three First Zion hath a double signification in Scripture There is Zion in the Mount There is Zion in the Valley Though the low Zion be called Mount Zion in Scripture it is but a Valley to Heaven but there is spirituall Zion that is misticall that in the proper ordinary acception signifies the House of God below but in a more sublime acception the Church of God above the place of bliss The Lamb upon Mount Zion Revel 14. Heb. 12. We are come to an innumerable company of Angels to the Church of the first borne in Heaven to Mount Zion Mount Zion is taken for Heaven it selfe Then answerable to these two acceptions of Zion there is a double appearing before God mentioned The appearing before God in glory And the appearing in the Courts of his presence in the House of his worship below The appearing before God in the Mount of Vision when we shall see Face to face when we shall see as we are seene and know as we are knowne And the appearing before God in the Valley of Vision the Valley of tears the Church below That so oft as we present holy performances more especially when we come into his Courts and enter into the Gates of his presence The Church of God is the Chamber of his presence there we make our appearing St. Paul tells us of our appearing before God in the Mount of vision above not onely in that place We shall all apeare before the judgement seat of Christ but in Collos 3. When Christ who is our life shall appeare we shall appeare with him in glory The fruition of glory is called our appearing before God in glory Of the other David speaks when he complaines O when shall I come and appeare before God! It is the Speech of an Exile David was a banished man from the House of God he had not free accesse to repaire thither therefore that made his great complaint When shall I appeare That is when shall I enter into thy presence and tread in thy ●ourts It is worthy our consideration that we come to the Church especially to appeare before God we should take this consideration to make us come with reverence and preparednesse because we come into a glorious presence It should make us take heed how we behave our selves here in these places of Divine service because we are in the presence of God If we be conv●rsant in Prayer we appeare in a speciall manner before God fall low before his Foot-stoole If we heare the word of God we appeare before his presence When we come to heare the word read or Preached we are at the foot of the Mount as the People received the Law When we repaire to the Table of the Lord we come in a speciall manner into Gods presence we appeare before him because Christ is present there he gives himselfe for food and God is present for he accepts us in Christ Therefore if we so fit our selves to come into the presence of a man that is better then our selves that we may come with sobriety and acceptation how should we fit our selves to come before God in these inferiour places of our appearing It is true we are alway present to him and he to us but his eye though it be alwayes upon us ours is not alwayes upon him but then our eyes are directed to him when we come into his Courts it is called therefore appearing before God Lastly there is the illation that knits both together in those two words Every one That is then every one There is one word that is a word of connexion and Then what time Then when we are growne to stature when we have gotten from one degree of strength to another We must not offer to come into Gods presence unlesse we bring the Wedding Garment some stature this cloathing of Vertue and grace When we come to appeare before him there will be an account taken of each mans strength how he hath profitted by each of these severall Ordinances of grace God will look that we give account of our proficiency by all the meanes of Salvation When we come to the House of God and to

hoped then to have made an end of these Meditations Then I considered that as I began this Feast with speaking of Mysteries so there could not be a better Subject chosen for the sealing up of the same And this Text that I have chosen now will answer that first Scripture for indeed it is much at one for it shews that the Mysteries of the Gospell are worthy not onely of the study of Apostles but of Angells Therefore it is that I have now made choise of this Scripture to be the accomplishment and fullfilling of that first dayes Indeed they were very far fetched however they have a good dependence in this Chapter of Peter yet they might have as good connexion to those words of Paul That I should make knowne the Mysteries of the Gospell sayth St. Paul that is the Text I began with and these words added to that make it full and compleat That I should make knowne the Mysteries of the Gospell which things the Angells desire to looke into It is a Scripture that hath some difficulty in it and will be well worth our study especially since it speaks of Angells and agrees with the solemnity that is past in a better and nearer nature then the former The first Text told us of the Christians Christmas this Text goes further and tells us how it is observed by the Angells themselves That seeing it is the birth of Christ that administers joy to the Angells it is the common theame of both let us now see in these words the common studie and inspection and speculation of both That the incarnation of Christ it was to be the rejoycing of the faithfull our blessed Saviour shews in John 8. Abraham desired to see my day and saw it and rejoyced That it was the common study of the Prophets St. Peter shews it here The Prophets enquired after it that it was the common study of the Apostles St. Paul tells us I desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified that it is the common studie of Saints the same St. Paul saith Ephes 3. That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the height and breadth and length and depth c. Now that it is the common study of Angells St. Peter tells us after that he had mentioned the sufferings of Christ and the glory and the diseent of the Holy Ghost and the Preaching of the Apostles he closeth all up with this honourable conclusion Into these things the Angells desire to looke That I may the better therefore goe on with the resolution and full explication of these words I will reduce all that I am to say of them to these three parts that naturally rise out of the consideration of the words Qui Angeli Quae bona Quis radix desiderij Who are the Angells here spoken of whome the Apostle sayth They desire to looke into the Mysteries of the incarnation What those good things are that they desire to looke into And what is the root of this desire that carries them to this inspection These are the three things I shall consider First Qui Angeli who these Angels are Didimus Alexandrinus in his Commentarie upon this place it seems in his time they interpreted this place of the evill Spirits the evill Angels and Lorinus the Jesuite he goes about to shew so much out of Clemens Alexandrinus that Clemens not onely though I find not the place makes mention of the Interpretation but refutes them Therefore here now there is good occasion given to search well into the first thing to know who these Students are these that are the glorious beholders and Scrutators of this heavenly mystery that are the inspectors here spoken of these good Inquisitors to know what Angells they are Therefore briefly I will reduce it to these Propositions The first Negative that the place cannot possibly be understood of evill Angells of evill Spirits for these two reasons One reason is taken from the name and appellation of Angells Though the name be given sometimes in Scripture to the evill Spirits yet generally when it is applied to them there is some word of addition annexed whereby it may be knowne of whome the Scripture speaks The evill Angells the Angells of Satan the Angell of the bottomlesse Pit the Angells that kept not their first estate the Angells that sinned and the like Or if there be not some such clause of addition yet there is alway some circumstance of Interpretation that directs and points out who those Angells are when the Scripture calls those evill Spirits Angells as The Devill and his Angells Rev. 12. Know ye not that ye shall judge the Angells 1 Cor. Every one must needs be sure that this is meant of the evill Angells it cannot be meant of the good There is some circumstance alway in the Text that points it out when they are said to be Angells But for the holy Angells the blessed Spirits they are frequently and generally called so in Scripture for the most part if not alway when this word is simply met with it is appliable to good Angells And the reason is very evident because the name of Angell is a name of function by nature they are Spirits by Office they are Angells it is a name of Office and function and imployment since the name of Angell is a name of that holy Office and imployment that Gods puts them to and since the good Angells are onely put by God upon such imployments the evill Angells have onely his restraint and permission they have not his direction therefore the name of Angell cannot properly be applied to evill Spirits without abuse of the name Though they be Spirits as the good Angells are they are not Angells properly by nature they are spirits but by imployment Devills in malice Devills But the other as they are in nature Spirits so in imployment they are Angells Angells that is holy Angells because the name is generally applied to good Angells when there is no such addition that reason is sufficient That is one reason why it cannot be meant of evill Angells but that is not all Another reason is taken from the latitude and measure of the knowledge of Devils and evill Angells Though their knowledge be great of naturall things and much strengthened by experience yet for the Divine Mysteries of redemption their knowledge is altogether defective in it They are very cunning it is very likely in the Scriptures because they may have them ready to ensnare men but the saving Mysteries of the Gospell I make doubt whether they truely understand them I am confident the Devill did not understand the first Promise that was given so long before how the Seed of the Woman should breake the Serpents head before Christs Passion He was not sure that the Son of God should take our nature and that Christ was he till after the Resurrection their knowledge therefore in Divine Mysteries is very short and they care not to