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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	1,968	5	9.3548	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58047	Solitude improved by divine meditation, or, A treatise proving the duty and demonstrating the necessity, excellency, usefulness, natures, kinds and requisites of divine meditation first intended for a person of honour, and now published for general use by Nathanael Ranew.	Ranew, Nathanael, 1602?-1678.	1670 (1670)	Wing R248; ESTC R30539	209,120	405

of meer general thinkings or that of Phansie or Speculation of our own but first laying a Scripture great and firm foundation And then after to improve those Scripture assertions by all the ability and help we can of Reason and Inferences of best Representations and Resemblances of Imagination and Invention General apprehensions and grantings of Scripture truths deceive and destroy many when they are rested in General notions of Heaven and happiness granting it there is a Heaven and no more makes many miss of it miss for want of more distinct apprehensions well grounded believing and due deep sinking of it to the bottom of the heart there to lie glowing to warm and kindle the affections to provoke into a labouring a mighty striving to win the Crown of glory The way is as wisdom in all other cases of consequence teaches to come off every day from general confused thoughts of Heaven and happiness restings on and runnings away with a supposed doing enough If we still grant there 's a Heaven and Happiness every day to endeavour distincter and clearer thoughts and knowledge Generals will not serve grantings must not be made the enough of a wise Christian he must have an extensive and enlarging clearness an encreasing firmness of Faith in the Doctrines the great points of salvation But we having this so prime an Article of faith that which hath wrapt up in it so rich a Treasure and preserves as it were that so inestimable Jewel of happiness mans last end that which is the great foundation and instigation of all a Christians strivings and hopes for he hath no hope in this life for happiness here This therefore should not be turned off nor terminated as too oft is done with a granting or bare assent but still obtain of us a fuller firmer warmer and more operative seeing and belief Now this cannot be without diligent gathering in and better still Meditating on particular Scriptures asserting and clearly manifesting this main Article and mans chief end comprised in it The Jewish Church had this typified in the Holy of Holies as Heb. 9.3.12.24 Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which were the Figures of the true but into Heaven it self This was that by the visible place faith might be stirr'd up to eye and view the invisible typified state of glory Psal 73.24 David tells us of it and was assured to be received up into glory that is into Heaven in glory Dan. 12.23 Of them that sleep in the dust some shall awake to everlasting life and shine as the brightness of the firmament and some as the stars for ever The Church of the New Testament in the writings given by Christ to it have this Doctrine of Heaven and happiness abundantly and most clearly set forth The first mentionings of it are out of the mouth of him that with the Father and Holy Spirit made it Math. 5.3 in Christs first Sermon Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven So verse 10 12. The persecuted for righteousness theirs is c. verse 20. Mention there is again of it Verse 34. and v. 45. and 48. Chap. 6. v. 1. v. 9. The first passage in the Lord's Prayer At least twelve several times in this first Sermon of Christ this Heaven is mentioned And as in the Gospels so all the new Testament over you may many scores of times find and see it lying as a most shining and glorious Diamond in the Mine or as in a rich Cabinet for to be viewed and laboured for The multitudes of places well weighed must needs hold forth to all that shut not their eyes wilfully a Local Heaven a place of happiness and glory It is no Allegorical Heaven as some have dream'd or may ignorantly imagine when it is asserted in so many clear passages which all of them in our reading or hearings should have their due weight weight of thinkings and efficacy on us for firm believing and answerable endeavours for not losing but enjoying it For the rank of places what it hath the Scripture tells us it is the third Heaven the first being that where the Clouds are the second where the glorious Lights Sun Moon and Stars are this third above them all call'd therefore the highest Heaven This third and highest Heaven is most inconceivably excellent not made of any preceeding matter much less of any elementary matter Some say it was made immediately of nothing and with it were also made concreated the Angels all at the same instant Heaven never being empty of Inhabitants The Sun Moon and Stars were made not the first day but the fourth day for Furniture of that Heaven under the highest Heaven 2. It is the largest and most capacious place as that which comprises or surrounds all the inferiour world and things in that O here here is Rechaboth room enough In this world here 's crowding pushing crushing of the Saints The wicked world would quite cast them every one out of it to be left alone and enjoy all to be let alone and have none to see and shame them any way But the Saints shall all be brought at last into a large place where none shall molest or trouble them Heaven is a Rechaboth indeed a most large place The Globe of the whole Earth and Water is as Geographers tell us at the least one and twenty thousand and six hundred miles in compass The Air above encompassing in that and especially the uppermost part of the Air must needs be far more in compass than the Earth and Water The Moon alone is very great though something less than the Earth some of the Planets are judged far greater than the Globe of the Earth The Sun by some is judged to be one hundred sixty six times greater than the whole Earths Globe which others make yet far greater which then must be some millions of miles in compass according to that account The fixed Stars which all are above the highest Planet Saturn are by the Learned every of them judged greater than all the Earth the least of them eighteen times bigger than the Earth those of the highest magnitude and the most glorious brightness an hundred and eighteen times bigger than the whole Earth Of these fixed Stars who can tell the numbers of them those which are reckon'd are but some hundreds in their Constellations How exceeding then vast must this starry Heaven be if the Planets and fixed Stars in it are so great and numerous O then how unspeakably vast and large must this third Heaven be which compasses round all the Earth Air and the starry Heavens What a Kingdom for Territories is this What a place for Christ to prepare Mansions for his in What a place for the all-glorious God and Jesus Christ to keep a Court in highest splendour and magnificence in And the Lord Jesus the Saviour that purchased this inheritance with his own blood for him to be ever viewed loved admired

can do little but bungle because they study and muse no more to know their own way Many Christians are but bunglers to what they might be make a large disproportion between their profession and their proficiency their practice and their profit because they meditate no more to understand their way 2. The great not only ignorance but dead-heartedness and spiritual chilness with the brokenness and unevenness of Christians in their walkings arises much from a negligence in this Meditation either negligence of not doing it but ceasing sometimes or negligence of slackness and slothfulness in ceasing fervency and industry for the manner Davids manner of meditation in the fervency and the constancy of it will keep up Davids affections fervent and flaming affections and Davids constancy and evenness of conversation 3. Little meditating makes lean Christians of little life little strength little growth and of little usefulness to others Heb. 12.12 There 's mention of feeble knees which also occasions the going with no steadiness and the not making of straight steps As it is oft in the body thus from a failing in the head obstructions of the Fountain and feeder of sense and motion so this among others this failing in Meditation is a great occasion though there be divers other causes a great ground of Christians weak feet and going no stronger and steadier Meditation that should influence stir up strength and motion is obstructed disused and neglected Meditation must still lend a hand of help to every spiritual undertaking first ponder then proceed We can perform nothing well in worldly affairs without well considering so in spiritual matters what duties can be well performed what graces rightly exercised what in all Religion that can be named can be rightly ordered if you mind not seriously consider not before the doing it as well as mind and attend it in the doing Serious thinking is fundamental to all right doing O what are the innumerable advantages that thy constancy in this course would still bring in and what have been thy losses by neglect and will daily increase upon thee by it Ah therefore consider be awakened and strive to be humbled for all thy failings and neglects especially thy fallings off from and disusings of this so necessary and excellent Duty look to thy first beginning in it and thy making no better entrance into it First undertakings if not so well and through prove great inconveniences and if not lookt after and amended may occasion a less seriousness and care ever after but however they require a making up and bettering that which serves a young weak and unexperienced Christian must not serve a grown Christian one old in his way O but be humbled for thy improving no more in this Art of Meditation for being no better Artist for having so little of this heavenly habit and heart-readiness from thy frequencies and constancies of not only acting but earnest and vigorous strivings which intend and strengthen improve and increase the habit Be humbled for no higher attainments in this happy way which we should be most perfect in ready for in which we should still have an increasing and heightening complacency and pleasure to perform with a striving to do it better as to heart-readiness better as to heart-power and purpose resolvedness against oppositions and hindrances Ah then look mournfully look we and with shame and self-abasings on all and for all our failings and for all our guilt contracted for this Duty neglected 1. That our progress and improvement hath been so small 2. Our inequalities and unevennesses so many 3. Our fallings off and desistings and lyings so long or any space of time before returning and recovering and by our dis-using contracting an unwillingness a spiritual lothness a doing with more difficulty or by refusals and denying of doing this Duty to thereby aggravate our sin Therefore I say for all these admitted and added let us be deeply humbled before God and mourn over so many and great neglects he hath observed in us Ah therefore say I have sinned greatly in what I have done 2 Sam. 24.10 say I will do so no more Job 34.32 Ah so to slight to forget the concerns of God and my soul to let my eyes be in the corners of the earth to let my soul lose so its lookings by eying vanity to imbezel my precious thoughts upon the by and overlook the main May not my God come and challenge me for great unkindness unworthiness and folly What thou my child to be so vain and unwise when thou hast to contemplate thy God in his infinite all-sufficiency thy Saviour in all his matchless beauty and fullness thy Sanctifier in all his operations and consolations thy perfect rule the Scriptures with all the treasures of heavenly truths in them and when thou hast all the excellent and admired works and ways of a God the condition of his Church and people thy own souls state and eternal salvation together with all such things that continually stand full in thy view Ah to have so many paths for the feet of thy spirit to walk in by Meditation so many rare Objects for thy Eyes entertainment and employment and to thy sweetest solace largest satisfaction and yet in any degree to miscarry the golden seasons of this so heart-enriching Meditation Ah may not my grieved God and his grieved spirit grieve and sadden my herein so sinning spirit may not my neglects of Meditation not seriously and frequently thinking of him and such things that nearly highly concern him justly occasion my Gods neglecting of me Neglecting me by withdrawing his hand from his blessed impulses infusings of heavenly thoughts judging it not meet to give down good and holy thoughts into a spirit distemper'd diverted by too usual admittance of earthly evil and carnal thoughts and disuse of holy Meditation Who will plant the most precious flowers among heaps of poisonous weeds Who will mix their richest purest Wine with puddle dirty Water or their Gold and Diamonds among dirt and dung Ah this is the way for my God not only to withdraw himself but to let Satan the foul Spirit loose upon me to trouble me to haunt me to follow me with all manner of disquieting and discouraging thoughts with temptations of injury and stealing revenge and cruelty uncleanness and filthiness and sinful sensualities and such like evil thoughts against others Ah may not this neglect of good thoughts and due Meditation be justly met with and expose me to the blackest and most horrid thoughts and temptations such as those of Blasphemy thoughts as thick as Hail and that daily haunt me darting horrour and Hell into my spirit making my heart to tremble and my hair to stand upright on my head Ah may I not if I amend not the sooner not come to that so sad and dreadful temptation so contrary to Nature the temptation of self-destroying thinking it may be best to be rid of my trouble though it be so