Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	body_n	heaven_n	soul_n	16,244	5	5.2792	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11818	The Christians daily walke in holy securitie and peace Being an answer to these questions, 1. How a man may doe each present dayes worke, with Christian chearefulnesse? 2. How to beare each present dayes crosse with Christian patience? Containing familiar directions; shewing 1. How to walke with God in the whole course of a mans life. 2. How to be upright in the said walking. 3. How to liue without taking care or thought any thing. 4. How to get and keepe true peace with God; wherein are manifold helpes to prevent and remove damnable presumption: also to quiet and to ease distressed consciences. First intended for private use; now (through importunity) published for the common good. By Henry Scudder, preacher of the word.	Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1631 (1631)	STC 22117; ESTC S106698	278,031	844

doth care and will provide for you 4 Lastly you must oft-times actually cas● your care on GOD by making your requests known to GOD by prayer and supplication for what you would have being heartily thankful for what you have had now have and hope to have hereafter Then the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keepe your heart and minde from vexing thoughts and heart-eating fears and that in and through Christ Iesus of which peace I intend next to speake and with it shall end these directions CHAP. XIIII Of Peace of GOD. SECTION I. Of Peace in generall and of the kindes of it THat you may be perswaded to walke before GOD in uprightnes in all wel-pleasing and to live without taking thought about any thing casting your care on GOD according to the former directions God hath assured you that peace shall be upon you even that peace of God which passeth all understanding which shall keepe your heart and minde through Christ Iesus if you thus doe Peace and quiet is most desireable Al things that have motion desire it as their perfectiō bodily things enjoy it by their rest in their places reasonable things enjoy this peace in the quiet of their minde and heart when they have their desires satisfied being freed from such opposition as might disquiet them Peace is a true agreement and concord betweene persons or things whereby not onely all enmitie is laid downe and all crossing and doing each other harme is forborne but all amitie is entred into and all readinesse of communicating and doing good to each other is shewed Naturall peace consisting of the harmony and good agreement of the severall parts of mans body Domesticks and Civill peace consisting of amitie and good agreement of persons in a familie or State is of great price and very much to be desired for the exceeding great benefit which it bringeth to the body family and state But the peace of which I am to speake which is promised to all which walk with God according to the rule of faith and of the new creature casting their care on God exceedeth all other peace as far as the soule heaven and eternitie exceedeth the body the earth and a moment of time Which will easily appeare if you shall observe by what motives and arguments the holy Ghost doth commend and set this forth unto you Phil 4. 7. It hath its commendation above all other peace in three respects First In respect of the excellency of the person with whom and from whom it is namely God therefore it is called peace of God It is so called 1 Because it hath God for its obiect it is a peace with God 2 Because God by his Spirit is the author of it it is peace from God a peace which God giveth such a peace which the world neither can nor will give Secondly this peace is commended in respect of the unspeakable inconceivable and surpassing goodnesse and worth that is in it It passeth all understanding and this it doth not onely because unsanctified men are meere strangers to it and understand it not but because regenerate men to whom it belongeth and in whom it is even they when God giveth them any lively feeling of it finde it to bee such a peace as they could not imagine it to be before they felt it For they cannot so distinctly and so fully conceive and comprehend the surpassing excellency of it as by any meanes fully to expresse it It rather taketh up the minde into an holy rapture unto admiration of what it seeth and of what it perceiveth is yet to be known beyond full comprehension then possibly can be taken up and bee distinctly and fully comprehended or expressed by minde or tongue It fareth with them that feele it in any speciall degree as it did with the Queen of the South when she saw Salomons Wisdoms Shee had a great opinion of Salomons Wisdome by that which she received by heare say but when she saw it she was stricken with such admiration and was so taken up with it that it is said shee had no more spirit in her his Wisdome was not only more than her expectation but more than her spirit was able throughly to comprehend in so much that shee giveth over to seeke to finde the depth of it but breaketh out into words of admiration saying the halfe was not told her of Salomons wisedome it exceeded the fame thereof So doth the peace of God It being like the dimensions of the love of Christ the root thereof and like the ravishing ioy of Christians the effect thereof passing all full and distinct knowlege and passing all meanes of full and cleare expression being as the holy Ghost also saith unspeakeable This peace is included amongst those other graces and gifts accompanying the Gospell which are such as eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath entered into the heart of man so as clearely to perceive them or fully to expresse them Thirdly This peace is commended in respect of the excellent effect thereof which is a proofe that it passeth understanding namely it keepeth the heart and minde in and through Christ Iesus This is a rare and most usefull effect on mans behalfe For it supplieth the place and office of a Castle or strong Garrison as the Greeke word signifieth to keep the principall Forts of the soule from being surprised or annoied either by invasiō from without or by insurrection from within The parts of man which are kept by this peace of GOD are the heart and minde by heart is meant the will and affections by minde the power of thinking and understanding For true peace of GOD doth fill the heart with such Ioy Patience Hope and Comfort in beleeving that it keepeth it from heart-eating and heart-vexing griefe feare distrust and despaire It likewise filleth the mind so full of apprehension of Gods favors fidelity and love that it maketh it rest secure in God and to forbeare to plod and beat the brain unnecessarily about any thing keeping out the dominion of all carking and distrustfull thoughts The strength which this peace hath whereby it keepeth the heart and mind as w●th a Garrison is impregnable It is derived from Christ it hath it in from Christ The Text saith through Christ that is throgh the power of Christs Spirit For as wee are kept by Faith from which this peace springeth as with a strong Garrison by the power of GOD to Salvation readie to be revealed in the last time so by the same power of Christ our hearts and mindes are kept by the peace of God as with a Garrison from discouragefull distractfull distrustfull and discomfortable thoughts in the meane time For what is this peace else but a parcell of the object of our Faith as wee apprehend it in God to us-ward and the fruit of Faith as wee feele it wrought in us by God This peace

your selfe in Covetous Adulterous Revengefull Ambitious or other wicked thoughts you act that in your minde and phantasie which either for feare or shame you dare not or for want of opportunity or meanes you cannot act otherwise 4. When you are alone be sure that you ordinarily be well and fully exercised about something that is good either in the works of your calling or in reading or in holy meditation or prayer For whensoever Satan doth find you idle and out of imployment in some or other of those works which God hath appointed he will ●ake that as an opportunity to garnish you for himselfe and to imploy you in some of his works But if you keepe alwaies in your place and ●o some or other good worke of your place you are under Gods speciall protection as the Bird in the Law was while she face upon heregs or yong ones keeping her owne nest in which case no man might hurt her I have already shewed how you should behave your selfe as in Gods sight both in prayer and in the works of your calling I wil write some thing for your direction touching reading and Meditation SECTION 2. Of Reading BEsides your set-times of reading the holy Scriptures you shall doe well to gaine some time from you vacant houres that you may read in GODS Booke and in the good bookes of men First when you read any part of the word of God you must put a difference betweene it and the best writings of men preferring it farre before them To this end 1 Consider it in its properties and excellencies No word is of like absolute authority holinesse equity truth wisedome true elegancie power and eternity 2 Consider this Word in its ends and good effects No booke that aimeth at Gods glory and the salvation of mans soule like this none that concerneth you like to this It discovereth your misery by sinne together with the perfect remedie It propoundeth perfect happinesse unto you affordeth means to worke it out in you for you It is mighty through GOD to prepare you for grace It is the immortall seed to beget you unto Christ It is the milke and stronger meate to nourish you up in Christ It is the onely soulephysicke to recover you and to rid you of all spirituall evils By it Christ giveth spiritual sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speech to the dumbe strength to the weake health to the sicke yea by it he doth cast out Divels and raise men from the death of sinne they beleeving it as certainly as he did all those for the bodies of men by the word of his power while he lived on the earth This Book of Go● doth containe those many rich Legacies be queathed to you in that last Will and Testament of God sealed with the bloud of Iesus Christ our Lord. It is the Magna Charta and Statute-booke of the Kingdome of heaven It is the booke of Priviledges and Immunities of Gods children It is the word of grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified For it will make you wise to salvation through Faith in Christ ●esus making you perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes Wherefore as when you heare this Word preached so when at any time you read it you must receive it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God then it wil worke effectually in you that beleeve Secondly when you read this Word lift up the heart in prayer to God for the Spirit of understanding wisedome that your minde may be more and more enlightned and your heart more more strengthned with grace by it For this Word is spiritual containing the secrets hidden things of GOD in a mysterie which as the bare letter doth signifie is as a booke sealed up in respect of discovery of the things of God in it to al that have not the helpe of Gods Spirit so that none can know the inward and spirituall meaning thereof powerfully and savingly but by the Spirit of God Thirdly read the Word with an hunger and thirst after knowledge and growth of grace by it with a reverent humble teachable and honest heart beleeving all that you reade trembling at the threats judgements against sinners reioycing in the promises made unto and the favours bestowed upon the penitent and vpon the godly willing and resolving to obey al the Commandements Thus if you read blessed shall you be in your reading and blessed shall you be in your deede The holy Scriptures are thus to be read of all of every sort and condition and of each sex for all are commanded to search the Scriptures as well the Laytie as the Cleargie women as well as men yong as well as old all sorts of all Nations For though the Spirit of GOD is able to worke conversion and holinesse immediately without the Word as he doth in all those infants that are saved yet in men of yeares the holy Ghost will not where the Word may be had worke without it as his instrument using it as the hammer plow seed fire water sword or as any other instrument to pull downe build up plant purge cleanse For it is by the Word both read and preached that Christ doth sanctifie all that are his that he may present them to himselfe and so to his Father without spot or wrinkle a Church most glorious And whereas it is most true that those which are unlearned and unstable doe wrest not onely hard Scriptures but all other also to their destruction Yet let not this as Papists would inferre cause you to forbeare to read no more then because many surfeit and are drunke by the best meats and drinkes you doe forbeare to eate and drinke But to prevent misse-understanding and wresting of Scriptures to your hurt doe thus 1 Get and cherish an humble and honest heart resolved to obey when you know Gods will If any man will doe his will saith Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God 2 Get a cleare knowledge of the first Principles of Christian Religion beleeve them stedfastly And indevor to frame your life according ●nto those more easie known ●criptures where on these prin●iples and first Oracles of God ●●e grounded For these give ●ight even by the first entrance ●nto the very simple This doe ●●d you shall never be unlearned 〈…〉 the mysteries of Christ nor ●et unstable in his wayes 3 Be ●uch in hearing the Word in●●preted by learned and faithfull ●inisters 4 If you meet with place of Scripture too hard for 〈…〉 presume not to frame a sense it of your owne head but take ●tice of yourignorance admire ●e depth of Gods wisdome sus●nd your opinion

proceedeth from base and cursed causes namely from ignorance of God from unbeliefe and distrust of God in whomsoever this sinne raigneth hence it was that the Heathen abounded in this sinne And by how much this Carefulnesse is in any though it raigne not by so much he may be said to be of little sound knowledge and of little faith Sixtly Carefulnesse and hanging in doubtfull suspence about successe in any your lawfull indevours be it whether you or yours shall prosper or whether you shall profit by the meanes of grace or whether you shal be saved in the end doth produce many dangerous and mischievous effects First It will cause you to neglect provident care to use the meanes of this life or of that which is to come according as you doubt of successe in either or if you neglect them not utterly yet you shall have no heart to go about them For those that goe about others workes usually neglect their owne so you will be apt to leave your owne worke undone when you take Gods worke out of his hands And who is hee that can take paines about that which he feareth wil be to no purpose and will be labour lost Secondly you will be ready to use unlawful means for anything when you doubt of succes from lawful Thirdly Taking thought doth divide distract over-loade weare and waste the heart and spirits nothing more Fourthly You can never be thank full to GOD for anything whereof you feare that you shall have no good successe Fiftly This taking thought and plodding about successe with doubtfull feare will deprive you of the comfort of all those good things you have had and which now you doe enioy Sixtly nothing will bring ill successe unto you sooner than to be taking thought and be troubled about what may be For when any man shall not withstanding the experience hee hath had or might have had of Gods power love care and truth of his promises yet distrustfully care so far as not to content himself with his own worke so far as provident care leadeth him but also will take Gods worke and the burthen of his worke upon himselfe caring about successe which onely belongeth to God and which God onely can doe and beare this folly and presumption doth so much provoke God that it causeth him out of his wise Iustice to cease caring for such a one leaving him to his owne care and to his wit friends or any other earthly helpes to make him by wofull experience see feele how little any or all these without GOD can availe him Nay it causeth God not onely to withdraw his owne helpe but the helpe of all things wheron such a man doth relye and which is more causeth them in stead of being for him to be utterly against him Is it not just with God that whosoever will not be beholding to God to beare their burthen but will take it up and beare it themselves should be made to beare it alone to the breaking of their back or at lest to be much bowed and crusht under it Wherefore all these things waighed I returne to the exhortation or conclusion before propounded viz. Roule your selfe and your affaires upon God Cast all your care on God be carefull in nothing Oh! How happy are we Christians if we did but know or knowing would enioy our Happinesse We are cared for in every thing that wee need and that can bee good for us We may live without taking thought or care in any thing Our worke is onely to study and indevor to please God walking before him in sincerity and with a perfect heart then we may cleave to him and rest on him both for our bodies and soules without feare or distraction GOD is Al-sufficient and all in all to such he is known by his name Iehovah to such even to bee the being and the accomplisher of his promises to them If we shall wisely and diligently care to doe our work we serving so good and so able a master need not care for our wages If we would make it our care to obey and please so good and so rich and bountifull a Father We need not be carefull for our maintenance here in our minority and non-age nor yet for our eternall inheritance when we shall come to full age We in this holy security and freedome from Carefulnesse if wee were not wanting to our selves might live in an heaven upon earth and that not onely when wee have meanes for even then our securitie is in God not in the meanes but when to the eye of flesh we have no meanes For God is above and more than all meanes That you may leave carking and be brought to cast all your care on God 1 Deny your selfe and your owne wisedome bee not wise in your owne conceit nor presumptuous of your wit skill or meanes 2 Get soùnd knowledge faith hope and confidence in God live by faith beleeving to the preservation both of body and soule Get not onely faith in his promise but in his providence also When you shall see no way or meanes of having the good you desire or of keeping you from the evill which you feare or of delivering you from the evill you feele then call to minde not onely the promises of God viz. I am with you I will not leave nor forsake you and All things worke together for good and many such like but beleeve also that God will provide meanes to bring to passe what he hath promised though yet you see not how When you can say with faithfull Abraham God will provide you shall be out of feare and doubt But if with Abraham in the case of the promise of issue of his body in whom the Nations of the earth should be blessed you beleeve GODS promises in the maine but not Gods providence in the meanes then you will be so fearefull doubtfull and carefull that of your selfe or by others solicitations you wil readily find out and use unlawfull meanes to obtaine the thing promised as he did when he went in to Hagar or to faint in waiting as many others have done For we see the like in David when he had faith in Gods providence he could say of Saul The Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall descend into the battell and perish The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lords annointed But when he doubted of Gods providence then he saith I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul 3 Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure For when you know assuredly that GOD is your heavenly Father and Christ Iesus your Redeemer and that you are of his family having your name written in heaven you then shall easily free your heart from being troubled with feare and carking care being sure that your heavenly Father and Savior