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
B02840	The unsearchable riches of Christ, and of grace and glory in and thorow [sic] him. Diligently searched into, clearly unfolded, and comfortably holden forth, in fourteen rich gospel sermons preached on several texts, at communions, in Glasgow. / By the late pious & powerful gospel-preacher in that city, Mr. James Durham.	Durham, James, 1622-1658.	1685 (1685)	Wing D2827; ESTC R171877	237,276	370

Burges-ship The Second is a suitableness and peculiar manner of living and carrying according to the Lawes of that City as it is often said in the book of the Acts of the Apostles After the manner of the Romans who had their own lawes customes and usages and being applied here in a Spiritual sense it supposes 1. A joint interest with the saints or being Fellow Citizens with the Saints As it is Ephes 2.19 Who are all Burgesses of the Heavenly Jerusalem though some of them be as it were in the Suburbs and lower Town and some in the Higher yet all here below have the same Master and Father with them who are above in Heaven 2. It supposeth a way walk and conversation like Heaven to be peculiarly indued with a nature inclinations desires designes and qualifications suitable to heaven We take it here especially in the latter sense because Paul proposeth himself as a pattern to them to imitat and it holds his suitableness to Heaven The Second thing to be cleared a litle is what it is to have a conversation in Heaven I Answer these Two are in effect one and the same to have a conversation in heaven and to be Heavenly in our conversation it 's even to have a conversation like that which Christians hope to have in Heaven and such as are bounden and on their way thitherward should have This is a generall hint of what a Heavenly Conversation or a Conversation in Heaven is and because in prosecuting the Doctrines to be deduced from the words we will have occasion to explain it More Particularly we shall say no more of it now The Doctrines that arise from the words are especially these Four The first whereof is that There is a sort of Heavenliness in the Conversation of Christians that should be studied by them all without exception and that lyeth on them all as their duty The Second is that This Heavenliness of Conversation is in a great measure through Grace attainable for Paul and other believers attained it which is not so to be understood as if there were an universall suitableness or a suitableness in all things in sojourning Saints to Glorified Saints in Heaven for in Heaven they do not eat nor drink neither are they married nor given in Marriage But it 's to be understood of a suitableness in respect of qualification conformity and likeness in so far as is incumbent to sojourners who are walking thither-ward The Third is That It is a peculiar and contradistinguishing mark of a serious and suitably exercised Christian from all other men in the world That his conversation is in Heaven while that of others is not The Fourth is That It 's not an ordinary and common but a rare thing among Professed Christians to have a Conversation in Heaven Many sayes the Apostle Walk of whom I have told you and now tell you weeping that they are enemies to the Cross of Christ But I and some few others with me have our Conversation in Heaven and the many that he speaks of here we take to be those of whom he speaks in the First Chapter who preached Christ but out of envy and pressed Holiness it is like with more then ordinary fervour being zealous of the Law and seeking to mix the righteousness of it with the Righteousness of Christ in the point of Justification yet they had not their Conversation in Heaven as he and some others had We shall not prosecute these Doctrines distinctly seeing this is the scope of them all even to hold forth and commend the Necessity and excellency of a Heavenly conversation which we shall first clear 2 Confirme and then 3. We shall speak to the Use of it First Then for Clearing what a Heavenly Conversation is ye would consider that the Apostle speaks of his owne and of some few other Godly persons their conversation in opposition to those many mentioned by him before And it imports or implies these Four First it 's to have Heaven proposed to our selves as our great Scope and designe next to the glory of God even as to have an earthly Conversation is to mind earthly things to have a bentness of spirit towards them and to be wholly or Mostly taken up about the things of the World So to be Heavenly in our Conversation is to have the mind taken up about Heaven Prizing affecting and seeking after Heaven and Heavenly things as the word is Col. 3.1 Seek after or set your affections on those things that are above Secondly As it imports Prizing and affecting of Heaven and of Heavenly things so it imports the taking of that way that leads to the end and so it is to be in the use of all means and duties that lead to Heaven seek saith the Apostle in that Col. 3.1 Those things that are above Set your affections on things above not on things beneath or on the earth To hold forth the earnestness and ardency of affections that Christians ought to have towards things heavenly and how very much they should be with Holy care and solicitude busied in the use of all means and in the Practice of all duties for the furthering and promoting of an Heavenly designe even as worldly men are taken up and exercised with carking cares leaving as it were no stone unmoved to promove and compass their earthly designes Thirdly It imports the having of our Conversation like heaven to be walking like those that are in Heaven not to be conformed to the World or like the men of the world but to be like Angels and Glorified Saints in Heaven according to our Capacitie as we are taught to pray in the Lords Prayer They will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven It 's to have a native and kindly suitableness and proportionableness to them that are glorified in Heaven Fourthly It imports this that we should be often in Heaven as to our thoughts and affections as to our desires and delights Though we be living on the earth that we should have as it were more then our one half in heaven as David hath it Psal 25.1 Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul or as the Word is 2 Cor. 5. Though we be absent in the Body that yet we may be some way present in our Spirits with the Lord that we should make frequent visits to Heaven that we should have much to do there have much Traffique commerce correspondence and intercourse in and with Heaven that in a word we should converse more where we love then where we live which is held forth and expressed in the Scripture by walking with God by having fellowship with him by following hard after him and the like a suitableness to and a converse in Heaven are mainly meant here As for the Second thing proposed viz. The Confirmation of this that a Christian should study this Heavenliness of Conversation the Argument is clear and pressing from Vers 17. Where the Apostle exhorts the

evening though ye did not so much as designe or aime at this throughout the day And can ye with any shadow of reason think ye have attained it or can attain it who never seriously proposed this as a Rule to your selves to walk by nor never had a Conscience-disquieting challenge for such neglect and manifest short-coming 2. What Labour are ye at what pains take ye to prosecute such a designe and blessed project as this It 's one thing to pray to be about external duties of Religion and to be a Christian in the letter and another thing to be in these duties after a heavenly manner and to be a Christian indeed a Christian inwardly and in the spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Is it really your honest aime designe and endeavour whatever be the attainment to be as much Heavenly in your conversation as it is to be civil and formal or to attend the outward Ordinances I fear many of you cannot say it is 3. What weight lyes on your spirits for your short coming in this Ye will be like say we are all short which is a sad truth for indeed so we are but are ye really weighted and grieved for your short-coming in this Have there been any times taken to deal purposely with the Lord to remove the earthly mind and to help to Heavenly-mindedness Have there been challenges and any measure of serious heart-exercise because of the want of a heavenly mind and that not only sometimes at the hearing of a Sermon or in time of sickness or when under some other trouble but in your more constant and habituall walk Is it one of the great things for which ye blame and find fault with your selves before God And though your outside and visible Conversation be blameless yet while you look on the carnalness and earthliness of your mind and on the want of this Divine and heavenly frame of soul it makes you hang the head marres your boldness and as it were layes your feathers because do what ye can your heart will not abide in heaven If it be thus It 's a token for good and some ground of peace but O! How rare is this many of you be like have often overly prayed Forgive us our sins who never took with nor prayed for the Pardon of this sin but have lyen down at night and risen up in the morning having your hearts plunged and pudled in the world without once minding heaven in earnest and yet have never been challenged for it Q sad state The Third Use Serves to Reprove and Expostulat for this unworthy carriage for having either nothing at all or but very litle of a Conversation in Heaven We take it for granted that many of us are far from it and that all of us are litle in it but very few even of the best are dayly and constantly Conversing in Heaven Alace it's but now and then with many sad interruptions For quickning this reproof and expostulation a litle let me propose these few Queries to you and in the First place do ye not know that the neglect of this is a sin and the breach of a Command Be ye followers of me 2. Is not this an excellent duty and royall priviledge to be admitted to converse in Heaven And therefore the neglect of it must not only be a sin but a great sin even a trampling on the Grace of God a slighting of heaven and of a most noble priviledge and dignity 3. Think ye Heaven to be of great worth if so must not conversing in heaven be of much worth Will ye never so much as once go to see the house wherein ye say ye are to dwel Q How unsuitable a thing is it that those who are but dayes men here should sit down and settle on the earth without minding Heaven and be so confined within time as not seriously to mind eternity 4. How can ye come before God with confidence and boldness who do not endeavour thus to walk with him Can ye say with Holy boldness Our Father which art in Heaven Whose Conversation is not Heavenly Can ye pray for Holiness and say these words Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven who never studied to be heavenly in any duty that ye put hand to But 5. And above all I would ask you can ye hope to die comfortably nay can ye hope to die in safety as to your souls who know not heaven nor what is there nor what is the way to it It gives a man confidence and comfort at death that he hath conversed in heaven in his life-time such a man hath but litle to do when he comes to die he knows the way and is not afraid he knows the company and longs to be with them he knows the privileges and longs for the full enjoyment of them he hath litle here his Treasure is above in heaven and his heart Faith Love and hope are there his Anchor is cast within the vail and he would fain be ashore sure this is the Believers both duty and priviledge do not think that it is only called for from some More then ordinary Christians and who have nothing else to do the matter is not so it 's most certainly a duty to which ye are all called that have a mind to land fairly in heaven when ye come off the troublesome tossing and tempestuous Sea of this world Now Therefore in the Last room as the Fourth Use of the Doctrine I Exhort beseech and Obtest in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ all of you that lay any claim to the hope of heaven that ye would and more then ever study to have your Conversation in heaven Q Be followers of Paul and of his fellows in this thing Need we adduce any motives to press this Is not the duty clear And is it not a most excellent duty a most desireable qualification of a Christian walk Is not heaven Transcendently excellent And is it not excellent to be heavenly minded and conversant in heaven Wherein may we expect to prevail with you if not in bringing you to heaven what is the thing that should sweeten the study of holiness to you Is it not this even that by having your conversation in heaven ye come thither Those who are now in heaven think it a great motive and if it be not a motive to you ye will one day curse your selves that ye Neglected it studie it therefore in due time This is the way to be free of the encombrances of an evil World there is no hazard of this estate its being forfeited or sequestred there are no Plunderings nor quarterings here no poverty nor pain nor any sad evil occurrent here Q what a desirable life is it to be above all those things And indeed in so far as your Conversation is heavenly in so far ye are above them and live the life of Angels It 's like ye will Ask what