Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	creature_n	heaven_n	world_n	8,020	5	4.5844	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87177	The everlasting joys of heaven: or, The blessed life of a Christian, in grace here; and in glory here-after. Set forth for the comfort and encouragement of all those that desire to fear the Lord; / by John Hart, a servant of Jesus Christ. Recommended to the reader, by Obadiah Sedgewick, and Iohn Downam, ministers of the Gospel.	Hart, John, D.D.; Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Downame, John, d. 1652.	1656 (1656)	Wing H948; Thomason E1680_2; ESTC R209155	49,553	177

Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the world which hast set thy glory above the heavens When I behold thine heavens even the work of thy singers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained What is man say I c. And Psal. 19.1 There he shews that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shews the work of his hands day and night uttering the same running through all speeches and langauges unto the ends of the world wherein he hath set a Tabernacle for the Sun which compasseth round the whole earth in a miraculous manner which earth now by the mighty power and word of God in the middle of the heavens stands supported and hanging upon nothing All which Gods wonderfull and marvellous works proclaim the miraculous dwelling place of the Almighty in heaven provided above all his visible works to welcome and entertain man in before and after the Resurrection for ever Wherein Faith whose nature is like a Vine to take hold of every little help besides the Scriptures even by strength of naturall reason takes advantage to fortifie it self by that Even Nature it self might lead us unto the God of Nature and of all things by a strong argument drawn from our mortality and change from whence it strongly concludes The Creation of man and consequently of The whole frame of nature thus Whatsoever hath a being independent of it self were able also by virtue of that independency and being to have kept if self in that being from mutability and change But no creature since the creation ever yet had that power by virtue of its being to have kept it self in being from mutability and change Therefore it had a Creator which is the Almighty Jehovah only able to give a being to his words the same for ever Alpha and Omega And thus we leave The Certainty of the building to draw near therefore unto the building it self and The Certainty of our knowledge of a future glorious estate therein for ever attainable by us God in Trinity blessed for evermore who had sufficiently from all eternity lived in all Glory and Contentation being that infinite wisedome set up from everlasting from the beginning and before the earth works thereof were made minding at length to have a Creature made which should bear his image be Lord of all the creatures to be made and able to conceive and reflect back again his excellēcies at length to be taken up from the earth into heavē for ever into the association participation of the heavēly Quire of Angels in his fulness of time even then rejoycing in the habitable part of the earth having his delight with the sons of men in resolution and intention created Prov. 8.27 prepared the heavens and set his compass upon the deep established the clouds above when he confirmed the fountains of the deep had given a decree to the Sea that it should not passe his Commandement and appointed the foundations of the earth having furnished the heavens with all the hosts of them and the earth with all usefull creatures therein fitted for recreation comfort and delight of his new guests to be created at length when all things were fitted for him created Man his last and greatest work of wonder for whose sake and for reflexion of his glory in inioying of his works of wonder all these things created before him were given to him these visible heavens with all the creatures shewed unto him with a use of and insight in them and manifestation and revelation after his fall of a Heaven of Heavens the mansion of the Beatifical vision revealed in the Scriptures wherein he should at length be received having finished his course upon earth called for the sublimity and exceeding height thereof Gods dwelling place The high and lofty place of him who inhabiteth eternity Isa. 57.15 and by St. Paul a building not made with hands but eternal in the heavens of the assurance whereof he speaks confidently For we know c. and this is put without all peradventure 2 Cor. 5.1 For saith he we know and therefore in this we sigh earnestly wherein there is a Certainty set down That in this life we may come to be assured of a future glorious estate to come saith he we know Therefore though alreadie we be come near and on our way to view this glorious Building not made with hands yet seeing wee are a prettie distance off it to comfort our selves in our way thither let us take a brief survey of this Knowledge St. Paul so confidently speaks of what it is For we know In unfolding whereof if I be not mistaken these four things will discover it 1. A Description of the Qualification and Subject wherein this knowledge resides 2. How this is known of us 3. How we may know that we know what we know 4. How to trie the truth of what we know from that which is but a counterfeit thereof By help whereof we may by Gods blessing attain to the knowledge here meant For the First The Subject wherein it resides usually Qualifleation thereof There commonly ushers the same A strong Conviction called by our Saviour Joh. 16.8 The Conviction of the Spirit which there is said to be Threefold 1. A Convincing of Sin 2. Of Righteousness 3. Of Iudgement then there is a full way opened unto this knowledge spoken of Wee know Now for this 1. Gonviction We must know That there is nothing in this world so difficult then to convince us of these two things 1. How wicked we are and how good God is which is the sum of the two first convictions to convince us of these two things 1. How out of measure sinful sin is How miserably besotted we are with it in this our depraved nature in how great danger we are thereby of everlasting damnation how dangerous it is to retein it how insupportable the burthen thereof would be without Gods great mercy to us and that the sooner we leave it is and will be the better for us But the second is greater then this for it is an easier matter to throw us down then to raise us up again being fallen the Divell will both help to pull us down and keep us so being dejected when he sees us a going But to convince us that notwithstanding all this misery that we are in That there is an everlasting righteousnesse attainable freely purchased for us and given unto us of free gift by Christ who hath redeemed us from death and condemnation satisfied the fathers Justice unto the full infinitely far in value beyond all the sins of the world who being the onely be gotten son of God assumed our flesh and in that nature hath appeased divine justice so as henceforth whosoever will lay down the weapons of their rebellion and ensigns of their disobedience beleeve in him and sue forth their pardon living and being hereafter governed by the laws of his Kingdome like

behind them great impressions of humility as Ierem. 33.9 he sheweth the effect of Gods wonderfull favours shewed unto them And they shall fear and tremble for all the goodnesse and for all the wealth that I shew unto this City O saith Isaiah when he had seen the Lord upon his Throne Woe is me for I am unclean c. for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Isa. 6.5 and when God according unto Iobs wish drew near to confer with him then he could say I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eyes seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 4 2.5 This is the first That humility imprints and leaves upon the soul The second is Thankfulnesse these two accompany one another I am lesse then the least of all mercies saith David and Psal. 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me as though there were not enough to render I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord even now in the presence of all his people And thus not onely the spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God but also is pleased now and then to shew himself with more immediate stronger ravishing joies and testimonies of Gods favour as it were immediately from heaven ravishing the soul and giving it here some taste in an extraordinary manner of its future eternall joies so much as mortality is capable of whereof some of the Saints have most experience at their first conversion in such a taste and measure as perhaps they never attain in all their life or seldome the like again in degree And yet as the Sun in heaven though sometimes it hath flashes of extraordinary brightnesse heat and shining when it doth not alwaies shine alike in brightnesse during the clouding damps and eclipses thereof is still the same and lightens the whole world with its height though it do not shine forth with its glorious beams being the same in it self successively never leaving us without some light so the spirits residence in the renewed soul is still the same in himself and us though he shine not forth in our night seasons alwaies alike with his beams upon us for our comfort yet the light thereof shed abroad in the whole parts and powers of the soul still enlightens and upholds the life of Grace in us in its life and being shining out brightly upon us again with its comfortable beams when the storms tempests and mists are gone which occasioned these clouds and damps and when we are so weaned from sense and feelings that we are contented to live by faith and to wait the Lords leisure for his extraordinary favours for then we are best fitted to receive extraordinary favours and mercies from God when we are contented to sit down Saint-like at his feet and to be contented of his allowance whatsoever Deut. 33.2 so that his constant residence with the Saints is ever one way or other firm and perpetuall according unto Christs promise never leaving them comfortlesse altogether manifesting and revealing himself unto them in all their exigents according unto his infinite wisedome for their good making all things work for the best unto them Rom. 8.28 and all his works in his dissertions ebbings and flowings returns manifestations witnessing lesse and more darkly or more clearly alone or with our spirits making all beautifull in time when all the ends of our crosses shall meet together Eccles. 3.11 bringing meat from our eaters and strength from our strongest crosses bringing his marvellous light out of our darknesse and separating the light from the darknesse as at the Creation Gen. 1.4 so in this new Creation which he is a perfecting like the morning light that it may shine more and more untill the perfect day Prov. 4.18 so at his good pleasure and at our need bringing all our comforts unto our remembrance Iohn 14.26 yea and inhansing and raising the estimation taste and price of them daily in his flesh and new Revelations for our joy and comfort 1 Cor. 2.10 all which things are wrought by one and the self-same spirit as Paul speaks distributing to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12 11. and guiding them with his counsel until he bring them unto glory Psal. 37.24 And thus not onely We know and Know that we know that this knowledg of our assurance of a better life to come is not counterfeit by Gods spirit witnessing with Our spirits that we are the children of God sometimes in a more high lofty and rare immediate strain of ravishing joy by himself as it were from heaven and alwaies when he pleaseth to join with the witnesse of our spirits sometimes again in a sweet more often and lasting manner unto the end The difference being That the former is a more strong and vehement ravishing joy comming and felt rarely upon extraordinary occasions and hard trials making short abode with us at the time heavens feasting days of extraordinary favours The other by turns in some divers degrees and measures sweet more temperate very sure and holding out with us oftner in those his reports and manifestations unto the end so ballancing the excessive vehemency and measure of the former in its more mild lasting continuance in the latter And thus at length by the assistance of this blessed spirit we are drawing near to view this matchlesse Building not made with hands but eternal in the heavens But O! who is sufficient for these things what tongue of Men or Angels can shew forth the same wherefore O thou great Architect of wonder who thunderest with thy voice and canst do mighty things which we know not who hath made the earth by thy power established the world by thy wisedome and stretched out the Heavens by thy discretion who measurest the waters by thy fist who hast comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure weighed the mountains in a weight and the hills in a ballance who canst make weight to the winds and weigh the Waters by measure Thou before whom all nations are as nothing and lesse then nothing and vanity before whom the mountains tremble and the hills melt at whose sight the world is burned up and all that is therein O thou who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain like a molten looking glasse and hath spread them out as tents to dwell in who hast commanded all their armies counting the stars and calling all the hosts of them by their names who leadeth the blind by a way that they have not known making darknesse light before them O do thou take us by the hand and lead us along unto this heavenly building of thine making darknesse light before us who are ignorant how to pass along in these heavenly Labyrinths pave us a passage in this unpaved way opening our eyes and apprehensions to see and understand some of the wonderful things

with Oyle of Myrrhe and the other with sweet Odors So this Impression of Eternity shews us that all our life time here is nothing else but our persuming time to fit us with the fragrancie of all heavenly graces and endowments that then willingly and chearfully we may mount up out of the Wildernesse of this world as it is said of the Church Cant. 5.6 perfumed with Myrrhe and Incense and all the Spices of the Merchants fraught with the full fragrancie sweetnesse of all Heavenly Graces And Lastly It makes us that not onely we are not content to sit downe quietly doting on these earthly things on this side of eternity as is said but further It enflames the soul sets it on fire and furnisheth it with grounds and arguments to attain to a habit of sighing and groaning earnestly to be cloathed with our house which is from heaven not onely from the excellencies of all that glory and eminence shewed of this heavenly house which is abundantly enough to make us to long after the same but also in regard of those grievous and heavy pressures and burthens wherewith we are pressed down in this life as what can we name wherewith we are not more or less pressed down or burthened so that that we have just cause to sigh and groan earnestly for this our heavenly house The body it self is a heavy lumpish corruptible body subject to much toil labour and wearinesse which maketh us to sigh and groan much besides the trouble and noisomenesse of so many troops of diseases and sicknesses which accompany the condition of our frail bodies causes of continuall sighing and groaning But in heaven all sicknesses and diseases shal haven an end with perfection of health for ever and the body shall be no more lumpish or heavy as now but a nimble spirituall body Philip 3.21 Where they shall follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth it being heaven wheresoever Christ is or shall shew himself the body then being nimble and spiritual able to mount upwards or downwards backwards or forwards as swift as thoughts are now And then wonderfull weights and pressures we have from others and from our own spirits pressing them down burthens by the Sympathizing with others weeping and mourning with them that weep in prison with them that are imprisoned and so forth of all other miseries bearing a part with them And the bearing with the passions and infirmities of others is also a great burthen to stoop to them and bear with them as Nurses and Parents do with their Childrens infirmities And the wicked conversation of others is also a great burthen unto us for which David Lot and Ieremiah were so grieved and burthened And from others also we endure Slanders and Persecutions of all sorts yea and it is also some burthen unto us That we are not able to do more good unto others and help them in their miseries But in heaven all these things shall have an end all shall love and joy alike all be of one will mind and affection no misconstructions passions distempers mistakings can be there no Slanders Tale-bearers or reports shall vex there no Sorrow Griefe or Want shall be there no objects of our compassion to grieve us all shall have enough with a conversation suitable unto heaven And here our spirits have grievous burthens vexing our spirits and our affections of love and joy are disordered either set on wrong objects or doting too much on earthly things or coming far short in joying or loving of God whom we should joy in with all our might and love with all our strength and delight and can never joy in or delight too much these presse us down as was said of Christ that his soul was heavy even unto death so these depresse us and make us lumpish and as it were rounds his about with sorrow Now a Man that hath a little glimpse of the glory excellency and eternity of this heavenly estate by faith knowing that then all sorrows and tears shall be washed and done away cannot chuse but groan earnestly to be cloathed with its house which is from heaven Because in heaven there shall be no more erring in our affections which shall all be placed on the right object and then there shal be no more fear of doting upon the creature or of the excess degree or measure of our love to God or joying in him whom we cannot too excessively love for as on earth we cannot love him too much so in heaven we shal not be able to love him too little And here our ignorance is great and a burthen to us a great toil and labour to attain knowledge and a burthen to be such non-proficients to profit so little and slowly in search thereof yea having attained a little knowledge then it is a burthen to know so little of that we should know and that so much remains yet to be known we are ignorant of And when our knowledge is here at the height then is our burthen greatest of all because then we most of all see into our own misery and want in knowledge especially in heavenly things so that that falleth out to be true which Solomon saith that he who increaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow But in heaven the soul shal not be capable of any ignorance but as soon as the interposing veil betwixt the soul and heaven shall be removed as soon as this curtain shall be drawn it shal be filled as it were in a moment with perfection of all knowledge more then all this world ever had since the creation were it altogether in one so that now both our ignorance and knowledge when we know are a great burthen unto us and causes of groaning earnestly and sighing for our house which is from heaven Our callings are also some burthen unto us be what they will on way or other there is wearisomnesse or vexation in them and even the ministry it self a great burthen to undergo as Paul speaketh of himself undergoing the care of all the Churches But in heaven no burthens wearisomenesse or pressures shal be in any thing we go about but all done with ease and much facility and cheerfulness Then also there is a bondage of corruption in the wil refractory unto all goodnesse prone unto al evill in all holy duty still going whither our flesh would not which is unruly and untamed so as we have great warring betwixt the flesh and the spirit which is a terrible burthen not to be able to perform that good we would and led captive unto that we would not But in heaven the wil shal be renewed changed and newmolded that there shal be no reluctancy or drawing backe nor the least jot of any inclination to depart from the exact will of God in all things Because by this time we being perfectly holy Gods will and ours must of necessity be all one and so the currant of our affections run for ever in one channell And unto all these