Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	day_n	heaven_n	lord_n	22,364	5	4.1952	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20943	A treatise of the knovvledge of God, as excellently as compendiously handled by the famous and learned divine, Peter Du Moulin, late minister of the Reformed Church in Paris, and professor of theologie in the Vniversitie of Sedan. Faithfully translated out of the originall by Robert Codrington, Master of Arts; De cognitione Dei. English	Du Moulin, Pierre, 1568-1658.; Codrington, Robert, 1601-1665.	1634 (1634)	STC 7321; ESTC S118646	41,950	94

the Trinity two Sonnes one by eternall Generation and another by Generation in Time Neither was there any thing more agreeable than that hee who was the Middle in the persons of the Trinity should also be the Middle betwixt God and Man and bee the linke and tye of all affinity betwixt heaven and earth And what could bee more apt and sutable to the Wisedome of God than that we should be restored into the Right and Degree of sonnes by him who is the onely Sonne of God and that God should renew Man by the same Word by which he created him and that God should speake unto us by him who is the Eternall Word of God and by him should teach us true wisedome who is himselfe the wisedome of the Father This is that Doctrine which is called the Gospell which God hath left as a pledge in his Church that by this prerogatiue it should bee distinguished from the rest of mankind which doctrine he hath commanded to bee published throughout all the world by his Apostles and their Successors prescribing that those who joyne themselues to the Church should bee baptized In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost and that the people should bee instructed in the faith of Christ by the preaching of the Gospell by which to the Penitent and Beleeving Remission of sinnes and everlasting life is promised and that the faithfull should attend the second comming of Christ in which hee shall raise up the dead and taking into his knowledge an Account of all Mans actions shall render unto every one according to his workes By the Church I understand not onely the Church under the new Testament which is called the Christian Church but also the whole Church in all Ages whose beginning is deduced from Adam and which shall last unto the End of the World for the Scripture testifieth that the Fathers before Christ were saved by faith in Christ Abraham rejoyced to see my day and hee saw it Iohn 8. And Moses preferred the reproach of Christ to the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11. And it pleased the Father to reconcile all things by the blood of the Crosse whether they were things in Heaven or things in Earth Col. 1. And there is no man of sober understanding that ever yet made doubt but that these words of Things in heaven did comprehend the Patriarchs and the Prophets to which purpose some of the Ancients haue not unaptly applyed an Allegory of a Branch laden with Grapes which hanging on a staffe was carried on two mens shoulders by him that went formost they understood the Church of the old Testament by him that came after the Church of the new Testament and by the branch of Grapes Christ himselfe for the old Church saw not the comming of Christ because it went before in order of Time but this latter hath Christ ever before her eyes and beholds him come Neverthelesse the Branch of Grapes is as much the food of one as of the other for Christ equally unto both Churches conveigheth life and foode spirituall These are those instructions in which the true and saving knowledge of God consisteth a knowledge which farre transcends all other Arts and Sciences The Sciences are all either contemplatiue or practicke the excellence of the Contemplatiue consists in these three things the Dignity of the Subject the Certainty of the Demonstrations and the Perspicuity of the Instructions the excellence of the Practicke consists in these the Excellence of the End the Aptnesse of the Meanes and the Rules to attaine that End In Divinity that part is contemplatiue which treateth of the nature of God and of the workes of Creation Gubernation and Redemption but that part which treateth of the offices of Piety towards God and Charity towards our Neighbour is practicall for although in this there bee great need of Contemplation yet all this Contemplation is directed to the Practicke in one as in the other Divinity doth infinitely excell all Sciences The Subject of the Part contemplatiue is God himselfe betwixt whom and the body of Man or twixt Lands and Chattles the Subiects of Law and Phisicke there is no comparison but in certainty it wonderfully transcends them all For whatsoever the Philosophers doe dispute concerning the chiefe or principall good are so different among themselues so contrary one unto another that their chiefe good seemes rather to bee grounded on opinion then on nature Augustine in the nineteenth booke of the Citty of God reckons up out of Marcus Varro a hundred and fourescore disagreeing opinions of Philosophers concerning their Summum Bonum or Chiefest Good and Physicians doe rather suspect then see the inward affections of the bodies and the causes of diseases and hereupon it often comes to passe that in pretence of curing the diseased officiously they kill them But how great the uncertainty of humane Law is the infinite diversity of customes and countries the endlesse discord of municipal Rights and of the Roman and Barbarian Lawes doth plainely testifie but the foundations of Divinity stand sure and unshaken being laid by the hand of God himselfe and are more firme then Heaven or Earth The Heaven and Earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe saith God himselfe Neither doth it any thing derogate from this certainety that Men in the busines of Religion are divided into so many Sects and dispute with such contentious heate concerning the interpretation of the Scripture for this doth not arise from the uncertainety of Gods Word but from the pravity of Man who wilfully doth blind his owne eyes and takes delight to stumble in so faire a way subjecting Religion to his belly and by depravation of the most certaine things with full Sailes doth fly to Avarice or Ambition For whosoever will not destine himselfe to a peculiar and set opinion shall find in the Holy Scripture many cleare and evident sentences wanting no Interpreter which abundantly wil suffice him both for faith maners I confesse in the Scriptures there are many things full of obscurity but if the pious student shall weigh them well hee shall find them either prophecies or figures and not foundations of faith or of the nature of those things which are necessary to Salvation for God by plaine and easie things doth instruct us to Salvation and by obscure ones doth exercise us in prayer or workes in us sobriety or pulling the wings of our curiositie doth retaine us in the bounds of modesty And this must bee a received Maxim that the least knowledge derived from the word of God is more excellent then the exactest knowledge of earthly things For a little of the knowledge of God faithfully received doth abundantly suffice to inflame our minds with the loue of God and to leade our liues both well and happily The End Remaines by which Divinity whatsoever there is of Arts or Sciences by a transcendent Distance doth excell For the Politicks onely ininforme a

man as he is a Citizen the Oeconomicks as hee is the master of a family But Divinitie doth instruct him as hee is a man and discourseth not of the parts of Life but of the Whole neither doth it propose unto it selfe any particular or subordinat end but the last end of all viz. eternall blessednesse which consisteth in an vnion with God to which end it is requisite that other Ends and our whole eourse of Life should be obedient vnles peradventure we would bee carefull of our life in some little portions and pieces of it but in the whole be vnthrifts so of many litles as we thinke wisely laid together one entire folly should bee made and there would bee a good Lawyer a good Physitian a good Senator but a bad man But the meanes which Divinitie doth vse to attaine to this last End which is our vnion with God namely Faith in Christ and the studie of good Workes are so apt so certaine so well knowen that no doubt is to bee made of them vnlesse wee would make a doubt of the promises of God who is Truth himselfe Finally the knowledge of God God himselfe recording it is so much to be esteemed that though to glory in other things is an extreame vanitie and the first point of folly in this onely God would haue us with a religious pride to glory in our selues For thus saith he in the ninth of Ieremy Let not the Wise man glory in his Wisedome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not a rich Man glory in his riches but let him that glorifieth glory in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord who excercise Iudgement and Righteousnesse on the Earth Now seeing there may bee gathered from the knowledge of God many and excellent fruits through the whole course of our life this is aboue all the most principall that we cannot master our Corruptions or stop our desires in their Careere with a stronger reyne than with the knowledge of God For hee that knows God knows him to bee a searcher of the secrets of the heart whose eyes cannot bee curtain'd with the flattering clouds of lying or hypocrisie to whom Accounts are to bee given of every idle Word wherefore the holy Scripture did assigne this the Cause of the Wickednesse of the sonnes of Heli they were wicked men the sonnes of Belial not knowing the Lord and Hosea the 4. Because there is no knowledge of God in the Land perjury and Lying and Stealing and committing Adulterie hath broken forth and bloud toucheth bloud On the contrary from the knowledge of God arise all examples of Vertues wich Esay witnesseth Chap. 11. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine for the Earth shall bee full of the knowledge of the Lord And truly a holy Man who considers alwaies that God beholds him will so liue in private as in publicke so in publicke as in the Temple so in the Temple as before the eyes of God who is his Iudge his Master and his father Neither doth Satan open a wider window vnto all kind of vice than by perswading Men that God looks not downe on things so low For then a deepe sleepe overwhelmes the Conscience and the feare of the Iudge being taken off the barres are broken and Men dare doe any thing running headlong into all kind of Villanie although restrain'd a little by the power of the law or by the feare of Infamy Neither is the knowledge of God of little moment in chasing from vs all restlesse Cares in calming the troubles of our mind and in silencing the tongues of Murmurers For hee that knowes God knowes all his workes to bee as full of Iustice as of providence to complaine of whose providence as it is vnrighteous so to oppose it is not onely vnprofitable but Rash and Dangerous And hee who is assured that God so workes that even evills themselues doe turne to Good to those that feare him doth secure himselfe in his care and Loue. The same knowledge of God is greatly profitable in teaching vs to obserue an honest and profitable vse of earthly things lest by an vngratefull oblivion wee bury his blessings or abuse them vnto Riot or to lust or resemble the beasts that drinke of the River never thinking of the fountaine from whence those waters flow For hee who knowes God knowes him to bee the Author of all Good things and in that title doth pay homage to him and is industriously wary lest those things which God hath given vnto vse and matter of thanksgiving be corrupted by ingratitude or abuse What shall I say more seeing without the knowledge of God it is impossible for vs to know our selues for then the bubbles of our Pride sinke downe and our plumes doe fall when wee looke on God For as long as a Man lookes on himselfe or compares himselfe with inferiour things hee takes himselfe to bee a creature of some reckoning and applaudes the humour overcome with a vaine and flattering opinion of his strength or Wisedome But whē he presents himselfe before the tribunall seate of God hee is presently touch'd with an apprehension of his weakenesse and his naturall pollutions and deformities present themselues before him and is invironed with so great a Light that he is inforced to confesse that the Light of his Vnderstanding is but vtter darkenesse In the same manner they that onely behold the things which are before their feete beleeue their sight is good and cleere enough but the same Men when they behold the Sunne haue strait their eyes so blinded that they are compelled to confesse that the sharpest discretion of their eye is both darke and dull when it turnes it selfe vnto heavenly things Seeing then so great is the exellence of this divine knowledge and the fruit thereof so abundant that it may bee extended into every part and portion of our life I cannot but here lament the condition of humane vnderstanding which in trifling things doth expresse a most subtle and ingenious Industry but in the knowledge of God alone doth languish in a drowsie sloth For how Rare is hee that disregardeth not these sacred studies to addict himselfe toi things that tend to the advantage either of publcke or private dignity How many beate their braines in curing the bodies and skinnes of others who within their owne haue Dropsie humours How many sit in the seate of Iudgement to decide the Differences of others which are themselues at discord with God and consider not that he must iudge them How many are expert in the Account of Numbers and Lines whose owne lives are Irregular as being altogether without the knowledge of God So strange besides is the garbe and Condition of humane things that we preferre delights even aboue necessities So the Confectmaker is valued aboue the husband man and wee thinke the embroiderer to bee a more Substantiall fellow then the Taylor And commonly those