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
A77360	Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.	Bridge, William, 1600?-1670.	1667 (1667)	Wing B4449A; ESTC R225773	165,221	279

made with Christ and his Seed and if you be Abrahams Seed then are you the Seed of Christ for you may see how they go together in the third Chapter of the Galathians Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made he saith not unto Seeds as of many but as of one and to thy Seed which is Christ And if you do believe as Abraham did then are you Abrahams Seed So that thus briefly you see who this Covenant is stricken with and who are the subjects of it 5. But then fifthly suppose I be in Covenant with the Lord or suppose I be not if I be not is there any great hurt suppose I be is there any great good Much every way give me leave to give you a little tast of it First If you be not in Covenant with God how can you expect any blessing mercy or deliverance from God for do but look into the Scripture and you shall find that all blessings mercies and deliverances come to the people of God by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant Will you instance in outward deliveranc●s the World is not drowned again Why but because of the Covenant Will you instance in spiritual deliverances saith the Psalmist He commandeth redemption he remembreth the Covenant He maketh Redemption effectual by remembring the Covenant Or will you instance in both together see what is said in the 9th of Zech. 11. As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water It includes both outward and spiritual deliverances So that now if you be not in Covenant with God what deliverance can you expect or what mercy seeing they all come by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant But on the other side if you be in Covenant with the Lord then are you exalted and honoured yea greatly honoured For if it be an honour to be in League and Covenant with a great Prince What an honour is it to be in Covenant with the great God When God did speak to Abraham of striking a Covenant with him he falls down upon his face as if he should say Who am I that the great God should be in Covenant with me Again If God be in Covenant with you look whatever excellency there is in God that is made over to you for your use And as that King said to him that was in League with him My Horse is thine and my Men are thine and my Money is thine so when God enters into Covenant with a poor Soul he saith My Wisdome is thine and my Power is thine and my Love and Mercy is thine Whatever excellency there is in God is made over to you being in Covenant with him And if that you be in Covenant with the Lord then all his Retinue his Creatures and his Servants also are in Covenant with you in the 2d of Hos 21. It shall come to pass in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel Why vers 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgement and in loving Kindness and in Mercies And then it shall come to pass that I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth c. So that if you be in Covenant with God then all his Retinue all his Creatures and all his Servants are in Covenant with you too And if you be in Covenant with the Lord then he is in Covenant with you and your Soul and your Body both not on●ly with your Body but with your Soul and not onely with your Soul but with your Body with your whole man and therefore if you dye the Covenant is not dissolved between God and you The Covenant may be dissolved between a Man and his Wife at Death but this Covenant can never be dissolved and though you sin and break with God God will not break with you I hate putting away saith he And then you may go to God as upon a Throne of Grace and look upon God as sitting in a Rainbow Oh what a mercy what a blessing is it to be in Covenant with the Lord But in case I be not in Covenant with God what shall I do to get into Covenant with him And in case I be in Covenant with God how shall I walk so as becometh one that is in Covenant with the great God Here are two Questions I shall speak briefly to them and conclude First Do you ask what you shall do to get into Covenant Are you affraid any of you that you are not yet in Covenant with the Lord and would you be in Covenant with the Lord Why then be sure of this that upon a right and good understanding of the nature of this Covenant you go to God and make your choise of this Covenant of Grace to stand and fall by The word Berith in the Hebrew for Covenant some think comes from a root that signifies to choose a man is in the Covenant that he chooses and every man is indeed as his choise is But then go and renounce the other Covenant of Works c. As the way to have a part in Christs Righteousness is to renounce all your own Righteousness so the way to have a share in this Covenant of Grace is to renounce the Covenant o● Works Then go to Christ as the Mediator of the Covenant and desire him to put you into this Covenant He struck the Covenant with God the Father at the first and he must put you into this Covenant for he is the Mediator of the Covenant go then to him as to the Mediator of the Covenant to put you into Covenant Then leave the weight and stress of your Guilty Soul upon this Covenant of Grace bear upon this stream of Grace here lay the weight of all for th● Promise is made ours by resting on it And what is this Covenant but an absolute Promise there then rest and leave the weight of your Souls And to say no more but this Then go unto the Lord and give your hand unto God and your self up to God as one willing to be led by him into all the things that the Covenant shall require In the times of the Old Testament when they made a Covenant they struck hands together In Ezra 10.19 it is said they gave their hands to put away their Wives and in the former verse they made a Covenant to do it They rose and made a Covenant to put away their Wives And we find in the 1 of Chronicles that when David was dead that all the people came together Chap. 24.24 And all the Princes and the Mighty Men and all the Sons likewise of King David submitted themselves unto Solomon the King the word in the

of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ This light comes into the soul in a way of creation go then to God to create this light And be sure that you set open all your Windows that the Light may come in There are some sickly and weak who would fain have the Light to come into their Chambers but they are afraid of the cold Air and so dare not open their windows So here some would fain have more light and knowledge of Christ but they are afraid of the cold and so dare not open their windows to receive the light But pray Friends why should we be afraid of new lights for why should there not be new Lights found out in the Firmament of the Scripture as well as the Astrologers find out new Stars in Heaven Be not afraid to set open your Windows for any light that God shall make known unto you 2. If you would know Christ crucified in a right way and manner Then study much think much upon this crucified Christ meditate much insist and dwell much upon Christ crucified It is not slight and superficial thinking of Christ crucified that will bring in this knowledge If I would know a man I must be conversant with him So if you would know Christ crucified you must be conversant with him you must sit down and consider and dwell upon Christ crucified in your thoughts and meditations Now there are four times wherein it will be good for you especially to think of Christ crucified much Four cases First In case of some Revelation or Vision that you may be under When Christ was transfigured and Peter said I● is good to be here Christ turns him off and reads a Lecture to him about his sufferings why but to shew that in such times of Raptures and Revelations is a fit season to think of Christ crucified 2. Another time or season is The time and case of spiritual pride In case your heart be lifted up within you in reference unto any Priviledge Gift or performance then is a fit time to think on a crucified Christ The Disciples were speaking who should be greatest That one might sit on Christs right hand and the other at his left hand then said Christ Are ye able to be baptized with the Baptisme that I am baptised with and to drink of the Cup that I shall drink of The Son of man must suffer saith he He turns them about from those thoughts to a crucified Christ why but to shew thus much that when at any time our hearts are lift up upon any account then is a fit time and season to think on a Christ crucified 3. The time of dissention and difference among professors and Brethren is a fit time and season to think on a crucified Christ When one Disciple desired to sit at Christs right hand and the other at his left the rest of the Disciples took it ill and all quarrelled one with another Christ now tells them of his sufferings Is This a fit time for you to have differences among ●ou think of my sufferings Never more seaso●able time to think of a crucified Christ then when ●rofessors are at variance Times of dissention call or thoughts of a crucified Christ Again 4. In ●ase that a man be in any great affliction or dan●er or fear thereof then is a good time to think ●f the sufferings of Christ Nichodemus comes by ●●ght unto Christ out of fear and Christ first ●reaches to him the Doctrine of Regeneration ●nd when he had done so saith he in Joh. 3. the 14. ●ers As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilder●●ss even so must the Son of man be lifted up Ni●odemus was afraid to suffer for Christ now Christ ●●rns him over to his sufferings The Son of man ●ust be lifted up why but to shew thus ●uch that when we are afraid of sufferings when ●e meet with afflictions and troubles and are in ●ar thereof then is a fit time for us to think of ●hrists sufferings It is a good thing to think of ●hrist crucified at all times but when you have ●evelations and Visions when your hearts are ●●ted up when you are in any dissention ●hen you are under any affliction trouble or in ●ar thereof then is a good time especially when ●ou are under spiritual temptations And thus ●ow you see the second thing if you would know ●hrist crucified in a right manner study and medi●te much on him and insist much thereon But ●●en 3. If you would know Christ crucified in a right ●anner make it your work and your businesse to ●●ow Christ crucified Solomon gives you a pro●se in the 2 of the Proverbs and the 3. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for u●derstanding if thou seekest her as silver and search for her as for hid treasure Then shalt thou und●●stand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge God Prov. 2.5 How do men seek for hidden tr●●sures how do men seek for gold and silver th● digg into the bowels of the earth and spare for pains So saith the Lord if you digg and search 〈◊〉 it you shall have this knowledge And you kn●● how it is with those that do digg for gold and ●●ver though they do not meet with a Myne p●sently possibly they may meet with several spri● of water that may stand them in more stead t●● the Myne So digging in the Scripture thoug● man do not presently reach the Mine yet he 〈◊〉 meet with such springs of comfort in the way may be a refreshment to him all his dayes N●● therefore friends do you desire to know Chr●●● and him crucified then remember these th● things Go unto God the Father to create t● light in you Dwell and insist much up●● Christ crucified in your thoughts and at some ti●● especially And then make it your work a business to know Christ crucified Digg in 〈◊〉 Mynes for this Knowledge But suppose I do know Christ crucified wha● my duty then Why then if you do know Christ crucified ●●tainly it doth not become you to conform unto 〈◊〉 world and to be uncrucified in your affections the world It doth not become you to be the servants 〈◊〉 men especially in the worship of God Ye are boug● with a price be ye not the servants of men Certainly it doth not become you to walk proud●y What shall Christ humble himself and shall we be ●roud certainly it doth not become you to walk proudly But what shall I do then First go and resign and give up your selves to Christ shall Christ give down himself unto us and ●●all not we give up our selves unto him Resigne ●nd give up your selves unto him 2. And then if indeed you do know Christ cru●●fied take heed that you do not doubt of your ●●terest in God or salvation by Christ what know ●hrist crucified and yet doubt Why saith the A●ostle If when we were enemies we were reconciled 〈◊〉

Reward Christ himself had All love of reward is not Mercenary But for a man to serve God mostly chiefly onely upon the account of wages and for reward this is plainly Legal A man of a Gospel spirit knows that he lives upon a better Purse than all his own earnings can amount unto But 2. A legal Spirit also is a fearing Spirit put on rather by the Threatning than by the Promise a Gospel spirit rather by the promise than the threatning In the times of the Old Testament the Threatning reigned And if you look into Deuteronomy you shall find that when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached and declared the mind of God unto the people he begins with Curses and Threatnings Deut. 27. They were upon two Hills and v. 14. The Levites shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice Cursed be the man that maketh any Graven or Molten Image an abomination unto the Lord. Cursed be he that setteth ●eight by his Father or his Mother And Cursed be he that removeth his Neighbours Land-mark and so he goes on with Curses In the 28. Chap. then comes the blessings It shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice ●f the Lord thy God to observe and do to all his Commandments which I command thee this day That the Lord thy God will set thee on High above all Nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy Cattel the increase of thy Kine and the flocks of thy Sheep Mark how the Blessing comes after First comes the Curse when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached But now look into the 5th of Matth. and ye find that when Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant comes to preach that he begins with Blessing Blessed are the poor in spirit and bl●ssed are the meek and blessed are those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness and blessed and blessed First comes the blessing and then afterwards in the following part of the Chapter comes the Law and the curse And if you look into this Scripture you find the difference also for saith the Apostle here We are not come unto the Mount that might be touched that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet and the voice of words which they could not endure so terrible was the sight thereof But ye are come to mount Sion Would you know the difference between the dispensations the one is terrible the other comfortable The one is fearing and the other comforting Look in the 10th of Rom. The Apostle there also makes the difference between the Spirit of the Law and the Gospel Moses saith he v. 5. describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them Do and live but at the 6. verse The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven It don't hold the soul in suspence and anxiety and fear and trouble Christ hath ascended and Christ hath descended Quest But you will say May not a man that is of a Gospel spirit and that is come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant be full of fears May not a good and gratious soul be full of fears about his condition Answ I answer He may but his fears do arise from the weakness of his Adherence and Faith The other's fears do rather arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon As for example Two men are affraid of drowning one stands upon a Rock and he is affraid of being drown'd the other stands upon a Quick-sand and he 's affraid of being drown'd both are affraid He that stands upon a Rock is affraid of drowning why because he is affraid he shall be washt off His fear arises from the weakness of his Adherence But the other's fear arises from the unsoundness of the ground he stands upon for it is upon a Quick-sand So here are two fears a gracious Gospel-heart fears and a Legalist fears One fears from the weakness of his Adherence I am upon the Rock but I am affraid I shall be washt off But the other's fears arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon he stands upon the Quick-sand upon his own duties and his own works so that a legal Spirit is a fearing Spirit He is put on rather by the Threatnings than the Promise The other by the Promise rather than the Threatning The one is kept from evil by his delight in good and the other is put on to good by his fear of evil That 's the second 3. In the times of the Old Testament they did very much measure the love of God by outward things For the Promises as you know then were mostly concerning Temporal things and so they measured the love of God much by those outward things But now in the times of the New Testament our Promises are mostly spiritual and therefore a New Testament spirit measures the love of God most by Spiritual things and not by these outward things 4. A legal Old Testament spirit trades much or most or altogether with conditional Promises for the Old Covenant Promises were most conditional and ran conditionally But now when God promises the New Covenant he gives out an absolute Promise and therefore a New Testament spirit trades much with absolute promises For he knows and you may know that though a promise be conditional the Lord hath promised the very condition in another Scripture and that without a condition And he knows and you may know that when God gives a promise with an Oath though the promise do run conditionally it shall be fulfilled absolutely 5. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the promise for Christ was not yet come but promised But now in the times of the New Testament we come first to Christ and so unto the Promise for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ 6. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the Law and without the Law they might not come to Christ For the Law was a School-master for to bring to Christ But now in the time of the New Testament The Law is not our School-master for to bring to Christ And though seldome any go to Heaven but come by the gates of Hell And seldome men do come to Christ now but they have some