Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	great_a	heaven_n	life_n	6,050	5	4.1663	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85659	Nehemiah's teares and prayers for Judah's affliction, and the ruines and repaire of Jerusalem. Delivered in a sermon in the Church of Magarets Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons upon the day of their monethly humiliation, April 24. 1644. By John Greene Master of Arts, late pastour of Pencomb in the countie of Hereford.	Greene, John, Master of Arts.	1644 (1644)	Wing G1822; Thomason E48_7; ESTC R14498	37,819	46

worke a greater esteeme of these mercies when he is pleased to bestow them health is much prized by all but more by those that have lyen many yeeres upon the bed of languishing Libertie is sweet unto and desireable of all but most of those that have knowne the hardship of a long imprisonment the violence and danger of a storme makes a safe harbour the more welcome Mark 5. 25 26 ●7 the diseased woman that was cured of her issue of twelve yeares continuance would have taken it for a great favour if any of the Physitians she made use of could have cured her but when she had spent all and found her selfe not the better but the worse then Christ to come and heale her without any further cost or pains but only the touch of the hemme of his garment could not but work in her a greater and more thankfull esteeme of her cure The Joh. 5. 2 4 5 6 7. impotent man at the poole Bethesda that had an infirmitie thirtie eight yeeres would have been very glad if any man would have helped him into the water when the Angel troubled it and it was his complaint to Christ that he could find no such favour from any now when after so long waiting man would doe nothing for him for Christ to come and heale him with a word it could not but work in him an high esteeme of that comfortable healing Abraham much desired a child and so desired that when God told him Gen. 15. 1 ● Gen. 17. 17. Gen. 21. 6 ●8 12. Riserat pater admirans in gaudio riserat mater dubitans in gaudio sed side confirmata ri●●s ●l●e non al irride●dum opprobr●i sed ad celebrandum gaudium pertinebat Aug. de Civ Dei l. 18 c. 31. I am thy exceeding great reward he replies Alas Lord What wilt thou give me seeing I goe childlesse as if all that God could doe for him was nothing till God gave him a childe The Lord did at length give him a childe but it was when Abraham and Sarah were out of all hope and see how this affected both their hearts the Text saith Abraham laughed at the promise he grew to such an excesse of joy that he could not containe himselfe from laughter and Sarah when the Promise was made good and Isaac borne God saith she hath made me to laugh though her former laughter proceeded from unbeliefe yet this from joy and to shew the height of joy whereunto this mercie had raised them their son must beare the name of their joy be called Isaac that is Laughter Gen. 21. 3. It is ordinarie with us what costs little we doe not usually esteeme much and we can easily part with it our common Proverbe Lightly come lightly goe but such an estate such an house cost me so many thousands the purchase so much in building so much in furnishing and other accommodations for my content so that I laid out my whole estate nay hazarded my life in running through some dangers to compasse it what part with this No I will rather part with my life then forgoe this Surely I am perswaded that Reformation just Liberties and Priviledges with other Mercies we now expect if the Lord please to give unto us our expected end or if this favour denyed to us yet vouchsafed to our posteritie I am perswaded I say that we and they will farre more prize and esteeme these by how much more they cost our fore-fathers and our selves such losse in estates so much bloud to purchase and obtaine them at Gods hand Is not then that done for Religion for Reformation the assurance of just Liberties and after Peace which we expect and for which we have long pray'd yea and pai'd much also surely it is to be feared and we may probably conceive that we are not yet come to Gods price England and Ireland must both bid more and abide more before they enter upon those great desired mercies Hath it cost us much of our estates alreadie 't is somewhat probable it must cost us more suppose our whole estates nay our lives yet that pearle in the Gospel the Kingdome of God in its power and puritie will prove more worth then all Vse 1 It is a wonder to see too many hazarding the losse of heaven to leave a great uncertaine estate to their posteritie on earth and shall we thinke much at the cost of our purses nay of our lives if God call for them to leave unto a Kingdome to a Church to succeeding ages a more cleare and prevailing way and meanes to that immortall inheritance that is prepared and reserved for the Saints in Heaven Souldiers will never grudge the hazard of limmes of life so they may get the victorie and what should dishearten or dismay any who●e hearts the Lord hath inclined to further the work in hand willingly and cheerfully to lay out themselves and what they have in their power whereby they may help the Lamb to overcome and to set Christ upon his Throne that this and all the Kingdomes of the earth may be his who is the King of kings and Lord of lords It is storied of Epaminondas that having received by a speare Aemilias P●cb● in vita Epaminond● his deaths wound in the battell betwixt the Thebans and Lacedemonians the speare head remained in the wound till he heard that his armie had gotten the victorie and then he rejoycingly commanded it to be plucked out his bloud and life issuing forth together with these words Satis vixi invictus enim moriar I have lived enough that die unconquer'd and being told a little before his death that however he had lost his life yet his shield was safe he cryes out by way of exulting Vester Epaminondas cum sic moritur non moritur your Epaminondas thus dying doth not die Ephes 6. 16. There is no shield like that of faith and if the heart be right he may die with comfort in that cause which preserves life in the doctrine of faith leaves that safe and entire Oh tell me is it not an estate well weakned that strengthens the power of Religion is it not a life well lost that helpes to save the life of truth and yet a life so lost if we dare take Christs Word is not lost but saved Mark ●●5 Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels shall save it since then we heare what Gods people have paid for such mercies as we expect if we have not hitherto received what we desire let us think we are not yet come to that price which God lookes for and which these great mercies must cost before we have them Vse 2 Again when the Lord was about the raising up and imploying good Nehemiah for perfecting the worke of the Courts of the Temple and repairing the ruines of the citie Jerusalem had that which was alreadie done cost the people much affliction many sufferings and doth there yet

to make way for the surprizall of this You shall observe a workman sent into a rough wood for the felling of some great Oke beset with bryars or smaller shrubs first cutting up these but for what End surely that nothing might stand in his way which might hinder his full stroake at the Oke to cut that down so assuredly their taking of what other places soever is but to make way for their full if they could reach it fatall blow against this Citie As therefore to raise up your hearts unto great thankfulnesse we may say of your Citie as they of Laish It is a place where there is Judg. 18. 10. ver 7. no want of any thing in the earth so I beseech you let not that be ●aid of you which was of them in a former verse they saw the people that were therein how they dwelt carelesse quiet and secure and no greater provocations to an attempt then wealth and securitie the Danites presently set upon them let therefore the ver 9 11 12. enemies rage and vigilancie for your ruine double your circumspection and increase the firmer union of hearts affections and endeavours for your preservation Observ 3. Calvisius al●is To go yet further in the report when came it to Nehemiah it was as you heard in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes the King as our best Chronologers compute about 146. yeares after their return from Babylon So slowly for the most part goe up the repaires of Gods people not alone in the Civill but Ecclesiastique state the Temple whose foundation laid the second yeere after their Ezra 3. 8 6 15. return not finished till 111. yeeres after in the 6th yeere of Darius and for Temple-Service and Worship Reformation of many things concerning the Sabbath teaching the Law and re-building the gates of the Courts of the Temple not done till after this time Osiander by Ezra and Nehemiah It was thus in the Primitive times Philip the first heathenish Emperour that was baptized began some Reformation in the yeere of Christ 247. Constantine went on where Philip left in the yeere 310. Theodosius 395. added what Constantine had omitted so Reformation then an 150. yeeres growing to any measure of perfection Severall reasons might be given why Temple and Citie worke went on so slowly in Jerusalem I shall intreat you to take notice of the most remarkable Reas 1 The first the violent oppositions of Jerusalems enemies and we never finde any good worke begun for the welfare of Church and Nehem. 2. 10. State which the power and policie of Hell did not oppose It grieved exceedingly Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant of the Ammonite that there was come a man to seeke the welfare of the children of Israel and in these enemies we may Ezra 4. 8. consider first their qualitie men of place and command Rehum the Chancellour or as Tremellius reads it Praeses Concilii President of the Councell one that rul'd the Councell Table and Shimshi the Scribe or as in the Margent the Secretarie or as Tremellius Legis Ezra 5 3. peritus the Lawyer and to their assistance came Tatnai the Governour or as the Geneva the Captaine and his Companions and to make them a square number a quaternion you shall find Noadiah a Nehem. 6. 14. Prophetesse the female sex will be stirring and other false Prophets appearing against the work and the persons imployed in it and surely when any good work is intended or begun for Church State it would be a wonder and the devill might seeme much to forget himselfe if he should not make use of some ill affected or disaffected Churchmen to hinder and oppose it I will not stay you with their Methods by ingaging the Kings of Ezra 4. 12 13. Persia in the opposition by procuring Edicts and Letters and Proclamations against them and that upon false informations of rebellion sedition not paying tribute custome and endamaging the Kings revenue nor will I trouble you with their manner of opposing Nehem. 2. 19. 4. 2 3 8. 6. 10 12. by scoffes against their persons and their work by combinations to take up armes to hinder the work by the sword and by hire to corrupt some of those that sided with Nehemiah either to betray him or to put him upon some dishonourable or hazardous attempt all these are obvious to every eye that will but read the story and I presume you often heare of them so that whither you Judg. 15. 4 Cant. 3. 15. Isai 9. ●5 consider the varietie of the opposers like Samsons foxes turned taile to taile and firebrands betwixt them and I am sure the Scripture affordeth some of them no better names an association of Courtiers Lawyers Souldiers false prophets or their drawing in Kings to countenance protect and authorize them or lastly all their Methods and proceedings you may discerne our times so paralelling those as if the present plot were drawne from theirs and the modell fetcht from thence Reas 2 A second reason may be the smallnesse of the number that returned unto Judea and Jerusalem but one of six two tribes of twelve Judah and Benjamin and whether all of these a question their Nehem. 7. 67. whole number with men and maid-servants under 50000. and those that did returne so much minding their owne houses the repaire of their own ruines as the Temple and Jerusalem neglected so the Prophet Is it time for you O ye to dwell in your cieled Hag. 1. 4. houses and this house lye waste What great hinderances have private interests been to the publique good the breaches of Jerusalem lesse minded because too many too much mind their own My house saith the Lord is waste ver 9. and why ye run every man to his own house It was that which Judg. 5. 17. kept Asher from joyning with Deborah and Barak against Sisera Asher continued on the Sea shore and abode in his breaches he dwelt in a sea-towne much decai'd had suffered alreadie by the enemie and so had enough to do to make up and make good his own breaches Don Alfonso King of Arragon was wont to say Fr. Ch. de Fonseca that if he had been Emperour when Rome flourished he would have built a Temple before the Capitoll wherein the Senatours should lay downe all private interests and lay aside their own particular benefits whensoever any thing was to be done for the weale-publique before they went to crave the assistance of their gods And surely it is great pitie that any mans private respect should hinder the common good nor will it be well with the body politique where it is not with this as in the naturall which will willingly loose a great deale of bloud in some veine many times unto fainting will endure the cutting off a limme or two to preserve the health and life of the whole And here give me leave to commend unto all whose