Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	believe_v	faith_n	heaven_n	2,000	5	5.5041	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95722	The saints expectation and reward a sermon at the funerall of that learned and faithfull minister of Christ Mr. Tho: Wiborow June 10th 1652. / Preached at Enfeild in Staffordshire, by Michael Thomas minister of Gods word at Stockden in Shropshire.	Thomas, Michael, rector of Stockton.	1655 (1655)	Wing T969; Thomason E835_11; ESTC R207408	15,800	16

of these holy men but from this consideration that their estates were an i●heritance which as yet they were not in possession of but 〈…〉 assure themselves of the reversion and this note may 〈…〉 things First if the Lord have given us wealth or other accomodations or contentments in present possession it should move us to thankfulnesse How much are those men bound to God to whom he hath given the Earth in possession and Heaven in reversion how should they endeavour to honour the Lord with their substance who hath obliged them by so many mercies And secondly patience and contentednesse are vertues that are required of those that are poor in this world that man is too covetous that will not be satisfied unlesse he have Earth and Heaven too Let us consider our selves that while we are in this world we are heirs indeed but in our nonage we have a title to any good thing this world hath or the next but God who is our Guardian hath it in his hands and allowes onely something for our present maintenance but when the few and evill daies of our pilgrimage be expired then we shall possesse a City that hath foundations which is purchased and prepared for us and which shall extreamly be estated on us for the evidence wee have to shew for it is Gods promise which is the second particular we are to consider We according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth Man hath divers waies and meanes of apprehending things that which we apprehend by sense we call our knowledge that which we know by argument we call our reason that which we know by tryal is our experience but that which we receive for the authority of him that delivers it is called faith God hath promised eternall life to all them that are in Christ Jesus of this the authority of the word of God informs me and my faith pitches upon it and there it rests It was well said by Theophylact. Orationis fundamentum basis est Fides Fidei vero Dei promissio The foundation of prayer is faith for without faith prayer is ineffectuall but the foundation of our faith are the promises of God in Christ Jesus and God was pleased to take that way of assurance for the comfort and support of his people So St. Paul expresses it God being willing to shew to the he●rs of his promise the immutability of his counsell confirm'd it with an Oath Onely for this reason that we might have strong consolation such a consolation as will be a Tower and Fortresse of defence such a support as will hold up our heads amidst the raging floods either of worldly afflictions or Satans temtations For all the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ Iesus whatsoever the Lord promises shall certainly come to passe Heaven and Earth shall passe away but his word shall not passe away And therefore if we would advise soundly for the good of our soules we should endeavour to be familiarly and intimately acquainted with the promises of God 'T is reported of one of the Rabbins Saadiah that he could tell how often every letter in the Hebrew Alphabet was used in the whole Bible and such knowledge argued great study and meditation in the Scripture The troubles of a Christian heart are very many both for number variety and bitternesse and there is onely one ingredient that can sweeten them all and that is the promises of God Can we remember what the Lord promises that the seed of the righteous shall be blessed that the Lord in his holy habitation will be a Father to the Fatherlesse and a Judge of the Widow to set those that are solitarie in families as it is Psal 68. 5. There is marrow in that promise sufficient to strengthen every Christian heart that doth disgest it by faith can we remember it and not be comforted or who that considers those words of Saint Paul to the Ephesians That the Lord is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think Eph. 3. 20. Here 's a large patent for comfort when trouble and anguish comes upon us when all our affairs for this life are in a desperate and forlorn condition when matters go so ill with us that we know not which way to turn our selves if then the Lord should put us to our choice and bid us bethink our selves and ask for those things which we conceived would be most comfortable to us yet the Lord is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think the Lord is not only better able to provide but he knowes what is better for us then we our selves and willl in due time administer it abundantly to all those that cast their care and rely upon him He is the Lord faithfull and true that keepeth covenant and mercy with the righteous and their seed and that never turnes his face from them whose eyes are towards him Forasmuch then as the Lord hath passed his promise for all things both of this life and that which is to come let us treasure up in our memories a plenteous store of these pretious promises that in all the troubles and disquiet of our hearts we may have a cordiall ready to revive our fainting spirits What though we be harrowed with oppressions and rack'd with persecutions What though our estates be taken from us nay suppose the fire were kindled that must dissolve the world or death ready to dissolve us yet what can discourage us if we believe this promise that a new heaven and a new earth are provided for us and shall everlastingly abide with us which is the next particular and calls for your Christian attention But I foresee neither the time nor your patience will admit to consider these particular branches of the Text apart we are yet to speak of the substance and the qualitie and the excellencie of the inheritance of righteous men but of these much need not neither indeed can be said I know that some interpreters have made this text the foundation of that question whether after the generall dissolution of these heavens and elements by fire there shall result new heavens and a new earth out of the ashes of the old world there are great Authors on both sides and 't is not for me to put in my head among the wise as the proverb is being mindfull of what Peter Martyr speaks in this question In re●●●m dub●a nil pertin●●●ter est assere●dum In such a doubtfull case we must not determine ra●●ly It may be sufficient for us to know that in these new heavens and earth there is that joy and blisse which no tongue can expresse nor heart imagine 't is the businesse only of our faith to believe that great goodness of the Lord that we shall see in the land of the living Saint Peter tells us 1 Pet. 1. 4. That our inheritance in heaven is incorruptible undefiled and such an

THE SAINTS EXPECTATION AND REWARD A SERMON AT THE FUNERALL of that Learned and Faithfull Minister of Christ Mr. THO WIBOROW June 10th 1652. Preached at Enfeild in Staffordshire By MICHAEL THOMAS Minister of Gods Word at Stockden in Shropshire Marke the perfect Man and behold the Vpright for the end of that man is Peace Psal 37. 37. The Righteous shall be had in everlasting Remembrance Psal 112. 6. Blessed are the Dead that Dye in the Lord. Revel 14. 13. LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Princis Armes in St Pauls Church-yard 1655. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Epist Pet. 3d. chap. ver 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness THE first word of this Text invites us to look back to somewhat that went before at the third Verse the Apostle gives a propheticall caveat concerning a sort of scoffers that should come in the last daies mockers at Religion not onely bending all their wit and learning to dispute against it but deciding those that spake of the comming of the Lord. Where is the promise of his comming say they ver 4. 't was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Aretius a mocking and scoffing question which argued not onely the proud wickednesse but the deep security of their hearts Now against these Saint Peter bends his main forces and in this Epistle stirres up his dispersed Countrymen the Jews to stick close to that Doctrine which was delivered by the Prophets and Apostles For assure your selves saith he that as this VVorld had a beginning and once perished so hereafter it shall have an end and whatsoever these scoffers think be consumed with fire Verses 6 and 7. Neither think yee this time long a comming for though it seem so to us it is otherwise with God Deo nihil est aut prius aut posterius say the Schoolmen Gods actions are not measured by the rule of time those things which are past and future are present to him for one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day ver 8. 'T is the patience and long-suffering of the Lord which doth as it were set back the clock of time that we might take the advantage of the means and opportunities of grace to repent and be provided against that day commeth For come it shall and that suddenly as a thief in the night ver 9. and appear it shall and that terribly when the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat verse 10 but howsoever this universall combustion shall ruine the frame of this world and involve those desperate wretches in it that rest their hearts upon it yet to us who have obtained the pretious faith through the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ it shall not occasion the least trouble let the foundations of the Earth sink away under our feet let our habitations totter about our ears let the air fail our nostrills or the Heavens to give us light Neverthelesse we according to his promise look for new Heavens seq This Text in the generall purpose and design of it presents to us this observation That a righteous man hath both helps and hopes to depend upon when the whole world failes him A Doctrine very proper and necessary to be discussed in these sad times we see by sad and daily experiences that the tenure of our Earthly poslessions is fickle and uncertain those Tabernacles of our flesh wherein our soules dwell are continually decaying and mouldring away and therefore the spirits of holy men had need to be supported with their future hopes by the consideration of those glorious Mansions that are preparred in Heaven for them And when I have discussed this generall observation I proceed to speak of these five particulars First that the Estate of a Christian in this life is an inheritance 't is not in possession but in reversion Expectamus wee look for The second is that this inheritance will certainly devolve and fall to him for his Evidence for it is Gods promise Wee according to his promise look for The third is the substance of the inheritance Heaven and Earth The forth is the quality of the inheritance New Heavens and a new Earth The fift is the excellence of the inheritance wherein dwelleth righteousnesse I shall guide your Christian attention through these particulars and collect thence such notes of as may be proper to our selves and sutable to this present occasion I begin with the generall observation That a righteous man hath both helps and hopes to depend when the whole world failes him 'T was a blessed Metaphor which the Holy Ghost put into the mouth of St. Paul Pondus gloriae When he said that our afflictions are but light because there is an exceeding and an eternall weight of glory attending on them for were it not for that exceeding weight of glory no other weight in the world were able to turn the scale or weigh down those infinite weights of affliction which oppose us here we read in the book of Exodus that God sent upon Pharaoh pestem valde gravem a very heavy pestilence 9. 3d. in the eighth chap. Mus●am valde gravem God called in but the fly to vex the Egyptians and even that flye was an heavy burthen to them The distressed Church of the Jews complain'd Lament 3. that God aggravasset compedes had made their fetters and their chains heavy to them and the workmen in the harvest Math. 20. complain that they had born the heat burthen of the day David and Solomon both cryed out and said that this work is vanity and lightnesse when wee see all is weight and burden and heavinesse and oppression what man that lives may not say and that truly trouble and heavinesse are fallen upon me so that were there not a weight of future glory to counterpoise it we should all sink into nothing And that which multiplies the sadnesse of this consideration is that still the best men have the most heavy afflictions laid upon them No sooner do we hear God say of Job that he had found a just man one that fear'd God and eschewed evill but immediately God grants a Commission to Satan to bring in the Sabeans and Chaldeans upon his servants and cattle fire and tempest upon his children and loathsom diseases upon his body Although God gave that testimony of holy David hat he was a man according to his own heart yet we may read several crosses that befel him in the miscarriages disobediences of his Children Yea our blessed Saviour himself of whom God testified at his baptism This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Yet we find that beloved Son led up by the spirit to be tempted in the Wildernesse Math. 4. Afterward you may hear God ratifying the same testimony at his transfiguration This is my beloved Son in whom