Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	angel_n	earth_n	power_n	8,282	5	4.7469	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00972	The historie of the perfect-cursed-blessed man setting forth mans excellency by his generation, miserie [by his] degeneration, felicitie [by his] regeneration. By I.F. Master of Arts, preacher of Gods word, and rector of Wilbie in Suff.	Fletcher, Joseph, 1577?-1637.; Cecil, Thomas, fl. 1630, engraver.	1628 (1628)	STC 11078; ESTC S105608	35,115	104

Mercy or what Attributes soe're But Heav'n Earth shall know what Truth affirms Iehovahs Zeal for Iustice sake confirms VVhen mighty Angels did them-selves exalt Down from the Heav'ns to Hels infernall vault I threw them instantly how than Can this proud worm this trait'rous cative-Man That hath not pow'r weak motions to withstand How can He scape the force of my strong hand For 'fore that Heav'ns should grant Man a remission And not on some equivalent condition Or that the Earth should yeeld Him nutriment By annuall-successive increment The fruitfull plains with barrenness I 'le strike And make his dwelling places Sodom-like The showring clouds I 'le turn to banks of brass And th' Earth to iron that so fruitfull was The flintie Rocks to shivers I will tear And kernell-sands to mightie mountains rear The gladsome day and rest-affording night That by their intercourse had wont delight I 'le turn to timeless motions never changing Their constant changes of unconstant ranging Among th' Infernall Furies where the Man Shall be tormented while those Furies can To plague Him thus is rightly to reward Him From which nor heav'n nor earth shall ever guard him Yea all the forces they are able make As thunder lightning famine plague earth-quake And whatsoever else as grave and hell Angels and Devils all I will compell To become furious Agents in the cause So strict and pow'full are Iehovah's lawes Thus as Truth said Mans state you may bewail But to redeem 't you never shall prevail Peace here-upon for Mercy could not answer She was through Wraths peremptory censure So speechless grown and heartless like to fall But Peace stept-in affected like to all And with soft speech did sweetly moderate What these her Sisters could not arbitrate First she began with mildest exhortation To move them to take-heed of emulation For that quoth she doth often kindle hate The bane of Bliss and ruine of a State We Sisters are in one we must consent And not by strict exactions once dissent We know our parts wherfore let be our care Them to discharge as it comes to our share You Wrath Truth Iustice ye desire no more But as Man sinn'd so Man be plagu'd therefore Well fear it not but constantly expect The constant God will duly it effect And Sister Mercy you desire no less Than for Mans Sin that God give forgiveness Desire so still that by importunitie God may be mov'd to grant him immunitie Which yet beleeve it may not prejudice Th' inviolable right of strict Iustice Nor any of our worthy Sisters dear VVho equally to God are seated near And though nor you nor I Iustice nor Truth Can see the mean wherby our God renu'th The broke estate of miserable Man Yet certainly our Sister Wisdome can For what soe're our Sov'raign God decrees She th'equitie therof alwaies fore-sees Yea she deviseth things beyond all thought And then propoundeth how they may be wrought And happy they whose actions she directs For only them in favour Gods respects To her therfore have ye recourse for this And ye shall see she 'll not devise amiss Herewith was Mercy inwardly well pleas'd Truth Iustice Wrath were ev'ry one appeas'd To Wisdome then they all referr'd the cause When she making a long but decent pause For Wisdome's alwaies slow to speak enclin'd She doth so duly ponder all in minde When she this controverted cause had waigh'd She orderly the same before them laid The one side pleads quoth she that since Man-kind From Life to Death by Sin are all declin'd Then Death due wage to all our God must give Else can nor Wrath nor Truth nor Iustice live If all Man-kinde the other side replies Must suffer Death for their iniquities No pitie had of any in Gods sight Then Mercy Pitie Peace are banisht quite So prejudiciall then since th' issue is That Man or sav'd or damn'd all is amiss Iustice if sav'd but Mercy if He die That th' one of these perforce from Heav'n must fly And many other of our Heav'nly train Shall therby base indignity sustain My doom is this To salve and keep all eav'n That Man by Death to Life by Hell to Heav'n Shall take his course T'enabl'Him for which end Let all the punishments Iustice can send Be all made good yea Sin and Death and Hell And whatsoever most with Evill swell Let all of them be made good unto Man And then let Wrath inflict ev'n what she can So Mercie may for Mans Sin satisfie And Iustice punish Mans iniquitie Most rev'rend Truth exactly shall appear And austere Iustice strictly dominere Consuming Wrath shall sweetly be appeas'd And all-preserving Mercy shall be pleas'd Remorsefull Pitie shall be highly praised And death-deserving Man to new life raised Contentment thus we Sisters all may have And all of us accomplish what we crave So God in all and of all shall be knowne The God of Life Death Glory Praise Renown No sooner Wisdome had this case decided But Heav'n and Earth who stood by Sin divided VVere both of them with wonderment astonisht At th'equity of what she had admonisht All things with joy 'gan instantly be cheared As soon as hope of reconcilement ' peared Twixt God and Man Yet Reason made this Quaere How Sin how Death how Hell so dark so dreary How these could be made good since for Mans fall They are the pain to plague the Man withall To second this saith Truth there 's none so good That ever yet did spring from tainted blood VVho Man 's depraved Nature could controule By changing Ill to Good to save his soule To change Ill into Good t is to create A work of inf'nite Pow'r wherefore no state Of finite force can be so virtuall As to make Death to Life effectuall By Sin Man did an inf'nite Pow'r offend Which none but inf'nite Pow'r can amend Neither can God Mans Mediatour be For who offended was by sin but He 'T is God in Iustice that looks for amends Therfore not He which satisfaction sends Who then is it that makes this Evill Good Nor God nor Man by Reason they 'r withstood T is I quoth Goodness I as Wisdome bod Will heale Mans sores and make all eav'n that 's od I 'le make his Evill Good his Death the way Wherby eternall Life attain He may I 'le yeeld my selfe my uncorrupted Essence To purifie his Soule his Sp'rite his Sense Yea here behold I offer all I have I 'le with-hold nought that 's needfull Man to save Quoth Truth again kinde Sister you doe well You offer more than Angels tongues can tell Yet cannot your beneficence alone Vnright'ous Man with right'ous God attone 'T is more to reconcile Man to his Maker Than one can doe who ere be th'undertaker When Charity who all this while attended Did understand how Goodness was commended For her kinde offer and withall did hear No one of th' Heav'nly Pow'rs sufficient were Both to

acceptance and your selfe to the Grace in Christ Iesus I humbly take my leave and rest Your Worships truly devoted IOSEPH FLETCHER TO THE LEARNED AND IVDICIOVS READERS NOt that I desire such Readers only doe I prefix this Epistle but only to desire if any such shall vouchsafe to reade this poore Labor that they would also vouchsafe to make a favourable construction of what they reade and to take-notice that I doe not hold that all the ther-in mentioned Decrees Consultations Iudgements c. were just so in actu as they are therin set-down or as the tenour of the Story may seeme to import For I have learned another lesson which I desire those that have not to learne and beleeve with me For mine owne part I know and beleeve that all things whatsoever that either have bin are or shall be so far as they have reference unto God the Primus Motor originall Author and principall Actor of them of whom through whom and for whom they have and receive their being and motion all secondary causes being contained within the sphere of their first cause I beleeve I say that being thus considered in God they have neither p●ius nor posterius first nor last because God is Alpha and Omega both first and last the first of Causes the last of Ends that is all in all they being in Him semel simul as one individuall substance or continued motion He being in Him-selfe Ens cujus centrum est ubique cujus circumferentia nullibi so that nothing can be besides Him He being of Himselfe every way infinite Vpon this ground all Gods Purposes Motions Actions whether in respect of the Creature necessary or contingent as also the subject wheron Hee workes yea and likewise the instrumentall Causes whereby He workes are all present unto Him because He beholdeth all things uno eodem intuitu at one instant there being no difference to Him at all betwixt things past and present and to come these being meerly and onely the distinctions of time But GOD who is Light and dwelleth in light which was and which is and which is to come the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever needeth not the distinctions of Time for the resolution and execution of his Decrees and Actions All things then being in God God in Himselfe is to be considered as a most rich beautifull and glorious Treasurie of such transcendent superexcellent and incomprehensible Nature Majesty Order as that not any Creature in Heaven or Earth is able to conceive how any one thing in Him is either decreed promoted or acted simply truly and as it is indeed for Creatures are circumscribed in all their faculties and powers and cannot goe beyond their extent For us then positively to describe define or determine any thing of Gods Decrees Consultations and Actions I meane ad intus or of his order of doing them as that first He did that afterwards this and last of all thus it is Satanicall pride and arrogant presumption so insearchable is his Wisedome and his waies past finding out Yet again the same insearchable things of God being considered quoad nos and referred to their visible and apprehensible Causes Ends Objects and Effects so they admit of prius and posterius and may be said to bee first or second according to the setled order of Nature Time or Being And upon this ground we may look upon the Actions of God as issuing or proceeding from Him in a most perfect comely and beautifull order and succession whereby Hee manifesteth his owne glory and advanceth the good of his Creatures And yet this acceptation distinction or interpretation of Gods doings ariseth from our owne weak capacities and apprehensions and not from the things of God them-selves for as we conceive and understand them to be or have beene done so doe wee judge of them and no otherwise Now for that we are weake to conceive and understand aright the wonderfull things of God as indeed the least worke of his is wonderfull in it selfe and infinitely surpasseth our imagination God therefore in mercy affords us many helpes to further us therein per corporalia spiritualia docens per visibilia invisibilia demonstrans and so speaketh to us of his owne immense and incomprehensible Resolutions and Actions in phrases and tearms sutable and agreeable to our owne weake capacities Not for that we are to conceive it to be just so and so with the Lord concerning that thing of which Hee speaketh and no otherwise but for that otherwise than so or so as He speaketh wee cannot possibly conceive it to bee He stoopeth to our infirmitie and speaketh to us concerning Him-selfe in our own dialect and giveth us leave to speak of Him and his Actions as wee doe of our selves and our owne And because we alwaies contrive and frame to our selves a methodicall order of what we doe before it bee done and cannot attaine to the consummation of our ends but by some orderly proceedings as by intentions meditations consultations endevours executions and the like so likewise we measuring the great works of God by the same compass we doe our owne doe conceive them to be begun and effected by such like passages and progressions as our own are as by decrees consultations resolutions or some meanes or other to ripen and bring them to their productions And thus it is that wee dare take-upon us to speake of Gods great workes of wonder as not to name any other of these of Mans Creation and Redemption both which we conceive to be on this manner First touching Mans Creation we conceive that God moved with zeale of propagating his own glory did take in hand even out of Nothing to frame and create Man as a fit matter or subject where-on to stamp and set the likeness of his owne Image that so Hee might communicate his owne everlasting Goodness to a Creature so qualified and endowed Which Creature notwithstanding so formed and enabled is not nor cannot be equall to his Creator in the excellencie of Goodness or power of Perseverance though for qualitie He partake of his Creators Goodness and for form He be made in his Creators Image And for this we conceive a double reason the one from God the other from Man from God because He is notwithstanding this his work of Creation that is of bringing another thing besides Himselfe into Esse and so into open view yet we say He is still infinite and so no whit lessened or any way impayred either in quality of Essence or in ability of perpetuity For all excellency or goodness is fontally in Him and what excellency or goodness soever is in any Creature it is but guttula illius formositatis bonitatis suavitatis quae est in Creatore which being severed from God doth ther●upon instantly perish turne to nothing And therfore Man no longer bears the perfect qualitie of his Creators Image than that Hee continues in Him good and

thus sundry parts were taken As some would have Him sav'd so some forsaken Pitie 'gan first with tender-hearted speech For grace the God of all Grace to beseech On Mans behalfe repeating all the story Of his Creation how that He for Glory Everlasting not for everlasting Shame and woe was made in the beginning Albeit then He fell from that estate Yet sith O God thou diddest Him create After the likeness of thy selfe to be A living Image of Eternitie O then let not the Power of Sin disgrace This some-time glorious Man But show thy face Of Mercy unto Him and to his Wife And to their Progenie O grant them life Life of Glory But first the life of Grace So shall not Sin nor Death nor Hell deface Nor blot-out of thy Book of Blessedness Their silly Soules now drown'd with cursedness O hear ô help the glory will be thine All hearts will praise thy Mercy so divine Pitie had thus her speech no sooner ended But Mercy mov'd with Pitie condescended And urg'd the same before th' Eternals throne That favour might for Pities sake be showne Which Iustice swolne with angry discontent Oppos'd forthwith saying reconcilement Twixt God and Man without due recompence Were wrong to God to Me'twere just offence And therefore Sister Mercy said Iustice Before you plead for Man take good advice Enquire of Truth to know how the case stands If pardon may be had and at whose hands For take this as an Oracle most true Where wrong 's not satisfi'd no favour 's due Doe you forbear than Mercy straight repli'd To speak of Oracles let them abide In Truths all-knowing brest them to declare For resolution when Suiters repaire Nor think not Iustice think not that I fear That this my suit before Truth should appear For I to Truth to any or to all For their consent will give consent to call Hear then ô Truth to thee we doe appeal Doe thou to us this mystery reveal And say if not in me the power lies To work Man into Grace in h's Makers eies Or if that Iustice in it have a share Resolve us this speak Truth and doe not spare But sparingly did Truth begin to speak Pretending she for such task was too weak When she indeed to meddle in 't was loath Because shew knew she could not please them both O this desire to please doth often hide The secret truth when Right and Wrong are try'd But she nathles because they both desir'd her Spake to the point that Heav'n and Earth admir'd her I doe confess said she great pitie 't was That 'gainst his Maker Man did so trespass As that thereby deprived of all Good And with all Evill He depraved stood But for that fact that He Gods vengeance bear Eternally certes no pitty t' were For better t' were that Men that Angels all Should aye be damn'd than Gods decree should fall But Gods decree will constant stand for ever And Sin and Death will alwaies goe together To plead Mans pardon then sweet Mercy Dear Till Iustice be aveng'd doe you forbear For God did say to Man in that same day Thou dost transgress thou dost thy selfe betray To Death and all th'extremities of Hell Which to endure in wrath I 'le thee compell But God did jest the Devill Man perswaded Who from obedience was soon disswaded In earnest then that vengeance God inflict Vpon the Man it stands with Iustice strict For his Decrees God never will dissolve But aye fulfils what once He did resolve Nor can Man for his fault make God amends Since by his fault his Powers all He spends Nor is 't in you kinde Sister to releeve Him From all or any one of h's pains which grieve Him For it directly makes both against Me And 'gainst our Sister Iustice-Equitie Wherefore dear Sister Iustice stoutly stand Maintain thy right in this cause now in hand See thou yeeld not without due satisfaction To free the Man guilty of so foule action Which if you should you God dishonoured And cruelly your Selfe abolished And Me you banish from Gods Heav'nly throne From whence the beams of Truth have ever shone And then forth-with will lies and errours vile Gods glorious Chair eternally defile The summe of all dear Sisters then is this That either Man for what He did amiss Must satisfie which He can never doe Or else must suffer pain of endless woe This is the state which now doth best beseem Him You Mercy may bemone but not redeem Him The case once thus by sacred Truth made plain Made tender-hearted Mercy to complain That she her selfe if she be thus restrain'd From pardoning was needlesly ordain'd For only Man said Mercie needs me most VVhom since I may not help my pow'r is lost VVhat loss therefore to Heaven can acrue If all the Heav'nly Powr's I bid adue Or if likewise those glorious Angels all VVho glory in 't that they them-selves may call The Messengers and Ministers of Mercy Be banished from their society VVith other Angels who from Heav'n dismist May from their due attendance then desist O Heav'ns In all the works of Gods Creation To his great glorie his great Mercie shone And over all in all He doth preserve Mercie doth never from his Goodness swerve And when likewise He ought doth sanctifie Mercie doth still that blessing beautifie And shall not Mercy Mans Redemption move VVhen to have-mercy Mercy most doth love Creation chiefly power doth require And Preservation wisdome doth desire Sanctification Holiness respects Yet Mercie on all these her beams reflects And shall no Mercy in that office shine Which so restrictively I challenge mine Namely to pardon to remit forgive Oh! this is that which makes Mercy to live Which if in Iustice Heav'ns will take-away Mercy must dye and Mankinde must decay Father of Sp'rits ô doe as well delight Of Mercie to be God as God of Right This Sin faln Man raise-up t'integrity Or rase Me out from Heav'ns society What though He sinn'd alas He was but Earth Though dead in Sin thy Grace can give new birth Thogh griev'd w th pains O thou canst ' ford him ease Though Hell gape for Him thou canst Hell appease Thou mad'st Him Thee to bless eternally But damned Soules curse everlastingly What glory will from Him to Thee arise When He in burning Hell blaspheming lies Restore Him gentle God! Restore Him then Thou shalt be prais'd of Angels and of Men. And Me thou crown'st with glory and renowne When over all Wher-at Wrath 'gan to frowne And ere that she could end her supplication Thus cut her off with this sharp replication Our Sister Truth did tell you truth of late In saving Man Iustice you ruinate But though for Man so earnestly you crave Yet 't is a Crown belike that you would have Which so you get you nought at all regard Though Truth and Iustice have no honour spar'd Who notwithstanding are to God as dear As

begin and end that work for Man She straight with love inflam'd like light'ning ran From Heav'n to th' Earth and back again and so Incessantly still posted to and fro And never ceas'd till she had through-perswaded All Pow'rs that ever Heav'n and Earth invaded Not only those whose names y'have heard enrold But all the rest that Heav'nly functions hold As that high vertue low Humilitie And never-daunted Magnanimitie All wrong-enduring humble Patience And Fortitude Pow'r of Omnipotence These as was said and all the rest that dwell In heav'nly Pallaces were pleased well To bring their force and joyn in unitie To purchase Man that same immunitie That Mercie crav'd Loe then they all did meet And prostrate fell at the Eternals feet Commending all they had to be employ'd To save the Man that Sin might be destroy'd Yea severe Wrath that late so strictly stood To punish Man now vow'd to be so good As after worthy satisfaction tane For Mans offence she would thence-forth refrain Old torment to inflict for new offence Whens'ere he came in humble penitence The like did Truth all Graces did the like And kissing each heart-joyning hands did strike But Mercie here was the most joyfull Sister When all of them thus promist to assist her She weighed not what task she under-went Since to save Man they all had giv'n consent When God th'All-ruling King of Heav'n did see How sweetly they did all in one agree He let them know that now He was contented Man should be sav'd since they in one consented And here behold sayes this great gratious King I le now declare how this same wondrous thing Of Mans Redemption shall be brought-to-pass VVhich doth both Mans and Angels pow'r surpass Ev'n I that by my word the World did frame That dwell in light and am Light of the same That all things made whom Nothing can annoy That nothing need and all things can destroy That pow'rfull Word that true Selfe-Light of mine That out of darkness did creating shine I say that Self-same Word I 'le send to take Mans Essence Pers'nally and so partake VVith Man of humane Nature that so He Of divine Nature may partake with Me. And for this purpose loe A Virgin-Mother Shall by my Sp'rit conceive and by no other And when the Time of fulness comes bring-forth That heav'nly-humane Seed of inf'nite worth In whose Person two Natures shall be knit The God-head bodily Man-hood in it So God and Man yea God-Man shall He be The second Person of our Trinitie In whom all Graces really shall dwell With all Mans Pow'rs to make Him Men excell Whose office is our sacred will t' obey And for Mans breach therof Mans debt to pay In whom with Man we will be fully pleas'd All rigour of our wrath b'ing quite appeas'd No other Person th' Earth nor Heav'ns contain That able is such favour to regain Yea none can be the sinless Saviour Of sinfull Flesh save One of inf'nite Pow'r All pow'r therfore I 'le powre into his hand That He not only ever may withstand All Satans base malicious temptations Or all Mans vain and carnall inclinations But also may full satisfaction make For all Mans Sin when Iustice it shall take Which penalty that He may under-goe Ev'n Mortall-like to shame-full death and woe His sacred Body shall be basely bound Though Sin and Ill shall nere with Him be found For since He stands in Malefactors stead Iustice may justly Him to torments lead And since again that Sinners stand in Him As He is Righteous so count we them This is our will yea this have we decreed Wherby from servile state Man shall be freed And for these ends that He perform them all All our own Pow'rs shall serve Him at his call This gratious promise made most firmly stood A law unchangeable approved good To Man and to his whole succeeding Race As they t' have faith therin obtained Grace And though to Israel t' was first made known Yet was the light therof to th' Gentils shown They holding Him their glorious Consolation These their comfortable Expectation And thus for many Ages both were fed With saving-health from this Seed promised For soon as God this saving-promise made It made them live that to beleeve 't assai'd And that as well before CHRISTS Incarnation As after his most glorious Exaltation THE BLESSED MAN Setting-forth MANS FELICITIE In that His REGENERATION Is Procured Verbera sputa crucem Verbum patitur Caro factum Vt vivat Coelis morte solutus Homo MANS FELICITIE PROCVRED The Argument To cursed Death then CHRIST Himselfe doth give That blest in Heav'n Man freed from Death may live THis Christ was He that was that promis'd Seed That long was long'd-for who though God in deed Yet that He might be also very Man And so an equall Mediator ran Sun-like through all the Signes of humane race Appearing first in blessed Virgo's face VVho all the World contains was now contain'd VVithin Her happy wombe who still remain'd A spotless Virgin and anon the Mother Of her first Father Saviour and Brother A Virgin-Mother of a Son a Father The World nere had shall nere again have either When He was born such joy was at his birth That Heav'n and Earth did eccho with the mirth Yong Iohn un-born old Simeon halfe in 's grave Poore Swains rich Sophies in Him comfort have Sing then for joy sing still sing doe not cease For now is born the Saviour King of peace He was the richest He was poorest born Right Heir of all of all the most forlorn The great Creatour He poore little Creature Not made as God made Man of fleshly feature Maker of all lawes all lawes fulfilling Th' Author of all life to die most willing The fair'st of Men of Men the most defil'd Aye-King of Bliss of woe the cursed Childe Inf'nite each way each way He greater grew All good no ill all humane frailties knew Admired of the wise contemn'd of fooles Confuted greatest Doctors in their Schooles None ever spake like Him He spake so well Nor wrought yet was He counted Prince of Hell Whose words whose works who Mary-like do ponder Have all their hearts ev'n fill'd with joy and wonder He rais'd the Dead gave health gave sight to blinde Conquer'd the Devils calm'd both Seas and Winde Was alwaies doing good or suff'ring ill That so all right'ousness He might fulfill All vertues flow'd from Him all graces shin'd Clearly in Him in Him all Pow'r's combin'd He was the fountain of all harmless mirth With smiling cheeks yet nere sent laughter forth But tears alas and heavy sighes and grones And stripes and blows and scoffs from wicked ones Were oft his fare and stead of dainty diet Hunger and thirst and weariness for quiet Such though He was yet was his usage such Some lov'd Him dear some hated Him as much Concerning Him the World stood all divided Few thought him God