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	glory_n	jesus_n	2,652	5	5.5362	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08964	The tranquillitie of the minde A verye excellent and most comfortable oration, plainely directing euerye man, & woman, to the true tranquillitie and quyetnesse of their minde. Compyled in Latine by Iohn Barnarde, student in the Vniuersity of Cambridge, now lately translated into Englishe by Anthony Marten.; Oratio pia, religiosa, et solatii plena, de vera animi tranquillitate. English	Bernard, John, d. 1567?; Marten, Anthony, d. 1597.	1570 (1570)	STC 1925; ESTC S101618	90,089	234

touching the firme promises of eternall life hath determined the heritage to vs So likewise he by his omnipotent power finisheth the worke of saluation begonne in vs if we wauer not but stande stedfast in faith Let vs therfore call vpon the Lorde to poure into our mindes the gift of fayth and daylie to increase the same being begonne in vs that in asking séeking and knocking we maye receyue finde and haue it opened vnto vs. For the iustification by faith from whence the true quietnesse of the minde doth growe and by which accesse with boldnesse to the throne of Maiestie is assigned vnto vs and by whose helpe and defence we are brought to this grace wherein we stande and boste our selues vnder the glorie of God is after Saint Barnardes opinion as it were a mid passage from eternall predestination vnto the magnification as he calles it to come by which we ascende to the heauenly Ierusalem the Citie of the lyuing God to the innumerable company of Aungels to the congregation of the first borne Sonnes which are written in heauen to the spirites of the iust and perfite men and to God the iudge of all men and to Iesus the Mediatour of the newe Testament where we being blessed shall inioye euerlasting lyfe Since all Scripture preacheth vnto vs that these things must with true and certaine perswasion be beléeued and denounceth against the vnbeleeuers payne and eternall death why are we discouraged in our mindes if miserie assayle vs why doe we lowre and lament if but easie aduersity come vpon vs why doe not excellent perswasions take so good roote in vs that we contemne and weare out afflictions of time present by conferring the same with lyfe to come which is reserued for vs why are we not so armed with the continual studie of most blessed immortalitie which is looked for and with sure hope of that most happie kingdome that whatsoeuer shall chaunce we beare it both paciently and quietly If the longest age of oures being compared with euerlasting life can scarcely be counted one minute why regarde we not those transitorie things as matters of no effect which may easily be abidden setling our minde farre beyonde afflictions vpon the good things eternall which tarie looking for vs And why waighe we not downe this light affliction that indureth but for a season euen onely with the earnest thought of the felicitie to come Of our momentany and light affliction speaketh Saint Paule iudging that it bréedeth in vs a wonderfull and excéeding waight of glorie while we haue not regarde vnto the thinges which are séene but to those things which are not séene For the things which are séene are temporall the things which are not séene are eternall For by affliction are good men throughly tryed as Iobe and Tobias were or else euill men therby are corrected and amended as Manasses and many other kings of Iuda Where should either the vertue and power of the spirite be so euidently perceyued or the noble and excellent vertue of pacience giue so splendent a shew or fayth haue any earnest exercise if the Saintes shoulde be strayned with no miserie For euen as the starres doe shyne in the night but in the day time they lie hidden euen so true vertue wering bewtifull by temptation doth as yron with vse shew in aduersitie what force it is of which otherwyse in tyme of prosperitie laye hid in secret And howe should euill men forsake their earthly desires relinquish and cast from them their wicked deuises if no such thing should happen whereby they may be ledde from loue of the worlde from generall flattering of themselues and from their naughtie and sinfull custome For as the Phisition bindeth him fast that is vered with a frensie stirres him vp that is troubled with the disease of Lytharge putteth them both to vexation and yet loueth them bothe being not onely desirous to restore health vnto them both but also applyes verie diligently his whole arte studie in curing of those things euen so God although he be sharpe in punishing yet doth he most louingly by such meanes procure saluation vnto hys elect Wherefore Moses reckneth affliction in steade of benefite when he thus speaketh to the children of Israell But thys also sayth he waigh thou within thy heart that euen as a man chastiseth his childe so doth the Lorde thy God correct thée that thou mayest walke in hys wayes and feare him After like maner doth Dauid in this sentence following extoll the chastining of the Lorde as a speciall benefite vnto vs It is good for me that thou hast humbled and afflicted me whereby I may learne thy statutes But why doth GOD many times suffer his elect to be afflicted by the euill and wicked Truely they which be most holy of all commit something euerye day worthy of punishment For not so much as in the fleshe of the very children of God there abydeth anye thing that is good but in them is concupiscence of the fleshe against the spirite and they are so chaunged into a newe creature as neuerthelesse the olde man is not vtterly shaken of They may referre that saying of Iohn to themselues as well as to others if we saye we haue no sinne we deceyue our selues and there is no truth in vs For euen the verie thought of the heart is inclyned to euyll if occasion be ministred therevnto There is no such prerogatiue giuen to the Saintes so long as they liue in this light if they remember their owne frailtie and weaknesse to make them thinke those common prayers of the Church as Lorde forgiue vs our trespasses washe me more and more And enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt that they pertaine not as well to them as to others Wherefore the Lorde béeing a righteous Iudge by his iudgement correcteth first his owne householde bringeth them into the way againe and admonisheth them to call vpon him for helpe least they should be condemned with the reast of the worlde And euen as euery beast that is striken with lightning turneth his face towarde the lightning so likewise if the houshold of God will haue regarde to God when he pleaseth them he will compell them also to haue an eye to him when hee strykes them according to that saying when he slue them they sought him and turning back they called to remembrance that God was their rock and the high God their redéemer But and if the afflicted housholde of God will from thence forth diligently séeke after their God with sighings from their heart and with righteous and pacient mindes will abide wayting for his secrete councell their lamentation shall enter into the eares of the Lorde of Sabaoth who pluckes them out of their aduersaries handes that he may learne them to depend onely vppon him reuenges them also at length of their very enimyes if they scorne them and the rod of punishment which they execute not

downe bicause thou hast sanctified it for an euerlasting continuaunce that whereas thou after thy most excellent workes didst rest the seuenth day although thou wert at rest when thou madest them the same might be declared to vs by the voyce of thy booke bycause we also in thée might rest in the Sabboth of eternall lyfe after our labours which be very good also for that thou hast appoynted them vnto vs. To this inestimable ioy which this holy man most desirous of the immortalitie to come hath trimly discribed in his bookes to this perpetuall vacation after labour which shall bring such a rest with it as is to bée wished for with all prayer To that most blessed kingdome of ioy wherein dwelleth both righteousnesse peace To the heauenly Countrie to the felowship of Aungels to the most pleasant companie of Saintes in euerlasting life to come by the only meditation and remembraunce whereof wée conceiue an incredible delight in our mind and ioyes pierce our secret breast To all these thinges I saye doe all the children of God desire with longing sighes speedily to attaine and with feruent wishes wayte to haue that same their small taste of euerlasting life to be fully finished and perfected which thing the tumultes of the fleshe attempt to interrupt and the temptations of Sathan labor here to destroy and to plucke from vs For this frayle body being corrupt is heauie to the soule and this earthly mansion kéepeth downe the vnderstanding which is loden with cares And herevpon came that exclamation of S. Paule who tooke it grieuously that his bodie wandred here in a straunge Countrie as a banished man saying O wretch that I am who shall deliuer me out of this bodie subdued to death Againe I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ For the naturall corruption in man which is as it were the roote of all sinne no man hath had any hope to plucke vp quite by the roote or to ridde himselfe from the same in all respectes till death onely by reducing the flesh into dust at length shall remedie so huge an euill Herevpon the feruent desire of the creature abydeth longing that the sonnes of God may appeare And we our selues also which haue the first fruites of the spirite mourne in our selues desiring to bée put on a newe and wayte for the adoption which is the redemption of our bodie that the creature subdued to vanitye shoulde be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertye of the sonnes of god For euen then at the resurrection of the iust and regeneration to come shall sorow griefe anguish sicknesse affliction occasion of sinne yea and sinne it selfe haue an ende Then shall immortality swallowe vp mortalitie vncorruption deuoure corruption and perpetuall ioy consume the bitter calamities of this troublesome lyfe At that time there shall come to the godlye societie of the elect so manye as euer from the first beginning of the world of all ages are ordayned to euerlasting life and they togither with the Patriarks Prophetes Apostles Martyrs Virgins Confessors and with the holye Aungels of God shall contynually sing Halleluya and with ioyfull voyce shall attrybute honor vnto the king of heauen There shall they be satisfied with the plenteousnesse of Gods house and shall be filled with the ryuer of his pleasures There death being swallowed vp to victorie they shall behold the visage of his glorye with vncouered face which the Aungels in heauen are glad to looke vpon They which here did sowe in teares shall there reape with gladnesse They shal not hunger nor thirst any more neyther shall the Sunne or any heate lyght vpon them bicause the Lambe who is in the midst of the throne shall both gouerne and leade them to the liuely Fountaynes of waters and bicause also God hath cléerely wyped from their eyes all teares For as it is here wyshed for desired earnestly prayde and longed for from the very hart so there we shall lay holde of it take pleasure of it praise and magnifie it Here we are at strife and continuall warre with most cruell aduersaries suche as conspire our destruction there the crowne of righteousnesse is brought by the Lorde to the victor that hath fought a good fight the hath finished his course and that hath kept his fayth There there is decréed a most ample tryumph of ioye There are the temporall labours recompenst with the chiefest rewarde of Gods house Who therefore will not cry out with the Prophet How amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hosts My soule is wearie and wasteth with longing after thy habitation Blessed be they O Lorde which dwell in thy house for they shall euermore praise thée There shall they beholde that vnsatiable beautie and being inflamed with perpetuall loue thereof shall neuer cease from lawde and praise When can he be destitute of that peaceable quietnesse of minde which continually day and night is thinking vpon these celestiall and immortall things and which fixeth all his minde care and cogitation in continuall contemplation of heauenly matters Howe can he be out of quiet who with vehement sighes excéeding prayer labours to come to that blessed countrie where the saintes be pertakers of lyfe eternall and truth immutable and who euery day doth indruour to vnburthen himselfe somewhat of earthly cares The very right way therfore in my opion doth he take to the true tranquillitie of the minde who hath Christ to be his rocke and foundation and with stedfast faythe cleaues vnto him he being indued with a perfite perswasion of Gods good will towardes him purchaseth the testimony of a good conscience by performing the whole course of his life both godly iustly and soberly and who both in minde inuocation and confession cleaues so throughly to the true christian Church whereof the sonne of God is President the Aungels are protectors the holy spirite is the sanctifier the godly and elect of euerye age are the felowship as he is a verie member of the people of God and of the misticall bodye whose head is Christ and doth not onely hold fast the liuely hope of eternall lyfe to his last ende but also increaseth euery day by procéeding from one vertue to another For the expectation of the children of God who with a right passage and couragious stomake as to a prefixed signe go forwarde to the rewarde of their heauenly vocation cannot be deceyued if the same leane vpon the sure foundations of eternall election of the precious redemption of the promise of god For euen as God of his méere loue which he poureth into the hartes of vs by his spirite hath adopted vs to be his children that a certaine wonderfull greatnesse of loue being styred vp in oure mindes by the knowledge therof the same might waxe more vehement towardes our most mercifull God and also by sending downe his sonne hath performed our redemption and as

sayth In a great house are not onely vessels of golde and siluer but also of wood and earth if any man therefore pourge himselfe from all these he shall be a vessell sanctified to honour They which dwell in kinges houses wherein armour is layde are so well fortified as neyther théeues nor housebreakers nor any other wicked rowte dare set vpon that house Euen so wheresoeuer the spirituall bookes remaine from thence is all the Deuils force expelled and into those inhabitaunts is entered a great comfort If we offende in any thing forbidden vs the verie sight of those bookes strykes our consciences frayes vs from sinne and makes vs to abandon our euill purpose And if we persist in holinesse therein we become more firme and stedfast through them and by laying holde vpon the Gospell we settle our minde leading it away from worldly businesse and thereby diligently clense our life being voide of godlinesse The Philosophers Rhetricians and Ethnicke wryters desiring to be had in admiration did but shadow in a certaine darke sense the secrete thinges of their wisdome But the Apostles and Prophetes as vniuersall teachers of the worlde haue put things in wryting so plainly and manifestlye as by reading onely they may be learned Who hearing that happie are the méeke the mercifull and so forth with the rest will desire any scholemayster to interprete the same But if in thinges which be more secrete thou shalt not perhappes find an instructor and wilt bestow the more earnest studie therein God séeing thy diligence and not despising thy care and vigilancie no doubt will open the thing to thée which thou séekest for Remember the Eunuke in the .viij. of the Actes who by reading obtayned a guide God which knewe the readie inclination of his minde imbraced his indeuour and sent him by and by an expounder A great defence agaynst sin is the reading of the scriptures but a great daungerous ruyne and a déepe dungeon of blindnesse is want of knowledge of the scriptures and to knowe nothing of Gods lawe is a great lacke of saluation For that is it which hath bredde heresies brought in filthie life and turned all vpsydowne For it cannot be that often and héedefull reading should bring no fruit with it This excellent exhortation of S. Chrysostome who for his godly eloquence obtayned the surname of golden mouthed did blessed Gregorie and saint Augustine imitate and follow who aptly conueniently plainly and excellently well doe set forth with due prayse the most heauenly worde of the Scriptures That minde saye they is an enimie to this doctrine of ours which either in going astray knoweth not the same to be wholsome or else being sicke doth lothe medicine For the verie phrase of speach which the scriptures vseth hath the way to nurse hir little ones abroade and to preserue them in priuate and also how to occupie their mindes with admiration of high misteries It is a Riuer as I may terme it euen and déepe wherein both the Olyphant may swim and the Lambe may walke and it conteyneth things both plaine and euident It talketh like a familiar friend to the heart both of the learned and vnlearned It lyeth hid in misteries It settes not forth it selfe wyth haughtie communication and therevnto the slacke and vnlearned minde as poore to the riche dare not approche But it inuiteth all men with an humble speach Not onely It féedeth them with apparaunt and knowne truth but also It exerciseth them in secrete veritie setting that abroad to the worlde which it hath in secrete store But least those things which be plaine should be contemned those secrete things againe are desired being desired are after a sort renued and being renued are swéetely signified what they be By the Scriptures both wittes which be euil are wholsomly amended which be small are cherifed and which be great are reioyced For the worde of God knoweth fayth when it first groweth when it comes to rype yeares when it is brought to full perfection and when it draweth to olde age againe it nourisheth the same with gentle and wholsome foode Other things haue not so much relation to their age tyme and place The studie hereof nourisheth our tender age and infourmes vs in all godlinesse It brideleth and kéepeth in our lassiuious youth delighteth our age indueth vs with the swéete hope of immortalitie and incourageth vs to be of a ioyfull minde to the vttermost ende of our life It instructeth vs when we be in prosperitie feares and restraynes vs from pride and presumption giues vs comfort and succour in time of aduersitie delightes vs at home and kéepes vs in our duetie abroade It calles to our remembraunce the shortnesse of life and that death approcheth euery houre It telles vs of the iudgement of God and how there is a hell a pit of darknesse a fire that shall neuer be extinguished And besides these It sheweth vs of an innumerable sort of Gods benifits as of the crosse of Christ of the holy ghost abiding in vs of the aungels appoynted by God for our safegarde and of the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen Whereby we ought at all times to be reuoked from our wickednesse and to be stirred vp to do euery thing which is good and righteous Last of all we eate the flesh of the Lord and drink his bloud not all only in the holy misteries but also by reading of the scriptures whereby we are delighted and refreshed with inost swéete taste of eternall life and with an vnspeakeable ioye Here nowe it commeth verye well to minde to consider how the christian conscience may be quieted in these daungerous times wherein not without néede by reason of those errors which haue crept in they deale in questions which concerne the high misteries of Christian religiou And to one man this way and to an other that waye and to euery man his owne way apperes best Many cry out saying aske councell of the Church That cannot erre for it is gouerned by the holy ghost If thou be disquieted in thy minde heare hir voyce imbrace hir iudgement and it will shake of all scruple of thy conscience But if a man should fréely and sincerely demaund of me what I thought best to be done herein I would councell him first of all whiche I déeme to be the right and wyser way and more agraeable to the Scriptures that in such a daungerous tyme he chiefly followe the councell of the deuine Prophete Esay who crieth out that they rather should haue recourse to the law and to the witnesse For if they shall not speake agréeable vnto thys worde there shall no morning light appéers to them but béeing all inuironed wyth darkenesse they shall fall at once be hardned and perish with hunger The holy prophete well remembred the commaundement that God in the xtj of Deutronomie gaue the children of Israell you shall not euerye one of you doe that which séemeth right in your owne eyes

and Prophets and finally that the gentiles and whosoeuer else in the vniuersall world which through beléefe obtayned saluation did here This worde as it was reuealed to the fathers so the will of God makes it knowne vnto vs by expresse declaration in Bookes Wherevnto if we giue no credit neyther will we beléeue if one shall ryse againe from the deade With this worde is the Church of God made and ordayned and the same is buylded vpon the rocke Christ who is the foundation and precious stone therof For take away the scriptures of the Church and thou shalt also take the Churche quite awaye For euen as the Church did neyther founde nor make anye certaine or vndoubted scripture but receyued it in olde time with great reuerence being erected before by the holy ghost the author therof and deriued from Christ and his Apostles by perpetuall succession into all Churches and after she had receyued the same allowed it which being allowed circumspectly kept it for the instructing of euerye age so did she specially take care that nothing vnder the name of Scripture which dyd beare no certaine signe of scripture should be allowed in it ye that if an Aungell in heauen shoulde preach any other Gospell condemned him accursed This one holye catholicke and apostolicke Church that is which is gouerned by the scripture of the Apostles and Prophetes doth seuer after the example of Paule and set apart those things whereof It hath no commaundement by God from the excellent preceptes of Christ making a great difference betwéene them to the intent it may will the things which be of Christ to remaine vnuiolate and suffer nothing contrarie therevnto to be admitted But those matters which be of the churches owne constitution although they be sounde and the spirite being author of thē are set forth amongst vs yet It leaueth them at such libertie as testifiyng in plaine termes that it woulde none to cast anye doubtes in those things whereof they haue no expresse commaundement from god Whatsoeuer things It findeth in the holy Scripture which containe the lawe of the Lorde and doctrine of fayth perfected and throughly finished aboue the rest wythout any sticking It commendes allowes receyues and estéemes and also reuerenceth all things therein without choyse and election shunning al that may be the crime of new deuise that most vainely might be layde to hir charge In assuring hir iudgement It accounteth none more wyser than Christ more holy than the Apostles nor more auncient than the Primatiue Church And next after these It placeth the monumentes of such as teach thinges concerning the religion of Christ and innocencie of lyfe but alloweth nothing without iudgement and without dilygent examination thereof with the law of god Wherevpon It compelled Augustine hir most seruiceable childe to set forth this confession folowing I confesse to thy charitie saith he that I haue learned to attribute this feare reuerence onely to those bookes of the holy scriptures which are now called Canonicall so as I stedfastly beléeue that none of the Authors of them haue erred in wryting And if I shall finde any thing in those bookes which may séeme cōtrary vnto the truth I will make no doubt but that eyther the booke is faultie or that the interpreter hath not followed the matter as it is spoken or else that I my selfe vnderstand not the same Other Authors also I réede in such sort as howe great a porte soeuer they beare of holinesse and learning I may not therefore thinke them true bicause such was their opinion but for that they coulde eyther by those Canonicall bookes or else by good probable reason perswade me in a thing that swarueth not from the truth Wherefore if we make the scripture subiecte to the iudgement of men we therewithall disanull the doctrine of most holye men For it is not the worde of God but the worde of men that is gouerned after the opinion of men But this is that holye sacred treasure of the Church this is that excellent consolation of faith that high and stedfast knowledge of life that the Scripture being planted not by men nor in the hande of men but by God in the hande of God through his sonne Iesus authorised by the holye Ghost was deliuered to the Church and by the same Church published and set forth to the instruction of all posterities Wherefore such as be members of the church doe not attribute to themselues any authoritie against their heade Iesus Christ but being subiects to their heade as méeke shéepe giue eare to no other voyce then to their owne pastor to whome they owe their faith conscience and subiection and the same as the voyce of Christ doe acknowledge here and follow from whence soeuer it be vttered and whatsoeuer thing it commaundeth that is righteous and iust to be done For by iudging of holsome doctrine they know also the contrarie making a difference betwéene them that it which is sounde right and lawfull may be allowde according to the saying Proue all take the best and things contrarie and straunge therevnto maye be reiected and disprooued The iudgement wherewith we discerne approue instruct and reproue must be supported with knowledge Knowledge springeth chiefly by exercise of the spirite of fayth in the worde of god Whereby with a sensible vnderstanding we sincerely accorde those places togither which appeare contrarie to a likenesse and resemblance in themselues according to the proportion of our fayth We way the beginning with that which followeth and by diligent comparing euerie thing in it selfe we indeuour to attaine to that knowledge of the Lordes meaning For this cause Paule mooueth Timothe that he continually exercise himselfe in reading exhortation and teaching These things sayth he exercise in these remaine that thy profiting maye be knowne in all things Hereby we finde out the difference betwéene the spirite of truth and the spirite of error that whereas the spirite of Christ searcheth and séeketh for nothing but the glory of God ioined with the care and safetie of our neighbor contrariwise the other being set on and inflamed with the loue of it selfe with ambicion couetousnesse pride reuenge tyranny the immoderate loue of things priuate defileth polluteth and corrupteth all thinges so wresteth and turneth the scripture from the sense and meaning thereof as it can by a counterfeyte way séeme to defende and maintaine the verye same thing which it doth repugne and stande agaynst By this reading and exercise the traditions of the godly which of right we call the holy séede being taught may both cause a man to take héede to himselfe and by reclayming of himselfe may conuince errors which Christ prophecied should be so great and aboundant before his latter cōming that he doubted whether the son of man at his comming should find fayth vpon the earth shewed before that the verse elect if it were possible should be deceyued by them