Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	child_n	kingdom_n	little_a	10,781	5	6.9696	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56405	A revindication set forth by William Parker, in the behalfe of Dr. Drayton deceased, and himself of the possibility of a total mortification of sin in this life: and, of the saints perfect obedience to the law of God: to be the orthodox Protestant doctrine, and no innovations (as they are falsly charged to be) of Dr. Drayton and W. Parker; in an illogicall vindication, wherein the necessity of sins remaining in the best saints as long as they live, and the impossibility of perfect obedience to the law of God, is ignorantly and perversly avouched to to [sic] be the orthodox Protestant doctrine; by one who subscribeth his name John Tendring. ...	Parker, William, fl. 1651-1658.	1658 (1658)	Wing P486A; ESTC R200724	221,023	288

one should not be eased and another burdened but that there should be equality 2 Cor. 8.13 Now if the young man had then gone and sold all he had as Christ did bid him and given it to the poor he had indeed eased them but burdened himself in leaving himself nothing of his vast estate for it is said he had great possessions and so he had made himself a burden to others Again it is not certain there were so many poor at that time among the Jews and they medled with the Gentiles in that case its probable no more then the Samaritans did with the Jewes in divers cases John 4.9 Thirdly Christ doth not bid him sell it and have it in common to communicate it as they did Acts 4.32 with others if it had been so there might have been some argument from it to incline him to obey Chrsts advise because then he might have had as good share being before his own as others had in like need but Christ bids him go and sell all he had and so fulfil the Proverb make himself as poor as Job without giving him any comfort in reference to his estate by telling him that he might have part of it himself with the poor but go sell all and give to the poor saith Christ unto him Fourthly Paul telleth Ananias Acts 5.1 2 3. that his estate was his own and that he was left free to do as he pleased he was not bound by any requiring to sell all his estate and bring it to be distributed but Peter reproveth him for his hypocritical dissimulation onely in keeping back part of his estate under hand contrary to his outward pretence hence à pari it is not likely or probable from what Christ said to him that Christ required him to go and sell all his temporal estate and give it to the poor for Ananias is not by Peter told that he was required to sell all that he had and to give it to the poor but Peter saith to him whiles it remained was it not thine own and after when it was sold was it not in thy own power c. 5. Reas Because Christ telleth him that he should be perfect ipso facto upon the supposition of his foregoing universal obedience which he professed he had performed yet Paul saith 1 Cor. 13.12 If Ishould give my body to be burned and my goode to the poor I should profit my felf nothing if I have not love therefore Christ could not intend to bid the man sell his temporal estate that ipso facto he might be perfect because that fact in it self would not have made him perfect according to Pauls restimony aforesaid 6. Reas Because Christ had no occasion given him to discourse of temporal estates therefore Christ did not bid him fell all his temporal estate and riches but his own false spiritual riches which was his high conceit of himself for after Christ had declared the happy estate of Children Mat. 19.13 14. then cometh this Querent St. Luk styleth him a ruler cap. 18.18 to know what he must do and telleth Christ what he had done in order to Christs directions vers 28. and would know what he had more to do Christ telleth him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sell all thy own which remaineth or sell all things remaining that are thine now the self-chosen righteousnesse and such like stuffe are the mans own for the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof 1 Cor. 10.26 therefore that is not the mans but Gods that he may command when he pleaseth may be no impediment to eternal life unto them that do injoy a great measure of it Hence you see the occasion given to Christ from the Querie of the man and his reply from whence no doubt our Saviour took opportunity to give him the advise aforesaid Read also the other Evangelists Mar. 10.17 to ver 23. Luk. 18.18 19 20 to 23. ver 10 25 26. Mat. 22.34 35. and it may easily be perceived how apt these sort of men are to justifie themselvs when that which is high in men is oft abomination to God so we may see how Laodicea was lifted up with this sort of spiritual false riches Revel 3.10 as is apparent by the Lords counsell to that Church what to do in that case And Paul upbraideth the Corinthians that they were rich and ful and wanted nothing and reigned as Kings c. 1 Cor. 4.8 9. yet not in truth as those Kings spoken of Revel 1.11 but onely in their own high conceivings because the said Church of Corinth was not so rich in temporals at that time Secondly it appeareth that they looked on themselves as rich in high conceivings by Pauls expressions in reference to them ver 6 7. Thirdly because he wisheth they did reign that the Apostles might reign with them Hence it is easie by comparing the foresaid testimonies with the words and deportment of this man to understand that it was spiritual false riches of selfe-chosen righteousnesse that were his great possessions which our Saviour biddeth him to sell and part with that he might be perfect and complete having done what he said and so by his righteousnesse which Christ would have him shew forth he might have treasure in Heaven for Prov. 22.4 it said By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life and Math. 18.4 Christ saith Whoever shall humble himselfe as a little child the same is great in the kingdom of God We summ up all in this Syllogisticall demonstration Those riches which Christ had onely an occasion to take notice of to be the mans possessions the same in reason we ought to believe Christ did intend when he bid the man s●ll all he had c. But they were his spiritual false riches of his chosen holinesse andhigh-conceitednesse that Christ had occasion given him from the man and others of his like mind to take notice of Therefore those riches were the riches which he counsels him to sell The major cannot be denied and we hope the Assumption is proved by former instances If it be said it was his temporal estate because hewent away sorrowful We answer that it will not follow necessarily thereupon because those who are rich in false spiritual wisedom and holiness Luk 18.11 are as unwilling yea more to part with their possessions as theformer and therefore our Saviour telleth them that Publicans and adulterers should enter into Heaven before them Mat. 21.31 And the reason is because it is easier to convince the Publicans and Harlots having no excuse then to convince these as appeareth Job 9.34 40. and 7.48 49. If it be yet further urged that Christ meant as aforesaid because he bid him give them to the poor We answer though Christ did bid him do so yet its Ignoratio elenchi to conclude thence that Christ meant the mans temporall possessions because

receive those two gifts of justification and regeneration by the death of Christ for though remission of sins is purchased thereby for the true beleevers yet that is neither regeneration nor justification in the Apostles sense nor is justification purchased thereby for he that made us had power to regenerate without any such purchase That therefore it follows that out of the first Adam to wit our first parent there issued a double evil unto and upon us to wit guilt and corruption we deny as false and inconsequent That in this derivative the sin which he speaks of is an universal corruption is false likewise in which are two great evils as he saith Sed sublato sub ecto tollitur ad unctum Pag. 5. That in it first there is a general defect of all righteousnesse in which we were at first created to wit in our first patents First it is manifestly false as also that any such defect is derived unto us who are still created righteous and holy and after the image of God as these ensuing Texts doe clearely prove besides many more that might be added Gen. 9.6 Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God created he man to wit him that is so killed or else the argument is of no force Jam. 3.9 Therewith to wit with the tongue bless we God and therewith curse we man who is created after the similitude of God Ecclesiast 7.29 Lo this have I found that God made man righteous but they have sought out many inventions Jer. 2.21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a wild vine unto me That this pretended derivative sin to be so conveyed from the first Adam to us is an inherent deordination evil disposition disease propension to all mischief and antipathy and aversation to all good which the Scripture calls the flesh the wisdome of the flesh the body of sin earthly members the works of the Devil the Hell that sets the whole course of nature on fire Jam. 3.5 6. Rom. 8.6 7. Jam. 3.15 Eph. 4.22 Col. 3.5 Rom. 7.23 1 John 3.8 Unto which I say that although all those names are justly given to the body of sin especially when it is fully formed in men with all his members yet first there is no such thing found in children of whom our Saviour saith that the Kingdome of Heaven is of such and that unlesse we be born again after our fall and corruption and become like them in humility righteousnesse love and meeknesse we cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Matth. 18.3 Mar. 10.14 15. Doth not Paul also give us this charge 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren be ye not children in understanding howbeit in malice or naughtiness be children where he implyeth that children have no malice or naughtinesse in them and if sin be the workmanship of the Devil as he out of 1 John 3.8 confesseth I would demand whether the Devil had an hand in the creation of children which he must if this sin be his workmanship But that which follows there that no man can be more sensible of the through-malignity of this derivative corruption then Paul was when he cryed out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Is first the old mistake and afterwards backed with this errour and peice of nonsense untill his understanding was opened to conceive the spiritualness penetration and compass of the holy Law which measures the very bottome of every action for Paul could not be so sensible of his sins malignity till his understanding was so opened nor till he had been scourged also for it by the work of the Law as all men are whom God brings to be and maketh his sons Psal 94.12 Heb. 12. That the Law condemns as well the original as the Acts of sin is true of prohibition but not of condemnation for each sinful motion is by the Law discovered and prohibited but we are not condemned for the same till we approve or like of the temptation in some measure Those ensuing positions are also false First that Paul Rom. 5.14 understands by Adam and Moses our first parent and him that was the Lawgiver but two distinct estates in men as was said before which may appear out of the foregoing verse compared with this For untill the Law sin was in the world that is before the inward Moses Lawgiver or reprover cometh unto men but where there is no Law sin is not reputed for sin for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be rendred Secondly because he saith that death reigned from Adum which is the natural man in his first defection till Moses or one that draweth out of the water of sin That the men who sinned between the first Adam's age and the time of Moses did not sin after the similitude of Adams transgression against the clear revelation of Gods holy will as Adam did Yet they did for the same God that did forbid the eating of the forbidden fruit doth ever since prohibit and forbid every sin in every mans soul that is against the moral Law Rom. 2.15 Which shews the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Was not Enoch a Prophet in his time see Jude 1.14 and was not Noah the eight preacher of righteousness as the Apostle calls him 2 Pet. 2.5 were not the men of the old World destroyed for their known wickedness and shut into the infernal prison for their apparent disobedience 1 Pet. 3.19 20. so that the Vindicators misapprehension of this place of mens sinning for want of such light as Adam had is full of darkness As for those over whom death reigned from Adam to Moses and who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression we say that as Adam and Moses are two inward states so may these be inward spiritual messengers of God represented by Abel and others as well as the inward Adam and Moses of which he speaks for such a generation of righteous ones which never sinned we find slain by the wicked and incorrigible generation of men Mat. 23.35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of the righteous Abel unto the blood of Zachariah the son of Barachiah for though men usually in reading this and other Scriptures look no further then the letter yet I demand of them how in justice could all the righteous blood shed from the beginning come upon that wicked and unbeleeving generation of the Jews if they had not inwardly slain a spiritual Abel and other messengers of God even to a spiritual Zachariah that is the Lord remembrancer the son of Barachiah that is of the Lords benediction as all his inward messengers are yea it is true which Abraham answered to

Divines as it s reported told the said Synod that they were not sent to debate that rigid and horrid question of absolute reprobation but that well-pleasing question of absolute love and election of God to some who be from all eternity elected though from the demonstration of this any of ordinary capacity might easily conclude what they must needs think concerning reprobates and their reprobation We say again if Synods are called and convened as aforesaid we cannot expect Gods blessing upon their endeavours how specious soever their meeting seemeth to be For all such as God will blesse to such a work must be unbiassed and holy men of God besides their acquired learning for only such will say if allured or threatned by higher powers as the Apostles did to the rulers Act. 4.19 whether we should obey God or you judge ye 12. Querie Whether it be a sinne to pray for grace and help from Christ to live here without sinne and in perfect obedience to all and every one of Gods commandements which consist in our operative love to God and man Matth. 22.37 to 41. The reason because the doctrine of perfection is deemed an innovation and heresie and to pray therefore for such a thing must be evill 13. Qu. Whether if we ought to pray as aforesaid it be a sinne in any of the Saints to believe and expect that God will give grace and help by Christ unto such praying Saints to live without sinne and transgression to his laws in this life as aforesaid 14. Qu. Whether it can be demonstrated clearly out of Scriptures for it s often affirmed to be so that what Adam received of God for himself he received as a common root and by vertue of a covenant of God with Adam relating thereunto for all mankind and what he lost in himself by his personal sinne he lost likewise for all his posterity and they must for ever lose the same without they repent of Adam's sinne and saved by an absolute decree of election Our reasons of this Querie are these First because it will then follow that if Adam had stood in his integrity as he might have done untill he had had a child of thirty years of age which might have lived a most holy life as Enoch did on earth yet upon Adam's fall or transgression afterward his said child or children must have lost all and been inwardly defiled with Adam's sinne and under the condemnation for it though untill that very time they had lived most innocently in personal obedience to all Gods lawes for many say without book because God did as they say so covenant with Adam that what he lost by transgression he and his posterity should lose ipso facto the same and his posterity be as truly defiled with his sinne as himself Secondly because if it be so as aforesaid then in case Adam had stood and persevered in obedience to his lives end as he might have done for it is said James 1.13 14. God tempts no man to sin but that every man is drawn aside of his own concupiscence then though his posterity yea hitherto had broken Gods righteous laws yet the just God must not have been angry with them nor punished them as sinners because Adam himself did not sinne in whom the Lord as they say made such a covenant as aforesaid and therefore what he received and did not forfeit by his own transgression they must likewise receive and must not lose by vertue of the said covenant with Adam notwithstanding their personal frequent rebellious and disobedience Orighteous God cause us to see and consider what dangerous sequels may be inferred directly opposite to thy justice and mercy from such a fictitious covenant as is pretended by many Divines that God made with Adam for himself and all his posterity 15. Querie What dishonour and wrong is offered to Gods justice and mercy or to any attribute of God by unbelieving and disowning the old tradition of original sinne from the first personal Adam Let the more zealous then considerate defenders of it produce the clear Scriptures to prove that our denial of it doth wrong Gods justice and mercy that so he may be justified in his saying and pure when he judgeth according to the said tradition 16. Querie What cause have parents to quarrel or grieve that they hear their children be born innocent and fit members for the kingdome of heaven Matth. 19.14 15. Matth. 18.3 let them produce Scripture plainly to prove that its more for Gods honour to ordain them to come into the world as firebrands of hell the reason is because St. James telleth us ' mercy rejoyceth over judgment and the Psalmist saith Psal 14.59 that ' Gods tender mercies are over all his workes which in the foresaid case of being under wrath for Adam's sinne cannot be rightly attested and declared and Is 57.16 ' the Lord maketh the souls and also the Lord restored Adam into his favour from his guilt c. before he had any children therefore if Adam's posterity were under the condemnation for his sinne the mercies of God are much obscured towards the posterity of Adam 17. Querie What honour and excellency is taken from Christs merits and saving grace by declaring that our justification or making righteous is from Christ within us Col. 1.27 not without us and from his saving grace communicated to us in our obedience to his laws The reason of this Qu. is because there is so much pleading that our justification is by Christs imputative righteousness residing in himself and not communicated to us but putatively onely and so our pollution may remain still if we be justified in Christ by the said external imputation of his righteousness onely for there is no inward cleansing by that means communicated unto us And peradventure the observing of the common transgressions committed by most men yea professors of religion like those Tit. 1.16 very frequently first brought in the imbelief because men ' resist not striving unto blood against sinne Heb. 12.4 that all our sinnes cannot be purged away in this life we say the observing and believing as aforesaid brought in without doubt the perswasion of a justification by Christs righteousness imputed onely to us and not by inherent righteousness within us that we might have quiet consciences notwithstanding our iniquities 〈◊〉 us in our faces by dreaming we are justified by 〈◊〉 imputative righteousness without us and not wrought in us through our obedience by the help of his grace and holy Spirit 18. Qu. Whether these who cry out against others for heresies and blasphemous opinions ought not to be sure before that they are so lest it be retorted on them as Paul did against his contenders Act. 24.14 by the way that ' you call heresie so worship we the Lord our God and especially to be careful they are sree themselves from all heresie for Turpe est doctori cùm culpa redarguit ipsum 19. Qu. Whether the Lord

Law and afterward comforted from heaven with a hope of mercy to salvation witnessed in their consciences by the holy Ghost But the words of the Greek Text are commonly mistranslated Concerning the imperfection of hope he saith little to the purpose but what he saith implieth a contradiction in it selfe and to what he would assert also for he saith that the Apostle compareth hope to an anchor for the soul which is both sure and stedfast as the Apostle doth Heb. 6.19 and yet this saith he doth no ways prove our hope to be perfect for what greater perfection can there be in an anchor then to have it sure and stedfast and to stay and preserve us against all winds and storms of Satan which he confesseth that our hope doth Nor is it the anchor that reels to and fro as he absurdly speaks but that which lyeth at anchor or the Ship it selfe but at the distance and the whole length of a cable whence its mobility by the winds and storms doth arise and not from the anchor it selfe And as for charity he goes about page 32 to prove that it must be imperfect all this life long First because our knowledge here is imperfect and but in part It is saith he a Maxime among Divines tantum scimus quantum diligimus which he or some others for him doth English thus imperfect knowledge cannot produce perfect charity But though the English saying is true yet it is not the sense of the Maxime but rather this that we have so much divine experimental and saving knowledge as there is love found in us that knowledge being always accompanied with a proportionable love 1 Joh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we love God if we keep his commandements and verse 4. he that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him True it is also which the Poet speaks quod latet ignotum est ignoti but not ignotae as he hath it nulla cupido things simply unknown cannot be loved yet is not our affection always towards men according to our knowledge or acquaintance with them as he affirms for knowledge and acquaintance may be without love But yet it is true also which he out of Bernard saith we can neither desire what we know not nor enjoy what we love not and that we shall love God with an absolute perfection in heaven because that we shall so know him and that with an experimental knowledge of his goodnesse But this hinders us not from so knowing him here as to love him above all which is the perfection of love here required of us Secondly he saith that perfect charity expelleth fear but there is no Saint here without feare Yet we have often shewed the contrary out of Luk. 1.74 75. and 1 Joh. 4.17 18. Thirdly he saith that perfect charity expels sin which he denys to be exterminable here because Saint James saith in many things we all offend chap. 3.1 2. Which is truly spoken of James of the whole race of our life not of our final and best attainments for in the same verse Saint James describes such a perfect man qualis invenire posset aut debet saying If any man sin not in a word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body But to fortifie his own cause he goeth about to disable the word of Christ saying Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that he lay down his life for his friend which he saith is not yet perfect for men may doe this out of ambition and for vain-glorious ends and therefore saith he our Saviour doth not bring this to prove the perfection of our love but of his own toward us so far as might be understood by outward apprehension But there is a life which if he and others would lay down in love to the Father Son and the Holy Ghost and their friends whom they should perfectly love it would be an undeniable argument of the greatest and most perfect love towards God and that is not to offer our only son with Abraham or our own natural life but the life of sin and and that is the life which he would have us hate and lay down for his sake Matth. 10.39 Luk. 14.26 Joh. 12.25 Rev. 12.11 nor is there any other life that men can properly call theirs but the life of sin for the natural life and the spiritual life are Gods workmanship and gift but so is not sin And having thus to his power mutilated the words of Christ Joh. 15.13 he goes about likewise to doe Christ the like service where our Saviour saith Ye are my friends if ye doe whatsoever I command you of which this Iohn of Burson as if he affected to be herein an Antichrist saith This is an hypothetical proposition which can never prove his perfection of charity because we can never be able to perform the condition Doth Christ then give us false marks and mock-tokens to try our selves by whether we be his friends or no was not Abraham called the friend of God 2 Chron. 20.7 Isai 41.8 Iam. 2.23 and was it not upon this very score Gen. 26.5 because saith the Lord that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my commandements statutes and my charge This brought all blessings upon Abraham and his seed after him But he goes on saying For although Bellarmine saith Gods word may be kept that is fulfilled yet he proves it not If he did not he might easily have done it and for to say that Gods commandements are grievous and to say that we can keep them not is not the same saith he yes in the Apostles sense they are Joh. 5.3 4. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous and he shews the reason of it in the two next verses to the confounding of both the Vindicators positions for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world to wit that world of sin opposite to the world of the Father of which sinful world he had spoken 1 John 2.15 16. And this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith For a thing saith the Vindicator may be very light yet heavier then I can bear Surely he is either a very weak man or this is a strong mistake but how doth he prove it The commandements saith he are just and holy and good Rom. 7.12 and the yoke of obedience is easie and light Matth. 11.30 Both these are true but the former of these doth not speak any thing of the lightnesse or heavinesse of Gods Law nor yet the latter unless it be to those that are weary of the yoke of sin and come to Christ and learn of him the lowlinesse and meeknesse and all other Christian virtues which are contrary to sin and which enable men to obey that Law Now whereas he would prove that these commandements of the moral Law are heavyer then we can bear