Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A31087
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Certain proposals humbly offered, for the preservation & continuance of the truly reformed Protestant religion, in these three kingdomes of England, Scotland and Ireland by a professor of the said truly reformed Protestant religion ...
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J. B.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing B96; ESTC R11223
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33,531
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39
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pregnant Parts apt to learn and by perswasions of them their Parents would easily be inclined to the Service of Christ in the aforesaid glorious work of the Ministry or in case they have no such Sons of their own yet would please to adopt such as are in the said Treatise already suggested and not only bring them up to the said Service in manner as is propounded but settle a liberal maintenance upon them during their lives at least in case they continue sound in the Faith painful in their Work and holy in their Conversations I say whether those that shall do such a noble work as this besides the giving proof of their Love to Christ they will not by this means render the Children which they thus bring up dedicate to the Lord's work and settle Estates upon them in consideration of it whether they be their own Children or such as are adopetd by them I say whether they will not render them doubly happy First in putting them into so honourable and heavenly an employment Secondly In delivering them from the Snares and Temptations they would otherwise be endangered by if not thus provided for upon account of their faithfulness and constancy in their work whatsoever discouragements and troubles they may meet with for their works sake 5. Whether it would not be one of the most Glorious works that some Ages have produced if certain rich Protestants amongst others the aforementioned Acts of Piety humbly moved to be promoted by them here in Old England should agree together to setâ—le a perpetual liberal maintenance upon the Vniversity of Cambridge in New-England and so to endow it that it might be a standing and lasting Nursery to all succeeding Ages not only to train up such hopeful and well educated Youths for the service of the Gospel there as shall be born in that Countrey but such also as shall be sent from hence for the same purpose in due tâ—me to return hither richly furnished with sound Learning and abilities to do the like service here Methinks 50 or 60 if not 100 persons might easily be found in this Kingdom of Old-England that might each of them give an hundred pounds a year for ever to the said Vniversity in New Engâ—and for so pious and renowned a work and thereby not only perpetuate and embalm their Names here but prepare the more abundant entrance for themselves into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and so be he higher in happiness hereafter For though I am far from that Popish Opinion of Merit whether of condignity or congruity and do not in the least think that any man whatsoevâ—â—â—an deserve any thing at the hand of God for any good work or work that can be done by him yet that every one receives according to his wâ—â—ks is no false Doctrine if those Scriptures be true in 2 Cor. 5.10 〈◊〉 14.13 20.12 13. 6. Whether this small Treatise if it shall be judged useful and seasonable will not be so most of all by being dispersed abroad into many hands and into those principally that it is more particularly intended for as into the hands of all dissenting though sound in the main true-hearted Professors into the hands of the Parents and Governors of numerous Families into the hands of the several sorts of the aforementioned rich Protestants into the hands of all religiously affected young persons especially such as are under the age of sixteen years And whether it would not be Money well laid out to print so many Impressions and take care and pains to disperse them as might replenish all the aforesaid Parties in these Three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland Perhaps some of the things humbly proposed in the Treatise may take with some others with others some may be prevailed with by it to dedicate their own Sons to the Service of the Sanctuary some to adopt others some that cannot or have no mind to do this may settle Countrey-Schools and give yearly Stipends for teaching poor Children to read in great and populous Towns and where is greatest Ignorance and least Means for Knowledge in the remote and dark parts of the Kingdoms particularly in the Northern and Western Parts and all over Wales A Passage out of Mr. Increase Mather his Excellent Book Entituled The Mystery of Israel's Salvation And shall I tell you yea from the Lord I will tell you that the Prayers of the despicable ones that know and fear and serve God can do great things with him that doth whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven and in Earth and in all deep places Oh consider of it I remember Melancthon that great and Learned Divine saith he was much encouraged to hope that God would carry on the work of Reformation in Germany and the Lord did carry it on with great success in those days because he understood that there were many poor Godly women that were wont to meet together to pray that the work of Reformation might go forward Even so if the Lord stir up the hearts of his poor Saints to favour the dust of Zion and to shew it by earnest Prayer before him at all times surely the day will not be long before the Lâ—rd appear in his Glory to build up Zion for he will have rgard unto the Prayer of the destitute and will not despise their Prayer Thus far he at the very close of his Book The same say I here Fervent Prayer all England over among such as truly fear the Lord and know how to pray aright may possibly set hundreds on work to help on the ends of this small Treatise and the Matters propounded in it FINIS
livelihood in this world But which is a greater thing give advantage to the improvement of the Parts and Natural Gifts of many a Fine Wit for publick Services that otherwise would be in a manner wholly lost and become useless both in Church and State for want of an ingenious education And which is yet more will they not keep up a learned and able Ministry and thereby in time make up the lamented loss of those many famous burning and shining Lights which of late years have been extinguished and still are more and more extinguished every day and will they not by this means likewise have the Prayers of Multitudes continually sent up to Heaven for them that Blessings of all sorts may be poured down upon them and theirs Yea and will not as the Apostle sayes in much the like case 2. Cor. 9.11 12 13. this very thing namely this bountifulness and liberal distribution for so brave a Service unto the Saints as well those that are not yet born as those that are cause many Thanksgivings unto God Hereafter at the great Tribunal of God how great a reward will it lay up for them and how high a place will it mount them to in heaven all those thousands of men and women that shall come to a true knowledge of God and the saving of their precious Souls in after-ages as a consequence and effect of this their so pious disposal of their wealth will they not pass for such as they have some way been instrumental in the saving of The Conversions wrought by those men which they shall have brought up and have given a liberal and holy Education to will they not in part be ascribed to them The Rule in Philosophy is true here Causa causae est causa causati in all noble acts the first and remote Cause is to be acknowledged the spring and fountain of the next and more immediate causes and the good effects thereof When stout and valiant Champions which they instrumentally shall have thus raised up not only for the propagating of the truly Reformed Protestant Religion but for a strenuous defence of it also against all Opposers whatsoever and when the minds of people every where shall thereby be so fixed and established as to be able to stand against all shocks and storms so that no Errors no Powers no Factions Conspiracies Subtilties or combined interest of a Popish Party no Priests or Jesuites or their Adherents shall be ever able to hinder the growth of true Protestantism much less exterminate it out of these Kingdomes what matter of Joy will this be to all such Rich Protestants as upon the consecrating of their Estates to the uses aforesaid shall see such blessed effects and fruits thereof yea and as was before said what high reward too shall they be sure to be enriched with in the other world upon this account But now on the contrary how much otherwise will it be with all such rich Protestants especially such of them as pretend to a profession of Religion and it may be amongst the most zealous Protestants too and yet have hearts so eaten into yea so eaten up and even gangren'd with Covetousness that First They are so far from doing good to others with the abundance of wealth which they reckon themselves Masters of that they live like slaves themselves to it so penuriously so sparingly so pinchingly that every wise observer of them cannot but wonder at their folly and every good man pity it Secondly When any opportunity is offered them for advancing any work of publick or private Charity be the necessity and excellency thereof never so visible and apparent yet they either find pitiful excuses or frivolous Arguments against it and so plainly reject it or if 〈◊〉 part with any thing it is in so small a pittance and with so much pain and difficulty as if they were letting out so much of their Heart-blood I say concerning such miserably-minded rich men as these how lamentable is their condition here and how much more lamentable is it like to be hereafter for the evincing of both which it would be well for this sort of men frequently and with all seriousness to read and consider these following great Scripture-Truths wherein they are deeply concerned and for whose sake after an especial manner they seem to be made a part of the Divine Oracle and to be left upon record First The manifold mischiefs hurts and dangers that this wretched spirit of theirs inevitably hurries them into as is expressed at large in Prov. 28.20 22. and in Eccles 5. from v. 10 to 18. compared with Mat. 13.22 1 Tim. 6.9 10. Jam. 4.4 5. from v. 1 to 5. Secondly With as much seriousness and frequency to read and consider that passage 1 John 3.17 Whoso hath this world's good and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his Bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him And what advantage will he have by his wealth if God hath no love for him nor he for God and his people in a right use and improvement of it Thirdly and lastly Let them seriously consider that being but Stewards for God and must give an account of their Stewardship as is fully set forth in the Parable of the rich man's Steward in Luke 16. Their account of all others is like to be the most dreadful and thereupon have they not need to use this or the like Letany From an excessive love unto insatiable desires after the world with a vehement and most eager pursuit thereof from the sordid spirit of the vile person mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah chap. 32. from v. 5. to 8. from the God-provoking soul-damning and detestable sin of Covetousness which is Idolatry from an exclusion out of Heaven and the loss of eternal life from the Treasures of wrath heaped up against the day of wrath and from the everlasting burnings of unquenchable flames among the Devils in Hell which are the Miser's portion Good Lord deliver us And now for a Close of all I will end with this earnest request and desire that all such especially such rich persons as would be further instructed and invited to the practice of what in this small Treatise is here humbly offered would purchase to themselves and carefully read over a Book of small price but as pithy a Book and as argumentative though in a plain stile as any I know The Title of it is The Surest and Safest Way of Thriving Published by Mr. Tho. Gouge Minister of the Gospel And Printed for W. Rawlins at the Hand and Pen over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1673. An Appendix THe consideration of two things methinks should very much affect all sound and true-hearted Protestants First The great and continual decay of the old Stock of our Learned Able Orthodox Faithful Laborious Protestant Divines How fast do they drop away how do they die daily And how are the Flocks and People they were