Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	glory_n	kingdom_n	7,618	5	5.7127	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25248	Redeeming the time a sermon preached at Preston in Lancashire, January 4th, 1657 at the funeral of the honourable lady, the Lady Margaret Houghton / by Isaac Ambrose.	Ambrose, Isaac, 1604-1664.; Houghton, Margaret, Lady, d. 1657.	1674 (1674)	Wing A2969; ESTC R29590	26,695	20

motive should work and now that we have a little time it should prevail with us to redeem the time 5. Our time hath been a very sinful time Ah my brethren think over your Ignorance unbelief worldliness covetousness pride malice lusts lukewarmness impatience discontentedness vain-glory self love wandring and wicked imaginations in a word all your pollutions distempers estrangedness from God in the time of your unregeneracy oh were not those sinful abominable and rebellious times or be it so that your gracious God hath since those times wrought in you effectually his saving grace have you not since then lost your first love or at least grown remiss and cold and lukewarm in it Say then speak out your hearts and tell me is it not time now to remember from whence you are fallen and to repent and to do your first works Blessed Mr. Bolton hath a saying that if it were possible that any uncomfortable passion were incident to a glorified Saint in Heaven he would be sorry and transported with extream anger and indignation against himself that he was not a meer greedy ingrosser as it were and improver of time for doing excellently upon Earth and that every hour especially after his Conversion was not Crowned with some rare and more remarkable exploit with some more special and noble service for the glorifying of that most bountiful and ever-blessed God who hath now honored him with such unspeakable glory in the Kingdom of Heaven But if no such passion is in glorified Saints I am sure we have all cause enough to loath our selves in our own fight for our iniquities and for our abominations O come let this be a motive to spur us on and to quicken us in this duty of Redeeming the time because our dayes were evil 6. The Scriptures speak of a remarkable set time of grace a time of visitation Luke 19.44 a time of Salvation 2 Cor 6.2 a time whilest God may be found Psal 32.6 a time when he holds out the Golden Seepter Esther 5.2 a time wherein the Fountain runneth and the spirit proclameth Ho every on that thirsteth come ye to the Waters Isa 55.1 Thus Jerusalem had her time and all the several Churches in Asia had their time and now England Scotland and Ireland have their time and if we mis-improve this time and walk unworthy of this grace and Gospel of Christ this time will have an end Psal 95.11 this Sun will go down at Noon and set upon our heads This day if you will hear my voice harden not your hearts said God to Israel but they hardned their hearts and therefore God sware to them in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest If it be so with us as it was with Israel in the wilderness we doe not know but this very day the Lord may clap an Oath upon our heads that we shall never enter into his rest Oh then that we would learn of the Ant that gathereth her meat in the Summer time Oh that while we have this time of grace we would redeem the time in praying reading hearing meditating and treasuring up the things belonging to our peace This time is a set-time that hastens away and we cannot with Joshua bid the Sun stand still O then let us say This is our time and therefore what we will do for our Souls we will do it now Surely better it is to redeem it now than to wish in pain and torment for the time again when it is past redemption 7. The time is a coming yea it is near even at the door when time shall be no more This is the voice of the seventh Angel Rev. 10.5.6 And the Angel which I saw standing upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever that there should be time no longer Who was this a man no an Angel and what did he say it no he sware it how sware it by himself no he sware it by him that lives for ever and what that time should be little no it should be no longer time should be no more Needs must this time come that hath all these circumstances to confirm it And what if this time should come even in your time what if now the seventh Angel should lift up his hand to Heaven and take this Oath If this time be far off as to the general Judgment which I cannot think yet sure I am and without all peradventure that it is not far off to thee and me It may be before this year this month this week this night be done that God may say to his Angel Go to such a man and such a woman I will give them no more time bring them hither and here let them give an account what they have done with all their time for I must have a reckoning of all time past And then comes in Imprimis so much time in Drinking and Revelling Item so much time in Idling Sporting playing c. Oh will God say were these things I gave you time for no no it was for Heaven and Salvation you had your time and if that time be mis-improved away away time and now enter Eternity upon these Souls Is not here a motive to make us look about us Oh my brethren now now if ever redeem the time for anon time will be gone and then succeeds eternity eternity eternity But what are the means for redeeming time I answer They are so many that I may have no time to enumerate the Particulars shall we instance in some you must pray read hear the Word meditate and watch over your hearts with extraordinary industry mortifie your members which are upon the Earth as pride covetousness lusts c. grow up in grace clear up your evidences against that day when all shall stand naked before that great and glorious Judge c. And these and all other Duties of which anon must be done while the day lasteth Here 's a great work and a little time doth it not concern you to bestir your selves If a man have much to write and but a little Paper to write on he must write small and thick and close as ever he can So must you do I verily believe there 's not one Soul amongst us but he may find out hundreds and thousands of sins to repent him of he may find out many and many a Particular Duty that he should be exercised in from morning to evening and from evening to morning so that 't is a wonder how he can spare any time at all for any thing else Well then up and be doing lose not a minute but be in the use and exercise of some of these Dutys These are the means and in the use of these means you may by the Lords help and grace concurring redeem your time One Objection I would remove It may be the day of grace is done the gate of mercy is already shut

years yea since the time of our regeneracy how prodigal have we been of this precious commodity of time those that keep exact diaries can easily tell you such an hour lost and such an hour ill spent this day I did little good and the other day I sinned against my God If in this case I may speak out my own experiences I must needs acknowledge that many and many a day I have lost such and such an opportunity and now that evil days come thick upon me wherein I would gladly redeem my days oh how flow and backward am I as yet in this Heavenly Duty My dear brethern I shall not onely reprove you but my self in this O why art thou so dull and listless and heavy O my soul Awake awake stirr up thy self and with redoubled diligence fall to the work of redeeming time while yet the time the day the season the opportunity of grace of Heaven or of Salvation lasteth 2. Must time be redeemed Vse 2. why then let me exhort you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ to be in the exercise of this Duty Oh redeem your time avoid all those hinderances that would take you off recompence your former unfruitfulness by after diligence embrace all occasions of acting grace and doing good I might dilate on all these particulars but I shall contract all in these very words Redeem the time oh redeem your time The motives besides the former reasons may be these 1. Time is ever on the wing and stayes for no man The Scripture is very full of this we meet with many similitudes hinting at the sudden invisible motion of time My dayes are swifter then a post they fly away Job 9.25 26. they are passed away as the swift Ships as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey See how Job here multiplies comparisons that if we will not learn by the first we might learn by a second or by a third Goe we to the land and there we see time on the spur in the swift riding post goe we to the Sea and there we see time upon the wind in the swift sailing Ship goe we to the aire and there we see time upon the wing in the swift flying Eagle Hence the Ancients emblem'd time with wings as if it were not onely running or sailing but flying Oh how sad it is to see men live as if time had leaden heels and not swift wings or as if time would any time stay our leasure and not be gone Be not deceived you that are weary of time either now redeem it or you will one day cry out What hath pride profited us or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us All these things are passed away like a shadow Wisd 5.8 9.10.11 12 13. and as Post that passeth by or as a Ship or as a Bird or as an Arrow even so we c. 2. As time is swift so our time is short The Heavens indeed are said to be of swift motion but of long continuance but our time is otherwise When the Corinthians propounded divers cases of conscience after some answers the Apostle gives them in this But this I say brethren the time is short or time is cut off he alludes to Sea-fearing men that have almost done their Voyage and begin to strike sail 1 Cor. 7.29 Time was in the beginning of the World that men might say I may by course of Nature live a matter of six or seven or eight or nine hundred years but now God hath so cast out the time of our age that so soon as we begin our Voyage we are ready to strike sail we have but a little time If I should measure it out what is it but an Ell a Span an Inch a Point And is it not time then to redeem the time 3. Time is not onely swift and short but nothing I say a very nothing in comparison As some creatures are said to be nothing in comparison of others What is the Ant to the Elephant or the Shrimp to the Whale what is the whole body of the Earth to the body of the Heavens So is our time as nothing to all time and all time is as nothing to Eternity David that found out a short dimension of his time considered absolutely Psal 39.5 or in it self Behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand-breath yet he could find out no dimension little enough for his time compared with God Mine age is as nothing before thee God's being consists in one Eternal now but mans time is divided into past present and to come three nothings which being added together amount in the total to this Sum Mine age is as nothing before thee Oh that we would consider of this language of the Holy Ghost were it not enough think you to put us on this Duty of improving and trading our time while the time is ours and while this short time lasteth 4. Though time be swift and short and as nothing in comparison yet is it a commodity more precious than the Gold of Ophir If herein we might hear lost Souls to utter themselves Oh what would they say or what would they give for a little of that little time they had on earth If the Lord by Divine and Extraordinary dispensation would but grant them one months time to come hither again and to make a new trial do you think they would not prize this grant would they not esteem that little short Golden season of grace at an high and mighty rate Would they not make use of every opportunity to lay hold of Heaven and to escape those fires wherein now they are burning frying and flaming O yes if you would then tempt them saying Come spend this hour merrily would they not answer alas we have but one months time to live here in this World and then we must either to Hell again or if we improve our time well we must to Heaven and what shall we trifle away this time of trial and of grace in offending God shall we cast away our Souls again to gratifie you or to please our own flesh for so little a time as we have now to live Oh God forbid avoid Satan avoid all Temptations welcome now all those messengers of Heaven that will bring us the glad tidings the tenders the offers of Christ and of Salvation let not one sand in the hour-glass run but let us be doing some good let this hour be spent in prayer and the next in meditation and the next in hearing of God's Word and the next in the exercise of this and that grace and so on but not one hour in sin Why surely thus would they prize and improve the time that know by woful experience what it is to lose the time And by this we may guess the worth of time oh it is pretious so pretious that if all the Earth were turned into Gold it could not purchase one minute of it Me thinks this

and if so how is it possible for me to redeem the time I answer 1. By way of Concession I believe there is a day of grace indeed and if that Sun set it will never never rise again If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes Luk. 19 4● q. d. Now is the gate of mercy shut there is no means of grace or Salvation for ever hereafter to be hoped for As there is no Market or Fair-day that lasteth alwayes if the Country will not come in the Trades-man will at last put up his wares So the Lord's standing may be open and his shop set wide for such and such a time but if Souls will not come in and buy without mony and without price he will at last put up his wares all his jewels of grace and then be gone 2. Though it be true that there is a day of grace and that this day may set yet in respect of us the Ministers of Christ we cannot determine it and therefore so long as you live we call still oh repent oh redeem your time I may add in respect of your selves it is not in you to know the times and seasons which God hath put in his own power Act. 1.7 And the commandement of Faith standing in force on you so long as you live and thereforce you are still to look to your Duty of redeeming the time 3. It may be this day this night this Sermon this very hour may be thy day of grace Hearken is not Christ's Spirit now a knocking is not Christ himself now offering mercy to thy Soul O ye sons of men that have mis-improved your time will ye now at least in this your day he wise to Salvation why now I call to your hearts now I command you to open your everlasting doors that I the King of Glory may come in oh let this be the time of love Come give me your hearts and now redeem the time Away away with all objections scruples cavils that may hinder this Duty and now even now hearken to this voice of Christ or of the Spirit of Christ that your Souls may live 3. Must time be redeemed Then for some Rules or Directions how we must redeem it Rule 1. Vse 3. A void we every thing that would hinder us from taking the opportunity What those things are you have heard before as ignorance sloth and love of fleshly liberty Many other particulars might be enumerated but chiefly and especially foregoe we these Rule 2. Repent we of all former mis-improvings of our time There is no other way of recompensing former unfruitfulness but by repentance and after diligence This is the scond table after shipwrack in this way we may redeem or buy back again the time that is past The very word resipiscentia signifies to be wise again after all our former follies Oh that ever any should be so unworthy as to decry this godly-Gospel-golden Rule Rule 3. Live we every day as if every day were the last day we had to live This Rule or direction is so comprehensive that I must needs break it into particulars Suppose then I were to begin this day and that I look't on this day as the last day of my life how should I redeem my time or spend this day I answer 1. My first and morning-thoughts should be on God or on something in order to his service Psal 130.6 My Soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the Morning Isa 23.2 O Lord be gracious to me I have waited for thee be thou my arm every Morning Psal 59.16 I will sing of thy power I will sing aloud of thy mercy in thy Morning It is good to give thanks unto the Lord. Psal 92.1 2. and to sing praises unto thy name O most high to shew forth thy loving kindness in the Morning Psal 139.17 How pretious are thy thoughs unto me O God when I awake I am still with thee Now these Morning-thoughts may be spent either in a way of Meditation Isa 26. or of Prayer and my Duties lie in both 2. I should meditate I shall not determine whether Morning or Evening may be more suitable for set deliberate and solemn meditation onely this I affirm that either a solemn or an occasional meditation is a Morning-duty In some sort meditation and prayer should ever go together Psal 5.1 2.3 and David thus couples them Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation hearken to the voice of my cry My voice shalt thou hear in the Morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee Now these Morning-meditations if occasional or ejaculatory may be on such Objects as these 1. Upon my first waking I may think on that Morning of my Resurrection when the Lord will awake me from the dust it is but a while till the trump shall sound Awake Isa 29.19 and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and then shall the earth cast out her dead 2. Upon sight of the Morning-sun I may think on that Sun of Righteousness that enlightens Heaven The Sun that shines on me was only created for this nether World and yet how glorious is it Oh then what light is there in that City above that hath no need of Sun Re. 21.23 or Moon or Star for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof 3. Upon the putting on of my apparel I may think on that garment of Righteousness where with my soul either is or should be cloathed Alas what is this outward Robe but a Rag or at best an excrement of dead worms of which I have little reason to be proud But my Souls Robe is as a garment cut out of the Sun Rev. 12.1 and put upon me And there appeared a great wonder in Heaven a woman cloathed with the Sun Oh that I may be cloathed with that Sun of Righteousness or with that Rightousness of the Son of God that I may appear before God as I am in him pure and spotless I shall not instance in any other objects of my Mornings meditation onely if I find my spirit most active and fit for meditation at such a time I should then go on and spare more time for set deliberate and solemn meditations 2. I should pray and to this Duty I may joyn the reading of the Word That this is a mornings Duty the Scripture is express Psal 5.3 In the Morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Psal 88.13 And in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee And evening and morning and at noon will I pray and crie aloud Psal 55.17 and he shall hear my voice It is true that Prayer and reading of the Word are two distinct exercises