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	good_a	lord_n	9,702	5	3.6330	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41657	The surest & safest way of thriving, or, A conviction of that grand mistake in many, that what is given to the poor, is a loss to their estate : which is so directly contrary as to the experiences of the charitable : so to the testimony of God's spirit in divers places of Scripture ... by Thomas Gouge ...	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1673 (1673)	Wing G1377; ESTC R14065	59,429	70

distributing And the widdows Oyl increased by the pouring it out But these bare assertions being no full convictions For the better clearing the truth of this doctrine I shall prove it by Scriptures Examples and Reasons 1. For Scripture proofes there are very many both in the old and New-Testament What the Apostle saith of Godliness 1 Tim. 4. 8. It is profitable unto all things having the promise of this life and of that which is to come The like I may say of Charity It is profitable unto all things having promises of temporal blessings as well as of Spiritual and eternal Deut. 15. 10. Thou shalt surely give unto thy brother and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him because that for this the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto It is not thine own labour or care but the divine blessing that maketh rich and of that blessing behold here 's a Scripture-entail upon the liberal And the like we have Pro. ● 9 10. Honour the Lord with thy substance by giving out a portion thereof for the relief of the poor So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and as thy Barnes so thy Shop thy Cellers warehouses where thou bestowest thy goods shall be filled with abundance and thy presses shall burst out with new wine this seemeth to be an hyperbolical expression yet it signifieth no less then this that Gods usuall way is to make good returns of all we lay out upon him and his and that our wisest way both for ensuring and improving what we have is to make our selves Creditors to his wanting Saints A compassionate heart and an helping hand will gather by expending such giving is getting such bounty is the most compendious way to plenty Whereupon the wiseman addeth Pro. 11. 24. There is that scattereth and yet increaseth there is that withholdeth more then is meet but it tendeth to poverty Who is he here that scattereth not he that wastes his estate upon his throat his back and his belly or with the Prodigal upon Harlots but he that casteth his bread upon the waters as the expression is Eccl. 11. 1. He that disperseth and giveth to the poor as Psal. 112. 9. this is the scatterer in that text And what of him is he wasted is he impoverished Behold the quite contrary the man is grown rich he is encreased by scattering Let him look to it that withholdeth more than is meet this is the more likely man of the two to be found shortly on the dunghil If thou wilt secure thy self from beggery keep not Gods beggers from thy door nor send them away empty whose needs though not their tongues cry in thine ears Give for the Lords sake Fear not to loose by laying out Thy laying up what thou shouldst lay out hath the most danger in it The divine curse may wither that in thine hand which thou holdest fast against the divine command In the following verse we read further The liberal soul shall be made fat The Soul is often in Scripture taken to signifie the Man and so it is here and is the same as the liberal man To be made fat signifies to prosper to be full and abound or to grow rich in this worlds goods and thus it shall be if this Scripture may be credited The liberal Soul It is in the Hebrew as you may find it noted in the Margin the Soul of blessing the merciful man is a blessing and hath a blessing for such as need him and he that is a blessing shall be blessed the Lord God shall bless him with an increase of his substance who hath most emptied himself for him and his It s true that the SOUL of the liberal properly taken shall be a gainer by his liberality no more thriving Christians then the merciful Christians what they expend in temporals is abundantly returned in spirituals But because there is so much of carnal even in too many Christians and have need of encouragements suited to our tempers therefore to our spiritual advantages which are the greatest these outward encouragements are added as often most taking with our too carnal hearts So that this is the sense of the place The liberal man as the reward and encouragement of his liberality shall prosper in the world And as it follows He that watereth the soul of the needy his waters shall not fail but he shall be watered also himself God will give in to him according as he hath given out to others And for their farther encouragement saith the wiseman Pro. 19. 17. He that hath pity on the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given shall he pay him again If that which thou givest be repaid thee again how can it be said to be lost Indeed the poor unto whom thou givest are not able to repay thee again yet having such an alsufficient Surety as God himself who hath undertaken the repayment thou need'st not doubt thereof Oh happy is that man that becomes a Creditor to his Creatour and makes God his debtor whose is the earth and the fulness thereof Heaven and earth shall be emptied before he shall want a royal payment Fear not to be an Vsurer so thou lendest unto God make him thy debtor and he will surely pay thee Principal and Interest Allow him his time for that he will have and he will not only pay the debt but allow thee for the forbearance The ungodly borroweth and payeth not again but this shall never be said of the righteous God He is just and will make good payment of whatsoever is lent unto him It is true the Lord loves to deal upon trust and uses to make payment by way of Returns He will be trusted and those that will not give him Credit let them if they can put their estates into surer hands And he uses to pay by the way of Returus it may be neither in the same kind nor in the same Country Sometimes t is so that he pays not in the same kind bread for bread or clothes for clothes or money or money Nor possibly may he make his payment in this forreign land where thou art a Merchant adventurer but may give thee his bill of exchange to receive it in thine own country that better Country which is thy home and inheritance which shall be the reward of thy works and labour of love which thou shewest to his name And if he do thus does he thee any wrong Is it not best for thee that thou receive thy goods at thy home Is it any harm to thee to receive Silver for thy Brass Gold for thy Silver Rubies for thy Gold a treasure in Heaven for thy treasure on Earth Doubt not that he will be behind hand with thee yet stick not if thou shouldst be put to it to wait for payment in full till hereafter and for the present this thou may'st depend upon from Pro. 28.

my bosome with increase And hath my Saviour for my encouragement promised Luk. 6. 36. That if I give unto the poor it shall be given to me again good measure pressed down and shaken together running over Then certainly there is no such compendious way to thrive and prosper in the world as by my liberality to the poor 2. Prefer Heaven and the things thereof before this earth and earthly things Though the temporal reward which I have so much insisted on be a great encouragement yet the greatest encouragement is the spiritual and eternal reward that the Lord hath promised And that this may be the more prevailing encouragement learn to esteem and prize things spiritual and eternal above all things that are but temporal Suppose it should so fall out that you should never receive in kind what you bestow yet count those temporal things put off at the best rate which you receive in things spiritual and eternal Value grace and glory above all the treasures of the earth and count your selves to grow rich men according to your abounding in grace and your evidences for glory And esteem it an unthristy Saving and holding in where you have an opportunity to improve in your inner man by expending of your outward substance Till Heaven be valued above earth this great Argument encouraging to Acts of bounty and mercy will lose its efficacy When God says Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it again after many dayes the Worldling will be ready to demand But how shall I find it in what way shall it be returned me Shall I have bread for bread or money for my bread or houses or Lands for my money probably thou may'st But suppose not so yet it shall be better than so thou shalt have in grace what thou partest with in bread or money thou shalt reap in Heaven what thou sowest on the waters I but the worlding will reply I do not mean to part with my bread or my money so No I know thou dost not but the reason is because thou lovest this earth more than Heaven Thou sayest Will Grace feed me Will Grace cloath me Can I keep my self and my Family Can we live and be maintained and preserved from poverty and beggery here by hopes of glory hereafter Go fool and learn better what God is and what his everlasting mercy is let the lasting treasures the durable riches be more priz'd and valued by thee and this will stop thy mouth and silence thine heart from such vain reasonings Thou wilt never again say I cannot spare my bread or my money when by spending it for God thou seest thou makest him thy debter who will pay it thee again in spiritual and eternal good things if once thou account these to be better than thy bread or thy money But till thou art come to be settled in this Judgement and belief both that the good things of God are infinitely better than the good things of this earth and that what thou sowest in the earth thou shalt certainly reap in Heaven till thou comest in good earnest to be of this mind God's poor are like to be but little the better for thee 'T is this beloved that will effectually do it will open your hearts and open your hands in bounty and liberality for God when you come to be rooted in the practical belief of this principle upon which the practice of all Religion stands and is upheld in the world That Heaven is better than Earth if this other be added to it That what is sincerely laid out for God in the Earth shall certainly be repayed in Heaven besides that return which the Lord here in this world oftentimes makes to the charitable 2. For the Means tending to help you for the better managing of it take these following 1. Either follow the Example of the Primitive Saints in setting apart something every Lords Day out of the former weeks gettings Or 2. Devote unto God a certain portion of thy yearly incomes for charitable uses That the former way of setting apart something every Lords Day for the relief of the poor was the practice of the Primitive Christians is clear from that of the Apostle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye Vpon the first day of the week which is the Lords Day let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him This way and course concerns such in special who live upon their daily labours But to such Gentlemen and others who live upon their Rents and Offices and to such Merchants and Citizens who once a year cast up their accounts I would commend the latter way of devoting unto God a certain portion of their yearly income by Rent or otherwise and then separating it from the rest to account it a sacred stock for the poor not to be imployed to any other use All men naturally through the corruption that is in them are hard-hearted and close-handed very unwilling to part with any thing considerable upon sudden occasions for charitable uses But having aforehand set apart something their ears hearts and hands are open to every charitable motion and very ready and forward are they the more liberally to contribute thereunto of what is laid by rejoycing that they have met with so good an object of Charity As for the quota pars what proportion every one ought to set apart out of his yearly income for good uses I do not find it particularly set down in the Word of God and therefore dare not positively determine the same and the rather because there are so many circumstances which alter the case that no certain rule can be given but shall leave it to the discretion and ingenuity of the prudent Christian. But though the Scripture doth not determine the exact proportion to be set apart for good works yet doth it command us to give out proportionably to what God hath given unto us to open our hands wide to the necessities of the poor to be rich in good works and the like Yea the Scripture doth commend unto us the examples of very bountiful Christians as of Dorcas who is said to be full of good works and alms-deeds which she did Act. 9. 36. And of Cornelius who is said to give much alms Act. 10. 2. And of the Macedonians who are said to give to their power yea and beyond their power 2 Cor. 8. 3. It likewse commendeth unto us the example of Iacob who in testimony of his thankfulness unto God for what he should bestow upon him vowed the tenth thereof unto God for pious and charitable uses as Gen. 28. 20 22. And Jacob vowed a vow unto God saying Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee These examples are left upon record for our imitation for as the Apostle speaketh

this life to the poor he was denied a drop of water in Hel. And as thy prayers are rejected by God so likewise will it be in vain for thee to hear the word or come to the table of the Lord. All thy religion will be in vain shall I say Nay it will be an abomination to the Lord whilst that accursed thing thy covetous and cruel heart which the Lord abhoreth Psal. 10. 3. remaines within thee Think not that one duty will excuse the neglect of another that thy praying may serve instead of thine alms that religion shall excuse thee mercy or thy confession of thine unmercifulness will make up the matter The Lord abhorreth thee and all thy Sacrifices whilst the Sacrifice of a compassionate heart is wanting Oh that all uncharitable persons would steep their thoughts in a serious meditation of these things and as they desire to prevent those judgments which accompany all merciless men they would put in for a share in the mercies of the merciful and to that end would put on bowels of pitty and compassion towards the wants and miseries of Gods distressed ones and stretch forth an helping hand towards their relief which leadeth me to a Second Use namely 2. Use of Exhortation to stir up every one who have given up their names unto Christ to make conscience as of every duty comanded by him so of this especially which he hath so vehemently pressed upon us in his word and encouraged us unto by many sweet and precious promises This work of charity is wages and like Samson's Lyon it carrieth honey in the belly of it He who out of a principle of love in obedience to Gods command shall open his heart and hand wide to the poor shall find God blessing his stock and store and prospering all his undertakings As there is a Secret curse goes out from God upon the uncharitable mans estate which blasteth all his projects and undertakings whereby they prove altogether fruitless So there is a Secret blessing goeth out from God upon the charitable mans estate whereby he thrives and prospers in the world even to his own and neighbours admiration It is observed that they are the richest Merchants and Citizens who trade boldly whereas they who are fearful to adventure their goods have but small returnes In like manner it is found by experience that such Christians as are most forward to supply the wants of the poor boldly adventuring their goods upon the waters do most of all thrive and prosper in the world Why then will any man be so unwise as to lose his riches for fear of losing them And not rather seem to lose them that he may in truth find them These earthly things are assuredly lost by keeping and kept by well bestowing them What now remaineth but that you look about you where you may lay out your money to your best advantage Make diligent enquiry after the poor Ministers and members of Christ Seek more after them than they do after you For most certain it is that you get more by giving unto them than they do by receiving from you And you are more beholding unto them for receiving your charity than they are unto you for giving it Whereas you only relieve their bodies they feed your souls as Pro. 11. 17. The merciful man doth good to his own soul which is refreshed with the mercy which he sheweth to others And whereas they partake of a small quantity of your outward good things you shall have the same in kind here returned seven-fold into your bosomes and at last shall be received into the Kingdom of heaven prepared for all those who have fed the hungry cloathed the naked and performed such like works of charity to the poor members of Christ Math. 25. 35. So that you pleasure not the poor so much by giving as you profit your selves by receiving Riches are a meer uncertainty like unto a flock of birds in a mans field who cannot say they are his because they sit there for they take unto themselves wings and fly away Now in dealing with things uncertain it will be your wisdome 1. To make them as sure as you can 2. To make the best use of them that you can 1. What greater wisdome than to make sure And what better way imaginable to make sure your estate than by putting it into good hands And what safer hands than the hands of the Lord Put them into the hands of Gods poor and you thereby put them into Gods hands As in a State Politick the Lieger Ambassadors that are sent abroad to lye in forreign Kingdoms secure our peaceable state at home So what we disperse and send abroad to the poor secureth the rest at home For as the poor beg of thee so they beg of God for thee that he would preserve and bless thy store their devotions are sent up to heaven for thy Security 2. And what better use can you make of your riches than by bestowing a part of them upon the poor and needy It being the chief end of Giving more of this worlds goods to some than to others that they who have the greater store should give out thereof to them who are in want Which was typically signified by the Israelites gathering of Manna which though it were rained down from heaven yet the Lord would not allow that they who had gathered more than was needful for themselves and their household should hoard up their superfluity but enjoyned them to communicate of their abundance to such as had not enough that so he that had the most should have nothing over and he that had the least should have no lack The which the Apostle applyeth to the giving of almes out of our abundance to those who want 2 Cor. 8. 14. By communicating of our riches to the poor we shall make them our friends both to give evidence for us of the truth of our faith and charity and to beg a plentiful return upon us This is the advice of our Saviour Luke 16. 9. Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations Where by Mammon our Saviour intendeth the abundance of this worlds-goods which he called Mammon of unrighteousness because ordinarily by worldly men it is unrighteously gotten unrighteously reserved and unrighteously used This he hinteth that his Disciples might be the more wary about it and the more careful of making themselves friends thereof that is so to use their riches by relieving the poor as the good works done by them may give testimony of their Faith and Charity which is the part of Friends Friends are ready to give good testimony of one another The coats garments which Dorcas made for poor widows Acts 9. 39. were such friends But mark what follows Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations When ye fail