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	great_a	let_v	6,859	5	4.2631	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45720	The firebrand taken out of the fire, or, The wonderfull history, case, and cure of Mis Drake, sometimes the wife of Francis Drake of Esher in the county of Surrey, Esq., who was under the power and severe discipline of Satan for the space of ten yeares, and was redeemed from his tyranny in a wonderfull manner a little before her death,by the great mercy of God, and (instrumentally) by the extraordinary paines prayers, and fastings, of fource reverend divines, whose names are here subscribed, viz. B. Vsher, D. Preston, M. Hooker, M. Dod; Trodden down strength by the God of strength	Hart, John, D.D.	1654 (1654)	Wing H949; ESTC R15516	54,457	202

so great and wonderfull mercies as daily and nightly we are freed from the least whereof when their contraries suprize us makes us cry out as most miserable witnesse this good Gentlewoman fore-mentioned Who being and living in continuall fears valued nothing at all this world took no comfort in any thing here below And yet it is strange how daily we slubber over our Thanks givings and freedom from miseries we enjoy as though they were not most great and wonderfull every morning renewed mercies or else we should have wonderfull and dolefull dayes But it is our misery and frailty that a prick of a pin in our flesh usually wee are more sensible of then of the health and harmonicall concord both of soul and body And therefore hereafter to chase survey and consider of our present mercies to bruise and tosse them as men doe Aromatick sweets that their fragiancies may the more abundantly spread forth themselves whilst the North and South winde of the spirit thus blowes upon them to shew forth and make us consider of their excellencies unto Admirations utmost wonder thus to ascend a higher pitch upon this ●ount of Thanksgiving and become more perfect upon earth of our endlesse work in Heaven Thirteenthly As we began with this good Creature who led forth the Van in a Tempest so now having been victorious let us so far honour her as to bring up the Reere and make the last Use which she her selfe made unto all succeeding Survivers howsoever afflicted especially by dissertion or hardnesse of Heart That they should upon experience of her CASE and Gods goodnesse unto her not be so discouraged in any estate whatsoever as to give over the use of meanes but to ply them still trust and wait and they would prevaile at length Therefore then from hence let all such learn to wait and depend upon God And since as it is Isa 30. hee waits in all their troubles for an opportunity to shew mercy unto them therefore to wait and depend upon him untill hee come For though they may wait long yet herein they may abundantly comfort themselves That God will comfort them according to all the dayes they have beene afflicted and the years wherein they have seene evill That hee who hath shewed us sore and great troubles will yet quicken us againe and bring us up from the depth of the earth encrease our greatnesses and comfort us on every side Psal 71.20.21 That though they have beene led through fire and water causing men ride over their heads yet that he will bring them forth unto a wealthy place Psal 66.12 That when they walk in the midst of trouble God will revive them and maintaine their cause Psal 140.12 That after deliverances from affliction their souls shall be as a watered Garden and shall not sorrow any more at all Ier. 31.12 And that in deliverance they shall have severall comforts answering their severall crosses Ier. 31.8 being built up againe as at the first Ier. 33.7 And therefore to persist and goe on trusting still and depending upon God because though they may for the present want sense and feeling of Gods love yet as Peter speaks because in the interim they are kept by the power of God unto salvation that they are all in Gods hand at the worst Deut. 33.3 from above having the eternall God for their refuge beneath being claspt in his everlasting armes Deut. 23.27 And so Because hee brings light from darknesse perfection from weaknesse by death bringing unto life and by the gates of Hell unto Heaven Seeing he makes all things work together for good unto us and ●ll his works how crosse so●e●er beautifull in time O let the ●ints after so rare a President of this good woman never hereafter hee out of Heart assuring themselves of deliverance whatsoever their Case be in using of the ●tanes For What is a hard heart 〈◊〉 ten thousand hard hearts un●● that great God who with a ●ord made Heaven and Earth 〈◊〉 whom nothing is too hard ●en 17.1 Who over-turneth the ●ountaines by the roots who ●akes the Earth Heaven drop●ing at his presence Psal 78.8 ●ho calleth all the Stars by their ●mes by the greatnesse of his ●ight spans the Heavens clothing them with blacknesse making Sack-cloth their covering commanding the Sun not to rise and sealing up the Starres c. Upon all these grounds therefore and many moe too tedious to relate let all stoope unto God Saint-like lie and sit down at his feet receiving of his words taking the experimentall counsell of this good woman to keep close unto God in the use of meanes and then they are safe Resolving that though they die yet to die as his feet and so to wait and trust still unto the last for he will come at last unto them as Habacus hath it The vision is for an appointed time though it tarry yet wait for it will come and not tarry as it did unto this good woman after ten years expectation whose abundant feeling and comforts in the end did manifoldly s●rmount all her sufferings and toubles in an unspeakable manner and measure leaving her selfe as the matchlesse monument of Gods unspeakeable mercy unto all stout stiffe and hard-hearted sinners for ever even though for a while they doe resist the meanes who for all this may be won by overcomming mercies as she was so tryumphing over all their spirituall enemies as to sing at length in a more ensulting and lofty way with Deborah Judg. 5.21 O my Soule thou hast trodden down strength FINIS Errata Pag. 12. l. 9. for know read known p. 138. l. 23. for strangely 1. suddenly p. 131. for Mr r. Mistrisse p. 162. l. 13. for sell sleep r. had slept

out by a right way unto Canaan Therefore to rest confident herein that this which God appoints is alwayes best for us whether hee lead us in a wildernesse in a a straight crooked smooth tedious long afflicted way by the gates of Hell unto Heaven or with a more gentle comfortable gale of joy let us be contented so he bring us thither as hee did this good woman here if by any meanes wee attaine unto a joyfull Resurrection of the Dead it is a very great purchase as Paul acknowledges Ninthly For which is the next Sure it is Seeing a glance of Heaven a little taste of heavenly joy is so prevalent to make us to forget all even an age of afflictions as this good Gentlewoman found who thereupon forgot all her by-past troubles swallowed up in surmounting joyes I say if a touch a taste a short glance onely bee so forcible and ravishing How surmountingly excellent glorious and ravishing shall that estate bee to drink at the fountaine head of the beatificall vision out of the rivers of his pleasures of ever Therefore to rest confident and patient in all afflictions seeing our comforts are at length beyond all our crosses seeing God ruines none by afflictions but purged purifies cleanses whitens enlightens and fits us thereby to bee vessels capacious of so much the more glory out of the ruines of the flesh erecting framing and building up that glorious struckture of the new creature to mount up at length out of the wildernesse of this world fraught with Myrthe and Frankincense and all the spices of the Merchant unto eternity of glory for ever Tenthly Next hence observe That God never comes too late unto his servants but will alwayes bee seene in the Mount making our extremities his opportunities as he did unto Abraham in Isaac's case and as this good Gentlewoman found who being much afflicted comfortlesse for many yeares together even at the point of death yet at length hee was entreated came and revived her in a swifter course then the running swift Charets of Aminadah nay came flying as it were upon the wings of the winde passing and skipping by all the hills of sinnes and mountaines of her corruptions when in her appearing last suit unto him and extreame weaknesse she had beg'd now at length once before her death to open the brazen gates of her hard heart that the King of glory might enter in which was abundantly done Therefore though he stay never so long let all the hard-hearted gaine by this experience of hers with the Churches resolution in Isaiah I will wait upon him who hides his face from the house of Iacob and I will look for him and reason good For he never failes of conming being waited for and engaged by so many promises wherein it is impossible for him to deny himselfe Eleventhly Further also hence wee may learn how to deale with those in affliction in whatsoever Case View them well first be not too brief with them Heare them vent themselves Try the symptomes and palses of their disease as Iobs three friends who sate it is written seven dayes and nights silent because they saw his griefe was great for unseasonable comforts are and prove but like ●aine falling upon hard stones which runs off as fast as it comes making no impressions whilst their buzzing heads and transported spirits are gadding plodding elsewhere with strong diversions as it fell out with this good Gentlewoman who passed not for all was said unto her for a long time neither was hope of cure untill the Devils counsell was bewrayed 1. Therefore it behoves to be circumspect and patient awhile to finde out the cause and circumstances of distempers or else no good can bee done for though counsell in the heart of a man be like deep waters yet Salomon shewes that a man of understanding will fetch it out 2. And then his counsell being bewrayed the Patient must be mildly meekly and gently used not hald and puld hurried and chid O no this is a wrong course but used with abundant patience and love waited upon with many good words and suffered to bemoane themselves as much as they list repeating one thing still over and over againe as often as they please Many good things fit for them must be uttered in their hearing not too soone pressd upon them as spoken unto others they must have here a little and there a little not pressd beyond their strength wonne by degrees with a loving sweet affable carriage as all these yeares of this good womans trouble shee was served by all her friends which wonne much and wrung many things from her in love which could not otherwise possibly have been attained For alas All that while they are in a spirituall fever and what mad Physitian will adventure to give physick in a burning fever 3. When they begin to mend and become more docible wee must not then bring like Iobs friends who mistook his case the Law for the Gospel This is Satans work usually most of them are to apt to lay too much load upon themselves It is an easie matter to throw down when one is a going facilis discensus Averni then it is Satans work down with it down with it down with it even to the ground O but it is the work of the great God to raise one up who is dejected It is the work of the Holy Ghost in that case to raise up encourage and convince us in a despairing estate Wherefore spirituall Physitians must be like Christ the great Physitian of whom it is said A bruised reed shall hee not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench untill hee bring forth judgement unto victory or a victorious sanctification in us as wee were glad to doe by this good creature by all gentle meanes to toll on uphold and cherish her spirit untill God at length came in and did all Twelfly But lo lo whilst we are now towards a conclusion where Thanksgiving also appeareth in treating on the passages of this Rare Case not to be forgotten so as the stupidity dulnesse deadnesse and sluggishnesse of our sinfull dispositions might be whetted and set on edge more then ever thereby unto more exact and serious frequent actings thereof for our freedome from those innumerable troubles sorrowes sicknesses and diseases both inward and outward of all sorts which tormenteth many others better then we who enjoying abundance of unperceived ordinary mercies doe therefore slight and neglect the same For when vexations of tooth-ach stone strangury convulsions gout palsies burning fevers agues ulcers swellings broken and dis-joynted bones streined sinews displaced arteries inflammations and the like annoy us terrors of conscience with a wounded spirit Satans incessant buffettings apprehensions of Hell and the wrath of God affright us O what torments dolefull dayes and miseries doe we endure to bee as it is Deut. 28. In perpetuall feares having no assurance of our lives And yet O how unthankfull are wee and senslesse of

which shee so eagerly desiring without paines taking for it in the interim shee is well beaten God at leghth yeelding unto the importunity of prayers for her affords her such an immense measure of comfort and feeling for a small time as mortality was incapble to retaine After which her spirits thereby vanquished out-wearied with watching and incessant speaking for divers dayes and nights together for a small time shee bewrayes some weaknesse But upon a private Fast kept for her two dayes before her death shee revives againe maintaines her grounds former joyes and feeling from thence untill her death remaining in a silent Rapture of joyes wherein shee departed leaving her selfe the ever memorable mirror of Gods wonderfull mercies unto all the stiffe obdurate hard-hearted for ever And now good Reader tell mee Is it fit or possible that we should part with so grand strange rare and matchlesse a CASE without some briefe use thereof unto the Survivers for which cause it hath beene written and for ought wee know all her sufferings were O no courage then hold out a little and I will now dispatch briefly endeavouring in the Catastrophe of this our Tragi-Comedie to recompence thy patience with the fragrance of some sweet smelling close of some Divine rarities Vse First Then here wee may learne That not the great things of this world makes one happy but the favour of the great God Nothing being able to content the soule but that which is able to fill it which all this world cannot doe Shewing that there is nothing such in these earthly things as wee imagine in the evill day or times of tryall Witnesse this good Gentlewoman the subject of our discourse who might have swimmed in the fulnesse of all earthly pleasures all which were nothing unto her shee was dampt in the midst of all so as nothing could revive or joy her like unto David save the light of Gods countenance to be lifted up upon her And therefore not to deceive our selves but to settle in our judgements that wherein onely true solid lasting happinesse consists the favour of God and follow that with all our might Secondly Then see hence That of all the Burthens in this world sinne is the most insupportable especially when therewith in any measure is joyned a sense of the wrath of God For if God as it is in Amos complaine that hee is pressed down under the same as a Cart under the sheaves the sense thereof also making David to roare for griefe of heart having also bred so much terror amazement and trouble unto this good Gentlewoman for so many yeares together being free of grosse sinnes what may they think of themselves who goe on sinning without feare living and going on in grosser sins without repentance Thirdly Here we may see That in the best where there is sinne there must and will bee smarting punishments though it be forgiven as Davids was Yet we may soundly be beaten for the same he taking vengeance of our inventions as the Psalmist speaks for this good Gentlewoman though saved and forgiven yet was soundly beaten ere shee departed hence Therefore to bee afraid to sinne and to stand in awe of the anger of the great God for though hee may forgive yet if hee open Hell unto us keep us in perpetuall fear as upon the rack as he did this good Hentlewoman letting Satan loose to buffet her oh what comfort can we have in such a tormenting dying life having our happinesse hid form our eyes Fourthly Hence also we may learn That the more beloved usually the soundlier beaten sifted and tried Amos 3. You only have I known of all the Nations of the Earth therefore you shall not goe unpunished for all your iniquities wherefore corrections being a sign of love not of reprobation as the Devill perswades that the Saints should not be discouraged though storme-beaten in their journey homewards they may goe to Heaven for all this as this good Gentlewoman did Fifthly And so here also we may gather what need we have of patience to have its perfect work in us to fit us for the greatest and most smarting afflictions there being yet some light in this darke cloud the sorest and most smarting crosses ending usually in the greatest and most glorious deliverances Witnesse the none-such troubles of Iacob Ioseph Iob David the Churches forty years Pilgrimage in the Wildernesse of this good Gentlewoman all ending in peace and joy because the promise is that of necessity the patient abiding of the righteous must needs end in joy Sixthly Then also we see here that crosses and afflictions are only lesser and greater as it pleases the great God to set them on lesse or more as it pleases him to abstract the light of hs countenance from us turn loose Satan upon us enfatuate our judgements giving us some taste and sense of his encensed wrath Oh! who then can dwell with such everlasting burnings and if smaler sins discovered thus set on and torment yea some thoughts only as in this good Gentlewoman Oh! what may the greater doe if he should aggravate them discovering the wrath due unto them without a suitable sight of mercy Therefore to break off our sins betimes repent of them and to sow for our selves in righteousnesse that wee may have a sure reward and bee able at last to stand with boldnesse before the Son of Man Seventhly So seeing too eager desire of feeling cost this Gentlewoman so deare though shee had her desire therefore not to dote too much upon it being restlesse untill they have it as many good soules doe who like Rachel restlesse for children cryd out still comfort comfort feeling feeling or else wee die But let them be contented of what measure thereof God of his infinite wisedome thinks best for them For He who hath created them for eternity of glory surely knowes the best meanes and way to bring them thither Seeing feeling at the best is uncertaine short and quickly vanishing and too much doted upon and eagerly persued brings us onely to a habit of discontentment without it whilst wee cannot bee contented unlesse every day the Almighty feast us forgetting that wee walk by faith and not by sight and that the life we now live in the flesh is by the Faith of the Son of God vision and sense for to come Eighthly Then behold from this rare experience here this lesson Not to prescribe or appoint God a way which way to bring us unto glory Hee knew the fittest and shortest way to have brought the children of Israel unto the Land to Canaan without passing through a red sea But out of his infinite wisedome he made choyce of the wildernesse way unto them That as Moses shewes hee might prove them try them and doe them good at their latter end And yet how crooked soever his wayes seem unto our corrupted senses they bee alwayes straight how full soever of turnings and windings as the Psalmists That hee brought them