Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	enter_v	kingdom_n	lord_n	7,476	5	4.1420	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04608	Certaine sermons preached of late at Ciceter, in the countie of Glocester vpon a portion of the first chapter of the Epistle of Iames: wherein the two seueral states, of the riche and poore man are compared and examined, the differences in quality, and duety betwixt them shewed, both directed to such Christian parts and offices, as the sufficiencie of the one may, and ought to performe, and the wants of the other do necessarily require. Penned at the earnest requests of diuers well affected inhabitantes of the place: and now published as wel for the vse of others, as for the further profit of that particular congregation. By Philip Iones, preacher of the word of God in the same towne. Allowed by authoritie.	Jones, Philip, fl. 1589.	1588 (1588)	STC 14728; ESTC S119440	57,767	138

may serue now as a peculier rule for such a one as shal be founde culpable in the same fault and offend in the same error with him But suppose not yet my collection is probable that the two seuerall conditions of pouertie and riches being there sette one against another in that young man the first in regarde of the profite of the man is preferred before the latter for otherwise to what ende serueth that same consequent iudgment of Christ vpon the sight of that young mans behauiour pronounced to his disciples and that with an asseueration Verely I say vnto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen and the Euangelist Marke reporteth the speech to haue beene deliuered in maner of admiration Marke 10.23 how hardly doe they that haue riches enter into the kingdome of God meaning that the very possessing of riches is such a pulbacke or rather plague vnto a man as that it keepeth him from such good actions and Christian courses which otherwise not being in that sorte burdened hee might cheerefully performe and prosecute with delight for the discharge of those seuerall duties whereunto he is bound by the word and lawe of God And yet this is not al that is there vttered by Christ to the purpose but hee proceedeth further and affirmeth the matter not onely hard but impossible also that a riche man shoulde bee saued insomuch that the passage for a Camel through the eye of a nedle is easier and more possible then the entrance of a riche man into the kingdome of God A harde speech I confesse and yet the speech of him whose truth knowledge may not be called in question being himself the very truth but ye may say to me as the disciples said then vnto Christ being exceedingly amazed at the wordes who can then bee saued I answere such as are not in mind proportionable nor in qualitie like to that poore man from whom the occasion of this speech grew and was taken for I acknowledge that riches it selfe considered simplie are the good creatures of God and in their nature they are not euill but commodious and profitable diuers wayes but in that place Christ indeede speaketh of such rich men as in their wealth are idolaters Col. 3.5.6 for which things sake the wrath of God commeth vpon the childrē of disobedience such as incline their hearts not to the testimonies of God but to coueteousnesse Psal 119.36 making their gold their very God not by professiō but by a kind of cursed confidence planted therin And the truth of this approueth by the former place of Marke where it is euident that Christ speaketh of such as put their trust in their riches Marke 10.24 the very same wordes being there expresly vsed So that not riches but coueteousnesse is heere condemned as the thing that produceth an impossibilitie for an entrance to saluation and as it were a barre and obstruction that keepeth fast the doore opening a passage to the kingdome of God Notwithstanding ye see how that Christ in that place of Mathew although hee taxeth onely that grosse sinne which dependeth vpon riches yet he pronounceth the difficultie or impossibilitie against the riche man without any speciall limitation because indeed we are so peruerse in hearte and in nature so corrupt as the without an extraordinary grace and gouernment it is impossible that we should not presume of our wealth and waxe proud thereof and forget God and so runne into those mischeifs in the whirlepoole wherof the cōmon sort of rich men are miserably plunged For we see what the vniuersall case almost of all our riche men is hauing their thoughts estrainged from God and all loue of godlinesse banished frō their hearts being set out in colours in the person of that rich man the parable of whom is knowen of al his kinsmen but his sin is auoyded of few of thē who vpō the large increase of his fruits Luke 2.16 and the plenteouse blessing of his groundes did not dispose himself to returne the duty of thākfulnes to god for the same but applied his heart to the delight and pleasure therereof being occupied with care for the amplifying of his barnes the gathering of his goods and the procuring of the ease of his soule to eate and drinke and take pastime not considering in whose hands and power that soule of his rested who for the abuse of his plenteousnes prophane securitie pluckt the same from him when he thought himself far from any such plague or perill This is the exacte image and mirror of the most rich men of our time who being depriued of all spirituall and Christian sense and wholy possessed with a spirit of carnall greedinesse seeke onely the things of the world coueting to be rich in themselues Verse 21. but not in God vsing all vnlawfull practises and vngodly pollicies to hale and pull corruptible pelfe into their hāds wherby they bewray themselues to be no better then greedie dogs as the prophet speakes Esay 56.11 which thinke that they haue neuer enough And from this filthy fountayne springs the foule streames of their irreligious liues their proud cōceits their voluptuous desires their prophane epicurisme their brutish forgetfulnesse of God his honor his word their own duties euery way Let vs looke for exāple vpō the state perticulerly of our own coūtrey take a view of the ordinary course of life in those who amōgst vs sit in the highest roomes by reason of their welth beare the stroke in gouernment and other matters where shal we find more Atheisme barbarousnesse confusion loosenesse outrage sacrilege and what you will else then among them For their owne parte they thinke that they maye sinne by authoritie being as men not subiect to the checkes or controlements of any their lykings bee lawes and their wils reasons and as they them selues liue without lawe so doe their families without order their houses being not lodgings for Christians but harbours for Sauages not exercised with anie one point of good discipline or pietie but suffered to stande as monuments of misrule and spectacles of all kinde of lewdnesse their children fed but not taught their seruants and retinue as farre from the feare of God and the fruites thereof yea from humane ciuilitie as they are neere to the contempt of God the irreuerence of his worde and the dishonour of his name by their common swearings and blasphemies And I woulde to God that this were the fault onely of the Libertines of our age who carrie no note at all nor marke in the matter of zeale and sinceritie but this abuse ouersight which may iustly prouoke teares is crept within the doores and roofes of such as make greate shew of religion are reputed of the number of the best Professors and fauourers whose houses are not in such sort purged reformed from these cōmon corruptions as in soule I wish

heare speech of the same being the thing that amongst all things else hee least brooketh most abhorreth Now all these things being considered I referre the iudgment to your selues which of these two is the happier man the rich with so many inconueniences attending his person or the poore with so many aduantages accompanying his estate and whē ye haue past your verdit then apply it to the present wordes of Iames for the strengthning of his direction of ioy to the poore man for I doubte not but that the dililigent obseruation of these differences as it cannot but breed in the riche man a kinde of disliking of himselfe and his condition so it cannot but ingender in the poore mā an allowance approbatiō of his pouertie so cause him the more willingly to practise ioy contentation in the manifolde distresses of this life But now by the way if for your satisfaction you aske me this necessary question what maner of poore men I speak of al this while because that matter is sōe what doubtful in that there are diuers persons going vnder the name title of the poore who by reasō of their lewd wicked course of life deserue no iot of these good speeches but rather the whip correction al maner of disgrace being such as are vnworthy in any good place to be remēbred or spoken of I wil shortly resolue you the that by the poore man I doe not vnderstand the idle begger and rogish companion who not applying himselfe to any ordinary labour makes a profession of beggery and liues altogether vpon the spoyle such both by the lawe of God and the commendable lawes of this realme prouided in that behalfe are to be punished according to the measure of their idlenesse and qualitie of vagabond liuing neither doe I meane by the poore man such maner of persons as are common haunters of alehouses vnthriftes spendals and drunkards hauing scarce either pennie in their purses or coate to their shoulders and yet all the weeke long lye at such tipling places hauing no regard for a ciuill behauiour nor desire to purchase an honest good report amongst men Which special thing I could wish by some seuere order might be reformed in this place wherin there are many offendors in this case the negligent consideration whereof is occasion of many riots and breaches of the lawe in many poynts and of much sinne also but by the poore man I meane such a one as in scripture by the spirit of God is commended vnto vs and committed to our regarde the man vpon whom it hath pleased God not to bestow so great a portion of riches as vpon others for some secrete purpose of his wisedome being no tall Cedar no man of great office or authoritie in the common wealth but an artificer or handicraftes man labouring diligently in his manuarie trade or science to releeue himselfe and maintayne his familie thereby demeaning himselfe honestly as a christian and quietly like a subiect in the feare of God and according to the qualitie of his vocation such a one in scripture I take to be ment by the name of a poore man As for our roges and vagabonds I exclude them out of the role and number of poore men commended by the spirit of God and spoken of by vs who because they do not labour they should not eate I could wish for them also that by the good execution of our lawes the countrey might be rid of the burden and charge of them who by the duetie and diligence of the officers ought to be taken and sent to our bridewelles and mill-houses erected for the purpose that so by iustice they might bee driuen to that paynes and amendment of life which of themselues they purpose not to practise Within this compasse of poore men we may include those also vpon whose shoulders it hath pleased God to lay the crosse of pouertie for their triall or punishment hauing beene sometimes in very sufficient state and able both to liue of themselues and to releeue others in necessitie but now by some casualitie are decayed and come behinde hand and fallen into pouertie as either by fire robbing shipwrack sureteship or such like occasions and therefore are compelled to relye vpon a generall charitie with whom we may in like sort ioyne the poore of our almes houses the olde lame blinde maymed souldier and other such impotent persons to whom there are promises made of farre better states if for the time they can resolue themselues to heare of their miseries with a shoulder of patience and to trust to the good prouidence of God expecting a time of helpe and deliuerance from him And as these men are in diuers places of scripture perswaded to quietnes and contentation so here by the Apostle Iames they are prouoked to reioycing to cast off all mourning and complaining and all partes of impatiencie to consider the commodities of their lowe degree to looke vp to the heigth and excellencie of Gods kingdome prepared for them to acknowledge the mercies of God to giue him thankes without grudging for his visitations and so to liue as that by their pouertie God may accordingly be glorified and their afflicted bodies and soules in the ende saued of which matter ye shall heare more if God permitte the next time The third Sermon REioyce in that he is exalted It is nothing straunge that Iames shoulde heere giue counsell to the poore man to reioyce in his pouertie or rather in his exaltation although the Lorde by the prophet Ieremie doth restrayne Ier. 9.23.24 and limite al reioycing and glorying to the knowledge and vnderstanding of his will saying let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strēgth nor the rich man in his riches ches but let him that glorieth glorie in that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me and our Sauiour would not giue libertie to the Seuentie Luke 10.20 to reioyce because the diuels were subdued to them in his name but rather because their owne names were written in heauen and the blessed Apostle also woulde not dispose of himself to reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ as himselfe professeth to the Galatians Galat. 6.14 which places ouerthrow not the wordes of Iames here because the scripture is not as a house or kingdome deuided in it selfe but as God is alwayes one and he neuer contrary to himselfe for his worde also is one and that neuer iarres with it selfe A generall rule for all our ioy is giuen by Paul to the Corinth 1. Cor. 1.31 saying he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord which rule if it doth square out and measure the vse of our mirth and gladnesse then whatsoeuer speciall thing it be that we do reioyce in or of it can but be lawfull in it selfe and acceptable to God for the ioye of the faithfull is not in such force tyed vp