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
A09956	The deformed forme of a formall profession. Or, The description of a true and false christian either excusing, or accusing him, for his pious, or pretended conversation. Shewing that there is a powerfull godlynes necessary to salvation, and that many have but the forme, but not the power thereof. In handling whereof these three things are plainely and powerfully explained and applyed. what godlines is. what the power of it. what the reasons why some have but the forme thereof. together with the meanes, and marks, both how to attaine, and to try our selves whether we have the power thereof or not. By that late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ. Iohn Preston. Doctor in divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1632 (1632)	STC 20215; ESTC S115055	12,368	16

THE DEFORMED FORME OF A FORMALL PROFESSION OR The description of a true and false christian either excusing or accusing him for his pious or pretended conversation Shewing that there is a powerfull godlynes necessary to salvation and that many have but the forme but not the power thereof In handling whereof These three things are plainely and powerfully explained and applyed what godlines is what the power of it what the reasons why some have but the forme thereof together with the meanes and marks both how to attaine and to try our selves whether we have the power thereof or not By that late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ. IOHN PRESTON Doctor in divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne Not every one that saith unto mee Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Math. 7.21 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherles and Widowes in their afflictions and to keep himselfe unspotted of the World Iames. 1.27 EDINBVRGH Printed by Iohn Wreittoun 1632. 2. Timothie 3. Chap. 5. verse Having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof OVR Apostle Saint Paul doth in these wordes give us a part of a description of wicked men in the latter times and hee bringeth them in by way of prevention or objection or answere to an objection as if some should wonder that there should be such kind of persons in the Church as he in the former verses had described Covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankfull unholy c. doe these live as the Church doe Doe these retaine the Sacraments and the like Yes saith the Apostle they doe wee cannot deny it only this they have a forme of godlinesse but c. So that the point of doctrine arising from hence doth plainly appeare even at the first sight to bee this viz. That there is a powerfull godlinesse necessarie to salvation and that many have but ●●e forme but not the power thereof Now there bee three thinges to bee explained in opening of this doctrine to shew what godlinesse is what the power thereof is the reasons why many have no more but the forme thereof For the first that you may the better conceave what Godlinesse is I will first show you what it is not First then it is not bare nature but that godlinesse which God requireth of all men is more then so God indeed hath commanded nature yea even corrupt nature to bring foorth many fruits of godlinesse as much abstinence from pleasure much patience much temperance and such like which are all very beautifull in their owne Spheares but because they come not from GOD nor his Spirit of sanctifying or because they have no respect of God therefore they are not godlynes neither doth God regard them Secondly it is not the act of religion proceeding from selfe love though offered to God in regard that men see that God is the governour of the world that hee hath the keyes of heaven and earth and men may doe much to God for such respects using him as a bridge to get to heaven by making themselves the utmost ends and therefore this is not godlynesse but what is it then you will say why Thirdly it is a divine grace infused into the soule by God whereby a man followes God loves him magnyfies him sets him up in his heart above all and manifesteth this in his life and the whole course of it doing all for him and to him and it is thus wrought when the creature comes to see no beauty in himselfe and no help in himselfe and sith God is full of all beauty and all excellency and all power able to answere our desires in every thing when he comes to see and consider this then he begins to set up God in his heart as the Ivy having no roote cleaves faster to the tree so likewise doth he only to God seing that he cannot subsist of himselfe and when he comes to see that he depends on him for all things he will doe all things for him because that all are from him whereas before seing some thing in himselfe he magnified himselfe and so withdrew himselfe and his heart from GOD. And so I come to the next particular Secondly what is meant by the power of Godlynesse and for that you shall know there is a Godlynes which is not only in words and complements but in deed and truth for it not onely ●u●ts upon a man a washie colour of perfection but dyes his heart in grai●e in holynesse and it differs from the other in five things First It is done in the Power when it is not the bare picture where there are not only the outward lineaments of nature but when there is life in it and that you shall know when a man needes not to bee called on to goood dueties but there is a naturall principle of life in him whereby hee doth them with facilitie and constancie as naturall actions of life when likewise hee doth growe in them for where their is life there is also growth and when hee doth likewise desire that which may feede it as the other meanes which may strengthen him in the doing of it as if a man have life he desireth meat and sleepe and when as there is life then the workes that come from a man are not dead works and then you have the power of godlinesse it is not a fashion only Secondly it is not true but counterfeit when it is like the true but not the same but wants some particular property that is to be found in the true as that which is counterfeit balsame which is like the true but wants the power of healing and so likewise a counterfeit drug and a counterfeit jewel which wants that property which the true hath the want of this you shall finde in the use and in the wearing as a rotten bow is found to be rotten when the arrow is drawne to the head so if a mans godlynes be counterfeit he unsound it will be discovered in the wearing or in some particular case when he is put to it or tryed a Ieweller will find out the propertie of a Iewell but an ordinarie man can not doe it but by use and the wearing to instance in some particular parts of godlynes the love of God if it be true it hath these properties that a man loves the brethren for how canst thou love an immateriall holinesse in God which is stampt upon the creature like thy selfe so likewise rectitude and uprightnesse of heart trye it by this propertie which our Saviour Christ makes of it gratious speeches Christ saith that that which is predominant in the heart the mouth will be full of so for keeping of the commandements if in trueth they have this properly that they

that is not godlynesse let mee speake unto you as Peter to the dispersed brethren whereafter that he had reckoned up many vertues patience knowledge temperance c. he bids them adde to all these godlynes as if hee had said all the rest are not availeable unlesse you have godlynes also see therefore that all these bee godlynes that is that they all come from him and looke to him for this is the nature of godlynes to come to the wells head and to search higher then nature to have another Alpha and Omega of all that is within us or that comes from us than what is within us of our selves And then againe if wee bee to preach to others wee should learne to preach Christ and God that is to inforce all as from them and to them not only to exhort to morall vertues with such instructions as may be takē out of Seneca or Plutarch thogh these have their use place but as out of the Scriptures let Christ God come in and shew you how all doe come from God and looke to God and so all you that are hearers be sure all you doe be godlynes that is comming from God and tending to him for motions have their denominations from their terminus a quo and from their ends as that is called calefaction that tends to heate so is that truely godlynes that tends to God and hath respect unto him as now a student when he studies and takes pains in his books see whether thou dost it for thy selfe or for thy creddit or doest thou make God thy utmost end examine thy heart and examine it narowly and see likewise you are exercised in other callings doe you doe them that you may doe good to mankinde in them as a servant that uses his talent to his masters service then is this godlynes so if you eat or drink or recreat yourselves doe you doe it that you may doe good better as men whet their sythes that they may mowe the better then this is also godlynes for it tends to God and godlynes But you will say doe you altogether condemne naturall and morall vertues must they do nothing yes you shal have this use of them that they will helpe as winde to drive the ship only it is godlynes is the rudder guides it and aymes at the right haven as for example you are commanded to love your children and your wives you are bound to doe this if you had no naturall affections in you only having these affections in you you doe it with more ease els you must drive the ship with oares wheras now the wind fills the sails you do it with more facility and ease and so likewise you are bound to be patient and meek and you must be so though your natures be not so but if your natures be so you may the more easily be so yet so as godlienes must set the cōpasse and steere the ship morrall vertues are like good horses that draw the Chariot but godlynes is the Auriga the Coachman without which take the most excellent things that nature is capable of if it be not guided by it the Lord regards them not for God regards nothing but that which drawes the creatures unto him but now morall vertues makes us rest upon our owne bottoms and so likewise all things whatsoever they bee that beautyfie the flesh for God wil have no flesh to glorifie in it selfe but let him that glories glory in the Lord Nay I add more take the graces of the spirit wherewith God adornes his saints as an husband doth his wife with jewels if you magnyfie them you doe so much withdraw your hearts from God therefore in heaven it is said there is neither Sunne nor Moone now what is that there is no excellencie in any creature that is magnified there but God is All in all hee is Sunne and Moone and therefore in the Revelation of Saint Iohn it is said and said to their honour it is made their worth that they give all to God glory power be to our God for ever they fal on their faces throw down their crowns though created glorious creatures yet when the evill Angells began to reflect upon themselves it was their ruine they fell from GOD for the creature of it selfe is like a glasse without a bottome if it commeth to stand upon its owne bottome it falls and breakes and so the Angells when they would stand of themselves they fell downe to the lowest pitt and therefore of all graces labour for emptying graces as faith and love for these give all unto God nothing to mans selfe and therefore they are the great graces in religion which you must chiefly labour for Secondly from that there is a power in godlinesse if it bee such a powerfull a thing as you haue heard it is then this may serve to comfort us in the wayes of it Wheresoever it is in trueth there it is in power say that thou hast such a light that thou canst not believe that bee such roades as that thou canst not walke by them yet if thou hast godlinesse thou shalt bee able to overcome for the kingdome of God consistes in power as it is saide when GOD commeth to dwell in any mans heart hee sendeth Godlinesse into it which rules in it as a KING in his Kingdome thinke therefore of it as of Monarches as Alexander was or those which Daniel speaketh of which carry all before it it bringeth in everie thought into subjection and therefore also the spirit is called a spirit of power and if you have godlinesse it commeth from the spirit and therefore is accompanied with power and therefore Christ is said to bee full of the Holy Ghost and of power and so Steven and Iohn the Baptist and grace is said to bee a powerfull thing Bee strong in the grace of GOD and in the Power of his might Now the reason why godlinesse hath power is because GOD hath put virtue into it as when you see such and such an hearbe have such a virtue in it to doe such and such a thing it is because God hath endued it with such a power and so hath hee done with godlynesse if therefore thou hast any thing to doe in religion set on it Hast thou any lust to overcome set on it and let mee speake to thee as hee spake to Gideon Goe on thou valiant man in the might of the Lord. The people of Israel travelling to the land of Canaan they saw the Citties walled to heaven and that the Gyants were there the sonnes of Anax yet Ioshua biddeth them bee of good comfort and feare not for the Lord would fight for them and deliver their adversaries into their hands so though you see difficulties in the way to heaven yet godlynes is a powerfull thing that will carrie you through all therefore likewise the Apostle having prayed for the Ephesians that they might not faint at