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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81056	Samson a type of Christ in a sermon preached at Mr. Pomfret's meeting-house in Gravel-lane near Hounds-ditch, London: at the morning-lecture, on July 22. 1691. from Judg. xiv.5. Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Tunnath; and came to the vineyards of Timnath; and behold, a young lion roared against him. Wherein is shewed, I. In six particulars, how clearly Samson doth type forth Jesus Christ, ... II. With respect unto Samsons marriage, ... III. As Samson loved and married an uncircumcised woman, ... IV. As Samson did overcome the young lion which opposed him: so Jesus Christ doth overcome and destroy that roaring lion, the Devil, that opposeth him. Published at the request of the Congregation, for Publick Good. By D.C. an unworthy servant of Christ.	Crosley, David, 1670-1744.	1691 (1691)	Wing C7247A; ESTC R232725	34,097	40

from God yet there is a time wherein he will gather and call them all home to himself There was a time in which Samson went down to Timnath to take this Daughter of the Philistines to Wife And accordingly there is a Time wherein God will gather his Elect from the four Winds of the Heavens There is a Time for every one of Gods Jewels to be gathered into his Treasure and for every one of his Sheep to be brought into his Fold tho' God's People be born in Sin He will not have them to dye so for there is a time wherein I saith the Lord will call her Beloved that was not Beloved And this hath the Father appointed Eph. 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth even in him And beloved this time shall assuredly come upon every Soul belonging to God the Lord stir up our Hearts to look for it for except we be converted and born again we can never enter into the Kingdom of God An uncalled State is therefore a dreadful State for while a Man is so he knows not whether he belong to God or no But certainly such a one may conclude that for the present he belongs unto the Devil the Lord awaken all such THIRDLY From hence I would inferr That God must condescend and come down to us which indeed he hath done both in Flesh and Spirit before we can ascend to him So Samson went down to Timnath A Man whilst in Nature and so consequently dead in Sin is no more able truly and sincerely to ascend up to God either in Affection Faith or Practice than a Stone to lift up it self into the Air or a Bird to stye which hath no wings What could the dry Bones do which the Lord saith was the House of Israel till the Spirit of the Lord came upon them Ezek. 37. What cause then hath every Soul amongst us to be humble before the Lord and to be abased in our own Eyes and to cry out with David Psal 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be praise and with Paul 1 Cor. 4.7 What have we that we have not received And with Isaiah Chapter 26. 12. Thou O Lord hast wrought all our works in us But many Professors at this day suppose a possibility of setting up Christ too high and of laying Man down too low in himself But how this cometh to pass I could never yet understand sure I am there is a great deal of both Possibility and Danger of setting up Man and his Righteousness too high and thereby disesteeming of Christ and his precious Death and Merits never was there less reason to cry up Mans Works and Obedience I mean so as to boast thereof or depend thereupon than at this day in which they are I may speak it with sorrow so little practised But were but the Free Grace of God Christ Jesus and Faith in him duly exalted and freely preached in Life and Power it would I think be the only way truly and without Hypocrisie to reform Mens Lives and to work their Hearts into a godly sorrow which would issue in it true and evangelical Repentance never to be repented of but there being so much Legality among Professers at this day hath undoubtedly been a great occasion of so much lukewarmness in the World in Matters of Religion BUT I come to the Third Particular viz. TO mention some of the greatest Lets Hindrances and Impediments which do most interrupt this blessed Union and Agreement betwixt Christ and his Church which indeed are many but time will but permit me to mention some few AND the first main Let or Hinderance is the want of a thorough sight and a true sense of the Miserableness of the condition in which we are by Nature and accordingly an enjoyment of rest and satisfaction though both false and Soul-destructive in that condition And thus much even Nature it self teacheth That no Man will seek unto a Physician for a cure unless he be first sensible that he is troubled with such a Distemper as doth necessarily call for and require such a Cure And who knows not that even the best of us are a great deal more ready and forward to encline to and seek after the Benefit and Cure of the Body than the Benefit and Cure of the Soul insomuch that a Man of whom I have heard who deserting and forsaking the Work of the Ministry in which he had spent much labour and travel to take up the Practice of Physick and being asked the reason why He returned this Answer Because said he I saw People were a great deal more careful of their Bodies than of their Souls and much more free to lay out their Money and Pains for the one than the other And Christ himself tells us That the whole need not a Physician but they that are sick The reason therefore why Christ our great Physician of Souls is so much slighted is because so few are sensible of their Souls Maladies and Distempers AND the case is the same in the Point in hand for the main reason why poor Sinners are no more free to change their Estate to forsake their first Husband viz. the Devil and the World and to be joyned and married to Jesus Christ is because they see not the danger and misery which they lye in and under in the Condition in which they are A SECOND Let or Hinderance in this Matter is Persons being so much in Love with their present States and the Pleasures and Profits which as they suppose they enjoy therein For the proof of this see that Place in Matth. 22. at the beginning Where the Text tells us That a great King i. e. God made a Marriage for his Son i.e. Christ and sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding But what saith the Text Well they would not come Again he sent forth other Servants to tell them that all things were ready This was not only to invite but also to perswade But what saith the Text Ver. 5. Well They did not only refuse to come but they also made light of it and went their ways one to his Farm and another to his Merchandise Alas their Purses were full they had Riches enough at home they knew not that they were wretched poor blind miserable and naked Rev. 3.17 Yet it is not the bare having of the World and the Things thereof that hinders but it is the inordinate loving thereof This is that which spoils all In 1 Tim. 6.10 The Apostle tells us That the Love of Money is the root of all Evil. Mark it It is not the Money it self for the Creature is good but the inordinate Love of it this is the root of all Evil. Therefore pray mind what our Lord saith Luke 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not

Faith to lay hold on Jesus Christ in Sincerity fear not but it shall be well with you to Eternity And in your turning to God beware of this That your outward Appearance as to Lives and Conversations do not go before or without your Hearts and inward Inclinations And further have a care of seeking after God in another way than he himself hath appointed Consider that not in the way of Works but in the way of Faith we are to meet with live and walk with Jesus Christ for the Just shall live by Faith And pray note it it is not every one that cryes Lord Lord that shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven because all that profess the Name of Christ have not Hearts endued with sincere Love to Christ and I must tell you that a sanctified Heart is better than a Silver Tongue and a heart full of Grace is much better than a head full of Notion Ard certain it is that you may pretend to be Gods Servants when you are not his Sons but undoubtedly if you be his Sons you will be his Servants not by constraint or for Rewards but most freely and with a ready mind And one word further I desire to commend to you and I desire you to observe it A Man may seem a Christian and not be so but if a Man be a Christian he must of necessity seem so AND so I come to the last Use which is a word of Comfort to all such as apprehending themselves to live in the Land of the Philistines I mean afar off from God do long breath groan pray and most earnestly desire to be brought nearer to yea and wholly to be joyned with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Husband And to all such I would say fear not for your Redeemer liveth and the most holy One of Israel will be your Refuge He that is the God of Glory and that inhabits Eternity can and will help all that love him fear him trust in him and depend upon him OBJ. But perhaps thou wilt say True I desire yea and that with all my Heart so far as I know it to be made one with and Married unto Jesus Christ But the Devil this roaring Lyon of whom you have spoken doth so withstand and oppose me herein that I am afraid that what I desire herein can never be effected Surely never poor Soul was so tempted with and oppressed by Satan as I am TO which I Answer Poor Soul thou feelest no Mans burthen but thy own neither doth Satans Temptations to another trouble thee but do but thou ask another in thy Condition and he will tell thee that he is tempted even by Satan as thou But may be thou wilt say But I think there is none in such a Condition as I am To which I answer Why what a State art thou in Well perhaps thou wilt say First I am full of Sin and sinful pollutions and so consequently more abominable in my self than a Toad So that when I come before Christ Jesus to beg Mercy and Acceptance alas I see that I deserve none And besides when I come I have almost always the Devil to bear me Company on purpose to prevent my embracing of and being joyned unto Jesus Christ and therefore surely never Person was in my Condition To which I answer Alas poor Soul thou art quite mistaken for there is not a true Christian but is in the same Condition less or more yea I my self could tell thee the same Story and much more yea and that by woful Experience But however for thy better satisfaction I shall commend to thee an Example from the Scripture See Zech. 3.1 2 3. and note it well saith the Prophet there He speaking of God shewed me Joshua the High Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan stood at his right hand to resist him And saith the Text Joshua was cloathed with filthy Garments and stood before the Angel Now Joshua in this place is a Figure of the Church and the Angel of Christ The Text therefore teacheth us thus much That when the whole Church in general or any Member in particular do come before Jesus Christ in order to Justification and Salvation in and by him then and at that time they come clad with filthy Garments so undeserving of acceptance and also have the Devil to bear them company in order to the preventing of their either joyning with or confiding in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Husband accordingly as thou sayst of thy self so thou art not alone in this Condition But pray mind how Joshuah in this Estate was freed rescued and delivered both from his filthy Garments and also from the Devil See the third and fourth verses Christ first rebuked Satan and then caused Joshua's filthy Garments to be taken away cloathing him himself with changes of Raiment and as he did to Joshua so will he do to thee if thou believe but in him But perhaps thou wilt say Nay but I am Poor Barren and Unfruitful I answer Even so do all God's People judge themselves to be they are crying out of their Leanness daily and hourly and think with and of themselves That they do nothing for God but though they think thus of themselves yet God thinks otherwise And indeed this I have observed over and over That the Godly have still such low Thoughts of themselves and are base in their own Eyes whereas the wicked on the other hand are proud and lifted up and have high thoughts of themselves and it seems by our Saviours Words That both the Righteous and the Wicked will have the same thoughts each of themselves at the Judgment-day See Mat. 25. from 31. to the end where first he tells the Righteous That they had fed him cloathed and visited him c. But they cry out Lord when did we so and so Alas they took no notice of their good doings Well but Christ did Oh blessed Professors it is to be feared there is too few such at this day for most are looking upon what they are have know and do and Oh! this spoils Religion puffs up with Pride and undoes the Soul But the Righteous cry out When saw we thee hungry sick or in Prison and did these things unto thee But now mark when he turns him to the Wicked saying I was so and so and yet ye did not such and such things unto me They answer Lord when saw we thee so and so and did not these things unto thee Alas Blind Souls they had deluded themselves with the doing of this and that all their Life time when as they had done nothing in God's account forasmuch as they had not Believed on the only begotten Son of God for not Doing but Believing brings the Soul to Jesus and so to Truth and Holiness in and by him Oh that Professors would seriously weigh these things But alas few do But however when the Lord shall pour forth more of his Spirit

them and not she unto him So in like manner Jesus Christ first and primarily seeketh unto his Church in order to the bringing about of this happy Union and not she unto him This also is plain from many Scriptures as from the 16th of Eezekiel from the 3d. Verse to the 14th Where 1st The Church lay in the open Field polluted in her blood 2ly There was no eye to pitty her And yet 3ly When she was in this condition Jesus Christ in mercy came and passed by And 4ly Her time notwithstanding her misery and shame was to him a time of love And 5ly He did all this whilst she in her self was dead as to any Affection towards him and therefore saith he ver 6. And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own blood I said unto thee Live yea when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee Live See also the 2d of Hosea where when the Church was backsliden from and which is worse though always the issue of a backsliding Spirit hardned against him Then he came in Mercy though she perhaps at the first did not so look upon it and hedged up her way with Thorns to the end that though she pursued after her Lovers yet that she might not overtake them ver 6 7. 2dly He takes away all her Fulness Joy and Mirth all her Delight in her own ways and removes from her all her pleasant things ver 9 10 11 12. 3dly He visits upon her all the days of her former Wickedness and Idolatry ver 13. And 4thly After all this he as it were turns Suiter to her For saith he I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and there will I speak comfortably unto her ver 14. Alas poor dejected doubting Souls whilst God is a bringing of them into the Wilderness or into a bewildered state as to their own Apprehensions are even frightned with fears and terrors lest he should destroy them there and give them over to perish for ever little considering that it is God's way to keep his best Wine till the latter end of the Feast and in the Wilderness to speak most comfortably to them giving them in the Valley of Achor or Trouble a Door of Hope and that there the Knot of Union is to be tied which is never to be loosed more and that then they must call him no more Baali viz. My Lord but that they must henceforth call him Ishi that is to say My Husband v. 16. A blessed Conclusion And let me tell you There is none of you here this day that are Suiters to God but God hath had first a great suiting of you to bring you to that Oh! admirable Love and Condescention that ever the Great God of Heaven and Lord of Eternity should become Suiters to such Hell-hounds as the best of us are by Nature Again Observe that Text in Jer. 3.12 22. where the Lord most earnestly and compassionately suiteth exhorteth and inviteth his Church with all possible persuasions to return from her backslidings for saith he I am married unto you ver 14. only acknowledge your iniquities and that you have transgressed against me And then Return Oh hacksliding Children and I will heal your backslidings And indeed here the Lord not only suited but prevailed For mark the Answer they returned him ver 22 23. Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God in vain is salvation looked for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains for in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel The God of Heaven grant that we may return him the like Answer with Heart and Mouth this day and all other times wherein he by the Gospel is inviting us to come unto him See also the words of David Psal 27.8 When thou O Lord saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek Oh dear Friends hath not God a long time been a suiting of you by the Gospel to come unto him and hath he not often called aloud of you saying Seek ye my face I know you cannot deny this Well but let me ask Was you ever brought to cry out with David Thy face O Lord will I seek True it may be you have said thus with your Mouths but pray note Did your Hearts ever say so Saith holy David My heart said Thy face O Lord will I seek Pray consider it But to conclude this Point also Mind what John saith in his First Epistle 4.10 19. Herein is love saith he not that we loved God but that he loved us And we love him because he loved us first Alas Beloved had not God loved and sought after us till we had loved and sought after him then had we never so much as once lifted up our Eyes towards him till with the Rich Man we had been in Hell which would have been too late either to have sought after him or looked up unto him I might mention many more Scriptures to the like Effect but time will not permit Besides these are sufficient already laid down the sequel whereof amounts to this That as Samson first sought unto this Woman of Timnath this Daughter of the Philistines notwithstanding her Non-conformity to the Religion and Laws of Israel and not she unto him So Jesus Christ seeketh unto his Church in true Heavenly and Divine Love and not she unto him notwithstanding not only her Nonconformity to but also her Enmity against the Religion and Laws of his Kingdom as she lyeth in Nature and when he thus first applyeth himself unto her AND from hence I inferr FIRST That Christ in seeking after and calling of his People to himself hath no respect to Antecedent Qualifications in them for he knows better than we the impossibility that a bitter Fountain should yield sweet Water or a bad Tree bring forth good Fruit Therefore saith he to the Pharisees Oh generation of Vipers how can ye being evil do that or as the word is speak that which is good for out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh Mat 12.34 But a Blind Man will not believe this because he is Blind and cannot see nor understand the Truth But saith Calvin Whatsoever a Man thinketh purposeth or doth before he be reconciled to God by Faith in Christ is accursed and not only of no value to righteonsness but of certain deserving to Damnation Institut pag. 370. And saith Luther Whosoever goeth about to please God with works done before Faith goeth about to please God with Sin which saith he is nothing else but to heap Sin upon Sin mock God and to provoke him to Wrath O that men would once consider these things SECONDLY From hence I inferr That though the Church of Christ in general and every Member thereof in particular be brought by Sin through the Fall into a lost Estate which as was before observed is a State of Deadness Hardness Blindness and Alienation

that is but a counterfeit Conversion But alas we see too many Examples of this nature at this day in the World many set forth fair for Heaven in all outward appearance for a while and yet afterwards wither and dry away The Lord make all these Examples as so many awakening warning Caveats to us to be the more watchful for though all sleep till the Bridegroom's Voice be heard yet woe to them that sleep afterwards Oh the many Evils occasioned by a lukewarm Spirit Who is able to express them But in a word Luke warmness if it prevail setteth open a door forth at which all present Enjoyments of God take their Flight and in at which Satan Sin Death and Darkness come in And truly when once it comes to this the Face of Heaven looks black upon such a Soul Therefore I beg of you all that hear me this day have a care of a lukewarm Spirit CAVTION 2. Again Secondly If you find God delivering you from this dangerous Rock of Lukewarmness directing your Feet from this dreadful Path which directly leadeth down to the Pit so as that Satan can do no good of you here Then have a care on the other hand of splitting your selves upon the no less dangerous Rock of Hypocrisie and Self-conceitedness And to prevent this 1st SEE that you be found in the Faith especially in the great Article of Justification 1. Holding Justification by Faith 2. And that not Subjectively but Objectively not as a bare Act in us but as Beholding Receiving Imbracing and applying of Jesus Christ according to that clear and most precious Text Acts 13.39 And by him all that do believe are justified from all things c. And 2ly BE careful to live Holily and as careful to do it sincerely the Grace of God inforceth Holiness but hateth Hypocrisie and that you may do this 1st See that you expect not that Holiness should bring you to Christ but that you should derive Holiness from Christ being by Faith Primarily brought unto him 2ly That the performance of good Duties moveth not God to give his Grace to you but his Grace first given to you and wrought in you moveth you to perform good Duties if you do them aright 3ly THINK not that your love to God or to Goodness doth produce love to God towards you which was not in him before but contrariwise that God's Love to you manifested and revealed in you produceth and begetteth love in you both to God Goodness and Good Men nay to your very Enemies But Oh wherewith shall it be lamented that this Godly Love which always produceth Christian Unity is so much wanting at this day among professors But 4ly IN all your Holy Actings do not as it were Act for Life or that you may receive Life but on the other hand Act as from Life already received from Christ by Faith and revealed and wrought in your Hearts by the Spirit LASTLY Be not puffed up with or by any thing that you do have done or can do Oh forget it look over it take Christ's Advice let not the left Hand know what the right Hand doth and when you have done whatsoever is commanded you still account your selves unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 And be sure you hold fast the Foundation and Corner stone Christ Jesus and bring nothing as a Ground of your Faith into the presence and before the Face of God but Christ and him alone Oh observe the words of Luther upon his Dying Bed which are said to be his last words Says he Christ have I loved Christ have I feared Christ have I served Christ hav● I preached in Christ have I believed and unto Christ I commende my Soul Beloved here was a Blessed end here was a Comfortable and Glorious End The Lord bring us all to such an End for his Names sake And would you come to such an end then beware of Hypocrisie But I haste A word or two more of Caution to the Wicked and so I come to the Application AND in the first place if there be any Persons among us this day that are Ignorant of and Strangers to God and his workings upon the Souls of his People and that are mindless and regardless of God Christ the Gospel Heaven and their Souls Salvation living either in desperate Wickedness Moral Civility or Legal Holiness and yet without God Well to all such I would say Oh have a care have a care how you dally away your precious time Consider your Souls lie at stake and if you miss of Christ you are undone for ever remember the Rich Man Luke 16. who never lift up his Eyes till he was in Hell Oh examine before hand what you will do upon your Dying Beds when you must take your Leave of Friends and Relations go off the Stage of this World and pass into endless Eternity Beloved pray mind me there is as it were two great Porters if I may so speak which stand beside the Gates of Death viz. Christ and the Devil Christ as it were on the right hand and the Devil on the left and when the Soul of a Righteous Man passes the Gates of Death Christ whose everlasting Arms are still spread under all his with open Heart and Hand is there ready to receive him and will not suffer Satan as much as once to come nigh him but will say No Satan the time of this Souls warfare is accomplished thou hast had thy time to try and sift him and hast caused him to feel many a bitter hour of Trouble but I who long since bought him have saved him from thy Hands and will now receive him to Glory where thou shalt never trouble him more for precious to the Lord are the Death of all his Saints and Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord from henceforth for they rest from their Labours Trouble and Toil. But on the other hand when a Wicked Unbeliever dyes and comes to pass the Gates of Death presently he falls into the Jaws of the Dog of Hell i. e. the Devil and is caught in the Arms of Satan and so hurried down into Eternal Flames and if he cry Lord save me No saith Christ for in thy Life time thou contemnedst my Grace and Gospel and cast off my Counsel and Reproof thou set light by my Death and Merits and would have none of my Salvation I will therefore now Laugh at thy Calamities and mock when thy Fear cometh Depart thou from me O thou Worker of Iniquity O consider this all you that forget God and while it is called to day and while the Door of the Bride-grooms Chamber standeth open hear fear and lay it to heart return to the Lord accept of Grace and embrace those things that belong to your Peace before they be hid from your eyes For the Devil designs nothing more than to draw you on with one Temptation or another in Blindness and Forgetfulness of God till Death hath closed up your Eyes and then