Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	jesus_n	lord_n	saviour_n	5,163	5	6.4700	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17408	The promises: or, A treatise shewing how a godly Christian may support his heart with comfort against all the distresses which by reason of any afflictions or temptations can befall him in this life. Containing al the most comfortable places through the whole Bible, orderly digested. By N. Bifield preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.	1619 (1619)	STC 4232.5; ESTC S120625	40,383	214

haue their part in those promises as the Apostle shewes Galath 3. 27. 28. 29. 11 The Law was the onely thing that might hinder vs of the enioying of the promises And the Apostle hath proued that the Law cannot disanull the Promises in which the nations of the earth should be blessed made 400. yeers before the Law was giuen on Mount Sinai Galat. 3. 17. 21. 12 We haue the seale of GOD to this writing now God hath sealed four waies First in his Counsell the booke of his eternall counsell was written within and without and it had seuen seales to signifie that it was perfectly ratified and though none in heauen and earth could reade it yet for our comforts wee know that the Lambe of the tribe of Iuda the Lord Iesus Christ our Sauiour hath opened it now and made it manifest Reuel 5. 1. 2. c. 2 In his Sonne for him hath God the Father sealed Iohn 6. 27. God made all sure when hee sent out Christ he sealed his commission in all things that concerned the happinesse both of Iewes Gentiles 3 In his Spirit and thus all the belieuers are said to be sealed by the Spirit of Promise and this is Gods priuy Seale 4 God hath sealed to all his promises in the Sacraments which are giuen vs as Gods broad Seales and outward tokens and pledges to confirme our Faith 13 We haue the experience also of all the saints who in all ages found God as good as his word and had euer reason to say as Dauid did In the Lord will we praise his word Psalm 56. 10. The Patriarchs embraced the Promises as the chiefe stay of their liues in their pilgrimage on earth Heb. 11. 13. Thus of the fourth point 5 A fift thing I would preface about is concerning certaine rules to bee obserued if we would euer receiue the sound profit of these promises and so wee must looke to sixe directions First when wee come to these promises we must renounce our own merits all opinion of our owne worthinesse and acknowledge from our hearts that all the grace we find in the promises is in through Iesus Christ. All the promises are yea and Amen through him and onely in him 2 When wee haue the promises laid open before vs we must beleeue them and apply them to our selues or else they will doe vs no good 3 We must be further carefull to hide them in our hearts to commit them to memory that wee may be often thinking of them and musing vpon them It will not serue the turn that wee haue them written in the Bible or in our note-bookes but wee must get them written in our hearts too wee must bee at the paines to acquaint our selues distinctly with them and to fill our heads with store of them 4 When any thing ayleth vs we must flye to him for refuge and cast the anchor of our hope vpon them that God himselfe may see that our hearts are bent to trust vpon his Word 5 We must neuer cast away our confidence in them but wait with patience and not limit God to the time or manner or meanes of accomplishment but hold fast to his promises and ●eaue the rest to God as in many places of Scripture may appeare especially Hebr. 10. 36. Rom. 4. 22. 6 In short wee must ●ooke to it that we be not slothfull and idle and such as will not be at the paines to study and commit to memory and rest vpon these glorious comforts but wee must follow them which through faith and patience doe inherit the promises Thus of the Preface CHAP. II. The diuision of the Promises THE Promises may bee diuided into three parts 1 The first may containe such places of Scripture as shew the Priuiledges of the godly aboue other men and that is one chiefe way by which the Lord doth refresh the hearts of his people by assuring them in generall of such such prerogatiues which hee will confirme vpon them and vpon none but them 2 The second may containe comforts that is places of Scripture which do foretell what goodnes the Lord will shew to his people in affliction For hither-vnto belong all those promises which are giuen of purpose for the comforting and supporting of the godly in all their trialls 3 The third part may containe such Promises as are made to certaine particular Graces in the godly as promises made to praier faith trusting in God or such like It is the second sort of promises which I intend here more at large to intreat of I would shew what variety of comforts there are with which a godly man may inflame his heart according to the seuerall distresses may fall vpon him and these may be thus subdiuided All afflictions are eyther outward or inward For outward afflictions it were too tedious and to little purpose to gather comforts against euery particular crosse and therfore one head may suffice for the Generall viz. the promises or consolations against all outward afflictions Now because godly people are oftentimes more troubled with the stormes and reproches of the world which are cast vpon them for well-doing then with the ordinary afflictions of life therefore I would in the second place gather the comforts against reproches and withall I would adde in the third place consolations against aduersaries Now for inward afflictions they are the afflictions of the spirit of man and arise eyther from the temptations of Sathan or from the trouble of the conscience vnsatisfied in diuers scruples I would therfore in the fourth place shew how wee might bee comforted against the temptations of Sathan and because the trouble of conscience ariseth vsually eyther from the burthen of our daily infirmities or from the feare of our falling away I would in the fifth place shew how we may bee comforted against our daily infirmities and then in the last place I would vnfold those promises that may assure vs of perseuerance Now suppose a Christian soule clearely informed with the knowledge of those priuiledges wherein he excels all the people of the world and withall that he knew how to comfort himselfe against any outward afflictions and had store of consolations in his heart against the temptations of Sathan and did know how to support himselfe against the sence of his daily weakenesses and withal were setled out of feare for falling away would you not thinke such a one wonderfull happy And this may be heere attained vnto if wee be not slothfull and what can in this life bee grieuous vnto vs if wee be soundly fenced in those things There can be nothing that can seeme a misery vnto vs but wee may find comforts vnder some one of these titles CHAP. III. Shewing the priuiledges of the godly aboue all other people THe first sort of promises or comfortable places of Scripture are such as in general

am ledde into temptation Ans. It is true that wee must pray against temptations that it is a iudgement but yet no other then sicknesse pouerty or the like and therefore we are not to pray against them simply but with submission to Gods will only we must pray absolutely to be deliuered from the euill of temptation which latter words doe restraine or correct the former Quest. But when I am tempted how may I know that I am not ouercome of the temptation An. Obserue thine own heart in the entertainment of those vilde iniections If thou abhorthem as soon as they come in and giue no manner of consent vnto them thou art free For Christ himselfe was tempted by euill cogitations cast into his minde for the Apostle saith He was tempted in like manner as wee are and yet he was not guilty of the euill of the temptation It is true that for the most part wee are infected in some degree or other by it but yet it is not impossible for man to bee free from the euill of temptation as that example shewes But secondly thou maist know whether thou be ouercome or no by two signes For first if thou feele the temptation to be an affliction to thee and account it an euil day and art burthened vnder it as if it were a very buffeting of thy body thou art yet safe The Deuill hath no victory thou art not ledde captiue all this while Paul was worse feared then hurt 2. Cor. 12. 7. 8. 9. Secondly all the while thou resistest by prayer wrastlest with it and keepest thy spirituall weapons in thy hands thou art the conqueror for thou art assured of God If thou resist the Deuill will flye from thee in due time Thou art neuer ouercome till the temptation please thee thou resoluest to make no resistance spiritually Iam. 4. 8. Quest. But what if I bee ouercome am I not in a desperate condition if the temptation haue preuailed ouer me An. Thy case is mournfull but not desperate for Peter and Dauid were ouercome of the temptation and though it cost them many teares yet they were recouered Christ hath made intercessiō for thee and will heale thee if thou make thy recourse vnto him and penitently plead for mercy before the throne of Grace CHAP. XI Comforts against our daily infirmities HItherto of the consolations against the temptations of Sathan There remaine two other distresses of the Spirit 1. The one arising from the sence of daily infirmities 2. The other from the feare of falling away and losing of what we haue 1 For the first there are many waies by which a Christian may fence his heart against the discouragements that arise from the sence of daily infirmities And these promises are of two sorts For they are eyther such as giue vs arguments of consolation in themselues or such as withall remoue the obiections are wont to arise in our hearts vpon some particular consideration of the manner of the infirmities in vs By infirmities I meane defects Ignorance Indisposition Feare Discouragements Forgetfulnes Omissions Distractions Particular falls through frailty some kinds of euill thoughts Dulnesse Vncheerefulnesse Doubts and the euill of our good workes The arguments of Consolation are 1 There are differences in the degrees of the age of Christ in vs Some Christians are but weake young ones lambs babes new formed and GOD knowes it and lookes for no more from such then what agrees to their age He is a compassionate Father that doth not require the same power of gifts in a weake Christian which he lookes for in a strong 2 It should much ease vs to remember that wee are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace Rom. 6. 14. Wee are deliuered from the rigor of the Law God now doth not expect perfection from vs nor accounts vs as transgressors because we are imperfect but hath receiued vs to the benefit of the new couenant In which perfection is onely required in Christ and vprightnesse 3 Wee may bee very weake in strength power of gifts and yet very fruitfull we may do much good while we are in the infancy of Grace which the comparison of the vine to which the godly are resembled shewes The vine is not the strongest of Trees and yet is more fruitfull in pleasing fruit then many other trees not of the field only but of the garden also Now the godly are likened to the vine Esay 27. 2. to shew that al their weaknesse notwithstanding they may bee aboundant in pleasing fruite 4 The goodnes of Gods nature should much incourage and comfort vs herein and so if we consider foure praises in the nature of God First he is gracious he stands not vpon desert we may buy of him without money hee can loue vs for his owne sake though wee be able no way to plead our owne merits Esay 55. 1. 2. 3. Secondly hee is mercifull yea mercy pleaseth him it is no trouble to him to shew mercy but he delighteth in it Mic. 7. 18. Thirdly hee is slow to anger Infirmities will not prouoke him to wrath hee can delight in vs still though wee haue many wants and weakenesses Ps. 103. Fourthly he is ready to forgiue if by our too much carelesnesse and frequency in offending he be not vrged to displeasure yet hee is quickly pacified a few praiers and teares in the confession of our faults will turne away all his displeasure so as he will remember our iniquities no more Ps. 103. 5 The Lord will strengthen his owne worke in vs by his Spirit and though Grace bee but in the bud yet his blessing shall be vpon our buds and he wil make vs grow as the willowes planted by the water-courses the hope of increase should stay vs against the present sense of weakenesse Esay 44. 2. 3. 4. 6 There are many things comfortable to be thought vpon in Christ. For first he makes account to finde vs sicke and sinners hee doth not expect to finde vs righteous altogether Hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Mark 2. 17. Secondly wee haue such an High Priest as knowes how to have compassion vpon those that are out of the way he is touched with our infirmities hee doth rather pitty vs then hate vs for our weakenesses Hebr. 4. 15. Thirdly his intercession couers our infirmities If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate euen Iesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes Hee takes an order in Heauen that God shall not bee turned away from vs hee makes daily intercession for vs. Fourthly his bloud will powerfully cleanse our Consciences from the deadnesse which is in our workes Heb. 9. 14. Fiftly hee is the Lord our righteousnesse and that is his name by which he wil be called Ierem. 23. 6. His perfect righteousnes is as truly ours as