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	see_v	7,565	5	3.6443	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15579	Iacobs staffe To beare vp, the faithfull. And to beate downe, the profane. Touching the one's assured, and the others conceited title, vnto God himself, and all his precious promises. VVherin. The saints interest is justified, to be absolutely infaillible, the sinners clayme detected, to be apparantly deceivable, notwithstanding all infernall suggestions of feare, and infidelity in the one, or of presumption, and security in the other. Formerly preachcd [sic] at Hamburgh by Iohn VVing late pastor to the English Church there, as his farewell to the famous followship [sic] of Merchant Adventurers of England resident in that city. And now published, and dedicated, to the honor and vse, of that most worthy Society, there, or wheresoever being.; Jacobs staffe to bear up, the faithful and to beate downe, the profane	Wing, John, of Flushing, Zealand.	1621 (1621)	STC 25846; ESTC S120115	141,154	226

if we faile not to meete the Lord we cannot by his grace but meete together in the glory of that kingdome which he hath promised to all that persevere in vprightnes before him The God of heaven knoweth that I did so prize your worthy society in these spirituall respects that I could have abundantly joyed to have beene your servant for Iesus sake all my dayes I did preferre it to all other as most deare and precious to me vnder heaven Had I not reason when I see the Lord himself assimulating vs to each other vnder those representations wherin the partyes are in dearest relation to one another as of father and childe mother infant whence we are sometimes sayd to beget men to God and sometimes to trauell in our birth till Christ be formed in our people Who can be insensible of the separation of these betweene whome the conjunction is soe neere surely none but he alone can support me against the sorrow therof who hath promised to gather all his owne in such an inconceivable kinde of conjunction as shall make vs everlastingly one both with one another and with himself and our saviour where he wil be our father and our king we through his Christ shal be his children and kings too to raigne with him to all eternity Thus have I beene with yow in my poore duties but in all that I haue sayd you and all men must ever except my infirmityes which are not few and my manifolde frailtyes which as I am sinfull flesh and blood could not be wholy hid or vn-obserued We are men sayd Paul Barnabas when the sottish people would have worshipped them as Gods subject to the same passions that you are Elias a man of admired graces was a man subject to the same passions that we are sayd the Apostle Iames. Beholde neither Prophets nor Apostles but have weaknesses with their graces and doe expresse their inperfections with their best actions How much lesse may we hope or you expect we should be free free nay how can you wonder at our farre greater faylings when as you know vs to be of farre lesser graces if their extraordinary measure and power of Gods spirit were accompained with ordinary corruption should our extraordinary miscarriages seeme strange whenas ordinary grace is the most and best we can attaine Be not offended then at vs or at religion for our sakes because you see our evill with our good be humbled rather in your selves feare your one greater danger and thinke with your selves if these men who draw soe neere vnto God who spend their liues as it were in heaven whose liues are or ought to be nothing but a continuall conference and familiarity with the Lord cannot yet be free of frailty offence sure I may doubt my estate least that which appeareth in them will vsurpe over my if they feele soe much I may feare least it will overflow and sincke me Thus meditating you shal be kept from being at all offended at vs the more from offending God your selves you wil be the more compassionate over vs the more circumspect over your owne wayes soe the Lord shall have honour in vs both you will learne to doe to vs as he doth to all his accept vs according to that which we haue not according to that we haue not not despising our ministrey because of our infirmity but rather seing the Lord doth entrust vs over you you should yeelde your selves vnto vs as to Gods guides I beseech you againe that you will neither be offended at our faylings nor draw them into example to cause you to offend we never desire further jmitation from Christians then we take from Christ It is the greife and greatest wound of our soules that we can be no more like our Lord master who hath entrusted vs nor more sitt for the performance of his pleasure O let no man be the worse for our weaknes Al the joy we have is herin that notwithstanding our evill the Lord hath judged vs faithfull and put vs into his service and given vs the seale of our ministrey in causing his worke to prosper in our hand It is his will to put this treasure into earthen vessells that the glory might be his not ours Respect and consider of vs as we are take your part of the treasure which is heavenly take pitty on the vessell which is earthly the father of mercyes shall measure mercy to you as you shall doe to vs whose spirits indeede are willing but our flesh is weake if we can be vpright we are accepted with God perfect we cannot be Thus now in al respects I haue beene with you Now how you haue beene with me I wish I had ability to declare according to myne owne desire and your desert The fore-named favors of my first and second election your christian defence of myne jnnocency against those vnjust calminations which were cast vpō me the many sweete encouragements I had from you in my ministration that I might cheerefully serue the Lord in the gospell of his son during the time I was to abide among you your gladnes of my continuance thus long and the desires you have shewed of my longer abode had it beene the Lords pleasure or in your power that soe it should have beene and besides all these a multitude more of kindnesses in one kinde or another continually cast vpon me Know I pray you that all these favours are engraven vpon a most gratefull hart and that as the Lord will not be vnrighteous to forget your labour of love to recompence it so neither can I be soe barbarously oblivious as not to remember both you them to the Lord yea and vnto men that they may see your good workes and glorify him who hath given you harts to doe good and to distribute soe abundantly I must say of you in the time past as Iacob sayd in my text for the future and I cannot but acknowledge and avow that you have performed that to me which was promised to him you have dealt well with me every way The worlde I have founde like a churlish Laban both vnkinde vnjust towards me but you have I founde like the Lorde who giveth over-measure of kidnes beyond justice merit And this hath abundantly appeared aboue all in that double yea treble testimony of your respect to me to wit in that honour you vouch safed me to become an vnworthy member of your most worthy body as also in that liberall support you gave me at my departure which was such as I founde no meane prop to my poore estate which was then falling into a consumption and is not ●●ed to this day and lapay in that honorable attestation you gave me with vntue s●ll consent vnder your seale In all these your love did superabounde towards me yet I doe here before the Lord and you truly witnes and testify that I doe not nor dare not nor cannot

soe over loue either my self or all the wealth vnder heaven but that I coulde have accounted my harte and state incomparably more comfortable in your service then in your kinanes in your spirituall then in mine owne temporall advantage and might I have still enjoyed my libertie among you to have honoured God and done you good I had beene in full contentment to my harts desire But I see it may not be I must out of my paradice I will not say the divell either entises or enforces me out I desire to looke only vpon the hand of God in all things as I taught you all to do doe not long since the greatest heavines of my hart is this that he seeth me not worthy or fit to abide in it because I have honoured him so litle during the time I enjoyed it And soe at his pleasure that shutts and no man opēs I now passe away as I came in when he did open and no man did shutt my soules desire is and hath beene that the Lord might have his will aboue myne and that his good pleasure might ever be predominant and overule all my desires Let vs all labour to beleeue that that is and must be our best estate which come's vpon vs from him who is God to be blessed for ever who manifesteth and magnifieth himself to be only wyse and infinitely gracious in all things that come to passe vpon his children Faith will thus judge and determine though our flesh would fasten other perswasions vpon vs. And thus considered I dare not but conceit my remoouall to be better then my resting here howbeit nature doth distaste it as a thing exceeding bitter Grace can make that truly good which corruption apprehendeth to be a heavy evill And when once sanctification hoth conquered coruption and got the vpper hand and that the Lord hath taken the scales of ignorrant and erroneous judgment from myne eyes that I may see himself clearely in this thing I know I cannot but be comforted with joy vnspeakable glorious In the meane time I now beholde you with heavines whome I must beholde no more in this heavenly duty and ministration my soule overflowe's with sorrow I am vnspeakeably affucted in my spirit that I shall not thus see your faces any more nor you mine againe in this place and service But our God shall beholde vs both and all of vs in the brightnes of the face of his son Iesus Christ and if we will strive to looke vnto him as we ought the lustre and beames of his most blessed countenance will breake through all these foggs and mist of our naturall perturbations which appeare abundantly in the mournefull teares wherwith now we doe so sorrowfully salute one another which whether they doe more breake or solace my hart is hard to say I cannot but deepely symphathize with your sorrow yet can I not but joy againe to beholde your deare regard of me expressed in these affection●te significations Thus these two doe fight an eager combate within me but greife prevailes I see both in you my se●f for this our vnseasonable separation But now it is see that I must goe and according to the good pleasure of his will who here spake vnto Iacob assoone as I heare I desire to obey and to returne into my countrey and I desire nothing seing I must be gone but to depart in true peace as I signifyed to you all the last Lords day when we did all feast with the Prince of peace that it might appeare we parted as the children of peace in his blessing and love whose bread wine of blessing we did louingly eate drinke together I must leaue you but know he will not leaue you nor me nor any of his how soever it be soe that we must live a sunder in this world Stay you here in this land of Labans who receiue you to enrich themselves and affect you litle futher then they finde that you are beneficiall to them Be faithfull in your employments the Lord can send you home with his blessing in abundance though you might at first come over this Iorden but with your staffe or but some slender support portion in externall things My soule doth wish every one of you Iacobs wealth but with Iacobs faith his prosperity with his piety the Lord make you equall to him in greatnes goodnes also Yea the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob d ee you all good bestow his best benedictiōs vpō your Society that the body therof may ever inherit her ancient honors and aduantages and the members may share not only these common comforts but every one in particuler his owne welfare and benefit beside Of this one thing you must ever be ceartainly assured and perswaded that you cannot be more happy then Pagans may be but in the prosperity of soule body together if the Lord divide these and doe give abundance only to the owtward man this is his heavy justice these are your vnhappy riches Therefore am I and ever shal be a harty wellwiller to the wellbeing of both Gods law doth command your loue hath bounde me to be an vncessant suitor for this double mercy if accordingly I be not so farre as I may or can let me finde no favor in earth no felicity in heaven And soe I leave you to the love of God whose power guard you against all evill grace guide you vnto all good peace rule in your harts mercy compasse you about in all estates As the church of Christ I leave you to him that is head of the church and saviour of his body As my late flock I leaue you to the great shepheard of your soules As my louing freinds I leave you to him that is the helper of the freindles As christians I leave you to Iesus Christ both your Lord and myne he abide with you his graces abound in you his holy spirit be your comforter on earth your conductor to heaven I cannot make an end or give over the multiplication of my soules wishes of your soules and bodyes good I am full of matter and my spirit within me constraines me to goe on but dolour can keepe no decorum it is an ill orator and you see affection drowne's both matter and methode yet I must conquer my felfe and end vnwillingly and soe I endeavour spite of my longing hart to wish longer desiring only this one thing that what good this time will not permitt me to vtter the Lord of his goodnes may please to expresse vpon you all for ever That soe it may come to passe that in all respects states what soever wherin you are or may be considered you may in every of them be truly blessed that as men you may be faithfull as merchants you may be samous as christ●aens you may be gracious as saints you may be glorious More then these I cannot pray for and I doe and will pray that you

oyle is good to glad your harts and to make you to have a cheerefull countenance nay which is an invalable benefit a cheerefull conscience Open your mouthes wyde yea as wyde as you can and he will fill them extende dilate enlarge your hart to the vttermost there can be no just feare of want of grace in him all the doubt is that you will want place to receive it make as much roome as is possible and the Lord will powre it in freely even till it overflow as David tell 's vs he did vnto him when he confessed that his cup did run did over and the apostle Psal 23. when he also acknowledgeth further that the Lord can doe unto us exceeding abundantly aboue all that we can aske or thinke Eph 3.20 and both these sayings doe shew apparantly that the Lord hath more to giue them we can either aske or receive We cannot want so much as he can spare nor beg soe much as we may have Well Psal 115.15 and worthily might the Psalmist say yee are the blessed of the Lord who can deeme you lesse that see 's all the blessednes that is written in Gods booke and reserved with God in the highst heavens to be intended and appropriated to you by the Lord himself Now then inasmuch as you see Gods favour let him see your faith set that grace a worke on this goodnes of his Doe not suffer your selves to be deluded any more by him who in all his endeavours meane's no glory to God no good to you but mischiefe to both by labouring to cancel his truth to you and to make voyde your faith towards him Grace him not soe much as to give him the hearing of any thing he offreth to whisper into your harts Cast off all his suggestions with contempt and scorne let him see himself despised and his sabttityes abhorred Jam. 4.7 that is the next way to be rid of him if we resolutely resist him And let vs strive now and ever to cleaue to our God who can comfort and doe vs good his voyce hath sweetnes and vertue in it as well to worke good in us as to speake good to us it is all one to him to give vs good things as to give vs good words If he say it it is done why then doe we not as he saith and lende our best attention to his consolatios Craue we pardon for our perversnes past and power against it fortime to come that nothing may for ever heareafter hinder the sounde application of Gods saving truth vnto vs. And thus we have now at length finished our first vse which concerneth both the righteous reprehension and the gracious consolation of the saints of God who have now had the double portion we promised them We are now to put on to the second use of the same Vse 2 to wit that which cometh to wicked men from the consideration of this instruction to wicked men reprehēsion of the application of Gods truth Which being a duty wherevnto all men are bounde they also are enwrapped within the cordes of this doctrine and tyed to take home that part of Gods holy truth which doth concerne themselves And if thus they doe as it is their duty and their not doing of it wil draw downe heavy vengeance vpon them then will their misery and feare flow apace vpon them even so fast that they shall not be able either to escape the swiftnes of it but it will come to them nor to withstand the rage and violence therof but it will seize them in spight of all their cursed security and presumption whereby they often put their evill farre from them Nay whether they doe take it home or noe it will take yea overtake yea and overturne them too according to Gods owne fearfull threatning by Moses All these curses shall come vpon thee and overtake thee Deut. 28.15 till thou be destroyed So that a wicked mans evill is every way open before him assured to him let him turne himself which way he will he is in an ill case if he apply not Gods truth he incurres double danger for the Lord will both plague him for disobedience to this doctrine and the truth of God in the terror therof wil apply it self and fasten vpon him whether he will or noe and if he doe according as God hath sayd in the lesson before named then must he also know that there is no good at all appertayning to him but all the evill thath Gods booke reveale's Nothing is more plaine then that the Lord never meant any good to any vngodly man any good did I say oh it were well with them if that were all but to speake as the truth is and as they shall feele from God in case they continue in their jmpiety and prophanes he doth not only intend them no good but he intendes them nothing but evill and all evill of every kinde which is writtē all the curses comminations heavy sentences wofull sayings all miserable misceivous messages either of present justice or future vengeance whatsoever it be that the wisdome of God hath revealed from heaven or the justice of God hath reserved to be executed either here on earth in part of payment in temporall curses or fully and finally in hell in that infinite vengeance which is jmmeasurable and everlasting all this in every jot and tittle therof is theirs and they must drinke off this whole cup of the Lords wrath and enraged jndignation to the bottome in all the bitternes of the same Goe ye sinners and vngodly persons of all sorts reade over pervse every part every page of Gods sacred booke and in what leafe or line soever ye meete with any thing that favours of confusion or sounde's like a curse or sentence of comdemnation say to your selues as our Jacob doth here Thou Lord saist this to me this part of Gods truth is my portion and belongeth to me my jmpiety applei's this to me my wickednes doth draw me vnder this wofull censure But because Gods booke is so laden fraught with dreadfull threatnings hence now I thinke of it may a man give a great guesse at the cause reason why vngodly persons have no delight or pleasure to reade the scriptures but preferre every vaine pāphlet before those divine words which were inspired by Gods spirit a filthy play booke invented by the divell and by him prompted and put into the brayine of some base impiont varlet whose hellish tongue and hand he doth imploy to pronounce and pen it hath more readers more acceptance and attention then those blessed words which God hath breathed into those holy men who spake from himself vnto vs and why is this why is it thus surely a more eminent reason of this jmpiety cannot be rendred then this that the Lords booke boade's them no good every word is a woe vnto them therefore they take no more pleasure therin then a fellon

against you and your owne confusion before him Ro. 2.5 and so store vp wrath against the day of wrath and the iust declaration and excecution of his iudgement vpon your soule and body for ever And that you may see I speake not this without booke I pray you looke what God saith in his booke to this purpose how read you in the sift booke of Moses called Deuteronomie read there striue to understand what you reade and out of your vnderstanding of it ponder that saying and lay it vp in your harts There you shall heare God speaking thus touching the point we haue now in hand Dent. 29.18 ver 19. Least there should be among you any roote that beareth gall and worme wood and it come to passe that when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his hart and say I shall haue peace though I walke in the imagination of my owne hart ver 20. to adde drunkenesse to thirst The Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his iealousy shall smoake against him all the curses that are written in this booke shall lye vpon him ver 21. the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heaven And the Lord shall separate him vnto evill out of all the tribes of Israell according to all the curses of the covenant c. ver 21. So that the generation to come shall say when they see these plagues c. Thus you see the Lord doth manifest and that in many words his minde concerning this matter and that we may the better discerne his meaning we may bretfely abridge all that these words doe import into two particulers 1. how haynous a thing it is in Gods sight sinfully to shift off the saving truth of God from our selves 2. how heavy the hand of God wil be in the extreame extraordinary punishment of him that doth soe The act is exceedingly amplified and aggravated if we doe well consider the particulers of the text wherin we finde it branched and blazed out to be an evill consisting of many evills a very composition of many impietyes and much corruption First it is an impious thwarting of God a crossing of him even a giving him the lye to his face when any man shall dare to say I shall have peace though c. Is not this extreame impudency thus to out face the Lord of heaven in his owne truth to tell him as it were to his teeth that we shall have peace whē he saith resolutely we shall have none in any vngodly way are we nor vndertakers against the wisdome power and justice of God by all which that which he hath here vttered against this sin shal be assuredly executed vpon the sinner shall we offer to say I shall have peace when the Lord who is only wise allmighty and most just saith we shall not is not this to make the world beleeve that we thinke our selves able well enough to secure our selves against him and know a way how to avoyd that which he saith he will inflict as if we could goe beyond God and overeach him by some policie or power of our owne Secondly it is a proude exalting of our selves aboue the Lord a trusting vpon our owne vayne lying and blasphemous words blessing our selves and giving no creddit to his most stable and immutable words of truth as if our blessing of our selves had farre more efficacy to save and comfort vs then his words of cursing have to cast vs downe and terrefy vs. Thirdly it is an encreasing of sin we adde one evill to another and soe lade our soules with more and more impiety augmenting our evill before the Lord and encouraging our selves in the same by this blessing of our selues in our sinfull courses and casting aside Gods righteous and heavy curses All these three amplifications of this impious and hellish act are apparant in the text and thus much sin doth he commit that applyeth not but putteth off the sacred word and truth of God from himself The punishmet due to this threefolde act of impiety followe's in the text too it is layd out both negatiue and affirmatiuely Negatiuely in that one wofull sentence The Lord will not spare or the Lord will not be mercifull to that man a truth clearely contradictory to the conceit of these accursed miscreants who are soe be sotted that they can beleeve nor apprehend nothing in the Lord but mercy and soe make him a notorious monster therin as if he had nothing els in him Affirmatiuely and that many wayes in such miserable sayings as follow every one worse then other if we note them Such a sinner shall feele 1. the anger of God and to put him out of hope of appeasing it it is added that 2. the jealousy of the Lord shall breake out and smoake against him and jealousy is jmplacaple rage such as will heape vpon an offendor 3. all the curses written in Gods booke none no not one to be avoyded or escaped among the rest 3. notorious curses are named to wit 1. that his name shal be blotted out from vnder heaven 2. that the Lord shall separate him unto euill 3. that the ages to come shall fall into admiration of that mans fearefull condition Loe thus shall it be done to the man that the Lord will avēge himself vpon for this one sin of shifting off the sacred truth of God from himself He shall have no mercy from God but all the misery that may be he shal be the vnhappy object of Gods heavy anger of his fearfull jealousy of all his curses vnto which the Lord shall soe set him apart and pick him out that he shal be the wonderment of all succeeding times This is the Lord doome vpō him who fawneth vpō himself in his prophanes and flyeth as much as in him lyeth and wil not heare of the justice of God revealed in his word against his wickednes Let vs then deare christians take heede and beware of a stubborne hart a stiffe necke an jmpious spirit to throw away what the Lord saith to vs Doe not provoke him to jealousy we are not able to deale with him he is stronger then we know we that nothing well more vexe or sooner prouoke him herevnto then this jmpiety of refusing to apply his worde to our selves He is heavily jealous as well he may be of that mans estate that will not endure his truth For why consider I pray you what good can be in him what evill can be out of him who rejecteth what God saith it is not possible he should haue any good who will none of that word which is the only ground of all good to vs and the only guide of vs vnto it neither is any euill jmpossible but all most easy to be fastened vpon the man who forsaketh the sole and soueraigne meanes of his good That man must needes heare Satan that heareth not

take them are they not left voyd as serving for none as good for nothing Besides how many sins are wrapped vp in thy refusall of these threatnings O thou wicked man consider soe is there not infidelity Joh. that thou belevest not they belong to thee and he that beleeveth not is condemned already Is there not pride of hart that stoope's not to that which may humble thee Pro. all that are proud in hart are abhomination to the Lord. Is their not grosse ignorance that thou knowest not the state of thy hart to require this physike and hath not God sworne that ignorant persons shall never come to heaven Psal 95.10.11 They have not knowne my wayes therefore I sware in my wrath they shall never enter into my rest Nay what impiety is there not in this neglect to take notice of that which the Lord would fasten vpon you for your humilitation and soe consequently for your saluation if you would receive the same And doe you not in thus doing forsake your owne mercy and force Gods justice vpon your owne soules How happy were it you could see your vnhappines herin But because you will not conscionably looke after it the Lord will not shew it and soe you sinke and perish in the indignation of God for want of due consideration of it Thus you have your motives such as we can give vnto you to perswade your better care and circumspection touching your selves and your soules estate before the great God of heaven by whome you must be adjudged at the last and great day of his glorious appearance You see that as yet you condition is miserable and accursed for either you apply none of his truth at all or you misapply all you meddle with and his majesty cannot beare either of these both being dishonorable to him and damnable to you Gather these few motives into your myndes and ponder well and throughly vpon them thinke how it is in each perticuler and in them all together let them take place vpon you give no more place to the divell that Gods heavenly word should have no place in you Desire to open your harts to his voyce but first desire him to open them to himself he never opened heaven to any whose hart he did not open to heare and apply his word aright If therefore after all that is sayd you remaine as before closed stopt up that the truth of God cannot enter know for a surety from the God of truth that heauen is shut against you hell only is open to you and thither must you goe to him even Satan that would not suffer you to come to God whose suggestiōs as you obayed soe now shall you receive of the Lord the just recompence of reward due therevnto from his infinite wrath and vengeance for ever and ever But if you will returne and repent he will leave a blessing behinde him ●ocl 2. there is mercy with him for you here there is glory with him for you in heaven And thus much for those motiues that may incite all sorts of men to apply the truth of God Now if any childe of God or any other would know vpon what tearmes they might be bold to apply the promises of grace let them looke back into the signes of their interest into Christ layd open in the former point pag. 55. c. and they will also serve for sound warrant herevnto for whatsoever doth interest vs into him doth together with him give vs right to all other things The end of the second sermon NOw from the application of the things God spake vnto Iacob wee are by due order to proceede to the things that were spoken to him which he doth apply vnto himself and they are lying in these latter words of the verse Returne into thy country to thy kindred I will deale well with thee which words doe containe in them these two particulers 1. a precept Returne into thy country to thy kindred 2. a promise And J will deale well with thee I might take them a sunder and handle them severally and I did intende it but because time will not suffer me to doe soe I will gripe them togeather and intreat of them both at once in one generall instruction and that is this That Doct. 3 whosoever wil be willing to doe as God will haue him shal be sure to fare well The onely way to be well dealt withall is to resolue to be ruled by the Lord to be ordered by him to be at his finding disposing for all our wayes of setling or remooving going or abiding to or from any place to set vpon or let alone any practise This is the high way to be truely happy the onely course that can be to be in a state assuredly comfortable that a man will cast himself and his affaires vpon the Lord and doe in all things as he will have him God himself shall tell vs the truth of this point from heaven and avouch and seale it vnto vs by his owne most sacred word to Iacob which words we see Iacob doth plead before the Lord and fathers them vpon him and vrgeth them to him and the Lord doth graciously acknowledge them as his owne and doth actually accomplish them vpon him as in all other cases he had done before soe in this particuler now in hande wherin though he feared nothing more then hard and rigourous dealing cruell and tyrannicall carriage yet being willing to doe as God bade him he sounde nothing lesse but in stead therof he had all loving intreatie and most kinde brotherly entertainement that might be Now then seing God first spake it to Iacob Iacob doth now vrge it to God God in this ever after made it good to him it is a truth past controversy an vndoubted truth that may passe without all colour of doubt or question It may well goe for a rule That he that wil be ruled by God shall ceartainely fare well Neither did this begin to be a truth now at this time as if it had never beene soe before but it was thus from the beginning and began to be experimentally true as the first man that ever God made gave a law vnto for doing his will can well and soundly certify vs that well doing well-being went ever togeather How much present happines comfort welfare was provided for Adam in the state of his innocency and obedience it had beene happy for him and vs had he continued in his subjection to the law of his maker doe this liue How well was he in his paradice wherin what he was in his person by created nature and grace what he had for his portion in things naturall and spirituall wee can give some guesse out of the records of sacred writtings but what he should have beene had he continued his obedience without transgression when from earth he should have beene translated to heavens happines that

19 weaknes and weaknes 97. 16. not if not doe if 170. 19. if Lord if the Lord. Words to be put out Pag. Lin.     143 32. put out did   171. 1. put out this   174. 11. put out but.   186. 18. put out the.   In many places and pages herin is set for herein JACOBS STAFFE OR A declaration and confirmation of the most comfortable interest which all the faithfull haue in the Lord and all his Promises AS ALSO A detection and confutation of that false and jdle clayme which vngodly persons vainely pretend vnto both Discovered in certaine Sermons on Gen. 32.9 And Iacob sayd O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac thou Lord that sayd'st vnto me Returne vnto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I vvill deale vvell vvith thee That which we finde written by David long after Iacobs time did Iacob finde and feele long before Davids dayes to wit that Psal 58 11. Verily there is reward for the righteous and that vndoubtedly there is a God that judgeth the world never man might speake this more experimētally and happily then hee who found the Lord most gracious to reward his vprightnes and most righteous to reveng his jnjuries We read but of few that haue mett with harder measure at the hands of men and scarce of any who haue reaped more favour from the hands of God then this blessed Patriarch did Touching whome many things are spoken he take's vp much roome in this holy history some part wherof is spent in the discovery of such passages as fell out betweene him and Laban since they came first together And in their procedings one the one part we haue recorded what conscionable carriage there was in Iacob whose rare and matchlesse fidelity was made apparant and did shew it self in all the service he did him it being performed during so many yeares with extraordinary honesty and endeavour On the other there is discovered the monstrous vnkindnes grosse jnjustice and many other the vnsavory fruits of a currish nature and covetous hart in Laban whose eye was ever evill vpon all Iacobs good insomuch that he did daily vexe himself with perpetuall repining at his wealth welfare and prosperity The just Lord seeing this in Laban looketh downe from heaven with gracious regard vpon Iacob and resolveth to recompence his righteousnes vnto him seing he had done soe much and endured so much from such a churlish kinsman and vnworthy master as Laban had shewed himself to be He shall reape the fruit of his paines and piety Gods hand shal be liberall though Labā be close-sisted Iacob shall wel know that he hath a master in heaven who will make him a full mend's for all his integrity to his master on earth And to the end he may as fully enjoy it as God is mynded freely to bestow it he is warned of God to goe for his contrey and leaue Laban with whome he could never comfortably posesse the sweetnes of any of those many good things the Lord did soe kindely cast vpon him Iacob taking knowledge of his heavenly calling and commission to be gone doth instanly resolue on his departure dispatcheth his busines setteth things in order disposeth himself all his to remoue with all possible expedition according to the commandement of God warranting him forh with soe to doe Being thus soe suddanily gone as Laban tooke noe notice of it till one tolde him of it three dayes after such being the diligence and conscience of a good servant that the hart of his master may haue confidence in him and not neede to care for or looke after him or his busines for divers dayes together assoone as he did know it he hasteth and poasteth after him with all speede to overtake him if he can and at mount Gilead he doth And there his hart being big swollen and ready too burst with choller and discontentment he meane's to haue a saying to him Iacob shall know a peice of his minde ere they part if once hee can come to the speech of him But before Laban may speake with Iacob God must speake with Laban jntending to overule his wrathfull minde and outragious mouth the Lord doth so schoole him that hee cannot giue him an vnkinde word but is become as coole and as calme as a man may be he speake's most familiarly to him make 's a most freindly league with him take's his leaue most lovingly of him and soe they part exceeding peaceably one from the other This being done and Laban being gone Iacob journieth homeward and because the Lord did forsee he should ●●coūter many extreamityes e're he came to his waies end he sent his host euen an host of Angells to him that by them hee might bee hartened against all those hart-breakings which he might meete withall as he went forward in his journey And it was but neede he should haue some cordialls considering what calamities ●ee was to wade through as hee went For no sooner hath Gods host left him but he heare's of another host coming of purpose to surprize him and that from his Brother which makes the mischeife so much the more eminent and bitter One woe is past but another cometh and a farre worse then the former hee hath done with Laban and is well quit of him but he is now to begin with Esaw And indeede this second distresse did every way exceede the first for wheras before he had to doe but with a covetous and vnkinde master now he is to deale with a cruell and bloody-minded brother nothing was in question with Laban but matter of commodity the worst that could come was but a litle losse of some goods and cattell that Laban thought too much for him but the least of this is for his life and state too himself and all that he hath are like to miscarry in this combate his brother having vowed his death that he would kill him wheresoever he met him Iacob foreseeing this exigent because of his vnavoydable necessity to passe by his brother Esawes territoryes in his travell whose olde grudge against himself he could not but remember hee doth his best to obtayne a pacification sendeth ambassadours to him to treat of a truce and to parley with him about conditions of peace if vpon any tearmes he will accept it But Esaw will none of that he is bitterly enraged the messegers returne and signify how resolute hee is for revenge hee will heare of no league but hath levied an army of foure hūdreth men against him comming himself in person with them intending to make havock of his brother and all that he had Iacob is not a litle troubled at this tydings but much appaled and perplexed and now hee bestirrs himself deviseth what to doe in this time of his extraordinary terror and danger The meanes he makes vse of are two partly Civill and Politike partly Spiritull and religious He begins first with

Iudas with many others who are so farre from being comforted by their names registred that they are shamed branded haue their names left for everlasting reproach and infamy that all ages and generations of men to the worlds end might know what monstrous hypocrttes they were on earth what miserable reprobates they are in hell For the second who knoweth not that the true joy comfort of a christian cannot consist at all in being named in Gods booke for even many of his holy ones are also markt with a black coale for some saylings wherby they are blemished to this day but that which may joy them indeede is the assurance of their names being written in the booke of life many may have names in the Bible who have none in that booke but whosoever hath his name written there is sure of all comforts that are revealed and promised here Hence it was that our sauiour gave that Item to his disciples who returning from the excecution of their commission were almost ouerjoyed with the happy successe they founde and came to Christ with most glad harts Master Luk 10 9. even the divells are subdued to us well sayes he that is some matter to joy in you may be glad of that but if you would joy in that which is indeede a sound cause of rejoycing as being such wherin none but Gods elect have any part ver 20. Rejoyce saith he in this that your names are written in the booke of life in the other reprobates may rejoyce as well as you but in this they have no portion it is your only and your all-sufficient cause of rejoycing And the consolation of being written in this celestiall register is both peculiar only to true christians and common to all none but the faithfull can have it and none of the faithfull but have it So saith the spirit they that overcome Ren. 3.5 their names are written and shall not be blotted out of the lambes booke of life cap. 20.15 and every one wohse name was not founde written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone but they whose names were found there might enter into that holy cap. 21.27 and most glorious city So then we see plainly by these particulers that these two things will follow to wit 1. that a mā may have his name writtē in the Bible yet not in heauen as many hypocrits and reprobates haue and. 2. that a man may not haue his name here yet written in heaven as millions of the elect haue And if these two propositions be true and vnreproueable as we see they are what validity can be founde in these fonde conceites of ours what consequence of comfort or discomfort is is to any man whether he be named in this booke of God or noe Let vs surcease to mention this which cannot profsit vs and make sure of the other which is such a sure evidence of our salvation And this is our fourth evidence against this pretence Fiftly Eviden ∣ ce 5 this allegation of names is popish doth confirme the papists in their error of denying the ceartainety of the salvation of the elect and when they argue against the truth of God herin they vrge this very thing where say they is it written that I such a one or such a one by name John Thomas Mary Martha or any man or woman shal be saved This is their language vp and downe and shall the people of God speake it shal Satan make christians to speake as antichrist doth God for bid It were a most easy matter to make them a full answer quitt them with like questions in other cases where is it written that any man by name hall rise at the last day is it not therefore sure that they shall because they are not named by this reason all papists must be notorious heretikes as some of their holy fathers have beene who have shewed thēselves damned hell hounds in denying as evident truth as this Againe I would fayne know of any papists whether no more shal be beleeved of any man then that which is written of him by name if not then no man hath any thing at all to beleeve now because no man that now lives hath his name in the scripture if yea then why may not this truth of the assurance of salvation be beleeved of the faithfull as well as any other wherin they are no more named then in this But our purpose is not to refute them now but to reprove you who confirme and harden them in this their falshood heresy by the like allegations of the same things for your selves The divell is equally subtile to seduce you both to witholde the truth of God in vnrighteousnes and to turne it into a lye by suggesting this pretence of names into your myndes and mouthes Doe but thinke what dishonour the Lord hath what disadvantage his truth hath hereby that his aduersarys who speake soe blasphemously can alledge that they speake no other then his owne children doe even the sincerest of them who live and looke to their wayes most exactly Thus Satan make's you ignorant papists vnawares and make's them jmpudent papists through your ignorance herin And shall we support that popery which we hate And this is our fifth Evidence against this pretence The sixt and last is Eviden ∣ ce 6 that this allegation doth also abett prophanes as well as popery It is the manner of the most impious and ignorant persons that live to throw out these or the like interrogatoryes vnto vs and that in a scornefull and vnsavory manner When we have convinced them of their sin and Gods curse due thervnto and that soe plainely by the power and evidence of the scripture that there is noe denyall or evasion to be made but that such a sin and such a sinner must be accursed then as their last refuse in defence of the sin defiance of the reprooffe due vnto it they fly to this where is this or that written of you or of me or of any man particulerly shew vs that by all your divinity if you can soe with this accursed enquiry they insult against God his truth his ministers and make themselues wholy incapable of reformation going on in all vngodlines with a high hand and a hellish hart because forsooth we cannot shew their names entituled to the justice of God and that the arrowes of his vengeance are shott at them personally And this they either doe or may say they haue learned of these pure and scrupulous persons who made a marveilous shew they would in no wise sin against God yet are too well knowne to alledge the same sinfull excuse for themselues And hath any christian a hart to vtter that which hath soe much evill in it and no good at all shall any who feare the Lord vnfaynedly harten proqhane persons and strengthen their handes against him and his word who

we cannot once conceave neither can the infinite immeasurablenes of it enter our harts in any measure But in what he was and should further have beene in what he had and should further have enjoyed we see enough to assure vs of this truth sufficiently And as true as it was to him he being the roote of all mankinde and in the steade of vs all so true had it beene to vs all had he and we stood in that state of integrity and incorruption wherin he was created Nay that we may yet see the vnmoveable goodnes of God that he is still of the same minde though we are not the same men though we fayle in our obediēce he faile's not in his kindnes Beholde he is God changeth not immutable in favour constant in his compassions a sure freinde to a faithfull man a well-willer to a well-doer still and ever that howsoever we have offended against him provoked greived him enforced him to deprive vs of our happy estate yet hath he raysed vs againe brought vs into such a blessed condition as wherin yet we may be made most happy partakers of the truth of this instruction Passe we from Adam to Abraham and we shall soone see it to be still true The Lord bidd's him goe out of his countrey and leaue all behinde him as now he will have Iacob returne into his and take all with him and now let vs looke vpon the condition and tearmes of his obedience Gen. 12.1.2 cap. 35.1.2 what is promised to him in the text why even this I will blesse thee thou shalt be a blessing and againe I am the buckler thine exceeding great reward was not all this performed to him in truth was not God as good as his word with advantage yes that he was as we all know True it is never any was put to greater matter of obedience and it is as true that never any was crowned with more precious favours and abundant mercyes from God his name is as famous for Gods kindnes to him as his is for obedience to God We reade of the faith of Abraham wherin he was so famous that he is enstyled the father of the faithfull and Abraham is honoured not onely in his graces before men but also in his extraordinary prerogatives receaved from God he being called the freinde of God which honourable appellation was not by name given to any in all the olde testament but yet it is vouchsafed to all the faithfull by Christ in the new I call you no more seruants but freinds and againe Joh. 15.14 Gal. 3.14 yee are me freinds if yee doe whatsoever I command you and the blessednes we have by Christ is entituled the blessing of Abraham that the blessing of Abraham might come vpon the Gentiles c. Now what happines Abraham found in yeelding himself to God to doe as he would have him in all things the same founde his posterity also and generally not to insist vpon any more particular instances the Lord hath entailed our welfare to all his precepts as we may finde in all and every of them that nothing is more frequent then the promises of his grace annexed to the promise of our obedience still the Lord fasten's and tye's the one too the other every where Moses is most abundant in many places in this particuler Deut. 5.29.33 cap. 6.18.24 cap. 10.13 cap. 12.28 cap. 16.13 almost in every chapter of Deuteronomie no one thing is so often itterated as this Take heede doe according to all that I command you that it may be well with you with your children for ever It is ordinary almost in all chapters and often found in divers verses of some one And to the end we might be sure of all absolute assurance of all this good in thus doing the Lord doth as it were put vs into possession of the same saing And all these blessings shall come vpon thee cap. 28.2 shall ouertake thee first all in generall all these blessings shall overtake you secondly every one in particuler as it is in the verses following where thy are particulated at large Neither is Moses the only man that thus speake's but the Prophets also vtter the same words very oftē speake the same language every where as it were most easy to instance in more places then time will permitt vs now to quoate Say yee it shal be well with the righteous saith Isaiah Isa 3.10 Jer. 32 29 I wil doe thus and thus saith God by Ieremiah for the wealth of them and their children speaking of his covenant of grace Testimonies you see would abound if we should muster vp all that we coulde finde in the scriptures but we will spare them and enquire after some reasons of the point and they are these that follow First if this were not a truth that Reason 1 they that wil be ruled by God shall fare well then there were not nor could be any encouragement at all to any good for what hart can any man have to be obedient to the Lord and to submit to his law if soe be we might not be sure of something for soe doing All these good words of God were worth litle and men should have small mynde to bende themselves to the best obedience of their harts and lives to please the Lord in all things if it were not for the hope herof and that they might build vpon this blessednes wherof we speake But we must know that nothing of all this that the Lord saith is any whitt in vaine neither can be but that every jott and tittle of it was and is truly intended vnto the faithfull by him who never spake any thing but seriously as he did indeede mynde and intende the same Secondly Reason 2 if this were not so the divell would prove at least semingly to the world a better pay-master then God for why he promise's and makes proffers to such as he can bewitch to doe his will of great things Mat. 4.9 Job 21. Psal 73. So he did to Christ All these things I will giue thee So the Saints complaine in Jobs and Davids dayes how well wicked men fared in all respects being the servants of sin and Satan wondering exceedingly how and why it should be or could be soe And good Ieremiah he was even at his witts end Ier. 12.1.2.3 stumbled soe shrewdly at this that he was almost cleane downe and even driven to a non-plus when he saw how well it went with wicked men Now because the Divell who although in no sense indeede he can be and yet to the blinded sence of sinfull men he seeme's to be a better master then the Lord and also to the end that no enlightened minde should once imagine any such thing God himself will have vs know that his promises and his payment too are such and soe royall that as we say in our proverbe there is no