Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	earth_n	heaven_n	know_v	10,810	5	3.7517	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66519	The building, beautifying, or repairing of Churches, an act of religion A sermon preached in the parish church of St. Helens, London, on Sunday, August 8. 1697. At the first opening of that Church after it had been repair'd. By Tho. Willis, M.A. vicar of St. Helens.	Willis, Thomas, 1651 or 2-1701.	1692 (1692)	Wing W2857; ESTC R219576	8,966	35

The Building Beautifying or Repairing of Churches an Act of Religion A SERMON Preached in the Parish Church of St. HELENS London On Sunday August 8. 1697. At the first opening of that Church after it had been Repair'd By Tho. Willis M.A. Vicar of St. Helens LONDON Printed for John Southby at the Harrow in Cornhil MDCXCVII To my Worthy and Loving Friends the Parishioners of St. Helens Gentlemen I Heartily bless Almighty God for that Station which by his Providence I have amongst you where I have no need to rack my Invention to study Arguments of Perswasion but rather proper terms of Praise you generally doing of your duty without giving me time or opportunity as your Minister to recommend it to you This last Act of yours which occasioned this ensuing discourse which is now humbly presented to you will I doubt not make you famous and eminent for your Piety and Zeal throughout this great and populous City That such a small number of Persons as you are should repair such an old large decay'd Church at your own proper cost and charges without assistance from the Publick must needs redound much unto your honour in the Eyes of your fellow-Citizens God Almighty grant that this and all your other Works of Charity and Religion which are many may be rewarded an hundred fold in this World and in the World to come with Eternal Life This is and shall be the daily and hearty Prayer of Gentlemen Your unworthy But most Faithful Minister and Servant Tho. Willis 1 Chron XXII 5. The house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding Magnifical of Fame and of Glory throughout all Countries REason is the distinctive Character of Man and Religion is his Crown and Glory Religion which is the Holy Worship of God is the great end of man's Life and Being in the world By Religion it is that man gives to God that Glory and Honour which is due to his great Name Now God is a Being infinite in all Excellencies and Perfections and by a hearty acknowledgment of his infinite Excellencies man gives Honour to God But then this acknowledgment must be manifested by agreeable Actions God hath given man a body and a soul and he ought to be and will be honour'd by both Man rightly honours God by an internal estimation of his excellencies demonstrated by his external Actions And amongst these actions sure not any more tends to the divine honour than the having of a house erected to the Lord especially such a house as by its amplitude splendor and beauty may be a visible demonstration of a very high esteem of God and such was the design of holy David here mentioned in my Text for the house to be built by his Son Solomon The house that is to be builded c. Here in these words we have 1. Mention made of a house to be built for the Lord i. e. for the name the honour and service of the most high God 2dly We have an account given us of the excellency and pre-eminence of this house above other Houses The house that is builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical i. e. it must be magnificent to the height and then lastly 3dly We have the reason or end of this Magnificence assigned it must be for a name renown and glory throughout all Lands throughout the whole habitable World That thereby the name of God and the fame of his excellent Greatness might be extended to the ends of the Farth The greatest works of men should be designed to the highest honour of God Man cannot exceed in magnificence in those things that tend to the honour of the Divine Majesty Man should not satisfy himself in bringing a small tribute of praise to his Maker But he should endeavour to lift up his glory to the Heavens and to extend his honour to the ends of the Earth But the one thing which upon this our first meeting in this place after the great cost you have been at for the repairing beautifying and adorning this house which is set apart for the honour of God Almighty's Name I shall now endeavour in a short discourse to demonstrate in this that it is a proper act of natural and rational Religion to have a house a stately and magnificent house to the honour and glory of God which will lead me in the close of my discourse to take notice of and commend your piety and zeal which has rendered this place we now once more are assembled in such a one Religion is the holy Worship of God God is a Spirit and as our blessed Saviour told me woman of Samaria is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.23 And this worship is acceptable to him as well in a Clay Cottage as in a Marble Palace Three Wise men or Kings Matt. 2. as some will have them we read worshipp'd Christ in a Stable and sure it was no less acceptable than if they had done it in a Glittering Court Nay give me leave to say that it was a higher Act of Religion in them to adore Christ in a Stable lying in a Manger than it would have been to have done so had they found him in a Royal Palace sitting in Princely State upon a Throne of Gold Though when these Princely Sages of the East came to him there was no appearance of any humane Greatness in him yea notwithstanding the extraordinary meanness of his Condition they acknowledg'd his Royalty and Divinity with humble Homage and Adoration They Address to him as a King they Worship him as a God But yet after all I must say that though this Spiritual Worship be acceptable to God in every Place as being indeed the very Soul of Religion it must not be without a Body I mean it must demonstrate itself when occasion is offered by some visible Acts to the Honour of God and so it is an eminent Act of Religion to have a Stately and Magnificent House to the glory of his Name God we all know is an Invisible Power an Immense Being The most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as saith the Prophet Heaven is my Throne and Earth my Footstool what House will ye build me saith the Lord or what is the place of my Rest Hath not my Hand made all these things Yet to this the Apostle premises Solomon built him a House as you find Acts 7. from verse 47th to the 50th And our Blessed Saviour sufficiently vindicated the Honour of his Fathers House by scourging the Buyers and Sellers out of the Courts of the Temple Matt. 21.12 13. To have a Stately Beautiful and well adorned House to the Honour of God for a Renown and Glory amongst men is a proper Act of Religion an Act of Religion I say not of Jewish Paganish or Popish Superstition but of Natural Rational and Real Religion Which is no less proper and agreeable to Christians under the Gospel than to holy and

he should dye in his Sins and lye in the tormenting Flames below for ever Now there is so necessary a connection of these two that the one cannot possibly be separated from the other No man that does not give to God the Glory that is due to his Name in the Duties of his Holy worship can secure the Salvation of his own Soul For Gods glory is the great end of Mans Salvation and therefore that man that gives not Glory to God must himself expect no interest in his saving Mercy God should seem accessary to his own dishonour which is not imaginable if he should bring that man to a State of Honour and Happiness in Heaven who refuses to give to him the Glory due to his Name whilst he is here on Earth But now that man that gives glory to God by an humble attendance on the Ordinance of his solemn Worship and Service uses the most proper means to secure the Salvation of his Soul and if his Life carry not a contradiction to his Religion he shall certainly be saved For he that gives honour to God in the duties of his Worship and gives not a lye to himself in his Life and Conversation is in the right and direct way to Heaven and Everlasting Happiness Now if it be thus necessary to give Glory to God and to take care of the Salvation of our Souls by a due and reverent attendance upon God in Duties of his publick and solemn Worship and Service then it must needs be necessary that there be some place where we may conveniently meet for this end and purpose Now this is the place appointed for this purpose this is the House built for this end but how unfit not long since it was for the Holy Worship of Almighty God your selves well know But now to your honour and praise be it spoken it is reduced to a due decency for so sacred and solemn a Service for so Divine and Glorious a Presence as that of God is This is done like your selves who I will say always appeared persons of brave and generous Spirits whenever the Cause of God or Religion gave you an opportunity of shewing your selves By this act of yours you have shew'd your fellow-Citizens how high a Regard you have for that great Majesty that glorious God whom we adore This is Work which tends to the glory of God the honour of Religion and the special Renown of this Parish But then my honoured and well beloved Brethren let me as your Minister make one humble Request to you which is this that you would let this great Work of Piety be accompany'd with the Actions of a good Life and the exercise of the Graces of Christianity I would indeed have every Christian Church well adorned with beautiful Pictures Be not amazed for the Pictures I mean are Pious Christians the lively Pictures of God and Christ on Earth Nothing can be more unagreeable than the Picture of the Devil in the Temple of God and yet such I will say is every wicked man an Abomination in the Holy Place whenever he appears there To conclude then be we holy in Heart and Life and we shall be companions of Angels have Communion with God and Christ in his Holy Ordinances and hereafter be admitted into the Temple of Glory there to celebrate the Praises of our God to Eternity To him be Glory Might Majesty Dominion and Praise both now and ever Amen Books Printed for John Southby at the Harrow in Cornhil 1. MR. Warren against Dr. Burnet's Theory of the Earth in 3 pts complt 2. His Family Devotions containing Morning and Evening Prayers 3 The Unworthy Non-Communicant a Treatise shewing the danger of neglecting the Blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper and Rectifying the mistakes of many in this Age with Prayers 4 The Benefit of early Piety fit for youth Both by Mr Smythies of Cripplegate Price each 1 s. 5 A short view of the duty of Receiving the Sacrament with Prayers 24 s. Price six pence 6 Two Sermons by Dr Blagrave before the late Queen 7 Piligrims Guide Price one shilling 8 A Treatise of Contentment Price six pence 9 The Charter of the City of London 10 Malbranche of Nature and Grace FINIS