Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	believe_v	faith_n	heart_n	5,328	5	5.2153	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06193	The mysterie of mankind, made into a manual, or The Protestants portuize reduced into explication application, inuocation, tending to illumination, sanctification, deuotion, being the summe of seuen sermons, preached at S. Michaels in Cornehill, London. By William Loe, Doctor of Diuinity, chaplaine to his sacred Maiesty, and pastor elect, and allowed by authority of superiours of the English Church at Hamborough in Saxonie.	Loe, William, d. 1645.	1619 (1619)	STC 16689; ESTC S105401	92,048	356

Scripture calleth this cause The spirit of faith or the spirite ●f beleeuing Gods second cause of our ●eleeuing is his blessed and ●oly word read and preached 〈◊〉 the ordinarie means of our ●ith which worketh vpon ●wo forcible and perswasiue ●enses the eye and the eare ●he one for the reader of the word the other for the hearer of the word preached or read For the eare God hath ordayned a voyce to call vpon ●s by the paynes of preaching For the eye his sacred word is written or printed that it may be read and vnderstood of vs and our children and this is the cause of our beleeuing which is called The word of Faith Aske a Christian then why he beleeues the Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie his answer is because the Scripture records it there is the word of faith but reply vpon him and aske him why he beleeues the scriptures his reason is without reason in himselfe for he saith The finger of God is there If you vrge and say Why doest thou beleeue and I do not I heare the word as well as thee Saint Paule will answer with an out crie O depth That is a matter of amazement not of argument saith S. Ambrose But what might be the cause that stayeth and vpholds the hearts of the sonnes of men along the misery of this life in this word of beleeuing Surely eternall life the saluation of our soules the last article of our Christian faith is the finall cause and anchor-holde of out beleeuing in Christ Iesus For the hope whereof the holy ones of God purge thēselues both in soule and body that they may be accepta●le vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And there●ore S. Peter calleth eternall ●ife the end of our beleeuing ●uen the assured glorification ●f soule and body which by ●aith wee expect in the other world In respect whereof also it is that this faith goeth not alone like some bankrupt but is royally attended with a troupe of good works semblable to the causes thereof For the spirit of faith is not barren but is in continuall motion in stirring and quickning vp the harts of gods children euery day to goodnes Neither is the word of faith verball onely But liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword enters throgh euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the ma●row and is a discerner of the thought and the intents of the heart The people of God therefore whose hearts are thus powerfully moued by the spirit of faith to beleeue and thus effectually counselled by the word of faith to liue well endeauour nothing else but that their liuing may be answerable to their beleeuing that so their soules might bee saued For this sacred faith of Christ first of all purifieth the heart now if the fountaine be cleare and cleane the whole streame that issueth thence will be cleane also Secondly this faith of Christ worketh by loue and bringeth foorth good workes I should euer therefore distrust that I neuer was a true beleeuer vnlesse I felt my heart sanctified by grace and my and working the deedes of haritie This doubtlesse was ●he faith of the primitiue ●orld while the bloud of Christ was yet warme in the ●earts of those beleeuers Witnes all those Churches ●olledges Hospitalls En●owments Rents Reuenews ●ands Liuings Pensions and ●●l other such donations and ●onsecrations appropriated ●nd giuen to the maintenance of religion and learning to ●he succour of the poore and ●o the perpetuating of Gods worship here on earth vntill ●he second comming of Christ. For the people then liued and beleeued as men knowing that the faith of Christ is not fruitlesse and that by the fruites therof they are assured of their election past and of their perfection by Christ to come that their good deedes should follow them where nothing else ●ould and that according to the proportion of their workes wrought in earth by grace in Christ they should through the mercie of God and not of merit bee allotted a portion of happines hereafter in the heauens And therefore vnderstanding their weldoing here to be necessarie to their well being for euer they studyed nothing else but to goe on in that race of goodnesse that they might attaine at the last the blessed end thereof euen the reward of mercy promised vnto them by the word of faith written vnto them in the bloud of our faith sealed assured vnto thē by the death of our faith stirred vp moued herevnto by the spirit of faith Christs vicegerent on earth whose they were encouraged thereunto by the bloud of so ●any faithfull beleeuers that ●yed for the faith of Christ ●nd continue therein vnto ●heir liues end by the exube●ant and abundant riches of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus their Ruler and Redeemer O Blessed Paule faithfull and beleeuing was the world when as yet the bloud of Christ was warme in me●s hearts and when the faithfull beleeuers inflamed with the loue of God and ouerioyed with the glad tydings of the Gospell thus bespake Gods seruants that preached th● faith vnto them Blessed in th● Lord will our goods pleas●●● you Behold we lay them dow● at your feete will our eyes 〈◊〉 you good Take ought of ou●● that is neere and deere vnto 〈◊〉 euen our right eyes Will our liues steede you Wee esteeme the● not for the testimonie of the fait● of Iesus Christ as for all manner of tribulations that can happen for Iesus Christ sake We accompt them not worthy 〈◊〉 the glory that shall bee receiued A blessed and beautifull ●ace of time it was O Paule when the prime beleeuing Christians had no other fault ●ound in them no not by ●heir verie enemies as Plinius ●ecundus an heathen testifieth 〈◊〉 Traian the Emperour but his was all hee could certifie ●gainst them to the state that ●hey oft times assembled ●emselues together before ●ay in the caues and holes of the earth to sing Psalmes ●nd prayses to the Lord of ●ife Christ Iesus which seruice for feare of persecution they durst not performe publikely O then was the time ho●y Paule that faith wrought ●y Gods loue and not by selfe loue by good workes and not by goodly wordes what time the beleeuing Christians were knowne not ●o bee of the tribe of Naphta●● giuing goodly wordes but of the tribe of Ioseph beeing fruitfull boughes euen fruitfull boughes by a Well whose branches run ouer the wall When Placilla the wife of Theodosius a beleeuing Empresse would resort vnto the Almes houses and Hospital●s of the poore to see them succoured and releeued and when her nice Gentlewomen that wayted o● her would dehort and disswade her not to debase her selfe to come into such meane places and neere such nastie people shee with teares in her eyes would re●ply and say O I wou●d not doe thi● and this onely

the Rose of the field and the Lillie of the vallies Moses of old posed the whole world with this question Enquire of the dayes of olde which were before thee and frō the day that God created man vpon the earth yea euen from the height aboue to the depth beneath if euer the like thing were knowne That a people should heare the voyce of the Lord speaking out of the middest of the fire But now we may pose Moses say O Moses then God spake by an Angell out of the middest of the fire but now O man of God was euer the like as this heard That God himself in the nature of man should sit amidst his disciples and teach the. This is that the spirit of God so magnifieth That at sundry times and in diuers manner God spake heretofore in his Prophets but in these last dayes by his only Sonne And if the word deliuered by an Angell was stedfast what shall become of them that refuse and neglect the Sonne of God now speaking vnto them O most ingratefull and brutish are the sonnes of men who seeke not to vnderstand this mysterie so anciently prophesied of so fully performed and so manifestly declared Me thinkes I heare all other creatures of heauen and earth say Oh that God had vouchsafed vs such a blessing such a tie such a fauour for then had wee had beene most happy The quires of Angels say Oh that God had ordayned to vs so vnspeakeable a fauour as to haue beene vnited to our nature But Christ tooke not vpon him the nature of Angels but tooke vpon him the nature of children that being tempted himselfe and suffering hee might succour them that suffer and are tempted Who would not then in consideration hereof giue himselfe a whole burnt offering vnto his God and consecrate his whole life if the terme thereof were euen from the first Adam vnto the ende of the world as a votiue seruice vnto the glory of this God Oh vncircumcised hearts and eares of those who neither care to heare nor to vnderstand this blessed mysterie For if they would diligently seeke they should find that God would manifest himselfe vnto them euen in their indiuiduall flesh by the sanctifying power of his holy Spirit and by pertaking of his diuine nature whereby they should see with open face as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory euen as the spirit of the Lord. In no wise shold they be as those wretches in whose flesh Sathan and not God is manifested who are indeed incarnate diuels as the prouerb is whom Sathan hath so sifted to the bran and winnowed to the chaffe that no remainder of any godlinesse or goodnesse is leaft in them in whom Sathan is Totus in toto totus in qualibet parte as Aquinas saith of the soule Their imagination euill their minde ill their meaning ill their will obstinate their vnderstanding darkned their eares itching after vanities their eyes adulterous which cannot choose but sinne their mouth blasphemous their an open graue of fulsome slanders their hands rough and cruell their feete swift to shed bloud their whole body a cage of vncleane birdes their life and conuersation a stye of stinking swines flesh an Acheldema of oppression a Caluarie of dead spoyles their ende a puddle of loathsome impieties But those that secke God doe vnderstand this mysterie and shew forth this manifestation in themselues hauing lift vp their heads as gates their minds as dores and the king of glory is come in vnto them and is manifested in them by their faith in Christ by their good workes among men by all the fruites of his gra●ious spirit and by their ioyfull departure hence being assured of a farre better rest and happinesse in their maisters kingdome The custome of the Aethiopian Church which liue vnder Prester Iohn is to obserue the feast of the Epiphany as their chiefe and principall festiuitie at which time God shewed himselfe both to Iew and Gentile in this manifestation by a starre Thereby acknowledging and that most truly that this blessing is the beginning and fountaine of all other blessing in Christianitie whatsoeuer and ought most sollemnly to bee obserued and most diligently to be considered especially of vs that were Gentiles Goe foorth therefore yee daughters of Sion euen all religious and denoute soules and behould King Solomon your Christ with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of his heart Go foorth I say from out the fashions and fancies of this world both with readinesse and resolution as men do to meete their new king If you be malefactors he will pardon you vpon repentant reconciliatiō throgh Christ Iesus and will receiue you to fauour If you bee already his seruants and citizens of the citie of God goe foorth to meete him with your presents of good workes and holinesse as your homages of fealtie If you be friends and allyance as are all deuout Soules doe that often which hee hath bidde you doe in remembrance of him that is offer the sacrifice of thankefulnesse receiue the cup of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord that so you may shew the Lords death all your life long vntill his comming againe So shall your eyes b● opened that you shall not onely vnderstand this Great mysterie of Gods manifestation in the flesh but also see it Iustified in the Spirit Oh blessed Emanuell encrease our faith O Eternall and most mightie Iehouah Elohim whose seate is in heauen whose footestoole is in earth whose chariots are the clouds whose might is in the great waters whose power is euery where whose displayed glory is in heauen where angels are they attendants and where all the blessed dominations and thrones doe thee dayly homage where the innumerable company of elected Saints doe vncessantly prayse thee where thine habitation is light that none can approach vnto thy cloathing Maiestie and honor thy wisdome incomprehensible thy mercy vnspeakeable and thy iudgements past finding out Looke downe looke downe most mercifull Father in Christ from thine holy place the seate of mercie vpon me a most miserable distressed wretch O hearken thou to my prayers which I sinfull soule powre out from an vnfained heart Open vnto my soule this great mysterie of thy manifestation in our flesh that I may know and comprehend with all Saints the height length breadte and depth of the vnsearchable riches of thy grace in Christ Iesus our Lord. For thou diddest so loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten Sonne that who so beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This diuine loue of thine is incomprehensible this gift inestimable this deliuerance vnutterable and this felicitie incomparable My heart burneth with in me and the sparkes of deuotiō arise from the center

Iesus Christ how wonderfull are thy workes in all the world For out of the mouthes of Preachers sometimes very babes and suck● lings thou hast ordained strength that thereby thou mightst make thy power the more to be knowne in suppressing the rage and fury of Sathan the enemie of all mankind by such weake and feeble instruments And this thou hast done O Lord of thine vnspeakable mercy in Christ considering that we are but dust and cannot endure the presence of an Angel to speak vnto vs much lesse are wee able to behold thee in thy glorious brightnesse Nay O Lord no man can see thee and liue Eternally therefore blessed be thy goodnes O God for ordaining so sacred and so ●afe a meanes for our ●nowledge and acknowledge●ent of thee and of him whome ●hou hast sent Christ Iesus our Lord For it hath pleased thee 〈◊〉 put thy word into the mouthes 〈◊〉 men to publish it vnto vs. Thou hast clothed their hearts ●ith thy righteousnesse to fur●●sh them with grace Thou ●ast added the power thereof 〈◊〉 thy sacred spirite to guide vs to all truth thou hast shew●● the effects thereof in the san●●itie of our liues good works 〈◊〉 thy great glory Thou hast giuen vs the ioye ●ereof in the songs of holy ones 〈◊〉 our sola●e and the end there●● in the saluation of our sinfull ●ules and bodies to our eternall ●●licitie in heauen O Lord who can sufficiently ●●●toll thy Maiesty for this thy ●●rpassing fauour towards vs ●et vs entreate thy goodnesse for Christ his sake to stirre vp and ●uicken ●our dull hearts to a thankefull acceptance of this thy blessing Make vs to loue the preaching of thy word that sacred Ambassage from heauen that wee may bee throughly reconciled vnto thee Make it the sauour of life vnto vs and let i● in no wise bee the sauour of death vnto vs or any of v● Make vs to thinke reuerently of these whom thou hast seperated and sent to be the lighte● and guide of this world cause vs to esteeme of them preciously to loue them heartily to pray for them effectually and to heare them with all possible respects fulnes as people knowing that 〈◊〉 that hearet● them heareth thee hee that receyueth them receyueth thee hee that regardeth them regardeth thee and hee that doth for them doth for thee as people knowing it is thy Word they preach thy holy will they teach thy heauenly worshippe and diuine seruice they entreat ●s to embrace as people know●●g that the glorie thereof is ●●ine the good thereof is ours ●●en to the sauing of our selues ●●d children in both worlds O King of Heauen giue vs ●●ermore of this Manna the ●ngels foode of this water of 〈◊〉 of this celestiall treasure of ●is fruite of life of those songs 〈◊〉 Sion of this speech of Cana●●● of this salt of the earth of ●●is light of life of this dew of ●ermon of this name of Iesus 〈◊〉 this eternall Gospell by the ●eaching of thy holy will As ●e heare it O Lord let it di●ill into our soules as thy holy ●●●ction Let it stirre our harts 〈◊〉 thy power Let it bowe our ●ils to thy obedience as thy ●●unsell Let it sanctifie our 〈◊〉 as thy ordinance let it ●●epare vs throughout for thee 〈◊〉 Lord and for the glory of thy ●ace for euer Humble our hearts with the remembrance what wretches we were without this reuelation of thy Sonne Say vnto vs you were dogs and might not ea●● the childrens breade you were hogges and might not haue these pretious pearls cast vnto 〈◊〉 you were as vncircumcised P●listines as cursed Can●anit●● as diuelish Samaritans as He● theni●h Pagans as Turkish I●●●●dels But I haue washed purg●● purified and sanctified you wi●● my grace I haue called you my name and I will blesse yo● for euer O Lord God Graunt th●● wee may eate but the crum●● vnder thy table that wee 〈◊〉 touch but the hemme of thy v● sture that thou wilt but spea● the Word onely and we wretches shall liue shall bee heale● shall bee happie to thy prayse 〈◊〉 euer Say Lord vnto our soules am your saluation So shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and bee gladde all our 〈◊〉 so shall wee study to set 〈◊〉 thy honour and will vow 〈◊〉 sacrifices of thankefulnesse 〈◊〉 of soule and body in our 〈◊〉 and children for euer O heare vs King of Hea●●● and grant these blessinges 〈◊〉 thine to be continued vnto vs 〈◊〉 to our seed to al our generati●● for the merites of thy deare ●●ne Christ Iesus our most ●●●●acious Redeemer Amen GOD BELEEVED on in the World Explication THat the World should beleeue in God is the mystery of mysteries First that the World should beleeue in GOD in the vnitie of his essence and Trinity of existence Then to beleeue God in the verity of his written word And lastly to relye vpon God in the assurance of his loue for his promise sake this I say to know is eternall life and for the World to know it is a world of wonders For how should the World come by this sauing know●edge 〈◊〉 Take the World as in ●oly writ it sometimes signi●ies the reporbate of whome Christ sayth I pray not for the ●orld that is for the reprobate of the world these beleeue not Take it Cosmographically for the frame of heauen and of earth contayning the firmamentary and elementary regions these parts are not ●apable of such mysteries ●ut vnderstand it of the E●ect people of God inhabi●ing within the limites of the knowne Christian world and ●else where dispersed and scattered vpon the surface of the whole earth as it is taken in this place and then this mystery will bee reuealed vnto vs. For otherwise as the world 〈◊〉 more generally taken for the people of the world It is altogether set vpon wickednesse The World receyues not the Spirite of truth The Worlde knownes not God The world is at defiance with God as may plainely appeare by the contrariety betwixt God and the wo●ld The spirit of God being loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnes faith meekenesse and temperance The Spirite of the World being adulterie fornication vncleannes lasciuious●es idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions hypocrisies enuyings murthers drunkennesse reuellings How could it euer be thought that these thinges so contrariantly opposit should euer accord Yet behold this great mysterie for this malignant contrariant exorbitant refractory World is conquered by holy saith in the bloud of Christ and multitudes of millions in the World albeit not of the World Liue loue and be●eeue in God amidst the furious cruell and deadly rage ●atred and bloudy cruelty of many miscreants and infidell worldlings So that now God hath purchased by faith a world of people to himselfe called out of the vniuersall masse and multitude of people in the World to know and acknowledge him to be their God and Sauiour This is the sence of these words And the sacred

more in his doctrines both of grace and glory Sixescore witnesses were present at the place in whose ●ight he was receiued vp Two Angels from heauen spake vnto them that were present and preached his returne to iudgement The words were specified which ●e and the Angels vttered at ●is departure The sequell ●hereof related at large to wit whither the multitude went which saw him ascend and ●nd what they did and many ●ther things which followed ●re as a cloude of witnesses to the confirmation hereof For as the truth of his ascension is irrefragable so the effects thereof are vnutterable For first by his ascention he hath opened heauen vnto vs that was shut against vs and hath Made vs sit together with him in heauenly places Secondly hee hath taken possession of heauen for vs in our nature and in our names as he told his disciples before Saying I goe to prepare a place for you and I will come againe and take you vnto me Thirdly hee hereby accomplisheth our Christian comfort in triumphing ouer Hell all the powers of darke●●nesse hauing led Captiuitie captiue and giuen gifts vnto men by sending downe his holy spirite the informer and ●omforter of his cho●● And lastly his Receiuing ● hath filled all things as the ●postle speaketh the earth ●ith his mercie hell with his ●stice heauen with the ma●festation of his glory euen the blessed Angels And now there hee is ●●r aduocate with the Fa●●er our intercessor in all ●●r necessities our master of ●quests in all our suits there ●●e turneth away the eyes of ●●d the Father from our ●nes to looke vpon his ●●edience and meritori●s righteousnesse and day●● prepareth a way for vs ● to the throne of grace For these causes hee is ●scended into the height 〈◊〉 that Maiestie where ●●d vouchsafeth to display his glory to the view of men and Angels in the face of Iesus Christ. The perfect knowledge of the superexcellency of which place of happines we cā in no wayes attain vnto in this life but in possessing it in the other world we shall fully enioy it In the meane while our holy faith is confirmed hereby which for the corporall presence of Christ embraceth the spirituall that we may not be troubled with doubtings and say in our hearts Who shall ascend for vs into heauen Our hope is ascertained of obtayning heauen and of the perfection of our ioy therein and our loue is enflamed that our conuersatiō tending towards heauen where our treasure is our heart may be there also MAnifold is the vse of this his glorious exaltation Let therefore the ●ealous soule come hither ●earne to forsake the world ●nd to be receiued vp on high ●or where the head is of nece●sitie there must the members ●e also Let vs ascend the degrees of this great mysterie ●rom the manifestation thereof in the flesh let vs go on to ●e iustification in the spirite ●rom iustification spirituall ●o vision Angelicall Frō An●elicall reuelation to Prophe●call promulgation From the ●reaching thereof to praying ● faith and so to the exalta●ion in glory For thus it was ●●eete that Christ by these ●eanes of suffering might ●ring his chosen to rest For 〈◊〉 he had gone any other way ●ee might haue entered himselfe but could not haue brought vs in with him Let vs then stand as it were vpon the poynt of the promontorie of Nebo and looke into the holy land and revew the lowest step in this Iacobs ladder which is Christs exinanition in the flesh and see how the power of God hath made it knowne vnto A●gels by celestiall vision and vnto men by degrees of holy Christian faith vntill it hath brought vs vp vnto the supereminent glory Goe I say from his humanitie in the flesh to his diuinitie a glimpse whereof was seene in his transfiguration on the mount from his passion on the crosse in his humiliation to his power in his resurrection from his minoritie in respect of his Father to their qualitie in the height of glory Not that the deitie in his ascent could bee exalted but that our nature in the person of the Sonne of God was first raysed vp from the dead and then receiued vp in to euerlasting glory When therefore we reade that Christ was receyued vp by a cloude wee vnderstand the cloudes of obsequiousnesse not any helpe it afforded him as the fierie chariot did Elias wee conceaue the clouds seruice not any ayde it yeelded the cloudes ministery not any assistance that it occasioned For the matter or subiect that ascended is ●properly the humane nature of Christ for the deitie is neither contayned in place nor subiect to motion So the auncient Fathers spake The Sonne of God had of ours whereby hee hanged on the crosse and of his owne whereby he ascended into heauen For the humane nature ascended and the ascent was wrought through the power of the diuine nature And this is the cause that Tertullian calleth Iesus the sequestrator of God and man for of either party he had that was committed vnto him and he keepeth the pledge of the flesh in himselfe the earnest of all mankinde For as he hath left vnto vs the earnest of the spirit so he hath taken from vs the earnest of the flesh carryed it into heauen as a pledge of the whole family which hereafter shall bee brought thither also Thus is Christ our treasure in heauen and assuredly where our treasure is there will our hearts be also If Christ bee our treasur● let vs follow him in heart where hee is in body let vs follow him with paces of loue because his returne in the iudgement day will bee terrible The hand writing that was against vs is now cancelled the curse was Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne But the blessing is purchased This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Christ therefore in this life by his grace doth ascend vnto our hearts when the feare of the Lord of hoasts receiueth therein plantation hee descendeth into our hearts when wee take his counsels to heart hee issueth from our hearts when wee runne afrer him in our affections in the sweete perfume of his pretious oyntements feeling our owne defects and againe he ascendeth aboue our hearts when by the eyes of holy fayth wee see as with an Eagles eye the prey a farre of as Stephen did euen Iesus standing at the right hand of God Let the sanctified soule come hither and see it selfe in heauen three manner of wayes whiles it is on earth First in conuersation for Our conuersation is in heauen saith the Apostle Secondly in our affe●ctions For they that abide in charitie abide in God Thirdly by right of possession For Christ is ascended to prepare vs a place Let the oppressed and distressed soule come hither and looke vp Seeing wee haue an high Priest which is passed into the heauens Iesus the Sonne of God let vs

to consume thee no tempest to affright thee no colde ●o molest thee no heate to offend no plague to kill thee no calamity to afflict thee O Christian soules endeauour to ascend to your Christ Iesus vnto and into this glorie and bee not discouraged eyther with the long distance from you or with the maruellous height aboue you For with as much faci●itie as the Diuels were de●ected from Heauen in Gods ●ispleasure you shall be lifted ●p to Heauen by the fauour of Christ. The hand of the Lorde of Hostes that cast them out ●nto the bottomlesse pitte ●hall bee stretched foorth to ●eceyue you vp into glorie ●nd that in a moment in the winckling of an eye Oh how amiable are our goings towardes the Lorde of Hostes Sanctuarie in the progresse of diuine vertues Humility doth lift vs vp aboue the earth Pouertie in Spirite aboue the water Contrition aboue the ayre Good workes aboue the fire Faith Hope Loue Discretion Constancie Temperance Righteousnesse aduanceth vs aboue the seuen Planets our conuersation aboue the Emperiall Heauens Purity of heart dooth bring vs vp to the sight of God and vnto the glory of the blessed For three places God hath appointed h●● Children to liue in the Wombe this Earth the Heauens In the wombe in a narrow place for a short time some nine monethes In the earth a place of greater extent and a longer season some seauentie yeares And lastly in Heauen a place of extent without limit and for terme without time euen for euer and euer And as the second place farre exceedeth the first both in largenesse of Extent and in continuance of time so the third place of our most happie being incomparably surpasseth the second in both for it is without limmit of locall scite and without all determinatiō of time for length of dayes O Christ come vnto vs and into vs with these thy graces that wee may come to thee and into that glory where thou ru●est and raignest with God the Father and the Holy spirite for euermore O Lord lift vp mine heart vnto the● O Eternall God and most mercifull Father in Christ Iesus who dwellest in the thrones of immortality and blisse vouchsafe to looke vpon vs thy humbled Creatures that lye here beneath and groane to bee deliuered from the bondage of our corruption into the freedome of thy goodnesse Thou hast taken vp from vs our Lord Iesus and hast set him at thy right hand in Maie●ty and great glorie O when shall wee come ●nd behold the beautie of thine ●ouse and the blessednesse of thy Saintes L●sten Lord vnto our sup●lications and for our Aduocates ●ake that pleades our cause be●ore thee in heauen Let vs be dissolued that we ●ay bee with thee and with our ●eloued Iesus Who for vs men ●●me downe from Heauen and ●as humbled to de●th that wee might liue with thee for euer Behold O Lord God how wee runne after him in the sweet sauour of his diuine perfumes Whē hee liued here with vs on earth he disdayned not Mat●e● a publican hee abandoned not Peter a denyer of him nor cast away Paule a per●ecutor nor despised Marie Magdalen a courtezan nor refused to hear a Cananaatish woman the blinde the lame the dumbe the deafe yea the possessed with diuels hee had compassion vpon Therefore now wee wretches here beneath albeit our con●●tion is farre worse then any of those yet wee conceiue comfort that now in his glorified estate he will also grant vs his pittie and compassion and by the power of his grace whereby hee is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe will conquer our stubborn and disobedient hearts and mak● them plyable and conformable● to his sacred Lawes That we may not reason in our vnderstanding nor encline● our affections downewards but as he is receiued vp in glory so we may set our selues and soules to seeke and search after him in all heauenly things O Lord the dead prayse thee not they that goe downe into the pit doe not remember thee what benefit is there in our blood what glory is there to thee in the land of obliuion where thou art not once thoght vpon O God let the deuouring and despayring gulfe bee the portion for the diuels and the damned that neuer seeke thee in thy beloued Let that vale be for the children of Hinnon that bottomlesse pit for the Locusts that lake of brimstone for thy Christs enemies that second death for the desperate that weeping and wayling for the heathen that hath not knowne thee that hell for the d●spisers of thy Sonn● that euerlasting fire for the Abaddon and his seruants but as for those that sue for fauour vnto thee and lye at thy mercy gate for grace and beg but the crums let them be deliuered because of thy beloued let them reioyce on thy saluation let them see the sight of thy saints and bee glad with the light of thy countenance for euer O speake comfortably vnto their soules and let their hearts euermore reioyce before thee Oh tender hearted Father giue them a tast in this life of the happinesse of the other and a glimpse of that glory whe● into Christ Iesus is receiued That so our hearts may bee enflamed our wills enclined our affections setled and our whole selues knit vnto thee that neither sinne nor Sathan life nor death things present nor things to come may separate vs from the loue and exceeding thirst and desire of beeing where Christ our treasure is Let not the diuell with any of his subtill and slie delusions carrie vs downeward in tempting vs with our vnworthinesse our euill our wretchednesse in putting into our mindes that we are predestinate and ordayned of old to destruction and that whatsoeuer we do ●r say or pray it auailes not for ●t cannot alter thy decree and so ●y this meanes cast vs into des●erate carelessenesse But O Lord ●each our soules to reason and ●ommune with our owne hearts 〈◊〉 going vpwards where Christ ●esus is receiued vp in glory that ●e beleeuing and louing thee our God liuing in thy grace calling ●pon thee dayly may worke out ●ur saluation with feare and ●embling And do thou O God ascertain ●ur conscience that these things ●re the actions and affections of ●ose that are ordayned to blisse ●●d life euerlasting in the merits of thy deare Sonne Christ Iesus our Lord. To this blessed purpose assist vs O God in all the occurrences of our life at home and abroade in businesse and in leasure in prosperitie and aduersitie in sickenesse and in health that we may still haue our minds lift vppe vnto thee through the power of our Prince of peace Christ Iesus and euer vse these things of this life to further our saluation in him that at the last when wee shall come 〈◊〉 our fatall and finall dissolution i● this world the way of all flesh we may bee receiued vp by thy goodnesse and ministerie of thy blessed Angels into those