Heaven Taken By Storm, Title page – Index
HEAVEN Taken by STORM: OR, The HOLY VIOLENCE a Christian is to put forth in the pursuit after Glory.
By THOMAS WATSON, Minister of the Gospel.
Phil. 3. 4. I press toward the mark.
foreign. Chrysost de Poen. Hom. 59
LONDON, Printed by R. W. for Tho. Parkhur…, at the Sign of the Golden-Bible on London-Bridge, 1670.
TO THE Right Honourable, Sir WILLIAM TURNER, Knight, LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LONDON.
Right Honourable,
IT is the happiness of this City, to have a Magistrate that bears not the Sword in vain. Your place is high; God hath lent you his own Title: *Psal. 82. 6.your work is great, it lies in the distribution of Justice, which (according to Aristotle) comprehends all virtues in it. And in this your high orb you have acted vigorously. Your good Government hath helped to raise, if not London's structures, yet its fame. My Lord, to be a foreign, a publick Good, will both render your life honourable, and your death comfortable*Gratius … pro… aliis quàm magnas … habert. Ciccro.. God did reserve you for such a juncture of time as this. When is there more need of zeal in superiours, than when vice grows heady in inferiours. The subject I here humbly dedicate to your Lordship, is, Violence for Heaven. A Divine foreign, or temperature of soul to be much aspired after; for by this you may help to save not only your self, but others. Put on Integrity as a Robe; and let zealous violence more adorn you than the richest Chain of Gold. But I have cause to break forth into Panegyricks. Indeed your own works praise you in the gates. Your prudence and courage; your impartiality in deciding Causes; your punishing of Oaths, and correcting the false ballance; your compliance with his Majesties Royal Proclamation against Health-drinking, have erected for you a living monument in the breasts of all sober and pious men. Among other things, your Self-denial hath been eminent in leting go some of your Perquisites for the good of others.
—Posse & nolle nobile est—….
The former Governours that had been before me (saith Nehemiah) were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them Bread and Wine, &c. but so did not I. What pity is it that London should, like Sparta, keep such a Governour but one year. My Lord, I hate to give flattering titles *Job 32. 22; but I have taken this boldness to say this little, both for your Lordship's encouragement, and the imitation of those that shall succeed in your Chair. My Lord, this small Tractate comes under your Honours Patronage, and entreat your favourable perusal and acceptance of it; it was intended you sooner, but some emergent occasions intervening prevented. If this little spark shall give light or heat to any heart, I have my desire. The great God who hath placed you at the helm of this City, fill you with his heavenly benediction, and so animate you with all might by his Spirit in the inner man, that you may be an Eben-ezer, a stone of help to us; that you may do worthily in London, and be famous in your Generation; so prayeth he who is,
Sir, Your Servant in the Gospel, THO. WATSON July 9. 1669.
AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE.
A.
APostasie whence it ariseth, page 109
Arguments to Violence in prayer, 36
B.
BAckwardness to Self-examination, 56
Bloody violence, 9
C.
CArnal sriends obstructions, 179
Caution about violence, 168
Comfort to the violent Christian, 191
Company of the Saints to be frequented, 188
Covetousness condemned, 103
D.
DAnger in losing our former strictness, 107
Decay of Holiness reproved, 104
Degrees of Glory, 150
Dividers of Religion, 115
Difficulty of Self reflexion, 57
Drawing near to God a duty, 199
E.
EArthly things unsatisfactory, 143
Examples of zealous Saints, 162
Excellencies of God to be studied, 213
Exhortation to draw near to God, 209
F.
FOrmalists in Religion censured, 96
G.
GRace when declining, 105
H.
HEaring of the Word, 29
How we may hear with devotion, 31
Heart to be bound to God by Vows, 186
Help to meditation, 55
How we may do to draw near to God, …14
Hinderances of holy Violence, 169
Holy Conference, 71
Hypocrisie reproved, 207
I.
IGnorant Violence, 8
Incentives to holy violence, 134
Interest in God to be cleared, 215
K.
KIngdom of Heaven how understood, 5
Kingdom of Heaven excelient, 144
L.
Love draws the heart to God, 216
M.
MAgistrates to punish the nocent, 6
Magistrates to defend the innocent, 7
Manner of our drawing near to God, 202
Meditation, what? 42
Moderation in matters of practical Piety, dangerous, 92
Mortification of sin, 17
Motification how effected, 19
Motives to draw near to God, 209
Motives to meditation, 53
O.
OBjections against this holy Violence, answered, 121
P.
PRrayer to be kept up in the Family, 183
Promise made only to ardent Prayer, 39
Provoking our selves to holy duties, 20
R.
REasons inforcing holy violence, 84
Rules for the promoting holy violence, 691
S.
Saints Objection answered, 193
Salvation-work not so facil as some imagine, 88
Sanctifying the Lord's Day, 63
Self examination what? 56
Sinners far off from God, 197
Slothful Christian… rebuked, 94
Spirit of God to be implored, 189
Stirring up of the heart in prayer, 34
Subject of Meditation, 44
Subtilties of Satan in tempting, 75
T.
TRial of a violent Christian, 118
Truth's Excellency, 11, 12
V.
VIgilance the way to violence, 185
Violence for Heaven what it implies, 14
Violence to be offered to Satan, 74
Violence to be offered to the world, 79
Violence of wicked men how shown, 98, 100
Violence for Heaven, and diligence in a calling not inconsistent, 154
Unbelief to be avoided, 169
W.
WOrd of God how to be read, 23, 24
World an enemy to Religion, 172