Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	earth_n	heaven_n	militant_a	4,766	5	11.7120	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68204	Spirituall preseruatiues against the pestilence. Or Seuen lectures on the 91. Psalme First printed in Anno. 1593. And now reuised, corrected, and published, as generally for the instruction of ignorant people: so specially for the confirmation of the weake seruants of Iesus Christ; descibing the most diuine and most soueraigne preseruatiues against the pestilence. By H. Holland. Hereunto is added a sweete prayer of M. R. Greenhams, neuer before published.	Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603.; Greenham, Richard.	1603 (1603)	STC 13589; ESTC S117101	86,406	214

serue him 3. They do Gods will 4. They do it faithfully according to his word Thus far for the first point The 2. thing to be knowne is their loue to Gods Church and great care ouer the faithfull members of the same And certainly their loue is great For it is saide they reioyce ouer one sinner that repenteth and turneth vnto God The Psalmist testifieth of their loue and care when hee faith They pitch their tents round about them which feare the Lorde and desiuer them And here it is said they beare them like as louing parents nurces do their children in their hands and armes to keepe them from scandals and offences And the Lord giueth them in charge thus to doo faith this Prophet heere And hence it is the Author to the Hebrewes describeth them to be Ministring spirits sent from their sakes which shall be heires of saluation And as for their number wee must not curiously search how many each man hath to keepe him for the scriptures tell vs that sometimes many are sent to one man and againe sometimes one Angell is sent for the deliuerance of the whole Church To saue Elisha against the king of Syria the mountaine was full of horses and chariets of fire round about Elisha But in Da●●els time one Angell seemeth to be sent for the protection of the whole Church And in Ezechias time one was of strēgth sufficient to kil and destroy in one night 185000. of the enemies of Gods people And if yet we further desire to learn what ther causes besides that speciall charge of God moue them so to loue vs affect vs and to minister vnto vs for our protection and deliuerance the holy Ghost teacheth vs that first they are members with vs of one bodie which is the whole catholicke Church wherof part is triumphant in heauen part militant vpon earth secondly they haue with vs one spirit for their Lord as to conuert and sanctifie 〈◊〉 so to confirm them in the truth Thirdly they haue with vs one Gospel of com●…ort for the Angels saith Peter desire to ●…ehold the mysteries therein contained ●…or their confirmation and our conuersion and euerlasting saluation They are present in the holy assemblies reioyce no doubt greatly to see the Gospell of Iesus Christ preached vnto thei●…●…retheren Lastly they haue one head with vs euen Iesus Christ our Lorde this the Apostle speaketh Christ is set at the right hand of the father in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery n●…me that is named not in this worlde but also in that that is to come and hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to bee the head to the Church which is his bo●…y euen the fulnesse of ●…im that ●…th all things Here foolish Rabbims obiect by occasion of the words of this Psalme Of bearing in their hands That the holy and elect are more worthy persons and more honorable then the Angels because the Angels must as it were attend vpon them and keepe them Their reasons are weake and they too too curious for parents beare children and yet the children are not the ●…re worthy the good shepheard fin●…th the sheepe which was lost and carrieth it home on his shoulders and yet is not the sheep more worthy then the shep●…eard An other question is here demanded of their appearance what letteth it now more then in elder times They know now their visible appearance is both needelesse and dangerous 1. Needlesse for instruction for they know we haue now in the booke of God all the counsell of God reuealed vnto vs so they had not in the old times in that cleare maner that we haue 2. Needlesse for our protection for they can do this inuisibly as well as in sight Elishas guard was as strong and as faithfull before he sawe them as after Lastly their ●…ppearance now is dangerous since Antichrist hath peruerted many with the false worship and inuocation of Angels for since this Idolatrie crept into the Church wee know assuredly that wicked spirits haue taken the forme of good Angels and haue bene adored of miserable men and so deluded many And the visible appearance vnto men would be more terrible in these daies then it was to Manoab and his wife Iudg. 13. And thus farre of their loue towardes the Saints The third and last point to be considered briefly is how long their charge lasteth ouer vs the answere is So long as they walke in their wayes This is that which Sathan left out when hee made assault against Christ for hee can both pare and shred the scriptures and stretch them also otherwhiles to serue his purpose So he can heape vp iudgements to terrifie and amaze poore consciences which are humbled and multiply mercies before such as stand to breede in them dangerous presumptions By these words Their wayes The Psalmist vnderstandeth our seuerall vocations wherein we must walke circumspectly and not rashly runne forth to any vnlawfull meanes as Sathan would haue Christ to do for so doing wee shall tempt God as Christ answereth the diuell in the second temptation Here then we are taught to walke wisely within our boundes and not to vse vnlawfull meanes or to neglect the good meanes giuen vs of God for our benefit and good We must not ●…lie in the ayre for God hath not giuen vs wings to flye but legges to walke We must not talke of reuelations for God doth not so teach vs now but by his written word Wee must not goe to witches in extremitie to theft in pouertie for so wee walke out of our w●… and the holy Angels forsake vs 〈◊〉 wicked spirits will maister vs and confound vs. The workes of our calling are called in scripture the way wherein we must walke desiring the Lord to blesse them and all lawfull meanes appointed for vs. Now to make vse of this doctrine briefly for our present purpose no doubt of all other spirituall preseruatiues this of the Angels is one of the best against the pestilence For we may not doubt but ●…mly beleeue they pitch their tents and ●…et as it were an hedge about vs for our custodie and preseruation as the diuell con●…esseth it of Iobs protection So then consider euill angels are cruel good Angels are mercifull euill angels are olde and subtile good Angels are of ●…ke yeares and more wise euil angels are very expert to send forth venimous exhalations to poyson the ayre the good Angels are more wise to purge the same the euill angels are strong and mightie but they be fearefull and feare abates strength the good angels are more mightie and excell them in strength and voyd of feare for that they be voyd of 〈◊〉 To bee short looke wherein the eu●…●…ngels haue any might to hurt vs and annoy

Iesus Christ and to proclaime vnto men that if the execution of this iudgement cannot preuaile against their securitie the Lord himselfe commeth speedily to the generall iudgement to sweepe away all sinners from the face of the earth and to cast them into a place of torments where they shall haue plagues farre exceeding the plagues of Egypt not only in body but also in minde not for a day or two but for euer They shall haue plagues without end The eleuenth cause If any yet would know wherefore the Lord sweepeth away so many thousands in the world among Pagans with this beesome of destruction let him take a veiwe of the plagues of Egypt most terrible and dreadfull for besides the reuenge of his people the Lord mentioneth often another cause namely the manifestation of his power and might which he will haue knowne as by his mercies among his people so by his fearefull iudgements vpon his enemies Exod. 7. 4. and 5. By great iudgements the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord Chap. 9. 14. I will at this time send all my plagues vpon thine heart and vpon thy seruants and vpon thy people that thou maiest know that there is none like me in all the earth The twelfth and last cause may bee this againe in the Church among Gods people the reuenge of the couenant of the Lord for where the Lordes Lieutenants and keepers of his couenant the magistrates are slow to draw forth the sword of iustice there the Lord telleth vs he will draw forth his owne swords of famine warres and pestilence Leuit. 26. 14. 15. If ye will not obey me nor doe all these commandements and if yee shall despise mine ordinances either if your soule abhor my lawes so that ye will not do all my commandements but breake my couenant c. verse 25. I will send a sword vpon you that shall auenge the quarrell of my couenant When you are gathered in your Cities I will send the Pestilence among you Deut 28 15. If thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lord thy God to keepe and doe all his commandements c. verse 21. The Lord shall make the p●…stilence cleaue vnto thee vntill he hath consumed thee the Lord shall smite thee with a consump●…on and with the feauer with a burning ague c. verse 27. the Lorde will smite thee with the hotch of Egypt with the ●…rods and with the scab and with the ●…ch that thou canst not be healed Now then condering the premises may not we heere out of the Lords booke more certainly declare the causes of the pestilence than the learned Pl●…an can doe and let vs not now thinke it strange that the Lord so smites vs in a short and light plague but rather let vs admire and extoll his mercies with all the praises we can for considering the grosse ignorance the great Atheisme the beastly epicurisme the prophane blasphemies the wicked periuries all the intollerable prophanations of Gods holy name the abuse of the Lordes Sabbothes the great contempt of Gods holy Ministerie word and Sacraments vncleannes adulteries incest fraud deceite vsuries and all manner of oppressions with infinite more sinnes amongst vs is it not a most admirable and miraculous mercy that wee bee not continually consumed with all the iudgements of the Almightie within these few yeares the Lord first began with a famine which sinote al the parts of the whole land not long after he made vs al to tremble with the sight of a most bloody Nation which came to deuoure vs now in the last place he hath called vs by Pestilence to a sin●…ere obedience vnto his Gospell The first iudgement was soone forgotten●… the second hath giuen vs no instruction The Lorde grant this third and last of the Pestilence may open the eyes of his people Great plagues and iudgements argue great sinnes assuredly and great sinnes call for great iudgements I conclude this question with the wise mans golden sentence Though a sinner do euill an hundred times and God prolonge his daies yet I know that it shall be well with them that feare the Lord and doe reuerence before him but it shall not bee well to the wicked he shall be like a shadow because he feareth not before him THE 3. LECTVRE Verse 5. 6. Verse 5. Thou shalt not bee affraide of the feare of the night nor of the arrow that flyeth by day Verse 6. I meane the Pestilence that walketh in the darkenesse and of the Plague that destroyeth at noone-day TO passe ouer the allegories of which some are not vnprofitably nor vnfitly here vnderstood by diuers of the learned Interpreters I thinke it sufficient to commend vnto Gods people that sense only which the scope of the whole Psalm●… leadeth me vnto I vnderstand here therfore in all these sweet promises by all these metaphors and borrowed speeches that great euill which the Prophet before verse 3. in naturall and proper tearmes hath called Deber hauoth The grieuous Pestilence or the pestilence of griefes that is most grieuous In the fift verse The Pestilence hath two fit names 1. The terror of the the night a metonymie of the effect for the cause because this sicknesse breeds many terrors feares in the night 1. Because the night is a sollitary time and solitarinesse doth encrease feares 2. Because of the darkenesse of the time for as all light brings comfort and boldnes so all darknes workes feare and discouragement in the sound much more in the weak and now most of all when a man is readie to walk into the valley of the shadow of death where is wont to be alwaies some agonies and great causes of feare Psal. 23. 3. 4. 3 The night breedes fearefull dreames which in time of the Pestilence increase terrors Iob in his affliction crieth out because hee is terrified with the visions of the night When I say my couch shall relieue mee my bed shall bring comfort in my meditation then fearest thou with dreames and astonishedst me with visions my soule choseth rather to be strangled and to die then to be in my bones When the Lord mindeth to amaze his enemies with any terrors hee powreth his iudgements vpon them in the night season when hee would shake all Egypt hee slew one euen the first borne in euery house in Egypt at mid-night and it caused a dreadfull crying and lamentation throughout the whole land Exod. 12. 29. 30. 33. It was the night time whē the Lord slew 185000. in Senacharibs campe that so he might beat downe the great insolencie of that proude enemie of his people First the Pestilence is called the arrow that flyeth by day So Dauid called it Psal. 38. For that it comes inuisibly if mē be not wel sighted they cā hardly discerne how it flies Secondly for that it comes swiftly a man can hardly auoid it Thirdly because it strikes suddenly as an arrow doth when men thinke

request not that the Lorde did not heare from the beginning but now in the ende he feeleth an answere in his soule that God hath granted his desire As Psal. 69. The Lord hath heard my petition 66. 18. 19. God hath heard me and considered the v●…yce of my prayer Where note two things if we desire to be heard first that we haue a feeling of our wants as here in troubles 2. That we cry mightily and continue God in the end wil heare vs as he did Dauid in the end alwayes and after much crying I will be with him in troubles This is the 2. promise Some man will thinke this no special promise for that God is both by his essence infinit filling heauen and earth by his prouidence watchfull present and carefull ouer all and euery one of the creatures in heauen and earth And yet further is hee not with his beloued children alwayes in a more speciall manner by his spirite of sanctification and comfort effectuallie also working by the ●…ath and resurrection of Iesus Christ to make them new creatures All this is true both of the generall prouidence of God and of his speciall working and grace in the Saints But yet they are not alwayes alike comforted For the Lorde doth otherwhiles more graciously shew himselfe at one time then another For may not the King to those of his housholde more louingly shew his countenance at one time then another and frowne at other times vpon them and yet they bee his seruants So is it with Christ and his members The righteous soules of the faithfull sometimes eate and drinke and feast with Christ yet at other times they cry much they aske many watchmen for him and seeke him with much sweating before they can find him And that the Lord Iesus doth more familiarly shew his face and communicate his graces vnto his Saintes in troubles and in their grieuances the experience of Gods people in al ages can testifie and this we haue before partly vouched Dauid cryeth Hide not away thy face from me for I am in trouble and they cryed to the Lord in their trouble and hee deliuered th●… out of their distresse O that men would therfore prayse the Lord. Master Philpot sayth to Lady Vane Belieue me dear Lady there is no such ioy in the world as the people of Christ haue vnder the crosse These holy ones haue often many desertions and yet in the midst of their agonies Christ will suddenly shine foorth as bright as the Sun after a cloudie blacke tempest as in Maister Glouers storie appeares and many others And this blessed presence wee speake of make so many of Gods people so constantly and so cheerefully to offer vp themselues a liuing sacrifice to bee rosted and tormented with fire in smithfield and many other parts of the world 6. Question What wonderful communion there is between Christ and his holy members best knowen to his people in afflictions Cant. 2. 16. My welbeloued is mine and I am his verse 15. I will bee with him in trouble FIrst let vs here consider in what manner the holy Scripture speaketh of this great communion and fellowship between Christ his members Thus Iohn writeth of it first in his Epistle That I say which we haue seene and heard declare we vnto you that ye may haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may bee with the father and his sonne Iesus Christ. Againe in his Gospel most comfortably on this manner I pray not for these alone but for thē also which shall beleeue in me through their word that they all may bee one as thou O Father art in mee and I in thee euen that they all may be one in vs that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me and the glorie that thou gauest mee I haue giuen them that they may be one as wee are one I in them and they in me that they may bee made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent mee and hast loued them as thou hast loued mee And the Apostle speaketh of this communion when hee saith Tempt your selues whether you be in the faith do ye not know that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be refu●…es Because this blessed vnion communion and fellowship is spirituall and misticall the holy Scriptures do striue to helpe our weaknesse to conceiue rightly the trueth of it by sundry Metaphors and borowed speeches as Iohn in the sweet parable of the vine and vine branches in which place the whole comparison if we make supply out of other places standeth vpon sundry most familiar similitudes as to expresse the singular loue and care of God ouer his people and the effectuall power of the Ministerie of his holy word wo●… in them so to instruct vs of the VI separ b●… vnion betweene Christ and his holy members 1. The heauenly Father is compared to the husband-man 2. The ministers vnto the husbandmans laborers 3. The people and the Church of God vnto the vineyard or husbandry 4. Christ and his members vnto the vine and vine branch 5. The spirituall vnion li●…e and growth of the faithfull in Christ vnto the naturall coniunction life and growth of the naturall vine and her branches 6. Lastly as the husbandman on earth loueth careth for and purgeth his vine with his handes and instruments his corne fieldes c. so the heauenly father loueth and purgeth his Church and his people by his Spirit word and sacraments c. And like as wise Princes commit their sonnes to the custodie and instruction of wise and faithfull men so the heauenly Father commendeth the education of his children to his holy labourers and by their Ministrie hee prepareth such on eaith as he purposeth to aduance to the kingdome of his glory to be fellow heires with Iesus Christ in heauen Againe all that heauenly and most sweet parable the song of Salomon tendeth principally to expresse this inspeakeable communion comparing it often vnto the holy vnion which is betweene man and wife in that mariage which is in the Lord and so doth the Apostle and concludeth ●…that wee are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones 3 And this firme coniunction which 〈◊〉 in this mysticall body is againe notably ●…id before vs by the similitude of the naturall body and the essentiall parts of the same 1. Cor. 12. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Thus when we see by these few places how the holy spirit doth demonstrate vnto vs a most certaine and reall coniunction and communion betwixt Christ and all the faithfull heere on earth And yet heere is no corporall commixtion of our soules with his or any coniunction of natures neither is this a bare consent of mindes onely but an inspeakeable coniunction is 〈◊〉 by meanes of the words of re●…ation without and the holy spirit of Christ within working effectually almightie in power to knit together