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A15601 An exposition of the Lords prayer. Delivered in two and twenty lectures, at the church of Lieth in Scotland; by Mr William Wischart parson of Restalrigg Wishart, William, parson of Restalrigg. 1633 (1633) STC 25866; ESTC S120196 157,088 602

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in thy young dayes Hee can say to the covetous man Pull downe thy barnes and make them more large and then cry a peace to thy soule Hee can say to the furious man Smite him at once that thou may not smite him the second time And What thou dost do quickly And in a word whatsoever seed of iniquity or bitter root of corruption hee soweth or planteth in our hearts this is his policy hee first bewitcheth the sense then enflameth the appetite or desire and last of all he bringeth sinne to accomplishment Vse In respect hereof it becommeth us carefully to watch over our senses as the gates and dores of our soules Secondly to keepe a guard about our affections that though our senses be infected yet our hearts be not affected Psal 139. And last of all wee should be earnest and carefull to mortifie both of these least their infection prevayling sin in thee come to a maturity and thou reape as thou hast sowne for hee that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption and hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life and glory and honor and life immortality Thus whilst wee seeke to bee free from temptations wee seek to be freed from the temptations of the devill the world and the flesh And if God at any time shall suffer us to fall into these temptations wee then begge of him that wee may not bee overcome of them Non enim petimus ut non tentemur sed ut a tentatione non vincamur Now followeth the third thing remarkable in the words and that is who are the souldiers that must fight the battell To this I answer all those that are subject to temptation the whole have no neede of the physitian but the sicke if any man therefore thinke himself free from the dint of temptation forbeare to say Lead us not into temptation but if none can exempt himselfe then what I say to one I say to all Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation But that I may speake more clearely The souldiers of this Christian warfare are all those who are members of the mysticall body of Jesus To what end else hath hee clothed them with his livory put his badge on them given them their earnest and covered them under his banner hee hath clothed us with his livory whilst he hath imputed to us his righteousnesse hee hath put his badge on us whilst hee hath baptized us in his name hee hath given us earnest whilst hee hath given us the first fruits of the Spirit to dwell in us and hee hath convocated us under his banner whilst hee calleth to bee within the pale and precinct of his Church But this is not all thou wilt enquire yet who are those to whom hee hath concredited these endowments I answer the Saints militant and tryumphant By the Saints militant I understand men and women on earth By the Saints tryumphant I understand those who fought the fight finished their course and now are entred into their masters joy But here two questions may arise the first is this Have none beene tempted but the sonnes and daughters of men I answer none for howsoever it be true that Jesus Christ was the Sonne of God yet as the sonne of man hee was also tempted with us and that for these foure causes First Ad cautelam 2. In auxilium 3. Ad exemplum 4. In fiduciam The sonne of God was tempted in our flesh for our caution and for warning sake that looking on him no man might thinke himselfe set free from temptation for if hee hath not spared the Cedar of Lybanon how shall hee spare us poore Isop bushes Secondly hee was tempted for our assistance and aid for what shall it availe a man to know that his enemy approacheth against him unlesse hee be able to resist him therefore Christ came and in our flesh was tempted also that hee might deliver us in all our temptations both from the feare of death and from him who had the power of death the devill Thirdly hee was tempted for our example for as hee said of himselfe learne of me for I am mecke and lowly and as the Evangelist St Iohn saith of his washing of his disciples feet I have given you an example that you should do one to another as I have done to you So also hath hee suffered our temptations and was tempted like unto us that hee might leave us an example to follow his foot steps 1. Pet. 2.21 Fourthly hee was tempted for our comfort and assurance of victory for it is written Heb. 4.15 Wee have not such an High Priest as cannot be touched with our infirmities but hee was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sinne Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace and wee shall finde grace to helpe us in the time of need The second question is this Who are those amongst the sonnes and daughters of men who can truly say that they are tempted to this I answer If temptation be a fight those onely are truly said to be tempted who do bravely couragiously resist and fight against their adversary It is not the sluggard that lyeth down to sleepe nor the coward that rūneth away nor the feeble hearted that yeeldeth that can truly be called the souldies of God but they only who hold fast what they have received who stand fast within the liberty wherewith they are made free and who continue constant unto the end that as the good souldiers of Jesus Christ shall receive the crowne Seeing then amongst the sonnes of men there are some who are in the gall of bitternesse who are taken captive of Sathan at his will who are given over to their vile affections and to the power of error 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sure I am these are not worthy of the title of this fight nor to have their names billeted for the souldiers of Jesus onely they then in whom though sinne dwell yet doth not raigne are the true soldiers of Jesus who can with Abraham refuse to be enriched from Sodome and with Moses refuse to leave a howfe behind him are worthy and shall be clothed in white and receive a white stone and in it a new name which no man knoweth but hee that possesseth it Vse Now what shall I say concerning man the Christian souldier and the necessity of his resistance Alas there is so much in man enemy to man and so little left in him that is able to resist or fight for him much lesse to triumph and conquer or subdue his enemy to him I thinke I can onely intreat man to looke continually on his captaine And yet because hee must either fight or else never tryumph there are two things of which I would advertise him First let him not thrust himselfe into temptation unlesse as David said There be a cause And that with Jesus hee bee led with the spirit For our adversaries are
part of his distributive justice Who ever amongst you kindled a fire upon my Altar in vaine And againe Try me if I shall not blesse thee No in this he hath made all flesh unexcusable For he maketh his sunne to shine upon the good and upon the bad and his raine to fall upon the wicked as upon the righteous Neither is this alone the goodnesse of God to be liberall in his dispensation for hee neither denyeth nor upbraideth But amongst the sonnes of men also it hath even in nature beene accounted foule and base to bee ingrate Alexander could say to Permenio it is not enough for Alexander to give Pharaoh could say to Ioseph Only in the Throne shall I be before thee and Herod though in an evill course can say Aske of mee to the halfe of my Kingdome I will not deny it Onely this base slave Sathan who hath nothing but what hee hath usurped and stolen can both trecherously entice the sinne and thereafter cruelly torment for sinne greedy by his temptation to make a proselite and by his torture and ingratitude to make a reprobate The Kingdome of man and the kingdome of Sathan being thus pointed out it rests only that wee looke on the Kingdome of God of the which it is said Thy Kingdome come Of this wee must enquire what it is and then how manyfold it is Gods Kingdome is that spirituall rule and authority which he hath in man through Christ communicating to him his grace in this life and keeping him by the power of his spirit through faith to eternall glory This Kingdome is different from the former two For as concerning the Kingdomes of men they were subordinate and under anothers authority This is suprem and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of himself from himself The Kingdom of Sathan was usurped and trecherously ingrate This is due authoritative and liberall This being knowne for the nature of this Kingdome wee will now enquire a little of the severall kindes thereof Know then that the Kingdome of God is three-fold 1. He hath a Kingdome of power 2. A Kingdome of grace 3. And a Kingdome of glory The first is an externall the second an internall the third an eternall Kingdome By the first hee ruleth all his creatures All the sonnes of men and all the divells in hell also He ruleth the creatures for his voice maketh the foundations of the earth to shake The Cedars of Lebanon to tremble and the goats of a thousand mountaines to calve He ruleth the sonnes of men either doing in them his will by his Spirit of grace or doing upon them his will by the stroake of his justice He ruleth the divells in hell also For howsoever they goe about like roaring Lions seeking to devoure us Yet hath he kept a bridle in their lips and a hooke in their nostrells so that they cannot doe what they would for as their Master himselfe confesseth concerning Iob Whom can harme the man whom the Lord hedgeth about Vse But that wee may make use of these things to our comfort Let us looke on the Kingdome of God in the second signification which is his Kingdom of grace Wherin we must understand that this internall Kingdome of God whereby he ruleth in the hearts of men hath an opposite Kingdome rebelling against it to wit the Kingdome of Sathan for the overthrow whereof and the maintenance of his owne God hath established in this his militant Church and Kingdome these things 1. A King and some subordinate subjects 2. Oathes of allegiance 3. Lawes for obedience 4. Punishment for offendors 5. And rewards for well-doers The King is God himselfe A Trinity in unity and unity in Trinity The Father the Son and Holy Ghost God one in Essence but distinguished in Persons The Subjects of this Kingdome are all the Saints of God from the first Adam to the last man that shall stand upon the earth The Fathers before the flood the Patriarkes after the flood The Prophets under the law The Apostles under the Gospell The Martyrs their successors and we who are now in the end of time become their fellow Brethren as the posterity of Iacob dwelling in the tents of Shem. And finally all that shall beleeve the Gospell of Jesus for now there is no more Jew nor Gentile nor Grecian nor Barbarian nor bond nor free but all are in Christ Jesus Our Oath of allegiance we have given in our baptisme and communion with him at his table In the first a vowing to bee his people as hee is our God In the second promising to grow up in him and in the grace given us untill hee consummate his grace with his Glory The law of this Kingdome is that which is written partly in the tenor of the law and partly in the tenor of the Gospell Neither so sharpe as alwaies to have their censure written in the blood of the offendor like Draces lawes nor yet so remisse that partiality might make of them a spiders webbe like those of Solon but so contemperate that what justice required was satisfied and what mercy craved was freely yeelded The reward of transgressors and of well-doers is not defective here also For as every man soweth so shall he reape He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life and peace Now all of these doe shew her to be a Church and a spirituall Kingdome Yet withall let us remember I pray you that it is but a militant Church and a militant Kingdome that wee have here Against whom the Prince of darknesse and he that ruleth in the children of disobedience rageth fiercely and fearfully because his time is but short And for his more sure triumph hee hath confederated our nearest enemies our flesh and the world against us We are weake as a little David and they strong as the sonnes of Zeruiah how can we then resist and be victorious Blessed bee God through Jesus Christ our Lord For there bee more with us then they that be against us If Sathan bee a strong man yet is our head and captaine farre stronger is Sathan a roaring Lion our captaine is the great Lion of the Tribe of Judah Is Sathan a mighty Pharaoh yet our captaine is the great Archangell of the covenant who seeth our wrongs and oppressions and who by a mighty hand and outstretched right arme shall worke out our deliverance For in the day of conflict and spirituall contest our captaine leaveth us not to our selves and our owne weaknesse But which serveth wonderfully for our comfort hee is made and hath become in our flesh to us these foure things 1. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the moderator and marshall of our campe to us not suffering our temptations to exceed his appointed bounds 2. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with us our Second offering himselfe to all our danger as well as our selves 3. Hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
of the Church which is in heaven is in patria in her country That part which is on earth is but in via upon the way when wee enter into heaven wee are comprehenseres whilst wee are on earth wee are but viatores they that are in heaven are called the triumphant Church they that are on earth the militant Now by both of these it is cleare that the Church here on earth hath much adoe for will you looke upon her as a pilgrim she hath enough to doe with all her wits to keepe the right way for though the way bee patent enough yet because it is thorny wee had need of a guide to lead us in it that when wee fall and stumble hee may lift us up againe For this Iacob confessed Few and evill have beene the dayes of my pilgrimage Again will we looke upon the Church here on earth as upon an army for so Iob confessed Iob 7. Mans life is a warfare on earth There we have need of a head and a leader too for unlesse there bee Captaines over hundreds and over thousands it is impossible that we can either fight in order or report a due victory and there shall nothing bee heard in our campe but confusion and the voice of him that is overcome so that howsoever the metaphor standeth it is cleare that wee are by nature weake and fraile creatures subject to many wandrings and many assaults under and against the which wee can neither stand nor prevaile unlesse our Leader and Captaine bee with us and in his power make us victorious The metaphor therefore serving equally to present unto us both our pilgrimage and our warfare I would rather lay hold on the last and shew you what are the references of our spirituall warfare in which wee stand seeing the matter is so clearly displayed and pointed out to us elsewhere for in the Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle telleth us that wee must not onely fight against flesh and blood but also against principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse and the Prince of darknesse and the god that ruleth powerfully in in the children of disobedience That wee may therefore hold still the allegory of our warfare and from thence attaine to the scope and meaning of these words let us now looke upon them both and see how the one keepeth correspondence with che other In a carnall and bodily warfare wee know that three things are chiefly remarkable 1. The fight 2. The enemies 3. The Captaines charge All of these wee shall finde here set downe unto us in these few words as in a mappe our spirituall warfare for never did any Generall on earth decipher better the severall periods of a pitched battell then our Redeemer Christ Jesus doth here wisely both set us in order of battell and providently tell us both how to fight and how to retire And that this may bee cleare looke to the words in which hee foundeth to us our alarum and commandeth us fight for as it is in the earthly combate so is it in the spirituall in it wee have five things considerable 1. The fight it selfe temptation 2. The enemies and these are all those who have a part in this temptation 3. The souldiers and these are wee who are the children and servants of God 4. The Captaine God our Father who is in heaven 5. And last of all what is his charge hee must bee our leader All of these packed up from their severall places make up to us this maine charge Lead us not into temptation Wee will returne now to the first thing considerable in the words and that is our fight proposed to us in the word Temptation For the better understanding whereof wee must know that as there is Multiplex pugnandi genus so there is Multiplex tentandigenus For Aliter pugnatur in schola aliter in praetio wee fight one way in the fencing schoole another way in the field Whilst wee are in the fencing schoole our master fighteth against us his strokes are soft and for our instruction But when wee come to the field our enemie fighteth against us his strokes are furious desperate and his end is to destroy us We have need then to watch over our selves guard our selves well lest by our negligence security we fall and cannot rise againe Yet to make the word more cleare wee must labour to distinguish tempters in their severall sorts and from thence know what temptation is truly and what is the nature thereof For understanding of which wee must know that there are three sorts of tempters God man sathan God tempteth man man tempteth man man tempteth God sathan tempteth man also God tempteth man and his temptations are but tryalls of man not that it is requisite for God to trie what is in man for he knoweth already what is in mans heart his mouth workes and wayes But when God tryeth and tempteth a man it is to make man knowne to himselfe to those with whom hee lives in the world Thus he tryed and tempted Abrahams faith Iobs patience Davids love Peters perseverance and Pauls sincerity Abrahams faith in offering up of Isaaek Iobs patience by his multiplyed afflictions Davids love in Absolous persecution Peters perseverance by a damosell and Pauls sincerity by a buffer of Sathan Now as God tempteth man not for that he is ignorant of what is in man but that he may make him know himselfe that his graces in man may be knowne to the world as the Apostle writing to the Corinthiās telleth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they who are approved may bee knowne so also in the second place man tempteth God and as God tempteth man and is free of sinne so man when hee tempteth God is never void of it for whilst man tempteth and tryeth God it is a faithlesse and distrustfull tryall hee maketh of Gods power So Israel tempted God sinfully in the wildernesse whilst by tenne severall tēptations they forced God to make knowne unto them his omnipotencie and all-sufficient power Can God prepare a table to us in the wildernesse or can hee give flesh to the thousands of Israel to eate Thirdly man tempteth man and that diversly for there is a temptation and a tryall whereby man tempteth man approved of in Scripture and there is a temptation whereby man tempteth man condemned and dis-allowed in Scripture Of the first sort of temptations and tryalls are those which man useth for clearing of controversies As Salomon tryed the harlot by her unnaturalnesse to the child which shee claimed Or then for trying or examining the knowledge and grace of God in man so ministers are bound in duty to try their flocks masters their servants parents their children in the progresse and growth of Christianity Lastly Sathan is a tempter and that a chiefe and maine one For as all his temptations are to evill so are they all sinfull and that in two respects both in respect of