Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	conscience_n	life_n	sin_n	4,202	5	4.3704	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91898	Panoplia. Universa arma. Hieron. Or, The Christian compleatly armed: being a treatise of the Christians armour, clearly opening every part thereof, both pressing to the putting of it on, and instructing us so to use it, as we may not be soyled in time of temptation. / Delivered by that late reverend, and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Woolnoth, London, to his congregation there, in several lectures: and now published for the further benefit of the Church of God.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1656 (1656)	Wing R1710; Thomason E1586_2; ESTC R208953	180,905	372

covenant of peace So Manasseh c. But I come to positive evidences 1. He that is at peace with God is at war with sin with all sin and that continually Hatred of sin is a sure evidence of Reconciliation with God I will hearken what the Lord will say for he will speak peace to his Servants but let not them return again to folly Psal 85. 8. Folly and sin are Synonyma in Scripture as holiness and wisdom are And he that hath heard God speaking peace will be very careful of not returning to sin A person at peace with God may act sinfully but he hates it even when he acts it he mourns for it he useth all meanes to mortifie and destroy it I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely c. Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with Idols Hosea 14. 4 8. Yea the soul shall be ashamed of its sinful courses when God and it are reconciled There are some who think that sorrow and shame for sin are unfit for a state of Reconciliation and that its a disparagement to the state of Reconciliation to be exercised with Humiliation whereas indeed its the proper fruit of it Mary Magdalen never abounded so much in sorrow and shame for sin as after God had spoken peace to her she wept much because much was forgiven her and it s prophesied of Jerusalem that shame and grief should fill her heart and face when God was reconciled to her Ezekiel 16. 61 63. Put this home 2. He that is at peace with God is at peace with the Word of God and every part of it Reconciliation with God brings forth Reconciliation with the Scriptures with the Precepts as well as with the Promises He is at peace with every duty enjoyned in the Book of God While the soul is at enmity with God it is at enmity with the world at least with some part of it This Command he cannot agree with this is too strict the other is too harsh This is an hard saying who can hear it The Apostle describes such men by their contentiousness and disobedience Rom. 2. 8. but when God hath taken away the enmity of the heart all these contentions against the Scripture are allayed he now hides the Word within his heart he loves it and prizeth it more than his appointed food it s the joy and rejoycing of his heart sweeter to his taste than the honey and honey-comb The Law is written in his heart now it s his bosome friend the man of his counsel 3. He that is at peace with God is never so well as when he is in Gods presence He loves to be where God is Reconciliation will manifest it self by desire of communion Enemies care not for the presence one of another but friends rejoyce to converse together Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest Cantic 1. 6. A soul reconciled is described by this that he is made nigh Ephes 2. 13. The soul before reconciliation is farre off from God farre off in regard of Gods acceptance and farre off in regard of affection and desire but whensoever reconciled then the distance is removed and he is brought nigh nigh in regard of relation and nigh in regard of affection and union he takes pleasure in those places in those exercises in that society where God is graciously present Put this home Can you say as Psal 84. 1. Psal 42. 1. Psal 63. 1 2. 4. He that is reconciled to God can never be contented when any breach is made till it be again made up A soul at peace with God may by sin loose the sense of it and thereby breed strangeness between God and himself But he cannot be at rest till the cloud be removed David Psalm 51. 12. he had assurance of pardon before The Lord hath put away thy sin c. 2 Sam. 12. 13. but Gods face was not as it had wont to be towards him he could not see those smiles which he was wont to behold in his fathers face he could not discern the light of Gods countenance as before this makes him cry out Restore c. Thus it was with the Church in those remarkable places Cant. 3. inite and Cant. 5. 2 3 4 5. She was in a very sad condition till she had got the fight of his face A reconciled person is afraid of doing any thing that may cause strangeness and very restless till any breach may be removed 5. He that is at peace with God is at peace with all the servants of God He is a true cordial friend unto all those whom God loves and an adversary to all those whom God hates Doe not I love them that love thee and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee Psal 139. 21 22. He will not say a confederacy to any who hate God in any of their sinful wayes 6. He that is at peace with God is a man universally reformed Renovation is alwayes a fruit of Reconciliation Inwardly in heart will conscience understanding Outwardly in words and works is he renewed according unto the Scriptures God never makes peace with any soul but he makes that soul like himself Old things are past away and all things are become new This is the Apostles evidence 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. USE III. Exhortation Let all those who live under the Gospel of peace labour for an interest in this peace We pray you in Christ stead be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. Mot. 1. Without peace there can be no glory Reconciliation is a necessary preparative to salvation God saves no enemies but by making of them friends Col. 1. 21. Mot. 2. He that is at peace with God here shall certainly be glorified with God hereafter Reconciliation is a harder work than salvation There is more difficulty to reconcile an enemy than to save a friend There is less opposition between grace and glory than between grace and nature the difference between those is but gradual but between the other specifical Hence the Apostle argues Rom. 5. 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Mot. 3. Peace with God is the foundation of peace with creatures and peace with conscience The creatures are by sin our enemies and nothing but peace with the Creator can make their enmity cease Vide Hosea 2. 18 19. When God is in covenant then are the creatures in Covenant so peace of conscience is a fruit of this peace He that is at peace with God hath a ground of peace with himself though he do not see it He that is at enmity with God hath no ground of peace though he think otherwise Conscience may be sleepily quiet but it is not truly peaceable Mot. 4. Peace with God will be your joy and rejoycing in all kind of outward evils Otherwise the Gospel of peace will be to

notable instance which is upon Record in Exod. 17. 9 10 11. Amalek and Israel were joyned in battel in Rephidim Moses while they were fighting stood upon the Mount praying and the issue was While Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed By this Example God would in a figure have his people learn whence it is that they stand against all Satans encounters not by their own strength but by the holding up of the hands of Moses by the intercession of Jesus Christ in the Holy Mountain His hands are never heavy neither is his heart heavy he needs no supporters to stay up his hands as Moses did he lives for ever to make intercession Information 1. Take notice of the certainty 1. Vse of the salvation of the people of God If any thing could deprive them of their Crown it would be the prevalency of Satans Temptations but he cannot prevail against them finally they must stand when he is fallen And upon this ground it is that the Apostle doth so triumph in the assurance of his own glorification Rom. 8. 38 39. 2. We may from hence also take notice that all the Defeatments and Overthrows and Foyls which any Christian receives from the Devil either immediatly assaulting or assaulting by his Instruments are of and from themselves God hath furnished them with sufficient Furniture to enable them to with-stand and overcome and therefore if they be at any time overtaken and brought into bondage they may blame their own negligence they cannot accuse their God Exhortation Let this put courage and valour 2. Vse and resolution into the hearts of all Christians against the evill day Keep your ground hold fast your Weapons in your hands and though Satan beat you down upon your knees yet up again and continue fighting and you shall certainly overcome at last nothing can hinder you from overcoming but either want of the right Armour or else want of opposing Certain knowledge of victory before hand would make a Coward valiant you have a promise of certain victory and therefore let not your hearts be faint Charles the fifth when he was going to rush with his Horse into the battel he was earnestly requested to retreat lest by his mishap the whole Army should be discouraged but he made this Heroick answer An Emperor was never shot through with a Bullet A Christian may encourage himself against Satan upon far better grounds A Child of God was never shot to death by any Temptation of Satan c. It s a marvellous encouragement in these black dayes of tryall I do not think that there was ever any age of the Church in which Satan had more stratagems and devices to draw the people of God into sin then now he hath He hath his Temptations of profit and his Temptations of losse a Christian cannot go into any Company but some snare or other is laid for him some Devill or other is ready to meet him Well do but resist and you shall overcome The Devill cannot force you he can do you no hurt without your own consent and to consent to an enemy when you are sure of victory is neither wisdom nor manhood The three Children did bravely in the day of their temptation they defied Satan and his Instruments disobeyed the Kings word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God neither the sweet melody of the Instruments of Musick nor the ready complyance of others nor the dreadful terror of the burning Furnace could make them stoop and by their valour they did overcome and they obtained such a perfect victory that they had not so much as a skar upon them The fire had no power over their bodies nor was a hair of their head singed neither were their Coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them You may read both the battel and Conquest Dan. 3. 14 15 16 17 18. ad finem Yea their very enemies at last proclaimed them Conquerours and a glorious decree is made that no God besides their God should be worshipped and that it should be present death for any within the Kings Dominions to speak the least word against their God vers 28. 29. And they themselves are promoted higher then ever they were in the Province of Babylon A man would little have thought when he saw the three Children bound by the Command of an angry King and cast into a hot Furnace that this should have been the way to their preferment and yet God made it so to be Daniel also he did like a man of God in the day of his Temptation He was tempted to forbear praying for 30. dayes It was a bare omission nothing was he compelled to do against the Law of God onely to forbear holy invocation for a moneths time he had liberty to pray in his heart and to pray in a corner unseen he might have had 1000. things to have pretended for his omission He was a man of note had a high place in the Kingdom and was likely to rise yet higher if obedience to his God did not hinder his preferment he was able to do great services for the Church by his Interest in the Kingdom and would he now cut off himself and prejudice the Church for so small a matter All these things and many more no doubt were suggested to him by Satan and his Instruments but Daniel like a man of courage opposeth all these and what the issue was you may read Dan. 6. per totum He beat the Devill in his own Den by the help of Gods Angel he clapt a muzzle upon the mouthes of the hungry Lions lived to see the just hand of God upon his conspirators who had contrived his death were promoted higher then ever and which was best of all obtained a Decree from the King that all men should tremble at the God of Daniel And who knowes whether in our evill day of Church Calamities the Prince of darkness and his adherents may not be utterly foiled by the constancy of a few of the people of God in opposing temptations This Doctrine is singularly comfortable to 3. Vse many poor Christians who are actually engaged against Satan Many perhaps of Gods Children are even wearied out with a long siege night and day for many moneths together doth the Devil play upon them with his Temptations of all sorts They cannot sleep or eat or confer or hear c. but Satans Darts fly in their face in the morning they say would to God it were evening c. Here 's good news for such Christians Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Heb. 10. 35 36 37. Here is relief a comming to you you know not how neer it may be and if you hold out it will not come too late The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Rom.

will do righteously not only when he may be rewarded but also when he is sure he shall be persecuted for righteousnesse sake He can distinguish between fas and nefas when the generation wherein he lives is wholly devoted to wickedness This is the character of Noahs righteousness Gen. 7. 1. You have a description of that Generation Chap. 6. 5. In this Generation Noah kept his righteousness This the Apostle exhorts the Philippians Phil. 2. 15. That ye may be harmless and blameless c. in the middest of a crooked and perverse generation Yea a righteous man in such a generation by a spiritual kind of Antiperistasis endeavors to walk more righteously For 1. Times and Ages Men and Custome are not the guide of his Life but Conscience rightly informed by the Word of God 2. The more loose his generation is the more necessity he sees lying upon himself to practise Holiness both to keep it up in the world and to confute the want of it in other men If he live in a Covenant-breaking and Covenant-denying and Covenant-forswearing generation he sees that he hath the more reason to walk in Covenant maintaining and Covenant keeping c. 6 The righteous person is one who doth in his heart bewail the unrighteous practices of other men This is the Evidence of Lots righteousness vid. 2 Pet. 2. 8. That righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds Thus also did the Holy men in Jerusalem in a time of wickedness Ezek. 9. The sins which were a sport to others were a sad grief to their soules When others were singing to their idols they were sorrowing for that mirth they did not onely murmure against their sins but they did mourn for them and that with sighing and tears 1. A righteous man knowes both the filthiness of sinne and the mischiefe of sinne 2. A righteous person hath fervent love to God and hearty Affection to the soules of men this makes him mourn for the sins he cannot mend 7 The righteous person is one who is gladly willing to be told of any act of unrighteousness He is sorry to do unrighteously but not sorry to be told of his unrighteous Doing He will thank God for making any an Instrument of reproving and he will honour and love the Instrument for his faithfull admonition He will not like Ahab imprison a Micajah nor yet with Herod cut off the head of a faithfull Reprover but will be pleased with the discovery of sinne though from an enemy Famous and renowned is the example of David for this 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. He had received an unworthy affront from a man to whom he had shewed much kindness ver 15 16. The men were very good to us neither missed we any thing as long as we were conversant with them in the field c. And now he was upon his march in the heat of blood to avenge that wrong It was but a woman who came to meet him and one who was so neerly related to Nabal that what she said might be rendred suspected and yet because she spake both Reason and Religion David was convinced of his sinne blessed God and blesseth her retreats from his march yea his soul was so knit to Abigail for her faithful advice that as soon as her husband was dead he took her to wife she was ever after precious in his sight Solomon maks this a distinctive note between the godly wise and the wicked the one loves sinne but hates rebuke the other loves rebuke but hates sinne Prov. 9. 8. A faithful Reprover is as a Looking-glass wherein our spots are seen and he that loves to be clean hates no Looking-glass unless it be a false one that makes him fairer then he is A faithful Rebuker is as a Physician to the soul he comes to lance but it is in order to a cure no man that loves to live hates the Physician unless he be in a distemper but honours him and bids him welcome Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness let him reprove me it shall be a precious oyl which shall not break my head so the righteous person thinketh and so he speaketh Psal 141. 5. A righteous person is as willing to have his sinne discovered as his graces and as willing to be smitten for his sinne as encouraged for well-doing He loves a plain-dealing Ministry that will tell him of his sinne without flattery he would not have bitter put for sweet or sweet for bitter Secondly wherein the usefulness of this Breast-plate stands as to the resisting of Temptation I shal shew you this in these three Particulars viz. 1 Righteousness gives boldness and courage to the soul in the day of Temptation Resolution of spirit is of very great advantage to a souldier If the heart be faint the hands tremble When the people of Israel went out to War against their enemies God gave this Law amongst others that the Officers should make a Proclamation in the head of the Army That whosoever was fearfull and faint-hearted should go and return to his house lest his Brethrens heart faint as well as his Deut. 20. 8. Cowardliness doth give a very great advantage to the enemy Now Righteousness and Innocency of life makes the soul valiant Hic murus aheneus esto Nil conscire sibi nullâ pallescere culpâ Innocency of life is the best Cordial to remove tremblings from the soul Pro 28. 1. The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the Righteous are bold as a Lyon The word is as a young Lyon in the Hebrew Of all Beasts the Lyon is most valiant he is the King of Beasts and of all Lyons the young Lyon is most valiant in regard of the abundance of naturall heat which is in him Righteousnesse gives a Lyon-like boldness to the soul in the day of Temptation guilt makes the heart melt Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth c. And it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me Gen. 4. 14. Carnificem fuum gerebat his Conscience was his Tormenter and the guilt of his sinne did so infeeble his spirits that though there was not then a man living besides his Father yet he thought he should be taken away by a violent death Now the ground of the courage arising from Righteousness is not from the merit of Righteousness for in respect of Merit all our Righteousnesses are as a filthy rag Isa 64. 6. But upon these considerations it makes the soul valiant in that 1. It pacifieth the Conscience by giving us an evidence of our Justification and of the acceptance of our persons through grace in the sight of God Holinesse and Righteousnesse is an Argument that we are the redeemed Ones of Jesus Christ Luke 1. 74 75. Righteousness of Conversation gives the soul an evidence of its election 2 Tim. 2. 19. Departing from

such duties yet there is no external duty or action of Religion which may not be done by one who is in a state of enmity Actions indeed which are intrinsecally good as beleiving in God fearing of God c. he cannot do but all external duties he may do Jezebel she keeps a fast an extraordinary duty Jehu goes farther than most of Gods friends in these actions Reg. 10 per tot Those in Esay 58. 2 3 4 did very much yet all of them in a state of enmity 4. T is no argument to prove that a man is at peace with God because he doth not shew so much enmity against God as others do A man may farre exceed many others and yet be no friend onely he may be a less enemy This was the Pharisees Argument God I thank thee I am not as other men c. Luke 18. 11. meer restraining grace Civil education carnal policy want of temptations and a hundred such things may cause a man to hide enmity and not to shew it so much as others and yet he is no friend to God or God to him All Serpents have not the same measure of poyson 5 No man can argue that he is at peace with God because he is not so full of enmity as he was before The weapons may perhaps be knocked out of thy hand Thou maist not have the same opportunity thou hadst before to shew thy enmity Thy enmity may perhaps have some other way of working than before It may be God hath thee in some bonds or other that thou darest not shew thy self as thou hast done and wouldest do wert thou at liberty It may be thou art not so able to manifest thine enmity as thou hast been An enemy may be taken prisoner may be wounded c. that he cannot express his emity and yet have as much gall in him as ever he had For the latter 1. A man cannot argue that he is not at peace with God because of the oppression of some outward Afflictions Many of the friends of God reason against themselves by this Argument they think if God and they were at peace they should not feel the blows of his hand as now they doe This was the reasoning which Jobs friends used to prove God and him to be enemies one to another Job 4. 6 7. They thought such sad afflictions were not consistent with a state of peace This kind of reasoning would have excluded Jesus Christ himself from being at peace with God who was the beloved of his soul The Jews did upon this ground look upon him as Gods enemy Esay 53. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted And so they reasoned against him when he was on the Cross He trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver if he delight in him Math. 27. 43. The Scripture tels us that this is a false rule Eccle. 9. 1. 2. As wicked men cannot argue they are Gods friends because of freedom from troubles no more can the godly argue that they are Gods enemies because of the presence of such things God makes his love to his people to be the ground of the chastening with the rods of men Revel 3. 19. and Heb. 12 7 8. 2. A man cannot argue that he is not at peace with God because he wants the present feeling and comfortable evidences of his peace Peace may be concluded in Heaven between God and the soul and not yet proclaimed feelingly in the conscience of the sinner Heman the Ezrahite was a man at peace with God the Scripture gives that testimony of him in many places and yet he wanted the feeling of his peace Psalm 88. per totum Jesus Christ himself did for a time want the present comforts of his peace My God my God why hast thou forsaken me There are divers cases in which a soul who is at peace with God may be without the present apprehensions thereof 1. In the beginning and infancy of Conversion a child hath reason as soon as he is born but he wants a reflected act to know that he hath it 2. In the hour of Temptation when temptation is high consolation is often low 3. In the day of spiritual Desertion When God hides his face the soul is full of troubles yea it walks in darkness and can see no light Isai 50. 10. 4. In the time of Relapses when the soul hath been overtaken and drawn into some sin This was Davids case Psalm 51. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation he had not lost the Jewel of salvation but he had lost the joy of his salvation 3. A man cannot argue that he is not at peace with God because he finds grace to be but very weak His faith is but weak his zeal is but cold his desires are but flint c. T is not strength of grace but truth of grace which is an evidence of Reconciliation A little light in the morning is better than the bright moon-shine in the night because t is the light of the morning God will not despise the day of small things and man should not despise it Zech. 4. 10. And besides 1. Sometimes some graces may be suspended that some other graces may be more fully discovered faith may act but weakly that humility and self-denial may be increased 2. Sometimes the same grace may be suspended in one act that it may be more intended in some other act which is every way as profitable for the soul Faith is sometimes remitted in regard of comforting that it may be intended in its act of purifying 4. A man cannot argue want of peace with God from the presence of some corruption and the present feeling of some enmity in the soul If peace with God were inconsistent with the being of corruption there would be no peace with God on this side heaven The Song of the Angels at the birth of Christ is Glory be to God on high on earth peace Luke 2. 14. That clause must be blotted out if a state of reconciliation be not consistent with the being of corruption Paul was at peace with God and yet he had a law in his members Rom. 7. 23. he would have done good but evill was present he had a body of death and a root of bitterness still in him and this brought forth both gall and wormwood Freedom from corruption is desired and endeavoured by the Saints on earth but it is not enjoyed by any but the Saints in heaven The body of death is not destroyed but by the death of the body 5. A man cannot conclude that he is not at peace with God because his sins have been very great Esay 55. 7. As the heavens are high above the earth so are my wayes c. Paul had been a very great sinner 1 Tim. 1. 13. A blasphemer a persecutor and injurious and yet when he wrote that was under a

not the King no not in thy thought Eccles 10. 20. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. God saw that every imagination of the heart of man was evil Gen. 6. 5. He that lookes upon a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her in his heart Keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. We have obeyed from the heart the form of Doctrine c. Rom. 6. 17. 7. The heavenliness of the Doctrine It lifts up men above all earthly things it calls on men to mortifie their earthly members to set their affections on things above not on things below c. 8. The blessings and rewards punishments and threatnings propounded in the Scripture are not temporal onely but spiritual and eternal Giving men up to vile Affections Rom. 1. 24. Seeing ye shall see and not perceive c. Esa 6. latter end I will not punish their daughters when they commit Adultery Hos 4. 14. If any hear and open I will come in and sup with him c. Revel 3. 20. If any man keep my Commandements I will love him and my Father will love him and communicate himself to him c. Joh. 14. 23. 9. The scope and chief aim of it is to debase all Creatures and to advance and set up God alone Whether ye eat or drink c. do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 3. Fear God and keep his Commandements Eccles 12 Let God be true and every man a Lyar c. III. From the rare effects of the Scriptures They have a power to terrifie to comfort to quicken to pull down strong Holds 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. To open blind eyes to convert dead soules c. Quale causatum talis causa Such illustrious divine effects must needs have a divine cause 4. From the testimony and witness of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of men It is the work of the Holy Ghost to subdue the heart to believe and submit to the Word 1 Joh. 2. 20. Ye have an unction from that Holy One c. John 14. 26. When the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost is come he shall teach you all things and whatsoever I have said to you he shall bring to your remembrance This perswasion must either be from Sathan or from a mans own fancy or else from God It cannot be from Satan for the Doctrine contained in the Scriptures overthrows him and his Kingdom and Design It cannot be from our own fancy the Doctrine of the Scripture is supra captum nostrum ergo I could give other Arguments Ex absurdo Ex consensu Ecclesiae Ex Amanuensibus c. but these may suffice Secondly Why the Word of God is called the Sword of the Spirit Consider four things for this 1. 'T is from the Spirit Originally He is the Composer and Framer of this blessed Book 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Herein it differs from that material Sword That is made and fashioned by man This by the Spirit 2. All the efficacy of it depends upon the Spirit He it is that makes it powerfull for the working of those effects which are done by it upon men It would be but a woodden sword without either edge or point if the Spirit of God did not give virtue to it This the Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 10. 4. We see it by experience the same word is a dead letter upon some and a convincing and converting word to others the reason is because the word is set on by the Spirit in one and not in the other 3. It hath an effectual influence upon the Spirits of men It doth not onely reach to the body and outward man but even to the Spirit and Conscience also This the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Herein it differs from all material Swords They onely pierce the body they cannot either wound or defend the Conscience but this Sword hath a power through the Spirit both to afflict and quiet to settle and unsettle the very Spirit and Soul of man 4. The manner of the operation of this Sword is onely Spiritual It workes not as the materiall Sword by bloudy piercings and woundings but by Spiritual Arguments onely There is nothing visible to the eye of the body in the working of this Sword it doth all for which it is appointed in a spiritual way by spirituall Convictions and Spiritual Comforts and Spiritual Reproofs c. III. Wherein this is usefull to help us against Temptations 1. The Word of God helps a Christian to answer all Satans objections Whatsoever sinne he tempts you to commit whatsoever Duty he perswades you to cast off whatsoever medium he useth to press his temptation the Word of God will be able to put full and pertinent answers into your mouthes against the same When I opened the 13. verse I shewed you there were eight evill dayes in which Satan did violently set upon the soul The Day of Personal outward Affliction The Day of Church-calamity especially when Hereticks and Seducers are risen up in the Church The Day of sinful miscarriage and failing The Day of Spiritual Desertion and obscurity The Day of extraordinary Soul-enlargment by Divine Manifestations and Incoms from Heaven The Day of Temporal deliverance and advancement The Day of the success of wicked men The Day of Death I shewed you what temptations are most peculiar to such a day Now the Word of God will furnish you with sufficient Arguments to antidote your Soules against the infection of every one of those Temptations If Satan tempt to pride of heart the Scripture will arm you against that sinne by shewing you the mischief of Pride God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4. 6. If Satan tempt you to Covetousness the Scripture will shew you the danger of that sinne It will tell you that The love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. And that a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of what he enjoyeth Luke 12. 15. If Satan tempt you to unrighteousness and oppression the Scripture will arm you against that sinne Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. If Satan tempt you to Perjury and Covenant-breaking the Scripture will shew you the sad effects which have followed upon that sinne Zedekiah for this sinne had his eyes put out and was a Captive all his dayes Ezek. 17. 18. If Satan tempt you to be heretical or erroneous the Scripture will shew the miserable fruits of Heresie Because they did not receive the truth in the love of it God gave them up to delusions to believe a Lie that they might all be

his heart taken up about this Duty he must prepare for it both matters for it and time for it he must so order his affairs that he may solemnly wait upon this work of prayer many Christians are so intangled about other things they do so watch for the matters of this life that they have no fit time for prayer 2. He must watch and observe those special seasons in which God doth move and stir up his heart to this Duty He must watch in Prayer that is he must watch against Drowsiness against Distractions and wandrings against whatsoever may divert him from prayer It is to be the care of a Christian that his heart may be composed in prayer that Satan may not take him off from the work he hath in hand Satan watcheth unto Temptation and watcheth In Temptation and if we do not watch both Into supplication and In supplication he will have a very great advantage against us your drowsie careless loose unsetled prayer is the way to encourage not to dishearten Satan 5. A conquering Prayer must be a persevering Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifieth such an invincible constancy and perseverance as will be beaten off by no kind of opposition or difficulty whatsoever This is required in many places Rom. 12. 12. Col. 4. 2. We must not onely pray for a day or a year and then cease our prayers must continue as long as the battel continues All victory is promised to him onely that perseveres Satan is never weary of tempting and we must never be weary of praying You must be still charging and discharging this Ordinance of Prayer as Satan is charging and discharging upon you by his Temptations Discontinuing of this may lose the battel The Apostle exhorts Christians to have a care that their prayers be not cut off 1 Pet. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cutting off prayer is as dangerous as the totall neglecting of prayer 6. A conquering Prayer must be a charitable prayer This is in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not as if we must pray for none but Saints God gives us leave to pray for all sinners except those who have sinned that unpardonable sinne Samuel prayed for Saul Abraham prayed for Ishmael c. 'T is not exclusive of others His meaning is we must pray for others especially for the Saints the Eye of Charity in this as in other pieces of it is to look first at the Saints The Saints are liable most of all to the violence of the same Temptation which we are lyable to The Saints being helped by our prayers will be the better able to pray for us and to help us in our Assaults by their prayers And besides Prayers for the Saints will engage God to hear the prayers that we make for our selves in our own Temptations I might add more Qualifications out of other Scriptures but I resolve not to go out of the Text. Thirdly Wherein the usefulness of Prayer as to the overcoming of Satan and his Temptations lyeth This I shall shew in these things viz LECT XXVI April 3. 1650. FIrst Prayer is the way to prevent Temptations from entring It doth make the soul in a manner impenetrable Matth. 26. 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into Temptation Satans hands are tied up by the power of Prayer sometimes that he cannot shoot an Arrow of Temptation against the Soul Lead us not into temptation Mat. 6. 13. It 's a hard thing for Satan with all his wiles to make his fiery Darts fasten upon the Soul of a praying Christian Secondly Prayer is the way to pull out Satans Darts when they are fastened For 1. Prayer sets the blessed Trinity on work for the Souls assistance It engageth God to take our part in the day of battel When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed when he let his hands down Amaleck prevailed Exod. 17. 11. Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee Psal 50. 15. The Prayer of the Disciples did awake Jesus Christ and set him awork for them when the winds and waves did threaten shipwrack and present ruine Mat. 8. 24 25 26. When the waves and storms of Temptation threaten the ruine of the Soul Prayer awakes Christ and sets him on action for the Soules safety The prayer of Paul when he was actually engaged with Satan in a very hot Dispute brought him in assistance from Heaven I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me and he said My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness c. 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. Prayer brings in supply of assisting Grace 2. Prayer gives strength to all the other pieces of the Christian Armour It is reserved by the Apostle to the last place because both is an evidence we have the other because it is so helpfull to all the rest 1. It doth keep the Girdle of Truth upon the Loyns Holy Prayers are as the Clasps of this Girdle which tie it together and keep it from falling off 2. It is that which doth tie together the Breast-plate of Righteousness 3. It keeps on the Shooes of the preparation of the Gospel upon our feet Take away the strings of Prayer and these shooes will soon slip off the feet 4. It strengthens the Shield of Faith and keeps it from breaking I have prayed for thee that thy Faith do not fail If either Christs prayer for us or our prayer for our selves fail the Shield of Faith will fail also Jude 20. 5. It keeps Hope alive he that is most frequent in prayer will be most lively in hoping 6. It puts an edge to the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God stirres us up to prayer and then Prayer makes the Word sharp and prevalent 3. Prayer expels those Corruptions which weaken and prejudice the Soul and give advantage to Satan in the day of Temptation The strength of sinne in the soul is the strength of Satan all his advantage is from our own Corruptions Now Prayer doth help on the work of Mortification and Sanctification it purgeth the Conscience it purifieth the heart it fastens grace in the root and increaseth it in the branch c. Every holy Prayer pares off something from that body of Death which is Satans Armory and strong hold in us 4. Prayer adds boldness and courage Information 1. This lets us see the reason why Satan is such an enemy to Prayer That he useth all means to take off the servants of God from this Duty the Scripture tells and the experiences of all the people of God make it good What distractions and disturbances doth he ordinarily work in the hearts of men when they are employed in this service The Saints of God never find him more busie with them then at such a time When Paul was going to prayer a Spirit of Divination meets him and labours to divert his thoughts Act. 16. 16. A Child of God can never