Selected quad for the lemma: end_n
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B03891
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Now and ever; shewing, where the work of conversion is thoroughly done, it is done for ever. / By William Jemmat, preacher of the Gospel in Reading.
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Jemmat, William, 1596?-1678.
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1666
(1666)
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Wing J550A; ESTC R178967
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36,525
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49
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not by their own strength nor such a strength as men of the world stand by but a surpassing and excellent strength which shall carry them bravely through the briars to a place of rest and glory True ye bear about you a weak and mortal body and beside a sinful flesh which grieves you more then the other and ye fear sometimes that ye shall never hold out in the work of God to the end and blessed reward prepared for the Saints But pluck up your hearts and follow on carefully and conscionably in the use of means to attain the Resurrection of the just Herein ye labour and sweat and fear and only faint not and ye find many discouragements on earth and from hell Well your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord and know It is not your own strength that must do it but his as the quarrel and battel is not yours but his thousands shall fall on your right hand and ten thousands on the left but you shall escape as here it is said Even the youths shall faint and be weary but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength He that believes hath the witness in himself and he hath the fountain of life in himself even the Spirit of grace as living waters which shall refresh his soul in every year of drought Only believe and thou shalt surely be established Remember flesh indeed is an enemy but mortified and God hath given us the Victory through Christ our Lord. More as grace will make it our corruption of nature shall further the work of God in us by making us low in our own eyes and driving us to the means whereby we may be strengthned It makes us earnest in prayer to get a supply from heaven which we cannot find upon earth It preserves an Appetite to the word which is the main Cordial to revive a Christian heart now fainting It sends him often to the Lords Table where he may have a good Meals meat for the strengthning of his faith and comforting of his soul As likewise to the Society of the godly to reading and other props which God in love hath provided to uphold him Object There is a power from hell which opposeth this power of grace and may not this one time or other throw the Christian quite upon his back can Principalities and Powers do nothing think you Answ Nothing so as to foil or vanquish this strong grace of God in the Saints It is a mighty power indeed but created and infinitely inferiour to that Divine Power whereby a true Christian subsisteth The Devil is a chained enemy infatuated vanquished and while Gods people are wâ—lling to resist he will surely uphold them in the fight unto Victory the God of peace will tread Satan under their feet shortly and they may be perswaded as Paul that neither Principalities nor Powers nor any other creatures shall be ever able to separate them from the love of God in Jesus Christ Rom. 8 38 39. More comfort yet in â—hrist that loved them they shall be more then Conquerors the strength which was at any time abated shall be renewed again and God will perfect the work which he once began Psal 138.7 8. See some particulars 1. The Christian is sometimes strong in faith and gives much glory to God and gains much chearfulness to himself even the full assurance of faith By which he rests in the love of God with an holy security much joy many triumphs over hell and Satan these enemies are despised as feeble Philistines not able to hurt him He got so much ground by the last Sacrament and by his course of prayer reading and godly exercises that he cared not if he dyed presently in respect of himself and the safety of his own soul But after awhile comes a cloud over his spirit and he is fain to let go much of his confidence Yet he gets up again in little time his strength is renewed and he grows as confident as before witness those Vicissitudes of joy and sorrow in David Psal 30. the whole 2. Patience is a strong grace such as whereby a Christian can possesse his soul in hard times and distractul occasions Luke 21.19 Sometimes he is not troubled though he be mightily provoked great occasion disquiets him not nor removes him from his principles whereof Job is a notable example Yet afterward as in him great breaches are made and the soul even lost by impatience Yet as in him the end is with submission and quietness Ye have heard of the patience of Job and what end the Lord gave 3. The prayer of faith is omnipotent as Luther called it a godly man sometimes wrestles hard and prevailes much with God and gets much comfort at the Throne of grace a large and almost sensible answer to his prayers a firm assurance of the love of God and a part in Christ Take him at such a time he is the most resolute man living ready to do or suffer any thing prepared for any condition Yet sometimes his hands hang down as much as Moses and with many intercourses of valour and weakness he gets the victory over all the Amalekites in hell 4. In respect of the spiritual warfare a Christian is strong in the Lord and the power of his might having put on the whole Armor of God sometimes he weilds it stoutly and wisely and acquits himself bravely for the honour of his Captain and his own discharge safety glory prosperity inveigles him not adversity affrights him not neither friends allure him from God and duty nor enemies terrifie him his watchfulness and jealousie over his heart makes him invincible you would think ye saw some Alexander conquering the world or some Joshua driving down Kingdoms and Cities before him Yet sometimes Satan gets an advantage against him as over the Incestuous person and the other Corinthians 2 Cor. 2.11 The man either lay snorting in his great sin or was ready to be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow and they either neglected holy Discipline altogether or else held him too long under that terrible censure of Excommunication Yet both he and they came into right order again chap. 7.7 8 9 10 11. And so other of the Lords Warriors they forsake the field sometimes but soon get courage and soon return to the field afresh 5. In respect of active obedience sometimes the life is very press and strict and unblameable and profitable the ways very fair a very good mixture of zeal and discretion good Husbandry and heavenly-mindedness are well matcht together that the man is even a Mirror in his place many may take example by him many bless God for him and few can do better then he doth And if he could keep at this stay he should live like an Angel upon earth But after a while the doating fit comes and all is off the hooks he is either scandalous with David or secure with the Spouse in the Canticles A great flaw and