Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	able_a	great_a	king_n	1,544	5	3.5126	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77480	Satan the leader in chief to all who resist the reparation of Sion. As it was cleared in a sermon to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemn fast, Febr. 28. 1643. By Robert Baylie, minister at Glasgow. Published by order of the House of Commons.	Baillie, Robert, 1599-1662.	1643 (1643)	Wing B468; Thomason E35_17; ESTC R209954	47,169	63

most certaine will to bring about all humane affaires as to his owne glory so to the reall good of all that love him it would be in us an impious and unexcusable uncharitablenesse to suspect the end of any worke which he hath begun much lesse of this great Reformation now in hand whose foundation God hath laid whose wals he hath so farre advanced whose gracious and beautifull Capstone in his time must be set on maugre all opposition These two considerations are very fit to under-prop a weake mind in its fainting under the weight of griefes and feares Forgetfulnesse of what hath been is the chief cause of disquietnesse Eccles 1.11 but behold a third which if not removed makes both the former without all use and fruit There is no remembrance of former things neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after However it be most true that all our present troubles of Church and State be no other but the selfe-same which in former times have befallen the people of God and which oft the hand of God hath wrought to a happy conclusion yet our forgetfulnesse our ignorance and inconsideration makes all these accidents and Gods providence about them to be in vain and fruitlesse unto us as if never such matters had been For the remedy of this great evill The remedy hereof the maine cause of many minds perturbation and disquietnesse this day to helpe us to know and remember what hath beene of old our mercifull Father beside other very profitable histories in humane writs hath made for us a perfect Register in his holy Scripture of the ancient passages of his providence wherein as in a glasse we may behold the cleare Image of our dayes and by a judicious comparing of what we read with what we feele by a wise paralelling of times with times we may attaine to such patience and comfort in our worst dayes as will support us with hope and confidence of a glorious deliverance from all our present affliction For this end it is that we have read in your honourable audience this portion of the Prophet Zachariah Israel in the dayes of Zachariah is a patterne of our present condition for as in the whole prophesie so especially in this third Chapter he sets downe a Register of the estate of old Israel in his dayes so like to our times that we may justly take the one for a type a patterne a lively image of the other The people of God after a long captivity in Babel after many yeers oppression both in Religion and civill liberties at last by the hand of God were delivered Their Babylonish tyrants too strong for their weak hands to deale with in a suddain were overthrowne by the hand of God so that afterwards these oppressors were never able to stand The poore captives returned freemen in great joy to Ierusalem with full hope to set up quickly both their Temple and Citie to restore without any impediment both their Church and State to the ancient glory But incontinently they were troubled with so many enemies both at home and abroad that they gave over the worke begun and for too long a time fainted in a pitifull despaire to get either their Temple or City rebuilded so great were their crosses and insuperable their difficulties in their intended and joyfully begun reparation of that ruined Church and Kingdom notwithstanding when all hands were hanging downe and all knees were feeble when a hopelesse fainting had stupified and taken away the wonted care of the publike from the hearts both of their Princes Priests and people the Lord in mercy wakened them by the ministery of two new Prophets Haggai and Zachariah whereby he put againe in all their spirits so vigorous a life that they set upon the work with such a magnanimous and zealous resolution as nothing could withstand them to the very end and perfection of their endeavours they never rested till both the Temple and wall of the Citie were fully accomplished The vision set downe in this chapter The division of the chapter and the matter of the first part thereof was one of these heavenly messages whereby that undaunted courage was inspired in the breasts of that otherwise languishing and discouraged people you may divide it in three parts In the first you have the great impediments of all their designes for the reparation of their Church and State In the second the removing of these impediments In the third the ground and cause of their removeall The first two parts are intertext and woven in together from the beginning to the eighth verse the great impediments of all their endevours were not men but spirits were not forraine but homebred enemies not others but themselves Satan stood at Ioshua's right hand to resist him Ioshua was cloathed with foule garments with his owne manifold sinnes and the sinnes of the people whom he represented before God these sins were the fountain of all the opposition they found from any man many enemies there were to the Work of God in the midst of Israel many in the neighbouring Countries many in the Court of the King of Persia but the Leader of all these was a malignant spirit a powerfull Devill so malapert and impudent as to oppose Ioshua before the face of Christ himselfe Yet neither men nor devills were their principall enemies the great sins that notwithstanding all their troubles the people still did commit were the strength of the Devill whereby he stopt most the progresse of the great and gracious work in their hand As for the second part Of the second the removall of all the named obstructions this was in the favour of God first in rebuking the Devill that was unsatiable in malice who not content with all the fire of tribulation wherein that poor Church and Kingdom was already made like a Charcoale a Brand a Burnt stick taken out of the fire did farther assay to burne them to ashes and without pity went about to destroy them all utterly 2. That strong hold of Satan the sinnes of the Priests and People is broken downe the mercy of the Lord freely pardons all their transgressions Neither this only but a third blessing is granted the graces of the Spirit are poured out upon them for Sanctification The foule garments are pulled off and change of new glorious garments is put on In the fourth place a gracious Covenant is made with Ioshua for two things 1. His continuance in service before God in the temple while he lived next for a place when he died among the Angels who stand in heaven before the throne of God In this is the great comfort of the repairers of Sion of all the sincere friends of Jerusalem That albeit for a time they have strong and dangerous wrastlings with men and Devills they be oft vexed with the guilt of by-gone transgressions with the strength of present corruptions with

according to his pleasure in the new Testament he hath appointed all his Ministers to be brethren and equall none to be high or a Prince above these of his order but in the old Testament the policie is diverse for there by the expresse command of God twenty four Princes the heads of the families of Aaron are set over the rest of the Priests to rule and govern them and over them all one great and high Priest the chiefe of the house of Aaron was a type of Christ This Angel of the Lord is Christ the Son of God How Christ an Angel the Patrone of the Church against Satan he who in the first chapter sends out a number of Angels as his servants Michael the Prince who stands for the children of Israel that Prince of Angels Dan. 10.21 Revel 12.7 Inde 9. who with his Angels fights against the Dragon and his Angels stiled by Jude the Archangel Christ is called an angel not for his nature for he took not upon him the nature of Angels Hebr. 2.16 but the seed of Abraham but for his office the Father sent him as a messenger to be a mediator of the new Covenant Mala. 3.1 The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come into his temple even the Angel of the Covenant Exod. 33.14 Exod. 23.21 called by Moses the Angel of the Lords presence the face of God the Angel in whom Gods name did dwell he it was who wrestled with Iacob who dwelt in the Bush he that appeared to Ioshua with a drawn sword this great Angel is the Creator of all the Angels and he in whom they have their subsistence Col. 1.16 he is the Prince and head of the Angels even as Mediator not for redeeming them from any sinne which they never had but for confirming them in grace which they might have lost as their companions did who left their first habitation for to confirme them in their created happinesse he has put them in that body whereof he is head and set them in one society with the Saints making them fellow-citizens of the same Jerusalem with faithfull men Heb. 12.22 for wee come to the company of innumerable angels to the spirits of righteous men made perfect This Angel in the first Chapter appears as a man riding upon a horse and oft times elsewhere in a humane shape Prov. 8.31 for his delight was alwayes with the children of men And for his more familiar conversing with men often he put on the likenesse of that nature which in the fulnesse of time he was to take on never more to be laid downe the body wherein he appeared before the Incarnation sometimes was reall created for the performance of such an humane action and annihilate at that actions end sometimes onely apparent as here where all is but a vision in the night time which yet doth nothing hinder the truth of the prophesie Joshua his standing was the gesture of his worship and prayer What is the standing before the Angel The Priests and Levites when they offered their sacrifices at the Altar or prayed publikely for the people commonly they stood Deut. 18.5 The Lord hath chosen the Priest to stand to minister before the Lord Psal 135.2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord Nehem. 9.2 They stood and confessed their sinnes and 5. verse Stand up and blesse the Lord. Hence Elijah 1 Kings 17.1 and others elsewhere who did most frequently worship the Lord use this phrase The Lord before whom I stand We take then this standing of Ioshua for the gesture of his worship prayer and sacrifice for himselfe and the people in these times of desolation Some take it of his standing as a Criminall before the Tribunall of God where Satan did accuse him of his sinnes this is not incongruous though it be needfull to take it first of his worship for that was his end to approach unto God and being in this action Satan comes on him to oppose and accuse At this time the Temple was not built the Altar of Incense was not erected the Arke of God before which the high Priest wont to stand was no more to be found yet Joshua had set up the Altar of burnt offerings before it he might stand as also in all other his publicke or private devotions His standing before the Angel was not Idolatry for this Angel was Michael One like God ever equall to the Father the Angel of Gods face and presence the object of adoration as well as the Father and Holy Ghost this is the Angel of whom it is said Hebr. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him From this Portion thus exponed we observe for Doctrine The first doctrine In time of publike calamities the children of God are in a praying posture First the posture of Gods children in the time of publick dangers and miseries they stand before the Lord supplicating for Sions welfare as Joshua does in this place The Temple was lying desolate Ierusalem was an heape of rubbish their faire hopes of Reformation were blasted the Enemies of their Church and State were so potent with the great King that by all worldly appearance they could never be able to wrastle through their present miseries In this case good Ioshua will not despaire he betakes himself to his God and stands before him praying and waiting from his omnipotent hand for helpe and assistance to carry on against the opposition of men and devils that work which at Gods direction they had begun but incontinent had found to exceed by much their strength to perfect For this duty there are many reasons The first reason first it has alwayes bin the practise of the Saints Daniel Chap. 9 for the desolations of Sion lies in sackcloth and ashes crying in the 16.17 verses O Lord I beseech thee that thy anger and fury may be turned away from this City Ierusalem and cause thy face to shine on thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake Ezek. 9.8 While they were slaying them and I was left I fell on my face and cryed Ah Lord God wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury on Ierusalem Ier. 18.20 Remember I stood before thee to speake good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them David in the midst of his private agonies Psal 51. forgets not the publick Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion Expd. 32.11 Exod. 17.11 build up the wals of Ierusalem Mosos lies at the feet of God and wrastles by prayer to divert wrath from the Camp of Israel he holds up his hands on the mount unto God for the people when they were in fight with Amalek Isa 62.1 For Sions sake will I not hold my peace and for Ierusalems sake I will not rest till the righteousnesse thereof go forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth When Sion is under a cloud of trouble

chopping upon the slippery and half dead heart You see in this place he dealeth no otherwise with the very devil but be perswaded there is a time coming for a more severe reckoning The seventh of Ezekiel is often to be read by a secure people the sixth verse An end is come the end is come it watcheth for thee behold it is come the morning is come upn thee the time is come the day of trouble is neer and not the sounding of the mountains In that one verse the coming of the day of vengeance is five or six times proclaimed Happy are these who make use of the day of their mercifull Visitation The Lord hath been wonderfully good to us the War hath taken away the estates of many thousands the Sword hath bereaved many of their lives we are yet safe but can we tell how long manage well this happy day of grace humble your soul before the Lord make peace with him without further delay mourn for your known faults set your selves to amend the evil of your doings that you may be spared in the fearfull day of the Lords wrath when the sword of the field the famine and pestilence of the City may make havock of people without number Blessed are they who after so many warnings from the mouth of God in his Word from the hand of God in his Works have learned at last to be wise for their own great good Upon the Reproof The second Observation Christs rebuking of the devill will bring us to a victory over all our enemies observe first The onely way to remove all impediments and oppositions to the reparation of a Church and State is Christ his intercession with the Father against the devill That which hindered Jeshua and Zerubbabel to build the Temple to fortifie Jerusalem was that active spirit which moved and stirred up all the malignant instruments that appeared against them The Jews till this time were never able to overcome their enemies but behold so soon as Christ taketh the work in hand so soon as he rebuketh and restraineth Satan the principall enemy incontinent all the inferiour instruments on earth all these malignant men and women did fail and succumb they were no more able to trouble Gods people in their work This is the ground of our hope and comfort The opposers of the Reformation of our Church in the midst of so huge difficulties as this day on all sides beset us how shall our Sion be gotten builded when we look to the opposers their strength is exceeding great a mighty faction of declared Papists a great number of Episcopall Clergie and people openly joyning with Papists against us and both avowedly supported by Soveraign Authority Also a multitude of Sects Anabaptists Antinomians Separatists and others pushed on by a deluded conscience to oppose with all their skill with all their might all solid Reformation beside all the former a great number in all ranks and estates profane and loose persons exceeding unwilling to behold the setling of any Order which may controll them with any power in their wonted licentiousnesse Concerning the walls of Jerusalem The opposers of the Reformation of our State the establishing of Justice and Peace in the Civill State with what insuperable difficulties this work is compassed wofull experience doth teach A mighty faction of lawlesse men who have drawn away partly by perswasion and partly by force a great part of the people the greatest part of the Nobles and Soveraign Authority it self this faction of it self very potent is also supported with the help that forraign friends are able to afford and which is more then all yet named and more terrible then all flesh and blood we have to do with Principalities and Powers who act and guide with all the craft and force they are able our humane adversaries And which is yet the greatest strength of all the grievous sins of the Land which provoke the Lord God to be on the side of our enemies men and devils to strengthen their arm against us The sight of these mountains of Impediments would discourage the stoutest heart Our Comfort against both if above them all we did not see our mercifull high Priest intreating the Father for the remission of our sins for the rebuking of Satan with all vehemency the favour we know the Son hath with the Father will make him obtain all his desires Surely when these are obtained when the sins of the Land are remitted and Satan restrained all other impediments will soon be removed when the soul is separate from the body the members languish and cannor more stir when Christ hath confounded Satan men his instruments will quickly either be perswaded or forced to reason It is in vain to deal with men so long as a malignant spirit prevaileth over them The streams will run till the fountain be stopped Our first and main labour would be with Christ to restrain Satan for he is the life that vegetates he the spirit that stirres up all our opposites both in Church and State Observe againe how Christ in his debate with Satan A third observation Ioh. 8.50 Ioh. 10 30. 1 Ioh. 5.7 hath recourse to the Father that he would rebuke him The Sonne honoureth the Father he seeketh not his owne glory but the honour of the Father The Father and the Son are one for all these three that witnesse in Heaven the Father the Son and the Spirit are one true God Yet this is the order of the Divine Persons that the Father is the first the Sonne and the Spirit are both from him The Sonne from Eternity begotten of him The Spirit from Eternity proceeding from him and from the Sonne So long as the vaile of Flesh covereth the eyes of our Soule we must not enquire too curiously in this unsearchable Mystery 1 Kings 19.13 Elias wrapped his face in his Mantle when the Lord passed by him God will not be gazed upon he dischargeth it expresly under the pain of death Exod. 19.21 The malapart and Irreverent boldnesse of sundry Divines subjecting to the foul feet of their idle speculations the deepest and most unaccessible Mysteries of the holy Trinitie is justly plagued with evident and foolish errour Their eyes who will gaze on the Sun in the noon day cannot but be dazled and if that madnesse continue blindnes and excaecation inavoidable will follow Faith here if any where is the Mother of modestie The companion of simplicitie and reverence it setteth us limits at the foot of the Mountain in a farre distance Exod. 19.23 which we must not break through When we do behold with the most open face 1 Cor. 13.12 the Godhead we must be looking on our Glasse the eye must never wander from the Spectacles of the Word Onely what we see of God let it be holden fast against all contradiction Worship the Father the Son and the Spirit one true God three truely distinct Persons