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	stand_v	zion_n	24	3	9.0684	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79993	The sect every where spoken against or, the reproached doctrine of Ely. As it was held forth in several sermons in the year, MDCLI. By Christopher Cob, lay-man, minister of an united people in Ely. Collected and analized for a private use, by Hampden Reeve, Master of Arts, one of that Society, and a constant hearer. Now published by the assent of the whole Society (as a short character, at present, of them and their way, till an opportunity of a farther and fuller discovery) for satisfaction in general.	Cob, Christopher.; Reeve, Hampden.	1651 (1651)	Wing C4769; Thomason E1251_1; ESTC R209173	234,596	386

or four berries on an uppermost bow a few scattered gleanings after harvest when the vintage is over and it is wonderful hard to spy them out unless it be given you to understand the parable unless your understandings be opened to see into the Scriptures into them many read the letters see them without but cannot pierce into the Spirit and meaning of them None can do this but they to whom the new eye is given none else can ever finde this City It is so little a one so clouded and covered over with reproaches and scandals and meanness 't is such a despised unthought-of thing All the world never once dream that God is bound up in so little a compass that he lives in such a little City They plead Is not God everywhere Is he not with us as well as with you No He is indeed every where but he is not seen everywhere he is known in Zion that little City but all others the great and learned of the world see him not they cannot see invisibly that 's nonsense they 'll say He is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to a few Babes Therefore beware and follow not a multitude to do evil there is great need your whole souls and mindes should be intent and taken up in this thing if indeed you have a minde to find it and to live for ever that you may take no rest nor give any sleep to your eyes nor slumbering to your eye-lids till you have found out this habitation for the God of Jacob. Need there is to keep your eyes fixed and to go weeping and mourning and asking the way to Zion with your faces and hearts thitherward And thus two things in general have been opened to you 1 That God for certain hath his City under the Sun his people in the world however the whole world lie in wickedness and are lost and run the several runs to destruction yet he hath a remnant he hath reserved to himself seven hundred that have not bowed to Baal In the days when Samuel was born it is said The Word of the Lord was precious in those days and there was no open Vision and yet then God will have his Samuel Hannah brings forth this man-child this son in stead of many sons she that was barren hath brought forth seven a compleat number a remnant he will ever reserve 2. It was considered this City was but a little one 1. It makes no great noise nor stir in the world it raises no Armies nor makes Tumults to defend and enlarge it self 2. Little indeed if you consider the vast world the great multitudes and many thousands that fall short and perish It is but a small cloud of a hands bredth in compare to the whole Heavens 3. But little as being hardly seen and found Many shall seek to enter and shall not be able And therefore there is great need were but your Souls sensible of it to cry out with David O lead me and guide me in the way taht I should walk the way that leads to this City of Habitation Now to proceed III. And but few men in it c. The City is but little but that is not all it is weak also there is no might nor strength to defend it self but few men in it and therefore Paul cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. He felt how weak he was and un●ble ever to deliver himself And therefore there is nothing for any to glory in after the flesh for Who made thee to differ There is no cause for boasting for none ever prevailed by strength they obtained not the field by weapons of war It is said of David when He had slain the Philistin But there was no sword found in the hand of David And he says of himself I will not trust in my Bow neither shall my sword save me But he goes forth against the great Goliah onely in the Name of the Lord and all the saved ones ever have and will cry out Grace Grace Grace That must do all for this City hath but few men in it and they are poor fearful tremblers such as are ready to dye every moment onely they are kept up by the chin and not left quite to be drowned but alass for help to fight and withstand an Enemy little or none can be expected from them This poor wise man must do all he must save the City by his wisdom if it be ever saved it hath no help of it self 1. Let none of you then whom God hath favored glory according to the flesh for there is nothing at all you have to boast in there are but few men in the City and they poor tremblers not able for service so that if this poor man do not the whole work in every one of you use all your wits and plots and power you will never be able to deliver this City 2. But few men in it there was more once but they wasted and wasted away till but few left Whence you may consider Who ever are favoured of God to be his people this little City He will certainly rout and rout out all the old Inhabitants They shall not live quietly in it He will surely bring all the old Inhabitants down all that is sprung from the Man or Devil He will rout it out and thus is the great company within the Wisdomes and hopes and councels the lustings and hunts of the heart the fears and joyes and love all must be searched and fanned and alas but a little will be left of the great bulk There are but few men in it The Poor mans wisdome could not appear nor be taken notice of if a multitude were in the City they would take some of the work to themselves but they must be turned out that it may appear his own arm brings Salvation and none puts a hand to it 3. But few men in it not any considerable Partee to withstand an Enemy especially such a Great King as comes against it no alas they have no might to stand in any temptation if but an Alarum sounds a rumor that an enemie is indeed coming to set down and besiege Oh what a strange uproar and trembling doth it cause within All the Wisdom and hope and faith and experience how do all give back and are not able to stand to look the Enemy in the face without the Lord appear and be Captain himself whoever of you are indeed this City of God you can witness how weak and unable you are to help your selves unstable as water not able to stand to it in the least Tryall there are but few men in it and as Gehazi cryed out to Elisha when he saw the enemies round about the City Alas Master what shal we do so may we cry out indeed if we did but see the danger For IV. A GREAT KING comes against this little weak City and besieges it and builds great Bulwarks

feel how utterly malignant he is and contrary to all good Do you finde it is his hour to be let loose to rend and rear and perplex and torment Do you feel indeed the pains of hell and do the sorrows of death take fast hold as David cries out they did upon him If you finde it not so now nor have ever found it yet certainly a time will come when the enemy will shew himself when the wicked one will get up into the throne and exalt himself above all that is called God a time will come of being hurried and torn and perplexed under his wicked and tyrannous reign when ye shall be made sensible where you are once for whilst you stand sensless as images and posts nothing seizes on you and you never think to see such a Day but whether you feel or believe to see it yea or not yet the Day will surely come and try all that dwell upon the whole earth 2. You that finde and feel this Day it may inform you what a vain thing it is for man to stir or move hand or foot to rescue himself or oppose this adversary Alas what is man to lift up a hand against him one that is so strong and so malignantly bent to destroy one that hath a commission and power given one that is in full possession of the house and furnished with all store of armour and goods in us Alas it is in vain to stir against him Man is too weak 't is all one as if a poor lonesome woman should have twenty or an hundred plunderers in her house ransacking and breaking up here and there alas 't is in vain for her to stand against them they may do what they will unless some other help come and rescue her so vain and impossible is it for any of you to winde out of the hands of this enemy and save your selves if another Saviour one mightier then he deliver you not 3. Therefore in the next place this might perswade you to lie down and submit to your bonds till deliverance come Answer him not a word that is the Kings command the charge of Truth but bear all his threats and vauntings and upbraidings Let all run over as God saith of Zion And thou layedst thy body to the earth for them to pass over Lie in the condition how miserable soever it be till a stronger then thou or he shall come to deal with him This is the peaceablest and most sutable way for our present conditions 4. Yet this must give some hint of hope and encouragement and cause the soul to put in and wait for a lot in this matter since there is for certain such a thing as deliverance to be for some there is a rest for the people of God Our God will come say they and will not tarry A stronger then he is spoke of that is able to deal with him and twist him about at his pleasure and this might give a little encouragement to hope But as for our parts we can do nothing in it we cannot stand against the enemy nor can we hasten the rising of Christ to deal with him Who shall say unto God What dost thou Who shall stir him up before his time May he not do what he will Is he not Lord of all Therefore no way is for us but to lie under and endure and let all the waves go over our backs till he shall command a calm and he uses to come in an unexpected time when all hope of life is gone when but meal and oyl enough is left to make one cake and then the widow concludes to die then comes the word The barrel of meal and the cruse of oyl shall not fail c. Therefore Oh that it was in your hearts to cry with one consent for this Saviour to arise this Deliverer that might turn ungodliness from Jacob All difficulties and impossibilities are nothing to him that which is impossible with Man with God is easie and possible And this might raise up a little springing of hope against all rubs and bars that lie in our way When he comes he is able to deal with this mighty enemy He comes provided His works before him and his rewards with him He will divide the spoyl and take away his armor and send that which is for death to death that which is for the sword to the sword that which is for famine to famine and that which is for captivity to captivity He keeps sure records of all and will surely visit in his appointed time O therefore that we had a heart raised and stirred to cry with one consent for this Coming of his and to give no rest night nor day but cry O come Lord Jesus come quickly till we have an answer and be delivered THE Woful Case of the Lepers OR The Soul at an exceeding Strait SERM. XIV June 22. 1651. 2 KING 7.3 4. And there were four leprous men at the entering i● of the gate and they said one to another Why sit we here until we dye If we say We will enter into the City the famine is in the City and we shal dye there and if we sit stil here we dye also Now therefore come and let us fall into the hoast of the Syrians and if they save us alive we shall live and if they kill us we shall but dye c. The Analysis THree things in general observed I. The present condition the Lepers are in And that was opened in five Particulars suitable to the misery of our present state 1. They were without the City out-casts no enjoyment of the Society Ordinances Blessings of the Commonweal of Israel 2. They were all overspred with leprosie might not talk with any lest infect them and how do we taint one another with our selves 3. Farther a miserable famine was upon them women eat their own children so we forced to eat what is born of the flesh our own Reason 4. They are beset with an hoast of Enemies too and this is our case at present the world are up against us 5. The light and sense of all this misery was upon them If we sit here we dye They knew and felt the heavy case they are in All this was brought home to our particular conditions II. Consider their hopeless and helpless Case to use any means to escape If we go back into the City we shall surely dye c. This applyed to our conditions in three things we are brought to something and if we go back Death will surely be in it 1. We are brought to a clear information of the vanity of all the worlds worship and the shortness of our conversation in all points 2. Made to see that all hopes and conclusions without a certain witness from God himself are short and nothing to eternal Life 3. We have professed to all and chose in our Souls a self-denying way to take up the Cross dayly and if now suffered to reason

fair he should soon be delivered and get thorow the Battel and see an end of sorrow I but he little thought of this day as Job cries out He hath given me over into the hand of the ungodly when the devil has power given to try and afflict and torment to let in what beasts he will to destroy the vineyard O wo indeed when a Leopard is set to watch over the city when the Devil is suffered to keep watch and guard that nothing can stir nor pass in or out without his leave Power is given him he hath a time to lead into captivity at his will But the day will come when he that led into captivity shall be led into captivity himself He that spoiled and wasted and cried Down with it down with it to the very ground A turn will come and then Blessed shall he be that serveth thee as thou hast served us But Oh what havock doth this murtherer make when it is his day How doth he make the earth utterly waste and empty and not a stirring of Truth may live If you minde it we cannot sometimes speak a word nor breathe a groan towards God but he flaps on the mouth presently so cruel is he when the power is put into his hand But now saith Job now I am their song they mock at me the rascal and vile rout whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock every base lowe unworthy trifling lust can now lord it over the soul and make their song on it Oh this is a woful day indeed when the enemy has power to serve himself of the soul without any controuler when he can carry captive at his will this Christ cries out against If it be possible let THIS CVP pass And here David cries out Oh let not the pit shut her mouth upon me 4. Another Wo lies in this he keeps the houe he is in possession ' The spirit that rules in the HEARTS of the children of disobedience There is a rotten and tainted sore within that is seated in the soul and sends forth such an unsavoury stink if it were possible to choak all that is good The Devil hath got the dwelling-place in the heart is in possession it is his house and therefore whence hear you of all your enemies whence come your troubles and perplexities and wars and fightings Come they not from your lusts saith Saint James Is not all the mischief from within Out of the heart come adulteries and murders and thefts an evil eye c. all comes out of the heart Whence come all the pesters and torments out of the air or from another as we often put it off No the taint is within Look not without thee for the enemy nor for the devil no but within IN THE HEART there 's the seat that 's his palace A time indeed is to be of his casting out but at present he keeps the house and therefore neither good can come in nor good come out not a breathing of Truth stir but he presently cries Get you to your tasks to your tasks that 's the word that stops all He would not let a groan live and this brings the soul into great bitterness that neither good can come into it nor a groan go out from it but presently the Devil flaps Christ on the mouth some base taint or guilt comes in and stops the rise and liberty of Truth Alas to have the Devil dwell so neer a man in his bosom this is a misery indeed Here the soul cries out Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell with them that hate peace This is the present day and time with some of you your enemies sit chief and Zion is in the dust I beseech you let the Word sink into your hearts for it will have a time to sink upon you all Consider where you are under what rule and government If under the Mans reign still then no marvel indeed you can live loose and free and gird your selves and go whither you will But a time will surely come when you shall know and feel this reign of the enemy For till this Day be over you can never indeed come under the reign of Christ the Day of Christ will not be till there be a falling away first from the Mans reigning and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God this is the time of the devils reign And until this wicked one be revealed whom the Lord Christ shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming till this you will never see that day of Christ nor come under his time of reigning 5. A fifth great Wo is this He hath goods in us his goods are in peace the Prince of this world comes and findes of his own in us though he did not in Christ And that he hath goods in us appears by that unsavoury smoak that always is coming up out of the bottomless pit their throat is an open sepulchre saith David a continual ill savour and stink comes forth As the Church is described to be full of sweets her garments smelling of myrrhe aloes and cassia and all sweet perfumes so in this condition the soul is clothed with nothing but stinking rags and polluted garments The soul that is indeed awake and sensible knows not how to endure its own stinking smell it is almost choaked and overcome with an ill savour which comes from that abundance of rottenness those goods of the Devil and wares of Hell that lie up in the heart so that the poor man knows not how to speak a word sometimes nor think a thought but an evil taint gets in first or last that spoileth all all the thoughts and inwards are so poisoned by the devil Here David cries out My wounds stink and are corrupt In mars heart is that soul sepulchre of dead mens bones full of loathsome rottenness Do you know this have you felt and seen it in your selves There is that cage of unclean birds there is the Bittern the Screech-owl the Satyr there all the beasts of the Forest creep forth there is the Lions den and all the bones he hath gnawn and scattered Our bones are scattered at the pits brink saith the Psalmist All is corrupt and become abominable there are the goods of hell packt together there he lays up envie and wrath and stubbornness and deceit and lyes Now who will believe this report Who thinks his soul and heart to be the devils shop the ware-house of hell But they that feel it feel it and they that know know and the day will surely come to finde out every man How fair soever we may speak and mince the matter and wipe our mouthes yet the fruit will discover the root Samuel will ask What mean the bleatings Though we would hide and cover the Devil never so close and paint

one that eat of his bread and was his familiar friend as 't is expressed in the Psalmist We took sweet counsel together and walked in the House of God as friends And this is a wonderful misery to take up Had it been an enemy I could have born it but thou my friend my familiar c. This cuts to the heart This very case befalls the Soul in which Truth is There is something that sticks near to it a friend that lies in its bosom and is nursed and favoured by it something that walks in the House of God with it and pretends to be for God and Truth and pleads hard as if all were intended for the Souls good and this will be a sad day when this very thing shall be found to be the Betrayer and yet this Christ submits to when he consents Thy Will be done 2. F●rther He submits to be betrayed into the hand of Sinners And here are seven great Aggravations of misery 1. They are a multitude into whose hands he is betrayed This flattering and smooth-mouth'd Betrayer this Judas that comes with a kiss and salutes Hail Master a great multitude is at his heels he brings in a whole Troop after him Oh that you could read the thing in your selves in the work upon your own Souls For there is all this to be fulfilled if you go in the same way with Christ and tread in his steps if you drink of the same Cup as all the saved ones must for there is no other way to life but to be planted into the likeness of his death the likeness in all cases though not the very same particular Tryals that he had And now this you shall find true that when ever this Judas that betrays the Soul gets in when by his counsel or wisdom or flatterings and fair promises that cursed Betrayer gets in his foot and deceives the Soul with a kiss then he lets in a multitude of enemies against us then come in the swarmings of wickedness They compassed me about like Bees saith David Then come in all the floods of ungodliness and make the Soul afraid Then all the fountains of the great deep are broke up and come with violence ready to sweep away all before them Then the Sea brings forth abundantly all manner of creeping things Then a night presently overtakes the Soul and all the beasts of the Forrest creep forth Strange monsters and things we never saw before mire and dirt and strange wickednesses appear that we never thought had been in us This Betrayer brings out all against us We had thought we had been knowing and well seen into the ways of God but now ignorance and mists and confusion beset that the Soul cannot see nor know one distinct Truth We had thought we had been good-natured and tender-hearted and friendly however but now rage and madness and desperateness get up We had thought sure we had a will and desire towards God and were willing to be ruled and ordered by him but now the punctual fightings and opposings and resistings shew themselves that the Soul is made clearly to see it chooseth Death rather then Life All monstrous wickedness gets up when this son of perdition is to be revealed in the Soul and hath once betrayed it I would you might read these things as we go for all this a written for our learning and if this was done to the green tree then what shall be done to the dry This is no other condition then what hath befallen our fathers in their day When God hath brought them to Judgment and this work of bringing them through death to life was in hand they ever had a Betrayer that lay close and did them all the mischief and brought these Troops of Enemies against them and it cannot be prevented This son of perdition will thus act he will betray and bring the Soul to death and he lies close he is in all the saved ones and there is no other way to life but by having him cast out But he will first surely spit his poyson and play all his pranks if it were possible to undo the very Elect Such an Host such a multitude he brings with him that sometimes it agasters and amazes the man to see how he is beset what swarms of iniquities strange unthought of lusts appear And we shall all surely find this true in our selves when God shall have that work in hand of bringing us down to death the house appointed for all the living which all the saved ones must pass 2. This multitude come armed and provided against him with swords and staves and herein lies a great mystery if you were able to read it Thy rod and thy staff sustain me saith David The Enemy also he hath swords and staves to destroy and mind there are staves as well as swords Now staves are dull weapons and though they may bruise and batter yet they kill not and this is a great aggravation of the misery that the sword may not come alone suddenly to cut off and make an end but there are staves too that bruise and batter the Soul and yet touch not its life but it must hang in death And this Job cries out against O that I could find the grave then should I be at rest I but in those dayes it is said men shall seek death and it shall fly from them They cannot dye and this wonderfully adds to the misery that the Soul is wounded and cut and pierced and yet cannot reach to dye the staves keep off the sharpness of the Sword that it doth not quite kill The Sword of the spirit is the Word of God the true Light that the enemy makes use of that searches and cuts and judges and finds guilty every where and leaves no thought unjudged and this Sword would soon cut off where it let loose Thou writest bitter things against me saith Job and this though it be cruell yet it would seem easier to the Soul in that day and under that anguish if it might but go on to make an end then should I yet have comfort c. saith Job Iob 69 10. But there are staves too that keep off the blow from coming to the heart There are secret hopes from the Devil steal in and get up do the Soul what it can that so it cannot dye but lies thus miserably hattered to and fro and can get no wayes as David cries out Thou hast beset me behind and before that the Soul can neither get to God nor from God nor to death nor from death O Lord who can read the Riddle 3. This multitude lay hold on Christ and lead him away they are too potent and strong and he hath no might nor strength to withstand them This is your hour and the Power of darkness but it is the day of his weakness his wings are cut that he cannot get away He cries out I am a worm and no man a scorn and reproach