Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	apostle_n	death_n	destroy_v	1,140	5	7.8175	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12995	A curse become a blessing: or, A sermon preached in the parish church of S. John the Baptist, in the Ile of Thannet, in the country of Kent, at the funerall of that vertuous and worthy gentleman Mr. Paul Cleybrooke Esquire. By William Stone preacher of Gods word: on Tuesday, September 17. 1622	Stone, William, preacher of Gods word.	1623 (1623)	STC 23288; ESTC S106188	46,107	88

husband after the death of the first Rom. 7.2 3 4. Ninthly that they which liue should not henceforth liue to themselues but vnto him which died for them 1 Cor. 5.15 and rose againe Tenthly that we might know the loue of Christ vnto vs 1 Ioh. 3.16 and publish it vnto others Eleuenthly that whether we wake or sleepe we should liue together with him 1 Thess 5.10 Twelfthly that we should not doubt to lay downe our liues for his sake 1 Ioh. 3.16 and the brethren Thirteenthly that he might abolish sinne Fourteenthly that he might abolish death Rom. 6.10 the wages of sinne These bee the ends of the death of Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 but the discharging of the Saints from bodily death is none of them Obiection But if among the ends of Christs death this be reckoned for one that he might abolish death it seemeth then that the Saints should not die For what is it to abolish death if it be not quite to take it away that it should not bee at all How death is abolished Answ If ye vnderstand it of death eternall which is the second death it is quite taken away in respect of Gods elect according to that speech of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 11.26 Whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in mee shall neuer die The second death hath no power on the Saints As saith Saint Iohn Reu. 20.6 Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power But if ye referre it to the first death to wit the death of the body the sting of it is taken away so that it is no more a curse for the sinnes which wee haue committed nay it is turned into a blessing and made a ioyfull passage and entrance into heauen But if yee apply it to the death of the soule which is another kinde or another branch of the first death that also is vanquished ouercome and we recouer out of it when we are spiritually quickned with the life of grace 1 Cor. 4.11 Ephes 4.18 called by S. Paul the life of Iesus the life of God and it is also called the life of the spirit And though this death hang about vs as long as we are in this tabernacle Rom. 8.23 Rom. 7.24 and make vs groane within our selues and crie out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Yet it cannot hurt vs and it daily abateth as the life of grace increaseth And when our change is come we shall be fully and for euer discharged from it For death is vanquished but the time is not yet come that it must be vtterly destroyed For the Apostle hath taught vs that it is the last enemie that shall be destroyed 1 Cor. 15.26 The last enemie saith he that shall be destroied is death It is captiuated and brought vnder the power of Christ the Conquerour and comfort your selues euery kinde of death shall be fully destroyed and quite abolished in the due time Reason 2 Secondly the Saints must die the death of the body because it is an infirmity which we are forced to endure in this nature Now Christ hath not suffered to free vs from any infirmity to which our bodies are made subiect without sinne but to take away the venome of it and to sanctifie it vnto vs that that which at first came by meanes of sin and in it selfe is a curse for sin the wages thereof may be turned into a blessed meanes to further our happinesse And thus also we are weary and hunger and thirst and feele paines many and manifold although Christ also hath suffered all this for vs. Conceiue it then that in respect of the Saints death is abolished both the first and second of the soule and the body as it is the wages of sinne for what haue we to doe with the wages of the workes which we doe not attend but yet we must still suffer it as it is an infirmity to which our bodies are made subiect and we must passe thorow it as it is the way and gate into that glorious life in the kingdome of heauen Reason 3 Thirdly the Saints must die that the discerning of the elect from the reprobate may bee reserued vnto the last day the day of iudgement According to the words of the Prophet Malachi Mal. 3.18 Then shall yee returne and discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not Now if onely the reprobates wicked men and hypocrites did die and the elect not die then might it bee discerned who were elected and truly sanctified before that day come Reason 4 Fourthly that it may appeare no vaine word which God spake to Adam saying Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread till thou returne vnto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and vnto dust shalt thou returne Reason 5 Fiftly that by tasting of bodily death they may feele Gods mercy the sweeter in freeing of them from death eternall which they had likewise deserued and learne to set the more store by the riches of his mercy and accept it the better and be prouoked to seeke it and also receiue it with the earnester desire and the greater thankfulnesse To that end are wee forced to passe thorow the death of the body And indeed let vs consider well the pride of our owne nature the false ouerweening and vaine selfe-trust wherewith we be puffed vp how stubborne we be against the Lord and at how low a rate we prise his goodnesse and wee shall finde that to doe vs good and to bring vs to life he must be faine to make vs passe thorow the gates of death And why To keepe vs in awe and humble vs to make vs to know our selues and how rich he is in mercy in his dealing with vs to the intent we may yeeld the more honour and reuerence to our onely wise immortall and good God And may say euery one of vs alas I might iustly haue beene sunken before this day to the bottome of hell and if God were not wondrous mercifull what is due to my whole life for my manifold sinnes I haue deserued to die not only the death of the body but the second death euen the death of soule and body eternally Thus you see how it is good for the Saints to be kept in awe and taught humilitie by being appointed to die Reason 6 Sixtly that they may be made partakers of the glorious resurrection at the end of the world For to borrow a similitude from the Apostles words 1 Cor. 15.36 as the corne which is sowen is not quickened except it die so is it with vs wee cannot partake of the resurrection of the iust except we die For they that remaine aliue at the comming of the Lord shall

not die to attaine vnto the resurrection 1 Cor. 15.51 1 Thess 4.15 16 17. but they shall all bee changed and bee hindmost in the company that shall meet the Lord in the aire Vse 1 The Vse First then is it true are the Saints subiect to death We must ponder vpon this that we are subiect to death Let vs ponder vpon it that we deserue such an vnhappy condition And that were it not for Gods mercy vnto vs in Christ contrary to that which we haue deserued we must all die and be damned for euermore Let vs thinke vpon it Neither let any thinke it strange because Christ hath died for vs and rose againe and are dead with Christ and risen againe with him and when as our sinnes are forgiuen and quite done away which brought death vpon vs that yet neuertheles God will not release vs but make vs drinke of deaths cup. For although we ought to be glad of it because God proceedeth dealeth in such wise that we be nothing hindred thereby but that we may come boldly vnto the throne of grace and call vpon him quietly and without distraction and at the houre of death may commend our soules into his hands and pray for the glorious resurrection of our bodies and as it were cast our selues into his fatherly lap although I say we ought to be glad of this yet is it good for vs to haue some feeling of the miserie into which we haue plunged our selues not only to humble vs and that we should set the more store by his mercie as I said before but to make vs iudge our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord and to make vs by faith to lay the faster hold vpon his gracious promises and the more carefully to serue him with such reuerence and feare as is requisite for vs. Vse 2 Secondly this consideration that wee are subiect vnto death should rouze vs out of sinne Awake from sinne and leaue it and make vs shunne it and hate the verie motions of it For sinne is the cause of all our miserie and mortalitie As the Prophet Ieremiah saith in his Lamentations Wherefore doth man complaine Lam. 3.39 a man for the punishment of his sinnes Intimating that man by his sinnes doth bring punishments vpon himselfe And the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 5.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac. Hom. 11. Iude 23. Mic. 3.1 2. Amos 5.14 15. As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed vpon all men for that all haue sinned Hee makes sinne ye see the cause of all mens mortalitie Wherefore shun sinne and as the Apostle Iude saith Hate euen the garment spotted by the flesh And be not like those heads of Iacob and Princes of the house of Israel of whom Micah saith that they hate the good and loue the euill Be not like to them but as Amos saith Seeke good and not euill And againe Hate the euill and loue the good For say wee must die and cannot auoid it whatsoeuer wee doe yet take away sinne and the sting of death is gone For as the Apostle saith The sting of death is sinne 1 Cor. 15.56 Let sinne therefore be away and death when it comes shall doe vs no hurt nay it shall be aduantage and gaine vnto vs as the same Apostle saith Phil. 1.21 For to me to liue is Christ and to die is gaine This therefore should rouze vs and driue vs from sinne Tell mee who but a mad man would giue aduantage to his vtter enemie whereby to spoile him Now death is this enemie and our sinne is the adu●tage If we liue in sinne wee giue death the adu●●●age to kill vs eternally but if we coufesse and forsake our sins death hath no aduantage against vs and come when it will it shall doe vs no hurt I beseech you consider of it and turne from sinne from couetousnesse pride and from whatsoeuer God forbiddeth Vse 3 Thirdly are the Saints subiect to death Then are they after a sort subiect to that which is the chiefest curse that is fallen vpon mankinde Good and bad subiect to death and the li●e afflictions but with great difference For death is the chiefest curse and containeth vnder it all the curses n = a Gen. 2.17 that be fallen vpon mankinde Howbeit this vnderstand that the Saints bee not subiect to death as it is a curse but as it is sanctified and become an entrance into life And as they are subiect to death so are they subiect likewise to all other miseries that this life affords to hunger nakednesse imprisonment sorrow hatred slanders and manifold persecutions and temptations So that the Saints cannot bee discerned by their outward state But neuerthelesse betweene the same afflictions and manner of death falling vpon the Saints and vpon the vngodly there is great difference because the one are in Christ the fountaine of all goodnesse and blessednesse by whom all curses are quite taken away according to the words of the Apostle Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law being made a curse for vs for it is written cursed is euerie one that hangeth on a tree But the others to wit the vngodly are our of Christ and therefore vnder the curse Remember it then that howsoeuer the same affliction and dea●h may befall to the good and the bad yet there is such a change made by meanes of Christ that they are farre vnlike vnto the one and the other When Ioah had slaine Abner Dauid lamenting ouer him spake these words Died Abner as a foole dieth So wee may say 2 Sam. 3.33 Died Lazarus as the rich glutton died or die the Saints as the vngodly doe die yea it is most certaine as it happeneth to the vngodly so it happeneth to the Saints euen one thing befalleth them all they all goe vnto one place all are of the dust and all returne to dust againe But loe what followes the Saints die to liue but the vngodly die eternally In the death of the Saints God is not their enemie but in the death of the vngodly God is their enemie The Saints death hath no sting but the death of the vngodly hath a most venomous sting But notwithstanding this difference yet let the common condition of good and bad bee carefully marked to weane vs from the world to make vs minde our home in the kingdome of heauen and not to seeke our felicitie in this present life For here haue we no continuing citie but wee seeke one to come And there is no bodily miserie Heb. 13.14 euen vnto the death that the vilest miscreants be subiect vnto but the best that breathe are subiect to the same Vse 4 Fourthly can it not bee auoided but that the Saints also must die then must we prepare Prepare and be alwayes ready for death Certa stat omnibus mortis sententia hora autemnihil

our faith the saluation of our soules These meditations and resolutions and other such like being well digested and setled in our soules will make vs euermore ready and well disposed to depart out of this life whensoeuer God sheweth vs that our houre is come The death of his Saints A Further thing that is worth the noting in these words of the text The death of his Saints is touching the most happy estate of the children of God in that they are called HIS Saints The death of HIS Saints Remember from hence that Doct. 3 Doct. The Saints are the Lords And they are not only the Lords as all men are but after a peculiar manner The Saints are peculiarly the Lords Deut. 32.9 1 Pet. 2.9 Exod. 19.5 They are the portion of the Lord and the lot of his inheritance a peculiar people and to vse Moses words they are a peculiar treasure vnto him aboue all people for all the earth is his So that they may with much comfort thinke of the Apostles speech Rom. 14.8 Whether we liue therefore or die we are the Lords Question In six respects How are they the Lords after a peculiar manner Answer In diuers respects First in regard of their election For as the Apostle saith Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen vs in him that is in Christ as members in the head before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue Secondly in regard of their calling according to these words vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints As many as are called are not therefore called of God because they are Saints but therefore they are Saints because they are called of his grace In this respect therefore the Saints are the Lords Thirdly in regard of their iustification because the holinesse of Christ is imputed vnto them to iustification as I haue touched before Page 12. by which they are made holy in the sight of God Fourthly in regard of their sanctification which for the beginning continuance encrease and accomplishment of it is wholly of God As the Apostle saith 1 Thess 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly that is thorowout in your whole soule and body Fiftly in regard of redemption because he hath redeemed and deliuered vs out of the hands of our enemies Luke 1.74 75. to serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life To this effect saith Paul 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price Sixtly in regard of their owne deuoting and addicting of themselues to doe his will Psal 119.38 As Dauid saith Stablish thy word vnto thy seruant who is deuoted to thy feare And this the Saints doe Acti agimu● Cant. 1.4 not of themselues but through the grace of the Spirit which first moueth and stirreth them For the ability to moue to any thing pleasing to God is meerely from his grace Vse 1 The Vse First ye see then if we be of the number of the Saints Yee Saints study to please the Lord and serue him that is to say of Gods faithfull seruants how many waies God hath a peculiar title vnto vs or rather in how many respects we are peculiarly obliged aboue all the men of the world vnto the Lord to wit in respect of our election vocation iustification sanctification redemption and the willing addicting of our selues through his grace vnto his seruice What remaineth then but that we study in all things to please the Lord and obey his Commandements As the Apostle saith Col. 1.10 That ye might walke worthy of the Lord vnto all pleasing being fruitfull in euery good worke and increasing in the knowledge of God The Apostle yee see would haue vs walke worthy of the Lord that is that our life should be proportionable to the measure of the goodnesse of God towards vs. We hauing therefore receiued so great mercy of the Lord so many waies we must leade our liues in a proportionable measure of holinesse and obedience We must not breake out into blasphemous oathes cursed speaking drunkennesse riot stealing lying and other filthinesse of life as many doe but thinking how good the Lord is and hath beene vnto vs wee must walke worthy of his Mercy Hath hee taken vs to himselfe after a peculiar manner Hath he made vs some of his Saints He hath not dealt so with a great number of people which were as good as our selues nay farre before vs in many respects And therefore we must worship him better than they doe and yeeld him that honour which a great number will not yeeld him Where others will not stoupe there we must stoupe and his doctrine which they refuse and will not receiue we must receiue it with meekenesse and be obedient thereunto For as the earth rendereth to the husbandman the fruit of his paines bestowed vpon it so we must render to the Lord the fruit of his manifold mercies bestowed vpon vs and that is repentance a renouncing of all vngodlinesse and a liuing soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Vse 2 Secondly it being so that the Saints be the Lords after so peculiar a manner Affect the Saints company and to be of their number Psal 16.2 3. and 119.63 See also Ps 101.6 it should moue vs to affect the company of the Saints As Dauid did saying My goodnesse extendeth not to thee But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight And againe I am a companion of all them that feare thee and of them that keepe thy precepts And as we desire the company of the Saints Pro. 1.15 and 23.20 1 Cor. 5.9 10 11. 2 Thess 3.14 so should we loath and eschew the society of Atheists drunkards fornicators swearers and all wicked and vngodly persons Neither is it enough to affect the Saints company but we must striue and labour to be some of their number Iudas the traitor got little in the sight of God by conuersing with Christ and his holy Apostles being himselfe a deuill And so it shall little auaile vs to be continually with the Saints if we be not our selues some of the number of the Saints Mat. 24.40 41. Luk. 17.34 35 36. For when the Lord shall come the Saints shall be taken and we shall be left Vse 3 Thirdly this considered that the Saints be the Lords and that after so peculiar a manner as no men else No reprobate can be truly sanctified it must needs follow that neuer a reprobate can be sanctified They may make a shew and profession of holinesse but the truth and rooted soundnesse thereof they can neuer haue No cannot a reprobate be sanctified Doth not Paul make mention of some that they counted the bloud of the couenant wherewith they were