Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	appear_v	day_n	great_a	1,174	5	2.8646	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77859	The necessity of agreement with God: opened in a sermon preached to the Right Honourable the noble House of Peers assembled in Parliament, upon the 29th of October, 1645. being the monethly fast. / By C. Burges, D.D. preacher of the Word to the city of London. Published in obedience to an order of their Lordships.	Burges, Cornelius, 1589?-1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing B5673; Thomason E307_19; ESTC R200347	36,324	55

began Novemb. 3. 1640. to the admiration if not envy of the neighbouring Nations Insomuch as all other Protestant Churches and States that look Heaven-ward have their eye and heart upon our Parliament as Iacob upon his Benjamin For as he accounted his life to be bound up in the lads life k Gen. 44 30. so they reckon their welfare and happinesse to be wrapped up in the safety and prosperity of this Parliament even as all the Popish crew and prophane Atheisticall Belialists do measure their hopes by the good successe of the publique Incendiaries of this and the other two Kingdoms in this bloody warre of theirs for the extirpation of our Religion Laws and Liberties all at once How hath the Lord guarded guided and enabled our Parliament to bring back from the grave even a dead Kingdome whose Laws and Liberties had yeelded up the ghost and to revive Religion which lay drawing on toward her long home expecting every moment to breath her last Popery having long since prepar'd her winding-sheet and the soveraign power being imployed to draw away her pillows and to close up her eyes How marvellous have the outgoings of our God been toward our Armies even from the beginning when it was more to bring an Army into the field then now to lead it thorow the Kingdome At the first taking up of this Warre the Popish plotting destructive faction looked upon the very Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdome who adhered to the Parliament with as much superciliousnesse and scorne as sometimes Tiberius and his Court-Parasites beheld the Romane Senatours l O homines ad servitutem nati coming in a servile way to visit him after he had by the instigation of Sejanus and other lewd Counsellours and companions in evil to be rid of that great Councell withdrawn himselfe from Rome first into Campania and then into the Island of Capres where he might be most remote from the Senate and more free to contrive the ruin of it as well as to act wickednesse at his pleasure with his minions without interruption or controll If any were sent from our supreme Senate or from the Army with humble Petitions and seasonable advice they were looked upon with so much contempt and scorne as if they came rather to be made a sport to all the scumme of man-kinde then to offer any thing worthy the acceptance of reasonable men And as for the generality of this Kingdome they having been so much over-awed and accustomed to an iron yoke of Arbitrary power it was too too evident that the ancient English generosity of spirit was degenerated into so much poornesse and pusillanimity that it was a very difficult worke to draw together any considerable power at first to withstand that strong torrent of violence and oppression which had for so long time carried all before it and broke down whatever stood in the way to oppose it and began to plead prescription against all Law and Justice Our condition therefore at that time when the enemy presumed that none durst be so hardy as to appear in Armes against them required more then ordinary spirits to break the ice and to appear in the head of an Army or Navy to give the first onset and charge against a party so great and puissant so inveterate and subtile so combined so many years preparing so many wayes assisted and so strongly backed and countenanced by the Royall Majesty which they had also deeply ingaged for the destruction of all that the faction had necessitated to take Armes in defence of the Royall Authority as well as of the Laws and Common Liberties Yet even then God stirred up some Noble and Publike spirits from among the Governours of Israel who offered to sacrifice themselves willingly among the people * Judg. 5.9 whom God went along withall and did great things by them wherein we greatly rejoyced what ever the unthankfull world apt to cry Hosanna one day and stone him the next when their own turne is served please now to barke to the contrary But this last Summers successes have been beyond all expectation and almost beyond credibility The right hand of the Lord hath so visibly smitten thorow the loyns of our proud enemies that even themselves must confesse God hath every where sought for us against them How many victories have been obtained Towns and strong holds wonne and recovered and the strength of the enemy how is it every where broken This is so marvellous in our eyes that we are like men that dream scarce daring to believe our own eyes Oh that we could more exalt our God and give unto him the glory due unto his Name for so many so great so glorious salvations afforded to his people by his own Almighty arme stretched out for them in so eminent a manner But will God thus walk together with us for ever He alone that is our strength our buckler the horne of our salvation and our high Tower grant it may be so and cursed be that man who shall so much as in his secret thoughts desire it may be otherwise Howbeit remember the Text and remember the Doctrine which it hath yeelded us together with the Instances whereby it hath been abundantly confirmed There must be an agreement yea another manner of ugreement then most are aware of between God and us before I dare promise any long continuance of his walking with us as he hath hitherto done Nay I must pronounce the contrary from the Lord and do here call God and all his people to witnesse this day of that I speake namely that it is as possible for light to walke with darknesse for Christ to keep company with Belial for one contrary extreme not to oppose the other as for God and England to walke long together while they be upon no better termes of agreement then for ought appears they be yet come unto Let our Parliament and Counsels consult let our Armies fight and be as prosperous and expeditious as Caesar when he every where made that good Veni Vidi Vici Let the enemy be every where routed scattered and shattered all to pieces before our forces yea let the great City be never so strongly fortified guarded united yet unlesse God be really and fully agreed withall I must say mutatis mutandis unto them and you as sometimes Jeremy of the Caldeans who for a while were forced to quit their siege of Jerusalem when Pharaohs Army was upon their march against them and when the people grew confident that now the worst was past and the danger was over Deceive not your selves saying The Caldeans I say Cavaliers shall surely depart from us for they shall not depart For though ye had smitten the whole Army of them that fight against you and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise up every man in his Tent and burne the City with fire Jer. 37.9 10. It is not multitude or strength will do it there is

threatning greater desolation then the sword of the enemy or any other judgement that is upon us You see what a long roll what a black catalogue may be brought in against us how many sins we have to spread before the Lord this day what great what scarlet sins we are guilty of who yet are apt to put farre away the evil day to grow confident that our danger is over that we shall never see that adversity which have come upon others in the Kingdome and that God is now so fast tied to us as never to depart from us nor to give over walking with us in all wayes of mercy and grace This day is set apart for solemne serious publike humiliation and Sermons upon this day are or should be so managed as to helpe us in this duty to set our sins before us with their severall aggravations that we might draw the more water of godly sorrow out of our rocky hearts and pour it out before the Lord as Israel at Mizpeh a 1 Sam. 7.6 O therefore be afflicted and mourn and weep rend your hearts put your mouths in the dust through shame and confusion of face and out of desire to be humbled to the utmost before the decree of Englands ruins bring forth desolation before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you before the day of the Lords anger come upon you b Zeph. 2.2 as the Prophet speaketh Take heed of turning these monethly humiliations into formalities lest we provoke God more by our hypocriticall mock-fasts then by any other our sins for which we pretend to be humbled on such daies as these Beware of that bull-rush humiliation which the Lord complains of Isa 58.8 Who derides not that ridiculous folly of Lewes the 11th who wore a Crucifix in his hat in testimony of great devotion and so often as he had sworn an Oath or committed other grosse offence he would take off his hat and kisse his crucifix thinking that a sufficient satisfaction for his fault and then go sin again as much as before But there is somewhat more to be done by those that would indeed make their peace and agreement with God Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34.31 32. 2. This leads me to the second branch of the Exhortation and which is the other main part of this dayes duty namely to labour before we depart this place to bring our hearts to come up to a full and perfect agreement with God This is one of the great errands of all the Ambassadours of Christ namely to pray all to whom they come in Christs stead as though God did beseech you by them to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 Let the power of the death of Christ be applyed by faith to eat out and kill that naturall malice and enmity that naturally rageth in every one of our bosomes against God Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is Idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience Col. 3.5 6. Bring your hearts to a perfect compliance with God in affections resolutions and in all your actions away with all self-love and self-ends Men of private designes will betray the Kingdome Religion and all the world if it were in their power if temptations and opportunities be offered rather then be frustrate of their own ends what ever shew of zeal for Christ and the Publike they pretend unto in the carrying on of the Publike Cause It was Calebs comfort happinesse and honour that in managing the publike service of Israel committed to him by Moses he followed God fully Numb 14.24 An excellent paterne for you that are the heads and guides of our Tribes who are now leading this poor sinfull Nation thorow a sharpe and tedious wildernesse where we are to march thorow rivers of blood towards a firme and well grounded Peace and perfect Reformation If any of you have private ends in this publike worke which God forbid we shall be bought and sold as sometimes Esther and her people were not only for bond-men and bond-women Esth 7.4 but to be destroyed to be slain and to perish Be sure of this nothing but a firme agreement with God and the power of godlinesse can keep any of you all firme and constant to the Cause of God and his people Achitophel was a man of as deep wisedome and as great a pretender to the interests and service of David and the Kingdom as is possible for any mortall to be towards any King or Kingdome in the world Yet when Absolom by wiles and promises of greater place and preferment set upon him he could not stand before such temptations Only an Hushai a faithfull plain publike-spirited man held it out and at length had the happinesse to overthrow the counsels of a farre deeper and subtle Counsellour then himselfe and thereby saved both a King and Kingdome It is the honest plain downright-hearted Counsellour that scornes all private ends out of supernaturall principles that shall carry it at the long runne and live to see all the Achitophels of the time sent to hell in a string or in some other dresse Renue Covenant with God this day and do it heartily it is a chief worke of the day If David and Jonathan thought it necessary to enter into Covenant a second time 1 Sam. 20.16 who had never violated their first agreement thinke it not superfluous but a matter of necessity to renue that Covenant which we have every day broken and that with a very high hand by walking contrary unto him for which he hath brought the sword upon us to avenge the quarrell of his Covenant d Lev. 26.24 25. But do it in sincerity for all haltings in a Covenant are the greatest provocations that men obnoxious to wrath can possibly commit that great sinne against the Holy Ghost only excepted Rest not here thinke it not enough to renue Covenant but minde it and keep it When thou vowest a vow unto God deferre not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fooles Eccles 5.4 Therefore God made a Law to binde men to performance even of voluntary vows to which they were no way tyed but by their own voluntary choice Deut. 23.21 22. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and it would be sinne unto thee I beseech you therefore to consider all that you have Covenanted but especially in matters of Religion and Reformation And herein let your selves be first firme and unmoveable in such Truths as all the people of God have unanimously imbraced as being undoubtedly founded on the word of God Shift

all his party they heartily close with his children and servants where ever they meet them and are enemies to all that are enemies to God It is so in all firme Leagues and Feuds He that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 And this Commandement have we from him that he who loveth God love his brother also 1 Joh. 4.21 On the contrary If they meet with Gods enemies they dare make this appeal to God Psal 139.21 22. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Trial. Now consider seriously how you stand affected to the faithfull servants of Jesus Christ Are you for them indeed are they in your hearts to live and die together do you countenance and encourage the faithfull Ministers of Christ Nay rather is not their fidelity to Christ interpreted pride and ambition after exorbitant power are not the godly your greatest eye-sores are they not looked upon as a company of silly ignorant rash peevish men because they will not bow or bend in matters of Religion to humane inventions of any Authority nor depart so much as an hairs bredth from their principles Or if they be sometimes made use of in case of necessity when things cannot be carried on without them are they not afterwards by some cast aside as people not owned or worthy of any respect especially if a new generation of projectors men that are more malleable and fit to be moulded to serve turnes arise and present new notions projects Or if we do make shew of some respect to this or that eminent man as Herod to the Baptist is it in truth of heart for the graces of God shining in them or rather to grace our selves by countenancing of them And how stand we affected to all wicked men are they not our chief at lest our ordinary companions Do we not set more by a scurrilous wit a Buffone then by an holy humble Christian whose speech may administer grace to the hearers Who are the most usuall companions of many that have given themselves out Reformed There is no surer triall of a mans inward temper of spirit then by choice of his company Jehoshaphat may in Courtship comply with Ahab but he shall surely smart for it shouldest thou helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord 2 Chron. 19.2 Let them look to it who do as he did that while they run such a course they may not foolishly dream that God and they are agreed for this bred a quarrell between God and Jehoshaphat although a godly Magistrate and eminent for holinesse of life Thus have I endeavoured to bring all to the Test whereupon I doubt it will appear that we are not the people we would be taken to be being yet very farre from that agreement with God which we stand in need of and rest upon as actually made up between him and us nor can promise to our selves that continuance of Gods walking with us which we do expect but have just cause to fear his sudden departure from us and the exposing of us and the Kingdom to much more wo and misery then ever we have yet felt or feared Vse 3 Wherefore suffer the word of Exhortation unto a two-fold duty 1. Be deeply humbled before the Lord this day for our want of agreement with him that hath done so many so great things for us for that great enmity and malignity that yet remaineth in us against the God of our mercies for our crosse affections and peevish passions whereby we are apt upon all occasions to fly out against him for all our carnall corrupt and base ends and designes which thwart and oppose the wise holy and good purposes and counsels of our God for our standing out and refusing to come into the bond of his Covenant or dealing unfaithfully in it for our want of Zeal for Christ in doing our utmost in our severall places and callings to promote the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland not only in Doctrine and Worship but in Discipline and Government according to our Covenant for our great lukewarmnesse in not endeavouring as we ought to extirpate superstition heresie schisme profanenesse and what ever is contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse whereby we do in great part partake of other mens sinnes and bring our selves into apparent danger to receive of their plagues for want of that reality impartiality and constancy in preserving the Priviledges of Parliament and liberties of the Kingdome which we ought upon all occasions to expresse many growing weary of the Parliament and clamouring against it as one of our greatest grievances and abusing the Liberties of the Kingdome to all licentiousnesse and confusion for want of courage and faithfullnesse in the discovery of all Incendiaries Malignants and evil instruments that do palpably and openly hinder and oppose that Reformation of Religion which we have bound our selves by Covenant to promote or that secretly undermine and way-lay all endeavours of Peace between the King and his people or that labour to make division between the two Kingdoms or factions and parties among the people contrary to our Nationall League and Covenant for want of zeal in doing all we can according to our places and interests to maintain and preserve that blessed Peace so happily setled between England and Scotland that they might remain conjoyned in a firme League and union to all posterity and that justice may be done upon the wilfull opposers thereof for our great unwillingnesse constantly to assist and defend all those that in this common Cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdomes enter into the Nationall League and Covenant for our aptnesse to be withdrawn from that blessed Vnion and Conjunction to the other side or at lest to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in the Publike Cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and the honour of the King for our not humbling our selves even unto this day for our own sinnes and for the sinnes of all the three Kingdomes for undervaluing the Gospel for not receiving Christ into our hearts and walking worthy of him in our lives for want of a true and unfeigned purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publike and private in all duties we ow to God and man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of a reall Reformation that the Lord may turne away his wrath and heavy indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in truth and peace Finally for want of that Christian and brotherly charity and unity that every where appears in many sad rents and dangerous divisions that daily in all places abound