Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	evil_a	good_a	overcome_v	2,148	5	9.0851	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51172	A short essay of afflictions, or, Balme to comfort if not cure those that sinke or languish under present misfortunes, and are not prepared in these unsetled times to meet all events with constant and equall tempers written from one of His Majesties garrisons as a private advise to his onely sonne, and by him printed to satisfie the importuniry of some particular friends.	Monson, John, Sir, 1600-1683.	1647 (1647)	Wing M2464; ESTC R32108	35,191	138

1 Sam. 3. if we suffer without murmuring where we cannot act without sinning and dye when we cannot doe against our owne conscience or Gods commands since God by it doth but take us into safe Garrison from a bloody field e Act. 21.13 yet his Grapes must be thus pressed before they yeeld the joy of gladnesse to us nor then if we beare it not with Innocence meeknesse and contentednesse For it is not the outward Act but the inward Affections and intentions that makes a good and a happy man and turnes the stake into his Theater the onely place of his joy and triumph Of Jnnocence 1. O Blessed Innocence the perfection of the triumphant Saints the beauty of Angels the life of heaven Image of God nay God himselfe how art thou attainable here below since thou onely inhabitest above Yes God in his humiliation and becoming the Sonne of man made it descend with him both for our Imputation and Imitation that wee the children of men might become the sonnes of God Sonnes both by Adoption and similitude and represent him in likenesse and Image in perfection of parts though not dimension as a childe a man in little for wee must be innocent as he was innocent in quality not equality of purity and holinesse for in Christ it was like water in the fountaine cleane and pure in us as in the streame terrene and muddy onely we must draw our lines and write as neere the Originall as we can even Christs example and transcribe that Primitive and true Copy of Innocence in an active and legible Character that as he so we may not be onely Innocent in sufferings Dovelike without all gall and bitternesse but suffer Innocently as false and yet true as Dying and behold we live * 1 Pet. 2. 2 Cor. 4.6 blessing our enemies and praying with Saint Steven for our persecutors ever overcoming evill with good turnes * Pro. 26.32.19.11 and accounting it the greatest victory to overcome and conquer one's selfe For thus suffering according to the will of God and committing our selves to him in well doing as into the hands of a faithfull Creatour * 1 Pet. 4.19 he will doe well for us and preserve us by his power unto salvation * 1 Pet. 1.5 and turne our white robe of Innocency here though full of uncleane spots into an immaculate one of glory 2. Meekenesse is a calme and quiet temper of the soule and as walls and bulwarkes to a City * Prov. 25.28 defends the man against anger and all such passions which are but a kinde of short madnesse that would conquer reason and so turne the man out of doores out of himselfe nay if this grace be wanting it opens a breach for the enemy to enter and not only carri's us captive from our selves but our God too who is not to be found in the storm nor earthquake but in the still calme and gentle voice as to Elias whereas a meek man is like the bole or great branches of a Tree not to be shaken by the greatest tempests thus a Heathen Architas could esteeme it when he would never revenge an injury if angry but upon himselfe So Socrates when Xantippe threw water in his face made no answer but that after a storme raine was seasonable and that he saw the same face upon all events And shall they in this be more then men and we Christians lesse then some beasts O no. Let us by this temper beare all things without disturbance afflictions from God Injuries from men for like milke it will soonest quench wilde-fire In that a soft answer as Solomon saith endeth strife and like Mouse are though it be silken in the handling can with its juyce cut the hardest Iron mollifie and soften the most stony heart and overcome both God and man when all passions if unbounded like the evening fogs in some Countries prove deadly discolour and taint the vessels they are in like the worst poisons which made the Lion of the tribe of Juda suffer like a Lambe the Lambe of God And therefore as the print of that Seale at least let meekenesse and softnesse of spirit be stampt upon all our actions that we may not become our owne tormentors And 1. Towards God for when he afflicts silence is our best expostulation dumbnesse our best oratory And thus David a man after Gods owne heart framed his a Ps 37.7 or if we say any thing let not our disease as in hot feavers break out at our lips in any impatience but with good Ely in an humble submission confesse it is the Lord Let him doe what seemeth him good b 1 Sam. 3.28 for the recipe and medicine must be wholesome however sharpe if God be the Physitian 2. Towards our Enemies and persecutors knowing it is the glory of a man to overcome injuries and because the wrath of man worketh not not the will of God * Jam. 1. it is the will of God to punish the fury and wrath of man but contrarily to reward him for sufferings many times making our bitterest cup even death it selfe but a mornings draught to Eternity and often to draw our enemies from admiration to the love and imitation of us and makes the conquerer a captive to the conquered teaching them the way to happinesse by our unhappinesse rectifies the Crooked line by the straight their cruelty in imposing by our meeknesse in suffering or else makes us take a godly though unwilling revenge by heaping coales of fire on their heads and inflaming the very flames of hell against them however meeknesse will be our ornament * 1 Pet. 3.4 James 1.20 * Prov. 25.28 No Jewell being so pretious in the eyes of God nor any thing raising us so much above the sphere of man in that it makes us become a miracle of wonder to others and is to our selves an earnest of future blessednesse to which all present felicity is but as a drop to the Ocean a sparke to the whole Element of fire yet let us from hence learne not to destroy but regulate our passions For as we may be angry and not sinne in it so in some cases we may sinne in not being angry for God * Eph. 4 26 Anger and many other passions being like some starres * P● 22 1●9.29 good or evill onely in regard of their conjunction 3. Contendednesse is a vertue that makes a man Master of his owne happinesse the storehouse of his own wealth which made cyneas wish Pyrrhus to enjoy his present comforts without staying for the conquest of the Romans Affricans and sets him above the mastery of Fortune knowing it is from within not without that must make him rich for with Plutarkes mule the contented man can be pleased to want his golden carriage knowing that all worldly things are but as a waite to slow us in our journey to heaven the greatest preferments but glorious servitudes and rich

our patience in that it never appeares but under pressures though if true it is alwayes waiting upon God in habit and affections and is the soules retiring roome in all distresses a Mount Sion which is not to be removed * Jsa 26.20 21. Psa 125. but standeth fast for ever a A peice of earth as the Spaniards say however trod upon and exposed to iniuries that is the last thing that triumphs over its enemies A grace that ever shewes best with the Diamond upon a darke foyle a well drawne picture whose ground-worke is ever laid in the saddest colours and like the spangled canopy of heaven ever shines brightest when the curtaines are drawne and the chamber hung with blacks in the most sad and darkest night of temptation Thus this Grace did shine cleerest in the setting of the Sunne of Righteousnesse * Luk. 21.10 and his greatest eclips upon the crosse who did then possesse his soule in patience b when torne from his body by his passions for thither it retired against the wrath of God and malice of men as to the heart sconce or fort Royall for security which is never to be taken by famine nor the assault of any enemy In that patience if pious is so fortified having the strength of all the other graces and God himselfe to be its hiding place strength sheild and deliverer c Psal 23 35.37.119.114 the rock upon which it is built as it can never be overcome nor want a rich harvest for supply of provisions when most straitened for it can bring forth humble and penitent though not repining teares which are ever a rich granary to the godly in that God will feed them with the bread of teares and though it be but a thinne and penitentiall diet will make them as the staffe of food to nourish and support them when all other refreshments faile d Ps 42.13.80.5 Matt. 5.4 Luk. 6.21 And at last when almost exhausted they have a voice and cry loudest * Psal 6. and have such a charming sound such a powerfull oratory in them as God himselfe cannot resist it but presently approaches like a man of warre and brings releife to streightened and besieged patience And if the batteries of the enemy shall not onely have destroyed and demolished its towers and turrets of ornament but throwne downe all its upper roomes of state and conveniency Patience can lodge more safely and as contentedly upon the lowest floore amongst the rubbish and ruines of a decaied greatnesse knowing that he cannot want the conveniency of any place that hath God with him that fils all places but chiefely makes his servants Prison his Mantion to abide in with them be it spoken in a pious sence and needs no rich Tapestries for State but humility no perfumes but Prayes no Ornaments but the Graces no Crown but the Crosse though then he will turne our Crosses into Crownes our pressures into Praises ravishing us with Anthems of delight composed of sighes and groanes From all which considerations if the feet of the Messengers of Peace are beautifull what welcome entertainment ought we to give Afflictions which are the Heralds of it and are sent but to force us to a Parly and accommodation with our God and by depressing studdies our advancement * Luk 6 ●3 Jam. 1. ● Nay let us be glad and rejoyce in them when they are upon us for when oppressed with sinne they are our Purge Christs blood our Cordiall and then though my Phisitian come with a bitter potion with fire to burne and cauterize me he is still but an Enemy to my disease not me whether he cure by a long or short Diet. Yet in regard of the sense of our weaknesse which will sometimes say to us perhaps as the Angell did to Ioseph Arise take up thy young and tender babe * Mat. 2.13 thy weak and new borne faith and flye we may seeke our own preservation both pray and indevour to avoyd an approching persecution or triall For better a holy flight then a presumptuous stay by which we tempt the Tempter And this we have from Christ both by precept and example in that he commands us to Pray Leade us not into Temptation but when they persecute you in one City flie to another And did many times with draw himselfe in the like case from the malice of his Enemies For though we may not leape over the wall or by any unjust meanes preserve our selves we may goe out of Prison from our troubles when God open us a doore and gives us an honest and faire opportunity and not by a rash boldnesse provoke a danger against all circumcellious whatsoever for so Christ walked no more openly * Joh. 11.54 but saught sanctuary and safe quarter in the wildernesse when he could not injoye it in the City like a wise Pilot not splitting his vessell on a Rock when he can with a faire winde put into a harbour accounting it rather murther then Martyrdome to attempt a danger where it may lawfully be avoyded which made the God of all power flye from weake man * 1 Pet. 2.2 and Saint Paule escape without sinne * Act. 9.25 when Peter sinned by his too much confidence * Mat. 16.26 for God Almighty is so wise a Generall as to keepe a reserve and not hazard all upon one battle but made Zoar Lots retreat from Sodome and his destroying Angell So as we must not with the Dolphin hunt the storme yet with a well poised zeale willingly not wilfully bear it when it comes in a conformity to Christ as a pledge of our filiation for his Glory our sanctification and profit a Rom. 8.29 Phil. 1.29 1 Pet. 4.16 1 Pet. 3.15 for the best things here are but a dimme vesper of a more glorious festivall and the time of injoying them but a poore halfe Holiday to Eternity And therefore let us with the Apostles take joyfully the losse of all for God b Act. 4.41 who wil then strik a noon daies light into the saddest night-peece of Afflictions turne our Gibbets and places of execution into Triumphall Arches and make us persecute our persecutors more with our patience then they can us with their torments But that man that will be his owne God delivering himselfe by any unlawfull meanes or flye when Gods glory or the Churches good commands his stay is not as one saith his owne man Therefore lets us still enjoy our selves by patience c Psal 37. our brethren by Charity and our God by faith making every submissive Act a Confessour as the babes before they could speake and our selves in habit and resolution Martyrs every light Affliction but like a rub to an overthrowne bowle to helpe not hinder us towards our marke And then undergoing all for a good cause it will save us when we cannot save it but must see the Arke taken by the Philistines and the glory departed from Israel d