Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
glory_n	affliction_n	light_a	moment_n	3,869	5	9.1253	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13533	Christs victorie over the Dragon: or Satans downfall shewing the glorious conquests of our Saviour for his poore Church, against the greatest persecutors. In a plaine and pithy exposition of the twelfth chapter of S. Iohns Revelation. Delivered in sundry lectures by that late faithfull servant of God, Thomas Taylor Doctor in Divinitie, and pastor of Aldermanbury London. Perfected and finished a little before his death.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.; Jemmat, William, 1596?-1678.	1633 (1633)	STC 23823; ESTC S118152	543,797	874

weeke of dayes but of a week of yeares containing seven yeares Exodus 23. 20. the common weeke of dayes resembling and signifying a weeke of yeares so also not only of a yeare of dayes but a yeare of yeares every such yeare containing 360. yeares as the common yeares amongst Hebrewes and Grecians continued so many dayes II. For the period of these dayes when they begun or ended 1. Wee must remember that wee have said that this is inferred by anticipation and is to be referred unto the fourteenth verse 2. That it is the same time with times time and halfe a time there mentioned the finding out of which will helpe us to the clearing of this 3. That it must set in after the second assault of the dragon mentioned verse the 13. and is not properly to be handled now while wee are in the first assault of the dragon by heathen Emperors 4. It must be the same time with the 42. months Cap. 11. 2. wherein Antichrist shall treade downe the holy Citie for these being months of yeares reckoning to every month thirty dayes according to the Hebrewes and Aegyptians are just thirty yeares in every month of yeares and so forty two months of yeares make just the same number of 1260 yeares here mentioned agreeing with the three yeares and a halfe prophesied by Daniel for the raigne of Antichrist which being yeares of yeares because prophetical every month containing 12. months of years which make 360. which number being multiplyed by three and an halfe amount in the totall to 1260. yeares as in our Text. 5. It cannot be meant as the Papists fable of their Antichrist who say they must raigne three yeares and an halfe of naturall yeares we must watch the subtilty of Papists who would have us to seeke the rise of Antichrist in the end of the world after this ruine but the three yeares and an halfe are propheticall yeares and make just 1260 yeares all which time the Church is in the wildernesse Neither can this time begin as Iunius and sundry other worthy mē do affirm at the passiō of Christ determined in the time of Boniface the 8. for it must be of things after Iohn and after Domitian yea after the heathen Emperours after the first conflict with the dragon which lasted many hundred yeares after Christ. 6. Now whether it bee a finite time for a definite as amongst other godly learned our late grave and gracious Bishop Abbot demonstrateth pag. 108 controversie or whether wee may with proofe or probability define some certaine period for beginning or end of it we will reserve the determination of it to the proper place in the fourteenth verse and will not be wanting in diligence to finde out and settle on the truth as the Lord shall reveale Quest. III. Why doth the Spirit of God here so strictly and precisely reckon up the time of the womans oppression under Antichrist and the womans persecution in the wildernesse by so many dayes and not roundly and shortly by so many months and yeares Ans. For foure causes 1. To note the singular watchfulnesse and Providence of God over the woman who is daily and hourely with his servants present to take notice of every dayes sorrow and suffering which himselfe appointeth and determineth 2. To shew that all the children of the Church should take notice of their daily neede of spirituall food and gather it daily in the meanes as Israel needed daily provision of Mannah in the wildernesse God gave thē not an harvest once a yeare or month but a daily harvest to supply their need they must continue their dependance on his hand for a dayly showre of Mannah 3. To note the continuall use of the Scripture for our strength and comfort for these witnesses waite on the daily necessities of the Church and supply the soule with daily bread these witnesses are not like some that come once a moneth or once a quarter but are in perpetuall watch-tower to feed the woman daily 4. To note the wisedome of the Lords provision who feedeth his Church as Israel in the wildernesse but by the day or as Elias in the wildernesse morning and evening the Lord alloweth enough for the day but is not prodigall 1. Because he will preserve in her an appetite 2. To shew the price of his food it is precious hidden and heavenly Mannah sweet as Mannah or honey more durable it maketh her live for ever see Psalme 19. 10. c. 119. 103. 3. To inure her to contentednesse in all things with daily bread and if hee feed her from hand to mouth she must thinke it well hee oweth her not so much he would have all the children of the Church to curbe greedy desires and be contented with things present Note what a long time is set downe for the womans abode in the wildernesse under Antichrist 1260. yeares Teaching us Doct. That the Church may bee a long time under grievous affliction so was Israel a stranger and under strange and strong burthens in Aegypt foure hundred yeares the Jewes in the Babylonish captivity seventy yeares the ten generall persecutions lasted 300. yeares till Constantine but here is one of Antichrist beyond them all Quest. What is the reason is not God able to deliver his Church sooner or doth hee delight in the misery of his Church Ans. 1. Neither of both but first by protracting the warre he sheweth his continuall power and care in preserving her through her assault and leading her through the Pikes into safety and now subscribeth to the truth of his promises 2. Shaketh her out of security and forceth her to keepe on her armour and to stand upon her watch the lesse hope of rest or truce that she can expect 3. By continuance of her tryall hee will continue her faith and patience excite her prayers and exercise all her graces especially traine her in humility while the continuance of her smart holdeth in her sight the continuance of her sinne 4. That her deliverance long deferred may bee more desired and sweeter when it commeth how sweet was Israels passage out of Aegypt after 400. yeares 5. That shee may take notice of the severity of Gods justice and what continuall torments are reserved for his enemies seeing hee lingreth such heavy sorrowes on his owne servants If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly appeare Quest. How standeth this with those places that say our afflictions are light and momentany 2 Cor. 4. 17. and that God hideth his face but for a moment Esa. 54. 8. Are 1260. yeares but a moment Answ. 1. The afflictions of the Church are light and short first not simply and absolutely but in comparison to aeternall glory 2. Not in themselves or their owne nature but in respect of grace that maketh them light when sinne is repented and pardoned in the soule 3. Not in the smart the effect of them for so often they are long but in respect of sinne

labour An idle Pastor that gives up the paines of his calling is like a yong mother that wold faine have children without paines and sorrow in bringing forth 2 To love dearely persons wonne to the faith For he that knowes the sorrow of winning and begetting any to Christ cannot but love them as his owne children And therefore hath Gods providence annexed much sorrow to the birth that the child might bee so much more tendred and loved of the Mother as she hath dearely bought it And so in this spirituall birth it is true And a spirituall Father may rebuke and sharply reproove his children begotten by his paines for just faults and this is fatherly love but he that shall reproach the whole seed of Christ and nip and blast goodnesse in them and the more they prosper in grace the more spitefully shall ordinaryly disgrace them I doubt whether such a one be the Father of any of their soules How doth a Mother yea a tender nurse rejoyce in the health and prosperitie of the child and grieve even unto death if the Child thrive not nor prosper And who wold abide a nurse whom nothing so much grieveth as the thriving and growth of the child Fourthly The comfort of a faithfull Minister Howsoever his sorrowes and paines be as sure and inevitable as the sorrowes of a woman in travell yea and as sharp too Yet 1 The are also short as theirs a little while will put an end to their paines 2 They are in the end sweet and turned into joy as theirs Joh. 16 21. A woman as soone as she is delivered remembreth no more the paine because a man-child is borne Their labour and paine passeth away and is quite and quickly forgotten but the joy is lasting and eternall and none can take it away Wee must consider that if we be rejected of men so was the chiefe builder and the Master builders the Apostles themselves If we speake words of truth and wisedome out of the booke of God in the name of God out of the place of God some dare say we will lie as fast as a dog will runne If our innocency were as bright as the sunne some dog will barke against us The servant is not above his Master Our Master as innocent as he was some few said he was a good man but many that he was a Devill and was a very vile man Well this is the comfort of faith it shall breake out of all clouds and darknesse and shine in the faces of all adversaries one day For as it frets the enemie that he cannot withhold Gods gracious blessing from his faithfull servants here So much more shall it breake their hearts that they cannot resist the glorious light of it hereafter And secondly to the people of God to be willing to submit themselves to the sorrowes of the new birth No infant can avoid the difficulties of birth nor no child of God can shunne this Quest. What are these sorrowes 1 Resolve therefore of sorrowes from within to undertake the paines of true repentāce sound sorrow for sinne mortification selfe-deniall renounce the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season As Moses as that of Christ If any will be a Disciple let him deny himselfe Is not here a paines and difficulty to renounce the wisedome of the flesh a mans owne corrupt will his affections and passions which must be stockt up roote and branches his owne naturall inclinations which are nearer to him then his skin his owne habits and bosome sinnes of long maintenance to cut off hands and put out eyes 2 Resolve of sorrowes from without 2 Tim. 1. 8 be partakers of the affliction of the Gospell Take up the crosse daily and after one still expect another Christ and his crosse are inseparable God might have severed affliction from the gospell as he might if he had pleased severed paine and sorrow from the birth of a child but would not For First his wisdome foresaw it stood more with his glory to erect himselfe a Church in the world in despight of Satan and all wicked instruments In no naturall thing is Gods power more seene then in the birth of an infant in grace the hazard and opposition is but the manifestation of his power Secondly The Lord would stop Satans mouth who would accuse the Saints as Iob as if we served God for nought when we are ready for Christ to endure all hazards and deadly dangers Thirdly The Lord tries the truth of his childrens graces while they abide with him in affliction Now we must resolve to goe through the paines of new birth to difference our selves from 1 Carnall gospellers that like not the gospel because it teacheth selfe-deniall 2 Wicked men because the power of it crosseth their whole course 3 Polititians who renounce it because it requires a change and they can endure no change though for the better 3 Resolve of paines and labour in the meanes of grace in hearing reading praying watching fasting and spirituall combate for God brings forward his image in his owne meanes Consider for encouragement 1 The discription of Saints Rev. 7. 19. those are they that come out of great tribulation Wicked are ever going into great affliction as jolly as they are and as free as they seeme to be but the Saints are ever comming forth 2 The worth of grace for which thou sufferest The least is worth all thy sufferings Is knowledge worth nothing Is the light of the sunne so worthlesse a thing wouldest thou suffer any hard labour and peril for money and a small summe of silver and wilt thou be at no paines for faith more pretious thē gold for hope nor for peace of conscience are these worth no paines 3 The happy estate into which thou comest by suffering Thou art borne to blessednesse Blessed are they that mourn All thy paine in suffering is not cōparable to the gaine of suffering The momentany afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory in the life to come looke not on the losse but on the gaine Thou loosest friends but hast God and Christ and his Angels neare thee Loosest libertie of body but hast libertie and joy of Conscience Hazardest outward peace but hast peace with God thy self and all creatures so farre as they cannot hurt thee See our Saviours argument Mark 10. 29. And there appeared another wonder in Heaven Now we come to the description of the Churches adversarie and opposite enemie under the name and tipe of a Dragon To which description is set a preface as before the description of the woman Of which having spoken in the 1. ver we here omit it onely remember that by heaven is meant the Church of God militant for what hath the dragon to doe in heaven in proper acceptation The description of the Dragon is by two arguments 1 His adjuncts being five 2 His effects which are two His adjuncts in the text are 1 Magnitude

the cause deserving them they are light and short 4. Not to sense but to faith they are short which apprehendeth Gods favour presence and promise of a good issue 5. Not in the glasse of the law but in the Gospel they are short in Christ his sweetning them sustaining us and shortning them 6. Not in respect of the terme of this life for so they are long but in respect of aeternall glory and rest following them they are but a moment Long and durable sorrowes are no signes of Gods hatred Eccles. 9. 1. for then the Church could have no certainty of Gods favour say not with thy selfe none was ever so afflicted with long and bitter sorrowes and God is gone for ever and a day and his mercy is cleane shut up in displeasure but consider 1. He left not the Church in this long tryall in so dreadfull and forsaken wildernesse the Arke was safe on a world of waters 2. Whether thy sinnes have not been long a growing on therefore they will not hastily away but are like spots long settled in cloth and require much scouring and rubbing 3. Whether ever thy heart and joyes would bee pulled off the world if the Lord should not with strong hand force thee out as Israel out of Aegypt dealing as the nurse weaning the childe being fond on the breast layeth mustard on it to make it distaste it 4. Whether thou hast not more cause in durable tryals to suspect thy want of love to God rather than Gods want of love to thee and whether thou hast not with thee harde knots that had neede of hard wedges To terrifie Gods owne children from presuming either to attempt or hold any of their sinnes embolden not thy selfe to sinne because thou art neare or deare to God for 1. Hee lookes to have more service from thee that standest nearer him in profession than others his eye is most on his garden and hee will bee sanctified in all that come neare him if thou wilt grow wilde it were good for thee to stand in the waste and not in the profession 2. If thou wilt hold thy sinne against him thou shalt know that though hee will not take away his grace so he will not take away his rod. Comfort the godly in their tedious and durable tryals 1. Though they belong yet the Lord supplyeth them all the time with needfull supplies and comforts hee sendeth none into the wildernesse to famish but to feed them and what comfort so ever they want yet they want not the two witnesses for if she did she were sure to perish yet were shee not sustained by the word the Lord Iesus should bee quite cast out of his possession and so lose his kingdome on earth which cannot bee 2. How long so ever they bee they are all determined by God for entrance continuance and conclusion there is a certaine time which they shall not passe for hee that setteth the bounds to the raging Sea hath set bounds to the raging of devils and wicked men and saith thus farre they shall come and no farther and then after many dayes hee will bring her out of the wildernesse into a more convenient and comfortable estate which shall be as an harbour or haven so much more sweet and desirable as the waves and billowes of a trouble some sea have been dreadfull and dangerous As there is an houre for the entrance of power of darknesse Luke 22. 53. so it is appointed for durance Exodus 12. 41. wee have seene a great part of these yeares passed and they draw to expiration therefore doe the enemies of the Church bestirre themselves because the time is but short yet this time is determined when the Church shall be eased Vers. 7. And there was a battell in heaven Having largely described the combatants in the former part of the chapter now the Spirit of God commeth to declare the battell it selfe unto which there hath been such preparation and this is no small controversie or trifling conflict but the greatest battell that ever was fought in the world and that in three respects 1. In respect of the place other battels are fought on earth but this in heaven not the heaven taken naturally but figuratively not in the highest heaven which is no place of dragons or quarrels but in the heaven on earth which is the Church militant called by the name of heaven as we have shewed verse the first for many reasons 2. It is great in respect of the armies whether we consider the greatnesse of the Generalls Michael the dragon or the valour or numbers of their forces for both these Generals come with their Angels which are great in multitude in power 3. Great in respect of the quarrell and cause namely whether Iehovah or Iupiter bee superiour whether Christ or Beliall whether Christianisme or Paganisme must prevaile whether Christian religion or Idolatrous worship bee more ancient more venerable more ample and of more worthy respect and acceptance This Verse propoundeth 1. The battell And there was a battell 2. The armies Michael and his Angels The former part predicteth this feirce fight where for the meaning are four Questions Quest. 1. Why I call it a prediction or prophesie being delivered in the time past and not in the time to come it is not said there shall bee a great battell but there was as if it had beene past rather than to come Ans. The manner of the Prophets in speaking of future events is to propound them in the time past Esay 53. 5 6 7. 1. For their more evidence and certainty in themselves as surely they shall come to passe as if they were past already 2. For the surer confirmation of the faith of the Church who are bound as certainly to beleeve bee they never so unlikely as if they were past already 3. That wee might more easily conceive of the words of the Prophets to be true and the word of God to whom past and present are both alike and who hath power to speake unto us in what manner himselfe pleaseth Quest. 2. Of what battell is this to bee understood Ans. 1. It is not to be meant of that battell between Michael and the dragon in the wildernesse for that was past but this was of a future event after Iohns time and that battell was betweene the Generals onely 2. Neither is it to be meant of that perpetual war in the militant Church between the elect and the reprobates both men and Angels which hath continued in the severall ages of the world from the beginning under the conduct of those great Captaines Christ and the dragon for this here is of a warre not yet begun when Iohn prophesied but that was 3. We properly understand it of some speciall and notable part of that warre which in the spring of the Euangelicall Church Satan raised to the overthrow of the salvation of it Now whether the Spirit of God had an aime at the warres of