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	see_v	weight_n	2,658	5	9.2701	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64957	A covert from the storm, or, The fearful encouraged in times of suffering from Rev. 2. 10 : fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer ... / by Nathanael Vincent ...	Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697.	1671 (1671)	Wing V404; ESTC R6000	63,594	154

'T is in the time of peace usually that the world insinuates it self in trouble its emptiness is more easily discerned As believers are crucifyed to the world so the world is crucifyed unto them Gal. 6. 14. They behold the world as that which sin hath brought a curse upon and therefore to be watch't against lest it prove a snare and then they look upon the world with such a kind of eye as the Jewes did upon Christ in his exinanition Isa 53. They see no form nor comliness in it that they should desire it Believers in the evil day beside their hard usage from the world which makes them less to like it have more affecting thoughts of eternity and the world to come and hereupon the things which are temporal grow contemptible and are not counted worth a look 2 Cor. 4. 18. Whilst we look not at the thnigs which are seen but at the things that are not seen and not without reason for the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal 5. Saints are exercised with sufferings that they may be ●●●ted for and long for the inheritance that is above By sufferings they are made conformable to their Head and are perfected and ripened more and more for glory Therefore afflictions are said to work for us a weight of glory Glory is promised to the sufferer for righteousness sake and 't is a righteous thing with God to give rest to them who upon such an account are troubled 2 Thess 1. 7. By trouble they are made meet for rest and the greater the tribulation the glory 't is likely will be the greater to be sure the more welcome When we look round about us and see nothing but matter of grief and sorrow ●will make us look upward to those mansions on high and long to be there where si● and suffering will come to a perpetual end In Heaven there will be an eternal calmness and serenity no sons of violence will be there to disturb the Saints in their praises no enemies will be permitted to roar in that Congregation no fear of prison or any other punishment will be there but their joy will be like a full Sea and not ebb any more for ever I am now come to the Application USE I. If he that will be a Saint shall be a Sufferer learn from hence They are far from being Saints who resolve to give out when once it comes to suffering Those are not worthy the name of Disciples who like the Swallow will tarry with Christ all the Summer but when the cold and stormy Winter approaches do use their wings and leave him Our Lord sayes He that loves Father or Mother or life it self more than 〈◊〉 is not worthy of me that is he is not fit to make one of my followers If trouble make you to be offended and go away from Christ 't is a sign you prefer ease and peace and prosperity before him and consequently that you have not the faith unfeigned of Gods Elect. If you did indeed believe Christ would be precious and that even then when he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to others 1 Pet. 2. 7. If you did indeed believe you would be of the Apostles mind who counted all things but dung when compared with Christ and esteeming them but dung no wonder if he contentedly suffered the loss of them that his interest in his Lord might be secured Phil. 3. 8. For whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ USE II. If he that will be a Saint shall be a sufferer then 't is but reasonable for every Saint to expect suffering Reckon upon it that troubles will be met with in your way to Heaven none ever arrived to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fair Haven without being toss't by some tempests He that goes to sea is not so foolish as to think it will be a perpetual calm all his Voyage He that List● himself a Souldier expects somtime or other to be engaged So a Christian should sit down and count the cost L●ke 14. before he embarque with Christ before he list himself under this Captain of salvation And certainly 't will cost some trouble to be Christs follower none ever faithfully served him but his flesh smarted for it though it must also be affirmed that this smart of the outward is usually sweetned with a far greater pleasure in the inner man Our Lord speaks to his Disciples plainly and without a Parable Joh. 16. ult In the world ye shall have tribulation but that their hearts might not be troubled he tells them first In me ye shall have peace And he adds secondly Be of good chear I have overcome the world USE III. If he that will be a Saint shall be a sufferer then 't is the Saints wisdome to prepare for sufferings Evil dayes will come but God hath prov●ded armour of proof which if you put on you shall be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand I might here enlarge in going over the Christians Armour but I shall only single out some pieces which you must not fail to get and use in a day of suffering and which if used skilfully no force either of evil men or evil Angels shall prevail against you Though no part of the Armour of God be needless yet especially you must take The Shield of Faith The Breast-plate of Love The Helmet of Hope And cry by Prayer for continual help and support from above 1 That you may be arm'd against sufferings take unto you the shield of Faith Yo● are in a Battel Men and Devils thrusting sore at you that you may fall What shift can you make without a Shield The Shield is Armour to the other Armour If Faith be strong your other Graces will have the greater vigour and stand you in the greater stead Faith will make you victorious This is the victory sayes the Apostle that overcometh the world even our Faith 1 John 5. 4. And it may truly be said This is also the victory that overcometh the god of this world even our faith faith prevails against both By faith the Worthies of old of whom the world was unworthy went through all their tryals and yet these tryals were very sore They were cruelly mocked and scourged they were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were stain with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Heb. 11. 37. 'T is remarkable that the Holy Ghost in describing their punishments siath they were tempted 'T is likely fair means were used as well as foul promises of preferment as well as threatnings of torment to draw them away from their integrity and this was a sore temptation But faith kept them stedfast and rendred the temptation ineffectual Faith looks to its Author and Finisher the Lord Jesus and sees the world

apparent and at last he makes an end of him who did so much disturb him in his filthy and unlawful pleasures Wicked mens consciences do not unusually reproach them because they are so unlike believers Do you not see sayes conscience to them how watchful the Saints 〈◊〉 lest they 〈…〉 r into temptation Do you not see how they pray how they strive and how they live Certainly you are in danger of the same Hell which they endeavour to avoid and capable of the same Kingdome which they use such violence to take And by such language as this their false peace is intrencht upon they cannot sin with such freedome and delight but the secret and condemning whispers of conscience sowr and lessen their pleasures and this exceedingly raises their choler and like so many wolves they fall upon the harmless sheep of Christ which live among them 4. The Saints act contrary to the perverse wills and inclinations of wicked ones They make conscience of obeying that injunction 1 Pet. 4. 2. That he no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God They are taught not to follow a multitude and to judg that way unsafe and leading to ruine which is the broadest and most crowded with passengers They dare not run with others to all excess of ●iot and upon this score they are spoken evil of Two things make the Saints to be maligned by the men of the world The Saints hate what the men of the world love and vilifie what the men of the worl● adore 1. They hate what the men of the world love Believers hatred of sin is universal they strike at sin in themselves and others they cannot with patience see such a cursed thing served by so many they testifie o● its evil and destructive nature and hereby though undeservedly contract the ill wil● of them who prefer their sins before their souls and will by no means let their lusts go though these lusts of theirs are such sure hinderances to their eternal happiness 2. The Saints vilifi● what the men of the World adore As the Ephesians of old stood up for their Goddess Diana so the worldly minded cry out Great is the Mammon of unrighteousness But believers trample upon this idolized clay they call it as it is Vanity and vexation of spirit and are not afraid to let the earthly minded know that it had been better for them never to have com● into the world at all than to have nothing but the things of the world to be their portion You see now whence the sufferings of the Saints arise from the world and from the god of the World In the second place we are to enquire wherefore it is that God permits the Saints who are so dear to him to be thus exercised with sufferings 1. Saints are exercised with sufferings that pride may be hid from them The sin of pride cleaves close stands stiffly is not easily pull'd down A mighty hand is fain to be laid upon us to keep our spirits low and that mighty hand of God is a good hand when as the Apostle speaks we humble our selves under it Sufferings make us often to reflect on sin and to be the more affected at our guilt and vileness Our weakness then likewise becomes more apparent we see how assuredly we should sink if an arm from Heaven were not stretched forth to sustain us And when we see our vileness and our weakness we shall not think our selves too good to suffer we shall not through the haughtiness of our hearts fre● and be impatient under our loads thus to do is unreasonable because infinitely more than we feel hath been deserved and the way to force the Lord to withdraw whose presence is our staffe and comfort Sufferings being sanctified are hugely efficacious to our humiliation bearing the yoke will ●ame our spirits and make us to put our mouthes in the dust i● so be there may be h●pe La● 3. 29. 2. Saints are exercised with sufferings that they may be proved Their faith and love and other graces which are much more precious than gold that perisheth are tryed by the fire of afflictions and abiding the fire will be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 7. 'T is a sign their grace is sincere 〈…〉 indeed if they follow the Lamb though he leads them through fire and water their faith is strong or else it would fail their love is ardent else it would cool they are the Lord Christs not only by profession but by a real incorporation and spiritual union else tribulation would cause a separation The Accuser of the brethren sayes perhaps to the Lord concerning believers Let men but touch what they have let them be but exposed to suffering for thee and they will presently d●ny thee But when they prove stedfast as a Rock in the midst of the most boysterous waves when they will part with any thing rather than their integrity their sincerity is hereby tryed and made manifest and Satans accusation is evidently proved to be a false one 3. Saints are exercised with sufferings in order to their refining Though they are not reprobate silver yet much dross notwithstanding is mixed with the right mettal hence it follows that the furnace of tribulation is but needful How do believers bestir themselvs to keep in with God when the world frowns and threatens and strikes at them Oh then the folly of backsliding is very visible how do they cry to have all those wide breaches that sin hath made closed and made up again how do their spirits make a diligent search after every thing that defiles and which may prove a dark and uncomfortable cloud between the Lord and them No lust but they are more than ordinary earnest to have it slain And they profess persecution will be esteem'd a priviledge if it conduce to more perfect purity and that they will kiss the rod that drives sin and folly far away from them As the promises of support so the promises of fanctification are often pleaded wherein God engages to cleanse them from all their filthiness to save them from all their uncleannesses to give them his spirit and to cause them to walk in his statutes and to observe his judgments and do them Ezek. 36. 25 26. The Saints in distress do hunger and thirst after righteousness and the Lord doth by degrees satisfie that hunger And the more they are freed from sin their sufferings are the sweeter 4. Saints are exercised with sufferings that they may be weaned from things visible Troubles are as so much gall put upon the worlds breasts to wean us from it In time of tribulation the Lord not only by his word but by his Providence speaks to us after this manner Arise this is not your rest build not your nest here the whole Forrest is sold to Death and every Tree must shortly down