Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	file_n	hand_n	right_a	8,463	5	9.6249	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85783	The Christian in compleat armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickednesse, and chiefe designe he hath against the saints. A magazin open'd: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual armes for the battel, help't on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole warre. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.	Gurnall, William, 1617-1679.	1655 (1655)	Wing G2251; Thomason E824_1; ESTC R207679	343,381	430

a spiritual war you shall reade of and that not a history of what was fought many ages past and is now over but of what now is doing the Tragedy is at present acting and that not at the furthest end of the world but what concernes thee and every one that reades it The stage whereon this war is fought is every mans own soul Here is no Neuter in this war the whole world is engaged in the quarrel either for God against Satan or for Satan against God It was a great question some yeares past Who are you for The not giving a good account to which hath cost many a life O my dear friends think solemnly what answer you meane to give to God and conscience when they in a dying houre shall ask every one of you Who art thou for 'T is an incomparable mercy that you are yet where you may choose your side It will not be ever so may be not a day to an end If once in another world you must then stand to your colours yet you may run from the Devils quarters and be taken into Christs pay The Drum beats in the Gospel for Voluntiers O the Lord make you willing in the day of his power I know you all would be on the surest side O what can you be sure of while under the devils Ensigne but damnation The curse of God cleavs to him and all that takes part with him O let not the little plunder spoil of sinful pleasures and pelf bewitch you still to follow his Camp What is that souldier better for his booty he gets in a fight who before he can get off with it is himself slain upon the place so many have been served in these wars if reports be true 'T is that thou must certainly look for The piece is charg'd and aime taken at thy breast which will be thy eternal death if thou persistest Gods threatenings will go off at last and then where art thou where but in hell where thy wedge of gold and Babylonish garment thy wages of unrighteousnesse will do thee little stead O Neighbours I am loath to leave you in the way where Gods bullets flie but I must have a word for you my Christian friends who have espoused Christs quarrel and are in the field against Satan My heart is towards you who have thus willingly offered your selves among the Lords people to his help against the mighty He can destroy him without you but he takes your love as kindly as if he could not God hath sent me as Jesse did David with this little present to you and the rest of my Brethren that are in his Camp May it be but to the strengthening of your hearts and hands in fighting the Lords battels and I shall blesse God that put it into my heart thus to visit you O hold on dear friends in your Christian warfare let none take the crown from you Whet your courage at the throne of grace from whence all your recruits of soule-strength come Send faith oft up the hill of the Promise to see and bring you the certain newes of Christs coming to you yea for you and assured victory with him Reade the exploits which Christs Worthies by faith have done and in their Conquests reade your own for in them he spake with us as the Prophet of Jacob. Be thankful for every victory you get and let not the houling wildernesse yet before you put the song of your praises for temptations past out of tune yet rejoyce with trembling as those who are still in your enemies countrey and must keep by the sword what you get by the sword Be sure you stand in close order amongst your selves These times give us too many sad examples of such who first fell from communion with their Brethren and then into the devourers hand straglers are soon snap't you will finde you are safest in a body Take heed of a private spirit let not only your particular safety but of the whole Army of Saints be in your eye and care especially that company in which you march Congregation I mean that souldier which can see an enemy in fight with his brethren and not help them he makes ●t but the more easie for the enemy to slay himself at last Say not therefore Am I my brothers Keeper God would not keep him that cared not to keep his brother Watch over one another not to play the Criticks on your brothers failings and triumph when he halts but to help him up if he falls or if possible to keep him from falling by a timely rescue as Abishai came to Davids succour Keep your rank and file We see what advantage Satan hath got in these loose times since we have learnt to fight him out of order and the private souldier Christian I mean hath taken the officers work out of his hands Harden your selves against the scandals which the cowardize and treachery of false brethren hath given you He is the right souldier that is not discouraged by those that run from or that are slain in the battel but still presseth on to victory though he goes to it over the backs of others that are killed upon the place In a word Disintangle your hearts what you can from the love of and distracting cares for this present world No man that warreth intangleth himself with the affaires of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier 2 Tim. 2.4 If it behoves any to have their Will ready made and their worldly interests set at some stay then surely the souldier if any souldier then the Christian Get but once your hearts mortified to the world and care rolled upon God for name estate and relations here and then you are fit to march whereever Christ will lead you The want of this hath made many run home to save their own private stake there when they should have been in the field for Christ And now my Christian friends march on not in the confidence of your Armour but in the power of his might who hath promised shortly to subdue Satan under your feet I have done only I must crave pardon of you for rending this part of the Treatise from the other which neither my little strength or leisure would suffer me to grasp at once But this having first put forth its hand in preaching can make no great breach upon that though it get the start a little in printing Let me therefore dear friends if God shall make this imperfect birth any way serviceable to your faith humbly desire that you would as continue to strive at the throne of grace for a blessing on my poor Ministery among you so also lift up a prayer that strength may be given to bring forth what of this yet is undeliver'd I do not send you thither where I intend not to meet you but shall desire grace to be found faithful in striving with you and for you that amongst

for holding the truth in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 the next news you hear of them is that they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned ver 21. Thirdly ply the throne of grace Bene orasse est bene studuisse he is the best student in divinity that studies most upon his knee Knowledge is a divine gift all light is from heaven God is the Father of light and prayer puts the soule under the pupillage of God If any one lack wisdom let him ask it of God This is more then naked knowledge wisdome how to use it Study may make one a great Scholar in the Scriptures but prayer makes a wise Christian as it obtains sanctified knowledge without which it is no perfect gift but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gift and no gift Pray then with an humble boldnesse God gives it to all that ask and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 candidly liberally not like proud man who will rather put one to shame who is weak for his ignorance then take the paines to teach him Thy petition is very pleasing to God Remember how Solomon sped upon the like occasion and promise thy self the same successe Christs School is a free School he denies none that come to him so they will submit to the orders of the School and though all have not an answer in the same degree of knowledge it is not needful that all should be Solomons in knowledge except all were to be Solomons in place yet the meanest disciple that Christ sends forth shall be furnished with saving knowledge enough to fit him for his admittance into heavens Academy Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and after bring me to glory Fourthly thou must bestow some time for thy diligent search after truth Truth lies deep and must be digged for Since man was turned out of Paradise he can do nothing without labour except sinne this follows his hand indeed but this treasure of knowledge calls for spade and Mattock We are bid search the Scripture and Dan. 12.4 Many shall runne to and fro and knowledge shall be encreased a Metaphor from Merchants who bestirre themselves to get an estate runne to and fro first in one land then in another where-ever they hear of any thing to be got thither they post though to the ends of the earth Thus must the soul runne from one duty to another one while read and anon meditate of what he hath read then pray over his meditations and aske counsel after all What is the meaning of this and how understand you that Non schola Epicuri fecit magnos viros sed contubernium There is more light got sometimes by a short conference with the Preacher then by his whole Sermon Be sure thou compasse all the means for knowledge within the walk of thy endeavour In this thy search for knowledge observe three things First the end thou proposest that it be pure and holy not meerly to know as some do who labour for knowledge as many for estates and when they have got it look on their notions as they on their bags of money but have not a heart to use their knowledge for their own or others good this is a sore evil Speculative knowledge like Rachel is faire but barren Not to be known and admired by others for thy stature in knowledge above thy Brethren verily it is too base an end to aime at in seeking knowledge especially such as is the knowledge of God and Christ To see a Heathen study for knowledge in Philosophy and then carry all his labour to this market and think himself rewarded with obtaining the name for a wise man is though base yet more tolerable but for one that knows God and what it is to enjoy him for such a one to content himself with a blast or two of sorry mans vain breath this is folly with a witnesse look thou fliest higher in thy end then so Labour for knowledge that thou mayest fear God whom thou knowest thus David Psal 119.33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end The Word of God is called a light unto our feet not to our tongues meerly to talk of but feet to walk by Endeavour for it not that thou may'st spread thy own name but celebrate Gods As David promiseth when he understands the precepts of God then he will talk of his wondrous works he will trumpet the fame of them and thereby awaken others to enquire after God Secondly when thy end is right set then thou must be constant in thy endeavour after it The mysteries of Christ are not learnt in a day Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 Some are in a good mood may be and they will look into the Bible and read a chapter or two and away they go for a week and never practise it more like some boyes if at School one day truant all the week after is it any wonder such thrive not in knowledge It is a good speech of Bernard Tantum distat studium à lectione quantum amicitia ab hospitio socialis affectio à fortuit â salutatione The study of the Word and the reading of it differs as much as the friendship of such who every day converse lovingly together doth from the acquaintance one hath with a stranger at an Inne or whom he salutes as he passeth by in the street If you will get knowledge indeed you must not onely salute the Word now and then but walk with it and enter into daily converse with it The three men who were indeed Angels that stood by Abraham as he sat at his Tent-door were reserved and strange till Abraham invited them into his Tent and entertain'd them friendly and then Christ who was one among them as appears by the Name Jehovah given him in several verses and also by what he promised he would do for Sarah ver 10. not what God would do which if a created Angel he would begins to discover himself to Abraham and reveale his secrets to him That soul above others shall be acquainted with the secrets of God in his Word that doth not slightly read the Word and as it were complement with it at his tent-doore but desires more intimacy with it and therefore entertaines it within his soul by frequent meditating of it David compares the Word for sweetnesse to the honey and the honey-combe Indeed it is so full that at first reading some sweetnesse will now and then drop from it but he that doth not presse it by meditation leaves the most behinde Thirdly Be sure thou takest the right order and method Arts and Sciences have their rudiments and also their more abstruse and deep notions and sure the right end to begin at is first to learn the principles he we say is not like to make a good Scholar in the University that never was good Grammar-Scholar And they cannot be solid