Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	church_n	heaven_n	militant_a	1,713	5	12.2504	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00426	A learned and godly sermon preached on the XIX. day of December, anno Dom. MDCXXXI. at the funerall of Mr. Robert Bolton Batchelour in Divinity and minister of Broughton in Northampton-Shire. By Mr. Nicolas Estvvick, Batchelour in Divinity, and sometimes fellow of Christs College in Cambridge, and now minister of Warkton in Northampton-Shire. Revised and somewhat enlarged by the author, and now at the importunity of some friends published	Estwick, Nicolas.	1639 (1639)	STC 10558; ESTC S122205	46,169	72

latter raine at the spring to ripen the fruit sufficed insomuch that Saint Hierome living in Canaan rarely saw raine there in Iune and Iuly but our soile though now well watered yet except it be well refreshed and often comforted with drops of raine from heaven will parch and wither Lastly to name no more they are notable meanes to increase the vigour and lively-hood of saving graces they are bellowes to increase the flame as a sweet raine to make the LORDS inheritance to thrive in goodnesse they are as milke and wine and meate to make the children of GOD to shoote up to their just stature and as a strong gale of wind to carry their vessels to the desired haven as Hierom saith Pugilum fortitudo clamoribus incitatur though Champions fight valiantly yet their courage is enflamed by the acclamations of the by-standers so is it with you when we pray exhort beseech that that which you doe well you do it continually more sincerely and zealously What good soule by experience findeth not graces excited good motions kindled holy resolutions furthered and gracious operations intended by a profitable Minister The third Reason why the life of a godly Minister is more profitable is in regard of all both good and bad as touching the continuance of blessings For he is as Elisha said of Elias and King Ioash of Elisha the chariots and the horsemen of Israel he fights while he lives and bends his forces against all manner of sins which make a people naked and expose them to the wrath of GOD he stands in the breach betwixt the living and the dead to avert the plague and to make an atonement for the people as Aaron did and doubtlesse the man of GOD must be a good part of those righteous ones for whose sake the Sun is darkened and that the Moone gives her light that the frame of heaven and earth continues as we see this day as Iustin Martyr sheweth they are a good part of those impregnable bulwarkes against all enemies as Theodoret shewes in a memorable example when Constantine the great was dead Sapores the King of Persia did strongly besiege Nisibis there was a holy man of GOD Iacobus by name in that City the Citizens beseech him that he would shew himself upon the walls of the City and pray against the enemies which he did and the LORD sent a cloud of flies and gnats amongst the besiegers which dispersed them Behold a whole City saved by the meanes of one religious man and hence also it is a signe of GODS wrath and heavy displeasure and a forerunner of farther judgements to have excellent instruments of GOD taken away and therefore the LORD purposing to visit the Jewes for their iniquities threatens to take away from them the Judge and the Prophet and the LORD useth as himselfe speaketh To take away the righteous that their eyes may not behold the evil to come though this be little laid to heart as there is said When we see a gardiner take away the wall and fence plucke up the choisest plants take away the ornaments and beauty of it and lay it open for the beasts to enter we may suppose he intendeth not to continue but to deface his garden so when we see the evident footsteps of GODS wrath and the fire of his jealousie as it were breaking out by the smoake beginning to appeare by taking away profitable men as plants of his garden which his owne right hand hath planted we must lay it to our hearts as a probable token preceding a heavy judgement by which it doth appeare that the wicked do enjoy temporall blessings by the life and prayers of a good Minister Vse 1. Is of Confutation to the Church of Rome which do maintaine the invocations of Saints departed and say that their favour with GOD which we deny not is improved and that their affectionate notice of the peoples necessities continues greater after death then when they were alive if so the speedy dissolution of Saint Paul had beene as expedient for the Churches which he had planted as for himselfe for so to use their owne language they might have had a new Patron in the Court of Heaven and it would be expedient for the benefit of the Church militant that the godliest Ministers should die the soonest and the fastest for so they may become more then Apostles able to heare the prayers and undertake the Patronage of many thousands with whom they had no commerce while they lived but it was never profitable for the Church to be deprived of the godly Pastours bodily presence in this respect this is to rob CHRIST of his prerogative sitting at the right hand of his Father in the Tabernacle of this world as was in the first Tabernacle we may find many Priests to imploy as Agents for us with GOD but in the Sanctum Sanctorum the second Tabernacle there is but one Agent who hath Royall commission to deale betwixt GOD and men I dare be bold to say that if the Angels and Saints would take the honour that the Pope and his Clergy would give them they should all go to hell and leave the joyes which they now have This point serves for the reproofe of such persons which feele no sorrow for the losse of the chiefe stayes of the Church which are like a Dove without a heart and like the drunkards are striken and yet feele nothing which loose an eye and are senselesse in this losse which have their master-pieces and posts that hold up their house removed and yet lay it not to heart which have the pawnes of their peace and the pledges of their posterity taken from them and regard it not these mens affections had need of the spurre which have stony hearts and bowels of brasse which are not pensive at all for the losse of a deare brother which perhaps as Saint Austen complaines can weep when he read the story of Dido and of Troy and such fabulous reports but he could not do so for the miseries of GODS Church these men are as far from sympathy towards the miseries of GODS people as from an inward feeling of the tender mercies of GOD to their own soules the harder the heart is the worse it is and the worst of all is hardest to mourne for so great a losse Thirdly and much more doth this Doctrine condemne their practise that if their Pastour be a faithfull teacher one that keepes nothing backe from them but delivers unto them the whole counsell of GOD as Paul did to the Ephesians if he denounceth the judgement of the LORD against sinners if he layeth the axe to the roote of the tree and launceth their festered sores to the very bottome they do even for their worke sake esteeme them as Ahab did Micaiah to be their enemy and the more he loveth them the