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A49761 An history of angells being a theologicall treatise of our communion and warre with them : handled on the 6th chapter of the Ephesians, the 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 verses / by Henry Lawrence ...; Of our communion and warre with angels Lawrence, Henry, 1600-1664.; Milton, John, 1608-1674. 1649 (1649) Wing L660; ESTC R12895 135,420 210

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It is called the Helmet of Salvation for salvation is the great thing about which faith and hope is conversant so saith Paul receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your soules so the hope of salvation because that as the greatest conteynes all other inferiour goods and in the eyeing and prosecution of which by faith and hope wee secure our selves the most abundantly But how doth this Armour fit the part it is destined for and doe the worke of an Helmet The head is as it were the principle of action and of our intentions as the head governes and directs the members so our end and intention which is our Simbolicall head being the principall and rise of all our actions that which gives vigour and activity to them had need of some peece of armour for its defence which the Apostle heere makes to be the hope of Salvation Now this Helmet doth its worke thus the world and Sathan that they might poyson the fountaine corrupt our ends and our intentions would bribe us with something outward and sensuall and therefore holds over our heads many things to tempt and allure us sutable to our sences and corrupted nature offers us crownes of applause allures us with pates of pleasure falsely so called and to makes these rellish to take the better terrifies us with thorny paths and ill conditions in holy wayes with persecutions and scornes gives you the choice of crownes of thornes and gold but both fleshly and carnall the Holy Ghost now gives you for an Helmet the hope of Salvation holds that over your head toward of these blowes and those assaults and what is that The assured expectation and waiting for of eternall glory for so it is called in other places The hope of eternall life the hope of glory Rom. 5.2 and Tit. 3.7 First hope in its nature and definition is the waiting for and expectation of a good thing which makes it a pleasant and releeving affection because the object of it is good not as griefe nor as feare which hath for its object an ill thing But our hope which is our Helmet wards and guards our heade it is made up of the best and most sutable good it is a good comprehending all other goods and therefore called salvation in the abstract it is a glorious good for it is the hope of glory and for duration it is not earthly sensuall and passing but it is eternall life an eternall weight of glory Secondly hope is of good things to come and therefore it is an expectation for hope that is seene is not hope for what a man sees why doth hee yet hope for Rom. 8.24 So as it is a pleasant passing your time in the expectation of a desired good But now the difference will lie not onely in the degree of good for ours is of things eternall but in the degree of expectation wordly hopes are founded upon such sleight bottomes as they contribute not much to comfort in regard of which some have called hope a dreame which presents it selfe to wakeing men and from thence it is said that the Hipocrites hope perisheth but our hope is of another constitution for it is grafted upon faith which gives a certainty and reality to the thing so as no feare of faileing shall weaken or impaire your hope but hope shall stand upon a sure bottome and pleasantly and joyfully expect what already by faith is made most sure to us To speake a little more a little more particularly of this affection it is of a good thing absent difficult and possible I have shewed you how our hope is conversant about the best and highest good the abuse of this affection for that will helpe to shew the use of it lies in pitching it upon things that are not good In truth all other things but spirituall God heaven and eternity have no other vallue but what ignorance and a lye puts upon them opinion indeed gives them a name honours them with a title which they deserve not and yet how much doe outward things ingage this affection Honour which depends upon the opinion of others which is extreamely passing and perishing which is the reward oftentimes of crimes which are succesfull and glitter and pleasures which are accompanied with regret and shame and followed with grief And riches ordinarily the object of the basest mindes and men All these things and what ever more is outward are but the shadowes and pictures of good As in a picture you thinke you see the birds flye men standing of from the cloath but when you come neere it there is nothing but the lynes of a pensil nothing but markes upon a cloath or table and so are these things nothing but shadowes pictures dreames they must have a light proper to shew them by false lights yet these are the objects of the hopes of the greatest part of men Againe these things as they are not good enough so they are not absent enough for hope for though things of sence are not ever in the possession of them which most make after them yet they are amongst us they are in the world but this hope carries us properly beyond every thing The eye sees and the eare heares and what enters into the heart of man Againe things that are the object of hope are difficult but difficult and worthy or great in a right sence are of an equall extent to labour in the smoake and mudd for smoak and mudd it may be difficult but it is a difficultie without worth it is base and meane and so hath nothing in it of great or worthy in which respect onely difficult things should be undertaken Then how often doth hope mis-applyed ingage in impossibilities and so becomes a meere imposture to us How often are men befooled heere and in their desires and hopes which actuate those desires pursue impossible things Men foolishly thinke that miracles should be wrought in their favour and the whole order of the universe changed for their sakes men that merit the gallowes hope for a pardon not because they have any assurance of the judges favour or because their faults are pardonable but because they would live and which is ridiculous old men that are so in extremity hope for an old age yet to come I have shewed you already that our hope which is our Helmet is of good things a good that wants a name good enough to expresse it and therefore is called salvation a name abstract and comprehensive to the ut most Againe I have shewed that it is of good things to come and heerein it differs from faith for faith sees them as it were present and therefore it is the substance of things hoped for but hope lookes upon them as indeed they are at a distance In a word faith gives you the assurance Hope the expectation Againe difficult they are and great and difficult worthie and difficult accordingly they cost Christ much and they cost us much so difficult
Deacon attained a good degree and great boldnesse and as Christ saith Hee that casts out divells in my name will not lightly speake evill of mee so hee that is ready and prepared to confesse and publish as hee hath occation the Gospell of God is prepared for advanceing for martching for goeing forward this therefore it implyes to wit a boldnes of minde and a courage Secondly the objections that the divell and wicked men frame against our actions and motions are extreamely hindering make us heavy and timerous but if you be able and ready to be a confessour if yee can preach or give account of it and you be prepared to it you are safe enough you will take any stepps and walke boldly so as it is not onely a signe of courage as before but it doth actually and really inable you Thirdly to this you must adde what the Apostle addes considerately that it is the Gospell of peace about which and for which you moove this agrees extreamely well to this motion for being to goe through many uneaven waies and to breake through the thickest ranckes of enemies you are helped by this that you are at peace with God all the while what ever enemies you meet with in the way so as this Gospell of peace fits you for motion and by confessing and promulgeing your faith to conflict with others So I state this armour which the holy spirit appropriates to the legs and feet I alter not the words of the Text I shew you how it fits for motion The help is therefore to this peece of armour is first to be filled with right knowledge how can yee beleeve on him of whome yee have not heard how can you preach him how can you confesse him of whome ye are not well instructed concerning whome you are not taught an implicite faith heere to beleeve as others doe as your teachers doe will not helpe you Secondly you must be zealous that will render you ready and prepared a zealous man wil be communicating what hee hath will have his confessions and answeres at hand when his Brothers darknes or scandall shall call for it hee will put on for converting for enlightening of men it will grieve him to see the world and the divell gaine from God Thirdly you must be possest with the peace I spoke of the Gospel of peace will never come of from you if your hearts be not filled with peace this is that Christ left his disciples to worke with and by Peace I leave with you my peace that is the peace of the Gospell I give unto you so John 16.33 These things have I spoken unto you that in mee ye might have peace In the world yee shall have tribulation that is you are to martch to heaven through a troublesome world the profession and preaching of the Gospell will cost you much but in Christ and in the Gospell you shall have peace The other is but outward that is the most intimate peace a peace that passeth all understanding a peace that will enable you to goe to warre and deny your selves of outward peace How did this peace that made Paul and Sylas sing in the Prison inable them to preach Christ abroade What bold confessions could Stephen make in the midst of all his enemies upon the very point of Martirdome when hee was at peace with God and sawe Christ the King of peace at the right hand of God It is not the enemye so much as the strength or weaknesse to resist and fight that is considerable if there be more with you then against you It is no matter what is against you if you have a deepe and quiet peace within it is no matter what noyses you heare abroade The Martirs that were filled with that peace in their sharpe warfares could say non patimur sed pati videmur we rather seme to suffer then suffer indeed this will make you strong in every motion towards fight and this will ayde you to this profession and confession of Christ which will both assure all your owne motions and by which as with spirituall feet you doe move mightily against the divell For the use of this in particular wee may consider how happy our conditions are that wee are preachers and publishers of peace blessed are the peace makers and how beautifull are their feet this wee are if wee be filled with peace a peace that passeth all understanding will passe its own bounds and fill others also But then secondly in a sence wee are all preachers all confessors they that teach must doe and they that doe must teach that is by that doing by the light of their actions which shines but in truth wee should not onely be contented to walke holily our selves but wee should be ready and prepared to communicate what ever wee have of the Gospell to others as occation shall offer it selfe and draw it forth which is both a great motion and walke against the divell and as it is heer exprest it armes our feet and secures our motion exceedingly in this warre so as wee are not subject to the shaking of objections and disgraces which the divell would represent to us and cast in our way continually Thirdly in this preaching and confessing the Gospell upon all occations doe it as the Gospell of peace bring it as the Angells did who knew well the minde of God Glory to God on high on earth peace good will towards men Luk. 2.14 Also feare not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shal be to all people ver 10. Offer the Gospell like the Gospell that is like good newes the good newes of peace let the world knowe that it is brought and offred to all men that it is good tydings of great joy to all people Christ is an universall good and as the heires of great kingdomes are the common possessions of all the subjects so the Son of the God of the whole earth is good newes to all mankinde and it is pitty but that they should knowe it and that it should be offred to them as it might be their owne fault if they intertaine it not And as Christ said to his disciples when ye come into any house say peace be to it It is time enough for your peace to returne to you when they refuse to receive you This if any thing will take with the guilty world who from the sence of their owne ill are a thousand times apter to dispaire then beleeve or at least to be hardened in a negligent desperate way This will also make good the ends of the Gospell which are the glory of Christ and the alluring and gaining of the elect and a soule gained by the freest way of grace will vent its obedience by love and this will put honour upon your selves render your feete beautifull render you acceptable and desireable where ever you come in the world when you shal be shod with the shooes of the preparation of
of the hope firme unto the end Heb. 3.6 So as here is no rejoycing in boastings heere is no vaine fancies of our owne no castles in the aire But then as their is a vanity in the uncertaintie of their hopes which mixeth them with feares and a further and fuller vanity in fixeing and assureing their hopes by their owne boastings and presumptions incerta certa redendo So Thirdly there is a mighty vanity in the matter of their hopes for they are of things low and meane no better for kinde then what they have already why doe they not enjoy them nay why doe they despise them because they knowe them so as they despise what they know and hope in what they know not because they know it not but the object of our hopes and of our joy arising from them are of things so great and reall as the little but yet the true taste wee have of them makes us desire more It is our knowledge that makes us vallewe our hopes and joy in them and it is our ignorance that causeth us to hope no more nor rejoyce in the good things which are the objects of them And therefore wee see faith which gives a reall evidence and sight of things intends above any other thing our hopes and want of faith and weaknesse of faith lessens our hopes and the joy of them The object of our hopes are things great thing heavenly things eternall and these are the matter if any other thing bee of joy Opposite to which are the dead beggarly and sensible things of this world which are mistaken alwayes in hope and usually despised in possession so that not onely simply but in comparison with other things wee have all reason for the joy of hope The warrant of this joy wee have given you already when wee shewed the reason of our joy in opposition to wicked mens boastings but the end is not onely for it self though that be much that wee may live comfortably that wee be in as good a condition as this state is capable of but joy as a result and concomitant of hope is mighty for Battaile ye are now in the lists and ye put on armour the joy of Hope which is the joy of the Lord is our strength Hee that rejoyceth not in the hope of things to come will rejoyce in vaine hopes or in sensuall enjoyments Hee that cannot take in the pleasures of salvation by hope will assuredly joy the joyes of wicked men for hee wants this armour against pleasures and sensuall joyes which is a weapon Sathan weilds to our dis-advantage asmuch as any and therefore know how to arme your head by hope and against the pleasures and joyes of this world by the pleasure and joy of hope unlesse you would be exposed as a prey to things of sence and things of this life against which this hope of salvation is your armour But now to answere shortly an objection if hope brings in so great and steddy a returne of joy what place will you allot for sorrow for sin for wee are sinners and a sinfull condition and that affection suites us very well Answ. Certainely wee should not sorrow as those without hope but as those which are full of hope yet on the other side as there is occasion by renued acts of sinnes our hope and our joy should intend our sorrow and rectify it God would not have an uncomfortable or a dispairing thought in all sorrow it is the sorrow of the world that workes death that destroyes and hurts some inordinacie some excesse but sorrow intended and relieved also by hope and the joy of it as it is often necessarie so it will never hurt you There is a double use of sorrow first to worke out the staine of sin in supplying the want of afflictions sin is not onely evill for its transcient act but for the cursed disposition that it leaves behinde there is ever sin in the wombe of sin sorrow serves to worke out the staine of sin and doe the worke of afflictions which are to humble and bring low Prov. 20.30 The blewnes of a wound cleanseth away evill so doe stripes the inward parts of the belly this is applied to correction and cleansing afflictions worke the wound to such a disposition as is cleasing and healeing But then secondly sorrow for sin serves whereby to expresse our affections to Christ in a manner sutable to our condition and to the posture wee stand in towards him shall wee grieve the Lord and shall the Lord be grieved and shall wee not grieve But hee loves us and pardons us therefore should wee grieve Besides while hee loves us hee grieves and hee grieves the more because hee loves us and so should wee if hee did not love us hee would not grieve and if wee love him wee cannot but grieve when wee offend him Jer. 31.19 Surely after I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed c. Ephraim mournes and grieves which hee did not till God had mercy on him then hee smote on his thigh If you aske how wee should grieve Never without the reliefe of hope and joy let them act and intend your sorrow but for the degree why should wee not in humbling our selves for sin worke our selves and our sorrow as low as afflictions would lay us if chastisements should take hold on us or sicknes to death or any other hand of God chastising for sinne this will be no interruption in your hope no prejudice to the joy of it Thus your hope armes you against pleasures by joy the joy of hope but wee have paines also to conflict withall all the evills and calamities that dishonour want and poverty or bodily evills can inflict patiency also in attendancy and expectation yee have need of patience that after yee have done the will of God yee may receive the promise Wee would faine have our rewards in hand wee are loath to stay wee would have the reality of the reward not the vision of faith onely Heb. 10.36 Now this is needfull for the Saints through faith and patience inherited the promises Heb. 6.12 If you aske who infests the Saints who puts them to their patience The world and wicked men but especially the Divell that hee might discourage us and devoure us might breake and interrupt our course might make us for want of continuance doe and suffer so many things in vaine and therefore armes all his instruments evill men and our owne corruptions against us to make us weary of that way which is so sowed with thornes which costs us so much paines and trouble God also puts us to our patience by suffering manifold evills outward and inward to infest us that hee might purge present evill and prevent further evill and that hee might try us and use what hee hath laid into us that hee might say of us another day as hee did of Iob yee have heard