Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	accept_v	lord_n	zion_n	24	3	9.1207	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04597	A spiritual chaine, and armour of choice, for Sion souldiers Which, whosoeuer weareth graciously, shall be sure of the best honour, comfort and safetie (whether he liue or die in the battell) that can come to a Christian souldier. Very necessary for these times.	Jones, Anthony, fl. 1622.	1622 (1622)	STC 14717.5; ESTC S114423	39,266	114

campe be holy that he see no vncleane thing in thee and turne away from thee This holdeth in spirituall things much more then in corporall Our God is a spirit and vieweth the spirit of man and requireth spirituall cleanlinesse inward cleanlinesse specially Math. 11.18 Is this commandement of God true and this presence of God true Yea they are most true O then let Sion souldiers be Cornelian souldiers such I meane as feare God and are deuout Acts 10.2,7 for this end and purpose I heartily with and pray and aduise that all Sion souldiers may now and for euer earnestly consider of and diligently labour to get and put on the spirituall Chaine and Armour which now I come to describe I shew it but God onely can bestow it This Chaine is made of eight heauenly linkes I haue here by Gods assistance collected eight worthy things from his owne word the mouth of the Lord hath declared them which they that make true vse of shall proue true souldiers of Iesus Christ their heauenly Captain Euery Christian must haue these eight linkes according to their seuerall places and occasions and weare them close together as in a chaine and put on this armour also but specially these double souldiers who fight both corporally and spiritually they must haue double care to enioy them graciously They that despise any one of these linkes or any part of this armour our God wil despise them and they shall be found vnworthy of the name of Christian souldiers God grant that such as make shew to fight on his side may in truth weare these eight worthies worthy links I meane graciously ioyned together as a spirituall chaine about their holy necks These they are 1. Person Gen. 4.1.4 5. First they must consider of their persons how they stand in Gods fauour As the sacrifice of a wicked man is not acceptable to our God no more is his person if not his person then no action which he performeth 2. Cause Ios 10.5.8 Deut. 23.4 Secondly they must looke to the cause for which they must fight that it be holy our iust God will maintaine no vniust cause Thirdly they who fight the Lords battels 3. Courage Ios 1.6 must see to their courage that it be valiant He sends not forth cowards to fight for him but valiant men and this valiantnesse is setled on a firme resolution at all assayes Fourthly they must consider of such mercie as belongs to Christian souldiers 4. Mercie Iam. 2.13 and that must be abundant for our God delights in mercie Fiftly they must obserue truth in all their leagues and promises and that must be vnfained and constant 5. Truth Psal 15.4 The God of truth loueth truth Sixtly they must haue consideration of their wages 6. Wages Luke 3.14 when to take it holily and when to be without it patiently Seuenthly they must haue care of their spirituall armour 7. Armour Ephes 6.13 this armour they must put on and keepe on for euer and not their corporall onely Eightly and lastly 8. Consultation Iudg. 20.18 they must alwayes consult with their good God in all plots enterprises and actions whatsoeuer Of these eight things briefly according to my little skill and strength For the first worthy that is to say a worthy person Sith our glorious God is the God of battell 1 A worthy person and ruleth all things therein both for beginning middle and end For of him and through him Rom. 11.36 and to him are all things How can a souldier haue any blessing in warre if his person be not loued but hated of this all-gouerning God Except his person be found worthy in that Worthy of worthies Christ Iesus whereby his conscience is more and more purified he is like an outlaw Tit. 1.15 depriued from all comfort in and protection from the high God As an earthly Courtier can haue no likelihood to be graced and preferred but rather to be disgraced and deiected if there be euident tokens that the King of that country abhors him so it is with euery souldier in Gods campe if his person be not gracious with that heauenly Captaine of Captains Michael whose great name declares his greatnesse Who like our God Faith with a gracious purpose of amendment of life if God lengthen the dayes are inward tokens of Gods fauour to a souldiers person The outward signes to be seene of men are A reall change of their old life for that sheweth the new birth Zeale for Gods glory with an vtter detestation of all leud companie and generally a holy cariage and behauiour in words and deeds gouerned by the word as in Gods presence Such sanctified souldiers may assure themselues that they are well accepted by the God of battell be it by life be it by death Therfore all wicked souldiers that are hardened in notorious vices are quite excluded whiles they so remaine from all hope that their persons please God and thereby haue iust cause to quake at euery sound of the Trumpet or Drum This being true as it is most true it behoueth Christian souldiers to consider deeply hereof and to labour by all meanes that their persons may be gracious in the eyes of their God yea and to know it and make it known by those tokens aboue named and such other before they put foote to warre lest they fall into horrible danger of soule and bodie state and name I write not this to discourage any sinner but rather to hearten them more by becoming holy I who write this do acknowledge that both my selfe and my fathers house and my owne house haue sinned and do sinne but I write it to stir vp my selfe and mine in our places and all Sion souldiers in their places to a gracious regard of holinesse more and more without which neither can we looke for any blessing in peace nor they in battell Therefore that you may prosper in war leaue off your grosse sinnes and come to the battell and stand in the battell graciously and holily that so your persons may be accepted in and by Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus much for the first consideration the first link the first worthy thing The second thing for Sion souldiers to consider of is the cause for which they fight 2. A worthy cause they must haue a worthy cause A souldier how valiant and vertuous soeuer who hath no consideration of this is in no better case then his horse the horse goeth willingly and fiercely to the battell as well as his master looke whither he rides him thither the horse hasteth against whom or for what cause the beast cares not because it is a beast it sufficeth the dumbe creature that his master sets him forward but this is not enough for a man especially for a Sion souldier he may not suffer himselfe to be drawn on to war by his owne vainglorie or couetousnes without due respect to the cause no nor to be

as his God in this instruction Our gracious God vouchsafeth to teach his seruants his souldiers how to fight Hee teacheth my hands to fight saith King Dauid Nay more then this so honorable is the profession of a souldier that God of vvarre by the pen of his seruant Moses professeth himselfe to be a man of vvar The Lord is a man of warre saith he You saw before that he called himselfe a Captaine of the Lords hoast here he is called plainly A man of warre As he took mens nature vpon him so taketh he mens names vnto him they men of warre he a man of vvarre they brethren he a brother they seruants and he a seruant yea and imparteth also his owne names to the sonnes of men he a father and men fathers he a King and men Kings nay he a God and men Gods And vvhat so great maruell is this for names sith it is his good pleasure to make men partakers also of the diuine nature in regard of qualities and to giue them an entrance here into his euerlasting kingdome where at his appearing they shall be like him yea one with God O wonderfull humiliation on the one side O wonderfull exaltation on the other side Warre then is ancient vvarre then is honorable If we respect the spirituall warre all the life of man is a warre saith Iob if we respect the corporall warre we may see that as our God will be called a warrier so he will haue his deputie Kings who yet aboue all other men ought to seeke peace and make peace and keepe peace if it be possible to be vvarriers also vvhen time and cause are offered Samuel did signifie thus much to the Israelites vvhen he told them that their King would chuse some of their sonnes to make instruments of warre and other some to be Captaines ouer thousands To this end for one also he gaue King Saul another manner of heart then that which he had when he sought his fathers asses a couragious heart for battell and made little Dauid a man of great courage as to take a Beare by the throate a Lion by the beard and a Giant by the eares yea and this prouident God of ours chargeth Kings to make war by counsel and teacheth them to be circumspect in war What King saith our God goeth to war against another King and sitteth not downe first Luke 14.31 and taketh counsell whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twentie thousand Moreouer we perceiue that all people of vnderstanding despise a coward and respect a man of valour whence it is that the name of a dastard is a base by-word of great reproch And hence also it comes that they who are to be chosen to offices of any eminencie in the Weale publike one speciall qualitie regarded in them is according to Iosuahs counsell that they be men of courage Lastly Exod. 18.21 we may see in all ages that the most worthy Kings and Princes haue highly preferred souldiers of fidelitie policie and prowesse yea giuing them titles and places so high as to be of their Councell such were King Dauids Worthies 2. Sam. 23.8 and from hence euen from courage in war proceeded that which greatly sheweth and setteth forth the ancient dignity of a valiant souldier namely Armes Souldiers are specially called Men of armes nay they onely are so called and haue had both Names and Armes giuen them as well as other honours for their worthy deeds of Chiualrie These things thus I will come to apply that which I haue briefly laid downe of the right worthy and ancient profession of a souldier concerning which this I say Sith the antiquitie dignitie estimation and vse of men of warre is so great what maner care ought true Christian souldiers to haue for ioyning heauenly cariage with earthly nay rather with heauenly courage heauenly armour with earthly armes Surely an exceeding great care thereby adorning a profession so princely with all eminent vertues and holinesse otherwise they do not only forset all their former titles ornaments and aduancements of sacred and worthy souldiers but withall they shame as much as in them lieth their countrey their Religion their Kings their Princes their Leaders their parents their teachers their kinsfolkes their alies yea and dishonor their God also Far be it then that a Sion souldier any one I meane who haue that name should in his deeds be found to be a swearer a drunkard a drone a tigre a peacock a lyer a bragger a Thraso a filthy doer a loose speaker a lasciuious liuer a quareller a cutter a cozener a shifter an irregulous Atheist a prophaner of the Sabbath or any way tainted with any other notorious sin No no a Sion souldier must be a Saint by life as hee is by calling Hence it is that I vse my best endeuour to perswade all Protestant souldiers to all maner holinesse and this not onely in peace but in warre also yea and then especially lest they lose the presence of God and his blessed Angels when they haue most need of them Will you see a precise commandement for a speciall regard of their holy cariage in warre his generall commandement to all the world that they be holy as he is holy Leuit. 19.2 might serue for all sorts yet it is his good pleasure very remarkable to informe their care of holinesse in the very time of warre Deut. 23.9 When thou goest out saith our God against thine enemies keep thee from all wickednesse Will you moreouer see the exhortation of a most valiant godly Captaine to this See it in Iosua a little before the destruction of Ierico The very day before their miraculous passage through Iordan Ios 3.5 he called them together and said Sanctifie your selues For your better and more full consideration yet what a great respect our glorious God hath to his peoples holinesse in warre ponder I pray you deeply of the grieuous state of Gods armie yea and of good Iosuah himselfe especially at their fight with the men of Ai. How came this Ios 7.1 Because there was one wicked man in secret among them Behold this turned to their great discomfort Consider then with your selues how fearfull the standard of any campes must needs stand in all ages if there be many notorious wicked men in them horribly infected like lepers with many contagious vices Our good God I know both can and may spare such campes for his owne names sake for his owne childrens sake but I am sure that the case of such camps shall for euer be desperate for ought that man can see How so Because the true and powerfull word of our most true and powerfull God whose reuealed will belongeth to vs and our posteritie hath shewed it Reade and consider If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of thy God Deut. 28.1.2 3. and obserue and do all his commandements which I command thee this

day then the Lord thy God will set thee on high aboue all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come on thee Blessed shalt thou be in the citie and blessed also in the field vers 7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise vp against thee to be smitten before thy face They shall come out against thee one way and flie before thee seuen wayes vers 15. But it shall come to passe if thou wilt not hearken vnto the voice of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day the Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies Thou shalt go out one way against them ver 25.26 and flie seuen wayes before them and shalt be remoued into all the kingdomes of the earth and thy carkeis shall be meat vnto all the foules of the aire and vnto the beasts of the earth and no man shall fray them away Now let vs returne againe to that case of Gods camp at Ai. The lamentable state of that camp doth shew Gods angrie entrance into a terrible execution of this law with great seueritie Against whom Against his owne most dearly beloued people Ios 7.10 Obserue it well And the Lord said vnto Iosuah Get thee vp wherefore liest thou thus vpon thy face Israel hath sinned and they haue transgressed my couenant which I commanded them for they haue euen taken of the accursed thing and haue stolen and dissembled also and they haue put it euen amongst their owne stuffe Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before them because they were accursed Neither will I be with you any more except you destroy the accursed from among you Vp sanctifie the people and say Sanctifie your selues against to morrow For thus saith the Lord God of Israel There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies except ye destroy the accursed from amongst you ver 24.25 Then Iosua and all Israel tooke Achan the sonne of Zeuah and the siluer and the garment and the wedge of gold and his sonnes and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheepe and his tent and all that he had and they brought them vnto the valley of Achor And Iosua said Why hast thou troubled vs The Lord shall trouble thee this day And all Israel stoned him with stones And they raised ouer him a great heape of stones vnto this day O fearfull iudgement Whom may not this make to tremble when they commit grieuous sinnes in warre I acknowledge that this was an extraordinarie case at an extraordinary time neither do I in any wise compare lesser sinnes with this but still I say that vile sinnes may cause our holy God to turne his face from the armie And the thing that I presse is that shamefull or rather shamelesse sinners with a high hand should for euer either be reformed in or remoued from Sion camps Great vigilancie I say should be had in this matter and all good meanes should be vsed to obtaine a holy campe And still I heartily desire you to remember the state of Gods campe at Ai. For more stirring vp of all sorts to the practise of holinesse in campes let all true Christians consider that the chiefe cause why our God would haue his enemies ouerthrowne in warre by his children is their wickednesse And will not the same God expect that they who are made instruments to punish others for their horrible sinnes should be void of such vilenesse Yes certainly Yea and our glorious God hasteneth the ruine of his foes lest his children should learne of them to do after their abhominations and so sin against the Lord their God Deut. 20.17 18 Now though these abhominations consist especially in false worship yet all the godly know that all manner filthinesse of life which either idolaters or his owne children lie in are abhominable to our God also Yea and as idolatrie leades to filthinesse so filthinesse leades to idolatrie Reade Num. 25 1 2 3 4 5. This is apparent in the matter touching Baal Peor where the people committing whoredome with the daughters of Moab were inticed by and by to bow to their idols for loe thus it is said The people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab and they called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods and so the people did eate and bowed downe vnto the gods of their harlots And then by degrees it is said that Israel signifying a great number coupled himselfe vnto Baal Peor whereby the Lords wrath was kindled against them all till the heads of many were hanged vp against the sunne that the indignation of the Lord might be turned from the residue Call to mind the Israelites estate a little before they fell to these grosse sinnes When Balak would haue smitten them Balam tels him he could not do it Num. 23.21 Because their God was with them And why was he with them Because he had not beheld iniquitie in Iacob neither peruersenesse in Israel The great people of this great campe were true worshippers and holy liuers therefore the souldiers could not be conquered they were both outwardly inwardly holy Now for the better perswading you yet againe to outward and inward holinesse in war remember that our all seeing God is not pleased with any worship euer so religious for the forme Isai 1.2 to 20. Isai 58.1 to 8. Mica 6.6 7 8. or with any outward actions euer so specious for the shew or costly for the matter if righteousnesse of heart holinesse of life go not with them hand in hand no not with venturing of life for killing his enemies how many soeuer they kill See this for venturing of life in the case of King Saul he behaued himselfe valiantly against Gods foes for he smote the Amalekites from Hauilah vntill thou commest to Shur 1. Sam. 15.7 8. that is ouer against Egypt and he tooke Agag the king of the Amalekites aliue and vtterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword yet because he wickedly brake the commandement of his God and trusted in a shining outward performance without a simple inward obedience which is better then sacrifice his valiantnesse was of no value with our God What may I write to moue you yet more to a godly behauiour in warre I will adde this more That God who precisely commandeth cleanlinesse of bodie in the campe Deut. 23.12 13. as we may reade Deut. 23. doth he not much more regard cleanlinesse of soule in the campe Yes yes Psal 39.5 Reu. 1.13 Remember then as Holinesse becometh the Lords house for euer because he standeth in the midst of the golden Candlesticks so Holinesse becometh the Lords campe for euer Deut. 23.14 because he walketh in the midst of thy campe to deliuer thee and to giue vp thine enemies before thee therefore let thy

neighbour fare you well I am resolued of my course if I neuer come againe to my house I haue a house not made with hands prepared for me By a little shadow of this couragious resolution viz. that it was the most glorious and blessed thing that could be to die for ones country O praeclara mors quae naturae debita patres est redita Cicero in Philip. the old Romanes who were like old wine which is better then new became a kind of Lords ouer their owne liues not caring for death and thereby at length a kinde of Lords also ouer the knowne parts of the world If they could thus resolue vpon so poore weake and sandie a ground what maner of resolution may Sion souldiers make vpon the most faithfull promise and oath of the God of truth Heb. 6.13 to the end 1. Cor. 2.9 1. Pet. 1.4 touching those surpassing ioyes which the eye hath not seen nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued laid vp and reserued in store by our good God for them that loue him Math. 9.29 Math. 10.34 lose any friends for his sake yea and especially for them that die in his cause If mortall Princes and gouernours hold it their renoune to requite their Captaines and souldiers for their constancie and courage how will the immortall God performe this to his worthies If the Romanes could giue their Torquatus a chaine of honour and a name of dignitie which remaineth to this day euen the name of a chaine what will our God giue his valiant men Surely both palmes and garlands and chaines and a celestiall crowne together with an euerlasting name in heauen What is it then to lose our country or friends for such a King such a God What is it to lose a lim for him nay what is it to lose life it selfe for him Surely it is no losse but great aduantage And they who in this sort lose a mortall life shall find an immortall life Therefore you Sion souldiers take this linke of courage together with the rest for making vp a chaine of honor here which will procure you a better chaine then the Romanes could giue their Torquatus O prepare to come from home with resolued couragious mindes And therefore prepare to come also with resolued hearts to behaue your selues so as becommeth Christians in all maner holinesse otherwise doe not loo●e to obtaine true resolued courage from our God For this heauenly resolution can neuer enter into the heart of a wicked man because our God hath threatned yea and assured him the quite contrary euen euerlasting punishment with the Diuell and his Angels except he repent except he amend except he be new borne except he present his bodie a liuing sacrifice Rom. 12.1 holy and acceptable to God which things if by the grace of our most gracious God he performe then shall he be more valiant then any giant then shall he not feare the face of any enemie but strike and dash to peeces the iaw bones of Gods foes flee at them like a Dragon and teare them like a Lion Reu. 5 8. because the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda is with him Such souldiers as these haue no cause to feare any enemies because they feare God and haue him for their friend If they die they die in great honor because they die for God and in God and to God if they liue they liue in great honour both for their good life and for their true valour True valour I say that is stirred vp by a calme and religious minde to fight for the truth Desperate resolutions proceed not from Christian fortitude but from rash furie It is not brainsick venturing in mad moods drunken veins and furious fits that makes a worthy souldier a noble souldier in life and death by such venturing thou maist venture vpon and enter into hell As it is in Martyrdome so it is in battell The cause not the torment maketh a Martyr Right so a good life lead in peace not a bad life lost in warre makes a blessed souldier at his death in the fields Let Sion souldiers therefore be resolued vpon true valour then may they stand to it with courage because they stand vpon a certaintie They shall be certaine either of a glorious victorie in life or of a more glorious victorie by death Such souldiers are far more resolute for Sion then euen the ancient Romanes were for old Rome or the new ones can be for new Babylon Such warriers are indeed more excellent conquerers then euer the most excellent Romanes were For by Christ Iesus their Captaine they become spirituall conquerers of the whole world yea of the flesh and sin and death and diuell and hell These be truly couragious and truly resolued souldiers Thus much for the third worthy namely a resolute courage 4. Worthy Mercie The fourth worthy thing to be considered of Sion souldiers is Mercie Albeit a sacred souldier must be couragious and valorous and that in such sort as to lay about him most manfully without respect of the life of any whosoeuer rather then put his owne life and his countries and his cause in danger yet on the other side there are times when and persons to whom mercy must be shewed I pleade not here for Agags 1 Sam. 15.33 Iudg. 2.21 nor for Zeba's and Zalmunna's whom the Lord will haue destroyed principall irreconcilable enemies such must find no fauour the blood which they haue mercilesse spilt crieth out for their blood without mercie Benhadad 1. King 2. Sam. 15.11 But the thing which I would say is this Such as are mis-led ignorantly like those two hundred whom Absalon abused mercie is due to them Such as before haue shewed mercie to others mercie is due to them If Zeba and Zalmunna had been mercifull vnto Gideons brethren Gideon saith Iudg. 8.29 he would not haue slaine them Babel was commanded to leaue her throne and sit in the dust because she shewed no mercie to the Israelites but laid a very heauie yoke vpon the ancient Isai 47.6 Deut 20 10. 2. Sam. 20.18 Psal 137. Obed. The like is said also of the children of Edom Such as yeeld in due time without resisting mercie is due to them Such captiues as may be spared without any danger of present or future harms through their trechery or multitude it is better to shew mercie there then rigor Matrons and virgins vnlesse they haue bin like Iesabel it is good in sacking of townes to shew mercie to them whom to handle in the least vnchaste maner let the thought thereof be far from all Sion souldiers The great huffing Harlot mother of the Stues leaue villanie to her sonnes fie vpon such filthinesse let it not once be named among Protestant souldiers but rather giuing of thanks for the victorie Moreouer yong children if there be any kinde of hope to stay them by the word it is pitie to slay them by the sword