Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	number_n	satan_n	sort_v	40	3	17.1400	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95609	A Scripture-map of the wildernesse of sin, and vvay to Canaan. Or The sinners way to the saints rest. Wherein the close bewildring sleights of sin, wiles of the Devill, and windings of the heart, as also the various bewildrings of lost sinners, yea, even of saints, before, in, and after conversion; the necessity of leaning upon Christ alone for salvation, with directions therein: as also, the evident and eminent danger of false guides, false wayes, false leaning-stocks, are plainly, and practically discovered. Being the summe of LXIV lecture sermons preached at Sudbury in Suffolk, on Cantic. 8.5. / By Faithful Teate, M.A. minister of the Gospel.	Teate, Faithful, b. 1621.	1655 (1655)	Wing T615; Thomason E839_1; ESTC R203761	372,945	489

that erred in heart therefore hee sware in his wrath that they should die in the Wildernesse that they should not enter into his rest Heb. 3.10 11. I shall conclude in the 12th Verse Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evill heart for the reason is implyed that will make you to depart from the living God And thus you have heard what advantage Satan hath from our selves to bewilder us by nature Our hearts are a Wildernesse by nature they are tempters into the Wildernesse of sin CHAP. X. The second sort of Advantages Satan hath from himselfe largely opened 2d Sort of Advantages Satan hath from himselfe COme we now to the second sort of Satans Advantages which he hath of himselfe in order to the bewildring of the poore soule His nu●●ers Their Unity His Nature his Relations his Experience First Satan hath a great advantage as to the bewildring of soules in respect of the numberlesse numbers of satanical spirits As 1. Head His numbers The Dragon and his Angells who can number them if they doe but stand round about a poore unregenerate Creature who can but be bewildred by them When Christ asked the possessed person what his name was Mark 5. He answered saying Isid 9.3 My name is Legion for we are many verse 9. Many how many is that A legion is six thousand Satans numbers are so great that he can even spare 6000 Devils to bewilder one poore soule Now thinke with your selves if there be six thousand Counsellors about a man one saith goe this way another saith goe that way a third another way a tenth a tenth way an hundreth an hundreth way c. The proud Devil cryes goe my way the drunken Devill go my way the unclean Devill go my way the blaspheming Devill goe my way the prophane Devill goe my way the superstitious Devill go my way the transformed Devill or the Devill turned into an Angell of light goe my way The mad-merry frolick Devill goe my way and the melancholick despairing Devill go my way how can it be but that a poore soule must needs be bewildred amongst all these and five hundred times as many more for I have reckon'd but twice six unto you When six thousand tempters and temptations shal at once environ one single spirit as Legion did here this poore man can you wonder if as you read of this man Luk. 8.29 That he was driven into the Wildernesse so you finde it true of your owne soules that they are so often bewildred I observe that in some cases Satan doth as the great Turk that bears down all meerly with the numerousnesse of his Armies When poore soules shall think with themselves to be serious with God and to go indeed about the business of Conversion oh what swarms of Devills what multitudes of temptations be there even to the tyring out of such thoughts and resolutions Oh! how doe these Legions bewilder us both in prayer and meditations and indeed in every spirituall Undertaking It were easie for Satan at even hand to conquer us no wonder then if he lead us captive even whither soever he will being six thousand to one that 's great odds Secondly 2d Head His agreement unity and concord Great is Satans advantage as to the bewildring of your soules because of the accord and unity that is amongst them all So the soule be but bewildred they care not which of them doth it and indeed whoever of them prevailes to seduce meets all the rest of them in the Wildernesse As now there are millions of waies in England a way likely in every pasture and that foot-path leads to some lane that lane to some Market-town Road and that Road in time to London-Road till at length all will meet at London so amongst the millions of temptations and legions of tempters the smaller temptations lead into greater wayes and those into greater till at length all runne together into the broad way of the wildernesse of sinne for all of them conspire to meet one another there There is a marvellous strange concord amongst whole legions of Devills Oh! that there were no breaches to be seen amongst the thousands of Gods Saints You may observe that though this man were possessed with many even with a Legion yet Christ calls them all but an uncleane spirit Luk. 8.29 ver 27. He had Devills verse 30. a Legion even many Devills were entred into him yet verse 29. Jesus commanded the unclean spirit so Mark 5.8 He said Come out of the man thou unclean spirit And all the Devils besought him ver 12. and forthwith the unclean spirits went out verse 14. I observe that the Devils be they never so many agree all of them as one Hence it is that you heare but of Satan and the Devill in the singular when wee meane all those numberlesse numbers of uncleane hellish tempting damned spirits And what is it now that they are thus agreed upon or accord better in then in tempting of souls into this wildernesse He was tempted of a whole Legion 't is said of him Luk. 8.29 He was driven of the Devill into the Wildernesse It seems they all agreed in this as one Devill to lead him thither Now who can imagine but it is rather Satans businesse to lead a spiritually possessed soule into this spirituall wildernesse then to take so much paines about such a poore Gadaren to drive him into dry and desart places Whatsoever may be the literall import of this scripture sure I am that the Devills in our dayes designe and accord an hundred fold more in the bewildring of poore soules by their legion of temptations then to lead them into desolate and visibly desart places 3d. Head His nature Thirdly As Satans numbers and accord so his nature gives him advantage unto your spirituall bewildring He is a Spirit He is an Angell Hee is a Devill 1. He is a Spirit and there●●●● First Satan by his nature is a Spirit and this is an eminent advantage spiritually to bewilder us Eph. 6.11 Put on the whole Armour of God that you may be able to stand against the methodizings or bewildring of Satan for saith the Apostle verse 12. We wrestle not with flesh and blood but against Principalities and against spiritual wickednesses in high places Oh! if those Principalities were not spirituall wickednesses our soules should lesse need to feare their devices it were easier to stand against the wiles of the Devill But now because Satan is a Spirit therefore he is the better able to eneer into the soule the nearer related he is to the soule the more able is he to argue out the businesse with the soule First Satan being a spirit 1. He is able to enter into the soule is easily able to enter the soule When a Generall besieges a City though he cast a trench about it yet every one within it doth move in his own motion and goe his owne waies

that way again yet cannot tell thinks it hath changed its condition yet cannot tell till by and by Satan brings it round into the same sin and then it findes that it is in the same wilderness therefore Prov. 5.6 Her ways are moveable ways there 's the number movable there 's the nature viae versatiles wily ways Sometimes they seem right unto a man as Prov. 14.12 at the beginning of the verse sometime they seem the ways of death as at the end of the verse In these is the soul intangled and hence it proves so difficult to get out of the wilderness of sin I could spend much time in instancing in the wilyness of this wilderness one word for many Satan makes some believe they shall surely be damned and therefore they think they may sin as they list Satan makes some believe they shall surely be saved and therefore they think they may sin as they list here are different pathes yet both leading into the same way here is the wiliness of temptations these are the entanglings of this wilderness It s no less then a miracle that any soul should ever get out of it because of them CHAP. X. Adds four other Reasons and concludes the first Doctrine with Application as also a word of Caution what use ought not to be made of this doctrine That sin is a wilderness FOurthly the ways of the wilderness are rough The wilderness ways are uneven crooked and uneven and these obstruct the coming out therefore the ways of the wilderness must needs be stumbling ways upon this account the prophet heightens the Lords mercy toward bewildred Israel Isa 63.13 He led them as an horse in the wilderness that they might not stumble It seems if an horseman travel in the wilderness he had need lead his horse and not his horse carry him so crooked rough and uncouth are the ways of the wilderness You have mention of desert ways Isa 40.3 they are called crooked and rough places ver 4. this makes them stumbling ways And is sin short of a wilderness in this rather then before Compare scriptures Prov. 2.13 Whose ways are crooked and pray what means the word Iniquity but unevenness these are those ways that are laid with stumbling-blocks Rev. 2.14 and therefore as he that travels in the wilderness and thinks perhaps now certainly to get out but in the mean time stumbleth he knows not how and by that stumbling loseth that view which he had out of the thicket into the open field and so falls into some pit of darkness so saith the Holy Ghost of the way of sin expresly Prov. 4.19 The way of the wicked is as darkness they know not at what they stumble O Sir I would fain leave my swearing but an oath drops out I know not when O Wife I would fain leave my drunkenness and gaming c. but when I am in company I am drawn in and overcome and I know not how I would fain saist thou leave my vain thoughts but I am in the midst of them before I know it this is the way of the wilderness and you fall in it and yet know not at what you stumble But of this more afterwards 5. Wilderness ways dark ways Fifthly These stumbling ways are also dark ways The wilderness is full of thickets wickedness shall kindle like fire in the thickets of the Forest Isa 9.18 and these thickets must needs be dark and shady when the trees thereof grow so thick together and so interwoven with under-woods with bryars and brambles that the very light of the sun is hid away and when the very brightness of heaven doth not break thorow must it not be difficult for the bewildred passenger to break through must it not be difficult for the be wildred passenger to break through when he is not able to see any way before him neither doth any light come to him well may he be quite lost You have mention of the thick boughs and shadowing shroud of Lebanon Ezek. 31.3 And are there not such thick boughs such shadowing shrouds in the wilderness of sin are not they that being bewildred want Christs guidance such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death then reade Luke 1.71 Is not the way of the wicked darkness then reade Prov. 4.19 Yea are not thickets of this wilderness I mean Satans temptations and natural corruptions so great that the Sun shines upon the wilderness yet cannot enter in the light darts upon your souls yet are your souls still dark within and the light of the glorious Gospel of God shines not unto you then reade 2 Cor. 4.4 Can you wonder now that the coming out of this spiritual wilderness is so difficult when the coming in of the spiritual light is so obstructed This is thy misery poor wilderness-soul the light shines at top and the ayr is full of it thy head perhaps is full of knowledge and yet thine heart that lies at bottom is shrouded over by the thick boughs it s no wonder thy works are darkness for thy ways are such These wilderness ways are thorny ways Sixthly These dark ways are full of thorns and as you heard before that these make the wilderness way destructive so they make the coming out of it exceeding difficult for as one moves to the right hand a thorn takes hold upon him as he breaks from that a left hand bramble catcheth him you know what flow stirring there is in a thicket and such verily are the ways of sin thorny as you heard before and therefore such as will catch hold upon you on this hand to hinder you on that hand to interrupt you and all to stop your motion and to make your coming out of sin desperate and therefore as you would phrase your hindrance by brambles or thorns or bryars Oh! say you they caught hold upon me and as soon as I got off from one I was presently hung upon another on the other hand and seldom could I get off from any without a rent so the holy Ghost phraseth temptations So she caught him Prov. 7.13 and she caught him by his garment and he left his garment in her hand Gen. 39.12 I appeal friends to your experiences if temptations are not just like bryars unto your souls even herein also to retard your stirrings towards God yea to rend you if so be you yet get from them Doth thy wife never catch hold upon thee O good husband do not strike the childe good husband be not so strict and rigorous in your office you 'l lose your customers and get nothing but hatred from your neighbors are carnal friends never hindring thee in the ways of God nor rending thee if thou get off from the ways of sin these are the thorns of the wilderness take heed of being laid hold on by them Lastly 7 The wilderness is encompassing Therefore is the coming out of the wilderness difficult yea indeed desperate because the wilderness

Moses said to Israel Deut. 11 27. I have set before you in this Discourse a Blessing and a Curse for the Lord hath set my feet upon both Mountains spoken of verse 29. Ebal and Gerizim the Mountains of Curses and of blessings and that upon the Authority of two Scriptures To those that are yet out of love with Christ a Curse The first speakes from the top of Ebal the Mount of CURSING and it is 1 Cor. 16 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha that is Let him be accursed in all things in all places at all times with all Curses truly Nothing but the perfect experience of the damned in Hell can tell you what that word Anathena Maranatha meanes And who must be so accursed even whosoever loves not the Lord Jesus Art thou out of love with Christ still notwithstanding all that hath been spoken for him And art thou resolved to continue so then let thy Estate thy Body Soul here and hereafter yea and for ever be accursed Dost thou despise his Port hate his Person abhor his Discourse contemne his Carriage disdaine his Estate after all this and resolvest thou so to doe Let all the Scriptures of God curse thee let all the Saints and Angels of God curse thee let all the Creatures of God curse thee let the blessed mouth of God curse thee let the blaspheming mouth of thine own Conscience curse thee yea let the mouthes of all that are in the same curse and condemnation with thee curse thee let every mouth that blesseth God and Christ curse thee yea as long as any mouth blesseth the Lord Jesus let it curse thee for not loving the Lord Jesus This is the sad language of that sad Scripture But I had rather passe from these to those that love him and so from Ebal to mount Gerizim To those that are brought into love with this crucifyed Christ blessing the mount of BLESSING see Rev. 19.6 7 9. Allelujah let us rejoyce and be glad and honour him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready And he saith unto me write blessed are they that are called to the Marriage supper of the Lambe and he saith unto me These are the true sayings of God Sins Christ is ready now if you be ready truly blessed are you for you are called to the Marriage and to the Supper If any soule among you that have heard all that hath beene spoken shall love Christs Spokesmen meane as they are in the name of Prophets blessed of God be that soule If any soule entertaine the Message plaine as it is out of love to Christ that sent that message blessed of God be that soule If any soule be in love with a crucified despised naked wounded bleeding Christ blessed of God be that soule If any soule shall account Christs Convictions precious Oyntment and his Termes Righteousnesse if it shall forsake Father and Mother and all carnall Counsells and Relations out of love unto Christ If it shall go forth weeping bearing precious seed if it shall take Christs yoak upon it and his burthen and his Cross daily accounting them light because of love to Christ and easie as Jacob did his hard service out of love to Rachel If it shall cut off its right hand and pull out its right eye and forgoe its owne will and so leave all and cleave to Christ and hate all and love Christ or unfeignedly desire so to doe for ever blessed be that soule If it shall not despise the Corrections of the Lord Jesus nor faint when it is chastised by him patiently bearing because it hath sinned and willingly suffering that it may be pollished and fitted for Christs service or truly desire so to doe for ever blessed be that soule If it shall trust Christ with what it hath and for what it is to receive following him unto the Regeneration untill it shall come unto his Kingdom continuing stedfast till death and willing to be dissolved that it may be with Christ In a word if it take or be truly willing to take Christ as thus tendered upon his own terms blessed blessed blessed be that soule God hath blessed it who can reverse it These are the true sayings of God CHAP. XX. Discovers positive Hinderances The two first viz. leaning to Sinne. Sathan Second sort of Hinderances viz. Positive THe second sort of Hinderances are positive viz. The leaning-stocks that we take unto our selves on this side Christ doe absolutely hinder us from leaning upon this beloved Two Farther Observations from the Text. Which that I may with more advantage inquire into I shall take up from my text two farther previous Observations which I think are evidently lodg'd in the bosome of this expression Leaning on her Beloved The first is That as that soul that will have Christ for its beloved 1. The soule that leans on Christ must have none other leaning-stock must have but one beloved even Christ so that soul that will have Christ to lean upon must have nothing else to lean upon beside Christs For as the Text mentions but one Spouse viz. The Church of Christ so but one Beloved viz. Christ and but one also to leane upon To this the Apostle speakes clearly I have espoused you to one Husband even Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 So unto us there is but one Lord and one God even Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 But one to set our love as our Husband but one also to lean on as our God but one to be beloved as our Husband but one also to believed on as our Lord and God But now to Christlesse soules there are many lovers and beloveds Jer. 3.1 Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers Hos 2.7 She shall not find her lovers A great number of lovers an indefinite number of lovers untill shee returne unto her first Husband and therefore to others also there are Gods many and Lords many 1 Cor. 8.5 A second Observation is 2ly The souls beloved will be the soules leaning-stock That whatever is the soules beloved that ever will be found the souls leaning-stock what ever the soule loves best on that it will be sure to lean most this is a cleare intimation from the Text leaning on her beloved So that if there be any thing that the soule loves more and better then Christ upon that it will leane and not upon Christ Now upon this twofold Accompt it is easie to discern in the generall how lost souls are hindered from leaning upon Christ because they have many Gods to lean on and therefore cannot leane upon the onely true God manifested in the flesh yea and they have many lovers and beloveds instead of Christ which as they lye in their bosomes where Christ onely should lie so stand they under their armes to support them where Christ should be to beare them up When a soule is converted we must with admiration