Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	add_v	affliction_n	zion_n	20	3	7.5990	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43607	Syntagma theologicum, or, A treatise wherein is concisely comprehended, the body of divinity, and the fundamentals of religion orderly discussed whereunto are added certain divine discourses, wherein are handled these following heads, viz. 1. The express character of Christ our redeemer, 2. Gloria in altissimis, or the angelical anthem, 3. The necessity of Christ's passion and resurrection, 4. The blessed ambassador, or, The best sent into the basest, 5. S. Paul's apology, 6. Holy fear, the fence of the soul, 7. Ordini quisque suo, or, The excellent order, 8. The royal remembrancer, or, Promises put in suit, 9. The watchman's watch-word, 10. Scala Jacobi, or, S. James his ladder, 11. Decus sanctorum, or, The saints dignity, 12. Warrantable separation, without breach of union / by Henry Hibbert ...	Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678.; Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678. Exercitationes theologiae.	1662 (1662)	Wing H1793; ESTC R2845	709,920	522

childhood youth c. A Christian must go by degrees to heaven as they went up by steps and staires into Solomons Temple They go from strength to strength Psal 84. ● End or Result Duplex Finis 1. Consummans 2. Consumens The end is The first in intention The last in action In good things Sathan would disjoin the end from the meanes he tells us we may come to beaven and not labour for it here in this life And in things to be avoided he seperates the means from the end he telleth Eve she may eat of the forbidden fruit and not dye he telleth us that we may live here voluptuously and yet not be punished with hell fire-hereafter Better is the end of a thing Eccles 7.8 than the beginning thereof Comforting the Comfortless To comfort such mourners in Zion as do groan under the sense of sin and fear of divine wrath is as difficult a work saith Luther as to raise the dead and scarce one of a thousand can skill of it For though every Christian should have seeding lips and an healing tongue to comfort the feeble-minded taking-them down into Christs wine-seller and there drinking to them in a cup of consolation propounding unto them the sweet and precious promises which are Pabulum fide● the food of faith yet few can do this to purpose because they are either unskilful in the word of truth or unexperienced They utter them more from their brains than either from their breasts or bowels Haud i●nara mali miseris succurrere disco Virg. I mean their own experience This made Christ himself a more compassionate high Priest Heb. 5. And that eminent servant of his St. Paul had by this means got an excellent faculty in comforting the disconsolate 2 Cor. 1.4 So had Luther as having himself from his tender yeares been much exercised with spiritual conflicts as saith Melanchton To move us to this Christian work Consider 1. The compassion and sympathy that should be betwixt us in respect of our neer linking together in the body of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iso●● Eph. 4.25 2 Corin. 11.29 2. We have received comforts from God to this end 2 Cor. 1.4 3. Sorrow is a gulfe how many hath it swallowed up for want of comfort 2 Cor. 2.7 4. We our selves are yet in the body and may suffer what others now feele Heb. 13.3 The nayle in the wheele that awhile ago was aloft is now below in the mire and dirt so we that now enjoy prosperity may on the turning of an hand be in adversity 5. God himself becomes our debter by promise to recompence it into our bosomes Psal 41.1 2. 6. The soules of the afflicted shall blesse us 2 Tim. 1.16 17. The comfort lastly we minister to others is reflected upon our own soules In spiritual things none is a loser by communication No man loseth knowledge by instructing the ignorant nor abates his own Zeal by inflaming the Zeal of others nor impairs his own comfort but increaseth it by ministring comfort to the distressed Yet a great number there are who are little affected with the miseries of their brethren saying at least in their hearts as the chief Priests and Elders to Judas What is that to us Whereas the beastliest amongst bruit creatures even swine seem to be affected with the outcryes of their kind Men onely more brutish than they triumph in the miseries each of other and are not moved with their outcryes as bitter as that in the Prophet Jsa 38.14 But what barbarous and savage inhumanity is it of them that as David saith add affliction to him whom God hath wounded A generation there is rife in all places dallying with the heaviest afflictions of Gods Children But see how bitterly David in a spirit of Prophecy curseth such men Psal 109.16 Let them tremble at it whose practice it is The main work of a comforter is 1. To strengthen the sorrowful man 2. To abate the strength of his sorrows Those who undertake the office of comforting others should observe three things especially 1. The nature of the affliction 2. The degree or measure of it 3. The temper of the person afflicted Comforts digged out of the Scripture alone have virtutem pacativam a setled property to compose the soul when distempered and to lodge a blessed calme and Sabbath of rest in it far above all Philosophical consolations Whereunto when Cicero had ascribed very much N●scio quomedo imbec●llior est medicina quàm morbus yet he is forced to conclude That the disease was too hard for the medicine And this well appeared both in Socrat●s who died doubtingly and Cato who desperately slew himself after he had first read Plato's discourse concerning the immortality of the soul So foolish a thing it is to flie in distresse of mind to creature-comforts and not to run to the name of the Lord that strong tower Besides there is an holy cunning in catching up words which drop from the lips of men in affliction and 't is our wisdom to make improvement of them as the servants of Benhaded sueing for their Masters life did of Ahabs 1 King 20.33 For instance Mr. Caryl makes mention there was an ancient professor as he hath been informed in much distress of conscience even to despaire he complaining bitterly of his miserable condition to a friend let this word fall That which troubles me most is that God will be dishonoured by my fall This word was hastily catcht at and turned upon him to the asswaging of his griefe Art thou careful of the honour of God and doest thou think that God hath no care of thee and of thy salvation A soul forsaken of God regards not what becomes of the honour of God Therefore be of cheere if Gods heart were not towards thee thine could not be towards God or towards the remembrance of his name Comfort the feeble minded 1 Thes 5.14 Christian Conversation Hippocrates took an oath of his followers to keep their profession unstained and their lives unblameable When our life is contrary to our profession it is a slander to the Gospel and a dishonour to Christ Votum bonum hominum est dei sed dei propter authoritatem gratiae 〈◊〉 3. l. 3. de 〈◊〉 altar myst c. 8. hominis propter libertatem arbitrii hinc Apostolus Non ego sed gratia dei mecum i●●rum Coadjutores dei sumus The whole life of a Christian saith Austin is an holy desire Tota vita boni Christiani sanctum desiderium est and this is alwayes seconded with indeavour without the which Affection is like Rachel beautiful but barren A Christian must not onely have a good heart but a good life shewing forth the graces of the Spirit We must study to honour God and honour our profession The life of Christianity consists in a regular walking which includes four things viz. 1. As the walking of the body is a moving from one

many and lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things Rom. 1.25 Isa 57.15 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Tim. 6.15 16. and we in him Who is blessed for ever The high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is holy The King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God The blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords Who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen Psa 89.6 Who in the Heaven can be compared unto the Lord Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord Psa 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever Psa 144.15 Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Of God his Attributes and Properties THOV canst not see my face said God to Moses for there shall no man see me and live Man could not behold this Vision but be opprest Exod. 33.20 and swallow'd up with Majesty as the sight of the eye is dazled with the Su● or a Chrystal Glass broken with the fire The High Priest entring into the Holiest of all darkned it with the smoak of the incense when he went in Pompey who was one that presumed to enter within the Holiest of all not being Priest when he came out being ask'd What he saw answered That the House was full of a Cloud To which the Psalmist Psal 18.17 He made darkness his secret Place his Pavilion round about him were dark Waters and thick Clouds of the Skies As we cannot see the Sun in Rotâ in the Circle but in the Beams so neither God otherwise than in his Words and Works Only if we in borrowed speech for our understanding call him a Spirit though in proper speech so God is not no more than he is an Angel or a Soul which is determined finite and comprehended in some one place as every Angel and every mans Soul is and add unto this Spirit such Attributes as may fully difference him not only from all spirits Humane or Angelical but from all Creatures then we are come as near him as we can and in this Mortality can approach no nearer Of his Eternity God only is properly Eternal that is without beginning or ending without all measure of time Aeternitas est quae nihil habet mutabile Aug. in ibi nihil est praeteritum quasi jam non sit nihil futurum quasi nondum sit quia non est ibi nisi est Mans dayes are but dayes of time God is fixed in Eternity mans dayes are moveable the dayes of God move not Some distinguish thus between these three Tempus est mensura hominum Eternity Ev●ternity and Time habens principium finem Aeviternitas est Angelorum principium habens sed non finem Eternitas est propria Deo nec principium habens nec finem Eternity is that which is peculiar unto God his are the dayes of Eternity Eviternity is proper to Angels and Spirits which have a beginning but shall have no end Time is the portion and lot of man who hath had a beginning and shall have an end Time is the measure of those things which actually corrupt and change Aeternitas est duratio semper praesens est unum perpetuum hodie quod non transit in praeteritum aut futurum Drexel Eviternity is the measure of things incorruptible and unchangeable not in themselves but by the appointment of God Eternity is peculiar to God in whom it is absolutely impossible any change should be Time hath continual successions Eternity a constant permanency all the dayes of God are but a day Mans day was is and shall be Gods day alwayes is True it is other Spirits are Eternal there is an everlastingness of the Spirits of Men and Angels for having had beginning they shall never have end but that is a gift and of grace and à parte post as the Schoolmen say in respect of future But God is a Spirit absolutely Eternal in his Essence and in his Nature and à parte post ante before everlasting without beginning without succession innovation or termination in regard of which Eternity as being a vast Ocean the little drop which we call time vanishing into nothing and so far is the Eternal Spirit beyond all Spirits of men and Angels Object If it be objected Where is a beginning there is time but in God there is a beginning for the Son and Holy Ghost have their beginning from the Father Answ I answer A beginning is twofold 1. Ordinis Of Order 2. Temporis Of Time They had no beginning in respect of time for that should have excluded Eternity but only a beginning of order which standeth in Eternity the Son being in time as Eternal as the Father Hence is concluded That clear distinction of this uncreated and creating Spirit from all created Spirits of Men and Angels As also that we should not insist or content our selves with such things as time can only afford us but fasten upon him that is Eternity and upon that Eternal happiness with him 1 Sam. 15.29 Psal 90.2 Isa 57.15 Hebr. 9.14 The Eternity of Israel Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the Earth and the World even from Everlasting to Everlasting thou art God the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity the Eternal Spirit Of his Infiniteness In God there is such infiniteness and unmeasurable greatness Spiritus insinitus non corpore non inquam quant tate magnitudine mole s●d qualitate virtute bonitate si quid praestantius ab homine de Deo dici vel cogitari potest Comarus that to him nothing can be added neither may any bounds measure or limits be admitted All other Creatures are finite in holiness wisdom life glory c. But he is infinite in all That is infinite 1. Which is without end 2. Which is without bound In both God is infinite as he had no beginning so he shall have no end or period of his Being he is infinite in reference to duration or time and he is infinite in reference to place or extent This is a good Argument to prove there is but one God for there is nothing infinite but God and it is altogether impossible that there should be two Infinites The Heavens cannot hold two Suns much less can the World hold two Infinites Infinity runneth through all the Titles of God He is infinite in Power infinite in Wisdom Justice Righteousness and Mercy Hence it is gather'd That God is incomprehensible and passeth all bounds of created minds and understandings and so cannot fully be conceived of us nor of any but of himself And surely if he be above all the mind can conceive much more beyond all that any

pracipitur Aaroni Num 6 23. 2. Propheticâ se● Patriarchali ut fecit Noah 3. Ex charitate ut unusquisque proxinto fausta omnia precatur The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich Pro. 10.22 Rom. 12.14 and he addeth no sorrow with it Bless them which persecute you bless and curse not Cursing If the Prophets cursed their enemies at any time Gorran it was not livore vindictae sed zelo justitiae Not out of a vindictive spirit but by the instinct of Gods holy Spirit and out of a zeal for Gods glory Austin saith that David's Cursings are rather Prophecies shewing what shall come unto them than any wishes of his own as desiring that such things should come to pass Cursing men are cursed men Witness the Jews who to this day are still great Cursers of Christians they shut up their daily prayers with Maledic Domine Na●araeis And how it cometh home to them who knoweth not even wrath to the utmost Epiphamins and Chrysostom falling out about Origin's writings wished a curse to one another and it fell our accordingly The one died ere he came home and the other was unbishoped Pol●n●s tells of one Thomas Linacle Pol. in cap. 53. an English-man who reading Mat. 5.44 Bless them that curse you cryed out O my friends either this is very absurd or we are no Christians We may not curse any saith Hierom no not the Devil Com. in cap. 3. Ep. ad Titum though he deserves to be cursed yet it must not go out of the Arch-angels mouth It may be some uncircumcised Goliah accustoms himself to such grievous things but the tongues of the children of God drop no such gall and poyson but honey and oil and much graciousness If thou sayest Thou art provoked this excuseth thee not but manifests thy cankered nature A 〈◊〉 hath fire in it but unless it be provoked by the Steel it is not seen As the Bird taking her flight from her nest fetcheth a compass and by and by returns thither again So Curses come in where they go out returning upon a mans self as do stones cast against a wall A man that takes up an Adder in his hand or Fire to throw against his enemy hurteth himself most so it is with them that curse their adversaries I have not suffered my mouth to sin Job 31.30 by wishing a curse to my enemies soul Imprecation Holy men of God have sometimes made use of Imprecations Diris se devovens thereby to clear themselves from false imputations The like may be done by us but sparingly and not without great necessity lest if we do it falsly or rashly God say Amen and set his Fiat to it as he hath done in sundry instances in several 〈◊〉 Mention is made in our Chronicles of two that rotted above ground Act. Mons according to their wish And of another hanged which he confessed was just upon him for that in Carding and Dicing he had often wished himself hanged if it were not so and so In Germany Anno 1551. Ioh. Man lot com p. 192. The Devil in a visible shape lifted up a Cursing woman into the air and there-hence threw her down in the view of many people and brake her neck Another brought her daughter to Luther intreating his prayers for her for that she was possessed by the Devil upon her cursing of her For when she said in a rage against her daughter Involet in te Diabolus The Devil take thee he took possession of her accordingly The same Author relateth a like sad story of a stubborn son cursed by his father who wished he might never stir alive from the place he stood in And he stirred not for three years The Jews saying of Christ His blood be on us and on our children God said Amen to this woful curse which cleaves close to them and their posterity As he loved cursing so let it come unto him As he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment Psal 109.17 18 19. so let it come into his bowels like water and like oil into his bones Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually Violence Robbing is a violent taking away from any 〈…〉 Hence violence and ●obbery are joined together Levit. 19.13 A●o● 3.10 Wicked men are said to drink the wine of violence Pro. 4.17 that is They spoil others and what they get that way they live upon make merry with There are secret Robbers doing it by deceit and fraud ● robbing while they pretend to seek for right And so the Law may be made a shadow to many lawless actions He is a Robber that takes his neighbours right from him by pretence of Law as well as he that takes away his purse by the high-way Again others rob secretly while they seem to fell A man may rob with a pair of Ballances or Me●ewand in his hand as well as with a Sword or Pistol in his hand And there are also open and violent Robbers who waste ● spoil and destroy all that comes neer them and eare not who sees Such are Warlike robbers who bring power to do what they cannot do by justice Those boysterous sons of Mars 〈…〉 men of blood and violence who make their will their law and think they may do whatsoever they have power to do These have a will to destroy as much as they can but they cannot destroy as much as they will If they could the whole World must fall before them if it will not fall down unto them And truly the usual effect of War is waste and spoil 〈…〉 It is said of the Turkish wars that where the Grand Seignour's horse sets his foot no more grass will grow he makes havock of all Alexander the Great was told to his teeth by a Pyrate taken at Sea and condemned by him That he was the greatest Thief in the world I am condemned said he for robbing at Sea in a little Ship but thou robbest at Land all the world over and art applauded And what was Julius Caesar who said That for a Kingdoms sake Right might be violated 〈…〉 And who robbed his Country of Liberty for the satisfying of his unlawful desire of Greatness And certainly He that hath power hopes he may oppress and go unpunished Some durst not oppress but for the shelter of an high place More there are who steal by reason of their abundance than by reason of their want What they have gives them ability to rob for more These are Nimrods G●n 10.9 mighty 〈◊〉 before the Lord not of beasts but of men whose estates and lives they sacrifice to their own lusts Yet there want not some to commend these Called 〈◊〉 as there were that applauded Cain for killing his brother and that extolled the Sodomites Core and his

not shut against you his fatherly providence is tendred to you he withholds no good thing from you he sent first his Son and now that his Son is ascended to him he sends the Spirit of his Son to you into your hearts that by that meanes he may abide with you for ever But why compared ● the love of God to the love of man mans love in respect of Gods not being so much as a grain of mustard-seed to the whole earth or the whole earth to the vast heavens or the smallest drop of water to the whole Ocean I answer for my 〈◊〉 thus that by the marvellons defect and straitness of the one you may in some though in the smallest measure conceive survey you cannot the infinite greatness of the other He sent his Son but his Son return'd in his presence was joy in his absence griefe wherefore God bereaving us of his Sons bodily presence in his tender love sent the Spirit of his Son to raise our dead spirits to comfort us without him comfortless he adopted us sons being his enemies by his Sons coming now for farther confirmation and stronger assurance he signs it he seals it by sending the Spirit of his Son into our hearts Because sons Not natural but elected adopted sons such as many justly challenge the prerogatives and liberty of sons God That is the Father Hath sent forth As Kings do their Ambassadours to signify their pleasure and desires they neither adde nor diminish from their Commission so the Holy Ghost what he receives from the Father shows to them to whom the Father sends him he speaks not of himself but what he hears he speaks what he receives he delivers The Spirit That is John 16.13 14 the Holy Ghost the third person in Trinity Of his Son To wit of the natural Son of God Jesus Christ Gods Son begotten by eternal generation time out of mind 〈◊〉 your bear ts● Into your 〈◊〉 Crying Making you with confidence and assurance to cry the Spirit properly cryes not for then it should cry and pray to it selfe Sic ipse Spiritus postulat i.c. ad postulandum cos quos replevit inslammat but it is said to cry when it works that effect in us according to that Rom. 8.15 Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abb● Father We are said to cry by the Spirit as a man to see by the eye Abba Father Abba it is an Hebrew word derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyes to be willing here it is translated Father and the reason of that name is rendred to be because of the propensity of the will and desire of a father towards his children being their chiefest wel-willers and wel-wishers The intention then of the words is this The adoption and free election thorough Jesus Christ into the right and liberty of sons pertains not to the Jews alone but to the Gentiles also to the Galatians by the redemption wrought by the Son of God for this purpose annointed by the Father ye receive the adoption of sons God thus making you sons sent his Spirit to you his Spirit sent to you dwells in your hearts and dwelling in your hearts makes you cry with an assurance of his good will Abba Father Of the words there are these parts 1. A person sent the Spirit of the Son 2. A person sending God 3. The sending it self sent 4. The place whither God sends the Spirit of his Son into your hearts 5. The office or effect of the Spirit Crying Abba Father 6. The reason moving and prevailing with God to send his Sons Spirit into your hearts because sons Of the first the person sent the Spirit of the Son the Holy Ghost It will be judg'd in me to be but a labour in vain to endeavour to prove that there is such a Spirit except there be some as I hope there are none so grosly ignorant as those disciples spoken of in the 19. of Acts who profest they did not so much as hear whether there were an Holy Ghest or no. This is a Principle of Religion to be taken of all for granted not to be call'd in question not to be proved to spend words and time in the demonstration hereof is to no more purpose than to prove 't is day when the sun shines this being sufficiently manifest in the works of nature that sufficiently apparent in the effects of grace Divine truth contained in the sacred Word of God stops all gainsaying proceedings in this point None but who will oppose God will oppose it if any man teach otherwise or doubt of the verity hereof he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words he is a man of a corrupt mind and destitute of the truth carried away with the spirit of giddiness and of error I will therefore spare my pains in convicting such rude and giddy-headed spirits for I direct my lines to Christians well instructed in this Article of our faith not to Turks and Mahumetans and by Gods assistance teach and write what shall be more fit all things well weigh'd for them to learn and me to deliver 1. Why the Holy Ghost is called a Spirit 2. Why he is called the Spirit of the Son The third person is called a Spirit because 1. He is a spiritual incorporeal and invisible essence whose being is not like that of Angels though spirits they are but ministring spirits of Almighty God finite but he is infinite whom the world cannot contain whom the most piercing eye cannot see whom the most sublime wit cannot conceive The re●ulgene glory of those heavenly spirits dazzles our understanding in our meditations and discourses of them our imaginations cannot reach their transcendent and Metaphysical nature far distant from our spheare much more are we unable to fix our bodily or intellectual eye upon that spiritual being whose being and glory is absolutely in comprehensible dwelling in that light to which there can be no accesse and in that height to which no created nature can aspire He is called a Spirit 2. Nescis torda m●li ●●ina gratiá Spiritus Sancti Ambros In regard of the mighty power and unresistible efficacy it hath in operation implyed in the rushing wind on the day of Pentecost and the fiery tongues His wonderful activity is made sufficiently manifest by the creation of the world and well known in the hearts of sinners by their conversion and new creation a work not of small importance Act. 2. a concurrence of all the powers of nature cannot effect it Men and Angels can do much but not so much let men of the rarest parts most eminent endowments and of the best quality laying grace aside do what they may say what they will they shall find themselves scanted of ability to begin much lesse to go thorough with so great a work The wind blowes strong and fire is very active so the Holy Spirit blows down the strong

Saints from professing the Truth so neither did the hideous dealings and tyrannous pursuits affright the Saints and faithful Martyrs of our times who vowed their lives and fortunes to the service of God witness the Saints in the time of the Ten Persecutions witness the English Martyrs in the time of Queen Mary the most Christian resolution of the German Princes who cleaving to the doctrine of Luther forsaking Popery protested that they would defend it to the death Heyl. and hence were first called Protestants I have read that the Prince of Lorain giveth for his Device An armed Arm coming as it were from Heaven and grasping a naked sword to shew that he holdeth his Estate by no other tenure than God and his sword Such may be the Device of the Saints to shew that they hold their Religion and eternal estate on inheritance by no other tenure than God and the sword of his Spirit which is his Word It was Caesar's speech every-where where he fought That he fought for Honour but in one place above the rest for his Life But Gods Saints ever for both Niteris in cassum Christi subme●gere puppem Fluctuat at nunquam mergitur●lla ratis But he in whose sight precious is the death of his Saints hath his victorious arm stretched out for their protection They are like reeds and tender plants which yield to a surious wind but the blustring storm once overblown recover their former straightness Gad saith Jacob prophetically a troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at last So the Church of God dispersed over the earth toss'd to and fro did and shall receive many overthrows but at last●t shall overcome Adhuc in saeculo sumus adhuc in acie constituti c. saith Cyprian We are yet in the world Cypr. yet militant in the front of Gods army like the forlorne hope we fight daily for our lives with Paul we die daily We must therefore husband our opportunity the best we may that we may persevere so in the narrow and strait passage of Praise and Glory If we continue unto the end we shall be assuredly saved For after our storm of misery is past we shall breathe in a free aire in a world without an end Thus you have seen the Conflict of the Saints mark now the issue of it 1. They cannot be overcome 2. They cannot but overcome And this honour have all his Saints First They cannot be overcome for they are defended with the potent arm of the Almighty who never forsaketh them in their extremity but in their greatest weakness manifesteth his strength and granteth deliverance when most desperate He forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever The Israelites in Egypr David preserved by Saul Psal 37.28 the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions den were wonderfully preserved And hence the Saints in all ages since mightily sustained yea even in death some by that God whose hand is not shortned that it cannot save Quosdam aperte liberavit Aug. quosdam occulte coronavit saith Austin on that Psalm Some he openly redeemed and some he crowned in secret The profoundest stratagem though fetcht from the lowest pit of hell cannot work their ruine There is no inchantment against Jacob nor divination against Israel In God do they put their trust and care not what man can do unto them The Lord of Hosts is with them the God of Jacob is their refuge Nec plus ad dijiciendum praevalet terrena poena Cypr. qu●m ad erigendum tutela divina saith a Father Earthly tortures cannot prevail more to pull them down than Divine protection to raise them up Though they fall Flebile principium me●●or fortuna sequctur yet shall they rise though they sit in darkness yet shall the Lord be light about them Mic. 7.8 As an Eagle fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings so doth the Lord by his special providence support his Saints and bear them up on the wings of his protection into the land of the living Thus the Saints cannot be overcome Secondly They cannot but overcome There are more and of greater power that fight for them than against them Greater is he that is in them than is he that is in the world Be of good cheer saith Christ who in the Revelation is stiled the King of Saints I have overcome the world Qui pro nobis mortuus semel vicit semper vincit in nobis He that once dying hath overcome for us doth ever overcome in us Cypr. Ep. 9. Wherefore like a potters vessel shall their and our enemies be broken in pieces Kings shall be tyed in fetters of iron and great fear shall be on all people None are able to resist that power by which they fight the battels of the Lord Rather than resist they will adde the wings of fear to the feet of cowardise and flie away The Devil and all will flie away if resisted It was Zuinglius his prophesie Scio veritatem superaturam esse ubi ossa mea in favillam redacta fuerint acciditur quidem Christus fed brevi resurgit ac de hostibus triumphat I know that Truth will overcome Luther even when my bones are consumed to ashes Christ is slain in his Saints but he with them will shortly rise and triumph over his and their enemies A resolute Christian spake it He that suffers for a moment overcomes once but he that always enters the lists to conflict with pain and tortures non vincitur quotidie coronatur is nover vanquish'd but daily crowned Let this add spirit to your heart of grace That when occasion offers it self ye may not be dismayed at the grim countenance of the fiercest adversary nor flinch at the most pinching torments that hell can invent Though the Earth move round as Copernious imagined yet are ye on sure ground on the Rock Christ Jesus And be assured the day will be your own though ye think it long Quo ●ongior pugna hoc corona sublimior The longer the fight the more glorious the trown Cypr. Ep. 16. The consideration of this may make you as the Jews when they escaped pernicious Haman's plot to take away their lives have light and gladness and joy and honor For as the Jews had the killing so shall you with the rest of the Saints have the judging of your enemies their overthrow shall be your rejoycing Be not ye therefore like the Turks Janizaries now more factious in the Court than valiant in the Camp but go out in the strength of the Lord fight the good fight of faith finish your course with joy and lay hold upon eternal life for we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Post pluvias serenitatem pest tenebras lucem post procellas placidam lenitatem post miseriam gloriam mittet Deus The Everlasting God will send unto

suffered for me We are all as an unclean thing Isa 64.6 Luk. 17.10 and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants Rom. 3.20 We have done that which was our duty to do Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight The Church true and false Ecclesia WHen the Original world was overwhelmed with waters Ecclesia Coetus est hominum è turbâ reliquorum mortatium ●vocatus advitam aeternam none were saved but such as were in the Ark when Sodom was burnt with sire none were saved but those of the family of Lot when Jericho was destroyed none were preserved but those which were in the family of Rahab These are figures shadowing to us that when the Lord comes to cut down the wicked to cast them for ever into the wine-presse of his wrath Salvation shall belong to the houshold of faith even that family whereof God in Christ Jesus is the Father Ecclesia 1. Invisibilis 2. Visibilis But when we say Extra Ecclesiam non est salus it is not ment of a visible but of the invisible or universal Church which is the whole company of the elect in heaven in earth and not yet born for the visible Church or particular Congregations it may be said there are many Wolves within and Sheep without Therefore it is not satisfactory to us to be gathered out of the general masse of mankind into the fellowship of the Church visible but we must examine how we are in the Lords floor whether as Chaffe or Corne for a day of winnowing will assuredly come wherein the Lord shall gather his good Corne into his Garner and the cast Chaffe into unquenchable fire Many would deal with the Church as Amnon with his sister Tamar first ravish her then defile her and then turn her out of doors The Church of God in this world is like a man of war at sea whose Master is Christ whose Mast his Crosse whose Sails his Sanctimony whose tackle patience and perseverance whose cast-peeces the Prophets Apostles Preachers Premuntur justi ut pressi clament clamentes exaudiantur exauditi glorificent Deum Quint. Cur● 1.8 whose Mariners the Angels whose Fraught is the souls of just men whose Rudder is Charity whose Anchor is hope whose Flag in the top of her is Faith and the word written in it is this Premimur non opprimimur we are cast down but we perish not 2 Cor. 4.8 The Church Militant is sometime fluctuant as the Ark of Noah sometime movable as the Ark in the Wildernesse sometime at rest as the Ark in the Temple In persecution in removes in peace What is the colour of the Church saith one but black her armes but the Crosse her song but the note the oppressed servant in Aristophanes sung I suffer affliction For the world is a Sea a threshing-floore a Presse a Furnace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Church the Ship the Wheat the Grape the Gold and afflictions the winds the waves the flaile the fire O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted Isa 54.11 Yet Built upon the rock that the gates of Hell shall not prevail aaginst Mat. 16.18 And Glorious things are spoken of thee dicta praedicta O City of God Psal 87.3 Saints The word signifies a thing or person separated or set a part from common 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dedicated to a special especially a holy use Holinesse in the general nature of it is nothing else but a seperation from common and dedication to a divine service such are the Saints persons separated from the world and set apart unto God The Church in general which is a company of Saints is taken out of and severed from the world The Church is a fountain sealed and a Garden inclosed so also every particular Saint is a person severed and inclosed from the common throng and multitude of the world 2 Cor. 6.17 Or thus A Saint is an holy one or a person called to holinesse having the perfect holinesse of Christ put upon him by imputation of faith and the quality of imperfect holinesse poured into his heart by the spirit of sanctification Unless even ancient professors saith a Divine look very well to themselves they may take a great deal of p●ins and when all com● to all after all their praying fasting hearing c. they may be found to be nothing in the world but men that walk after the flesh that is according to the refined and well educated Principles of old Adam Men may be Ishmaels brought up in Isaach's family and yet be built upon Mount Sinai when all is done Now the way that God judgeth of all men is as they are the Children either of the old or of the new Adam and not as men do according to such a proportion of strictness in their lives for the Pharisees went beyond many weak Professours in common righteousness Saints therefore are not to be judged according to some kind of holinesse they may come up to but according to the Principles they walk by either as they walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit And thus Paul distinguisheth Saints and others 2 Cor. 5.16 Saints are called Eagles for their 1. Delight in high flying 2. Sharp-sightednes and stedfast looking into the sun of righttousness 3. Singular sagacity in smelling out Christ and resenting things above 4. Feeding upon the bloody sacrifice of Christ Mat. 24.28 Saints must walk in a divers way to a world of wicked people as Noah did really reproving their darkness by his light Solus ipse diversâ ambulavit viâ Chrys their pride by his lowliness their vain-glory by his modesty their ostentation by his secret devotion Not onely Planet-like keeping a constant counter-motion to the corrupt manners of the most but also shining forth fair with a singularity of heavenly light spiritual goodness and Gods sincere service in the darkest mid-night of damned impiety True Saints of God are earthly Angels So Chrysostom calleth Paul Angelum terrestrem And Dr. Taylor Martyr blessed God that ever he came in company with that Angel of God John Bradford A●● Mon. Saints may be called Heaven and that in a double respect 1. Because God is said to dwell in the Saints they are his habitation And wheresoever God dwells he makes a Heaven 2. Because the Saints not onely those of Heaven but they on earth have their conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 So that as carnal and earthly minded men are called earth because their hearts and conversations are fixed to the earth so spiritual and heavenly-minded men may be called Heaven because their hearts and conversations are fixed in heaven Thus Saints are glorious wonderful magnificent Princes in all lands of an excellent spirit more excellent than their neighbours A Crown of glory a

royal Diadem higher than the Kings of the earth greater than the four famous Monarchies c. And yet these worthies of whom the world is not worthy these precious sons of Zion comparable to fine gold these Jewels of Jesus Christ which are his very glory 2 Cor. 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forti animo mala fer nec his miser esto dolore Are counted the off-scouring of all things esteemed as earthen Pitchers shamefully slighted and trampled upon with the feet of insolency and cruelty Howbeit as stars though we see them sometimes in a puddle though they reflect there yet have their scituation in Heaven so Gods Saints though in a low condition yet they are fixed in the Region of happinesse The Saints that are in the earth Psal 16.3 The excellent Foundation There is 1. Fundamentum fundatum Eph. 2.20 2. Fundamentum fundans 1 Cor. 3.11 The first is a scriptural foundation the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles the other is a personal foundation Christ himself Be sure to adde practice to these Mat. 7.24 Fundamentals are few in number Certa semper sunt in pu●is Tertul. but many in vertue Small in sight but great in weight Every particle of truth is precious as the filings of gold neither may we alter or exchange a letter or syllable in Fundamentals Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2.20 Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Rome Rome hath left her seaven mountains to plant her self in Campo Martio Lips de Mag. Rom. lib. 3. Cap. 11. who lyes as it were entombed in her own ruines Lipsius cannot so much as trace the ancient tract of he● walls So in respect of her state Ecclesiastical that which was the garden of Eden is now over-grown with weeds and the Daughter of Zion is now become the Whore of Babylon Rome of Christs Spouse is become the strumpet of Sathan of the school of Simon Peter whose being there is yet questionable the school of Simon Magus of the Temple of the Holy Ghost a cage of impure spirits She calls her self Queen but Hierom the purple Whore Once the Church of Rome wrote her lawes in milk but now she writes them in Sunday letters Prayers and teares were once her weapons but now fire and sword And if in shew of peace she turn he● destructive instruments into mattocks it is but to play the Pioner and make way for death Roma radix omnium malorum It is the City that is mounted on seven hills and cannot be hid but is apparently discerned and described to be the great City Babylon the seat of Antichrist The sweetest wine turns into the sowrest vineger the whitest ivory burnt into the blackest coale So about the year 1414. Theodoricus Vrias in Germany Iohn Man● lo● com 226. an Augustine Fryar complained not without cause Ecclesiam Romanam ex aureâ factam argenteam ex argenteâ ferream ex ferreâ terream superesse ut in stercus abiret Yea Diput de Rep. l. 1. c. ●● Matchiavel observed that there was no where lesse piety than in those that dwelt neerest Rome If Franciscus de sanctâ clara and his fa●tors were the wisest men under heaven and should live to the worlds end they would be brought to their wits end before they could accomplish this works end to make a reconciliation betwixt Christ and Antichrist betwixt Rome and us for what concord hath Christ with Belial They can never fall in or make musick in one Quire For grosse Idolatry or for fundamental errours onely must we seperate Corruption grew so great in the Church of Rome that it justly occasioned first the Seperation of the Greek Churches from the Latine and then of the Reformed Churches from the Roman And Bellarmine bewails it that ever since we cryed up the Pope for Antichrist his Kingdom hath not onely not increased but hath greatly decreased Dent. on Apoc. 9.11 Certainly the date of her reign is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both she and her King Abaddon shall be laid in the dust Esto procul Romà qui cupis esse pius Roma vale vidi satis est vidisse c. Rome hath fallen culpably and shall fall penally Sibylla long since foretold this Tota eris in Cineres quasinunquam Romà faisses in the eight book of her Oracles The ruine of Rome must be like the ruine of Jericho which can never be re-edefied There was something surely in that which we have read that when the warres began in Germany Anno 1619. A great brass image of the Apostle Peter that had Tu es petrus c. fairly embossed upon it standing in St Peters Church in Rome there was a great and massie stone fell down upon it and so shattered it to pieces that not a letter of all that sentence whereon Rome founds her claim was left whole so as to be read saving that one peece of the sentence Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build my Church which was lest fair and entire True it is no easy thing to overturn the Kingdom of Antichrist which like an huge tree hath taken deep root in the earth for many ages and men need not marvel that it is so long a cutting down Especially if we consider that the Lord will still have his Church in combate here in this world to shake it from security Again the Lord for the sins of the Church and want of care of through Reformation in those to whom the Lord hath detected their abominations stayeth the good speed of this glorious deliverance Besides the Lord will have the destruction of Antichrist and his Kingdom wrought by leisure that so man may make due regard and consider of so great a work Yet let us cast our eyes upon Gods word and promise and firmly beleeve if Agag be to be slain God is raising up some Samuel to do it Yea let us cast our eyes on Gods work already and we shall see him gone a great way in the accomplishing of his word Whereby we may strengthen our saith in that which remaineth For how hath the word preached discovered him to be that man of sin detecting his fraudes and impostures with which for many ages he deluded the blind world How are his Bulls and Excommunications which in former ages seemed to shake the Kingdomes of the earth esteemed but as wind Moreover how have all the reformed Churches shaken off with detestation his Antichristian yoke and usurped power over the Scripture Church mens Consciences c. And how have many Princes already disclaimed and despised his clawes over them Keeping from him those summes which were wont to warm his holinesse kitchin c. I might also adde how weak all their endeavours and meanes are to prevent finall ●uine viz. Sophistry Knotty distinctions to hide and delude the plain sense of Scripture threatnings treacheries Machivilian contrivances warres treasons murders Massacres Powder-plots