Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A97253
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Panoplia, or, Armour of proof for a weak Christian, against the worlds envy, scoffs and reproaches together with the doves innocency and the serpents subtility, upon Gen. 3. 15. / by R.J. [sic]
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Younge, Richard.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing Y167C; ESTC R43836
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38,326
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37
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all fears together First observe that grievous temptations and persecutions do alwayes accompany the remission of sinnes That all men as Austins speaks are necessitated to miseries who bend their course towards the Kingdom of Heaven neither can Gods love be enjoyed without Satans disturbance Yea the world and the devill therefore hate us because God hath chosen us If a convert comes home the Angels welcome him with songs the devils follow him with uprore and fury his old acquaintance with scorns and obloquie as you sufficiently finde Godly men are thorns in wicked mens eyes as Job was in the devils because they are good or for that they are dearly beloved of God If a mans person and wayes please God the world will be displeased with both whence we are so often foretold and forewarned of it that we may be the better forearmed and prepared to entertain it All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Ye shall be hated of all men and nations for my Names sake Matth. 10.22 and 24.9 Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves Matth. 10.16 and many the like Whence also those many and strong encouragements in the word which may serve as so many flaggons of wine to comfort and strengthen us against whatsoever we meet withall in the world Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5.10 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you ver 11 12. Rejoyce inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy For if ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye For the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you which on their part is evil spoken of but on your part is glorified 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Loe here is reward enough for all that men or devils can do against us which hath made thousands even ambitious to imbrace the flames Your cruelty is our glory said the Martyrs in Tertullians time to their persecutors for the harder we are put to it the greater shall our reward be in Heaven It is to my losse said Gordius the Martyr if you bate me any thing of my sufferings See more Phil. 1.28 29. Rev. 2.13 And so much to shew that he refuseth to be an Abel whom the malice of Cain doth not exercise as Gregory speaks For it is an everlasting rule of the Apostle He that is born after the flesh will persecute him that is born after the spirit Gal. 4.29 not because he is evill but because he is so much better then himself 1 Joh. 3.12 Because his life is not like other mens his waies are of another fashion Wisd 2.15 CHAP. IV. SEcondly consider That as wee are every where in the word forewarned of it so it is not our case alone for search the whole Bible over and you shall not finde one holy man mentioned without mention of something he suffered from ungodly men as it were easie to instance how Abel Lot Noah righteous men Abraham the father of the faithfull Isaac Jacob Ioseph Patriarchs and Fathers of the Church meek Moses upright Samuel Job that none-such all the Lords Priests Prophets Apostles yea the harmlesse Babes and our Saviour Christ himself did severally suffer from wicked and ungodly men Yea never man came to Heaven but first he past through this purgatory God had one sonne without sinne but never any one without suffering Which makes our Saviour say Woe be to you when all men speak well of you that is when evil men speak well of you for so did the Jews of the false Prophets Luk. 6.26 Wherefore marvell not though the world hate you as St John speaks 1 Joh. 3.13 Neither count it strange as St Peter hath it concerning the fiery triall which is amongst you to try you as though some strange thing were come unto you 1 Pet. 4.12 For Christ and his Crosse are inseparable Luk. 14.27 Whence that distinction of Luther that a Christian is a Crosse-bearer He that will be my disciple let him take up his crosse daily and follow me Luk. 9.23 and 14 26 27. CHAP. V. THirdly No hope it should be otherwise since God from the beginning of the Creation hath proclaimed a War enmity and strife between the wicked and the godly Did you never read that Scripture Gen. 3.15 where God himself saith to the Serpent I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed he or it shall bruse thine head and thou shalt bruse his heel Where by the serpents seed are meant the whole generation of wicked men and by the womans seed Christ and all his members as all Interpreters conclude and other Scriptures make cleere where wicked men are called serpents a generation of vipers and children of the devil Matth. 23.33 Joh. 8.44 1 Joh. 3.10 And as this war was proclaimed in Paradise even in the beginning of time originall sinne being the originall of this discord so it shall continue to the end of all time When time saith One began this malice first began nor will it end but with the latest man It is an everlasting Act of Parliament like a Statute in Magna Charta Which is the next thing I would commend to your serious consideration And that you may be the better confirmed therein see how according to the Lords prediction or proclamation there hath been a perpetuall war enmity and strife in all ages past is now and ever shall be between Satan and Christ and their Regiments the wicked and the godly For proof whereof I could produce testimonies and examples innumerable there being scarce a page in the Bible which doth not expresse or imply somewhat touching this enmity But that I may be brief and because examples give a quicker impression then arguments I will only give you three instances in every Age. As First to begin with the first Age viz. the old world before the flood We read of this mortall enmity and strife between Cain and Abel 1 Joh. 3.12 between Lamech and the holy seed Gen. 4.23 24. and between those wicked Giants which Moses speakes of and the sons of God Gen. 6 2 to 12. Yea those Giants bad battell to Heaven as our Mythologists add to ver 4. Secondly After the Flood before the Law between all the men of Sodom and righteous Lot Gen. 19.4.9.11 2 Pet. 2.8 Between Hagar and Ishmael the bond-woman and her sonne and Sarah and Isaac the free woman and her sonne Gen. 21.9 10. Gal. 4.29 and between Esau and Jacob first in the womb the more plainly to shaddow out this enmity Gen. 25.22 23. and after they were