Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	pray_v	prayer_n	8,057	5	6.5536	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49240	The Christians combat: or, His true spiritual warfare wherein is laid down the nature, power, and cunning deceit of Satan, the great enemy of our salvation. With the means whereby every good Christian may withstand his dreadful assaults. By C. L. late preacher of Gods word in the City of London.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.	1664 (1664)	Wing L3144; ESTC R216615	19,118	53

assaults and give him no advantage in the fight Otherwise he will use it to our own overthrow for if he durst fight with our Savior Christ with his own weapon the word of God whose knowledge was e●quisite and without measure how much more will he be busied in using it against us who have not attained unto the least part of his skill First then hereby appeareth the carnal wretchedness of many poor souls who as if they had no enemy to oppose them and assault them have not this weapon in their houses at all and if they have yet they bestow more time in profane exercises then in study how to use this sword of the Spirit which is the word of God for their own defence and too many trusting to their own skill as sufficient in it self they seldome come to the Lords School where they may learn to use the weapon of Gods word for their best advantage Secondly hereby appeareth the wicked practices of the enemies of Gods truth who take from Gods people the sword of the Spirit which the Lord hath given unto all for their defence Neither doth the Apostle exhort onely Ministers to take this weapon but all Christians whatsoever who are assaulted with their spiritual enemies The last and chief means whereby we may both defend our selves and offend our enemies is fervent and effectual prayer which the Apostle exhorteth us to Ephes 6.18 And pray alwaies the necessity and profit of which exercise is very great in this spiritual Combat because thereby we do obtain all our strength to fight and victory also over our enemies For first we cannot indure the least assault of Satan by our strength unless we be armed with the power of Gods might and the Lords assistance whereby onely we can overcome is obtained by earnest and effectual prayer Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble so will I deliver thée and thou shalt glorifie me And our Saviour prescribeth us the means to frée our selves from temptation or at least from being overcome by it that we crave the Lords assistance saying Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Matth. 6.13 so he exhorteth his Disciples unto prayer lest they should enter into temptation Luke 22.40.46 Secondly we cannot obtain the spiritual armour before described by any means of our own and therefore are to be begged at his hands by earnest and effectual prayer we having his gracious promise that if we ask we shall receive Matth. 7.7 And our Savior hath assured us that whatsoever we ask the Father in his name he will give it us John 16.23 And to this his promise he addeth his commandment in the verse following Ask and ye shall receive vers 24. Now that our prayers may be effectual there are divers conditions and properties required in them 1. That we pray continually which our Saviour Christ injoyneth Luke 18.1 Not that we must neglect all other duties and do nothing but pray for there is a time to hear the word to do the works of mercy and of our callings but his meaning is that we be alwaies ready to pray upon all good occasi●ns especially in the time of temptation 2. The second thing required is that we pray with all manner of prayer and supplication that is when we want any thing that is good or would be delivered from any thing that is evil we must have recourse to God by prayer that we may obtain the one and avoid the other but more especially when we féel the want or weakness of our spiritual armour we are then to beg the graces of Gods spirit we are to beg them at Gods hand that so we may be able to withstand the encounter The third thing required is that we may in or by the Spirit The words may be taken both waies First therefore we must pray in the Spirit which is required that we pray with understanding 2. We must pray with attentive minds joyning our hearts with our lips 3. We must pray with a pure conscience and faith unfained lifting up pure hands to God without wrath or doubting 1 Tim. 2.8 Thus have I described the Christian armour which every man is to put on before he enter into the Combat with our spiritual enemies if we resist Satan he will flie from us Jam. 4.7 but if we give ground and betake our selves to flight he will pursue us swiftly and deadly wound us for we have no armour on the back to defend us from the violence of his blows neither will the Lord protect such faint-hearted cowards as run away from his standard not daring to trust and relye upon his mighty power and never failing assistance which he hath promised to all that fight his Battel Seeing therefore there is no safety in flight but assured victory to them that faint not but endure the brunt of the battel let us manfully stand upon our guard neither flying nor yielding to our spiritual enemies for where can we be more safe then under the Lords Standard where can we be more honourably imployed then in fighting his Battel how can our state be more dangerous then when we flye and Satan pursueth us how can it be more desperate then when we yield our selves captive to Satan to be bound in the fetters of sin until the sentence of condemnation be pronounced on us in the general Sessions at the day of Christs appearing From the which sad sentence the Lord of his tender mercies grant that every poor soul of us may be delivered Thus having given you an account of our spiritual armour and laid down the reason to incourage you to fight this spiritual warfare I now come to give you some motives to stir you up to this work that we should not set our hearts on this world and worldly things because we are but Pilgrims and strangers here on earth as appeareth by the acknowledgement of the Saints and Servants of God in times of old of whom it is said that they confest they were Pilgrims and Strangers on the earth Heb. 11.13 the which as it is manifest by the Scripture so it is demonstrated by evident reason for that is to be estéemed a mans country where his chief friends and kindred remains where his living and substance doth lie where he is to spend the most part of his life where he hath most contentment and best entertainment but the faithful have all their kindred in heaven saving some few who are pilgrims with them on the earth there is their heavenly Father and Christ Iesus their elder brother there are their chief treasures even an inheritance undefiled that fadeth not away finally there they have best entertainment and most contentment because there all tears shall be wiped from their eyes and there they shall have mansion-houses inheritances crowns of glory and fulnesse of joy for evermore Now from this consideration that we are not in our own country but remain upon the earth as pilgrims

may be ready for the Battel Lastly By this conflict the Lord strengtheneth and increaseth all his graces in us for as by exercise the strength of the body is ●●eserved and augmented and in short time decayeth through idleness and sloth so the gift● of Gods Spirit Faith Hope Patience and the rest languish in us if they be not exercised with temptations For Tribulation bringeth forth Patience ●nd Patience Experience and Experience Hope and hope maketh not ashamed as you ●ay read in Rom. 5.3 4 5. I shall now procéed to give you some arguments or reasons to incourage us to enter into the battel to fight against the spiritual enemies of our Salvation 1 Reas The first reason that I shall give you may be drawn from the justness of our cause the war is just therefore procéed we may with boldness for though Souldiers be never so strong and well furnished yet if their consciences tell them they fight in a bad quarrel it will much abate their courage and make them cowardly and timerous but our cause is most just and our war most lawful for God who is justice it self hath proclaimed it by his Heraulds the Apostles Ephes 6.10 Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might James 4.7 Resist the devil and he will flie from you 1 Pet. 5.8 Be Sober be Vigilant for your adversary the devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour ver 9. whom resist st●dfast in the faith 2 Reas The cause of our war is of great weight as namely for the glory of God and our own Salvation for in all Satans skirmishes he séeketh to impeach Gods glory with false imputations and to bring us to utter destruction and this may appear with the first conflict of his with our Mother Eve Gen. 3. 4 5. where he accuseth God of a lie who is truth it self and of impotency and envious dis●ain saying that the cause why he did forbid them to eat of the trée of knowledge of good and evil was not as he had said because they should die but because he knew that when they should eat thereof their eyes should be opened and they should be as Gods knowing good and evil 1. Where he séeketh to dim the beams of Gods glory by accusing him of a lie and to perswade them that he was not Omnipotent séeing that he was able to hinder them from being Gods if they tasted of this fruit lastly that he forbid them to eat thereof because he envied them so glorious an estate 2. He laboreth to destroy our first Parents both body and soul by tempting them to disobedience and transgression of Gods commandment and therefore our Saviour Christ doth ●●tly joyn those two together in the 8 of John 44. saying That he was a li●r and a man-slayer from the beginning A liar in th●t he falsely accused God of a lie a Man-slayer because he did it to this end that he might murther our first Parents and all their posterity both body and soul 2 Reas The second reason to move us to undertake this fight is the profit which will accrew unto us thereby for no sooner can we enter into the field to fight against these enemies but presently we shall have peace with God ●ut if we betray our trust that is Gods cause to Satan and our souls to sin well may we be lulled asléep in carnal security but we shall never injoy this peace with God and peace of conscience For there is no peace saith my God unto the wicked Esa 57. But if we fight against these enemies and valiantly overcome the Lord hath promised to give us to eat of the Trée of Life which is in Paradice and the manna that is hid and that he will write our names in the Book of Life Rev. 2.3 3. Reas The third reason to move us to this fight is the honor which will accompany this victory if earthly souldiers will purchase honor with the loss of life which is nothing else but the commendation of the Prince or applause of the vain people what hazard should we undergo in fighting the spiritual Combat séeing our grand Captain the Lord of Hosts and infinite multitude of blessed Angels look upon us and behold our Combat whose praise and approbation is our chief felicity what peril should we fea● to obtain a Crown of glory which is promi sed to all that overcome and to becom● heirs apparent to Gods Kingdoms 4. Reas The fourth reason to perswade us is the necessity of undertaking this Combat there is no man so towardly that will not fight when there is no hope in flight no mercy to be expected in the enemy no outrage and cruelty which will not be committed but such is our enemy that we cannot possibly flye from him his malice is unreconcileable his cruelty is outragious for he fighteth not against us to the end he may attain soveraignty alone abridge us of our liberty spoil us of our goods but he aimeth at our death destruction both of body and soul The Apostle James in his Epistle 1 chapter the 12 verse pronounceth them blessed that indure temptation for when by tryal he shall be found approved he shall receive a crown ●f life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Lastly We may be incouraged to this fight by certain hope of victory for we fight under the Standard of Christ Iesus who alone is mightier then all our enemies that assault us Ephes 6.12 Our Saviour hath spoiled principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed over them upon the Cross Let us not therefore fear to fight against ●eaten and conquered enemies for every one shall be a conqueror that desires the conquest for if we will be the Lords souldiers he will not suffer us to be so much disgraces as to let us be overcome by his mortal enemies Having given you the reasons which may incourage us to fight this Combat I shall now come to the spiritual warfare it self and shall endeavour to lay before you the malice of our great adversary the Devil therefore in an enemy who proclaimeth war against us we are to consider two things First his will secondly his power If he have will to hurt us and no power he is not to be regarded if power and no irreconcileable malice he is not so much to be feared but if his power be great and his will malicious it is time then for us to look about us and muster up all our forces that we may be ready to endure the incounter 1. First therefore touching the will of our grand enemy the Devil if we consider of it aright we shall find him to be very maliciously bent against us so that there is no hope of reconciliation with him though we could be content to make a truce or a dishonorable peace with Gods and our e●●my Satans malice to mankind is endless

cool the scalding heat of sin by applying unto us the precious balm of Christs blood so that our wounds are not mortal unto us The first of these vertues is signified hereby in that he calleth faith a shield which repelleth Satans temptations as the shield doth the darts that are cast against it The second by the word quenching namely as water quencheth the fire so faith quench●th the fiery darts of Satans temptations I procéed now to the fifth part of our Christian armour which is the helmet of Salvation which is so called because it bringeth Salvation to them that wear it for we are saved by hope as it is in Rom. 8.24 which we are to understand by the helmet of Salvation as it appeareth in 1 Thes 5.8 where he exhorteth us to put on the hope of Salvation for an helmet As no man in his right wits would sell his certain interest unto a goodly inheritance for a bright shining counter so much less will any man who is not stark-mad sell his assured hope of the eternal kingdome of glory by yielding himself the slave of sin and Satan to purchase for the present the worlds counterfeit shining excellencies which are in truth but mutable or at least momentary vanities And though he assault us on the one side as he did St. Paul with afflictions and persecutions yet we will with him for the hope of Israel be content to be bound in the chains of misery and affliction for the heaviest cross will séem tolerable yea an easie yoke and a light burthen to those who do expect and hope for a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory Now therefore if we do not put on this helmet we shall not dare to lift up our heads in the day of battel for as those who are incouraged with hope of victory and the spoil ensuing do fight valiantly so those who are quite forsaken of hope do forsake also the field and cast down their armour and weapons and do either run away or cowardly yield unto the enemy And so much for the defensive armour which we must put on that which follows is both defensive and offensive fit to defend our selves and repel and foil the enemy the first is the sword of the Spirit the word of God this the Apostle cals the sword of the Spirit because it is a spiritual and not a carnal weapon which the spirit of God hath as it were tempered made sharpened and put into our hands to repel all our spiritual enemies whensoever they assault us Now we are taught to imitate our grand Captain the Lord Iesus Christ who though he were able to have confuted Satan by other arguments or to have confounded him by his power yet as he suffered himself to be tempted in all things like unto us so he used the same weapons which he hath appointed us to use in this spiritual Combat of temptation to the end that we might be taught how to handle them having his example for imitation and also may conceive assured hope of victory considering that our Captain subdued Satan with the self same weapons Whensoever therefore we are assaulted by Satan let us draw out the sword of the spirit that we may defend our selves and give him the foil as being the most fit weapon for the purpose and séeing this sword is so excellent let us highly estéem of it and manfully use it whensoever Satan doth assault us and tempt us to commit sin As for example when he enticeth us t● commit sin and extenuates it as though it were but a may game and a trick of youth which God regardeth not let us draw out the sword of the spirit saying that all they are accursed who continue not in all that is written in that book of the Law to do it Gal. 3.10 They who live according to the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 That the burthen of sin cannot be light séeing it pressed out of Christ himself a bloody sweat On the other side if he aggravate the hainousness of our sins to the end he may draw us unto despair of Gods mercies let us say it is written I will not the death of a sinner saith the Lord but that herepent and live Ezek. 18.23 And that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 And that he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9.13 Joh. 3.16 If he tempt us to the love of the world and to the service of this unrighteous mammon let us answer him that it is impossible to serve two masters of such contrary dispositions as it is written Matth. 6.24 If we love the world the love of the father abideth not in us 1 John 2.15 That the amity of the world is enmity against God James 4.4 Again if by renouncing the world and endeavoring to serve the Lord in uprightness and in truth he séeks to draw us from our integrity by threatning afflictions and persecutions we are to strengthen our selves and resist him with the sword of the Spirit remembring that they are blessed which suffer persecution for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.10 All that will live Godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 1 Tim. 3.12 That whosoever loseth any thing for Christs sake shall receive in recompence an hundred fold more and have everlasting life to boot Matth. 19.29 If he tempt us to the neglect of Gods word we are to tell him that all Christs shéep hear his voice and follow him John 10.27 That whosoever is of God heareth Gods words John 8.47 They who know God hear his ministers whereas he that is not of God heareth them not 1 John 4.6 Again if he tempt us to content our selves with the bare hearing thereof neglecting obedience thereunto we are to tell him that not the hearers of the word but the doers thereof shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And they that are hearers of the Word and not doers also deceive themselves Jam. 1.22 Not every one that saith Lord Lord that is maketh a goodly profession of religion shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of the Father who is in heaven Matth. 7.21 So when he tempteth us unto pride we are to say unto him Satan I may not enter into thy temptation for it is written God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 Thus may we repel the violence of all Satans temptations and give him the foil if we will take unto us the sword of the Spirit and skilfully use the same in the fight for it is not sufficient that we have the sword lying by us if we do not draw it out in the dispute to fight the spiritual Combat but let it rest in the Scabbard It behoveth every poor Christian to come into Gods School continually that there we may learn how to handle the sword of the Spirit that may resist Satan in all his