Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A86948
|
A wonder and yet no wonder a great red dragon in heaven.
|
Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659.
|
1650
(1650)
|
Wing H3869; Thomason E1361_2; ESTC R209183
|
27,059
|
66
|
And as for the woman she hath a place prepared for her in the Wilderness from the face of the Serpent Revel. 12. 14. A great blessedness it is though it be in the wilderness that is in a bewilded state for there the child Jesus is kept from the Dragons mouth O ye remnant of the womans seed therefore the Dragon went to make war with you and therefore I will direct my speech to you It is you the Dragon aims at it is you the Dragon will have about with it is you that he will make war with stand to your arms therefore be not without your weapons always in your hands be always girt about with truth and having on the brest-plate of Righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace and above all take the shield of Faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil And take the helmet of Salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance lest you be conquered and your Jesus devoured before your face Above all take the shield of Faith The best weapon to fight against the Dragon is Faith Quest But you will ask me What is it and how shall we use it I shall according to my light shew you that because Faith is little spoken of now adays and so make an end Ans. First I shall shew you what Faith is It is the fixing of the heart on Christ Ps. 57. 7. It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Hebr. 1. 1. First of all Faith is the substance of things hoped for by us that is it is the ground or confidence of things hoped for it gives us ground and confidence of things that are hoped for by us Secondly It is the evidence of or it is that which evidenceth to our spirits things not seen that is things we do not see it is that which evidenceth to us things not seen or it is the conviction of things not seen by us it convinceth us of things not seen The next thing is how faith is to be used against the Dragon just as Iacob used it when he wrestled with the Angel But how was that See Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27 28 29. And Iacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day And when he saw that he prevailed not against him he touched the hollow of Iacobs thigh and the hollow of Iacobs thigh was out of joynt Here is Iacob and an Angel wrestling together till break of day here is the Angel not prevailing when the Angel saw he prevailed not against Iacob he put Iacobs thigh out of joynt as he wrestled with him which was to try Iacobs faith See here the hollow of Iacobs thigh out of joynt After the doing of which by the Angel he saith Let me go Iacob The Angel would have been gone had not Iacobs faith kept him from going Saith Iacob I will not let thee go without a blessing As if he should have said Bless me and then thou shalt go I must be blessed and I am resolved to be blessed notwithstanding the hollow of my thigh is out of joynt Here is Iacobs faith he would not let go but he would hang upon the Angel still Just as if two were wrestling together and the one should put out the hollow of the thigh of the other and that other though he could not wrestle should hang upon the other and hold him with his hands So it is here Iacob though he cannot wrestle yet he hangs upon and holds with his hands the Angel and is resolved he will hang there and if the Angel went he would go with him hanging upon him unless the Angel blessed him Behold what faith is here When the Angel saw he would not let him go unless he blessed him the Angel asked him his name and he said his name was Iacob And the Angel said Thou shalt no more be called Iacob but Israel which signifies a prevailer and conqueror There is the blessing So that let your hearts be fixed on Christ as one that is not only above you that is to say in the Heavens but also within you and do not mind the Dragon so much as faith in Christ We fight against the Dragon and sin many times and never think of Christ but let your eyes be set upon him and do not wrestle with the Dragon but with Christ against the Dragon and then you wrestle aright We wrestle with the Dragon and not with Christ against the Dragon we never think of him and that is the reason we do not prevail Wrestle with Christ against the Dragon and let your eyes be placed on him and though he touch the hollow of your thigh put it out of joynt as I may so say that is take away your strength so that you cannot wrestle with Christ as many times he doth take away our power to see whether we though we cannot wrestle yet will depend and hang upon him tell Christ if he attempts to go away from you that though you cannot wrestle with him yet you will depend and hang upon him that if he go away it shall be with you hanging upon him though he say to you Let me go yet do you reply again to him and say We will not let thee go except thou bless us Then he will enquire of your names and give you other names and call you Israelites that is Prevailers over the Dragon FINIS