Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	death_n	know_v	resurrection_n	1,580	5	9.6777	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13533	Christs victorie over the Dragon: or Satans downfall shewing the glorious conquests of our Saviour for his poore Church, against the greatest persecutors. In a plaine and pithy exposition of the twelfth chapter of S. Iohns Revelation. Delivered in sundry lectures by that late faithfull servant of God, Thomas Taylor Doctor in Divinitie, and pastor of Aldermanbury London. Perfected and finished a little before his death.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.; Jemmat, William, 1596?-1678.	1633 (1633)	STC 23823; ESTC S118152	543,797	874

in demonstration of the spirit that men may say Christ is here indeed I feele his power quickning counselling comforting c. 2 To Magistrates that they put forth all the power they receive of Christ for the glory of Christ and the good of the Church as knowing First that all powers are of God and therefore for God and his causes Secondly they are his Ministers for the good of the good and them that do well Thirdly those that honour God God will honour and contrarily And who seeth not that those that extraordinarily oppose this power of Christ in his Ordinances God extraordinarily opposeth them they cannot so openly contemne him and despise his word but God as manifestly powres contempt upon them and makes them extraordinary spectacles of disgrace and contempt For how can a man set himselfe against God and prosper Fourthly All the power in Christs owne hand was set against sinne and the divels kingdome what better example to a Christian Magistrate 3 To every Christian three wayes 1 Wee are instructed to submit our selves to the royall power of Christ our King as willing subjects acknowledging him the great Centurion of the world For this was prophesied of us in the New Testament Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall come willingly at the time of holy assembling And otherwise we shall be worse then wicked angels or the unreasonable creatures who all obey his word as we saw before 2 To depend upon this power of Christ as our soveraigne King who hath all power to do us good Want we heavenly things he hath all power in heaven and for heaven he hath power to call to justifie to sanctifie to beautifie to glorifie Want we heavenly graces and riches he hath treasures of wisedome and grace Want we earthly things he hath all power in earth he can bestow not dews of heaven only but the fat of the earth Isaac had but one blessing but he hath more blessings then one and if he be rich being our husband wee shall not be poore 3 To acknowledge this power of Christ in all our receipts of blessing or comfort 1 Finde wee the worke of conversion and sound grace this is not by free-will or preparations or operations of nature but here is a creating power put forth by Christ a power divine working many miracles making a blind man see a deafe man to heare dispossessing a man of many divels raysing a dead man and quickning him that was dead in trespasses and sins 2 Finde wee not onely our peace made up with God but that now wee are lovingly affected to Gods people for Gods image and goodnesse Here is a fruit of Christs mighty power who hath reconciled the wolfe and the Lambe the child and the cockatrice Esa. 11. 6. 3 Finde we any worke of holinesse begun any presence of grace any beginnings of heavenly motion in faith hope love joy zeale constancy Here is a great power of Christ our head by whose power all these are purchased here is a power making a Blackmoore white as snow 4 Findest thou any strength against sinne any temptation foyled any lust given over and hated which thy nature inclineth unto Oh here is the power of Christ above the power of nature Never was sinne foyled but by Christs power never was any a Conquerour in the spirituall combate but by the presence power and strength of the Generall 5 Finde we our prayers heard our defects covered our duties accepted All this is the vertue and power of Christs prayer and by the merit of his obedience Thus must wee with the Church here sing out the power of the Lords Christ. And this also of the Instruction Next this serves the members of the Church for examination namely to try whether we feele this power of Christ put forth in our selves else all is unprofitable and uncomfortable to us Phil. 3. 10. the Apostle counts all other knowledge and priviledges but losse and dung in respect of knowing in himselfe the vertue and power of Christs death and resurrection This is more then to heare of Christ of his life and doctrine of his death and passion It is a lively feeling in his owne soule the power and vertue of his death in the death of sinne and of his resurrection in rising from the grave of sinne This is more then to preach of Christs life and death and goeth beyond all eloquent discourses of the actions and passions of Christ if the Preacher as too many onely know the vertue of Christs death as the Physitian knows the vertues of herbes and simples onely by his reading or relation without his owne experience This knowledge of the power and grace of this Salomon must be like the knowledge of the Queene of Sheba 1 King 10. 7. It was a true word which I heard of thy sayings and wisdome howbeit I beleeved not this report till I came and have seene it with mine eyes neither can halfe the power and glory of Christ be attained by reading or report except our selves by inward feeling and experience come to discerne it That is an happie knowledge of the power of Christ not which is speculative or discoursive but which is experimentall such as the Samaritans Ioh. 4. 42. They say to the Woman Now we beleeve not for thy relation but because our selves have seene Him Quest. How may I discerne the power of Christ in my selfe Answ. It may be discerned by foure special marks or evidences I By the power of the word which is his powerfull arme to salvation So much as thou findest the power of the word so much of the power of Christ mayest thou discerne in thy selfe Now examine 1 Hast thou found the word commanding light out of darknesse in thy soule as in the first creation hath Gods powerfull word created a new saving light in thee that whereas thou wast blind now thou art sure thou seest the face of God in Jesus Christ reconciled unto thee 2 Hath the word in the Ministery beene a powerfull voice of Christ calling thee as Lazarus out of the grave where thou wast by nature under the dominion of death by sin hath it brought in a new life of God and grace What word besides the Omnipotent word of Christ can raise a dead man If the word of God hath inspired a new breath of the Spirit and wrought heavenly motions in thee thou mayest plainly see the power of Christ in thy selfe 3 Hath the word beene powerfull as a mighty engine to cast downe high and strong holds and bring every thing unto the subjection of Christ hath it taken thy highest holds and now sitteth as a Commander there If it have an inward command the understanding conceiveth and is convinced in the certainty of things which be contrary to nature and sense it will shut the owne eyes and yeild to things foolish and absurd to reason The will easily denyeth it selfe worldly wisdome reason profits pleasures liberty and life

dreadfull and severe against such revolters Was cast out The second thing to be observed in the overthrow of the dragon is the manner of it namely Sathans dejection or rather ejection out of the Church Quest. What ejection is here meant Answ. 1. Not that after his fall for that was not by warre as this but a just sentence and punishment that was because hee stood not in the truth this because heestood against it 2. Nor that finall ejection in the day of judgement for after that hee never assaults the woman but after this hee doth after that he is cast into hell but here into the earth 3. Therefore Satan is cast out of heaven these two wayes 1. By the head of the Church 2. By the members Christ our head hath obtained a perfect victory over him two wayes 1. By the power and merit of his death by which he encountred the devills and conquered them spoiling principalities and powers Col. 2. 15. So as the Dragons erecting a crosse for Christ set up a gibbet for themselves as Haman and for Christ a chariot of tryumph 2. By the vertue and efficacie of it daily applyed to the elect through the power of his resurrection ascention and sending of the holy Ghost into the hearts of the faithfull by whose grace as by a stronger then himselfe Sathan the strong man is ejected and can keepe possession no longer This is when faith apprehends the merit of his death and the efficacie both of his resurrection ascension and sitting at the right hand of God whence hee sendeth the Spirit But this ejection by the head is not properly meant for it was done before Iohns prophecie but this was after This ejection of Sathan then is properly by the members three wayes 1. By casting out and resisting Paganisme idolatry blasphemie impiety and all injustice and immanity against God and man in which the Dragon ruled and raigned as the god of the world 2. By the preaching and promulgation of the Gospell which is the hammer of the dragons kingdome and the utter overthrow and eversion of his whole power Luk. 10. 18. The Disciples in their ministery saw Satan fall downe like lightening 3. By open profession and maintenance of the faith and truth of the Gospell and lifting up the name and glory of Christ there where formerly Satans throne was This secondary ejection here meant and aimed at seemeth to be when after the daies of the Romish tyranny by the heathen Emperours the great and unlimited power of the old Roman Monarchie in which the Dragon had ruled and overspread the earth with all idolatry and blasphemie and had poisoned and corrupted the whole knowne world was now broken and throwne downe the maintenance of Christian faith and profession was restored and liberty given unto Christians by the manchild afore-mentioned Now was the devill cast out his idolatries detected the deceivablenesse of heathenish error discovered and his whole power so broken as hee could no longer either hinder the preaching of the Gospell or the propagation of Christian religion nor keepe the nations longer from the truth of the Gospell as he had long before done by his tyranny This I take to be the ejection of the dragon out of the Church aimed at in this text The note is that till Christ and his Gospell came the Dragon was not ejected Wheresoever Christ is not there the dragon stands in full state and strength Matt. 12. 29. the strong man keepes the house till a stronger come to dispossesse him This house is the uncleane world the whole world that lyeth in wickednesse 1. Iohn 5. 19. Whole mankinde in the first Adam all unregenerate men for so the world is taken Rom. 5. 12. By one man sinne entred into the world that is the whole world out of Christ or the whole world not chosen out of the world 2. Tim. 2. ult Before men come to the knowledge of the truth namely of Christ they are all in the divels snare taken of him at his will These snares are errours of judgment lusts of life depravation of manners or some raigning sinne or sinnes by which Satan holds them under his vassallage as a fowler can hold the bird by one foot or by one twig and snare as well as by the whole body or net For first as sinne hath given him possession of all mankinde as in Iudas his heart so hee never goeth out of himselfe nay hee is loath to be cast out and when he is it is not without extraordinary reluctation molestation Mark 1. 26. The uncleane spirit departs not without tearing and vexing and throwing him in the midst of them saith Luke all signes of extreme impatience Secondly none can cast him out but Christ for onely Christ is stronger then hee men cannot cast him out no not holy men as that man said Master wee came to thy Disciples but they could not cast him out Angels cannot cast him out for they cannot satisfie sinne onely the seed of the woman breakes the serpents head Gen. 3. 15. Christ onely is that Angell which Iohn saw Revel 10. 1. descending from heaven by his incarnation having the key of the bottomlesse pit that is power over hell and death as Revel 1. 18. and a great chaine in his hand the strong chaine of his omnipotence which chaine hath many linkes 1. The strong linke of his passion and death upon the crosse which had more strength in it then the lives of all men and Angels 2. That invincible linke of his resurrection for it was impossible for him to bee held under death The Jewes could devise to put him to death but not to hold him in the grave but by his mighty power hee opened his owne grave and all the graves of the Saints 3. That mighty linke of his ascension by which he opened heaven for his Church when the devill would for ever have barred it up against us 4. That mighty linke of sending out the holy Ghost and sending out the Apostles and Pastors with a mighty and unresistable commission for the conversion of the world But what was the end of this mighty chaine of so many strong linkes Even to binde up Satan the Dragon described here and there in the same words a thousand yeares The power of Christs death published in the ministery of the Gospell bound up the devill by destroying Paganisme and converting the nations to the faith as fast as ever any Conquerer bound his enemy in chaines and restraines him from the execution of his mischievous will against him for had not the Dragon beene bound Christianity could not have conquered the world as it did but now saith Christ Iohn 12. 22. speaking of his death is the prince of this world cast out though not wholly and fully as in the last day Thirdly the wicked world is so farre from impeaching the state and power of the Dragon that it strengtheneth and establisheth it

and powers raised against him the victorious Leader of this Army never could nor can be overcome 2. Wee have in him not onely the vertue of his death and resurrection but also the benefit of his intercession supplying us with uncōquerable strength by which we fight and conquer 3. Wee have by him mighty weapons of proofe and power against which no dragons could yet prevaile as the powerfull sword of the Spirit that invincible I had almost said omnipotent shield of faith by which we can doe suffer and overcome all things that defensive helmet of hope a sure and stable anchor of the soule these are weapons of Gods making and cannot faile 4. We have in him the donation of the Spirit who is stronger in us than hee that is in the world 1 Ioh. 4. 5. this Spirit teacheth our fingers to fight he gives us the anoynting 1 Iohn 2. 20. that we may be Kings and Conquerors as he is and communicates unto us Christs owne victory 5. We have by him a commission sealed unto the Angels to keepe to fence and guard us to beare us in their hands Psalme 91. 11. And this comforted Elisha's servant that there were more with him than against him 2 Kings 6. 3. Further if wee looke at the enemies they cannot prevaile for 1. They are creatures and what can the creature doe against the Creator what can the clay doe against the Potter 2. They are cursed creatures cursed in their persons I will curse them that curse thee Mat. 25. 41 Goe ye cursed cursed in all their enterprises and purposes against Gods people against whom the Lord himselfe hath professed himselfe an enemy He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zech. 2. 8. cursed in all the meanes they use against the Church their fraud violence envying lying false accusing and the like 3. They are captive creatures bound spoyled led in triumph pinyoned as Lyons in Grates or dragons in chaines they cannot lift hand or foot against us farther than our Captaine affords them leave and what hope have they to prevaile that shall never have leave to reach above our heele Further if wee looke at our selves as weake and unworthy as wee are yet are they weaker then to prevaile against us for 1. They shall not prevaile against our cause the battell is the Lords the question betweene the dragon and us is Gods glory and our salvation if hee should prevaile against us God should lose his honour this was Moses his argument Numb 14. 15. If thou shouldest not stand to this people the enemies would say The Lord is not able to give them the good land 2. They shall not prevaile against our faith though wee have much flesh yet there is a little faith and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against so little as a graine of Mustard-seed 3. Though wee bee but unprofitable yet wee are the Lords servants and therefore he will uphold us to victory David thought this a good argument Psal. 86. 2. O save thy servant that trusteth in thee 4. We are members of Christ our head and must partake in his victory we must be where he is to see his glory when he can patiently suffer his members to be rent off his body when hee can endure to bee dismembred and deformed then may the sound members be pulled away by temptation or persecution then may the dragon hope to prevaile but not before Here some objections must be answered for doth not the dragon prevaile against their graces their persons their profession or how may we conceive of this doctrine Object 1. For their graces was not Adam in innocency pulled away by temptation and Peter by persecution Answ. For Adam the dragon prevailed against the grace of creation but hee shall not against the true grace of regeneration the difference betweene which 1. Adam was to persevere by his owne strength we by the strength of GOD are preserved to salvation 2. Adam received grace to persevere if he would but not to will what he could but wee haue through Jesus Christ both power and will to persevere 3. Adam wanted the confirmation which wee have both in the promise which makes the Covenant of grace surer than that of worke Ier. 32. 40. as also in the intercession of Christ which continually underproppeth us supplies us with new strength which makes faith in God farre more sure and firme than that of Adam against which the dragon prevailed For Peter it is true the dragon prevailed against the grace that was in him first in part secondly for a time but not wholly and finally For in Peter the leaves faded but the root lived saith Theophilact and Augustine Confession of the mouth failed but not beliefe in the heart otherwise Christs prayers that his faith should not faile had beene frustrate the flame of his faith was suppressed but not all sparks extinct for then Christ should have deceived him saying The gates of hell cannot prevaile against it Object 2. The dragon often prevailes against their persons Cain prevailes against Abel and slayes him thousands of Israelites fall before Benjamin in a good cause often are Gods people driven to the wall Answ. God suffereth the dragon and his Angels sometime to smite and oppresse good men 1. To correct their sinne and throughly to humble them 2. To bring the dragons to their top and height of pride while his people are under and to fill up their measure the sooner But here 1. Though they may overcome their persons yet not their piety faith and holinesse which they specially aime at and therefore hate their persons 2. While they kill their bodies they perfectly cure them from all sinne and molestation the Lord doth it not to lose them but lest they should be lost he takes them from the evill to come 3. He confounds the dragons the more in that hee increaseth the Church by that whereby they would ruine it watring his Church with the blood of the Martyrs and making them more than Conquerors when they seeme most conquered and overcome Object 3. But the dragon prevailes against whole Churches Protestant countries chaseth the woman often into the wildernes see we not what powers forces are raised against the womā how Antichrist thrusts into the Countries expels the Gospell and Professors and sets up the Idoll of the Masse and the mysterie of iniquity seemes stronger and prevailes every where against the mysterie of godlinesse Ans. The dragon may prevaile against some particular Churches and utterly waste and breake them off as the Jewes Rom. 11. and so any nationall Church may be broken off But 1. Their sinne hath prevailed against themselves contempt of the Gospell and securitie were the dragons that wasted them else all the dragons in hell could not 2. They may be cut off from Christ in respect of the visible face and of the externall covenant and of the outward state and profession