Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	church_n	militant_a	triumphant_a	2,228	5	11.7299	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53292	The unconquerable, all-conquering, & more-then-conquering souldier, or, The successful warre which a believer wageth with the enemies of his soul as also, the absolute and unparalleld victory that he obtains finally over them through the love of God in Jesus Christ : as it was discussed in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England, on the day of the artillery-election there, June 3d., 1692 / by Urian Oakes ...	Oakes, Urian, 1631-1681.; Shepard, Thomas, 1635-1677.	1674 (1674)	Wing O24; ESTC W28467	45,642	48

Combatant the Believing Champion that in the Name of the Lord defies all the Hosts and Armies of Earth and Hell that come against him notwithstanding the Remainders of sin the greatness and unavoidableness of his Afflictions and Sufferings is expressed 1. Negatively ●…er 35. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ The Argument stands thus if nothing can separate a Christian from the Love of God in Christ then nothing can conquer him but he is invincible But nothing can make that woful destructive separation which he proves by an enumeration or induction of particulars shall tribulation or distress or persecution c. therefore he is invincible This negation is clearly imported in the interrogation For though it may be a stale yet it is a true and useful observation that interrogations affirmatively exprest in Scripture are wont to ●…arry in them the force and signification of vehement negations The meaning of the Apostle in plain terms is that neither Tribulation nor Distress nor Persecution nor Famine nor Nakedness nor Peril nor Sword nor any thing else of an ●…imical nature can possibly separate a true Believer from the dear love of Jesus Christ. 2. Affirmatively in the Words of the Text Nay in all th●…se things we are more then Conquerours through him that loved us A●… if he should say●… we are so farre from being worsted and prevailed over by the Enemies of our Salvation that warre against us from succumbing under the L●…d they are laying upon us and losing our Interest in the Fruits of the Everlasting Love of God in Christ by Reason of the opposition that is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our way that we carry the Day and are sure of a very glorious victory In this Verse we may remark these two things 1. A singular Priviledge And that is Uictory Conquest which is illustrated amplified 1. From the Extent and Vniversality of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all these things such as he had mentioned before or what else can be mentioned and imagined by us 2. From the transcendent incomparable Excellency of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are more then Conqu●…rours or do more then overcome It is a Victory with Surplusage and Advantage a Victory and somewhat more then a Victory a Superlative and incomparable Conqu●…st and Victory that is obtained 3. From the Foundation of this glorious Victory o●… the great and only means of acquiring and obtaining it And that is Th●… Lord Jesus Christ. Through him that loved us saith the Apostle m●…ning Christ or God in Christ Iesus 4. From the first grand impulsive ●…use of it the proegumenical Cause of this glorious Victory which i●… infallibly obtained and that is the Love of God in Christ. The special love of God in his Son Jesus Christ is the first Cause of these victorious Atchievmen●… More then Conquerours through Him that loved us 2. The Persons that are thus Priviledged or invested in this great priv●…ledge that have Victory Triumph ascertained to them We are more the●… Conquerours Not only the great Apostle Paul himself that renowned Warriour and brave Champion of the Lord Jesus Christ But all true Believers also universally He ranks Himself with and discourseth of Believer●… in general that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Believing Justified and Sanctified men and women They are not exempted or Secured from violent Onsets furious Assaults hazardous and desperat●… Conflict●… with their mortal Enemies that warre against their Souls But they have this admirable Advantage above all other men that they are assured of a glorious Victory The Intendment of the Apostle in the words is Obvious and may be drawn into this Observation Doct. That all true Believers have a transcendent and incomparably glorious Conquest and Victory in all their severe ●…agements with the Enemies of their Peace and Happiness through the Love of God in Christ Iesus Believing Justified persons through the Love of God in Christ have the better by many Degrees of the Enemies of their Salvation and are m●…h too hard for them in all their sharp Disputes and Encounters with them All the●… h●…ve believed through Grace and are admitted into a st●…te of Justification and Accepration with the Lord a. c ' more then Conquerours successful and victorious beyond Expression or Comparison in their Combates and Co●…flicts with their Enemies those adverse powers that warre against th●…m through D●…vine Love in Jesus Christ●… This Proposition which we have laid down as the Subject of our present Ex●…rcise and which is evidently founded and comprized in the words of the Text hath a large Compass and a very great Circumference as you will readily apprehend We are now entring into a very large Field and might traverse a great deal of Ground if Time and strength would allow us to pace it over We have many Things before us to be discoursed for the due Explication and Confirmation of this observation The way of quickest dispatch and greatest Expedition as well as Clearness and Demonstration will be to cast all we have ●…o say to the Doctrinal part into Six or Seven grand Conclusions Concl. 1. Eve●…y true Believer is a Souldier and engaged in a Warfare I ●…ould it were reciprocally true that every Souldier amongst us is a true Bell●…●…am suee every Souldier ought to be a Believer and of all men Mi●… men when they are commanded out upon real Service to look Death and Danger in the Face and carry their Lives in their Hands had need of Faith and Grace and Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby the Con●…ition of their Souls well secured for Eternity But it is Infallibly and Universally ●…ue that every Believer is a Souldier in a spiritual Consideration The whole Body of Christians that walk by Faith in this lower World the ●…lace of Sin and Sorrow and Temptation and Absence from the Lord is apt●… and ●…uly called the Church Militant in Contra-Distinction from that ●…hich is Triumphant in the highest Heavens Those that are arrived at a ●…te of Glory have fought their fight and finished the Course of their Wat●…are and are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of pu●…h of Pike or Gunshot farre enough ●…moved out of the Reach of their Adversaries They are marched out of the Field and discharged from any further Service and enjoying their Reward But the people of God in this world are in a warfaring state and Condition The first moment that any man is effectually called and converted and sa●…ingly wrought upon He is engaged on Christs side against the world the Flesh and the Devil taken into Christs pay puts on his Armour and is prepared for the Battel For the Graces of Gods Spirit which are infused at a Christians Conversion are a Believers spiritual Armour Eph. 6. 13 14 c. Eve●…y Chris●…ian when he is new Born is born a Souldier It is said of Goliah the Philistine Champion that he was a Man of warre from his

Heb. 10. 32. The World can put on two Faces and change its Countenance as occasion servs If feigned flattering smiles will not do then killing Frowns shall if it be possible The World hath Terrours to affright as well as Allurements to entice Believers out of the way of Happiness The men of the world are usually pricks in the eyes and Thorns or Scourges in the sides of Believers Briers and T●…orns are with them in the world as the Lord tells the Prophet Ezek. 2. 6 that will scratch the Face of their Reputation wound them in their outward Concernments and tear th●…ir Flesh yea they dwell among Scorpions that will put them to great torment and sting them to Death Aelian reports concerning the Lybians ocreatos dormire solere that they were wont to sleep with their Boots on lest the Scorpions their Country was infested with should sting them I am sure a Christian had need walk Booted and have his Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace yea to be defended and ●…med in all respects or He will be in much danger of t●…●…any scorpions in ●…is way vid. Greenhil on Ezek. 2. 6. As beleivers have bodies of flesh and mortality that keep open House for sicknesses pains Dis●…ses and give Entertainment to them So they are exposed to the Rage and 〈◊〉 of u●…reasonable men They pass through an Enemie Country where they have many Affronts and Indignities offered them If lies and Calumnies Scoffs and Scorns angry looks and cruel threatnings opprobrious and injurious dealings or any kind of Cruelty may be likely to scare a Believer out of his way or force Him to a dishonourable Retreat or to run from his Colours by quitting his profession the malignant angry world will be sure if the Lord permit to prove Him in that kind In both the respects mentioned the world is an Enemy and makes Opposition to Believers in their way to Glory Furthermore a Believer meets with Opposition 3. From Satan the Prince and God of the World Eph. 6. 11 12. If a Christian were to try Masteries and contest only with Flesh and bloud whether we understand thereby his own Corruptions or Opposition from men like Himself He would have hot and hard service of it But this is his Case and Lot to meet with Opposition from Principalities and Powers the Rulers of the Darkness of this World and spiritual wickedness in High places He fights at great Disadvantage with Enemies that have the Hill and upper-Ground He combates hand to Hand with the God of the World as well as his Creatures the men of the world Satan is one of the Allies of In-dwelling sin and of Conf●…deracy with our own Hearts which are ready every moment if there be not a strict watch kept upon them to betray us into his Hands and deliver us up to Him A Christian had need look to Himself considering that Satan goes about dai●…y seeking to devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. A Believer will be sure to meet with this Lion in his way And our Flesh and Hearts as was intimated before are Satans Correspondents and Confederates against the Spiritual Life and Comfort and Happiness of our Souls ready to open to Him make a Surrender of all and comport with him in all his dangerous and destructive Applications of Himself unto us This Spiritual Leviathan is a p●…ercing Serpent and a crooked Serpent Isai. 27. 1. Sometimes he opposes the People of God by Force and then he is a p●…ercing Serpent Sometimes he circumvents them by craft and then He is a crooked Serpent Vel rectus venit vel tortuosus Satan opposes the people of God in a way of Fraud He playes the Dragon and deceivs them He is a Serpent yea an old Serpent Rev. 12. 9. and hath his Wiles Eph. 6. 11. and advantagious Devices t Cor. 2. 11. his methods of Deceit and h●…s Depths or deep Contrivances Rev 2. 24. and in a way of force and violence He acts the part of a Lion and rageth and he hath his venemous Arrows his fiery Darts Eph. 6. 16. and makes many violent On-sets upon the Children or God The Church of God or the Body of Saints and Called Ones in the world have the Gates of Hell Math. 16. 18. that is as it is commonly expounded the Power and Policy of the Devil and his Instruments and Under-Agents to oppose them in their way to Heaven though they sh●…ll not prevail in that Opposition Lastly 4. From Death it self which is the last Enemy 1 Cor. 15. 26. When all the rest are beaten cut of the field and a Christian is marching off and 〈◊〉 ready to make his Triumphant Entrance into Heaven Death encounte●… him This comes in by the Curse and the natural or direct tendency of it is to separate a Son of Adam from God for ever It is the great and g●… Executioner of the vindictive justice of God Here men enjoy some Fruits of at least the general and common goodness of God but when Death comes it pushes them away from God makes an everlasting separation between them and all the fruits of the goodness of God turns them into Hell where they must feed upon the bitter Fruit of their own wayes for ever When Death hath done its Execut●…on upon the Condemned Sons and Daughters of Adam God will then carry away all his goodness from them and never afford them so much as one drop of Water to cool their Tongues to Eternity That which makes Death so terrible is that in the ordinary course of it it makes a perfect and perpetual separation between the Sons and Daughters of men and all the Fruits of the Love and Goodness and Patience of the blessed God Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. And where it Reigns and Triumphs and is Victorious over any man and fastens its Sting in him as I may allude to 1 Cor. 15. 55. it destroyes him utterly by putting him into a condition of everlasting separation from God Now this is the last Adversary that the Believing Christian Souldier contends withal though upon more advantagious Terms then other men Thus much for the second Particular under the second Conclusion Every Believer meets with great opposition in his way 3. A Believer cannot possibly make his way through all these Enemies and ●…ar down all this opposition without fighting He skirmishes with these Enemies yea fights many a pitch'd Battel against them He must put on the whole Armour of God Eph. 6. 11. and keep it on and make use of the weapons of his Christian Warfare and his Faith and other Graces will be soundly put to it It costs him many a Bickering He runs and Wrestles and labeurs and strives and fights the good fight of Faith as we might demonstrate by many Scripture Instances By Fighting I mean a vigorous contending and conflicting with the Enemies of his Soul which is exprest variously by the Holy Ghost in Scripture

of the Lord that appeared to Ioshuae Josh. 5. 13 14. It arm●… them with invincible Graces offensive and defensive and orders them the insuperable and invincible Assistance of the Spirit of Christ and the needful supplies and recruits of Assisting Grace The Love of God in Christ furnisheth the Christian Souldier compleatly every way with all that he needs in order to the Conquest of his Enemies so that he is better provided for the Combate and hath more Assistance in the Combate and more assurance consequently of success then any other Conquerours have The Christian Souldier is well appointed and set forth for the War Recruited and Assisted in it at the cost and charges of the Love of God in Jesus Christ. 3. The Everlasting Love of God adjudges them Triumph at last and Crowns them with it Divine Love sets the Glorious Crown upon the Head of the persevering victorious all-conquering Believer There is a Glorious Day coming wherein the Believer shall receive the reward of all his Labours and Travels and Combatings with the Flesh the World and the Devil And this reward will be adjudged to him that overcometh and actually conferred upon him by the Grace and Love of God in Jesus Christ. Not his Merit but Gods Mercy and Love will then Crown him His present sufferings in the time of his Warfare are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in him Rom. 8. 18. When Paul had fought his good fight and finished the cou●…se of his warfare he expected his Triumph●… Crown from the Lord the Righteous Iudge 2 Tim. 4. 7 8 A Crown of Mercy and Grace it is and also a Crown of Righteousness there being a sweet concurrence of the Remunerative Iustice of God with his Infinite Mercy Grace and Love in that Glorious work of Crowning a persevering Christian Souldier with everlasting Triumph and Glory Divine Love adjudges and bestows upon Believers at last the Heavenly Prize they run for and the incorruptible Crown they fight for in this World That they Triumph Eternally is from the Love of God in Christ. Thus much for the Doctrinal part Use 1. We might improve this Observation To crush that Erroneous conceit of the Arminians concerning the possibility of a Regenerate man's total and final Apostacy For to assert this is to say that a Believer may be totally defeated and overcome and Sin Satan and World may prevaile over him to his utter Ruine The Truth we have discoursed is ready prest to militate against the men of that Heteredox perswasion and is alone without the Levy of any other force●… of strength sufficient to fight that Enemy and beat him out of the field This Text of the Apostle and the Observation we have deduced from it smites those Adversaries of the Doctrine of Perseverance under the fifth Rib or rather stabs their fifth Article concerning the Apostacy of Saints to the Heart This one Weap●… if it be well managed and weilded will do real and through Execution For if ●…re may be a total final defection of Believers or falling from Grace ou●… of the favour of God then there is a possibility that a Believer may be totally finally separated from the love of God so totally conquered which is diametrally opposite to the Strain and Genius and Intendment of the Apostles Discourse what we have been regularly superstructing upon it But let it be enough to have thus Faced that Grand Enemy the Arminian without engaging further on this occasion in any pitch'd confutation of him Use 2. This makes it appear who are the bravest Souldiers the most Renowned Warriours Persons of the greatest Bravery and Gallantry in the World They are Believing Men and Women A Christian Man or Woman is by many degrees a better Souldier then Caesar or Alexander Sincere Believers of all degrees and conditions are persons of eminency this way Among the victorious Worthies whose Famous Exploits and Atchievements are Recorded Hib. 11. The Apostle doth not leave Believing Women out of the Catalogue We read of great Exploits that have been performed even by those of the weaker Seu both in Sacred and Common History but none to be compared with those which Believing Women through Faith have enterprized and accomplished O Woman great is thy Faith saith our Saviour Mat. 15 28. Why then it might be said also O Woman great is thy Victory For this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith 1 Joh. 5. 4. True Faith though it be but as a Grain of Mustard Seed will overcome and bear down all that opposition the World can make against it As to this Christian Warfare Victory and Triumph Believers of all sorts share in it there is no difference in this matter but Iew and Greek Bond and Free Male and Female are all one in this respect through Jesus Christ. The weakest Believer will be too hard for the strongest Adversary This is a clear Consequence from what we have discoursed that a Believer is the bravest and most victorious Souldier in the World Use 3. A word of singular Encouragement and Comfort unto all that ●…ourn for the sorrowful state and Condition of Jerusalem Know it and Believe it that the Church of God however aff●…icted and oppressed in the world shall certainly prevail and get the Day at last The Victories Triumphs that God hath decreed and determined shall certainly be awarded and given to the conflicting Militant-Church in the Season thereof How might we expostulate the Case with the mightiest of the Churches Adversaries with the High and Low Great and Small ones of the Earth in this respect why do the Nations rage and People imagine a vain Thing vain it is and will be found so in the Issue to oppose the Lord Jesus to fight against his M●…mbers to plot and pr●…ct design and endeavour the Ruine of the Inter●…st of Christ in the W●… For the Lord Jesus and his called and Faithful Chosen shall certai●… 〈◊〉 more then overcame at last The Lamb and his Followers shall be Illust●…ious so quero●…s The Beast may arise out of the Bottomless pit and raise the Posse Inferni or Inferorum come with Legions of D●…vile and their Instruments and set their Hellish Armies in Aray and make warre upon the Witnesses and overcome them for a while but they shall overcome at last in a glorious manner Verily no Weapon that is formed against the Church shall prosper Christ laughs at all the Confederacies and Complotments and mad Rage of the world against his Interest and Members Psal. 2. 4. And his People that are at present in a sad and sorrowful Condition in the Heat of the Engagement shall laugh too and Triumph over all Excellent were the Expressions of that man of Faith Martin Luther to this purpose That the Kings and Princes People do so rage against the Lord and his Christ I account faith he an Happy Omen and much better then if they

fawned and flattered For it follows in the second Psalm He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh at them Hoc autem principe nostro illos ridente non video cur nobis fle●…dum sit a facie illorum As long as our King laughs at them I see no Reuson why we should cry for them They that make Christ laugh by their ridiculous Opposition should not make his People cry Verily every Believer hath that in his Heart I mean the Victorious all-conquering Grace of Faith whose Prerogative it is to laugh to scorn all the foolish plots and ill contrived Designs and feeble Attempts of men against Christ and his Church For indeed their wise●… Contrivances are Foolishness and their strongest Endeavours against the impregnable and invincible Interest of Christ and his Church are weakness it self and will appear so at last And if Christ laughs at them why should not his Friends and Followers also For he laughs as Luther goes on not for his own but for our sake that we also through Faith may laugh at the vain Counsels of Men S●… much need there is of Faith that the Cause of Faith may not be managed without Faith Ne Causa Fidei sit sine Fide He that is sure of Victory may well laugh in the Face of his Enemies Now though wicked men are plowing and making long Furrows on the Backs of the Righteous yet the Lord will certainly cut their Traces The blessed Lord Jesus leads and assists his People and the Shout of a King and General is among them Numb 23. 21 And that is assurance enough of Victory What an invincible Army must the Body of Saints and Believers needs be whereof not only the General but every private Souldier is Invincible They shall say at last Lo this is our God we have waited for him And he hath saved us this is the Lord we have waited for him and n●…w we will be glad and rejoyce in his Salvation when all Moabs shall be trodden down as Straw for the Dunghil Is●…●…5 9 10. O Beloved Lift up your Heads and Hands and be encouraged Though it is a day of Trouble and perplenity and of doub●…ful Ex●…ectations in ma●…y respects yet in the eye of Faith it is an hopeful Time and a promising Sease●… when the world this blind and mad world is in a Tumult and Upro●… against the Church of Christ. The great and glorious Things that are to be fulfilled the faithful and true sayings of God cannot be accomplished by the Quietness and sitting still of the Nations When the world rageth against the Church and is up in Arms to make havock of it then Christ Jesus and those Veteran Legions the glorious Angels the Lord Iesus the Man upon the Red Horse among the Myrtle Trees attended with Red speckled and white Horses Angels deputed to several Offices and Administrations Zech. 1. 8. are in a posture of readiness to charge the Enemy and bring off the people of God with Safety and Honour that are hotly engaged in the Conflict with their Adversaries The Witnesses may be overcome and killed but they shall live again They that mourn for Ierusalem shall have a Time to rejoyce for Her and with Her Isai. 66. 10. men that wage warre against Heaven and bid open defiance to the great Interest of the Lord Jesus who is Faithful and True and in Righteousness doth judge and make warre who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 11 c. shall be confounded and Ierusalem shall be a Burdensome Stone and a Cup of trembling to the Adversaries thereof Indeed we must wait Christs Time for the exerting of his Power and the Lighting down of his Omnipotent Ar●… the Day of his power and wrath when He shall gird his Sword on his Thigh and his Arrows shall be sharp in the Heart of his Enemies and he shall Smite through the Loines of them that rise up against him and of them that hate Him that they rise not again There is a Day coming when the Right Hand of Christ shall teach Him terrible Things Psal. 45. 4. In the mean while our work is to wait and pray and exercise Faith and Patience For here or in this matter is the Faith and Patience of the Saints proved and exercised and when the Day comes which God hath determined your very General alone can win the Field and turn the Battel to the Gate●… and give you a signal Victory and will do it right-early for his Suffering Servants that shall need to do nothing then but stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord and what Destructions He will make among their Adversaries If one Saint be thus Victorious as you have heard never question but the whole Body of them shall in Gods Time and way prevail and Conquer in a glorious manner Use 4. Of Exhortation to such as have Believed through Grace in several Branches 1. Be Encouraged then to fight this good Fight where there is so much Hope nay such Assurance to Believers of a Glorious victory They must needs C●…quer that fight on such Termes as we have mentioned and have such ●…rovision laid in for Victory and Triumph They must needs Conquer whose very General alone is able to Conquer all their Enemies Well may the Christian Souldier be hardy daring venturous couragious resolute in his way to see upon his Enemies that hath such Assurance of being Triumphantly successfull in all his Engagements Here is encouragement enough one would think to make any Coward valiant in fight Never despair nor give in then but fight this good fight of Faith Therefore for Direction 1. Let all Believers know and consider well that they are Souldiers and have fighting work before them That they have many Foes to deal withal and that they are in the Field deeply eng●…ged in a sharp contest about the things of their Peace And that there is no retreating or drawing off or looking back without shame and misery That they are waging a War that is of greatest importance of everlasting Consequence and of infinite concernment to them Do not rest in slight Apprehensions transient and overly Thoughts of your State and Condition in this respect left you fall into a Laish like frame Judg. 18. 27. and dwell securely and carelesly in the World and expose your selves to the inrodes and inculsions of your Enemies Know that you do not dwell far from evil Neighbours you have Mortal Enemies bordering upon you that will make all Advantage of your Security You have a Troublesome Quarrelsome In-mate one that was bred and born with you and hath grown up with you and is a constant Lodger in your House and Companion at home and abroad Indwelling sin I mean with its Confederates that hold exact intelligence one 〈◊〉 another and watch all Advantages against you 2. Labour to get accurate Intelligence of the Policies and Designs of your Adversaries Acquaint your selves with the deceitfulness of sin the Frauds