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duty_n	child_n	parent_n	special_a	1,430	5	8.5731	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91898	Panoplia. Universa arma. Hieron. Or, The Christian compleatly armed: being a treatise of the Christians armour, clearly opening every part thereof, both pressing to the putting of it on, and instructing us so to use it, as we may not be soyled in time of temptation. / Delivered by that late reverend, and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Woolnoth, London, to his congregation there, in several lectures: and now published for the further benefit of the Church of God.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1656 (1656)	Wing R1710; Thomason E1586_2; ESTC R208953	180,905	372

Controversies of Religion we are finally to appeal to the Original Texts as being immediatly inspired of God but yet are Translations useful and the very VVord of God by which a Christian may fight as confidently and as successfully against Satan as if he were able to produce the Original Text. Gods goodness is to be acknowledged in giving gifts to men to draw this Sword for us and to give it us in our own Tongue Exhortation It should put us upon these things 1. Let the word of Christ dwell in you 2. Vse richly in all wisdom Col. 3. 16. Labour for an exact knowledge in the Scriptures that you may be skilful in this word of righteousness It s said of Apollos that he was mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18. 24. The better you are skil'd in the Scriptures the more able you will be to defend your selves against your spiritual Adversaries To this purpose these two things are to be considered 1. Take heed of those deceipts whereby the Devill endeavours to take you off from this study vid. Mat. 13. 9. 2. Make use of such helps as may further your knowledge in them 1. For Satans deceipts they are such as these 1. He sometimes perswades men that the study of the Scriptures doth not belong to them Ministers indeed should study them but private persons need not trouble themselves with this study I shall therefore lay down these following Arguments to prove that the study of the Scriptures belongs to all persons viz. 1. The subject matter or the things contained in the Scriptures do appertain to private persons as well as to others Every man is interested in the Doctrine which the word of God teacheth The knowledge of God of Jesus Christ of the Fall of man of the way of his Recovery the Doctrine of Faith Repentance obedience are to be known of every person that would be saved There is not any kinde of life any relation into which such persons enter but the peculiar and special duties belonging to it are laid down in the Scriptures There is the duty of Magistrates of Ministers of Parents Children of Masters Servants of old young of the rich and poor c. All persons are bound to the obedience of the duties the Scriptures command and to abstain from the sins the Scripture forbids Ergo. 2. All men are to be judged by the Scriptures after this life I mean all that live where they sound Such as have sinned without Law shall perish without Law but such as have sinned under the Law shall be judged by the Law Rom. 2. 12. yea and by the Gospel as well as by the Law Rom. 2. 16. This is that which our Saviour saith John 12. 48. Now every man must come to judgement for himself Ergo its necessary that he should know that word by which God will judge him 3. The word of God is directed to all and every man that lives where it is published The Law of God was given to all the people of Israel as well one as another Hear oh Israel the Lord our God is one Lord the writings of the Prophets were sent to all the Members of the Church Isay 1. 1. The Apostolical writings were dedicated to all and every one of the Members of the Church Rom. 1. 7. To all that be in Rome beloved of God called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. To the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified c. 2 Cor. 1. 1. To the Church of God which is at Corinth with all the Saints that are in all Achaja The like you will finde in the dedication of all the other Epistles Eph. 1. 1. Phil. 1. 1. The Saints and Bishops are promiscuously mingled together 4. An Implicite faith will save no man in the day of Gods appearing The just shall live by his faith Rom. 1. 17. Hab. 2. 4. Every man is to have rejoycing in himself not in another Ergo our faith must not stand in the judgement of man we must have grounds of our own for every matter of practice and for every Doctrine of faith c. 2. Sometimes he takes men off from the study of them by the obscurity and difficulty of them They are perplex knotty c. Those that are most able wrest them to their own ruine c. 2 Pet. 3. 16. Against this design we should consider four things 1. That although some places of Scripture be dark obscure c. yet those things which are fundamentally necessary to salvation are plainly and familiarly laid down that the meanest capacity may understand them As there are great deeps wherein the Elephant may swim so are there fords where the Lambe may wade 2. That the obscurity and difficulty of some places should rather perswade us to the diligent study of them The true ground of the difficulty of some places in Scripture is to prevent nauseating and loathing of them by men of large apprehensions there 's work enough to exercise their understandings 2. To raise our hearts to the admiration of the infinite wisdom of God the Authour of them 3. To excite men to be more diligent in the study of them III. That as many wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction so many are ignorant of them to their own destruction The Lord will come in flaming sire to render judgment and vengeance to them that know not God 2 Thes 1. 8. Ye err not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God 4. That obscurity which is in the Scriptures doth not arise from the nature of that which is affirmed or from the intention of the person affirming but either from the ignorance or wilfulness of him that wrests it 3. Sometimes he takes men off from the study of the Scriptures by shewing them the wicked practices of such as are so much for the Scriptures Are there any sort of men more loose c Against this design we should consider these things 1. That there are some who by the studying of the Scriptures are enabled to mortifie sin and live holily Their lives are exemplary c. 2. The loosness and sinfulness of some who study the Scriptures ariseth not from the knowledge of the word of God but either from ignorance of it or want of practising it It is not because they know what they should do but because they be not careful to do what they know II. For helps to attain to the exact knowledge of the Scriptures take these 1. Be careful every day to read some part of them Frequent-reading of them will make us exact in them Alphonso King of Spain read over the Bible 14. times with Lyraes Postils And Austin writes of Antonius a Monk that having no learning by hearing the Scriptures often read got them without book Boyss Post p. 178. vid. Acts 17. 11. Let no day passe without reading some part of the word of God 2. Careful Meditation This is chewing of the Cudd. Meditatio sine lectione

oft put in minde of them There are some sins which are predominant in every Age these the Ministers of Christ must be often beating down and reproving There are some duties to which men are very averse these must be often urged Hypocrisie was a raigning sin amongst the Jews therefore our Saviour at every turn was beating down that sin Apostacy from the truth of the Gospel by hearkening to seducers was the great sin of the Churches of the Gospel therefore all the Apostles who writ to those Churches did urge and press a care about that more then once or twice c. Onely the Ministers of God must be carefull of these three things in reference to this business 1. That they do it not because of sluggishnes or sloathfulness of spirit Idleness is a very great sin in any Calling much more in the Ministry their Calling being of greater importance then any other If the Lord of the Vineyard come and finde them sleeping and snorting by reason of negligence he will cut them asunder and give them their portion with the Hypocrites Matth. 24. 48 49 50 51. God hath given them a large taske they have a broad field to walk in they are to preach the whole Counsel of God and therefore they must not insist upon the same things out of a spirit of laziness but meerly out of respect to and compassion of the necessity of the people And then 2. That they be as careful in studying the same Doctrines as if they had never made any mention of them before That if it fall into their way to speak about the same Duty or about the same sin concerning which they have formerly spoken they may have fresh Arguments to recommend the same duty and fresh considerations to manifest and make evident the vileness of the same sin c. They must still dive further into the Scriptures and meditate more earnestly that they may speak more convincingly then before to the Consciences of such as hear them 3. That they seek earnestly to God by prayer in the behalf of the people that their hearts may so readily practise the Duty enjoyned avoid the sin reproved that they may have no further occasion to remember them any more of the same things Let the people of God be willing when necessity Vse 2. requires to hear of the same duty and of the same sinne over and over Many men cannot endure to hear of a Duty twice though they can be content to omit it when the Minister hath done all he is able nor are they patient to hear the same sin twice reproved though they can be content to commit it an hundred times over it may be in one week It is no advantage to the Minister but it 's a great benefit to you It 's safe for you Phil. 3. 1. It 's an Argument of love and care in the Ministers of God over your souls They are afraid you should miss the way to Heaven and therefore they give you your direction over again They are afraid the Sore should not be well healed and therefore they apply another Plaister to it that the Cure may be perfect They would present every man perfect to Christ Col. 1. 28. therefore they inculcate things If you would hear no more of the same Duty do you practise it carefully If you would not hear of the same sin again cease from it break it off by repentance and then you shall hear no more of it And indeed this is one great use which all Christians should make of these Repetitions 1. To be convinced of the badness of their own hearts And 2. to learn more diligently to practise what is frequently commended and to avoid what is so often forbidden Otherwise know this that such Rehearsals will be very sad Aggravations of sin another day When Conscience shall bring in testimony that such a Duty was preached over and over and yet you would never practise it such a sinne was forbidden you many a time yet you would not leave it You heard it pressed upon you more then perhaps a hundred times that you should believe repent pray in your Families and instruct your Children and read the Scriptures c. but you could never get up your hearts to the Duty You heard more then once perhaps a thousand times that you should not swear nor lie nor abuse the Creatures to excess nor break the Sabbath c. yet you would go on c. These often Repeatings of your duties will be high aggravations and so many Witnesses of your contempt And indeed this is one End why they are used in the Scriptures and commanded to be used in the Ministry That those that do not obey after all these inculcations may be left without excuse and condemned by so many Witnesses The Apostle useth such an Argument as this to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 13. This is the third time I am He alludes to the Law Deut. 17. 3. coming to you At the mouth of 2 or 3 Witnesses shall every word be established He had sent them three Warnings that he would come to use against the stubborn in spirit Authority Christ had given him for the punishing of their sin and if they did not repent before his coming this three-fold Warning would be as a three-fold Testimony to prove them incorrigible So will all the Repeatings of the same Duties both in the Scripture and in the mouth of Gods Ministers be in stead of so many clear Testimonies of your incorrigibleness when Christ comes to judge and punish the disobedience of the World And look how often your Admonitions and Rebukes have been repeated so often shall the stripes of Gods hand be repeated also He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29. 1. We find in the Gospel that our Saviour makes this a sharp and clear conviction of the Jews stubborness that they would not submit to his yoke and be brought into obedience though they were often required and urged thereunto O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. how often would I have gathered thy Children together as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Lukc 13. 34. behold your house is lest unto you desolate It 's damnable to refuse any Duty though but once commanded and to run into any act of sinne though but once forbidden but not to hearken after a thousand Admonitions will be a proof of stubbornness by a thousand Witnesses And the torment of the Conscience in Hell will rise in extremity answerable to the number of the Warnings you have had to have kept you out of Hell All Admonitions sleighted in this life will be remembred in Hell and not one of them forgotren and every Admonition will be a new flame to afflict and torment the never-dying soul Consider these things and be no longer rebellious Let not this Admonition be added as

Saint Mat. 6. 1 2 3 4 5. They may give as many and as great Almes They may give God as many and as long Prayers as a sincere Christian doth but they differ in their ends The end of the one is to get glory from men to satisfie the voyce of Conscience c. The end of the other is to approve his Heart to God to glorifie his Heavenly Father and to testifie his Obedience to the Command of God 4. He that hath the Grace of Truth in his heart is the same in private that he is in publike The Lining and the Out-side of his garment are both of one piece he is clean within as wel as without a spot upon his skin is as great a trouble to him as a stain upon his garment This is that which our Saviour makes a distinguishing Note between a Hypocrite and a sincere Christian Matth. 15. 7 8. the Hypocrite is onely for the out-side of Cup or Platter that that may be clean but the inward part is full of wickedness This is David's Character of himself Psal 18. 23. I was also uncorrupt before him and kept my self from mine iniquity i. e. from secret sinnes as well as publike And Psal 101. 2. I will walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart A sincere Christian is as good in his own house as in Gods house in the Closet as well as in the Streets in his secret Chamber as well as in the Church He desires to have a clean heart as well as clean hands Jam. 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye sinners purifie your hearts ye double-minded 5. He that hath truth will be the same in trouble and after trouble Psal 78. 34 35 36. Exhortation That all that profess themselves Christians would both carefully get and keep this girdle of Truth I shall here urge it by some Motives and then lay down some Helpes and Directions 1. For Motives 1. Sincerity is the best security Prov. 10. 9. He tbat walketh uprightly walketh surely but he that perverteth his wayes shall be known God knowes him already and men shall know him when the Mask of Hypocrisie is pull'd off his face his rough garment which he wore to deceive shall in due time be plucked off and then his deceit shall be made manifest He walkes under Divine Protection he walkes under the shadow of Divine Promises therefore he is in safety He may sometimes come into danger but he shall be delivered either in danger or from danger or by danger Yea sometimes God brings him into a lesser danger to preserve him from a greater vid. Jer. 38. 38. His imprisonment saved him from the danger he might have been in by the enemy when Jerusalem was taken The three Children Dan. 3. and Dan. 6. were preserved by their Integrity The Prophet David never was in such danger as when he warped a little and went into the Land of the Philistins He got a strong Hold of Zicklag from the King of Gath but that Fort was destroyed and he was never in such distress in all his troubles 1 Sam. 30. init His own guard had there been his Executioners had not God by a mighty hand staved them off 2. Integrity of Heart is the best Guide in straits and doubtful Cases This is promised Prov. 11. 3. The integrity of the Upright shall guide them but the perversness of Transgressors shall destroy them It 's a marvellous happiness to have a perfect and faithfull guide in dark and dangerous Travels It 's a priviledge belonging to the godly man to have Divine guidance Psal 32. 8. He that is sincere shall have this guidance It is evinced by what hath been said Integrity makes the Word his Rule And that Word is a Lantern yea 't is a Light shining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1. 19. and he that followeth this Light shall see his way when others are in obscurity vid. Isa 30. 21. The Spirit of God who is the Soules guide dwels in a sincere heart therefore he shall be led in the right path 3. Sincerity of heart will procure Gods acceptance of all your services Though they be very weak and very imperfect yet if they be seasoned with the Salt of sincerity they shall not be cast away Prov. 15. 8. The Sacrifice of the Wicked is abomination to the Lord but the Prayer of the Upright is his delight It 's a marvellous comfort to a Child of God that his Duties find acceptance When they do but suppose that their services are rejected how are they cast down how are they disquieted Nothing can satisfie them in such a Case Well! if your hearts be sincere your prayers shall be as Incense and sweet Odours in the sight of God 4. The Services and Ordinances of God shall convey strength to you When the false-hearted Christian shall winder and molder away and all which he seemed to have shall come to nothing then shall the true hearted-Christian be as one anointed with fresh Oyl he shall be active vigorous and strong This is promised in many places Job 17. 9. The Upright shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall add to strength The meat and nourishment which is taken by a man whose vitals are consumed gives no true strength to him He may perhaps for a little time appear to be fat and in good liking but all his growth is but wind and emptiness which in a fit of sickness will soon wash off But the meat of a man that is sound turnes into nourishment and makes him grow so it is with the Soul the rotten Hypocrite he gets no nourishment by the Ordinances but the sound Christian gets strength by them He may not presently perceive his growth nor does he grow always alike in all graces but in some grace or other he increaseth and shall increase his Spirituall strength Prov. 10. 19. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity 5. God will pardon and graciously pass by many failings and infirmities if the heart be sound 1 King 15. 12 13 14. King Asa was guilty in many things there were very visible Defects found in him contrary to that which the Law of God required He took away the Sodomites which were in the Land he removed all the Idols which his Fore-fathers had made He deposed his Mother from her Regency because she had made an Idol in a Grove but the high places remained still Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with the Lord all his dayes And because he was a man of a sound heart God accepted what he had done well and graciously pardoned his Omissions And therefore it is that David makes the soundness of his heart an Argument to move God to forgive his sin Psal 51. 6. Behold thou requirest truth in the inward parts that is to say Lord although according unto the letter of the Law thou hast cause to cast me off

arida lectio sine meditatione infructuosa 3. The help of good Commentaries God hath afforded his people plentiful helps of this nature Turn over Interpreters that ye may see and finde out the sence of Scripture which is indeed the Scripture Non in verbi● est Evangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed in medullâ non in verborum foliis sed in radice rationis 4. A good digestion of the publique Sermons you hear In all Sermons some places of Scripture are opened or explained These would be improved and laid up carefully 5. Care to live answerable to that measure of knowledge you have received Mat. 25. 28 To every one that hath it shall be given 6. Frequent Prayer Crying after knowledge is the way to attain unto knowledge Prov. 2. 3. 7. Frequent enquiry of others especially the Ministers of God Mal. 2. 7. The Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they shall seek the Law at his mouth The Apostles when they met with any thing they did not understand they used to come to Christ for instruction Mark 7. 17. Lord teach us this Parable we would not have you pin your faith on the Ministers sleeve but we would have you to repair to them for the untying of your knots 2. Make use of the word of God in the day of battel as the souldier doth of his sword Draw out this sword and strike down temptations by the power of it Arm your selves with it and then use it Many Christians are like some men that wear a sword but they let it rust in the scabbard through cowardice they are afraid to draw it Many Christians know well how to use the sword of the spirit but when they are assaulted they are so astonished that they make no use of it I beseech you cast off this sloathfulness and stir up your selves and when you see a temptation arise thrust this sword presently into the bowels of it and defend your selves In the word of God you have these five things that you may make much use of in the day of Assaults Precepts Prohibitions Promises Threatnings Examples if the temptation be To take you off from any known duty urge the Precept if the suggestion be to draw you into some act of sin draw out the Prohibition and wave it off with it If Satan seek either by himself or by any of his Instruments to allure you into sin by fair promises this way he sometimes takes Heb. 11. 37. they were tempted c. All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me then do you draw forth the promises of God and see what he hath promised to obedience Gods promises will not onely ballance but over-weigh all the Promises which Satan and his Instruments can make If Satan and his Instruments threaten then have recourse to the threatnings of God And then for the Examples in Scripture great use may be made of them The example of Job he was assaulted and God rescued him Paul he was buffeted and God delivered him Peter he was surprized and God rescued him c. If Satan should boast of his spoyls and victories as the King of Assyria did by his General to King Hezekiah Isa 37. 11 12 13. If Satan should thus boast the Examples in Scripture will help you to repell these boastings Satan thou couldest not overcome Job though God gave thee a full blow at him Thou couldest not overcome Paul though God gave thee leave to buffet him not once nor twice but often Satan cannot devise any kind of Temptation but the Word of God will put a hundred answers into your mouthes to oppose it and beat it back Thus I have dispatched the sixth piece of the Spiritual Armour The Sword of the Spirit which is The Word of God LECT XXV March 27. 1650. Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all Prayer and supplication in the spirit c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN these words we have the last piece of the spirituall Armour which the Apostle recommends unto Christians for their safe standing and certain Victory over Satan and his Temptations viz. Prayer and Supplication Some Interpreters think this is no peece of Armour because there is no expression of any piece of materiall Armour to which it is resembled but I conceive it is a speciall piece of Armour both offensive and defensive and that the Apostle forbears perticularly to resemble it to any one piece of materiall Armour because no one piece doth sufficiently set out the excellency of it It is Armatura Armaturae hath an influence upon all the other pieces And therefore reserved to the last place as that without with all the rest are unserviceable In the whole verse we shall consider two things 1. The Armour it selfe Prayer and Supplication 2. The particular qualifications of this Duty this is expressed in these things 1. It must be constant praying alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to opportunity 2. We must use all kindes of prayer with all prayer 3. It must be in the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. We must watch unto the duty 5. It must be with perseverance 6. It must be charitable Not for our selves onely but for all the Saints Though I might make many observations of these yet I shall onely give you one which is the main in which I shall have occasion to open all these particulars And it is this He that would stand in the day of Temptation and be victorious over Satan must be very careful to make use of the duty of Prayer and Supplication unto God Or thus Prayer and Supplication to God is an excellent and speciall thing to help a Christian to conquer and overcome all the Temptations of Satan and his Instruments This is the way to stand this is the way to overcome In the handling of this Doctrine I shall do these three things 1. Open briefly the nature of Prayer 2. Shew you what are the Ingredients of a conquering Prayer where I shall open those six things which I named before 3. How this duty of Prayer helps a Christian in this spiritual Warre 1. What Prayer is There are two parts of Prayer largely taken Petition Thanksgiving I shall not at this time meddle with the latter but speak onely of petitionary Prayer which is chiefly meant in this place of which I lay down this Description Prayer is a religious Invocation or calling upon the true God in the name of Jesus Christ the Mediator for the obtaining of good things necessary for soul and body and averting of evill things that God may be better glorified I do purposely omit many things in this Description which are necessary and essentiall to Prayer because they are particularly expressed in those Qualifications and Ingredients which will come to be handled in the next particular I shall briefly open this Description 1. 'T is Invocation or calling upon God so the Scripture useth to express it Zech. 13. 9. They