Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	aaron_n	church_n	way_n	14	3	3.7036	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93404	Moses his prayer. Or, An exposition of the nintieth Psalme. In which is set forth, the frailty and misery of mankind; most needfull for these times. Wherein [brace] 1. The sum and scope. 2. The doctrines. 3. The reasons. 4. The uses of most texts are observed. / By Samuel Smith, minister of the Gospel, author of Davids repentance and the Great assize, and yet living.	Smith, Samuel, 1588-1665.	1656 (1656)	Wing S4189A; Thomason E1624_1; ESTC R208959	212,879	567

their harps to their pipes and to their pots and to merry company c. of whom it may be said Es 55.2 They lay out their labour for that which satisfieth not A poor comfort to give a Malefactor a cup of sack when he is going to execution The case of such miserable creatures is well desuibed by the Prophet Es 29.8 A man dreameth and lo he drinketh but when he awaketh behold he is faint and his soul longeth This Doctrine shall hold when all the seeming joyes of the wicked shall vanish away that the fountain of all true comfort is our peace with God when we come to be reconciled to him in Christ Because sin breeds enmity Reas 1 and sets God and men at odds and whilst this enmity continueth this mans person and actions are hatefull to God minde conscience and all is defiled Now what true comfort can such a one have whilst he abides in such a condition all the curses that are written in the book of the Law do wait upon him hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde searednesse of conscience a continuall fear of hell Gods wrath and damnation to come all these doth the guilt of sin contract and draw upon us the misery whereof we shall never be set free from but by our reconciliation to God in Jesus Christ The Lord crowns all the sorrowes of his servants all their tears Reas 2 and pangs of their new birth whilst Christ is a forming in them with joy and comfort and all to provoke them to come in to God and to encourage them in prayer and seeking of him I love the Lord Ps 116.1 because he hath heard the voice of my weeping If the husbandman should alwaies think on his seed-time and of his labour and pains and never think of the harvest who would be a husbandman And what would become of the Christian in the midst of all his watchings fastings and temptations which here he undergoes were it not for this harvest of comfort at last Seeing then that all sound comfort flowes from our peace and reconciliation with God Use 1 this shewes that the doctrine of the Church of Rome is most vile hellish and uncomfortable who affirme that no man in this life can know or be assured whether God loves him or no and that no man can know whether his sins be pardoned and whether he be reconciled to God yea or no I will say to them as Job somtimes said to his friends Miserable comforters are ye Alas what comfort can a poor sinner have or what joy if it arise not from Gods mercy in the pardon of sin What is this but to set up a gibbet to torture distressed souls How can a poor creature have any comfort in the service of God in prayer hearing receiving c. whilst he cannot tell whether the Lord loves him or hates him We utterly renounce that cursed Doctrine and believe this to be the truth of God that all sound comfort stands in the feeling of Gods love towards us in Christ and in the pardon of our sins and we should never rest till we be able in some measure to say with Paul Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded c. This will make us cheerfull in prayer and in all other duties of his worship and service Seeing all sound and solid comfort ariseth from our reconciliation with God and untill then Use 2 there can be no sound or lasting comfort What mad men are they then that take a preposterous course to raise their comfort that have the Creator blessed for ever and flie to the Creature run to cards dice and merry company c. as if a man to escape a burning feavour should leap into the fire whereas there is no sound comfort to be looked for but only from God in Christ Poor soul go thou to him confesse thy sins to him beg for pardon as for life and death intreat the Lord that he would according to the multitude of his mercies do away thy offences that he would be a reconciled God again unto thee that he would lay aside his displeasure and give thee the feeling of his favour and love again there is no other way to procure sound comfort to thy soul Comfort us THe Lord before had exercised this people with pressing sorrowes and sore afflictions both in Aegypt a long time and after that in the wildernesse and now they beg for comfort Doct. 2 Hence we may observe what is the outward estate of Gods children in this life The outward estate of Gods children subject to alterations and changes it is subject to such alterations and changes that they are sometimes up and sometimes down sometimes full of sorrow at another time filled with comfort Here Moses and the people of God pray for comfort being for the present comfortlesse perplexed and much distressed the Lord trieth humbleth and proveth this people here in the Wildernesse That he might do them good at their latter end Deut. 8.16 look we upon the estate of the Church in generall and upon the particular members of the same and we shall finde that our condition here is like the daies of the year sometimes winter sometimes summer sometimes fair sometimes foul What a long night of affliction did this Church and people of God endure in Aegypt for the space of four hundred and thirty years yet at the last the Lord raised them up saviours Moses and Aaron by whom he brought deliverance unto his people What a condition was the Church in in Hesters time when all the Jewes were appointed as sheep to the slaughter yet God laughed the counsell of Haman to scorn delivered his people and brought ruine and destruction to their enemies What a condition was the Church in in Jezebels time that slew the prophets of the Lord insomuch that Elias thought himselfe alone yet what a suddain alteration was there when Eliah slew the Prophets of Baal and restored religion again How was the Church of God in Christs time pestered by the High Priests who had given commission unto Saul to binde and to deliver bound at Jerusalem all that made profession of Christ yet at another time had the Churches peace and multiplyed So changable hath the estate and condition of the Church of God been in all ages and times of it And if we look into particular examples we shall also finde it true that the estate and condition of the best of Gods children hath been subject to diversities of alterations and changes Joseph one while hated of his brethren at another time advanced under Pharaoh at one time cast into Prison at another time made ruler over the Princes Jacob one while wrestling with the Angell at another time going away with the blessing David one while persecuted by Saul at another time swaying the Scepter Job Job 42. at one time plundered out of all at another time as wealthy as before Thus God is pleased in his wise

a loving Husband his Wife So if thou be a true servant of God thou maist assure thy selfe that God will let his worke appear to protect and defend thee And this lets us see the happy priviledge of the faithfull above all wicked and ungodly men Vse 2 whereas the wicked lye open to all miseries and dangers have no rock of defence to fly unto for shelter the faithfull have a sure rock of defence to flye unto in time of need Hath God made this known to thy Soul that thou art one that God hath taken into covenant with himselfe O happy and blessed for ever is thy condition Psal 144 15. Happy be the people that be in such a case Blessed be those folke that have the Lord for their God others may bee more rich in regard of these outward things but none more happy The prophet concludes the happiness of such when he sayth Ps 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and a shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that are upright 1. He will be a Sun to them that is as the Sun gives light and comfort so will God be all in all unto them 2. He will be a shield unto them nothing shall hurt them that are in covenant with him 3. He will give grace more to them then to all the world besides which is more worth then kingdomes 4. Glory I am thine sayth David O save me When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory 5. And lastly No good thing will he with-hold if he give the greater he will not deny the lesser If riches be good they shall have it If credit be good they shall have it if health peace prosperity c. if the Lord see them good for them they shall not want them But if afflictions povertie sicknesse c. be best they shall have them too See there what a portion they shall have that have the Lord for their God that are his servants and are in covenant with him All those gratious promises that God hath made in his word belong to thee And I tell thee that one promise is more worth then all thou hast in the world besides and will last longer and do thee more good yea more thou hast now to leave to thy posterity a promise that God will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee which is more worth then all the portion thou canst leave them Let thy works be seene q. d. O Lord let all the world see and know that thou art a mercifull deliverer of thy people that thou art their mighty Protector so that it seemes they speake of some singular work and protection of God of his Church and people Hence we learne That of all the workes of God Doct. 3 there is none more excellent then this No work more excellent then Gods protecting his Church viz. the protection of his church people for this in a way of excellency is called the peculiar worke of God It is true indeed when the Lord doth punish the stubbornnesse and rebellion of his people their infidelity murmurings and unthank fullnesse c. then appears the power of God the truth Justice of God But in nothing more doth the Lord shew his power then in protecting of his Church and people against the face of their cruell and bloody enemies And this Moses here shews when he calls this in a way of excellency The worke of God Let thy worke in protecting and delivering us thy Church and people Appeare wherein Moses doth prefer this worke of God in taking care of his Church in protecting defending and delivering of it to all other the works of God whereby he makes his power knowne then by any other token of his besides As we may see in Pharaoh when did the Lord ever get himselfe a greater name then in delivering his people out of Egypt and over his armies at the red Sea Exod. 1. Come let us work wisely saith Pharaoh but the Lord let him see that there is neither wisdome nor counsell against him but the more he sought to suppresse the Church the more it multiplyed and increased Hamans plot against the Church was very dangerous and damnable Hest 3.7.9 but the plot that he contrived the Lord disappointed and himselfe fell into that pit that he had digged for others Zac. 12.3 The Church of God is such a heavy stone that never any lifted at it but was crushed in peeces So that of the Church the Lord speaketh thus Esa 59.16 I wondred that there was no intercessor therefore his arme brought Salvation unto him and his righteousnesse it sustained him What though the Church of God be but as a garden in comparison of the rest of the world yet it is a well fenced garden and though the godly in themselves are but few weake simple and so more shiftlesse then others yet they are strangely kept 2 Reg. 6.10 and strongly preserved and have more with them then those that are against them Not that the Church and people of God are free from perils and dangers It is enough that they are preserved in them and at last shal be delivered from them as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.8 We are afflicted on every side yet are we not in distresse in poverty but not overcome persecuted but not forsaken c. Now that of all the workes of God there is none more excellent then the protection of his Church these Reasons further shew First Reas 1 because this shewes that God is still present with his Church and is ready to succour them in time of danger Gather together on heapes ye people and ye shall be broken in peeces Zeph. 3.14 The reason is there given for God is with us and againe rejoyce O Daughter of Sion be joyfull O Israel for the Lord thy God is in the middest of thee The Lord indeed is present every where but in a speciall manner he is present in his Church He walketh in the middest of the seaven golden Candlesticks that is the Churches Secondly Reas 2 in regard his Church and people are most deare unto him He loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Jacob. Ps 87.2 Es 43.4 And Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable aod I have loved thee And hence is it that the Church is called Esay 49 22. The beautie of the whole earth The fairest amongst women c. Cant. 14.13 All shewing the high esteeme that God hath of his Church and people Thirdly Rea. 3 the Lord is pleased thus to work for his Churches safety protection and deliverance for his owne glory that his power might and stretched out arme might appeare As the Lord said to Gideon Iudg. 7.2 the people that are with thee are too many for me to give the