Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	army_n	king_n	put_v	1,790	5	4.8758	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58223	The pilgrims pass to the new Jerusalem, or, The serious Christian his enquiries after heaven with his contemplations on himself, reflecting on his happiness by creation, misery by sin, slavery by Satan, and redemption by Christ ... relating to those four last and great things of death, judgement, hell, and heaven ... / by M.R., Gent.	M. R., Gent.	1659 (1659)	Wing R47; ESTC R5428	94,586	254

in its sable Robes to the Old Man The Young Mans Sun is but newly risen the Old Mans is ready to set the Young Mans glass is but newly turned up the Old Mans sand is almost run out the Young Man is but newly come from the Grave of the Womb the Old Man is ready to go to the Womb of the Grave But it will be objected that the Young Man often leaves the World as soon as come in it onely begins to breathe and so breathes his last that many go away as well at the dawning of the day as at the approaches of the night and at Cocks crowing as in the afternoon and that the Young Mans Sun doth often set when but newly risen and his sand run out when his glass is but new turn'd up and that the Womb oftentimes become his Tomb. I grant all this that Young Men may dye by casualty or otherwise as manifold examples before our eyes do hourly manifest Young Men may dye but Old men must dye for nature is almost extinguisht in them and in all probability they cannot hold out long What are those gray Hairs but so many Monitors of their approaching Mortallity What are the shrinking of the Veins the coldness of the Blood the wasting of the Flesh the wrinkles in the Skin the numness of the Joynts the stiffness of the Limbs the weakness of the Sinews and the aches in the Bones but so many harbengers of death or friendly Memento's to minde them of their Graves and that those dayes are now come in which they may truly say They have no pleasure in them And what a time is this for repentance when the tongue begins to faulter deafness hath possest the ears dimness vail'd the eyes and the memory departed I confess 't is good to call upon God at any time even on our death-beds but 't is better that we make our peace with God ere sickness attache us Physicians observe that grief in time of sickness is the greatest enemy of health the greatest hinderer of Physick and the greatest hastner of death Indeed we should be ever prepar'd for that ere it comes that when we come to lie upon our sick beds there may be no discontent at it or disturbance in it and nothing to be done but to lie down and dye Late repentance is seldome good I will not say never true The example of the Thief upon the Cross forbids me that whom we know repented at the last hour he was saved at the last minute that none might despair and but he he had no fellow though another dyed with him tha● none might presume I will say of late repentance what a Father long since said in another case As their damnation is not certain so their salvation is doubtful My conclusion shall be this though you cannot remember this discourse be sure not to forget the Foundation on which 't is built Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth Sin the Cause of Sorrow AND Death the Effect of Sin A Meditation on 2 Sam. 24.14 MY Contemplations are now fallen amongst Davids troubles and this I am now to treat of not the least he was a man that went through many afflictions and underwent many and great sufferings but neither time or the narrow limits I am confin'd to will give me leave to descant upon all his Troubles I shall therefore onely glance at some and speak home to this which may be term'd the greatest But before I treat of the Troubles of this man I shall speak something of this Man of Troubles give a short description of the Man then of his Sufferings The first mention we have of Davids name is in the 1 Sam. 16.11 and there we finde him under a four-fold description who he is what he was whence he was and when he liv'd First for his Parentage or Pedegree he was the son of Jesse the son of Obed c. of the Tribe of Judah and the youngest son of his Father Secondly for his Profession a Shepherd as most of his Fathers were before him but he soon relinquisht that kinde of life exchang'd his Crook for a Scepter and his Sheep-fold for a Throne became a publique Person and grew so famous that all places sounded with his Praises That 't were now but time lost to stand playing with his name or to use much discourse upon it for all that hear him mentioned know that he was a Prophet and a King and all other descriptions or definitions were altogether needless Thirdly for his Countrey he was of Bethlehem a City scituate in that Countrey which was the most renowned of the World and in the various dispensations of Gods Providence underwent several denominations For as an eminent Author judiciously observes it was first called the Land of Canaan from Canaan the son of Cham. Secondly the Land of Promise because the Lord had promised it to Abraham and his seed Thirdly Israel of the Israelites so called from Jacob who was surnamed Israel Fourthly Judea from the Jews or people of the Tribe of Judah Fifthly Palestine quasi Philistim the Land of the Philistims a potent Nation that once inhabited it And now sixthly The Holy Land because that herein was wrought the Work of our Redemption Now whether the Regality of the tribe of Judah was so predominant as to give a Name to the whole Countrey I determine not but this is certain that the little City of Bethlehem the place of Davids Nativity and thence called the City of David belonged unto and was a part of that Portion or Inheritance denomited to that Tribe when first this Countrey was conquer'd by the son of Nun. Fourthly the time when he lived it was in the dayes of King Saul upon whose disobedience David is by Gods appointment and approbation anointed King but not Sauls Competitor but Successor David did long shroud himself among the sheep-cotes ere he came to the Kingdom and for no short time in an ambitious eye did he content himself with the garb of a shepherd after he was anointed ere he was known to be a King or the son-in-law to one but the rayes of his fame did shine from under the mean veil of a shepherd that he could not be long concealed but the world must be witness of his glory Sauls Reign was very troublesome perpetual Wars betwixt him and the Philistines all his dayes and this shall make way for Davids greatness God many times keeps the best men for the worst times he loves to help at a dead lift and therefore David shall act for him at such a time when Saul and all Israel are at their wits ends then forth comes David arm'd with the power of Jehovah does wonders even to admiration turns the Israelites Fears into Triumphs and their Enemies Brags into Lachryma's The manner thus The Philistines had invaded the Land and put their Armies in a posture of Battle and King Saul having also assembled the Israelites to give

whilst they were all fast bound up with a band they were secure either from cracking or bending but when once divided by one and one easily snapt asunder Whilst we are all under the bond of peace we are secured by Gods protection but when once divided at the Devils mercy Whilst we hold together we need not fear treating an enemy in the Gate but when once broke asunder with distractions a prey to them that hate us Remember that Joah and Abishai's united strengh put the Syrians and Ammonites to flight consider that ye have enemies enow abroad ye need not seek any so near home Make not those the objects of your malice that should be the bulwarks of your defence against the impetuous storms and batteries of an insnaring world a bewitching flesh and an envious Devil c. Know that there 's unity amongst wicked men for they hold together against the Righteous Simeon and Levi are Brethren in evil and shall we be at odds Nothing can be done well that 's not done in unity that 's not well done that 's done through discension The Apostle tells us That love is the fulfilling of the Law how then can the Law be fulfilled without love Those blessed Angells who wellcomed the new Born Saviour into the world with a Song did in a short sentence express both Tables They sang Glory to God on High Good will to men Peace on earth makes joy in Heaven and those that will not embrace peace on earth shall have nothing to do with the God of peace or the peace of God in Heaven You know what our Saviour said to his Disciples By this shall men know ye have an interest in me if ye love one another If ever therefore ye expect to end in peace or have peace in the end be peaceable in your Pilgrimage so shall ye in good time arive at your journeyes end and be no longer strangers abroad but Kings at home The Young mans Monitor AND Old Mans Admonisher A Meditation on Eccles 12.1 THis golden Book of Ecclesiastes was pen'd by the wisest King upon his repentance and may be fitly stil'd King Solomons Recantation which he wrote after he rose from that fall occasioned through his inordinate love of strange women and after he had with all his Wisdom found out the true Natures of all things here below then this wisest of Kings wrote this Book in the Front whereof he gives a briefe but full description of all the Glory and Pleasures of this world Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher all is vanity Saith the Preacher something must be said to that Solomon the son of David the richest wisest and mightiest Monarch that then reign'd vouchsafes to take upon him the title of Preacher though the Preacher in these dayes must not think much of the worst of titles but no more of that Solomon having thus truly weighed all the pomps and greatness of this world in the balance of his understanding and finding them too light to give satisfaction to the enjoyers thereof in the end of this Book he gives a heavenly Exhortation tending to the attainment of that true felicity as will make those eternally happy that reach it Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man And for our better direction to keep Gods Commandments this last Chapter is usher'd in with a most excellent wholesome and seasonable Exhortation Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Before I proceed further here must one Objection be remov'd Some may perhaps question the Preacher why he did not as well say Remember thy Creator in thy old age as in the dayes of thy youth I answer This memento is chiefly given to young men because they take the greatest liberty to wallow in all kinde of sensual pleasures and with the greatest eagerness to pursue the deceiving vanities of this world for now are their veins full of blood and their bones full of marrow and Repentance seems as unseasonable to them as Snow in Summer or Rain in Harvest Is not our youth say they given us to glut our selves with all kindes of pleasures and to walk in the wayes of our own hearts Shall I then sayes one grieve in my prime and repent for my crimes to hasten old age and make my smooth face full of wrinkles and bring gray hairs on my head ere I am an old man old age will fasten on me soon enough without all this let me therefore make hay while the sun shines and make the best use of my time I can to the utmost improvement of Pleasures and when I am growne so old as to be past using them I le cast them off and think of repentance and another world when 't is not possible to stay long in this These are the Common Pleas of Youth and therefore the Preacher looking upon them as the furthest from instruction and to stand in the greatest need of advice directeth his speech in a most especiall manner to them Remember now c. Young men have no more a lease of their lives then aged persons and there doth as many of them go to the grave as of older persons Death arrests some in their Cradles and many in their Infancy Childehood and Youth The dayes of man upon earth are but a shadow no certainty of any thing as of Death and nothing more uncertain then the time when and the maner how Come hither then thou darling of the world thou great favorite of flesh and blood thou whose Honors here are as blooming as the Lillies and Roses in thy youthful cheeks know Image that though thy Head be of Gold thy Body of Silver thy Feet are but of Clay If thou walk'st into the fields in the forward time of the Year thou canst not be unfurnisht of lively Emblemes of thy own Mortality how do the Lilly the Rose the Cowslip and the Gillyflower bemantle the earth as so many stars to represent Heaven glorious tapestry upon sight whereof you may easily be convinc't to believe That Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these And yet how subject are they to fading pluck them and they are stubborn soon crapt assunder smell them and they wither and if the winde but blows over them they are gone and be no more And is it not so with thee doth not St. James compare our life to a vapor and that 's but short David to a span a thought a tale and those not long Isaiah to grass and the flower of the field and those you see not lasting But of all the sacred Limners in holy Scripture I finde Jobs pencil to be the freest in pourtraying man to stubble and that not standing neither to a leaf and that not fast but shaken and to a weavers shuttle and many other such transient resemblances He came something near the drawing man to the life who compared this life to a spot between two Eternities the time

then suffered bade a vengeance on them for he thought they took delight in burning and that they long'd for death I should swell this Volumn too big if I should here insert the last sayings of dying Saints who exprest as much willingnesse to be disrob'd of their mortality as ever they did to put off their cloaths to go to rest And no marvel for death to a righteous man is but as a door to let him into glory to such endlesse glory as I shall not here stand to insist of for with a discourse of that everlasting happinesse I shall close the Book and for the present leave it to fall on a worse Subject We 'l now come to the sinner who as we have seen already seems by his outward prosperity to be the onely happy man as having the world at will and all things in it at his command but alas notwithstanding all this we shall finde that he and happiness are at a great distance if we but seriously consider the shortness of his joyes and the eternity of his miseries that this is all the heaven he is ever like to have he hath his portion in this life and these short pleasures to end in endless torments This world as it is a School to the Saint so a Stall to the Sinner it fits the one for a Fellowship in the New Jerusalem and fats the other for an eternal slaughter here the Saint suffers a while to be eternally happy and here the sinner flourishes for a moment to be everla●●ingly miserable What more woeful then a sinners welfare It is for slaughter that the Oxe is fatned ease slayes the simple and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them they spend their dayes in wealth and end their dayes in woe their merry dance determines in a miserable downfall the sinners cup of honey is mixt with dregs of gall He loves his belly well that with Esau will sell his birth-right for Pottage I had rather beg my bread with Lazarus then my water with Dives In what slippery places hath God set wicked men He that now thinks himself as high as heaven knows not how soon he shall be laid as low as hell and he that is now carouzing and quaffing with his dammy Blades and pampering his guts with the left hand blessings knows not how suddenly he shall be plac't at the left hand of that Judge who shall give to all their right and send him and his crew to yell out their late Lamentations in Tophet Zophar though none of the best men himself could tell Job that the triumphing of the wicked is but short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment like the thorns in the fire the bubble in the water the flowers in the earth or the clouds in the air they blaze and consume they flourish and fade they vanish and fly away A candle burns more brightly when nearest the end and the wicked are in greatest pomp when nearest their ruine witnesse those sad examples of Absalon Jezabel Haman Herod c. so that his joyes here are but like a fit of musick before a fearful execution or a Syrens song before a dismal storm and of the short time he hath here to frollick it how often is he disquieted by Gods judgements from without and by his own conscience from within First from without God oftentimes meets with the sinner here to put him in minde of what he shall feel hereafter and that if he will not take warning by this he shall be paid to purpose in a worse place As a Saint looks upon afflictions from God as the gentle chastisements of a loving Father the sinner looks upon them as the severe punishments of an angry Judge and as a sad presage or preface of those insufferable miseries he shall finde in hell 2. From within his guilty conscience oftentimes proves as a cord to strangle his joyes and to mar his mirth Did not Josephs Brethren experiment this in Egypt and Ahab in his house of Ivory and Belshazar amidst his sensualities this is it that tells him of his past offences and future miseries which so much distracts him that it makes him afraid both of himself and others ever fearful lest some just hand should cut off his happinesse with his life Our Richard the Third after the murther of his two innocent Nephews had fearful dreams insomuch that he did often leap out of his bed in the dark and catching his sword which alwayes naked stuck by his side he would go distractedly about the chamber every where seeking out the cause of his own occasioned disquiet And Charles the Ninth of France after the Parisian Masacre was so inwardly terrified that he was every night laid to sleep and wakened again with a set of Musicians Alas what happinesse is it to have a house of Cedar adorn'd both within and without with beaten gold to have his chests lin'd with the Gold of Ophir to have the richest Robes that ere the sun shin'd on the largest Wardrobe the coicest Cates and the most desir'd delights that his way were spread with Roses and pav'd with Diamonds when his roof is open to the thunderbolt of Heaven and has a hell in his conscience and God for his enemy But put the case the sinner were not troubled with these outward calamities nor inward afrightments yet he were notwithstanding this still miserable for in the highest exaltation of his mirth the very name of death cools his courage and strikes him through with terrours he would not if he might have his will ever part with this world for he knows that there is nothing of happiness to be found for them in the next he could with all his heart accept of St. Peters motion to build Tabernacles here and live for ever but alas that must not be for put the case he sees many go before him his turn will come shortly after old age will soon seize upon him when his feet will be full of gouts his back full of pain his heart full of sorrow and his soul full of sin and now all his happiness is blown over as though it had never been or if he could call to minde his past felicities the thoughts of them would be so far from administering any comfort to him that it would but distract him and he does now begin to wish he had never been born or else a longer lease of his life 'T is storied of Lewis the Eleventh King of France that he was so wedded to this life that he prohibited the mention of the word Death in his Court but alas death regards not the threats of Princes nor the tears of Peasants The stoutest man and greatest Monarch that ever was hath been forc't to submit to him and his messengers The honourable Garter cannot cure the Gout nor the Chair of State ease the Choluck nor a golden Diadem remove the headache Nuga the Scythian despising the rich presents and ornaments that were sent

them the encounter and set the battle in array against the Philistines And now both Armies facing each other on two neighbouring Mountains the host going forth and giving a shout to the Battle there issued from the Camp of the Philistines a Champion term him a man or a monster his name Goliah the place of his nativity Gath his stature six cubits and a span which according to our English measure is about three yards and a quarter His armor a helmet of brass upon his head a coat of mail on his back greaves of brass upon his legs and a target of brass between his shoulders a spear in his hand the staff to it like a weavers beam and one with a shield went before him His Language a Challenge to any one of the Servants of Saul to fight with him Concludes with a defiance to the host of Israel and to the Lord of hosts David being now sent by his father Jesse from his sheep in the wildernesse to his brethren in the camp to enquire after their welfares for Jesse's three eldest sons attended King Saul to the Battle observing how Saul and all Israel were amazed at his gastly countenance and daring language and what great rewards were promised him that should fight with him as to have the Kings Daughter to wife and his Fathers house free in Israel encouraged by this and instigated by his impudent and blasphemous expressions resolves to lay down the success of that day on his encounter And now both Armies full of expectation of the event of the combat the Combatants draw near little David only with his stone and sling and Goliah with his massie armour and now Goliah belching forth his threats against David and derision against the Hebrews David lets him know that the God of Israel whom he defied was so powerful as by so weak an instrument as himself and so slenderly arm'd could bring him and his brags to confusion David to make quick work pulls forth a stone and that God who taught his hands to war and his fingers to fight so directed his aim to the mark that he hit him betwixt the joynts of his armour and down falls he to the earth with the Philistines victory David takes his own sword and decapits him attended with the acclamation of the Israelites presents it to Saul who indeed makes good his promise to give him his Daughter but he must undergo more hazards to obtain her that no Israelite would undergo the danger to purchase a Kings Daughter on such dear terms give for her dowry a hundred foreskins of the Philistines But he that preserved David from the Lion and the Bear and from that uncircumcised Philistine will still crown him with victory to vanquish an host so that instead of one hundred he brings two 1 Sam. 18.27 God was with David and there 's no talk of over coming those whom he hath determined shall be victorious no weapon that 's form'd against him shall prosper Saul with all his subtil projects to send him in haste to another world shall come too short to insnare him for David shall be safe in the greatest danger and secure under the wings of an Enemy the Philistines even in the Court of their King and City of that monster whom he had slain No stone shall touch him at Ziklag or arrow at Gilboa Abners Insurrection shall come no nothing Achitophels Counsel to foolishness Absolons Treason to the ruine of the traitor and Sheba's Rebellion to the miscreants destruction whilest David is safely protected by that watchful Keeper of Israel who never slumbers for greater things And thus you have now seen David past securely through all straits past all dangers and his feet in a large room having all his foes his footstool peace round about and no enemy unsubdued but his own corruption and now wanting trials abroad he sins at home seems to distrust the Providence of that God that had hitherto so miraculously preserved him with so many great and glorious deliverances as from the Lion and the Bear from Goliah once from Achish several times from the Philistines nine times from Saul from stoning at Ziklag from death at Jerusalem Absolons treason and Sheba's rebellion as if that hand so long extended over him were now shortned that it could not save as it had done heretofore and God not yesterday and to day the same for ever Confides in an arm of flesh numbers his people examines the strength of his Kingdom as if by them he could be preserv'd and be secur'd from all dangers whereupon Gods anger is greatly kindled against him and that David may be sensible of his great folly and vain hopes Gad the seer is dispatcht with three harsh proposals to him and salutes him with this hard choice either seven years famine or three moneths flying before the enemy or three dayes pestilence To which we have Davids answer returned in the words of the Text And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait Here is an answer and no answer or an answer to no purpose as being no resolution to the things propos'd choose the three things I am in a great strait which seems to flow rather from a discontented and dejected spirit then a premeditated consideration as if he had exprest himself thus I am at my wits end and know not what to do you have here propos'd three things to me I know not which to take but would willingly decline them all but since I must take one that would not be troubled with either I must take some time to study for an answer as being not provided of one already but take a sad preface till I give the answer and David said unto Gad I am in a great strait Where is now that wonted courage that was in David what he that fought with beasts incountred a Giant vanquisht an Army and was victorious in all his undertakings is he now so daunted at a Prophets expressions that he seems to be rob'd both of his valour and eloquence knows neither what to do or say for himself Alas this wonder 's lessened and the question answered if we seriously consider first the greatness of his sin then of his punishment David hath committed a great sin and severe judgements are denounced against him for that sin which makes him sensible of both and brings him to a Non-plus When God is pleas'd to give a man a sense of his sin and presents him with terrifying judgements as the rewards of it 't is enough to make the stoutest heart to tremble the stiffest joynts to be loosed the sturdiest limbs to quake and the strongest hands to shiver No marvel then if David take the words of the text as a Preface to his answer And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait I shall not offer that violence to the words as to divide them but preserve them whole and fix my contemplations upon one observation I shall draw from them which