Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	conscience_n	peace_n	war_v	18	3	16.0484	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62118	Two treatises The first is, A plain platform for preaching: whereby the word of truth may be rightly divided; and he that speaketh, speak as the oracles of God. Digested into 20. propositions. The second is, The destruction of in-bred corruption. Or, An antidote against fleshly lust. By A. Symson minister of Gods word.	Simson, Alexander, 1570?-1639.; Simson, Alexander, 1570?-1639. Destruction of inbred-corruption.	1658 (1658)	Wing S6369; ESTC R221898	80,628	321

forsaking the fountaine of living waters they should dig unto themselves rotten cisternes Ob. But the wickednesse of my heart is such the inordinate Lusts and Affections proceeding therefrom so many that I know not either how to avoid such things as are to bee avoided or attaine such things as are to be attained for the constant performance of this dutie so hard whorish crooked blind proud covetous rebellious and stubborne is this heart of mine that dayly to my great disquiet and no small vexation I am tempted to innumerable evils yea often times so strange monstrous and unnaturall that I do even tremble thereat Note Neither can I be free therefrom in any place at any time or in any condition the same even at Prayer in the Church at the publique or private reading the Word c. bending its forces against me to withdraw my mind from Gods service and subject the same to its slavery so that what to doe or what course to take that those motions may not be turned into actions I am even at my wits end Thy condition is such as doth even befall the dearest Saints of God here on the earth the Lord in wisedome suffering those thornes of the flesh to remain in them for their further humiliation yet are they not to bee contemned though usuall in the Saints but by all meanes to be opposed abhorred loathed encountred wee must not feede them either by meditation or occasion our hearts being of a Gun-powder disposition whom a very spark of opportunity inflames and sets all in a combustion Now the meanes Through the Spirit the preceding means become effectuall whereby as well the former meanes become unto us effectuall as our dayly lusts how great soever kept under and further and further weakned proceed not indeed from our selves though dayly shewing their efficacie in us but from the good Spirit of God Through the Spirit doe wee mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 as Saint Paul implieth No man can mortifie sinne unlesse by the Spirit Simil as no man by ordinary means vanquish a strong armed man without Weapons We are as able with our little finger to shake the Foundation of the Earth as to shake off one sin by our owne strength 1 Cor. 3.6 PAVL may plant APOLLOS water but GOD alone giveth the increase though our hearts were never so willing and our paines in subduing our Lusts both continuall and extraordinary yet if the Spirit doe not accompany us all is nothing worth as through whom alone the fore-mentioned meanes are blessed and worke together for the best unto us How the Spirit helpeth our mortification But hovv doth the Spirit worke towards the mortifying of Sinne 1. By detecting and discovering sinfull thoughts and actions 2. by stirring up an hatred of them and griefe for them 3. by kindling fervent Prayer to get strength against them 4. by bringing to mind sentences of the Word which are as a sword to cut downe sin 5. by making us watchfull against sinne to avoid all occasions of it and use all sanctified meanes against it Seeing the assistance of the Spirit is of such absolute necessity How to obtaine the Spirit what means are there to be used for the obtaining of the same Some things are by us to bee avoided as others to bee performed Things to bee avoided Things to be avoided 1. Resisting the Spirit as did the Iewes Act. 7.51 Yee have alwayes resisted the Spirit saith St. Stephen as your fathers have done so do yee This is when men by arguments reasons and ocular demonstrations laid before them are convinced in their consciences of the truth yet knowing that they are truth will notwithstanding set downe their resolution not to doe it Eph. 4.30 2. Grieving the Spirit that is the commission of any thing that makes the Spirit to loath the Soule 2 Thes 5.19 3. Quenching the Spirit that is carelessnesse in the using of the means of grace whereby the Spirit is increased or not cherishing the good Motions thereof in the practice of such Duties as the Spirit moveth us to doe Things to bee performed Things to be performed 1. We must out of a sense and feeling of our owne weaknesse acknowledge our inability either in abstaining from that which is evill or performing that which is good 2. We must get an assured knowledge of the excellencie of the Spirit and all-sufficient operation herein 3. Wee must even hunger and thirst for the Spirit 4. We must by continued Prayer bee earnest with God to bestow him upon us as is manifestly implyed in that of our Saviour Luk. 11.13 If yee then being evill know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that aske him 5. Wee must cherish every good Motion of the Spirit in our hearts either to pray or to heare or to meditate or to praise GOD c. not suffering the same to lie without Practice Thus by what meanes the Flesh with the Lusts and Affections thereof is to be encountred and so of the 6th Particular CHAP. VII Motives or encouragements unto this spirituall Combat AS the weapons of our warfare are not carnall 2. Cor. i0 4 but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds so fight we not as uncertainly 1. Cor. 9.26 not as beating the ayre but in the assured and certaine hope of a glorious and fruitful victory Arguments whereby a Soldier may bee induced to fight Many are the Arguments whereby a Soldier may bee stirred up to fight desire of revenge fidelity to his King and Countrey love to his Captaine and fellow-Soldiers an ambitious desire of honour feare of present danger and future shame if the enemy be not resisted The equity of the cause Ignorance of the enemies strength and forces An enemies weaknesse and cowardise remembrance of former Victory with sundry the like but with most this is the main even the love of gaine the hope of an ensuing rich booty probability of a goodly spoyle The very same is the Christian Soldiers condition Many motives we have to induce us to mortifie our concupiscene whether habituall or actuall See the fourth Chapter the flesh with the inordinate lusts and affections thereof as I have already shewed at large but not any allureth us more if so much then the hope of profit an assured expectation of many rare sweet excellent and comfortable Fruits ensuing heereupon To this end let me here offer a brief of them unto your view 1. By fighting against our lusts we obtain We obtaine unspeakable peace and quietnes of soule even that peace of conscience that passeth all understanding 1. Peace of conscience Phil. 4.7 Being at warre with our corruptions we are at peace with our own soules yea most friends to our selves when we are most foes with our Corruptions As warre abroad

Simil. is found to be a present remedie against civill dissentions of Subjects so warre with sinne is the cause of our tranquillity with our selves A bloody warre doth often occasion a settled peace by warring against our Lusts wee reape this benefite Did wee consider that nothing causeth the God of Heaven to srowne upon man but sin that he is a consuming fire Heb. 19.31 and an everlasting burning that it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God that a wounded Spirit none is able to beare Pro. 18.14 that with the ungodly even the stones of the field as in like manner all other creatures are at variance would wee harbour within us any thing that might displease God would wee not cut off if it were our right hand and pluck out our right eye yea part with our very Lives at his command Note how much more war against our earthly members thereby to be reconciled to him Did we but consider the excellencie utility sweetnes and worth of peace whether outward or inward spsrituall or corporall with our selves or others God or Man wee would not thus serve our lusts and pleasures we would scorne to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season we would willingly renounce if it were the whole World rather then deprive our selves thereby of Gods favour and the comfortable fruits of the same Doe we warre against our Lusts we are not at war with our Maker Warre wee against our Lusts our Soules dwell at rest our consciences void of terror amazement disquietment Crucifie wee the Flesh with the affections and lusts thereof wee shall have little or no leisure to take causlesse unkindnesses to pick needlesse quarrels and to provoke others against us by our injurious carriages yea Prov. i6 7 our wayes thus pleasing to God even our enemies shall become our friends 2. We have dayly experience of Gods powerfull presence Wee have daily experience of Gods powerfull presence accompanying us whereby even we of our selves poor silly weak creatures doe maintaine warre against such potent Adversaries yea further and further grow upon them and put them to the worst What made the Iudges whom God raised up to defend his People to fight so valorously against the Enemy but the certainty they had that GOD went along with them Doth not the Captain of the Host of the Lord still accompany us to fight for us Psal i8 29 By the Lord have not wee run through a troup and by our God leaped over a Wall Doth not God gird us with strength and make our way perfect Maketh he not our feet like Hinds feet and setteth us on high places Teacheth not hee our hands to warre so that a how of steele is broken with our armes and should we not then be encouraged to fight A great wonder Is it not wonderfull that such weake and silly Creatures as wee are should so prevaile over Sathan that powerfull Prince of darknesse as not to yeeld to the smallest motion of Sinne with pleasure but as the Marriners of the Sea by pumping cleare the Ship of the water Simil. it draweth lest by the neglect therof the same further and further encreasing the Ship should sinke but earnestly to oppose it expelling the same partly by not yeelding thereunto or if upon the sudden wee yeeld by repenting thereof and refusing to yeeld obedience therunto yea doing the contrary with pleasure and thanksgiving to our gracious God through whom wee are thus inabled in some measure to subdue our lusts Oh the joy and gladnesse abounding in our hearts when our GOD strengtheneth our hands to war by degrees to overcome those invvard Beasts Serpents Cockatrices young Lyons and Dragons Indg. 4 2i I assure my Soule that Iael rejoyced no more in taking the Smiths hammer and therewith fastning a naile in Sisera's temples 1 Sam. 17.51 and David in cutting off Goliahs head with his owne sword then the People of God boast of Gods power and rejoyce in his Name vvhen they overcome the wicked one by quenching his temptations which are like fiery darts to slay the soule they rejoyce I say in that power of GOD inabling them like Iudah as bold as Lyons to resist their enemies Gen. 49.9 and defend their right Simil. Gen. 49.14 when others like Issachar couching under burdens are slaves unto Sathan and their owne lusts Somtimes indeed the Saints are wounded and blacked with these fiery darts The Saints gaine by their former falls but they are never wholly over-come nay even from hence doe they through Gods goodnesse reap no small advantage Psal 68 i3 Have they lien among the pots they rest not till they be as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her fethers with yellow gold Find they themselves in any sort defiled they run to the fountaine opened to the House of DAVID for sinne Zech. 13 i and for uncleannesse Yea as great Soldiers when their blood is once drawn are the more inflamed with desire of revenge so are they further incouraged unto a swift pursuit of Sathan that they may bruise his head and of themselves to take an holy revenge for their security and negligence in suffering the presence of God which is to them as the Nazarite haire unto SAMPSON to bee taken from them Doth Sathan watching his time take them at unwares as the Philistims shaved off SAMPSONS locks whilst hee was asleepe Iudg. 16.19 Doe they at any time fall through lack of circumspection Through grace they lay the same to heart and so redouble their forces that they may overcome and tread downe that Prince of darknesse Rom. 16.20 being perswaded that the God of peace shall bruise Sathan under their feet shortly Through grace do they profit by their haltings not to halt any more being carefull in the meane time that their haltings may bee healed Heb. 12.13 therefore lift they up the hands that hung downe and the feeble knees and make strait steps for their feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way They learne wisedome by experience as David did when he perceived the falshood of Saul his father in Law he ever suspected him thereafter and laboured alwayes to avoid those snares which hee laid for him Iudg. i6 3 and Samson when he took the dores of the gate of the City and the two posts and went away with them prevented the treachery of the Philistims by whom once before he was deluded which laid wait all night for him in the gate of the Citie Gods Saints I say by their holy feare watchings experience of Sathans deepnes and their owne vveaknesse learne to be more circumspect Oh the loving kindnes of God The unspeakable goodnesse of God vvho hath reveiled all the wiles of Leviathan the peircing and crooked Serpent his cruelty his importunity his vvatchfulnesse the divers vvayes whereby hee hideth the nature of sinne