Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A90348
|
Ho kalos agon tes pisteos. The good fight of faith. Being the substance of a sermon preached to the congregation assembled at the interring of the body of Master William Hill lately one of the magistrates of Guildford in Surrey. / By his sonne in law Francis Peck, Master of Arts, sometimes preacher there, and now minister of God's word in Hertford.
|
Peck, Francis, d. 1651.
|
1645
(1645)
|
Wing P1031; Thomason E286_25; ESTC R200082
|
15,503
|
23
|
hath flesh and blood and devill strong lusts and corruptions to fight against this hath much more There is indeed a fight in humility combating against horrid pride and cursed vaine-glory there is a fight in love combating against malice envy and hatred those cruell enemies to the soule a fight in patience against murmuring repining impatient discontentednesse a fight in chastity against scorching and broyling lusts in liberality against covetonsnesse in temporance against drunkennesse but faith is the Captaine grace and the maine in a christian combate against these and many such spirituall enemies None that know any thing in Christianity but knowes this that there is a fig it in faith no sooner is a man a beleever but he is a warriour But for the prosecution of this point I shall shew you three things 1 The paralell between corporall and spirituall warre 2 The maine particulats wherein faith is engaged in this combate 3 By what strength this fight is managed To shew you wherein the resemblance holds in every thing would be too tedious the paralell holds chiefly in these five particulars I. Souldiers are gathered together and battels brought on by the sound of a Trumpet so are true beleevers and worshippers in the Lord's mountaine to be brought on to his spirituall warfare by the sound of the Lord's Trumpet viz. the powerfull preaching of the Gospell Isa 27. 2. which as a shrill sound of a Trumpet summons them hereunto The service of the Tabernacle which must be managed by faith in the Messiah or else abominable is twice said in th' originall to be the warfare of the Tabernacle and this is brought on by the sound of the Trumpet Numb 8. 24. 25. Againe 1 Cor. 14. 8. for if the Trumpet give an uncertaine sound who shall prepare to the battell and what is this Trumpet but the plaine preaching of the Word in such a manner as it may be easily understood else none will be excited to this warfare for as the sound of the Trumpet so the Word serves not onely to teach what is to be done but to excite with courage to Pareus in â—oc performe the duty II. In fighting there are encounterers and strong opposites so in this fight of faith it meets with strong opposites world flesh and devill and all that they can muster up and bandy together Faith is like Thmael in this case the hands of all these are against faith and the hand of faith is against them all 1 Satan hates faith and all the faithfull and would not leave any alive in the world as the King of Syria said to his 32 Capraines concerning the King of Israel so saith satan concerning 1 King 22. 31 faith and the faithfull fight neither against small nor great but against these onely 2 The world is a deadly enemy witnesse 1 In preaching of it the world hates it 2 In professing of it the world scornes it 3 In practizing of it what a world of malice is continually manifested against it 3 The flesh and carnail reason cry it downe as the most absurd thing in the world III. In fighting there is much difficulty so in beleeving the hardest thing in the world to beleeve It 's durum certamen a hard combat a wrastling with principalities and powers which Eph. 6. 12. are not overcome but with much difficulty as when a poore Christian gotten from under the slavery of a Turke or a Prorestant from the cruelty of a barbarous Cavaleir he is pursued by his potent and cruell enemy who againe layes hold on him to reduce him to his former thraldome Imagine with what vigor he wrastles with his enemy and with what difficulty he escapes his fury Or as a poore man throwne over-board and ready to sink under water his friend reacheth him out a pole at which he catcheth and no sooner got hold on 't but his enemy strives by rapping knocking and cutting his fingers to make him let goe his hold yet he cryes and holds and holds and cryes but with much difficulty So it is often with a poore beleever got from under the tyranoy of Satan His arch enemy would faine reduce him to his former condition and by temptation layes hold on him yet the poore beleeving soule escapes through much difficulty Christ tenders and offers himselfe to him to free him from that gulfe of wofull misery whereinto he is so deeply plunged with difficulty faith layes hold on this Object no sooner doth it so but Saran is ready to beat him off from his hold yet faith like a brave spirited child fights and cryes and cryes and fights weeps and prayes and prayes and weeps and still keeps his hold IV. In fighting there is a Victory aimed at and whosoever goeth a warfare hath an eye and aime at this so there is in the fight of faith an eye and aime at victory It 's this which makes the beleever triumph in the midst of misery when wealth is gone faith tels him of a treasure in Heaven when husband father or friend is gone faith tels us of a better husband and better father and friends in Heaven when life comes to a period faith tels of an eternall life of glory of which he can never be bereaved V. There is violence used in other fights to get the victory so there is in the fight of faith Mat. 11. 12. The Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by sorce Qu. 2. What are the main particulars wherein faith is engaged or the businesse of faith in which if it be at all it cannot but combat fight and contend A. In twelve particulars faith is engaged as a combating and conflicting grace at which I must but hint without illustrations First to maintaine all divine revelations to set to the seale that God is true that he must have the honour of all divine truths revealed in his holy word though they seeme to be nothing Rom. 4. 17. but Mysteries Riddles and Paradoxes and in beleeving these and closing with them to become a foole that he may be wise 1 Cor. 3. 18. As for example 1 To beleeve the doctrine of the glorious Trinity in Unity that three should be one and one three that the Sonne should be as old as his Father and the holy Ghost proceeding from them both equall with them both 2 The doctrine of the creation that God made all things of nothing which worldly reason contradicts saying ex nihilo nihil fit out of nothing nothing can be made and so we might runne over all till we come to the doctrine of resurrection and last judgement 3 To beleeve that bodies so long dead shall rise againe nay bodies buried in the sea and devoured by fishes and severall fishes swallowing severall parts and though cut into a thousand pieces and given to the fowles of the ayre yet to beleeve that these bodies shall rise againe 4 To beleeve that soule and body so long separated shall at the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH BEING The Substance of a Sermon Preached to the Congregation assembled at the interring of the body of Master William Hill lately one of the Magistrates of Guildford in Surrey By his Sonne in law Francis Peck Master of Arts sometimes Preacher there and now Minister of God's Word in Hereford London Printed for Samuel Enderby and are to be sold at his Shop at the Starre in Popes-head Alley 1645. To the vertuous Widow and hopefull Off-spring of that eminent Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. William Hill one of the Magistrates of the ancient Burrough of Guildsord in Surrey Precious and Beloved THere be but two irresistable arguments 〈◊〉 any ingenuous nature to resigne ones selfe to the desire of another viz. That of duty and that of affection both which you know hath strongly engaged me both to preach and print this Sermon upon this sad and sodaine occasion the former task required by the deceased himselfe whose very relation being a Father so full of care and affection to us all heares the nature of an injunction not to be disobeyed the latter importuned by the concurrent request of you all surviving so neerly related that except I could put off duty and humanity at once without all dispute you must be also gratified which undertaken I presume to make mine earnest request to you all in some few particulars which I hope the Lord Jesus will both move and enable you readily to condescend to me in viz. 1. That so precious a patterne and president of vertue and piety be really imitated of you all 2. That you be practicall and turne the words you desired of me into the works which God requireth of you 3. That by the savory Vnction of brotherly concord amongst our selves you will endeavour with me to be so consolatory to our deare surviving Parent that albeit we cannot supply her invaluable losse yet we may argue our gratefull acknowledgment of her right commendable behaviour to and paines with him who is now with the Lord. 4. Lastly that you will excuse me and make mine apology for speaking so little in the prayse of him that deserved so much mine affection and experience indeed instigates but counsell to one so aproximate must be observed viz. Let another praise thee and not thine owne Prov. 27. 2. mouth a stranger and not thine own lips So I commend you to the provident care of him who is faithfull and bath promised so much to the widow and fatherlesse and in him according to my severall relations to each of you rest Yours F. P. THE GOOD FIGHT OF Faith 1 TIM 6. 12. Fight the good Fight of Faith Lay hold on Eternall Life IN these fighting times whereunto by the provident hand and just vengeance of God we are fallen In which sad warres many poore ignorant soules and many prophane atheistical blasphemous idolatrons wretches are ingaged utterly unfit to live and as utterly unprepared to dye when such on both sides hath fought this fight and death seizeth on them they lay hold on eternall death and everlasting torments in the burning lake is the portion of their cup. I would now gladly improve the opportunity on this occasion to immind you of the good fight indeed which if you fight not you live and dye but the miserable bond slaves of sinne and satan and so continue as miserable as the other to all eternity But if the Lord Jesus Christ the captaine of our salvation enable you to fight this fight as this deceased servant of the Lord hath done and if in him you be more then conquerours then when death seizeth upon you you will lay hold on eternall life as your Crowne and as sure as the Lord lives the eternall joyes of heaven will be the portion of your cup. But to omit farther circumlocation take notice that this Text containeth Paul's charge to Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and to lay hold on eternall life Object But what 's that to us may some say Timothy was a Minister and the charge is given to him to behave himselfe as a valiant Souldier in his ministeriall calling against all oppositions which he was likely to meet with Answ Sometimes the Apostle speaks to him as a Minister sometimes as a professor and private Christian intimating unto us hereby that this charge belongs both to Ministers and people All Christians both Pasters and people are Souldiers often exposed to great streights and difficulties yet the spirit of God in this chapter directs them to help themselves three wayes by 1 Flight 2 Pursuit 3 Fight First by Flight There are four particulars in the preceding verses which Christians must flye from as from Serpents and devils else they are likely to be overcome 1 Not consenting to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according unto godlinesse ver 3. 2 Proud doting about questions and strises of words 3 The evill effects and consequences of these which are five 1 Envy 2 Strife 3 Raylings 4 Evill surmizings 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds ver 4 5. And a motive hereunto in verse 7 8. 4 Cursed covetousnesse manifested by an inordinate desire to be rich the love of money being the root of all evill which makes men fall into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which pierceth them through with many sorrowes nay which drowne them in destruction and perdition Oh man of God whether Ministers or private Christian help thy selfe secure thy soule by flying from these verse 9 10. and part of the 11. Secondly by Pursuit of six friends exprest in the 11. ver which if we gain not on our side there is little hope for our souls to escape a cruell overthrow and eternall raine therefore O man of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow after or eagerly pursue these as hounds do the Hare which are 1 Rightcousnesse 2 Godlinesse 3 Faith 4 Love 5 Patience 6 Meeknesse Thirdly by Fight in the words of the Text in which you have two things 1 An Injunction Timothy must fight the good fight of faith 2 A provocation hereunto Then Timothy may be assured that he shall be crowned with eternall life I shall onely pitch upon the Injunction and bring in the Provocation in the Application In the Injunction you have three things 1 The fight that must be sought viz. The fight of faith 2 The description of this fight It is a good fight 3 The combatants or souldiers that must fight it viz. Ministers and all other christians from whence there arise three points of doctrine to be prosecuted Doctr. 1 That there is a fight in faith 2 This fight is a good fight 3 Timothy and all of his spirit must fight it To begin with the first First there is a fight in faith it is a combating and conflicting grace I doe not say that no other grace is militant but this but what grace soever