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kingdom_n	lord_n	part_n	time_n	1,762	5	3.0923	3	false

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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

righteousness for us and that there might be in our nature a perfect pattern of holiness for our Imitation 1 Pet. 2. 21. leaving us an example c. And no man can expect any benefit by Christs satisfaction who doth not endeavour the Imitation of his example thou hast no hopes of being healed with his stripes if thou be not willing to be guided by his example vers 21. 23 24. Upon this ground it is evident that the studying of his holiness will be of singular use to make us holy It s the Apostles direction 1 John 3. 3. 3. Look back often to the righteousness of the state of innocency Mankind was created at the first in Adam after the Image of God in holiness and righteousness he had both the girdle of truth upon his loyns and the Breast-plate of Righteousness upon his breast there was no impurity within there was no irregularity outwardly till he had sinned Serious meditations of this will have some influence upon the soul to help forward the practice of holiness There is a naturall desire in all men in whom there is any nobleness of spirit to regain and recover the honours preferments and Revenues which have of ancient time been instated upon their Families The very reading of some ancient Records which shew that such Dignities have been conferred upon their predecessors doth put an edge upon their spirits to endeavour that they and their posterity may be reinvested with the same dignities When the second Temples foundation was laid after the return of the people from captivity it s said that many of the Priests and Levites and chief of the Fathers who were ancient men that had seen the first Temple wept with a loud voice Ezra 3. 12. The latter house was more glorious then the first in this respect because Jesus Christ should come to his Temple and fill it with his glory he of whom the Temple was a Type But in regard of outward magnificency the former Temple did far excel this and therefore the old men wept when they saw this begun to think how far short it cam of the other I would apply it to our purpose thus If a Christian would but view the first Temple behold often the glorious holiness of man in Paradice he would not be able to look upon the present miscarriages of his life without weeping It would make him use all endeavour to bring up both his inward and outward man to some good proportion at least as much as is possible to that Standard of originall righteousness which is quite lost by the Fall And for this purpose it is that God hath left some rudera abiding still in man that by viewing the first building he may be provoked to endeavour the repair of it The Apostle makes this as a help to direct the Ephesians to exact holiness of life Eph. 4. 22. 23 24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness 4. Meditate on the righteousness of that place whither you desire to be translated after this life Heaven hath nothing in it but holiness and glory it s called in Scripture an Inheritance undefiled 1 Pet. 1. 4. and the Holy Ghost tells us there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination Rev. 21. 27. The unrighteous shall never inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. The cleanness and beautifulnesse of a room is a great perswasion to men to cleanse their feet that they may be fit to enter into it Heaven is a clean place the streets of that City are pure gold as it were transparent glasse Rev. 21. 21. A spotted life is not fit for an unspotted Heaven Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. It is not the happiness of the Servants of God to be at peace with all men in this world they do follow it but they cannot overtake it but holy they must be else they shall have no part in the Kingdom of holiness When a man intends to plant himself into forraign parts he is very careful to be as well acquainted as may be both with the Language and customs of that Countrey Every Christian desires to be transplanted into Heaven a place of holiness and therefore should be careful to be fitted before-hand for that holy place A heavenly conversation is fit for one who intends to be an Inhabitant in Heaven Tit. 2. 12. 13. 5. Consider the righteousness of your Christian profession Your profession is a profession of holiness and its fit the practice should be answerable to the Profession A Christian calling is an high Calling Kings Priests c. Phil. 3. 14. and it is also an holy Calling Christians are called to be Saints God saith the Apostle hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling 2 Tim. 1. 9. And if a Christian would but well remember either the highness or holiness of his Calling he would not walk so disorderly as sometimes he doth Mens Callings are very forcible to take them off from employments that are unsuitable and to put them upon such as are agreeable to their Callings A Merchant will not rake in Dunghills it is work unfit for his Calling Kings will not buy and sell and trade it is not suitable to their Calling It is not for Kings oh Lemuel it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for Princes strong drink Prov. 31. 4. It is not for any person to be given to drink c. but of all men its most unfit for Kings to do it Their imployment is of a higher nature then the employment of ordinary men When Nehemiah was tempted to have fled from his work into the Temple for safety the consideration of his profession kept him from yielding Should such a man as I flee Neh. 6. 11. I who came hither to stand out against opposition I who have had such experience of divine preservation I that have professed so much confidence in God c. If such Meditations were fixed upon a Christians heart he would never willingly give way to any unrighteous practice 6. Consider much of the righteousness and holiness of that word of God which is given for the rule of your walking Every word of God is pure The Law of God is a holy and righteous Law the Gospel is a Gospel of holiness and its fit that such as have chosen this Rule should be holy in all manner of Conversation The Apostle gives this both as a Motive and Direction to holy walking Phil. 1. 27. Let your Conversation be as becommeth the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. And Tit. 2. 11 12. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world He that hath the Gospel before his eyes will put away sin from his eyes I thought on

ariseth 1. from that Naturall Distemper which is in it by reason of sin The Fall of Man did so bruise and crack this golden Vessel that it doth leak ever since and cannot hold that which is put into it The Apostle in Hebr. 2. 1. speakes of this Distemper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The memory is like a Vessel which is rent and full of holes Those golden Hoopes which God in the first Creation did set about this Vessel are either quite broken off or much loosened And then there are secondly also other things which make it so lubrick and crazy as to the retaining of things Spiritual and Divine viz. First it 's over-charged with too many Three Causes of a weak Memory worldly and sinful things the world is so much laid up in this Treasury that there is very little room for Heavenly things to be stowed there Secondly want of Meditation and recollection by this means it comes to pass that many Truths which are recorded in the Memory are as if they had never been set down in regard of use and improvement because by meditation and discourse they are not revived There is an Act of the Memory proper unto man which the Philosopher calls Eustach Phys p. 261. Reminiscentia when a thing which hath been recorded and is forgotten is by the help of Discourse and Reasoning recovered again and made present and without this it is impossible to keep alive the remembrance of many things Now it 's a very general fault not onely amongst wicked men but even amongst the people of God that they neglect this Duty of Discourse and Meditation they do not chew the Cud as they are required and so quite lose many things which they have heard understood and sometimes remembred Isaac went into the fields to meditate Gen. 24. 63. David used to meditate on Gods Statutes as well as to read and hear them Psal 119. 15. Thirdly the Devil he pilfers out many Truths he comes with his false Key and picks the Lock of the Memory and so the soul is bereaved of many a precious Truth vid. Mat. 13. 19. He comes and searcheth the books and whatever he finds there that may be prejudicial to his Kingdom he either quite takes it off the File or else so blurs it with his black Lines that in a very short time the Record becomes altogether useless Therefore for the strengthning of the weak Memory it 's not without need that things of moment and concernment should be inculcated and repeated 3. in regard of the Will and that 1. from the deadness and slowness and untowardness of the Will and Affections to embrace and give entertainment to saving truths at first when offered The heart of man is like hard Marble harder then any Adamant Zech. 7. 12. Impressions are not made upon it with one blow the Iron is not heated through with once putting into the fire there is a reluctancy and contradiction in the Will against the receiving of things of this Nature Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart ye have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost Act. 7. 51. The Apostle speakes of many Remora's and Obstructions in the heart which hinder the effectual working of the Word 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. Strong holds carnall reasonings things exalting themselves against the knowledge of God and high thoughts c. The soul is full of surmisings prejudices objections and strong opposings the strong man armed keeps the house and by force of Arms contends against divine Truths especially such as are of weightiest concernment And therfore there is need of urging and pressing the same things over and over and that with earnestness that these high Towers may be levelled And then 2. After that the heart hath submitted and yielded it doth in a very short time through the prevalency of indwelling corruption revolt and grow stiffe again and is very backward to practise Truths subjected unto It was the sad complaint of one of the Ancients that of all Trades and Imployments Chrysost that of the Ministry is most difficult as in other respects so in this that he can never finde his work as he leaves it Let a Carpenter or Mason or any other Crafts-man shape and square and polish his work and when he returns he findes it so but the Devil he mars a Ministers work as soone as ever he hath done When he hath digged a well of godly sorrow this Philistine comes and stops it up presently When he hath stubd up the thorns the Devill comes and plants them again or more in their room When he hath cast down the Wall in one week yea in one night he findes it set up again c. Every observing and selfe-searching Christian knowes the truth of this by sad experience When any holy Resolution hath been with much labouring begot in the heart Satan and his own corruption working together do soon cool check the form he brought with him from hearing the word is soon unfashioned again Oh Israel thy goodness is as the Morning dew and as the early Cloud it presently vanisheth away Hos 6. 4. Commands are not easily obeyed therefore there must be precept upon precept The consolations of the Gospel are not easily preserved therefore there must be promise upon promise It s a hard thing to go on in duty constantly the heart will backslide It s a hard thing to keep it light and constant and close c. The Church of Ephesus had left her first love Rev. 2. 4. 5. Ephraim was a back-sliding heyfer Hos 4. 16. they were revolted and gone Thy people saith God to Moses have soon corrupted themselves c. Exod. 32. 7. 8. Paul had faithfully preached the Doctrine of justification by faith to the Galathians when he was personally with them but in a very short time they were apostatized by the fraudulency and craftiness of false Teachers therefore he is forced to write to them the same things again vid. Gal. 1. 6. We see the Disciples of Christ though they were commanded and intreated by their Master to watch with him when he was in his Agony ready to die for them yet as soon as he was departed they fell asleep again and though he came and reproved them yet they fell asleep again vid. Matth. 26. 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45. A man would wonder that when Christ had told them that the pangs of death were upon him yet they should fall asleep c. We have a discovery in them of the hearts Apostacy Vse 2. This should be a Directory for the Ministers of the Gospel That they would not be contented onely once to name necessary truths but to be ever and anon as they observe the slackness and negligence of people in practising pressing and urging the same again and again There are some Doctrines which are as standing Dishes as the Doctrine of faith Repentance c. these are of necessary and daily use and people must be

spoyls the soul though perhaps more insensibly yet not less violently Sauls Armour will do no good against Goliah 1 Sam. 17. 38. 39. And as the Weapons of men cannot profit much lesse can 2. the weapons of Satan do any good Exorcismes spels inchantments crossings such like Diabolicall Devices are very unlike to help the soul in these Battels This is to cast out Satan by Satan which our Saviour makes to be a very improbable thing How can Satan cast out Satan Mark 3. 23. The Devil is a politick Creature too wise to make Engines to annoy himself Division would soon destroy his Kingdom therefore he will not fight against himself Or if he do seem to be overcome at any time by any of these weapons which he puts into thy hand it is but that he may by this means make thee faster in his snare A wise Souldier will suspect any weapon sent from his enemy when Saul went to the Witch at Endor to be relieved in his evill day Satan answered him but he did by this means get faster hold then he had before so vain are all these weapons 2 From the effectualnesse of these weapons they have ever been succesfull when they have been used aright by any of Gods Servants What is said of the bow of Jonathan and the sword of Saul is truely said of this Armour they never returned empty from the blood of the slain and from the fat of the mighty 2. Sam. 1. 22. never any harnessed with this Armour lost the field finally 'T is Armour of proofe it may be battered it cannot be quite broken There are thousands and ten thousands in heaven triumphing at this day who have overcome that red Dragon and all his hosts by this Armour IV. Why we must take the whole Armour 1 Because Satan will be sure to encounter us on every side he useth all kind of temptations besiegeth us round and therefore we must have all kind of Armour He hath temptations for the head therefore we must have a Helmet to keep that safe he hath temptations for the heart therefore we must take the Breast-plate he hath temptations for the feet therefore we must not leave off the shooes of the preparation of the Gospel c. There is not any part of the soul or body but he assaults it with peculiar and proper temptations c. No man knowes where Satan will shoot 2. Because if any place lie unguarded it will be as dangerous as if the whole were unarmed Satan will creep in at any hole and wheresoever he smites he smites mortally 'T is as good to have all naked as any part unweaponed Satan is an exact Marks-man he can shoot at an hairs breadth and not misse the Mark as it s said of those Benjamites Judges 20. 16. 3. There is such a connexion between one part and another that the absence of but one weakeneth the strength of all the rest For the Graces of the spirit there is such a concatenation amongst them that if one be left behinde all the rest are much loosened and made lesse serviceable They are as links of a Chain one helps to keep another so that if you do but break one the rest drop asunder Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope c. Rom. 5. 3 4. All the graces are as the stones of a building or the beams of an house they corroborate and strengthen one another faith strengthens love and love helps faith and love and faith quickens hope and hope sets joy on work c. It were easie to shew you what mutuall dependance one of the graces hath upon another And so do the Ordinances which are another part of this Armour they help one another the word helps us in prayer and prayer help● us in managing the word and the word and prayer make the Sacraments usefull and the Sacraments again they fit the soul for the word and prayer c. So that he that shall neglect any piece doth necessarily much enerve all the rest 4. He that shall neglect any may expect that God should even curse the rest to him as a punishment of that neglect For to leave off any piece of the spirituall Armour willingly argues in a man 1. Spirituall pride and confidence of his own strength he thinks himself not to want so much as God hath provided it argues 2. Disesteem of that peece of Armour which is neglected that there is neither desireableness nor usefulness in it and it 3. argues sloathfulness and security of spirit and then it argues 4. contempt of God and his Authority in prescribing what he would have his Souldiers to observe c. For as the Apostle argues in another case he that said Do not commit Adultery said also Do not kill c. James 2. 11. so he that saith take the Helmet saith also take the Shield c. Now such a Christian may justly expect that God will punish his pride and disrespect and sloathfulness and contempt with the blasting of all other pieces of his Armour that he that would not take all should have no benefit of any Information We may draw from hence 1. Vse these 12. Conclusions viz. LECT 6. Novemb. 14. 1649. 1. THat its a very difficult and hard taske LECT 6 for a Christian to oppose Satan when he comes in a way of Assault This is naturally infer'd from hence All the Armour of God must be taken and all little enough to furnish us for this day Many an ignorant and self-confident Christian thinks it one of the easiest works in all the world to repell Satan and put him to flight 't is but bidding him defiance and he is presently gone This Text will teach us another lesson if we mark it well We may guesse at the difficulty of opposing a contrary power by the provision made for that opposition When we see many hundreds of Souldiers listed and store of Artillery and Ammunition provided and many dayes spent in fitting the Souldier for his work we presently imagine that all this presupposeth more then an ordinary adversary so when we hear the Apostle charging these Ephesians once and again to take to themselves and to put upon them the whole Armour of God we cannot but conclude that there is like to be more than ordinary contentions before such an Adversary be overcome Look but upon that description which is made of this Adversary in the 12. v. of this Chapter Not with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers c. I name this difficulty not to discourage any Christian but to stir up watchfulness and diligence in all Christians that knowing the difficulty before-hand they may be the better fitted to entertain him when he comes Three things well considered besides this in the Text will discover the difficulty of withstanding Satans temptations 1. He is a very potent enemy Ephes 4. 12. Principalities Powers Spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places 2. He is