Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	bless_a	jesus_n	lord_n	4,865	5	3.3913	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19873	Seven sermons on, the wonderfull combate (for Gods glorie and mans saluation) betweene Christ and Sathan Delivered by the Reuerend Father in God, Doct. Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, lately deceased.; Wonderfull combate (for Gods glorie and mans salvation) betweene Christ and Satan	Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.	1627 (1627)	STC 630; ESTC S119227	63,833	118

SEVEN SERMONS ON the WONDERFVLL Combate for Gods Glorie and Mans Saluation betweene Christ and Sathan DELIVERED By the Reuerend Father in GOD Doct. ANDREWES Bishop of Winchester lately deceased Iames 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth Temptation for when hee is tryed he shall receiue the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised them that loue him London printed for I. Iaggard and Michael Sparke 1627. SEVEN SERMONS VPON The Temptation of CHRIST in the Wildernesse 1. SERMON Mathew Chap. 4. verse 1. ¶ Then was Iesus led aside of the Spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the deuill OVR Sauiour Christ by his Natiuity tooke vpon him the shape of man by his Circumcision he tooke vpon him and submitted himselfe to the degree of a seruant By the first he made himselfe in case and able to performe the worke of our redemption By the second he entred bound for the performing of it All was to this end that he might restore the worke of God to his originall perfection In the bringing of which to passe it was decreed by God in the beginning as a thing necessarie that the head of the Serpent by whose meanes it was violated and defaced should be brused And For this cause saith Iohn appeared the Son of God that he might loose the workes of the Deuil wherof this was the first For in Gen. 3 we read that his first worke after his fal was enuiously to tempt our first parents and thereby to ouerthrow all man-kinde And here straight after our Sauiour was baptized hee with like enuy setteth on him Christ therefore first beginneth with the ouercomming of that and for that purpose hee is here led forth to be tempted that so being tempted he might ouercome Our Sauiour makes this question Math. 11. 7. vpon their going out to see Iohn Baptist what went yee out to see As if hee should haue said They would haue neuer gone out into the wildernesse except it had beene to see some great and worthy matter and behold a greater and a worthier matter heere If there be any thing in the wildernesse worthy the going out to behold this is a matter much worthy of it Or if there be any matter worthy the hearing it is worthy our attention to heare not Michael the Archangell disputing about the body of Moses with the deuill Iude 9. but our owne matter argued by two such cunning aduersaries to see the combat betwixt our grand enemy who goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking to deuour vs and our Arch-duke for so he is called Heb. 12. 2. to see our King of old Psalm 74. 12. the pawne of our inheritance and our Prince of new or Prince by vsurpation the Prince of this world Iohn 4. 30. enter the lists together to see the wisedome of the new Serpent match the craftinesse and subtilty of the old serpent Reue. 12. 9. to see the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah combating with the roaring Lyon 1 Pet. 5. 8. If any thing bee worthy the sight it is this Though there should come no profit to vs by the victory yet were it worth the sight in this respect only to behold how these Champions behaue themselues that so we may bee warned before hand by seeing the strength of our Aduersary and that also seeing the manner of his fight and of our Sauiours defence wee may be instructed how to arme our selues and how to ward accordingly For let vs bee sure that since the Deuill spared not to tempt our Sauiour he will be much more bold with vs If he haue done this to the greene tree what will become of the drie Luke 23. 31. If he haue sought our ouerthrow in Christ how much more will he doe it in our selues If our dayes here be but as the dayes of an hireling Iob 7. 1. and our whole life bee but as a continuall warfare 2 Tim. 2. 4. then is it behoouefull for vs to haue some intelligence of our enemi●s forces and drifts It is said his darts are fierie Eph. 6 16. Here we may see the manner of his casting them that so Sathan should not circumuen vs 2 Cor. 2. 11. Let vs marke how our Sauiour wardeth and defendeth himselfe that so wee may be armed with the same minde 1 Pet. 4. 1. Let vs therefore goe out into the wildernesse to see it Then Iesus This is the description of the entrie into the temptation and it containeth as a weighty history many circumstances importing great matters which may be reduced to 7. branches or heads First the two Champions 1. Christ and 2. Sathan 3. the leader of Iesus into the lists who is said to bee the holy Ghost 4. the end which was the conflict it s●lfe that is to be tempted 5. the day of the battell expressed vnder the word Then 6. the lists themselues that is the wildernesse 7. Christ his preparation to it that is his fasting 1. First for the partie defendant Christ who as God giueth food to euery liuing creature Psal. 136. 25. and as God and man with fiue loaues and two fishes fed 5000. besides women and children Math. 14. 11. He that is said to be the very meat it selfe whereby we liue eternally Iohn 6. is here said to bee hungry He before whom thousand thousands are said to minister and ten thousand thousands are said to stand before him Dan. 7. 10. hath here for his companions the wilde beasts for so saith Marke Chap. 1. 13. He to whom the Angels minister verse 11. is here assayled with deuils which offer vnto him matter of great indignity and the indignity which hee suffered leads vs to the consideration of the greeuousnesse of our sinnes and of the greatnesse of his loue both which are measured by the greatnesse of those things he suffered for vs as that hee was cast out from among the company of Angels for so Marke chap. 1. verse 12. hath it into the Desert to be a companion of beasts and so led forth to be tempted where hee suffered in his body hunger in his soule temptation what is it else but a proclayming of his great loue towards vs As if he should exulting say What is it that shall separate me from the loue of men Shall temptation shall solitarinesse shall hunger shall wearisome labour and trauell shall watching shall anguish of minde and bloody sweat shall mockes shall whippes shall nayles shall speares shall principalities That wee also might vse the same challenge which Paul doth in the 8. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes the 35. verse What shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation shall anguish or persecution These two profitable points grow out of the consideration of the person of the defendant II. Secondly the party assay lant is the Deuill who is so called by reason of his foule mouth in defaming for so doth the word Diabolus import whereby we haue occasion to detest the sinne of

out of the fountaines of saluation Esay 12 3. When there is any ill spoken of which we are to resist then it is commended to vs as an Armory whence wee may fetch any kinde of weapon which we shall need either offensiue as a sword Heb. 4 12. or defensiue as a shield Prou. 30 5. The Scripture is the broad plate that is to beare off the darts our faith is the braces or handle wherby we take hold Ephe. 6 16. and lift it vp to defend our selues withall For the Scripture is a shield Non quod dciitur sed quod dicitur Dicitur there is the strong and broad matter fit to beare off and Creditur that is the handle or braces to it God spake once or twice I haue heard it power belongeth vnto God Psal. 62 11. So that it sufficeth not that it be spoken onely by God but we must heare it too neither must wee heare it as the voyce of a man as Samuel at the first did who when God called him thought it the voice of Eli but as the voice of God that we which were dead in our sinnes he hath quickned and forgiuen vs all our trespasses 1 Thes. 2 13. This is the perfection of our faith Generally of the Scriptures this is Christs opinion confirmed by his owne practise that if the diuell come as a Serpent here is a charme for him Psal 58 5. Or if he come as a Lyon here is that is able to preuaile against him 1 Pet. 5 8. And that the deuill knowes well enough as appeareth by bis malice that hee hath alwayes borne it before it was Scripture when is was but onely Dictum For so soone as God had said Let vs make man in our likenesse that word was straight a whetstone to the deuils enuie And after the fall when the seed was promised that was and is the cause of all the deuils enmitie Gen. 31 15. So when the promise was reitterated Gen. 22. 18. that was the cause he so turmoyled all the Patriarchs But when the word was to be written and to become Scripture then his malice began to grow very hot insomuch that he caused it for anger to be broken Exod. 32 19 For the Fathers are of opinion that all the deuils busie endeuour in making the Israelites to commit idolatry with the golden Calfe was to the end that he might so heate Moses in his zeale as that in his anger he should breake the Tables of the Law by casting them hastily out of his hands We are to note therefore that there is a forceable sound in the word which the Deuill cannot abide and not onely the sound but the sight also It is written of Augustine that lying sicke on his bed he caused the seuen poenitentiall Psalmes to be painted on the wall ouer against him in great Letters that if after he should become speechlesse yet he might point to euery verse when the deuill came to tempt him and so confute him Blessed is he that hath his quiuer full of such arrowes they shall not hee ashamed Blessed is he that hath the skill to choose out fit arrowes for the purpose as the Fathers speake out of Esay 49 2. Christ saith affirmatiuely of the Scriptures that in them is eternall life Iohn 5 39. Negatiuely that the cause of error is the not knowing of them Marke 12 24. Dauid saith it was that that made him wiser than his enemies than his teachers and than the Ancients Psalm 119 98 99 110. Knowledge of the truth is the way to amendment after a fall 2 Tim. 2 26. There is much calling now adaies for the Word and others finde fault as fast that it is no better harkned vnto For as the want of obedience and all other abuses which are so much cried out against proceede not onely from the not hearing of the word but as well from the not mingling of faith with it without which mixture it is nothing worth it profiteth not Heb. 4 2. So the error of the former times was in yeelding too farre to the deuils policie by sealing vp the Scriptures and locking the storehouse and Armorie of the people It is the policie Christ tels vs of in the 11. of Lukes Gospell 22. A strong man puts the strong armed man out of his house and takes away his armour from him then he needs not feare him The like policie we read of 1 Sam. 13 19 when the Philistims had taken away all Smithes and Armour then they thought they were safe So in the time of darkenesse the deuill might let them do their good workes and what they list and yet haue them still vnder his lure that he might offend them at his pleasure that had no armour to resist him All the Children of God had a right and property in the Law of God as appeareth by Christs words Iohn 10 34. he answered them that is the common people Is it not written in your Law As though hee should say the Scripture is yours To the young man in the tenth Chapter of S Lukes Gospell and 26. verse that asked Christ what he should do to be saued Christ answereth What is written in the Law how readest thou Whereunto the answer that we cannot read or that the booke is sealed vp Esay 29 11. is as the deuill would haue it Then hath he a fit time to offer vs stones to make bread of But this answer with our Sauiour Christ will not he allowed of Now come wee to the speciall point of Christs answer It is written Man liues not by bread onely c. Deut 8 3. There is no better kinde of reasoning than that when one grants all that hath beene said by his aduersarie and proueth it to make on his part and vpon a new conceit auoyds all that his aduersarie said Here our Sauiour might confesse all that the deuill objected as that he is the Sonne of God and admit the stones were made bread and that bread were of absolute necessity and that it were so to be come by which is vntrue were we then in good case This indeed is the deuils position wherewith he would perswade all those that haue animam triticeam as the Fathers call it that those externall things are necessary to bee had and that if they haue enough thereof they are well enough as we see it to be the minde of the rich man Luke 12 19. This man hauing a wheaten soule hauing corne enough bad his soule take rest and liue merrily for many yeeres But Christ goeth further and saith Though the stones be made bread it will not auayle except it please God by the blessing of his word to giue vertue and as it were life vnto the bread there is no difference betweene it and a stone It is not the plenty or quality of victuals howsoeuer some dote vpon such externall meanes as they did which sacrificed to their net and burnt incense to their yerne Abac. 1. 16.

others say Faith onely instifieth God is onely to be worshipped and serued and none besides him Zephaniah prophecieth against them that serue the hoste of heauen vpon the house top and sweare by Malcham Zeph 1 5. But Iacob sware by the feare of his father Isaae and it is said They feared the Lord and serued their Idols also Gen. 32 53. 2 Kings 17 41. It is the property of Arons rod that being turned into a Serpent if the Magicians turne theirs also into Serpents Arons will deuoure the rest Exod. 7 15. Bring the Arke into the Temple of Dagon Dagon will fall downe and breake his face and though it were lifted vp againe yet it fell downe againe 1 Sam. 5 3. The stories beare witnesse that the god of the Hebrewes would not come into Pantho Samuel bad the people if thuy were come againe to the Lord with all their hearts to put away their strange gods from amongst them 1 sam 7 4. If there were any other beside him that were able to helpe vp wee might haue some reason to serueother but since it is her that must helpe vs in all necessities we must worship him alone otherwise when we pray to him he may send vs to the gods which wee haue chosen to serue for our helpe Iudg. 10 14. If we could finde an equall or a better then God we had some reason to make him a partner in his worship but if none be worthy once to be named with him so farre is all beneath him wee shall offer him too much disgrace and injury in so doing It is an embasing of gold to haue any other mettall ioyned with it yea though it be siluer the sonne saith Malachi Chap. 1 6. honoureth his father and the servant his Lord if I be your father where is your reuerence Whether we account of God as of our Lord and master or whether wee take him for a father a man can haue but one father except he be a bastard Esay 2 14. and so be Filius Populi if for a husband not two husbands for he is a iealous God and cannot abide that No man can serue two master but he must loue the one and despise the other no man can loue God and Mammon Verse 11. Then the Deuill lest him BLessed is the man saith Iames Chap. 1 12. that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life Christ hath endured the temptation now followes the blessing Iacob would not let the Angel depart with whom he stroue before he had blessed him Gen. 32 26. Iob after his afflictions receiued his two fold blessing Iob 42. the woman of Canaan first heareth her selfe accounted a dogge but at last she heard Fiat tibi Paul was first buffeted by the pricke of the flesh and after heard My grace is sufficient for thee So here at last when the Deuill saw it was bootlesse to stay any longer there was no good by him to be done he leaues our Sauiour But yet hee went not away willingly of himselfe but was sent away with an Auant Which is a comfort to vs to thinke we stand not at the deuils curtesie and that he shall not attempt vs so long as he list for God hath the deuill in a chaine Apoc. 20 2. and will not suffer him to tempt vs aboue our strength 1 Cor. 10 13. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous least the righteous put forth their hand to wickednesse Psal. 125 3. To haue the deuill not to come to vs is a great fauour but to haue him come and goe away conquered is exceeding mercy For tribulation brings patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope makes not ashamed Rom. 5 4. As God said of Iob 2 3. Hast thou marked my servant Iob who keepeth still his integritie And behold the Angels came and ministred unto him ANd as Luke saith Chap. 15 10. There is ioy with the Angels in heauen vpon the conuersion of euery sinner For we are made a spectacle vnto men and Angels 1 Cor. 4 9. Before God are said to stand ten thousand Angels Dan. 7 10. and to minister before him He hath a greater preheminence but we are also herein partakers of the diuine nature 2 Pet. 1 4. either because we are fed by Angels as Elias Was 1 King 19 5. or defended by them or watched of them But saith Esay Chap. 18 18. He that beleeueth makes not hast Christ was not hasty but stayed Gods good time he would not make his owne bread but stayed till the Angels ministred vnto him Then there appeared an Angel to comfort him Luke 22 43. This wisedome must wee learne by holding our tongue Iob 33 33. otherwise one of these two extremes shall we come to either Extremum luctus gaudium occupat or Extrema gandij luctus occupat saith Bernard Luke 16 25. The world is like Iael who meets Sisera Iudg. 4 19. and entertaines him at first very friendly shee allures him to her and giues him drinke and laies him downe but so soone as he was asleepe she smites a naile into his temple The world beginnes with milke and ends with a hammer But our Sauiours meaning is cleane contrary The world first vttereth good wine and when men haue wsll drunke then that which is worst Iohn 2 10. But Christ hath kept bocke the good wine till now Chap. 2 9. Mathew saith Chap. 13. v. 14. The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast the into a furnace of fire where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Then shall the iust shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their Father Our Sauiours method is to giue bitter first and sweet afterward Wherefore we are to wish that here wee may suffer affliction that we may after bee Crowned by him FINIS Galath 4. ● Philip. 2.5 1 Iohn 3. 8. 1 Pet. 5. 8. Iohn 3. 14. Apo. 5. 5.