Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	doctrine_n	worship_n	3,910	5	7.2192	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76326	More sulphure for Basing: or, God will fearfully annoy and make quick riddance of his implacable enemies, surely, sorely, suddenly. Shewed in a sermon at the siege of Basing on the last Lords day, Sept. 21. 1645. Together, with a word of advice, full of love and affection to the Club-men of Hampshire. / By William Beech minister of the Army there, elect: min: of O. in the county of Suffolke. Imprimatur. Ja. Cranford. Sept. 26. 1645.	Beech, William.	1645 (1645)	Wing B1680; Thomason E304_3; ESTC R200304	30,148	36

Church is pestred with at this day and the Land is even darke and overspread with them as Egypt was of Grashoppers Exod. 10.15 These cannot endure the yoke of the Gospell will not abide to be ruled by the Word and Discipline of Jesus Christ David complaines of some Psal 2. Let us breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Now Christ accounts those his enemies not onely such as are in tearmes of defiance against him as he that said vicisti Galilaee but such also as will not suffer him to reigne over them Luke 19.27 But those mine enemies which would not suffer me to reigne over them bring them hither and slay them They againe are Gods enemies that hinder the passage and preaching of the Word and such as seeke like Elim●● to turne away others from the faith All seeming worldly wise men are Gods enemies for the wisdome of this world is enmity against God And so are covetous wretches Gods enemies for the amity of the world is enmity against God Rom. 8.7 So are Epicures and such as mind their bellies too much Gods enemies Phil. 3.18 19. They are enemies to the crosse of Christ And so are ob●tinate perverse sinners who will not be reclaimed but not withstanding all admonition goe on still in a course of ungodlinesse they are Gods enemies too Psal 68.21 God will surely wound his enemies and the hairy Scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his ungodlinesse These and all these are Gods enemies and without repentance come within the list of this prophesied destruction but yet they are not the enemies here chiefly intended for albeit my Text includes one as well as another yet it is to be collected from this president or patterne by which the Prophet humbly beseeches God to punish the enemies of his Church that the closer enemies are here principally aymed at The cause why Moses was commanded to vex the Midianites was because they had drawne Israel to idolatry and whoredome Now although the open enemies to Christianity the Turke and Jew uncalled shall assuredly perish yet they have not drawne so many from the true Religion nor yet corrupted Gods worship so much as our closer enemies have done It may be here and there a renagadoe hath beene corrupted with Mahumetanisme or Judaisme but millions in our Land have been leavened with popish doctrine and heresies from time to time and thousands daily are by their creeping Seminaries insinuated into infected with idolatry and therefore Doe unto them as unto the Midianites as unto Sisera c. The next thing for the opening of the point is this we must make an enquiry who thes● Midianites were what was Sisera and what was Jabin what and where was this brooke of Kison this I say must nec●ssarily be unfolded because the ruine of these is made a patttrne for the destruction of Gods enemies Midianites these were of the posterity of Abraham by his concubine Keturah 1 Chron. 1.32 who being turned Idolaters drew Israel to sinne in the Wildernesse for which Moses revenged the Israelites of them by the slaughter of all their males and their five Kings and a wonderfull great spoyle But after recovering gaine and oppressing Israel in their owne Land were by Gideon and 300 men vanquished when they lay in the valley like Grashoppers for multitude Judg. 6.1 Sisera was Captaine Generall of Jabins host King of Canaan he had 900 Chariots of Iron and vexed Israel sore but by Deborah a Prophetesse and Barak a Captaine of Nepthali the Lord destroyed him and all his Host and Chariots there was not a man left and Sisera flying was killed by Jael Hebers wife who drave a naile into the temples of his head Judg. 4.2 3 4 21. Jabin was King of Canaan as is said who upon the death of his Generall Sisera was subdued and destroyed vers 23. of the said chapter Brooke of Kison Brooke or in the Bourne i. e. the vally of Kison the originall as my authour tels me signifies a valley and a river running in it which our English cals a Bourne Kison was a river at mount Carmels foot by it Sisera and the King of Canaan fought with Israel and were vanquished as I said and the Bourne Kison swept them away For the better illustration of the point in the discovery of the condition and fall of these people you shall doe well to note these particulars and the point will be cleare In the Midianites then observe 1. They did intrench upon the rights and priviledges of the Israelites they did invade their Land and sought to drive them out of that inheritance which God the great Lord of the earth had given unto them 2. They did vex poor Israel exceedingly saith the Text destroyed their Corn and other provision Iudg. 6.4 and they encamped against them and destroyed the encrease of the earth and left no sustenance for Israel neither Sheepe nor Oxe nor Asse And the children of Israel were greatly impoverished because of the Midianites 3. The time of their destruction is noted to be when they were in their greatest height they were as the Grashoppers for number they were most confident and secure 4. The meanes of their defeate is noted to have been weake and improbable Gideon and 300 men against so great a multitude and that the blowing of a Trumpet and the breaking and clashing together of fraile earthen Pitchers should so affright and annoy such a terrible host of men 5. The manner of the foyle given is not to be forgotten it was an irrecoverable destruction they were utterly routed there were of them taken prisoners and slaine Zebah and Zalmana Princes Oreb and Zeb Princes nay in fine all Midian was subdued so that they lift up the head no more Judg. 8.18 Againe in Sisera and Jabin observe three passages 1. These were in their jollity too very presumptuous they were and confident of the day They had 900 Chariots of Iron and they made no doubt of the conquest upon Israel 2. The means also of their discomfiture and most dishonourable overthrow the brave Sisera was sold into the hands of a silly woman and the King Jabin lost his life by an inconsiderable party who had likewise but a woman to be their Commander in chiefe Judg. 4.9 3. The manner of their overthrow it was a fatall and irrecoverable blow they received All the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the Sword there was not a man left Sisera himselfe sanke down at Jaels feet and lay dead and Israel prevailed against Jabin King of Canaan It will be easie to prove the truth of this Doctrine by Scripture 1. That the enemies of God shall perish as these did namely first in the height of their security and in the top of their jollity so much David notes Psalm 37.35 36. I have seen the wicked strong in great power and spreading himselfe like a green Bay-tree yet he passed by and to be was gone I

streits against their Enemies even then Lord when they were in their greatest pride and presumption and in the very highest pinnacle of their jollitie and confidence and namely how bare thou madest thine arme then upon the Midianites when they lay at the foot of Carmell by the river Kison for number and multitude as the Grashoppers how thou didst exercise thy mightie power in the over-throw of those innumerable multitudes by such weake meanes as 300 silly men under the command of thy servant Gideon and didst totally rout them so that not a man was left and thereby thou of thy goodnesse didst give thy people quietnesse and rest from their Enemies about them Nay Lord how thou didst magnifie thy power wisedome and goodnesse together in delivering up the strength and multitude of the Cananites unto the weakenesse of a woman even thy servant Deborah Nay that thou didst so provide for thy people that the valiant and renowned Sisera should fall at the rent of a weake woman even Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite Now O Lord true it is the Midianites are dead Sisera and Jabin are cut off but more are risen in their stead Loe now the Tabernacles of the Edomites the Israelites the Moabites and the Hagarent c. these are as cunning and cruell and numerous and proud as ever those were and thy name is as deare thy people as precious to thee now as ever and therefore Lord Doe unto them as to the Midianites c. But we shall look upon the words at this time as a prophesie for albeit they run in forme of an imprecation yet it being considered what David was a Prophet we must needs thinke the ground of his speech was the knowledge he had touching the future estate of Gods Church for which cause he makes the desire of his soule sutable to the purpose and determination of God I say this is nothing else but a propheticall speech of David as therefore David well knew and had said that burning co●les would fall upon the wicked and that they should be cast into the fire and into the deepe pits that they rise not againe Psal 140.10.11 so here he testifieth the fulnesse of his assent and desire that it should be so Doe unto them as to the Midianites I remember Deborah and Barak have the like propheticall imprecation Judg. 5.31 So let thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might From hence then we have this ancient undeniable Truth to discourse upon that The Enemies of God shall surely perish as did the Midianites and as Sisera and Jabin perished Before we make any further progresse it will be most necessarie that we explicate the termes what is meant by the Enemies of God and who those Midianites were what was Sisera and what was Jabin and how they perished 1. In generall termes they are the enemies of God that hate the Church and people of God thus you shall finde the Lord reputed Amaleck an utter and almost irreconciliable enemy to himselfe because he was Israels enemy he swore he should have no quarter but he would have warre with him from generation to generation beause he fought with Israel Exod. 17.8 9. and David is plain Psal 9.4 5. That those which reproached the footsteps of Gods annoynted reproached the Lord. So Acts 9.4 5. Sauls spite was at Damascus but saith Christ Why persecutest thou me the enmity was against him in Heaven In this very sence Zenacherib is said to raile against the holy one of Israel because he railed against the Church and people of God in Israel Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed saith God and against whom hast thou exalted thy voyce and lifted up thine eyes on high even against the holy one of Israel Esay 37.23 God hath enemies of two sorts First open ones and more tolerable Secondly secret ones and most intollerable 1. They are open enemies to God that seek to root out and abolish his truth professedly such were of old the Philistims the A●●orites the Amalekites the Midianites c. and after that the Babilonians and other Monarches whom Daniel prophesied of and 〈◊〉 at this day are the Turkes to whom the very name of a Christian is abominable 2. The closer ones and most intolerable are such as shroud themselves under the name of the Church and Religion but yet in deed and truth are enemies to the sincerity of Religion i● and power of godlinesse And these againe must be distinguished some doe professe a different kind of Religion and use another manner of worshiping God then the true Church useth such were the Samaritans in ancient times who after their rent from the Jewes retained circumcision boasted of their fathers and expected the Messias yet were not Gods people but were deadly enemies to the Jewes and therefore the Jewes had no commence no dealing with them John 4.9 And such at this day are the bloody Papists who boast they onely are of the Church but yet under this pretence are against the Church persecute and are in continuall opposition thereunto Hence it is that their Church is typed out by the name of the great whoore Rev. 17.6 And she is said to be drunke with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs whereof these late times have had lamentable and sad experience Now these bloody enemies use a double course either open violence and hostility hence it is Revel 13.7 the Antichristian Church is said to have warre with the Saints and what warres they have made with the Protestant Church there is none can be so ignorant as not to know it The other course they take is under-board under decke secret practizing which is either by conspiracies poysonings Armado's Powder-plots and as now civill wars and all to bring our Kingdome and Religion to utter devastation and confusion as they have done already upon Germany or else by privy suggestions of their creeping Jesuits and Seminaries to corrupt the minds of the unsetled and to poyson them with their Popish drugs They come as one observes well out of the Sea of Rome as the Sammons out of the Maine up into the fresher Rivers and beget a new Spawne and Fry of Catholiques These compasse Sea and Land to make one of their profession Mat. 23.15 A second order of these enemies that passe under the name and notion of the Church are such amongst us that professe true Religion but yet are adversaries to the power of Religion such as those of whom the Father complained of old Miseros nos qui Christiani dicimur gentes agimus c. such as were Christened and are therefore called Christians or else you could not know them to be such because of their scandalous and worse then heathenish lives and conversations having saith Paul a few of them a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 Such as these the Lord be mercifull unto us our