Hieron - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.H54 S4 1624

218 The goodFight. akaKing.z.y. did ofEliab,hisfpirie,that ihefpiritofvndertanding &courage maybe doubled and trebled upon him. -Ifhee bee theman as hefhould be, Sathan oweth him a ' double fpite : and in many combates with the ChurchofGod, hee feemeth to giue like charge tohisInffruments, which the King ofAram gaue tohis fouldi. y zKin aa. ;r ers, vFight neitherwith(mall norgreat,lout owl"againO the KingofIfraeI. Forhe thinketh that ifhecanfmite the fhepheardwith a fpirit eitheroferror, or drowai- zMat.a6l;a. neffe,orofambition,orofauarice, theft eepcofthe flock(hallbegnickelyfcatteredz. Hee knower': by long experience, that from the Prophetsof lermfalemwickedneff aIer.ztas, goetbfoartb into allthe Land., and that it theLight which GQD bath let in his b Mae 6,23. Church bee darkener, tbe darkeneft cannot but exceed b. Thai Ihaue (hewed you the patticulars of PanitFighting(, and the necefsityof thefameFight, in euery oneofvs that would bee (as weeare called ) Chriffians g now let vs come to the next point, the Inquirie howon ourparts this Fight bathbeen performed, viz. how weehaue fought againfl Corruption, howwee haue fought again(} Sa. tan,howwe haue f riuenand fought for the vpholding and maintenanceof Gods Truth. Tketrii, And hete in thevery liefFentry ofmymeditstibn, when I didin my thoughts An enquiry compare together thofewhich doe Fight thisgoodFight vederthe banner ofthe hownr haue Lordof Hoges, with thole, who (whatfoeuertheir profefsíon is) doe indeede fought this and in truthfightagain(}him, itbrought intomy minds, that whichthe Spirit of fight' God reports touching the Ifraelitith troupes; and thearmies of the Aramires crKin.xe ar theiraduerfaries: The childrenoflfraelpitchedbefore them,like twolittlefocl¡es of Kids, but the Aramitesfilled theeountrey : the verylike con-pardon may be tr my made betwixt thole that fight on the Lordspart, and thole whichfight againft d Luk.tieg; himorat the leaff,(whichbyour Sauioursrule(d) is all one)figbt not withhim: the one fide (thebetter part I meane)are but euroa handful) in refpeet, oneofa Citio, twoof aTribe: the other a numberleffe number, and maywell beetitled withthe name ofthe poffeffed', Legion, for indeede they are Many. And there. e Tet.3.tq. foretruewill that bee whichwasfpoken of oldeby ifaia, t,and bath beetle fince fMark.q.g. renewed by `Pamli,Tbou h the numberof the children I rael men rofefsin Re- g Y B f ff p g aa, ligion wereat the land ofthe Sea,yetpalling a common,be (seed. It will notbee e- hRem.ys7. sough to hauefaide thus, vnlelíe it be confirmed alto, I will therefòte fhew you how true it is bydegree. Touching fightingagaiufmens owne perfonall corruptions, there are (that outofmanyI may cull out thechicle) three things, which doedrew thenumber ofluchFighterstobe but fnall: The fitti is,the generali ignorance ofthis point ofholy do&rine, concerningthe combating together of theft two, Corruption and Holineffe,Nature& Grace ineurry true Chriflian. I am not fo wellacgrtain- ted with your fpirituallcilate that are hereprefent, astobeable peremptorily tò determine ought n yet perhapsifa manfhoulddealtwiththeparticularsofthis a(femblyby polle, and fhould examine them as f raitely as the Gileadotes did the i ludgaa. Epbraimires,touchingfbibbolethand fibbolerh , demandingofeach this queffion, Howfareth it with thee, touching the Rebellionof thineowneheart, prenaileth it of yeeldethitto thepower ofGods Spirit ? Ho* goeth on the quarrelfbetwixt the lawof finne, and the lowofGod? Perhaps (I fay) this demand would bee quitted with luchan anfwer, as wasthat ofPauli to the lately connectedDifciples at Ephefua, k A&.ts.a. kHame yerewind(faith he)the holyGbofbfineye beleeued? And theyfaid,we hone not mockao heard whetherthere bean holyOwl- So inthis cafe,they would fay; Too makeafirangemotion,webase notfo muchar beardwhether therehe anyInchcon- tention : And it maybe allo,fach as hauefome bettervnderflandingthenthe mul. titude, if in this particular they werewell preffed, would but make(itch a emai- 1 2Sa,a8.ag. fed gnlweras Ahimaazdid toDaniell, Is theyoungYAMAbfalom/afe, raidDauid? iftWiwgreat commlt, but I knew Not what, laid Abimaax ; fo they wouldbe forced TO

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=