The spirituall vvarfare a sermon preched in the parish church of St. Michael Crookedland in London : on the 30 of March being a fast day / by Mr. John Spencer sometime groom to a nobleman.

The spirituall vvarfare a sermon preched in the parish church of St. Michael Crookedland in London : on the 30 of March being a fast day / by Mr. John Spencer sometime groom to a nobleman.

Table of contents

Title page

Mr. SPENCERS SERMON

Mr. SPENCERS SERMON

[Page]

2 TIMOTHY, 2. 3.‘Thou therefore endure hardnesse, as a good souldier of Jesus Christ.’

YOu shall finde, that in the three first Verses of this Chapter I have read unto you, the Apostle laboureth to exhort Timothy to three particular duties; The first is, That he would be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: The second is, That whatever God had communicated to him, he would make known to faithfull men that might be able to teach also: The third is in the Text read unto you▪ That he would endure hardnesse, as a good souldier of Jesus Christ.

In the Text you have an Exhortation, with the quanty of the Exhortation; The Exhortation, to endure hardnesse: The quality of the Exhortation, as a good souldier of Jesus Christ.

Beloved, there is in the Text three things considerable: The first is this, That the very best of Gods people must look for afflictions; if Timothy, if Paul, if David, they must not look to be free from afflictions; Thou therefore endure hardnesse, &c. The second thing in the Verse, is this, That it is the minde and will of our God, that his people should mildely and patiently bear afflictions, Thou therefore endure hardnesse as a good souldier, &c. The third and last is this, (which we shall chiefly insist upon) That all Gods people are Christs souldiers.

For the prosecution of the Point, we shall first prove it to you. Secondly, we shall shew you who they must encounter with. Thirdly, what the weapons are which they are to use. Fourthly, how they are to fight, that they may overcome. Fifthly and lastly, we shall make Use and Application.

For the proof of the Point, I say, That all Gods people are Christs souldiers; that they are so, cast your eyes on Ephes. 6. 13. and other particular verses, Paul exhorts them to put on the whole armour of God, that they may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.

Beloved, surely God intends his people should fight, (as you shall hear by and by) therefore to prepare them to the battle, the Lord would have them with all speed to put on their armour and be ready; well, the weapons they must put on, must be Gods weapons, yea & all Gods weapons; Put on the whole armour of God. Rev. 12. 7. There was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon and his angels.

Beloved, I hope you do not think that there is any tumults and wars in [Page] in heaven, no; but this is the meaning, the Church of God upon earth is still fighting against the devil & his angels; Here you must look for fights if ever you would come to heaven. So, in 2 Tim. 4. 7. saith Paul, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, henceforth is laid up for me a crown of life. So, 1 Cor. 15. 32. he tels us, He fought with beasts at Ephesus, he was a souldier all his dayes, so soon as ever he came to be inlightned, he took up the weapons of Jesus Christ, and was resolved to dye in his cause.

So we come to the next particular, who they be that Gods people should fight withall; they must not be idle and lazy, for they are souldiers.

First, they are to encounter with God; 2. with themselves; 3. with the world; 4. with all wicked men; and 5. with the devil himself.

Beloved, you see here is enemies as well as friends to fight withall, and all these you must overcome, or else you shall never enter into the kingdom of God. First of all, you must encounter with God himself, and that for three things; first, for the making good of all his promises; secondly, you must encounter with God for his gracious presence; and thirdly, for the gracious discovery of himself in the face of his Son.

First, you must encounter with God for the making good of all his promises. Beloved, the Lord hath made rich and glorious promises in his Word; that is, a garden full of sweet and rich flowers; he hath made particular promises to you in particular, to his Church in generall; you are to wrestle with God for the making good of all his promises, and not to give over your suit till he hath made Jerusalem a praise in the whole earth. The Lord hath told you, Rom. 6. Sin shall not have dominion over you. Ezek. 11. 19. That he will put a new spirit within his people, and pour out floods of waters upon the the thirsty grounds. He hath said, Rev. 18. 21. that Babylon shall fall; and told us, The day shall come, when the Moon shall shine as the Sun, seven times brighter in its glory. You are Gods souldiers, and must encounter with Jesus Christ, for the making of these promises. You must be Gods Remembrancers, put God in minde, and say, Lord thou hast made such a promise, that my heart which is dark, shall be enlightened; my eyes which are shut up, shall be opened; and that thou wilt pluck down the proud enemies from their seats, and set up the humble and meek, Lord when wilt thou perform them?

Secondly, you must encounter with God for his gracious presence. Beloved, Moses knew well enough what the presence of God was, therefore desired, Exod. 23. If the presence of God went not along with him, that he might not go. Thus must you encounter with God, when you come before him in such a day as this, you must say, Lord, what shall I do [Page] with this hard heart, this ignorant, this unbeleeving heart of mine; Lord, if thou shouldst pluck away my wife, my husband, my childe, my friend, I shall not know what to do; but Lord, however thou dealest with me, vouchsafe me thy gracious presence: Happily I may live friendlesse, hopelesse, be cast into darknesse, where I shall see no light; Lord, let me have thy presence where ever I go; if he goeth not with you for to preach, to pray, to hear, what will ye do? He is the light of your eyes, the joy of your souls, the strength of your hearts. Thus must you encounter with God for his gracious presence.

Thirdly, you must encounter with the Lord for the glorious discovery of himself in the face to his Son, Ephes. 3. 14. This was that Paul bowed his knee for, that the Lord would reveal to his people the glorious mysteries of Jesus Christ. Thus must you importune the God of heaven for the glorious discovery of himself in the face of his Son.

Secondly, you are to encounter with your selves; 1. You must encounter with all your own righteousnesse▪ 2. with all your own unworthines; 3. with all your parts and abilities; and 4. with all your sins, if any of these prevail, they take away your lives, and you are undone for ever.

First, you must encounter with your own righteousnesse; Every man hath a righteousnesse of his own, which he thinks shall lead him to heaven; he is ready to say, whoever perisheth, he shall be saved, for he fasts and prays, and sighs and grones: Paul boasted of this, but when he comes to be a souldier of Jesus Christ, Philip. 3. 8. he counts all then as losse and dung; he would have nothing to do with it.

Beloved, you must not look to be saved by your own righteousnesse, not according to our own works, but of his free grace hath he saved us. If you should come to heaven gates with your bundle of prayers and tears, and sighs and grones, yet you should not have entrance, never look to come thither for the sake of these. This you must encounter with, and overcome, if you would be a souldier of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, you must encounter with your own unworthinesse; I may say of this, as was said of Saul and David, 1 Sam. 18. 7. the former hath kild his ten thousands, and this his thousands. Take heed of conceits of your own unworthines, this may keep you out of heaven aswell as the former.

If once you begin to think you have out-sinned Gods love, and that there is no pardon and remission for you, then will you grow into despair, and be ready to say, Lord there is mercie for others, but none for me; forgivenesse for others, but none for me; repentance for others, but none for me; and then you will grow negligent, you will not care for holy duties. Why should I hear, read, pray any more? God will accept of [Page] nothing that I can do: Oh take heed, you must encounter with your own unworthinesse.

Thirdly, you must encounter with your own gifts and abilities: How many thousand souls are undone by those gifts & parts the Lord bestoweth upon them? God many times gives a man'a gift, not for himself, but for others; now he thinks, it may be, that the Lord bestowed this gift upon him for the good of his own particular person, when it is onely for the benefit of others. Take heed of high thoughts, I am sure God hath not dealt with all as he hath with me: This is that which will sink your soul to the bottomlesse pit of hell; therefore labour to encounter with your own unworthinesse.

Fourthly and lastly, (which is the main) you must encounter with all your sins. Here is a hard heart, it must be broken, or else it will break thee all to peeces: Here is an unbeleeving, an ignorant heart that seeth no glory, no excellencie in Jesus Christ; this ignorant heart must be enlightned: Here is a defiled heart which must be purged and washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus. If you would but look into your own hearts, there you should finde abundance of work to do: surely thou wouldest not then say as some, I cannot tell how to spend my time. Is not there a proud heart to be humbled, a dark soul to be enlightened, is there no spots to be gotten out? Look well about you. Beloved, you will finde you had no time indeed, though you had many score of yeers given you to purge your souls from that drosse, filth, and corruption which lyeth upon them.

Thirdly, you are to encounter with the world, and there are four things in it, which destroyeth three parts of the men of it; the pleasures, the profits, the honours, the afflictions of it; these stand in the way as so many armed men: If the pleasures catch thee not, it is a thousand to one but the riches doth; if the riches doth not, it is a thousand to one but the honours doth; if the honours doth not, it is a thousand to one but afflictions do: of these I could give you divers instances. What a long time did Demas walk with Paul? yet at length he forsaketh him, turns to the world, either to the pleasures, or riches, or honours of it; so of Ammon and Haman; therefore look to it, that the pleasures and profits of the world withdraw you not. Know this for certain, that the Lord hath condemned the world already, and you may expect the execution of it every day. The day is coming, when you shall have new heavens, new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse; you shall enjoy things in another way then now you do, therefore set not your hearts upon things below, for all these must decay.

Fourthly, you are to encounter with all the enemies of God; and know [Page] this, that the enemies of God are very subtle, they are mighty in strength, there is multitudes of them, they are not poor ones, but rich ones, they are not in low, but in high places, yet you must encounter with them all, and if they get the upper hand, you are gone for ever, but if you get the day, then are ye thrice happy. You may see in Rev. 12. the dragon and his angels makes war with the Church of God, they put out all their strength and policie against Christ, his ordinances, his people.

There is Gods honour and glory at stake, which you must vindicate, you must have the ordinances in their glory, whatever it may cost you. Happily you must lose your estates, your lives, your liberties, before you enjoy them, yet you must hold on still conquering, and to conquer. Now beloved, you will finde it a hard peece of work to encounter with these enemies of God, for his ordinances, Sacraments, Sabbaths, &c. if they get the upper hand, you lose your selves, and are not the souldiers of Jesus Christ.

Fifthly and lastly, (because we would hasten to that which more particularly concerns us) we must encounter with the devil himself, 1 Pet. 5. 8. He goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure. Three things considerable there; 1. his diligence; 2. his power and strength; 3. his cruelty, He goes about; where can you be, but he will be with you, to trouble you with variety of temptations? There is his diligence. Then he roareth like a Lyon, there is his strength; he would fain make you his pray. Seeking whom he may devoure; there is his malice and cruelty, he desires nothing but your bloud. These are the enemies you are to encounter withall. I shall come now in the next place to shew you the weapons you must use in this spirituall warfare.

The first weapon is a holy and godly life, Ephes. 6. This is the weapon that all the Saints of God have used in all their combates, in all their fights. David, in Psal. 119. O Lord save me, for I have kept thy precepts: I cleave to thy statutes, confound me not. Beloved, you must have a holy and godly life, if ever you think to encounter with God, your selves, or the world. Beloved, if any of you were to encounter with enemies, what kinde of souldiers would you take with you, the lame, the blinde, the deaf? Beloved, you must be purged and cleansed, no such kinde of creatures, if ever you think to get the victory; for if you appaar in Gods sight and presence, with a polluted guilty conscience, these sins will undo you. Therefore in the first place, if even you think to encounter with your enemies, and do service for God, get a holy life. The second weapon must be all your glorious experiences; you must say, Lord, I have been in six troubles, yea in seven, yet thou hast delivered me; I have known when I have sate alone, had all my bones broken, the arrows of wrath drinking [Page] up my spirit; I have known when I have lyen upon my sick bed, been at the point of death, incompassed round about with enemies; yet then God did preserve and defend me, why thou art the same God still.

You must goe further, you must bring in all the glorious experiments you have had of Gods designes for his Church: Tell the Lord you knew when the Church was helplesse, and hopelesse, and friendlesse: when Moses would not go down to deliver the people, nor Hester go in to the King; nay further, you must tell him you knew the Church in a most lamentable condition, the enemies pursued them, and was even at their heeles, the red Sea before them, Mountains on the sides of them, yet then the Lord saved his people.

You must tell the Lord what he hath done for England at such a time, how neare we were to destruction, what dangers compassed us round about, and how by a mighty hand and out-stretched arme he rescued us: Let this be the second weapon you take up to fight against your enemies.

Thirdly, the third weapon is Faith; this weapon where ever God hath put it in any hand, hath done glorious things for the Church of God: If thou canst but get this weapon into thy hand and heart, it will cause thee to live comfortably in the worst times thou canst meet withal, and make thee say with the Prophet, Heb. 3. Though the fig-tree should not blossome, nor no fruit be left in the vine, though the labour of the Olive should faile, and the fields not yeeld their increase, yet will I rejoyce in the Lord, and joy in the God of my salvation. Faith will cause thy soule to rejoyce in the worst dayes: Faith will inable thee to see Gods love the same in every condition, Faith will comfort thee in all thy straites, make thee see God the Son when thou art sick, as when thou art well; when thou art rich, as when thou art poor; when thou art in the dungeon, as when thou art at liberty. Faith will cause thee to lay hold on that which God hath promised, as if it were already performed. Abraham desired to see my day, he saw it, and was glad, Babylon is fallen, is fallen. Hee that commeth to me must beleeve; if he have not: this weapon, he will doe nothing at all. Daniel he understood by reading books, that the end of the Captivity now was at hand, which he verily beleeved; therefore in his ch. 9. ver. 19. he saith, O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord hearken and do▪ defer not for thy own name sake, O my God. See what out-cries he useth to God for the making good of his promises: Even so must you lift up your voices as Trumpets, and say, Lord hear, Lord hearken, Lord defer not, pluck down thy enemies, destroy Antichrist, and set up thy Son.

Thus did Jacob, the Lord bid him go out of his country, and afterward bid him return to his country and kindred again, and he would [Page] deal well with him, Gen. 31. 9. His brother Esau cometh against him with foure hundred men, there was litle hope of life. He then begins to encounter with God, and tels him, Lord thou hast blessed me, and I hope thou wilt deliver me from the hand of Esau; and so he overcame the Angell which wrestled with him, and would not let him depart without a blessing.

The next weapon that you must take up must bee the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ. Put on this caote of mayle, and the swords point of your enemies cannot enter; get this upon you, and you need not to fear though ten thousands encompasse you round about. David having this coat of male, the righteousnesse of Christ upon him, boldy encountred with all his enemies, and got the day.

In the last place, you must have the spirit of prayer, this beloved hath done wonderfull things with God, to overcome him, with the enemies, to overcome them, with the Devils, to overcome them; this is that which caused the prison dores to flye open, & all the chains which Peter was bound withall to be unloosed, Act. 12. This spirit of prayer wil draw your hearts into the bosome of Jesus Christ; this spirit of prayer will unlocke the dore of heaven, and let you in, this spirit of prayer will cause the God of heaven to hearken what you say, and give you audience; this spirit of prayer will do wonderfull things, what, saith the Lord, I have heard the cryes of my people, and am come down to deliver them.

This spirit of prayer will cause thy stony heart to break in peices, thy ignorant heart to be inlightened, free, and deliver thee from all troubles within or without; these are the weapons you must use.

The next thing is to shew you how you must fight, a man may have abundance of strength, be well weaponed, yet if hee have not skill may lose his life; therefore I will tell you how to fight if you look to overcome, first you must fight with them, not as they are your enemies and strike at you, but as they are Gods enemies and strike at God; men are too ready to appeare in their owne cause, they will be revenged of such and such men, but how few will stand up in Gods cause? you must make war against them, as they fight against God, his glory, his ordinances, his worship, his Saints. This consideration you must have, when you make war with your enemies, that they are Gods enemies, and fight against God. As thus; The soul beginneth to see the glory of Christ in his ordinances to be eclipsed; all the Saints of God, their lives and liberties lye at the stake, if I rise not up, and encounter, all will be gone if I should hold my peace, the very stones in the streete would cry out against me: that is the first.

Secondly, thou art to fight with full resolution, never to give over whilst [Page] one of thy enemies is left alive. Beloved, many men seem to be somebody, at first they gird their weapons about them couragiously, they are very busie in the work of God, for an hour, or a day or two: beseech the Lord to enlighten their blinde eyes, to break their hard hearts, to purge their impure souls; but alas presently they leave off, they have gotten something, therefore looke no further.

Know a little leake will drown a whole ship, a little fire burn a whole house, a little sinne destroy the soul; one corruption, if thou hast not a care, will open the dore and let in abundance, never give over untill thou seest the life and bloud of all thy sinnes run out before thee.

Thirdly, you must reckon upon losing something in this fight; no souldier that goeth forth to encounter with his enemies is sure to save his life, happily thy name may be lost, thy credit and estimation amongst the men of the world, thy trading, thy liberty, and may be, thy life too; well, it matters not, thou canst never bestow it upon a better friend, nor in a better service than that of Christ: therefore resolve to lose something, if ever thou lookest to be a souldier of Jesus Christ. Did you ever reade in the Book of God that any of his souldiers returned from the battell, but one time or other they lost something? Many times they have lost their lives, their friends, their liberties, their estates; And he that is not willing to lose all that he hath for Jesus Christ, is none of his souldier.

In the next place you must be sure to fight with patience, happily thou hast been interceding at heaven gates many yeares, that the Lord would discover himselfe to thee in his Son, shew thee the way wherein thou shouldst walk; it may be thou hast bin there a long time, for a poor wife, for a poor husband, for a poor child, for a poor servant, and yet the Lord hath not answered thee: what though? yet still resolve with David, to hearken what the Lord will say; for surely he will doe it: Lord I have called upon thee to avenge thy selfe upon thine adversaries. Set up thy Gospell amongst us, I have often cryed to thee for heart-breaking, but thou delayest to answer the desires of my soule; well▪ wait still, though I now lye under a hard heart, the light of thy countenance is taken away from me, I shall at length see surely the Lord will doe this for me.

Now we come to the Uses for want of time, I shall name but three. First, an use of Instruction; secondly, an use of Examination; and thirdly, an use of Excitation.

First, an use of Instruction, it teacheth us these things; first of all, beloved, that it is not so easie a thing to go to heaven, as men suppose, if you are Christs souldiers, you must encounter with God, with your selves, with the world, with wicked men, and with the Divell himselfe, yet [Page] a day will serve one mans turne, an houre another mans, if they can but say, Lord have mercy upon us, that will let them into heaven. Surely such do not consider that they are souldiers, and to fight with so many enemies. (Beloved) the Lord tels us, The righteous shall scarse be saved, where then shall the wicked appear? If after all their wrestlings they can scarce get into heaven, what thinke you of them that have spent no day in performance of holy dutyes; could you but come to the closet dores of the people of God, and see how early they are up, and how late they go to bed, sure then you would be perswaded that it was not so easie a thing to go to heaven.

Secondly, it teacheth us who is likeliest to doe the best service for God in evil times, if you should see your selves compassed round about with enemies, before you, behinde you, who do you think was likeliest to do you good, a company of lame men, blinde men, are these fit to do you service? Beloved, there is none fit to do God service, but these souldiers of Christ, that have armour of proof upon them, these are they that will do the greatest exploits for God; there was a poor man in the City, and he by his wisdom delivered it. Hence we may give a guesse, what will become of all the enemies of England, Germany had but a few, Ireland but a few praying people, but the Lord hath thousand of thousands here amongst us, souldiers expert in war, that know how to encounter with God. That is the reason, that though we are beset with so many troubles, yet they all flye before the face of Gods people, for they are souldiers.

Thirdly, it teacheth us whom to prize and love most, the souldiers of Jesus Christ: If you had a thing in your Cabinets, which, if sick, could make you well, if hungry, could feed you, &c. how would you prize this? Happily thou hast a beleeving wife, a beleeving childe, a beleeving servant; though thy house were beset round about with enemies, this man might deliver thee: when you are in Taverns, drinking, carousing, swearing, committing many abominations, this man is earnestly praying to God for thy conversion, it may be, the wife for the husband, the husband for the wife, the father weeping for the childe, the childe for the father, the master for the servant, the servant for the master: These you should most of all prize and love.

A second Use shall be a Use of Examination; and Beloved, here may we take up a sad complaint over England, surely if we made a search into every Parish and family, we should finde abundance of enemies, and I am afraid, but few fighting souldiers for Jesus Christ. I will shew you who they be that are not Christs souldiers, that you may weep over them, happily you may finde them in the Congregation where you come, in the [Page] houses where you dwell, in the bed where you lye. Lament over the sad estate of such poor souls. First, they that know not Christ, are not his souldiers; no man will binde himself Apprentice to another, unlesse he knows him: you cannot be souldiers, unlesse you know your captain Christ Jesus, and I am afraid there is but few knows him. In the world there is a kinde of a Relative knowledge, as one that hath never been in Spain, by reading of Books may tell you of the situation of the place, how many streets there be in it, and where there is such and such a Noblemans house; so that you would verily beleeve they had dwelt and lived there. So many there be that can talk excellently of God, have such admirable gifts and parts, that you would think, if there were a godly man in the Town, he was one; when alas he hath gotten nothing else but a Relative knowledge all this while. First of all, they that know Christ, will fully depend upon him; Dost thou say thou knowest Jesus Christ, what is the reason then there is such amazements and troubles seize on thy spirit? If thou knowest Christ, thou knowest him to be wisdom, righteousnesse, sanctification and redemption; thou wilt know him to be a God that maketh good all his promises. What is the reason of those blasphemous thoughts which men have? They think there is no mercie in heaven for them. What, wilt thou be saved by thy own righteousnesse? Then thou art no servant of Jesus Christ. You must know, Jesus Christ is inlightning grace, Jesus Christ is quickning grace, Jesus Christ is comforting grace, Jesus Christ is edifying grace.

And then again, if you know Jesus Christ, you will live upon him; Is it all the glory of Jesus Christ you live upon? Is it his power, wisdom and goodnesse you live upon, try your selves. I have no righteousnesse, saith the poor soul, but Christ hath righteousnesse; I have no power to make war with my lusts, but Christ hath power.

Thirdly, they that refuse to do the works of Jesus Christ, make excuses; these for present are not the souldiers of Jesus Christ: Abraham had never done such things for the Lord as he did, if he had done so, Gen. 22. God bid him arise, and go into the land of Moriah, and take with him his son Isaac, to offer him there for a burnt-offering. He might have made excuses, This is my onely son, the son of the promises, I am old, and my wife past childe-bearing; but presently he goeth to sacrifice his son. So Christ, when he was to go from his Disciples, he tels them, Mat. 16. 21. He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the Elders and chief Priests, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Vers. 23. Master, saith Peter, save thy self. Get thee behinde me Satan, saith Christ. Thus must you do: happily a husband, a wife, a childe, a friend may come and [Page] perswade thee to save thy honour, to save thy estate, thy wealth, thy life; you must say to them, Get thee behind mee Satan. So Paul, when hee was to go up to Jerusalem, they tould him he must be bound there; Oh, saith Paul, why do you weep and break my heart? I am not only ready to be bound, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord. Happily you may have your wife weep, and desire you not to go in such a course, for it will be the way to begger you; you must say, I am ready to lose my estate, my liberty, yea, my life for Jesus Christ: That is the first particular.

Secondly, they are not the souldiers of Jesus Christ that take up weapons of rebellion, and fight against him: You must either be the servants of Christ, or not be the servants of Christ, the souldiers of Christ, or not the souldiers of Christ. Now such as take up weapons and fight against God and his people, cannot be souldiers of Jesus Christ. Why, you say you do not fight against Gods people and his ordinances? Why, what dost thou fight against then? O take heed you deceive not your own souls. What is the reason thou canst lay such a drunkard, such a whore-master in thy bosome, and so slightest the people of God? In this, one day now Christ begins to appear, you see what oppositions there are in the world, people cannot endure the wayes of holinesse, but if no beauty shined out in the ordinance, they would like well of it. Consider that such as these are no souldiers of Jesus Christ, that fight against his ordinance, his people, what-ever they pretend.

The next Use is an use of Excitation (though there was more things in the other use, which for want of time I have omitted) there is two branches in it; we shal speak a word or two to those that are Gods souldiers, and then again to them that have not as yet entred into this spiritual warfare. First for them that are Christs souldiers, let me entreat you to prepare for a battel, for a skirmish, which you wil surely meet withall. Beloved, there is a day of death a comming, this wil certainly come, a day of affliction a comming, this will certainly come; you cannot, if you have the spirit of discerning, but see and perceive there is a cloud gathered together as big as a mans hand, how quickly it may cover the heavens none knoweth. The Lord hath told you, in the last dayes there shall be terrible times, Michael that great Prince shall stand up, and there shall be such times as never was before. Beloved, do you not already perceive the very drops of bloud begin to fall? Do you not daily heare of the cruell malice of the enemies of God? When you think the storme is blowne over, and never a cloud left in the heavens, every man may sit under his own Vine, and his own Fig-tree, and none to make him afraid; presently you perceive what hellish plots and designes are intended to draw a curtain before [Page] the light, and take it away again. Therefore, Beloved, let me entreat you to consider of these few things. Know this, you must fight or lose your lives, there is a necessity of it; you are to encounter with God, with your selves, with the world, with your enemies, and with the Devil himselfe; if you overcome not all these, you lose your lives. This very consideration, will put life and strength into the greatest coward, if he seeth there is no way to escape, then he will gather up his spirits about him. Beloved, I beseech you to consider it: Do you not perceive how we are hemmed round about with enemies spirituall and temporall? have you not enemies in your own hearts? you do not know what they may do if opportunity be put into their hands, the husband may betray the wife, the father may betray the son, the servant that eateth his meat at his masters table may destroy him. The Lord tels us, that a mans enemies should bee those of his own house. Do you not perceive how you are set about with enemies? there is a proud heart to be humbled, a stubborne will to be subdued, disordered affections to be rectified, all these seek to let out the life of your soules. Let this move you to take into your selves the righteousnesse of Christ, the spirit of prayer, the shield of faith, a holy and godly life to encounter with the desperat enemies of God.

Secondly, consider this, who will accompany you in this glorious fight? if you were to go to encounter with God alone, with your owne hearts, with the world, with the enemies of God, with the devil alone; truly then little hope: But consider who leads you forth, you have God, you have Christ, you have the Spirit, you have the promises, you have the Angels, you have the prayers of all the Saints on your sides. O then beloved, let this encourage you to goe to God for all you want or stand in need of, this may put life in you. What saith David, Psal. 118. 11, 12. Mine enemies compassed me round about like Bees, but in the name of God will I destroy them. Consider when thou art going forth to make warre against temporall, against spirituall enemies; thou goest forth with a glorious company in the name, in the wisdome of thy God; thou goest forth with the help of all Angels: Think yee not (saith Christ) that I could speak to my Father, and he could send me more than twelve Legions of Angels. So may a poor man say, it is not because their wanteth power in heaven, if God will hecan deliver me, thus you must consider who accompanieth you in this glorious fight.

Thirdly, to provoke you further, consider whose battel it is you fight; this is that which puts life into a souldier; you that have money, estates, parts, and gifts, liberties and the like, you may come and lay out all here to your great advantage. Jesus Christ seems now to set up his glorious [Page] standard, and make a Proclamation, Who will be on my side, who? O I beseech you, flock to Jesus Christ: you that have the gift of prayer, run in with that, you that have honors run in with them, you that have riches run in with them, see if they will do any good. Let that I beseech you stir you up to the work of the Lord. Nay again, consider what a glorious opportunity you have, a man might have lived when he could not have told what to have done: that would have appeared famous in the world for Jesus Christ. Now God calleth upon you, mercie calleth upon you▪ to send in your ayde and help, to fight in this great quarrell, to fight with fasting, with prayer, with tears, sighes, and grones; God now likewise calleth for the outward aswell as the inward mans estate, he calleth for spirituall and temporall things.

Again consider, the Lord hath made choice of you, you onely that are his people, to fight these combates. God could have destroyed his enemies himself, if not, he could have called to his Angels to have helped him; but the Lord hath made choice of you, he will not overthrow his enemies without his people, set up the Gospel without his people; you must tell him of what he said long ago, that Babylon shall fall: Consider this, that the Lord hath chosen you out before many others. And then again, consider what you get in this battel, is for your selves; let this pluck up your spirits. If a Captain should come to his souldiers, and tell them, if you take the Town, all shall be yours; would not this put life in the souldiers? God comes in, and saith, Be of good comfort, my sons and daughters, all you win shal be for your selves; I have no need of these and these things; those that have mourned with him, shall rejoyce with him. God saith, he will pluck down his enemies, and set up his people; and tels us, when it is so, his people shall rejoyce.

And then lastly consider, you shall be rewarded, though you do not overcome; the Lord will one day bring in his account, & shew thee how many dayes thou hast spent for him, how many bitter complaints thou hast put up before him; and will as certainly reward thee for it, as if thou hadst the benefit of it already. This should incourage you to go on, though you should never live to see the accomplishment of what God hath promised, you shall be rewarded, as if you did overcome. But in the next place, a word or two to those that for present are not the souldiers of Jesus Christ. I beseech you hearken, you will finde it a sad thing, that you are not the souldiers of Jesus Christ; surely it had been better for you, that you never had a being, then to be a Rebell from birth to death to Christ.

First, consider, if thou be not Christs, thou must of necessity be the devils souldier. Oh that men and women would but sit down alone, and seriously [Page] consider, whose servant am I, whose work do I, of whom do I take pay? Beloved, I beseech you consider it, you cannot serve two Masters; The Lord Christ speaketh to them that said they had Abraham to their father, you are of your father the devil, for his works you do. If we are the servants of Jesus Christ, we will fight in the cause of Jesus Christ, think upon it, what a sad thing it is to be a souldier of the devil.

Secondly, consider who it is you fight against, if you be souldiers of the devil, you fight against Jesus Christ; and what a sad thing wil it be, when God shall bring in a Bill of Indictment against you, the Saints a Bill of Indictment against thee, thy husband, thy wife, thy children? Lord here is one that fought against me all my dayes, did what lay in his power to take away my life & liberty; it were thousand times better thy hand should rot off, then that thou shouldest do any thing against the Lord; what will he say to thee, such a time thou livedst when such and such a thing to my dishonour was put out against me, and here is thy hand to it. It were a thousand times better for thee, that thy tongue should fall out of thy mouth, then that ever thou [...]dest be knowne to speake a word against Christ and his cause; take heed that thou beest not found a fighter against God. Happily the wife may bring in sad bill of Indictment against the husband, that he strive not only to keep himself, but her out of heaven, to keepe her from the places where she might edifie: it will be a sad thing to thy soul, that thou wilt neither go to heaven, nor suffer others; this Christ took notice of in the Scribes and Pharises, that had the key of knowledge, and would not enter themselves, nor suffer those that would, to enter, Luke 11. 52.

Thirdly, consider what thou must have for thy worke, thou that wilt not be broken off from thy prophaning of Gods day, poluting his ordinances, what doest thinke thou shalt have? Jesus Christ hath a rich reward for those that serve him, and so likewise for those that serve him not. But Beloved, them riches will make thy heart bleed to think of. My freinds, if you should come and look upon your tender hearted wife, and see her upon the Rack, but all about the place rejoycing, it would make your hearts ake within; you shall come to heaven, and see happily a poor wife, a poor husband, a poor childe pulled one joynt from another, God laughing, and all the Saints, and Angels laughing at it. Beloved, this will be an unspeakable torment to you; the terrour of Almighty God will be upon those that fight against God. In the last place, I beseech you be exhorted to lay down your weapons: Thou hast been a fighter against God this forty or fifty yeers; O now be perswaded to lay down these weapons. O my people (saith God, Micah 6. 4.) what have I done to you? [Page]wherein have I wearied thee, testifie against me? So saith God to many a man, What have I done to thee, that thou departest from mee, and keepest company with such vile wretches. Thus Jesus Christ also, O why will you dye O house of Israel? turn unto me, my bloud shall make you clean. So the Spirit saith, Come; and the Church of the living God saith, Come; the Embassadors of Christ wooe and beseech you to come in: Never more be seen with a weapon against Christ. These are glorious dayes that are a comming for the people of God, but wo be to that man that Jesus Christ shall find persecuting his Church: O the wretched estate of such a creature. But to conclude, what though thou canst not but confesse that thou hast been a fighter against God all thy dayes; if now thou wilt come in and lay downe thy weapons, thou shalt have as kind entertainment of God, as those that have been his this forty years, Abraham, Isaack and Jacob shall not be more beloved of God, than thou shalt be. This often troubleth a poor child, when it hath done that which is contrary to the parents will, it will not come in their sight, it is afraid of the frownes of the father. O feare not, the more polluted thou art, the more will the Lord weep over thee, he runs to meet a prodigall child, you do not know what feasts the Lord will make in heaven at your conversion; you shall see your name written in the book of life. Me thinkes this should move you to come in and close with the Lord Jesus: do not conceive that you shall not find entertainment, for you shall be as welcome as any: Nay, and let me tell you, the Lord will have a thousand times more glory by you, than by the civil man. Happily you have a neighbour that hath never bin known to swear an oath, to tel a lye, the Lord wil have twice more glory by you, than by such a one, if he should come in. Consider also what good thou maist do to poor enemies, Paul intimates so much, I knew a man in Christ about 14. yeares ago, he wil not name you who he is for feare of vain-glory, yet he tels you by and by, I Paul a persecutor. O beloved, how wil Gods people be encouraged, yea, the enemies of God, when they shal see such a vile persecutor as Paul to come in to Jesus Christ: Such a one as Mary Magdalen to come in to Christ, this must needs be a mighty encouragement. But to conclude all, if thou dost not come and presently lay down thy weapons, the time will be past, And as the tree falleth, so it lyeth, the night commeth when man cannot work. Therefore I beseech you lay down the weapons of your religion, defer not I beseech you, say not I will do it to morrow, the next day, or the third day, no do it presently; do not say I wil do it when I come home, but now whilst you sit in your pews resolve to lay down your weapons, & come to Jesus Christ. Many more instructions might have bin delivered, but the time hath prevented.

FINIS.

§

[Page]

THE Spirituall VVarfare: A SERMON PREACHED In the Pariſh Church of St. Michael Crookedlane in LONDON, on the 30 of March, being a Faſt day,

BY Mr. JOHN SPENCER, Sometime Groom to a Nobleman.

2 TIMOTHY, 2. 3.

Thou therefore endure hardneſſe, as a good ſouldier of Jeſus Chriſt.

LONDON, Printed in the year, 1642.

Information about this book

Title statement

The spirituall vvarfare a sermon preched in the parish church of St. Michael Crookedland in London : on the 30 of March being a fast day / by Mr. John Spencer sometime groom to a nobleman.

Spencer, John, Groom.

Edition statement

1642

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A61115

ID [STC]

Wing S4955

ID [STC]

ESTC R19817

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12607809

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12607809

ID [VID]

64284

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A61115)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 64284)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 251:E145, no 10)

Source

— The spirituall vvarfare a sermon preched in the parish church of St. Michael Crookedland in London : on the 30 of March being a fast day / by Mr. John Spencer sometime groom to a nobleman., Spencer, John, Groom..

Extent

16 p.

[s.n.]. London :: 1642.. (Wing attributed to John Spender.) (Reproduction of original in Thomason Collection, British Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.