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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	faith_n	great_a	overcome_v	2,679	5	9.0725	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10394	Saint Pauls triumph, or cygnea illa & dulcissima cantio that swan-like and most sweet song, of that learned and faithfull seruant of God, Mr. Iohn Randall, bachelor of diuinitie: vttered by him (in an eleauen sermons, vpon the eight chapter of St. Pavl his epistle to the Romans, vers. 38.39.) lately before his death, in the time of his great and heauy affliction, and vpon the Communion-dayes, either altogether, or for the most part. And now published for the glory of God, the edification of his church and people, and the hononrable [sic] memoriall of the author, by William Holbrooke, preacher of the word of God.	Randall, John, 1570-1622.; Holbrooke, William.	1623 (1623)	STC 20678; ESTC S102568	146,192	249

some vnderlings amongst vs children that are weake in faith and yong in grace and they must haue a smaller measure of this Cup an easier portion of these tryals Againe God hath some standards amongst his children that are strong in faith Armour of proofe throughly setled and stablished in grace and they shall haue a greater portion of this Cup Such was Iob in his time and such were Dauid and Ieremy and Paul in their times God raiseth vp many of these Worthies in euery time and makes them vndergoe and ouercome a world of afflictions to shame them that are fearefull and faint-hearted and will not vndergoe any affliction And to beard all the enemies of God be they men or Diuels and to magnifie the Almighty power of a strong God in a weake man Our heauenly Father is most wise and mercifull in measuring out his afflictions to vs the strongest shall be sure to haue as many as euer he can beare God giues him not his strength in vaine And the weakest shall be sure to haue no more then he can beare God cannot nor will not cast away any of his children by their afflictions how weake soeuer they be The third preparation is that these afflictions that doe befall vs shall not be powred vpon vs all at once lest they ouerwhelme vs and carry vs away as a whirlewinde into extasies and outrages and despaire but they are tendred vnto vs by little and little by degrees now one and then another as wee shall bee best able with comfort to beare them The Lord when he layes affliction vpon vs he giues vs certain respites and breathing spaces betwixt our afflictions else the spirit of man would faile before him and in these breathing times we recouer our spirits Wee behold and consider the mercy and goodnesse of God in preseruing and deliuering vs from our great afflictions and wee get new hearts and courage to beare fresh assaults and afflictions Lastly we are to receiue this Doctrine vpon this preparation that in all our afflictions we shall haue many comforts and helpes proportionably supplyed by God whereby we shall be enabled both to vndergoe them and to ouercome them Psalme 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts or sorrowes in my heart thy comforts haue reioyced my soule Wee haue sorrowes indeed yea but we haue comforts as well as sorrowes wee haue a multitude of sorrowes yea but we haue a multitude of comforts too Yea and these sorrowes and comforts are so graciously tempered by the mercifull hand of God that euen in the multitude of our sorrowes thy mercies oh Lord haue reioyced our soules And in the 1 Cor. 10.13 The Apostle saith that God is faithfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power but will giue an issue with the temptation There are two things which God promiseth to all his children in all their afflictions First a faire tryall and then a good issue What can we desire any more Yes wee shall haue more we shall haue increase of righteousnesse and grace by them Hebr. 12.11 It bringeth forth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse Would we haue any more yee shall haue more saith God As they bring you increase of grace so they doe of glory hereafter they shall be recompenced with euerlasting glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory By these preparations I hope ye are well prepared not only to heare and to vnderstand but also to brooke and digest this Doctrine Now we come to the proofes Mat. 16.24 If any man will follow me let him forsake himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me If we will follow Christ we must bid farewell to our own wils to our own ease and to the sweet times that are past for the outward man we must deny ourselues and we must take vp Christs Crosse what Crosse It is a daily Crosse Luk. 9.23 a continuall succession of tryals afflictions that we are daily exercised withall And in the 14. Chapter of Luk. 26. Verse our Sauiour enlargeth it with many particulars If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also he cannot be my disciple Here are crosses of all sorts And this wee must make account of before-hand for so our Sauiour in Luke 14.28 doth set it out by an excellent example of him that buildeth a Tower which of you minding to build a Tower sitteth not downe first and counteth the cost As if hee should say your sauing faith and Religion will cost you deare it will cost you many afflictions and crosses of all sorts and therefore you must make your account so before-hand for it will surely come vpon you And marke how our Sauiour hampers vs by the diuers manner of his speech and puts vs by all our shifts In Matthew our Sauiour speakes it by way of exhortation If any man will follow mee let him resolutely take vp his Crosse c. In Luke hee speakes it by way of Commination If any man come to me and hate not father and mother he cannot bee my disciple And hee puts vs precisely vpon this choise either you must resolue to forsake your Religion and stand out in opposition against Christ or else you must resolue to forsake your selues and all that you haue and suffer and liue in expectation of opposition from all the world to forsake all the world and liue in opposition to that Act. 14.22 Paul and Barnabas confirmed the hearts of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith affirming that wee must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God The people had receiued the faith before and they come to confirme them in it And how do they confirme them in it By affirming that through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of God There are two things in the speech that directly answere to two points in this our Doctrine First that the faithfull shall bee assaulted with afflictions yea with many afflictions they must a necessity is laid vpon them it is their ineuitable portion Afflictions are as the gate to the kingdome of God for so the speech intends through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of God Secondly that this perswasion is a speciall meanes to confirme their hearts and to make them to continue in the faith and therefore they must make account of it before hand that so it must bee We haue an example of this in all Gods children that are registred in Gods booke and as they were more excellent in grace so they were more eminent in afflictions see it in the former and in the latter Testament In the former Testament Psal 44 22. Surely for thy sake are we slaine continually and are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter that is the estate of the Church in the former

the same word is sometimes in the Scripture meant of the Angels both good and bad but the Apostle hauing mentioned them already in the former words there is no need that it should be meant of them in this word too Thirdly by powers vnderstand all the gifts and enablements that either these or any other mighty workers in the world are furnished withall as authority place strength wit policy c. for so the word in the originall vsually signifies not so much the agents themselues as the powers and enablements whereby they do worke so that lay all these briefely together and then the meaning of the words are thus much as if the Apostle should say I am sure that neither all the Angels good nor bad nor all the Rulers and Potentates Monarches and Magistrates of the world nor all the powers or enablements that these or any other are furnished withall shall euer be able to seperate me from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Here is a high straine of assurance and wee must haue a great measure of faith to attaine vnto it The Doctrine that ariseth naturally out of the whole state of the words thus vnfolded is this Doctrine namely That howsoeuer it be that Angels both good and bad and Rulers great Kings and Emperours Potentates and Monarches of the world are mighty workers endued with great powers gifts and enablements yet neither Angels good nor bad nor all the Rulers and Potentates in the world endued with all their powers gifts and enablements shall neuer be able to seperate true beleuers from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. To auoide confusion we will handle the three seuerall branches of the Doctrine The first branch of the Doctrine euery one apart we will first begin with good Angels and then wee must apply the Doctrine thus That howsoeuer the good Angels are mighty workers great in power and enablements yet neither they nor all the power they haue shall be euer able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. For Explication of this point Explication in the opening of three particular wee are here to touch these three particulars as necessary for the vnderstanding of this Doctrine First what these good Angels are Secondly what is that Relation and Communion that is betwixt them and true beleeuers Thirdly what dangers they are that may befall true beleeuers by good Angels For the first what good Angels are Good Angels are certaine spirituall substances that kept their first estate and are immediate and continuall attendants before the presence of God that they are substances their actions prooue it they reioyce worship God passe from place to place and performe sundry actions and actions are neuer performed but by substances that they are spirituall substances the Scripture tels vs Heb. 1.7 He maketh his Angels Spirits that they kept their first estate the Apostle Iude implies verse 6. when he saith of the euill angels That they kept not their first estate thereby necessarily implying by opposition that the good Angels haue kept their first estate that is the blessed estate of excellency that God created them in Lastly that they are immediate and continuall attendants before God Daniel saw it in a vision Dan 7.10 The antient of dayes sate vpon a throne and who were his attendants the Angels Thousands thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him So we see what the good Angels be Many other things might be said of them but I touch these onely which of necessity we must know for the vnderstanding of the Doctrine in hand The second particular is what this relation and Communion is that is betwixt good Angels and true Beleeuers Surely it is a neere relation and heauenly Communion they and we are fellow-seruants as worshipping and seruing one and the same God The Angell himselfe auoucheth it Reu. 19.10 I am thy fellow-seruant They and wee are brethren in the testimony of Iesus as the same Angel affirmeth in the words following They and wee are fellow-Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 Wee are their charge they are our guard and keepers They pitch their Tents round about vs for our safegard and protection Psal 34.7 They are our patterne we are their resemblance both for obedience whilest we liue here Math. 6.10 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen and likewise for glory hereafter Luk. 20.36 Other bonds there are whereby they are associated to vs and we to them but these are the neerest and chiefest and most remarkeable The third and last poynt is what those dangers are that may befall true beleeuers by the good Angels To this I answere two things First that the Apostle doth not say here directly that the good Angels of themselues may endanger Gods Children but he speakes it here by way of supposition as if he should say suppose that they should endanger Gods children yet they could neuer separate them from the loue of God And this is very obseruable in the whole tenour of the Apostles speech that all the dangers which he mentions are put downe by way of supposition but safety and the comforts against them are set downe positiuely and directly As if hee should say suppose that the good Angels should endanger vs yet certainely they should neuer separate vs from the loue of God But especially it is to be marked in this particular concerning the good Angels for this is meerely a supposall that the good Angels of themselues should hurt vs. But why then doth the Apostle mention any such matter here I answere for the further confirmation of true beleeuers in the assurance of Gods loue I will cleare this place by another place of the Apostle in the very like kinde Gal. 1.6 If an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell c. Will any man conclude from hence that therefore an Angell from heauen may or can preach any other Gospell then Paul had preached No but the Apostle speaks it by way of supposall onely and supposalls doe not affirme any thing in being Yea but why doth the Apostle then here vse the name of an holy Angell in this case I answere he had good reason for it that he might confirme them the better in the truth which hee had taught namely that we must be so stedfastly setled in the faith of the Gospell of Christ that if an Angell from heauen should teach any other Doctrine which is a thing impossible yet if he should we must defie him and hold him accursed And so the Apostle in this place makes the estate of Gods children so sure and firme that if the good Angels should set themselues against them to separate them from the loue of God in Christ Iesus which is impossible but if they should yet they could not doe it Secondly I answere that howsoeuer they doe not of themselues

Ioh. 6.39 And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all that he hath giuen mee I should lose nothing but should raise it vp at the last day now the will of God is vnresistable Rom 9.19 Who hath resisted his will And therefore the faithfull cannot fall away Fiftly Gods promise is for vs and that is vnchangeable God not onely promiseth grace but perseuerance in grace as Ier. 32.39.40 And I will giue them one heart I will make an euerlasting Couenant with them I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall not depart from me Here is a promise not of grace onely but of perseuerance in grace and Gods promise is vnchangeable 2 Cor. 1.20 they are yea and Amen It is impossible that God should lye Heb. 6.18 and therefore seeing God hath promised that we shall stand fast it is impossible that euer we should fall away Lastly Christs intercession is for vs and that is vnfaillable Luke 22.32 I haue praide that thy faith may not faile that is that thou maist neuer fall from faith But this is particular for Peter no it is generall for all as well as he Ioh. 17.9.20 I pray for them I pray not for the world I pray not for these alone but for them also that shall beleeue in me through their word he prayes for all beleeuers now Christs prayer is alwayes heard Iohn 11.4 Father I know that thou hearest me alwaies therefore the faithfull cannot fall away The first Vse of this point is matter of confutation against those that hold that the Saints may vtterly fall from grace It is held both by the Papists and the Lutherans as also by the Arminians both at home and abroad they hold that Saints may vtterly fall away from grace I will aske these men that are so peremptory in this point this question whether they can shew me any one place in the Book of God that doth directly and expresly affirme that a true Beleeuer may vtterly fall away from grace They cannot some of themselues confesse they cannot then I answere them that we can shew many expresse places to the contrary directly affirming the impossibility of falling away and they haue not one for the possibility of it therefore wee may quickly iudge where the truth is Yea but say they there is many exhortations to the faithfull for that end that they should not fall away as 1 Cor. 10.12 Heb. 12.15 c. and these should be in vaine except there were some possibility that they might fall I answere such exhortations there are and they are directed to mixt congregations that consisted as well of Hypocrites that might fall away as well as of true Beleeuers that might not fall away and so they are not in vaine in respect of these Hypocrites neither were they in vaine in respect of Gods Children but of singular vse in respect of them too for thereby they were stirred vp to shake off security and to be more di●igent in the wayes of God for if wee fall into sinne and negligence and security it is the high-way of falling from God Yea but say they there are many examples as of Hymeneus Phile●us and Demas c. that were true beleeuers and yet fell away I answere they can shew me neuer one example of any that fell away finally but such as were hypocrites I will say confidently that he that fals vtterly away from grace was neuer but an hypocrite no true beleeuer can fall away I dare say it because Christ hath said it before me Math. 7.26.27 The foolish man built his house vpon the sands and when the stormes came it fell Doest thou see a man build him an house and it fall certainely that man built vpon the sands that is onely vpon the profession of sauing faith hee had neuer true sauing faith in CHRIST but his owne foolish perswasion the true beleeuer builds vpon the Rocke CHRIST and therefore his house can neuer fall To establish our Iudgements herein let vs hould fast these two positions First that hypocrites and counterfeits may and doe fall away finally Matth. 13.21 But true beleeuers can neuer fall finally from GOD Both these are affirmed 1 Iohn 2.19 They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs. Secondly that true beleeuers may fall from the sence of GODS loue and from the exercise of Faith and Loue and obedience and other graces from some degree of Faith and from some degree of GODS loue and from the exercise of grace as in the case of spirituall desertion temptation specially by sinne but they can neuer fall from faith nor from the loue of GOD it selfe nor from the life of grace or at the least where they doe fall they neither fall wholly nor finally the whole power that is in them is not carryed after sinne but there is some resistance A child of God in the case of sin hates that he doth he cannot fall wholly the seede of God is still within him 1 Iohn 3.19 and that will reuiue againe nor he cannot fall finally because that seede is immortall 1 Pet. 1.23 and therefore can neuer die They that are in the state of grace heare a voyce behind them saying This is the way walke in it Isa 30.21 they haue the guidance of Gods Spirit whereby they are preserued from euill and fitted for euery good dutie so that they cannot fall wholly nor finally And yet they may haue such falles as are fearefull and which they may rue for euer as wee may see in Dauids fall Psalme 51. These two positions well considered are a sufficient preseruatiue to keepe vs from this errour Vse 2 The second Vse is for reproofe of those that abuse this Doctrine to Gods dishonour and their owne destruction Some abuse it to carnall Security They heare this Doctrine that true beleeuers cannot vtterly fall away and therefore they grow secure and carelesse of their wayes and cast off the feare of God guie themselues ouer to their own lusts gracelesse and wretchlesse persons they are to abuse such a heauenly Doctrine What is this but to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Iude 4 And marke what censure the Apostle passeth on them in that place vngodly men they are ordained to condemnation A child that hath a good father whom he knowes will not see him want nor perish shall this child therefore waste and ryot and bezzell away all his state and runne himselfe into debt and danger hee cares not how It were a wicked childe that would doe thus a good and true-hearted child to his father would neuer doe it It was the diuels temptation to our Sauiour Luke 4.9.10 that he should cast himselfe downe headlong An impudent perswasion to the Sonne of God What is his reason whereupon he perswades him thus to cast away himselfe forsooth because he had the promise of Gods protection for they

his power helpe and loue and then all their opposites shall be as a thing of nought they may scorne them And so Isa 43.1.2 Thus saith the Lord that created thee oh Iacob and hee that formed thee oh Israel I haue redeemed thee and haue called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the flouds that they doe not ouerflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt c. It may bee they shall neuer fall into these dangers but it is spoken by way of supposition as if God should say If thou shouldest fall into these or any other dangers yet in the assurance that God saith vnto vs thou art mine we shall safely and triumphantly passe through the fire and through the water and through all dangers that euer can be imagined so that we shall receiue no dammage by them in regard of our spirituall estate and we shall haue comfort in them in regard of our outward estate And so Psal 91. from the first to the last verse Who so dwells in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty c. One would thinke at the first sight that this were a repetition of one and the same thing for what is it to dwell in the secret of the most high but to abide in the shadow of the Almighty It seemes to bee the same but it is not so The former part of the verse shewes the assurance that Gods children haue in the loue of God they dwell or repose themselues in God the latter part shewes their safety and security that by his assurance they attaine vnto they abide in the shadow of the Almighty that is they are safe sheltered vnder the shadow of the Almighty And these two the Prophet enlargeth in the rest of the Psalme their assurance in the 2. verse I will say vnto the Lord oh my hope and my fortresse hee is my God in him will I trust Here is the repose of the children of God but what is their safety it followes in the rest of the Psalme safety against ordinary dangers The noisome pestilence the flying arrowes c. in the 3.5 and 6. verses Against supposed dangers verse 7. A thousand shall fall as thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come neere thee And against likely dangers in the verses following And in the 13. verse hee stretcheth out the safety of Gods children euen to insultation Thou shalt walke vpon the Lyon and the Aspe the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou treade vnder foote Seeing then that this Doctrine agrees so fitly with the state practise and warrant of the faithfull then it must needs be an vndoubted truth that let vs propound to our selues whatsoeuer dangers may befall vs yet our holy and true assurance of Gods loue to vs in Christ Iesus is able to comfort and support our hearts against them all euen to an holy insultation and triumphing ouer them Reason 1 The Reasons how it comes to passe that this true and holy assurance of the loue of God in Christ Iesus doth so fortifie the hearts of Gods children against all dangers I say the reasons thereof are many First this holy assurance tells vs that God is on our side and then what or who can be against vs It is our Apostles owne reason Rom. 8.31 If God be on our side who can be against vs that is to doe vs harme God doth not turne out his children single to the battell to shift for themselues but he goes forth with vs himselfe and helpes vs and comforts vs and strengthens vs and incourageth vs and teacheth vs and maketh vs to fight and fights himselfe for vs and gets the victory for vs and this our faith assures vs of and this comforts the hearts of Gods children and makes them confident against all dangers In the 2. Kings 6.15 16 17. when the Prophet Elisha his seruant saw the great hoast that compassed the City he was much terrified and cries out Alas Master how shall wee doe The Prophet answeres him Feare not they that be with vs are more then they that be with them This is like our case when Gods children looke about them and see a whole hoast of afflictions dangers persecutions and temptations compasse them about on euery side they cry out in their weakenesse Alas what shall wee doe Our Faith that answers Feare not there be more with vs then there is against vs. Is not God more then all the world God is with vs and this assures and comforts our hearts How sweetly doth Dauid cast himselfe vpon God in his greatest dangers Psal 23.4 Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare none euill why for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me God is not only with him but he is with him to comfort him therfore he will not feare Reason 2 Secondly this holy assurance tells vs that God loues vs in Christ and what shall hurt Gods darlings Those whom God loues are as tender to him as the Apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 now we know that the Apple of a mans eye is most tender to him hee will see that that take no harme and so are they to God and therefore whatsoeuer goeth to wracke they shall haue no harme the bare perswasion of Gods loue to vs is comfort enough to establish vs in any trouble but faith doth not only perswade vs that God loues vs but perswades vs further that because he loues vs therefore hee will keepe vs and saue vs. And this fills our hearts with comfort and confidence in all dangers for can God loue vs and yet giue vs ouer as a prey vnto his and our enemies No it is not possible Reason 3 Thirdly our holy assurance tells and warrants vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and therefore all shall be well with vs If euer any thing do vs a mischiefe it is our sinnes will doe it all the euills in the world cannot hurt vs except our sinnes hurt vs Nothing can separate vs from the loue of God in Christ yea but our sinnes separate betwixt vs and our God Isaiah 59.2 but the beleeuing heart hath assurance that all his sinnes are freely and fully forgiuen him by the mercies of GOD in IESVS CHRIST and so our faith concludes that therefore they cannot separate vs and so that nothing can separate vs from God I say not but that though our sinnes bee forgiuen vs yet still wee are lyable to dangers and troubles of all sorts to grieue vs torment vs and to take vs away but this I say that no affliction can hurt vs as sin can hurt vs that is to condemnation they cannot put vs out of the fauour of God they shall neuer be able to seperate vs from the state of grace here nor glory hereafter and this is