Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	evil_a	good_a	tree_n	6,434	5	10.3457	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01980	A recovery from apostacy Set out in a sermon preached in Stepny Church neere London at the receiving of a penitent renegado into the Church, Octob. 21. 1638. By William Gouge D.D. and min. in Black-Friers London Herein is the history of the surprizall and admirable escape of the said penitent.	Gouge, William, 1578-1653.	1639 (1639)	STC 12124; ESTC S103306	53,252	98

grace wherby hee enables men to doe it But Martyrdome is the most difficult the most acceptable and honourable worke that on earth can be done Vnto you it is given in the behalfe of Christ saith the Apostle Phil. 1.29 not only to beleeve in him BVT ALSO to suffer for his sake Martyrdome therefore is in Heaven crowned with the highest degree of Glory GREAT is their reward in Heaven Math. 5.12 On this ground they who set down the different degrees of celestiall glory by the different fruites which the good ground brought forth Some thirty some sixty some an hundred apply the hundred fold which is the highest and greatest degree of glory to Martyrdome 6. Persecutors and torturers of Martyrs have by their admirable constancy unto death bin exceedingly astonished and even confounded They have so long continued even from morning to evening and that by course to torture Christians among others a woeman Blandina by name as they were weary and acknowledged themselves to be overcome And the Governours themselves who commanded them to be tortured and stood by to see execution done were confounded that their tortures nothing prevailed and that they were overcome by woemen and they who sate as assistants by the Governours were affrighted thereat So as Christians condemned were enabled to endure whatsoever was inflicted on them and their Judges much affrighted Yea by the undaunted and invincible courage of Martyrs some of their executioners and tormenters have beene converted have professed them selves to bee Christians and suffered with the Martyrs and received the crowne of Martyrdome These are the victories triumphs and trophies of constant Martyrs Thus they lead captivity captive 7. The Divell himselfe is by Martyrs constancy exceedingly disappointed For hee sets his instruments on work to deale with Christians as Haman intended to deale with the Jewes Hest 3.23 namely to destroy to kill and cause to perish all Iewes both young and old little children and woemen But with like successe did the Divell plot against Christians For as by the disappointment of Hamans device many of the people of the Land became Iewes Hest 8.17 So while Satans instruments sought to make an end of Christians they increased the more For the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church Wee reade Reve. 13.3 of a Beast whose head was wounded to death Surely the Divell with his feends were wounded even unto death by Martyrs resisting unto blood The time of the ten fierce persecutions and of the purity and power of Religion that followed thereupon containe those thousand yeares wherein Satan was bound Rev. 20.2 They who on the fore-mentioned grounds accounted not their life deare unto them but prefer'd their Faith in the Lord Jesus and a stedfast profession thereof before wealth honour liberty and life it selfe and chose rather to be faithfull Martyrs then desperate Apostates had good ground to be so minded O that all who professe the Faith of Christ were like minded It well becomes us all to bee so minded And if indeed wee be so minded God who knowes the mind heart and spirit of a man will answerably account of him and accept him though he never bee brought to the fiery triall as if he had beene brought to it and indur'd it to the very uttermost The virtues and graces of the mind sometimes are manifested in their deed or work and sometimes lie hid in their habit as the virtue of Martyrdome Many may have the same prowesse that Martyrs have who are not brought to the same proofe thereof By trialls that which is in a man before God is brought foorth before men Not that it is then first begun but that it is then first manifested Before the Divell went about to sift Iob his soule was possessed with patience which the Lord well knew and whereunto he gave witnesse But to men it was made knowne by the tryall of tentation Thus we see how we may bee Martyrs in the most halcyon times that can be even such as ours are So as the ground and glory of Martyrdome is meet to be made knowne and to be meditated on in these our daies and the rather because we cannot be sure of an everlasting continuance of our peace or of the Gospell of peace among us As it is therefore needfull and usefull in the prime and strength of our age when we have best health to meditate on the sundry kinds of diseases and manifold casualties whereunto we are subject and on death the end of all so in the most flourishing times of the Church meditation on the uttermost that may be endured even to the shedding of blood for fast-holding our profession of Christ is a most meet meditation Most especially is this like to be usefull for you Mariners Merchants Merchants-factors and others whose calling it is to goe to sea in ships and to doe businesse in the great waters where yee are in danger to be surprized as this Penitent was by the mortall enemies of Christians or have occasion to abide and trafique among them You may be brought to triall and to give proofe before men whether the habit of Martyrdome be in you or no. Be yee therefore strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Take unto you the whole armour of God that yee may be able to stand in the evill day and having done all to stand For this end receive these few directions 1. Be well instructed in the verity excellency utility and necessity of that faith which yee professe so as yee may be able to maintaine it against all adversaries The Apostle Col. 2.7 adviseth Christians to be rooted and built up in Christ and stablished in the faith Therein he alludeth to a tree well rooted in the ground and to an edifice well set upon a good foundation Such an edifice though the raine descend and flouds arise and winds blow and beate upon it will stand and not fall Mat. 7.25 There are trees whose rootes are as deepe and spread as farre abroad in the earth as their boughs ascend and spred themselves in the aire Our okes are supposed to be such No stormes no tempests can overthrow them The branches may sooner be rent from the body and the whole tree split asunder then rooted up and throwne downe So a Christian well rooted and grounded in the Articles of his faith will sooner have his limbes pull'd one from another and his body and soule severed then drawne from his faith and renounce his profession thereof 2. Take an unalterable and invincible resolution before hand to stand to thy faith and never to renounce thy profession thereof This is an especiall meanes to make a Christian stand steddy against all assaults Yee Mariners know what it is to have a resolved mind and purpose to saile to your intended place yee passe through all weathers no gathering of clouds no shouring of