Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	reason_n	sabbath_n	12,233	5	10.0568	5	false

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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

respect he calls him our Lord For wherein did euer Christ Iesus shew himselfe more plainely to be the Lord then by his Resurrection And wherein may he Lord it more then in giuing his subiects and seruants victory ouer Death and Hell and all their enemies To proceed yet a little further in the proofe of this point according to this generall proportion of Christ being our Lord that is the Lord of all the faithfull wee shall finde that particular beleeuers haue laide particular claime to Christ euery one of them as to his Lord Luke 1.43 And whence commeth it that the mother of my Lord should come vnto me A strong faith in a weake woman to confesse Christ Iesus to be her Lord euen whilest he was in his mothers wombe My Lord that came downe from heauen for me My Lord that tooke flesh of the blessed Virgine my neere and deare Kinswoman euen for my sake to redeeme mee Iohn 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord c. She speakes it as a woman weeping and mourning but not out of a womanish passion but out of a spirituall and heauenly affection My Lord that hath forgiuen mee so many sinnes My Lord that hath cast out seauen Diuels out of me My Lord that hath stood it out manfully on the Crosse against all the powers of darknesse for the redemption of my poore sinfull soule Oh they haue taken him away and I know not where they haue laid him If I could tell where they haue laid him I would surely goe to him I would goe through thicke and thinne that I might enioy my Lord but alasse they haue taken away my Lord. Iohn 20.28 My Lord and my God It is the speech of Thomas he saw in our Sauiours hands the print of the nailes whereby he was fastened on the Crosse and in his side he saw the wound of the Souldiers Speare and vpon sight thereof he cryes out my Lord and my God as who should say Oh my Lord these wounds thou hast receiued for my sinnes and trangressions Oh my Lord c. The Reasons First Christ is our Lord because Reason 1 he made vs Euery free agent is Lord and Master of the worke of his owne hands He made vs therefore he is our Lord. Col. 1.16 By him all things were made Yea but so he is the Lord of the wicked hee made them too yea but he is our speciall Lord hee made vs not onely to be Creatures which is common to the wicked but to be new Creatures which is peculiar to the faithfull onely 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature Hee transformes and new moulds vs and makes vs new Creatures if we beleeue in him Our Lord Christ as he makes vs Creatures so he makes vs new Creatures Christ Iesus hath made vs both Creatures and new Creatures too and therefore he must needes be our absolute and speciall Lord. Secondly he is our Lord because we were giuen Reason 2 to him of God Iohn 17.6 Thine they were and thou hast giuen them me God hath giuen vs to his Sonne Christ and therefore wee are his in the best and surest right that may be What better right can we haue then to that which is giuen to vs freely And marke in what termes God hath giuen vs to Christ and by what right we are Christs Thine they were and thou hast giuen them mee In the same propinquity that we were Gods in the same propinquity we were giuen vnto Christ but we were Gods as he is our Lord and therefore we are Christs so too And marke further here how hee shewes himselfe to be their Lord and they to be his seruants I haue declared thy word to them that is I as their Lord haue set them their taske what they must doe that they may be saued And they haue kept thy Word saith our Sauiour that is as good and faithfull seruants to their Lord they haue followed my direction Reason 3 Thirdly he is our Lord because he hath deliuered vs from all our enemies Sinne Sathan c. Luke 1.71 A temporall deliuerer from a temporall bondage deserues iustly to be Lord ouer those whom he doth deliuer and this the Law and light of Nature taught among the Heathen for looke who it was deliuered another from any bondage his Lord hee was Our Lord Iesus Christ deliuered vs from the spirituall and eternall bondage and slauery of Sinne Sathan Curse Death Hell and Eternall damnation And therefore he must needes bee our Lord much more And this Reason may be yet further confirmed if we consider the intendment of Christ in our deliuerance and that was that we his seruants might serue him all the dayes of our life Luk. 1.74 Fourthly he is our Lord because he hath bought Reason 4 vs 2 Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that he hath bought them Naturall reason teacheth vs this Shall not a man be Lord of that he hath bought and truely and dearely paide for But Christ hath bought vs and paide dearely for vs not siluer and gold but his owne pretious bloud therefore he hath most soueraigne right ouer vs as our Lord and we are most strictly bound to him as his seruants It is the Apostles reason in the 1 Cor. 6 2● Yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in you spirits for they are Gods This Doctrine is full of Vse the first Vse is concerning Christ himselfe the second is concerning vnbeleeuers and the third is concerning the faithfull The first Vse is concerning Christ himselfe He is Vse 1 our Lord This is an euident proofe of his Godhead he is our Lord and therefore our God Christ is sometime called the Lord and that intends his Soueraigne power and authority ouer all things sometime our Lord and this intends his Soueraigne power and supreame authoritie ouer the Church euery way the name Lord proues him to be God For to haue Soueraigne power and supreame authority ouer all things or ouer the Church cannot be giuen to any but to God Remember the termes before mentioned vnder which wee are to conceiue Christ to be our Lord and euery one of them will necessarily conclude that Christ our Lord is Christ our God First hee is our speciall Lord as hee is our Mediator and he must be God as well as man that he may be Mediator betwixt God and man Againe hee is our spirituall Lord he is Lord ouer our soules and consciences and a conscience well rectified acknowledgeth none ouer it but God Againe he is our sauing Lord and none can challenge this but God himselfe Saluation belongs to God alone Lastly hee is our absolute Lord to be obeyed without questioning without controule and without resisting in all things whatsoeuer he commands and this none can challenge but God onely I hope there is none here present that will either deny or doubt of Christs Godhead but there are many of vs that in prayer and

conference name Christ our Lord but yet neuer thinke of his Godhead which is the life of his Lordship both in himselfe and vnto vs Christ Lord without Christ God is no Lord at all Vse 2 The second Vse is concerning the wicked and vngodly vnbeleeuers If Christ be our Lord that is the Lord of the faithfull and of his Church then the wicked and vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with him that is as a sauing Lord What a desperate wretchlesse and wofull case are they in Iesus Christ is none of their Lord to saue them nor they are none of his seruants they yeeld him no homage nor obedience and therefore can expect no comfort nor saluation from him Consider both their life and their death In their life they goe vp and downe doing their owne wils and not Christs will neither are they ruled by his Lawes but like Lordlesse and Masterlesse men they goe about saying What Lord shall controule vs If they doe serue or be ruled by any Lord at all it is the Diuell his word is their Law they are ruled by his will and are at his becke Let him bid a wicked man sweare or lye or prophane the Sabboth be drunke steale c. straight way he will doe it he is led by the Diuell at his will as the Apostle saith Oh that the faithfull would and could performe such true seruice to their Lord Iesus Christ as these doe to their Lord the Diuell It is a foule shame to vs that wee yeeld not such true seruice to Christ as they doe to their Lord the Diuell and it is a foule shame in them that they yeeld such true seruice to the Diuell So at their death when they are on their death-beds doe they pray no saith Iob the wicked pray not at all times No they curse and rage and dispaire or at the best they are like to Naball their hearts are dead as a stone within them there is no spirituall life nor comfort in them they haue neuer a Lord in heauen to commit their soules vnto but the Lord whom they serued in their life the Diuell stands by them ready at their death to carry away their soules to hell when they part from their bodies as he did the rich mans and then this cursed Lord and Master that set them on worke and to whom they haue done such true seruice here shall truely pay them their full wages in euerlasting torments They haue sinned with the Diuell and his Angels here and therefore it is iust with God to giue them their part and portion and to damne them with the Diuell and his Angels for euer And then this our Lord Iesus Christ whom they neglected and opposed in their life and would not acknowledge to be their Lord hee shall shew himselfe to be a mighty Lord against them and then hee shall exercise his Lordly power and authority ouer them in wrath and vengeance to their eternall condemnation And then the very thought of the Lord Iesus shall be as terrible to them as the torment they endure to thinke that Christ should come downe from heauen to saue them and that they should be such wretches to serue the Diuell rather then him Vse 3 The third Vse is for the faithfull this toucheth them in many respects First here is the honour of the faithfull in that they serue this great Lord Christ Iesus is their Lord and they his Seruants When sundry Ambassadors meete together from sundry places in a strange Country he that serues the greatest Prince amongst them hath the precedency of place and honour before the rest because hee serues the greatest Lord We all liue here as Seruants to Kings or Nobles or Magistrates or Masters but the faithfull howsoeuer they serue other Lords yet their spirituall Lord is the Lord Iesus Christ and by how much he is greater then other Lords so much the more is their honour aboue all other Seruants whatsoeuer It was that which the Apostle Paul and other of the Apostles boasted of and so much comforted themselues in as we may see in their Epistles that they were Seruants to this Lord Paul a Seruant of Iesus Christ Iames the Seruant of Iesus Christ and so others A man when hee sends an Epistle graceth himselfe with the greatest title he can the Apostles grace themselues in their Epistles with this Title the Seruants of our Lord Iesus Christ as the greatest title they can haue Nay the very Angels in heauen take delight and comfort in it Reuel 22.9 I am thy fellow seruant saith the Angell to Iohn the seruant of the Lord Christ as well as thou Some thinke it a shame to be counted Christs Seruants What shall we be ashamed of that which is our greatest glory and honour with God God forbid In trouble and in persecution let vs acknowledge him to be our Lord that will giue vs full content both in grace and glory Let carnall and prophane worldlings reproach vs as in these dayes it is too common that wee are too precise and that we are zealous for the Lord of hosts that we make conscience of our wayes and that we keepe our selues from the corruptions of the times and that we will not runne with them into excesse of riot this is the scandall of the Crosse in these times that the faithfull will not company and symbolize with the wicked in their sinnes no we will not serue your sinnes wee serue the Lord Iesus Christ and if you reproach vs for it we will weare that reproach as our Crowne The glory of the wicked is their shame but the shame that the wicked lay vpon vs is our greatest glory though this be a shame with men yet it is honour with Christ hee will take knowledge of vs as his Seruants Secondly this is matter of comfort to Gods Children and they stand in great neede of comfort in these vncomfortable times why this that Christ is our Lord if we be sure of that it will support and cheere vp our hearts in all our distresses against desertions of men when men when friends yea when our Parents forsake vs our Lord Christ wil neuer forsake vs Psal 27.10 Though my Father and Mother should forsake me yet the Lord would gather me vp It comforts vs against all oppositions of men they are many great and strong they rage and plot and they band themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ but yet here is our comfort hee that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh our Lord shall haue them in derision Psal 2.2.4 So it may comfort vs against all our wants Christ is our Lord and therefore wee shall want nothing Psal 28.1 The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Againe it may comfort vs against weakenesse and infirmities Christ is our Lord and his grace is all-sufficient for vs as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.9 Againe it may comfort vs against all dangers present imminent and future Christ is our Lord therefore

we will not feare The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge Psal 46.1.2.3 So it may comfort vs against all Sathans temptations the fiercest greatest and fearefullest that Sathan can assault vs withall Christ is our Lord and Master and can a Lord or Master see a faithfull Seruant of his wronged and oppressed by his enemy and not stretch forth his hand to helpe and rescue him If men will yet our Lord Christ will not nor cannot but the more fiercely wee are assaulted by our enemies the more ready will hee be to helpe vs. Therefore in the depth of temptation retire thy selfe to this sure Hold to Christ as to thy Lord and say vnto him Oh my Lord seest thou how I am oppressed with thy enemy and my enemy Wilt thou see me trodden vnder feete Vp Lord I pray thee fight for me suffer not my soule to be a prey to such a cursed enemy And surely if thou doest thus the Lord will be very ready to heare thee the God of peace will tread Satan vnder thy feet shortly Lastly it may comfort vs against death it selfe whosoeuer thou art that hast serued the Lord Christ in truth in thy life thou maist boldly put thy selfe vpon him as thy Lord at thy death hee whom thou hast serued all thy life will surely comfort thee at thy death and in death and after death therefore be not discouraged at death it is terrible and fearefull to Nature but let vs arme our selues for it before hand let vs before hand goe to Christ and let him be our Lord and then we may say to our soules at our death Oh my soule thou hast serued the Lord Iesus Christ thus many yeares be not now afraid to goe to thy Lord and master home to his owne house and we may turne to the Lord and say Oh my Lord thou hast beene my protector many yeares now Lord helpe me for now I stand in more neede of thy helpe then euer I did before Lord receiue my soule now into thy mercifull hands and if thou doest thus assure thy selfe thou shalt not be more ready to commend thy soule to him then he will be ready to receiue it into his hands The third Vse is for matter of dutie teaching vs Vse 3 that seeing Christ is our Lord we must cary our selues to him as to our Lord in all dutie as good and faithfull seruants he that doth so is the right seruant of Iesus Christ the true and sound Christian The duties we are to performe to him are many we will reduce them to these two heads Doing and Suffering In both these we must conforme our selues to Christ as to our Lord. In doing First if Christ bee our Lord we must beleeue in him trust in him and rest vpon him Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for euer for in the Lord God is strength for euermore and therfore let vs be confident in him rowle our selues vpon him and know whom it is that wee haue trusted and hazzarded our soule vpon him Let vs trust in the Lord when we see nothing in the world but desolation he is a Lord and therefore can doe for vs what he will and he is our Lord and therefore he will doe for vs what he can And if he can do for vs what he will by his absolute power and will doe for vs what he can of his meere grace and goodnesse why should wee not beleeue in him and rest vpon him both in life and death Secondly if he be our Lord then wee must reuerence him as our Lord. Mal. 1.6 If I be a Lord where is my feare Psal 2.11.12 Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in him with trembling Kisse the Sonne c. Let vs therefore reuerence him in his Nature Person Word Ordinances in our hearts liues and all our courses Let this feare be alwayes before our eyes that wee may neuer sinne against him It is a fault to be taxed in many Christians that they come to the Word and to the Sacraments with little reuerence to God none at all to man God will be honoured with an orderly zeale Thirdly if Christ be our Lord then wee must loue him as our Lord. Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule Our loue must be such to him as his loue was to vs that is not colde or little but maruellous great so that he shed his bloud for vs. Hath our Lord loued vs thus dearely to lay downe his life for vs then let vs loue him as dearely let vs lay downe our liues if we be called to it for him Fourthly if Christ be our Lord we must imitate him Iohn 13.13.14 Yee call me Lord and Master and yee say well for so I am if I then your Lord and master haue washed your feete yee ought also to wash one anothers feete and verse 15. For I haue giuen you an ensample c. Thus we should imitate Christ in loue and humilitie and other graces wee are much wanting in these Duties now in these dayes but if Christ be our Lord wee must shew our loue and humility as Christ did thinke scorne of nothing that is to be done for the Children of God Euery seruant will follow his Lord if it be but in an ill fashion then let vs imitate Christ in his graces and conforme our selues to his fashions Fiftly if Christ be our Lord wee must serue and obey him as our Lord wee must doe what hee commands and nothing else and we must doe it as hee commands it to be done and we must leaue vndone that he forbids We must not be seruants to men wee must serue other Lords as vnder our Lord Christ and in his name much lesse must wee serue our owne lusts or the world Christ is our Lord and wee will serue him and not the world nor our owne sinfull lusts Secondly in our sufferings we must conforme our selues to Christ Let vs know for certaine that wee must looke for affliction The seruant is not aboue his master Matth. 10.24 It is the nicenesse of many Christians that their finger must not ake they must not endure one temptation they would fain flie from afflictions but we must looke for them Did Christ goe from the Crosse to heauen and shall not wee goe the same way we must take vp our Crosse and follow him Secondly as we must looke for them so we must carry our selues with patience as he did in them who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not c. 1 Pet. 2.23 Leauing vs an example saith the Apostle that wee should follow his steps verse 21. And therefore let vs labour to be patient in the least affliction for hee is thy Lord that puts thee to it And let them be our owne afflictions and then we shall the better beare greater afflictions Christs afflictions Christ ware a Crowne of

accompany a Christian life as Christ himself the Author of thy saluation But here some will pleade their priuiledges that they are exempted from this hard portion for they are loth to come vnder affliction as the child is to come vnder the rod First say they God loues vs therefore he will not afflict vs I say he loues thee therfore he will afflict thee Reu. 3.19 As many as I loue saith God I rebuke chasten Againe they say God is our Father and we are his children therfore he will not correct vs Nay therfore he wil correct vs Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery Sonne that he receiueth Again say they Christ hath suffered all for vs therfore we must not suffer any such things Nay therefore we must suffer Mat. 16.24 If any man will follow Christ he must take vp his Crosse and follow him vnlesse we doe thus we cannot be Christs disciples Iohn 15.20 It is true that these are sweet heauenly priuiledges and such as exempt vs from the euill of all afflictions but not from any one kind of them The second Vse is for Exhortation first to teach Vse 2 euery man to make account of afflictions to look for them continually Make account as duly of thy portion in the Cup of afflictions as of any part of thy daily bread which thou liuest vpon when we are in health and prosperity let vs looke for sicknes aduersitie But will some say what shall I look for these before-hand this is to vexe and trouble our selues without need for if the distresses we looke for do not come then we trouble our selues in vaine If they do come then they bring harme trouble enough with them Why should we sorrow before-hand I answere yet we must looke for them before-hand for if we do so then if they do not come as haply thy godly feare hath preuented them we haue cause to blesse God for it If they doe come then if wee haue made account of them before the smart of them wil be much easier vnto vs temptations troubles and losses when they come vnawares they do commonly lie very hard and heauy vpon vs but when we haue made account of them before-hand they are much lighter to vs. I will not deny but that we must vse all possible meanes to auoid afflictions we must pray against them preuent them what we can as our Sauiour prayed If it be possible let this cup passe from me Luk. 22. yet wee must make account of them before-hand These times wee liue in are such as call vpon vs to looke for afflictions they are the last dayes of the world and they are the worst and most dangerous times present troubles and miseries and imminent dangers and feares there were neuer more The Lord is abroad in Iudgement and carries his cup in his hand the Germans drinke of it first the French soone after the Polonians soone after them and haue not the English iust cause to feare that wee shall pledge them and that ere long we know not how soone Secondly againe this teacheth vs not onely to account of afflictions before-hand but also to prepare for them and to furnish our selues accordingly there is much good to be had by them and therefore we are to prepare for them and therefore doth God warne vs of dangers before-hand that we might be armed to beare them when they doe come Things to be laboured for that we may beare afflictions And that we may prepare for them we must labour for these things First wee must labour to get a resolution in vs to beare them and to stand it out to the death we must resolue with the Apostle Act. 21.13 not onely to suffer but to die with Christ Secondly we must season our hearts with the comforts of Gods promises before-hand to counteruaile our afflictions when they come as that he will neuer faile vs nor forsake vs that he loues vs and that the issue shall be good Thirdly esteeme basely and vildely of thy selfe deny thy selfe and so take vp thy Crosse and follow Christ Matth. 16.24 If we be choise and leaning to our selues we will neuer endure the Crosse compare Matth. 16.20 with Phil. 2.7 And fourthly we must labour to be well acquainted with the death of Christ this is Armour of proofe against all afflictions to know Iesus Christ and him crucified by sensible experience in our selues If I finde the life of Gods Spirit in me applying the death of Christ to mee and thereby subduing and crucifying my sinnes if we can finde this we shall be well armed against all afflictions We come here to receiue the Lords Supper in remembrance of Christs death then let vs desire to be made conformable to his death and then afflictions will be sweet vnto vs. Againe let vs labour for the assurance of Gods loue and fauour for that is it that makes the Apostle thus boldly to beare vp himselfe against all afflictions The last Vse teacheth vs Pacification euen in our Vse 3 greatest distresses let vs sit downe and say this is my portion and therefore will I beare it Many are ready to complaine and cry out and to say when they are afflicted especially when Gods hand lies heauy vpon them Oh my affliction is great and strange my case is not like vnto other mens no man is so hardly handled as I am as the Church Lam. 1.12 but this is the frowardnesse of our corrupt hearts Whatsoeuer it is it is thy portion and therefore be pacified and contented It is no otherwise with thee then it is with all Gods children euery one hath his portion of them 1 Pet. 4.12 It is no strange thing 1 Pet. 5.9 It is the same afflictions that are accomplished in our Brethren 1 Cor. 10.13 No temptation doth befall vs but such as appertaine to man and therfore let vs be content and pacifie our selues looke not so much on thy afflictions but looke vp to God It is his Ordinance that euery one of vs should beare his portion of affliction whatsoeuer thou dost endure it is but thy portion thy draught Shall I not drinke of the Cup which my Father giues me to drinke of saith our Sauiour Ioh. 18.11 This is it our Sauiour comforts himselfe and his Disciples withall and let this comfort thee It is thy Fathers Cup and therefore thou must drinke of it And secondly let vs looke vpon others of Gods children some of them are equall with thee in afflictions others come short but many goe beyond thee and thy afflictions are but little to some of theirs and those that are at more ease now may be in great distresses hereafter and wilt not thou be content to beare that which all Gods children beare and must beare more or lesse first or last All of vs haue sinned Christ onely excepted but none are exempted from the rodde not Christ himselfe And is it not a

warrant from God to take all the benefit they can afford them and a priuiledge too to free and secure them from all their hurts God hath imposed an ineuitable law vpon life and death that they shall be attendant vpon his children to doe them all the good they can but no euill and God hath giuen power an heart to his children to serue themselues vpon life and death for their owne safety Reason 4 Fourthly Death and life are sanctified and sweetned vnto vs by the life and death of Iesus Christ and that is the reason that we are in safety against the euill of all our afflictions and this reason the Apostle giues of it for his owne particular Philip. 1.20.21 Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Why for Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage And so likewise it is the Apostles reason for all the faithfull in generall Rom. 14.9 why we are the Lords whether we liue or die for Christ saith he therefore dyed and rose againe and reuiued that hee might bee Lord both of the dead and quicke that is that hee might be a protecting and a sauing Lord to vs both in the state of life and death A Snake or a Serpent is in danger to poyson vs and sting vs if we handle them as they are but if wee get out their poyson and sting from them then we may handle them safely and they can doe vs no harme In this corrupt state life is as a Snake and death is as a Serpent full of poyson in themselues and we are in danger to bee stung and poysoned by them but Christ Iesus by his life and by his death hath taken away the poyson of our life and the sting of our death that is sinne and so wee are now in safety against all the dangers both of life and death there is no hurt in them The vses are these The first vse is for matter of comfort to Gods Vse 1 children It is matter of sound comfort to all true beleeuers that they liue in safety they die in safety They liue vnder Gods protection and they dye vnder Gods protection they liue a happy life and they die a happy death Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Moses was rauished with the meditation of the happy estate of Gods children in their life and in their death Deut. 33.27.29 The eternall God is thy refuge and vnder his armes thou art for euer Blessed art thou oh Israel who is like vnto thee oh people saued by the Lord c. Here is a happy state indeed feares assault vs God comforts vs afflictions trouble vs God preserues vs our enemies thrust sore at vs that wee should fall but God is our helper our sinnes endanger vs God deliuers vs the Diuell tempts vs God vpholds vs death strikes at vs but God he shields and saues vs our hearts and our strength and our life they faile vs yea but God is our portion for euer he will neuer faile vs neither in life nor in death Shall the Creatures hurt vs No they shall nor for God hath made a couenant with them for vs Hosea 2.18 Would the wicked swallow and deuoute vs They shall not God will not giue vs as a prey to their teeth c. Psal 124.6 7. Is the whole world in an vproare round about vs Yet we are in safety Psal 91.7 8. Is the whole frame of Nature out of order as it lackes but little of it at this day yea but hee that calls vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Ioel 2.31 32. A necessary consideration and meditation as at all times so in these troublesome cruell desperate and bloudy times when warres and rumors of warres are sounding in euery mans eare and Gods enemies make hauoke of Gods Church and the Angell of the Lord is abroad in the world executing Gods iust iudgements in many places and when there is a generall combustion in most parts of Christendome yet here is all our stay The Lord will surely helpe his people and saue his inheritance vpon all his glory shall be a defence Yea but are not many of Gods deare children at this day greatly persecuted in many places are they not murthered consumed and deuoured It is true let the wicked take away their liues yet they shall neuer take away their soules no God is ready when their liues are taken away by their enemies to receiue their soules and to place them in eternall glory Vse 2 The second vse is to stirre vs vp to much thankefulnesse to God that he being so holy and mighty and glorious a God should so respect and take such care for such poore sinnefull wretches as wee are as that he should continually watch ouer vs not for euill but for our good both in life and death whereas we haue deserued euill at his hands the best Master that is can but protect his seruant and looke to but while hee liues at his death hee giues him ouer and can doe him no good but our good God our heauenly Master keepes and protects vs his sinnefull seruants and doth vs good both in life and in death and after death This is a blessed Master and blessed are those seruants that serue such a Master Psal 48. the last verse This God is our God for euer and euer hee shall be our guide vnto the death Thirdly This should strengthen our faith against Vse 3 all terrours in life and death against all terrours in death against all terrours of life because the Lord is the strength of our life of whom then shall wee be afraid Psal 27.1 and Psal 42.8 God is said to be the God of our life this is a sweet comfort and should much strengthen our faith against all terrours in our life because God is the God of our life and what can spoile that which God preserues So it should strengthen our faith against all terrours of death Though hee kill me yet will I trust in him saith Iob 13.14.15 And the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if the earthly house of this our Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen vs of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens If God take away our life we haue an eternall state in heauen Fourthly This teacheth vs patience in all our sufferings Vse 4 because we are in safety against them all vnder Gods protection It is our Sauiours owne argument Luke 21.18.19 There shall not one haire of your heads perish by your patience possesse your soules We haue great reason to be patient all the while wee are in safety but wee are in safety in all our sufferings not onely in life but in death too and therefore we must be patient in all our sufferings both in life and death Vse 3 The last vse teacheth vs to apply our selues

our Captaine and Protector and therefore it must needes follow that Sathan shall be ouerthrowne and neuer preuaile and that we shall neuer be ouerthrowne but euer preuaile That Christ himselfe is Sathans vanquisher and ouercommer we may see in that Gen. 3.15 Hee shall breake Sathans head Rom. 16.20 He shall treade Sathan vnder our feet shortly 1 Iohn 3.8 He it is that doth loose and vndoe the workes of the Diuell he foyled the Diuell hand to hand in all his temptations Math. 4.11 And he it was that rebuked the Diuell and cast out those foule spirits in his life as appeares in many stories of the Gospell And at his death he it was that destroyed them Heb. 2.14 He destroyed through death him that had the power of death that is the Diuell saith the Apostle at his death he spoyled them and triumphed ouer all the powers of darkenesse openly vpon the Crosse Colos 2.16 therefore Sathan must needs be ouercome can neuer preuaile Secondly Christ is our Captaine and Protector and therefore we cannot be ouercome but must needs preuaile Luke 22.42 Sathan desires to winnow euery one of vs that is to destroy vs but I haue prayed for you saith our Sauiour that your faith faile not Sathan he is a daily Sutor to God against vs Christ Iesus hee supports vs and is a continuall Sutor to his heauenly Father for vs Now if the Diuell shall be heard before Christ Iesus then we may perish But if Christ Iesus shall be heard in heauen before the Diuell then it is vtterly impossible that euer the euill Angels should preuaile against vs. The vses of this poynt are these The first is for reproofe Vse 1 It serues to reproue an ouer-weening conceit that many men haue of a possibility of Sathans preuailing against Gods children to cast them out of Gods fauour some hold it as a generall common possibility against all Gods children that Sathan may separate them from the loue and fauour of God and they plead hard for it too but these are but the Diuels pleaders proct●rs against God and wherein can they doe better seruice for the Diuell against God and against his wisdome and power and mercy and truth and promises what better Aduocates can there be for hell then these Papists and Arminians and others that hold this blasphemous errour are They doe highly aduance and magnifie the Kingdome of darkenesse ascribe more to it then to the kingdome of light ascribing a preuailing power to the kingdome of darknesse against the kingdome of light for is not euery true beleeuer a member of the kingdome of light if therefore the euill Angels can separate any one true beleeuer from the loue of God in Christ then the kingdome of darknes shal preuaile before the Kingdom of light Oh blasphemous impious and odious conceit Secondly It is for reproofe of some others that are onely fearefull and timerous of their owne particular estate that say in themselues oh surely I shall fall away from God though the Diuell be not able to plucke away others from God yet he may pluck me away the wicked fiend haunts me sore and surely hee will plucke mee away from God before he hath done with me Poore soules they would faine come neerer to God and be better perswaded of their estate but they dare not be so bold or cannot be so strong Well come and let vs reason together Sathan thou saiest will neuer let thee alone he is alwaies tempting thee and therefore hee will at last surely plucke thee away from God Oh thou of little faith why doest thou thus vexe and wrong thy selfe why wilt thou giue sentence with thine enemy against thy selfe Is it not enough for the Diuell to bragge and boast that he can pull thee out of Gods hands but thou wilt beleeue him and giue sentence on his side and say as he saith Tell me hath not God kept thee from him hitherto and wilt thou distrust him now whose truth and sauing mercy thou hast had so long experience of Doest not thou thinke in thy conscience that the Diuell hath alwaies done his worst against thee euer since thy first conuersion and yet through Gods mercy he hath not preuailed hitherto to separate thee from the loue of God in Christ Iesus but thou art still preserued why then doest thou distrust that he shall preuaile hereafter God is as strong to vphold thee as euer he was thy selfe if thou beest a true beleeuer doest daily grow in grace and so art more able to stand fast euery day then other though happily thou feelest it not and the diuell is weaker and more hartlesse euery day then other against thee as hauing laboured in vain all this while why therfore art thou thus discouraged beleeue not Sathan checke thy selfe for this vnbeleeuing heart and gather better spirits and put on more comfortable resolutions cast thy soule and state confidently on the Lord in faith in Christ and in obedience to his will assure thy selfe that thou being a beleeuing soule God hath set his marke vpon thee and therefore rest thou vpon him and all these euill Angells shall neuer be able to plucke thee out of the protection of his loue in Christ The second vse is for comfort here is matter of Vse 2 sound and singuler consolation to all true beleeuers First against euill Angels themselues secondly against their temptations thirdly against our sinnes Sathan is the euill Angell his temptations are his instruments whereby he workes and sin is his worke here is our comfort that neither Sathan himselfe nor his instruments nor his works shal euer preuaile against vs to plucke vs away from God First here is matter of comfort against Sathan himselfe and all the aduantages he hath against vs feare them not for they shall neuer be able to cast thee out of the estate of grace and of Gods loue Lift vp thy heart and consider how God hath furnished thee with particular comforts against al the particular aduantages that the euill spirits haue against thee First thou wilt say the euiil Angels are very many true but what then Did not Christ euen with one word cast out a Legion of Diuels at once out of one man Marke 5.8 then neuer feare them for their multitude that one onely God is infinitely more than innumerable Diuils Yea but secondly they are very strong It is true Sathan is the strong man indeed but Christ is a stronger man Luke 11.22 and ouercommeth him The Diuell is a roaring Lyon it is true yea but Christ is a Lyon too a ruling raigning Lyon he is the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah the royall Tribe he rules all and he makes that other Lyon the Diuell when he comes in presence to crie out and roare for feare and anger Luke 4.33.34 an vncleane Diuell cryed out with a loud voyce saying Oh! what haue wee to doe with thee c. therefore neuer feare them for their strength Yea but