Selected quad for the lemma: world_n
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A01027
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A fruitfull sermon made by the reverend and learned Mr. Iohn Forbes. Pastour of the English company of merchants adventures at Delft. Published by some of his flock out of sincere affection for common good
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Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.
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1626
(1626)
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STC 11130; ESTC S116489
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28,013
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106
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the Lord walk in him rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith In like manner the scripture speakes of loue of patience of hope of holynes of righteousnes and all other christian vertues The reason of this forme of speache in scripture is because of the double use and benefit both of Christ himself and all other spirituall graces in him The first use is of practise the second of preservation For the first these graces are necessarie to be in us to enable us to all christian duties who of ourselvs are not sufficient as of ourselves to doe so much as think any good according to that of Christe speaking of himself without me ye can doe nothing And touching faith it s said of the Apostle That without faith its impossible to please God Heb. 6. So that neither we ourselvs nor anie of our actions can be acceptable to God even although they be the actions commaunded by God unlesse beleeving we doe them by â—aith yea not onely are they not acceptable but it is impossible to us to haue any strength or ability to doe them according to Gods will without faith for that mighty power of God through Christ whereby we are made able to doe all things is not in any but in those that beleeve According to that saying of the Apo. praying for the Ephesians That the eies of their understanding might be enlightened that they might know what is the exceeding greatnes of Gods power towards us that beleeve cap. 1. v. 18 19. And again speaking to the Colossians he saith Wee are buried together with Christ in baptisme in the which we are also raysed together with him through the faith of the effectuall operation of God who hath raysed Christ from the dead cap. 2. ver 12. And therefore Iohn in his first epistle doth attribute our victorie over the whole world onely to our faith saying All that are born of God overcommeth this world and this is the victorie that hath overcome the world even our faith For who is it that overcommeth this world but he that beleeveth that Iesus is the sone of God 1 Ioh. 5. 4. 5. And the Apostle to the Hebrewes chap. 11 attributeth all the strength of all the children of God in doing good and obaying God onely to their faith through which faith as saith the Apostle they subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnes obtayned the â—romise stopped the mouthes of â—yons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the â—rmies of the aliants the women â—eceaved their dead raysed to life other also were racked and would not bee delivered that they might â—eceaue a better resurrection and others haue beene tryed by mockings â—nd by scourgings yea meorover by bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were hewen a sunder they were slaine with the sword they wandred up and downe in sheepes skins and in goats skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented all which they did endure and suffer onely by faith by which they all obtayned good report It is clear therefore for such practises and all other obedience whatsoeuer it is necessary that a Christian haue faith in him without which he hath no strength eyther to doe oâ— suffer any thing to the glory of God his owne salvation 2. It s expedient that as he must haue faith in him for practice so he must be in the faith for his preservation for as nothing can enable him to doe good but faith so nothing can preserve him from all evill unto salvation but faith onely within the compasse limits whereof except he remaine enclosed he cannot avoyd evill therefore is it that the Apostle chargeth every one in the house of God that no man presume to bee wise aboue that which is meete but that every man bee wise unto sobriety as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith this measure of every mans faith being unto him the onely rule and just measure both of his actions and sufferings seeing whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne for which cause the Apostle defines the life of a Christian to bee the life of faith in the sonne of God Galatians 2. 20. Therefore for the better keeping our selves from all the assaults of sathan wee are commanded to put on as an armour given us from God these Christian vertues truth righteousnes peace hope and aboue all faith whereby wee may be able to quench all the siery darts of the diuell to stand against all his assaults Ephesians 6 10 11. And in another place wee are exhorted by the Apostle as the elect of God holy and belooved to put on the bowells of mercies kindnes humblenes of mind meekenes long-suffering loue c. And finally whatsoeuer wee shall doe in word or deed to doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus which is asmuch as to will us to doe al in faith Colossians 3 12 c. For as God doth not exercise his power in us to the prastise of good but by faith So doth he not imploy his power to keepe us unto salvation but by faith also as is plaine by the words of Peter saying that wee are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Ep. 1 5. Thus faith is both the power of God within us to strengthen us to all goodnes and the armour of God upon us to keepe and couer us from all evill For which cause as wee must abide in Christ and Christ must abide in us unto salvation So must wee also abide in faith and faith in us since Christ is neither in us nor wee in him nor liue wee in him nor he in us neither keepeth hee us nor wee him except by faith aloue Now the reason why the Apostle doth not will us to â—ry if faith be in us but rather if wee bee in the faith is not because both bee not necessary or that the one can possibly bee without the other seeing the union betwixt us and the graces of God in Christ is like to our communion with Christ himself for as he is in us and we are in him so are wee in his graces and gifts and they are in us even as he is in the father and the father in him but the cause moouing the Apostle to speak so is this because our finding of our selves in the faith is the most cleare evidence of the power of Christ in the ministry to our salvation for then it is effectuall when not onely it doth work faith in our hearts but also doth make us walke in it so that as in our knowledge will or affection inwardly even so in our deeds externally we manifest this faith Not going in any thing beyoÌ„d the measure of that faith which God hath given us and to speake the truth it is a wofull error in many Christians to satisfie themselvs with a conceyt that they beleeue