Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	faith_n	john_n	overcome_v	6,134	5	9.6019	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77243	A practicall discourse concerning Gods decrees. In two parts. The first concerning mans unfitnesse to dispute against the decrees of God: out of Rom. 9.20. The second tending to assert and cleare Gods absolute election of a limited and certaine number unto eternall life: out of Acts 13:48. By Edvvard Bagshavve st. of Ch. Ch.	Bagshaw, Edward, 1629-1671.	1659 (1659)	Wing B420; Thomason E965_3; ESTC R18103	27,770	46

why God doth sometimes bring strange and perplexing things to passe is that men might dispute no but that they might feare before him The use is Vse if it be so that no man is a Competent Judge of the Equity and Justice of Gods Proceedings then it should Teach us to silence our Vaine Reasonings in the Matters of God we should look upon them as Mysteries beyond our Reach and therefore infinitely above our Cavill Perhaps it is not a Rationall I am sure it is not a Christian way of Arguing Non intelligo ergo non Credo This I do not understand I cannot perceive how such or such a point can be made out by Reason or can consist with those Conclusions which I have embraced therefore I will not believe it It is the Taske and it should be the Triumph of Faith to break through all such Difficulties to remove even Mountaines of seeming Contradictions 1 Joh. 5.4 The Apostle calls Faith our Victory by which we overcome the World and if Faith overcomes the World how much more ought it to overcome our Doubts and our Reasonings which are but as it were the Clouds and Misty part of the World When our Saviour had discoursed concerning that great Mystery of Living and Feeding upon him by Faith John 6.60 the Apostles presently cry out This is an hard saying who can beare it this is so Absurd and Irrationall that there is no enduring it Our Saviour perceiving how they staggered he doth gently acquaint them with the Reason of their Erroneous Apprehension viz. because they judged according to flesh and humane appearance the Spirit saith he quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing my words they are spirit and they are life v. 63. To apply this doth any dealing of God put thee into an Anxious and a disputing State by all means suspend thy censure least thou shouldst charge God foolishly and search first into the principle by which thou proceedest whether it be Flesh or Spirit for reason it selfe till it be purged till the dreggs be taken off and refined by the spirit of God it is still but Flesh a weake low and carnall Principle not at all fit for a Christian to own but is indeed one of those earthly members which we are commanded to subdue and Mortifie To distrust our own understandings not to passe sentence upon the first blush and offer of things nor in spirituall concernments to be led by Humane appearance this is the first and most Necessary part of selfe-deniall This use may be improved in many Particulars but there are two things I mainly intend it for 1. First to fix and settle our spirits in that great and so much Controverted Doctrine concerning Gods decrees of eternall Election and Reprobation 2. Secondly To suppresse and silence our murmurings and repinings against God in his Acts of Providence and outward dealings with us First the consideration of mans unfitnesse to Judg in the matters of God ought to settle and fix us in the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation That God hath from all eternity chosen some on whom he will have mercy and hath out of his good pleasure reprobated others is cleare from this and many other places of Scripture But to reconcile this to Humane reason or to satisfy all the Objections which may be brought from Philosophy against it I think the Apostle himselfe did not pretend to doe Here in this verse he seemes to Imply that the best way to decide this controversy is not to dispute it and in another place when in a kind of Extasie he cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the Depth of the Riches of the knowledge and wisedome of God How inscrutable are his Judgments and his waies unsearchable Rom. 11.33 certainly he did thereby intend to put a stop unto our enquiry that we might not venture into a depth which we could not fathome What is said by all sides in this dispute I have often as farre as my weaknesse would give me leave considered but yet could never find satisfaction in any thing but in that question of the Apostles and in bringing my reason to a Non plusse For whatever the Arminians pretend that the Doctrine of Absolute Predestination is Blasphemous and I know not what because it seemes to make God the Author of Sin yet indeed it doth no more do it if it be well weighed then their Doctrine of Prescience doth for which reason Socinus who very well understood the Controversy did not feare to deny even Prescience it selfe since whatever is infallibly fore-known must infallibly come to passe that is necessarily For to distinguish between the necessity of the event and the necessity of that which causes the event is I confesse a subtilty that I understand not and am hopelesse ever to be satisfied in Leaving therefore the Disputers of this Age to the mercilesse Fury of one anothers Penns I shall give some few Practicall rules whereby whoever guides himselfe will be freed from all those perplexities which his reason otherwise would engage him in First In all doubts never enquire what is rationall but what is revealed the Word of God alone which is the ground of our Faith ought to be the object of our search If you find this Doctrine that God hath prepared some even for everlasting destruction whilest he hath compassion on others and that meerely to manifest his own Glory if this Doctrine be plainly laid down thee then farewell Reason and set your Faith on worke to find out carefully of which number you your selves are For there are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saved and the Lost whose condition is as sure and Irreversible as if they were in Possession of it already Secondly Let no doubts or Perplexities take you off from your obedience As no man needs feare to embrace Gospell-Truth upon its own termes so neither ought he by any consequences of vaine Carnall reasoning to be withdrawn from the doing of his duty He that finds in himselfe such a frame that he is resolved to goe on and leave the Issue to God though he perish yet he will trust in him he will find at last all his darknesse and doubtings cleared up and scattered for then we believe indeed when with Abraham we act even against beyondall Humane Probability Thirdly Be often asking your selves this Question with the Apostle what am I that I should limit the Almighty or Iudg the Holy one of Israel What are we poore dust and ashes that we should looke up to God except it be with trembling and amazement to admire and not to dispute his doings For what are we that we should be prescribing rules to him and finding out new waies and methods of salvation others then God himself hath been pleased to discover What are we that we should sit upon the Decrees of God and staine the wisedome of his counsells with the dirt and mire of our