A17412:1153
Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle…
Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Being the last that were preached by the late faithful and painful minister of Gods word, Nicolas Byfield. Wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. Published since the authors death by William Gouge.Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Being the last that were preached by the late faithfull and painfull minister of Gods word, Nicolas Byfield. Wherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great varietie of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinitie largely discussed. Published since the authors death by William Gouge.
London: printed by H. Lownes for George Latham, 1626
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Lastly, some Christians are not settled, because when the evil day comes upon them, they cast away their confidence, and strive to think, that because God afflicteth them, therefore they are not his; being, for the present, uncapable of all those promises of Scripture, that make it clear, that God may afflict them, and not be displeased with them, and they may be his dear servants and children. They will not know, that whom God loves he chastens, and that he is used to try his gold in the fire, and that whom God gives the greatest comforts, he usually sends great trials immediately after; as when Christ was honoured with a voice from heaven at his baptism, & a visible descending of the holy Ghost upon him, he was by and by led into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil, And Paul, after his revelation, was cast down almost into hell with temptations.
Lastly, some Christians are not setled, because when the evill day comes upon them, they cast away their confidence, and strive to thinke, that because God afflicteth them, therefore they are not his; being, for the present, uncapable of all those promises of Scripture, that make it cleare, that God may afflict them, and not bee displeased with them, and they may bee his deare servants and children. They will not know, that whom God loves he chastens, and that hee is used to try his gold in the fire, and that whom God gives the greatest comforts, hee usually sends great tryalls immediately after; as when Christ was honoured with a voice from heaven at his baptisme, & a visible descending of the holy Ghost upon him, hee was by and by led into the wildernesse to bee tempted of the Divell, And Paul, after his revelation, was cast downe almost into hell with temptations.
Thus of the knowledge of conversion and calling in general. Now in this Text is further imported, That a Christian may know the warrant of all his particular actions: for the true Christian goeth to the light, that it may be manifest that his works are wrought in God, John 3.22, and he walketh by rule, Gal. 6