Saint Pauls Triumph, Title page – To the reader
SAINT PAƲLS TRIVMPH, 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, vponupon 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 vponupon 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 honourable memoriall of the Author, by WILLIAM HOLBROOKE, Preacher of the word of God.
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for Richard Redmer, and Nathanael Newbery, and are to bee ſould at the ſigne of the Starre vnderunder St. Peters Church in Cornehill, and in Popes-head Alley, 1623.
TO Mr. DOCTOR CHAMBERS, DOCTOR OF Diuinity, and Paſtor of S. Andrews Hubbart in little Eaſtcheape London, and to M. Mathew de Queſter, M. Richard Stretton, M. Thomas Oliue, M. Robert Wood, M. Edward Maddeſton, M. Giles de Butt, and to the reſt of the Pariſhioners of the ſaid Pariſh; All grace and happineſſe in this life, and that which is to come.
MAſter Doctor, and you the reſt, my louing friends. It is no inſolete nor vnwarrantable courſe, for men to be publiſhers of the Labours of others, and to hauehave a hand in bringing them forth into the view of the world, and that after the death of the Authors of them, if we either conſider the examples of the ſeruants of God in holy writ; as firſt of the men of Hezekiah, concerning diuers of Solomons Prouerbes aInſcript. cap. 25. Prouerb.; ſecondly of Solomon, or ſome other, concerning the words of Ager bInſcript. cap. 30. Prouerb.; and thirdly, of Solomon himſelfe, concerning the words and counſell of his Mother to him cInſcript. cap. 31 Prouerb.: Or, if we conſider the practiſe of holy men in all ages, both ancient and moderne, as, to inſtance in the writings of that late and worthy ſeruant of God Mr. Perkins, Vide Aben. Ezra. Mercer. Iun. Cartw. Ianſen. Muff. in hos locos.how many of them are extant, to his neuer dying fame? and yet moſt of them publiſhed by others after his death, as is plainely to be ſeene, if we looke but in the Title-pages of moſt of them: Wherein thoſe worthies did (as it were) the office of ſpirituall Midwiues in helping ſuch children to birth: And, had it not beene great detriment to the Church of God, preſent, and to come, and great pitty that ſuch goodly children ſhould hauehave bin brought to the birth, and there hauehave periſhed for want of ſome to helpe to bring them forth? VponUpon conſideration of this that hath beene ſaid. I hauehave afforded my helpe to the bringing forth of this enſuing Treatiſe, a worthy and excellent worke, of a learned and faithfull ſeruant of God (not long ſince deceaſed) well knowne to you and me. The excellency of it wil appeare, firſt if the particulars therin intreated of, be but generally conſidered; as firſt, the ſpirituall Communion or coniunction that is betwixt God and the faithfull. Secondly, the bond of this coniunction, the louelove of God. Thirdly, the ground of this coniunction, Chriſt Ieſus. Fourthly, the ſpeciall intereſt the faithfull hauehave in him, and he in them. Fiftly, the certainty of the ſpirituall ſafety of Gods children amidſt all dangers, and againſt al commers. Sixtly, the aſſurance the faithfull hauehave, and may hauehave, in this life, of Gods louelove, and ſo of ſaluation. Seauenthly, the Chriſtian mans bearing of himſelfe vp in, and againſt all danger, vponupon this aſſurance, with a declaration and diſcouery of diuers of our enemies, and what they can doe againſt vsus: If theſe be not excellent theames, I know not what are. Secondly, the excellency of this worke will appeare if the ſtrict and yet plaine and eaſie methode which is vſed therein, be conſidered, which will make it delightfull to eueryevery one that readeth it, methode being to the matter ſpoken and vttered, as faſhion to apparell, forme to building, and as Pictures of Siluer to Apples of Gold, Prouerb. 25.11.which make much to the luſtre and beauty of the Apples, and cauſe them to be delightfull to, and to be much deſired, of the beholders. Thirdly, the excellency of this Treatiſe will appeare, if we conſider the ſeaſonableneſſe of its birth: It is borne, and commeth forth in due time; For it entreateth at large of the afflictions & dangers to which the faithfull are, and may be, ſubiect in this world, and furniſheth them with matter of ſupport, in, and againſt them all. And when, or in what time could this Argument bee more ſeaſonable then now, and at this time, wherein the Church and people of God are in ſuch diſtreſſe, hazard, and danger, and the deſtroying Angell of God is ſo abroad in many places of the world, and all places almoſt filled with warres, and rumors of warres, and who knoweth when theſe things ſhall end? Fourthly, the excellency of this Treatiſe will appeare, if we conſider the fitneſſe of, and the enablements wherewith this man was enabled to write and ſpeake of this Subiect, which were very great and many, whether we conſider the endowments of Learning, nature, grace, or experience; for beſides the three former, he was a man experienced in afflictions, being then, when he ſtudied, writ, and preached theſe following Sermons, and for the ſpace of many yeares before, a man of many troubles, and of greiuous, and of heauy afflictions, by which (through the gracious bleſſing and worke of Gods ſpirit) he was made (as holyer and better, ſo) fitter to write and ſpeake of the nature, kindes▪ degrees, and effects of troubles and afflictions, and of what they can doe, and of the ſupports in them, & againſt them. For, as eueryevery man is beſt able to ſpeake, and diſcourſe of that profeſſion, and the Myſteries thereof, of which he is dNauita de ventis, de tauris narrat arator, enumerat miles vulnera, paſtor oues. Propert., ſo is that man that is, and hath beene long a man of troubles, fitteſt to write and ſpeake of them, and of all things belonging to them. That this man was, (both then when he writ, and ſpake theſe Sermons, and had beene for long time before) a man of troubles, and heauy afflictions, beſides the teſtimony of all that knew him, his owne words (which I finde written with his owne hand in his booke, by way of Preface to theſe following Sermons) doe plainely ſhew, his words are theſe: After a heauy burthen, of many heauy infirmities, and ſore afflictions, and hideous temptations, long endured, and ſtill continuing vponupon me, I am come forth once againe to ſpeake in this place, not in any ſence of ſtrength recouered, nor yet in any liuely hope of any ability to goe through with this great worke, but onelyonly in obedience to Gods commandement, who hath now brought mee, I know not how, vntounto this ſeruice, and in faith alone. This Treatiſe (excellent as aforeſaid in ſo many reſpects) I hauehave beene mooued to Dedicate to you Mr. Doctor, and to you the reſt of my louing friends, for three reaſons. Firſt, becauſe I conceiue that it doth more properly belong vntounto you, then to any other, for, to whom ſhould it belong, if not to you, Mr. Doctor, who ſucceed the Author of it in his paſtorall charge? whereby you may ſee how & with what kinde of nouriſhment, he fed his, now your people: And to what people doth it more properly belong, then to you my louing friends, for whom it was firſt conceiued, ſtudyed, penned, and preached? Secondly, that I might manifeſt my intire louelove and hearty wel-wiſhing to you all, amongſt whom I hauehave exerciſed my Miniſtery for the ſpace of nine yeares laſt paſt, and ſtill doe by the mercy of God. Thirdly, that I might bee a meanes of further knitting, and continuing you in vnfained louelove one towards another, by ioyning you together in this Dedication of this worke, whom God hath, by his ſpeciall prouidence, ioyned together in that neere band of relation, of Paſtor and people. That this may be, and that you, and all others to whom this Treatiſe ſhall come, may gaine, as much ſpirituall good, as the Author, in ſtudying, penning, and preaching, and I in publiſhing deſire, I doe, and will pray to him that is the God of louelove, and the giuer of all good things, and that through him who is the Sonne of his louelove, and the meanes and way of all good things to vsus, euen the Lord Ieſus,
In whom I am yours in the ſeruice of the Lord, William Holbrooke.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
VNderſtand (Chriſtian Reader) that theſe following Sermons, were giuen by the Author (as they were written by his owne hand) to his louing friend Mr. Edward Miſſelden, Merchant, who moſt Chriſtianly, and willingly, vponupon the firſt motion deliuered them vntounto me, and condiſcended to the publiſhing of them, knowing that bonum, quo communius, eo melius, a good thing the more common it is, the better it is, for which thou art much beholding to him, for by this meanes thou haſt theſe Sermons as they were penned and preached by the Author, without addition or detraction. Reade and meditate throughly vponupon them, thou ſhalt not (I aſſure thee) repent thee of thy labour, for thou ſhalt finde therein much deepe, and neceſſary heauenly doctrine, and (through Gods bleſsing) be furniſhed with armour of proofe againſt all dangers and troubles whatſoeuer, that are vponupon thee, or may befall thee in this life. Be thankefull to God, for this, and all meanes of thy ſpirituall good, which he affordeth thee, and forget not to pray for him, who forgetteth not to pray for thee and the whole Church of God, and who will euer bee thine in the ſeruice of the Lord,
William Holbrooke.
SAINT PAVLS TRIƲMPHES, OR The SAINTS Coniunction with GOD, and ſupport in TROVBLES.
In the 116. Pſalme, verſe 10. the Prophet Dauid ſpeakes thus of himſelfe, I beleeued, and therefore did I ſpeake. In imitation of the practiſe of the Prophet, the Apoſtle Paul, 2 Cor. 4.13. takes vp the very ſame ſpeech: We alſo beleeue (ſaith hee) and therefore wee ſpeake. And in imitation of that practiſe, both of the Prophet and of the Apoſtle, I am now come here to ſpeake as God ſhall enable me; that which God hath enabled me to beleeue, I beleeue that which I ſpeake, and I ſpeake that which I beleeue, and becauſe I beleeue it, therefore I ſpeake it: And what is that which I beleeue and ſpeake? Euen the very ſame matter and words, which the Apoſtle Paul beleeued and ſpake in the depth of his Afflictions.