Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	apostle_n	faith_n	word_n	1,525	5	4.2834	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61215	The mutual duties of elders and people Delivered in a discourse at Beckles in Suffolk, Octob. 13. 1697. At the setting apart of Mr. John Killinghal, to the office of an elder, over a Church of Christ there. By John Stackhouse, elder of a Church of Christ in Norwich.	Stackhouse, John, dissenting minister.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5104; ESTC R220764	32,438	41

12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Minstry for the edifying the Body of Christ There seems to be a transposition of these words for the work of the Ministry which lieth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those two things here named the jointing in of the Saints into Christ and into Church Fellowship and the edifying of the Body that such as are not Saints may become Saints by the Power of the Word and be jointed into the Church and after that they are jointed in that the Body might be edified Particularly 1. They are to preach the Word of God and they are to administer all the Ordinances of God and they must do it diligently and faithfully This charge is given 2 Tim. 4 12. Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine They must speak like the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. with clear Evidence of Scripture Light that God in all things may be glorified They must not corrupt and mingle the pure Word of God with the sophistical Notions and Errors of Men 2 Cor. 2. 17. They must not lay wood and hay and stubble upon the foundation if they do their Work shall suffer loss and themselves be saved with great difficulty so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 12 15. 2. They must watch for your Souls Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls They must watch with great care and great diligence tho' thereby they be exposed to great trouble and great danger They must warn the People of their Backslidings and of their Wanderings and they must charge them that they keep the way of the Lord they must exhort them to their present Duty and they must exhort them to lay hold on their future Reward They must be very watchful lest by some means the Tempter should tempt any and their labour should be in vain 1 Thess 3. 5. They must warn them when any danger approacheth as God chargeth Ezekiel in Chap. 3. 18 19 Verses When I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked ways to save his life the same wicked Man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hands c. Bear with us Beloved if we seem unto you to be too earnest and too warm in our Admonitions and Reproofs we speak for the life of your Souls and it is for the life of our own Souls also we must shew you the good way of the Lord convince you of the Equity of it and labour to impress you with a sence of your Duty and excite you by the most powerful Motives we can use to a cheerful even and constant walking in the ways of the Lord. 3. The Elders are to exhort and comfort all the Members of the Church yea and all that desire to receive Instruction from them as their Condition and Necessities do require They must do this with great gentleness and compassion with simpathizing Bowels and condescending Love such the Apostle tells the Thessalonions was his Carriage towards them 1 Thess 2. 7 8. We were gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted to you not the Gospel of God only but also our own Souls because you were very dear unto us So also he chargeth us 1 Thess 5. 14. Brotherly Love doth oblige all to attend unto this Duty but the Office committed to the Elder doth much more oblige him to it he is to be patient towards all 2 Tim. 2. 25. and in meekness to instruct them that do oppose themselves if peradventure God may give them repentance that they may escape out of the snare of the Devil They are to do this generally in their publick preaching of the Gospel and also particularly from House to House Thus the Apostle declared his diligence Acts 20. 20. I have kept back nothing that was profitable to you but I have shewed you and taught you publickly and from House to House 4. They are to defend and maintain the Truth against all Corruption and Error 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Hold fast the form of sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That good thing that is committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And they are not only to keep it themselves but they must by sound Doctrine exhort and convince Gain-sayers the mouths of gain-sayers must be stopt who subvert whole Houses speaking things they ought not for filthy lucre's sake 1 Tit. 1. 11. And in Chap. 2. v. 8. it is required of them that they have sound speech that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of them It is that which requireth great Wisdom that we do keep close to the Word that we hold fast the Form of wholesom Words according to the Scripture and that all that we speak in the Name of the Lord be sound Speech that cannot be condemned we must contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. v. We must watch against grievous Wolves entering in amongst us This is the Charge given to the Elders in Acts 20. 28 29. The Churches and especially the Angels of the Churches Rev. 2. 2. must try them that say they are Apostles and are not and find them to be lyars 5. They that are over the Church must be exemplary in yielding Obedience to all the Commandments of Christ Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach Men so shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. 19. If you teach it not in your Preaching and teach it in your Example that any of the Commands of Christ are too little to be regarded you incurr the Threatning of being excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven Oh what cause of trembling have we So the Apostle chargeth Timothy 1 Tim 4. v. 12. Be thou an example of the Believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity And in 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee also youthful lusts but follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart Elders are set up in a golden Candlestick to be Lights and they must be pure Lights they must be burning and shining Lights if there be any filthiness in them it will lessen the Light and make the Light offensive which they hold forth to the People They are set upon a Hill the Eyes of all Men are upon them and their not walking in exemplary Holiness brings a great reproach upon the Gospel and Truths of Christ which they preach But it is honourable if they can say as Philip. 3. 17. That is

the first thing they must labour II. This is labour to do this is labour Beloved even unto weariness As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word signifieth The same word is translated being weary John 4. 16. Thus sate Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weary on the Well We have toiled all night and caught nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 5. 5. The work of the Ministry my Beloved is a go●d work and it is a work that may be desired 1 Tim. 3. 1. But it may not be desired for Honours sake nor for Maintenance sake but for Works sake But as it is a good and desirable Work so it is a painful and laborious Work it is hard toilsom Labour so that they need to give themselves wholly to it 1. There is the labour of the Brain there is a giving attendance to Reading Meditation and Prayer which is commanded them that so they may faithfully discharge the Duty of their Office 1 Tim. 4. 13. Till I come give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine And Verse 15. Meditate on these things give thy self wholly to them 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth There needs continual Study Reading and Meditation which is hard Labour and doth greatly exhaust the strength of their natural Spirits The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even the words of truth Ecccles 12. 15. 2. Their Work is Heart labour in their Work they must labour hard with their own Hearts and with the Hearts of those that God hath set them over They labour with their own Hearts for in their Hearts are like Passions as other Men have they have many times unbelief vexing them despondency casting them down without are fightings and within are fears as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 7. 4. They are to serve God with their spirits in the Gospel of Christ sincerely and heartily Rom. 1. 9. But their Spirits are sometimes discomposed and disquieted and cast down and at other times their Spirit is willing and their Flesh is weak They labour with their own Hearts for they must be careful of their own Souls 1 Cor. 9. 27. If they be keepers of others Vineyard and do not keep their own Vineyard if they do not take heed to themselves that they may save themselves as well as others they shall be found Fools in the Issue of their Labours And as they have hard labour with their own Hearts so they have also hard labour with the Hearts of those whom they teach and if God doth not help them to work on the Hearts of them whom they teach they can do nothing Thus the Apostle expresseth his Labour Coloss 1. 28 29. Whom we preach warning every Man and teaching every Man in all Wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily If that the Spirit work with us mightily then our Labour is pleasant tho' 't is hard But if we be put to lament who hath believ'd our report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed It even breaks our hearts with grief 3. It is Labour for which they many times have little thanks given them Thus the Apostle tells the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12. 15. I will very gladly spend and be spent for you tho' the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved So great an Apostle met with so mean a requital from those whom he had by his preaching Converted and other Elders do many times meet with a discouraging requital the more abundantly they love them the less they are beloved by them they are many times counted enemies because they tell the people the truth as the Galatians did account Paul whereof he complains Gal. 4. 16. 4. It 's hard Labour wherein many times they have little success They are made Fishers of Men Mat. 4. 19. and they are put many times to complain unto the Lord as Luke 5. 5 Master we have toiled all Night and have caught nothing Many times they see no fruit of their labours before they are called home and they that come after them reap the harvest of the seed which they did sow So our Lord told his Disciples Jo. 4. v. 38. Other Men laboured and ye are entred into their labours 5. It is a toilsome Work which is usually attended with great Sufferings whilst they do faithfully discharge their Ministry Wicked Men hate them because they cannot speak good to them in a way of sin and the frowardness of their Brethren doth many times occasion great trouble to them The Apostle frequently makes mention of his Sufferings 2 Tim. 1. 12. For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know in whom I have believed So also 2 Tim. 2. v. 9 10. and 2 Cor. 11. 23. 27 v. They that are called to this Work must endure hardness as good Soldiers of Jesus Christ So we are commanded 2 Tim. 2. 3. And we must not be moved by any sufferings and troubles whatsoever so as to leave our Ministry because of Sufferings Acts 20. 24. None of these things move me neither count I my life dear to me so I may finish my course with joy and fulfil my Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus It is then you see hard Labour labour of the Brains labour with the Heart labour that they have little thanks for labour that they have often little success in labour in which they many times suffer great and hard things Yet thus we must Work and thus we must Labour a necessity is laid upon us 1 Cor. 4. 9. and woe to us if we preach not the Gospel Thus must we take heed to save our own Souls and those that hear 1 Tim. 4. 16. us and we must take heed that we be faithful that the blood of none be required at our hands I call you saith the Apostle to witness that I am free from the blood of all Men Acts 20. 26. If the blood of any to whom we preach should be required at our Hands how shall we answer it to our Lord By way of Application 1. The good Lord pardon all the Failings and Miscarriages of us who minister the Word and Doctrine all our coming short in so great a Work It was a great thing the Apostle said I know nothing by myself I know nothing wherein I have failed in the work of my Ministry to you yet am I not hereby justified for Christ knoweth my Work more perfectly than Man doth 1 Cor. 4. 4. But as for us poor sinners we dare not say that we know no thing by our selves we have many Miscarriages that we are guilty of but we hope and believe that we shall be saved by the Blood of Christ even as ye 2.