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	speak_v	word_n	1,386	5	3.9429	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02260	The happines of enjoying, and making a true and speedie use of Christ Setting forth, first, the fulnesse of Christ. Secondly, the danger of neglecting Christ, and the opportunity of grace. Thirdly, the Lord Jesus the soules last refuge. Whereunto is added, St. Pauls legacie, or farewell to the men of Corinth. By Alexander Grosse B.D. Minister of the Gospel, and pastour of Bridford.	Grosse, Alexander, 1596?-1654.	1640 (1640)	STC 12395; ESTC S103450	151,344	397

It is the property and practise of the Lords servants like good r Joh. 15.2 branches to grow and beare more fruit to ſ Eph. 4.11 grow up in Christ which is the head as the members in the body grow up under the head to t Phil. 3.11 12. follow after to presse toward the mercie to reach forth to the things which are before to apprehend that for which they are apprehended of Christ Jesus As they th●● run in a race are swift put to it with all their strength and cease not so the runners in the race of godlinesse are swift put to it to the utmost and cease not untill they have fully apprehended Christ They u Isa 40.31 run on faint not they mount up like the Eagles come nearer nearer unto Christ as the Eagles flye nearer and nearer and cease not untill they come to the carkasse for Grace is of a growing and increasing Reas 1 nature it riseth higher and higher like the w Ezek. 47.5 waters which came forth under the threshold of the Temple it x Prov. 4.18 shineth more and more like the light unto the perfect day God where he y Phil. 1.6 beginnes a good worke Reas 2 continues the same unto perfection Hee is a King that once beginning to make warre against the Divell and the lusts of men goeth on and ceaseth not untill hee hath obtained a full and perfect conquest He is a builder who having once laid the foundation of grace in the heart of man gives not over untill he hath finished the house and made the house of man a perfect Temple for his Spirit to dwell in True saving grace once felt and x 1 Pet. 2.2.3 tasted Reas 3 is most highly pr●●ed and most earnestly de●●●d As the lo●e of money growes according to the growth of money so doth the love of grace answer the growth of grace the more a man hath of it the more his soule doth thirst and long after it the more hee desires to be filled with it as the thirst of the dropsie-man encreaseth by drinking Hee that hath least grace puts the lowest price upon it no man more sensible of the want of grace then hee that hath the greatest measure of grace no man more desires the encrease of grace then hee that hath the greatest fulnesse of grace Use Take heed then of apostasie and backsliding bee not like Gideons souldiers whose hearts fainted bee not like the a Luk. 14.30 Builder in the Gospel that began to build but could not make an end Doe not with the b 2 Pet. 2.22 Sow return againe and wallow in the mire of sinne returne not to your old lusts and profanesse But as c Gen. 6.14.22 Noah having a paterne from the Lord began to build and ceased not untill he had finished his Arke and was preserved when the deluge came so you having had a paterne of faith and life set before you and having begun to build according to it cease not untill the worke is finished that your soules may be saved when the deluge commeth Be not like the Sun in d Jos 12.13 Aialon that stood still nor like the Sunne in Ahaz Diall that went back but like the Sunne mentioned by the e Psal 19.5 Psalmist comming forth as a Bridegroome out of his chamber and rejoyce yee like a mighty man to runne his race Where is your faith in Christ if like withered branches you fall off from Christ or sinke like the house builded on the sand Where is your love to Christ if you give him a bill of divorce and hold not out with him unto the end Where is the fruit of your long attendance upon Gods ordinances What avails the sowing of all this seed if you fall away before the harvest Where is the Crowne you looke for if yee faint before the conquest O then take heed hold out let your workes be more at last then at first bee constant in your profession bee fruitfull in all well-doing Bee f Phil. 1.10 filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are to the praise glory of God in the day of Christ Jesus So shall the Lord take pleasure in you so shall you honour the Gospel adorn Religion shame the Adversary glorifie the Ministery and fill your owne conscience with much peace and quietnesse and give the Minister good and lust occasion to speake to you in a comfortable language to bid you with Saint Paul to bee of good comfort The second Legacie which the Apostle here bequeatheth a Legacie of Consolation Bee of good comfort Though many changes come many troubles arise and many afflictions be endured for the Name and Cause of Christ yet doe not faint bee not disheartned but bee of good comfort solace and comfort your selves in the Lord and his Word And hence learne that Doct. Gods children ought to bee very comfortable though many changes and afflictions doe attend them The Lilly is fresh beautifull and looks pleasantly though growing among the thornes such must bee the affection and disposition of Gods children though compast about with the Thornes and Briers of many troubles g Jam. 1.2 Account it all joy saith Saint James to fall into manifold temptations h Rom. 5.3 We glory in tribulations saith Saint Paul knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed i 1 Pet. 1.8 And beleeving saith Saint Peter yee rejoyce with joy unspeakeable and full of glory And Gods children have great cause of comfort In regard of the Authour of their afflictions Reas 1 They come from k Heb. 12.7 God as a Father they are not a rod in an enemies but in a Fathers hand they are all in mercie they are a serpent which hath lost his sting the venome of them is gone In regard of their end They are not for Reas 2 punishment but for castigation not for destruction but for reformation humiliation and excitation as l 2 Sam. 18. David sent forth his Army against Absolom not to destroy him but to humble and amend him In regard of the comforts mixed with Reas 3 them They are Pills lapped up in Sugar like Sampsons m Jud. 1 4. Lyon they have a honey combe within them There is sweet comming out of the sowre and meat comming out of the eater In regard of the fruit and issue of them Reas 4 Like the waters of the red Sea which drowned not n Exod. 14. Israel but the enemies which pursued them no more doe these destroy Gods children but the corruption which is within them which hangs like a heavie weight about them and like an enemie pursues and followes them O then bee of good comfort all yee that love the Lord that embrace his Christ Use that delight in his service keepe your selves from sinne and whatsoever come let your hearts be joyfull the Lord shall

branches the Patriarchs Moses the Prophets a Vine loaden with many sweet grapes but now there was nothing but leaves on it a glorious profession a formall performance of religious duties much vaunting and boasting that they were the children of Abraham but they were barren they did not the workes of Abraham they had neither the faith nor trode the steps of Abraham And therefore our Saviour cursed the figtree 1. In testimonium to shew his Deity his absolute authority and dominion over all creatures 2. In declarationem to shew his anger against the Jewish people 3. In typum thereby to shew what the end of that people should be 6 Barrennesse ruinateth the barren tree is hewed downe the barren ground is burned Heb. 6.8 a barren people the Lord will forsake remove and cast out of his sight this is fully expressed by our Saviour in the Parable of the Housholder Mat. 21.34 in which the Housholder is God the Vineyard is generally the Church particularly the people of the Jewes the hedges are the Mosaicall lawes likened to a hedge for distinction for preservation the people of the Jewes being by them distinguished from other people and preserved from wasting as a field by a hedge the Winepresse was their ministery of the Word likened to a Wine-presse in regard of preparation fitting them to offer unto God the pleasant wine of found obedience and holy and fervent prayers the Watch tower was the Kingdome Priesthood Temple likened to a Tower for the ornament honour glory which it ministred the husbandmen to whom he let it out were the Priests and Levites likened to husbandmen for their labour in and watchfulness over the Lords Vineyard and the Lord is likened to one going into a farre Countrey not for the mutation of his presence but by cessation of miracles immediate manifestation of himselfe among them leaving his Vineyard to their charge the servants sent were the Prophets whom they beat imprisoned killed stoned at last he sent his own Son whom they crucified and for their ingratitude and barrennesse the Vineyard hath beene long let out to others This did our Saviour threaten Mat. 23.37 38. How often would I have gathered you together and ye would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate and for this likewise he threatned the removing of the Candlesticke from the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.5 and for this we have great cause to humble our selves But what need may some say have we to humble our selves we have Gods Ordinances we have plenty of learned zealous godly Preachers we have multitudes of Professours the firmament of our Church is garnished with bright and shining starres our garden is decked with many sweet and beautifull flowers our orchard is set with variety of pleasant and fruitfull trees our land enriched with great abundance of all things much cause of rejoicing but what cause of humiliation Beloved Israel had the Arke rejoiced much in the presence of it yet fell before the enemy 1 Sa. 4.5 they had the Temple of the Lord they gloried not a little thereof yet were destroyed Jer. 7.4 Wee have many learned painfull able Ministers blessed bee the great Shepheard of our soules that sends them and the Lord daily increase the number of them wee may say indeed with the Psalmist The Lord hath not dealt so with every nation Psal 147.20 Yet this was a prerogative to which Ierusalem was no stranger all the Prophets were set as watchmen upon her walles Isa 62.6 the Baptist also who excelled all the Prophets the Sonne of God himselfe and all the Apostles were sent to them yet after all this and even then was Ierusalem destroyed The more labourers in the vineyard the nigher is it unto burning if it continue unfruitfull Wee have plenty of all things so had Ierusalem a land flowing with milke and hony Isa 47.7 Babylon sate as a Queene and no widow and many who open as saith the Psalmist their mouthes against heaven Psal 73.5 have more then heart could wish and yet have been set in slippery places the more wee have received the more such ought to bee humbled as make not the best use of it It is not the presence but the good use wee make of our temporall fulnesse which proveth us to bee Gods servants Wee have many Professors men forward in attending Gods ordinances in the performance of holy duties So there were also in the dayes of our Saviour but they undertooke their profession upon false grounds for outward things Ioh 6.26 Ioh. 2.22 and therefore our Saviour would not commit himselfe unto them There were many beasts in the Arke but not all clean Foure sorts of ground received seed but onely one good Profession without practise is odious in Gods presence such of all people are in Gods eye most hatefull to Gods name most dishonuorable to Gods religion most scandalous Tit. 1.16 as professe that they know God but in workes deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate As wee looke on what wee have and are comforted so let us looke on what wee want and be humbled and thus consider First how many ignorant idle covetous corrupt unprofitable carnall and carelesse Ministers wee have who either doe not Gods worke at all or at least are very carelesse in the performance of it leaving their congregations as candlestickes without a candle children without a nurse families without a stewart ships without a pilot Some Foxes there are among the Shepheards some Drones among the Bees thus of old Some were covetous looking for their gaine from every quarter some dawbed with untempered morter some cried Isa 56.11 Ezek. 13.10 Ier. 23.14 Peace when there was no peace some strengthened the hands of the wicked Thus of old and thus now and thus wee have cause of humiliation Secondly how are the painfull and faithfull Ministers of the Word entertained 1 Kin. 22.8 2 Chro. 32.16 Jer. 15 10. Are they not for the most part hated mocked made as men of cōtention to the whole earth Doe not the men of the world handle them as Hanuns servants did Davids men when they shaved off their beards unto the halfe 2 Sam. 10.4 and cut off their garments to the buttockes loading them with reproches depriving them of their maintenance filling them with manifold discomforts esteeming powerfull and plaine preaching with the men of Athens no better then babbling Acts 17.18 Thirdly what doe wee for the most part profit by the labours of Gods Ministers Where is our repentance reformation new life Are not a great number of us like Micha the Idolater that pronounced himselfe blessed Jud. 17.13 because hee had a Levite to his Priest though hee still kept his Idol And thus a great number blesse themselvs in the naked having of the ministery of the Word though they still retain their Idol their covetousnesse drunkennesse pride malice like the