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
A87179	Good news to all people. Glad tydings for all men. God good unto all, and Christ the saviour of the world: or, The general point faithfully handled by way of exercise: or A sermon preached at Buckingham upon the 25 of March, being (as so called) Easter-day. By William Hartley.	Hartley, William, of Stony-Stratford.	1650 (1650)	Wing H974; Thomason E594_11; ESTC R206917	25,853	32

then reprove the Legal Teachers in our generation who present the terrors of the Law to reduce persons to the obedience of the Gospel and by coercive power if they had it beat mens spirits into a conformity Christ satisfied Peter that his Kingdom was not of this world From which I apprehend we may gather That majesterial or worldly power hath no cognizance over the things of God Paul telleth Timothy who as all conclude was a famous Bishop 2 Tim. 2.24 25. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if peradventure God will give grace to repentance How unsuitably then do those persons act who under pretence of * ●Nab●th blasphemed c. only a sleight to get his Vineyard Cave C. O. Heresie and Blasphemy condemn men first and give them time to repent afterwards Harken unto me ye fiery Zealots let us reason the matter suppose there were in this Congregation one that is a Jew pleading for a necessity of Sacrifices Circumcision c. Another a Turk pleading the interest of Mahomet A third of Aristotle and Pythagoras his Judgment denying both Diety and Resurrection I pray let me ask you this question Is it not more Christian-like to instruct these men then destroy them Should not these poor Souls be objects of pity rather then fury seeing they must all stand at the Judgment seat of Christ and to torment them before the time is to do that to them which as I understand Scripture Christ permited not to be done unto Devils Now if such civility is to be used unto Aliens and Forreigners who are Strangers in person and Religion will you that be fellow Natives desire Laws of cruelty to be exercised upon those that are neerer by affinity both in birth and judgment Again Coercive power at the best makes men but Hypocrites when perswasion through love maketh a change in the minde and what is it to drive the person of a man into a little outward conformity when in his minde he is always free to affect that which his judgment gives him to be truth * Simile A Lion chained is a Lion still the chain mitigateth not but exasperateth the fierceness of the creature Outward forcings onely chain the out side it is love onely that can change the minde Saint Paul exhorteth Titus to be gentle and shew all meekness unto all men and by a self-experiment he encourageth him to that duty For saith he Tit. 3. We our selves also were sometimes disobedient serving divers lusts c. but after the kindness of the love of God appeared c. Then there was an alteration If the men of our generation that stile themselves Ministers of the Gospel had labored to beget love in the people towards God by presenting the Love of God in our Saviour to the people in a gentle and meek way according to the Gospel the rent amongst themselves would not have bin so great and * Bellum episcopale hinc iliae lachrymae divisions of the people less One thing more observe from the connexion of this Discourse The precedent Verses speak that these Athenians worshipped the true God after an ignorant way As God may be truly worshiped by a form so the true God is often worshipped in a form after a false manner I pray God the whole Kingdom be not guilty of it The outward deckings and adornments of you that hear me speak forth a good time or some high * It was Easter day in the afternoons Exercise day but how fitted and prepared your hearts be for reception of the substance of these formalities God and your Consciences are your Judges The Apostle Paul telleth the Colossians of us rising with Christ as well as the rising of Christ Col. 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above c. To beleeve Christ in history as to be born dead and risen again at Jerusalem Rome Spain France acknowledg as much yea the Devils beleeve confess it and tremble but the Unity and participation in the mystery of this history is that which must be of Soul-concernment unto every one of you Prove your selves whether you be IN the Faith or no Know ye not that except Jesus Christ be IN you you are reprobates If you know any thing of the new-birth of Regeneration or of Christ being formed in us by a manifestation of God in Our flesh then you may keep Christmas at Mid-Lent Or if you know what it is to have your conversation in Heaven and understand that of the Apostle Col. 2.12 Buried with him in Baptism wherein also you are risen with Him by faith through the operation of God then you may keep Easter and Good Friday all of a day I know many of you here have this morning observed the solemnity of the Passeover by eating or breaking bread God forbid that I should discourage you in any thing that you apprehend to foe of God in this Form but give me leave to declare what Bread the Apostle would have the Corinthians observe the Passeover with 1 Cor. 5.8 Therefore let us keep the feast not with the Leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of Sincerity and Truth And further when he speaks as to wise men 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ By which expressions you may observe the Apostles drift was to fix their hearts upon the Substance which is Spirit and Life in it self and the very Soul of the Sacrament One word more to the Military part of this Auditory for whom this Discourse was more precisely intended Gentlemen having been your fellow-Soldier in the Nations cause I take the more boldness and freedom to speak a word of Exhortation to you You have heard what hath been pressed viz. Gods Goodness unto Mankinde The consideration whereof taking impression upon our spirits will be a strong motive and provocation to us for to repent and be changed in our mindes from the love of the world to the love of God If this duty be to be practised by all then more especially by you that be Soldiers I have observed one notable stratagem of Satan in transporting the minde of the creature above its proper sphere Take it for granted in the generality that those societies of men that are in most danger of death are most careless in their living * Quatuor aut septem si sit latissima ●aeda Seamen and Soldiers in what ha●ard do they lead their lives yet how vainly do they spend their time and how improvidently fitted for death My Masters I knew the time when the hearts of wel-affected were refreshed to hear the goodness of God manifested in your meetings but how have you sadded the spirits of good men to observe so much

as the Apostle James hath it Let no man say Iam. 1. when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God tempteth no man c. And that wicked men taste of destruction is not from a necessity of God willing it so but by reason of their own impenitency he having no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live And whereas it is said That Wicked are for the day of wrath it may have allusion to Pauls words Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God c. So wicked persons for destruction and destruction is a fit and proper place for wicked men not that God willeth that any should perish but all should come to the knowledg of the Truth Answer to the second Objec To the second Objection Jude 4. Certain men were ordained of Old unto condemnation From whence is gathered That God from Eternity did appoint some persons to destruction be it answered from the same Verse That those certain persons were ungodly men turning the grace of God into wantonness so their condemnation did arise from their ungodliness and unprofitableness under the means of grace turning it into lasciviousness and not barely as they were persons Object But you will say Those Persons were condemned of OLD that is to say before they were born or in a capacity to act ungodliness or prevaricate grace tendered Answ I answer That the condemnation here preceding hath wholy relation to the evil in those men and not at all to the persons as simply considered in themselves I shall give you an instance Suppose there were an Act of Parliament made in this year That Drunkenness should be punished with death Are not all Drunkards though it be five hundred years after condemned to dye by that Law not as they are Richard Thomas or John such a one c. but as Drunkards or persons offending such a righteous Law The Decree or Predestination of God from Eternity was That he would wound the hairy scalp of every one that goeth on in iniquity And the Vngodly shall be turned into Hell and All that forget God This Decree or Ordination doth not condemn any as Persons but hath solely reference to Transgressors Therefore I say to every Soul here present that is enquiring after the Doctrine of Predestination as Saint Paul doth of the Law 1 Tim. 1.9 It is not made for a righteous man but for the disobedient for the ungodly for unholy and profan● And wilt thou not be afraid of the power do that which is good Rom. 13.3 and thou shalt have praise of the same And rest satisfied of this undeniable Truth That there is predestinated Tribulation to every Soul that doth evil Rom. 2. upon the Jew first and also of the Gentile Glory honor and immortality upon every Soul that worketh Righteousness upon the Iew first and also of the Gentile for God is no Respecter of Persons That is to say He will reward every man according to his works And lastly to the third Objection Answer to the third Object grounded upon Jacob and Esau from whence is inferred Election and Reprobation of persons before they had a Being I thus proceed to answer not to trouble you with the Translators formality in rendering the 11 Verse inclusively a * The sence is current from Vers 10. to 12 Parenthesis which is an interposition of a word or sentence not precisely or of absolute necessity contingent to the Discourse you are to understand the words had no relation unto the person of Esau or Jacob but to their posterities and not to their posterities in point of Salvation and Damnation but in relation to outward Lordship and outward Vassallage and this I hope to clear and for your better satisfaction turn to the 25 of Genesis and about vers 20. you shall have this story recorded viz. That Rebeccah in the time of her child-bearing of Jacob and Esau was exceedingly troubled with strugglings within her and in her distress maketh application unto God in these words Lord why am I thus troubled The Lord who is always ready to hear the desires of his people maketh her this Answer The Elder People shall serve the Younger which words we may safely interpret after this wise Thy Burden in thy womb is two male children from whose lineage shall arise two Nations and those people that shall proceed from the Elder Brother shall be in subjection to those people that shall spring from the Younger Brother the certainty of the event whereof is now typified by the now striving and struggling of the children in thy womb So here you see the Prophecy manifested to Rebekah had no cognizance to the persons of Esau and Jacob but posterities and in their posterities no further extent then outward domination and subjection For consider Jacob was Esaus servant and Es●● was Jacobs lord but in the revolution of time David 2 Sam. 8.10 who was of the descent of Jacob subdued Edom For in all Edom put he Garisons that is kept the Edomites in subjection who were of the race of Esau and there you have a period to that Prophecy And to rectifie that mistake that is apt to be harboured from this Text take notice That that which the Lord told Rebekah before the children were born was this The Elder People shall serve the Younger and not Gods fore-intentional hatred of Esau or love to Iacob for that the Apostle declares he found written afterwards as in divers places of Scripture for divers causes take Amos 1.11 For three transgressions and for four of Edom I will not turn away the punishment thereof Because he pursued his brother c. Obad. 10. For thy violence against thy brother Iacob shame shall cover thee c. By these Scriptures it appeareth That Esau who was a Fornicator and prophane person and his posterity also an ungodly and oppressive generation of men for violence and oppression of their brethren are said in the Scripture sence to be hated or rejected of God in the same manner as I apprehend that God is said to reject * Mark Reader God equally hated wicked men of Jacobs race as well as of Esaus Saul in Samuels time and to hate the hypocritical new moons in Isaiahs generation and wicked men in Davids time God hating or rather not having pleasure in the workers of iniquity For you are to understand that many expressions in Scripture do declare some manifestation of the dealings of God in the Creatures language the better to condescend to his capacity and not that there is a different qualification in one intire Essence as the Schoolmen have it * Simplex non fit compositum Whatsoever is of a simple Being cannot admit of Composition Light cannot comprehend darkness neither can darkness comprehend light So then it is the creatures misapprehension to conclude That God who is perfect Love in