Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bad_a	good_a	see_v	1,466	5	3.4614	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94063	Lydia's heart opened: or, divine mercy magnified in the conversion of a sinner by the Gospel Being the sum of several sermons preaced lately by James Strong, M.A. and Minister of the Gospel.	Strong, James, 1618 or 19-1694.	1675 (1675)	Wing S5993; ESTC R232916	38,722	113

LYDIA'S Heart Opened OR DIVINE MERCY Magnified in the Conversion of a Sinner BY THE GOSPEL Being the sum of several SERMONS Preached lately by James Strong M. A. and Minister of the Gospel Nullum est peccatum quod si non fecerim tu fecisti si abstinuerim tu jussisti quod tibi crediderim gratiam tu infundisti August Lib. Soliloquiorum Cap. 15. Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 That no flesh should glory in his presence But let him that glorieth glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. ult LONDON Printed by A. M. for Edward Brewster at the Crane in Pauls-Church-Yard 1675. To the Religious Mrs. Mary Speke of Whitelackington the Author wisheth a confluence of Spiritual blessings in our dear Lord Jesus MADAM THese few notes following were preacht but with an ordinary intention but thorow Divine mercy both with your self and others found more than ordinary reception so oftimes I have observed when there is least of mans strength there is most of Gods Many have been too wise and too mighty to do Gods work but never any too foolish or too weak that have been imployed by him The Word is that spiritual sword wherewith God wounds the hearts of his enemies but as Scanderbeg's Sword could do nothing without Scanderbeg's Arm no more can this sword unless it be weilded by the arm of Omnipotency The reason why men do not believe our report is because the arm of the Lord is not revealed Isa 53.1 Sure I have reason to hope that that day when we discoursed of Gods opening Lydia's there were many other hearts opened also My Notes which were desired by your self and several others I could not so easily do by transcribing them as by publishing them And though Truth need no Apology yet I must tell the world that this had been as like to have slept in darkness as many other Exercises have had not the more than ordinary success wherewith God attended it in preaching provoked me to this service Ministers are by Christ called spiritual Fishers a busie imployment full of toyl and danger sith the place of fishing is not a shallow stream but a raging and tumultuous sea in which after we have tired our selves and spent our strength nothing so breaks our hearts as this that we labour all night and catch nothing But Oh if at last we cast out the Net and inclose a multitude 't is no wonder we are not able to bear our own joy being astonished as Peter Luk. 5.9 Madam excuse my boldness in prefixing your Name to this small Manual And indeed I had not had confidence but that I presume you have with that other Mary sate too long at Christs feet to be ashamed of Christs Truth What inward comforts soever God hath given you by your constant and diligent attendance on his Worship give God the glory a dram of that sweetness that flows from the upper springs will allay the bitterness of those Mara-like waters wherewith God drenches his dearest Servants For our part whom God hath intrusted with the Mysteries of the Gospel though we are on every side opprest yet 't is mercy we are not supprest under all other hardships we have yet cause to bless God who hath not taken the Word of Truth utterly out of our mouth He never well understood what the calling of a Minister was that thinks strange of any suffering in the service of Christ It would well become a Ministers mouth what Pompey once replied to the Mariners who disswaded him from sailing in a storm when he was imployed for bringing provision to Rome under a strait Siege 'T is necessary that Rome be relieved but 't is not necessary that we should live Sure 't is necessary that Christs sheep be fed but 't is not necessary that we should live The subject of these few Papers is of incomparable weight The more I know my own heart and its deceits the more jealous I am of others Oh what a wily enemy do we carry in our own bosoms How many treacherous reaches hath it to ruin our Immortal souls Simon Magus seemed zealously to desire the Spirit and would have bought it at a great price but this poysoned his Religion that his heart was not right in the sight of God Ah what faint and frigid services do we bring before God while we serve him with our mouths and honour him with our lips but remove our heart far from him 'T is true till the heart be renewed God will have none of it but when once 't is renewed it makes every thing else to be accepted 'T is the same to all other services that Benjamin was to his Brethren and there is no seeing Gods face without it Oh how sad were it if at last we should spoil all our services and sufferings by doing good duties with bad hearts For preventing which danger we have cause to bless God for the labours of many egregious servants of his who have left the Church a rich treasury of instructions into which if by casting my mite I may in any measure serve the Lord Jesus and his People 't is more than sufficient recompence to him who subscribes himself Yours in the service of the Gospel J. S. Act. 16.14 And a certain woman named Lydia a seller of Purple of the City of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended to the things which Paul spake AS in the Evangelists we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi the Records of the Acts of Christ while he was conversant on the Earth so in this Book we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolorum the Acts of the Apostles In which History we have a lively representation of the state of the Church while she was young and in her Gradle her increase and growth what was the Doctrine of the Apostles with what holy boldness they preached Christ in the midst of a thousand troubles and torments here we may read what was the fruit of the Gospel and how it got growth in the world in despight of all opposition as also what is the difference between true Doctrine and false with what malice and subtilty false Apostles oppose the true what rest and breathings God gave his Church and never was wanting for her protection and preservation This History by the consent of all bears date from the Ascension of Christ unto the first year of Paul's coming to Rome which was the space of twenty-three years in which we have a clear proof of the exact performance of all the Promises Christ made his Apostles as of sending them his Spirit induing them with power from on high the calling of the Gentiles c. But not to carry you back further than is needful we read ver 9. of this Chapter that Paul by the Ministry of an Angel is called to Macedonia A Vision appeared to Paul in the night there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come