Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bear_v	end_n	truth_n	1,796	5	6.9490	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29105	The qualifications requisite, towards the receiving a divine revelation a sermon preach'd in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, January the 2d, 1698/9, being the first, for this year, of the lectures founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq. / by Samuel Bradford ...	Bradford, Samuel, 1652-1731.	1699 (1699)	Wing B4118; ESTC R19718	14,828	33

judge a proper Argument to begin with For should I be able to produce never so convincing proofs of the Truth of Christianity yet if those who hear me should be utterly indispos'd to consider and receive them all my discourse must be necessarily lost upon such men And therefore 't is remarkable that our Saviour in divers other places as well as this doth ascribe the Infidelity of his Hearers to the Indisposition of their Minds as the true cause of it and that too an Indisposition proceeding from some fault either in their Tempers or Practices as on the contrary he declareth who were in a fair way to become his Disciples namely such as were of a Temper capable of considering and receiving Truth when it should be propos'd to them Thus Joh. 8.47 He that is of God heareth God's words ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God And again To this end was I born Joh. 18.37 and for this cause came I into world that I might bear witness to the Truth Every one that is of the Truth heareth my Voice Neither is this asserted by our Lord without evident Reason as will appear to any one who considers this matter fairly Christianity lays it's claim to a Divine Original Both our Lord himself and all who call themselves his Disciples affirm that it is a Revelation from God The Adversaries of this Reliligion say on the contrary that it is the Product of Superstition or Design and consequently that both its Original and Progress are wholy owing to humane Weakness or Policy that is Wickedness for such would a Policy to invent and propagate a false Religion and thereby to impose upon the Understandings and Consciences of men be justly reputed How then must this Controversie be decided Why by such Evidence as a matter of this nature is capable of by such Proofs as are fit to be alleged for the truth of a Divine Revelation and proper to convince the judgment of a reasonable Creature But who shall Judge of this Evidence Why every man must be allow'd to judge for himself and every man to whom such Evidence is propos'd is without question oblig'd at his utmost peril to judge impartially But the Man that is ignorant of Almighty God or estranged from him especially whosoever is an Enemy to God as being of a disposition and temper opposite to that of the Divine Nature must necessarily be unfit to judge of this kind of Evidence If this Religion should prove to be divinely reveal'd as it pretends such a man would probably think it his Interest to be sure it would be his Inclination to make all the Objections and to raise all the Cavils that he could possibly invent to invalidate the Proofs of it At least he would not easily nor clearly discern the force of the Arguments alleged for it Whereas on the other hand Whosoever hath been taught of God whosoever hath heard and learn'd of the Father whosoever hath attain'd to right conceptions of him and is reconcil'd in his Mind to him such a Man is well prepar'd to attend to whatsoever it shall please God farther to make known to him he will easily and clearly discern the force of any good Evidence which shall be produc'd for a Revelation which is truly Divine and will be naturally ready and forward to embrace it But to come to the Words themselves in treating of which it will be proper to consider these three particulars In what way and manner God may be said to teach Men in order to their receiving any new Revelation from him Who they are that may be said to have heard and learn'd of the Father in order to the same end What Qualifications are requisite both to the hearing and learning of the Father and coming to the Son Let us consider in what way and manner God may be said to teach Men in order to their receiving any new Revelation from him It is written in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God The teaching of God which the Prophets and particularly Isaiah in the place before-cited refers to seems as I have already hinted to be that more plain and plentiful Instruction which was to be communicated to Men in the days of the Messiah But our Saviour in applying this Prophecy seems also to take in all that previous Teaching of God whereby he had prepar'd Men for the receiving him when he should come For the same God who by his Providence had reserv'd so large a communication of Divine Knowledge for the times of the Messiah had from one Generation to another been disposing the World for such farther communications as he should think proper for it not having in any age or place left men without witness of himself It may be reasonable therefore upon this occasion to consider the several ways in which men might be said to be taught of God in order to their receiving any farther Revelation from him And I shall name these four Men were taught of God in order to this end by the Works of Creation and Providence By the Suggestions and Dictates of their own Consciences By some extraordinary Persons raised up by Providence and qualified to teach others By the secret Motions and Influences of the Divine Spirit upon the Minds of Men. I shall only take a short view of each of these Men may be said to have been taught of God by the Works of Creation and Providence From that vast number of Beings which have been form'd by God their Variety Excellency Beauty and Order together with the constant care he taketh of all that he hath form'd and the abundant Provision he hath made for every Being suitable to it's Nature there are plain Intimations and Instructions given by the Deity to those Creatures whom he hath made capable of observing and contemplating his Works And this I may take for granted without any farther proof will be allow'd by those for whose use I principally design my following Discourses such I mean as seriously own the Being and the Providence of the Almighty And I need not labor to express my self farther upon this head than in the Words of the Psalmist which a Deist will subscribe to as true though not as spoken by an inspired Author Psal 10.1 The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge And this is a way in which God hath taught all Mankind at once for as it there follows Ver. 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the World And therefore the Apostle justly pronounces them inexcusable who have not by this way of instruction attain'd to the knowledge of God That which may be known of God Rom. 1.19 saith he is manifest among them that is among the Heathens for God