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	fruit_n	tree_n	1,451	5	8.5127	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88578	A Christians duty and safety in evill times Delivered in severall sermons, upon four texts of scripture, viz. Christ's prayer the saints support, on Iohn 17 15[.] A divine ballance to weigh all doctrines by, on 1 Thes.5. 21[.] A Christians great enquiry, on Acts 16.30, 31[.] A description of true blessedness, on Luke 11. 28[.] By that faithfull messenger of Jesus Christ, Mr Christopher Love, late minister of Laurence-jury, London. Whereunto is annexed The saints rest, or Their happy sleep in death. As it was delivered in a sermon at Aldermanbury, London. Aug. 24. 1651. By Edmund Calalmy. B. D.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.; Calamy, Edumnd, 1600-1666. Saints rest.	1653 (1653)	Wing L3147; Thomason E1434_3-4; ESTC R209589	82,542	242

are extreamly guilty of barrennesse under the means of grace And that therefore in the second place we are in great danger to have the Gospell removed from us and given to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof That we are guilty of unfruitfullness under Gospell Ordinances may appear First 1 Demonstration of our unfruitfulnes under the Gospel By the sad complaints that the most fruitfull stocks and plants in Gods Vineyard do make they with greife and sighing of heart complain of their unfruitfulnesse under Gospel Ordinances Now if the trees of righteousnesse of the Lords planting in the Lords Vineyard complain that they bear not fruit surely then the trees of the Forrest are barren If the trees of Gods garden bring not forth fruit what can the trees of the wildernesse doe If the people of the Lord sit down and lament because no answerable fruit is to bee found in them what cause then have the wicked of the World to complain whose hearts remain as hard as the nether milstone notwithstanding all the heavenly dew which from time to time descends upon them Secondly 2 Demonstration It appears by the sad complaints of Gods husbandmen the Ministers of Jesus Christ who discern but little fruit to appear after all their labour little successe to attend their Gospel Ministry therefore they lie down upon their beds in sorrow and with sadnesse of spirit complain as Peter did that they have fished all night but catched nothing that they plow upon the rocks and break their instruments but cannot break the hearts of men that they weare out their own lives consume their own lungs but cannot consume peoples lusts And thus they complain with the Prophet in the person of Christ * Esa 44.4 I have laboured in vain Demon ¦ stration 3 Thirdly It may appear by comparing our times with the time in which the Gospel was first planted saith Christ Mat. 11.12 Mat. 11.12 From the dayes of John Baptist untill now the kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force In those dayes men did use an holy violence in the wayes of Religion but where is that violence now to be found when the seventy Disciples had a commission from Christ to preach the Gospell it was said of them Luke 10.18 Luke 10.18 That they went forth preaching the Word and what followeth God was with them and many were converted and the Devil like lightening did fall from Heaven Their Ministry had a most glorious successe And it is said Esay 44.2 Esay 44 2. which is a Prophesy of the first times of the Gospels preaching Enlarge thy tents and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation As if there was not room enough for the converted men Therefore enlarge thy Tents which is referred to the Gentiles upon their first conversion And saith the Apostle Gal. 4.27 Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not Gal. 4.27 break ●orth and cry thou that travelest not for the desolate hath many more children then shee which hath an busband And it is said Acts 11.21 The hand of God was upon them Acts 11.21 and a great number beleived and turned unto the Lord. Yea three thousand were converted by one Sermon of Peters whereas now three thousand Sermons will hardly convert one soul to Christ And saith the Prophet Psal 110.3 Thy people shall bee a willing people in the day of thy power Psal 110.3 in the beauties of holinesse from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth The meaning of these words from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth is this that the converts upon the first preaching of the Gospel should be as numerous as the drops of dew upon the grasse in the morning But now-a dayes the converting of souls the bringing in of men to Jesus Christ is not as numerous as the drops of dew but as rare as Pearls and Diamonds Demon ¦ stration 4 Fourthly It will appear that there is a general barrennesse under all the means of grace Because in these days more people are perverted from the truth and simplicity of the Gospel then are converted by the power and efficasy thereof The conversion that is wrought now-a-dayes is but a power upon mens heads not upon their hearts it works in them only Fancies and Notions not practical godlinesse like the Moon not the Sun whose influence gives light but no heat the Word it may bee reclaims them from drunkennesse in practise but the Devil makes them drunk with Opinions and Errors Now this beeing so I shall in the next place give some Demonstrations that wee are in danger to have the kingdom of God the Gospel of Jesus Christ removed from us therefore let us not be secure for there is great danger the Gospel shall bee removed if not from the Nation yet from particular places Demon ¦ stration 1 That the Gospel is in danger to bee removed fromus First It may appear from that implacable opposition that is in the professors of the Gospel against the preachers of the Gospel those very people that did esteem the feet of their Ministers to bee very beautiful doe now say that the Mark of the Beast is upon their forehead those people that would have pulled out their eyes to do their Ministers good would now pull out their Ministers eyes those very people that looked upon us as the servants of Christ and stewards of the Mystery of Salvation doe now account us the limbs of Antichrist and perverters of Religion Now there is no way more likely to drive away the Gospel from us then to spurn at and oppose the Gospel and the Ministers thereof this will bee the great in-let if the Lord prevent it not to our utter confusion and an out-let to the Gospel of Jesus Christ I would have such men who had rather see godly Ministers in prison then in the Pulpit to consider that if God should take them away ye would have worse in their room The Sectaries were weary of godly and learned Iunius therefore God suffered Arminius that pestilent enemy to the Gospel of Christ to rise up after him God may justly send us unable and seducing Teachers for our sleighting of those learned and godly Ministers that are amongst us when Paul and Barnab as were sleighted and opposed by the unbeleiving Iewes say they Acts 13.46 Seeing ye put away the Word of God from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting Life Lo wee turne to the Gentiles They lost the Gospel by it Demon ¦ stration 2 Secondly It appears that there is danger that the Gospell should be removed from us by the generall wantonnesse and wearinesse of people in liveing under it When children are wanton with bread in their hand the parent takes it from them and makes them fast wee have dealt with the Gospell as children deal with bread when their bellies are full