Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	believe_v	faith_n	word_n	3,386	5	4.6780	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12182	Evangelicall sacrifices In xix. sermons. I. Thankfull commemorations for Gods mercy in our great deliverance from the papists powder-plot. 2. The successefull seeker. 3. Faith triumphant. 4. Speciall preparations to fit us for our latter end in foure funerall sermons. 5. The faithfull covenanter. 6. The demand of a good conscience. 7. The sword of the wicked. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibbs. Doctor in Divinity, Mr. of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher to the honourable society of Grayes-Inne. The third tome. Published and perused by D. Sibbs owne appointment, subscribed with his hand to prevent imperfect copies after his decease.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1640 (1640)	STC 22491; ESTC S117285	286,033	622

Law in things that touch not upon his nature as his truth and purity c. doth In things that touch his nature hee should deny himselfe if hee should dispense God cannot lie because truth is naturall to him God cannot doe any thing that is unfit for his nature but for things that are out of him he is Lord of dayes hee is Lord of goods and life hee hath a right to dispense here as we see in the taking away the Egyptians Iewels and the like they were outward things But for those things that are intrinsecall in God hee cannot command that which is contrary to his truth and nature other things belong to his Soveraignty but that by the way They were to compasse the wals seven dayes if they had made an end before the seventh day the wals had never fallen down howsoever there was no power in their going about to effect that yet God would not worke the effect till hee was waited on in all the seven dayes The meanes appointed by God must be used and so long as God will have them used there must be a depending and waiting upon God all the time To give a little further light to that I touched before you will aske why God useth meanes and doth not worke immediatly why hee did not cast downe these wals by his owne will and pleasure Besides that I said before God useth second causes not for defect of power but for demonstration of his goodnesse and for the trial of our obedience and the like therefore being Lord of Hosts hee hath multiplicity of rancks of creatures which he useth to effect those things that hee could doe himselfe if it pleased him therefore let such questions cease it pleased God so to doe The last point is this It was by Faith in the use of meanes that the Wals of Iericho fell downe If they had not depended upon God in their going about seven dayes the wals had stood still It was by faith they did it and it was a great faith that using such a ridiculous stratagem as this to goe about the wals with Rams-hornes they should thinke the walls would fall It might shake their Faith and likewise expose them to the scorne of those of Iericho within therefore it was a great faith in them Not that all had faith for certainely divers of them were unbeleeving persons But Ioshua their Captaine and some others of them had faith and al of them had hope of the best It was faith that believed this in this unlikelihood of second causes for there is the strength of faith when second causes are weake then faith is strong Abrahams faith was the stronger by reason there was more indisposition in the second causes in Sara's wombe to conceive a child for her wombe was dead in the course of nature shee could not conceive therefore it is said by Saint Paul Rom. 4. He being strong in faith gave glory to God strong faith gives glory to God So here was a strong faith because the meanes were weake or none at all for these meanes had nothing in themselves to work such a glorious effect as this that the falling of the wals should follow it was but a meanes adjoyned that it should be done by such a poore thing as this it was the strength of faith But was it the strength of faith in it selfe could faith do this Oh no but that which that faith laies hold on doth that faith is said to doe God honours the grace of faith by terming that to be done by it that he doth himselfe for it was the power of God the goodnesse of God to them and the justice of God against the sins of these people that overturned the wals of Iericho faith it was but an empty hand to lay hold upon this power it was the grace whereby they went out of themselves and denied themselves and gave glory to God in accomplishing the truth of his word and his wisedome and power and justice So God did it but it is said to be done by faith because as I said God honours faith thus much What strength God and Christ hath when faith la●…es hold on them faith hath that strength because it builds upon them faith sets a man upon God and Christ and upon the truth of God Hereupon it comes to be so victorious conquering a grace as it is because it caries us to that that doth all by faith they did this But here were other graces likewise that sprang from faith that helped them also There was a great deale of patience to goe about after that silly fashion with Rams-hornes seven dayes together here was patience and perseverance and hope But as I said before because faith doth enliven all other graces it gives life to all and stirs up all therefore that is named In the whole Chapter the exercise of other graces is attributed to faith because they draw strength from that to quicken them all and to stir them all to their several offices strengthen faith and strengthen all other graces whatsoever Thus you see we have briefly gone over these foure maine things Now let us by way of proportion raise them higher and make use of them to other things To give a little touch The wals of Iericho represent to us many things The Kingdome of Sathan in generall the power of the Devil in himselfe and in his instruments who hinders what he can our comming out of Egypt to Canaan he labours to come betweene us and Heaven to hinder us all he can by all means He hath wals of many kinds the strength of Tyrants the subtiltie of Hereticks What a world of adoe was there to bring Israel out of Egypt God was put to it as it were to worke so many Miracles to bring that poore despised people out of Egypt to bring them through the Red Sea when they were in the wildernesse what ado was there to bring them thence what opposition and then when they came to Iordan what Miracles were wrought the division of the waters by the Arke comming through and then the first the frontier Towne that was as it were the key to let in all and to stop all Iericho the first towne for the entrance into Canaan there was opposition made when they would have entred into Canaan It is no easie thing to come out of Egypt and to enter into Canaan it is a mighty worke to bring a poore Christian out of the Kingdome of Sathan to bring him out of spirituall Egypt through the Wildernesse of this life 〈◊〉 bring him through Iordan those waves of death to put him into Heaven to bring him at length to his owne countrey to Canaan because there is spirituall wickednesses stand in the way both in regard of Sathan himselfe and in regard of the instruments hee useth But Christ came to destroy the workes of the Devill as it is said 1 Ioh. 3. 8. and

open to his and our ●…nemies Therefore let us make use of this ●…ay especially to stirre us up to thankfulnesse To goe on For the building of the wals of Iericho what should I speake of Popery and the like We should labour to overthrow that Iericho All of us have vowed in Baptisme to fight against the world and the Devill and the maine Enemy of all that is within us that is our flesh we could not be hurt by them wee betray our selves as Sampson betrayed himselfe to Dali●…ah Those that are baptised and especially that have renewed their vowes by solemn fasting and renewed their Covenant in taking the Communion as there are none of us all but have vowed against our corruptions and sins in Baptisme and have renewed their solemne vowes in the Communion and in publike fasting Well when wee goe about to strengthen our corruptions and the corruptions of the times in the places where we live what doe we goe about to build the wals of Iericho againe what doe we goe about but to strengthen that that God hath cursed There is nothing under Heaven so cursed as this corruption of ours that is the cause of all the curses of the creatures of all the curses that ever were or shall bee even to the last curse Goe yee Cursed to eternall destruction This Pride and Sensuality and secret Atheisme and Infidelity that we cherrish and love more then our owne soules this is that that many goe about to build and oppose all the wayes that are used to pull downe Iericho and ha●…e nothing so heartily as the motions of Gods Spirit and the meanes that Gods Spirit hath sanctified to pull downe these wals of Iericho Must not this be a cursed Indeavour when wee goe about to build that that wee our selves have vowed to pull downe when wee goe about to raise that that we have formerly destroyed by our owne vowes As Saint Paul saith Gal. 2. If I againe build the things I have destroyed I make my selfe a transgressor Indeed when we goe about to build the things that we have vowed their destruction wee make our ●…lves transgressors Let us take notice of the wondrous poyson ●…nd rebellion of the corruption of our hearts ●…n this kind Hath not the Lord threatned ●…urse upon curse against many particular sins ●…ursed is the man that cals evill good and good ●…vill have we not many that doe so In Deu●…ronomie there is curse upon curse to those ●…hat mislead others And in the New Testa ●…ient there is curse upon curse Saint Paul●…hreatneth ●…hreatneth that such and such shall not enter ●…nto the Kingdome of Heaven yet not with●…tanding the Curse we goe about to build Ieri●…ho againe to set up that that God hath pronounced a Curse upon Wee cry out against Popery and well wee may when the Scripture directs curses against their particular opinions as where it ●…aith If an Angell from Heaven shall teach other doctrine let him be accursed The Coun●… cell of Trent hath cursed those that s●…y tradi tions are not of equall authority with the Scriptures and so they set curse against curse Wee wonder at them that they are not af aid of the curse of God nay to countercurse God as it were when he curseth disobedience to curse the practise of obedience to him And then there is a curse to those that shall adde or take away from the Scripture Saint Iohn seales the whole Scripture with a Curse Cursed is hee that adds or takes away c. Now they adde to the Scripture that that is no Scripture and they take away what they list as the second Commandement and the Cup in the Sacrament I say wee wonder at them tha●… they will run upon the curses that they wil be stricken through with so many curses more then Absalom with Iavelins or Acha●… with stones Cursed is hee that worshippeth graven Im●…ges besides particular things that are cursed in Scripture Wee wonder at them that they are so desperately blind to run on But are no●… wee as ill are there not many curses in the Scripture and denunciations of being excluded from the Kingdome of God against the courses that are taken by many men and ye●… wee venter on it Will a negative Religion bring any man to Heaven to say he is no Papist nor no Schismatick No certainly therefore prophane persons that maintain corruptions and abuses and abhominations against the light of conscience and nature and Scriptures they raise up Iericho againe and they are under a curse Let mee aske any one why Christ came The Apostle saith and they will be ready to say To dissolve the cursed workes of the Devill It should seeme by many notwithstanding especially at these times that he came to establish the workes of the Devill for what good we doe in the Ministerie in three quarters of a yeare it is almost undone in one quarter At the time when wee pretend great honour to Christ wee live as if he came to build up the ●…ursed wals of Hell to breake loose all Whereas hee came to destroy the workes of ●…e Devill Hee came to redeeme us out of the ●…ands of our enemies that wee might serve him ●…ithout feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the ●…ayes of our life He came to redeeme us from ●…ur vaine conversation nay many live as if ●…ee came to give liberty to all conversation ●…s not this to raise Iericho to raise a fort for ●…athan to enter into our soules and keep pos●…ession in us to beat out God and his Spirit ●…o fight against our knowne salvation when we reare up courses contrary to Christs comming in the flesh and to the end of Christs dying for us which was to free us from our ●…aine conversation and to redeeme us from the world that we should not be lead as slaves to the customes of the world Therefore let us consider what we do what ●…our course of life is if it be a proceeding and ●…edification and building up our selves more and more to Heaven a growing in knowledge and in holy obedience to the divine truths we know if it be a pulling downe of sinne more and more a going further and further out of the Kingdome of darkenesse and a setting our selves at a gracious liberty to serve God oh it is a happy thing if it be so if our life be a taking part with Christ and his Spirit and his Ministerie to grow in grace and piety oh it is an excellent thing when wee grow better the longer wee live in the world and this cursed Iericho the corruption of nature which if wee cherrish will bee the cause of an eternall curse after if it goe downe and we r●…ine it more and more and we suffer the word to beat downe the forts of Sathan those strong Imaginations c. But if our life be nothing else but a living answerable to our lusts that as wee are dead and cursed by

of them therfore they are contented and thankfull if they find better for what can a stranger looke for but strange usage in a strange place And therefore we see in Scripture how thankfull they were even for refreshings for meate and drinke our Saviour Christ was knowne by breaking of bread he used to be thankfull In all things give thanks They saw the favour and love of GOD in a crum of bread and in a drop of refreshing in any kind oh here is a blessed God that hath given us these comforts in the way The Saints of GOD are wondrous thankefull for the comforts of their pilgrimage the comforts of this life And this should make us more thankfull because all mens pilgrimages are not alike 〈◊〉 do we not see the life of some more cumber some some live in a great deale of want some live in a great deale of opposition more than others do others goe in a smooth●… way to heaven God sees his childrens weakenes he sees they have not strength and if in pittie he keepes them that they shall not enco●… with opposition but lead them a better way then others it is speciall matter of thankfulnesse to God and men too He that is a stranger he is glad of any good company oh if he meete with a man of his owne countrie hee is a man alone for him so it is with a Christian that walkes in the way to heaven with him hee is comforted much in it A stranger hee hath his prime intention home to his country and what he doth in the way it is in vertue of his prime intention though he doth not in every particular action that he doth thinke of it A travailer when he rides on the way he doth not think of home in every step I but he doth that that he doth in vertue of his prime intention when he first set out and calls to remembrance oft times as he goes home he thinkes of his jou●…es and by the way I observe this note of some weake Christians that thinke they are not heavenly minded except they doe nothing but think of heaven and heavenly things that is but a weake and ●…lly conceit It should be our thought in the morning our thoughts should open with that it should be the key to open the morning the thought of this course what will become of us ere long in heaven but then all that we doe should be in vertue and strength of that prime intention to please God and to go to heaven though we think not alway of the present businesse yet it is good as much as may bee to quicken our indeavour And hence it is that there is another propertie of a stranger that is going to a place perhaps he may step out of the way yet not withstanding by vertue of his first intention he gathers himselfe home-ward againe if he take other matters in hand he gathers home still though he go out of his way in he comes he considers this is not my way So a child of God sometimes he diverts and turnes aside yet notwithstanding he considers doth this way lead to God ward to heaven ward be these actions Christian actions are they the way to heaven if he see they be not though he have stepped awrie he comes in again and is gathering homeward Though he may perhaps forget himselfe a little a traveller yet his bent is homewards So a Christian man though perhaps in some particular he may forget himselfe yet he is alway gathering home his bent is home and his course is godly Take a Christian perhaps he may step awrie but his course is godly and hee labours to recover himselfe and if a traveller stay at any time by the way he makes amends afterwards by making more hast So doth a Christian if we consider him with his affections loose to good things yet he recovers himselfe againe and sets upon religious actions and courses with more violence of spirit and recovers his former losse againe A traveller and stranger he provides before hand for all incumbrances he knows though he meete not with troubles yet he may therfore he will be sure to goe with weapons and he will goe with that that may sustaine him by the way Religion teacheth a man to gather out of the word of GOD comforts before hand and munition before hand to carry with him put the case he never use them he may have cause to use them and then if he have them no●… what will become of him he lies open to adversaries by the way Therefore there is a spirit in a Christian an instinct that stirres him up he will be reading the word of God and good books and hearing the word this I may have use of at such a time this I will lay up for such an occasion put the case that such an occasion come not hee looseth nothing he seasoneth his soule in the mean time and prepares it for worse things if worse come Woe to those that have not layd up strength and comfort against evill times before hand If a man goe to s●…a and be not provided before hand if he take a journey and be not provided before hand then when a storme comes what a case is he in It pleaseth God to teach us by these resemblances heavenly things therefore because they are fit means to convay holier things unto us it is good to take this help that God affords us considering that he shewes us by these shaddowes better things When we travaile and are going on in our journey towards heaven it is good to consider higher things it is a good meditation therefore to goe on a little further A traveller and stranger is inquisitive of the way whether he be in the way or out of the way he askes not at randome that doth not content him whether hee goe West or North or South or East it doth not content him to aske where lies my country Eastward c No but hee will aske the particular townes and particular turnings and windings how he may avoyd going out of his way and which is the right way and he will aske upon every occasion because he knowes if he goe but a little out of his way it will bee a long time ere he shall recover it and he will be ashamed to come backe againe and the more he goes out of the way the more trouble it is to come backe againe So it is with a Christian he doth not only desire to know in generall but he desires to have daily direction what shall I doe in such a case of conscience and in such a case how shall I overcome such a temptation if I meete with it And so he is willing to have daily direction how to walke with God day by day that he goe not out of his way in any thing For even as every step that a man takes is a part of his journey so every