Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	life_n	soul_n	5,160	5	5.5664	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B23015	The confirming worke of religion ..., or, The true and infallible way for attaining a confirmed state in religion ... with a short and confirming prospect of the work of the Lord about his church in these last times / by R. Fleming ...	Fleming, Robert, 1630-1694.	1685 (1685)	Wing F1263A	80,672	168

assistence to your faith doth the certainty of these powers of darknesse bring therewith ANSW I. That such a party both in their nature and continued actings are in a stated opposition to the Kingdome of Christ II. That it is so visible the prey which these mighty hunters do follow is not our body or the things of this life but is with respect to ane immortal soul and ane after state and that thus man might be made sharer of the same misery under which they are concluded III. That all may see their being under restraint of a supream power above them under such chaines as do irresistibly bound their rage and enmity against man by ane invisi●le guard and hedge which they cannot breake over IV. How their greatest rage and strugling is against the conversion of sinners to God and to hold fast his possession in such as the Spirit of God doth not more clearely move for their rescue then these doe to crosse that blessed design of the Gospel V. That there are none serious in the truth and life of religion but finde themselves pursued by such ane adversary and to have as discernably another party then themselves or the world to conflict with as if they saw them in a visible shape VI. That by the Gospel and within the precinct of the church is so discernably a greater restraint of Satans dominion and power then in all the earth besides yea that the advantage of being within the external covenant of Baptisme is so demonstrable as the least yeelding or tendency to a renouncing of the same or any acts of homage for making use of his help hath ever made way for some more extraordinary power of the devil over such then others VII Thus also is a most undeniable confirmation given of ane invisible world and of such intellectual beings there as are far above man yea that there is so undoubted ane intercourse betwixt men and spirits as may clearely shew that interest mens soul hath in another state and world then this QU. III. Is that great truth of the immortality of the soull and its never dying state after death as fully demonstrable to reason as it is by the furthest certainty of faith ANSW Though it be so amazing a thing to beleeve ane immortal soull and eternal state wherein it must shortly enter as by few seemes to be apprehended yet are its demonstrative evidences such that except men lose all sence and use of reason it is not possible to deny I. That there is such ane immaterial and active substance as the soull which can admit no cause either of its decay or dissolution from the body yea that the greatest excellency of this visible creation is here that such a vital beam of life light and immortality as the soull of man is therein II. Though we cannot see this rare and wonderful being yet it is here we both see and feel it to be something distinct from the body and to have a distinct interest both in its griefs and comforts III. How it can have no dependance on the body in its being which doth no way depend thereon in its actings and exercise but is oft most vigorous and cleare in its exercise not only when most separat and abstract from sensible things but when the flesh is under the greatest decay and neare its dissolution to shew the soull lyeth not a dying with the body but hath its distinct subsistence to live in a separat state when it dyes IV. It s being peculiarly framed for converse and intercourse with spiritual beings yea is only of the visible creation admit to fellowship with the invisible God and to have reflex acts upon it self V. How it is a being of a higher nature and value then the sun moon and starrs which not only can know and conceive of things above the evidence and impressions of sense but to make a rational choise of good though crosse to any sensual pleasure yea to rejoyce and have its proper delights when the body is afflicted and in pain nor can be defiled from the most loathsome sores and defilements of the flesh so as I must needs see both its dominion and preheminence over the body and to have assuredlie a subsistence without the same VI. That it is such a being as is capable of a happinesse beyond the whole extent of the world hath these intellectual facultyes which cannot possibly want both objects suitable thereto and injoyments above the senses VII That the most choise and excellent are usually most afflicted and crushed under the feet of their oppressours whilst these flourish in the earth and have no bands in their death so as such were of all men the most miserable if in this life both their being and blessednesse were founded VIII That there is so universal a sense of immortality as these who both feare and hate the evidences hereof yet under some constraint of reason hath the same for a continued terrour IX That it is sure the certainty of death makes it simply impossible for things only suited to this life of sense to be the ultimate good or fruition of man since else the beasts should have a greater happinesse then such if it were not from respect to ane after and immortal state QU. IV. What confirmation to your faith does that great and amazing change by death offer when it would seem to be something meerly natural ANSW Though the only wife God moves herein according to the nature of second causes and that it hath various wayes of approach unto men yet may all see with the furthest conviction of rational evidence as well as certainty of faith I. How death in its first constitution is penal and comes by a divine appointment unto all not meerly as men but as sinners and to be thus no natural accident and result of our primitive and original frames II. That its death as a penalty which keepes the feare and dread thereof so much on all living as that last period when the eternal state of men is then cast III. That the sting and bitternesse of sin is so manifest in innumerable diseases and stroakes of death which many feel an 100. times ere they dye once beyond other of the creatures IV. Though the sentence of dying is on all yet so great a difference is betwixt the saints and residue of men here that its penal execution on the ungodly is such as nature can give no support herein V. That supernatural presages and warnings hereof ere it come are in all times so known and sure yea such extraordinare evidences sometimes of the precise time as could have no possible rise from any natural cause VI. That its immediat commission from a supream and invisible power is so evident in such executions oft of this sentence by sword famine and pestilence as the visible finger of God in a just retribution unto men for sin may be no lesse seen and a supernatural

judgment on its own evidence more vigorously promot and the proper means and assistances which the Lord hath given for this end in some other manner yet improven then seems to be this day for a more universal use The grounds to inforce the necessity hereof are these I. that its sure wherever the Gospel is revealed to men it comes with so full an assurance of understanding and sufficiency of objective evidence as can admit no possible doubtfulnesse herein which is the credit and glory of our religion that in no other way it doth require acceptance but with the furthest conviction of evidence II. Because the expresse designe and tendency of this blessed revelation is no lesse to found such a rational assurance in the judgment of its truth then to ingadge their will and consent for imbracing therof and though such great demonstrations for this end can only in suo genere have a convincing influence to perswade the understanding yet are they of such weight here as next to the demonstration of the Spirit of God they are the greatest means to bring up mens assent to a full and quieting rest on that security to which they must concredite themselves for ever and to let them see that this even here by the way is assuredly full though not yet their injoyment III. Because this faith of assent should be first followed in the order of nature as being the very first principle of conversion to know and be sure that God hath sent his son into the world to save sinners wherin as the H. Ghost is not the objective but the efficient cause here of our faith so is not the internal worke and testimony he gives on the soul the first testimony but must still have respect to the revelation of the word without and such demonstrative evidences therof wherwith it is revealed to the world nor may ever be separate that which God hath himself so indissolubly joyned IV. That so convincing a necessity and use is hereof to the Church and in a special way with respect to the youth for a more firme laying of the groundwork of their Christian profession and to be as the seed-plot of a blessed and desirable grouth amonghst such in this day that they might thus know early something of these primary grounds and demonstrations of their faith so also is it a study of that high importance as I humbly judge should be of notable use for a Manuduction in the first place to students of Divinity before they launch forth in that vast and immense ocean of the speculative part therof and for being at some greater advantage thus for carying on such a confirming worke in the Church in their future service V. Yea of what use might this be with respect to many who may be sore haunted with hid and dreadful temptations to infidelity and to weaken them on the very foundations of their faith who are wholly unfurnished of any such grounds and arguments in their judgment to repel the same and it is sure to believe firmly the history of the Gospel that God was manifested in our nature to save man is with respect to the object a much higher act of faith then to believe that he will save us since as the one doth unspeakably more transcend all human reason then the other so doth the Apostle thus argue from the greater to the lesse Rom. 8 32. That he who gave his own son to the death will he not also with him give us all things That such a confirming worke Posit III was most specially followed in the practize of the primitive times and one of the great ends of the ministry of the Apostles and Evangelists to have this faith of assent and doctrinal certainty therof on its proper grounds and evidences deeply founded in mens judgment is so clear as cannot come under debate I. That this way did the great author of our profession himself take not only by the authority of his word and the power and energy of grace but with that convincing evidence and demonstration of his truth to mens understanding as might found also a firme and rational assurance hereof II. That for this end he did pray the Father Joh. 17 21. and was so much pressed herein that so great an external demonstration of the truth of the Gospel in the concord and unity of his people might be kept clear that the world might thus believe that he was sent of God and have a deeper conviction hereof served on them by such an evidence III. That one special intent of the Evangel of Luke was for this end Luke 1 4. that men might know not only the things themselves by a naked relatation but the certainty of these things wherin they had been formerly instructed IV. That herein did the ministry of Apollos so brightly shine forth Act. 18 28. and was then of most singulare use to the Church by that clearnesse of rational conviction and demonstrative arguments for the truth of Christ as the greatest gain sayers could not withstand V. That its sure it was then without exception expressly required of the meanest within the Church to be allways ready to render the reasons of their hope to all who ask and not only to know what they did believe but why they did so as is clear 1 Pet. 3 15. yea that this could not be by bringing forth of internal evidences for conviction of others but to give them an account of the most cogent grounds and demonstrations of the Gospel as might be most prevalent and confirming to the weak and leave others inexcusable and seems to have been then specially pressed in these primitive times as a proper test of their Christian profession VI. And we see herein also how much these excellent Bereans were taken up and were so highly commended of the H. Ghost Act. 17 11. to know the demonstrative part of Christianity and by its own evidence with that intire harmony and consent of the Scripture therin and their being thus diligently intent in that comparing-worke of religion to see the truth therof not singly and apart by themselves alone but in that joynt union and coherence wherin they stand each in their own room for confirming and giving light to other VII That this was the way also wherin the Gospel did come to the Gentil church is cleerly shewed 1 Thess 1 5. Not in word only but as in power and in the H. Ghost so also in much assurance of understanding upon its own evidence which was that way it did so wonderfully prevail over the world against nature and stream of flesh and blood that stood in the furthest opposition therto VIII That one of the greatest services of the Apostles in their visiting the Churches did expresly ly here Acts 14 22. to confirme the souls of the Disciples in the first place on the certainty of their faith and then in exhorting them to continue in the same so as they might follow the