Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A01456
|
The way to heauen In a sermon deliuered at Saint Maries Spittle on Wednesday in Easter weeke the 27. of March. 1611. By Samuel Gardiner, Doctor of Diuinitie.
|
Gardiner, Samuel, b. 1563 or 4.
|
1611
(1611)
|
STC 11582; ESTC S115875
|
39,861
|
90
|
Regeneration the cause thereof 1. Thess 3.13 is through the whole man in Body Soule and Spirit Also Obedience is the fruite of Loue and Loue is from a pure Heart a good Conscience and Fayth vnfained Thus wee teach not that men must beleeue the forgiuenesse of their sinnes while they lie and liue in them for that were altogeather to teach falsehood for trueth Hee that beleeues the Pardon of his sinnes by true Fayth hath the spirit of God in him and a constant purpose not to sinne against God If hee doe it is against his minde it is not hee that doth it but the sinne that dwelleth in him and his case standeth thus He hath by his sinne giuen a blow to his Conscience weakned his Fayth bereaued himselfe of the Fauour of God as much as in him is made himselfe guiltie of sinne and worthy of damnation And God for his part accordingly turnes the wonted signes of his Fauour into signes of Anger and Displeasure and though it be pardoned in the purpose of God yet is it not actually pardoned till the partie repent Wherefore heere is Answere to this Demaunde How a man may be assured of his Adoption if he want the Testimonie from Heauen which is the Spirit of God For as Fire is knowne by two properties of the heate of the Flame Wee may know it to be Fire still by the verie heate though it affordeth no Flame So if a man hath not the Witnesse of Gods Spirit by the Testimoniall of our Spirit our sanctification wee haue certificate not obscure of our ElectioÌ„ If it shall further grow into question How it is that after all our curious Inquisition we finde but few signes of Sanctification in our selues In this case they must haue recourse to the least measure of Grace which being but of the size of a Graine of Mustardseed and but of the strength of a weake Infant it is sufficient to engraffe them into Christ and therefore they must not doubt of their Election because they find their Fayth feeble and the effectes of the Holy ghost faint within them which I speake not to the end to lead men into securitie that they should content themselues with these small beginninges of Grace but onely to shew how any may assure themselues that they are at the least Baâ—es in Christ adding this withall that they which haue no more but these small beginninges must be carefull to increase them Qâ—ta non progreâ—i est regredi Not to goe forward is to goe backward Lastly and what if the Christian soule as yet hath not found this litle measure of Grace and hath no meanes in the world of assuraunce Hee must not despaire but perswade himselfe in this that though hee wantes assuraunce now yet hee may haue the same hereafter No man may peremptorily conclude and set downe that himselfe or any other is a Reprobate For Gods wayes are not as mans wayes but hâ—e preferres such often times as seeme greatest strangers and aliantes vnto him vnto his Kingdome when he casteth out those whom the world esteemed Children of the Kingdome So sayth our Sauiour Mâ—th 21.31 The â—â—bâ—cans and Harlots goe before you And the Parable telleth vs how Maâ—y an one is called at the eleuenth houre Math. 20.6 as it appeareth by the example of the remorsed Theefe vpon the Crosse But in the meane while be we perswaded to heare the Word of God and to receiue the Sacramentes For by our care in comming to the Lords Vineyard and conuersing about the Wine-presse we shall finde that comfortable Wine of Gods Grace as shall serue to make glad the heart of man When sicknesse and death assaulteth vs the very chosen of God must prepare themselues to temptations the Deuill then bestirring himselfe all he may and sitting our soules to the coursest branne as curiously as euer Lâ—â—an did ransacke Iacobs stuffe And few there be that can iudge of these terrors of temptations but such an one as can say Quarum pars magnafiâ—â— Now when men lay thus in darknesse and in the region and shadow of death vnlesse God should from Heauen with a gracious aspect looke vpon them in the face of his Annoynted and streame downe vnto them in this life some lightsome beames of his loue in Christ by the operation of his holy Spirit it would be very hard with the best of them all Finally as euery one of the Elect in this life is made certaine of his Election ascertained thereof by the meanes aboue mentioned so a due time by God is determined for the same tearmed in holy Scriptures â— Cor 6.2 Luk. 19.42 The Acceptable time the day of Saluation The time of our Visitation Before which time of our blessed Vocation we neuer are perswaded or once thinke of our Saluation as wee see in the examples of Mathew wholly betaking himselfe to his Toll-house as in Paul before his conuersion when he was a Saul and vexed the Congregation and in many such Againe many after the time of their Calling are not by and by made certaine of their Election but to some sooner to some later is this Grace afforded A Christian soule often seeketh after this comfort in his Bedde by Prayers and findeth it not as the Spouse the Church did her Bridegroome in the 3. of the Canticles In my Beâ—de by night Cantic â— â— J sought him that my soule Iâ—nea J sought him but I found him not Hee intreateth the counsaile and comfort of his friendes and the helpe of their holy prayers vers â— and yet found him not The complaint the Spouse maketh in the same place Hee resorteth to the Godly Preachers of the word and yet speedeth not vers 3. which was still the said Churches case Lastly when all helpe and hepes fayled her the Bridegrome came vers 4. Adiutor in opportunitaâ—bus An helper in the needfull time of trouble he came on his owne accord as he hath so done to diuerse in the like case 1. Then Fayth taketh vp as it were a new life groweth into heart taketh hold on Christ 2. Then hath the Soule very nigh societie and coniunction with GOD. vers 5. 3. Then commeth ioy in the Holy ghost and peace of Conscience as a sweete sleepe commeth on a wearisome body vers 6. and watereth all the partes of the body with his refreshing deawe 4. Then is the Heart lifted vp to Heauen with holy thoughtes vers 8.9.10 and Prayers which mount vpward as Pillars of Smoake pleasant as perfumed with Myrrhe and Incense 5. Then is it rauished and out of it selfe in the muze and meditation of his glorious condition in the Heauenly kingdome 6. Then it endeauoreth to perswade others to consider of the Glorie of Christ and of his Kingdome vers 11. 7. After all these Chap. 4. vers 1. to the cha 15. Christ reuealeth to his Seruant the happinesse of his estate in this life and the other more plainely openly then euer he did before vers 16. and giueth him a sight of such Graces and Benefites as hee hath bestowed on him 8. The Christian presenteth his Prayers to Christ that hee would breath and blow vpon him with his Spirit that so hee might bring foorth such fruites as he hath of thankfulnesse to the Lord. Lastly Christ yeeldeth to all we pray for and giueth vs our heartes desire and doth not denie vs the request of our lippes Now for thâ—se and all other his Graces and Blessinges bestowed vpon vs to him with his blessed Sonne and Holy spirit three persons one eternall and euerliuing GOD be ascribed all Praise Power and Glorie now and euer Amen FINIS
us Felix singeth the same songe with the former Sâ—â—uâ— spe futurae resurrectioâ—is Wee are secure vnder hope of the Resurrection to come Cornelius Cornelius Bitontius in cap. 8. an Rom. Bishop of Bitonto one of their owne side speaketh loudly and liberally for vs in this wise Qui in Christo Iesu sunt nihil habent vnde timere debent They that are in Christ Iesu haue nothing whereof they should be afrayde Si quidem securi sunt de salute Inasmuch as they are secure of their saluation Antonius Maâ—â—â—â—â—us Anton. Mariâ— in the Chapter holden at Trent durst stand foorth and preach not onely of the doctrine of the certaintie of Saluation but also of our securitie therein speaking in this wise Ab operum nostroruÌ„ gloria auersi in illius patris elementia et voluntate et in perpetuum conquâ—escamus Item indubitationis labirintho non errant qui per Christum adepti sunt IustitiaÌ„ sed in sâ—curitate mentis in pace consâ—ientiae in laetitia cordis audent dicere Abha pater Wee wholly draw our mindes from any confidence in our owne workes and repose our trust in the louing kindnesse and goodwill of our heauenly Father for euer Also they erre not in the maze of mistrust who haue obteined righteousnesse through Christ but they date boldly say in the securitie of Minde peace of Conscience ioy of Heart Abâ—a Father The same Doctor in the same Councell Concil Trident Act 1. Anno. 1546. was thus peremptorie in this poynt protesting of his owne Fayth herein on this wise Si Caelum ruat si Terra euanesâ—at si Orbis dissoluatur praeceps ego in eum erectus ero si Angelus de caelo aliud mihi persuadâ—re contendat dicam illi mathema O faelicem Christiam pâ—ctâ—â—is fiduciaâ— Though Heauen should passe away the Earth consume to nothing and the whole World should be dissolued I shall erect my selfe towardes him And though an Angelicall Doctor from heauen should goe about to perswade me otherwise I should tell to his head that he is accursed O the happie assurance of a Christian soule â—e Oratione The very Tâ—â—â—â—entine Catechisme thus speaketh in our cause Fides est quae preces fundit preces facit vt omni dubitatione sublata stabilis aâ— sâ—rma sâ—t fides It is Fayth that powreth out Praiers conceiueth Praiers that all distrust remooued our Fayth might be firme and stable Some of the best of the bunch of Papiâ—tes doe preach and publish this true certaintie and holy securitie that wee speake of At Treâ—â— this cause hath been throughly canâ—ased not by vollie of wordes but by volumes of Bookes Catharâ—â—us is our Champion against Dâ—minicus Soto in which Booke of his he telleth vs how the Schoolemen are diuided in this Doctrine how they preferre their owne Reasons and their vaine Philosophie before the holy Scriptures and so turne aside out of the right way They distaste these wordes of Securitie and Certaintie but they should rellise them the better if they would beare in minde this text out of Jsaiah Isai 32.17 The worke of righteousnesâ—e shal be peace euen the worke of Iustice and quietnesse and assuraunce for euer They are tearmes the Fathers commonly take vp as in the precedent instances you haue heard Cyprian Cyp. de mortalit serm 4. admireth we should otherwise speake or thinke where he saith â—t tu dubitas eâ— flactuas Hoâ— est Deum omnino non noscere Hoc est Christum credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis â—ffendere Hâ—c est in Eâ—clesia construtum fidem in domo fiâ—ey non â—aâ—erâ— Doest thou doubt and wauer This is altogeather not to know God This is to displease Christ the Maister of the Faythfull with the sinne of Incredulitie This is to be in the Church and to denie the Fayth in the very House of Fayth In respect of the indiuiduall societie that is betweene the Flesh and the Spirit doubts and quaimes must often arise and come vpon our heartes and trouble our Fayth Incredulitie betweene times will assault euery man when his Fayth is at the best the sensuall part of man euer coueting against the Spirit but Fayth will quiet all these brawles and broyles at the last be our Faith neuer so eclipsed with Cloudes tossed with Tempestes winnowed by Sathan driuen at by the Dartes and all the fierie Dartes of the Deuill though brought into an agonie bloodie sweate and extasie as Christ was in the Garden and on the Crosse yea though almost brought to vtter desperation the very brimme and introduction into the Hell of the damned then God seemeth to stand a farre off and to hide him selfe in the needfull time of trouble to stop his eares with Waxe and not to heare vs though we make many Prayers to hold his hand still in his boosome and not to plucke it out in our extremities Fayth being the victorie that ouercommeth the whole World and so wee conclude this first Question Whether one may be certaine or his particuler Election affirmatiuely as ye haue heard and put it out of question with this ioyfull acclamation of the Prophet Blessed be God that hath shewed 〈◊〉 so great kindnesse in a strong citie That hath seâ— vs in this inuincible fortresse of Fayth so that we may cast out our Gantlet and prouoke all our enemies to the field and to the foyle so that neither Life nor Death neither Principalities nor Powers thinges present nor things to come nor any things else in the nature of thinges can make a separation betweene God and vs. The second Question now vnder our decision is How our particular Election may be knowne There be two wayes of knowing it 1 First by going vp as it were to Heauen there to prie into the very priuities of God and then to come downe and to come into our selues But we disclaime this course as pernicious perilous God hauing drawne Curtaines of blacke Cloudes and Darknes ouer his Tabernacle round about him Bernar. serm 31. in Cantica Ad Deum accedendum non â—â—â—uenduâ— Wee may come to God but not Concitate câ—â—â—u praeter viam Wee must not rush violently into his presence Chamber 2. Secondly by the contrarie by descending into our heartes by going vp from our selues to Gods eternall Counsaile This is the way chalked out vnto vs which we may safely walke which teacheth vs by tokens in our selues to gather what was the eternall Counsaile of God touching our saluation These tokens are two not taken from the Primitiue causes of our Election but rather from the latter effectes thereof 1. The testimonie of Gods Spirit 2. The workes of our SanctificatioÌ„ This is proofe enough in Law For the Law hath spoken it In the mouthes of two or three Witnesses shall euery thing be confirmed The Spirit of God is a Witnesse for the nonce the best that is in Heauen sealing the certaintie of adoption in our heartes with the singer of his grace