Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A14608
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[Summarie and short meditations touching sundry poynts of Christian religion] [gathered by T.VV. and now published for the education and profit of Gods saints].
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T. W. (Thomas Wilcox), 1549?-1608.
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1610
(1610)
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STC 24919.5; ESTC S4955
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21,971
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56
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SVMMARIE AND SHORT MEDITATIONS touching sundry poynts of Christian Religion gathâ—â—â—â— by T. VV. and now publiâ—hâ—d for the edâ—â—â—cation anâ— profit of Goâ—s Saints Lord Iesus begin and make an end TO cloake sin seeing it runneth vp and downe in euâ—ry mans mouth that we are all sinfull is dangerous and damnable Dangerous because the holie Ghost saith he that hideth his sin shall â—ot prosper And damnable because it causâ—â—h men to lie weltring and wallowing in iniquitie without repentance But humblie and vnfainedlie to confâ—sse it is a readie way to obtaine paâ—don and forgiuenes of the same at the hands of Almightie God because the Scripture telleth vs that if wee acknowledge and forsake our sinnes wee shall finde fauour And againe If wee confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and the blood of Iesuâ— Christ shall purge vs from all iniquitie We haue sundrie true and vnpartiall witnesses both within vs and without vs against our selues to proue this truth vnto vs that we are miserable sinners First the stinging testimonie of our own conscience which though we many times bleere and blot out yet doth it sundrie times tell vs yea almost euery day when wee rise vp and euery night when we lie downe wee haue done many things that wee ought not to haue done and haue omitted many things which we ought to haue done Secondly God himselfe who beside that in his infinite knowledge he is able to charge vs with a thousand transgressâ—ons for euery one that wee know by our selues or others is also greater than our heart and conscience to condemnâ— vs because he knoweth all things Yea this eternall God doth by his iudgements conuince vs to bee sinners whether they be generall or particular By the generall his wrath being made manifest from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of all men and against all the creatures themselues And by the particular whilest he manifesteth them either against some Nations as Israel Iuda c. or some Cities as Sodom Gomorrah Ierusalem c. or els priuate persons as Cain Ham Iudas and such like Beside these iudgements the Lord our God hath his blessed word which is pure and holy as himselfe to conuince vs of sinne which straightly chargeth vs first with the sinne and fall of our first parents Adam and Euah as guiltie therof vnto euerlasting condemnation Secondly with the sinne wherein we are conceiued and borne which we call originall sin which if we had no more vpon vs and in vs but that maketh vs the children of Gods wrath and displeasure Thirdly with the fruites of that originall sin which are all manner of disobediences inward and outward against Almightie God and our neighbours By al this we may see that al mouthes and hearts are iustly stopped and shut vp froÌ„ cleering themselues by thought word or otherwise and that all men are made subiect vnto the condemnation of God which that wee may the better feele it shall be good for vs first rightly to compare the horrible filthinesse that is in vs both outward and inward of bodie and soule with the wonderfull holinesse that is in God himselfe and he requireth of vs in his law Then to consider the greatnesse and notoriousnesse of our offences which may bee iustly aggrauated by looking into the qualities of the parties offending as Magistrates Ministers c. and the parties offended as Gods most excellent Maiesty and our deare brethren together with sundrie other circumstances of time place manner of doingâ— c. Thirdly to thinke vpon the multitude of our iniquities whicâ— are more in number than the haires of our head and being as the sand of the Sea both for multitude and weight are become as a burthen ouer heauie for vs to beare Lastly to weigh Gods fearfull iudgements both temporall and eternall which our sinnes haue deserued to bee powred forth vpon vs and for our terrifying are set down in his word and manifested in the world which are many indeed but chiefly these First his heauie hand lying sore vpon his creatures for our transgressions which should so much the more terrifie vs and humble vs indeed by how much themselues are subiect thereto not for any sinne of their own which they haue not but for our iniâ—uities Secondly the aduersities and afflictions of our life which are either bodily as sicknesses or spirituall as anguish of soule and torment of conscience which also the more heauily they are inflicted vpon vs the more mightily they sâ—ould cast vs downe and work vnderstanding in vs least otherwise God should haue iust cause to complaine that hee hath stricken vs in vaine Thirdly naturall death it selfe which is the parting asunder of the soule and the bodie for a time and was laid vpon our first parents and in them vpon vs as a part of that iust deserued punishment that they and we procured to our selues because we are all standing and falling together with them and in them And lastly the curse of the eternall God pronounced in his law vnto euerlasting condemnation both of bodie and soule without vnfained repentance and heartie turning to the Lord this most fitly sorting both for infinitnes and weight with our infinite and innumerable transgressions Whosoeuer feâ—leth himselfe in such a miserable case must of necessitie as other good men heretofore haue done vnlâ—sse hee will wittingly refuse comfort and willingly cast away himselfe seeke some both sure and speâ—die remedie least continuing in that lamenâ—able estate they bee swallowed vp of despaire and ouer much heauinesse If wee seeke to Angels and would worship them as some haue done heretofore they cannot stand vs in steed for howsoeuer they be excellent creatures yet they haue not that of themselues yea God should finde imperfection in theÌ„ if they were not maintained by his power and besides as they were not ordeined or created for such a purpose so they are iustly our enemies for sinne as whose nature is so pure that they cannot abide it and the armed souldiours of the Lord by his special appointment to our destruction for our vngodlines If we would looke to dead Saints as in time of superstition and Popery wee were taught and did as I feare me many men yet doe they cannot fitte vs any whit at all as well because the dead know nothing at all as also for that they themselues haue continually confessed of and against themselues that they haue alwaies stood in need of a Sauiour and if thâ—y could not saue themselues much lesse others If we cast our eies vpon men vnregenerated and yet liuing the scripture telleth vs there is none that doth good no not one nay thâ—y are all by nature the children of wrath and firebrands of condemnation not only vnapt and vnable to good workes for themselues but most fitte to all