Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	church_n	great_a	1,628	5	2.8346	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86356	The good old vvay, Gods vvay, to sovle-refreshing rest: discovered in a sermon preached to the Right Honorable the Lord Maior and court of aldermen of the citie of London, at their anniversary meeting on Wednesday in Easter weeke at Christ-Church, Apr. 24. 1644 being the day of the monethly publike fast. By Thomas Hill B.D. Pastor of Tychmersh in Northampton shire. Imprimatur, Charles Herle.	Hill, Thomas, d. 1653.	1644 (1644)	Wing H2023; Thomason E48_4; ESTC R11496	52,548	61

he observes what converse his soule hath with Jesus Christ therein what God lookes from him what influence from Heaven what holy imp●●s●on upon his spirit by duty Hee knowes that in this good way God brings downe part of Heaven into his people before hee advance them unto Heaven Hee hath happily tasted that a day of Humiliation may prove a soule-melting day a day of Thankesgiving a soule-cheering day a Communion day a healing and healing day a Sabbath a day of blessing and sanctification so directly doth the good way lead unto God Thirdly the good way comming from God leads unto God and that according unto God according to the will of God tending unto his Honour and the magnifying of his Name That is undoubtedly the best way which leads to happinesse by holinesse He●r 12. 14. The soule-saving way will bee a soule-sanctifying way In 2 Thes. 2. 13. God chose the Thessal●nians to salvation through the sanctification of the spirit and ●e●e●●e of the Truth In the execution of his eternall counsels this is the Method No satisfying evidence to us that we were chosen to salvation from eternity unlesse wee have within us this undoubted pledge of his electing love and spirit of sanctification That way which is not a way of sanctification as well as of Justification is not the good Scripture way to Salvation It lies as a great disparagement upon any new way however many may ignorantly cry it up when peoples opinions marre their practises if whilst they contend for justification they weoken the power of sanctification if in their entertaining the Gospel of Christ they turne out the holy love of God from being a rule of life without question that is not the good way wherein peoples spirits grow dry and barren which opens a back-doore to Sabbath-breaking and other licenciousnesse Suspect your selves and wayes I beseech you if by any of your opinions practicall Christanity wither if therby you become formall and loose in the duties of your places and relations The good way is a soul-emproving a spirita●lizing way In the 1 Tim. 6. 3. Paul directs Timothy thus to judge of Teachers and their Doctrines and accordingly to owne or decline them as they teach and consent unto the wholsome words of Jesus Christ and the Doctrine which is according unto godlinesse clearly holding forth that Christs words are wholsome soule-saving words his doctrine purifies the heart it is according to godlines This age is very fruitfull in multiplicity of opinions If you would know how to judge of them together with your examining of them by the word of Truth observe diligently what influence peoples opinions have upon their spirits and upon their conversation Under the Tyranny of the Prelates many congregations had almost lost the power of Religion in a crowd of needles Ceremonies and now in too many places the vigour of practicall piety is much abated to say no more by multitudes of dispute about some such opinions as might well bee spared This renders the way very suspitious because it is no more according unto godlinesse I confesse if wee should judge of peoples way by their language onely good words are very frequent many mouths are full of Christ Free-grace light liberty c. God forbid that such sweet and precious words should bee abused to countenance either darknesse of error or licenciousnesse of practice Yet alasse how many speake the highest Gospell language who live farre below Gospell priviledges and below Gospel hopes The subtill Devill knowes how to hide his snares under the most speci●us even under Scripture words Try therefore over and over it much concernes you O that it might appeare that the way wherein you walke is the good way being according unto God expressing the reality of godlinesse in the course of your conversation These things being laid downe for the awakening of your vigilancy in enquiring after the good way something must be added concerning your asking for the old paths Herein you shall doe like wise travellers to consult with such as have discovered and trodden the good way before you The good way is an old way Aske then First what is the good old way of Doctrine what is the old patterne of wholsome words 2 Tim. 1. 13. Enquire what Truth Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Hebr. 13. 8. did reveale unto his servants and vers. 9. hold that fast and bee not carried about with divers and strange doctrines new and uncouth Doctrines not recommended to us by the Apostles O Timothy saith Paul 1 Tim. 6. 20. keep that which is committed to thy trust Depositum serva that which hath beene committed to thee not what thou hast invented that which thou hast received not that which thou hast found out wherein thou must not bee an Author but whereof thou art a Guardian not an ordainer but a Disciple not a guide but a follower what t●ou hast received in gold re-deliver the same in gold c. Hee had this trust for the Churches use let us diligently enquire after it that wee may bee guided by it Secondly what is the good old way of divine Worship Here you must consult not with the precepts of men but with the word of God revealed of old unto his Church The not minding of this ancient Land-marke hath brought in many superstitious Innovations into Gods service and mis-led thousands of simple soules out of the good way A Statesman of our owne could observe divers causes of superstition 1. Pleasing and sensuall Rites and Ceremonies 2. Excesse of outward and Pharisaicall holinesse 3. Over great reverence of Traditions 4. The Stratagems of the Prelates for their owne ambition and lucre 5. The favouring too much of good Intentions which opens the gate to conceits and novelties 6. The taking an aime at Divine matters by humane which breeds mixture of imaginations In all which there was a neglecting of the holy will of God the onely rule of pure Worship And all this while alasse poore hearts people taking much paines to little purpose In vaine doe they worship mee teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Matth. 15. 9. They over-looke Gods will hee over-lookes their devices so indeed the new way proves a bad and uncomfortable way you must enquire for the good old way if you desire to please God in his Worship Thirdly what is the good old way of practicall piety The beauty of Religion much appeares in the duties of our places and relations to have such a conversation as Paul expressed 2 Cor. 1. 12. in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God would much commend the Gospel and fill us with rejoycing in the testimony of our own conscience much of this practicall godlinesse might bee learned as from Scripture precepts and practices so both from the Doctrine and examples of Ancient Worthies Amongst others there are two

the kernell and soule that should enliven it To doe Religious duties from Religious grounds upon Religious motives for Religious ends that you may please God therewith as well as profit your selves is such a secret as some who have been hearers for twenty or thirty yeares are little acquainted with Secondly as the good way lies deepe so even the best guides may bee mistaken the mostable learned godly Ministers in some things may possibly bee deceived themselves and deceive others It is observable 1 Cor. 3. 12 c. Ministers may build upon the right foundation and they themselves bee saved being godly yet their worke shall bee lost because though upon the right foundation yet they build hay stubble wood such trash of errors or ai●y and empty speculations not gold silver and precious stones wholsome and substantiall heavenly truths not considering that the foundation as it is the strength so it should bee the rule of the building and all the superstructions should bee commensurate to the foundation every way correspondent to the will mind and glory of Jesus Christ Learning and goodnesse doth not exempt men from these mistakes If you looke into 1 King 13. you shall find an amazing example of an old Prophet who discovers some goodnesse ver. 30 31 32. Yet you have him ver. 18. seducing another Prophet who had been zealously active in the cause of God as appeares in the beginning of the Chapter the greater pity that hee should bee so much abused This old Prophet speakes like a grave Father to him ver. 18. I am a Prophet also as thou art and an Angel spake unto mee by the word of the Lord saying Bring him back with thee into thine house that hee may eate bread and drink water But hee lied unto him Hee pretends a Revelation from God to bring back the Prophet expressely contrary to what instructions hee had received of God ver. 9. An Angell spake to me by the Word of the Lord It is possible you see for grave Ministers to palliate their untruths with pretended Revelations Hereby this Prophet was mis-led out of the good Way and put upon that disobedience against God which cost him his life Indeed soone after which is fit to bee observed ver. 21 22. God reproves his disobedience by the old Prophet who was the occasion to bring him into error Wee speak wee act as God is pleased to assist or withdraw When God will use a man then hee shall bee a Counsellor a reprover but when hee is left to himselfe then even an old Prophet may bee a seducer a deceiver No wonder to see so many of our younger Prophets and other Christians mis-led in these latter dayes when old Prophets may and do too often pretend the greatest authority abusing Gods own name to countenance their errors The primitive times afford us too many sad instances that the greatest Lights may have a mixture of darknesse Origen and Tertullian erred so foulely one amongst the Greekes the other amongst the Latines that each of them was accounted in those times Tentatio magna in Ecclesiâ A sore temptation a great stumbling block in the Church Augustin upon a very weak ground Joh 6. 53. countenanced stiffely that Infants should receive the Lords Supper which error of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as sandy a bottom as it had continued in the Church divers hundred yeeres Jereme though learned to admiration doted on the merit of virginity It were easie to shew the naevi the blemishes of others but why should wee uncover our Fathers nakednesse onely thus farre improve it being that the greatest Oracles of learning and piety may in sundry points bee deceived Prophets and Apostles only whose call was extraordinary ●ad an unerring spirit good men may sometimes lead us out of the good way Therefore by all this wee are the more strongly ingaged to stand see and inquire what is the good old way and not suddenly to take things from any upon trust in the great concernments of our soules Doth the Lord call upon you to bee carefully inquisitive in the concernments of your soules O then learn to bee p●●d●n● to bee serious in trying every way before you ingage your selfe therein Certainly the wise God who never thinks or speaks in vaine would not have spent so many severall words Stand see aske had not the businesse been of singular consequence I with Christians would learn of Politicians when they have to doe with men like themselves non cito credere not to bee too credulous It was a noble straine of prudent piety in the Bereans Act. 17. 11. They did receive the word with all readinesse of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether th●se things were so even when Paul and Silas were the Teachers How vigilant would they have been in these times when there are so many suspicious Doctrines preached so many adulterate wayes obtruded upon ignorant well-meaning hearers It is good counsell which is given 1 Thess. 5. 21. Try all things ●old fast that which i● good take in nothing upon trust whosoever bee the Teacher unlesse you bee sure it bee God himselfe If God speake then wee must never dispute but obey But unlesse you know it commeth undoubtedly from God try all things try all practises that are commended to you try all Doctrines that are held forth as a rule of these practises yea try all revelations that any man shall pretend by which hee receives these doctrines for this you must know those practises those evill wayes are most dangerous in which men are confirmed by any doctrine by any setled opinion If a man rush suddenly by incogitancy and by temptation into a bad way hee is more easily recoverable But if hee shall bee rooted in a bad way by an unsound rule of doctrine that doctrine had need especially to bee considered When the man that commends such a way shall pretend hee had this by a discovery from God himselfe and that hee hath such and such a Revelation As Montanus and some of the old Hereticks in the primitive times pretended to such opinions by revelation and so there was no disputing against them If a man would tell you hee is in such and such an opinion and that for such and such reasons possibly you may overthrow his reasons and so convert him from the error of his way But if hee shall come and tell you I hold such and such an opinion How came you by it I had such and such a revelation for it It is a hard matter to convince such a man because hee will fondly stick to his Revelation and confidently obtrude it upon other● But let these bee tryed Try every spirit 1 Joh. 4. 1. Make account there are false Teachers gone out into the world such as God himselfe never sent Beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out True Prophets they