Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	call_v	good_a	sin_n	1,729	5	4.5767	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53272	The first, last, or, The formal hypocrite further from salvation (as to the way of God's ordinary working) than the prophane sinner being the substance of several sermons preached in course at a lecture in the countrey / by J.O. ...	Oldfield, John, 1627?-1682.	1666 (1666)	Wing O219A; ESTC R17591	60,026	155

company of prophane persons knowing they have express commands to avoid unnecessary converse with such as 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Cor. 6.17 and this sometimes through God's setting it upon their hearts becomes an occasion of putting them upon a more serious consideration of their condition even a Cain fears and abhors the thought of being an Out-cast those Censures of Suspension and Excommunication appointed by God himself work by way of shame and disgrace But 3. There is so little liveliness in the best of Christians that the Formalist concludes himself as good as the best and so rests in his present condition Where there is something of the power of godliness yet there is too much of meer form and this encourages others to rest altogether in a form VVhere there is some life there is too little liveliness the best do not to the life hold forth the word of life Col. 2.16 There is something in the lives of Christians to convince and condemn the Prophane they see their swearing drunkenness Sabbath-breaking c. condemned in the practise of Christians shunning and abhorring those sins but they do not so live as to condemn the Formality of those amongst them There is not that warmth in their discourses and duties that vigour in their affections and actions that may quicken and heat others Men are apt to make a stand at others deadness as the people did at the dead body of Amasa 2 Sam. 20.12 'T is storied of Janias before his Conversion that meeting once with a Countrey-man as he was in a journey and falling into discourse with him about divers points in Religion he observed the plain Fellow to talk so experimentally with so much heartiness and affection as made him first begin to think that there was something more in those Truths then his Notional-humane Learning had yet discovered which occasioned his more serious inquiry into them and afterward his Conversion Liveliness and affectionateness in Christians is a singular Spur to incite others but alas how rare is it This wanting in the best doth strengthen the hands of the Formalist and beget in him a conceit that he is as good as the best Thus we have laid down some of those impediments both in himself and from others which lye in the way of a Formalist's Conversion and render it more difficult then of the Prophane CHAP. IV. Misaplication prevented BEfore I come to Application it will be requisite to say something for the preventing of m sapplication Some may possibly hence draw this Conclusion That the next way to onversion is to turn Prophane that to lay aside Prayer Hearing c. and to become a Swearer Adulterer c. is the best way to become a Saint an inference much like that Rom. 3.8 Let us do evil that good may come and Rom. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5.8 Let us continue in sin that grace may abound But let such * perverse Disputers know 1. Though the word hath many times an easier influence upon the Prophane then the Formal●… yet this makes nothing for the comfort of Prophane persons so continuing though many such are converted and saved What is this to him that lives and dies unconverted 'T is as if one sick of a Feaver refusing the Physician 's help feeding and nourishing his Disease should comfort himself in this That his condition is better then one that is sick of the Plague because many are by Physick cured of the one few or none of the other when the one as well as the other is Mortal without the Physician 's help Though many Prophane Wretches are saved upon their Faith and Repentance what comfort is it to thee that continuest Prophane without Faith or Repentance If Zacheus the Publican Magdalen the Harlot Paul the Persecutor are converted and saved canst thou who art an impenitent Oppressor Harlot Persecutor c. promise Salvation to thy self They are saved not because they were such but because they Repent 2. Though prophane persons are more frequently converted then Formalists yet prophaneness is no cause of their Conversion If you suppose so you admit a Falacy Non causae pro causâ assigning that the cause which indeed is not Many being Prophane are converted but not because they are Ptophane they are converted from not for their Prophaneness At most it hath but an accidental causality as an enemy intending to kill you may accidentally let out the corruption and so intending to be your Murderer may unwittingly and contrary to his intention prove your Physician But that Prophaneness can have no proper causative influence into your conversion will thus appear If so it must be supposed either 1. To move God to call you or 2. To dispose and incline you to conversion but to imagine either of these is very foolish and irrational For the first you must know That nothing out of God himself can be an inducement to him to call or convert any God's Eternal Decree which is the proper Efflux of his own Will and of his Free-Grace is his onely Motive in this See Rom. 8.29 30. Ephes 1.3 4 5 6 11. 2 Tim. 1.9 'T is not the good works of any fore-seen that move God to call them they being effects not causes of conversion much less then their evil works what can be more absur'd then to suppose that that which God loaths should induce him to love us And for the second 't is equally absurd for how can that which is in the nature of it an aversion from God produce as an effect conversion to God As rationally may we imagine darkness to be the cause of light sickness of health death of life as that sin can any way be a cause of or dispose unto conversion Could Prophaneness dispose a man to Conversion then it would follow the more Prophane the nearer to conversion which is all one as to say the nearer Hell the nearer Heaven 3. Neither is it the good that Formalists do but their hypocrisie in doing and the bad use they make of their good actions that renders their Conversion difficult Here a so you admit the same falacy if you suppose their praying hearing c. to obstruct their Conversion These duties rightly performed are both means and evidences of Conversion and incumbent upon the converted Hearing is the way to have Faith and other Graces begotten in us Rom. 10.17 Prayer is prescrib'd to Simon Magus yet being in the g●●… of bitterness and bond of iniquity in order to his Conversion Acts 8.22 So we ma say of other-like duties As Prophaneness is not dispositive to Conversion so neither are Pious duties any hinderance but furtherance to it Nay more if ever you be Converted you must do what they do though not as they do You must pray hear meditate c. though not in a form as they do but with power not relying upon them when done but denying them putting no confidence in them 'T is not the form of godliness

are got up to a Form and there they stick It was long since foretold that Formality should be a sin of the Last days 2 Tim. 3.5 There are few but they have got some knowledg and do something in a Form and they think this enough and all Some Diseases are called Opprobria Medicorum the shame or reproach of Physicians because they cannot find out the cause and rule of them This if any is the Opprobrium Ministrorum very hardly discovered and more hardly cured Though it cannot be denied that there is too much Prophaneness in the World yet even Prophaneness it self is got under this shelter A Form of Godliness is many times found amongst those that are under the Power of open Wickedness Relig●o●… g in s in breadth ●t hath more Professo●s and Practisers of it in a Form but loseth in depth and height never so little sincerity and seriousness in the profession and practice of it Knowledg and Means abound Light gets into the Conscience Men cannot keep their Consciences from being Clamourous without doing something loth they are to forgo their sweet their profitable sins Hence arise a civil Commotion as the Philosopher speaks of the morally wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Souls are at odds with themse ves light and lust are together by the ears now to take up the quarrel and comprim●ze the differerence Satan and their own hearts find out this expedient to set up a form of Godliness that under this cloak they may more securely practise the power of ungodliness they will do something that is good supposing they may have the better leave to do evil when men are got to this they stick at it and make it their non ultra thus they think to satisfie both Interests viz. of their sins and of their souls 'T is true there are Formalists of different forms and degrees some more gross and palpable others that spin a finer thread and waste more in the dark but this sin more or less is to be found in the generality of professed Christians and this renders Conversion a very rare and difficult work 3. This shews us that although nothing is common yet nothing is more dangerous to step out of Prophaneness into Formality how ordinary is it for notorious sinners when beaten out of open wickedness to take Sanctuary in a form of Godliness What 's this but to run further from God while we seem to come nearer him at best but to come out of Egypt and stay in the Wilderness such men turn sin like some thief or lewd Companion out of the street-door and then receive it in at a back-door lodging it in the secret Chamber of their hearts they retire out of the field of a more open hostility against God and Holiness but betake themselves into an impregnable Castle where they set God and Christ at Defiance under a pretence of Kissing they do more certainly kill Christ shunning Scylla they fall into Charybdis thinking to deceive God by a shew they deceive themselves really For 1. You that I may turn my speech to such do but more obstruct the way to your own Conversion get further out of the reach and power of the Word the Plague when it comes outward in a boyl or sore is less dangerous then when it strikes inward and seizeth upon the Brain or Vitals Formality is but a striking in of that disease which formerly appeared on the Face and Body and therefore makes it more incurable 'T is sad to think how many have left the fouler way of Prophaneness in which they were walking towards Hell and are now more certainly and swiftly posting thither in the cleaner way of Formality Well let me tell you the Divel thinks none so surely his as those who serve him under Christ's Livery They that think themselves Free and yet are not are most likely to continue in Bondage He is twofold more the Child of Hell who hath got a Cloak of Religion to cover his Rags and filthiness withal and hath got the Art to keep up a practise of duty and a course of sin together That disease is most Mortal oftentimes that is least fealt Formality onely serves to Brawn the heart and Sear the conscience and then there 's but little hope of such a soul's Conversion He that is become insensible and such is the Formalist is next door to incurable 2. As you do more effectually shut Heaven's door upon you so you open a wider door into Hell that I may allude to that Scripture 2 Pet. 1.11 A more abundant entrance you have into Satan's Kingdom your evidences are hereby made clearer your title surer Hell is the hypocrite's Fee-simple Matth. 24.51 The nearer Heaven if you fall short of it the greater will your fall be and the heavier your condemnation 2 Pet. 2.20 21. c. If you have escaped the pollutions of the world and are again entangled as certainly you will be if you rest in formality your later end will be worse then your beginning better you had never known the way of righteousness then afterward to turn from the holy commandment A great part of Hell will doubtless be a sad recapitulation of the possibilities probabilities advantages convictions motions c. which we had and slighted the more of these here the more of Hell hereafter And who then may expect a hotter Hell then your selves Oh will it not be a heart-cutting consideration to think how many steps you had taken and all in vain for want of one step further Yea to think that there are many now in glory who took less pains as to the matter and frequency of duty then thou didst who shalt yet lye down in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for ever 4. This shews us that the Formalist hath no reason to boast or lift himself in his own conceit above the prophanest wretch that he sees or knows of 'T is ordinary with such to bless themselves with the Pharisee Luke 18.11 God I thank thee that I am not as other men are nor as this Publican To stand upon their comparisons or rather disparisons Isaiah 65.5 Stand by thy self Come not near me I am holier then thou but there is a checking word follows These are a smoke in my nose and a fire that burneth all the day highly and continually offensive to God 'T is a speech much like that o● our Saviour to Peter Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me Poor deluded self-deluding souls You think your state incomparably better then your prophane Friend or Neighbour when alas it 's worse in this at least that you think it better What difference do you think will God make betwixt an open Enemy and a counterfeit Friend surely if any the later is worse God seems to be pusled and at a non-plus what to do with such as thou art Rev. 3.15 I would thou wert either hot or cold but vers 16. comes to a peremptory and