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	see_v	word_n	1,655	5	3.6979	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86532	The saints guide, in three treatises; I. The mirror of mercie, on Gen. 6.13. II. The carnall mans condition, on Rom. 1.18. III. The plantation of the righteous, on Psa. l.3 / By Thomas Hooker minister in New-England.	Hooker, Thomas, 1586-1647.	1645 (1645)	Wing H2655; Thomason E1160_1; ESTC R11339	43,446	180

presently there is hue and crie up by the Father or the Master He is an undone man or an undone woman then there is labouring by all meanes possible to stifle the worke of grace in the heart Thus when God striveth to pluck men out of their sinnes they continue in sinne and so subject themselves to eternall punishment therfore may the contention grow marvellous great God striveth and sinne and Satan strive and man holds it out to the last As appeares Math. 23.37 O Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that were sent to thee c. there is the businesse and marke how often would I have gathered you c. and you would not The Father would draw men to his Sonne to be faved but John 5.4 ye will not come unto me that ye may be saved whilst our Saviour thus strives with the cords of mercie to draw men to salvation they labour to withdraw themselves from him and to plundge themselves into damnation Act. 18.5 6. Paul strengthened with the spirit convinced them boldly and by strength of Argument laid hold upon their understandings proving that Jesus was the Christ But they came as in pitcht battell against that Doctrine of life and salvation they did gainsay and blaspheme it the word in the originall signifies They planted forces in order and came in battell array against those blessed truthes he delivered and in other places of the Acts when Paul revealed the truth part joyned with the Apostles part with the Jewes some were convinced others gainsayed and resisted See then how a poore sinner breakes all the cords of grace and mercie as Psalm 2.3 when there the wicked combine against Christ say they Let us breake his Bonds assunder and cast his Cords from us Gods Counsells Commands Reproofes c. are the cords they breake the threatnings of the word the checkes of Conscience all the tyes of mercie they snappe in peices they breake all and wilfully withdraw themselvs from salvation we neede no more witnesses to cast this cause wofull experience daily produces too many all difficulty rests in the Explication of this And therin observe three things First I will discover how God drawes and strives with the sinner what a deale of doe it is to bring a sinner to everlasting life Secondly the reason why God doth so strive Thirdly Application hereof First how doth the Lord strive The good Spirit of the Lord followes a Suit himselfe against a sinner and pleades a Law-Case with him I doe confesse the dealing of God is marveillous strange herein and I ingeniously acknowledge I want both skill and heart to set forth the pleadings of God herein But he is onely able to speake for himselfe and by his gratious assistance wee shall observe to you such pleaes as God affords in Scripture how the Lord hath dealt herein To the point then How the Lord pleades and strives with a sinner I referre to two heads 1. By way of perswasion 2. By way of constraint and compulsion Wherein we shall observe all the cords of mercie and bondes of compassion First striving and if those doe not prevaile execution of punishment terrours and a strong hand pursues a sinner in mercie and at last if all faile mercy overcomes the sinner wherein see God first discovers the matter in controversie Proceedes to execution and by repreive at last prevailes by mercy over judgement Touching the first part and of the pleaes of mercy in scripture we must referre our observation hereof to foure heads First As in a suite of Law before there can be a day of Heareing the Party is summoned to answer So the Lord having a Controversie with a sinner the Lord summons the sinner into his Court the Lord causeth a Writ to issue out to attach a sinfull Creature that lieth snorting in his sins and securely posts to destruction one that never saw his miserie and wants and never sought for mercy and supply Salvation being the furthest end of his thoughts and the least part of his care Now the Lord doth bring this about in his providence by bringing them to the word and therein mercifully making knowne the sinners estate before ever he imagined thereof Jsa 65.5 I was found of them that sought mee not Hence in ordinarie experience many a poore sinfull creature hath beene accidentally cast into such a Towne or into a good familie and the Lord comes upon him on a suddaine when he never dreamed of life and grace As many a soule in the acknowledgment of Gods mercy and providence breakes out in this wonder Oh that I should be brought into such a place such a familie and meete with such opportunities when I dreamed of it as little as of doomes day and desired nothing more then mischeife that God should stop me in the way to Hell See that of Saul when he was running to Damascus ah saith he I will take these Puritaines in their Conventicles a light shin'd suddenly from Heaven and almost tumbled him downe into Hell Even such a kinde of light is let into the soule not that we must expect a miracle or a new thing but when the word is brought home to the understanding the soule will thinke those strange things such as hee never heard or thought of And if the finner growes carelesse and will not attend God calls upon the soule and drawes the minde to attend holds the light to the eye and brings the Word so evident to the soule that it cannot evade Ezek. 16.2 Sonne of man cause the Children of Jsraell to know their abominations The Prophet 1 Kings 21.20 having a Message to Ahab after his great wickednesse see how the sight of the Prophet startles him and makes him snarle Hast thou founde mee out Oh mine Enemy saith Ahab The worde findes a man out and drawes the minde to attend it The soule would be carelesse and secure will not heare not attend The Lord knockes as the doore of the soule findes him out behinde the Pillor awakens him asleepe in his Pue finds him out his sinnes and discovers his abominations The Lord comes home to the soule and tells him thou art the man that hath sinned and thou shalt bee plagued God deales like a Wrastler first catches hold then comes in and at last throwes a man upon his back makes him yeeld and confesse I am the man Thus the Lord causeth the minde to attende the word The Lord tells the Drunkard that the Alehouse is not the way to Heaven and the Adulterour that his way leads to perdition brings them to the word and causeth them to attend thereto And further the Soule attending the word and being ignorant and knowing no good the Lord informes a sinner and sets up a light of wisedome in his minde to conceive of the nature of sinne whereby he hath provoked God He that yet never knew what sinne was now it stares him in his face and he beholds it with amazement and in

some measure also comes to conceive of the nature of grace he beginnes to see the excellencie of Faith and Repentance what it is to bee in a Christ what it is to want a Christ the man is become an apprehensive man saith God I will cause the house of Jsraell to know their abhominations It is not sufficient to come and heare the word and never attend it or consider of it But if God comes with it it will make the Drunkard know what it is to be drunke and the Dissembler what it is to deale fasly with God and his truth Job 36.9 Hee shewes them their workes and their transgressions God shewes a man his iniquities God shewes a man his pride his vanity of minde the judgements threatned the plague deserved Oh then The sinner saith this is my sinne and this is the punishment due to mee that is the Nature of my abhomination and that is the judgement of God for it Thus I say the Lord takes hold of a sinner And this is the first way by summons or Subpena If a sinner be secure God brings him to the word if then carelesse God makes him attend If ignorant he informs him As in a Law case The man is not onely attatched to appeare but when he appeares there is a declaration of the fact So the Lord shewes the soule what his sinnes are what neede there is of Christ grace faith and repentance which hee never knew of before Secondly Thus the Action being laid oh the sinfull heart invents marvellous strange shifts and evasions The day is appointed for the triall what Lawyer doth the Soule get to plead his Cause He sends for carnall reason as Pharaoh sent for the Magicians And when God hath opened his eyes and discovered his soule to his soule then he calls in I say the Magicians of carnall reason to plead against the word of God lest it should prevaile or his sins should lie so heavy upon him as to tire and weary him out of them First it excuseth the hainousnesse of sinne that the sin was not so great that though the Minister speake as if we were all Saints yet are we not all sinners who then shall goe unpunished we doe not looke to be saved by our selves or our workes but by Jesus Christ and he came to save Sinners It is but looking towards him and crying God mercie at last but saith the Minister we must be sanctified as well as saved Acts. 3. 26. God having raised up his Sonne Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning every one of you from his evill way That is blessednesse we must be reformed if conforted humbled if glorified What saith the Sinner must I forsake my evill waies we know no man can what need a man to be so precise and curious Thus with these and many other please carnal reason like a cunning Solicitour with the helpe of the Divell who will play the crafty Lawyer and what the one can invent and the other suggest will be surely pleaded to beate backe the power of the word And t is admirable to consider what contentions there are herein and how the wicked heart of man will out-bid all the meanes under heaven untill the spirit of God come in upon the soule and then as the wisedome of God informes a sinner so the spirit becoms the Advocate of God that wise and holy Spirit by the Ministery of the word convinceth the sinner John 16.8 And when he is come he will convince the world of sinne he will answer all the pleaes and arguments that the sinner can make 2. Cor. 10.4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds Casting downe immaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ when the soule cavills what needes all this adoe Shall not a man goe to Heaven unlesse he pray heare Sermons and sanctifie the Sabboth Then the Spirit of God convinces a man fully that he hath not a word to say against the evidence of truth hee gives up the day and saith I confesse I am the man these are my sinnes I must forsake these or perish nay I must forsake all my sinnes or else I forsake none I see I cannot be a good Christian and a swearer a proud vaine person a carelesse liver then a Heathen a prophane Atheist will be as good a Christian Thus the action being laide by Information and the sinner cast in the action by the Spirits conviction Then 3. Least the sinner now in this estate apprehending his sinnes and the hainousnesse of them and of his desperate forlorne estate thereby should sinke under his burthen the Lord lets in the manifestation of his goodnes into his soule and the Soule thinkes with it selfe how good is God in his providence to provide the meanes of grace to bring me under them to shew mee my wanderings Ah sinfull lost undone creature And yet the Gospell of grace and the word of grace invites me to mercie Oh Is it possible that such a foule as mine should be recovered That I am yet alive yet on this side hell yet enjoy these meanes Rom 2.4 The goodnesse of the Lord leadeth unto repentantance and it incourageth the sinner both to comfort and amendment doth the Lord vouchsafe mee these mercies why not my heart purged why not my corrupt Natures cleansed why Lord thou wast mercifull to Manasses who after all his wickednesse repented and received mercy 4. If yet the sinner shall turne this goodnesse of God into wantonnesse and pervert the meanes of grace unto by ends because he is yet in strength and health doth and will continue still in his sinnes delaies his repentance Repentance will be soone enough hereafter That the wisedome of God groweth almost resolved to forsake him because all the wayes thereof for the sinners reformation are neglected The goodnesse of God is resolved to incourage him no more because despised yet the patience of God commeth in and when the Lord is even leaving the sinner and Justice taking hold of vengeance the blessed patience of God steps in and pleades and enters a new succor It intreates the Lord to stay one yeare longer When the Lord came three yeares to the Figetree Luke 13.7 and found no fruit Cut it downe saith the Lord nay stay Lord saith the Keeper of the Vineyeard another yeare it may beare So that Gods patience prevailes that God doth not yet proceede in justice and execute judgement Hos 11.8 9. How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israell how shall I makethee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zebeim mine hart is turned within mee my repentings are kindled together I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger c. See how patience pleades for a poore creature Oh Lord this poore sinner hath delayed but he will

should usurpe this power on his brethren but the people would not hear the voyce of Samuel but did say Nay but there shall be a King over us So it is with every carnall heart when the word cometh so close home to his Conscience that he cannot evade it yet out of a desperate madnesse he saith I will not obey it but let all such know that though the command of God prevail not with them to convert them here yet it shall one day prevail over them to damne them for ever Mat. 25.46 These shall go into everlasting paine The reasons of the point follow First Carnall men do thus oppose the truth as hath been shewed because they are unwilling for to have their sins discovered and removed there sinnes are as deare unto them as their lives as the life of their precious souls which are more worth then all the world and will not a man strive for his life Now when the word of God comes to pluck the cup from the drunkard the whore from the Adulterer pleasure from the voluptuous man they part with them as they would part with their lives they will rather suffer their sinnes to kill their immortall souls then the word to kill their sins Secondly Because a carnall minded man cannot take pleasure in any thing if he be debarred of his liberty of sinning he accounts it a plague vexation to live under a stirring Ministery or in a Godly family where he dares not wallow in sinne as he would Oh how tedious is it Hence how will he rejoyce when the Godly who are the Pillars of the Land are removed Revel 11.10 When the two witnesses are killed Then they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and be glad and shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets vexed them that dwelt on the earth The Gospell of Christ is not onely a stumbling block but an affliction to the world and the Ministery thereof is the savour of death unto death to those that perish 2. Cor. 2.16 Thirdly carnall men doe thus oppose the truth because it will not allow them any fin my of their sweete morsells they would be willing to part with those finnes that they are not much inclined unto the young man in the Gospell went far and Herod reformed many things and Agrippa was almost perswaded to be a Christian but when it came to their bosome corruption there they stick Demetrious and his fellow-crafismen raise sedition against Paul when he once began to confute the opinion which men had of Dianas Image by which craft they got their gaine for gaine cloaked with a shew of Religion is the very cause whereof Idolatry is stoutly and stubbornly defended Use 1 For examination Is is so that corrupt hearts doe hinder the word from working effectually upon them then let us examine our selves whether the Commandments of the Lord are not greiveous unto us whether we could not wish that many of them that forbid such and such of our beloved sinnes were not raysed out of the Booke of God whether we doe not thinke God a hard Master and that he layeth too strick a charge and tye upon us If it be thus with us it is an undoubted argument that our hearts are earnall deceitfull above all and desperately wicked as Jeremiah speakes There is indeed in the best of Gods Children some secret resisting against the truth because there will be flesh as well as spirit in them so long as they are on this side the grave but when it stirres they lie not downe under it but fall out with their owne hearts and take up Armes against those enemies of their peace and happinesse it is one thing to have sinne remaining another thing to have sinne ruling Now this truth meeteth especially with two sorts of false-hearted men 1. Discreete hypocrites 2. Subtile hypocrites 1. Discreete hypocrites Discretion indeed simply considered in it selfe is a blessed worke of Gods Spirit wrot in the hearts of his people and is alwayes acting upon good grounds in a good matter and to a right end But there is a worldly discretion that lodgeth in hypocriticall hearts which turnes to the destruction of many a soule therefore I call such a one a discreete hipocrite one that will alwayes indeavour to be on the strongest side one that will joyne with the most though it be with the worst one that according to the Proverb Will hunt with the Hound and run with the Hare one that regards not whether the Cause of Christ sinke or swime so he may save himselfe one that thinks them all madde men that will suffer for Religion or for conscience sake that want his discretion and will not turne with the winde as he doth he is one that can be zealous for the Glory of God so long as it runnes a long with his owne advantage as John false hearted John was very zealous in executing the Lords Command in cutting off the house of Ahab root● and branch that so he might settle himselfe the faster in the Kingdome But when it cometh to the touch that he must either forsake Christ or the world then De●●● like he follows this present world his religion ebbs and flows with the Current of the times he lives in with the wicked he can shew himselfe wicked with the righteous he can shew himselfe righteous be hath his religion as it were in a ser●e he can set it higher and lower according as the times goe he can serve God upon any termes after any fashion he indeavours to please all that so he may get himselfe a name amongst men when as the Lord will spue hins out of his mouth because he is neither hot nor cold Rev. 3.16 This is a discreete hypocrite Secondly the subtile hypocrite one that pretends nothing but love and likeing to religion as if he made it the aime and end of his course one that would not be knowne to thinke much lesse to speake any thing against the truth when in the meane while his owne heart knowes that he is a secres Vnderminer of it he pretends he seekes after the Liberty of the Gospell when he seekes his owne carnall liberty like Saul who pretended that he kept alive the cheife of the Cattle for sacrifice when it was meerely out of a covetous humour that he did it Further he is one that will pretend marvellous humility he will seeme to be content to doe any thing to suffer any thing for the truth and all this out of a vaine ostentation he seekes himselfe in all and though he can denie himselfe in some lawfull comforts yet it is onely out of a selfe end that he doeth it and therefore it is not acceptable with the Lord saith David Psal 119.6 I shall not be ashamed nor confounded when I have respect to all thy Commandements Now this hypocrite hath not respect to all Gods Commandements therefore he shall surely be confounded Use 2 Is for