Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	charity_n	faith_n	justification_n	2,032	5	9.8267	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09088	The second part of the booke of Christian exercise, appertayning to resolution. Or a Christian directory, guiding all men vnto their saluation. / VVritten by the former author R.P..; Booke of Christian exercise. Part 2.	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610. Christian directory.; Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610. First booke of the Christian exercise.	1592 (1592)	STC 19382; ESTC S126315	217,410	610

the true Messias doth sufficiently teach vs that we must not only belieue in his name doctrine but conforme our liues actions also to the prescript rule of his commaundements For albeit in Christian Religion faith be the first principall foundation whereupon all the rest is to be staied and grounded Yet as in other materiall buildings after the foundation is layde there remaineth the greatest labour time cost cunning and diligence to be bestowed vpō the framing furnishing of other parts y t must ensue euen so in thys celestiall edifice or building of our soule hauing laid on the foundation and ground of true beleefe the rest of all our life time labor studies is to be imployed in the perfecting of our lyfe and actions and as it were in raysing vp the wals and other parts of our spiritual building by the exercise of all vertues dylligent obseruation of Gods cōmandements without the which it will be to no more purpose for vs to brag of our knowledge in the scriptures or to say we haue fayth looke to be saued as wel as other men then it wil be to purpose to haue a foundation without a building vpon it or a stock or tree y t beareth no fruite Which thing S. Iames speaking of that historical and dead fayth wherby the wicked and the very deuils themselues belieue that there is one GOD expresseth most excellently in thys fit similitude As a bodie without a spirit is dead euen so saith he is fayth without workes Thys poynt of doctrine of vertuous life obseruing of Gods commandements not our sauior Christ alone in hys Sermon most earnestly vrged as hath beene sayde but hys fore-runner also S. Iohn the Baptist and his followers the holy Apostles whereof the one continually called vpō the people to bring forth fruits meete for repentance the other in all theyr wryting no doubt in all theyr Sermons after matter of doctrine and fayth propounded do proceede to exhortation precepts of Christian lyfe In so much as S. Augustine other auncient Fathers are of opinion that the rest of the Apostles S. Peter S. Iames S. Iohn and S. Iude perceiuing the loosenes and security of the people in their times directed theyr writings eyther onely or principally to thys ende euen to perswade and enforce the necessitie of good life conuersation among Christians Yea and that Saint Paule himselfe when he concludeth that a man is iustified by fayth without the works of the Law doth not exclude the workes of charitie as effects and fruites of fayth which followe hym that is already iustified in the sight of God but hee excludeth them as causes of saluation which goe before him that is to be iustified Whereby it appeareth that saint Paul handling the causes of our iustification in the sight of God is not repugnant ●r contrary to S. Iames speaking o● the notes and signes whéreby we are iustified that is as the worde is taken els where declared or knowne to be iust or righteous before men The sum is that although good works are not the causes of our saluation yet they are the way as it were the path that leadeth thervnto because by them as by certayne marks we perceiue our selues to haue entered and to haue proceeded in the way of eternal life Yea they are the fruites and effects wherby we testifie and declare both vnto our selues and to others the truth of that fayth which we professe And therefore our Sauiour Christ willeth vs in y e gospel to let our light shine before men that they seeing our good works may take occasion therby to glorifie our heauenly Father And his holy Apostle Saint Iames byddeth those carnall and sensuall Christians that stoode so much vpon the onely name of faith to shew hym theyr fayth by their works that is they should declare testifie vnto men as I haue sayde the fayth which they professed by the fruites thereof To men I say 〈◊〉 cause men which iudge but by 〈◊〉 outwarde appearance onely cannot know the goodnes of a Tree but by the good fruite which it yeeldeth they cannot discerne the inwarde fayth but by the outward workes But as for God that searcheth the secrets of the hart and raynes it needeth not that we should shewe him our fayth by our works nor may we looke for iustification at his hands by the best of them for thē might we haue wherof to boast but there is no boasting with God therfore no iustifying by works in hys sight Yet notwithstanding the Lord requireth good works at our hands to the end that hymselfe myght be glorified our needie bretheren relieued comforted others gained wonne by our example to the embracing of the same fayth and Religion which we professe our owne fayth exercised and strengthened our calling election made sure confirmed And it is very requisite y t the chyldren of God which are bought with so high a price as with the blood of Iesus shold glorify god both in soule body because they are redeemed both in soule body and not lyue vnto thēselues but vnto him which dyed and rose againe for them This is the end of our election before the foundations of the worlde were layde as the Apostle testifieth Ephes 1 4 euen that we should be holie and blamelesse before hym in loue Thys is the ende of our creation as the same Apostle witnesseth Ephesians 2 10. Where he saith that we are Gods workmanshyp created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes wherein he hath ordayned that wee should walke This is the end of our redemption as old Zachary prophecied Luke 1 74 75 that beeing redeemed and deliuered from all our spirituall enemies and from eternall destruction wherunto we were subiect we should serue God without feare in holines and righteousnesse before hym all the daies of our lyfe Finally this is the ende of our vocation For God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but vnto holinesse and as he that hath called vs is holy so must we be holy in all maner of cōuersation And it cannot be that they which are truely iustified that is to say made righteous by a liuely faith in Christ should not also in some measure be sanctified that is made holy by a faithfull lyfe in hym Let not men therfore deceiue thēselues with the onely name shadow of faith without the nature and substaunce thereof Let them not promise vnto themselues euerlasting life because they knowe y e true God and whō he hath sent Iesus Christ but let them remember how Christ hys Apostle whom he deerely loued expoundeth that saying when hee wryteth By thys we knowe GOD truly if we keepe his commaundements and whosoeuer sayth that ●e knoweth hym and yet keepeth not his commaundements is a lyar and the trueth is not in hym

Babylon put aside the Table stand vpon thy watch ryse vp you Princes from eating and drinking take your Targets in your hands goe and set a watchman vppon the walles and what soeuer hee seeth let him tell you And then was there a watchman set vppon the walles and a Lyon to denounce with open mouth whatsoeuer daunger he saw comming towards them And God taught the Prophet to cry in thys sort to theyr Sentinell or watchman Custos quid de nocte custos quid de nocte Thou VVatchman what seest thou comming towards thee by night what espyest thou O Sentinell drawing on vs in the darkenesse By all which circumstaunce what els is insinuated but that God wold haue vs stand vppon our watch for that his iudgements are to come vppon the world by night when men least think therof they are to come as a theefe at midnight as also in an other place we are admonished and therfore happie is the man that shall be founde watchfull But nowe the doore and sole entrance into thys watch wherof the securitie of our eeternal life depēdeth can be nothing els but consideration for that wher no consideration is there can be no watch nor fore-sight nor knowe●edge of our ●state and consequent●y no hope of our saluation as holy S. Bernard holdeth which thing caused that blessed man to write ●iue whole bookes of consideration ●o Eugenius Consideration is the thing that ●ringeth vs to knowe God and our ●elues And touching God it layeth ●efore vs his Mai●stie his mercie his ●udgments his commaundements ●is threatnings his promises his ●roceeding with other men before ●s wherby we may gather what we ●lso in time must expect at his hands And for ourselues consideration ●s the key that opneth the doore to the closet of our hart vvhere all our Bookes of account doe lye it is the looking glasse or rather the very eye of the soule vvhereby she taketh the view of herselfe and looketh into al her whole estate into her ritches her debts her duties her negligences her good gifts her defects her safety her daunger her way she walketh in her course shee followeth her pace shee holdeth and finally the place end vvherevnto she draweth And without this consideration shee runneth on headlong into a thousand brakes and bryers stumbling at euery step into some inconueniencie or other and continually in perrill of some great and deadly mischeefe And vvonderfull truely it is that in all other busines of thys lyfe men can see and confesse that nothing may bee begun prosecuted or vvell ended without consideration and yet in this great affayre of vvinning heauen or falling into hell fevve thinke consideration greatly necessarie to be vsed I might stand here to shew the infinite other effects and commodities of consideration that as it is y e watch or larum bell that stirreth vp and awakeneth all the powers of our mind the match or tinder that conceiueth nourisheth the ●ire of deuotion the bellows that enkindleth enfl●m●th the same the spur that pricketh forward to all vertuous zealous and h●royc●ll acts and the thing indeede that giueth both light lyfe and motion to our soule Our faith is ●onfirmed increased by cōsideration of Gods works and myracles our hope by consideration of his promises of the true performance therof to all them that euer trusted in him our charitie or loue to God by consideration of his benefits innumerable deserts towards vs our humilitie by consideration of his greatnes of our own infirmitie our courage fortitude by contemplation of his assistance in all causes for his honour our cōtempt of the world by consideration of the ioyes of heauen eternall and so all other vertues both morral diuine doe take their heate quickning and vitall spirite from consideration By the exercise of consideration ● meditation holy Dauid saith that he felt a burning fire to flame within his breast that is the fire of zeale the fire offeruour in Religion the fire of deuotion the fire of loue towardes God and his neighbour And in an other place he saith that by the same exercise he swept and purged his owne spirit which is to bee vnderstood from the dust of thys world frō the dregs of sin from the cōtamination and coinquination of humane creatures for that consideration indeed is the very fan that seuereth and driueth a way the chaffe from the corn For vvhich cause vve shall neuer reade of any holy man from the beginning of the world neither before Christ nor after who vsed not much and familiarly this most blessed exercise of consideration and pondering And for the first three Patriarches it shalbe sufficient to remember the custome of young Isaack recorded in Genesis VVhich vvas to goe foorth towards night into the fielde ad medit andum that is to meditate consider ponder vpon th● vvorkes iudgments and commaundements of God And this hee di● beeing but a childe and vnmarried farre different from the custome o● young Gentlemen now adaies wh●● frequent the fieldes to followe theyr vanities and as little Isaack coulde not haue that custome but from hys Father Abraham so no doubt but hee taught the same to his sonne Iacob Iacob again to his posteritie And as for Moses his successor Iosua it may easily bee imagined howe they vsed this exercise by the most earnest exhortations vvhich they made thereof to others in their speech writings The good Kings of Iuda also notvvithstanding theyr many great temporall affayres doe testifie of themselues cōcerning thys exercise as Dauid almost euery vvhere that the commaundements of God vvere his dayly meditation not onely by day that tota die all the day et per singulos dies euery day et in matutino in the morning et septies in die seauen times a day but also hee insinuateth this custome by night meditatus sum nocte cum corde meo I doe meditate by night in my hart vpon thy commaundements ô Lord signyfying heereby both hys vvatchfulnes by night vvhen other men vvere a sleepe and the hartie ●●re that hee had of this exercise which vve esteeme so little Salomon also King Dauids son so long as he lyued in the grace and fauour of God obserueth this exercise of his Father and exhorteth other men to haue continuall and daylie cogitation in this affaire Which if himselfe had continued still it is likely he had neuer fallen from God by women as he did The good K. Ezechias is reported to haue meditated lyke a Doue that is in silence solitarines with himself alone which is the true vvay of profitable meditation Esay testifieth of his owne vvatching by night in this exercise and howe hee did the same vvith his spirite alone in the very bowels of his hart Holy Iob maketh mention not onely of his manner of