Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	child_n	parent_n	sin_n	1,848	5	5.5136	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82010	A persuasive to full communion, with the churches of Christ in all Gospel-ordinances and priviledges Containing an essay for the conviction and reformation of such adult, or grown persons who live in the sinful neglect of baptism and the supper of the Lord. Together with an account of the manner of the transition of church-members from their infant to their adult-state, and regular admission to full communion. Written, for the help of such as need instruction in these spiritual concerns, 1 Cor. 12. 13. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be jews or gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. By the late reverend Mr. George Day, minister of the gospel in London-street in Ratcliff / 1697.	Day, George, d. 1697.	1698 (1698)	Wing D461; ESTC R232085	42,081	116

been made an Example for this Omission as Exod. 4.24 Here its worthy our serious Observation least any should think the Punishment threatned to be greater than the Sin deserved God was pleased to give the Reason of it in the formentioned Gen. 17.14 He hath broken my Covenant God calls a Rejection and Contempt of the Seal of the Covenant a breach of the Covenant it self Now if Baptism come in the room of Circumcision as Protestants generally conclude from Col. 2.11 12. And if God was so angry with his Servant Moses for neglecting to Circumcise his Son that he met him and sought to kill him Judge you whether those Parents that neglect to Baptize their Children have not cause to fear that God is angry with them also though he doth not presently manifest it in his Providence nor can we suppose him to be well-pleased with the Children of such careless or erronious Parents who imitate them in Sin when grown up by Living in the neglect of this Ordinance Sixthly Consider That such as slight and neglect the outward Baptism of Water may justly fear they were never yet Partakers of the inward Baptism of the Holy-Ghost which is signified thereby and that they are still unsanctified or unholy Souls for where the Spirit of God comes with Power he convinceth of Sin John 16.8 and the neglect of any Ordinance of Christ is one Sin of which the Spirit will certainly Convince such as are guilty whenever he Works savingly on them and if you have not had the Convincing-work of the Spirit upon you surely you know nothing of its Converting Renewing and Sanctifying-work and if so should you Dye in this Condition you have no Ground that I know to hope for the Witnessing and Comforting-work of the Spirit in Death nor for Eternal Life after it for none but Holy Souls have a Promise of these Blessings It 's true God can sanctifie the Soul by his Spirit though the Body be not washed with Water therefore I do not say that none are sanctified by the Spirit that are not Baptized with Water for doubtless there are many Instances of the contrary as Elect Infants that Dye before Baptism and others But this I do affirm that seeing God hath been pleased to set up Ordinances in his Church to be the Means of Grace made it our Duty to use them and doth usually Work Grace in and by them it is a Sin to neglect these Ordinances where they may be had and such as do so have Cause enough to fear they never yet received any saving Benefit by them For that would make them to prize Ordinances highly and continue in the diligent use of them Now consider Can you be Content to Live without sanctifying Grace and Dye without Comfort and well-grounded Hope of Heaven at last Seventhly Consider That the sinful neglect of one Ordinance provokes God to withhold his Blessing from other Ordinances as a just and suitable Punishment of that Sin and I fear this is one Reason why so many unbaptized Persons profit little by Reading and Hearing the Word God sometimes Threatens a People that though they hear the Word they shall not understand and though they see they shall not perceive that their Hearts shall be made Fat their Ears heavy and their Eyes shut least they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Hearts and Convert and be Healed as Isa 6.9 10. Should God say thus concerning such as you how miserable would your Condition be You have Cause to fear it for your Sin provokes him to it Supposing now that these Considerations duly weighed may be sufficient to convince you of the sinfulness of your neglecting Baptism and they will be so if the Holy Spirit of God sets in with them for which I Pray In the next Place let me give you some plain Councels and Directions for the performance of your Duty First Be deeply humbled before the Lord for your sinful neglect of this Ordinance hitherto acknowledge it to God with Shame and Sorrow of Heart beg Pardon of it in the Name of Christ and resolve to use all good endeavour duly to prepare for the Participation of it and set presently upon the Work as remembring Time is short Life uncertain and delays in Soul-matters most dangerous Secondly Get a Competent Knowledge of the Principal or Foundation-Truths of the Christian-Religion which the Assemblies Catechisms both Shorter and Larger well Read and Considered will help you to if you have not already attained it especially acquaint your selves well with the Nature of the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel-seals of it Baptism and the Lords-Supper which the Sacramental Catechism opens to you Thirdly For your better Help in this great Concern apply your selves to some able and faithful Minister of Christ especially to such under whose Ministry you do ordinarily sit and open your Souls Case to him propound your Doubts or Scruples if you have any ask his spiritual Counsel or Instruction and desire his Prayers to God in your behalf Fourthly Beg earnestly of God that you may have compleat Baptism or be baptized not only outward with Water but inwardly by the Holy Ghost as John 3.5 And have not only the washing of Regeneration but the Renewing of the Holy Ghost as Tit. 3.5 Pray that you may be meritoriously washed from the guilt of Sin by the Blood of Christ and efficaciously washed from the filth and Power of Sin by the Spirit of Christ 1 John 1.7 Rev. 1.5 1 Cor. 6.11 Fifthly Give your Understanding and hearty Consent to the Covenant of Grace and humbly and thankfully accept and chuse JEHOVAH the only Living and True God to be your God and give up your selves to him as his Covenant Servants as Isa 44.5 and Isa 56.4 5. When this is done you may humbly Claim the Ordinance of Baptism as your Right and Priviledge being a Seal to confirm the Covenant between God and your Souls Now as for the Manner of Administration that is to be left to the Prudence of the Ministers of Christ who are to be the Dispensers of this and all other Gospel-Ordinances I pretend not to prescribe to any But hope I shall offend none by giving an account of my own Practice which I submit to the Censure of more mature Judgments When by Conference with and Instruction of the Person seeking Baptism I apprehend Him or Her to have a Gospel-right to and fitness for it At the Time of Administration I first speak something touching the Nature Use and Ends of this Ordinance and the Covenant of Grace to which it doth belong And then seek the Lord by Prayer for his Blessing on it Then I propose these following Questions to the Adult Person that is to be Baptized and receive his Answers Q. Were You never yet Baptized as far as you do understand A. No. Q. Are you willing and desirous to be Baptized A. Yes it is my earnest and hearty

than that this Hand of mine should give the Holy Things of the Lord that is the Lords-Supper to the adjudged Contemners of God Melch. Adam in the Life of Calvin Now should not every faithful Minister of Christ be as careful to keep this Ordinance of Christ from Prophanation and their own Souls from Participation of other Mens Sins as he Doubtless they should 6. You do not forbear to Consult a Lawyer about your Estates or a Physician about your Bodies when occasion requires it for fear they will ask you such Questions as you cannot answer But you willingly submit to their Inquiries because you know it is necessary that they should understand your Case that they may give you proper and agreeable Counsel and Advice and should you not be as willing to submit to the Inquiries of Gospel-Ministers the Counsellors and Physicians of your Souls that they may know your Spiritual State and give you such Counsel as is suitable to it Obj. 4. But we are ashamed to come before Ministers and have not Confidence enough to Discourse with them nor are we able to express our Minds to them or give an account to them of our Knowledge Ans 1. You should be ashamed of nothing but Sin To be ashamed of Duty or of what is good is a sinful Shame and you have Reason to be ashamed of such a Shame and Repent of it and Pray against it until you are Cured of it Yet 2. It must be granted there is a natural Bashfulness in some especially in those of the weaker Sex and in Youth that is not easily Conquered this Ministers do well Understand and therefore Prudence will direct them to Treat such with the greater Tenderness and Mildness 3. Ministers will not expect that such should express the Sense of their Minds with that readiness that others of a bolder Spirit may but will wisely consider their Weakness and discern Sincerity under Imperfection Obj. 5. But others say we are afraid to come to this Holy Ordinance least we should Eat and Drink unworthily for we should thereby become Guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and Eat and Drink Damnation to our selves as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 11.27 29. And we dare not run such an Hazzard as this Ans 1. It must be granted that it is very hazardous for all wicked and graceless Persons to meddle with this Holy Ordinance for they cannot but abuse and Prophane it and so bring themselves under great Guilt and become liable to great Punishment for it therefore none such should dare to Approach this Ordinance until they Repent of their Sins and are Converted this Ordinance being appointed not to work Grace where it is wanting but to Increase and Strengthen it where it is already wrought 't is Childrens Bread and not to be given unto Dogs Yet know 2. If you are yet in a graceless State you are already in danger of Damnation for your other Sins though you keep from the guilt of this and so should as much fear it as those that are guilty of this Sin Nor is this Sin unpardonable but upon true Repentance both hath been and may be forgiven 3. The Sin of Eating and Drinking unworthily lies in a Persons not discerning the Lords Body that is in not distinguishing or not putting a difference between Ordinary and Common Bread and this Sacramental and Holy Bread by which the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ is signified and represented and in using this Bread with as little Preparation Care Regard and Reverence as he doth the other Now gracious Souls know there is a great difference between Common Bread and this Holy Bread and therefore will take due care to use it in an Holy and Reverent Manner and so keep from the guilt of unworthy Partaking though they are not altogether free from sinful Weaknesses and Infirmities in this as well as in other Duties which yet should not keep them off from this Ordinance because upon their Repentance they are Pardoned to them for Christs sake 4. The Threatning mentioned in the Text of Damnation or Judgment is not designed by the Apostle to affrighten Christians from this Ordinance but to Caution them against the Prophanation of it 5. Consider that the neglect of a known Duty and turning your backs upon an Ordinance of Christ is a Sin and makes liable to Damnation or Judgment as well as the ill performance of a Duty or the Partaking of an Ordinance unworthily and you ought to fear the one as well as the other It is well worth your Consideration what Christ intimates to us in that Parable of the Marriage-Feast of the Kings Son Mat. 22. That those who made Light of the Gracious Invitation and refused to come were at last as blame-worthy as those who came without a Wedding Garment and therefore as he was Punished for his Defect so were they for their Disobedience And most deservedly for of the two they were the greater Sinners it being a greater Sign of Contempt wholly to neglect an Ordinance of Christ than to Partake of it without some due Qualifications as one well Observes so that the only way to avoid the Danger on both Hands is to examine your selves carefully concerning your Right to and fitness for this Ordinance and when you have an Evidence of these so Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup with Holy Care and Reverence Obj. 6. But we fear to come to this Holy Ordinance lest we should Sin again after it and then what will become of us Ans 1. It must be acknowledged you have Cause enough to fear sinning after this Ordinance as well as before while you are liable to Temptations from without and have Corruption remaining within you inclining you to close with them The Sense of your danger should make you to watch against Temptations and Occasions of Sin and nourish in you a fear of Caution Such a fear while it keeps within its due Bounds is your Duty and of great use to prevent Sin But it is immoderate and sinful if it makes you neglect another known Duty as Receiving the Lords-Supper is and no better than being guilty of one Sin to avoid another 2. There is not a Child of God on Earth that is perfectly free from the danger of sinning while he is in this imperfect tempted State and you may not expect to be freed from it any more than others so that if none should come to this Ordinance but such as live without Sin we must all lay aside the Use of it for there are no such Persons on this side Heaven Eccl. 7.20 1 John 1.8 James 3.2 3. Know that the right Use of this Ordinance is a good mean to keep you from sinning being a solemn renewing your Covenant with God and a new Bond laid on your Souls to love and serve the Lord and walk the more Circumspectly and a means to strengthen Grace in you 4. If you do Sin after your Partaking of

I say it is necessary that we should use the Means appointed by Christ in Order to our Salvation and this is one of them If we would obtain the End we must use the Means it being no better then a Tempting of God to expect the one without the other 3. The neglect of this Ordinance is a Sin being a Disobedience to a plain Command of Christ who says Do this in Remembrance of me and unless God grant Repentance to those that are guilty of it it will prove damnable Now while Men continue in this neglect they do not truly repent of it for there is no true Repentance without Reformation 4. God hath no where promised Salvation to such as Live and Dye in the known and wilful neglect of this or any other Ordinance or Duty but threatens the contrary and who would hazard his Salvation by such a neglect Obj. 10. But say others we have heard of such ill things of some Church-Members that we think it a disgrace to us to Joyn with them though they make Holy Professions yet their Practices are unholy and prophane and scandalous and this keeps us off from their Communion Ans 1. It may be the Report you have heard is false and only raised by some Enemy to Religion and the Professors of it if so you wrong both your selves and the Persons concerned in believing of it before you have throughly examined the Truth of it it is sinful to Take up a Reproach against our Neighbour as Psalm 15.3 2. Suppose the Report appear to be true yet their Church-Membership is not the cause of those Immoralities but the Corruption of their own Hearts or the want of that Grace which they pretend to have 3. Their Sin is to themselves and shall not be charged on those that hold Church-Fellowship with them if they do their Duty in Admonishing and Reproving them for it and do no way Partake with them therein Such a Reproof Prudently and privately given by a Fellow-Member may be Blessed of God to the Conviction and Reformation of a disorderly Walker being a Means of Christs own Appointment to this End If not the Reprovers ought to acquaint the Church with it that they may use Church-Discipline upon them which if they neglect the Reproving Members will have this to satisfie them that they have discharged their Duty and delivered their own Souls as Mat. 18.15 16. 4. The Participation of all Gospel-Ordinances being the Priviledge as well as the Duty of all true Believers to be kept from any of them must be a Loss and Punishment so that if you are such and yet keep your selves off from any Ordinance of Christ because some of those that Partake of them are guilty of scandalous or disorderly Walking you punish your selves for the Faults of others which is Injustice 5. To keep off from any Ordinance of Christ meerly because some unworthy Persons partake of it is to make their Sin in one kind an occasion of your sinning in another kind Their Sin being a Sin of Commission yours a Sin of Omission 6. If all that truly fear God should keep off from Joyning with this or that Particular Church because there are some Members in it that are disorderly Walkers either all such Churches must be dissolved or else they must be made up only of such disorderly Walkers But I suppose no Wise and Good Man will say that either of these ought to be You must know the Visible Church of Christ on Earth hath Hypocrites in it as well as sincere Christians and when the Hypocrisie of any Member appears by their open and scandalous Sins that Particular Church to which they belong ought to use Church-Discipline upon them to bring them to Repentance and Reformation and to keep themselves free from a share in their Guilt But no Christian ought to keep from Joyning with a Particular Church because there are some such Peccant Members in it Obj. 11. But if this Ordinance is to be used only in Remembrance of Christ say some we can remember him well enough without it we think of him every Day the Reading and Hearing of the Word puts us frequently in Mind of Him How can any Christian forget him that hath done and suffered so much for them Therefore we see no such need of this Ordinance for this End Ans 1. This Objection savours rankly of Ignorance and Pride which are very Provoking Sins in the Eyes of God did you well understand the Nature Use and Ends of this Holy Ordinance and the spiritual Benefit of a right Participation of it you would not think it a needless Thing And were you not puffed up with Pride you would not account your selves wiser than Christ himself who Instituted this Ordinance which he had never done had he not intended it for the Spiritual Good of the Receivers Did Christ judge it needful and dare you say it is needless Doth it become sinful Dust contemptible Worms to slight an Ordinance of their Lord and Saviour 2. Though the Reading and Hearing of the Word are useful to put us in Mind of Christ yet the use of this Holy Supper may do it more Effectually For some Truths do more powerfully affect our Hearts when they are conveyed to us by the Eye than by the Ear The Sight of the Execution of a Man usually makes deeper Impressions on our Spirits and moves our Affections more than a bare hearing of it doth Now in this Ordinance Christ is represented as Crucified before our Eyes as Gal. 3.1 And our dull and dead Hearts need the most Heart-affecting and quickning Means and Ordinances 3. Know that this Ordinance is Instituted for other Holy Ends besides that of remembring Christ as to be a Seal of the Covenant of Grace To be a means to nourish and strengthen Grace c. as you have heard before and so is needful and to be used for those Ends as well as for that 4. Gracious Souls have sometimes met with some peculiar Manifestations of Christ and of his Love in this Ordinance and such Spiritual Refreshment Strength and Comfort as they found not in Reading or Hearing the Word For Christ will not be wanting to bless his own Ordinances to their proper Ends and their Experiences should be Arguments encouraging others to use this Ordinance in hopes of the like Benefits Obj. 12. But say others we are so Incumbred and Distracted with the Cares and Troubles of this World that we cannot be enough Composed in our Spirits to approach this Holy Ordinance could we once get well through them we would then endeavour to prepare for it and come to it Ans This is no Just Plea or Excuse for your neglect of this Ordinance for Consider 1. God allows you sufficient Time for necessary Cares about your Worldly Matters and appoints you proper time also for the care of your spiritual Concerns and it is your Duty to see that every Thing be minded in its due Time and Place