Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A40269
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The state of the birth temporal & spiritual and the duty and state of a child, youth, young-men, aged-men, and fathers in the truth : also, shewing that children are the heritage of the Lord, and that he hath a glory in them / by George Fox.
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Fox, George, 1624-1691.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing F1922; ESTC R28010
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9,634
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14
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The State of the Birth Temporal Spiritual AND THE Duty and State OF A Child Youth Young-Men Aged-Men and Fathers in the Truth Also shewing That Children are the Heritage of the Lord and that he hath a Glory in them By George Fox Children are the Heritage of the Lord and he hath a Glory in them and they are to be trained up in the fear of the Lord. That your Children may be blessed after you Prov. 20.7 And may be blessed with thee Psal 147.13 for blessed is every one that feareth the Lord Psal 128.1 LONDON Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane near Shoreditch 1683. The State of the Birth Temporal and Spiritual c. THe State and duty of a Child Youth and Young-men and the State of Aged-men and Fathers it is the Lord that doth bring to the birth David Saith My Substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret c. Thine Eyes did see my Substance yes being unperfect and in thy book all my members were writen which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there were none of them for thou possessedst my reins when thou coveredst me in my Mothers Womb. Here you may see Gods infinite and All-seeing Eye Work and Providence the Darkness nor secrets hide not from God but the Night shineth to him as the day and the Darkness and the Light are alike to his All-seeing Eye who made both and therefore all are to Consider how God hath made them and fashioned them Psal 139. And the Lord saith in Isa 66. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth saith the Lord Shall I cause to bring forth and shut the Womb saith my God So here you may see it is the Lord that fashions in the Womb and brings it forth both the Natural birth and the Spiritual birth and opens the womb and shuts the womb both the womb of the Morning and of Eternity and of the Natural And the Lord said to Jeremiah in the 1st chapter Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee c. And so here all may see and consider and know themselves to be the great Work of God that when God that forms and fashions you in the Womb and brings to a birth and hath brought you forth that you may chuse the Good and forsake the Evil that you may remember and consider that you are the Work of the Lord and remember your Creator and who hath fashioned you and formed you in the womb and hath brought you to a birth and hath brought you forth to Fear and Serve and Worship and Honour him that hath made thee and brought thee forth For as Solomon saith in Eccless 12. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth whilst the Evil days come not or before the Evil days do come Now this is the duty of all Youth let them be Males or Females to remember their Creator and let him not go out of their memory so that they may be fitted to stand in the Evil dayes when they come for when they grow up to be young-men then the evil dayes will appear in which they may be tempted to Adultery Fornication Drunkenness Theft Murder Lying Consening Cheating Vnrighteousness Vngodlyness Lightness Wantonness Pleasures and other Evils by which they may forget their Creator by going into such Evils when they are tempted to such things the Evil days are come to try Youth for they that yield unto such Evils before-mentioned forget their Creator and forsake him for Solomon saith Train up a Child in the Way he should go and when he is Old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 Here is the duty of Parents and the duty of Children which is to be practised and followed Now here is the duty of Youth To remember his Creator in the days of his Youth before the Evil days come But what must we do when we come to be young men What is their means and duty David declareth in Psal 119.9 Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his ways By taking heed to thy word c. Thy Word I have hid in my Heart and do meditate on thy Word that I might not sin against thee So now for all Young men to take heed to the Word of God in their hearts and hide it in their hearts and to meditate upon it for the Word is called a Hammer and a Sword and a Fire to hammer down and cut down and burn up that which would defile them in their Ways Words and Hearts And the Apostle saith That the Word of Faith which he preacht was in their hearts and mouthes to obey it and to do it Rom. 10. And the engrafted Word was able to save their souls James saith And Peter saith That they were to feed upon the sincere Milk of the Word but they which are hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word deceive their own souls And Christ said to his Disciples Now ye are clean through the Word c. So this Word will keep the Ways and the Hearts of Young men clean the Word of God which is a Sanctifying Word a Reconciling Word and Christ told the Jews His Word had no place in them And again he told the unclean Jews Ye have not his Word to wit the Word of God abiding in you So these Jews made a great Profession of the Scriptures but had not the Word of God abiding in them John 5. then they were not like to be made clean by it And Christ said Sanctifie them through thy Word thy Word is Truth to wit his Disciples and Believers And again Christ saith I have given them thy Word and they have kâ—pt thy Word namely his Disciples to wit the Word of God John 17. Now here you may see the Disciples kept the Word of God which was the means to keep their Hearts Wayes and Words clean but the Jews Priests Scribes and Pharisâ—es that made a great outward Profession of the Scriptures whose ways were unclean and mouthes full of foul unclean words against Christ Christ told them That the word of God did not abide in them And therefore though they had the Scriptures and made an outward Profession of them like the Professors of our Age and others who go from the means the Word of God in their hearts to keep their Ways and Lips clean and to Sanctifie them Therefore they plead for a Body of Death to the â—rave and a Purgatory when they are dead who live in a profession of the Letter without the Word And John saith I have written unto you young men because you are Strong and the Word of God abideth in you and you have overcome the wicked one viz. the Devil by the Word of God which was before the Devil was So here you may see what is the means by which the Young mens ways are cleansed and sanctified
Heritage And you may see in Luke 19.43 44. the Judgments that Christ pronounceth upon the Jews and their Children that disobeyed God and did not believe in him and Christ saith While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may become Châ—ldren of the Light Here Christ encourages his believers with a new Name that believe in the Light to wit Children of the Light John 12.36 And Paul saith to the believers in the Light Ye were sometimes in Darkness that was when they did not believe in the Light but now are ye Light in the Lord walk as Children of the Light Ephess 5.8 Ye are all the Children of the Light and the Children of the day we are not of the Night nor of Darkness 1 Thes 5.5 These are the Believers in the Light as Christ Commands And John saith My little Children 1 John 2.2 these thing I write unto you that you sin not c. and if any man sins we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous c. but they must take heed of sinning willfully I write to you little Children because your Sins are forgiven you for his Name sake here is a comfort to Christs little Children Again John saith to little Children It is the Last Time and as ye have heard that Antichrist should come even now are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the Last time they went out from us to wit the Antichrists but they were not of us to wit the elect members of the Church of Christ for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out from us that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us And these things I have written unto you concerning them that seduce you but the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and you need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him And now little Children abide in him to wit Christ c. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinned from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was made manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God In this the Children of God are manifest from the Children of the Devil which is a clear manifestation and distinction Again John saith My little Children Let not us love in Word neither in Tongue but in Deed and in Truth hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our hearts before him This is a good tryal little Children 1 John 3. Ye are of God little Children and ye have overcome them to wit Antichrist and the World and its God because greater is he that is in you than he that 's in the World a good reason to little Children the greater to overcome the lesser and every one that Loveth him to wit God that begot him loveth him also that is begotten of him by this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments this is a good tryal and a manifestation 1 John 5. And Paul saith to the Galations in chap. 4. My little Children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you This is a good Travel which should be every true Christians and not to travel to persecute Christ where he is formed within his people for that is a bad travel And John writes to the elect Lady and her Children whom he loved in the Truth c. and said I rejoyced greatly that I found thy Children walking in the Truth c. this is cause of great Joy to see Gods Children walk in the Truth Again he writes Gaius whom I love in the Truth said he I have no greater Joy then to hear that thy Children walk in the Truth 3 Epist of John Now this is a concern for all true Christians that they and their Children walk in the Truth that they may have the Joy and comfort of them in the Lord and his Truth in this World and in the World to come And every one that names the name of Jesus let them depart from Iniquity and not live in Iniquity and to see that their Children do depart from Iniquity for David saith The Lord hates all Workers of Iniquity and saith Depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity and therefore train up all your Children in the nurture and fear of the Lord that both you and they may all serve God in his Spirit in your Creation and Generation for Children are the Heritage of the Lord and ought to be trained up in his fear and serve and worship him in his Spirit and Truth for it is the Lord that gives the increase of them all it is he that brings to the Birth and gives power to bring forth whether it be Natural or Spiritual and the Life and Breath and the Souls of all is in his hand and Power I was by him as one brought up with him I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth and my delights are with the Sons of men Now therefore hearken unto me O ye Children for blessed are they which keep my Ways hear instruction be wise and refuse it not Prov. 8. Here you may see the Eternity of Wisdom which is to be desired for the blessing it brings The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians That I have espoused you one Husband that I may present you as a Chaste Virgin to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 THE END