Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	grace_n	sin_n	2,826	5	5.1233	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79459	The dead speaking, or, The living names of two deceased ministers of Christ (contemporary, and eminently usefull in the west of England) viz. Mr. Sam. Oliver, and Mr. Samuel Crook Containing the sermon at the funeralls of the one preached by John Chetwind, B.D. and two severall speeches delivered at the funeralls of them both by William Thomas, B.D. Joyned together at the desire, and for the use chiefly of those Christians who were often occasional partakers of their labours.	Chetwynd, John, 1623-1692.; Thomas, William, 1593-1667. aut	1654 (1654)	Wing C3795; Thomason E726_6; ESTC R206780	57,363	84

their effect either in their conversion or to their greater condemnation Thus then It is not the wisdom Joh. 3. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 17. of words but the Word of wisdom that abides for ever Having thus dispatched the doctrinal part of this truth it remains that I improve it to you by application In the managing of which I shall joyn both the truth of the text and the providence of this time the sad occasion of our present meeting and shall endeavour to make use of both by acquainting you what they speak 1. To this Congregation to whom this Deceased Preacher was a faithful Pastor 2. To us in the Ministry the surviving dispensers of Gospel mysteries 3. To all in general First you that are related as a particular flock of Christ to him that 's gone and to him that speaks Know that this word this work speaks much to you I shall divide my discourse into a twofold Chanel 1. Respecting him that is gone 2. Respecting the opportunities of grace that do or may remain amongst you First then know that this truth that Preachers dye but Gods word never dieth and the death of this our Reverend Brother hath much to say to us I shall give it in six particulars and I desire you would seriously lay them to heart as they proceed from a mind that doth seriously and earnestly desire your good in what is spoken First own Gods goodness in enjoying of him so long for though sad providence hath more suddainly than was expected taken him from us yet may we not be unmindfull of Gods goodness in lending him so long as a great mercy to this place and people for whom as Paul he spent himself in the painfull exercise of his Ministerial gifts He was a burning and a shining light who did not wast out but wear out who did not smother out but burn'd yea flam'd out who spent his Spirits that he might instrumentally communicate Gods Spirit and inliven yours and they that know the passages of his sickness are very confident that it was not the violence of the Wind that blew forth his Lamp but the Oyl was spent and the flame must cease Let us then remember and own him for a mercy who was so successively painfull and usefull in his generation Secondly we have reason all of us but especially he that speaks and you late his charge that are spoken to and all others that hear me this day to lament our loss I may justly take up Elisha's Lamentation when he saw Elijah gone to Heaven before him Ah 2 Kings 21. 12. my Father my Father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof and you have reason to say Alas my Brother Alas our Pastor God expects that we should value our loss and express it by our lamenting for it And the most of us if not all have cause to repent of our sin who have slighted the mercy lent us Who have slept in our day and not walked answerably to this light When Children wax wanton and throw wholesome food to the Dogs its time to remove the Tables if Ephesus wil not repent Rev. 2. 5. and do her first works Christ threatens to come quickly and remove her Candlestick And whether our unthankfulness and unfruitfulness have not provoked the Lord to deprive us of this his servants Ministry I am afraid to deny though I cannot determine Let us however lament our loss repent of our sin Thirdly are there any amongst us I could wish there were none but I fear there are too many to be found the more sad their condition that have not profited as they should have done by the labours of this servant of God Let such lay the blame where its due at their own doors Consider the Parable of the Sower That tells us There were Mat. 13. four grounds on which Seed was cast and but one fruitful Where was the fault Was it in the Seed or Sower No they were the same but the faults lay in the grounds themselves So is it with the hearers of the word when a very few receive advantage and the greatest number remain unfruitful Say not thou then the Physick was weak but thy distemper was strong Say not the meat was unwholesome but know thy Stomach was foul Now it s a true Rule in Physick Corrupta corpora quo magis nutris eo magis laedis Impure Bodies the more you nourish the more you harm They who have bad eyes think the sky alwaies cloudy The fault may be and most times is in our selves when we are ready to lay it upon others People may be unprofitable under the most powerful Ministry because of their own dulness and negligence Do not then in this case as that man who complained of the roughness of the way when he had a thorn in his foot or that Woman Plutarch mentions who being suddainly struck blind bid them open the Windows Fourthly Remember I beseech you the Doctrine of the text That though your Preacher be dead yet his Sermons live and wil live for ever You shall know that he hath been a Prophet of the Lord amongst you It was the desire of his Soul on his sick Bed that this Congregation would consider his death and lay it to heart That they who have not profited by his Sermons in his life might now profit by his departure For assure your selves Gods word by whomsoever spoken as the Sword of Saul wil 2 Sam. 1. 22. never return empty any more than the rain doth as that place formerly cited out of the Prophet Isaiah fully shews So shall not the word of God spoken by any that are faithfull return empty but prosper in the thing whereto God sends it Blessed be God that some of you know that Gods word by him hath taken hold of you for good He hath not wanted the Seals of his Apostleship And 1 Cor. 9. 2. what ever vain men say to the contrary conversion of Souls to God by the Ministry is an Apostolical argument of the rightfulness and lawfulness of the Ministerial call and such a Seal yea divers such Seals had our deceased friend Some that were in Heaven before him and others that are stil below did and do acknowledge him their spiritual Father And Friends you of this City and Congregation shall know that his words wil take hold if not to save you which was his aim and desire yet to judge you at the last day which is your fault and wil be your misery for God wil certainly punish as the Congregation Hos 7. 12. hath heard That the Gospel by him or any other Preach'd prevails for good is Gods grace that it proves a savour of death to death is our sin Now never wonder that such diametrical opposite effects proceed from the same cause You wil not if you consider the reason to be not in the Cause but in the Subject not in the word but in the hearts of those who hear