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	know_v	life_n	2,879	5	4.5653	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29488	A bundle of soul-convincing, directing, and comforting truths clearly deduced from diverse select texts of Holy Scripture, and practically improven, both for conviction and consolation : being a brief summary of several sermons preached at large / by ... M. Roger Breirly ...	Brereley, Roger, 1586-1637.	1677 (1677)	Wing B4659; ESTC R1288	256,743	378

else the outward action little gains Which blessing yet I cannot look to finde Unless my self closs to the means I binde Yea when I feel my heart most backward bent Then most of all it needeth sore constraint As 〈◊〉 hardened 〈◊〉 and much unfittnesse In stocking duties bear me woeful witnesse F●r things in me are not yet brought about That th'inner man can bear the other out But still need unto all good means to presse As freely to Gods glorie I confesse But if that any as it may be some Conceives he is to such perfection come As that his life a holy Sabbath is Though he task work and time set dutie miss Yet mid'st of all his worldly vocation His heart is up in pray'r and meditation And that good thoughts in ordinary greet him Upon occassions still as any meet him So that his actions yea his thoughts and words Glory to God and good to men affords As in some measure novices in grace On others God may banquet for a space I say in measure for I do not hold Perfection here as I before have told I envy not his case happie man he Let him rejoyce in God and pittie me And were it not that men are bound to fear And reverence to Gods ordinance bear And might a Christian dangerlesse dispence With other Christians welfare or offence For ought I see I should go nere it I To think himself he might so edifie And with set times and duties to be bold And by his inward strength firm footing hold But seeing as aforesaid flesh is frail And cannot look at Heaven but through a vail Gods brightnesse being clearer than the light Which seen in strength would quite put out the sight That Rudiments much like our bonnets brim Will help our eye-sight though themselves be dim I dare not for a world of gold advise Men to forbear the least least exercise That any help or furtherance may afford To God-word and hath warrand from his Word No though they lived in the clearest light That ever yet enjoyed earthlie wight For were there no cause else Gods ordinance tho Neglect thereof no man could answer to The simplenesse whereof none may despise Since by those foolish things God daunts the wise There may be in Gods child I grant sometimes As in the top-branch of his first love-primes Feeling himself deep in Gods graces dyed His Soul in Gods pure streams well satisfied Through much conversing in that spiritual businesse In Bodyly lesse care and more remissness I call this Bodily the Churches order In things that Christian libertie afford her Set forms of duties yea the outward Letter Time person place all Rudiments the better There 's difference twixt bare actions as to live Or well or ill which form to actions give I only mean herein I do professe That very form which men call outwardnesse An accident which to the Subject clings And not the solid substance of the things Nor outwardness as 't is Hypocrisie For so it is an evil qualitie And everie act so qualified is sin Which I would no man should be fostered in But I mean that for which in every nature Its Subject doth receive its form and feature Which is the baser portion of the two That in Gods service here on earth we do Herein if any misse themselves shall finde it When deadnesse after shall give breath to mind it Which here I 'le not condemn nor commend it Let them who stir the controversie end it Only I say as I have said before Were we spiritual wholly then no more But instantlie these Rudiments withal Would of themselves even by their nature fall The Soul then from these outward things be freer Whereby it might enjoy its God th'nigher For to the Soul things earthly are a let Made Rudiments to serve our weaknesse yet This may be cause why in our spiritual home Our bodies too shall spiritual ones become Now of Gods presence what 's obtain'd below I take not on me to expresse it no. And whether or how far one may remit Or what in each degree is meet and fit Yet this I say if I in some man see Shew of more grace then e're was yet in me Whose life and carriage I cannot detect The same apparently to contradict For I 'le not plead for all who do professe By goodly words their own much holiness So be 't he climb no more but what the Word Saith God to his both may and do afford Do others as they please I dar not I That this their shew may be in truth deny For though Hypocrisie oft spins a threed Good corn can hardly be descern'd from weed Yet mark what way a man his cariage bends 'T will give good light whether his journey tends Captains love Camps Schollers attend the Schools Husbands the ground bab●es please babes fools This world was but King Alexanders walk Kingdoms and Crowns the subject of his talk Niggards do love to talk of niggardize And liberal men of liberal things devise Weak archers shoot but at a litle length For as the man's so likewise is his strength God hath his Davids from whose breast there springs Thoughts of great hearts like the sons of kings Of whom let this a special token be That their own worths they least of all do see I undertake not here to know or name Particular examples of the same Though whiles I see my self quite overrun VVith sundrie novices but new begun And thinks by them what more 't is like there be VVell grounded ones and of antiquity VVhereof some samples not to me unknown Have been who now do reap what they have sown VVhose testimony I dare well believe VVhich by occasion I have heard them give That they some late years of their h●r● abode Sweet comfort joy and fellowship with God Did constantly or for the most part keep Wherewith I doubt not but they fell asleep Of whose both life and death to testifie Let all who knew them speak as well as I. I say whiles that some such as these I knew I finde good cause to hope there are ●n●●gh But who of this thing would yet further know Gen. 5.22 Luke 4.6 Let him to Gods word and experience goe More yet I say who makes the King a feast And seeds him with the dish he loveth best Though in the mean time somewhat serviceable Be through that care neglected in the stable It shall not be so blam'd if blam'd at all As if it toucht the presence or the hall And Ordinances so in themselves accord That each to others time and turn afford Now 't may well be the spiritual mouth doth rest From chewing whilest the stomack doth digest Nature in man corrupt and finite too Cannot with all things have at once to do As for example hear and read and pray One me suffice to bear the mind away Since there is still as saith the wisest King A seasonable time for every thing The use whereof

he renews his threatnings against Judea that He will pull and pluck up that which He hath planted ●he shews wherein is the cause of his sorrow because he sought great things for himself 3. A promise of safety when evil shall fall upon all flesh yet life shall be given him for a prey Woe is me now What is the grief of Israel had Baruch the book and cast the Word of the Lord away and hardened himself in his clear sight revealed so that judgement must come So that No sure sign of judgement than of hardness of heart under the clear sight of the Gospel of Christ Luke 13. O Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered you together as the hen gathereth her brood under her wings and ye would not Mat. 22. The unthankful guests were bidden but hardened against it T●is is the ab●sing of his long-suffering through hardnesse of heart that cannot repent and yet judging others as the unthankful servant that eateth and drinketh with drunkards In such securitie was Israel fallen now for which Baruch mourned that they cast off the words of Jeremiah saying It is false and God would not cast off his And so follow the Idols and Imaginations of thelt wicked hearts This is the turning of Grace into Wantonnesse like those in Judea for which judgement was prepared they fed their bellies filled their purses by the Gospel but not souls with Faith Love And it is a sign of death when Physick workes not but that the disease grows strong against it so of the soul when the Word of Life prevails not This is a casting off God whose goodnesse we have felt so that now we live of our selves to worke our own peace procure life prevent danger for that is not now called to for counsel nor is help called for as of old and this is the hardnesse wherein to we are all s●llen as woeful experience shews And this is the condemnation That light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Iohn 3. and this appears when sin and rebellion is the same or the greater and yet lesse burdensome and evil than before When knowledge of the Gospel hath shut up repentance from the heart and pride hath drowned humility and love in himself when God of his Judgements are not feared nor selt but we put the evil day far off when iniquity is grown great and impudent and become as ordinarie as our trades and callings are with us Now the time was when the disciples of Christ and Apostles flocked in abundance and left all as Alexander and Demas but after a while they hardened fell to the World and ease thereof The Galatians would have plucked out their eyes but after turned enemies in legal righteousnesse but we to dead securitie even thus with us Time was when the Word was precious and prevailed to rule in us but now we can abide it through wit and fore-knowledge and sleep quietly 1. But well worth tender hearts who eat and live by the Word whether it speak life or death it prevailes above all and hence see the greatest provocation that ever was raised against God whereby his own people had tasted of his love and grown wanton in the flesh and more fearful judgement fell upon them So now the silly ignorant wretch when he hears but of any judgement he trembles and blesseth himself after his own poor sighing fashion but the wise and great devote ones they mock him and say Tush this is nothing we shall escape it and call his word a lye so that we may justly fear the sequell of these fearful signs these more certain signs than in Sun and Moon For where is the mourning weeping and repenting heart Where is the lowly believing mind that joyes in tribulation Where is the open loving single heart without respect Well nay we cry Woe is me now for Israel hath cast off the Lord and we fight against his Word our long peace hath made us secure The Word Works of God are become a dallying to us and we sing pe●●● peace and yet forsake the way and despise the Kingdom of peace God hath added grief to my sorrow New grief to my old sorrow one grief after another that I find no rest though I faint in my sighing see Gods dealing So that God usually tryes his to the bottom and adds one affliction to another to all which he loves and suffers them not to find any ease and rest in the flesh As with Job Psal 78. He brought down their hearts with sorrows Psal 77. He wept all night Thus Paul had fightings and terrors thus Christ and the Martyrs even persecuted unto strange Cities thus Abraham nothing left Psal 4. One deep calls another thus the wayes of Christ and our conformitie to his death For untill man be throughly whipt and beat under he runs to some new shift 1. And so God in love chaseth him from all holes as Abraham though he was brought from his Countrey yet he had no Children then was Isaac given then he had hope in the flesh but he took that away 2. Thus was Gods dealing with the Church though they had some breathings given yet when the flesh b●gan to grow wanton and rejoyce and so they forget and turn from the God of their Life th●n he sent his Rod to waken them that they might not setle on their fleshly ease 3 Thus will God worke good out of evil He lets Satan loose to whip torment his for the destruction o the flesh 4. Man will lay hold upon any thing before he drown yea even a Lease or Reed but God plungeth him into the deep and then he cryes and is heard 5. Light afflictions makes man more wise and wilily to escape in the flesh but sound and deep grief added to sorrow brings down the heart and makes h●m pray Thus we see all seeks rest in the flesh and we have gotten the World to seed us and Religion to ●●ver us in prosperitie and peace and say Soul take thine ease and ●●t as a Queen and say We shall not be moved We add joy to mirth the Pipe and Tabret is in out Feasts we drink and care and laugh in the midst of our finning but Sorrow and Repentance is hid from us We have not resisted unto blood nor affliction hath taken us but such as with a little time of Wisdom could remove or at least forget 1. But know if God intend thee good he will add grief to thy sorrow Thou thinks it a heavie thing to lose Father Husband or Wife but it will be a heavier thing to feel the burden of thy Spirit when God hath turned his Face away and taken all from thee that thou fe●lest nothing but guilt within and death approaching and yet God absent Then will grief be added to sorrow Who then shall comfort thee 2. Thus the

men need not then to fast Though slender shot doth cause the Fool to fall Canons scarce make sign on the Castle-wall The Assailants strength the Objects weakness do Ever contrare to make a deadly blow This is the cause why tender flesh by dint Of sturdy steel receives so deep a print And here especially it must be so Where th'ones strength doth from th' other weakness grow Like mushroms which from harreness of soyl Doth suck his sap and filthy liquor boyl And if you think whiles Faith stands firmly sound Yet sin that while can strike as deep a wound As where ●ts weak you speak things quite contrary And so affirm impossibility Indeed I grant most men coin such a Faith As may of sin abide the better breath And not be sick but such a Faith say I Will with his Master live and with him dye So then such Faith my soul desireth not As is a Poyson but an Antidot Not such as flesh might freely sin as much As it desires and conscience feel no truth But a perfume which casts such smells behind it As foul as made us cannot once abide it Such as prevents that sin can bring no smart For that it first so purifies the heart And though this life afford it not in prime The less it is the more the fault is mine And who imagins sin and this agreeing Feigns a new fiction never yet in beeing Yet is it true that our Salvations ground Rests not herein what good in us is found But in another higher seat doth sit Whick makes our works but underlings to it Hereof it comes that our Divines well say Which words Lewd men may wrest another way That if from works or more or less thou measure Thy certainty thou heapest copper treasure Since God in Christ before all times and place By His Decree determined our case Not from the good that we should after do But of free choice ordaining us thereto Then make not that a cause which is th' effect Of Gods dear love in them He doth elect But whoso draws from Faith by true descent The Pedegree of Works as consequent May thereby judge if no such fruits appear That sound assurance is in no wayes there For good and ill trees by their fruits are known And fruitful seed will spring where it is sown So when I say I wish in God his love Such confidence as sin might not remove My meaning is I wish a ●aith so stable As t' enter therein sin might not be able Or if it did yet hope should not be lost But hid in him whom it so dearly cost As i● that case when Sin and Law is over This were I trow the next way to recover Nor would this cause Gods goodness to despise But in new life still more and more to rise Unless Corruption do abuse the same Which if it do yet grace is not to blame And 't is most true that Unbelief is Mother Of every sin adulteries thefts and other By which is writ the sins of graceless men With Diamond point and with an Iron-pen For Conscience Paper is Ink unbelief Th' affections Pen men whereof Will is chief So then lewd life and true ●aith are no kin For Christ is not the Minister of sin Nor yet doth freedom preaching in such minds As that sweet Doctrine fitted for it findes By its own kind abroad such bastards set More than doth Nature monstrous shapes beget But if this new cloath wider make the rent It only falls out so by accident As when it meeteth with an hardned heart Which wholesome food to poyson will convert As oft it doth too I confesse yet so As that the Law of other sort makes moe I mean of Hypocrites who while they hear The hideous thundrings of the same through fear Worke with a vengeance till their backs do break Wishing mean while their wrath on God to wreak Who still think they most like a cruel Master Layes on more load and bids them worke the faster Yea gathering ever where he hath not strawn And heaping profit where he hath not sown These when they see the Law no mean nor measure Doth hold in loading then they take more leasure And having not the Son to set them free Are tyr'd at length break out at liberty And so a freedom of their own they have But such a liberty as God nev'r gave Whereout off too springs th'Atheist filthy swine The carnal Protestant or Libertine Or else such Hypocrites as still make sure They take no peace but what they may indure Gaining like peace by that their formal walking As doth the Fowler get by Fowlers stalking Much like the Crab their eye sight one way bending The whiles their footsteps are another ●e●ding Whereby it falls out that these counterfeits Are of all other seldom set in Straits Whiles formal walking keeps them flesh bone From being br ken on the Corner-stone A cause why Harlots place in heaven find Before that w●●ke proud Pharisaick kind As for the Law this ground of Faith it gaineth That graceless men it civilly restraineth At le●st until some exigent betide Such as it said and ●ake them turn aside Then wha● wayes best for thee who art a gleaner To make thy God herein the greatest gainer Since that most like as in our Statute Law Ou● of the yoke lewd men their necks can draw By this or that exception or pretence Or otherwise by wresting of the sense And that in our Experience every day Those words prove true that Christ himself did say We pipe to you yet you no measure keep We mourn to you and yet you do not weep 'T is not alace in offering oyl though fountains Nor though all thine were sheep upon the Mountains Nor that thou dost thy Neighbour sorrows grieve Nor yet the poor with all thy goods relieve 'T is not in this nor that corruption killing No nor in Rivers of salt tears distilling 'T is not thy foot from outward evils turning Nor yet thy body given to the burning It neither is in this or that mans teaching Nor is it in the Law or Gospels preaching No no 't is not in him that wills or runs But in Gods mercy which creats us sones Yea Lord it is thy Spirits mind that blows Which none can tell from whence or whither goes But saith one for so I hear one say I thought at length these fellows would display What minds they bear reposing in such wise Themselves in God the means they do despise O God forbid alace let not one brother Such eager censures lay upon another The means I reverence as the thing whereby God saves his Children ordinarily Nay th' only way wherein all Gods elect H●s saving Grace a●d blessing can expect Nay who neglects much more who it contemns Gods Ordinance for his souls health condemns Yea 't is in b●ief Gods worthy Instrument Us'd in his hand his Children to prevent Yet he offends not who more p rases puts