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	life_n	sin_n	9,880	5	5.5192	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16314	The carnall professor Discovering the wofull slavery of a man guided by the flesh. Distinguishing a true spirituall Christian that walkes close with God, from all formalists in religion, rotten hearted hypocrites, and empty powerlesse professors whatsoever. By that faithfull servant of Christ, Robert Bolton B.D. late preacher in Northampton Shire.	Bolton, Robert, 1572-1631, attributed name.; I. T., fl. 1634.	1634 (1634)	STC 3225; ESTC S111236	58,877	294

despaire and in the wicked to torment them before their time yet in respect of God a most friendly admonition for by this a man is suffered in a vision to see and feele the torment of hell to know the price of Christs blood to labour by all meanes possibly to make sure his election In the wicked also it hath this use I could never have thought it possible for a mortall man to have beene capable of that measure of distresse had not the Lord in his mercy for the further subduing also of my bedlame flesh suffered mee sometimes to behold and feele the flashings of hell through his grace causing me as a child to be stilled by the view of fearefull beasts If then in a dream or in a mans life time there may bee such an incredible horror that it may cause the eyes to stare the tongue to rave the haire to stand an end How much more hideous will it be when really and in deede with perfect knowledge sense broad waking we shall feele the strokes of the Almighty the terrours of God shall lay hold of us In consideration whereof in the name of God as you tender your eternall welfare enter into the examination of your selves and discerne of your estates whether they bee carnall or no cry out for the spirit you heare what the Holy Ghost saith If you walke after the flesh ye shall dye How strangely doth the sentence of Corporall death appall a man though pronounced by a wretch like himselfe and shall not the doome of death eternall given out by the Holy Ghost at all astonish you Oh let not Sathan harden your hearts resist the devill and he will flye from thee It is a Commandement and a promise What faire warnings doth God give unto men by himselfe and Ministers by the motions of his Spirit and checkes of our consciences from time to time and shall we bee so voide of grace as to make our selves a booty for Sathan to stand still while he deprives us of our lives and soules and all Me thinks reason should something prevaile with us in things so neerely concerning our best good But alas a hardened heart like Pharaohs a flint an adamant a marble spirit no admonition will serve its turn where grace is wanting no impression takes any roote Men will make triall and then beleeve A feareful experience this is thou maist first try in an earthly cause and then be warned but from hell thou canst not returne Remember Dives credit not the multitude Olde Tophet is wide and large humble thy selfe therefore betime and repent of thy grievous sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if ye mortifie As before the Apostle described an infallible token of death so here he proceedeth to shew in like manner a teckmerion or a certaine signe of life and that is the killing and slaying of sinne which is called Mortification For as seed which thou sowest is not quickened before it die or this corruptible body glorified before it be for a season dead and buried So neither is the man●ramed ●ramed in us which according to God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse untill the olde man bee wounded and laid for dead in us which like a gyant standeth up to expell and oppose the prosters and meanes of all holinesse And this is the cause that the holy Ghost maketh mention onely of this weakning of the force of sin through the death and buriall of Christ not excluding the other part of sanctification which is vivification viz. a vertue flowing from the resurrection of Christ causing us also to rise to newnesse of life It were to small purpose to bring place upon place to prove that which through the whole booke of God is so cleerely apparant How shall we that are dead to sin live yet therein They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof What can be plainer than this As the Physitian first purgeth before hee giveth a restorative so every one that shall be saved hereafter must first receive an allayer of his corruption here he must first be launced before he can be healed You may know the body of sinne in all his particular members by that which hath beene spoken touching the Flesh. Let every man woman here present examine himselfe from top to toe what cure is wrought by the spirit in his soul whether the kingdome of sinne and Sathan be demolished and weakned and the Kingdome of Jesus Christ advanced and built up in him whether corruption dyes and grace lives in his heart I beseech you deale faithfully with your owne soules and answer me directly to these interrogatories Are thy words which heretofore have beene full of prophanenesse and worldlinesse now directed to Gods glory and the good of those among whom thou livest Are thy thoughts which heretofore were loose and ungodly now bounded within a sacred compasse and spent wholly on heavenly things Is thy understanding informed of the mysteries of Christs Kingdome Is thy memory which heretofore hath beene stuffed with trash and toyes now capable and greedy of divine knowledge Doest thou order every passage of thy life by direction out of Gods word Art thou inwardly conscionable in the performance of holy duties Doth the tendernesse of thy cōscience smite thee not onely for grosse and open sinnes but even for vaine cogitations and the least appearance of any evill Art thou watchful against all occasions and temptations of sinne Doest thou feele thy selfe grow and increase in the wayes of holinesse Hast thou such a gracious taste of the glory of God and eternall life that thou desirest to meete thy Saviour in the clouds not so much to be rid out of the miseries of this life as to bee freed from the heavy burthen of sin which hangs so fast upon thee In a word doest thou so judge of things now as thou wouldest doe hereafter when thy soule is best able to judge as in the houre of death and the day of distresse Doest thou approve of things as they further thy last account as they commend thee more or lesse unto God and will bring true peace or sorow to thy soul at last and no otherwise then blessed and happy is thy condition and know this for the comfort of thy soule that thou art dearely beloved of God yea his peculiar one and precious in his eyes Sathan and all the powers of darknesse are fast chained up for ever doing thee any hurt Thou shalt never more bee afraid of evill tidings though the earth be moved and the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea yet thy heart shall abide strong and comfortable I dare boldly pronounce that God is reconciled unto thee and that his sweete love which never changeth hath seized on thy soule What will it availe a man to say he is rich like the bragging Laodicean and yet be extreame miserable poore and naked what will it

to commend it selfe Looke up to heaven for a blessing upon it and desire the Lord to goe along with thee in it and prosper the same for thy soules good which he heartily desireth who rests Thine in the Lord Jesus I. T. THE CARNALL PROFESSOR ROM 8. V. 13. For if yee live after the flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall live IN the Chapter going before the Apostle having delivered the double use of the Law first the proper use to shew men the way to live if in case they were able to fulfill and keepe it Secondly the accidentall use by reason of Sinne which is imployed in condemning us by discovery of our transgression to comfort the distressed heart of a poore sinner hee describeth in the latter end of the former Chapter a speciall meanes to shun this inevitable danger namely the righteousnes obedience and sufferings of Christ And in this Chapter further enlargeth the same by way of confirmation unto the 5. verse After which lest it might bee thought that a Christian may live as hee list being freed from sinne by the merits of Christs death or that a profane person should claime any interest in that blessed sacrifice of Christ he further proveth by many pregnant reasons that every Christian ought to endeavour after holines that thereby hee may prove himselfe to be truly ingrafted into Christ by participating of the fruit of his Spirit and that hee is in deed and not in word only a true Christian by his unblameable life and conversation as the goldsmith is knowne by his costly peeces or any mechanicall artificer by the works which his hāds accomplish In the verse I have read unto you the Apostle concludeth very effectually amongst the rest of his arguments that wee must live according to the spirit and not according to the flesh seeing the one designeth and noteth unto us life the other death both most infallible tokens of our future estate and condition So that if any man or woman be desirous to know what shall betide them after this life If any be desirous to know even the secrets of God I mean his determination as touching themselves their wives their children friends or foes after death let them resort to the Holy Ghost speaking in this place and converse with their owne hearts if they finde the quickning spirit but as a lively sparke raked up amongst the great heap of their owne corruptions they shall assuredly live for ever If they find onely meere flesh and blood to be their guide then wo to them they are in the state of Castawayes and lost creatures be they Prince or Peere noble or ignoble rich or poore there is no difference nor exception with God and therefore they ought speedily to sue for their deliverance through favour by the Sonne of God lest death prevent them to their everlasting misery But it may be these titles of Flesh and Spirit are unknowne or at least not observed through the subtlety of Sathan thickning the eye of dexter and right discerning therefore that we may throughly kenne the flesh in despight of the flesh and judge in the spirit of the spirit let us for our furtherance herein consider these sixe profitable observations 1. What Flesh is 2. What it is to live in the flesh 3. What that death is which is here threatned as a just punishment to such as live after the flesh 4. What the Spirit is 5. What it is to mortifie the deeds of the flesh 6. What is meant when he saith they shal loue 1. The word Flesh is sometimes taken for the body as 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit that is of soule and body 2. For the humane nature of Christ who was put to death concerning the flesh 3. For this present life If thou take a wife thou sinnest not neverthelesse such shal have trouble in the flesh 4. For the outward aspect and appearance Yee know how through the infirmitie of the flesh I preached the Gospell 5. For the ordinary course of nature Gal. 4. 29. Hee that was borne after the flesh c. 6. For whole mankind All flesh is grasse c. 7. For naturall corruption and inclination of the mind will and affections to that which is against the Law and so it is taken in this place The reason why the holy Ghost termeth this naturall corruption inherent in the soule as well as the body by the name of flesh is because so strict is the Union betwixt the one and the other in an unregenerate man that as a loving couple they seeke the preservation of each others estate and like Hypocrates twins they laugh together they weepe together and are alike affected A bloody heart and a bloody hand a false heart and a false tongue a lascivious mind an adulterous eye yea and which is more so strangely sometimes is the soule overcome with the love of the body that whereas by nature reason should command and rule the flesh as the weaker vessell the belly and backe so subtly insinuate and creep into favour with the understanding that as the foolish wife with her beauty and composed devices over-ruleth her husband though a man of understanding So these importunat cravers never give over their suite unto reason they make it a drudge to sensuality and an attorney to sollicit the cause of meere grosse and carnall pleasure In consideration whereof I meane because of this mutuall intercourse of the soule and the body in accomplishing of sin many learned Divines have made this a question Whether the soule bee first infected with the contagion of the body or no but of that I will not stand it being besides our present purpose onely thus much I note that therefore the Holy Ghost nameth the flesh to intimate the mutuall confederacy betwixt the soul body of man how that by reason of sin he is now wilfully made a slave and vassall to fleshly desires And therefore likewise it may bee supposed that the Holy Ghost nameth the flesh onely as a man that blameth the provoking Wife for the lewd action done by her husband For albeit sinne lyeth principally in the soule as poyson in the teeth yet it sheddeth and disperseth it selfe at his pleasure actually into the members of the body of whom it is aptly accomplished as occasion is offered And as the whole toad is called a venomous creature because of some one part preserving poyson the rest being capable of the same virulent infection So the whole man is said to bee sinfull not as if the body of it selfe as it consisteth of bones sinnewes and living arteries can properly bee said to be sinfull otherwise then as the house is said to be wicked because of the wicked dwellers Albeit I graunt as the serpent was a fit instrument for the devil because of his subtilty so

upon them yet shall they escape no more then a beast taken in a trappe or the prisoner included in a strong tower When the Lord shall come in the clouds with his holy Angels the assises shall bee kept in the aire the prisoners of the earth notwithstanding their boasting among their fellows shall all be arraigned before him and then shall ensue the verdict of the conscience upon them even that fearefull sentence of death Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and 〈◊〉 angells This may teach us to give small credit to the glittering face and flattering countenance of outward things Let us cheere our selves never so much in our youth and walke forth-right in the wayes of our owne hearts and sight of our owne eyes yet for all that God shall bring us to iudgement The waters are deepest where they are stillest upon a hot gload there followeth a violent storme the terrors of Gods wrath shall assault the wicked man as a sudden tempest and carry him away by night In this one word Yee shall die is contained the infinite volumne of all misery the great Ocean of all sorrow it being an Epitome of mans future calamity Did a man certainely know that hee should lose all his goods friends honor and credit if hee committed this or that particular action I suppose he would shrinke from doing it If the adulterer should know that he was watched and that one behinde the doore stands ready with a polaxe to choppe off one of his legges or armes mee thinkes the feare of that mischiefe should bee too strong for his bruitish affections and conquer his lustfull passions If the drunkard should know that in such a taverne whither he usually goeth posting with his cup companions there standeth in one of the drinking places a man with a pistoll charged with white powder of purpose to shoote him through I imagine how gladly hee would leave his wine and sugar and betake himselfe to his heeles yea and account him his friend that would push him over the threshold and thrust the doore after him And this not without reason for as a man would bee willing to give all that he hath yea and to lose some of his limbes to redeeme his life Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath will be give for his life So will hee be contented to deny his pleasures and profits if in case they prejudice that unlesse it bee those wherein the temerarious rashnesse of affection preventeth reason and enforceth the body to commit the action before the minde hath given any counsell Now if reason can thus prevaile against corrupt passions when hurt is intended against the body why should it not much more perswade the understanding conscience and will to endeavour themselves against fleshly corruptions which are pernicious to the soule and not onely temporall but eternall death to the whole man By death in this place is understood not the first but the second death as appeareth plainely by the antithesis and opposition of eternall happinesse against this everlasting death and misery And so it is taken in many places of scripture Hee that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second death The fearefull and unbeleeving c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death What need many proofes as if every scripture were not given by divine inspiration Here wee see the Tragedy that must follow the pleasant Comedy of worldly joyes and the hard reckoning that is given after all the junkets of fleshly pleasure If you aske mee what this death is I thus define it When the aforesaid ignorant and unconscionable wretch hath played his pageants in City and Countrey upon the scafffold of this present earth and perhaps hath gotten him wealth wife and children builded a faire house borne office in the parishwhere he dwelleth purchased much land engrossed sundry commodities and mounted upon the proud foaming steede of all stumbling vanity of a sodaine when hee most wisheth and hopeth to live as a fish taken with a hooke or a bird with the snare he shall bee entrapped with death His fleshly body shall be cast into the earth for a time and his soule into the bottomeless pit of hell Now after that the soule and body hath for a certain season made their abode in the said places of the grave and hell as a Malefactor in the prison untill the Law day then shall they by the unspeakable power of God be united again into one man at the voice of an Archangell and trumpet of God and be summoned together with the rest of the dead to make their appearance before the Almighty to heare that fearefull sentence of condemnation pronounced against them Depart from mee yee cursed c. This is the truth which the Lord hath spoken let all flesh cover their faces lay their hands on their mouthes and stand agast hereat Mocke not at Gods judgements as commonly thou doest at the devil in a play It is fearful jesting with thy maker or playing the foole with edged tooles If further you demand what shall be the state of this creature thus cursed of God and condemned to death I answer if men may bee deceived in judging of the creature subject to sense and outward being much more hardly are they able to conceive of things invisible and made purposely of God in his wisdome to exceede the apprehension of any creature For which cause as the ioyes celestiall doe farre surpasse all earthly melody and therefore cannot be conceived truely because man wanteth a cleer spectacle wherein to behold them So the sorrowes of everlasting torment being transcendent all the glasse of humane misery cannot be sufficient in full conceit to expresse it or come neere it neither can it be knowne of any fleshly creature saving onely of such as feele it Yet least any man herein should be utterly ignorant and so waxe secure esteeming death eternall as a poeticall fury or vizzard to be playd withall thereby fearfully derogating from Gods power wisdome and glory in inflicting justice the holy Ghost hath given us some secret items concerning this point and slightly in comparison runne it over as a Painter with a little white lead drawing forth the great Elephant not so much teaching us what it is as what indeed it is not The first thing touching this matter to be considered briefly is the separation of these carnall men before spoken of from the presence and glory of God whose communion as it is the head and heart of all felicity so to bee deprived of his favourable presence is the very summe of all misery For as a grievous malefactor once in favour with his Prince bound in chains of iron hung up on the top of an hill debarred of all mortall helpe set apart to be consumed with famine night and day filleth the hils and