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	sin_n	sin_v	3,111	5	9.7434	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19440	A direction to the waters of lyfe Come and beholde, how Christ shineth before the Law, in the Law, and in the Prophetes: and withall the iudgements of God vpon all nations for the neglect of his holy worde, wherein they myght haue seene the same: both which are layde before your eyes in this litle discourse, by Roger Cotton draper.	Cotton, Roger.	1590 (1590)	STC 5866; ESTC S116423	103,832	110

the vertue of Christ his resurrection and also the righteousnes which he shoulde haue by him because it is not the workes that maketh the man good but the man that maketh the workes good For you must well know that yf Abraham had not beleeued the Lord he had not been counted righteous for although he were iustified by workes in the sight of men and thereby had somwhat wherin to reioyce yet had he not so in no respect with God For what sayth the Scripture doth it not tell you how that Abraham beleeued the Lorde and he counted that vnto him for righteousnes So that y e workes which he did had been but as dead workes and rotten in the sight of God had he not beleeued the promyse of God concerning the Seede that shoulde come of him Agayne you must as well knowe that Israel obteyned not that which they sought through workes but the election obteyned it neither were they elected vnto saluation because of the workes which in tyme they woulde do but they were elected through the grace of God in Christ Iesus accordyng as the Apostle also testeth the phesians they were saying By grace are ye also saued through faith in Iesus Christ and not of workes sayth he least any man shoulde boast him selfe and therefore the Scrip●…ure hath concluded all vnder sinne that so men might see playnely how they are iustified freely by the grace of God and not through workes for yf it were of workes then were it not of grace but since it is of grace it can not be of workes as sayth the Apostle Therefore we conclude sayth he that a man is iustified freely through fayth in Iesus Christe and not through workes for to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnes euen as Dauid declareth the blessednes of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnes without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is that man to whom the Lorde imputeth not sinne And good cause the holy Prophet had so to say f●…r yf men shoulde be rewarded according to their workes or desartes they should be rewarded with euerlasting death because the wages of sinne is death and there is no man but he hath sinned and gon a stray therefore no man but he deserueth the wages of hell and death But yf men do looke for eternall lyfe they must know it commeth as a free gyft of God through fayth in Christe and not in any respect as a due debt vnto them because of their workes For as Abraham receyued not the promise concerning the heireship of the worlde through the fulfilling of the Law but through the righteousnes of fayth no more doth any man receiue the promise of the heireshyp of eternall lyfe through the workes which he can do but through the fayth which he hath in Iesus Christ. What shall we say then concerning good workes Shall we vtterly exclude them No in no wyse for God hath ordeyned them also euen to the ende that those whom he hath elected in Christ shoulde walke in them but not in any respect for men to thinke that they shoulde be the cause of their election neyther that they shoulde thinke the free gift of eternall lyfe commeth as a due debt for them But in deede they are as most excellent fruites which shoulde alwayes floorysh from those whom God hath elected according as the Apostle sayth God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the worlde to the ende that we shoulde be holy and without blame before him in loue So then y e fruites not being the cause of the goodnes of the tree but the tree the cause of the goodnes of the fruites it had ben in vayne I say for the Apostles to looke for good fruites to come from men yf they had not first taken care for the sounde plantyng of the tree that is If they had not first taught men the sounde knowledge of Christ wherby they might see plainely wherein their goodnes stoode it had profited their hearers nothing at all no although they shoulde haue done all the good workes in the worlde or haue mortified them selues neuer so much in the sight of men because without the sounde knowledge of Christ the soule can not be good For I pray you had not the Apostle Paule as great cause to reioyce in the fleshe as any man in the worlde yf by suche thinges God woulde haue been pleased Yes in deede had he for you see he was circumcised the eight day of the kinred of Israel and of the trybe of Beniamin and an Hebrew of Heber and by the Law of the strictest sect euen a Pharisee and also as concerning zeale no man more feruent then he yea and as touchyng the righteousnes which is by the Law euen vnrebukeable and yet you may see that he counteth all these thinges but as dung drosse in respect of y e excellent knowledge sake which he had founde in Christe by the which knowledge he was made to see that notwithstanding all his former righteousnes by the Law yet had he gon to eternall destruction had he not founde the righteousnes which is through fayth in Christ and therefore no maruell was it though he made small accompt of his former righteousnes in respect of the knowledge he had now of Christ. Wherefore in any wyse see that you alwayes desire the same thing for assure your selfe that is more worth in the syght of God then all the burnt offeringes or sacrifices in the worlde for so the Lorde him selfe doth tel you Therefore blame me not I beseech you though somewhat longer I stande vpon this poynt euen vpon this that the sounde knowledge of Christe for vs to haue is more accepted in the syght of God then all the workes which we call good in the worlde For I pray you further was not Cornelius the Captayne that heathen man a godly man as well as Paule Yes euen one whom the holy ghost commendeth to be very deuout to haue the feare of God before his eyes to pray vnto him continually to haue care to teache his whole householde the like and besides all this to be one that gaue much Almes vnto the people and yet you see he was not in that case as he ought to be vntyll such time as Peter had made knowne vnto him the Lorde IESVS that so he myght know that by his death and resurrection came remission of sinnes and onely vnto those that woulde beleeue in his name so that notwithstanding all his former righteousnes yet was he to be counted a most greeuous sinner vntyll such tyme as he apprehended Christ by fayth and therefore is it that the Apostles say so sone as they

whereby is meant that whosoeuer were a tree planted by the doctrine of the prophets and Apostles and watered with the graces of the holy spirite shoulde be a fruitfull tree indeede and whosoeuer were a fish nourished by the same waters of the holy spirit should be sure to liue for euer And likewise it was further sayd That whosoeuer they were of al the families of the earth that woulde not goe vp to this citie to worship the king Iehouah of hostes and to keepe the feast of tabernacles that vpon them shoulde come no raine whereby is also meant that vppon them that woulde not worship the Lord according to the rule of his owne most perfect word as the faythfull companie of christians ought to doe vpon them I say that would not so doe should fall no part of that gratious raine the doctrine of the prophetes and apostles And moreouer it was further said That whosoeuer they were that should be found fighters agaynst this citie and the king therof shoulde be smitten with a very great plague euen with so great a plague as that it should consume both their flesh eyes and toonges and therefore according to these prophesies it was reuealed vnto Iohn presently vpon the destruction of the low Ierusalem in what sort the heauenly should be built and who they were that fought and still woulde fight agaynst the same which were the Romaine Emperours and the popes their successors which popes most vehemētly should continue afflicters of the high Ierusalem as y ● former had begun with the low and likewise a certayne time shoulde continue it agaynst the high Therefore we are here to consider the state of Rome and to marke howe the Lord hath reserued them as a corporation of moste filthy beasts and as a cage of vnleane kytes for hys wrath to ayme at while the worlde shall stand And why so Euen because that by their policie was the king of this high Ierusalem the Lord of life crucified and because that this his citie the companie of faithful Christians by them should continually be persecuted likewise for that they would refuse to be norished by those waters of life euen the most pure doctrine of the holy prophets apostles and for that by them the brightnesse thereof shoulde be continually darkened euen darkened by the smoke that should arise from that bottomlesse pit of their owne doctrines preceptes and foolish traditions and so by that meanes turne those liuely fountaines the doctrines and preceptes of the holy prophetes and apostles from waters of life into waters of bitter gall and wormewood yea euen vnto filthy salt pittes of eternall death and destruction For these and such like causes I say hath the Lord set that cage of Romaine infidels as a marke for his wrath to ayme at while the world shall stand and hath also described them and their villanies by the moste horrible villanies of all ages throughout the old testament and onely to the intent to giue vs warning to auoyd them as also theyr maners and theyr condemnation First then I will shewe you in what sort saint Iohn describeth the Romaine Emperours and afterwardes in what sort the corporatiō of filthy popes The Emperours he describeth in this sort I saw a beast sayth he arise out of the sea hauing the mouth of a Lyon the feete of a Beare the colour of a Leopard seuen heades also and ten hornes As if hee should haue sayd I sawe euen one moste vgly and monstrous beast compounded of those foure the which my fellow seruant the prophet Daniel sawe in the seuenth of hys booke the which beast hath not onely borowed from Ashur that is from the Babylonians Meedes Persians the lyons mouth and beares feete nor from Kittim all readie dead that is from the Grecians the Leopards colour nor from Gog Magog that is from Syria and Egypt the tenne hornes and teeth but hath also the Dragon that old serpent readie euen to giue him hys whole throne power and authoritie likewise and onely to the intent hee might be the more able to make warre against thys citie of faithfull Christians and that so hee might be able to ouercome them and to force them to forsake the word of god and the testimonie which the mayntayned so to haue them to doe worship vnto him and to the Dragon who gaue hym his power but yet notwithstanding all this his strength hee could not ouercome them no although hee persecuted them dayly euen to the losse of their goodes landes life and all for the which cause the wrath of God and of the lambe was so stirred vp against these prophane Emperours as that they were forced in these dayes to wish the mountaynes to fall vpon them and to desire the hilles to couer them euen to couer them from the presence of him that sate vppon the throne and from the wrath of the lambe for the great day of hys wrath was come and therefore they were not able to stand before hym For as the Lord Iesus was that Michael that stood vp for the desence of his people agaynst those tyrantes in Daniel euen so was hee in like maner in the dayes of these prophane Emperours for hee fought agaynst them as riding vppon a white horse as hauing a bowe in his hand with sharpe arrowes to pearce the hartes of them his enimies And moreouer as hee was a iudge sitting vppon a fiery throne from whose presence riuers of fire ishued to consume those beasts in Daniel euen so was he in like maner in the dayes of this beast y e Romaine Emperours for he sent his threefold iudgementes vpon them as sword famine and death altogither the which plagues were expressed by three horses red blacke and pale So that like as these prophane Emperours had shed the bloud of hys seruants the holy martyrs euen so the holy and iust Lord was stirred vp with reuenge to spill and shed theyr bloud and to giue it them in great aboundance to drinke and in y e end vtterly to roote them out So then this beast hauing now the wound of a sword one head cut off Sathan not able by hym to preuayle agaynst the Church you are to looke for that other instrument of hys to appeare in hys likenesse that is you are to looke for a description of that corporation of beastly popes who are not lesse in strength and mischiefe then the former were but rather far exceeding them in both and therefore most fitly is their power described by a beast of the same forme of the other But before I come to saint Iohn to shew you that I will giue you a note or two from the Apostle Paul that so you may see how fitly they agree in the discouery of this latter beast that so you may the better hereafter beware and take heede least you be