Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	effect_n	natural_a	supernatural_a	1,915	5	10.5176	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55782	Four sermons preached in Oxford by John Price.	Price, John, Master of arts.	1661 (1661)	Wing P3352; ESTC R25593	64,575	154

Text what you are to expect even to be hated of all men for Christs sake he that would discharge his calling faithfully must expect to be the object of most mens hat'red the Ministery me thinks is like the cloud that guided the Israelites that had a bright side and a dark side most men look upon the bright but few on the dark side most men consider the encouragement but few the discouragements of the Ministery they undertake the Burden before they consider the weight of it or the weakness of their own shoulders hēce it is that many have as shamefully quitted the Ministery as they have in considerately undertaken it but how ever this may be for our comfort and encouragement that all the Prophets all the Apostles yea Christ himself was hated upon this account can the Servant expect to fare better then the Master 't is his honour that he can be like him though it be in suffering to write after him though in letters of Blood 2. That the Preachers of the word should be truth tellers in the prosecution of it I shall use this method 1. Give you some Scripture 2. Some reasons 3. Shew you what truth the man of God should tell 4. I shall tell some truths which I take to be very suitable to and necessary for this auditory 5. Make use That the Preachers of the Gospel should be truth tellers is clear from these Scripture Rom. 9. 1. I say the truth in Christ Jesus Ily not my conscienee also bearing mee witnesse in the Holy Ghost St. Pauls practise should be ours what he sayes we should say Prov. 22. 20. Have I not written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth that thou mayest answere the words of truth to them that send to thee 2. things observeable from this Text. 1. That the words of truth are the words of certainty 2. That when we are asked we should answere them with these words Eccl. 12. 10. The Preacher sought to find out accuptable words upright words even words of truth Solomon in the precedent verse tells us of a wise Preacher let us observe what he did he will teach us how to make our Sermons the wise Preacher did not vent out any unpremeditated undigested extemporary flashes but he sought to find out and what did he seek to find out not unseasonable unsuitable things things that come like rain in Harvest or snow in Summer but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seasonable suitable apposite acceptable things and I pray what were those not the Chimoeraes of his own brain not the dictates of a private spirit not totering hovering probabilities not shameful falsehoods but words of truth Malach. 2. 6. We read their what Law was in Levyes mouth the Law of truth was in his mouth iniquity was not found in his lips this is that for which Christ came into the World and would you know the reason of it take breifly these two 1. The good Divine is in Gods stead he personates God interprets his mind as an Fmbassadour doth the Princes that sent him he is not onely the mouth of the people to God but the mouth of God to the people how ill doeth a ly become the mouth of that God that is truth it self so ill doth it become the mouth of the Divine that should speak nothing but what God would speak if he did speak himsalf 2 Corinth 5. 20. Now therefore we are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseeeh you by us we pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God the Minister may be tearmed Gods speaker And if he speaks any untruth he speaks for himself not his Master Oh! therefore with what reverence and serious preparation should we come to speak It is reported of the incomparable Bucolcer that he was so much Master of the heavenly art of Preaching that he could put his Auditours in to what passion he pleased as that excellent Musitian Timotheus did Alexander but many of you put your Auditors into no other passion but that which showes them to be rational me thinks the serious consideration of the greatnesse of Gods Majesty the greatnesse of the assembly the greatnesse of the work should enduce us to come prepared according to the preparations of the sanctuary 2. The Minister received nothing but truth therefore he should deliver nothing but truth The Minister the faithful witnesse should deliver nothing but what he received for if he doe he deliver's his own not God's that the Minister should deliver nothing but what he receive's is unquestionable 1 Cor. 11. 23. For I received of the Lord that which I also deliver unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have received from the Lord there 's his commission had I not received it I would not have delivered it you might have rationally suspended your beliefs and look't upon it as my own not my Masters that the Ministers received nothing but truth is as unquestionable for what he received he received from God which is the God of truth and cannot ly the Scriptures they are all truth he received nothing but Scripture therefore nothing but truth For Popish traditions we look upon them as the Commandments and Doctrines of men and not of God the Church may not make new principles of Religion but only declare illustrate interpret the old though it may constitute circumstantials yet not substantials shee may prescribe ordinances as touching the time place and order of Gods worship but not as touching the essentials of the Worship it self As the Church at Jerusalem decreed that the Church of the Gentiles should abstain from blood and things strangled Acts. 15. I proceed in the 3. place to tell you what truths the Man of God should tell 1. Divine Scripture truths not Philosophical but Theological truths such as make the Man of God wise unto salvation moral or natural truths may make a man wise but not wise unto salvation nature may tell us that there is a God but it cannot tell us how this God should be Worship't nature may tell us there is a Soveraigne happinesse but it cannot tell us what this happinesse is hence it was that the Philosophers concluded there was some white though none of them could hit it or come neer it Nature may tell us there is a way we should walk in though it cannot tell us how wee should walk in it we cannot see the Sun but by the Sun we know nothing savingly of God but by God we know nothing of the Sun of righteousnesse but by those comfortable beams that are darted from him as is the cause such will the effect be meerly natural causes cannot produce super-natural effects a man may as well expect Grapes from Thornes or Figgs from Thistles if the man of God fire a rebellious stiffenecked sinner out of his beloved sinne surely it must be with a coal fetch 't from the Altar