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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	effect_n	punishment_n	sin_n	3,729	5	5.7335	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51839	XVIII sermons on the second chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians containing the description, rise, growth, and fall of Antichrist : with divers cautions and arguments to establish Christians against the apostacy of the Church of Rome : very necessary for these times / by that late reverend and learned divine, Thomas Manton ...	Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1679 (1679)	Wing M522; ESTC R7577	216,743	470

In differences between God and Baal Christ and Antichrist few are valiant for the truth Ier. 9.3 And they bend their tongue like their bow for lies but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord. Contend earnestly Jude 3. It was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints Again 2. There are many sensualists unclean and carnal Gospellers to these God oweth a Judgment Usually the Gospel is removed and given to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof They that use the truth only or principally for their own turns hate to be reformed God will reckon with them Psal. 50.16 17. But unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee 2. Vse shews you indeed that you love the Gospel Carentia remedii is a grievous misery or else Christ had not come as a great Blessing Neglectus remedii is a grievous sin to be lazy in a matter of such moment Those that never set their hearts to obey the truth Crassa negligentia dolus est There should be constant purpose endeavour striving and not cease striving till we in some measure prevail rejectio or contemptio remedii if we put away the word of God from us Acts 13.46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye pu● it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turn to the Gentiles God will be gone if not from the Land from thy Soul This is the most hainous iniquity of all Heb. 10.28 29. He that despised Moses his Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified a● unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of grace So Esau's despising his Birthright Heb. 12.15 Lest there be any Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his Birthright for ye know how that afterwards when he would have inherited the Blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with ●ears SERMON IX 2 Thess. 2.11 12. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness WE have considered the sin of those seduced by Antichrist now the Judgment It is twofold 1. Delusion in this World verse 11. 2. Damnation in the next verse 12. 1. Delusion in this World where take notice of three things 1. The Author of it God shall send it 2. The degree or nature of the punishment strong delusion 3. The issue of it that they should believe a lie 2. Their punishment in the next World That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness where take notice 1. Of the terribleness of it it is no less than everlasting damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Justice and Equity of it They believed not the truth but had pleasure in righteousness 1. I begin with their Judgment in this World For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie Doct. That by Gods just Judgment there is an infatuation upon the Followers and Abettors of Antichrist that they swallow the grossest errors to their own destruction To clear this I shall speak 1. To the Author 2. The degree or kind of the punishment 3. The effect and issue 1. As to the Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here a difficulty ariseth For God is not and cannot be the Author of sin He that is essentially good cannot be the cause of evil And he that is Vltor peccati the avenger of sin cannot be Author peccati the Author of it If he should cause man to sin how will his punishment of it be just I Answ. As it is a sin God hath no hand in it but as it is a punishment of sin God hath to do in it To clear this to you consider 1. He that is the supreme Lord and Governour of his Creatures is also their Judge For Legislation and Judgment belong to the same Authority And therefore God is called sometimes our King and sometimes o●r Judge Gen. 18.25 Shall not the Iudge of all the earth do right Rom. 5.6 Is God un●ighteous how then shall he judge the World That is his Office and Prerogative 2. Gods way of judging for the present is either external or internal As for instance there are two acts of Judicature Reward and Punishment In rewarding Gods external Government is seen in dispensing outward Blessings to his people as the fruit of their obedience Micah 2.7 Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly His promises speak good and as fulfilled do good yield protection maintenance and such a measure of outward prosperity as supporteth and maintaineth them during their service David owned Gods dealing with him in this sort Psal. 119.56 This I had because I kept thy Precepts So as to his internal Government in giving them peace of Conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Pro. 3.17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace These are the internal rewards of obedience And so also God often rewardeth grace with grace As Isa. 58.13 14. If tho● turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thy own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Iacob thy Father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Psal. 31.24 Be of good Courage and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord. Proficiency in the same grace is a reward of the several acts and exercise of it So in punishing sometimes he useth the way of external Government by the terrib●e Judgments exercised upon men for the breach of his Law Rom. 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Heb. 2.2 Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward

of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanc●ified an unholy Thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace That is were in external Covenant with God and visibly dedicated But there is an other Sanctification which is the Fruit of the Spirit 〈◊〉 a real Change in them 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God Find this and you find a sufficient Evidence Namely if you become new Creatures and be enabled to forsake Sin and follow after that which is pleasing in the sight of God Sanc●ification of the Spirit is not so much known by Dedication and Profession but by ●he real and fixed inclination of your Souls to God and Heaven and living accordingly you are turned to God and live to God 2. Your belief of the Truth that is of the Gospel Now this is meant not of a dead Faith or such a cold Assent as only begets an Opinion in us of the truth of Christian Religion but such a lively Faith as bringeth us under the power of it For it is opposed to them that do not receive the Truth in the love of it Ver. 10. To them that believed not the Truth because they had pleasure in Vnrighteousness Ver. 12. That lived under the power of fleshly and worldly Lusts. And it is spoken of them who had received the Truth so as to obey it and suffer for it as the Thessalonians are described all along And in short such a belief of the Truth as caused them to enter into Covenant with Christ and make conscience of their Fidelity to him And here in this Verse we learn That a bare belief of the Truth doth not save unless accompanied with the Sanctification of the Spirit And therefore both must be taken together when the Word cometh to us not in Word only but in Power and much assurance and joy in the Holy Ghost it is an infallible evidence of our Election of God 1 Thess. 1.5 Alas many have a general cold belief of the Gospel that never felt the effect of it upon their Hearts 4. Observe the necessary Connection that is between both these Means The Sanctification of the Spirit and the Belief of the Truth 1. There is a necessary Connection between them as between the Cause and the Effect For none are powerfully drawn to believe in Christ but such as are Sanctified by his Spirit It is not in the power of any Creature to incline us to God or bring us to come to him by Christ. But this Work is wholly reserved to the Spirit And so the Lord himself doth powerfully bring to pass his own Decrees as by Christ Redeeming so by the Spirit Sanctifying The Spirit is the Author both of Faith and Holiness Saving Grace is called a New Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Therefore if any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Ephes. 2.10 For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good Works which God hath before ordaine● that we should walk in them And to Create is the Work of a Divine Power Creat●re and Creator are Relatives And certainly the noblest Creature such as the New Creature is cannot be framed by any but God It is called a New Birth and the New Birth is only from the Spirit Iohn 3.5 6. Well then these are fitly coupled the Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth That God's Work may make way for ours 2. There is the Connection of Concomitancy between the Gospel and the Spirit The Spirit only goeth along with the Gospel and no other Doctrine and so both external and internal Grace are of God John 17.17 Sanctifie them by thy Truth thy Word is Truth It was fit that a Super-natural Doctrine should be accompanied with a Supernatural Operation and Power How else should it be known to be of God The Truth and the Spirit are inseparable Companions Where there is little of God known there is little of his Spirit As in the Natural Truth revealed to the Heathens Somewhat God shewed unto them Rom. 1.19 In the darker Revelation to the Iews there is but a fainter degree of the Spirit but Grace and Truth come by Iesus Christ. There goeth along with the Doctrine of the Gospel a mighty Spirit of Holiness for thereby God would prove the Verity and Truth of this Religion and suitably to the rich Mercy prepared for us in Christ. 3. There is a subordination of Faith to this Work of the Spirit by the Truth For the greatest Things work not till they be considered and beli●ved 1 Thess. 2.12 Ye received it not as the Word of Men but as it is in Truth the Word of God which worketh effectually also in you that believe A sound Belief produceth strong Affections and strong Affections govern our Practice and Conversation So that fitly are these things united as the fruits of our Election and means of Salvation 2. Why this is the great matter of our thansgiving to God That I shall evidence in the following considerations 1. That Thanksgiving to God is a great and necessary duty expresly injoin'd by him and expected from us 1 Thess. 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Iesus When God hath interposed his Will all debates are silenced If there were nothing else in the case this is motive enough to a gracious Heart for the fundamental reason of all obedience is the Will of God Our thankfulness is no benefit to God yet he is pleased with it as it sheweth our Honesty and Ingenuity And to us Christians the very Life and Soul of our Religion is Thankfulness therefore God will have us continually exercised in it Heb. 13.15 Let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise continually that is the fruit of our Lips giving thanks unto his Name As our understanding was given us to think of God and know him So our speech was given us to speak of God and praise him We praise God for all his works we give him thanks for such as are beneficial to us In Praise we ascribe all Honour Excellency and Perfection unto him In giving thanks we express what he hath done for our selves or others Now this must be done continually for God is continually beneficial unto us by daily Mercies giving us new matter of Praise and Thanksgiving Besides there are some Mercies so great that they should never be forgotten 2. That we are to give thanks chiefly for Spiritual and Eternal Mercies Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. For we cannot give thanks rightly without a just esteem of the Mercy we give thanks for But spiritual and eternal Mercies do much excel those that are temporal and transitory We are bound to bless the Lord for

3. Why it is to be sought of God 1. He only is able Rom. 16.25 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Iesus Christ c. Surely God never made a Creature too hard for himself He is able to d●f●at the Power of Enemies and to preserve ●is People in the midst of Temptations So Iude v●● 24. To him that is able to keep you from falling c. And He is able to keep that which I have committed to h●● 2 Tim. 1.12 The Saints gather much com●or● from this ●or it is a relief to their thoughts against the dread●ul and powerful opposi●ion of the World they have no reason to doubt of their Fath●r's Love That whi●h surprizeth thein is to see all the World against them It is the dreadfulness of power in the Temptation and sense of their own weakn●ss therefore the power of God is a fit relief to them 2. God is not very forward to cast you off when he hath a just cause to do it Your constant experience evidenceth this If he here had done so what had become of you long ago For you have given him abundant occasion you have wearied him with your Sins abused his Mercies and yet he hath not cast you off He hath not utterly forsaken you when you have turned the back upon him and have been ready to forsake him but hath kept you from Dangers and in Dangers yea called you to his Grace confirmed you hitherto why should you doubt of his Grace for the future 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us 2 Tim. 4.17 18. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the Mouth of the Lion And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil Work and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom To whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen 3. He hath made Promises of Sustentation and ●●eservation Psal. 73.23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right-hand Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for God upholdeth him with his Hand If God hath promi●●d to preserve that Grac● which he hath once given should not we pray ●or the continuance of it with the ●ore encou●agement 4. The experience of the Saints Psal. 9● 18 When I said my foot slippeth thy Mercy O Lord held me up God's Manutenancy is there asserted Vse Is to press us at all times to look up to God for establishment But especially in two S●asons 1. When we begin to d●cline and grow more remiss and indifferent in the practice of Godliness If Grace be weak you must get it strengthened When you grow bolder in Sin and more strange to God and Jesus Christ and have little converse with him in the Spirit Oh! it is time to be ins●ant and earne●● with God that he would recover you Though you have embezled your Strength yet you have to do with ● Merciful God go to him for Help Psal. 17.5 Hold up my ●oings in thy Path that my foot-steps s●ip not You have ●orfeited the more plentiful aids o● Grace but beg h●m not to forsake you utterly You must confess the Sin but God must remedy the ●vil Psal. 119.133 Order my steps in thy Word and let not any Iniquity have dominion over me Lord I am apt to be led away with worldy Allurements my Spiritual Ta●●e is dis●empered with carnal Vanities But let not Iniquity have dominion over me 2. In unsettled Times when we are full of Fears and think we shall never hol● out in a holy Course God that keepeth us in times of Peace will hold us up in times of Trouble Psal. 16.8 I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved FINIS ADVERTISEMENT THere is lately Printed Twenty Select Sermons Preached by the late Reverend and Learned Divine Doctor Thomas Manton in Quarto published by Dr. William Bates