Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	eternal_a	faith_n	life_n	2,807	5	5.0322	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52355	A brief exposition of the First and Second Epistles general of Peter by Alexander Nisbet ...	Nisbet, Alexander, 1623-1669.	1658 (1658)	Wing N1165; ESTC R37734	248,842	354

our strength for all we have to do Isa 45.24 for this coming to Christ here prest may be looked upon as the mean of growth in mortification and every grace as is clear by comparing this to whom coming c. with what goeth before and follows after 4. All that come to Jesus Christ shall find Him a solid foundation to rest upon able to bear them and all their burdens constant in His love to them and in the fulfilling of all His undertakings and as such He is daily to be closed with for for these and the like causes He is here set forth as the object of Faith under the similitude of a stone 5. Christ is a living foundation for sinners to build themselves upon having life in Himself essentially Joh. 5.26 and communicating life spiritual and eternal to every soul that closes with Him 1 Joh. 5.12 for so also is he here proposed as the object of saving Faith to whom coming as unto a living stone 6. Felt deadness should not keep any soul back from Jesus Christ who see need of life from Him and hazard of eternal death without Him it being impossible to attain to spiritual or eternal life but by closing with Him Joh. 6.51 for coming to Him as to a living stone imports that the desire of life should draw souls that do find much deadness spiritual and do fear death eternal to Him To whom coming as to a living stone 7. There is not another rock or foundation-stone whereupon the Church or any true Member thereof can be built but Jesus Christ himself The Prophets and Apostles are only called the foundation Eph. 2.20 in so far as they hold out in their Doctrine this living foundation and this Apostle by that Rock whereupon Christ said He would build His Church Mat. 16.18 did not understand himself or his successours though never so faithfull Ministers but Jesus Christ Himself whom he had a little before confessed to be this living stone and therefore he thus holds Him forth here To whom coming as unto a living stone 8. Though Christ be a solid and living foundation for sinners to rest upon Yet is He rejected by the most part of men as unworthy to be their choice He having little outward glory to draw hearts toward Him Isa 53.2 and all men being naturally blind concerning His spiritual excellency 2 Cor. 4.4 and their own need of Him Rev. 3.17 and there being but a very few in comparison of the rest that are given unto Him to be saved by Him Job 12.39 therefore is it that He is disallowed indeed of men 9. Others rejecting of Christ should be so far from discouraging His own to close with Him and make use of Him that by the contrary it should move them to a more hearty and frequent closing with Him being confident that He shall deal the better with them that they are not hindered or discouraged by the example of rejecters from closing with Him for even this may be also looked upon as having the strength of an argument to move those who have hitherto been strangers to Christ to come now to Him and those who are near to come yet nearer that He is disallowed indeed of men 10. Christ is disallowed when he is not fled to and made use of for that life and rest and other advantages to be had in Him for in opposition to Believers coming to Him and use-making of Him He is said to be disallowed indeed of men 11. Jesus Christ not only as He is God but as He is our Mediatour is and hath been from eternity Prov. 8.30 the Father's choice and delight in highest esteem with Him which is evidenced by the Father's giving all things into His hand for our good Mat. 11.27 and all for that very end that He may be honourable in our esteem Joh. 5.23 by His hearing of Him as our Intercessour in all His petitions Joh. 11.42 and hearing all our lawfull desires for His sake Joh. 16.23 and by the unspeakable terrour which He will manifest against rejecters of Him beyond what other sinners shall find Heb. 10.28 29. All which do prove that as our Mediatour He is most dear and precious to the Father and worthy is He to be so there being none in heaven or in earth fit for that work of Redemption but He Rev. 5.4 5. Therefore is He chosen of God and precious 12. The Father 's high esteem of and delighting in the Mediatour Christ should move sinners to come to Him to choose Him for their portion and to delight in Him being confident that their so doing cannot but be well-pleasing to the Father who hath chosen Him that He may welcom sinners and hath fitted Him to be all things to them that may contribute for their blessedness 1 Cor. 1.30 for this is a motive of coming to Him that He is chosen of God and precious From ver 5. Learn 1. Christ's way of engaging the hearts of His own to a daily use-making of Him is by proposing to them in His Word the sweet advantages and rich priviledges which they shall have by their so doing with the consideration whereof he allows them to move their own hearts to perseverance in that exercise for this Verse doth contain a bundle of advantages and priviledges that souls have by daily use-making of Christ branched out to move them thereunto to wit That by their coming to Him as to a living stone they also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house c. 2. Every renewed act of Faith closing with Christ as the Scripture holds Him forth doth draw from Christ some new increase of spiritual life whereby the soul is made more sensible of sin hath more appetite after Christ and His Truth and more activity in duties that may honour Him all which are effects of spiritual life and resemblances betwixt it and the natural life for this is here made a prevailing motive to that coming to Christ which is recommended to sinners in the former Verse that they who did so should be made lively stones which must be understood of an increase of spiritual life it being spoken to them who are supposed before to have been born again 3. Even as Believers are holden throng in daily employing and use-making of Christ so do they make progress in grace and holiness so do they also become solid and fixed in their understanding of the Truth that they may not be carried about with every wind of doctrine constant in their love to Christ and in their believing of His love to them and established in their walking like unto His Truths for in opposition to the unsetledness of mis-believers and of them who do not live in the daily imploying of Christ but rest upon their measures received those that are daily coming to Him are here said to be lively stones built up c. importing beside their progress a state of stability and fixedness which they attain to by their so

in duties a great remnant of hypocrisie deadnesse and unwillingnesse to the practice of many known duties for the Apostle findeth it necessary to write two Epistles for the up-stirring of pure minds or as the word in the Original signifieth minds so sincere that they may be judged by the Sun 5. The Word of the Lord hath most weight with People when not only they that carry it to them are holy and so esteemed by the People but the minds of the hearers are carried above the Messengers to Jesus Christ and their hearts in hearing or reading are filled with some sense of His Soveraignity who doth imploy those Messengers and of His usefulnesse for them in all His Offices Therefore that the Word which the Apostle here exhorteth them to study may have the more weight he leadeth them not only to look upon the Messengers that carried it as holy men but to consider the soveraignity excellency and usefulnesse of Christ in His Offices to which He is anointed Be mindfull of the Words which were spoken by the holy Prophets and of the Commandments of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 6. The way to keep life in the affections of the Lord's People is to have their wit and memory actually exercised about the Truths of God both the Prophesies and Promises of good to the Church and People of God and to presse the Precepts enjoyning their duty for that the Apostle may gain his principal scope to wit the rousing up of their affections he maketh this his speech subordinate thereto That they might be mindful of the Words that were spoken before by the holy Prophets and of the Commandments of the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 7. Although the Lord hath letten forth His mind to His Church by little and little in several Ages of the World and by several Messengers Heb. 1.1 Yet is there such a compleat harmony among all the parts of His Mind that all serve for one and the same principal scope the up-stirring of the Lord's People to a hearty receiving and use-making of Christ and His Truth for unto this scope the Apostle here affirmeth that the whole Doctrine both of the Prophets and Apostles did harmoniously tend Vers 3. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts 4. And saying Where is the promise of His coming For since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation That the Apostle may attain his fore-mentioned scope he doth forewarn of the rise of profane mockers toward the end of time who that they might sin the more securely should question the second coming of Christ and plead for an eternity of this present World pretending this reason for it That since the whole frame of Nature had kept one constant tenour and course since the death of Adam Seth Enos and the rest of the first fathers it was not to them credible that ever there should be such a change as was foretold to be at the day of judgment Doct. 1. Variety of very fierce and discouraging opposition in the way of Christ and that from several sorts of enemies is the lot wherewith the Church and People of Christ may resolve to be exercised for the Apostle having forewarned of and guarded against open persecutors in the former Epistle subtil and fair pretending Hereticks in the former Chapter he doth here forewarn of● and guard against a third sort to wit profane scoffers of Christ's second coming 2. The consideration of the hazard that the best are in of being drawn aside some one way or other from the Truth and Way of Christ by such variety of opposition as they ordinarily meet with ought both to stir up Ministers carefully to warn and guard People against the same and People to the use-making of their pains for after the Apostle had guarded against open persecutors and cunning deceivers he doth here bring in the forewarning of the third sort of enemies scoffers which may be taken both for a reason of his pains in writing two Epistles as also for a reason why they should be stirred up by what he had written Knowing this that besides furious persecutors and subtil deceivers they should also be exercised with profane scoffers They who have not been terrified by the first sort nor deceived by the second are in hazard to be discouraged by the third 3. The certainty and necessity of being exercised with variety of opposition in the Way of Christ is one of the principles of Christianity which ought to be held in the first place by all that resolve to adhere to any other saving Truth they who do not first know this and notwithstanding thereof resolve upon adherance to the Truth in Christ's strength will readily when they meet with such a lot be surprised therewith and either forsake the Truth or faint in their adherance to it Therefore the Apostle would have them knowing this first that after several other sorts of enemies there were also to come in the last dayes scoffers 4. There are no such pure or peaceable times to be expected by the Church and People of God within time wherein the fore-mentioned lot is not to be expected they who dream of the best times to the Church on Earth look for them toward the end of time and yet the Spirit of God here forwarneth that beside the rage of persecutors and prevailing of hereticks there shall come in the last dayes scoffers 5. It is a clear evidence that men are slaves to their lusts when they do strongly desire an eternall enjoyment of this present world and labour to banish out of their own hearts the thoughts of a day of judgment Yea their so doing is also the cause why they give up themselves to the service of their lusts the believing consideration of the terror of that day to the wicked being a special help to mortification and of the sweetnesse thereof to the Godly a special encouragement in the battel against corruption for their scoffing at the promise of Christ's second coming may be looked upon here both as the evidence and cause of their walking after their ungodly lusts 6. When men are left of God to vile opinions for not receiving the Truth in love they are then oftentimes plagued further not only with devilish wit to find out seeming reasons for the defence of them very plausible to themselves and others like themselves but also to take manifest falshoods for undeniable grounds of their errors for these mockers here lay all the weight of their blasphemous opinion upon this seeming reason That since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were c. which appeareth from the Apostle's contrary instance ver 6. to be a manifest falshood 7. Although it be a sweet mercy much to be acknowledged by the Lord's People that things in nature do ordinarily keep one constant