Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91363	A little cabinet richly stored with all sorts of heavenly varieties, and soul-reviving influences. Wherein there is a remedy for every malady, viz. milk for babes, and meat for strong men, and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of salvation: being an abridgement of the sum and substance of the true Christian religion; wherein the cause of our salvation, the way, the guide, the rule, the evidence, the seals, &c. and the connection of these points together, and dependancy of them one upon another: this I have endeavoured to do orderly, exactly, methodically, with much plainness and clearness. / By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1657 (1657)	Wing P4237; Thomason E1575_1; ESTC R209217	254,040	517

wind of death yea their falling began with their building Quest Whether a godly man may buy and sell eat and drink travel and discourse with an ungodly man or men Answ We find in the Scriptures that a good man is to love his enemies and to do good unto all Gal. 6. 10. The Lord doth cause the Sun to shine and the rain to fall upon them therefore beware of judging and condemning them are they proud who can tell but God may humble them are they unclean who can tell but God may cleanse them we ought to be courteous in our behaviour towards them Gen. 23. 7 12. Abraham bowed himself to the people of the Land Christ was tender hearted towards them he wept over them that were to shed his blood and we are to own and commend what there is of God in them so it is said Christ did love the young man in the Gospel for those natural parts that there were in him God is the fountain of common gifts as well as of saving grace The Lord doth make use of them to bring out of their loyns many precious men and sometimes he doth make use of them to help the woman and sometimes to awaken his people and put them upon their guard but in all our conversings with wicked men take heed to these things 1. Walk warily and circumspectly before them Phil. 2. 15. For you are in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having therefore your conversation honest amongst the Gentiles ver 15. For so is the will of God that with well doing we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 2 Beware of envying at their prosperity because God hath prohibited that Psalm 37. 1. Consider they have their reward here in this life Prov. 24. 19. There is no reward to a wicked man in another life 3. Beware of cracking a good conscience to procure their favour as Judas did consider their favour is fickle and it is a madness to lose the favour of God to gain the favour of his enemies 4. Beware of omitting those duties that God requires of you for fear of them this is to life up man more then God Consider omission may damn a man as well as commissions and hereby we shall gratifie carnal men by omitting of good duties for fear of them and by this we shall stagger those that were coming on in the wayes of God 5. Beware of too deep a familiarity with them and that for these reasons First because they have no communion nor fellowship with God Ephes 2. 12. They are without Christ in the world and have communion with Satan 1 John 5. 19. The whole world lyeth in wickedness Again deep communion with them is very dangerous to your souls Joseph by this began to swear by the life of Pharaoh and Peter being a little in bad company how soon could he swear and lye both one after another Quest Whether recreation be lawful and if so what recreation and when to be used and how long and how oft Answ Recreation in some pleasant and harmless exercise is lawful as might appear by the testimony and practices of many good people sometimes making use of their liberty therein observing these and the like rules 1. In and by things lawful not vain as filthy or slanderous songs 1 Cor. 15. 33. Psal 69. 12. 2. Not foolish talking and unsaintlike jesting Ephes 5. 3 4 3. Not dicing carding stage-playing and fidling 4. We are not to use recreation as we do meat and drink but as wine seldom and little at a time 1 Tim. 5. 23. Then there are times in which no recreation is either lawful or expedient 1. On the Sabbath or Lords day it is altogether forbidden Isa 58. 13. 2. In the time of mourning for it becomes no body to be jolly when God is angry Isa 22. 12 13. Mat. 9. 55. 3. It must be done in a fit time as our occasions will bare that we may redeem time and not set spurs to a running horse as it were a benefit to be rid of time that is neither for our profit here Proverbs 21. 17. nor our safety hereafter Mat. 25. 30. 4. It must be made use of in a fit manner for no more then we are willing to lose 5. It must be carried on soberly not over earnestly it is dangerous for a man to give up himself too much to pleasurable things 1 Cor. 7. 31. for wisdom must be the moderator of our mirth and content Eccles 2. 3. 6. This also must be done in good company not with men of evil manners lest we bring our selves to be in danger to be partaker of their sins Quest In as few words as may be answer me to these eight things 1. Election what it is 2. The causes of it 3. The ends of it 4. The effects of it 5. The Subjects of it 7. The properties of it 8. The signs of it Answ I have spoken to Election before in its place but seeing here are more particulars then there I have spoken unto I shall answer each briefly 1. As to election what it is consider that it is a special decree of God touching the conferring of eternal salvation by Christ the Redeemer to certain men of meer mercy and good will 2. As to the causes of election it is the love of the Trinity God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost The manner of working peculiarly to each of them the Scripture expresly sheweth that the Father and the Son did elect us Ephes 1. 4. John 15. 16. In which we may not exclude the Holy Ghost who hath one common God-head with them 1 Joh. 5. 7. So that the cause which moved God to elect was his meer good will and nothing else as appears by these ensuing undeniable reasons 1. By the word of God he hath predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1. 5. Rom. 11. 5. So then we are not elected for foreseen faith for every cause is before the effect now faith is after election Act. 13. 48. So in the next place we are not elected for any foreseen works for the Apostle doth exculde all works from being either causes of election or reprobation Rom 9. 11 12. 3. The ends of election may be reduced to these three heads 1. The glory of God and the celebration and declaration of his mercy Romans 9. 23. Ephes 1. 6. 2. The second end is that we should be ho. ly Ephes 1. 4. He did not chuse us because we were then holy but that we might be holy 3. The third end is the salvation and glory of the elect therefore they are said to be ordained to eternal life and prepared unto glory and chosen unto salvation Acts 13. 48. Rom. 9. 23. 2 Thes 2. 13. 4. The effects of election are the mediation of Christ adoption vocation saving faith justification glorification in a word Gods election is the root of all gifts of God in

him he also sets his love upon him and manifests it unto him So that as election to life is by God the Father and redemption by God the Son so justification sanctification and restauration into the Image of God is by the Holy-Ghost So that in the unity of the God-head there be three of one substance power and eternity God the Father God the Son and God the Holy-Ghost the Father is of none other begotten nor proceeding the Son is eternally begotten of the Father the Holy-Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son See Math. 3. 16 17 28. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 1 4. 1 Joh. 1. 14. And that the Holy-Ghost is God will appear by these Scriptures Act. 5. 3 4. Peter reproving Annanias for lying said he did lie to the Holy-Ghost and so he lyed not to men but to God so again Isa 6. 9. I heard the Lord speaking which place Paul expounds of the Holy-Ghost Act. 28. 25. Of Gods Decrees WHatsoever God doth in time that did he decree to do from all eternity So that Gods decree is that whereby he hath from all eternity set down with himself whatsoever shall come to pass Ephes 1. 11. If any ask what things are decreed by God I answer 1 all things 2 with their causes 3 with their effects 4 circumstances and 5 manner of being Act. 2. 23. 4. 27 28. Ephes 1. 11. 1. This decree is most wise Rom. 11. 33. 2. Just Rom. 9. 13 14. 3. Eternall Ephes 1. 4 5. 1 Cor. 2. 7. 4. Unchangeable Heb. 11. 17. 5. Most free Rom. 9. 18. 6. The cause of all good Iam. 1. 17. Now the parts of this decree is two-fold first concerning Angels Secondly concerning man and of this decree concerning man there be two parts First Election Secondly Reprobation 1 Thes 5. 9. Iudg. 4. 5. As concerning Angels they also are of two sorts First good Secondly bad First good or excellent 1. For their nature 2. For their gifts 3. For their offices 4. For their estate Secondly bad or evill Angels God from all eternity hath determined of all things together with their causes effects circumstances of place and time means manner and end to the manifestation of his own glory Psal 99. 4. Mat. 10. 29. Rom. 9. 20 21. 11. 36. Pro. 16. 4. Of Election ELection is the decree of God of his free love and grace and mercy choosing some men to Faith holiness and eternall life for the praise of his glorious mercy 1 Thes 1. 4. 2 Thes 2. 13. Ephes 1. 4 5 6. Rom. 8. 29 30. The causes of election was none other but his meer good will and pleasure Luk. 12. 32. Rom. 11. 5. 9. 11. 16. Ephes 1. 5. 2 Tim. 1. 9. The end of election is the manifestation of the riches of his grace and mercy Rom. 9. 23. Ephes 1. 6. Quest Was not Christ and faith and holiness the causes of election Answ No the sending of Christ faith holiness and eternall life are only the effects of Gods love by which he manifesteth the infinite riches of his grace Ioh. 3. 16. 1 Ioh. 4. 10. Acts 13. 4. Titus 1. 1. Col. 1. 12. Rom. 6. 23. God ●eerly out of his good pleasure without the fore-fight of any good in the creature according to his unlimited soveraignty elected a certain number by name unto eternall salvation and he hath decreed to effect all the wayes and means for them and in them to bring them thereto see 2 Tim. 1. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 8. So some are elected unto life out of all sorts of people Mat. 20. 16. Rom 9. 24. Rev. 7. 9. That unto which God hath elected them is 1. To the Adoption of Sons 2. Sanctification of life here 3. And eternall life hereafter The first and only moving cause of Election is the good pleasure and love of God Ephes 1. 5. Rom. 9. 18. Ephes 1. 11. So that Faith is not the cause but the effect of election Act. 13. 48. God is no respecter of persons and yet he elected some and left others when he found no difference A man may come to know in time that he was elected before time 1. We come to apprehend this by Faith 1 Thes 1. 4. 2. By our effectuall calling 3. By our justification 4. By our sanctification Rom. 8. 30. 5 By the testimony of Gods Spirit Rom. 8. 9 16 17. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. 2 Pet. 1. 2 3. 2Cor 1. 21 23. Of Reprobation REprobation is the wise just and absolute decree of God passing by and leaving some men unto themselves to suffer them to fall and to enflict upon them eternall punishment deserved by their sins for the praise of his unspeakable great justice Rom. 9. 11 13 22. Iude 4. Ier. 6. 30. The causes of this decree is the absolute will and good pleasure of God Mat. 11. 26. Rom. 9. 13. The end of this decree is not the condemnation of the creature 〈…〉 ●●●ifestation of Gods Justice Rom. 9. 22. Yet election and reprobation in a sense are not the causes of salvation and damnation but Christ is the proper and meritorious cause of salvation and sin the proper and meritorious cause of damnation Election and reprobation they are but precedent acts or decrees and the causes of salvation and damnation they come in between the causes and the execution thereof It is the fore-appointment of certain Angels and men unto everlasting dishonour God of his own free will determining to pass them by refuse or cast off and for sin to condemn and punish them with everlasting death Prov. 16. 4. Exod. 9. 16. Rom. 9. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 20. Mat. 25. 41. Of the Creation ALthough God made man of the dust of the earth yet he could have made him of nothing as he made all things else of nothing in six daies Heb. 11. 3. Exod. 20. 11. 1. In the first day were created the heavens and the earth and light Gen. 1. 1 2. Iob 38. 7. 2. In the next day was the out-spreading firmament or heavens the division of the waters above from the waters beneath Gen. 1. 6 7. 3. In the third day there was a two-fold work first a gathering of the waters in one place secondly a bringing forth of hearbs Gen. 1. 9 10 11 12. 4. In the fourth day was made the Sun Moon and Stars to give light on the earth and to be for signs and seasons and for dayes and years Gen. 1. 14 15 16 17. 5. In the fift day there was a twofold work the creation of all sorts of fish in the sea and fouls in the air Gen. 1. 22 23. 6. In the sixth day there was also a twofold work the creation of all sorts of beasts upon the earth and the creation of man whom the Lord made in his own Image Gen. 1. 24 25 26 27. 7. The seventh day the Lord made a Sabboth of rest and blessed that day above all other dayes and did also sanctifie it The

causes of this great work of creation was first his love to man and the shewing forth his own glory and the fulfilling of his decree to the end that God may be known and honored of his creatures c. his eternall power and God-head is seen in raising all things out of nothing By his word alone Isa 40. 12. Rom. 1. 20. Ier. 10. 12. 51. 15. And his infinite wisdom is made known by them Psal 104. 24. Of Angels ANgels are spiritual creatures compleat and immortall yet finite Heb. 1. 13 14. Col. 1. 16. Mat. 4. 11. 26. 53. Psal 68. 17. Mat. 22. 30. Luke 20. 36. Heb. 1. 7. Psal 104. 4. There be two sorts of Angels first good secondly bad The good Angels they praise God worship the Son they are heavenly messengers from the Father to defend the faithfull they have wrestled eaten been received as strangers had their feet washed they shall gather the elect from the four corners of the earth they shall come with Christ to judgement they be excellent creatures 1. For their nature Isaiah 6. 2. Daniel 9. 21. 2 Thes 1. 7. 2. For their gifts 2 Sam. 14. 17. Mat. 6. 10. Luk. 15. 10. 1 Cor. 13. 1. 3. For their offices Dan. 7. 10. Rev. 5. 11. 4. They be excellent for their estate Mat. 18. 10. 5. They be wise and of great understanding 2 Sam. 14. 20. They were the first creatures that ever God made there be also severall orders of Angels viz. Archangels Cherubims and Seraphins yet lay all these things together it will appear that righteousness of Angels is but the righteousness of creatures but the righteousness that the Saints are cloathed with is the very righteousness of Christ and in this respect the meanest Saint is more excellent then the most glorious Angel in heaven they are by God sent forth for the good of his people hence they are called ministring spirits and they minister to the Saints many wayes In their life by defending them from their enemies the Angels of the Lord pitch their tents about them that fear him Psal 34. 7. An Angel it was that slew the army of the Assyrians That delivered Peter out of prison as also preserved Lot Psal 91. 11. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes Gen. 32. 5. An Angel encouraged Iacob when he feared his brother Esau an Angel it was Luke 1. 30. who bid Mary not to fear and who stood by Paul and bid him be of good cheer Act. 27. 24. By an Angel was the incarnation of Christ foretold to the Virgin and by a multitude of Angels was it proclaimed afterwards an Angel leads Philip to expound the Scripture to the Eunuch sets Peter at liberty to preach the Gospel bids Cornelius send for Peter to be instructed by him and prayes Paul to come over to Macedonia to help them none are so nobly attended as Saints they have a life-guard of Angels to encompass them about Angels are as carefull of the faithfull as a nurse of her sucking child they bear them up in their arms that they dash not their feet against a stone Of Man ALL men by nature are equally made of one earth and blood and every poor Christian is as dear unto God as a mighty Prince Man was wonderfully created and more wonderfully redeemed The Lord hath assigned his heart to wisdom the belly to avoidance the breast to health the liver to anger the gall to bitterness the spleen to laughter the kidneys to craftyness the loyns to strength the ribs to comeliness the Lord having finished the excellent frame of heaven and earth he cals a counsel to build that excellent tabernacle Man into whom he breathed the spirit of life this man did far exceed all other creatures that amongst them all not found any one fit or meet to be a companion for him or to have society with him and so the Lord made him a help meet for him this man was the master-piece of all Gods works to whom the Lord did give an unlimited prerogative over the beasts of the field the fouls of the air and the fish of the sea but man by his disobedience became inferiour to the most despised creatures and we all his posterity are more miserable and fuller of vanity then any of the unreasonable creatures viz. other creatures by the benefit of nature can stand upon their legs and seek after their food when young but man the Lord of them all must be swadled in clouts being no way able to help himself the young chickens as soon as ever they are hatched can run after their dam to seek for food and have that wisdom to hide themselves under her wings at the fluttering of the Kite the lambs calves and young costs stand suddenly upon their legs to seek their dams teats But man would perish if his mother by her naturall affection did not bring the nipple of her breasts to his mouth and rock him upon her knees Of the Soul THE soul of man is a spirituall substance immortall and invisible endued with memory understanding and will or the soul is a substance immortall invisible united to the body and endued with many admirable faculties as life sense and reason to this end principally that God might be truly honored and duely worshipped Or the soul is a spirituall invisible and immortall substance endued with power to understand and will this soul is at one instant both created and united to the body and by the power and faculties of the soul man is capable of happiness or of the the cheif good or greatest misery or thus the soul of the Saints is a spirituall and immortall substance created after the Image of God and renewed after the immortall Image of God in Christ the soul is a real and very being as the body is only of an higher kind the body is of the earth the soul is immediately from God Of Mans Fall THE devill himself being fallen cometh to the garden in the form of a Serpent Adam and Eve being in Paradise and looking upon themselves as indeed they were the most excellent piece of all the creation bearing the Image of God their Creator the Lord having left them a law he leaves them to the fredom of their own will the devil boards the woman thus hath God said ye shall not eat of such a tree it is a likely thing that the Lord cares what ye eat what do you think he stands upon an apple this is the first assault which the woman weakly resisteth and answered doubtfully we must not eat lest we die then the devil perceiving the woman to stagger and the ground of her faith to shake he plants all his pieces and purposes for a second storm and stands up and saith to the woman ye shall not die at all can there be any hurt in an apple Oh silly woman God he affirmeth and faith ye shall die the woman saith I must

a grieving for sin both original and actual arising from an apprehension of displeasing so loving a God 2. Cor. 7. 11. For behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge in all things c. Repentance is not only a turning from evil to good but a hating the evil we turn from and a loving the good we turn to True repentance is a general universal change of the whole man in every part though it be but in part it doth change both heart and life word and work it makes darkness light and bitter sweet and a Leaper an Angel Isa 1. 16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean there is the change of the heart put away the evil of your doings there is the change of the life See Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. Or repentance is a universal change in the whole man the understanding is turned from darkness to light the will from sinfulservitude to an holy liberty the affections from disorder into order the heart from hardness into softness so the eye of wantoness into an eye of chastity the uncircumcised ear into an obedient ear the hands of bribery into the hands of liberty and the feet of vanity into the waies of purity Repentance for sin is nothing without repentance from sin He that hath repented indeed doth still desire to have his sin purged as well as pardoned repentance is a work that must be timely done or we be utterly undone he that hath truly repented doth now strike most at those sins that he was most prone to before the Jaylor Act. 16. Washed those wounds that his own hands had made but a little before he acts in waies of mercy quite contrary to his former cruelty So did Zacheus Luke 19. So did Paul Acts 9. So did Manasses 2 Chron. 33. 6. True repentance hath these choice companions attending it The first is Faith Mar. 1. 14. Repent ye therefore and believe the Gospel Secondly love to Christ doth alwaies accompany repentance as we may see in Mary Magdalen Luke 7. Thirdly fear of offending God and an holy care to honour him these and the like companions do alwaies accompany true repentance they were born together and they will live together till the soul doth change earth for heaven Conviction goes alwaies with conversion and repentance and forgiveness of sins goes alwaies together so doth sanctification and justification this repentance is a flower that grows not in natures garden Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spot c. Men are not born with repentance in their hearts as they are with tongues in their mouths The Nature of sin The Springs or Rise of sin The ready way to mortifie sin FIrst of the Nature of sin Although sin hath but one nature yet it hath several names in every sin we take from God and add to another thing Sin is the transgression of the Law and not believing and obeying the Gospel sin defiles a man totally it begins at the understanding and so to the will and affections sin robs a man of the Image of God of the presence of God Sin was the first founder of hell and laid the first stone thereof And yet most of this is but the effects of sin the essence must needs be much more abominable Hence sin is called poyson and sinners Serpents Sin is called vanity and sinners dogs Sin is called mire and sinners swine the least sin virtually more or less contains in it the nature of all sin no sooner did one sin set upon Adams heart but he had all sin in him every sin doth put God upon complaining Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving and the soul a mourning many sin by omission and commission at one and the same time and yet know of neither the more there is of the will in the acting of sin the greater the sin is Some sins of omission may exceed some of commission the more deliberation and the weaker temptations any hath and yet sinneth the greater the sin is Many a man is full of sinful corruption but shew it not for want of occasion No sooner did one sin seize upon Adams heart but he had all sin in him How sin creeps up and gets head in us SAtan first tempts us to be strange one to another and then to divide and then to be bitter and jealous and then to bite and devour one another again hasty and froward words begets anger anger being kindled begets wrath wrath seeketh greedily after revenge See Prov. 17. 14. Sin is of an incroaching nature it creeps on the soul by degrees step by step David gave way to his wandring eye and so fell into the sins of murder and adultery again Satan will first draw a soul to be unclean in his thoughts then in his looks then in his words and then in deeds he will first draw a soul to look on the golden wedge and then to love the golden wedge and then to handle the golden wedge and then to gain the golden wedge Again he will draw a soul first to have low thoughts of Scripture and Ordinances and then to sleight Scripture and Ordinances and then with the Ranters and Quakers to cast off Scripture and Ordinances Again if we give way to sinful motion it will be great vain thoughts and vain thoughts will beget idle words and idle words will beget petty oaths Sins of omission do also open the door and make way for sins of commission and again fearfulness and timerousness doth arise from weakness and feebleness and weakness and feebleness doth arise from unbelief or incredulity the beginning of sin is oft by the Devils suggesting evil thoughts evil thoughts cause delight delight consent consent engendereth action action causeth custom so one sin draweth on another grant a little and a great deal will follow Sin is ill in the eye worse in the tongue worser in the heart but worst of all in the life there are three waies how Satan comes into the Soul to cheat it First as a subtile Serpent in evil thoughts Secondly as an Angel of light in lying Prophets and evil spirits Thirdly as a roaring Lyon in Persecutors Of the great danger of small sins OUR Father Adam for eating an Apple one would account it a small matter to eat an Apple Yet what misery did that bring It did slay our Father and deceive our Mother cheated and almost undone all our Brethren defiled our Sisters wounded our children and plundred all our kindred to the skin and left them as poor as Job The sin of Angels was but a small sin only one sin and but a sin in thought too not in action yet for this they were cast out of heaven One would think it but a small sin for David to number the people yet

our selves to be justified from our sins by faith in the blood of Christ is the cause of our love to Christ 1 Joh. 4. 10 19. 6. Our love to Christ is the cause of our obeying of Christ 1 Joh. 5. 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments so again Joh. 14. 15. If ye love me keep my commandments See the 21. and 23. ver 7. In our obedience to him he doth manifest these things to us that we have right to the tree of life Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City that is in the obedience he shall have the manifestation of that 2 Pet. 1. 11. For so an entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And so he is manifested to be the Author of salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Behold obedience to God is the way of conveyance to us so it is a lively evidence to others that we are the Lords Joh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples because our faith which is the evidence of things not seen to us is proved to others to be true by its works Jam. 2. 18. Behold here is the Lords going downward from the causes to the effects now we must go upward from the effects to the causes 1. God shews us what is our duty and puts us upon doing it and for the doing of it those that behold it and hear of us judge us to be true Christians 2. In the doing of it God manifests himself more and more to our souls in the keeping of his appointments there is great reward for so an entrance is administred to us abundantly 2 Pet. 1. 11. 3. The cause of our obedience is our love to God If ye love me keep my commandments 4. The cause of our love was our seeing that God did love us first 1 Joh. 4. 10 19. 5. The cause of our faith in Christ is the preaching of the Gospel Rom. 10. 17. 6. The cause of the preaching the Gospel to us was Christs dying for us 7. The cause of Christs dying for us was Gods great love of pitty to us-wards even when we were dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 4. So then Gods love was the cause of sending his son o deye for our sins Christs dying and rising again is the cause of the Gospe●s being preached The preaching of the Gospel is the cause of our believing Our believing is the cause of our justification from sin the knowing of our selves free from sin by the blood of Christ is the cause of our love to Christ our love to Christ is the cause of our obeying of him and in onr obedience is the manifestation more and more conveyed to us So by our obedience others have some evidence of our faith in Christ Mans life is or should be guided by these vertues 1. FAith whereby we believe in and lay hold on God for something promised 2. Hope and that is either for pardoning mercy or for glory 3. Charity whereby we love God as the only good and his people and our enemies in obedience to his command 4. Prudence 1. In our hearts to guide our thoughts 2. In our mouths to order our speeches 3. It should be in our words to grace or adorn our actions 4. In the intelligence to understand things present 5. Prudence to guess at things to come 6. Prudence to recal matters past 5. Temperance which moderates our desires and brings the Appetite under a rule of reason that it may not exceed the rule of moderation 6. Perseverance which continueth in doing and suffering valiantly 7. Justice which giveth every man his due without self-love fear or ranckor it binds us to give due to God to our parents and kindred verity and equity in all that we do in order to our duty herein 1. Sense perceiveth 2. Imagination representeth 3. Understanding formeth 4. Wit deviseth 5. Reason judgeth 6. Memory preserveth 7. Intelligence apprehendeth 8. Contemplation in the prosecution perfecteth Several Divine Sentences First of Christ HE that was the Son of of God became the son of man that we who were the sons of men might become the sons of God He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the right●ousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. The more vile Christ made himself for us the more dear he ought to be unto us therefore let us beware of Christ-dishonouring and soul-undoing opinions All good things are in Christ eminently perfectly and eternally Faith in the blood of Christ the witness of the Spirit of Christ a sense of feeling and the love of Christ and the hope of reigning with Christ are the only things to be desired Christ is as well the fountain of common gifts as of saving grace A true Christian cannot find fulness in the creature nor sweetness in sin nor life in any Ordinance without Christ he will weep over other mens weaknesses and rejoyce at their graces We must lean more upon Christ and less upon our own strength lest with Peter we rest upon some old strength and fall before a new temptation Christ can heal a soul speedily perfectly freely and eternally Oh that Christ should shed his blood for those sins that we never shed one tear for A true Christian doth labour for unity in the Church as well as purity he loves to see Christs coat without rent as well as without spot Phil. 3. 15. Christ did admit his spouse into the garden sweetly though she kept him out of her house sluggishly What a poor soul doth for Christ sincerely that our precious Saviour takes sweetly though it be done ill he doth accept it well Nay though we carry our selves in our choicest performances very weakly yet he doth carry himself towards us very sweetly and doth accept of that which we do kindly although done in much infirmity let us enter into his service and we shall soon experience his sweetness Christ doth weigh the heart of the giver more then the value of the gift and delights to see his people give cheerfully though they cannot give bountifully Let us give over measuring his mercy by the narrow scantling of our dark understandings though difficulties may arise and Christians hearts may fail yet the work of Christ shall go on c. Of affliction for sin in Sentences GOD is as severe in punishing as he is gracious in pardoning his house of correction is his School of instruction God had one Son without corruption but no Son without correction he had one Son without Sin but no Son without Sorrow A Soul may be dearly beloved although soarly afflicted sin and punishment are linked together if thou wilt be sinful thou must be miserable Oh what is the state of a man

us and the foundation of all saving benefits bestowed upon us 5. The Subject of election is double the first is him in who we are elected and that is Christ he hath chosen us in him saith Paul Ephes 1. 4. The other Subject is the persons that are elected and these are not all the sons of Adam without exception for he that taketh all and refuseth none cannot properly be said to chuse the elect considered comparatively are a little flock a remnant a garden inclosed a spring shut up a fountain sealed they be as one of a City two of a tribe they be but a handful to a house full a drop to the Ocean Yet if we consider them simply in themselves they are an innumerable number that cannot be numbred Ephes 5. 23. Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God Rom. 5. 19. By the obedience of Christ many shall be made righteous Rev. 7. 9. John saith he saw an innumerable multitude of all Nations and tongues which stood before the lamb cloathed with long white robes and palms in their hands so that the number of Gods elect considered by themselves alone is great 6. The Prerogatives of the Elect which no reprobate can partake of are as followeth 1. God knows them loves them and approves of them 2 Tim. 2. 19. 2. True faith is wrought in them and them only Tit. 1. 1. Act. 13. 48. 3. Effectuall vocation and conversion belongs to them only Rom. 8. 30. 4. They only are adorned with the graces of the Spirit Col. 3. 12. 5. Salvation belongs to none but to them Rom. 11. 7. 6. None of the Elect shall be wholly seduced Mat. 24. 24. John 10. 28. Jer 32. 40. 7. God doth cause his Angels to protect them Psal 34. 7. 8. God shall send his Angels to gather together his elect Mat. 24. 31. 9. The Elect shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. 10. If any wrong them here God will a venge them Luke 18. 7 8. Zech. 2. 8. 11. He will shorten the evil dayes for his elects sake Mat. 24. 22. 12. The elect need not fear death and damnation who shall lay any thing to their charge Rom. 8. 33. 7. The properties and signs of election are as followeth 1. It is most free without all obligation compulsion external instigation or provision of future preparations merits c. hath not the potter power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessel to honour and another to dishonour 2. The decree of election is from all eternity before we did believe and before we were born see Rom. 9. 11. 3. The election of God is constant perpetual immutable and inviolable my Counsel saith God shall stand Isa 46. 10. and the foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2. 19. 8. What are the signs of election but the dying unto sin poverty of spirit a hungring after the righteousness that there is in Christ and prizing of it above all earthly things a resignation of our selves into Gods hands with an acknowledgement of our ffences with a true purpose to leave them forgiving our enemies and a delight in Gods Saints c. So then put all together and we may see it is Gods favour not mans faith his mercy not mans merit that is the foundation and fountain of mans election and felicity Q. What is vocation or effectual calling Answ Vocation is an action of God translating from the kingdom of darkness to his own kingdom it is two-fold extraordinary or ordinary extraordinary vocation is an immediate work of the spirit whereby without outward means he inwardly speaketh to the soul and so doth make the heart to answer his call Vocation which is ordinary is that whereby God calleth out of darkness into his marvellous light from the power of Satan unto God by the preaching of the Gospel Q. What is Justification Answ Justification is a gracious work of God whereby he judgeth the elect to be just by faith in Christ through the imputation of his justice and that unto the praise of his glorious grace given us in Christ before the world began Q. What is Sanctification Answ Sanctification is a benefit bestowed upon us by God whereby our corrupt nature is renewed to the Image God or a total inward change of a man justified whereby the Image of God is restored in him Q. Wherein doth justification and sanctification agree and wherein do they disagree Answ 1. First they agree in their cause for God is the Author of them both through the merits of Christ 2. They have both one instrumental cause which is Faith of the former by receiving of it and of the latter by effecting it 3. They agree in their scope and end for they both tend to one end but justification as the cause and sanctification as the way Now as they do accord in some things so they differ in other things viz. 1. In that justification is out of man Sanctification is within him 2. Justification absolveth a sinner whereby he seeth he standeth righteous at the bar of Gods justice sanctification makes us stand righteous in the account of men 3. Justification brings peace of conscience so doth not sanctification but puts us upon following that peace 4. Justification consists in the imputation of righteousness to us Sanctification in the infusion of right principles that we might walk holily to right ends 5. Justification is acted at once sanctification is done by degrees the former is in this life perfect the latter is imperfect 6. They differ in respect of the manner in which they are wrought for justification is wrought by the right of donation but sanctification is by the way of practical alteration Q. What necessity is there of Magistracy or Civil powers in the world Answ As a City without wals a sea without banks a vineyard without a hedge or pale so is a common-wealth without a Magistrate or a kingdom without a Magistrate is as a ship without a pilot or a world without a Sun Q. What men are fit for officers in Church and State Answ When the Lord directed Moses what officers to chuse for publike imployment Exod. 18. 21. He said chuse out of all the people able men such as fear God men of truth c. not favour money seniority c. But grace wisdom and courage must advance men unto rule Officers in Church and State are not for sight but for service we judge not of a pillar by its beauty but by its strength It is better to be under a zealous faithfull John Baptist though his rayment be hair and leather then under a silken Diotrephes who is all for preheminence nothing for performance The shortness of mans life and the misery that doth attend every age and condition of all men that live and delight in sin and lie down in Sorrow MAns whole life is but a progress of death all the time we live we die invisibly and