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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	faith_n	fruit_n	work_n	2,573	5	6.3304	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90296	A vision of vnchangeable free mercy, in sending the means of grace to undeserved sinners: wherein Gods uncontrollable eternall purpose, in sending, and continuing the gospel unto this nation, in the middest of oppositions and contingencies, is discovered: his distinguishing mercy, in this great work, exalted, asserted, against opposers, repiners: in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, April. 29. being the day of publike humiliation. Whereunto is annexed, a short defensative about church-government, (with a countrey essay for the practice of church-government there) toleration and petitions about these things. / By Iohn Owen, minister of the gospel at Coggeshall in Essex.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1646 (1646)	Wing O825; Thomason E334_15; Thomason E334_16; ESTC R200768	49,154	60

the boatmen look one way and rowe another cry Gospel and mean the other thing Lord Lord and advance our own ends that the Lord may not stir up the staffe of his anger and the rod of his indignation against us as an hypocriticall people Secondly Take heed of resting upon and trusting to the priviledge how ever excellent and glorious of the outward enjoyment of the Gospel When the Jews cryed The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the time was at hand that they should be destroyed Look onely upon the grace that did bestow and the mercy that doth continue it God will have none of his blessings rob him of his glory and if we will rest at the Cisterne he will stop at the fountain Thirdly Let us all take heed of Barrennes under it for the earth that drinks in the rain that cometh upon it and beareth Thornes and Briers is rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 7 8. Now what fruits doth it require even those reckoned Gal. 5. 22 23. the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknes temperance Oh that we had not cause to grieve for a scarcity of these fruits and the abundant plenty of these works of the flesh recounted ver. 19 20 21. Oh that that wisedom which is an eminent fruit of the Gospel might flourish amongst us Jam. 3. 17. it is first pure then peaceable gētle easy to be entreated that we might have lesse writing and more praying lesse envy and more charity that all evil surmisings which are works of the flesh might have no toleration in our hearts but be banished for nonconformity to the golden rule of love and peace but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Come we now to the last proposition No men in the world want help like them that want the Gospel Or Of all distresses want of the Gospel cries loudest for relief Rachel wanted children and she cries Give me children or I die But that was but her impatience she might have lived and have had no children yea see the justice of God she dies so soon as ever she hath children Hagar wants water for Ishmael and she will go farre from him that she may not see him die an heavy distresse and yet if he had died it had been but an early paying of that debt which in a few years was to be satisfied But they that want the Gospel may truly cry Give us the Gospel or we die and that not temporally with Ishmael for want of water but eternally in flames of fire A man may want liberty and yet be happy as Joseph was a man may want peace and yet be happy as David was a man may want children and yet be blessed as Job was a man may want plenty and yet be full of comfort as Micaiah was but he that wants the Gospel wants every thing that should do him good A Throne without the Gospel is but the Devils dungeon Wealth without the Gospel is fuell for hell Advancement without the Gospel is but a going high to have the greater fall Abraham wanting a childe complains What will the Lord do for me seeing I go childelesse and this Eliezer of Damascus must be my heire much more may a man without the means of grace complain What shall be done unto me seeing I go Gospellesse and all that I have is but a short inheritance for this lump of clay my body When Elisha was minded to do something for the Shunammite who had so kindely entertained him he asks her whether he should speak for her to the King or the Captain of the host she replies she dwelt in the middest of her own people she needeth not those things but when he findes her to want a childe and tells her of that she is almost transported Ah how many poor souls are there who need not our word to the King or the Captain of the host but yet being Gospellesse if you could tell them of that would be even ravished with joy Think of Adam after his fall before the promise hiding himself from God and you have a perfect pourtraicture of a poor creature without the Gospel now this appeareth 1. From the description we have of the people that are in this state and condition without the Gospel they are a people that sit in darknes yea in the region and shaddow of death Matth. 4 16 17. they are even darknes it self Joh. 1. 7. within the dominion and dreadfull darknes of death darknes was one of Egypts plagues but yet that was a darknes of the body a darknes wherein men lived but this is a darknes of the soul a darknes of death for these men though they live yet are they dead they are fully described Ephes. 2. 12. without Christ aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Christles men and godles men and hopeles men and what greater distresse in the world yea they are called doggs and unclean beasts the wrath of God is upon them they are the people of his curse and indignation In the extream North one day and one night divide the year but with a people without the Gospel it is all night the sun of righteousnes shines not upon them it is night whilest they are here and they go to eternall night hereafter What the men of China concerning themselves and others that they have two eies the men of Europe one and all the world besides is blinde may be inverted too the Jews had one eye sufficient to guide them they who enjoy the Gospel have two eies but the men of China with the rest of the Nations that want it are stark blinde and reserved for the chains of everlasting darknes 2. By laying forth what the men that want the Gospel do want with it 1. They want Jesus Christ for he is revealed onely by the Gospel Austine refused to delight in Cicero's Hortensius because there was not in it the Name of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is all and in all and where he is wanting there can be no good Hunger cannot truly be satisfied without manna the bread of life which is Jesus Christ and what shall a hungry man do that hath no bread Thirst cannot be quenched without that water or living spring which is Jesus Christ and what shall a thirsty soul do without water A captive as we are all cannot be delivered without redemption which is Jesus Christ and what shall the prisoner do without his ransom Fools as we are all cannot be instructed without wisdom which is Jesus Christ without him we perish in our folly All building without him is on the sand which will surely fall All working without him is in the fire where it will be consumed All riches without him have wings and will away mallem ruere

A VISION OF Vnchangeable free mercy in sending the means of grace to undeserved sinners WHEREIN Gods uncontrollable eternall purpose in sending and continuing the Gospel unto this Nation in the middest of oppositions and contingencies is discovered his distinguishing mercy in this great work exalted asserted against opposers repiners IN A SERMON PREACHED before the Honourable House of COMMONS April 29. being the day of Publike Humiliation Whereunto is annexed A short defensative about Church-Government with a Countrey Essay for the practice of Church-Government there Toleration and Petitions about these things By Iohn Owen Minister of the Gospel at Coggeshall in Essex LONDON Printed by G. M. for Philemon Stephens at the Signe of the Gilded Lion in Pauls Church-yard 1646. Die Mercurii 29. April 1646. ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That M. Ienner and Sir Peter Wentworth do from this House give thanks to M. Nalton and M. Owen for the great pains they took in the Sermons they preached this day at the intreaty of this House it being a day of publike Humiliation at Margarets Westminster And to desire them to Print their Sermons And it is Ordered that none shall presume to Print their Sermons without license under their hand-writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I do appoint Philemon Stephens and none else to Print my Sermon John Owen AMPLISSIMO SENATUI Inclytissimo populi Anglicani conventui ob Prisca Anglo-Britannorum jura strenue fideliter asserta Libertatem Patriam nefarijs quorundam molitionibus paene pessundatam recuperatam Justitiam fortiter {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} administratam {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Ecclesiasticis {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} dissolutam Ritus Pontificios novitios Antichristianos abolitos Privilegia plebis Christianae postliminio restituta Potissimum Protectionem Dei O. M. his omnibus alijsque innumeris consilio Bello Domi foras gratiose potitam Toto orbe jure meritissimo Celeberrimo Toti huic Insulae aeternâ memoriâ recolendo Viris illustribus Clarissimis sclectissimis ex Ordine Communium in supremacuria Parliam congregatis Concionem hanc sacram humilem illam quidem ipsorum tamen voto jussuque prius coram ipsis habitam nunc luce donatam DDC Joannes Owen A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable House of COMMONS on the day of their publike Fast April 29 1646. ACTS chap. 16. ver. 11. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come over into Macedonia and helpe us THE Kingdom of Jesus Christ is frequently in the Scripture compared to growing things small in the beginning and first appearance but increasing by degrees unto glory and perfection The shapelesse stone cut out without hands having neither form nor desirable beauty given unto it becomes a great mountain filling the whole earth Dan. 2. 35. The small vine brought out of Aegypt quickly covers the hills with her shadow her boughs reach unto the sea and her branches unto the rivers Psal. 80 8. The tender plant becomes as the Cedars of God and the grain of mustard-seed to be a tree for the fowls of the air to make their nests in the branches thereof Mountains are made plains before it every valley is filled and the crooked paths made straight that it may have a passage to its appointed period and all this not only not supported by outward advantages but in direct opposition to the combined power of this whole creation as fallen and in subjection to the god of this world the head thereof As Christ was a tender plant seemingly easie to be broken and a root out of a dry ground not easily flourishing yet liveth for ever so his people and Kingdom though as a lily among thorns as sheep among wolves as a turtle dove among a multitude of devourers yet stands unshaken at least unshivered The main ground and foundation of all this is laid out ver. 6 7 8 9 of this Chapter containing a rich discovery how all things here below especially such as concern the Gospel and Church of Christ are carried along thorow innumerable varieties and a world of contingencies according to the regular motions and goings forth of a free eternall unchangeable decree as all inferiour orbs notwithstanding the excentricks and irregularities of their own inhabitants are orderly carried about by the first mover In the 6. verse the planters of the Gospel are forbid to preach the word in Asia that part of it peculiarly so called and ver. 7. assaying to go with the same message into Bithynia they are crossed by the spirit in their attempts but in my text are called to a place on which their thoughts were not at all fixed which calling and which forbidding were both subservient to his free determination who worketh all things according to the counsell of his own will Ephes. 1. 11. And no doubt but in the dispensation of the Gospel thorowout the world unto this day there is the like conformity to be found to the patern of Gods eternall decrees though to the messengers not made known aforehand by revelation but discovered in the effects by the mighty working of providence Amongst other Nations this is the day of Englands visitation the day-spring from on high having visited this people and the Sunne of righteousnesse arising upon us with healing in his wings a man of England hath prevailed for assistance and the free grace of God hath wrought us helpe by the Gospel Now in this day three things are to be done to keep up our spirits unto this duty of bringing down our souls by humiliation 1. To take us off the pride of our own performances endeavours or any adherent worth of our own not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord be it known unto you be ye ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel O house of England Ezek. 36. 32. 2. To root out that atheisticall corruption which depresses the thoughts of men not permitting them in the highest products of providence to look above contingencies and secundary causes though God hath wrought all our works for us Isa. 26. 12. and known unto him are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. 3. To shew that the bulke of this people are as yet in the wildernesse far from their resting place like sheep upon the mountains as once Israel Jer. 50. 6. as yet wanting helpe by the Gospel The two first of these will be cleared by discovering how that all revolutions here below especially every thing that concerns the dispensation of the Gospel and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus are carried along according to the eternally-fixed purpose of God free in it self taking neither rise growth cause nor occasion from any thing amongst the sons of men The third by laying open the helpelesse condition of Gospel-wanting souls

the Physicians and he still replied they were good signes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} good signes have undone me these good signes will be our ruin yet behold we hope the contrary Our day hath been like that mentioned Zech. 14. 6 7. a day whose light is neither clear nor dark a day known only to the Lord seeming to us to be neither day nor night but God knew all this while that it was a day he saw how it all wrought for the appointed end and in the evening in the close it will be light so light as to be to us discernable In the mean time we are like unskilfull men going to the house of some curious Artist so long as he is about his worke despise it as confused but when it is finished admire it as excellent Whilest the passages of providence are on us all is confusion but when the fabrick is reared glorious Learn to look upon the wisedom of God in carrying all things thorow this wonderfull variety exact●y to answer his own eternall purpose ●uffering so many mountains to lie in the way of reforming his Churches and setling the Gospel that his spirit may have the glory and his people the comfort in their removall It is an high and Noble contemplation to consider the purposes of God so far as by the event revealed and to see what impressions his wisedom and power do leave upon things accomplished here below to read in them a temporary history of his eternall counsels Some men may deem it strange that his determinate will which gives rule to these things and could in a word have reached its own appointment should carry his people so many journies in the wildernesse and keep u● thus long in so low estate I say not to speak of his own glory which hath sparkled forth of this flinty opposition there be divers things things of light for our good which he hath brought forth out of all that darkenesse wherewith we have been overclouded take a few instances 1. If there had been no difficulties there had been no deliverances and did we never finde our hearts so inlarged towards God upon such advantages as to say Well this daies temper of spirit was cheaply purchased by yesterdaies anguish and fear that was but a being sick at sea 2. Had there been no tempests and storms we had not made out for shelter did ye never run to a tree for shelter in a storm and finde fruit which ye expected not did ye never go to God for safegard in these times driven by outward stormes and there finde unexpected fruit the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse that made you say Happy tempest which cast me into such an harbour It was a storm that occasioned the discovery of the golden mines of India hath not a storm driven some to the discovery of the richer mines of the love of God in Christ 3. Had not Esau come against him with 400 men Jacob had not been called Israel he had not been put to it to try his strength with God and so to prevail Who would not purchase with the greatest distresse that heavenly comfort which is in the return of prayers the strength of Gods Jacobs in this Kingdom had not been known if the Esaus had not come against them Some say this war hath made a discovery of Englands strength what it is able to do I thinke so also not what Armies it can raise against men but with what Armies of prayers and tears it is able to deal with God Had not the brethren strove in the wombe Rebekah had not asked Why am I thus nor received that answer The elder shall serve the younger had not two sorts of people strugled in the wombe of this Kingdom we had not sought nor received such gracious answers Thus do all the various motions of the lower wheels serve for our good and exactly answer the impression they receive from the master spring the eternall purpose of God Of this hitherto The sending of the Gospel to any one Nation rather then another as the means of life and salvation is of the meer free grace and good pleasure of God Now before I come to make out the absolute independency and freedom of this distinguishing mercy I shall premise three things First That the not sending of the Gospel to any person or people is of Gods meer good pleasure and not of any peculiar distinguishing demerit in that person or people No man or Nation doth majorem ponere obicem lay more or greater obsta●les against the Gospel then another There is nothing imaginable to lay a block in the passage thereof but only sin Now these sins are or may be of two sorts either first against the Gospel it self which may possibly hinder the receiving of the Gospel but not the sending of it which it presupposeth Secondly against the Covenant they are under and the light they are guided by before the beams of the Gospel shine upon them now in these generally all are equall all having sinned and come short of the glory of God And in particular sins against the Law and light of nature no Nation have gone farther then they which were soonest enlightned with the word as afterwards will appear so that the sole cause of this is the good pleasure of God as our Saviour affirmeth Mat. 11. 25 26. Secondly That sins against the Covenant of works which men are und●r before the Gospel comes unto them cannot have any generall demerit that the means of life and salvation by free grace should not be imparted to them It is true all Nations have deserved to be turned into hell and a people that have had the truth and detained it in ungodlinesse deserve to be deprived of it The first by vertue of the sanction of the first broken Covenant the other by sinning against that which they had of the second but that men in a fallen condition and not able to rise should hereby deserve not to be helped up needeth some distinction to clear it There is then a two-foold demerit and indignity one meerly negative or a not deserving to have good done unto us The other positive deserving that good should not be done unto us The first of these is found in all the world in respect of the dispensation of the Gospel If the Lord should bestow it only on those who do not not deserve it he must for ever keep● it closed up in the eternall treasure of his his own bosom The second is found directly in none in respect of that peculiar way which is discovered in the Gospel because they had not sinned against it which rightly considered gives no small lustre to the freedom of grace Thirdly That there is a right in the Gospel and a fitnesse in that gracious dispensation to be made known to all people in the world that no singular portion of the earth should be