Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	faith_n	grace_n	instrumental_a	1,802	5	11.6254	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46992	Comfortable words to afflicted consciences together with a short advice to ministers how to handle them : and also Mansio Christiana, or, The Christians mansion-house, being a sermon preached on the Lords-day, 7th Feb., Anno Dom. 1668 at the funeral of Mrs. Martha Walmisley, the wife of Mr. Charles Walmisley, minister of Chesham magna in the county of Bucks / by William Jole ...	Jole, William, d. ca. 1702.	1671 (1671)	Wing J887; ESTC R8442	40,808	152

as much as can well be in a Man void of Grace and in Paul was discovered as much as need be looked for in the most eminent Saint his former madness is equalled by his present zeal and now all that Ie●ish Learning which he had raked together intending onely thereby to defend the righteousness of the Law and the Traditions of the Elders and to dispute against Christ and his Gospel God imploys it better to make him more able to confound the Iews and to prove that Jesus is the very Christ Acts 9. ver 22. None preach Christ crucifyed so plainly and the Doctrine of Justification by Christs impured Righteousness so powerfully and so thorowly as Paul does none beat so much on this string as he Romans 3 ver 27. Galat. 2. ver 16. and in Galat. 3. ver 10. None cry down the Righteousness of the Law so vehemently nor cry up the imputed Righteousness of Christ so earnestly as Paul does thus as he was behind no man in wickedness before his conversion so was he not infer or to the very chief Apostles after conversion but laboured more abundantly than they all I Cor. chap. 15. ver 10. Now he would preach nothing but Christ crucifyed 1 Cor. chap. 2. ver and would glory in nothing but in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Gal. 6. ver 14. Thus Paul was even a miracle of Mercy and a glorious pattern of Grace The next particular is why Paul was hung out as a pattern of Free grace 1. Because he had been such a notorious persecuter and therefore as the noise of his mad and ignorant zeal had filled the world before so now the news of his conversion would be the more wonderful and he would be the more fit to be a pattern because the Example of so great a Sinner would be more encouragement for other sinners to seek for Mercy Galat. 1. ver 23 24. When the Churches heard that Paul preached the Faith which he once destroyed they glorifyed God in him When sinners remember that Paul was pardoned they may glorify Go●s Mercy by seeking Pardon too 2. Paul was made a Pattern of Free Grace because he was an eminent Iew and by Sect a Pharisee and so might prove a leading Pattern to all the Iews and to that obstinat Sect of the Pharisees to leave off per securi●g the Church of Chr●st and to joyn themselves unto it ●o follow his Example in renouncing the Righteousness of Works and embracing the Righteousness of Faith Paul was well read in all their Jewish Traditions and was as zealous of them as they and therefore they might see more of the power of Grace in his conversion that now made him h●zard his own life to advance that way which before he persecuted unto Death 3. Paul was chose to be a Pattern because in such a Pattern the freeness of Grace would appear more clearly here all the world may see that we are not saved out of any Wo●ks foreseen here was nothing to fit him to receive Grace unless making havock of the Church be a preparatory work Such Works the Romish Saints are full of here was a raging Persecutor tamed and pardoned It is not our Faith apprehending Christ that saves us but our Christ apprehended by Faith Christ is the meriting cause and Faith is the Instrumental Lastly Paul was set as a Pattern of Free Grace to encourage other sinners beholding the Mercy of God unto him to look after Mercy too that as in a Glass or Mirrour all men may see more clearly the freeness of Grace it is a good means to prevent our despair when we see such an instance of pardoning Mercy before our eyes and this leadeth me to the last particular What encouragement may other sinners draw from this great pattern of Paul's obtaining Pardon My meaning is not that others should expect to be miraculously converted as Paul was for you may as well expect to be caught up into the third Heaven But by Paul's being pardoned you may look after a Pardon Paul believed and was obedient to the voice from Heaven and so obtained Mercy This voice from Heaven was the voice of Christ why p●rsecutest thou m● and Acts 9. ver 5. I am Iesus whom thou persecutest The Gospel now is Christs voice from Heaven he that believeth this voice and is obedie●● to it shall as surely obtain Pardon as ever Paul did and he that will not obey Christs voice in the Gospel shall n●ver be pardoned It is remarkable that Christ did not tell Paul by the voice from Heaven what he should do but sent him to be taught by Ananias who was a Minister of the Gospel Acts 9. ver 6. So now he doth not miraculously tell sinners what they must do to be saved but sends them to his Word and Ministers to be instructed and therefore pray compare those two places together Hebr. 4 ver 7. To day if you will hear his voice what is that voice of Christ Luk. 10. ver 16 He that heareth you heareth me Christ spake this to his Seventy Disciples when he sent them out to preach the Gospel Christ gives his Ministers the same power to preach as he did them though he hath not given them power to work Miracles he still says He that heareth you heareth me for it is Christs word and not Ministers to re●urn to the queston how other sinners may draw encouragement from Pauls obtaining Mercy W●y this this a pattern for other sinners ad imitandum Paul● fidem to believe and so they shall obtain mercy When you see a very deformed person well married you are apt to say nay then none need ever hereafter despair of a husband other sinners may say so from this pattern of Free Grace seeing that Paul the chief of sinners is married to Jesus Christ seeing so great a si●ner is pardoned no sinner hereafter need despair of pardon thus one Begger encourage●h another by ●elling them or shewing them what a good Alms they have 〈◊〉 I sped well at such a door and 〈◊〉 enco●rageth others to go 〈◊〉 too Though indeed begging is now grown such a common Trade that you may be soon wearied out with Beggers such is mans emptiness that he cannot be always giving but such is Gods fulness that he delights to be dealing of his dole of Mercy the oftner you come to the door of Mercy the better you shall speed and therefore this is an encouraging Pattern And consider beloved how great is Gods goodness in giving us such Patterns to invite us to the throne of Grace To see Matthew and Zaccheus two Publicans pardoned may encourage all Publicans to look after Pardon too to see Mary Magdalen out of whom went seven Devils and the Woman taken in the very act of Adultery both pardoned may encourage all sinners to seek pardon to hear Paul say I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained Mercy may greatly encourage all sinners to follow God by