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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	faith_n	grace_n	justify_v	4,538	5	8.7378	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19495	Heauen opened VVherein the counsaile of God concerning mans saluation is yet more cleerely manifested, so that they that haue eyes may come and se the Christian possessed and crowned in his heauenly kingdome: which is the greatest and last benefit we haue by Christ Iesus our Lord. Come and see. First, written, and now newly amended and enlarged, by Mr. William Cowper, minister of Gods word.	Cowper, William, 1568-1619.	1611 (1611)	STC 5920; ESTC S121914	411,827	530

the proper subiect The righteousnesse of God because he onely in his meruailous wisedome found it out it is called the righteousnesse of Faith because Faith is the instrument by which wee apprehend it and it is called our righteousnesse because it is giuen vnto vs of God to be ours by imputation on Gods part by acceptation of it by Faith vpon our part for these two wayes that acquisite righteousnesse of Christ is made ours This wee haue to marke for our comfort against those The consideration that Christs righteousnes is ours stoppeth the mouth of all that impugnes our Faith obiections which eyther inwardly by Sathan or outwardly by men of a contrary opinion are obiected vnto vs. If they to trouble our peace and weaken our Faith aske how can yee be iustified by a righteousnesse which is not yours wee answere the righteousnesse of Christ is ours and ours by as great a right as any other thing that wee possesse is ours to wit by the free gift of God seeing it hath pleased God to giue vs a ga●ment who were naked and to giue vs who had none of our owne a righteousnesse answerable to his Iustice vvhat intrest can eyther man or Angell haue to resist it The euasions and obiections whereby the aduersarie Works not of the vnregenerate onely but of the regenerate also excluded from the act of Iustification impugnes this doctrine are chiefely these First the Apostle say they excludeth the works of nature not the works of Grace the workes of a man vnregenerate they confesse cannot iustifie him but the works of a man regenerate say they doe iustifie him but this is false as is proued first by examples for Abraham whose example the Apostle bringeth in to confirme the doctrine of Iustification was a regenerate man and effectually called yet as witnesseth both Moses and S. Paul his saith was counted to him for righteousnesse Proued by examples Dauid after hee had beene a regenerate man yet saith Lord enter not into iudgement with thy Seruant for in thy Psal sight shall no flesh be iustified The Apostle Paul protests of himselfe I haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day neither know I any thing of my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified hee was more abundant in good workes than all the rest of the Apostles he did also beare in his bodie the markes of Iesus and was renowned through his manifold sufferings If euer any regenerate man could haue bin iustified by his good works it was this holy Apostle yet hee tels you himselfe for all that I haue done for all that I haue suffered yet am I not thereby iustified The same is proued by reason that which by order of The same proued by reason nature followes our Iustification before GOD cannot be said to iustifie vs in the presence of God but so it is good workes by order of nature followes our iustification before GOD Non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum Againe such vvorkes as are not Augustine perfectly agreeable to the rule of Legall iustice cannot iustifie vs but rather fall vnder that curse Cursed is hee who fulfilleth not euery iot of the Law but so it is that the workes euen of men regenerate are not able to answere the perfection of the Law There is no man saith Salomon iust Eccles 7. Iob. in the earth that doth good and sinneth not If I would dispute with God I could not saith Iob make answere vnto one of a thousand All our righteousnesse saith Ieremie is but like a Ierem. menstruous cloath and our Sauiour hath taught euen regenerate men to pray daily for the remission of their sinnes Quid ergo de peccatis nostris fiet quando ne ipsa quidem pro se Bern. in fest o 〈…〉 ū sanct serm ● respondere poterit iusti●●a nostra vvhat then shall become of our sinnes when our righteousnesse is not able to answere for it selfe Vae hominum iustitiae quantumuis laudabili si remota misericordia Dei iudicetur woe to the righteousnesse of man were it neuer so lowable if God setting aside mercy enter to iudge it But they insist the vvorkes of regenerate men are the How it is that workes of men regenerate doe not merit seeing they are workes done in vs by the spirit of Christ Heb. 1. 3. workes of Christ for it is he who by his spirit workes them in them therefore they are meritorious and iustifies I answere the works of Christ iustifies it is true if yee vnderstand his personall works done by himselfe in his owne person as the Apostle teacheth vs He hath purged our sinnes by himselfe But as for those works which he works in vs by his spirit of grace he works them not for our iustification that as I haue said he hath done already by himselfe and in his owne person but for our sanctification Secondly the good works of men regenerate are so wrought by Christ in vs that they are also wrought by vs and we haue our working in them and therefore by reason of our imperfection cannot be perfect for as the fountaines of the actions are so must the actions be themselues the fountaines are mixed being partly good and partly euill for our minde is not so illuminated that there is no darknesse in it neither is our heart so sanctified that there is no vncleannesse in it and therefore the actions flowing from thence cannot be perfect works of light and sanctification They insist yet further and obiects if the Apostle say Faith works are not simply opponed to other for they are inseperable but opponed onely in the act of Iustification they in his conclusion we are iustified by Faith without the workes of the Law did vnderstand the workes of Grace then it would follow that he oppones things which are not to be opponed for workes and Grace vvorkes and Faith workes and Christ are not opposite but agrees very wel together as the cause and effect as the tree and the branch To this wee answere that Faith and vvorkes agrees well together but there is nothing in the vvorld vvhich agree so well the one with the other but in some things they may be opponed as for example the tree and the branch agrees very vvell together but if the question be moued whether the tree beares the branch or the branch the tree in this they are opponed that vvhich is affirmed of the one must be denied of the other Againe there is a very sweet harmony betweene a naturall Father and the sonne the one of them cannot be without the other for hee is not a Father who neuer had a sonne neither is he a sonne who neuer had a Father but if this be the question which of them gaue beginning to another here wee must oppone them affirming that of the one which we denie of the other In like manner there is a very sweet harmony and

ex meritis nostris quod principium bonorum operum est ex nobis consummatio ex Deo To affirme that any merit vpon our part must be presupposed the prescience whereof was the cause of predestination is no other thing but to affirme that grace were giuen of our merits and that the beginning of good workes were of our selues and the consummation thereof were of God therefore saith hee the words are to be read this way more conueniently whom he fore-knew them he also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his Sonne vt ista conformitas non sit ratio praedestinationis sed effectus that so this conformitie be not a cause of predestination but an effect But beside these this errour is conuinced by manifold Sanctification is an effect of predestination and therefore not a cause of it Ephes 1. 4. proofes of holy Scripture the Apostle saith hee hath chosen vs in Christ therefore not in our selues he saith againe that wee should be holy and without blam hee saith not he chose vs because he foresaw that wee would be holy so hee sets downe sanctification as an effect of Predestination Now it is certaine that one effect of Predestination may well be the cause of an other posterior effect as the preaching of the word is a cause of faith and faith is a certaine cause of iustification but no effect of Predestination can be cause of it Againe he saith The Lord hath saued vs and called vs with 2 Tim. 1. 9. an holy calling not according to our workes here yee see that in our calling our workes and Gods purpose are manifestly opponed so that the putting of the one is the remouing of the other thus neyther in our Election before time nor in our calling in time hath the Lord regarded our workes or foreseene rectitude of our will but the good pleasure of his owne will And I pray you what other thing could the Lord foresee The calling of God finds euery man in an euill estate Esay 48. 8. in vs than that vvhich hee foresaw in the Israelites I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck an iron sinew and thy browe brasse I knew that thou wouldest grieuously transgresse therefore I called thee a transgressor from the wombe yet for my Names sake will I deferre my wrath and for my praise will I refraine it from thee that I cut thee not off yea in so many places of holy Scripture doth the Lord plead the cause of his owne glory that it cannot be but a most fearefull sacriledge against so cleare a light for a man eyther in part or in whole to make his own merits a cause of saluation When the Lord called Abraham hee found him an Idolater when hee called Paul hee found him a persecuter when he called Matthew hee found him a Publican when hee called Mary he found her possessed with Diuels all that euer receiued grace stand vp as so many witnesses of his glory Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be Psal 115. 1. the praise And to these obiections which the braine of man hath Obiections of men against Gods predestination answered brought out against this truth of God to cleare themselues and charge the Lord with vnrighteousnes they are all sufficiently answered by the Apostle that the Lord by reason of his absolute authoritie ouer all his creatures hath power of the same lumpe to make one vessell of honour for to Rom. 9. 10. shew the glory of his mercy and an other vessell of dishonour to shew the glory of his iustice seeing this power is not denyed to the potter ouer his clay how dare man speak against it in the Lord ouer his creature O man who art thou that pleadect with God Woe be to him that striueth with his Maker If I dispute with thee O Lord thou art righteous how euer I iudge of thy counsell and of the manner of thy working thou art asway righteous Si non vis errare if thou Aug. in Ioan. tract 26. wilt not erre saith Augustine iudge not the Lord why one is saued the Apostle tels you I haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy Misericordia eius misericordiae causa why another Aug. Epist 59. ad Paulin is reiected Causa potest esse occulta iniusta esse non potest the cause may be secret but cannot be vniust qui infactis Dei rationem non videt infirmitatem suam considerans cur Gregor in Iob cap. 9. non videt rationem videat hee that seeth not a reason of the Lords doing let him looke to his own infirmitie and he shall see a reason why hee seeth it not The Lord hath hid euen from most wicked men the purpose of their owne reprobation till it come to the execution and then shall they receiue an answere from their owne consciences to stop their mouthes which now they will not receiue from man Euery one of the damned shall be compelled to acknowledge that the iudgement executed vpon them is righteous But now to returne to the doctrine wee haue first to obserue Predestination takes not away the second causes and meanes of saluation out of the signification of the vvord which I marked before that the Lords determinate counsell and predestination takes not away the nature properties nor necessities of secondarie causes and meanes of saluation but rather establishes them for those whom God hath appointed to saluation he hath also appointed to those meanes which may bring them vnto it It is therefore a blasphemie which is frequent in the mouthes of carnall professors if I be elected howsoeuer I liue I shall be saued and if otherwise I be a reprobate liue as I will I cannot mend it this is no other thing but Sathans diuinitie if thou be the Sonne of God Sathans diuinitie teacheth Atheists to despise the means of saluation cast thy selfe downe from the Temple thou shalt not dash thy foote against a stone as if the sonnes of God were licensed to despise the second and ordinarie meanes and not rather bound to vse them but in very deed as it is against the nature of fire to be cold so is it impossible that the elect man effectually called can reason after this manner yea the more he heares of election the more hee endeauours to make it sure by vvell doing knowing that no man can attaine to the end of our Faith which is the saluation of our soule but by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes Both temporall and spirituall blessings the Lord wil haue God giues his blessing by meanes therefore they shuld not neglect the meanes who seeke the blessing Hos 2. 21. vs to seeke them by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes the Cornes cannot serue Israel except the earth beare them the earth cannot beare them except the heauens giue raine the heauens can giue no raine except the Lord command them Therefore vvhen the

them from sinne whereunto hee seeth of their vveaknesse they are ready to fall if they be not preuented and so hee sent an Angell of Sathan to buffet Paul not for any sinne hee had done but for a sinne that he might doe least he should haue beene exalted out of measure And sometime the Lord layeth on affliction neyther to But euery affliction is not laid on the godly for sinne correct sinnes past nor to preuent sinnes to come but that the workes of God may be made manifest vvhich our Sauiour plainely teacheth vs vvhen being demaunded concerning him that vvas more blinde vvhether it vvas for his owne sinnes or the sinnes of the Parents aunswered it was for neither of them but that the workes of God might be made Iohn 9. 3. manifest in him And these vvorkes of God manifested by affliction are of two sorts for not onely his meruailous power and constant truth in preseruing and deliuering his owne Church in all troubles against the power falshood and malice of the world are manifested that all men may see it is not by the arme of man but by the power of God that his Church is continued vpon earth but likewise these manifold graces of God vvrought secretly by his holy Spirit in the hearts of his children are made manifest to the world such as their constant faith their inuincible loue toward God their patience in the hardest sort of crosses And vnto these kindes of afflictions doe wee referre that which here is spoken These afflictions which are for Gods sake require these two things comprised by the Apostle in these words Faith and a good Conscience that is a good Religion and a good 1 Tim. 1. 19. Two things required in those afflictions which are suffered for Gods sake conuersation though thy life be so good that it be vnreproueable in the eyes of man yet if thou be not found in the faith thy suffering is not suffering for Gods cause and albeit the Religion thou professest be good if thy conuersation be euill though thou wouldest giue thy body to be burnt for Religion yet shall not thy suffering be suffering for Christs cause Let none of you suffer as euill doers but if 1 Pet. 4. 15. Cyprian de duplici mart any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed Non supplicium facit martyrem sed causa it is not the crosse makes the Martyr but the cause There hath beene no Heresie so grosse but some men That Gods Martirs may be knowne from Sathans Martyrs haue beene bold to dye for it which is not Christian fortitude but miserable hardnesse of heart As the Lord Iesus hath his Apostles and Martyres so Sathan hath his false Apostles and Martyrs Martires Satanicae virtutis and therefore wee will conclude with Augustine Non est ex passione Aug. l. 1. con Parmen Epi. cap. 8. 9. certa Iustitia it is not suffering that makes sure a cause to be righteous Sed ex Iustitia gloriosa passio but it is righteousnesse which makes suffering glorious For thy sake It is common to all the Godly to suffer with It is common to all Christians to suffer with Christ not so to suffer for him Christ as yee heard before but to suffer for Christ is not a honour communicated to them all the rarer that it is the more heartily should wee welcome it when God sends it The Apostle reioyced in the bonds wherewith hee vvas bound for Christs cause the golden chaines of earthly Ambassadours are nothing so honourable as chaines of yron which are worne for Christs cause The Emperour Constantine honoured all the Fathers of the Counsell of Nice but made most of those vvho had suffered for the cause of Christ as in particular hee kissed the hole of Paphnutius eye which had beene put out in time of trouble for Christs sake yet did hee reuerence it as the most honourable and precious part of his body no face so beautifull as that which is deformed no man so rich as hee who hath sustained spoliation of his goods if it be for Christs sake neyther is any Heb. 10. 34. death so glorious as that which is sustained for his cause Si enim beati qui m●riuntur in Domino multo magis qui pro Domino for if they be blessed which dye in the Lord much more blessed are they who dye for the Lord. But now because no Christian is persecuted without some How causes falsly pretended by the wicked takes not from the Christian this comfort that he suffers for Gods sake cause alleadged against him by his persecuters and that also in euery trouble his owne conscience saith that hee hath most iustly deserued it how can he haue this comfort that he suffers for Christs sake The first is easily answered if we put a difference betweene the pretended and the true cause for vvhich the vvicked doe persecute vs. If Haman beare malice to Mordecay for his sake hee will forge a crime against all the people of the Iewes if Amazia can couer his hatred against Amos by pretending that Amos hath conspired against the King If the Princes of Darius enuie Daniels preferment they can delate him as a rebell to the Kings proclamation If Ieremie exhort the Iewes to goe out to the King of Babell hee shall be accused as a confederate with the Chaldeans It is a common stratagem of Sathans to staine the glory of Gods Children in their sufferings with false pretended crimes Vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt falsis rumoribus sordidentur that they who are cleared by the light of their owne conscience may be defiled with false reports Sed bene sibi conscius non debet falsis moueri nec putare plus esse ponderis in alieno conuitio quam in suo testimonio but he who hath a good conscience ought not to be moued with false things nor to think there is more waight in any other mans traducing than is in his owne testimonie Our comfort doth stand sure if we can say with Dauid They Psal 96. 4. Psal 59. 3. In suffering we must distinguish between that which men and that which our own cōscience laies to our charge hate me without a cause And againe They are gathered togethered against mee not for mine offence not for my sinne O Lord. As for the other the accusation of our conscience in trouble charging vs with sins which no man can lay to our charge if wee will distinguish betweene the quarrell which conscience hath against vs and that wherewith the wicked doe charge vs it shall be manifest that the cause of our persecution is our disagreement vvith them in an euill course and not any sinne committed by vs against God and so shall our comfort still remaine that wee are sufferers for Christs sake We are killed How farre forth this killing extends our Death cannot hurt the man of God Mat. 10. 28. Aug. de