Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A97266
|
Self-examination with the likeliest means of conversion and salvation, or, haypy [sic] and welcome advice, if it meets with a soul ingenious : the which being thought (by many) worth the transcribing, at no small charge, is now published for the good of all / by R. Junius.
|
Younge, Richard.
|
1663
(1663)
|
Wing Y181A; ESTC R43839
|
23,147
|
32
|
that more foolish than common boast of a good heart when the tongue is foul and the life filthy For when smoak comes out of the chimney there must needs be fire on the hearth When the floods of wickedness come gushing out at thine hands and mouth thire must needs be a spring in thine heart which mantains them CHAP. VII WHerefore take heed of flattering or soothing thy self up with a vain and false hope which is much more common in the World than that which is sound and good even as bastard Pearls are more frequently worn then true Pearls are And in case thou wouldest be loosed from the chains of thy sins and delivered from the chains of plagues That thou wouldest have the same Christ with his precious blood to free thee that shall with his Word sentence others Then endeavour to become a true and real Christian and resolve so neer as thou canst to obey Christ in all that he commands And indeed if Christ be formed in any he destroyeth the devils power which formerly he had in them Heb. 2.14 15. and his wicked works 1 John 3.8 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Wherefore cease to do evil learn to do well Isa 1.16 17. For fruitfulness is the best argument that we are begotten anew Nor can it be denied but the signs of salvation are to be sought in our selves as the cause in Jesus Christ Our Justification is to be proved by the fruits of our Sanctification and though faith alone justifieth yet justifying faith is never alone but ever accompanied with spiritual graces the beauties of the soul and good works the beauty of graces Yea they are as inseparable as the root and the sap the sun and its light And as fire is to be discerned by heat and life by motion so a mans faith may be discerned by the fruits of it Wherefore fancy not thy self to be a Christian until thou beest one and when thou art so thou wilt by help from above endeavour to bring into captivity every thought and thing to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 1 Joh. 2.4 And indeed the very end of Gods electing and of Christs redeeming us was that we might be holy Ephes 1.4 Matth. 19.17 And therefore he binds it with an Oath that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of our spiritual enemies they shall worship him in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives Luke 1.70 to 76. 1 Pet. 2.24 They therefore that never came to be holy were never chosen never redeemed Other Scriptures to this purpose are many see onely Tit. 2.12 14. 1 Pet. 2.24 Mat. 19.17 Nor ought any indeed to call upon Christ or once to name him with their mouths except they depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 And take this for a rule If Christ be not our King to govern us he will neither be our Prophet to forewarn nor our Priest to expiate I speak this in hope that God may it to some one that shall read the same but for the generality It is as meer lost labor to preach unto men the things of God before they be truly humbled with the sight of their wants as it is to offer light to a blinde man to speak to a deaf man or to labor to make a bruit Beast wise as Cyprian hath it CHAP. VIII THus I have proved That all who walk contrary to the Gospel are so far from being Christians that they are the Devils servants who in the end will pay them their deserved wages I come now to shew who are Christians in appearance onely or almost Christians and what their reward will be the former I fear are two thirds of the Nation these in all probability are two thirds of the Residue And of this sort are first such as are meerly civil or moral because they take morality and restraining grace for piety and renewing grace conviction for conversion reformation for regeneration True morality and civility may commend us to men like our selves that see only the outside but not to God who knows the heart nor will it bring us to Heaven and Salvation They may suppose themselves in a good estate but except they be renewed renounce their own righteousness and seek to be justified onely by Faith in Christ and his righteousness Thieves and Harlots shall go before them into the Kingdom of Heaven as our Saviour told their brethren the Scribes and Pharisees who counted themselves just and trusted to their own merits Matth. 21.31 32. Luk. 18.10 11 12. Besides as nothing is more easily broken then that which is most hard so notorious offenders are nothing so hard to be convinced and converted as the civilly honest which also greatens their misery though their condition of it self is very deplorable For all such are to know that their very best services as praying and fasting and receiving and giving of alms c. because they are not done in faith and obedience to the Word and that God may be glorified thereby are no better in Gods account than if they had slain a man or cut off a dogs neck or offered swines blood or blessed an Idol as himself affirms Isai 66.3 Nor will God accept of any action except it flow from a pious and good heart sanctified by the Holy Ghost Yea civil honesty severed from true piety humility saving knowledg sincere love to God true obedience to his Word justifying faith a zeal of Gods glory and a desire to edifie and win others God will neither accept nor reward but account of their moral vertues as of shining or glistering sins because they spring from pride ignorance infidelity self-love and other the like carnal respects as many examples prove namely Cains sacrificing 1 Joh. 3.12 The Jews fasting Isa 58. those Reprobates preaching in Christs name and casting out Devils Matth. 7.22 23. and the like whose outward works were the same which the godly perform And what saith S. Austin most excellently There is no true Vertue where there is no true Religion and that conscience which is not directed by the Word even when it does best does ill because it doth it not in faith obedience and love Secondly let them know that being out of Christ they are bound to keep the whole Law Gal. 5.2 3. or stand liable to suffer the penalty thereof for not keeping it For though this be the condition of the New Covenant Believe and thou shalt be saved yet all that they have to trust unto is Do this and live Rom. 10.5 And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 And I wish that they would seriously think of it and what need they have of Christ whom they rather persecute then obey his Gospel in love Indeed let them get a true lively and justifying faith Put ye off concerning the former conversation the Old man which is corrupted