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	hear_v	word_n	3,321	5	5.3463	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78621	Faith in Gods promises, the saints best weapon: or, The great use and availableness of faith, both for the support and growth of saints in times most perilous. Plainly discovering that the want of faith in the way of Gods promises, is the great cause of the want of Gods presence. With several considerations for the encrease of faith, tha[t] henceforth the saints may by faith so draw nigh unto God, and in faith so wait upon God, as with certainty of receiving from him. Whereunto is added something concerning the great errour and mistake of many men concerning the true Christ, and how he is said to be in his people; with other things very necessary to be known in order to saints resisting the temptation of the present times. / Set forth as (useful for all people, but) especially intended for the good of such as are returned to the good old way of the Lord, by Matthew Caffyn ...	Caffyn, Matthew, 1628-1714.	1660 (1660)	Wing C207; ESTC R170345	46,339	55

as that he therewith may be able both to pay his debts and to live comfortably on the rest 2 Kings 4.2,7 Wherefore he makes it his great work to seek first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof being that which is required on his part in the doing of which he believingly waits for the fulfilling of that promised on Gods part namely that he will add all such things being also encouraged in this his confidence with those weighty considerations published by the Lord Jesus for that very end to beget Faith in his Disciples namely that God doth feed the Sparrows and richly cloath the Lillies of the Field and therefore surely will much more take care for those that are his adopted children for whom he spared not his own Son to do them good and therefore as the Apostle reasoneth most surely will with him the mercy of mercies freely give all other good things Also this believing man considers that if he should care and carp doing what possibly can be done yet cannot add one cubit to his stature as Christ witnesseth as his own former experiences witnesseth and as the apparent event and issues of mens carping cares and intemperate thoughts witnesseth therefore he with all seriousness and readiness of mind commits his condition to the gracious God who hath promised never to leave nor forsake his People so that he boldly prayes to God for his daily bread and as confidently expects it of him yea and as certainly receives from him which he receives with thanksgiving being one of them that believes and knows the truth And thus while others depend upon visible things and so have them to wit Lands Livings Tradings Relations Powers often in their minds affections and consequently under many piercing cares and Soul-vexations while depending thereupon while others I say are thus the believing man whose dependance is not upon things that are seen but upon the Lord contrariwise hath the Lord often and much in his mind for men are apt to mind that which is their constant help and so this man having the Lord much in his mind is thereby wrought into his fear kept tender of his glory and greatly affected with and much desirous of the much-wanted presence of his good Spirit and thus his mind and the Meditations of his heart is much in Heaven with God in Faith praying unto him for the same and much there expecting what in Faith he hath prayed for and having received much there also in praysing his Name therefore by all which he is become much heavenly-minded spiritually framed able to say as they of old My conversation is in Heaven when others onely reads of it and talks of it but knows it not in themselves O therefore how much more blessed is it to live by Faith than by sight it being both a God exalting and a Creature-comforting state and condition But why do I speak these things Not because I think that any will say in words that 't is better to live by sight than by Faith But alas What is it for men to acknowledge what is best and yet still abide in what is worst For I would pray you to consider whether or no it be not some visible thing in present being that gives you your hopes of daily bread rather than the sure Promises of God Is it not both your words and in your inward thoughts that you hope to live comfortably and to bring the year well about in that you have either Lands in possession as your own or a good Farm or good Trading or good Friends or the like If not so I would know what means then the usual complaints discontents great fears and vexations of spirit when at any time these outward things fail or begin to fail If your hopes did arise from the onely pure fountain to wit Gods gracious Promises Why then should you be so disquieted For the decaying or failing in measure of these outward things doth not make Gods Promises to be no Promises he abideth faithful and all his Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ You indeed may sometimes in the time of need and in the day of trouble pray unto God that he would give you daily bread and that he would deliver you out of trouble it being generally known that Saints should do so and from hence conclude that your dependance is upon God and possibly you may be a telling others that you desire and Oh! how good a thing it is to trust in God and rely upon him in all conditions c. When alas and for the Lords sake consider it you all that while may be far from trusting in God indeed and even such who draw nigh to God with your mouths when your hearts may be far from God even depending upon and trusting in things visible instead of a heatty believing in God whom you pray unto with a serious and constant waiting upon him for to receive that which you have asked of him Contrariwise as the Faith of the Faithful renders them happy and in all conditions comfortable so the Unbelief of the Unbeliever renders him miserable and in all conditions comfortless it being a most bitter root from whence springs many yea a very great multitude of corrupt branches the fruit whereof hath so mightily corrupted the earth for the purging of which there is but little hopes till such time the bitter root to wit Unbelief be plucked up out of the hearts of the Sons and Daughters of men which remaining in the hearts of the Children of Israel kept them out of the promised Land for although their sins were many bearing divers names yet by the Apostle Heb. 3.19 't is said They entred not 〈◊〉 because of their unbelief as if that were the root or cause of all or most of the rest And again those that did enter in in after-times were broken off because of unbelief Rom. 11.20 In some certain places Christ did not do many mighty works because of their unbelief Mark 6.5 Mat. 13.58 He that believeth not is condemned already because he believeth not in the onely begotten Son of God John 3.18 For what consider I pray you is the cause of mens so dishonouring God by transgression Hath not Israel heard doth not Israel know Yes verily they have both heard and known but the Word preached doth not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that hear it Heb. 4.2 They well know that they should improve their time to the best advantage sometimes in the Closet in serious and sober Meditations sometimes in solemn Prayer and Supplications to ●od and sometimes in Praying with Fasting but alas Unbelief riseth up and too much keeps under the Light of Truth in their Souls filling them with distrustful thoughts even how then they shall live and maintain their Families Wherewith to eat and wherewith to put on if thus they should spend their time And so it comes to pass that men too too much are found dwelling

FAITH IN GODS PROMISES THE Saints best Weapon OR The great Use and Availableness of Faith both for the support and growth of Saints in times most perilous Plainly discovering that the want of Faith in the way of Gods Promises is the great cause of the want of Gods Presence With several Considerations for the encrease of Faith that henceforth the Saints may by Faith so draw nigh unto God and in Faith so wait upon God as with certainty of receiving from him Whereunto is added something concerning the great Errour and Mistake of many men concerning the True Christ and how he is said to be in his People with other things very necessary to be known in order to Saints resisting the Temptation of the present Times Set forth as useful for all People but especially intended for the good of such as are returned to the Good Old Way of the Lord By MATTHEW CAFFYN of Horsham in Sussex And it is of Faith that it might be by Grace Rom. 4.16 LONDON Printed by S. Dover for F. Smith at the Eleph●nt and Castle without Temple-Bar THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Christian Reader FOrasmuch as there are many among the number of Professors that have somewhat considerably laid out themselves in a Holy pursuit after the more excellent degrees of Christianity hoth frequently and fervently seeking the Lord in order thereunto who nevertheless yet remain short thereof and much below the desired estate to their great dissatisfaction even sometimes tending to the begetting such temptations as are of a very dangerous consequence These things therefore write I unto you whereby you may as some already have come to see that there is one thing yet much lacking even Faith to believe that God is a gracious Rewarder of them that seek him without which 't is impossible to please God For though it be true that men have alwayes spoken of and readily acknowledged Faith to be that which greatly engages Gods grace and goodness for their help yet Oh! how far have men been from living by Faith indeed so as to esteem Gods Promises their ALL in every condition and at all times Whereupon these also are to direct you unto such enlargednesse of heart in believing Gods Promises as may with certainty reach the prayed-for Blessings from God that so having sweet experience of Gods Faithfulness to your Souls you may be encouraged for the future and made able to say with the Saints of old I love the Lord because he hath heard my Supplications therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Psal 116.1,2 But as there are some who have diligently sought the Lord that for want of believing him to be a faithful Rewarder of such have notwithstanding been much without the things sought for so also there are some yea very many that are apt to say with Israel of old that no evil shall come unto them and very confident that the Lord is among them that have indeed no real ground to depend upon the Lord such and so great are their miscarriages to God-ward as that their seeming Faith and Confidence is rendred thereby to be meer imaginations groundless perswasions and so they found such as think themselves to be what they are not and so are deceived These are therefore also to discover and lay open their great miscarriages and corruptions even in such performances of theirs as are supposed by them to be the best of their actions that henceforth they may upon better terms draw nigh unto God even so as that they may enjoy Gods drawing nigh unto them which is the onely real cause of Soul-satisfaction True it is that the dayes wherein we live are perilous and much more may be yet sure may you be that no condition may possibly befal you wherein you may not by Faith so lay hold of Gods Promises as nevertheless to be greatly supported and inwardly comforted Wherefore above all things take the shield of Faith and in every condition let the gracious Promises of God be the ground of your hopes and no longer visible things that the presence of the invisible God may be with all certainty experienced by your Souls Which that you may is and shall be the Prayers of Your Brother in the Lord MATTHEW CAFFYN FAITH IN GODS PROMISES The Saints best Weapon IN the beginning when God made the Heavens and the Earth it seemed good in his sight to make and ordain Mankind to be head over all other his Creatures to whom he freely gave the glory of Paradise a present possession of happiness which he during his innocency enjoyed not as an inheritance first obtained upon conditional terms but as a free gift given him of God without any condition required of him in order to his first entrance thereinto Gen. 2.8,15,16 Which possession when he had lost by his tra●…gression and thereby made himself and all his posterity sub●… the first death such was the Fathers love as that he freely gave his Son in due time to dye for the world that is for every man Heb. 2.9 By means whereof was procured a Resurrection of all men from the first death with the gift of Eternal life and glory 1 Cor. 15.22 Mat. 19.14 Which gift of eternal and more excellent life was as freely given to Mankind now since his fall as was that first life of happiness in Paradise before his fall not upon terms or conditions nor any fore-seen Faith in or works of Righteousness done by the Creature but meerly and alone the goodness and richness of grace dwelling in God himself moving him thereunto which life of glory all mankind have right to and are in sure capacity thereof during their infancy wherefore of such saith Christ Mat. 19.14 is the Kingdom of God till by their own personal transgressions they procure to themselves the severity of Gods wrath that is the second death which is Eternal John 3.19 Rev. 20.14 Under the desert of which death all persons quickly come all goes out of the way following the lusts and desires of the flesh which draws and vehemently inclines to its first estate of present pleasure ease and delight which mankind enjoyed while he stood in his first created estate without those many bodily miseries which now attends them which flesh and blood would fain be freed from and so it comes to pass that in all men in one measure or other according to every mans experience there ariseth such natural lusts and desires in the flesh as greatly provokes them to follow after these present things and too too often prevails with them to break the known Laws of God that something like to their first enjoyments might be attained but to follow the present glory of this life so as to delight in and love the same though once lawful for Adam in Paradise who undoubtedly might then as well love delight and take pleasure therein as Saints may take pleasure and delight in the heavenly glory when in the real possession

their Minds the Apostle being greatly desirous of their holding out could find no better way it appears then mightily to presse them to a close dependance upon God by Faith and therefore he begins his account from Abel who through faith obtained witnesse that he was Righteous and being dead yet speaketh and so down to Enoch Abraham and the rest of the Fathers and Prophets who through Faith obtained a good report wrought Righteousness obtained Promises mentioning many other also as well extraordinary as ordinary deliverances obtained by Faith and yet he mentions not all he could touching the Power of Faith for himself saith That the time would fail him to tell thereof Heb. 11. Now what less is there to be learned by this so large an account of the Apostle touching Faith then that Faith is somewhat more concerned in the receiving spiritual Power and Divine Light from God in order to their standing and thriving in his way than any other thing on the Creatures part whatsoever As elsewhere the Apostle mentioning divers pieces of Armour wherewith Christians are to be attired not one of which but that is of special concernment yet saith the Apostle Ephes 6.16 Above all things take the s●…ld of Faith wherewith you shall be able through the Grace handed to the Soul by Faith to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked for none of them that trusteth in the Lord shall be left desolate saith the Prophet Psal 34.22 So much doth Faith carry the sence and scope of the Gospel-Covenant as that sometimes the Apostles called it the Faith as you may read Jude 3. Act. 6.7 Gal. 3.23 And it is of Faith mark it I pray that it might be by Grace Rom. 4.16 Now then if it be so that mens prayers to God though never so many or largely performed renders them not happy but that their happinesse consists in their receivings from God what they have prayed for and that the way proposed by God wherein persons may come to receive from him is not onely for them to lift up Holy hands to God but that also they be without doubting that is to say such as believe that they shall receive what they have sought for it remains a weighry work for every Gospel-professing Soul well to consider of what nature and kind their applications have been which they have made to God considering that his grace and goodness is no otherwise engaged for their Souls help but as they shall rely and depend on him to receive the same by Faith which considered and believed as true may well remove all doubts and suspicions concerning the way of God which sometimes arise in the Professors thereof upon the account of so little received from God for undoubtedly the Lords hand is not shortned his way he hath not left his Promises thereunto are Yea and Amen in the Lord but alas How short have men been in coming up to the terms of his goodness That part of Gods Word which consists of Commandments men indeed have been somewhat busied about but as for that part which consisteth of Promises Oh how little hath it been minded they have been indeed often read of and sometimes talked of But how are they that have seriously pondred them and in their hearts magnified them so as to wait in and live upon them counting them all things to them in every condition Hast thou then O thou that out-strippest some others in thy zeal after spiritual things hast thou I say often visited the Throne of Grace as a work most pleasant to thy Soul beseeching the Lord to draw nigh to thee in the large givings forth of his Grace to thy Soul well knowing that without it all thy drawings nigh to him is nothing and hast thou there waited in the sight of the worth and excellency thereof and so in the sence of thy great need of the same thy Soul as it were fainting and thine eyes like the Prophets failing for the Word of God that is the Word of his Promise to be fulfilled to thy Soul saying with him in thy Soul-longings after the desired Bread from above to refresh and strengthen thy Soul born anew from above when Lord wilt thou comfort me Psal 119.81,82 I say hast thou thus waited upon God and art thou yet often with God in thy most solemn and serious Meditations O do but now give the Lord who waiteth to be gracious being as willing to do good as thou art desirous of good give the Lord I say ground to say to thee as once the Woman of Canaan Matth. 15.28 O man great is thy Faith and then O then will the Lord readily say to thee Be it unto thee even as thou wilt according to thy faith be it unto thee But if otherwise the account will be a sad and doleful account even that the Lord could do no mighty work of love for thee because of thy unbelief Matth. 13.58 Mark 6.5,6 O that all were wise that bear the name of Saints even with the Wisdom which is from above So that the bare knowledge of these things or the much talk or preaching of them to others might not be their satisfaction but that all would rather carefully and speedily endeavour to know and be satisfied that they themselves doth so wait upon God by Faith and consequently doth so receive from him which to know and experience within is real cause and ground of peace and Soul-satisfaction In order whereunto even that Faith may grow and flourish in your Souls consider O Friends whether we are not to believe that a Son shall be given when God hath promised it without giving the least heed to what the deadness of body on either hand may say Rom. 4.19,20 Are we not to believe that the promised Seed shall be as the Stars for multitude when God hath spoken it Gen. 15.5,6 notwithstanding all the fleshly opposition arising from the Commandement to slay Isaac the onely promised Seed from whence the multitude should come forth Are we not to believe that the Israel of God shall be brought into the good Land flowing with Milk and Honey when God that cannot lye hath spoken it notwithstanding all the gain-sayings of the red Sea before and the Egyptian Host behind Are we not to believe and confidently to expect a great plenty even a measure of fine Flower for a shekel and two measures of Barly for a shekel and that so soon as to morrow when the Lord God hath spoken it 2 Kings 7.1 notwithstanding the many and great oppositions and contrary speakings of this dayes poverty even that an Asses head is sold for fourscore pieces of Silver and the fourth part of a Cab of Doves dung for five pieces of Silver Chap. 6.25 And was not unbelief in this Promise the cause of sudden Judgement taking hold upon the mighty man upon whom the King leaned Chap. 7.2,19,20 Are we not to believe that the mighty Hosts of the Midianites and Amalekites who for