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	justification_n	sanctification_n	2,253	5	11.1405	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97271	A touch-stone to try (by our knowledge, belief, and life) whether we be Christians in name onely, or Christians in deed. Or, The character of a true beleever, that walks in some measure answerable to the gospell, his Christian profession, and the millions of mercies he hath received. / By R.Y. of Roxwell in Essex.	Younge, Richard.	1648 (1648)	Wing Y193B; Thomason E1150_4; ESTC R208624	54,772	52

grieving that he can performe no better service to so good a Master He will not as too many most sordidly doe take liberty to sin because God is mercifull and forbeares to execute judgement speedily or deferre his repentance because the Thiefe upon the Crosse was heard at the last hour but he will even therefore the more feare him because he is mercifull and therefore be holy because he is not under the Law but under grace § 66. And lastly having thus done and performed his utmost not to merit by it but to expresse his thankfulnesse to him that hath done performed and suffered so much for him he confesseth himselfe an unprofitable servant and that in all he comes farre short of performing his duty yea he ackcowledgeth that it were just for God eternally to condemne him Well may he be comforted by the graces which God hath given him as an earnest penny of those eternall Mansions in Heaven but he will not be exalted by them because they are not his graces but the Graces of God in him and wrought by his Spirit yea he so abhorres to attribute or ascribe ought to doing that he counts his very righteousnesse no better then filthy raggs ascribing every good thought word and action which proceeds from him to Free Grace for he lookes back to the rock out of which he was hewne and is not onely humbled thereby but forced with an holy admiration to wonder at the marvellous and extraordinary change which God hath wrought in him and also instructed to trust onely to Christs obedience in whom onely our good workes are accepted and for whom alone they are rewarded To shut up all he indeavours so to live as if there were no Gospel and so to dye as if there were no Law § 67. Onely it remaines that you looke your selves in this glasse and try your selves by this touchstone for though others may give a shrewd ghesse yet the Mother knowes best whether the Childe be like the Father or no and the signes 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 spirituall graces the beauties of the soule and good workes the beauty of graces yea they are as inseparable as the root and the sap the Sunne and its light and as Fire may be discerned by heat and life by motion so a mans faith may be discerned by the fruits of it Nor can any one be deceived except he desires to deceive himselfe for every particular man is either the Childe of God or the Childe of the Devill as Chrysostome hath it for there is not a meane betwixt them and there be more differences betweene the Children of God and the Children of the Devill then there are between Men and Beasts whereof I have named not a few for whatsoever you may find the one herein set forth to speake think or doe the other does the contrary and to have the true Character of an unbeleever you need but read this Character of a true Beleever backward understand all by the rule of contraries and be satisfied I speake this to Naturians onely for the regenerate man knowes the one to be so by what he is and the other by what he hath been neither is there one of all these signes or characters but each experienced Christian findes it in some degree written in his heart as his conscience can beare me witnesse And would you know whether you belong to Christ This will informe you you will by helpe from above endeavour to bring into captivity every thought and thing to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 1 John 2.4 but so have not you in the least so long as you love not or any way oppose the people of God for the very first part of conversion is to love them that love God 1 John 3.10 yea in reason if the Image of God by faith were repaired in thee thou couldest not but be delighted with those that are like thy selfe And what saith St. John He that pretends interest in God or Christ and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 John 2.4 and in the third Chapter and eighth Verse he affirmes plainly That all wilfull sinners are the Devills servants And indeed let men flatter themselves or pretend what they will it cannot be denyed but the fruit tells best the name of the Tree the conversation above all shewes who carries the bridle of the will whether God or Satan and did not men purposely shut their eyes and stop their eares and harden their owne hearts least they should see and heare and so be converted as our Saviour himselfe speakes Matth. 13.15 they could not but know that the whole Bible beates upon this It is Saint Pauls everlasting rule Rom 6.16 Yea are his servants to whom ye obey And Saint Peters infallible Doctsrine 2 Pet. 2.19 Of whom a man is overcome unto him he is in bondage And Saint Johns In this are the Children of God knowne and the Children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God but of the Devill 1 John 3.8 10. And after this manner does our Saviour reason with the Jewes John 8.33 to 48. See then whose commands ye doe Gods or Satans if Satans then saith Saint John Let no man deceive you through vaine words for he onely that doth righteousnesse is righteous and he that doth unrighteousnesse is of the Devill 1 John 3.7 8. wherefore if thou art a common Drunkard or a continuall Swearer or an usuall companion of Harlots or an accustomary Deceiver or a frequent slanderer of thy Neighbour or an open and common Sabbath-breaker or canst thou boast of sinne and mischiefe or defend it If thou makest no conscience of Praying in thy Family if thou callest evill good and good evill if thou hatest thy Brother for doing that which is good as Caine did Abel if Ismael-like thou mockest or Cham-like thou scoffest at the religious or usest bitter iests against them though it be under the notion of Round-heads Puritanes Sectaries Black-coates or the like if thou raisest slanders of them or furtherest them being raised if thou dost rejoyce at the secret infirmities of the godly or open scandalls of Hypocrites if thou dost carpe and fret against the Word refusing to heare it or withstandest the preaching of it if being a Minister thou disgrafest or revilest the godly in thy preaching so making sad the hearts of the righteous or justifyest the wicked so strengthening them in their evill courses by preaching unto them peace if thou hast a base esteeme of Gods people and their wayes and thinkest the worse of a man for scrupling small matters if thou makest Religion a cloake for villany if thou dost borrow or run in debt without care to pay againe if thou delightest in

cruelty if thou takest no care to provide for thine own family if thou hadst rather the wicked should beare rule then the godly if thou art an enemy to reformation if thou hadst rather disobey God then displease great ones if thou desirest peace without any respect to truth if thou dost allow thy selfe in the practice of any knowne grosse sinne if thou takest liberty to sinne because God is mercifull and forbeares to execute judgement speedily if thou dost not beleeve all things to be ordered by Gods providence and in particular acknowledge him in all thou either receivest or sufferest if thou murmurest when thou wantest any thing without ever thinking of the many things thou hast beyond thy desert if thou canst heare God blasphemed and dishonoured without being moved thereat if the scandalous lives of Professors or the multitude of Heresies that are daily broached make thee thinke and speake evill of the way of truth if thou didst never see thy selfe out of measure sinfull as being many waies guilty of the breach of every of the Commandements in particular and so in a lost condition utterly despayring of all helpe in thy selfe acknowledging that thou hast deserved all the plagues of this life and of that which is to come if thou art not as well troubled for originall guilt for sinnes of omission for the evill which cleaves to thy best workes and for thy very thoughts as for thy actuall and manifest evill deeds if thou hast made vowes and promised amendment when the rod was on thy back but never cared to performe the same when thou wert released if thou art not industrious after the meanes of grace if thou lovest not to heare Christs voyce if thou findest not the Word more quick and powerfull and sweet and efficatious then any other writings if it and the spirit going along with it hath not brought thee out of darknesse into marvellous light in comparison of thy former darknesse if thou art ignorant of the principalls of Religion in the midst of so much light and meanes and canst not yeeld a reason of the hope that is in thee if thou dost not finde a manifest change in thy judgement affections and actions from what they were by nature if the old man hath not changed with the new man worldly wisedome with heavenly wisedome carnall love for spirituall love servile feare for christian and filiall feare idle thoughts for holy thoughts vaine words for holy and wholsome words fleshly workes for workes of righteousnesse c. as if thou wert cast into a new mould even hating what thou formerly lovedst and loving what thou formerly hatedst if thou art not ashamed of thy former conversation if thou hast not been often and grievously assaulted with feares and doubtings and often in combate between the flesh and the spirit the spirit getting the better if thou dost not more feare the want of grace then conside in what thou hast if thou art nor jealous lest thy heart should deceive thee yea if thou art not hated of the world and evill spoken of for well doing thou art the Devills servant and not as yet one of that small number whom Christ hath chosen out of the world to beleeve in his name for these or any one of these signes sufficiently brand thee for a wicked man if you would see it proved undeniably from Gods Word read my Cure of Misprision Sections the 20. and 21. § 68. But least any weake Christian should thinke himselfe unsound and so none of Christs because he falls short of this description of a true Beleever and findes wanting in himselfe perhaps many of the former signes or evidences herein set forth or should be discouraged by reason of his many and great faylings together with the weaknesse of his faith and love as for the most part the true Christian is as fearefull to entertaine a good opinion of himselfe as the false is unwilling to be driven from it let such an one take speciall notice in the first place that there are three sorts of true and sound Christians as the Apostle Saint John makes the distinction 1 John 2.12 13. the first sort are babes in Christ viz. such as are new borne or but weakly qualifyed with the graces of Gods Spirit A second are strong men as having the gifts of the Spirit lively and in power The third are Fathers such as have had long experience in the powerfull practice of Christianity and been long exercised in all kinds or well doing This done § 69. Secondly let him know That as God requires no other obedience in the best then Evangelicall so he lookes not for the same measure and degree of grace from Babes and strong men or from strong men and Fathers for God accepteth of every man according to the grace he hath received be it more or leste 2 Cor. 8.12 as is manifest by that Parable of the Talents Matth. 25.20 to 24. yea what Father or Master will not from his young and newly weaned Child or sick and weake servant accept of the will for the deed and shall not God much more who is both the Father of mercies and the Author of mercy and compassion in others Yes undoubtedly as let it be granted that thy knowledge is still small thy faith weake thy charity cold thy heart dull and hard thy good workes few and imperfect and all thy zealous resolutions easily hindered and quite over-throwne with every small temptation yet God that worketh in us both the will and the worke will accept the will for the worke and that which is wanting in us Christ will supply with his owne righteousnesse he respecteth not what we can doe so much as what we would doe and that which we would performe and cannot he esteemeth it as though it were performed thus he taketh an heart desirous to repent and beleeve for a penitent and beleeving heart whereas take away the will and all acts in Gods sight are equall Well might I doubt of my salvation sayes Bradford feeling the weaknesse of my faith love hope c. if these were the causes of my salvation but there is no other cause of it or of Gods mercy but his mercy Againe § 70. Thirdly you are to observe that as Nature so Grace rises by many degrees to perfection we grow in grace and saving knowledge as a childe does in stature and understanding untill we attaine to glory which is grace perfected yea grace in its growth is but like the change of a mans haire from black to grey or the growth of a Tree which is not accomplisht in a moneth or a yeare but in many yeares we not perceiving how § 71. Fourthly consider also that the best have their failings as had Abraham Jacob David Peter c. you have heard of the patience of Job saith Saint James and have we not heard also of his fits of impatiency Yes but it pleased God mercifully to over-looke that and so of Asah