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	salvation_n	work_n	5,482	5	6.3075	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03311	Truths purchase: or A commoditie, which no man may either neglect to buie, or dare to sell laid forth in two sermons vpon Prov.23.23. by Samuel Hieron minister of the word, at Modburie in Deuon. Very necessary for the times, in which so few seeke after the truth, and so many fall away from the profession and practise of the truth.	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1606 (1606)	STC 13429; ESTC S116033	42,058	86

can devise to draw men from the acknowledgement and profession of Gods Truth Their common motiues are well knowne to those which know any thing and how they seeke to blind and dazell the Eies of many with the glorious but yet pretensed shewes of Antiquitie vniuersalitie vnitie Lineall succession Catholique Church Church planted by the Apostles Fathers Counsells Miracles and the like Now to shew the weakenes of every of these Motiues the falsehood of some the pretensing of other some the Inuailidity of them all were a long peice of worke and not possibly to be though it were but slightly hādled in this shortnes of Time yet lest I should seeme to name an enemie to giue no directiō to resist him therfore that euē the meanest christian who hath gottē some comfortable knowledge of the truth may know how to keep his Right against euery inueigling and catching Papist I will deliuer these two instructions The first is the speech of the Apostle to Timothie 2. Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the Things which thou hast learned and art perswaded thereof knowing of whom thou hast learned them I pray you to consider the Place and you shall find it a notable Preseruatiue and as good as a grimme Porter to keepe out those Popish factors that would defeat vs of our inheritance The Apostle presseth a stiffe and firme continuance in Truth receiued when as these two Things concurre with it 1. A mans own perswasion 2. The consideration of the Quality of those which first taught vs. First for a mans owne Perswasion marke I pray you least I should seeme in steed of grounded setlednes to commend selfe-willed Peeuishnes By beeing perswaded Paul meaneth thus much as if he had said to Timothie If it be an opinion which thou hast not suddenly entertained but vpon good Aduise if it hath seated it selfe in thy iudgement then when as thou with Care and Consciēce with Humility with vsing the Ordinarie meanes with Praier vnto God with heartie desire to be guided into Truth enquiredst after knowledge surely thou oughtest not beeing by these degrees brought to it and in this manner perswaded in it rashly and suddenly to forgoe it This is ment by Perswasion in this place A setlednes of Iudgement following vpon an orderly course to bring a man therevnto The second thing which must concurre is Consider and marke of whom thou hast learned them that is Obserue note well what kind of men they are by whose Ministry thou hast beene instructed If they be men who by their Fidelitie in Teaching and by the blessing of God vpon their Labours in vsing their Ministry to convert mens soules doe carie with them the seale of their Ministrie nay if thine own soule can witnes for them either of these out of thine owne feeling then beware of a Doctrine contrary to that thou hast beene Taught though I would not haue thee tie thy selfe to any mans Authoritie yet be not rash be well advised before thou alter thy iudgement confirmed by such a Ministry This is the first thing which I will in the Lord commend as a direction for the meaner sort who cannot enter into the examination of every seuerall to preserue them from the allurements of Poperie and from selling the Truth to euery cheating companion The second thing which I will commend vnto the simpler sort as a meanes to keepe them from being entangled with the large offers of subtill Papists which seeke to draw men from the Truth is this when they shall be perswaded to any point of Poperie differing from the doctrine taught amongst vs at this day either by writing or privie suggesting or corrupt and vnsound Teaching let them compare it with the contrarie which we hold and well ponder with themselues desiring also the assistance of Gods spirit which of the two Opinions maketh most for the Glorie of God for the comfort of a distressed and distracted conscience and for the restraint of the Libertie of the flesh and which soeuer of the two they shall find by the witnes of their owne conscience concurring with the voice of the Scripture to make most for all or for any of these three let them take that to be the soundest and for their life not dare to renounce it Marke the Reason First the End why God made all things was the Glory of his own name the end why he redeemed mankind was That no flesh should reioice in his presence Pro. 16.4 1. Cor. 1.30.31 but that he which reioyceth should reioyce in the Lord that no man should haue cause to thanke himselfe but should be compelled to ascribe all vnto the Lord. By this Rule Paul decideth the Controversie touching Iustification by Faith and workes where is then the reioycing saith he It is excluded Rom. 3.27 By what law that is By what means of saluatiō of workes Nay but by the Law of Faith Faith taketh all from man and ascribeth all to the Lord vers 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law So that hence I confirme This Rule that looke which point of Doctrine doth most debase man and giue the whole glorie of all good vnto the Lord that is the Truth and that is alone to be embraced For the second Rule which is touching comfort Paul saith Rom 15.4 that the Ende why the Scripture was written was for our Learning and comfort The Ende of all both writing and Teaching is that man feeling the extremitie of his owne miserie might notwithstanding be setled in the comfortable assurāce of the loue of God in Christ Iesus So then that doctrine which affordeth the soundest comfort then when a wounded conscience most desireth comfort that is the Truth and that is not at any hand to be forsaken Thirdly touching the Restraint of the flesh I remember the saying of the Apostle Ye haue beene called into libertie Gal. 5. ●3 onely vse not year libertie as an occasion to the flesh as who would say The doctrine of Christian Religion though it be a doctrine of Libertie to the Spirit freeing it from the bondage of sinne and Sathan yet it is a doctrine of Restraint to the Flesh so that when you feele the Flesh begin to breake out and take libertie then know it to be an Abuse of the Doctrine of Libertie This was Pauls meaning So that it is an vnfallible Canon that that Doctrine which presseth vpon men the most precise and strict Obedience to Gods will not giuing any the least toleration to any the smallest sinne but is still curbing mans naturall inclination vnto Euill that same is the Truth of God that ought euery seruant of God to maintaine I pray you remember this Direction I doe not for mine owne part and I speake it hauing often and aduisedly thought vpon it know any maine point of Popetie but it may well be tried by these Rules So that you shall finde all the Grounds of

of good Things But now there is a great alteration the world hath choked them the Vanitie of outward things hath beguiled them and they are not the men they haue beene Alas that any man should giue occasion to haue it so said of him I remember the saying It is the most woefull thing to haue beene happy Miserrimum est fu●sse bea●um and so it is a miserable thing to haue beene zealous and now not to be zealous to haue had Lands and Liuings and large possessions and now to be a begger to haue had the Truth of Obedience in possession but now to haue cleane parted therewithal I beseech you if any here be guilty herein as euery man hath good cause to be ielous ouer himselfe with a godly ielousie let him be admonished to looke to it quickly to repent and doe his first workes 〈…〉 least he incurre a double condemnation Who will pitie him that had land and liuing and could not keepe it and how shall the Lord be mercifull vnto him who hauing knowne the Way of Truth shall turne from the holy Commandement giuen vnto him And for others which are perhaps but yet commers on and beginners in good things as you shal learne other Things so learne this withall that we haue need to keepe a narrow watch over our hartes 2. Thess 3.13 least we waxe wearie of well Doing least at vnawares a kind of sacietie fulnes creepe vpon vs. To beginne a thing is pleasant therefore for varieties sake many will beginne but vpon some occasions soone leaue off so that all the proofe is in the End There is one point more behinde no lesse necessarie then the former a Branch of my diuision and incident also to my Text and that is a Godly care to enlarge and encrease the Truth which we haue purchased In this frugall and Thriuing Age he is among worldly wise men halfe accounted an vnthrift not onely that maketh away his estate either in whole or in part but also which doth not by his industrie and prouidence something better the same And I pray you mark if my Text doe not require so much It is in the nature of euery Inhibition or forbidding Commandement to imply the contrarie As Thou shalt not kill comprehendeth this vnder it Thou shalt by all honest meanes preserue the life of thy neighbour so thou shalt not sell the Truth what must I then doe wilt thou say Thou must husband it well and labour to encrease it So that my Text very naturally without setting it vpon the racke occasioneth the vrging of that dutie which the Scripture often doth perswade namely A caring and endeauouring to thriue in Religion to encrease both in knowledge and in obedience 2. Pet. 3.18 S. Peter giueth a charge Grow in grace 1 Thess ●1 Paul beseecheth his hearers to encrease more and more Pro. 4.18 Salomon compareth the state of a Christian to the light which shineth more and more vnto the persit day In Ezekiel the graces of Gods spirit are figured by the waters E●ek ● issuing out of the Sanctuarie which were first to the ankles then to the knees then to the Ioynes then to a riuer that could not be passed ouer Psal 92 ● Dauid calleth Gods seruants Trees which bring forth fruit in their age and euen then are fat Math. 25 2● and flourishing Christ in the Parable reporteth that the Euill seruant though he kept the Talent in a napkin safe yet was condemned for not encreasing it Thus you see the Truth of this Doctrine The Vse And I pray you let vs make the vse of it to be stirred vp by it so many as haue gotten some knowledge and shewed some fruits of Obedience not to rest satisfied therewith thinking that we know enough haue done enough but after the worthie example of Paul let vs still forget that which is behinde Phil. 3.13 accounting that whereto we are come to be scarse worth the naming and striuing to goe from grace to grace from vertue to vertue Psal 84.7 Rom. 12.3 from strength to strength according as God hath dealt to euery one the measure of faith Flesh and blood is readie soone to satisfie it selfe with a little in these things though in other things it be vnsatiable and worldly men that would be thought religious for all that they plead All is well and how Religious would you haue vs to be Doe we not thus and thus and what would you haue of vs more To helpe this I pray you remember this He is the best Christian who is euer complaining to himselfe of his owne slacknes and carieth a kind of holy Indignation against himselfe that he knoweth no more and is no more obedient Phil 3.13 more grieuing at that which is Behind then pleasing himselfe in that wherto he is attained And on the other side he that is in his owne conceipt come to a full point thinking that a little Religion a little zeale a little holines a little knowledge will suffice the same man hath no zeale no holines no knowledge no religion at all My reason is the euill seruant I spake of before though in one place it is saide of him Math. 25.29 that that was taken from him which he had yet elswhere it is said of him that that was taken from him which it seemed he had So that it is but a seeming of Religion Luc. 8.18 where there is no care of encreasing And thus at last I haue ended this Text though I haue not handled euery point so largely as the worth of it did deserue yet I haue in some measure touched euery particular incident to this place The ende of the second Sermon Let God alone haue the glorie