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
A91010	A bundle of myrrhe. Or Several sweet truths spiritually unfolded under these following heads. 1. Mercy magnified. 2. Practical graces. 3. Christs humiliation. 4. Certainty of salvation. Published by H.P. minister of the Gospel.	Prime, H.	1653 (1653)	Wing P3458; Thomason E1476_1; ESTC R209523	20,540	61

2. It may provoke us to hasten our assurance of our exemption from this ordination to wrath by separation from the way of reprobates by getting grace peculiar to the elect distinguishing between restraining grace and renewing 3. It should stir us up to vows of eternal thankfulness to God having found our exemption from wrath and our appointment to Salvation not onely rejoycing with thanksgiving that God hath appointed us to life but that passing by others he hath respected us Luke 10.21 it addes marvellous amplification to the mercy and love of God Heb. 2.16 Mal. 1.2 3. The soul that hath tasted this mercy can never express the measure of it but rather faint in the admiration of it But to obtain Salvation The salvation of the saved is made sure by decree of the unchangable God It is not onely foreknown but put for us The persons ordained us and we put unto it into Gods eternal decree and fore-ordination which is certain not onely that some shall be saved but for number more or fewer shall not be saved and for persons these be not they Which may be gathered by the distinction of Brother and Brother Abel not Cain of such as have election to the same office of King David not Saul of Apostles John 13. I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen of ordinary Preachers many never known Matth. 7. Some written in the Book of Life their name in Gods eternal memory Phil. 4. Such as have common favor to hear Salvation offered the Election obtain the rest are blinded As many as were ordained to life believed As if we should say Pew-fellows so Work-fellows Bed-fellows one taken another left as God eternally had decreed that doth all things after the counsel of his will to whom his works be known all from the beginning of the world Act. 15.18 Rom. 8.29 Gods fore-knowledge is in order before predestination Act. 15.18 Rom. 8.29 This puts difference between one and another Gods purpose according to election Rom. 9.11 not of works but of him that calleth Matth. 20.16 Calling is effectual onely in such persons and no other as God hath chosen Whom he predestinated them he called The particulars are known the means sent to them continued for them Acts 18. and made effectual to them The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Christ calls his sheep by name knoweth them and knoweth others not to be his Joh. 10.26 27. Of all the persons that have been are or ever shall be in the world the number is finite defined and certain with God The generation of men as it had a beginning so shall it have an end by Gods will And of all that are some are appointed to salvation some to damnation God is not ignorant whom he will save whom he will damn for he is most wise The means prepared for the salvation of some and fore-seeing ordained for the destruction of some cannot fail for he is most mighty If the hairs of their heads be numbred much more the persons elected be numbred Applic. It follows therefore That God hath not left men to be framers of their fortune casting lots on nond but leaving men to make themselves elect or reprobate and that alterably as they stand in faith and holiness or fall away from it First Mans wisdom deals on better certainties first determining of the end of his work and accordingly disposing of his workmanship Secondly This way we are beholding to our selves more then to Gods grace that I may be elected and saved I must thank God that I am elected and saved I may thank my self God made it possible my free will made that possibility beneficial unto me and so one man may insult over another as making the difference between himself and another man contrary to that 1 Cor. 4.7 Object 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor It seems then a man may frame his own fortune and make himself a Vessel of honor Sol. It is to be understood of his own knowledge of his election by the figns Object It seems God hath not so unalterably determined of the persons but that one that was elect may fall from election and another take his room or else why is there mention of putting out names of the Book of life Psal 69.28 Exod. 32.33 Sol. Such sayings are to be understood of the manifesting of Gods counsel They whom God by open signs joyns unto his people are said to be written in the Book of life and so contrary when God openly casts them away and roots them out of the Church they are said to be blotted out of the Book of Life that he hath written as the false Prophets Ezek. 13.9 They shall not be in the Assembly of my people nor be written in the writings of the house of Israel c. Some seem to be written and are not some seem to be written and are so they that seem and are not the Lord will upon their sin manifest it that they were not written the other shall hold their account Revel 3. It is a strong foundation of comfort that the persons be unalterably elected Rejoyce in this your names are written in Heaven Rom. 8.33 Who shall accuse the Elect of God Nothing can separate from the love of God in Christ Election is in God who changeth not not in us that change of Gods will and fore-knowledge not of our works To obtain Salvation To obtain salvation is not meant here to acquire it by their own merits for the mean of their obtaining is determined in the Text Christ Jesus But it is all one with other places where the Elect are said to be ordained to eternal life God then hath determined of the final state of the Elect Elect they are not onely to Means and Grace but to the End Salvation Acts 13.48 To eternal life Rom. 9.23 prepared to glory to conformity with Gods Son in his Image Rom. 8.29 Blessedness of a Kingdom Matth. 25.34 Their place in Heaven near Christ Matth. 20.23 Blessing with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places Eph. 1. From Election as a cause flows Grace and the right use of it to the Elect whatsoever pertains to Life or Godliness all Graces qualifying the persons elected and making them meet for their Masters use and their lot among the Saints in Light As the revealing of Christ the secrets of the Kingdom Faith in Christ Union with him Justification Adoption Regeneration Good works perseverance with an impossibility to be seduced finally God keeps them by his power unto salvation they shall never perish God reserveth them to himself Rom. 11. preserved in Jesus Christ Jude 1. so as their salvation is sure and infallible Which is matter of plentiful Consolation in all thoughts perplexing or distressing Fear not little flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom By Jesus Christ This is the onely mean resolved of in Gods Counsel for the accomplishment of Gods purpose concerning the salvation of the Elect Jesus Christ He is therefore said to be predestinate before the world and we predestinate in him 1 Pet. 1.20 Ephes 1. Our Salvation of his gracious purpose given us in Christ Jesus before the world 2 Tim. 1.9 And given are all to Christ Jesus that God will save that he may purchase their salvation by his merit and put them in possession of it by his efficacy John 6.37 John 17.2 38 39. Him hath the Father sealed to this work to give food unto Eternal Life John 6.27 And propounded for reconciliation by Faith in his Blood Rom. 3.25 There is no other Name under Heaven to claim Salvation by Whence follow these things First That Christ is not the cause of our Election though he be the Saviour There is no cause without God that moved him to chuse where he hath chosen Purpose Grace Good pleasure will of shewing mercy doing with his own what he will working all according to the Counsel of his will These are alledged as the onely cause why he resolved upon these persons in them to shew the riches of his Glory We are chosen in him not for him we are saved according to Gods purpose for him as ordained the mean and meritorious cause the Author of eternal Salvation Secondly As many as God means to save he as he gives to Christ so causeth to come to him and not one more or less that not being in this life joyned to Christ to be finally out of Christ Ioh. 10. is a sign of rejection from Grace and Life It is not as some dream that an honest life in a true or false Religion will save Then what lost the Jews by stumbling at Christ who sought Righteousness and Life without him The Apostle counts all dung for Christ and desireth to be found in him He is our hope by him onely we beleeve and have access to God If we be Christs we are Abrahams seed and heirs of the Promise Christ gives himself for no other but such as are given of his Father to him he layes down his life for his sheep he excludes the rest out of his Intercession What Christ is as Mediator what he doth as Mediator to whom he doth any thing by Mediation is all by the will and appointment of his Father His will he came to do his work was appointed him and that he finished according to his will All other means are but subordinate as Faith Preaching Sacraments with relation to Christ Christ onely absolutely necessary these as instruments to receive him Some wanting these have Christ to Salvation FINIS

remembrance of the wrong God forgives the punishment and remembers the sins no more urgeth them not with the mention of them Ezek. 33.16 nor hinders himself from doing them good or praising the good he seeth in them for former injuries Isa 54.9 Thirdly So to forgive as to love him Matth. 5. that hath done the wrong as my self for an enemy is my Neighbor and within that Royal Law be he poor or rich God so forgives us as he loveth us with the same love wherewith he loveth his own Son in whom his soul delighteth Joh. 17. Fourthly Matth. 18.32 1 Pet. 4. God forgiveth fully all sins that we commit for love covers all trespasses though the offences have been often committed not once but a thousand times though often in one day So we till seventy times seven times Matth. 18.21 Seven times in a day Luke 17.4 Where we see Repentance and the offender grieved and bruised we are to comfort him as forgiven of God the sin as well as of us the scandal or trespass 2 Cor. 2.7 And we must confirm our love to him As Christ forgave you This being put as a motive and pattern our forgiveness received of Christ Doct. It appears and is presupposed as granted That Christians do know that their sins are forgiven them In this stands the cheif part of their comfort The knowledge of salvation by the remission of their sins Luk. 1.77 John before his precepts of love and good works and evidence of salvation by them sets down this as their cheif foundation of comfort their sins are forgiven for Christs sake 1 John 2.12 though the conscience of inherent righteousness is a good prop to hope yet it is so little and corruption so much and sensible to them that have light and life that when they see God in Majesty and contemplate his holiness and spiritualness of his Law they cry out of their own misery and death Rom. 7.24 and forget sometimes they are separate from them that perish Isai 6.5 till the knowledge of forgiveness be confirmed in them v. 7 8. In this David reckons a mans blessedness that the burthen of his sins is lifted off from his Conscience and the quarrel taken up between God and him Psal 32.1 Quest Quest How may a man that yet is doubtful be perswaded that his sins be forgiven him Answ Answa By the beginning of the work of the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 Luke 4.8 inspiring the motion of Faith and working a mans soul bruised for his sins to seek Gods face and favor in Christ by the Commandment of believing with love to obey it The smoaking flax Bruised by weight and striving for liberty and the bruised reed shall not be quenched Grace saving is already poured into the soul which shall after appear in more strength Isai 54.6 Affliction of spirit in Conscience of injury to God as a wife that hath been false and would return to her husbands favor Thus promises are made to them that be troubled in spirit that afflict themselves for Gods offence and God is said to delight in such as cheif sacrifice Psal 51. and will dwell with them It argueth a minde reconciled to God which cannot be but by grace when his favor is so sought Rom. 8.5 7. his friendship so desired that nothing will satisfie a man till he finde it God easeth not men of all their grief at once Luke 7.47 48 50. She was perswaded that he was her onely refuge but remained afflicted and Imgring for relief and found comfort but holds them lingring after him onely his stirring up their desire to him and moving their love in such passion for him argueth he is reconciled and hath forgiven the injury Cant. 5.4 5 6. As it is in the recovering of peace so in the first working for most part by our affection to God setled know we his affection to us He gives a little light that gives them hope and in their prayers and use of the means sometimes chears them a little but settles them not yet but makes them love and hope The will of believing with strife against corruption of love to God is Gods work of his favor as well as the power of Faith Isa 1.19 Phil. 2.13 Rom. 7.18 22. Mark 9.24 Psal 42.5 and argues his with such Other men strive not for faith Remission in order of nature is before our repentance but joyned with it in time that repentance argues God reconciled Levit. 20 41. but they that have the grace begun Grace is first infused without our seeking and by it we aspire to grace and give no quiet settling to corruption Inward shame of that which hath been done against God though not amongst men shameful or if such not known voluntary remembring of sins with shutting up a mans mouth that he cannot complain of God for judgement though it were of Hell with hope yet that it shall not be so Ezek. 16.63 Rom. 6.21 Joh 42.6 Ezek. 20.43 In a time of Gods gracious dealing with them not onely when he urgeth them to accuse themselves by judgements Ezek. 36.31 intreating the Lord and enquiring of him for his mercies v. 37. It is the note of Gods people They seek the Lord Psa 24. confessing their sins 1 Joh. 1.9 Healing of our nature Gods Spirit given to a man to dwell in him is his testimony of his accepting of the man Acts 15.7 8. His seal Ephes 1.13 His earnest 2 Cor. 5. That if a man know Gods grace hath changed him to be that which he was not and he is not that which he was he hath sin in him and appearing yet in his life now appears the study of piety that he aspires still to the grace of God and would unfainedly have it govern him poor in sense of his nothingness in himself purging the remnants of sin Rom. 8.13 2 Tim. 2.21 1 Joh. 3.3 Striving against sin Prov. 28.4 Heb. 12.4 1 Cor. 9.27 Fearing sin Prov. 28.14 Eccles 8.12 2 Cor. 7.11 He hath it under Gods testimony and seal that he is forgiven and God reconciled to him God freeth some and strengthens others that he brings into the battle about Faith Both serve the Lord some in sweetness some in sharpness some with glorying over adversaries some weeping in the strife yet laboring to dissolve the temptation some serve without fear some delivered from the cause of the fear yet feel it trouble them and yet obey love hope pray hang on the Ordinances to suck and be satisfied Isai 66. So their fear is not as the fear of the wicked in fulness Isa 8.12 13. without study of casting it out as a sin against God and the fruit of unbelief with hatred of God without seeking God or care of sanctifying him in heart Vers 11 They are otherwise taught of God and that with inclining of their wills with love to obey him A tender merciful conscionable forgiveness of other men that offend us and