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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	follow_v	good_a	work_n	2,965	5	6.2248	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95964	Calebs integrity in following the Lord fully, in a sermon preached at St. Margarets Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemne and publick fast, Novemb: 30th. 1642. By Richard Vines, Mr. of Arts of Magd. Colledge in Camb: and minister of the gospell at Weddington in the county of Warr	Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1642 (1642)	Wing V546; Thomason E130_4; ESTC R22161	22,669	42

case have comfortably perisht in the breach of that known Law 2. Standing to it so as it might be questioned whether it was needfull and it is the case of Daniel Cap. 6. 10. whos 's keeping his thrice a day devotions and opening his windowes towards Ierusalem not abating of the number of his prayers nor performing them in a more concealed manner to have avoided the malice of his accusers for one Moneths time for no longer was the Interdict to last may seeme more then needs yet he did not budge a ●ot nor abate a circumstance because he saw his Religion was stricken at and his sincerity put to the tryall which he was resolved to maintaine with as I may so speake a holy obstinacy whatsoever came on it I doe not urge these examples to precipitate any man unto rashnesse especially in cases not thus circumstanciated but to shew how fully they went after the Lord in that wherein carnall wisdome might and would have found sundry specious elusions to have evaded the duty I shall resume the exhortation in a few words as touching your advancing and setling Gods interest and then he will settle yours He tooke out of all the Cities saith the Text the high places and Images 2 Chro. 14 5. and the Kingdome was quiet before him If you will build God a house he will make you an house as it was said to David labour ye therefore to set up the evangelicall worship and regiment of Christ so as there may not be one howbeit if possible as there was in that of Asa Howbeit the high places were not 2 Chro. 20 3● taken away which worke we shall bring to best perfection if we adhere to the word of God and print after such an originall as went before all editions of error not that I would tye any man to such examples customes constitutions of the word as were meerely occasionall in their both rise and use and respective to times then being for what would that differ from a superstitious valuing of the brasen Serpent after the use of it was out because it once had institution of God but of this point no more now My businesse is to excite you to follow the Cloud and the Rock shall follow you let seeds-men be sent forth into all our fields that the people may be taken by the conscience and not only conformed by Law for the strength and continuance of a reformation lyes not all in the Magistrate but in this that the people receive the truth into them and among them who otherwise will be but as Hens in a coope alwayes boaking to get out which was the reason that they were so up and downe in Iudah according as they had remisse or religious Princes and by this meanes also shall Popery be profligate and Papists converted a little better then meerely by oath of supremacy and allegiance which breed such a generation as is contrary to rule of Philosophy which is Generatio unius est corruptio alterius whereas these new Protestants are Papists still Finally If there be some crosse springs in the locke some prophesie may lye against our present hopes for God hath his arcana Imperij or if necessity of times unripenesse of the people shall retard the worke so as it shall be said so many yeares was this Temple in building yet I say to you as the Lord to David 2 Chro. 6. 8. Thou didst well that it was in thine heart and let but a right spirit namely a spirit of adherence unto and acquiessence in God carry you on to fulfill after him and then though Caleb through the peoples rebellion wander in the wildernesse forty yeares and be kept off his promised reward yet he shall come into possession thereof at last and his seede shall inherit it and so I should come to that which remaines in the words as namely That To follow the Lord fully proceeds from another spirit Doct. 2 than the unbeleeving Israelites are acted withall and this spirit of Caleb was clearly that which the Apostle cals a spirit of Faith in closing with and cleaving unto God alone I cannot particularly handle this point only be bold to cast in a word or two towards the setting of the byas right way els a man may run and never obaine If we would have the hand of the dyall to point and goe right without the wheeles and poyses must be right within and wee must not onely looke at the worke we have to doe but also to the principle within us that it be a right spirit for there is no question but that a man of no filiall disposition towards God may be Gods toole or instrument or if ye will Gods servant to performe such or such a service right in Gods sight I shall not need to shew how farre a man may goe and what adventure he may make in a good cause upon other reasons principles and motives than proceed from a Gospell spirit Cyrus proclaimes liberty to the Church 2 Chro. 36. ●2 yet was he a man that knew not the Lord. I doubt not but a Protestant upon a dogmaticall Faith or beleefe of his tenets and principles might among Papists dye upon them and yet come farre short of salvation how farre would the name of Abraham or Moses have carried a Jew even a Iew in letter Martyrdome is no merit L●t every man therefore take heed to his spirit that Mal. 2. 16. he deale not treacherously for howsoever your good service perishes not to the Church or Common-wealth yet it perishes to you if you be not carried with hearts full of God Many a man is a Carpenter to build Noah an Arke wherein himselfe is not saved There are many rest in their meere opposition to and hate of Popery as if that should seale up their salvation and many againe will reason thus The cause wherein I am is good it will swim out it's gods and that is their plea. Alas this is not all for be the Protestant truth never so cleere to thee and be the cause thou art in never so good yet thou mayest be lost in it as the Egyptians were lost while they went in the same path wherein the Israelites were saved therefore pray and seeke for such a spirit of chusing and following the Lord thy God as may ensoule thy actions or outward works and then beside the acceptance and testimony thy wayes shall find with God thou shalt be able to goe through and fulfill after the Lord which a man upon naturall parts and strength of morall principles or vertues shall never doe for youths shall faint and be weary and young m●n shall utterly fall Isa 40. 30. that is men of most able selfe-sufficiencies who though their motion was swift before yet when they come to the center of their own ends they rest and proceed no farther such a spirit therefore as Caleb had doe you restlesly seeke of God the giver of it to them that aske him that being sincerely carried which in great and glorious actions is the more hard you may reape the Euge of your own conscience which is better then the Hic est of all the world and not only so but there will be more hope of the worke when it is carried on by such hearts as God said of David he was a man after his own heart and what followes He shall fulfill all my will Act. 13. 22. And of Hezekiah it is said that in every worke that he began in the service of the house of God and in the Law and in the Commandements to seeke his God hee did it with 2 Chron 31. 21. all his heart and prospered such hearts such successe we pray to them that are now ingaged in this great worke that so promises with the entayle of them upon Posterity may follow such Calebs for ever FINIS

is one of the principles of naturall generation so is self-denyall and the whole sale of all for Christ it is the first lesson howsoever it be last that is well learned being the onely removens prohibens that which removes all impediments of our fulfilling after Christ And as the times of Christ opposite to the institution of the Gospell did require the inculcation of this Point so ours opposite to the restitution of Gods worship to it's native simplicity doe bespeake the same being such In quibus animum firmare oportet constantibus exemplis as he in Tacitus For the opening of this Point we shall consider 1. What ground-worke is requisite to be laid in a man that he may fulfill after the Lord. 2. What it is to fulfill after him 3. Why we should fulfill after him For the first of the three I shall acquit it in foure things of which the second will rise out of the first the third out of the second the fourth out of the third 1. The first and indeed the root of all the rest is this that there be in a man a principle of saving faith closing with Christ to secure the present and finall estate of the soule or the ground-worke of sound Regeneration and conversion to God there may be many workings or gifts of the Spirit of God in and unto men in whom there is not a spirit uniting to Christ and there is a dogmaticall faith of holding the truth in opinion and assent which is not justifying of the person by reception of Christ now there must be such a spirit and such a faith as may carry the soule out of it selfe for subsistence and above it selfe in operation and working so that God may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whom and unto whom the soule doth act and then it will follow that he that hath cast his soule on Christ by faith securing the maine estate thereof shall the more easily cast away his life estate c. in a particular cause for him He that through all the pangs and struglings of the new-birth discouragements at the weight and height of his sinnes oppositions of reasonings delusions and flatteries of self-righteousnesse violence of hell it selfe hath shot the maine gulfe and hath landed in Christ shall with more facility lay aside his lesser his outward interests for him for it is a terrible thing for the stoutest heart alive to looke such a danger in the face as for ought he knowes may at one blow kill him and damne him or in a moment send him both to his grave and hell it makes a man follow the Lord fully when he obeyes the Commandement by the same faith whereby he receives the saving promise and offers up Isaac by the same faith whereby hee got him that is to obey and suffer by a justifying faith as they Heb. 11. whose acts there expressed were not most of them justifying acts yet done by a saving and justifying faith for so it is the same hand which shuts and closes upon the gift and opens it self to work And yet I must needs preoccupate an Objection and grant that Abraham who beleeved the maine promise without staggering shewed some trepidation when he conceived himselfe in danger of his life They will kill me saith he but that is Gon. 12. 12. but the encountring of sence with faith which sence fights sore against faith when it is upon it's owne dung-hill I meane in a sensible danger natures retraction of itselfe from a visible feare may causethe pulse of a Christian which beats truely and strongly in the maine point the state of the soule to intermit and faulter at such a time but the needle will returne to the true point againe upon self-recollection That godlinesse hath the Promises that belong to this life and the life to come as for such men whose hearts are not ballast with grace no marvell if they ride uncertainly and are up and downe in rough water for though in faire and easie weather they may keepe tune and time yet it will be no wonder if they ring their bels backward whenthings begin to bee on fire Religio religat Godlinesse bindes fast 2. The second is That a man affect God himselfe and account him his great reward and this is the immediate effect of saving grace and faith to bring the soule into the esteeme and acceptance of God himselfe for our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or chiefest good it is true those Promises I will call for the corne and increase it and will multiply the fruit of the Tree and of the Field are blessings and benefits of his Covenant Ezek. 36. 29. And blessed are the people that are in such a case Psal 144. 15. but the maine Promise of the Covenant is I will be their God and they shall be my people and then saith the Psalmist Ibid. Yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord That which we call amor amicitie or conjugalis closes with the person and not onely with benefits The first Commandement shewes that this is the most naturall order first to have God for our God and then and thence to performe other duties Servility when one is awed from sinne or driven to duties by the whip and mercenarines when one is drawne by meere benefit or reward are the bane of following the Lord fully He that parts with sinne as a slave parts with it and loves it and will in the calme gather up againe that which hee cast over-board in the storme and hee will performe duties and hate them He that followes God as a mercenary will no longer uti Deo then he can frui mund● He will use him while he can serve himselfe of him Duties and sufferings are irkesome things without that suave condimentum the love of God himselfe I know the opinion of merit with God or men sweetens sharpe duties and sufferings to some palats but that is but dulce venenum a sweet poyson to all wee doe it frustrates our very Fasts Did yee at all Fast Zach. 7. 5 unto me even unto me Was it not an argument of an excellent spirit in Moses when God offered him the benefit without himselfe or his presence Exod. 33. 2. I will send an Angell before thee and I will drive out the Canaanites c. but I will not goe up in the midst of thee and this was the reason I shall but consume thee if I do what a fair offer was this and what a reason of Gods denyall of his owne presence was that and yet Moses could not be content with it For if thy presence goe not with Exod. 33. 25. me then carry us not up hence Let us be here in the Wildernes under thy Cloud rather then possesse a Canaan without thee 3. The third is To value Gods interests in any businesse under our hand more then our owne his Gospell his cause his glory and this rises out of the former for he that

Clouds while they were but like a mans hand 4. In ministring or suggesting timely antidotes or preventions 5. In entangling the Spiders in their owne webb or bringing downe enemies by their owne hands 6. In drawing hopefull blessings on upon their way above our first thoughts or aime as he drew on Luther whetted by importunity of Adversaries then is God gone out before us wee may see his foot-stepps in all these wayes therefore follow him 2. When he flies from you yet then follow him fully Doth he hide his face delay to heare lengthen our danger are things in worse state with us since Moses came are Treaties abortive Fasts imprevalent c. let us not turne backe and say This evill is from the Lord why should we wait upon him any longer There is reason that God should be sharpe we have inveterate staines to be washt out which will hardly be got out untill the cloth be almost rub'd to peeces Christ came with a shaking of the Heavens and Earth and all the Nations Hag. 6. 7. after such concussions The desire of all Nations shall come nor did Christ rise out of his grave without an Earth-quake cum duplicantur lateres venit Moses for how could mercies be wonders if straits were not wondrous though obstructions be obstinate yet Christ will come in to his people even when the doores are shut presently after Marahs bitter waters God brought Israel to Elim where they had twelve wels of water and threescore and ten Palme-trees Exod. 15. 27. God hides himselfe to be sought delayeth to be importuned flies from us to be followed I will adde but a word or two of encouragement 1. To all 2. To you our Honourable Senatours 1. That which I shall say to all is this that if we fulfill after the Lord we shall cut shorter our travailes and troubles so had this people done if they had followed the Lord fully at this time we lengthen our miseries by shortening of our duties and the Lord keepes aloofe from us because we lye aloofe from him God is disabled from doing great workes among us by out distrust Hee could doe no great workes among them because of their unbeliefe saith the Text Or admit we be long holden off our happinesse as Caleh was kept out of his promises fill our laps at the last the longer day God takes to make payment the more he gives us at the last If he come not to heale Lazarus while he is alive we shall lose nothing by it for he will come to raise him when he is dead therefore let us follow him fully both by prayer and all possible contributions to his worke and cause and Gospell what if we have not an eare-ring left so that the Tabernacle have it water we see puts it selfe to extremities and contrary to particular nature rises upward ad prohibendum vacuum to prevent a fraction in the universe who is likely to save his own cabbin when the Ship founders but it may be the worke stickes and it may be at thee why is not thy shoulder at the wheele when the Cart is stalled though Israel stick at first in Egipt yet they went out at length with the Egyptians leave and not a dog as Exo. 11. 7 the Text saith moved his tongue against them 2. To you of Senatorian order be you encouraged to follow the Lord fully and let not the Luminaries of the highest Orbe be slowest of motion you have need of encouragements that you may scatter the obloquies the scandalls suspitions jealousies had of you and endure the contradiction of such as are afraid to be healed In the Universities they complaine their muses lye a dying O let it never be by or under your hand but onely teach them as of old they were feigned so now really to frequent and be mistresses of purer fountaines Some cry out that Religion will be changed and that there will be an alteration thereof If this Objection arise from this that the ceremonies and usages hitherto offensive and burdensome are likely to be abolisht what can be said more against them for is it not time to cast them out the rather because they are accounted such immoveables that to remove them is to commit waste upon the very free-hold it selfe It 's time to breake the brasen Serpent and to call it Nehushtan a peece of brasse when it 's idolized or if rather the quarrell arise from that pure administration of Ordinances of worship which is desired is it not as voide of reason for shall perfective alterations be accounted destructive doth the changing of the Tabernacle into a Temple wherein are ten Candlesticks for one and more setlednesse and beauty imply any change of Religion Others finde out as many Religions as we have Articles of Doctrine nine and thirty and upbraide us with Sects and Schismes c. which truely are our misery and fill us with scandalls shame and sorrow yet this I may say that if every severall or new opinion makes a new Religion then we have more then so many If not then doubtlesse we have fewer but whatsoever it be it is but a fond thing to say there will be no building because the timber stone materialls lye yet in confused heapes I beseech you to set on worke hewers in the Mountaines and stone-squarers to prepare 1 Kin. 5. 15 18. timber and stones to build the Temple that our Ierusalem may at length be a City compact together and at unity in it selfe And as for all aspersions and reflections upon you follow the Lord fully and as the ecclipsed Moone by keeping her motion wades out of the shadow and recovers her splendor so shall you For every tongue that shall rise in judgement Isa 54. 17 against thee thou shalt condemne and this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. For the confirming of you in following after the Lord I might put you in minde what Gods people have done for God in pressing extremities namely 1. Doing that which saving the pressing case it might be questioned whether they ought an instance whereof we have in Phinehas Numb 25. 13. who by an act of zeale turned away the neere approaching wrath from Israel and made an attonement for them by such a sacrifice as it 's doubted by what warrant he offered it up I meane the execution of Delinquents and yet is justified and highly extolled by God for it And so Esther in a time of extremity put herself to do that which was not according Esth 4. 16 to the Law to draw forth her people out of destined destruction nor doe I know how she could have answered it to God if her particular observation of that humane Law had forbidden her therescue and preservation of a whole Nation of Gods people and yet the Law she broke was capitall as she saith Ver. 11th and therefore she goes on with this resolution If I perish I perish whereby it appeares she could in this