Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	free_a	grace_n	love_n	2,934	5	6.6495	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05999	A commentarie vpon the first and second chapters of Saint Paul to the Colossians Wherein, the text is cleerly opened, observations thence perspiciously deducted ... Together with diuers places of Scripture briefely explained. By Mr. Paul Bayne. B.D.	Baynes, Paul, d. 1617.; Stubbs, Justinian, 1604 or 5-1681.	1634 (1634)	STC 1636; ESTC S101082	229,900	390

them that have treasure and great charge about them letting penniles travellers alone So doth Satan he is busie to rob those whom GOD hath trusted with His graces VERSE 10. That ye might walke worthy of the Lord and please Him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of GOD. NOw followeth the obedience it selfe set out by the practice of it that he prayeth for 1. In generall 2. More particular In generall it is to walke worthy of the Lord what this is may be understood by comparing it with like places Ephes 4.1 Worthy of the vocation whereunto yee are called Phil. 1.27 As it becommeth the Gospell 1 Thes 2.12 Worthy of God who hath called you to His Kingdome and glory To walke worthy of the Lord then is to live and behave our selves as becommeth those to whom God hath vouchsafed so great mercy that passing by thousands and ten thousands for deserts all as good and in outward respects many of them better than they Hee hath of His meere grace and free love in CHRIST chosen and called them out of the World to be partakers of Eternall life and glory with Him and for this cause hath caused His Gospell to be preached unto them and by His spirit hath made it effectuall in them we must therefore seriously consider 1 the dignity of our calling 2 the excellency of the Gospell whereby we are called 3 the kingdome of Glory whereto wee are called 4 and our most Holy and glorious Lord God by whom we are called and accordingly with due regard of all these things carry our selves in this present world let others then live as they list walke in sinne and wallow in filthinesse such a course may sort with their condition but for us we are by the grace of God of another dignity of an higher and more holy calling and such as waite for a Kingdome prepared for us even an Eternall Kingdome in the heavens This walking worthy of the Lord he expresseth by the end that it respecteth and aimeth at namely a pleasing of Him in all things or a full and entire pleasing of Him If then we will walke worthy of the Lord we must study to please Him and to give Him contentment in all things not accounting of pleasing any man yea or al men with displeasing him 1 Cor. 4.3 And good cause for life and death depend on Him He hath power to save and destroy yea He hath done such great things for our soules already and assured us of so great glory hereafter that we are the most unthankefull and impious Creatures that ever breathed our selves being judges if wee study not to please Him in all things Wherefore let others addict and give themselves over dedicate devote and consecrate themselves to serve and please to bow and becke to kneele and crowch and in all points to observe this or that great man on whom they depend by whom they live from whom they expect their advancement and rising in the world let us study and strive how we may please the Lord our GOD. He is to us in stead of all yea all inall Here Observe That this pleasing of GOD must bee in all things Obs or it must bee whole and universall for hee that seeketh not to please Him in all things seeketh not to please Him in any thing and hee that laboureth not to give Him an universall contentment laboureth not to give Him any at all according to that of Saint Iames Sam. 2.10 Whosoever shall Keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all for the same God hath commanded all as well that Hee leaveth undone as that Hee doeth and therefore if out of conscience toward God hee hath care of doing any he would have conscience of doing all Which serveth notably to convince those who reforming and conforming themselves to the will of God as they would have it thought in many things Vse yet retaine some speciall beloved sinnes whereby they plainely shew that their reformation in other things is but counterfeit as being for some by-respects of their profit or estimation or such like Having thus set forth this pleasing of God in generall he expresseth it after in two particulars Bringing forth fruite Increasing in the knowledge of God For the bringing forth of fruite being an expressing of our duty to please God specially in an outward manner before God and Men may bee called not unfitly one particular of pleasing God Observe Hence Obs We must be fruitfull in good workes as Trees and plants are fruitfull in their kindes for from thence is this speech taken for being planted by Gods owne hand in His own Orchard or Garden yea in His owne house Psa 92.14 being also kept and dressed by Him as our Husbandman Ioh. 15.3 Esa 27.3 Ioh. 15.3 being watched over night and day and watered every moment finally being branches of CHRIST the true vine from whom by the vertue of His spirit we receive sappe and juice good reason wee should be fruitfull and if not we shall bee surely cut downe and cast into the fire Mat. 3.10 Ioh. 15.6 Luk. 13.7 For who among us would endure an unfruitfull Tree in his Garden who would not say with indignation Cut it downe why cumbreth it the ground If that were rooted up I might have another planted in the place of it that might bring me forth good fruite When the wicked see us grow livelesse powerlesse sapplesse they say what matter is in them and in their profession It is a shame that they should say I had rather live with any deale with any have a promise from any than from a Professor Their condition is incurable Reason when the Carpenter hath cut and hewen and sees it will not fit his turne ther 's no remedy but it must be cast into the fire My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Gen. 6.3 Esay 5. GOD calls a counsell What shall I doe with my Vinyard A hedge Lord will do it good send them prosperity and security that they have had A winepresse Lord will doe them good that they have had afflictions will not worke upon them When no plaister will cure the Legge it must bee cut off when the Gospell will doe thee no good nothing can do thee good See the ground and cause of all our evils Vse wee impute them to the malice power or improvidence of men No no thy barren heart is the cause of all 1 Cor. 11. For this cause many are weake and many sicke and many sleepe as if hee should say you blame the ayre you say such a distemper was the cause no no it was your unprofitable comming to the Sacrament that hath brought this plague upon you Our unprofitablenesse is the cause why the Lord is still hacking at the Tree of England How many great Families are perished and yet by no ill husbandry or great improvidence no no they

we be thus thankefull what praise should wee offer to our God for bringing us under the Kingdome of His deare Sonne If we had some grievous Tyrant ruling over us and God should take him away and set a Prince of singular Clemency over us should not the blessing of all the kingdome come upon him for so singular a change But when he taketh the Divells iron yoaks off our necks and bringeth us under the Kingdome of that most meeke King who will not bruise a broken reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe here none in comparison is thankefull This giveth us to consider of our happy estate Vse 2 who are brought to live under Him reade Psal 72. To live in such a Kingdome were a great felicity but no more to be compared with this then the shadow with the substance What a blessing is it that we have His spirit to be a law in us good lawes in a Kingdome are no small benefit What a blessing is it that we have true peace from accusation of sinne from feare of death from disturbance which the remnants of sin doe cause before they be better mortified Say I am spiritually opposed and molested yea have great corporall enemies what a mercy is this that looking to CHRIST our King and crying for helpe we have succour they are weakened defeated scattered we are strengthened and comforted I see that I am besieged with enemies too mighty for me yea with Traytors in my owne bosome what a favour is this that we should be protected our King being such a wall and as a mighty flood about us that they cannot come neere us I want things looking to CHRIST I have supply I feare time to come looking to Him I heare it spoken This is our King Psa 48.14 Hee shall leade us to death VERSE 14. In whom we have redemption through His bloud the forgivenesse of sins NOw followeth the description to shew the excellency of this former blessing from the excellent benefit wee have by him and the worthinesse of his Person In whom in which deare Sonne and this phrase in whom noteth both the Author of the benefit next adjoyned and likewise the order or meane by which it commeth to be applyed in us viz wee being by faith in Him in whom then is through which Sonne we being set into Him by faith wee have redemption which word is taken Actively or Passively Actively for the act of CHRIST His working it Passively for the receiving of it into us or the applying of it in us that are believers so it is here as if it were said we are redeemed The force of the Word is ransomed brought forth of some miserable penall condition a price or ransome payd for us which was His bloud See Ephes 1.7 14. 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave Himselfe a ransome for all He construeth this redemption to be Pardon of sinne freedome from all that penall condition to which wee were subject by reason of sinne For to pardon sinne is to release the punishment to which the guilt of sin doth bind us What is the singular love of our King unto us Obs 1 even such that Hee hath bought us with His bloud wee are ransomed by Him and not with silver or gold but with His pretious bloud 1 Pet. 1 18 19. If that a King should empty all his coffers and alienate all his Crowne Land to rescue his Subjects he should shew himselfe a naturall Prince but what is this to that ransome which our King hath tendered This doth let us see what cause we have of thankefulnesse for CHRIST not onely in regard of his love Vse 1 and naturall affection to us but for this great benefit which we have by Him Were we slaves in the Turkish gallies taken prisoners in the warre were we kept hard in debters hall how would we give thankes to God for such a one as should purchase our liberty with some summe of money How much more to be released from that woefull captivity in which the Divell doeth hold us through sinne and the curse of God whereof he is the executioner This letteth us see our duties towards CHRIST Vse 2 not to be young masters our owne men walking after our owne hearts but to live to Him who hath bought us dearely the Apostle Saint Peter on the same ground inferreth this exhortation For as much then as CHRIST hath suffered for us us in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 2. arme your selves likewise with the same minde for hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that He no longer should live the rest of His time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God If men doe but small matters for us we are theirs to be commanded their servants theirs while we live to the utmost of our power but God may come from heaven take thy nature to the fellowship of His Person shed the pretious bloud of His man-hood and when He hath done all have no thankefull duty acknowledged Lastly we see hence our woefull estates by nature Vse 3 wee are bondslaves further then this our King doth set us free True it is we are like the Iewes when they were told of being set free from this thraldome we say they were never any mans servants never other then free So wee thinke we are free enough ô no beloved we are all by nature sold under ignorance under sinne under condemnation neither shall we ever come forth till this Sonne of God the truth set us free Remission of sins Observe hence Obs What is the greatest blessing which CHRIST our King doth procure us pardon of sinne great indeed binding us to be thankefull for our King We see how Kings at their Coronations when they enter upon their people they doe every way endeavour to winne their hearts testifie their princelike bounty and clemency hence come the customes of giving pardons to sundry even of capitall offences of releasing subsidies and such like dues otherwise of giving and enlarging and confirming charters to sundry places thus our Saviour that King of glory doth give a full pardon to His Subjects a generall pardon for it is sayd indefinitely none excepted that in Him we have forgivenesse of sinnes which Saint Iohn doth conster in these words the bloud of CHRIST clenseth us from all sins 1 Ioh. 1.9 originall actuall past future the most royall Charter that ever was given to the sonnes of men This is the grace promised I will be mercifull to their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more It is the justification and absolving of us sinners by God for that satisfaction or redemption which Christ tendered we are justified saith Saint Paul freely by His grace that is we are set free from our sins through Christ His redemption Rom. 3.21 Christ was made sinne that is a sacrifice or surety for sinners bearing all our sin that we might be made Gods righteousnesse righteous before God in him

Againe this remission is a general never-revoked pardon I will be mercifull to them and remember their sins no more Why doe we then still aske forgivenesse Que. We aske not every day to bee anew justified Ans but that the sense of this which our sinne doth weaken might bee renewed the Copie of our Charter is not every day anew graunted but exemplified onely The Papists erre that make remission of sinne onely a release of some part of the punishment and of sins before baptisme leaving us to penance to the treasury of satisfaction for our after offences as if we could have no new benefit by Christ His bloud they derogate from that worthy Sacrifice and abridge our royall Charter To shew us what cause we have to blesse God for this deare Sonne Vse to shew us likewise this comfortable estate to which we are brought If we were deepe in books and had Sergeants feed every where upon bils and bonds to lay us up Is it not a wofull condition would not one be beholding and glad of him that would set him forth of debt and danger that he needed not to feare the wolfe at his doore How much more are we to thinke that God hath forgiven us all our debts that CHRIST hath paid the uttermost farthing Hence commeth all our boldnesse whereas before we durst not shew our heads now we say it is God that justifieth who shall condemne us What can comfort a man which is ready to suffer if not this to see his pardon sealed him from the King Lastly marke that he saith in CHRIST wee have these things which noteth not onely CHRIST His meriting and effectuall applying but our being in Christ by faith which is a necessary antecedent before wee can have them applyed in us Observ Whence observe That before we can have any of these blessings which come from Christ we must have Christ by faith All benefits may be conceived as they are gotten by CHRIST as they are applied in us begun continued perfected Now our redemption CHRIST hath begged or rather bought of His Father yet wee are in our selves as if there were no such matter till by Faith we come to be in Him Suppose there were twentie traytours in the Tower lay condemned Say againe the Prince should yeeld his Father such satisfaction for some whom hee would save wherewith the King his Father should be contented and give him their pardon thereupon here the thing is done betwixt the King and his Son yet till the Prince send to them write to the Keeper to deliver such and such to him they are in the state they were in and so continue So it is with God Christ and us the redemption is all concluded betwixt God and His beloved Son yet till this is effectually made knowne to our hearts so that they beleeve on this grace of CHRIST we are as we were in hold in the feare of our condemnation we are justified through the redemption in CHRIST but so that before it can be applyed in us wee must have faith in His bloud being set forth unto us in the Word preached Can wee have the strength of bread without eating bread no more can we have any benefit by the bread of life without beleeving on Him In Christ by faith we have these things Wherefore rest not in your naturall conditions Vse 1 come forth of your selves to CHRIST get Him your own even to dwell in your hearts by faith and all is yours We see Princes doe give pardons but yet if men according to the forme will not sue out their pardons and take them out of my Lord Keepers Court they shall have no benefit by the Kings mercy and most worthily for they debase the benefit for we deeme that an ill benefit that is not worth the fetching So you if by faith and true repentance you doe not sue forth this free pardon of God then woe be to your soules you shall have no benefit by His mercy We that have our part in CHRIST Vse 2 what cause have we to rejoyce whom it hath pleased Him to ingraft into Himselfe we can want nothing being in Him and He in us Thus much for the benefit VERSE 15. Who is the Image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature NOw followeth the description of His Person first compared to God this His deare Son is said here to be the Image of the invisible God still hee continueth to amplifie the greatnesse of this benefit for which hee so blessed God that wee are got into the Kingdome of His Son to be such a kingdome whose King is not man only but God blessed for ever with the Father and Spirit who is Lord even by right of Creation over all the creatures who is head of His Church to be of His Kingdome is matter worthy all thanksgiving this is the scope See then What is matter of Praise Obs that we have such an one to be our King and SAVIOUR who is God with the Father Thus much is laid downe in this spoken of this Sonne that He is the Image of the invisible God this phrase indeed is spoken sometime by man as 1 Cor. 11.7 Man is the Image and glory of God though there onely for we are said to be made according to the image of God not to be the Image of God But we must understand these diversely when spoken of this deare well beloved proper only begotten Sonne naturall Son and when of us that are made sons by grace of adoption through faith on Him Ioh. 1.12 He hath the selfe-same invisible God-head or divine nature with the Father Wee have onely created qualities which have some proportionable resemblance of Him When I say Prince Charles hath the King his Fathers Image I meane one thing and when I take a shilling and say this money hath the Kings Image on it the one is a picture having some resemblance the other is a naturall Image that hath the same substance So Heb. 1.3 He is called the brightnesse of His glory and the expresse Image of his Person And besides that it is cleare by plaine testimonies else-where wee may convince it out of this Text for He is so the Image of God that He is no creature but the Creator of all creatures this then is the matter of praise that we are in such a Kingdome whereof not man but God is King Israel the type of us they had Kings indeed but all of them were flesh served their times and dyed But our King is God whose Throne is for ever this the men of God fore-saw and rejoyced in Thy God reigneth O Sion c. And in truth this is altogether it which doth so credit this kingdome of ours this is all the glory of our Israel Wee see in earthly Kingdomes the Persons and qualification of Princes is the chiefe grace and ornament of them This doth augment the felicity of England that God hath given us such a