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
A30566	Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest by Jeremiah Burroughes.	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.	1659 (1659)	Wing B6060; Wing B6072_v1; ESTC R207640	299,082	422

and Earth upon the Frame or keeping it in being the Lord doth not appear more to be an almighty God in keeping Heaven and Earth in being then he doth appeare to be an Almighty God in keeping grace alive in the heart notwithstanding al the remainder of Corruption so that in this God hath Glory in another way then he hath from the Angels in heaven the power of God appeares in upholding of the Angels for if he did not uphold them they would fal into evil as Adam and the other Angels did but therein appeares Gods glorious power to uphold the Angels but the glorious power in upholding the Angels doth not so much appeare as the glorious power of God in upholding the hearts of the Saints in the midst of their corruptions this shal be a special argument that the Saints shal praise God for to al eternity when they shal look back and see what a condition they were in before their conversion yea in their conversion that though God granted them some grace yet what abundance of Corruption was in their hearts al that time and what a deal of stir they had to maintain that little grace they wil stand and admire to consider that it should be kept alive in the midst of sin that a little sparke should be kept alive in the midst of the Sea not only in the midst of the Sea but when the sea is tempestuous you yil say it is no great wonder that the fire be kept burning when the sea is calme but when al is in a storme and yet a spark of fire shal be kept alive in the midst of al the tossings of the waves you wil grant here is a mighty power now the keeping alive of grace in thy heart in the midst of so much corruption doth argue as mighty a power in God 2. The Lord doth so order it that stil his own people shal be under the burden of much coruption in this regard because that hereby the Lord draweth forth the exercise of faith in his son in which his soul takes infinite delight the soule of God takes infinite delight in beholding the working of the glorious grace of faith in Jesus Christ But you wil say wherein doth it appeare to be so glorious in regard of our corruption Thus for the Angels in heaven to believe in God that he wil be eternally good to them it is not so much as for a poor soul in the midst of al his corruptions yet to be able to Triumph in the free grace of God in Jesus Christ notwithstanding I am so vild filthy loathsome and abominable to myself and justly God and his Saints may count me a burden to them and cast me off for ever yet for al this my soul shal cling to him I wil cast my self upon him and look upon him as a gracious father a merciful God a God that loves me a God that rejoyceth in doing Good to me for the soul to exercise faith in the Grace of God in Christ it is a glorious thing only take heed you do not mistake it for presumption Object You wil say For men notwithstanding al their sin to beleeve in Gods mercy this is rather presumption then faith Answ True it is presumpion in many they mistake themselves but in others it is true faith and God delights in it and you shal know it by this it doth draw the heart to God and the soul never finds such a prevalent way to overcome those corruptions that are in it as to exercise their faith in the grace of God in Christ I beseech you mark the difference between presumption and faith in Christ presumption wil trust in Gods mercy notwithstanding their sin but that doth indeed foment their sin and makes them secure in their sin makes them the more secure in their sin but now when the soul shal by the true geminine act of faith rest in the free grace of God notwithstanding corruption if it be right such a soul feels no means in the world of greater efficacy to cure and prevail against corruption then this to trust in the free grace of God notwithstanding corruption and if thou findest it thus thou hast no cause to feare trust in Gods grace with confidence for it is that which is wel pleasing unto God and that which the Lord delights in and that which gives as much content to Gods heart as the exercise of any grace whatsoever and in that regard because the Saints shal never exercise such an act of Faith in Heaven ●s this God wil have this in this world 3. This is that that God sees doth drive his own people to him in prayer nothing drives the Saints to God with more earnestness in prayer then the feeling of the weight of Corruption upon them then they goe to God above al God never heares such strong cryes come up to heaven in regard of any affliction as this and by the way you may find by this how your hearts are when the hand of God is upon you in afflictions then you wil cry to God but I put this to you hath there not come as strong cryes to heaven upon the sence of your Corruptions as upon the sence of any Affliction whatsoever 4. The Lord hath glory in this in the exercise of the work of repentance and humility the keeping the Souls of his people in humility and the contrition of their Spirits that is exceeding pleasing to God the Lord is neer to a broken contrite heart a melting mourning spirit the Lord doth delight in the evangelical workings of repentance this pleaseth the Lord the work of humiliation mourning and sorrow for sin in an evangelical way is a grace that is acceptable to God God shal have none of that in heaven and he hath it therefore here 5. God hereby exerciseth his wisdome exceedingly in bringing light out of darkeness God doth many times turne not only the afflictions of his people to their good but he workes good many times out of sin not that hereby we should be bold and presumptuous in our sins we must take head of tempting God yet know this that God doth many times work exceeding much good unto the Saints even out of their sins by occasion of sin though their sin hath no efficacy in this but God takes occasion in this in otherwaies of his providences and workings of his grace to work good unto them 6. There is Gods justice in it also to lay a stumbling block before wicked and ungodly men for when they shal see that the godly that have the most grace they have much corruption in them stil they rejoyce perhaps in it and they little think that God aimes at the execution of his just judgment upon them that it should harden their hearts many wicked men they think their condition to be very good because they see so much corruption in the hearts of the godly and they are hardened therby but they little think

curse shal be removed but there shal be this blessing upon it that there is no affliction shal befal thee but such as may stand with Gods love yea such as shal come out of Gods love and from Gods love love shal be the great principle not only of thy affliction but from thy affliction to know this that though there are these and these afflictions upon me yet I thank God there is no want of Gods love upon me for I would not know any thing of Gods love then if any spiritual judgment were upon me but these are no other but what may stand with the love of God Yea but that is not so much that they may possibly stand with the love of God but this that they come out of Gods love and come from Gods love they come as really from the love of God as any thing that thou dost injoy in this world Thou thinkest if thou hast a prosperous voyage that God loves thee if thou beest recovered out of an affliction that God loves thee but I say that the Lords bringing thee into affliction may stand with greater love to thee than deliverance out of affliction to another The afflictions that are upon the Saints now they do not come out of revenge as they do upon the wicked the same affliction that comes from the principle of love to thee may come from the principle of hatred to another and although therfore in the outward view they be the same yet they are infinitely different in the principle It is not so much what we see or what wee feel but from whence that comes that we see or feel and indeed a gracious heart is ever sollicitous about the principles of those things that do befal it if it be an outward mercy I but what is the root of it is the root of it the love of Christ to my soul there is an affliction upon me but what is the root of it is the root of it Gods displeasure Gods wrath Gods hatred Oh that were dreadful Although the affliction were vast if there were a hundred temptations if the root of it were Gods displeasure Oh that were terrible I but then when he shal come to know that the root of it were not from Gods wrath but his love that is joyful You wil say doth not God sometimes chastise his people for their sins what if the affliction comes to me for my sin can I have rest then It is true if the affliction come to me for my tryal then the root may be from his love but I have sinned against God I have abused my estate my conscience tels me I have not honored God with my estate and therefore the Lord hath taken it from me and spoiled me of al and can I look upon this as the root of Gods love Now to that I answer though this be a certain thing and will and must hold notwithstanding all the late wanton conceits of men and all the vanities of their thoughts which shal come to nothing yet this shal hold that God doth chastise his people for sins and offences that is not a part for me to enter upon yet stil it holds forth this That at that time when God chastiseth for sin at that time their afflictions come out of love from a principle of Love even when God chastiseth them for their sins But you wil say hath not Christ suffered This derogates from the sufferings of Christ when he hath suffered For this it is true Christ hath suffered and so hath swallowed up al Gods revenging wrath and the curse I but doth Gods wrath hinder me from having the fruit of Gods Love You wil say it comes from Love therefore God chastiseth not for sin No Why all Gods revenging wrath may be gone and yet God may chastise for sin and chastise out of Love too at the same instant You know it is said of Zachary because he did not beleeve the Scripture saith in Luke 1. For this Cause thou shalt be Dumb For this Cause because thou didst not beleeve And so therefore because of their sin they may be chastised Cannot a Father chastise his Child and yet do it out of Love not only it may stand with his Love but because of Love he would not meddle with him but let him go if he did not love him Certainly affliction may come out of Love though for sin but for God not at all to chastise them would be an argument of hatred therefore for him to chastise is an argument of Love rather than hatred If ye be not chastised you are bastards and not Sons so that you are to look upon him though God be displeased yet stil it is out of love These two may stand together he may be displeased with thy sin and with thee and yet he may love thee in the very act wherein he manifests his displeasure against thy sin and he may manifest his displeasure against thee and against thy sin out of love to thee And therefore the people of God may have Rest in all their afflictions because it is out of Love Here is an affliction but from whence doth it come It comes from Love now I am at Rest If thou canst exercise Faith in Christ in thy affliction that I know that through Christ God Loves me and this is the efficacy of the merit of Christ that in al thy afflictions thou shouldst injoy the Love of God this wil give Rest unto thy Soul and until this be al the arguments in the world will never do it Come to those that are afflicted and seek to pacifie and quiet them with any argument in the world it will not do it until they exercise Faith upon Christ and that makes them to know here is the love of God to my Soul in this affliction and then it is no matter whether I be in prosperity or adversity If God give me an estate there is love in that if he take it away there is Love in that if he give me health there is Love in that if he cast me into sickness there is Love in that and this indeed is the great mystery of godliness that the heathens were not acquainted with this Mystery of godliness Fourthly We have Rest in all afflictions through Christ because in his merit it is that al afflictions are proportioned both for the time of coming and the time of continuing and the measure and the manner of them they are proportioned by the infinite wisdome of God for the good of a beleever God proportions all so as shal be suitable to the condition that thou art in As a wise Physitian knows the ful condition of thee that art his patient at all times therefore he doth weigh every dram and take care that there be not one drop put into thy cup that he gives thee to drink more than shal suit with thy condition for thy good and takes care it shal be given at a seasonable time and