Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	ghost_n	holy_a	sin_n	3,325	5	4.9847	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90832	The vindication of Christ and his ordinances from the corrupt and false glosses made thereon by the subtil and deceivers of these times. By Christopher Pooly, minister of the word at great Missingham, in Norfolk.	Pooly, Christopher, 1575 or 6-1653.	1652 (1652)	Wing P2860; Thomason E682_1; ESTC R206797	181,996	208

would think himself bound to be thankful to that friend and to love him as long as he lives otherwise he were an unworthy man Every man is bound to perform this building which is the doing of the command of God but his transgression is so much which is his debt to pay that he is not able to do any thing of the command Jesus Christ put forth himself a friend to all Believers in him he builds the house for them he hath paid all the debt of their transgression with the price of his passion blood and death and they have the whole benefit and the reward thereof Is not this a comfort to every believer will not this make them thankful and ever to love the Lord Jesus Christ Surely that man is no believer that sheweth not comfort therein yea their fulnes and love to the Lord Jesus Christ for this This made David to call out O that men would therefore praise Psal 107. 8. the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men And What shall I give unto the Lord for all that he hath done unto mee I will take the cup of salvation and give Psal 116. 13. 1 Cor. 16. 22. thanks unto the Lord. And this made Paul to say Cursed is he that loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ. But now the words of many are stout against Christ his undertakings and performances which notwithstanding say like Hypocrites Wherein have we spoken against thee Of whom the Prophet Mal. 3. 13. fore told never so many of these as now are standing up to set up man and pull down Christ yea instead of denying themselves as Christ commandeth deny Christ in the matter I know there are many that will say O that I had assurance of Christ and his performances for me and the benefits thereof of the forgivenesse of my sins and all my debts paid to God and of life everlasting by Christ Quest But how shall I know this Answ If thou seest and findest the fruits of Christs spirit wrought up in thee mentioned and intended by the Apostle love Gal. 5. 22. joy peace faith goodnesse c. and especially this self-denyal wrought up in thee as Christ in the Text commandeth to deny thy self this is a witnesse and an assurance to thee of all thou desirest to know and to have of Christ The fruit of the Vine witness and assure that the branches that beare them do abide in the Vine and have all of the Vine behoovable for them even so where the good and true fruits of the spirit of Christ appear are born and held forth in truth and simplicity it is a certain evidence witnesse and assurance to that man that he is a living branch abiding in Christ and hath all of Christ that he hath undertaken and performed for Gods chosen ones that he hath forgivenesse of all his sins and everlasting life For these things wrought up in him are the witness and assurance to him of the Spirit of adoption received and the same spirit saith Rom. 8. 16. the Apostle witnesseth that is assureth that we are the children of God and coheirs with Christ The love and free grace of God in Christ the cause of all good unto man THe Apostle saith We love God because he loved us first And again The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the 1 Iob. 4. 19. Rom. 5 5. 1 P●● 4. 8. Rom. 13. 8 Act. 7. 28. Holy Ghost which is given unto us Love covereth a multitude of sinnes And again Love is the fulfilling of the law From hence I gather that it is the love and free grace of God in Christ to the Elect that is the root the cause and worker of all good to them and of all good called theirs as the gift of Christ to them So God loved the world that he gave his onely Son c Their Election in Christ Ioh. 3. 16. their holinesse justification righteousnes or unblameablenes before God as Paul said We were elected in Christ before the world to be holy and without blame before him in love Their Predestination Eph. 1. 4. and Ordination to eternal life their adoption through Christ their quickning in Christ their raising in Christ their love to God and men their believing and Faith their obedience repentance Eph. 2. 5 6. prayer and thanksgiving the Preaching Teaching and Exhortation of all or any of these to them as the Text saith The love of God to us causeth us to love God if we love him And I take it the love and free grace of God in his Christ to the Elect is the fulfiller and the fulfilling of the will of God his Law and commandement of all these and the rest for them as the Apostle saith Love is the fulfilling of the law But I take it the love of the Elect to God and all the performances Rom. 13. 8. of the Elect never have been are or shall be any cause or motive of Gods love and free grace to them or of any of the performances thereof or therein to them As neither of the gift of his Son Christ nor of their election in Christ their sanctification and justification before him their Predestination and Ordination to eternal life their Adoption and Glorification their Quickning or Raising up in Christ their love to God or man their Believing and Faith their Obedience Repentance Prayers and Thanksgiving Nor of the true Preaching Teaching and Exhortation of all or any of these to them And although I finde not many that say the love and performance of the Elect to God was the cause of Gods love to them before the world and of Gods performances for them and to them before the world Object Yet I finde many that say that the love of the Elect to God now in the world and their performances of the duties of love to God in the world do not cause God move and incite God to love them to do them and others good as their faith their obedience their repentance prayer and supplications their praise and thanksgiving and the like For say they God hath promised good to them that love God and do the duties of love to God and men as to shew mercy to thousands in them that love him and keep his commandements and saith To them that fear my Name the sun of Righteousnesse Exod. 20. shall arise and health shall be under his wings And He that Mal. 4. 3. believeth and is Baptized shall be saved Repent and cause others to repent and return from all your transgression so iniquity shall not be Mark 16. 16. Ezek. 18. 16. Iam. 5 16. your destruction Ask and you shall have seek and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a Righteous man availeth

if any man will come after me let him deny himself BY the words it seemeth there were many then that shewed themselvs to come after Christ for he said these words to them all in the 14. verse It is said there was five thousand then it is like there are multitudes now and of all sorts But Jesus it seemeth did not approve of their coming after him and therefore he setteth to them all the way to come after him that they were not yet in which they must needs be in that come after him in truth which way he saith is every man to deny himself All bearing name of Christians pretend coming after Christ following of Christ they pretend it in coming to Church in coming to Sermons and Sacraments therefore this way prescribed of Christ to these to deny their selves is the way that Christ prescribeth to all Christians that come after him to deny their selves Christ gave this advertisement to all in a legall imperative and commanding way to do the will of God let him deny himself although he had undertaken before God and manifested himselfe that he came to discharge the Elect of that burden Lo I come saith Hob. 10. 〈◊〉 Christ to do thy will O God for thy chosen ones J came to fulfill the Law Mat. 5. 17. to fulfill all righteousnesse and although he knew commanding them would little avail to the doing of the work commanded because he knew they were not able to do this nor other his commandements before God yet because he knew mans corrupt estate knew more of the Law and commandement which they had broken ever sithence the first Adam then they did of the last Adam the Christ undertaker and redeemer therefore he spake unto them in their own natural corrupt light knowledge thereby to set up more light thereof to them that so they might more behold and see their nakedness want poverty and blindnesse And Rom. 3. 17. this Christ did for the Gospel sake as the Apostle said he often did This was done of Christ with these much after the manner as Rom. 9. 23. he did with the man that asked him what he should do to inherit eternall life who answered him thou knowest the commandements which saying that he had kept all those yet Christ knowing he had not set him one hard part of the commandement yet to do viz. to go and sell all that he had and give to the poore whereat he being damped went away sorrowfull Mark 10. 1● 18. 19. 20. 22. Luke 18. 1● Doct. The Doctrine here held forth of Christ is this That all that call themselves Christians ought to deny themselves Two things to be considered 1. What it is to deny our selves 2. The mystery and strangenesse thereof to naturall man For the first to deny a mans self is not meant of Christ that a a man should deny himself to be that which he is in truth or to have that which he hath in truth or to do that which he doth in truth But to deny a mans self here intended of Christ is to deny himself to be that which he thinketh himself to be and is not in truth and to deny himself to have that which he thinketh himselfe to have and hath not in truth and to deny himselfe to doe that which he thinketh himselfe to doe and doth not in truth wherein these particulars are intended specially to be good holy wise just and righteous in himself To have goodnesse holinesse wisdome righteousnesse c. in himself To do good c. himself or at least to behave and do somewhat of these c. And there is no man in this his corrupt estate but thinketh himself verily to be all these to have all these and to do all these before God or at least to behave and to do somewhat of all these which he neither is hath nor doth nor can do in himself before God no not in the least of any of them as shall be made plain If any man or woman here should be asked if he did not think himself to be at least a little good holy wise just and to have at least a little some holinesse goodnesse wisdome justnesse in Gods sight as to do some good in Gods sight sure though he or she did answer as they thought they would say they were had and did somewhat at least that they had and did something that was good holy wise just and righteous in Gods sight If a man should come to any of you here and should say to the same man or woman there is no goodnesse in you before God and the rest you would be angry and think he did you wrong And if any should dissemble and consent in present that he were not had not or did not that which is good in the sight of God yet in their converse and competitions with men and women they would be found to hold themselves forth to be good to have good and do good and the rest yea in controversie and contention to be better wiser juster and honester then the other before God and would not deny themselves as Christ here teacheth them And this is the cause and raise of warres and contentions among men yea among Christians that professe themselves to come after Christ that they will not nor can deny themselves in these things For the wise man saith only by pride cometh contention Prov. 13. 10 Men may alledge what they will to be the cause of their wars and contentions but the assertion of the Holy Ghost will only stand before God that only pride is the cause of contention and wars But if Christians professing themselves to come after Christ would deny themselves to be good wise holy just or to have any goodnesse wisdome holinesse justice and righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 1. Iam. 4. 1. in themselves in truth and to do or be able to do any good thing holy wise and righteous thing in the sight of God as Christ here teacheth they would lay down all wars and contentions and humble themselves one to another and make themselves equal to them of the lower sort as the Apostle adviseth and onely look upon Christ to exalt them which exalteth the humble and meek and giveth rest to their souls Quest Some may ask Is there no man that is good wise holy or just in the sight of God that hath goodness and can do good in the sight of God and the rest or at least somthing thereof Answ There is none nor have been any sithence the fall and general loss in Adam The Scripture to be believed make it clear David saith God Psal 53. 2. 3. looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God But they are all gone back they are altogether corrupt there is none that doth good no not one And Paul saith joyntly with David There is none righteous no not one

of the deeds of the Flesh in the Elect by power of the spirit in them And though the Law of Moses was added because of transgession servient to civilize and moralize by the reprobate and the Elect by the common corrupt Light Reason Knowledge and Understanding there is remaining to them both in their corrupt nature whereby they also do many things though fayling and corruptly and that according to that Law good in the estimation of men yet there is great difference betwixt these corrupted workes and doings of the Law of Moses wrought by the onely Power Light and Reason of Nature so remaining in man and the works and fruits of the spirit of Christ in the Elect of God which have received the spirit of adoption whereof by grace they are made the instruments of the spirit the branches of the Vine to beare forth the fruit of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Love Joy Peace Gentlenesse Long-suffering Goodnesse 〈◊〉 Temperance and such like commanded in the Spirituall Law of God For the corrupt Power Light Reason of Nature bringeth forth love fained more or lesse Love to Friends to those that Love Mat. 5. 10 Rom. 12. 2 them But the spirit of Christ bringeth love without dissimulation love to enemies The corrupt light of nature brings forth faith that Joh. 14. 1 is such as drinke love from God but not in Christ But the spirit of Christ bringeth forth faith unfained faith in God and in love of 1 Tim. 1. 〈◊〉 Christ For mans power of believing can go no further then Adams in innocency know God but no other Eph. 14. 1. Therefore Christ said you believe in God believe also in Mee Certainely man hath corrupted power left him in his corrupt nature That hee can weakly and corruptly know the righteous Law Rom. 1. 19 and Commandement of God for that the Apostle saith what so ever is to be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them yea the Apostle saith they know the Law of God how that they which commit such things are worthy of death And man hath not onely power left by nature to know the just Law though weakly but also to believe God in the same That hee that doth it shall live and he that doth it not shall die yea also hee hath reason though corrupt to discerne to judge to pray to obey to repent to endeavour the same though all these weakely and corruptly Which of these powers of nature and duties of the Law did not Caine Ismael Esau Pharo Saul Ahab Baalam Balach and Judas doe exercise and use the Scribes and Parisees Heathens and Publicans did and doe the same yea the Divels themselves confesse God and his Christ They believe and tremble they pray Christ for many things this power of theirs conrupted Iam. 2. 19 Mat. 8. 31 nature remaineth to them all the power of mans nature corrupted remaineth to him And naturall man doth not of his power left these things onely outwardly but also inwardly and according to his corrupt heart termed conscience and therefore counteth it righteousnesse yea in some through morall helpes of Examples Education Teaching and Industry is exceeding Righteousnesse in the Estimation of men as Paul accounted those of himselfe advantageous righteousnesse righteousnesse that would doe him much good with God but Christ manifesting himselfe Phil. 3. 7 8 9 unto him hee then thought counted and judged them all to be losse and dunge for Christs sake for the excellent Knowledge of Christ for to injoy Christ And desired to be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through Faith because that which is Christs imputed and accounted to man of grace is onely in estimation with God and nothing of mans own though never so seemly according to the Law and Commandement as his Faith and obedience repentance and all righteousnesse thereof Object Christ commandeth Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Christ calleth their workes good workes that he exhorteth Mat. 5. 16. them to doe yea shining good workes before men such as whereby the Father in Heaven is or may be glorified as may bring glory before men to God surely Gods glory is in estimation with God as good and so these are good workes that cause and bring Gods glory even in Gods respect Answ Christ as God hath authority to exhort and command men what hee pleaseth in his corrupted state to do the righteous workes of the Law and Commandement God lost not of his Power by mans sinne though man lost of his own power that God had indowed him withall in his Creation by his sinning And man corrupted is still under the command and Law of God as hee is naturall and hath corrupt knowledge of the same and the righteousnesse thereof and corrupt power left him to indeavout or doe the worke of the Law and Command yet his knowledge and power being wholy corrupted leavened in every part by sinne for the Apostle saith A little leven leveneth the whole Iump all mans indeavours and woe therefore must needs be 1 Cor. 4. corrupted and leavened and so not good and righteous in the sight and estimation of good though never so seemly good in the sight and estimation of men God doth not approve of the same as good to his honour and glory being leavened with corruption and sinne which is loathsome and pollution to his Purenes Yet these workes may be good and to Gods glory in the corrupt sight estimation of men And that which Christ exhorteth unto is the good and righteous worke to Gods glory in the estimation of men Man doth not the worke that glorifieth God in Gods owne estimation nor can doe that Yet those which are Christs Elected of God doe the righteous and good workes of the Commandement in Christ and the same done of Christ is of grace is imputed and accounted to them whereby God hath great glory yea and is held forth in them and by them as hee pleaseth to make them the instruments of his Spirit then to elect to Gods glory Usefull Meditations and Resolutions THe Apostle saith Christ is all in all Col. 3. 11. I take it the meaning is all goodnesse righteousnesse holinesse to God all that pleaseth and is in acceptance to God for man And Christ is in all that are good righteous holy pleasing and acceptable to 2 Cor. 13. 5 God through him do yee not know that except Christ Jesus be in you yee are reprobates saith the Apostle And it is only in Christ in them that they are good righteous holy pleasing and accepted with God it is Christ and that which is Christs which is only in respect and esteem with God and nothing of our own as David saith my goodnes