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	son_n	5,168	5	5.9174	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50480	En oligo christianos, the almost Christian discovered, or, The false-professor tried and cast being the substance of seven sermons, first preached at Sepulchres, London, 1661, and now at the inportunity of friends made publick / by Matthew Meade.	Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.	1662 (1662)	Wing M1546; ESTC R9895	121,691	343

NAture may put a man upon prayer p. 106 O OBedience A man may obey the Commands of God and yet be but an almost Christian p. 135 True obedience hath a threefold property It is Evangelical p. 135 It is Vniversal p. 137 It is Continual Ibid P PRofession a man may have a high profession of Religion and yet be but an almost Christian p. 38 Profession argues not the heart changed p. 40 Profession may stand with the forme of godliness p. 41 42 Custome and fashion may create a man a Professor p. 43 A man may perish under a Profession p. 46 Objection against it answered p. 47 Prayer a man may be much in Prayer and yet but be an almost Christian p. 105 What prayer is from the working of Gods Spirit Ibid What prayers argue a man a stranger to the spirit of prayer p. 106 107 Whither answer of prayer evidence the truth of prayer p. 111 Whether stirring of the attentions of prayer argue truth of Prayer Persecutions see Christ Most Professors like Iron between two Load-stones p. 204 Q TWo Questions we should often put to our selves p. 212 R REligion What is the reason that many go no farther in the profession of Religion then to be but almost Christians answered p. 193 1. Because they deceive themselves in the truth of their own condition p. 194 Several rises of deceit and mistake about our condition p. 125 202 S SIn A man may go far in opposing it yet be but almost a Christian p. 49 He may be convinced of it ib. Mourn for it p. 50 Confess it p. 52 Forsake it p. 56 Though not as sin p. 57 Open and not secret ib. Let one go to hold another the faster p. 58 Sin may be left yet loved ib. Sin may be nated by an almost Christian p. 60 61 For shame p. 62 More in another then in himself p. 63 As one sin is contrary to another sin Ibid Spirit a man may have the spirit and yet not Spiritual p. 117 Some kind of having the Spirit is a sure mark of Saintship p. 118 All that have the Spirit have it not in this manner p. 119 1●0 Sanctification A man may be Sanctified and yet be but an almost Christian p. 14● Sanctification Inward p. 142 Sanctification Outward p. 143 144. Salvation No easie thing p. 206 V VOws may be made against sin and not kept and upon what grounds the almost Christian doth so Virgins what understood by the Word p. 17 Folish Virgins but almost Christians p. 20 W VVOrd a man may tremble at the Word and yet be but an almost Christian p. 77 78 Y YOung man in the Gospel but an almost Christian p. 15 Z ZEal not always a sign of sincerity p. 96 Several kinds of Zeal none of them true and sound p. 96 to 104 Books printed for and sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the sign of the Three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside THe Annotations on the whole Bible or all the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament together with and according to their own Translation of all the Text as both the one and 〈◊〉 ●ther were ordered and appoint●● 〈…〉 of Dort now faith●● 〈…〉 ●●llared for the use of Great 〈…〉 at the earnest desire of many ●●●●ment Divines of the English and ●●otish Nation in folio A Commentary upon the three first Chapters of Genesis by Mr. John White in fol. A learned Commentary or exposition upon the first Chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians by Dr. Richard Sibbs published for publique good by Thomas Manton Folio There is come forth Mr. William Fenner his continuance of Christs Alarm to drowsie Saints with a Treatise of effectual Calling The killing Power of the Law The Spiritual Watch New Birth A Christians ingrafting into Christ A Treatise on the Sabbath which were never before Printed bound in one Volume Fol. and may be had alone of them that have his other works as well as bound with all his former works which are newly printed in the same Volume The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont Containing a most exact Geophraphical Description of the place and a faithful account of the Doctrine life and persecutions of the Ancient Inhabitants Together with a most naked and punctual relation of the late bloody Massacre 1655. and a Narrative of all the following transactions to 1658. Justified partly by divers ancient Manuscripts written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther By Samuel Morland Esq in Fol. Divine Characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between the Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming vertues and formal duties and the true Christian in his real grace and sincere obedience by Mr. Samuel Crook in fol. An Exposition with practical Observations continued upon the thirty second the thirty third and the thirty fourth Chapters of the Book of Job The Substance of Forty-nine Lectures delived at Magnus near the Bridge London Being the tenth and last part extant By Joseph Charyl preacher of the Gospel and pastour of the Congregation there in quarto The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the onely way of salvation by Mr. Obadiah Sedgewick in quarto The Fountain opened and the water of life flowing forth for the refreshing of thirsty sinners by the same Author in quarto Anatomy of secret sins presumptuous sins sins in dominion and uprightness on Psal 19.12 13. together with a Treatise of the sin against the Holy Ghost by Obadiah Sedgewick The hypocritical Nation described with an Epistle prefixed by Mr. Samuel Jacomb in quarto A Sermon of the baptizing of Infants by Mr. Stephen Marshal in quar The unity of the Saints with Christ the Head by the same Author in quarto Truth brought to light and discovered by time or an Historical Narration of the first fourteen years of King James in quarto The Tryal of the Marquess of Argyle wherein you have his Inditement and his Answer together with his last speech and words upon the Scaffold in quar of 〈…〉 of Iniquity now a work in the Romish Church wherein 1. The incarnation of the Son of God is fully displayed 2. Ceremonies in point of worship proved to be by Christ abrogated 3. Christian liberty with its eight Steps and five boundaries by Thomas Dowglass M. A. in quarto An exposition upon the whole book of the Canticles by R R. Moses and Aaron or the Priviledges and Boundaries given by God both to Magistrates and Ministers Mr. Robinsons Christians Armour in large Octavo A book of Emblems with Latine and English verses made upon Lights by Robert Farlie small Octavo The one thing necessary By Mr. Thomas Watson Minister of Stephens Walbrook Octavo The Riches of grace displayed in the offer and tender of salvation to poor sinners by Obadiab Sedgewick in Twelves Hidden Manna by Mr. Fenner in Twelves Picturae Louventes or Pictures drawn forth into Characters in Twelves A most excellent Treatise containing the way to seek Heavens Glory to fly Earths Vanity to fear Hells horrour with godly prayers and the Bell-mans Summons Twelves The Wedding Ring fit for the finger being a Sermon Preached at a Wedding at Edmonton by William Secker The singular Actions of sanctified Christians in several Sermons on the 5. of Mat. 47. by the same Author Tentation the Nature Danger Cure in four parts Together with the Remains of that eminent Divine Mr. Richard Capel The Doctrine of Justification of a Sinner wherein are handled the causes of a sinners Justification examined and applied in a plain doctrinal and familiar way by Charls Chaucy Gospel-glory without prejudice to the law shining forth in Father Son and Holy Ghost for the salvation of sinners by Richard Byfield in octav A glimpse of Gospel Glory being the sum of several Sermons on 2 Cor. 3.18 Preached by W. Sherwin printed 1652. An Exhortation to the Churches of Bohemiah to the Churches of England wherein is set forth the good of unity Order Discipline and Obedience in Churches rightly constituted With an Exhortation premised of the Order and Discipline used in the Churches of Bohemia Dedicated to his most Excellent Majesty Charls the Second in Holland at his departure for England if possibly it may be for an accommodation among the Church of Christ By John Amos Comenius the onely surviving Bishop of the remains of those Churches Grace to the humble as a preparation to the Sacrament in five Sermons by Dr. John Preston Johnsons Essays expressed in sundry exquisite Fancies Sion in the house of mourning because of Sin and Suffering being an exposition on the fifth Chapter of the Lamentations by D S. Pastor of Vphingham in the County of Rutland Groans of the Spirit or the Trial of the Truth of Prayer A Handkercher for Parents wet eyes upon the death of their children or Friends The Dead Saint speaking to Saints and Sinners living in several Treatises viz. On 2 Sam. 24.10 On Cant. 4.9 On John 8.15 On John 1.50 On Isa 58.2 On Exod. 15.11 Never published before By Samuel Bolton D. D. late Mr. of Christs Colledgge in Cambridge Peoples need of a living Pastor at the funeral of Mr. John Frost M. A. by Zach. Crofton A Treatise against the Toleration of all Religion By Mr. Thomas Edwards Chatchizing Gods Ordinance in sundry Sermons by Mr. Zachary Crofton Minister of Buttolphs Algate London the second Edition corrected and augmented A Theatre of Political flying Insects Wherein especially the Nature the Worth the Work the Wonder the manner of the right-ordering of the Bee is discovered and described By Samuel Purcas M. A. and Pastor at Sutton in Essex The second part of Mans wilful impenitency upon Ezek. 18.32 By Mr. William Fenner late of Rochford in Essex with some other pieces of his preserved by a special Providence A Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mis. Elizabeth Moor the 27 of February at Aldermanbury There is in the Press an excellent Treatise of Mr. George Swinnock upon making Religion ones Business in Quarto There is in the Press several Sermons of Mr. Jerimiah Burroughs on Isa 62.7 v. and Luk. 10.5 6. and on the 15. of Prov. and the 19. preached at Gilses Cripplegate published by those that subscribed his former Treatises FINIS

against sin will not make a man a Christian For 1. Purposes and promises against sin never hurt sin we say threatned folk live long and truely so do threatned sins It is not new purposes but a new nature that must help us against sin purposes may bring to the birth but without a new nature there is no strength to bring forth The new nature is the best soyl for holy purposes to grow in otherwise they wither and dye like plants in an improper soyl 2. Trouble and afflictions may provoke us to large purposes and promises against sin for the future what more common then to vow and not to pay to make vows in the day of trouble which we make no conscience to pay in the day of peace Many Covenant against sin when trouble is upon them and then sin against their Covenant when it is removed from them It was a brave rule that Pliny in one of his Epistles gave his friend to live by Vt tales esse perseveremus sani quales nos futuros esse profitemur infirmi That we should continue to be such when we are well as we promise to be when we are sick Many are our sick-bed promises but we are no sooner well but we grow sick of our promises 3. Purposes and resolves against sin for the future may be onely a temptation to put off repentance for the present Satan may put a man on to good purposes to keep him from present attempts He knows whatever we purpose yet the strength of performance is not in our selves He knows that purposes for the future are a putting God off for the present they are a secret will-not to a present opportunity That is a notable passage Luk. 9.59 follow me saith Christ to the two men Now see what answers they give to Christ Suffer me first to go bury my Father says one this man purposes to follow Christ onely he would stay to bury his father Says the other Lord I will follow thee but let me first go and bid them farwel which are at my house vers 61. I will follow thee but onely I would first go and take my leave of my friends or set my house in order And yet we do not finde that ever they followed Christ notwithstanding their fair purposes 4. Nature unsanctified may be so far wrought on as to make great promises and and purposes against sin 1. A natural man may have great convictions of sin from the workings of an enlightned conscience 2. He may approve of the Law of God 3. He may have a desire to be saved Now these three together The workings of conscience The sight of the goodness of the law A desire to be saved may bring forth in a man great purposes against sin and yet he may have no heart to perform his own purposes This was much-what the case of them Deut. 5. say they to Moses vers 27. Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and tell thou it to us and we will hear it and do it This is a fair prmise and so God takes it vers 28. I have heard the words of this people they have well said all that they have spoken So said and so done had been well but it was better said then done for though they had a tongue to promise yet they had no heart to performe and this God saw therefore said he v. 29. O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep my commandements always that it might be well with them They promise to fear God and keep his Commandents but they wanted a new heart to performe what an unsanctified heart had promised Mat. 21.30 It fares with men in this case as it did with that son in the Gospel That said he would go into the Vine-yard but went not Now then if purposes and promises against sin never hurt sin if present afflictions may draw out large promises if they may be the fruit of a temptation or if from nature unsanctified surely then a man may promise and purpose much against sin and yet be but almost a Christian Seventhly A man may maintain a strife and combate against sin in himself and yet be but almost a Christian So did Balaam when he went to curse the people of God he had a great strife within himself How shall I curse saith he where God hath not cursed Or how shall I desie Numb 23.8 whom the Lord hath not defied Mat. 27.24 Mark 15.12 14. And did not Pilate strive against his sin when he said to the Jews shall I crucifie your King what evil hath he done I am innocent of the blood of this just man Gal. ● 17 But you will say is not this an argument of grace when their is a striving in the soul against sin for what should oppose sin in the heart but grace The Apostle makes the lusting of the flesh against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh to be an argument of grace in the heart Now I find this strife in my heart though the remainders of corruption sometimes break out into actual sins yet I find a striving in my soul against sin Sol. It is true there is a striving against sin which is onely from grace and is proper to beleivers and there is a striving against sin which is not from grace and therefore may be in them that are not beleivers There is a strife against sin in one and the same faculty the will against the will the affection against the affection and this is that which the Apostle calls the lusting of the flesh against the spirit that is the striving of the unregenerate part against the regenerate and this is ever in the same faculty and is proper to beleivers onely An unbeleiver never finds this strife in himself this strife cannot be in him it is impossible as such that is while he is on this side a state of grace Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor But then there is a striving against sin in divers faculties and this is the strife that is in them that are not beleivers there the strife is between the will and the conscience conscience enlightned and terrified with the fear of Hell and damnation that is against sin the will and affection not being renewed they are for sin And this causes great tuggings and strong combates many times in the sinners heart Thus it was with the Scribes and Pharisees conscience convinced them of the Divinity of Christ and of the truth of his being the Son of God and yet a perverse will and carnal affections cry out crucifie him crucifie him Conscience pleaded for him he had a Witness in their bosomes and yet there wills were bent against him and therefore they are said to have resisted the spirit viz. the workings and convictions of the spirit in their consciences Acts 7.51 And this is the case of many sinners

much in duty but not above it but rests in it he works for rest and he rests in his works he cannot come to beleeve and obey too if he beleives then he thinks there is no need of obedience and socasts off that if he be much in obedience then he casts off beleiving and thinks there is no need of that He cannot say with David I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments The more a man is in duty and the more above it the more in doing and more in beleiving the more a Christian 7. He that is altogether a Christian is universal in his obedience he doth not obey one command and neglect another Ps 119 6. do one duty and cast off another but he hath respect to all the commands He endeavours to leave every sin and love every duty The almost Christian fails in this his obedience is partial and peice-meal If he obeysone command he breaks another the duties that least cross his lust he is much in but those that do he lays aside Mat. 23.14 Mat 33.23 The Pharisees fasted prayed paid tythes c. but they did not lay aside their covetousness their oppression they devoured widows houses they were unnatural to parents 8. The altogether Christian makes Gods glory the cheif end of all his performances if he prays or hears or gives or fasts or repents or obeys c. Gods glory is the main end of all it is true he may have somewhat else at hither end of his work but God is at the further end as Moses rod swallowed up the Magicians rods so Gods glory is the ultimate end that swallows up all his other ends Now the almost Christian fails in this his ends are corrupt and selfish God may possibly be at the hither end of his work but self is at the further end for he that was never truly cast out of himself can have no higher end then himself Now then examine thy self by these characters put the question to thy own soul dost thou close with Christ upon Gospel terms is grace in the heart the principle of thy performances dost thou look to the manner as well as the matter of thy dutys dost thou do all in sincerity is there an answerableness within to the law without art thou much above duty when much in duty is thy obedience universal lastly is Gods glory the end of all if so then art thou not onely almost but altogether a Christian. Oh take heed of being almost 2Vse of Caution and yet but almost a Christian it is a great complaint of God against Ephrai Hos 7.8 that he is a cake not turned that is half baked neither raw nor roasted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neque crudus neque coctus neither cold nor hot as Laodicea Rev. 3.17 because thou art neither hot nor cold therefore I will spew thee out of my mouth This is a condition that of all others is Greatly unprofitable Exceedingly uncomfortable Desperately dangerous Iam. 2.10 Deus non vult cum exceptione coli First It is greatly unprofitable to be but almost a Christian for failing in any one point will ruine us as surely as if we had never made any attempts for Heaven It is no advantage to the soul to be almost converted for the little that we want spoils the good of all our attainments We say as good never a whit as never the near ad nihilum valet quod non valet ad finem suum there is no profit in leaving this or that sin unless we leave all sin Herod heard John gladly and did many things but he kept his Herodias and that ruined him Judas did many things prayed much preached much professed much but yet his covetousness spoiled all one sin ruined the young man that had kept all the Commands but one Thus he that offends in one point is guilty of all That is that lives willingly and allowedly in any one sin he brings the guilt of the violation of the whole Law of God upon his soul and that upon a twofold account 1. Because he manifests the same contempt of the Authority of God in the wilful breach of one as of all 2. By allowing himself in the breach of any one Command he shews he kept none in obedience and conscience to God for he that hates sin as sin hates all sin and he that obeys the Command as the express will of God obeys every Command And for this cause the least sin willingly and with allowance lived in spoils the good of all our obedience and lays the soul under the whole wrath of God One leak in a Ship may sink her though she be tite every where else Gideon had seven Sons Iudge 8.30 31. comp with chap. 9. v. 5. and but one Bastard and yet that one Bastard destroyed all his Sons so may one sin spoile all our services one lust beloved may spoil all our profession as that one Bastard slew all the Sons of Gideon Secondly It is exceedingly uncomfortable as appears three ways 1. In that such a one is hated of God and men the World hates him because of his profession and God abhors him because of his dissimulation the World hates him because he seems good Rev. 3.15 and God hates him because he doth but seem so No person that God hates more then the almost Christian ver 6. Tepida evomere cons●evimus ●nde ad vomitum ctendum quadam aquâ tepid●●utuntur Drusius I would thou wert either cold or hot either all a Christian or not at all a Christian Because thou art neither cold nor hot therefore I will spew thee out of my mouth What a lothsome expression doth God here use to shew what an utter abhorrency there is in him against luke-warm Christians How uncomfortable then must that condition needs be wherein a man is abhorred both of God and man 2. It is uncomfortable in regard of sufferings for being almost a Christian will bring us into suffering but being but almost a Christian will never carry us through suffering in Mat. 13.20 21. It is said he that receiveth the seed into stony ground the same is he that hears the Word and with joy receives it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended There are four things observable in the Words 1. That the stony ground may receive the word with joy 2. That it may for some time abide in a profession of it he dureth for a while 3. That this profession will expose to suffering for mark persecution is said to arise because of the Word 4. This suffering will cause an apostatizing from profession for that which is here called offence is in Luk. 8.13 called falling away which for a while beleive and in time of temptation fall away I gather hence a profession may expose a man as