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A09365 The whole treatise of the cases of conscience distinguished into three bookes: the first whereof is revised and corrected in sundrie places, and the other two annexed. Taught and deliuered by M. W. Perkins in his holy-day lectures, carefully examined by his owne briefes, and now published together for the common good, by T. Pickering Bachelour of Diuinitie. Whereunto is adioyned a twofold table: one of the heads and number of the questions propounded and resolued; another of the principall texts of Scripture vvhich are either explaned, or vindicated from corrupt interpretation.; Cases of conscience Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Pickering, Thomas, d. 1625. 1606 (1606) STC 19669; ESTC S114066 314,224 686

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man is ingrafted into Christ and thereby becomes one with Christ and Christ one with him Eph 3. 17. Now whosoeuer is by faith vnited vnto Christ the same is elected called iustified and sanctified The reason is manifest For in a chaine the two extremes are knit togither by the middle linkes and in the order of causes of happinesse and saluation faith hath a middle place and by it hath the child of God assured hold of his election and effectuall vocation and consequently of his glorification in the kingdome of heauen To this purpose saith S. Iohn c. 3. v. 36. He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And c. 5. v. 24. He that beleeues in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This is the Ground Now for answer to the Question diuerse places of Scripture are to be skanned wherein this case of Conscience is fully answered and resolued Sect. 1. The first place is Rom. 8. 16. And the spirit of God testifieth together with our spirits that we are the sonnes of God In these words are two testimonies of our adoption set downe The first is the Spirit of God dwelling in vs and testifying vnto vs that we are Gods childrē But some will happily demaund How Gods spirit giues witnesse seeing now there are no reuelations Answ. Extraordinarie reuelations are ceased and yet the holy Ghost in and by the word reuealeth some things vnto men for which cause he is called truly the Spirit of Reuelation Eph. 3. 5. Againe the holy Ghost giues testimonie by applying the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ particularly to the heart of man when the same is generally propounded in the Ministerie of the word And because many are readie presumptuously to say they are the children of God when they are not and that they haue the witnesse of Gods Spirit when in truth they want it therefore we are to put a difference between this carnall conceit and the true testimonie of the Spirit Now there be two things whereby they may be discerned one from the other The first is by the meanes For the true testimonie of the holy ghost is wrought ordinarily by the preaching reading and meditation of the word of God as also by praier and the right vse of the Sacraments But the presumptuous testimonie ariseth in the heart and is framed in the braine out of the vse of these meanes or though in the vse yet with want of the blessing of God concurring with the meanes The second is by the effects and fruits of the Spirit For it stirrs vp the heart to praier and inuocation of the name of God Zach. 12. 10. yea it causeth a man to crie and call earnestly vnto God in the time of distresse with a sense and feeling of his owne miseries and with deepe sighes and groanes which cannot be vttered to cra●e mercie and grace at his hands as of a louing father Rom. 8. 26. Thus did Moses crie vnto heauen in his heart when he was in distresse at the red sea Exod. 14. 15. And this gift of praier is an vnfallible testimonie of Gods Spirit which cannot stand with carnall presumption The second Testimonie of our Adoption is our Spirit that is our conscience sanctified and renewed by the Holy Ghost And this also is knowne and discerned first by the greefe of the heart for offending God called Godly sorrow 1. Cor. 7. 10. secondly by a resolute purpose of the heart and endeauour of the whole man in all things to obey God thirdly by sauouring the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. that is by doing the workes of the Spirit with ioy and chearefulnesse of heart as in the presence of God and as his children and seruants Now put the case that the testimonie of the Spirit be wanting then I answer that the other testimonie the sanctification of the heart will suffice to assure vs. We knowe it sufficiently to be true and not painted fire if there be heate though there be no flame Put the case againe that the testimonie of the spirit be wanting and our sanctification be vncertaine vnto vs how then may we be assured The answer is that we must thē haue recourse to the first beginnings and motions of sanctificatiō which are these First to feele our inward corruptions Secondly to be displeased with our selues for them Thirdly to beginne to hate sinne Fourthly to grieue so oft as we fal and offend God Fiftly to auoid the occasions of sinne Sixtly to endeauour to doe our dutie and to vse good meanes Seuenthly to desire to sinne no more And lastly to pray to God for his grace Where these and the like motions are there is the spirit of God whence they proceed and sanctification is begun One apple is sufficient to manifest the life of the tree and one good and constant motion of grace is sufficient to manifest sanctification Againe it may be demanded what must be done if both be wanting Answ. Men must not dispaire but vse good meanes and in time they shall be assured Sect. 2. The Second place is the 15. Psalme In the first verse whereof this question is propounded namely Who of all the members of the Church shall haue his habitation in heauen The answer is made in the verses following and in the second verse he sets downe three generall notes of the said person One is to walke vprightly in sincerity approuing his heart and life to God the second is to deale iustly in al his doings the third is for speech to speake the truth from the heart without guile or flatterie And because we are easily deceiued in generall sinnes in the 3 4 and 5. verses there are set downe seauen more euident and sensible notes of sinceritie iustice and trueth One is in speech not to take vp or carrie abroad false reports and slanders The second is in our dealings not to doe wrong to our neighbour more then to our selues The third is in our companie to contemne wicked persons worthy to be contemned The fourth is in our estimation we haue of others that is to honour them that feare God The fift is in our words to sweare and not to change that is to make conscience of our word and promise especially if if it be confirmed by oath The sixt is in taking of gaine not to giue money to vsurie that is not to take increase for bare lending but to lend freely to the poore The last is to giue testimonie without briberie or partialitie In the fift verse is added a reason of the answer he that in his indeauour doth al these things shall neuer be mooued that is cut off from the Church as an hypocrite Sect. 3. The third place of Scripture is the first Epistle of Iohn the principall scope wherof is to giue a full resolution to the conscience of man touching the certainty of his
goodnes to any worke Christ saith of the Pharises that they worshipped him in vaine teaching for doctrines the commandements of men He therefore that will doe a worke tending to the worship of God must doe that which God commandeth Now actions expressely commanded are the duties of the morall Law Actions generally commanded are all such as serue to be helpes and meanes to further the said morall duties And here we must remember that actions indifferent in the case of offence or edification cease to be indifferent and come vnder some commandement of the morall Law To which purpose Paul saith If eating flesh will offend my brother I will eate no flesh while the world standeth his meaning is that though his eating of flesh was a thing indifferent in it selfe yet in case of offence his minde was to abstaine from it as much as from the breach of the Law of God Againe if an action indifferent comes within the case of furthering the good of the Commonwealth or Church it ceaseth to be indifferent and comes vnder commandement and so all kind of callings and their works though neuer so base may be the matter of good workes This point is to be remembred for it serueth to incourage euery man of what condition soeuer he be in the diligent performance of the duties of his calling as also to confute the doctrine of the Popish church which teacheth that onely almes deedes and building or maintaining of Churches and religious houses are the matter of good works Now to the manner or Forme of a good work there is required Faith For as without faith it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11. 6. so whatsoeuer worke is vndertaken without faith cannot in any sort be acceptable vnto him What faith then is required in this case I answer First a general faith whereby we are perswaded that the thing to be done may lawfully be done and of this the Apostle speaketh when he saith whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Secondly a particular or iustifying faith which purifieth the heart and maketh it fit to bring forth a good work for it giues a beginning to the worke and also couers the wants and defects thereof by apprehending and applying vnto vs Christ and his merits Againe a good worke for the māner thereof must be done in obedience For knowing that the thing to be done is commanded of God we must haue a minde and intention to obey God in the thing we doe according to his cōmandement If it be here demanded seeing workes must be done in obedience how and to what part of the word we must direct our obedience I answer to the Law But howe not considered in his rigour but as it is qualified mollified and tēpered by the gospell for according to the rigour of the Lawe which commandes perfect obedience no man can possibly doe a good worke Furthermore touching the maner it must be done to good and lawfull ends The Ends of a good worke are manifold First the honour and glory of God Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God Secondly the testification of our thankfulnes vnto God that hath redeemed vs by Christ. The third is to edifie our neighbour and to further him in the way to life euerlasting Math. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works glorifie your father which is in heauen The fourth is to exercise and increase our faith repentance both which be much strengthned and confirmed by the practise of good workes Fiftly that we may escape the punishment of sinne the destruction of the wicked and obtaine the reward of the righteoūs life euerlasting This was the end that Paul aymed at in the course of his calling to which purpose he saith From henceforth there is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day 2. Tim. 4. 8. Sixtly that we may be answerable to our calling in doeing the duties thereof and in walking as children of light redeemed by Christ Iesus When Dauid kept his fathers sheepe he behaued himselfe as a sheepheard but when he was annointed King ouer Israell God gaue him an heart resolution to carry himselfe as a King gouernour of his people Looke then as Dauid did so ought we euen by our workes to be answerable to our callings Seuenthly that we may pay the debt which we owe vnto God For we are debters to him in sundry regardes as we are his creatures as we are his seruants as we are his children In a word as we are redeemed by Christ and our whole debt is our dutie of praise and thanks giuing After the worke is done then comes the acceptation of it God accepts of our works diuers waies First in that he pardoneth the fault which comes from vs. Secondly in that he approoues his owne good worke in vs. Thirdly in that he doth giue vnto the doers of them a crowne of righteousnes and glorie according to his promise 2. Tim. 4. 8. Rev. 2. 10. We then after we haue done the work must humble our selues and intreat the Lord to pardon the wants of our workes and say with Dauid Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant with Daniel Lord vnto vs belongeth open shame confusiō but to thee righteousnes compassion and forgiuenes And the reason is plaine because in vs there is no goodnesse no holinesse no righteousnes nor any thing that may present vs acceptable in his sight for this cause Paul saith I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified Great reason then that we should hūble ourselues before God for our wants and pray vnto him that he will in mercie accept our indeauour and confirme the good worke begunne in vs by his holy spirit CHAP. VI. Of the second maine Question touching assurance of saluation II. Question How a man may be in conscience assured of his owne saluation Before I come to the Question it selfe this conclusion is to be laid downe as a mayne Ground That Election vocatiō faith adoption iustificatiō sanctification eternal glorification are neuer separated in the saluation of any man but like inseparable companions go● hand in hand so as he that can be assured of one of them may infallibly conclude in his owne heart that he hath and shall haue interest in all the other in his due time This is plaine by the words of S. Paul Rom. 8. 30. Whome he predestinate them also he called whome he called them also he iustified whome he iustified them also he glorified In which place the Apostle compares the causes of saluation to a chaine of many linkes whereof euery one is so coupled to the other that he which taketh hold of the highest must needes carrie all the rest with him Againe amongst these linkes Faith is one a principall grace of God whereby
means was the sacrifice burnt vp Christ for the curing of a blind man tēpers spittle and clay together which in all reason is a fitter meanes to put out the eyes then to cause the blind to see Thus in the worke of our Redemption Christ giues life not by life but by death and he sendes men to heauen by the gates and suburbs of hell he shewes his greatest power in the greatest weaknes nay his power is made perfect through weakenes He will not build vpon an old foundation but he pulls downe and destroies all that Man may haue no hope at all in himselfe but that all the hope he hath may be in God First he kils and then he makes aliue as Anna speaketh first he woundeth and then he healeth He makes man to sowe in teares that afterward he may reape in ioy And he that knowes Gods dealing to be this must herewith rest content and satisfied because in wrath God vseth to remember his mercy yea his mercie is neuer sweete vnto the palate of the soule vntill it be seasoned with some tast of his wrath The Paschall Lambe was eaten with sowre hearbs to signifie that we can feele no sweetenes in the blood of Christ till wee first feele the smart of our owne sinnes and corruptions Secondly these persons vse to alleadge against themselues that if they could feele any comfort at al then they would stay their minds and yeild to good perswasions and exhortations To this the answer is That there is a Rule of grace which we must follow gathered out of the word of God and the experience of Gods Children contrarie to the rule of nature and aboue the light of reason and it is this that in case of a●●liction we must not liue by feeling but by faith This Rule is grounded vpon the speech of the Lord by the Prophet the iust mā shall liue by his faith When we haue neither sight nor sense nor any tast of Gods mercie but onely apprehend his wrath euen then we must labour to lay hold of mercie in his word and promise Sense feeling are not alwaies fit directiōs for the time of this life For he may be the deare child of God that in present feeleth nothing but his wrath and indignation This indeede is the true triail of our faith when euen aboue and against reason we relie on the mercie of God in the apprehension of his anger So did Dauid Out of the deepe saith he that is beeing nowe deepely plunged into the pangs of a distressed conscience haue I called vpō thee O Lord and Iob in the like case Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Abraham is commended by the holy Ghost amongst other things for this that he beleeued in God aboue hope that is against all matter of hope that might possibly be conceiued vpon the consideration of the strength of natural causes The thiefe vpon the crosse feeling nothing but woe and seeing nothing in Christ but misery and contempt yet he beleeued in Christ and was saued In a word Christ himselfe when he was sorsaken of all men and voide of all wordly comfort and felt nothing but the depth of the wrath God in his agony and passion yet by the faith of his manhood hestaied himselfe and said My God my God Thirdly they vse to plead that their case is desperate that neuer any was in such a state as they are neuer any touched with the like distresse of mind Answ. It is false For the holy Ghost hath penned three notable places of Scripture the booke of Iob and two Psalmes of Dauid wherein are propounded vnto vs the examples of Iob and Dauid Gods owne deare seruants who were in as great distresse as euer they or any other haue beene And they may not thinke that they euer could be able to indure greater paines then Christ who notwithstanding in the anguish of his soule vpon the Crosse cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And thus much touching the first kind of trouble of conscience called the diuine temptation CHAP. IX Of the second Speciall Distresse arisi●g from outward afflictions THe second kind of Distresse is that which ariseth from outward afflictions By Afflictions I vnderstand all manner of miseries and calamities in this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death Nowe the Question is howe the Trouble of minde arising by Afflictions may be remedied For the answer of which question two things are required of the partie distressed Practise and Meditation Sect. 1. The Practise is that which is to be vsed in all distresses of minde what soeuer And it is a diligent examination of the conscience in regard of sinne an earnest and heartie confession thereof vnto God and deprecation that is earnest praier vnto him for the pardon of the same These three things beeing done truly and vnfainedly from the heart are a present remedie against this trouble and bring with them much comfort Manasses the king of Iudah that had cōmitted much wickednesse when he was carried captiue to Babel and there put in chaines he humbled himselfe acknowledged his sinnes and praied earnestly vnto the Lord and the issue was good for God was intreated of him and gaue him deliuerance Iob beeing long in outward affliction humbled himselfe in like manner and at length receiued comfort Daniel humbled himselfe before God for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of Gods people making request vnto God earnestly for them and euen when he was in the acte of praying the Lord sent his angel Gabriel to giue him notice of deliuerance Lastly the Church of God vnder the crosse performed the like dutie Let vs search and trie our waies and turne to the Lord and God in mercie gaue an eare vnto her mourning and lamentation By all these places it is apparent that there is no better remedie in the world for the minde of man grieued by meanes of outward afflictions then the practise of the duties before named Sect. 2. The next thing vnto Practise is the Meditation of the comfortable doctrines that are set downe in the word of God touching afflictions All which doctrines may be reduced to fiue principall and maine grounds of comfort and shall be laid downe in their order The first Ground is that All afflictions from the least to the greatest doe come to passe not by accident chaunce or fortune but by the speciall prouidence of God I explaine it thus In euery particular crosse and affliction there is the hand of Gods particular prouidence and that in three regards First because God decreeth and foreappointeth euery particular crosse Marke the words of Paul Whome God hath foreknowne them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto the image of his s●●ne and what is this image nothing else but a conformitie vnto Christ in
extraordinary man that is qualified with these two gifts may pray not onely against the cause of him that is an enemie to God but against his person Thus Dauid did especially in the 109. Psal. which Psalme is full of terrible curses against his particular enemies and typically against Iudas For he had the spirit of discerning by which he knewe that they were incurable enemies and a pure zeale of the glorie of God which made him breake out into such imprecations So Paul praies Gal. 5. 12. that they might be cut off which troubled the Church c. 2. Tim. 4. 14. he praies directly against the person of Alexander the coppersmith that had don him much wrong The Lord reward him according to his workes Which must not seeme strange for Paul had in that imprecation the Spirit of prophecie and consequently both the spirit of discerning and of pure zeale and therefore he might pray against him as he did But for Ordinarie men such as haue nothing but ordinarie gifts and want the spirit of discerning and haue also a zeale mingled with choler stomack anger and hatred they may vse no extraordinarie praier against the person of any man All that they may doe is to pray that God would restraine their malice hinder their badde practises and turne them to his glorie and the good of his Church Therefore Act. 4. 29. when there had beene a Councell holden at Ierusalem against the Apostles Peter and Iohn in the first beginning of the great persecution of Christians in the primitiue Church it is said that they departed from the assembly and praied together with the rest of the Church in this manner And now O Lord behold their threatnings c. Wherein they praied not against the Councell nor against the men that sate in counsell but against their proceedings courses deuises and threatnings And their practise may be a patterne for ordinary men to follow In Luk. 9. 54. the Disciples asking our Sauiour Christ whether they should call for fire from heauen to destroy his enemies he sharply reprooueth them for their intemperate heate against the Samaritans and tells them that they had not that extraordinarie Spirit to effect such a thing because they were but ordinarie men Ordinarie men therefore may not pray against the persons of Gods enemies The Pope at this day is a professed enemie to Christ and his Gospel yet no man may pray against the person of the Pope but onely against his state kingdome and regiment which is Antichristian whereby he sets himselfe against God and his kingdome Sect. 2. Vpon the answer to this question there followeth an other Sundrie Psalmes of Dauid are Psalmes of imprecation wherin Dauid curseth his enemies fearefully especially in the 109. Psalme now all these psalmes were penned for our vse It may therefore be demanded how we may vse these and such like when we read or sing them Ans. I. We must not vse them as Dauid did namely as praiers against the persons of our enemies but onely as prophecies against the enemies of God wherein the punishment of incurable men that were enemies to God and his truth is foretold For wee haue not as Dauid had an extraordinarie spirit or a pure zeale therefore we cannot pray as he did II. I answer whereas these Imprecations were directed against particular enemies we may vse them in some sort as praiers but how as generall praiers against all the incureable enemies of God not against any particulars among the Iewes Turkes or Papists As therfore as we may vse these Imprecations as praiers so we must vse them without any particular application to the persons of any particular men III. Question What be the particular Circumstances of Prayer Ans. There are chiefly foure I. The voice or speech II. The gesture III. The place where IV. The time when Sect. 1. Concerning the Voice this Question may be mooued Whether a Voice or words are ●o be vsed in prayer or no Ans. Prayer is either Pub●cke or Priuate In publike prayer a forme of wordes must alwaies be vsed in a knowne plaine and distinct voice The reasons are these First the Minister is the mouth of the whole Congregation in prayer as he is the mouth of God to the people in preaching Now as the Minister is their mouth to God in prayer so the people must giue their assent and approbation to his prayer by the word Amen But there can be no professed and publique assent without a voice Secondly God is the Creator not onely of the soule of man but also of his bodie and we blesse God not onely with the heart but also with the tongue therefore the whole man must pray in publicke Now in priuate prayer made in priuate and secret places by priuate persons the Voice is profitable but not simply necessarie It is profitable because it stirreth vp the affections of the heart it serueth also to keepe the wandering minde in compasse to expresse the affection and to procure attention of the heart to the prayer Yet it is not simply necessarie For a man is not bound in co●●cience to vse a forme of wordes in all his prayers Moses prayed he spake neuer a word and yet it was a prayer for the Lord saies vnto him Exod. 12. 15. Why criest thou Anna praying in the Temple her lippes did mooue onely her voice was not heard and yet shee is said to pray 1. Sam. 1. 13. Againe the Spirit is said to pray in the Elect with groanes that cannot be vttered and yet the Holy Ghost giues them the name of prayers Rom. 8. Paul biddes vs pray continually which is not to be vnderstood of a continuall vse of a forme of words but of the groanes and sighes of the heart which may be made at all times Out of this Question ariseth another Whether it be lawfull when we pray to read a set Forme of prayer for some thinke that to doe so is a sinne Ans. It is no sinne but a man may lawfully and with good conscience doe it Reasons First the Psalmes of Dauid were deliuered to the Church to be vsed and read in a set forme of words and yet the most of them are praiers Secondly to conceiue a forme of praier requires gifts of memorie knowledge vtterance and the gifts of grace Now euery child and seruant of God though he haue an honest heart yet hath he not all these gifts and therefore in the want of them may lawfully vse a set forme of prayer as a man that hath a weake backe or a lame legge may leane vpon a crutch It is alleadged that set formes of praier doe limit and binde the Holy Ghost Ans. If we had a perfect measure of grace it were somewhat but the graces of God are weake and small in vs. This is no binding of the Holy Ghost but a helping of the spirit which is weake in vs by a crutch to leane vpon therefore a man may with good conscience