Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	grace_n	work_n	7,426	5	6.4759	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05093	A treatise of the excellencie of a christian man, and how he may be knowen. Written in French by Master Peter de la Place, one of the Kings counsel, and chiefe president of his court of aides in Paris. Whereunto is adioyned a briefe description of the life and death of the said authour, to the end that euerie one may knowe what he was. Translated into English by L. Tomson; Traité de l'excellence de l'homme chrestien et manière de cognoistre. English	La Place, Pierre de, 1520-1572.; Tomson, Laurence, 1539-1608.; Farnace, Pierre de. aut	1576 (1576)	STC 15231; ESTC S106746	64,194	137

he thought it not enough I say to giue them all these so great and honorable titles but goeth on further and sayeth they are made partakers of the diuine nature which is so excellent a condition that the head of man is not able to imagine or wishe an higher For in dede what can a man desire more then to become like to God surely the spirit of man is not sufficient able to comprehend the greatnes of this grace how it might be that God should vouchsafe to honour man so highly as to make him a God as it were if we may so say by making him partaker of his diuine immortalitie and blessed glorie And therfore S. Paul writing to the Coloss and speaking to them as to Christians saith that they were cōpleat in Christ when he had said a litle before that al that fulnes of the godhead dwelleth bodily in him shewing therby that this perfect essence of the Godhead which is in Iesus Christ did auaile thē in that that they receiued thereby their perfectiō also And in that that God is wholy in him is to the ende that when they once possesse him they might obteine such a perfection in him as none of vs is able to atteine vnto by all the wit vnderstanding we haue Yea so farre forth that this knot bond is such an one that Iesus Christ who worketh all in al vouchsafeth the Christian thus much honour that he coūteth him self after asort imperfect if he be not ioyned with him as S. Paul witnesseth saying that the Church is the filling vp of the bodie of Christ And therefore there is no marueile if the Prophet Dauid rauished with great admiration of this so wonderfull goodnes loue of God towards mankinde and being as it were rauished besides him selfe cried and saide Lorde what is man that thou so regardedst him that is to say that of thy gracious goodnes thou hast made hym so excellent a creature For if he should consider seeke his first beginning from whēce he came where shal he finde it but in the durt dust of the earth if he marke the place of his abode he shall finde him selfe scrauling here vpon the earth below if he looke to his end he shall see that his bodie shal be meate for wormes And yet notwithstanding saith he thou hast so highly honoured this poore creature Man that the Angels serue him as if he were a god for thou hast made him a litle inferior to God hast crowned him with glorie and honour and placed hym ruler ouer the workes of thine handes and hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete As if he would saye what occasion did durt giue thee that of it thou shouldest make a creature to thine image and likenes whom thou wouldest make Lord and Master of all the worlde and put in subiection vnder his feete what so euer is vnder the compasse of heauen speaking of the man that is restored in Iesus Christ For in deede it is he onely and none but he amongest all liuing things that is the only Lord of the world by recouering that interest in Christ which was before lost in Adam who was at the beginning made heire and Lord of all Gods blessings but was afterwardes dispossessed of them through his rebestion and disobedience so that all his posteritie hath no other interest nor title in the blessings of this world then theeues robbers haue whiche take awaye other mens goods the Christian onely except to whome of right belongeth the vse of all things as S. Paul saith whether it be the world or life or death or things present or things to come al things in a word are his because they were made for his profit And there is nothing but God maketh it serue turneth it to his profit in so much that by a speciall dispensation of his prouidence he causeth that the very sinnes them selues which man committeth turne rather to his saluation then to his hurt in that that by them he humbleth them and maketh them better taught and more aduised To be short this mā is a creature that from euerlasting was in Gods heart through Iesus Christ therfore a thing so riche precious that it may well be called Gods treasure But seeing I haue begun to dilate this excellencie of a Christian man by the euerlasting counsell of GOD whiche he determined and appoynted within him selfe before the worlde was according to his gracious goodnes fully set forth in IESUS Christ to al them whom he hath coupled togyther with him It shall be good nowe to come lower and to treat of the matter as it were by descent from heauen to earth and to shew this excellencie more particularly in a Christian beginning at his regeneration and so going on from point to point to shewe howe miraculously he is formed nourished brought vp to rype age what maners he is of what his life is and what his cōuersation to set him out after this sort in his coulours markes as he is For in dede he is a newe creature whom the world knoweth not and an hidden treasure in a vile and contemptible vessell hard to knowe if he be not well marked out set forth with liuely colours And lest in discoursing of it we fal headlong into the same errour which the wise fooles of the world fal into in their discourses vpō his excellencie it shal not be amisse if at the entrie of the matter I warne euery man to beware he presume not so much of him self as to imagine that he hath ought of his owne as though he had in him selfe any piece of a cause meane or ayde to set forwarde this worke Therefore as I sayde before that we haue not to seeke the cause or ground worke or matter of this excellencie any where els but in the mere grace of God according to his euerlasting prouidence so say I againe to shut out all worthines of man that al the goodnes vertue that may possibly be foūd in man proceedeth from the fruict of Gods election and therefore to be a Christian that is to say the best of all creatures procedeth wholy from the gift of our heauēly father in that that whatsoeuer he hath giuen to Christ cōmeth to Christ and in that that no one whit of the worlde belongeth to the Creature were it not that the grace of god plucketh a fewe out of destruction which otherwise should haue perished the world being left in that destruction whereunto it is moste iustly appoynted And for this cause Iesus Christ protesteth that he prayeth the Father for them onely whome the Father hath giuen him For in deede the grace of God findeth no cause in any man why hee should be good vnto him but man receiueth all of his mercy because it is Gods worke onely to saue his and for that ende and

powred out vpon his members according to the measure of euery one by which grace man was made a Christian when he first began to belieue as our sauiour was made Christ according to the fleshe when he first began to be man And therefore was hee called Christ and the other by his meanes Christiās as streames flowing from the chiefe fountaine for so had the Almightie purposed in him selfe to gather them vnto him by the blood of the Crosse of Iesus Christ at the fulnes of time appointed finding them miserably strayed and scattred amongst the other and set them in their right state whiche is to cleaue continually to him being knit and coupled together with him in a true perfite vnitie by engraffing them into the bodie of his sonne Who for that cause are called elect or chosen through the good pleasure of God to make a difference betweene them and the other which were not kept in the said vnitie but forsaken by a secret reprobation in the secret counsel of God. So that whether we meane the cause or the matter it selfe of the excellencie of a Christian man so farre I am either from seeking or setting the said excellencie of a Christian in man him selfe as the Philosophers doe that I meane not to ascribe it to any thing in the world but to that headspring of all graces benefites and blessings that is to saye to the euerlasting loue and gracious goodnes of God by Iesus Christ in whom God chose his elect before the foundation of the world to adopt them according to the purpose of his will and made them agreable in his welbeloued sonne who was by him appointed head ouer them which by him through him and no otherwise are restored and setled in his grace and made his heires to enioye his kingdome where as before they were a cursed rase of Adam and inheriters of hel fyre for the Father loueth none but in his Sonne and vouchsafeth none his inheritance vnlesse he first ioyne them to his sonne by a secret bond vnitie causing the vertue of the head to descende into the members as the sappe of the roote of the tree goeth into the graffe that is imped into it in so much as this spirituall bond and knot belongeth not only to the soule but also to the body so the the Christian mā is made one with Iesus Christ flesh of his flesh bones of his bones yea euē so farre forth the they beare his name person before God and he rather respected in their persons then in his own To be short euē as naturally the only beholding of the face of man moueth vs to loue him and al his parts though if we should vew his mēbers apart we might happily find somewhat to mislike vs bring vs out of tast so fareth it likewise with the Christiā who is a member of Iesus Christe being considered in Christs face person which when God beholdeth in his elect imprinted as it were in them by repairing of his image in them loueth and cherisheth them as persons with whom he is well pleased So that to speake in few words it is this felowship which they haue with Christ whereunto they are called both by the communion of one self same spirit one self same nature which is both in them and him wherein the excellencie of a Christian man consisteth and appeareth very euidently in that he is set in the highest degree of honour being made the childe of God by Iesus Christ taking vpon him that that was proper to man to be made man as he was and to make him felow with him selfe in that that was proper to him self by making him the sonne of god For thēce commeth this holy brotherhood whiche he teacheth vs saying I go to my father your father to my God your god Being not ashamed as the Apostle saith notwithstāding the great oddes that is betwixt him vs to abase him self so far as to cal vs Brethrē euē after his resurrectiō whē he had put of al his infirmitie vs I say which are not otherwyse worthy to be vnder his seruāts Herein therfore the Christiā mā appeareth to be a loft not onely aboue al other liuing creatures by reason of his owne nature as the Philosophers say but also aboue all other men by this preeminence which those Philosophers knew not at all whereby he surmounteth the dignitie of the first man taking him in the greatest perfection he euer had because the grace of God is farre more setled and sure in the regeneration of the faithfull then it was in the first state of man that beyng greater which we haue recouered in Christ Iesus then that which we lost in Adam For Adam had grace giuen hym to continue in goodnes if he had would but to the Christian it is giuen to haue a will and in hauing a will he ouercommeth his lustes So that Adam might if he would but he had no wil that he might and the Christian hath both will and might giuen him so that the first libertie was giuen to Adam that he might absteine from sinne and not die but that that is giuen to the Christian the pledges wherof we haue here and looke for the perfection in heauen standeth in this that he can neither sinne nor die because the elect are vnseparably knit with Iesus Christe their head which bond maketh them strong and stedfast to cleaue to God for euer To be short this excellencie of a Christian man mounteth so high that it surmounteth the excellencie of the verie Angels in this respecte that the euerlasting Sonne of God vnited him selfe to mans nature and not the nature of Angels minding to perfit and accomplishe in it the wonderful worke of our redemption and afterwarde hauing glorified it with immortalitie by his resurrection hee set it in his heauenly kingdome aboue all principalities and heauenly powers in all honour and glorie so that the Christian man being partaker of the fleshe of Christ which is carried vp and reigneth on hygh hath part also of the same kingdome and glorie And though the Angels as touching their naturall essence are counted more excellent then man yet notwithstanding because they haue no head of their kind and nature the Sonne of God euen according to the fleshe surmounteth them in dignitie and noblenes To this purpose S. Peter speaking of Christians thought it not inough to say that they are a chosen generation an holy race a peculiar people to set forth the great vertues of God and a Royall Priesthode consecrated to Iesus Christ to offre sacrifices not for the remission of sinnes For that office is throughly accomplished by Christ Iesus his onely sacrifice the force whereof remaineth for euer but sacrifices of prayse and thankesgiuing and calling vpon the name of God which are the calues of our lippes and sacrifices of beneuolence imparting our goods with the poore

vertue of the ayre yet we knowe not the beginning and the cause of it Wel then if in this transitorie life which is gone in a moment we see a marueilous vertue whereby God worketh so mightely in it that it passeth the reache of our senses howe is it possible to fetch within the compasse of our vnderstanding this secret worke in the heauēly life whiche passeth the reache of nature as though we were not to beleue any more thē we are able to perceiue by the vewe of the eie But the chiefest point that is to be considered in the excellencie of this generation is this that euen as the word of God is an vncorruptible seed of life which bringeth forth fruite like to it selfe and suche a budde as neuer drieth vp euē so when the Christian mā is once made partaker of this light it cā neuer be so put forth and choked vp in him but there remaineth still some sparke alway in him such is the force of the worde when it is once kindled in the heart of man by the holy Ghost who beareth him witnes that he is the childe of God and causeth him to folowe his gouernement and conduct with a stedy heart and holdeth him in a stedy and continuall obedience of iustice And therefore GOD sayeth by his Prophet Ezechiel That hee giueth them that are his a newe heart and promiseth thē that they shal walke in his ordinances for his holy spirit pursueth his grace in them euen to the ende For though there be sometime some breaches cracks in their faith as we haue alteratiōs in vs by reason of our frailenes moued therūto such violence as Satan worketh against vs and though the brightnes of our faith be daseled with the thicke and obscure darkenes of tentation yet notwithstanding it ceaseth not to haue alwayes an eye to God and that more is though it so fal out as we know it befell to Dauid that the Christian man be for a season so dead on sleepe with suche a blockishnes of sume that there appeareth not any one sparke of the spirit in him as Dauid prayeth for this cause that it may be restored to him yet notwithstanding this seede whereby God regenerateth his elect as it is incorruptible dieth not though it be for a season as it were choked so that a man would thinke that all reuerence and feare of God were cleane put out Yet there is a cole vnder these asshes whiche kindleth and taketh fyre againe and this roote commeth to spurt forth when a man would haue thought it had bene cleane dead For the vertue and goodnes of God is such that it surmounteth our malice so that that man may be sure of his saluation whom God hath once touched with a liuely faith though it were but a very short whyle for he is constrained to say that that which he belieued is a trueth seeing it can not be by fleshe blood but by the light of God wherein there is neither lie nor deceit and so consequently that that hath bene once founde true shal be euer true For this is certaine that God who began this worke of regeneration will perfit it in the day of the Lorde and will not leaue the worke of his handes vnperfect for his gifts and callings are without repentance looke what he hath once giuen he neuer calleth it back being faithfull constant in his deedes and keepeth his trueth euerlastingly without any alteration or change for it is impossible his worde should faile and it can not be but Gods decree must remaine according to the election so that whomesoeuer he hath once knowen and appointed to saluatiō that man can neuer fall from his saluation The stedfastnes of his counsell is shewed to the heyres of promesse that it shall endure for euer by two thinges whiche can neuer be changed to witte his worde and his othe whereby he hath confirmed his promisses it is impossible he should lye in them To this purpose Iesus Christ sayeth that al that the father hath giuen him shall come to him and he wil not cast out one of them that shal come to him For this is the will of my father sayth hee that I leese not one of them whom my father hath giuen me but I will rayse them vp all in the latter day And againe My sheepe sayth he heare my voyce and followe me I knowe them and giue them euerlasting life and no man shall take them out of myne hande So then seeing he hath promised that that man which hath once taken liuely roote in him shall neuer be plucked vp all that are of the flocke of his sheepefolde are out of daunger to be euer cast away because the purpose of God which he hath decreed vpon them is stedfast and the sentence of peace is ratified to them and therefore hee taketh them apart and sayeth vnto them in this wyse feare not litle flock seeing it is giuen to you to know the mysterie of the kingdom of heauen for to whom soeuer the gift of beleuing is giuē to the same man is also giuē the gift of cōtinuance according to the vertue of the holy Ghost which is euerlasting wherby the Christian man is renued his force remaineth for euer for otherwise were it not continuing for euer the grace of God could not be alwayes sure and stable And on the other side it were to great doltishe blockishnes distrust to doubt whether the Sonne of God in his prayers for the Elect that their faithe might not fayle them were heard or no seeing he sanctified him self for them so that their hope which is as it were a sure anchre for the soule extendeth it selfe beyonde our death and though the infirmitie of the fleshe be great yet seeing their fast holde hangeth not vpon their owne vertue but vpon the vertue strength of God seeing their saluation is kept vnder his secret garde as vnder a seale and authēticall signet they are out of all danger written as it were inregistred by the Almightie and euerlasting God in the booke of life so that all their synnes are not able to stoppe the course of Gods election nor quenche or diminishe the lest wyse that may be the loue of God seeing that euen by our verie sinnes hee taketh occasion to shewe vs farre greater loue hee hym selfe beyng vnchangeable and his decrees euerlasting so that it is not in mans power to change his decree nor to make him goe awaye from that whiche he hath once determined And in deede it were no meete thing for his vnchangeable nature neither might it be truely sayde of hym that hee lighteneth men to blynde them or buyldeth to pull downe or planteth to roote vp Hereby now may euery man see that the spirit of God is the true marke of a Christian man whereby he is knowen from all other and is of greater accompt then all other not that Spirit whereby