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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
B07186	Sions svveets, or, The spouses spikenard; and mysticall myrrhe / by Thomas Barnes, preacher of Gods vvord at St Margretts in New-fifth-street. London..	Barnes, Thomas, Minister of St. Margaret's, New Fish Street, London.	1624 (1624)	STC 1477.5; ESTC S124289	64,452	85

Position of theirs That wee are prepared by faith to some meritorious act of loue which act of loue doth informe faith and so dignifie it that then the person that hath it deserueth acceptance at Gods handes And this Assertion they are very stiffe in * Obiect alledging for it the Apostles wordes To him that beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly is his faith accounted for righteousnesse ſ Rom. 4.5 Answ that is say they God accounts that faith which he findes in a sinner so worthy thy that it doth deserue an habite of righteousnesse by which the sinner may be iustified But as the Proverbe is An ill glosse corrupteth the Text. For this Exposition holdes neither with the analogie of faith nor with the scope of the place Not with the analogie of faith for it is directly against the Scripture that a man may be a wicked man and yet haue some thing in him worthy of iustification Not with the scope of the place For there the Apostles ayme is being in disputation about iustification to show that there is an Antithesis or contradiction betwixt the righteousnesse of Christ and the righteousnesse of a man out of Christ and not to show that faith informed by charitie doth by condignitie merit the iustifying of the sinner in the sight of God 3. By maintaining iustification by Workes Thirdly how peremptorily doe they stand for justification by Workes abusing for their purpose many places of Scripture as Obiect 1 First that of Iames t Iam. 2.24 Answ Yee see then how that by workes a man is iustified and not by faith alone when as as it is well knowne the drift of the Apostle is there to show that good workes declare a man to be iust before men and doe not make a man iust in the sight of God Obiect 2 Secondly they bring in that of the Psalmist u Psal 18.20.24 Answ The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse and according to the cleannesse of my handes hath he recompenced mee But alas to little purpose For the Prophet in that place as some obserue doth not speake of iustification but * Certum est Dauidem hoc Psalmo nihil aliud canere de Deo quā quòd per illum liberatus fit ab hostibus c. Muscul ad loc onely of the deliverance that God gaue him out of the hands of his enemies which deliuerance also he doth not attribute to the merit of his owne righteousnesse For that he disclaimes vers 19. saying He deliuered me because he had a FAVOVR vnto me but onely he acknowledgeth that that deliverance was a testimony of his integritie how naught and vniust soeuer his enemies falsely accounted and accused him to be Many of the like places doe they thus abuse abuse I say and whither I speake right or no I appeale not onely to St Paul whose drift is in the fiue first Chapters of the Epistle to the Romanes to ouerthrow iustification by Workes but also to one of their owne x Aquin Super Gal. c. 3. Lec 4. Opera non sunt causa quod aliquis sit iustus apud Deum c. Doctors whose very wordes are these Workes are not the cause that any man is righteous before God but rather they are the fruits and declarations of righteousnesse And indeed how can we be iustified by workes when as by the confession of the Papists y Caiet in epist ad Roman c. 3. fol. 10. themselues the righteousnesse of Workes cannot blot out sinnes but leaues a man in the same Thus while the Papists doe partly curse those that hold justification by the free mercy of God and partly ascribe it to the dignitie of Faith and partly to the merit of good Workes doe they not rob Christ of that praise which his great kindnesse in iustifying a poore sinner doth deserue Dealing with this bundle of spirituall Myrrhe as some z Petrus de la Primaud Franc. Acad. part 3. c. 69. report the Arabian followers of Mahomet to deale with that corporall Myrrhe which they bring to Alexandria to sell vsing a thousand deceits to sophisticate it and gull Christians with it that buy it So they I say adulterate this precious Doctrine with their owne deceipts and deuices and would thrust it for good ware and sound vpon the common sort But I pray God they may neuer haue any vent for such deceitfull Myrrhe and counterfeit righteousnesse amongst vs. I am sure the Church entertaines no such stuffe here but speakes all to the commendation of her Beloued admitting of no Myrrhe no righteousnesse but his owne to prayse him and to commend by But to leaue them as confuted let vs come to our selues Vse 2 I would to God there were not some Popish Protestants amongst our selues who must haue some perfume in Natures garden to smell on some naturall or morall plant of their owne to put into this Bundle to mingle with Christs righteousnesse to iustifie them in the sight of God Some good desires deedes devotions which they much brag off and stand vpon for which God is forsooth bound to accept them and to like of them To whom I may say truely as Elihu in another case to Iob Behold in THIS thou art not iust a Iob 33.12 It may be thou art of a gentle nature of a curteous behauiour somewhat disposed to liberalitie out of a vaine-glorious humour canst not away with the company of the prodigall must God of necessitie iustifie thee like of thee for these things Yes that he must and doth too I would be sorry els I am sure he would not like of me if I should swill and curse and steale and quarrell c. that 's true for he cannot away with these grosse euills the committers of them are abominable vnto him Yet notwithstanding to conclude that thy morall vertues can iustifie thee before him is little differing from plaine Popery And I tell thee in standing vpon this thou doest Papist-like rob Christ of his glory and deny him that prayse which the members of the Church doe here giue him as his due in this Text. They say not here A bundle of Myrrhe is my Well-beloued and my Spikenard vnto me but my Well-beloued alone They acknowledge all in the matter of justification to come from Christ Iesus issuing and springing from the fountaine of his free loue They know that the best righteousnesse in themselues is as the Prophet speaketh as an vncleane thing and filthy rags b Isa 64.6 and that in the best actions they doe if their imperfections be not couered in Christ and sweetned with the Myrrhe of his righteousnesse there is more cause of damnation to be found in them then saluation It is by grace that wee are iustified not by Workes The very faithfull themselues please God no otherwise then in Christ Neither their loue nor faith nor good fruites can for the dignitie of the same deserue absolution before

see shee is more thy friend then thine enemy because shee would not by any bad example hearten and harden thee in the way to damnation contrarily by her good example shee would allure thee TO and invre thee IN the way to salvation Besides By HER meanes thou doest enioy much good Were it not for HER thy house would be burned over thy head for when there shall cease to be a Church vpon the earth all things thereon shall be melted by fire * 2 Pet. 3.12 Many a time doth shee confer with her Kingly Spouse for thy good shee entreateth him if it be his blessed will to turnr thee from thy sinnes to saue thee in the heavens By her prayers shee stopps many a iudgement from lighting vpon thee she fetcheth many a blessing from heaven for thee For Gods sake then be not so vniust as to harme those for whose sake the very world it selfe is vpheld preserued and by whose meanes thou thy selfe doest enioy a great deale of good Nature condemnes iniustice against the best friends Let me then beseech thee if thou beest not altogether inexorable inflexible for this cause not to offer such iniury to the children of God iest not at them rayle not vpon them bend neither thy craft nor thy crueltie against them * Mot. 3. They haue buffettings and temptations enough within they had need be spared and freed from troubles without Hath thy malice then added to the measure of their afflictions Get thee vpon thy knees for it powre out the songs of complaint against thy selfe before the Lord fot it meete her husband the King in the way make thy peace with him for the abuses thou hast offred her his Wife be not sayd nay vntill a bill of pacification and reconciliation be sealed for thee purpose thou and promise him neuer to serue him so in his members any more learne to loue them as much as euer thou hast hated them and doe this speedily too least that this great King and Bridegroome of the Church like a q Hos 13.7.8 Leopard in the way and a Beare robbed of her whelpes rise vp against thee r Psal 50.22 teare thee in pieces and there be none to deliuer thee Vse 3 Thirdly is Christ a King This iustly taxeth the folly of a great many in the world Reproofe of those that neglect an vnion with Christ who care not for who seeke not after who like not of a matching and marrying with Christ Iesus He comes vnto vs as a Wooer in his Word with his mercies offring a large ioynture vnto vs in the possessions of grace here in the portion of glory hereafter and faine would he haue entertainment at our handes but we will none of him iust like Ierusalem against whom he takes vp a bill of complaint by S. Luke I would haue gathered you together as an henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings but you would not ſ Luke 17.37 All the day long stretcheth he forth his hand t Rom. 10.21 Isa 65.2 but we are a gainsaying people If now and then we afford him a good looke and a faire word by hearing a Sermon vpon the Saboth by receiuing the Sacrament at Easter by a little superficiall attendance vpon his ordinances when we are vrged to it that 's all he gets at our hands To giue him our consent to be content to be inuisibly contracted vnto him and to forsake all other onely to cleaue to him this we will not by any meanes grant him the greatest number of vs. Oh that so roiall a Suter should be so basely serued at the hands of such base creatures Would any poore mans daughter serue a rich mans sonne after such a fashion Would a meane subiects childe deale thus with a Prince with a King Shee would not except shee were a foole or franticke Ah fooles then vnwise that WEE are to giue this Princely Wooer so cold a well-come Haue we no regard to our owne good can we not see when we are well offred What thinke wee that we are well enough rich enough of our selues Alas we Laodicea-like u Apoc. 3.17 are wretched miserable poore blind and naked stript and robbed of all the wealth which once we had in our innocent condition so meane so beggerly that except we get him into vnion with vs to be our husband and inrich vs it had beene good for vs if wee had neuer beene Why then should we be so sottish so enuious to our owne weale as to reiect those treaties of marriage with himselfe that he proffers vs. I guesse at the cause of this Cavills of some now a reproouing that care not for Christ I thinke not amisse We like to some Wiues that loue to play rex and are loth to be vnder rule deeme the conditions too strict which his Spouse must conforme vnto this marr's the match Oh! Oh! * 1. That he ties to vnreasonable conditions First he requires spirituall chastitie at our hands His Wife must be a Virgin * Psal 45.14 Isa 37.22 haue doues eyes x Cant. 1.15 single and simple not to admit of any Mate with him Ezechiel's y Ezech. 23.5 harlot and Iames his z Iam. 4.4 adulteresse he cannot away with That we should part our loue betwixt Mammon and him him and Belial him and Satan he will not tolerate the whole man must be kept chast wholly for him If wee entertaine either sensuall pleasures or sinfull profits as our Paramours we are no Bride for his fellowship Secondly He must haue obedience at our handes a like subiection as was imposed vpon a Gen. 3.16 Eue to her husband doth he looke for indeed he tells vs if wee will match with him our desire must be to him he must rule ouer vs and of necessitie wee must b Psal 45.11 reuerence that is be in submission vnto him Thirdly He would haue vs c Psal 45.10 forget our owne people and our fathers house too Looke as Israell must forsake her idols which shee worshipped in the time of Pagan idolatry d As Cyrill expounds it Catech. 7. as the Gentiles must forget and leaue the Iewish rites and ceremonies vnder the Gospell e So Lyranus so must we forget our old country manners whatsoever f Iust Mart. in Dialog cum Trypho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 14.26 Our teeth must not be set on edge with the soure grapes that our fathers haue eaten That we should retaine any dregs of the vaine superstition or keepe any smacke of the vile conversation of our forefathers that we should follow the euill cvstomes of euill people amongst whom we liue will not he at any hand yeeld vnto He that forsaketh not father mother children friends and all for Christs sake he that preferreth the pleasing and imitating any of them before him is not worthy of him Here is another condition There is another yet which is

of God to the infecting of the children of men A good man can scarce in any corner auoyde the smell of their impious and vnrighteous fruits of their lies slaunders blasphemies ribaldries and other idle speeches but shall be compelled to sent them in euery place as strong as noysome as Brimstone to force sighes from his heart and teares from his eyes And how odiously their VNBELIEFE doth affect the KINGS smell their distrust in Gods providence their discontentednesse in prosperitie their impatience in adversitie senselesnesse of and vtter carelesnesse for the comforts of the Spirit doe euidently and woefully declare And yet these people forsooth esteeme themselues to be the Bride of Christ But to consider how they are deceiued it pitties my heart What know they not see they not that Christ his Bride is not while her husband sits at Table without her perfume to please him and affect the virgins that be her fellowes Now alas these vaine-boasters are as emptie of this perfume as the foolish Virgins lampes were of oyle They haue nothing but the oyntments of Harlots in their Boxes their soules I meane and about their bodies And dare they challenge Christ for their Spouse As though he will linke himselfe with such No no. Let them with Barnabas get to be full of faith i Act. 11.24 and with Dorcas to be full of good Workes k Act. 9.36 that God and man may smell the sauour of their Spikenard and then they may be beleeved when they affirme themselues to belong to Christ but while then they doe but flatter themselues and deceiue others Doct. 5 LAstly Obserue that Christians may sometimes lawfully speake of their owne faith and good workes The Church had Spikenard and here shee speakes of it and of the sweet smell it cast forth How oft doth Dauid speake of his faith and his good fruits in the Booke of the Psalmes sometimes reporting how he trusted in God l Psal 64. sometimes how he prayed vnto him m Psal 3.4.34.4 sometimes how he confessed his sinnes vnto him n Psal 32.5 sometimes how he loued him o Psal 116.1 sometimes how he delighted in the Saints p Psal 16.3 sometimes how he pittied his very enemies q Psal 35.14 sometimes he speakes of his vpright walking r Psal 18.23 sometimes of his holy talking ſ Psal 39.1 sometimes of his zeale for Gods glory t Ps 119.139 c. Thus also did Iob u Iob 29. c. 31. Ezekiah x Isa 38.3 Paul y 2 Tim. 4.7 and others of the Worthies ' whom the Scripture recordeth And good cause why Reason 1 For first God receiues much honour when wee speake of the graces which he bestoweth vpon vs. Hence it is that wee shall finde Dauid which reported so much of his owne graces euer and anon professing his resolution to sound forth the Lords prayses Reason 2 Secondly sometimes the wicked will rayse slaunders of the godly as though they were a great deale worse then they are and therefore to cleere themselues from those reproches and so to vindicate the Gospell from disgrace they may yea and they must make profession of their integritie and faith What was it which moued Paul to speake so of his honestie as he did Wee haue renounced the hidden things of dishonestie not walking in craftinesse nor handling the Word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 4.2 But this that as it seemes in the former Chapter certaine false Apostles had slaundered him to be a vaine-glorious fellow Which imputation to free himselfe from he spake so of his owne sinceritie as he did Reason 3 Thirdly there are many occasions giuen vnto Christians to haue hard conceits of their brethren partly by reason of some infirmities they see in them partly by reason of some troubles that fall vpon them And therefore it is lawfull and sometimes needfull for them to speake of the good things that God hath wrought in them If you aske wherefore Paul speakes to Timothy of his keeping the faith and fighting a good fight a 2 Tim 4.7 b Polan Synt. Lib. 9. c. 8. Pag. 597. One answereth it because the present trouble which he was in by the meanes of Nero might occasion Timothy his Scholler and others which had beene his hearers to question the foundnesse of his faith and honestie which was so rewarded wi●h affliction and which faith of his was not like to procure such temporall deliuerances at the hands of God as formerly it had done So then partly that Beleeuers may honour their God partly free themselues from euill reproches cast vpon them by the wicked and partly prevent vncharitable conceits of themselues in their godly brethren they may lawfully speake of their owne Spikenard of that Faith and those good Workes which the Lord hath besweetned both their hearts and their lines withall Vse 1 The consideration of this giues me iust occasion 1. to finde fault with those Christians which will euer be talking of their infirmities that they haue no grace no faith no goodnesse at all in them And yet their consciences can tell them that such and such things the Lord hath inwardly ingrafted in them such and such fruits the Lord hath enabled them outwardly to bring forth in their liues They know that at such and such a Sermon the Lord so and so affected their hearts at such a time gaue them victory ouer such a temptation at such a time enabled them so and so to pray yea so and so answered their prayers to testifie the acceptablenes of the same At other times so and so accheered them with the assurance of his loue so and so enliued them in the performance of such and such duties yet because forsooth it is not alwayes alike with them and the Deuill tells them they are dissemblers they cry out I am an hypocrite a naughtie packe a wicked creature nothing but euill lodgeth in me no whit of goodnesse dwell in mee I haue no faith I haue no zeale I haue no soundnesse no honestie c. Is this to honour God with and for the good things he hath done for thee wrought in thee Nay rather is it not to dishonour him in that thou doest not take notice of his graces which he hath giuen thee This is enough to expose the Gospell to disgrace amongst the enemies of the truth This is enough to make Christians themselues thinke more hardly of thee then there is cause For when as thou art so peremptory in it that thou art an hypocrite a varlet a wretch What will the world say of thee and such as make profession with thee Even THIS See see what arrant hypocrites these Gospellers are their owne consciences accuse them their owne mouths condemne them there is neuer an one of them ALL good Thou art much too blame then whosoeuer thou art that art so readie to take part with the Deuill against thy selfe when yet the Lord in mercy hath