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	great_a	sin_n	4,328	5	4.6860	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61215	The mutual duties of elders and people Delivered in a discourse at Beckles in Suffolk, Octob. 13. 1697. At the setting apart of Mr. John Killinghal, to the office of an elder, over a Church of Christ there. By John Stackhouse, elder of a Church of Christ in Norwich.	Stackhouse, John, dissenting minister.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5104; ESTC R220764	32,438	41

the first thing they must labour II. This is labour to do this is labour Beloved even unto weariness As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word signifieth The same word is translated being weary John 4. 16. Thus sate Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weary on the Well We have toiled all night and caught nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 5. 5. The work of the Ministry my Beloved is a go●d work and it is a work that may be desired 1 Tim. 3. 1. But it may not be desired for Honours sake nor for Maintenance sake but for Works sake But as it is a good and desirable Work so it is a painful and laborious Work it is hard toilsom Labour so that they need to give themselves wholly to it 1. There is the labour of the Brain there is a giving attendance to Reading Meditation and Prayer which is commanded them that so they may faithfully discharge the Duty of their Office 1 Tim. 4. 13. Till I come give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine And Verse 15. Meditate on these things give thy self wholly to them 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth There needs continual Study Reading and Meditation which is hard Labour and doth greatly exhaust the strength of their natural Spirits The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even the words of truth Ecccles 12. 15. 2. Their Work is Heart labour in their Work they must labour hard with their own Hearts and with the Hearts of those that God hath set them over They labour with their own Hearts for in their Hearts are like Passions as other Men have they have many times unbelief vexing them despondency casting them down without are fightings and within are fears as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 7. 4. They are to serve God with their spirits in the Gospel of Christ sincerely and heartily Rom. 1. 9. But their Spirits are sometimes discomposed and disquieted and cast down and at other times their Spirit is willing and their Flesh is weak They labour with their own Hearts for they must be careful of their own Souls 1 Cor. 9. 27. If they be keepers of others Vineyard and do not keep their own Vineyard if they do not take heed to themselves that they may save themselves as well as others they shall be found Fools in the Issue of their Labours And as they have hard labour with their own Hearts so they have also hard labour with the Hearts of those whom they teach and if God doth not help them to work on the Hearts of them whom they teach they can do nothing Thus the Apostle expresseth his Labour Coloss 1. 28 29. Whom we preach warning every Man and teaching every Man in all Wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily If that the Spirit work with us mightily then our Labour is pleasant tho' 't is hard But if we be put to lament who hath believ'd our report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed It even breaks our hearts with grief 3. It is Labour for which they many times have little thanks given them Thus the Apostle tells the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12. 15. I will very gladly spend and be spent for you tho' the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved So great an Apostle met with so mean a requital from those whom he had by his preaching Converted and other Elders do many times meet with a discouraging requital the more abundantly they love them the less they are beloved by them they are many times counted enemies because they tell the people the truth as the Galatians did account Paul whereof he complains Gal. 4. 16. 4. It 's hard Labour wherein many times they have little success They are made Fishers of Men Mat. 4. 19. and they are put many times to complain unto the Lord as Luke 5. 5 Master we have toiled all Night and have caught nothing Many times they see no fruit of their labours before they are called home and they that come after them reap the harvest of the seed which they did sow So our Lord told his Disciples Jo. 4. v. 38. Other Men laboured and ye are entred into their labours 5. It is a toilsome Work which is usually attended with great Sufferings whilst they do faithfully discharge their Ministry Wicked Men hate them because they cannot speak good to them in a way of sin and the frowardness of their Brethren doth many times occasion great trouble to them The Apostle frequently makes mention of his Sufferings 2 Tim. 1. 12. For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know in whom I have believed So also 2 Tim. 2. v. 9 10. and 2 Cor. 11. 23. 27 v. They that are called to this Work must endure hardness as good Soldiers of Jesus Christ So we are commanded 2 Tim. 2. 3. And we must not be moved by any sufferings and troubles whatsoever so as to leave our Ministry because of Sufferings Acts 20. 24. None of these things move me neither count I my life dear to me so I may finish my course with joy and fulfil my Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus It is then you see hard Labour labour of the Brains labour with the Heart labour that they have little thanks for labour that they have often little success in labour in which they many times suffer great and hard things Yet thus we must Work and thus we must Labour a necessity is laid upon us 1 Cor. 4. 9. and woe to us if we preach not the Gospel Thus must we take heed to save our own Souls and those that hear 1 Tim. 4. 16. us and we must take heed that we be faithful that the blood of none be required at our hands I call you saith the Apostle to witness that I am free from the blood of all Men Acts 20. 26. If the blood of any to whom we preach should be required at our Hands how shall we answer it to our Lord By way of Application 1. The good Lord pardon all the Failings and Miscarriages of us who minister the Word and Doctrine all our coming short in so great a Work It was a great thing the Apostle said I know nothing by myself I know nothing wherein I have failed in the work of my Ministry to you yet am I not hereby justified for Christ knoweth my Work more perfectly than Man doth 1 Cor. 4. 4. But as for us poor sinners we dare not say that we know no thing by our selves we have many Miscarriages that we are guilty of but we hope and believe that we shall be saved by the Blood of Christ even as ye 2.