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	law_n	work_n	2,920	5	6.2264	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50402	The law of God ratified by the gospel of Christ, or, The harmony of the doctrine of faith with the law of righteousness wherein many of the types and rites of the ceremonial law are unfolded, and the moral law adjusted a rule of holy living to all, though justified by faith / as it was delivered in several sermons preacht to the parochial congregation of Mayfield in Sussex by Mr. Mainard late rector thereof, publisht since his death.	Maynard, John, 1600-1665.	1674 (1674)	Wing M1450; ESTC R33505	161,259	298

dye to sin to mortifie their members which are upon the earth to live to righteousness to walk in newness of life Thirdly the pride of corrupt Nature is very contrary to the Gospel which teacheth to be poor in spirit to empty our selves of all self-sufficiency to go out of our selves to become fools that we may be wise to be less than nothing in our own eyes to receive all of meer grace the free love and favour of God to present our selves in anothers garment before God in the righteousness of Christ for the covering of our shame and cloathing of our nakedness to look for no acceptance of any service but by anothers worthiness the merit of Christ. Fourthly corrupt and inordinate self-love may move men to reject or corrupt the Truths of the Gospel which teacheth self denyal and the renouncing of all that is dear unto us so far as it standeth in opposition against Christ Then saith Iesus unto his Disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me The Gospel striketh at the right eye at the heart and root of the most beloved lusts How then will self-love rise up against it Fifty inordinate love of the world of things below being deeply rooted in corrupt Nature raiseth rebellion against the Gospel and moveth men either to reject or corrupt the Truths revealed in it Felix trembled at Pauls discourse and commanded him away the young man went away sorrowful when Christ required him to fell all and give to the poor and follow him in hope of treasures in Heaven The Pharises who were covetous when they heard Christ speak against that sin de●ided him Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him So if any man love the world inordinately the love of the Truth is not in him for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world The Use of this may be First to teach us to see and bewayle the corruption of our nature and withal to make us sensible how dangerous it is to continue in our natural estate destitute of the spirit of Christ Our corrupt nature is apt to corrupt and deny the precious Truths of the Gospel it were a dangerous and malignant disease of the body that should turn the best physick into poyson and either cast it out of the stomach as soon as it is taken in or grow worse by occasion of the remedy Our natures are wholly overspread with the deadly disease of sin and corruption and there is no part ●ound in them as the Apostle saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing He had much good in him through grace a great measure of the spirit of Christ but in his flesh so far as he was carnal so far as he was not renewed by the holy Ghost ●o far there was no good thing dwelling in him which sheweth that in them which are not regenerate there is nothing spiritually good nothing suitable and pleasing to God Whence these two great evils follow First an inclination to reject the Remedy● like a corrupt Stomack that gives no entertainment to the Physick leaveth it no time to work the cure but presently casteth it out So do many in the state of corrupt Nature they hear the Truths of the Gospel which the Lord hath appoynted as pre●ious Remedies against that disease and reject them cast them up again either denying them in the secret thoughts not believing them or not seriously minding or regarding them So the Apostle told the unbelieving Iews it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life Lo we turn to the Gentiles He charged them for putting the word of God from them The Apostle had put the word of God home to them and they put it from them thus it is with many The Gospel is tendered to them as necessary physick sent down from Heaven and ministred to them by the Preachers of the word but they put it from them either they do not take it down or presently cast it up again Secondly there is an inclination in corrupt Nature to corrupt the Truths of the Gospel and to make them occasions of increasing the disease and so to make the Gospel to become the servant of death unto death Corrupt Nature is apt to make both the law and the Gospel occasions of increasing these diseases of the soul concerning the Law the Apostle saith when we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death This explaineth afterwards as in other passages wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good the Law is perfectly holy and just and good and therefore cannot be properly the cause of any thing sinful and unholy Was that then which is good made death unto me God forbid But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful such is the malignity of corrupt Nature that it worketh evil out of good and maketh the pure and holy Law of God an occasion of sin the more sin is forbidden reproved threatned condemned by the Law the more vehemently is the corruption of nature carried after sin So for the Gospel the Apostle Peter saith that Christ preached in the Gospel is to them that are disobedient a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence when to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed They stumble and take offence because they like not those terms upon which Christ is offered to them in the Gospel How dangerous is it then to continue in this estate of corrupt nature How earnest should poor souls be with the Lord to deliver them The body is in a sad estate when all both food and physick increaseth some deadly disease in it The word and Gospel of God is both food and physick and corrupt Nature is apt to make it an occasion to increase sin and aggravate condemnation Cry mightily to the Lord to work a through cure upon your souls to change and renew your natures to send his spirit along with his word that it may overpower the diseases of your souls and be unto you the favour of life unto life Secondly This may teach us not to think it strange that so many pretious Truths of the Gospel are denyed and rejected in these days so many parts of Scripture abused with false interpretations and corrupt glosses so many errors and lyes maintained instead of Truths Corrupt nature

this was one of the last acts of Moses his life for the Lord said unto him avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy people it was a work fit for him to do when he was ready to leave the world How odious were those Prophets of Baal to that zealous Prophet Elijah Saith he take the Prophets of Baal let not one of them escape and they took them and Elijah brought them down to the brook Chishon and slew them there Micaiah shewed his detestation of those lyes spoken by the false prophets when he told the King now therefore behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets The like may be shewed of the Prophet Ieremiah how he abhorred the lyes of those false Prophets Hananiah Ahab Zedekiah and Shemajah but I come to the Examples of the New Testament And first to begin with Iohn Baptist who came to prepare the way of the Lord with what zeal did he detest the corruption of doctrine brought in by the Pharises and Sadduces When he saw many of them come to his Baptisme he said unto them O generation of Vipers Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come But above all take the blessed Example of the Lord Jesus Christ with what heavenly zeal did he manifest his detestation of the false doctrine taught by the Scribes and Pharises Thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your tradition And he gave his Disciples this Caveat Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharises and of the Sadduces which is meant of their corrupt doctrine How sharply doth he reprove them and how many woes doth he denounce against them He calleth such Wolves Theeves and Robbers And the Apostles and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ being led by the spirit of Christ did abundantly discover how exceedingly they detested and abhorred Heresies and fals● doctrines The Apostle Peter inveigheth with much vehemency against false Teachers calleth their corrupt doctrines damnable heresies whereby they denyed the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction He terms their ways pernicious and shews how they make merchandise of souls He calleth them pernicious self-wil●ed and such as are not afraid to speak evil of dignities wells without water speaking grea● swelling words of vanity with divers other expressions St. Iude agreeth with St. Peter and among other passages compareth false Teachers to Cain Balaam Core The Apostle Iohn calleth them Antichrists adversaries to Christ and false Prophets They are called deceivers yea it is said ver 10 11. If there come any unto you and bring not thi● doctrine receive him not into your house neithe● bid him God speed for he that biddeth him Go● speed is partaker of his evil deeds In the Revelations written by St. Iohn the Angel o● Minister of the Church at Ephesus is commended for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans Pergamus is threatned because in that Church was found those that held the doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans and therefore t is added Repent or else I will com● unto thee quickly and will fight against the● with the sword of my mouth Thiatira is blamed for suffering the woman Iezabel which called her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce A great part of this book declareth the wickedness of the Whore of Babylon the Antichristian popish faction the mischief they do the Judgements of God hanging over them and how odious their false doct●ines and false worship is to God and his people The Apostle St. Paul as he laboured and wrote more than the rest so he is very plentiful in declaring his detestation of false doctrines and false teachers In his Epistle to the Romans ●he earnestly exhorteth the Saints I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Iesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple He speaketh of those that cause divisions contrary to ●ound doctrine not of those that oppose false doctrine and corrupt customes whereupon sometimes divisions may follow through ob●tinacy of those that resist the truth How largely doth he declare against that fundamental errour of them that denyed the resurrection He calleth them corrupt teachers false apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ Ministers of Satan and imitating their Master transforming themselves into the Ministers of righteousness as he being the Prince of darkness transformeth himself into an Angel of light How sharp and severe is he this way in the Epistle to the Galatians Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gos●el unto you than that which ye have received let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed Yea he spared not that great Apostle Peter but withstood him to the face and gave him a publick reproofe because he did but warpe a little and by withdrawing from the believing Gentils for fear of offending the Iews gave occasion to men to question the doctrine of free justific●t●on through the righteousness of Christ alone and to think that circumcision and the ceremonies of the Law were necess●ry to justification Again saith he O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that y● should not obey the truth shewing that t● be led by ●alse teachers is to be befooled and bewitched Corrupts teachers bewitch and make fools of their followers Again saith he I would they were even cut off that troubl● you He calleth false teachers dogs evil workers the Concision and sheweth that such are apt to beguile others with enticing words and to spoil them through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ intruding into those things which they have not seen vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds How notably doth he set forth Antichrist and his followers speaking of a grand apostacy and general fal●ing away and calleth the head of it the man of sin the Son of per●ition who opposeth and exalteth himself c. He calleth the mystery of Antichrist the mystery of Iniquity He calleth him that wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the lawless one a term exactly agreeing to the Pope who trampleth upon the laws of Christ at his pleasure and exalteth his own Laws He sheweth that his coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish c. He sheweth that to fall into Heresie is to make shipwrack of faith

of impenitency and unbelief That full satisfaction which Christ made to the Law ratifieth the Authority of the Law and proclaimeth to the world that the Law spareth none that are under the Law and so are all that are not in Christ and so under grace and therefore rest not one day in this condition sin lieth at the door he avenger of blood is at thy back the voice of the Law is pay that thou owest It is a groundless plea to say Christ hath paid all if thou remainest out of Christ. Secondly If sin were so exceeding grievous and bitter unto Christ Oh let it not be sweet and delightful unto thee It sin imputed were such an unspeakable torment to the Lord Jesus Christ What a shame is it for any that pretend to be members of Christ to make it the matter of their contentment Dost thou call thy self a Christian and canst thou see the Son of God abased for sin put to an open shame buffetted spit upon crowned with thorns and sweating drops of blood exceedingly afflicted in soul bleeding and dying upon the Cross for sin and yet canst thou hold up thy head take a pride in sin glory in it despise reproof gain by it thrive by it rise by it get preferment by it sport and solace thy se●f with it and still own the name of a Christian What is this but to be an Enemy to the Cross of Christ harbouring in thy bosom that Enemy which fastned and nailed him to the Cross Thirdly Here'i 's ground of sound comfort for them that are in Christ He hath made full satisfaction to the Law he hath paid the debts of his people cancelled the bond of the Law redeemed them from the Curse the Law can exact no satisfaction from them he hath fully cleared all accounts There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit But of this somewhat may be spoken upon the next point The third particular followeth viz. That the Lord Iesus Christ established the Law by communicating his perfect righteousness to Believers where as in the former points there are two Branches 1. That the perfect righteousness of Christ is communicated to Believers 2. That hereby the Law is established Concerning the former ye heard before of the perfect Righteousness of Christ who both was a Lamb without spot knew no sin and performed compleat obedience to the Law and also did undergo the punishment and Curse of the Law due to the sins of men and women and so made full satisfaction to the Law Now that which is to be cleared is this That this perfect Righteousness of Christ is communicated to Believers 2. How it is received by Believers 3. What are the effects and consequents of the righteousness of Christ thus communicated and received For the first 1. The righteousness of Christ is communicated to Believers not by infusion but by imputation not so as to be inherent in them but so as to be imputed to them so as to be accounted theirs for he hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him As the sins of men were not infused into Christ so as to be inherent in him but imputed to him so the Righteousness of Christ is not infused into Believers so as to be inherent in them but is imputed to them and accounted theirs The satisfaction which Christ hath made to the Law is imputed to them that is reckoned to belong unto them as if they had satisfied the Law in their own persons So it is said of Abraham it was imputed unto him for Righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead As if a King should pardon a great Malefactour for his Fathers sake who had done some eminent service to the State his Fathers deservings might be said to be imputed to him accounted his as if they had been his own and when a surety payeth anothers debt the payment is imputed to the debtour and accounted as done by him and he is as fully discharged and esteemed out of debt as if he had paid it with his own mony so Believers have no Righteousness of their own to satisfie the justice of God but the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to them that is accounted theirs as if they had been perf●ctly righteous by performing perfect obedience and making full satisfaction in their own persons to the Law and here ye may observe who it is that imputeth the Righteousness of Christ to Believers 2. Of what nature this act of imputation is 1. It is God that imputeth the Righteousness of Christ to Believers saith the Apostle David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works it is God who imputeth Righteousness unto justification and it properly belongeth to him as the supream Judge Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Here the Apostle seemeth to set before us a representation of the highest Tribunal or Court of Judicature intimating or supposing the persons indicted the Accuser the Judge the Advocate the Persons indicted or arraigned the Elect of God true believers the Accuser implied in those words Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect the Judge God it is God that justifieth the Advocate Christ who first died and so made satisfaction for the sins of his people 2. Rose again and by this his deliverance out of the grave the prison of Death made it evident that their debts were fully discharged 3. He is at the right hand of God which is a sure argument that he is highly in the Judges favour 4. He improveth his interest in the Judge by making intercession for his people presenting his merit and Righteousness to his Father to be imputed to them and accounted theirs and therein pleading his satisfaction made in their stead for their pardon and justification But the thing for which I bring this place at the present is to shew that it is God who imputeth the righteousness of Christ to Believers it is he that justifieth God is the efficient cause the Authour of the imputation of Christ his righteousness to his people and so of their justification It is one God which shall justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith scil all sincere Believers whether Israelites or Gentiles Now the works of God toward the Creatures are the works of all the three persons of the God-head Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore Christ