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	life_n	work_n	7,030	5	6.3476	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56307	A serious exhortation to an holy life, or conversation With a clear discovery of the nature of it, what it is. The means of attaining it. The trials of it, how it may be known. The motives, or inducements to it. Or, a profitable companion for conversion. Confirmation. Illumination. Consolation. By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1663 (1663)	Wing P4240; ESTC R222001	22,777	109

these few for the whole Although good Works and an holy Life be not the cause of our Salvation yet they are the way to the Kingdom though not the cause of reigning Christ did not free us from the debt of sin to deliver us from the debt of service but he did the one freely that we might do the other chearfully We must be found in the way of Holiness in point of Conversation otherwise we should walk unworthy of God unworthy of the Gospel and unworthy of our Vocation We shall never enjoy what is promised unless we endeavour to do what is commanded for without Faith in Christ and obedience to Christ there is no promise of Life and Salvation by Christ An holy Conversation must be pract●sed by us because it hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. An holy Conversation is of necessity as a distinguishing Character of the people of God from others that pretend to it but are not so All opinions amongst all Professours however differing in other things yet in the necessity of an Holy Life they agree all Printing Preaching and contending for Sanctification good Works or an Holy Life Then of the first although good Works be not the Cause of our reigning yet they are the way to the Kingdom ordained by the Lord that we should walk in them and so go out by the foot-steps of the Saints and so to walk as we have Christ and his people for an example 1 John 2. 6. compared with Phil. 3. 17. This is the strait gate and the narrow way to the Kingdom to the which that way leads not which sets us not upon the new and living way the true and onely way the safe and straight way The Lord Jesus Christ did not free us from the debt of sin to free us from the debt of service but he did freely do the one that we might chearfully return the other therefore obedience or an holy Life is brought in as the very end of our Election Redemption Vocation and new Creation as abundantly appears by these Scriptures Ephes 1. 4. 2. Cor. 5. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 15. Ephes 2. 20. The Blood of Christ doth both sanctifie and satisfie both in respect of Sanctification and Justification so that we have still need of a serious Exhortation to an Holy Life and Conversation Because if our Conversation be not answerable to our Profession we walk unworthy of God unworthy of the Gospel and unworthy of our Vocation Unworthy of God that you have Colos 1. 10. 1 Thes 2. 12. Unworthy of the Gospel that we have Phillippians 1. 27. Unworthy of our Vocation that we have Ephesians 4. 1. We read 1 Thes 4. 3 4. This is the will of God even our sanctification that we abstain from fornication that every one of us should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour see 1 Thes 4. 7. We shall never enjoy what is promised unlesse we at least endeavour to do what is commanded for without faith in Christ and obedience to him there is no promise of life and salvation by him viz. Now he hath commanded us to endeavour to know him believe in him love him and repent of all our miscarriages against him c. To which he hath made many promises but as before we shall not receive and enjoy what is promised unlesse we perform what is commanded as doth at large appear viz. Not knowing of God he will not have mercy upon us Isa 27. 11. Not repenting we shall assuredly perish Luke 13. 5. Not being zealous for him he will spew us out of his mouth Rev. 3. 16. Not being meek we are an abomination to him Prov. 3. 32. Not being merciful we shall have judgement without mercy Jam. 2. 13. Not believing in him we shall all perish John 3. 18. Not loving him we are and shall be accursed 1 Cor. 16. 22. Not eating the Flesh and drinking the Blood of the Son of God we have no life in us John 6. 53. An holy Conversation or godliness hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. It hath the promise of the blessings of this life Deut. 28. 3 4 5 6. Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field blessed shalt thou be in the Basket and blessed shalt thou be in the Store blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out c. What shall I say more Godliness hath all the choice promises of God annexed to it viz. Godliness doth bring true peace quiet and comfort to the soul nay it leads a soul to have communion with God and his people so that Godliness here is the way to eternal glory hereafter An holy Life and Conversation is of necessity to distinguish between one that serveth God and him that serveth him not viz. He that is a servant of God will let us know it by his obedience to him Rom. 6. 16. He that is one of Christs flock will hear and obey his voice John 10. 27. He that hath an interest in the promises will cleanse himself from the filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. If Christ hath dyed for you let us see it by your living to him 2 Cor. 5. 15. He that is Christs will crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 24. Those whom Christ hath chosen to salvation it is through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes 2. 13. He that hath Faith in Christ will let it appear by his works Jam. 2. 18 c. All sorts of people pretending to Godliness agree in this That there is a necessity of an Holy Life and Conversation onely the Papist and Quaker with some others lay too great a stress upon it not considering that we are so far from meriting by our Works of mercy that our works of mercy stand in need of mercy but to our work of an holy Life and Conversation let me instance but in two Scriptures Gen. 22. 2 3 4. in this Scripture we have the story of Abraham in his holy conversation and obedience to God in offering up his Son Well in fine God commanded him to offer up his Son in which consider these six things Had he been to part with a dutiful Servant it had been something but to part with a dutiful Son that is more If with a Sonne had it been an adopted Son the tryal had not been so great but this was a natural Son If with a naturall Son had it been one of many the triall had not been so great but this was his own and onely Son If with his own and only Son yet if he had been young and so likely to have had more the tryal had not been so great but he was never like to have more and this Son was his Isaac a childe of many prayers and of

trials when all things do fail free Grace and love doth never fail Heb. 13. 5. compared with Joshua 1. 5. our nearest and dearest friends may fail our eyes may fail our tongues may fail our strength may fail our flesh and our hearts may fail our spirits may fail but the Lord hath promised that he will never fail nor forsake us Josh 21. 45. and 1 Kings 8. 56. what shall I say more the pure glorious matchless and spotless Righteousness of Jesus Christ is a souls righteousness and resting place But he that understands not this Doctrine his life must needs be a burthen to him he is apt to spend his dayes in sorrow and mourning sighing and complaining in doubting and questioning sometimes saying within himself my confidence is but presumption and my enjoyments are but delusions Whereas on the contrary he that understands receives and abides in the Doctrine of Grace doth rest satisfied in God alone in this rest there is tranquility in tranquility contentment in contentment joy in joy variety in variety security in security an assured hope of eternity This Doctrine is that by which Satan is or shall be overthrown and his kingdom turned up-side down it was Satan that tempted our first Parents to eat the forbidden Fruit it was Satan that put Cain upon murdering Abel it was Satan that provoked David to number the people it was Satan that put Peter upon perswading of Christ not to suffer it was Satan that put treason into the heart of Judas it was Satan that put Ananias upon lying Now there are no weapons but spiritual weapons that will stead the soul in combating with the Devil and what greater weapon hath the Lord put into our hands than this free love of Christ to us Ephes 6. 13. to the 16. This is the Doctrine that Satan doth most war against either to pervert or corrupt as those who know his wiles may easily perceive Oh! how hath Satan caused the Church of Rome to pervert and corrupt this Doctrine The Papist saith if we are freely justified by Grace we need not do any good works and if we cannot fall from Grace we need not fear to commit sinne How hath he corrupted and perverted this Doctrine in the Quaker Arminian and Formalist it would be endless to reckon up his wiles herein This Doctrine is one of the hardest points in Religion to be learned it being above the reach of nature and all natural parts c. To do well and have well is natural but to believe and live well is supernatural to be righteous by anothers righteousness and to be saved by anothers suffering these are mysteries and paradoxes which no natural man perceiveth 1 Cor. 2. 14. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discern'd so that as in 1 Cor. 1. 21. The world by wisdom knew not God but remains ignorant of the Righteousness of God and so go about to establish their own Righteousness and seek salvation as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9. 32. not considering that it is impossible to obtain salvation hereafter or any firm settled peace here if our confidence towards God be grounded upon our own best and choicest performances seeing there is something polluted and something defective for all our duties are tainted with disproportion to rule and beleapor'd with spots and blots so that it is in vain to expect a bed of rest in the barren wilderness of our own performances for that bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is too narrow for one to wrap himself in it O the spots the blots the blemishes that are to be seen upon the face of our fairest duties so that the best of us may say with the Prophet Isa 64. 6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags therefore let us say no more to the works of our own hands Ye are our gods for in the true God the Fatherless finde mercy Hosea 14. 3. Therefore in vain is salvation hoped for from the Hills or from the multitudes of Mountains therefore let us not be like the Spider spinning out a Web of his own and so think to climb up to Heaven by a thred spun out of our own bowels no no that will not do the Law that we have broken must have a perfect personall universall and perpetuall obedience or else we remain under the curse from which there is nothing that can relieve us but that which is answerable to the evil of sin Now there is no righteousnesse in the world that is proportionable to the evil of sin but the righteousness of Christ onely For Our own righteousness is too short and is called a menstruous rag and so cannot cover us and menstruous so that if it should cover us it were but to cover filth with filth Neither is the righteousness of the Law large enough if a man could keep it because it will not acquit us for former disobedience see Gal. 3. 21. compared with Rom. 8. 3 4. Neither can the righteousness of all the Angels do it because this also is a created righteousness a finite righteousness and no way proportionable to the evil of sinne If we should weep as many tears as the Sea holds drops and humble our souls as many dayes as the world hath stood minutes all this were too short to purchase the pardon of one sin if the stung Israelites had made a medicine of all the best Herbs in the Wilderness and a plaister of all the sovereign ingredients in the whole world and applyed it with Mountains of Prayers and Seas of tears this would not have helped them if withall they did not look upon the Brazen Serpent the free grace of God in Jesus Christ In a word God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from Free Grace That the worst of sinners might have strong ground for hope and comfort For the praise of his own glory and exaltation of his own Grace That vain man may not boast That our mercies and blessings might be sure to us Yet for all this let men have a care that in crying down the righteousness of works they do not cry down the works of righteousness Object If there be a reward hereafter for our Works how can it be of Grace Answ It is of Grace that the Lord doth put it into our hearts to minde it It is of Grace that the Lord doth enable us to do it It is of Grace that Works shall be rewarded seeing they are but our duty And so much for the Doctrine of Grace now we come to the Doctrine of Works Object If our Election Vocation Regeneration Justification Sanctification Acceptation and Salvation be of Grace and onely of Grace what need is there of so much crying up and pressing of Works or an Holy Life and Conversation Answ There are many strong prevailing Arguments to engage us and all people to an Holy Life notwithstanding all is of Grace take

Heb. 12. 22. The Court of God and of Christ wherein are an innumerable company of Saints and Angels Heb. 12. 23 24. It is better sure to creep towards Heaven though through the valley of tears then to gallop towards hell upon the mountains of pleasure The sad condition of all that want it Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. As he that hath called us is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy as I am holy Rev. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into heaven any thing that defileth nor those that work abomination or make a lye c. Well the holy nature of God will not permit the unclean man or woman to come into his presence no Psal 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell 2 Thess 1. 8. The Lord will come in flaming fire taking vengeance on all them that obey not the Gospel c. In the mean time whilest they remain here they are accursed in their going out and in their coming in in the basket and in the store and in every thing that they put their hand unto Deut. 28. Again consider what names all those who want this holy life and conversation are known by in the Scriptures of truth viz. Sometimes they are called filthy dreamers defiling the flesh Ep. Jude ver 8. raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame ver 13. Natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed that shall utterly perish in their own corruption 2 Pet. 2. 12. Wells without water clouds that are carried with a tempest to whom the mist of darknesse is reserved for ever ver 17. A generation of vipers Matth. 3. 7. Ye serpents how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23. 33. In a word the Scriptures call them Lions for their fiercenes Bears for their cruelty and Dragons for their hideousnesse Dogs for their filthinesse Wolves and Foxes for their subtlety if this be not enough the Scriptures of truth stiles them Scorpions vipers thorns briars thistles brambles stubble dirt dust chaffe dross smoak scum unclean birds Rev. 18. 2. The Devil is said to be their master Rom 6. 16. The Devil is said to be their father John 8. 44. The Devil is said to be their Prince John 12. 31. The Devil is said to be their god 2 Cor. 4. 4. Now lay all these things together and consider if the joyes of heaven on the one hand and the torments of hell on the other hand will not prevail with us to witness a holy life and conversation in our practice I do not know what will certainly the sad condition of all that want this holy life will farther appear by these particulars His or her sad condition at the hour of death Their sad condition at the day of Judgement The torments they are like to suffer in Hell The duration of that hellish state Of the hour of Death Death in Scripture is called the King of Terrours it hath something to say to every one and would fain be heard but most of the sons and daughters of men are not at leasure to hear what he hath to say they put that off to the last year and when that is come to the last moneth of that year and when that is come to the last week of that moneth and when that is come to the last day of that week and when that is come to the last hour of that day and when that is come to the last minute of that hour not considering that death meets us every where and enters in at every door viz. by a full meal or an empty stomach by much wine or want of wine by heat or cold by violent motion or sitting still by every thing in providence by every thing in nature by every thing in chance well in comes death and looks you grim and black in the face then you fall into a cold sweat over all your body and a trembling in all your joynts the Head aketh the Face waxeth pale the Nose black the Eye-strings break the Tongue faltereth the Throat ratleth then come thy friends and trouble thee as fast to have thee put thy goods in order some crying some craving some pittying some comforting of the sick party If he look up he seeth Gods judgements ready to fall upon him if he look down he seeth Hell mouth open ready to receive him if he look about him loe a company of evill spirits ready to snatch his soul from him live he cannot to dye he is afraid and what to do he cannot tell whereas had he lived an holy Life and Conversation he at the hour of death would now comfort himself and say as good Hezekiah doth Isa 38. 2 3. Hezekiah prayed and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight so the Lord added to his dayes fifteen years Oh! that we were wise that we understood this that we would consider our latter end Deut. 32. 29. and great cause have we so to do for our body is but a cottage of clay and that so frail and crasie that were it not once or twice a day daubed over it would fall about our ears What are our bodies but a Magazine and Hospitall of all Diseases and these are fore-runners of Death when Diseases are in the House Death is at the Threshold when Sickness is in the Chamber Death is at the Window Oh! that the Lord would teach us so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Let us consider his sad condition at the day of Judgement that wants this holy Conversation viz. there is brought in a Bill of Endictment never such a Bill put up against the greatest offender in any Court of men The Bill of Endictment it self runs thus viz. Thou art here accused for a multitude of sins of omission neglecting to do thy duty to God to Superiors Inferiors and all Relations For sinning both secretly and openly to the dishonour of God the grief of his people and opening the mouth of enemies For sinning against Gods holy Ordinances in neglecting or abusing them For sinning against all Gods Mercies to thee in abusing health wealth liberty parts and gifts For abusing both the Mercies and Judgements of God therefore now he will deprive thee of the one and consume thee by the other For sinning against the checks of thine own Conscience if Conscience be not a bridle it will be a whip if it be not a curb it will be a scourge if you will not hear the warnings you shall feel the lashes of it if it doth not restrain from sin by admonition it will put you to pay for sin by contrition c. For sinning against the motions of Gods Spirit in resisting and grieving