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	love_n	love_v	4,903	5	6.7044	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26034	The best treasure, or, The way to be truly rich being a discourse on Ephes. 3.8, wherein is opened and commended to saints and sinners the personal and purchased riches of Christ, as the best treasure, to be pursu'd and ensur'd by all that would be happy here and hereafter / by Bartholomew Ashwood.	Ashwood, Bartholomew, 1622-1680.	1681 (1681)	Wing A3999; ESTC R16623	259,580	565

these several duties 1 Duty First Be exhorted to Thankfulness to the rich Grace of God for giving such a Treasure and Treasury as Christ is be continually offering up Praises and Thansgivings to God Flames of holy Affection be admiring the Grace of God as the Fountain and Spring of these waters of Life as the deep Mine of those glorious Treasures now to scrue up your Affections and wind up your Hearts to make way for holy Melody admiring triumphing and blessing God for giving Christ consider these following Particulars as motives to this choice duty First Consider what you were without Christ O! Christians look back and see what once you were Eph. 2. 11. Remembring that in times past you were Gentiles in the Flesh The worst of men an idolatrous sort of men Worshippers of Devils you were wild Olives Enemies to God in your minds Col. 1. 21. hateful and hateing one another Tit. 3. 3. Lying in your blood to the loathing of your persons Ezek. 16. 4 5 6. dead in Trespasses and Sins wretched miserable poor blind naked Rev. 3 17. Children of Wrath heirs of Hell born to Wrath Eph. 2. 1 2 3. under the Curse and Condemnation of the whole Law Gal. 3. 10. O lamentable state Obnoxious to Death liable to everlasting Destruction every moment no guard about you open to Devils liable to the pourings out of divine Fury and the openings of the deep Treasures of infinite Vengeance to have no security from the greatest Evils nor capacity ever to be deliver'd out of them obnoxious every minute to a fearful looking of a fiery Wrath and Indignation which shall devour the Adversary Heb. 10. 27. This was once your state Believers you were stubble ready for everlasting Burnings Fuel for that Fire that can never be quenched and Food for the Worm that never dyeth O! sad case indeed and was not freedom and deliverance from such a state a Mercy worth your highest Thanks Had you but lookt into the place of Torment and dipt your Finger into that lake of Fire and Brimstone you would have wonder'd at Redemption-mercy and adored that Grace of God that pluckt you out of it and is not your acknowledgment of preventing Grace as due now as it would have been to an actual deliverance out of these Miseries Secondly Consider what you are by Grace if you are related to Christ you are brands pluckt out of the Fire Zach. 3. 2. Bond-slaves redeemed from the Pit Zach. 9. 11. Condemned Wretches sav'd from Wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. Translated from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan into the Kindgdom of God Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. Made Sons and Daughters to God called to his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thes 2. 12. Gal. 4. 6. Crown'd and invested with a Right to his Presence and most glorious Priviledges Eph. 2. 18. 19. Under the Eye of God under divine Care infinite Grace is an Undertaker for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. O glorious State Consider further how you lye upon the Heart of God as a Seal and Signet there Cant. 8. 6. Reckoned amongst his Jewels accounted his peculiar Treasure Exod. 19. 5. Mal. 3. 17. Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1. 12. Sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus made Vessels ●itted for Mercy fill'd with Mercy devoted to Mercy Rom. 9. 23. And Heirs of Glory Jam. 2. 5. O wonderful wonderful Grace this is matter of Praises to God to all Eternity Time would fail to read over your Inventory and to look through your Treasury 't is Work for an Eternity to do O believe what you cannot see and admire what you cannot know and study out what you yet understand not of your blessed state both privatively and positively consider'd and when you have found out a little of your Happiness then look on those beneath you put your Mercies into the scale with the World's Miseries rate your Redemption-interest with the lot of Christless Souls matter of the same Lump with you think on your Acquaintance Friends Relations Neighbours that have enjoyed the same Gospel-Priviledges with you and yet these are left to their Blindness to perish in the Error of their ways and must down into the deep for ever but you are exalted and lifted up to Glory O! What cause is here for Praises blessings Thansgivings and Hallejuahs to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for evermore Thirdly Consider the greatness of that Grace which hath made you to differ Ah! Believers Redemption-grace saw nothing more in you than in Judas Demas and those that perish you were of the same Lump cut out of the same piece there was not a Jot of Difference between you and the damned but only the good pleasure of Grace only divine Mercy laid it's hand upon you O that astonishing word because it pleased him to make you his people 1 Sam. 12. 22. It was only the free grace of God that chose Jacob and left Esau Rom. 9. 13. It was not for your sakes Christians that the Lot was cast so well for you No Be it known to you O house of Israel be ashamed and confounded for ever in your own Eyes Ezek. 36. 32. The moving Cause the Wheel within the Wheel that made you adopted and others rejected was only the good Pleasure of his Will Eph. 1. 5. 7. It was from hence God so loved the World out of this Womb sprung all your Mercies it was Height of Grace Length Breadth Depth Love passing Knowledge Eph. 3. 18. 19. O ye heirs of Glory be affected astonished ravished with the sense of this rich grace of God towards you in giving Christ not only for you but to you and revealing him in you and uniting him to you by the Spirit from the same Mass of fallen man to single out some for pardon and leave others for Punishment O wonderful The Sense of this made the Apostle break out in such a holy Extasie Rom. 11. 33. O the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God O the depth A note of Exclamation and silencing wonder O consider this Love of God to your Souls 't is free Love without any Influences from the Creature full Love without Circumference or Bounds eternal Love without Beginning and without end Fruitful Love abounding in the rich Gifts and Procurements of it O the Gifts and Tokens God sends to you now and O the large store he lays up for ever for you 't is sympathyzing Love full of Bowels delighting Love full of pleasure in you 't is resting Love He will rest over them in his Love 't is immutable Love without Changes giving Love forgiving Love caring Love securing Love returning Love overcoming Love O! where shall I make an end How can you come to the bottom of this Deep wade a little further till you have lost your selves in holy wonder Can you see your brave houses fine Cloaths comfortable Relations and have such high

an hour of Salvation O Sinner be not wise too late Fourthly It is a most dreadful tremendous thing to leave the World without an Interest in Christ to be summon'd to Judgment and have nothing to help them no Mediator to plead for them no Righteousness to cover them no Duties to accompany them no Eye to pity them Isa 57. 12. chap. 30. 13. Jer. 5. 5. This is sad indeed when all Bowels are gone and boundless Miseries to be undergone Fifthly Of all perishing Sinners such as perish under the Gospel have the most dreadful Miseries Matth. 11. 21. 22. The Heathens and Pagans Publicans and Harlots shall have a more tolerable place in Hell than such as refuse a tender'd Jesus How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2. 3. O miserable Sinners sleight not Salvation tenders despise not Gospel calls but hasten away to this Redeemer Secondly Let the People of God be exhorted first to bless God for this Mediator Eph. 1. 3. Christ is the Fountain of Blessings the Author of Salvation the Gift of God and have you no Hosanna's for the Enjoyment of so rich a person 1 Joh. 4. 9 10. Secondly Ply hard the Throne of Grace find Work for Christ Heb. 4. 15 16. Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace make known your Requests unto God Phil. 4. 6. Consider Soul You have always need of Mercy not a Moment but you want Supplies from God for Soul and Body your Corruptions are alwayes resisting the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. never at peace with Grace but as a Bow that is bent are still pressing after their former Liberty and as Waters penn'd back are striving to force their way therefore Christians you alwayes need the Spirit 's help and fresh Supplies of Grace your Guilt is always encreasing James 3. 2. The Righteous falleth seven times a day hence daily Sacrifices were appointed because of daily Sins Heb. 7. 27. Your Temptations are continually renewed 1 Pet. 5. 8. New Tryals are daily falling on you new Difficulties are frequently occurring your Life new Troubles and Afflictions are constantly betiding you This is God's appointed way in which he will give out Mercy Ezek. 36. 37. Matth. 7. 7. 'T is true sometimes God hears before we ask but yet preventing Mercy doth not excuse from Duty and we have no ground to expect Mercy out of the way of Duty You are invested with a holy Priest-hood on purpose that you may be much employed in this Work 1 Pet. 2. 5. Your Work and Offices lies in this to offer up daily Sacrifices to God by Christ The Lord Jesus waits in Heaven to receive your Prayers 't is his Business and work in Glory to pursue your Advantages and therefore he expects to hear from you 9. Heb. 24. As an Agent that expects to hear from his Clyent and receive Intimation about his Condition as a Friend in a forreign Country that is hearkning for Letters from his Friend Christ in Heaven desires to hear from his People on Earth not that he is ignorant of them or needs to be put in Remembrance but this way are his Graces in them exercised their Love and Duty maintain'd and himself glorified Isa 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious In the Original it is he longs and as it were greedily and enlargedly desires an Occasion to be gracious he waits in Heaven to be pu● in Remembrance to do his People good This way is their blessed Intercourse maintained betwixt Christ in Heaven and Believers on Earth by this Christ hears from them on Earth and they from him in Heaven Cant. 2. 14. chap. 8. 13 14. Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the Companions hearken to thy Voice cause me to hear it 'T is in the Original Cause to hear me which occasions a twofold reading First Cause me to he heard they are Christs Words to his Spouse Let me be the Subject of thy Discourse to others Secondly Cause me to hear it that is let me be spoken to let me hear thy Voice in Prayer as a man desires to hear from his Wife when absent and in the next vers She eccho's back the same Request to Christ that he would hasten his Return to her that she might have his Company also by Prayer Christ and Believers have sweet Intercourse with each other Cant. 1. 7 8. chap. 2. 5. 8. The Lord Jesus is wonderfully delighted to hear from his People Cant. 2. 14. chap. 4. 11. chap. 6. 13. Return Return O Shulamite c. This word Shulamite comes either from Solomon and so her Husbands name is named on her or from Salem Peace which is Jerusalem shewing her Descent to be from Jerusalem above hence Christ desires her Company because it was pleasure to him to look upon her her Countenance was as two Armies it is in the Original Mahanaim the same word that Jacob puts on the place where God met him Gen. 32. 1. 2. As if Christ should say thy Sight is Angelical to me tho thou art impure in thy self yet thou art fair in mine Eye 'T is a mighty thriving way there 's no such course can be taken to grow rich apace in divine Treasures Prayer is the Key that opens Christ Treasury and fetches out the Riches of Heaven because such may have of God what they will Joh. 15. 7. God is always giving where gracious Souls are rightly asking God's readiness to give should be an Argument always to crave as Sir Walter Raleigh when Q. Eliz. ask'd him when he would leave off beging answered when your Majesty leaves off giving Thirdly Trust to an interceding Jesus expect all your Mercies from him Psal 5. 3. In the Morning I will direct my Prayer to thee and look up the Arabick and some other Versions have it I will prepare or stand before him and he will see me But this agrees not with the Original where 't is I will order or dispose my Prayer as a General doth his Army and will look out as a man that watches on a Tower to see what I can espy and what Answer he will give By a Metonomy it signifies to expect or look for some thing Matth. 22. 21. In his Name shall the Gentiles trust The Lord Jesus is the sure and certain Object of a Believers Trust O Christians is Christ entred into Heaven there to appear for his People O then depend upon his Intercession expect all your needed Mercies by him take up your Acquiescence in his Mediation for you rest satisfied Believers that your case is good and it shall be well with you in every Condition because Christ intercedeth for you Now to strengthen your Dependance on Christ Consider His Engagement to the Father to become your Advocate Heb. 10. 9. Joh. 6. 39. His Promise to Believers to pursue their Cause in Heaven Joh. 14. 16. And his full Accomplishments with whatever is needful to compleat this Work He is infinitely wise and knows how to