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	reward_n	work_n	2,765	5	6.8633	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02741	Tvvo treatises I. The purchase of Grace, shewing the excellency of Christ, and the graces of his spirit. II. The soules delight in Gods tabernacles, shewing the excellency of time, spent in duties of God's solemne service. Instances in the chiefe, viz. prayer, word, and sacraments. Motives and directions for right performance. Lastly, the chiefe usurpers of time discovered, with apt remedies against each of them. The contents of the booke are methodically exprest in the margent, which to the diligent reader may serve instead of a table. By William Harrison, Mr. of Arts, and minister of the Gospell at Canwicke neare Lincolne.	Harrison, William, minister at Canwick.	1639 (1639)	STC 12871; ESTC S103879	208,196	400

for this purpose 2 Pet. 1. 5. 11. Wherefore giving all diligence adde to your faith vertue and to your vertue knowledge c. adde one grace to another grow in the number of graces and grow in their measure too If these things be in you and abound sayth the Apostle Ver. 9. see the benefit of this Ver. 11. For so an entrance shall be made unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord Jesus Christ here is an entrance into the kingdome of grace which also assureth us of our interest in the kingdome of glorie Rom. 6. 22. Having your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life True holinesse and growth in grace is the plaine and direct way to true happines and everlasting life Fourthly and lastly The more grace and holines we attaine unto here the more glory and happinesse is reserved in heaven for us for though God doe not reward us for our workes yet he will certainly reward us according to our workes so that the more diligence in Gods service the more glory hereafter This seemeth most clearely intimated in that Parable of the Talents Mat. 25. he that gained most had best reward Vnto him that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance Ver. 29. He that is most abundant in the worke of the Lord shall be sure to have abundance of wages Let this also perswade us to grow in grace that our reward in heaven may be the greater They that doe much in Gods service and suffer much in the good cause of God shall have the greater reward in heaven Rejoyce and be exceeding glad sayth our Saviour to his Disciples for great is your reward in heaven Mat. 5. 12. They that take great paines in Gods service shall have an eternall and an exceeding weight of glory for their reward 2 Cor. 4. 7. This encouraged Moses Heb. 11. 26. He esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward sayth the Text. Now the meanes that we must use that we may grow in grace are especially these two first The right use of Gods Ordinances and secondly Holy meditations First The right and conscionable use of Gods ordinances The Word and Sacraments and Prayer Loe here the best way and meanes to grow rich in grace and full of spirituall wealth First The Ministery of the Word read and faithfully preached it is the Word of eternall life Ioh. 6. 68. the meanes to quicken a dead soule at first and the chiefe meanes to preserve the same spirituall life and to helpe us to grow and increase in grace Two singular and most pertinent testimonies wee have for this purpose The one 1 Pet. 2. 1. As new borne Babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that you may grow thereby The ministery of the Word is not onely the meanes of our regeneration at first 1 Pet. 1. 23. Iam. 1. 18. but is the meanes also to helpe us grow up unto perfection Desire the sincere milke of the Word that yee may grow thereby sayth the Apostle The other testimony to this purpose is that of the Apostle Paul in his valediction to the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. when he was to depart from them and foresaw that they should see his face no more never enjoy his bodily presence or heare him preach againe see what he especially commendeth to their daily use and constant practise Ver. 32. And now brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you farther and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified i. e. give daily attendance to this ply this taske follow this worke close for the Word of his grace will build you up still farther and farther and will never cease working in you untill it bring you to heaven and translate you from grace to glory Secondly The right and religious use of the Sacraments of Baptisme and of the Lords Supper these seales of righteousnesse will exceedingly further our progresse in pietie and growth in grace How can a man that is of a good constitution feed on dainties and wholesome food and not grow strong and well liking by that meanes so how can a man eat the very body of Christ and drinke his very blood in the Sacrament as every worthy receiver doth spiritually but he must needs grow strong in the grace of Christ Iesus For my flesh is meate indeede and my blood is drinke indeede sayth our blessed Saviour Ioh. 6. 35. And hereupon he inferreth Ver. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him that is such an one hath speciall communion with Christ and interest in all his merits and the benefit of his obedience active and passive which how can he enjoy but he must needs grow in grace Thirdly Prayer is a chiefe Ordinance of God by no meanes to be neglected nay which must be used as a meanes to bring Gods blessing upon the former this is the way and meanes to make the Word and Sacraments effectuall unto us so that in the neglect of this meanes little benefit is to be expected from the diligent use of the former so that he that would grow in grace must be a daily petitioner at the Throne of grace and direct his course to the God of all grace by prayer for the increase of the graces of Gods Spirit in him For as every good and perfect gift cometh from aboue at the first Iam. 1. 17. So the increase of those gifts must needs also proceede from above He onely that beginneth the good worke of grace in his Elect at the first is onely able to perfect that worke which he hath begunne Phil. 1. 6. And therefore as the Apostle was confident concerning them so let us be fervent and importunate in our requests to him for our selves that as he hath begunne the good worke of grace in us so he would encrease it in us daily and bring it unto perfection Thus the Apostles direct their course unto Christ by prayer for the increase of their faith Luk. 17. 5. The Disciples sayd unto the Lord Lord increase our faith Thus Paul for the Philippians Phil. 1. 9. 11. And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and in all judgement and that yee might be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse Encrease of grace as well as grace it selfe must needs be the gift of God For of him and through him and from him are all things sayth the Apostle Rom. 11. 36. Secondly The second generall meanes that we must use to grow in grace is holy Meditations This hath furthered the growth of grace in Gods Saints heretofore they have beene abundant and constant in pious and holy meditations Psal. 1. 4. A godly mans delight is in the Law of the Lord and it is his meditation

for the wicked it is not so with them they may have a faire golden shew untill they come to the melting but no hypocrite can abide this fiery tryall herein the true Christian out-strippeth the temporarie as our Saviour sheweth evidently Luk. 8. with Mat. 13. 21. Yet hath he no roote in himselfe but endureth for a season Why so He answereth For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended He is not able to abide the scorching heate of persecution in and for the good cause of God So that this fire of persecution is fit to try every mans worke whether it be gold and silver or hay and straw or stubble Pertinent is that of the Apostle to this purpose in 1 Cor. 3. 12 13. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver c. or wood hay or stubble every mans worke shall be made manifest How Because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans worke of what sort it is That is true grace indeed that abideth the fiery tryall But a question may here not unfitly be moved sc. Whether an hypocrite may not hold out even unto death and abide the tryall of the fire Yes He may stifly hold out and persist in some course that he hath begunne and rather give his body to be burned then forsake it This the Apostle seemeth to intimate 1 Cor. 13. 3. Though I give my body to be burned and have not charitie it profiteth me nothing But yet first it is not in or properly for the good Word of God that he thus suffereth but as a busie body out of some odde humour or proud factious disposition Now it is properly the cause and not the punishment that maketh a martyr and therefore sayth our Saviour Mat. 13. 21. When tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word he is offended A Christians suffering is and must be well grounded upon the Word else he suffereth not as a Christian but as a busie body 1 Pet. 4. 15 16. Secondly If his cause in which he snffereth be good yet he suffereth without charitie not out of love either to God or his truth but out of selfe-love and so is worth nothing So that he that will hold out in a good cause even unto death and that in obedience to God and out of love to his truth the graces of such a man are pure gold indeed CHAP. IV. Containing the use of Consolation THirdly This Doctrine serveth for comfort and consolation to such as are truely godly and religious whatsoever thy condition be for outward things yet it is splendid and glorious within thou art truely rich rich towards God an heart full of saving grace is more worth then a purse full of gold Put case that in respect of any temporall wealth thou canst truely say with the Apostle Acts 3. 6. Silver and gold have I none yet if thou hast plentie of true saving grace thou art a rich man in Gods account full of spirituall wealth thou art rich towards God Luk. 12. 22. which is the best riches in the world God esteemeth thee more highly for thy inward wealth sc. that thou art truely golden and religious then men can despise thee for thy outward povertie and know this also for thy comfort that though the foolish blind world doe despise thee for thy povertie yet God thinketh never a whit the worse of thee in that regard for he regardeth not the rich more then the poore Iob 34. 19. Yea he thinketh better of every godly poore man then he doth of any ungodly rich man whatsoever Pro. 28. 6. Better is the poore that walketh in his integritie then he that is perverse in his wayes though he be rich A godly poore man is able to say with the Apostle in some measure 2 Cor. 5. 1. Wee know that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved we have a building of God not made with hands eternall in the heavens But the wicked though never so rich yet if he be impenitent shall be turned into hell and all that forget God Yea every godly poore man that is rich in grace and endued with the true feare of God findeth better acceptance with God then any ungodly rich man whatsoever Acts 10. 35. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him sayth the Apostle Oh how this should comfort us against the reproaches and aspersions of the world sc. that in the meane time God himselfe doth kindly accept of us and hath us in singular love for his Sonnes sake yea will manifest this love one day before men and Angels in bestowing no lesse then a Kingdome upon us Luk. 12. 32. Feare not little flocke for it is my Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome yea the great and glorious Kingdome of Heaven is provided as well for godly poore men as for the richest persons in the world Jam. 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren sayth the Apostle hath not God chosen the poore of the world rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him Oh how this may comfort us in regard of outward poverty It will keepe no man out of heaven that hath an heart full of the golden graces of Gods Spirit no more then outward wealth of it selfe can keepe a man out of hell Luk. 16. The rich man there notwithstanding all his wealth was deeply plunged into hell and Lazarus even poore Lazarus was caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome Onely be sure that the gold which thou hast is true and right gold and not counterfeit And therefore againe and againe I exhort every one that desireth to have interest in the comfort now propounded that he be sure he be not deluded nor gulled in this case with feigned gold and counterfeit metall in stead of true saving grace indeed Now because it is on the one side so easie a thing to be deceived withall so exceeding hard and difficult for a man to be well assured that his graces are sincere besides what you have already heard in the former use I will give you two or three other signes by which you may understand that the golden graces of Gods Spirit in you are sound and not counterfeit First He that hath true grace right gold indeed will be carefull to use it to Gods glory and the good of others he is no niggard of it nor layeth it up in a Napkin but is very free and liberall in communicating what he hath for the benefit of others he is not content to be religious himselfe alone but doth earnestly desire carefully endeavour that others may have true grace and become religious as well as himselfe and his very speeches and whole cariage will manifest no lesse Psal. 37. 30 31. The mouth of

of the means to get grace which seemeth fitly annexed to the former Treatise for if true saving grace be a jewell of such worth then time spent in the use of the best meanes to get grace must needs be the best spent time For how can any that earnestly thirst after saving grace spend their time better then in diligent attendance upon the Word of Gods grace which is able to build us up farther and farther and to give us an inheritance among all them that are sanctified as the Apostle speaketh Act. 20. 32 Oh how justly may a man take up a lamentation in regard of the general defect amongst men in the wofull mis-spending of their precious time Men doe even take care how to passe away that precious time which is never to be recalled but of it selfe passeth away as the most swift Ships Now the desire of my soule is not onely to bewaile this dangerous sinne of wasting and mis-spending of precious time but also to doe my best endeavour to reform this generall and monstrous abuse this way To this end I have endeavoured to stop the streame and to turne the water into the right channell by giving direction for the right spending of our precious time and have earnestly laboured to evince thus much sc. That time spent in Gods service is absolutely and incomparably the best spent time and therefore have earnestly perswaded that we should not only begin to serve God betimes even in our youth c. but also that we should be constant and abundant in the duties of Gods worship and service after we have once begun Concerning all which I have given sundry motives and directions Loe here the summe and substance of the whole booke and of both these Treatises which as they seeme fitly united together so being upon occasion to look abroad in publike they seem to be most fitly Dedicated to you the Worshipfull Company or bodie of the Company of the mysterie of Mercers To you therefore Right Worshipfull the Master and Head of this beautifull and comely bodie consisting of great varietie of Worshipfull and worthy members doe I offer and present this my poore and unworthy present which notwithstanding if the manner of handling was correspondent to the matter it selfe I durst then presume to say t' was right worthy of you though in respect of the manner of illustration of them I have justly and fitly called unworthy To you therefore are these fruits of my poore labours dedicated by whose encouragement the Author himselfe hath beene supported and better enabled to proceede in the worke of his Ministery Accept therefore I pray you of this poore paper as a publike testimony to the world of my thankefull acknowledgement of your noble favours towards me and kinde and speciall respect unto me By perusall whereof you may happily be encouraged to proceede in the good worke which you have begunne so mainely importing not onely my good in particular but also the good of sundry others who will have cause I hope to blesse God for you that he hath beene pleased to make you the worthy instruments of upholding the meanes of grace among them yea and to establish for their good the spirituall Market of their soules that they may now come and buy freely bread milke and wine without money and without price as the Prophet speaketh Isa. 55. 1 2. Yea the desire of my soule is that these first fruits of my labours may taste and relish so sweetly in the palate of your soules that you may hereby see cause never to repent you of the pains which you have take and the cost which you have this way expended but may still be perswaded to continue your loving respects towards me and your zeale to the cause of God which is hereby greatly advanced and furthered by you and so discharge the trust committed to you by that late famous and admirably charitable and worthy Gentleman Mr. Richard Fishburne who committed money to your trust to be both religiously and charitably employed Which trust how faithfully you have discharged as it is best knowne to God and to your owne consciences which are as so many thousand witnesses so I my selfe am not ignorant of your noble worthy proceedings but out of my experience to my comfort and your credit am able both to speake and to write of your fidelitie and liberalitie which you are wont to use in these cases besides also that I am well acquainted with your dealings with others besides my selfe on this behalfe Most gladly therefore do I take hold on this opportunitie to manifest unto the world my thankefull acknowledgment of your speciall respect to me in this case and of this your noble courtesie As the benefits therefore which I have received from you are publike and manifest unto so many so likewise doe I desire that my acknowledgement hereof should not onely be reall and heartie but publike also For I have not yet forgotten though so many yeares agoe how freely and kindely I was chosen by you to participate in the fruits and pledges of your love after with all diligence you had sufficient tryall both of my sufficiency and also of the unblameablenesse of my life and conversation as touching both which I trust you have ever since been fully satisfied In most gratefull manner also I doe acknowledge with what peace and quietnesse for sundry yeares together I freely did partake in ●he fruits of your love towards me neither was I ever at any time sithence disturbed or molested by you but rather most kindely supported by you against the molestation of others yea and for the present amidst the dangers and difficulties wherewith I am not only pressed but oppressed also my chiefe hope and expectation of reliefe in this case next under God is wholly from you neither doe I well know what to doe but mine eyes are upon you and not onely mine but also the eyes of sundry others both in Citie and Countrey are steadily fixed on you expecting what the issue and event will be Goe on therefore nobly still and with your wisedome and undaunted courage vindicate the cause in hand and cleere those difficulties and great encumbrances which are lately fallen upon the Rectorie which I do enjoy and consequently upon my selfe whereunto let these poore labours of mine encourage you together with the goodnesse and amiable beautie of the cause it selfe For if true saving grace be of such rare worth and value then surely the cost and paines that is bestowed to uphold the means of grace must likewise needs be well employed These Treatises were severall Sermons preached in the Countrey among the people committed to my Charge and good reason me thinketh it is that I should give some speciall account of my labours to you from whose hands I have received the greatest part of my maintenance and that constantly for more then seven yeares together Which endeavours of mine if plaine and homely are notwithstanding thus far

the righteous speaketh wisedome his tongue will be talking of judgement the Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps slide Such a man followeth that golden rule of the Apostle Col. 4. 6. Let your speech be alwayes gracious seasoned with salt such as may minister grace to the hearers when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren saith our Saviour Luk. 22. 32. Loe the concomitant and inseparable consequent of true conversion See this disposition in divers That man that hath true grace himselfe earnestly desires and endeavoureth that others may be truely good as well as himselfe See it in one that had very little time to live after his conversion and that is the Thiefe on the Crosse Luk. 23. 40. He vindicateth our Saviours innocency confesseth his own and his fellowes just punishment earnestly laboureth the conversion of his companion that as they had lived wickedly so his earnest desire was that they might both die penitently Fearest thou not God sayth he rebuking his fellow seeing thou art in the same condemnation i. e. Oh feare God repent and turne truely to him c. So that as he prayed for himselfe unto our Saviour so he sought earnestly the conver●ion and spirituall good of his partner I might likewise instance in David Psal. 51. 13. Then shall I teach thy wayes unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee No good man is content to goe to Heaven alone but earnestly desireth company The woman of Samaria telleth her neighbours of our Saviour when shee was throughly wrought upon and converted her selfe I might give you sundry instances to this purpose but I will content my selfe with one onely and that is the Apostle Paul see what a speciall care and respect he had for the good of others observe that speech of his Rom. 10. 1. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved This made him so abundant in labours especially in travelling to preach the Gospell because hee earnestly desired and endeavoured the conversion of others Yea such was his earnest desire this way that he seemed to preferre the salvation of his Country-men the Iewes before his own eternall happinesse and salvation An admirable place to this purpose is that which we have Rom. 9. 3. For I could wish my selfe separate and accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh yea he sought earnestly the conversion and salvation both of Jewes and Gentiles even every man if he could possible Colos. 1. 28. Teaching and admonishing in all wisedome that I might present every man perfect in Christ Iesus Yea consider the speech of his to Agrippa Acts 26. 27 28 29. Almost thou perswadest mee to become a Christian saith the King See what an admirable answer hee returneth speaking out of the abundance of gracious love and the heavenly affection that was in his heart I would to God that not onely thou but all that heare me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds O golden Paul Oh gracious soule that is desirous that other even all others were truely religious as well as himselfe I pray let us all try our selves by this note Where is our care and earnest desire for the good of others especially our families and those that are committed to our charge Yea what cause have they to consider this that are so farre from endevouring the conversion of others that they doe labour to quench those beginnings of true grace which they see in any Yea and are enemies to Gods people only for their piety and hate them because they follow the thing that is good Well to say no more in this case the truth is this argueth that these men are not onely empty and voyde of all true grace but even full of the spirit of Sathan and Antichrist it is even unto such a fearefull token of perdition as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 1. 28. Secondly hee that hath true grace indeed is not content with that measure of grace which he hath for the present but earnestly coveteth after more for though he be no niggard of it yet he is withall a good husband with it and laboureth daily to encrease it yea hee is the more liberall in this case and is the more ready and willing to impart what graces hee hath for the good of others because hee knoweth that it is one speciall way and meanes to augment and increase his store For as a great deale layd up in a napkin will quickly come to just nothing so a little well improved will quickly bee increased as our Saviour saith fitly in this very case Matth. 25. 31. For unto him that hath shall bee given and hee shall have abundance None so desirous to grow and increase in grace as they that have good store of grace already he that hath thirtie is very desirous of sixtie and hee that hath attained to sixtie is not well contented untill he have an hundred fold Oh that we would try our selves by this note Wouldest thou be sure that the grace which thou hast is not counterfeit but sound and good Where is then thy desire to grow and increase in it Doest thou daily labour to grow in grace 2 Peter 3. 18. Doest thou covet earnestly the best things Art thou still desirous of more c. Certainely this is a very comfortable signe that thy graces are sincere See an experiment of this in Paul After he had once gotten some of this heavenly gold of true grace hee was never satisfied with the measure which he had but was still desirous of more alwayes ayming at perfection observe it Phil. 3. 13. This one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth to those things that are before verse 14. I presse towards the marke or the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Let such try themselves by this Signe that thinke that they have holinesse and Religion enough and that it is not good to bee too forward none of these are afraid of having too much gold which is farre more dangerous for a man cannot have too much true saving grace though hee may have more wealth then he can well tell how to use He therefore that thinketh that he hath grace enough already and is afraid of having too much it is a shrewd signe that he hath no true grace at all Let us therefore strive to manifest the truth of our graces by our earnest des●re and carefull endeavour to get more Thirdly and lastly for conclusion of this point He that hath true grace hath respect to the Word of Gods grace by which it is begotten and encreased 1 Pet. 2. 1. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that yee may grow thereby How doe wee stand affected to Gods Ordinances What account doe we make of prayer publike and private What reckoning of the Sacraments those