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	spirit_n	work_n	2,510	5	5.9326	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95964	Calebs integrity in following the Lord fully, in a sermon preached at St. Margarets Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemne and publick fast, Novemb: 30th. 1642. By Richard Vines, Mr. of Arts of Magd. Colledge in Camb: and minister of the gospell at Weddington in the county of Warr	Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1642 (1642)	Wing V546; Thomason E130_4; ESTC R22161	22,669	42

case have comfortably perisht in the breach of that known Law 2. Standing to it so as it might be questioned whether it was needfull and it is the case of Daniel Cap. 6. 10. whos 's keeping his thrice a day devotions and opening his windowes towards Ierusalem not abating of the number of his prayers nor performing them in a more concealed manner to have avoided the malice of his accusers for one Moneths time for no longer was the Interdict to last may seeme more then needs yet he did not budge a ●ot nor abate a circumstance because he saw his Religion was stricken at and his sincerity put to the tryall which he was resolved to maintaine with as I may so speake a holy obstinacy whatsoever came on it I doe not urge these examples to precipitate any man unto rashnesse especially in cases not thus circumstanciated but to shew how fully they went after the Lord in that wherein carnall wisdome might and would have found sundry specious elusions to have evaded the duty I shall resume the exhortation in a few words as touching your advancing and setling Gods interest and then he will settle yours He tooke out of all the Cities saith the Text the high places and Images 2 Chro. 14 5. and the Kingdome was quiet before him If you will build God a house he will make you an house as it was said to David labour ye therefore to set up the evangelicall worship and regiment of Christ so as there may not be one howbeit if possible as there was in that of Asa Howbeit the high places were not 2 Chro. 20 3● taken away which worke we shall bring to best perfection if we adhere to the word of God and print after such an originall as went before all editions of error not that I would tye any man to such examples customes constitutions of the word as were meerely occasionall in their both rise and use and respective to times then being for what would that differ from a superstitious valuing of the brasen Serpent after the use of it was out because it once had institution of God but of this point no more now My businesse is to excite you to follow the Cloud and the Rock shall follow you let seeds-men be sent forth into all our fields that the people may be taken by the conscience and not only conformed by Law for the strength and continuance of a reformation lyes not all in the Magistrate but in this that the people receive the truth into them and among them who otherwise will be but as Hens in a coope alwayes boaking to get out which was the reason that they were so up and downe in Iudah according as they had remisse or religious Princes and by this meanes also shall Popery be profligate and Papists converted a little better then meerely by oath of supremacy and allegiance which breed such a generation as is contrary to rule of Philosophy which is Generatio unius est corruptio alterius whereas these new Protestants are Papists still Finally If there be some crosse springs in the locke some prophesie may lye against our present hopes for God hath his arcana Imperij or if necessity of times unripenesse of the people shall retard the worke so as it shall be said so many yeares was this Temple in building yet I say to you as the Lord to David 2 Chro. 6. 8. Thou didst well that it was in thine heart and let but a right spirit namely a spirit of adherence unto and acquiessence in God carry you on to fulfill after him and then though Caleb through the peoples rebellion wander in the wildernesse forty yeares and be kept off his promised reward yet he shall come into possession thereof at last and his seede shall inherit it and so I should come to that which remaines in the words as namely That To follow the Lord fully proceeds from another spirit Doct. 2 than the unbeleeving Israelites are acted withall and this spirit of Caleb was clearly that which the Apostle cals a spirit of Faith in closing with and cleaving unto God alone I cannot particularly handle this point only be bold to cast in a word or two towards the setting of the byas right way els a man may run and never obaine If we would have the hand of the dyall to point and goe right without the wheeles and poyses must be right within and wee must not onely looke at the worke we have to doe but also to the principle within us that it be a right spirit for there is no question but that a man of no filiall disposition towards God may be Gods toole or instrument or if ye will Gods servant to performe such or such a service right in Gods sight I shall not need to shew how farre a man may goe and what adventure he may make in a good cause upon other reasons principles and motives than proceed from a Gospell spirit Cyrus proclaimes liberty to the Church 2 Chro. 36. ●2 yet was he a man that knew not the Lord. I doubt not but a Protestant upon a dogmaticall Faith or beleefe of his tenets and principles might among Papists dye upon them and yet come farre short of salvation how farre would the name of Abraham or Moses have carried a Jew even a Iew in letter Martyrdome is no merit L●t every man therefore take heed to his spirit that Mal. 2. 16. he deale not treacherously for howsoever your good service perishes not to the Church or Common-wealth yet it perishes to you if you be not carried with hearts full of God Many a man is a Carpenter to build Noah an Arke wherein himselfe is not saved There are many rest in their meere opposition to and hate of Popery as if that should seale up their salvation and many againe will reason thus The cause wherein I am is good it will swim out it's gods and that is their plea. Alas this is not all for be the Protestant truth never so cleere to thee and be the cause thou art in never so good yet thou mayest be lost in it as the Egyptians were lost while they went in the same path wherein the Israelites were saved therefore pray and seeke for such a spirit of chusing and following the Lord thy God as may ensoule thy actions or outward works and then beside the acceptance and testimony thy wayes shall find with God thou shalt be able to goe through and fulfill after the Lord which a man upon naturall parts and strength of morall principles or vertues shall never doe for youths shall faint and be weary and young m●n shall utterly fall Isa 40. 30. that is men of most able selfe-sufficiencies who though their motion was swift before yet when they come to the center of their own ends they rest and proceed no farther such a spirit therefore as Caleb had doe you restlesly seeke of God the giver of it to them that aske him that being sincerely carried which in great and glorious actions is the more hard you may reape the Euge of your own conscience which is better then the Hic est of all the world and not only so but there will be more hope of the worke when it is carried on by such hearts as God said of David he was a man after his own heart and what followes He shall fulfill all my will Act. 13. 22. And of Hezekiah it is said that in every worke that he began in the service of the house of God and in the Law and in the Commandements to seeke his God hee did it with 2 Chron 31. 21. all his heart and prospered such hearts such successe we pray to them that are now ingaged in this great worke that so promises with the entayle of them upon Posterity may follow such Calebs for ever FINIS