Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	grace_n	life_n	sin_n	2,939	5	4.9686	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55754	Sun-beams of gospel-light shining clearly from severall texts of Scripture, opened and applyed. 1. A heavemly [sic] treatise of the devine love of Christ. 2. The Christians freedome. 3. The deformed forme of a formall profession. 4. Christs fulnesse, and mans emptinesse. By John Preston, doctor in divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to King James, Mr. of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Two treatises, viz. The Christian freedome, and The deformed forme of a formall profession.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Plenitudo fontis, or, Christ's fulnesse and man's emptinesse.	1644 (1644)	Wing P3307A; ESTC R219005	93,300	192

I have but a little time to live here it is another place where I must live for all eternity and it shall be with me for all this eternity as I spend this short time I say if this were thoroughly considered I wonder that any thing else should take up the intentions and thoughts of a mans heart but only how to make sure his salvation But alas we are robbed of our selves through worldly delights and doe magno conaru magnas nugas agere and so we spend our lives But if we would not have with the Merchant Fortunam rudentibus ap●am that is an estate hanging upon ropes and depending upon uncertaineties especially seeing grace whence repentance proceedeth is as you see received and not in our power But wee mistake repentance and that is the cavse we defer it it is not as it is commonly thought a sorrow for our sinnes onely nor a n●●ere leaving of sinnes out of feare of hell and desire to be sayed which a man may doe out of the strength of naturall wisedome providing for his owne safety but it is a much different thing viz. putting life into a dead man Ephesians 2. 1. Making a man a new Creature 2 Corinthians 5. 17. A change of the whole frame of the heart As if another soule dwelt in the same body as he saith Ego non ego In a word when a man is cleane another man then he was serving of God out of an inward propensnesse and having the whole bent of his disposition turn'd to delight in the Law of God without these by-respects And that this may yet be made clearer and put out of all doubt I would aske but this question That repentance which men take up in age or in times of extreamity whence proceedeth it if from selfe love as it usually doth in such cases because the soule is then strongly possessed with an apprehension of death and hell and another life then there is no more then nature in it for the streame riseth not higher then the fountaine A beast would doe as much which sinking into danger would struggle to save it selfe But if it proceed from love to God why was it not done sooner why not in the flowre of our youth yea when it is done soonest would we not be heartily sorry that it was not done sooner if it proceeded out of love to him And if it thus proceed out of an holy love to God it cannot arise but from his holy spirit the breathings of which spirit as they are most free so are they most pretious Therefore when such a sparke is kindled in our hearts let us bee carefull to put fuell to it and not suffer it to goe out againe Al the Creatures in Heaven and Earth cannot helpe us againe to them yea the best Ordinances are but as pens without inke or empty Conduit-pipes which give not a drop of true Grace except Christ who is the Fountaine please to conveigh it by them You know the Famous Story of Francis Spira what bitter cryes hee used upon his Death-bed O that I had but one drop of Faith One of the motions which I have beene wont to have but yet could not have them But died with those desperate words in his mouth I am Damned Therefore let us take heed how we let such motions rise up like bubbles in us and breake againe or goe our like sparkes upon wet tinder lest often checking and snibbing and quenching the Spirit in the end we be guilty of resisting the Holy Ghost and God shal sweare in his wrath that we shal not enter into his rest Where by the way observe that this Doctrine teacheth us not to be idle and leave al to God as they slander it but as Paul maketh the Consequence because God worketh in you both the wil and the deed therefore worke out your Salvation with feare and trembling Arminius contrarily ourselves worke in our selves the Wil and the deed Therefore we need not worke out our Salvation with any such feare and solicitude since we may d●e it at our owne pleasure and leisure But it wil be said this is a hard case although a man would repent yet he cannot though he desire to serve God yet it is impossible Therefore to take away this Scruple we must know that God is exceeding free and open-handed in giving grace if it may be taken in time and if we wil not believe it Iohn commeth here and telleth you I have received of his Fulnesse and not onely I but al we have received that is al other Saints that either are or have beene and since Iohn's time many thousand thousands And shal not such a Cloud of Witnesses perswade us If a Beggar doe but heare of an open House kept or a great Dole it affects him and invites him to goe But when he sees many come from it with armes-ful and lapsful and baskets-ful then he is confident that addeth wings to him So if a sick man doe but heare of a Famous Physitian or a healing Wel it stirs him up to goe and try But when he meets with 100 and 1000 comming from the Wel and telling him I have beene there and am healed I have beene there and am made whole then he maketh no question So doth Iohn here Al we have received of his Fulnesse Like a Bird that hath found out a ful heape and calls his fellowes to it Say not therefore oh my sinnes are so great and my wants are so many But rather thinke thus with your selves if there was grace inough for so many there is surely inough for me Onely you must receive when it is offered in the acceptable time lest often grieving the Spirit God suffers his Spirit to strive no longer Gen. 6 3. But as I said before sweare in his wrath that you shal not enter into his rest 2 If al grace be received then let us be affected as Receivers 1 In thank fulnes towards God the most gracious a●e the most grateful 2 In Humility towards men For what have wee that wee have not received And shal our Purse or Vessel boast it selfe against another because the Owner hath put more Gold or more precious Liquor into it than into another it may be of the same or a better worth Or shal the wal which glistereth with the Sun beames exalt it selfe against another which stands in the shadow as if it had Lustre from it selfe and not borrowed from the Sun 3. Let us be affected as Receivers in begging grace at Gods hands by Prayer Therefore it is said to be the Bucket of grace and it is a true observation that a man of much Prayer is a man of much Grace Now Prayer is either Private or Publique Private is that wherein we expresse our private and particular occasions to God every day wherein we renew Repentance Covenants with God of abstayning from the sinnes we are most prone to and of doing the duties to which we are

neither is there any on thy part for there is nothing required in thee for which hee shall set his love upon thee There are no merits desired on thy part onely accept him receive him hee will afterwards put some lines upon thee Art thou willing to take Christ for thy husband for better and worse with a crowne of Thornes as well as Glory then the match is concluded thou maist be sure that Christ will be thine But I have renewed my sinnes and have fallen into divers relapses I still provoke him and fall backe and GOD will not endure such a wretch Yet he forgives sinnes of all sorts he is abundant in mercy he is still forgiving and never gives over There is a fountaine opened to Iudah and Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse Zach. 12. vers 13. There is afountaine not a cisterne to wash in which may be drawne dry Onely this caveat must be put in that we allow not our selves in any knowne sinne but that wee maintaine warre continually against sinne and by no meanes admit any peace with Amaleck Another meanes is to remove the impediments of love which are two especially strangenesse and worldly-mindednesse Strangenesse dissolves all friendship By this meanes the interest of friendship may be broken off This strangenesse breeds fearefulnesse when we goe to God and fearefulnesse weakenesse of love whereas boldnesse is the nurse of it Herein is our love made perfect that we have boldnesse in the day of the Lord Iesus As by neglecting fellowship with the Saints we come to lose our acquaintance wee had towards them so the neglecting of maintaining our acquaintance with God brings us quite at last to leave him Draw neere therefore to God continually and this will increase your love to him Be therefore oft speaking to him and hearing him speake to you Be much in prayer and often in reading and hearing And doe not these things customarily and untowardly but with life and affection goe to prayer as you would goe to speake with your most deare friend whom you most of all delight to talke with Let it be pleasant to thee to converse with him in all things when thou hast any injury befallen thee goe and make thy cause knowne to him and when any sinne hath escaped thee whereby he may be offended give not over till reconciliation be made and thy friendship rewarded Looke especially to thy wayes for sinne alienates and restraines a man from God therefore see that that bee removed as much as may be Worldly mindednesse also hinders the love of God This is the uncircumcision of the heart Hence is that the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart that thou mayest live And untill the heart be circumcised it is filled with the love of the World so that hee cannot love the Lord at least with all his heart as hee ought There is no such quench-coale to the love of God as the love of the World Pleasures and the love of carnall things are very apt to steale away our hearts from God before we are aware If we looke not more narrowly to it they may doe it Examine your owne hearts and see if by how much the more you love the World by so much the lesse you are affected to the Lord. These things as Absalom steale away our hearts from God as he did the people from his Father If thou findest not that love to God which formerly hath beene see what hath come betweene God and thy heart Looke if some pleasure or lust have not crept in betweene for these will separate betweene God and thee See if there be not in thy understanding conceits of things to be better then indeed they are for these will turne the heart from the Lord but above all looke to thy will and affections FINIS A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon V. BY IOHN PRESTON DD. Matt. 22. 37 38. This is the first and great Commandement thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Psal. 31. 26. Love the Lord O all ye his Saints LONDON Printed by Thomas Paine for Iohn Stafford 1640. A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon V. 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be had in execration yea let him be accursed unto the death NOw the next thing wee have to doe is to shew what kinde of love the Lord accepts for hee will not take any kinde of love that is offered him but onely such a love as he calls for as hee requires Thou must love him with all thy might and with all thy strength A publike person may doe more then a private His example may doe much or he may command others if not to doe good yet to refraine from evill God desires that thou love him with all thy strength if thou knowest much thou must doe much Besides some things thou canst doe namely which others cannot doe without great difficulty As some men are temperate some patient by nature If thou art such an one God requires more of thee then of another for he accounts that which thou canst doe without setting thy might to it as nothing It is not enough for thee to love the Lord but thou must love him with thy might The might of a rich man of a Magistrate of a Scholler or whatsoever thou art when thou shalt come to the Lord with a small pi●tance when thou hast opportunity to doe a great deale more the Lord will not take it at thy hands As a Landlord will not receive a small parcell when the Tenant may pay a greater summe Neither is this a thing indifferent for you to doe or not to doe for God requires much of him to whom he hath given much Hee gives us all talents which he puts as prizes in our hands which he expects we should lay out according as we have received Paul did no worke of supererogation though he was abundant in the workes of the Lord continually setting himselfe about the worke with his whole strength Thou must love him above all things else Above all creatures above that which is most deare unto thee yea above thy selfe And if thou dost not so thou lovest him but as a creature which will not serve his turne Hee hath done more for thee then any creatue hath or can doe He hath dyed for thee hath given himselfe crucified for thee he deserves therefore more love then thy pleasures profits or then any friend thou hast You are therefore to love him above all to imbrace cleave to him chiefly to make him wholly thine But how can he you will say be wholly mine seeing so many have their parts in him Yes hee is wholly thine and thou must bee wholly his He is infinite and so hath no parts but is entire to every one as every

for mercy though it be a quality in us yet it is a nature in God Now what is natural there is no unwillingnesse or wearinesse in doing that as the eye is not weary with seeing nor the eare weary with hearing Therefore though our sins be never so great and many yet if this condition be observed that wee lie in no knowne sin that we have a ful and resolute purpose God bearing witnesse to our consciences not to doe the least evil nor omit the least good in a word that wee make our hearts perfect to God in al things for without this conditon there is no remission of sins But if this condition be observed I say that although our sinnes be never so great any many yet they are not gone beyond the price which hath beene paid for them nor beyond the Grace of him with whom we have to doe for there is a fulnes in him Now I beseech you take not this Exhortation in vaine for there is nothing more effectual to heale a rebellious disposition to instil saving Grace to cause a finner to change his course then to be fully perswaded that he shal be received to mercy and that his sins shal be forgiven in Christ Even as the Theese while the 〈…〉 e and Cry is after him never returnes willingly Rebels and Pyrates whiles the Proclamation of Rebellion is out against them never come in But if there be a Proclamation of pardon yea and of some great Advancement if that be beleived once that and noting else causeth them to come in and to become faithfull and loyall Subjects Therefore let this fulnesse of mercy in Christ be an effectuall motive to us all to come in to lay down the armes of Rebellion to choose God for our good and to give up our selves wholly to him to serve him with perfect hearts willing minds all our dayes So much for the first part The second part I wil as briefely dispatch and not meddle with the third left I be tedious Of his Fulnes weo have al received WHence the second Point is That al Grace is received For as al Stars shine in the light of the Sun So doe al the Saints through grace received What else distinguished Iohn from Iudas Simon Peter from Simon Magus but onely Christ who shone upon one and not upon another when they sate both alike in darknesse and in the shadow of death The Scripture is evident for this Phil. 2. 13. The Deed is wrought in us by God and not the deed onely but the Wil also which produces that deed nor that onely but the thought also which begat that wel For we are not able so much as to thinks a good thought of our selves 2 Cor. 3. 5. So that al grace yea al preparation to grace and ability to accept grace are al from God contrary to what Arminius affirmeth and not of our selves and that for theise reasons Because nothing can worke beyond the Spheare of us owne reach the eff●ct exceedeth not the Cause therefore it is impossible for corrupt nature either to beget Supernatural grace or to doe any Action preparing or bending or inclining the wil to it For as the water cannot heate which is an Action above the nature of it until an higher principle of heat be first infused into it no more can meere nature doe any thing tending to saving grace having no principle in it selfe whence it can raise it And if it be objected as it is by the Arminians that though Grace doe al yet to accept or reject it to wil or nil it is natural to man as a free Agent I answer that to wil is natural but to wil wel is supernatural and must rise from a higher wel-head than nature is For as an hatchet wil cut when handled but with a common hand but not make a chaire or stoole or any Artificial thing except it have Influentiam Artificis quatenus Artifex the influence of an Artificer as he is an Artificer So though to wil be natural yet to wil wel to doe a supernatural worke in a supernatural and holy manner it cannot except it have the influence of a supernatural Agent to direct and guide it If a man might accept Grace or refuse it as he would God were not God because he might be crossed by his creature and his own wil should not absolutely beare rule especially in that great matter of beleiving and not beleeving and in putting difference betwixt man and man in the matter of Salvation and Damnation For according to Arminius though God did heartily desire the conversion of such a man and offered him al the meanes of Grace that could be yet it is stil in the free choise of his wil to convert or not to convert Their onely answer here is that seeing God hath made a Decree that man shal be a free Agent though he doe most earnestly desire the conversion of such and such men yet because he cannot disa●ul his Decree he doth and must leave it to the liberty of the Creature to doe contrary to even that himselfe desires But what is this else but to put God into such streights as Darius was in who would faine have saved Daniel but because of his Decree he could not And if griefe in Spirits and Angels be but Renisus volunt at is a reluctancy of the wil as the Schoolemen affirme what is this else but to attribute griefe unto God and so to detract from his Blessednesse Thirdly if all Grace be not received but a man may accept it or reject it as he will how can it be solved but that a man must rejoyce and boast partly in himselfe contrary to Paul's rule and not wholly in the Lord for aske the question of all that are saved what is the reason that you are saved rather then another their answer must needs be I out of the liberty of my owne will did receive and use well the Grace offered when another did not So that according to Arminius the Saints in heaven are not a jot more beholding to God then the damned in hel for the offering of Grace on Gods part was a like common to both only he that is in heaven may thank his own wil that he chose it when onother refused it They have nothing here to answer but onely that the meanes of Grace are dispenced by God with some disparity But what is that when they maintaine such freedome of wil that he who hath the greatest meanes may reject grace and he who hath the least may accept it Other reasons there are but that I hasten as that Grace is not Grace without being received no more then a man can be a man without reason or a gift can be a gift without being given for no lesse doth it imply contradiction to suppose it to be a grace yet not to be freely bestowed by God and received by us Secondly bowing of the will is an effect of