Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	heart_n	lord_n	sin_n	2,722	5	4.5112	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

and exercise of his graces therein though successe answer not what a joyfull man was David when he and his people had offered so willingly the materialls of a Temple though he might not build it 1 Chron. 29. What pleasure tooke Paul in infirmities and reproaches for Christ when the strength of Christ was perfected in his weakenesse 2 Cor. 12. 10. And this is that satisfaction wherein a good conscience finds some rest when a man can pray can beleeve waite and speake for God though the successe and event answer not his duties or desires a good heart is loaden with the very burden of duty and finds ease when it is sincerely discharged let the issue be as it will 4. Independent upon and unrespective unto the eye and account of men and that 1. Though equalls interessed as well as he doe desert him as the ten did Caleb and Ioshua 2. Though the people misconstrue him as these did them hee that walkes by mens countenance or eye steeres by a Planet and not the Pole-Star 2. To fulfill after the Lord when impediments lye in our way and crosse winds carry us from the Port is 1. To reckon upon God with us against all mountaines of opposition so Caleb The Lord is with us feare them not Thus the Prophet animated his man being in feare and Hezekiah his Subjects There be more with us then with him yet had he none but 2 King 6. 16. 2. Chro. 32. 7. God to recken on and the Assyrian had a hundred fourescore and five thousand at least such is this God of ours who saith Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth Isa 66. 9. who promiseth Iacob the worme that he shall be his instrument to thrash mountaines to dust Isa 41. 14 15. and what comparison betweene a worme and a mountaine what other reason is given of the breaking in peeces of all confederacies and associations against the Church but only this For Immanuel Isa 8. 10. and it might teach all the world to say when they set against God si collidimus frangimur as the earthen pot against the iron rod breakes not the iron but is it selfe broken 2. To stand firme by setting one foote upon the experiences we have had of God and the other upon his promises yet in expectation for our experience of him we may argue from his opening of the red Sea to his opening of Iordan He that opened the Sea to bring us into this wildernesse will surely open a River to let us out And for his promises to his people they will eate their way over all Alpes of opposition God will be the midwife of them to deliver them of their wombe as it 's said He hath fulfilled with his hands that which he spake with his mouth 2 Chr. 6. 4. 3. To fulfill after the Lord being in incumbrances inward outward is 1. When a man prefers not a quiet Egipt before a troublesome and hazardous adventure upon the Land promised He will never repent of his choyce of God nor of his ingagements to his cause though he suffer for it and lose by it he will never say would God I had died in Egipt nor sound for a parley with the world and sinne nor sound a retreat to his heart to march away from the cause or work of the Lord. 2. When we misconster not Gods intention and meaning towards us nor put a false glosse upon his hand that goeth forth against us like these rotten-hearted Israelites that cryed God would betray them it is hard when his covenant truth and love cannot vindicate him from all possibility of falsehood towards us or forgetfullnesse of us Keepe up good thoughts of God that if he bring us not into Canaan at the fore-doore yet after he hath led us about to humble our pride he will bring us in at the posterne as he did this people and if he save not Ionah by the Marriners he may save him by the Whale that swallowes him 3. The third thing is why his people should fulfill after the Lord in which I will be briefe for Eliah his reason is enough If the Lord be God follow 1 King 18. 21. him for all attractives are in him all remuneratives all restoratives and he expects it of his people commends it in them and rewards it to them He expects it I know Abraham saith God that he will doe so and so He commends it as here he doth Caleb he followed me fully He rewards it as here he promiseth and afterward performed to Caleb and generally they that follow the Lord home 1. Shall see more of him 2. Receive more from him 1. They shall see and taste more of him for then shall we know the Lord if we follow on to know him Hose 6. 3. we shall see him in oftner experiments and observe the curiosity of his contrivements and workmanship in his wayes and that is one reason why he crumbles his mercies to his people and why they have his blessings by retaile that communion and trading between his people and himselfe may be maintained and he more sweetly enjoyed so the cloud empries not it selfe at a sudden burst but distills and dissolves upon the earth drop after drop 2. They shall receive more from him he measures liberally backe to them that meete liberally unto him They that will have their fill of God must hold on to the loose of a duty or suffering for usually he reserves the best and fullest cup to the last we know what Saul lost by not holding out one moment longer his men melted from him the enemy was strong and neere and himselfe had stayed almost to the end yet for want of a minute hee lost by it 1 Sam. 13. 13. Thou hast done foolishly for now would the Lord have established thy Kingdome for ever wee know not what we lose by making haste and not holding up our hands as Moses did to the going downe of the Sun For the Use or Application of this Point Vse 1 First it meetes with the murmuring and disaffected Israelites who whether out of neutrality or malignity fulfill not after the Lord being either purely privative in respect of this duty or positively disaffected of these we have infinite and of divers principles It 's strange that men should be no more sensible of the sinne of lukewarmenesse but that our Saviour gives a double reason of it 1. That they are not stone cold that is not so vitious or profane as others for there are not so many degrees of cold in the lukewarme as in the cold water but they should consider that the lukewarme are more offensive to Christs stomack and can lesse be borne by it 2. That lukewarmenesse is attended with selfe-conceit and security thou saist I am rich and have need of nothing but this Rev. 3. 17. security arises out of selfe-ignorance by which key whosoever is lockt up they lye fast I shall not so much

is one of the principles of naturall generation so is self-denyall and the whole sale of all for Christ it is the first lesson howsoever it be last that is well learned being the onely removens prohibens that which removes all impediments of our fulfilling after Christ And as the times of Christ opposite to the institution of the Gospell did require the inculcation of this Point so ours opposite to the restitution of Gods worship to it's native simplicity doe bespeake the same being such In quibus animum firmare oportet constantibus exemplis as he in Tacitus For the opening of this Point we shall consider 1. What ground-worke is requisite to be laid in a man that he may fulfill after the Lord. 2. What it is to fulfill after him 3. Why we should fulfill after him For the first of the three I shall acquit it in foure things of which the second will rise out of the first the third out of the second the fourth out of the third 1. The first and indeed the root of all the rest is this that there be in a man a principle of saving faith closing with Christ to secure the present and finall estate of the soule or the ground-worke of sound Regeneration and conversion to God there may be many workings or gifts of the Spirit of God in and unto men in whom there is not a spirit uniting to Christ and there is a dogmaticall faith of holding the truth in opinion and assent which is not justifying of the person by reception of Christ now there must be such a spirit and such a faith as may carry the soule out of it selfe for subsistence and above it selfe in operation and working so that God may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whom and unto whom the soule doth act and then it will follow that he that hath cast his soule on Christ by faith securing the maine estate thereof shall the more easily cast away his life estate c. in a particular cause for him He that through all the pangs and struglings of the new-birth discouragements at the weight and height of his sinnes oppositions of reasonings delusions and flatteries of self-righteousnesse violence of hell it selfe hath shot the maine gulfe and hath landed in Christ shall with more facility lay aside his lesser his outward interests for him for it is a terrible thing for the stoutest heart alive to looke such a danger in the face as for ought he knowes may at one blow kill him and damne him or in a moment send him both to his grave and hell it makes a man follow the Lord fully when he obeyes the Commandement by the same faith whereby he receives the saving promise and offers up Isaac by the same faith whereby hee got him that is to obey and suffer by a justifying faith as they Heb. 11. whose acts there expressed were not most of them justifying acts yet done by a saving and justifying faith for so it is the same hand which shuts and closes upon the gift and opens it self to work And yet I must needs preoccupate an Objection and grant that Abraham who beleeved the maine promise without staggering shewed some trepidation when he conceived himselfe in danger of his life They will kill me saith he but that is Gon. 12. 12. but the encountring of sence with faith which sence fights sore against faith when it is upon it's owne dung-hill I meane in a sensible danger natures retraction of itselfe from a visible feare may causethe pulse of a Christian which beats truely and strongly in the maine point the state of the soule to intermit and faulter at such a time but the needle will returne to the true point againe upon self-recollection That godlinesse hath the Promises that belong to this life and the life to come as for such men whose hearts are not ballast with grace no marvell if they ride uncertainly and are up and downe in rough water for though in faire and easie weather they may keepe tune and time yet it will be no wonder if they ring their bels backward whenthings begin to bee on fire Religio religat Godlinesse bindes fast 2. The second is That a man affect God himselfe and account him his great reward and this is the immediate effect of saving grace and faith to bring the soule into the esteeme and acceptance of God himselfe for our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or chiefest good it is true those Promises I will call for the corne and increase it and will multiply the fruit of the Tree and of the Field are blessings and benefits of his Covenant Ezek. 36. 29. And blessed are the people that are in such a case Psal 144. 15. but the maine Promise of the Covenant is I will be their God and they shall be my people and then saith the Psalmist Ibid. Yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord That which we call amor amicitie or conjugalis closes with the person and not onely with benefits The first Commandement shewes that this is the most naturall order first to have God for our God and then and thence to performe other duties Servility when one is awed from sinne or driven to duties by the whip and mercenarines when one is drawne by meere benefit or reward are the bane of following the Lord fully He that parts with sinne as a slave parts with it and loves it and will in the calme gather up againe that which hee cast over-board in the storme and hee will performe duties and hate them He that followes God as a mercenary will no longer uti Deo then he can frui mund● He will use him while he can serve himselfe of him Duties and sufferings are irkesome things without that suave condimentum the love of God himselfe I know the opinion of merit with God or men sweetens sharpe duties and sufferings to some palats but that is but dulce venenum a sweet poyson to all wee doe it frustrates our very Fasts Did yee at all Fast Zach. 7. 5 unto me even unto me Was it not an argument of an excellent spirit in Moses when God offered him the benefit without himselfe or his presence Exod. 33. 2. I will send an Angell before thee and I will drive out the Canaanites c. but I will not goe up in the midst of thee and this was the reason I shall but consume thee if I do what a fair offer was this and what a reason of Gods denyall of his owne presence was that and yet Moses could not be content with it For if thy presence goe not with Exod. 33. 25. me then carry us not up hence Let us be here in the Wildernes under thy Cloud rather then possesse a Canaan without thee 3. The third is To value Gods interests in any businesse under our hand more then our owne his Gospell his cause his glory and this rises out of the former for he that

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