Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	lord_n	love_n	love_v	2,989	5	6.7075	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10324	The discovery of the man of sinne wherein is set forth the changes of Gods church, in her afflictions by his raigne. Consolations by his ruine. First preached in divers sermons to the Vniversitie and cittie of Oxon, by a reverend & iudicious divine IR. D. of Divinity and sometimes of Queenes College. And now published for the farther vse of both, and comfort of all that hate Antichrist and loue the Lord Iesus Christ wheresoever: By W.H.	Rainolds, John, 1549-1607.; Hinde, William, 1569?-1629. aut	1614 (1614)	STC 20609; ESTC S103451	47,096	56

former Chapter because your faith groweth exceedingly and in the same maner he beginneth almost every Epistle Not only to note that these things are Gods benefits and blessings as are food and rayment and health for these are common to the good with the bad which men may enioy and yet bee not a whit in their nature changed but that these are moreover so proper to Gods children that the wicked haue no part in them they being such as are able to make a change and alteration in them c. Therefore neither the Pelagians attributing so much to free will as that by it without the speciall grace of God hee may performe the lawe of God Nor the Papist which to Gods grace ioineth his naturall strength is sufficiently thankfull to God but hee onely that confesseth flesh and blood to haue nothing to doe in this worke which is brought to passe without and against our nature We see here wherein we are to reioice that is when wee see others to obtaine like pretious faith wherein our harts ought to ioy that Christs kingdome is encreased therefore this minde should be in every one of vs that was in the disciples who greatly reioiced whē they heard that other churches had received the gospell and as the Apostle who saith of such as he converted to the truth that they were his Crowne his reioicing in the Lord so say I should our hearts be filled with ioy when we heare that God hath added any to his Church This is spoken to stir vp the dulnesse which is in vs pittifull it is to see that whereas among vs our principal care should be in winning confirming men in the truth it falleth out by the strong delu●ion of Satan that we not only do not so but are g●ieved offended whē we see mē b●ought to Christ. And as when Eldad and Medad prophecied in the host Ioshua would haue had Moses to haue forbad thē so many envy at others blessings c Would to God as our Saviour sendeth vs to the vniust steward to learne wisdome so the example of the adversaries diligence might stir vs vp to the building of Christs church They spare no travell by sea nor land they sticke not to hazard their life I would to God not their soules also to win any in whom they fee any towardnes of wit or learning and vse all incouragement meanes whatsoever in the end to make them of their Proselits I would that halfe this care were in vs to maintaine the truth that is in them to vphold error But it falleth out with vs otherwise for as covetous men we thinke the more that others haue of Gods graces the fewer we should haue our selues It followeth for you beloved in the Lord Where he sheweth plainely whence it came that they stoode in this great falling away even from God because he had set his loue vpon them Here then is the cause of our certainety and assured stay not that we loved God first but that he loved vs. Wherefore we are here taught that when we speake of the certainty of our standing we beware that we thinke not any thing to be in vs for which God should the ●ather loue or favour vs. For wee must ●o rest on Gods loue that we shut out our selues quite from all cause therof Even as Moyses taught the Israelits that God had chosen them not because of their might or number c but for that he had a loue to them So this is the ground of all when we seek the cause of loue and mercy towards vs we shall finde it to be none other then loue c. So also the Apostle speaketh in the former chapt to fulfill the pleasure of his goodnesse where not content to haue named once Gods goodnes he doubleth it as wanting other words to expresse that which he would say cōcerning Gods free mercy and loue He addeth for that God from the beginning hath chosen you where he declareth the continuance and ancientnesse of this loue which was before the world was made ere the heavens were made the earth set vpon his pillars ●ere the foundations of waters appeared c. It was his secret purpose to make vs instruments of his glory How happy sons are they which haue such a father as provideth for them even before they be When we looke herevpon it may be a stay of comfort vnto vs against all temptations For when we know that it was his only loue which frō the beginning moved him to haue mercy on vs wee learne that howsoever our sins be in multitude as the sands of the sea and in colour as red as scarlet yet that they are not able to separate his loue from vs. For before he framed vs he foresaw the evill which we should commit yet he chose vs they are not the●efore these things that can seperate betweene him and vs for he is not as man that he should be changed Wherein as we haue a iust exception against some christians which set downe the foreseeing of our works as the cause of our electiō whereas the Apostle layeth downe the loue of God before the world for this cause that we might know there was no respect had of the works as he also disputeth elsewhere of the choosing and reiection of Iacob and Esau before either of thē had done good or evil Even as Austine saith that he chose vs not because of the works which he foresaw but hee foresaw the workes because he chose vs as the moving of the Wheele is not the cause of the roundnes of the Wheele but the roundnesse the cause of the moving so here is also laid a foundation of consolation for such as faint vnder the burden of their sins think that by the reason of the greatnesse of them they cannot bee the children of God This way Satan buffeteth many For as he draweth many into sin by laying before thē the mercy of God so he leadeth not a sew to distrust by opening vnto them the severity of Gods iudgements Wherof when they th●nke they suppose no death more grievous But let them know they haue no more dishonoured God by the sins they haue committed then by thinking that hee will not pardon and forgiue them Wherefore when we consider that God of his free grace foreseeing how ill we would be did yet choose vs let vs be stirred vp to glorifie his name and breake out with the Apostle into these words who shall seperate vs from the loue of God And as he hath set downe the ground of our salvatiō so goeth he on through sanctification c We haue seene the foundation laid before in the former words to bee only the good will of God he sheweth how he goeth on in bringing his purpose to passe for God leaveth not his worke vnperfect but bringeth his decree to effect and whom he

hath chosen them he calleth c. The meanes he vseth are two 1 Inward his Spirit 2 Outward his Word Which both are here expressed 1 Through sanctification of the spirit whereby God sanctifieth our mindes and causeth vs to yeeld obedience vnto him Where he nameth sanctification he sheweth how loathsome we are of our selues in Gods sight till he make vs cleane and pure And where he nameth the spirit he sheweth how we receiue this grace and what the cause is that some notwithstanding they heare the word yet remaine vnfruitfull It is his heavenly grace and holy spirit that worketh sanctification in vs thereby teaching that howsoever Paule plant and Apollo water that it is God alone that giveth the encrease vnlesse that God soften the ground the raine returneth without fruit for our salvation though effectuall on the other side to the hardning of our hearts So great a worke is it to saue a few miserable sinners that as first they were to be chosen by God so no creatu●e in the world but only Gods holy spirit can worke this sanctification in vs. Here also is consolation for the faithful minister who considering the small successe of his travell though hee saith with Christ I haue laboured in vaine c. And that it be truely said that the founder casteth in vaine the lead is consumed c yet let him know that his message may be faithfull that he may say with Christ my worke is with the Lord for the converting of soules is a worke proper to the holy Ghost So in these words he sheweth the especiall and first cause that bringeth this to passe viz the holy Ghost working in vs an effectual faith which is the meane whereby we lay hold of the benefits of Christ. For notwithstanding Gods grace be offered to all yet they only that beleeue shal be saved so that all receiue not commoditie by Christ though he be the sonne of God full of power yet all are not profited by him but only they that receaue him too and to receaue him is to beleeue in him But for asmuch as all faith doth not iustifie the Apostle limiteth it when he calleth it the faith of truth Wherefore the zeale of the Iew in this case profiteth not because it is without knowledge nor of the Papists that submit not themselues wholy to Gods wisdome nor of any other hereticke can iustify it must be the faith of truth In the former Chapter it was obserued that such as are to be eternally punished are said to bee such as haue not knowne God The thing that sanctifieth vs the word of truth Gods word is truth Here haue I iust occasion to complaine of our adversaries who haue made it a ground of their religion to bee ignorant for which they labour by all meanes to keepe away from men the key of knowledge whatsoever other groundes they pretend that it is not good for the common people to heare or read the Scriptures And although they haue translated the Testament yet it appeareth that their meaning is to bury vp the true knowledge of God therein cōteined In their fourth rule concerning the forb●dding of reading certaine bookes they so terr●fic the multitude from medling with them that they say who so readeth those bookes translated without permission they cannot haue remission of their sins And in the sixt rule they teach that to read bookes of controversie it is not lawfull no not for some Iesuits So evē for those that must bee their guids it is not lawfull to come to the truth any further then they giue them leaue no they let them not read even their own corrupt translation least evē in that puddle they should meet with some cleane water Wherevnto he called you by our Gospell here he expresseth the outward meanes for the inward meanes as hath beene said is Gods spirit taking possession in our hearts and working faith in vs the ordinary meanes to bring the which to passe is the preaching of the Gospell which was also set downe in the former chapter because our testimony towards you was beleeued which he calleth our testimony because they delivered it The Gospell therefore preached by the Apostles and Pastors is the ordinary meanes to bring men to salvation the onely rule to direct our knowledge and deeds And when he calleth it ours he sheweth also how the grace of God and word of God is thus fruitfull in vs namely when it is preached sincerely by such as are therevnto lawfully called For though it be profitable to read and meditate in the word of God necessary for parents to instruct their children yet the word hath then especially the promise of fruit and effect when it is to vs delivered by those that are appointed stewards over Gods household Wherefore as before the comming of Christ the Church of God was provided of Prophets so Christ hath ordained that to the ende of the world there should bee Pastours over his Church to preach his word to his people and gather together his Saints therefore this promise is not tied to the bare word but to the preaching and hearing thereof And those speciall prerogatiues and promises annexed to the word chiefly take effect when the word is preached by them that are in that office So Iames meaneth when he willeth vs to receaue with meeknesse the word that is engraf●ed c. where hee compareth the Minister vnto a husbandman by whom the word preached is as it were engrafted into vs. So also St Paul when he saith that saith commeth by hearing he sheweth what hearing nameof a preacher and how can they heare without a Preacher This as it is to bee considered and obserued against the fanaticall dreames of the Anabaptists which refuse the ordinarie means of ingendring faith and flie to their dreames and revelations so also to the iust reproofe of our adversaries who not requiring the preaching of the word in the Ministers haue also given the administration of the Sacrament vnto them that are no ministers For we are to thinke that as the ordinary promise appertaineth to the word lawfully preached so also the promise of the Sacrament belongeth to the due and lawfull administration thereof Moreover as hence this is to be noted that no man take this honour vpon him but he that is therevnto called as was Aaron so seeing wee knowe that this is the meanes appointed by God to saue such as he calleth let al such feare as cloath themselues with the skinnes of Gods people drinke their bloud not regarding at al to feed them over whom the holy Ghost hath made them overseers c. To obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. this is the last point which is here to be observed of vs the end of all If the Apostle had said that God had chosen vs to greater store of health wealth honor