Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A47587
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Four sermons publickly delivered at several times in Ecclesfeild Church in Yorke-shire By Immanuel Knutton preacher of Gods word there.
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Knutton, Immanuel, d. 1655.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing K743; ESTC R221976
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59,329
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142
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and abillity he makes Gods will the rule of his and his word the rule of his life God puts every godly man into a general and particular calling and teacheth him how to behave himself in these callings this makes him a man after Gods own heart as David for this cause was so called Acts 13.22 4. Because every godly man is Gods factour he lies ligier for God as Merchants have their factors beyond sea to lie ligier for them to truck and barter for them so doth every godly man for God he trades for him all he can Rom. 14.8 For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord Phillip 1.21 For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain that is the end and scope of my life is to honour and exalt Christ 5. Because a godly man is best fitted and prepared for Gods work and service he is one of Gods peculiar people zealous of good works Titus 2.14 Gods work is a pure and cleanly work and should be done with pure hearts and clean hands in the time of Moses Law the Priests onely might offer sacrifice and before they did it they might wash their bodies so a godly man is washt with the bloud of Christ and the grace of the holy Ghost by vertue whereof he is the fittest to do Gods work it is not for slovenly clowns to wait upon great men the work of the devil is filthy nasty and beastly wicked men delight in it and are the fittest for it 6. Because onely the heart of a godly man will bow and bend to Gods work it is a work requiring much labour and self-deniall one must stoop low to take up this burden he that loves God truly loves him with all his heart and strength onely the godly man doth this he that serves God truly is fervent in spirit serving the Lord onely the godly man doth this he that keeps Gods Commandements aright hath respect to all his Commandements and Gods Commandements are not grievous to him onely the godly man doth this The Jews say there be three hundred sixty five negative precepts in the Law according to the number of dayes in the year and two hundred forty eight affirmative commanding precepts according to the number of bones in a mans body whereby they would signifie that we must no day do those things which God hath forbidden and that with all the bones and members of our body we must do all those things which God hath commanded onely the godly man endeavours and desires to do this 7. Because God can trust none but the godly man for the godly man is the faithful man let an hypocrite have excellent parts of knowledge he will set up himself and seek his own ends as the Pharisees Mat. 6. gave almes prayed and fasted but did all to be seen of men like an idle unfaithful servant that works one hour for his master and two for himself but the godly man resolves to defend Gods cause to the utmost of his power and to bring all the glory he can to God Numb 12.7 Moses was said to be faithful in all Gods house the Martyrs would not for fear or favour of the world betray Gods cause but parted with their lives liberties and estates to glorifie Jesus Christ 8. Because none will doe Gods work so well as the godly man none have so much care to please God as he hypocrites slubber over the Lords work in prayer they draw near to God with their lips but their hearts are far from him when they hear his Word their hearts goe after their covetousness in receiving the Lords Supper they discern not the Lords body but receive onely the outward signs but a godly man prayes in prayer as Elias did James 5 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his heart is fixed with David trusting in the Lord in hearing the Word his heart burnes with holy zeal in him he will be careful and studious both to hear the Word and do it in receiving the Lords Supper he will examine himself before he eat of that bread and drink of that cup he will doe Gods work according to Gods will Vse The Uses I shall spin out of the Reasons the first reason is Because every godly man is a god-like man the first Use springing out of this Reason will be for consolation to all that be truly godly its ground of great comfort to thee that thou art like to God now thou mayest be assured of Gods dear love that he hath loved thee with an everlasting love which is better than life likeness is the cause of love this godliness is an infallible fruit of thine election and once elected alwayes beloved as earthly parents most affect those children which resemble them most so will thy heavenly Father exceedingly love thee for being so like to him the world derides and hates thee for godliness but be not dejected for godliness will be thine eternal honour and comfort 2. It may serve for admonition take heed of despising any man for being like to God for in despising him for godliness you despise God because godliness is his image Many excuse themselves and say they hate not a godly man for his godliness but for his hypocrisie I answer 1. Why doest thou not hate hypocrisie in thy self and in others who make no shew of godliness but live in hypocrisie and openly declare it 2. Godliness with some hypocrisie is better than hypocrisie without any godliness at all as corn with chaffe is better than chaffe without corn gold with dross is better than dross without gold you have more reason to love and honour them for their godliness than to hate them for hypocrisie because they hate hypocrisie and strive against it but they love godliness and labour to grow in it 3. It may serve to exhort you all to endeavour to be like to God in godliness both in heart and life Consider 1. what an honour it will be to you it will make your memories blessed when the names of the wicked shall rot very honourable and precious to this day are the names of Abraham for faith Moses for meekness Joseph for chastity Job for patience David for zeal Daniel for integrity of life Paul for love to Christ Peter and Magdalen for godly sorrow 2. Consider what a comfort it will be to your consciences when you follow God as dear children so that God is in you of a truth it was a greater comfort to blessed Hezekiah that he had walked before God in truth with a perfect heart than that he was honourable and wealthy none have so much cause to rejoyce and to be of good chear as the godly man for he is the friend of God his sins are pardoned Christ is his treasure the holy Ghost is his Comforter and heaven is his inheritance Psalm 32.11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in
alledge that place for their merit Colos 1.10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord c. therefore we may merit at Gods hand say they but know that there is a two fold worthiness the worthiness of merit which is not in us towards God we may merit earthly wages and rewards of one another for outward service but we cannot by our worthiness merit at Gods hand Nextly there is the worthiness of congruity when we walk agreeable and answerable to Gods Word and Nature and that is here meant that ye might be suteable to Gods will and nature to be perfect as he is that ye might walk as becometh his people A spice of this popish heresie is in our common people for they say they must addle heaven by their good deeds such strangers they are to the merits of Christ 2. I told you in the second place that Christ is everlasting meat by his sacred Word this Use still serves to reprove all such as labour not for Christ in his Word many are content to live at home under a dumb dog in darkness where no vision is they can travel many miles to markets and faires for to get worldly wealth but will not travel a mile or two for their soules advantage these will bewail their laziness and folly when it is too late many care not how seldome they hear the word if they might have bodily food no oftener than they desire the word they could never live Oh how flat and dull are their desires and affections when they come to hear either they sleep out the Sermon hour or their heads are full of earthly distractions their minds are wandering after their worldly business that if one should ask them where was the Text what points had the Preacher they are not able to give any account of what they heard this is a main cause why they are no more changed nor reformed in their lives but are as ungodly as Heathens if their bodily food did their bodies no more good than the word of God doth to their soules if it strengthened and nourished them no more they could never be able to stand upon their legs they would look pale and thin and fall down for want of strength Hear this ye stupid children of Adam God hath sent you many precious Prophets who like candles spend themselves their gifts their time and their strength to lead you the way to heaven yet how careless and regardless have you been of their pains little have you profited know this that if you heed the Word no better the worst for your selves is behind you must be countable for every Sermon you have heard at the day of judgement in many places Christ by his Messengers hath all the day long stretched forth his hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people 3. I told you in the third place that Christ is everlasting meat by the Sacraments of his last Supper this Use still serves to reprove the prophaness of many in coming to this spiritual banquet they never examine themselves before they come they come ignorantly they know not the nature of this mystery they discern not the Lords body they come without the hand of faith to lay hold on Christ they come without repentance its hidden from their eyes hearken to this you careless sinners 1 Corinth 11.29 30. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep Oh how full are your hearts of impurity covetousness pride malice c. doubtless this unworthy receiving provokes God very sore to anger and kindles his wrath against you so that you goe from the Lords Table worse than you came to it as Judas did after he had received the sop this your ungodly manner of receiving is worse for you than if you had eaten a morsel of Ratsbane and drunk a cup of poyson 4. I told you in the fourth place that Christ is everlasting meat by the saving graces of his holy Spirit this Use still serves to reprove the prophaneness of many who are bond-slaves to sin and Sathan cannot endure holiness nor the meanes to obtain it they hiss at godliness deride the way of God they had rather loose their lives than part with their lusts Consider this you wicked wretches that God will turn the wicked into hell and all that forget God you deride and hate that now of which you would be glad to enjoy the comfort and benefit in another world Others are blame-worthy who rest in civill honesty and think they have grace but know not what belongs to it they are not such gross sinners as others but live more orderly they run not into excess of riot but carry fair to the world pay their debts releive the poor none can say black is their eye in this they rest and pride themselves desiring to go no further but with the young man in the Gospel they think they are perfect enough and cry what lack I yet but understand this that bare honesty will not bring you to heaven without holiness you cannot see the Lord to your comfort honesty respects man and holiness respects God many see a necessity of honesty but they see no need of godliness Oh how ungodly are many though they live under excellent meanes sufficient to bring them to admirable perfection If they should grow no faster in natural stature and strength than they do in grace it would be fearful to behold it would be a rueful sight to see a child no bigger at twenty yeares old than he was at his birth how could that child work for his living maintain himself or defend himself against dangers such is the miserable condition of divers that never truly labour after nor desire Christ and his saving graces they are grown nothing better since their birth into this world but much worse though they often had a price in their hands to get wisdom yet they had no heart to it though they had many opportunities of advantaging their soules yet they slept out the season of grace and are farre worse at forty or fifty yeares old then when they were Infants Consider this you foolish Virgins that sleep many yeares in carnal security either awake in time or else when the Bridegroom comes the gate of mercy will be shut against you then you may stand long enough knocking but shall never enter Vse The next use is for comfort to all such as labour truly for this durable meat I told you in the first place that Christ is everlasting meat by the merit and efficacy of his person this Use affords singular comfort to all such as rely upon the precious merits of Christ for their justification and comfort his bloud can wash thee from all sin John 1.17 thy sins are many in number yet they are as easily removed by his bloud as a spark of fire is extinguished being cast into the