Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	obedience_n	rejoice_v	salvation_n	1,878	5	11.4319	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77608	Heaven on earth or a serious discourse touching a wel-grounded assurance of mens everlasting happiness and blessedness. Discovering the nature of assurance, the possibility of attaining it, the causes, springs, and degrees of it, with the resolution of several weighty questions. By Thomas Brooks, preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill.	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1654 (1654)	Wing B4943; Thomason E1446_1; ESTC R209539	332,772	663

that way Faith doth not chuse its object Faith knows that he is powerful and faithful that hath promised and therefore Faith closes with one object as well as another So a true obedient soul singles not out the commands of God as to obey one and rebel against another it dares not it cannot say I will serve God in this command but not in that No In an Evangelical sense it obeyes all Luk. 1. 5 6. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without complaint An obedient soul is like a chrystal glass with a light in the midst which shines forth thorow every part thereof So that Royal Law that is written upon his hea●t shines forth into every parcel of his life his outward works do eccho to a Law within the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless They walked not onely in Commandments but also in Ordinances nor onely in Ordinances but also in Commandments They were good souls and good at both A man sincerely obedient layes such a charge upon his whole man as Mary the Mother of Christ did upon all the servants at the Feast John 2. 5. Whatever the Lord saith unto you do it Eyes ears hands heart lips legs body and soul do you all seriously and affectionately observe what ever Jesus Christ sayes unto you and do it So David doth Psal 119. 34 69. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart The proud have forged a lie against me but I will keep thy Precepts with my whole heart The whole heart includes all the faculties of the soul and all the members of the body sayes David I will put hand and heart body and soul all within me and all without me to the keeping and observing of thy Precepts Here is a soul thorow-paced in his obedience he stands not halting nor halving of it he knows the Lord loves to be served truly and totally and therefore he obeys with an entire heart and a sincere spirit I have read of a very strange speech that dropped out of the mouth of Epictetus a Heathen If it be thy will sayes he O Lord command me what thou wilt send me whither thou wilt I will not withdraw my self from any thing that seems good to thee Ah how will this Heathen at last rise in judgement against all Sauls Jehues Judases Demases Scribes Pharisees Temporaries who are partial in their obedience who while they yeeld obedience to some commands live in the habitual breach of other commands Verily he that lives in the habitual breach of one command shall at last be reputed by God guilty of the breach Jam. 2. 10. of every command and God accordingly will in a way of Justice proceed against him Ezek. 18. 10 11 12 13. It was the glory of Caleb and Joshua Num. 14. 24. that they followed the Lord fully in one thing as well as another So Cornelius Acts 10. 33. We are present before God to hear whatsoever shall be commanded us of God He doth not pick and chuse So in Acts 13. 22. I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfil all my will or rather as it is in the Greek he shall fulfil all my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wils He mindes not onely general duties of Religion but also particular duties as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Father as a Master as a Son as a Servant wills To note the universallity and sincerity of his Obedience A sincere heart loves all commands of God and prizes all commands of God and sees a Divine Image stamped upon all the commands of God and therefore the main bent and disposition of his soul is to obey all to subject to all God commands universal obedience Josh 1. 8. Deut. 5. 29. Ezek. 18. The Promise of Reward is made over to Universal Obedience Psal 19. 11. Josh 1. 8. Universal Obedience is a Jewel that all will wish for or rejoyce in at the day of death and the day of account And the remembrance of these things with others of the like nature provokes all upright souls to be impartial to be universal in their Obedience Thirdly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation springs from inward Spiritual causes and from holy and heavenly Motives it flowes from Faith Hence it is called The obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 26. So in 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is Love out of a pure Heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Faith draws down that Divine Vertue and Power into the soul that makes it lively and active abundant and constant in the work and way of the Lord. And Where Love is the Soul says of every command Bonus Sermo it is a good saying but where Love is wanting the man cryes out Durus Sermo It is a hard saying who can bear it as Faith so Love puts the Soul forward in ways of Obedience John 14. 21 23. If any man love me he will keep my Commandments So Psal 119. 48. My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved Divine Love is said to be the keeping of the Commandments because it puts the Soul upon keeping them Divine Love makes every weight light every yoke easie every command joyous it knows no difficulties it facilitates obedience it divinely constrains the soul to obey to walk to run the ways of Gods commands And as sound Obedience springs from Faith and Love so it flows from a filial Fear of God Psal 118. 119. Mine heart stands in aw of thy Word So Heb. 11. 7. Noah being warned of God touching things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. Ah but Hypocrites and Temporaries are not carried forth in their Obedience from such precious and glorious principles and therefore it is that God casts all their services as dung in Isa 1. 11. their faces And as that Obedience which accompanies Salvation flows from inward Spiritual Principles so it flows from holy and heavenly Motives as from the tastes of Divine Love and the sweetness and excellency of communion with God and the choice and precious discoveries that the soul in wayes of Obedience hath Isa 64. 5. had of the beauty and glory of God The sweet looks the heavenly words the glorious kisses the holy embraces that the obedient soul hath had makes it freely and fully obedient to the Word and Will of God Ah! but all the Motives that move Hypocrites and carnal Professors to Obedience are onely external and carnal as the eye of Matth. 6. the Creature the ear of the Creature the applause of the Creature the rewards of the Creature either the love of the loaves or the gain of John 6. custom or the desire of ambition sometimes they are moved to obedience from the fear of the Creature and sometimes from the

want of the Hos 7. 14. Creature and sometimes from the example of the Creature and sometimes from vows made to the Creature sometimes the frowns of God Hos 5. ult Psal 78. 34. the displeasure of God the rod of God moves them to obedience sometimes the quieting and stilling of Conscience the stopping of the mouth of Conscience and the disarming of Conscience of all her whipping racking wounding condemning terrifying and torturing power puts them upon some ways of Obedience Their Obedience always flows from some low base carnal corrupt consideration or other O but that Obedience that accompanies Salvation doth always flow as you see from inward and Spiritual causes and from holy and heavenly Motives Fourthly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is a ready free willing and chearful Obedience First It is ready Obedience Psal 27. 8. When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek Psal 119. 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psal 18. 44. Assoon as they hear of me they shall obey me the strangers shall submit themselves unto me I have read of one who Cassianus lib. 4. c. 24. readily fetched water near two miles every day for a whole year together to pour upon a dry stick upon the bare command of a Superior when no reason could be given for the thing O how ready then doth Grace make the Soul to obey those Divine commands that are backed with the highest strongest and choicest Arguments Secondly As that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is ready Obedience so it is free and willing Obedience Acts 21. 13. Then Paul answered Voluntaes semiplena est voluntas An half will an incompleat will an unwilling will is a will in Divine account What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart For I am willing not to be bound onely but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus The beamings out of Divine love and glory make gracious souls willing in the day of his power Psal 110. 3. Those Divine principles that be in them make them willingly obey without coaction or compulsion So 2 Cor. 8. 3. The Macedonians were willingly obedient or as the Greek hath it They were voluntiers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely to their power but beyond their power All the motions and actings of Christ towards his people for his people and in his people are free He loves them freely he pardons them freely he intercedes for them freely he acts them freely and he saves them freely and so they move and act towards Christ freely they heat they pray they wait they weep they work they watch freely and willingly that Spirit of Grace and 1 Chron. 29. 6-18 1 Tim. 6. 18. 1 Thes 2. 8. A Saint at worst is obedient either Holiness that is in them makes them Voluntiers in all Religious duties and services It is reported of Socrates that when the Tyrant threatned death unto him he answered He was willing Voluntate plena or semi-plena with a will or an unwilling will like the Merchant that is unwillingly willing to throw his goods over board into the tempestuous Sea to save his life nay then says the Tyrant You shall live against your will he answered again Nay whatsoever you do with me it shall be my will Yet nature a little raised and refined will inable a man to do this will not Grace will not Union and Communion with Christ inable a man to do as much yea infinitly more Thirdly As that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is free and willing Obedience so it is cheerful and delightful Obedience it is a Believers meat and drink it is his joy and crown it is a pleasure a paradise to his soul to be still obeying his Fathers will to be still found about his Fathers business Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is in my heart As the Sun rejoyceth to Psal 19. 5 11. compared Tanto magis delectat opus bonum quanto magis diligitur Deus summum incommutabile bonum Aug. A good work so much the more delighteth by how much the more God the chiefest and unchangable Good is loved In hoc cognoscitur amor Christi si quis servat praecepta Christi Bern. run his race so do the Saints rejoyce to run the race of Obedience Gods work is wages yea it is better then wages therefore they cannot but delight in it not onely for keeping but also in keeping of his commands there is great reward Psal 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments that is in the studying and obeying of his Commandments Psal 119. 16. I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Vers 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments for therein do I delight V. 47. And I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved V. 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy Commandments are my delight Divine commands are not grievous to a lover of Christ for nihil difficile amanti nothing is difficult to him that loveth The love of Christ the discoveries of Christ the embraces of Christ make a gracious soul studious and industrious to keep the Commandments of Christ in lip and life in word and work in head and heart in book and brest Thus you see that that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is Ready Free and Chearful Obedience Fifthly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is Peremptory Obedience Josh 24. 15. I and my Josephus reports of such resolute Christians that in the face of al reproaches and difficulties followed Christ to the Cross houshold will serve the Lord. He is fully resolved upon it come what come can in the face of all dangers difficulties impediments and discouragements he will obey the Lord he will follow the Lord so those Worthies in the eleventh of the Hebrews of whom this world was not worthy obeyed Divine commands peremptorily resolvedly in the face of all manner of deaths and miseries So Paul was obedient to Acts 20. 23. Gal. 1. 15 16. You may as well stop the Sun from running his race as you are able to hinder gracious souls from obeying Divine commands Psal 44. 13. 24. As a wicked natu●e makes the wicked peremptory in their disobedience Jer. 44. 15 16 17. So the Divine nature makes gracious souls peremptory in their Obedience the heavenly vision though bonds did attend him in every place he is better at obeying then at disputing I conferred not sayes he with flesh and blood So Peter and John and the rest of the Apostles in despight of all threatnings and beatings they obey the Lord they keep fast and close to their Masters work Whether it be right in the fight of God to hearken more unto you then unto God judge ye for we cannot but

speak the things which we have seen and heard And now Lord behold their threatnings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And when they had called the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the Name of Jesus and let them go And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name And daily in the Temple and in every House they ceased not to Teach and Preach Jesus Christ Acts 4. 19 20 29. 5. 40 41 42. compared Thus you see no tryals no troubles no terrors no threats no dangers no deaths could deter them from peremptory Obedience to Divine precepts It is not the Fiery Furnace nor the Lyons Den nor the Bloody Sword nor the Torturing Wrack that can fright gracious Souls from their Obedience to their dearest Lord. Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements Sixtly The end of that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is Divine Propter te domine propter te Is every godly mans Motto Quicquid agas propter D●um agas Was an Eastern Apophthegm Drusius glory the Eye of the obedient Soul in prayer and praises in talking and walking in giving and receiving in living and doing is Divine glory Rom. 14. 7 8. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords In all actions the obedient Soul intends and attends most Divine glory If Satan the World or the Old man do at any time propound other ends to the Finis movet ad agendum The End moves to doing Soul this great end Divine glory works out all those ends for this is most certain That which a man makes his greatest and his highest end will work out all other ends Look as the light of the Sun doth extinguish and put out the light of the fire so when a man makes the glory of God his end that end will extinguish and put out all carnal low base ends That man that makes himself the end of his actions that makes honor riches applause c. the end of his actions he must at last lie down in eternal sorrow he must dwell in everlasting burnings Isai 50. ult 33. 14. the man is as his end is and his work is as his end is if that be naught all is naught if that be good all is good and the man is happy for ever Seventhly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation that borders upon Salvation that comprehends Si dixisti sufficit teriisti Aug. If once thou saidst it is enough thou art undone Salvation is a constant Obedience Psal 119. 112. I have enclined my heart to do thy Statutes alway even unto the end The Causes Springs and Motives of holy Obedience are lasting and permanent and therefore the Obedience of a sound Christian is not like the morning dew or a deceitful bow Psal 44. 17 18 19. All this is come upon us History reports that it hath been the ancient custom of pious Christians under persecuting Emperors to meet and by the Sacrament to binde themselves for ever to flie what was evil and follow what was good what ever it cost them yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy ways Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death The love of Christ the promises of Christ the presence of Christ the discoveries of Christ the example of Christ and the recompence of reward held forth by Christ makes a sound Christian hold on and hold out in ways of Obedience in the face of all dangers and deaths Neither the hope of life nor the fear of death can make a sincere Christian either change his Master or decline his Work Phil. 2. 12. Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence onely but how much more in my absence Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling This was the Philippians glory That they were constant in their Obedience whether Paul was present or absent they constantly minded their work Ah but Hypocrites and Temporaries Such Hypocrites may well cry out as Ecebolius did who was onely constant in inconstaney 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tread upon me that am unsavory Salt are but passionate transient and inconstant in their Obedience they talk of Obedience they commend Obedience and now and then in a fit they step in the way of Obedience but they do not walk in a way of Obedience they are onely constant in inconstancy Job chap. 27. vers 10. Will the Hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty Will he always call upon God Or as the Hebrew hath it Will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he in every time call upon God will he call upon God in time of prosperity and in time of adversity in time of health and in time of sickness in time of strength and in time of weakness in time of honor and in time of disgrace in time of liberty and in time of durance c The answer to be given in is He will not always he will not in every time call upon God As a lame Horse when he is heated will go well enough but when he cools he halts down-right even so an Hypocrite though for a time he may go on fairly in a Religious way yet when he hath attained his ends he will halt down-right and be able to The Monk in the Fable being a poor Fisher-mans son still spread a Net over his Table as a remembrance of his mean original till he had by these shews of humility attained to the highest preferments which when he had attained he laid away the Net because the Fish was caught go no further The Abbot in Melancton lived strictly and walked demurely and looked humbly so long as he was but a Monk but when by his seeming extraordinary sanctity he got to be made Abbot he grew intolerably proud and insolent and being asked the reason of it confest That his former carriage and lowly looks was but to see if he could finde the Keys of the Abbey Ah! many unsound hearts there be that will put on the Cloak of Religion and speak like Angels and look like Saints to finde the Keys of Preferment and when they have found them none prove more proud base and vain then they Ah! but that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is constant and durable A Christian in his course goes strait on Heaven-wards The two milch Kine 1 Sam. 6. 12. took the strait way to the way of Bethshemesh and went along the high-way loughing as they went and turned not aside