Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A50490
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The pastors valediction, or, A farewell sermon preached at Sepulchres, London / by Mr. Matthew Meade.
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Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing M1556; ESTC R9094
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15,072
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30
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the fruit of communion with God Fourthly Be good at all times but of all be best in bad times many Christians lose their peace by remitting of their grace and let loose their reines of Religion to avoid the censures of a crooked generation A Christians zeal should be like the Winter fire that burns the hottest when the Aire is coolest or like the Lilly that looketh beautifull though among Thorns so should a Child of God though among Sinners Fifthly In all conditions chuse Suffering rather then Sinning If ever you would have Peace chose Suffering rather then Sinning he that values Peace with God or Peace with Conscience he must make this his choyce thus Daniel rather chosed to be cast to Lions then to lose the Peace of his Conscience the three Children chose rather to burn in the Furnace then to bow to the Image One said He would rather go to Hell free from sin then to live in Heaven with guilt on his Conscience My Brethren let me a little inlarge because suffering may overtake us for Persecution is the genius of the Gospel therefore let me leave four short Rules with you concerning sufferings See that your Cause be good your Call be clear your Spirit meek and your End right Suffering cannot bring out peace without either of them but with them all our sufferings shall be peace First Let your cause be good it s not the bloud but the Cause that makes a Martyr it s not for every cause a Christian should engage to suffer every cause will no more bear suffering then every little stream will bear a ship nor will Christ let go sweetnesse to every suffering 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an Evil doer or as a busie body in other mens matters To suffer this is neither Christian-like nor comfortable Some suffer rather as Malefactors then as Christs Martyrs Secondly Let your call be clear it s not amisse to have a good cause without a call Some may suffer for the cause of God and yet sin in suffering for want of a call Christ calls not all to suffer to some it is given to others it is not If thy call be clear thy peace will be sweet though thy sufferings be never so great But you will say How shall I know when I am called to suffer I Answer First when Truth suffers by our silence then are we called to suffer Secondly when our lives will be the denyal of Christ then are we called to deny our lives for Christ Thirdly when sin and suffering surrounds us that we cannot get out but we must either run through sin or sufferings then I may safely conclude that Christ calleth me to suffer and in this cause we may expect the peace and sweetness of his presence Thirdly the third Direction for suffering is this our Spirit must be meek so was Christ he went as a Lamb to the slaughter It s possible a man may be right in his cause and yet sinfull in his carriage and if so no wonder if Christ be not sweet to us To be fierce and raging and reviling in suffering it s not becomming humanity and therefore much less like Christianity A Christian should be like Christ Acts 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were connted worthy to suffer shame for his name It becomes those that are found in the Spirit to give blessing for cursing the more of Christs spirit is in us in our sufferings the more comfort and joy we shall receive from our sufferings Fourthly See that your end in suffering be right if it be self or singular or schism then Christ cannot be sweet to thee Some have died that their ends live Socrates died in the defence of the truth and to prove that there is but one God but whether he died for honour applause or for Gods sake I think it is no hard thing to determin But let thy cause be good thy Call clear thy Spirit meek and thy end right and then you shall have peace in all your sufferings that is the 5th thing Choose suffering rather then sinning Sixthly If you would have peace be much in studying of the Scriptures for as God is the God of peace and Christ is the Prince of peace so the Gospel is the Gospel of peace which God hath given thee to lead thee into the wayes of peace Great peace have they that love thy lawes Seventhly Take heed of Apostacy either in doctrin or principles Though a beleever is freed from Apostacy in the state of grace yet he is not freed from Apostacy in the degrees of grace He may fall sinfully though he cannot fall finally Demas fell by one St. Peter by the other Pray with David Psalm 17.5 Hold up my goings in thy path that my footsteps slip not Eightly Make the word of God your rule in all things be sure you have a Scripture warrant for all your practises But especially keep close to Scripture in matters of Gods worship There are endlesse discourses about the Mode of Gods Worship I have no disputing time It is good in difficult cases all wayes to take the surest side for instance if I follow the Traditions of man for the worship of God I may sin but if I keep close to die directions of God in the Scripture I am sure I cannot sin for this is the sure word of Prophecy to which you do well to take heed therefore in such a doubtfull case Gods will is that we take the surest side go to the Law and to the Testament Labour to be fruitfull and grounded Christians Ninthly Keep up the power of godlinesse do not let Religion down into a lifelesse formality The righteous shall flourish like a Palm tree He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God Psal 92.12 13. My Brethren it is as much a duty in them that have grace to improve it as for them that haue no grace for to get it If you fit under the daily means the daily waterings of God and do not grow do you think this will be peace in the latter end surely no my Brethren your fruitfullness under the Gospel is of very great concernment It is unfruitfullness that makes God lay his Vineyard waste It s unfruitfullness that procures the forwarding your accompt in the day of grace Tenthly observe that excellent rule of the Apostle in Phil 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are houest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things And now my Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of God that is infinitely able to make you wise to salvation with this Benediction which I shall make my Valediction Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ FINIS ADVERTISEMENT The God People among whom the Name of this Excellent man is deservedly precious may take notice that his last Sermon upon the five a Clock Lecture at Sepulchres will suddainly be Published for their Use Who hold the words of Gods Patience in the Hour of Temptation that is come upon the whole Earth