Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	woman_n	work_n	world_n	75	3	4.4375	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74987	The glory of Christ set forth in several sermons from John III.34, 35, 36 and V.25 : and The necessity of faith in order to pleasing God, from Hebrews XI.6 / by Mr. Thomas Allen, late pastor of a church in the city of Norwich.	Allen, Thomas, 1608-1673.; Finch, Martin, 1628?-1698.	1683 (1683)	Wing A1046; ESTC R43595	136,370	269

go and eat and drink with gladness with a merry heart it 's true the men of the World can be jovial in their Cups eating and drinking and carousing and none seem to be so merry and jovial as they are but they have no cause for it it is just like a Condemned person that may be jovial and eating and drinking and he know not how soon he may be called to Execution this is the case of every Man and Woman in the World if God do not accept of their Works But now saies Solomon Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works 3. Is it not a desirable thing to have the Creatures ready to be serviceable and officious to a man or woman that there is never a Creature in the World but is ready to be Officious and Serviceable to him though possiby they may seem to be averse and contrary and cross to him yet they are all Serviceable and Officious to him to have every thing turn to good to a Man or Woman whatever any Creature do to him it turns all to his good though the Creature may intend otherwise The wicked men may intend to persecute and persecute them as Enemies but when a man or woman please God and his ways please God all his Enemies shall be made his Friends Proverbs 16.7 When a Mans ways please the Lord he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him They shall be Friends to him they shall do Offices and services of Friendship and kindness to him though possibly against their wills all the creatures shall be officious and serviceable to them and they shall not be able to do them any hurt what a desirable thing is this 4. Is it not a desirable thing for a man or woman to have an audience of all their prayers in Heaven for God to be ready to hear our requests and petitions that we put up to him is not this a desirable thing You will say Oh that I were but sure that God did but hear any one Prayer that ever I made what a desirable thing is this now those whose ways are pleasing to the Lord God do hear their prayers They have access to the Throne of Grace with boldness to find grace and mercy to help in the time of need Heb. 4.16 and mark the Apostles expression in 1 John 3.22 And whatsoever we ask we receive of him Why so because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight If we be sure we do those things that are pleasing to God Now saies the Apostle we know that whatsoever we ask we receive of him we have now an audience of our prayers and petitions in Heaven Oh! what a desirable thing is this 5. Is it not a desirable thing for a man or woman to be a Favourite in the Court of Heaven to be in special favour with the King of Heaven you count it no small matter to be a Favourite in the Kings Court to be in favour with the King you count it a very desirable thing Truly to be a favourite in the Court of Heaven is much more desirable to be in favour with the great King of kings I tell you the favour of God in Heaven is as Life to a mans Soul David could say it that knew it by experience in Psalm 30.5 In thy favour is Life nay he adds a greater word than that in Psalm 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life There is nothing in the world to a Man better than life but to know that a man or Woman is in favour with God he hath that which is better than life Brethren and Friends there are but two great things that a Man or Woman should desire in this World which are the general and comprehensive of all things to be desired one is to enjoy peace with God and the favour of God here and the other is to enjoy the favour and see the face of God in Heaven hereafter What can a man desire more than to be at peace with God and have the favour of God whilst he live and then to know that he shall see and enjoy the face and presence of God for ever in Glory Here is as much as can be desired and these two things we should look after Now here is one of them To know that God is well pleased with a poor Creature now such a person is a Favourite of Heaven and he may be sure of it if he be in favour with God here then he shall see the face of God and enjoy the presence of God hereafter That is the 5th 6. And Lastly to add but that Is it not a desirable thing for a Man or Woman to be able to look Death in the face with comfort when Death comes to stare him in the face when he shall have a sentence of Death past upon him What would you then desire above all the things in this World what not a great Estate not this and that that you can think of in the World but Oh that I might have the Favour of God! and that I might know that God is well pleased with me c. Then a Man or Woman may look Death in the face and may draw near to God with a holy Boldness as I remember Hezekiah when he had the sentence of death upon him in Isa 38.3 Lord saies he Remember how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect heart He could appeal to God that his ways were pleasing to him and now he could resign up his Soul to him though he was troubled that he had not finished the Work that he had to do in the World and so he could have desired to live longer and upon his prayer the Lord did reverse the sentence of Death that was upon him yet when he had the Sentence see how he took it Lord saies he remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is the things that he had been doing had been pleasing to the Lord So a Man or Woman whose ways pleased God whilst he lived in the World when he comes to die he may look Death in the face with comfort What a desirable thing then is it for a man or woman to please God in what he doth That is the Second thing propounded That to please God is a most Desirable thing 3. But in the Third place you will say what is that Faith whereby a man or woman comes to please God Truly it is Faith that is the principle and ground and Foundation whence a man and his Works and Services and Performances come to be pleasing to God A Man or Woman may be diligent in the performance of Duties and Services and yet God may not be pleased with them As for example take two persons that come and joyn together in prayer they pray the same Prayer or two Persons

said there when Christ was warning them to take heed of the world Ye cannot serve God and Mammon The Pharisees who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him this was against the grain their hearts were covetous and set upon the riches of the world and now whatever Christ speaks they despise and set at nought This is that which the Holy-Ghost doth warn us against and doth shew us that this is the great ground and cause why people hear the Word and profit not because their hearts go after their covetousness Ezek. 33.31 32. says the Lord there This people cometh unto thee as the people cometh and sit before thee as my people and they hear my words and they seem to be pleasing to them and they take delight in them and thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and they hear thy words and do them not why so for with their mouth they shew much love but their hearts goeth after their covetousness Their hearts goeth after the world and therefore whatever is spoken will do them no good and therefore Christ doth admonish us and advise us to take heed and beware of covetousness Luke 12.15 Well this is another impediment if we do desire to hear the Word to profit and edification let us get our hearts off from the riches of the world Fifthly To name no more Take heed also of having the heart filled with the cares and matters of this world if our hearts be filled with the world there will be no room for the Word to take place Just as if a Room be filled and taken up there is no room for others to come in If the world and business and occasions of the world come and take up the head and the heart here will be no room for the Word to take place it is just as it is in a great croud where there is a great noise if there be a great noise in the Street if one come and speak a word in your ear you cannot hear him because of the noise so if our hearts and ears be filled with the cares and the business of the world it makes such a noise as we cannot hear and therefore Christ tells us that these cares of the world are like Thorns in Matt. 13.22 He that receiveth seed among thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choak the Word and he becometh unfruitful Though we hear much and there be much Seed sown yet if it spring up among Thorns it will never come to any maturity and therefore hence it is that Christ by two Parables doth shew us how the occasions and businesses of the world doth hinder people from listening to the voice of Christ in his Word in Luke 14. There is one Parable of a great Supper that a great man made and invited many but they refused to come and made light of it And the other Parable you have in Matt. 22.5 concerning a King which made a Marriage Feast for his Son and invited his Guests and when the Feast was prepared they made light of it and would not come What was the Reason One must go to his Farm and another to his Merchandise one about this business and another about that and they could not attend to the Lords Voice in his Word Christ doth thereby shew us that the matters and cares of this world when they fill the head and the heart they do hinder us from attending upon God in his Word This is now another impediment which is to be removed if we would so attend upon the Word as to hear it with profit And truly Brethren to speak plainly I am afraid that this is one great cause why many do profit so little by hearing the Word they come reeking out of the world and their hands and heads and hearts are full of the world and by that means the Word comes to be unprofitable to them Oh! that we could therefore learn to understand the Lords Will to understand what are the impediments that hinder us from hearing the Word with profit and be careful to get them removed This is the second Direction how to hear the Word in a way of Faith Faith doth put us upon the removing those impediments that do hinder us from profiting by the Word Thirdly The Third Direction is this If we would hear the Word in a way of Faith so as we may profit by it it is to hear it as the very Word of God as if God should speak from Heaven to us immediately How would we hear the Word if God should speak to us immediately from Heaven with what reverence and attention would you hear how would you be careful to swallow up every Word that God should speak Brethren know this that God out of tenderness and respect to us speaks in another manner and way to us now instrumentally by man more mediately because we are not able to bear the immediate Voice of God as they said at Mount Sinai Let not God speak any more to us for we cannot bear it Now the Lord out of indulgency to us because we cannot bear his own immediate voice the Lord is pleased to speak to us by means and instruments by men that are like our selves now I say it is God that speaks to us by men it is God that speaks from Heaven to us by men therefore we are to hear the Word as if God from Heaven did speak to us as the Apostle speaks in Heb. 12.25 Take heed that ye refuse not him that speaks from Heaven This is the way now to profit by the Word and to hear it in Faith you shall find that Cornelius he heard in this manner when Peter came to Preach to him Cornelius attended to him as if God himself spoke to him in Acts 10.33 Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God as if we should hear God himself speak And you see what the advantage and benefit of it was it is said in vers 44. that while Peter yet spake these words the Holy-Ghost fell on all them that heard him By this means the Word was made profitable and effectual to them the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard it as if God himself had spoken to them And the like you read concerning the Thessalonians in 1 Thess 2.13 says the Apostle For this cause thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Ye received it not as the word of man though it was spoken by man but ye heard it as the very Word of God as if God himself spake from Heaven to you and therefore Brethren mind this when we come to

perform those very duties that God requires and yet God may not smell a sweet savour in them take no delight nor complacency in them nor have no respect to them As now for example you know the Lord anointed Jehu to be King over Israel 2 Kings 9. You shall find when the Lord anointed him by his Prophet it was for this very end and purpose that he should go and Destroy all the House of Ahab and cut them all off well Jehu went and performed the work one would think this was pleasing to God● for he did the very thing that God required and yet I pray look into Hosea 1.4 You shall see what a Testimony the Holy Ghost gives of Jehu concerning the Work he did And the Lord said unto the Prophet call his Name Jezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the Blood of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu c. I will be avenged saies God for that Blood why did not Jehu do that which God did expresly require of him in cutting off the House of Ahab And yet saies the Lord I will be avenged for that Murder that Jehu Committed Why so Truly Jehu did not do it in that manner that was pleasing unto God for Jehu had his own ends in what he did he made account of cutting off the House of Ahab that his own Kingdom might be better established and therefore he still maintained the Calves that Jeroboam had set up and therefore saith the Lord I will avenge the Blood of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu And saies the Lord in Isaiah 1.13 14. When he speaks concerning the Sacrifices Offerings and Services which he himself had apppointed Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an Abomination to me your new Mo●●is and Sabbaths and solemn Assemblies I cannot away with Why had not God expresly appointed these things yes yet saies God Your new Moons and appointed Feasts my Soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them and when you spread forth your hands saies God I will hide my Eyes and when you make many prayers I will not hear you Why were not these the things that God had required and commanded yet you see God was not pleased with them but now when the Lord doth look with a gracious respect upon a mans Services and performances and also doth graciously accept them with complacency and delight this is now to please the Lord by what we do Well this is the first thing you see what is meant by pleasing of God 2. Now then to come to the second That this pleasing of God is a very desirable thing it is of great concernment for a Man or Woman to please God What can a man or woman desire to do more in this World than to please God this indeed is implyed here in the Text he speaks of it as a thing very desirable Without Faith it is impossible to please God To do that which is so desirable if it were not desirable what should a man or woman need to care whether he please God or no but the Apostle speaks of it as a great thing without Faith it is impossible to please God Brethren when a man or woman doth perform a Duty or Service when he hath done it if he do not please God in it this is matter of very great sadness to such a Soul or it should be so you know how Cain took it he brought an Offering Genesis 4. of the fruits of the Ground unto God but God was not pleased with it God had respect to Abel and to his Offering but to Cain and his Offering God had not respect Well how did Cain take it He was not able to bear it his countenance fell Gods accepting of Abels offering and not Cains it went to the Heart of him his Countenance fell and thereupon he grew malicious against his Brother and at last he slew him it was such a dreadful thing to him that God should not accept of his Sacrifice as well as his Brothers And you shall see King Saul though but a wicked man yet when God did refuse to hear his Prayers and was not pleased with them saies he I am sore distressed in 1 Sam. 28.15 And he goes to a Witch who raised up as he thought Samuel to him and Saul answered I am sorely distressed the Philistines make War against me and God is departed from me and he answereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by Dreams c. I am sorely distressed And Brethren what is that which the people of God do so much desire in this world that they are Ambitious of it as the main thing of their desire in the World It is that they may please God see the Apostles expression 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we Labour saies he the word signifies we are Ambitious it is an emphatical word we desire ambitiously we do earnestly endeavour as an ambitious man doth after Honour wherefore we Labour But the word is a stronger word we labour with might and main we make it our very ambition that we may be accepted of him or that we may please God it is the highest degree of the desire of our Souls we are ambitious for that that we may please God and that God may be pleased with us and accept of our services But more particularly to shew you in some particulars what a desirable thing it is to be found pleasing of God and to have our services accepted of him As 1. Is it not a desirable thing for a Man or Woman to be reconciled to God and to have God reconciled to them and so to have peace with God Now when God comes to accept of a mans duties and services it is an Argument that God is reconciled to him and at peace with him for before reconciliation every Man and Woman in the World is an enemy unto God Now if any one should come and offer Service to you and you know he hath enmity in his mind against you you will not accept of any thing he does though he pretend never so fairly Now when God comes really to accept of a Mans services and performances it is an Argument God is at peace with him and is not that a most desirabe thing 2. Is it not a desirable thing for a man or woman to have libetty to make use of the creatures that God gives him with joyfulness of Heart that he may rejoice in what he doth make use of and partake of Now when a Man or Woman comes to know that his Services are accepted of God and that he hath pleased God in what he hath done truly then he may go his way as I remember Solomon speaks to that purpose Eccles 9.7 Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy and Drink thy drink with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy Work God is pleased with what you do Ay now you have cause to go and rejoyce in what you do enjoy now you may