Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A06955
|
A new yeares gyfte more precious than golde worthy to be embrased no lesse ioyfully than tha[n]kfully of euery true christe[n] man, newly published by Theodore Basille.
|
Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.
|
1543
(1543)
|
STC 1738; ESTC S109206
|
72,867
|
228
|
hath my commaundementes sayth Christ and kepeth them he it is that louethe me If ony man loueth me he wyl kepe my worde and my father shall loue hym we wyll come vnto hym dwell wyth hym He that louethe not me kepeth not my wordes Here Christ measureth our loue that we heare toward him by kepyng his word If we kepe his worde than loue we hym but if we kepe it not than loue we hym nothynge at all Agen he saythe I am the vyne and ye are the braunches He that abydeth in me I in hym bryngeth forth much frute Let vs not flatter our selues If we aâ—yde in Christ we brynge forthe muche frute If we brynge forth no frute than abyde we not in Christ. If we abyde not in christ thaÌ„ are we none of christes So followeth it that as withered braunches we shall be gathered and cast into the fyre ther burne for euer S. Paule sayth â–ª not they which heare the lawe are righteous before God but they that expresse the lawe in dedes shall be coâ—ted righteous Although no man be able so longe as he lyuethe in thys worlde to fulfyl the law so thorowly as the purite therof requirethe â–ª yet is it our offyce to laboure vnto the vttermoost of our power to fulfyll the lawe and where we perceaue that we are not able to bring to passe w t so great clennes of hartâ— that which the spirite of the law requireth to bewayle our weakenes â–ª to desyre strengthe to praye vnto God that Christ whiche is the ende and perfecte fulfyllyng of the law maye supply that which wantethe in vs. Agayne he saythe we are buryed wythe hym by Baptisme into death that as Christ is rysen agâ—â—n from death thorow the glory of the father so we shulde walke in a newe lyfe And a litle after recount your selues to be dead vnto sinne but liuing vnto God thorow Iesus christ our Lorde Therfore let not synne raygne in youre mortall bodye for to obey it thorow the lustes therof Neyther gyue ye your members as instrumeÌ„tes of vnrighteousnes vnto synne but gyue your selfes vnto God as they that are alyue from death and gyue youre members as instrumentes of ryghteousnes vnto God Agayne in that same chapter as ye haue gyueÌ„ your members seruauntes to vncleannes to iniquite euen from one iniquite vnto another so now gyue your meÌ„bers seruauÌ„tes vnto righteousnes that ye maye be sanctifyed All these sentences declare vnto vs howe pure innocent and fautles our lyuynge oughte to be If it be the contrary our professioÌ„ profyteth vs nothyng at al. In another place also he sayth If ony man be in Christ he is a new creature that is to say wholly changed froÌ„ his olde maÌ„ners vnto newe He hath no more fellowshyp wythe the vnfruteful workes of darkenes but so composeth appoynteth his lyuyng that he maye appeare to be the lyght of the world Agayne they that are of Christ haue crucifyed y e flesh with the affectes lustes therof If we lyue in the spirite lette vs walk in the spirite For the flesh lustethe agaynst the spirite the spirite agaynst the flesh All they therefore which lyue accordynge to y e appetyte luste and desyre of the fleshe pertayne not vnto Christ. We are y e workemanshyppe of God created in Christe Iesus vnto good worckes whiche God hath prepared that we shulde walke in them Beholde God is oute maker we be made a newe in Christ Iesus vnto good workes So many therfore as apply not theÌ„ selues to do good workes are not engraffed in Christ but remayne styll members of Satan Item I being presoner exhorte you in the Lorde that ye walke worthy your callyng wherin ye are called with all lowlynes mekenes w t softenes of mynd sufferynge one another by charite studyeng to kepe the vnite of y e spirite thorow the bond of peace Here se we with what vertues we ought to garnyshe oure lyfe that we maye walke worthy oure vocacion callyng Howe farre than are they out of the waye whiche defyle them selues wyth all kynde of abhominable vice Be ye sayth S. Paule the followers of God as well beloued chyldren walke in loue as Christ hath loued vs. If it be our duty to â—e the followers of God so must we practise his goodnes follow his innocency purite so muche as lyghethe in our power or els we are not y e soÌ„nes of God Our celestial father is pure holy shal we his chyldreÌ„ be prophane vnholy Our heuily father is good godly mercyful pacieÌ„t al spirite shal we hys soÌ„nes be euel wycked rigoroê° impacieÌ„t al flesh Be ye holy sayth he for I am holy Ye shall be perfecte sayth Christ as your heauenly father is perfecte Moreouer S. Paule wrytethe Be ye pure and suche as no man can be offended wyth you agaynst the day of Christ fylled full of the fruyte of ryghteousnes which chaunseth thorowe Iesus Christ vnto the glory prayse of God Agayne do all thynges without grutchynge and disputacion beyng such that no man can complayne of you and pure the sonnes of God fautles in the myddes of a frowarde and crokedde nacion amonge whome shyne ye as lyghtes in the worlde holdyng fast the word of lyfe It is not without a cause y t your newe yeres gyfte teacheth vs to be earnest folowers of good workes seynge that so great purite and cleÌ„nes of lyfe is required of vs. â—o worthe those fylthye swyne whiche walowe and tomble them selues in all kynde of fleshly vnclennes vnto the great slaunder of Christes Gospell IteÌ„ Mortify your earthly meÌ„bers whoredome vncleannes couetousnes c. For god hath not called vs vnto vnclennes but vnto sanctificacioÌ„ All ye are the soÌ„nes of lyght sayth he and the sonnes of the day we are not of the nyghte nor yet of darkenes Therfore let vs not slepe as other do but lette vs watch and be sober Seyng y t we are no more y e worldes seyng also we haue gyuen ouer Satan and the fleshe wyth all theyr workes pompes plesures it becommeth vs so to walke in al our lyfe conuersacion that we be not found lyke Satans seruauÌ„tes nor the volupteous worlde lynges nor yet ony suche as lyue 〈◊〉 the flesh and not after the spirite but pure clene honest fauteles godly and as I maye so speake euen lyke another christ S. Peter also sayth giue not your selfes to your olde lustes wher wyth ye were ledde whan ye knewe not Christ but as he that called you is holy so be ye also holy iÌ„ al your coÌ„uersacion for it is wrytten be ye holy for I am holy Here are we taught to forsake our olde synfull lyuynge and to fashon our selues lyke vnto the manners of God which is holy righteous perfecte abundantly good in all thynges Furthermore saynt IohnÌ„
sayth if we say that we haue fellowshyp with Christ yet walke in darknes we lye do not y e trueth But if we walke in the lyght as he is in the lyght we haue felloweshyp one wyth another and the bloud of Iesus Christ gods owne sonne maketh vs cleane from all synne This texte prouethe manifestly that we haue no feloweshyp wythe Christ so long as we walke in darkenes that is in synfull lyuynge agayne that the bloude of Christe profytethe vs nothyng at all excepte we walke in the lyght of Gods worde laboure to fulfyll hys holye preceptes For sayth S. IohnÌ„ by this do we know y t we haue known hiÌ„ if we kepe hys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes He y t sayth I know hiÌ„ kepeth not hys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes is a lyare and the truethe is not in hym But he that dothe hys worde trulye in hym is the loue of God perfecte By this do we knowe that we are in hym He that sayth he abydeth in hym oughte to walke euen as he walked Of this all the other textes which I haue hitherto rehearsed we may easly learne what is our duty and howe earnestly we oughte to seake occasions for to do good Seyng we are y e peo-people of God yea hys peculiare oute chosen people we muste nedes shewe oure selues earnest followers of good workes or elles haue we no fellowshyp wyth Christ. God the father is not oure father nether are we christes brothers nor yet fellow heyres wyth hym if we seake not to lead a godly and vertuous lyfe Let vs neuer crake of the iustificacioÌ„ of fayth of y e fre mercy of God of christes pashoÌ„ bloud death merites c. we lead a lyfe worthy the kyndenes of God Lette vs neuer reioyse that we are delyuered from the power of SataÌ„ synne deth hell for so long as we coÌ„tinue in our olde synnefull lyuynge and wycked manners we pertayne not vnto Christ but are y e bonde slaues of Satan very fyre brondes of hell For as y e good preste Zachary father to S. IohnÌ„ Baptist sayth God hath perfourmed the othe whiche he sware to our father Abraham for to gyue vs that we delyuered out of the haÌ„des of our enemies myght serue hym wtout feare all the dayes of oure lyfe in holynes righteousnes Hereto agreeth the sayng of s. Paule the bloud of christ whyche thorow the euerlastyng spirite hathe offered hymselfe pure to God shall pourge youre conscience from dead workes for to serue the lyuynge God Here learne we y t christ hathe delyuered vs from the power of our enemies that we should serue him in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of oure lyfe Nowe if ony be not giuen to the seruyse of God surely he is not free but abydethe styll the miserable captiue bonde presoner of his enemies Let all meÌ„ therfore take hede prepare theÌ„ selues to lede a godly lyfe y t they maye be earnest followers of good workes or elles nether theyr baptisme nor Christ nor yet ony thyng that euer Christ dyd shall profytte them ony thynge at all Chri. O good Lorde how greatly be many deceued whiche put theyr trust in Christ crake muche of fayth yet continue styll abhominable lyuers thynkyng not with stondynge all this theyr great wyckednes to be saued Phil. To repeÌ„taunce â—aythe and amendement of lyfe mercy is neuer denyed But be not you deceaued neyghbours For not they whiche heare the lawe are righteous before god but they that expresse the law in dedes shall be coÌ„ted righteous Be ye the doers of y e worde and not the hearers only deceauyng your selfes Theo. God gyue vs grace thus to do that we maye garnysh the doctrine of God our sauioure in all thynges Euse. Amen I beseche the good Lorde Phil. Uerely there are many causes yea those vrgent and necessary why Christen men shoulde bryng forth good workes if they dyd consider theyr vocacioÌ„ callyng wel Fyrst because it is the wyll of God God hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded so by his holy worde For what chylde accoÌ„plysheth not his fathers wyll for the loue that he beareth towarde hym What seruaunt fulfylleth not his masters coÌ„maundemeÌ„t if he do but onely feare hym â–ª Hoâ—â— muche more than ought we wâ—â—che haue so louynge a fatheâ— and so puyssauÌ„t a Lorde and beneficiall a master for the loue 〈◊〉 â—earâ— that we beare toward hym shewe our 〈◊〉 obedient to his holy wyll fulfyl it to y e vttermoost of our power â–ª Where ether â—earâ— or loue of God is there must the â—ulfyllynge of Gods lawe nedes followe If so doth not neuer let vs confesse oure selues eyther to feare or loue god truly The sonne honoureth his father and the seruaunte his Lorde If I than be youre father where is my honoure â–ª And if I be your Lord where is my feare sayth y e Lord or Hoâ—stes Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lord Lorde shall enter into y e kyngdome of heauen sayth Christ but he thaâ— doth the wyll of my father which iâ— in â—eauen The holy 〈…〉 bryng forth frutes of repentaunce And christ sayth as my father gaue me commaundement so I do Agen I haue not spokeÌ„ of my selfe but he that sent me that is to saye my father he gaue me commaundement what I shoulde do what I should speake A christeÌ„ man therfore must do good because it is the commaundement and wyll of God Secondely we ought to do good workes that God may be glorifyed thorowe them as Christ sayth Let your light so shyne before men that they may se your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen Also S. Peter se that ye haue as honest conuersacion amonge the Hey then that they whiche backe by tâ— you aâ— euell doers may sâ— your good workes and prayse God in the day of visitacion For what greater dishonour â—â—ther be done to god thaÌ„ to professe the name of God iâ—nominâ—â—usly to deface and obscure the glory of it thorowe our wycked and vngodly conuersacion Theyr rulars do vnrighteously sayth y e lord and by this means my name is blasphemed coÌ„tinually euen all y e whole daye longe S Paule also sayth the name of GOD is euell reported for you among the Hethen Agen what greater honour can there be gyueÌ„ to God of vs thaÌ„ to lede a godly lyfe to expresse the manners and lyuysh Image of our heuenly father in all our lyfe By the one God is dishonored by the other he is greatly honored praysed and magnified Thyrdely it is oure dutye to do good workes that we maye be certeÌ„ that our fayth is right true lyuysh and workynge For as there is not a more certen argument sure tokeÌ„ that a tree is good thaÌ„ by bringing â—orth good â—â—â—te so is ther not a better probacioÌ„ that our fayth is true 〈…〉 than whan we worke the