Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	word_n	work_n	wrath_n	74	3	7.1972	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43583	Meetness for heaven promoted in some brief meditations upon Colos. 1. 12. discovering the nature and necessity of habitual and actual meetness for heaven here, in all that hope for heaven hereafter. Designed for a funeral legacy. By O.H. an unworthy minister of the Gospel of Christ.	Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702.	1679 (1679)	Wing H1771; ESTC R216793	64,886	228

world my Peace to make with God an Eternity to provide for which the affairs of the world have thrust out or distracted me in This this shall be my imployment for the future for what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul I leave all these things to others that succeed me 3. Relative work This also may be in some respects dispatched off our hands and the doing of it maketh more meet for Heaven This is not to be slighted for it is needful in its place When King Hezekiah was sick unto death God sends him this Message Set thine house in order for thou shalt dye and not live Isa 38.1 i. e. Make thy Will and dispose of thy domestical concerns so as may be a prevention of quarrels and contentions in thy Family after thy decease And ver 3. 't is said that Hezekiah wept sore Why so Was not Hezekiah a Godly Man Was not his Soul in a readiness for death Yes doubtless for he dare appeal to God that he had walked before him in truth and with a perfect heart What then was the matter Why Hezekiah had yet no Son Manasseh being not born till three years after this q. d. Lord if it may be thy will spare my Life and give me a Son for if I dye at this time I know not how to dispose of the Crown I am likely to leave the Church and State in miserable distraction and confusion through the great uncertainty of a succession and the proneness of the people to backslide to their false Worship God heard his Prayer gave him a lease of his Life for fifteen years But this is a duty to all though it be more necessary to some then to others But however its useful to settle the Mind at ease and prevent outward ill consequences and inward disturbances of Spirit but as that good Man was loath to go off the stage Heirless so other circumstances may call for the settlement of their Families by their last Will and Testament especially when Children are left young c. Yea and others also may say now God hath lengthened out my days to see my Children brought up and hopeful for Religion setled in Callings and Families there was but this Child or that business that I desired to see well ordered as to my Family-affairs As Jacob closed up his Blessing of Dan Gen. 19.48 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord. Now at last since God hath wrought on such a Child I will say with old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Luk. 2.29 30. 4. Another work to be dispatcht off our hands is publick work This concerns men in a publick or private capacity as when Moses had led Israel out of Egypt and through the Wilderness he had dispatcht his work and having been faithful in Gods house he was fit to dye So when Joshua had conquered many Kings in Canaan divided the Land to Israel he got a discharge and fell asleep Thus David after he had served his own generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his Fathers Acts 13.36 And so Aaron Samuel and the rest of the Prophets marcht off the Field by the order of our great Lord General when they had dispatcht their warfare and delivered their message Your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever Zech. 1.5 And indeed to what purpose should they or we live when our work is done Especially when Gods servants have not only dispatcht that work that concerns present but future Generations For this is also the work of our present day Thus Solomon built God an house for future times And the Apostle Peter lays in for after ages 2 Pet. 1.15 Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things alwayes in remembrance It s the property of a good man to take care that Religion may live when he is dead Ambrose saith of Theodosius I loved the man exceedingly that when he dyed he was more sollicitous for the Churches then his own danger Then indeed is the Christian meet for Heaven when he hath dispatcht his work on Earth and laid a foundation for good in after times however bears his testimony against corruptions in future generations as Moses Deut. 31 26.-30 Quest You will say how can any man be said to dispatch his work till his life be done Surely the date of work and life run parallel Answ 1. Active doing work may be oft at an end when suffering work is but a beginning for God often reserves suffering work to the last that patience may have her perfect work that the Christian may be perfect and entire wanting nothing Jam. 1.4 The Christian hath little to do but lye in bed and patiently wait Gods pleasure and this usually follows on doing Gods will See Hebr. 10.36 This is indeed a great work to bear our burden patiently chearfully thankfully and fruitfully and say well for the present and will be better shortly the greatest part is then over 2. Though something be to be done or suffered yet when the greatest part of a Christians work is done it may be said it is finished So it was with our Saviour Joh. 17.4 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do But was not dying upon the Cross for the sins of Men a principal piece of Christs work Answ It was so nigh that he speaks of it as already done so ver 11. I am not in the world for he was just a going out of it Besides he had done most of his work and was ready prest to do the work fully the rest that was behind And when our Lord had tasted the vinegar he said it is finished Joh. 19.30 This is a closing word as giving up the ghost was a closing work 3. Sometimes Divine Providence takes off Gods children from much of their work before their dayes be ended this is obvious to a rational eye that then their work is done as sometimes by natural causes Thus Isaac Jacob could presage their own death by the certain prognostick of death namely old age Others by some sickness Consumptions which are usually mortal Others are taken off most of their work by Persecutions Prisons c. Others are taken off the stage of the World by violent death As a dying Minister said on the Scaffold Isaac was old and knew not the day of his death I am young and know the day manner and instruments of my death It s but a nodding the head and death doth its office Now my work is ended 4. Yet once more Some godly Ministers and Christians have had a kind of instinct that death was approaching even in their best health and younger days and so consequently of the dispatch of their work as some Creatures by natural instinct foresee a falling house So we

be above with God CHAP. XIII Some practical Inferences from this Doctrine USE of all this briefly is in four consectaries 1. That there is undoubtedly such a future state as bliss and blessedness for Gods ' Children after this life There remaineth a rest to the people of God Heb. 4.9 I need not go about to prove this it s sufficiently and abundantly confirmed by abler hands not only from Scripture but Nature Reason Divine Providence in the world and the grace of God in the hearts of his people Enough is said to silence Atheism in our Spirits and to stop the mouths of all Atheists on Earth Can any rationally imagine that God should endow Man with such a noble Soul and endue that Soul with such noble faculties of Mind Will and Conscience and Affections capable of knowing loving injoying God with fears and hopes of a future state and all this in vain Can we think the holy just good wise righteous God will always promote the wicked and punish the godly and not right these things in the next world Hath Christ come into the world to no purpose What would become of his Birth Life Doctrine Death Resurrection Ascention Intercession coming to Judgment if there were no life of future retribution What would become of the precepts promises threatnings motives means helps to an holy life here and to attain eternal life hereafter if there were no such thing Can we imagine that the great God governs the world by a lye Are Heaven and Hell bug-bears or meer imaginations of brain-sick fools Is there not a reality in Satans temptations to draw or drive us from God and future happiness Or are there no Devils or Spirits and so by consequence no God Away with these wild conceits contrary to the sentiments of all Mankind 2. Then it follows that assurance is attainable not only objective assurance that there is a glorious inheritance and that God will give it to some but subjective also that this is mine that its for me I have a title to it else how could persons thank God for making meet for this inheritance This assurance ariseth from actings of Faith and produceth rejoycing in hope of this glory of God Rom. 5.1 The gospel is a gospel of peace not of fears and doubts Assurance may be had not only by divine revelation but in the use of ordinary means I know in whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.12 Read on and you 'l find not only his assurance of his present state but his perseverance and future felicity and it s not his peculiar priviledge but common to other Believers 2. Cor. 5.1 It s true God is a free Agent and may bestow it on whom and when he pleaseth Some have it most clearly at first Conversion as Bernard for a time after his Conversion remained as it were deprived of his Senses by the excessive consolations he had from God Cyprian saith He thought before his Conversion it was impossible to find such raptures and ravishments as now he found in a Christian course Many a close walking Christian can set his seal to this truth only it ordinarily comes in after hard conflicts with temptation wrestlings with God much experience and exact walking with God There is Salvation and there is the joy of Gods Salvation Psal 51.12 This saith Mr. Latimer is the sweet-meats of the feast of a good Conscience There are many other dainty dishes at the feast but this is the banquet This is better felt then expressed but must be endeavoured after prayed for Ask saith our Lord and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Joh. 16.24 3. That the work of thankfulness is the great duty of a Christian This this is the proper character and imployment of a Christian God commands it priviledges call for it gracious Souls have been much in it it is comprehensive of mans whole duty Vrsin entitles the practical part of his Carechism de Gratitudine of Gratitude Oh that Christians were more in it Praise is comely for the upright This is the Epitome of Religion the Emblem of Heaven the proper Air in which a Christian breaths It s most acceptable to God creditable to Religion and profitable to the Christian Mr. Fox tells us the City Zurick ingraved the Year of their deliverance from Popery upon Pillars in Letters of Gold for a lasting Memorial And have not Christians cause to thank God for grace and glory The Heathens could say Call a Man ingrateful and you cannot call him worse Hezekiah brought wrath on himself Judah and Jerusalem for not rendring to the Lord according to benefits done to him 2 Chron. 32.25 Oh Sirs you little know what an evil ingratitude is you fill your Souls with guilt you too much resemble wicked men whose character is unthankful 2 Tim. 3.2 That sin makes hard times yea it makes you like the worst of Heathen for which sin God gave them up Rom. 1.21 24. you act disingenuously as those that have served their turns of God and then disown him How can you own God in the next strait that are so much in arrears Will not your mouth be stopt and Conscience fly in your face Do you not daily depend on God for new Mercies And is not thankfulness a natural duty Is not gratitude for Spiritual Mercies a great evidence of your interest in them And is not every Mercy sweetened by thankfulness Nay is not this a mean to continue them The more thankful any have been the more eminent they have been Their graces have shined and glistered like Pearls and Diamonds Yea once more the more thankful you are and the more cause of thankfulness you will both have and see Thankfulness for what you are sure you have will produce a fuller evidence of that you are doubtful of The Lord humble us for our gross ingratitude which is as one saith a Monster in Nature a Solaecism in Manners a Paradox in Divinity and a parching Wind to damme up the Fountain of Divine Favours You 'l say Oh Sir I could be thankful with all my heart if I knew I were fit for Heaven and that my Soul shall at death enter into peace but alas as long as I am doubtful and at uncertainties how can I be thankful Conscience would check and condemn me and indeed I have more cause to be humbled and ashamed for my unmeetness then thankful for any meetness I find in me for Heaven Ans 1. There may be grounds both of humiliation and thankfulness in the same soul and subject Let the best Saints do the best they can and attain to the highest pitch imaginable they shall have cause of humiliation for their defects 2. Holy jealousie fears cares do well in Gods Children to keep them humble and indeed as grace increaseth fight of imperfections increaseth and sense of short-coming the more discoveries of Gods holiness the viler will the Christian be in his own eyes as Job and Isaiah Job 42. Isa 6.5