Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	work_v	world_n	wrought_v	86	3	7.2904	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41499	Pleroma to Pneumatikon, or, A being filled with the Spirit wherein is proved that it is a duty incumbent on all men (especially believers) that they be filled with the spirit of God ... : as also the divinity, or Godhead of the Holy Ghost asserted ... : the necessity of the ministry of the Gospel (called the ministry of the Spirit) discussed ... : all heretofore delivered in several sermons from Ephes. 5. 18 / by ... Mr. John Goodwin ... ; and published after his death ...	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.; Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1670 (1670)	Wing G1190; ESTC R1174	629,135	596

duty and more especially the duty of every Believer to desire and seek after part and fellowship in the highest Consolations which the Gospel administreth and which are attainable by men thereby because without being baptized with such a baptism as this men will not be in that singular and signal capacity to shew forth the vertues or pleasant and lovely things of God which they ought to lift up their hearts and desires unto That which as we said is asserted plainly in the Reason Sect. 8 is that without being filled with the Spirit men and women will never be able to reach the Consolations of the Gospel where they run high and carry in them a strong savour of life and immortality Now for the opening and clearing of this unto you you are to take knowledge and consider that men and women may so go to work may stand upon such terms before God and the Gospel for many years together that according to the ordinary and settled course of Divine Providence in the World and the exigency of second causes they will not be like I mean whilst they continue in such a way to know what the Consolations of the Gospel in those veins of it in which they are most soveraign rich and glorious mean Yea the truth is considering the present experiment which persons of both Sexes generally give of themselves in the World there is scarce one of a City or two of a Tribe whose hearts do in any measure serve them to live up to such terms which are like to render them capable of eating the fat and drinking the sweet of the Gospel For First men that savour as the Scripture speaks the things which are of men and love this present World are not in any likely capacity but only upon the changing of the frame of their mind and of their course of life ever to know what is the hope of their Calling as the Apostle speaks either in respect of the ground of it what pregnant lively and abundantly satisfactory arguments and grounds there are why they should hope for and expect all the great things which the Gospel promiseth or else what is his hope in respect of the object of it how glorious excellent and wonderful these things are which are now hoped for and will be found of all those that shall with Faith and Patience wait upon God for them Men and women I say that stick fast with their minds and hearts in the mire and clay of this present World are never like to know what the hope of the Gospel-calling is in either consideration and consequently not to inherit or enjoy in this World the riches of the glory of the Gospel Consolations The Reasons hereof are many we shall hint only two First Because when the intellectual powers and faculties of the Soul are drunk up with worldly and sensual engagements or over-acted upon the things which are seen they become aukward indisposed and unserviceable for spiritual negotiations and imployments about heavenly things By such low and mean Converse as this they contract an habit of a kind of intellectual rudeness and disingeniousness by reason whereof they know not how to quit or behave themselves about more noble and high-born objects nor indeed care not much to have to do with them or come into their company Even as persons that have been alwaies bred and brought up inter sordes amongst rude and rustical people of course and rough behaviour cannot presently change their temper and disposition and so become capable of conversing orderly and according to the principles of Civility with persons of better quality and more refined carriage and by reason of a consciousness to themselves in this kind they avoid as much as well they may the company of such persons In like manner those divine discoveries made in the Gospel those veins of wisdom and of the knowledge of God there upon which I mean upon the apprehension of which the high raisings and liftings up in Evangelical Consolations of which we speak chiefly depend being of a very fine spinning very spiritual and remote from the common thoughts and apprehensions of men and much more from the thoughts of such minds and understandings which have accustomed themselves wholly in a manner to this Worlds affairs persons of this Character knowing that these things lie out of the way of their Genius and that they are not able to conceive of them with much contentment to themselves nor to speak of them with contentment unto others in these respects take little or no pleasure to enquire after them nor to engage themselves to any purpose in the study of them So then this is one reason why such persons who are over-intent and bent upon this present World are not like to ascend in spirit into the Region of light where the Consolations we speak of have their dwelling and are to be found viz. because by continual digging in the earth with their reasons apprehensions and understandings they make them blunt and dull and altogether unapt to take the Genuine and through impressions of such Gospel-notions wherein the riches of the comforts thereof are laid up as in a store-house Secondly Another Reason hereof is because as we lately heard the revelations and discoveries of these Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge that are hid in the Gospel in the understanding and clear apprehension whereof as we lately likewise shewed the strength of the said Consolations lye are made over or as we may speak safely enough and yet more plainly are promised by God by way of reward unto those that love him and proportionably the fuller measure of them to those that love him above the rate of his ordinary friends Now the Holy Ghost expresly informs us 1 Joh. 2.15 That if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him Yea the Apostle James goeth somewhat further or at least speaketh more plainly affirming That the friendship of the World is enmity with God and that whosoever will be a friend unto the World is an enemy unto God James 4.4 If the love of the Father of God the Father be not in men the deep things of God in the Gospel such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. are not prepared or made ready to be communicated unto them nor indeed are they prepared or fit to receive and understand them This then in a word is another Reason why persons much addicted to this present World are not like to sit at the upper end of the Table which is spread with the Consolations of the Gospel Secondly Sect. 9 Neither are they like to taste of the Feast we speak of or be filled with the best and choycest of the comforts of the Gospel who are hard of bowels cruel unmerciful hard to forget and forgive injuries yea who have not eyes and hearts full of commiseration and of pity hearts well exercised with mercy For as mercy in the Apostle Jame's

Or else secondly Relatively I mean in reference to other things to certain ends or purposes which are not essential unto the work In the former consideration or sense a work is said to be perfect when it is so well and perfectly performed that no degrees of perfection are wanting or can be added to it In the latter sense a work is said to be perfect when it is wrought after such a manner or upon such terms that it accommodates some ends and purposes of greater weight and moment than a sudden or present perfection of the work it self To explain this distinction a little and then briefly to apply it God we know in the course of Nature though as the Apostle saith he giveth to every Seed it s own body yet he doth this gradually As our Saviour in his Parable Mar. 4.28 expresseth it concerning the Seed or Grain of Corn First the blade then the ear and then the ripe or full corn in the Ear. Now the work of Providence in bringing the Seed that is sown thus by degrees to perfection is in this respect at first and for a time after viz. until the ripe Corn in the Ear imperfect because after the springing up of the Blade and after the Ear there remains somewhat further to be done to bring there to their natural and due perfection i.e. to be ripe Corn in the Ear. But now look upon this work of Providence in another consideration viz. as it is subservient to such ends and purposes as God projecteth to bring to pass by it viz. to exercise the Faith and Patience of the Husbandman in waiting upon him a convenient space for the receiving the fruit of his Labour and so to display his own Wisdom in the orderly Progression of Nature or second causes and so it is perfect all along from first to last and under every degree or advance of it and would have been less perfect in case it had been carried on and wrought otherwise I mean in case the Seed that is sown should presently upon the sowing be brought to perfection or full Corn in the Ear. Though this had been perfect in the former consideration yet in the latter it would have been imperfect and so would not have accommodated the Husbandman in his waiting with patience Now to apply the distinction All the works of the Spirit in men the work of Faith the work of Repentance or Mortification c. They are all perfect in the latter sense but not in the former We read in the Scripture as well of a little Faith as of a great Faith and a little Faith is the work of the Spirit as well as that which is great Yet a little Faith simply considered is an imperfect work because many degrees remain to be added to it to perfect or complete it but in the latter consideration the work of a little Faith in men and so of a lower degree of Mortification is as perfect a work as a greater The Reason is because the Spirit in working a work of little Faith and not of greater accommodates the righteous and wise Counsel or Design of God viz. in rewarding mens Labour Diligence and Faithfulness proportionably to their degrees not making those who have been less diligent and faithful though both in some degree equal unto those who have abounded in these above their Fellows Now we know the Wisdom and the Holiness of God have in consultation the promotion of Godliness in the World upon the highest and best terms that may be And among many waies and means wherein the God of Grace doth intend to express himself for the promoting this great Design of his there is no means more effectual than this way viz. That those who will be more diligent and more laborious and more faithful and shall more and more apply themselves to the use of such and such means that they shall be invested with such and such Priviledges in a greater measure Whereas if God should do that upon any use of means viz. if they shall pray once a month or hear the Word once a month if God shall give as much and as rich a presence of himself unto such a person as unto him who shall be diligent in the use of means Then or by means of such a procedure God should pull down that with one hand which he endeavoureth to build up with the other and would by such a course take men off from the use of means for Who would give double or treble to procure that which he might have at a lower rate This for a third sign or means of discerning who are filled with the Spirit a deep and effectual work of Mortification Fourthly Sect. 14 Another thing which argueth a man or woman to be filled with the Spirit of God is some worthy degree of Holiness where a Spirit of holiness breaths uniformly and with an equal tenour of life and conversation in the World We have heretofore shewed what holiness in the sense we now speak of it is viz. a gracious impression or propension enclining the heart and soul where it resideth unto waies and actions eminently righteous and just with a real abhorrency of the contrary or of whatsoever is sinful Indeed that holiness which we now speak of seemeth chiefly to consist in the latter A real loathing abhorring and detesting what is sinful and unclean Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his works Righteous in all his waies i. e. All his waies and works and dispensations all his interposures in the World with every Creature are all righteous and just He meaneth just in such a sense as men are able to call just for else to what purpose was it to inform the World that God was just and righteous and then to mean it to be such a kind of Justice and Righteousness which men cannot understand And holy in all his works I suppose it is according to the manner of the Scriptures where usually in the latter Clause of the Verse there is some Explication made of the former And so here the Holy Ghost having said The Lord is righteous in all his waies he addeth and he is holy in all his works As if he had said He is not simply in all that he doth just and regular No but he doth abhor with a perfect hatred all things that are contrary We know a man may do a thing out of such or such an affection or disposition or in reference to such an end that he would provide for and accomplish and yet possibly he may do the contrary But now saith David concerning God there is such a mighty propensity and going out of his heart and soul to holiness in all his works that he cannot do otherwise he hath the greatest abhorrency in his nature to do otherwise As the Wiseman saith in the Proverbs It is joy to the upright to do justly that is the Propensions of their heart and soul

many places Actions are ascribed unto him that doth assist and direct and help men in the performance of them and not unto him that is the formal and immediate Agent Page 232 235 XVII That in Scripture Phrase is said properly and precisely to be of God not simply which he acteth or worketh but that which he acteth or worketh freely without any meritorious or demeritorious engagement laid upon by the Creature Page 242 XVIII Such Causes which work and contribute towards their Effects Sacramentally only are in respect of that which is literal or natural in them the poorest and lowest of all Causes 244. Yet notwithstanding they produce their effects most vigorously most powerfully and with an high hand Page ibid. XIX A man may do that which is commanded by God and yet have little thank for his labour for doing it viz. when he knoweth not that it is commanded by him Page 248 XX. God is well pleased with all such Counsels Actions and Waies of Men which are in their nature and according to a true estimate and judgment of them profitable and advantageous and he is the more and better pleased with the Counsels Actions and waies of men the richer and faller Connexion they have with their peace and happiness Pag. 248 XXI Though the Spirit be Omnipotent yet he is a voluntary Agent and so can exert and put forth his Omnipotency in what degree or manner of efficacy himself pleaseth Page 281 XXII The way to do things by the Spirit is not to forbear the doing of things or duties our selves until we find the Spirit of Grace and feel it to work upon us but to go about that which is our Duty to do in the season of it with a serious and humble acknowledgement and deep sense of our inability Page 283 XXIII It is a usual Dialect in Scripture when the Act is expressed for the means or course that is usually taken to effect it Page 284 XXIV Though there be a presence of the Spirit of God with men in the state of Nature or unregeneracy yet the Scriptures do not speak of the Spirits dwelling in men nor of their receiving him until they receive him in a greater measure or after the manner in which Believers receive him Page 285 XXV Whatsoever Action a man doth voluntarily consent unto may properly enough be said to be his especially when the Act of his Will and Consent contributes any thing towards the Action Page 286 XXVI Whosoever makes the Creature either meerly Passive in its Works or Services or willing as they say by or from a necessitation they despoil it of all capacity of being rewarded by God and so while they pretend to be the great Magnifiers of the Grace of God indeed and in truth make nothing of it Page 287 XXVII It is a Principle in Reason and Equity that they who make a regular and worthy use of a less proportion of any good thing intrusted with them should no other circumstance hindring be intrusted with a greater Page 288 XXVIII God usually walketh with Men by such Principles and Rules which are written on their hearts by the finger of Nature and which they are wont to observe and walk by in their Civil and Common Affairs Page 31 32 288 297 XXIX God's manner is not to reward nor to take knowledge of the righteousness of men until the World have taken knowledge of it Page 289 XXX The Hebrew Dialect many times uses and repeats the Antecedent for the Consequent Page 299 XXXI That is sometimes said to be d●ne which is done frequently or isal waies probable or likely to be done Page 301 XXXII The Connexive Particle and sometimes implieth a Motive enforcing a preceding Exhortation Page 304 XXXIII God hath built and framed the body of his Laws and Precepts given unto men upon like terms by such Principles and Rules of Wisdom and 〈◊〉 according to which prudent Law makers amongst men me went to compile and 〈◊〉 the body of those Civil or Politick Laws which they make for the benefit or use of their States or Communities respectively Pag. 348 349 XXXIV The Gospel being a Doctrine according to Godliness every limbe and vein of it must have a tendency the same way Page 363 XXXV When an Impostor perswadeth or useth means to seduce he is said to seduce though the persons thus perswaded be not actually seduced Page 399 XXXVI Comparative senses or meanings are frequently expressed in absolute and positive terms Page 407 XXXVII When Men are greatly averse from believing or repenting they are not like to bestow any serious or intense consideration upon the means by which they should be brought to do either especially if they can find out any colour or pretense to disparage them and so to arm their Consciences and Judgments against them Page 407 XXXVIII Whether Words or Works they must be kept for some time upon the mind and intellectual faculties of the soul before they can accomplish any transmutation or change there Page 408 XXXIX When a man is unwilling to do a thing he may according to Scripture Dialect or manner of speaking be said to be unable to do it Page 20 21 413 XL. There is no ground to judge and determine a Ministry to be legal because the face of it is set and bent as it were to press men to the keeping of the Commands of God contained in the Moral Law Page 441 XLI A person may be said to be moved or enclined when that is done unto him which is apt and proper and sufficient to cause him to be moved and enclined whether he be actually moved or enclined or no Page 446 XLII Such a person is said to sow unto the Spirit who frequently is engaged in such waies and actions which he knows must of necessity turn unto the honour and praise of the Spirit of God Page 450 XLIII That which is delivered unto the World in the New Testament by the mouth of Jesus Christ himself or upon the account of his coming from Heaven as all that which the Holy Ghost hath further revealed by the Apostles is is more obliging and binding upon the Consciences of men and more severely punishable by God when neglected or despised than the things delivered in the Old Testament or before Christ's coming into the World were or are Page 459 XLIV It is not unusual in Emphatical Discourses to speak of one and the same person in different considerations as of two Page 459 It is usual in the Scriptures when things are more fully done or after a more rich and bountiful manner discovered to represent them as newly done Page 462 XLV It is frequent in Scripture when the Holy Ghost would reprove Men in things that be irrational to interrogate them as to the reason or ground of what they do Page 476 XLVI The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in is oft used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Page 501 XLVII The words Perfect and Perfection are most frequently used when applied to Men or any other Creature not in a strict or absolute but in a limited and diminutive sense but when applied to God in the strictest sense Page 501 XLVIII Verbs properly signifying action many times declare the Natures and Properties of things and what they are able apt and likely to do Page 502 XLIX Many things in Scripture are said to be done by men when it is meet they should do them or have a good ground or reason for the doing of them Page 512 L. The Verb Substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used which properly signifies the simple and absolute Being on Existence of a thing is oft used in the Scriptures for the Being of a thing in Act Exercise or manifestation Page 228 The End