Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	world_n	write_v	yield_v	27	3	6.1828	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10650	An explication of the hundreth and tenth Psalme wherein the severall heads of Christian religion therein contained; touching the exaltation of Christ, the scepter of his kingdome, the character of his subjects, his priesthood, victories, sufferings, and resurrection, are largely explained and applied. Being the substance of severall sermons preached at Lincolns Inne; by Edward Reynoldes sometimes fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford, late preacher to the foresaid honorable society, and rector of the church of Braunston in Northhampton-shire.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1632 (1632)	STC 20927; ESTC S115794	405,543	546

effectually that is it doth not consummate nor accomplish any perfect worke but onely in those that beleeve in the rest it proves but an abortion and withers in the blade Secondly with love and readinesse of minde without despising or rejecting it No man can bee saved who doth not receive the truth in love who doth not receive it as the primitive Saints did with gladnesse and readinesse of minde as Eli though from the hand of Samuel a Child as David though from the hand of Abigail a woman as the Galatians though from the hand of Paul an infirme and persecuted Apostle For herein is our homage to Christ the more apparent when we suffer a little childe to lead us Thirdly with meeknesse and submission of heart reverencing and yeelding unto it in all things Wresting shifting evading perverting the word is as great an indignity unto Christ as altering interlining or rasing a patent which the King hath drawen with his owne royall hand is an offence against him Patience and effectuall obedience even in affliction is an argument that a man esteemes the word to bee indeed Gods owne word and so receives it Hee onely who putteth off the old man the corrupt deceitfull lusts of his former conversation and is renewed in the Spirit of his minde is the man that hath heard and been taught by Christ that hath received the Truth in him Againe in as much as the Gospell is the Rod of Christs owne strength or the instrument of his arme who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed and the instrument is no further operative or effectuall than according to the measure of that impressed vertue which it receiveth from the superior cause therefore wee should learne alwayes to repaire unto Christ for the successe of his word For he onely is the teacher of mens hearts and the author of their faith To him onely it belongeth to call men out of their graves and to quicken whom hee will Wee have nothing but the ministerie he keepeth the power in his own hands that men might learne to waite upon him and to have to doe with him who onely can send a blessing with his word and teach his people to profit thereby Another ground of the power of the word is that it is sent from God The Lord shall send forth the Rod of thy strength From which particular likewise wee may note some usefull observations as First that Gods appointment and ordination is that which gives being life majesty and successe to his owne word authority boldnesse and protection to his servants When hee sendeth his word hee will make it prosper When Moses disputed against his going down into Egypt to deliver his brethren sometimes alleaging his owne unfitnesse and infirmity sometimes the unbeliefe of the people this was still the warrant with which God encouraged him I will bee with thee I have sent thee doe not I make mans mouth I will bee with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets Sonne saith Amos but I was an heardsman a gatherer of sycamore fruit And the Lord tooke me as I followed the flock and said unto mee Goe prophecie unto my people Israel And this made him peremptory in his office to prophecie against the idolatry of the Kings Court and against the flattery of the Priest of Bethel And this made the Apostles bold though otherwise unlearned and ignorant men to stand against the learned councill of Priests and Doctors of the Law Wee ought to obey God rather than men Vpon which Grave was the advice of Gamaliel If this counsell or worke bee of men it will come to nought But if it bee of God yee cannot overthrow it lest haply yee bee found even to fight against God For to withstand the power or progresse of the Gospell is to set a mans face against God himselfe Secondly in as much as the Gospell is sent forth by God that is revealed and published out of Sion wee may observe That Evangelicall learning came not into the world by humane discovery or observation but it is utterly above the compasse of all reason or naturall disquisition neither men nor Angels ever knew it but by divine revelation And therfore the Apostle every where calleth it a Mystery a great and a hidden Mystery which was kept secret since the world began There is a Naturall Theologie without the world gathered out of the workes of God out of the resolution of causes and effects into their first originals and out of the Law of nature written in the heart But there is no naturall Christianity Nature is so farre from finding it out by her owne inquiries that shee cannot yeeld unto it when it is revealed without a Spirit of faith to assist it The Iewes stumbled at it as dishonorable to their Law and the Gentiles derided it as absurd in their Philosophy It was a Hidden and secret wisedome the execution and publication whereof was committed onely to Christ. In God it was an Eternall Gospell for Christ was a lambe slaine from before the foundations of the world namely in the predeterminate counsell decree of his father but revealed it was not till the dispensation of the fulnesse of time wherein he gathered together in one all things in Christ. The purpose and ordination of it was eternall but the preaching and manifestation of it reserved untill the time of Christs solemne inauguration into his Kingdome and of the obstinacy of the Iewes upon whose defection the Gentiles were called in Which might teach us to adore the unsearchablenesse of Gods judgements unto former ages of the world whom hee suffered to walke in their owne wayes and to live in times of utter ignorance destitute of any knowledge of the Gospell or of any naturall parts or abilities to finde it out For if these things bee true First that without the knowledge of Christ there is no salvation This is eternall life to know thee and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifye many Secondly that Christ cannot bee knowen by naturall but Evangelicall and revealed light The naturall man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerend The light shined in darknesse and the darknesse was so thick and fixed that it did not let in the light nor apprehend it Thirdly that this light was at the first sent onely unto the Iewes as to the first borne-people excepting onely some particular extraordinary dispensations and priviledges to some few first fruits and preludes of the Gentiles He sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel Hee hath not dealt so with any nation Hee hath not afforded the meanes of salvation ordinarily unto any other people the world by wisedome knew him not Fourthly that this severall

by Satanicall injections and immutations to be the forge of loose vaine unprofitable and uncleane thoughts The understanding to earthly wisdome vanity infidelity prejudices misperswasions fleshly reasonings vaine speculations and curiosities c. The will to stiffenesse resistance dislike of holy things and pursuite of the world The conscience to deadnesse immobilitie and a stupid benummednesse to slavish terrours and evidences of hell to superstitious bondage to carnall securitie to desperate conclusions The affections to independence distraction excesse precipitancie c. In temporall conditions there is no estate of health wealth peace honor estimation or the contraries unto these no relation of husband father magistrate subject c. unto which Satan hath not such suteable suggestions as by the advantage of fleshly corruptions may take from them occasion to draw a man from God Lastly in regard of our actions and imployments whether they be Divine such as respect God as acts of pietie in reading hearing meditating and studying his Word in calling upon his name and the like or such as respect our selves as acts of temperance and sobriety personall examinations and more particular acquaintance with our owne hearts or such as respect others as acts of righteousnesse charity and edification Or whether they be actions naturall such as are requisite to the preservation of our being as sleepe and diet or actions civill in our callings or recreations in all these Satan laboureth either to pervert us in the performance of them or to divert us from it There is then no condition facultie relation or action of a Christian man the which is not alwayes under the eye and envy of a most raging wise and industrious enemie And therefore great reason there is that Christians should be Military men well instructed in the whole armour of God that they may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devill and to quench all his firy darts It is our calling to wrestle against principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses in high places to resist the devill to strive against sinne to mortifie earthly members to destroy the body of sinne to denie our selves to contradict the reasonings of the flesh to checke and controule the stirrings of concupiscence to resist and subdue the desires of our evill hearts to withstand and answere the assaults of Satan to out-face the scornes and despise the flatteries of the present world in all things to endure hardnesse as the souldiers of Iesus Christ. Our cause is righteous our captaine is wise and puissant our service honourable our victory certaine our reward massie and eternall so that in all respects great encouragements we have to be voluntaries in such warre the issue whereof is our enemies perdition our Masters honour and our owne Salvation The third thing observed was the through and universall Resignation and devotednesse of Christs people unto him Thy people shall be willing or a people of great devotion in the day of thy Power From whence I shall gather two observations First They that belong unto Christ as his people are most throughly and willingly subject unto his government doe consecrate resigne and yeeld up their whole soules and bodies to serve in his warres against all his enemies For the distinct understanding of which point we are to observe first that by nature wee are utterly unwilling to be subject unto Christ. The carnall minde is enmitie against God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can bee For if Christ be over us the body of sinne must dye it once crucified him and he will be reveng'd upon it By nature wee are willingly subject unto no Law but the Law of our members nor to no will but the will of the flesh full of contumacie rebellion and stoutnesse of spirit against the truth and beauty of the word or wayes of God The Love of corrupted nature is wholly set upon our owne wayes as an untamed heifer or a wilde asse men wander and goe about and wearie themselves in their full compasse and swinge of lust and will not be turned And therefore it is that they bid God depart from them and desire not the knowledge of his wayes that they leave the paths of uprightnesse that having crooked hearts of their owne they labour likewise to pervert and make crooked the Gospell of Christ that they may from thence steale countenance to their sinnes contrary to that holy affection of David Make my way strait before me that they snuffe and rage and pull away the shoulder and fall backward and thrust away God from them And hence it is that men are so apt to cavill and foolishly to charge the wayes of God first as grievous wayes too full of austerity narrownesse and restraint I knew that thou wert an austere man and this is an hard saying who can beare it The land is not able to beare all his words There is a Lion in the way a certaine damage and unavoidable mischiefe will follow me if I keepe in it Thus as Israel when they heard of Giants and sonnes of Anak had no heart to Canaan but cried and whined and rebelled and mutined and in their heart turned back into Egypt that is had more will to their owne bondage than to Gods Promise so when a naturall man heares of walking in a narrow way with much exactnesse and circumspection that come what baite of preferment pleasure profit or advantage will yet hee must not turne to the right hand or to the left nor commit the least evill for the greatest good that as the people in the wildernesse were to goe onely where the cloud and pillar of Gods presence led them though hee carried them through giants terrours and temptations so a Christian must resolve to follow the Lambe whither soever he goeth He then turneth backe to his iniquities and refuseth to heare the words of the Lord. Secondly as unprofitable wayes for who will shew us any good is the onely language of carnall men What can the Almighty doe for us say the wicked in Iob It is in vaine to serve God what profit have we that we have kept his ordinances c If we must take our conscience along in all the businesses of our life there will be no living in the world notwithstanding the Lord saith that his words doe good to those that walke uprightly that godlinesse hath the Promises even of this life that God will honour those that honor him Thirdly as unequall and unreasonable wayes as a strange a mad and a foolish strictnesse rather the meteor of a speculative braine than a thing of any reall existence rather votum than veritas a wish or figment than a solid truth And from such prejudices as these men grow to wrestle with the Spirit of Christ to withstand his motions to quench his suggestions

rule to besiege heaven with armies of united Prayers to be mutually serviceable to the City of God and to one another as fellow members Therefore hath the Lord given unto men severall gifts and to no one man all that thereby wee might bee enabled to and induced to worke together unto one end and by Love to unite our severall graces for the edification of the body of Christ Ephes. 4.11 13. Now for the manner of producing or procuring these multitudes it is set forth unto us in two Metaphors A wombe and Dew of the morning Now the birth of Dew is first generatio caelestis That which is exhal'd is an earthly vapor but the heavenly operation changeth it into Dew no art of man is able to doe it It is also undiscerned and secret when it is fallen you may see it but how it is made you cannot see Lastly it is a sudden Birth in a night or morning it is both begotten conceived and brought forth Here then wee have foure notes First that all Christs subjects are withall his Children They are borne unto him Christianity is a Birth except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of God There is a Father Christ our Father by generation Behold I and the Children whom thou hast given mee as wee are his brethren by adoption Hee is not ashamed to call us brethren There is a Mother Ierusalem which is above is the Mother of us all And there are subordinate instruments both of one and other the holy Apostles Evangelists Doctors and Pastors who therefore are sometimes called Fathers begetting us in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the Gospell and sometimes Mothers bearing and bringing forth of whom I travell in birth againe untill Christ bee formed in you There is a holy seed out of which these Children of Christ are formed namely the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever For the heart of a man new borne unto Christ cometh from the word as a paper from the presse or as a garment from a perfume transformed into that quality of spiritualnesse and holinesse which is in the word There is a Vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or formative vertue which is the energie and concurrence of the Spirit of grace with the word for the truth is not obeyed but by the Spirit except a man bee borne of water and the Spirit water as the seed and the Spirit as the formative vertue quickning and actuating that seed hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God There are Throwes and paines both in the Mother and in the Childe much trouble and care in the ministery of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with whom I travell in paine againe I ceased not to warne every one night and day with teares As a woman with Childe by reason of the feare and danger of miscarriages doth abridge her selfe of many liberties in meates physick violent exercise and the like so those who travell in birth with the Children of Christ are put to denie themselves many things and to suffer many things for the successe of their service I will eate no flesh while the world standeth rather than make my brother to offend I am appointed a Preacher and an Apostle a teacher of the Gentiles for the which cause I also suffer these things I endure all things for the elects sake that they may obtaine the salvation which is in Christ Iesus And there is paine in the Childe too a sinner doth not leave the warmth and pleasure of his former condition without paine Christ comes not without shaking unto the soule There is a New being or nature a corruption of our old man and a formation of the new Old things are done away behold all things are become new the same holy nature the same minde judgement will affections motions desires dispositions spirit wrought in us which was in him Hee that hath this hope purifieth himselfe even as hee is pure as hee is so are wee in this world patient as hee is patient Heb. 12.2 Holy as hee is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 Humble as hee is humble Ioh. 13.14 Compassionate as he is compassionate Col. 3.13 Loving as hee is loving Ephes. 5.2 in all things labouring to shew Christ fashioned in our nature and in our affections There is a new conversation answerable to our new nature that as God is good in himselfe and doth good in his workes Psal. 119.68 so we both are as Christ was 1 Ioh. 4.17 and walke as hee walketh 1 Ioh. 2.6 There is new food and appetites thereunto sutable A desire of the sincere immediate untempered uncorrupted milke of the word as it comes with all the spirits and life in it that wee may grow thereby New Priviledges and Relations the Sonnes of God the brethren of Christ the citizens of heaven the houshold of the Saints New Communion and society the fellowship of the Father and the Sonne by the Spirit fellowship with the Holy Angels we have their love their ministery their protection followship with the spirits of just men made perfect by the seeds and beginnings of the same perfection by the participation of the same Spirit of holinesse by expectance of the same glorie and finall redemption In the meane time then wee should walke as Children of the light or as it is here as Children of the morning The Day is given us to worke in and therefore in the morning as soone as wee have our Day before us wee should endevour to walke honestly Night-workes are commonly workes of uncleanesse violence dishonor and therefore want a cover of darknesse to hide them Theeves use to come in the night 1 Thes. 5.2 The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twylight saying no eye sha●l see mee and disguiseth himselfe Iob 24.15 In the twylight in the evening in the black and darke night hee goeth to the house of the strange woman Prov. 7.9 The oppressor diggeth through houses in the darke For the morning is to them as the shaddow of death Iob 24.16 17. They that are drunken are drunken in the night 1 Thes. 5.7 Sinnes are of the nature of some sullen weeds which will grow no where but in the side of wells and of darke places But workes of Christianity are neither uncleane nor dishonorable they are beautifull and roiall workes they are exemplary and therefore publike workes they are themselves light let your light shine before men and therefore they ought to bee done in the light If wee bee Children wee should expresse the affections of Children The innocencie humility and Dove-like simplicity of little Children as the Sonnes of God blamelesse pure and without rebuke Children in malice though men in understanding The Appetite of little Children As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby In all impatiencie the breast will pacifie a little infant in all other delights the breast will entice it

of sinnes for making compensation to the justice of God which had beene in sinne violated and to propitiate him againe So that in this regard a Priest was to be a middle person by Gods appointment to stand and to minister betweene him and men in their behalfe to be impartiall and faithfull towards the justice and truth of God and not to be over-ruled by his love to men to injure him and to be compassionate and merciful towards the errours of men and not to be over-ruled by his zeale to Gods justice to give over the care or service of them And such an High Priest was Christ zealous of his Fathers righteousnesse and glory for hee was set forth to declare the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.25 and he did glorifie him on earth by finishing the things which he had given him to doe Ioh. 17.4 Compassionate towards the errours and miseries of his Church for hee was appointed to expiate and to remove them out of the way Col. 2.14 Touching this Priest-hood wee will thus proceed First to enquire into the Necessitie we have of such a Priest Secondly what kinde of Qualifications are requisite in him who must be unto us such a Priest Thirdly wherein the Acts or Offices of such a Priest-hood doe principally consist Fourthly what is the Vertue fruits ends events of such a Priest-hood Fifthly what are the Duties which the execution of that office doth enforce upon us or what uses wee should make of it In these five particulars I conceive will the substance of most things which pertain unto the Priesthood of Christ be absolved For the first of these wee must premise this generall rule there can be no necessitie of a Priest in that sense which is most proper and here intended but betweene a guiltie creature and a righteous God for if man were innocent in his relations towards God hee would stand in no need of an Expiation and if God were unrighteous in the passages of mans sin there would not be due unto him any just debt of satisfaction This being premised I shall through many steps and gradations bring you to this necessitie of Christs Priest-hood which wee inquire into First every creature is unavoidably subject to the Creator for he made all things for himselfe and all is to returne that glory to him for which he made them Pro. 16.4 Rom. 9.21 And this subjection of the creature to the Creator doth suppose a debt of service to the will of the Creator Impossible it is and utterly repugnant to the quality of a creature not to be subject to some Law and indebted in some obedience or other to him that made it Omne esse is propter operari it is a certaine rule in creatures that God giveth every creature a Being to this end that it might put forth that being in some such operations as hee hath fitted it for and prescribed it to observe The most excellent of all creatures that excell in strength are Ministers to doe his pleasure and to heare his voice Psal. 103.20 21. and all the rest have their severall lawes and rules of working by his wisdome set them in the which they wait upon him and according unto which they move like Ezekiels wheeles by the conduct of an invisible Spirit and by the command of a voyce that is above them as if they understood the Law of their Creator and knew the precepts which they doe obey Ezek. 1.25 26. Psal. 104.19 No creature is for its selfe onely or its owne end for that which hath not its being of its selfe cannot be an end unto it selfe in as much as the end of every thing which is made is antecedent to the being of it in the minde and intention of him that made it The end of things is as a marke fixed and unmoveable in the purpose of the supreme cause the creatures as the arrow ordered by a most wife and efficacious providence some through naturall and necessary others voluntary and contingent motions unto one and the same generall end the glory and service of the Creator Secondly no creature is in its being or in any those operations and services which to God it owes intrinsecally and of it selfe immutable It is Gods owne peculiar honour to bee without variablenesse or shadow of changing Iam. 1.17 Mal. 3.6 There was a time when the Sunne stood still and moved backward and was filled with darknesse as with an internall cloud when the Lions have forgotten to devoure and the fire to consume and the Whales to concoct God can as he will alter the courses of nature let goe the reines and dispence with the rules which himselfe had secretly imposed upon the creatures to observe which shewes that they are not in themselves immutable That constancie which in their motions they observe is from the regular government of that most wise providence which carries them to their end without any turning Ezek. 1.17 but when his glory requires and his will commands it the mountaines tremble the sea cleaves asunder the rivers runne backe the earth opens the Lawes of nature stand still for a while without any execution as if they were suspended or repeal'd by him that made them and therefore in that place things are said to move by a voice which is above them namely by the command of the supreme cause Ezek. 1.24 25. Thirdly man being in his nature and formall constitution a reasonable creature was appointed by God to serve him after a reasonable manner out of judgement discretion and election to make choice of his way above all others as being most excellent and beautifull in it selfe and most convenient and advantageous unto man therefore our service is called a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 and David is said to have chosen the way of truth and the precepts of the Lord Psal. 119.30 and Moses to have chosen the afflictions of Gods people and the reproches of Christ before the pleasures of sinne or the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.25 26. And hence it is that Holinesse in the phrase of Scripture is called Iudgement he shall convince the world of judgement Ioh. 16.11 and he shall bring forth judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Noting that the Spirit of holinesse ruleth and worketh in the children of obedience by a way of reason and conviction therefore hee is called a Spirit of Iudgement Esay 4.4 And for this cause God did not set any over-ruling law or determinating vertue over the operations of man as of other creatures that so he might truely worke out of the conduct of judgement and election of will Fourthly there is no deviation from a reasonable service or true active obedience properly so called for the obedience of brutes and inanimate creatures is rather passive than active which hath not some intrinsecall pravity in it and by consequence some fundamentall demerit or obligation unto punishment for Guilt is the proper passion of sinne resultant out of it and therefore inseparable from