Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	create_v	good_a	workmanship_n	4,350	5	11.8942	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66610	Totum hominis, or, The whole duty of a Christian, consisting in faith and good life abridged in certain sermons expounding Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians, Epist. 2, Chap. 1, Vers. 11, 12 / by the late reverend and worthy Mr. Samuel Wales ...	Wales, Samuel.; Wharton, Philip Wharton, Baron, 1613-1696.; Wharton, Thomas, Sir.	1681 (1681)	Wing W296; ESTC R41158	76,673	232

or predestination to life redemption remission of sins justification acceptation vocation revelation of the mystery of the Gospel and giving of knowledge and wisdom spiritual vivification and consequently sanctification regeneration comfort and hope after their calling ability for the faithful discharge of the duties of their callings deliverance from evil confirmation and persevetance glorification Reason proveth the same First it s a sure principle in Divinity Reason 1 the most free will of God which is all one with his goodness is the first and supreme cause of all things If God be not every way the first cause he hath either an equal or a superior and consequently sequently is not God Nothing therefore doth induce and more him to do good to his creature but his own goodness If something without him should move his will that thing must needs be in nature before him and more worthy than he he must depend upon it and suffer from it but these things cannot agree to the nature of the first cause Wherefore either we must confess there is no grace and holiness in man which springeth not from the sole goodness of God or else deny a most certain Canon of Religion and spoil God of his nature and prerogative royal Secondly Reason 2 man cannot by any desert provoke God to be good and bountiful to him For 1. while he is unregenerate there is no goodness in him nothing truly good can come from him he is dead in sins wholly corrupt and abominable his reason is blind his heart rebellious his wisdom enmity to God 2. The good gifts which are in man justified and renewed and the exercise of them cannot if we will speak properly be an impulsive provoking cause of Gods augmenting these gifts Because 1. God purposed in his eternal Councel before the world to bestow or work that increase and therefore it being an effect of Gods will cannot be a cause of the same 2. Nothing temporary in man can be a cause of that which is eternal in God therefore God was not moved by any thing fore seen in time to decree this increase If nothing besides his own goodness moved him to decree to work it nothing else moves him actually to work it else the decree and the execution of it do not agree Thirdly God is not bound to man Reason 3 owes him nothing being an absolute Monarch who hath most full and free power to do with his own what he list If he give his bounty is thereby manifested if he withhold he wrongeth none Now if we cannot possibly by any means make God our debtor it followeth that whatsoever good we have or receive it proceeds from his only kindness First then here are confuted Vse 1 first some false Doctrines of the Papists As 1. That a sinner not reconciled to God may by preparatory works of repentance deserve in some sort justification which they call the merit of congruity I am not ignorant how one of the Master-dawbers of Mystical Babylon goes about to salve this point by a favourable interpretation but if there were no snake in this grass I marvel why some of great name and note among them who doubtless understood well enough the tenets of their own times vvished the abolishing and abandoning of it 2. That Man is able by a power naturally inherent in his will if it be but helped and vvakened by grace to believe and convert Indeed they disavovv this Opinion as whoremasters are sometimes ashamed of their bastards but they must be content will they nill they to father it For the vvritings of the Jesuits who in this point are hotly opposed by their own pue-fellows the Dominicans witness that besides the outward means they acknowledge nothing necessary to conversion but inspiration illumination excitation they require not any super-natural habit or principle infused into the will by which it may be disposed and elevated to produce the act of faith they make effectual grace to be nothing else but Gods perswading and calling Men in such a time place manner as he foresees most agreeable to their disposition inspiring such motions as he seeth by their free-will they will embrace yea some of them ingenuously confess that the first radical cause of the efficacy of grace is the co-operation of mans will 3. That men may merit yea others for them increase of grace perseverance and restauration by repentance when they have fallen How these Romish Opinions are repugnant to the doctrine in hand grounded upon the plain words of the Apostle he is blind that seeth not Secondly the doctrine of the Arminians who maintain that the ground and cause of Gods election is foresight of saith and perseverance in persons to be elected that God sends the means of salvation and offers his grace to this or that people because he did see and know they would with humble readiness embrace and rightly use that grace and come when he called 1. These are right builders of Babel Is not this most horrible most wicked coufusion to thrust the first cause out of his rank and seat the second in his room to subject the Creator or make him inferiour to his creature to fetch the first rise or spring of mans salvation from man It is no less absurd and blasphemous for ought I can see to say Gods will had or needed an external moving cause in ordaining things than to say his power had or needed an outward help in creating things The Papists shall rise up in judgement and condemn them some of whom do affirm roundly and confirm as soundly that there is no cause in us of Gods predestination that election is altogether free without prevision of good works 2. What faith could God fore-see in man not half but wholly dead in trespasses and sins what power of willing their own conversion in Men of stony hearts altogether impotent to spiritual good mancipated to Satan 3. Lastly where they say God bestows means of salvation upon some rather than others because he seeth they will profit better by them a pur-blind Papist will tell them its manifestly false For if that were the reason then the Lord should always send his Gospel and Ministers to those that are most towardly and capable deny them to those who are most hard-hearted and rebellious but we see in Scripture and experience he often sends them to those that are worse than others as to Israel a gain-saying people a people of stiff and steely necks adamantine hearts brazen fore-heads Ezek. 3.6.7 Matt. 11.21 more stubborn and inflexible than the Gentils than the Tirians and Sidonians Secondly This must teach us humility Vse 2 We have no cause to be lifted up in pride for any good thing we have or can do For it s neither from our selves nor procured and purchased from God by any worthiness or work of ours Nothing is our own but evil let us take nothing to our selves but shame and confusion Hast thou honour riches

children bodily strength and activity friends gifts of nature graces of the spirit say with Jacob these are the riches the children the gifts which God hath graciously given me If thou feelest at any time such thoughts as these arising in thy heart Because of my sincerity obedience hearty and constant praying I have better children better success in the world than others I am preserved and delivered out of dangers wherein others perish judge them to be the issue of Satan that father of pride who perswaded our first parents and still would all his posterity to affectate the Divinity and therefore serve these cockatrice eggs as they deserve trample upon them crush them east them in the Devils face know that our obedience is not a cause of Gods kindness and benignity but a way or path leading to the taste and feeling of it God who is faithful having promised that whosoever walk in that way shall find him gracious and bountiful or a condition pre-required in those that shall taste the fruits of his goodness which condition not man by his own power performeth but the grace of God worketh and produceth Thirdly Vse 3 This should stir us up to magnifie and extol this goodness of God which giveth us all good things not onely abundantly but freely If all the rivelets of blessings wherewith we are watered flow from the Sea of his mercy its meet they should reflow thither by thanksgiving We should imitate the Marigold vvhich continually turneth it self to the Sun from whom it receiveth juyce If we have received great kindness from one at whose hands vve could never have expected or deserved any such thing how are vve affected with it vve cannot easily make an end of commending him nor satisfie our selves in thanking him Oh say we such a man is a mirrour of good nature When I was a meer stranger to him had none to mediate for me could give him nothing nor any way pleasure him of his own accord out of his own free disposition he thus and thus befriended me Oh how am I bound to him I shall never forget it while I live How much more brethren should the praises of the goodness of our God be ever in our hearts in our mouths who loved us when we were enemies sought us when we strayed like lost sheep sound us when we sought him not called us when we resisted him remembreth us when we forget him keepeth promise with us most faithfully when we are unfaithful to him followeth and ladeth us with his benefits when we have forfeited all by unthankfulness undutifulness how should we awaken our dead hearts to admire and glorifie this so free mercy of the Lord 2 Sam. 7.21 and say for thine own sake and according to thine own heart O God hast thou shewed me unworthy wretch Neh. 9.5 less than the least of all thy mercies all this grace and truth blessed be thou for ever and ever and blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Let this suffice to have been spoken of the first lesson Now secondly vvhenas the Apostle prays in this manner for a people excelling many in grace and goodness in the next place we set down this conclusion Doct. 2 Fulness of grace is not given at once but by degrees God is able enough to replenish his children with all holiness and lift them from the hell of misery wherein he finds them to a state of perfect happiness in a moment yet he pleaeth to proceed step by step in opening and displaying to them the treasures of his goodness and not in an instant to powre out upon them all his spiritual riches Therefore Salomon compares a just mans path to the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day Pro. 4.18 Hence are these Exhortations as ye have received of us 1 Thes 4.1 how ye ought to walk and please God so abound more and more grow in grace put on the new man cleanse your selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and these promises the righteous shall grow like a Caedar in Lebanon ye shall grow up as the calves of the stall and the like For First Reason 1 the Lord stoopeth to our infirmity We are dull in conceiving slow of heart to belieue like infants or narrow-mouthed vessels which receive liquor but by drops As therefore the loving nurse or mother in feeding the wise father or school-master in teaching accommodate themselves to childrens vveakness rather considering vvhat and how they are able to take than striving to powre in all themselves are able to give whereby life or memory may be over-whelmed so the Lord in dispensing of his graces attempers himself and his dealing to the infirm capacity of his servants imparting them by degrees because they are not fit to receive them otherwise Secondly Reason 2 as God in the first creation made and adorned this spacious and specious world not in a moment which to him had been as easie but successively in six days space partly that man might learn by his example to take more time leisurely and distinctly to meditate of his works partly to help man the better to conceive of his workmanship and in what order the parts of the building were joyned together whence many profitable considerations arise whereof this is not the least the admirable power of the builder appears in causing light and day before there was any Sun grass before rain and the like which we should not have seen if all had been dispatcht in an instant so in the reparation of the world he perfects sanctification in his children gradually by little and little that he may lead them to a more distinct and punctual notice-taking of all his graces in themselves and the foot-steps of the worker that is the sundry wonderful waies and passages of his providence and administration in the perfecting of them Whence they gather much sweet experimental knowledge that he may give occasion more fully to observe deeply ponder and highly praise his wisdom and power which shine forth more conspicuous and illustrious in his making a small grain of grace to prevail against a world of corruption and bringing them thorow so many weaknesses battels seas of troubles and temptations falls and foiles every of them threatning death to compleat holiness and happiness than if he had made them perfect at their conversion Thirdly Reason 3 the Lord will have his children wrestle for a time in a state of imperfection that he may train them up in humility Let them see their own impotency and that all their strength is in him and from him quicken them to pray and earnestly desire the coming of the kingdom of glory teach them to ascribe their salvation wholly to him duly to value and esteem his graces the want whereof hath so pinched them the keeping and increase whereof costs them no small care strugling and contention Our first father received all his

is just such a Church as a Carcase is a Man and therefore it was meet she should neglect that grace which is the spring and soul of all piety justice charity What 's fitter for a dead Church maintaining a dead Christ a dead Cross a dead Word dead Sacraments dead Prayer a dead Ministery than a dead justice 2. That the Popish Faith is nothing else but an assent to all such things as the Church propoundeth out of the word written or unwritten which themselves being witnesses many Catholicks have who are notorious Sinners Murtherers Fornicators Thieves Drunkards such a faith I am sure may be in the Devil and therefore good reason they should commend any thing before it If it be objected Object that our Apostle expresly affirmeth love to be greater than faith or hope I answer Answ his meaning is that love is more excellent not simply and absolurely but in some respectonly that is in regard of the manner of working extent and use towards others for the work of Faith is secret in the heart invisible the work of love manifests to others sensible Faith respects God onely Love stretcheth her Armes both to God and Man Faith is profitable only to him that hath it but Loue studys the Edification of the Church and spurs forward to labor the good of the Members thereof both in Soul and Body which seems by the Context to be the very thing the Apostle intends unless you will expound it thus as some have done that in the life to come there shall be far more frequent constant and illustrious use and exercise of Love because the glorified Saints shall not be troubled in Heaven about holding Faith and Hope as they are in this World but wholly taken up with loving God hauing no other work and imployment during all eternity but to solace and delight themselves in the fruition of his glorious Presence and the society of the blessed Angels We come now to the last instruction which is this The perfecting of faith and all other Gifts in the Elect Doct. 3 is a work of Gods Almighty power The Power of God accomplisheth the Belief as every other grace of the Godly I join together the general and special from both the clauses which might be handled distinctly Hence is that of the Apostle Ro. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.3 So elsewhere His divine power giveth us all things pertaining to godliness The truth is God himself must either do it by his own strong hand and mighty arm or it will never be done For First Reas 1 There is no other cause able to produce this effect the means without Gods blessing and spirit breathing in them are but a dead sound and can do nothing both the Ministers labours and the success of them are from Gods efficacy Man himself though indued with faith cannot believe when and so much as he pleaseth it s not in his own power to rest so firmly and stedfastly upon Gods promises as he desireth and therefore cannot perfect his own faith Alas how should he when he cannot make one hair white or black command one ounce of bodily health at his pleasure or add one cubit to his stature Secondly Reas 2 The enemies which oppose the growth of faith and holiness are such as cannot be vanquished but by the power of the Omnipotent Creator natural ignorance and infidelity degrees of spiritual death cannot be expelled but by the Author of life those potent and subtil spiritual Wickednesses cannot be mastered but by him that is strongest able to tread down Satan under our feet First Vse 1 Then it follows hence that much more the beginning and first working of Faith is from Gods powerful efficacy or effectual power For its a greater work to give than to conserve life to kindle or produce fire where none was than to keep it burning when it is kindled If that which is less viz. the consummating of faith much more that which is greater the begetting or infusing of faith must be attributed to the power of God which meets with the Arminians teaching that God doth not by his Almighty Power bring men to believe but only allure perswade excite leaving it still in their power whether they will believe or no. But the Prophet Esay makes the revelation of Gods Arm to be the efficient cause of the belief of the Gospel and our Apostle ascribes the believing of the Ephesians to the same mighty power of God by which he raised Christ Jesus from the dead It were well therefore they would change their minds or correct their Bibles Secondly Vse 2 This may comfort believers against fear of losing or salling from faith The great God who is strong in power who created all these things bringeth out their host by number and calleth all by their names by the greatness of his might who can do what he will and hinder what he pleaseth who never fainteth nor is weary hath undertaken to finish their faith by that effectual working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself As soon shall God fail as the Faith of the Elect utterly fail till the Almighty be overcome they can never perish Thirdly Vse 3 Believers who complain of weakness of faith are here taught to follow the Lord with importunate and earnest requests that he would by his out-stretched Arm uphold them in believing to the end and accomplish their faith by the same power whereby he first brought them to Faith Do we sometimes feel our selves so near swouning that we are ready with David to cry out My flesh and my heart faileth me let us cry unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of Faith Heb. 12.2 that he would strengthen us and perfect that which he hath wrought in us Let us look up unto him Joel 3.16 Ps 68.35 who is the strength of the children of Israel who gives strength to his people power to them that are faint and to them that have no might increaseth strength let us lay hold upon his strength who is the God of all Power the rock of our hearts and of our faith the worker of all our works in us and for us who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us to him be glory for ever and ever Amen Fourthly It seemes to me Vse 4 we may rightly conclude from this point that Faith shall not cease in the life to come For that which God will accomplish shall not be abolished else God should perfect and accomplish a most excellent Habit in vain and to no purpose which standeth not with his Wisdom Because the assertion may seem strange and new though indeed it hath worthy Authors these reasons may further confirm it 1. Were it not harsh and absurd to say the glorified Saints have