Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	faith_n	good_a	james_n	14,239	5	9.1170	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93437	The doome of heretiques: or, A discovery of subtle foxes, who were tyed tayle to tayle, and crept into the Church to doe mischiefe. As it was delivered in a sermon at Wickham-Market in Suffolke, upon the fast day, being the 26 of May. 1647. / By Zeph: Smyth, minister of Gods Word. Imprimatur, Ia: Cranford, August 22. 1648.	Smyth, Zeph. (Zephaniah), fl. 1646-1648.	1648 (1648)	Wing S4363; Thomason E467_7; ESTC R204204	27,627	23

undermine the Church and the Church is never worse undermined then by such a forraigne enemy is dangerous but a domesticke is more dangerous when a mans enemie are in his family that man is in danger so when the Churches enemies are among themselves under the vizard of saints that is when men under pretence of setting up truth undermine truth under a pretence of holinesse undermine holinesse under pretence of religion undermine religion then the Church must needs be in great danger Act. 20.29 30. I know saith the Apostle after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in amongst you yea men amongst your selves shall arise speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them I pray marke amongst your selves the saints had need take heed of those amongst themselves Obj. If the Church be in such danger by reason of such Why doth God permit them in the Church Ans For the good of the Church First That such as are approved may be knowne 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies that such as are approved may be knowne when hereticks who are accounted saints a long time goe about to undermine religion by broaching corrupt doctrine you shall soone see such as wanted sound hearts such as never received the truth in the love of it imbrace corrupt doctrine yea it may be Arianisme Arminianisme Pelagianisme Familisme and what not I tell you these are accounted precious truths amongst many hereticks in these dayes and God permits it that sound hearted Christians might bee discovered from those that are not so Secondly God permits such in the Church that the scriptures might be fulfilled Christ is a preclous stone to some and a stone of stumbling unto others 1 Pet. 2.7 8. It was ordained saith the Apostle that some should stumble at Iesus Christ and the lying signes and wonders and strange opinions of hereticks on the one side and their hypocrisies cause many to stumble at Jesus Christ and thus they fulfill the scriptures to their owne destruction Thirdly God permits it that sound Christians might looke to their owne hearts when our Saviour Christ said to his disciples One of you shall betray me every one was ready to begin at home Is it I Lord and Peter said Is it I So when the saints heare many amongst themselves in the Church seeme to be godly and yet are not many Judases many stony hearers many false brethren many that have knowledg and gifts and parts that are naught as Mat. 7.22 Many will in that day say Lord Have we not in thy name prophecyed and in thy name cast out devils and yet Jesus Christ will say depart I never knew you this will put Christians on to enquiry Is it I Oh I pray God it may not be I. And thus God permits it that sound Christians might look to their hearts Pro. 4.23 2 Vse Is for information It informes us that a bare profession is not enough to make a man a true Christian a man may be a glorious professor of religion and yet be damned as well as Judas yet it is very strange to see how people doe deceive themselves with this what sayes one I was baptized I keep my Church and pay every man his owne and we live under the Ordinances and can cry the Temple of the Lord as Ier. 7. But let me tell thee thou mayest doe all this and more too and yet be damned those in Mat. that prayed preached cast out devills wrought miracles in the name of Christ went further then thus and yet Jesus Christ will say to them Depart I know you not Iudas went further then thus and yet a damned wretch therefore take heed ye rest not in this I was baptized and I am a professor I keep my Church and pay every man his owne many a man hath gone further then so and yet been damned Abah was humbled and Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly Nay saith our Saviour Luk. 13.24 Many shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able there may be many in hell that it may be have prayed oftener then thou been more exact in performing of family duties then thou hast beene that have tooke more paines in the wayes of God then thou hast done and yet have been damned and therefore take heed of resting in a bare profession of religion 3. Vse Exhortation Let us hence be exhorted To make sure we be none of those that are in the Church and yet are not of the Church we heare of some that seem to be saints and yet are none of many that have knowledge and parts and make a glorious profession and yet may be damned let it be our care to make sure we be none of them for their condition is worse then the condition of others for upon them shall these Scriptures be fulfilled he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow how doth he increase sorrow by not practising what he knew for it had beene better never to have knowne the way of God then after to turne from the holy Commandement 2 Pet. 2.21 Obj. But if it be so how shall I know I am none of these persons you speake of who seem to be saints and yet are not and by what rule should I judge another man to be a true childe of God Ans First Examine the foundation thou hast built upon a true beleever builds upon Christ the Rocke and therefore the gates of hell shall not prevaile against him there are a great many build upon their duties and profession and not upon Christ some upon their sweet conceits and fancied comforts in Christ but not upon Christ indeed but canst thou say thou dost truly beleeve in Jesus Christ that thou hast such a faith as was not of thine owne fancying but wrought by the mighty operation of the Holy Ghost Col. 2.11 such a faith as purifies the heart Act. 15.9 as workes by love Gal. 5.6 as is fruitfull in good workes James 2.26 Tit. 3.8 this is a good signe that thou art a true saint Secondly If thy heart be upright that is another good evidence if thy care be to approve thy heart to God rather then to the world thy conscience can witnesse as in the presence of God to thee that thou desirest that God might see thy heart upright rather then man should thinke it is upright and thou canst say with David Psal 139. Examine my reines and my heart and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me then this is another good signe thou art a true saint Thirdly Dost thou hold such sound principles as faints should do as the Apostle exhorts the saints in this Epistle To contend for the truth so do you stand up in defence of the truth against hereticks and heresies and do you lead such lives as faints should do viz. to live holily righteously and soberly Tit. 2.11 And canst thou say so far as thou knowest thine owne heart thou art at Gods command to goe when he bids thee go and come when he bids

thee come these are good evidences thou art a true saint Secondly There are some notes of tryall whereby thou mayest perswade thy selfe concerning another that he or she is a true saint First when thou feest they are as carefull to walke close with God in a generall and particular calling at home as well as abroad many are zealous abroad amongst such as will observe them who but they for religion but if you follow these men home then 〈◊〉 may be yee shall see they neither regard body nor soule are faithfull neither in the duties of their generall calling nor particular neither truly if it be so that man or womans heart is very suspicious Secondly A gracious man is an humble man That soul that God makes his residence withall is an humble soule I dwell with the humble saith the Lord Jsa 57.15 and I will looke to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit Isa 66.2 When we see a soule walke humbly with God Mich. 6.8 this may give good evidence to others that such a one is godly and on the contrary it makes such suspicious as are proud self-conceited esteeme well of themselves and are ready to scorne others Thirdly When we see men and women established in the truth this gives good evidence unto others of their uprightnesse as saith the Apostle Col. 2 7. Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith not like the wandring stars Iude 13. which runne from one errour to another untill they have lost all truth but fixed staires established in the truth stedfast unmoveable and abundant in the worke of the Lord. When wee see them so established as nothing can remove them but with Paul are willing to be bound and to dye for the Lord Jesus this man gives good evidence of an upright heart it is the expression of Salomon Pro. 14.15 The foole beleeveth every thing but the prudent man will consider his goings Fourthly A man gives others good testimony of his uprightnesse when he takes reproofes well Give admonition to the wise and he will be wiser saith the wise man Prov. 9.9 When reproofe is to him as Jewels of gold and he ready to say blessed be God for this reproof as David who said to Abigall Blessed be thou of the Lord who met me to keep my hand from shedding of blood and in another place Let the righteous smite me for it is a benefit it is the property of a godly man to take reproofes well and on the contrary when a man hates him that reproves in the gate Amos 5.10 and counts him that reproves an enemy and ready to say Why doth he reprove me Is he not as bad himself and I could have charged him with as much as he charged me and I know as much by him as he doth by me these expressions savour of a bad heart Fifthly A man gives others good evidence of his uprightnesse when he is not a respector of persons but loves the meanest saint that beares the Image of God as well as the richest my meaning is not that a godly man should not give that civill respect to every one that their place calls for Honour to whom honour belongs but that I minde you of is that where there is true grace there will be a true love and respect to those saints that go in gray coats ay and thred-bare coats too such as go out to their day labour such as live in a poor cottage as well as those that are arrayed in silkes and sattins and live in stately houses there is many a man loves so much as they see of the fashion in another and so much as they see of their opinions in another but the godly love whatsoever they see of God in another Hereby saith our Saviour shall all men know ye are my disciples if yee love one another Iohn 13.35 The saints love the Image of Christ wheresoever it is So that yee see beloved that though all that externally seeme to be saints are not yet there is a possibility for a man to know himselfe to be a true saint and to be perswaded that another is a true saint Wee come in the next place to that which followeth and here I might insist upon their coming into the Church which is subtily They creep in unawares but I intend not to speake of that now but to come to the point of doctrine which arises from their condition Which were of old ordained to condemnation for having the doctrine of Reprobation held forth in the Text I shall insist upon that and handle it somewhat more generall then as it concernes the persons spoken of in the Text the doctrine therefore is this That God did of old ordaine some unto condemnation And because it is a doctrine not often insisted upon and at this time is denyed I intend to prove it from Scripture Secondly To give you the reason Thirdly Answer objections Fourthly Make application But before I come to the proofe of the doctrine it is very necessary that I should shew you what Reprobation is Predestination hath two parts Election and Reprobation for it is Gods eternall and unchangeable decree to save some of the lost race of Adam by Jesus Christ and to passe by others leaving them under sinne in a state of condemnation as they were lest in Adam without any possibility of mercy so that Reprobation is Gods eternall and unchangeable decree to passe by some of the Iost race of Adam leaving them in that condition they were lost in Adam without any possibility of recovering for ever First It is Gods decree you have the proofe in the Text They were of old ordained to Condemnation so 1 Peter 2.8 To which they were ordained it was ordained that they should stumble at Christ Secondly To passe by some Rom. 9.11 12 13. For the Children not being yet borne neither having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth it was said too here The elder shall serve the younger as it is written Iacob have I loved Esau have I hated here we see plainly God chose some and passed by others not for foreseene works and merits for God saw nothing in Iacob that deserved his love more then he saw in Esau but he chose some and rejected others because it so pleased him therefore saith the Apostle That the purpose of God might stand so that it is plaine that it was Gods purpose to passe by some of the lost race of Adam Thirdly They are left without any possibility of recovering for ever because Gods decree to leave them under sinne and condemdation cannot be altered Psal 33.11 the counsel of the Lord shal stand for evermore his purpose is unchangeable yea it is as impossible for the Reprobate to be saved as it is for God to change and alter his purpose so that though Christs death was sufficient in it selfe to ransome not onely