Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	aaron_n	moses_n	unkind_a	18	3	14.9707	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09376	A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1607 (1607)	STC 19677.5; ESTC S2273	415,205	614

yet neuer was saued vnlesse therewithall wee haue the couenant of grace belonging vnto vs and the assurance thereof sealed in our consciences by Gods holy spirit Againe consider who spake these words But in Isaac shall thy seed be called Wee shall finde in Genesis 21.12 it was God himselfe Let it not saith God vnto Abraham be grieuous in thy sight for the childe and for the bond-woman in all that Sarah shal say vnto thee heare her voice which was to cast out the bond-woman and her sonne Ismael For saith GOD in Isaac shall thy seede be called Here obserue a notable practice of Abraham as a good direction how we ought to iudge of all those that liue in the Church submitting themselues outwardly to the ministerie and regiment thereof Abraham here hath two sonnes Isaac and Ismael he circumciseth them both and instructs them both for he taught all his houshold to knowe God and to feare and obey him Gen. 18.19 hee iudgeth them both to be in one state in regard of Gods couenant though they were not but that difference is made by God Abraham doth not on his own head and by his own will put Ismael out of the Church which was in his family but God bids him put him out and then he put him out and not before till such time he kept him in and held him to be within the couenant as well as Isaac was Euen so must we deale towards those that liue in the church secret iudgement must bee left to God and till God manifest the contrary in the iudgement of charity wee must holde them all elect This is the practice of Saint Paul in all his Epistles writing to the Corinths 1. Corinth 1.2 he calls them all sanctified and to the Galatians Gal. 1.2 hee calles them all elect speaking so in the iudgement of charitie although he knew that among them there were many profane and wicked men and though hee reprooue many great errors and hainous sinnes amongst them And thus much of the first argumēt wherby Abrahams faith is commended vnto vs namely the great impediments which might hinder the same Now followeth the second Argument or reason wherby his faith is commended to wit Abrahams victory ouer these impediments or the meanes whereby he ouercame them and induced himselfe to obey GOD in these words VERSE 19. For he considered or reasoned that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead HEre is the true cause that made Abraham to offer his sonne and yet beleeue the promise that in him his seed should be called Wee may perswade our selues that Abraham had rather haue died himselfe if it might haue stood with the will of God than to haue sacrificed his sonne How then doth he induce himselfe to offer him vp Ans. By this which is here set downe he reasoned that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead Here are diuers points to be considered of vs First obserue the text saith not that Abraham murmured or reasoned against God but reasoned with himselfe that God was able to raise vp his sonne againe and thereby induced himselfe to sacrifice his sonne vnto God Hence wee learne that when God laies vpon vs any hard commandement wee must not plead the case with God or murmure against him but with all quietnesse and meekenesse obey This is a notable grace of God commended vnto vs by God himselfe In rest and quietnesse saith God Isay 30.15 shall be your strength in quietnesse and confidence shall yee bee saued Many thinke it impossible to endure or doe some things which God imposeth on his children But our spirituall strength stands in these two in silence or rest and in quietnesse by these wee shall be enabled When Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord which hee had not commaunded There went out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them so they died before the Lord. Now when Aaron their father asked Moses a cause hereof Moses saide It was that which the Lord spake he would be glorified in all that came neere him which when Aaron heard the Text saith He heide his peace and said not a word so Dauid behaued himselfe in the case of distresse I helde my peace and saide nothing because thou Lord diddest it And this is a speciall point for vs to learne and practice wee must not grudge or repine at Gods hard commaundements nor pleade the case with him but in all quietnesse and silence obay God in all that he saith vnto vs. Againe whereas it is said that Abraham reasoned that God was able c. Here we learne that it is a necessary thing for a man that beleeues to haue good knowledge in Gods word that when a temptation comes against his faith by knowledge and reasoning out of Gods word hee may be able to put backe the same for all our reasoning in matters of faith must be grounded on the word so doth Abraham in this place against this strong temptation reason out of Gods word to stay himselfe so that knowledge in the word of God is necessary to him that beleeues And therefore that Doctrine of the Church of Rome is erronious and here condemned which saith that if a man become deuout beleeue as the Church beleeueth though he knowe not what the Church beleeueth yet this faith will saue him but this is a meere deuice of their owne and hath no ground in the word of God for as we see heere knowledge in the word is necessary for him that hath true sauing faith But what is Abrahams argument whereby hee moues himselfe to obay God Surely this Hee reasoned that God was able to raise vp Isaac from the dead One part of his reason he takes for graunted which heere hee conceales for this promise was made vnto him In Isaac shall thy seede be called Now this he takes for graunted that God will neuer change his promise From whence hee reasoneth thus God is able to raise vp Isaac my sonne from the dead to life againe and therefore I will sacrifice my sonne according to his commaundement for this I knowe certainly that in Isaac shall my seede be called seeing God hath promised that as well as he commaundeth this other In this example wee see a meanes set downe vnto vs to enduce vs to obey God in all hard and difficult cases imposed by God which is a point to be considered carefully of euery one of vs. For say that any of vs shall be so touched in conscience for our sinnes that we euen despaire of our owne saluation what must we doe in this case wee must take Abrahams course and dispute with our selues for our selues we must drawe our arguments from the promise of God and from the power of God we must ioyne the promise and power of GOD together As for example thus wee must say God hath made this promise this I haue heard and I doe beleeue it

must learne to follow this notable practice of these godly Patriarchs and looke what meanes they vsed for the increase of their faith the same also must we vse and that diligently so shall we grow and increase and waxe strong in faith as they did The third fruit of their faith is this And receiued them thankefully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the originall signifieth to salute and that not onely by speach but any way else as by imbracing c. and therefore in this place is not vnfitly translated And receiued them thankefully that is they tooke them kindly at Gods hands This is a notable fruit of faith whereby they are commended that seeing the promises of God afarre off did yet take them most kindly at Gods hands But here wee must consider how they tooke them kindly namely by doing 2. things 1. By an action of their heart 2. By an action of their life The action of their heart was this that howsoeuer the promise was not accomplished in their daies yet they were wōderfully glad therof for our Sauiour Christ said to the Iewes Your father Abrahā reioyced to see my day he saw it was glad It did Abrahams heart good to see Christ afarre off and so we may safely thinke of Sarah Isaac and Iaacob that their hearts were also rauished with ioy to heare the wonderfull promise of God concerning the Messias and to thinke of the most ioyful performance which they knew should follow in due time Secondly they tooke this promise kindly by the practice of their life for when they came to any strange place as wee may often read in the story there they built vp altars offered sacrifice vnto God and called on his name All which they did to testifie their inward ioy thankful acceptance of Gods promises in Christ and of the promised Land thogh neither were accōplished in their daies Now as touching our selues the same maine promises of God that were made to Abraham Isaac and Iaacob hath the Lord made and continued vnto vs nay we haue the same already accōplished we see the same verified more euidently and plainely than any of the Patriarchs did Which being true our duty is to take the same much more thankefully and kindly at Gods hands than they did or could doe because we haue more light and knowledge in the promises of God than euer the Patriarchs had But wee haue iust cause to bewaile the daies and times wherein we liue for whereas we should take the promises of God most ioyfully and kindly the case is farre otherwise For generally it may be said of our nation and people that in regard of the mercies and promises of God wee are an vnkinde people And that this is true for the most part in all of vs if we● will but a little examine the matter we shall find too apparant by many euidences for first let any of vs be brought to a place where we may behold some vaine Enterlude or Showe a man would not thinke how wonderfully we are rauished therewithall so as we could find in our hearts to spend whole daies in beholding them But let vs be brought to heare the Gospel of Christ his holy word preached and taught as it was vnto Abraham Isaac Iaacob wherein they much reioyced and there we sit heauy and drowsie so as the Word seems loathsome vnto vs one houre is so tedious as we hardly hold it out without sleeping and if it passe the houre a little O how impatiently our nature takes it All which shew plainly that we haue no such ioy to heare of Christ and his mercifull promises as these godly Patriarchs had so that we are both hard hearted vnkind altogether insensible of so great fauours of our God towards vs. Secondly consider mens behauiour in Gods worship It is euident that the greatest part of people worship God but in formall shew for fashions sake These godly Patriarchs Abraham c. built altars in euery place where they came and offered sacrifice vnto God to signifie their kindnesse willing heart towards God for his promises But now men worship God formally not in way of thankefulnes but either because the Law cōpels them to it or else because it is a custome and order which must be kept For proofe thereof take some one of the common sort aske him why he commeth into the congregation he will say he commeth to doe as other men doe but what they doe he knoweth not or what he himselfe ought to doe he cannot tel nor careth much to know Others also come to worship God but aske them how they doe it they will say by saying ouer the ten Commandements the Lords praier and the beleefe But if the word be either preached or read they regard it not thinking that all Gods worship stands in the repeating of those three things Which sheweth that they worship God but for fashion sake and with little more than a plaine lip-labour Another sort there are which come neere to God with their lips but their hearts are farre from him for though their bodies be present in the congregatiō yet their hearts are wandring about their worldly businesse or the works of sinne so that we may truly say God is not worshipped with faith in the heart And therefore wee are an vnkinde people and quite degenerate from the faith of our fore-fathers these holy Patriarchs who receiued Gods promises so kindly and thankfully Thirdly we haue the word of God daily preached and taught vnto vs but how many be there that make conscience of obeying the same in their liues and callings Men doe come and heare and should learne but when they come home they doe s●at contrary to that which is taught Now there can be no greater vnthankfulnesse nor vnkindnesse towards Gods then this that men should heare and not obey for disobedience is as the sinne of witchcraft nay the Lord himselfe saith that he that maketh no conscience of obedience in his life is in his actions of Gods worship no more acceptable vnto God then a murtherer is when he kills a man Wherefore seeing obedience is so rare to be found among vs and disobedience aboundeth euery where it is a plaine argument that we take not the promises of God kindly nor thankfully at his hands for if we did we would at least endeauour our selues to doe what God commaunds in his Law and desireth in his Gospell and so be thankfull vnto GOD for his mercies shewing forth our thankfulnesse by our obedience So that it standeth vs in hand euery man to looke vnto himselfe for his owne part seeing God hath giuen vs his Gospell the meanes of our saluation that therefore wee receiue and embrace the same least God doe either take the same from vs or vs from it for we may be sure that the one of these two will followe if we do daily heare and make no conscience to