Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	action_n	sin_n	will_n	1,909	5	6.8826	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01972	An exposition on the vvhole fifth chapter of S. Iohns Gospell also notes on other choice places of Scripture, taken by a reuerend diuine, now with God, and found in his study after his death, written with his owne hand ...	Gouge, William, 1578-1653.; Pemble, William, 1592?-1623.	1630 (1630)	STC 12114; ESTC S103283	240,568	389

Angels Answer No for we see that when there hath beene opposition betweene the good and the euill angels the euill haue still beene foiled as Dan. 10. Reu. 12. So that if comparison be made between them and the good Angels their power is somewhat abated but if comparison be made betweene them and other creatures their power still remaines so great that wee cannot see wherein it is any whit lessened And therefore wee are not to bee secure as if his power were so weakned that hee could not hurt vs since his fall but to be stirred vp to watchfulnesse and to bee strengthened in faith seeing God hath giuen vs the good Angels to protect and defend vs. 3 The restraint of their power In which we are to consider 1 what they cannot doe Quest Whether can they goe beyond nature or against it Answ They cannot because they are creatures and must bee subiected vnto the order set downe by God who is the onely Lord of nature and only can alter it goe aboue and beyond it Examples in 4 points 1 The deuill cannot do that which is simply and properly a miracle as to cause that flaming fire should not burne to raise the dead for these are against and aboue nature And to doe these is a property of God whereby Christ did declare hims●lfe to be God and likewise his Apost●es to 〈◊〉 by the p●w●r of God and to 〈…〉 Ob●●t The 〈◊〉 wrough● miracles as did 〈…〉 12 22. a●d 8. ● 〈◊〉 1 〈◊〉 things might b●e done by naturall 〈…〉 bring serp●nts and ●rogs from 〈…〉 them there 2 〈…〉 were done on●ly in shew and 〈…〉 and d●luding t●●ir eyes for 1 〈…〉 w●re deuoured of Mo●●s 〈…〉 that his was a true serpent and 〈…〉 that the● made no resistance but 〈…〉 2 For th● 〈…〉 blood How cou●d it be ●ith all the wat●r in ●gypt was ●ready turned into blood and th●refore i● must n●eds be ●ome of the water of ●oshen but vpon Goshen came none of the plagues of Egypt 3 Conc●rneing the ●rogs Those that Moses brought in were gathered on heaps so that they stanke but no such matter is record●d of th● other So that the deuill may do● wonders which may seeme ●trange to vs because wee know not the cause but not miracles The deuill cannot directly force the will of man to yeeld to his b●nt as to make him si●ne against his will for forced will is no wil● and 〈◊〉 is an action of the will else it is no sinne Hee may by thr●atnings and allurements perswade the will but hee cannot force it 3 The diuell cannot simply s●arch the heart of man for this the Lord ascribes vnto hims●lfe as a property belong●ng vn●o him onely The diuell can giue a neere gesse at the g●nerall disposition of the heart by the actions speeches inclination c. but precisely to knowe what the thought of the heart is hee cannot 4 Hee cannot simply declare things to come This also God takes as a property belonging to himselfe and th●reby doth in Scrip●ure distinguish himselfe from Ido●s and false gods and therefore among the heathen he vsed to giue out his answer in doubtfull termes that might bee true two waies and if it fell out otherwise then they interpreted it then they said they mistooke the meaning of the Oracle 2 What they are hindred from doing although they can and would doe it for they doe nothing but by ●ermission and ther●for● we reade in Scripture 1 Pet. 2.4 Iudg 6. Reu. 20.2 That the diuell is chained and ti●d vp like a bandog that can goe no further then his linkes will let him So Sa●an desir●d to winnow Peter Luk. 22.31 But hee cou●d not This doth make greatly for the comfort of the godly So much of their pow●r 2 The second thing whereby their dominion is amplified is the parti●s ●hat are gouerned who are described when it is 〈◊〉 Th●y are gouernours of this World of the darkness● of this World 1 Doct. This rule and gouernment is onely heere in and ouer this wor●d Which is an enco●ragement to endure all the assaults that are made b●cau●● it is b●t for a time there will come a tim● of r●d●mp●ion and full freedome from all And 2 it is an encourag●mēt against the houre of death Yet all the men in the world are not vassals of the diuell but only the d●●kne●●e o● this world Such men as are blinde through ignorance and wicked through corruption within and without 2 Cor. 4.4 1 Ioh. 3.8 Eph. 2.2 2 Doct. The diuels dominion is ouer blinde and sinfull men The former resist him not but doe ignorantly fo●low him not s●●ing indeed what he is The other thi●k his gou●rnmēt is pleasant so beleeue not whatso●uer is spoken of the diu●ll The ignorant know not what a blessed cōfortable thing it is to be the Lords subiects The wicked they rebell against him Vse For tryall whether we be vnder the gouernment of the diuell or no which wee are if wee ●oue and lye in darknesse Iohn 3.19 2 For direction how we may come from vnder his power and dominion namely by comming forth from darknesse into light Col. 12.13 Luk. 1.79 Acts 26.18 3 For consolation to such as haue euidence in their owne soules that they are light in the Lord because they are freed from the power of the diuell And let such carry themselues as children of the light So much of their dominion 2 The second thing whereby our spirituall enemies are described is their Nature In that they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirituall things Doct. The diuels the enemies of our soules are of a spirituall substance for they still retaine the same substance in which they were created that they might beare the punishment of their sinne in the same nature that they sinned and that they are spirituall substances and beings of themselues appeares also by their power their offices their place their punishment which they endure Which 1 Note against those them to be but qualities and affections rising from vs. A conceit both erro●ious and dangerous extenuating the terrour that ought to be had of the diuell and so causing security 2 It greatly aggrauates the cunning of them in these respects 1 Being spirits they are inuisible and cannot be seene by flesh and blood and such likewise are their assaults so that w●e fight against them as blinde men against seeing wee cannot tell where and how they strike c. which is a great disaduantage 2 Being spirits they can be in euery plac● with vs knowing our actions and words and g●ssing at our thoughts which is a great aduantage to them as if one enemie should know the counsels of anoth●r as 2 Kings 6.12 3 Being spirits there is no bodily thing that ca● hind●r them in their enterprizes they can passe ouer and thorow all things And hence is their vnconc●iueable swiftnesse in their passage from place to place as swift as lightning or as our eyesight This

vers 22. that the Sonne quickeneth whom hee will hereby implying that euery Son of Adam is not quickened but those only to whom he sheweth fauour Now who they be is here expressed in this verse viz. such as heare his Word and beleeue in God 2. Verse 23. was shewed that there is an honour due to Christ now he sheweth what it is viz. to belieue in him c. Hence we learne Doct. 1. That they only which doe heare the Word of Christ and doe beleeue in God the Father doe partake of the the quickening power of Christ For this hearing and beleeuing is a beginning of our quickening and raising from death so that from hence wee may gather an euidence and assurance whether this quickening power of Christ doe belong to vs and whether we be of the number whom Christ will ray●e vp vnto life eternall yea or no. Doct. 2. That the honour which is due vnto Christ is to hearken to him in his Word and to beleeue in him This is all that is required of vs Deut. 18.15 Mat. 17.5 Ioh. 3.16 viz. to beleeue Vse is first to stirre vs vp to honour Christ by this meanes euen as subiects if they see their King to count himselfe honoured by such and such things they will endeauour to doe them 2. To reproue them that will honour God after their owne conceits as Saul 1. Sa 15.22 or after the traditions of men as Mat. 15.9 or by outward pomps and solemnities as the Papists which are but toyes to the excellent maiesty of Christ So much for the dependance The words themselues containe in generall a description of such as are raised vp by Christ The parts are 1. A Preface Verily c. of which hath been spoken before only here it is added to moue vs to attend vnto the matter deliuered as a point to bee much regarded and obserued 2. A promise wherein obserue first the Parties to whom it is made Secondly the promise it selfe hath euerlasting life c. The Parties are described by their actions first he that heareth Secondly and beleeneth these actions are both of them amplified by their obiects first my word secondly him that sent me The first action he that heareth which is layd downe both as a cause of the latter viz. of beleeuing and as a meanes to attaine to life euerlasting Whence we learne Doct. That the meanes to attaine to true faith and to eternal life is the hearing of the Word Rom. 10.14 15 17. Ephes 1.13 Act. 15.7 that faith followes hearing the Word Now eternall life is a consequent of faith as Esa 55.3 1. Ti. 4.16 hence the word is called the word of saluation Act. 13.26 Eph. 1.13 Rom. 1.16 yea saluation it selfe Heb· 2.3 Reason First hearing is a cause of knowledge now knowledge and illumination are a ground of Faith Secondly by hearing is the Spirit conuayed vnto vs by which Spirit Faith is wrought in vs by faith we are vnited to Christ and being vnited to him we haue a right and title to heauen So the Word is called the ministery of the Spirit 2. Cor. 3.6 Gal. 3.2 Vse 1 For Ministers that they be faithfull diligent and conscionable in preaching of the Word for it there bee no preaching there can be no hearing Rom. 10.14 a point of exceeding great moment because idle and idoll pastors doe shut vp the kingdome of heauen against the people and cause them to lie in sinne and incredulity so becomming guilty of their blood 1. Cor 9.16 2. For the people to stirre them vp to diligence to hearken and attend vnto this Word when it is preached c. The obiect of hearing is here sayd to be the Word of Christ Whence we learne Doct. That it is not euery word which is able to worke faith in vs but only the Word of the Sonne of God The Gospell my Word as opposed to the words of men and their traditions Ioh. 6.63 Rom. 1 9. Ioh. 1.18 and 14.6 The law cannot doe this for that is the letter that killeth and it is the ministery of death 2. Cor. 3.6.7 and much lesse then the words of men and their traditions Vse is to teach vs that as we be diligent to heare so we bee carefull to know what we heare The second Action is to belieue Though hearing be a thing necessary and a good ground-work and beginning yet it is not sufficient but we must further beleeue in the truth declared by the Gospell Doct. It is not sufficient to heare the Word onely but Faith must be added to our hearing Hebr. 3.2 Ephes 1.13 Rom. 1.16 For the Word doth but onely offer grace Now what good is it to haue a Benefice offered onely if it be not receiued but this is done by Faith Act. 13.48 Vse As before we were exhorted to heare so here wee are directed how to heare viz. not to content our selues with a bare and naked hearing or that we doe vnderstand the Preacher and know the mysteries of the Scripture but to apply the Word and Promises to our selues The Obiect of this action is described in these words him that sent me which is a description of God the Father and implies a relation betweene the Father and the Sonne as if he had said In him of whom I am who hath giuen me vnto the World c. Doct. God as he is the Father of Christ Iesus is the onely obiect of our Faith and therefore he saith not and beleeueth in God simply but in him that sent me And therefore wee must come vnto God in Christ and doe whatsoeuer we doe in and through him Heb. 13.15 No creature can bee the obiect of our Faith on which wee may rest because it is not able to protect vs from Gods wrath Neither is God himselfe as he hath immediately to doe with vs for so he is most strict in iustice and as a consuming fire before which we are but stubble Onely as he is well pleased in Christ and in him manifesteth his grace and fauour may approach vnto him with confidence Vse It shewes the vanitie of the most part of the World that either know not Christ or deny him as the Iewes and so dare to come vnto him in great iustice So much of the Parties The Promise is declared first affirmatiuely hath euerlasting life Secondly negatiuely and shall not c. Doct. The fruite of that honour which we performe to Christ Iesus is eternall life Ioh. 10.27 28. 1. Pet. 1.3 4. which is not in regard of any desert of the workes but of Gods free grace who sets downe this reward to encourage vs and to magnifie his owne mercy Which shewes his fatherly tendernesse towards vs that whereas we are bound to doe no lesse and he might absolutely command vs yet hee rather chuseth to draw vs on by the hope of reward Vse To bee stirred vp to the performance of these duties both in regard of thankefulnesse to God and in respect of our