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
A89619	Divinity-knots vnloosed or a cleare discovery of truth; by resolving many doubts, according to scripture, orthodox divines, and sound reason, so as weake capacities may receive satisfaction therein. To which purpose, a number of points are explained by familiar simile's. A treatise intended specially for the instruction of young Christians in Rothstorne parish in Cheshire: but published for a further extent of the benefit thereof, to the Israel of God. By Adam Martindale, one of the meanest labourers in the Lords harvest.	Martindale, Adam, 1623-1686.	1649 (1649)	Wing M856; Thomason E1352_2; ESTC R209407	38,259	96

22. will prove he might but such a case never did not will fall out However to our capacity the justnesse of God should not shine so perspicuously if he should damne a Creature that never sinned for then should he inflict undeserved punishment whereas in the course he now takes he onely denyeth undeserved savours and layeth on them deserved penalties 11. Doubt But if Gods decree binde not men to a necessity of sinning how came sin into the World seeing Men and Angels were made holy and the whole Creation is by GOD himselfe pronounced good n Gen. 1.31 Resol GODS decree doth no otherwise bind man to a necessity of sinning then the withdrawing of the upholding hand from a staffe reared up binds it to a necessity of falling Viz in a privative way I shewed before that sin is only privative that is a defect of some thing required as darknesse is nothing else but a defect of light and these privations doe not necessarily require causes or creation light was indeed created o Gen. 2.3 but darknesse was before on the face of the deepe p Vers 2. Now though God made Angels and Men holy he made them not Gods that they should stand of themselves without his help which when he withheld from man and some of the Angels they faltered in their obedience and so became sinfull CHAP. IV. Of Providence 12. Doubt HOw can God by his providence dispose of second causes that things can come to passe contingently freely or miraculously when he hath fore-ordained how they shall be in his immutable will Resol There is a twofold necessity 1. In Gods decree so all things that are fall out necessarily and cannot be otherwise 2. In Naturall causes so fire necessarily burnes water necessarily wets c. Now to us things are said to fall out necessarily when we apprehend a sufficient next cause But this sometimes is not sometimes appeares not before the effect from whence the notions Contingent free miraculous have their rise As for example When an Infant is formed in the wombe though in respect of Gods decree it is necessarily a male or necessarily a female and so in time will prove Yet to us from whom the next cause of this distinction in the womb is hid it is contingent whether it be Male or Female 13. Doubt How can God strengthen and governe all Creatures in their actings and be free from sinne seeing many actions are sinfull Resol You must distinguish betwixt the action and the evill in it some sins are actuall but none actions Therefore as a skilfull Minstrell playing on a jarring Instrument causeth it to sound but it s owne badnesse causeth it to sound jarringly So God causeth us to act but that we act sinfully the cause is in our selves To kill a man is not simply evill sometimes it is not onely lawfull but a duty a Jer. 48.10 but killing a man upon such tearmes without a just cause or call Sin lyeth in the morall circumstances not the physicall substance of the action 14. Doubt If God be perfectly glorious how can he glorifie himselfe in the workes of his providence seeing nothing can be added to that which is perfect Resol We may consider the glory of God these two wayes 1. As it is essentiall to him and so it is ineffably perfect 2. As it is revealed to us and this because of our weaknesse is onely in part and by degrees A Moses can but view the back parts b Exod. 33 23. a Paul but see in part c 1 Cor. 13 9 10. and darkly as in a glasse d Ibid. ver 12. And GOD is sayd to glorifie himselfe when by the great works of his providence he lets us see further into his glorious attributes 15. Doubt If the providence of God offer to men occasions to sin how is God free from the iniquity committed by reason thereof Resol As a King that executeth justice though he know some wicked fellowes will thereat take occasion to be Traytours to him is not to be blamed So GODS workes being holy though wicked men abuse them through their owne perversnesse and make them occasions to sin he is not unrighteous but punisheth them in just judgement suffering them to fall by their owne folly 16. Doubt When GOD by his providence makes wicked men scourges to his people how can they be blamed for doing what GOD would have done Resol Though wicked men can doe nothing to the people of GOD but what he gives way to e Psal 124.6 Psal 129.1 2.3 Acts 4 27 28. Yet foraimuch as they indeavour to exceed their Commission f Psal 83.4 Isa 37.27 28 29 33. and aime not at Gods glory but their owne ends g Isa 10.6 7 c. shewing hostility and not pitty to Gods people h Ps 137.7 Lam. 2.17 they shall answer for their ambitious malice i Isa 10.12 though God by his wisedome will cause the wrath of man to praise him and the remainder of wrath he will restraine k Ps 76.10 CHAP. V. Concerning the fall of Man 17. Doubt HOw could tasting the forbidden fruit bee so great an offence as to deserve damnation Resol Some give this reason that this act of our Parents was a breach of each of Gods Commandements in particular and indeavour to make it appeare by an induction though for mine owne part I think it holds in some not in all but this I desire to speak with modesty and submission However it cannot be denyed but the breach of the least of Gods Commandements maketh us guilt of all a James 2 10. And the violation of his Law who is infinite deserveth infinite punishment which because it cannot be in extent we being finite must be in duration Nor doth the small value of the fruit abate any thing but rather aggravate it for as Master Byfield sayth well their sin was greater that upon so small an advantage would adventure eternall happinesse 18. Doubt But how comes it to passe that Adams fault and punishment is derived to his whole posterity Resol Adam stood in Covenant with God as Man not as a Man that is as a publique not a private person and therefore as he received the Covenant of works and for a time stood by it for himselfe and all mankind so for himselfe and all mankinde he fell from it b Rom. 5.12 to 20. 1 Cor. 15.22 19. Doubt Would it not have made more for GODS glory to have kept men from sin to serve him in holinesse Resol No For by this meanes man is a fit object for the rich mercy or just judgement of God which by occasion hereof GOD manifesteth to his owne glory 20. Doubt Some affirme that sin dishonoureth God other say he cannot be dishonoured whether of these is true Doctrine Resol They may both be true in a different sense for the word dishonour may be taken two wayes 1. To degrade or make one

his Soveraigne purposeth in his heart to pardon him this intention of his suppose it be unalterable is but a purpose to pardon not to pardon formally nor yet though the manifestation thereof be added except it be in a judiciall way for though it be never so well knowne that the King intends to forgive him yet he is not forgiven till his pardon be sealed and confirmed according to Law and then his assurance and selfe satisfaction ariseth from the sight or knowledge thereof In like manner though God hath chosen the Elect before the World was that they should receive in Christ the forgivenesse of sins and this his decree unalterable and as to God before whom all things are present they are already pardoned in the same manner that Christ is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the World for the certainty and efficacy thereof though he was actually put to death till the fulnesse of time yet as to them the pardon hath not actuall existence till God give them Faith in Christ whereby they receive the actonement but till they beleeve they want not onely the assurance of forgivenesse but forgivenesse it selfe for they are Children of wrath o Joh. 3.36 Eph. 2.3 and condemned persons p Joh. 3.19 This considered I cannot but greatly wonder that any learned man should without warrant of Scripture and against the streame of Commentators expound forgive to signifie declare forgivenesse a thing vastly different though subordinate to it upon one slender reason not to be owned by such a man For what though a man ought to pray in Faith and this Faith demonstrates that our sins are already pardoned which is the strength of the reason brought seeing I have proved before q Doubt 30. answered that a Beleever is not free from correction though from condemnation be is As for David I have before r In the Resolution of the 25. Doubt overthrowne the pretended difference between the Covenant of Crace under which he lived and that whereunder we live Nor can I think that he was under any temptation when he writ the 25. and 51. Psalmes in which he frequently beggeth pardon I readily grant that some passages of the 77. Psalme were spoken in such a temper for himselfe tells us so Å¿ Vers 10. but that any thing in these Psalme t Viz. 25. 51. was so spoken is impossible to be proved either by themselves or any other Scripture which is a strong argument to me that he was himselfe and did not personate a Beleever in his sinfull doubtings when he spoke thus especially considering that he seldome or never leaves any Errour on record without some dash or brand to know it by And therefore till some man shew me as good ground to prove him under a temptation when he asked forgivenesse as when he sayd God had forsaken him I see no reason why the places should be parallel'd and the one expounded by the other CHAP. VIII Of Free-will 31. Doubt HOw can any be said to have Free-will whereas naturall men are taken captive by Satan at his will a 2 Tim. 2.26 and those which come to Christ are drawne by the Father b Joh. 6.44 Resol The will of man may be depraved by corruption or regulated by grace but destroyed or violently forced by neither One may be so powerfully perswaded by reasons and importunity that he cannot say nay and yet not necessitated to yeild or deny but acteth freely So in the will of man though corruption be so forcible and prevalent in its instigations in the unregenerate that they cannot but will and act iniquity yet is not the will violently hurried and dragged like a Beare to the stake as we say but complyingly as when a blind man is led by another and when as grace acts the will it doth not take it prisoner or carry it headlong but perswades it for when Christ draweth his people become willing c Psal 110.3 and run after him d Can. 1.4 32. Doubt Let mee understand you thorowly Doe you meane that man since the fall hath Free will to good or evill so that he wants no power but will onely to beleeve and repent Resol By no meanes no more then a mad or possessed man can dispose of his owne strength for his owne good For though I hold that the will of man is not lost nor absolutely determined this way or that by any inevitable necessity in causes purely naturally yet withall I asserted that by the fall of man the will is wholly depraved and as long as corruption is the guide it must needs act corruptly and not otherwise To make this plaine consider one of the Simile's I used concerning a blind man led by another You know a blind man followeth his leader freely that is he is not haled or dragged away forcibly which notwithstanding I hope no man will say that a blind man which relyeth wholly on the guidance of his leader can goe whither he will and escape all dangerous places of himselfe but according to his guide so is his going So the will of man acts freely but it seeth not by its owne eyes but is guided by the understanding which because of corruption is a false guide to it and therefore untill God by his spirit sanctifie the understanding to be a faithfull guide to the will it must needs act perversly though freely 33. Doubt If a man in his naturall condition cannot doe good or evill as himselfe willeth why is he blamed for it or exhorted to amend Resol If a man by his owne unthriftinesse make away his estate is he not still suable for his debts though unable to pay them And when God gave us ability to doe his will and we lost it through our owne default are we not still debtors to his justice May not he blame us for making oure selves uncapable And whereas the Scripture calleth on us for amendment it is to convince us of our wants and insufficiencie that we may the more seriously seek to him that hath promised to ease and heale them The Prophet bids us make our selves new hearts e Ezek. 18 31. and yet David desires God to doe it f Psal 51.10 So then it must be our aime but Gods act g Rom. 9.16 CHAP. IX Of Calling Justification Adoption Sanctification Faith Repentance and good Workes 34. Doubt IF God love his people when they are in their blood i. e. in the height of their sinne what need they to be called justified adopted and sanctified For if God love them he will ever love them and therefore they must needs be saved though they were never called c. Resol I might aske you a like question If God loved the World a Joh. 3.16 why should he give his Son for it seeing whom he once loveth he ever loveth The truth is the LORD loveth his Elect whilest they are finners but not as they are sinners