Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	affliction_n	lord_n	sin_n	1,503	5	4.9511	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93347	Gods unchangeableness: or Gods continued providence, in preserving, governing, ordering and disposing of all creatures, men, actions, counsels and things, as at the beginning of the world, so to the end of the world, for ever, according to the counsel of his own will. From whence is gatherd six necessary inferences very applicable to the changes, alterations and vicissitude of these our present times. Wherein is clearly demonstrated and proved, that Oliver Cromwell is by the providence of God, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, &c. to whom the people owe obedience, as to him whom God hath set over them. Unto which is added, the causes of discontent, repining and murmurings of men: also, some serious advertisements, and seasonable admonitions to the discontented, and reprehensions to all impetuous, arrogant murmurers. Together with answers to some cheif objections made against the Lord Protector and his present government, endeavouring (if possible) satisfaction to all men. / Therefore written and published for publicke good, by George Smith, Gent.	Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658.	1655 (1655)	Wing S4036; Thomason E824_4; ESTC R207687	84,417	65

Iacob might in him be accomplished That a Scepter should not depart from Iudah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come f which was spoken of David and in him fullfilled g the particulars would be too long to instance them it may be I shall touch some of them in another place afterward and leave the whole story to the Reader to contemplate Something I might say of many particulars and clear providence observable of late daies in ordering things Actions and Instruments leading Oliver our present Lord Protector to the place office and dignity in which he now ruleth with the Honourable High Court of Parliament for whom I pray and of whom I intend to say something more in the proper place afterward in the mean time we have I hope said enough to prove that God and God alone pulleth down Kings and setteth up Kings That so we may acknowledge that every mercy and every judgement is from God ordered by him and is not from men whatsoever their designs are or whatsoever they intend or aim at as their end for all men good and bad are but Instruments in Gods hand secondary causes and can do nothing but what God by Providence leads them to do or permits to be done to effect his own purpose and secret decre● ordering all and every Action thereunto It is true that a merciful man doth good and a good man sheweth mercy but a good mans goodnesse is not his own he hath received it from God who is the fountain of all good nor can a good man distribute good to another but as he is guided by God he is but the Instrument in Gods hand Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights h A man may be able to do good to this or that man yet he may sometimes want will to do it if he have a will it is from God where how or to whom he shall do that good or if a good man have a will and intention to do good to this or that man his intentions may be crossed that he cannot do it or if he be not crossed in his intentions yet the good he doth may turn to the hur● of him that receives it except God blesse and prosper it so that all good and every mercy to any man let the Instrument be what it will it is from God God gave Ioseph favour with the Keeper of the prison i and God extended mercy to his people in the sight of the Kings of Persia k all is from God Men are but Gods Instruments therefore Iacob praieth to God that God would give his Sons favour with the men they had to do with l And as it is in mercies so it is in judgements and afflictions all is from God men are his Instruments secondary causes It is true that wicked men devise and imagine mischief continually and plot against the righteous to afflict and to molest them although the wickednesse which they plot is their own And they think they have power to act accordingly they never wanting will to do it yet they are crossed by providence in acting what they intend And often yea alwaies to the Elect of God the evil they think to do turns to the good of them against whom it is done as the bufferings from Satan did to Paul it was advantage to him for if wicked men could act answerable to their wils and intentions neither righteousnesse nor holinesse should be amongst men not the man on earth that should practise either but they are in Gods hand his Instruments to do his pleasure and no more neither wicked men nor Sa●an himself cannot do as shall be shewed afterward The want of due and serious consideration of this truth and submission to it causeth much discontent and murmuring among men for in our affl●ctions we are ready to fly in the face of men meer instruments secondary causes and as the Prophet complains We turn not to God that smiteth us nor seek to the Lord of hosts m We are like the dog that bites the stone that is cast at him but looks not at the hand that cast it We are sensible of the rod that whips us but take no notice of the hand that holds it We complain of men and things Accidents and Causes and it is likely not without cause but God the cause of all causes except sin we consider not who saith of himself I the Lord do all things I create the light and make darknesse I make peace and create evil n God mingleth a perverse spirit in the midst of counsell o he leadeth away Counsellors spoiled and maketh Judges fools p God stirred up Hadad and Rezon to be adversaries to Solomon q and they did much mischief in Israel all Solomons daies Shall there be evil in the City saith the Lord and I the Lord have not done it r that is evil of affliction punishment not the evil of sin for that is the procuring cause of all punishment as we shall shew in the proper place All that I now drive at is but to prove that all secondary causes men or things can do nothing of themselves either to misery or to happiness But that all mercies and all judgements are of God from him and by him he disappointeth the devises of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise This I say is the Soveraignty of God the Creator over all things governing the world by his wise and secret providence And it doth above all things declare the glory omnipotency and incomprehensible wisedom of God working in and by all things after the counsell of his own will That all things though in motion and use never so contrary one to another and in their nature and ends destructive one to another yet all and every thing in most harmonious union work together in one consent to effect and accomplish whatever God hath in his secret counsel determined yea by the worst of Instruments to do glorious things bringing good out of their evil and work deliverance to his Church by the Enemies Actions and destroy his Enemies by their own counsels causing the wisedom of the wise to perish and to hide uuderstanding from the prudent ſ When he giveth quietnesse who can make trouble and when he hideth his face who can behold him whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only t Thus much shall serve for foundation or groundwork of our intended discourse from whence we may gather some inferences and therein take a view of some late and remarkable Providences in these our daies ordering Counsels Actions and Things contrary to mens designs and endeavours and working all things after the counsell of his own will pulling down and setting up whom he pleaseth for the accomplishment of his own secret purpose first one and then others changing times and seasons men and counsels

publike day of Humiliation for emergent causes named which God will doubtlesse accept of as of late he did by a signet of his favour when we by his Highnesse order sought God for Rain in our great necessity Although some who stile themselves Saints not only refused to joyn in our Petitions but used unchristian speeches to Gods dishonour and contempt of the duty And truly it was sad to observe the general neglect of our late Solemn Fast that only Shops should be shut and places for recreation full as I was informed but Churches shut or empty in respect of the numbers of Inhabitants many omitting the duty out of carnal respects and many out of will because it was commanded and because the end crossed their self-interests I do affirm that it is no lesse a duty in the Christian Magistrate to command the duties and performance of duties for the true worship of God then it was duty to the Magistrate under the Law but the Magistrate under the Law did command such duties as Asa Jehosaphat Jehojada Hezckiah and others We know that Asa did not only command Reformation of Gods worship bur annexed to his command a great punishment i And Ezra did the like k And the Apostle Paul diminisheth nothing of the Magistrates Authority under the Gospel nor is there any Scripture that offers the least doubt of that their authority but rather makes it greater Heb. 10. 28. therefore I say that the neglect or rather contempt of such duties and the suffering of it uncontrolled by the Magistrate will in stead of a blessing bring a curse as is threatned by the Prophet Jer 48. 10. but the due observance of the holy and spiritual worship of God held forth by the Magistrate and practised by the Minister and People is the chief means to divert the judgements we fear and procure the blessings we want I come now to the sixth and last Inference and that is That when God hath effected and done his will in any thing visibly made known to us by the work of providenee we are not to murmure nor repine though it be in any thing contrary to our expectation or desire or though it be to our great affliction but to submit to it willingly only by praier to seek unto God and patiently wait his time and means for deliverance This hath been the practice of the godly in all ages k Thus holy David did while his childe was yet alive he used all lawful means for the life of it But when God had done his will and the childe was dead he left off to mourn and murmured not but patiently bear the affliction Thus did just and righteous Job he feared his Sons might sinne and procure Gods displeasure he therefore used the right means to prevent it m but when Providence had brought that to passe which he feared and God had visibly manifested his pleasure Job was patient he murmured not neither against providence nor instruments but blessed the Name of the Lord n The Church under her great affliction murmured not they acknowledged Gods hand and complained of their sins the cause of all o and waited patiently for their deliverance It is good saith the Prophet that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord p Surely saith Job it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more q And the Apostle exhorts that we be followers of them that by faith and patience inherit the promise r But to murmure against providence is wickednesse and the effects of murmuring and discontents is very dangerous Dangerous to a mans self and bringeth others into dangers too You know what became of the murmuring Israelites in the wildernesse from time to time as is recorded in the Books of Exodus and Numbers Consider the case of murmuring Korah and all his murmuring company the earth opened and swallowed them up ſ This was the immediate hand of God not Moses nor Aaron yet such was the rebellious hearts of the people that the next day they all fall to murmuring against Moses and against Aaron and accused them that they had killed tho Lords people t And for this there died presently of them fourteen thousand and seven hundred by a sudden plague u You know that for this sin of murmuring all the people that came out of Egypt from twenty years old and upward were excluded from the promise except Caleb and Ioshua w Hence the Apostle exhorts us Christians not to tempt God as they tempted him nor to murmure as they murmured and were destroied for saith he All these things happened unto them for our examples x God is the same to us that he was to them only he hath divers dispensations of his judgements he is an unchangeable God for evert If we sin like them that went before us we shall be as greatly punished as they were yea greater Though God do not so usually strike men suddenly for sin as formerly yet there is greater wrath to come Let us a little consider the cause of mens murmuring and see if it do not arise from a carnal heart a carnal man propounds ends to himself as the Merchants St Iames speaks of that say they will go to such a City or such a Countrey and buy and sell and get gain but say not if God will so it is with men that seek their own ends in any thing they propound this or that but God is not in their thoughts they say no● if God will but we will do this or that thing or would have this or that done c. It may be nay it is common with these men that they will have the Name of God in their mouths but as the Psalmist speaks God is not in all their thoughts And therefore when their wils and designs are crossed they are angry and repine against God and men Thus the people of Israel did in the wildernesse they met with crosse providences which they looked not for and they could not bear it but cry out against Moses saying because there were no graves in Egypt Hast thou brought us to die in the wildernesse y and again wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt to kill us in the wildernesse our children and our cattel z Thus at this day we have seen many strange Providences such as we looked not for and men have had many and diverse designs aims and ends but meet with crosse Providences which they cannot bear nay resolve they will not bear they complain and cry out against this and that thing but specially they murmure against God and own not his providence in governing the world Therefore they also murmure at the thing done and against the Instruments doing it this is I say against God himself for he alone orders every thing and every Action as is proved in the beginning of this

hard bondage The house of Israel was Gods Vineyard and the men of Judah his pleasant plants Whence God looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a cry b Religion and policy were with many but one and the same thing We fasted for strife and debate and smote with the hand of wickednesse but did not loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavy burthens and let the oppressed go free c Providence dissolved that Parliament not yet that I know lamented by any And truly I conceive it was no lesse mercy from God that the succeeding Parliament was dissolved too Many members therein having a design to destroy our Laws and Religion to cut off the head of the two great Ordinances of God Magistracy and Ministery at one blow and so set open a floud-gate for loose licentious liberty to break in upon us to our confusion where then should we have found the true liberty and priviledge of the people so much talked of while we were under the oppression of an arbitrary power blessed be that providence that hath prevented those designs and freed us from that yoke giving us comfort in hopes of a setled peace and holy Reformation with the restoring us again to our Laws and true priviledges By that Illustrions and Noble Champion OLIVER Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland e. whom Providence hath made instrumental to hinder destruction to the Nation and provide that our Teachers are not driven into corners as the Lord hath promised they shall not be d Let no man mistake me to think that I am an enemy to Parliaments I am not God knows it but I am a lover and honourer of Parliaments and shall ever as my own life and the publike safety But I hate the sins of Parliaments covetousnesse self-seeking oppression schisms divisions factions and private interest these God hates and I cannot nor will love what God abhors though I be hated for it I do with much thankfulnesse acknowledge it as a free mercy from God that we have this present Parliament My Praier is that God will make them blessings to lasting posterities And surely it is free-love and mercy from God in setting up that authority and single person which hath called this Parliament And as great a mercy that Providence discovered that Plot and murtherous design hatched in France and to be executed upon his Person in England The same mercy and free-love was extended to this Nation for his Highnesse late escape from the danger of his presumptuous attempt in a recreation not becoming his dignity I pray it may be a monition to him not again to go out of his place and rank Providence having called him to the care of the greatest affairs con●erning the Church of God in general and the welfare of the people of these three Nations A heavy burthen and requires the whole strength of body and minde And above all these mercies we must not forget to acknowledge it a mercy from God that we at this day do enjoy the Ordinances of God notwithstanding the mighty oppositions both on the left hand and on the right hand Superstition on one side and imprudent zeal on the other we have the word of Truth held out to us and may enjoy every Ordinance in its purity if we will or if we were not wanton for men may be as holy as they will or can be there is no restraint in that nor persecution for it I wish we did not too much counive at grosse apparent heresie and blasphemy For though the truth should be free heresie should have a bar God blames the Church of Pergamus and the Church of Thyatira for suffering them them that held the doctrine of Balaam and for suffering her that called her self a Prophetesse to teach and seduce e c. Dead flies saith Solomon cause the Ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour f and corrupt doctrines suffered are dishonour to the Truth We come to the second Inference and that is That all Judgements and Afflictions are from God only and are the just recompence for sinne procured by our selves men or things afflicting being but secondary causes instruments in Gods hand This is very fully proved in the whole Book of God That all Iudgements and Afflictions are from God is sufficiently proved in our foregoing discourse And that they are the just recompence of sinne is as clear for God never punished but for sin and if there had been no sin there should never have been any punishments The Soul that sinneth shall die g The old world was destroyed by a deluge and why for Sinne God saw that the wickednesse of man was great upon the earth h c. And for sinne Sodom and Gomorrha was destroied by fire from heaven Nadah and Abihu for their sinne were devoured by fire and that for ought we know for a sinne of Ignorance i The wages of sinne is death k What else is warre pestilence and famine but the recompence of sin and so procured by by our selves All afflictions on the body in the minde on the estate or in our respective relations are just recompence for our sinnes from the hand of God l There hath been no alteration no overturnings iudgements and misery but for sin and is all procured by our selves We may say of England as Daniel said of Israel when they were under the captivity of Chaldea To us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes to our Fathers and to all the people because of our transgressions m And as Ezra That God hath punished us lesse then our deservings n And as Jeremy It is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed o Our elder Sister is Samaria and our younger Sister is Sodom we have justifiedour Sisters in all the abominations which we have done p What shall we say to the pride of England even in the day of her calamity Oh the pride of apparel the pride of place of gifts of blessings received yea of graces and of our supposed or flattered humility What shall we say to the idlenesse and fulnesse of bread the drunkennesse swearing forswearing and the abominable blasphemies that England is guilty of And what shall we say of the murders adulteries mighty oppressions self-love and wicked Sorcery that is in England the dishonouring of the Lords day contempt of Gods worship and generall neglect of all duties of the first and second Table what lukewarmnesse is there in Religion more then ever was in Laodicea What hot contentions about fancies and ceremonies and coldnesse to the power of holinesse What unthankfulnesse under the enjoyment of multitude of mercies What security and self-promising of happy condition as if no evil could befall them like the men of Laish that dwelt carelesly and there was no Magistrate in the Land that might put them shame in any thing q Although our professed and

governments and things From whence I inferre First That all mercies are from God and are given in to a Nation or people of Gods free love not of any desert merit or by any procurement of men Secondly That all judgements and afflictions are from God only and are the just recompence for sin procured by our selves men or things afflicting being but secondary causes instruments in Gods hand That the evil designs of men their wicked counsels aims and ends are all ordered by providence and turned to their own ruine Fourthly That God in his secret counsel hath set a time when he will give in mercies to a Nation and when he will inflict judgements and hath also appointed the means and upon whom it shall be what it shall be and how much it shall be and that those times altogether unknown to men Fifthly Although God have set the time for the one and for the other which shall certainly be accomplished in its time according to Gods good pleasure yet men are to be diligent in the use of all lawful means for the obtaining of the one and for the avoiding of the other Sixthly That when God hath effected and done his will in any thing visibly made known to us by the work of his providence We are not to murmure nor repine though it be in any thing contrary to our expectation or desire or though it be to our great affliction but to submit to it willingly only by praier to seek unto God and patiently wait his time and means for deliverance For the first That all mercies are from God and are given in to a people or nation of Gods free love not of any desert merit or by any procurement of men This inference is very clear and warranted by sacred Scriptures whether spiritual mercies or temporal mercies First All spiritual mercies are of Gods free love we neither deserve nor can by any means of our own procure the least spirituall mercy We are all by Adams fall alienated from God and are become his enemies n We are born heirs of wrath w and there is nothing in us that can reconcile us to God nor any way appease his wrath against us therefore whatever the mercy be that we enjoy it is of Gods free-love Any punishment lesse then hell fire is a mercy from God which we cannot deserve God indeed made man righteous and upright but men have sought out many inventions x Men can pervert their own waies and make themselves miserable but no way help themselves out of misery But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. Joh. 3. 19. So loved that is he loved beyond what can be expressed He gave his only begotten Son it was a free gift free love in the full dimensions unconceivable and incomprehensible He sent his Son made of a woman and made under the Law to redeem us that we might receive the Adoption of Sons y yea Christ gave himself to redeem us from our iniquity z We are not redeemed by corruptible things but with the precious bloud of Christ a if all the Angels in heaven should give themselves to die for the sin of one man it could not redeem him All Angels and Men joyned together cannot procure the expiation of one sin therefore all is of Gods free love but that God should give his Son Jesus Christ into the world to take our nature our flesh and for us to undergo reproach and shame and sorrow of soul and at the last lay down his life for us that we by his death might have life This is a love not to be expressed Secondly All temporal mercies are of Gods free-love No man hath by right nor desert the least claim to any good thing but as it is the free-gift of God every mercy to a Nation to a Family or to a particular man is the free-gift of God It is Gods free love and mercy that the heavens are not made Iron and the Earth brasse and that our fruitful Land is not turned into a barren wildernesse that the fruits of the earth are not parched away by droughts nor destroied by Inundations nor an Enemy let in upon us to devour and consume all our labours It is Gods free mercy to man to give wine to chear the heart and bread to strengthen him And that he giveth us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse a mercy that we of Gods free mercy enjoy at this day beyond imagination And it is free mercy that God doth not suddenly smite us for our unthankfulnesse under such enjoyments and for the murmurings of men for such a blessing It was Gods free-love to his Church to put into the heart of Henry the 8. to cast off the Popes Supremacy let the cause or end be what it will It was from God the earnest of future deliverance from the bondage of spirituall Babylon It was Gods free-love to preserve Q. Elizabeth from the rage and bloudy plots of an Antichristian brood that she might be instrumental to a Gospel-Reformation carried on by her with much piety although not perfected It was Gods free-love to this Nation to scatter the Spanish Armado in 88. And to defeat the Papists bloudy design in their hellish plot of the Powder-Treason in 1604. And it was free mercy from God to withhold the destroying plague of pestilence from this City of London amidst the many great distractions wherewith he had afflicted us this sinfull City which deserves nothing from God but wrath and judgements yet God hath long spared it when the plague hath been sore in other countreys and in divers places of this Nation It was doubtlesse free-mercy from God that God gave us a Parliament in 1640. and the fault was in men that it was not for happinesse to posterity It was free mercy from God that we were victorious over the power of a late Royall Army and that we were not given as a prey into their hands and it was no lesse free mercy to England that we had victory over he insulting people of the Netherlands as also to order things by his wise providence to compose things so as new to settle a peace between the two Common-wealths which I pray may be lasting to Gods glory It was the Lord that was on our side when men rose up against us else they would have swallowed us up quick The snare is broken and we are escaped And truly whatsoever some men think it was a great and free mercy from God that our everlasting Parliament was dissolved who had a price put in their hand but they neglected it though they sate full twelve years Self-seeking covetousnesse and private interest blasted the good fruit we expected at the first we made them demy-gods but God hath shewed us they were but men They indeed took off an oppressor but they gave life to oppression and brought a free people into