Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	author_n	sin_n	will_n	1,685	5	6.8791	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76964	A plaine & profitable catechisme whereunto is added a sermon preached upon Exod.23.2. / By that reverend and judicious divine Mr James Bacon, late minister of Burgate in Suffolke. Now first published by his son in law H.W.	Bacon, James, minister of Burgate, Suffolk.; Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1660 (1660)	Wing B344; Thomason E1853_3; Thomason E1853_3*; ESTC R210346	58,042	143

the execution of Gods Decree whereby he preserveth and governeth all the Creatures which he hath made and provideth for every one of them Neh. 9.6 Psal 36.6 Pfal 136.25 145.15 16. 1 Pet. 4.19 and 5.7 A. What are the severall Acts and operations of Gods generall Providence A. They are chiefly five Q. What is the first of them A. God foreseeth the wants and necessities of his creatures whatsoever is needfull for the preservation of any creature Math. 6.32 Act 15.18 Q. What is the second A. God prepareth for his Creatures and bestoweth upon them whatsoever he knoweth to be needfull for their preservation For the preserving of their severall kinds he hath given unto plants the power of propagation and to sensitive Creatures the power of Generation with a strong desire of posteritie And for the preserving of Singulars he giveth them food and nourishment and shelter also to keep them from outward violence Act. 17.25 Jon. 1.17 Psal 145 15 16. Psal 147.9 Mat. 6.26 Psal 104.10 11 12 14 16 17 18 21 27 28. Q. What is the third A. God sustaineth all his creatures as their essence and being so those powers faculties and qualities which he hath bestowed upon them Act 17.28 Heb. 1.3 Q. What is the fourth A. God moveth and worketh in and with the Creature God is an universall and efficient cause of all motions in the creature 1 Cor. 12.6 Ephes 1.11 Q. What is the fifth A. God doth order the Creature to an End and diverts every Creature to his proper end As God hath made every Creature for an end so he preserves the Creature for it guids the Creature to it Psal 104.19 Prov. 30 25. Q. What are the generall ends of divine providence A. The good of the Creature and the glorie of the Creator and Governour Rom. 11.36 Q. How is the divine providence distinguished A. It is either ordinarie or extraordinarie Q. What is Gods ordinarie Providence A. Gods ordinarie providence is that whereby he provideth for his Creatures by ordinarie meanes Now seeing this is Gods usuall and ordinarie manner of working both in workes of Nature and in workes of Grace therefore to depend upon Gods Extraordinarie Providence without using the ordinarie meanes when the Lord doth afford them is to tempt God Psal 147.8 9. Hos 2.21 22. Act 14.17 Rom 10.13 14 15. Mat. 4.5 6 7. Q. What is Gods extraordinarie providence A. Gods extraordinarie Providence is that whereby he provideth for his Creatures extraordinarily and by miracle Sometimes God leaps over the second causes and workes the end without the Meanes and this is called Gods immediate Providence Thus God sustained Moses and Elias 40. dayes together without meat or drink Sometimes God worketh above naturall meanes and by miracle Thus the Israelites were sustained fortie yeares together in the wildernesse by Gods extraordinarie providence Thus God preserved Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in the midst of the burning fierie furnace miraculously Exod. 14.21 22. Josh 3. vers 15.16 1 King 17.4 6. Exod. 34.28 1 King 19.8 Deut. 8.3 4. 29.5 Neh. 9.20 21. Dan. 3. Q. What is a Miracle A. A Miracle is an extraordinarie worke exceeding the abilitie of all second causes as to make the Sunne stand still to make the Sunne goe back to raise the dead and the like Now this is proper to God to worke true miracles See Psal 72.18 and 86.10 Josh 10.12 13. Isa 38.8 Joh. 11.43 44. Joh. 9.16 Q. What is the Object of divine providence A. The providence of God extendeth to all things whatsoever not one sparrow is forgotten of God the very haires of our heads are all numbred There is not any Creature either in Heaven or in Earth there is not any thing belonging to any Creature but the Providence of God extendeth unto it As the glorious Angels the proper inhabitants of the highest heaven are under the hand of Gods Government so the basest wormes that creep upon the earth are under the eye of God providence Luk. 12.6 Mat. 10.29 30. Jon. 4.7 Q. Doth the providence of God extend to those things which come to passe by casualtie A. Yes as the providence of God extendeth to all things great and small so to all events necessarie and contingent or casuall The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Prov. 16.33 Deuteron 19. vers 5. compared with Exod. 21.13 Jon. 1. vers 7. Q. But doth any thing come to passe by chance A. Nothing cometh to passe by meer chance Indeed those Events which were not foreseen or intended by us the second causes whereof we are ignorant of are called casuall and such things are said to fall out casually or by chance But no event is simply casuall that is so casuall as that the providence of God should not extend to it For divine Providence hath an hand in governing those events which seem casuall to us that are ignorant of the second causes of them We must not therefore ascribe that to Fortune which is to be attributed to divine providence What cometh to us by chance we must make account it is of Gods sending See Mark chap. 14.13 16. 1 Samuel 9. vers 16. Q. May Christians use these termes of chance and Fortune A. Religion doth not absolutely forbid us to use the terme chance or fortune but these are Heathenish words and therefore Christians must use them warily and sparingly Luk. 10.31 Deu. 22.6 Q. What other particulars are comprehended under the generall object of divine Providence A. As the providence of God extendeth to all things great and small necessarie and casuall so it extendeth to all Actions and to all Events good and evill Proverb 15. vers 3. Q. How doth the Providence of God extend to evill and sinfull actions Is God the Author of any sinne A. Farre be it from us to think that God is the Author of that sinne whereof he is the Avenger the Lord hateth forbiddeth condemneth and punisheth all sinne and therefore he is not the Author of any sinne We may rather accuse the Sunne which is the Fountaine of light to be the cause of darknesse then accuse God who is goodnesse it selfe to be the cause and Author of sinne Yea God is so farre from being the Author of sinne that he would never suffer it were it not for the good that he can draw out of it Deut. 32.4 Psalm 5.5 and 92.15 Rom. 3.5 6. Jam. 1.13 Q. How then doth the Providence of God extend to evill and sinfull actions A. God is neither the Author nor Actor of any Sin nor yet an idle spectator of sinners but he acteth the part of a Judge and of a Governour The Lord hath a powerfull hand in governing the transgressions of all sinners yet so as he is most free from all staine of sinne and unrighteousnesse Read and consider these testimonies of Scripture Gen. 45.5 7 8. Exod. 1.9 10 11. compared with Psal 105.25 Exod. 4.21 and 5.1 2. and

9.34 2 Sam. 12.11 12. and 16.10 11. 2 Chron. 10.15 1 King 22.19 20 23. Act 2.23 and 4.27 28. Rom. 1.24 25 26 28. and 2 Thess 2.11 Q. But how can the Lord so powerfully and effectually governe sinners and yet be free from all staine of sinne A. As a man that ringeth a crackt bell is the cause of the motion of the Bell but not of the jarring of it and as a man that rides upon a lame horse when he puts him forward is the cause of the horse his going but not of his haulting so here God is the universall cause and Author of every action and motion of the Sinner for all Actions naturally and simply considered are good but the Divell and Mans Concupiscence and corrupt will are the proper Authors of that evill or faultinesse which cleaveth to the action Act 17.28 Q. How may this be further cleared A. As a skilfull workman can use an ill tool well and worke artificially with it in like manner the Lord can use those wicked and foolish men which are the Instruments of his providence well and wisely The Instrument we know is wholly subject to the principall Agent without infusing any qualitie into it That therefore which wicked men being the instruments of Gods providence doe wickedly and sinfully the Lord doth justly and righteously For the will and purpose of Sinners which are Gods Instruments differ from the will and purpose of that righteous God which over-ruleth and governeth these instruments Q. Can you make this more plaine by an example A. This may plainly be seen in the crucifying of Christ As Judas the Jewes and Pilate delivered up Christ to death so God the Father also is said to have done the same but Judas did it out of discontentment and covetousnesse to the end he might obtain the mony he desired The Jewes of malice and ignorance to the end that Christ should not raigne over them Pilate out of ambition and feare to the end he might please the people and keep his place whereas God delivered up Christ to death out of love to his Church and for the salvation of his people Act. 3.13 Joh. 19.16 Act 2.23 and 4.8 Rom. 8.32 Mat. 27.18 20. Act. 3.17 Joh 11.48 John 19.12 13 15 16. Q. What followeth from hence A. Seing that wicked men are the proper Actors of their own sinnes though they be as Instruments in Gods hand yet they are active Instruments which understand and will what they doe seeing that which sinners doe wickedly the Lord who governeth all sinners doth righteously therefore God may justly punish sinners for doing that wherein they have been the Instruments of his Providence Isa 10.5 6 12. Q. How doth the providence of God extend to good and evill events A. God is the Author of all Events good and evill As all blessings so all Afflictions and Judgements come from the Lords hand and by his speciall appointment Whosoever be the Instrument or Messenger to convey any blessing unto us God is the Giver of it Whosoever be the bringer of any Afliction God is the sender of it Jam. 1.17 Amos 3.6 Isa 45.7 Lam. 3.38 Jer 25.15.17 Q. When the wicked prosper and flourish in the world when the Godly groane under many pressures afflictions and crosses is God the dispenser both of the prosperitie of the one and of the adversitie of the other A. Yes all Calamities and Judgements as warre sicknesse famine c. are the Arrowes of the almighty wheresoever they light and all outward Blessings as peace health plentie all come from Gods bountifull hand even when they are bestowed upon wicked men Deut. 32.23 Joh. 6.4 Psal 38.2 Psalm 91.5 Ezek. 5.16 Ezek. 16.17 19. Hos 2.8 Mat. 5.45 Act 14.17 Q. How can the afflicted estate of the Godly and the prosperitie of the wicked stand with the just and wise providence of God A. If we desire to see and discerne the Wisedome and Justice of divine providence we must look upon these works of God not by the light of our naturall Reason but by the light of Gods Word We cannot judge aright of the whole providence of God by a little part of it We see but a little part of divine providence here in this world an other part of it followeth immediately after death and the last which is the greatest part of it at the last Judgement Now if we lay all the parts of Gods providence together if we goe into the Sanctuarie of God and weigh all things in the Ballance of the Sanctuarie then we shall see the Wisedome and Justice of divine Providence Psal 73.16 73.17 Jer. 12.1 Q But doth not God oftentimes deale better with the wicked then with the righteous in this world is not the prosperitie of the wicked rather to be desired then the afflicted estate of the righteous A. No although the Lord be kind and bountifull to the wicked here yet he doth manifest his grace and mercie and goodnesse much more to the godly then to the wicked For the godly notwithstanding the many Afflictions that befall them here are in a blessed condition whereas the wicked notwithstanding their outward prosperitie which is glorious in the eye of the World are miserable and cursed Luc. 6.35 Psal 31.19 Psal 94.12 Jam. 1.12 Mat. 5.10 11. Isa 65.20 Q. How may it appeare that the godly notwithstanding the many afflictions that befall them here are in a blessed condition A. By these Considerations following viz. 1. The Godly though they live under the crosse yet are adorned with heavenly vertues and blessed with all spirituall blessings in Christ Jesus All their sinnes are remitted and all graces necessarie to salvation are bestowed upon them Ephes 1.3 Joh 16.33 Rom. 8.33 34. Psal 32.1 2 Cor. 4.16 2. The bitter Cup of Affliction is sweetned unto them As their afflictions abound so their Consolations abound also the Lord gives them strength and comfort proportionable to that Burthen of Affliction which he layes upon them 2 Cor. 1.5 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 12.9 3. Their Afflictions being sanctifyed bring forth excellent fruits and so become matter of rejoycing unto them The Lord by afflictions repaireth his glorious image in the Soules of his Children and so fits them for his Kingdome Psal 119.71 Rom. 8.28 Rom. 5.3 Jam. 1 2 3. Heb. 12.10 11. 4. The Lord upholds them in their greatest pressures with the certaine hope of future happinesse and gives them a Joyfull deliverance in his good time Job 19.25 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Rom. 8.35.37 Psal 34.19 and 37.37 Jam. 5.11 Job 42.12 Q. How may it appeare that the wicked notwithstandeng their outward prosperitie which is glorious in the eye of the world are miserable and cursed A. By these considerations following 1. The wicked though they flourish in the world yet in Gods sight are condemned persons and abominable Joh. 3. vers 18. Tit. 1.16 2. When the wicked man holds a full cup of pleasure in one hand he holds