Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	good_a	let_v	1,459	5	4.0417	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08129	Certaine sermons, preached by the reuerend and iudicious diuine master Thomas Nevvhovse late preacher of Gods word in the citie of Norwich. And now set foorth for the vse and benefit of Gods people, by Robert Gallard, Master of Arts and minister in the same citie	Newhouse, Thomas, d. 1611.; Gallard, Robert.	1614 (1614)	STC 18493; ESTC S102789	66,753	182

haue vs to feare the sword of the Magistrate why not his owne considering that the sword of the Magistrate is his owne sword And why doth God threaten so many plagues euen to his children but to this end that they might feare them And if it displease God that we are senselesse and not grieued and moued when hee doth afflict vs Ierem. 5.3 doth it not also displease him that wee doe not feare when he threatneth Yea what father or person in authoritie aboue other is there among men that doth not loue to haue his threats feared of his children and inferiours Fifthly this feare is very many waies profitable and necessarie for first it expelleth the contempt of God and the securitie of the flesh euen in the regenerate and makes them tractable and pliable and prompt to doe the will of God and hence it is that the Lord doth often exercise his children with legall terrors and feares that they might bee the more humbled and so made the more willing to obey An example of this we haue in Paul who by reason of those feares in his first conuersiō wherwith he was strangely smitten and astonied was greatly cast downe and became farre more prompt to obey God And this is confirmed by the contrarie for what is the cause why Atheists Epicures and prophane wretches doe sinne without all shame and regard of common honestie but that they haue cast out of their hearts all feare of God and al consideration of his iudgements that they might more freely without all checke wallow in the mire of their carnall pleasures and bathe and refresh themselues in their vile and beastly sinnes The second effect is an endeucur to please him To this the Lord exhorteth Abraham Genes 17.1 and examples hereof we haue in Enoch Genes 3. and Noah Genes 6. who both of them receiued this testimonie that they walked with God that is as in his presence For when a man considereth that God seeth his heart and knoweth all his thoughts then hee laboureth to auoide dissembling and to be vpright The vse of this serueth to condemne the practise of most men for who almost is perswaded of Gods presence God seeth vs but we doe not espie him who standeth in awe of him but vpon euery occasion yeeldeth vnto sinne who is patient who studieth to please glorifie God howsoeuer many professe the same outwardly Now that we may not deceiue our selues in this matter there be certaine markes whereby this true feare of God may bee discerned which bee these First when a man setteth himselfe in Gods presence wheresoeuer hee become or whatsoeuer hee is about after the example of Danid Psal 16.8 whereof follow many notable effects First if a man bee in companie hee will obserue and vse the opportunities of doing and receiuing good if he speake he will speake wisely and guide his words with discretion or else be silent yea he will obserue the occasions and seasons of speaking and keeping silence and his outward carriage will be graue moderate decent sober not only inoffensiue but profitable to edification If hee be to doe any part of Gods worship either priuate or publike hee will doe it with reuerence with care to glorifie God to profit others and himselfe if he be about any worke of his calling hee wil doe it faithfully sincerely and diligently if about any morall duty of loue vnto men hee will performe it willingly and cheerefully and in an holy manner To make conscience of all sinne Prou. 14.16 and of moral obedience Now to make conscience of sinne is when a man in consideration of Gods presence and commandement abstaineth from sinne euen then when he is strongly tempted thereunto as Ioseph did for otherwise not euery abstaining from sin is by and by a signe of the true feare of God But to this three things be required first a godly iealousie and suspition ouer a mans selfe lest by sinne he should fall from God and good reason because of that domesticall and inbred enemie of deceit which is deepely fixed in euery mans heart by nature Iere. 17.9 Secondly a continuall care and watchfulnes ouer the heart and life and ouer all the members of the bodie and the senses that they be no instruments either to occasion or begin or to execute sinne commended vnto vs Prou. 4.23 Thirdly a 〈…〉 only to foresee the occasions 〈◊〉 and deceits of the spi●●●●all enemie and carefully to preuent them but to furnish a man with spirituall armour out of the word of God against all assayes Againe a man must make conscience not onely of outward publick sinnes whereof the world crieth shame but of secret sins which he might commit without the knowledge of any yea of the inward and secret conceits of the heart as Ioseph who might haue done the euill to which he was sollicited secretly so that no man should haue knowne it but euen then the feare of God withheld him So also Prou. 8.13 Iob 31.23 Againe there is this conscience of morall obedience for these two be alwaies coupled together Eccles 12.13 Pro. 14.2 Psal 112.1 Acts 10.35 To feare at the hearing of Gods iudgements threatned in his word or executed in the world Esay 66.5 Heare the word of God yee that tremble at his word And the Prophet Habakkuk 3.16 said that when he heard Gods threatnings hee feared and his belly trembled and rottennesse entered into his bones and hee was wonderfully dismaied and terrified And to bee silent and wonder at the remembrance of the iudgements of God as did Aaron who held his peace when his two sons were destroyed by fire from the Lord Leu. 10.3 and to be prouoked by them to repentance which is the right vse of al his iudgments they being reall sermons which vse our Sauiour teacheth vs Luk. 13.3 To feare God more then men that is to be more afraid of the displeasure of God then of men and therefore to preferre obediēce vnto his commandements before mans as did the Ebrew Midwiues Exod. 1.17 and the Apostles Acts 5.29 and to dread more the shame which God cā bring vpon vs then the shame of men for the shame of men is but losse of credit and good name whereas the other is euerlasting confusion Let no man therfore be afraid in the cause of God and of religion to vndergoe ignominie for such a one the Lord honoureth Contrariwise if he be ashamed to professe Christ heere then let him know hee is destitute of the feare of God and Christ will bee ashamed of him Humilitie for these two are ioyned together and haue one reward assigned vnto them Prou. 22.4 the reward of humilitie and of the feare of God is riches glory and life Desire of knowledge these two 6. are also combined Esay 11.2 and euen as the naturall child is desirous to know his fathers will that he migh obey it and please him lest happily hee might through ignorāce transgresse euen so the true feare of God

end which is damnation ordaines to the meanes which is sinne but hee ordaines to the end Ergo. and so by this doctrine God shall bee made the author of sinne Answ The supreme end which God propoundeth vnto himselfe in this decree is not the destruction of man but the declaration of his iustice the appointed meanes to this end is not sinne on Gods part which is euill in it selfe but the iust and voluntarie permission of sinne which is good sinne therefore in it selfe is no effect of the decree of God but an Antecedent thereunto yea euen a procuring and meritorious cause of actuall reprobation that is damnation Lastly it is replied that if God vpon his wil hath decreed to condemne any he shall be contrarie to himselfe for in his word he hath reuealed that hee willeth not the death of a sinner Ezech. 33.11 but that all men should be saued c. 1. Tim. 2.4 Answ A sinner must be considered either as he is man or as he is a sinner as * Ad Simplic lib. 1. qu. 2. Augustine answereth God is not delighted with the death of a sinner as he is a man but as hee is a sinner neither that simply as it is the ruine and ouerthrow of the creature Aug. de Corrup grat cap. 14. or the putting of him foorth vnto punishment but as it is an illustration of the glorie of God and execution of his iustice Touching the latter place it maketh nothing for the purpose being rightly interpreted For where it is said God would haue all men saued the word * Particula omnis non semper collectiuè sed saepe distributiue vt hic sumitur Vid. Arist Polit. lib. 2. cap. 1. All must not bee taken vniuersally but indefinitly according to the ancient exposition of Augustine not all and euery one but of all some not singula generum but genera sing●●●orum And this meaning agreeth very fitly vnto the text for the Apostle hauing in the first verse exhorted that prayers and supplications should be made for all men lest he should be mistaken as though his meaning were that all men euen reprobates detected and sinners against the holy Chost should be prayed for he expounds himselfe in the next verse for Kings and for all that are in authoritie that is for all states degrees callings and conditions of men Now in the fourth verse he vrgeth his exhortation by a reason wherein the vniuersall note must bee equally extended as before the reason standeth thus Those whom God would haue saued ought to be prayed for but of all sorts and conditions of men God would haue some to be saued Ergo. The proposition is concealed the assumption is laid downe in the fourth verse the conclusion is the exhortation in the first verse and that it cannot bee taken generally the context doth plainly declare in that all come not to the knowledge of the truth that is of the Gospell neither possibly can doe seeing to many it hath pleased God in all ages to denie all means of reuelation Againe all men that are saued God would haue them saued as if a man should speake of the gates of a citie all men enter in by these gates that is all that doe enter for it were absurd to say that all men liuing enter into that citie Epist 107. ad ritalem Ench. 103. cap. 8. de oredest sanct so Augustine also expoundeth Againe both the word of God and Augustine in his book * Lib. 15. cap. 1. de ciuit Dei distinguisheth mankinde into two companies or societies of both which vniuersall propositions are giuen out as for example of the elect that they shall be all taught of God of the reprobate that euery man seeketh his owne so it is said here God would haue all men to bee saued that is the elect for so the proposition is to bee restrained vnto the matter subiect there being also an vniuersalitie of the elect Lastly the place may bee vnderstood fitly not of all men descending from Adam but of al men in the last age of the world that is of Iewes and Gentiles for in the three formes ages there was alwaies a difference betweene man and man people and people in the first age some were the sonnes of God some the sonnes of men in the second age some the children of the promise some of the flesh in the third age some were Iewes some Gentiles but in the fourth age at the ascension of Christ this difference hath been taken away and the promise of grace and mercie at least in regard of the propounding of it made common to all people And that this is the meaning of the place Paul who is the best interpreter of himselfe plainly sheweth Act. 17.30 the times of ignorance c. but now he admonisheth all men euery where to repent Rom. 16.25.26 The mysterie was kept hid from the beginning of the world but now is opened and published among all nations So Coloss 1.26.27 Secondly the will of God in scriptures is vsed two waies first it signifieth the decree and is called by Schoolemen voluntas beneplaciti Secondly the reuealed wil and so is called voluntas signi by the latter hee willeth that all men should be saued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the offereth grace the means of saluation to all not by the former according to the distinction vsed by some Diuines he willeth the saluation of all quoad preceptionem approbationem sed non quoad gratiam efficaciam But here it will be replied that then there shall be two willes in God one contrarie to another Answ To will and to nill the same thing doth not bring in a contrarietie vnlesse one and the same respect be obserued in both Now God in some respects willeth the saluation of men that is offereth the meanes principally that they might bee the more inexcusable and in other respects and for other iust necessary causes knowne to himself nilleth their saluation that is willeth not to make the meanes effectuall vnto them What is more vsuall with men then to will and nill the same thing but yet without contrarietie For example A man willeth the death of his father so farre foorth as it may put an end to his miserie and be a meanes to bring him to rest and happinesse and hee nilleth it in another respect so farre foorth as he is thereby depriued of necessarie help and comfort The vse of this doctrine followeth Vse First it serueth to ouerthrow the opinion of those men that ascribe the cause of reprobation vnto the foreseene infidelitie of men and contempt of grace for hereof it should follow that not the will of God as we haue sufficiently proued before but foreseene infidelitie shall bee the impulsiue cause of reprobation which is a manifest vntruth For how many reprobate infants die in the Church and how many are borne deaffe which neuer heard the sound of the Gospell much lesse vnderstood

it how much lesse contemned it many also liuing out of the bosome of the Church haue not so much as heard of the Gospell Besides Paul Gal. 5.20 numbreth vp many other causes of damnation besides infidelitie viz. all the workes of the flesh which make men as subiect to the wrath of God and euerlasting condemnation as the other and in the Lords prayer wee are taught to aske not the pardon of one sinne onely as of infidelitie but plurallie of many trespasses Yea though there were no contempt of the Gospell nor any positiue infidelitie the originall corruption of mans nature were sufficient to condemne all men Lastly the admitation wherinto Paul breaketh Rom. 9.20 O man what art thou that takest part to dispute against God! doth plainlie shew that the decree of God in reiecting some men hath an vnsearchable cause and doth not depend of any foreseene contempt of grace for so there might easily be rendred a reason of the decree of God Secondly if God hath appointed to reiect and passe ouer some men it is the dutie of euery one to labour to be assured that he is exempted out of the number of that companie 2. Tim. 2.21 Whosoeuer purgeth himselfe from these that is errors in iudgement and vncleannes in life may assure himselfe that he is a vessel of honour sanctified vnto the Lord and prepared to euery good worke And contrariwise to bee in the number of the elect obeying the counsell of Peter 2. Ephes chap. 1. vers 10. in vsing al diligence to make sure his election by the practise of a holie life The Disciples of our Sauiour Christ so soone as they heard this voyce vttered Matth. 26. One of you shall betray me presently began to equire among thēselues and to demaund of Christ whether it it were they or no carrying a holie suspition of their traiterous hearts so likewise hearing this voyce dailie sounding in the Church that there is a number of men in the counsell of God reiected which shal perish euerlastingly wee are to examine our estates and to make question whether it be we or not rather then curiously to search the reason of that which we cannot conceiue And if we shal finde his mercie to bee extended toward vs in preparing vs vnto glorie let vs acknowledge it with thankfull hearts make speciall account of it and magnifie the riches of his grace vnto vs. The last point followeth that is the end of this decree which is the manifestation of the glorie of his power and iustice Rom. 9.22 This also confuteth another error of the Lutherans that imagining God made all of mercie hold and teach that the end of all his counsels and decrees is to communicate his goodnesse and mercie in eternall happinesse to all his creatures But they are greatly deceiued for the nature of God is to be as iust as mercifull and therefore his decree must be answerable for it may not in any wise contrarie his nature Againe God is as good in his iustice the execution thereof as in his mercie Though therefore the Lord being goodnesse it selfe intend the communication of it vnto all his creatures yet not in like sort but after a diuers manner vnto some in mercy vnto others in iustice FINIS A SERMON WHICH SHEWETH HOW THE CHILDE OF God is neither subiect to the dominion of sinne nor total defection from grace 1. IOHN 3.9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede rentaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God IT is the purpose and intent of the Apostle in this whole Epistle to confirme the faithful to whō he writ in the doctrine of the Gospell and the practise thereof specially in the maine and principall point of Christian and brotherly loue to the end they might bee well furnished with spiritual ioy and assured of their fellowship communion with God whereupon hee propoundeth vnto them these two points of faith and loue handling thē confusedly and by course passing from the one to the other Further he amplifieth both these by their contraries disswading them both from seducers and Idols and also from the loue of the world the hatred of their brethren hauing therefore made entrance in the two former chapters into this doctrine now hee proceedes in the same argument exhorting the faithfull in this third chapter to the studie of holines in generall and more specially to the loue of their brethren And in the first verse hee setteth downe the dignitie and excellencie of the children of God noting it to be a matter of singular preferment preeminence for a man to be called the sonne of God which sentence he further amplifieth by a Prolepsis wherein hee meeteth with the peruerse iudgement both of the world and also of the faithful seruants and children of God As for the iudgement of the world he insinuateth that it is to bee contemned because it ariseth of the ignorance of God in the end of the first verse As for the faithfull lest they should bee too much daunted and discouraged through the manifold afflictions and crosses whereunto they are subiect in this life he opposeth vnto their present miserable estate the future glorie and felicitie which certainly abideth them after this life which felicitie he defineth to cōsist in a similitude with God and in a perfect seeing of him face to face that is in immediate fellowship and coniunction with God verse 2. Now from the hope of this glorie and happinesse hee exhorteth vnto the studie of holinesse vrging the same by the example of God himselfe vers 3. which exhortation he illustrateth by the contrarie dehorting from sinne which is flat opposite vnto holinesse and that by diuers arguments First from the nature of it which is an anomie or transgression of the law vers 4. Secondly from the end of Christ his first comming into the world which was to take away sinne and to dissolue the workes of the diuell vers 5. and the latter end of the 8. Thirdly from their communion and fellowship with Christ in whom there was no sinne vers 6. Fourthly from the author of sinne who is the diuell whose societie is by all meanes to bee auoided vers 8. Fifthly from the efficient cause of holinesse that is regeneration vers 9. wherein are laid downe these two points First the description of the state and condition of a man regenerate by two arguments the first whereof is taken from his nature which is to be borne of God which is as naturall vnto him as it is naturall vnto a man to bee borne of his naturall parents the second is taken from the denied effect he sinneth not Secondly a reason for his seed c. In the latter end of the verse there is an inuerse repetition of the former branch with an amplification from the cause And this is the coherence and disposition of these words now let vs come to a more particular examination of them