Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	child_n	great_a	sin_n	1,455	5	4.6160	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75536	Comfort for beleevers about their sinnes & troubles. In a treatise shevving. That true beleevers, how weake soever in faith, should not be opprest, or perplext in heart; by any thing whatever befalls them; either in sinne, or afflictions. Together with divers other comfortable observations; gathered out of that counsell, given by Christ to his Apostles: and in them, to all beleevers. In John chap. 14. verses 1,2,3,4. / By John Archer, Master of Art, sometime preacher of All-hallowes Lumbard-street. London.	Archer, John, Master of Art.	1645 (1645)	Wing A3612; Thomason E289_7; ESTC R200122	80,025	82

pardon Beleevers are to greive and humble themselves for Sinnes Afflictions And from this anger greife Joseph did not take off his Brethren Nor Christ his Disciples in my text This is a Trouble that is good profitable for them But as Sinnes or Afflictions are beheld onely as our owne in their bad effects rootes and God his Will Hand in them and their good effects through him are not considered hence comes sinnfull pernicious troubles which Joseph to his Brethren and Christ to his Disciples diswads from And noe course is so full to remove or prevent it as this looking on God the Author of it and the good which he brings about by it Which is rarely done by beleevers yea hardly knowne therefore I have inlarged it Yet let me close this Meanes against all Troubles as our Saviour doth Namely that yee know who are Beleevers all this Ye know these true grounds of Consolations though not so distinctly or perticularly yet there is that in you which conteines all these consolating Grounds if ye would stirr it up and gather it together and not brutishly give way to sence present things and to the passions of your owne supposed false grounds of Gods hand on you in leaving you to Sinnes or Sorrowes Wherefore stirr up the knowledg that is in you and use it that so whatever Changes befall you by Sinnes or Sorrowes your hearts may not be troubled And thus much for the Fourth Meanes against perplexing trouble of Thus much for these Words as a Dehortatiō Meanes against Trouble heart included in the 2. 3. 4. Verses and for those Verses as they stand in reference to the former and their scope to Comfort the Disciples against Christs with drawing his Corporall presence And so we have handled these Verses as they are a Dehortation from Trouble of heart and Directions of Meanes to helpe against it Now let vs Consider them againe and observe what may be deduced The Words considered absolutely And so they ●eild many ●●ch Truths drawne by Consequence from them or found positively and absolutely in them And thus these Verses Conteine many rich pleasant Truthes FIRST OBSERVATION 1. Obser Christ hath tender bowels towards Beleevers in troubles That Jesus Christ hath extraordinary tender bowels towards all Beleevers in Trouble This is demonstrated in Foure Perticulars First Christ could not beare that these Beleevers should be troubled but forbids it and by many Directions and Arguments fortifies For 1. them against it So soone as he perceived trouble begine to arise in thē He could not beare their being troubled But is much troubled about it He abounds ouerflowes with care to prevent remove it Even as a tender Mother who is restles in carefullnes to ease hir Child so soone as it is any way troubled And this in Christ fatther appeares in the rest of this the following Chapters In which by many words againe againe he discovers that his bowels greatly moved whith the sight of their trouble He indeed shewing much more trouble of Compassion for them then they had trouble of perplexity as the tender Mothers troubles for the Child are oft greater more then the Childes which cause them because of hir aboundance of bowels Yet farther Secondly He was thus taken up with trouble about their trouble then 2. And this whē he was entring on his owne great Trouble when he was entring into his owne great Trouble when it was so neare him that it troubled him with its gastnes greatnes John 13. 21. It was his owne Personall trouble which useth to ingrosse all the care that is in man for himselfe though men can be troubled for others when they are free themselves yet hardly when they are in trouble themselves Yea and this trouble of Christs owne was greater then theirs for theirs was much of it groundles immaginary such as might be escaped as ye have seene before but Christs was all reall and such as must be indured it was the heaviest burden as ever was or could be layed on a creature also it was at hand he had sett foote on its borders toucht the brime of that Sea into which he was to be plunged it was nearer then theirs for theirs was but to follow on his Now the presence and approch in sight of so great a trouble to ones selfe how doth it use to ingrosse an whole man that he can mind no friends trouble else as the Disciples were so overcome with their owne losse by Christ his departure from them as they could not mind him and his trouble not for an houre Yet farther Thirdly He was thus taken up with trouble about their trouble 3. And that though he found much sin̄e in them though he found at present much sinne in them and offensivenes to his spirit and foresaw that they would play false with him and forsake him and this contrariety of disposion unkind dealing so weakens mens affections in each other as that they can scearsly continue love much lesse such love as to be troubled for their troubles Yet further Fourthly He was thus taken up with their troubles though he knew 4. And though he knew it should not be long it was not long to the ending and vanishing of all these their troubles Namely by his resurrection which he beleeved fully though they did not Yet for so small a time could not he behold them in trouble but every veine in his heart was moved and he most industriously applies himselfe to remove prevent it for the present Thus also for all other Beleevers though he knowes the rule God goes by That if Sorrow be in the Night yet Joy shall be in the Mornning Yet is he troubled greatly with their present troubles even as one is with the least and shortest touch on the apple of his eye Zach. 2. 8. REASON Reason of all is From his Nature The Reason or Ground of all which tendernes of bowells towards them Is from his Nature For he hath the fullnes of the God-head all the divine Nature bodily working in an humane Nature and so as a man Now the divine Nature is Mercy Love 1. John 4. 8. and all mercy is but some dropps of that Nature which being put forth in him a Man inlargeth after mans manner his bowells infinitly So that he hath more bowells then all Angels which yet worke in an humane way to move touch him as a Man Heb. 4. 15. with feeling as a man may have though not in an infirme way as it is with us but as is cōpetible to a glorified nature Now this his Nature is drawen forth towards beleevers partly by his Fathers love to them He knowes how greatly his Father loves them and loves to have them loved and therefore in obedience love to his Father He gives vent to the whole ocean of Compassion that

shewes that the Apostle ment tentation by sinne as well as otherwise and surely so he meanes James 1. 2. 3. 4. For there is no tentation doth so deject exercise every grace as those of sinne doe in beleevers Wherefore to proceede Noe tentation saith Paule in the 1. Cor. 10. 13. hath taken you but what is 1. Cor. 10. 13. expounded common to man or moderate as the margent reads it but the word in greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humane or after mans manner By man meaning not all men but beleeving man No beleever shall be tried with any sinne or sorrow but is incident to beleevers and so is that which may stand with their Grace Salvation For it were no consolation to a beleever to tell him he should not be tried as a Divell is but onely as a Man may be tried And the scope being to incourage them for as he warned them in the former verse to the end they might not presume So he doth heere incourage that they might not dispaire And this they needed For they had bin farr tempted and fallen to Idolatry whose dreadfull plagues he had sett before them yet to keepe them from dispaire he shewes them how that they should not be tempted but as beleevers and this would incourage but to be tempted as a man in general may be that is so as to be ruind doth not incourage therefore he intends it not so general as also appeares by what followes that it should be so as to beare it escape which is onely the portion of beleevers and this shall but take them as a tentation that is to try them doe them good blesse them with a reward as it is more fully James 1. 12. the cheife ground end of it is their benefite But they may be over borne ruind by it No for there is none shall befall them but what is fitted for beleevers to doe them good not hurt as the tentations doe which take unbeleevers as Saule others and God is ingaged to it in his faithfullnes and therefore will not permit a stronger tentation then ye can beare up under and will as certainely order a way for you to escape ruine by it as he will order to you the tentation with the one he will doe the other That is he will so lay in the tentation as that it shall carry with it something where by you may escape not the tentation but ruine by the tentation and so get good by it For the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may aswell imply an escape with a successe as barely an escape an issue succesfull Heb. 13. 7. God gives in with the tentation that which shall bring about a good issue fruite of it as the phisitian when he meanes good by his poyson gives in with it that which shall doe the party good Therefore it is added that ye may be able to beare it Why is not this a needles repetition Had he not said before that they should not be tempted above that they were able able to beare up under indure Yes but this is added as a more full explication of his mind in that he would have it taken notice of that they should not be prest above strength and so saith it againe or else in that the knowledge sence of Gods making way for an escape doth strengthen the heart of them who are temped to beare it and not sincke under it This ye see is a full Promise shewing that good onely is intended by all Wherefore I will set before you no more promises But Cleared by Instances shewe you a few Instances among many that are in Scripture For the right judging whereof observe this Rule That whatever is the issue of a trouble upon it brought about by God as the end A Rule of judging them thereof That was the cheife ground reason of Gods bringing on that trouble For the end of a thing is the ground moving cause of that whereby it is brought about Now the Scripture is full of Instances of Sinnes Sorrowes which befell Beleevers the end issue of all which was their good gaine Therefore in all those Changes both by Sinnes Sorrowes Gods cheife ground end of bringing them on was that good benefit of theirs See it First in some Tryals by Afflictions Abraham was sorely tryed by Gods calling him to offer up Isacc but the end of it was not the In case of Affliction stripping him of him in whome was all his hope of the promise but the ratifying twice by an oath the promises to him So that in stead of Instances loosing as appeared the promises he had them thereby more surely Abraham then ever setled on him Jacob was oft sorely tryed but the issue of every one was a farther revelation of God and ratification of the Covenant to him Jacob Joseph was cast into desperate hazards when sold by his brethren Joseph but the issue of all was his great glory happines Job had sharpe losses troubles but the end was the doubling his Job estate honour children with a length of dayes and seeing God with the eye who had before but heard of him by the eare The Elect in Adam had a great change from incomparable happines The Elect in Adam to as great a misery but it brought forth a greater happines instantly in the seed of the woman then they ever had in Adam The Church had a great losse in Eliah his untimely taking away The Church in Eliahs death who might have lived much longer but it brought forth an Elisha on whom his spirit was doubled who did twice as great many things for Israel Galile those parts had a great losse in the sudden imprisonment The imprisonment of Iohn Baptist of John Baptist whose ministry was eclipst yea extinguisht before he had preacht a yeare for he was but sixe months elder and so began to preach but sixe months before Christ and was quickly after Christs preaching imprisonned But Christ instantly came upon his imprisonment dwelt preacht in all those places where John had Johns going made way for Christs comming as the setting of the day Star doth for the Sunns rising Math. 4. 12. 13. Zabulon Naphtaly and those Sea Coasts had the first captivity of all Israel 2. Kings 15. 29. and this paved a way for their having first the Gospel preacht to them by John Christ Math. 4. 12. to 17 Againe Christ was taken away in his bodily presence from his Disciples Christ his death and that made way for his spiritual presence which was much better to them The Witnesses slaine shall be raised againe to more glory power The slaying the Witnesses to the Churches then ever Reve. 11. 7. 11. 12. Sometime God takes away and gives againe as Joseph to Jacob Davids Wives Goods

was the author of it then heere it is said that God did it because in some respects God was the onely Author of it and not Satan So that we may safely say That God is and hath an hand in and is the Author of the sinnfullnesses of his people For the evencing whereof Consider these Arguments besids the Arguments to prove it Voice of God in Scripture First Gods Will Pleasure is the Wombe that conceived and I. Gods will is the wōbe that conceived every worke of the creature whence springs every worke of the Creature whatever it be whither it be good or bad as they are that is continue for his pleasure Reve. 4. last So they so doe worke because it is his pleasure they so should doe the first reason and that which determines all why the Creature Sinnes must be because Gods will was that it should sinne That willed the creature should sinne For who hinted to God or gave advice by counsell to him to let the Creature sinne was it not his owne device counsell will that it should so be did any necessity arising upon the creatures being enforce it that sinne must be could not God have hindred sinne if he That ploted it before the creature was would might he not have kept man from sinning as he did some of the Angels Therefore it was his device plott before the creature was that there should be sinne And what incongruitye is it that Ye● without incongruity Gods Will Pleasure should first lay a ground worke to bring forth sinne For what is Sinne but an effect discovery of the weakenes mutability of the reasonable creature Wherefore Gods Vnchangablenes is alledged in oppsition to the creatures sinning sinnfull tempting to sinne James 1. 13. 17. as we shall more fully shew anon because Sinne as it is sinne ariseth from mutability weaknes Now what incongruity is it for the Creator to will and order it that the Creature It s necessary to give God the first hand in contriving shall shew its selfe and its owne shame Yea is it not necessary thus to give to God the first hand in contriving willing the Creatures sinne Because most of Gods greatest workes in this World and the everlasting World to come depend on the Creatures Sinne and it is by Sinne that most of Gods glory in the discovery of his Attributes doth arise wherefore must it not be said thought that his Will first and cheife was in the providing this meanes way for all those his ends Is there any thing by which God so serves himselfe except Christ as by Sinne Therefore certainely it limits him much to bring in Sinne by a contingent accedent meerly from the Creature and to deny God an hand will in its being bringing forth Secondly there is much good comes by Sinne yea the greatest good 2. The greatest good comes by Sinne. either in Gods glory the manefestations of God or the Creatures happynes in all that eternall glory through Christ in heaven it is all onely brought about by Sinne Which good effects however Either in Gods glory Or the Creatuers happines they excede their next cause namely Sinne the Creature they are no thanke to them Yet they are level with their cheife first cause God his Wisdome Power Love and doe shew that he Gods Attributes shews his will in Sinne. with those his Attributes had an head will hand in Sinne or else they could never have wrought such good effects Thus Joseph seemes to reason in the place forenamed Gen. 45. 5. 8. because good came of their sinne therefore it was God that was the author of it The Creature seperate from God as it is in sinning can produce no good yet the Creatures Sinne doth produce good therefore God hath also an hand in the sinne of the creature aswell as the creature And however God may be thought to take up the Creatures Sinne after it is committed or foreseene to be cōmitted or bring about or decree to bring about good by it without having a Will afore hand unto the being of it Yet if wee well consider this cannot be in God who so is in his Will the ground of every thing in the Creature both its standing falling as that he must first will the Creature shall Gods will is the groūd of the Creatures standing or falling stand or fall before the Creature can doe either and the Creature therefore falls sinns because his Will before was it should so doe and this he willed as a meanes to all those great good ends which thereby he did bring about and what is it but the pravity sinfullnes of the act and not the act it selfe as it is good naturally or morally whereby God brings about those his many great good ends therefore he must will the sinfullnes itselfe and be its author as a wise man is of the choycest meanes by which he brings about his cheifest ends Thirdly it s as incongruous and inconvenient to make God have an 3. It s as incongruous to make God have a hand in afflictions as in sinne hand will and be the author of the afflictions of the Creatures as of the sinnes onely there is a gradual difference Sinne is indeede worse infinitly then Afflictions yet both are truely alike inconvenient to be fathered on God For what are Afflictions in respect of the Creature They are disorders of the Creatures second well being which stands in peace happynes and an eclipse of that his glory And what are Sinnes in respect of the Creature but a disorder of the Creatures first cheife well being which stands in righteousnes and an eclipse of that his glory both of them a sicknes a disturbance of pure nature the one in Both a di●sturbance to pure nature morrals the other in naturals the one hurts more namely Sinne in that it cutts of from God the other hurts lesse namely Afflictions in that they cutt of from some perticular good yet they both hurt the Creature Againe Consider what are Afflictions in regard of God they reach him not they impeach not his eternal blessednes which from himselfe ariseth to himselfe though the creature be ever so miserable God is as happy as he ever was as the Sunne is as glorious as ever though the Earth it shines on be ever so distressed yea God getts glory by the creatures misery for thereby as by a foyle his Immutable Blessednes is better set of as also his Holynes Justice Truth in threats c. But yet all Afflictions are against Gods heart because against the Creatures Afflictions are against Gods heart good and their disorder is in it It is a disturbance of his worke and it is against unsuitable to that mercifullnes which is in a Creator to his Creatures so that there is an eclipse of Gods