Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A77686
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Concerning the judgements of God; for and against what they are decreed, and what judgement is in it self. : And also what is the eternal judgement of God against the wicked and ungodly.
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R. B. (Richard Baker)
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1660-1669
(1669)
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Wing B514A; ESTC R170429
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6,726
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6
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Concerning the Judgements of God for and against what they are decreed and what Judgement is in it self And also what is the eternal Judgement of God against the wicked and ungodly THe Judgement of God is according to his mind and wâ—ll and is not against but for his creature and attends to his creatures preservation and it never became painful to his creature untill he went from his Spirits guidance and then into the unsoundnesse of Judgement for according to sound and true Judgment he wrougâ—â— and established all his Decreeings in the councel of 〈◊〉 Will and working of his mighty Power and therein his purposes and determinations are exalted so that the Judgments of God are against nothing but what makes for his creatures hurt and they that have such an eye of respect thereto and faith and belief therein are made sound in Judgement thereby For the working of the Spirit of God is first in the Judgement of the creature wherein it convinceth him of sin and offence to the Spirit of God and for that reproves him and then of righteousness in the same mind held and retained and as it leads from the one the self-righteousnesse c. so it leads to the other the righteousnesse of God wrought by faith in him and then comes the Prince of the power of the Ayre to be judged But in this work the judgement of the creature in reference to what hath been first joyned to comes forth torne and unsound for God first breaks and tares the creature from other Lovers then Himself the cause of the bruising being then in the creature and as he submits to the Judgement of God a short work is made in the Earth without any struglings and strivings of such the creature for all the struglings and strivings of the creature is to keep life in that the Judgement is against and therein is the pain and woundings and bruises of the creature and the weakness and nakedness of the creature comes thereby to be seen which otherwise would be covered hid and healed as Judgement had its due on the wrong part in the creature and that which is for Judgement either for the Sword or the Famine or the Plague given up thereto And the plagues and torment ceaseth the creature then comes forth sound and wholsome in Judgement and to be of a healing spirit and saving nature and the plague stays in the Earth and good tidings and the Gospel of peace springs up and the storm is alayed and all is quieted and calmeâ— within and without and then How beautifull are their feet on the Mountains and over every high hill they can walk pleasantly that being under which was once over when the Seed was in the Valleys of Israel but then comes to be raised and truth to spring up over all And thus are all the Judgements of God according to righteousness and thereby is Zion redeemed even by the spirit of judgement and burning and so the Judgements are for a light and then mercy and truth meets in one and in that one righteousness and peace can and doth embrace and kisse each other and so Zion hath the Law of God and his Word goes forth from Jerusalem and Daughters of Zion aâ—e no more healed deceitfully nor no smooth thing preached to the world but Judgement laid to the Line and Righteousnesse to the Plummet and yet all at home quiet and well composed but the uneven and rugged is abroad and then the hewings and plainings goes on the uneven and that according to true and sound Judgement where nothing even is battered against but the Line takes that in but the rugged it leaves out and the hewers sets on that And so though the fire be eternall that is kindled in such and shall never go out yet the pain is not eternall but as the creature is made as willing to leave the evill that God doth shew unto him and judge in him as God is so to discover and judge it he dyes from the evill and so all pain in the Judgement of God ceaseth and then come death or life or any afflictions though he seeth it come up under the sufferance of Gods Spirit and in judgement to the cause thereof yet the cause being removed in him he hath learned content therein and there under having a faith in the redeemed life and the work of God therein that hath kept from fainting by the way and doth keep from desparation or sinking of spirit under any outward afflictions so the Creation of God shall be redeemed in all the world and not without Judgement to that which hath caused it to suffer and none that keeps in the sense of its sufferance and faith of the redemption thereof shall ever be left to fail by presumption or desparation under this Judgement The Ground of all the occasion of offence in the world at this day given or taken in the wrong Ground and Part and how and wherein many are offended in Christ it being the same mind that gives the just occasion of offence that unjustly taketh occasion therein THe Ground of all the occasion of offence in the world and at this day given and taken in the wrong part is against Christ that many are stumbling at because he is become a Rock of offence to both the houses of Israel and offences will come but woe unto them by whom they so come yet herein is a consideration very great and weighty that the whole man is not to be judged in the occasion given or taken in this wrong part and ground for there may be a good ground from whence these tares cometh and proceedeth and in this ground God sowed good seed but this is the enemies work while the good man slept and he it is sowed all these tares that cumbers the ground and take heed of being too hasty in the plucking them up least thou also offend the Lord of the Harvest that art offended at the tares for both are to grow together untill then Now that which gives or takes offence in the wrong ground and part is self for self is high and will full and cannot bear any thing it sees or imagines amiss in others but presently falleth to judging never considering where it be thy place to judge and whether it be Gods time way and manner thou art giving sentence in that would have nothing judged before the secret of the heart be manifest or rather whether something be not got up that would usurp the Seat and Authority of Judgement for and to self And then if the thing were really an evill thou may spye out or imagine and so readily passest sentence on it being thy place rather to bear and suffer it untill an Authority in God is raised to minister for the removing thereof in the want of patience and the wisdome of God to manage the matter thou undertakest thou manifesteth thy own evil and weaknesse in judgement and it appeares that it is the
secret of thy own heart that the judgement of God is against thou art so fiercely powring out against others and well thou mayest raise a Divel in that mind and strengthen the evil thou wouldest seeme to judge when out of the Authority of God but cast him out or alay him thou canst not in that mind blinded with self conceit because that is first to be removed at home and the judgement of God kept thereon there against what defileth Gods way and manner of ministring judgement to the world er'e the healing vertue of the spring of life can give forth to the necessity of the creature of God and that arise which is felt in God and thou received in the Authority of Judgement against evil but well thou mayest beat the Ayre and sowe wind never will a true subjection attend that Ministry that at best can but make subject for wrath while the conscionable principle and that which makes subject therefore is not come into and dwelt in but a mind continued in would have fire come down from Heaven and consume such they are not in charity with and secretly wisheth and desireth evill in their hearts may befall their Adversary as was seen of old and yet this once was a Prophets and Disciples state as remember Jonah that rather pityed a Gourd that came up in one night and to morrow was not than six score thousand persons and the reason because of a state of Prophesie he was come to and to have a word from the Lord and therein was strengthned in the judgement of what God had shewn him but not in the life of pity of that he was convinced by a weaker means well verily this is the greatest sign can be given to this Generation even the repentings of the people at the preachings of a Prophet and of God in judgements against them were this read through it would preach much in this Age. For it is commonly said They hate not the persons but the evil in the persons and yet many would have the persons of men destroyed rather than they loose the honour of a Prophet yea and sorely strike at the whole man and yet say it is for Conscience sake and the Cause is Gods they are so zealous for and wherein doth it appear canst thou then feed thy enemy canst lay down thy life for him canst stoop to be reconciled to him to the abasing self to the death to the crossing thy own will to the utmost this will try thy Cause or Zeal whoever thou art â—or I am no respecter of persons in this work or rather art thou backbiting and persecuting and smiting with tongue or hand or both and yet is thy Cause God's But such are Hereticks saith the world they are enemies to truth and such are Gods enemies and not ours and we cannot forgive them Well then Are ye Christians Such that are Gods enemies are Christs and such that were his he layed down his life for and prayed the Faâ—her to forgive and the Cause was Gods he came about and in the name of that he could have revenged himself in on his enemies for He could have prayed the Father and have had more than twelve Legions of Angels to deliver him So this is to make an Argument to hold but then thou mayest say this life of forgiveness is on conditions of repentance then indeed not onely till seavan times but seaventy times thou canst be content to forgive or as oft as thy brother may offend thee But hast thou used a means therefore to take one or two with thee if he will not hear thee and reason of the thing between ye in love Or is it really an evill thou art offended at else the occasion is in tâ—ee that takest it so before it be justly given for he must be convinced of an evil therein before he can truly and rightly leave it and if the practise or thing thou takest occasion at be not absolutely an evill in its selfe nor the practiser seeth no evill therein to him in the use or practise thereof he must needs be a hypocrite to leave it for anothers words and at best but a man-pleaser and time-server unlesse for Conscience sake it be a thing may be yielded to and there be a spirit fitted thereto of God And the God of peace and love perswade the upright hearted herein Besides Thou art to consider against whom and what the offence is and if it be against God onely may be there hath been and is come up the life of repentance which is more than words that hath been brought forth from what hath been wrought in secret in the hidden râ—tired life of converse with God and then what matters it where a testimony be given to man or men in words seeing it may be a matter of Conscience to the convert to come under the censure of men against whom he is not convinced of any just occasion of offence but seeth the ground to be one in them that took occasion at what was an offence to the Spirit of God with himself that gave it And then what took occasion through an evil eye that hath watched for haultings to magnifie and exalt self in the selfish creaturely Judgment concerning what is spyed out of the creatures weakness he well knows will be further strengthened by such submissions of men and to men that his converse with God hath altered his conversation toward for which only he desires to be believed in that the offence was only and chiefly against God though accidentally the creature hath been or may be or probably will make it self concerned therein and the life of repentance from evill is that which God looks at only Yea You High and Mighty of the earth that are in the hard Judgments of the worldly spirit and in the fault-finding nature of what takes occasion against the innocent search what spirit ye are of that would make a man offendour for a word or lay a snare for him that reproves sin in the Gates and would pervert the just for a thing of nought Consider your way before the Lord whether ye are doing as ye would be done by that so readily pass judgment against the creature of God for and about outward things and outward Worships and Service and yet pretend your zeal to be for God that looks inward and at the heart and seeks and requires such worship and such to worship him that worship him in Spirit and in Truth will your imprisonments and cruel censures think ye about such things as these give ye ease when Gods witness is awakened for himself in all the world as I am assured it shall you are verily those that give just occasion to God against you and are in the just cause of offence to his Spirit and Spirits work and workings though in the same mind ye take offence against him that many are offended in for the day hath dawned and the day light doth manifest the fulfilling