Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19499	A mirrour of mercie or The prodigals conuersion briefely, and learnedly expounded, and full of comfortable consolations for all penitent sinners. By William Cooper, minister of Gods word, and B. of Galloway.	Cowper, William, 1568-1619.	1615 (1615)	STC 5928; ESTC S119161	51,916	283

beene vnto you as a wildernesse or land of darknesse what iniquity haue yee found in me that yee are gone from me When they consider how patiently the Lord bare with them when they sinned against him might haue done vnto thee as thou hast don● vnto mee but for my names sake I will refrain my wrath I might mak● thee like Admah and Zeboim but my heart is turned within me and will not execute th● fiercenesse of my wrat● vpon thee And whe● againe they consider how willingly he receiued them into his fauour after they had sinned they are wounded and grieued in their spirits for that they offended him Seruants feare him for his iudgements if hee had no plagues they would not regard him but his Sonnes feare him for his mercies according to that of the Psalmist Mercie is with thee that thou maiest be feared And therefore the Apostle puts this in the forefront of his reasons when he exhorteth vs to a godly life I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God The Lord stands not now vpon Mount Sinai with burning fire and blacknesse o● darknes proclaiming the law with the fearful sound of trumpet threatning vs with death if wee fulfill it not No maruell the people did tremble at that sight for Mose● himselfe did quaile feare to behold it but now hee stands on Mount Sion a fathe● alluring vs with mercies not affraying vs with iudgemēts speaking to vs not by a terrible trumpet but by the meeke mediator of the new Testament Iesus whose bloode cryes for better things then the bloud of Abel O how inexcusable are they whom this mercie of God moues not to repent are they not worthy of a double condemnation The sinnes done against the Law may be cured by the grace of the Gospell but where this grace also is despised and men who may receiue mercy for repenting will not repent wherwith shall this impiety be cured remaineth there any more sacrifice for sinne shall any new sauiour bee sent to saue these men No no there abides nothing for such but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure them A certaine man had two Sonnes NOw to enter into the Parable in it we haue three persons introduced with three seuerall actions The Prodigall childe sinning repenting his father pitying pardoning him his elder brother grudging and mumuring We haue first then to see who is meant by this man his two sons This man in the Parable ●●esents God the Father of our Lord Iesus and our Father in him where we must bee ware to assigne vnto God with the Anthropomorphits and Papists any visible shape though hee demitte himselfe to our capacity and shadow himselfe like vnto vs let vs not diminish in our hearts the glorie of his maiesty as to fashion him in our imagination to be like vnto vs. For God is no● as man Eies eares ielousie anger and repentance are ascribed vnto him But hee hath not carnall eies nor eares to see and heare as man doth If he hath with such wonderfull wisdome made some of his cretures that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incomprehensible to man yea the very soule of man whereby he knoweth all other things yet knoweth not its owne selfe in many things how shall we know him that made it or conceiue of him as he is he beeing in himselfe infinite in regard of his creatures incomprehensible in regard of place incircumscriptible in regard of time euerlasting and shall wee then imagine him to be like one of vs. But why then will you say is hee called a man doubtlesse for our comfort and instruction because we cannot conceiue of his maiestie as hee is hee speakes to vs of himselfe as we are insinuating his loue towards vs. Among all creatures none more familiar to a man then a man and among all men none more kindlie and louing then a father therfore when the Lord will signifie his loue he shadowes himselfe vnto vs like a man and such a man as is our father And this is for our instruction as oft as the Lord expresse● himselfe vnder the name of a man it is not because he is so indeed but because it is needfull for vs that so his maiesty should be expressed Looke then what goodnesse God hath created in man and then goe vp and consider by it what a good creatour is hee that made him Hath man an eie to see and an eare to heare can man being an earthly father haue compassion on his children and prouide good things for them Thē let vs gather with the Psalmist Vnderstundye vnwise hee that made the eye doth he not see or hee that planted the eare doth hee not heare and againe with our Sauiour If ye which are euill can giue to your children good gifts how much more shall your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him But here is the fault that as Anthropomorphites ascribe vnto God such a shape as themselues haue So Atheists do abase his maiesty so farre as to thinke hee is not so good as they are he hath not such knowledge and power as a man hath other deny his prouidence and saie hee hath eies and seeth not they deny his mercy and distrust that hee will shew kindnesse and compassion to his owne they deny his iustice whiles as they thinke hee will not punish transgressors and so setting his maiestie lesse then one of them selues they make him in their mind like the Idols of the Nations that haue eies and see not eares and heare not hands and worke not feet that walke not and in a word such a one as can neither doe good nor euill but their wickednesse shall reprooue them and they shall finde the contrarie by miserable experience in the end Thus haue wee seene for what cause it is that the Lord expresseth himselfe vnto vs by the similitude of a man Many waies hath God honoured the nature of man First in our creation that when hee made man hee beautifieth him with his image Next in our redemption wherein hee sheweth himselfe so enamoured with the loue of man as to marry our nature with his owne in the person of his Sonne Christ Iesus And thirdly in his word that when hee speakes of himselfe he borrowes comparisons from man to expresse himself once he made man to his own similitude but often describes himselfe according to mans similitude Plerunque a corporibus hominum in se similitudinem trahit Deus And this serues shortly to make man ashamed who spares not to dishonour his owne nature giuing the members of his body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne subiecting to Satans slauery that nature which God hath so highly honoured aboue the nature of Angels and all other creatures whatsouer Had two sonnes Hauing seene who

is meant by this father in the parable we come now to see who are his two sons By the younger some vnderstand the Gentiles and by the elder the Iewes It is true indeede they are our elder brethren and were in the couenant before vs and shall againe returne vnto it we haue to pitie them and pray to God for them that hee would take the vaile from their eies and bring them home againe that there may be one Sheepeheard and one sheepefold But they cannot bee figured heere by this eldest sonne because they haue forsaken their fathers familie and are now strangers from the tents of Sem. Others againe by these two sonnes vnderstand elect angels and men it is true also that they triumphant in heauen are our elder brethren called therfore by the Apostle The congregation of the first borne Like as they againe call the Church militant on earth their little sister But by this elder brother they cannot bee represented for they murmur no● at any compassion shewed vs or louing intertainement made to vs by our heauenly father they grudge not but rather reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner There are yet the third who by this elder brother vnderstand pharisees iustiti●rs by the younger publicans and sinners Truth it is the Pharisees grudging at Christ for his familiaritie with Publicans gaue him occasion to vtter this parable and by it also hee conuinces them But the doctrine herein deliuered extendeth further as now we shall heare These two sonnes then represent two sortes of Gods children in the militant Church some not only chosen but effectually called by grace and these are figurate by the elder sonne some chosen but yet not called nor renewed by grace and these are figurate by the younger sonne The first sort of these will not go from their father they resolue to abide in his house and are willingly content to liue vnder their fathers gouernment correction their desire is with Dauid One thing haue I desired of● the Lord and I still require it that I may dwell all my daies in his house to behold his beauty Their resolution is with Iosua Though all the world should forsake the Lord I will worship him And their protestation is with Peter whither shall we go from thee thou hast the words of eternall life I haue not said that these sort of men sinne not if they fall they fall in their Fathers floore whose mercifull hand raiseth them vp again but it is farre from them to professe a departure from him for such as these are in the Church we giu● thankes to God As to the other represented by the younger sonne they are Gods children in regard of election but not yet called no● sanctified by grace These in their ignorance care not to shake of the yoke and discipline of their Father they will not abide with him as they promised in baptisme to be ruled by him and liue vnder his commandement but they will doe their owne will walking after the lyberty of their owne lusts with the wicked in the way of reprobation their heauenly father suffering thē with long patience to prooue their owne weakenesse that his mercy may bee the more manifest towards them when by his effectuall grace he cals them out of this snare of the deuill as heere at length he did to this Prodigal child And these in the Church whom all men may see like vnto this yonger sonne in departing from God wee pray the Lord they may also be like him in returning but alas wee● haue many like the one few like the other For which we may complaine with Augustine In occulto est vnde gaudeam in publico vnde torquear The matter of our ioy in such as cleaue vnto the Lord for the most part is hidden in secret but the matter of our griefe in such as depart from him is publike and manifest Alwaies sure it is that they that liue most licentiously if they be the elect children of God shall once ere they die bee effectually called by grace and so renewed and made obedient children vnto their heauenly father And this should learne vs compassion towards men in their sins for thou knowest not whether if or not in Gods secret counsell he be an elect child of God thy brother and an heire of grace with thee who in regard of his present euil conuersation liues as an enemy and a stranger from grace Ananias feared Saint Paul as an aduersarie whom shortly after he fauoured and embraced as a brother and many such no doubt there are in the Church concerning whom the commandement is giuen Instruct with meekenesse them which are contrary minded waiting if at any time God will bring them out of the snare of the Deuill And the younger Wee haue first to consider this Parable according to the letter for it is certaine that our Sauiour borrowes no similitude from that which is not Parabola enim de nullo non conuenit It will let vs see that often times good and godly fathers haue wicked vngratious children Seeing God who is the Father o● vs all complaines o● it I haue nourished an● brought vp children bu● they haue rebelled agains● me It becomes other fathers to beare this crosse the more patiently Neither is it without cause that oftentime● so it fals out for if wise and godly fathers had alwaies wise and godly children i● might bee thought grace were heritable flowing from nature not giuen of God frō aboue but we see the contrary as circumcised parents begate vncircumcised children so regenerate fathers vnregenerate children Adam hath a Cain Noah a Cham Abram an Ismael Isaack an Esau Ezechiah a Manasse The reason heereof is that the goodnesse which is in man he hath it not by nature but by grace of regeneration and in begetting children according to nature he communicats to them that which he hath of nature not that which he hath aboue nature by grace Homo liberos gignit ex carne vetusta peccatrice non ex spiritu quocircamini me mirum si iustus iustos non gignat sicut peccator peccatorē A man begetteth children of sinfull flesh not of the spirit No maruel therefore that a righteous man begette not righteous children as a sinneful man begetteth sinners The Graines of wheat which are sowen in the earth purged from all their superfluities hauing neither stalke nor eares nor chaffe yet grow vp againe with them all Quia purgatio illa non natura contigit granis sed hominum arte Because that purgatiof the corne is not made by nature but by the arte of man Cum autem frumenta non nascantur ab his principijs artis industria sed naturae necesse est vt nascentia sequantur non rationem humanae industriae sed naturae Therefore is it they grow vp not such