Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	formal_a	justification_n	righteousness_n	6,175	5	8.2431	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96661	Mount Ebal levell'd or Redemption from the curse. Wherein are discovered, 1. The wofull condition of sinners under the curse of the law. 2. The nature of the curse, what it is, with the symptomes of it, in its properties, and effects. 3. That wonderful dispensation of Christs becoming a curse for us. 4. The grace of redemption, wherein it stands, in opposition to some gross errors of the times, which darken the truth of it. 5. The excellent benefits, priviledges, comforts, and engagements to duty, which flow from it. By Elkanah Wales, M.A. preacher of the Gospel at Pudsey in York-shire.	Wales, Elkanah, 1588-1669.	1658 (1658)	Wing W294; Thomason E1923_1; ESTC R209971	189,248	382

accursed through sinne it 's a wonder that the first and second death have not fallen pel-mel upon them all and devoured them at once it s a wonder that the curse hath not dashed us all to peices and brought the whole world into a Chaos long agoe This is from the wise and good providence of God who for the preservation of the whole frame and for the comfort of his owne people doth snub restraine and moderate the curse and keepes it within certaine bounders as the Sea within its banks that it cannot overflow and destroy the earth We see that the horse the Ox and other such like creatures have not quite renounced mans service but are easily brought into subjection Yea the most savage creatures are not invincibly rebellions but God affords to man both skill and power to tame them Jam. 3.7 And 2. What a mercifull dispensation is this that such swarmes of curses should flie abroad in the world and yet so very few of them in comparison should touch us That so few are born blind deafe maimed idiots That nature is sustained in health strength vigour yea that we live upon the earth and enjoy the influence of heaven That the heaven over our head is not brasse and the earth under our feet iron yea that we are in any estate short of hel who might justly have been stript of all at once and made the common Butt of all his curses And further Isa 3. What a sweet providence is it that when the Lord inflicteth evils or judgments which are properly and in themselves the bitter fruits of the curse he doth not alwayes inflict them meerly as curses in reference to the sinnes of the persons but sometimes onely praeventions of sinne and the miseries which follow it as 1. Cor. 11.32 Or as exercises of patience as in the famous example of Job or as meanes which his divine wisdome is pleased to use for the manifestation of his owne glorie in some way or other Whereof we have a notable instance in the man which was blind from his birth Jo. 9.1.2.3 The disciples ask our Saviour whose sinne was the cause of that judgment his owne or his parents He answers neither of both but that the works of God should be made manifest in him his meaning is this you think this man is thus marked out for some notorious sinne either of his owne Or his Parents but you are mistaken for although sinne be an universal cause of all judgments ⸫ See Piscator and Gualter on the place yet in this case the Lord did not look upon the sinnes of either of them as the adaequate or next mooving cause of inflicting this blindness but he intended hereby the manifestation of his works the work of justice and severitie in afflicting him so sadly and so long the work of goodnes and mercie in bestowing the blessing of sight upon him and cheifly that this miracle wrought by me saith Chirst may be a cleare and undeniable demonstration that I am the Son of God seeing it could not possibly be done by any other hand ⸫ ab v. 32. To shut up this use let us not reckon our selves the lesse miserable because of these and the like providences but rather ascribe them to the indulgence of mercie and adore the glorie of his dispensations who suffereth us not to be so accursed as we deserve 4ly Hence I inferre that there is no justification to be had no nor any possibilitie thereof by the works of the Law It is a vaine thing once to expect it The Law curseth sinners how then doth it bless them but if it justifie them it blesseth them All men are under the curse of the Law therefore no man is under the acquittance and absolution of the Law This is one of the Apostles arguments in the verses before to look for justification and blessing from the Law is not onely to lose our labour but also to bring upon our selves more mischeif It s the way to inwrappe us more in the folds of the curse to implunge us into a deeper Sea of guilt yea to seale up the curse against our owne soules and to make it sure to our selves Observe what is the conclusion which the Apostle would prove from the text alledged out of Deuteronomie vers 10. before It is that those which are of the works of the Law are under the curse that is not onely those which break the Law or doe not keep it perfectly but those that depend upon it and reckon of justification by the works of it even these also are accursed so Rom. 3.19.20 The Law chargeth all men with sinne and thereby stoppes every ones mouth and makes all the world subject to the vengeance of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence it followes unavoydably that no flesh shall be justified by the deeds of the Law Therefore the Apostle professeth that he would by no meanes be found having his owne righteousnes which is of the Law Phil. 3.9 As if he should say If I should appeare before Gods judgment-seat clothed in that habit he would abhorre me and I were utterly undone So then there is no justification to be had by the Law No man can possibly reach that conformitie to the Law of God either inward or outward in the frame of the heart or cariage of the life which will be able to plead his justification in the sight of God It is not any good qualitie within us or any goodwork that comes from us or both joyned together though never so excellent for kind or degree that can set us right in the court of heaven There is nothing at all which a man hath nothing at all which he doth or can doe for which God will pronounce him righteous but when he hath done all and is got up to the highest pitch the Law will tell him to his face that he is still Accursed This is needfull to be urged for not onely the world but the churches of Christ are full of justitiaries which carve unto themselvs an imaginary self-righteousness according to the Law Oh that these persons would open their eares to this truth and take it down Of these I observe 4 sorts I meane such as seek a Blessedness by the Law which they shall never find 1. Professed Papists which submit unto and hold fast the establish'd doctrine of the Church of Rome especially as it is set forth in the councell of Trent where they determine thus The alone formal cause of the Justification of a sinner before God or that which gives being to it is Righteousness implanted or a new qualitie of grace or frame of holines wrought in the soule which what is it else but personall and inhaerent conformitie to the Law of God They tell us further of a first justification whereby of unrighteous a man is made righteous and secondly whereby of unrighteous he is made more righteous The former if I mistake not they hold incompleat

blessing Deut. 23.3 4. So if thou be redeemed out of thy cursed condition and art travelling heaven-ward thou shalt meet with curses by the way but thy Redeemer will turn them into a blessing yea he hath blessed thee already so that all their imprecations censures slanders are but the flashings of powder without shot or like squibs which breath out fire but suddenly vanish and dye Thou mayest pitty their folly in speaking evill of the things which they know not The day is comming wherein they shall hang down their heads for shame and say We counted their life madness but indeed we are the mad-men they are the Lords Redeemed and numbred among the Saints we are the Devils bondmen and must go in the black band How have we raved against them by cursing and railing and all malicious language But now we finde that they are the blessed of the Lord and we Wo wo unto us are the children of the curse 4 Against outward temporal afflictions which they meet with in this life These are the lot of the Lords people whereunto they are appointed 1 Thess 3.3 Every one must have his several cup of one kinde or other None of us can be wholly discharged from this war while we are in the body yet here is safety in the hand of our great Reedeemer The Ch●ldren of Israel being brought out of the house of bondage had a troublesome journey through the wilderness to the Land of Canaan by reason of many difficulties they must encounter withall in the way but the Angel of the Covenant went before them and carried them forward as on E●gles wings and at length gave them rest You that are happily rescued from the Curse and bondage of hell may expect to meet with much tribulation in the way to the Kingdome of God Act. 14.22 But this may be your comfort Jesus Christ your strong Deliverer looks after you and will not suffer you to be trodden under foot Hee is the Captain of your salvation and he knows by experience what it is to be afflicted for the Father thought it most convenient to make him perfect by sufferings Heb. 2.10 and he hath drunk the bitterest cup even to the bottome and will so sweeten yours as you shall have no cause to shrink at it I shall inlarge this further in some particulars Not to insist on such grievances as the godly suffer in common with the men of the world The grace of Redemption affords some reliefe against these There be three sorts of Afflictions very remarkable which do oftentimes deject and weaken the spirits of Gods people so that they need to bee comforted with the savoury and restorative Apples which grow upon this Tree 1. Persecutions for righteousness By this excellent benefit we are made capable of high enjoyments but it is with the proviso of suffering persecutions so hath Christ himself determined Mark 10.29 30. and his chosen witness Paul tells us positively All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.13 which hath been abundantly verified in all ages See Davids complaint Psal 38.20 119.86 Act. 8.1 1 Cor. 4.12 Gal. 4.29 But now the Saints which suffer for the truth or for well-doing may chear up their hearts when they consider that the Redeemer himself hath led them the way in this fiery trial Did ever any undergo so much his whole life was a continued persecution Herod sought his life while he was a childe and when hee was grown up the Jews persecuted him to the death and he hath given us warning before hand that we may not think it strange if we be baptised with the same baptisme Joh. 15.20 Let the poor suffering Christian then resolve thus Luke 4.28 29. Ioh 5.16 18. and 8 59. 10.30 c. If my Redeemer was persecuted for righteousness sake in defence of his heavenly doctrine the avouching of his eternal God-head the Fathers sending him to be the Saviour of the lost world and the doing of good works and all this for me and on my account then it is but equal th●t I should undergo any kinde of persecution for him and not stick at it This is but to help to fill up the remainder of Christs sufferings Col. 1.24 and for thine encouragement take notice that he hath pronounced those blessed that are thus persecuted Matth. 5.10 c. Look up unto him who for the joy that was set before him indured the Cross Heb. 12.2 and do thou likewise 2 Sufferings in their innocency The godly are exposed to hardships in the world not onely for bearing witness to the truth and for well-doing but also when there is no cause at all save the unreasonable will and malice of men Thus it was with David Psal 13 4. 35.7 59.3 Prov. 1.11 They lurk privily for the innocent without cause So Joseph Gen. 39.8 12 20. and Daniel 16.4 16 22. Some men are so malignantly affected against sincerity that rather then fail they will forge and invent matter of mischiefe against the godly If this be thy case thine integrity and innocency may bear up thy spirit thou needest not fret against the Agents but consider that the Lord hath an hand in it for thy good at least for the trial of thy faith self-denial patience Above all remember that this also was the lot of thy Redeemer He had no sin neither was guile found in his mouth yet he suffered he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter yet opened he not his mouth Isa 53.7 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Say then Although I suffer without cause yet I will not be cast down but I will commit my way unto the Lord and he shall bring forth my righteousness as the light Psal 37.5 6. The Redeemer which pleads my cause with God will plead it also with men Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise Mic. 7.8 He will awake to judge my cause in due time 3. Punishments for sin The Redeemed of the Lord by giving way to the temptations of the wicked one and the prevailing of lust do so far forget themselves that they even waxe wanton against him and provoke him to take them underhand and to inflict some judgement upon them Thus he punished David for his sin in the matter of Bathsheba 2 Sam. 12.10 11 14. and Moses for not sanctifying him before the people Num. 20.12 Deut. 32.50 51. and the Saints of Corinth for unworthy communicating 1 Cor. 11.30 which is called judging vers 31. The godly sometimes by their miscarriages bring upon themselves sickness poverty losses crosses in children or good name yea bodily death By complying with the sins of the times they become partners in the judgements Ezek. 21.3 Wise Solomon observes it as very remarkable prefixing a Behold to it that the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth Prov. 11.21 even he is not spared but paid home for his folly there is a time that judgement