Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	free_a	grace_n	love_n	2,934	5	6.6495	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61645	A stock of divine knowledge, being a lively description of the divine nature, or, The divine essence, attributes, and Trinity particularly explaned [sic] and profitably applied the first, shewing us what God is : the second, what we ought to be / by the late learned and laborious preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Richard Stock ...	Stock, Richard, 1569?-1626.	1641 (1641)	Wing S5693; ESTC R34616	191,839	352

for which he did appoint him to wrath I answer is this the thing you desire agree then on this that God is the cause of mans grace and glory that there was nothing in man that did move God to chuse him and predestinate him to life how like you this This doctrine will not down with these disputers they as much mislike that Gods will should be taught the cause of grace as of sinne and would have a man the framer of his owne fortune a mans election grounded on his faith as his reprobation on his infidelity we know who answered the Apostles who made thee to differ from thy brother with Ego discrevi meipsum I made my selfe to differ from my brother this is aimed at though they blush openly to professe it it is but a pretence to cover this that they stand upon so much that by this absolute decree God is made the author of sinne or misery we only say with the Scripture that God to manifest the power of his wisedome justice grace mercy and other Attributes chose some to life and passed over other some If it be demanded why he chose those whom he chose and not the other whom he passed over The answer is because it pleased him there was no excellency in Peter above Iudas which should incline God to elect Peter when he passed over Iudas nor wickednesse in Iudas which was not in Peter which might provoke God to passe over or reprobate Iudas when he chose Peter according to that of the Apostle Rom. 9.11 For the children not being yet borne c. we say that they whom God passed over sinned and continued in sin and for sinne were decreed to be punished with everlasting torments and though sinne be not the cause of reprobation yet is there no man damned or decreed to be damned but for sinne Oh! but it seems contrary to the goodnesse of God thus to hate or passe over any I answer God is good and doth good and the whole earth is full of his goodnesse but it must be considered that the goodnesse of God doth not binde him to communicate to every creature all that goodnesse of which the creature is capable and he can bestow without impeachment of his justice who dare deny but God might have established the Apostate Angels that kept not their first estate that they should not have fallen he did it not was this contrary to goodnesse God dispences not amongst men equally riches honours friends c. is it contrary to his goodnesse it is sufficient that there is no creature much lesse no man which is not abundantly satisfied with the fruites of Gods goodnesse in some kinde or other it is not to be expected that this goodnesse should in the same kinde and measure be extended unto all God is a most free agent is not bound to any that we have any thing it is his bounty we have no cause to complaine we have no more but be thankfull we have so much it is Gods great goodnesse to some that he hath looked on them in a low estate and passed by them in time of love and drawne them to himselfe and prepared for them grace and glory and that he hath not done so much for all is no detraction from his goodnesse But why should God passe over anger Why dost thou dispute with God He hath done it because he would Rom. 9. He hath done it for himselfe Prov. 16.4 In a great house some vessels c. 2 Tim. 2. And why should they repine at this I demand this of them If God hath decreed all beasts of the earth to slaughter for the nourishment of men without injury to the beasts Why may he not decree men to destruction for his owne glory without injury to man is not God the absolute Lord as well of men as of beasts might not he who made thee a man have made thee a beast shall he lose his right of disposing of thee because he hath made thee a man is not ought not man to be as much subject to his glory as the beasts are to mans pleasure or nourishment I conclude we learne by the right understanding of this divine Attribute to keepe our selves from being intangled in the erroneous doctrine of Pelagianisme the very destruction of all true religion and piety of all sound comfort and peace as I might shew at large but of this use at this time so farre CHAP. XXI PSAL. 22.28 For the Kingdome is the Lords he is the governour amongst the Nations FRom the goodnesse of God I have shewed on the one side his love his grace his mercy and on the other side his justice his anger his hatred all of which are backed and assisted by his power and therefore in the next place the next Attribute we are to speake of is the power of God and before we come to that we are to adde a use or two more to the doctrin that was delivered of the hatred of God the use is thus much Vse Seeing Gods hatred is that by which he hath denied the grace of election c. then every man should labour to search and know whether he be under the hatred of God or the love of God the most are as we have shewed hated and this grace of election is given to few it is therefore good for a man to looke about him whether he be not one of the most that are hated if in the Gospell where Christ tells his disciples that one of them was a devill they fell all to searching themselves How much more when twelve for one is a devill ought we to search our selves when so many are reprobated it is reason every man should search to know whether he be beloved or hated But some will say unto me Sir it cannot be knowne and then how vaine is that search for who hath knowne the counsells of the Lord To this I answer directly no man knowes the counsell of the Lord and for any thing I know that is true that some stand so much on that every man is bound to beleeve that he himselfe is chosen rather then rejected yet a man may know whether he be in the estate of election or no how is that if a man be not in the estate of grace but in the estate of infidelity if he be in the hardnesse of his heart and in the blindnesse of his minde and be in a benummed conscience to make no care of sin and to conclude with wicked men if I be elected I shall be saved do what I will but if I be reprobated I shall be damned let me live never so holy that man is not yet in the estate of election when a man heares his sin reproved and is not bettered by it but spurnes against the reprover and the reprofe this is a fearefull signe of reprobation I say let every man examine himself because if this be the night that God shall take thee way if thou be in

cannot nor will not cease to favour his Sonne so neither will he cease to favour those that he loves in his Sonne but as the favour of God did never leave Christ till he had brought him to glory so undoubtedly he wil never leave those that he loves in Christ for if he dealt thus with his naturall body he will deale thus with his mysticall body certainely hee will bring the mysticall body where he hath brought the naturall body for Christ hath prayed Father I will that they should be where I am certainely if he hath brought Christ to that glory he will bring his mysticall body to it why because he hath taken possession of it in our nature and therefore out of that love that God beares to them that are in Christ he wil doe it and as Tertullian saith that our nature hath taken possession of heaven already therfore he that denies thee that art a member of Christ that thou shalt be in heaven he denies Christ to be in heaven But every man that would be prataker of the glory must labour to make his election sure because there are but some that shall be partakers of this comfort let every man labour to see whether he be elected and called that so he may know whether he be in the state of salvation And these be the degrees as the Apostle layes them downe in Rom. 8. Calling sanctification and so proceeding in that order that the Apostle layes downe there every man must labour to have the feeling of his calling his sanctification his justification c. that the guilt of sinne is taken away c. Thus every man should labour to make his calling and election sure so he may be certaine of his salvation even then when God takes away his feeling of it whosoever he is that doth labour to have these tokens he hath this comfort in this life that he is the Lords and in the life to come he shall have glory and happinesse for ever CHAP. XV. EPHES. 28. By Grace ye are saved through faith THe last part of the description of Grace is bringing men to salvation To explane this we propound two Questions the answering and opening of which will explane the point The first question is this Quest Why is it further added in the description of grace bringing men to salvation Answ Because Grace is the chiefest motive and the first beginning of salvation and all the meanes that tend thereunto Quest 2. What are the meanes that bring men to salvation Answ They are either externall as the preaching of the Gospell and sending Christ to suffer or internall as vocation justification sanctification c. So that grace which is the chiefest motive and first beginning of salvation and the meanes tending to it do shew that our salvation is of faith because the beginning of salvation is without our selves in God shewing mercy wherein we are meere patients howsoever we come to assent And that this is the first and chiefest principle and first beginning of salvation we confirme Why because it is the foundation of election 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God is sure the Lord knowes who are his there is election and the foundation is the grace of God Election is of grace you heard it proved before and the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 11. that it is the free grace of God Againe the grace of God is the first and chiefest principall cause of the meanes by which we are brought to salvation the meanes you heard were of two sorts externall and internall externall were the preaching of the Word and the sending Christ to suffer the former of these is meerely of grace Rom. 1.5 We have received grace and Apostleship c. that is as if he should say that all the meanes of salvation are of grace and so the Apostle saith I am the least of all the Saints yet have found grace Secondly sending his Sonne to suffer is meerely of grace 1 Iohn 3.15 16. God so loved the world c. and the Apostle affirmes manifestly Ephes 1.17 So that the externall meanes are meerely of grace The internall meanes also are of grace and the first of these is vocation and this is of grace 2 Tim. 1.9 We are called with a holy calling according to his purpose and grace So that we see that this is of grace and indeede whom did ever the Lord call that was not at the same time worthy of condemnation This we see the Apostle Paul makes cleare that before his calling he walked so that no man could say black was his eye yet for all his civill honest life he confesseth of himselfe that he was worthy of condemnation and Saint Austin hath a Meditation upon this he cast him down a persecuting Saul and raised him up a Paul I adde to this that this calling of God is to little purpose unlesse that man assent but to have power to assent is not of man but of God Ephes 2.13 God works in a moment upon our will which is unwilling at the first and therefore of grace The second meanes to bring us to salvation is Justification and that is meerely of grace so you have heard that justification is of grace Rom. 3.2 4. We are justified freely by grace not of our selves not of workes but of grace Why because there were no works before justification for then men begin to do good workes when they are justified If justification be by workes then they must goe before justification but they follow after it as Saint Augustin saith workes come after we are justified for saith he an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit c. The third meanes is sanctification and that is of the free grace of God and this is manifest Tit. 3.4 We are saved by grace not of our works but through the renewing of the holy Ghost we are saved by sanctification How comes that by the work of the spirit Ephes 5.25 God loves his Church and out of that love comes their sanctification that he might sanctifie he washes it so that it appeares this also is of grace Graces in man are but the gifts of grace and the fruits of the spirit this appeares Ephe. 2.9 10. We are Gods work manship created unto good workes So also Eze. 36.37 he promises that he will send his spirit upon c. The fourth meanes is perseverance and this is a speciall meanes to keepe us to enter into salvation and this also is of grace Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts and they shall never depart from me So there we see that all the meanes tending to salvation are of grace the whole masse of our corruptions deserves to be condemned and whosoever is called out of it is called freely of grace so that salvation and all the meanes tending thereunto are of grace And thus we have explaned and proved the Question and so now you have the whol explication of this description of grace Vse 1.

grounds given for every part there also were answered divers objections which we conceived were of two kindes some as if God had changed his will c. but these were spoken of the last day but now of one or two more that may be made Object And the next is that God in declaring his will Ezek 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner yet there are many thousand sinners that die for all this therefore his will must be mutable Answ The answer to this is taken from the consideration of what kindes of sinners the Lord speaks of sinners some be penitent that see and acknowledge themselves sinners and sorrow for and turne from their sinnes and cry and fly unto Christ for salvation God doth not will the death of such sinners neither shall they die But he that confesseth and for saketh his sinnes shall finde mercy but others be obstinate and hardened in sinne that adde drunkennesse to thirst and rebellion to sinne without repentance God will laugh at these when their destruction commeth so then as long as God is pleased with repentance and pardoneth the penitent there is no alteration in God though the impenitent perish nay there would be alteration in him if they did not perish or it may be said and truly that God is better pleased with the repentance then with the perdition of a sinner there is joy in Heaven over one sinner that repents Object Againe it is objected the Apostle Paul saith in Tim. 2.4 That God would have all men saved How should it be then that any should perish unlesse his will be changeable Answ Ambrose upon this place of the Apostle expounds it thus God will have all men to be saved but so as they come to him he will have them saved if they will salvation to themselves and if this sense be admitted there is no shaddow of change in God though many be not saved because those many that are not saved doe not seeke salvation Saint Austin understands All not collectively for every singular man but distributively for some of all sorts of men in which sense it is used in other places of Scripture and so the meaning may be God will have all men saved that is all sorts of men Jewes Greekes bond free Kings and Subjects saved and therefore praiers must be made for all sorts of men and in this sense there is no change in Gods will though some of all sorts perish because some of all sorts be saved as in the Arke God saved from the deluge all living creatures not in the particular but in the kinde because he saved some of every sort againe Saint Austin in another place explanes it thus God wills all should be saved because all that are saved are saved by Gods will as a Physitian is said to cure all who cures all that are cured and for this cause the Apostle enjoines that praiers should be made to God for all because without God none can be saved and if we so expound it though many be not saved yet there is no change in Gods will who wills the salvation of all that are saved As in Christ all are said to be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 because all that are made alive are made alive by Christ so in this place in the same respect may God be said to will the salvation of all men adde to these our faith thus God will have all men saved he wills the salvation even of the reprobate as a thing in it selfe good and sutable to the disposition of a gracious God but yet he doth not determine or appoint it and therefore though many perish there is no change in Gods will this place shewing what God might approve of being done not what he determined to doe he wills it by an antecedent will as in it selfe considered but not with a consequent will and here is no change in Gods will finally we answer that by all may be understood the all of the elect not of the reprobate as it is Rom. 5.18 The free gift came upon all men to the justification of life that is in the verse following By the righteousnesse of one many are made righteous this all is many so that when he saith that God would have all to be saved the meaning is all that he purposeth to save I determine nothing which of these interpretations should be followed but leave that to every learned and judicious readers choice secure of this that which soever is preferred Gods will doth still remaine Immutable and without shaddow of change Vse 1. The use is that if the will of God be free and no cause without God can move him to will then it followes that they er re that thinke and teach that God is moved to bestow some good thing on man because he foresees some good thing in him I say this confuteth their error for if this were so then Gods will were not free but it is free therefore this is erroneous Earthly Princes cast their benefits upon those that have no desert how much more doth God who is not as earthly Princes but much more great and more free in conferring of his benefits more blessed and glorious then that he can be either engaged or recompenced and indeed what could any man doe before he was to make God his Debtor what workes could he doe that was not Ob. But God might foresee he would worke Ans If God did foresee this the Apostle Rom. 9.32 would not have cried out Oh the depth both of the wisedome and counsell of God here is no place for Pelagians and Papists they cannot see the depth of his counsell though they be so quick and acute that they can see that which the Apostle could not Saint Ambrose pressing this against the Pelagians The Apostle saith he speakes after this manner Oh the riches of his mercy then not of workes then not for foreseen workes and indeed saith Ambrose could he not well have said but of future workes or workes to come but he knew that the will of God was free Then to shut up this Saint Augustine in a case of Infants the one is baptized the other not the one is saved the other not I demand saith he why God did save the one and destroy the other will you say it was because he did foresee the one would be good and the other evill this would be injustice in God to damne him for that he never did seeing he takes them away before they knew good or evill Vse 2. This teaches men that if they have any sense of Gods calling and that they are elected of God and made partakers of the grace and mercy of God not to be puffed up because it is the free will of God that hath chosen them the more any man hath received of God the more indebted he is and should learn to be the more humble let no man advance himselfe against another what

also his sonne therefore he is called his beloved sonne Matth. 3.7 So he loves the spirit as proceeding from himselfe and being properly the love whereby the divine nature loves it selfe so he loves the creatures as Angels and men and other creatures that he loves this appears by many testimonies of Scripture Angels and men are called the children of God Angels Iob 1.6 Vpon a time the children of God came c. So Adam is called the son of God Luke 3. last Next he loves his creatures freely the cause why he loves them is in himself not in them he loves some with a speciall love and some with a generall freely that appears by the Scriptures Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world 1. Iohn 1.3 Herein is the love of God made manifest that he hath given us his sonne 1. Iohn 4.19 God loved us first if first then freely and no love in us procured his love againe he loves them not equally for he loves men more then other creatures Tit. 3.9 The love he beares to man is manifest yet further he loves some men more then others Exod. 19.5 You shall be my peculiar people as if he should say though all the Nations be mine in generall yet ye shall be my chiefe treasure Tit. 2.14 A peculiar treasure these are as treasures that men lock up he loves those that are elected and those that are called those that are elected he loved them when they were enemies Ephe. 1.4 He loved them before the foundation of the world But he loves them better whom he hath called then those he hath not called Pro. 8.17 I love them that love me those whom he hath endued with his spirit Psal 146.8 The Lord loves the righteous c. To conclude this with that of Saint Austine God loves all that he hath made he loves especially men and Angels and among men he loves those especially that are the members of his Sonne and most of all he loves his Sonne c. and so wee have made manifest this description The next question is Quest Why is love attributed to God Answ The answer to this is because there is none wills better none works better acting upon men to make them good nor delights in them more when they are good To explane these First that God is love it is not an accident for Saint Bernard saith let no man understand me when I say God is love that it is an accident for then I should say there were some things in God that were not God Againe there is none wills better you have heard there are three things in love to will good to doe good and to delight in good now none doth this better then God Iam. 1.17 Every good and perfect gift comes downe from the father of lights c. Finally he delights in those that he hath made good Saint Bernard speaking of this saith thou lovedst them when they were not that thou mightest make them to be when they were thou madest them beautifull that thou mightest delight in them The next Question is Quest Why say you that God loves himselfe and his Sonne and his spirit Answ The answer is because they are all infinitely good they are all one Essence and one will as the object of the will is good so the object of love is good and God is love then no marvell that he loves himselfe his Sonne and his spirit because they have the same Essence every thing loves it selfe and then there is no marvell as wisdome speaks Pro. 8. That he was his delight Saint Bernard saith that the love in the Trinity which is divine charity keeps them together and unites them in one and therfore he loves himselfe Quest Why is it added that he loves his creatures freely Answ Because he made them good with a severall goodnesse he loves them First he loves them being enemies he loves them not for benefit to himselfe but for their good therefore we say he loves his creatures freely each of these we will explane he made all things very good Gen. 1.31 He looked vpon all that he had made and behold it was very good but it is said he loves them freely he loved some before they were before they could possibly desire any thing therefore freely he loved some when they were his enemies Rom. 5.8 When we were his enemies God set forth his love insending Christ to die for us as Saint Bernard saith God loveth them for their owne benefit not for his good God hath no neede of the creature he created them not for himselfe but that he might make them partakers of his owne goodnesse and so we see that God loves them freely without any merit or desert in them Quest Why is it said he loves them not equally Answ Because they are not all alike to him Some creatures onely others servants onely some children and among his children he loves those that are called better then those that are not called I say they are not all alike to God man loves the worke of his owne hands well but he loves his servants better and his childe best of all if it be so with man much more is it so with God some are his creatures some his servants some his sonnes so that he loves them not all alike some are his children but not begotten againe he loves those with a good will and purpose to call them those that he hath called he hath justified sanctified and hath bestowed upon them faith repentance and grace and he delights in these especially that he hath bestowed his grace upō And thus I have laid open the love of God now to come to the Uses Vse 1. This teacheth us first that which the Apostle Saint Iohn gives us to know he that loves not his brother knowes not God for God is love let him boast what he will that he loves God if he loves not his brother he is a lyer he knowes not God to be love he hath not the experimentall feeling of it for if he knowes God to be love he cannot but out of his experimentall knowledge love his brother so the Apostle saith that man loves not God that loves not his brother that is he hath no experience of the love of God we may allude to that which is said of Pharaoh Exod. 1. that he used the people hardly the reason is given because he knew not Ioseph for there was another Pharaoh risen that knew not Ioseph so we may say that many men because they are ignorant of God and the love of God use his children hardly they are scoffers and mockers of those that desire to love God certainly these men know not the love of God but they are fed like an Oxe to the slaughter Saint Austin hath a speech to this purpose Doest thou heare the Apostle say God is love and darest thou so goe against God as not love thy brother for to goe against those that are beloved of God is

to goe against God for not to love them in God and for God is to denie God and so much for the first Use Vse 2. The second Use Doth God love himselfe doth he love his Sonne and his Spirit then he commends his love to us he makes his love wonderfull and admirable to be seene towards us because he hath given his Sonne yea even the Sonne of his love for us Then he must needs love us when he spared not his owne Sonne but gave him to death for us If he had had many sonnes it had beene somewhat to have given one hut when he had but one sonne even the fonne of his delight this is wonderfull love if he had sent him but to judge the world it had bin somewhat but to be a Saviour and a judge it is admirable love If he had sent him in happinesse and glory c. but when he empties himselfe of all honour and glory and puts on the forme of a servant and became subject to death even to the death of the crosse and became a curse for us oh then how doth this commend the love of God to us Object If any should say to me Sir It should not seeme to me by this that God should love us because that he gave us his sonne is it likely that he can love his enemies that loves not his sonne God did not love his sonne for if he had he would not have given him to death for us and if he loved not his sonne he beares no love to us Answ To this I answer He loves his Sonne even in this that he gave him a Saviour for us that he might give more glory to his Sonne because he dying for us might have a people purchased to himselfe by his blood Saint Bernard saith this was his glory that he purchased a people even with his blood As he was a high Priest he had no people before but that he might have people he dyed c. Thus the Apostle manifests Tit. 2.4 That he might redeeme us a peculiar people to himselfe So Luke 24.26 Thus it became Christ to suffer and to enter into his glory And now to end this point What is his glory if he had not a people to communicate it too For the conclusion This shewes the great love of God therefore let us labour to fill our hearts with the apprehension of Gods love we shall then thinke nothing too deare for him it was said to Abraham Now I know that thou lovest me because thou hast not spared thy onely sonne c. So God commends his love to us in that he hath not spared his onely Sonne The conclusion therefore is that we should thinke nothing too deare to returne to God againe if thou hast any children or any friends or sinne even thy best beloved sinne that most opposes God and thy salvation so shalt thou commend thy love to God and have joy of heart and God will love thee and manifest his love to thee and bring thee to glory and happinesse Vse 3. The next Use then is this If God loves men and loves them freely it hath in it great matter of comfort against temptation when a man doth only judge himselfe and looke into himselfe and sees himselfe altogether unworthy of love and wholly deserving hatred he begins to say with himselfe he is not beloved of God To answer this objection that the poore soule makes upon this ground The love of God is most free and from himselfe the cause is not in man If the cause were in man the more unworthy the more discomfort shall any man say that the fire cannot heat him because he is cold or the Sunne hath no heat in it because he cannot feele it this hath no ground so notwithstanding mans unworthinesse he may be beloved nay the rather beloved of God when he feeles his unworthinesse as the prodigall Sonne was the fittest for his Fathers love when he found himselfe unworthy in like manner when Gods children finde and feele themselves unworthy still the more unworthy they judge themselves the more fit they are for mercy so that this doth not discourage a man but rather incourage him in the assurance of Gods love I doe not say that every man that is unworthy of love but every man that hath a feeling of his owne unworthinesse is more capable of mercy the Publican that thought himselfe unworthy went away more justified then the Pharisee that justified himselfe God casts his love upon man that feeles his unworthinesse and the more unworthy we feele our selves the more capable we are of love so that if we judge our selves God will not judge us if any man judge himselfe unworthy God will esteeme him worthy Quest Why then doth not God love all seeing he loves them for himselfe all are unworthy Answ I answer that which the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 9.22 There are some vessels of honour and some of dishonour what if God to make his power knowne c If any man aske Why will God doe so Why will he shew mercy to some c. The Apostle answers in the 18. vers Hee will shew mercy on whom he will shew mercy if you aske Why upon this man and not upon that nothing but his Wil is the cause and the Apostle saith againe in Rom. 9.20 Who art thou that disputest with God what art thou that callest God to an account Aquinas useth this similitude A Bricklayer in building a house hath all his brick out of one mold and in the building he layes some in the bottome and some on the top if any aske Why is this laid in the bottome and this in the top the Bricklayer answers There must be a foundation and therefore I lay them I but why this brick below and that on the top Because it is my will and if he aske him Why is it your will he shakes him off as a wrangling fellow So if any aske me why he shewes mercy c. because he will shew mercy but why will he I answer still because he will Vse 4. The fourth Use Doth God love man and doth he love them freely but not equally doth he love some better then others Then it admonishes all those that are specially beloved that they would labour to returne a speciall love againe his generall love requires a generall love againe his speciall love a speciall love every man will challenge this that God loves him better then others the Pharisee will challenge this of God If God doth love him he must returne love againe nay every man will professe that he loves God with a speciall love but put this upon the triall First if he have a care to keepe the Commandements of God Secondly if he shew bountifulnesse Thirdly if he be ready to suffer for God For the first If he be carefull to keepe the Commandements of God 1 Ioh. 2.3 Hereby we know we love God if we keepe his Commandements in which