Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	world_n	3,255	5	4.3685	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77750	A faithfull messenger sent after the Antinomians: to try their power in their last place of refuge, who are fled to Gods decrees for shelter, as Ioab did to the hornes of the altar, and say that they will dye there, I Kings 2. 29.30. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford.	Bakewell, Thomas, b. 1618 or 19.	1644 (1644)	Wing B533; Thomason E40_23; ESTC R5091	47,721	42

answer it wilt thou disa●ull my judgment wilt thou condemne me that thou maist be righteous Job 40.2.8 Then what if God was pleased to try Abrahams faith Heb. 11.17 Must they harbour ill thoughts against God Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out Job 37.23 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his waies past finding out Rom. 11.33 Then what if God permit the Divel to be a lying spirit he did not infuse lies into him but as a just Judge upon Ahab that would not heare the Prophet of God when he spake the truth he is now punished by them that speake lies And so was Iacob given to the spotle and Israel to robbers not by infusing the sinne of theft into those that robbed and spoiled but as a punishment of some sin in Israel abusing those creatures either to pride or drunkennes gluttony or whoredome or some way or other for commonly the sin may be seen in the punishment certainely some way or other they sinned with those creatures that the Lord in justice caused them to be taken from them and because the Egiptians were so cruel to Israel the Lord by his over-ruling providence who hath the hearts of men in his owne hand therefore he can easily make these enemies to be at peace with those that please him Pro. 16.17 So that he gave them favour with the Egiptians to lend them jewels and other needfull things for their use and then the Lord brought them out of that Land that they could not restore them againe now this was no sin because they did obey the revealed will of God both to borrow and to goe away with them now actions are not first evill and then God is offended with them but when God is offended with them then those actions become evill as on the contrary actions are not first good and then approved of God but first approved of God and then good because he approveth them Againe God hath hedged his people about and Christ prayes God to keep them from the evill Iohn 17.13 But if they grow wanton of Gods protection and sleight the prayer of Christ and be remisse and carelesse to please God in all things what if God withdraw his protection from them and so they fall necessarily into sin and misery must God be blamed for it who shall bind him to keep them from sin and misery he gave them power at the first tostand and they prodigally lost that power now must God be bound to supply prodigals at their pleasure they have carelesly wasted that which they were trusted with already now I suppose they themselves would not still supply a prodigall whom they have much trusted already and he takes no care to keep not to improve any thing but spends all that comes into his hands then why should God be blamed for not doing that which they would not doe themselves Againe God knowes how to bring good out of evill and he can make the very falls of his people to be profitable unto them so that all things shall worke for their good yea their very sins as we read of many failings in David before those great and foule sins of murder and adultery but those falls gave him cause to see his weaknesse and seeling the smart of it in his conscience he ever walked more watchfully afterwards and so Peter was full of failings before that he fell into that great sin of denying his Master with cursing and swearing but that so pierced his heart with griefe and sorrow that it stirrd up more caresulnesse to please God and feare to offend him than before so that we read not of so many of his failings after that as before nay after this saith he must we obey God or men judge yee he that denyed Christ through feare of men now he cannot but speake the things which hee hath seen and heard Acts 4.19.20 5.28.29 So then God may have a hand in sin as it is an action and yet be cleare from the defilement of it as also he is the Author of all actions and yet not the Author of that sin that cleaves to and defiles those actions as a man is the cause why his horse moves yet if he move lamely that is from himselfe no sin can be committed without God hee hath a hand in all sin and yet no sin can cleave to him Oh the infinite holinesse of our God! Ioseph's brethren sold their brother into Egypt yet saith he you did not sell me it was the Lord that sold me hither now they sinned through malice to their brother and through envy to prevent the accomplishment of his dreames this was their end in it why they sold him but God did mercy to him and them and their posterity to save much people alive Gen. 50.2 And the Jews crucified Christ yet saith Peter you have done but what God determined should be done Acts 4.28 But they finned in murdering him without a cause unjustly and all to satisfie their lust and malice upon him But God saw that his death was just when he tooke our sins upon him by imputation and so condemned him for the same yet not ayming at that end which they did to satisfie his malice but in his great mercy to his Church and people to save their soules eternally Thus God by his over-ruling providence can make the wrath of man to praise him and the remainder of wrath will he restraine Psal 76.10 Like a wise Phisitian who is able to make a soveraigne medicine of ranke poyson he can handle sin and he can make good use of sin and yet be free from the guilt of it for in him we live move have our being so that the hand that is stretched cut to slay another could not move without the Lord and yet he is clear from the sin of murder for no action in it selfe is a sin for God is the Author of it but the finfull intent of the heart makes it to be a sin and this was infused by the Divell and not by the Lord. Then let us say with David Against thee onely have I sinned and done evill in thy sight that thou mayst be justified when thou speakest and cleare when thou judgest Psal 51.4 O Lord righteousnes belongs to thee but unto us confusion of faces Dan. 9.7 But these men speake rightly of themselves out of their owne mouthes they may justly be condemned being as they say as dead as a stone after conversion and all they have to doe is but to let the spirit of God doe his owne workes in them and by them so that their best works as being acted by them are done But as we move a stone so the spirit of God moveth them by their owne confession and still they are as dead as a stone and their best works are no better than the workes of the Divell Againe if they sin they say the spirit

hath given me I should lose nothing And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6.39.40 But when others are left to perish in their sin this also is according to the will of God they were ordained to this condemnation Jude 4. And who hath resisted his will Rom. 9.19 Thus all things come to passe according to the secret will of God a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his will Mat. 10.29 Now it will not follow that God loves all things that comes to passe according to his will for sin it selfe could not be without his permitting will yet I hope they will not say that sin is beloved of God because he permitteth the being of it although his will is good and therefore a good will yet I deny not but God loves his work in the very Devils and Reprobates in the time of their being If this be the love of good will they meane I shall grant as much but yet the creature may perish for all this good will Againe I demaund how there can be any true love without delight here they would measure the love of God by their owne bushell for they say that they beare good will to Christ and the Gospell but they neither love the Father nor his Law but if these men did truly love the Sonne they would love the Father also 1 John 5.1 But let them have what pretence they will they neither delight in the Father nor the Sonne because they abhor all Bonds and Covenants that should ingage them to obedience doe they not rage against God and Christ his anointed saying let us break their bonds asunder and cast their cords from us Psal 2.1.3 Neither will they hazard any thing for the name of Christ but saith Paul I am not onely ready to be bound but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Acts 21.15 They pretend love to Christ and his Gospell but yet they will not fight nor strive together for the faith of the Gospell Phil. 1.27 Nor contend earnestly for the faith that was once given to the Saints Jude 〈…〉 against sin Heb. 12.4 If they did truly love Christ they would fight against his enemies to rescue his Gospell and his people whom they say they love but this is their love of good will separated from their love of delight But suppose they say if one man purpose to doe good to another this is actuall love So if God purposed from all eternity to doe good to his Elect this is actuall love I answer A man may not onely purpose to doe good but he may also doe it and yet not love him to whom it is done as the unjust Judge did deliver the poore widow because shee troubled him but not through love to her for he neither feared God nor regarded man Luke 18.4.5 And the Pharisees gave Almes but not through love to the poore but to get praise themselves Mat. 6.2 So God may cause the Sun to shine and the raine to fall he gave them a King in his wrath and quailes in the wildernes but not in love But now although men sin when they seeke their owne praise and doe any good worke without love yet God doth not so Againe when one man intends to doe good to another there is an object for his love but before the Creation there was no object for Gods love but himselfe therefore God loved nothing before the Creation but himselfe it was not his love to the Creatures that moved him to create them but it was love to himselfe to set forth his owne glory Ephes 1.12 According us he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should bee holy and without blame before him in love ver 4. Here you see Holinesse goes before Love and not Love before Holinesse and also Obedience goeth before Love Deut. 7.12.13 Iohn 14.21.23 And Reformation goeth before Love Hosea 14.4 They would set forth Gods love to his people by the love of David to Absolom When Absolom fled the soule of King David longed to gee forth unto Absolom 2 Sam. 13.38.39 And in the next Chapter the King said Let him turne to his owne house and let him not see my face So he dwelt twofull yeares and saw not the Kings face Ver. 24.28 Thus they would have God to love his people from all Eternity although they doe not see his face that is although he doe not manifest himselfe unto them I answer Absolom was Davids naturall Sonne then although he offended his Father yet his Son-ship remained still and Absolom was in present being and an Object fit for his love being his Son But before the Creation we had no being then there was no Object for Gods Love but himselfe Againe then we were neither the Sons of God by Creation nor by Adoption nor nothing in us lovely beyond the Creation hence I conclude that all the Love of God then to his people was but a purpose to make them lovely and then to love them But they will alledge the words of Iohn God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son that whose ever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have 〈◊〉 lasting life John 3.16 Here say they is actuall love going before the sen●ing of Christ I answer if they look back they may see Christ tend●ed before ver 14. As the Serpent was in the wildernes and also it may be supposed that Faith was given to some of them to receive and close with Christ in these words Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have eternall life ver 15 then it followes ver 16. God so loved the world but what is meant by the world here but those beleevers who had Christ tendred before and had Faith given them to receive him As many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1.12 And so Mr. Perkins reads it in his Exposition on Iude Page 52. He that believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life But why shall not believers perish Because saith he God so loves the world of Believers So then first God gives his people Faith and makes them lovely and then he loves them with actuall Love and saith he in the same Booke page 104. The proper cause of the Decree of God must be in himselfe because it was before the creatures were he decreed to love one and to hate another this he purposed in himselfe Ephes 1.9 God needs not goe out of himselfe for motives from outward respects to chuse or refuse but because his good pleasure is such Mat. 11.25 Then fore-sight of Faith in some or infidelity in others nor love to some and hatred to others was the cause of chusiug some and refusing others seeing Gods

beyond their actuall being it was but intentionall or a purpose to loue them When God built this great Fabrick of Heauen and Earth with all the variety of creatures in them his first thought was on himselfe delighting himselfe in his owne Attributes and in the manifestation of them to his creatures as his power and wisedome in the workes of Creation and his works of love and mercy and goodnes in the workes of his providence and his holinesse and justice in the punishment of sin and shewing mercy and forgivenes to whom he pleaseth Thus he made all things for himselfe Prov. 16.4 To set forth the glory of his Attributes then the love of God to himselfe was the first moving cause to bring all things about to his owne glory as Nebuchadnezzar built Babell the great house of his Kindome to shew forth his power and might and for the honour of his Majesty Dan. 4.30 These were his first thoughts then to accomplish this he thought of Timber and Stones and such materials as he was to use in the worke but although these second thoughts came into his mind before the worke was done yet it was not his love to the stones and timber that moved him to build that great Fabrick but it was the love to his owne honour and Majesty that moved him to doe it So it was not Gods actuall love to the Saints that moued him from all eternity to doe all his great works but the love to his own honour and glory that was the mouing cause of all his workes and as a man may have the modell or frame of his house in his mind before he begin to build it So had the Lord the modell or frame of the whole world in his mind before he began to create them and as mans affections are no more to one stone than to another before they be squared and fitted for the building and then he actually loves them So when the Lord finds us all mixed together with the wicked There is no difference Rom. 3.22 Acts 15.9 till wee are squared and fitted and made living stones for his spirituall Temple and then he loves us and though God saw all things from all eternity in the thoughts of his heart yet not as being actually then created and perfectly finished but they were in the thoughts of his heart how they should be and where they should be he seeth all things that are not as if they were not that they are really so indeed no not in his sight God sees all the travels of men out of one Kingdome into another and their birth and death and their soules departure either to Heaven or Hell but not as if he saw them in many places at once this were to make the creature Omni-present to be in many places at once and to say God sees our birth and death all at once would seeme to repute him uncapable of the passage of time here with us so they would make him unable to performe his promise at the time appointed But God is able to keepe his promise to a thousand Generations Psal 105.8 And performe it the selfe-same day Exod. 12.41 The Lord bid the people write the self-same day and shall we thinke that hee doth not keepe a strict account of time till time bee no more yet in Heaven I grant there is no account of time by houres daies and yeares but wee having the account of time and according to our account God did see one thing comming after another into execution and not all being actually done from all eternity therefore he is faithfull to performe every promise made unto his people in the very instant of time promised he sees the way and meanes which he hath decreed to bring about all things to their appointed ends So God from all eternity saw his people in his purpose to give them a being and when they have a being he sees them as having a being but since the fall he sees his Elect in their bloud before conversion and after conversion as his owne children yet as having sin in them and in the world to come as without sin now if they should say that Gods love to the creatures before they were moved him to doe all that is done to them then I demand what moved God towards them when all mankind fell out of this loue of God in that sin of Adam was it not his purpose to doe them good now if they say that God alwaies actually loued them then I reply that if this be true Christ died in vaine but the truth is When we were enemies to God we were again reconciled by the bloud of his Son Rom. 5.10 see Col. 1.21 And to say that God actually loved them before they had any being is all one as to say God loved them before his owne Image was stamped upon them which every creature hath some resemblance more or leste by Creation therefore being made they were all very good but not before Againe if God should actually love his Elect from all eternity then on the contrary he must actually hate the Reprobate before they have any sin and if God should actually love the Elect from all eternity then this love was fruitlesse till the time of Creation Againe we are all borne children of wrath even as others and slaves of the Devill now doth God love any more in us at that time than what we had left off the worke of God by Creation and so he loves the Divell as to owne his workeman-ship in him then here is the difference God is purposed to doe good to his Elect although for the present they lie in the guilt of Adams sin but God hath no purpose to doe good unto the Divels that sinned Againe if God loved slaves of the Divell then what doth hinder but such may be saved and goe to Heaven in that condition but if this be true what need is there of the new Birth nay it matters not in what condition we are if God love us But yee have not so learned Christ If so be yee have been taught as the truth is in Iesus Then put off the former conversation the old man which is corrupt Ephes 4.20 21 22. Yet God loveth the least measure of grace that he hath wrought in his people Hee hath wrought in us that which is well pleasing in his sight Heb. 13.21 Let us have grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably Chap. 12.28 I exhort you by the Lord Iesus that as yee have received of us how yee ought to walke and to please God so you would abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 You please God now labour to please him better walke as Christ walked 1 John 2.6 So shall you grow in favour with God and man as he did and be able daily to doe his will more and more as strength and wisedome increaseth Luke 2.52 And at length with Daniel be a man greatly beloved Dan. 10.11 And with Mary