Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	harden_v	heart_n	pharaoh_n	2,001	5	11.6391	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68718	A key of heaven the Lords Prayer opened, and so applied, that a Christian may learne how to pray, and to procure all things which may make for the glorie of God, and the good of himselfe, and of his neighbour : containing likewise such doctrines of faith and godlines, as may be very usefull to all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus.	Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1633 (1633)	STC 22122; ESTC S1717	241,855	822

inwardly hee was more disposed and better accommodated to obedience then to disobedience being made of an holy disposition within and having the commandement of God from without yea an easie commandment given to Adam for his greatest good and that from that God who had newly made him after his owne likenesse and had made all the world for him Wherein now was God wanting in any thing towards Adam which hee ought to have done for him Man now being fallen not through any fault in God for God made him good but they sought out many inventions Eccl. 7.29 which caused their fall that God should elect whom he will in Christ to give them grace and according to their grace to give them eternall glory and on the other side that God shall reprobate others whom he will and leave them in their sinnes and for their sinnes to punish them with eternall death who can justly complaine or except against it If any man cannot fully comprehend these things and satisfie his owne reason herein yet he is to beleeve that it is so For this is an object of our faith rather then of dispute how it can be It is sufficient that the Scriptures say it is so That saying of the Apostle O man that art a man of a shallow reach and apprehension that art a creature and now art a sinfull creature who art thou that repliest against God Hath not the Potter power over the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour another unto dishonour Rom. 9.20.21 This should satisfie every Christian in this point Secondly that God by an act of his providence and power upholdeth the tempters and tempted giving them life and strength for action this is not subject to exception for herein man is much beholding unto God for that in and by him Act. 17.28 he doth live move and hath a being Thirdly hee by an act of his soveraignty doth let loose Satan and doth not hinder the tempter from tempting Qui cum possit non prohib●t ●ubet Indeed amongst men hee that doth not hinder evill when he may hinder it becommeth accessarie and is sa●●tie but this is because the law of nature and the law of God requireth that no man shall suffer his neighbour to be hurt or indamaged if hee can hinder in but the absolute Lord God is not tyed in any such bond unto his creature no not before Adams fall much lesse sine● Fourthly God doth sometim●● by an act of his wisedome propose some object whereby o●casion of sinne may be taken 〈◊〉 Bathsheba's washing her se●●e was ministred unto Davids sight and the wedge of gold Babilonish garment by Gods providence was presented to the covetous eye of Achan and this he doth to discover what is in mans heart and why may he not We think we may laysome siluer or sweetmeats in fit places here there to try our servants or childrens fidelity may not God doe the like much rather Fiftly he forbeareth to give saving grace but whom doth he wrong herein sith hee is not bound to give grace to any man Sixtly God doth by an act of his justice giving up a sinner to a further degree of sinne doth withdraw those gifts of the minde which once he gave which thing hee hath just cause to do if he please for what man hath not by his sinne deserved this punishment If a man abuse his hand why may not God wither it 1 Kin. 13.4 as he did Jeroboam's We hold this to bee good justice and is it not as good justice that those that have abused their powers of imagination of understanding and of discerning things that differ should bee punished by being deprived of the right use of them There is no lesse holy justice in this latter than in the former Lastly that God doth limit sinne for time and measure as he did the sinnes of the Romans for the elects sake Mat. 24.22 and that hee doth direct them to good ends as hee did the sinne of Ioseph's brethen in selling their brother Gen. 50.20 and sending him into Egypt for the good of Iacob and all his family here is matter of praise and glory to God no matter of exception against God If God act no further in sinne than hath been● said I hope it is manifest that hee may act thus farre and 〈◊〉 bee innocent Now God ha●● no further act in sinne Iam. 1.13 he tempteth no man Hee is no agent in sinne as it is a sinfull act for he doth not entice or solicite unto sinne he doth not incline mans will unto sinne by infusing or putting into it any evill which was not there before but only leaveth man to the temptations of his owne lusts the lusts of the world and of the devill The third thing considerable is what acts come betweene Gods act and the act of sinne or who are the immediate and proper actors of sinne as it is sin These agents and acts are either externall or internall the externall are the suggestions of Satan and the evill motions of men which propose entice and perswade unto evill the internall is a mans owne evill heart upon which the most blame doth lie For then a man is tempted saith Iames Iam. 1.14 when hee is drawne away by his owne lusts and is enticed Wherefore in those sinnes in which God is said to have most to do the fault was laid upon the person that wrought himselfe unto evill as upon the proper cause when still God is cleered As where God is said to harden Pharaoh's heart Exod. 7.3 the true and proper hardner was Pharaoh himselfe for so saith Moses When Pharaoh saw that there was respite he that is Pharaoh harned his heart Exod. 8.15 And whereas it is said God gave the Romans up to uncleannesse their acts of uncleannesse did not follow as properly caused by any act of God but from a cause in themselves for so hee saith Rom. 1.24 the dishonoring their owne bodies was through the lusts of their owne hearts Sinne is a concrete compounded of two things of the fact and of the obliquity of the fact wee 〈◊〉 distinguish betweene the ●●stance of the act and the for●● thereof wherein the sinfulnesse of the act doth lie God hee is a cause concurring to the substance of the act he concurreth not to the sinfulnesse of the act but onely denieth his grace which if he would have vouchsafed to bestow it would have hindered it which grace hee is not bound to give to any It was enough that hee gave a sufficient grace to Adam to stand if hee would So that wee may truly avouch that the devill or man that enticeth another or a mans owne selfe that enticeth himselfe Deus est ordinator uon author peccati are the true causes and authors of sinne but not the Lord who hath only a permitting an overruling and disposing hand in sinne as is is sin The

those which never make the glory of God the end of their lives and actions but through selfe-love and pride of heart make their owne pleasures profits and glory to bee the principall and utmost aime of all their thoughts words or deeds who if they attain their owne ends they sacrifice to their owne nets applauding their owne strength wit industrie c. or if they looke out of themselves they give the praise to men and secondarie causes or to blinde Fortune and lucke as they call it but give not glory to the Lord. Pharaoh saith Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce I know not the Lord. But did not the Lord honour himselfe upon Pharaoh and his land by his wonderfull plagues which he sent amongst them till he made Pharaoh himselfe the Egyptians to know that he was the Lord Exod. 14 4. Iob saith of those wealthy proud contemners of God and of his worship which said What is the Almightie Iob 21.15.19.20 that wee should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him God layeth up their iniquitie for their children and they shall drinke of the wrath of the Almighty Did not the Lord make Senacherib an example to all that should reproach the holy One of Israel when for his arrogating too much to himselfe and for despising the true God the Lord sent his Angell which smote one hundred fourescore and five thousand of his host Isa 37.23.36 so that hee himselfe was constrained to return with shame into his owne country and there while hee was worshipping his God received his death by the hands of his owne sonnes How did God disgrace proud Nabuchadnezzar when vaine-gloriously hee vaunted saying Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my majestie Here was no acknowledgement of Gods power nor any thing done for the honour of Gods Majestie therefore while the word was in the kings mouth there fell a voice from heaven saying O king Nebuchadnezzar Dan 4.30.31 to thee it is spoken the kingdome is departed from thee Which was fulfilled accordingly for hee was sent to graze with beasts of the field seven yeares untill he was made to know that the most high God ruleth in the kingdome of men Dan. 4.32 But when God restored him to himselfe and to his kingdome then he could give God the glorie of all power and majestie saying in the last verse Those that walke in pride he is able to abase For the same sinne was Belshazzar weighed in the ballance and found wanting and his kingdome given to the Medes and Persians who because he prophaned the vessels of the house of God and praised false gods Dan. 5 23. but the God in whose hands was his breath and whose were all his wayes him did he not glorifie Therefore was the hand-writing sent and that very night was Belshazzar slaine and his kingdome conquered Those two and fortie children who were torne with Beares payd deare for their despising God in that aged Prophet Elisha deriding at once his age his office and his holines crying 2. King 2. Ascend thou bald head ascend thou bald head Lastly not to wearie you with examples of Gods judgements upon those which did either derogate from God or arrogate to themselves any part of that praise which was due to him observe Gods immediate hand upon Herod who because he gave not glory unto God when the people applauded his eloquent oration saying The voice of God Act. 12.22.23 and not of man immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him and he was eaten of wormes and gave up the ghost These severe judgements of God executed upon men because they tooke glorie from God or gave it not to him doth plainly shew that he is very jealous of his name and of his glory and that he will not endure that his glory should be given to another Isai 42 8. For of all things Gods Name and honour is most deare unto him nothing will exasperate him so soone or so much as to be touched in his Name Let all men therefore take heed how they prophane it by any means But it is not enough not to prophane it but if it be prophaned by others if they do not contend for the sanctifying of it they commit a great sin If men be but touched in their owne name and reputation they grow so impatient as by no meanes they will bee perswaded to passe it by without revenge when yet the same persons can see and heare Gods Name dishonoured by oaths blasphemies by idolatrie contempt of religion and of Gods children and their hearts never rise at it and have not a word to speake for God These do not hallow Gods Name I desire that all that reade or heare this would examine themselves by what hath beene said by which they may trie whether they hallow Gods Name or dishallow it And if thou say this petition Hallowed be thy Name and yet by taking his honour to thy self or giving it to another or if by not standing for his glory or not giving it to him in heart word and conversation thou dishonourest God then know thou doest mock God and playest the hypocrite and if repentance and a care to glorifie God do not prevent it thou must with hypocrites one day be the subject of the glory of his justice and wrath because in thy life thou wouldest not be an instrument of glorifying his holy Name he will be glorified in thee because hee was not glorified by thee Thus it appeareth who offend against this point by which wee may see what evils are to be bewayled and prayed against in this petition Vse 2 In applying the Doctrines concerning prayer let this be a received truth that what we pray for that we must endeavour and use all good meanes to attaine according to that in the Psalm 27.4 One thing have I desired that will I seek for All men therefore which professe the Name of God must both pray and seeke by all meanes that the true God be onely set up to be worshipped and that his holy Name may be sanctified which is done when men shew true respect unto him and unto al such things as beare upon them some speciall note of his holinesse First he is to be known and professed to be the onely true God Father Sonne and holy Ghost then to be honoured and glorified as God God is honoured and his name sanctified many wayes as 1 First by knowing and acknowledging him to be such a one as he hath revealed himself to be 2 By admiring him and his works oft times resounding that speech of David Psal 8.1 O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the earth 3 By beleeving in him whereby Abraham is said to have given glory to God Rom. 4 20 Ioh. 3.33 For

when such shall say to Christ when the doore of heaven is shut against them Lord Lord open to us he shall say to them Luk. 1● 25 26 27 28. I know you not whence you are if they reply we have professed thy name he doth make the same answer as before saying I know not whence you are depart from me all ye workers of iniquity There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when they shal see all the godly in the kingdome of God and themselves thrust out Vse 2 Gods owne children must here be put in remembrance of that too too little holinesse that many of them shew forth in their lives and of their too much pride voluptuousnesse worldlinesse and prophannesse and how that they shew forth little more then a bare forme of godlinesse shewing little or no power thereof in their lives I do intreat these men to consider seriously of the reasons of this point and of the motives to an holy life prosecuted in the next Vse and to say each with himselfe How do I by my sins grieve and dishonour God how do I discredit my holy profession how do I grieve and hinder the godly how do I open the mouthes of the wicked and how do I hurt my self and interupt my peace with God and how do I play the foole in making choice of the crooked damnable wayes of the devill leaving the straight and saving pathes of Gods commandements Thinke this with thy selfe then humble thy selfe then pray and endeavour a reformation Vse 3 This should incite all that professe Christianity to labour in prayer to God and to take paines with their owne hearts that they may get more and more power over their corruptions and more and more grace that they may shew forth true godlinesse in their conversations amongst men To induce you hereunto consider besides the reasons already given in the doctrine these motives following First all Christians should endeavour to bee holy in their conversation out of the due respect which they owe unto God 1. Out of love and in conscience of duty 1. Thess 4.3 1. Pet 1.15 16. 1. Ioh. 3 2● Mat. 5.16 because it is the will of God our sanctification that we should be holy as he is holy 2. Because holinesse pleaseth him and 3. because he is glorified by it Whereas a wicked life of such as professe his Name Isa 63.10 doth much grieve his holy Spirit Isa 3 8. Heb. 3.10 and doth provoke the eyes of his glory I was grieved with this generation saith he Also they dishonour him as he saith to the Iew by breaking the Law dishonourest thou God Secondly consider that an holy life doth adorne the Gospel Tit. 2.10 and true religion of God but a vicious behaviour of men that professe Christianity 1. Tim. 6.1 doth cause the very religion and doctrine of God to be blasphemed Thirdly consider the different fruits of an holy and of an ungodly conversation in respect of our neighbours with whom we shall converse 1. Pet. 2.12 1. Pet. 3.1 A constant good conversation is a meanes to winne unto the power of godlinesse those which yet are strangers to the life of God and it doth rejoyce the hearts and doth confirme and increase the forwardnesse in grace of those which are already the children of God Moreover an unblameable life doth muzzle the mouthes 1 Pet. 2 15 and put to silence foolish men or if they be so maliciously wicked that they will needs speake of such holy persons as of evill doers they shall be in the end ashamed 1. Pet. 3.16 for falsely accusing their good conversation in Christ But the ungodlinesse of those which professe Christ doth much grieve and oft times doth corrupt in part and infect even those that bee truly good and doth harden the wicked in evil and giveth them just cause to complaine and exclaime against them Fourthly consider the good or evill which accrueth or befalleth to a mans selfe according as his life is holy 1. Tim. 4.8 or sinfull Godlinesse hath the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Psal 34.9 10. Wherefore holinesse of life will either keep a man from crosses and afflictions and will remove such as are alreadie upon him Psal 34 19 1 Sam 3.18 Psal 119.71 Rom 8.28 Deu. 28.8 Phili 4 11. or will make him able fruitfully and patiently to beare them causing all things to work together for his good It will likewise procure all plenty and prosperity or it will cause contentment in adversity Also by adding unto a mans faith an holy righteous and sober life he doth make unto himselfe his calling and election sure 2. Pet. 1.10 from whence ariseth peace of conscience Rom. 5.1 and joy in the holy Ghost in this life and according to his holinesse Matth. ●5 28.46 such shall be the extent of his eternall glory in the world to come But a sinfull life pulleth downe Gods judgements upon a man and maketh them to abide long and causeth impatience under crosses causing likewise a purblinde judgement barrennesse 2 Pet. 1.8 9. and much unfruitfulnesse in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ This carelesse falling into sinne and lying in it causeth even in the elect doubtings of their being in state of grace Psal 77. and in Gods favour and of their salvation as also desperate feares through horrour of conscience And if a man have onely a forme of godlinesse but denyeth the power of it by a bad conversation he is unto God abhominable Tit. 1.16 and is exposed not onely to be accursed in every thing hee puts his hand unto Deut. 28 20. in the things which concerne the outward man 2. Thes 2.11 12. but to be further given over to Apostacie through strong delusion being to every good worke reprobate that in the end hee may be damned because though he made a profession of beleeving he yet tooke pleasure in unrighteousnesse Fifthly consider holinesse it selfe in respect of the nature thereof as it is compared with and standeth opposite to wickednesse Eph. 4.24 Holinesse is a likenesse and conformity to God our heavenly Father it is his very image renued in us which according to him is created in righteousnesse and true holines But sinne is enmity to God Rom. 8.7 Ioh. 4.44 a conformity to the very devill The wayes of holinesse are all heavenly holy spirituall equall Rom. 7.12 and good but the wayes of wickednesse are all earthly unjust Iam. 3.15 sensuall and devillish I referre the judging here of to any that is in his senses and hath but the use of right reason when he is himselfe namely whether workes of piety mercy righteousnesse and sobriety be not farre better then acts of prophanenesse cruelty unjustice intemperance and uncleannesse let any man instance in himselfe in particulars All these motives considered is there not cause why wee

sinne is deprecated and his delivering out of sinne is prayed for whence may soundly be collected this doctrine following God hath an holy over-ruling Doct. 3 and disposing hand in the temptations and evils to which men are subject Hee can and doth restraine or give men up unto temptation he delivereth from sinne and out of sinne or suffereth men to fall into and lye in sinne even as in the holy wisedome of his soveraigntie it shall please him And this he doth and may doe without any the least touch staine or impeachment of his holinesse or being any way properly the author of any sinne as shall further appeare in the handling of this point Gen. 45.8.50.20 Exod. 14.4 The envious practises of Josephs brethren against him The hardening of Pharaohs heart Elies sonnes not harkening to the voice of their father 1 Sa. 2.25 Sheme●● cursing of David 2 Sa. 16.10 The putting of a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets 1 Kin 22.23 The deceiving of those Prophets of the Idolaters mentioned in Ezekiel Ezek. 14 9 The blinding of the eyes Ioh. 12.40 and hardening of the hearts of the Pharisies Rom. 1.26 The giving up of the Gentiles to vile affections And the sending of strong delusion to those which receive not the love of the truth 2 Thes 2.11 All these that I may speak as the Scripture speaketh were of God or from the Lord which things though sinfull are said to be of God and hee speaketh as if he took all to himselfe not for that hee worketh them by an immediate hand of his providence For this were to make God the principall author of sinne which to conceive is blasphemy but because in those things hee permitteth something doth something and doth order and determine all things thereabout God before all times decreed Reas 1 what things should come to passe in time not onely all the good things that should come to passe by his working but also all the evil things that should come to passe by his permission The sinfull conspiracie of Herod and Pontius Pilate Act. 2.23 with the Iewes and Gentiles in putting Christ to death was no other Act. 4.27.28 then what Gods hand and counsell determined before to be done Reas 2 Gods providence and power is present to support and sustain in their naturall life strength all tempters to evill Act. 17.28 all actors of evill in his concourse to the substance of their acts Reas 3 God doth restraine cha●●● up Satan Iob. 1.12 Iob. 2.6 Psal 81.12 wicked men and a mans own evill heart or letteth them loose permitteth them to tempt even as he will Reas 4 God doth present when hee pleaseth such objects where●● a man through his owne corruption may stumble or be allured to fall into sinne The administration of certaine occasions and opportunities to sinne is often from God Reas 5 The Lord doth refuse to give his Spirit Mat. 13.11 1 Cor. 2.8.10.14 Deut. 29.4.5 without which no man can resist the first temptation or recover himselfe out of the least sinne or else doth 〈◊〉 it both to whom he will and when he will at his pleasure The Lord when he pleaseth Reas 6 doth withdraw his ordinary restraining and common graces and gifts of the minde whereby he suspendeth those powers of the soule which if they were not suspended might discerne betweene truth and falshood and betweene good and evill Rom. 1.28 he giveth many over to a reprobate minde to a minde void of judgement from whence vainnesse of imagination darkenesse of the understanding blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart doe follow as certainely as the darkenesse of the ayre doth follow the setting of the Sunne in the firmament God according as he pleaseth Reas 7 doth limit the sinnes of men both to the time when and to their bounds how farre and no farther Last of all God hath an hand Reas 8 of direction and ordering of mens sinnes ordering them in the manner of committing of them and directing them to their set object and to such good ends as he in his wisdome pleaseth Thus it is evident that God hath a hand in the temptations and sinnes of men Now that he is not blame-worthie or any way a cause of their sinne shall further be cleared For which cause let us consider these five things 1 First what God is in himselfe and in respect of man 2 How farre onely and no farther God hath a hand in mens sinnes 3 What acts come betweene Gods actions touching the action which is sinfull and the immediate act of sinne as it is sinfull 4 What are the ends that God proposeth and attaineth in those his actions 5 How God standeth affected to sinne both before and after it is committed 1 Consider first that God is holinesse it selfe his nature doth not admit of any possibility of erring Gen. 18.25 Heb. 6.18 or of doing any thing which is not holy equall good God is under no Law himselfe is his owne Law whatsoever therefore he doth according to the counsell of his owne will cannot be faultie Now Eph. 1.11 God doth all things according to the counsell of his will Moreover God is the Creator man is his creature God is an absolute Soveraigne no way bound to man to do him good or to preserve him from evill except he please to give him a promise He is so absolute that he needeth not give account to man of his actions nay Iob 33.13 because man when God had made him good did fall by his owne evil inventions or devices Eccles 7.29 he hath deserved that God should do him no good at all but that he should punish him with all evill Wherefore why may not his will be reason and equity enough why he will chuse some to be vessels of mercie and reject others to be vessels of wrath Rom. 9.18.19.20.21 and to dispose of all things concerning them that being left to themselves and to manifold temptations they shal worke out their owne damnation 2 If we consider how farre God worketh in evill all that can bee said that God doth in respect of sinne may as I suppose bee referred unto tho●e things mentioned in the reaso●● of the point scil His decree His support of the actors and concurrance of his power to the substance of the act of sinne His permission His proposing of external objects His forbearing to give his sanctifying Spirit His withdrawing his common gifts of his Spirit whereby the powers of the soule become suspended and do cease to doe those good offices for man which else they might do His limitation of sinne and lastly His ordering of sinne to serve his owne ends as he pleaseth Now touching the counsell and decree of God to permit sinne and then for to leave man hardened in his sinne and last of all to punish him eternally for sinne no man hath cause to