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A88607 The hatred of Esau, and the love of Jacob unfoulded being a brief and plain exposition of the 9. chapter of Pauls epistle to the Romanes, being the heads of what was delivered in several discourses, both publick and private. By Samuel Loveday servant of the church of Christ. Loveday, Samuel, 1619-1677. 1650 (1650) Wing L3233; Thomason E1380_2; ESTC R209387 35,117 84

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3. where they came to require Baptism of John because they were of the seed of Abraham but that were not sufficient therefore the promises were made to Abrahams seed by faith which are those who are of the faith of Abraham this is clearly proved Rom. 2.28 29. For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 4.14 So the Apostle layes all the blame upon Israel not upon God for the word of God is become of none effect to that Israel because they rejected this line of faith for the Apostle saith in v. 31.32 That Israel hath not attained to the law of righteousnes because they sought it not by faith that is Israel looked not further then this covenant according to the flesh as they were circumcised persons upon which ground John had such an harsh discourse Mat. 3.9 Think not to say you have Abraham to your father for that is not the right line but you are to be the children of Abraham by faith before you claim this badge of baptisme as you shall find the words clear and upon this ground most of Pauls discourse is to beat men off from this prop to wit outward priviledges as witnesse his whole Epistle to the Galatians especially chap. 3. the latter end For ye are all the Sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus if ye be Christs ver 29. then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise And hence it is that Paul lays low the whole dispensation of the law which is called Circumcision equall to those without it as Galat. 6.15 For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creature And here is the Israel of God namely a new creature by faith For in Christ Iesus you may remember I proved being in Christ Iesus was to be in and under the ordinances or dispensations of the Gospel as Rom. 8.1 not under the law which is called flesh as Gal. 4.29 and by circumcision and uncircumcision is meant Iews and Gentiles the whole world as Rom. 2.3.4 largely declared so that now it lies here it is not circumcision that is all those priviledges promises whatsoever avails to acceptance with God now but faith neither is the uncircumcision any thing or the contrary to availe for condemnation if thou be a new creature as it is clear Rom. 2.26 to the end So it is the circumcision of the heart which was typified by the outward circumcision of the flesh and therefore the same persons Acts 7. who were of this outward circumcision yet were uncircumcised in heart as ver 51. Ye are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears because they did not come under the dispensation of the Gospell by faith And to this agrees the whole current of Scripture and if you do but read Pauls Epistles to the Galatians and Romans you may plainly see this truth so that here lies the cause now Paul is not so much grieved and sorrowfull for the Iews because they are no longer such a glorious people as formerly they were but for the cause of it that they should be so blind as not to see the intent of God in all those dispensations as having reference to Christ for it was upon this ground that Israel was rejected of God and blinded because they would not see Christ the end of the law and that now the just should live by believing as Rom. 1. Then we are come thus far That the promises of God Gen. 17. and severall other places were not made with Abraham as he was a person circumcised but as a person believing and received the signe of circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of faith as Rom. 4.10 and so those are his children that believe in Christ as witnesse Zacheus Salvation is come to thy house in as much as thou art a child of Abraham compared with Galat. 3.26 Ye are all the Sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ And thus the Word of God is not fallen away but the Jews Israel is fallen from the Word or Promises of God so that God did never intend that men should be justified by fulfilling the law but by eying Christ in it Rom. 3.28 Thus I am come down again to the words Neverthelesse it cannot be that the Word of God should fall away or be of none effect so that thus I conclude that Israel whom Paul so much grieved for and those that have not obeyed the Gospell nor entred upon that true line of faith in Christ so the comfort lies here That there is yet an Israel of God which are those that are of a clean heart Psal 72.1 Pax super ill●s misericordia super Israel Dei Gal. 6.16 Well then how doth this comfort Paul concerning the Iews That at the time when those Iews shall believe in Christ they shall be counted for the Israel of God and their punishment shall be taken away 2 Cor. 3.15 When they shall turn to the Lord the vale shall be taken away And this shall be and therefore Israel is yet in a hopefull condition Israel is not yet past mercy and grace and then Israel who is now hated for their disobedience shall then be loved and his adversaries hated and now we must understand that as the Jews or Israel sinned they were not only blinded spiritually but afflicted outwardly and given up into the hand of the enemies as ye know the whole current of the Scripture runs Now Paul is grieved for this cordition of theirs and chiefly the cause of it their unbelief they who were such a glorious people above other nations should now lie amongst the pots Psal 68.13 that they should now be the undermost who then were highest they the taile that were the head they the last which were the first Mat. 20. but in Isaac shall thy seed be called Gen. 21.12 that is in that line that is most unlikely with men a son of laughter o● mocking a son in Abrahams old age God in all ages made use of the lowest and weakest means and ways to drive on this designe because he will have men to stoop to him in this way it must not be glorious Israel according to the flesh deckt with outward circumcision and carnall ordinances but Israel of a clean and circumcised heart in the mean way of believing in Christ and hence it is that Christ himselfe comes as a Carpenter of mean parents despised and mocked of men as Isaac was and not like a noble learned man or wise after the flesh 1 Cor. 1. God will make men stoop let them be never so high never so learned never so wise after the flesh and why should men in this age
the cause of Adams sin at the first as Adam pleadeth The woman which thou gavest me c. As much as if he should have said if thou had'st not given me a woman to have given me the fruit I had not committed this sin So if God did not uphold the lives of men they could not sin but it is a very unworthy application of the mercies of God It was the misapplying and mis-improving the mercies and deliverances of God that did necessarily occasion that hardness to grow upon Pharaohs heart for if he were not softened he must needs be hardened for Gods Word returns not emty and void Esay 55.10.11 and in this it is like unto the Sun But you may object that as a judgement and punishment God doth harden and blind as you say therefore let us see what kind of hardening that is For answer to which I shall refer you to those several Scriptures which speak of this thing as Pro. 1.24 Because I have called ye have refused ye shall call I will not hear Wherefore we may observe Gods part and mans part what they were So likewise Acts the 28.26 Go say unto this People hearing ye shall heare and not understand The ground or reason is from themselves as in the next verse 27. The heart of this People is waxed fat their eyer have they closed least they should see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and be saved Thus God likewise dealt with the Jewes Luk 19.42 Now they are hid from thine eyes Thus God punisheth sin with sin Psal 69.27 Add iniquity to their iniquity And this he hath power to do to all those that deserve it as the Apostle Romans the 2. largely declareth Here then is the scope of the words Paul is comforted concerning Israel again because he finds God to be righteous just and also powerful to deliver Israel and punish their enemies he useth this as an argument to stablish his heart concerning his kindred the Iewes that those dry bones should live that Israel the whole Israel of God shall be at last set free from the persecuting Lord Esau to injoy that promise Gen. 25. The elder shall serve the younger Iacobs enemies shall be subdued Let us then with Paul incourage our selves it will be ere long made good and let us not question how this can be that these dry bones can live but looke upon the power of God who can shew mercy on whom he will and whom he will harden and destroy verse the 19. Thou wilt say then unto me who hath resisted his will why doth he yet complain In the words we must inquire what he meaneth by this word complain The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath several acceptions in Scripture Mark 7. and the 2. They complained or found fault So Heb. 8.8 Col. 3.13 it is translated quarrel 1. Thes 5.23 It is translated blame So that put these together and it is thus much A contentious complaining to pick a quarrel and that is a man complains or quarrels against God This appears Lamen 3.29 why doth living man complain man suffers for his sin So that this it is notwithstanding Gods equal dealing with man yet some will not be satisfied but will reply against God as in the former verse the 14. that God is not so righteous in his ways therefore God pleads with Israel Ezekiel 18.25 Yet ye say the way of the Lord is not equal though God dealt as exactly as he tels them that they could desire no juster dealing yet they are not contented he appealeth to all men if this be not equal dealing that if a righteous man turn from his righteousness he shall die and if a wicked man turne from his wickedness he shall live and not die yet they are not satisfied verse 29. they say his way is not equal So here one might aske Paul to what end doth man complain of Gods dealing to men their folly appears in complaining the reason is given because none hath resisted his will that is when God commeth down to render vengeance upon his enemies and to exalt his people none then shall be able to resist so that is a further comfort to Paul concerning Israel that God comes irresistibly to deliver them as you may see more largely if you consider some Scriptures as Esay 14. the 3.4.5.6 where he speaks of the thing in hand verse the 6. He smote the people in his wrath and none hindred So Esay 31.13 I will work and none shall let And to clear up this irresistibleness in God when he comes to recompence his enemies he adds the following verse ver the 20. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus ver 21. hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another to dishonour In these verses as I have said before the Apostle doth undeniably prove this unresistable power of God in that he renders God as the Potter and man as the Clay which is expressed also Esay 64.8 For the understanding of these words we must consider whether the making of Vessels of honour and dishonour here spoken of hath reference to the first Creation or no. Secondly how it comes to passe that men are made Vessels of honour and dishonour Thirdly why he here addeth these words Of the same lump Fourthly what he meaneth by vessels of honour and dishonour and how we shall be able to say how such a person or such persons are vessels of honour or dishonour I shall by other Scripturs indeavour to clear these particulars For the first whether this making of Vessels of honour and dishonour hath reference to the Creation I answer no in no wise for if these vessels be onely of man-kind as all men acknowledge then God made but one of these vessels namely Adam who was a Vessel of honour and for the whole Creation God takes off this assertion for he justifieth them to be xceeding good and so Solomon in Ecclesiastes saith God made man upright Therefore I conclude that God at the first made man a Vessel of honour fit for the Masters use man is called a Vessel because he is to containe some thing which the Master is to put into him and he is honourable so long as that liquor remains in him but when he leaketh or that liquor runneth out then he becomes a dishonourable Vess Secondly neither hath it reference to what man was after Adams fall it is true Adam became a dishonourable Vessel by disobeying God but he was not thus a Vessel of Gods making but of his own for God created him honourable as I proved before The second thing to be inquired into is how it cometh to passe or at what time man becomes a Vessel of dishonour I answer when men be disobedient to God and Christ then they become Vessels
of dishonour for this consider the 18. of Iere. is plain to this purpose from the 1. vers to the 17. In which Scripture we find that God intended Isael an honourable Vessel till they broke in his hand God in this declares himself after the manner of men we know the Potter doth not make a Vessel with an intent to break it when he hath done but this falleth out accidentally for want of the well managing of it when it is made neither did God make Israel a Vessel wherein he might dwell intentionally to break them and ruine them but the case lay here whilst God was in framing Israel for a glorious and happy condition in that very time they rebelled against him as is plainly expressed in this Chapter A dishonourable Vessel in this place is a broken Vessel now it is not for a small sin that a Person or people becomes a dishonourable Vessel but it is those that threaten and desperately say we will walk after our own imaginations and do every one after the stubbornnesse of his own heart here is a people fit for destruction fit to be made a dishonourable Vessel and now there is no other means to be used this crack in such an earthen Vessel is incurable therefore now he must be unchurched or excommunicated from God therefore to such a people God speaketh sadly Esay the 1.24 Notwithstanding in the 14. vers he had promised them that if they would be willing and obedient they should eat the good things of the land but if they were disobedient they should be destroyed for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it God will spue such a people out of his mouth here is a Vessel of dishonour when God will no longer communicate himself unto him as a Vessel for his use therefore let us not mistake God it is for the highest and greatest sin that can be to be a Vessel of dishonour under the Gospel it 's to be excommunicate from the offices and fellowship of the Gospel according to that in the first of the Corinthians 16. and the last If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha this was the punishment of Israel God excommunicateth them taketh away his presence and his Laws from them and delivereth them unto Satan an adversary as the fornicator was to be in the first of the Corinth the 5. But you have a more plain place to prove that an excommunicated Person is a dishonourable Vessel as in the second of Timothy the second and 21. If a man purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel of honour fit for his masters use If the queston should be asked from what he should purge himself it is answered from the Doctrine of Himeneus and Philetus who were excommunicate as we may gather from the first of Timothy the first for denying the resurrection so that from hence we gather thus much that the imbracing their Doctrine was the ready way to be excommunicated and so to become dishonourable Vessels and the cleansing or keeping a man pure from those Doctrines was the ready way to be made or continued Vessels of honour so that we see the cause of mens being Vessels of dishonour is their high disobedience rebellion and blasphemy against God when men do as it were by these means break in Gods hand when God is in making a Person honourable and he doth not walk suitable to it then it is that God designs him to be a Vessel of dishonour Thirdly why it is added of the same lump to shew that it is not nearnesse of relation that shall excuse or exempt men from punishment though they be of the same lump of the same flesh and bloud Jacob and Esau you know were of the same lump not onely children of one Mother but brought forth at one birth they were twins yet God hateth the one and loveth the other as is declared Malachy the 1. and the 2. Is not Esau Jacobs brother saith God yet have I hated Esau and laid his mountain waste so that it shall be no advantage to Esau in the day of Gods wrath to plead that he is Jacobs own brother this Christ tells the Jews John 8. and 37. I know that ye are Abrahams seed saith Christ but you seek to kill me therefore they should not abide in the house they must not be Vessels of honour in his house vers the 35. So likewise in Matth. the 3. Christ sheweth that it is not near relation that can serve the turn though they be Abrahams seed So likewise Matth. the 24.40 Two woman shall be grinding at the Mill one shall be taken and the other left Fourthly what he meaneth by or when a person or people may be said to be a dishonourable Vessel This was partly cleared in the 2. particular but you shall a little further see this cleared when Israel was delivered up into the hand of her Enemies then she was a dishonourable Vessel when she lieth amongst the pots as Psal 68.13 When she is cast aside as men commonly cast aside a broke pitcher as a Vessel of no use or honour and she is again received to be a Vessel of honour when she believeth in Jesus Christ she shall again be imployed for the Masters use Rom. 11.23 If they abide not still in unbelief they shall be grafted in so that we understand thus much that God doth not make men Vessels of honour and of dishonour but upon just ground and sufficient causes I might prove this by several Scriptures but I shall onely cite two Rom. 1.26 For this cause God gave them up to uncleannesse the 2. of the Thess the 2. and 11. For this cause God shall send them strong delusions there is a just cause why God dealeth so with men and God doth so far condescend as to give man an account of it therefore he doth not rule by his will or prerogative as some men say Let us then a little inquire into the cause why Esau shall be thus hated or made a dishonourable Vessel Esau is now an honourable Vessel as God maketh use of him to correct Israel but when Israel shall be sufficiently corrected by him he is to be thrown into the fire because he hath corrected Israel not as being in Gods hand but as satisfying his corrupt heart and cruel hands Obadiah the 10. For thy cruelties to thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee The cause of Esaus being made a Vessel of dishonour is granted by the Prophet Amos Amos the 1. The whole chapter speaks of this thing but especially vers 7. he hath not remembred the brotherly Covenant but pursued him with the sword and cast off all pitty as vers the 11. Yet the cause of this upon Jacob or Israel is just too Mich. 1.5 For the wickednesse of Jacob is all this come upon them see likewise Michael the 6. Yet God had not given Israel any such cause as he pleadeth with them to be so