Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	lord_n	people_n	sin_n	3,287	5	4.6566	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
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

were such a great sin and evil he lay under as first the persecuting the peculiar people of God and secondly his despising and vilifying of God himself saying what is the Lord that I should obey him was there ever any that abused deliverances more then this man did But let us a little examine the cause because he saith for this cause the cause was partly in reference to himself and partly in reference to Pharaoh First in reference to himself two wayes as is expressed in the following words First to shew his patience and secondly his power his patience in forbearing and bearing so many abuses as Pharaoh offered to him and his people as in vers the 22. Where both these particulars are proved what if God willing to shew his long suffering indured with much patience the vessels of wrath c. Secondly to shew his power that he could take off such a stout Enemy in the height of his rebellion persecution and that he did not onely to deliver and for the comfort of Israel then but for the comfort of his people in succeeding ages which is the very cause and ground that it is here cited in this Chapter the proceedings of God upon Pharaoh that as their God delivered Israel from so potent an Enemy he will also at last deliver Israel from all the Edemites Moabites and Amorites their Enemies God will wound the head of his Enemies and the hairy scalp of these that go on in their wickednesse as he did unto Pharaoh and let men make this construction of all Gods deliverances to consider of the patience and power that God holds forth unto them for Gods raising up of persons gives them power to amend their lives as Pharaoh might and ought to have done But the second consideration why God made his power appear unto Pharaoh was in reference to Israel who else must have been swallowed up and this proves the former Proposition more firmly That the time of Jacobs love must be the time of Esaus hatred for the deliverance of Israel must of necessity be the destruction of Pharaoh so that now Paul argues thus to comfort himself God that did so much for Israel of old in delivering them from Pharaoh will do as much or more in delivering them from their persecutors Esau and the like This is plainly proved by several places of Scripture as in Esay the 10. vers the 24.25 and 26. Where he describes the manner of Gods proceeding in the second place to be according to that of Egypt Esay the 11.16 Esay the 34. from the fifth verse to the end and this deliverance of Israel was not procured by or from themselves but it proceeded from the breast of God himself for he looked down upon Pharaoh's cruel dealing with them and he wrought their deliverance onely they were to do what he bid them to go when he bid them go and to stand when he bid them stand and so must we or they in the second Salvation by Christ the mercy is free Christ is free but we must do as Christ bids us we must hearken to the voice of this Prophet in whatsoever he speaketh unto us Acts 7.37 and as it was then to Israel they were to hearken unto Moses that Prophet they were to go on when he bid them and to stand still when he bid them so likewise it is now so that therefore we conclude thus that mercy and pardon is free it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth yet man must receive it or else he shall be never the better for so now I proceed to vers the 18. Therefore he will have mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth The Apostle is now about to describe God as a Supream Majesty that hath power to punish or acquit these words are woefully abused Some gather from these words that God hardens and shews mercy by his royal prerogative onely without reference to mans works or deservings yet at the same time the same persons deny an earthly King to use such a power but call him a Tyrant that doth rule by his will and prerogative and not by his Law declared but the Apostle herein shewing the will and power of God doth not intimate unto us that he will quit the guilty or condemn the innocent but in a way of Justice and Equity according to his declared Law and will Rom. the 2. and several other places where he declareth to reward every man according to his works and this he hath power to do namely if men break his Laws to punish them and if men obey him to reward them Gods will here spoken of his his word part of which will is John the 6. and the 40. This is the will of him that sent me that he that seeth the Son and believeth in him should have life and the second part of his will is Mark the 6. and 16. He that will not believe shall be damned God will go by this will and it being not observed he hath this power to execute his Laws to the uttermost But here I shall meet with a great objection God hardens whom he will and so he hardens Pharaoh for his will or pleasure to which I answer that as hardnesse and blindnesse is a sin so God hath no hand in it but onely as it is a punishment of sin so he hath a hand in it and so he hardned Pharaoh and so he blinded the Jews But for a more particular answer let us a little consider what way and means God took to harden Pharaohs heart It is by no other means then by mercies and deliverances for all the while the judgements were upon him we find a softnesse in his heart but it was upon the removing and taking off the plague which was an Act of grace and mercy that Pharaoh contracts this hardnesse upon himself Now that this way was a just ground from God to harden Pharaohs heart let all men judge for it is the same way and course that both God and man takes to soften and we know by experience that by this means many hearts have been softned as Ezekiel the 16.63 It was that that softened Saul when David shewed him mercy in cutting off the lap of his Garment onely when he might have slain him but this hardness of Pharaohs heart is no other ways to be attributed to God then the stinck of a dunghil to the Sun or the hardening of a clay-Wall which we know falls out accidentally not intentionally and thus God provoked David to number the people which in one place is attributed to God and in another place to Satan which was true on both sides for first as he had life and motion and heat that was frow God but as he supplied this life motion and heate to triumph in the arme of flesh this was from Satan and thus God is the authour of all the great transactions of the Sons of men and thus he was

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