Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	woe_n	word_n	world_n	176	4	5.1765	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77486	Brightman redivivus: or The post-humian of-spring of Mr. Thomas Brightman, in IIII. sermons. Viz. [brace] 1. Of the two covenants. 2. The danger of scandals. 3. Gods commission to Christ to preach the Gospell. 4. The saints securitie.	Brightman, Thomas, 1562-1607.; Halsted, John.	1647 (1647)	Wing B4691; Thomason E375_16; ESTC R201349	89,168	128

Third the godly their sayings and doings For the first the word of God is a Scandall in either part of it whither the Law or the Gospell The Law is to many a Scandall either through ignorance or wilfulnesse Thus the Iewes were Scandalized through a carnall zeal they bare to the Lord thus Rom. 7. The Law is a Scandall to out corruption which while the Law restraines it rages more and takes occasion to work Concupiscence and death Thus also the impossibility of the Law is a great Scandall to ignorant men they not conceiving how it should be just with God to command things impossible to corrupt nature But chiefly the Gospell and Christ are great Scandals in the world in so much that Christ pronounced them blessed that were not scandalized at him Math. 11. And wee have divers particular examples in this case John 6.61 and 66. Math. 15.12 Some are Scandalized at the person of Christ because outwardly it was contemptible some at his familiar conversing with sinners some at his ordinary kind of dyet some for speaking against traditions some for derogating from Moses and the Law some at his sufferings and death some at the Doctrine of justification of spirituall eating his flesh and at the secret and free worke of Gods drawing men to him Ioh. 6. Some are offended at the diversions that arises through the Gospell called for this end Fire Some are offended at the crosse that followes Christian Profession Againe many are offended at the condition and quality of the Church as well in regard of the Preachers thereof that they were simple unlearned Fishermen not learned Rabbins and now the Preachers thereof mean men and no great wise men for the world Some are offended at the Believers that they are few not many and those of the meanest sort Not many wi●e noble c. 1 Cor. 1.26 27. Some are offended at the Worship and service of God These with more which might be added doe shew how true this is but without any default on the truth sake for so deere and precious ought the word of truth and every part thereof be to us that though the whole World should be offended yet it may not be concealed and made marchandise of Indeed the manner of handling of some parts of it as of Predestination may minister offence justly but that is not in the Doctrine but in the indiscretion of men handling it amisse Secondly as the word and worship of God is a great Scandall so are the works of God For man not being able to conceive the reason of them for God doth not give a reason as Job speakes yet man thinking to measure them by the line of his crooked judgement is offended at the varying from the same Thus David was offended at the worke of God in smiting Vzzah and was grievously troubled at the worke of God in the prosperity of the wicked and affli●tion of the Godly Psal 37. and 73. So was Ieremy and Habbacuck So are many calling into question the Providence of God by this meanes Some are offended to see the wicked as live in pleasure so die in Peace without disturbance when as yet the godly besides the evill in their lives time have much bitternesse of soule and body in their death Of all these the Prophet Hosea speakes excellently Hosea 14. and the last verse The wayes of the Lord are Righteous the Righteous shall walke in them but the wicked shall stumble at them Thirdly Gods children in their practices are an eye-sore and offence to the ungodly what ever they doe or say they are not pleased Neither Iohns Austerity nor Christs Lenity did please the Iewes and this in some is through ignorance while good is taken for evill and evill for good Others of malice while good is disgraced with reproachfull names and evill is varnished with goodly pretences and amiable names yet what hath the Righteous done but that the poore sheepe if she drinke must be counted a disturber of the water Thus Ahab was offended with Elias Ahaziah and Iehoram with Elizeus Ahab with Michaiah Daniel offensive to Darius Courtiers but God forbid that the Righteous should forsake his Integrity for all these things And thus we haue seene the divers kinds of Scandall against others either God or men The Scripture also shewes how men are Scandals to themselves because by corrupt words affections and lusts they doe make themselves at least to saker and be slothfull in the way of Salvation ins●aring themselves in sins As Math. 5.29.30 and 9. verse The knowledge of these things are necessary for the informing of our minds and reforming of our judgements and for direction in the whole course of life that knowing them wee may avoid them But the further use of it will appeare in that that followes Having spoken sufficiently of the first point let us come to the second The second point is the Misery for least Christ might be thought to speake of a light or unnecessary matter he doth forewarne that it is most weighty as being not the least cause of the miseries and judgements of God on the world And this is set down in the word Woe woe which comprehends all evils Ezech. 2.20 It is a word of one sorrowing which in great griefe and lamentation is usually taken up of mourners whither for themselves or for others And Christ doth here partly expresse the heavinesse of it by that is added It were better a Mill stone were hang'd about ones neck and he cast into the Sea So that here it is used figuratively being a Metonymya of the effect for the cause For a great and lamentable evill which is to come on the world through Scandals For it must needs be a most fearfull calamity wherby not one or two but the whole world should be driven to an effeminate kind of mourning because the judgements on the same are universall and grievous Object But some may say where is this evill and sorrow Answ To this answer is made That Christ heere speakes not of the mourning which would be but of that which should bee He speakes of the certainty of the evill and how men sbould be affected in and with the same Object But the World sees it not and therefore laments it not Answ The wicked are carelesse and secure and so the outward man and the flesh have the appetite they have no Spirituall eye to discerne when the e●tate of the World is truely miserable But the faithfull whose eyes God hath opened to see these evils they sigh and testifie their sorrow by sighing as the Prophets while they cry'd out the judgements of God to the secure people themselves mourned and fasted Crying my leannesse my leannesse I am pained at the heart Esay 24.16 Habacuk 3.2 and 16. verses Ier. 4.19 20. Ier. 9.112 Esa 22.4 Luke 1● 21 Christ wept for Jerusalem when it laughed fasted while it feasted he foresaw the evils to come when as they would take no notice of

to be seene of Joseph advanced by Pharoah in Naamans servant divers others in Scripture as Nehemiah waited on Ashuerosh For this womans name it was Agar this as occasion served was imposed on her by Abraham or his Family and it signifies so much as that Stranger So then we see what manner of one the Mother of the one Son was to wit a Servant an Egyptian by Nation a stranger by her Name But what is this to the Son Namely this To shew her Son to bee a Servant as the Proverbe is The brat or brood followes the Belly But you will say It was shewed before that the condition of the Parents neither helps nor hurts the Of-spring To this the answer is It is true in regard of the grace of God but not as touching Externall and civill condition for in this regard such Parents such Children Now this Externall condition of these Sons God doth not make the cause of bestowing or with-holding his Grace but onely a figure and type thereof But why is the sonne of the Servant first mentioned Answ First because hee was the elder Second because for the most part the condition of the sonnes of this world in carnall things is better then the children of God they take to themselves lofty tytles as the Son of the servant was called Ishmaell one heard of God But the Son of the free-woman called Isaac Laughter not onely of the laughter of his Parents but because he was laughed at and scorned of Ismaell which Paul calls Persecuting in the 28 verse againe Ismaell grew presently into a mighty and populous Nation Gen. 17.20 and 25. chap. 11.12 vers But Isaac scarce crept up in many ages but such is the will of God who hath layd up better things for his least being fastned to the earth they should forget heaven The other Son was of the free-woman of Sara a wife no captive nor bought with money and no way of Servile condition but Free the neice of Abraham and this is the first difference of these two Sons arising of the differing condition of their Mothers The second difference is in regard of the manner of Procreation the Son of the servant is sayd to be borne after the Flesh that is after the ordinary course of Nature without any word of God going before to that end Secondly hee is said to be borne after the Flesh because hee was begot and borne by the counsell of the flesh which Sara suggested to Abraham For when they had received from God a Promise of a Son and had long expected the same till growing in yeares shee thought it vaine to expect it any longer of her selfe she thought it might be that what God had Promised hee would performe by another and so out of the desire of seed shee perswaded her Husband to goe in into her Maid This counsell was of the Flesh and therefore that that was borne of it is said to bee borne after the Flesh This practise though it did argue great Humility and Ingenuity in Sara in not envying that honour to her Maid which she thought was denyed to her selfe yet herein greatly to bee blamed because she ought not by her owne over-hasty desire to have prevented the Lords opportunity and therefore this her fact doth openly declare our corruption which can not beare any long delay but through irksomnesse wee are ready to attempt by unlawfull meanes such things as God would have effected by himself in seasonable time neyther was Abraham blamelesse in this that hee did so easily hearken to his wife advising so ill But such is our Nature thus did the Children of Lot Gen. 19.32 Thus the Israelites not expecting till Moses returned Exod. 32. made the Calfe Thus did Saul in presuming to Sacrifice 1 Sam. 13.8 9. And in consulting with the Witch 1 Sam. 28.7 Vse This must teach us to take notice of this Corruption so watch over it that wee faint not in Faith if God at any time deferre to performe his Promise that we be not carried to the seeking of carnall and unlawfull means for the accomplishing of it but that in Faith and Patience wee possesse our soules depending on him who is faithfull able and most wise to effect every thing in due season The want of this God complaines of in the Israelites Psal 78.41 That the limited the holy one of Israell And David was overtaken with this in his Passion Psal 116. I said that all men were lyars But hee that Beleeves makes not hast Isaiah 28.16 and 30.18 Blessed are all they that wait for him A second thing to bee observed hence is That albeit Ismael was begot by holy Counsell in regard of the parties giving it and in regard of the end why given yet because he was conceived without the authority of Gods word hee is said to be born after the Flesh Abraham was not moved by lust but by his wives perswasion If yet for all this the Scripture doth taxe this as a carnall Birth then of what account shall that unbridled lust be had to the fulfilling whereof men are caried with the breach of all the barres and bonds of Nature modesty and the ordinance of God Sure the damnifying of the Child so borne should bee of greater force to restraine then the gaine got by such filthy pleasure should provoke for though God being bound to none can and doth freely bestow his mercy where seemes him good yet as much as in us lies that which is borne by such conception is made altogether Carnall Not onely opprobious in regard of civill condition and dishonesty of birth then which what injury can be greater but is also made naked and destitute of divine Grace which consideration of it might take place would be an effectuall bridle to this raging and raigning sin of Lust seeing this is so that this action and the fruit thereof in some sort holy is termed carnall let us take heed of good intents it is the Divels subtilty to corrupt our good wee doe by doing it oft to bad ends and to encourage us to doe evill by propounding good ends but both these are displeasing to God Good intents then though never so holy yet being besides the word are taxed and are unlawfull and dangerous as are seene in the examples of Saul 1 Sam. 15. In sacrificing See what a goodly end he had verse 11. and 12. so 1 Sam. 15. They were reserved for Sacrifices So 2 Sam. 23. beginning Saul slew the Gibeonite forzeale to the Israelites yet a Plague came on the Land for the same Second It behoves us to watch over our hearts and to examine the thoughts and suggestions thereof that they savour not too rankly of the flesh for even this counsell heere called Carnall had not his ground meerly on the flesh but in part of that faith which she had in the Promise of God So subtile is the divell sayes learned Beza that he can serve his own turn not onely of our

false Doctrines to arise to seduce many So that the Romish Antichrist arose who challenged the authority of God to himself in abrogating divine Ordinances and making new in binding Conscience in pardoning Sin and in making a God of the Bread and how many follow this worship Now whence is it but that by the just Judgement of God they dash against this Rock which have not received a love of the truth And the same Iudgement of God is among us for when the love of Religion hath long since begun to decay God hath sent such as shall embrace the same in shew onely Hath not this Scandall caused that many who began to professe Religion long since have made yet so small progresse Many that had gone well on are gone backward and few that increasing persevere hence it comes by Gods just judgement that the evill wee see in others we follow as a Banner displayed This is the first Reason of this necessity which teaches that men are farre off from that happinesse they dreaming feyne to themselves while they injoy occasions and liberty of Sin without controlement for then are they carried with the heaviest judgement of God if they had eyes to see it as the Prophets above did bewayle the peoples case in this behalf and such as Christ in justice left the Pharises unto saying Let them alone and the Scripture Hee that is filthy let him bee filthy Dan. 12.10 The second Reason of this necessity is the Depravation of man for it must needs be to wit Mans wicked nature being such as it is confirmed by evill custome As it must needs be that Fire burne and an evill Tree brings evill fruit So it can not be that our corruption should bring forth any thing but evill Not that this depravation was planted in us by our Maker but that wee voluntarily have contracted the same to us in the fall of Adam for if it were in us by Creation it could not bee put off by no meanes nor in no measure As by no meanes the Fire can be made to coole or the Stone to flye and therefore seeing many holy men doe in part put of this Corruption it is apparent it is not Essentiall to mans nature Now the particular Corruptions which in men are the procuring causes and instruments of Scandall are these First a want of the love of God and his Truth Second the want of the Love of our Neighbour Hatred against some private persons love of our estimation profits pleasures honours and in generall the whole corruption of man whereby the tongue is made a Scandall by evill speaking the members of the body by being weapons of iniquity Blindnesse of mind frowardnesse of will perversenesse of affections selfe-love naughty Conscience conceit of ones own wit holinesse and righteousnesse and an aptnesse to receive any evill from another as one body receives infection from another These are the subserving causes to which the Divell insinuates himselfe Vse This consideration doth serve lively to decipher to us the greatnesse of the evill of sinne and naturall Corruption seeing it is a sin and a cause of sin and much woe and misery and in all these takes away all excuse from man as will appeare below The third reason is the finall cause of Scandall which in regard of the Elect is their tryall for it is the will of the Father that the elect be tryed that the chaff may be severed from the wheat that his gold might be purged his power in preserving might shine in our weaknesse and his mercy in our misery And the truth and power of Gods graces might be knowne to be greater while thereby the godly are preserved from the common infection As we admire those constitutions on those receits of Art whereby men living in the midst of an infected ayre and persons are yet free from the infection this consideration affords a double use Vse First It is a singular comfort to the godly in this necessity of so great misery that these Scandals are onely for their tryals and not for their confusion it may be their feet may trip against these blocks so that for a while they may goe slowly forward in the wayes of Piety but they shall never so fall as to depart from God and his truth Math. 24.24 There should be such strange delusions that if it were possible the Elect should be seduced thereby inferring to their endlesse comfort that it is not possible This is the priviledge of Gods children and the staffe of comfort in all miseries Vse Second this may serve to admonish unstable persons as Brownists who if they be the children of God as they perswade themselves they shall not be prejudiced in their Salvation It shall be only for their tryall therefore considering this end why God permits these Scandals it should be an effectuall meanes to strengthen them against them it shall turn to our further praise and glory if we can will and without offence in the midst of a froward and crooked generation And thus much of the Necessity In the fourth place a secret objection offers it self to be satisfied which is this Object That if a necessity be on these Scandals then the Authors thereof are not faulty and this Doctrine may seeme to make men desperate since these cannot be avoided Answ To this Christ answers that this necessity doth not ex●●●pt the Authors of Scandall from bla●● and punishment for there is a double Necessity The first is of Coaction or constraint when by some outward force and not of any internall and voluntary motion one is compelled to the doing of a thing As a stone by force is made to fly upward If such a necessity lay on man as whereby he were made to sin against his will then he were free from all fault But when as this necessity do adde no violence to the will but it is carryed wholly by its owne swing to wickednesse as loving the same this Necessity hath no excuse because it takes not away freedome This is briefly set down but excellently by that learned and judicious writer Doctor Abbot out of Barnard It is a voluntary and miserable free Necessity wherein neither can necessity Note ☞ excuse the Will because it is voluntary nor the will exclude necessity because it is intangled with delight therein Wherein Will takes from man all matter of defence and necessity bereaves him of possibility of amendment of himselfe So that the Will in a strange wise causes this Necessity to her self for there is one way Necessity by the habit of corruption and another way liberty by the free motion of the Will Vse Hence we learne that excuse that men make pleading Necessity is a false plea and unsufficient seeing this Necessity is such as was voluntary and was also contracted and procured by our own default The Philosophers could say That hee that offended by Drunkennesse was worthy of double punishment First for his fault Secondly for his