Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	aaron_n	calf_n	sin_n	58	3	5.2414	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91728	Orders from the Lord of Hostes, for regulating the hostes of the Lord. Set down in a sermon preached at the leaguer before Newark, on Friday the 27th of March, 1646. By order from, and at the desire of the Committee of Lords and Commons, commissioners from the Parliament of England. Upon occasion of a publick fast and solemn humiliation, appointed to be kept that day throughout the English and Scotish armies before Newark, to seek a blessing from heaven upon the proceedings of the said forces in the present siege of that garrison. / By Edward Reyner preacher of the gospel in the city of Lincoln.	Reyner, Edward, 1600-1668.	1646 (1646)	Wing R1222; Thomason E337_1; ESTC R200816	27,994	40

A remarkable preservation and victory From that Time as Eusebius reports they had a peculiar appellation from the Emperour and were called Legio fulminea The thundring Legion Yea is not this to be cleerly seen as truly verified in our New-Modell wherein are so many reall godly Men Commanders in chief officers and souldiers how happy hath God made them and us by them through many great and glorious Deliverances Successes Victories given them by the good hand of our great God such as the world can scarce parallel and deserve to be sacred to all Posterity Though this New-Modell hath been much despised by Men chiefly I suspect for their piety yet highly advanced by the Lord as his Hoste chosen to fight his battles with prosperous and blessed successe to be Humane-Saviours unto this sinking Kingdome God crowns Piety with victory where ever he finds it especially in an Army 6 Lastly Reas 6. because there should be a suitablenesse betweene the Cause and the Manners of the Persons which have the Managing of it Great pitty a good Cause should be transacted by bad persons The Cause our Army hath in hand is holy just and good what manner of persons ought all those to be in holy Conversation and Godlinesse who have undertaken it Now have I done with the Generall Doctrine of the Text. It is the Duty and Glory of an Army to be holy In the next place let us consider what particular Instructions may be gathered from the Text. We may refer them to two Heads 1 for informing Iudgment 2 for regulating Practice 1 For information of Our Judgements the Text furnisheth us with these Particulars 1 That it is an Errour to thinke Instruct 1. it matters not what mens manners be or how an Army is ordered if they be but good Souldiers which they can scarce be in Gods sense unlesse they be good men If the Camp should be holy must not the Men in it be holy What makes a holy Camp but holy Commanders Officers and Souldiers How can a Fabrick be good if the Materials be bad You may as well say it is no Matter whether God own an Army or disclaim it be with them or against them deliver them or destroy them be amongst them or depart from them give Enemies up to them or give them up to their Enemy whether an Army be clean and clothed or be naked unclean and the filthy Nakednes thereof appear even in the sight of God or whether it prosper or perish 2 Instruct 2. It informs us what is the one thing needfull in an Army for the defence and successe thereof or what is the principall cause of all preservations and victories in it namely Gods presence God is in the midst of the Campe how as the Sun is in the midst of the Planets as the Heart in the midst of the body An Army without God amongst them is but a dark dead Company such as the world would be if it wanted the Sun or a body without a heart As 1 The shield of their help for defence against their Enemies to save his people from them 2 The sword of their Excellency for offence of their Enemies to assault and overcome them Deut. 33.29 3 The Captain of their Host to lead them on and fight for them Josh 5.14 2 Chron. 13.12 3 Instruct 3. It lets us see on the contrary what is the cause of ruine to an Army of Surprizals Blows Foils Defeats Routs Wickednesse in it is the Cause of all disasters that befall it of bad successe to it For sin in the Campe produceth 3 bad and sad effects It 1 Makes an Army naked to their shame and reproach As Aaron made Israel naked to their shame amongst their Enemies by making the molten Calf Exod. 32.25 And as King Abaz made Judah naked 2 Chron. 28.19 So doth Uncleannes and Unholines make an Army Naked that is 1 Unarmed men among their Enemies ready to be devoured by them 2 Deformed in themselves like a naked man whose deformity is great for want of clothes to cover his nakednesse Revel 3.18 16 17. 2 Makes God depart from an Army deprives it of his counsel and strength rescue and protection When Israel had sinned and taken off the accursed thing I well not be with you any more sayth God to them except yee destroy the accursed from amongst you Josh 7.11 12. The abomination which the house of Israel committed made God go far from his Sanctuary Ezek. 8.6 and as farre from his Army Ponder well the wofull effects of Gods departure from an Army When God is gone our defence and strength is gone then welye open to the Enemy we become bread for them If God cast us off and go not forth with our Armies then hee puts us to shame makes us to turn back from the enemy Ps 44.9 to 14. and they which hate us spotle for themselves he makes us a reproch to our neighbour a scorn and derision to them that are round about us Look upon the sad condition of the Hoste of Israel when smitten at A● because God provoked by Achans plundered stuff withdrew his presence a little from them therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies Iosh 7.12 This made the hearts of the people to melt and become as water Verse 5. And Joshua with the Elders to fall to the earth upon their faces and to put dust upon their heads untill the eventyde Verse 6. 3 Yea sin in the Camp sets God against his own people Esay 63.10 Lament 2.5 and makes him become their enemies as sayth the Prophet Israelrebelled and vexed Gods holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Iudg. 2 14. Sin moves God to sell them into their enemies hands as he did Israel into the hands of their enemies round about so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies 4 Instruct 4. Out of this Text we may gather and learn the lawfulnesse of war It 's lawfull for Gods people to make war upon enemies in a just cause 1 Else God would not own Souldiers or a fighting people for his people as he did Israel when they were an Armie nor in●●tle lumselfe to them as theirs by speciall right So he doth here The Lord thy God 2 Else would not God honour the Camp with his speciall prosence as to walke assiduously and continually in the midst of it 3 Else God would not doe such great things for his people in a Martiall way or in and by an Armie as to deliver them and subdue their enemies for them and to them God would not have walked in the midst of Israels Camp to have done this for them God hath done wonderous things by Armies for us of late even miraculous deliverances defeats discoveries victories immunities as he did for his ancient Hoste the Israelites in the dayes of old Are not these cleer evidences and pledges of

fighting Armie a thundering Legion so that the campe be holy When other Souldiers that are rude and have no savour of the things of God nor care of their own souls will goe drinke till drenke or sing foolish songs talke ribaldry or play at Cards and so game away their time and money Oh goe you and pray together seeke God together edifie one another in faith patience courage godlinesse helpe one another heaven-wards strengthen your selves mutually against corruptions tentations and discouragements to which you are subject as men as Christians and as Souldiers The fruit and comfort hereof will rem●in with you when all vain delights and sports are vanished and leave a sting behinde them in the conscience I thinke Souldiers of all other men should be good Husbands both with their Money and Time to spend it well 1 With their Money not to shufle and cut it away at Cards nor cast it away at Dice seeing they get it with the hazard of their lives it is the price of bloud 2 Sam. 23.15 16 17. David would not drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem though he longed for it because his men got it with so much hazard Is not this said be the bloud of the men that went in jeopardie of their lives therefore he would not drinke thereof but poured it out unto the Lord as an offering of Thanksgiving unto God for delivering them out of that danger If David would not drinke the water that was drawn with the hazard of his mens lives vvill you game away the money you carn vvith the hazard of your ●●vn lives every day 2 With your Time because yours is most uncertain and may be very short That which is past cannot be recal'd and that which is future cannot be assured only the present Time is yours improve it I beseech you to better purpose then drinking or playing you may be cut off before to morrow Oh! Remember you carry your lives in your hands continually Should not a Souldier be a Saint because he is in danger of death and damnation every houre if he continue in sin un-repented and un-reformed Such as spend their Time in play or idlely can be in no good posture for death and judgement 〈◊〉 they make a course to lye down in sorrow and to be buried in a field of shame Souldiers consider is there not as good fellowship in praying as in playing together in singing Psalms as base Ballads in talking of spirituall matters for the benefit of your souls as in opening your mouth and in multiplying words without knowledge say to one another Come fellow-souldiers let us go pray or seeke God or instruct incourage admonish warme the heats of one another by sweet-breathing of holy Counfail and bosom-experience What shall we march and watch and fight and lye and dye together for so we may for ought we know and shall wee not pray together nor serve God together that if we go out of the world together we may go to Heaven together Should we not be holy together in our militant state here that we may be happy together triumphantly to eternity hereafter Shall we do duties together for man in the field and not for God and for our own souls in our Quarters Accustome your selves to such spirituall exercises Now as will be your delight when you go hence and shall be no more There is neither drinking nor gaming much lesse swearing and revelling in the grave whither your bodies are going or in Heaven whither you desire your souls may go What will it profit you to win the Field and get spoyls and lose your precious souls I will conclude this Application of my Text to our Commanders Officers and Souldiers in a few brief Cautions and Mementoe's to them all as an abridgment of all Cautions three 1 Take heed of sin for God will not go among a Company of base debauched disordered fellows such are most obnoxious to a fatall stroak Ier. 25.31 Amos 9.10 God will give them that are wicked to the sword And the sinners of the people shall dye by the sword though they be such as use the sword One such person sometimes brings Gods judgements on a whole Army as Achan did on the Hoste of Israel by plundering the goodly Habylonish garment 200 shekels of silver wedge of gold Iosh 6.18 7.12 Eccles 9.18 Non prospere pugnant adversus malos qui ●psi sunt mali which made the Camp of Israel a Curse 〈…〉 One sinner destroys much good You that fight for God against Enemies should keep your selves free from the sine of Enemies else the successe will be doubtfull They that go against Babylon should first go out of Babylon 2 Take heed of self-confidence trusting in your own strength skill valour or weapons of War This will blast all your designes and hopes See the effect of it in thee Champion Goliah 3 Take heed of by ends or self-respects in the service as paper praise booty plunder preferment It s true a souldier deserves his pay as the labourer doth his wages but to make this your sole or chiefe End of Ingaging in so good a Cause as you have in hand is to be very mercinary even to make a Trade of killing men for money when you have gotten your salary I feare it will be said Verely you have your Reward Brave Gallant-spirits should scorn poore low ends Let the ends and aymes you set up in your hearts of all the service you performe in this Cause be pure and high as Gods glory publike good and discharge of your duties for conscience sake in what you have undertaken The Mementoe's are three also 1 Remember I beseech you all to make your peace vvith God by faith repentance for your sins before ye go forth to fight vvith the Enemy It s not sufficient to die in a good Cause except you be in a good estate for your souls if you vvould avoid the second death 2 Remember to commit your life soule and whole selfe and all you have into Gods hands when you goe to charge the Enemy Psal 31.13 Trust God with all look at God as grasping you and yours in his hands that you may wholy attend the businesse in hand and cast the care of all other things wholy upon God What quiet and comfort is this to a Souldier to be able to say when he goes to looke his enemie and for any thing he knows even death that King of terrour also in the fate as Paul did I know in whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.12 and I am perswaded he is able to keepe that which I have committed to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my pledge or what I have deposited with him untill the day of Christ If you will confidingly carry your lives in your own hands not put them seriously by faith into Gods hands and custody as Paul did earnestly his soul in times of suffering you may soone lose and scatter them or have them taken from you 3 Remember when you got to fight in this present war you carry foure precious Jewels in your hands committed to you 1 The Cause of God or his Truth 2 The Peace of the Kingdom 3 Your present lives 4 Your future hopes even for eternity What manner of persons ought you to be in point of godlinesse and boldnesse diligence and faithfulnesse to discharge so great a Trust and be able to give a good account of them all Oh be vigilant and valiant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quit your selves like man be strong The Lord of Hosts be with you and the God of Jacob be your refuge and your recompence FINIS