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	moses_n	numb_a	187	4	9.7515	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92132	A sermon preached at the assizes in Thetford in the county of Norfolk the 15th day of March 1692/3 by J.R. ... ; published at the special instance and command of the judges.	J. R.	1693 (1693)	Wing R2343A; ESTC R42572	16,504	33

so pleasant as they would have had it and how could it be otherwise it was a Wilderness and they must now march through it if ever they would get to Canaan and as for their other Complaint that was more perverse and unaccountable for they eat Angels food and as it is said the water out of the Rock followed their Camp but yet to see what perverseness and discontent will prompt men to speak even against all Truth and Modesty they cry out they have neither bread nor water but to say the Truth they were grown Effeminate and Nice and lusted for flesh which as the Psalmist interprets it was for meat for their lusts Psal 78.18 and that was indeed the true cause of their Murmuring for being grown so exorbitant and ungovernable in their Appetites they knew not how to bear the Fatigue of the Journey but murmured at the necessary and unavoidable Troubles they met with altho' it was from a wearisome Bondage in Egypt to a Land flowing with Milk and Honey and in order to their Settlement and Establishment therein And this seems also some of the Murmuring the Apostle refers to in the Text for there were at that time most pernicious Hereticks in the Church that piqu'd against the Severities that Christianity exposed its Professors to for finding fault with the Hardship of Persecution Self-denyal and Mortification they were clearly for Indulgence and an easie Life as if God were too severe to put such things upon Men tho' it were in the way to everlasting Blessedness And we find also that this brought Destruction upon the Children of Israel and a very Remarkable Vengeance whereby much People died Numb 21.6 These are the Murmurings which we may well suppose the Apostle intends and cautions against they being those the Israelites were guilty of and for which so many of them met with Destruction in the Wilderness and such as there was great Cause the Corinthians should then be expresly warn'd of My next work is to shew how great Reason there is that none such be admitted into Practice especially among Christians II. The more gracious Dispensation we are under does not give us the greater Liberty to pique at Providence or capitulate with Heaven we have no Toleration to be Humoursome or Froward tho' things do not just jump with our Interests or Wishes But when we fall into Circumstances in any thing like those of the Jews under our present Consideration As they had the least Reason in the World to resent things as they did so have we And this will be easily discern'd by a bare Stating of the Case in the forementioned Respects First Suppose the Good-will and Pity of Heaven in compassion to any Distressed Church or People groaning under Oppression and Fears should by some Surprizing Providence deliver them and put them into a hopefull prospect of being yet Happy of a Secure Enjoyment of all the Blessings of Government and the Comforts of the Gospel And suppose all things in that Revolution and Hurry should not just agree with every mans Expectation Fancy or Interest as it is impossible it should Is that a just Cause to forget the Mercy and to set down and mutter Discontent to murmur at what is done and try to provoke Almighty God to break all in pieces again Is this a good Reason to contemn the Deliverance and with the perverse Israelites to be for making Captains to carry them back through Blood and War by Confusion Conspiracies and Tumults into the Bondage out of which they lately cried so loud Good Lord deliver us The bare Stating of the Case seems to make the thing very plain It is very probable that some of the Dissatisfied among the Corinthians might think they had some Cause to be Discontented the Leading Heretick among them might like the Spies tell them that the Establishment they lookt for in the Church was not like to be of that Advantage they expected they must encounter the Pagan Fury and the Jewish Zeal And if they could make way through those Difficulties yet the strict Discipline they must submit to would make that desired State an Uncomfortable one and that therefore they had as good settle back again to Paganism or Judaism or as they were enclined As they might represent things the Discontented and Unstable among them might think they could justifie their Complaints and that they had Cause upon these Accounts to throw off the Blessed Design of their Bishops and Pastors But says the Apostle Murmur not The Establishing of the Church of Christ among them was so Blessed a thing that to murmur at the Method and rather than submit to the Difficulties in the way to it to fall back to Idolatry again would be both irrational and base and no doubt extort Vengeance from God as the Jews experienced for so great an Offence and Contempt of his Goodness Secondly As to the next Case Suppose some Extraordinary Person should be stirred up in a generous Compassion or Zeal to relieve any such Distressed People which had no way left in Humane Judgment for an Escape out of their imminent Troubles and Fears as Moses was And suppose such an One should in a Way as it were Miraculous accomplish his honourable Undertakings and in so surprizing a Manner that the Hand of God may be visibly perceived in it And further suppose that in a gratefull Sense of such generous Love and in acknowledgment of the Deliverance as well as through Necessity such an One thus recommended by Heaven should be desired to undertake the Government and Protection of them and He when there is no Body else to doe it should undertake it Is there any Cause for any to say as some of the Jews did to Moses and Aaron Wherefore lift ye up your Selves above the Congregation of the Lord Numb 16.3 When it is apparent that nothing but the Hand and Power of God can put any One into such a Station how little Reason is there to say You take too much upon you Corah and his Companions were as stiff against Moses as if they would neither allow Heaven to set up a Ruler over them nor give way to any Government but what was according to their Scheme though doubtless their Brethren thought it was as Reasonable they should be pleas'd and especially when they apparently concurred with the Will of God But the Example of those Men is not to be followed 1 Cor. 10.5 forasmuch as with them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the Wilderness And that it seems was designed by God himself to be a convincing Argument that none in such a Case ought to pique against the Advancement or Conduct of such Extraordinary Persons when He sets them up nor be offended that He is pleas'd to rule the World according to his own Will and not theirs but Lastly The Children of Israel murmured that they met with some Difficulties upon their Escape out of Egypt