Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	affliction_n	great_a	sin_n	1,620	5	5.2580	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03698	The shield of the righteous: or, The Ninety first Psalme, expounded, with the addition of doctrines and vses Verie necessarie and comfortable in these dayes of heauinesse, wherein the pestilence rageth so sore in London, and other parts of this kingdome. By Robert Horn, minister of Gods Word.	Horne, Robert, 1565-1640.	1625 (1625)	STC 13825; ESTC S104237	130,560	160

sinne as many let bloud to preuent sicknesse before they be sicke so wee are chastened of the Lord that wee may not be condemned of the world 1. Cor. 11.32 Many are hurt by fulnesse and God keepeth such lowe and needic Riches make many proud and therefore God denieth riches to all of his whom hee knoweth to bee subiect to this swelling Many that haue children cocker them vp to damnation making them Gods and God an Idoll that his children may not do so God oftentimes giueth them none or taketh those they haue and they that are blowne vp with vaine praises many times meete with a storme of slander vpon their names to humble them Sometimes God trieth vs by afflictions how much wee will suffer for him and how patiently when he dealeth in such rough manner with vs oftentimes hee setteth vs vp as his marke to shoote at that the arrowes of his quiuer may pierce into vs to proue what is in vs and as Peter was bound in prison with two chaines and shut vp as fast with a strong watch and iron gate as malice could deuise for the safe keeping of him till he should be brought out to the people the next day Acts 12 5. which was not in any displeasure to Peter on Gods part but to make his deliuerance more glorious verse 18 19. so the Lord may and doth sometimes shut vp by Pestilence and a persecuted life as with chaines in prison his dearest Peters and with troubles keepe them in as with an iron gate not because he loues them not but that he may shew his greater power either by deliuering them into the libertie of this life or of the Saints in the life to come Besides S. Peter speaketh of a fierie tryall or iudgement that beginneth at Gods owne house not to consume it like drosse but to purge it like gold not to destroy it but to build it with more glory and excellency 1. Pet. 4.12 17. Vse 2 A doctrine of patience in all crosses euen in the greatest that can come For what hurt is it to beare that that cannot hurt vs when it is at the worst Besides in bearing of troubles what doe we suffer but what God may iustly lay vpon and to be able to beare them or to beare them without hurt is it not the gift of God and one of our receipts from his bounty and goodnesse And if we haue receiued grace to beare and promise to ouercome in the hardest things we suffer why should wee despaire in any aduersitie or become clamorous in any If God smite vs with Pestilence why should wee not beare that is patiently beare the correction that cannot hurt vs or why should we like madde Dogges as some doe being our selues infected goe about desiring to bite others with an infected tooth some say this commeth from the disease but I say it commeth from a desperate vnquietnesse in men of crueltie or if the disease cause any such distemper it will bee corrected much by patience in Gods children Say the Pestilence could hurt the righteous is that sufficient warrant for them to hurt others by the same If God lay it vpon them iustly may they vniustly lay it vpon others And as in the stroke of Pestilence so in the stroke of the heart by anguish of spirit why should Gods mourners be impatiently cast downe when in their sharpest fits and hottest fornace they shall dash against nothing that can hurt them if a fourth be with them in all that fire whose forme is like the Sonne of God as there is alwayes such a Deliuerer with them in such fires Dan. 3.25 What doe they feare or are they impatient to sowe the seed of teares that they may bring their sheaues with them they mourne that they may be comforted Math. 5.4 Doth this trouble them their afflictions are the medicines that heale their sinnes Would they not haue their sinnes cured tribulation bringeth forth patience Rom. 5.3 This is the mothers owne child in Gods children and wil they by their frettings and impatiencie beget other effects as it were some monster vpon her Afflictions cause sorrow for sinne sorrow for sinne causeth repentance and repentance bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse Rom. 6.22 Doth this gradation displease them and if this doe not what can for this is the worst that God intendeth to vs by our crosses And if wee beare the worst that is this what great thing doe wee the like may bee said of all other the like afflictions vnder beauen for to the righteous they are but fire to their gold to purge it and honour to their persons to set them in a higher roome Luke 14.10 and can it be any burthen to their patience to shine in their faith as in fine gold and being on the low ground to be bid to sit vp higher Whatsoeuer can come God will prouide for his little Church though the earth be moued and though the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea Psal 46.2.3 if her nursing fathers forsake her and her Nurses leaue her they shall perish but deliuerance shall come to her from some other place Hest 4.14 the day will come wherein with ioy she shall draw water out of the Wels of saluation Esai 12.3 and God will take the bridle of bondage from all her persecutors Is there not matter of patience yea of great thankfulnesse in all this So much for the first speciall proposition of Gods deliuerance by the Angels the second followeth VER 13. Thou shalt tread vpon the Lyon and the Aspe c. DAuid in this second speciall proposition of Gods deliuerance by the Angels speaketh of a further benefit by them to the righteous then he had spoken of before he said that they keepe them from harmes Heere he faith that they doe not onely keepe them from harmes but make them able to soyle all those that would harme them be it the Lion of the wildernesse or the roaring Lion of hell be it Man or Beast And this hee speaketh by his owne experience who by diuine assistance slew first a Lion and then a Beare 1. Sam. 17.36 neither preuailed onely against these but subdued in battell all his strong enemies and vanquished all powers against him on earth and in hell Hauing this experience himselfe he assureth all that walke in the way of the good Angels by a good and wel-ordered life that they shall walke in no dangerous wayes but euery step in the protection of God and so as no creature though otherwise cruell and venemous shall bee so to them but gentle and without offence Or if they will needs thrust forth their venome and in their fierce kinde set vpon them they shall be subdued to them by the Angels that keepe them And this speaking of the Lion the Adder the yong Lion and the Dragon hee setteth downe in a phrase of superiotitie saying They shall tread vpon them or insult ouer them as conquerors Some Writers restraine these

against sinners The reasons God is a righteous Iudge who will send no Plague where is no Reason 1 cause of Plague nor visite with euill but where are euill doers And if a wise father will not punish where is no fault God onely wise will much lesse Secondly as afflictions come not by chance see Iob 5.6 So Reason 2 when man suffereth he suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.30 No suffering but for sinne that is for sinne vnpurged and vnrepented of and therefore no sinne no suffering A terrour to these dayes and manners in which we liue For Vse 1 what can this land standing not as it doth in tearmes of sinne with God looke for but the Lords comming in anger and with great Plagues against it And if the euill of sinne brought the last great Plague how can we but looke for a greater in the same kind whose sinnes are more and greater now then euer Or is it the best and onely way for the auoyding of Pestilence sicknesse famine warre and death with other notable iudgements and strange Plagues to auoide the cause with the occasions for which they are sent then what hope can we haue to be long free from all these whose hearts are so carnall and wayes without repentance by all kinds of sinne old and new we haue runne our selues into great debt to God and his iustice and what can wee looke for but that he should speedily and fearefully require it in our destruction one way or another the sinnes of all ages are deriued to vs and our land is the sinke of them all at this day For what contempt is there euery where of God his holy word in his seruice what disorder and negligence his blessed name how fearefully and commonly is it blasphemed in all tongues and mouthes how are his Sabbaths violated and how is Gods day made the diuels day by an vniuersall prophanenesse how is the land filled with outrages and strange slaughters what shedding of bloud openly by frayes and quarrels closely by extortion and cunningly by poysons Incest adulterie fornication with their In-mates go through the land and when was there greater or like excesse in apparell and building as now How much of the patrimonie of the land goeth away in smoke and fumes and how much do these smoke-mongers consume daily in that which doth them no good but great hurt theses are common so are robberies oppression and the spoyle of the poore lying is become a science and art of great gaine and for false witnesse in iudgement strengthened with periurie and bold swearing what is it but an office of friendship and filthie hire These and the like sins are the sinnes of our age and nation we keepe them in our bosome and hide them vnder our tongue and how can we thinke to be spared in such consciences and delight of sinning how can it be but that as one cloud followeth another till the Sunne consume them so iudgement should be after iudgement till we be consumed either by the comming of the last day of by an end of Englands best dayes except repentance that Sunne of our skie that expelleth where it hath a strong and right worke all mists nay clouds of sinne turne all into a cleare heauen vnto vs by other manners and a better conuersation in Christ there is small hope to auoyde a disease and not to forbeare the things that bring it and who can hope to be in fauour that careth not to please So how can we thinke to auoyde any Plague fostering the plague of sinne or hope turning against God which wee do by impenitencie to haue credit with him Therefore as I said in these manners and in this state of sinne we prepare our selues and are readie for any destruction that God shall send not to auoide it not auoyding the cause but to perish in it whether Pestilence sword famine or other death But must wee if wee will preuent the Plagues that are sent Vse 2 auoyde the cause for which they come the cause is sinne or the euill custome of sinne much desired and followed by vngodly persons then we must abhorre and forgo by speedie repentance all such death-threatning customes and courses of life that make carelesse sinners naked that is open to all the strokes of God Exod. 32.25 we must strangle our sinnes if we would not bee strangled in them by Gods iudgements hauing stained our vessels we must cleanse them by repentance and fauour nothing that may bring vs out of fauour with God And specially let vs thinke of this when any iudgement begins For if we put iniquitie out of our hand and let no wickednesse dwell in our tabernacle we shall lift vp our faces without spot to wit of shame we shall be stedfast and shall not feare Iob 11.14.15 and 22.23 The wicked thinke of nothing this way either when a Plague is begunne or hath long wrought but as a man ouercome with his wine careth not in what dangers he lieth downe Prou. 23.34 nor where he makes his pillow so they are indifferent so strongly doth the wine of sinne worke in their heads and whole man whether they be in a storme or calme whether God be with them or against them whether it be peace or destruction that comes from the Almightie But such in stead of preparing for God prepare for the curse of God to which they make haste and in stead of reuersing euils bring them Here we further see that sin is the onely cause as of the Plague Vse 3 so of all Plagues and miseries that lie vpon our bodies soules or consciences sin is the only thing that God burneth vp in the wicked and purgeth in his children by his corrections for take away sinne and ye take away the cause of all punishments which is onely sinne God drowned the old world in a sea of waters but first they were drowned in a sea of sinne Gen. 7.11.12.21 and Sodome burning in lust was burnt with fire Gen. 19.24 25. There is a Cup in Gods hand mixed with red wine and they drinke of it who haue made vp their measure with their scarlet or red sins yea the dregges of it are powred out but alwaies vpon those that are frozen in their dregges Psal 75.8 Zeph. 1.12 If God send a wasting Pestilence vpon a Land it is because that Land hath sinned against him and sin is though not the naturall yet the prouoking cause thereof so the Scriptures teach Exod. 5.3 Ier. 29.18 1. Chron. 21.1.14 Psal 106.28 Deut. 28.28 Ezech. 16.46.47 1. Cor. 11.30 Leuit. 26.14.15 If therefore we serue God coldly or not at all if wee bee rebellious to him and his Ministers if we trust to creatures in the streights of troubles if we serue God superstitiously after our owne waies not after his word if young and old in our streetes horribly sweare and blaspheme if our fulnesse of bread cause pride and contempt if we eate in the leauen of bitternesse and drinke

of Amos whē the Prophet threatned them from the Lord with some vniuersall destruction did lie downe in vaine refuges which they sought out not turning to God by repentance And these thought they should be safe enough whatsoeuer could come and that he that sent these threatning snares before him in his iudgements proclaimed and alreadie working should not by them take them out of their priuiledged holes to destruction But Amos tels them that wheresoeuer they should be hid God would find them and though they vsed his owne Temple for the couer of their iniquities yet he would breake in by his iudgements and smite the dores and shake the postes of the same till there was no resistance the last of them or they that held out longest and therefore had more hope and could make better shifts then others should be slaine with the sword that is haue the same reward from the Almightie in destruction that those others had So Edom that would dwell in the clefts of the rockes that is in sure places as he thought or in places farre from the reach of God found that there was no hiding from him Obad. 3.4.6 And enter into the rocke saith Esay to a people rebellious a people that like rebels in a land take some strong Castles and hold them against the lawfull and right Soueraigne of the countrie yet there is no rocke of escape to runners from God Esay 2.10 And the high looke of Man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men abased and God onely exalted in that day verse 11 that is Man shall bee pulled out of his holes of shifts and God shall pull him out of them by some Plagues in the day of his affliction The reasons God is euery where and his power in all places Reason 1 as well in the Countrie as in the Towne hating sinne as much and deadly in Countrie-men as in Townes-men he can goe ouer the Land nay the whole world in farre lesse time then we can go from our seates to the Church-dore He can reach vs goe wee neuer so farre and soone ouer-turne vs striue we neuer so much Let it be Pestilence that he sends sinne is the fire of it in our bosomes to destruction which will goe with vs whither soeuer we remooue not remoouing from it that is from sinne the cause of it It is sinne that setteth his wrath on fire in the burning Pestilence or any other Plague and if it beginne to burne one way or other hee neede not fetch the coles of it from any other fornace then from that of the corruption which is in our owne flesh Secondly if God will doe a thing what can hinder him and Reason 2 who can resist his will Rom. 9.19 for what he will doe he will doe Esay 46.10 then if he haue a purpose to punish sinne and the sinne be not repented of that he hath a purpose to punish what creature or helpe mortall shall deliuer it What can change his minde that is inuincible and correct his thoughts that are absolute Thirdly the end of all Gods visitations and of this by Pestilence Reason 3 is to amend sinners or to punish them with death if they will not be amended and therefore if wee meane not to leaue our sinnes it can little auaile vs to leaue our places and to keepe our sinnes An instruction to confesse the Lords power and how easie it is Vse 1 for him to auenge himselfe of vs when wee haue prouoked him by our sinnes The Apostle maruelleth that sinners dare be so ventrous and hardie as to prouoke him that is so much stronger then themselues and therefore saith doe we prouoke the Lord to wrath that is would one beleeue that so poore wormes as we are durst tempt one that is so high and mighty as God is to treade vs downe to destruction or are wee stronger then he as if he should say hath any man found it so and not the contratie And if it be so then we must take vp with sinne if we would haue him to take vp with vs and pleade with him by repentance if wee would not haue him to pleade with vs by his iudgements but let vs not put off thus to compound our matters till hee sweare there shall be no more time by sending out those writtes that must be sealed with our bloud In Dauids Kingdome seuentie thousand perish 2 Sam. 24.15 but how by a little swelling in the flesh in how short time some thinke in one day and God could haue done it in one houre but if it were not done in one day it was certainely all done in lesse then three and how many the Text saith as hath beene said seuentie thousand men God can make his Hoast of the least of his creatures against vs and if by these he send for our foode who shall keepe it or if by these or the weakest of these hee send for our selues who shall saue vs who can water the earth if he restraine the bottels of heauen or shut the windowes of heauen If he make sicke who shall make whole but he that maketh sick and maketh whole What balme at Gilead what Physitian there can doe vs good if hee bee against it or except he doe it that is the Physitian of Israel Ier. 8.22 Deut. 32.39 Euery breath of God and euery creature made by God and armed by him is able to turne our bodies to dust and our thoughts to confusion yet so confident wee are of our little and proud of our nothing that we will neither know God nor our selues him in his power to humble vs nor our selues in our weaknesse to rise by him Vse 2 A reproofe of those who when a place is visited by the Plague of Pestilence repose their safetie in flying from that place but not from the sins of that place for which God in that visitation hunteth both them and it as if the swift Fouler of Israel had not his Net of Iustice in all places to cast ouer such carnall straglers and as if it were the place not the sinne of the place that he meant to visit But where God becommeth the Hunter and sinne is preserued as the game that he pursueth there is no aire so pure nor place so free and cleare that hath not snares of infection in it if the place were not infected the breath of such were sufficient to infect it and what other hope is there but that such corrupt and loose mates must needes poison with their sinnes the freshest and most sanguine aires Therefore if Pestilence bee sent the way to auoide it is to auoid all that grosse and foggie aire of sinne that smiteth with it and vapours of corrupt life that cause it otherwise let vs be in neuer so good an aire and dwell neuer so wholesomely so long as sinne is in vs vnrepented of there is matter enough for the Pestilence or any other iudgement that God shall send But the Plague of