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	lord_n	sin_n	1,503	5	4.9511	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19508	The triumph of a Christian contayning three excellent and heauenly treatises. 1 Iacobs wrestling with God. 2 The conduit of comfort. 3 A preparatiue for the Lords Supper. Full of sweet consolations for all that desire the comfortable sweetnesse of Iesus Christ, and necessary for those who are troubled in conscience. Written by that worthy man Master William Couper, minister of Gods word.	Cowper, William, 1568-1619.; Cowper, William, 1568-1619. Conduit of comfort.; Cowper, William, 1568-1619. Jacobs wrestling with God.; Cowper, William, 1568-1619. Preparative for the new Passeover.	1608 (1608)	STC 5937; ESTC S117170	143,181	383

are they but sowne like graines of Wheate into the field and husbandry of the Lord which must dye before they be quickned but in the day of haruest shall spring vp againe most glorious and shall be restored by the same holy spirit who now dwels in them and as to our soules they are releeued our of this house of seruitude and that they may depart and turne to him from whom they came therefore haue I compared death to the red sea wherein Pharaoh his Aegiptians were drowned and sanck like a stone to the bottome but the Israelites of God went through to their promised Canaan So shall death bee vnto you O miserable Infidels whose eyes the God of this world hath so blinded that no more then the blinde Egiptians can you see the light of God that shineth in Goshan that is his Church although you bee in it to you I say your death shall bee a sea of Gods vengeance wherein yee shall bee drowned and shall sincke with your sinnes heauier then a Milstone about the neck of your soule to presse you downe to the lowest Hels But as to you that are the Israelites of God yee shall walk through the valley of death and not neede to bee afraide because the Lord is with you His staffe and his rod shall comfort you Albeit the terrours of Hell the horrour of the Graue the gultinesse of sinne stand about thee like mountaines threatning to ouerwhelme thee yet shalt thou goe safe through to the land of thine inheritance where with Moses and Meriam and all the Children of God euen the Congregation of the first borne Thou shalt sing prayses ioyfully to the God of thy Saluation And thus we see how that not onely our present afflictions but Sathan Sinne and Death are made to worke for the best to them that loue the Lord. CHAP. VI. How the plots and imaginations of men worke for the best to the Christian. NOw in the last roome concerning the imaginations of men against vs wee shall haue cause to say of them in the end as Ioseph said to his bretheren You did it vnto mee for euill but the Lord turned it vnto good The whole Historie of Gods Booke is as a cloude of manifold witnesses concurring altogether to confirme this truth I content my selfe therefore for all to bring one When Dauid was going forward in the battaile against Israel with Achish King of Gath vnder whom hee soiourned for a while in the time of his banishment the remnant Princes of the Philistines commanded him to goe backe and this they did for the worse to disgrace him because they distrusted him but the Lord turned it to him for the best Consider Dauids estate now and ye shall see him set betwixt too great extreamities If he had gone backe of his owne accord the Philistines might haue blamed him handled him as an enimie if hee had come forward hee should haue beene guiltie of the bloud of Israell and especially of Saul the Lords annointed who was slaine in that battaile In this strait the wit of man can find him no out-gate but the prouident mercy of God deliuers him in such sort that no occasion of offence is giuen to Saul and his people because Dauid came not against them neither yet could the Philistines condemne him because hee went back by their commaund So notable a benefit did Dauid receiue euen by that same deede wherein his enimies thought they had done him a notable shame and it should learne vs in our straitest extreamities whereunto men can driue vs to depend on the Lord and euer then to hope for an outgate when we see none For such is thy prouidence O Lord whereby in mercy thou watchest ouer those euils that are intended against them that by thee they are turned into good to them And here we haue further to consider that seeing this is the priuiledge of euery one that loues the Lord much more must it appertaine to the whole Church of God It is the portion of Abraham being the father of the faithfull and one of Gods children I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee and shall it not belong thinke wee to all the congregation of the first borne will not the Lord be a Wall of fire round about Ierusalem and the glory in the midst of her will he not keepe her as the apple of his eye Shall not Ierusalem be as a cup of poyson vnto all her enimies and a heauie stone Yea surely all that lift vp themselues shall be torne though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it the weapons made against her shall not prosper euery tongue that shall rise against her in judgement shall bee condemned This is the heritage of the Lords seruants the portion of them who loue him For the Church is the Arke of God which may mount vp higher as the waters increaseth but cannot bee ouerwhelmed the bush which may burne but cannot be consumed the house built on a rock which may bee beaten with the winde and raine but cannot be ouerthrowne The Lord who changeth times and seasons who takes away Kings and sets vp Kings hath reproued Kings for his Churches sake and he gouerneth all the kingdomes of the earth in such sort that their risings fallings their changes and mutations are all dispensed for the good of his Church for there is but one of two sentences wherein all the Iudges of the world may iudge of themselues see cleerly their end Either that which Mordecai said to Ester who knowes if for this thou art come to the Kingdome that by thee deliuerance might come to Gods people Or else that which Moses in Gods name sayd to Pharaoh the first oppressor of Gods Church in his adolescency I haue set thee vp to declare my power because thou exaltest thy selfe against my people How miserable then are they who when they are highest abuseth their power to hold the people of God lowest Haue they not cause to feare least the Lord haue set them vp against him as an object of his power and Iustice if we will marke the course of the Lords proceeding euer since the beginning of the world we shall finde that as he orders the state of earthly power for the accomplishment of his wil concerning his Church so euermore a blessing followes them who are instruments of her good and by the contrary an ineuitable curse followes them who are the instruments of her euill When the Lord concluded to bring his Church from Canaan to sojourne in Aegipt he sent such a famine in Canaan as compelled them to forsake it but made plenty in Aegipt by the hand of Ioseph whom the Lord sent before as a prouider for his Church and by whom Pharaoh was made so fauourable to Iacob that he was allowed to dwell in Goshen but when such time came that hee would

were not vvorthy of the least and hath set vs downe as Sonnes and Daughters and Heires at the Table of his children that were not vvorthy as dogs and whelps to creepe vnder it haue vve not cause to crie out with Dauid O Lord what is man that this manner of way thou art mindfull of him Elizabeth maruailed that Mary came to visite her and in the humility of her heart cryed out Whence commeth this that the mother of my Lord should come vnto mee but we haue more cause to maruell at the maruailous mercies of the Lord for what are we that the fairest among the Children of men should be delighted with our loue and our Lord should come to visit the base estate of his Seruants communicate himselfe his light his life and his grace vnto vs Let no man thinke that I haue multiplied these places of scripture vvithout a cause The beginning of the diuision betweene vs and the Lord slowed from the pride of our nature vnlesse vve humble our selues and bee content in our minde to sit lower then dust and ashes by reason of our sin it is not possible vve can bee vnited with the Lord This is the councell that in fevv vvords Michah giueth vnto vs He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercie to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God The Lord is indeed a most high God yet he is nearest vnto them and they goe soonest vp vnto him who are least in their owne eyes and tremble at his words And beside this inward humiliation arising of the sence of our own vnworthinesse let vs come with a hunger thirst of the Lord his righteousnesse saluation For he will satisfie the hungry but the full he sendeth away emptie onely they that haue the spiritual appetite hunger thirst are meete to be communicants at this holy table As that oyle multiplyed by Elisha ceased not so long as the widdow had any vessell wherein to receiue it so shall neuer that oyle of grace decay but be multiplyed and increased vnto all that with open and inlarged hearts are ready to receiue it Thou therefore who art more ready to faint for spirituall hunger then was Ionathan come hether put out the hand of faith eate of this hony make thee full and thou that art sicke with the Spouse in the Canticles for the loue of Iesus come hether and the Lord shall stay thee with the flagons of his wine Art thou almost dead like that Egyptian the Seruant of an Amalekite whom Dauid found in the fields take and eate of this bread and thy Spirit shall returne againe vnto thee But alas where is this spirituall appetite to be found amongst vs the deadnes of our hart is lamentable wee see not our wants wee see not his beauty wee smell not his oyntments wee tast little of his goodnesse and therefore we make not hast to run after him Dauid mourned ouer the dead body of Abner but alas if wee could wee haue much more cause to mou●…ne ouer our dead soules Oh that there were in vs that holy desire which Dauid protesteth to haue beene in him My soule fainteth for the saluation of God As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters and thirstie ground desireth raine so my soule panteth after the liuing God Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for his righteousnesse for they shall bee satisfied These onely are the guests and banquetters that shall eate of the delicates which here hee hath prepared and whose soule shall bee delighted with his fatnesse These shall goe from this Table as Moses came downe from Mount Sinai his countenance changed They shall arise with Eliah and walke on in the strength of this bread all the whole dayes of their pilgrimage They shall goe on in their way with Sampson eating of the hony which they haue found They shall depart from this Table as the two Maryes did from the Sepulcher with great ioy These shall goe home to their owne houses iustified with the Publican reioycing because they haue found a treasure and hath felt the sweetnesse of this Manna they shall not bee able to conceale this great ioy from Israell but shall be forced to tell euery Nathaniell whom they meete We haue found the Messiah And in all time to come their soule shall cleaue to the Lord without separation more straightly then the men of Iudah and Ierusalem cleaued vnto Dauid their King They shall say to the Lord as Elizeus said to Eliah As the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth I wil not leaue thee and with Peter whither O Lord shall I goe from thee seeing thou hast the words of eternall life The Lord worke this spirituall disposition in vs for Iesus Christs sake to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory for euer FINIS A Table wherein all the Chapters of the three forenamed Bookes are particularly set downe 1. Iacobs wrestling with God A Priuiledge of the Godly that say God is with them none can bee against them to hurt them Chap. 1 Gods fatherly compassion appeares in that he handles vs most tenderly when we are weakest Chap. 2 The cause mouing the Lord to appeare to Iacob at this time Chap. 3 The first circumstance the time of the wrestling Chap. 4 The second circumstance the persons betweene whom the wrestling is Cha. 5 Consolations for the Godly afflicted Chap. 6 Comfort for Christs souldiers Chap. 7 The third circumstance the manner of the wrestling corporall spirituall or mixt Chap. 8 How we should behaue our selues in this tentation we are taught Chap. 9 Let vs euer leane to the word of God how strange soeuer his worke seeme vnto vs. Chap. 10 Verse 25. And when he saw that he could not preuaile Chap. 11 Vers. 26. And he said let me go Chap. 12 What notable effects the felt presence of God bringeth with it Chap. 13 The presence or absence of God is euer dispensed for the weale of his owne Children Chap. 14 How their inward exercises of conscience workes in the godly a diuorcement of their soules from all Creatures and a neerer adherent to the Lord. Cha. 15 Prayers of the Godly must be forcible acceptable to God seeing they come from his owne Spirit Chap. 16 Iacob cannot end till God haue blessed him Chap. 17 Faith through death espies life Chap. 18 The Godly in their prayers aboue all things seeke Gods fauour and blessing Chap. 19 Worldlings in their Prayers dishonour God and preiudges themselues Chap. 20 Faith obtaines euery good thing that it craues Chap. 21 Verse 27. Then he said It is the curse of the wicked to pray and not preuaile but it is not so with the Godly Chap. 22 The Lord by inward exercises of conscience makes his children strong to

Mat. 5. 2 Chris. in Gen. 32. How as mā Christ appeared to the Fathers before his incarnation Gal. Difference betweene Christs apparition and his manifestatiō after in the flesh Christs loue is seene in his familiar apparition to the fathers before the Law But more aboundant ly hath he shewed his loue to vs in this last age Iraen contra Val lib. 3 cap. 28. Bern. S●…r 2. de aduen dom Iraen contra ●…al lib. 3 cap. 31. Tertullide carne Christi Phil. 2. 7. Bern. de aduentu Dom. Serm. 1. Man lost himselfe aspiring to be like vnto God Christ hath saued Man by humbling himselfe to become like man Cypr. de Idol van Cipr. de Eleemos Esay 53. 5. Ephes. How is it that weake men in wrestling should bee partie to the mighty God Psal. 18. Iob. 12. Iob. 26. Esay 50. Iob. 38. Iob. 41. 1 Sam. 6. Because God vttereth not his power and houlds vp man by secret grace Chrisost. in Ge 32 Otherwise Man could not stand before him 1 Cor. 10. 13 Psalm 50. In wrestlings spirituall God is both our assaulter and vphold●…r Cyp. lib. 2 epist. Psal. 94. 17 Psal. 66. 9. Hose 6. Psal. The Lord will not giue his children immunitie from troubles Iam. 1. 12. Spirituall wrestling a witnesse of gods familiar presence with vs. 2 Cor. Prouer. 1 The. 5. 3 The wicked being dead captiues cannot fight 2 Tim. 〈◊〉 I. Rom. Wrestling a sure token of spirituall life Tim. In all our afflictions we should goe by the instrument and looke to God as our party Iob. Our impatience proceedes of this that vve looke to the instrument more then to God Mat. 6 August hom 14. Dan. Sam. Ruth Tertul. lib. de patien Ier. 12. 5. Rom. 8. Hos. 12. 4. Sore wrest lings when God at one time humbles his children both in body and minde Prou. Ps. 109. 22 Psa. 143. 4 Iob. 10. 17 Iob. 9. 8. 2 Cor. 7. 5 1 Cor. 10. A rare tentation whē Gods working seems to fight with his word and promise 1 By Iacob 2 By Abraham 3 By Iacob 4 By the woman of Canaan Ps. 119. 75 verse 89. ●…sa 38. 15. Pst 119. 18 Psa. 89. 33 4 The fourth circūstance how long endureth the wrestling 1 Chro. 10 13. Our afflictions are measured in quantitie qualitie and time Psal. This shuld teach vs patience in trouble for there is no deliuerance till God giue it How foolish are the wicked who seeke deliuerāce by other meanes Ier. 28. 13. We should pray to the Lord in trouble but not preuent him Psa. 16. 20 Psal. 27. 5. 5 The fift circumstance the euent of the wrestling Esay 40. In our spirituall battels we get no victorie without a wound Second part of the Historie containing the conference beetweene Iacob and the Angel Threatninges of spirituall 〈◊〉 are prouocations of the Godly to drawe neere vnto the Lord. Luke 24. 20. The Lord will haue vs to pray for these same blessings that he hath concluded to giue The Lords presence is not ioyned without intermission in this life Two sorts of the Lord his presence one secret which we want neuer another felt which allwaies wee enioy not Esay 43. 3. This felt presence before trouble is as a preparatiue Psal. 27. 1. And after trouble it is to Gods children a restoratiue Mat. 27. 4. Psa. 104. 2 It is granted for our cōsolation and taken away for our humiliation Bernard Spirituall desertions are prouocations of vs to follow the Lord. Lam. 1. 14. There is a striuing with God acceptable to him namely when wee will take no refusall of that that God hath promised Nothing in the world so strong as the prayer of the godly for they are the bands vvhereby the Lord is holden detained Iam. Rom. 8. Bern in fest Pent. Serm. 1. Psal. Pro. 10. 24 A warning for attention in prayer Chrisost. de Canan homi 15. We should not desp●…e our ovvne prayers they being povvred out vvithout presumption and why Macar hom 31. Cyp. lib. 1 epist. 1. A commendation of prayer Iacobs feruency and zeale in praier convinces our inconsideration and coldnesse Hovv may vve knovv vvhen God blesseth vs in praying to him The quick nes of faith Bern. in Epiphan serm 1. Faith in wrath can see mercy Faith offends not at the base forme and shape in which Iesus Christ appeared but throgh it sees him to be the king of glory Ber ser. 4. in vigil●… Dom. Mat. 2. 11. Mich. August serm 20. Hos. 5. Psal. 4. How foolish they are who in prayer seek other things before they seek the Lord. Bernard August serm 4. The onely way to get other things is first of all to seeke the Lord. Ier. 38. Faith a rare ●…ewell and why Cyril catech 17 A new name is giuen to Iacob Iacob had two names and they both are from wrest ling. With the new name God also giueth him new grace Ber. hom 4. super miss●…s est Hos. By this rule we should try if the new christian name be pertenent to vs or no. Ioh. It is horrible sacrilegde to sin vnder the christian name Miserable are the wicked for they desire that which they shall neuer obtaine The wicked haue receiued their consolation on earth Ionas Psalme No immunitie from affliction promised vnto vs. Many not cōsidering this become apostates in the time of trouble Carol. Sigon de repub haeb This made the Iewes stumble at Christ because they looked or a temporal kingdome Luk. 4. 18. 2 P●… 2. 20 Tim. Heb. 11. Pro. 19. 12 Esay Eus. lib. 4 cap. 16. They feare not much the wrath of man who haue been humbled with the sense of the wrath of God Rom. Especially not to search out the diuine majestie farther thē it is reuea●… led to vs in the word Prou. Basil. de martyre Maman Iud. 2 Points of necessary knowledge Yet neglected by Adams sins who desired rather to eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life Dent. This curiositie bridled and reproued Rom. Ciril Catechi 6. Aug. de vnit at Eccl. cap. 19. Bernard Act. 1. And this is a happy exchange wherevnto we should 〈◊〉 agree Bodily sicknesse hath chased many to their soules health Riches refused to some of Gods children for their greater good Cyp lib. 2 Epist. 2. B●…r super Mat. 19. Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Such thākfulnes becomes the children of God Psal. Pro. The great vnthankfulness●… o●… the 〈◊〉 Hos. 6. Chris. de Sacerd. lib. 4. How it is that the sight of God terrifies man seeing he is the God of comfort Psal. 104. 29. The cause of this is not in the Lord but in our sins Exod. Esay 6. Sin therefore is to be remoued if we would see the Lord with ioy 1 Ioh. 3. Heb. 12. In what sense saith Iacob hee saw the face of God Neuer any man on the earth saw the Lord as he is Neither shall wee see the Lord in the heauen as he is and why 1 It shall be a

hath mercy vpon vs. These are the principall helpes whereby the sight of God is begun in earth which will be perfected in heauen CHAP. XXVIII The other thing wherein Iacob shewes his thankefulnesse is his obedience Verse 31. And the Sunne arose to him THe other thing wherein Iacob vttereth his thankfulnes is in the obedience he giues to the Lords calling walking on in the journey which God commanded him Without this the other had beene nothing for except we obey serue the Lord in our callings doing that which is commaunded vs wherein can wee be thankfull to him and truely there is no better token that we haue beene refreshed by the countenance of God who is the strength of his people then this if with boldnesse and spirituall courage we follow him where away he cals vs albeit we should finde neuer so many impediments before vs. But it is to be marked Moses saith he halted as he went on in his journey This is the meruailous working of the Lord no doubt that Iacob being hurt in the night his thigh-bone disjoynted yet walkes vpon it in the morne and the hurt which he receiued of the Lord hinders him not nor stayes him from going forward in the journey which was enjoyned him by the Lord. We haue shewed you before how the children of God in their wrestlings do in such sort preuaile that they get no victory without a wound who is able to say that hee hath in such sort fought against Sathan and sin but oftentimes hee hath beene buffeted by Sathan and wounded by sinne Yet such is the gratious dispensation of the Lord that as Iacobs hurt made him not giue ouer the journey but rather confirmes him to go forward with greater boldnesse now halting on one thigh then before when hee went straight vpon both so the Lord doth so dispence the spirituall battailes of his Children that out of their manifold falles buffets and wounds which they receiue in this warfare hee workes in them a greater hatred of sinne and loue of righteousnes a greater attention and circumspection in all their wayes and a greater feruency and zeale to run out the race which is set before them and to renue the battaile against Sathan and sinne And this wee may see cleerely in Dauid who after his adultry murther being renued by repentance ●…iseth againe with a greater hatred of sinne and more earnest desire of mercy than euer he had before And did not Peters fall bring forth in like manner the like fruits in him that hee sheddeth teares now more aboundantly then at any time before hee now stands boldly to confesse the Lord Iesus before the Counsell whom before he had denied before a D●…msell and in all the rest of his life he shewes himselfe an example of godly zeale labouring to confirme his brethren by a good conuersation whom before hee had offended by his stumbling and falling Thus the Lord by some one sinne wherein hee sussereth his children to haue experience of their weakenesse wakeneth them to a narrower inquisition of their sins for a light paine in the head men runne not to the Phisitian nor to the water for a light spot in their garments but if the defiling be great then we doe take occasion thereat to wash away euen the smallest spot that is in them So the godly when oftentimes they passe ouer small sinnes without remorse the Lord permits them to fall into greater that so they may be moued to mourning hasten to an earnest reformation of all Where wee are not to thinke that this commeth of any goodnesse that is in vs or in sin which we haue brought forth but of the excellent wisdome and goodnesse of God Deus etiam summus est medicus qui benè nouit vti enim malis For God is that great Phisitian who can vse to good euen those things which are euill And it doth saith the same Father more aduance the glory of Gods goodnesse etiam de malis bene facere quam mala esse non sinere euen to draw good out of euill rather then that he should suffer euill not to be Thus the Lord our God maketh all things serue and worke for the best to them that loue him so as euen the wounds which we receiue in spiritual wrestlings may well worke in vs a greater humiliation but shall not confound vs so that we leaue off the race and course to our heauenly Canaan Wherein if we cannot alway runne in the strength of the spirit with Eliah yet let vs by Gods grace endeauour to halt forward with Iacob at least creepe forward towards our heauenly Father as his little babes children who are but yet learning to walke proceeding alway from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our GOD in Sion whereunto the Lord that is the author and finisher of our Faith the beginner perfecter of our saluation bring vs of his great mercy in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS A CONDVIT of Comfort Full of sweet Consolations for all those that desire the comfortable sweetnesse of Iesus Christ. By WILLIAM COVPER Minister of Gods word LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge and are to sould at his shop at the great South doore of Paules 1608. A CONDVIT of Comfort Rom. 8. 28. Also wee know that all things worke together for the best to them that loue God euen to them who are called according to his purpose My helpe is in the name of the Lord. THis Chapter may be conueniently tearmed A compend of Christian consolation for wheras many kinds of comforts are dispersed throughout the holy Scriptures for the strengthening of the man of God some of euery kinde are here gathered together in one and like chosen flowers picked out of the word of God are knit together in one bunch presented to thee who art a Christian. There are two things onely which trouble vs in this life The first is the remanents of sinne in our corrupt nature this was such a matter of griefe to the holy Apostle that it made him to crie ou●… O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death So displeasant was it to him to l●…ue in that body wherin hee found the motions of sin rebeling against the law of God And if the Apostle accounted this but then so weighty to him alas how should wee complaine and what cause haue wee with Ezechia to walke weakly in the bitternesse of our soules all our dayes in whom the life and power of that sinning is farre lesse restrained Yet least we should be so cast downe with the sense of sinne that we despaire and perish being swallowed vp with griefe the Lord furnisheth vs with many comforts against it from the beginning of this Chapter to the middest of the 17. Verse The