Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	apostle_n	speak_v	word_n	1,386	5	3.9429	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85176	The new non-conformist; who having obtained help of God, doth persist unto this very day; witnessing, both to small and great, some of those glorious things which the Apostles, the prophets, & Moses, did say should come to pass. Or, the voice of a careful shepherd, crying from his watch-tower at W.C. unto his little flock at W.L. with a loud voice.	Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660.	1654 (1654)	Wing F571; Thomason E737_1; ESTC R202090	39,800	63

faithful remembrancer at the glorious Throne of Grace CHRISTOPH FEAKE Dear Brethren Beloved in the Lord FOr whose best good and greatest happiness I would be content to endure through the strength of Christ whatever the Lord should be pleased to permit man to do unto me It may be the Lord is but beginning to accustome me to the yoake having hotter service yet behinde for me to be engaged in I confess I suffer trouble as an evil doer even unto bonds 2 Tim. 2.9 but my comfort is as was Paul's the word of God is not bound and Oh that I could speak the Apostles following words in his Spirit therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory As for my self I have no cause to complain but rather to magnifie the wisdom power and goodness of my God who in the riches of his Grace hath in some measure inabled me and counted me faithful putting me into the Ministery who naturally and from mine own inclination am very apt to slothfulness and negligence to dulness and luke-warmness insomuch that I wonder to consider how the Spirit of Christ hath from time to time over-powered my natural temper causing me with much effectualness of Grace to be in some degree laborious in his harvest-field the remembrance whereof is among other particulars a most sweet refreshment to my soul in this my banishment from his House and Temple for a time what his intent is in ordering me such a portion for the present will in time appear But in the mean season my care and sollicitousness for the Church is abundantly above the care of my self I am not sollicitous for mine own concernments being fully satisfied in the light of God that it is unspeakably for my good to be thus dealt withal by these men The great thoughtfulness of my heart is for you all who have in good earnest given your selves up to the Lord that you might in this curious juncture of time have your conversation as it becometh the Gospel And a true report of your holy loving stedfast walking with the Lord and one with another will be my great joy and rejoycing before the Lord Jesus both now and at his appearing Wherefore if it were the good will of God to give you all fresh and further discoveries of his minde how you ought to walk and to please him ●hile I am thus by force kept from among you what blessed occasions should I have to break forth here in blessing and praising the Lord abundantly in this behalf I desire exceedingly to rejoyce in the beholding your Order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ for I much fear lest by some means the Tempter should tempt you or some of you and so my labour be so far in vain as the temptation doth prevail And some of you may remember I forewarned you of this hour of temptation long before which I told you would try the strongest Christians so reputed but now plainly see if Ancient Professors among you be not very circumspect you may see that Scripture further fulfilled every day ●he first shall be last and the last shall be first Now by way of faithful advice in reference to Order and orderly walking I take it for a truth granted as which cannot with any colour be denied That those Saints who are come out of Babylon and brought to Sion and are become a peculiar people to the Lord and a particular body or corporation to Christ I say they ought to continue together in prayer supplication with one accord so they did Act. 1.14 and it is said Peter stood up in the midst of the Disciples see Act. 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers they that believed were together vers 44. and the Apostle Heb. 10.25 not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching These things are n●t proved to you but you are put in minde of this foundation-Truth in reference to discipline and worship for those things are to be transacted in the assemblings of the Saints as being for the glory of God and the edifuing of the Body But the thing wherein I would be helpful at this point of time is to propound waies for the practising of this rule of continuing and walking together 1. First Let the Elders and Brethren agree with one accord that the whole Church be gathered together in the na●e of Christ to consider after earnest prayer to that purpose how they may be kept together for this Hour of temptation will endanger the sca●tering of many Against that day which is appointed I shall prepare somewhat for direction 2. Let those that are unacquainted with their duty judging it to be their liberty without further waiting to provide for their spiritual feeding elsewhere let them I say know that if all should be of their minde what would become of the Churches of Christ Let them not have more respect to their particular private benefit though spiritual then to the glory work and business of Christ at least let them attend upon the Lord with the Church to obtain their desire with consent of the whole body and brotherly love requires this and let them give in their Ar●uments distinctly that they may be weighed by Scripture It is the opinion indeed and practice of some if the Officer be absent to wander hither and thither and so fall into suares ere they are aware and there have been woful instances of this 3. Let not any debate proceed so far as to hinder edifying and engender strife but let there be care taken to prevent strife as men are careful to prevent the breaking in of waters The Lord hath blessed my endeavours this way hitherto and I have much comfort herein at this day 4. In debating any thing or case that is stated according to Scripture let the Brethren speak first that so if there be any light among them it may be noted and this will be looked upon as the enjoyment of that liberty that Christ hath given But if any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God and briefly and distinctly to the point 5. Covet the best gifts those Brethren in whom most of the power and glory of the Spirit of Christ doth appear who are mighty in the Scriptures who are most lively spiritual and warming are to be desired and called upon and if there were none to speak to you from the word yet it were worth while to come together to pray in the Holy Ghost which is one blessed means for the quickning of our dull and sluggish hearts 6. If there be a desire to joyne with any of the Churches in the Ordinance of the Lords-supper consider with whom and when c. let there be mutual consent in brotherly love Oh! that the Spirit might lead you into all truth My great desire is That you may so walk as to glorifie the Lord abundantly This 3 day of the 12 Moneth 1653. Yours to love you to serve you to suffer for you CHRISTOPHER FEAKE

the Lord Jesus in the light of his own Spirit found it a blessed imployment to be inquiring and hearkning where the signe of Gods presence was and upon which of the Congregations or assemblies I could finde the most glorious demonstrations of the power of godliness and where the Lord was pitching his Tents and revealing himself to his Beloved Ones This is also my work at this day to contemplate and consider what posture the Saints are now in and to watch that I may know where the glory of the Lord is revealed and where or from whence it will break forth at the approaching revolution In time past before the New Model was in being or extant in the world it was in the scattered Saints yet gathered together in several meetings kept in the City Army and Countries to finde out a right way from Babylon to Sion You remember what distress the Lords people were in at that time when that Tyrant had the North and West at his devotion when Essex his Army was beaten and degenerate when we were betrayed and forsaken by the old Souldiers of Fortune when the King and his Princes were victorious and rampant after the sacking of Leicester And when the new Model was despised in almost all mens eyes It was commonly called in reproach and scorn both by the King 's and Essex his souldiers The New Model save a small remnant of praying and believing Saints where was the presence of God then who could declare before whom the pillar of fire did shew it self as the token of Jehovah's presence It must not be forgotten but remembred with renewed thankfulness even at this day That it did break forth and manifest it self most gloriously from Nazeby-field even every day more and more Then the Lord began to use the new Army as One of the weak foolish despised Things of the world Then the Council of War used to aske counsel of God and God was with them wonderfully to direct them to bless them with victorious success abundantly Then the Head-quarters were famous and amiable even as the Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts Then the Spirit of Glory and of God rested upon them and marched before them everywhere yea it was as a wall of fire round about them and the glory in the midst of them Zech. 2.5 And so it continued from year to yeer to the astonishment of the wicked and to the triumphant rejoycing of the righteous At length after some dangerous Temptations were overcome as the Armies trinkling and tampering with and for the King Queen and their Issue which afterward in their straits they bewailed in Windsor Castle the presence and Spirit of the Lord ingaged them also to execute judgement and justice upon the grand murtherer and persecutor of the Saints not to mention other strange and great enterprizes so as that the whore of Babylon and the Kings of the earth had cause to be exceedingly afraid Ireland was reduced also with a high hand especially at the beginning and the Lord was gloriously present still with the General and his Army onely some intelligent self-denying souls did discern plainly that divers Officers began betimes even too too early to minde the prey even before the work was done and it cost many of them very dear Let us remember also the expedition into Scotland and the high Appeal made by our Presbyterian-Brethren and the Army with their friends nights and dayes were spent in earnest prayer on both sides the Lord appeared in terrible Majesty at Dunbar About that time the Cause of Christ the Interest of Christ the work of God the downfal of Babylon and such-like language sounded from the Head-Quarters from the great Officers of the Army My soul was ravished to see and observe the spirit of prayer at White-Hall in those dayes among many of the chief Commanders as if they had loved none but Christ as if they cared for none but Christ and his Interest as if they would never have endured any King but the Lord Jesus or any Laws but his or any Ministers but his We who through grace were plain-hearted thought there were not such another people upon the face of the earth for love to Christ to the glory of Christ that he might be magnified and exalted as were the conducting and commanding part of the Army But Oh! Oh my Bowels my Bowels The gradual declension and defection since Worcester with what words shall I bewail it how have all the things of Christ been neglected how hath that most noble and glorious Cause of the Lord Jesus been forsaken by those who ought by manifold obligations to have promoted it to the utmost there was a price put into their hands and power was in their hands Oh this spirit of Baruch to seek great things for our selves when Jehovah saith Seek them not Behold that which is built God will pull down and that which is planted He will pluck up The Lord Jesus is making great hast to break in pieces all these Kingdoms both new and old and yet men are busie in seeking their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ I cannot but speak I must open my heart to some who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity my lise is not dear to me in this Cause If the Powers of the world and Rulers of the people have a minde to take away my Life as they have done my Liberty behold here it is in a readiness If the Lord give the word I am willing through grace not onely to be bound but to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus and for the Gospel of the Kingdom I am free to give directions to my worst enemies were they may make inquiry after all my wayes from my childhood to this day and if they finde I have committed any thing worthy of death or of bonds let them take their advantage but to keep me a Prisoner seven or eight moneths and not bring me to the place of hearing that I may know what my crime is and who are my accusers and the witnesses this is not fair dealing I am loth to aggravate things but the manner of the Romans was more according to justice expressed in Acts 25. Brethren I desire to keep in memory the Cause of our dear Lord so do you and know them who are of this Spirit through the Nation provoke one the other to wrestle with God to cry unto our Father If his children cry unto him he will not he cannot long forbear he will return and have compassion on the Remnant of his Heritage for mercy pleaseth him The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all your Spirits in the glorious ministration of Grace Mercy and Peace continually Amen From my house of bondage this 31 of the 6 month 1654. Yours for the Lord's sake to do or to suffer on your behalf Christopher Feake FINIS For the well-beloved CHURCH of Christ meeting in Colemanstreet Swan Alley My dearly beloved