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
A90725	The duty & honour of church-restorers: set forth in a sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, Septemb. 30. 1646. Being the day of the monethly solemne fast, at Margarets Westminster. / By Herbert Palmer, B.D. minister of Gods Word at Ashwell in Hertfordshire, and a member of the Assembly of Divines.	Palmer, Herbert, 1601-1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing P230; Thomason E355_22; ESTC R201122	56,005	70

he would have done much more if we had not provoked him in being wanting to our duties Oh that it might sadly lie upon all our hearts as private persons as publike as Magistrates and Ministers Governours of families Parliament men Assembly-men or who ever we are that the particularities in the Doctrines as they have been opened might affect us with our failings in devotion justice charity desires and endeavours for the Churches restauration and prosperity If we would lay them seriously to heart we could not but find great cause of lamentation that there are such wofull cries of so many oppressed souls of so many bodies ready to perish and souls also for want of mercy shewen to them Besides is there not in many parts of the Kingdome still perpetual desolation Countries that have been for many generations most of them like a howling wildernesse in reference to any spiritual building or builders among them And in how few places are any foundations raised up or rather are they not in many places much shaken or even ready to be blown up and many a breach never yet repaired but rather more increased many leaving their paths and habitations so far from paths being generally restored to dwell in And are we not every one of us too much guilty of these things If I know my own heart or if I know any thing of religion I know no body that is able to excuse them wholly before God of all these things so that the complaint that God makes against Israel when he would have reformed them may certainly be applied to us God will apply it with but the change of the phrase Hos 7.1 When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered and the wickednesse of Samaria So may he most justly say When I would have healed England then the iniquity of the body of the Country and the wickednesse of the chief City and chiefest Persons was discovered witnes the rottennes of her pillars and the brittlenes of her walls the unsoundnes of her foundations Who would have thought there had been among us so many unsound Professors as have discovered themselves so many self-seeking pretenders of zeal for the publike good who have only regarded their private interests so many ungrounded unstable souls who believe nothing but what they have not heard contradicted love nothing but what serves their fancies and humours with whom Parliaments Assembly Covenant Confederate brethren Ministers Sacraments Sabbath Scriptures Christ himself and the Holy Spirit are all nothing And yet such Opposers are sometimes and by some spared pleaded for if not hugged and loved beyond the most deserving Patriots and most faithfull builders If we consider the Fasts we keep have we not cause to be humbled for our untoward humiliations for with how many are our Fasts grown a burden if not a reproach And if they do keep them at all may it not be said in another sence then the Prophet means it in the Text that they afflict their soules for a day they afflict themselves that they are forced to such unpleasant penances and even vexe at the time wherein they seem to give attendance upon the duties of the day And do not many also usually on this day find pleasure which they will have after they are once gone hence and though I am not with them in their houses to see it yet God is and he sees it in many even men may see many things that make it very suspitious yea are there not many that do professedly eat and that in the middle of the day even without the least shew of necessity to excuse them and so do not fast at all and I much doubt that many also exact their labours of their servants whatsoever they do themselves of which our thin Congregations upon these dayes give a sad cause of jealousie And in fine how few are there that make shew of any thing of all that they seem to regard in their humiliation and devotions beyond a day And if this be the general account of most of us upon these dayes we have then no cause to brag of our Fasts And what shall I say about Justice and Charity or Mercy My heart trembles to think upon a sad Dilemma that will necessarily lye upon our spirits it cannot be denied but that there is a great cry of injustice and oppression and unmercifulnesse now either this cry is causelesse and then those clamorous complainers are guilty of most unthankfull injustice or if they be true then are those against whom they are made guilty of great unthankfulnesse to God and of injustice with a witnesse Let us therefore consider a little what those cryes mean as Samuel said to Saul when he would needs have justified himself 1 Sam. 15. What means the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the Oxen that I bear what mean the outcries against Committees every where against those that have the administration of justice in their hands God of old complains of his Vineyard that when he looked for judgement behold oppression and for righteousnesse and behold a try Esay 5. Whatsoever there be he beholds and sees it and if there be any cry he hears it though men minde it not as himself tels us in the verse that follows the words lately quoted from Hos 7. For thus he saith Vers 2. And they consider not that I remember all their wickednesse now their own doings have beset them about they are before my face Let us therefore consider it I beseech you and particularly that which I cannot forbear remembring the loud clamours of poor men that say they have served the State of Souldiers and even Commanders their Wives Children Widowes Friends those that tell how they have ventured and given and lent and afforded their commodities and done service and are now ready to perish If there be any truth in these cryes and that there should be any supply found for them there is doubtlesse a great deal of cause to be humbled for it specially by all those that lay Gods Word to their hearts must we not remember and if we do can we chuse but tremble to think of it what the Apostle James speaks cap. 5. v. 4. It is a sad expression against the rich men of his time Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath If the hire of any hath not been kept back by fraud in one sense yet it may be in another if any have been paid only with promises or with delayes where means hath been to help them this is fraud specially to tell them there is no means to help them or promise them and fail so if there be means for others wh● need it lesse at the present and perhaps deserve it lesse and nothing be to be had for

that pay them what they will require to the great wrong of the Creditors when they suffer their Prisoners to go whither they list with a Keeper so that their prison is to them a sanctuary rather then a house of bondage and on the other hand tyrannizing over those that are not able or not willing to satisfie their unreasonable demands using them with that barbarous cruelty sometimes that were not fit for Beasts much lesse for Men and least of all for Christians and towards all using great injustice in exacting most excessive fees And take some care to remedy and redresse those burthens God in this chapter cals as you have heard to break every yoak and therefore certainly he would have these notorious ones not to remain And when you are consulting to redresse these evils forget not also to take some course to restrain the wickednesses that are studied and practise by prisoners themselves who seldome as it is commonly said remain any time in a Gaole but they learn and act more wickednes there then any other where as if they had been sent rather to a school of villany then to a place of restraint and punishment 6. Consider the great emphasis that is put in this chapter upon the compassionating the poor Dealing thy bread to the hungry c. And let those be specially remembred that are impoverished by doing you service unto whom you have engaged the Pub like faith that they may find it was worthy to be trusted and that you deal faithfully and righteously and nobly with them Remember your own need of them even of them when time was and of such as they or their Parents Husbands or even Children and now that they have need of you let them find you readier even then they were Consider that whatever men do God records how many dayes such a poor Woman Widow or Orphan such a Souldier or Officer hath waited at your doors upon this or that Man or upon any Committees and what answers they have had what frowns or checks or perhaps threatnings or what fair words or promises and tedious delayes after all All this comes within the compasse of speaking of vanity or iniquity mentioned ver 9. If God himself consider all this as he most severely threatens all those that in any wise oppresse the widow or fatherlesse particularly that he will hear the cries of such and his wrath shall wax hot and he will stay them that oppresse them with the sword and their wives shall be widowes and their children fatherlesse Exod. 22. 22 23 24. Do not you forget it for there are also manifold other expressions to the like purpose and scarce any thing that God more frequently or vehemently insists upon in his Word Satisfie therefore the afflicted soule with your justice and charity that God may satisfie your soules as he promises among other things in this chapter v. 11. 7. Adde unto this I beseech you Set the Poor on work the quickening of the lawes that are already made for the setting of the Poor on work and begin here in these Cities of London and Westminster and so set a copy to the rest of the Kingdom This would help many that have been plundered and undone both Irish and others who are now so numerous as there appeares not to be charity enough in the world to keep many of them from perishing through want And withall take into consideration that most horrid abomination if but a small part of that be true which is spoken of the Commonwealth of Beggers then whom according to all relations there scarcely lives a more godlesse generation upon the face of the earth A generall survey of the Poor every where and a command to every Parish to take care of their own poor according to the Laws would remedy this speedily infallibly and with ease and advantage to the Commonwealth The example of the stranger-Churches among us who maintain their numerous Poor without suffering any either to beg or to want besides their helping to maintain our poor is both a remarkable pattern for us to imitate and takes away all excuse or pretence of impossibility or extreme difficulties to effect it Consider it therefore I beseech you the rather because hereby their scules may be taken care of as well as their bodies and they who are now little better then meer stocks or stones in regard of their ignorance and sencelesnes in matters of Religion might be made lively stones in Gods spiritual building of the Church among us 8. Receive Petitions Finally to adde but one particular more about Justice or Mercy Think of satisfying the afflicted soules that sue unto you by receiving and preferring their Petitions When poor people or any other Suitors bring fitting Petitions let none turn away or hide their eyes from them It is accounted the birth right of every English man to have liberty to petition the Parliament but what is this worth or how are poor souls the neerer to have their suits granted If when they may not tender them themselves in the House without speciall leave there be none that will present them for them or make a motion in their behalf Though their cause or desire be never so just yet what help have they if no man be found so just or charitable as to preferre their humble supplications unto you I would not have it thought that I speak any word for the receiving of unjust or seditious Petitions but what the consciences of any that are desired to help a distressed soule are convinced that there is nothing in it but that which is just and equall and warrantable Certainly it becomes every one to be so ready to satisfie them as to be willing to present it for them from which if any turn away into what hazard do they run of that sentence Prov. 21.13 Whosoever stops his care at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself but shall nor be heard Some Petitions would certainly be granted if they were but once read but it is impossible that can be if the Petitioners cannot finde so much favour as to have them tendered and there are divers that would take it for a satisfaction that you think not their Petitions fit to be granted It is one of Gods glorious attributes that he is a God hearing prayers and therefore it is said To thee shall all flesh come Psal 65.2 And he most frequently invites all to sue unto him It shall be also your glory to hear Petitions from all sorts of persons and I hope a Parliament will never so much as seem to be unwilling to it and that every one of you will count it an honour rather then a trouble to be imployed as to promote an honest Cause by bringing it in in a Petitionary way and to be more willing to offer many then to deny one when the danial of one may kill an honest Heart and undo a Righteous person that hath fled to