Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	believe_v	faith_n	word_n	3,386	5	4.6780	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77990	Jacobs seed or The generation of seekers. And Davids delight : or The excellent on earth. / By the late reverend preacher of the Gospel Jeremiah Burrough.	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.	1648 (1648)	Wing B6090; Thomason E1162_1; ESTC R210094	70,993	190

Psalm 105.3 not onely let the heart of them rejoyce that find the Lord that obtain that they seek but those that seek the Lord while they are seeking should rejoyce in seeking him Well because I would sain get to the application of the point I passe by other things and will onely take away that great objection and reasoning that is in the hearts of men against this point You tell us that the prayers of Gods people are not in vain and by Gods mercy now and then we have found some comfortable hearing from heaven but ordinarily we find it otherwise How many prayers have we put up to God and find not the issue we pray and pray and the enemies prevail though now and then God give us help Now for the taking away of all unbelieving reasonings against the point I will not go from the text at this time Therefore the first answer is this You say you have sought God and have not what you would have and therefore it is in vain though perhaps this that you now say is vain yet it makes not the text void Remember what hath been before heretofore you have sought God and that was not in vain remember the times of old let that for the present a little stay you It was that that stayed the Psalmist he began to reason as you do that he had sought God in vain Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore c. Psalm 7 8. here seems to be as much unbelief as is in your reasoning but mark what follows v. 10. And I said this is my death but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high O it is my sinne and weaknesse that I should reason thus I consider not what I do when I reason thus but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high vers 11. I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember the wonders of old v. 12. I will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God Thou art the God that doest wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people v. 14. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the sons of Jacob Joseph v. 15. Mark at length he recovers himself with this though present things seem to go hard yet he remembred what God had done so do thou in this case In Isaiah you have a complaint of unbelieving hearts as if God had been sought in vain Isa 40.27 Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord my judgement is passed over from my God Art thou one of the seed of Jacob hast sought God and sayest it is in vain God reasons the case and will confute their unbelief Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his understanding He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Even the youths shall faint be weary the young men shall utterly fall v. 28 29 30 31. But they that wait upon the Lord shal renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Hath not God done great things heretofore in 88. and in the powder plot and at other times and though we be in some streights remember what God did before This should appease your hearts what though thou have not present audience for the thing thou seekest yet think I deal with a God that hath an understanding that I cannot search God it may be lets the adversary prevail sometimes I cannot tell what glory God may get by it I cannot conceive how God can bring his own glory about when Israel flees before the Philistines But why sayest thou so O Jacob there is no searching of Gods understanding God sees further then thou canst see that thing that thou thinkest will make against his name may make for it therefore lay thine hand upon thine heart He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might God stayes till men have no might till they faint and are ready to sail and then he comes and helpes them That is the meaning of that Scripture in Luke where Christ saith God will avenge his elect that cry night and day to him though he tarry he will avenge them he will hear their prayers it is not in vain But it follows upon it notwithstanding when the Sonne of man comes shall he find faith on earrh I verily think that that want of faith hath reference to that very promise specially that God will hear his elect that cry but God may stay so long as that the very time when God shall come to perform it shall intend to do it it may be a time when their faith is overcome and fails in the promise that they begin to give over and think they have sought in vain And usually the time when God comes to fulfill his promise and to answer the prayers of his people it is that very time when they fail and are ready to sink Therefore that may be another argument it may be thou hast not believed this promise Thou sayest thou hast prayed and thou thinkest it is in vain hast thou believed this promise in the text hast thou relyed on it God hath not said to the seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain The word of God shall be made good but how upon our faith it shall be made good to us upon our believing though we be never so godly and pray never so well yet if we will have the promises made good it must be upon believing If thou hast not laid the weight of thy soul on the promise thou hast no cause to say that God hath not made his word good it may be thou hast not faith learn to believe the word and then thou shalt have it fulfilled Thou wouldest have it made good and then thou wouldest believe it no thou must first believe the word and then expect that God should fulfill his promise Again God is a great God that we seek to and it is fit for us to wait and to wait long He is great we seek great things and we are poor mean vile wretches God hath his prerogative sometimes to answer presently sometimes not so Elias was a great praying man he is set for an example of prayer he prayes at one time for fire to come on the sacrifice and fire came down presently another time he prayed for rain and then he prayed 7. times and bowed his head between his knees and sent his servant and sent him again and again

JACOBS SEED Or The Generation of Seekers And DAVIDS DELIGHT Or The excellent on earth By The late reverend preacher of the Gospel JEREMIAH BURROUGH Psal 27.8 When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie of Cambridge 1643. To the Reader Christian Reader THou art presented here with a small Treatise of this reverend authour deceased who by his worthy works as Abel by his faith being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 The work is but of small bulk yet hath many excellent truths contained in it concerning two of as necessary duties as fall within the compasse of a Christians course The seeking of Gods face a thing so needfull in these troublesome dayes and yet so generally neglected As also concerning the excellency in and the high esteem that true saints have of their fellow-saints which is so rare to find in these disjoynted and divided times The work had come abroad ere this had not the private ends of some been an obstacle in the way I am confident that of all the works of this worthy authour that have been published since his death there is none can so justly challenge him for the father as this both for matter and form as any one that used to heare him may perceive The former part of this work was delivered by him in two severall Sermons though now thought convenient to be joyned as one The former before the Right Honourable the Earl of Warwick in his own house The latter at Cree-church in London upon Novemb. 5. the annuall commemoration of our deliverance from the Gunpowder-plot it happening also to be a day of publick humiliation The last was preached in another church in London Accept the work then with the same candour as it is intended there and that thou mayest be furthered in holy walking by it is the desire of Thy Christian friend ¶ The contents of the ensuing Treatise The first part on ISAIAH 65.19 THe scope of the words page 1 Why the people of God are called the seed of Jacob page 2 The words opened page 5 Doctrine When God requires a people to seek him he will make it good to them that it shall not be in vain page 7 I. Evidences that it is not in vain to seek God 1. The great things recorded of prayer page 10 2. What the Saints have gotten by prayer page 11 3. No faithfull seeker of God will leave off ibid. 4. Wicked men seek him not in vain page 12 5. Godly men have given up themselves to it page 14 6. Godly men prize the prayers of others page 15 7. God is found of them that sought him not ibid. 8. God forbids prayer when he will shew no mercy page 16 9. Else a praying heart were not alwayes a mercy ibid. II What great things prayer doth 1. It is the right exercise of our faculties and graces page 17 2. It is the performance of our duty is creatures page 17 3. It is a tendring of homage and worship to God page 18 4. It shews we are on Gods side ibid. 5. God accepts every faithfull prayer ibid. 6. God grants every faithfull petition page 21 III. Wherein the efficacy of prayer lieth 1. God takes pleasure in doing good page 25 2. God hath made a covenant with his page 26 3. Prayer is Gods own work page 32 4. Right prayer seeks God for God page 33 5. It is part of Christs purchase page 34 6. Christ tenders them up to his Father page 35 7. God is a God hearing prayer page 36 8. It is a pouring out the spirit to God ibid. 9. The seed of Jacob are dear to God page 37 10. It is for Gods honour to heare his people page 38 IV. Objections against prayer answered Object 1. We have prayed and find not the issue page 39 Answ 1. Remember the times of old ibid. 2. God makes good his promise on believing page 43 3. God is great and we must wait page 44 4. We must seek God in prayer page 46 5. God answereth not vain prayers page 47 What makes prayers vain page 50 Object 2. It is in vain to pray page 54 Ans God heareth the seed of Jacob ibid. 1. Jacob was mighty in prayer page 56 2. He feared God ibid. 3. His heart was loose from the creature page 57 4. He was of a tender spirit page 58 5. He repaired to the covenant in his streights page 59 6. He was of an humble spirit page 60 7. He looked to his former condition ibid. 8. He was content with God alone page 61 9. Jacobs posterity were all of the Church page 63 10. Those of Jacobs seed have his inheritance page 68 11. Those of Jacobs seed are faithfull in their place page 70 12. They are taught of God page 71 13. They are carefull of their families ibid. 14. They are carefull of the Churches good when they be gone page 72 Object 3. I am a poore wretched creature page 73 Ans God hears the prayer of the destitute ibid. Object 4. The things we need are great page 74 Ans Not to great for God to give ibid. Object 5. But I pray in the time of affliction page 75 Ans Yet God will heare prayer ibid. Object 6. But my afflictions are for sinne page 76 Ans Yet God will heare prayer ibid. Object 7. But God hath determined what he will do page 77 Ans Yet God must be sought by prayer ibid. It is not in vain to pray 1. Because we have had many mercies already page 79 2. God denyes in granting grants in denying page 80 3. God delights in a praying as a praysing voice page 81 4. God stayes to bring a great deal together page 82 5. Our vessels are not sometimes capable page 83 Application 1. There are great things that God will do for the Church in these latter dayes page 84 2. The honour of those that are the seed of Jacob ib. 3. It is a great priviledge to have a praying friend page 86 4. To set the crown on prayers head in the mercies we have from God page 88 5. Reproof to those that begin to seek God and continue not page 92 What God hath done of late and the use of it page 93 1. To be humbled page 95 1. For our unbelief ibid. 2. For our murmuring ibid. 3. For being discouraged in Gods wayes page 96 2. To love prayer page 97 3. To be resolute in Gods cause page 99 4. To give God reall praise page 100 5. Not to let God call on us in vain page 102 The second part on PSAL. 16.3 The scope and dependance of the words page 105 Doctrine 1. The saints of God are the excellent in earth page 108 The doctrine opened page 109 They are excellent 1. Because they have holinesse the image of God page 111 Grace expressed in Scripture by