Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	sin_n	soul_n	4,646	5	5.4196	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01234	Ezras pulpit. Or, A sermon lately preached in Southwarke, before a worshipfull assembly Very necessary for these times. By William Freake, minister.	Freake, William.	1639 (1639)	STC 11346.7; ESTC S120858	9,804	29

Point That we may observe the sweet benefit and comfort of affliction where it is sanctified to the Patient and a right use made of it This people had beene accustomed to finde mercy at the hands of their God how grievously soever offended with them so often as they did returne unto him by repentance and humiliation Their fathers had trusted in him and were delivered as the Psalmist truely singeth Psal 22. 4. and now their children take the same course and prosper Vse To shew us that affliction unto a childe of God is but a refining of him from his dresse and a trying of him for his future good According to that remarkable speech of the Lord by the ministery of his Prophet Zachary the 13. chap. the 8 and 9. verses where threatning the Iewish nation with utter destruction by the sword of Titus Vespatian the Roman Emperour he saith That in that day it should come to passe that throughout all the land two third parts thereof should be cut off and dye but a third shall remaine therein and I will bring that third part through the fire saith God I will refine them as silver is refined and try them as gold is tryed and then shall they all call upon my Name and I will heare them then J will say this is my people and they shall say it is the Lord my God And thus was it with this people at this time they had been in the surnace of affliction they were humbled before God and he heard them hee acknowledged them once more to be his people and they were in devotion before him as before the Lord their God To teach us all what course we should take in this case when by our finnes wee have brought our selves under the rod of God in what nature soever Even to seeke God in his holy Ordinances in humility of soule for sinne who before we call is ready to answer and while we pray is ready to heare Isaiah 65. 24. But I insist no longer upon this point I passe to another 2 Ob. In the second place therefore be pleased to observe with mee thus much This people in their great distresse are compassionated by King Cyrus in the first yeere of his raigne who according as Jeremy had prophecied at the full period of seventy yeares did by publicke Proclamation loose the bond of their captivity as you may reade in the two last verses of the last chapter of the second booke of the Chronicles and who according as the Lord had foretold of him by Name no lesse then one hundred and seventy yeares before hee was borne performed all Gods pleasure saying to Ierusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shall be laid Isa 44. verse the last To which end leaue is given by the King to Ezra the Scribe and to Nehemiah their Governour to direct and assist them in the repaire of their state and reformation of religion a great comfort and encouragement to these distressed Iewes 2 Point Doubtlesse to teach us by the example of these Iewes that such as unfainedly turne to God by true repentance as did these penitent people shall never want a seasonable and comfortable deliverance how grievous soever their sinnes have been yea rather then fayle in such a case God will raise up helpe for them where they looke not for it David in the dayes of Saul found it thus full many a time Elias found it thus in the wildernesse being fed by Ravens in the first booke of the Kings the 17. chap. at the 6 verse Manasses in the prison found it so when upon his unfained humiliation for sinne God wrought little lesse then a miracle for him bringing him backe to Ierusalem restoring him to his kingdome and changing his iron fetters and chaines into a chain of gold and royall scepter 2 Chro. 33. 13. The people of God have found this true by frequent experience in all ages and that I may not looke too farre from home the poore of this house and foundation finde it true for whose emergent distresses provision hath beene made and still is continued by those who never saw their faces untill that houre wherein their necessities enforce them to seeke unto us meat and medicine for their hunger and sicknesses cloaths for their nakednesse with other necessary comforts And that they may be instructed to make an happy use of Gods mercies extended unto them in this case care is had for the spirituall food of their soules by reading and expounding unto them the blessed word of God so that I referre it to your consideration whether they have not as just cause ministred unto them to blesse God for his gratious providence over them for soules and bodies as had these Iewes to give glory to the God of Jsrael in their particular who foreseeing that in time they would cast themselves by their sinnes into the fiery furnace of Babylons captivity had foretold them of a deliverer by the ministery of the Prophet Jsaiah an hundred and seventy yeares before hand and now in his owne time did performe his word punctually by this Monarch of Persia and his favour to his two servants Ezra the Scribe and Nehemiah the Governour And now as upon these grounds we finde them renewed and have learned somewhat from thence 3 Obser So we may observe in the third place that upon their returne they make provision for the publike exercise of true religion as without which their State could have no firme or assured foundation Therefore it is said in the first verse of this chapter that all the people assembled themselves together and spoke to Ezra the Scribe that hee would bring the Booke of the law of Moses which he had commanded Israel And Ezra the Scribe brought forth the booke of the law before the congregation both of men and women ver 2. And if any would be sati●fied who this Ezra was let him read Ezra 7. 6. and he shall find that this Ezra came up from Babel and was a Scribe prompt in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given a man to whom the king had granted all his request and to whose sole direction this people had referred themselves for the establishment of religion the worship of God among them From whence we mayobserve thus much 3. Point That the publicke exercise of religion and the establishment thereof is the firmest ground wherupon the peace and happy government of any State can possibly be built The very heathens themselves knew this And therfore so soone as Romulus the first builder of Rome had by force and armes layd a foundation of that city next after him succeeded Numa Pompilius who by an heathenish kind of religion brought that rude and barbarous people into some order vt quod vi et injuriâ occupaverat imperium religione ac iustitiâ gubernaret sayth their owne historian that the commād which they had obtained by force and