Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	church_n	great_a	1,628	5	2.8346	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89565	Emmanuel: a thanksgiving-sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons upon their solemn day of praising God for the victory obtained by the Parliaments forces in Southvvales. In the church of Margarets Westminster, May 17. 1648. / By Stephen Marshall B.D. minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex.	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1648 (1648)	Wing M753; Thomason E443_3; ESTC R204197	25,337	44

like not and thus God is deprived of his glory and we of our comfort O the wofull fruits of our discord Christ will not bear these things at our hands he wil either make us one or none I am perswaded he will either make us lay down these oru divisions or he will give us up into their hands who will make us agree in eating the bread of affliction and drinking the water of affliction make us agree in one common calamity with a witnesse Pardon this digression if it be one which the exigence of the times and our dangers put me upon I urge these things to stir up your frequent prayers that God would be merciful unto us that we might not thus pul down our houses with our owne hands Thus from the first part the confederacy against the Church the other I principally aime at and that is The deliverance from it where you have considerable two things First The deliverance it selfe the breaking of all the counsells of their enemies and the turning of all upon their own heads and Secondly The cause of it and that is Immanuel he is the worker of it Now though there be but one main lesson that I purpose to handle yet there are three or foure particulars that I would hint and but little more then name one is that although the Lord had brought these Assyrians upon his people and delivered his people into their hands yet their rage and cruelty and fury against his Church did move God to turn his hand upon them though he had imployed them to afflict and chastise his people That the more rage and fury is in the enemies of the Church the sooner doth the Lord compassionate the miseries of his Church there are very many examples of it in the 32. Deuter. I said I would scatter them speaking of the rebellions of his people which had anger'd him I said saith he I would even scatter them into corners I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feare the furie of their enemy that he would exalt himselfe too much against them Senacherib is a famous instance of this Esay 10. God had stirred him up to goe against his people to take the spoil of them and to tread them downe as the mire in the streets but Senacheribs rage grew higher he would destroy and utterly cut them off he would do to Hierusalem as he had done to Samaria but even therefore did God compassionate his people and ruine this proud adversary so likewise Zach. 1. 14 15 16. c. God was a little angry and displeased with his people and the enemies helped forward the affliction but therefore was God sore displeased with their enemies and even therefore did he returne to Hierusalem with mercyes Thus you see God compassionates the misery of his people the more the rage and furie of the adversary is kindlled against them And therefore to apply this in a word or two that which is to many in these dayes is a wonderfull discouragement of heart I thinke rather should to be a ground of hope to us I mean the extream rage and fury which appears in the spirits of most wicked men against such as fear God I believe there was never so much bloud nor wrath rage nor fury in the hearts of the enemies of Gods people as is this day to be found they feare not to speake it out that not a man of them shall live in the Kingdome when once power comes into their hands they hope the day is comming and they make account to doe as Pharaoh said he would do when he followed the Israelites into the Red sea I will now overtake them my wrath shall be now satisfied to the full upon them now who knowes but the Lord will doe his people the more good for this as David said of Shimei when he cursed him and they would have had him take off his head No saith he let him curse it may be God will doe me good for his cursing of me the more pride and wrath there is in the hearts of those that thinke to tread his people down the more will God lay their insolency to his heart Again you may observe here with what scorne and contempt the Lord doth speake of all the preparations of man against his people here was a mighty Army listed and rallied gathered together met at their rendezvouz yea come into the Kingdome and made account to carry all before them but how disdainfully the Lord speakes of all their preparations Associate your selves goe your wayes on you thinke to doe a great act you make account to carry all but it will not doe it will not stand poore peoplel you reckon without your host thus the Lord as the prophet saith sits in heaven and laughs at them he scorns all their preparations that they make against his servants and truly the naming of it should teach us to make the same use of it that Luther did Surely saith he if Jesus Christ sit in heaven and laugh at them we should be foolish on earth to sit and cry for feare of them for Christ well enough knowes what they can doe and what they shall doe let us never tremble at that which Iesus Christ laughes at Observe further That when the Lord doth think upon deliverance for his afflicted people it is nothing of their worth but only the interest of Immanuel which prevailes with God here the Lord had stirred up an enemy to come against them and they came and when they thought to doe great matters the Lord would not let them but would turne all upon their owne heads and why for Immanuel Immanuel is interessed in it not the worthinesse of Gods people as he often saith it be it knowne to you I doe nothing of all this for your sakes be you ashamed and confounded it is for my own names sake which I work for I regard the glory of my Son Christs interest will bring deliverance when the unworthines of the Church would rather call for vengeance 'T is true God dearly loves his people they are to him as the apple of his eye Kingdomes and nations are nothing to him in comparison of his people but 't is no worth in them nothing of their owne which commends them to him they often lye in their blood which yet is a time of love to him and should he forbeare healing and helping till their worthinesse cal'd for deliverance it would never come 't is that love wherewith he hath loved them in Immanuel which brings all therefore though we should be humbled and even tremble at the thought of our present unworthines yet should Gods people comfortably hope and wait that for Christs interest in our present cause and worke deliverance will come Before I come to the chiefe lesson point at one more That when the greatest inundations of miseries doe flow in

this River the Lord shadowes out the Kingdome of Sion and the house of David which now was in a mean and low estate and therefore despised by those unbeleeving Jews and it is usuall with the Prophets by Rivers to signify the adjacent Provinces Egypt by Nilus Babylon by Euphrates c. Now for this sinne of their unbeleif and relying upon an arme of flesh the King of Assyria was this judgment to come upon them Then Secondly Here is the judgment which therefore shall come upon them because that little River of Shiloah would not in their esteem doe them good would not comfort them the Lord would bring them waters broad enough foraine waters such as they desired but little for their good he would bring the Assyrian upon them hee who they trusted in to be their deliverer should come in and be their spoil Now therefore behold the Lord bringeth upon them the waters of the rivers strong and many even the King of Assyria and all his glory and he shall come up over all his channels and goe over all his banks and he shall passe through Judah he shall overflow and goe over he shall reach even to the neck and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land Oh Emmanuel This terrible judgement is laid downe in two comparisons one of a great river or the sea that had broke over all his banks a floud should spread over all their land and reach up to the very neck the other comparison is of an Eagle or fowl of prey he should come and spread his wings over the breadth of the whole land the whole land of Iudea should at one time be overspread by the mighty Army that Senacherib whom they expected to be their Saviour should bring upon them with a purpose to destroy them and in the close of this threatning there is an elegant Apostrophe he turns his speech to Christ he shal spread his wings over the breadth of thy land O Immanuel though it be thy land and thy people O Emmanuel yet because of their unbelief all this shall come upon them This turning of his speech to Christ seems to be an indignity to Christ that his land under the notion of his land should be wasted by such a wicked King but this appears to be added for two ends one to signifie the certainty of the judgement all that could possibly be pleaded why there should be any hope of keeping off the judgement was Emmanuels title to this land but it shall come though it be Emmanuels land secondly this is added as a secret ground of comfort of deliverance because it was the land of Emmanuel the land and people where Emmanuel was to be borne and where he was to reign where he had and would have his fire and furnace his seat ●nd habitation therefore their faith may expect deliverance these are the two first parts of the Chapter now my Text containes the third which is the deliverance which the Lord would give them notwithstanding their great unworthinesse but before I come to that let me name this one lesson from the other two parts namely That it is ordinary with God when his people doe forsake his promises and trust to an arme of flesh he makes that arme of flesh to bee their scourge which they expected to be their helper they had nothing that they would trust to against these two neighbouring Kingdomes but the power of the King of Assyria and this King of Assyria shoud be their scourge to beat and almost to breake them in pieces which is notably expressed 2 Chron. 28. 20 21. Ahaz sent all the treasure he could rap and rend thereby to ingage the King of Assyria And Tilgath-Pilneser the King of Assyria came to him and distressed him but strengthned him not he helped him not therefore Let us learne that when we do trust either to any nation to any Army or to any Councell and relie upon them with with-drawing our selves from the gratious promises of God we take the ready way to bring ruine and destruction upon our selves The third part of the Chapter is that which I intend by the Lords assistance to treat upon and that is the deliverance which the Lord was pleased to promise this unworthy people in this 9 and 10. verses for the understanding whereof I would open two things First The matter contained in these two verses Secondly The manner how the Lord is pleased to lay this down and expresse it The matter of the two verses containes these three Heads First Here is a great conspiracie against the Church of God Secondly Here is an eminent deliverance of the Church from this conspiracy Thirdly Here is both the author of the deliverance and the cause why they should be delivered The conspiracie against them is laid downe in these branches First Here is the multitude of people that were engaged in it called ye people and ye of far Countries a great many of them Secondly Here is their association their meeting about their businesse gather your selves together associate your selves ye people come and meet Thirdly Here is the Association of their Councell take counsell together contribute every one what you are able toward this designe Fourthly Here is their agreement in the Conclusion Speake the word set it positively downe nemine contradicente this is the businesse we will doe and carry it on as one man then Here is the preparation likewise of their Armes Gird your selves doe not only meet and talke and agree but arme and march and goe on with your businesse all this is the preparation to the plot Secondly Here is the defeat of this plot and that is very notable even the dissipating of their counsells the ruine of all their enterprizes Associate your selves but ye shall be broken gird your selves but ye shall be broken take counsell but it shall come to nought speak the word set downe your conclusion that you 'l never part from yet all shall not stand all shall be a vain thing it shall not onely not take effect but returne upon your owne heads to your owne ruine ye shall be broken in pieces Thirdly Here is the Authour of it and in the Author the cause for God is with us the Hebrew is for Emmanuel gather your selves gird your selves take counsell speak the word all shall come to nought for Emanuel that is for it is Emmanuels cause that you oppose it is Emmanuels people that you fight against it is Emmanuel who is the Leader the Generall of that Army one that will out-wit you and out-plot you and out-fight you one for whom you are too few and he alone will be too many for you it is against Christ and you doe but kick against the prickes this is the matter of these two verses then Secondly Note likewise the manner how the Lord is pleased to lay this downe which is done by severall

upon the Church yet the Lord sets bounds to them that they cannot go so far as the enemy would here the waters should come up to the chin but yet not over head and eares the Lord often afflicts his people but he will not give them up to a totall spoile and desolation all these things deserve to be handled more fully but the time will not allow it I come now therefore to that onely lesson that I intend more full to insist upon and that is this Immanuel our blessed Saviour doth turne all the plots and conspiracies that are against his Church upon the heads of the contrivers and makes them for the salvation and deliverance of his people that is the lesson That all the associations and plots that are against Gods people Jesus Christ doth so order the matter that in the result and event they shall be all turned upon the heads of the adversaries and for the welfare of those that are his servants there is no one argument in the whole booke of God more frequently repeated in various instances then this doctrin which I have propounded that of Aegypt of Sisera of Senacherib of Haman of the conspiracie against Christ and a hundred others more some relating to the Church in generall some relating to particular godly men in all of them the Lord hath ever made it good that the mischief intended against his people turns upon the heads of the contrivers But to make it a little clear to you I pray you note these four or five conclusions which all lie in my Text First That all the plots and conspiracies that wicked men have against the Church and people of God Jesus Christ hath a hand in the contriving of them here was Senacherib he and his people had confederated and associated in this plot but God sent him verse 7. Now therefore the Lord bringeth upon them the King of Assyria the Lord had determined how far he should goe how hee should spread over all the land and his waters should reach up to the neck in the next Chapter but one in the 10 Isa. God saith of him I sent him against them though he did not thinke so So also in the 4. of Micah Many nations are gathered together against thee c. but it followes presently I gather them as sheaves so in the famous case of the death of Christ Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ but it was to do what Gods hand and counsell had before determined to be done Secondly In this contrivement Jesus Christ intendeth one thing and the enemies intend another thing each of them working according to their owne principles that you have plain here the Assyrian comes in his intent is to swallow up all the Lords intent is that he himself and all his company shal be broken to pieces thus Iosephs brethren thought evill against him but God meant good to him thus Pharaoh intended the extirpation of Israel by that which God intended their propagation thus Haman intended the ruine of Mordecai and all the Iewes when God intended light and gladnesse and a good day to them thus the nations Micah 4. intended to tread down Zion when God intended they themselves should be threshed out and a hundred examples more might be given but I can only point at these things Thirdly That Jesus Christ doth very frequently let the designs of the adversaries of his Church goe on with a great deale of successe and prosperity untill they think themselves cock-sure of the whole businesse this you may see in the Text here they came with such a mighty Army that they made no question of carrying all before them made account all was their own thus Pharaoh went on till he was confident his wrath should be satisfied upon them Exod. 15. So Haman had got his decrees signed by the Kings letters which by the law of Persia was irrevocable thus was Peter kept in prison untill the very night before he should be executed and so in abundance of other designs against the Church you may see the like though it is very true that sometimes the Lord crushes them in the egge and will not let them break out into Serpents yet very often as we say in the Gunpowder-treason there wanted nothing but to put the match to the powder and the blow had been given so God lets the plots and contrivements of the enemies of his Church go on untill they make account that there be no way in the world to stop them or to prevent them so that if Gods people be delivered their soules must escape as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler The next conclusion is That when the enemies make account all is sure that they question not but the day is their owne then doth the Lord in some unexpected way dash all their plots bring them to nothing thus God defeated Pharaoh Exod. 15. thus was Haman defeated thus was the conspiracy against Paul defeated Acts. 26. a hundred instances might be given but I shall only open one similitude which God use to set down the manner of the destruction of Nineveh Nahum 1. 10. Nineveh was then the head of this Assyrian Empire and God expresseth the ruine of Nineveh thus when they are folden together like thornes and when they are drunken like drunkards then shall they be devoured as stubble fully dryed that is when their plots are curiously weaved and set so that no man shall dare to touch them no more then he would touch a wreath of thornes they have so contrived the businesse that they would faine see the man that durst appeare against them They are folded together as thornes and when they are drunken like drunkards that is they are drunken with pride and confidence of their successe they can hardly speak or goe they are so drunken with confidence when they are come thus to the top then shall they be devoured like dry stuble some way or other fire will be put to the thatch of the house and set it a burning and in a moment all is gone off Thus when the enemy is come in like a floud the spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him Thus God delights to take his time when they are at the highest and feare the least then God breaks their design the last conclusion is That when God breaks their designes hee delights to break themselves not onely to frustrate their designes but to ruine them too and deliver his people so it is here Associate your selves gather your selves gird your selves take counsell but still you shall be broken to pieces ye shall be broken to pieces ye shall be broken to pieces three times it is in one verse all breaking to pieces ruin and destruction to them and salvation and deliverance to Gods