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	day_n	lord_n	1,882	5	3.6758	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85505	Things now-a-doing: or, The chvrches travaile of the child of reformation now-a-bearing. In a sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons, at their solemne fast, Iuly 31. 1644. By Stanley Gower, sometimes Rector of Brompton-Brian in the County of Hereford, now Preacher of Gods Word at Martins Ludgate, London: and one of the Reverend Assembly of Divines. Published by order of the said House.	Gower, Stanley.	1644 (1644)	Wing G1462; Thomason E3_25; ESTC R2879	23,719	43

bound up in the heart and the rod of correction drives it away And for actuall Isaiah sheweth that by correction the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged and this is all the fruite to take away his sin Secondly From sinne to be committed I meane to prevent your sinning for time to come Tribulations are not only medicines but also antidotes God in this doth as wise States-men when they see a man busying himselfe much with matters of state at home prying into things concerne him not they send such into the warres abroad so doth God send tribulations to exercise his people and keepe them pure least they fall soule thus did he with S. Paul he had his thorne least he should be exalted c. and thus they are purified both in heart and lift to cu●e sin past and prevent sin to come Againe by these they are made white so Dan. 11. 35. And some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and to make them white even to the time of the end It is not enough to be pure which renders a man holy to God but to be bright and white before men Inward purity makes no great shew before men unlesse whitenesse and unspottednesse doe accompany it now there are two wayes that God will have his people white as well as pure at this time First From their own other mens sins You Right Honourable have confessed justly that the guilt of Idolatry and blood lay upon our fore-fathers I may say of these as of the iniquity of P●or we are not cleansed from it to this day Manassehs sins lay heavy upon the Land in good Iosiahs dayes God will have our Land made white from these Secondly From their own-suspected sinnes Two sinnes the enemies of our peace suspect in you and falsely charge upon you give me leave to speake plainly Disloyalty to our Soveraigne from which your Declarations and proceedings may acquit you and Sacriledge against our God from which the world expects how you will acquit your selves certainely when God hath purified you he will make you white as he did David against S●ul even by his own confession and Ioseph against his Mistris nay as he hath done you already in many things and what remaines you have in promise for the cause is before the Lord who will give a perfect lot Hee hath said Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe And he shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgement as the noone day Thus the Lord will by tribulation both purifie them in heart and life and whiten them from the spot of other mens sinnes and their own suspected sins Thirdly By these both times and troubles they are tried The Iewes had not only their sprincklings and washings but also their water of jealousie and other meanes by which they were tried so hath God his troubles not only to rid his people of sinne and to render them spotlesse before men but also to try them Gods trials are of two sorts some for humiliation then he leaves them to know all that is in their heart as he did Hezekiah others for confirmation then he assists them as he did Abraham By these tribulations God trieth his peoples Sincerity Graces First He trieth their sincerity if they will stick to a good cause without defection and goe on in a good course without deflection Certainely these times and troubles make the same discovery of men as former did then there were some confessors some Martyrs others Traditors that in time of tribulation went away Errors must be that they that are approved may be knowne and doctrines and practises of liberty must be that well rooted and grounded Christians may be distinguished from children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in waite to deceive Tribulations are like great winds which fasten trees well rooted but throw downe the rest There have been and daily are many both in Church and State thus tryed some Darius-like labour earnestly to the going downe of the Sun and then they goe back It was great triall a while agoe what men would set themselves against the Prelates and their proceedings how men would fortifie their spirits against their summons Courts Censures imprisonments and sore oppressions God hath delivered us thence and after these brings more publike and universall trials how men will stand in and for the publike who be the Calebs and Ioshuahs that will goe on to the accomplishment of reformation against the Anakims and who will lust after the flesh pots of Egypt who will waite upon God and goe when he bids and stay when he stayes and who will goe their own way as they then did we are just thereabouts now and if any fall off we are told before hand it is the issue of their insincerity They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us Secondly He trieth their graces He that hath any grace may now know what he hath I will instance in three First He trieth their Love how fast they are gl●wed to God and his cause that no affliction can part them whether they are as willing to be turned into a prison for his sake as into their own habitation Love is of this nature Many waters cannot quench Love neither can the floods drowne it Secondly He trieth their Faith Our Saviour Christ is still upon this with his Disciples O ye of little Faith Had men Stephens eyes to see a Iosus in the Heavens when stones were ●●ying about their eares or a Moses eyes to see the recompence of reward did they by faith see Gods attributes put forth for their helpe they would not stagger what side to take to nor what to doe but would readily answer as those Heroes O King we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King but if not be it knowne to thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy graven images which thou hast set up All the graces which grow among thornes and thistles attending upon faith meeknesse patience c. will now be tried and discovered Thirdly He trieth their Love to one another what sympathy they have to those that suffer with them or for them You have Ministers the Country wants them hither come the godly and faithfull of the land that have suffered the losse of all God tries now what hast you will make Right Honourable

to settle the businesse of Ordination and releeve those Churches that for the present are as sheep without a sheapheard and how you will imploy those that are faithfull in the land about you as David did Thus you have seene how they are by these purified made white and tried Now remaines the third and last thing proposed viz. what is the reason and whence it is that these times and troubles have such different effects and operations upon the godly wise and upon the wicked and those three that are in my text shall serve I will adde no more First This comes to passe from the diversity of subjects on whom they light viz. godly and wicked Afflictions as Physick make better or worse they are resembled to a fanne the godly are the Lords wheate purified by it but the wicked are as the chaffe blowne away nor is there any thing to be seen amongst them but Apostasies abusing Gods truth and what not Jesus Christ compares tribulation to the Sun the same Sun which warmes and perfecteth good-seed scorcheth that which hath not depth of earth depth of root and enough of moisture as that which was sowne upon high way stony and thorny ground had not It is in the Prophet compared to water and fire now as things are which are cast into water and fire so is the operation cast gold into the water it keeps its yellow shine cast it into the fire it becomes brighter cast earth into water it turns it into mudd cast it into the fire it crumbleth to dust cast hay into the fire it gives a blaze and turns to smoake and ashes cast it into water it rots it presently The Apostle tells us the day shall declare every mans work of what sort it is Tribulation is such a day it presseth every godly man and out comes their grace it presseth the wicked and out comes their wickednesse as dunghils the more they are raked the more they stinke whereas the godly are as the spices which bruised cast forth a sweeter savour the Eagle tries her young ones by the Sun God tries and differences godly from the wicked by afflictions wicked men are as the wood of the vine good for nothing but the fire godly are such as are still on the mending hand Secondly This comes to passe from the different adjunct or priviledge godly wise men have every thing and so afflictions sanctified to them wicked men have every thing accursed to them The Prophesie here you see is by way of promise to the one they shall be purified c. by way of judgement to the other the wicked shall doe wickedly The charter of the Christian is large All things even death it selfe is yours and you are Christs godly men have as cursed hearts as any wicked men but being in Christ they are sanctified and have grace to be improved and bettered therefore all runs passive purified made white tried and the Prophet Malachy tells you how He that is to say the Angel of the Covenant Christ shall sit a refiner and purifier c. to compose the fire for though sinne merit trouble man or Devill be instruments of the trouble yet God is the chiefe agent and to order it for the good of the mettall he casts into the fire to encrease the flame one while when they are not purified and to quench it another while when they are but afflictions are not so to wicked men Christ is a swift witnesse against them they are given up and being so must needs doe wickedly Thirdly This comes to passe from the different cause None of the wicked understand but the wise understand There is a three-fold wisedome and understanding of heavenly things and they are distinguished by three words The wisedome of the art the best of all Philosophy the feare of the Lord which is the beginning of wisedome The wisedome of the teacher the Lord none teacheth like him And the wisedome of the scholler who is made wise to salvation Now wicked men have none of these at least they have not them all but the godly wise have wicked men either have no light they consule not with Gods word and then how should they understand They have rejected the wisedome of the Lord and what wisedome is in them or they have no understanding no eyes opened no grace infused and so they judge amisse of things that differ or their eyes are not well disposed they have misguided judgements something or other makes them mistake Aske them concerning the warres in Germany Scotland England they call evill good and good evill Thus you see the Reasons Now remaines only the practicall part having done with the Doctrinall the point you see is proved there rests the Application And though this might be manifold I will not trouble you with any more then three It serveth therefore for Instruction It serveth therefore for Exhortation It serveth therefore for Consolation This may in the first place give satisfaction to three great scruples which trouble many First It shewes the reason why godly persons are afflicted and wicked prosper Though it pleases God sometimes to blesse his people with peace and to give them rest against their enemies round about them yet for the most part in the ordinary way of his dispensations many are the troubles of the righteous and for the wicked they are active and strong and no ●ands in their death When Iacob is ●o●sed to and fro Esau is at rest in mount S●ir encreased in riches and power when S●●l is on the throne David is hunted as a partridge when Mordecai is at the gate Haman is in favour in the Court and when the Co●●tiers are at the banquent of wine the Citie 〈◊〉 is perplexed upon this crosse dispensation ariseth a dangerous temptation which drives many backe some sometimes to deny a Providence not onely are Gods Children lyable to these temptations in consideration of the trouble of the Righteous and prosperitie of the wicked but when God is in a way of mercy if there be any stay in the course of Justice any delay of deliverance they are ready to be troubled Is God just Is God mercifull why stand things at a stay Now 〈◊〉 text resolves this scruple T is that the godly may be purified made white tryed and it is againe that wicked men may doe wickedly and may fill up the measure of their sinne thus doe even those that stumble at this at last resolve themselves 〈◊〉 and certainly when God hath accomplished his worke it shall be otherwise Secondly it shewes the reason why it is so troublesome a time now more than at other times We were quiet why are we now so distempered It is because this is a time of Reformation as the Lord told Rebecah when she went to enquire of him concerning the struggling in her

as they should be I will therefore abruptly breake off here the use of Instruction and fall into the second use of Exhortation This serves in the second place therefore for Exhortation that you would be purified made white tried let not our deliverance and the deliverance of Gods Church stay and be deferred for want of this And here Right Honourable suffer the words of exhortation patiently I shall borrow the benefit of the * mornings preface to speake unto you plainely We rejoyce in the authority we have from you besides the encouragement to seeke the Lord by fasting and prayer but you had need call the land to one fast more to Ezras to seeke of God a right way to know why we are not delivered God we are sure is a God that heares prayer especially extraordinary prayer but are we purified made white tryed Ioshuah fasted but the Lord told him that was not the thing Israel had sinned that must be done away ere God would helpe them It is not for me to charge any fault upon you the great assembly of the Gods but give me leave to set the great God before you as your patterne and thereby charge your selves in his Name only let me exhort you to these three things First Be purified Me thinks the Lord calls upon you that are the repairers of our breaches and restorers of pathes to dwell in as sometimes to Ierusalem Will you not be made cleane when shall it once be I am not able to charge impurity upon you but God can and your own consciences may helpe you to find it out This only let me say unto you that an ordinary purity will not serve your turnes though it is wont to be said a little holinesse goes for a great deale amongst our Nobles and Gentry You are great men and wise the Worthies of the Land think I pray you what a disgrace a But puts upon you such a But I meane as was on Naaman Now Naaman Captaine of the hoste of the King of Syria was a great man with his master and honourable because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria He was also a mighty man in valour but he was a leper As you stand for your selves and for us so give us leave to beseech you to a double purity one for your own sakes another for ours and because in this second consideration you move in a high spheare I beseech you patterne your purity by his whom you represent no lesse holinesse must you aime at than to be holy as he is holy me thinks if every second cause works so much more strongly as it is united to its first cause then you that represent one Kingdome at the least and are as I said the great assembly of Gods should be so much more pure and holy as you are neerer to God than others both in name and office You are engaged in an Honourable cause and you have as Honourable a call thereunto now as in both you would prosper purifie your hearts your hands your houses remember the Lord will be sanctified in all those that draw neare him Secondly Be made white as well as pure I cannot againe but the world doth bespo● your innocency now doe you as the Lord he cleares his righteous dealing before the Sun doe not you let any spot lie upon your proceedings I will instance only in three of your graces Be made white in your Truth by executing your ordinances that you may not only say but doe Be made white againe in your Iustice upon delinquents that what you seeke when it is put into your hands we may see you execute The very Heathens call'd Iustice the daughter of Iupiter married to him and sitting close by his side c. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and the Lord sayes what a doe is here with fasting execute true judgement c. else you fast not to him looke into the prisons if this fasting day be not a feasting day and if they mock not God with something else than religious fasting on their Friday Be made white once more in your Zeale and sincerity to reforme the house of God by denying your selves and giving up thereto that which may make it glorious It was a good observation of an Honourable Member of your society upon the Teares of Germany that their deliverance was not like to be yet because in the catalogue of all their sinnes then made in a Sermon the chiefe sinne was not named Sabbath-breaking whereof that Country was notorlously guilty Truly I am sorry that in so excellent an Ordin 〈…〉 for Repentance Sacriledge is not mentioned whereof this Land hath been too much guilty unlesse by you it be purged from it which we all expect You well heard in the morning there is great necessity of speeding the businesse of Ordination now before you but let me adde thereto that the ministery you shall ordaine will be rendered very contemptible and vile before all the people unlesse you take care they be not disabled for want of Maintenance nor discouraged for want of Authority the former they are in danger to be by Impropriations the latter by Patrons I plead not for authority civill but sacred not Prelaticall but pious and Ministeriall that they may not be afraid to tell the people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sins Lastly Be tryed and be faithfull when you are tried some you have had more you may have shrinke not stand to it and you shall have the Crowne of life The time prevents me therefore I will conclude with a word of the thirduse which is of Consolation Be you thus faithfull and three things may sustaine your spirits against all discouragements First You shall be sure to prevaile for looke upon ver. 1. It is not a Timpany but a Delivery these times fore-tell and what an Honour will it be to you to be midwives to the birth of such a child of reformation as Heaven and earth shall cry grace grace unto it sore troubles you have had and may have but a woman in travell hath sorrow because her houre is come but as soone as she is delivered of the child shee remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is borne into the world To encourage you hereto consider the wickednesse of the enemy if you be purified doth assure you they shall not prevaile they make lies their refuge and under falshood hide themselves you know what God saith he will doe with such a people They blaspheme God which hath power over the plagues and repent not to give him glory therefore they lie under the vials of his wrath you may write upon it they shall never prosper Secondly You may live to see this delivery as he saith who shall live when God doth this that shall you I