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	great_a	king_n	3,018	5	3.5536	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86532	The saints guide, in three treatises; I. The mirror of mercie, on Gen. 6.13. II. The carnall mans condition, on Rom. 1.18. III. The plantation of the righteous, on Psa. l.3 / By Thomas Hooker minister in New-England.	Hooker, Thomas, 1586-1647.	1645 (1645)	Wing H2655; Thomason E1160_1; ESTC R11339	43,446	180

presently there is hue and crie up by the Father or the Master He is an undone man or an undone woman then there is labouring by all meanes possible to stifle the worke of grace in the heart Thus when God striveth to pluck men out of their sinnes they continue in sinne and so subject themselves to eternall punishment therfore may the contention grow marvellous great God striveth and sinne and Satan strive and man holds it out to the last As appeares Math. 23.37 O Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that were sent to thee c. there is the businesse and marke how often would I have gathered you c. and you would not The Father would draw men to his Sonne to be faved but John 5.4 ye will not come unto me that ye may be saved whilst our Saviour thus strives with the cords of mercie to draw men to salvation they labour to withdraw themselves from him and to plundge themselves into damnation Act. 18.5 6. Paul strengthened with the spirit convinced them boldly and by strength of Argument laid hold upon their understandings proving that Jesus was the Christ But they came as in pitcht battell against that Doctrine of life and salvation they did gainsay and blaspheme it the word in the originall signifies They planted forces in order and came in battell array against those blessed truthes he delivered and in other places of the Acts when Paul revealed the truth part joyned with the Apostles part with the Jewes some were convinced others gainsayed and resisted See then how a poore sinner breakes all the cords of grace and mercie as Psalm 2.3 when there the wicked combine against Christ say they Let us breake his Bonds assunder and cast his Cords from us Gods Counsells Commands Reproofes c. are the cords they breake the threatnings of the word the checkes of Conscience all the tyes of mercie they snappe in peices they breake all and wilfully withdraw themselvs from salvation we neede no more witnesses to cast this cause wofull experience daily produces too many all difficulty rests in the Explication of this And therin observe three things First I will discover how God drawes and strives with the sinner what a deale of doe it is to bring a sinner to everlasting life Secondly the reason why God doth so strive Thirdly Application hereof First how doth the Lord strive The good Spirit of the Lord followes a Suit himselfe against a sinner and pleades a Law-Case with him I doe confesse the dealing of God is marveillous strange herein and I ingeniously acknowledge I want both skill and heart to set forth the pleadings of God herein But he is onely able to speake for himselfe and by his gratious assistance wee shall observe to you such pleaes as God affords in Scripture how the Lord hath dealt herein To the point then How the Lord pleades and strives with a sinner I referre to two heads 1. By way of perswasion 2. By way of constraint and compulsion Wherein we shall observe all the cords of mercie and bondes of compassion First striving and if those doe not prevaile execution of punishment terrours and a strong hand pursues a sinner in mercie and at last if all faile mercy overcomes the sinner wherein see God first discovers the matter in controversie Proceedes to execution and by repreive at last prevailes by mercy over judgement Touching the first part and of the pleaes of mercy in scripture we must referre our observation hereof to foure heads First As in a suite of Law before there can be a day of Heareing the Party is summoned to answer So the Lord having a Controversie with a sinner the Lord summons the sinner into his Court the Lord causeth a Writ to issue out to attach a sinfull Creature that lieth snorting in his sins and securely posts to destruction one that never saw his miserie and wants and never sought for mercy and supply Salvation being the furthest end of his thoughts and the least part of his care Now the Lord doth bring this about in his providence by bringing them to the word and therein mercifully making knowne the sinners estate before ever he imagined thereof Jsa 65.5 I was found of them that sought mee not Hence in ordinarie experience many a poore sinfull creature hath beene accidentally cast into such a Towne or into a good familie and the Lord comes upon him on a suddaine when he never dreamed of life and grace As many a soule in the acknowledgment of Gods mercy and providence breakes out in this wonder Oh that I should be brought into such a place such a familie and meete with such opportunities when I dreamed of it as little as of doomes day and desired nothing more then mischeife that God should stop me in the way to Hell See that of Saul when he was running to Damascus ah saith he I will take these Puritaines in their Conventicles a light shin'd suddenly from Heaven and almost tumbled him downe into Hell Even such a kinde of light is let into the soule not that we must expect a miracle or a new thing but when the word is brought home to the understanding the soule will thinke those strange things such as hee never heard or thought of And if the finner growes carelesse and will not attend God calls upon the soule and drawes the minde to attend holds the light to the eye and brings the Word so evident to the soule that it cannot evade Ezek. 16.2 Sonne of man cause the Children of Jsraell to know their abominations The Prophet 1 Kings 21.20 having a Message to Ahab after his great wickednesse see how the sight of the Prophet startles him and makes him snarle Hast thou founde mee out Oh mine Enemy saith Ahab The worde findes a man out and drawes the minde to attend it The soule would be carelesse and secure will not heare not attend The Lord knockes as the doore of the soule findes him out behinde the Pillor awakens him asleepe in his Pue finds him out his sinnes and discovers his abominations The Lord comes home to the soule and tells him thou art the man that hath sinned and thou shalt bee plagued God deales like a Wrastler first catches hold then comes in and at last throwes a man upon his back makes him yeeld and confesse I am the man Thus the Lord causeth the minde to attende the word The Lord tells the Drunkard that the Alehouse is not the way to Heaven and the Adulterour that his way leads to perdition brings them to the word and causeth them to attend thereto And further the Soule attending the word and being ignorant and knowing no good the Lord informes a sinner and sets up a light of wisedome in his minde to conceive of the nature of sinne whereby he hath provoked God He that yet never knew what sinne was now it stares him in his face and he beholds it with amazement and in