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
A89195	The churches troubles and deliverance, or, Certaine sermons tending to shew the reasons why the Lord doth sometimes bring his people into extremities, with the blessed issue and fruits thereof, on Gen. 22. 14. Also divers arguments giving good hope that yet God will be gracious to England, and not deliver us into our enemies hands. Also some things briefly on Rev. 11. 7. to 14. Bby Tho. Mocket, Mr. of Arts, and preacher of Gods word at Holt in Denbigh-shire.	Mocket, Thomas, 1602-1670?	1642 (1642)	Wing M2305; Thomason E110_18; ESTC R19617	74,158	93

great danger then every man is busie to call upon his God Ion. 1.4 5 6. Ionas was roused up with detestation of his sl●ggishnesse at such a time Awake what meanest thou ô sleeper arise call upon thy God When David was in the mire in the deepe waters in great danger and trouble Jonas in the Whales belly when the Ship was in danger and when Peter was ready to sinke then they cry Lord save us we perish So Iacob when wrathfull Esau came against him he wrestled all night with God If God had delivered him at the first hee would not have wrestled with God as he did and so have missed the blessing also which he received with the name of Israel so Iehoshaphat Abijah and Israel and Iudah often As it is said of our blessed Saviour Lu. 22.44 that being in an agony he prayed more earnestly so it is true in all his members though they pray at other times constantly yet in their great straits and extremities they pray oftner and after another manner then at other times more feelingly and fervently even the worst of men will in their extremities seeke unto God In their affliction they will seeke me early because then when other meanes fa●le there is none else to helpe and therefore they must goe unto God and seeke helpe from him or perish And so it puts them upon other religious duties which at other times it may be are wholy or much neglected 5. The Lord doth it do exercise and so brighten the graces of his Spirit in his people which otherwise will decline The best pearles and adamants will waxe dusky with long lying in a close Cabinet grow dull and loose their colour though they retaine their substance and vertue but dyamonds the more they are worne the brighter they looke and are more resplendent yron with long rest will gather rust but the more it is used the brighter it is hence so many rusty Swords in this Kingdome till these troubles give occasion to brighten them So all the graces of Gods sanctifying Spirit though they will not decay in respect of their substance and habits yet they will as it were grow dusky but the more they are exercised the brighter they are Afflictions are Gods file to burnish our spirituall armour make it more bright and serviceable 6. By exercising the graces of Gods Spirit in times of tryall some of which have little or no use in times of prosperity as patience and some other they are also much increased Mat. 7.17 and the Saints made more fruitfull and therefore God brings them into troubles and extremities many times Afflictions are therefore compared to waters to raine as the raine falling on the Earth makes it fruitfull the seed to grow the grasse to spring so afflictions sanctified will make barren hearts and lives fruitfull in grace and all good workes We are like rough hard cloddy ground that is not fit to be manured till softned and broken and it is not every little showre that will doe it it must be a ground showre that soakes through so afflictions seeme but as the raine to fasten us and make us more plyable to his blessed will and more fruitfull which are sometimes in such a temper that it is not every small affliction that will doe it Therefore it is that James saith My Brethren count it all ioy when yee fall into divers temptations Jam. 1 2 3 4. knowing this that the tryall of your faith viz. by afflictions worketh patience one grace begetteth another and let patience have it's perfect worke that yee may be perfect and entire wanting nothing If a man pull off a plaister too soon it will not worke a perfect cure so here let patience to wit in bearing afflictions have it's perfect worke that c. Implying that if patience have it's perfect worke it will make a Christian perfect and entire wanting nothing They saith the Apostle namely earthly fathers chastened us after their pleasure Heb. 12.10 but he i. e. God for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse 2 Cor. 4.16 Paul saith speaking of afflictions That as our outward man decayeth our inward man is renued daily As the waters that lifted up the Arke the higher the waters were the nearer the Arke was to Heaven so afflictions though they seeme to cast men low in the eye of the world and their owne eyes also yet they mount a man higher towards God and make him after a sort a compleat Christian that you may be perfect saith the Apostle and entire There are 2. parts of a Christians obedience active and passive doing and suffering and both these together make a man a compleat Christian for parts though not for degrees of obedience That which the Poet said of vertue Affl●ctiones fortē reddu 〈◊〉 fortioreus Chrys Hon. 2. ad The 2. virescit vuluere virtus vertue gets strength by wounds so grace by afflictions and as in brave generous spirits difficulties doe heighten their courage and resolution so here great afflictions and great straits doe raise a Christians graces his faith c. to a higher pitch as Camomell the more it is troden the more it spreads and the sweeter it smels and so doe spices the more they are pounded and a Pomander the more it is rubbed and vines that are often pruned the better they beare so the graces of the Saints the more they are exercised the more they grow as physick though it be bitter and sometimes violent and churlish in the working yet the body afterward is the stronger by it for it purgeth out the corrupt malignant humour that doth weaken the body so doe afflictions and troubles though sometimes great and grievous for the present yet they doe good they are a meanes to beget and increase spirituall strength Thus Afflictions and tryals doe as discover grace so increase it by exercising of it Actus intendit habitum saith one Bellar. si nervosè fit the act doth increase the habit if it be done with all a mans might so doe strong afflictions great tryals for they put a mans upon the exercise of all the grace he hath to put it out to the uttermost 7. The Lord often brings his people into great afflictions as to try and improve the graces of his Spirit in them so likewise to discover corruption Great afflictions great tryals doe discover much corruption Peter thought himselfe much better then he was till the tryall came and then his unbeliefe and cowardise in Christs cause appeared There were some who in Q. Maries days and other times of persecution made boast they would suffer much for Christ as Peter did and went on far but when it came to the pinch to the point of suffering they drew backe we are generally like Hazael 2 Kin. 8.12 13 apt to thinke we have no such foule corruptions in us such vile lusts but Schola crucis Schola lucis is true

good meanes to cure a man of love of the world sicknesse poverty persecution and other great troubles make men weary of their lives Elias when he fled from the wrath of Jezabel and Ahab 1 〈◊〉 19 4. he sate under a Ju●iper tree and requested for himselfe that he might dye not a word of dying before hee was brought into this great strait that he must either fly for his life or dye by the hand of wicked Iezabel This made Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ that he was then in bloody Nero his prison though that was not the sole cause of that his desire If we had all things here at will wee should with Peter desire to build Tabernacles and abide here but afflictions and troubles especially great ones make us weary of the world like as wormewood on the mothers brest doth imbitter it and makes the child out of love with the brest So afflictions and troubles doe imbi t●r our worldly comforts make us weary of the world out of love with it and to aspire and long after Heaven And both these tend much to draw his people to trust in him and so to rely and bottome themselves upon him as to commit themselves to him to roule themselves and leane upon him alone When a man is come so fa●te into such an extremity that all outward helpe and meanes faile him and there is none to rely upon but God that either be must cast himselfe wholy upon God or perish be undone if God helpe him not he is undone he hath no hope elswhere it will drive him to roule himselfe and rely upon God if there be any faith and hope in him that God can and will helpe as a man shipwrackt at Sea when hee sees there is no other way to be saved but such a rocke or planke Heb. 11.17 18 19. then he casteth himselfe on that and resolves to rest thereon Here Abraham was brought to a very great strait he cast himselfe on God he beleeved that God was able to raise up his some again from the dead and therefore hee cast himselfe upon God So it wrought with Paul and others they received the sentence of death in themselves i. e. saw no way or meanes of life all hope from outward meanes failed and therefore they cast themselves wholy on God heare his words 2 Cor. 1.9 10. We received the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead who delivered us from so great a death It was a great extremity Paul and the rest were brought into Act. 27. Act. 27.20 No small tempest lay on us saith the Apostle all hope that we should he saved was taken away See how this drove him to trust in God v. 25. Sirs be of good cheare I beleeve God c. When the storme was exceeding great the Ship split and all failed nothing but the waves or peeces of plankes yet then he cast and committed himselfe to God yea then he must doe it or perish no hope no helpe any other way Thus the Lord would have his people to trust in him and rely upon him alone and this is a speciall meanes to drive men to it to unbottome them of the creature necessity is a good argument and it is well if any thing will make a man truly and sincerely to cast himselfe on God 12. Sometimes againe The Lord brings his people into troubles to make his Word and Promises sweeter unto them and all his mercies to relish better When a man is tossed to and fro and wearied with beating his braines and endeavouring by all wayes and meanes yet in vaine and as it were against the streame and wind ô how welcome then will a promise be to such a soule Ps 110.50 Contraria juxtase posita magis cluceseunt how sweet will the word to be to him that finds no helpe no comfort in any outward thin●● This said David is my comfort in mine affliction thy word hath quickned me put life into his drooping dying soule Every mercy is sweet to a gracious heart but in case of extremity it is most sweet contraries doe best discover one another the bitterer the affliction is here the more grievous the trouble the sweeter will the word be to a gracious heart as every thing is sweet to an hungry soule Also troubles bitter afflictions will sweeten glory they put a kind of excellency and eminency on Heaven and glory it selfe and make it more sweet and glorious Great afflictions and troubles here make Heaven if I may so say more heavenly the haven is most pleasing to a weather-beaten Mariner sweet after bitter health after sicknesse ease after paine meat after hunger the triumph after a sharpe battell so troubles here on Earth doe after a sort swee●en the life to come and make it more excellent and soul-ravishing 13. The Lord dealeth thus with his people to increase thankfullnesse in them for mercies When he comes in the very necke of time at the last pinch when all outward helpes and hopes faile then mercy will be welcome indeed and thankfully received Here when it was come to the uttermost Abrahams hand was lifted up to slay his sonne then comes a dispensation from God which much affected Abraham therefore he presently as it were erects a monument with this inscription In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seene and called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh i. e. the Lord will see or provide So in Hesters time when things were brought to a great height Hest c. 4. 9. a desperate pinch then God workes their deliverance and they were much affected with it when a man is brought to extremity then mercy affects much and accordingly the heart is inlarged in thankfulnesse The more bitter the affliction is and the greater the extremity the more welcome and thanks-worthy mercy and deliverance will be A hungry beggar will be thankfull for every small matter and course almes but he that is full is ready to slight every thing A full stomacke loaths the hony-combe Pro. 27.7 sayes Salomon 14. Lastly the Lord suffers the enemies of his people to prevaile and bring his people to an extremity that he may have occasion to manifest his glorious Power Wisdome and Justice also 1. His Power Wisdome and Goodnesse in the manifest support of his people in their troubles holding them up as it were by the chinne in the midst of the waters that they sinke not So Gods admirable power and goodnesse did appeare in making the Arke to float safe upon the waters the bush to burne and not be consumed the Church to be brought into great straites sometimes to the utter most extremity and yet not be quite dissolved and perish likewise preserving Daniel in the Lyons den the three children in the fiery furnace Jonas in the Whales belly Likewise in delivering them cut of extremities that

spoyled at such a time c. So for publicke mercies and deliverances in which every one hath a share for the publicke good is every mans private benefit Was not England brought into the Mount to a very great exigent and was not God seene for Englands good in 88. in scattering and destroying that invincible Navy A●no 1588. as the Adversaries themselves stiled it In November 5. 1605. when there wanted but a very little time to be added to make our King that then was and He that now is 1605. the Queene Prince Nobles Commens in Parliment and many thousands more together with the Houses the Records of the Land and of every mans particular right yea the whole Kingdome our Religion Lawes Liberties and all to come to nothing and then God appeared and wrought a great salvation for us before we knew our selves to be in danger So when the Churches in Germany were brought to an exceeding low ebbe God raised up that renowned King of Sweden and others since that have done great things revived the dying hopes of Germany this was the mighty worke of God So God did wonderfully preserve Ireland especially the great City of that Kingdome giving very great and wonderfull deliverances and victories to a few over many very often God hath preserved and done great things for faithfull loyall Scotland sometimes pronounced and commonly called traytors though misunderstanding when they stood for the defence of Religion Lawes and Liberties against the publicke enemies of the Church when in the eye of earnall reason there was little or no hopes of enjoying either Againe for our selves at home 1639. 1640. did not the Lord strangely and wonderfully preserve this Nation from the Spanish Navy the other yeares and from imbruing our hands in our neighbours bloud who sought our welfare and destroying one another till none remaine or if we were conquered by them we must needs lose all and if we did conquer them we were sure that both the victory and our selves should be a prey to the malignant party for whom we fought We have had many great mercies and deliverances from many great and desperate designes so that we doe enjoy peace liberty and the Gospell to this very day notwithstanding all our feares and jealousies grounded upon most evident and imminent causes threatening destruction and losse of all broken our yoaks eased our shoulders and our consciences also in a great put-off of many grievous burdens The time would faile me to tell of all the great things that God hath done for us within these few yeares by-past and utter his mercies and our deliverances by while There is cause enough why we should stand even amazed with the Jewes in Babylon Psal 126.1 that after Proclamation of returning to Jerusalem were so affected with it and wondred at it that they were as men in an extasie like unto them that dreame they could scarce tell whether it were true which they heard and saw or but a dreame But beloved what thankfulnesse hath been returned to God for all these great mercies and deliverances Surely little and by too many in a manner none at all especially for common and ordinary mercies Many are like the ungratefull Tenant that enjoyes the Lands and Houses of a good Land-lord but will pay no Rent Like the Husbandman in the Gospell that did receive the fruits of the Vineyard but returne nothing Mat. 21.34 41. The truth is many are like the Swine that doe grouse up the Acorns that fall from the Tree but never looke up to the Tree whence they come so many daily taste of Gods blessings receive his mercies and deliverances and yet seldome or never lift up the heart in thankfulnesse to God the Authour and doner of them They were wont in the first Ages of the world to thinke they had good cause to praise God for the least mercies Deut 3● 13 as for the dew c. We too many of us can scarce find in our hearts to praise God for great mercies while fresh before our eyes so far are we from labouring to continue the remembrance of them 2 Others there are that thinke not of them though they take some notice of them and it may be are a little affected with some of them for the present yet quickly forget them even while the things themselves are in their hands and before their eyes Gen 49.23 or newly received as Pharaohs Butler forgat Joseph and as Israel did Gods goodnesse They remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy Psal ●8 42.10 21. Ingratus est qui di●s●●nutat in gia ●or qui non redd ●●ng●a●● s●mus omni●i qui oblitus est S● de B●net They forgate God their Saviour that had done great things for them in Egypt There are saith one many sorts of unthankfull men Some deny they have received a benefit some dissemble it some requite not but most unthankfull are such as forget a kindnesse shame honesty and time may mend the former but what can amend the last sort who doe so willingly forget mercies 3. Others though they take some notice of and remember mercies and deliverances yet ascribe them to other things as the Heathens usually doe to their Idoll-gods Iudg 1623. 1 King 5.18 Jer 44.17 18. The Philistines ascribed their victories to Dagon The Syrians to their Idoll Rimmon and Remphan and Israel to the Queen and Host of heaven and too many Christians to second causes and instruments as wit strength policy vigilancy diligence c. yea to fortune and chance a heathenish conceit very unbeseeming Christians yea impious and dishonourable to God robbing him of his glory in those things most commonly in which his wisedome power and providence is most seen and giving that to the creature second causes and instruments or Idol-fortune chance or lucke that belongs to God only 4. Many doe sleight and undervalue mercies and deliverances accounting great mercies small and small none or not worth the taking notice of them 1 King 9 1● 13 Deu. 19.20 Psal ●6 24 as Hiram did the Cities which Salomon gave him and as Lot did Zoar and Israel the pleasant land and are often murmuring and repining because mercies are not so great and every way satisfying to our boundlesse unsatiable desires This is a great fault to undervalue and much more to repine and murmure at Gods mercies especially if great and extraordinary as many of ours of late have been 5. There are some that are worse then any of these who envy the mercies of Gods people repine at the goodnesse of the Church are grieved to se● such great things done as of late have bin done for England and that other Nation blessed be God and even gu●sh their teeth at it speake contemptuously of what God hath done by the great Councell of the Land yea oppose and hinder what they can seeke to undermine it and undoe all and