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	part_n	1,570	5	3.8915	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56674	The hypocritical nation described in a sermon preached at St. Maries in Cambridge, upon a day of publick fasting : with an epistle prefixed by Mr. Samuel Jacombe.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.; Jacombe, Samuel, d. 1659.	1657 (1657)	Wing P815; ESTC R2023	38,656	56

breach made in this wall for oppression violence and wrong to enter in which I have as good as already cleared while I have brought in the Prophets every where crying out upon these sins as the cause of their desolation and being carried captive out of their own land But if you desire more particular satisfaction be pleased to observe 1 That the captivity of Israel is in a great part charged upon the account of these sins and take the pains to consult but these two places in a Prophet whose vision was concerning the ten Tribes Amos 2.6 7 8. Amos 4.1 2 3. 2 The captivity of Judah both first and last is most manifestly ascribed to them these being the iniquities which even in their reformations they spared from being destroyed and I must again put you to the pains of considering these places which the time will not give mee leave to inlarge upon Isa 10.1 2 3. Isa 30.12 13 14. Micah 3.12 and especially that remarkable one Jer. 34. where hee calls upon them to let the Bondmen of the Hebrew Nation go free according to the Law which because after their promise they refused and kept them still in their service see what is threatned vers 17 18 19 c. And to this that passage I am apt to think relates which wee meet withall in the very beginning of Jeremiahs Lamentations Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude chap. 1.3 3 Babylon her self who destroyed Judah was destroyed for these sins which I note lest you should think that these things concerned only that particular people and do not bode so sadly to other Nations where they are found in Isa 10.5 6 7 it is said that God sent the Assyrian against the Hypocritical Nation that I have been describing and gave him charge to take the spoil c. but hee thought of nothing but destroying and cutting off Nations and therefore hee threatens to destroy him utterly and to take off his burdens and yoaks from his people vers 26 27. and more fully chap. 14.3 4 5 6. hee notes the hard bondage wherewith they made the conquered serve and their oppression and ruling the Nations in anger as causes of their destruction To which may bee added that most evident place Isa 47.5 6. where plainly hee saith that cruelty and oppression toward those whom shee had overcome brought the Lady and Mistresse of the World down to sit in the dust in perpetual silence and darknesse And take notice that one reason why this mischief was not prevented and this destruction came upon them while they thought not of it was the same with that which wee met withal in the case of Judah viz. The base flattering humor of their soothsayers the men-pleasing prophecyes of her diviners and those watchmen they had though pittiful ones they were who had told them lyes just as the watchmen of Gods people had to them which the latter part of that chapter doth give us reason to take for a truth I will refer you but to one place more which most largely treats of the Chaldeans ruine Habak 2. from the fifth verse to the eighteen which whosoever reads must cast his eyes very carelesly upon it who doth not see that unsatiable covetousnesse cruelty bloudinesse violence spoiling aad such like sinnes are made to have a greater hand than their idols in reaching the cup of the Lords right hand unto them and making them so drunken and full gorged that shameful spuing should bee upon all their glory How long should I detain you if I should multiply more particulars from Nineveh Nahum 3.1 from Damascus Gaza Edom Ammon and all the rest mentioned in the first and second Chapters of Amos who were all threatned for their oppression and cruelty to bee punished without any mercy I will onely desire you to consider as you read those chapters whether you can refuse to assent to this as a true observation that one great destroying if not the chiefest sin of those people there mentioned was this their unmercifulnesse and cruel dealing with those whom they had conquered and got into their power I am sure that Edoms four transgressions are so neer of kin to this that wee can scarce make them any more then four degrees of this one sin viz. want of kindnesse compassion and mercy to those whom it was natural for him to pitty especially when hee had the better of them vers 11. Hee did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pitty and his anger did tear perpetually and kept his wrath for ever And I think there is another whole Chapter which renders no other cause of the perishing of those Ammonites Moabites Edomites and Philistims also but this that they either rejoyced and clapped their hands at the ruine of their Neighbour Judah or else with an implacable and irreconcilable hatred prosecuted their victories over them intending their total deletion and final destruction Ezek. 25. But as I said I will not now make so bold as to prolong this discourse till a particular narrative bee given you of all these things Nor will I do any more than suggest to your meditation that Ammon is again threatned for insulting upon the necks of the slain i. e. of a faln and feeble enemy Ez. 21.29 v. Jun. and Pharoah for deceiving and cozening the expectation of Israel who leaned upon his promise Ezek. 29.6 7. And the Israelites themselves for slaying their brethren of Judah with a rage that reached up to heaven and without any pitty intending to make them bondmen 2 Chron. 28.9 10. and that in general it is denounced that the robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgement c. Prov. 21.7 15. and that God hath stiled himself the avenger of the poor and needy and hee that will plead the cause of those that have no helper that are crushed by the mighty and cannot right themselves nor have any other to do them right and that these are such unnatural sins and so contrary to all the dealings of God with men who is merciful kinde and compassionate as well as just and righteous that God will not let them go unpunished especially in the Rulers whose office it is to see right equity and mercy take place among men The Jews you have seen are a notable example of this and by often experience it seems they were so sensible of it that there grew to bee a common saying among their wisemen of this signification That when Gods ears are shut against all mens prayers he will hear the cry of the poor needy and oppressed Quando vastata fuit domus sanctuarii omnes porta clausa fuerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excepta porta oppressionis i. e. when the Temple was destroyed there was no gate open for the Prayers and Petitions of any to enter but onely the gate for the Petitions of the oppressed which they say is

attend upon them though not alwaies of all the fruits and blessings which have thereby been procured 4 I might adde that to bee good a while after wee have fasted confessed our sins and prayed is not the fast of God which will quite turn away his wrath from us That which God expects is an eternal divorce between us and our sins and that wee seek him with our whole heart so as to continue in well doing else with our return again to folly the stripes which are for the back of fools will return also And commonly the case is more dangerous and the disease harder to cure when wee do relapse after wee were well recovered The holy story is so clear in this that hee must bee much unacquainted with the condition of these people in all those times that doth not see it and therefore knowing every one can furnish himself with proofs enough if hee do but read any one book of their History I shall herein spare my further labor 5 And lastly Though all this bee done out of conscience and wee would not for any good omit these performances but in the honesty of our heart observe daies of fasting times of confession and constant prayer and have very pious intentions in the businesse yet it will not make up the fast which God require Such was the Temper of this people as I noted in the beginning of this discourse They was scrupulous in their consciences very loath to displease God by neglecting good duties but alas poor souls this was the Hypocrysy which the Scripture so much speaks of the finer sort of Hypocrisy I say that carries so many to Hel in a pleasing beleef that they are going to heaven while they are serious and zealous in some things but not in all They fasted severely they mourned very bitterly knocked their breasts very heartily confessed very devoutly and prayed very earnestly but yet they did not search and try their ways to turn again unto the Lord they did not every one put away the evil of their doings and so all their zeal in the former things instead of doing them good wrought their greater mischief by making them confidently to account themselves religious persons and to bee angry with the Prophets who would perswade them to the contrary The Prophet Isaiah will fully inform us how God valued their diligence and forwardness in such services To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices I am full of burnt offerings c. I even nauseat the plenty of these devotions when you come to appear before mee who hath required this at your hands c. The Sabbaths The calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn meeting your new Moons c. are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them c. Isa 1.11 12 13. c. This is worse than all the rest that men can see so much reason to do all these things and yet will see no reason to be good that they will have God to be pleased with what pleases them and gives no great distaste to their natures but will not part with any thing that they dearly love though it be the greatest offence to him It were well now if every one would examine his own heart and give himself an account whether hee have done thus much as the people of the Jews here mentioned did and then whether hee have done any more There are not many it is like that have thus fasted and wept and prayed but I doubt they are rarely to bee found one perhaps of a thousand that make a conscience not to sin and to keep a fast every day to God by the constant practice of mortification and holy living I leave it to the private scrutiny of every mans conscience to finde whether or no hee bee in the number of those that observe the fast of God and I think I have said enough to let him know the state of his soul if hee will impartially ransack his heart and have no minde to cozen himself If it bee necessary further to assist him the explication of the second truth which I proposed to bee considered will I hope contribute some further help to his sincere search both into his own condition and of the whole Nation unto which I shall now betake my self and show 2 What the true fast of God is which this people did not but should have observed and so what is further required to the rendring us acceptable to God This hath been so much touched upon in the former argument that lesse remains now due to the unfolding of it except it bee what most particularly belongs to the opening of this portion of Scripture and the laying before us the condition of this people which may bee applicable unto us as farre as wee are parallel unto them in which our own observation will best inform us Gods Fast then is as you cannot but already acknowledge a thorow amending of our ways and doings and commonly it is a general universal reformation if it bee a general good for which God is solicited by us to which I may adde especially in the Rulers Governours and Leaders of the People who have a manifest influence upon all the rest whose fashion ordinarily they will be in and whose sins therefore are sometimes alone nameed in holy writ as procuring Gods judgements because by their neglect and ill example the rest run more pronely into all wickednesse Now because there is but a little time more remaining which I can hope your patience will allow mee I shall addresse my self to treat particularly of that which God required of this People who came to bee enforced by him in relation to their fasting and wee may bring it home to our own condition according as we shall find just cause and reason so to do God you have heard upbraides them here in the Text with their hypocritical partial fasting and therefore proceeds in the 9. and 10. verses to acquaint them what fast it was that hee alwayes called for and expected which he doth again in the 8. Chap. 16 17. which places I desire you will take the pains to consult And then I doubt not but you will see reason for this observation that the sins they were chiefly guilty of more than others were neglects of the duties of the second Table as wee speak not performing of those offices which one man owes unto another but violent breaking all those bonds whereby men are tyed by God together and therefore that these things were carefully to bee reformed by their fasting and prayer They may be reduced to these three heads 1 Vnjust dealing and defrauding one another by lying false swearing devising to over-reach and ruite their brethren Speak every man the truth to his Neighbour execute the judgement of truth imagine not evil love not a false oath ch 7.9 10. cap. 8 16 17. 2 Want of mercy and compassion cruelty hard and rigid