Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	day_n	lord_n	sabbath_n	2,994	5	10.1532	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26694	Remaines of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection of sundry directions, sermons, sacrament-speeches, and letters, not heretofore published ...; Selections. 1674	Alleine, Joseph, 1634-1668.; R. A. (Richard Alleine), 1611-1681.	1674 (1674)	Wing A976; ESTC R22421	168,509	338

n●…tion above other n●…tions an●… herein we have cause to blesse the Lord. There is but little of the profession of Godliness in other nations to what there is in this n●…tion 〈◊〉 a great glory to any place or people to have a multitude of converts born to God out of it This was the commendation of those places that this and that man was born there Ps●…lm 87. 4 5 6. This is cause of singular joy and praise which they were wont to sing to the Lord in those days with instruments of Musick Secondly In the honour of her Sabbaths This is that my Brethren where in the Lord hath vouchsafed singular favor to this nation Oh bless God for honoring this nation with his Sabbaths as he hath done that they should be so sa●…ctisied as they be Nehemiah reckoneth this as a singular mercy of God to them So Isaiah 58. 13. Thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight and shalt honor it If you honour them they will be an honour and blessing to you Thirdly In the Crown of her Martyrs Ah Brethren this is the Crown of glory upon the head of England that God should raise up so many Martyrs in this kingdome of our flesh and kindred that there should be so many caught up like Elijah in siery Chariots to heaven Who can tell of what effect their prayers and blood hath been for our good so that according to that holy prophesic of Latimer when going to the stake God hath lighted up such a light by this as shall never be put out Fourthly In the glory of her ministers Brethren I confess my self not worthy to speak to you of the worth of this mercy However vain men have accounted them the off-scouring of the world c. yet you whose hearts are touched with the sence of spiritual blessings you must needs know and understand the Ministers of Christ not onely to be the glory of the nation but are so far honored as to be said to be the glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. Oh blesse the Lord this day that he hath blessed this nation with such an unspea●… bl●…ssing Do not undervalue such a mercy T is a Cov●…ant-gift of Christ to his Church He gave some Apostles some Pastors and Teachers And 't is part of the grand Legacy that Christ hath bequeathed to believers in the Gospel 〈◊〉 Paul or Apollo all are yours And though God hath now observed this mercy ye we may not forget former mercies Neither hath God l●…t them unuseful you know neither to your nor others souls In this respect I may boldly say God hath not dealt so with any 〈◊〉 Those that have had experience intravelling other Countries have sadly bewailed this how little heat and vigor there is in the labor of the Ministers abroad in other nations for the most part Fifthly In her singular and choise deliverances Herein hath God dealt with us signally I would that all those mercies might be remembred by us this day to our fore-fathers for they were our mercies though not in our days Oh what a mercy was it that God did deliver us from the Spanish invasion This mercy was our mercy and therefore we may not forget it And then when they thought to do that by plot what they could not do by force in the powder-plot when they were like to cut o●… the 〈◊〉 of our nation at one blow God was pleased you know to prevent it just at the nick of time and bring it upon their own heads Oh what cause have we to bless the Lord who saved us from so cruel a bondage as neither we nor our fathers were able to bear Oh forget not such a mercy wherein God hath broken the yoke and brought in that light that h●… hath commanded into the nation Secondly If we com nearer look upon the Place of our desires you shall find that he hath not dealt so with any other place If you consider it in the long 〈◊〉 of your Ministry The powerful success of the Gospel In the peace and unity of its professors In the plenty and variety of its provision In the strange preservation of your liberty In s●…ving you by your enemies Counsel In emin●…nt and gracious returns of your prayers in keeping you from the Ecclesiastical Courts In your glorious Salvations and deliverances Put these nine things together and tell me whether God 〈◊〉 dealt so with any place as with this place First In the long continuance 〈◊〉 your Ministry Forty years was God striving with Isracl but many more years hath God been striving with Taunton i●… the powerful preaching of the Gospel We read of Gods comming the first and s●…cond year and 〈◊〉 no f●…uit would have cut it down the third had not 〈◊〉 dressor prayed sor it But 't is not three years but threescore years that God hath come waiting on Taunton notwithstanding all their praying and their great unprositableness for the greatest part of them I beseech you think of it Is it a little mercy there are many of you that have been born and bred under the powerful preaching of the Gospel Look upon many other places and how many may you see left to blind guides Oh bless God that you have not been bred up under such Ministers and in such places It was the lot of many and it might have been your lot to have been brought up there How many places may you look upon again where there have been excellent Ministers and they have been flocked to from all about but God hath put out those lights and now if you come there you shall scarce find the very foot steps of Religion And God might have done so to you but God hath sent you one Minister after another one out of one Country another out of another for you Oh blesse the Lord for it Secondly In the powerful success of the Gospel True it is and sadly to be bewailed the Gospel hath not had so desired an efficacy but however we must not forget Gods signal and singular mercy to this place in that he hath brought so many to the profession of his Gospel Oh how many Parishes are there where professors are so thin that they are for signs and wonders to be pointed at Oh bless the Lord that he hath cast your lines in that place where there are so many to strengthen your hands How doth David bemoan himself in the want of this mercy that he dwelt in the tents of Kedar you might have lived out in those places and Parishes where you might have had none to help you Thirdly In the peace and unity of its professors Here in God hath been singular in his mercy This is a mercy not slightly to be valued Do but look abroad into other Cities and Towns and see what work there hath been by the breaches that have been made one upon another Oh do but consider the mischief of strife and contention and you will be raised to praise Jam. 3. 16.

of the Family have a great mercy that you live in a Family where you can come twice a day at least to God beyond many others and do you labour to improve it Sixthly Wherein have I denyed my self to day for God Brethren you have not lived like Christians this day if so be you have not used some self-denial to day If thou hast not denied thy flesh but hast given it so much case as it would have and thy Appetite but hast let it have so much as it would and thy tongue but let it go out whither it would thou hast not lived as a Christian. Seventhly Have I redeemed my time from too long and needless visits Idle imaginations fruitless Discourses unnnecessary Sleep morethan needs of the world It is a duty incum bent upon every Christian to redeem his time this hath sate heavy upon the best of Gods servants that they have no more redeemed time now if you would redeem your time there be these time-Robbers and devourers that must be watched First Too long and needless visits Many men are so LONG in their visits that they loose much time of their own and others too whom they go to visit Ask thy heart have not I been too long in such a visit and so steal away others time as well as my own And so for NEEDLESS visits when there is no need be sparing and short in your visits or else you will loose your time and make others to loose their time also Secondly Idle imaginations These steal away our time and we think not of it If this were look'd to how might we grow in grace When a man is on his Journey how might he have good thoughts whereas our hearts are talking of vanity and so in our Shops Thirdly Fruitless Discourse Ask thy heart whether thou hast not failed in this duty what a shame is this that many Christians do come together and scarce any thing of God in their mouths while they be together Fourthly Unnecessary Sleep There is much evil in this when persons do take up so much time in their sleep that there is scarce time left for Religious Duties Fifthly More than needs of the World Men must be very watchfull of this or else the world will Rob them of their time if a man will not use some self-denyal about his worldly occasions but serve God no more than the world will give him leave he shall serve God but little Eighthly Have I done any thing more than ordinary for the Church of God in a time extraordinary Brethren we shall never be able to stand before our own Consciences in the evil day if our hearts cannot acquit us in this that we have put our selves to it more than ordinary for the Church of God You know the troubles of the Church at this day and we should every one of us run with his Bucket and put out this fire God is crying to us as Moses to Aaron Num. 16. 46. Take a Censer and go quickly unto the Congregation and make an attonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague is begun O let us run for the Tokens of his displeasure are in the land 〈◊〉 your tears that must quench these flames that the Bush the Church is burning in How is it that we do not weep over the Church we sit here at ease through Gods blessing but how is it with the Church of God abroad in the land How far are our hearts from the temper of Gods worthies heretofore It was said of One that when there was any ●…ad news concerning the Church they were fain to conceal it from her least her heart should be overwhelmed with the news of it If we had some certain news that our Estates were at undoing how would we break our sleep and yet how is it that we are so careless of the Church of God! How is it that others are so wounded and sick and ready to die with grief and yet we take so little notice of it It was the saying of One to me I wonder how any can laugh said she when Gods Church is in such distress I beseech you take some more time with God than you were wont to heretofore for the Church of God What if thou didst pray twice a day heretofore and now thou doest pray three times a day once a day the more though but a quarter of an hour to seek to God for the Church and sometimes a whole day it will come in upon thy account when the troubles come upon the Church that thou didst labour with thy Bucket if it were possible to put out the fire Ninthly Have I took care of my Company Many times many of us are very great Loosers by this by vain company to be sure if they do us no other harm they Rob us of our Time and that is no small hurt and therefore fly from their Company as from a Plague-fore Or if sometimes thy Calling do call thee to them yet do not go among them before thou hast Prayed to be delivered from the evil of their Company Tenthly Have not I neglected some Relative Duty to day as of Husband Wife Pa rent Child Master Servant Secondly for your sins First Doth not Sin sit light This is 〈◊〉 cause of no small mischief to our souls this is the cause why Christ is no more 〈◊〉 and the promises no more sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sits so light why we can hear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common lovely thing and be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fected with it If thou couldst but 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 sense of sin upon thy spirit this would be a speedy course of preventing sin this is a cutting down of a great limb of sin When a man cuts down a Limb of the Tree a great deal of brush will come down with it and so if thou dost but cut down this Limb let sin sit heavy down comes self and pride and many sins will come down with it How is it that Paul could say O wretched man that I am c. and we are no more distressed with the sense of sin Secondly Am I a Mourner for the sins of the Land My Brethren we have great reason I doubt to check our selves sharply here that when God hath made it so plainly a duty to us and yet we are so little affected with the sins of the Land when God doth set a mark upon them onely for preservation that Cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of the Land yet we remain insensible Can our hearts acquit us now in this thing O let us never leave our hearts but be checking of them for this If thy name were but wounded it would break thy heart almost and yet how is it that we can hear of Gods name to be dishonoured and yet not break for it Can our hearts witness for us that we do never hear of the blasphemie that is in the land and of the Superstition and

shall reckon that he hath so much gold so much treasure laid up in heaven and when it comes to be tryed all his Gold shall prove but Counters O consider what a miserable estate that will be when you shall come with them Lord Lord we have been a praying people and have owned and followed thee and he shall say away you Hypocrites you shall have the reward of Hypocrites there was not the soundness of Religion in you O what a miserable disappointment will this be Jam. 1. 26. He speaks there of some that did but seem to be religious and deceive their own souls There be some men their Religion will serve for no other end but to deceive their own souls to undo them because they are unsound in their Religion There are many Professors that when they come to receive the reward of their du●…ies they will receive another manner of reward than they thought of they think to receive the reward of their prayers and keeping the Sabboth and the like but he that taketh notice of the heart knoweth their prayers were but a taking of his name in vain When they think to have eternal life for their reward God will say I will give you the reward of your works I sound your works to be but hypocrisie and you shall have the reward of Hypocrites O Brethren I beseech you consider it It is an awakening truth but deserves your consideration there are many that will not only be undone by their swearing and deceiving and the like but many will be undone by their praying and hearing I mean they will be undone by them by making them the matter of their righteousness before God and by their confidence and trust and leaning to their duties There be many persons whose prayers and good duties will serve for no other end but to blind them and harden them to their own destruction If you perform religious duties and do not look into the manner of performing them and take care that you be upright you may come to blind and harden your selves by them O there are multitudes of Professors in Hell this day for wanting care to enquire into this what ingredients there were in their duties whether they sprang from principles of grace or but from common convictions whether they were done for and from themselves more than from and for God This made Luther say that he was afraid more of his good works than of his sins for his good works were apt to lift him up but his sins did keep him humble O Bretheren you had need to look about you Satan can make a snare of your good duties to catch your souls by There are two wayes whereby men may be undone by their duties 1 when they make them as a supposed righteousness when men do perform Religious duties and expect that these should obtain the favour of God and remission of sins or at least should help with the merits of Jesus to make up a righteousness for them on which they may climb up to heaven and stand before God Thus those carnal Jews though they were zealous of their duties required by the Law yet they were lost by going about to establish those as a righteousness of their own Rom. 10. 3 2 when they make them as a mistaken evidence There are many persons I conceive that are so far convinced of the sinfulness of their duties that they do not lean to these as their Righteousness before God that those should obtain Gods favour and their pardon yet they do conclude that this is an evidence that they have an interest in Christ and hereby they deceive their own souls Object But you will say are not our good duties signs of our right to Christ doth not the Scripture say he that doth Righteousness is righteous I answer good works are indeed a good sign of faith but then you must look to this that they be sincerely good But ●…ow many do conclude because the work is done that therefore they are in Christ when as they do not look into the bottom of their duties whether they be done in sincerity or hypocrisie and so do but deceive their own souls by trusting to them because their duties are not sincere O my Brethren how effectually are many Professours undone by this That are so hardned in their estate that it is more hard to bring them into Jesus Christ than those that are openly prophane Thus it was observed in our Saviours ministry that it was more hard to bring in the Self-justisying Pharisees than the Self-condemning Publicans Secondly Another mischief of this is this is the cause of so much pride and self-considence in duty Had Laodicea but made a due search into her duties you should have heard another manner of speech from her O my poverty Hypocrisie Deadness Formality Lord pitty my woful state this would have been the language you would have heard from her but now because she did not search into the bottom this did lift her up and made her think so well of her case The reason why we are so well perswaded of our selves is because we do not see into our selves Did we but throughly reflect upon and search into our duties when they are performed we should run to God for pardoning grace As Neh. last 22. Remember me O my God for good He did thus after his great zeal for God and work of Reformation He slies to God to pardon the sins of his duties O Christian if thou didst look into thy duties thou wouldst see enough to make thee ashamed of them thou wouldst be ready to cross what thou hast written and to cut out thy work and pick it out stitch by stitch But now persons not searching into their duties this makes them stick and be confident in them Thirdly This is the cause of so much barrenness in prosiciency in the ways of God did the Christian but duly examine his own duties and espy the defects of the present duty and be sure to amend that the next time that was am●…ss now this would make him in a little time come to a wonderfull prosiciency in godliness But when men go on in a customary course and do not find out their errours it is no wonder they go on in their errours in one tract duty after duty yea one year after another A Christian that is careless in the examining of his duties that doth not observe the failings of his duties to amend at one time what was amiss before he will be but a Bungler in Religion all his dayes But he that is carefull to examine it that he may amend what was amiss this man will soon come to be his Crafts-master in his Trade Fourthly This is the cause of so much ignorance of our own estate It is no wonder that so many Professors are at a loss about their condition it is for want of looking into their Religion They do not know whether they be sound or unsound