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	see_v	3,711	5	3.5921	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52601	Two speeches delivered before the subscribing of the Covenant, the 25. of September, at St. Margarets in Westminster the one by Mr. Philip Nye, the other by Mr. Alexander Henderson.	Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.; Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1643 (1643)	Wing N1501; ESTC R4609	13,718	26

stout resolute and composed spirits that vve may bee able to goe on in the maine and stirre in the middest of such stirres and not bee amazed at any such doings It may possibly happen that even amongst your selves there vvill bee out cryes Sir you vvill undo all saith one you vvill put all into confusion saith another if you take this course saith a third vve can expect nothing but bloud but a vvise States-man like an experienced Sea-man knovveth the compasse of his vessel and though it heave and tosse and the passengers cry out about him yet in the middest of all hee is himself turneth not aside from his work but steereth on his course I beseech you let it be seriously considered if you meane to doe any such work in the house of God as this is if you meane to pluck up what many yeares agoe was planted or to build up what so long agoe was pulled downe and to goe thorough with this work and not bee discouraged you most begge of the Lord this excellent spirit this resolute stirring spirit otherwise you will bee out spirited and both you and your cause slighted and dishonoured 2 On the other hand wee must labour for humility prudence gentlenesse meeknesse A man may bee very zealous and resolute and yet very meek and mercifull Jesus Christ was a Lyon and yet a Lambe also in one place hee telleth them hee commeth to send fire on the earth and in another place rebuketh his Disciples for their fiery spirits Luk. 9. 54 There was the like composition in Moses and in Paul and it is of great use especially in this worke of Reformation I have not observed any disputes carried on with more bitternesse in mens writings and with a more unsanctified heat of spirit yea and by godly men too then in contraversies about discipline Church Government Ceremonies and the like Surely to argue about Government with such ungoverned passions to argue for Reformation with a spirit so unreformed is very uncomely Let us be zealous as Christ was to cast out all to extirpate and root out every plant his heavenly Father hath not planted and yet let us doe it in an orderly way and with the spirit of Christ whose servants we are The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing those that oppose 2 Tim. 2. 24 25. We solemnly engage this day our utmost endeavours for Reformation let us remember this that too much heat as well as too much coldness may harden men in their wayes and hinder Reformation Brethren let us come to this blessed work with such a frame of heart with such a minde for the present with such resolutions for the time to come let us not bee wanting to the opportunity God hath put into our hands this day and then I can promise you as the Prophet Consider this day and upwards even from this day that the foundation of the Lords work is laid Consider it from this day will I blesse you saith the Lord Nay we have received as it were the first fruits of this promise for as it is said of some mens good works they are manifest beforehand 1 Tim. 5. Even so may be said of the good work of this day it is manifest before hand God hath as it were before hand testified his acceptance while wee were thinking and purposing this free will Offering he was protecting and defending our Armie causing our enemies the enemies of this work to flie before us and gave us a victory not to be despised surely this Oath and Covenant shall be Iudahs joy the joy and comfort of this whole Kingdome yea of all three Kingdomes Jesus Christ King of the Saints govern us by his Spirit strengthen us by his power undertake for us according as he hath sworn even the Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that hee would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1. Grant unto us also that when this life is finished and wee gathered to our Fathers there may be a generation out of our loynes to stand up in this cause that his great and reverent Name may be exalted from one generation to another untill hee himself shall come and perfect all with his own hand by his own wisedome even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen A Speech delivered by M. Alexander Henderson immediatly before the taking of the Covenant by the House of Commons and Assembly of Divines ALthough the time bee farre spent yet am I bold Honourable Reverend and beloved in the Lord to crave your patience a little it were both sin and shame to us in this so acceptable a time in this day which the Lord hath made to bee silent and to say nothing If we should hold our peace wee could neither be answerable to God whose cause and worke is in hand nor of this Church and Kingdome unto which we have made so large profession of duty ow much more nor to our Native Kingdome so abundant in affection toward you nor to our own heart which exceedingly rejoyce to see this day We have greater reason then the leprous men sitting in a time of great extremitie at the gate of Samaria to say one to another We do not well this day is a day of good tydings and we hold our peace it is true the Syrians are not yet sted but our hope is through God that the worke begun this day being sincerely performed and faithfully pursued shall put to flight not onely the Syreans and Babylonians but all other enemies of the Church of God of the Kings honour and of our liberty and peace For it is acceptable to God and well pleasing in his sight when his people come willingly in the day of his power and how shall they not be willing in the day of his power to enter a religious Covenant with him and amongst themselves whatsoever be the condition of the people of God whether in sorrow and humiliation before deliverance or in rejoycing thanksgiving after deliverance this is it which the Lord waits for at their hands which they have been used to performe and with which hee hath been so well pleased that it hath been the fountaine of many deliverances and blessings unto them When a people beginneth to forget God he lifteth up his hand against them and smitteth them And when his people humbled before him lift up their hands not only in supplication but in covenant before the most high God he is pleased such is his mercy and wonderfull compassion first to lift his hand unto them saying I am the Lord your God as we have it three times in two verses of the 20. of Ezekiel and next he stretcheth out his hand against his enemies and thers It is the best work of Faith to joyn

〈◊〉 SPEECHES delivered before the Subscribing of the Covenant the 25. of September at St. MARGARETS in WESTMINSTER THE ONE By Mr. PHILIP NYE THE OTHER By Mr. ALEXANDER HENDERSON Published by speciall order of the House of Commons Edinburgh Printed by Robert Bryson Anno Dom. 1643. An exhortation made to the Honourable House of Commons and Reverend Divines of the Assembly By Mr. NYE before hee read the COVENANT A Great and solemn work honourable and Reverend this day is put into our hands let us stir up and awaken our hearts unto it Wee deal with God as well as with men and with God in his greatnesse and excellency for by him wee swear and at the same time we have to do with God and his goodnesse who now reacheth out unto us a strong and seasonable arme of assistance The goodnesse of God procuring succour and help to a sinfull and afflicted people such are we ought to bee matter of fear and trembling even to all that hear of it Ier. 33. 9. We are to exalt and acknowledge him this day who is fearfull in praises sweare by that Name which is Holy and Reverent enter into a Covenant and League that is never to be forgotten by us nor our posterity and the fruit I hope of it shall be so great as both we and they shall have cause to remember it with joy and such in Oath as for matter persons and other circumstances the like hath not been in any age or Oath we read of in sacred or humane Stories yet sufficiently warranted in both The parties ingaging in this league are three Kingdomes famous for the knowledge acknowledgment of Christ above all the kingdomes in the world to swear before such a presence should mould the spirit of man into a great deal of reverence what then to be engaged to be incorporated and that by sacred Oath with such an high and honourable Fraternity An Oath is to be esteemed so much the more solemne by how much greater the persons are that sweare each to other as in heaven when God sweares to his Son on earth when Kings swear each to other so in this businesse where Kingdomes sweare mutually And as the solemnity of an Oath is to bee measured by the persons swearing so by the matter also that is to be sworn to God would not swear to the Covenant of works hee intended not to honour it so much it was not to continue it was not worthy of an Oath of his but to the Covenant of grace which is the Gospell he swears and repents not of it God swears for the salvation of men and of Kingdomes And if Kingdomes swear what Subject of an Oath becommeth them better then the preservation and salvation of Kingdomes by establishing the kingdome of a Saviour amongst them even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is a Mediator and Saviour for Nations as well as particular persons The end also is great and honourable as either of the former two is better then one saith he who best knoweth what is best and from whom alone every thing hath the goodnesse it hath Association is of divine Off-spring not only the beginning of Creatures but the putting of them together the cluster as well as the grape is the work of God consort and harmony amongst men especially amongst saints is very pleasing unto the Lord If when but two or three agree assent upon any thing on earth It shall be confirmed in heaven and for this because they gather together in his name much more when two or three Kingdomes shall meet and consent together in his name and for his name that God may bee one and his name one amongst them and his presence amidst them That prayer of Christ seemeth to proceed from a feeling sense of his own blessednesse Father that they may be one as thou in me c. Unity amongst his Churches and children must needs therefore be very acceptable unto him For out of the more deep sense desires are fetcht from within us the more pleasing will be the answer of them unto us Churches and Kingdomes are dear to God his patience towards them his compassion over them more then particular persons sheweth it plainly But Kingdomes willingly engaging themselves for his Kingdome his Christ his Saints the purity of religion his worship and Government in all particulars and in all humility sitting down at his feet to receive the law and the rule from his mouth what a price doth hee set upon such Especially when as we this day sensible of our infirmity of an unfaithfull heart not steddy with our God but apt to start from the cause if we feel the knife or the fire who binde our selves with cords as a sacrifice to the hornes of the Altar We invocate the name of the great God that his vowes yea his curse may bee upon us if we do not this yea though we suffer for so doing that is if we endeavour not so farre as the Lord shall assist us by his grace to advance the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ here upon earth and make Jerusalem once more the praise of the whole world not withstanding all the contradictions of men What is this but the contents and matter of our Oath What doe we covenant What do we vow Is it not the preservation of Religion where it is reformed and the Reformation of Religion where it needs Is it not the Reformation of three Kingdomes and a Reformation universall Doctrine Discipline and Worship in whatsoever the Word shall discover unto us To practise is a fruit of love to reforme a fruit of zeale but so to reforme will bee a taken of great prudence and circumspection in each of these Churches And all this to be done according to Gods Word the best rule and according to the best reformed Churches the best interpreters of this Rule If England hath obtained to any greater perfection in so handling the word of righteousnesse and truths that are according to godlinesse as to make men more godly more righteous And if in the Churches of Scotland any more light and beauty in matters of Order and Discipline by which their Assemblies are more orderly or if to any other Church or person it hath been given better to have learned Christ in any of his wayes then any of us wee shall humbly bow and kisse their lips that can speak right words unto us in this matter and help us into the nearest uniformity with the word and minde of Christ in this great work of Reformation Honourable and Reverend Brethren there cannot be a more direct effectuall way to exhort and perswade the wise and men of sad and serious spirits and such are you to whom I am commanded to speak this day then to let into their understandings the weight and worth and great importance of the work they are perswaded unto This oath is such and in the matter and consequence of it of such