Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	know_v	life_n	2,879	5	4.5653	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93242	Judgement and mercy: or, The plague of frogges [brace] inflicted, removed. Delivered in nine sermons, by the late reverend and learned divine Mr. Iosias Shute, Arch-deacon of Colchester, and preacher at St. Mary Woolnoth, in London: with his usuall prayers before and after sermon. Whereunto is added a sermon preached at his funerall, by Mr. Ephraim Vdall. Imprimatur. Ja. Cranford. Octob. 29. 1644.	Shute, Josias, 1588-1643.; Udall, Ephraim, d. 1647. Sermon preached at the funerall of Mr. Shute.	1645 (1645)	Wing S3715; Thomason E299_1; Thomason E299_2; ESTC R200245	134,491	230

it lets us see Beloved if a multitude may be punished for one mans sinne what a mischiefe a wicked man is to the place he lives in For as it is with the childe of God he is a great blessing wheresoever he comes as God said of Abraham Thou shalt be a blessing Gen. 12. So was Lot he was the party that bare the Sodomites all the time that he was among them Gen. 19. So you shall finde that had there beene tenne good persons in all those Cities they had beene spared The innocent man delivers the Island Iob 22.30 and reprieves it from the sentence that is gone out against it Abab hath so much sense that he thinkes he shall be the better by Ieboshaphats accompanying him to the battell And all the people fared the better for St. Pauls going in the ship Act. 27. Saith St. Ambrose Good men are the wall of the Country and St. Chrysostome saith They are the marrow of the Country On the other side a wicked man is a plague and a curse to the place he lives in let him be never so noble never so honourable or potent or wealthy if he bee a prophase man hee labours to hasten Gods judgements on the place he is in We read of one Byas the Philosopher that travelling in a ship in a tempest with a great number of odd fellowes some of them very rakeshames and naught they began in the tempest in that extremity as men will doe to call upon the gods he comes to them and saith unto them with some jest not in earnest saith he Hold your peace lest the Gods take knowledge that you are here and not only you but we suffer for your sakes And the History saith That Iohn the Evangelist when he came into the Bath where Cerinthus was he got out presently his reason was lest the Bath should fall for that mans sake Many a wicked man being challenged for his impiety and not able to excuse or justifie it any way yet he hath thus much to say What need you trouble your selfe about me I hurt none but my selfe Alas God knowes if it were no more it were too much that a man with Saul should fall upon his owne sword Vtinam vel sic c. as St. Austen saith I would to God it were no more but if thou be a wicked man thou hurtest not only thy selfe but more I speake not of thy example so much thou ingagest the place thou livest in to the wrath of God thou pullest it down The City of Abell entertained Sheba 2 Sam. 20. It had like to cost them all their blood for if the head of that Traitor had not beene throwne over the wall the edge of Ioabs sword had fallen upon the whole City And if the people had not separated themselves from the Tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram they had been involved in the same judgement Num. 16. Therefore it behoves the children of God nearly to take heed what company they consort with not only in regard of suspition that they may not be suspected to be such as they converse with but in regard of infection for sinne is as taking as the plague Thirdly in regard of the malediction Therefore in Revel 18. God saith Come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receive not of her plagues There is a humour in some people in the world if the seat be pleasant or extraordinary commodious and profitable they will cast themselves into the place though the inhabitants be as full of sinne as may be It was the humour of Lot he liked the plaine of Iordan well and thought Sodome as the garden of Eden thought he My lot is fallen in a good ground he looked not to the inhabitants but hee rued it after So all those that for pleasure or profit cast themselves among the wicked certainly they shall be scorched with those flames that the wicked are apt to kindle where they dwell The second Use since God takes occasion by one mans sinne to punish many and yet those not without fault It should teach us to acknowledge when God punisheth us that it is just and that we our selves deserve it what ever the occasion be Seneca tells a story of Pison a Roman Generall he commanded a Souldier to be put to death because he returned without his fellow that went out with him to the Campe and said he killed him because hee mist him The Captaine that had order to put the fellow to death espying the man comming that was missing stayed the execution Therefore Pison put all three to death What was his reason Saith hee to the first I have condemned you already I will nor reverse my judgement Saith he to the second man you shall dye because of your going away and exposing your fellow to death And to the Centurion you shall dye because you know not what it is to obey a Generall So saith Seneca he busied his head to finde some cause because there was none But it need not be so with God he need not busie his braine to finde cause to punish any of us that can pretend the greatest innocency for our owne thoughts words and deeds God knowes minister hourely occasion and knowledge Therefore I say whensoever it pleaseth God to lay his hand on us though another may be the occasion yet justifie God in his sayings and cleare him when he is judged All the difference is but this as you see it is with a company of fellons that have committed robberies in several places of the County they are all brought to the same Gaol they are all arraigned at the same bar they all perish at the same tree so God gathers the sins of men it may be upon some occasion and punisheth them all together but they have sins enow of their owne in particular that expose them to wrath therefore let us ever acknowledge that God is just I have heard and read of that saying of Prince Henry in the time of his sicknesse that same delitiae humanae as it is said of Titus whose death was to this Kingdome as so much of the best blood let out of the veines of Israel when it was told him that the sinnes of the people caused that affliction on him O no saith he I have sins enow of mine owne So should we all confesse though God take occasion by another mans sinne and by the neglect of another person to fire my house yet God hath just cause to bring it on me God had cause against the seventy thousand that dyed of the plague though Davids sin were the occasion yet there was a meritorious cause in them So though Pharaoh sinned yet all these Egyptians were not without faust for they hated the Isralites and without doubt were glad of the hard measure of the people of God therefore they justly suffered Though the hardnese of Pharaohs heart were the occasion yet there was cause in

God Joshua perswades Achan to a full and free confession from this way to give glory 〈◊〉 God though he knew that he should expose his life to danger yet let him give glory to God Jos 7. It is the counsell of David Psal 22.23 O ye of the seed of Israel glorifie the Lord. And it is the practise of David if you marke it Sam. 6. when he brought the Arke and danced before it and was reproached by his wife that relished not those good things saith he I have done it before the Lord which Tostatus interpreting saith I have done it to the honour of God thou sayst I am vile I care not if I were more base so God may be glorified I will be more vile It is that that God himself indents with man for Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me There is a supposition of a day of trouble and an imposition of a dutie we must call upon God and Gods composition Man must glorifie him and God will heare So you shall find it is the counsell of our blessed Saviour Let your light so shine before men that others may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 It is that that our blessed Saviour sets downe in the first petition of the Lords prayer hallowed be thy name It is that that our blessed Lord in his practise had respect to Joh. 17.4 Father saith he I have glorified thee on earth It is that that Paul would have to be remembred in all our actions whether you eate or drinke or whatsoever you doe doe all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. The children of God have been so sensible of Gods honour that they have not dared to doe the least thing whereby they might impaire ir The sense of Gods honour made Abraham compose that jarre betweene Lot and him This is that that kept Joseph from satisfying the lascivious desire of his mistris This kept Mordecai from bowing to Haman he would not have stood to give that proud Persian reverence but for this First it was more then civill that he required Secondly he was an Agagite that God had cursed in both which respects he should have diminished the glory of God It was respect to this that kept Daniel from eating his portion of meate and the three children from bowing to the Image This made Paul and Barnabas so zealous that they flew in among the people when they would have sacrificed to them because it intrenched upon the honour of God Act. 14. This made Peter refuse the honour that Cornelius would have done and the Angel refuse it from the hands of John because they knew they should wrong God in his glory And this was the reason that the fathers of the Church when there was a motion made for the composing of differences betweene them and some Arian heretiques that stood up a little would have done it the least letter in the Alphabet Iota in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would not lend a word not a syllable not a letter why because they were jealous of giving away the honour of God and that that belonged to his glory And what is the reason that we joyne not with those in the Church of Rome in giving such unlimited honour to the Virgin Mary and to other Saints but that we are afraid to take from God and give to the creature we must be jealous of his glory Why do we not pray to Saints as they doe because it is due to God and it is an impeachment of his honour since invocation is proper to him The children of God are so zealous of his glory that they regard not their goods no not their lives to set it forward Paul saith Phil 1.20 I rejoyce whether by life or death God shall be glorified hee cared not for his life So wee see in our blessed Lord himselfe Joh. 12.27 Father what shall I say free me from this houre but yet I came into the world for this houre glorifie thy name As man he desired the cup might passe from him but when he considered that God intended his glory in his suffiering Father saith he glorifie thy name what ever come Nay the Children of God have been so zealous to promote Gods glory that they have not regarded their owne salvation It is a notable instance of Moses who was conceited that if God should destroy the people now part of his glory would bee impaired saith he Lord if thou wilt doe this rase me out of the book of life Rather then Gods honour should be impaired among the heathen that were apt to take occasion to blaspheme God Moses was willing to forfeit his owne salvation So Paul for the same Israel hee was content to be Anathema for them The glory of God in their salvation was so deare to him Thus respective the children of God have ever been to bring glory to God in all their actions But one thing will bee questioned what man can give glory to God As Iohn Baptist said of Christ I have need to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me God had need to give us glory and honour and he must give it us if we have any true honour Are wee like to bring glory to him to set forth his glory Was not God glorious and happy before ever there were Angels or men to praise him Saith Ambrose God is not the better if wee praise him or the worse if we dispraise him what can this worthlesse filme of flesh that tumbles up and downe our mouthes adde to the glory of God The schoolemen answer God accepts it to increase his glory ad extra though ad intra there bee no increase or diminution Therefore for the use of it it meets with a number in the world of whom the Apostles speech will bee verified they seek their owne but not the glory of God men build but as the builders of Babel to get themselves a name Marke saith Chrysostome to get themselves a name not God the glory So Calvin observes concerning that passage out of the mouth of Nebuchadnezzar Is not this great Babel that I have built for my honour c. Marke all is for himself not for the glory of God or the good of the State So there are a number that do almes they performe the worke but as the Pharisees not for the glory of God but for their owne prayse they do their works that they may be seen of men So there are a number that make profession of Religion what for the glory of God No to build up themselves in the opinion of the world that men may conceite of them to be religious So there are those that doe good works sometimes Is it for the glory of God No for their owne temporall ends or it may be as the Papists to merit by them that they may be said to be their own

used fairely and kindly and not irritated and provoked contrary to the dignitie they maintaine Therefore whatsoever men except against the persons of men give the place the honour that is due So did Moses with Pharaoh he would not goe back from that hee had said lest he should impaire the honour of so great a Magistrate So much for that Be it according to thy Word A second thing I observe that is the cheerfulnesse of Moses undertaking this businesse for marke in common speech when we yeeld to a mans motion what say we Be it so I am content your word shall stand I will do as you have said this argueth a cheerfull and willing performance And Moses being about a worke of mercy to remove a judgement this cheerfulnesse sets out the worke Paul saith if a man shew mercy he should doe it cheerfully with hilaritie with a kind of pleasantnesse The same Apostle he forbids the contrary for he would not have men doe it out of sorrow or grudgingly inforcedly 2 Cor. 9.2 and he gives a very good reason for God loves a cheerfull giver If it be in that service that God requires for himself if it be an office of love to our brethren cheerfulnesse hath ever a speciall commendation 1 Tim. 6. rich men are wished to be ready to distribute That is the cheerfull affection that is spoken of And works of mercy are compared to sowing in the Scriptures Every man desires a faire seed-time so every man should give chearefully for the more cheerfull the seed-time the more expectation there is of the harvest It is said in Psal 112. The good man is mercifull the old translation reads it the pleasant the merry man is mercifull And Austin reads it the sweet man And why he gives a very good reason for it for saith he it maks a man sweet in the nostrills of God when hee is cheerfull in doing that that is good Whereas on the other side if it be necessitated and extorted from him saith Austin God will poure him out of his mouth as a man doth that that is unsavory and unsweet that troubles his tongue that is fit for nothing but ejection Now this cheerfulnesse when a man is to doe good should appeare three wayes First a man should find in his heart Deut. 15.10 saith the Lord thou shalt give him in his need and thou shalt not find thine heart grieved when thou givest Thou shalt not find thy bowels locked up so the word signifieth in the Epistle of John the locking up of a mans bowels A man must not find his heart straitned but be so cheerfull in his disposition for this purpose as if he rejoyced in the opportunities that God offers for the exercise of his charitie Secondly there must be cheerfulnesse in a mans countenance for if a man do a work of mercy with an austere look and a clouded brow he puts gravell into that bread he gives and soures the favour hee would bestow so as it is unacceptable Therefore Solomon speaks of a man with an evill eye and bids eate not his bread that when he sees a man eate his meat wisheth him choak't that when he gives a penny he casts an eye after it as if he wished it in his purse againe such a mans charitie would not be had if a man could be without it Thirdly there must be cheerfulnesse in a mans words Thus it is said that Joseph spake comfortably to his brethren And so Boaz to Ruth and David to the poore Egyptian servant And so our blessed Lord to the woman that came trembling before him and was afraid of being checked he did not onely comfort her but perfect the worke of mercy on her For the use of it it meets with many in these dayes there be those that their hearts are dead in them as Naballs like a stone there is no cheerfulnesse in their inward man they will doe but so much as the Law compells them and there is an end Or it may be when it is racked out with importunity and extreame solicitation that is done and nothing else which as Ambrose saith is to give not out of judgement but out of a desire to be free from importunity there are a number of these sponges in the world that suck a great deale but you must squeeze them before you can get any thing from them How do these ever think to have thanks of God he loves a cheerfull giver or of men when Seneca saith a man that receives a benefit from him he doth not receive it but it is wrung from him therefore he thinks not himself so obliged to requitall or to be responsary for such a favour Secondly you have those that if they enlarge themselves to any matter of bountie and charitie they brow-beate the poore those that need them they look so austerely and sullenly and superciliously as if they would eate them as if as the Baziliske they would kill them with their looks Thirdly you have those that if they do any thing they do it with such language and so rate the poore man as if he were a dog rather then a man and bore Gods Image as well as he The sonne of Syrack gives better counsell Blemish not thy good deeds with evill words for sometimes a good word is better then the gift and so it is Therefore in the second place it is a use of instruction to us all to find our hearts cheerfull upon the occasions that God ministreth for the exercise of our charitie We are about to commemorate the greatest favour that God ever did in sending his Sonne to take our nature and to die If our hearts be open it is well O let us blesse God for the opportunities he ministreth to us for the abilitie he hath given to us to refresh the bowels of those that are necessitated And let us thank God that wee are not in a condition of want but that God hath given us some abilitie to give Secondly let us be cheerfull in our countenance And thirdly in our words let us speake Gnaleb to the hearts of those that are in necessitie as the Hebrew is give them the comfort that is fit for them for with such sacrifice God is pleased So much for the yeelding of Moses Now he comes to the reason That thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord our God And now beloved while Moses assigneth this reason let all men be satisfied that thought Moses indiscreet in yeelding to the motion Now you see his ayme he intends the glory of God he intends to teach Pharaoh such a lesson as he never learned before If he had done it in his owne time he had not promoted the glory of God so much therefore now it makes him justifiable and makes him an example to us which shall be the observation In all our actions to ayme at the glory of God It is the Queene of all causes the end of all things the glory of