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	life_n	world_n	2,645	5	4.7733	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35317	The churches plea for the divine presence to prosper humane force in a sermon preached June 5, 1689, being the day appointed for a general fast and to implore the blessing of almighty God upon Their Majesties arms / by T. Cruso.	Cruso, Timothy, 1656?-1697.	1689 (1689)	Wing C7435; ESTC R30284	18,661	36

of his mighty Arm when we come back to him Sinners whose Transgressions have been visited are of all others the most likely to be pitied when they become penitents The remembrance of former wounds seems to be an encouraging motive to the Church to look for a gracious Cure Come and let us return unto the Lord Hos 6.1 for he hath torn and he will heal us q. d. he will heal the rather because he hath torn us If God had not cast us off before we should have more reason to be jealous that he would do it now III. The Third Thing which I undertook to shew is that God's favourable help is of most importance to be desired and obtained for the making of our Arms Victorious 'T is true that second Causes have their proper Sphere to Act in but the first is infinitely above them God does not accustom himself in these dayes to render means unnecessary by Miracles but he renders them efficacious by the concurrent exercise of his own power As God does not raise up children to Abraham from the stones but propagates an holy Seed in an ordinary way so he does not defend us meerly by Invisible Legions of Angels when there are Men to be employed for such a purpose When God was about to make David King in spite of all his opposers he so turn'd the hearts of the Tribes of Israel 1 Chro. 12.22 that they came to him to help him day by day till it was a great Host like the Host of God. He that rules in the Armies of Heaven makes use of Armies upon Earth too and manages their military acts for the fulfilling of his own ends God speaks of commanding Isa 13.3 4 5. and calling his sanctified ones and mustering them for the battail and making them the weapons of his indignation to destroy the Land of Babylon Josh 5.14 Jesus Christ appeared as chief Captain of the Host of the Lord when Joshua was their visible Leader The sword of the Lord had the preheminence Judg. 7.18 when the sword of Gideon was drawn also Though David went as Champion against Goliah he gives the glory of those Titles to God the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel 1 Sam. 17.45 Therefore he cries out here in the Text to God Wilt not thou go forth with our Hosts alluding as some conceive to God's marching before the Israelites in the cloudy Pillar Psal 68.7 which was an Emblem and Token of his presence Indeed 't is the presence or absence of God which makes the event of all Warlike Expeditions either good or bad Deborah animates Barak with this that Sisera would certainly fall into his hand Judg. 4.14 because the Lord was gone out before him and on the other side the Psalmist complains that God made them turn back from the Enemy Psal 44.9 10. because he went not along with them Creatures like our selves have their part to perform but Almighty Aids are the principal thing Upon this account Moses was not contented with the guidance of an Angel without the presence of God himself If thy presence go not with me Exod. 33.15 carry us not up hence implying that it was to no purpose for them to move if they left their God behind them God's going forth with Armies is eminently advantagious to them in several respects which I shall reduce to these four Heads First By enduing them with skill and prudence for their proper work Multitudes of persons are call'd to this service that were never trained up it may be by tedious discipline nor have had opportunity of improving themselves by frequent practise according to the methods and rules of Art whom God nevertheless can instruct to discretion in this employment as he does the Husbandman in his Isa 28.26 He who is wonderful in Counsel v. 29. as well as excellent in working does therefore many times chuse even in this case the foolish things of the World to confound the wise men that have but little experience and as little wisdom of such a sort to foil the greatest Commanders with 1 Sam. 17.33 What was David but a raw stripling that ran from the Sheepfold to the Camp c. 18.5 and in a little while he was set over the men of War and made himself so famous that the slaying of ten thousands was ascribed to him v. 7. and but thousands to Saul the true cause of which is mentioned afterwards v. 12. the Lord was with him And David himself makes a particular acknowledgment of it Psal 144.1 Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight He that understood only how to handle a Crook or play upon a Harp must needs be taught of God when he came to meddle with weapons of War. God can make those men considerable Helpers in a victorious Battel whose Folly and Ignorance we might rather suspect to hinder it Secondly By Inspiring them with Courage That God who hath put such a Nature into the Horse which being a Brute is not capable of the same impressions as a Man that He mocketh at fear Job 39.22 c. and is not affrighted neither turneth he back from the sword c. What a vigour can he easily diffuse by his unseen influence into the spirits of reasonable Creatures It is thought that Balaam refers to this when he says concerning Jacob and Israel Num. 23.21 the Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them The Presence of God with a People creates such an extraordinary chearfulness and joy as when a Just and Gracious Prince comes into the Field and is receiv'd by his Subjects and Souldiers with Universal Acclamations it fills them with such Life that they can look innumerable Deaths in the face without paleness or dejection they value nothing that stands in their way having the Encouragement of such a Leader There is no such fortitude in the World as that which proceeds from this very cause the undaunted Christian Souldier does far exceed the Roman for a Divine Principle and Motive must needs carry men a great deal further than a Moral What hardships will he rejoyce to endure what dangers will he prepare to meet who feels an Immanuel God with him How does this strengthen mens Hearts and Hands and raise them to a more than Heroick pitch This quicken'd Jael one of the feebler sex to do execution upon the mighty Sisera and hath often prompted small Handfuls of men to be the bold Assailants of the most unequal numbers Thirdly by the prevention of Enemies from making any remarkable resistance This God does where he is present two wayes viz. in blinding and terrifying of them First In the blinding of Enemies I do not mean Literally as God did to the Sodomites who would have offer'd violence to Lot and to the King of Syria's Troopers that were sent