Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	earth_n	heaven_n	lord_n	2,528	5	3.5705	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12202	The spirituall favorite at the throne of grace. By the late learned, and reverend divine Richard Sibbs Doctor in Divinity. Published by the authors owne appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent unperfect copies	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1640 (1640)	STC 22512; ESTC S103004	21,096	106

in Isay 50. towards the end Goe too now ye that kindle a fire walke in the light of your owne fire but bee sure you shall end in sorrow You will kindle a fire of your owne devises and walke in the light of your fire you will have projects of your owne and be your owne caruers but be sure you shall lie downe in darkenes and discomfort you shall lie downe in sorrow A proud unbroken heart accounts these courses poore courses it is but a course of weak and poore spirits to pray and fast and humble themselves to God and to feare God alasse what are these these are weake courses I hope wee have stronger parts and meanes to carrie things So they have a Kingdom in their braine What is the issue of these vaine men when God discovers all their courses to be vaine at length to be winde and come to nothing Prosper now thy servant saith he Let us learne this lesson likewise If wee come to God in a particular businesse that wee are not so confident in to be pleasing to God yet in generall to submit our selves Lord prosper thy servant goe before thy servant let me deale in nothing against thy will direct mee what is for thy glory and not to prescribe or limit God Prosper thy servant this day And grant him mercy in the sight of this man HEE comes more particularly to his request Grant me mercy in the sight of this man We see that A King is a great organ or instrument to convay good things from God the King of Kings to men Therefore hee prayes that God would give him favour in the sight of the King For a King is the first wheele that mooves all other wheeles and as it were the sunne of the common wealth or the first moover that mooves all inferiour orbes therefore in heavenly wisedome he desires God to give him favour with him For if he had that the King could turne all the inferiour orbes to his pleasure Indeede it were a point worthy enlarging but that it is not so seasonable for this time the time being already spent You see what great good God conveyes by Kings and Princes And when God meanes to doe good to a Church or state hee raiseth up nursing fathers and nursing mothers he wil raise up both Kings and subordinate Nehemiah's excellent men when hee hath excellent things to doe But the maine thing here intended which I will but touch is That considering they stand in such a subordination to God as to be instruments to convey so much good or so much ill as they may as it is said of Ieroboam they either cause others to sinne or to worshippe God Therfore we should doe as good Nehemiah hee prayes that he might finde favour in his sight A wise and holy prayer hee begins at the head he goes to the spring of all good Prayer is the messenger or ambassador of the soule beeing the ambassadour of the soule it goes to the highest to the King of Kings first to the Lord of Lords first it goes to the highest moover of all and then desires him to moove the next immediate subordinate moover that is the King that hee may moove other orbes under him that things may bee carried by a gracious sweet course to a blessed issue Therefore the observation hence is this That when we have to do any thing with great men with Kings c. how ever beginne with the King of Kings and doe all in heaven before wee doe it in earth for heaven makes the lawes that earth is governed by Let earth conclude what it will there will be conclusions in heaven that will overthrow al their conclusions Therfore in our prayers wee should beginne with God and desire him with earnest and fervent intreaties that hee would set al a going that hee would set in frame these inferiour causes And when wee have gotten what wee would in heaven it is easie to get in earth Let us win what wee desire in heaven at Gods hands and then what an easie thing is it to worke with Princes and other governours in state when we have gotten God once hath not hee the hearts of Kings in his hand as the rivers of waters to turne this way or that thē way As a skilfull man derives water by this chanell or by that as he opens a vent for the water So God opens a way to vent the deliberations and determinations of Kings and Princes to runne this way or that to this good or to that as hee pleaseth Therfore considering that there is an absolute dependance of all inferiour things from God when we have to do with Kings or great men let us alwaies beginne with prayer As Iacob when hee was to deale with Esau hee falls down and prayes first and when hee had gotten of God by prayer God that makes even of enemies friends hee turned Esaus heart of an enemie to bee a friend And God put into Iacobs heart a wise course to effect this as to offer a present and to give him titles My Lord Esau c. God when he will effect a thing amongst men heare the prayers that are made to him for the favour of men he will put into their hearts such waies whereby they shall prevaile with men as Iacob did with Esau So Hester before she goes to Ahasueros she gate in heaven first by prayer when shee had obtained of God by prayer● how placable and sweet was Ahasueros to her So we see in other places of Scripture when holy men have beene to deale with men they began with God I beseech you therefore learne this point of Christian wisedome if you would speede well as we all desire to speede well in our businesse especially those that have publike imployments that they would pray to God that hath the hearts of Kings and Princes in his government and guidance that he would make them favorable And not to thinke to carry things in a violent course for then God doth not usually give that good successe but to carry things in a Religious course to the King of heaven and then to know in what termes to stand in all inferiour things as may stand with the will of God in heaven If so be there bee a dependance of all inferiours to God then we must not offend God and goe against conscience for any because hee is King of Kings and Lord of Lords He doth not set up authoritie against himselfe to disarme and disable himselfe he never went to set up Gods under him to make him a Cypher that hee should make them Gods and God a man or no bodie to alter all the frame of things He never meant to set up any ordinance to nullifie and make himselfe nobodie Therefore I say wee ought to pray to God for Kings that so in our obedience we may be sure to doe nothing against conscience for any creature we must do all things that possible

God would prosper us Indeed it is not in man to guide and direct his owne way Wee are darke creatures and we have not wisedome enough and we are weake creatures wee have no strength we are nothing in our owne strength And for successe alas a thousand things may hinder us from it for successe is nothing but the application of all things to a fit issue and foreseeing all things that may hinder and a removing of them now who can do this but God One maine circumstance that besiegeth and besets a businesse may hinder an excellent businesse who can see all things that beset a businesse all circumstances that stand about a businesse who can see all circumstances of time and place and persons that are hindrances or furtherances it must bee an infinite wisedome that must foresee them man cannot see them And when men doe see them are there not sudden passions that come up in men that robbe them of the use of their knowlege that though they know them before yet some sudden passion of feare or anger may hinder the knowledge of a man that he is in a mist when hee comes to particulars whē hee comes to apply the knowledge that he had before he knowes not what to doe So that unlesse God in a particular busines give successe who is infinitely wise and powerfull to remove al hindrances there will be no successe As it is in the frame of the body it stands upon many joynts and if any be out of tune the whole body is sicke And as it is in a clocke all the wheels must be kept cleane and in order so it is in the frame of a businesse there must all the wheeles be set a going if one be hindred there is a stop in all It is so with us in the affaires of this world when wee deale with Kings and States if all the wheeles be not kept as they should there will be no successe or prosperity Nehemiah knew this well enough prosper thou therefore He meant not to be idle when he said this prosper thou for he after joyned his owne diligence and waited Therefore joyne that if we would have our prayers to God and our dependance upon him effectuall for prosperity and successe be carefully to use the meanes as he did he stands before the King and observed how he carried himselfe to see what words would come from the King and then hee meant after to put in execution whatsoever God should discover It should teach us to make this use of it when we deale in any matter to goe to God to prosper it and give successe and direction and assistance and a blessed issue For God that we may alway depend upon him he keepes one part in heaven still when he gives us al likelihood of things upon earth yet he reserves still the blessing till the thing be done till there be a consummation of the businesse he keepes some part in heaven because he would have us sue to him and be beholding to him he will have us go up to heaven Therefore when we have daily bread we must pray for daily bread because the blessing comes from him Our bread may choake us else we may dye with it in our mouthes as the Israelites did but when we have things we must depend on him for a blessing all is to no purpose else Let us learne by this a direction to piety and holy walking with God in all things to pray to God for a blessing And to that purpose we must be in such a condition of spirit as we may desire God to prosper us that is we must not be under the guilt of sin when we come to God to prosper us And we must be humble God will not prosper a businesse till we be humble As in the case of the Benjamites when they came they were denyed the first second and third time till they prayed and fasted and were thorowly humbled they had their suit denyed If the cause be never so good till wee be humbled God will not prosper it because we are not in frame for the blessing if we had it we would be proud God in preventing mercy and care will grant nothing till we be humbled Therefore let us see that we be humble and see that the matter be good that wee beg God to blesse and prosper us in or else we make a horrible idoll of God we make with reverence be it spoken a divell of God Doe wee thinke that God will give strength to an ill businesse This is to make him a factor for mischiefe for the Divels worke Wee must not come with such strange fire before God to transforme God to the contrary to that he is but come with humble affections with repentant soules for our former sinnes And let the thing it selfe be good that we may come without tempting of him let the cause be such that we may desire Gods assistance without tempting of him as we do when it is good and when we come disposed Then com with a purpose to referre all to his service Lord if thou wilt blesse me in this businesse the strength and incouragement I have by it I will referre it to thy further service Let me have this token of love from thee that I have a good ayme in all and then I am sure to speed well Prosper now thy Servant IT is an excellent poynt if I had ●ime to stand on it I beseech you let it have some impression upon your hearts What is the reason that God blasts and brings to nothing many excellent endeavours and projects men set upon the busines of God and of their callings in confidence of their wit and pride of their owne parts they carrie things in the pride and strength of their parts Men come as Gods to a businesse as if they had no dependance upon him for wisedome or direction or strength they carry things in a carnall manner in a humane manner with humane spirits therefore they never find either successe or not good successe Let us therfore commend all to God prosper thy servant Before hee went about the businesse holy Nehemiah he sowed prayers in Gods bosome and watered the seede with mourning as it is in this chapter hee mourned and prayed when this businesse was sowne with prayers and watered with teares how could hee but hope for good successe he mourned and prayed to God heare thy servant Now when wee deale with things in a holy manner wee may without tempting God trust him That which is set upon in carnall confidence and pride it ends in shame when men thinke to conceive things in witt I and in faction and humane affections God will not be glorified this way God will bee glorified by humble dependant creatures that when they have done the businesse will ascribe all to him Not unto us but to thy name give the prayse The direction and assistance and blessing was thine Sayth God