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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	effect_n	good_a	work_n	5,591	5	6.3844	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91061	Englands impenitencie under smiting, causing anger to continue, and the destroying hand of God to be stretched forth still. Set out in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at a publike fast, Sept. 25. 1644. By Nicolas Proffet, late rector of Peters in Marlebrough, now Minister of Edminton, and one of the Assembly of Divines. Published by Order from that House.	Proffet, Nicolas, d. 1669.	1645 (1645)	Wing P3647; Thomason E16_22; ESTC R18136	45,814	55

that smiteth them then it must needs follow that Germany smitten and miserably wasted it is the Lord that smote them Ireland smitten and allmost consumed the Lord hath smiten them England at this time smitten devided and much weakened it is the Lord that hath smitten us This Doctrine doth assure us as the woman of Tekoa doth informe David that the hand of Ioab was in all that so the hand of God is in all this his hand hath smitten both them and us The more therefore to blame wee and the greater our sin who looke much below the hand of God Isa 26.11 It was a just complaint of our Prophet Chap. 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see and in this Chap. as was noted before he chargeth this people that they were so farre from turning to him that smote them as they tooke no notice of the hand that hurt them Israel lookes lower then heaven then the hand of God and lookes on other hands they could not see his hand that smote them I feare Israel and England are so like each other in this as England is the worse I remember what one hath noted of Israel and I pray let us consider whether it be not true also of England also at this day When the Iewes indured so many miseries even from their first plantation in the land unto their finall casting out they were seldome aware of this point c. If the Philistines Cananites and other borderers upon them doe spolle their Country tyrannize over them and oppresse them with cruell slavery as they did in the times of the Iudges they will interpret this to be nothing but an old grudge of these nations for dispossessing them of their Country for which they were hated and all occasions sought to worke revenge If the Kingdome be devided that is nothing but Rehoboams folly and ill counsell of ill advised Courtiers If Israel make warre on Iudah or Iudah upon Israel that is but policy to keepe downe one another least one should encroach upon both Kingdomes If there be civill warre that is through the factions of potent and ambitious Statesmen If a forraigner invade them it is nothing but the pride of ambitious tyrants that cannot be content with their owne but seeke after glory and greatnes in the ruine of other Kingdomes Yea if Salmanazer or Nebuchadnezzar carry them away captive out of their Land though they may thinke God not well pleased with them in the generall yet they would resolve these effects into other causes more proper as they conceive It was weaknes in their Kings ●●generating from their antient valour want of good considerates of good Councellours of skilfull and trusty Commanders or hardy Souldiers they were over-borne by multitude and these or some things like these were the cause of this misfor●●●e c. But the ●and of God they will not see they will ascribe ●●●ther unto any thing then unto the hand of God Iust as 〈◊〉 speakes of the people of his time in case of good suc●●●● Alius fortuna Alius eventui c. One doth ascribe it to ●●●●une another unto event a third unto the advice of their leaders a fo●tth unto good counsell c. nullus Deo Hardly a●y unto God How true this is of our times and whether this he not our National sin I shall leave you to consider and judge 〈◊〉 so it is very great and wee in it like Israel and not much b●yond the Heathen may much behind some of them who were wont to looke much higher then many of our people doe For to say nothing of him that having slaine a great Enemy of his Country and when there was a strife among the Officers who ●●old give him most honour did ascribe all to Heaven and would take nothing to himselfe and others but only the lending their hands unto the worke they ascribing victory and successe unto Fortuna and Victoria did as they imagined ascribe them to God For Fortune as they thought was a divine power and no lesse indeed then a God And the like they held of Victoria as Aug. noteth This sinne is so much the more to be noted and reproved as it is more sinfull and dangerous for it is a fault in the first concoction of the use which should be made of the judgements of God not to be recovered in the rest It is observed by two learned ●●xp●sitors upon the Text that Israel not acknowledging whence these stroakes came therefore they did not turne by true repentance unto the Lord neither did they seeke him And whereas these stroakes were laid on them that they might convert bring neglected they become more obstinate It is the policy of Satan not unlike to that of Ieroboam 1 Kings 12.26 27. 〈…〉 the people should goe up to Ierusalem to Sacrifice in 〈…〉 that their heart would turne againe unto their Lord the King of Iudah And therefore he doth set up Golden Calves and said unto them It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem behold thy Gods O Israel c. Thus the Devill well knowing it might proove dangerous if men should looke so high as the hand of God for then they might possibly lay to heart his hand and inquire into the cause and fall out with their sinne and fall off from Satan therefore he indeavours to make them to cast their eyes upon Golden Calves and doth fasten them on any thing on Earth that they may not looke up to Heaven And by this meanes it cometh to passe that God looseth all the glory and they all the gaine of his mercies and punishment upon them for their amendments Vse 2 Secondly This Doctrine may serve for comfort and support unto Gods people to remove and mitigate sorrow especially in the excesse in saddest times of smiting And truly such times call for cordials and such a use of this Doctrine For when the Lord cometh towards his owne in a warlike habite and posture when he approacheth neer unto them with wrath in his countenance and a destroying sword a bloudy rod in his hand the dearest of Saints falling into the hands and unto the mercy of barbarous and cruell bloudy men seemes to exceed in feare yea and fly in such trembling fits to try some ill conclusion if they stay not themselves they may feare the feare of the wicked and say A confedracy with them to whom they say a confederacy Isa 8.12 Their feare may drive them to make unlawfull leagues or to be of the opinion judgement or practice of the wicked in working out their way out of danger and at the least withdraw themselves from God in whom alone is helpe and comfort in time of trouble and danger As it is noted of Astianax when his owne father came towards him armed although it was to imbrace him yet being afraid at the sight of his head-peece and hairy plume bending towards him the child doth forthwith hide his face in

observe unto what the Relative him doth referre Unto their enemies it cannot be referred who were mentioned in the former Verse but unto Iehovah the Lord of Hoasts as the words following doe declare But to cleare this point from some other Scriptures Ezek. 7.9 Ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth whatsoever the rod or sword may be the Lord will have it known that he smiteth And more particularly and plainly Deut. 28.25 The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies c. and Verse 49. The Lord shall bring a Nation against thee from farre from the end of the earth c. if they be smitten the Lord is he that doth cause it and he doth bring their enemies how farre soever they come Ezek. 11 8. Ye have feared the sword and I will bring a sword upon you saith the Lord God Amos 4.10 Your young men have I slaine with the sword c. Ezek 14.17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say Sword Goe through the land so that I cut off man and beast from it These Scriptures do cleare the point Yet for better satisfaction unto such as doe not see how God should be said to strike them that are smitten by men we shall briefly note how and in what sense respect the Lord is said to smite God is pleased to work sometimes with and sometimes without means mediately and immediately thus immediately and without means he formed our first Parents and upheld them being created and he led his Apostles into all truth And in things belonging to this life he sometimes worketh with and sometimes without yea above and contrary unto secondary causes and means Thus he fed his people in the Wildernesse divided the Sea drew water out of the Rock Sometimes he worketh by means mediately and useth second causes yet then he hath an especiall hand in these means Acts 17.28 For in him we live and move and have our being c. and Ephes 1.11 he worketh all things after the Counsell of his owne will God is not to be conceived in his working by meanes as men Kings and Princes-governe their Kingdomes by their officers so as themselves many times neither act with them nor doe know what is done by them But the Lord hath an eye and hand in the whole government All creatures and every second cause is ordered and disposed by him Who is therefore called the Lord of Hostes not only because all creatures in Heaven and earth are his souldiers and his great army but allso because of his speciall cammand order and government of them all and particularly of men in point of warre which is his sword and is so ordered by him as he may well be said to smite them that are smitten In these and the like respects First Because when a sword is drawne upon any people he doth call for it Ier. 25.29 For I will call for a sword upon the inhabitants of the earth Isay 13.4 He is said to be the Lord of Hostes who doth muster the hoste of the battell Secondly he doth send it whithersoever it doth at any time come Ezek 14.17 Thirdly he doth appoint who shall be smitten when by whom how farre it shall goe and how long it shall continue Hosea 11.6 Ier. 47.6 7. Fourthly he giveth strength and victory unto them that smite and prevaile Eccl. 9.11 The battell is not to the strong Psal 33.17 An horse is a vaine thing neither shall he deliver any by his great strength Psal 144.1 Blessed is the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to warre and my fingers to fight Prov. 21.31 Victory is of the Lord. Fifthly The Lord doth cause warre to cease and command the sword to returne and put it selfe into its scabbard rest and be still Ier. 47 6. Psal 46.9 He maketh warre to cease unto the end of the earth c. Object But some may happily object Wee see by experience that men smite with the sword yea wicked them that are good who for their cruelty are not only menaced but punished by the Lord of Hostes for their barbarous cruelty towards his people How then can they be said to be smitten of God Answ I Answer well enough for first be they who they will they are of his great Army who is the great Generall and Lord of Hostes They are his souldiers and his sword Psal 17.13 Deliver my soule from the wicked which is thy sword And Zeph. 2.12 Ye Ethiopians ye allso shall be slaine by my sword Sometimes the Lord doth send wicked men to destroy or smite wicked men and sometimes to correct his owne children for their good Aug. con●●● 〈…〉 that being tried they may be made manifest either to themselves for hope or to others for imitation Rom. 5.3 4. Knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope Secondly The Lord doth menace and punish their cruelty towards his people and that justly Because they doe not smite them in obedience unto God whose will they inquire not after but have aimes and ends of their owne yet God doth use them to doe his will and pleasure even then when they doe least of all obey him This you have noted Isa 10.5 Ashur is the rod of his indignation or anger and God doth send him against an hypo●●iticall Nation c. but ver 7. He meaneth not so his end is not to punish an hypocriticall Nation neither doth his heart thinke so But it is in his heart to destroy and cut off Nations not a few His aime is not to serve the Lord but by his tyranny to inlarge his d●minions and to subject as much people as he could unto himselfe and so to serve his owne ambition and avarice and therefore the will of his God was not his rule unto which he had no regard but did abuse his power and as Hierom doth observe on the place went beyond the bounds of Gods anger and beyond his owne Commission The like may be noted in Iehu who was sent of God to destroy Iezabel ● Kings 9.7 ● and the false Prophets and the whole hous● of Ahab And he did well in executing that which was right in the sight of God and is promised a reward for his service 2. King 10.30 Yet the Lord will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu Hosea 1.4 And the reason is because Iehu had another aime then God for hee looked no further then his owne honour Annon ●oc ●aci●●t ownes qui de corpore di●●ol● suat Occo●amp In I●a ●● 7 that he might raigne King But God aimed at the rooting out of Idolatry by taking away the Patrons of Idols and Authors of it Now Iehu departed not from the Golden Calves that were in Dan and Bethel 2 Kings 10.29 And the like by ends may be noted in others Vse 1. If when Israel or any people are smitten by the sword of an Enemy it is the Lord

and then a legge you may be sure the child or patient is yet in an ill case if you should see a loving father lay on his sonne and bruise yea breake the very bones of his owne child you could not but thinke there is some great fault committed if that should not alwayes hold yet this is certain our heavenly Father hath no passion to transport him nor doth he afflict willingly man doth sufer for his sinne such an effect as punishment on a nation doth infallibly conclude such a cause as sinne and the Lord doth manifestly reveale his wrath from Hewen against our sinnes for he hath drawne two swords at once against the nation and whereas of the two that of warre is the worst yea the heaviest of God his sore punishments Civill warre is of all warres the worst In which as the Latine Orator said in bellis civilibus omnia sunt misera sed nihil miserius quàm ipsa victoria for as it is said of K. Ed. the second Tuno verè victus quando tot vicit milites prudentes In these warres although every thing be unhappy yet nothing more miserable then victory it selfe because by victory such a body doth overcome it selfe These heavy judgements bring with them a sad report of wrath as he that writes of strange Grashoppers that did depopulate England which had written upon the one wing in black letters ira and upon the other Dei how truly he reports that I stand not to avouch but these judgements have ira Dei wrath and wrath of God as it were written upon their wings and such wrath as will depopulate and ruine the land if the wrath be not appeased and these judgements removed for these divisions are fatall to this Iland and will be its infallible ruine England being as a great and strong body that will not dye unlesse it kill it selfe our Lord himselfe hath said A Kingdome divided against it selfe cannot stand and as the land was darkned when Ephraim was against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim Isai 7.9 10 so is our land under this kind of smiting in which the Lord doth chastise us with Scorpions and not with whips with destroying swords and not with chastising rods Thirdly but for further conviction and neerer Application of this Use it is granted that we doe keepe dayes of Humiliation and we seek the Lord c. And admit Israel did not so much although there were no doubt among them that did unto whom as the most Expositors thinke the former cordials were sent howsoever this is not enough to take off this charge for under such smiting as is now upon us hypocriticall Israel might seek unto the Lord for helpe as Psal 78.34 where it is said of them That when he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their rock Ver. 35. and the high God their Redeemer Never thelesse they did slatter him with their mouth Ver. 6. and they lied unto him with their tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Ver. 37. There is much deceit in such constratned turning and seeking God The faithfull Ministers of God who have occasion to visit many on their sick beds and when the hand of God is heavie upon them find by sad experience how men will at such times flatter with their lips when their heart is not right they will sigh groane and sometime weep abundantly in the confession of their sins and promise amendment it God will please to spare them but hardly one of ten I had almost said of twenty it may be an hundreth that remaineth stedfast in those resolutions if they doe recover For this turning and seeking God was not free but rather forced by the whip and smart and as Chrys observed long since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●●●s in Matt 6.17 He that is made good by constraint by necessity he is never good as you shall see for being loosed from that constraint he doth returne againe unto his own disposition and the reason is manifest his affection is not changed only his action constrainedly intermitted But the bulk and body of the people of this land come farre short of this and seeme rather to come home to Israel who did not so much as seeke the Lord of Hosts c. they observe not these dayes of Humiliation unto this end at least this is certain they turne not to him that smiteth them and the better to cleare this I pray note the manner of speaking here it is said they returned not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●sque ad as one observeth on the Text they did not returne unto him 〈◊〉 i.e. they did not repent and although they seemed to turne from their trade and wicked way yet usque ad Deum non redierunt i.e. they did not turne truely seriously fully constantly and closly or wholly and altogether they came not fully home but did as it were stand still in the way and were but hypocrites feigning repentance but persevering in their impiety as they Psal 78.36 and Isa Cap. 29.13 men may bring shadowes of turning ceremonies of repentance and thinke with them to flatter away the rod from their backs and continue still as sinfull as ever Men may and oft times doe turne yet not to him that smiteth them As for instance Versum quidem puto qui dolet de crimine conversum qui dolet de animi vanitate Vertitur qui jam vult demittere peccatum convertitur qui jam totus omnino vertitur qui jam non tantum paenas non timore sed ad bonum domini contendere fest inat De vera falsa paenitent First Some turne but do not returne as August hath noted a man is said to be turned who grieveth for the offence or crime but he is returned who doth bewaile the vanity of his mind he is turned from sin who will part with it he is returned who is wholly and altogether turned who doth not only not feare punishment but doth diligently make hast to observe the goodnesse of God Men may seeme to turne from all their sinnes and yet not turne so farre as unto the Lord. Secondly Some turne not unto the Lord nor yet from all their sinnes they still keepe some Delilah as Herod they may as Saul slay the leane and keepe the fatt at least keepe Agag alive some speciall sinne Now these turne not to him that smiteth for Conversion must be from all sinne Thirdly Some come short of both the former for they turne not to him that smiteth although it cannot be denied but that such an one doth turne yet it is either from God to sinne or from one sinne unto another And these in their practise contradict what duty calleth for in returning and truly as hath bin observed wee have many examples of such turnings our times are turning times

be rid of evill company and that he may be freed from such temptations as will still keep him in some one or other evill way 5. Lastly because Conversion and Repentance are the work and gift of God unto him we must seek by Prayer and Supplication through Christ that he would please to work that in us which he requireth of us Ier. 31.18 Ephraim there doth thus pray to God Turne thou me and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God Thus let every one under this chastisement being as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke cry to God Turne thou me and I shall be turned c. and all of us as the Church Lam. 5.21 Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned And when we pray we must put forth our endeavours V tia ●●le co●vers● 〈◊〉 quisi 〈◊〉 cum homi●● habent quando autem ex●elluntur a●rior● virtute censurgu●t Is●d and arme our selves against opposition and improve such meanes as serve unto this end Some doe commend unto men converting this direction first to take off themselves from the action of sin and then to deal with the appetite and cogitation howsoever they must looke for strong opposition for vices before Conversion are as it were at peace with a man but being opposed and expelled they rise up with more strength and violence Now in the last place this Doctrine may be applied for Exhortation and speciall direction to our Parliament Worthies upon whom it layeth a double charge particularly for themselves and generally for the whole Kingdome If impenitencie and continuance in sin cause the continuance of anger and doth pull downe more and heavier strokes upon our Nation then it must be their endeavour to remove this cause of anger that the anger may be diverted and this heavy judgement removed from the Kingdome Isai 58.12 this is the way for them to become repairers of the breach and restorers of paths to dwell in for if men will return anger will cease and the quarrell would soone be at an end but if the cause of wrath still continue we cannot expect that the destroying hand should be drawne in but that it should be stretched out still Upon you therefore honourable and beloved this Use falleth with a double weight the Doctrine requireth for the removing of the strokes with which the land is smitten and preventing of heavier ready to fall upon it that you see that none of your owne sinnes under smiting that your not turning from them doe not cause the anger of God to continue and that being Physitians of the State such as are in places of power you endeavour by all possible meanes to cause the people to turne to him that smiteth them that removing the cause wheresoever you finde it this miserable effect may cease turning your selves from whatsoever may be found to be a part of the cause and endeavouring as much as in you lyeth to cause the whole Kingdome to turne from their sinnes also that anger may be appeased and smiting stayed and cease It is not to be doubted it hath been your desire and care and is your endeavour to make others to returne you have used meanes to that end and have therefore sent Ministers into many places where they were wanting to call upon men to returne and to remove such as have been idle unfaithfull and scandalous And yet his anger is not turned away c. the people for all this doe not turn to him that smiteth them I should humbly present unto your wise considerations whether something further be not to be done to cause the people to returne Salomon Prov. 29.19 telleth you that a servant will not be corrected with words Men of a servile disposition will not be amended by so easie meanes as bare instructions be they never so wholsome and good They will not answer the expectation of such as shall bestow their paines upon them And the Holy Ghost Iude ver 22 23. sheweth that men must be variously dealt with according to their various disposition ●nd of some saith he have compassion making a difference And others save with feare pulling them out of the fire Compassion is to be used towards some and severity towards others that if it be possible they may be pulled out of the fire men must be dealt with for the saving of their soules as Chirurgions are wont to deale with their Patients for the saving their lives if lenitives and more gentle meanes will not serve corrosives cauterizings and the like must be used God himselfe doth take the rod into his hand when the Word is contemned and if lighter strokes will not serve he hath heavier blowes for those that be impenitent That the people may be brought to returne instructions and corrections must be used Magistrate and Minister the Word and Sword in m●● be joyned there are many grievous sinnes among us which have provoked the wrath of God against the Land and from which the people should turne that his anger may be turned a way and his destroying hand taken off from the Nation many that have been complained off ●y others that I have no time nor intention to name I shall onely represent some few which are more common and obvious and withall more impudent and scandalous humbly intreating that some course which seemeth best to your wisedomes may be used to suppresse them and to cause the people if it be possible to turn from them as First the great neglect of the duty of these daies of Humiliation which many especially in the Countrey do not only slight and dis-regard but abuse profane spending the day or a great part of it in Alehouses ●nd Tavernes or about their worldly imployment as if it were indifferent to come or not to come to the publike Assemblies ●o seek or to provoke the Lord of Hosts Secondly the horrible profanation of the glorious and dreadfull Name of God by execrations blasphemies and bloudy oaths a sinne that doth exc●edingly abound and under which the land doth grievously mourne Thirdly The sottish and swinish sinne of drunkennesse by which men and women make themselves like beasts rather then Christians and yet in these times of smiting it doth so abound as hardly can men walk the streets but to their griefe they shall see of both sexes reele and vomit in a brutish manner without controule Fourthly the hatefull sinne of pride Isai 3.16 17 18 c. especially of women against whom our Prophet hath spent a good part of a Chapter and elegantly set forth the levitie and vanitie of the women of his time and withall how this sinne did provoke God and pull downe such a judgement as this land is under for he doth threaten warre and declare that these men should fall by the sword and their mighty men in the warre ver 25. yet some among us as if they durst out-dare Heaven it selfe doe come into the presence of an angry God in the dayes of Humiliation with naked brests and such vaine attire as doe openly discover that lightnesse and wantonnesse which is shamefull and unsufferable Fifthly there are many other sinnes such as Sabbath-breaking oppression c. of which I thought to have spoke something if the time would have given leave but I shall onely name one thing more which might much further this worke and that is that some course may be taken for the purging of the Magistracy that as scandalous Ministers so ill Justices and scandalous Magistrates may be removed and those that be zealous and pious put in their places for there will be little hope if sinne be set up to correct vice and they that turne from God themselves shall stand in the places of those that should cause others to turne that the worke of Reformation will ever goe forward the former or other sinnes be suppressed and the land purged of them A faithfull Magistracy and a pa●nefull Ministery may doe much more together then either of them can do apart I beseech you that some course may be taken such as to your wisdomes may seeme best to put life into Lawes and Ordinances that they may not be suffered to sleep and wicked men to sinne but that they may be constrained to breake off these sinnes which doe so highly provoke God and so much hinder our Peace It is noted of King Josiah that having made a Covenant to walk before the Lord 2 Chro. 34.31 ● and to keep his Commandements c. he caused all that were present or were found in Jerusalem and Benjamine to stand to it i. e. as some read and expound it he constrained them by Royall Power and Authoritie c. this is the way to remove the cause of our misery and to save your selves and the Nation at least to discharge your owne duty to performe a most acceptable service to your God and therefore in the words of David unto Salomon when he had shewed his care and preparation for the building the house of the Lord and the worke that was before him let me make bold to exhort you to this duty and sue to God for successe Arise therefore ● Ch●o 22.16 and be doing and the Lord be with you FINIS