Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	evil_n	sin_n	4,011	5	5.5536	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89195	The churches troubles and deliverance, or, Certaine sermons tending to shew the reasons why the Lord doth sometimes bring his people into extremities, with the blessed issue and fruits thereof, on Gen. 22. 14. Also divers arguments giving good hope that yet God will be gracious to England, and not deliver us into our enemies hands. Also some things briefly on Rev. 11. 7. to 14. Bby Tho. Mocket, Mr. of Arts, and preacher of Gods word at Holt in Denbigh-shire.	Mocket, Thomas, 1602-1670?	1642 (1642)	Wing M2305; Thomason E110_18; ESTC R19617	74,158	93

our Saviour to his Apostles and they shall per ecute you delivering you up into the Synagogues and into prisons c. If you were of the world the world would love it's owne Ioh 15.19 but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you There is a great controversie between us and Rome whether theirs or ours be the true Church of Christ and they or we the true Christians therefore they produce a great Catalogue of Catholiques as they would be called Kings Princes and others of note that have wonderfully flourished victoriously warred and in their battels become victorious Conquerours Bellarmine shewes how Abraham Moses Joshuah Vlti●a Ecclesiae nota est faelicitas temporalu Bel. de notis Eccies and so along to the Macchabees that very many that feared God were victorious and prosperous And thence he goes to Ecclesiasticall stories and all to prove that prosperity and outward felicity it a note of the true Church and indeed so it may be of the true malignant Church not of the true Church simply so called not of the Church of Christ It may be answered That many very wicked men have warred victoriously and prospered as did Saul Ahab Senacherib Nebuchadnezzar and others This is as Salomon speaks to answer a foole according to his folly 2. Nothing is more apparant then this That the true Church of God both Jewes and Christians have often been put to the worse and grievovsly afflicted by the Pagans and Heathens That the most renowned servants of God have suffered great things been brought to grievous exigents divers times as Abraham Job David c. and yet were the deare servants and children of God the dearly beloved of his soule Heb. 12.5 c. God scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth and lets none goe without afflictions but bastards The Scripture runs much upon this to shew that prosperity is a note of the wicked and afflictions a note of the godly Wherefore comfort your selves with these things Fifthly and lastly Seeing we are here subject to troubles Vse 5. even the most grievous to be brought into the Mount into extremities this should make us to thirst and long after Heaven to set our hearts upon long after and labour for that happinesse and security of the Church in Heaven where there is no trouble no enemy that can approach or doe any hurt neither man nor Devill where there shall be no more any grieving thorne or pricking bryar yea where sinne shall be no more Here the godly are subject to afflictions and troubles even the most grievous to the rage of malignant and mighty enemies proud insolent adversaries suffer many things from their tongues that are set on fire from Hell are full of poison and are as sharp swords and from their hands also whose singers itch at the righteous are brought sometimes into great straits and exigents even to the utmost extremity that if God set not in they are gone and perish or are undone in the world all outward comforts are lost beside the inward troubles and perplexities of conscience many times Ba● there all enemies shall be far off all evils removed all teares wi●ed from the Saints eyes all cause of sorrow done away yea sinne it self● shall be utterly abolished there shall be an absolute freedome fr●m all evils both of sinne and punishment and all feares of evill with a blessed fruition of Gods face and glorious presence with full delight for evermore And therefore it is called The triumphant Church because the Saints shall triumph over all enemies and evils This should make us to long and labour after Heaven with Paul willing to be dissolved and be with Christ Phil. 1 21. Psal 4● 2 which is best of all when divine providence shall see good and ca●l for us to say with David in his absence from the place of Gods speciall presence When shall I come and appeare before God and with them under the Altar How long Lord holy and true and with the Church Rev. 22.10 Come Lord Jesus come quickly And here I desire to leave you awhile in your most serious thoughts longing desires and labouring after Heaven where there is fulnesse of joy in the presence of God Psal 16.11 and pleasures for evermore And thus much on that first point or observation which is much more then I at first intended Vse 5. but the worke in the doing multiplyed under my hand like the widowes oyle now through the goodnesse of God I come to the second Proposition or Point observed of which as also of the third more briefly that I seem not to be too long on this Subject That God will be seen in the Mount He will help and deliver his people in their extremities and troubles Doct. 2. In this point before I come to application take notice of these 3. things 1. The truth of the point That God will help and deliver his people in their extremi●ies 2. How he usually doth it by what wayes and meanes And 3. Why he will doe so 1. That God will be seen in the Mount God doth help and deliver his people in their extremities though the Text be most cleare and full yet see it made good in a few instances instead of many 1. Of particular persons Therefore call to mind Gods great mercy to Abraham here when it was come to the very last minate of time to Jacob Gen. 32.3.6 33.1 when his brother Esau was come even to him with 400. men in a posture of warre to Lot when he was taken and carryed away prisoner by the Kings 14.12 13 14. 1 Sa 23.26 17. Ionah 2.1 10. H●st 6. ● 4 10. D●n c 3 6. Act. 12. to David when encompassed by Saul and his men in the Wildernesse of Maon to Jonas after he had been three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so he delivered Mordecai the very same day he should have been hanged by wicked Haman the three children out of the fiery fornace and Daniel out of the Lyons den Peter the very night before hee should have beene brought out to the people to be condemned and executed 2. Of delivering the whole Church or great multitudes of his people together Exod. 6.7 7.45.13 3. v 14.10 Cap 16 2 12. We read of Gods delivering Israel out of Aegypt in the height of their misery with a mighty hand Againe at the red Sea when they were in a mighty strait bringing them through the red Sea relieving them extraordinarily in the Wildernesse when in great want of bread flesh and water c In the time of the Judges and in the dayes of d 2 Chr. 14 6.11 Asa e 13 13. Abijah f 20.12 Iehoshaphat and in g H●st ● 12 7.5 Hesters dayes Many more Examples to this purpose may be given but these may suffice This is the first That

preferment reputation in the world ease liberty or any carnall contentments we affect therefore get thy heart off from those deny thy selfe in those or whatsoever worldly thing is deare unto thee and then it will be an easie matter with Abraham to follow God into the Mount to doe or suffer any thing at his command and for his sake 5. That a man may undergoe with comfort greater tryals he must begin and exercise himselfe with smaller sufferings to beare them cheerfully He must doe as men doe for temporall skirmishes to sight with men First they learne in private Schooles and it may be with woodden swords or with blunted points that will doe little or no hurt They that will be victorious in set-battles doe first traine themselves at home and see how they can carry themselves learne their severall postures for every sadden emergent occasion shoot first with powder at marks c. So a Christian that would behave himselfe bravely in Christs field in Christs cause with Abraham Job c. must learne and exercise himselfe at home and before hand learne to suffer at home and beare the thrusts of woodden Swords the persecutions of Protestants the scoffes scorns reproaches and other vile carriages of carnall Protestants before he enter into the field to encounter the bloody perfections of Papists and their Adherents He that cannot indure the frownes disgraces threats and such like petty in juries from evill men prophane wretches though they be great persons in the world will never by any ordinary providence stand out to shed his blood in the cause of God for the Lord Christ and his Countries good So againe he that cannot beare petty losses crosses or troubles will hardly ever great tryals with more then ordinary assistance from God It is therefore good to begin betimes to accustome our selves to beare and slight all scoffes scornes and custome our selves to beare and slight all scoffes scornes and frownes of men cheerfully to undergoe all small losses and troubles sicitur ad magna and so we shall in time be inabled t undergoe great things with little alteration in our affection yea with much patience cheerfulnesse courage and constancy 6. Labour to have a strong well rooted and well grounded faith and love of God and Christ 1. Faith a well planted and well grounded faith this will enable to cleave unto God in the hardest times to cast our selves and rely wholy on his providence in hope above hope when all worldly means helps and hopes faile 2. Love Eph. 3.17 labour to be rooted and grounded in love as the Apostle speakes what is the reason that many fall away in evill times in times of suffering is it not because they have no true sincere love to Jesus Christ and his Truth Many waters are not able to quench Love neither can floods of water drowne it i. e. no afflictions Cant. 8.6 7. Rom. 8.37 38 his cause and waies but as he in the Story if one hand be cut off he will hold by the other if that also be cut off he will catch hold with his teeth He will resolve with Ruth for Christ and the cause of God and his Countries good Whither thou goest I will goe Ruth 1.16 17. and where thou lodgest I will lodge where thou diest I will die c. Therefore Beloved in the Lord labour for a well grounded faith and a sound unfained love to God to Jesus Christ and your Countries peace and welfare sound love I say not superficiall a lip-love but a deepe rooted and well grounded love The reason why the good seed that was sowne and sprang up quickly wither'd when the Sunne rose was because it had not sound rooting it wanted root be carefull therefore to have a well grounded love that hath good rooting root of judgement and root of affection to have such a love as Christ hath to us even to dye for us so doe you love him so as to be willing to part with an Isaac with any thing be it life it selfe for his sake Now treasure up faith and patience and love as Joseph did corne seeing a day of utterance will come a day of spending not of getting a day wherein all wee have may bee little enough 7. To adde one more for we cannot say too much we cannot be too well prepared for the evill day I say with the Apostle Tut on the whole Armour of God Eph. 6.11 12 13. that you may be able to withstand in the evill day and having done all to stand for we wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers c. If a man be to fight with his enemy in the field he will put on his armour to defend himselfe in the best wise he can and great reason he should doe so his life is in danger In like manner should the true Christian doe we in our suff rings and tryals have to encounter not onely with outward troubles and inward corruptions but also with Satan who is not flesh and blood but a spirit mighty in power and policy therefore called Principalities Powers the Rulers of the darknesse of this world the god of this world c. and therefore we have great need to buckle about us all the peeces of our spirituall armour and be well skilled in the use of them and they are these 7. The 1. Pecce of the Christians spirituall Armour ver 14. is the girdle of Truth that is Vprightnesse Sincerity and single heartednesse to sticke to the Truth for the Truths sake to take Christ for himselfe Religion for Religions sake A girdle is for use and ornament it is comely and profitable and so is this it will be of great use for a Christian in evill times as a girdle was in those dayes when men wore long garments to bind them together that they might better apply themselves to their worke runne goe or doe any thing which a long loose garment would hinder Therefore buckle on this peece of Armour labour to be sincere upright hearted in all your wayes and dealings with God and men and to imbrace Christ the truth and Religion for themselves not for by-respects 2. The Breast-plate of Righteousnesse or Justice Ver. 14. Put on the Brest-plate of Righteousnesse saith the Apostle Righteousnesse or Justice I meane distributive Justice whereby a man doth carry himselfe righteously and justly in all his wayes toward God and men giving unto God that beliefe love feare honour praise and obedience that is due unto him and to men that love respect obedience c. that is due unto him I meane in respect of unfained desire and endeavour This is a Brest-plate what is the use of a Brest-plate to guard the heart liver and other vitall parts from darts arrowes shot and the thrusts of the enemies so doth Righteousnes guard a man against temptations in times of tryall Therfore labor to manifest the truth and power of godlines

record to posterity speciall mercies and deliverances For 1. So we are commanded after God had delivered Israel and disco●sited Amalek Gen. 35.1 God commanded Moses saying Write this for a memoriall in a booke Likewise when God had brought Jacob safe home againe to his native country and delivered him from the wrath of his brother Esau God bad him goe to Bethel and make there an Altar unto God Josh 4. ● namely to offer sacrifice of thankesgiving unto God who appeared unto him when he sled from the face of his brother Esau and had now delivered him Likewise when God had delivered Israel and brought them out of the wildernesse and through the river Iordan he commanded Joshua to take twelve ●tones out of the middest of Jordan and set them up to bee a memoriall to future generations of what God had that day done for them 2. Therefore the people of God used to record speciall mercies and deliverances in their Chronicles in the names of their children of places and the like Ex. 15.1 Jud. 5.1 Isa 38. ● Also in spirituall Songs and Psalmes So did Moses Israels deliverance out of Aegypt Deborah and Baruk their great deliverance from and victory over Sisera and Iabin King of Canaan And Hezekiah his Song of thanksgiving after his recovery from so eminent a danger of death Hest 9 10. c. ver 29 30 31 and the Jewes feast of Purim And thirdly there is great reason for it 1. From the lesse to the great I argue thus If we must be thankfull for particular and smaller even f●r the least mercy as it is Psal 103.2 Forget not at all i.e. any of his benefits and there is good reason for it then much lesse may we forget or be unthankfull for great and extraordinary mercies and deliverances out of extremities wherein Gods goodnesse power wisedome mercy Reas 1. c. are most remarkably seen 2. From the equity of the duty 2. wayes First because Gods mercies to the fathers are mercies to their posterity future generations are the better for them Here the mercy shewed to Abraham in saving Isaac was a mercy to all ages He was to be the seed of the Church In him i.e. in the Messiah that was to be borne of him all Nations should be blessed So we this day reape the fruit of those great deliverances in 88. and from the Gun-powder treason and others since if either of those 1588 1605. or these had taken effect either we had not now been at all or been miserable slaves to Antichrist both in our soules bodies and estates without the wonderfull and extraordinary mercy of God and therefore great reason such great mercies and deliverances should be recorded and the memory of them perpetuated that the generations to come after us who have the bene●it of them should know them and blesse God for them Psal 102 18. This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. Secondly It is equall also that there should be some proportion between our receits and our returnes our mercies are great extraordinary lasting standing mercies for future times and therefore great reason our returnes of praise should be more then ordinary lasting and continued in our posterity 3. Such mercies and deliverances should be specially noted and the remembrance of them perpetuated to testifie our love to God desire of his glory and hearty thankefulnesse for his goodnesse care and providence over us which appeares in that we would have his goodnesse to be remembred and his praise to live when we are dead So men doe with benefactors record their kindnesse and bounty set up a Monument with inscriptions that after times may reade their kindnesse and bounty towards us whom we love and desire to honour for their beneficence towards us especially if publicke and much more should we labour to perpetuate the mercies and praises of our good and bountifull God and Saviour to testifie our love to him and desire of his glory In this case a gracious heart may use the words of Paul who said The love of Christ constraineth us If we truly love God 2 Cor. 5.14 and desire to honour him we shall endeavour to perpetuate his praises 4. We should take speciall notice of and labour to continue the remembrance of speciall deliverances and mercies for the benefit of future ages for the strengthening their faith comfort and support in evill times For this cause saith David shall every one that is godly pray unto thee We have heard with our eares O God Psal 32.6.44.1 c. say the faithfull in evill times Our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their dayes in the time of old and marke what use the Church makes of Gods former mercies and deliverances to his people Thou art my King O God v. 4 5. command deliverances for Jacob through thee we will push downe our enemies through thy name we will tread them under that rise up against us The remembrance of former mercies to his people though long before doth strengthen their faith and put courage into them in their straites makes them confident in evill times and to rest on God in their greatest exigents and this use wee should ever make of former deliverances as did also David 1 Sam. 17.34 2 Cor 1.10 Paul and others Vse of Reprehension This being a duty so apparent and necessary it may serve to reprove and condemne the great ingratitude and vile practise of most men and of our selves in particular who are so far from perpetuating the remembrance of Gods mercies and deliverances to our selves and the Land That 1. Many doe not returne thanks to God for them no scarce while they are fresh and new before our eyes especially for smaller more ordinary and common mercies and deliverances We cannot looke any way beside mercies If we looke into our selves we have our being our soules and bodies all our members faculties and abilities from God with the continuance of them If we looke without us on the Heaven the Earth and Seas meat drinke clothing houses the fire water ayre we breathe in every creature is a mercy There are also spirituall mercies God gave us his Sonne a wonderfull mercy and deliverance wrought by him for man the Gospell the Word and Sacraments great mercies and these with many others we doe enjoy hitherto with peace plenty and liberty no small blessings God hath compassed us about with mercies and delivers us every day from many knowne and more unknown dangers that might befall us If we looke upon mercies in the Mount in time of extremity we may say much both of publicke and private of privative and positive mercies If God had not put in and holpen us may many of us say I had certainly dyed in such a sicknesse in such a danger I had been utterly undone in such a lesse I had been