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	good_a	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95617	Christ's government in and over his people. Delivered in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late publick and solemne fast, Octob. 26. 1642. / By Thomas Temple D.D. and minister of the Church of Battersea in Surrey. Published by order of that House.	Temple, Thomas, d. 1661.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. aut	1642 (1642)	Wing T634; Thomason E127_37; ESTC R4760	39,793	55

Die Mercurii 26. Octobris IT is this day Ordered by the House of Commons That Sir Francis Knollis doe returne thanks from this House to Doctor Temple for the great paines he took in the Sermon he preached at the entreaty of the said House at St. Margarets in the City of Westminster this present day of publick humiliation and that he be desired to print his Sermon And it is Ordered that no man shall presume to print it but he who shall be authorized under the said Doctor Temple 's hand writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint SAMUEL GELLIBRAND to print my Sermon THO. TEMPLE CHRIST'S GOVERNMENT In and over his PEOPLE Delivered in A SERMON Before the Honourable House of COMMONS At their late publick and solemne Fast Octob. 26. 1642. BY Thomas Temple D. D. and Minister of the Church of Battersea in Surrey Published by Order of that House PSAL. 97.1 The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof LONDON Printed for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1642. To the Honourable House of COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT BEing called to this service by your command I could not think of a fitter subject more seasonable to the times and your places then this touching the Kingdom of Christ first to set before you the chiefe employment God cals you to and the duty lies upon you in it that is to study all the waies by which Iesus Christ may be best setled in his throne and his government most spread throughout these parts of the world where your work lies Secondly to hold out unto you the great encouragement to so great a work in which you are sure to meet with so great oppositions to let you know God himself will carry it on and Christs government shall be established notwithstanding the rage of people and the plots of Princes against the Lord and his Annointed If you go on in this cause with upright hearts there is no reason your spirits should faint or your hands slacken in fear of the issue you are on a rising side and in a work that will improve it self And indeed you have need of encouragement even from heaven to go on in the work of reformation of the Chuch and of establishing Christs government amongst us where the endeavours of many are so mighty to oppose it and their tongues so malignant to disgrace it But while your hearts are faithfull with God resolve to goe on with Gods work knowing you must passe through evill report as well as good report 2. Cor. 6.8 They who are called to great works must be willing to sacrifice all estate credit life in the cause of God so we keep faith and peace with God and doe not shipwrack a good conscience it matters not much what else we lose If Christ carry you through the work here he is all-sufficient to reward you hereafter The Lord make all great mountaines that lie in your way Iac. 4.7 to the setting up of the Kingdom of Christ as plaines before you Rev. 2.2 and in the end reward your works and your labour and your patience So praies From my Study in Battersea Nov. 6. 1642. The unworthiest of the servants of Christ in the work of the Lord THOMAS TEMPLE A SERMON Preached before The Honourable House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT At the publick Fast Octob. 26. 1642. PSAL. 2.6 Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion THis second psalme is an exact description of the Kingdome of Christ as it was prophesied of by David who was himselfe a type and figure of Christ in his Kingdome and the Father of him according to the flesh which as it appeares out of the frame of the whole psalme so we finde this Psalme clearly expounded of Christ and his Kingdome by the Apostles in the new Testament First where mention is made of the Heathens rage and the Kings of the earth bandying against the Lord and his Annoynted v. 1.2 this is by the whole Colledge of Apostles and Disciples expounded of Christ Act. 4.25.27 Secondly where it is said thou art my son this day have I begotten thee v. 7. this is also plainly expounded of Christ not of his birth as it seemes to be meant upon the first view but of his resurrection from the grave which is as it were a new begetting Act. 13.33 A fit subject of our meditations as in all other so especially in these times Christ as he stands to us in this relation of a King we are all willing to looke upon Christ as he stands in the relation of a Priest offering himselfe in sacrifice for our sins so desiring him as a Saviour to save our soules wee lesse delight to eye him as a Prophet revealing Gods will to us little careing to know him but wee commonly hate to thinke upon him as a King as not easilie subjecting our selves to be governed by him I shall therfore crave your attention while I unfold to you this peice of Scripture The Psalm consists of three main parts First it sets forth the mad and furious councells and attempts of wicked people against Christ Act 5.39 affectasse ferunt regnum celeste gigantes who feare not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the old Giants fighters against God himselfe their rage and malice is bent even against the God that made and redeemed them why doe the Heathen rage Ver. 1.2 and the people imagine a vaine thing The Kings of the earth set themselves the Rulers take councell together against the Lord and against his Aancynted Secondly it sets forth Gods establishment of Christ in his Kingdom notwithstanding all the attempts of wicked men against him yet nothing shall overthrow his Kingdome but on the other side be shall breake his enimies in peices yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion 3. ver 6. It conteynes an exhortation because wee cannot overthrow Christs Kingdom therfore to entertaine it in our hearts to serve him and feare him as wee seare to be destroyed and desire to be blest Be wise now therfore ver 10. O yee Kings be instructed yee Iudges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling The words of my text you see are the second part of this Psalme and have their dependance upon the former that notwithstanding all the machinations of wicked people God will have a King to rule in his Church which no power of man shall ever overthrow I shall observe to you three particulars out of this Scripture the King his Throne his Settlement in his Throne 1 The King as ver 7. Jesus Christ God the Son the second person in Trinitie God over all blessed for ever 2. his Throne where hee sitts or his Kingdome where hee reignes with the qualification of it his holy hill of Sion Mount Sion was a high mountaine in Jerusalem

of Moab would have had him curse Israel Deut 23.5 the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing to thee because the Lord thy God loved thee if wee be such as God loves Christ will turne all cursings into blessings all things shall be blest to us nothing curst to us Fourthly In settling an externall ecclesiasticall policy as Christ is King of his Church he will have his Church governed in his own way not according to the fancies and inventions of man Wee must not deny that to Christ in government of his Kingdom which wee yeild to all earthly Monarchs in the government of theirs when Christ after his resurrection continued forty dayes upon earth among his disciples speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God 〈◊〉 1.3 wee cannot think he would omit the giving of rules for the framing of the regiment of his Church And when S. Paul tels the Elders of Ephesus he had not shunned to declare to them the whole councell of God Act. 20.27 wee must take it in pursuance of those directions himself and the rest of the disciples had received from Christ for the government of his Church What this frame of Church policy is which hath bin so long in dispute and is yet sub judice will be more proper for a Synod then a Sermon to consider of I only hint this but leave it to that grave consultation you have already designed not doubting your honourable care in hastning that work which must undoubtedly conduce much to the advancing and setling Christs Government more exactly among us 2. Reasons of the point Let us consider the reasons why God would have such a solemne administration of a kingdom by Christ First In respect of Glory that might accrew both to Christ the Son and to God the father In respect of Christ that he might receive the honour due to his deity which the work of humiliation might take from him though he were the true God Phil. 2.6 equall with the Father yet taking upon him the forme of a servant that he might be fitted to humble himselfe to the death of the Crosse this humiliation made the world that knew him not strip him of his glory they accounted him a divell a glutton a malefactor crucified him between two theeves Objiciunt nos honorem deferre homini crucifixo mysterium hujus rei ignorantes Iust Mart. put a crowne of thornes upon his head in derision and ever after derided the Christians that they beleived in a crucified God Christ must now be repayred in his honour therfore God appoynts him to be King of his Church that he may be advanced in their eyes who had so much vilified him the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment that is the dispensation of all government to the Son Iohn 5.22 that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father as the world vilified him as a malefactor they might now acknowledg him God equall with the Father and honour him with the same honour wherewith they honour the Father greatly exalted because greatly humbled the stone which the builders refused 1 Pet. 2.7 is made the head of the corner In respect of the Father that he might have the more glory from such a solemn administration of a kingdom by Christ as God was more glorified by giving Christ to be a Redeemer by finding out such a way of saving sinners where God became man and two natures the divine and humane united together Christ taking flesh and suffering then if he had saved his people any other way without Christ so now it would bring more glory to God by exalting Christ as King and giving him the solemn administration of a Kingdom then if God should have governed his people in the generall way as he governs the world God has highly exalted him Phil. 2 9 11. and given him a name above every name that every tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father That 's a main end why Christ who was first humbled was after exalted the glory of the Father that solemn administration of the Kingdom by Christ brings more glory to the Father Secondly in respect of Gods people none so fit to be King to any people as such a one who is allyed to them and may be the more tender of them As God gave the precept touching a King for the Israelites they must choose one from among their brethren Deut. 17.15 so Christ therefore fittest because our brother he took our nature upon him and became Immanuel God with us God one of us of the same flesh and blood with us t is the same in this which the Apostle speaks touching the fitnesse of Christ's being made high Priest for us because having taken our nature Heb. 5.2 and being compast with infirmities he is likely to be the more compassionate to us 't is fittest Christ should be our King that having the same nature with us and compast about with our infirmities he might exercise the more tendernesse towards us as knowing best our frailties and the weaknesses of our natures a King of our brethren is fittest for us Thirdly In respect of Gods enemies and ours the more to awe them when they shall see him reigning over them whom they derided see him glorious in the administration of a kingdom and all power over them who once crucified and yet doe daily crucifie him see Christ King of such whom they persecute and fight for them and judge their cause whom they afflict 't is said of the wicked of the world when they see the son of man comming in the cloudes in the day of judgment they shall mourne feare him as a terrible judge Mat. 24.30 ready to take vengeance on them who have used him so despitefully it must needs be the same here Ipse erit judex qui sub judice stetit ut videant impii ejus gloriam in cujus mansuetudinem saevierunt Prosp Sent. 337. though in a lesse degree what can more awe and terrifie wicked people then to know Christ reignes he sits heere as King to observe them to judge them to plague them whose person they have so much vilified whose honour they have so much laid in the dust whose servants they have so persecuted whose cause they have so much opposed Fourthly in respect of a suitablenesse betwixt the works of redemption and government it were unequall Christ should redeem us and not govern us unjust that we should serve any other then him who hath laid down the ransome for us There is jus redemptionis in this he who ransoms a slave ought to have his service if Christ while we were slaves of the devill hath ransomed us and bought us with a price the price of his own blood 1 Pet. 1 18. it is equall we should serve him give him the service both of our bodies and spirits

as the Moon the fuller the Sun shines upon her the brighter she is the more the Sun is turned from her the darker she is yet at other times she has many obscurings But though she may have lesse glory she shall never be wholly destroied Mat. 7.25 The Church is the house founded upon the rock when the winds blow and the floods descend it shall stand it shall not fall as founded upon a rock so upon the rock of rocks Christ himself Mat. 16 18. upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall never prevaile against her Shake her they may and give her a wound in some of her members as now the Church bleeds at one veine in Germany at another in Ireland at severall veines in severall parts of the world As Pheti us notes touching the calumnis cast upon Basil by Philost orgius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Re. 11.11 yet she shall lift up her head again and shall be healed in her wounds and like the two witnesses slain in the streets after a time she shall live again the spirit of life from God shal enter into her and great fear shall fal upon them that see her Fourthly see it in Gods cause whatever is undertaken in Gods cause though sometime it may seem to faile in particular persons the cause of the poor in perverting of judgement the cause of religion by the insolence of persecutors and tyrants yet in other respects it does certainly prevaile 1. By a retribution of vengeance upon the heads of those that set to overthrow the cause of God Abel perished in Gods cause and yet even in the death of Abel Gods cause prevailed by bringing down vengeance upon Cain the murtherer the blood of thy brother crieth to me from the ground Gen 4.10 and therefore now thou art cursed from the earth The Martyrs perished in the cause of God and yet even in their deaths that cause prevailed by bringing vengeance upon the persecutors I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held and they cried with a loud voice how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Rev. 6.10 Wee need not doubt this prevailing of the cause of God in our neighbouring Kingdom how ever it may seeme for the time to goe downe in the barbarous and bloudy destruction of that poore people whose bloud cryes so loud from the ground as God cannot but curse the murtherers and whose soules under the Altar cry so loud as God cannot but judge and avenge their bloud on them who have so inhumanely and so unmercifully shed it 2. By way of improvement that cause prevails that improves it selfe by the opposition and violence it suffers under Gods cause like Sampson is victorious even then when we think it has received its deaths wound and like the Camomill Es 53.10 Ex. 1.12 Cum duplicantur lateres venit Moses Est 8.16 Da. 6.26 Ezr. 6.6 it spreads more by being trampled upon or like the fire the more it is smothered and kept in by violence for the time the more forcible it breaks out and heats afterwards In shedding the bloud of Christ the cause of God seemed to suffer but you know what an improvement it received by it that bloud was it that was the fruitfull field of such a seed unto God 't was making his soul an offering for sin that made him see his seed In Egypt the cause of God seem'd to suffer when the children were commanded to be destroyed and their burthens were doubled yet we know that decree increased the people and doubling of their taskes hasted their deliverance By the oppositions of Haman the cause of God got better footing And by casting Daniel into the Lions den God came everywhere to be more feared and worshipt by a publike decree By the oppositions of Tatnai and Shetherboznai the building of Gods house prospered In burning and tearing the martyrs in the primitive times and in Q. Maries dayes the cause of God seemd to suffer yet we know how Martyrdom improves it the bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church that is as the Bishop of Valence * To the King of France in a conference at Fountain Bleau So Tert. ad Scàp Quisque enim tan tam tole rantiam spectans ut aliquo scrupulo percussus onquirere accenditur quid sis in causa Et ubi cognoverit veritatem ipse statim sequitur once explained it people by seeing the sufferings of the Martyrs came more to look into and understand that profession then formerly they had done which made them with so much patience indure such torments and so at length to imbrace the same like the generating of the Phoenix out of the ashes not the egges of the Damme Out of the ashes of a few Saints multitudes of professours arise I shall present you these few grounds of this truth reasons of the point to be inlarged in your owne private meditations 1. The genius of Religion it is of a flourishing and improving nature As one said of Anthony that was at oddes with Augustus compound with him for his genius goes beyond yours The genius of Religion goes beyond that of all its opposites It was first in families after in Cities and so by degrees spread it self over the world The image in Nebuchadnezzars vision was smitten by a stone cut out without hands Dan. 2.34 35. and the stone that smote the image became a great Mountaine and fill'd the earth You have the interpretation of this in the following verses the Image in its severall parts represented the 4. Monarchies of the world which should all bee destroyed by a fift Kingdome which Christ should set up which should so improve it selfe from a small beginning as quickly to fill the whole earth notwithstanding all oppositions made against it 2. The power of Christ he is able to set up his colours and his Scepter there where no earthly King dares set his foot Pritannotum in accessa Romanis Joca Christo verò sub aita 'T was Tertullians observation Britaine was a place which the Romanes could not at such a time possesse and yet it was subdued to Christ Look by what motives people are brought in to Christ you must needs acknowledge a strong working power above all the strengths of men done by such contrary wayes to flesh and bloud If wee will follow Christ and be heyres of heaven Wee must deny our selves and take up our Crosse and suffer persecution and be hated for his name sake and hate father and mother c. and yet by these and the like motives more are brought in to Christ and submit to his Lawes then by all the rewards could be proposed to them 3. The course of Gods providence which shall still uphold it so as to