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	work_n	6,191	5	6.9192	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92720	Scotlands alarme. Or, Some considerations tending to demonstrate the necessitie of our speedie marching to the assistance of our brethren in England, notwithstanding all difficulties and necessities, reall or pretended. Together, with a letter dated at Edinburgh, Novemb. the 29. 1643. Wherein is given full satisfaction to all men who desire to know the reasons why the Scots Army is not yet advanced into England.		1643 (1643)	Wing S2015; Thomason E77_5; ESTC R21030	9,618	16

Spirit Though this Work of Babylons ruine shall not be done without power or might for double must be rendred to her and happie shall they be that reward her as shee hath served us giving her blood to drinke for shee is worthy yet not by that power or might in an ordinary way but by the Spirit of GOD the disposer of all affairs especially those that concerne the Church of GOD strangely ordering things that so little of men or meanes but much of GOD may be seen so that when he hath made the Mountains become plains before his Zerobabels the head-stone may be brought fotth with shouting crying not Armies Councels Commanders but Grace grace unto it But this is a strange Dialect to States men Souldiers It may be so but GOD will probably make it familiar in time Let this discourse be taken as it was intended not to take men off the using preparations but from trusting them and standing so precisely upon all accomplishments when GOD hath given so good encouragement to hope that he will make up our unwilling and unavoidable necessities But in the midst of our businesse let it be seriously laid to heart how much blood is spilt how many Townes and Countries spoiled how miserably our friends are distressed and distracted while we are preparing onely for their reliefe We have professed to looke upon their condition as our own and well we may for it is truly though not presently and immediately our own let us so carry our selves as if they enemies Forces were as neer Edenburgh as they are London But this must not be interpreted quarreling but quickning And now let us descend from this general consideration of difficulties and take a particular view of the present difficulties that interrupt and retard our so much expected and desired aid And first whereas it may bee there are some that quake and shiver at the thought of a Winters march and looke upon it as an unreasonable motion that our Army should then take the field when other Armies betake themselves to Garison Let none take exception if we pray GOD to keepe Winter out of our hearts and we shall make a reasonable good shift for our bodies the worst weather in the world is that which our Saviour tells of When iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold Christ never complained it was too hot when he sweat drops of blood GOD hath given us bodies able to endure much let not our mindes refuse it necessity makes all seasons alike and that is our case or I am sure the case of our friends which we should make ours or GOD will make it ours But if the consideration of the condition of our friends who endure a hard winter for want of coals from New-castle do not move us let us looke at the carriage of our enemies sure we shall be ashamed to decline that for the Service of Christ which they so readily endure for Antichrist Did not the Kings Armie march from Oxford to Brainford in November the M. of New-castle with his Popish Army from Northumberland to York in Decem. Did not the Cavaliers take in Cicester in Glocestershire in the depth of Winter Feb. 2. 1642. Vt iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Vt teipsum serves non expergisceris Shall villains to destroy get up by night And we not stir to save till day be light For shame let not this be thought an impediment much lesse made an excuse by any GOD will either send such weather as we may endure or make us able to endure such as he sends If we complain the winter is too cold it is much to bee doubted we may have reason hereafter to complain that the Spring is too hot when our work shal be made ten times more difficult by the increase of the enemies strength from Ireland and other places and the provision of Armes and Ammunition now so much wanting among them which these dark winter nights notwithstanding the guards at Sea will befriend them with Let us not favour our enemies while we think to favour our selves and suffer them to make use of those provisions for horse and man which are now in the Countrey though Winter be more cold the Summer is like to be more hungry Delayes especially in Military affairs are seldome or never without many dangers Ours will have sin and danger too if they be not timely looked unto But the last and greatest difficultie is the matter of money how can it be thought that we should satisfie the expectation of our friends and neighbours when they fall so much short of satisfying ours in that which is the sinew and strength of warre This is a strong objection but necessity is a stronger answer we must be sure at some time or other for we are made Traitors and Rebels by Proclamation already and promised protection but upon a slender condition that is so long as wee behave our selves so as evill Councellours may give a good report of our deservings we shall be compelled to raise an Armie in defence of this Cause and our selves and though the termes are not so good as some expected they are better then wee are like to finde if our brethren in England bee utterly spoiled and wee left to shift for our selves Let us therefore perswade our selves to doe that now which otherwise we shal be in time constrained to that is part with what we have for the vindication of our Religion and Liberty As it was just and reasonable that for the better accomplishment of the intended worke we should make as good provision as might be and to that end desire a considerable summe of money the better to prevent future inconveniencies So it is no lesse just and reasonable that our friends having as we are credibly informed done their utmost for this present toward the satisfaction of our propositions in that point we should bee willing and ready to doe our utmost to supply their unwilling wants the cause being as certainly though not so immediately ours as theirs It may be more money might have been had if Malignants Neuters and lukewarme-professors could have found in their hearts to have parted with it but as some have done below so doubtlesse some have done beyond their ability Shall honest men be destroyed because worldlings will not part with their Mammon For that is the case if we helpe not the good Protestants of England because money is short they must be lost and undone because after this vast expence upon the Cause of GOD they are no richer And if this be an impediment certainly it will be an everlasting impediment the longer we stay the lesse assistance must bee expected from our friends which bee daily more and more exhausted and that middle sort of men which have the riches of the Kingdome will rather with their money buy an unlawfull peace than maintain a lawfull warre Considering therefore that GOD hath so in his providence

insult over them and speake proudly in the day of their distresse And secondly if after all these Overtures and Endeavours our promised and expected helpe should be deferred the Malignants would be very diligent to improve this disappointment to an alienation of their affection from us and the interruption of that Union so happily made and confirmed betwixt us by the late Covenant and our FRIENDS would bee ready to looke upon us as a people rather addicted to our own advantages then affected with their dangers or the dangers of Religion it selfe which we have publickly acknowledged to bee much hazarded by the attempts of Papists and Malignants there But it will be said that other mens expectations are not to bee the grounds or rules of our proceedings It is answered nationall expectations are not to be slighted but sometimes may have the strength of some arguments especially when so raised as theirs have been which may be conceived to be by these two grounds First a representation made to our friends in England by their Commissioners of their hearty entertainment here and that just sense and fellow-feeling of their calamities which was expressed by the Generall Assembly and Convention of Estates to which affections they will looke for actions sutable Secondly we understand by divers Letters that our Commissioners there seeing their necessities and yet their willingnesse to doe to their power and many of them beyond their power the better to comply with the Articles of the Treaty have given very much encouragement to them to expect our speedy march especially upon the sending away a considerable part of the money required And we are bound as much as in us lyeth to make good the hopes they have given both for their credit the honor of the Nation For though our difficulties be many yet it is impossible that they should become so manifest and convincing to them as to acquit us from a present undertaking of this service And lastly by our present march wee shall not onely satisfie the expectation of our friends but besides the reall service wee shall doe in our own persons in those parts where wee come Wee shall give reputation to their Forces elswhere disappoint and distract the enemy who have flattered themselves with the impossibility of our present assistance and ordered their affairs accorddingly And not only help to save the lives and estates but the souls of many who through a slavish feare are constrained to lie in a detestable neutrality and ready to say a confederacy to the Papists and so to stretch out their hands to a strange god As therefore all warlike undertakings in regard of the manifold advantages of dispatch are called Expeditions so let us take care that through our backwardnesse this of ours lose not that name But the difficulties are so many in regard of our necessities not supplyed with the full sum expected and the manifold inconveniences of a Winter march that it seems unreasonable for any to expect we should undertake that which we can scarce hope to go through For satisfaction to this great objection let us consider something of the nature of difficulties in generall and some things concerning our particular present difficulties First it is hoped no man will take offence at him that prayeth GOD to remove the difficulties in our own hearts which through sloath and self-love are sometimes ready to say There is a roaring Lyon in the way when it is onely a barking Dog it may be if this prayer were heard the greatest difficulties were removed though it cannot be denied there are many other Secondly Difficultie is the constant companion of great and honourable undertakings Mat. 26.39 the greater our difficulties are the greater honour shall we gain to our selves the greater love shall we shew to the Cause and Servants of CHRIST who when he came to deliver us never disputed the bitternesse of the Cup but was satisfied that it was his Fathers will he should drink it 2 Sam. 24.24 A man would not bestow a cheap courtesie on his friend much lesse would he serve GOD with that which costs him nought In a word so ardent are those affections that become this Cause that they ought not nor will not fear the encounter of the coldest winter blasts that can be met with Thirdly All difficulties that fall short of impossibility though they dis-hearten flat and dull spirits yet they do but quicken those that are noble and active and makes them double their diligent endeavours Nothing but an absolute impossibilitie must stop us in our intended Course for we have obliged our selves by Covenant Eccl. 5.4 Zealously constantly to continue in the pursuance of this Cause against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever Let this be throughly weighed Vow and pay Fourthly The manifold experience we have had of difficulties may justly make us rather love them then fear them let us reflect upon the unexpected relief GOD hath given us in our streights for want of Money victuals and Ammunition in our former expeditions and be discouraged if wee can it is true the thought of them should not make us neglect the meanes and tempt GOD but they may and must when wee have used the means make us trust him The great things GOD that done for us have surely their use and there is none better then in the strength of them and to set upon new as David remembring the Lion and the Bear adventured on the Philistin The place wither we are to go may justly be called by us Iehovah Iireh as it was then said in the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen so may it by us in regard of the extremities wee have passed the more difficultie the less danger And as it is very well worth our labour to re-collect and consider the severall passages of speciall providence which have befallen us and others on this Cause of Preservation and Reformation of Religion So may it not be amisse in the mean time to take notice of this generall observation That GOD delights to be very much seen in the carrying it on he honours men so much as to employ them and lets them shew their duty to him and love to his Cause but the Worke that is done he doth it himselfe and in the midst of all the meanes that are used he seemes resolved to bring his people out of Babylon as once out of Egypt by tentations and signes and mighty wonders How strangely hath he rejected all humane confidences Armies have been raised with great Preparations Zech. 4.6 7. Expectations how small parts of them hath God made use of indeed no part til he hath first reduced them to great straits extremities and emptyed them of their own confidence It is a worke paralled to that mentioned by the Prophet which the Lord declared to be accomplished not by power nor by might but by his