Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	know_v	5,049	5	3.5427	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55641	A sermon preach'd before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the aldermen and citizens of London at St. Mary le Bow, on Thursday, Sept. 2. 1697 / by Samuel Prat ...	Pratt, Samuel, 1659?-1723.	1698 (1698)	Wing P3185; ESTC R33949	11,271	34

whole Quiver of Temporary Vengeance seem'd to be shook out at once upon us After a long devouring Civil War here happened a most consuming Plague a terrible foreign War and a dismal Conflagration to fall out all within a small compass of time one of another And if we seriously reflect withall that having return'd back again to our Sins and Impieties in as heinous a manner as ever the Rod of Vengeance hath of late years been shook over our Heads and by means of a dangerous War abroad and of Dissentions and Distractions at home somewhat like those which were the fore-runners of the utter Destruction of Jerusalem we have seem'd a while to be near a final Overthrow yet now at last all these Clouds begin as it were to blow over and upon the prospect of a comfortable Peace and returning Plenty and the cicatrising of those Wounds which Parties and Distinctions had made we seem without Repentance to be restored to Heaven's favour Who I say cannot but be afraid that the Expostulation of the Prophet Isaiah is at this time applicable to us Why should you be stricken any more Ye will Revolt more and more Why should Go. Almighty be at the Expence of more Judgments to Reform you Why should ye be Probed and Scarified and Cauteris'd any more Since the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint From the sole of the foot even unto the head ver 5 6. there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores We mistake generally I am afraid the Nature and Ends of occasional and temporary Judgments They many times carry more of Tenderness and Compassion along with 'em than they do of the deepest Displeasure or Resentments God Almighty is not at the height of His Anger His Indignation is not then hottest when he punishes Men so with National Calamities as to give 'em time and opportunity afterwards of Amendment He suffereth not at such a time His whole Displeasure to arise but He seems to have some hopes of a People whilst He is using Means and Remedies tho' never so severe for their Recovery But when He lays aside all such means when He lets 'em settle upon their Lees when He seems to give 'em over to do what they will to fill up the measure of their Iniquity and to work all manner of Unrighteousness without Restraint then they are in a fearful and desperate Case then have they cause to wish for Judgments and to call upon the Rocks and Hills of Calamity to fall upon 'em and to hide 'em from a greater Wrath to come And God grant that this be not the present Case of this sinful People who after a long forbearance are now entring upon a New Scene of Worldly Prosperity who have been so long without any sad effects of God's Wrath that we can but just call 'em to Remembrance But the remembrance of former Judgments inflicted upon us then when we less expected them than we have cause now to do may be still I hope of use to the amendment of our Lives and the preventing of a final Destruction which may otherwise fall on us Nor would there be any need of fresh Judgments if former ones were so remembred as to bring us now at length to that Repentance for which they seem'd to have been designed And in the First Place If Chastisements or Judgments will or can work any good effect upon us Why should we be stricken any more Those which we have seen with our Eyes or heard with our Ears are great and many enough to be a warning to us We know the Causes that brought 'em And the Hand that inflicted 'em And the Terrours that accompanied ' em Every one that knows any thing that allows there is any such thing as Knowledge will easily confess that Sin is the cause of all Evil. The Words of the Prophet Jeremiah to Jerusalem may be applied to this People Chap. 4. Ver. 18. Thy way and thy goings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reaches unto thine heart And as the Cause of 'em is plain so is the Hand from which those Judgments came It hath been curiously enquir'd and sometimes controverted by what Instruments or what Accidents this great Conflagration came to be so fatal I would we had been half so busie in finding out by what Sins it came to be inflicted But as to the former Enquiry the Discovery is soon made I can tell ye of a certain Truth That the Destroying Angel was most concerned in it He had the greatest Hand in it that hath a Hand in all the National Calamities in the World the Plagues the Earthquakes the Famines the Wars by what Accidents do all these things come to pass Who are we to look unto for these and such like Afflictions Are we yet to learn Why is there any evil in the City the evil of Punishment that is to say and the Lord hath not done it that mighty God whose Eyes are open upon all the ways of the Sons of Men To give every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 32.19 Nor is it any harder to call to Mind the Terrours that former Judgments that of this day particularly brought along with ' em There is none here present of us that were Eye-witnesses and then of any years of Discretion but have some dismal Impressions still seal'd upon our Minds if we will turn to 'em And they who were at the greatest distance then may easily trace out at this day the stupendous Circumference of those Ruins So they who know the History and see the footsteps of that Judgment may make the same use of it if they please to the amendment of their Lives as if God Almighty for their Sakes should repeat it again And as for the City's being Rebuilt in such Pomp and Magnificence as creates Wonder and Amazement in all that pass through it This ought on the one side to excite our Obedience to God upon the Article of Gratitude for his Power alone has been as Visible in the Rebuilding as his his Anger was in Destroying it And on the other side to excite our Caution and Fear lest that which is now more valuable to us than heretofore should ever again by our Provocations fall under an untimely Fate Therefore Why should we be stricken any more Why should we provoke Almightiness to extend its self farther since returns of Judgment and returns of Mercy have been as sufficient Memento's of bringing us back to our Duty as any Nation or People ever had Surely If ever the Judgments of God have been visible upon a City before its utter Desolation this Day brings to our Remembrance a very great One upon us And there is I think a greater Use which may be made of it now than could have been immediately after it for then it following a mighty Plague and