Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A28894
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A looking-glass discovering to all people what image they bear by which the true Jew is known from the false, and the Christian in nature from him that is so in name only ... : with directions for such as live in error, how they may leave their error, how they may leave their error ... : with a few words to informers who make it their work to inform against their neighbours for meeting together peaceably in the fear of the Lord ... / by a follower of Him, Edward Bourne.
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Bourne, Edward, d. 1708.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing B3847; ESTC R28496
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17,816
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28
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your selves from being injurious to such your Sin will be the less and you may expect to receive comfort from God in that respect who is just and holy and will reward all according to their Works You may do well to consider the fearfull end of some mentioned in the Scriptures who made it their business to Inform against the Righteous who fell into the Snares they had laid for the Righteous as Hammon who informed against Mordecai the Jew and those who informed against Daniel and take warning thereby see Esther 7.10 c. and Daniel 6.24 Surely Friends if you shall think to increase your Riches thereby and to be the more prosperous because thereof certainly you will find it otherwise such doing will not tend to your good but harm they will bring a Curse upon you and not a Blessing For God will set himself against you for his People's sakes who have no helper in the Earth and plead their Cause with you to your great overthrow and destruction except you repent of such doings before it be to late and do no more after the same manner again But if you will not take warning but are resolved to go on in these things in opposition against God and his People for so may your doings be justly said to be then will you find the Lords Power stronger then yours and him greater in might and strength then you all to subdue you and lay you low for rising and lifting your selves up against his Heritage and in the mean time we shall with his help bear what we may suffer by you with patience and not resist in a way of hostility but stand still to see the Salvation of God So remember you were thus far cautioned and warned to have a care what you do touching things of this nature And be it known that we do not Meet in pretence to Worship God with an intent to Plot and contrive Insurrections for this we detest and abhor but peaceably to exhort and stir up one anothers pure minds unto that which is good that the Lord may be glorified by us and we built upon the Foundation that God hath laid in Sion which is Elect and Pretious the Rock of Ages and of Generations the chief Corner-stone of which Building is Christ Jesus which none can know and witness but by taking heed to that good thing in them which did never consent to Sin but did ever testifie against it and reprove and condemn for it which calls unto all to follow peace and holiness with all People without which whatever People do profess they cannot see God And therefore you that are evil Workers to that in you which lets you see the evil of your Wayes to that take heed that thereby you may be led therefrom unto God that your hearts may be purified and made clean and you washed from your Sins and from your filthiness with Christ's Blood that you may appear spotless before the Throne of God and the Lamb that his Name may be in your foreheads and you blessed with seeing and living in his presence where there is joy unspeakable and glorious Thus have I finished this Work which who can receive it let them and if they receive any profit thereby let them give Glory to God Now whether any shall hear or forbear to hear it I am satisfied that I have done my Duty herein To God alone be all Honour and Glory Given even as it is due from me and all his everywhere for evermore Amen Worcester Citâ— Prison where I have long suffered Imprisonment for Righteousness sake sometimes with many of my dear Friends and sometimes alone and yet I am not alone for the mighty God is with me to uphold me in my Sufferings who makes things easie which otherwise would be hard The 10th of the 11th Moneth 1670. E. B. Postscript WOuld God that all that do account themselves the Ministers of Christ were really so then would they not be like the false Prophets mention'd in the Scriptures as many of them be who did preach for Hire and divine for Money and sought for their Gain from their Quarters and prepar'd War against them that put not into their Mouthes Micah 3.5 nor like them that Christ cry'd Wo against Who loved to be call'd of men Masters and lov'd the chiefest Places in the Assemblies c. see Mat. 23. Neither would 〈◊〉 be like the false Teachers mention'd by the Apostle â—hat taught for filthy Lucre and through Covetousness made Merchandize of people see 2 Pet. 2.3 c. and be serious in the consideration thereof But I would have them like his Ministers whom they take upon them to be viz. The Ministers of Christ Jesus who preached freely as they had freely receiv'd and labour'd to keep the Gospel without charge and us'd not their Power but deny'd themselves of what they might lawfully have done that they might cut off occasion from them that desir'd it and to be Followers of Christ Jesus taking him for their Example and Pattern in all things walking in all Lowliness and Meekness and Gentleness and Patience as he did See how the Servant of the Lord is to be quallified 2 Tim. 2.24 c. So when they appear thus we may believe they are the Ministers of Christ and have the Gospel to preach but not before I would they might own the Grace of God to teach them that they may be thus And they that say they are Christian Magistrates I desire they may make it appear by forbearing to persecute and imprison him in his Members What shall Christians persecute Christians If they that are persecuted are Blarneless in the sight of God for which they suffer their Persecutors cannot be so in causing them to suffer Let this be consider'd as it ought in the Fear of God by such It is said in the Revelations The Devil shall cast some of you into Prison see Revel 2.10 So it doth concern such to see that they do not the Devil's work herein lest Iniquity be laid to their Charge for the same if it went ill with them that did not visit Christ in Prison can it go well think ye with them that casts him in who are guilty herein the Lord forgive them So the Magistrate if he would not bear the Sword in vain must be a Terror to the Evil-doer and a Praise to them that do Well for for this end was he impower'd to Govern by the Lord and not to do contrary So in few words the Magistrate is to rule and govern as he should be rul'd and govern'd by the Lord God that he may answer the end of the Lord therein by doing that which is right in his sight otherwise he provokes the Lord against himself who is the Judge of all the Earth and will do right in the Cause of the Poor and in the Cause of the Oppressed c. whose Ear is open to hear their Cry and when the measure of their Sufferings is fill'd up then doth his own Arm bring Salvation So it is by continuing in the Faith and Patience that Victory is obtain'd over the Beast and over his Image over his Mark and over the number of his Name So the Lord keep his Suffering People every where in believing in him and patiently to submit unto his holy Will that thereby we may prevail against the Enemy of our Souls in our selves and in others in all his Besetments Amen The Sufferings of the People of God call'd Quakers in Worcestershire have been much by Imprisonment and otherwise sometimes some of them for some years past And there are some in Prison now who have suffer'd as Prisoners many years And some have suffer'd though not many much loss of their Goods and by Imprisonment since the late Act came forth in all which we can and do Rejoyce it being for the Testimony of our pure Consciences and not for any Evil we have done an Account of whose Sufferings may be given more at large hereafter if God shall make way for the same Edward Bourn THE END
A Looking-Glass Discovering to all People what IMAGE they BEAR By which the True Jew is known from the false and the Christian in nature from him that is so in name only Likewise all people in some measure may know what spirit they are of and whether they are the Children of God or of the Devil With directions for such as live in Error how they may leave their Error and know the Truth which leads out of Error by which People are made free from sin which they run into and live in by following the spirit of Error With a few words to Informers who make it their work to Inform against their Neighbours for meeting together peaceably in the fear of the Lord to Worship him as he requires By a Follower of him who saith if you continue in my Word then are you my Disciples indeed And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free John 8.31 32. Edward Bourne Printed in the Year 1671. A Looking-Glass FOR All People to See Themselves whether they be what they ought to be and do as they ought to do or otherwise ALthough much hath been Written and Spoken to turn Peoples minds to the Light of Christ in them to the end that all may do what they ought in all things and be what they ought towards God yet but few have received the Report thereof though by obeying this Light which is that which leads to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God and Men true happiness is attained unto and contrariwise the neglect hereof is the cause of Peoples ruin and Eternal Misery But notwitstanding whether People will hear or forbear I know none on whom such a Work as this is laid by the Lord God can neglect the same but we must be Transgressors our selves in this respect And therefore to keep my Conscience pure towards God I thus proceed You that live in sin you know you should not live so and that which gives you this knowledg is the Grace of God which hath appeared unto you by which as in a Glass you may see your selves by which the Drunkard Tit. 2.11 12. sees he should not be Drunk and the Lyer he should not lie and the Envious Man he should not live in Envy and he that Persecutes his Neighbour whose Works are better then his and for that cause all these are doing what they should not do as they themselves many of them in their Prayers to God do confess And these though they do that which they know they should not do and leave undone that which they know they should not leave undone yet would they have the Lord to have Mercy on them although their daily practice is thus to Transgress They acknowledge they have Transgressed against Gods Holy Law and too much followed the Devices and desires of their own hearts c. And this is their manner from the beginning of the year to the end thereof But Mark you that are such can you believe that God will shew Mercy to you onely on this your Confession Are you so foolish and unwise as so to believe If you do certainly you will find it otherwise in the end Then your folly will appear though at the present you may account your selves wise and understanding and them foolish who are truely wise But I must tell you to be truely wise is to fear the Lord and to keep his Commandments though you may not account it so Object But some may say What are the Commandments of God that we are to keep Answ These Thou shalt love the Lord God with all thy heart Deu. 10.1 Luke 10.27 28. and thy Neighbour as thy self and whatsoever thou seest by the grace of God that hath appeared to thee thou oughtest to do it and it will be thy Transgression to neglect the same therefore do not deceive your selves with such a perswasion any longer if you do you will shew much folly and indiscretion therein for God will not be mocked with such lip Service This I am bold in the fear of God to assure you of you may draw neer him with your Lip 's but your Hearts are far from him whilst it is onely thus You must not onely confess your faults to God but must also forsake them if Mercy with him you would find And this is the Word of God unto you Let the Wicked Man forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon him Isa 55.7 You pray that God would deliver you from all Envy and Malice and from all uncharitableness and from all the works of the Devil But if you were delivered from all these abominations happy would you be then God who delivereth his People from all these would be your God But your Teachers many of them are Envious themselves and uncharitable themselves c. Therefore it may be you are the more imboldened to commit all these Abominations But if you and your Teachers would take heed to the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation that thereby you may be guided you would know the Lord God to be your Teacher who teacheth his People to profit and so be delivered from all these Abominations and all the works of the Devil and then we should not suffer by you as we do for the Truth being your Guide and Teacher you will give us the same liberty to Worship God that you would have your selves and so do as you would be done by in this and in all things and so hereby you will do what you ought to do and be what you ought to be towards God and not before viz. you cannot do nor be as you ought till you be guided by the Truth which leads to meekness and lowlyness by which God will direct you in all your wayes then shall you be far from oppression and violence and spoil will be as it may be said banished from your Habitations that spirit which leads to unrighteousness not being harkened unto but the Voice of the Lord God obeyed and his Councel stood in Object But some may say you direct us to the Light within that by taking heed unto it we may forsake that which God requires us to forsake and do what we ought to do that so we may be what we ought to be towards him You also will acknowledge that that which mâ—â—es to unrighteousness and unholiness is within And seeing that it is so that both these are within how shall they be known and distinguished the one from the other How shall that be rejected and forsaken that ought so to be And that followed and obeyed that ought to be followed and obeyed Especially because that Principle which leads to unrighteousness sometimes appeares like that which moves unto Righteousness How shall we distinguish between the one and the other and follow that which we ought to follow and