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	lord_n	sin_n	3,005	5	4.4939	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97297	Hopes incovragement pointed at in a sermon, preached in St. Margarets Westminster, before the honorable House of Commons, assembled in Parliament: at the last solemn fast, February 28. 1643. by Tho. Young. Published by order of the House of Commons.	Young, Thomas, 1587-1655.	1644 (1644)	Wing Y92; Thomason E35_18; ESTC R4946	32,973	44

Theodosius came thither and both suppressed by his religious care the one was the putting downe of filthy houses nests of uncleannesse the other was about preventing of murder and other misdemeanors frequently acted in their common baking houses though both these evills had the countenence of Law before hee suppressed them by enacting Lawes to the contrary here were evill Lawes piously by his care repealed so doe you and God shall fill you with holy courage to enable you for your worke Thirdly labour to maintaine that which by the pietie and holy zeale of your Ancestors before you hath beene warrantably enacted for Religion and the Common-wealth Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri herein failed the Princes and Governours in Jeboash time who continued not what was well setled by Jehojada whilst hee lived 2 Chro. 24. but left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and served groves and Idols and wrath came upon Judah because of their trespasse you see where they failed and how they were rewarded What a bane was it to this Nation when the States of the Kingdom in Parliament agreed to revoke the wholesome Lawes enacted in the raigne of that pious Prince Edward the sixth against the Idolatry and superstition of Rome was it not the cause of the effusion of the precious blood of so many Martyrs afterwards whereof I feare the nation is not cleansed to this day and whence came the flood of the late innovations which defaced the Church famous among other Churches before but onely from hence for not maintaining the vigour of former Lawes then a foote but carelesly past over or perversly wrested by such as should have kept them up in their strength If the Lord in former ages hath directed them that went before you in this place to strengthen Religion and support the Common-wealth doe you in your times keepe up those Lawes then will the Lord afford you courage to defend them and your selves and us by them When Theodosius the Great set forth a Law among the Egyptians against the sacrificing to the River Nilus it so fell out that the River that yeare did not rise to the usuall height in overflowing of the land this the heathen ascribed to their not sacrificing to it and so begun to blame the imperiall edict the governour fearing some insurrection or tumult would ensue gave timely information to the Emperour hereof withall implying that hee could have beene content to have had the Emperour connived at them for that time but the holy Emperour answered resolutely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that it was better to remaine faithfull to the Lord then to preferre the overflowing of Nilus and the expectation of fruitfulnesse thereby to pietie yea hee would rather it should never overflow againe c. Here was a Law seasonably declared and an heroicall resolution that would not upon any pretence whatsoever give way to repeale that Law that was conformable to Gods Word with the like courage ought faithfull Magistrates to maintaine warrantable Lawes for Gods honour in defence of that which is good in Gods sight and by no meanes bee induced to sinne against God either under hope of gaine or feare of approching danger to let those Lawes sinke whereby religion and the Commonwealth have beene upheld Fourthly to improve what hath been well begun by your Ancestors for the Lord and his cause and the rather because no reformation can rise to its perfection at the first How long was the Temple in building after the people returned from their captivitie yet was the worke perfected in the end it was Nehemiahs honour to carry it on to that degree hee that shall duely weigh with himselfe either the first planting of a Church where it was not or the reforming of it when once it was planted and afterwards defiled hee that shall seriously weigh either of these workes will easily grant it is not the worke of one time to bring a Church to perfection and must conclude that many oppositions must attend upon both these before a great building can bee reared up or a goodly decaying structure reedified is there not much adoe are there not great stones to bee digged out of the earth which must bee smoothed ere they can be coupled together in the building so what adoe had the blessed Apostles the master builders of the Church to lay the foundations of particular Churches whilst the devill and the world and all their united forces laboured to withstand it and when particular Churches were planted how soone came they to be corrupted and pestered with tares in one kind or another I neede not give you instances to make out this truth every one to whom the story of the Scripture is knowne will subscribe unto it is there not then courage required of them that are engaged in the great worke of reformation of a Church and have they not need to observe how farre such as have gone before have carried on the worke and studie to improve it Thus have I adventured to bring forth before you some generalls proper to your legislative station I dare not descend to the particular Lawes necessary to bee enacted repealed upheld or improved that being above my reach and without my sphere onely I crave freedome to quicken you in improving what hath been enacted by your Noble Ancestors for the due observation of two of Gods sacred ordinances for which some lawes have beene declared but provision for the faithfull keeping of them hath not beene made I meane against the horrible abuse of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the irreligious profanation of the Lords day both which in the Scriptures have the honour of the Lords name put unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 11.20 which no other ordinance in all the new Testament hath some Lawes I confesse have beene enacted in this State against both these disorders but God knowes they have not beene followed with that powerfull vigor with which they should have beene quickned It was once by Law provided if any repairing to the holy Communion were an open and notorious evill liver so that the congregation by him is offended the Curate having knowledge thereof shall call him and advertise him in any wise not to presume to the Lords Table untill hee hath openly declared himselfe to have truely repented and amended his former naughtie life that the Congregation might thereby bee satisfied which afore were offended c. Here was provision against the pollution of the sacred Eucharist but alas the poore Minister of the Gospell was not strengthned to doe it whereupon it came to passe that such as tooke upon them the sole administration of all ecclesiasticall discipline and yet lived on the sinnes of the people our Courts stripping the Ministers and Guardians of the Church of that power engrost it to themselves whereby a door was ever kept open to profane

you in the ballance of the sanctuary The work you are now called to is a work of great concernment it is the purging of the Lords floore as it hath reference both to the Church and Common-wealth a work sure enough to be encountred with great oppositions yet I must say it is a worke with the managing whereof God hath not so honoured others which have gone before you in your places but hath reserved it to make you the instruments of his glory in advancing it and that doth much adde unto your honour Was it an honour to the Tyrians that they were counted amongst the builders of the Temple Ezek. 28. when Hiram sent to Solomon things necessary for that worke how then hath God honoured you reserving to you the care of re-edifying of his Church the house of the living God and the repairing of the shattered Common-wealth so farre borne downe before he raised you up to support it that succeeding ages may with honour to your names say THIS WAS THE REFORMING PARLIAMENT A worke which God by his blessing upon Your unwearied paines hath much furthered already whilest he by you hath removed the rubbish that might hinder the raising up of that goodly structure appointed and prescribed by the Lord in his word Lastly a worke which God never in any age perfected but through many difficulties to his people This is the worke You are called to then let me say to You in the words of my Text be strong and of good courage the Lord will strengthen your hearts and would You have Your hearts fortified with this soveraigne cordiall then see you follow what the Lord requires of men imployed by him in such a work that you striving to that may attaine unto the other For this cause let me in the name of Jesus Christ in whose name by Your command I stand now before You crave of you to see to your carriage First as you are Christians Secondly as You are publick persons entrusted with the managing of the Lords worke First as You are Christians so have You need of courage and if you would have your hearts strengthened with it then in your thoughts looke backe againe to that which was spoken in our second proposition to wit keepe to the work to which you are called let not your hearts be carried on in the confidence of your own parts but rest upon the Lord for his strength see how God hath carried you through many straights already and learne to depend on him for the future committing the successe of all to his wisdome and goodnesse to all which I humbly pray remember that as you appeare for the truth so you must stick to it First in the profession Secondly in the practise of it Truth should be deare to all that professe it the truth which is brought from heaven by the Lord Jesus Christ the word of his Father which he hath sealed with his bloud the truth the profession whereof hath beene watered with the bloud of your Noble Ancestors that have gone before you for this truth let me spake to you in the words of holy Jude and exhort you to contend earnestly for the same Jude 3. love to the truth and well ordered zeale for the same well beseem's all that professe the truth especially such as are in authority and high places of dignity though the world judge it a thing beneath great places therefore if any question about it should be raised up before you albeit the world would perswade you to be of Galli● his mind who cared for none of these things Act. 18.17 yet I pray take notice that the God of truth hath led men in authority to higher thoughts of it which hath made them sticke closer to it then with a lukewarme disposition to stand by and see it trodden down was it not commanded by the Imperiall Edict of the Emperour Justinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man should bee suffered so farre as to change one syllable of the Orthodox Doctrine of the Church in the mystery of the sacred Trinity why because the Verity of the Christian Faith was comprehended in the words and syllables Wee know also what stirres Satan raised up in the Church about one Letter in opposing of the Truth whilest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was cryed down by the Arians and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleaded against by the famous Lights of the Church When the Emperours Deputy dealt with Basil the great to enter into communion with Budoxius hee answered with resolution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That none trained up in holy Scriptures would suffer one syllable of divine truths to bee betrayed but were ready if it were required to suffer any death in the defence thereof here are precedents worthy of your imitation to raise up your hearts to shine before others in the close profession of the truth and the rather because such is the waxy disposition of the people that the example of superiours ever makes a deep impression upon them either in cleaving to the Truth or departing from it for if such as are heads to others bee not well-affected to the Truth what can bee expected of their followers the Books of Kings and Chronicles in Judah and Israel do tell us the people are ever carryed on by the example of their Governours when either they cleaved to the Truth or turned their backs upon the same so went the disposition of the people either for or against it and so fell it out in the Christian Church how was the Easterne Empire polluted with execrable Arianisme whilst yet the Westerne continued in the Truth the Historians give the reason of it Constantine an Arian ruled in the East when at the same time Constans and Constantius Sonnes to Constantine the Great treading in the steps of their pious father adhered to the truth professed by him and so did as farre ennoble the westerne Empire with the truth as the other did defile the easterne with his countenancing of error and heresie I spare to bring forth before you other instances especially speaking to such as are not ignorant of any thing I can produce onely let mee renew my humble motion unto you Set your hearts to stand for the profession of the truth if you would have the God of truth to fill you with courage firmely by your endeavors to settle his truth amongst us In the next place the man that would bee valorous for the truth must looke as well to his practise as to the profession of the truth the truth must bee held out before the world in profession and a holy practise must warrantably evidence the life and power of that profession for seeing God hath coupled these together profession and practise of the truth no man must seek to part them in himselfe bee you then holy men in your practise you professe to all the world this day the Nation rests assured of you that you seeke to advance the

a written truth and hearken with your patience to wind up all that I have said in a short application which I will endeavour to doe by way of teproofe exhortation and comfort and all this first in generall to all the Church secondly more particularly to this honorable Auditory here present In the first place Vse 1 the propositions now observed speake to the just reproose of many there are three sorts of people to bee reproved by the first of them If it bee one propertie of Gods people to waite on the Lord in all their troubles then such as are so farre from waiting on God in the day of their troubles that they dare murmure fret and rage against the Lord secondly such as in their troubles waite not upon God for deliverance but make use of unlawfull meanes to worke their freedome from the same thirdly such as seeme to waite upon God yet they waite more upon the meanes then upon the Lord these and many others likewise may justly bee reproved by the truth before observed and all of them cast out from having any place among them that patiently waite upon the Lord. Time gives mee no more freedome but to name these the first are so farre from testifying their dependance in a patient waiting upon the Lord in their troubles that they are ready with that impious King who in the extremitie of famine with a heart enraged against the Lord uttered that wofull desperate speech Behold this evill commeth of the Lord 2 King 6.33 should I attend on the Lord any longer Thus many when they finde not present remedy against their troubles fall into discontented rage and will waite no longer upon God the Israelites often in the extremitie of their dangers and wants fell soule upon the Lord and Gods hand found out to their confusion such enraged dispositions to all such I may fafely say they never learned by faith to eye the Lord nor with patience to waite for deliverance from the Lord. As for such as by unlawfull meanes seeke deliverance 2 King 1. who with Amaziah can betake themselves to the God of Ekron as if there were no God in Israel to be waitedon who in their extremities sticke not by unlawfull meanes and unwarrantable practises to seeke deliverance from their present troubles some with Saul can seeke to the Witch of Endor others betraying a good cause can desert the truth and submit to error thereby to spare their lives and estates to them I onely say what Jesus Christ hath said Luk. 9.24 Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall save it hee that turnes his backe upon Gods cause to avoyd present danger to his life or estate shall bee a loser and no gainer in the end for what can bee saved by that man who to prevent a temporall losse will hazard an eternall assuredly such savers prove miserable losers To the third sort I meane such as seeme to waite upon God and yet they stay more upon the meanes then upon the Lord such must know they are disorderly in their waiting they will not wholly forsake the Lord but adde other things with the Lord much like to those Some trust in Chariots some in Horses Psal 20.7 but the true waiter upon God will resolve with David to remember the name of the Lord. Onely I confesse there is a lawfull use of meanes which a Christian may use but hee must not settle the ground of his hopes on the meanes it is not the use of them which is condemned by God in Scriptures but the relying on them or waiting principally for help by them that God condemnes all these are justly reproved by our first proposition as having no right to bee ranked under that character of Gods people that they wait upon the Lord. Secondly if all that wait upon God must raise up their spirits and strengthen themselves with undaunted courage to wait further upon the Lord this truth likewise reproveth all such as seem'd to wait upon the Lord yet grow not in their courage but giving way to inordinate feares quench the same of which sort are first such as wanting courage dare not adventure upon the work to which God calls them Secondly such as peradventure have set upon the work yet afterwards they are beaten off from prosecuting of it by the discouragements they meet with in following of the same Thirdly such as wholly despaire of the successe of their undertakings though they have adventured to ingage themselves in the work by a warrantable call from God All these sin against the duty mentioned in our second proposition and fall short of that heroicall disposition whereunto all that wait on God ought to aspire To the first of them I say why should not such remember that Gods calling of them to his work should bee enough to put courage in them to raise up their spirits to the effecting of it Absolon speaketh thus to his servants When Amnons heart is merry with Wine 2 Sam. 13.28 and when I say unto you Smite Amnon kill him feare not have not I commanded you bee bold therefore and play the men the service wherein hee imployes them was desperate for was it not a high attempt to adventure to murder the King 's first borne Sonne this was the service hee puts them on and the argument by which hee would raise up their spirits to the performance of it is drawn from his authority have not I commanded you saith hee bee bold and play the men Could the command of a mortall man infuse that courage and valour into the hearts of his servants as to make them adventure upon that desperate designe and shall not the command of the Almighty God raise up the hearts of his people imployed by him in any work to which bee calls them raise up their hearts in following of his command and the rather because never did any man finally miscarry in executing what God commands what if they meet with unexpected troubles in pursuing of that which God commands what then is not the Lord upon whom they wait with them they have his presence to goe along with them and his gracious promise of protection of them yea if they should suffer any thing in following of his commands let them know that it is for their honour did not the holy Apostles rejoyce when they were beaten that they were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for Christs sake To the second sort such as are discouraged from the work by some crosse opposition they meet with in managing of it let such remember though Gods command frees not a man from troubles whilst hee doth that which God commands to bee done yet his command may assure him hee shall bee delivered if hee prosecute the command according to his will it is true the Disciples shipt not themselves into the boat untill Christ commanded them to prepare a boat for their passage

cause of a holy God your solemne Covenant into which you have lately entred tells the world that it is your deliberate resolution not onely to preserve and reforme Religion c. but you have also professed before God and the world your desires to bee humbled for your owne sins and for the sinnes of the Kingdome and you have testified that it is your unfained desire and purpose to amend your lives and to strive each one to goe before another in the example of a reall reformation c. are not these solemne promises strong engagements to oblige you to a holy and close walking with your God whom you professe to know and promise to serve hee that stands for pietie and is not pious God knowes doth not a little weaken the cause of pietie whilst hee seeks to advance it It is storied of Justinus the second that hee defended the orthodox faith not onely amongst his owne Subjects against hereticall pravity but also hee aided forraine Christians against the injuries they sustained of others for hee had warre with the Persians in their defence O but what of all this his sinfull life defiled with pleasures with covetousnesse with crueltie against his owne blood c. with the durt of these sinfull courses was his defence of the truth eclipsed stained and obscured yea and hee smarted for it Honorable Worthies this I speake to encourage you in the way of a holy practise you know what was said of old Qui monet ut facias quod jam facis ipse monendo Laudat hortatu comprobat acta suo This I speake to stirre up your holy minds to aspire more and more by your religious lives to beautifie and adorne the holy cause of Religion for which you appeare this day did the Lord require holinesse of his people Ess 52.11 who carried the vessells of the Lord which was spoken of the time in which they were to carry backe from Babylon the vessels of the Lords house taken away by Nebuchadnezzar before O then what holinesse will the Lord require of you that stand up to carry on the holy worke of the holy God when your exemplary holinesse layes open the way to others in the practise thereof in your selves if they be not wonne by your example to follow it then have you quitted your owne soules and they are left without excuse when you have laboured to have truth held forth to them as a guide and followed it in your owne practise O that it might bee said of all you in your houses as of that pious Emperor Theodosius the younger cujus regia non dissimilis crat monasterio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the morning his custome was to sing Psalmes unto the Lord hee was so well instructed in the Scriptures that hee could discourse of them with the Bishops as if hee had beene one himselfe hee was not given to unadvised anger nor base revenge impotent passions too usually attending upon greatnesse In the pious ordering of his personall carriage and family hee had a warrantable precedent before his time even Constant M. whose Court was as a Church for pietie so saith the Historian that pens his life it was his custome to call his family together read the sacred Scriptures to them and pray with them by which meanes was his royall Palace together with his Comtiers and Souldiers inured to holinesse and breathed after Christ yea such as were not sound in the truth were yet convinced by his practise Here are precedents worthy to bee followed by you great men men of eminent place even Emperours had so learned Christ as not to bee ashamed to bee eminent for the practise of pietie as well as for worldly government It was not deemed in those dayes a schismaticall and unwarrantable practise unbeseeming greatnesse for great men and potentates to studie to bee pious themselves and to promote godlinesse in their charges so doe you and God will sill you with courage to fulfill what hee requires of you in your places an unholy heart may boast of God but can never bee truely bold for God and goodnesse the guiltie conscience will occasion feares which will daunt courage when it is most required most necessary and usefull therefore as you are Christians follow holinesse in your profession and practise which will raise up your hearts with that courage which cannot easily bee quelled But I must speake further to you in another capacitie as you are publicke persons sharing in that legisllative power which hath influence upon the whole kingdome to the faithfull discharge of which condition courage is more requisite then to the former as you are Christian men for if any bee sure to bee opposed it is men called out to rule and governe others and if courage bee conducing to the well ordering of any calling it is to the Magistrates in the first place hence is it that amongst the meete qualifications of an able Ruler in Jethro his judgment courage is ranked in the first place Ex. 18. Now that you may attaine to it in this capacitie in which you stand at present I shall commend unto you soure things whch are proper to you in your legisllative station 1. Make no Lawes against Religion and pietie 2. Recall such as have been made in the times of ignorance against the same 3. Study to uphold and maintaine such profitable and wholesome Lawes as have been formerly enacted for God and his people 4. Improve what was well begun by others before you and not perfected by them First the Governour who desires to manage his authoritie with courage and comfort must beware hee give no consent or have no hand in the enacting of a Law that makes against God or his cause for such never prospered Dan. 6. The Rulers and Governours sollicited King Darius to make a law decree which was derogatory to the glory of God as it was invented for a snare to Daniel and have you not read how they sped Did not this among other things adde to Constant M. his renoune though in all things his care was to advance divine worship tamen in legibus condendis vel maxime Eminent governours have stained the glory of their government by enacting Lawes which stand in opposition to Gods Law Valentinian the great beginning to alienate his affection from his royall consort the cause I spare to relate casting his affection upon Justina thereupon makes it free by Law for any that would to have two wives and after the promulgation of that Law presently he married her how inconsistent his Law was with the Law of God I need not speake Secondly goe farther if the times of former ignorance have led your Noble Ancestors to decree and publish any Law repugnant to godlinesse make hast to repeale such as well as others which in your grave judgements you find dangerous to the present state of the commonwealth There were two grand evills countenanced by Law in Rome before