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	speak_v	word_n	3,147	5	4.0147	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87561	Reformation's remora; or, Temporizing the stop of building the temple. A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the House of Peers, in the Abbey-Church at Westminster, upon the 25th of February, 1645. being the day appointed for their solemne and publike humiliation. / By William Jenkyn, Master of Arts, and minister of Gods Word at Christ-Church London.	Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1646 (1646)	Wing J650; Thomason E325_3; ESTC R10356	31,252	45

light of a consuming fire that truth which we would not read by the light of an informing word and if we will shut cur eyes when a beautifull reformation is offered destruction shall one day open them and let us see how blear-eyd and deformed that is which we have so imbraced in the night of our ignorance and prejudice Stella in Luc. Carnall reason and pretexts in the things of God are but as spectacles before a mans eyes when he is going upon a narrow bridge standing upon a deep and wide river which making the passage seem broader then it is turns the passenger when he adventureth upon a supposed breadth Could but Satan now delade us like that buyer Prov. 20.14 and perswade us that 't is naught 't is naught this strict precise burdensome reformation is not comparable to such an one deckt with gain honour wisedom of self-contrivance liberty from the yoak of Christ how would he afterward rejoyce that he had cheated us of such a jewel and put into our hands instead of it such a pibble Thus of the first thing in this poor excuse for their not building the Temple it notes pretext and covering 2. This cover and pretext of theirs The second particular in the fourth part that the time was not come notes procrastination and delay Put offs 't is as much as if they had said We intend to do it hereafter but not as yet Another time but not now We deny not the building of Gods house but only the present building of it in this very juncture of time we stop here No worke should admit of so few stops and delayes as Temple-worke if we regard the serious nature of it and no worke doth admit of so many by reason of the sinfull nature of man Temple-worke Observ Ezra Nebemiab passion is commonly a retarded and delayed worke The advancing of Gods worship in their Temple-administrations how commonly was it interrupted by the oppositions of enemies informers against the Jews deriders of them Proclamations and edicts of potent Monarchs against them at all times almost in themselves there were timorous dull remisse time-serving spirits and thus 't was in Hezekiah's reformation the Priests were sometimes negligent and delaying to reform 2 Chron. 29.10 11. the people at other times laughed the posts to scorn whom he sent to stir up the people There is a great plausibility in procrastination It is much credit and little cost credit in regard of the credulous hearer and the piety of the promise little cost for 't is but a promise a word a pretence a blast good words are good cheap Machiavel lik't it well to be a pretender The credulous multitude thinks a thing is done as soon as 't is spoke and there may be flatterers that cry up a promise as if it had the integrity and reality of a performance and cause by their soothing representations of things as with spectacles great letters to apppear in a very small print There is in the heart a naturall listnesnes from and opposition unto a right reformation The advising and directing to it and reproof for want of it are ever hard sayings when it comes to the performance must not the doing be much harder There is something of imposing on us what we would not bear something of removing from us that we would keep in every true reformation A reformation that is true is alway bitter more or lesse if it be mera 't will be amara Isa 4. 〈◊〉 31.9 if reformation be without a tooth 't is a shrewd signe it wants truth God comes with a spirit of burning purging when with the worke of reforming No wonder that when men must be at so much cost in raising up and maintaining a Temple for God they must be at the expence of time estate reputation interest haply prejudice to some vocations must follow especially when many a dear though beastly lust must daily be brought to the sacrificing knife in this Temple no wonder I say though head and hand and arts and parts and all be improved to oppose it and next to the not doing of the work at all we love the not doing of it as yet The rage of many outward adversaries accompanieth this worke as well as inward oppositenes of heart There never was a candle of reformation set up but there was also a winde of opposition Gracious and consciencious reformers evermore went against the winde of the times as the tide of their own natures Any reformation that goeth on easily Vse and taketh with carnall hearts that doth alone A reformation that is pleasing to nature and goeth down sweetly that Atheists Neuters Sectaries Malignants and who not unlesse a few strict precise legalists and uniformity Doctours hot-pressers of uniformity these are the names that Satans newest and latest edition puts upon them would have set up such an one I say we have great cause to suspect as none of the best A fish that evermore goeth down the stream may be suspected for dead 't is a signe of a living fish when it goeth maketh at least against the stream A reforming that ever sutech with and goeth according to the tide of a carnall heart is dead not to say deadly What need need is there Noble Lords to helpe you forward Vse to stand by you in this great worke of setting up the spirituall Temple Temple-work is commonly delay'd worke What need is there that we should pray to you pray for you pray with you your honourable resentment of that pious Petition from the City of London did once put joys into thousands of our hearts and the truth is as your acceptance thereof abundantly raised up our hearts and hopes oh let them not fall so might the humble zeal of this famous City put courage and resolution into you when you contemplate that you have many that sue for you and to you and that minded the very same thing with you even a thing which we naturally so delay as that all incentives are too few for the forwarding thereof A great burden requires many shoulders we are certainly very inexcusable if we strive not together with you in our prayers Every step you take you will tread upon a snare every minute is accompanied with its difficulties Men Devils Hell and Earth oppose the worke we perition for the Lord quicken your spirits oyl your wheels strengthen your resolutions and increase the number of such as employ their petitions for setting up the Temple 'T is admonition Take heed of being overcome by these delayes Vse that Satan putteth in the way of setting up the Temple The worke whether we look upon its safety honour gain 1. Consideration deserves no delayes 1. For safety none ever miscarried in Christs worke unlesse for not being full and sincere and constant You may commit your self to God in this well-doing if they that went to worship in the Temple had a promise of safety certainly they shall

Politicians spectacles never was there known any way of Christ so amiable but lust had will and wit to speak against it It makes faults if it findes none and 't is the bolder because it is sure to finde a party in the soul to joyn with it against God Shun carnall pretexts either for the beautifying of any sin or aspersing any truth or way of Christ upon these grounds 1. Considering from whence these excuses proceed 1. Disswasion Psal 14. from what fountain they issue viz. from a carnall heart which is 1. Blinde in the wayes of God To do good they know not Shall the reasonings of an ignorant spirit be regarded Coecus de coloribus non judicat 't is not for a blinde man to discourse much lesse to determine of colours Every man by nature is unable to judge of what is to be shund and followed if the blinde lead the blinde both fall A naturall man hath wit to excuse no wisedom to chuse ordiscerne shall the excuses of such an heart be regarded 2. These pretexts for sin and against God proceed from an heart that is prejudiced forestah'd corrupted as well as blinded very partiall as well as ignorant Satan and lust have been tampering with it before and have fore-engaged it for themselves against any thing that God loves and approveth The palat of a carnall heart is put out of taste and nothing of God can savour with it what ever it loves it can love nothing of God 'T is prepossest against the wayes of Heaven its reasonings are enmity to them lusts have brib'd it and is this an heart meet to bring in a verdict against them 3. These pretexts proceed from an heart that is thine own greatest enemy and will never reason thee into any thing but ruin and dispute thee into nothing but destruction who will embrace the arguings of an adversary God never leaves men more sadly then when he leaves them to themselves so he gave them up to their own hearts lusts Psal 81.82 c. That man whoever he is that takes the way he would never went the way that he should We in every undertaking go from God unles guided by God Lord whither should we go but to thee and how should we go but by thee the way of the heart is the way to hell and will any man follow the guidance of such a reasoner 4. These shadows and pretexts that are used to hinder us in the wayes of God proceed from an heart that would have us leap over substantiall truths and reall commands though it would make us stumble at fictions and appearances It would have us account it easie to break cables though difficult to snap-straws in sunder It labours that the shadow of a pretext may more affect us then the substance of a precept and why should it be followed suggesting only appearances when as it will not let us follow God though he propounds realities Shun these sinfull pretexts 2. Disswasion considering against whom they are made against a God that 1. observes and sees thorow them before whom our most hidden veiled and excused impieties are uncovered An holy ingenuous confession covereth sin but never did a politike excusing of it ubicunque ago Deum circumsero 't was a good meditation of him that thought he might change his place and his imployments but not his observer God expresseth not his observation indeed alway by punishing this impure polishing over of sin yet he observeth for all that 'T is the connivence of justice not the suspension of his omniscience 'T is that he holds his peace Psal 50. not that he shuts his eye 2. Our sinfull and politike pretexts to cloak these impieties do but make us and our sins the more abominable before God Cursed be the deceiver saith God Mal. 1.14 that c. God will not be mocked Gal. 6.7 Woe to them that seek to hide by digging deep their counsels Thinke what it is to have the curse and wo of a great God 't is not an empty notionall curse that proceedeth from the mouth of a God soli Deo idem facere loqui it 's all one with God to speak us and make us so accursed 3. These pretexts are used against a God that gets over all excuses and stops to do us good he steps over reall true deserving causes why mercies should be withheld from us these cannot hinder him no mountains of provocations but Christ leapeth over them all to do good to the Church oh what a shame is it that she should complain of straws and be afraid as Zebul said of the shadow of the mountains Judg. 9.36 Cant. 5.3 that she should say as the spouse is brought in speaking I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them I am warmed in my feathers how shall I adventure abroad should our God defer helpe and victories for us till we make the way clear for him we might stay long enough he that bestows the mercy must remove the impediment Beware of these pretexts and excuses when thou art doing any thing for God 3. Disswasion considering the danger of them and hurtfullnes 1. They are Satans engins whereby he commonly wins upon a soul Satan undoeth most this way if he can make them stop and stagger and hesitate by an excuse he will soon make them fall where he puts to a stand he will soon make the soul to give ground where he can make a man to shield his lust with an excuse he hopes that that man will keep his lust alive though God shoots never so many arrows of threatnings or prohibitions and where sin continues to live the soul must die 2. Take heed of these as dangerous in that God may justly be provoked to leave us to them and let our own reasonings prevail over us put out our eyes from beholding and binde our hands from performing the will of God may not he justly say I le leave such a man such a state to themselves that they may see with what wise heads they have consulted against my word God speaks of consulting shame to our house Hab. 2. All our wisest excuses and reasonings against setting up his house shall but pull down our own If God leave us to our own wisedom what way soever we go 't will be the worst If left to our selves how shall we trifle and ravell out all the precious opportunities of advancing the Kingdom of Christ how like will our expensive voyages and bloody adventures for a reformation be to those voyages in Solomons time that were made for Apes and Peacocks God may suffer the taper of the opportunity to burn out before the worke be finished he may suffer us to do that which may crosse the principles of humane wisdom as well as divine how unstable are the foundations of that Kingdom which are laid in the ruin of Christ's We shall reade by the

Church to live though incompassed with the deaths of a captivity When the fire of persecution flames about the bush God restrains it from consuming It is not for want of poison in our enemies but by reason of power in God Vse that England is yet a people 'T is not because we bring no fuell of sin but because God puts not too his fire of wrath that we are not consumed Oh! that since God will not be content without our being a people we may not be indifferent whether we have him for our God or no He can be a God without us but we not a people without him Oh that we would take pleasure in his presence who takes so much in our prosperity Secondly God calleth them this people The particle this cannot but be looked on as very emphaticall it may be considered under a two fold notion to name no more First as holding forth a note of admiration Jer. 5 9. Shall I not visit on such a nation as this as if the word this noted them to be a strange kinde of people This is that Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 as if he deserv'd that all eyes should gaze upon and wonder at him So here This people denoteth wonderment if not astonishment considering who they were a delivered a lately preserved people considering what they neglected viz. the setting up the house of their God! In both respects they may well be wondered at What For a people to be slothfull and neglective about the Worship of their God can they finde none to sleight but him Can any Nation be found that will do the like Yet this people are found to do so But yet the Wonder of their wickednes is greater considering they have a God that deserveth far better at their hands who hath ever heretofore and of late especially saved and delivered them for a people to deal so with such a God for this people to be remisle and regardles of one that regards them so much is very strange is very astonishing Observe then Observ It 's an astonishing Wonder for a people especially a delivered people to beremisse and slothfull in setting up the Worship of their God What ever is neglected the house of God should not be so and whoever neglecteth it a freshly saved people should not neglect it of all the people in the world God looks not for it at this peoples hand This is the object of divine wonderment nay God calls all the world to wonder at it with him Isai 1.2 Hear O Heavens and give ear O earth Isa 1.2 c. I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me So Ier. 2.32 Can a maid forget her ornaments Jer. 2.38 or a bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Though I have bound saith God and strengthned their arm yet they have imaginèd evil against me Hos 7.15 Hos 7.15 I have healed their limmes and as soon as I have healed them they contrive how to fight against me with them Sinfull neglectivenes of the worship of God and that after deliverances is a breaking of the strongest bonds It 's true the most silken but yet the strongest 'T is the refusing to be drawn with the cords of a man 't is the spurning against very bowels 't is not only an offence against God but a putting off the very man also A delivered peoples contempt of Gods worship frustrates and disappoints the very main end of their deliverance it robbeth the greatest God of his greatest delight his own glory after and by the bestowing of a mercy It is the deniall of Gods tribute and a refusall to pay the custom that belongs to this great King 'T is the making of our selves our own end our God It 's an unholy sacriledge and a diminution to the prerogative of the Supreme Majesty There are many Vse that to finde out wonders are faint to leave their English ●oyl and think nothing stupendious but what either they go to see in other Lands or from thence is brought home to them But we may spare our pains we need not travell into Africa to behold a monster no England afoords one far more monstrous Hear O Heavens give ear O earth lose your selves in amazement God hath nourished England and England hath neglected God England newly brought out of more then 70 years captivity and yet it hath already forgot that ever it was in our condition is altered but not our disposition our estate is new our hearts are old our successes go forward but the Temple stands still In the time of tyrannicall and Prelaticall thraldom our miseries seem'd so desperate we could not beleeve recovery but we doubted not of thankfullnesse to God if once we were recovered but lo the contrary The deliverance we have which We never lookt for the fruitfullnes we want which we ever promised Many good things hath God of late done for us for which of all these is it that we thus neglect him Is Gods building of our house the cause of our letting his lye waste Doth Gods toleration of us deserve that we should give a toleration of sin Doth Gods stopping the rage of our enemies deserve that we should stop the work of his Temple Are the showres of love the causes of barrennes Do the beams of love benumme us from divine imployments Do the rowlings of a fathers bowels deserve our spurn Is it because God hath given us more then ever we expected that we have given him lesse then nay contrary to what we have covenanted Doth that winged speed with which God hath carried on our victories deserve a snail-paced Reformation Shall mercy have wings of swiftnes and shall our Reformation have an heel of lead Were all the wonders in the world lost they might all be found in the carriage of such a people as this Secondly The word This added to people 2. Observ notes estrangement distance dis-interest a deniall of gracious and friendly familiarity with them as his own people He calls them not his people but this people This people draw neer to me with their lipps but their hearts are far from me Isa 29.13 Isa 29.13 Thy people have corrupted themselves not my people Exod. 32.7 Exod. 32.7 God called David my servant when he desir'd to build the Temple but when he left God then 't was plain David without a my servant that honourable addition A people that make God a this God and not their God 2 Sam. 7.5.8 by neglecting of his Worship 2 Sam. 24 12. shall be accounted of God a this people and not an his people by remission of his interest in them Religion is the uniting bond between God and a Kingdom The cord that holds up the tent of their peace and his presence without it Kingdoms are but magna latrocinia lurking places for theeves not lodgings for the pure God Regardlesnesse of Gods worship is a States

maligning that cause of reformation which we seem'd to stand for But was not the motion of the living creature carnall interest in this running wheel Were we not then in a low condition and did we not want the assistance of our Scotish brethen and was not this the way to secure our selves from those who were suspected at home to discern betwixt our friends and our foes and to assure to us our party against the common enemy But behold when our ends were accomplisht our Brethren come in and ingaged for and with us the enemy discourag'd thereby and brought low in a word when the living creature of carnall interest made a stop what regard is had either that they who take the Covenant observe it or that they who do not enter into it should be discountenanced rather now are not they in some places suspected that are most forward to take and observe it and is' t not now the way of reputation for tendernes of conscience and a new light to refuse it 2. The publike professions to the world were formerly very frequent and fervent for setting up a pious Ministry the maintaining of them and learning the opposing of sinfull liberty the suppressing of errours the not laying the golden rains of discipline upon every mans neck this wheel went on very nimbly also but did it not move according to the motion of carnall interest was not the open adversary at that time growing and was not this the probablest means to answer the objection of our malignant enemies who laboured to infuse into the people that all learning and order would shortly come to nothing if the Parliament prevail'd and had we then any other way to satisfie our friends and to stop the mouths of our enemies but by publike appearing against them in these professions But behold when by the goodnes of God the common adversary is brought low and is weak in his armes as in his arguments he not able to hurt either by tongue or pen in a word when carnall interest maketh a stop how few and small are the encouragements of learning how ordinary a thing is it to see illiterate mechanicks to invade the ministeriall function without controlment what a liberty is taken for sin both in opinions and practices every one professing and performing as they lift 3. How strong was out fraternall union and amiable affection toward our dear Brethren of Scotland at the beginning of this Parliament how did we abhor the throwing in a mite of contribution into the treasury of an unnaturall war against them who groning with us under the same burdensome tasks and task-masters were the first that adventured the easing of both Afterward what Covenanting was there to joyn together as brethren to maintain this brotherly accord and to bring such to punishment who endeavoured to sowe division betwixt the two Nations This wheel went on very evenly and swiftly along time but the living creature of carnall police was in it too we wanted their assistance we could not hurt them but we hurt our selves their appearing for us nay not against could not but exceedingly daunt the common adversary but when carnall policie made a stop and interest went on no further that way what coolings were there in our love what stoppings in our bowels what frequent jealousies and suspitions whispered against them how ordinary to hear every wretched sectary to traduce them and to rumour their self-seeking and advantage as if a notion a trifle in comparison could throw down that love which heretofore such vast offers could not so much as stagger Blame me not though a Minister for mentioning things that seem so secular Know friend I have taken the Covenant and still remember the third article 4. Our reformation in the destructive part of it to Episcopacy and scandalous Ministers was prosecuted with much eagernesse spectatours rejoyced to see our zeal for the Lord in putting down them with their crosses Images and crucifixes but did not this wheel move also according to the spirit of carnall interest were not the men and their usurped power lately very burdensome and prejudiciall to us to our estates and liberties not to say to our honours and rule and was not the ejection of those who knew how to fish for tithes though not for souls a very taking plausible thing interest agreed with it and the breaking down of Images did not bite but when interest makes a stop our reformation stops also We throw down the superstitious Priests and their Altars with their many idolatrous reliques but doth our reformation proceed to deal with Jeroboams calves too to prohibit effectually the divulging and scattering of all those many blasphemous opinions which are not only cried up in 〈◊〉 and Bethel but are scattered up and down from Dan to Beersheba from one end of the Kingdom to the other Are not the second and third persons in Trinity as much dishonoured by blotting them out of our faith as by picturing them in a window 5. Our care and love in encouraging the godly and painfull Ministers of the Gospel was heretofore very common and full out as commendable as common A faithfull Minister that stood out under the time of Episcopall tyranny by opposing himself to the innovations thereof was a man of desires in the beginning of these wars This wheel went or very nimbly too but was not there a living creature of carnall policie that moved with it was not respecting of godly Ministers the way to be honoured before the people and were not they the men that were fittest to move to contributions and improve their power for exhorting to assist in the cause of late so much indangered But when they could do no more and by the goodnes of God other means were found out for releeving of us in a word when interest made a stop our love to Ministers was soon at a stand nay declined witnes not only the ungracefull and reproachfull language which every uncontrolled sectary hath inured his tongue and pen to cast upon them but the deniall of necessary subsistence to themselves and theirs in many places where they who have wept and pray'd and preach down Antichrist are how accounted the only Antichristian burdens My Lords if upon inquiry the serving of our designes shall be found to steer and stop the cause and course of Reformation let it be your noble care to oppose an enemy that for much opposeth God himself Let not Religion wait upon your carnall interests but let them be subservient to Religion Nay have no other designe but the full excelling of Christ Let not the salvation no not of your own souls be your greatest end Rejoyce that God gives you any thing before which you may preferre Iesus Christ Let not so many choice endowments as me thinks I behold in this honourable presence of nobility magnamity valour policy be made vassals to so unworthy an end as carnall interest Set up a building of glory to Christ upon the ruin if such a ruin were possible of all you are and have Learn to perish that the glory of Christ may live walke in the way of Christ though never so rugged delight no further in any thing you are or ●e then that thereby God may be honoured Go not the way of interest which is gone but the way of Christ which should he gone Understand the infinite disproportion betwixt Christ and any thing that may stop your serving of him Study what poor nothings of comfort the sweerest delights are that would allure you Study what poor nothings of misery the forest sufferings are that would affright you from serting up the Lords house Labour for unmixed aims in all holy undertakings let Christ be sweet for himself love his service for its beauty not its clothes in going about it let nothing else be your scope and then nothing will divert you Aim not at profit so gain will not allure you not at pleasure so ease will not corrupt you not at friends so favour will not seduce you Serve not the time but set up the Temple Let the Temple of a Scripture not a politike reformation be erected 't is for such an one we have Covenanted namely for one according to Scripture Consult only with Scripture-politikes for building of God an house demolish that Babel of a confused toleration of all practices 't is true 't will certainly fall of it self in time but if let alone till then 't will undoubtedly crush and bury us under its own ruins Labour that the power of godlines by a powerfull Ministery may be diffused thorow the whole land to this end let learning be encouraged let the Universities enjoy though not pomp yet their priviledges and for their streams of revenues and maintenance let them neither be dried up nor diverted cherish and encourage there a choise number of Divines for controversall Divinity remember the usefullnes of Whitakers Fulk Reinolds not to speak of other threes to the Church of God Let those Prophets be as false as malignant who have foretold the ruin of learning who but Christ deserves the service of excellent parts consider Satan is now putting forth his ultimos conatus improves his utmost endeavours against us You have I hope foyl'd him with the sword let him not overmatch you at the pen forward the ordination of Ministers beleeve it my Lords we spend upon the old stock Ministers die and waste apace and shall not others stand up in their rooms never were there times more prodigall of laying out of Ministers and more penurious in laying out for Ministers let places be supplied with Ministers and Ministers not starved for want of supplies from their places Let the Ordinances of Christ be advanced in power purity and plenty say not the time is not come These people here in the text had small cause to say so but you have lesse You have no enemy that may rationally be conjectured able to stop you in the worke of God the rubs are removed take heed of being wrong byast the stops pretended are purely imaginary and proceed from prejudice not from judgement FINIS