Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	king_n	see_v	4,869	5	3.5371	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86532	The saints guide, in three treatises; I. The mirror of mercie, on Gen. 6.13. II. The carnall mans condition, on Rom. 1.18. III. The plantation of the righteous, on Psa. l.3 / By Thomas Hooker minister in New-England.	Hooker, Thomas, 1586-1647.	1645 (1645)	Wing H2655; Thomason E1160_1; ESTC R11339	43,446	180

presently there is hue and crie up by the Father or the Master He is an undone man or an undone woman then there is labouring by all meanes possible to stifle the worke of grace in the heart Thus when God striveth to pluck men out of their sinnes they continue in sinne and so subject themselves to eternall punishment therfore may the contention grow marvellous great God striveth and sinne and Satan strive and man holds it out to the last As appeares Math. 23.37 O Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that were sent to thee c. there is the businesse and marke how often would I have gathered you c. and you would not The Father would draw men to his Sonne to be faved but John 5.4 ye will not come unto me that ye may be saved whilst our Saviour thus strives with the cords of mercie to draw men to salvation they labour to withdraw themselves from him and to plundge themselves into damnation Act. 18.5 6. Paul strengthened with the spirit convinced them boldly and by strength of Argument laid hold upon their understandings proving that Jesus was the Christ But they came as in pitcht battell against that Doctrine of life and salvation they did gainsay and blaspheme it the word in the originall signifies They planted forces in order and came in battell array against those blessed truthes he delivered and in other places of the Acts when Paul revealed the truth part joyned with the Apostles part with the Jewes some were convinced others gainsayed and resisted See then how a poore sinner breakes all the cords of grace and mercie as Psalm 2.3 when there the wicked combine against Christ say they Let us breake his Bonds assunder and cast his Cords from us Gods Counsells Commands Reproofes c. are the cords they breake the threatnings of the word the checkes of Conscience all the tyes of mercie they snappe in peices they breake all and wilfully withdraw themselvs from salvation we neede no more witnesses to cast this cause wofull experience daily produces too many all difficulty rests in the Explication of this And therin observe three things First I will discover how God drawes and strives with the sinner what a deale of doe it is to bring a sinner to everlasting life Secondly the reason why God doth so strive Thirdly Application hereof First how doth the Lord strive The good Spirit of the Lord followes a Suit himselfe against a sinner and pleades a Law-Case with him I doe confesse the dealing of God is marveillous strange herein and I ingeniously acknowledge I want both skill and heart to set forth the pleadings of God herein But he is onely able to speake for himselfe and by his gratious assistance wee shall observe to you such pleaes as God affords in Scripture how the Lord hath dealt herein To the point then How the Lord pleades and strives with a sinner I referre to two heads 1. By way of perswasion 2. By way of constraint and compulsion Wherein we shall observe all the cords of mercie and bondes of compassion First striving and if those doe not prevaile execution of punishment terrours and a strong hand pursues a sinner in mercie and at last if all faile mercy overcomes the sinner wherein see God first discovers the matter in controversie Proceedes to execution and by repreive at last prevailes by mercy over judgement Touching the first part and of the pleaes of mercy in scripture we must referre our observation hereof to foure heads First As in a suite of Law before there can be a day of Heareing the Party is summoned to answer So the Lord having a Controversie with a sinner the Lord summons the sinner into his Court the Lord causeth a Writ to issue out to attach a sinfull Creature that lieth snorting in his sins and securely posts to destruction one that never saw his miserie and wants and never sought for mercy and supply Salvation being the furthest end of his thoughts and the least part of his care Now the Lord doth bring this about in his providence by bringing them to the word and therein mercifully making knowne the sinners estate before ever he imagined thereof Jsa 65.5 I was found of them that sought mee not Hence in ordinarie experience many a poore sinfull creature hath beene accidentally cast into such a Towne or into a good familie and the Lord comes upon him on a suddaine when he never dreamed of life and grace As many a soule in the acknowledgment of Gods mercy and providence breakes out in this wonder Oh that I should be brought into such a place such a familie and meete with such opportunities when I dreamed of it as little as of doomes day and desired nothing more then mischeife that God should stop me in the way to Hell See that of Saul when he was running to Damascus ah saith he I will take these Puritaines in their Conventicles a light shin'd suddenly from Heaven and almost tumbled him downe into Hell Even such a kinde of light is let into the soule not that we must expect a miracle or a new thing but when the word is brought home to the understanding the soule will thinke those strange things such as hee never heard or thought of And if the finner growes carelesse and will not attend God calls upon the soule and drawes the minde to attend holds the light to the eye and brings the Word so evident to the soule that it cannot evade Ezek. 16.2 Sonne of man cause the Children of Jsraell to know their abominations The Prophet 1 Kings 21.20 having a Message to Ahab after his great wickednesse see how the sight of the Prophet startles him and makes him snarle Hast thou founde mee out Oh mine Enemy saith Ahab The worde findes a man out and drawes the minde to attend it The soule would be carelesse and secure will not heare not attend The Lord knockes as the doore of the soule findes him out behinde the Pillor awakens him asleepe in his Pue finds him out his sinnes and discovers his abominations The Lord comes home to the soule and tells him thou art the man that hath sinned and thou shalt bee plagued God deales like a Wrastler first catches hold then comes in and at last throwes a man upon his back makes him yeeld and confesse I am the man Thus the Lord causeth the minde to attende the word The Lord tells the Drunkard that the Alehouse is not the way to Heaven and the Adulterour that his way leads to perdition brings them to the word and causeth them to attend thereto And further the Soule attending the word and being ignorant and knowing no good the Lord informes a sinner and sets up a light of wisedome in his minde to conceive of the nature of sinne whereby he hath provoked God He that yet never knew what sinne was now it stares him in his face and he beholds it with amazement and in

Consolation to all those who finde that their hearts be levell to the rule of the word who are willing to let goe all beloved finnes though never so pleasant and profitable and worldly ends whatsoever yea to give up their all yea their life it selfe when God shall call for it this may be a ground of unspeakable comfort unto them for they finde that distinguishing Caracter in their soules which cannot be found in the hearts of any hypocrites in the world Consider therefore with thy selfe how thou canst stoope as well to the Commands as to the Promises of the word canst submit to every blessed truth art willing both to know it and to practise it and to delight thy selfe in it day and night Is there any soule here whose Conscience beares him witnesse that it is thus with him that he is willing not onely to heare but likewise to entertaine every Truth of God even those that are most contrary to flesh and bloud and that he can say in the uprightnesse of his spirit as before the Lord be there any more Truths of the Lord to be discovered Oh! that I might heare them and come to understand them how willingly would I come up unto them and put them in practice that can say with the holy man Job Surely it is meet● to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement and I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou mee and if I have done Iniquitie I will doe so no more Such a man as can thus love and thus entertaine the truth he is a Free-man of Heaven one of the blessed Company of Saints and Angells John 8.32 And yee shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free This was the joy of the Apostle 3. Epist John 4. I have no greater joy then to heave that my Children walke in the truth If it was so great a matter of joy to him that he had beene an Instrument to worke this blessed worke upon other mens soules how much greater cause of joy hast thou that it is wrought upon thy soule God himselfe loveth the truth and requireth truth in the inward parts He delighteth also to reward the lovers of it Dost thou love the Truth of Christ then it will give the same testimonie of thee as it did to Demetrius 3. Epist of Joh. 12. Demetrius hath a good report of the truth it self And if the Truth report well of thee Fear not what the world what thy freinds or enemies say of thee for the testimony of the truth will be a comfort unto thee when all false witnesses shall stand aside and thou shalt be able to lift up thine head when those that have derided the truth and thee for the truths sake shall hang downe their heads and have their hearts to faile within them Then this shall be a comfort to a poore soule when his conscience shall beare him witnesse that although he hath had manie weaknesses yet there was never any truth made knowne unto his soule but he was willing to entertaine it never any sinne was discovered to his soule to be a sinne but instantly he loathed it then the Truth shall stand up and say I beare witnesse Lord that he loved mee entertained mee and delighted in mee though he indured bitter persecutions for my sake and so the truth shall make him free the devill shall not have any thing to lay to his charge and God the Father God the Sonne and God the blessed Spirit shall be ready to imbrace such a Soule for God is a God of Truth Christ is the Word of Truth and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth Therefore labour after the Truth let not your hearts any longer oppose its efficatious working upon your soules but uncessantly intreat the God of Truth to set every truth that you shall heare home upon your hearts FINIS THE PLANTATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS Set forth in a Sermon on Psalme 1.3 BY THOMAS HOOKER late of Chelmesford in Essex Now Minister of the Gospell in NEW-ENGLAND LONDON Printed for John Stafford dwelling in the Alley against Brides Church 1646. THE PLANTATION OF The RIGHTEOVS PSAL. 1.3 But he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in due season his leafe also shall not wither and what soever he doth shall prosper IN the begining of this Psalme the Prophet David giveth somewhat a generall and confused veiw of blessednesse which is the desire of all our hearts the end of all our hopes and travails and then he first pointeth out the by-paths in which those that walke shall be sure never to attain unto this blessednesse 2. He setteth out the true and ready way to happinesse and the severall stations therein which are but two delighting and meditating in the word of God 3. In the words of the text he doth more particularly and distinkely discover this happinesse that so he might win upon mens affections and make their soules be enamored therwith 4. He sheweth the woefull estate and condition of those that doe not walke in this way that leadeth to happinesse they are not so but the winde of Gods Wrath shall drive them away like chaffe Lastly he giveth the reasons of it for the Lord knoweth that is doth approve and prosper the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked shall perish Now in the third verse here is first a familiar Similitude of a Tree and this tree is further discovered 1. By the nature of it it is a planted tree not a wild tree 2. By the place where it groweth and that is by the rivers of waters 3. By the property of it it bringeth forth his fruite in due season 4. By some effects 1. A perpetuall flourishing his leafe shall not fade 2. A good issue to every undertaking what soever he doth shall prosper As it is with a Tree digged out of a barren land and transplanted into a fruitfull Soyle and set by a river of water it bringeth forth much fruite and remaineth in a flourishing estate So it is with those who having bin rooted out of the drie wildernesse of sin and are by the great Husbandman God the Father transported into the true Vine Jesus Christ and set by the Rivers of his word and Ordinances they grow fruitfull in grace and goodnesse bringing forth flourishing fruite and that in due season when it may make most for the Glorie of God and the good of his people and their fruit shall neither fade nor perish untill they attaine unto perfection and a full fruition of Happinesse with Christ in Glorie So that this third verse doth in particular discover the difference betwixt a godly and godlesse man They are contrary in their principalls and wayes They are contrary in their fruites and they shall be contrary in their accounts at the last Day Now for the present I shall wave all the other Characters of a godly man and treat