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	know_v	see_v	5,670	5	3.0830	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48855	A sermon preached before Her Majesty, on May 29, being the anniversary of the restauration of the King and royal family by the Bishop of S. Asaph, Lord Almoner to Their Majesties.	Lloyd, William, 1627-1717.	1692 (1692)	Wing L2716; ESTC R6946	15,431	33

as we may reasonably believe that God is concern'd for Thirdly When we see there was a great and near danger of losing that which God was concern'd for if this had not happened for its preservation I think these three that I have named are sure tokens by which we may Judge without danger of mistake that any thing that happens in this manner is of God's doing 1. First When we see a thing done that is great and extraordinary in it self or is like to be so in its consequence it sets us presently on thinking whence this should proceed For we know that nothing happens by chance every thing has a Cause wheher we know it or not But if we are so at a loss for it that either we see no Cause at all or none that can reach the effect What then We Judge the Cause to be something that is to us invisible The Heathens as they held every thing which they could not see to be a God so when they saw any thing done which they knew not how any creature should do they ascribed it to God Thus the Magicians of Egypt when they saw Moses turn dust into lice a thing which they could not do with all their Inchantments They confessed that this was the finger of God When the Syrians saw their mighty armies overcome by a handful of Israelites they knew it was not done by humane strength what then It must be a Divine power that assisted them When the Jews that were returned from the Babylonian Captivity had built up the Wall about Jerusalem in fifty two days which was a very unaccountable thing even their Enemies the Moabites and others that saw it confessed that this was the work of God Thus they Judged not from any peculiar notions of their own Nation or Religion but it was the reasoning of humane nature upon that Hypothesis that there is a God that governs the World And therefore much more we that have Revelation for this Wee that have the holy Scriptures which teach us that from him and by him are all things when we see such things done as could be from no other it confirms us that such things must be from God It is that Allwise and Allmighty Being that sheweth himself now by his ordinary Providence in such works as are above our reason and strength no less then he did by works of Miracle to them that lived in Scripture times Secondly Especially we see this in such works as appear to be done for such purposes as wee have all reason to believe God would be most especially concerned for in this World This is the second thing that I proposed among the ways we have to Judge that any great work is of God's doing The Old Romans in judging of Criminal matters when they would kn●w the author of any thing that was done one of their fi●st Questions was that of Cassius Cui bono Who has been or who was like to be the better for this If the ben●fit of it redounded to any person whether to himself or to his Children or his family that gave a shrewd suspicion that he was the Author of it The same way one may guess at the author of any Action whatsoever the nature of it may be And by this measure God is pleased to give us leave to Judge of him and of his doings This he tells us in the first place that he made all things for his Glory It is that which we are therefore to consider in the first place as being the chief end of all his doings Whatsoever is contrary to that and so is all sin whatsoever we are sure he is not the Author of it And though he suffers such things as far as he sees fit yet he does not even that but so as it may turn to his G●ory But of all things that he has made he loveth those things best that are fittest to set forth his Glory Those are here upon earth the Rational beings whom he Create● in his own Image howsoever by Sin they are fallen from it Again among these his chief care is for them whom he has re●●emed to himself Especially he takes care for the B●dy o● his redeem'd ones that is for his Church And therefore for those societies of men that are his Church in the several Kingdoms or Nations As this is his chief care for Persons so for Things he is chiefly concerned for those things by which man sheweth forth his Image all those Godlike Qualities of Truth and Righteousness and Peace and Charity and Mercy and the like And above all for true Religion and the true Worship of God These things are directly for his glory therefore these things are his great concernment in the World That Gods greatest care of all is for his Church this is so clear that they that held a multiplicity of Gods the Heathens thought it most reasonable to believe that every God should be most concern'd for his own people They believed the God of Israel would do things for his own people that he would not do for any other And therefore when they saw great things done for Israel they did not doubt that those things were done by Israel's God In like manner whatsoever may be done by any other supernatural power as it cannot be denied that Devils may do great things that may resemble the wonderful works of God yet they are to be distinguisht by this that whereas God's works are for the good of his Church and for the promoting of Religion and Goodness which are his great concernment in the World Whatsoever tends to the destruction of these we may be sure it is not the work of God It is the Enemy that hath done this And yet when the Enemy has done his worst which may go very far towards the Destruction of the Church so far as to bring it into great sufferings by the permission of God for the Chastisement of his People which having obtain'd its effect they will have cause to thank God for their sufferings Yet I say when the Devil has done his worst before it comes to utter destruction God will find a way to deliver his people and that is truly the work of God 3. And the neerer they were to destruction the more visible is his work in their deliverance that 's the third thing I have to shew The greater danger there was of our losing that for which God is concern'd so much the more of his Hand appears in our deliverance from it The greatest dangers are those which as to men appear to be insuperable Therefore the more any danger appears to be such the more it appears to be worthy of God that he should deliver us from it For though as to him all things are easie alike no one work is harder then another to make the World out of nothing no more then making Lice out of Dust Yet as to us there is a great difference for we are most affected with

A SERMON Preached before Her Majesty On May 29 being the ANNIVERSARY Of the Restauration of the King and Royal Family By the Bishop of S. ASAPH Lord Almoner to THEIR MAJESTIES By her Majesties Command LONDON Printed for Thomas Jones in Lincolns-Inn new Square next Clare-Market 1692. A SERMON Preached before Her Majesty At White-hall May 29. 1692. Psalm 118. 23 24. This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our Eyes This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it THE day for which David intended this Psalm was probably the day of that great Revolution upon the Death of Saul by which he was exalted to the Throne of his Kingdom It was not long before this that David had said I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul He confessed afterwards that it was in his hast that he said this Psal. 31. 22. not considering as he ought the promise of God that he should live to be King of Israel But now after Saul himself was cut off by that terrible Judgment of God which David lamented as you see 2 Sam. 1. 17. Yet being thus secur'd from that which he fear'd and seeing his way open to that which God had promised now he corrects that hasty word of his He says here vers 17. I shall not dye but trve and declare the works of the Lord. What works That he sheweth in the following words there are other words between but I pass by them for I am not now Expounding a Psalm Verses 22. 23. The stone which the Builders refused is become the head stone of the Corner This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our Eyes It is plain how these words were true of David himself Who tho he was Saul's Son in Law and made so on the account of his Merit which was so conspicious every way that the Honour of so high a Relation was the least part of his Character Yet they that were in power about Saul finding that Saul had a jealousy of him inflamed it to that degree that David was thrown out not only of his Place but of the Kingdom And so he continued in Exile till Saul's Death But then by a strange turn of affairs and of the People's hearts First the House of Juda and afterwards all the Tribes of Israel anointed him King And so God turned the Kingdom to David the Son of Jesse 1 Chron 10. last verse This I take to be the lite●al sense of the words Verses 22. 23. beforementioned But as Da●id was a most Illustrious Type of the Messiah who w●● the Son of David according to the Flesh and who is called by the name of David in some of the Prophecies So the Actions and Events of David's life were many of them Types of the like Actions and Events that should be done by and should happen to the Messiah That particularly which you have heard of David's being rejected by Saul's Courtiers and Counsellors was a Type of Christ's being rejected by the Priests and Elders of the Jews And that which you heard of that strange Revolution by which David was advanced to the Kingdom was a Type of the Resurrection of our Saviour by which he was Exalted to be Lord and Christ. In both these respects as you have heard the stone which the Builders refused was made the headstone of the Corner both these were alike the Lords doing and were marvellous in mens Eyes But especially the last that of Christs Exaltation to his Kingdom to which these words are applied both by our Saviour himself and more then once by his Holy Apostles this was the very sence that the Holy Ghost intended in inspiring David with this Psalm and the Church has used it accordingly This is one of the Psalms the Church has appointed to be used on Easter Day When we Celebrate the memory of Christ's Resurrection then if ever we have reason to say this is the Day that the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it But as this intent of the Holy Ghost did not make it unlawful for David to make use of these words in a literal sense as no doubt he did for his part intend it in the composing of this Psalm So without comparing with the Resurrection of Christ with which no earthly thing ought to be named when we are in David's Case as to our Temporal condition I know no reason to doubt but we may lawfully take up his words And that 's enough to justify my Choise of this Text. For the matters contained in it here are two things in which we have David for an Example before us First When it pleaseth God to give us such a Deliverance as appears to be the work of God by the marks of his hand upon it we ought to give him the glory of it by acknowledging it to be his doing Secondly When God doth such a work for his People they ought to shew their sense of it by rejoycing in the Lord and by keeping a Day for that purpose of which we may say in David's words this is the Day which the Lord hath made I shall add that whensoever the benefit is such as is not confined to the present age even Posterity as they come to have a share of the benefit so they are to continue the memory of it by keeping Yearly Days of Thanksgiving to God We are now above thirty Years after the date of that mercy which we Yearly commemorate on this Day and yet now enjoying the full benefit of it we truly may and therefore ought to say it this is the day which the Lord hath made The first of these will be more then I can well bring within the compass of my time that where God has done a signal work we are to acknowledge 't is his doing This is nothing else but what all mankind will agree to All will agree that this is Just and Right It is but giving God the glory that is due to his name The Question will be how we shall distinguish such works as are to be ascribed to God only I am not now to prove that there is a God or that he Created the World or that he governs all things in it as well things that are wrought by humane means or otherwise by second Causes as those which God works immediately by himself These things I ought to take for granted by all that hear me What is it then that comes properly into our Question Only this how any work may be appropriated to God so that this or that above other may be said to be of Gods doing Not to reckon all that can be said of this kind I shall shew it particularly in these three respects First When it is so surprizing a work that we can assign no other Cause from which it does or can proceed but God only Secondly When beside the unaccountableness of the Cause we see the effect is such