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
A81704	A seasonable caution. From the north to the south. / By A plain countrey man ...	G. D.	1682 (1682)	Wing D20B; ESTC R171670	5,983	8

my Soul greatly affect My Spirit they almost inspire And on my Altar kindle Fire Who knew these things and yet forget May for the Kingdom prove unfit Then th' Church of Glory wore a Crown But now alas her Sun goes down She in great Splendor then did shine But now her Beauty doth decline Once cloath'd with comly Ornaments Dis-robing now sends forth ill Scents Some that in her as Light shin'd clear Now growing dim like Clouds appear But wo unto that Man or Place That brought upon Christs Church Disgrace Better 'tad been if they or he Had sunk i' th bottom of the Sea How happy had She been this day If She had kept i' th Antient Way Th' Nation for her sake been blest And She her Peace in God possest Then had she still wore Glories Crown Her Sun had not been going down This former Glory is past and gone And Tyranny i' th Chuch comes on When Antient Pastors mostly sleep Who into th' Fold gathered the Sheep Whose sense of loss of them is deep Which cause their Flocks in secret weep When Conscience must to Slavery Mens Rules Imposed to walk by This Faith and Conscience doth invade Which Truth and Reason should perswade When we the Gospel did receive Our Conscience witness to it gave Is' t Gods or Mens Way that 's chang'd now That of this Test she 'l not allow The Truth it will the Test indure And th' more it 's try'd appeareth pure But I do take it for their Pride Who on ambitious Wings do ride Who would have Faith pin'd on their Sleeves That say Believe as th' Church Believes Yet if they 'l right Distinctions make Wee 'l grant it and for Truth it take But if She 'l make Laws and compel And out of her all such expel And cast out of her Vnity Who with her Rules can't comply As such in Her we cannot believe Nor pin our Faith upon Her Sleeve But in this Practice Sbe hath been Our Ears have heard and Eyes have seen Therefore let none offended be We say This is Apostacy Will she prescribe a Form wherein he must remain That th' Heaven of Heavens of old could not contain No such Commission yet we have Obeying Her New Laws can save And since these things i' th Church took place Dayly on her hath come disgrace And greatly there is cause to fear The Wolves again the Flock may tear Her late Procedur's not the way That the Flocks into the Fold did draw Nor like his Voice nor like his Call Who is great Shepherd over all Th' Pretended Church usurping Power Gives Satan advantage to devour Drawing from the Life of Restoration To practice Excommunication Of those who do true witness bear Vnto the Truth of God in Fear This is not the Spirit which is free Ordain'd for Captives Liberty Who have Gods Messengers Rejected They and their Message disrespected And sowing of Divisions Seed Have made the Churches sorely bleed 'T is they that brought her to this State That Brethren Excommunicate By Innocence how is she known Whose Practice hath such Rigor shown And yet can give no reason why But Her Prescriptions not walkt by And this hath caus'd Her thus to Rage Like as some did in former Age Mother Ignorance though old I fear May yet Conceive and Children Bear But yet I hope there thousands be That serve God in Sincerity What e're Assemblies may decree Can to Inventions how no Knee Whose Faith and Hope in God doth stand Fears not Excommunications Brand But looking back still think upon The Glory of those Days are gone Compared with these present Times Might cause my Pen write pensive Lines When those who had th' Gospel to preach Have not been suffered it to teach This often soundeth in my ear That Famine of the Word draws near The greatest Judgment that can fall Vpon a Poople Great or Small Then such too late may call to mind How to Gods Servants they were unkind And since to them they lend no ear They from the Lord no word may hear And this there is more cause to fear Than the sharp smiting Sword or Spear And for to see the Churches Rent In gathering which many were spent This is none of the meanest Crimes As may be known in future Times And Children unborn may weep When the Gospel Planters fall asleep If in this Land Christ be not found Nor to be heard the Gospel Sound Then doubtless woful Days come on When once the Gospel Sound is gone People may wander far and nigh And Springs Fountains shall be dry Then withered shall be their Goard When ther 's a Famine of the Word But God deliver us I pray We never see this woful Day A wounded Spirit would us grieve When there is no one to Believe Sad Symptoms of these things appear This Judgment may be drawing near When as the Church so busie be To Compel to Conformity When written Rules must be our Guide Which th' Spirits Leadance lays aside And when Church Orders must take place Above the Inward Truth and Grace Else to what end do they decree To sentence out of Vnity Only for Non-conformity Forcing to Practice is blind Zeal That which the Lord doth not Reveal Her Practice shews if she had Power She 'd force her Cup like to the Whore Then from the greatest to the Least None buys nor sells but th' Mark o' th Beast Yet 's hop'd there 's many would not sup Of the Abomination Cup But such Procedure may procure True Church for to remain obscure The Whore would then great painting make And for the Spouse her self will take And many by her be misled True Church to th' Wilderness being fled These things these Times too much concern Although some may against it spurn Yet I their Censures do not fear Nor frowning Countenance austere All Judgment to the Son commit Who Judge of Quick and Dead shall sit Further 't is in my Mind to say And witness bear to the antient way The Light of th' Sun which God had sent Did and doth Summon to Repent No other way he hath made known Which leadeth to Salvation Subjection to this Light within True Reformation doth begin It calletb for Sincerity And to walk in Integrity To serve God with an Vpright Heart And from each evil way depart This is that Antient Way and Path Through Ages walkt the Righteous hath And yet the New and Living Way God hath revealed in our Day No Devil into this Transform Though call i' th Church for Vniform Into Impos'd Formality May enter greatest Hypocrisy And into Ceremonial Rites May enter greatest Hypocrites But into th' Light and Grace within Hypocrisy ne're enters in No Outward Forms preserib'd can save Nor Ransome any from the Grave Therefore there ought great care to be To what is prest-Conformity Conformity avails no whit But to the Mind of Christ submit Grant this why is their laid such stress On Outward Rules Conscience to press If not obey'd then out they cry Th' Church with you hath no Unity It is a weakly Vnity That consists in Conformity Stronger's the Bond Surer's the Tye Where Truth is Cords of Vnity Gathered Assemblies understand Conscience's not bound to your Command Neither to you doth appertain To Compel Conscience or Restrain In point of Worship it is not fit Mens Rules decreed should govern it It appertains to God on high Who Rules on Earth and above the Sky Conscience it is a Receptacle What God to Man doth preach And in Man that 's his Tabernacle Who his Statutes doth teach Therefore who doth this Place assume They are Vsurpers and presume His Throne for to ascend And greatly God offend Who through his Spirit of Truth Grace For himself sanctifies this Place This I would add e're I give o're Not knowing where I may write more For Time seems short alotted here When we be gone and disappear Gods Servants do haste off the Stage The Lord seems to cut short this Age Though he by them great things hath done Their Time was swift as Posts that run Whose Course seem'd Run before ripe Age Which something may to us presage Though as a Secret it be seal'd From all but to whom God Reveal 't Many who have the Vineyard drest Now in the Fathers bosome rest And from their Labours now do cease In full Enjoyment of Heavens Peace And lasting Joys which never fail Whil'st we their Absence here bewail But their blest Memory makes us glad Mixing our Joys with Sorrows sad And that which further satisfie Death could not break our Vnity And when our Pilgrimage is at an end Hope to partake with them Joys that transcend And in the interim do cast in this Mite Them to make known to future age delight Heavenly was their Society Great Patterns of Piety Meeting together to converse Would many heavenly things rehearse Making deep Misteries appear Vnto our Vnderstandings clear Opening to us the Heavenly way Clear as the Light is at Noon Day T was no small Mercy may we say That we were brought forth in their Day Nor the least Mercy that we see A Remnant of this Stock yet be Who th' Gospel Truth do still aver And from the Antient Path not err In contemplation of this deep Both Heart rejoyce and Eyes do weep And Matter still it doth indite 'T were endless for my Pen to write For that a Depth there doth remain Which Tongue nor Pen can ne're explain And yet I faint to think upon Th' danger of th' Flock when they are gone Though God is able to supply If they alone in Caves should lye Then on his Graces sufficience Let 's all have our Dependence Here I shall rest and make an end And all unto this Grace commend Councel that 's antient and profound And through this Nation once did sound Being inclin'd thus to rehearse These solid Truths in simple Verse Needing no flourishing Elegance The Subject of it self 's Substance Wrote in the 10th Month 1682. G. D.