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	lord_n	people_n	4,203	5	4.5705	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61699	New-Englands true interest not to lie, or, A treatise declaring from the word of truth the terms on which we stand, and the tenure by which we hold our hitherto-continued precious and pleasant things shewing what the blessing God expecteth from his people, and what they may rationally look for from him / delivered in a sermon preached in Boston in New-England, April 29, 1668, being the day of election there, by Mr. W. Stoughton ...	Stoughton, William, 1632-1701.	1670 (1670)	Wing S5765; ESTC R9808	34,209	43

or man What the Lord expects from us hath been laid down before I shall not enlarge upon those several Particulars again That which I have in my aim is not any thing of doubtful disputation not meerly Civils or Prudentials but the sure and certain the often acknowledged and stated common Interest of the people of God and of you the Lords People in special The Interest of Practical Piety and Holiness so much reproached at this day The Interest of unmixed spiritual Gospel-worship and of the sincere and open profession and owning of the truths and wayes of Christ though persecuted and trampled on at this day in the world The Interest of Unity and Peace in the wayes of Reformation and of expecting and waiting for the issue of all those great and Astonishing Providences that are working every where The Interest of these things and of just and Righteous Liberties in order hereunto is all that which I intend The times are come and hastning more and more wherein faithfulness to God in all these things will be the most glorious Crown that can be worn upon Earth A Crown upon which it shall be graven Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints This then Rev. 13. 1● 14 1● is the word of the Lord unto his New-England Churches and People this day Let no man take this your Crown from you No Temptations no Corruptions no Insinuations no Threatnings no Fears no Adversaries If God had betrusted us here but with a little yet he that is Luk 16 1● Mat. 25 21. 23. unfaithful in a little would be so in much and he that is faithful in a little shall be made ruler over much But the Lord hath betrusted us with much with a very choice and considerable part of the Interest of his Name and Glory and that too in the view of the world and upon manifold Advantages in our upholding and cleaving to the same God hath thrust down his people from their Advantages in other places we have sinned against ours but the Lord yet continues them as the Liberty and Priviledge of this day doth testifie aloud to us New-England hath yet its Advantages as well as its Engagements in this great matter of Owning the Cause of God and standing their ground for God and Christ and the Gospel And this we must know that this is the time wherein he that is not with Christ is against M●● 12. ●● him the reason is because the Controversie comes now to be stated more openly and to be avouched more professedly in the world Antichrist is now displaying his Colours setting up his Standard and so is the Lord Jesus Christ the Anointed King and Priest and Prophet the Fathers Heir of all things The field is large whereinto the Forces on both sides are drawing but the fight will be very close and the quarrel in the issue finally decided there can be no neutralizing therefore in this day He that gathereth not with Christ scattereth abroad we must declare for whom we are and choose our side there will be no other Remedy We indeed of these ends of the Earth have long since made our choice we have given up our selves to the Lord Jesus as to our Spiritual King and Law-giver to be his portion and inheritance Now that which the Lord expects is that we stick to this our choice that we give not back a whit so as to become Liars unto that God who unto us hath not been as waters that fail A poor man saith Solomon is better then a liar Prov. 19. 22. to be called Poor New-England this may seem to be a Reproach but in truth is not for he that mocketh the poor reproacheth P●●v 1● ● his maker but to be called False and lying New-England this shall be a blot and a reproach never to be wiped away As Satan said concerning Job when God boasted as it were to him of his integrity Chap. 1. 11. Put forth thine hand and touch all that he hath and he will curse thee to thy face and so again Chap. 2. 5. So it may be Satan and his Instruments may be tempting and saying concerning us Let that people of so much Profession in the Wilderness be but thus or thus proved and tried let but this or that happen to them this or that Affrightment this or that Allurement Let but such and such be once removed by death or otherwayes and then it shall be seen what they will come to It will then appear how they will entertain the wayes of the world and give up Gospel and Ordinances and Liberties as well as others selling their Birthright-even for a mess of pottage But shall it ever be thus indeed God forbid We have been listed in the number of those followers of the Lamb who are called and chosen and faithful let us in the fear Rev. 1● 14. of God continue still to be of them Special marks of favour the Lord hath been pleased from time to time to set upon those faithful undertakings of his Servants in this Wilderness wherein keeping close to God in matters Civil and Ecclesiastical hath been the design in truth and in sincerity now the Lord evermore keep us from bringing the marks of infamy upon our selves in any contrary way of walking If the Lord hath named us his Witnesses and hath produced us as such unto the world we should be now sinfully silent or withdraw or alter our Testimony as to any truth or way or work of his O what a provocation would this be It is a day wherein the Lord hath been Riding Circuit and making proof of all Ranks and degrees of men and he hath found them Liars Mean men have been vanity Psal 62. 9. and men of high degree a lie they have professed for Reformation and to be for the interest of Holiness and Gospel-worship and for the just Liberties of the Lords people but in an hour of temptation he hath found them Liars Now what doth New-England say Will ye also go away Let such a question tend to establish your hearts the more as it was the issue thereof upon the Disciples Joh. 6. 67 68 69. It will be a woful day indeed when the Lord shall take up those words of witness against us Isa 1. 2 3. It will be a doleful thing to be of a broken credit with God and for the Lord to pronounce us B●nkrupts If we frustrate the Lords Expectations he will cut off ours The one contains in it the greatest aggravations of sin and the other of punishment We cannot make God miserable by the one for of these stones he can raise up children unto Abraham but we shall be miserable with a witness in the execution of the other upon us It hath been the glory and the glorying of the Lords people that they have made no defection from him no not in the saddest times Psal 44. 17 18 19. Let the same thing be our glory and our glorying

In the further pressing of this Exhortation let me a little more particularly direct my self 1. To the Remainders of the Ancient Stock amongst us 2. To the present Generation 3. To our Honoured Leaders and Rulers First Vnto those who are yet abiding with us of the first generation of the Lords faithful Servants those Plants of Renown wherewith God set his Garden here at the first Let me speak a few words unto you Fathers because you have known that which was from the beginning you may take up the Apostle John's expressions and say That which was from the beginning which we 1 Joh 1. 1 3 have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Cause and ●nterest of God in this Wilderness You have had a long and large Experience of things you have seen all the great works which the Lord hath done for this people you have been long rooted and satiated in the House of the Lord As you ought to be and are so we esteem of you and account you to be as a Crown and an Honour in the midst of us Trials you have seen and trials you may yet further see but your Triumph is now at hand You have by this time parted with the most and the choicest of your Contemporaries your Companions in the foundations of the work of Christ here And your eyes behold this day that another Generation is risen up and begin to stand thick upon the Stage and that even of them there is one to whose lot it falls to speak to you in the Name of the Lord this day Now what is the sum of your desires and would be the chief and top of your joyes as to those you must shortly leave behinde you Is it not that your children after you may be found walking in the truth 2. Joh. 4. 3 Joh. 4. owning the Covenant of God maintaining and upholding the same Interest of Holiness and Reformation wherein you have been engaged before us Then suffer the word of Exhortation in a few words And the Lord help you to consider the season Your season who have not long to be Examples and as the Salt in the midst of us and our season who have not long to enjoy you O believe much and pray much for your Successors in the Cause and work of God shew forth and declare all the works Exod. 10. 2. Ps 78. 4 5 6 7. of God unto your Children Charge and adjure them to keep the Covenant of the Lord their God forewarn them of such wayes and courses and persons as you know upon sufficient experience to be destructive to the peace and beauty of our Zion As long as you are in this Tabernacle stir them up by putting them 2 Pet. 1. 13. in remembrance that they may be established in all those truths and practices which to own and abide in hath been New-Englands glory and must be its preservatian and safety in whatever times are coming upon us You know what Examples unto this purpose you have in Moses and Joshua and David The Deut. 29 c Josh 23 24 1 Kings 2● 1 Chron. 28. Lord plant in you the same love and zeal and care for the Name of God and the welfare of your Posterity before you go hence and be seen no more Secondly Vnto those who are the Generation risen and rising up in the midst of us Suffer me my Brethren and Companions who am one of you to direct this word of the Lord unto you also this day It is we that begin now to be the Body and Bulk of this people every where and to stand up in the room of those that are gone before us How well we do or shall fill the same the Searcher of all hearts he knows This is sure that the work of God and his Name and his Expectations of great things do this day descend upon us even of us hath the Lord also spoken it Surely These are my people too children that will not lie for his Covenant is commanded unto many Generations It is high time then for Psal 10● ● us to be thorowly awakened It is high time for us to stand up solemnly to receive the charge and blessing of the Lord our God and of his faithful Servants that are departing from us It is high time for us to prepare the shoulder in good earnest and to give our necks to the yoke of God that we may not be a fruitless a faithless a perverse Generation It is true indeed that Mat. 17. 17. Deut. 32. 5 20. there are through grace some first Ripe Grapes to be found amongst us though of such the Lord hath been snatching away some as of late clusters in which the new wine was found and Isa 65. 8. much of the blessing of our Vine contained but why should we frustrate the Lord of that full vintage which he justly expects from our Generation My Brethren we are the Seed of such as are and have been the friends of God we are the Children of the Covenant and of the Kingdome O that all that see us might acknowledge that indeed we are the seed which the Lord hath blessed Isa 61. 9. O that we might be as that seed spoken of and promised Isa 44. 3 4 5. upon which the Lord will pour his Spirit and they shall spring up among the grass as willows by the water-courses One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel O inexcusable we if it be not thus Were our fathers as a noble vine and shall we be as the degenerate plant of a strange vine shall our vine be of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah were they as the best and choicest wine cheering God and man and shall we be as the sowrest vinegar shall our wine be as the poison of dragons Shall Deut. 32. 32 33 all those precious things of God in this Wilderness which were so savoury and sweet unto our fathers and for the enjoyment of which they made their bargain with God and gave up their All elswhere shall these be unto us their Children as sapless savourless Psal 106 13. Exod 32. 8. Judg 2. 17. husky things so quickly shall we so soon say of them What good shall this Birthright do us Shall the world and lusts and sins and vain liberties and new notions be more sweet unto us and thirsted after then Christ and Word and Ordinances then strict and godly Government then the wings of Gods Covenant then the labour and service of the House of God God forbid When God first began to keep House in this Wilderness it was furnished with the choicest Houshold-stuff He had much Plate and Jewels and other such precious things Vessels of Gold and of

Silver shall we now rise up to fill his House with meer Lumber worthless cumbersome sorry stuff that will by no one be look'd after in a day of burning nor by any one lamented though consumed in the fire Shall not we bid as much as any in the world for an Interest in the Lord God of our fathers for such an Interest in him as our fathers had in God Shall not this be more to us then this whole Wilderness yea then the whole World can give to us beside for the Lords sake let us not be of any other frame Let not the words of this Exhortation rise up as a Testimony against any of you And that they may not but that we may be found Children that will not lie there are these Directions omitting sundry others that might have been given 1. Make conscience not onely of being rightly informed in that cause of God which we are here wrapt up in and in adhering whereunto the Lord hath hitherto preserved and blessed his Churches and people but also of getting a sight and view of the divine beauty and glory thereof There is nothing short of true and real glory divine spiritual glory that can chain fast our Souls to the Cause of God so as to own and cleave to it in sincerity at this day When God carried out Abraham into another Land he appeared to him as a God of glory Acts 7. 2. so did God appear unto our fathers in the way wherein he led them hither and in the Cause for which Thus must he appear to us also if ever we abide stedfast with him in that Cause It is therefore a most sweet Petition that the Church makes Psal 90. 16 17. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy Glory unto their children Babylon paints her face anew at this day Antichrist hath varnished his Interest so that there are many who are allured and taken with the beauty of that Harlot O let us beg of God that we may behold the beauty and the glory of His Cause Interest amongst us And truly as to this Cause and Interest of God there can be no other foundations laid then those which have been laid N-Englands true main Interest the Cause of Christ in his Churches here It is a fixed unalterable thing It is not now to be found out by any New Light But alas how many of us grow up and never get one real view of the glory of it of whom that complaint may be taken up Deut. 29. 4. We have not unto this day had an heart to perceive or eyes to see or ears to hear no not unto this day Let us take heed of enquiring of or listning in this matter unto the determinations and glosses of such as have had no standing in the wayes of God here but have been grafted in upon By-Accounts or move in the Excentrick Orb of some Private Interest distinct from that of the whole And let us also lay down this as a Rule That whatsoever it is that hath been unanimously Rejected and Condemned in its claims by the Acknowledged Eminentest Reformers in each Age since the Apostacy of Antichrist prevailed This can never in these our dayes justifie its Title to that Cause of Christ that is to be maintained and contended for Jer. 6. 16. 2. Let us stand feelingly under the weight of all those Engagements that lye upon us to be an upright Generation unto God The Lord hath laid all manner of Engagements upon us By his Covenant into the bond whereof we are brought By all his Messengers and Servants whom he hath sent rising up early and sending them By his Providences from the beginning Ours are All the Salvations the Experiences the Miracles of Mercy and of Preservation that have been bestowed upon this people and the Cause of God here at any time yea though we were not then born Hos 12. 4 5. And we have laid Engagements upon our selves we have said that we would be the Lords and O what a God is it that we have engaged our selves so solemnly unto A God All sufficient Surely our Fathers have not inherited lies or vanity and things wherein there is no profit in inheriting that God for their portion unto whom we as their Children have Covenanted our selves 3. Take heed of thinking it an casie matter to serve the Lord God of our Fathers and to answer his Expectations of us To have such a vain thought lodging in us would be to us a foundation of Ruine The God of New-England the God of pure Ordinances and Churches and Worship is a Consuming fire The Angel of the Lords Presence with us will not pardon our iniquities Exod. 23. 21. Joshua puts the Rising generation in minde of this solemn truth Josh 24. 19 20. Those that have gone before us in the Cause of God here who and what were they Certainly choice and pick'd ones whom he eminently prepared and trained up and qualified for this Service They were Worthies men of singular Accomplishments and of long and great Experience yet did they walk with fear and trembling before the Lord in the sense of their own nothingness and insufficiency for the Work here to be done But we poor we alas what are we we want many seasonings which our Fathers had we are poor raw things we want those eminent Conversions those Schools of Experience those Opportunities and Advantages of gaining Knowledge c. which they had 4. Look after the Root of the matter in your Souls There are many empty outside Custom born Christians now adayes A day of temptation will discover what such as these will come to when they are catcht in Satans snares and become the Reproach of the Gospel and of a good Cause O let us get good sound Principles for want whereof the Profession of so many hath run it self out of breath and broke its neck in these dayes It hath been said that a loose Protestant is fit to become a strict Papist A formal ungrounded Professor he will be fit for Satans turn in these dayes O get to be sincere in your Principles that your Repentance may be thorow Repentance your Humiliation deep your Faith of the operation of God your Love to God and his wayes and people a fruit of Gods love in Christ unto your souls It must be such a generation that must save New-Englands All. Don't boast it of being Abrahams Children do not challenge Matth. 3. 9. lay claim to the distinguishing Priviledges of the House of God in the pride and unhumbledness of your hearts Take heed of moving on in the wayes of God upon the strength of bare convictions and external motives only whilest indeed such wayes are most unsuitable unto your unrenewed frame within and to your spirits as yet unsubdued to the yoke of Christ by any Gospel power making of them willing in the day thereof If you have a name only to live you will in the issue fall down