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
A85176	The new non-conformist; who having obtained help of God, doth persist unto this very day; witnessing, both to small and great, some of those glorious things which the Apostles, the prophets, & Moses, did say should come to pass. Or, the voice of a careful shepherd, crying from his watch-tower at W.C. unto his little flock at W.L. with a loud voice.	Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660.	1654 (1654)	Wing F571; Thomason E737_1; ESTC R202090	39,800	63

the Lord Jesus in the light of his own Spirit found it a blessed imployment to be inquiring and hearkning where the signe of Gods presence was and upon which of the Congregations or assemblies I could finde the most glorious demonstrations of the power of godliness and where the Lord was pitching his Tents and revealing himself to his Beloved Ones This is also my work at this day to contemplate and consider what posture the Saints are now in and to watch that I may know where the glory of the Lord is revealed and where or from whence it will break forth at the approaching revolution In time past before the New Model was in being or extant in the world it was in the scattered Saints yet gathered together in several meetings kept in the City Army and Countries to finde out a right way from Babylon to Sion You remember what distress the Lords people were in at that time when that Tyrant had the North and West at his devotion when Essex his Army was beaten and degenerate when we were betrayed and forsaken by the old Souldiers of Fortune when the King and his Princes were victorious and rampant after the sacking of Leicester And when the new Model was despised in almost all mens eyes It was commonly called in reproach and scorn both by the King 's and Essex his souldiers The New Model save a small remnant of praying and believing Saints where was the presence of God then who could declare before whom the pillar of fire did shew it self as the token of Jehovah's presence It must not be forgotten but remembred with renewed thankfulness even at this day That it did break forth and manifest it self most gloriously from Nazeby-field even every day more and more Then the Lord began to use the new Army as One of the weak foolish despised Things of the world Then the Council of War used to aske counsel of God and God was with them wonderfully to direct them to bless them with victorious success abundantly Then the Head-quarters were famous and amiable even as the Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts Then the Spirit of Glory and of God rested upon them and marched before them everywhere yea it was as a wall of fire round about them and the glory in the midst of them Zech. 2.5 And so it continued from year to yeer to the astonishment of the wicked and to the triumphant rejoycing of the righteous At length after some dangerous Temptations were overcome as the Armies trinkling and tampering with and for the King Queen and their Issue which afterward in their straits they bewailed in Windsor Castle the presence and Spirit of the Lord ingaged them also to execute judgement and justice upon the grand murtherer and persecutor of the Saints not to mention other strange and great enterprizes so as that the whore of Babylon and the Kings of the earth had cause to be exceedingly afraid Ireland was reduced also with a high hand especially at the beginning and the Lord was gloriously present still with the General and his Army onely some intelligent self-denying souls did discern plainly that divers Officers began betimes even too too early to minde the prey even before the work was done and it cost many of them very dear Let us remember also the expedition into Scotland and the high Appeal made by our Presbyterian-Brethren and the Army with their friends nights and dayes were spent in earnest prayer on both sides the Lord appeared in terrible Majesty at Dunbar About that time the Cause of Christ the Interest of Christ the work of God the downfal of Babylon and such-like language sounded from the Head-Quarters from the great Officers of the Army My soul was ravished to see and observe the spirit of prayer at White-Hall in those dayes among many of the chief Commanders as if they had loved none but Christ as if they cared for none but Christ and his Interest as if they would never have endured any King but the Lord Jesus or any Laws but his or any Ministers but his We who through grace were plain-hearted thought there were not such another people upon the face of the earth for love to Christ to the glory of Christ that he might be magnified and exalted as were the conducting and commanding part of the Army But Oh! Oh my Bowels my Bowels The gradual declension and defection since Worcester with what words shall I bewail it how have all the things of Christ been neglected how hath that most noble and glorious Cause of the Lord Jesus been forsaken by those who ought by manifold obligations to have promoted it to the utmost there was a price put into their hands and power was in their hands Oh this spirit of Baruch to seek great things for our selves when Jehovah saith Seek them not Behold that which is built God will pull down and that which is planted He will pluck up The Lord Jesus is making great hast to break in pieces all these Kingdoms both new and old and yet men are busie in seeking their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ I cannot but speak I must open my heart to some who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity my lise is not dear to me in this Cause If the Powers of the world and Rulers of the people have a minde to take away my Life as they have done my Liberty behold here it is in a readiness If the Lord give the word I am willing through grace not onely to be bound but to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus and for the Gospel of the Kingdom I am free to give directions to my worst enemies were they may make inquiry after all my wayes from my childhood to this day and if they finde I have committed any thing worthy of death or of bonds let them take their advantage but to keep me a Prisoner seven or eight moneths and not bring me to the place of hearing that I may know what my crime is and who are my accusers and the witnesses this is not fair dealing I am loth to aggravate things but the manner of the Romans was more according to justice expressed in Acts 25. Brethren I desire to keep in memory the Cause of our dear Lord so do you and know them who are of this Spirit through the Nation provoke one the other to wrestle with God to cry unto our Father If his children cry unto him he will not he cannot long forbear he will return and have compassion on the Remnant of his Heritage for mercy pleaseth him The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all your Spirits in the glorious ministration of Grace Mercy and Peace continually Amen From my house of bondage this 31 of the 6 month 1654. Yours for the Lord's sake to do or to suffer on your behalf Christopher Feake FINIS For the well-beloved CHURCH of Christ meeting in Colemanstreet Swan Alley My dearly beloved

earthly things do indeavour so industriously to heap upon us The truth is The world knoweth us not because it knew not him it hateth us because it hated him And the news of his second coming is as troublesome to the Kings of the earth now in being whether they are the sons of ancient Kings as the Prophet speaks or late Usurpers and Tyrants as ever Herod was troubled at his first coming Mat. 2.3 and all Jerusalem with him Oh Beloved those appearances which are acceptable to the Saints are no waies welcome to the earthly powers those truths which are milk and honey to the children of Sion are gall and wormwood to the inhabitants of Babylon It 's no marvel nor urange at all that it is but a little little flock which will be found to remain faithful to that inward invisible pure spiritual interest of our dearest Lord which is now breaking forth through all these thick and tempestuous clouds Verily my Spirit is more and more heightned and quickned to look for most glorious and admirable vicissitudes Methinks my heart rejoyceth as if a cordial from heaven were conveyed to it to incourage me now in prison for this good old Cause Oh! what a pleasant sight to see the Whore of Babylon with the Kings of the earth with all her drunken Princes and her Wise men and her Captains and her Rulers and her Mighty men wearying themselves in new Counsels tiring out their Spirits in obviating the feared and suspected designes of the praying awakened Saints both in Cities and Countries Come dear Brethren this is not a season for you to be wearied and to faint in your mindes but let us look unto our Jesus the Author and the Finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God Brethren now it is a fit time for us to consider I say to consider the Apostle and high-Priest of our profession and to hold fast our profession let no man or devil get our Crown our very confidence hath great recompence of reward What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits unto me especially those blessings of the New-Testament-Ministration And what thanks can you render unto him who hath hitherto kept you by his mighty power from the present abominable apostacie Have you every one on a garment of fine linen white and clean which is the righteousness of the Saints And doth the Lord help you to keep your garments about you that no man see your nakedness then you shall walk with Christ in white when he comes for you are worthy But if on the contrary there should be a declining and departing from the living God in any degree through unbelief if there be a decay of love to the Father and a warm affection to the world and the great and the sweet things thereof in any of you in any among you what a sad consequence were that after all the open and professed declarations which have been observed by Angels and Men. But I hope better things though I thus write from that principle of Pastoral-love and care which the Lord hath put into me What shall I say methinks I am present with you in the midst of you observing what love peace gentleness sweetness of brotherly communion there is among you from the greatest to the least What inward spiritual joy manifest zeal what beauty of holiness what mutual edifying what praying in the holy Spirit what warm exhortations what gracious admonitions are stirring among you Yea but Brethren what if the Lord himself should suddenly come and stand in the midst where you are assembled together and view the posture of that little flock from which I am violently removed for a season for their tryal should he finde all things managed after his own heart would you be glad to see the Lord as the Disciples were John 20.19 20. read the place Might he not upbraid you with unbelief and hardness of heart should he finde nothing in you and among you worthy of admonition or reproof Tell me at this distance how could you behold him if you should see him in his glory and in his Fathers glory are you able to abide the day of his coming I fear there are very few Congregations of Saints in all the world that are tolerably prepared for the Bridegrooms coming Finally Beloved remember what I have spoken to you while I was among you from the word of the Lord the searcher of hearts knoweth I did and endeavoured to do all things for your edifying for the best advantage of your precious souls I was alwaies willing to bring forth out of my poor treasury things both new and old even such Truthes and Principles and Rules as I received of the Lord by the teachings of that holy unction and delivered unto you I kept back nothing that I could judge by the light of the Word and Spirit that it was profitable unto you and it was and is your part to search the Scriptures daily whether those things were and are so or not If I should see your faces no more if I were to be offered up I should not repent of what I have taught you and the poor sinful children of men whatever the Rulers of the darkness of this world do judge or say my heart doth not condemn me in the least all this time of banishments from the courts of the Lords house And blessed for ever be my Shield and Buckler I have great and sweet confidence towards him and the Lord being my Helper and Protector I do not for I have no cause to fear what man can do unto me The Lord make you and me faithful unto the death and fill us that are his in good earnest with joy and peace in believing onely let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one Spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel My fellow-prisoner saluteth you Brethren pray for us strive in prayer for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men in the time appointed of the Father Salute most the most holy lively heavenly active Saints in this crooked generation The Lord be with you Yours as and because your are Christs Christopher Feake Brethren Beloved and longed for in the Lord THe High and Mighty One whose name is Jehovah our righteousness be your Protector for ever O! that he would look down from the Habitation of his Holiness and of his Glory and smile and shine upon every one of you in the Beloved The Lord Jesus who loved us and gave himself for us when we were yet sinners and ungodly when we were yet enemies in our mindes by wicked works to whom be glory for ever Amen Verily it is good to be

pray for me This 1 day in the morning the 5 day of my most comfortable confinement 1653. An unworthy worm desirous to serve the Lord Jesus and all his Saints Christoph. Feake POSTSCRIPT I and my yoke-fellow salute every Saint in the Lord. My Wife a dear comfort to me desires the prayers of the Church particularly for her and we both desire you to bless the Lord joyntly for his wonderful goodness to us he is verily a God hearing prayer For the well-beloved CHURCH of Christ meeting in Colemanstreet Swan-Alley My dearly beloved in the Lord WHo in the Lord Jesus are builded together for an Habitation of God by the Spirit This is the fourth time I have in much affection written to you saluting you again in the Lord as a holy people peculiar to Christ our Head in the light and power of whose glorious Spirit you every one walking shall certainly come up to those attainments and enjoyments which will render you truly honorable in the eyes of your very adversaries Blessed be the name of our God for ever who hath translated us from death to life some time since who is also transforming us from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. Brethren know That the Messengers of the Church together with the loving Epistle which they brought with them were exceeding welcome and acceptable to the Lords Prisoner who was and is still filled with comfort from the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort yea I do not know of any one minute wherein dejectedness of Spirit hath been my portion yea on the contrary a cheerful lightsome frame and temper is my lot from my tender Father night and day My care for you which is my greatest exercise ending in faith and joyful confidence that the Lord is doing good to you as unto me and those that are approved will be made manifest in these tr●ing times and seasons Wherefore I befeech you all again and again by the mercies of God by the meekness and gentleness of Christ that you walk very circumspectly in these evil daies that you set the Lord alwaies before you resolving in the sense and remembrance of those first loves that were mutually between the Lord and each of your souls at your first conversion and believing and when you were first sealed after that you believed by the holy Spirit of promise out of faithfulness and love to Christ to follow the Lamb on Mount Sion whithersoever he goeth first in paths of holiness then upon the Mountains of Israel in fresn green Pastures where He I say He leads you then to Prison through Fire through Water anywhere every-where the Lord being in the midst of you and with you Ah my dear brethren the Lord Jesus being with us bonds are not bonds reproach is not reproach enemies are no enemies death it self is not death My heart is inlarged I could wish my self among you that I might pour out my soul before you The Lord is good his mercy endureth for ever The brethren you sent to me have reported the presence of the Lord in the midst of you your purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord and to one another My counsel for the present is as followeth though they be the same things that I write over again now as before yet consider them Paul did so 1. Now that ye are come together in the name of the Lord Jesus let every member of the Congregation consider what they are obliged to Is it not to continue together with the Church walking in all the waies and Ordinances of Jesus Christ Did they not consent in the hearing of Angels and men to do their duties which are Commands of Christ as well as to receive of the priviledges of the Gospel Those that from respects of their particular spiritual profit do omit their duty as in the publick capacity of the members of the body of Christ without the consent of the whole upon Scripture-grounds will finde themselves in a snare ere they are aware 2. Being all together before the Lord as His peculiar people desire earnestly to know of him whether or no there be not some of your number whom he intends to set apart as a Teacher in the Congregation for the carrying on the work of the Lord in the Congregation and then if so to beg to know who he is if not to intreat him to furnish you with helps this way as it were from heaven that so you may not onely be edified among your selves but be ●eet like a golden Candlestick with burning and shining lights in it to give light to the dark world and so serve the Lord in your generation upon the best account 3. I desire you to consider that the more my coming among you is and shall be a fruit of your prayers in faith the more we shall all rejoyce together when we meet And therefore I desire you to spread my condition before the Lord that I am sent hither by an arbitrary power no accusers brought face to face no witnesses produced but in a private Juncto determined to commit me and Brother Simpson to this Castle In Order to the preservation of the peace and safety of the Nation these are the words of the Mittimus no crime laid to our charge their own fears and jealousies are the cause of this unrighteous dealing with us to rend and rear us violently from our Congregations and here not to suffer us to preach the Gospel to the poor people that they may be saved while they are eating and drinking and rising up to play Mr. Jenkins when he was banished by the old Parliament from London had free liberty to preach as often as he would The Lord beholds all these things and I write not this by way of complaint the Lord knoweth for my life is comfortable without intermission and the Lord hath sent me hither for some glorious end I am verily perswaded 4. I intreat you looking upon each other as the sons and daughters of the living God to grow in love in brotherly love in love in the Spirit to abound in love as the Apostle speaks toward each other and toward all men as by the rich grace of God I finde I do towards you and this you will finde that loving the Lord Jesus more dearly you will be the more tenderly affectioned each toward other This is the distin●uishing character of the Disciples of Christ this is the primitive Spirit and Philadelphia of all the Churches in Asia which signifieth brotherly love was not reproved but incouraged by Jesus Christ Oh! be you that Churches Sister 5. Beg in stead of all the rich glorious effusions of the Spirit of Christ that would render you a happy holy heavenly people a spiritual zealous faithful fruitful people I finde I finde Brethren that the excellent Spirit is rising returning revealing it self in the world though the world cannot will not receive it Walk in the Spirit live in the Spirit

far and to what degrees my Letters have been acceptable unto you the Lords people and a part of the lot of his inheritance is best known to him whose eyes are in the midst of the golden Candlesticks as a flame of fire and whose prerogative it is to search the hearts and try the reins of the children of men But blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory who hath put me in the Ministery of the new Testament that he hath vouchsafed to his poor unworthy servant This grace of bearing testimony to his coming and his kingdom and hath superadded and heaped up incouragement upon incouragement so as that I shall not be left nor forsaken in this honourable Cause of his Son Jesus Christ and of his Gospel And I do further praise his glorious Name by this Epistle in this Congregation of his Saints for that he hath given me a room in his own bosome and in his holy place even in the holy of holies the place where his Honour dwelleth and where his glory shineth as also hath let me into the hearts and prayers of many of his choicest people who have received a good measure of that holy and divine unction whereby gradually they may come to know all things although I am also sensible of that dissatisfaction concerning me and my Cause which is upon the Spirits of divers godly people But do not we know that they are generally such as are contented to sit down on this side Jordan with the two Tribes and a half and their attainments and enjoyments are no higher then they were seven yeers since if so high neither do they desire they should be but my soul pities them I see those that were first are in danger of being the last and the last are in probability of being first And blessed are they who are not offended in Christ and at the Gospel of the kingdom As for you Brethren beloved and longed for great is my care for you great is my rejoycing over you I can say Through grace the Lord hath given me to have a natural ●●re of your state and of your affairs and what I have written hitherto I have written with much seriousness of Spirit as in the sight of God and in sincerity as knowing that I am what I am through free mercy for your edifying Information is for your edifying exhortation is for your edifying reproof is for edifying if there be no matter for reproof to work upon if it finde nothing in you or any of you bless the Lord who hath kept you and that joy in uprightness and innocencie will be for your edifying If there be any among you conscious to any unworthy walking before the Lord his people and the world as who is not I am sure I am guilty of unworthy walking and miscarriages every day then let every such one lay his or her hand upon their heart and humble themselves secretly before the Lord and look to their steps Our God is a jealous God and a consuming fire and he searcheth Jerusalem with candles and espies and knows all your thoughts all your works and waies and words and walks Look to your hearts and spirits and affections and dispositions and ends and principles with all diligence Believe it Christ will make work among you if all be not found at the bottom my office and ministery which I have received in the Lord will bear me out in being instant in season out of season in representing what I judge to be the minde of Christ unto you from the oracles of God they being profitable for doctrine and for reproof correction and instruction in righteousness happy are the people who have the Lord Jehovah so neer unto them in all matters for their God as he is even unto you though I am nothing and desire to be accounted so so that Christ may be all in all so that you may make up the fulness of him that filleth all in all As for that fruit of righteousness and love which you have lately shewed forth in the presence of the Lord Jesus and his elect Angels for and in consideration of my sufferings formerly at Newgate-market and at the present and of all those necessary expences incident thereunto I do here testifie to the glory of the Lord and declaration of your readiness of minde that it was administred in sea●on and so hath not onely made a supply of that which should have been administred by others and was not but also is abundant by many thanksgivings unto God and as he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly so he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully for as you abound in this grace and other graces towards others so God is able to make all grace abound towards you Therefore my Beloved as ye have alwaies obeyed not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling yet let not the hope assurance of salvation eat up and devour your holy fear and trembling frame of spirit before the Lord but like the true inward circumcision worship God in spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Further I exhort you and urge you as from the Lord in whose name I write to do all things without murmurings and disputings let all your things be done in brotherly love let all passages be managed with meekness of spirit that concern a private interest but with holy zeal that concern the publick interest of our Lord and Law-giver and to this end the Lord give you all from the greatest to the least a spirit of wisdom to try things that differ and particularly to distinguish betwixt the glory of Christ and the honor of men that you may approve accordingly of that alwaies in all conferences which is most excellent for I tell you or rather the Lord That his glory must not now be given to another and they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes must have also a constant disposition to leave all to lose all at an hours warning for his sake the Gospels With many other words I could write unto you for my heart is inlarged but I must break off and commend you to the grace of that God who brought again from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the everlasting Covenant and to the word of the Gospel which is able to build you up further and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified through faith in Christ Jesus to whom with the holy Spirit be glory for ever Brethren pray for me and mine when you pray for your own souls The 1 of the 1 Moneth 1653. Yours in bonds for yours and the service of all the Saints CHRISTOPHER FEAKE POSTSCRIPT Brother Simpson salutes the Church in the Lord and desires continuation of prayers thanking you all for your kinde remembrance Dearly beloved Brethren