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
A96520	Miranda, stupenda. Or, The wonderfull and astonishing mercies which the Lord hath wrought for England, in subduing and captivating the pride, power and policy of his enemies. Presented in a sermon preached July 21. 1646. before the honorable House of Commons in Margarets Church Westm. being the day appointed for thanksgiving for the surrender of Oxford. / By Henry Wilkinson, B.D. pastor of Dunstans in the East, London, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Wilkinson, Henry, 1610-1675.	1646 (1646)	Wing W2224; Thomason E345_7; ESTC R200988	36,334	48

120. yeers before Christ Which prodigious star then appearing did by the consent of the learned foreshew the declining of the Greek Monarchy and the rise and strength of the Roman Empire hath taken notice of many signes in the heavens and earth before the destruction of Jerusalem one of the most famous alterations in the Heavens which hath had its most remarkable influences below was in the yeer 1572. when there appeared a strange light exceeding in the apparent brightnesse thereof all the fixed stars and shewing forth a bright and majesticall lustre not in the night onely but at noon day also It was the wonder of the world and the work and businesse of all the Astronomers of Europe but Ticho Brahe a Noble man of Denmark treateth of this starre in above 500. pages of his book called by the name of Astronomica Progymnasmata In which book he speakes of the influences of this star and the overthtow of States and Kingdoms and reparation and glory of the Church I make mention of these onely to shew how the Lord doth great things even overthrowing or changing and altering the frame and course of nature As for the operations or portending signification of superiour lights I think it cannot be denied but that extraordinary wonders visible in the heavens may have their significations and impressions also nor may it be altogether incongruous literally to interpret those words Joel 2. 30. I will shew wonders in the heavens and the earth partly of that flaming sword like the Comet d Egesip de excid urbis Hierasol l. 5. c. 44. Nam per annum fere supra templum ipsum Comites passim ignis gladii quandam praeferens similitudinem denunciabat quoque ferra igni gentis regni urbique ipsius vastitatem futuram quid enim similitudo gladii nisi bellum quid ignis nisi incendium denunciaret The third thing propounded is concerning the season and time when it shall be said What God wrought that appeared as a forewarner of the destruction of Jerusalem The third thing propounded was when it shall be said What hath God wrought for the time When creature helps faile first in point of prudence they know not how to advise secondly in point of power they know not how to deliver or save Deut. 32. 35 36. thirdly in occasionall emergent difficulties such as could neither be foreseen nor prevented fourthly in great extremities and streights when enemies are very high and the Saints are very low when heaven and earth and hell seem to joyne issue when God himselfe seemes to take part against the Church then she is in the greatest extremity ahd when she is in this case then doth God arise and help her Indeed Gods season is when it seems to be past season his time is when it is past time Isa 33. when the people of God are in a forlorne condition given up for lost then God ver 10. sayes Now will I arise now will I he exalted now will I lift up my selfe Now now now he repeats it three times with variety of language there is something more then ordinary in that expression so trebled as it is to encourage their sinking souls who thought God would not or could not or had altogether laid aside the thoughts and care of helping them when the wound is past cure then he undertakes the cure Jer. 30. 12 13. there it is said Thy wound is incurable and ver 17. It is said I will cure thee When all passages are blockt up when there is a close siege of difficulties and impossibilities when dangers are inextricable and the matter past recovery then is Gods time when the ship is full of waves Mat. 8. 24. when Lazarus was dead and buried John 11. 21 32 39. when the woman had spent all she had upon Physitians and there was as little hope as mony left Luke 8. 43. then is the Lords time to work and fetch out of the fire as it were Zech. 3. 2. and from the dead Revol 11. 11. and from the ruines and destruction of death Ezek. 37. 7 10 11. The fourth thing propounded was why doth God thus The fourth Particular propounded was concerning the reason why doth God thus appeare in such a wonderfull manner for his people The first reason respects Gods glory appeare for his people first to magnifie his owne glory more the first end respects Gods glory there be three things in the wonderfull proceedings of God that magnifie him very much First there is a mystery in the proceedings of God mysteries affect with wonder and admiration and the Lord doth carry on his work in a very mysterious way and in a hidden manner Isa 45. 15. it is said Thou art a God which hidest thy selfe spoken with reference to the great things which he would doe for his people so also Hab. 3. 4. He had hornes came out of his hand and there was the hiding of his power there be many intricacies of providence Ezek. 1. 16. and perplexed and involved difficulties so Zech. 1. 8. the Lord Christ is in that vision presented in a Wood and in a bottome not easily discerned when he comes to work for his people mysteries doe affect with wonder more and they magnifie the Lord more Secondly there is a majesty in these wonders and this doth cause men to admire also to magnifie the Lord he seems to goe in state as it were when he will doe great things for his people Deut. 33. 26. The Lord rideth on the heavens for thy help and his excellency on the skie so Hab. 3. 8 9. the Lord appeares in his Majesty there and ver 10 11 the Sun and other creatures seem to be trembling and wondring and Nahum 1. 3 4. the Lord is brought in in a glorious manner and then ver 5. The mountaines quake c. this also doth magnifie the Lord and shew forth his glory Thirdly there is a peculiar excellency in Gods great workes which doth affect the heart with wonder the excellency of his wisdome shewes it selfe in infatuating and blasting the councels of the wise and of his power that shines in breaking their strength in which the wicked are so confident the excellency of his justice that appeares in the execution of the wicked and vindication of his peoples cause the excellency of his faithfulnesse and truth breaks out in making good his Word and fulfilling his promises This is the first reason why God doth work wonders for his in which there is a mystery a majesty and a peculiar excellency appeares A second thing respects the enemies of Gods people first The second reason respects the enemies of the Saints two wayes 1. That the confusion of the enemies might be the more notable that so the greater confusion and shame may come on the enemies of the Saints for God to deliver his Saints from many and mighty and malicious enemies is a wonder especially when it is with great

people and cut them in pieces c. Zech. 12. 2 3 6. that the stone cut out of the mountaine without hands should break in pieces the iron the brasse the clay the silver and the gold Dan. 2. 45. In this respect it may be said and it shall be said What hath God wrought Fourthly he is wonderfull in his provision for them It is the lot of the people of God to be driven into great streights and extremities as the people of Israel were in the Wildernesse yet as God did still provide a supply for them so he will also for his people Isa 41. 17 18 20. When the poore and needy seeke water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them c. I will open Rivers in high places c. and Psal 34. 10. The young Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any thing These things which God works in his owne wonderfull way they are such first as nature never doth or secondly he doth work them so as that they are not brought to passe in the order and method of nature or thirdly not by the principles of nature now they are said to be miracula quod superent captum ingenii ac homini incutiunt stuporem Funger Etymol Latin grae The second thing propounded was How the Lord would 2. How will or how hath the Lord wrought these wonders work wonderfull things for his people First when contraries are made to produce effects opposite to themselves As when out of the greatest disadvantages he 1. When contraries produce effects opposite to themselves This is three wayes works the greatest advantage out of greatest losses he extracts the greatest gains out of ruines he works a reparation When God suffers his people to be beaten into victories and routed into triumphs and undone into riches so that it may be said many times periissent nisi periissent this is done first when he works on the affections when he carries them against their owne streame and tide turnes curses into blessings as in Balaams case and hatred into favour and malignity into mercy and spite into love as he did in Laban toward Jacob Gen. 30. 24. and in Esau Gen. 33. 6. and in Abimelech toward Abraham Gen. 20. 14 15 16. These however they were as Wolves in their purposes and resolutions yet the issues were most like Lambes This is wonderfull and we may say Who is a God like unto thee that canst thus work Secondly when God turnes wisdome into folly that there should be the wisest Counsels and the most foolish results and issues 2 Sam. 17. 1 2 c. by making the wisest men give the advice of fools Isa 29. 14. the wisdome of the wise shall peresh c. and Joh 12. 16 17. He leads Counsellours away spoyled and maketh the Judges fooles or when he makes use of such as are accounted fools to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1. 27. then it may be said Who is a God like unto thee Thirdly when weaknesse produceth strong effects then it may be said the Lord works wonderfully 1 Cor. 1. 27. we have an instance Judges 7. 20. and Joshua 4. 20. that the sounding of Rams hornes like so many Rams against the wals of Jericho should batter them downe that Jonathan and his Armour-bearer should rout an Army 1 Sam. 14. that Shamgar with an Oxe Goad should slay six hundred men Judges 3. 31 that Sampson with the Jaw-bone of an Asse should slay a thousand Judges 15. 16. that David a puny should encounter with and conquer Goliah a man of war armed with a stone in a sling is wonderfull or else when strong and probable 2. When there be great disappeintments of great hope and this is done four wayes causes produce weak effects as if a mighty Army should come against a small weak City and not be able to take it Eccles 9. 14 15. 2. When there be strange frustrations of very great expectations first when a designe is built on power and policy and carried on with skill and dexterity then there be great hopes now to have such teeming hopes strangled in the birth or even when they are betwixt the womb and the world is matter of very great wonder not to obtaine where there is great probability a bare disappointment in such a case is much for the wit of hell to be puzzelled and non-plussed for the power of men and devils to be confounded in their full carreer when they are riding post for their Chariot wheels then to then to be taken off when they run most smoothly and swiftly this is a great disappointment a Recoctus scriba ex quinquevivo corvū delusit hia item to frustrate a man when he is with open mouth ready to take in a prey or even to fetch it out from between his b Bolus creptus faucibus Crucior said Terence in scipipsum excruciante bolum tantum est mihi esse creptum a faucibus teeth as it is Amos 3. 12. as the Shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lyon two legs or a piece of an eare c. this is wonderfull frustration nay when they have swallowed downe the prey and it is now under the second concoction then to disappoint them is more strange Job 20. 15. He hath swallowed downe riches and he shall vomit them up againe when the wicked have eaten and devoured the Saints and as the Whale did by Jonah swallow them downe also so that they seem to be dead and buried and the conclamatum est hath passed upon them and no returning or recovery c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one in Athenaeus speaks of one past recovery and as Lucretius l. 3. expresseth it Mortalem vitam mars cui immortalis ademit lookt for yet then to make these Whales to cast up all their Jonahs and to land them safe for these that were dead and buried to rise againe is an extraordinary disappointment and a wonderfull and astonishing thing Revel 11. 7 8 9 -11. Secondly there be great disappointments when expectations are made ones destruction when hopes fall on the authors head and dash his braines out when one is not onely disappointed of the good that he lookt for from the child of his hopes of which he travelled but this child like Adramelech and Sharezer sonnes to Senacharib kill their father that begat them Isa 37. 37 38. We read of the wicked Jer. 16. 16. how they are called Hunters and Fishers because they hunt and fish and persecute the people of God now that these hunters should be taken in their owne toyles and these fishers should be caught by their owne Angles hanged on their own hooks tangled in their owne Nets is wonderfull We have many instances Judges 5. 28 29 30. how full of hopes was the Mother of Sisera and the rest with her and yet what ruine followed even by them