Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	kingdom_n	parliament_n	3,192	5	6.6091	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50772	The robbing and spoiling of Jacob and Israel considered and bewailed, in a sermon preached at Westminster before the Honourable House of Commons, at the late solemn fast, Nov. 29, 1643 / by William Mevve ...	Mewe, William, ca. 1603-1669.	1643 (1643)	Wing M1950; ESTC R16684	38,436	56

thought pity that those Pirats and robbers that brought a floating Iland by Sea to over-power ours by land should have their will of us that design was blasted and we in pity spared for that time So again in the beginning of our late Soveraigns days both King and Parliament were not only strongly united in themselves but were upon the work of uniting three kingdomes into one to make a threefold cord not easily broken and it was pity then the Powder-plot should burn those bands at the first tying all this while though there were cause enough yet there was not this cause but now our sins comming to those bounds where God bids stand and like the raging sea dashes against those white rocks of our kingdome which are set to keep it off it is now at that high tide and so out of measure overswoln that it is too much for the Land to bear it or God to forbear it so that the least we can doe is to take unto us words and acknowledge the cause Dan. 9. 7 8. Not only so but accept the Penalty too Levit. 26. 41. Doe this also or we have but dallied in all our humiliations it is in vain to pretend sackcloth and ashes if we cloath not our selves with shame lay our hands upon out mouthes and our mouthes in the dust and sigh our condition in the Churches words Micha 7. 9. I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Now by that time this is done feelingly and faithfully then we shall have leave to throw off our mourning garments and cast them upon the back of the the scarlet whore as is intimated in the next ver. 9. Then she that is mine enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me Where is now the Lord thy God mine eies shall behold her when she shall be trodden down like the mire in the streets In the mean time it is a sad case I confesse to be rob'd and spoil'd But is it not a heavy case to rob our God Who began first God acknowledges plainly what he hath done in the case and why he hath done it yet the proud sinner being charged in this case boldly denies Mal. 3. 8. and when convinced yet argues the case ver. 13. thinks he hath hard measure God forbid there should be any of that temper amongst us that shall deny or distinguish we are come to acquit the Lord and to accept with all humility this just deserved penalty It is a shame to be stript naked but it is worse to deserve it It is a sad case to have such as Iob speaks of such striplings as we would have been loath to set with the dogs of the flock for they were usefull creatures but these the burden of the earth and viler then the earth ver. 7 8. that such as these should not only quarter but wholly Lord it in our houses command what they please at bed and boord whilest they stay and take away the rest at parting it is an hard case we think to hear and bear the lashes of such rods but what is it to provoke that God to wrath that might justly turn us out of our houses into hell the same houre well it is his mercy we are on this side of it though for the present likely to be overwhelmed with miseries yet must our uncircumcised hearts relent accept of the punishment and acknowledge there is a cause But that is not all we must put the finger upon the sore place and see and say There is this cause for it so that now we are come to the second branch of Information to take notice of those robbing and spoiling sins which we shall finde coucht in the words and refer to those that are specified in the context and complained of in this Prophesie as sins most intrinsecally crosse to the Covenant these must be singled our or we shall not know where to begin or where to end in the duty of humiliation Briefly therefore because generals work not so well in publique acknowledgements we are to enquire what speciall sins the Lord points at as robbing spoiling sins which if they be not looked to in time wil not only lengthen out that miserie under which we groan but make way for a worse thing that may befall us Now though it were fitting that these should be discovered to the full yet being in hast I can but shew them at a running view as he that paints out an Army of enemies at a distance thinks it enough to shew the heads of some Commanders in the Van together with the tops of their colours and points of their spears so this that I shall say concerning these must suffice to conjecture of the rest that you may meet with in the conflict For the general take in our Gospel sins that fight against the remedy and lay a people open to wrath without a covering Io 15. 22. Now have they saies Christ no covering for their sin having refused to put him on who was the white-rayment which he counselled them to buy for that purpose Re. 3. 19. When a people are so high-mounted in the seat of the scorners that the most pretious treasures of the gospel the dreadfullest terrors of the law are belcht out of their mouths into cuostomary oaths and imprecations viz. As they hope to be saved or Dammy if they do not that which they never intended when men make no better accompt of faith then to swear by it and of Repenpentance then to scoffe at it as a thing hidden from their eies when these graces of the new Covenant are trampled under feet and blood of the Covenant accounted as an unholy thing when they crucifie to themselves the Lord of life if Grace and Salvation it selfe be thus abused and turned into wantonnesse who or what shall save them from the wrath to come This we find to be the generall● complaint of this Prophet against this people in his time a warning given them 60. years before the robbers spoilers were fully let in upon them given indeed but not taken till they had scoft away their God and Covenant their liberties and lives and came to lie under the fury of his anger and strength of battell Next to these were the sins of those whether Priests or Prophets which were by their office neerest to God and should have been farthest from provoking him When it came to passe that the sins of these setting aside their personall aggravations were the same for number and nature with the basest of the people the same pride and prophanenesse the same cruelty and covetousnesse the same excesse and uncleannesse c. and by these means so strengthened the hands of the wicked that they came forth in a full strength to make a Covenant with death and hell and to break all Bonds and Covenants with

robbers Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned For they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient unto his Law Therefore he hath powred upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battell and it hath set him on fire round about and he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart WHich words as you may perceive Honourable and beloved are a text so sadly open'd to our hand a Prophesy so clearly fulfilled in our eyes that he which runs may reade it as an Hand-writing upon our wals foretelling the ruine and period even of our Israel also unlesse it please the Lord graciously to step in betwixt us and the wrath to come I shall not need therefore by way of clearing a passage to the words to say much more then what our Saviour did in opening a Prophesy in this book which after reading the words he closed up again and told them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears and they all bare him witnesse Nor shall I need by way of preface to say more then the Prophet here doth immediately before the Text to quicken up your attention Who amongst you will give ear to this who will hearken and hear for the time to come where he lifts up his voice like a Trumpet to make way then follows the Lords Declaration in the words which I have read Who gave Iacob for a spoil c. Briefly to come in upon them with the best speed I may this whole Sermon of the Prophet beginning at the first v. of this chapter and ending at the 13. verse of the next is a Prophecy so strangely enterwoven with threats and promises that it appears as so much Checker-work of Judgements and mercies hear a little of the one then as much of the other with line upon line judgement upon mercy very suitable to his hearers which we may conceive to have been a mixed number for it is well known that the sinners in Sion and mourners in Sion in those days were so blended and mixt together that there needed a Divine hand to mark the one from the other In the former part of this chapter we have the Lord Jesus exhibited to us as one most eminently set off with all the gracious endowments that might win upon the hearts of the worst of men to this purpose the Prophet tels us ● Negatively what by his office he was not and then Positively what he was 1rst no quarreller or striker so far from that unpleasing work that he was not to cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets v. 2. so far from raising uproars or tumults that he appears not in the strong wind or Earthquake or fire but in a still voice which should neither break the bruised Reed or quench the smoaking Flax v. 3. That sword which he brought into the world with him was not to bee drawn if peace spoken to the heathen might prevail his meaning is he would not by force of arms drag or drive his conquered number into obedience this was not his office but 2ly the course of his office positively was to find eyes and feet for his followers or at least to knock off the bolts and chaines that they might be at liberty to follow him freely and faithfully v. 7. Now if notwithstanding all this there should be a perverse party amongst them of the sons of Beliall that would refuse his gentle yoak and break his bands asunder close up their eies against the light and fight it out in the dark the Lord will see the quarrell of his son or as he cals him ver. 1. his servant revenged to the full upon that people ver. 13 14. If the Prince of peace were silent the Lord of Hosts would speak in his cause yea and fight too very severely not onely cry and roare but destroy and devour at once yea the longer he held his peace the lowder he would be when he comes to complain the farther he drew back his hand the deeper would be the wound when he comes to strike Which by the way may serve as a warning caution to that Nation or people suppose it be ours that have had more of Christs company then they care for more of his proffered Grace then they are willing to accept or acknowledge when God comes to reckon for this though that Nation were as neer and dear to him as Iacob or Israel of whom he speaks with honourable mention Hos. 12 45. one that was excellent at the duty wherein we are now imployed could weep and make supplication and by his strength had power with God Yet if the prevailing party amongst them were strong enough to trample down those Honourable Laws which he had magnified on purpose for the advantage of his people when he is thus provoked by a lawlesse number he professes openly he will have an holy though an heavy hand in the ruine and spoyl of that people and when he hath done leaves it with the world to judge whether there were not all the reason in the world for what he did when he gave Iacob to the spoyl and Israel to the robbers c. and thus we are come through the context to the words Which being very clear and plain I conceive it would be time impertinently spent to give accompt what Interpreters say of the words or dash their judgements one against the other this I take it were but to strike fire and light up a candle at noon-day to seek for that which is neither hid nor lost this is no time or place to be luxuriant in Criticismes and as for parts if I had not learned that Aeque confusa est divisio nimia ac nulla I would spare divisions were it not to prevent confusion briefly therefore to help our memories you may cast up the full sum of the words into these three generall parts 1. A penalty inflicted Iacob Israel given to the plunder spoyl the robbers and spoylers have it in Commission under Gods hand to plunder him this is the penalty and as we shall see a very sad and shamefull one 2. The cause alleaged together with the vindictive party that appears in it let me put them both together for better expedition and satisfaction in case it be demanded Is this legall shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right will the King of Kings leave such a precedent upon record to his vicegerents to plunder their own subjects to which he answers there was a cause and there was this cause upon which he avouches the fact under his hand in words at length and not in figures Did not the Lord which with the Hebrew Emphasis doubles the Answer ●q d. I did it and will justifie it 3. The acknowledgement required with the most serious consideration that may be as appears partly by the quickning preface wherein the