Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	know_v	lord_n	see_v	3,997	5	3.2299	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90268	God's presence with a people, the spring of their prosperity; with their speciall interest in abiding with Him. A sermon, preached to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, at Westminster, Octob. 30. 1656. A day of solemn humiliation. / By John Owen, D.D. a servant of Jesus Christ, in the work of the Gospel. Printed by Order of Parliament.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1656 (1656)	Wing O757; Thomason E891_4; ESTC R206508	24,955	44

with hands having made a new and living way for us to come within the Vaile to enquire of the Oracle What would we have more he is our Captaine our Leader our High Priest Urim and Thummim our Oracle our Arke on whom the cloud of direction rests and abides for ever Would you then be with God take direction from him by Christ in all your undertakings so doe indeed and not in word or profession onely I hope I need not stay to give you directions how this duty is to be performed the Vnction will teach it you and your fellowship I hope is with the Father and with his Son Christ Jesus Onely now take these few words with you First Captivate all your desires to his glory set your hearts on nothing but with this expresse reserve if it is consistent with and expedient unto the Glory of Christ and his Kingdome Be not sick of your owne violent Desires but lay all your aymes and designes at his feet alwayes becoming as weaned Children before him Secondly Beare before him a reall sense of your owne weakness and folly both severally and joyntly if not directed by him that in his pity and Compassion he may relieve you Thirdly Keep your hearts in that integritie that you may alwayes presse and urge him with his own Concernment in all your Affaires this is a thing that none but upright hearts can doe uprightly Fourthly Actually enquire by faith and prayer what is his will and mind doe it severally and joyntly doe it privately publickly doe it every day and in dayes set apart for that purpose he will assuredly be found of you You know how easie it were to exemplifie all these things by testimonies and instances but time will not permit If in stead of these things you beare your selves up on the wings of your own Wisedome and contrivances though you may seem for a season to have attained a faire pitch and flight you will be entangled and brought down in the midst of your Course with shame and sorrow for the Lord will not be with you Secondly Another thing wherein we are to be with God is by trusting in him for protection O! trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah there is everlasting strength This man made the Lord his refuge He that trusteth in the Lord shall be as Monnt Sion that shall never be removed Commit your wayes to the Lord roll your burthen on him stand still and see his salvation What glorious things are spoken of this trusting to the Lord for protection you all know It were endless to insist on Commands and promises to this purpose and to single out one or two were but to weaken the Cause in hand seeing hereunto the whole Scriptures bear witness I shall only shew you what it is so to do in some few particulars First It is to strengthen and encourage your hearts in difficult affairs a comfortable Issue whereof you cannot on visible causes conjecture on the account of Gods engagement for your good To omit the instance of Asa Jehosaphat and many others take that signal one of David in his great distress at Ziglak 1 Sam. 30. You know the story His habitation was burnt and spoiled his wives and children captiv'd his people consulting to stone him so that he was greatly distressed the enemy numerous and without his reach all means of relieving his condition and bringing it to a comfortable issue farr removed But what course did he now take did he despond did he give over did he rest on his own Counsel and strength No saith the holy Ghost But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Have you any Affair that lies before you that is good and honest but yet dreadful difficult entangled your hearts are ready to faint when ever you think of it it is almost beyond your Imaginations to contrive a comfortable Issue In such a season if you will be with God he will be with you if you so trust him as to encourage your hearts on the account of his wisdome goodness power that he can finde out and bring about a comfortable glorious end this is to trust him for protection Psal. 46. is this Doctrine delivered to the full Secondly To trust God for protection is to wait under discouragements and disappointments for a desired Issue of the affairs we commit to him He that beleeveth will not make hast Isa. 28. 16. This the Lord pleads for Hab. 2. 3 4. Men will have their desires precisely accomplished this year this moneth this week or they will wait no longer these sayes God are proud men their hearts are lifted up in them they trust not me for protection Men love to trust God as they profess for what they have in their hands in possession or what lies in an easie view place their desires afarr of carry their accomplishment behinde the clouds out of their sight interpose difficulties and perplexities their hearts are instantly sick they cannot wait for God they doe not trust him nor ever did Would you have the presence of God with you learn to wait quietly for the salvation you expect from him Then indeed is he glorified when he is trusted in a storme when he is waited for under long perplexities and distresses Want of this ruined the Israelites in the wilderness their work was long their difficulties and intanglements many they would have had an immediate end of their troubles What! more difficulties more hardships nay then let us chose a Captain and go down again into Egypt we know the worst of that where this will end we know not This laid their carkasses in the wilderness and deprived them of enjoying the good land Thirdly It is to commit your affairs to the Lord with submission to his will as to their Issue and accomplishment Trust respects protection but it prescribes not as to perticular Events It is to commit our Affairs to God with thoughts of his infinite wisdom soveraignty and goodness with resolutions thereupon that the product of his will is that which will be good be best for us though it should not at all fall in with our present desires It is true the Psalmist sayes Commit your wayes unto the Lord trust also in him he shall bring it to pass Psalm 37. 5. and so he shall and will in all such cases as that there particularly insisted on by the Psalmist wherein his own Glory is particularly engaged But this prescribs not as to all cases that we should cry give me this child or I die The rule is known Abide in this frame and we shall have that we desire or that which is better for us but I must not abide in these things See Psal. 37. 3 4 5. Psal. 73. 23 24 25 26. And these are some of those wayes wherewith we abide with God as to our trusting of him in reference to special protection A third thing I should fix upon is

in Gods special presence He is with us to give us direction in all our undertakings to take away darkness perplexities difficulties from our Councels or to cause us to rest and cease from what-ever may come into our hearts that is not according to his minde The Lord give us evermore of this his presence I cannot stay to shew you the several wayes whereby God now communicates direction to a people how he inclines their hearts insensibly yet powerfully fixes the bent of their spirits effectually their hearts being in his hand as the rivers of water which he turns as he pleaseth supplys them with reasonings and consultations beyond the verge of their own wisdome proposes occasions invitations provocations gives them Spirit and courage beyond their natural frames and tempers enlarges them in prayer or shuts them up makes walls on the one hand and open pathes on the other with innumerable such wayes and means as in his infinite wisdome he is pleased to make effectual for their guidance It suffices that in the use of means through patience and waiting upon him they shall be directed to that which is pleasing to him so is he with them The second use of this pillar was to give them protection and defence in all their way So Exod. 14. 19 20. 24. This protected them from the Egyptians and from thence God troubled their Enemies out of the pillar that is from his especial presence This use of it is insisted on Isa. 4. 5. 6. The cloud that was as smoke by day and as fire by night was also a shadow a place of refuge and a covert in one word a protection or a defence And this is a second thing which is in Gods special presence He will protect or defend them with whom he is so present He is their dwelling place Psal. 90. then when in this world they had none their refuge in the time of trouble So Isa. 25. 4. 26. 1. 31. 4. promises and instances to make this good abound they are known to all The time would fail me to insist upon them I might go over all the Causes means and wayes of the fears dangers ruines of such a people and shew you how a defence is provided against them all Are their fears from themselves because of their folly weaknesse and division or from pretended friends because of their envy and desertion or from open enemies because of their Power Cruelty Malice and Revenge a defence is provided on every account heat raine tempests stormes adversitie prosperitie all are provided against where God is present Isa. 32. 1 2. And if any people in the world have experience of this truth we have it this day Had not the Lord been with us who had not destroyed us Enemies friends abroad at home our own follyes all any of them had done the worke had not the Lord himself been with us Onely observe that the presence of God as to these effects may sometimes in some perticulars be eclipsed and the Effects themselves for some season be intangled though there be not an utter breach between him and his People How often did the Israelites attempt things without his direction how often did he breake in upon them to their woe and sorrow yet for the maine he forsooke them not untill the great work intended by them was accomplished Nehem. 9. 19. It is not every intanglement every disappointment every defeat that argues Gods departure as to his speciall presence It may be good for us sometimes to be in such a Condition and then that desertion that carries into it is from the presence of God We are now grown to that that if every thing immediately surmount not our imagination say some God is gone from them not because it is so but because they would have it so but he is Mercifull with whom we have to doe and will not cast off his People for ever Secondly The People with whom God was had the Glory of Jehovah as a pledge of his presence with them this appeared only at extraordinary seasons so it did at the giving of the Law Exod. 24. 16. so also at the setting up of the Tabernacle It differed from the cloud for when the cloud was upon the Tabernacle the glory of the Lord filled it It appeared again to all the People Levit. 9. 23. I shall not now enquire what was this visible representation of the Majestie of God it sufficeth as to the purpose in hand that when God gives his presence to a People at extraordinary seasons he affords them extraordinary manifestations of his Glory So in Ezekiels Vision of those dreadfull wheeles of Providence the glory of the Lord is said to appeare in the Temple and as his Especiall presence departed from the Temple and the Citie so the glory by severall degrees departed also Chap. 2. 10. 18 19. Chap. 11. 23. Eminent and glorious appearances with and for a People in extraordinary seasons is then another thing that accompanies Gods speciall providentiall presence with them when they are at an utter loss in their Counsels at a stand in their Motions disappointed in their undertakings deserted in their enterprises pressed on every side above measure or called to some extraordinary worke so that their Ordinary direction and protection will not carry them on nor beare them up then will God relieve them by some especiall appearance of his Glory In the Mount will the Lord be seen This will give a reliefe when all is at a losse And in this lies the most discriminating evidence of speciall Providence Glorious appearances in great streights are eminent testimonies of Gods regard Could I now insist on some of the instances that might be given of this kind of dealing with us in England in the pursuit of the Cause we have in hand it would make us ashamed of all our unworthinesse carnall fears and unbeliefe This is the second Evidence of Gods presence He is with a People to direct them to protect to manifest his glory amongst them His glory in ballancing the Issues of Providence one in respect of another so that all shall acknowledge that of a truth the Lord is amongst them Blessed is the People that is in such a Case yea blessed is the People whose God is the Lord What would you have more here is ease of all cares a remedy for all sores securitie in the midst of troubles Rest and Peace and assured dwelling places though the Assyrian should bee in the Land Thus you see what is this great Concernment of any People Let us now consider the tenure of this Blessedness on what account it is to be obteined or enjoyed now this is our abiding with God This then is nextly to be considered what it is for a People what it is for you and us so to abide with God as that wee may in all our affaires enjoy his presence in the wayes before described Now something is hereunto previously required something it consists

a peoples Vniversal owning of Gods concernments in the world His presence with them is his owning their concernments and certainly he expects that they abide with him in the owning of his Gods concernment in the world is his people as invested with the priviledges purchased for them by Christ Deut. 32. 9. The Lords portion is his people This is that which the Lord has perticularly Kept to himself The Vineyard that he has chosen out of all the forests of the world the handful that he hath taken to himself his Sons and Daughters his Family These he expects that you abide by if you would have him abide by you Yea it is most certain as your respect and regard shall be to them and their interest as his people so will his respect and regard be to you and your interest as the people of this Nation But I have formerly spoken hereof unto you and therefore though it be a matter of the greatest importance I shall not further insist upon it And these are some of the Conditions of Gods special presence with you pleasant conditions their performance is your glory your rest your blessedness not your bondage not your burthen Not one duty doth God on this account require of you but it is also your reward O blessed termes of peace and agreement Blessed be the great peace-maker cursed be the breakers of this blessed Agreement Is this all indeed that is required that we may have the special presence of God with us for ever O how inexcusable shall we be if we neglect these termes how just will be our ruine Behold I have set before you life and death this day The life or death of these Nations O choose life seeing it may be had on such easie such blessed termes Termes wherein in doing good to others you will also doe good to your own souls you will give peace to the Nation and have peace and rest in your own souls Look on this presence of God as your main concernment This is that which the Prophet calls for in the words of the Text so the Psalmist there are many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Psal. 4. Let other men make what enquiries they please look for good for rest for peace in what they best fancy Acquiesce you in this that the light of Gods countenance a pledge of his presence with you is that alone which you are to enquire after I remember since the beginning of these last wonderful dayes how often we have thought our selves utterly ruin'd if such alterations come we are undone if such men dye fall off oppose there is little hope of the carrying on the work wherein we are ingaged If such shakings such divisions befall us our ruine is at hand If we breake with such and such forraign Nations what hope remaineth But alass we have found by experience that our Affairs have turned on none of these things our prosperity hath been built on none of those principles such desertions as we feared have happened such Alterations such divisions have befallen us we have been sometime almost reduced to Gideons number such breaches with forragin Nations have ensued one party that was with us have gone off and asked what will ye now do And then another party hath gone off and asked us what will ye doe now And no sooner do any fall off but instantly they expect and foretell destruction to them that do abide as though they were God and not man or as though God were bound to follow them with his presence in all their passions in all their wandrings It would I confess be more desirable unto me than life it self to see all those at least who stick to the Cause of God in its greatest difficulties and trialls and then when it Ceased to be carried on in the ordinary paths of Nations Vnited again in the same common interest to see their passions and prejudices cured and their persons returned to their former usefulness but this is that which is the result of all this discourse It is not this or that thing or any thing what ever but the presence of God alone with a people that is their life their preservation their protection and prosperitie If our strength had laine in any thing else in this world our light had gone out long agoe and it had departed from us But hence it is that we are not consumed Now if you are so carefull not to loose these and these friends this and that Partie of the Nation not to provoke this or that people ' causelesly Oh what weight ought it to have upon your hearts and soules that you provoke not the Lord to depart from you that you take care for the continuance of his presence with you This is your life your safety your successe your peace Learn to prize it value it c. Secondly Whilst you have any pledge of the presence of God with you be not greatly moved nor troubled by any difficulties that you may meet withall be not moved with any terrour but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts in your hearts and make him your dread and your feare and he shall be a refuge and a hiding place unto you Some pretend to Visions of God and they prophesie your ruine and destruction yea they have limited times thereof to the shame of their Prognostications some are full of revenge and they threaten your Ruine and talke what a Catholike Interest is complicating and rising up against you some are troubled at your proceedings that they are not in such equall paths as might be desired as though that were a worke and way of yesterday as though we had not been turned and driven out of old tracks and pathes above ten yeare agoe and as though the old pathes were not so worn to the interest of a profane multitude that it is yet impossible to keep the burthen upright in them whose guidance you are intrusted with Some say you will never be able to goe through with the charge of your undertakings as though God had never said the Gold and Silver is mine Should these things busie or distract you doth the Issue of the business in hand depend on the thoughts of these men will the end be according to their contrivances have these things indeed any influence at all into the determination of this Controversie will not this one Consideration guide your hearts and spirits when all these waves roll all together upon you Yea but the whole of this affair must be ordered and will fall out according as the presence of God is with us or otherwise If God be with us who shall be against us How may you on this account triumph against all oppositions whatsoever Thirdly Fix then your thoughts on the things which lye in a tendancy towards the Confirming of Gods special providential presence with you You have heard of the tenure of