Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	let_v	lord_n	see_v	4,698	5	3.6890	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20529	Foure godlie and fruitful sermons two preached at Draiton in Oxford-shire, at a fast, enioyned by authoritie, by occasion of the pestilence then dangerously dispearsed. Likewise two other sermons on the twelfth Psalme. VVhereunto is annexed a briefe tract of zeale. / By I. Dod. R. Cleauer.	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625.; Winston, John, fl. 1614-1634.; Greenham, Richard.	1611 (1611)	STC 6938; ESTC S114261	70,793	120

when this is said to bee a fauourable stroke we must vnderstand that it is so only vnto Gods children not to the wicked concerning whose departure out of this world it is saide that Hell followeth death If they bee not reconciled vnto God but liue and die in their sinnes their case is fearefull And therefore is it a iust hand of God vpon impenitent sinners that they should bee horriblie afraid of that sicknes No sinne nor Sathan himselfe is so much feared of them as the pestilence nay nor Gods wrath it selfe and therefore they care not what foule sinne they commit whereby they are sure to incurre the Lords displeasure so their bodies may escape this plague of God But suppose they doe escape it if they be as full of impiety and iniustice and impurity as they were wont to be the Lord hath seuen times greater plagues behinde and his reuenging hand will be stretched out against them still Therefore let them labour to make a good vse of this to humble themselues and turne from their euill wayes otherwise assuredly some greater punishment will light on their soules or bodies or both Verse 15. So the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel c. and there died of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba seuenty thousand men Yee heard the cause of this before to wit because Dauid partly through pride and partly through vaine confidence had numbred the people whence this point may be gathered that God maketh his iudgements sutable to our sinnes Dauid was lifted vp because hee had so many strong and valient men therefore doth God lessen the number of them So Ioel 1. 5. it is said Weepe houle ye drinkers of wine for the new wine shal be pulled from your mouth This was a most iust correction that they should be punished with scarcitie of drinke seeing they had before time so wretchedly abused the same In like sort doth the Lord meete with proud men turning their glory into shame as wee may obserue in Tyrus Isa. 23. 8. where the question is made Who hath decreed this against Tyrus that crowneth men whose Merchants are Princes whose Chapmen are the Nobles of the world And the answere is made vers 9. The Lord of Hosts hath decreed this to staine the pride of all glorie and to bring to contempt all them that be glorious in the earth So for couetous men they are many times brought to beggarie according to that of the wise man Hee that maketh hast to be rich shall surely come to pouertie Albeit they vse wonderfull diligence and be exceeding painfull and haue an excellent capacitie and a deepe reach for worldly things seeme to want nothing that may make them prosper yet because God is displeased with them he brings them downe both stripping them of their wealth which they most affected and plaguing them with pouertie which they most detested And a cause heereof is that he giueth men thereby to vnderstand that he taketh knowledge of their waies to the end they should take knowledge of his iudgements when they see them directed so iust against their faults and affections And by this meanes as reprobates are left without excuse the elect are much furthered to repentance when their corrupt wils their vnlawfull desires and sinfull delights are crossed when they behold Gods visible hand and righteous hand when he sheweth them the nature and qualitie of their offences by the manner and proceeding of his corrections that was the true cause why the Lord laid this stroake on Dauid at this time rather than any other viz that he might more speedily and euidently see his fault and more soundly and heartily repent for the same Which maketh for our instruction if wee would haue comfort in any thing that we possesse let vs vse it well neither let our hearts deceine vs whether it be honour or goods or children if we dote vpon them and make Gods of them we are likely to be depriued of them the Lord can take from vs our power the ioy of our honour the pleasure of our eyes and the desire of our hearts euen our sonnes and our daughters When men loue to be commanders God can take their authoritie from them if they stand vpon their honour and reputation he can soone make it wither and vanish if the delights of their eyes doe content them he can quickly remoue those from them finally if they set their affections immoderately vpon their children and lift vp their soules vnto them as the words are in the originall that is make them the desire of their hearts God can suddenly bereaue them of their children or so bring it to passe that they shall haue little comfort in them Would we then haue our houses and our children free from Gods strokes and in particular from the pestilence as that many pretend that they are more carefull for their children then for themselues then let vs neuer commit any sinne to set them vp for that is the next way to depriue vs of them when we carry more affection to them then to the Lord himselfe we endanger our selues and them both The Lords will is that you should in the first place serue him and so doing you shall make your children not Lords but kings not of an earthly but of an heauenly kingdome The next thing heere briefly to be considered is the space in which these seuentie thousand men died namely in three daies Doctrine that When God sets in with his iudgements they shall be farre dispersed in a short time He can cause his plagues to flie fast and make great speed This is prooued in the Psalme where speaking of any decree of God it is said He sendeth forth his commandement vpon earth and his word runneth very swiftly What God determineth to doe he can doe it out of hand when it standeth with his good pleasure So we see how he could cause one Angell to goe thorow the whole land of Aegypt in one night and to slay the first borne in euery house and in this regard Gods curse is compared to a flying booke to note the swiftnesse of it that it commeth as it were with two wings but withall it is likened to a talent of lead that sticketh fast where it fals it maketh speed vnto the place that God appointeth and tarrieth there where once it lighteth Furthermore we see how quickly Gods curse was scattered ouer the whole earth when our first parents had sinned the deformitie came not vpon the creatures by degrees but it ouertooke them presently and out of hand And so at the last day Christ shall come in the twinckling of an eye as to call the godly forthwith vnto glory so to draw the wicked immediately before Gods iudgement seate to receiue present and euerlasting punishment and torment And the reason of this is because God at all times is in all places and of

worst Which serueth First for instruction that we should beware of all kinds of sinne and consider what will come of it before we presume to rush vpo it let vs looke before we leape lest afterwards we repent vs when it is too late Sinne will make goodly shewes of delight and preferment and commoditie that it will bring vnto vs that if we will giue entertainement thereunto it will neuer be a meanes of any disgrace vnto vs but will hide it selfe from the view of the world But what doth the Lord say of it Doth not he tell vs that it will breake out and flie abroad at length The adulterer would haue his wretched pleasure but not the iust reproach of his filthinesse But what saith Iob Are there not strange punishments for such workers of iniquitie And though they may hide it from the eyes of men doth not God behold their waies and tell all their steps If Adam and Eue had considered what mischiefe would haue ensued on their eating of the forbidden fruit they would neuer haue tasted thereof but when they would beleeue the serpent rather then God did not they and shall not their posteritie for euer smart for it The Prophet Micaiah bid Abab take heede of his iourney to Ramoth Gilead yet he would haue his owne minde let the prophet say what he would but when the arrow was shot into his side then he saw that Micaiahs counsell had beene worth the following but then it was too late and such is the folly and madnesse of most men they must haue their owne wils and their owne waies and will neuer hearken to those instructions that are giuen them either by God or by godly men till miserie haue ouerwhelmed their soules and they be past recouerie But let their follie teach vs to be wiser and let vs take heede of Sathans baites and of his sugred poyson he will make vs profers as he did vnto our Sauiour of maruellous great honour and pleasure and gaine that may be gotten by such and suel sinfull courses but let vs neuer giue credit vnto him for he is a lyar from the beginning but Secondly if we haue harkned too far vnto him already and haue fallen by our iniquitie let vs withall possible speede get out of that which holds vs in bondage and wrappeth vs in milerie and chaineth vs in many sorrowes and calamities let vs get sound repentance for it and striue for a reformation of it let not sinne keepe possession in vs and then iudgements shall not long continue vpon vs He that hath committed any grosse sinne is as it were a prisoner according to that of Salomon His owne wickednesse shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his owne sinne There is a iudiciall proceeding against him sinne commeth as an officer and chargeth the partie to stand then it apprehendeth him and bindeth him hand and foot as a malefactor it spareth not the mightiest Monarch in the world that is found guiltie before the Lord after there is a proceeding vnto arraignment and execution if there be not meanes vsed to stay the same therefore let vs get off the fetters of iniquitie as soone as we can and if we find terrors vpon our hearts for our couetousnesse and crueltie for our pride and insolencie for our filthinesse and impuritie c let vs labour with God for the obtaining of a pardon and then though we be plagued for our foolishnesse and brought very lowe yet crying vnto the Lord he will deliuer vs out of our distresse yea he will bring vs out of darknesse and out of the shadow of death and breake our bands asunder Heere is also matter of comfort to them that proceed in the waies of the Lord with a good conscience whose workes doe testifie for them that they are vpright and sincere and that though they be clogged with many infirmities yet they giue entertainment to no sinne at all though they haue many troubles and slanders raised against them and many temptations wants and necessities lying vpon them yet let them be of good cheere for albeit they be afflicted on euery side yet shall they not be in distresse they are not straitned but haue elbow roome enough and doe enioy the best freedome and libertie For they may come into Gods priuie chamber as it were and into his presence when they will they are not strained in their soules but haue libertie to powre out their hearts before their heauenly father who knoweth and pittieth their distressed estate and will worke out their freedome and comfort in due time and in the meane while his hand shall defend and vphold them his spirit shall comfort and strengthen them his word shall reuiue and refresh them and in a word his grace shal be euery way sufficient for them so that such as are not chained and fettered with their owne iniquities and raigning sinnes are of all other the best freemen and the most happie and blessed people they walke at libertie they keepe the precepts Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lord That is Let God proceed with the pestilence according to his pleasure which is called Gods sword and Gods hand because this pestil̄ece proceeded immediately from him without any second causes whereas many other iudgements doe not so In that he maketh choyse to fall into Gods hand the Doctrine is that Gods seruants neuer finde so great fauour as with God himselfe None can deale so fauourably with Gods children as their heauenly Father He goeth as farre beyond earthly parents as God is better then man They when they are prouoked doe oftentimes cease to be mercifull but God when he is most incensed is perfectly fauourable and when he is driuen to chastise his children he is exceeding moderate Which is liuely expressed Hos. 11. 8. where the Lord speaketh in this manner How shall I giue thee vp Ephraim How shall I deliuer thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim As if he should haue told them You haue deserued to be vtterly destroied as Sedome and Gomorrah and the Cities neere adioining but my compassion that I beare towards you will not suffer mee to doe it Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are rowied together Man repents after hee hath done amisse but God before so that hee can neuer doe amisse and therefore to manifest his infinite goodnes and care for their preseruation hee addeth verse 9. I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath I will not returne to destroy Ephraim and the reason is added for I am God and not man and therefore though a man if hee were so prouoked would haue done his best vtterly to haue spoiled them yet the Lord would not enter into their Citie viz. for that end but deale gratiously with them notwithstanding all their offences Moreouer earthly parents when

not to be discouraged at crafty aduersaries that haue winding wits plotting heads and flattering tongues and acceptance with great ones euen as they would wish let vs not bee dismayed heereat but let this be our comfort when they fawne and flatter and lie and traduce vs most shamefully that the Lord will cut off the lying lips Grant that we haue not libertie or skill to encounter them yet the Lord hath There is no wisedome nor vnderstanding nor counsell against him that is none of these shall take any effect against him and therefore the Psalmist saith The Lord breaketh the counsell of the Heathen and bringeth to nought the deuices of the people Though all the wisedome of all the nations in the earth were laide together yet God would bring all their consultations to nothing if they made against him When Achitophel fell from Dauid to take part with Absolon it much troubled Dauid for his words were as Oracles and none could speake more in matters of policie then he and he knew all Dauids heart and the state of the whole kingdome and therefore he turneth himselfe vnto God O Lord saith he I pray thee turne the counsell of Achitophel into foolishnesse and God heard his request and did so insomuch that no creature could deale more foolishly for the procuring of his owne euerlasting woe and shame then he did in hanging himselfe The diuell is still labouring to worke mischiefe and he wants not craft nor subtiltie besides the experience that he hath had from the beginning of the world hitherunto yet for all this he hath neuer beene nor shall be able to procure the ouerthrow of one of Gods elect The Church hath beene nothing the worse though he haue beene still warring against it And why is this but because Gods wisedome is infinitly beyond all the subtilty of the diuell And what cause haue we then to feare crafty men seeing their Captaine hath had no better successe and seeing that the Lord hath a quarrell against them as well as against their head And the tongue that speaketh proud things In that the Prophet denounceth iudgement against such kinde of persons the doctrine is that The more wicked men boast of their mischieuous intents the neerer mischiefe is vnto them When they bragge most how well the world goes with them and what hope they haue of effecting their badde purposes some great euill is euen at their doores When men boast in their talke and swords are in their lips as Dauid speaketh then the Lord will haue them in derision and laugh at their destruction When they fall to bragging God fals to laughing and when their swords are drawne out against others the Lords hand is stretched out against them Whē Pharaoh in the pride of his heart said Who is the Lord God made him know who he was And when the enemie said I will pursue I will ouertake them meaning the Israelites I will diuide the spoile c then the Lord set in against them and made the Sea to couer them so that they sanke as lead in the mighty waters So when Saneherib insulted against God and against his people and bragged what his forefathers and himselfe had done and what now he would doe if they would not yeeld vp the Citie and themselues into his hands then did the Lord put a hooke into his nostrils and a bridle into his lips brought him backe againe the same way he came and caused him to fall by the hands of his owne sonnes And the reasons why it must needs be so are these First when vngodly men do most vaunt of their malicious intents against Gods people then is the Lords compassion most stirred towards them euen as it is with earthly parents when any one threatens their children that if hee take them hee will knocke out their braines this will cause them to prouide for the safetie of their children and that such leaud persons bee punished and restrained This was Dauids comfort against Doeg Why boastest thou thy selfe in thy wickednes ô man of power saith hee The louing kindnesse of God endureth daily If the stocke of Gods goodnes were all spent then his children had reason to hang downe their heads but seeing that is and will be as much still as euer it was they neede not feare the insultations of their wicked aduersaries Secondly at such times Gods seruants begin to looke about them when their enemies speake of wonders that they will worke against them then they are wakened and stirred vp to crie vnto the Lord as in the 94. Psalme O Lord God the auenger O Lord God the auenger shew thy selfe cleerly And why are they so instant and earnest with God The reason is yeelded verse 4. The wicked prate and speake fiercely all the workers of iniquitie vaunt themselues As if they should say Lorde if euer thou wilt awake and stand vp for our defense now doe it when vngodlie men doe so insult and triumph ouer vs. Thirdly such proud persons doe bid defiance to the Lord himselfe and therefore hee hath a quarrell against them All the proud in heart are an abomination vnto him But if their pride appeare in a more notorious manner in their tongues and in their behauiour they are much more hatefull vnto him for in making boast of their owne hearts desire they doe contemne the Lord and in speaking against the Church they set their tongues against heauen it selfe as the Prophet speaketh Which point thus prooued ministreth vnto vs First an vse of instruction that seeing the Lord is so incensed against proud boasters therefore wee should containe our selues within the compasse of modestie and neuer boast at all but let others mouthes and our owne workes and Gods voice at the last day praise vs and not our owne lips but especially let vs take heede of vaunting our selues against the people of God and against the Maiestie of God himselfe for that will least of all be endured Secondy here is an vse of consolation against all the insultations of malicious enemies if wee can with patience and modestie endure and stand it out for a while not returning like for like nor vsing any sharpnes and bitternesse against them we shall see that the Lord will cut them off If a man had knowne the day before what should haue befallen Haman notwithstanding all his boasting of his greatnes and of his honour and of that fauour which hee had with the King and of all the euill that hee intended against the Iewes and against Mordecai especially if I say a man had knowen before hand what should haue befallen him would it not haue made him laugh at his pride and follie Yes certainely and yet the case of all boasters against Gods Church is little or better then his And if we could with the eye of faith behold Gods purpose concerning their ruine and ouerthrow all their bragging would seeme

and the spirit of God doe beare sway in their hearts they are at vtter defiance with their pride and hypocrisie and all wretched lusts that fight against their soules being neuer so much tormented with those sinnes as when they haue attained to a great measure of humilitie and of sinceritie He that is most lowly is euer most vexed with his pride and he that is most vpright and true hearted is most of all troubled with the guilefulnes and deceitfulnes of his owne heart because the word and the spirit working together doe cause him both more clerely to see and more throughly to hate those corruptions than euer hee did before he had attained to that measure of grace Secondly we must not content our selues when once we haue gotten the word and spirit of God within vs but we must still striue to keepe our hearts humble and lowly for otherwise we shall not feele the strokes of the word and spirit of God therefore it is said Isay. 30. 20 21. that when the Lord had dieted his people a while giuing them the bread of aduersitie and the water of affliction and thereby taken downe the pride and stubbornenesse of their hearts that then their eares should heare a word behind them saying this is the way walke in it c. that is when they were thus humbled as soone as euer they had committed any offence they should presently haue a blow vpon their hearts for it and be full of feare and anguish though no man in the world tell them of it yet the word in their hearts will be like a good guide that is still following a little child and telling him this is not the right way leaue it there is the right way walke in it but many haue hearts pestered with pride and lust and couetousnesse and yet goe a whole moneth nay many monethes and yeares together and neuer feele any rebuke in their consciences How comes this to passe that others are full of griefe and full of teares for their sinnes and they are neuer troubled for them is it beause there is greater vprightnes in them then there is in others No surely it is because they haue a more blind minde and a more proud and senselesse hart then others haue for the more humble any one is the more often shall he heare the voyce of the spirit checking him when hee goeth out of the way moouing him to turne again into the right way Thirdly we must especially beware of presūptuous sins for if we liue therein our hearts will cease to smite vs or at least we shall be senselesse of these strokes as may be seene in the case of Dauid when he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment and numbred the people which were but infirmities forthwith his conscience rebuked him and he was humbled before the Lord but when he had committed adulterie and murder either the checkes of his conscience were none at all or else they were so weake that hee had no sense nor feeling thereof so that Nathan was driuen to fetch about as it were and to vse all the art that might be to make him see his offences and passe sentence against himselfe for the same Let vs therefore by his example learne to beware how we presumptuously sinne against our consciences especially in palpable and grosse offences least our mindes being by degrees blinded and our affections by little and little corrupted we become in the end very blocks and stones and haue our consciences so darkened that they will not accuse vs or our hearts so benummed that they will not be mooued with the stroakes of God and with the checks of his holy spirit After that he had numbred the people Heere is his speciall sinne that he numbred his subiects which may seeme to be no such great matter for which God should so plague the land and if there had bene that measure of hypocrisie in Dauid as there is in many of vs he would haue pleaded thus for himselfe What need I to be so troubled for this and what reason is there why God should proceede so seuerely against me for the same did not Moses and Ioshua holy men of God number the people in their daies and that warrantably and why then may not I doe the like hauing more absolute authoritie ouer them then they had but his heart staied him from all such reasoning of the matter and told him that though hee did the same action which they did yet the manner of doing thereof was diuers he performed it not in obedience to God as they did but in pride and hautines of minde in regard of the multitude and strength of his subiects before he esteemed Gods name a strong tower for his defence but now what need he runne crying vnto God he had so many souldiers and valiant warriours in his dominion that he could make his part good against any forren power whatsoeuer Thus was his heart lifted vp vnto vanitie when it should haue bene lifted vp to God in thankfulnes and therefore was he so humbled because he had an ill affection and a wrong end in a good action Whence ariseth this doctrine That it is not enough for to forbeare things that are euill and to make conscience of grosse sinnes but men must doe lawfull things lawfully and performe good workes in a good manner otherwise the Lord may and will punish them for doing lawfull things aswell as for vnlawfull things This may be seene in that great enditement which Christ brings against the old world They did eate and drinke marry and giue in marriage A naturall man would haue thought there could be no hurt in these if they had bene charged with whoredome murder blasphemie or the like they had bene matters of some moment but for those before named what fault can be found with them Indeed the things in themselues are very warrantable but the manner of performing them doth either make or marre them to eate and drinke without feare without prayer and thanks-giuing as if the creatures were our owne and not the Lords to abuse the blessings of God to surfetting and drunkennesse c these and the like corruptions doe turne eating and drinking into sinne which in themselues are not onely allowable but also necessarie The like may be said concerning marriage it is a sanctified ordinance of God vnto those that vse it holily but then it becomes very sinfull and hatefull vnto the Lord when the Sonnes of God doe ioyne with the daughters of men and professors are yoaked with Infidels for beautie or commoditie or any such carnall respect yet that is a horrible sinne too too common among such as professe Christianitie that they make no scruple of matching their children with those whome they know by their workes to be as yet the children of the diuell and so in other matters if they can proue them once to be in themselues lawfull they make