Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	lord_n	people_n	sin_n	3,287	5	4.6566	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50553	A sermon preached before the queen at White-Hall, on the fast, July 15. 1691. By R. Meggott, D.D. Dean of Winchester, and chaplain to Their Majesties. Published by her Majesties special command.	Meggott, Richard, d. 1692.	1691 (1691)	Wing M1630A; ESTC R217896	12,675	34

A SERMON Preached before the QUEEN AT WHITE-HALL On the FAST July 15. 1691. By R. Meggott D.D. Dean of Winchester and Chaplain to Their Majesties Published by Her Maiesties Special Command LONDON Printed for Tho. Bennet at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCXCI 2 SAM XXIV 14. And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man THat none who pretend love to their native Country either upon dissatisfaction about the manner of the publick settlement or discontent upon account of any personal disappointment may be so far prejudiced as to be cold or careless in their devotions this day set apart for the imploring a blessing upon their Majesties and their forces against the threatning ambition of the common enemy of Europe That none I say may be leavened and sowred to that degree as if not to desire yet not dread or regard our ill success I have chose to represent to you the horrid and important consequences of it Howsoever it may look at a distance to some men in their passions it is certainly one of the greatest judgments that can befall a nation to be subdued by and brought under the power of their professed inveterate enemies This appeareth here to have been the opinion of wise and pious David who when he was commanded by God to make his choice of those three evils V. 12. the famine the pestilence or flying before his enemies deprecateth the last as incomparably the greatest of them all The famine was to have been a long one to have held for seven years in which time what miserable straits must they necessarily have been reduced to 2 King 6.25 In a famine an asses head hath been sold for fourscore pieces of Silver and a fourth part of a cab of dung for five pieces of Silver 6.27 In a famine there is no help out of the barn-floor or out of the wine-press but the hands of the pittiful women have sodden their own children Lam. 4.10 and made them their meat and tho in one of so unusual a continuance he could not but expect the most woful extremities yet he looketh upon flying before his enemies as more dismal than that The Pestilence was to have lasted but three days but when we consider what a depopulation might have been made even in that short time we must conclude the thoughts of it could not but be very terrible to him 2 Kings 19.30 When the destroying Angel of the Lord went out against the camp of the Assyrians in one night he smote of them an hundred fourscore and five thousand and at that proportion how great must be the number that might have been smitten in three whole days and yet this he chooseth also rather than flying before his enemies tho either of the other must have been very sore calamities yet this he reckoned would be a sorer So he manifesteth by the answer he returneth in the Text David said unto Gad I am in a great strait let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great but let me not fall into the hand of man That the whole Story of this as well as what I would infer from it may appear the clearer I shall open these three things to you First wherein the greatness of David's sin in numbring the People which was the cause of this judgment consisted Secondly Why God punished the People for it for unto them all three of the Plagues propounded did extend which soever he had chose of them when the sin was only Davids Thirdly Why David so particularly prayeth against flying before his Enemies as so much more dreadful than either of the other two The first thing I would open is wherein the greatness of David's sin in numbring the People which was the cause of this judgment lay The thing at first sight doth not look like so heinous a crime as to deserve so severe a punishment It had been done before often and we do not read any fault was found with it any displeasure from God arose upon it Moses numbred the People Numb 1.19 Saul numbred the people 1 Sam. 11.8 David himself numbred the People before 2 Sam. 15.1 and none of them are blamed for it no evil ensued upon it How cometh it now then to be taken so very ill Some men indeed are so uncertain and humourous that what they are well enough pleased with at one time they will be much offended with at another But this is not to be supposed in God No This numbring of the People was of a different fort from any of them I but now mentioned Moses's numbring the people was upon a civil account by the express command of God to preserve their Pedegrees after their Families Sauls numbring the People was upon a military account when he was to march against the Ammonites that he might know what strength he had David's numbring the people before was upon the same account when they were going to battle to rank them under their several Officers But this was for none of these ends no justifiable reason to be given of it Upon this account Joab modestly endeavoured to put him off from it v. 3. of this Chapter He said unto the King Now the Lord thy God add unto the People an hundred fold how many soever they be but why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing Humbly intimating that he had better forbear it that it was needless and improper Exodus 30.12 13. God sayeth to Moses when thou takest the sum of the Children of Israel after their number then shall they give every man a ransome for his Soul to the Lord when thou numbrest them that there be no Plague among them when thou numbrest them This they shall give every one that passeth among them that are numbred half a Shekel after the Shekel of the Sanctuary He enjoyneth this so as that it should be a forfeiture of their Lives if they omitted it And the Jewish Doctors generally reckon this to be Davids sin that when he numbred them he did not cause them to pay this mony But other Interpreters with greater probability lay it upon another thing Namely his Pride and Vain-Glory that when there was no real occasion that did require it he would have them numbred meerly in a vaunting way that it might be spread about both in his own and other Kingdoms how vast their number was So that if now he had made them pay this offering it had been so far from making it no sin in him that I appreheud it would but have aggravated and made it greater For then to his Pride he had added Oppression by needless taxing and peeling of his Subjects That he was conscious to himself of no good end he had in it appeareth by the 10th v. of this Chapter wherein we find that

before Gad came to him his heart smote him and he said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done So great a sin was it not only in God's Eye but also in his own to trust in man and make Flesh his arm And may all that fear his name of what Rank and Condition soever they are as they expect his blessing in every circumstance have a care of it It is a dangerous mistake to fancy that none but sensual Extravagancies such as Intemperance and Vncleanness c. are displeasing to the Almighty Odious as these are we may learn from this story he is as highly provoked by spiritual sins such as we generally have favourable opinion of the having our hearts lifted up with creature enjoyments and departing from the Lord our God But still it being David only that was guilty it remaineth to be enquired into why God punisheth the People for it How could they help it It was none of their Doings Doth not God himself set down this for his rule Ezek. 18.20 The Soul that sinneth it shall dye The Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father neither shall the Father bear the iniquity of the Son How come then the Subjects here to bear the iniquity of their King Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Yes there is nothing here that maketh to the contrary It might be sufficient to alledg the near relation between Prince and People and their welfare so mutually depending on each other that the Punishment of the one is t' others and as he sometimes punisheth the People in their Prince The Lord was angry with Moses for their sakes Deut. 1.37 So he sometimes punisheth the Prince in his People the head is out of order and the other Members are blistered or let blood for it But we need not have recourse to that in this case here was sin of their own to be accounted for I confess I am not satisfyed with that answer some have given to it viz. that the People deserved it for their sin in not opposing David in this thing and suffering themselves to be numbred For tho as hath been already said David had no good reason for his doing it yet he might have had which he was not obliged to communicate to them and it is a principle of too dangerous a latitude for the Government and Peace of Mankind to affirm that Subjects are not to submit to the commands and orders of their respective Soveraigns except they themselves are satisfied in the grounds of them Tho I say I do not take this to be their sin yet they had sins such as did justly merit this Punishment at the hands of God Tho they are not express in particular yet they are sufficiently implyed in the general v. 1 of this Chapter where it is said that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David against them to say go number Israel So that this act of his seemeth not so much the cause of their Punishment as the occasion God had a controversy with them for which they deserved as much as this had David never done the thing But upon his doing it he inflicteth it in the same act punishing him too The wise man telleth us Prov. 14.28 in the multitude of people is the Kings honour but in the want of people is the destruction of the Prince So that this was really a judgment upon him as well as them and if we consider it a home one such as he might evidently read his sin in His sin was Vanity and carnal Security in relying and glorying in the numbers of his people his punishment is the lessning and diminishing the numbers of those people he was so proud of And let this suffice for the second Quaery of which with the former having said thus much I now proceed to the chief one Why David doth here so particularly deprecate falling into the hand of man As co the other two some think he was indifferent leaving it wholly to Gods disposal without pitching upon either only praying against the third But the Septuagint is of another mind adding to the Text these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and David chose the plague v. 5. And that which immediately followeth in the next verse seemeth much to countenance it where it is said so God sent the Pestilence As if he had done it upon his Election and determination Antiq. Jud. l. 7. c. 13. Josephus in his history not only affirmeth this particular of David but addeth this plausible reason of it that he did it upon prudent and politick considerations to avoid the murmurings and discontent of the People who it was easy to foresee were like to resent it sufficiently to undergo any of those miseries purely upon his score To prevent this therefore as much as might be he supposeth that he chose this as that wherein he showed the least respect of all to his own security Had he chose the Famine that indeed would have been very heavy upon the poor they would have much to do to live when provisions should be so excessive scarce and dear that can so hardly shift for themselves when they are at the cheapest Yea in so many years it must have pinched even the rich and they who used to fare deliciously could not but be put to it to supply themselves with necessaries But it cannot be imagined that the King himself could have suffered in his own person by it If there were any food to be had in the Kingdom be sure there would be no want at his table and if there were none he could be furnished from other Countries If he had been worsted by his enemies tho his own courage and gallantry might be for carrying him into the greatest dangers yet the people would have thought themselves too much concerned for the light of Israel not to interpose themselves to succour and secure him or they who before were so tender of him that their care made them almost forget their duty swear unto him he should go no more out with them unto battel 2 Sam. 21.7 would have perswaded him to retire to some of his strong-holds that might be tenable for three months at least against any army But in the pestilence he who had the command of the Exchequer would be in equal danger with him that had no money he who sat upon the Throne as obnoxious as he that grindeth at the Mill. The Pestilence could not be kept off by the most stout and resolute Guards nor could it be kept out by the most impregnable Walls and Bulwarks This David could not but know when he chose it but he doth it not upon so mean a principle as that Historian fancyeth only to decline the clamour and censure of his People No this publick spirited Prince had a nobler and more heroick Soul He was really content not only to suffer with them but for