Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	person_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	47	3	8.3045	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87086	The difficvlty of sions deliverance and reformation: together with the activitie which her friends should manifest during the time that her cause is in agitation. Delivered in a sermon at Margarets Westminster, before the honourable House of Commons on Wednesday morning, the twenty-sixt day of Iune. 1644. / By Humphrey Hardwick, Minister of the Word at Hadam Magna in the County of Hertfard, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Hardwick, Humphrey, b. 1601 or 2.	1644 (1644)	Wing H704; Thomason E2_9; ESTC R2445	22,618	46

it first justifie all those good Zerubbabels of our time who have put themselves forth in our cause beene much and active in faithfull endeavours for the preservation and reformation of this Church and Kingdome It likewise also justifieth all our humiliations publike and private all our dayes of thankfull memoriall Laws Ordinances and Injunctions truly intended to procure the full deliverance and establishment of our religion and just liberties If all the friends of Sion ought in such cases to do as you have heard then our Worthies have done no more then did become them no more then was their dutie to doe Search through the holy Book and tell me whether any men are so precious in the eyes of heaven and the account of God himself as those that have beene zealous for the reformation of his Church the carrying on of his Cause the helpe of his people against the wicked and profane opposers of them How highly were Caleb and Ioshua esteemed of God for being couragious when others flagg'd in the businesse and shrunk at evill tydings Had not Phinih●m the sonne of Eleazar a Covenant of peace made to him and his posteritie for being zealous in Gods Cause among the people Why should I tell you of Gideon and Barak and Samson and the rest In a word men of this spirit are the onely men in Gods Books But one thing which is recorded of a zealous woman I cannot omit Blessed above women shall Jael the wise of Heber the Kenitebe blessed shall she be above women in her tent she put her hand to the nail and her right hand to the work mans hammer she smote Si●era she smote off his head Judg. 5.24 26. Lo my brethren what an high transcendent applause is given to this woman by the mouth of the Spirit of God The like phrase is but in one place more ro be found in Holy Writ and there it 's given to the blessed Virgine here it is iterated of this woman by which with the former instances we may clearly see how much true zeale in such kinde of actions doth please the God of glory And all this I mention not to flatter or proud up any heart but by way of just vindication and approbation of all that have beene forward for God in our just cause for their future encouragement and have not I good reason so to do in these times when men of zeal meet with so many disheartenings and discouragements Truly it 's some unhappinesse to be good amongst us especially to be zealous in it for besides the trouble and many inconveniences which accompanie such undertakings the persons of men truly zealous for Gods Cause among the people are obvious to soule censure oft doe they gaine reproach and finde unthankfull dealing from many of our owne side How apt are we to bedew our best friends and to requite ill to those who strive most for the publike good Did not consciousnesse of dutie to God and the true worth and excellency of the imployment bear up Christian hearts and publike spirits many good instruments in this Cause had long ago been sutors to God and man to have quit them of their imployments I have cause therefore lighting on this subject to speak thus much in season for their justification and incouragement Hereby also our pious actions fore mentioned are to be approved for why there are a generation who mussicate against them whisper and say By what authoritie doe wee these things some are ready to say as Indas of the Alabaster Box of Oyntment Whereto is this waste Now I could quickly say enough to these men but blessed be God experience hath sufficiently taught us that these pious endeavours have not been in wast for in no age I think were fastings prayers and the duties of this kinde so often so visibly answered And this will or may stop such mouthes with shame Moreover the doctrin which I have proved sheweth divine authoritie the Lord requiring expecting and in effect calling for the frequent exercise of these duties in such times being a chiefe part of the precious seed which should be sown Yea more by this we may conclude that it were much sinne and wickednesse to refuse or neglect see how irreconcileably angry the Lord is with his people for neglecting such duties in such times Esa. 22. consult that place and I shall need say no more to justifie our sowing in teares A second Vse of this point doth minister matter of just and sharp reprofe First to neuters a sort of men wise in their own conceit secretly condemning all others and justly to be condemned of all I may truly say that neither God nor man loves them it is onely the devill and themselves that they please And were not these a kinde of unteachable creatures I should speak much to their reproof but I referre them to two places of Scripture one in the old Testament Indg. 5.23 the other Rev. 3.15 16. This truth may discover to us how little those men deserve of the Church and kingdome who stand in their places like ciphers to supply a room and multiply the number but neither act nor in good earnest desire to act any thing to purpose I confesse if men were to make themselves their own end they took a course seemingly wise For publique grievances though easily seen and complained on yet are very hard to be dealt with To search into the true causes of them to finde out the right method of euring them is a work so full of toyle and so beset with difficulties as that selfish and wary men may well judge it better to sit quiet and enjoy their own case then to entangle and trouble themselves to seek the common good Now of this temper I fear me there are many too many who do blesse and applaud themselves in not acting and judging others for their forwardnes But I beseech you to consider earnestly that our Parliament our Kingdome our Cause hath no need of men of Gallio's temper which care for none of these things and what anignoble propertie it is for men called of God and entrusted with so weightie imployment to spend their time in doing nothing or nothing to the purpose and leave Gods Businesse to God himself and others to care for I am not ignorant that men of this make have many excuses to plead but alas they are fig-leaves which will not cover their nakednesse and though the World and themselves were so deluded as not to see their guiltines yet such men will dearely answer it before God for doing nothing or as good as nothing in the Cause of God and the kingdome It remains now onely that I call upon every one that would not be counted an enemy but a friend of Sion to be up and doing to be much and active in pious and precious endeavour for the perfecting our Sions deliverance and the establishing of our Jerusalem in peace and truth Now is time for Nobles and Senatours and