Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	sin_n	suffer_v	suffering_n	2,120	5	9.4937	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16316	A cordiall for Christians in the time of affliction. Or, A sermon preached at Kethering Lecture by Master Robert Bolton, Bachelour of Divinity, and sometimes fellow of Brasen-nose Colledge in Oxford. Published by I.S.	Bolton, Robert, 1572-1631.; I. S.	1640 (1640)	STC 3227; ESTC S122177	13,498	32

spite must lurke in any gracious heart but because thereby the glory of GODS mercy and truth to his and his justice to their implacable and incurable enemies is made more illustrious and admirable Now she shall be troden down as the mire in the streets Or as straw is troden downe for the dunghill as it is Esay 25. 10. A fit end for such Divels as had they might to their malice they would swallow up quickly the whole Israell of GOD Psa. 124. 3. Sith the Church of GOD sees and is so sensible of the scornefull carriage of her enemies and labours so industriously to fortifie herselfe with reasons against that temptation of being troubled with their insultations in the time of her trouble I observe it is the wont of the wicked to rejoyce when they see GODS children downe Let this therefore be the point that first naturally doth offer it selfe It is the wont of the wicked out of their dunghill dogged and divellish dispositions proudly to insult and beare themselves insolently against the servants of GOD in the time of their sufferings The wicked rejoyce in the distresse and disgrace of GODS children Proofes for this you have Ezek. 25. 3 6. Because thou hast cryed aha and rejoyced and clapped thine hand when Israell went into captivity Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoyced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel ergo Eze. 26. 2. Tyrus said against Ierusalem aha she is broken Ezek. 36. 2. The Enemy said Aha the ancient high places are oursin possession ergo c. Zepha 2. 8. I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon wherby they have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their border ergo c. Psa. 137. 3. They that carried us away captive required of us a song and they that wasted us required of us mirth c. Because they be limbs of Satan and he impoysons them with all his ill properties now he infinitely tryumphs and pleaseth himselfe in the disgrace of goodnesse distresse of the Church and misery of every godly man Affectus ex odio gaudio mixtus so the Greeke word signifies cum odio impulsi laetamur vel gaudemus in aliorum calamitatibus est affectus proprius Diabolorum Propterèa illi ipsi qui in aliorum calamitatibus laetantur ad ipsum Diabolum accedunt And they are like him in this pestilent property as if he had spit them out of his mouth when a good man is downe they joy when he flourisheth they hate Now tell me for you know your hearts have you looked upon these and seene some one discover himselfe shamefully are you glad of it so would no good heart be I dare say this is a certaine marke thou art a limbe of Satan and this comes from the Divell to say O see then what all these are the Divell himselfe would joyne in this if he were amongst you save this for the language in hell hereafter begin not now so soone for this shews thou art a member of Satan and he is the head and thou tastest of him else no man could rejoyce at a good mans fall when therefore thou seest or hereafter hearest of any that doe so thinke of this he is like the Divell in this no child is more like the father then he to Satan to rejoyce to disgrace GODS children why tell me if CHRIST should come now as it were happy if he would to end these miserable times where would he find his children but amongst good and religious men though some be hypocrites and weare vizards in their faces that we cannot discerne them whom the LORD discover and unmaske we hold not with them nor for them but for the truth And this I am sure amongst good men onely GOD especially if thus qualified in these six Particulars 1. Looke to the cause and ground of thy sufferings els all is naught if that be not good 1 Cor. 13. 2. Thou must have a calling to suffer and not to thrust thy selfe into it without a calling 3. Thou must have a cleare conscience lying in no knowne sinne or else thy suffering may be as Ananias and Saphira just upon thee for thy hypocrisie 4. Thou must have an upright heart in it 5. Thou maist not aime at by ends to please thy selfe 6. Thou must waite for GODS time of deliverance he that believes makes not haste to get out by ill meanes if thou be thus qualified in thy sufferings the 37. Psal. will afford variety of precious comfort for thee and terrible judgements against thy Persecutours Also observe these 1. These persecuting Belials shall will they or nill they glorifie GOD either in their conversion or confusion And the day is comming in the meane time to cleare thy innocency and to discover their malice The Divell and thine enemies be chained they can goe no further then they have leave from GOD GOD is about some extraordinary work that he is thus fitting thee for it 2. If GOD turne them not on our parts there is most cause we should pitty them and not envy at their estate Who would have envied at Pharoah when he was persecuting the Israelites and presently after himselfe and all with him cast away What became of him and what befals one may be fall all 3. If thou desirest revenge on any in the greatest manner it is to have them thrive in ill and especially in persecuting the good Ezek. 13. 18. c. 4. When the wicked insult the whole Church is stirred up against them Mala. 3. 13 16. 5. These insulting Enemies are but as the Wine-presses to wring out the sweet juyce of Patience and Prayer out of Christians they are but as the Shepheards dogg to keep the sheep out of the severalls and from unwholsome places and therfore know the time shall come that you shall blesse GOD for them and confesse that you could not have bin without your sufferings under them 6. The very Persons of the sufferers themselves do teach much sweetnesse and comfort to others by their gratious carriage and also from the nature of affliction it selfe 1. The generall end of all affliction is to make grace shine or purifie the soule 2. GOD will glorifie himselfe in the preservation of his as of the three Children Dan. 3. 3. Afflictions will quicken and heat the heart wheras many Christians are cold c. 4. That it may appeare as unto Iob that Christians serve not GOD mercenarily 5. That they may not be overvalued by others some oppose them and get ability for a time to prevaile 6. That weak Christians might not be dejected when they are troubled 7. That it may appeare felicity rests not in these outward things which Salomon calls vanity empty clouds nay vexation of spirit bringing torment unexpected 8. That the vertues of Christians may be delighted in and shine aboundantly in thee Thus

having one little one at nurse it was sent for and also slaine before his eyes then he cried out being sensible of his owne sins Iust are thy judgements O LORD So holy Bradford in Queene Maryes time cried out to the LORD that he had deserved to die because of his sins but saith he Behold LORD they punish not my sins but persecute me because of thy Gospell and for standing for thy truth So might al the Martyrs have said so we may cry out we have sinned we have bin lukewarme we have had a form of godlines denied the power therof Nay prodigious villanies we have had sins rise up in the Gospel not before heard off fitter for the dark nooks of hel or midnight of Popery How may we therefore cry out now we all are afflicted thy judgements O LORD are most just The consideration of their deserts and looking up unto the LORD caused Iob David and Ely to be contented Vntill hee pleade my cause GOD will cert●inely and for ever plead the cause of his Isa. 1● 5 6 7. Ashur was sent by GOD against the people of GOD and was as the rod in GODS hand to correct them but he thought not so but that it was by his owne strength c. Quoties nobis negotium est cum improbis duo sunt consideranda 1. Improbos nobis sine causa inferre molestiam ideò justam esse causam nostram ipsorum respectu 2. Nos tamen justè affligi divinitús quia semper reperiemus multas causas cur Dominus nos castiget So may many a one tell the LORD that his sinnes are grievous towards him But that his persecutors and oppressors ayme not at but at his best part the good that is in him they set against And therefore desire the LORD to plead their cause But GOD will never plead the cause of the wicked but will witnesse against them and so will all his creatures and their owne actions help to condemne them And execute Iudgement for me Though the Church of GOD goe downe for a while yet at last most certainely the day shall be theirs For this purpose GOD is wont to improove his owne Omnipotency all the hoasts of Heaven and Earth the ordinary and extraordinary agency of his creatures the Sun the Sea the Stars Haylestones c. must miraculously serve GODS turne for the executing of this judgement for the Church All the miracles of deliverances from the red Sea and drowning the Egyptians to the swallowing up of the Spaniards in the English Seas and the deliverance from the powder-plot were imployed this way stay onely GODS season and his owne houre and you shall see the salvation of GOD As Rochell when it was besieged was saved miraculously and shame fell upon the opposers So for us here we or the Church beyond the Seas beene delivered a yeare or two since it had not beene so well in the last of time for that purpose GOD will certainly deliver this is our hope when Christians are stirred up to Prayer the time is approaching but howsoever in the best of time it shall be granted He shall bring me forth to the light After the execution upon the enemies and the darkenesse of distresse dispelled by the light of GODS countenance ariseth upon the Church the Sunne of lightsomenesse joy and comfort as we see in Moses song Exod. 15. The song of Deborah Iudg. 5. The feasting of the Iewes after the hanging of Hamon the joy of the Kingdome after 88. The day of holy feasting for our Salvation from the Powder-plot The LORD hath done great things for us wherefore we are glad Psal. 126. 3. And when the rod hath corrected it shall be burned when the fire hath purified the gold it ends it selfe in sinder and ashes So when the wicked have done their worke for the good of Christians they shallbe consumed themselves as the powder-Traitors were for which we have a day as if it were in imitation of Deborah's song And I shall behold his Righteousnesse In the mercifull performance of his gratious promises unto his people then shall the Church find and feele the truth of these blessed promises Gen. 15 1. 17. 1. of the promise to Abraham and to his Seed So Exod. 6. 3. Iosh. 1. 5. How sweetly might Ioshua refresh himselfe with the sence of GODS mercy and truth in making good unto him that promise Iosh. 1. I will never faile thee nor forsake thee The Iewes with the sweetnesse of that Habak. 2. 3. Though it tarry wait for it because it shall surely come and not stay when they returned so merrily homewards Ps. 126. Queene Elizabeth of that 1 Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour when the great GOD of armes with his powerfull arme had scattered like a heape of dust before the wind that mighty and as they cal'd it invincible Spanish-fleet Now looke backe upon all these eight particulars and consider the contrary case of the wicked and then observe the infinite vast difference betweene the grounds and reasons of comfort in all troubles in the one and the contrary in the other There are reasons also taken from the state of the enemies why they should not rejoyce in the troubles of the Saints and why the people of GOD should be patient in their pressures and persecutions Then she that is my enemy shall see it When the Church is delivered then the enemie must downe when the rod in GODS hand hath corrected his children it must be cast into the fire When the wicked have refined GODS people themselves must be cast into Hell When GODS children have drunke of the top of the cup of GODS wrath the wicked shall wring out the very dreggs and drinke them Psa. 75. 8. Esa. 10. 12. When Ashur had punished GODS people and began to burst with pride then GOD sets upon him and destroyes him But observe here the persecutors shall see the rising againe and prosperity which will burst their very heart with envy and make them gnash the teeth as a peece and beginning of that hellish gnashing of the teeth hereafter when they shall see those blessed ones whom they have so hated and persecuted sit downe with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the kingdome of Heaven and themselves excluded And shame shall cover her And at this sight she shall be horribly ashamed especially because in the time of the Churches distresse disgrace she did pestilently please and applaud her selfe with such insulting words as these where is now the LORD her GOD she is now downe she will never rise againe and now she sees those over whom she so insulted crown'd with deliverance and joy and her selfe covered with confusion and shame My eyes shall behold her Which equally will rent the hearts of the enemies with selfe-vexing rage as refresh the affections of GODS faithfull children with glorious joy not because their opposites are ruined no such vile revengfull