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
A27353	Nehemiah the Tirshatha, or, The character of a good commissioner to which is added Grapes in the wilderness / by Mr. Thomas Bell ...	Bell, Thomas, fl. 1672-1692.; Bell, Thomas. Grapes in the wilderness.	1692 (1692)	Wing B1804; Wing B1803_PARTIAL; ESTC R4955	138,914	254

insisted upon his case because of it self it is a weighty deserving one and I have not seen any who hath directly spoken to it but one who dispatcheth it to good purpose in a word It is worthy Mr. Scuder in his Christians daily walk this book was by famous Mr. Alexander Henderson recommended and gifted as a vade mecum or pocket piece to his ●riend at that time a young Gentlman going into ●rance where page 263 he speaketh thus You will say if you did bear Afflictions for Christ then you could think and expect well of it but you oftimes suffer Affliction justly for your sin I Answer saith he for he had been speaking of that Scripture 2 Cor. 4. 17 18 though this place principally point at Martyrdom and suffering for Christs cause yet it is all one in your case if you will bear Afflictions patiently for his sake A man may suffer Afflictions for Christ two ways First when he suffereth for his Religion and for his cause 2dly when a man suffereth any thing that God layeth on him quietly and for Christs will and commands sake This Latter is more general than the former and the former must be comprehended in this Latter els the former suffering for Christs cause if it be not in love and obedience for Christs sake out of Conscience to fulfil his will is nothing whereas he that endureth patiently endures Affliction for Christ though he never be put to it to suffer for profession of Christ and i● such an one were put to it he would readily suffer for Christs cause and such Afflictions as these thus patiently endured work also this excellent weight of Glory as well as the other By these and the like reasonings of faith you may world your Souls to patience as David and others have done by casting Anchor on God and on his word fixing their stay and hope in God Let the issue of your reasoning be this I will wait on God and yet for all matter of disquietment will praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Thus Mr. Scudder and truely none could have spoken more nor to better purpose in so few words And thus have I spoken to Scripture examples of cases Parralleling the weightiest of cases incident to any man now living Only be it remembered that cases are as faces many agree in some things some in many things none in all things There is in every mans case something peculiar aggravating it beyond that of another man and as the Heart knows its own grief every man knows best the plague of his own Heart but he knows not at least feels not his Neighbours sores Hence every one judgeth his own case worst of all it may be the best is bad enough and yet the worstis not so bad but it may be better In the second place for Vindication of the Scriptures from the foresaid disheartning prejudices I shall lay down this very self-ground whereupon the querulous Soul doth walk though with a halting foot That those Cases are hopeful and cureable that are paralleled and practicable in Scripture that is to say That such whereof the Scripture gives account have been either hopeful and curable or actually have been cured and helped And thus I reason è converso or by exchange That case is hopeful and curable which is paralleled and practicable But such is thy case it hath a match in Scripture and therefore curable That is Paralleled and hath a match in Scripture I prove thus A case concluded hopeless hath a match in Scripture But such is thy case thou concludes it hopeless And therefore it hath a match in Scripture That a case concluded hopeless hath a match in Scripture it is clear in that the Lord finds fault with those in Ieremiah that said their was no hope and assures them there is hope if they will return and repent It is clear likewise from the Churches case in Isaiah who said her judgment was passed over of the Lord and for that is taxed that she spoke unreasonably Likewise from David's case in the Psalms that said He was cut off from God's presence and yet he found heart to look again to God and to cry to him and was heard notwithstanding his former peremptoriness Likewise from the case of the Church or Ieremiah for the Church in the Lamentations who with one breath said My hope and my strength is perished from the Lord and at the next breath could say This I call to mind therefore have I hope And thereupon hath left a general experimental instruction to all others That it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord Lament 3. 26. But in the third place The Soul affected is to be advertised and put in mind that it is an error and weakness to think that matchless and unparalleled cases are therefore hopless and uncureable For it is to be considered that Scripture instances and examples of parallel matching cases are neither the only nor compleat nor principal ground of curing and resolving cases For some cases were the first of their kind and so could have no precedent nor yet practicable example And yet in that case according to this crazie principle That no unparalleled Case is curable the very fixed examples and choice copies of curable cases should themselves have remained uncurable as having no precedent nor example but the only square and compleat ground of curing all cases is the whole Scripture whereof examples are but a small part and that too but as the illuminating colours and not the substantial lineaments thereof For exempla illustrant examples do but enlighten things and all that an example can do is to show that such a case is practicable and potentially curable But it doth not it cannot actually cure it Wherefore the principal yea proper ground of resolving and curing all cases are the universal fundamental truths of the Gospel the knowledge of God and Christ and of God in Christ according to the Gospel whereof the Covenant of Grace is the sum and text and this David knew right well 2 Sam. 23. 5. This Covenant will mend all the holes of the believers house and compleatly fit every case he can be in Till the foundations be destroyed it is never time to ask what can the Righteous do Psal. 11. 3. But so long as there is a God in Heaven that doth wonders so long as Christ is all and in all and ●o long as Gods Covenant with his Saints endures which shall be while Sun and Moon endure and longer too For his Covenant shall live to lay its hands upon those two shining Eyes of this corruptible World that is passing and posting off daily and which now like the first Covenant Heb. 8. 13. decaying and waxing old is ready to evanish and die So long I say as these foundations stand sure the righteous in every case may still know what to do For upon these

Atheists and obstinate unbelievers who are habitually dissafected to the word of God nor yet to mention the willful groundless fits of pettish distempers in Saints who often times do even take up at their foot groundless and needless pleaes and discouraging apprehensions which they cannot so easily lay down again Psal. 42 5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted in me Psal. 77. 2. My sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted To pass these I say as bearing no direct impeachment of the abovesaid commendation of the absolute sufficiency of the word of God to answer all cases There are three Things that in a time of tentation in an hour and power of darkness do readily concurr to diminish the Saints respects to the word of God The first is that their case seems odd unparalleled and unpracticable in Scripture they find no case equal with theirs in all respects that hath been cured 2 In their weakness they thereupon conclude that their case is really hopless and irremedable But 3 The saddest of all is that they find the word not only silent for them but to speak directly and aloud against them as they think smiting hewing and hammering them with sad and heavy threatnings and intimations of determined wrath rejection and ruine to come upon them from the Lord. In all these they err not knowing the Scriptures But that yet for all this there is hope and that the Scriptures are not to be casten out with as unkind and uncomfortable Companions in such cases Let these things be considered for vindication of the Scriptures to Souls thus exercised And 1. Be it granted as the truth is that a Souls case may be such for Circumstances that the Scriptures mention none Parallel with it in all points to have been cured the same is all along to be understood respectivly of Churches and Nations as of particular persons yet I am confidently perswaded that there is no case now incident to any whether Nation Church or Person but the Scripture holdeth forth some either as evil or worse whether for sin or suffering that have been helped There hath no temptation taken you sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 10 13 but such as is common to man Is thy case sinful behold the Scripture tells us that he obtained mercy who once a day thought himself the chief of sinners 1 Timoth. 1 15. And that as an exquisite and rare piece of mercy is set forth in the Gospel for a pattern to all those who should afterwards believe in Christ to life everlasting Christ loves to have sinners change and for that he puteth forth his pattern as Merchants do their samplers of Rich Wares and sure he hath since that time put off many such pieces and yet the pattern stands forth shewing that their is more abundance to serve all that have need To say nothing of Paul's sin which sure was great enough nor of many who since his time may have thought themselves the chief of sinners as well as he did where I think I see a kind of strife among mercies Clients who shall be most beholding to free Mercy and free Grace This pattern makes it fully certain that there is mercy for the chief of sinners be who he will and that he whosoever he that supposes himself the chief of sinners is ●ot thereby warranted to despair of mercy but rather to plead the greatest interest of necessity and to look upon himself as the fittest subject for the Lord wherein to display his Glory Is thy Case afflicted And thy sufferings extraordinary See Job's desperate Case see Heman's distracted Case see that Case of the Church in the Lamentations in whose Case there is hope though it had not been done under the whole Heaven as had ●een done to Jerusalem Look to the cloud of Witnesses Look to Jesus Heb. 11. and 12. Chapters But here is the great Case of the troubled Soul Cleanly sufferings for the Exercise of my Grace ●● Job's or for the testimony of Truth and a ●ood Conscience as those of all the Witnesses and Martyrs I could well bear In these respects I ●ount it all joy to fall into diverse temptations and could count it my Honour and Mercy as well ●● suffer for Christ as to believe in him I could ●o with such sufferings as Job would have done with his Adversaries Books I could take them upon my shoulder and bind them as a Crowne to me and as a Prince would I go near unto him ●ut Alas I suffer with an evil Conscience my afflictions are to me the punishment of my ini●uity and the fruits of my folly This case indeed if any requireth the Tongue of the learned and a word in season to the Soul that is weary of ●● And if the word of God help me not here I have lost the Cause and come short of my Accounts But there is hope in Israel also concerning this thing Ezra 10. 2. And I find the Scripture clear in these particulars concerning this case 1. I find indeed a great odds betwixt cleanly suffering for righteousness and suffering meerly for i● doing The one is a thing thank-worthy and Glorifying of God in the highest manner actively the other is not thank-worthy but is the mans misery In the one a man hath a good Conscience and joy therefrom in the other a man hath an i● Conscience with terrour and sorrow proceeding therefrom The one gives a man good confidence of assistance and of the spirit of Glory and of God to rest upon him the other makes a man despon● and droop The one stops the other opens the mouths of wicked men Therefore sayes Peter Pet. 3 17. It is better if the will of God be so t●● ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing 2ly It is clear that we ought to bear such Afflictions with the more patience Micah 7 9. I will be● the indignation of the Lord because I have finned again him Nor ought any living man to complain who suffers meerly for the punishment of his iniquity La● 3 39. and if he must complain let him complain to God and bemoan his case in quietness to him It is far better for men to bear their yoke quieth and sit alone than to pine away in their iniquity Mourning one to another whilst they do not 〈◊〉 to the Lord. Too much whining and complaining to men will be found Labour which profitet not try it who will But as a man would complain to God so he would beware to complain of God he would leave his complaint upon him self Job 10 1. and lay the blame of his afflictions home upon himself Psal 38. 5. My folly makes is so 3. It is clear from the whole History of the Scriptures that most of all the Saints Afflictions whether conjunctly in the Body of a Church or Nation or severally in their own persons particularly have been the chastizments of their

iniquities and the Rods of men that is such corrections as men use upon misdemeaning Children I find this true of publik Affliction of a whole Church or Nation 4 It is clear that the Lords Rods whether publick or personal upon his sinful People ●ow from love in the fountain are mixed with ●ove in their course and run forth into love in the ●ssue If this seem strange to any let him remember that he who spareth his Rod hateth his Child ●ut he that chasteneth him betimes delivereth his ●oul Gods thoughts concerning his People are thoughts of peace and not of evil to give them an expected end Jer. 29. 11. And in the midst of wrath he will remember mercy Habbac 3. 2. Gods love to his People is very consistent with anger though that be even servent to the Degree of wrath but not with hatred and hatred not anger is lov 's opposite an angry love is ofttimes most profitable Heb. 12. 10. Let none therefore be so weak and Child-witted as to eonclude I am sharply scourged and sore smitten for my folly herefore my Father hath cast me off and cares not for me And yet we find Affliction that makth a wise man mad raising such apprehensions oft●●s in the wise heart of strong David I do not here speak how the Lord causeth his People to pass under the rod and bringeth them within the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20 37. and how he chooses them in the furnace of Affliction Isai 48. 10. and that was an Affliction for sin and sadly deserved Rod And yet the Lord when he would pick out a piece of the finest mettal goes neither to Coffer nor Cup-board where the glistering of Peace and posterity dazle the eyes of undescreet behold ers but he goes to the smoak and Soot of the furnace and there he pitcheth upon the rare● Saints of the last refine The Lord goeth down to the Land of Affliction and to the house of Bondage to visit his People and there he falls in love with them there he wooes them and there he wedds them in their mourning Garments For the get not the oil of joy nor the Garment of Praise till the second day of the Marriage and then the● rise from the Dust and shine their light cometh and the Glory of the Lord ariseth upon them See Isai 48. 10. cited Hos. 2 14. and foreward Isai 61. 3. and 60. 1. In fine the Scripture is full o● rare and satisfactory Expressions of Gods love to his People even under sufferings which their own wickedness hath procured whereof it will apper tain to speak more particularly in the sequel of ou● ensuing Discourse 5thly It is clear from Scripture that there is difference to be put betwixt sin procuring and bringing on Sufferings and bitter Afflictions and sin discovered in and by suffering Let God ca● a Holy Iob in the furnace and it will discover scum that will cause him say My Transgressions are infinit And yet the Lord himself sustains Iob's Plea that it was not for sin that he was pursuing him 6. It is clear that there is a great difference often times betwixt the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness of Men Afflicting his People as we see frequently in David's Cases Yea I find an excellent rare comfortable Dispensation of God to his People that he will sometimes scourge them with the Golden Rod of Martyrdom and correct their faults in an Honourable way and chastile them soundly and yet never let the World know what is betwixt him and them The Lord loves not to proclaim and blaze the bemoaned faults of his People nor to make them Odious to the World which hath a bad enough Opinion of them alwayes But if I must correct my Child saith he I will stay till the World and he fall out in some point of Conscience in Faith or manners wherefore he must suffer and then in my Gracious Wisdom I will shew a rare Conjunction or meeting of these three Planets in one house 1. The correction of my Child 2. His Glory and 3. His acceptable Duty and I will let him earn a reward of thanks and Glory in that very suffering wherein I shall visit his iniquities and he shall give Testimony for me God can go many Earauds at once and sold up many Projects in one piece of Providence the Lord will finish the whole work and cut it short in Righteousness because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth Rom. 9. 28. The Lord is good at dispatches If the Question be then whether God will ever Honour a Man with whom he hath a Controversie to suffer for Righteousness I Answer Yes and I confess I should hardly have been of that Judgment if I had not found clear Divine truth going before me in it comparing the whole tenor of the 38 Psalm with the 20. verse thereof where at once the Psalmist is suffering from men for that which is good and from God for his foolishness and iniquity Verses 4 5 and 18. Here it is fit to remember Luther's seasonable warning that when David in his Prayers speaketh of his Righteousness we would refer it to its true correlative to wit towards men his enemies he was Righteous but towards God that is his Language Be merciful to me O God be merciful to me in the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquities Psal. 51. The accuser of Gods Children will be ready to carry ill reports betwixt him and them and to keep up an ill understanding betwixt them if he can and in times of suffering for their Duty he will not be idle he will tell them a thousand Stories of their own sins to weaken their hands and cause them believe that God will never accept service of them but that they shall come foul off with all their fair Essayes Ye have heard of Gods Gracious Wisdom and now these are the Devil 's malicious wyles but a Syllogism or Argument framed of one premise of Gods and another of the Devil 's will never infer a Conclusion of Faith and that can claime ●iducial assent Wherefore in such a mixed case which I desire may be remembred to be every caseable let a man freely declare his iniquity 〈◊〉 God and be sorry for his sin Psal 38. 18. Let him repent and mean himself to God who as I have said loves to keep his People's Counsel and to keep their faults sub sigillo confessionis and under the rose that is he will be to them a good Secretary but ●●t them cleave to that which is good and incourage themselves in a good matter and beware of failing in present Duty in a discourageing sense of former iniquities for one fault will never ●end another and yet that is even the best method that Satan useth to offer in such cases But the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke him for troubling his poor afflicted People who are as ●rands plukt out of the fire I have