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
A85805	The path-way to peace. Or, The only assured and most certain means, whereby to heal the sores, make up the breaches, remove the fears, prevent the ruine, reconcile the differences, and put a finall end to the manifold divisions of this famous (though now much distracted) kingdom. By that faithfull and painfull preacher of Gods Word, Thomas Gardener, late pastor of St Maries in Sandwich. It is ordered this thirteenth day of February, 1642. by the committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning printing, that this book, intituled, The path-way to peace, be printed. John White.	Gardener, Thomas, d. 1635.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. aut	1643 (1643)	Wing G250; Thomason E105_1; ESTC R5591	12,202	17

precious treasure For the accomplishment of his promises 1 King 8.49 1 King 9.3 3 That he might fulfill his promise which he made unto Salomon when he prayed That if his people should sin against him and he given over into the hands of their enemies that then if they should repent them of their evill wayes the Lord should give them favour in the sight of those which had carried them captives How this prayer was heard of God as the Lord testified unto him in a Vision Thus why the Lord doth thus gratiously reward his servants The fourth Point THe cleering of such places of Scripture as seem to oppose this truth nay to imply the direct contrary viz. Object That when our wayes please the Lord our very friends are at emnity with us Thus Jeremiah's brethren Jer 12 6. Jer. 15.10 and they of his fathers house dealt treacherously with him and though he had done no evill yet every one cursed him whereof he himself complaineth Also the Prophet Isaiah saith Isa 59.15 He that departeth from evill maketh himself a prey Our Saviour also foretold That even they of our own houshold should be our enemies Mat. 10.3 36. all which seem to thwart this truth For Answer unto these and such like places we are Answer 1. To search our selves whether there be not some speciall sin abiding within us deserving this speciall punishment that God should with-hold the fulfilling of this promise from us 2. To confider That as God hath made this promise so he hath appointed the use of all lawfull means conducing thereunto Thus Jacob Gen. 32.28 though he had a promise from Christ wrestling with him in the form of a man That he should prevail with man Gen 35.8 and consequently with his brother Esau yet he prepare a Present that he might thereby reconcile himself unto his brother Esau Thus also did Jacob send a Present unto his son Joseph who did then govern in Aegypt under Pharaoh Gen. 43.11.14 conceiving him to be his enemy So must we use all lawfull means to have the good will of all men Heb 12 14. 3. To comfort our selves Forasmuch as however the wicked are at variance with us for our sincerity yet this enmity proceedeth from their own hearts and not from God 4. To conceive of all temporall promises made unto us in Scripture that we are not to expect them as absolute promises but conditionally made unto us so far forth as they shall be for Gods glory and our comfort and salvation and if promises be not sanctified to these ends we are far better without them then with them Psal 119 7● It 's good for us sometimes to be afflicted sometimes to be persecuted of enemies that we might have the stronger evidence that we are not of the world because it hated us Joh. 15.19 Yea it is good for us sometime that we should be suffered of God to fall into sin though not in it self yet bee use it makes us more fervent in prayer more wary and faithfull It may be demanded Whether we ought being hated for righteousnesse sake to suspect that our wayes are not pleasing to God Quest because of this promise made of peace with our enemies and the Command of our Saviour That we should rejoyce when we suffer persecution for his Names sake Matt 5.11 12. As this promise made in this Text should not make us despair of the uprightnesse of our wayes Answ so neither should that rejoycing which our Saviour commands us restrain us from en●ring into an examination of our own wayes and the true cause of our suffering the hatred of others that thereby we might take occasion to magnifie Gods goodnesse unto us in translating the punishment of our sins upon an unjust cause that we should suffer for righteousnesse sake when as at other times many sins have passed from us for which we might justly have suffred the malice of the wicked The fifth Point THe Vse and Application of this comfortable promise This may be branched into divers particulars 1. Is it thus That the Lord if our wayes please him will make our very enemies at peace with us Use 1 When our friends are at enmity with us we have then cause to suspect the upr●ghtnesse of our wayes ●hen what shal we think of our selves when not only our enemies but our very friends are at debate variance with us and ready to do what mischief they can unto us When servants children wives conspire against the Master of the family when Prince and subjects are against each other Have we not here just cause to suspect the uprightnesse of our wayes and that we walk contrary unto God and that therefore God walks contrary to us and crosseth us even in those things which should be blessings unto us Lev. 26 23 24. Yet we impute these things usually unto the second causes as to the wickednesse and bad disposition of such as are becom our enemies as if the Lord had no stroke in this Who stirred up Absalom against his father was it not the Lord yes I will stir up an enemy against thee out of thine own house saith the Lord to David 2 Sam 12.11 and yet we in such cases cry out upon the unnaturalnesse of children wickednesse of servants perversenesse of wives churlishnesse of husbands c. whereas we ought principally to look up unto God warning us of our sins by such like castigations intimating unto us thereby That something is amisse in the family good duties are neglected servants not instructed Sabbath not wholly sanctified or something there is not as it should be This I am sure here lies the cause Our wayes are not pleasing to the Lord Lam. 3 39. Use 2. When our wayes please God our friends shall be at peace with us Luk. 15 20.22 for man suffers for his sins 2. Shall our enemies be at peace with us if our wayes please the Lord then surely much more our friends and such as have been well-willers of the houshold of faith unto us in the time of our unregenerate estate whether fathers brothers or other friends If the father bear a naturall affection to the prodigall whilst he is wasting his substance amongst harlots how much more will he run unto him when he is yet afar off after he repenteth and is come to himself As the Apostle speaks in another case not much unlike to this If when we were his enemies Rom. 5 8 9 10. God loved us and sent his Son to redeem us much more now will he be affected towards us and save us 3. If our enemies and our friends be at peace with us then what can be against us Use 3. When our wayes please God nothing can be against us What can Satan hell death and all the armies of darknesse for they also are of the number of those which shall will they nill they be at peace with