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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	woman_n	word_n	wretched_a	12	3	8.4254	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30574	An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Cross, Thomas, fl. 1632-1682.	1650 (1650)	Wing B6070B; ESTC R36308	388,238	512

his mind hath written all things unto you which concerns you Eternal Salvation hath written there whatsoever he would have you to know and beleeve to Eternal Life this it is that you have in your hands however we prize it now heretofore it hath been prized at an high rate How many of the Martyrs would venture their lives to keep but a few Leaves of Scripture in their houses But how vile is it then for us to neglect the reading of this written Word I have read of one Theodorus a Physitian at Constantinople that he sent to Gregory the great a great sum of money for the redeeming of Captives and Gregory he commends his Liberality but though he was so liberal and bountiful to redeem Captives yet he writ back again to him in way of reprehending him for not reading Scripture and uses this expression to him The Emperor of Heaven the Lord of the Angels and Men hath sent to you that which concerns your life and will you neglect to reade them with a fervent with a zealous spirit He would not but blame him even at that time when he sent such gifts to him it did grieve him to think that such a one so bountiful to the poor should so neglect the reading of Scripture Many men and women that have excellent parts and yet for all that they find but little savor in the Scripture There 's no books that are written that should take us off from this written Word although we have cause to bless God abundantly for what is written for those excellent helps which we have written yet we must take heed that there be no written book in the world take us off from this written Word of God Luther therefore hath such a speech I even hate mine own Books and I often times even wish that they were burnt that they might perish Why because I fear lest they should be any way of hinderance to men or withdraw them from reading the Scriptures and so he fals a comending the Scriptures It is the only fountain of all wisdom and further saith he I am even terrified I tremble at the example of the former age upon this Because saith he many Divines spent so much time in reading of Aristotle and Averres and other Writers and spent so little time in reading Scripture And the truth is it was that which brought so much ignorance into the world in the time of the School-men which was a time of great learning and yet the time of the greatest ignorance in the Mysteries of godlines because they minded Scripture very little but only turn'd things into Questions and Disputes that tended not according to Scripture though we may make use of the labors and gifts of other men yet look we especially to the written Word and let not other writings take us off from them hence we say the Scripture in way of excellency we must keep our selves to the written Word and therefore take heed of being led aside by any traditions of men that 's a most detestable derrogation from the written Word but we find in the Counsel of Trent speaking of the Scriptures saith one of the Cannons of the Counsel of Trent We saith he do receive Scripture and reverence Scripture but saith he moreover we receive and reverence traditions with the same affection of piety and reverence as we do the Scripture Those are the very words that all Papists are bound to hold and for them to deny any counsel there were death unto them It argues men to be in the dark to mind Traditions so As the Jews that 's the reason that they vanish so in their thoughts and understand the Scripture so little because they mind traditions as much as Scripture and more for so they say that divide a mans life into three parts one part mnst be spent in reading Scripture and two parts more in the two several parts of their Talmond which is their traditions and some of them say that this is one tradition among them that Moses did study the Scripture in the day time and those Talmoduical traditions that they have they were studied in the night and indeed it is night-work and it is a sign that the world is so much in darkness because they look so much at Traditions the written Word of God which we must look at more than if one came from the dead or if an Angel from Heaven came and preached to us But you will say That we must not look to it more than if God should reveal any thing to us suppose it were a voice of God from Heaven We have warrant to have regard to the written Word of God more than the voice of God from Heaven 2 Peter 1. 19. there it 's spoken of the voice that came down upon the transfiguration at the Mountain but saith the Apostle there We have a more sure word of Prophesie more more even than that was that is it is more sure to us and there is not so easie a way to be deceived by resting upon the written Word as if we look for Revelations from God we have a more sure word of Prophesie therefore it is not so much after Revelations that we are to look especially in such times as these are but to the written Word of God There is a Generation of men rising now if not risen that begin to have vile thoughts of the written Word of God and think to understand the mind of God otherwise they finding the written Word of God to keep their hearts too close and lay too strong bonds upon them but because they would fain be loose they would feign and imagin to themselves other waies of Gods mind but when they are rotten and it may be when their souls are perished eternally in Hell the written Word of God shall stand and be honorable in the eyes of his Saints I have written The Prophet doth not say he hath written but he brings in God saying I have written And that first upon these two reasons First To put the greater emphasis upon it for it is more for God himself to come and say I have written as if a Father or Master say to his Child or Servant I command you to do such a thing it is more than if a Brother or fellow-Servant should say my Father hath bidden or my Master hath bidden you to do such a thing Secondly Whosoever were the Pen-men of the Word it is I that write it I take it upon my self The Word is so much his that God claims not only the truths that are in the Word but the very ordering for the words and in 2 Pet. 1. 21. it is said of holy men they spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost they were carried on with a kind of violence as the word signifies and not only moved but carried on with a kind of violence to write what they did both

and those that have oppressed us that they should have their full power over us again oh our bondage would be seven fold more than it is And yet what cause have we to have our hearts tremble and shake when we think of our abuse of the beginning of Deliverance that we had but of all judgments let us pray to be delivered from that judgment that we may never go back again to our prisons But just with God it is that those who inherit their progenitors sins they should inherit their progenitors judgments You continue in their sins you shall have their Judgements also But were they ever carried into Egypt was this threat ever fulfilled No They were not carried captive into Egypt but they fled into Egypt for Refuge and there they lived and died miserably Hence observe All places are places of misery when God forsakes a people As all places are comfortable when God is with a people Many men take their course to seek to refuge themselves to help themselves and perhaps they have what they would have in part but when they have had what they would have even the having of what they desire proves to be the executiō of the wrath of God upon them you have a mind to go to Egypt you shall return to Egypt saith God It follows in the last verse VER 14. For Israel hath forgotten his Maker THEY have forgotten their Maker but I 'le remember them saith God When men think least of God then is Gods time to come upon them for their sins when they are in the greatest security of all whereas if you would remember your sins God might forget them or if you would remember God your sins should not be remembred but you forgetting God your sins are remembred It is an abominable thing for us to forget God by whom we had our memory by whom we are remembred we should never have been thought of if God had not given us what we have and therefore for us not to think of God it is a vile sin Now God is forgotten when he is not honored minded as our confidence help refuge our only good when he is not obeyed if we do but remember sin we cannot but honor him How many forget what manifestations once they had of God they are passed by from them and other things take up their thoughts Oh! what an appearing was there of God to many of your souls heretofore and what conference between God and your souls what lustre of Gods Spirit upon you and you thought you should never forget those things but now other things are in your hearts Oh! such men and women have cause to fear that they are under much wrath that they should forget their Maker God challenges remembrance under this title Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth There 's no creature but the rational creature that can reflect upon the cause of their being the first cause and therefore God would not lose the honor from this creature Indeed the Ox knows his owner and the Ass his Masters crib the beasts can take notice of those that bring them good things but to reflect upon the cause of their first being I say that 's proper to the rational creature and therefore it is an honor that God expects from you and will not lose it The word here Creator their Maker it is not now meant for Gods giving them their being but Gods advancing and blessing of them so as to bring them to that happy condition that now they were in They have forgotten their Maker Oh they have forgotten that God that hath advanced them So I find the words used in 1 Sam. 12. 6. The Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron but the words in the Original are the Lord that made Moses and Aaron that is when God call'd them to the publick work God made them Indeed for a man to be call'd to publick service is a great honor that God puts upon a man God makes a man then as many times we use that Phrase our selves if a man be raised to any preferment we say such a man is made for ever Oh that man which God casts his favor upon and delights to use in publick service that man is a made-man But they have forgotten the Lord that made them That 's the Note from hence It 's Gods favor that makes a man You have an excellent Scripture for this in Isa 43. 7. I have created him saith God for my glory I have formed him yea I have made him Here 's these three words together God doth not satisfie himself in this I have given him his being or all that he hath but he makes use of of these three several words to signifie how all our good comes from God I do not know such an expression we have in Scripture I have brought him out of nothing then secondly I have formed him I have put beauty and glory upon him yea and thirdly I have made him I have raised him to the height of all God hath created us all but hath he formed us We are to look at Gods forming as well as at his creation how God forms and fashions us unto his own will They have forgotten God their Maker That should have been the other Note That the greater height of excellency God raises any man to the more vile and wicked is the sin of forgetting God when they are advanced Many men will remember God when they are low but when God hath advanced them then they forget him and that 's worse But it follows And have built Temples How is God forgotten and they build Temples to the honor of God You accuse us of forgetting God our Maker What People in the world doth rememember God so as we do when we are at such charges as we are at The word that is translated Temples it signifies Palaces The Church is indeed Gods Palace but note from hence That when God is worshiped in any way but his own then God is forgotten Papists they set up Images and they say it is to put them in mind of God but the truth is they forget God in it Again When mens hearts depart most desperatly and furthest off from God they are many times very forward in superstitious worship As we know it in the primitive times the hearts of men did close most with the power of godliness and were more sincere in their worship but afterwards when they came to have peace in and after Constantines time when they had Temples then they forgot God most and grew superstitious When the Christians worshiped God in Dens and Caves of the earth they remembred God more than when they had glorious Temples built for them Men that have departed from God and have guilty consciences they must have something to satisfie their consciences Of late our Kingdom how desperatly was it departing from

do others rejoyce scorn at the threats of God So Ephraim had mixt himself amongst the Nations and so did scorn at what was said by the Prophet Do not rejoyce prophanely do not rejoyce slightly vainely do not rejoyce presumptuously promising to your selves continuance in your prosperity But that which I think is especially aim'd at is this Rejoyce not as other people for you have not such cause to rejoyce as other people Why Israel Though you be Israel yet there is not so much cause for you to rejoyce as other Nations have Israel the ten Tribes prides themselves in their Priviledges above other people they despised all people in comparison of themselves But now God tels them that their sins had brought them into a worse condition than other people were in and they must not rejoyce so much as they And from thence this profitable Note may be raised Many who look upon others as mean and low with scorn and contempt in comparison of themselves yet even these may be in a worse estate than those are whom they look upon so much beneath them For instance It may be you may be a man of parts and of esteem and a man employed in high employments for Church and Common-wealth Another is in a mean low condition is of little use a weak-parted man and yet that guilt may be upon you that you have not such cause to rejoyce as this poor man hath which you so contemn as one laid by and not worth any thing It may be you have excellent gifts in Prayer and are an eminent professor another man or woman is no body in your eyes they are no professors at all I but if all were known you have not cause to rejoyce as they have that you contemn Secondly Rejoyce not as other people Although we enjoy the same blessings that others do yet we have not alwaies the same cause to rejoyce as others have though we enjoy the same blessings I say it may be others have more cause to rejoyce in a little than we have to rejoyce in abundance Do not say in your hearts Others are merry and chearful Why should not I be so too I have as good an estate as such a one hath as fair a dwelling as he hath as comly children as he hath why should not I be merry But it may be ther 's not that breach between God such a one as between God thee it may be there is not so much guilt upon the spirits of such men as upon thy spirit therefore thou must not rejoyce as they do though thou hast the same outward blessings that such and such have yet it doth not follow that thou shouldest rejoye as such do you have cause rather to have your thoughts work thus such and such men are chearful indeed yea they may for they have not provoked God as I have done I am conscious of those sins that I beleeve they are free from A man that hath a sore disease about him in his body when he sees others that are merry he thinks with himself yea indeed you may be merry but if you felt that that I do you would have little cause to be merry The third Note is this Rejoyce not as others When men have brought misery upon themselves this is one great argument of their misery That they shall see others rejoycing but all matter of joy shall be taken from themselves It 's not for them to rejoyce as others do that which is the cause of the rejoycing to others you have had and abused it you have abused those mercies of God and now you must not rejoyce as other people do That place is very notable for this in Luke 13. 28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth When ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out This is the aggravation of our misery to see others in happiness and in a rejoycing condition and you your selves cast out you must not rejoice as others do As if a man were cast into a dungeon neer the street and there should be a day of triumph and feastivitie and jolitie there should be much rejoycing musick and bravery without in the Citie and he lying in a dark dungeon and hears the jolitie of the Citie this would be a great aggravation to his misery yes would he think such that have their liberty may rejoyce but I must not rejoyce as they do and this will be the aggravation of the misery of the damned hereafter when they shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and themselves cast out it may be the Father shall see his Child in the Kingdom of God and himself in Hell being cast out they shal rejoice eternally when I must be in everlasting torments The reason follows Rejoyce not as other people for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God The ground of joy or sorrow is the terms that are between God and us sin hath an evil in it to damp all our joy if we would have joy in any thing let us take heed of defiling it by sin of all sins the sin of forsaking God forsaking or corrupting Gods Worship that 's such an evil as is enough to take away the joy of a Nation whatsoever a Nation hath if it hath forsaken God in matter of worship it hath little cause of joy though we should have peace and outward prosperitie yet if there be not making up of our peace for our going a whoring from God let there be all the peace that can be made yet we have little cause to rejoice in it but a people retaining the true Worship of God whatsoever it be in other respects that people hath cause to rejoice Yea and as a whol Nation so any particular soul particular men or women Christians that live in a Nation if their consciences can tell them that they have not complied with the times and gone a whoring from God in waies of false worship as others have done they have cause to rejoyce whatsoever befals a Nation whereas the others that have had complying spirits though the Nation should prosper never so much yet they have little cause to rejoyce in that joy let us therefore be solicitous about nothing so much as about the true Worship of God Yea but this people might say Suppose we have some corruptions in the Worship of God yet we do retain more than other Nations do Nay saith God you have gone a whoring and so you are more guilty than other Nations From whence the Notes are First That which we may think a little matter in corrupting Gods Worship God may call it a going a whoring from Him it 's true might they say we may fail in some Circumstances we go not up to Jerusalem to worship but still we worship the true

if they have not mercy if they have not a Righteousness beyond their own If mercy comes not in to plead for them wo to Abraham Isaac and Jacob if mercy comes not in to plead for them if at the great day if they have nothing to tender up to God but their own righteousness they are certainly lost and undone for ever Al that we can do is infinitely unworthy of the Majesty of God Oh! the text that you have in 1 Chron. 29. 14. when the people did offer so much to God for the building of his Tabernacle Mark how David was affected with it Who am I saith David and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things came of thee and of thine own have we given thee And when David in 1 Chron. 22. 14. when David had provided a thousand thousand Talents of silver and an hundred thousand talents of gold for the building of the Temple of God besides brass and iron without weight yet when all comes to all Out of my poverty have I offered this so Arias Montanus turns it In your books it is In my trouble have I done this but the same word that signifies trouble and affliction signifies poverty likewise and saith David after al this yet in my poverty have I done this whereas this was a mighty thing that was offered I remember Sir Walter Rawlegh● it is in the 17. Chap. of his 2 d Part and 9 th Sect. he reckons up the sum of what David did there prepare for the Temple of the Lord he makes it more than any King in the world is worth he makes it to come to three thousand three hundred and thirty and three Cart-load of Silver allowing two thousand weight of Silver or six thousand pound sterling to every Cartload besides threescore and seventeen Millions of French Crowns and yet when he had done all Out of my poverty have I done this As if he should say Lord what is this in respect of thee who art the great God If thou wilt but accept of this I shall be infinitly bound to thee Oh my brethren let us learn for ever after all our duties not to be proud keep your hearts low and humble before God Hath God enabled thee to sow in Righteousness our hearts are puft up presently Oh no thou must keep thy heart still under Alas such is the proudness of our spirits if we be but enlarged a little in Prayer we are ready to be puft up presently Oh! what 's this to the service that a creature owes to the blessed and eternal God hadst thou spent all thy daies since thou hadst any understanding night and day in the work and service of God hadst thou been the greatest Instrument of Gods service that ever was in the world yet thou hast cause to lie down at Gods Mercy-seat and cry Mercy Lord Mercy for a poor wretched vile Creature after thou hast done al we are so unable to do any thing our selves It 's an expression of Luther The very Act of Thanksgiving is from God And therefore be humbled and cry Grace grace to al that hath been And let all Publick Instruments not take too much upon them but lie low And there 's a man that 's worth his weight in Gold that can be an Instrument of great and publick work and yet lie low before the Lord. Oh! did we but know God we would be so after our duties we would be low There 's a notable story I find concerning Cyprian when he came to suffer martyrdom and you will say that was a great service to lay down his life for God In his last prayer he had these two expressions which are remarkable in it The first expression was this Lord saith he I am prepared to powr forth the very sacrifice of my blood for thy Name sake yea Lord I am prepared here to suffer any torment whatsoever These two expressions he had You will say Now surely this man might stand upon his terms with God But he goes on But when thou doest lift up thy self to shake the Earth Lord saith he under what clift of the rock shall I hide my self to what mountain shall I speak even to fall upon me As if he should say Lord though I be here ready to give up my body to be massacred for thee to give up my blood to be an offering and to suffer any torment yet when I consider what a God I have to do withal if thou shouldest deal with me as I am in my self Oh! I must cry to the Rocks to cover me and the Hils to fall upon me Oh! this should teach us to keep our hearts low and humble after we have done the greatest work whatsoever I remember one of the Germane Devines when he was full of fears and doubts when he was to die say some to him You have been so imployed and have been so faithful why should you fear Oh! he gives this Answer The Judgements of man and the Judgments of God are different I am to go before the great and Al-seeing God though it 's true God would not have us daunted with any terrible apprehensions of him but yet he would have us be possest with reverence so as to be humbled when we think what a God it is we have to do withal you must reap in mercy Oh! this shall be the song of the Saints to all eternity Mercy Mercy Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be the praise And then the other Note from that expression that we have there is That God will give abundantly above our works Oh! it 's a point that hath very much encouragement to poor troubled sinners that are low raise up thy faith it 's not what thy work is though it be low and mean and though there be many failings in thy work yet is there uprightness are they seeds of Righteousness that thou hast sown thou shalt reap according to what shall honor the mercy of an infinite God at last I remember Alexander when he was giving a gift to a poor man Oh! the poor man dar'd not receive it it was too great yea but saith he though that be too great for thee to receive yet it is not too great for me to give So I may say to poor souls when they hear of the glorious promises to poor people Oh! their hearts are ready to think this is too good news to be true it is too great a mercy for thee to receive as thou art in thy self but if God will give according to the proportion of his mercy it is not too great for him to give Now that 's the way that God will deal with those that are in Covenant with him that have all their fruit to come from the seed of righteousness Christ in the heart I say there the Lord will