Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	word_n	world_n	wrong_n	35	3	8.0911	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03308	Three sermons 1. The good fight. Preached at the funerall of Henry Sommaster of Pens-ford in the country of Deuon, Esquire. Ian. 1606. 2. The worth of the water of life. 3. Dauids longing, and Dauids loue. By Sam. Hieron.	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1607 (1607)	STC 13426; ESTC S116031	56,277	76

for not fighting that Good fight which Paul fought and which euery Christian ought to fight against sinne and corruption we shall neuer be able to plead Not-guilty I wish that which hath bene said may so conuict vs that it may conuert vs least going on in rebellion against God that doome befall vs which is foretold ſ Luc. 19.27 Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring them hither and slay them before me Now as touching our failing in the second fight which is against Sathan considering what I haue alreadie said I shall need to speake the lesse for where corruption and sin are not withstood there Sathan is not fought against where they are entertained there Sathan is serued so that the proofe of the former point is a confirmation of this also Neuerthelesse I will a litle insist vpon one specialtie an apparant testimonie that there is litle thought or resolution amongst the most to fight against Sathan and that is this the neglect of one of the principall weapons whereby to encounter him Thinke you that he meaneth to fight who goeth vnarmed nay who when a weapon is tendred to him casts it from him or who seemeth not to care though it were with the land as it was once with the state of Israel vnder the Philistines t 1. Sam. 13.19.22 of which it is said There was no Smith found throughout all the land and neither sword nor speare found in the hands of any of the people he to whom this nakednesse were a pleasure or a matter of in differencie would you imagine him to meane well or to be a friend to his countrey I am sure you would not Now Paul speaking of the combate we are to haue with the diuell and describing by parcels that holy armour wherewith he must be withstood mentioneth among other things the sword of the spirit which is the word of God u Ephes 6.27 This we see was our Sauiours weapon in that conflict which is storied in the Gospell * Mat. 4. with this two edged sword x Reu. 1.16 of It is written he cut asunder all those knots wherewith Sathans purpose was to entangle him Who so then shall despise this weapon shall cast it behind y Psal 50.17 them shall hate z Prou. 1.22 the knowledge of it shall say to God as the wicked are reported to do Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes a Iob 21.14 shall thinke preaching to be as was said b Ier. 23.33 of old The burden of the Lord shall wish of it as the Gadarens did of Christ c Mat. 8.34 that it might depart out of their coasts who so I say shall be thus affected the charitablest censure and the most fauourable verdict which can be giuen of them is this that they are wilfull betrayers of their owne soules into the power of the diuell Now it is no hard matter to shew how deseruedly this Imputation may be laid vpon our times I haue written vnto them said the Lord of old to the Iewes the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing d Hos 8.12 I doe not see how it can be denied but that God may iustly complaine so now Great hath his kindnesse bene to these times in enlarging and improuing the free vse of his word and yet alas what a world of people is there amongst vs to whom the Scripture remaineth as a booke that is sealed vp e Isa 29.11 nay which is euen fearefull to thinke on who seeme to be of that careles and neglecting humor as though it were all one to them though there had bene neuer any Bible written nor any such booke by the speciall prouidence of God preserued to his Church Againe although the Scriptures of God be entertained into some houses as a kind of needfull implement to fill vp some corner which otherwise might lie void yet with many they are vsed like their harnesse in these peacefull times made a pray to the rust and dust or laid vp like the sword of Goliah which Dauid tooke from him f 1. Sam. 21.9 like a monument that it may be said vpon occasion There they be Few there be that do make them their Councellers g Psa 119.24 or that do endeuour to host them in their best roome euen to let them dwell plenteously h Col. 3.16 in their hearts Furthermore for the opening and explaning thereof by those whom God hath deputed thereto which is as it were certaine rules and precepts of defence teaching vs how to handle this weapon against our spirituall aduersarie how is it reckoned of Where it is had it is little esteemed where it is wanting it is lesse desired Few doe reuerence it as Gods ordinance few depend vpon it as vpon the arme i Is 53.1 and power of God vnto saluation k Rom. 1 1● What fighting can there be against Sathan when this sword of the spirit is in disgrace what spoile of soules will the diuell make when men are not thus armed to resist Consider the storie of Sampson l Iud. 16. When the Philistines had taken him and put out his eyes then they might do with him what they would though he were a strong man and a noble man yet they bound him with fetters and made him grind like a horse in a mill and so when as the light of Gods holy ordinance is wanting Sathan hath opportunitie to worke his will men may be drawne to any thing no opinion so grosse no worship of God so superstitious no fashion of life so vile but they will soone embrace it So then if our consciences tell vs that Gods word is not to vs as it was to Ieremie m Ier. 15.16 the ioy ioy and reioycing of our heart that we are not like the Samaritans of whom it is said that when Philip came and preached among them there was great ioy in the citie n Act. 8.8 nor like the man of Macedonia which appeared to Paul in a vision and because of the want of teaching which was there prayed him to come to Macedonia and helpe o Act. 16. ● them certainly we are no enemies vnto Sathans kingdome but friends vnto it rather if we labour not by all good meanes for the enlargement and propagation of Gods truth The last part of the enquirie concerneth the Fight for the maintenance of the common cause of true religion both with skill against cunning and subtill vnderminers and with courage against the wrongs and indignities which the world offereth to sinceritie I cannot now vse that largenesse in this point which I could wish and which the times considered were very fitting I will onely in a word touch two common euils which shall serue to iustifie this proposition that the number of those which fight that part of that goood fight here spoken of which concernes

earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be destroyed thou maist be receiued into euerlasting habitations How saist thou Are these things strangers to thy thoughts or doe they take vp a cheife roome in thy Affections Are they deepely apprehended or are they but slightly and cursorily entertained Are thy meditations touching these setled and such as hold thee long or are they but like flying motions which are as soone vanished as perceiued Though thy tongue if thou shouldst nowe speake for thy selfe happily would dissemble yet I am sure that if thou talke earnestly with thy conscience that will not fllatter thee Howsoeuer it be this I must tell thee that such as thy desires are herein such is thy estate dost thou long with Dauid thou shalt be saued with Dauid Is saluation If thou wilt speake the Truth lest in thy longing then stand forth and heare thy Iudgment thou shalt be called the lost in the Kingdome of God The longing soule shal be filled the carelesse and full gorged spirits shal be sent empty away This is the true vse of this doctrine Howbeit this be the generall vse of this point yet because p Ier. 17.9 the heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things and there is a q Ps 32.2 spirituall Guile which cleaueth close vnto vs so that thou mayest both make me beleeue by protestations and thy selfe thinke by idle perswasions that thou truly longest for saluation when there is no such matter therefore I pray thee to pardon my feare and suffer me to be iealous euer with a godly iealousie and to tell thee which art so readie vpon the first hearing of this point to answer for thy selfe to tell thee I say that I do much doubt it is not so well with thee as thou dost suppose If thou askest a reason of me why I should be so hard of beleefe as not to credit thee when thou sayest and protestest that thou longest for saluation I aunswer thee that I am suspicious that the ground of true longing is altogether wanting in thee I will tell thee what that is and so leaue thee to be thine owne iudge It is this a liuely feeling of thine owne wretchednesse and miserie through sinne This is the thing which will make a man long to be saued which wil make the message of the Gospell to be glad tidings the feeling of sinne cannot chuse but bring forth a desire to haue the pardon of sinne And indeed in reason it must needes be so For as a man which hath offended the law and is appointed to death ordinarily except he be a man desperate would rather haue a pardon then any thing in the world besides because without it he knowes he can haue ioy in nothing so he which hath offended God and findeth himselfe in the rigour of Gods iustice to be the child of death cannot chuse but more highly prize the fauour of God in the remission of his sinnes then all the treasures and riches vnder heauen When men are secure and without feeling of sin though the grace of God in Christ be neuer so plentifully offered vnto them yet they esteeme it not it seemeth to them as a base thing they regard it not but if once a man feele the sting of sinne then he would giue the world for one litle drop of Gods mercie The prodigall sonne when he liued at home with his father and had meate and drinke enough and knew no want then he was weary of his abundance and would needes aduenture further to try a better fortune but when he had felt the smart of hunger he would haue bene in the state of one of his fathers hired seruants r Luc. 15.19 Make me as one of thy hired seruants Dauid being well humbled would take it in good worth to be a ſ Psal 84.10 doore keeper in the house of the Lord and the poore Canaanitish woman when our Sauiour had well schooled her was content euen with t mat 15.27 Crummes of mercie u Pro. 27.7 The person that is full despiseth an hony combe saith Salomon but vnto the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweet Though a man haue formerly bene obstinate and stubborne and * Psa 50.17 hating to be reformed hauing x Is 48.4 a necke as an iron sinew and a brow as brasse yet if he be once brought to see himselfe as it were at the brinke and hell gaping to receiue him and the eternall waight of Gods displeasure readie to ceaze vpon him then you shall find him tractable mourning like Ephraim y Ier. 31.18 O Lord conuert me and I shall be conuerted yeelding meekely with Paule z Act. 9.6 Lord what wilt thou that I do running to the Minister like the people to Samuel a 1. Sam. 12.19 O pray to the Lord thy God that I dye not And they which now count euery Sermon to be the burden of the Lord and are readie to say to the Seers See not and to Prophets prophecy not vnto vs would then run about vs and hang vpon vs as they did of old vpon Moses when they saw the glory of Gods maiesty talke b Exod. 20.10 thou with vs and we will heare they would importune vs and call vpon vs as the rulers of the Sinagogue did vpon Paul and Barnabas c Act. 13.15 that if we haue any word of exhortation we would say on These would be the fruites of this feeling and all shewes of longing are but shewes which fetch not their first beginning from this deepe apprehension of the wofull and distressed estate of a mans own soule So then now thou seest there is some cause that I should be suspicious of thy pretended longing For if when I looke into thee if when I conferre with thee if when I obserue thy course I see thee to be such an one as the greatest part a man d Zeph. 1.12 Frozen in the dregs one that e Deu. 29.19 blessest thy selfe in thy heart one that knowest not how thou art poore and f Ro● 3.17 wretched and miserable blind and naked one who standest in no awe of Gods iustice one whose g Ps 119.120 flesh trembleth not for feare of God neither art afraid of his iudgement one that yet vnderstandest not what it is to be a sinner and how h Heb. 10.31 ● fearefull a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God one that i Mal. 3.14 deemest it vaine to serue God and a meere folly to be so religious as some would be in a word one k 2. Tim. 3.5 who contentest thy selfe with a shew of godlinesse without any power of religion How should I suppose it possible for thee to long to be saued when thou canst not tell out of thine owne feeling what it is to need saluation Shall I thinke he longeth to be cured who though it may be he is sicke yet feeleth it not Shall I