Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	work_n	work_v	zeal_n	25	3	7.2338	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97297	Hopes incovragement pointed at in a sermon, preached in St. Margarets Westminster, before the honorable House of Commons, assembled in Parliament: at the last solemn fast, February 28. 1643. by Tho. Young. Published by order of the House of Commons.	Young, Thomas, 1587-1655.	1644 (1644)	Wing Y92; Thomason E35_18; ESTC R4946	32,973	44

men to approach to that holy Table even inspite of any conscientious minister of the Gospel which gave occasion to many to keep off from approaching to it whilst they saw such to be admitted to the participation of it and this these courts durst doe notwithstanding the former Law though it was otherwise provided of old when by the discipline of the Church In ecclesia solent a Sacramentis altaris visibilibus homine● distiplina ecclesiastica removeri such were denied the participatiō of that holy Sacrament and not admitted to it The other evill declared by Law to be forbidden is the prophanation of the Lords day against which the prophanenesse of our age may justly challenge at your hands a quickening of these Lawes to suppresse that crying sinne I have observed from the systeme of your Lawes that in former ages some things have beene enacted in this State against that evill also for by publick authority Fairs have beene put off from that day no Court to be kept on it Taylors and Shoomakers have beene forbidden to carry home their ware to their customers on that day some sports likewise have beene forbidden on it c. here were good beginnings of a Reformation which should be improved to the better solemnising of that day O but if you Honoured Senators would be pleased to these restraints to adde more whereby such in whom conscience of their duty is lesse powerfull might be kept off from prophaning of that time which should be consecrattd as a delight and holy unto the Lord how should you endeare your selves unto the Lord and be honoured with renowne in his Church and I beseech you doth not our present condition require this at your hands When Guntberamnus perceived the glory of his Kingdome to be abated and the unhappy successe of his warres with the Gothes whilest he enquired after the causes hereof and sought for a remedy amongst other things hee reproves the prophanenesse of his Clergie and their carelesnesse in not feeding the people committed to their charge then he layes this as a foundation for the remedying of those evils Diem Dominicum religiose cust odiendum esse appointing that the Lords day should be religiously kept So doe you and we may be assured with more confidence that God will hasten the closure of our unnaturall warres Let it not be judged boldnesse in mee to remember you hereof Was it not once appointed Vt humiliter a sacerdotibus Christianorum exeellentia flagitetur ut ob honorem et reverentiam tanti diei cunct is metum injiciant ne in tam sancto die mercatus placita et opera sua homines facere praesumant that Christian Magistrates should be humbly sued unto by the Ministers that for the honour and reverence of so great a day Magistrates should make all afraid that they presume not to follow their Merchandise pleasures or other workes on that holy day speaking of the Lords day These are the two evils the remedy whereof Law hath begun O that God would stirre up your hearts to improve both So should the Lord delight in us honour you and hasten the desired end to our heavy and wasting troubles Know then in a word all you whom God hath ranked in that honourable station to give lawes unto others it is your part to see that nothing be enacted against God to repeal whatsoever of that kinde the ignorance of former times hath agreed unto to maintaine what hath beene worthily concluded before your times and to improve that which they happily begunne but by the iniquity of the times could not perfect this is the duty which God requires of you and thus walking and waiting on God be strong and the Lord will strengthen your hearts Now a few words more to you men fathers and brethren who likewise appeare before the Lord this day to heare what he will speak unto you from his word you have neede also to be encouraged in your places to waite upon the Lord that he may strengthen your hearts in defence of his cause Deborah her heart was not onely upon the heads and governours of Israel Judg. 5. but also on all among the people who went forth with cheerefulnesse against the common enemy of their Religion and Peace Would you be encouraged by God then make knowne your courage in comming forth to appeare for your Honourable heads and governours who stand for God his truth and your liberties Shall the upholding of Religion to you and your posterity be dearer to our ever-honoured Worthies then their owne lives and estates and will not you shew courage in cleaving to them in your just defence shall the rulers with Joab arme themselves with brave resolutions to be valiant for God for their people and the Cities of their God 2 Sam. 10.12 and shall the men of the City not be valorous for their City and themselves God forbid And I beseech you discover your holy valour first in wrestling with the Lord by fervent prayer on their behalfe that they may carry on the worke of Reformation now in hand should not your spirits be roused up to follow God with the sweete incense of your continuall requells to God for his blessing upon this work what though it be derided by the jibing Ishmaelites and withstood by the Gyant-like Anakims of our age yet faithfull prayer that can open the windowes of heaven and draw downe raine from thence can remove these mountaines and levell the way before them to advance the worke holy Ezra was ashamed to solicite an Army of the King to guard him and such as returned with him but resolves to commit all to God Ezra ● 21.2● therefore he did as we doe this day sought God by prayer attended with fasting and happy was the issue Earnestly prayer is knowne to have done that which strength and policy could not doe When that unworthy heretick Arius was incensed against Alexander because he would not receive him into communion with him Eusebius the upholder of Arius threatned Aelxander that by such a day be should be cast from his place banished and his successor would admit Arius into Church-fellowship with him the day before that should fall out holy Alexander goes into the Church falls downe upon the ground and continued with all ardency of affection powring forth his earnest prayer to the Lord to frustrate the attempts of his enemies and would you know what was the fruit of his powerfull prayer in the evening of that day Arius was taken away by an execrable judgement in his sudden death prayer faithfully performed is never without effect it is of a prevailing power with God be perswaded therefore to follow God with prayer for his blessing upon the publick work now in hand ever knowing that the more you are taken up with effectuall prayer the more courage will the Lord infuse into your hearts a praying heart will be bold as a Lyon Secondly let your courage for the Lord appeare in furthering his work with that estate with which the Lord hath blessed you assuredly for my part I must say of many of you and of your forwardnesse herein as the Apostle once spake of the Macedonians 2 Cor. 8.3 11. who were willing to their power to further Gods cause in the reliefe of his members I may say further with him 2 Cor. 9. that your zeale hath provoked many so many have had their hearts enflamed to further Gods work by your readinesse to support the same all that I say herein is onely this consider that the worke is great and many withdraw their helpe yet goe you on with cheerefulnesse though the charge be great it will quit all the cost when God shall give you or yours to see Zion raised up in beauty Thirdly if God call any of you to be an instrument in your places to further the work let your hearts be filled with courage and your hands active with all faithfulnesse to fulfill what in required of you in your Sphere many other things I might adde as ingredients into this cordiall for raising up your hearts with courage to waite upon the Lord but I shall conclude all as I begun Be of good courage the Lord shall strengthen your hearts all you that waite upon the Lord. FINIS

and it is also true that in their passage they met with foule weather at sea whereby they were in danger of suffering shipwrack but what of all this did not the Lord arise for their comfort still the stormy tempest and gave them safe deliverance Gods children in all the tempestuous stormes they meet with in fulfilling Gods commands had recourse for comfort to the Lord even upon this ground because God sent them on the errand wherein they meet with trouble Amos was crost in his Ministery and complained of by that wicked Priest unto the King hee was in a great strait yet he beares up his courage upon the Lords command See it Amos 7.14 15 God is with all them that execute what hee commands Such may well say as Elijah to his servant Feare not there are more with us than bee with them that are against us To the last sort I meane such as despaire of the successe of businesse undertaken by the warrand of Gods Word thoughts of that nature must not abate their courage nor hinder their valour from prosecuting that whereunto they are called but must remember it is their dutie to fulfill what they are called to and leave the successe to the Lord so did the three Children as we heard It is a maine sleight of Satan to draw a man to vex and torment himselfe about the successe of his just undertakings and therein hee doth disable a man from going on with courage all these justly from hence to bee reproved The third proposition reproves them that labour not to improve the graces they have received not considering how with the unfaithfull servant lapping up his Talent in a Napkin they not onely prevent themselves of receiving more but make way to bee stript of all they have I can but onely name these things unto you Vse 2 Our second use is for exhortation here will I joyne the first and second proposition together that is bee exhorted to bee valourous for the Lord that you may bee blessed of the Lord with a further degree of spirituall and undaunted courage in managing of Gods work And to the end you may grow valourous for the Lord I desire every man to consider First his owne weakenesse and insufficiency to any worke that is pleasing to the Lord assuredly hee that goeth on in the confidence of his owne strength when hee comes to bee opposed hee shall by wofull experience finde his valour to faile him and his courage to bee gone who was more strengthned in his courage to prosecute the cause of God then that holy Apostle Paul was or who could adventure more to advance it then hee did and would you know from whence did his courage arise take it in his owne words not saith hee 2 Cor. 3.5 that wee are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God there was the first step from whence hee ascended to that valour the due and serious consideration of his owne insufficiency made him sticke close to the Lord for helpe Secondly let a man weigh with himselfe that God hath called him to the worke thereby shall his heart bee fortified also thus did David encourage Solomon saying The Lord hath chosen thee to build the house of the Sanctuary 1 Chron. 28.10 bee strong therefore and doe it Thirdly let such consider that God will ever bee with such as hee calls to any work you know how the Priests were to animate the people when they were to goe forth to warre against their enemies they were thus to speake unto them You are come this day unto battell against your enemies let not your hearts faint neither feare nor bee amazed Deut. 20.1 3 4. nor adread of them O but the people might have replyed their Horses and Chariots are in our eyes our adversaries goe beyond us in number yet for all this they must not bee dejected with feare and why For the Lord your God goeth with you the consideration of Gods presence going along with them whom hee hath called to any hard undertaking must raise up their hearts to carry on that work Fourthly suppose that such meet with dysasters in following of Gods work yet if they would bee fortifyed against them behold God hath promised that all things shall work together for the best unto them that love him Therefore if thou beest crost in prosecuting of Gods worke for the present yet that hinderance shall be as a vantage-ground to take thy rise to advance it further hereafter Lastly consider there is an ample reward laid up for all them who are stedfast unmoveable 1 Cor. 15.58 and abundant alwayes in the worke of the Lord their labour shall not bee in vain in the Lord. Now by all these motives bee exhorted to stirre up the grace that is given unto you that will make you faithfull to God in laying out what you have received approving your selves to him in your stewardship that will make you usefull to the Church of God where you live and that will open a way of comfort unto you when you shall come to give up the accounts of your stewardship in the great day of the Lord. Vse 3 My last use should have been a word of comfort with which I desired to have dismissed you and in it I would have spoken to such as wait upon the Lord whose hearts I desire may bee raised up with strength to wait further on him but I dare not presume upon your patience too farre therefore I say no more in it then what the Lord hath said in my Text All you that trust in the Lord bee strong and know for certain that God will strengthen your hearts You have heard the particulars considerable in the Text Applic. to the Parliament and in generall how they meet with many by way of just reproofe as also how they may serve for the quickning of some and raising up of others with comfort Now give mee leave with Your patience to bring home all by a more particular application to all you that stand here this day before the Lord In the first place Honorable and dearely beloved in the Lord my desire is with all due respect to your great and weighty imployments and your personall worth to point forth unto You in a word or two the way to the true valour mentioned in my Text well beseeming such as are ingaged in the cause of the Lord that God may strengthen your hearts and comfortably crowne your great employments with a happy and desired issue in the end for this cause consider I beseech you First what God hath called you unto Secondly what he now requires to be done by you whilest you are strugling to advance that worke both which being closely followed you may expect of the Lord both present comfort and a happy closure of your just undertakings First cast your eyes upon your present employment which I crave may be weighed by

you in the ballance of the sanctuary The work you are now called to is a work of great concernment it is the purging of the Lords floore as it hath reference both to the Church and Common-wealth a work sure enough to be encountred with great oppositions yet I must say it is a worke with the managing whereof God hath not so honoured others which have gone before you in your places but hath reserved it to make you the instruments of his glory in advancing it and that doth much adde unto your honour Was it an honour to the Tyrians that they were counted amongst the builders of the Temple Ezek. 28. when Hiram sent to Solomon things necessary for that worke how then hath God honoured you reserving to you the care of re-edifying of his Church the house of the living God and the repairing of the shattered Common-wealth so farre borne downe before he raised you up to support it that succeeding ages may with honour to your names say THIS WAS THE REFORMING PARLIAMENT A worke which God by his blessing upon Your unwearied paines hath much furthered already whilest he by you hath removed the rubbish that might hinder the raising up of that goodly structure appointed and prescribed by the Lord in his word Lastly a worke which God never in any age perfected but through many difficulties to his people This is the worke You are called to then let me say to You in the words of my Text be strong and of good courage the Lord will strengthen your hearts and would You have Your hearts fortified with this soveraigne cordiall then see you follow what the Lord requires of men imployed by him in such a work that you striving to that may attaine unto the other For this cause let me in the name of Jesus Christ in whose name by Your command I stand now before You crave of you to see to your carriage First as you are Christians Secondly as You are publick persons entrusted with the managing of the Lords worke First as You are Christians so have You need of courage and if you would have your hearts strengthened with it then in your thoughts looke backe againe to that which was spoken in our second proposition to wit keepe to the work to which you are called let not your hearts be carried on in the confidence of your own parts but rest upon the Lord for his strength see how God hath carried you through many straights already and learne to depend on him for the future committing the successe of all to his wisdome and goodnesse to all which I humbly pray remember that as you appeare for the truth so you must stick to it First in the profession Secondly in the practise of it Truth should be deare to all that professe it the truth which is brought from heaven by the Lord Jesus Christ the word of his Father which he hath sealed with his bloud the truth the profession whereof hath beene watered with the bloud of your Noble Ancestors that have gone before you for this truth let me spake to you in the words of holy Jude and exhort you to contend earnestly for the same Jude 3. love to the truth and well ordered zeale for the same well beseem's all that professe the truth especially such as are in authority and high places of dignity though the world judge it a thing beneath great places therefore if any question about it should be raised up before you albeit the world would perswade you to be of Galli● his mind who cared for none of these things Act. 18.17 yet I pray take notice that the God of truth hath led men in authority to higher thoughts of it which hath made them sticke closer to it then with a lukewarme disposition to stand by and see it trodden down was it not commanded by the Imperiall Edict of the Emperour Justinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man should bee suffered so farre as to change one syllable of the Orthodox Doctrine of the Church in the mystery of the sacred Trinity why because the Verity of the Christian Faith was comprehended in the words and syllables Wee know also what stirres Satan raised up in the Church about one Letter in opposing of the Truth whilest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was cryed down by the Arians and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleaded against by the famous Lights of the Church When the Emperours Deputy dealt with Basil the great to enter into communion with Budoxius hee answered with resolution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That none trained up in holy Scriptures would suffer one syllable of divine truths to bee betrayed but were ready if it were required to suffer any death in the defence thereof here are precedents worthy of your imitation to raise up your hearts to shine before others in the close profession of the truth and the rather because such is the waxy disposition of the people that the example of superiours ever makes a deep impression upon them either in cleaving to the Truth or departing from it for if such as are heads to others bee not well-affected to the Truth what can bee expected of their followers the Books of Kings and Chronicles in Judah and Israel do tell us the people are ever carryed on by the example of their Governours when either they cleaved to the Truth or turned their backs upon the same so went the disposition of the people either for or against it and so fell it out in the Christian Church how was the Easterne Empire polluted with execrable Arianisme whilst yet the Westerne continued in the Truth the Historians give the reason of it Constantine an Arian ruled in the East when at the same time Constans and Constantius Sonnes to Constantine the Great treading in the steps of their pious father adhered to the truth professed by him and so did as farre ennoble the westerne Empire with the truth as the other did defile the easterne with his countenancing of error and heresie I spare to bring forth before you other instances especially speaking to such as are not ignorant of any thing I can produce onely let mee renew my humble motion unto you Set your hearts to stand for the profession of the truth if you would have the God of truth to fill you with courage firmely by your endeavors to settle his truth amongst us In the next place the man that would bee valorous for the truth must looke as well to his practise as to the profession of the truth the truth must bee held out before the world in profession and a holy practise must warrantably evidence the life and power of that profession for seeing God hath coupled these together profession and practise of the truth no man must seek to part them in himselfe bee you then holy men in your practise you professe to all the world this day the Nation rests assured of you that you seeke to advance the