Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	worship_n	worship_v	worthy_a	18	3	6.9776	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57545	The good Samaritan; or an exposition on that parable Luke X. ver. XXX----XXXVIII. A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell amongst theeves, &c. By Nehemiah Rogers, preacher of the gospel.; Mirrour of mercy, and that on Gods part and mans. Part II	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1823A; ESTC R222130	165,186	261

where will you go to find out Mercy We read that it was the use of the Romane Consors once in a yeare to call the Citizens before them and take account how the Lawes were observed in all their Provinces A messenger was commanded to call the Good-men before him He went unto the Temples and to the Tombes of such as for their virtue in their life-time were most renowned and called every one of them by their names summoning them to appeare before the Censors for which being reprooved he thus answered that sicknesse and age had worne out all the Good-men of the City so that he was driven to go unto their Sepulchers none being left alive amongst them worthy of that name You can apply it The Prophet sometimes when righteousnesse was taken up into the Clouds and the Earth void of it cries unto the Heavens that they would drop downe Righteousnesse again So let us seeing the want of mercy amongst men cry out O ye Heavens drop downe mercy And with David Helpe Lord Psal 12.1 Lamenting much the decay of it as God expects Isay 57.1 And by our indeavours set her up once more every one shewing mercy to his brother as we are exhorted Zach 7 9. 1 Pet. 3. Colos 3.12 Luk. 6.36 So when others misse of mercy as mercilesse people will Iames 2.13 We shall find it for Blessed are the mercifull Mat. 5. This in Generall come we to Particulars The Person succouring is here described first by his country or Nation secondly by his humanity and mercifull disposition By Nation he was A Samaritane Samaria was the City royall of the ten Tribes built by Omri and remained the chiefe seat of the Kingdome so long as their kingdome endured 1 King 16.24 But when Salamansur the Assyrian in the dayes of Hoshea beseiged it and tooke it he carried the Israelites thence into Assyria and the King of Assyria who was as Ezra saith Esur-haddon the son of Senacherib Ezra 4.2 whom he also called verse 10. the great and noble Ashapper sent thither Colonies to inhabit that Region from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Ava and from Hemath and from Sepharvaim 2 King 17.24 Ezr. 4.9 10. Tremel annot in 2 King 17. Cuthah and Ava were parts of the Deserts of Arabia Hemath and Sepharvaim of Syria and Mesopotamia These Heathens as the Text shews served not the Lord and therefore the Lord sent Lyons amongst them which slew them 2 Kings 17.25 Hereupon they sent to the King of Assyria who sent unto them one of the Priests of Israell who were brought thence to dwell amongst them and teach them the manner of the God of the Land who did accordingly and dwelt at Bethel and taught them to worship the true God ver 26.27 28. And hence it was that in many points of Religion they agreed with Gods owne people acknowledging the five Books of Moses using Circumcision and the Sacrifices of the Law ver 32. and looked for the Messiah that was to come Iohn 4.25 But yet they corrupted those points of Religion they had learned with grosse superstition and Idolatry verse 29. In which respect though the holy Ghost saith of them ver 33. They feared God because of some parts of his worship which they retained yet in the next verse it is said that they did not feare God because they worshipped him not according to his Word This their Superstition was the chiefe cause why the Iews hated them and contemned them Nor could they object worse in their venimous slander than this thou art a Samaritane Iohn 8.42 For such they concluded had the Divell they worshipping the Divell under their Idols Now in the History one of these Samaritanes it was one of that Sect and Nation that shewes Mercy and compassion to this poore distressed man Observe then first Doct. How God beates downe the Pride of man by such meanes and persons as we most contemne and esteeme most basely of 1 Cor. 1.27 28. See this in sundry instances 1 Sam. 17 9 42 44 49 51. Iudg. 5.29 4.21 9.53 Acts 12.22 Exod. 8. Vse And therefore despise not the meanest persons nor basest creatures Rom 14 3. Lev. 1● 14 Luk. 18.10 by these God can humble and confound our Pride The Cock in comparison is but a weake creature and yet his crowing doth make the Lyon tremble What is a Bee to a Beare or a Mouse to an Elephant And yet if the Bee do but fasten his sting in the Nose of the Beare or a Mouse creepe up and knaw the Trunke of an Elephant how easily do these l●ttle creatures torment the greatest What creature so swel●ing and of it selfe so incroaching as the Sea And what more weake smooth and passable then the Sand And yet the Sand so easily remooved and swept away is decreed to hold in the raging Element and to break its proud and foming billowes What in appearance weaker then words spoken by a weak poore and despised Minister And what stronger in the world then raging lust And yet God by those tames and subdues these that we may learne to feare his power Secondly Observe Doct. Better dealing may many times be found from those that are wicked and superstitious then from such who professe better You have heard what Profession the Priest and Levite did make and who the Samaritan was and how short he came of them you have also seen and yet here he shewes mercy when they shew none at all see Luk. 17.16 That we give no offence give me leave to explaine my selfe in these foure Conclusions First Where the true feare of God is not no good dealing can be expected or looked for but the contrary Gen 12 12.20 21. Hos 4.1 2. Ier. 5.7 7.9 10. Rom. 1.25 26 29. 3.18 Mich. 7.5 We see this also in the example of the Sodomites Gen. 19.9 And in the Inhabitants of Gibeah towards the Levite and his wife Iud. 19.22 So that where men are without the feare of God and knowledge of his name they are abominable in all their doings and to every good work reprobate Secondly no better dealing is to be found then where the true feare of God is Those who are truly religious who know God and feare him will deale well none better Gen. 42.18 Exod. 1.17 Psal 111.10 Such are best Husbands Gen. 21.12 Best Wives 1 Pet. 3.6 Best Masters Gen. 18.19 Act. 10.7 Best Servants Gen. 14.14 24.2 Philemon 11. Best Children Gen. 22 9. Thirdly It sometimes so happens that better dealing may be found amongst Idolaters and those who are superstitious then amongst such as are very forward Professors of Gods name and feare Thus Ieremias found more favour amongst the Chaldeans then his owne people The men of Anathoth they sought his life Ier. 11.21 And put him in Prison Ier. 37.15 when the other knock off his Chaines set him at liberty give him victualls and a reward as you read Ier. 39.12 40.4 5. So David

alienae miseriae in nostro corde compassio Aug de civ Dei lib. 9. cap 11. A fellow feeling in our hearts of anothers misery So that it looketh not into the cause but into the present state and condition Now man is nothing els but misery and calamity as saith Heredotus and miseria res digna misericordiâ misery is a thing worthy of mercy Vse This then meets with those who to spare the Purse will object against the Person if they can catch at some exception against the party to be relieved whereby to perswade themselves that he is not capable of their mercy be his necessity what it will be they are then safe Object The world is bad say they and though there be some good yet this man is naught and wicked it shall be but cast away what is given Or he is mine enemy and hath done me wrong and many such like pleas men bring to deceive themselves withall 1. Say that the world is bad and but few are worthy Resp what then Doth the Husband man refuse to plow and sow or occupy a Farme because most ground is barren This maketh him more carefull to choose his soyle and more painfull in the manuring and husbanding therof Excellently speaketh Saint Chrysostome to the Point Chrys de Lazàro con 2. Tom. 2 col 1350. What excuses saith he and delayes would many make if God had commanded us to search out the life and conversation of the poore and then to shew mercy on them But now God hath eased us of all this care why then do we pluck upon our selves unnecessary cares It is one thing to be a Judge an other thing to be a mercifull man When we give an Alms though it be to the unworthy yet it is an Alms If wee bee curious about the unworthy perchance allso the worthy may escape us Now it is farre better to doe good to the unworthy for the sake of the worthy Nazianz. than not to doe good to the worthy for the sake of the unworthy 2. Say that he who asketh thy reliefe be wicked and unthankfull and thou knowest him to be so yet mans nature is to be pittied in an evill man So Aristotle sometimes answered for himselfe in the like case Laert l. 8. cap. 1 ●u●anitati dan●an si non ipsi homini Arist And he that gives an Almes unto a sinner not because he is a sinner but because he is a man relieveth not a sinfull but a righteous poore man because he respects not his fault but his Nature Again set before thee the example of God himselfe who ceaseth not to shew mercy to those who blaspheme his name c. Mat. 5.45 The force of this Argument compelled a Pagan to say That it is the part of liberality to give to every one that asketh therin and to imitate God If thou dost imitate God saith he give also to the unthankful Seneca l. de benefi●tjs l. 7. c. 32 And again is he unthankfull He hath therin not injured me but himself I have done my duty when I gave nor will I for this give more slowly but with greater diligence for what I have cast away upon this man I shall find amongst others Yea I will give unto the same man againe and like a good Husbandman I will overcome the barrennesse of the soyle with my care and painfull tillage neither is it any great matter to give and loose but to loose and give 3. But he is mine enemy Object and hath done me wrong shall I give to him Respon Take the answer from the mouth of Saint Paul himselfe Rom. 12.20 Thou shalt in feeding him Magnificentissime bonitatis est ut tuum quoque inimicum dil●gas Aug. E●ch c. 73. if he be hungry and by other such like works of mercy Heape coales of fire upon his hea● not to consume him but to purge away his rancor and of an enemy to make him become thy friend You may read 2 King 6. How full of bloody purposes the Syrians came to Dothan Elisha calls upon the King of Israell whose fingers itched to be dipt in their blood having all their throats at his mercy to set bread and water before them that they might eat and drinke and so send them away full of good cheare and jollity This was done and they hereby were overcome So that the bands of Syria came no more by way of Ambush or incursion into the bounds of Israell as you read verse 23. See a victory got and no blow given to them Philip King of Macedon being councelled to punish one Archadius who continually rayled on him Plut. would not but when he met him spake kindly to him and would still be sending to him gifts And then willed his friends to enquire what he said of him amongst the Greekes This they did and told the King that he was now become a great praiser of him the King replied I am then a better Physitian then any of you all It is likewise reported of him that the like course he tooke with Nicanor and it had the like effect Plut in Apol. reg For ever after Nicanor in what company so ere he came would extoll and praise the King which being related to him by his friends he said unto them Videtis in nostra est potestate bene vel malè audire It lyeth in our power you see whether wee will bee well or ill spoken of The like I might tell you of Alphonsus King of Aragon who sent to one that rayled on him a Purse of gold and being asked the reason he said Doggs when they barke must have their mouthes stopped with a morsell and indeed we see the curstest doggs will by casting them a piece of bread be quieted as Esau was by Iacobs present which he sent This is then a most noble revenge and the onely way to overcome an enemy Shall I bring an Example nearer home A malefactour in birth and Person a comely Gentleman was sentenced by a Judge in Person somewhat deformed the condemned falls a tayling at the Judge calling him a stigmaticall and bloody man The patient Judge for that time reprived him till the next Session which being come and he produced The Judge asked him if his choller were spent he redoubles his invectives The Judge reprives him again as loath to let him die in such a desperate condition After he sends for him to his Chamber asketh him if yet he were better pacified still he continues his raylings The Judge said God forgive thee for I doe and withall flung him his pardon Wherat the Offender was so astonied as that he would none of it unles the Judge would pardon his malice and receive him into his service the Judge did so and found him so faithfull that dying he left him the greatest part of his estate Quest. But are all bound to do this Resp The Papists say those Scriptures Mat. 5.45 Rom. 12.14 20. and such like