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A13070 A fift proceeding in the harmony of King Dauids harpe That is to say, a godly and learned exposition of 5. other moe [sic] psalmes of the princely Prophet Dauid: beginning with the 68. and ending with the 72. psalme, being the last part of the first tome, or one halfe of the booke of psalmes. Written in Latin by the reuerend Doctor Victorinus Strigelius: professor of diuinity in the Vniuersity of Lipsia in Germanie. Anno. 1576. Translated into English by Richard Robinson citizen of London. 1594. Seene, and allowed.; Hypomnēmata in omnes Psalmos Davidis. Psalm 68-72. English Strigel, Victorinus, 1524-1569.; Robinson, Richard, citizen of London. 1598 (1598) STC 23363; ESTC S113498 57,243 82

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particle must we diligently consider where he saith I paide them the things that I neuer tooke That is he hath peformed our duties for euerie bond is cancelled and made voide when the debt is paid neither is it materiall whether he that oweth the debt do pay it or an other for him Then this our Redeemer tooke quite away or rather frustrated our obligation wherein wee were bound to the curse of the lawe and euerlasting punishments because he performed for vs the dutie by vs owing to the lawe according to that saying Galat. 3. 13. Christ being made a curse for vs redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe God thou knowest simplenesse and my faultes are not hid from thee How great humilitie was that where Christ prostrating himselfe before his father did beare his wrath as if he had polluted himselfe with the most heinous sins of all men This is no Rhetoricall spéech nor vaine amplification but indeed such was the sorrow of Christ taking vpon him the wrath of God as if he himselfe had committed these our sinnes But who can at full declare the greatnesse of this humilitie Where the sonne of God yéeldeth himselfe as a guiltie person in so great and grieuous sinnes This humilitie doth Paule with excellent wordes thus describe 2. Cor. 5. 21. Him that knewe no sinne made hee sinne for vs that by him we might bee made the righteousnesse of God Most trulie said Aristotle Iustitiam esse Hespero Lucifero formosiorem Iustice is more beautifull farre then the morning or the euening starre For there is nothing better nor more excellent then the congruencie with the whole law which is a rule of righteousnesse in the will of God Contrariwise nothing is more filthie then sinne wherewith God is horriblie angrie For the Sonne of God taketh and turneth vnto himselfe this deformitie and bestoweth vpon vs his obedience that by his meanes wee might be righteous before God But the excellencie of this purpose in God can neither the eloquence of Angels nor of men sufficientlie disclose or manifest vnto vs I do therefore exhort the reader to consider the same diligently and to giue thankes vnto Christ Iesus the sonne of God for his wonderfull humilitie and seruent love towards vs. Let not them that trust in thee O Lord of hostes bee ashamed for my cause let not those that seeke thee be confounded through me O Lord God of Israel And why for thy sake haue I suffered reproofe shame hath couered my face The sonne of God in this verse applyeth his sacrifice vnto the Church for it belongeth unto the Priests dutie not onelie to offer some thing but he must haue therwith a mind to pray for him touching whom the sacrifice is made and testifying that for his sake he performeth this obedience Therefore that these wordes in this place and in the 17. cap. ver 19 of S. Iohn are recited by Christ the son of God we are faithfullite to remember I saith he do sanctifie my selfe for them that euen they also might be sanctified in the truth Againe vers 9. I pray not for them onelie but for all those which shall beleeue in me for my wordesake Here doth Christ openlie affirme that his sacrifice is effectuall not onlie for his Apostles but for all them that embrace the gospell But this application must we firmelie take holde vpon by faith and wee must beleeue that the fruite of this sacrifice perteineth vnto vs and that by meanes of this sacrifice the wrath of god is vnfainedlie pacified towardes vs yea that we are receiued into gods fauour heard and saued by him Therefore saith Paule Rom. 3. 34. We are freely iustified by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whom God hath ordained our propitiator or mercifull Sauiour by faith in his blood So saith he is he thy mercifull Sauiour when thou beleeuest that by means of his sonne Christes death god is pacified with thee This doctrine of application let vs for euer and with speciall care remember I am become a stranger vnto my brethren euen an aliant vnto my Mothers children For the zeale of thine house hath euen eaten mee and the rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon mee The worde zeale signifieth a displeasure in vs driuing awaie the iniurie from that which we loue or striuing that the person whom we loue be not taken awaie form vs As when Sampsons wife was taken from him euen he a man of most mightie courage conceiued great sorrowe and displeasure that for the loue he bare to his wife he woulde either plague and scourge the Philistians or else haue her to him home againe Also by this zeale are manie motions or rather passions of the minde intermixed in men like as Virgill saieth Mixta est Insania luctu Euen with verie mourning mood is mixed motion mad or wood And the Poet Ouid with notable wordes describeth this mixture of affections where hee saith Cor dolet atque it a mixtus abundat amor The heart of louers sorroweth sore and loue abounds by mixture more So Scipio was in person present at thrée battles where he saine his country ouercome These ouerthrowes brought him both great sorrow and enflamed his anger to restore the ancient glorie of this countrie and to subdue or represse Annibal This great affection or rather passion did Christ feele in suffering aduersitie which he must and would needes beare to restore the glorie of his eternall father and to deliuer his Church which he loued feruentlie and knew the would not be otherwise deliuered except the himselfe should be made a sacrifice for her Therefore saith he in this 9. verse The zeale of thine house hath euen eaten me That is consumeth me in that I hasard my life for deliuerance of the congregation which I loue and to vanquish and ouercome those reproches wherewith God is agréeued which bring me great sorrow and prouoke my anger against the balsphemous person I wept and chastened selfe with fasting and that was turned to my reproofe I put on sackloth also and they iested vpon me They that sit in the gate speak against me and the drunkards make songs vpon me Well it is said by Augustine Bona conscientia mihi mea causa opus est sedbona fama opus est propter proximum I had néed in anie my cause to haue a good conscience but I haue néede of a good name by reason of my neighbor For although a guiltlesse conscience maie well scorne lying reportes so far as to the effect of the cause apperteineth because the knoweth that Truth at length wil haue y e victory ouer sclanders yet y e vertuous or noble mind is sore grieued with the lewd iudgments of men and had rather suffer great punishments in the bodie then to heare the poisonfull backbitings stickled on with popular and plawsible arguments Wherefore séeing Christ was tempted by all means as we are tempted except
other some places passiuelie The righteousnesse of God manifested in the lawe is a will wherewith God prescribeth vs to do those things which are right and after a certaine gladnesse of his resteth well pleased with thinges rightlie done and will not haue contrarie thinges to be done by anie but with an vnfeined displeasure repelleth and destroieth them Touching this righteousnesse It is saide in the 5 Psalme verse 4. For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickednesse neither shall any euill dwell with thee verse 5. Such as bee foolish shall not stande in thy sight for thou hatest all them that worke vanitie verse 6. Thou shalt destroy them that speake leasing the Lord will abhor both the bloudthirsty and deceiptful man The righteousnesse of God manifested without the Lawe touching which both the Law and the prophets do beare witnesse is the frée remission of sinnes reconciliation with God and obtaining unto life euerlasting for Christes sake the mediator He therefore craueth in this place to be deliuered in the righteousnesse of God not indeed legall and actiue but euangelicall and passiue as if he saide Though I maie surelie perswade my selfe that I am righteous not indeede by my owne worthinesse but thy righteousnes that is for thy sonnes sake imputed vnto me I also craue this addition namely deliuerance and glorification according to the prouidence of thy wisedome As it is saide Rom. 8. 30. For whome he hath iustified them also hath he glorified That this interpretation is neither fained nor forged the wordes of D. Martin Luther vpon the 42. cap. of Genesis doe witnesse In times past saieth he when it behooued me to reade and praie that part of the 71. Psalme verse 1. Rid mee and deliuer me in thy righteousnesse I trembled for feare in all the parts of my bodie and with all my whole heart I betested that saying Deliuer me not thought I in thy righteousnesse wherein thou art righteous actiuely Therefore passiuelie must I embrace and take holde of thy righteousnesse wherewith I am justified And a little after that hee saieth In times past when I came to those propositions the righteousnesse of God the worke of God thy worke thy righteousnesse they found me worke inough to deale withall Which if they be vnderstood actiuely they are death but passiuely vnderstoode they are life and saluation Be thou my strong holde wherunto I may alway resort thou hast promised to helpe me for thou art my house of defence and my castle Deliuer me O my God out of the hand of the vngodlie out of the hande of the vnrighteous and cruell man All men are carelesse in their doings so long as they haue a refuge and humane succours or defences But when these are once lost verie manie are drowned in desperation and crie out with that Tyrant Desertus ab amicis miser pereo Wretch that I am forsaken of friend I wretchedly nowe my life do ende But amongst these rockes is faith safelie caried and with great care shunneth both of them namelie security and desperation And neither is she puft vp or swelling proudlie in prosperitie neither is the discouraged in aduersitie but howsoeuer fortune fare with her the beleeueth she hath God for her mercifull defender and deliuerer and craueth of God helpe and gouernement and findeth by triall that God doth helpe her according to his promises Dauid had a most large kingdome and dominion furnished with wealth weapons for warre and hoastes of men but hee reposeth not anie thing at all the hope of his helpe in these defences Afterwardes when hee was banished out of his kingdome hee was not discouraged in minde but succoureth himselfe with this consolation Psalme 27. verse 12. My father and my mother haue forsaken me but the Lord hath taken me vp These matters without some vse or exercise in them cannot be vnderstood Therefore is the Church sore charged and burdened with the crosse that faith maie in exercises of the crosse encrease and be stronger which in idlenesse and pleasures is vtterlie extinguisht But Dauid here beseecheth God to defend him not onelie against the violence of his enemies but also against the falshoode of such as he tooke to be his friends For a great deale more doe the domesticall friendes hurt a man then outward enemies do For thou O Lord art the thing that I looke for thou art my hope euen from my youth Through thee haue I beene holden vp euer since I was borne thou art he that tooke me out of my mothers wombe my prayse shall be alwaies of thee He annexeth unto the proposition thrée reasons whereof the first is deriued from Gods promise the second from a former benefit and the third from the cause finall No doubt of it faith beareth her selfe correlatiuelie to the promise of God So often then as mention is made of faith or hope let vs call to minde the promise giuen from God The same then signifieth this verse Thou Lorde art my hope and thou Lord hast promised me helpe and other necessarie benefits So as afterwardes hee calleth to minde the benefites done him before time by reason whereof he conceiueth assured hope of deliuerances in time to come Thou saith he hast brought me out of my mothers wombe and hast bestowed vpon mee of thy most bountifull liberalitie manie other benefits O. vouchsafe therefore to finish and perfect vp the web of thy good will and working goodnesse and doe thou neuer forsake me Last of all Icraue and looke from thee defence against the violence and guilefull dealings of mine enemies not to the ende that I maie liue all at pleasure but that I maie reuerentlie honour thee in thy benefits and be a witness of thy true doctrine I am become as it were a monster vnto many but my sure trust is in thee O let my mouth bee filled with thy praise that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long He addeth vnto his praier an ardent affect of his state For like as S. Paule saith 1. Cor. 4. 9 The Apostles are counted for gazing stockes in the world So Esayas the Prophet in his 8. cap. 18. verse crieth out Beholde I and my children whome the Lord hath giuen me are as signes and as wonders in Israell These complaintes do signifie how difficult and hard a thing it is for vs to suffer the vnrighteous iudgementes of the world for some doe condemne vs of heresie other obiect vnto vs the crime Laesae maiestatis or as detractors of the supreame authoritie But séeing then that godly men cannot without great sorrow endure slanders or reprochfull taunts though vninst it is needful that they holde fast the expresse consolations against vnrighteous iudgements so as they map ouercome sorrowe and beleeue that they are not for such vniust iudgements cast away from god or excluded from the true church Let us therefore euermore looke vpon these sayings viz. Psal 109. vers
thine indignation vpon them and let thy wrathfull displeasure take holde of them Let their habitation be void and no man to dwelt in their tents For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they ●alke howe they may vexe him whom thou hast wounded Let them fall from one wickednesse vnto another and not come into thy righteousnes Let them be wiped out of the booke of the liuing and not be written among the righteous As for me when I am poore and in heauines thy helpe O God shall lift me vp HItherto the first part of the Psalme namelie a prayer full of most sorrowfull affections is expounded Nowe followeth the second part wherein Christ reckoneth vp against the blasphemous Iewes dire and grieuous matters When we read this cursing let vs tremble with feare in all our bodie and let vs scare the wrath of God which is bent against the contempt of the Gospell for If God spare not the naturall branches how much lesse will he spare the wilde branches Rom. 11. 20. 24. 1 And the first degrée of punishments for despising the Gospel is furie and blindnes which wickedly corrupteth the natiue meaning of the worde The impudencie and sawcinesse of the Iewes of late dayes is knowne in peruerting the sayings of the Prophets As when they interpret the 9. ca. of Isay they imagine that the Prophet speaketh there of Ezechias king of Iuda With the same face do they bragginglie striue that the same Prophet in the 53 cap. preacheth not of the Messias or Sauiour that was to come but of the Iewish people So where they busie themselues vpon the ninth chapter of Daniel then peruert with their horrible ignorance and impietie the race of the kings of the Persians so as by all meanes they do but trifle out the prophecie of Daniel Finallie the vniuersall writing of the Prophets which was sometime a table furnished for this people with most wholesome meates is now by their blasphemies no other thing but a snare and offence of falling as in this 23. verse is said 2 The second degree of punishment is perpetuall thraldome and most miserable for although now and then they haue put in practise with warres to recouer their Countrey and restore their Church and policie yet by Gods prouidence being ouerthrowne they acknowledged themselues but to rol the stone with Sysiphus to play at the dice vpon a broken boord that is to be vtterly consumed with vaine contention 3 The third degree is the wrath of God which they cannot by anie meanes escape 4 The fourth degree was the most sorrowfull destruction of their gouernement and of their Temple 5 The fifth degree is that sins are punished with sinnes for they are euerie day more then other become like mad dogs howling stirring vp and heaping vp sinnes and offences 6 The sixt and last degree is the depriuing of them of the life and righteousnesse euerlasting For according to that saying of saint Iohn He that beleeueth not in the Sonne hath not life but the wrath of God resteth vpon him This plague O God vouchsafe thou to turn quite away from vs. I will praise the name of God with a song and magnifie it with thanksgiuing This also shall please the Lord better then a bullocke that hath hornes and hooffes THe thirde and last part of this Psalme is a thankesgiuing which instructeth the reader touching the abrogation of Moses ceremonies The Prophet saith here Hee will not offer vnto God the blood of Bulles and Calues but the true signification of thankfulnes wherewith God is more pleased and delighted then with the Ceremonies of Leueticall sacrifices Well do the Lawiers say Cessante ratione legis cessareipsam legem When the reason or cause of the lawe ceasseth then also ceasseth the verie law it selfe And the speciall reason or cause for which the Lord God ordained these ceremonies was that they should be tipes or figures of one onelie sacrifice taking away the sinnes of the world When this sacrifice was once offered then by good right and reason ceased the Leuiticall sacrifice But what time the Leueticall priesthood flourished the slaughter and sacrificing of beasts without faith and morall obedience pleased not God anie thing at all For it is not inough to do the workes by God commanded except they be done in such order as the wisedome of God hath ordained Nowe then it appeareth plainlie that Faith is the foundation of all worshippings according to that saying of saint Paule Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne 2 The second and next degree is morall obedience which containeth loue and other vertnes according to the commaundements 3 The third degree is the vse of ceremonies which as I said please not God except there be first a foundation laid that is a Pediator acknowledged and that remission of sinnes bee had for his sake reconciliation to God and morall obedience begun anew in the heart of man This order of workes doe manie Sermons if the prophets lay open vnto vs As Isay saieth Cap. 1. 11. I will none of your burnt offerings c. But rather vers 17. Seeke ye iudgement and relieue the oppressed c. Againe the same Isay in the 58. cap. 7. Breake thy breade vnto the hungrie c. And the prophet Micheas cap. 6. 7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes c Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thee surelie to doe iustly and to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God ver 8. And the Prophet Zacharias sayth cap. 7. 6. When yee did eate and when yee did drinke did yee not eate for your selues and drinke for your selves Thus saith the Lord of hostes execute true iudgement and shewe mercie and compassion euerie man to his brother oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine euill against his brother in your heart verses 9. and 10 c. The humble shall see this and bee glad seeke ye after God and your soule shall liue The chiefe blessings which the reasonable or sensible creature hath are Wisdome righteousnesse and ioie in God These blessings being lost by Adams transgression Christ againe by his passion and resurrection hath restored vnto vs For he died for our sinnes and rose againe for our righteousnesse that is through his obedience which he performed in suffring his death he deliuered the church from euils namely from Gods wrath the curse of the lawe sinne euerlasting death and the tyrannie of the deuill But if he had remained still in death and in the graue which was a thing impossible he had not restored those blessings vnto vs which are opposed and set against most grieuous euils To the end therfore that deliuerance should not be onelie the remoouing of euill from vs but also the placing of benefits for vs he rose againe from death the third
Sonne hee maketh his Gospell knowen preserueth the ministerie and giueth the holie Ghost But touching his second comming let vs hold fast that notable saying of Augustine cited by Prosperus Senten 337. Although the Father neuer departeth from the sonns yet is it not saide that hee shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead but the sonne shall iudge them because there neither the deitie of the Father nor of the sonne shall be séene but that forme or likenes of the sonne which he hath vnited vnto him by the mysterie of his incarnation The same forme or likenes in him then shall be Iudge which stood before the Iudge the same shall iudge which hath bin iudged that the wicked ones may beholde his glorie against whose clemencie they haue grudged Such a Iudge therefore shall he appeare as he may bee seene both of them whom hee shall crowne and of them whom he shall condemne But the Father shall not then appeare because he tooke not vpon him the shape of a seruant but vnto his Sonne who was also made Man hath be giuen all power of iudgement Thirdly this first verse confirmeth the Reader to acknowledge Christ not onelie to be the son of Dauid after the flesh but also the verie son of God For God giueth not his glorie vnto anie other as Esaias 42. saith Seeing then he deliuereth vnto this Sauiour both his iudgement and his iustice we must no time doubt but that the Sauiour is trulie and by nature God Fourthlie this verse teacheth vs what are the benefities of this Sauiour for iudgement by the phrase of the scripture signifieth a remoouing of euill and the placing of that which is good and righteousnes is the following of vertue the eschuing of vice Therefore the benefites of this sauiour are Deliuerance from sinne eternall death and tyrannie of the Diuell the gathering of the Church by the ministerie of the Gospell the gift of the holie Ghost defence and preseruation of the remnants of the Church in this life and finally the rising of the godly ones from death vnto life euerlasting You see then what a pithie and profound Orator Dauid is here and what great efficacie and value euerie worde of his hath Then shall hee iudge the people according vnto right and defend the poore There is a diuerse vse of the worde iudgement and in expounding to obserue the same varietie it is profitable somtime it signifieth The taking awaie of euill as when it is saide in the 119. Psalme part 12. verse 1. I haue done iudgement and iustice that is I haue eschewed thinges forbidden and done thinges commanded in other places it signifieth Gouernement So the gouernors of Gods people are called Iudges Last of all to let passe other significations it is taken for mitigation of extreame law as in Ierem. 10. Correct me O Lorde in thy iudgement not in thy wrath least I bee brought vnto nothing That is mitigate the paines which I haue deserued do not deale with me according to the exiremitie of the law This Grammaticall admonition if we rightlie consider this second verse is easilie expounded As if he said I craue of God that he would sende the promised deliuerer that hee would gouerne his people in his righteousnesse that is in abolishing sinne and death that he would restore vnto his church righteousnesse and life euerlasting And defend the poore as if he said Hee will not deale extremelie with suters or poore in spirit but he will take vpon him to defend their cause hee will maintaine them against their accusers and hee will strengthen them and staie them frée and discharged in iudgement Hee will also represse the rage of the Deuill Tyrants and fanaticall persons and he will mitigate the thraldome of the bodies of his seruantes captiued The mountaines also shall bring peace and the little hils righteousnesse vnto the people The mountaines and little hilles are the churches or congregations and their ministers These bring peace in righteousnesse that is they teach That being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God For Who shall accuse the Elect ones of God shall God which iustifieth who is it that shall condemne is it Christ who died yea and rose againe who sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs And againe Iohn 5. He that hath my word and bleeueth in him that sent me hath life euerlasting and commeth not into iudgement but goeth by death vnto life For this righteousnes and peace let vs giue so great thankes vnto God as the whole scope of our liuelie hart can conceiue and let vs eschew all contrarie opinions and religions which trouble this peace He shall iudge the simple folke by their right defend the children of the needie and punish the wrong doer These are speaches Correlatiues as the Logicians vse thus to saie The king and his people c. Now then here bee desribeth the people of this king and the desecription agreeeth with the saying of Sophonias 3. 12. I will leaue in the midst of thee a needy and poore congregation yet trusting in the name of the Lord. For the church liueth an exile in the world and in deede as S. Paule saith 2. Cor. 7 tryeth outwarde fightinges and feeleth inwarde feares Therefore both maner of waies it is a congregation poore and néedefull not onely because it is destritute of humane helpes but also because it carieth about in the heart sorrowes and feares rising from acknowledgement of sinne and the wrath of God but there is a two fold kind of consolation set downe one as the Psalme affirmeth The Sauiour shall heale the woundes of the hart according to that saying Matth. 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye which labour and are laden and I will refresh you The other in that he threatneth punishmentes vnto backbiters slanderers which inflameth mindes of kinges and princes against the Chruch This conclusion sith it is necessarie for the vniuersall Chruch euen then speciallie is it so in the behalfe of poore people and Orphanes which are made open praies for all backbiters and slaunderers They shall feare thee as long as the Sunne and moone endureth from one generation to another To feare God by an vsuall phrase of the scripture signifieth not onelie to feare the wrath and iudgement of God but also in a sort to serue or worship God And the feare of God signifieth all the worship done vnto God or all the obedience due vnto God This verse teacheth vs then that Christ the sauiour is not honoured with expences or outwarde pompe nor tragedies of captiues but with duties by vs done touching which the lawe morall preacheth and therewith affirmeth that the Church shall not bee vtterlie destroied in this world This promise ought to bee acceptable vnto the godlie ones especiallie when the turkish armies are within their beholding which practise no other thing but to destroie the preaching of the gospell and