Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A86579
|
Sinne's discovery and revenge. As it was delivered in a sermom [sic] to the Right Honorable House of Peers in the Abbey Church at Westminster, on Wednsday [sic], December 30. 1646. Being the day of the monethly publick fast. / By Thomas Horton B. D. Reader of Divinity in Gresham Colledge, and Pastor of Colechurch in London. Published by the order of the said House.
|
Horton, Thomas, d. 1673.
|
1646
(1646)
|
Wing H2882; Thomason E369_4; ESTC R17539
|
41,013
|
45
|
guide me Act. 8 31. This is some kind of pretence for some in their declining of such and such services They have no body to break the yce and to go before them and shew them what to do But this in point of Assistance cannot be said They have others leading them and yet withdraw We are accountable not onely for gosdrules but also for good examples how they have been improved by us and how our selves have been the better for them which not to be has much gui tinesse in it Thirdly III. Discouraging of others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a discouraging of others who from our withdrawing are made more unwilling and provoked to draw back Thus in v. 7. of this Chapter Wherefore discourage ye or break ye the hearts of the children of Israel from going over into the land Teniu And this is amplified from an example of great mischiefs which hereby happened to their fore-fathers in v. 8. so then if ye refuse to go saies he who shall This is a great Aggravation which lies upon these sins of omission not onely that herein we fail of our own Duty but that we make others also fail of theirs occasionally from our bad example And these are the Aggravations of this sin in reference to our Brethren Secondly The second Aggravation it admits also of Aggravation in reference to God himself It is a sin against the Lord. And that in these respects First I. Misimproving of gists As a mis-improving of those gifts and abilities which he confers upon us look how much strength or wealth or wit or policy any have more then others it is not their own but the Churches and for the good of the people of God Now therefore accordingly not to use them is a falsifying in this respect It is a not fulfilling after God v. 11. And this must needs be a very great miscarriage and defect in them Because there where God hath given more even there he does expect and look for more which should be return'd to him in answerable improvement Secondly II. Vnthankfulnes for meâ—râ—â—es As an Unthankfulnesse for his mereies and our own present ease and relaxation These Reubenites and Gadites were now setled in their own Inheritances And therefore by way of thankfulnesse to God it became them to be helpfull to their Brethren We cannot better recompense and requite all Gods goodnesse and mercy to our selves then by pity and compassion to others which want those mercies which we injoy and by an indeavour to help them to them Thirdly III. Betraying of the Church As a Betraying of Gods people and Cause into the hand of his Enemies which by our Assistance might have some furtherance and promotion and a preferring of our own private interests to his glory and truth God himself so far forth as he is capable suffers in the persecutions of his people and their miseries reflect upon him When the Enemy prevails against the Church it does so far forth prevail against the Truth which is profest and maintainâ—d by the Church As therefore we have regard to that we should have regard to this And thus in all these respects do we see this made good unto us That this neglect is a very great sin Now the improvement of this Point to our selves in a way of pertinent and profitable Application may be to keep our selves from this sin and to take heed that we be not guilty of it The Application for our own particulars And that ye may know what I mean and drive at all this while in this Discourse it is that which is most proper and sutable to the occasion of this present Day as concerning the elief of Ireland which is now in so great distresse and brought into so lowe a Condition This is that my Lords which my present Text with the present opportunity leads me to to mention and bring into remembrance That there may besome speedie course taken for the reducing of that miserable Kingdom as to your Wisdoms shall best appear Alas Right Honorable what a sad thing is it that while we are disputing and contesting at Home the Church of God should so much suffer abroad and a whole Nation so neer unto us be quite lost and destroyed There 's a notable place to this purpose in Pro. 24.11 12. Iâ—thâ—u forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slain If thou sayest Behold we knew it not Dâ—th not He that pondereth the heart consider it And be that keepeth thy soul doth not be know it And shall not be render to every man according to his works It is spoken there of private violences and oppressions of particular persons c. which every one in his place is to redresse but is may be also extended and applied to the sufferings of an whole State and the duty which lyes upon Another for the relief of that Where we may observe how the Spirit of God prevents all excuses and shifts which might be made in such a businesse Alas we did not know it we were ignorant of the Condition which they were in we did not think them to be so bad as they are Well sayes he do not please your selves with such pretences as these are for he that pondereth the heart considers it c. That is he knows whether this be a shift and excuse to put off the service or whether there be a truth and reality in it and he will render to every man according to his deeds Therefore I beseech ye let us All take heed how we be wanting to our selves in such a Duty as this is of helping Gods distressed people I say let us A I take heed of it For this Exhortation reaches not onely to those which are interested in the Affairs of State although to them principally but to all others whatsoever in their severall ranks and relations Some by their persons and some by their purses and All by their prayers to put to their helping hand for the driving out of those barbarous Rebels that the land may be subdued before the Lord and that afterward we our selves may return and be guiltlesse before the Lord and before Israel to use the words of Moses in the verse before the Text. This I say is the work of the Day at least in regard of the first originall of it which therefore we ought so much the rather to hearken and listen unto Especially considering that hence the fire first brake out which hath since unhappily reach'd to our selves and not onely touchâ— the top of our Branches but even threatned our very root it self And who knows whether the sire which is in some respects quencht may not from hence break out again more fiercely if it be not better lookt to and prevented that so we may derive our punishment from that which is the matter of our sin As He that will win England so he that
see in the beginning of the Chapter They saw it was a goodly seat where they now were and sutable to their own Accommodations especially for their Cattell and now they intreat to be excused for stirring and passing any further though it should make for the Common Good and Benefit of their Brethren Private respects and interests are for the most part very Great Hinderances and Impediments to publick services Yet this was the present Desire of these two Tribes Aâ—d this Verse which I have now read unto you is a part of Moses his Answer which be thinks sitting to return unto them But if ye will not do soâ— behold ye have sinned c. In which words we have two main Parts observable of us The Division First The Discovery or Intimation of sin Secondly The Threatning or Denunciation of Judgement Two Generall parts The Discovery of sin that we have in the first Clause But if ye will not do so behold ye have sinned against the Lord. The Denuntiation of Judgement that we have in the latter And be sure your sin will find you out We begin first of all with the Forms viz. The Discovery of sin in the first part But if ye will not c. Where we see Moses deals freely and plainly and openly with them as became the Prophet of the Lord and herein approves himself to be that which the Apostle styles him Hebr. 3.2 even faithfull in all his house Before we come to the main point considerable and as principally intended in the Text The first Generall as the particular scope of it here is somewhat which we may observe in Generall The Disâ—eveâ—y of sin as preparatory and introductive hereunto and that in sundry Deductions which I shall but name and touch upon As first for the manner of his proposall Generall Observations and breaking of this businesse to them If ye will not c. We see here he does but make an If of it he does not absolutely conolude it as being willing to hope the best Supposiâ—io wibil pâ—nit in esse as we use to speak There 's no hurt in an If if that be all He had heard what came from them whereby they had given shrewd suspitions but yet he thinks they may at last repent them as indeed in conclusion they did I. The manner of proposall 1 Cor. 13.7 and therefore but If. This shews us how we should carry our selves upon such occasions as these are namely with aâ—l the fairnesse and ingenuity that possibly may be joyned together with a spirit of discerning and fear of miscarriage We ought not to be too rash in our Censures nor peremptory in our Determinations against any without just ground and cause for it but carry it with all the charitablenesse and favourable construction that we can and as the thing it self will admit * Oculus favoris â—â—ga omâ—em labâ—m 〈◊〉 est sed Oculus â—â—videntiae promulgat vitia Arabs Poeta Anonym Thus does Moses in this Text. He does not say absolutely they bad sinned or would so but onely supposes it If ye will not And yet this If of His it was not an idle If neither It was not a supposition without cause There was some ground and occasion for it This smoke it had some fire which went along with it and this fire it had some fuell affoarded unto it And that was that overture which we find these Tribes to have made in the beginning of this Chapter This made Moses to suspect them and to be a little jâ—aâ—ous of them and accordingly here to admonish them and to deal thus freely with them Whereby he would hint thus much unto us That as we must not on the one side be too rash and condemne there where we have no cause so on the other side we must not be too blinde and not see where things are plain before our eyes Either of these is unseemly and ill becoming those who have to deal with others souls But so much in a word of that Again secondly In that it is said here If ye will not do so Observe II. The guilt of Omission that there 's a great deal of guilt and iniquity even in sins of Omission The neglect of what we should do is a businesse which we are accountable for as well as the venturing upon that which we should forbear And we may as well do too little as do too much These Tribes they were not likely to be guilty of any great and notorious Commissim No but they would shrink from their Duty and that work which God had call'd them unto and this would be a sin in them Therfore Moses warns them of it to prevent them in it We are not onely commanded by God to abstain from evill but likewise to do good And the failing in this is such a matter as the people of God are wont to be much grieved and humbled for And so should every one of us That we are no more fruitfull in our places nor diligent in our callings nor watchtu over those opportunities which God affords us puts into our hands That we do and receive no more good then for the most part we do this is ground and matter of serious humiliation unto us yea that even for the duties themselves which for the substance we set upon our hearts are no more inlarged in them That our prayers are so full of coldnesse and our hearings so full of dulnesse and our fastings so full of customarines and our converse so full of unprofit ablenesse as oftentimes it is that we do not rise to that height and pitch and measure and degree of goodnesse which God expects and requires of us This should seriously humble us and cast us down in his sight Yet this is a point which but few lay to heart It may be if they fall into some grosse and hainous crimes whoredome or murther or the like c. they are a little startled at it and their Conscience begins to check them But neglects and leaving duty undone this it seldome or never troubles them Now this is that which we ought to consider and to be affected withall And especially so much the more as we have at any time the greater advantages and opportunities adminiâ—â—red unto us Those which have greater parts then others in matter of wit And those which have greater estates then others in matter of wealth And those which have greater Honours then others and more Authority and Eminency in the world in matter of place These had need to be so much the more shy and wary of these sins of omission which are so much the more dangerous in them Which we learn briefly from this passage before us here in the Text. If ye will not do so ye have finned Again III. The manner of expression thi dly Observe here the manner of Expression First in the specification of the Persons and bringing