Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	let_v	3,168	5	4.0636	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28594	A sermon against persecution preached March 26, 1682, being the 4th Sunday in Lent (on Gal. 4:29, part of the Epistle for that day) and the time when the brief for the persecuted Protestants in France was read in the parish church of Shapwicke ... / by Sa. Bolde ...	Bold, S. (Samuel), 1649-1737.	1682 (1682)	Wing B3488; ESTC R19364	31,668	42

made such an entrance for it into the World as could never be stopt up or hindred till Sloth Carnality and Superstitious conceits had corrupted the Minds and Lives of it's Professors and this happ'ned after they were burthened and over loaded with Honours Ease Preferments and a multitude of unnecessary and Superfluous outward Accommodations The Saints and people of God have met with the same Treatment in all Ages This has been their Lot and Portion when they have lived amongst wicked loose People And we generally find that they took great Satisfaction in it Our blessed Saviour was used thus himself How was he reviled scorned reproach't falsely accused Spit upon Buffetted Whipt and at last disgracefully Crucified by a degenerate inhumane People You see the greatest and most absolute Innocence is not safe from the Malicious rage and violence of ungodly men The Apostles presently after were served in the same manner And when they were Scourged to render them a publick scorn and reproach they went away rejoycing that they were counted worthy to be thus used for Christ It is one part of the Vocation you are called to to suffer for Christ Phil. 1. 29. The more that wicked men do Load you with Contumelious Language and oppressive Fines and Mulcts or do inflict on you Corporal Punishments and Torments the more they do to raise you to the Likeness of the blessed Jesus And indeed it is not the least matter of rejoycing that they who Persecute you are only such as are born after the Flesh Your Enemies are they that are Enemies to God and Christ worldly sensual Devillish men who glory in their Shame who make their Belly their God who are Enemies to the Cross of Christ and whose end is Destruction It is a much greater disgrace to be respected and spoken well of by such as these than to have them always spitting out their Venom and darting forth their forked Tongues and Stinge against you They will speak well of none but such as are infested with their Disease They that are the spawn of Satun will undoubtedly have ill will to the Children of God But what a rejoycing is it that by this very means you are so particularly assured of a most glorious Recompence Besides the inexpressible Consolation God will secretly Communicate at present he has provided and in a special manner promised Incomprehensible Felicities hereafter Mar. 5. 10 11 12. 1 Pet. 4. 14. But then you must be sure that what you suffer for be the cause of Christ Let it be true and real Religion Conscience indeed and not any groundless Phancy unreasonable Humor or unaccountable Resolution and stubborness you suffer for Especially beware that none of you suffer as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an Evildoer or as a busie Body in other mens Matters These are the faults and Characters of Persecutors themselves and for these things men ought to suffer See that your Consciences be clear and well informed Take care to understand the thing you contend for Weigh your Opinions and your Practices in the Ballance of the Sanctnary Be sure your cause be Good and then if you are Persecuted and do suffer come under what Denomination you will and let your Persecutors be who they will of how great Power and Authority so ever I dare and will pray that Peace may be upon you and upon the whole Israel of God It is the cause that makes the Martyr tho it is not alway the cause that makes the Persecutor 2ly Let this caution you that you be not guilty of this Sin It will be found at last a very dreadful thing to be a Persecutor for by this means you become fighters against God And dare ye resolutely Provoke the Lord to jealousie are ye stronger than he Did ever any set themselves against God and prosper The Lord Jesus doth take what is done to his Followers and Disciples as done to himself And he will terribly avenge himself of the Adversaries and Destroyers of his People You cannot hurt the People of God but you offend and pierce God himself in the Apple of his Eye And will not God think you avenge his own Elect which cry day and night into him I tell you be with avenge them speedily It were better for you you had never been born or that some fatal and miserable stroke had ended your Lives as soon as you saw the Light than that you should live to be Persecutors Mat. 18. 6. have not Persecutors alway come to some fearful end If you would not pull down divine Vengeance on your own Heads if you would not make your selves and your Posterity infamous to all Generations by inheriting the most dreadful Curses on your Bodies your Estates and all your Interests and Concerns if you would not be the general abhorrence of mankind if you would not Rot away Peice-meal whilst you are alive if you would not be your own unpitied Executioners if you would not be filled with Horror and Consternation by reason of a Wounding Terrifying and accusing Conscience if you would not Purchase to your selves the hottest Climate and Region in the infernal Pit but can be content with an ordinary Damnation if you have no desire to be the worst the most miserable the most Contemptible of all that shall inherit everlasting burnings take heed of this Sin The Devil never feasts so deliciously as when served with Persecutors and Informers How variously and strangely has God testified his Displeasure and Wrath against Persecutors Whole Volumes might be filled with bare Relations Those Judgments have been inflicted on them to make them a scorn an abhorrence and a warning to Posterity which were never known or heard of in the World till they were punish't and made infamous by them And if you be Persecutors God has the same and greater Plagues and Judgments in store for you I know there are few who apply themselves to this Course but they flatter themselves and endeavour to satisfie others with some or other false and pretended Excuses But alas what will these avail you whilst they are so Thin and Hollow not only the All-seeing-God but the ordinary sort of People can see thorough them Unless the cause be too black and horrid to obtain the Patronage of Hell or the Actors be sordid and scandalous enough to make the Devil ashamed of them he will furnish with some pretence to palliate and gloss the Fact But it is not enough that you have something to Plead and say in your own defence amongst men unless it be what will be warranted and approved by the judge of all for if you could so varnish the severity you use to others as to obtain the favorable opinion of the generality of men concerning it what will this avail you if when you appear before the great Tribunal you be found amongst Persecutors All false Colours and meretricious Paint will then disappear Now to secure you from this danger