Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	adam_n	nature_n	sin_n	2,126	5	5.5892	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07213	The tribunall of the conscience: or, A treatise of examination shewing vvhy and how a Christian should examine his conscience, and take an account of his life. By Henry Mason, parson of St. Andrews Vndershaft, London.	Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647.	1626 (1626)	STC 17613; ESTC S112441	37,697	74

comfort in the practice of this vngratefull worke in regard whereof I may truly say and that shall be the clause of this point Either examining will make a man leaue his sinning or sinning will make him leaue off examining III. Thirdly Examination maketh vs indifferent Iudges betweene others and our selues the due performance of this worke will make vs more indifferent and more equall in iudging of our neighbours and brethren For if a man doe not sift his soule and distouer his owne corruption selfe loue and pride br●● in mans nature euer since Adams fall will make him to ouer-weene himselfe and vnder-value others And this is the chiefe reason why men are so fauourable in their owne causes and so peremptory in other mens But if men by sifting their soules haue discouered their sinnes the sense of their owne wants will make them more pittifull towards others as St. Paul implyeth when hee exhorteth men to meekenes towards other men from this consideration because (a) Tit. 3.2 3. themselues were sometimes vnwise disobedient c. And from this (b) Gal. 6.1 Lest themselues also be tempted And where St. Paul saith of himselfe (c) 1 Tim. 1.15 that hee was chiefe of sinners S. Bernard noteth (d) Neque buc dicebat Paulus mētiendi praecipitatia●e sed aestimandi affectione Qui enim persectè exammando seipsū intelligit suo peccato nullius peccatum par esse existima● quod non sicut suum intelligit Bern. de vita solitar ad fratres de Monte Dei pag. 1020. I. that he spake this not falsely out of rashnesse and temerity but feelingly and out of the sense and esteeme that hee had of his sinnes For he that by examining himselfe doth throughly vnderstand himselfe thinketh no mans sinne to bee equall to his owne which hee knoweth not so well as his owne And therefore if men would carefully performe this worke in examining themselues they would not rashly condemne others without cause IIII. * Examinatiō comforteth against despaire This daily reckoning with our selues will be a meanes to strengthen vs against despaire and to comfort vs in a time of tentation and feare For if the Deuill shall present our sinnes before our face and aggrauate them that he may driue vs to despaire then our former practice of this dutie will be a help to support vs two waies 1. Because by often reckoning with our soules we haue gotten the true knowledge of our states we haue found out our sins both which they be and of what quality they are and therefore wee shall not so easily bee deceiued by Satan if hee presse them beyond their pitch and aggrauate them beyond their condition as in times of distresse he vsually doth 2. Because by this daily reckoning and iudgeing of our selues we haue made all euen between God and our soules For hauing confessed our sinnes and censured our selues and fled to God for forgiuenesse we haue his promise of remission and pardon And then whatsoeuer our sinnes be as certainely they are both the fewer and the lesser for the performance of this worke but whatsoeuer they be we know they cannot hurt vs because God hath forgiuen them And these things will be vnto vs matter of great comfort in a time of conflict and distresse at which time a little peace of conscience will bee worth all the world For whereas men that haue liued securely without casting vp of their accounts are in times of tentation ouerwhelmed with horrour being neither able to giue comfort to themselues nor to receiue it from others hee that hath vsed a daily reckoning with his soule will bee moued at the sight of his sinnes rather to blesse God for his mercy because he hath pardoned them than to despaire of his mercy for feare that he will not pardon them V. Fiftly and lastly Examination is a meanes to preuent Gods Iudgement our iudging of our selues in this sort will be a meanes to preuent Gods heauier Iudgement afterward For God will haue our sinnes to be discouered one way or other and will haue vs to be conuicted and iudged for them and if our selues doe (a) Prou. 28.13 Psal 32.5 1 Cor. 11.31 1 Ioh. 1.9 bolte them out and produce them he will couer them and if we accuse and condemne our selues he will absolue and acquit vs and if wee punish our offences he will forgiue them Whereupon St. Chrysostom concludeth that (a) Lectum atque quietem petiturus hoc iudiciū ineas idoneum enim ad hanc rē hoc tēpus est c. Id si quotidie diligenter facies terribili futuri Iuditis Tribunali laetus assistes Chysost Hom. 43. in Matth. pag. 398. B. if a man doe diligently euery day perfor me this worke of examination he may stand with comfort before the dreadfull Barre of the great Iudge But if we neglect this dutie or slubber it ouer without care he will take it into his own hands and will performe it to the purpose hee (b) Zeph. 1.12 will search Ierusalem with candles and hee (c) Psal 50.21 will reproue the vngodly and set his sinnes in order before his eyes and hee will (d) Eccles. 12. vlt. bring euery worke into Iudgement whether it bee good or euill and nothing shall goe for nought that hath beene done against his Law For aut homine puniente aut Deo iudicante plectentur they must bee punished either by our owne censure or by the sentence of God who is the great Iudge of all the world And in this sort our reckoning with our selues will preuent Gods iudging of vs at the last day These and such like be the benefits which wee may reape by this exercise Out of the consideration of all which I thinke I may iustly apply to this worke of Examination that which Moses spake of Gods Word deliuered to the Israelites (e) Deut. 32.47 It is no vaine thing concerning vs because it is our life and through this thing wee may prolong our daies in a blessed and happy state for euermore And this bare consideration is argument enough both to commend the necessity of the worke and to command our diligence and care for the practice of it But yet to set a little more edge vpon our affections we may hence deduce three considerations applicable to our practice and state of life 1. Wee may hereeby see what the cause is why most of vs notwithstanding our hearing and reading and praying and communicating yet do rather decay than thriue in grace For though I will not deny but this defect may be ascribed to some other causes also yet seeing Examination is so vsefull for repentance and so powerfull for amendment and reformation the neglect of this must needes breed a great defect of grace euen as the absence of the sunne which is the fountaine of heate maketh way for frost and snow in the world Nor is it any maruell that negligence in accounting