Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	affliction_n	great_a	sin_n	1,620	5	5.2580	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41485	The Christians engagement for the Gospell opened in foure sermons on part of the third verse of the Epistle of Jude : also, Christ's approbation of Maries choyce, or, A sermon preached at the funerall of Mris Abbott in Saint Stephens Colman-street, London / by Iohn Goodwin ...	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1641 (1641)	Wing G1159; ESTC R8016	73,347	410

his kinde and doth not degenerate into the disposition of the brutish creature that is beneath him and this is that that is so highly pleasing unto God And hence it is that the feare of God and his service and the add re●●●ment of the creature unto him are stil commended unto us in Scripture under the name of wisedome understanding c. And unto man he i. God said the feare of the Lord is wisedome and to depart from evill is understanding Ieb 28. 28. As if hee should have said therefore holinesse and the feare of the Lord are required by God of the creature because they are his wisedome or understanding or because hee shall shew himselfe wise or understanding by the practice of them And doubtlesse all duties whatsoever are comprehended in that one word of the Apostle emphatically understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. quit your selves like men 1 Cor. 16. 13. And so the ground and reason of the wrath and heavie displeasure of God against loose and sinful men is ever and anon certified under the name of Foolishnesse It is a people of no understanding therefore hee that made them will not have mercie on them and hee that formed them will shew them no favour Esay 27. 11. Implying that the only quarrell or controversie the Creator hath against his reasonable creature Man is the letting fall of that great and noble principle of his creation within him his reason or understanding or a suffering of that in its way of degeneration A third reason of the Doctrine why this contending and striving for this incorruptible crowne of righteousnesse with so high a hand should bee so highly approved by God is Because such a man will take the God of heaven along with him in his way will bee ready and able to doe great things for him on earth such a man will make the Altar of his God fat and inrich the treasurie of his glory will rejoyce over his Lord and Master to doe him all the good hee can to honour him with all hee hath will make the crowne of glory to flourish upon the head of Iesus Christ his Lord yea that man that is resolved indeed to quit himselfe like a man for the Kingdom of heaven seeks it with his whole heart is ready if it were possible to part with it when he hath obteined it and bestow it upon him that hath given it unto him if he stood in need of it He that loves God like a God and heaven or salvation is nothing else upon account but God injoyed in fulnesse or to the height will bee willing to part with God for Gods sake i. if his glory so required it and much more with all the world as we see in Paul whereas hee that despiseth or hateth his owne soule as Solomons expression is that under-prizeth the great things of eternity that pincheth and spareth all that hee dares in his paines and indeavours and is still afraid lest hee should doe too much that is in his owne interpretation any thing at all more then needs must to bee saved such a man will never bee but as a dry and barren wildernesse to the God of heaven Iesus Christ will never be great of his making Hee that longs with any earnest longing to see his God face to face will not be afraid to looke the Divell and all the powers of darknesse and all the terrible things of the world in the face hee will make glorious pastime with Lyons and Beares and Dragons and be ready to plead the cause of his God in flames of fire This is given for a reason why Moses refused to bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to injoy the pleasures of sinne for a season to esteeme the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt viz. because hee had respect to the recompence of reward as if it had beene said had hee not had a good minde to heaven and beene resolute to take all opportunities and advantages that way for the making good that great piece the world would have gained him in and God and his Christ should have lost the great and honourable service which hee did for them This is a third reason The fourth and last reason why God so highly approves and accepts this labour and travell of the soule for heaven is because such a man furnisheth him with fit matter to worke upon in that kinde of worke wherein of all other hee is chiefely delighted such a man is as fine clay in his hand ready prepared to make a vessell of honour God may poure out abundantly of the riches of his bounty upon such a man in his reward and make him as great in heaven as he desireth such a mans way and noblenesse of spirit will beare a great weight of glory and that in such a way and upon such termes that he that layeth it upon him shall susteine no losse nor prejudice by so doing For this is the case the great and glorious God of heaven hath abundance of heaven by him and infinite treasures of glory which burne in his hand as wee use to say and hee is pained as it were within himselfe till they bee bestowed according to his minde and this must bee amongst the children of men Hee hath prepared and framed many crownes of glory and he longs to finde heads to set them upon The world furnisheth him very sparingly with such persons the fearfull and unbeleeving and abominable and lyars c. are not meete to weare them he that hath made them will rather breake them in pieces againe and stamp them to powder then that they should ever come upon the heads of such hee cannot satisfie himselfe in such a disposall of them nor make any thing to his minde of his bounty if it should bee carried in such a way Such an excellent and wise workeman as God is must not make any such loose or staring joynts as it were in any part of his providence and dispensation as to joyne and put things together that have no aptnesse meetnesse or proportion the one to the other as a base earthly minded man or woman and the undefiled inheritance of heaven God will never put these together But when he meets with fit subjects with matter duly prepared to worke upon in this kinde there is no kinde of work in all that infinite variety that passeth through his hand wherein hee takes the like delight and satisfaction as to bee heaping rewards upon the heads of his creatures and to bee employing the treasures of the unspeakable riches of his bounty upon them It is true whatsoever God doth he doth it like himselfe and his workes are comely and beautifull in their kinde and season and have faire impressions of the wisedome and righteousnesse of their great work-man upon them But yet if we consult narrowly with the Scriptures wee shall finde