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	punishment_n	sin_n	1,661	5	5.5146	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01971	An exposition of the Song of Solomon: called Canticles Together with profitable obseruations, collected out of the same. Perused and published by William Gouge, preacher of Gods Word in Black-Friers, London.	Finch, Henry, Sir, d. 1625.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.	1615 (1615)	STC 12113; ESTC S103279	60,898	144

assemblies is very profitable for the quickning raising vp of our soules but I could not finde him but hee answered me not Christ to trie the faith of his children seemeth many times to deale very hardly and vnkindely with them the fountaine of mercy to haue no drop of mercy in him So hee dealt with the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 22. c. First when shee cryed vpon him hee made himselfe deafe hee would not answere one word but turned himselfe away and when his disciples besought him to speake how vntowardly and techely as a man with reuere●ce may say doth hee seeme to answere her ' I was not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell Shee for all that humbling her selfe yet more and falling at his feete in what reproachfull manner doth hee vse her calling her a dogge or rather for more disgrace a whelpe How must not this wound her very soule He that biddeth all men learne of him because he is meeke and lowly in heart to bee so rough to a poore sillie weoman so deiecting herselfe before him but wherefore did he so to discourage or driue her from him No but that her faith being tryed in the furnace might come forth purer then the gold and after many a pluck and wrestle like a true Israelite supported by his Spirit shee might preuaile with God and so at the length he suffereth himselfe to be ouercom by the greatnesse of her faith The watchmen that goe about the Citie found mee A Christian truely repenting will not thinke much to throw himselfe into neuer so great perills and hazards for the recouery of Christ And so is expressed the sixt marke of repentance consisting in a reuenge or taking the peny-worths of our selues for our former transgressions not shrinking now for any danger but running thorough thick and thinne as wee say in the night among the watch to come vnto him All this sheweth the feare that a Christian man hath least hee should bee ouertaken with drowsinesse as he was before which is an other and the last of those seauen notes of true repentance mencioned 2. Cor. 7. 11. And so haue you in this Chapter besides the falles and infirmities of Gods children and how and wherein they differ from other men a worthy example of the cause the means the parts the steppes and degrees and lastly of the notes and markes of their repentance they smote me they wounded me An other punishment of our sinnes is affliction outward trouble and persecution which God is wont to send vpon vs to chastise and correct vs and to make vs come to him the keepers of the walles tooke Those that should bee the greatest friends vnto vs for the truths sake proue many times our greatest enemies such as carrie the name of watchmen in Gods Church whose office it is to encourage and protect vs in well doing none more then they do oppose themselues and discourage vs in the waies of godlinesse my vaile from me This is a great offence and stumbling block to Gods children who by reason heereof lose their vaile that is the hold of their purity and integrity and begin a little to decline and to waxe fainter in the seruing of God I adiure you Till by the company of Gods children in the communion of Saints they begin to take heart againe and to recouer their spirits and so afresh follow after Christ ye daught●rs of Ierusalem The society of the godly is an excellent meanes to stirre men vp and to kindle in them the holy fire of the loue of Christ for with them wee may boldly conferre of such things as the world sauoureth not nor hath any relish in if ye finde c. Yea though they be not come so far as we in comprehending the length breadth and depth of the excellency of the loue of Christ What is there in thy well-beloued c. If to those that dwell in the Church it be strange to see the passions that many of the godly are exercised with in their longing thirsting after Christ what shall we thinke of other men White ruddie fit to heare the banner aboue 10000 his head c. The things which wee are specially to consider in Christ are First his spirituall glory and power shining euen in his humanity His eyes as doues eyes c Secondly The eies of his prouidence or the perfection of the graces of the Spirit dwelling in him whereby hee pearceth euery where and entreth into mens harts seeing the things that are most secret his lippes his pallat c. Thirdly his doctorshippe or Propheticall office Vpon his hands c. his lagges are pillars of marble c. Fourthly his gouernment and administration of the world in glory maiestly and power chrushing to peeces the wicked and vngodly and whatsoeuer doth set and oppose it selfe against him in his bowels is a shining as of iuory couered with Suphires his looke as of Lebanon c. Fiftly The glorifying of his humane nature which he hath purchased by his death and sufferings that me ●ay seeke him c. The fruit of a Christian mans temptations is that other by our vehemency are stirred vp to seeke Christ My well-beloued in gon downe c. I am my well-beloueds c. Christ in the end is found of those that seek him though he absent himselfe for a time as he was of the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 28. And this is our comfort that God is faithfull who will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength but in euery temptation how great soeuer will giue vs a meanes how to come out of it 1 Cor. 10. 13. By mutuall conference and communication of of our faith we haue the same strengthened and nourishe and kindle in our selues a holy longing after Christ CHAP. VI. VERS 1. Thou art faire c. TRue repentance washeth off all the spots and deformities that our sinnes bring vpon vs. terrible as an armie with banners The life of Christian is a warrefare vpon earth For the enabling of him to fight the Lordes battailes God infuseth into his heart an heroicall and noble courage for though hee fall yet he riseth vp againe though hee bee ouertaken yet hee getteth out and recouereth his strength Which maketh Sathan to feare the faith of a Christian because hee knoweth it is built vpon that rocke which the gates of hell cannot preuaile against O turne thine eyes ouer-against me Our slippes and falles must not discourage vs but wee must looke vp to Christ with a liuely faith and bee of good comfort that they may lift me vp For Christ glorieth and taketh pleasure in the faith of his people it reioyceth his heart and he thinketh himselfe the better for it being affected with their miseries and is glad when they are comforted Thy haire is c. The holinesse and righteousnesse of a Christian is not lost by the manifold infirmities hee falleth into But it remaineth firme and

Lattice for now wee see but darkely and in a riddle Shewing himselfe cheerefully Yet neuer the le●●e which is the fourth thing this fight of his is most cheerefull most sweet vnto the soule that loueth him no p●ant no tree no flower so delightfull to the outward senses as Christ is to the true beleeuer My well-beloued spake But the dull heart of a Christian man had neede of the continuall voice of Christ that hee should call and crie vnto vs speake and speake againe arise c. And the same words againe elegantly repeated in the end of the thirteenth verse Yea v●e all art and eloquence that may be to stirre vs vp to seek him my fellow friend my faire one And speak with all kindnesse vnto vs that we may the better be perswaded he doth it for our good And here is the honour a Christian man hath that Christ calleth vs not any more seruants but his friends and fellowes It is Christ that speaketh in the ministery of the Word And we must heare the messengers whom hee doth send as if Christ by them besought vs be reconciled vnto God 1. Cor. 5.20 For behold The cause why Christ withdraweth himselfe is our owne security and negligence in seeking to him our slacknes in prayer and other holy exercises The winter c. The time whilest wee lie in sinne is a heauy and discomfortable time there is no pleasure to be taken in the base seruice of such a master for what fruit can we haue of those things whereof wee must be ashamed the whole life of a wicked man what is it else but a sea of misery full of feares terrours and expectation of the iudgement to come which should make vs hastely and with speed to labour to winde out of it The flowers appeare c. Contrariwise a Christian mans life whatsoeuer the world deeme is the onely sweete and comfortable life like to the pleasant spring that refresheth all the sences as hauing all things fresh and greene and flourishing to the eies all dainty to be cut and pruined with the hands all cheerefull to the eares in the melodious noise and singing of the birds all fruitfull and sweete to the taste all odoriferous and pleasing to the smell For a Christian man hath peace of conscience that passeth vnderstanding which the world hath not nor knoweth what it meaneth a Christian man is full of ioy wrought in him by the holy Ghost whom the world cannot receiue a christian man whatsoeuer his estate bee good or bad strengthneth himselfe in his God as Dauid did when his Cittie was spoyled onely the bare walles left both his wiues carried away captiues and the people ready to stone him to death for well he is assured that nothing falleth out but for his good and in loue and mercy to him a Christian man hath accesse to God in all his troubles and aduersities familiar conference and communication with him goeth boldly vnto the thron of grace a christian man is endued with spirituall glorie and wisedome which doubleth the beautie of his countenance and maketh his face to shine a Christian man hath the holy Angels of God those glorious and most renowmed creatures to be as it were his seruants for they serue Christ with whom he is one Lastly a Christian mans honour is not in regard of this life onely but as a crowne of future excellencie hee hath fastened in his heart the anchor of hope to stay and quiet his minde in all the stonnes and tempests here till he arriue at the hauen of all his rest Arise ● Now the more these things excell the more we must enforce our selues to follow after them to pursue them speedily to goe out of our selues and to come to Christ by anie meanes taking heede that the pleasures of Sodome the filthie pleasures of our former life and of this wicked world make vs not looke backe vnto them but to cast them off with all our might and to flie aware from them My fellow-friend my faire one c. There is not anie so effectuall an argument to prouoke men hereunto and to stirre vs vp to godlinesse as the consideration of Gods mercie and of the dignity we haue by Christ My Doue that dwelleft in the cliftes c. But though the state of a Christian man be such and so excellent as before hath beene described yet to humble him that hee be not proude God leaueth as it were prickes and thomes in his side as he did to the Israelites manifold infirmities which make him to blush for shame and not to dare to shewe his face thinking in very truth most basely of himselfe and that hee is of all the world the meanest not worthie to come almost in the sight and presse of men how much lesse into the glorious sight and presence of God Shew me thy face make me heare thy voice Notwithstanding the testimonie of his conscience walking in simplicitie and sinceritie as before the Lord maketh him emboldned by the word of God to lift vp his head to come before him and to call vpon his name For thy voice is sweete and thy face comelie Which the Lord graciously accepteth and is well pleased with accounting his person holie and his praiers and other the fruites of his faith sweet and acceptable through Christ Foxes It is the perpetuall lot and condition of the Church to nourish in her bosome secret enemies that closely vndermine the good of it for all that are in Israell are not of Israel and manie are among vs that are not of vs but God in his good time will discouer hypocrites how foxe-like soeuer they carrie themselues Take vs c. Some mens sinnes are manifest afor●hand going before vnto iudgement and some mens follow after but those that are of this sort cannot be hidden The sword of discipline is to be drawen by the Ministers and other into whose hand God hath put it for the cutting off of knowen offendours and remouing of all offenses The Foxes Great ones are not to bee spared though they be as iolly foxes as Herod was The little Foxes The small cubbes are not to bee neglected though they can but nibble at the Vines Which destroie the Vines All euill and occasion and shew of euill is to bee remoued so much the more carefully because from little beginnings growe great proceedings and a small offence in the Church of God manie times turneth men awaie from the loue of the truth before they be setled in it Whilest our Vines are bringing forth the first grape Sathan also is euer busiest to seduce and drawe vs from the faith when Christ is first borne within vs waiting to eate vp and destroy the children of the Church as soone as she is deliuered Hereby the vse the excellencie the necessitie of discipline is seene it restraineth offences that they breake not forth it staieth them where a breach is begunne My Welbeloued After manie conflicts with our