Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	appear_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	33	3	8.8902	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41017	Thrēnoikos the house of mourning furnished with directions for the hour of death ... delivered in LIII sermons preached at the funerals of divers faithfull servants of Christ / by Daniel Featly, Martin Day, John Preston, Ri. Houldsworth, Richard Sibbs, Thomas Taylor, doctors in divinity, Thomas Fuller and other reverend divines.	Featley, Daniel, 1582-1645.	1660 (1660)	Wing F595; ESTC R30449	896,768	624

he takes care for them he visits and comforts and assists them in their dying he helps them with strength with memory in their understanding their senses c. 2. He takes much delight in their sweet holy calm deaths and resignations of their souls 3. He takes care of their very bodies too to lay them up sweetly to rest in Repositories or Dormitories as the Ancients were wont to call Church-yards and Graves 4. Lastly he entertains their souls immediately when they are breathed forth and places them In Sinu Abrahoe in Abrahams bosome wheresoever that is to possess present joy and quietness And no wonder that he doth all this because he hath bought them and redeemed them unto himself with so great a price as his Suns bloud and hath graced them with so many gifts and priviledges and hath made over unto them as Co-heirs with Christ so great and large benefits We may make this Use of it to serve for the establishment of us in our belief of him and our waiting on his providence If their Death be so pretious their sufferings also in any kind are dear unto him That word in the Text which is Death and which by the Seventy is ordinarily turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet is taken in the Scripture sometimes for sickness or any affliction Exo. 10.17 For infection 2 King 4.40 For wounds Prov. 26.18 and sometimes in the Septuagint for the soul The very sicknesses and afflictions and dangers and wounds and griefs of his holy ones are dear unto God But especially their souls their lives their good and safety God writes a Ne perdas Touch not Destroy not as a notable caveat for the safety as of Kings most particularly so also of all that fear him and that trust in his mercy I have hastned over these points that I might come to the testimony that I am to give to our deceased Brother Master John Moulson which I may not omit nor to be particular in it having never such a subject of discourse before such an exemplary man I would not be bought to flatter a prophane and wicked great one but here Gods glory in this his Servant and the edification of you that are present require of me that I speak fully for he was Vir nec silendus nec dicendus sine cura He copied out in his life the old way of Christianity and writ so fair after those Primitives that few now can imitate his hand And truly as in a garden in which there are variety of flowers we know not where to pick so in those many commendable parts of his I know not which to choose to present unto you or in what method But you may take notice I. Of his moral parts where I commend four things 1. His Calmness and moderation of affection No passion was observed to be a tyrant in him they had an oequipoise 2. His sober taciturnity an imitable wisdome in this age of talk and pratling 3. His affable carriage and easiness of access by which like another Poplicola he gained reputation and the love of the neighbour-hood where ever he dwelt Some are so hairy and rough like Esau that they may be discerned by their handling and some so churlish as Nabal that a man cannot speak unto them Which sourness and clowdiness of spirit I wish were not a blemish to many that give their names unto religion He honoured it by his sweetness and affalibility 4. His grave deportment and carriage As nothing is more contemptible then a light youthly wanton old man so the gray head and wrinkled cheeks accompanied with sage gravity commands respect from the beholders as that old grave Bishop Paphnutius though he had lost an eye did from the Emperour Constantine Gravity dwelt in the face of this man and his very presence was such as would discountenance the rude and prophane But all these are but mean commendations in respect of the next II. His practice of holiness Where I will observe and commend unto you 1. His unoffensive youth of which they that can remember him since that time are confident to say of him as the Emperour said of Piso Hujus vita composita à pueritia His life was composed and settled even from his very child-hood and then began to sort himself with the gravest company chiesly with that learned and godly Master Christopher Harvy sometime incombent in this Church to whom he was dear He was observed to be so sober and modest in his youth that he was desired to accompany and attend an honourable Nobleman to Oxford where he was very watchful and careful of him and prayed twice a-day with him in his chamber So ready was he to bear the Lords yoak from his youth 2. His unmarried estate which was chast and modest He lived above fifty years unmarried and in that state expressed two vertues his wisdome not to be rash and his care to keep his vessel clean 3. His married estate course of hous-keeping 1. When it pleased God to dispose his heart to marriage he married in the Lord. 2. When God gave him Children he nurtured them and his Family in Gods fear 1. He prayed four times a-day 2. He read three chapters in the old Testament and three in the New every day 3. After dinner he called not for game for digestion but read a Chapter before he rose from table 4. He catechised his children and servants constantly according to some plain form 5. He usually rose early on the Lords day which time he gave to meditation and prayer and what he could remember of the Sermon he usally repeated to his people 4. His exemplary vertues in his whole course of life 1. His meekness and peaceableness of disposition A grace which in the sight of God is much set by and a notable testimony of inward holiness according as it runs Jam. 3.17 pure then peaceable He was not apt to quarrel in matters that concerned him not never being observed to bear a part in any faction a favourable interpreter of things not evident readier to reconcile then to make differences and choosing rather to part with his right then with peace as appeared in a suit known unto many here 2. Though he were meek in his own cause yet he was zealous in Gods He could not endure any thing repugnant to holy Scripture nor would he neglect either seasonably to admonish or reprove the faulty that were within the compass of his admonition or to whet on and exhort others to love and good works 3. Yet his Zeal did not miscarry being allayed and tempered with wisdome as the heart is by the brain and as the conceit is of the Primum mobile with the Chrystalline heaven neer it His wisdome appeared first in his disscreetness in his undertakings and all affairs an argument of which some take to be this That he was never troubled not so much as questioned in any Court concerning any fact Second in

are still looking for this second coming Let me give you but a place or two of Scripture The Apostle saith Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour saith S. Jude vers 21. Keep your selves in the love of God as men that look for the mercy of God at that great day to eternal life Gird up your loyns saith our blessed Lord and let your lights be burning in your hands that you may be as men that look for the coming of the Bridegroom Indeed beloved if we look into the lives of men I cannot tell whether I shall say they look for his coming or no this blessed hope Wilt thou prophane the sanctified day of rest wilt thou blaspheme the great and glorious name of God wilt thou wantonly abuse the creatures of God in drunkenness wilt thou lie and steal and whore and yet tell me thou lookest for that blessed hope surely thou dost not If quoth the Apostle we do look for these things in the place named before 2 Pet. 2.14 Then let us do our diligence that we may be found of him in peace If thou do not thy diligence that when he comes thou maist be found in peace never tell me thou lookest for him There was never time yet for us to lie and wallow in sin to think nothing that we do dishonest there was never time for these things since time was Surely there is no time for it now All the dayes since Christ are called the last dayes all of them are the last dayes since that day of the first Epiphany but there is a day that will be the last of all those last dayes And me-thinks it will not be long before that last day of all come me-thinks I see the day broke already it is break of day already Therefore brethren if you do indeed look for the coming of Christ for this blessed hope at his appearing be diligent that you may be found of him without spot in holiness I have done with the Text. I come now to the occasion at this time You have brought hither a dead body of a very good neighbour of ours and whom I acknowledg I ever found a kind and a loving friend You have brought it here to be laid up in the Grave in hope of a blessed and joyful resurrection I need not speak much of his life here an ancient inhabitant When it pleased God to call me first to this place 26. years since I found him then in the chief office of the Church and divers times since he hath been in it and I have seldome known any more painful and more industrious and more honest in those places then he was We have all known him a man humble in his conversation just of his word true in his promises merciful in his dealing charitable to the poor ready to every good work His life was such a life as the Apostle would have ours to be a life sober and just and pious in this present evil world He lived and lead a life pious in regard of God just in the regard of men sober in regard of himself I can say no lesse of him and I will say no more of him I know you desire to hear of his death and it hath much afflicted my soul to hear what unjust aspertions have been upon the manner of it There was a sudden stroak indeed of Gods hand and it was in my house and seeing that it so pleased God I am glad that it was in my presence and sight that I might give the better testimony of it The suddenness of the stroak made him liable to some misconstruction and hath given many men occasion to passe a very uncharitable and unchristian verdict of him I beseech you let me give you a true naked relation how it was I never knew any men of so peaceable a disposition but there might be sometimes some difference between them there was between Abraham and Lot between Paul and Barnabas and there was between another honest neighbour and him both men of a peaceable disposition They did not desire to go to law they desired the matter might be put to Arbitrators they chose four honest Gentlemen to take up the matter between them they made me as an unworthy Umpire in case they did not agree On Thursday last they met and each of them pleaded their cause And let me say thus that if this brother of ours had been judg'd to do any wrong in that cause if he had uttered one word of falshood to help his cause if he had used one word of imprecation wishing any curse to himself then it had been peradventure a just thing with God to have taken him at his word If he had sworn one oath if he had uttered but one uncharitable word against his neighbour if he had shewed but any malice or spleen against him if he had been but transported with passion as a man may easily be in his own cause we are but men I say if he had been but transported with passion then peradventure some men might have thought it had been the stroke of divine justice upon him but let me tell you I have the witness of honest Gentlemen that were the arbitrators and will justifie First that his cause was good and that there was not one word spoken but was confirmed by honest witnesses present Then he used no kind of imprecation in the world no not as I remember so much as a protestation or any asseveration there was not one oath sworn either by him or by others that were present There was not one uncharitable word spoken by him there was not any malice or ranckour or hatred appeared either on the one side or the other between them he was no way transported with passion He did plead his cause but with that meekness of spirit with that quietness with that sweet temper and that Christian moderation as more could not be required in any Saint of God Therefore brethren let me only tell you thus much while this was in agitation I could not perceive that he was moved at any thing he was not stirred he was not earnest in his cause Till it pleased God to touch him and he had some sense and feeling of it rising from his stool he sate rubbing of his cheek or his neck with his handkercheif He fell upon the neck of a Gentleman that sate close to him who perceiving that he was not well asked him how he did he was scarsely able to give us an answer I perceived that he was stricken with the dead palsie Brethren considering these things that I have told you before I beseech you judge not that you be not judged condemn not that you be not condemned You owe a duty to the truth every one of you and by that duty that you owe to the truth I was about to say I charge you as before God but I beseech you as before God stop the

specially when she was both husband and wife both master and mistris Death making a division between her dear Husband and her self she used to pray her self and those that heard her and have given testimony thereof admired her gifts that way Frequent she was as apeared in her often retiring her self to her Closet in her constant and secret devotion yea also she took occasion of much fasting specially when she heard of the troubles of the Church The cause of the Church much affected her either in matter of rejoycing or griefe she continued it till her dying-day and still her heart was upon the peace of the Church praying for it As thus she exercised her self in this holy manner so she did likewise wonderfully respect those that were the Ministers of God Amongst many others I have heard long ago that worthy Minister before mentioned from whom I have received most of what I have now related speak much of her and of her worthy Husband in this respect The feet of those that brought the glad-tydings of salvation were beautiful to her And as she was careful to testifie her respect to them so she her self gained no little recompence thereby for she was still asking them questions still desiring to have such and such doubts resolved by them As thus her piety was manifested so likewise was her Charity constantly every week giving relief to the Poor ready upon all occasions that she was moved to to open her hands and to open them wide and that again and again not wearied in doing good Sober and grave she was in her carriage and attire and therein a good example to the younger sort And thus she continued even to her dying day full of sweet meditations upon her death-bed my self partaked of some of them Being asked what evidences she had for her salvation she answered good whether she doubted not she replyed no though she were of a tender conscience yet she had laid such a foundation as her faith remained firm She sweetly ended her dayes with prayers of her own with desire of the prayers of Ministers still as they came to her for as she hearkned to and desired the benefit of their counsel when she lived so she desired the comfort of their prayers now in her death thus I say with a sound testimony of her faith and of her good estate she ended her dayes and we may be assured that she is in the Number of those that are Co-heirs of the grace of life I remember the Philosophers make mention of a word which contains in it a kind of collection or combination of all in one I may say of her that the graces and vertues and ornaments of others seemed to be gathered together and to meet in her And so her piety toward God resembleth her to the two pious Hanna's the one the Mother of Samuel the other the Daughter of Phanuel Her charity resembleth her to Dorcas her love to the Ministers of God to the Shunamite that provided a Chamber a Table and a Candlestick for Elisha In her relation to her Husband she shewed her self a true Daughter of Sarah In her relation to her children which she had a Bathsheba and Eunice To others a Priscilla the Wife of Aquila ready to instruct as occasion was offered And so my bretheren she hath shewed her self a follower of those that through faith and patience inherit the Promise It remaineth to us to set such examples before us and to be followers of them as they have been followers of others and as others have been followers of Christ that so walking in their steps we may also be in the number of such as have the comfort of this Text to be Co-heirs of the grace of life which that you may do c. PEACE IN DEATH OR THE QUIET END OF THE RIGHTEOUS SERMON XXXIV LUKE 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy Word IN the Text it self to let pass other things you have First a Request and secondly a Reason upon which the Request is grounded Of each of these in order and first of the first The Request The sum whereof is That he may die Whereof is considerable First the disposition of the servants of God in respect of death viz. 1. A desire and longing after it 2. A care to be alwayes ready for it Secondly the warrant or guid of that desire according to thy Word Thirdly the nature and quality of the death of the Righteous a departure in peace Of each of these apart The point that ariseth from the first branch of the first general part viz. the desire and longing of the Saints for their day of death is this that The servants of God have in them a contented comfortable and willing expectation of death The rise of this Observation is obvious enough one spirit works in all Gods servants and brings forth like effects though not alwayes in the same measure that therefore which is true in Simeon which the very first view of the words import that the coming of Death was expected and desired by him is in some degree verified sooner or later in all that are the Lords Hereunto agrees that of Saint Paul I desire faith he to be dissolved c. And he averrs the same of all true beleevers viz. that they groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with their house which is from Heaven and that they are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 c. The foundation of this desire is the knowledg and right understanding of the truth of that speech of Solomon to wit that the day of death is better then the day of a mans birth They have learned to know that the day of death to Gods servants is the day of freedome from all miseries and of entrance into eternal happiness The miseries of this life which even the best are subject unto are many Loss of goods loss of credit loss of friends aches pains diseases severs consumptions c. bondage under original corruption and the fruits thereof as unbelief pride of heart ignorance covetousness distrustfulness hatred lust c. the buffetings and temtations of Satan society with the wicked all these miseries even the Holiest and dearest servants of God are exercised with and divers of these do make them many times mourn exceedingly and to cry one while O wretched man that I am and to groan out another while Woe is me that I am constrained to live in Mesech and to have my habitation in the tents of Kedar of all these miseries Death is the end to Gods servants And so also it is an entrance into happiness for albeit their bodies rot in the Grave and be laid up in the Earth as in Gods store-house untill the last day yet the soul forthwith even in an instant comes into the presence of the ever-living God of Christ and of

us as proportionable to our extraction God knoweth that the Angels are not Dust and therefore he may justly expect from them and require of them to serve him in altitudinibus in height of performance having a fourfold advantage above men by their very origination First the Angels are incorporeal who can act quicker then I can think My sluggish imagination cannot keep pace with their performances It was but a Poetick fiction that the Spanish gennets were conceived of the Wind. But it is a Theological truth Heb. 1.7 He maketh his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flaming fire Whereas we poor men do drale and drag a cumbersome corps about us which much hindereth us in all our devotions Secondly Angels have no flesh and we have flesh this will some say interferreth with the former Oh no. Our Saviour had a body and that a real one but no flesh in this sence that is no relique and remnant of original corruption whereas we have both body and flesh too in the worst acception of the latter This Esquire of our body as I may call it is over officious in his dayly attendance so that whilst the Wind of Gods Spirit bloweth us one way the tide of our corruption hurrieth us another way a mischeif from which Angels are secured by their nature Thirdly Angels have no World to tempt them We live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middle of Snares so bad that we should not look upon them but so common that we can hardly look beside them Fourthly and lastly Angels are free from any Devil effectually to tempt them should Satan indeavour he could not accomplish it The match cannot be lighted where there is no tinder to take fire Whereas such our corruption it is quickly enflamed with Satans temptations Angels having thus a fourfold advantage above men and seeing they Psal 103.20 Excell in strength whilst we poor mortals exceed in weakness God will expect from us service sutable to the mean matter we are made of and in his accounting with us will give us grains of allowance make favourable abatements and accept of proportionable defalcations remembring that we are but Dust Let me hear make a supposition not only seasable in it self but which de facto we see dayly performed suppose a man had two Sons the one grown to the full strength and stature of a man the other which usually happeneth by the same venter an infant which hath newly learned the method of going alone Suppose further that the Father at the same time commandeth them both to come to him and bring with them somewhat proportionable to their strength in obedience whereunto the man-son bringeth a Beam or Log on his shoulders The Child-son cometh also and what doth he bring with him It is very well if he bringeth himself for every step he stirreth he ventureth a stumbling if not a falling but what if also over and above himself he bringeth a straw or reed in his hand I appeal to you who are Parents of Children others being but incompetent judges of the case in hand to you I say who have paternal affection resident in your breasts and maternal legure in your bosomes whether you would not take it in as good part a reed of your Child-son as a Beam of your Man-sons bringing I trough you would Have earthly Fathers who are but parcel-pittiful such a Court of Chancery in their hearts and shall not God whose mercy is over all his works exceed us in all bowels of compassion God I say who may be said to have two forts of Sons Angels already arrived at their full strength and perfection In the laws of England the Kings eldest Son as Duke of Cornwel was presumed to be to all legal intents and purposes of full Age on the first day of his Nativity sure I am that Angels at the very instant of their creation were out of their non-age and in full maturity whilst men during their living in this life are still in their minority Until Ephes 4.13 we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and therefore God will dispence with our dusty performance remembring that we are but Dust However none can without manifest usurpation entitle themselves to the least share in this Use of comfort if the connection of Davids words whereon they are founded be seriously considered Psal 103.13 14. Like as a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him For be knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust See here God only reflecteth with favours on the dusty extraction of those that fear him and no others Therefore let no prophane person suck poyson out of the sweet flower of our comfortable use and dispose himself to leudness or at the best laziness in Gods service presuming that God knowing his Original of Dust will therefore accept of his as of but dusty performance Here let me distinguish betwixt dusty and Dung-hil serving of God Dusty serving of him is when men endeavours to the utmost strength of their weakness to serve him when they present him as Jacob did unknown Joseph Gen. 43.11 with the best and those God knowes but had fruit of our Land in our vessels doing all in sincerity which is Gospel perfection and the mean time confessing of groaning for and fighting against those many corruptions and more imperfections which cleave unto their most perfect performances This is Dusty serving of God Dung-hil serving of him is which proceedeth from persons Dead in Trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 sending forth the same savour in the nostrills of the God of Heaven with Lazarus when he had been three dayes buried John the 11.39 And although such actions may appear spetious to the beholders yea and breath forth no bad sent at all to wicked men in the same condition one rotten corps is not offensive to an other yet as dead flies cause Eccles 10.1 Ointment of Apothecary to send forth an ill savour so Hypochricy appendant to such actions rendereth them noisom to that infinite being who is Emunclissiminaris most exact and critical in his smelling This is Dung-hill serving of God most odious unto him and therefore the Godly do detest and abhor it whilst they only grieve and bemoan at their dusty service of God which notwithstanding if qualified as formerly stated is acceptable in Jesus Christ Come we now to the Mark to which we all run and unto dust shalt thou return Whence we observe this Doctrine All humane art cannot preserve a corps from final returning to dust I say final although for a time it may repreive the same from being pulverized Far be it from me dispitefully to decoy the ingenious indeavours and they be but endeavours of any in Chyrurgery I will not add any to my ignorance in that mistery yet I say Art must cry craven in