Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bad_a	good_a	sin_n	1,576	5	5.0139	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05075	The profit of imprisonment A paradox, vvritten in French by Odet de la Noue, Lord of Teligni, being prisoner in the castle of Tournay. Translated by Iosuah Silvester.; Paradoxe que les adversitez sont plus necessaires que les prosperités. English	La Noue, Odet de, seigneur de Téligny, d. 1618.; Sylvester, Josuah, 1563-1618.	1594 (1594)	STC 15216; ESTC S109328	23,156	38

accomplish this For many can doe more then one without respect And still the greater cause the greater the effect Indeed say othersome these reasons haue some reason But then whence commes it that so many men in prison With hundred thousand paines pincht and oppressed sore In steed of bettering thear wax wurser then before Insteed of sweet content do still complaine and crie In steed of learning more lose former industrie Though in apparance great your sayings seeme but iust Yet plaine experience sure we thinke is best to trust That hidden vertue rare that so great good atchiues Lies in the prisoners hart not in his heauie giues The good grow better there the bad becomme the wurse For by their sinne they turne Gods blessing into curse And that 's the cause the most are malcontent and sad Sith euermore the good are fewer then the bad But wherefore doth not God to all vouchsafe this grace Proud earth-wormes pawse we there let 's feare before his face Admiring humblie all his holie iudgments high Exceeding all too farr our weake capacitie The potters vessell vile doth vs our lesson show Which argues not with him why he hath made it so Much lesse may we contend but rather rest content With that which God hath giuen He is omnipotent All gratious and all good most iust and perfit wise On some he poures a sea of his benignities On some a shallow brooke on other some a floode Giuing to some a smale to some a greater good As from eternitie hath pleasd th' eternall Spirit To loue men more or lesse without respect of merrit For my part should I liue ten Nestor's yeers to passe Had I a hundred tongues more smooth then Tullye's was Had I a voice of steele and had I brazen sides And learning more then all the Helyconian guides Yet were I all too-weake to tell the many graces That in ten thousand sorts and in ten thousand places Ten hundred thousand times he hath vouchsafed mee Not for my merrits sake but for his mercie free But yet mong all the goods that of his liberall bountie I haue receaud so oft non to compare accoumpt-I With this close prisonment wherein he doth with-draw-me Far from the wanton world and to himselfe doth draw-me I poasted on a pace to ruine and perdicion When by this sharp-sweet pil my cunning kind Phisicion Did purge maugre my will the poisonie humor fell Wherwith my sin-sick hart alreadie gan to swell I lookt for nothing lesse then for these miseries And paines that I haue prou'd the world 's vaine vanities Had so seduce't my soule with baits of sugred bane That it was death to me from pleasure to be tane But crossing my request God for my profit gaue Me quight the contrarie to that which I did craue So that my body barring from a freedome small He set my soule at large which vnto sinne was thrall Wounding with musket shot my feeble arme he cured The festring sores of sinne the which my soule endured Tripping me from the top of some meane dignitie Which drew me vp to climbe the mount of vanitie He raisde me from the depth of vices darksome cell The which incessantly did ding me downe to hel Easing me to conclude of all the griefe and care wherewith these false delights for euer sauced are He made me find and feele amid my most annoyes A thousand true contents and thousand perfect ioyes But some perhaps amaz'd wil muse what kinde of pleasure Here I can take and how I passe my time and leasure For in foule idlenesse to spend so large a time It cannot be denyed to be a grieuous cryme First in the morning when the spirit is fresh and fit I sucke the honney sweet from foorth the sacred writ Wherin by faith we taste that true celestiall bread Whence our immortall soules are euer only fed Then search I out the sawes of other sage diuines The best here to be had among whose humaine lines Supported by the grace of Gods especiall power I leaue the thorne behind and plucke the healthsome flower Sometimes I doe admire in books of heathen men Graue sayings sauoring more a sacred Christian pen Than manie of our age whose bold vnlearned pride Thinking to honour God hath errd on euery side Sometimes when I obserue in euery ancient storie Such vertuous presidents trimme patternes of true glory I wofully bewaile our wretched wicked daies where vertue is despisde and vice hath all the praise Oft I lament to see so many noble wits Neglecting Gods high praise that best their learning fits To sing of nought but lyes and loves wanton theames False sooth-sinne flatteries and idle Fairie dreames Then turning towards those that fild with holier flame For onely subiect choose th'Eternals sacred name These chiefly I admire whose honourable browes Disdayne the fayned crowne of fading Laurel boughs Then full-gorg'd with the sweets of such a daintie feast Prickt forward with desire to imitate the best Oft times I excercise this arte-les muse of mine To sing in holie verse some argument deuine One while to praise my God for all receaued good An other while to beg that in his deere sonnes blood My blacke sinnes he will wash and that he will not waigh At his high iustice beame how I haue gon a-stray Somtimes these wretched times to pittie and deplore Wherein the wicked ones do florish more and more Somtimes to waile the state of sad distressed Sion Imploring to her aide the Tribe of Iudah's Lion If any other theame at any time I take Yet neuer doth my verse the setled bounds forsake That veritie prescribes nor now no more disguise The vgly face of sinne with maske of painted lies And though that heertofore I also in my time Haue writ loues vanities in wanton idle rime T was as a whet-stone that whereon I whet my stile Yer it weare ablely-apt ought grauer to compile Yet I repent thereof for wee must neuer tend To bring by euill meanes a good intent to end When as my wearie spirits some relaxacion aske To recreate the same I take some other taske One while vpon the Lute my nimble ioints I plie Then on the Virginalls to whose sweet harmonie Marrying my simple voice in solemne tunes I sing Some psalme or holy song vnto the heauenly King So that the idlest hower of all the time that flies So fast is neuer free from some good excercise Wherein I ioie as much as euer I haue donne In the most choice delights found vnderneth rhe sunne But you can neuer walke nor go to take the aire Nor once looke out of doore be weather nere so faire But there in solitud you leade your life alone Bard from the fellowship of almost euerie one Which doubtles at the last must greeue you needs I thinke A man that neuer thirsts hath neuer need of drincke So though I be bereft these other things you speake-of I misse nor mind them not as things I neuer reake-of For I haue scoold my hart since my captiuitie To wish for nothing els but what is graunted mee And what is graunted me contents me passing well In each condition doth some contentment dwell But men of differing states haue difference in delights What pleaseth common eyes that irketh princes sights What rashelings do delight that sober men dispise What fooles take pleasure in doth but offend the wise What prosperous people loath afflicted folke will loue And what the free abhorr that prisoners will approue But all haue equally indifferent power to make Them equally content that can them rightly take For who so presently himselfe can rightly beare Hath neither passed ill nor future ill to feare Th' one which is now no more ought now no more affray-vs Th' other which is not yet as little can dismay-vs For what no essence hath that also hath no might And that which hath power can do a man no spight Besids sith that our life is but a pilgrimage Through which we dalie passe to th'heauenly heritage Although it seeme to thee that these my bands do let-mee Yet hast I to the goale the which my God hath set-me As fast as thou that runst thy selfe so out of breath In poasting night and day by dales and hills and heath If thou haue open feelds and I be prisoner T'importeth me no more then to the mariner Whether he go to sea shipt in some spatious arke Or els at lesser scope abord some lesser barke Nay heer the least is best sith this vast occean wide Whereon we daily saile a thousand rocks doth hide Gainst which the greater ships are cast awaye full oft While small boats for the most float ouer safe aloft Then may I well conclude with reason and assurance That thear's no better state then to be kept in durance A sweeter kind of life I neuer prou'd then thear Nor was I euer toucht with lesser greefe and care If that I care at all it is for others cause And for the miseries this times corruption drawes But being well assur'd that nothing here betideth Against Gods ordinance and will that all things guideth And knowing him to be good iust and most of might I gladlie yeeld my selfe to th' order hee hath pight For he it is that now makes me accept so well And like of this estate which others hate as hell He t' is that heretofore vouchsaft me like releefe When as I was opprest with a more greeuous greefe He t' is from whom I hope in time too-come no lesse Athough a hundred fold were dubbled my distresse Yea hee it is that makes me profit euery day And also so content in this estate to stay That of my libertie I am not now so faine To thinke by libertie a happier life to gaine For I were well content no more from hence to go If I might profit most my frends and cuntrie so Now here I humblie praie expecting such an end The Lord still towards me his fauour to extend And that he will vouchsafe still to alott like grace To all that for like cause are handled in like case FINIS