Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	begin_v	great_a	time_n	1,599	5	3.2122	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52614	The life of Mr. Thomas Firmin, late citizen of London written by one of his most intimate acquaintance ; with a sermon on Luke X. 36, 37 preach'd on the occasion of his death ; together with An account of his religion, and of the present state of the Unitarian controversy.	One of his most intimate acquaintance.; Nye, Stephen, 1648?-1719.	1698 (1698)	Wing N1508; ESTC R4561	35,362	90

Virtue so Excellent that it may excuse even Judas from some part of his Punishment I can hardly afford to ask the Reader 's pardon for this Tale I incline to think that divers others may be as well pleased with the Wit of it and the Moral implyed in it as I have been who remember it after above 40 years reading without remembring either the Author or Argument of the Book I return once more to our dear Firmin to take leave of him forever He had very much weakned his otherwise strong and firm Constitution by his manifold Charitable Imployments c. having been sometimes liable to Jaundies often afflicted with Colicks and scarce ever without a Cough his Lungs had long been Ptysical He would often return home so tired and depressed in his Spirits that his Pulse was scarce to be felt or very languid he would then take a little rest in his Chair and start up out of it and appear very vigorous in Company especially where any good was to be done The more immediate cause of his death was a Fever which seiz'd his Spirits beginning with a chilness and shivering and then a heat ensued He was at the same time afflicted both in his Lungs with a great shortness of breath not having strength to expectorate and also with such terrible pains in his Bowels that for many hours nothing could be made to pass him He had for many years been troubled with a large Rupture All which made his Sickness very short He had wisht in his life-time that he might not lie above two days on his last Sick-bed God granted to him his desire he lay not so long by eight hours And Decemb. 20. about two of the Clock in the morning Anno 1697. he died During his decumbiture he was visited by his most dear Friend the Bishop of Glocester What passed between em his Lordship hath made me to know under his own hand in these words Mr. Firmin told me he was now going and I trust said he God will not condemn me to worse Company than I have loved and used in the present Life I replied That he had been an extraordinary Example of Charity the Poor had a wonderful Blessing in you I doubt not these works will follow you if you have no expectation from the merit of them but rely on the infinite Goodness of God and the Merits of our Saviour Here he answered I do so and I say in the words of my Saviour When I have done all I am but an unprofitable Servant He was in such an Agony of body for want of breath that I did not think fit to speak more to him but only give him assurance of my earnest Prayers for him while he remained in this World Then I took solemn and affectionate farewel of him and he of me It is usual to conclude Lives with a character of the Persons both as to their Bodies and the qualities of their Minds Therefore I must further add Mr. Firmin was of a lower Stature well proportioned his Complexion fair and bright his Eye and Countenance lively his Aspect manly and promising somewhat extraordinary you would readily take him for a Man of good Sense Worth and Dignity Walking or Sitting he appeared more comely than standing still for his Mein and Action gave a gracefulness to his Person The endowments inclinations and qualities of his Mind may be best judged by the account we have given of his Life It appears he was quick of apprehension and dispatch and yet almost indefatigably Industrious properties that very rarely meet in the same Man He was besides Inquisitive and very Ingenious that is he had a thirst of knowing much and his fine and mercurial Wit enabled him to acquire a large Knowledg with little labour but he was utterly against subtilties in Religion He could not dissemble on the contrary you might easily perceive his love or anger his liking or dislike methoughts in both these respects he was rather too open but both are the effects of sincerity and arguments of an honest mind He never affected proudly the respects of others whether above or below him with which I was the better satisfied because it follows that his Charities proceeded not from any affectation of Honour or Glory among Men but from the love of God and his afflicted Brother He was Facetious enough but without affecting it for he valued what indeed himself excelled in Judgment rather than Wit He was neither presuming or over-bold nor yet timorous a little prone to Anger but never excessive in it either as to measure or time which Acrasies whether you say of the Body or Mind occasion great Uneasiness and sometimes great Calamities and Mischiefs to Persons who are ridden by those Passions If the mind is turbulent by strong Passions of any sort the life is seldom serene and calm but vexed with great Griefs and Misadventure His manner of Conversing was agreeable so that seldom any broke friendship with him Being well assured in himself of his own Integrity he could even unconcernedly hear that this or that Man spoke ill of him When I told him of that infamous Story of the impudent Coffee-Man which had been broached 6 or 7 years before had he not been over persuaded he would not have taken any notice of him Yet was more concern'd at Mr. B's printing it than at the other fellow 's inventing it not from the least consciousness of guilt but that he should be so unchristianly us'd by a Minister of the Gospel who too rashly took up the Story against him Which shews what strange things may be done under pretence of a Zeal for Religion My Lady Clayton has so great a Respect for his Memory that she has with the concurrence of Sir Robert since his death erected a handsom Monument in their Garden at Marden in Surry in a Walk there called Mr. Firmin's Walk by reason of his Contrivance and Activity in it This Monument is a Marble-pillar about eight foot high with an Urn and Flowers growing out of the top of it with this Motto Florescit funere virtus an Emblem you may conceive of Death and Resurrection There is also a Marble-table fix'd to one side of this Pillar with the Inscription following To perpetuate as far as Marble and Love can do it the Memory of Thomas Firmin Citizen of London NONE ever pass'd the several periods of Human Life more irreprochably or perform'd the common Duties of Society with greater Sincerity and Approbation Though it appears by his public Spirit that he thought himself born rather for the Benefit of others than his own private Advantage yet the satisfaction of doing Good and the universal Esteem of honest men made him the happiest Person in the World But his Charity which was not confin'd to any Nation Sect or Party is most worthy thy Imitation at least in some degree O Reader He was as Liberal of his own as Faithful in Distributing the pious Donations