Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	great_a	soul_n	2,575	5	4.9117	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49463	The life of faith Wherein is shewed the general use of faith in all the passages of a Christians life. Together with a discourse of right judgment on Joh.7.24. By H. Lukin.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1660 (1660)	Wing L3477; ESTC R213826	80,145	275

faithfulness in the greatest afflictions because it judges not by Sence measures not happiness by present enjoyments and so makes not things before us an evidence of love or hatred Eccles 9.2 but reckons of things according to the tendency of them to the promoting our everlasting happiness wherefore David acknowledges that it was in faithfulness that God had afflicted him Psal 119.75 God was therein faithful to the interest of his soul Now this doth much case the burden of affliction we can easily bear that which we know is done out of love the wounds of a friend are better than the kisses of an enemy Prov. 27.6 We are impatient of an enemy besieging us in a City or imprisoning us in a Castle when we can well enough be content our Physician should confine us to a Chamber because we know he doth it out of his love and care If ever we would comfortably bear afflictions let us maintain good thoughts of God and not make the severest interprerations of his Providences or entertain any evill surmises or jealousies of him we should indeed be so sensible of his Fatherly displeasure as not to despise his chastening but not question his Fatherly care so as to faint when we are rebuked of him Heb. 12.5 Thirdly By Faith we look to the end of our afflictions there are three ends of them which are set down together Deut. 8.16 The first is to humble us 1 Pet. 5.6 this they do as they bring our sin to remembrance Gen. 42.21 as they let us see our dependance on God and how obnoxious we are to him how much we are at his mercy The second is to prove us Job 23.10 1 Pet. 1.6 and I have elsewhere shewed what an excellent fruit of affliction this is The third is to do us good in the latter end Heb. 12.11 By experience we may know this afterwards as David could say It was good for him that he was afflicted Psal 110.71 But Faith rejoyces in this before hand being the substance of things hoped for and as the Levites praised the Lord before the victory in confidence of his faithfulness in making good his Promise 2 Chron. 20.21 so a Believer can rejoyce in tribulations in hope of the happy issue thereof as it is said Mr. Dod did once in a very great affliction because he knew God would do him good by it Fourthly Faith takes Gods bare word when a man hath nothing else to trust to and indeed this 〈◊〉 most properly Faith otherwise we deal with God as we do with one whom we count a knave whom we dare not trust any further than we can see him let Faith have but a Promise and it will be too hard for sense or reason because it knows it is impossible for God to lie but nothing else is impossible to him but what is against his Nature or Word Abraham believed this Heb. 11.19 Therefore he obeyed knowing that if there was no other way to fulfill the Promise God could do it by raising the dead and this is to be observed that when God will do any notable thing for any of his people he first doth as it were sentence to death all means conducing thereto that so they may believe in him that raiseth the dead 2 Cor. 1.9 Thus he dealt with Abraham with Joseph with the Israelites in bringing them out of Aegypt And if Christians did but duly consider this it would free them from many sad doubts and fears concerning their own condition Many when they read the many Promises in Scripture to the children of God and compare their own condition therewith are ready to say as Linacer when he read the fifth Chapter of Matthew Either this is not the word of Christ or these are not the people of Christ so either these Promises are not true or we have no right in these Promises and out of modesty they rather choose to affirm the latter and so cast away their confidence reasoning concerning themselves as Job's friends did concerning him Job 4.7 God never cast off a righteous person but he had cast off Job wherefore Job was not a righteous person but an hypocrite and this is one cause why inward troubles do so oft accompany outward troubles as in David Psalm 6.2 3. his body and soul were sore vexed together When men are in great straits and afflictions they think these things cannot stand with the Promises of God concerning his presence with his people Isa 43.1 c. his protection and provision Psal 84.11 wherefore sure they are none of his people Do but observe how Christ rebukes his Disciples Luke 8.25 for being afraid though they were in such great danger and he imputes this to the defect of their faith Fifthly Faith sees all in God in time of affliction as it sees God in all in time of prosperity Thus Habakkuk lived by the same faith chap. 3.17 18. which he preached cha 2.4 Thus David had reckoned the protection of God as a garrison Psal 31.21 though some think he means Keilab by that strong city yet others think he means nothing but Gods Salvation Isa 26.1 Ezek. 11.16 especially comparing it with Psal 3.5 which he wrote when he fled for his life and yet how doth he there profess his own security in confidence of Gods Salvation v. 8. Psal 112.7 and it holdes as well for any other mercy as for protection for God in promising to be a God to his people Gen. 17.7 doth in effect promise that his power wisdome goodness or any other of his Attributes shall not be wanting to them when they may be improved for their Good And where we see not the power of God put forth at any time for our help and supply in what we desire or need let us account that there the wisdome and goodnesse of God are ours in denying us what he knowes would not be good for us and what is better for us to want than have Amemus unum bonum in quo sunt omnia bona sufficit c. August Med. Many observe a difference in the words of Esau and Jacob Gen. 33.9 11. though they are translated alike Esau sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Jacob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wicked man like Esau may have much but a godly man like Jacob hath all For as Austine saith he hath all that hath God who hath all If any shall say Indeed we might glory in tribulation if we were assured that God is ours But how can we see all in God when we doubt of our interest in him and as the Apostle saith that all men have not faith so we may say all Believers have not assurance To this I answer That full assurance is not allwayes necessary to our joy and comfort as Mr. Baxter saith Adam in Paradise did certainly live comfortably and rejoyce in his condition yet he was not sure he should abide therein and not fall from it there was not certitudo rei or assurance of