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	life_n	soul_n	5,160	5	5.5664	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00406	The right rule of a religious life: or, The glasse of godlinesse Wherein euery man may behold his imperfections, how farre hee is out of the way of true Godlinesse, and learne to reduce his wandring steppes into the pathes of true pietie. In certaine lectures vpon the first chapter of the Epistle of S. Iames. The first part. By William Est preacher of Gods Word.	Est, William, 1546 or 7-1625.	1616 (1616)	STC 10536; ESTC S118323	112,355	335

had threatned if they would not be reformed but walke stubbornely against the Lord that hee would scatter them among the Heathen Leuit. 26.33 and will draw out a sword after them and their land shall be waste and their Citties shall bee desolate Againe Deut. 4.27 and the Lord shall scatter you among the people and you shall bee left few in number among the Nations whither the Lord shall bring you And least any should thinke these threatnings to bee vaine and but words let vs see with what horrible examples the Lord hath confirmed them Hoshea raigning ouer the ten Tribes in Samaria they turned from the Lord and committed all abhominations against him wherefore God stirred vp Salmanazar King of Assiria who after three yeares warre tooke Samaria the Metropolis of that Kingdome 2. Reg. 17. spoyled the Countrey carried away all the people into the most cruell captiuity of the Assirians Secondly the other two Tribes namely the Tribe of Iuda and the Tribe of Beniamin 2. Reg. 25. were dispersed Ierusalem being taken with their perfidious King Zedekia by Nabuchadnezzar with their wiues children and other Princes as Ieremy before prophecied Ierem. 27. then was the Citty ouerthrown the Temple consumed with fire and they that escaped the sword famine fire and pestilence as flockes of Cattell were driuen away into the miserable captiuity of the Chaldaeans Thirdly the Reliques of the Israelites were oppressed and dispersed now by the King of Syria now by the King of Egypt sometimes with ciuill warres among themselues so that wretched Iudaea standing in the midst and addicted sometimes to this side sometimes to that was trodden downe of both and exposed to the direptions of both sides so that many good men not enduring the sight of the prophanation of their Country and holy Things wandred farre and neere Yea some betooke them to the Desart chusing rather to leade their liues with brute beasts then with such kind of men as the History of the Machabees doth testifie and they wandred vp and downe Heb. 11.37 in Sheepes skinnes and in Goates skinnes being destituted afflicted and tormented Heere brethren wee are to obserue two notable Lessons for our instruction First that with all reuerence wee heare and beleeue the word of God that wee may learne thereby to feare the Lord For his word is neuer in vaine nor returneth voide as the Prophet saith Esay 55.10 11 c. Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watreth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud that it may giue seed to the sower and bread vnto him that eateth So shall my word bee that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it And the Lord hath in all ages seuerely punished the contempt of his Word and Messengers 2. Chron. 36.15.16 Therefore the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising earely and sending for hee had compassion on his people and on his habitation But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and till there was no remedie Secondly to hate sinne and flie from sinne as from a serpent as the cause of all euils and calamities that are in the world The euils of sinne Sinne blindfoldeth the minde taking away the supernaturall light of Gods grace it defileth and spotteth the conscience as a thing most filthy and vnworthy for a man it accuseth vs guilty before God as iniurious to his Diuine Maiestie it impouerisheth vs spoyling vs of all our spirituall riches it dishonoureth vs making vs odious in the sight of God and of his holy Angels in this life is the cause of sicknesse famine sword pestilence and all euils that may happen to the body and of eternall destruction of body and soule in the life to come To conclude seeing that God is the inexhaust treasurie of all goodnesse and sinne separateth from God it followeth then that sinne bringeth vpon vs incomparable and infinite losse for it depriueth vs of God the infinite good Your sinnes haue diuided betwixt your God and you Esay 59.2 If then ô man thou dost so diligently take heed of temporall losse if thou so carefully keepest thy money and treasure how art thou deceiued through blindnesse of minde how is thine vnderstanding darkened with folly how is thy reason obscured by the deuill If thou fearest not to fall into sinne which depriuest thee of God the fountaine of all happinesse Why makest thou so small account of the God of infinite Maiestie Why fearest thou more to loose one peny then by sinning to bee depriued of thy God and through lying deceiuing swearing c. to be separated from him who is insititly good and who hath power to cast both body and soule into hell and without whom there is no blessednesse Thus for their sinnes was that Nation of the Iewes Gods vengeance pursuing them many times dispersed and persecuted But of this the Apostle hath not respect in this place but of the dispersed Christians which for the name of Christ were scattered abroad and persecuted For many out of all the Tribes which professed Christ after Saint Stephen was stoned Acts 7. flying the rage of the Pharisies were scattered in diuers Countries Actes 8.1 At that time saith the Scripture there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem The state of the Church Millitant and they were all scattered abroad except the Apostles And heere brethren againe we are to note the state and condition of the Church militant and of all the faithfull while they are in their exile and pilgrimage in this life trauelling toward their Countrey in the way they are to suffer many crosses troubles persecutions and many iuiuries of the world and the diuell and if wee will arriue at the hauen of happinesse and port of felicity wee must follow our Pilot and Captaine Iesus Christ the same way he went before vs Act. 14.22 For through many tribulations wee must enter into the Kingdome of heauen 2. Tim. 3.12 And all that will liue godly in Iesus Christ must suffer persecution It cannot then bee otherwise but the godly going to heauen-ward must be enforced to suffer diuers troubles Pathemata Mathemata Afflictions are instructions These are the trials of the faithfull by which God exerciseth the faith hope charitie and patience of his children and confirmeth them and therefore in the booke of Wisedome this triall of faith is compared to the triall of gold As gold is tryed in the fire Wisd 3.6 so men are tried in the furnace of affliction And againe 1. Pet. 1.6.7 Through manifold temptations yee are in heauinesse that the triall of your faith being