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
A09745	Ten sermons Preached by that eloquent divine of famous memorie, Th. Playfere Doctor in Divinitie; Sermons. Selected sermons	Playfere, Thomas, 1561?-1609.; D. C., fl. 1610-1612.	1610 (1610)	STC 20005; ESTC S105170	109,384	284

kingdome but onely a way directing to a kingdome For seeing they are no cause neither haue any correspondence or proportion in them in respect of the glorie to come therefore the Apostle saith The afflictions of this life are not worthie the glorie that shal be reueiled And yet againe because the possessing of our soules in patience is a way directly tending to the saluation both of our soules and bodies therefore he saith The momentarie ●…ightnesse of our affliction worketh vs ●… surpassing exceeding eternall weight of glorie To which our Sauiour subscribeth in these words The gate is straight and the way narrowe which leadeth vnto life This straightnesse therfore and narrownesse of affliction is not a cause which deserueth but a gate or a way which leadeth vnto life So in an other place we haue that by many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of heauen Not by many tribulatiōs no not by any tribulations we must merit heauen but by many tribulations as by a gate or way we must enter into the kingdome of heauen And in this sense S. Paul saies The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie But now though this sentence doe not confirme any Popish error yet it doth excellently comfort any distressed and afflicted For it exhorteth vs to be patient in all afflictions and that for foure reasons The two first drawn from the nature of our affliction the two last from the nature of that glory which shal be the reward of our affliction T●… first is because our affliction is momentarie the second because our affliction is light the third because our glorie shal be eternall yea surpassing eternall the fourth because our glorie shall b●… weightie exceeding weightie And therefore he saith The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie Ineede not here make any apologi●… for my selfe nor yet render any reason why I discourse of pouertie before the rich of affliction before those that are euere way slourishing This point was cleared so reuerently and so learnedly of late in this high presence that I am sure it must needes be yet well remembred Certainely though ye haue not beene afflicted heretofore neither are at this time yet beeing men ye may be hereafter Wherefore it is no●… 〈◊〉 that we all learne the doctrine of patience in tribulation Partly that we may be more thankfull to God i●… hitherto we haue not beene afflicted and plagued like other men Partly that if any time of affliction happen hereafter as any griefe any losse any sickenes or such like we may be prepared aforehand and as it were armed with patience to endure it For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie First our afflictiō is momentarie Wel sai's Eucherius Nothing is of great importance which is of small cōtinuance Now our whole life is very short What is our life saith S. Iames It is a vapour which for a time appeareth but anon after vanisheth away Therefore saith the Prophet O Lord thou knowest my life as it is in the Sept●…agint but as it is in the Hebrewe Thou knowest my fli●…ting And theresore seeing our whole life is but a vapour or a flitting certenly our afflictions which are all comprised within the compasse of this life must needes be much more momentarie All afflictiō as the Apostle writeth for the present seemeth not to be ioyous but grieuous but afterward it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby He saith not that affliction is but that it seemeth to be So that affliction seemeth to be one thing and is indeede an other It seemeth to be grieuous it is indeede ioyous it seemeth to be troblesome it is indeede comfortable it seemeth to be long and tedious it is indeede momentarie and short Euen as God himselfe determineth this matter For a moment saith he in mine anger for a little season haue I hid my face from you but in euerlasting mercie will I turne vnto you againe That we should not doubt of this doctrine he redoubles the promise for a moment for a little season Therefore the Princely Prophet say's plainly Heauinesse may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning As the two Angels then that came to Lot log'd with him for a night and when they had dispach't their arrant went away in the morning so afflictions which are the Angels or the messengers of God God sendeth afflictions to doe an arrant vnto vs to tell vs we sorget God we forget our selues we are too proud too selfe concei●…ed and such like and when they haue said as they were bad then presently they are gone Whereupon we read that the spirit of life returned into the two witnesses which had beene slaine by the beast after three dayes and an halfe Why after three dayes and an halfe To teach vs that affliction and persecution may perhaps tyranize ouer vs three dayes and an halfe but they shal not fill vp the whole fowre dayes For the elects sake those dayes shall be shortened Agreeably to that which Iohn Baptist begun his preaching with Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Repent that 's a matter of mortification and affliction to the flesh For the kindome of heauen is at hand That 's a matter of comfort and ioy So our Sauiour Behold I come quickly and my reward with me if Christ will come quickly then affliction will be gone quickly Thus momentarie is our affliction For our whole life is short much more then the afflictions of this life affliction is grieuous but for the present heauinesse endureth but for a night persecution lasteth but three dayes and an halfe the kingdome of heauen is at hand theresore deliuerance is at hand Christ will come quickly therefore affliction will be gone quickly Wheresore seeing our affliction is so momentarie let vs be patient in affliction For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie Secondly our affliction is light Almightie God setting forth his owne excellency saith Who hath measured the heauens with his span and the waters with his fist By the heauens are meant the diuine blessings of God by the waters afflictions woes Those he measureth with his span which is a longer measure these with his fist which is a shorter measure So that the Lord is as I may say a rhetoritian verie plentifull and copious in his blessings he measureth them with his spanne but he is a logitian more short and sparing in his afflictions these he measureth with his fist For in the hand of the Lord there is a cuppe the wine is redde and full mixt he powreth out of the same as for the dregges thereof the wicked of the earth doe drinke them vp First we drinke not

Onely in one point I am proud and very proud namely in renouncing an●… denying the deuill He is indeede a strong man But yet a stronger then he hath thrust him out and spoiled him of all his goods He is a roaring lyon But the lyon of the tribe of Iud●… hath ouercome him He is an old serpent almost of sixe thousand yeares standing and experience But Christ the new serpent prefigured in the brasen serpent hath bin too cunning for him Therefore though he seeke to winnovv Peter as corne is sifted yet no daunger Christ hath praised for Peter that his faith should not faile Where by the vvay vve may marke the difference betvveen Christ and the tempter Christ hath his fanne in his hand and fanneth vs the tempter hath his siue in his hand and sifteth vs. Novv a fanne casteth out the vvorst and keepeth in the best a siue keepeth in the vvorst and casteth out the best Right so Christ in his trialls purgeth chaffe and corruption out of vs nourisheth and increaseth his graces in vs. Contrarivvise the deuill is there be any ilthing in vs that he confirmeth if faith or any good thing els that he weakneth But Christ hath prayed for vs yea doth still at the right hand of the father make intercession and request for vs that our faith should not saile So that all Sathans power yea the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against vs. In like manner S. Paul beeing buffeted by the angel of Sathan prayed that he might be deliuered The answer of God was My grace is sufficiēt for thee Whether Satan busset vs or not buffet vs still the grace of God shal suffice vs. Much more his glorie who hath glorified vs. For God doth giue both grace and glory no good thing wil he withhold frō thē that liue a godly li●…e Therefore euerie child of God may triumph with Iob saying Stand thou beside me and let any mans hand fight against me For if God be on our side what can the deuill doe against vs if God be with vs who can be against vs N●…ianzen makes a good conclusion This onely is a fearefull thing to feare any thing more then God Feare God and seare nothing else feare no●… God and feare euery thing For in the feare of the Lord is the confidence of courage Because sai's Gregory he that in a chast and fili●…ll feare is subiected to God by a hopesull kind of boldnesse is aboue all saue God But he that feareth not the Lord may be annoyed by any thing Mice were too strong for the Philistims and lice for the Egyptians So that if God be against vs who can be with vs But if God be with vs who can be against vs Now certainely God is with vs. Doe you doubt of this Then consider how that all great Potentates os the world who of late were some of them scarse our good friends doe now earnestly desire to be made partakers of our peace What doe I speake of men The very heauen the elements and this so seasonable haruest such as hath not beene known if one may take any gesse by these outward things doe plainely declare that God is now with vs and purposeth to powre out his blessings and benefits most abundantly vpon vs. Nothing then remaineth but that as God is with vs so we labour to be with God And as S. Peter admonisheth vs make our election sure by faith and good workes liuing soberly vprightly godlily in this present world That so we may feare no cruelty of man no miserie of the world no entisements of the flesh no terrors of the deuill but in all these things may be more then conquerours assuring our selues that if God be with vs nothing can be against vs. Which that it may be so God graunt for Iesus Christs sake to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glorie now and euermore Amen Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the Holy ghost be with vs that nothing may be against vs this day and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT THE Court at Whitehall March 10. 1598. Iohn 20. 27. After saide he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull OVr blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie for foure causes First to approoue his resurrection secondly to appease his father thirdly to confound his enemies fourthly to comfort his friends After said he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull The first cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie is to approoue his resurrection When Iacobs children told him saying Ioseph is yet aliue his heart failed and he beleeued them not but as soone as he saw the chariots which were sent for him by and by his spirit reuined and he said I haue inough Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue In like manner when the dis●…iples said to Thomas we haue seene the Lord he beleeued them not but now that he beholdeth Christs glorious wounds the triumphant tokens o●… his victorie and the chariots as I may say whereby we are with Elias carried vp into heauen he confesseth indeede that Christ is risen againe and that the true Ioseph is ye●… aliue Euen as Anna seeing that spaniell cōming homeward which went forth with her sonne at the first knewe certainely that her sonne Tobias himselfe was not farre off but followed immediately after so Thomas seeing those wounds in Christ which accom●…anied him to his graue knew assuredly that no other bodie was risen again but onely the very selfe same bodie of Christ which was buried S. Peter being brought out of prison by an Angel went forth with to the house of Marie where kno●…king and calling to get in a maiden named Rhode before euer she sawe him knewe him by his voice And although they that were within told her she wist not what she said yet shee still constantly affirmed it was none other but he Christs rising out of the graue was as strange as Peters deliuerance out of prison the rovvling avvay of the stone as strange as the opening of the yron gate And albeit Thomas vvas not so forvvard as Rhode to knovv Christ by his voice vvhen he said Peace be vnto you yet as soone as Christ tooke him by the hand and shevv d him his side he made no more doubts but presently beleeued For if Protogenes seeing but a little line dravvne in a table knew straightwaies it was Apelles doing whome he had neuer seene how much more easily then might Thomas know Christ seeing not onely one line but very many lines