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
A72913	Three godly and fruitfull sermons declaring first how we may be saved in the day of iudgement, and so come to life everlasting: secondly, how we ought to liue according to Gods will during our life: which are the two things that every one ought to be most carefull of as long as they liue. Preached and written by the reverend & godly learned M. Iohn More, late preacher in the citie of Norwitch. And now first published by M. Nicholas Bovvnd: whereunto he hath adioyned of his owne, A sermon of comfort for the afflicted: and, A short treatise of a contented mind.	More, John, d. 1592.; Bownd, Nicholas, d. 1613. aut	1594 (1594)	STC 18074.5; ESTC S125128	118,386	153

their estate was so good as it was and therefore had so many causes to be contented therewith For besides that they were deliuered from the cruell bondage of Aegypt they had many singular testimonies of Gods fauour both for this life and the life to come and therefore the Prophet Dauid Psal 78. 12. doth thus set forth the indignitie of their sinne declaring howe many benefits of God they did enioy when they begunne thus to murmure And if we doe but consider the manifold publique benefits in the Church and common-wealth as the word of God this long peace vnder so gratious a gouernment with so great plentie and freedome from so many plagues whereby all these are so much the more comfortable vnto vs besides the priuate commodities which euery one of vs many particularly remember in daungers escaped in good things receiued vpon soule and bodie for this life and the life to come in our owne persons and such as appertaine vnto vs we must needes acknowledge that there is great cause why euery one of vs should be contented with our estates and that our sinne in murmuring at any time should be very great But yet we must come vnto that whereof the Apostle speaketh Phil. 4. 11. I haue learned in what soeuer estate I am therewith to be contented Nowe that we might the better see into the sinne of this people to auoid it we must marke by what steppes they came vnto the height of it First of all they did lesse esteeme of that pleasant foode then they should and did not see it to be so excellent conuenient for them as it was for they speak of it very contemptuously saying There is nothing but this Man when as it was not onely able to nourish them but was as pleasant as holesome for it had the tast of pure oyle and sweete honie besides it beeing giuen them daily they might see in it the speciall prouidence of God towards them in feeding them from hand to mouth as it were so that this should haue beene vnto them in stead of all dainties in the world if they could haue seene it but as though all this were nothing they say There is nothing but this Mā Therfore we must heed take least at any time we doe denie or lesson the benefits of God but labour to see them all and acknowledge them to be so great as they be ●hat so in respect of them wee may confesse our estate to be so good as it is and therewithall to be contented And euen then when we begin to mislike any thing because it is not such as we wish it were then we must also remember how otherwise it may be commodious vnto vs what great vse we may haue haue of it and so beholding the goodnes of God towards vs in it to rest with thankefulnesse well contented therewith But they giuing place to the deuill their own corruption in this from hence it came to passe that they preferred any other food which they had not before that excellēt meat which they had in deede thus Satan dealeth with men whē he hath brought thē to a misliking of that which they should not then he wil offer thē many other things perswade thē to like of any rather then of it And this is to be marked so much the rather because they esteeme onyons leekes such like fish not of the daintiest but such as the poorest were wont to be fed withall before this most holsome pleasant meat and so are contented to chāge for the worse And they were so much the more wicked in all this because they say they had the other food for nothing though in deede they had not for they being vsed as cruelly as might be were no doubt constrained to pay for euery thing to the vttermost but they meane they had these base cōmon things for a small price yet they might haue truly saide of the Man that they had that for nothing euen for the gathering But now in a murmuring spirit they had rather giue some thing for the worse then enioy the best for nothing would not onely change for the worse but also giue somthing for the exchange thus had an imagination that it should be meruelous well with thē if they were any otherwise then they were yea though it were much worse Therefore wee must endeauour to profit by our present estate to serue God in it neuer imagining that if it were any otherwise with vs we should be very well we would doe great matters when in the meane season we cannot keepe a tollerable course in that cōdition we be presently in But whether God blesseth vs we must be thākful rightly vse it or whether he chastiseth vs vve must be hūble profit by it be assured that it is a meere illusion of the deuil to be perswaded that if we were otherwise thē we would be a great deale better whē as now we cānot be as we should forif we haue no power ouer owne will in time present what hope is there we should haue it in time to come vnlesse vve presently labour for it And if they could haue serued God with Man then there had bin hope that if that they had bin driuen to onions and leekes they should haue done there duties then also as he that serueth God in a single life may hope to serue him also in mariage he that doth it in one estate may hope to doe it in an other But they that ignorantly dreame that if this were not their estate let befall then what will they hope to do well ynough or let this crosse be remooued and let any other be laid vpon them and they will beare it and let their estate be but any waies changed and they will indure it they shal finde it farre otherwise by experience euen as this people who not vsing well their owne condition when they were fedde with Man after when the Lord gaue them not common meate but quailes they were ten times worse then they were before The deuill doth not here leaue them but draweth them on further and they following the corruption of their own hearts doe not here stay but beeing once perswaded contrarie to all reason that to be fedde with onions were better for them then with Man doe as men void of all reason so vnsatiably desire them like vnto bruit beastes as they will not be quieted till they haue their greedie desires satisfied for they say their soule is dried away vers 6. As indeede this is the nature of any immoderate affection that it worketh vpon the bodie to the hurting and consuming of it especially a lingring and vnreasonable desire So that there fault was not onely in that they desired that which they should not but most of all that they had no gouernment of their affections to stay them but did let them range so inordinately But here if we demaund

that wee can not finde in our heartes to forgiue them Surely euen this because wee doe onely looke upon the hurt done unto us we muse upon that we make much adoe about that and so marveilously weigh what losse we haue by it on euery side but in the meane while wee doe not consider the soule of him that did vs the iniurie continuing in impenitencie for then wee should be driuen to pitie him for the daunger before God and not hate him for our losse before man The want of this is the onely cause then why wee be so hatefull and malitious towardes our enemies which haue iniuried vs because we looke upon our owne harme and not on the harme of the soule of man before God but wee must doe it certenly the Lorde Iesus commaundeth us Pray for your enemies doe good to them that hate you and here biddeth us loue as he loued us euen enemies to him Well then good brethren thus yee haue heard how by the loue that Christ loued us wee be taught to frame our loue one towardes another euen towards our enemies in pitying them praying for them that they may be brought to amendment not for the hurt done vnto vs but for the auoiding of the hurt of their soules I haue bene somewhat more long in this matter of loue towardes our enemies because I know it is so hard a matter for flesh and blood to be satisfied in this point to stay from revengement it is marveilous neere growen into the corruption of our nature and therfore it must be more carefully taken heed of us and we must bende our force more to resist it and so shall we not onely be hearers of this lesson of our Lorde Iesus but also followers of the same And yet further when he saith that we must loue one another as he loved us he giueth vs to understand that our loue must be sincere without respect of gaine or aduantage Such loue then as is commonly amongst vs Norffolke men will not serue that is to loue a man as long as we can get any profit by him and then farewell no our loue must not be so but it must be as Christ loued vs which was not for any great gaine I trow that he hoped to get at our handes and yet this is so common amongst vs as is marveilous there is scarsely found amongst vs any other loue then that which is for gaine a lamentable thing If we haue money enough we make our account to get friends enough and without mony or hope of gaine we shall hardly finde any great store of friends Is this the loue good breethren which ought to be amongst vs Alas no such loue may be found amongst the very deuils in hell and yet we will be Christians forsooth yea and protestants to but it is but onely in name for Christ saith that among his true schollers loue must not be for advantage but as he loued vs. Moreouer we are hereby taught also that our loue must not be dissembled in faire countenance outwarde within nothing but rancour and malice it must not be in a faire flattering outward shewe but it must be as he loued us euen in very deede from the bottome of our heart from our heart from our heart from our heart Oh this must be marked good brethren The Lorde Iesus seemeth to plucke vs English men by the sleeue and condemne our faire flattering dissembled loue which raigneth so commonly among vs Such faire lookes sugred wordes louing salutations and courteous embracings as is marveilous as though there were such perfect loue and friendshippe amongst vs as could possibly be required and yet such deepe dissembled hatred and spight in the bottome of our breastes as we would if we could euen pull their hearts out of their bodies and eate them with garlicke as they say Alas good brethren is this Christian like is this as Christ loued vs No no it is Iudas-like faire kisses false dissembling harts Is there not a God in heauen thinke you to reuenge it yes no doubt and I warrant vs we shall feele it if we doe not repent We thinke we haue done notable finely when we haue made a man a faire countenance and in the meane while practise his death if we can we go slily on with the matter and laugh in our sleeue when wee haue thus done as though there were not a God in heauen that did see view and try all the secret thoughts of our deepe dissembling heartes and spie out all our crooked waies and when we haue made faire with all the earth will then call our crooked practises to account Did that cruell wretch Cain any thing preuaile when dissembling his cruell malice towardes his brother he made faire words with him till he gate him in the broad wilde field alone and then fell upon him and killed him did it any thing preuaile with God I say that none was at the deede doing to accuse him needed God any such thing which was privie to his wicked malicious thoughtes No but he bringeth in the very blood which he shedde and the earth which receiued the bloode to bring euidence against the man to condemnation what shall we say then will our faire lookes and sweet words one to another prevaile before God when there is nothing so in our hearts but murther and malice No I warrant you hee will bring in account euen the very secret wicked thoughts that we conceiue upon our beds he will bring in euen our pillowes to beare evidence against vs to our condemnation if this geere be not amended looke as smoothly on the matter as we can God will haue an assaying with vs when we haue made all whole with man Wherefore good breethen in the feare of God let us looke to this geere let us giue eare to Iesus Christ his teaching that commaundeth our loue one toward another to be as his was towardes vs and away vvith this same dissembled loue vvhich raigneth so amongst us this Iudas loue theese loue deuils loue and let vs like good Christians here in Norffolke once at the length beginne to imbrace Christes loue true loue unfained from the bottome of the heart and sincere to the glorie of our God and comfort of our soules And thus much for this part where we are commaunded that our loue should be as Christs loue toward vs now it followeth By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye loue one an other This is an other reason to perswade to the obedience of that commaundement which he hath giuen in the verse before that we loue one an other as he hath loued vs for that men shall thereby take them to be his schollers his disciples Christian men This is an argument which carieth with it great force to perswade amongs men for there is none but he will say he is a Christian euery man will say so yea and euery man would gladly so be