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	spirit_n	1,763	5	5.2732	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07678	A godlie mans guide to happinesse A manuell of necessary motiues, holy meditations, and godly prayers, to stirre vp the hearts of men vnapt to pray. To the great comfort of all, that with due and holy attention will practise this most godly and Christian dutie. Written for his owne, and published for the comfort of them that long for trv[e] happinesse. by I.N.	Norden, John, 1548-1625?	1624 (1624)	STC 18608; ESTC S100057	58,821	306

A GODLIE MANS GVIDE to Happinesse A Manuell of necessary Motiues holy Meditations and godly Prayers to stirre vp the hearts of men vnapt to pray To the great Comfort of all that with due and holy attention will practise this most godly and Christian dutie Written for his owne and published for the Comfort of them that long for trv● happinesse By I. N. LONDON Printed by A M. for Iohn Marriott and are to bee sold at his Shop in Saint D●nstons Churchyard in Fleetsheet 1624. TO THE HONORAble Sir IAMES FVLLERTON Knight one of his Highnesse Councell of Reuenues c. I Know Sir that I shall be censured very rash in attempting more vnaduised in publishing and most improuident in making your selfe the Patron of so weak a Pamphlet for the first I may excuse me in that I haue bin long vnwillingly idle and loath to lose the benefit of the inforced intermission of mine accustomed former imployments I could conceiue no fitter or better passe-time then in this interim to seek some inward consolation in my outward discomforts for the Second I acknowledge that imparting these weake Meditations vnto some seeming wel affected to the best things I was incouraged to lay them down to the pleasure of the Printer who not without examination allowance hath brought the same to publike view And as touching the Third and last in making choyce of your name among so many of that Honourable Societie whom I most humbly and sincerely honour and reuerence I cannot but acknowledge the reason to be no other then that I haue bene longest knowen vnto your selfe And you best know how I haue past many yeares in Seruice and attendance commanded by that Honorable Table These no fained excuses may in honourable fauour free me from the censure of rashnesse in attempting it of presumption in publishing it and of neglect or respect of persons in patronizing it So shall I think mine idle time not altogether lost though gaining little outward profit whether happy or vnhappy in gaining the one or loosing by the other I am so much the more doubtful to iudg by how much I obserue that men are heere censured happy vnhappy not in respect of inward or outward qualities bee they good or bad but according to their present prosperitie or aduersity glory or basenesse riches or pouertie which as a sea often ebbes and flowes As variable winds blow and waues tossed are lifted vp and come low wherein some sayling with a full gale of glory thinke themselues in highest felicity who yet forgetting or neglecting to steere aright the huge bulke of their conceiued happinesse rush many times vpon the rocke of Disgrace more grieuous then their former fortunes were glorious He that seeketh and thinketh to finde true felicitie in the inconstant things of this life is as happy a man as hee that dreameth that hee hath sound great store of golde and seemeth to reioyce beyond measure in his good fortune and when hee awakes hee findes it a dreame So may men dreame of happinesse here but it is onely reserued for such as make least account of this worlds glory who haue their conuersations in Heauen while they liue in the earth where yet no man can iudge of a truely happy man At yours and to the rest of their Honourable Commaunds euer ready IOHN NORDEN To as many as long for true happinesse IT is not to be doubted but that euery man that liueth desireth to liue a happie life but euery man taketh not the right course to be truly happy For as there is in euery man a double life the one in this world the other in another the one perishing the other permanent so are men carnally or diuinely qualified and accordingly bend their indeuors to visible or inuisible things are commonly most affected to things visibly seene and sencibly felt tasted or heard But as for inuisible things few attaine to know them much lesse to seeke them least of all to enioy them No although their bodies bee ouerwhelmed with millions of maladies their minds with cares griefs infinite passions which nothing can cure or releeue but some speciall inward spirituall working yet seldome or neuer looke they vp aboue these earthly things but in whatsoeuer outward or inward hard estate they are they seeke helpe here below if they finde it they ascribe it to the visible meanes and acknowledge them happie in finding it in sicknesse to finde a Phisition to heale them in pouertie to haue a friend to enrich them is imputed happinesse how much more happinesse were it then for a man neuer to be sicke to be rich to be glorious in the eyes of all men to be reputed the wisest man in the world and to enioy what his heart could thinke here Would not all men admire this mans happinesse And would not all men desire and couet to bee in his like estate And admit hee attaine vnto it is this the happinesse he aymes at No hee must haue peace and long life to enioy it else the very consideration of death and to forgoe this faigned happinesse would be vnto him as if a sword hung ouer his head by the haire of a horse taile euerie minute readie to fall on his head Alas what shall a man then so much struggle and striue for the happinesse of this life that consisteth onely of such things as the getting of them requires labour somtimes lies the hauing of of them enuie the keeping of them feare and the losse of them sorrow Which yet is not all there must bee finally a redde rationem an account a fearefull reckoning which if men would dulie consider in the time of their greatest supposed happinesse it would make their hearts to tremble and their knees to knock one against another like Balteshars for feare of the infelicitie to come If then the greatest happinesse that man can attaine vnto in this life be thus accompanied where is that true happinesse that absolute felicitie finally promised Such a happinesse there is but what it is no man can declare it for the eye hath not seene it the eare hath not heard neither can it enter to mans heart what God hath prepared for those that loue him But by examination of the chiefe things wherein man in this life can repute himselfe most happie and comparing them with what things wee shall futurely enioy it will appeare that mans happinesse doth not onely consist in the enioying of good things but in the freedome from euill things The happiest man in this life hath causes of mourning griefe and vexation of spirit his life requireth labour labour brings wearinesse wearinesse couets rest and rest presupposeth the bodies infirmitie and consequently decay and death And death precedeth eternall saluation the happinesse of the soule and bodie or damnation of both This is the portion of all men mortall how happie soeuer hee seeme to liue heere where they haue hunger thirst heate and cold want of things