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	reason_n	soul_n	2,276	5	5.2004	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10944	Samuels encounter with Saul. I Sam. chap. 15 from ver. 13 to ver. 30. Preached and penned, by that worthy seruant of God, Mr. Richard Rogers, late preacher of Wetherfield, in Essex. And published word for word, according to this owne coppy, finished before his death	Rogers, Richard, 1550?-1618.; Egerton, Stephen, 1555?-1621?	1620 (1620)	STC 21214; ESTC S100043	91,140	398

God and departeth from euill for the multitude runneth headlong to sinne it is agreeable to their nature and whereas the well ordering of the heart and good gouernment of the soule is the light of the whole life to direct it aright as the eye is the light of the body to carry it all such light and spirituall gouernment of the soule is for the most part farre of from the people and therefore the way of truth they cannot follow but runne together to that which blinde reason and the lust of the heart leadeth them vnto And this is the cause why at this day there is such an vniuersall consent almost in all places to that which is euill For although through Gods mercy light is come into the world yea to this Land and the blessed gospell and glad tydings of saluation is reuealed maintained and by his Maiesties highnes defended amongst vs and by his royall authority commandment preached thorough his dominion yet as it is said men loue darkenes more then light because their deeds are euill and hereby it is that inferior magistrates in many places doe not countenance and further the syncere preaching of it incouraging as they ought with all their abillity both preacher and people but rather iustle it out from among them and content themselues with the bare reading of the scriptures And heere of it is that the ministers themselues who haue not the power of the gospell working in them and subduing themselues and therefore louing profit pleasure and preferment more then godlines cannot nor will not take paines to enlighten and reforme others and to beate downe the workes of darknes and of the diuell among them And heereof consequently it ariseth that the people remaine in ignorance and bondage to their euill lusts More particularly to come nearer to our selues hereof it is that common discorders and open abominations remaine among vs now after 60. yeares preaching in this land which should bee the Land of the righteous and hereby it is that heathenish games lobbes of misrule with money dauncings are still retayned in some parts of it with Atheisme grosse prophanenes yea euen on the sabboth it selfe and that in time of diuine seruice prayer and preaching are by troupes and companiships practised and defended And the grossest sinnes as popery adultery drunkennes oppressing deceiuing haue so many fauorites with like abhomination that it may cleerely be seen there wants no consent in any of them but the practisers are so many and well knowne that as all trades in London of any reckoning haue their companies which professe maintaine and liue by them as the company of Mercers the company of Goldsmithes Merchant Taylors Drapers and the like so ye may reckon vp in all kindes of sinne among vs such is the consent therein and so great and common are the fellowships of them the comepany of whoremongers the companie of Idolaters the company of theeues the company of malice bearers the company of slaunderers and lyars with such a rabble of many others that yee may see consent and companie enough in euery kinde of sin Oh it cannot be expressed how soone one followeth another in euill and how soone one consenteth to another in his sinne yea and that which is an increase of this sinne and filleth the world with sin so are these companyshipps in diuerse kindes of sinne not only firme and sure in themselues but so alyed and neare a kinne one to another that if one of them were too weake alone by himselfe to stand and vphold it selfe yet it should bee vpholden and strengthened by another And if the power of the word of God were so entertained and embraced in any place citie or towne that it were like to breake of any part of bad fellowship in any one kinde of sinne all the rest are ready to band themselues together against that preaching to vphold any sinne or company onship which were falling and decaying the ryotous will helpe to vphold the couetous and the mallicious the flatterer and the proud will plead for the vsurer and one for another to deface the preacher though one haue no great conuersing with the other but rather some way nipping the other secretly that as Herod and Pilate were at contention one with another yet could both set themselues against Christ so can the carnall protestant ioyne himselfe with the Church papist to rayle on and deface the effectuall and powerfull preaching of Christ and the zealous professors of it yea I say more such force hath consent in sinne to worke mischiefe and to infect where it goeth that it fastneth euen vpon such as haue shewed some good countenance to the gospell and haue beene iudged to loue it from their hearts so truly it is said of our Sauiour that the abundance of iniquitie causeth the loue of many to waxe cold for when one seeth another take a course that liketh flesh and the same to be allowed and maintained by many what grace haue the best christians neede of to keepe themselues in that they walke not after the same excesse of ryot that others doe and what is there to hold men in but the preaching of the gospell from prophanenes from much loosenes ignorance and dissolutenes thereby And yet few haue that sounding in their eares especially in any great power and yet where it hath any it is soone resisted and beaten backe What is then to be done but that such as haue eares to heare knowing this take heede to themselues and follow not the multitude to doe euill but depart from the steppes companies and acquaintance of such and say with the valiant man Iosuah though there bee neuer so many of them yet I and mine will feare the Lord. VERSE 22.23 And Samuell said Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the LORD Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of rammes For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubburnnesse is as iniquitie and idolatrie because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD he hath also rejected thee from being king WEe haue heard Sauls answere wherein he would haue couered the fault which hee could not denie altogether saying it was to honour God which they did meaning the beastes were reserued to be offered to him for sacrifice and therefore the fault he hoped was not great for he had he said obeyed the Lord gon the way which he had commanded him This answer therefore of his in both points the Prophet sheweth to be but glosing and dawbing with vntempered mortar and therefore not able to stand him in any stead For know saith he that as concerning the sacrifice which thou speakest of if thou haddest meant indeed to haue offred it to the Lord which yet thou diddest not but reserued the beasts as a pray to thine own behoofe yet if thou haddest meant to offer them for sacrifice

hands then the most are in our dayes that like and allow of the Ministry perhaps though many doe not so and yet shall bee found if any list to examine it not to looke to be enstructed by them nor turned from the power and dominion of Satan to the sincere loue and obedience of God neither to bee called and brought from darknesse to light to faith and knowledge which are the ends why the Gospel is preached among them but onely in some such respects to like and receiue them as I haue before set downe But is this the manner of accounting the Ministry and Ministers as Gods holy ordinance and his singular gifts is this to make prophesie and preaching precious Is this to account and esteeme the tydings of the Kingdome of Heauen as a pearle for so the Scripture cals it is this to receiue Gods holy Messengers as Angels and to shew that their feet or comming is beautifull because they bring a glad message and a message of peace vnto them Is it to loue and esteem them so as for their sakes to bee ready to plucke their owne eyes out if need were for the singular benefit which they receiue at their hands and by their meanes It doth well appeare that the neare coniunction of true and christian loue betweene Gods faithfull ministers and their flocke which also ought to be betwixt all teachers and the people committed to their charge is either not knowne or not greatly in practise And if the true shepheard as Christ teacheth will so loue his flock as he will loose goods and life for their sake if occasion should be offred and if they bee like affected to him is there not thinke we some great matter betwixt them which causeth this And what is it the naturall father and sonne are not so nearely vnited as they yea greater things are enioyned of one by the other then betwixt them for the father is but the meane of his sons being at all but the spirituall father is the instrument of his euerlasting welbeing he can only conuey or leaue to his sonne his temporall possessions and goods but this is a meane whereby eternall riches yea a kingdome and that eternall is enioyed by them whome hee begetteth by the gospell againe their loue can bee but naturall therefore not euer firme and stable but the loue of these is spirituall and therefore endureth and such louing and liuing together should be betweene the one and the other which I say because the blinde and the beastly world who knoweth no whit of this when they see faithfull loue betwixt the teacher and people doe to their further condemnation reproachfully vtter these speaches that the people make their minister their God but while they thus speake we may see that they see cause to loue them and that there is another end why the shepheards of soules ought to bee desired and enioyed and another manner of benefit to be reaped by them then either Saul or such as I haue spoken of haue found which therfore ought of all the people of God heereafter to bee sought and looked after Doct. 30 The hypocrite may alvvay look to heare bad news VERSE 28. And Samuel said vnto him The LORD hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thee this day and hath giuen it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou IN the former verse wee haue seene how Saul sought to hold Samuel with him but not for the end which ought chiefely to haue moued him and in this 28. verse Samuel takes occasion by the rending the lappe of his garment to giue signification to him that God would rend his kingdome from him that so hee might make no doubt but that it should come so to passe And this hee did that he might haue driuen him to some sounder and hartyer dislike and confession of his sinnes though wee see hee preuailed not with him therefore hee thus speaketh to him as we see fearefully and as well it teacheth al that list to learne that while men remaine hollow and double and deale not truly and plainely with God they may look to heare no better then heauy tidings from him to sound in their eares and to checke their consciences whatsoeuer faire shew they make of any repentance but to gather more signes then before of their damnacion by how much more they reiected Gods offers in calling them And should not this driue men from all their carnall shiftes and broken holdes when they see that God hunts them out of their dennes and pluckes their mufflers from their faces And yet as bad as Saul was and as little as God set by all the outward shewes that he made either heere or in the former chapter verse 34. to the 46. which were many yet it is cleere and most manifest that he went farre before many that professe the Gospell at this day among whome a man may be a long time before hee shal heare so many holy and religious speaches as he vttred there reade the place besides his vpholding the true worship of God in the which he declared his zeale in seuere punishing such as should dishonour him yea although it fell out to be his owne son I say there be many found among vs who haue cleerer knowledge of Gods will then was reuealed to him who yet neither may be matched with Saul in sundry commendable points neither in this one to attribute so much to Samuel the Lords Prophet as he did who desired his company and held him with him Which though it was not done in faithfulnes with desire to bee reformed yet who doubteth but that it was a good steppe to take profit by him in time when he could yeeld him such reuerence as he did and giue him leaue to speake to him of the matters that were both harsh toylish and vnpleasant And yet wee see for all this God had no pleasure in him that all who shall heare or read this story or the laying open of it may feare and tremble if their righteousnes and synceritie exceed not his for no such shall enter into the Lords kingdome which was one especiall end why I lay out this story before the eyes of men as I said in the beginning Neither let any obiect and say that his estate was fearefull afterwards but now when this was done which is heere mentioned he was not so desperate and past hope Answ for I say that for the acts heere and before mentioned take one with the other he was cast off although it is to bee granted that afterwards hee was much worse Let no man deceiue himselfe Samuel was forbidden to pray for him at his departure from him at the time heere mentioned as appeareth in the next chapter verse 1. for at his departing from him after he had done the Lords message to him which I haue now spoken of hee left him no better then at his comming