Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	good_a	see_v	2,547	5	3.0771	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17297	Conflicts and comforts of conscience a treatise, shewing how the conscience, in cases of deepest distresse and distraction, may recollect it selfe, and recouer solid and sound comfort / collected from priuate proofe, for publike profit, by H.B. ...	Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.	1628 (1628)	STC 4140.4; ESTC S259	75,671	324

incurable ludibrium Medicorum The Prouerbe is As good bee halfe hanged as haue an ill name Which hath beene the cause that many being oppressed with the shame of it and out of hope of any likely remedie haue gone and hanged themselues out-right Yea among the Heathen an ill name hath beene so detestable as on a time A. Gall. Noct. Att. l. 18. c. 3 when one in Lacedemon of a notorious vicious life but wittie and one that could speake well in a dangerous exigent of affaires gaue such aduice as all the Citizens applauded it and would haue it presently enacted and decreed vnder his name as the manner was thereat one of the nobler Senators starting vp with a spirit full of indignation vttered these words What meane you O yee Lacedemonians or what hope is there that euer this Citie and Weale-publike should long continue in safetie if wee shall vse such corrupt Counsellours If that his sentence bee good and honest I pray you let vs not suffer it to bee stained with the reproach of a most filthy Authour And hauing said this he chose a man among the rest for courage and vprightnesse but of a poore speech and vneloquent and commanded him with the consent and request of all to pronounce the same sentence in as good termes as he could that without mention of the former this Decree of the people might bee recorded in his name onely in regard he recited it anew And thus as the sage Senatour counselled it was done Sic b●n● sententia mansi● ●urpis au●●or mu●atus est So the good sentence stood good but the infamous Author was changed And euer Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtus And in Sacred storie Dauid must not build the Temple because hee had beene a man of blood in so many battels nor must Moses haue the honour to This was in a mystery Moses sinning was the Law broken which could not bring Moses thither condu●t Israel into Canaan because by his owne humble confession hee had dishonored the Lord by his vnbeleefe at Meribah And Salomon in his boo●e of repentance in dislike of the vani●●es hee had committed being King stiles himselfe The Preacher not Salomon the King saying onely I the Preacher haue beene King in Ierusalem On the contrary Ioab would not send the newes of Absolons death by good Ahimaas but by Cushi And when Dauid heard of two comming running to bring newes and the one Ahimaas he promised to himselfe good tydings for saith he He is a good man and bringeth good tydings So preiudiciall is the person to the cause good or bad for the very name sake Now it hath beene the lot euen of Gods dearest Saints to be ill reported of Iohn the Baptist was reported for a Daemoniaeke or one possessed with a diuel yea Christ himselfe the innocent Lambe of God in whose mouth was no guile yet escaped not scot-free but was famed for a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners also a sedicious person and I wot not what And Dauid heard of Shimei Come out thou man of blood thou sonne of Belial as much as Thou bloud-shedder thou debosht person yea the drunkards made songs of him And Iob complaines Iob 17.6 He hath made me a by-word of the people and I am as a Tabret vnto them And Saint Paul heard 2 Cor. 6. One that stirreth vp sedition And hee went through euill report and good report as a deceiuer and yet true Onely the difference is how the ill name is deserued how iustly or vniustly raised And although by reason of the worlds vnreasonable malicious enuy against true vertue generally Gods Saints are falsely reproached yet it may so fall out as euen the holiest man may iustly and worthily fall into an euill report Who holier than Dauid yet it was his case which Shimeis railing did in part at least reflect vpon calling him a man of blood and sonne of Belial murtherer and adulterer For Dauids adultery and murther were not so closely carried but men might easily take notice of it howsoeuer the maiesty of his person place might somewhat smother and smooth it ouer by keeping mens tongues in awe yet it was so known already as Nathan tels him he had giuen the enemie cause to blaspheme So that the very Philistins had notice of it much more Dauids owne people and Court. Gloss. O●din And the Hebrews say that Achitophel ●ooke part with Absalon in reuenge of Bathshebas chastity and honour because she was his Neece This being so what a torment was it to poore Dauids heart thus to be reported thus reputed seeing he had so deepely and 〈◊〉 dese●ued it seeing Dauid ●as no prophane Prince whose lust was his law or who held it as his priuiledge to be vniust in taking away the wife or life of any of his liege subiects as though he might sinne by authority or adultery were but a tricke of youth and veniall in Court or the manner of making away Vriah a politicke deuice to make a fairer way to his lustfull ends but as he was a sacred person a King anointed a holy Prophet and Saint of God so nothing could so excruciate and vexe his noble spirit then thus to see the crowne of all his graces cast in the dust the beauty thereof defaced Gods name dishonoured his owne name disgraced religion reproached and such a brand of infamy inusted on Dauid● name and that imprinted in sacred Record neuer to be blotted out as it were in capitall letters Sauing in the matter of Vriah Now tell me brother thou that art in estimation for wisdome and glory in whose estimate nothing is so precious as a good name to haue a good report with all good men in case through some folly thou hast made shipwracke of thy credit and so of all that fraight of graces which thou hast toyled about all thy life now thy sincerity is censured for hypocrisie and all turned topsie turuie What wilt thou doe Now thou maist finde that a good conscience wounded may more easily be cured with God then thy credit once crackt with men the cure whereof depends vpon as many Physitians as there are men in the world whereof though some few possest with diuine loue may be willing to licke it whole with their tongues or as the noble Emperour Constantine who said that if he did with his eyes see a Bishop to defile another mans bed hee would cast his purple robe ouer it least therwith any should be offended as he threw the bundle of the Bishops mutuall complaints at the Councell of Nice into the fire saying it became them to pardon one another sith all needed pardon of Christ Yet the most will out of the superfluity of maliciousnesse not sticke to invenome it the more with their Serpentiue tongues and teeth CHAP. X. The Comfort How in this deplored case the deiected soule may sustaine it selfe and hold out to the end IN this

polluted lips had no heart to prophecie to others before the Seraphim had touched his lips with a coale from the Altar saying Lo this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquitie is taken away and thy sinne purged Whereupon Esay now can say Here I am send me Esa. 6.7 So that a Ministers peace with God giues him comfort and courage to preach to others that grace and mercie whereof himselfe hath had particular experience As Paul saith For this cause I obtained mercie 1 Tim. 1.16 that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter belieue on him to life euerlasting But on the contrarie I see not with what confidence or courage a Minister can stand in the presence of God and in the face of his Congregation either to instruct others in righteousnesse which himselfe followeth not or to reproue them of sinne whereof himselfe repenteth not Famous is that example of Origen Centur. 3. cap. 10 who for his offering of Incense to the Idoll being excommunicated from the Church of Alexandria and comming to Ierusalem and there intreated yea and in a manner inforced to preach vnto them hee going vp to the Pulpit as if hee would preach recited those words in the Psalm But to the wicked saith God what hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Hee no sooner had read these words but closing the Booke fell into a sad and bitter weeping and that so abundantly that as a stream it carried the affections of the whole assembly with it to weepe for companie and that out of a fellow-feeling of those compunctions of heart which so stopped his mouth and opened the flood-gates of repentance for his late sacrificing to the Idol and for other his errours whereinto he was said to fall after that his fall Such an insupportable burden is sinne vnrepented vpon a Ministers Conscience that till by the mercie of God hee be well lightened of it vneath he shall beare the Lords burthen vnto the people But vpon his humble repentance being at peace with God and hauing obtained the comfort of his Spirit and the assistance of his grace to settle him in the state of a good Conscience and of a holy life hereupon he becomes imboldened to preach of mercy to others whereof himselfe hath so plentifully tasted and wherby sinners may be conuerted vnto God Thirdly The Minister as hee hath offended his Flocke any way iustly he must labour to make them satisfaction And this stand sin foure things especially First In dubbling his labour and diligence in the faithfull discharge of his Ministry that what he hath formerly lost by any kind of neglect either in life or Doctrine hee may endeuour to regaine Secondly In labouring so much the more to set forth himselfe as a patterne of a true belieuer in faith in patience and other vertues wherby the calling not onely of a Christian but of a Minister and Pastour of Gods people is adorned So that the constant example of his carriage and course for the time to come may be as a mouth to signifie to all his exceeding humiliation and sorrow for his sinnes past his hatred and detestation of all sinne in himselfe and others and his earnest care and purpose of hart expressed in his practise vtterly to abandon and auoid the like and all sinne for the time to come setting himselfe with all boldnesse to reproue sinne in others which now they may behold so hatefull to himselfe turning also his people that setting themselues to speedie repentance they need not to doubt of Gods mercie towards them seeing that the sinne of their Pastour was not denyed it Thirdly To be continually exercised in feruent prayer for his people that from henceforth they may reape infinitely more profite by his Ministry and example of life then formerly they haue receiued hurt by any his neglect or occasion This will be a meanes through Gods speciall blessing cooperating to reconcile and reunite the peoples hearts to their Pastour and to cause all things to succeed happily betweene them Lastly He must practise the Spirit of meekenesse towards the weake labouring to restore such considering his owne selfe who hath beene and lest hee may be yet tempted And to bee patient towards all that if he meet with any vnkind affronts or closse biting malicious frumpes hee either answer not at all remembring that God hath layd that burthen vpon him or else lest the malicious may thus being let goe perish in his sinne hee is to admonish him either priuatly or if occasion require publickly before all the companie so as they may learne to feare God lest they turne the fall of their brother through weakenesse now repented now recouered into their own presumptuous ruine irrecouerable But neuer to retort or returne rebuke for rebuke euen as Dauid would shew no reuenge vpon cursing cursed Shimei hoping God would doe him good for his cursing that day and knowing that God would not hold Shimei guiltlesse but without repentance without peace bring him to the graue as it befell Shimei Thus may the afflicted and humbled Conscience of Gods Minister bee through Gods grace and mercie inabled in some good m●asure to beare vp against such winds and waues of tryall and in time to ouercome them Although when he hath done his best and suffered much yet hee must make account neuer to bee quit of his paine altogether till death but as a hurt or bruise in the body in youth it will become an ach and symptome of old age accompanying him to his graue As Dauid in his old age complaines of the aches of those sinnes in his youth still sticking in his bones when hee said Psa 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth c. So that he must conclude and resolue with Hezechiah Esa 15. I shall goe softly all my yeeres in the bitternesse of my Soule And say with Dauid My sorrow is continually before me And euer to make this vse of his former sinnes euen to bee humbled in his best graces and most beautifull actions and prouoked to aspire to all perfection therin not fearing now to be proud who hath such cause to be humbled CHAP. V. The third Conflict arising from the Sacred societie of the Ministry offended IT was no small griefe to the Spouse when she said My Mothers children were angry with me Cant. 1.6 and 5.7 And againe The Watchmen that went about the Citie found me they smote me they wounded me the Keepers of the Walls tooke away my vaile from me The least offence giuen by a Minister if it shall be taken to heart of the whole Sacred fraternitie and made theirs when the Delinquent considereth it what a torment is it to his Conscience when hee shall now see their countenances auerse full of high indignation and

open the deeper wound least the suddaine healling and closing of it vp might proue dangerous Thus thou dealt'st with Dauid who lying weltering in his blood thou the good Samaritan took'st compassion poured'st in thy healing Oyle of pardon but withall the corosiue wine of humiliation so to eat out or suppresse the luxuriant new-growne flesh lest festering inwardly it might proue to a Gangreene And when I am thus cast vpon the worlds reproch I know it is not without thy iust good and wise all-disposing hand Thou sawest what small fruit all my ordinarie and euerie-day repentance brought forth how it did not worke in me such a perfect hatred and detestation of sinne such an exact care and Conscience of auoyding the least appearance of euill as thou requirest how it laboured at the best rather to lop off the out-branches of sinne as eye-sores of the world then putting the axe to the root of the Tree to stub it vp with all the radicall sprigs and sprouts of affections And how easie is it to slubber ouer repentance when the heart is not possessed with a due estimate of the smallest sinne I thought all was well or at least tollerable being free from the maine Act nor making practise nor taking pleasure nor walking in a purpose nor watching opportunitie nor pursuing the meanes of committing sinne with greedinesse Or if at any time a temptation did ouertake me to yeald assent vpon thy gratious preuention I so reioyced with the Pharisee Lord I thanke thee c. as I neglected the Publicans Prayer Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Not duely considering in the meane time either the strictnesse of thy Law or the Sacredness of my Person Profession the one straitly prohibiting the other infinitely aggrauating the least degree of or disposition vnto sinne causing that to bee mortall in me which in others might bee accounted veniall And although thou knowest Lord which I dare the more freely recount to the glorie of thy Grace how often when occasions were offered euen inuiting mee to sinne boldnesse vsurping the seat of bashfulnesse I haue by thy present assistance not else while mine owne corruption when left to it selfe would easily haue followed auoided declined them and where I haue obserued temptations to be strongest and danger most apparant haue purposely not daring to trust vpon mine owne weake strength withdrawn my selfe where I haue beene like to bee taken with the lime-twigs which the cunning fowler layd for mee haue I not taken the wings of the Doue to fly a loft from the danger yea sometimes finding vpon triall a flexibility in the obiect haue I not disswaded haue I not counselled for good Yet all this all this while as it seemeth so deceitfull is the heart aboue all things not with that zealous affection not with that thorow hatred of sinne as was requisite Certainly I did not with all my power resist the Diuell so that it gaue him incouragement to watch still new occasions to take me tardie when I should least dreame of danger and obseruing my spirituall armour not so tightly girt to my loynes but like Ioabs sword to hang loose and dangling about me hee hoped one time or other to smite me vnawares as Ioab did Amasa kissing and killing both at once And could he at all haue inclosed mee in his toyle had not thy wonderful * Deus diligētibus eū omnia cooperatur in bonum vsque aedeo prorssus omnia vt etiam si qui eorum deuiant exorbitāt etiam hoc ipsum eis faciat proficere in bonum quia humiliores redeunt atque doctiores Aug. de Corr. gra cap. 9 Prouidence so disposed it to a further end then Sathan imagined Hast thou there left me No surely For first hauing chastised and purged me with a fiery sicknesse nigh vnto death and heard my praier for deliuerance and for a renewed redubled strength in my Ministry to be a poore instrument of thy glory which my folly had any way stained how hast thou followed mee euer since what with assisting grace what with aff●iccting griefe least I might bee either too much exalted with the one or too much depressed with the other And hath not thy vnchangable wisedome for this very cause left some corruptions in thy holiest Saints to keepe them in the ballance of a due temper that so the tempter might not attaine to his wished ends while hee meeteth with two contrary windes to saile withall For when hee would tempt to pride for the indowments of thy graces how doe our very corruptions stand vp against him to our humiliation On the other side when he would tempt vs to diffidence deiection desperation in regard of our indwelling or out-breaking sinnes then thy grace interposeth it selfe not onely as a token of thine vnchangeable loue but as a mighty weapon to batter downe all Satans strong holds Hereof hast thou giuen mee sufficient experience herein abundant cause of comfort so that may not I say with Dauid Thy rod of castigation and thy staffe of consolation and sustentation comfort mee But yet alas O Lord was there no other way to preserue the wine of thy grace in me but vpon the Lees of my corruptions No way to poise the course of my brittle barke that so it might safely bring the Pearle of the kingdome to the wished hauen but with the base ballace of sinne No antidote to preserue me from being exalted aboue measure for the portion of thy free goodnesse towards me but by the treacle compounded of the Serpent sinne But I may not reason with thee whose iudgements are vnsearchable whose wayes past finding out But Lord did not thy all piercing eye discouer some monstrous pride lurking in my heart ready to breake out and beare it selfe bigge when it should behold it selfe any way beautified with the borrowed feathers of thy Doue-like spirit and rather then I should rob thee of thy glory and so be left naked of thy grace it seemed good to thy wisedome to permit the preuention of it with the humiliation of mine own shame For otherwise hast thou not in the midst of my infinite weakenesses giuen me a minde to know thee a desire to please thee a will to obey thee a heart to prefer thy glory before my life a resolution to choose rather to dye a thousand deaths then to commit the least sinne But O wretched man that I am the cause of all my calamity is in my selfe this body of death which I carry about is the source of all my sorrow Yet seeing this is the cōmon cōdition of thy Saints none to be exempt from indwelling corruption all the best the holiest to cry out of it some for shame all for sorrow why should I thinke by any priuiledge to be holier then they or being the weakest the worst of all the rest shall not thy mercy thy merits be magnified so much the more in blotting out my misdeeds I am sure I cannot be a