Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	call_v	effect_n	nature_n	1,689	5	5.4122	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12100	Lectures or readings vpon the 6. verse of the 22. chapter of the Prouerbs concerning the vertuous education of youth: a treatise very necessary for all parents in this corrupt and declining age of the world.	Shelford, Robert, 1562 or 3-1627.	1602 (1602)	STC 22401; ESTC S114782	69,487	141

the rose the worme to the apple and the caterpillar to the leafe so the common spoyle to all youth is the contrarie to this yoke which is idlenes Therefore S. Bernard worthily calleth idlenes the mother of all euils and stepdame of all vertues The Prophet Ezechiel in his sixteenth chapter teacheth that idlenes was one of the principall sinnes of Sodome which pulled downe fire and brimstone from heauen vpon their heads this idlenes is the diuels confederate for euen as the trayterous seruant while his maister is a sleepe and all things at rest setteth open the dore for the theefe to enter in vpon him and spoyle him at his pleasure so idlenes while wee are not aware lying soft vpon the pillowes of security openeth the dore for y e diuell to enter into vs with full swing to the destruction both of body soule Saint Matthew saith chapter 13 that while men slept the enemie came and sowed tares among the wheate so the fittest time that the diuell can finde to worke vpon vs is when we are idle for that is the sleep of the soule In the 11. chapter of the 2. Sam. Wee reade that while Dauid tarried idly at home in the beginning of the yeare when Kings vsed to goe forth to battell hee was soone ouertaken with those two foule sinnes of adulterie and manslaughter Oh that men saw to how many vices and euils they shut the dore when they cease to be idle and giue themselues to honest labours So long as Sampson warred with the Philistines hee could neuer be taken or ouercome but after that he gaue himselfe to idlenes and pleasure hee not onely committed fornication with the strumpet Dalilah but also was takē of his enemies and had his eyes miserably put out If these two which were such excellent men indued of God with singular giftes the one of prophecie and the other of strength and such as no labour or trouble could ouercome were notwithstanding ouerthrowne and fallen into grieuous sinnes by yeelding for a short time to ease then what crimes what mischiefes and inconueniences are not to bee feared of them who all their life long giue themselues to idlenes and loytering But such hath alwaies been the peruerse incredulitie of mans heart as Haymo repeateth out of Origen that they will not beleeue that other men haue perished vntil they themselues perish also If we be vtterly voyde of vnderstanding let vs goe to the brute creatures which want those helpes of reason and gouernemēt that man hath and learne of them Goe to the Pismire O sluggard saith Salomon beholde her waies and bee wise for shee hauing no guide nor ruler prepareth her meate in the summer and gathereth her foode in the haruest Let vs set before our eyes the looking glasse of all creatures the birdes flye the fishes swim the wormes creepe the heauens turne the elements moue yea the earth it selfe which is the most brute and senseles creature of all other neuer ceaseth her working bringing forth her burden in summer and labouring inwardly all the winter concocting and digesting her nourishment for the next spring What should I speake of the strange operation of stones and mettals and herbes whereof one is called the Load stone and the Magnet stone of his mighty force and working God who is the first mouer of all things seeing all excellencie to lye in mouing being of himselfe infinite good cannot but create all things good and as the nature of the efficient cause is to make his effect like vnto himselfe so God being excellent in motion and working hath made all his creatures indued with this bonitie of nature Now seeing God hath made all his creatures in this perfection and seeing himselfe is the continuall mouer of al things as the Apostle saith Actes 17.28 In him we liue and moue and haue our being then there can nothing bee more contrarie to Gods working and mans perfection then the priuation thereof which is idlenes God beloued sustaineth and vpholdeth the whole frame of the world by his dayly and continuall working and if he should draw his hand backe but one minute all creatures would presently fall to nothing from whence they first came Why doe wee not then see that idlenes is the ruine and destruction of all things and how can we perswade our selues that we are the sons of God when by our idle life wee shew our selues most contrarie vnto him who is alwaies in working The perfection and excellencie of euery creature is his working and therefore the wise Grecians call the soule of man which the prophet Dauid calleth his glorie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a continuall working yea so excellent a thing is it and so fit to set foorth Gods glorie that hee hath ordained most forcible meanes to stirre vp and thrust forward man vnto it as all manner of wants and necessities For what is the great glorie of God but his omnipotencie and power and how is his power seene but by working and how should wee see Gods working and how should we come to the vnderstanding of his omnipotencie except wee sawe it in his creatures for the Apostle sayth that the inuisible things of God as his eternall power and God-head are seene by the creation of he worlde being considered in his workes and therefore when I see so many millions of thousands in the worlde moouing vpon the face of the earth and all occupied in such varietie of trades one this way another that way when I consider the straunge monuments of warre the mightie works of peace the curious inuentions of Arts and the manifolde chaunges of gouernment disposition and actions from age to age I must needes acknowledge that there is an high and supreme power which is called omnipotencie which worketh all in all these things and that that mā which is the greatest imitator of God in honest and vertuous working commeth neerest vnto the diuine nature most setteth forth Gods glorie and shall haue the greatest reward both in this life in the life to come but the idle and slugglish soule who hath receiued power of God and vseth it not in some honest labour he obscureth Gods glorie hee oppresseth as in him lieth his omnipotencie and power and in that wherein I compare him he is worse then the diuell for hee neuer ceaseth compassing the world Iob. 2.1 Pet. 5. Wherefore thou good parent if thy desire be to haue thy sonne to bee Gods sonne and to follow his working and to haue him brought vp in al good nurture and instruction and if it bee the death of thy heart to see thy deare child drowned before thine eies in that deadly lake of all filthie vices in the hardnes of his heart in stubbornes in rebellion in Atheisme in whoredome and other impietie then now while thou hast time lay the yoke vpon his necke lay it vpon him while hee is young and tender for now he will

reuerence and common maintenance so the people must honour their pastour the child his parent the wife her husband and the seruant his master All these must bee honoured and obeyed of vs not sleightly but seriously and vnfeynedly euen as purposing to honor God in them for this also is a part of Gods seruice and the dueties which wee giue vnto them wee must giue as vnto God himselfe setting God alwaies before our eyes whome in all thinges wee ought to worship and reuerence And on the other side superiours must know so to carie themselues towardes their inferiours in gouerning teaching and defending of them in all wisedome and grauitie that they may seeme worthie of those honours which according to Gods ordinance are bestowed vpon them Secondly for the helping and relieuing of our brother wee must not doe it by halfes but fully as God himselfe hath commaunded We must not aide him in his bodie and hurt him in his goods and wee must not helpe him in his goodes and offend him in his name and lastly wee must not care for him in his bodie goodes and name and suffer his soule to perish by vs for want of our spirituall counsell and exhortation but wee must labour to vpholde and defend him in all these together but especially in his soule because this is more pretious then all the other For euen as one member of our own bodie is as deere vnto vs as another so should all our brothers things be vnto vs because we are all members of our deere Sauiour who hath loued vs all alike in giuing his whole selfe for vs all Thirdly and lastly so shoulde wee loue all men as well those which haue no neede of vs as those which stand in need that no offence being giuen on either side wee liuing as lightes in the worlde and shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darkenesse into his marueilous light as Saint Peter sayeth all men maye haue iust cause to praise GOD for vs and so God to be honored all in all 3. The third highest part of our seruice is to liue holily towardes God and this is to set vp and exalte the Lorde onelye in our heartes and to establish his kingdome and gouernement in our soules banishing and auoyding from within vs all forraine powers of the world the flesh and the diuell that so there may be but one sole and absolute regiment of Gods spirit within vs that hee onely may commaund forbid controule chastize and direct in all his waies And secondly that as hee onely is wise to prescribe so wee should giue our selues wholy to serue him not as wee our selues thinke best but as hee commaundeth in his worde that is spiritually inwardly and vnfainedly and in such particulars as hee himselfe setteth downe vnto vs. And thirdly because hee is such a great GOD holding all the worlde vnder his obedience saying to the king as it is in Iob 34. Thou naughtie man and to the nobles you wicked men therefore now we should vse his name with all holy reuerence and neuer presume to speake of him but with titles of maiestie and honour And fourthly and lastly wee must performe all our homage and seruice vnto him in frequenting his courts diligently in hearing his word preached gladly in praying to him deuoutly in receiuing his holy Sacraments reuerently in casting our selues downe at his feete acknowledging all our possessions wealth honours priuiledges and whatsoeuer els wee enioy that good is all to bee held from his gracious hands most heartily thanking him for the continuance of them vnto vs and being readie whensoeuer hee shall call to surrender them vp vnto him againe In this present world Now in that the holy Apostle restraineth his exhortation to the time of this present world he teacheth vs that there is no longer deferring to serue God but wee must euen now at this present instant change our hearts and set vpon his worke for this present instant is a parte of this present world and so you see here that the Lord hath left vs no time in this life to serue our owne lustes and pleasures Secondly the Apostle here setteth foorth vnto vs the common stade of Gods seruice which is this present life This present life and this present world God hath appoynted out for seruice and that which is to come hee hath ordained for reward and rest Wherefore now if men will serue God they must serue him in this life or els they shall neuer serue him I know well that many could be content to serue God after they bee dead so they might enioy and follow their pleasures in this present world then they would liue soberly and righteously and holily but then it is too late For this present world as I sayd is the time of seruice and the next is the time of reward the reward of glorie and rest to such as haue serued God in this world and the reward of vengeance and torment to such as haue disobeied him Verse 13.14 Looking for that blessed hope and appearing of that glorie of that mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to bee a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes NOw hauing taught you what the whole seruice of God is and what is required at our hands for our saluation redemption because our hearts are so heauie and sluggish that few of vs regard these things And againe such of vs as regard them can better talke of them then performe them and considering the lets of Christianitie to bee many I haue thought good here to vse such forcible motiues as I can best gather out of Gods worde whereby our colde zeale may bee enflamed and wee violnttlie thrust forward to laye hand vpon Gods busines 1. The first motiue which the holie Ghost here offereth vnto vs is the lifting vp of our eyes vnto the marke or reward which is set vp for vs at the ende of our race to drawe vs forward with all our might For as it is in the game of running which similitude the Scripture often vseth there is a marke or crowne of rewarde erected vppe on high on some pillar at the race end to the end it might be seene a far off and that it might bee alwayes in the eye of the runner like the load-stone to drawe him forward with all his might and power euen so vnto vs Christians which runne in the spirituall race of Gods seruice wherein the great God and his Angels are lookers on there is a great price set vppe for vs euen in the height of the heauens which is here called the blessed hope and the glorie of the mightie God which at that day shall breake forth as a floud of light from his owne glorious maiestie to glorifie all his saints And for the more efficacie of this motiue I will bring