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	good_a	think_v	1,468	5	3.8318	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36870	Heraclitus, or, Mans looking-glass and survey of life written in French by Peter du Moulin ; and translated into English by Sir H. L'Estr.	Du Moulin, Pierre, 1568-1658.; L'Estrange, Hamon, 1605-1660.	1652 (1652)	Wing D2584; ESTC R24305	25,639	117

not capable of the society of men in others from an ambitious desire to be noted for some extraordinary profession because they could not be seen enough in the Common Crowd in others from anger and despite that they have so long tyred themselves in striving against the stream and to be crossed in every thing So I doubt not but there are some who purposely withdraw themselves and take upon them this solitary condition to get out of the crowd of Vices and to serve God with more liberty but even these are deceived and when they think to goe out of the World at one door they come in at another for griefs of mind perplexed thoughts lumpish laziness windie Hypochondriacall Melancholy despair presumption and self-admiration steal insensibly into the mind under a profession of extraordinary Sanctity which pines the spirits of the peevishly arrogant and of peremptory devotion which degenerates oftentimes into folly or brutishness The Solitary Man hath none to comfort him in his heaviness and having none to compare withall thinks himself the most excellent then also inordinate desires multiplie upon him for Man ever thinks that best that is furthest off So St. Jerome in the midst of the Wilderness and in abstinent solitude yet burnt with incontinent affections and his mind ran most on dancing with Maids and when the Devil followed Christ into the Wilderness he thought that the fittest place for temptation and if the Devil set upon the Sonne of God in the Desert what Monk or Cloysterer thinks to goe free The safest way is to goe out of the World not with feet but affections and first to keep the World from nestling in our hearts or near us lest when we goe out of the World we carry it with us for as a Man may be Worldly and Wicked though he make a shew to live out of the world so he may leave the World and yet never come in the Wilderness and live among a multitude as if he were alone and even in a Court or Palace behold the evill travell of men and have no share with them and where the greatest talk is there to talk with himself alone and confer with God and to imploy himself to the edifying of the Church to direct those right that are wrong and to bring them again into the way to Heaven and by no means to hide the talent in the ground and to lop himself off as an unprofitable branch from the Bodie of Civill Society thus the Apostles did and all those lights who brought so great glory to the Church and yet shine after their death I know that Aristotle spake true in the first of his Poli● that he that is disposed to Solitariness is either of a divine or a base spirit as much as to say He forsakes the company of men either because his Virtues are above them or he inferiour and not worthy to come among them But I say that he that loves Solitude because he excells others in Virtue or Knowledge ought to subdue himself and to descend by humility and gentleness to others imperfections bestowing himself every way in word and action to the good of the Church and Common-wealth For what are all our perfections but poor shadowes and obscure traces of the perfection of Christ yet he became like unto men and conversed among men that he might save men From all which I gather this conclusion That if it be a Vanity to forsake the World then much more to follow it and if Vices with all their mischiefs nestle in the Deserts much more in the common crowd Surely if Vanity be thus found every where we may well say All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Now while Man busies himself about all his vain travell while he thrusts time forward with the Shoulders every day begins a-fresh to rise up and lye down again to fill and empty his belly like a Spunge and goes round like a Mill-horse in the circle of of the same tedious occupations Behold old Age comes stealing on which yet but a few attain unto Every one desires to come to it and when they are at it they wish it farther off This is as it were the sink and setlings of mans life the worst of all to the Worldly and the best to the Godly then are Worldly men more way-ward than ever then they grow fearfull and froward and to speak truly weak in Judgement for we cannot properly call that humour wisdom which is any way irksome nor want of power Sobrietie an old Man does not leave pleasures but they leave him he complains without cause that the Fashions and Manners of Men are changed into worse 't is himself that is altered when he was young every thing pleased him though never so had when he is old nothing can please him though never so good like a Man in a Wherry who thinks the shore moves when 't is himself It is also a fault of old age to talk much because they can doe little therefore they think 't is their part to teach young Men and to tell of old matters done a great while agoe So towards the declining of a State as of the Roman Empire much talke but little actions In the Worlds old age many curious Disputes but little piety and solid Religion Old Age is covetous and worldy cares then come a fresh every thing growes gray and withered save onely Vice The old Man the Apostle so often speaks of growes not old to the World but is then in his prime he sees Death at hand and holds Life but like an Eel by the tayl yet he devises long-breathed plots and gathers and heaps up riches together as if Death were a great way off then is Man loath to leave his Life when it is least worth and little left but Lees He never thinks of Death though his Age gives him warning of it and every grey hair serves for a Summons Nay Death oftentimes takes an earnest of him by the loss of an Arm or an Eye or a Legge to put him in minde that shortly after he will have the rest Again old Men are besotted with the World through long custom and acquaintance and are loth to leave it though they find no good in it This is also a Vanity and Vexation of the Spirit At the end of all this tedious and unprofitable travell Death comes which takes every man away before he knowes how to live in the World much less to leave it most men goe out of the World before they consider why they came in they would fain adjourn time but Death will not listen to any composition His feet are of Wooll but his hands of Iron he comes stealing in but what he layes hold of he never le ts goe Man makes as slow hast thither as he can If a Ship split 100 Leagues from Land every one swims as well as he can not so much to save himself from drowning as to set the clock