Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	child_n	good_a	great_a	1,689	5	2.6988	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55386	A model for the maintaining of students of choice abilities at the university, and principally in order to the ministry with epistles & recommendations, and an account of the settlement and practise of it in the universities from the doctors there : as also with answers to such objections as are most plausible, which may be made against it : and with the names of the trustees.	Poole, Matthew, 1624-1679.	1658 (1658)	Wing P2841; ESTC R38154	17,545	32

that you love your selves and that you love your money better than to lose it by casting it away upon the flesh and leaving it in the world behind you If you can stay here alwaies with it then keep it I speak to none but those that must die and methinks such should be glad to learn the art of sending their wealth to meet them in another world If you understand not that giving is receiving and that the giver is more beholden than the beggar and that it is for your selves that God commandeth you to give and that the more you thus lose the more you save and gain you are then unacquainted with the reasons of Christianity and the life of faith I hope you are sensible of Englands priviledges above the dark Mahometans or Indians in the freedome of Ordinances and plenty of receiving opportunities And know you not that an opportunity of giving may be as great a mercy to you as of hearing or praying and should be as forwardly and thankefully accepted He was never acquainted with the Christian life of doing good that finds it not the most sweet and pleasant life Though we must snatch no unsound consolation from our works but detest the thoughts of making God beholden to us yet we must walk in them as his way Ephes. 2. 10. in which we are likeliest to meet him he is likest to God that doth most good and that would do most This is such an improvement of time and stock that you may omit a Prayer a Sermon or a Sacrament for it rather than omit it you may violate the rest of a Sabbath to shew mercy Mat. 12. 4 5. Your Lord and Master with a special remark hath set you all this lesson for to study Mat. 9. 13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice And yet such is here the happy combination that it is mercy and sacrifice because it is mercy for sacrifice that you are called to And doubt not but with such sacrifice God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. Forget not therefore to communicate and do good It is more blessed to give than to receive Acts 20. 35. For the nature of the work before you consider First Is it not pity that so good a breed of wits as England is renowned for should be starved for want of culture and encouragement Secondly Is it not pity that so many thousands of souls should starve in ignorance or be poysoned by seducements for want of cost to procure a remedy And what abundance that may be saved by the Ministry of such as you maintain may blesse God for you as the helpers of their salvation Thirdly The necessities of the Church have of late called Students so young into the Ministry that eminent Proficients in Languages Sciences Antiquities c. grow thin and are in danger of being worn out if there be not some extraordinary helps for chosenwits addicted to these studies And what a dishonour what a losse that would be to us the Papists would quickly understand Fourthly The barbarous face of the Greek and other Eastern Churches tels us what need there is of Learned Instruments for the maintenance and propagation of the Truth Fifthly what abundance of Colledges and Monasteries can the Romanists maintain to fill the World with Missionaries of all sorts which is the very strength of their Kingdome And is it not pity that a better work should be starved through our want of pious charity and that Papists should dare us and we be unfurnished with Champions to resist them when we are furnished with so much evidence of truth which yet may easily be lost by ill managing Sixthly If you are the servants of Christ above all you must now look about you for his Church and Ministry For the Devil hath given you so strong an Alarme that he that now sits still and runs not to his Armes to help the Church is a Traytor and no true Souldier of Christ Papists are up and Atheists and Infidels and Iewes are up and abundance of secret Apostates are up openly reproaching the Ministry that privately deride Christ and the Scripture and the life to come I know what I say to be too true Quakers are up and all the prophane as far as they dare And shall not we be up to further that Gospel and Ministry and Church of Christ which so many bands of the Prince of darknesse are armed to assault Let us discourage the Devil by making an advantage of his assaults Let him see that we never do so much for Christ and the Church as when he assaulteth them with the fiercest or cunningest malignity He that hath not so publick a spirit as to value the welfare of the Church and the souls of men before the fulnesse of his own estate may go away sorrowfull from Christ as Luke 8. 23 24. but a true Disciple he cannot be It would make a mans heart ake to think of the dark state of the world for want of Preachers Were it but the state of Ireland and Wales it should move us to compassion And now I offer it to your sober thoughts as to men that are going to be accountable for their Talents whether you have a better way to dispose of your money and a way that will be more comfortable to you at death and judgement I would not have you unmercifull to your children but if you think you may not lawfully alienate any of your Estates from them you are far from the mind of the primitive Christians that sold all and laid it at the Apostles feet If you ask why we leave you not to your selves to be charitable where you see cause I answer First there is so much difficulty in every good work even in giving so as to make the best of it that you should be thankefull to those that will help to facilitate it Secondly Great works must have many hands Thirdly Conjunction engageth and encourageth and draws on those in the company that else would lag behind What need we else associate for our Ministerial works of Instruction Discipline c. and leave not every Minister to himself In company we go more chearfully easily regularly and prevalently And should you not associate also in your duties Well Gentlemen seeing it is undoubted that the work before you is of great importance to the honour of Christ to the welfare of the Church to the Protestant Religion to the souls of thousands and to your own everlasting benefit take heed how you refuse to do your best lest God distrain on you before you are aware and then hold it or your souls if you can And say not but you were warned by a friend that would have had you have saved your money and your souls by making the best of your Masters stock And if what I have said do not perswade you I entreat you to read a Preface to a Book that I have written to this purpose called