Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	day_n	great_a	time_n	4,794	5	3.3956	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33182	The citizen's companion: or The trades-man's mirrour Wherein most parts of a trading life are accomodated to the judgments and examples of the ancients. A work enrich'd with proverbs, and historically beautified with the deeds and sayings of the wisest and worthiest men that ever were in the world.		1673 (1673)	Wing C4338; ESTC R216321	63,979	167

his skill in Phrase words and rules my Citizen may collect piece by piece enough to make a compleat armour to defend himself against the stroaks of fear fancy ignorance and presumption History as a Head-piece will keep his fancy from danger strengthen his judgment by example with-hold him from assenting to vulgar and irrational Stories and arm him against the various changes of Time the infinite casualties and dayly actions hapning in the World which distract and disturb the too prompt Nature of us English Wherefore a small inspection into History affords Passages and Persons enow to compare with the like of his days It is meer ignorance and want of consulting Books makes the greatest part of mankinde to be so deservedly rebuked by Solomon with a Say not thou What is the cause that the former days were better than these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this Eccles 7.10 Divinity which may be pick'd out of such works learned and pious men nay the general part of mankinde have a great kindness for and approve of and which a Bookseller can't miss or fail of knowing This Divinity especially the Bible which is the Buckler assures him in the Faith of his most zealous and godly Forefathers makes him to cling to the unerring Principles of the Catholick and Apostolick Church nay his constant and light viewing of the most famous Pieces whereof choice can't be wanting to him instils by degrees into him arguments strong enough to repel those mighty shifts his enemies in Religion may set afoot to supplant him Arising in this manner in course of time to some perfection he is capacitated for Magistracy or what ere his sufficiency shall cause to be laid on him Wisdom thus built and on these foundations of throughly considering the World and its Opinions This is better than weapons of War Eccl. 9.18 This Wisdom is a defence Eccl. 7.12 and giveth life to them that have it Of Self-Profit EVery man saith Socrates is a worker of his own Fortune fashioning it as he pleases Yet it can't be denyed but outward accidents conduce much as death of others occasion fitting vertues but most commonly the folly and fall of one man is the Fortune of another no man prospers so suddenly as by anothers errours unhappiness therefore it was imprudently done by Daemades to condemn an Athenian for selling necessaries belonging to burials saying his great profit came not save by the death of many for what man almost getteth but by the loss of others Was not Rome raised on the ruine of her Neighbour-Cities did Caesar assume to himself the dignity of Emperour till he had overthrown or rather destroy'd Pompey Have not the Turks expell'd and rooted Christianity out of the chiefest places they have in possession Have not the Dutch attained almost an invincible strength onely by fraud industry and over-reaching all if they could that ever they traffick'd with do not abundance thrive through the licentiousness of Youth the Husbandman by dearth of Corn Garpenters Bricklayers and Glasiers by the decay and desire of building Houses the Lawyers by contentions the Physicians by others Distempers Yet this is not contrary to the general Policy and order of Nature for the Learned hold That the production and augmentation of one thing is the alteration and corruption of another God takes from one and gives to another but let no man desire it for the Commandment is Thou shalt not covet there are then and must be external causes of a mans Fortune Ptolomy of a Common Souldier was chosen King of Egypt Telophanes Chariot-maker King of Lydia Darius Cyrus his Quiver-bearer King of Persia Agathocles of a Potters Son King of Sicily and Tamberlan of a Shepherd became King of the Tartars In which we cannot but with admiration contemplate the omnipotency of God Almighty who without respect of persons Pulleth down and setteth up that his most holy and great Name may be exalted with confusion of face through the whole Earth But there is some hidden vertue which must bear a great stroak He that observeth the winde saith Solomon shall not sow Eccl. 11.4 and he that regardeth the Clouds shall not reap Whereupon comments another A Wiseman will make more opportunities than he finds Quest Is the main thing then that promotes a man and enlargeth his Fortunes within or without him Answ First Titus Livius tells us Cato Senior was so well accomplish'd in body and minde that in what place soever he had been born he could have raised the structure of his own preferment Rodolphus Emperour of Germany otherwise of base Parentage for his Vertues sake was chosen to that Dignity The Scripture testifies of many who were advanc'd from low degree These are then open vertues which beget praise but hidden ones which bring forth preferment Secondly For that which is without a man instead of Providence let me call it Divine Providence it can make him fortunate who is not wise and if wise miserable Alcibiades the Athenian was highly beloved of his Country-men meerly because Nature shew'd so much perfection in him who nevertheless for the greatest part of his life was of a Luxurious and debauched disposition But Socrates the wisest of Heathens who hath been so often already and deservedly mentioned for all he had been so useful and beneficial to the aforesaid Athenians was through envy accused and by those who had received so much good at his hands condemn'd to death Examples clear enough to behold therein the blindness of Chance Sometimes simple Men bring to pass happily matters both Publike and Private whilst the best Councels have the worst issues There are saith Solomon many devices in mans heart Pro. 19.21 but the Councel of the Lord shall stand The same Councel succeeds prosperously to some unhappily to others Many things alike in the Case and to the man that yesterday hapned luckily to day fall out cross and unfortunate so that mans sufficiency and ability is not always to be judg'd by Event The Lord gave Solomon Wisdom above all the Men of the Earth Kings 3. yet how did he swerve and go astray before he died wherein may be seen the pravity of Mans Nature and how vain it is to trust to Mortal Wisdom How did Hamans counsel to destroy the Jews light with heavy vengeance on his own head One wondring why ill success should follow the mature deliberation of wise men was answered thus Every man Proposes but God Disposes Timotheus in the account he gave the Athenians of his warlike actions often interlaced his speech with this saying And in this Fortune had no part but it was noted of him that he never prospered afterwards Divine Providence must have its due there is no rising without it Rom. 13.1 There is no Power but of God Saul from amongst the lowest of the People was anointed the first King of Israel Samuel but sinning he was rejected of God and died presently after the

Mechanique but that which shews ho● to govern them all conveniently an● every other thing with them like Iphcrates the Athenian who was neith●● Legionary Souldier Archer or Targ● teer but one who could govern an● Command all these Again let him not have too gre● care of the future Future things i● time become present therefore theca● of present sufficeth Commit thy wor● unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall established Prov. 16.3 It was said first In the sweat of thy brows thou sh● eat thy bread He did not say sa● St. Augustine in solitude and care ought to be heedful but we must 〈◊〉 ware lest we be tainted with Covetousi● A good Bishop could have preach'd gainst this vice an hour together in ●●ing nothing but Beware of covetousnes● a wonder to see what anxious thoug● men have for the World which is bi●● and yet 't is loved but how would it 〈◊〉 loved if it became wholly sweet What extream care do some men take to heap up wealth Caligula Emperour of Rome was so Covetous as besides the hundred ways he had to bring in the blood of his Subjects he laid an Impost on Urine nay sold his Sisters Gowns and other Attires after he had banish'd them Calipha King of Persia for his Avarice and excessive oppressions to fill his Coffers being forsaken of his Subjects when he stood in need of their aid against his Enemies was forc'd to retire himself into a strong Castle where his heart was chested and wherein lay all his felicity there like Minos King of Creet starving because what ere he touch'd was Gold which ministred little comfort to his pining and languishing body Her mocrates a Grecian Philosopher dying bequeath'd all his Estate to himself his minde being fix'd immovably on the trash he had scraped together Cardinal Angelot was so wrapt up in covetousness as by a trap-dore to get into his Stable and to steal the Corn his Groom had given his Horses O the blindness of mans judgment and what poyson incloses and shoots forth of this Root of all evil Epimenides the Philosopher wish'd The a Prodigal might inherit the means of very Covetous person The forementioned Lycurgus banish'd the use of Go● and Silver from Lacedemon Iron-mon● being only currant and allow'd of the● by taking away the cause of coveto● ness I 'm sure this restlesness in the pu● suit and plotting how to get wealt● is not successful for Divine Providen● will not be bound by our provisions those have been stillest and most prosp●rous who readily apprehended the p●● sent opportunity with chearfulness 〈◊〉 man may be careful for to morrow wi●● content Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich says Sol●mon cease from thy own understandin●● Riches are not for ever 27.24 However 〈◊〉 ligence is not pleaded for in this 〈◊〉 monition against riches but the wr●● use of them it is a defect and he 〈◊〉 laboureth 16.26 laboureth for himself 〈◊〉 mouth craveth it of him To dwell● long in deliberation is excess for● Slothful is brother to the Waster 18.9 As the Emperour would add City City Country to Country and Nat● to Nation so men strive to joyn 〈◊〉 dreds to hundreds and thousands thousands thinking to rest when they have but compassed their ends Oh Fools they may do so before if they will every man is rich if his mind hinder not There is saith the Wiseman a man to whom God hath given riches Eccl. 24.4 wealth and honour so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it this is vanity of an evil disease Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which hath wings upon that which profiteth not in the day of wrath 11.4 Finally it is every ones duty to pray not to enter into this temptation For he that trusteth to his riches shall fall 11.28 but the Righteous shall stourish as a branch I will bring up the rear with an example or two of the further contempt of unbounded wealth at least its niggardly enjoyment Fabritius the Romane being sent Ambassadour to King Pyrrhus his renowned actions had so gained the Kings affections by mere fame as he offered him half his Dominions to serve him But Fabritius gallantly refused his proffer as being dishonourable for a Romane and not suiting with his nature who lived though a Heathen as if he was to die each morrow Solon one of the seven wisemen desired riches but by just ways and to the injury of none Socrates being sent for by Archelaus King of Cappadocia to come and live in pomp and splendour returned him this answer that a measure of flo●● was sold in Athens for two pence and water cost him nothing Lastly There is nothing better for a man Eccl. 2.22 than that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul injoy good in his labour and so the Lord give thee neither poverty or riches Prov. 30.8 Fifthly All things which we sufie● are by our opinion made greater the are more things fright than hurt us some trouble us more than they should some before they should and for which should not at all It is strange 〈◊〉 consider most of our disturbances to rise from such small causes and that a cidents should touch us more than t● principal Caesars robe more mov'd Ro●● than his 22 stabs and lesser circumstan●● stir us more many times than the subject themselves In what hath been spoke we are as miserable as we think o● selves Pro. 29.25 The fear of a man bringeth a sna●● It becometh a wise man to be heedful not fearful for base fear bringeth double danger says Vigetius Dionysius the Tyrant was so fearful that rather than trust the Barbers Razor he sindged his Beard with Coals Valienus a Romane cut off the Fingers of his left hand rather than to follow the Wars in Italy The Emperour Claudius was so faint-hearted base-minded and blockish as caused his own Mother to say often Nature had begun but not finish'd him wherein we may behold the ugliness of a passion so low Quite contrary how quietly might we live if when being disturb'd we help reason to the upper hand and weigh well what we put in act Let Marcus Aurclius perswade you to throw off fear who had neither Guard nor Porter Dangers sometimes are like Crocodiles who if pursu'd flie but if fled from are emboldned to follow If any kinde of Fear is suffered to abide with you let it be that which Solomon saith Pro 10.27.14.27.15 〈…〉 Prolongeth days is the fountain of life is the inseruction of wisdome * keepeth the Commandments and is the riches and honour of Life all which vertues are comprehe●ded solely in him who can and 〈…〉 pense his graces to those who humbly beg them of him and is our only Omnipotent Lord and Creatour Sixthly 'T is ordinary for a Citizen to