Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	great_a	weep_v	1,440	5	10.0569	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46669	A token for children being an exact account of the conversion, holy and exemplary lives and joyful deaths of several young children / by James Janeway.	Janeway, James, 1636?-1674.	1676 (1676)	Wing J478; ESTC R28739	55,852	192

Ministers of the place to be publickly instructed and catechised 2. It pleased the Lord to bless holy education the good example of her Parents and catechising to the good of her Soul so that she soon had a true savour and relish of what she was taught and made an admirable use of it in a time of need as you shall hear afterwards 3. She was a Child of great dutifulness to her Parents and of a very sweet humble spiritual nature and not only the truth but the power and eminency of Religion did shine in her so clearly that she did not only comfort the hearts of her Parents but drew the admiration of all that were witnesses of Gods works of love upon her and may well be proposed as a pattern not only to Children but to persons of riper years 4. She continued in a course of Religious Duties for some considerable time so that her life was more excellent than most Christians but in her last sickness she excelled her self and her deportment was so admirable that partly through wonder and astonishment and partly through sorrow many observable things were past by without committing to paper which deserved to have been written in letters of gold But take these which follow as some of many which were taken from her dying lips and first published by religious and judicious Christians in Dutch afterward translated into Scotch and with a little alteration of the stile for the benefit of English Children brought into this form by me 5. In the month of August 1664. When the Pestilence raged so much in Holland this sweet Child was smitten and as soon as she felt herself very ill she was said to break forth with abundance of sense and feeling in these following words If thy Law were not my delight I should perish in my affliction 6. Her Father coming to her to encourage her in her sickness said to her be of good comfort my Child for the Lord will be near to thee and us under this heavy and sore Trial he will not forsake us though he chasten us Yea father said she our heavenly Father doth Chasten us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness no chastisement seemeth for the present to be joyous but grievous but afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby The Lord is now chastening of me upon this sick bed but I hope he will bless it so to me as to cause it to yield to me that blessed fruit according to the riches of his mercies which fail not 7. After this she spake to God with her eyes lift up to Heaven saying Be merciful to me O Father be merciful to me a sinner according to thy word 8. Then looking upon her sorrowful Parents she said It is said Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee and he will never suffer the righteous to be moved Therefore my dear father and mother cast all your care upon him who causes all things to go well that do concern you 9. Her mother said unto her O my dear child I have no small comfort from the Lord in thee and the fruit of his grace whereby thou hast been so much exercised unto godliness in reading the Word in Prayer and gracious Discourse to the edification of thy self and us The Lord himself who gave thee to us make up this loss if it be his pleasure to take thee away from us 10. Dear mother said she though I leave you and you me yet God will never leave us for it is 〈◊〉 Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her womb yet will not I forget thee behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands O comfortable words both for mother and children Mark dear Mother how fast the Lord keepes and holdeth his people that he doth even grave them upon the palms of his hands Though I must part with you and you with me yet blessed be God he will never part either from you or me 11. Being weary with much speaking she desired to rest a while but after a little time awaking again her father asked her how it was with her She made no direct answer but asked what day it was her father said it was the Lords day Well then said she have you given up my name to be remembred in the publick Prayers of the Church Her father told her he had I have learnt said she that the effectual fervent Prayer of the righteous availeth much 12. She had a very high esteem for the faithful Ministers of Christ and much desired their company where she was but knowing the hazards that such a visit might expose them and the Church to she would by no means suffer that the Ministers should come near her person but chose rather to throw her self upon the armes of the Lord and to improve that knowledge she had in the Word and her former experience and the visits of private Christians and those which the Church had appointed in such cases to visit and comfort the sick 13. One of those which came to visit her was of very great use to her to comfort her and lift her up in some measure above the fears of death 14. Though young she was very much concerned for the interest of God and Religion for Gospel Ministers and for the Sins and the Decay of the power of Godliness in her own Countrey which will further appear by what may follow 15. Her father coming in to her found her in an extraordinary passion of weeping and askt her what was the cause of her great sorrow She answered have I not cause to weep when I hear that Domine de Wit was taken sick this day in his Pulpit and went home very ill Is not this a sad sign of Gods displeasure to our Countrey when God smiteth such a faithful Pastor 16. She had a high valuation of God and could speak in David's language whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I can desire in comparison of thee She was much lifted up above the fears of Death what else was the meaning of such expressions as these O how do I long even as the Heart panteth after the water brooks so my soul panteth after thee O God for God the living God when shall I come and appear before God 17. She was a great hater of sin and did with much grief and self-abhorrency reflect upon it but that which lay most upon her heart was the Corruption of her Nature and Original Sin How oft would she cry out in the words of the Psalmist Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me and I was altogether born in sin She could never lay her self low enough under a sense of that Original Sin which she brought with her into the world 18. She spake many things very judiciously of the

the Bible and getting of his Catechism 20. When other Children were playing he would many a time and oft be praying 21. One day a certain person was discoursing with him about the Nature Offices and Excellency of Christ and that he alone can satisfie for our sins and merit everlasting life for us and about other of the great Mysteries of Redemption he seemed savingly to understand them and was greatly delighted with the discourse 22. One speaking concerning the Resurrection of the Body he did acknowledg it but that the same weak body that was buried in the Church-yard should be raised again he thought very strange but with Admiration yielded that nothing was impossible to God and that very day he was taken sick unto death 23. A Friend of his asked him whether he were willing to dye when he was first taken sick he answered no because he was afraid of his state as to another world Why Child said the other thou didst pray for a new Heart for an humble and a sincere Heart and I have heard thee didst thou not pray with all thy heart I hope I did said he 24. Not long after the same person asked him again whether he were willing to die He answered now I am willing for I shall go to Christ 25. One asked him what should become of his Sister if he should die and leave her He answered the will of the Lord must be done 26. He still grew weaker and weaker but carried it with a great deal of sweetness and patience waiting for his change and at last did chearfully commit his Spirit unto the Lord and calling upon the Name of the Lord and saying Lord Jesus Lord Jesus In whose bosome he sweetly slept dying as I remember when he was about five or six years old EXAMPLE III. Of a little Girl that was wrought upon when she was between four and five years old with some account of her holy life and triumphant death 1. MAry A. When she was between four and five years old was greatly affected in hearing the word of God and became very solicitous about her Soul and everlasting condition weeping bitterly to think what would become of her in another World asking strange questions concerning God and Christ and her own soul so that this little Mary before she was full five years old seemed to mind the one thing needful and to choose the better part and sat at the feet of Christ many a time and oft with tears 2. She was wont to be much in secret duty and many times come off from her knees with tears 3. She would chuse such times and places for secret duty as might render her less observed by others and did endeavour what possibly she could to conceal what she was doing when she was engaged in secret duty 4. She was greatly afraid of hypocrisie and of doing any thing to be seen of men and to get commendation and praise and when she hath heard one of her Brothers saying that he had been by himself at prayer she rebuked him sharply and told him how little such prayers were like to profit him and that was little to his praise to pray like a hypocrite and to be glad that any should know what he had been doing 5. Her Mother being full of sorrow after the death of her Husband this Child came to her Mother and askt her why she wept so exceedingly her Mother answered she had cause enough to weep because her Father was dead No dear Mother said the Child you have no cause to weep so much for God is a good God still to you 6. She was a dear lover of faithful Ministers One time after she had been hearing of Mr. Whitaker she said I love that name dearly for the sweet words that he speaks concerning Christ 7. Her Book was her delight and what she did read she loved to make her own and cared not for passing over what she learned without extraordinary observations and understanding and many times she was so strangely affected in reading of the Scriptures that she would burst out into tears and would hardly be pacified so greatly was she taken with Christs sufferings the zeal of Gods Servant the danger of a natural state 8. She would complain oftentimes of the corruption of her nature of the hardness of her heart that she could repent no more thorowly and be no more humble and grieved for her sins against a good God and when she did thus complain it was with abundance of tears 9. She was greatly concerned for the souls of others and grieved to think of the miserable condition that they were in upon this account when she could handsomly she would be putting in some pretty sweet word for Christ but above all she would do what she could to draw the hearts of her brethren and sisters after Christ and there was no small hopes that her example and good counsel did prevail with some of them when they were very young to get into corners to pray to ask very gracious questions about the things of God 10. She was very conscientious in keeping the Sabbath spending the whole time either in reading or praying or learning her Catechism or teaching her Brethren and Sisters One time when she was left at home upon the Lords day she got some other little children together with her brothers and sisters and instead of playing as other naughty children use to do she told them that that was the Lords day and that they ought to remember that day to keep it holy and then she told them how it was to be spent in religious exercises all the day long except so much as was to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy then she prayed with them her self and among other things begged that the Lord would give grace and wisdom to them little Children that they might know how to serve him as one of the little ones in the company with her told afterwards 11. She was a Child of a strange tenderness and Compassion to all full of Bowels and Pity whom she could not help she would be ready to weep over especially if she saw her Mother at any time troubled she would quickly make her sorrows her own and weep for her and with her 12. When her Mother had been somewhat solicitous about any worldly thing she would if she could possible put her off from her care one way or other One time she told her O Mother grace is better than that meaning something her Mother wanted I had rather have grace and the love of Christ than any thing in the world 13. This Child was often musing and busied in the thoughts of her everlasting Work witness that strange question O what are they doing which are already in Heaven And she seemed to be hugely desirous to be among them that were praising loving delighting in God and serving of him without sin Her language was so strange about spiritual matters that she made