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	know_v	life_n	2,879	5	4.5653	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10594	Remedies against discontentme[n]t drawen into seuerall discourses, from the writinges of auncient philosophers. By Anonymus.	Anonymus, fl. 1596.	1596 (1596)	STC 20869; ESTC S115830	33,379	114

without murmuring with a cheerefull countenance yeilding thankes to god for the time that hee hath lent it you saying O Lord I render my soule vnto thee with a free hart yea and with a better will then I receiued it For when you gaue mee life you bestowed it one a silly creature who was altogether ignorant of the good hee receiued and nowe you take it from one who knoweth what hee putteth into your handes which hee yeildeth vp with a free will And surely euerie one ought to thinke that it is no hard matter to returne from the place from whence we come And hee hath not learned to liue well whoe knoweth not how to die Wee ought to beare the like affection to our selues as wee do to those that fight a set combatt For wee hate him that playes the cowarde and do fauour him whoe with a stoute courage hadd rather dye then bee conquered Oftentimes the feare of death is cause of his end that flieth away Moreouer you know that you receiued your life vpō this cōditiō that ye must die Bee not then so vniust to seeke to enioye that for euer which was geuen you but for a certaine time Clayming title to that which only you were put in trust withall Besides wee say that the feare and apprehension of death is a wonderfull thing and the extremitie of all terror Assure you this fault doth not proceede of death but of our imbecillitie who are taken and stayed in the pleasures and desier of this life and do loue this miserable body of ours aboue measure And if you doe thoroughlie consider the matter it is not death that is terrible vnto vs but the conceite wee haue therof For euerie one feareth it according to the opinion hee hath thereof and according to his conscience Now if this onely bee the cause that you feare it charge your selfe with the fault and not death like vnto bad husbandes who are loath to come to a reckoning for the distrust of their owne doings To saie that you feare it imagyning that it is the last end of man you haue no reason For our soule remaineth alwaies which liueth and cannot dye The Grecians called death End geuing vs to vnderstand thereby that it is the last remainder of a miserable life The holy Scripture tearmeth it steepe to assure vs of our certain resurrection that we may not lament as the Gentiles who haue noe hope Consider howe manie holie persons haue desiered it as a remedie against miserie SALOMON IOB the holye scriptures the histories of Saincts are full of the praises and desire of death what vanitie is it for to long after this wretched life this gaile this prison seeing that the longer wee liue the more we sinne and purchase to our selues new paine That we may not feare death as the world doth wee ought to doo two thinges liue well because of a good and christian life maketh euen the remembraunce of death comfortable And to beleeue that that which it pleased God to giue vs as a remedie and ease of our labour is not so badd nor so much to bee feared as we imagyn and we ought to remember that holy men haue abhorred life and loued Death THus haue I effected what you entreated with soe much contentment to my selfe that I knowe not whether of the two weare sharper spurres to set me forwarde in this Course Reason mouing the dutie of friendship and desire the pleasure I tooke therin As I was not long in bringing them foorth soe do I with some haste send them to you so leaue them that I would not hereafter haue them acknowledg me for their father But wish that you might nurse them apparell them bring them vp for from me they haue scarce taken their essence and first being to saye the troth I want milke to nourish them And surely bearing that showe and Councenance they doe those signes of a good minde though they be but little in my opinion they cannot be better then with you who may in shorte tyme with your good indeuours and ercelent spirit bring them vp to more greatenes and perfection adde to their greater Nobillitie Dignitie Fortune Fauour FINIS

which obserueth an other mans aduersity as a thing that may be fall vnto himselfe is already armed You will say I neuer thought that should haue happened vnto me And why not what riches is there that is not attēded on with pouerty What honour not waited on with disgrace what high aspiring without danger of a downe fall There is no estate but is subiect to change and that which happeneth to another may meete with thee It should be a long discourse and contrarie to our purpose if wee should recken all those whome fortune from the highest pitch of felicitie hath brought to the lowest step of miserie In such an alteracion varietie of matters if you do not thinke that all accidents may touch you you giue great power to aduersitie against your selfe which is wonderfully appeased by the wisedome of him that foreseeth it Surely our minds should be setled in farre greater quietnes if our actions did tend to those thinges that had a setled estate For hauing once attained it we shold at the least content our selues and reioyce in peace But for as much as all thinges in this world are transitorie and that there is nothing firme the remedie of hurt by our infirmitie is to foresee this not to afflict our selues with those things the possession of which is as disquiet as their search And therefore we ought so to affect them as thinges that may leaue vs and haue this foresighte that they do not first forsake vs. As it was once tould to ANAXAGORAS that his sonne was dead And hee answered I knew well that he was a man subiect to death We ought in like sort to be prepared against all chaunces My frende did not assist me in such a cause I knew that he was a man and so subiect to alteracion I enioyed a good wife yet was shee notwithstanding a woman He which in such sorte preuenteth the worst shall neuer be surprised at vnawares nor say as foolish men doe commonly I had not thought it To such the chaunces of fortune bring great affliction because they are not armed with wise foresight to support them A wise man in time of peace maketh prouision for warre Vlisses passed many dangers and labours and yet was he neuer afflicted with any thing but one trifle which surprised him on the suddain which was the death of a dog which hee loued well I may conclude with that which is commonly and truly sayd A man surprised is halfe conquered 4. Discourse Of the vocation of euery man IT happeneth oftentimes that many men considering not what they doe doe fall into a kinde of life painefull to beare more troublesome to leaue Which surely is a matter very intricate which had neede of great wisedome and no lesse patience and wherein especially they are to call vppon God for his assistance considering that in suche a necessitie patience and humility towards God is th' only remedy to ease our griefe Looke into the estate of Prisoners how painefull it is vnto them at the first to endure yrons about their legges but after they are a little accustomed vnto them necessitie instructeth them and vse maketh them carrie them with ease There is no kind of life so restrayned that hath not some comfort and refreshing And surely there is nothing wherein nature hath so much fauoured vs as that it hath caused vs to finde the remedie or lessening of our griefes in the patient enduring of them since man is borne subiect to all kinde of calamities We ought then to presuppose that we are all Prisoners of fortune who houldeth all men fettered and there is no other difference but this that some mens chaines are of golde others of yron We are all in one prison and they who hould others Captiues are prisoners themselues If honour troubleth thee riches vexeth other menne and if basenesse of birth afflicteth thee Nobility and greatnes tormenteth others a thousand fold more If thou art subiect to an other mans wil thou shalt see that he that commaundeth thee is Captiue to his owne being bondslaue to thousands of discōtentments and cares which thou perceiuest not To conclude if you looke narrowly into the matter you shall finde that the whole Life of man is nothing els but a kinde of bondag wherein euery one ought to frame himselfe in his calling and endeuour to content him selfe therein dissembling the euill he meeteth with and making vse of the good For there is no estate of life soe painefull wherin the patient mind findeth not some ease and contentment Albeit that art dexteritie be more necessarie in aduersity then prosperitie Industrie raiseth vp a familie in a small time And when crosses and encumbrances doe offer themselues wee ought then to shewe our vertue and dilligence putting our chiefest trust in God Ionas had good leasure in the whales belly to make his prayers vnto God which were not powred out in vain In like maner how harde and heauy soeuer any thinge is it may be eased and helped Limit alwaies your hope by the terme of your Life and iudge that many thinges though in their outward appearance they seeme different yet are they within very like in vanitie Enuye not those who are aduaunced to a higher calling then your selfe For many times it falleth out that that which we deeme height is a downefall And to say the troth those who haue liued contented haue not alwaies made the best Election But they who haue had the skill to carrye themselues prudently in the Estate which they haue chosen taking that which was euill pacientlie and seeking to better that which fell out crosslie Whervpon Plato compared the life of man vnto Dice plaie wherein he which casteth ought alwaies endeuour to winne and yet content himselfe with his chaunce Seeing that good euill is not in our power that we may notwithstanding take our fortune patientlie thank God that worse which might haue befell did not happen vnto vs. Those men that are of a slender capacitie yf fortune once blow with a prosperous gale vpon them are so transported with ioye that they know not what they doe and no man is able to conuerse with them and in aduersity they are so astonied and so sad that they are altogether beaten downe They are all like sicke persons full of anguish who can neither endure colde nor heate The Philosopher THEODORVS was wont to say that he gaue words vnto his hearers with the right hand and that he receiued them with the left So doe manye often times who take that Fortune with the left hand which is giuen them with the right It were farre better wiselie to immitate Bees who out of Tyme a sower and dry hearbe doe drawe sauorie and sweete Honny Wee ought in like manner out of this hard and painefull life to trie out that which is good and cast away that which is euill or at the least hide it Yea they who are exercised