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	life_n	live_v	3,762	5	5.7511	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04164	The raging tempest stilled The historie of Christ his passage, with his disciples, over the Sea of Galilee, and the memorable and miraculous occurrents therein. Opened and explaned in weekly lectures (and the doctrines and vses fitly applied to these times, for the direction and comfort of all such as feare Gods iudgements) in the cathedrall and metropoliticall Church of Christ, Canterb.	Jackson, Thomas, d. 1646.	1623 (1623)	STC 14305; ESTC S107445	230,620	359

this Land in the daies of Queene Mary so cheerefully to receive sentence of death so joyfully to sing in their prisons darke and loathsome dungeons so comfortably embrace faggots kisse stakes clap hands in flaming fire because all this was for a good cause even for Christ the Gospell and a good conscience sake and the holy Ghost hath pronounced Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord This made them rejoyce in death with joy unspeakable and glorious This was Iosephs comfort in prison that he was falsly accused And Daniels that he was cast to the Lions for the matter of his God Therefore Saint Peters charge is Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an evill doer or as a busie-bodie in other mens matters but if any suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe But how great is the horror of malefactors No doubt but it pierced Ahabs soule more than the arrow did his bodie that this was the just judgement of God upon him for his sinne How fearefull was death to all such whose carcasses God overthrew in the wildernesse and destroyed them with fiery Serpents and other fearefull meanes Who knoweth the unconceiveable dread and horror which wicked men have in their soules in their prisons death-beds or executions when their owne consciences tell them This miserie is come upon me for murther theft adultery riot and such like wicked courses I doe not deny but such malefactors may die sullenly or desperately Others may be deceived and thinke they die in a good cause when they doe not So the ancient Donatists and Arrians and in our times the Priests and Iesuits thinke they die for Religion and the true Catholike cause and deserve to be Canonized for Saints whereas they suffer deserved punishment for their rebellion and sedition yea they would in death be accounted Martyrs before they have led the life of a Christian yet being thus abused and deceived by Satan and God in his justice giving them over into a reprobate sense they may even astonish men to behold their seeming patience joy and Christian resolution but yet this standeth firme that no man suffering or dying for an evill cause and his minde be rightly informed can die with comfort and peace but with exceeding dread and horror such an one must needs be exceedingly fearefull to die Yea this that I have said must also be understood with exception of Repentance Many men justly suffer pressures and miseries tortures and torments for their sinnes and evill deeds yet upon true repentance finde peace and comfort in life and death Moses died in the wildernesse and might not enter into the promised Land because hee did not sanctifie God at the waters of Strife but repenting he died with comfort Iosiah fighting rashly and without warrant from God was wounded to death but repenting of his folly he died with comfort and was gathered to his Fathers in peace The theefe on the Crosse died justly for his sinnes but repenting he died with comport and went to Paradise Our Prodigall suffered hunger and misery justly for his riotous and luxurious dilapidating and wasting his goods but repenting he found comfort Many a man commeth to great misery poverty sicknesse ache imprisonment banishment death for his disordered life yet truly repenting findeth peace and comfort But these cases excepted no man that is rightly informed in his minde and continueth impenitent can but be exceedingly afraid to die wherefore every one that would moderate the feare of death must be sure to live and die in a good cause The second meanes for moderation of the feare of death is to live an holy and sanctified life The Apostle compareth death to some fierce and truculent beast or serpent which killeth all men that grapple with it with a poysonfull sting and telleth us the sting of death is sinne As a man then would not feare but with great boldnesse encounter that Serpent when he knoweth the sting is gone so may we boldly and comfortably die when we know the sting thereof is gone Oh it is the guilt of sinne maketh men so fearefull to die But great is the peace they have that love thy Law Mark the upright behold the just the end of that man is peace The righteous are bold as Lions Oh such as here live in the feare of God making conscience of their waies eschewing evil Walking in the Spirit Mortifying the flesh with affections and lusts having their conversation in heaven And ever beholding the face of God thorow the perspective of holinesse Setting their minds on those things which are above Being passed from death to life and alreadie entred into the first degree of glorification sanctification being glorification inchoate and glorification sanctification consummate What comfort joy boldnesse have such in sicknesse and death How comfortable to the living to visit such and to heare and see their cheerefulnesse patience prayers praises benedictions valedictions if infirmitie of flesh and bloud or strength of disease doe not hinder on the other side such as walke in their life time after the flesh drinke up iniquitie like water and are continually strengthening and adding poison to the sting of death How are they distracted with feare if they see that beast but gape upon them or hisse at them How comfortlesse to visit such see their impatience observe their worldly mindednesse and heare their words of discontent discomfort and distrust if God have not laid on them the spirit of slumber Therefore let him that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie And whosoever would with comfort and boldnesse looke for death or Christ to judgement Let him deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live righteously godly and soberly in this present world The third meanes of moderation is by a lively and stedfast faith This is our victory even faith How can that man be immoderately afraid to die who doth in his heart stedfastly beleeve that Christ died for him and hath conquered Satan death and hell for him disarmed the strong man Satan deprived Death of its sting that it cannot hurt that the nature of it is changed an end of all evill the beginning of all true good It is not possible with the cleare eye of Faith to behold death in the Crystall-glasse of the Gospell and to be immoderatly afraid of it Here then was the Disciples want they had a good cause they followed their Master into the ship they lived honestly Iudas excepted but their faith was weake and therefore their feare so strong Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith Wherefore let all such as desire to moderate the feare of death pray for increase of Faith Oh see what an inestimable Pearle Iewel Faith is in

neighbour either we flatter him and say All is wel or never rebuke saying Why doest thou so or else with scorne contemne despise and reject him never considering our selves that we also may be tempted But marke how meekely mildly and lovingly he reproveth them not one word of any sharpnes rigour or asperitie no nor so much as affirme This is your great sinne to be fearefull but as God asked Ionah a question about his anger Dost thou well to be angry So he only asketh them a question about their feare Why are yee fearefull intimating their feare was excessive and causelesse and so the reproofe tended rather to comfort and encourage them q. d. Be not so afraid you have no cause of such feare Oh it is the gentle reproofe the milde and loving objurgation and crimination which pierceth deepe The Lords servant must be gentle towards all This is the reproofe that David so much desired Let the righteous smite me friendly and reprove me And the Apostle biddeth us restore such an one as is overtaken in a fault with the spirit of meekenesse But for want of love it commeth to passe we reprove not at all or with such fiercenesse gall and bitternesse as tendeth not to restore but harden sinners Oh let us from this Example learne to be gentle and meeke towards poore and weake sinners and if any be too fearefull because themselves or the people of God are in any great danger let us labour to comfort them to strengthen the weake hands and comfort the feeble knees Speake to the heart of Ierusalem Feare not thou worme Iacob though thou be but a worme And againe Feare not ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer So much for generall observations Now more particularly consider what was it he reproved Fearefulnesse not simply feare for that is ingraffed in our nature neither did Christ goe about to rob them of their affections that they should no more feare danger than the mast of the ship yea Christ himselfe had our affections and namely this of feare but our Saviour reproveth the excesse of it called fearefulnesse The word in the Originall is of harsh signification both amongst prophane Authors as miserable weake and wicked and in the Scriptures for such as shall die the second death such a feare as God hath not given his children the Spirit of a feare which maketh men miserable weake and feeble in minde wicked in practise to use any meanes to escape the evill they feare the high way to hell and that timiditie which the wise Heathen have opposed to the vertue of Fortitude and therefore reproved Why are yee fearefull Wherefore this reprehension must teach us both by divine and humane praier and all worldly wise meanes to bridle and restraine our passions that they exceed not measure nor we be transported with the violence of them to say or doe that which is evill but to remember the Apostolike caution Be angrie but sinne not be merry but sinne not be sory but sinne not be afraid but sinne not If you give way unto it it is a most painfull passion yea as Saint Iohn saith Such feare hath torment and maketh men bondslaves Heb. 2. 15. Christ had passions but blamelesse because his nature was most holy and pure And therefore as a glasse of snow-water though never so much shaken yet abideth cleare and pure but the glasse of muddie water though whilest it standeth still the mud sinder to the bottome and the top is cleare yet no sooner is shaken but the mud ariseth and all is defiled So howsoever in times of peace health and prosperitie our passions be moderate and calme and seeme cleare yet no sooner are troubled but they grow muddie yea defile our selves and all that come neare the raging sea did not more cast up mire and dirt than their troubled affections spirituall defilements for which cause Christ here reproved them Why are yee fearefull The second particular observation is What was the object of this feare Was it God or his judgements No they did feare a temporall not the eternall death water but not fire sea but not hell drowning but not burning a creature not the Creator they may truly say with David The terrors of death are fallen upon us fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon us and horror hath overwhelmed us Which our Saviour reproveth Why are yee fearefull And he teacheth us that Gods people should not immoderatly feare no not any manner of death A lesson which it behoveth us in these daies specially to take out for as the Apostle said If the word spoken by Angels was sted fast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recōpence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation So if these Disciples having heard and seene but a little and being now in such great perill yet are reproved for immoderate feare how much more shall wee be reproved to whom the Gospell of Christ hath beene so clearely revealed who have seene so many workes of Gods goodnesse mercy power as the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Christ into heaven Here is therefore a good lesson for us to labour that we be not immoderately afraid of death I say not not afraid of death at all for the best of Gods servants mentioned in holy Scripture as Moses David Iob Eliah Ezekiah and the rest have been I may say of them all as the Apostle saith of Eliah they were subject to this passion as wel as we Therefore he doth not say Why are yee afraid but fearefull yea as if the word were not sufficient to expresse the measure of their cōsternation which yet is very significant as you have heard hee addeth thereunto an Adverb of affirmation So q●d Why are yee so exceedingly fearefull so fearefull beyond bounds and measure This being that he reproved in them and is reproveable in all his disciples viz. immoderate and excessiue feare of death Let us now see by what meanes Gods children may moderate the feare of death in them wherein I doe specially commend unto you these foure things viz. 1. A good cause 2. An honest life 3. A strong faith 4. Godly meditation on the good of Death First a great meanes to suppresse immoderate feare of death is to die if not for yet in a good cause Blessed is that servant whom his Master shall finde well doing Matth. 24. 46. It is a true saying It is not the punishment but the cause maketh a Martyr Christ hath not absolutely pronounced all blessed that suffer persecution but all such as suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake This was the joy of the Saints in old time that they could truly say Lord for thy sake are wee killed This caused the holy Martyrs of Christ in

that it doth not onely justine us before God and appropriate unto us all the happinesse of heaven through Christ but is of so great use in this life both in the times of health and prosperity as time and occasion serve bringing forth most worthy fruits in regard of God and our neighbours and specially in our adversities and troubles David confessed hee had perished in his troubles if it had not beene for his Faith And the Apostle saith Through Faith the Saints of old stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword were tortured and accepted not deliverance Heb. 11. 33. It is Faith that breedeth Patience and begetteth godly comfort and courage hee that beleeveth doth not make haste that is whereas the vnbeleeving comming into any distresse any danger or perplexitie are distracted with care and feare and make haste running and rushing into all manner of evill and indirect meanes for releefe and deliverance as Saul who for want of Faith made too much haste to offer sacrifice and consult with a Witch Such as truly beleeve will not doe so Though earth remove and hills be hurled into the midst of the sea If God send famine he is not so fearefull for he knoweth God feedeth the Birds of the aire and the young Ravens when they call And whosoever feare him shall want nothing that is good If God send pestilence he is not so fearfull for he knoweth it is Gods arrow to hit whom he will and that if his life be more for Gods glory than his death A thousand shall fall on one hand and ten thousand on the other yet it shall not come nigh him If sword come he wil not be so fearfull Though he were compassed with ten thousands of enemies round about for he knoweth the wicked is but Gods sword that an haire cannot fall from his head but according to the good will and pleasure of his heavenly Father If sicknesse and death come he is not so fearefull For he knoweth though he die yet shall he live oh of what singular use is faith in all our troubles But I heare some as discomforted with this discourse say I thanke God my conscience doth approve my cause and walking to be honest humane frailties excepted yet I finde my selfe often very ill disposed and fearefull to die which maketh me doubt I have not faith I answer Our Saviour doth not say Because his Disciples were so fearefull therefore they had no faith but their faith was little Immoderate feare argueth imbecillitie but concludeth not a nullitie of faith And for thy comfort know this that even the best of Gods children are subject to such feares as David The feare of death is fallen upon me Psal 55. 4. But though it exceed measure for a time their faith will keepe them from despaire and in good time recover them as David said I will not feare to goe thorow the valley of death c. Psalm 23. 4. Oh pray then for the increase of faith Whereunto lastly may be added godly meditation on such great blessings as death beheld in the looking-glasse of the Gospell doth bring to every true beleever as that the Body is presently brought into a better condition than ever it had in this life for by death it is both made insensible and by that meanes freed from all the calamities of this life and ceaseth to be an Active and Passive instrument of sinne the Soule passeth to life rest and glory perfectly seeing and knowing God without intermission keeping an eternall Sabbath and without cessation or wearisomnesse keeping turnes with the Angels praising Gods name for ever and ever in fulnesse enjoying whatsoever may cause love and admiration or procure joy and contentation even an universall collection of all joyes blessings and comforts beyond all we have heard seene or can possibly thinke In regard whereof Solomon hath pronounced The day of death to bee better than the day of birth And the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And so much for the literall doctrine Gods people must not immoderately feare any manner of death and how that is obtained Our second doctrine is from the mysterie the ship representing the Church and the storme persecution Our Saviour reproving the disciples for their immoderate feare in this storme doth ●each vs That Gods people should not immoderately feare though the Church be in never so great danger distresse or perplexitie What greater evill threatned to the Church than by the Assyrian Monarch Insomuch that God caused the Prophet to call his sonne Maher-shalalhash-baz or make speed to the spoile yet even then the Prophet bade the people not be afraid nor say a confederacie a confederacie but sanctifie the Lord of hoasts and let him be your feare and let him be your dread and hee shall be for a sanctuary c not forbidding a moderate feare and use of godly meanes but immoderate feare and for their securitie making such leagues with Idolaters and Gods professed enemies as was forbidden Oh great is the storme now and the poore ship of the Church in mans eye in great perill but bee not so fearefull but rest on God The Church is in danger beset with enemies both powerfull and politike for crueltie and mischiefe matchlesse who have confederated and threaten her ruine True but hath not Christ said Hee will be with his Church to the end of the world nay more That the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it The ship is covered with waves but shall not be drowned the Church is persecuted but shall not bee destroied God will in his good time rebuke winds and seas and send a comfortable calme Mardochay beleeved comfort and deliverance would come and it did come and he that doth not beleeve as he did may worthily bee rebuked in the words of my Text Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith And so much be said of the first thing Christ reproved in his disciples viz. The excesse of feare The second followeth which is the defect of faith in these words O yee of little Faith Which reproofe is laid downe in way of admiration q. d. Oh that your ●aith should be so little and weake hauing heard and seene what you have done Out of which ●ater commeth meat and out of this strong commeth sweetnesse that I may use Sampsons Riddle yea out of this reproofe doe flow comforts abundantly to all godly minded ones who mourne in their soules because they are subject to the same reproofe having but a little ●aith For the further comfort then of all poore weake and feeble beleevers suffer me with your patience fully to open this point And marke his words he saith not O yee of no faith for they all beleeved in him