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	sin_n	wage_n	2,391	5	11.9240	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B11821	Horæ subseciuæ observations and discourses.	Chandon, Grey Brydges, Baron, d. 1621.; Cavendish, Gilbert.; Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676.; Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679.	1620 (1620)	STC 3957; ESTC S105996	135,065	562

against those meanes the which God hath appointed for the preseruation of life but I esteeme them only as helps and not causes of continuance All men in this life be subordinately gouerned we are naturally bodies and liue not by miracle but sustentation so that it is as ill to auoid those helpes as to trust to them It is a strange but vulgar error for men to say counsell or temper would haue preuented such a mans death might they not consider the seuerall sudden and strange accidents that leade to this end that there bee not more men then wayes that conduct to this condition Children die before Parents strong before weake sound before sickly which as often happen by small vnobserued chances as great diseases as a man goes well to bed and is smothered before morning is well at the beginning of a meale and dead before the end now in a serious discourse and dead in the midst of a word He that 's a friend to day proues a murtherer to morrow a pillow may stifle smoke may suffocate a Fly may choke This if it were to be illustrated by examples would plainely shew that there is no action nor instrument so small or vnobserued that is not master of our life Therefore to esteeme life aboue the price or to feare death beyond the rate be alike euill No man can bee in loue with this world that is not in some doubt of the next He that respects life expects little beyond death But then it may be demanded Are those the best men that be most weary of this life and therefore hasten death with their owne hands Certainely no. For euery act in that kinde shewes that it was not in respect they hated to liue but because of want feare punishment ignominie and diuers other causes that these examples do dayly publish and are notoriously knowne Man is created by God therefore not to be his own executioner but to wait for the time and expect the houre of his Call A mans Peregrination in this life should be employed but as a harbinger for Death nay rather life for whilst we liue we die but liue not till death Yet good men may in a sort religiously feare death in respect of the cause of it For the wages of sinne is death In respect of not knowing the place of our being after death wee our selues being altogether vnmeriting these and the like considerations may iustly make death seeme terrible But to goe on How can a man think himselfe happy in this world without the expectatiō of a better If a man enioy that his heart can wish if hee know not want haue plenty in abundance these things may sometimes make him glory in himselfe and in a kinde of scornefull pitie to commiserate those that be below him yet the consideration of Death and the little while hee hath to enioy these temporary happinesses turnes all his pleasures into melancholy his sweetnesse to gall This is the happiest condition that the happiest man can haue that thinkes there is no happinesse beyond this life But if you view other men and see what cares what hazzards what iealousies what sicknesse and what miseries they endure in all kindes onely to preserue and please themselues in this short troublesome dangerous suspitious and wearisome life you would think them rather dreames then substances fictions then men But so liue as neither the pleasures of this world may possesse nor the miseries confound you Boast of nothing in your selfe but that you are a liuely representation or Image of your Creator which you deforme if you look to earth or those things which bee below The benefits which God hath heere bestowed vpon you vse according to his direction but not contrarie to his command and feare not but welcome death as beeing the end of your vnhappinesse and beginning of your ioy Many men without the knowledge of Religion haue excellently expressed their contempt of Death but that may bee reduced some of these causes peraduenture they had a kinde of vncertaine opinion that some greater happinesse followed then accompanied this life or in respect of the dayly examples of their mortalitie custome extinguished feare or lastly to perpetuate their memories or publish their fame to succeeding ages haue for the liberation of their Country or Friends or Honour voluntarily exposed themselues to a certaine and present death There be few lingring diseases or sudden paines that be not more sensible and painfull then Death and the recouerie frō them is but as a short reprieue Therefore I see little reason why a man that liues wel should feare death much more then sicknesse Of a Country Life TO write of a Country Life in what respects it is necessary or vnfit for all degrees of men would too much lengthen this part in the resolution of sundry questions which I now doe purposely auoid I onely intending to write in the praise or discommendation of it so farre as it hath relation to men of great qualitie and estates So that in this description I banish all that may referre to any other kinde and rankes of men either for their vse or necessity of liuing in the Country This kinde of life hath beene more familiar with vs then other Nations so that we haue in a kinde appropriated it to our selues more Southernly people as rarely vsing the country for retirement or variety or ayre as our Country Nobility and Gentry were anciently vpon extraordinarie businesses driuen to the towne But different people haue seuerall formes of liuing and behauiour that which is necessarie in one place is ridiculous and pernicious in another In these cases therefore wee must not guide our selues by precedent It is as easie to introduce one common language and reuerse the confusion of tongues as to paralell all men in one kinde and fashion of life Rigidly to keepe vnseemly customes because we receiue them from antiquity and ancestors no man will defend Time as it hath a qualitie in some cases to degeneratè and corrupt so in others it hath to clense but to alter so good a custome as this whereof we haue had so long experience and benefit vpon pretence only of imitation appeares in my iudgement to be altogether void of reason And yet this taking it for a generall question I will at this time neither dispute nor resolue either by the numerousnesse of ancient precedents and example or force of reason and argument onely as the case stands with vs in the particular conclude That it is neither good nor safe to innouate or alter old and approued customes But as in the choyce of any indifferent action mens affections and fancies predominate and gouerne they haue equall power and worke the same effect in the election either of this or any other kinde of life but what reasons in this should induce vs either to the one or other that which fals accidētally by the way passing I will touch By a Country Life I do