Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	effect_n	nature_n	produce_v	3,437	5	7.8446	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52817	The signs of the times, or, VVonderful signs of wonderful times being a faithful collection and impartial relation of several signs and wonders, call'd properly prodigies, (together with some philosophical and theological descants upon them) which have been seen in the heavens, on the earth, and on the waters, as they have been testifyed by very credible hands, all of which have hapned within the compass of this last year 1680 : which may well be called another annus mirabilis, or wonderful year, wherein the Lord hath given us loud warnings to repent of our sins and return to him, that he may have mercy upon us / by C. N.	Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.	1681 (1681)	Wing N463; ESTC R32306	68,903	90

with Humane Inventions This is to Plow in Gods Field with an Ox and an Ass and to sow therein mingled Seeds even Tares as well as Wheat and to worship the Lord in a Linsy-Woolsy Garment Deut. 22.9.10.11 There be also significant signs in Civil and common things as well as Sacred whose proper and primary end in the purpose of their Institutor man is to signify something as the Signs at every Door in the City and at every Inn in the Country and the Escucheons at Great mens Houses And there be other Signs which be significant only by consequence and secondarily not essentially and from the primary purpose of their Institutors Thus Steeples and Posts c. may signify by their shadows what time of the day it is which is not the proper and peculiar purpose for which they are made or use of them as is of Clocks and Dials 't is a secundary use only But to insist only upon extraordinary Signs and Wonders called signa insolita unusual Marvels according to my present Design consider that as their Ends so their Kinds are various 1. Their Ends are from their Author and Original manifold as 1. They are intentionally designed by the great and sole Wonder-working God for the confirming of that Truth once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. Mark 16.17.18.20 and Hebr. 2.4 Those extraordinary Signs are well called the Swadling-bands of the Infant Church therefore was she principally Dignified and Fortified with Miracles always and only while and when she was young tender and needed some corroboration T is true there were some sprinklings of Miracles upon other emergent occasions c. But the main body of them were wrought first by Moses and Joshuah Moses was the first and new giver of the Law then the Church in the Wilderness so called Act. 7.38 was but a weak Infant so needed those Signs and Wonders which Moses wrought both in Aegypt Act. 7.36 and in the Wilderness Ps 105.39.40.41 with 27. to 38. Yet none were wrought after she got into Canaan though Joshuah did in conveying them thither 2. By Elijah and Flisha who were the two new Restorers of the Law which amounts almost to a Giver of it so tantamont a Law-giver then the Church was newly Born again and so stood in need of a second swadling by many more Miracles after her Recovery from her worse Relaps in Ahabs time c. 3. By Christ and his Apostles who were both new Givers and Restorers of the Gospel inasmuch as the Gospel was preached in Paradice Gen. 3.15 Then did the Doctrine of the Gospel by diverse Miracles as by the Wings of the Wind fly abroad and was divulged at first all the World over and 't is very remarkable though John Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah yet did this Type do no Miracles as the Anti type did John 10.41 least he should be mistaken for the Messiah Luke 3.15 who was to do many John 7.31 and 11.47 Yet John was a burning and a shining Lighn John 5.35 burning in himself and shining to others he Thundred in his Doctrine and Lightned in his Life without Miracles therefore was he so much admired as a great Reformer in a most Deformed Age. Christ and his Apostles were all Wonder-worksecured by it while it is tender and 't is oft watered but ers which was as an Hedge to a young Plant that is when once grown up the Hedge is removed and the watering left off Hence we say to the Romanists That all the Miracles of the New Testament are ours of the Reformed Religion inasmuch as they all did Demonstrate the same Doctrine which we do defend We need no new Miracle to conform an old Truth that hath been before so confirmed He that now requireth a Miracle is therefore himself a Miracle The Establishment of our present Reformation is and will be that great Miracle which we are in these times to look for 't is that wonderful Work which former Ages did despair of the present Admireth and the future will stand amazed at concerning the Lying Wonders the Romish Church so much boasts of I have discovered the fallacy of them at large in my Discovery of the person and period of Antichrist from page 48. to 55. to which I refer the Reader The Second End of Extraordinary Signs and Wonders is for Awakning a droufy sluggish and secure World which will not know the Signs of the Times Matt. 16.3 yea and for Rousing up the Slumbring Virgins of the Church both the Wise and the Foolish As the Midnight Cry did Matt. 25.2 5. 6. This is certainly the great End why the great Wonder-working God worketh Wonders and sheweth signs such as are Extraordinary and Universally astonishing to Alarm as with those Trumpets both Saints and Sinners that none might be surprized He therefore doth most graciously sound his Trumpet in and by them that his Judgments may not come as a Thief in the Night upon us as he hath oft foretold us Matth. 24.44 1 Thess 5.3 Revel 3.3 and 16.15 The Thief gives no Warning but comes unexpectedly So doth not a Gracious God who giveth Warning for which Charles the Great blesseth God for Rebuking his Sluggishness out of his Tender Mercy by those his Signs as a Blazing Star c. As I shew in my little Book of this late Comet pag. 22. 'T is undoubtedly most dear Divine Clemency to give timely Warnings of Approaching Judgments for Humane Calamity the more sudden the more gricvous it is as 1. It amates or Daunts and Exanimates a man as the sudden Storm doth the Marriner and as the Devil design'd Job's Messengers should do him in coming one at the Heels of another so unexpectedly upon him 2. It surprises him at unawares he stands not upon his Guard so can no more prevent it than unweildly Eglon could Ehud's deadly thrust As Signs and Wonders are Various 1. In their Ends so 2. In their Kinds as 1. There are Miracula Miranda Many things are miracula much marvelled at as exceeding the common Course of Providence which yet are not Ex natura Rei Miracula of the proper Nature of Miracles The latter exceedeth the Power of all created Agents but the former doth not so A true and proper Miracle is the Stopping or Altering the common Course of Nature and 't is a producing of some such E●fects as do transcend Natures Law Power and Capacity 't is indeed an Extraordinary operation of the Almighty Creator in Nature either without the Interposition and Concurrence of Second Causes or Above their natural Capacity In a word 't is the production of Something out of Nothing either as to Matter or as to Manner of production so that the Almighty can only work true Miracles either in himself or in his Servants impour'd by him 2. There are mira ceu miranda marvelous Works and Wonders 1. of God's Working and 2 of the Devil 's who is God s Ape herein and who by his