Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	know_v	2,974	5	4.2147	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13678	The following of Christ translated out of Latin into Englishe, newlie corrected and amended. VVherento also is added the golden epistle of Sainct Bernarde. And nowe lastelie the rules of a Christian lyfe, made by Iohn Picus the elder earle of Mirandula.; Imitatio Christi. English.	Cyprian, Saint, d. 304. [Swete and devoute sermon of mortalitie of man]. aut; Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153. Epistola de perfectione vitae. English. aut; Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494. Regulae duodecim portim excitantes portim dirigentes hominem in pugna spirituali. English.; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471, attributed name.	1585 (1585)	STC 23968; ESTC S103013	152,704	352

incumbred by an euill custome for that euill custome may be ouercome with a good custome And excuse thee not that thou art let by other men for if thou wilt leaue the familiaritie with other they will suffer thee to doe thy deedes without impediment Meddle thee not with other mens goodes neither busie thee in great mens causes haue alwaye an eye to thy selfe and diligentlie informe and admonishe thy selfe before all other If thou haue not the fauour of worldlie liuinge people sorowe not therfore but let this be thy daylie sorowe that thou behauest not thy selfe in thy conuersation as it beseemeth a good religious person for to doe It is more expedient and more profitable that a man sometime lacke consolations in this life the that he haue them alwayes after his owne will namelye fleshlie consolations Neuerthlesse that we haue not sometime heauenly consolations or that we so seldome feele them as we doe it is through our owne defaulte for we seeke not to haue the true compunction of harte nor we caste not fullie awaye from vs the false outwarde consolatiōs Holde thy selfe therfore vnworthy to haue any consolation and worthye to haue much tribulation VVhen a man soroweth perfectlye for his sinnes then all wordly cōfortes be painefull to him A good man findeth alway matter ynough why he ought iustlie so sorowe weepe for if he beholde him selfe or if he thinke on his neighbour he seeeth well that none liueth here without great miserie the more throughlie that he may consider him selfe the more sorow he hath And alwaye the matter of true sorowe and of true inwarde copunction is the remembraunce of our sinnes wherein we be so wrapped on euery side that seldome we may beholde any ghostly thinges But if we would more ofte thinke on our death then we doe on long lyfe no doubt but we should more feruentlie apply our selfe to amendment and I beeleue also that if we woulde hartily remember the paines of hell and of purgatorie that we shoulde more gladlye sustayne all labors and sorowes and that we shoulde not dreade anye paine in this world wherby we myght auoyde the paynes that are to come But forasmuch as these things goe not to the heart and we yet loue the flattering and false pleasures of this worlde therefore we remaine colde and voide of deuotiō and ofte it is through the weakenes of the spirite that the wretched bodie so lightlie complaineth Pray therfore meekelie to our Lorde that he of his great goodnes geue thee the spirite of compunction and saye with the prophete thus Feede me Lord with the breade of compunction and geue me to drinke water of teares in great abundance Of the consideringe of the miserie of mankinde and vvherein the felicitie of man standeth The .22 Chapter AVVretch thou act whosoeuer thou be withersoeuer thou turne thee but if thou turne thee to God VVhy arte thou so lightlie troubled for that it falleth not to thee as thou wouldest and desirest VVhat is he that hath all thinge after his wil neither thou nor I nor any man liuinge for none liue here without some trouble or anguishe be he kyng Or who thinkest thou is in moste fauour with God truelie he that suffreth gladlie moste for God But many persons weake and feeble in spirite saye thus in their heartes Lo howe good a life that man leadeth howe riche he is howe mightie he is how high in authoritie how great in sight of the people and how faire and beautifull in his bodily kinde but if thou take heede to the goodnes euerlastinge thou shalt well see that these worldlye goodes and worldly likinges are but litle worth and that they be more rather greuous then pleasaunt for they may not be had ne kept but by great labour and busines of minde The felicitie of man standeth not in abundance of worldlie goodes for the meane is best And verilie to liue in this world is but miserie and the more ghostlie that a man would be the more painfull it is to him for to liue for he feeleth more plainely the defaultes of mans corruption For why to eate to drinke to sleepe to wake to rest to labour and to serue all other necessities of the bodie is great miserie and great affliction to a deuout soule which woulde gladly be free from the bondage of sinne that it might without let serue our Lord in puritie of conscience and in cleannes of heart The inwarde man is greatlie greeued through the bodilie necessities in this world VVherefore the prophete Dauid desired that he might be deliuered from such necessities But woe be to them that knowe not their owne misery woe be to them that loue this wretched and this corruptible life for some loue it so muche that yf they might euer lyue here though they myght poorelye get their liuinge with labour begginge yet they would neuer care for the kingdome of heauē O madde and vnfaithfull creatures are they that so deepelie set their loue in earthly things that they haue no feeling nor taste but in fleshlie pleasures Truelie in the hour of death they shall knowe howe vile and howe naughtie it was that they so much loued But holle Saintes and deuout folowers of Christ they did not what pleased the fleshe ne what was pleasaunt in the sight of the world but all their whole intent and desire they helde to thinges inuisible and feared least by sight of thinges visible they might be drawen downe to the loue of them My welbeloued brother lose not the desire to profite in spirituall thinges for thou hast yet good time and space VVhy wilt thou any longer deferre the time Arise and now this same instant beginne and saye thus Nowe is time to laboure in good workes nowe is time to fight in ghostlie battaile and nowe is time to make amēdes for trespasse passed VVhen thou art troubled then is best time to merite and get rewardes of God It behoueth thee to go through fire and water before thou come to the place of recreation and but if thou can fullie haue the mastry ouer thy selfe thou shalt neuer ouercome sinne nor liue without great tediousnes and sorow VVe would gladlie be deliuered frō all miserie and sinne but because we haue through sinne lost our innocencie we haue lost also the verie ioye and felicitie VVherefore we must holde vs in patience and with good hope abide the mercie of God till wretchednes and miserie be ouerpassed and that this bodilie lyfe be chaunged into the life euerlastinge O how great is the frailtie of man that he is euer readie and prone to sinne This daye thou art confessed and to morow thou fallest againe Now thou purposest to beware and intendest to go forth stronglie in good workes and shortlie after thou doest as thou neuer haddest taken such purpose Rightfullie theréfore we ought to meeke our selfe and neuer to thinke in vs any vertue or goodnes for that we be so fraile vnstable

thy mercie from all perils and daungers O righteous father euer to be praysed the time is come that thou wilte thy seruaunt be proued And righteouslie is it done that I now shall suffer somewhat for thee now is the hour come that thou hast knowen from the beginninge that thy seruant for a time should outwardlie be set at naught and inwardlie to liue to thee and that he shoulde a litle be despised in the sight of the world and be broken with passions and sickenes that he might after rise with thee into a newe light and be clarified and made glorious in the kingdome of heauen O holie father thou haste ordeyned it so to be and it is done as thou hast commaunded this is thy grace to thy freende to suffer and to be troubled in this worlde for thy loue howe ofte so euer it be of what person soeuer it be in what maner soeuer thou suffer it to fall vnto him without thy counsayle prouidence nor without cause nothinge is done vpon earth Oh it is good to me Lorde that thou hast meekened me that I may therby learne to knowe thy righteous iudgementes and put from me all maner of presumption and highnes of minde And it is verie profitable to me that cōfusion hath couered my face that I maye learne thereby to seeke for helpe and succour to thee rather thē to man And I haue therby learned to dreade thy secrete terrible iudgementes which scourgest the righteous mā with the sinner but not without equitie and iustice I yeelde thankes to thee that thou haste not spared my sins but haste punished me with scourges of loue and hast sent me sorowes and anguishes within and without so that there is no creature vnder heauen that may comfort me but thou Lorde God the heauenlie leach of mans soule which strikest and healest and bringest a man nigh vnto bodilie death and after restorest him to health againe that he maye thereby learne to knowe the littlenes of his owne power the more fullie to trust in thee Thy discipline is fallen vpon me and thy rod of correctiō hath taught me vnder that rodde I whollie submit me strike my backe and bones as it shall please thee make me to bowe my croked will vnto thy will make me a meeke an humble disciple as thou hast sometime done with me that I may walke all after thy wil. To thee I commit my selfe and all mine to be corrected for better it is to be corrected by thee here then in time to come Thou knowest all thinges nothinge is hidde from thee that is in mans cōsciēce Thou knowest thinges to come before they fall it is not nedefull that any man teache thee or warne thee of any thinge that is done vpō the earth Thou knowest what is speedefull for me and howe much tribulation helpeth to purge the rest of sinne in me do with me after thy pleasure and disdayne not my sinfull life to none so well knowen as it is to thee Graunt me Lorde that to knowe that is necessarie to be knowen that to loue that is to be loued that to prayse that highlie pleaseth thee that to regarde that appeareth precious in thy sight and that to refuse that is vile before thee Suffer me not to iudge after my outwarde wits nor to geue sentēce after the hearinge of vncunninge men but in a true iudgement to discerne thinges visible and inuisible and aboue all thinges alway to searche and folowe thy will and pleasure The outwarde witnes of men be ofte deceyued in their iudgementes And in likewise the louers of the worlde be deceyued through louinge onelie of visible thinges VVhat is a man the better for that he is taken better truelie nothinge For a deceitfull man deceyueth an other a vayne mā deceyueth an other and a blinde feeble creature deceyueth an other when he exalteth him and rather confoundeth him then prayseth him For why howe muche soeuer a man be in light of God so much he is and no more sayth the meeke Saint Fraunces howe holye and howe vertuous soeuer he be taken in sight of the people That it is good that a man geue hym selfe to meeke bodilye laboures vvhen he feeleth not hym selfe disposed to high vvorkes of deuotion The 56. Chapter My sonne thou mayest not alwaye stande in the high feruēt desire of vertue ne in the highest degree of contemplatiō but thou muste of necessitie through the corruption of the first sinne sometime descende to lower thinges and against thy will and with great tediousnes to beare the burden of this corruptible body for as longe as thou bearest this bodie of death thou must neede feele some tediousnes and griefe of heart and thou shalt ofte times beweepe mourne the burden of thy fleshlie feelinges and the contradictiō of thy body to thy soule for thou mayest not for the corruption thereof perseuer in spirituall studies and in heauenlye contemplation as thou wouldest doe and then it is good to thee to flie to meeke bodilie laboures and to exercise thy selfe in good outwarde workes and in a stedfast hope and trust to abide my comminge and my newe heauenlie visitations and to beare thy exile and the drines of thy hart patientlie till thou shalt be visited by me agayne and be deliuered from all tediousnes and vnquietnes of minde VVhen I shall come I shall make thee forget all thy former laboures and to haue inwarde rest and quietnes of soule I shall also laye before thee the florishing medowe of holy scripture and thou shalte with great gladnes of heart in a newe blessed feeling fele the very true vnderstāding thereof and then quickly shalt thou runne the waye of my commaundementes and then shalt thou saye in great spirituall gladnes The passions of this world be not woorthy of thē selues to bring vs to the ioy that shall be shewed vs in the blisse of heauen To the which bring vs our Lorde Iesus Amen That a man shall not thinke him selfe vvorthy to haue comfort but rather to haue sorovve and payne and of the profite of contrition The 57. Chapter LOrde I am not woorthy to haue thy consolation nor any spirituall visitatiō and therefore thou doest righteously to me when thou leauest me needy and desolate for though I might weepe water of teares like to the Sea yet were I not woorthy to haue thy con●olatiō for I am worthy to haue nothing but sorowe and paine for I haue so greeuouslye and so ofte offended thee and in so many things greatly trespassed against thee Therefore I may well saye and confesse for truth that I am not woorthy to haue thy leste cōsolation But thou Lord benigne and mercifull that wilt not thy workes doe perish to shewe the greatnes of thy goodnes in the vessels of thy mercy aboue all my merites or desert doest vouchsafe sometime to comforte me thy seruaunt more then I can thinke or deuise Thy cōsolations be not

vnwoorthy al comfort I blesse thee and glorifye thee alwaye with thy onelye begotten sonne and the holy Ghoste without endinge Amen O my Lord God moste faythfull louer when thou commest into my heart all mine inwarde partes doe ioye Thou art my glorie and the ioye of my heart my hope and wholle refuge in all my troubles But forasmuche as I am yet feeble in loue vnperfect in vertue therefore I haue neede of more comforte and helpe of thee Vouchsafe therefore ofte times to visite and instruct me with thy holye teachinges Deliuer me from all euill passions and heale my sicke hart from all inordinate affections that I may be inwardlie healed and purged from all inordinate affections and vices and be made apte and able to loue thee stronge to suffer for thee and stable to perseuer in thee Loue is a great thinge and a good and onelie maketh heauye burdens light and beareth in like balaunce things pleasaūt and displeasant it beareth a heauie burden and feeleth it not and maketh bitter thinges to be sauerie and sweete Also the noble loue of Iesu perfectlie printed in mans soule maketh a man to doe great thinges and stirreth him alwaye to desire perfection and to growe more and more in grace and goodnes Loue will alwaye haue his minde vpwarde to god and will not be occupied with loue of the worlde Loue will also be free from all worldlie affections that the inwarde sight of the soule be not darked or let nor that his affectiō to heauenly thinges be put from his free libertie by inordinat winninge or losinge of worldly thinges Nothinge therefore is more sweete then loue nothinge higher nothinge stronger nothinge larger nothinge ioyfuller nothinge fuller nor any thinge better in heauen or in earth for loue descendeth from God and may not rest finallie in anye thinge lower then God Suche a louer flieth high he runneth swiftlie he is merie in God he is free in soule he geneth all for all and hath all in all for he resteth in one high goodnes aboue all thinges of whom all goodnes floweth and proceedeth the beholdeth not onelee the gifte but the geuer aboue all giftes Loue knoweth no measure but is feruent without measure It feeleth no burden it regardeth no labour it desireth more thē it may attaine it complaineth of none impossibilitie for it thinketh all thinge that maye be done for his beloued possible and lawfull vnto him Loue therefore doth many great thinges and bringeth them to effect wherein he that is no louer fainteth and faileth Loue waketh muche and sleepeth litle and sleepinge sleepeth not it fainteth and is not werie is restrained of libertie and is in great freedome He seeth causes of feare and feareth not but as a quicke bronde or sparkle of fire flameth alwaye vpwarde by feruoure of loue into God through the especiall helpe of grace is deliuered from all perils and daungers He that is thus a ghostlie louer knoweth well what his voyce meanes which sayeth thus Thou Lorde God art my wholle loue and my desire thou art all mine and I all thine Spreade thou my heart into thy loue that I may taste and feele howe sweete it is to serue thee and how ioyful it is to laude thee aud to be as I were all molten into thy loue O I am bounden in loue and go farre aboue my selfe for the wonderfull great feruour that I feele of thy vnspeakeable goodnes I shall singe to thee the songe of loue and I shall folowe thee my beloued by highnes of thought wheresoeuer thou go and my soule shall neuer be werie to prayse thee with the ioyfull songe of ghostlie loue that I shall sing to thee I shall loue thee more then my selfe and not my selfe but for thee and all other in thee and for thee as the lawe of loue commaundeth which is geuen by thee Loue is swifte pure meeke ioyous and glad stronge patient faythfull wise forbearing manlye neuer seeking him selfe nor his owne will for whensoeuer a man seeketh him selfe he falleth fro loue Also loue is circumspect meeke righteous not tender not light nor heedinge vayne thinges sober chaste stable quiet and well stabled in his outwarde wittes Also loue is subiect and obedient to his prelate vile and despisable in his owne sight deuout and thankfull to God trusting and alwaye hoping in him and that whē he hath but litle deuotion or litle sauor in him for without some sorowe or payne no man may lyue in loue He that is not alwaye redy to suffer and to stand fullye at the will of his beloued is not woorthy to be called a louer for it behoueth a louer to suffer gladlye all harde and bitter thinges for his beloued and not to decline from his loue for no contrariou thing that may befall vnto him Of the proufe of a true louer of God The 7. Chapter MY sonne saith our Sauiour Christe thou art not yet a stronge and a wyse louer for whye for a litle aduersitie thou leauest anone that thou haste begon in my seruice and with great desire thou seekest outward consolatiōs But a strong and a faithful louer of God standeth stable in all aduersities and geueth litle heede to the deceitfull persuasions of the enemy and as he pleseth him in prosperitie so he displeaseth him not in aduersitie A wise louer cōsidereth not so much the gifte of his louer as he doth the loue of the geuer He regardeth more the loue then the gifte and accompteth all giftes litle in comparison of his beloued who geueth them to him A noble louer resteth not in the gifte but in me aboue all giftes Furthermore it is not all lost though thou sometime feele lesse deuotion to me and to my Saintes then thou wouldest doe on that other syde the sweete ghostly desire that thou feelest sometime to thy Lord Iesu is the feleable gift of grace geuen to thy comfort in this life a taste of the heauenly glory in the lyfe to come but it is not good that thou leane ouermuch to such cōfortes for they ligthly come and go after the will of the geuer but to striue alwaye without ceassing against all euill motiōs of sinne and to despise all the suggestions of the enemy is a token of perfect loue of great merite singuler grace Let no vanities nor no strange fantasies trouble thee of what matter soeuer they be Keepe thine intent and thy purpose alway whole and strong to me and thinke not that it is an illusion that thou art sodenlie rauished into excesse of minde and that thou art soone after turned agayne to thy fyrst lightnesse of hart for thou suffrest suche lightnesse rather against thy will than with thy will And therefore if thou be displeased therewith it shal be to thee great merite and no perdition I knowe sayth our Lorde that the olde auncient enimie the feende will assay to let thy good wil and to extinct the good desire that thou hast to