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	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20983	Emblema animæ or Morrall discourses reflecting upon humanitie. Written by John du Plessis now Cardinall of Richleu. Translated by I.M. Also varietie of obseruations delightfull to the minde; Emblema animae. English	Richelieu, Armand Jean de Plessis, duc de, 1585-1642.; Maxwell, James, b. 1581.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1635 (1635)	STC 7359; ESTC S111092	68,276	289

their cause It is God his providence from whence commeth dependeth an absolute necessity which governeth and ruleth all and whereunto all things are subiect and if we desire in any thing to be like him our minds out of question would bee in greater rest Let every man therefore employ his actions about such things as bee of a more certaine and constant condition So shall he sit downe with content and enjoy the sweetnesse and commodity of tranquillity and ease But seeing that in this world all things are subject to tottering and turning and that there is nothing under the Cope of Heaven stable and firme the Remedy most fit unto our infirmity is to fore-see this instability and not to passionate and turmoyle ourselves about those things the possession whereof is no lesse toylesome and troublesome then was the acquisition and purchase thereof And therefore we must love them as things which may leave us and withall have so much foresight that they never leave us first When on a time it was told Anaxagoras that his Sonne was dead I knew very well quoth he that he was a man and that he was borne to dye once In like manner must wee bee prepared for all adventures My Friend hath not assisted mee well I knew that hee was a man and one that might change My Wife was very vertuous and yet was she but a Woman Afflictions of Body and of Minde sicknesse casualties losses imprisonments are befalne mee They are welcome these are as great blessings as Dignity Health and Pleasure seeing they proceed from one and the same the giver of all things And hee that thus before hand bethinketh himselfe of humane accidents shall never betaken at unawares neither shall hee ●ave neede to say as customa●ly the unadvised are wont 〈◊〉 did not thinke of such a thing ●nto whom the chances of For●une doe occasion much affliction and anguish because they ●inde themselves disarmed of ●his wise foresight Vlysses over●assed many dangers difficul●ies and yet none of them all ●●d afflict him so fore as one ●hing which did take him at unawares even the death of a dog which he loved dearely And ●●ence the common Proverbe proveth true That a person sur●rised is halfe beaten DISC 4. Of each mans Vocation and Calling VErtue and Industry are the chiefest props of an honest calling and it behove tha● wise man to carry himselfe equally betweene them both taking Vertue for the guide and Fortune for the Companion and follower for it commeth oftentimes to passe that such as do not thinke diligently of that which they doe are seene to fall into such a kinde of life as is painefull to beare and uneasie to bee abandoned Which is certainely a great streight and a case that doth require much prudence and patience with pietie to implore the aid and assistance of God for patience with humilitie in Gods behalfe is the remedie which doth most lighten and ease the evill Consider poore prisoners at first what pains they endure to beare the burthen that is laid upon their legges but after that they are once accustomed thereunto necessity teacheth them and use maketh all such hard usage easie unto them There is no manner of life howsoever hard and strict it be which hath not some kinde of solace and refreshment to sweeten it And truely there is not any one thing wherein Nature hath so much favored us as in this that she maketh us to finde the remedy and mitigation of our mis-fortunes in the sufferance of them The case then standing as it doth that man is borne obnox ous and subject unto all manner of miseries we must consequently suppose that we are all of us the prisoners of Fortune who holdeth us tyed and fettered hand and foote and that there is no difference saving that the fetters and chaines of some are of Gold and of other some of Yron We are all of is in one and in the same prison and those that hold others captive are in the like condition and case themselves in regard of others If the desire of honour turmoileth thee the desire of riches doth trouble another If the basenesse and obscurity of birth doth afflict thee to others Nobility and greatnesse doth bring a thousand discontented thoughts Art thou subject to the commandement and will of another that other is subject at least to his owne having his braines and his breast beaten with ten thousand heart-burnings diseasements which thou doest not espie in summe if yee marke all things well our whole life is nothing but a slavery wherein every one ought to take good heede how to demeane himselfe in his calling how hee may content himselfe therein winking at that which is evill in it and applying himselfe unto that which is good For there is no calling howsoever Painefull and toylesome it bee wherein the patient soule doth not finde some contentment and gaine though that cunning and skill be more exquisite in time of adversity then of prosperitie For when as calamities and crosses doe present themselves then must we gather all the forces of our wits together and set our whole vigour and strength against such imminent or present evills reposing our whole confidence in God Ionas had leisure even in the Whales belly to make his supplication and prayer unto God and was presently heard In this manner all accidents how grievous uneasie soever they be may be sweetned and lightned To this purpose also it is good that each one set certaine bounds and limits to the hopes of this life and that hee thinke with himselfe that howsoever humane thing bee different and various in the outward semblance and shew yet neverthelesse inwardly they resemble one another in their inconstancy and vanity A Calling is the Tye of every man from Sloth it gives him health it drawes the mind from thinking on such things as precipitate the Soule By it Common-wealths have their true decorum and are therefore permanent because upheld by continuall employment It is ever best when Honesty steeres the course and meane ones beare not envy against such as are in higher places then they for oftentimes that which wee account hight is as a steepe hill from whence a man with very little adoe is hurled downe headlong And truely such as have lived content have not beene alwayes those that have made the better choice but rather those who prudently and discreetly could carry themselves in that estate and calling which they once made choice of taking patiently the evill that fell out therein and endeavouring to redresse such accidents as did crosse their desires This advice likewise is required to keepe discretion which seasoneth and giveth a taste and rellish to all things And for this cause Plato did compare the life of man to the play at Dice whereat whosoever doth play ought alwayes to strive to have a faire throw and yet content himselfe with any cast that commeth For seeing that good or evill

as ought to bee praised and extolled but most of all in time of prosperity In which it is a thing very rare and difficult to finde a man who doth not incline to attribute unto to himselfe the cause of his own good hap Neither is there any other Season in which men sooner forget God then when they enjoy health and wealth dignity and felicity according to their wish So that mishap whensoever it doth happen them doth serve them for a medicine because it bringeth them home againe unto the knowledge of themselves This opinion of selfe-conceit for a man to thinke too much of himselfe and to give credit lightly unto the fawning lyes of flatterers maketh men to stumble and to fall into many grosse faults yea giveth occasion of mocking and bitter reviling and out of all question it is a great over-sight and a folly for a man to relie more upon anothers judgment concerning himselfe then upon his owne This Philip of whom we spake before seeing himselfe very mighty and victorious and considering with himselfe as a wise and moderate man ought to do how that humane things do not alwayes abide in the same stay appointed that one of his Pages should each Morning salute him with these words Philip remember that thou art a mortall man But how much more may the wise and well-disposed Christian say every day to himselfe Remember that thou art earth and to earth thou must returne DISC 11. Of the comparing of our fortune with that of others IT is an ancient question whether Industry and Fortune hath most credit For it is out of all doubt that both have and it is clearely false that one onely doth all and the other nothing and commonly they that settle themselves unto the one contemne the other but the difficulty is to joyne them together and to attend them both Therefore it is much availeable for the attaining of this tranquillity of minde that a man setting aside all passions consider with himselfe what meanes and commodities hee doth enjoy and in the next place that he set before his eyes such men as have not so much not doing as many are wont who have their eyes onely upon such as surpasse them admiring and reputing them onely happy and blessed The prisoners hold them happy that are set at large and againe those esteeme such blessed as are altogether free The free thinke the rich onely fortunate and the rich againe those that command They that command account Kings of all other most blessed and Kings those of their degree that excell them in ability and power Hence it is that men finding themselves unable to equall such as surpasse them they doe remaine discontented and no wise satisfied with their fortune wherein they both bewray their ingratitude towards God and beget a torment to themselves A wise man will not be male content though many surmount him in meanes but rather representing to himselfe the great numbers of afflicted and miserable men the world doth afford he will rejoyce and bee glad of his condition and case If ye see then a man well mounted and furnished with faire horses richly arayed doe but cast downe a little your eyes and consider how many there are that goe a foot which leading a poore life esteem that of yours to be happy for it is not reasonable that the good fortune of one or of a few should have greater force to make you discontent then should the bad fortune of many have to move you to be content How many poore folkes see yee daily that live of their labours and are laden with children pinched with poverty and which is worst of all have no hope at all to escape out of their misery How many is there to whom your life which ye so much deplore would bring much consolation and ease Fortune may make a man poore sick afflicted but not vitious dissolute dejected many times a man complaineth unjustly for though he be sometimes surprized with some ill accident yet hee is more often with a good and so the one must recompence the other and if a man consider wel thereof he shall finde more reason to content himselfe with his good fortunes then to complaine of his bad We are come to a time so miserable that one mans life dependeth more of anothers then of it selfe and the good of our Neighbour doth occasion us greater griefe then is the gladnesse we reape of our owne But if it were possible for men to see unfolded the fortune of such as they esteeme happy they would feele and find in it oftentimes more anxiety and paine then they do in their own Who is he that doth not account the condition of Kings of all other to be most happy And yet harken what a great King saith of himselfe in Homer Great Iupiter hath imprisoned mee with great perplexities and cares O how happy then are those that live in their little corners out of these dangers and feares And if it be so that ten thousand folks would bee content with the estate wherein God hath established you what reason have you to complaine for that yee have not the estate fortune of one whom yee envy Yee have no cause at all to kill your selfe with sorrow and care for to attaine unto another mans ranke seeing there is nothing that so much roubleth and tormenteth a man as this affection and immoderate desire of mounting from one degree of dignity to another For such folkes ordinarily do follow without consideration any hope whatsoever that offereth it selfe the which if it faile to succeede according to their wish they presently beginne to accuse Fortune and to accurse their hard hap whereas they ought rather to blame themselves for their rashnesse lightnesse and their want of fore-sight Neither doe they consider what a folly it is for them to impure unto another the blame of their owne weake understanding and the fault they have fallen into by following that which was either uncertaine or impossible for them to attaine unto They are like unto those in my conceit which fret and fume for that they cannot fly or shoote an arrow with a bow as big as a plow-beame The cause of this evill is the excessive affection men beare unto themselves Whence it happens that in all things they will needs strive and labour to bee the first It is nothing in their eye to abound in Wealth except they have much more then other rich men have Solon the Philosopher saith that Wealth is the Mother of Excesse Excesse the Mother of Lust Lust the Mother of Violence and Violence the Mother of Tyranny Behold how this vice reigneth or rather rangeth in all estates Dionysius the first was not content to bee King of Sicily neither esteemed hee his dignity accomplished enough because Philoxenus did surpasse him in Poësie and Plato in Philosophy Wherupon hee was so furious that he condemned Philoxenus to the quarries there to wring Verses out

our affections and dresse our selves in such sort that fortune may finde the lesse advantage to offend us for a smal body that can cover and gather it selfe together under a buckler marcheth on towards the enemy with more surely then a bigger body doth that lyeth at large open unto blowes If it were not mine intention to husband the time and to spare paper I could enlarge my discourse by reciting of almost ●nnumerable examples as well of Heathens as of Christians which have placed a great part of their perfection in poverty But ye ought to consider one thing for all that Iesus Christ was poore who was Lord of the whole world his Disciples were poore which did possesse all things and the Saints were poore which might have beene rich If yee should never dye I would advise you to set your affection upon riches but I see to that those to whom they most befall doe finde sooner the end of their living then of their longing Why then should a man torment himselfe for a thing that he must necessarily leave and why is he not rather content quietly with that which is needfull chiefly considering that the fairest kind of wealth is for a man to be neither too poore nor yet too far off from poverty DISC. 18. Of Death CAesar sayd well that the best death was that which was least premeditated and to say truth the preparatiō before death hath bin to many a greater torment then the execution it selfe The Mexicans salute their Infants comming forth of their Mothers wombe thus Infant thou art come into the world to suffer endure suffer and hold thy peace Why then should a man bee sorry to dye when nothing but life is miserable And it seemeth that all incommodities and misfortunes may bee borne with either by the meanes of a long custome or by the helpe of a strong discourse onely Death and the apprehension thereof is the thing that putteth us in greatest feare Now the onely remedy and true easing of this evill is that yee make this reckoning of the world and all that is therein that yee have nothing which is your owne neither life nor living no not so much as your owne selfe but that yee live alwayes borrowing and holding your very life not in property but on condition to restore it unto him againe who hath lent it you whensoever he shall require it at your hands yet for all this yee must not neglect it as a thing not yours but must keepe it faithfully and carefully in regard that God hath trusted you with the custody thereof and when it is time to render it to him that gave it not grudgingly but gladly and with a cheerefull countenance in the meane time thanking GOD the giver of all good things for the time yee have had the use and aide thereof and saying unto him in this or the like manner Lord I render unto thee againe this Soule and Life with as good an heart as it pleased thee to give mee the same yea even with a better and readier will then I did receive it for when thou gavest it me thou gavest it to a little weake Creature which knew not the good thou then didst bestow but now thou dost receive it againe at the hands of a Creature more accomplished who knoweth what it is he commendeth into thine hands and therfore rendereth it unto thee withall franknesse and readinesse of will and truely we may easily imagine that it is not a hard thing for a substance to returne to the place whence it first came the body returning to the earth and the soule if it goe the right way must goe to him that gave it To bee short that man doubtlesse never learned well to live who knoweth not how to die wee must therefore in this case bee so affected towards our selves as wee are wont to be in the behalfe of fencers which must fight in a barred field for wee commonly hate him that beareth himselfe faint-heartedly and favour the other who out of a brave courage had rather chose to dye then to bee overcome Besides the feare of death is sometimes the cause or occasion of it to him that flyeth fastest from it And seeing yee know well that life was given you upon condition to render it againe ●e ought not to be so unjust as ●o desire to enjoy that thing for ever which was given unto you for a day by making your selfe Lord and owner of the thing whereof yee are onely a depositary or keeper Moreover men wil say that it is a matter of great import to wit the feare and apprehension of death and that it is the extreame of all terrible things But ye ought to understand that Death is not to bee found fault with for this seeing that it proceedeth not from the nature of Death but from our owne imbecillity who are commonly overtaken and intangled with delights with a desire of this transitory life and with an immoderate love of this miserable flesh And if yee take good heed it is not so much Death i● selfe that is dreadfull as the opinion which wee hold concerning the same For every man feareth it according to his judgment apprehension and conscience And if it bee so that yee have no feare thereof but onely for this occasion then lay the blame upon your selfe and no● upon it For it fareth with men of an evill conscience when they must dye as it doth with riotous spend-thrifts when they must pay their debts They will not come to an account for the distrust which they have of their ability to satisfie for what they have done And to say that ye feare death ●y reason that it is the last point ●●d period of man hath but lit●●e reason in it For the Soule 〈◊〉 alwaies it liveth ever and ●●nnot dye The Greekes call mans decease ●●e end giving us thereby to ●nderstand that it is the period ●nd end of wearisome life O●●ers a death of which there ●re foure kinds the first is the ●aturall death or separation be●weene the Body and the Soule ●he second is a spirituall death ●r a separation betweene the grace of God and us the third ●s a ghostly death or a separation betweene our sinnes and us and the fourth is an everlasting death or a separation betweene Heaven and us for ever But the Holy Scripture calleth death a sleepe to assure us of an assured Resurrection and to the end wee weepe not as Infidels doe which are withou● hope Let us consider with ou● selves how many holy men and women have prized it and desired it as the onely easemen● of all their anguish The writings of Solomon Iob and the histories of Gods Saints are full of the praises of this Christian desire of death What a vanity is it to love so much this miserable life this Jaile this prison this vale of ●eares seeing that the longer we live the longer we live in sinne the more daies wee spend