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	sin_n	7,176	5	5.3331	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27044	A sermon preached at the funeral of that faithful minister of Christ, Mr. John Corbet with his true and exemplary character / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1680 (1680)	Wing B1416; ESTC R17576	26,901	40

nearness of Body and Soul is such that God can use the Body to keep the Soul in a humble and a safe Condition Vse Mistake not the Nature and meaning of the Flesh's sufferings Grudge not at God if he exercise thus his greatest Saints VVonder not if the best men have sharp persecutions pinching wants and painful sickness a long and sharp tormenting stone or other such like Thorn in the Flesh 1. It is but the Flesh in our British part common to Beasts If Flesh must die and rot why may it not first feel the Thorn 2. VVe grudged not at that health and youth and ease and pleasure of it which was the danger and temptation to the Soul why then should we grudge at the pain which tendeth to our Cure 3. If you feel not the need of suffering you know not your selves Did you know your Pride and overmuch Love of Flesh and Ease you would say that Pain is a Physick which you need were it but to help on your willingness to die 4. Pain here depriveth us of none of our true Felicity it hindereth not Gods love to us it keeps us not from Heaven Lazarus was in a fairer way than Dives It takes nothing from us but what we Covenanted to forsake for Christ 5. Do we not find that we are better when we suffer than when we are high Were Religious People better when Victories and Successes did lift them up than they have been in their sufferings Did they live then more humbly peaceably and heavenly 6. The Thorn will soon be taken out Flesh will not endure long and therefore this pain will not be long a few more painful Nights and Days and the Porter which we fear will break open our Prison Doors and end these weary grievous sufferings Vse 2. And think not the Thorn is a mark that such are worse than others Paul was not worse and shall we Censure such as he Vse 3 But let us all know the use of suffering what cure hath this Medicine wrought Blessed be our wise and gracious Physician we find it a powerful though unpleasant Remedy It keepeth Lazarus from the sins of Dives from living a worldly sensual Life and loving the prosperity of the flesh instead of heavenly true felicity It keepeth us from a beastly living to our appetites and lust which would divert and deprave the spiritual appetite It keepeth us from being deluded by worldly flatteries and looking for a portion in this Life and laying up a Treasure on Earth and from growing sensless and impenitent in Sin It awakeneth the Soul to serious expectations of Eternity and keepeth us as within the sight or hearing of another World and tells us to the quick that we must make ready to Die and to be judged and that we have much more to do with God than with man and for Heaven than Earth It taketh down Pride and all excessive respects to humane approbation and keeping us still in the sight of the Grave doth tell us what mans body is Mors solae fatetur Quantula sunt hominum Corpuscula Juv. What faithful Soul that hath been bred up in the School of afflictions doth not by experience say that it was good for him How Dull how Proud how worldly might we else have been and trifled away our lives in sloth and vanity And it is not for nothing that our Thorns or Nailes in the Flesh are kin to the Nailes that pierced our Saviour on the Cross and that we tread in his steps and as Cross-bearers are thus far conformable to his sufferings Be patient than under the Pain and careful to improve it and thankful for the Profit And let not the Soul too much condole the flesh as if it had not at hand a better Habitation and Interest It is but this Vile body Phil. 3. 19. lent us for a little time as our Clothes till Night or as our Horse in a Journey when we have done with them be content of Gods separation and till then let us not take our Corrector for our Enemy I groan too much Lord I complain too much I fear too much but my Soul doth acknowledge the Justice and Love and Wisdom of thy dealings and looketh that this Thorn should bring forth sweet and happy fruit and that all the Nailes of my Cross being sanctified by the blood of my Crucified Redeemer should tend to make me partaker of thy Holiness But who put this Thorn into Pauls Flesh It was one of Satans Messengers Observ 11. The sufferings of the holiest persons in the flesh may be the buffettings of a Messenger of Satan No wonder He that hath got somewhat of his own in us all defiling us with sin if he also may answerably be permitted to afflict us He possessed many in Christs time and it was Devils that made them dumb and deaf and mad whom Christ at once delivered from Devils and Diseases He is called the Accuser and destroyer and he that had the power of Death Heb. 2. 14. whom Christ by Death and Resurrection Conquered Christ calleth his healing the Palsie man the forgiving of his sin and James saith upon Prayer and Anointing the sick should be healed and his sins forgiven And for the Cause of sin many Christians were sick and weak and many fallen asleep I cannot say that Good Angels may not hurt men and execute Gods Judgments but Scripture maketh evil ones his ordinary Executioners Vse Therefore it is no proof that a man is not a Child of God though the Devil have permission to Torment his Flesh Rev. 2. 10. The Devil shall cast some of you into Prison Please God and Satan hath no Power and Christ will take take out the Thorn ere long which Satan is permitted to put in But how doth Paul endure the Thorn He prayeth that is might depart from him Observ 12. The best men are sensible of the suffering of the Flesh and may pray God to take it from them Grace doth not make the Flesh insensible Nor separate the Soul from it though it set us above it nor make us despise it though it shew us a higher Interest and better Habitation and teach us to bear the Cross and resign the Body to the Will of God A Godly man may groan under his Pain and take it as a fruit of sin and an act of the Chastizing Justice of an offended Father and pray against it as hurtful though not as a Remedy They that ignorantly dispute that because Christ hath suffered all our Punishment therefore there is no Penal hurt in Pain or Death confute themselves if they complain under it or pray against it or desire such Prayers from the Church or any Yea one use of the Thorn is to awaken and quicken us to Prayer Like Jonas's Storm Vse Go then to God in all affliction but not with carnal discouraged hearts He maketh you thus feel the need of his Mercy that you may with the Prodigal think of home and