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
A86974	A sermon preach't to his Maiesty, at the court of White-hall. Aug.8. / By Jos. B. of Exon.	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.	1641 (1641)	Wing H414; Thomason E1100_2; ESTC R208332	12,915	54

suppalpations if restlesse importunities will hoyse thee thou wilt mount But something there is that clogs thy heele or blocks thy way either some secret detractor hath forlaid thee by a whispering mis-intimation or some mis-construction of thy well-meant offices hath drawne thee into unjust suspition or the envy of some powerfull corrivall trumps in thy way and holds thee off from thine already swallowed honor There is an hand above that manageth all this What are we but the Keyes of this great instrument of the world which he touches at pleasure depressing some whiles others rise and others againe stand still Yea let me make higher instances of you men of State that sway the great affaires of Kingdomes and by your wise and awfull arbitrements decree under Soveraignty of either warre or peace either take up or slacken the raynes of Commerce so framing the many wheeles of this vast engine that all may move happily together you may rack your braines and enlarge your forraine intelligences and cast in the symboles of your prudent contributions to the common welfare but know withall Frustra nisi Dominus let your projects be never so faire your treaties never so wise and cautious your enterprises never so hopefull if he doe but blow upon them they are vanished The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong nor yet bread to the wise Eccles 9.11 What should we doe then but look up to that Almighty hand that swayeth all these sublunary yea and celestiall affaires It is the weake fashion of foolish children to ascribe all their kindnesses or discontents to the next cause If good befall them it is the Taylor to whom they are beholden for their coate the Confectionary for their sweet-meats not their parents who pay for all these Againe if the knife be taken away from them the Servant is blamed and beaten with their feeble but angry hand not the mother that commanded it yea it is the brutish fashion of unreasonable creatures to run after and bite the stone not regarding the hand that threw it Wee Christians should have more wit and since we know that nature it selfe is no other then Gods ordinance of second causes and chance is but an ignorance of the true causes and our freest wills are over-ruled by the first mover oh let us improve our reason and Christianity so much as to acknowledge the secret but most certaine hand of an omnipotent agent in all the occurrents of the world for certainly there cannot be a greater injury to the great King of heaven and earth then to suffer second causes to run away with the honor of the first whether in good or evill Secondly what should we doe but kisse the rod and him that smites with it patiently receiving all chastisements from the hand of a powerfull wise just God Had we to doe with an agent lesse then omnipotent we might perhaps think of him as one said of the Egyptian Magitians They could hurt but they could not heale they could doe evill but not good or we might feare something might betide us against beside without his will finite agents cannot goe beyond their owne spheare were the power of great Princes as large as their wills none of their designes should be ineffectuall Or had we to doe with a powerfull agent that were not also infinitely wise we might think he might be over-reacht in his plot But now that infinite power and wisdome are the very essence of God let us what ever we doe or may befall us take up that holy resolution of good Ely It is the Lord let himdoe what seemeth him good 1. Sam. 3.18 But in the meane time let not those wicked wretches by whose unjust hand the just God thinks good to scourge his owne comfort themselves with the hope of an impunity because they are unwittingly used in his executions No they are no whit the more innocent because God beats his owne with their malice neither shall they be lesse avenged because they have heedlesly done Gods will whiles they despitefully doe their owne Ashur is the rod of Gods wrath when God hath sufficiently whipt drawne blood of his Israel by him he casts him into the fire the fire of that wrath which Ashur feeles from God is a thousand times hotter then the fire of that wrath which Israel feeles from Ashur Shortly God will have his due honor both in afflicting his owne and in plagueing those that afflicted them his agency is equall in both He turneth a fruitfull land into barrennesse Hitherto the agent now followes the meriting cause of this change The wickednesse of them that dwell therein God is an absolute Lord Domini est terra he is not accountable for any reason of his change whether of barrenesse or plenty there needs no other ground to be given but Quia voluit and even so it is in this stirring peece of earth which we carry about us Why this womb or those loynes are sterile that fruitfull yea why this or that soule is so he needs not give any reason but his will yet so far doth he condescend to us as to impart to us an account of the ground of his proceedings Man suffreth for his sin saith the Prophet and the earth suffreth here for the wickednesse of the inhabitants Evermore God hath some motive for the inflicting of evil As it is in the main point of a mans eternal estate Mans Salvation is ex mero beneplacito The gift of God is eternal life but his damnation is never without acause in mā The soule that sinneth shal dy So it is in this case of lesser good or evill when God speakes of turning wildernesses into ponds of water in the following words ye heare no cause assigned but meer mercy but whē he speaks of turning fruitful lands into barrennes now it is for the wickednes of indwellers This is a most sure rule therefore All judgements are inflicted for sin Chastisements are out of love but punishment out of Justice Yea so doth God order his judgements commonly that in the punishment we may reade the sin and in the sin we may foresee the punishment and can confidently define where punishment is there hath been sin and where sin is there will be punishment I have heard and seene some ignorant impatients when they have found themselves to smart with Gods scourge cast a sullen frowne back upon him with Cur me caedis or with the malecontented mother of the striving twins Why am I thus Alas what mere what miserable strangers are these men at home There is nothing in the world that they doe more misknow then themselves had they ever but look't in if but at the door yea at the window yea at the Key-hole of their owne hearts or lives they could not choose but cry out with holy Iob I have sinned what shal I do to thee O thou preserver of Men They would accuse arraign condemne themselves and would