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	suspicion_n	1,645	5	12.6412	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21041	Tvvo treatises. The one, a most fruitfull exposition vpon Philemon: the other, the schoole of affliction. Both penned, by the late faithfull minister of Gods Word, Daniel Dyke, Bachelor in Diuinitie: published since his death by his brother, I.D. minister of Gods Word	Dyke, Daniel, d. 1614.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.	1618 (1618)	STC 7410; ESTC S100162	203,709	388

long and if they bee not knit together likewise in the bond of the Spirit O then there will bee a wofull parting euen betwixt those that are knit fastest and neerest together in these fleshly bonds the Husband and the Wife Two shall bee in one bed one shall bee refused the other shall bee receiued It serueth also for comfort to Christians when by death carnall Coniunctions are dissolued for still the spirituall Coniunction continueth Fiftly from the scope of the Apostle in these Doct. 5 wordes obserue that the consideration of that The good end of crosses must quiet vs. good end whereto God turneth those things which are grieuous vnto vs whether iniuries offred vs by men or afflictions immediately by his owne hand must quiet our minds and minister contentment vnto vs. It could not choose but bee a great griefe to PHILEMON for ONESIMVS to runne away for besides his owne losse of the money he grieued no doubt much more for ONESIMVS owne sake who was posting on in the high and readie way to Hell and for the Gospels sake which was subiect to the slanders of the wicked vpon occasion of this accident falling out in the house of such a Professor and Preacher as PHILEMON was yet here PAVL stops his mouth with this that this was turned now both to his owne and ONESIMVS his good Afflictions for the present are grieuous but when they shall bring with them happy fruits whether that of righteousnesse Heb. 12. or any other whether to our selues or others wee are then to reioyce more in that then we were grieued before in our owne hurt Thus IOSEPH quieted himselfe in those iniuries which his Brethren had done him and would not nourish any desire of reuenge in his minde because God had turned them all to so great a good Now howsoeuer whilest wee are in the bitternesse of our afflictions wee see not what is that good whereunto God will dispose it in the end yet sure we haue the promise of God that all things shall worke together for our good Rom. 8. and wee haue heretofore in our owne and others experiences seene the like practice of God This must make vs comfortable in the midst of our distresse knowing assuredly that God will make a good and happie end of it And then wee shall condemne our selues of folly in wishing our owne hurt and hinderance then wee shall thanke GOD for our crosses being made meanes of that good which wee would not for any good haue missed Bee not then impatient fret not murmure not at any iniuries whatsoeuer or any afflictions whatsoeuer that befall thee wait a while and thou shalt see GODS speciall prouidence ouer thee in those crosses insomuch that thou wouldest not for any thing but those crosses had befalne thee Martha though shee was grieued much at her Brother LAZARVS death and beganne euen to murmure saying Lord if thou haddest beene here my Brother had not dyed yet afterward when shee saw her Brother raysed againe and by this many to beleeue in CHRIST then shee could not but wonder at her owne folly that would haue hindered that so glorious a worke of God and the saluation of so many soules VERS 16. Not now as a seruant A Confirmation as wee shewed in the former Verse because now by his departure ONESIMVS was become a Conuert which is set foorth by the Metaphore of a Brother and therefore now by his departure was ioyned to him for euer for this spirituall Coniunction of Brethren in CHRIST shall neuer faile but shall continue for euer By a Brother then is here meant a true Christian as 1. Cor. 5. If any who is called a Brother and Gal. 1. 2. and the Brethren that are with me First Here note the spirituall kindred that is Doct. 1 betwixt true Christians they are all Brethren Brethren The spirituall kindred and brotherhood betweene Christians by the Fathers side hauing one Father God the Father of Spirits Brethren by the Mothers side lying in the same wombe of the Church hauing one and the selfe-same elder brother CHRIST IESVS begotten with the same spirituall Seed fed at the same Table with the same nourishment This Brother-hood must farre exceed the naturall euen as Gods Father-hood towards vs farre exceedeth the naturall Father-hood among men looke then what nature tyeth naturall Brethren to that doth grace much more tye spirituall vnto as First of all vnto Amitie and Vnitie Psalme 133. What duties it teaches 10. How happy a thing is it for Brethren to dwell together in Vnitie Let there be no strife said ABRAHAM to LOT betwixt thee and mee for wee are Brethren How then doe they shew themselues Brethren that doe bite yea and deuoure those that are of the same holy Profession with themselues Euen as in the Sea the greater Fishes swallow vp the lesser When there bee Schismes and Factions partakings in the Church EPHRAIM against MANASSES and MANASSES against EPHRAIM and the Children of the Church striue together in her wombe as once ESAV and IAAKOB it argueth that some at least are vnnaturall Brethren Againe it is the part of Brethren to take one anothers part to cleaue one to another taking that which is done to their Brother as done to themselues as wee see in the examples of IAAKOBS sonnes taking the abuse offered to their sister as to themselues and thinking it a sufficient excuse for their ioyning together in the reuenge of the Sichemites it was done in their sisters quarrell Should they abuse our sister as a Whore Well spirituall Brother-hood ought to bee more effectuall then naturall for there is a friend that is aboue a brother Prou. 16. that is the Christian friend who also is a spirituall Brother In euill causes therefore shall naturall Brethren thinke themselues excused that they doe it in defence of their Brethren and to manifest their naturall affection How then shall we be able to excuse our selues if in good causes we flinch one from another as DEMAS and diuers others did from PAVL leauing him to answere for himselfe O this is not the part of good Brothers How doe wee shew our selues Brethren Sonnes of the same heauenly Father when wee will not ioyne together in those things which are for the honour of that our Father and the good of our Mother the Church Thirdly it is the propertie of a Brother though at other times hee haue beene something more vnkinde to his Brother yet in his affliction and extremitie then to feele nature working in him and to shew and expresse his affection by doing his best This is that which SAEOMON noteth Prou. 17. 17. A friend loueth at all times and a brother is borne for aduersitie Wherefore howsoeuer in the time of peace wee haue not so manifested our loue to Christians as wee ought to haue done yet in persecution if there be any brotherly affection we cannot then containe it nay then it will breake forth Then wee shall cry

infranchisement into the Citie of Rome I willingly subscribe Secondly his Condition wherein now he was when he wrote this Epistle A prisoner of Iesus Christ not that Christ cast him into prison no in this sense he was NEROES prisoner and not Christs But his meaning is that for Christs sake that is for preaching and maintayning of his Gospell he was imprisoned This imprisonment is that which LVKE mentioned Acts 20. First then obserue that this Epistle came out of Doct. 1 the prison PAVL wrote it being in bonds whereby it appeareth that the prison is so farre from imprisoning Gods Spirit cannot be imprisoned and streightning the Spirit and Word of God in the hearts of his children that rather it enlargeth them See what an excellent Epistle PAVL writes in the prison So likewise did hee many others besides this as to the Galathians Ephesians Colossians Philippians two to TIMOTHY all most sweet and heauenly Epistles written by the inspiration of the Spirit The Spirit therefore was PAVLS Companion in the prison and so is he to all Gods children that are prisoners of Iesus Christ then renewing his former acquaintance with them and in more speciall sort communicating himselfe vnto them whereby it commeth to passe that at such times and in such estates they are more fit for holy duties then in any other Then pray they more feelingly and feruently Rom. 8. then also as here we see writ they exhort more powerfully and passionately as me thinketh in those Epistles which PAVL wrote in the prison there seemeth a greater measure of holy zeale and feruent affections then in any other So that though in none of these Epistles he had made any mention of his imprisonment yet the obseruing Reader might easily haue said These Epistles smell of the prison as hee said of the elaborate Oration of the Orator that it smelled of the candle O happy prison that brought forth such Epistles Let vs not then be afraid of the prison for there the Spirit will meete vs. Let vs not be afraid of those which can indeede imprison the body and bind it but the Word of God they cannot bind that came to IEREMIE againe and againe in the prison-house Iere. 33. 1. The holy Spirit of God they cannot shut vp nay by this meanes they make more roome for it in our hearts as appeareth by this and many other Epistles for all which we are in some sort beholding to the prison So likewise may wee thanke the prison for many sweet Meditations and Monuments which of late dayes the holy Martyrs wrote who for their liues could not haue done the like before they came into the prison as not feeling that sweet presence of the Comforter who profited his strength in their weaknesse Whereupon some of them haue said the prison hath beene to them as a heauenly Palace and sweet Paradise of pleasure So ALGERIVS an Italian Martyr dates his Epistle From the delectable Hortyard of the Leonine prison FOXE Martyrolog So fit a time is our affliction for familiaritie with the Spirit so fit a place is the prison to be the Studie and Closet for those in whom the Spirit dwelleth to hatch and bring forth holy and heauenly Meditations But now PAVL writing this Epistle in the prison Doct. 2 as many others also herein further appeareth the Gods prouidence towards his children in prison good prouidence of God first in that euen in the time of this his restraint he had yet libertie of pen inke and paper yea and of a Scribe too sometimes and those which did minister vnto him See Acts 28. 16. When he was brought prisoner to Rome he found at the first this fauour that whereas other prisoners that came ouer with him were deliuered to the generall Captayne hee was suffered to dwell in a house by himselfe hauing only a Souldier attending on him In so much as many resorted daily vnto him to whom without any let hee preached the Gospell two yeeres together So likewise IEREMIE in his imprisonment had the benefit of his Scribe BARVCH And our Martyrs of late though nothing so fauourably dealt withall That bloudy BONNER exceeding euen that monster of men NERO in crueltie yet such was the good hand of their good God toward them that sometimes by fauour which he gaue them with the Keepers somtimes by stealth and secretly sometimes by one meanes sometimes by another they gate pen and inke notwithstanding the strait and seuere commandement of the bloudie Butchers to the contrarie Secondly Gods prouidence also herein did shew it selfe that would not suffer PAVL so skilfull a workman to be idle and doe nothing in the businesse of the Lord but would haue a supply of his Apostolicall preaching made by his writing The consideration of this should confirme our faith in Gods prouidence in our greatest dangers and difficulties euen in the Mountayne euen in the prison nay out of the prison it selfe the Lord will make most excellent prouision for his Church Againe it is to be obserued that S. PAVL doth Doct. 3 not simply call himselfe prisoner but with this condition of Iesus Christ The title of a prisoner in it selfe is ignominious but when he addeth of Iesus Christ all stayne of ignominie is cleane wiped away Here hence then we learne that it is not the Not the punishment but the cause makes a Martyr punishment but the cause that maketh a Martyr Let no man saith PETER suffer as an euill doer for then what comfort haue we in our suffering but let vs be sure our cause be good that wee may be able to call our selues the prisoners of Christ and then haue we matter of great reioycing in as much as we are made partakers of Christs sufferings as PETER speaketh for he that is the prisoner of Christ hath not only his fellow-Christians Heb. 13. 3. but euen his Lord Christ fellow prisoner with him Acts 9. SAVL SAVL why persecutest thou me So that now that Christ who was imprisoned and persecuted by SAVL is now imprisoned and persecuted in SAVL But here is not all that wee must looke to in our Doct. 4 sufferings that our cause be good but also that we A good cause must be suffered for in a good manner suffer for a good cause in a good manner The which point is further commended vnto vs in PAVLS example who was not onely a prisoner of Iesus Christ but also a cheerefull and couragious prisoner of Iesus Christ for so farre was hee from being ashamed of his chaine wherewithall for the hope of ISRAELS sake he was bound that he euen gloryeth and boasteth in it accounting it farre more honorable then a chaine of gold about his necke For whereas PAVL had many titles a Catalogue of the most of them we may see Phil. 3. 5. yet hee leaueth them all for this Hee stileth not himselfe Citizen of Rome a Beniaminite a Pharise a Disciple of learned GAMALIEL no nor yet which of all other is

and therein to be profitable to his Master It is not sufficient for vs to say we lead harmelesse liues nay Euery Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewne downe and not those only that bring forth euill fruit Neyther shall Christ accuse the wicked at the last day for taking the Meat out of his Mouth or plucking his Apparrell off his Backe but for not putting Meat into his Mouth and Clothes vpon his Backe VERS 12. Whom I haue sent backe Thou therefore receiue him that is mine owne Bowels VNto the former Argument drawne from the profitablenesse of ONESIMVS he addeth another in this Verse propounded in an Enthymene that is a short and contract kind of reasoning in this manner I haue sent him vnto thee namely to this verie end that thou shouldest receiue him Receiue him therefore Now to the Conclusion a new Argument is added when he calls ONESIMVS his bowels whereby he sheweth how deare and tender hee was to him But let vs see wherein the force of this Argument consists in two things specially First in this that he sent ONESIMVS and that ONESIMVS came not of himselfe Whom I haue sent that the force of the Argument should be in the word I. As if he should say If ONESIMVS of himselfe had come vnto thee submitting himselfe Christian compassion would haue taught thee to haue respected much more then now comming in my name and with my Letters So that wee are not easily to reiect those that come graced and countenanced vnto vs with the commendations of godly and reuerent Ministers Secondly in that hee did not onely send his Letters to PHILEMON keeping ONESIMVS with him at Rome till he had receiued an Answer from him and so know whether he were willing to reaccept ONESIMVS but together with his Letters had sent ONESIMVS himselfe who hauing now gone so long a iourney as betwixt Rome and Colossus could not now with any honestie bee refused lest all his labour in that so hard and tedious a iourney should be made frustrate This latter I take to be the chiefe force of the Argument Here note then that PAVL promising himselfe much of PHILEMON and trusting to the equitie of this cause did not first write to PHILEMON to know if hee might with his good leaue and liking send ONESIMVS but sends both him and his Letters both at once One would thinke this was not so wisely done of PAVL For first hee should haue knowne before he sent him whether his Master would giue any entertainment to him being come For how if PHILEMON should haue sent him backe againe to PAVL what a deale of toyle had ONESIMVS taken in vaine It was easie for PAVL to foresee this Therefore PAVL sending him in this manner it is a manifest Argument that hee did nothing doubt of PHILEMONS readinesse to pleasure him therein which afterwards Vers 21. he confesseth Hence then it is euident that sometimes Christians of speciall acquaintance in some causes may presume one vpon another namely when the cause is equall and honest and then specially if we be their superiors vpon whom we presume not onely in calling but also in well-deseruing of them as PAVL here was see Verse 19. Otherwise to presume is the part of a shamelesse and impudent man Againe wee are to learne That when friends well-deseruing of vs shall in such causes as this was so farre presume vpon vs that great inconueniences will follow if wee graunt not their desire wee are not then lightly to deceiue their hopes As here if ONESIMVS had beene refused his iourney had beene lost and hee must haue gone backe againe to PAVL For it is likely hee knew not where else to bestow himselfe This is the ground of PAVLS Argument in this place In the Conclusion of the Argument in the latter end of the Verse we are to obserue in PAVLS example calling ONESIMVS his owne bowels what great account is to be made of the meanest being truly conuerted Though with PAVL we were Apostles yet we might not disdaine the basest Bondslaue being the sonne of God IOB durst not contend with his seruants because they had the same Creator with himselfe fashioning them in the same manner in the Wombe as himselfe much lesse then would he haue contended with such seruants as had the same Redeemer CHRIST IESVS with himselfe The grace of God is no lesse grace which resides in a poore seruant then that which is seated in a rich and mightie man A Diamond will shine euen in the durt And as with men the more they demit and debase themselues the greater is their glory so is it here also with the grace of God by debasing it selfe as it were to respect the low degree of seruants and to dwell in the Cottages of Poore men rather then in the Palaces of proud Kings and Emperors the more glorious and goodly is it so farre is it off that the base and obscure condition should any thing at all obscure the brightnesse of Gods grace that abideth in them Away then with that vaine and proud partialitie condemned by S. IAMES Chap. 2. 1. VERS 13. 14. Whom I would haue retained with me that in thy stead he might haue ministred vnto me in the bonds of the Gospell But without thy mind I would doe nothing that this thy benefit might not be as of constraint but willingly HERE is the preuenting of another Obiection In the Answer whereof is as in the former included an Argument to further his Petition These things which thou saydst in the former Obiect Verse may seeme neither to agree with themselues nor with that which thou saydst immediately before in the eleuenth Verse If he be both so tender vnto thee as thine owne bowels and so profitable as thou makest shew of it is maruell thou couldest so easily part with him This thy so soone sending of him away giueth iust cause of suspition that rather thou art wearie of him and wouldest gladly be rid of him and that in truth there is no such holy change in him as thou makest faire of Wearie of him No faine would I haue retayned Answ him that he might haue ministred vnto me but I had nothing to doe with another mans seruant without his Masters mind And therefore not knowing how you would haue liked the keeping of that seruant I was content to part with him and send him to you who haue greatest right to him In the Answer there are two things First a remouall of the false cause of sending ONESIMVS which PHILEMON might surmise namely that he was a burden to the Apostle being still the same old ONESIMVS that he was before The Apostle affirmeth the contrarie Whom I would haue retained shewing withall what reason he had to haue retained him that in thy stead he might haue ministred vnto me in the bonds of the Gospell Where he shewes two commodities that would haue come by retaining him first his owne