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	great_a	sin_n	2,789	5	5.0653	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07447	Gods arithmeticke. Written by Francis Meres, Maister of Arte of both Vniuersities, and student in diuinity ...	Meres, Francis, 1565-1647.	1597 (1597)	STC 17833; ESTC S107039	18,861	56

a man vehement in prayer for he praied fortie daies and fortie nights Deut. 9. to shew that maryage is no enemie to a mans deuotion Paule fought with Beastes at Ephesus and ouercame ●em 1. Cor. 15. so did Moses with fierie Serpents with Sehon King of the Amorites and Og that Beast of Basan Nomb. 21. to shew that marryage is no Enemye to honour and victorie Paule wish himselfe eternally seperate from God for the Iewes sake Rom. 9. 3. so did Moses If thou wilt not pardon them then blot my name out of thy booke Exod. 32. 32. to shew that marryage is no enemie to a Pastoral care in a spirituall function Paule was rapt vp into the third Heauen 2. Cor 12. but God came downe from Heauen to talke with Moses in the Mount Exod. 24. and mee thinke his honor was the greater for Paule went vp to God but God came downe to Moses to shew that marryage is no enemie to vision and reuelation Or if yee will obiect out of Matth. 22. that the state of single men is like to the Angelles because Christ saith of the deade phat they neither marrie nor are giuen in ma●age but are as the Angelles in Heauen and therein conclude that the single life is so much to be preferred aboue marryage as the Angelles aboue carnall men then looke how much you preferre the Ang●lles who are not marryed aboue mortall men who are maryed so much wil I preferre Christ who was maryed aboue the Angelles who were not marryed for Christ was and is marryed the booke of the Canticles is the booke of his loue Math. 22. 2. God is the King whose sonne was sayd to bee marryed and Christ is the sonne of that king which was marryed and Apoc. 19 7. Christ is that Lambe whose marryage was sayd to bee come and we are that spouse which was sayd to make her selfe ready therefore if an Argument from resemblance may doe any thing then since the single state is but like to the Angelles and marriage like to Christ I conclude that this is better then that and two better then one If yee aske me wherin mariage exceedes I answere for company for comfort for helpe First for company for before Eua ●as made there were a greate many creatures in the world and yet Adam was still sayd to be alone because the other crea tures were no fit companions for him and companie is a thing that in nature pleaseth as we see that foules of a fether flocke together euen for companies sake though they receiue no other benefit one by another the same is in the nature of man which delighteth in a companion but to haue him or see him though he reape no other good by him But marryage is good not onelye for companie but also for comforte too therefore fayth Salomon if two sleepe together there shal bee heate but to one how should there be heate by heate vnderstanding comfort which is like a warming in a cold day and certainely there is no comfort like the comfort of a good wife onely the holy Ghost excepted which saint Paule calles the God of all comfort and consolation because of that vnspeakeable peace which it worketh in a mans conscience but set that a syde and there is no peace or comfort like this Whither it be in the infirmities of the body no hand so welcome to apply the medicine as the wiues or whether it be in the maladyes and perturbations of the minde no tōgue so gracious to asswage the griefe as the wiues for that by a secret power they haue in nature giuen them they doe I know not how slily and smoothlye encroach steale vpon a mans affections and surprise his whole heart before hee bee aware The presence of the wife is like the Angell in the midst of the fiery Fornace that allayes the surie of affliction when it comes The hande of the wife is like the hand of Moses in Rephidim that driues away distresse when she but holdes it vp The tongue of the wife is like the Harpe of Dauid in the eare of Saul that expelles the spirit of anguish frō the heart of man therefore two are better then one better for companie better for comforte yea better for helpe too For when one is ouercome yet two shall stande and doe we not liue in a world of contention wherein we haue neede of continuall helpe is not the world a pitched field vnto vs are not our enemies encamped round about vs before and behinde vs with out and with in vs the Deuill the ringleader of them all is hee ●ot dayly at our doores and haue wee not then neede of a Helper seckes he not continually by power and by pollicy by presumption and despaire by terrors temptations to ouerthrow vs doth he not assay vs in all subtiltie seekes hee not all auan●ages against vs and is it not like then hee will sett vpon vs when wee bee alone as by all probability he set vppon Eua when she was alone and vpon Christ when hee was alone in the wildernes in the mountaine on the pinacle of the Temple where no man could come at him and haue wee not then neede of a Helper The Deuill is like that Egyptian Exod. 2. that singled out one Israelite and smote him when hee was alone but when Moses came to assist him that Egyptian was slayne So is the Diuell in a single combat valiant yea many times victorious but when a second comes to assist he takes him to his flight What sayth S. Bernarde Malum quod nemo vidit nemo arguit vbi non timetur reprehensor securus accedit tentator the sin which no man seeth no mā reprehēdeth where there is no feare of a reprehēder the diuel coms boldly to as sault who is so fit to reprehēd thee as thy Naye who wil reprehend thee but thy wife yea though thou sinne with greedines thy superiours care not thy inferiours dare not thy friendes remember not thine enemies vouchsafe not and straungers will not but thy wife hath a priuiledge to reprooue thee besyde she is alway at thine elbow and when she fiudes thee eyther saying what is not seemely or dooing what is not comely shee pulleth thee by the sleeue and sayth Husband remember thy selfe therefore prouide thee a Helper and the Deuill will be afraide of thee because of her and when he findes thee marryed to her he wil take it as a discharge to be gone But be sure then that she be a Helper be sure she be good for if she be naught then can I not say that two are better then one but that one is better then two and that it were good for such a man to be alone And certainely that men complaine of marriage as a cause of euill it is because themselues bee euill for what a blasphemie is this that men shal make this honourable ordinance of GOD as a cause of their sinne that

Adam should say to God the woman which thou gauest me that whereas God had giuen him the woman as a gift worth all the world hee returnes it to God in greate reproch And we are all the sonnes of Adam for it after marryage there come a storme that thinges run not right why then the woman which thou gauest me and had I beene single my woe had not beene so singular and the woman is the cause of al woe No thy selfe ar● the cause eyther because thou didst not chose her well or else because thou doest not vse her well but obserue these two poyntes and marryage is good otherwise euen this ordinance of God shall turne to thy euill as to the Egyptians the pure waters were turned into blood And where it is sayd two are better then one I would haue yee therein to consider that all societie was ordayned for good and therefore you that bee husbandes remember that and you that bee wiues remember that that maryage was ●rdayned for good and when I say it was ordained for good I would not haue yee to mistake mee as if I meant for goodes for that was a pleasant point for them that pray vppon sillie women A certaine rich man being asked what his religion was made answere good enough meaning that if hee had golde hee had his God that all his religion was in his riches and there bee a great ●any such husbands in the world who if ●ee aske them what they cheefly desire in a ●ife they will answere good ynough Such husbands are like Idolaters for as Iob saith of them that they say to a wedge of golde thou art my God so say these to a wedge of golde ●hou art my wife for in trueth they are maryed to golde not to a wife I would haue such men to remember that when Eua was brought to Adam she brought nothing but herselfe for all the world was giuen to Adam before she was made and if al was his before what had she to bring that came after In olde time Iacob serued seuē yeares for Rachell and bought his wife by his seruice but now men must bee hyred to take wiues as if to take a wife were to take vp a crosse and hence it oft times comes to passe that marryage is not good because the end of it is for goodes and not for loue and where there is no loue there can bee no ioy there can bee no peace but as the yelling of a Lyon and a Beare so it is in such vnkindely vngodly matches they loath and detest one another and then is one better then two and it were good to bee alone Beside if thou desire thy marryage should bee for thy good take heede of thine eye for as thy heart in couetousnes may corrupt thee so may thine eye in Beautye blinde thee Hee that had seuen hunderd Concubines and three hunderd Wiues which makes vp a thousand women hee sayth Eccl●s 7. that among a thousand Women hee found not one good One beeing asked why amongst all creatures so few women were good made answere because so many of them seemed so good all is not golde that glisters if she whome thon louest be faire with out haue a care that she be so with in and thinke that she may bee like Nabuchadnezars Image if her heade bee of golde sure her feete or soms parte is of claye for an euill woman is like a painted cloath which if thou beholdest on the one side thou shalt see Kings royally painted in theire Roabes but if on the other it is all patches and ragges and what a match then haste thou made when thou haste got a picture to thine eye and a horrour to thy heart golden fetters a painted serpent a silken snare It was the chiefe corrupting of the children of God and the first cause of their Apostacye that they chose their wiues by the eie for so it is Gen. 6. When the sonnes of God saw the Daughters of men that they were fayre they choose them wiues of all that they liked and by chusing such wiues they lost the fauour of God for God brought the flood vpon them for it therefore rather then to come into such a yoke it were better to be out of the yoke and one were better then two But if thou be once yoakt then must thou beare what thou canst not for beare and suffer patiently against what thou haste no remedie if thy wife be good then mayst thou giue God thankes and say what the wise Salomon could not say that thou haste found one good woman but if thy wife be bad yet must thou giue God thankes too and say thou haste found a triall for thy patience for an euill wife makes her husband a figure of the militant Church One boasting in glorie of his felicitye that he had a good wife answere was made againe that hee could not therefore come to Heauen meaning that a good wife was like Heauen and since there is but one heauen he that hath it heere shall hardly haue it heereafter therfore by a consequent of oppositiō if a good wife be like Heauen then an ill wife is like hell therefore thinke she is thy patience and that God in her hath chalkt thee out the way to Heauen for he that findes Hell heere hath a promise of heauen heerafter And to you wiues likewise let this remembrance be directed that marriage was ordayned for good and apply your selues that it may bee so for I know no great care or studie that belonges vnto you for so sayd Salomon of the good wife that she wil doe her husband good and not euill all the dayes of her life Prov. 31. good in his body by cherishing it good in his minde by yeelding councell and comfort to it and good in his substance by preseruing and mainteyning it If her husband bee in affliction she must not doe as Iobes ●ife did to come in for the Deuills attorney make him murmurre against God but shee must pacifie him with wordes of grace and vse those pleasing partes which God hath giuē her for his appeasement Or if her husband be about a good worke shee must not discourage him as Micholl did to Dauid Or if he be about an ill worke she must not encourage him as Iezebel did to Achab for then I cannot say that Two are better then one but that one is better then two it were good for such a man to be alone Nor she must not be a railing wife like Zipporah if her husbād displease her to breake out into cruell and bloody speaches Thou art in deed a bloody husband to mee Nor she must not be a heade-strong wife like Vasthi her husband sends for her to come and she sendes him worde plainely she wil not come as if she was not made out of his ribbes but he out of hers for then one is better then two it were good to be alone Nor she