Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	father_n	ghost_n	holy_a	5,369	5	5.6194	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15621	An A.B.C. for layemen, othervvise called, the lay-mans letters An alphabet for lay-men, deliuering vnto them such lessons as the holy Ghost teaches them in the worde, by thinges sensible, very necessary to be diligently considered.	Wither, George, 1540-1605.	1585 (1585)	STC 25888; ESTC S101869	82,014	180

An A. B. C. FOR LAYEmen othervvise called the Lay-mans Letters AN ALPHABET for Lay-men deliuering vnto them such Lessons as the holy Ghost teacheth them in the worde by thinges sensible very necessary to be diligently considered AT LONDON Printed by Robert VValde-graue for Thomas Man and William Brome 1585. TO THE RIGHT Honorable his very good Lord Syr William Cicill Baron of Burgley Lord high Treasurer of England c. And to his honourable Patrone Syr VVALTER MILDMAY Knight Chauncellour of her Maiesties Exchequer GEORGE VVITHER vvisheth Grace and peace vvith all heauenly blessings from the father of our Lord Iesus Christ. IT is an vsuall manner right honourable for all those that goe about to publish any work or writing of theirs to dedicate it to some one or other eyther to be a Testimony to the World of their mutuall loue and friendshippe or else to witnesse their dutifulnesse or thankfulnes for benefites receyued or else that vnder the protection defence and fauour of authority their works may the better pass● and be the safelier guarded and defended against all busie reprehenders Wherefore vnwilling to break the receiued custome looking amongst the Honourable to when for benefites I am bounde As I confesse that amongest them I haue founde many and great welwillers so to you two whome my estate hath compelled to trouble and vse moste for your constant good will and continued fauour shewed and benefites bestowed I am aboue all others most bounden and therefore as a thankfull remembrance haue dedicated this simple sily labor vnto your honors God in these our days hath raised vp a number of worthy learned carefull men for the Church of ●od whereof some bestowe themselues wholy in teaching of their flockes others for the more generall benefite of the Church spend part of their time paines in writing Of the latter sort some translate into our tongue the learned works of other some set out learned Sermons Catechismes and other treatises for the admonition instruction of the people some shew their learning in mightily refuting and confounding the common aduersaries Yet amongest them all one thing I see wanting For where I see that God hath giuen vnto men two manner of Instructions and teachings one by his word another by his creatures and for to help our dulnesse ●o learne by his creatures hath by his Spirite in his holy Worde giuen a meruellous number of Lessons drawne from thinges sensible In the former manner of teaching God hath blesse vs in comparison of our Fathers aboundantly But in the latter I haue not seene any man of our time that of purpose hath taken paynes Which want no doubt is some cause that by these outwarde thinges which God hath appointed to bee so many helpes not onely for the present necessities of this life but also to Heauen Men ignoraunt of the good Lessons which the Holy Ghoste giueth by them for want of further and deeper consideration are detayned vppon earth and drowned in earthly thinges and doe not possesse but are possessed of their possessions Wherefore in some little part to supplye that wante but cheefelye to giue to others of greater learning and giftes occasion to bestowe this way some part of their leasure I haue collected into the order of an Alphabet these fewe Lessons giuen by the spirite of God Wherein as I haue cheefely respected the benefite of the ruder sorte so to accommodate my selfe vnto them I haue endeuored with playnesse asmuch breuitye and shortnesse as I possibly could and therein for the moste part I haue deliuered the very wordes of the Holy Ghoste worde for worde And wheresoeuer I haue gone a little from them yet there the very wordes giue manifest occasion of the collection Which that it may of all men the better and with lesse payne bee seene and viewed I haue in the Margent noted not onely euery Chapiter but also euery verse whence I haue gathered the note set downe If then any may be occasioned by meane hereof by the sight and vsing of earthly blessings to lift vp their minds to heauenly contemplation and thankfull consideration of the Power Wisedome and goodnesse of God then haue I my desire and that which I onely seeke for Thus I commit your Honours to the protection of Almighty God whoeuer preserue both you and yours Danbury the 29. of Ianuary 1585. An Alphabet for laymen deliuering vnto them such lessons as the holye Ghost teacheth them in the worde by thinges sensible Abundaunce WHen God blesseth vs with Abundaunce then are wee to call to minde whose gift and liberalitie it is namely that the earth is the Lordes and all that therein is and that manifold are his workes all which hee hath in wisedome made and the earth is full of his riches Hee gyueth it to men and they gather it he openeth his hand and they are filled with good thinges Yet notwithstanding they must beware of couetousnes For though they haue Abundance yet their life standeth not therein But they must remember that they which be rich in this worlde are charged to be readie to giue and glad to distribute For if they haue this worldes good and see their brother haue need and shut vp their compassion from him the loue of God dwelleth not in them And then shall this iudgement light vpon them that as their goods increase so shal they increase that eat them and no good shall come to the owners but the beholding of it with their eyes and they shall beget Sonnes and in their hands shal be nothing els though they haue riches treasures and honour and want nothing of all that their heart desireth yet they shall not haue power to eate thereof but straungers shall eat it vp Adamant BEcause wicked men are impudent and stif-headded and also in great number and countenaunce therefore God promiseth his assistance to his Ministers and to giue them boldnesse and constancie in their calling and to make their foreheades as hard as the Adamant so that they shall not feare the great lookes of them that rebell against God Adder THE Adder expresseth the nature of obstinate wicked men For as he is by nature enclined and desirous to sting and to hurt with his poyson whomsoeuer he may so all their counsels tend to the increase of wickednesse and mischiefe And as this euill in the nature of an Adder can by no meanes be redressed no not by enchauntment for he stoppeth his eares against the charmer So there is no hope of the conuersion of these obstinate wicked ones who stubbornely refuse to here all wholesome doctrine and good counsell that proceedeth out of the Word wherof we haue example in the counsell that stoned Steuen for they stopped their eares And in the Papists amongest vs who will not come into those places where the Word is read and preached Age. TO liue long is a blessing giuen of God to them that

if they be compared with Christe seeing as they are not worthy so much as to vnbuckle his shoes Sicknesse WHen we are grieuouslie sicke we are to call to minde the greatnesse of our sinnes For if there be nothing sound in our fleshe it is because of Gods anger And when there is no rest in our bones it is because of our sinnes Yet we are with this to comfort our selues that it is Gods louing chastisement to the ende that we should not be damned with the worlde Therefore though sinne be the cause of our affliction and sicknesse and though we be brought euen vnto deathes doore yet let vs with true and vnfained repentaunce crye vnto the Lorde he will heale vs and deliuer vs from our griefes And let vs looke about that our vnreuerent abusing of the holy misteries of Christes body and bloud be not a cause that many be sicke and many dye amongest vs. Siluer AS pure as Siluer is beeing seuen tymes tryed and fined so pure is the worde of GOD. With such labour and diligence as we would seeke for Siluer and search for treasure with the like we shoulde studye for the knowledge of God in his Worde For the wisedome therein learned is more worth then Siluer more gainefull then Gold more precious then pearles and without all comparison to be preferred before any thing which we can desire He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer and he that loueth ritches shall be without the fruit thereof Though wicked couetous men do heape siluer togeather as dust and gold as the mier of the streats yet the Lord shall spoyle thē Further the sight of siluer and golde and such like as passing throgh the fier consume not shold admonish vs to endeuour that our workes maye be such as maye abyde the touch-stone of the Word and the fier of Gods examination Moreouer it was neither siluer nor golde neither anye other earthly thing how precious soeuer it was that could redeeme vs but onely the bloud of the immaculate and vnspotted lambe Iesus Christ. Schoole-maister AS a Schoolemaister serueth not for his scholler continuallye but till such time as the scholler may grow to some good abilitie to goe forward at his booke by his owne study So the Lorde feareth his people with his lawe not alwayes but till such time as they haue sufficiently learned to know them selues and therefore to flie from them selues to Christ Iesu who freeth them from the cursse and condemnation of the law Sleepe AS often as we rise from sleepe hauing our weary limmes refreshed and as it were reuiued so that we feele our selues in better case and abilitie to do anye maner thing then before so often we should remember that death vnto the godly is but a resting of their weary bodyes and bones till they rise againe exceedingly bettered by immortalitie and glory and therefore termed by the name of sleepe But loue not sleepe least thou come to pouerty Open thine eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with bread Sleepe is sweete to him that trauayleth and taketh paines whether he eat little or much Silence SIlence in open places is to be obserued of women as a token of their dutifull subiection where vnder God hath put them Men also ought to be swift to heare and slow to speake for in much speaking sinne cannot be wanting Smoake AS Smoake vanisheth and commeth to nothing so the wicked and vngodly perish at the presence of God As smoake vanisheth and passeth away so heauen and earth and all that in them is shal vanish and passe away Sparrow IN time of persecution when we cannot be suffered to frequent the assemblies of those which truly serue the Lord. The state of the poore sparrow or swallow which are there suffered to build their nestes and haue their young seeme to vs more happy then our owne so great a desire haue we if we be godly to be with them among whō or at whose meeting Christ hath bound himselfe by his promise to be present The sale of sparrowes and such other small birdes in markets or other places shoulde bring to minde that seeing these fell not nor were caught without the prouidence of God it can not be but that he whose prouidence extendeth and stretcheth to such smal thinges should also haue a speciall care regarde and eye to those that are his Speaking AS it were a madnes or at the least a great folly for one man in communication with an other to speake in a tongue which the other vnderstandeth not so is it much more for a man to speake to a multitude or a whole congregation in that sort or order And where God graunteth not to people to haue his word so spoken and preached vnto them that they may vnderstand it is a manifest token of his anger and wrath against them for their vnbeliefe Spottes AS spottes deface the things they light on which ought to be cleane so false prophets and false brethren defile and staine the societye and felowship of Christians Snaile AS a Snaile melteth and consumeth to slime and earth so shal God consume the wicked and bring them to naught Snares WHen we see diuers and sundry snares and engines set for beastes vermine and foules and we see those that haue escaped diuers in the ende to be trapped in one or other then are we to remember that though some wicked doe at times seeme to escape the heauie iudgements of God yet in the end they shall be snarled Sodome WHen we here read or by any means remember the heauy fearefull and terrible iudgements of God vpon Sodome and Gomorrha and the places adioyning which God destroyed with fier and brimstone from heauen Then are we to looke about and to consider what and how much more intollerable estate and condition remayneth for vs if we continue contemptuous refusing and misusing the messengers of God now sent to vs. Sunne WHen we see the sunne shine in his full brightnesse and beauty then we are to remember that that light is but for a season But that God which is for euer and euer is the euerlasting light of his Church But in the meane season the constant course of the Sunne accordinge to the appointmente of God in the beginning teacheth vs our obedience to our creator That the Sunne staide his course in the dayes of Ioshua that it returned backwarde in the dayes of Ezechias and that it withdrewe his lighte at noone daies in the death and passion of our Lord and sauiour sheweth the glory and omnipotency of God who canne whensoeuer it pleaseth him chaunge the whole course of nature and make it serue whatsoeuer turn pleaseth him Souldier A Souldier taketh wages of them for whome he fighteth and goeth on warfare Therefore a minister of the gospell may lawfullye