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
A22627	Saint Augustines confessions translated: and with some marginall notes illustrated. Wherein, diuers antiquities are explayned; and the marginall notes of a former Popish translation, answered. By William Watts, rector of St. Albanes, Woodstreete; Confessiones. English	Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.; Watts, William, 1590?-1649.	1631 (1631)	STC 912; ESTC S100303	327,312	1,035

of the onely true and most true God seeing this fundamentall point was above all the rest to be beleeved and that because no wrangles of all those cavilling Questions whereof I had read so many controverted amongst the Philosophers could so farre enforce me as that I should at any time not beleeve Thee to bee whatsover thou wert though what I knew not or that the government of human businesses should not belong unto thee Thus much though I sometimes beleeved more strongly and more weakly other-whiles yet I ever beleeved both that thou wert God and hadst a care of us though I were utterly ignorant either what was to be thought of thy substance or what way led or brought backe againe towards thee 3. Seeing therefore mankind would prove too weake to find out the truth by the way of evident Reason and even for this cause was there need of the Authority of Holy Writ I began now to beleeve that thou wouldest by no meanes have estated such excellency of authority upon that Booke all the world over had it not beene thy expresse pleasure to have thine owne selfe both beleeved in by meanes of it and sought by it also For those absurdities which in those Scriptures were went heretofore to offend me after I had heard divers of them expounded probably I referred now to the depth of the mystery yea and the Authority of that Booke appeared so much the more venerable and so much the more worthy of our religious credit by how much the readier at hand it was for ALL to read upon preserving yet the Majesty of the Secret under the profoundnes of the meaning offering it selfe unto ALL in words most open and in a stile of speaking most humble and exercising the intention of such as are not light of heart that it might by that meanes receive ALL into its common bosome and through narrow passages waft over some few towards thee yet are these few a good many moe than they would have beene had it not obtained the eminency of such high authority nor allu●ed on those companies with a bosome of holy humility These things then I thought upon and thou wert with me I sighed thou heardst me I wavered up and down and thou didst guide me I wandred through the broad way of this world yet didst thou not forsake me CHAP. 6. The misery of the Ambitious shewne by the example of a Beggar 1. I Gaped after Honours gaines wedlocke and thou laughedst at me In these desires of mine I underwent most bitter hardships wherein thou wert so much the more gracious unto me as thou didst lesse suffer any thing to grow sweet unto mee which was not thou thy selfe Behold now my heart O Lord who wouldst I should remember all this that I might now confesse it unto thee Let now my soule cleave fast unto thee which thou hast freed from that fast-holding birdlime of death How wretched was it at that time it had utterly lost the sense of its owne wound but th●● didst launce it that forsaking ●● other things it might be converted unto thee who art above all and without whom all things would turne to nothing that it might I say be converted and be healed How miserable therfore was I at that time and how didst thou deale with mee to make me sensible of my misery that same day namely when I provided my selfe for an Oration in praise of the Emperour wherein I was to deliver many an untruth and to be applauded notwithstanding even by those that knew I did so Whilest my heart panted after these cares and boyled againe with the favourishnesse of these consuming thoughts walking along one of the streets of Millan I observed a poore beggar-man halfe drunke I beleeve very jocund and pleasant upon the matter but I looking mournfully at it fell to discourse with my friends then in company with me about the many sorrowes occasioned by our owne madnesse for that by all such endevours of ours under which I then laboured and galled by the spurres of desire dragd after me the burthen of mine owne infelicity increasing it by the dragging we had minde of nothing but how to attaine some kinde of Iocundnesse whither that beggar-man had arrived before us who should never perchance come at all thither For that which he had attained unto by meanes of a few pence and those beg'd too the same was I now plotting for by many a troublesome turning and winding namely to compasse the joy of a temporary felicity 2. For that beggar-man verily enjoy'd no true joy but yet 〈◊〉 those my ambitious designes hunted after a much uncertainer And certainely that fellow was jocund but I perplexed he void of care I full of feares But should any man demand of me whether I had rather be merry or fearefull I would answer merry Againe were I askt whether I had rather be in that beggar-mans case or in mine owne at that time I would make choice of my own though thus overgone with cares and feares yet was this upon a wilfulnesse for was it out of any true reason For I ought not to preferre my selfe before that beggar because I was more learned than he seeing my Learning was not it that made me joyfull but I sought rather to please men by it not so much to instruct them as meerely to delight them For this cause didst thou even breake my bones with the staffe of thy correction Away with those therefore from my soule who say unto it There is much difference betwixt the occasions of a mans rejoycing 3. That beggar-man rejoyced in his drunkennesse thou desiredst to rejoyce in a purchased glory What glory Lord That which is not in thee For even as his was no true joy no more was mine any true glory besides which it utterly overturned my soule He was that night to digest his drunkennesse but many a might had I slept with mine and had risen againe with it and was to sleepe againe and againe to rise with it I know not how often But is there indeed any difference in the grounds of a mans rejoycing I know there is and that the joy of a faithfull hope is incomparably beyond such a vanity Yea and at that very time was there much difference betwixt him and I for he verily was the happier man not onely for that he was throughly drencht in mirth when as my bowels were grip't with cares but also for that by his lusty bowsing hee had gotten good store of Wine whereas I by a slattering Oration sought after 〈◊〉 puffe of pride Much to this purpose said I at that time to my deare Companions and I markt by them how it fared with me and I found my selfe in an ill taking I griev'd for it by which I doubled my ill taking and when any prosperity smiled upon mee it irkt mee to catch at it for that almost before I could lay hand upon it away it flew from me

bee lesse if my seruice should bee wanting nor so to ply thee with my seruice as a man does his land that vnlesse I tilld thee thou must lye faellow but made I am both to serue and worship thee that I might receiue a well-being from thee from whom it proceedes that I haue such a being as is capeable of a well-being CHAP. 2. Of the creatures dependancy vpon their Creator 1. FOr by the fulnesse of thy goodnesse doth thy creature subsist that the good which could no wayes profite thee nor though of thee no wayes equall vnto thee yet being of thee might not bee wanting For what did Heauen and Earth which thou madest in the beginning deserue of thee Let those spirituall and corporeall natures which thou madest in thy Wisedome say how they deserued thee that things both now begunne and vnformed as yet euery one in its owne kinde spirituall or corporeall yea now falling away into an immoderate liberty and farre-distant vnlikenesse vnto thee should still haue their dependance vpon thee The Spirituall nature euen without its due forme as yet is farre more noble then any corporeall nature though fully formed and a corporeall thing though not yet formed better then if at all it had no being And in this manner should all things haue for euer depended vpon thy Word vnformed were they not by the same Word reduced vnto thy Vnity indued with a forme and improued by Thee the onely Soueraigne Good to become very good What can these formelesse natures deserue a being of thee seeing they could not haue so much as a beeing vnlesse they had it from thee 2. What did that corporeall matter deserue of thee that it should be made so much as inuisible shapelesse seeing it could not be so much as so hadst not thou made it so and therefore because it was not at all it could not deserue of thee to bee made Or what could the spirituall creature euen now begun to bee created deserue of thee that it might at least all darkesomely flit vp and downe like vnto the Deepe but very vnlike thee vnlesse it had beene by the same word call'd backe vnto that by whom it was created and by the same also enlightened that it might bee made light some by it although not in any equality yet in some conformity vnto that forme which is equall vnto thee For like as to a body simply to be is nor all one with being beautifull for then it could no wayes bee deformed so likewise to a created spirit to line is not all one with lining wisely for then should it euer continue wise vnchangeably But good it is for it to sticke close vnto thee lest what light it hath obteyned by turning to thee it may lose againe by turning from thee and relapse into a state of life resembling the darkesome deepe For euen wee our selues who according to our soules are a spirituall creature when wee were sometimes turned away from the our Light were very darkenesse in that estate of life yea and still wee labour amidst the reliques of our old darkenesse vntill in thy onely One wee bee made thy Righteousnesse which is like the great mountaines For wee haue somtimes vnder gone thy Iudgements which are like vnto the great Deepe CHAP. 3. All is of the grace of Gods 1. BY that which thou saydest in the first creation Let there be light and there was light I doe not vnfitly vnderstand the Spirituall creature because euen then was there a kinde of life which thou mightest illuminate But yet as then it had done nothing whereby to deserue of thee that there might bee such a light euen so when already it was come to bee could it not deserue of thee to bee enlightned For neyther could its formelesse estate bee pleasing vnto thee vnlesse it might bee made light light not by an absolute existing of light in it selfe but by beholding thee the Light all-illuminating and by cleauing vnto it that so the life that is liued at all and the life that is liued thus happily it might owe to nothing but thy grace being now conuerted by a better change vnto That which can neuer bee changed eyther into worse or better and that is vnto thee thy selfe onely because thou onely Art simply vnto thee it being not one thing to liue and another thing to liue well seeing thy selfe art thine own happinesse CHAP. 4. God needs not the Creatures but they him 1. VVHAT therefore could haue been wanting vnto thy good which thou thy selfe art although all these creatures should neuer haue been or haue remained vtterly without forme which thou madest not out of any want but out of the fulnesse of thy goodnesse holding them in and conuerting them to forme with no thought as if thy ioy were to receiue any accomplishment thereby For vnto thee who art absolutely perfect is their imperfection displeasing that so they be perfected by thee and thereby please thee not as if thou wert imperfect or wert to receiue perfection from their being perfected Thy good spirit indeede mooued vpon the waters yet was not borne vp by the waters as if he staied vp himselfe vpon them for vpon what waters thy good Spirit is sayd to stay those did hee cause to be stayed vp in himselfe But thy uncorruptible vnchangeable Will which is in it selfe all-sufficient for it selfe moued vpon that life which thy selfe hadst before created vnto which lining is not all one with happy liuing seeing it does but liue flitting vp and downe in its owne obscurity and which yet remaineth to be conuerted vnto him by whom it was made and to liue more and more neere by the fountain of life yea and in his light to see light and to be perfected at last and enlightened and made happy CHAP. 5. His Confession of the blessed Trinity 1. LOe now the Trinity appeares vnto mee in a glasse aarkly which is Thou my God because thou O Father in the beginning that is in thy Wisedome borne of thy selfe equall and coeternall vnto thee that is to say in thy Sonne hast created Heauen and Earth Much now haue we said of the Heauen of heauens and of the inuisible and vnshapen earth and of the dark some Deepe according namely vnto the wayning of spirituall deformity which euer it should haue wandered in vnlesse it had beene conuerted vnto him from whom that life which already it had was receiued by whose enlightning it might be made a beauteous life and become the heauen of that heauen which was afterwards set betweene water and water And vnder the name of God I now vnderstood the person of the Father who made all and vnder the name of beginning the person of the Sonne in whom hee made all and thus beleeuing as I did the Trinity to be my God I searcht further into thy holy Word and lo his Spirit moued vpon the waters See here the Trinity my God the Father and Sonne and holy

Ghost the Creator of all thine owne creatures CHAP. 6. Of the Spirits mouing vpon the waters 1. BVt what was the cause O thou true-speaking light vnto thee lift I vp my heart let it not bee taught vanities dispell thou the darkenesse of it and tell mee by our mother charity I beseech thee tell mee the reason I beseech thee why after the mention of heauen and of the inuisible and shapelesse earth and darknesse vpon the Deepe thy Scriptures should euen then at length make the first mention of thy Spirit Was it because it was meete so to haue Him insinuated as that he should bee sayd to moue vpon and so much could not truely bee sayd vnlesse that were first mentioned vpon which thy Spirit may bee vnderstood to haue moued For verily neyther vpon the Father not vpon the Sonne was hee moued nor could he rightly be sayd to moue vpon if there were nothing yet for him to moue vpon First therefore was that to bee spoken of which He was sayd to moue vpon and then Hee whom it was requisite not to haue named otherwise then a Hee was sayd to moue vpon But wherefore yet was ●● not fitting to haue Him insinuated otherwayes vnlesse Hee were sayd to moue vpon CHAP. 7. Of the effect or working of the Holy Ghost 1. FRom hence let him that is able follow with his vnderstanding thy Apostle where hee thus speakes Because thy loue is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs and where concerning spirituall gifts he teacheth and sheweth vnto vs a more excellent way of charity and where he bowes his knees vnto thee for vs that wee may come to learne that most excellent knowledge of the loue of Christ And therefore euen from the very beginning did the Spirit supereminently moue vpon the waters Whom shall I tell it vnto and in what termes shall I describe how the hugy weight of lustfull desires presses downe into the steepe pit and how charity rayses vs vp againe by thy Spirit which moued vpon the waters Vnto whom shall I speake it and in what language vtter it For they are no certaine places into which wee are plunged and out of which wee are againe lifted What can bee liker and yet what vnlikeer They bee Affections they be Loues they be the vncleannesse of our owne spirits that ouerflow our lower parts with the loue of cares and it is the holynesse of thy Spirit that rayseth vs vpwards againe by the loue of our safeties that wee may lift our harts vp vnto the Lord where thy Spirit is moued vpon the waters and that wee may come at length to that repose which is aboue all rests when namely our soules shall haue escaped ouer these waters where we can find no ground CHAP. 8. How Gods Spirit cherisheth feeble soules 1. THE Angels fell and mans soule fell and all thy Spirituall creatures in generall had shewne the way vnto the deepe which is in that most darkesome bottome hadst not thou sayd Let there be light and there was light and vnlesse euery spirituall creature of thy heauenly City had continued in obedience vnto thee and settled it selfe vpon thy Spirit which moues vnchangeably vpon euery thing that is changeable Otherwise had euen the heauen of heauens it selfe for euer continued a darkesome Deepe whereas now it is light in the Lord. And now by that miserable restlesnesse of the falling spirits and by their discouering of their owne darknesse the garment of thy light being pluckt off them doest thou sufficiently reueale how noble the reasonable creature is which thou hast created vnto which nothing will suffice to settle its happynesse and rest vpon that is any way inferior vnto thy selfe and therefore cannot herselfe giue satisfaction vnto herselfe For t is thou O Lord that shalt lighten our darknesse from thee must grow these our garments and then shall our darknesse be as the noone day 2. Giue thy selfe vnto me O my God yea restore thy selfe vnto me for I loue thee and if it be too little let mee now loue thee more affectionately I am not able to measure my loue that I may so come to know how much there wants of enough that my life may euen runne into thy embracements and not tnrne from them againe vntill I bee wholy hidden in the secret of thy presence This one thing am I sure of that woe is me if I be not in thee yea not so onely if I bee without my selfe but ill will it goe with mee though I be hidden within my selfe yea all other plenty besides my God is meere beggery vnto me CHAP. 9. Why the Spirit onely moued vpon the waters 1. BVT did not the Father also or the Sonne moue vpon the waters And if wee vnderstand mouing as it were in a place like a body then neyther did the Spirit moue But if the excellent highnesse of the diuinity aboue euery changeable creature bee vnderstood then did both Father Sonne and Holy Ghost moue vpon the waters Why therefore is this sayd of thy Spirit onely Why of him onely as if there had beene some place where indeede there is no place for it of which onely it is written that Hee is thy gift Let vs now take vp our rest in this thy gift there let vs enioy thee O our rest and our place 2. Loue preferres vs thither and thy good Spirit aduances our lowlynesse from the very gates of death In thy good pleasure lies our peace our body with his owne lumpishnesse swaies vs towards its owne place Weight makes not downeward onely but to his owne place also The fire mounts vpward a stone sinks downeward All things pressed by their owne weight goe towards their proper places Oyle powred in the bottome of the water yet will swimme on the toppe of it water powred vpon Oyle sinkes to the bottome of the Oyle They are weighed downe by their owne hea-luinesse they go to seeke their owne centers Things a little out of their places become vnquiet put them in their order agayne and they are quieted My weight is my loue that way am I carried whithersoeuer I bee carried Wee are inflamed by thy gift and are carried vpwards wee waxe hot within and we goe forwards Wee ascend thy waies that be in our heart and wee sing a song of degrees inwardly enflamed with thy fite with thy good fire and wee goe euen because we goe vpwards to the peace of Ierusalem for glad I was when as they sayd vnto me We will go vp into the house of God There let thy good pleasure settle vs that wee may desire no other thing but to dwell there for euer CHAP. 10. All is of Gods gift O Happy creature which knowes no other thing but that whenas it selfe was another thing euen by thy Gift which moueth vpon euery mutable thing it was so soone as created and no delay of time betweene taken vp in that