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	son_n	spirit_n	3,162	5	5.7919	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05404	A sermon preached at Paules Crosse by R. Lewes, Baccheler of Divinitie, concerning Isaac his testament, disposed by the Lord to Iacobs comfort, though it were intednded to Esau by his father; shewing, that the counsel of God shal stand, albeit the whole worlde withstande it.	Lewes, Richard.	1594 (1594)	STC 15556; ESTC S119665	22,088	50

in that we know that no man canne be allowed or blessed of God but in an other mans name person even in the person of Christ We must all put on Christ if wee will have any blessing at Gods hands If all this were done by Rebecca Iacob at Gods appointment it was no sinne but a vertue To kill a mans sonne without Gods expresse commandement to rob a mans neighbour to put an offender to death beeing no Magistrate are grievous sins yet Abraham is highly praysed of God for his readines to doe the first the Israelites for the second Phinees for the last That this was done by Gods ordinaunce some learned men doe bring somewhat probable and likely but not certaine and demōstrative reasons as first the oracle of God shewing Rebecca that Iacob shoulde bee blest may seeme to prove this to be of God Secōdly that Rebecca was present whē Isaac spake to Esau argueth Gods providence Thirdly Isaac his blindnes doeth concur to further Iacob Fourthly he perceiveth the voice to be Iacobs yet is deceived and blesseth him F●ftly he discerneth not betweene kids flesh and venison being vsed to venison so that it seemeth the Lord tooke away the iudgement of another sence for Iacobs sake Sixtly seeing himselfe to be deceived he doth not cōplaine of Iacob much lesse revoke the blessing nay he confirmeth it to Iacob Finally there is a space given to Iacob to departe with the blessing and immediatly Esau commeth in Because of these reasons I say if Iacob and Rebecca did this without Gods appointment it was bonum but not benè the matter was good the manner nought but if it were doone by GODS commaundement which I dare not denie but it might bee but I will not affirme that it was because Gods worde doeth not affirme but if the manner was of God it was blamelesse altogither but howsoever it was I say and you see with Gamaliel that the counsell of GOD cannot bee hindered Have not the blessings of Englande diverse and sundrye wayes by the bloudie Guizes and Italian Gog and Spanish Magog beene mischievouslie assailed from time to time But praysed and praysed for ever bee that GOD that helpeth vs and powreth dailie his benefites vppon vs hee hath overthrowen the Spanish attempt and the Guisian practise hee hath prepared him deadly weapons hee hath whette his swoorde hee hath bent his bowe hee hath ordained his arrowes against the face of these persecutours so that they are falne into the pitte that they made for vs. The mischiefe is returned on their owne heade and their crueltie is falne on their owne pate Put them still thus in feare O LORDE that they may knowe themselves to bee but men And in asmuch as the counsels of GOD cannot bee hindered by any pollicie or power of man I wish with all my hearte that our learned and grave Fathers woulde somewhat refraine themselves from them that sue for reformation and let them alone for if this counsell or this worke be of men it will come to nought but if it bee of God they cannot destroy it lest they be founde even fighters against God And withall the veines of my soule I wish that they that seeke reformation would take heede that they make not the cause the worse by their vndiscreete zeale vnbrotherlie reproches vnchristian slaunders vnsaverie and vnlearned libels and almost Pharisaicall contempte of their fathers and brethren For my owne parte GOD is my witnesse whome I serve in my spirite in the gospell of his sonne that without ceasing I praye for the peace of the Church and for a learned ministerie You knowe that discorde in the Church is fire in a house and a continuall fever in the bodie The LORDE quench this fire and cure this fever Wee prayed for outwarde peace when our enemies were at hande and nowe GOD hath sente it doe wee nourish contentions inwardely and at home among our selves Inwarde dissention or contention is a gappe not onelye for the bloud-thirstie Papist to enter who hath no other desire then our destruction do other scope then our spoile but no other meanes but our contentions but it is a gappe to let in Satan he entreth at our vnchristian breaches But to speake somewhat more of Iacob and so to ende we see he stealeth his blessing but wee have many that steale the blessings which at none of theirs I cite them all to stande at the tribunal seat of the eternall iudge I leave the poore known theeves to the cōmon barres and here I first summon those sacrilegious persons that feare not to steale holy thinges that make a mocke of that iniquity Sacriledge will be sinne one day The conveying of publike things to privat vses wil prove theft one day Te comming in by Simony wil appeare to be theft Yea the stealing of the heartes of the people from the pastors will be prooved theft And you famous Merchantes other occupiers in this citty take heed that theft like birdlime cleave not fast to some of your fingers And you that are tutors of widdowes and Orphans goods beware that ye be not appeached of theft You that are servants take heede that ye come not in the number The causes of theft at first the perversnes of mās heart secondly incredulity thirdly vnfaithfulnes fourthly covetousnes fiftly ease and idlenes sixtly surfetting seventhly occasion I scarce make poverty one cause for such theeves are almost as worthy of pitty as of punishment A man may bee guilty of theft by dealing in it by concealing of it by counselling to it by commaunding or commending it Iacob was timorous in stealing his owne these are impudent in taking other mens Iacob was even forced to these meanes they runne to al wicked meanes Iacob did it but once it is their daily practise Iacob would soone have beene disswaded but even Gods word cānot disswade these men from spoiling and robbing the Church the fatherles and stranger I had left out the Abbey-lubbers in our Church who are mighty theeves Though the Abbeies be gone yet they remaine I meane such as will not worke whether it be civill or spirituall worke it is plaine theeverie to take the daies wages and not to do a daies worke for it The Lord our God enlighten our mindes and sanctifie our heartes with such a portion of his spirit and with that measure of his grace that we may be fully perswaded that this worldes repose is full of anguish the security of the worlde without foundation the feare of the worlde without comforte the travels of the worlde without fruit the sorrow of the worlde without profitte the desires of the worlde without successe the hope of the worlde without rewarde and the mirth of the worlde without continuance and the miseries of the worlde without remedies and that all the worlde is but vanity of vanities Againe that our heartes may bee inwardlie informed and thoroughlie certified that the lawe of the Lorde is an vndefiled lawe converting the soule c. The God of peace c. FINIS