Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	find_v	great_a	reason_n	2,541	5	4.6084	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65377	A weeks work: shewing the whole duty of a Chritian Laying down in seven particular heads for the practise of the seven days of the week, what prayer is, how to use it profitably, wherein is shewed the true nature, power, and effects of vocal and mental prayer; with advice and instructions (for such as be ignorant in prayer and spiritual duty) how to attain to a true spiritual, effectual, and proficient way of praying. Very useful and requisite to be read in societies and families. To which is added seven copper-plates, suitable to each days exercise.	G. V.	1668 (1668)	Wing W1250AB; ESTC R220908	22,326	107

they are also full of compassion works of mercy and charity Spiritual and Corporeal they indeavour as near as they can to keep a clear Conscience and are desirous to serve please and praise God in all things And thus they are inflamed in Divine love I could heartily wish there were many more of this sort than there are however do you your endeavour to be one for his Grace will never be wanting to a willing mind TUESDAYS Exercise Satan tempteth Job Job 2. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils etc v 7. And he sat down among the ashes v 8. Then said his wife unto him dost thou still retain thine Integrity curse God and die v. 9. CHAP. III. Of the dignity and profit of Mental prayer Sect. 1 IN Mental prayer you walk a perfect way for you speak to God as What Mental prayer is to one near to you that gives ear to your Petitions or as one familiar Friend with another in great privacy or secresie Vocal prayer is used often without any particular attention but Mental prayer requires the attention and a serious application of the Mind inwardly or it is no Prayer in this when the Soul getteth within her self she begins to discover the strange works of God which are in Man unknown but to those that are by God illuminated in this as in a Looking-glass a Man discovers what he is and cometh to the true Knowledge of himself for there he sees how far he is from true Christian perfection Sect. 2 This knowledge of our selves is the ground and foundation of our Spiritual life in this a Man Foundation of spiritual life finds out what Vices and Passions do most domineer and molest him and the causes why he doth not Live in all things according to the Word of God and the right rule of Reason and what Remedies to apply to this great Evil. Here all the inward sore Diseases evil customs inclinations and disordered affections are perceived This is the School where we may be daily taught and instructed how to cure those Sores suppress those Vices mortifie those Passions regulate those Affections and Inclinations gain Virtue and please our Heavenly Spouse Sect. 3 Here we come to know the vanities unconstancies and uncertainty of the things of this Transitory life with a clearer World's vanity known sight of feeling than ever before which causeth the Soul to loath and contemn the World hate Vice love Virtue and seek after God above and therefore she resolves to change her Life and be no more what formerly she was her Eyes are opened she is illuminated and taught in this Prayer how all things created can give her no true content which makes her seriously desire and aspire to those things that are Eternal Sect. 4 For she begins to taste in this Tasts of Heaven Prayer of the content and joy of Mind which the true Servants of God enjoy in Heaven now she regards not the wisdome of this World but that which doth consist in subjection humility and sanctity of Life Sect. 5 Nay more then so in this The Devil and Natures deceit discovered Prayer the wiles and deceits of the Devil and the subtle and alluring excuses of Nature are discovered which are very hurtfull to a Soul that desires true perfection which must be had by the way of Mortification which the Devil and Nature do little affect Here the knowledge and love of God increaseth to a great heighth of the Soul which His Divine Majesty doth often visit and replenish with supernatural Graces and Comforts and by secret Influences of His Holy Spirit doth Elevate her far beyond her self to see know and feel with great content and joy what Tongue cannot express Sect. 6 To conclude in this Prayer we come to a true Vision of our A true vision of our wills Wills with the Will of God which is the highest we can attain to in this Life by our labour and industry through His holy Grace without which we can do nothing though many hath great Favours Visions and Revelations by his special Gift Oh what a happy thing this Prayer is O what a sweet Invention this is of our good God to bring Souls to his Knowledge Love and Familiarity as is said in the beginning that thereby with more facility and security they may gain that Glory for which they are Created This all ought to love desire and practise that desires endless Felicity and Happiness Sect. 7 Many there be who think it Christianity not difficult impossible or at least of great difficulty to attain to or gain this blessed Prayer but I do assure them they are very much mistaken though true it is that it cannot be had without some Industry and Labour of ours neither can a Man learn any Art or Science the first Day be it never so easie For experience ●eacheth all we see thousands of all sorts and Sexes given daily as we ought charitably to believe to this Exercise and practise of Mental prayer so that i● you intend to go forward in this Holy Exercise and acquire perfection you must not think i● difficult nor be dismayed if presently you gain it not for every thing hath a beginning and nothing is had in the World without labour Sect. 8 You know that a Man is seven Years an Apprentice before h● can profess himself expert in his Trade The Farmer or Husbandman in the depth of Winter cold frost and snow dry or wet taketh great Toyl and Labour and with much patience endureth and passeth all in expectation of a little Fruit in Summer or Corn in Harvest and perhaps get little or none and shall not we Labonr a little to gain this benefit or Art of Prayer and reap thereby the Fruit of Virtue and Life Everlasting Our labour is less in this then theirs the fruit and profit more certain than theirs and of greater value without any comparison than theirs Sect. 9 Be not therefore dis-heartned but as the Prophet saith come and taste of it that is Practise it Comfort offered and you shall see and feel how sweet and pleasing our Lord is to those that through Love do truly seek after him For if you be in Darkness come to him by Prayer and you shall be Illuminated if Thirsty there you shall drink abundantly of Divine Nectar springing as pure water from the Fountain of Life if Hungry you shall eat there of the Celestial food of Angels for there your Beloved hath his Table set with varieties of Dainties for all commers without exception and his Goblets of Wine of all pleasant and delightfull tasts placed thereon Sect. 10 If you be cold come to Prayer Divine heat and ye shall be made warm and comforted with the fire of divine Love Come I pray to this fair Garden and Paradise of pleasure and delight your self with the Beauty Varieties and sweet Odours of

him with a reverential and loving Affection Sect. 17 Oblation which is the next The fourth part of prayer being Oblation part that followeth consequently consisting in this that the party who received a benefit would in what he could not onely in Word and Affection as in Thanksgiving but likewise in Work and Deed requite with some Gift the love of their Benefactor or Friend for a gratefull Mind is never content to be thankfull in words only but it always thinks and considers in what manner service or gift to requite the benefits or favour done offering to God thy good will and affection of a sincere Heart and Soul ever to be imployed in the service of God with a stedfast purpose and resolution to abhor and mortifie what ever is displeasing to him not forgetting thy darling or bosome Sins to repent in particular for them for good resolutions and virtuous Arts are acceptable to God Sect. 18 Now follows the last part The fifth and last part of prayer being Petition which is properly called Prayer that is Petition for by this we beg and ask as being poor and needy of that great God rich and powerfull King whom we certainly believe both can and will grant us our desires to help and relieve us in our necessities and bestow what we are in want of as thus A Prayer MY Omnipotent and most bountifull Lord most mercifull and gracious King whose hands are always open to the needy and whose willingness to assist the distressed is greater than their desire to be relieved and without thee we are and can do nothing experience hath made me to know my own weakness frailty and unconstancy in any good for I often failed in performing virtuous and godly Resolutions formerly made for the amendment of my Life which causeth me humbly to confess that of my self I am truly nothing and can do no good Therefore my God take compassion on me leave me not unto my self grant me thy holy Grace to be constant in my good purposes otherwise I shall slide away like water whose steps are not perceived my resolution will fall to nothing and I shall be as if I were not having nothing whereby to subsist Therefore I humbly beseech thee and earnestly beg for thy goodness and mercy that thou wilt commiserate my case and as thou hast graciously inspired those good purposes and godly Resolutions for they are from thee and not from me so thou wilt be mercifully pleased to grant and give me particular assistance of thy holy Grace that I may be thereby enabled to amend my Life and through thy true Love to execute and perform what I have now purposed to do for thy sake and principally to overcome my evil inclinations and utterly to abandon and forsake this Vice of here name thy bosome Sins by which I do most offend thy Divine Majesty that hereafter all my thoughts words and deeds may be highly and purely to thy Honour Glory Endless praise and my own Souls Salvation Amen Sect. 20 If in this you find your self moved to any pious Devotions rest sweetly in it then pray for the holy Church conversion of Sinners exterpiation of Heresies your Parents Friends Benefactors and other necessaries commended to your Prayers or what else you please which are necessary wants THURSDAYS Exercise The three Children delivered Dan. 3. Shadrach Meshach and Abed-nego answered and said to the King etc v 16. If it be so our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace etc v 17. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury etc v. 19 Then the King was astonied etc v 24 etc CHAP. V. Profitable advices concerning the use of Prayer Sect. 1 FIrst you must be carefull to observe and keep a Set hours of prayer not to be omitted certain hour for Prayer morning and evening which you must never omit but one great necessity Sect. 2 Be not dismayed if soon you cannot gain a felicity in Praying for believe it the time will quickly come and it will not be Comfort in prayer long before you taste the sweetness thereof none can be perfect the first Day in any Trade time will perfect all This makes men Labour with patience in Winter expecting the Fruit in Summer Make no great account Distractions in prayer of Distractions and idle Thoughts which many are troubled with in Prayer when they are not voluntary but do you do your endeavour to cast them off when you take notice of them for your resisting of them will be very acceptable though you did nothing else because to have these Thoughts or to go without them is not in our power but when they come to accept of and entertain or resist and reject them that is in our power No man can have good Thoughts or be without evil Thoughts when he please but the one comes from God and the other from Satan which doth use to multiply them in time of Prayer to vex us and breed a disgust that thereby we may perceive it a thing very troublesome and in a manner impossible to be acquired that at last we should omit it altogether This is his aim for he well knows that by this Prayer we do daily serve our selves more and more from him and his Wiles and draw neerer and neerer to God which he cannot endure and would hinder if he could and believe it your time is well spent though you did but put off these Thoughts in the time of Prayer for in this you fight for God's cause Sect. 3 When you find your self so Distracted that you can hardly think upon any good thing suppose in your mind that you are the cause thereof therefore with profound Humility prostrate before Remedy for distraction in prayer His Divine Majesty examine your Conscience and likely you may find you have committed some Sins or not prepared your self for Prayer or not performed your good purposes or not answered your Holy inspirations and if you find none of these at least acknowledge it to be a just punishment for the sins of your Life past and that you are truly unworthy of any Heavenly consolation or Heavenly visitation being such and so ungratefull a Sinner and that you are more then well dealt withall to be admitted to his Holy presence for this Humility doth highly please his Divine Majesty and doth often move him instantly to give unto the humble Souls great comforts benefits and graces Sect. 4 Commonly you must use all The parts of prayer to be used in order the parts of Prayer in order untill you be practised in them by reason in time of Aridity when you can have no Gust in one part you may pass to another and so without trouble or loathsomeness you may spend the time of Prayer if not with content and comfort yet with profit For these parts of Prayer are placed before the Soul as so many Diversities of Meat that if in one