Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	free_a	grace_n	love_n	2,934	5	6.6495	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29681	An arke for all Gods Noahs in a gloomy stormy day, or, The best wine reserved till last, or, The transcendent excellency of a believers portion above all earthly portions whatsoever discovered in several sermons ... / by Thomas Brooks ...	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1662 (1662)	Wing B4929; ESTC R6208	184,660	523

and anon he hath never a friend There is nothing but vanity and uncertainty in all earthly portions But Fifteenthly and lastly As God is a permanent and never failing portion so God is an incomparable portion and this follows clearly and roundly upon what hath been said For 1. If God be a present portion a portion in hand a portion in possession and 2. If God be an immense portion if he be the vastest the largest and the greatest portion and 3. If God be an all-sufficient portion and 4. If God be the most absolute needful and necessary portion and 5. If God be a pure and unmixed portion and 6. If God be a glorious a happy and a blessed portion and 7. If God be a peculiar portion and 8. If God be an universal portion and 9. If God be a safe portion a secure portion a portion that none can rob or wrong us of and 10. If God be a suitable portion and 11. If God be an incomprehensible portion and 12. If God be an inexhaustible portion a portion that can never be spent that can never be exhausted or drawn dry and 13. If God be a soul-satisfying portion and 14. If God be a permanent and an everlasting portion then it must very necessarily follow that God is an incomparable portion but such a portion God is as I have proved at large and therefore beyond all dispute God must needs be an incomparable portion Prov. 3.13 14 15. Happy is the man that findeth wisdome that is the Lord Jesus Christ and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver the gain thereof than fine gold She is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her All the Gold of Ophir and all the silver of the Indies which are but the guts and garbidge of the earth are nothing yea less than nothing compared with God God is a portion more precious than all those things which are esteemed most precious A man may desire what not he may desire that all the mountains in the world may be turned into mountains of gold for his use he may desire that all the rocks in the world may be turned into the richest pearls for his use he may desire that all the treasure that is buried in the Sea may be brought into his Treasuries he may desire that all the Crowns and Scepters of all the Princes and Emperours of the world may be pil'd up at his gate as they were once said to be at Alexanders yet all these things are not comparable to a Saints portion yea they are not to be named in that day wherein the excellency of a Saints portion is set forth Horatius Horace writes of a precious stone that was more worth than twenty thousand shekels Plinius and Pliny valued the two precious pearls of Cleopatra at twelve hundred thousand shekels but what were these and what are all other precious stones in the world but dung and drosse in comparison of a Saints portion Phil. 3.7 8 9. I have read a story of a man whom Chrysostom did feign to be in prison Oh saith he if I had but liberty I would desire no more he had it Oh then if I had but for necessity I would desire no more he had it Oh then had I for a little variety I would desire no more he had it O then had I any office were it the meanest I would desire no more he had it Oh then had I but a Magistracy though over one Town only I would desire no more he had it Oh then were I a Prince I would desire no more he had it Oh then were I but a King I would desire no more he had it Oh then were I but an Emperour I would desire no more he had it O then were I but Emperor of the whole world I would then desire no more he had it and yet then he sits down with Alexander and weeps that there are no more worlds for him to possesse Now did any man enjoy what he is said to desire it would be but a very mean portion compared with God we may truly say of all the honours riches greatnesse grandure and glory of this world compared with God as Gideon sometimes said of the Vintage of Abiezer The gleanings of Ephraim are better than the Vintage of Abiezer Judg. 8.2 so the very gleanings yea the smallest gatherings of God are far better and more excellent and transcendent they are more satisfying more delighting more ravishing more quieting and more contenting than all earthly portions are or can be What comparison is there between a drop of a bucket and the vast Ocean between a weak drop which recollecting all its force yet hath not strength enough to fall and the mighty waters or what comparison is there between the dust of the ballance and the whole Earth why you will say there is no comparison between these things and I will say there is lesse between all finite portions and such an infinite portion as God is For this is most certain that there must needs be alwayes an infinite distance between what is finite and what is infinite and such a portion God is By all that hath been said 't is most evident that God is an incomparable portion But now all earthly portions are comparable portions you may easily and safely compare one earthly portion with another one Princes Revenues may be comparable to anothers and one great mans Lordships may be comparable to anothers and one Merchants estate may be comparable to anothers and one Gentlemans lands may be comparable to anothers and one wives portion may be comparable to anothers and one childs portion may be comparable to anothers c. but God is an incomparable portion there is no comparison to be made between God and other portions And thus I have in these fifteen particulars fully discovered the excellency of the Saints portion above all other portions And therefore I shall now come to the second thing and that is to shew you upon what grounds their title unto God as their portion is founded and bottomed and they are these that follow First The free favour and love of God the good will and pleasure of God is the true ground and bottome of Gods bestowing of himself as a portion upon his people Deut. 7.6 7 8. Ezek. 16.1 to the 15. there was no lovelinesse nor comlinesse in them that should move him to bestow himself upon them they had neither portion nor proportion and therefore there was no cause in them why God should bestow himself as a portion upon them God for the glory of his own free grace and love hath bestowed himself as a portion upon those who have deserved to have their portion amongst Devils and damned spirits in those torments that are endless easless and remediless The Ethnicks feign that their Gods