Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	grace_n	work_n	7,426	5	6.4759	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23803	The whole duty of mourning and the great concern of preparing our selves for death, practically considered / written some years since by the author of The whole duty of man, and now published upon the sad occasion of the death of our Most Gracious Sovereign Lady Mary the II, Queen of England, &c. of blessed memory.	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.	1695 (1695)	Wing A1194; ESTC R33068	65,567	192

Seek and that is by doing Good and suffering Evil doing Good and being active is the Work of Nature but to do well is an effect of Grace and cause of prosperous Reward as Holy Moses intimates to Israel Deut. 6.28 Do ye that which is good in the sight of the Lord that you may prosper Do you that which is good and that you may do chiefly with these two Instruments a Praying Tongue and a Relieving Hand for Charity and Prayer are the Swiftest Wings on which the Soul can mount to Heaven II. Prayer is the Jewel of God's Ear the Dialogue 'twixt Heaven and Earth the Tongue of Angels the Souls Embassador with God which never with a Faithful Hand knock'd at Heaven Gates and was sent Empty away what though not presently heard 't is but to double our Importunity what though not straightway granted 't is but to glorify our Patience yet sometimes I confess our Prayers like Exhalations drawn up here may fall else where in fruitful Showers and may light on our posterity but fervent Prayer never goes uncrown'd but is still heard in a proportion to our Welfare though not always answered according to our vain Desires II. Prayer is the Sole Phoenix of the Graces from out the Ashes of whose Spicy Nest Revives a Bird of Paradise this can make a Precious Arabian Bird as Happy as her other Sister and for stony hearts can give us Hearts of Flesh Ezek. 11.19 there is a kind of an omnipotence in Prayer it locks and opens Heaven 1 Kings 18.5.7 it renews Societies 'twixt parted Souls and Bodies 2 Kings 4.33 it blows down the Walls of Jericho stays the Sun and makes Fire descend it holdeth that Hand which holdeth all the World from striking a very Sodom GOD himself can do nothing till praying Lot is gone Gen. 19.22 and 't is very remarkable in that Dialogue 'twixt GOD and Abraham Gen. 18. how God disisted not from Granting till Abraham first left off Petitioning and therefore as the Apostle wishes Pray Continually 1 Thes. 5.17 That is at constant times of publick and retir'd Devotions or else continually by Good Words or Works for indeed no Circumstances can exclude Prayer and besides every good Action is a kind of Supplication Seek therefore by doing Good and that first by Prayer III. But because Prayer alone makes a Man but like a Bird with one Wing or as a Boat with one Oar somewhat lame and imperfect to perform this Duty for let any Zeal make what noise it will if spoke with the Tongue of Men and Angels yet without Charity 't is but a tinkling not a well-tuned Cymbal 1 Cor. 13.1 Let therefore the praying Tongue say to the relieving Hand as Ruth to Naomi Ruth 1.16 Whether thou goest I will go and where thou dwellest I will dwell Let Charity I say and Prayer like Links of a golden Chain depend on one another though like two Gloves one lost the other but of little use yet both together make themselves compleat For God like Isaac Gen. 27. will feel the Hands as well as hear the Voice of whom he blesseth IV. Pliny in his History tells us of the Eagle That she knows her young Ones by their Eyes their Perspicacy and unless they can out-face the Sun she rejects them as a Bastard Brood But God knows his Children by their Hands their Liberality and whom he finds like Jeroboam withered-handed close-fisted he counts them but degenerate Sons and will dis-inherit them of his Heavenly Kingdom yet will give them a Portion I tremble to say where Cast then thy Bread upon the Waters Eccles. 11.1 relieve the Needy whose Multitude and Weakness terms them so and after many days for Heaven will never forget it thou shalt find it and that flowing to thee like rich Merchandize with blest encrease each one that shall crave an Alms is an Arm stretcht out from God who hath another Hand as ready to reward as that was to receive for who so hath Mercy upon the Poor lendeth to the Lord Prov. 19.17 and indeed but lendeth to the best advantage for the Lord will recompence him God puts us not to the expence of costly Sacrifices should he how cold would his Altars lye the Calves of our Lips and Offerings of our Hands are now all he challengeth and therefore to do good and to distribute forget not for these are the pleasing Sacrifices V. Part with some of that which long you cannot keep to gain that which you can never lose Make you friends of that unrighteous mammon Luk. 16.9 Ethimius tells us God hath given Men Riches not as unto Treasurers but Stewards Imitate then that wise One in the Gospel for to every one it shall be one Day said Give an Account and believe it none shall make a better Reckoning at the last great Audit than the Charitable Person For love covereth a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4.8 and this indeed the Judge himself attestates Mat. 25.30 Christ there describing his last general Sessions seems to take notice only of Works of Mercy there 's no mention of your Frugality Temperance Diligence or other Virtues but Feeding Cloathing Visiting and Ministring these Christ names and takes upon his own account You have done it unto me and therefore re-pays them with Eternal Happiness Come you Blessed c. and Charity is the way unto that Kingdom and Heavenly City of the New Jerusalem that we seek though not the worth of it Seek therefore by doing good and that by Prayer and Charity VI. It follows next That by Patience in suffering Evil we ought to seek By suffering for thereunto are we called saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps and two ways likewise must we suffer by Bearing and Forbearing in which two Things says Epictetus the sum of all Philosophy and I may add of almost all Christianity consists First in forbearing Intemperance all Luxurious Riot and Excess 't is both the Mother and the Nurse of Vertues Hippocrates his Aphorisms is true on both sides That Diseases both of Body and Mind for the most part owe their original to fulness and redundant Humours and indeed where Satan tempts one fasting he tempts a thousand full and therefore abstinence is the best Cure of both And oh how well had it been for their Posterity had but our first Parents been acquainted with this Virtue in Paradise then for ought I know they had still been there and then I 'm sure that same one Man's Meat had not prov'd so all others Poison but ever since we took from that first Mother of ours all our vicious longings we likewise hunger after Superfluities and Forbidden Fruits not contented with enough but are too indulgent to our wanton Genius VII Intemperance brings not only Grey Hairs but Green Years with Sorrow to the Grave For how soon does immoderate Potions like much Water on a little Fire extinguish natural

Life yea thou art the Life of our Life and Soul of our Soul oh that all our Oyl might empty it self into this Golden Candlestick that all our Water might run in this Channel all our Actions be levell'd at this Mark CHRIST and his Honour for indeed all he did was in reference to us he was born for us liv'd for us died for us Rose again for us is Ascended and Sitteth at God's Right-hand and shall at last come again for us why should not our Souls then wish to be with him it is a known saying the Soul is not where it liveth but where it loveth and it is no less true whom the Soul loveth to him it will live and it is by Faith that Christ liveth in us and it is by Love that we live to Christ let him be the sole Object of thine Affections and then he will be the chief end of thy Actions VI. That Expression of the Spouse in the Canticles my beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2.16 is very considerable to this purpose my beloved is mine in that she expresseth her Sense of Christ's Affection towards her and I am his in that she insinuateth her love towards Christ and which was the Fruit of it the Resignation of her self to Christ excellently doth St. Bernard Illustrate these Words he is mine and I am his he mine because he is merciful I his because I am not unthankful he Conferreth on me Grace for Grace I return him Praise for his Grace he is for my Deliverance I for his Honour he for my Salvation I in Subjection to his Will Thus it was with the Spouse and thus it will be with every Christian who duly pondereth upon the Mercy of Christ towards him and hath his Soul affected with Love and gratitude to Christ. Now if there were not in us any Spark of Love to Christ yet even Self-love cannot but strongly oblige us to live to Christ in as much as this is the only Honourable Profitable and Pleasurable Life VII No Life so honourable as this all Actions are dignified especially by the End to which they tend whence the more noble the Intention the more noble the Operation and what Intention can be higher or end nobler than the Glory of Christ this is that which by a strange Activity turneth our Earthly into an Heavenly our Natural into a Spiritual Life which is the most excellent of all Lives to live to a Man's Lusts debaseth his Life and maketh it no better than Beastial but to live to Christ exalteth it and rendreth it no less than Angelical VIII Nor is no Life truly Profitable but this the Way to live to our Selves is to live to Christ whilst he hath the Glory we have the Benefit and as his Name is Advanc'd so our Good is Advantag'd there is a strange Riddle and a seeming Contradiction in those Words of God by the Prophet Hos. 10.1 Ephraim is an empty vine and bringeth forth fruit a Vine is then said to be Empty when it is Fruitless and can that which bringeth forth Fruit be said to be Fruitless but the next Words to himself unfolds the Riddle and reconciles the Contradiction since the Fruit which is brought forth to our selves is no Fruit what one said of the day wherein he had done no good I have lost a day that may we say in this case that day and time of our Life is lost wherein we live not to Christ. IX Finally this is the most Pleasurable Life free from those Cares and Fears Distractions and Vexations with which living to the World and our Lusts is encumbred full of those Joys and sweet Pleasures and Delights whereof all others are Ignorant he that can say to me to live is Christ may say to me to live is peace of Consience contentment of Mind and Joy in the Holy Ghost in one Word this is the only way to make both our Life Comfortable and our Death Gainful X. I shall now Conduct you into the Walk of the pleasant Field of Death's Gain where it will appear that Death is Gain to a Godly Man and a Good Christian many are the Miseries under which we Groan in this Life but as St. Ambrose says Death is a Cure for 'em all in this respect it is that Seneca saith aptly it is the cause of none but the end of many evils upon this account it was that Death hath been even by the Heathens looked upon as an Advantage when those two famous Carpenters Agamedes and Trophonius had built a Temple for Apollo at Delphos they begg'd of him a Reward to whom this Answer was given by the Oracle that it should be Conferred on them within Nine days within which time they died and when Cydippe begg'd of Juno a Boon for her two Sons Cleobis and Bito she found them in the Morning dead in their Beds as if the Gods could not bestow a greater Benefit than Death by which Men are freed from the Calamities of Life XI In this respect Seneca's Comparison is very fit who resembleth Death to an Haven into which when the Ship enters she is past all the danger of Rocks Sands Waves or Winds to which she was Continually liable upon the Tumultuous Seas indeed Death is that which delivereth our Bodies from Pains and Aches our Tears and our Hearts from Sorrows and in this respect St. John calls them who die in the Lord blessed because they rest from their Labours Revel 14.16 to wit all Labour both of Mind and Body with which here they are oppressed XII The Truth is many are the Afflictions of all Men so especially of the Righteous in this Life they are sure to meet with Persecution from Wicked Men for their Righteousness sake as the Tree is beaten with Sticks for its Fruits sake yea such is the rage of Persecutors that they care not to what Sorrows of Hunger Cold Nakedness Imprisonment Banishment and Want they expose them besides Almighty God is pleas'd to Chastise em for whilst he lets others alone in Sin he exercises their Graces by Adversity whilst others enjoy Prosperity but when Death comes it sets them free from all as being the last Chastisement which God doth inflict upon and the last Mischief which Wicked Men can do to the Godly XIII Finally so long as we continue in this World the bur of Corruption will cleave to us but Death rids us of it according to that of St. Paul 6.7 He that is dead is free from Sin in this respect Death is fitly called by St. Ambrose the Grave of our Sins and by Gregory Nyssen the Expurgation of Wickedness for till the Vessel be broken the muddy Water of Corruption cannot be wholly poured out Consult the Experience of the Saints and you shall find them still Complaining of Spiritual Conflicts with their Corruptions we are besieged on every side as Saint Cyprian observes and oh how often is a Breach made upon us if Covetousness be knocked down Lust