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	great_a	know_v	5,049	5	3.5427	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B13857	Contemplations vpon the historie of the old Testament. The seuenth volume. In two bookes. By Ios. Hall D.D.; Contemplations upon the principall passages of the Holy Storie. Vol. 7	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.	1623 (1623)	STC 12658.5; ESTC S103672	123,026	533

the agent Yet Israel and Iuda were now peeced in friendship Iehosaphat the good King of Iuda had made affinity with Ahab the Idolatrous King of Israel and besides a personall visitation ioynes his forces with his new Kinsman against an old confederate Iuda had calld in Syria against Israel and now Israel calls in Iuda against Syria Thus rather should it be It is fit that the more pure Church should ioine with the more corrupt against a common Paganish enemy Iehosaphat hath match't with Ahab not with a diuorce of his deuotion Hee will fight not without God Inquire I pray thee at the Word of the Lord to day Had hee done thus sooner I feare Athaliah had neuer call'd him father This motion was newes in Israel It was wont to bee said Inquire of Baal The good King of Iudah will bring Religion into fashion in the Court of Israel Ahab had inquired of his Counsellors What needed he be so deuout as to inquire of his Prophets Onely Iehosaphats presence made him thus godly It is an happy thing to conuerse with the vertuous their counsell and example cannot but leaue some tincture behind them of a good profession if not of piety Those that are truly religious dare not but take God with them in all their affaires with him they can be as valiant as timorous without him Ahab had Clergy enough such as it was Foure hundred Prophets of the groues were reserued from appearing to Elijahs challenge these are now consulted by Ahab they liue to betray the life of him who saued theirs These care not so much to inquire what God would say as what Ahab would haue them say they saw which way the Kings heart was bent that way they bent their tongues Goe vp for the Lord shall deliuer it into the hands of the King False Prophets care onely to please a plausible falshood passes with them aboue an harsh truth Had they seene Ahab fearfull they had said Peace Peace now they see him resolute war victory It is a fearfull presage of ruine when the Prophets conspire in assentation Their number consent confidence hath easily won credit with Ahab We doe all willingly beleeue what we wish Iehosaphat is not so soone satisfied These Prophets were it is like obtruded to him a stranger for the true Prophets of the true God The iudicious King sees cause to suspect them and now perceiuing at what altars they serued hates to rest in their testimony Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that wee might inquire of him One single Prophet speaking from the Oracles of God is more worth than foure hundred Baalites Truth may not euer be measured by the poll It is not number but weight that must carry it in a Councell of Prophets A solid Verity in one mouth is worthy to preponderate light falshood in a thousand Euen King Ahab as bad as hee was kept tale of his Prophets and could giue account of one that was missing There is yet one man Michaiah the sonne of Imlah by whom we may inquire of the Lord but I hate him for hee doth not prophecy good concerning mee but euill It is very probable that Micaiah was that disguised Prophet who brought to Ahab the fearefull message of displeasure and death for dismissing Benhadad for which he was euer since fast in prison deepe in disgrace Oh corrupt heart of selfe condemned Ahab If Micaiah spake true to thee how was it euill If others said false how was it good and if Micaiah spake from the Lord why doest thou hate him This hath wont to be the ancient lot of Truth censure and hatred Censure of the message hatred of the bearer To carnall eares the message is euill if vnpleasing and if plausible good If it be sweet it cannot bee poison if bitter it cannot bee wholsome The distemper of the receiuer is guilty of this mis-conceit In it selfe euery truth as it is good so amiable euery falshood loathsome as euill A sick palate cries out of the taste of those liquors which are well allowed of the healthfull It is a signe of a good state of the soule when euery verdure can receiue his proper iudgement Wise and good Iehoshaphat disswades Ahab from so hard an opinion and sees cause so much more to vrge the consultation of Michaiah by how much he findes him more vnpleasing The King of Israel to satisfie the importunitie of so great and deare an allie sends an Officer for Michaiah He knew well belike where to finde him within those foure walls where vniust cruelty had disposed of that innocent Seer Out of the obscuritie of the prison is the poore Prophet fetcht into the light of so glorious a Confession of two Kings who thought this Conuocation of Prophets not vnworthy of their greatest representation of State and Maiestie There he finds Zedekiah the leader of that false crue not speaking onely but acting his prediction Signes were no lesse vsed by the Prophets than words this arch-flatterer hath made him hornes of iron the horne is forceable the iron irresistible by an irresistible force shall Ahab push the Syrians as if there were more certaintie in this mans hands than in his tongue If this sonne of Chenaanah had not had a forehead of brasse for impudency and an heart of Lead for flexiblenesse to humours and times hee had neuer deuised these hornes of iron wherewith his King was goared vnto bloud Howsoeuer it is enough for him that he is beleeued that he is seconded All the great Inquest of these Prophets gaue vp their verdict by this foreman not one of foure hundred dissented Vnanimitie of opinion in the greatest Ecclesiastical assemblies is not euer an argument of truth There may be as common and as firme agreement in error The messenger that came frō Micaiah like a carnall friend sets him in a way of fauour tels him what the rest said how they pleased how vnsafe it would be for him to varie how beneficiall to assent Those that adore earthly greatnesse thinke euery man should dote vpon their Idols and hold no termes too high for their ambitious purchases Faithfull Micaiah scornes the motion hee knowes the price of the world and contemnes it As the Lord liueth what the Lord saith vnto me that will I speake Neither feares nor fauours can tempt the holily resolute They can trample vpon dangers or honours with a carelesse foot and whether they bee smiled or frowned on by the great dare not either alter or conceale their errand The question is moued to Micaiah He at first so yeelds that he contradicts yeelds in words contradicts in pronunciation The syllables are for them the sound against them Ironies deny strongest in affirming and now being pressed home hee tels them that God had shewed him those sheepe of Israel should ere long by this meanes want their Shepheard The very resemblance to a good Prince had beene affectiue The sheepe is an helplesse creature not able either

perfect contentment it is in a middle-estate equally distant frō penury from excesse it is in a calme freedome a secure tranquillitie a sweet fruition of our selues of ours But what hold is there of these earthly things How long is the Shunamite thus blessed with peace slay but a while you shall see her come on her knees to the King of Israel pitifully complaining that she was stripped of house and land and now Gehezi is faine to doe that good office for her which was not accepted from his master Those that stand fastest vpon earth haue but slipperie footing no man can say that hee shall not need friends Modestie sealed vp the lips of the good Shunamite she was ashamed to confesse her longing Gehezi easily guessed that her barrennesse could not but be her affliction she was childlesse her husband old Elisha gratifies her with the newes of a sonne About this season according to the time of life thou shalt embrace a sonne How liberall is God by his Prophet in giuing beyond her requests not seldome doth his bountie ouer-reach our thoughts and meet vs with those benefits which we thought too good for vs to aske Greatnesse and inexpectation makes the blessing seeme incredible Nay my Lord thou man of God doe not lie to thine hand-maid Wee are neuer sure enough of what we desire Wee are not more hard to beleeue than loth to distrust beneficiall euents She well knew the Prophets holinesse could not stand with wilfull falshood perhaps she might think it spoken by way of triall not of serious affirmation as vnwilling therefore that it should not be and willing to heare that pleasing word seconded she saies Doe not lie to thine hand-maid Promises are made good not by iteration but by the effect The Shunamite conceiues and beares a sonne at the set season How glad a mother she was those know best that haue mourned vnder the discomfort of a sad sterilitie The childe growes vp and is now able to finde out his father in the field amongst his Reapers His father now grew young againe with the pleasure of this sight and more ioyed in this spring of his hopes than in all the crops of his haruest But what stabilitie is there in these earthly delights The hot beames of the Sunne beat vpon that head which too much care had made tender and delicate The childe complaines to his father of his paine Oh that grace could teach vs what nature teaches Infants in all our troubles to bemoane our selues to our heauenly father He sends him to his mother vpon her lap about noone the childe dies as if hee would returne his soule into that bosome from which it was deriued to his The good Shunamite hath lost her sonne her faith shee hath not lost Passion hath not robbed her of her wisdome As not distracted with an accident so sudden so sorrowfull shee layes her dead childe vpon the Prophets bed she lockes the doore she hides her griefe lest that consternation might hinder her designe she hastens to her husband and as not daring to be other than officious in so distresse-full an occasion acquaints him with her iourney though not with the cause requires of him both attendance and conueyance shee posts to mount Carmel she cannot so soone finde out the man of God as hee hath found her Hee sees her a farre off and like a thankfull guest sends his seruant hastily to meet her to inquire of the health of her selfe her husband her childe Her errand was not to Gehezi it was to Elisha no messenger shall interrupt her no eare shall receiue her complaint but the Prophets Downe she fals passionately at his feet and forgetting the fashion of her bashfull strangenesse layes hold of them whether in an humble veneration of his person or in a feruent desire of satisfaction Gehezi who well knew how vncouth how vnfit this gesture of salutation was for his master offers to remoue her and admonisheth her of her distance The mercifull Prophet easily apprehends that no ordinary occasion could so transport a graue and well-gouerned matrone as therefore pittying her vnknowne passion hee bids Let her alone for her soule is vexed within her and the Lord hath hid it from me and hath not told mee If extremitie of griefe haue made her vnmannerly wise and holy Elisha knowes how to pardon it Hee dares not adde sorrow to the afflicted he can better beare an vnseemelinesse in her greeting than crueltie in her molestation Great was the familiaritie that the Prophet had with his God and as friends are wont mutually to impart their counsels to each other so had the Lord done to him Elisha was not idle on mount Carmel What was it that he saw not from thence Not heauen onely but the world was before him yet the Shunamites losse is concealed from him neither doth he shame to confesse it Oft-times those that know greater matters may yet bee ignorant of the lesse It is no disparagement to any finite creature not to know something By her mouth will God tell the Prophet what by vision he had not Then shee said Did I desire a sonne of my Lord Did I not say doe not deceiue me Deepe sorrow is sparing of words The expostulation could not be more short more quicke more pithy Had I begged a sonne perhaps my importunitie might haue beene yeelded to in anger Too much desire is iustly punished with losse It is no maruell if what we wring from God prosper not This fauor to me was of thine owne motion Thy suit O Elisha made mee a mother Couldst thou intend to torment me with a blessing How much more easie had the want of a sonne beene than the mis-carriage Barrennesse than orbation Was there no other end of my hauing a sonne than that I might lose him O man of God let me not complaine of a cruell kindnesse thy prayers gaue me a sonne let thy prayers restore him let not my dutifull respects to thee be repaid with an aggrauation of misery giue not thine hand-maid cause to wish that I were but so vnhappy as thou foundest mee Oh wofull fruitfulnesse if I must now say that I had a sonne I know not whether the mother or the Prophet were more afflicted the Prophet for the mothers sake or the mother for her owne Not a word of reply doe we heare from the mouth of Elisha his breath is onely spent in the remedy Hee sends his seruant with all speed to lay his staffe vpon the face of the childe charging him to auoid all the delayes of the way Had not the Prophet supposed that staffe of his able to beat away death why did he send it and if vpon that supposition he sent it how was it that it failed of effect was this act done out of humane conceit not out of instinct from God Or did the want of the mothers faith hinder the successe of that cure She not regarding the staffe or the man holds fast to