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	know_v	see_v	4,988	5	3.1452	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81376	Certaine observations concerning the duty of love, and of the contrary evill, vncharitablenesse. VVritten by Thomas Devenish.	Devenish, Thomas.	1642 (1642)	Wing D1213; Thomason E142_21; ESTC R8292	21,289	34

heaven that never saw that glorious light which we see yet that is no ground for us to shut our eyes in the time of this light nay it 's our shame and exceeding aggravation of our sinne so to doe as we may see Acts 17.30 Besides I am perswaded all things are not yet revealed that shall be in due time there is a prophesie to be fulfilled Esa 30.26 The light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne c. the doctrine of grace under the Gospell is a fountaine unmeasurable Ezec. 47.5 It behooves us then to walke as children of the light searching the Scriptures like those men of Berea Acts 17.11 This is a truth undeniable commanded by God and very profitable and in this as in all things else the better the more opposed by the Divell as we finde in all times not onely amongst Papists but also amongst those that will condemne it as an evill in them I have often heard some presse this duty of searching the Scriptures and blame the Papists for hiding the light yet I have heard those men bitterly speak against such as have been forward in the practice thereof The Bereans were commended for searching the Scriptures whether those things Paul taught were true although hee was an Apostle and the Penman of the Scriptures but if you make the least enquirie or doubt of what is received and professed by these men you shall finde the change of their countenance towards you and scarce ever have their good report after or of any other if they can help it and why doe they this Sure upon the same ground with the Papists they know if men looke into the truth they must then see their error Also other mens knowledge bewrayes their ignorance of which they are or have cause to be ashamed and sometimes shewes their wickednesse that know many things to be evill and yet will for by-respects practise them take heed of such you shall know them by their favourits they will hold such in great esteeme that desire to know no more in Religion then may serve to advance their credit and can say of all they heare it is excellent doctrine though they know no reason for it but because such men spake it let not such nor any other draw us from this duty neither keepe us in ignorance in these times of great light we should therefore strive to make good use of our time whilest God holdeth forth this light unto us whilest it 's called to day improve to our best advantage all the helpes God hath afforded for increase of knowledge amongst which the followship of the Saints is not the least it is a sad thing to see how cold and fruitlesse the company of Gods people is the Divell knowes well that Christian society is a great helpe to godlinesse and therefore doth labour by all wayes to hinder it and hath so prevailed that for Gods Saints to meet in that Church way as they should is almost out of use amongst many and we are ashamed to use our Christian fellowship but suit our selves with the times and grow strange to each other in so much that if a familiar friend passe by us without due observation as wee thinke our want of charity is such that wee presently conclude it was purposely done and so in the pride of our hearts withdraw our selves from his not onely familiarity but almost acquaintance wee know what is formerly said Love thinketh not evil let us then shew our love in this to have good thoughts towards our brethren and doe as wee would be done unto would wee have Gods children upon every surmise withdraw themselves from us let us then be more mindfull of this dutie and labour to stirre up one another to the performance of it and to win their affections by our humility and loving carriage towards them we know not how long God will continue these opportunities we see how hee hath dealt with others they are deprived of those things which we enjoy in abundance if God should deale so with us as we know how justly hee may Oh how grievous will be the remembrance of our negligence wee may wish and desire againe to see those times but to no purpose Let us then call to mind what wee have received and how wee have requited the Lord for all his benefits how little our love hath beene to our good God whose love to us is infinite FINIS

question whether Ionathan were a better sonne or friend in that he did Next wee should give our friends the best counsell we can Luke 12.4 And I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body c. The next duty wee should beare a part with them in any affliction Psal 35.14 I behaved my selfe as to my friend or as to my brother I humbled my selfe mourning as one that bewaileth his mother Change of estate should not change friendship Prov. 17.17 A friend loveth at all times and a brother is borne for adversity So also in the first of Ruth 16.17 And Ruth answered intreat mee not to leave thee nor to depart from thee c. There are divers things wherein this love is abused as when the ground of it is our owne advantage and wee look upon them whilest the sunne of prosperity shines Next when our agreement in evill is the cause of our friendship also when we honour our friends in stead of giving them good counsell as Ionadab to his brother to abuse his sister 2 Sam. 13.5 and thus one drunkard gives counsell to another we shall see a notable example of such counsell in Zeresh Hamans wife and his friends Hest 5.14 where they gave advice that a gallowes of fifty cubits high should be set up to hang Mordecai it was notable counsell and so it proved at last Such also offend against this law that leave their friends in the time of their greatest necessity thus wee may see how Iobs friends left him Iob. 6.20 Yea many times they betray their friends as Iudas did his Master of this we have plenty of examples Let us then consisider how this duty of love is neglected yea almost out of use amongst us now in 2 Sam. 15.31 it was told David for strange tidings that Achitophel was one of the conspirators I thinke we cannot now account it strange to see one that hath beene a familiar friend as this Counseller was to David found amongst the conspirators but it were more to be admired to finde him any where but there especially when the sunne of our prosperity is setting as Davids was then thought to be we shall be sure to finde greene leaves after the strongest Winter frost and stormes as to finde a friend stand fast in the time of adversity but they will doe as Davids friends mentioned Psal 38.11 My lovers and my friends stand aside from my plague and my kinsmen stand afarre off This is not onely found amongst those fained friends as the world is full of but even amongst such from whom wee should expect better as we see in Iobs friends they were such as would be thought good men as may appeare by all their discourse and yet see how cruelly they deale with their poore friend in his affliction farre worse then Davids friends spoken of formerly they were strange and stood a farre off but these came neere to helpe to grieve and vexe Iob in his greatest extremity as if that were all they had now to doe for their poore friend to strive who should grieve him most It is a sad thing to finde this love wanting in our friends from whence we expect better and this made the Prophet David to utter that bitter complaint against his hollow hearted Counseller It was my familiar friend c. Psal 41.9 But what may the Lord say Looke backe David how was Vriah that poore friend of thine dealt with his life taken from him in the highst proofe of his friendship Thus wee complaine of the want of love in others but doe not thinke of our want of love to them but are of the same minde with Simon the Pharisie whose formality made him believe his condition to be better then it was as Christ shewes him and all us by setting before our eyes that penitentiall patterne Luke 7.44 Then he turned to the woman and said unto Simon seest thou this woman I entered into thy house and thou gavest me no water to my feet but shee hath washed my feet with teares and wiped them with the hayre of her head thou gavest me no kisse but shee since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feet c. and then concludes Vers 47. That where little is forgiven they will love little who can reade this Scripture with dry eyes to see how short we come of this woman which the Pharisee thought so vile that it made him to call in question whether Christ were a Prophet because he admitted her to come so neere him shee came behind not presuming to behold that holy Saviour and at his feet accounting it happinesse enough to enjoy the meanest place about Christ and then see how she exprest her love she washt his feet with teares wiping them with the hayres of her head kissing and anoynting them her love forc'd all this from her but the sense of her sinne stopt her mouth we heare no word she spake our practice is contrary we speake much and with boldnesse but we have no other expressions but our words where is our love to the Saints where is our washing weeping and anoynting sure the want of these shew that wee are ignorant of that great love of our sweet Saviour to us and by the little love we have witne● to God and the world that we thinke little is forgiven us and as little do we consider what is given us How hath God blest this Kingdome of England made it fruitfull suffered none to prevaile against us but delivered us in a most unheard-of way and left us to praise his name and made other nations examples for us of his displeasure when hee might in Justice have made us examples for them but this is nothing to what he hath done hee hath given us his glorious Gospell our Saviour testifieth of John that there was not a greater borne of woman Math. 11.11 and yet he that is least in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then he this is our condition in this Kingdome of grace Moses desired to see God and could not God hath manifested himselfe unto us in his Sonne Christ who is the image of the invisible God Col 1.15 so Heb. 1.3 What more can be said in him he hath given us all things How should these meditations raise our thoughts from the things here below and settle all our love upon Christ and all his Saints for hee takes that as done to himselfe take h ed how wee deny him any thing that hath given us all things that are fit for us hee hath redeemed our soules from hell set him have soule body wife children strength credit riches honour and all for Christ tells us hee that will not part with all for him is not worthy of him reade that heart-melting fifth of Cantic it 's a most sweet place of Scripture wherein is most lively set forth the most glorious perfect beauty of Christ how worthy hee is of our love above all things