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	lord_n	sin_n	3,005	5	4.4939	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44517	The fire of the altar, or, Certain directions how to raise the soul into holy flames before, at, and after receiving the blessed sacrament of the Lords Supper : with suitable prayers and devotions, to which is prefix'd a dialogue betwixt a Christian and his own conscience : concerning the true nature of the Christian religion, intended chiefly for the inhabitants of St. Mary le Strand, and the precinct of the Savoy / by Anthony Horneck ...	Horneck, Anthony, 1641-1697.	1683 (1683)	Wing H2826; ESTC R38984	67,023	242

passes understanding It goes beyond my Cognizance It confounds my Reason I admire the love of a Prince to a Subject but that will bear no resemblance to this Love God might have triumph'd in my Groans Glorified his Justice by my stripes but pity abounds in him it hath no Banks it flows at large it s extended even to the most abject Creature as I am O Love How humble art thou How violent art thou Thou breakest through all the Clouds of Heaven to come down Thou forgoest the Rules of Greatness and Majesty to shew thy Glory That the Eternal Son of God should take Flesh upon him and dye to give life to the World Oh where can I parallel this Love I will sing of Love I will speak of Love I will think of Love my very Dreams shall be employ'd about it O that I could write Panegyricks of it Were not my Tongue confined it should do nothing else but talk of Love Here is Love to which all natural sympathies must vail I see no end thereof The farther I go in the search the more I lose my self But how should a creature find out the end of that which is infinite Where shall I find out the spring of this mighty stream Where shall I find the beginning of it Alas The line of Reason is too short There is no fathoming of this depth Who can search into the recesses of Eternity In that vast Abysse the head of this great River lies but who shall dive into it It 's enough that I am so happy as to be acquainted with it It 's enough that the Almighty hath revealed it unto Babes Even so Father it seemed good in thy sight I can give no reason of it Thy Love Lord was the cause of this Love thy Love was the motive Nothing else could be any inforcive I am sensible thou art merciful because thou wilt be merciful O thou Eternal Wisdom whom the Lord possessed in the beginning of his way before his Works of old who wast set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was when there were no depths thou wast brought forth when there were no Fountains abounding with Water before the Mountains were setled before the Hills wast thou brought forth while as yet he had not made the Earth nor the Fields nor the highest part of the Dust of the World who wast there when he prepared the Heavens when he set a compass upon the face of the depth when he establish'd the Clouds above when he strengthned the deep when he gave to the Sea his Decree that the Waters should not pass his Commandement O thou who wa st by him as one brought up with him who wast daily his delight rejoycing always before him enlighten my Mind that I may have clearer apprehensions of this Charity Arise my Thoughts Awake up my Glory See O my Soul how that Love smiles upon thee See how bright how clear how charming it is See how Divels tremble at it See how they grin and fret to think they must have no share in it See what Glorious Beams it darts on penitent sinners See how it warms their Hearts See how it follows them how loath it is to leave them See how it adjures them and how importunate it is with them to suffer themselves to be conquer'd by it 2. I must examine my self not only what and where and when and how I have especially of late been acting against God and affronted his Goodness Mercy and Patience and what Sorrow Grief and Fear these particular offences have caused in me but whether I am unfeignedly resolved to part with all these particular sins I am most prone and inclined to whether my Heart and purpose be fix'd to know the Will of God and to do it Whether I do sincerely and without reservation intend for the future to prefer God's Will before my Will and his Favour before the Favour of Men and whether I do in good earnest design to forgoe my profit gain or interest in the World rather then do any thing that is displeasing to God Whether I do truly prize the love of God above all the Riches of this World and see greater Beauty in that Holiness to which I am invited by this Love then in all the gaudes and satisfactions of of the World And if I do and my Conscience bears me witness of it I may chearfully go to the Lords Table and expect the benefits that are offered there 3. If I have done any signal wrong to my Neighbour I must make him either restitution or satisfaction I must either restore to him what I have cheated or wronged him in or have secretly and against his Will taken away from him or if I am not able to restore make confession of the fault and beg his forgiveness I must be reconciled to him if I have offended him or given him just occasion to be angry and if after that attempt he will still keep his anger I have deliver'd my own Soul I must let my neighbour know that I do as truly forgive him as I hope to be forgiven of Christ Jesus and be as ready to give as my neighbour to ask my pardon I must remember how God hath entailed his Pardon upon mine and if I forgive not from my Heart neither will my Heavenly Father forgive my Trespasses If I have abused my neighbour either in Words or Deeds and he either hath receiv'd or is like to receive any prejudice by it I must not be ashamed to acknowledge my error but prefer a quiet Conscience before my Reputation in the World 4. I must survey the bitter sufferings of my Blessed Saviour as they are laid down and described by the Evangelists I must follow him into the Garden of Gethsemane and go up with him to the Mount of Olives and there behold how his Heart was troubled and how the fears of death fell upon him how his Soul was filled with sorrow and how his Life drew near unto the Grave How he trode the Wine-press of Gods anger alone and humbled himself before his Father How as Man he begg'd that the Cup might pass from him and yet as Mediator freely consented to his Fathers Will. How distress and anguish came upon him and in the midst of those miseries the weary Disciples fell asleep how he wept and mourned and sweat drops of Blood and how Hell open'd her Mouth upon him how he bore our Griefs and took the chastisement of our Peace upon him How he drank the bitter Cup and his Heart within him became as melting Wax How he was led to Annas and he to whom all the Angels in Heaven bow'd stood before a sinful Man How from Annas he was dragg'd to Caiphas and like a Lamb led to the slaughter How he was accused before Pontius Pilate and there bespattered with all the ill language that Men or Divels could invent How he was set at nought by Herod and in scorn deck'd with

make me neglect the opportunity put into my hand of making Peace with God and mine own Conscience I must reject suggestions of this nature and regard more the necessary concerns of my Soul then things that at the best are but sensual satisfactions Consc. And what must thy Thoughts be and what frame must thy heart be in when thou comest to the Holy Table of the Lord Christ. I must 1. Employ my Soul in Holy ejaculations such as these O who will give me to drink of the Water of the Well of Bethlehem Wherewith shall I come before the Lord How shall I bow my self before the most high Shall I come before him with Burnt-offerings with Calves of a year old O my Lord Thou hast shew'd me what is good and what dost thou require of me but to do justly to shew mercy and to walk humbly with my God! O my God I bring an humble Heart a Soul that desires to lye low before thee a Soul that longs to be clean and to be washed in the blood of the Lamb a Soul weary of Sin that sees no comfort no satisfaction no content in things below but behold's afar off the treasures of Consolation that lye hid in Christ Jesus These are things to be desired These are Mercies worth having These enrich banckrupt Souls with these Pardon is purchased and Heaven is procured O give me a Title to them Thou that art the true Morning Star O shine upon me O enlighten me O enlighten me O let me feel thy comfortable beams These burn not These scorch not but sanctify and polish and adorn I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Merits are exceeding broad They enlarge Heaven subue Death conquer Hell expel Divels and make God my friend How have I doted on the vanities of this World They are bubbles all but thou sweet Jesu art perfect Beauty a fountain of Joy which never wants Water never dries up never fails and never dies How much better is it to be here in the Courts of the Lord then in the Tents of the proudest Monarchs one day here is better then a thousand elsewhere Here God bows to poor sinners Here infinite Majesty converses with Dust and Ashes Here the King of Heaven is not ashamed to call such poor Worms as we are Brethren How different are the ways of God from the ways of Men They shun a Lazarus and a Beggar God receives them and the Soul that 's sensible of her poverty and begs to be enrich'd is refresh'd by him and invited into his bosom How Lovely art thou my Great Redeemer How Amiable How Kind How Beautiful Therefore do the Virgins love thee Could there be greater Love then to spill thy Blood for me Could there be greater Charity then to dye for me What miracles of Mercy are these I come to beg an alms at thine hands it 's too great a gift for me to ask but not too great for thee to give for it is thy self I beg O warm my Heart Touch it with a coal from the Altar O kindle Holy Fire in my Breast Burn up the dross and Tin there and let nothing but pure Gold remain Let Love prevail O change my Heart into fesrvent Love and turn all my faculties into Charity 2. I must joyn with the Congregation in their Prayers I must put my Perfumes into that common Genser that the Holy Smoak may go up with joyned force to the throne of Mercy I must not come behind my fellow-members in Zeal and Earnestness They pray for the prosperity of the Universal Church that God would guide her by his Holy Spirit so must I. They pray for all Christian Kings and Princes that they may promote the Glory of God and the Churches welfare so must I. They pray for the Ministers of God's Holy Word that they may be sound in the Faith and patterns of Holiness so must I. They pray for all distressed Members of Christ that the Consolations of Christ may abound in them so must I. They prostrate themselves in Holy Confessions of their Sins and pray for Remission and Pardon and Sanctification so must I. They pray to be made partakers of the benefits of Christ's Body and Blood so must I. 3. I must shew my compassion to the Poor by contributing to their necessities if I am able I must remember how poor how wretched how naked how miserable I was when the Son of God first took pity on me being yet in the Loins of my Father Adam I must consider that my self at this instant am lying at the pool of Bethesda waiting for the Angel of the Covenant to come down and stir the Waters that I may be healed I must look upon my self as a Person full of Sores and Sickness and reflect that I come to be cured for Gods sake by the Great Physitian of Souls From my Self I must look down on the Poor that want my help and as I would have my Great Master have compassion on me so I must have compassion on my fellow-Servants 4. I must at this time resist all worldly Thoughts and did my Oxen and my Farms and my Domestique Affairs stand aloof like Lepers that must not come near a place so full of Majesty and a Work so big with wonders I must with Mary chuse the better part and look upon Martha's serving as unseasonable I must lay aside contrivances how to make a bargain with my neighbour and know no other Covenant but what I am making with God in the blood of Jesus I must not think of my Trade and Trafick but remember it is for the Pearl of Price that I am Trading now and laying out my strength and labour I must not be disturbed with a desperate Debt that 's owing me but remember the Debts I owe to God and how I do expect that at this time they should be struck out and cancell'd for ever I must not now torment my self about a livelyhood when I come to get a Title to a Life of everlasting Glory I must not now think how to get Bread and make provision for my Family but rather reflect with joy what large provision the Almighty makes for my Soul and what care he takes to make me a Son of God an Heir of Heaven and Coheir with Christ. When sensual Thoughts fly through my Mind at this time I must continue to say to them Arise and Depart for here shall not be your rest 5. I must now make some Spiritual reflexions on the breaking of the Bread and upon pouring out of the Holy Wine On the breaking of the Bread BEhold O my Soul thus was thy Blessed Saviour's Body broken Thus was his unspotted Flesh torn asunder O my Sins ye did this barbarous act The Jews were but the External instruments ye were the fatal causes of that torture had it not been for you the Crown of Thorns had never wounded that Sacred Head Break my Heart Break it is a dismal sight A broken

Heart is Sacrifice which he that was broke upon the account of thy sins will not despise Nay he will comfort the humble Soul and the contrite Spirit he will pour Wine and Oyl into its wounds supple it with Balm heal it with his Death and make it whole by his Agonies See here O my Soul the Bread which is broke is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ see how many broken pieces are here which all make but one Loaf So thou and thy fellow-Believers make one mystical Body whereof the Crucified Jesus is Head and Governour who influences the Body by his Spirit and from his fulness dispences Grace for Grace Rejoyce O my Soul For now the waves and billows of Gods wrath are laid The storm of vengeance is husht The thunder is gone The clouds cleer up thy broken Saviour hath turn'd the sound of the Trumpet of War into a still small Voice O break with him no more O preserve that friendship which was so dearly bought A friendship purchased by Blood sure must never dye Thou art his Friend O do not become his Enemy again for fear he be never friends with thee again On the pouring out of the Holy Wine THus O my Soul thus flow'd the precious Blood of the tormented Jesus In such streams it issued from his wounded Body Thus was the costly Juyce let out Thus the rich Veins emptied themselves of their Treasure and all that thou mightst mayst be clean And O Jerusalem wilt not thou be clean When shall it once be When God makes use of his own Blood to purify thee O my Soul Wilt thou wallow still in thy Dung and Nastiness This would be inexcusable Arise wash thy self in this Jordan and thy Flesh shall come again like unto the Flesh of a little Child O my Soul had not this Blood been shed there had been no remission of Sins From the shedding of this Blood date thy happiness when God saw this Blood the tide turned and thy offended Father looked on thee with a merciful Face How sweet is this Blood it nourishes into Eternal Life How high the value of it it redeemed a whole World How wholsom it expels all Sicknesses What pity was it that the least drop of it should fall upon the ground It was fit to be receiv'd by the hands of Angels But the Earth on which sinful Men walk'd was defiled and cursed and therefore it must fall upon it to take away the Curse Man's Sin had made it subject to O precious Blood Drop drop upon my Soul Let me feel thy Virtue Drive out the Curse Water this barren Ground that hath brought forth Briars and Thorns and let it bring forth pleasant Fruit again 6. When I receive the Holy Bread my Mind must vent it self in some such breathings as these Either O My Lord I do remember with Joy and Grief that thy Body was Crucified for me the meanest of thy Servants I remember it with joy because thy Love is wonderful O how vehement how violent was it to love an Enemy and by that Love to charm me into Obedience I remember it with grief because my Sins were thy Murtherers O my Lord I will stand out against thy offers of Grace no longer Here take my Heart I solemnly resolve to dedicate my Self and all I have to thy Service Or O God! this Sacred Bread puts me in mind how the Lamb of God was offered for me Do I believe this and shall not my Soul make thee her highest and her chiefest good O my God I take thee here not only for my Saviour but for my King and Master too Come Holy Spirit rule my Heart for I will hence forward serve no other Gods but the Great Jehovah alone who loved me and gave himself for me Or O my Jesus My Life My Joy My Comfort Thou diedst that I might live I remember it and adore thy Majesty in misery O make me thine and as this Bread doth mingle with my Substance so let thy Spirit mingle with my Soul that the same Mind may be in me which was also in Christ Jesus Or Look upon this Bread O my Soul it represents the bleeding Body of thy dearest Lord. Bleed O my Heart Give thy self up to him that groaned for thee It 's done O God neither Death nor Life shall separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. 7. When I receive the Holy Wine my thoughts must still be at work and address themselves to God in Christ Jesus some such way as this Either O Jesu I thankfully remember that thy Blood was spilt for me What am I and what is my Fathers House that thou hast brought me thus far Thou hast loved me better than I have done my self O my Lord give me thy sweet thy tender thy free thy humble Spirit that I may be one with thee and may admire none in heaven but thee and desire nothing on Earth besides thee Or O blessed Balsom of my wounded Heart Welcome thou Sovereign Salve How seasonable is this Medicine I die if thy Blood relieve me not O wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow I have deserved to drink the Cup of Trembling and Astonishment and thou holdest out to me the Cup of Salvation O my Soul remember who it is that is so kind to thee O esteem adore magnifie and love him for ever Or O thou blessed Shepherd of my Soul How ought I to blush when I think of thy Blood which my Sins did spill Thou hast turned my Darkness into Light and my Treason into an Antidote Thou curest me by Contradictions and the Blood my Sins have drawn from thy flesh is become the only refuge I have in the day of Wrath. O look upon thine own Blood and hide me in thy Wounds I know not how to prize thy favour O do thou teach me to do great things for thee to deny my self to take up my Cross and to follow thee Or O my Lord By thy Tears and by thy Blood thou adjurest me this day to imitate thee in thy Graces in thy Meekness in thy Patience in thy Humility in thy Charity in thy Contempt of the World and in thy Heavenlymindedness My heart is fixed O God! my heart is fixed I will Sing and give Praise Thou shalt be my Pattern Here under thy Cross I promise Obedience and Conformity to thy Graces O do thou help me O assist me uphold me with thy free Spirit so shall I teach Transgressors thy Way and Sinners shall be converted unto thee Or Great Bishop of my Soul who hast left the ninety and nine in the Wilderness and art come to seek this straying Sheep Behold Lord the Prodigal is coming home again Thou comest towards me Bleeding Groaning Dying thou comest to receive him that hath forsaken thee to draw him that hath fled from thee to kiss him that did scourge thee to Crown him that did Prick thee to Embrace him that did