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	spirit_n	work_n	2,510	5	5.9326	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06532	A very excelle[n]t [and] swete exposition vpon the XXII. [sic] Psalme of Dauid called in Latine Dominus regit me, &c. Translated out of hye Almayne into Englyshe by Myles Couerdale.; Dreiundzwanzigste Psalm der Tisch ausgelegt. English	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.; Coverdale, Miles, 1488-1568. aut; Osiander, Andreas, 1498-1552. Wie und wohin ein Christ die grausamen Plag der Pestilentz fliehen soll. English. aut	1538 (1538)	STC 17000; ESTC S104352	54,883	122

is it not done without a speciall battayll of fayth For suche helpe doth he promyse vs in hys holy worde that we shulde beleue it And yf we beleue it it happeneth vnto vs accordynge to oure fayth Therfore sayeth the prophet more ouer hys truth is speare and shylde That is hys godly promyses The veapens of fayth whych are sure and true notherlye nor deceaue Those be our weapens wherwyth we fyght and ouercome all aduersyte But lyke as speare shylde are not profytable vnto hym that can not vse them nor wyll Euen so also do not the promyses of God profyte hym that can not fyghte therwyth and wyll not beleue theron For that is the ryght scyence in this battayll whan mysfortune The sciēce of the warre of fayth aduersite or tentacion commeth that we loke aboute vs accordynge vnto Gods worde Namely what comforte and promyse he hath made vnto vs in suche a case wyth a ryghte belefe to take holde of the same as of a shylde and to comforte and defēde oure selues ther with so can ther no mischaūce do vs harme as the holye Saynt Paule in the last chapter of hys Epistle to the Ephesians teacheth and sayeth Before all thynges take the shylde of fayth wherwyth ye maye quenche all the fyrye dartes of the wycked c. Agaynste the same namelye agaynste Sathan oure head enemye is suche worde of God euen the ryghte speare wherwith we wounde and ouercome hym Nothynge hurteth the Deuell so sore as the worde of God For no bodely wapen hurteth and hyndreth men so sore as the worde of God stoppeth and hyndreth Sathan yf it be thrust vnder hys nose agaynste hys venymous dealynge and temtacion For yf a seruaūt that dealeth wrongeously and vnthriftely in hys maysters goodes busynesses be afrayed vexed and persed thorowe the harte whan a symple man sayeth vnto him Thou vnthrift why doost thou so that is not thy maysters wyll and meanynge he dyd not so cōmaunde the. Howe much more goeth it thorowe Satans harte whan a vertuous Christen man holdeth the worde of God vnder hys eyes and bryngeth witnesse ouer hym that he as a wycked creature hādleth agaynst hys maker agaynst hys chosen chyldren Therfore doth holye saynte Paule call Gods worde also the swearde of the sprete Mat. iiii And the LORDE Christe defendeth hymselfe onely wyth the same agaynste all temtacions of Satan in the wyldernesse Howe whan thou takest holde thus of Gods promyses thorow fayth and vsest thē for speare and shylde to defende thy selfe and to smyte Satan then out of the same it followeth as the prophete sayeth farther That thou nedest not to feare for the horryblenesse of the nyght For the arowes that flye in the daye tyme. For the pestilence that commeth pryuely in the darke For syckenesse that destroyeth in the noone daye For these foure aduersites set forwarde and shorten the lyfe of the vnbeleuers But the faythfull hath such consolacion and promes The horriblenesse of the nyghte that he nedeth not to be afrayed Fyrst for the horryblenesse of the nyght That is for all maner of tentacion and deceate that happen vnto men by nyght in the darknesse For thys we all perceaue that in the nyght and in the darknesse we are weaker mynded of more despayre and more afrayed then in the lyghte The bloude runneth to oure hartes the heere 's stonde vpryght and all the body waxeth colde for feare Out of thys cōmeth it thē that we thynke we se heare perceaue somwhat which in very dede is not so Then goeth ther one astray another leseth hys coloure the thyrde falleth sycke the fourthe is become crocked the fyfthe goeth out of hys wyt And so men thynke that the deuell hath done it where as it is yet a playne natural workynge of the exceadynge grete feare whyche wolde destroye a man euen by daye tyme yf it were so greate The deuil is cause of horryblenesse Howbeyt true it is that the deuell causeth such feare and prynteth it in that he maye begile and destroye vs by feare as by a naturall workynge Yet is it nothynge but a feare For the prophete calleth it not an euel or good sprete but planely the horryblenesse of the nyght Nother is it ony thynge els also but an horrour feare and continueth an horrour and feare Therfore where a ryght belefe is there is no feare Where no fearfulnesse is there is also no horrour nor fātasye of spretes or deceatfulnesse of the nyght The cause of lygtenynges and such lyke but playne corage and boldnesse Yf onye thynge els be sene as fyre or lyghte they be but naturall thynges out of the heate of the ground lyke as lyghtenynges draggons fallyngestarres and cometes be in the ayre and in the heauē But here wythall wyll not I speake agaynst the wouderfull visions and tokens whyche god sendeth for a warnyng be for greate myschaunces to come The arowes in the daye tyme Secondarely is the faythfull sure for the arowes that flye in the daye tyme. That is all maner of myschaunces which ouertake a man openly in the daye and yet so sodenly and vnwares that he can not escape them As whan a tyle falleth from the roofe of an house whan a wycked beast doth euell or whan an vngracious personne doth hurt in body name or good For suche misfortunes come for the moost perte so sodenly that a man can not preuente them but must let them hyt as wyth an arowe and afterward restore heale the harme wyth greate trauayle and laboure But nowe wyll God preserue hys faythfull from such misfortune yf they haue hys promyses before theyr eyes beleue theron and ordre theyr lyues therafter The pestilence Thyrdly a faythfull person nedeth not also to be afrayed for the pestilence that slyppeth in preuely in the darke Thys is verely a comfortable promyse in thys daungerous tyme for the whiche we shulde by ryght put oure trust in God and thanke him therfore for asmuch as it is one of the moost perlous and horryble plages wherwyth he visyteth and punyssheth the synne of the worlde For it taketh hold of lyfe vnwares and plucketh a man awaye in two or thre dayes or euer he can ordre hys busynesse and house make hys testament crepeth in preuely in the darke so that no man knoweth what it is or whēce it commeth or whyther it goeth therfor can no man kepe hymselfe surely from it For yf it were in meate or drynke it myghte be eschued Yf it were an euell tayst it myght be expelled wyth a swete sauoure Yf it were an euel wynde the chābre myghte wyth diligence be made close therfore Yf it were a cloude or myst it myght be sene and auoyded Yf it were a rayne a man myghte couer hym selfe for it But now is it a secret mysfortune that crepeth in preuely so that it can nother be sene nor herde nother smelled nor taysted

ouer the Psalme ¶ The LORDE is my shepherde I shall lacke nothynge FYrst of all the prophet and euery faythfull hart calleth God hys shepherde Nowe though the scripture geueth God many louynge names Yet thys whiche the Prophete geueth here vnto God is a much more swete and gracyous name where he calleth hym a shepherde and sayeth A swet● name The LORD is my shepherde It is very comfortable whan the scripture calleth God our hope oure strength oure stonye rocke our castell our shelde our cōforte our deliuerer our kynge c. For verely he declareth the thynge so styll in dede vnto his owne that he is euen so as the scripture describeth hym But excedynge cōfortable is it that he is called here and many tymes els in the scripture a shepeherde For in this only word Shepe herde is almost all comprehēded together what good and comfortable thynge so euer is spoken of God The cause the mo●ed the prophet to cal God his shey herds Therfore doth the prophete speake thys worde wyth a ioyfull and sorowlesse hart whych is full of fayth and for very great gladnesse cōforte exceadeth And sayeth not The LORDE is my strēgth castel c. Whiche were a maruaylous comfortable sayenge But the LORD is my shepherde As yf he wolde say Yf the LORDE be my shepherde and I his shepe then am I wonde rous well prouided for both in body soule he shall get me a competent lyuynge he shall defende me kepe me fro mysfortune he shal care for me he shall helpe me out of all trou ble he shall confort me he shall strength me c. Summa he shall do for me what so euer a good shepherde ought to do All these benefites and mo doth he cōprehēde in this onely worde Shepherde as he expoundeth it hymselfe immediatly where he sayeth I shall lacke nothynge Besydes this some of the other names which the scripture ascribe vnto God sounde partly to glorious and to hye brynge in a maner a feare with them whā men heare thē to be named As whā the scripture calleth God our LORDE Kynge Maker c. Of such a nature is not this worde Shepherde but soundeth very frendly and vnto thē the be godly it bryngeth in a maner a confidence cōforte and trust with it whā they reade or hear it lyke as this worde Father and other mo whā they be appropriated vnto God A v●●●y cōforta● le similit●de Therfore is this one of the most louyng and cōfortable similitudes yet very cōmē in the scripture that it lykeneth the maiesty of god to avertuous faythful or as Christ sayeth a good shepherde and vs poore weake and wretched synners to a shepe Now can not thys cōfortable louynge similitude be better vnderstande thā to go into the creatures themselues wherout the prophetes toke thys such other lyke similitudes and to learne diligently thereby what the condiciō and property of a naturall shepe is and the office labour and diligence of a good shepherde Who so taketh good hede therunto maye not onely wyth ease vnderstande this and other similitudes in the scripture concernynge the shepherde and the shepe but also they shal be vnto him exceadynge swete and comfortable A shepe must lyue only by the helpe de fence and diligēce of hys shepherde The condicion of a shepe as soone as it leseth hym it is compassed about with all maner of parell and must nedes perysh for it can not helpe it selfe For why it is a poore weake and innocent beast that can nother fede nor gyde it selfe nor fynde the ryght waye nor kepe it selfe agaynst ony vnhappynesse or misfortune Sauynge this that of nature it is fearfull flyeth goeth astraye And yf it go but a lytle out of the waye and come from hys shepherde it is not possible for it selfe to fynde hym agayne but runneth euer farther and farther from him And though it come to other shepherdes and shepe yet is it nothynge helped therwith For it knoweth not the voyce of straūge shepherdes therfore flyeth it from them and runneth so longe astraye tyll the wolfe rauysh it or tyll it perysh some other wayes Neuerthelesse as weake a beaste as it is yet hath it thys condicion The propertie of a shepe that wyth all diligēce it bydeth with his owne shepherde and seketh comforte at hys helpe and defēce And how or whether so euer he leadeth it it followeth And yf it can but be with hym it careth for nomore nother feareth it ony mā but is carelesse and mery for it lacketh nothynge It hath also thys good vertue in it whiche is well to be marked for Christ doth specially prayse the same in hys shepe thys vertue I saye it hath that it wyll be earnest and sure to heare and knowe the voyce of hys shepherde and ordreth it selfe therafter and wyl for nothynge go from it but followeth strayght the same Agayne it regardeth no straunge shepherdes voyce And though they call and whistle vppon it neuer so frendly yet careth not it therfore much lesse doth it followe them Agayne The office of a shepherde this is y● office of a good shepherde that he doth not only prouyde for his shepe pasture and other mo thynges that belonge therto but defendeth them also that no harme chaunce vnto them Besydes this he taketh diligent hede that he lefe none Yf ony go astraye he runneth after it seketh it and fetcheth it agayne As for such as be yonge feble and sicke he dealeth gently with them kepeth them holdeth them vp and caryeth thē tyll they be olde strōge whole c. Euen thus goeth it also in the spirituall shepfolde that is to saye How it goeth in the shep folde of Christ in the flocke of Christ Loke how lytle a naturall shepe can kepe gyde rule saue or defēde it selfe against daunger and mysfortune for it is a feble and wapenlesse beast So lytle cā we poore weak and miserable people kepe rule our selues spiritually walke and endure in the ryght waye or of our owne strēgth to defēde vs agaynst all euel and to get vs helpe and comforte in trouble and distresse For how shulde he haue skyll to gyde hym selfe after a godly fashion The misery of oure nature that knoweth nothynge of God that is conceaued and borne in synne as we all are and of nature the chylde of wrath and the enemye of God How shuld we fynd the ryght waye and cōtinue therin seynge that as the prophet Esay sayeth we can do nothynge but go astray Howe is it possible that we shulde defende our selues from the dyuell which is a prince and lorde of this worlde whose presoners also we be euery one seynge that with all oure power and myghte we can not do so muche as to hynder a smale leafe to hurte vs or a poore flee from greuynge vs Why wyll we poore wretched people boaste so muche of

shall smyte the wyth swellynge feuer heate burnynge blastynge drouth c. and shall persecute the tyll he vtterly destroye the and brynge the to naught And certaynly this is the playne truth and the very originall of these plages No man ought to doute theron For thoughe the forsayd natural causes do somwhat also thereto yet is it sure and vndouted that the same causes be sent and steared vp oute of Gods wrath for our synne and vnthank fulnesse And truely that it is euen so the holy scripture declareth not wych bare wordes onely but sheweth it also wyth notable ensamples For in the fourth boke of Moses the fourtenth Chapter whan all the spyes excepte Iosua and Caleb spake euell of the lāde of promyse and made the people vnpaciente and vprourysshe so that they chose them a captayne and thought to go agayne into Egypte and to stone Moses and Aaron which commaunded them the contrarye we reade thus Then appeared the glorye of the LORDE and spake vnto Moses Howe longe doth thys people blaspheme me And howe longe wyll they not beleue me for all the tokens that I haue done vpon them therfore wyll I smytte and destroye them with pestilence and make of the a grater nacion then thys Lykewyse also whan Dauid caused the people to be nombred agaynste Gods commaundemēt he displeased the LORDE God horibly therwith Therfore layed he the punyshment vpon hym so that he was fayne to chose hym selfe whether he had rather haue seuen yeares derth or thre monethes myschaunce in battayl or thre dayes pestilence in the lande And whan he chose the pestilence ther dyed in thre dayes seuentye thousande men as it is wrytten in the laste Chapter of the .ii. boke of Samuel Seynge then that out of the word of God we knowe the very cause of thys horryble plage Namely that it is the defaute of our synnes as vnbelefe disobedience vnthankfulnesse therfore before all thynges it shall be necessary that we refrayne from the same repent and aniende our lyues Yf we wyll els be preserued and delyuered from thys horrible plage For yf God punysh vs because of synne it is good to consydre that we must fyrst knowlege and eschue our synnes in case that he shall withdrawe and take awaychys wrath punyshment from vs. Yf we amēde not God continueth ī puny shynge For yf we cōtinue in our euell synfull and culpable lyfe certaynly he shal not ceasse with the punyshment but go forth more more tyll he geue and recompence accordynge to our workes But yf we knowlege our synne refrayne frō it repent and axe grace thē shall he also take awaye hys wrath And thys horrible wrath with other heuy burthens as warre derth that lye vpon oure neck shall he mercyfully take away from vs agayne As holy Paule sayeth .i. Cor. xi Yf we iudged our selues we shulde not be iudged But whan we are iudged we be chastened of the LORDE that we shulde not be damned with the worlde And out of all thys maye youre charyte well perceaue howe vnwysely and vnchristenly they do that out of inordinate feare of thys plage leaue theyr callynge and offyce maliciously wythdrawyng the loue helpe faythfulnesse which they out of gods commaundement are bounde to shewe vnto theyr neghbours and so do synne greuously agaynst the commaundement of God For certaynly they do but steare vp the wrath of God more earnestly agaynste themselues that he may the sooner take hold vpon them and pluck them awaye with thys plage For men maye heare on euery syde A pyteous case that some do shone and flye not only the syck but also the whole Yee that yet more foolyshe is euen the platters and candelstyches whiche come out of straūge houses as though death dyd surely styck therin And out of suche fonde chyldyshe feare it commeth that not onely some syck folkes be suffred to dye away with out all kepynge helpe and comforte but the wemen also greate wyth chylde be forsaken in theyr nede or els commeth there vtterly no man vnto them Yee a man maye heare also that the chyldren forsake theyr fathers and mothers and one houshold body kepeth hymselfe awaye from another and sheweth no soue vnto hym Whyche neuertheles he wolde be glad to se shewed vnto hymselfe yf he laye in lyke necessite Howbeyt I suppose ther come not manye such chaunces to passe neuerthelesse I must speake therof that it be done nomore from henceforth For certaynly it is vnwysely vnchristenly handled we nede not thynke that the same is the waye to escape thys plage but rather an occasion that it raygne the more myghtely ouer vs. The more we flye the punishment the farther daunger we rūne in For seynge it is sure as ye haue herde afore that such plage is sent for punyshment of oure synnes and Christe hath geuen vs a new cōmaundemēt that we shulde loue one another as he hath loued vs it followeth that the farther we departe from the loue of our neghboure the more we lade synne vpō vs and deserue thys plage but the more Agayne the more diligētlye that we take hede vnto the loue of oure neghboure the surer shall we be from thys plage No man nedeth to doute therof Noman ought to preasse in the daūger wythout necessite But here wythall wyll I also counsell or compell no man to ony vnuedeful daunger that he is not bounde vnto by his callynge nor by loue but onely warne those whyche for feare leaue that whiche they are bounde to do before God To the intent that for suche naked feares sake they do not transgresse nor omytte the commaundemēt of God hope by synne to escape this plage which neuerthelesse cōmeth because of synne For that were a foolysh vnaduysed counsel yf one wolde go aboute to escape the wrath of God by transgression and by synne to auoyde the punyshment of synne Besydes thys doth experience shewe also that they which be so sore afrayed do cōmunly miscary Agayne they that wayte vpon theyr offyces and serue theyr neghbours be delyuered As it is well sene in the minysters of the churche and other mo that shone not the syck but muste vyset and comforte them wyth Gods worde and prouyde for them wyth the holy sacrament For we se no where that they therfore must also be soone syck and must dye Yee how must the hygher powers of the worlde do which by reason of theyr callynge and for the cōmune profyt regimentes sake abyde also in the ioperdy and must mynystre because of loue Specyally the chefest on one wherof ther lyeth more thē on a thousād of other And yet doth God cōmunly preserue thē also that they be delyuered left styl on lyue and dye in a good quyet age Vnbelefe and mist rust in God is cause of flyenge Therfore certaynly such inordinate feare and flyenge agaynst Gods commaundemēt is nothynge els but a declaryng of a greate and sore

he promyseth you that shal be yee and not naye He wyl abyde faste by his promyse euen as he sayeth hymselfe I will not take away my kyndnesse from hym Psal lxxxviii nor suffre my truth to fayle I wyl not breake my conuenaunte not disanulle the thynge that is gone out of my lyppes ❧ Howe wyfe chyldren and other frendes shal be comforted the husbonde beynge dead SEynge nowe that God hath called your husbonde father or other good frende out of thys mysery into euerlastynge ioye therfore shall ye receaue it wyllyngly for it is hys worke Repyne not therfore at hys worke nother wepe agaynst his wyl cōmitte the cause vnto him take it of his hande as a fatherly prouynge saye with Iobe God hath geuen vs hym hath taken hym agayn the name of LORDE be blessed as it was the LORDES wyll so is it happened God almyghty wyll proue you as be dyd Iob how ye wyll behaue youre selfe as he taketh out of youre syght the thynge that ye loue He wyll admytte well ynough that ye be sorye For it is seldome sene but a man be he neuer so vyle Ther is no membre of the body but it hath hys proper gyfte or of so lytle reputacion hath euer a sondery gyfte wherew t he serued profyted other And the same gyftes were not greatly regarded in a man whyle he lyued for cōmunely we regarde lytle suche thynges as are present but as soone as the man is gone so soone as that vessel is spilte thā begynne we to want the gyftes that were cōteyned therin Therfore is it no maruayle that we be sory for suche a gyfte of God yf it be takē out of our syghte God is displeased wyth mysvsynge of hys gyftes As longe as we use men the gyftes accordyng as they be ordeyned of God for our necessite than do we well and that can God suffre well ynough But that we misvse thē and make an ydost of them that can not God suffre For whan we put oure trust cōforte in man or ony other creature than do we wrōgge misvse the same and the curse cōmeth vpō vs wherof it is wryttē Ierem. xvii Cursed is the mā that putteth hys trust in man For all mans helpe is to be suffred only whā they be presente and that we haue nede of them but as soone as they are gone than must we loke for other helpe namely God lettynge go it that passeth awaye thynkyng it to be tēporal faydynge at the twynklynge of an eye and vanyte that is in thys world We haue here no abydynge thyng but must loke aboute for the thynge to come that endureth for euer God can not abyde that we make much of creatures For thys cause doth God draw pull vs so from the creatures And seynge he is oure true father bridegrome husbōde he can not for he is strōge gelous abyde that we set oure hope loue or trust vpon ony creatur Thys is the cause then that he doth take vs from thē and caryeth vs vpon hym selfe For loke on what creature we haue mooste hope loue and affection that wyll he soonest take out of syght yf he doth loue vs. And whan he hath suche gelousy vpon vs than doth he mooste chefely declare hys loue towarde vs. We ought to call noman father vy● earth By thys also it commeth that Christe Mathe .xviii. forbyddeth vs to call ony man father vpon earth for we haue onely one father in heauen namely God which wyl nor can suffre vs to call or to haue ony mā vpon earth father that because we shulde depend and hange only vpō hym lokyng for al good of hym For he wyll be the same that we maye hardely truste vnto seynge he can not nor wyll fayle vs that because he is no earthly but an heauenly father For thys cause than is that man blessed and happy that putteth hys trust hope and confidence in the LORDE as the prophete sayeth Psal xxxiii Fynally yf whan nature fulfylleth hyr course Iob. xiii man hath but cōtinual trauayl mysery after that thys course of nature is ended at rest mā is eased of so great trauayl we seme to hate rather thā to loue them that be departed yf we wold wish thē to be in this wretched worlde agayne Moreouer in makyng so muche of oure frendes departed and settyng so greate affection vpon them wysh ynge Gods worke not to be fulfylled vpon them we blame God in hys wyll and workynge as though he knew not better what were best both for them and vs than we Let vs therfore set oure wyll in Gods wyll and suffer hym to worke at hys pleasur For he knoweth best what is both oure frendes and oure soules health FINIS ¶ Printed in Southwarke by me Iames Nicolson