Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	grace_n	life_n	sin_n	2,939	5	4.9686	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07960	A path-way to penitence with sundry deuout prayers, fruiteful aduertisementes, and wholesome counsailes of godly fathers towards the amendement of life and some withdrawing of the bridle of ouer-much liberty taken.	J. N.; Norden, John, 1548-1625?	1591 (1591)	STC 18328.5; ESTC S4794	39,805	330

A Path vvay to Penitence VVith sundry deuout prayers fruiteful aduertisementes and wholesome counsailes of godly Fathers towards the amendement of life and some withdrawing of the bridle of ouer-much liberty taken Luke 1● 〈…〉 by the narrow gate 〈…〉 shall seeke to enter 〈…〉 LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe 1591. The end and purpose of this Booke LAy downe thy lofty lookes Thy rich and rufling ragges Sith God nor godly brookes That beggars make such bragges This wretched state you know Shall soone be laide full lowe Death puls thee by the sleeue And cals thee to account Thou wo●st a moneth to liue To what it doth amount But least it be a weeke Prepare be not to seeke Examine by this squire And see if all be square To scape that lasting fire Flie paines nor cost nor care To helpe thy life to looke T is purpose of this Booke Of Penitence and the parts thereof PEnitence is the griefe and sorrowing of the heart for the sins and offences committed together with an earnest purpose and desire to forsake them and to be clensed of them that grace may be restored by such meanes as GOD hath lefte whereby to obtaine it To say thou art sorie for thy sins cōmitted against the diuine maiesty and yet hast a liking thereof or some remnant of a will or purpose in thy hart to renew them againe it is but wicked dissumulation deriding of the holy action of Penitence without which no sinner can wel hope to attaine to saluation Let such take this for admonitiō both dreadful and often verified they are most likely to be preuented and ouertaken with the wrath of God whose merciful fauor in giuing thē sufficient space and means to repent they haue neglected and ouerpassed and so shal be disappointed both of time and the necessary means to their forgiuenesse Therefore it will be most safety readily to embrace Gods mercy when it is offered with some deuotion fear and dread of his iustice Like as it is a thing most dreadful to despaire of forgiuenes or vpon presuming of his mercy and forgiuenes and perseuere in a delight liking of the former sins and offences Penitence is thought to consist of three thinges viz. Contrition which is the inward griefe and hearty sorrowing for our sinnes committed to the impairing of that dignity and polluting of that purity whereunto wee attained by our calling in Baptisme but especially to the prouocation of GODS wrath thereby Which contrition and inward motion of grace mooueth and counsaileth to procéede to the acknowledging of our manifold sins and accusing of our selues in the court of conscience by confession there to iudge our selues least we bée iudged of the Lorde And sith the account of our life and offences committed is the waightiest cause that any mortall man can passe through and deale with in his life it is to be attempted and taken in hand rather with all care feare and diligence possible then sleightly superficially without due regard which we vtterly disalow of in the meanest of our worldly causes Then resteth the thirde parte which is restitution and amends making which some do cal satisfactiō which is not to be taken as though we are able by any workes or merits to deserue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes or to yéelde any méete recompence to God for offending and displeasing his diuine Maiesty for in that respect Christ in his most precious bloudshedding hath wrought a satisfaction for vs if wee withall perfourme our dueties thereby to bee partakers in that benefite as by his holy word and the counsaile of the holy Ghost in his Church hee hath willed vs. But the satisfaction belonging of our parts is the humbling of our hearts the brideling of our fleshly appetites the bringing forth of penitēt fruits in expres actions to the world as in almes prayer fasting abating of our pride pompe in our apparell the charitable bestowing of our superfluity to the comfort and reliefe of the needy or otherwise to the honour of God or good example in the Common-wealth Also by forgiuing others offences against vs and by restoring vnto all mē whatsoeuer we with-hold or tooke away wrongfully and that is that little which wée are able to do towards satisfaction wherewith GOD may be pleased his wrath the better appeased Reasons perswading to Penitence and the speedy performance thereof The néedfulnes thereof The profite thereby The sundry examples of men in time past Ezechiel 18. If the wicked shall bee conuerted from his wickednesse and become righteous all his iniquities which he hath done shall bee forgotten Chris. de Penit. O penitentia quid de te nunc referam c. O Penitence what shall I now say of thée thou settest free the soule that is bound and preseruest that which is vnbound By thée the théef obtained Paradice the prodigall sonne a chaine of worship the cittie of Niniuie pardon and Peter forgiuenesse when as hee had denied Christ. Philosophy saieth that euery thing is vndone by the same causes it grew The rule of law saith the thing is not forgiuen excepte the thing wrongfully taken be restored God graunt that the Penitence which is to bee performed for our sinnes and offences be not required to the last farthing If thou aske when Penitence is to be done forsooth presently it is but presumption to defer it Eccles. That which thou maiest doe doe it forthwith Gal. 6. Whiles we haue time let vs doe thinges that be good Aristot. Of all our time non habemus nisi nunc we haue but this time which we call Now. Godly cogitations inducing to Penitence and amendment of life THinke on the goodnesse of God on his diuine might and vertue Thinke how good he hath béene to thee to create thée of so noble a shape as in his owne likenesse Thinke what grace hee hath done to thee in the Sacrament of Baptisme cleansing thy soule from sinne Thinke how often and manifoldly thou hast offended him since the vow and profession in Baptisme Thinke howe weekely monethly or yearely he hath tarried for and expected thy returning from sinne Thinke from howe many daungers he hath preserued thee in body and soule Thinke how ill thou hast bestowed the time that hath béene giuen thee to performe true Penitence and yet perhaps thou hast not done it Thinke how many times he hath forgiuē thée in christ and howe many times thou hast fallen to sinne againe Thinke what paine and torment thou haddest beene in now and euermore if god had taken thee out of this worlde when thou wast in deadly sinne Thinke how dearely hee bought thée from the danger of the diuell suffering continuall pains in this world about the space of 32. yeares going barefoote in cold and in heate suffering hunger and thirst and many reprochfull iniuries at length sheading his precious bloud and yéelding his body to the Crosse. Cassiodorus Thinke all that time to be lost in which thou hast not thought on