Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	know_v	lord_n	3,918	5	3.5901	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22871	An introduction to the looue of God. Accompted among the workes of S. Augustine, and translated into English, by the right reuerend father in God, Edmund, Bishop of Norvvitch, that nowe is, and by him dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie, to the glorie of God, and comfort of his chosen. And newlie turned into Englishe meter by Robert Fletcher. 1581.	Simard, Marie Ange, attributed name.; Freake, Edmund, ca. 1516-1591.; Fletcher, Robert, fl. 1586.	1581 (1581)	STC 936; ESTC S114474	35,980	111

lawde Thou art his workemanship and yet the price of thy redemption too Because that price most precious was it was his mercy so to doo Man béeing prisoner thrall to wretche beset about with filthy sinne His fréendly fauour thought it fit he should be raunsomed by him O happy faulte of mine therefore for purging of the which my Lorde Was drawne by looue it to redéeme according to his holy woord I neuer fully should haue knowne his looue and fauour vnto me But that the perrill of my state my present true proportions be How fortunate was then my fall that by the same more happily I was restorde and raisde againe redéemde from endles miserie Then is no looue so great as this no zeale so pure no charitie Nor no affection like to that an innocent for me should die He fréendly was but found no cause of looue and fauor which he bare Euen vnto me deceiuing none therefore O Lord my minde prepare And tell me what remainde in me which thou estéemde so gratiousty Why thou so déerely did me looue that for my sake desirde to die What haste thou found in me O Lord in nature or in qualitie The which so willing might thée make to suffer this great crueltie FINIS 6. Chap. ¶ Of the benefit of God in calling vs to faithe 7. cap. ANd thou my soule to th'end thou maist beholde this looue and ioy therein Consider what comparisons betwéene this looue and thée hath bin How much thy betters be forlorne refusde and cast away likewise That neuer to like grace with thée nor to like fauour could arise Thou knowst that since the world began whole generations passed be Without the knowledge of theyr God and price of theyr redemption frée The which are fallen into the lappes of déepe destruction endles dayes Vnlesse it please our Sauiour swéete of mercie his them thence to raise Héereby it dooth appeare to thée thou wast preferd before them all Fy thy redéemer which by grace so franck and fréely did thée call No cause at all remaindt in thée thereby to claime more then the rest The meere looue of thy Sauiour déere his mercy more to thee exprest Thy Spowse thy Loouer and thy Lord thy God and thy redeemer eke Hath chosen and forchosen thee before all worlds in mercy meeke For his great looue thus borne to thée thy God and Sauiour he became That thy memoriall might remaine he calde thée by his proper name He would thou should partaker be bothe of his name and truthe also Because thou art annointed with the oyle of gladnes which dooth flowe Euen from himselfe that with himselfe he beeing Christ the corner stone Thou maist in him a Christian so be called by his name alone But were thou stronger then the rest in noble ritche or wise degrée Thereby receiuing speciall grace aboue them all to make thée frée How many wise how many strong how many noble ritch also Reiected were yet chosen thou when they forsaken thence did go They perished thou prospered and highly doost in fauour stand Great hath his bounty béene to thée which thou receiued at his hand When thou wast foule he made thée faire when thou with sinne deformed was Yea lothesome ragged rent and torne this mighty woorke he brought to passe His grace he gaue to be thy guide his looue for to inritch thée more A resolution absolute of mercy his take this therefore Moste resolute in this respect perswade thy selfe euen so to be Except thou with indeuor doo as héerein is discribed thée That is thy former decencie thy comlines and cleanenesse all To comprehend and to retaine which thou enioyde before thy fall Els méete thou neuer shalt be thought to enter that Bride Chamber where Thy Spowse in heauenly manner sits thou shalt not in that place appeare Trim vp and deck thy selfe my soule prepare make ready now in time Let present leasure giue thee leaue for to redresse thy former crime Sleeke vp thy forhead from thy face and fashion fine thy trim attire Fret of thy freckles rub thy Warts wash of thy spots of foule desyre Smoothe all thy wrinckles handsome bee thy rude behauiour now amend With all thy might indeuor thou cleane to continue to the end In order all things sée thou set that thou maiste be accepted now Of this moste louing spowse and mate as héeretofore is tolde thée how Prepare thy selfe I say with spéede as best becomes the Bride of him That is immortall euen thy God with whom thou shalt remain most trim And as beséemeth such a Spowse that thée he may his Spowses call Thy Sauiour and redéemer euen thy mighty King celestiall FINIS 7. Cap. ¶ Of the gift of vertues The 8. Cap. KNow this also my soule that thou hast where withall thy selfe to dect As golden Bracelets for thine armes and Chaines to put about thy neck Which of thy selfe thou couldst not haue but that thy God dooth giue them thée For to bestowe at pleasure thine if thankfull for the same thou be For thou of him receiued hast thy vesture and thy garments all All thy good woorkes thy frutes of almes thy fasting and what dooth be fall To thée thy prayers powred foorth to him with faith he héeres the saine All other vertues be his gifts and by his grace in thée doo frame He garnisheth in goodly wise with gorgious and with trim attyre As if a robe bothe fresh and faire of sundry coloures thou desire Least thou should fayle in any poynt of health and of refection good He bountifully hath bestowde on thée thy health and dayly foode And whatsoeuer may repayre thy comlinesse and beauty bothe What els thy credit may conunend that thou should lack it he is lothe Thinke on the same I pray thee then with diligence aduised be That nothing héereof was thine owne till he in grace had giuen it thee That which before thou hadst receiude of him it stoode thée in no cost Of much which was on thée bestowde the same by negligence thou lost That which lost is thée restorde againe whereby thou maist be sure Not destitute thou shalt be left he still thy profit will procure In such sort as thou shalt perceiue and know how that intirely he Dooth looue thée like a Parramour most loth my soule for to loose thée And for this cause he dooth attend and paciently the time dooth stay Long sufferaunce and liberty he lets thee haue him to obay According to his mercy great so often as thou art to blame So often he thy faults remits as thou art sory for the same Wherefore record and call to minde how many may be found which haue Receiued like rewarde with thée as heere recited which he gaue Nor yet with the like fauour might finde for to be renewd againe When they defiled had themselues with foule abuse theyr state did staine Iuste cause thou haste considering then thy selfe belooued more then all For that the things which thou hast lost

Creatures all that in the world euer were No eye his countenaunce can discerne he in no likenesse will appeare And therefore to auoyde him quite it passeth mans habillitie Some time he dooth assault vs sore with violence euen openlie Some times he secretly will steale and guilefully he alwayes will Continew in his crueltie and seeketh meanes our soules to kill But who is able to endure all this his mischéefe to withstand Or who is fit t'encounter with this chapion stoute to take in hand In verie déede no earthlie man but he that long hath looued vs And that by his triumphant death this victorie atchieude for vs. Now maist thou knowe therfore my soule how harde and difficult it is Euen to be continent if that the grace of God thereto thou misse Great cause therefore we haue to looue him most intyrelie for the same For onelie in the Lord we haue this power praysed be his name Our might he giues vs to withstand this tryple battrey all by force Maintaind against vs by these foes that would of vs take no remorce It is our God that dooth therefore tread vnderfoote eche fowle offence Our looue our lust our lauishe minde our fleshlie vile concupiscence As also all the world and all her vile and worldlie vanities Her trecherous entisements and of men the wofull myseries And finally the Diuell with his crafte and false suggestions vile His subtile shiftes whereby he sought my simple soule for to beguile Then haue not I iust cause thinke you of duetie to confesse that he Which mightie is of mighties most all these great thinges hath done for me FINIS 13. Cap. ¶ Of the gift of Hope 14. Cap. MOreouer my good God dooth giue me grace that I my selfe perswade And to conforme that by his will I am to him obedient made And fullie am assured by faith that finally I shall not misse But by his promise shall inioye his kingdome and eternall blisse In the especiall pointes this grace consisteth and continueth too That I contempne detest and hate my sinnes forepast of purpose doo Disdayning present pleasures all or fonde delightes and séeke in some To frame and force our fowle desire to looke and long for thinges to come Which to attaine this hope we haue supported by thrée thinges also Which strengthen and confirme my heart that from this hope it dooth not goe And so dooth animate my minde me so incourage and perswade That lacke of merites want of workes nor worldly blisse my minde may glad Nor estimation of the ioyes which with delight my heart dooth grope Not any of these shall hable be to hale me from the fort of hope First I consider that the looue of him that hath adopted me And secondlie the trueth of him whose promises performed bée The thirde his mercie might and power that in these thrée did me redéeme Haue I not cause these benefites most highlie them for to estéeme Now therefore let my fleshlie thoughtes repine and murmure with disdaine Euen as they lust and aske me how I can these heauenlie ioyes attaine With confidence I aunswer will I knowe whome I beléeued haue His benefites perswades me so which vndeserued his mercie gaue Most condempnable were to doubt I am assured of his trueth I fullie am resolude from hence Grace and adoption bothe ensueth That he his promise will performe as one best hable to fulfill He may and dooth bothe heauen and earth commaund and they obay his will For these his merites I of right my God and Sauiour ought to looue It is the working of his Grace and mercie so my minde to mooue When I doo flée out from his face me to his presence he allures When I for sinfull life dispayre my present comfort he procures I am vnthankfull for his giftes yet dooth he benefite me styll When I vncleannes would commit he dooth my carnall humours kyll When I in vanities delight his trueth to me he dooth declare When I lie bound in snares of sinne he dooth my fréedome straight prepare And to conclude he dooth preserue and kéepe me from the pit of hell And drawes me from the wicked world within his kingdome for to dwell FINIS 14. Cap. ¶ Of Gods bountie of our iniquitie and of thankes giuing 15. Cap. BVt yet my soule beholde and sée consider how Gods goodnesse showne In all his giftes and benefites which thou receyuest as thine owne What gladsome comfortable chéere if thou thy worldlie will deny Christe offereth him selfe to thée what delycates he dooth apply With foode thy hunger to refresh he store in mercie dooth bestowe Thy pouertie he dooth enritch All these his graces thou doost knowe What secrete good affections hée euen with the same thy heart aspyres As with a pleasaunt cuppe of looue he dooth replenishe thy desyres That thou his footsteppes follow doo and transitorie thinges forsake Héereby thou mayst beholde thy God how great accoumpt of thée dooth make This is no simple thing thou séest or vile contempned for to bée That thou a gadding fugitiue his mercie more should giue to thée Thou wast a rechlesse rebell rude thou to eche treacherie wast thrall Yet he vnto his setled home and heauenlie mancion did thée call And plentifullie did refreshe with consolation spirituall He harkened to thy mishappe or euer thou had minde to call He comfortes thy confused minde if thou were tempted he sustaind If he in daunger did thée finde thy lybertie was quicklie gaind He thée reléeu'de if sorrowfull by him thou should comforted bée If wauering in minde thou waste he did confirme and strengthen thée How often euen with verie feare thou séemed like a withered wight He quicklie did thy state redéeme and thée endude with strength and might When thou in drought did drie away he did himselfe to thée infuse And often he with spirituall light thine vnderstanding did peruse Thy sence with swéetnesse he perfumde when thou delightst to reade or sing To praye or meditate thy minde in any kinde of heauenlie thing He rauished thy déepe delight from déepe delight in worldlie vice That thou mightst take thy pleasure in his euerlasting Paradice I leaue to speake of mightie workes it pleasde his Maiestie so to doo Of kindnesse and of mercie more which he restorde my soule vnto Least any parte of his due prayse should be ascribed vnto me And that the giuers graces should with the receipt vnited be Or knit together with the same or séeme as equall in consent Or he lyke praises should receyue whome God dooth make his instrument For if the creature should presume to be pertaker of the prayse Iniuriouslie he dealeth with his good Creatour diuers wayes For what hath any man a liue that he of God did not receyue Why should he then be praysde for that which he enioyes not but by leaue To thée therefore O Lord my God all honour prayse and glorie be Thankes giuing laude dominion power for these thy Graces gouerne me Sée nowe therefore

sayth aboue or equall howe they bée Inferiour or in what sort else all thinges in highe or lowe degree A highe comparison he makes for to perswade vs to the same Is God in Trinitie sayth he and Vnitie in one to frame The equall thinges with vs are ours in one consent with them t'agree As Angels at this present though farre distant from our sightes they bee In time shall be our equall mates where time in time no ende shall haue That woorthy we may be thereof Lord for thy mercie graunt we craue The thinges inferiour eke are ours and stand vs in most happy steede As necessarie instrumentes to serue our turne in time of néede As thinges pertaining to a Lord or Maister of an earthly man May be his seruants porcion like not robbing his sayde Maister than But pertinent by tytle due to serue the vse of seruant his Heereby the Maister hath no wrong the seruant hath not done amis In sundrie sortes the Scriptures saye that Angels for our sakes be sent To serue and to administer to vs by Gods cōmaundement Th'Apostle hath these wordes likewise are they not ministring Spirites callde Sent for their sakes that fear the lord that they in sinne should not be thrald Beleeue the same and let it not incredible seeme vnto you That he which king of angels is vs for to saue thought good to sew To saue and not be saued he came to dye for our redemptions all He gaue his life for many soules them to redeeme from endles thral The angells eke are saide for vs to offer vowes and prayers pure Vnto the seate of mighty Ioue therby our pardons to procure But not because they do instruct or teach the lord our deepe desires For he himselfe doth know our thoughtes to shew the same thers none aspires Before that wee do crimes commit and afterward to him is knowen Our fond imaginations al our selues before his face haue showen And they do waite to vnderstand his will and what his pleasure is And do to vs the same conuay to keepe vs least we walke amisse And for this cause the aungel sayd to men at such tymes as you pray I offred vp the same to God who sent you ayde without delay In like case also when you praye take not in hande our God to teache As if that ignoraunt he were what at his handes wee beseech But man must of necessitye commit his causes temporal Vnto theternall verity who can redeeme him out of thrall Whether he do desire the thing he could by his indeuour haue Or by consenting to the will of God and so the thing do craue From thabitacion of the heauens our soueraigne Lord doth angels send Euen downe to vs and for our sakes his heauenly pleasure to attend To visite and to help vs eke for God for vs and for themselues For him because most meete it is they wayte vpon no creature else But to reueale his lasting loue the bowels of his mercy great His pitye and compassiou both to imitate his mercy seate For vs because that we in them and they in vs like image haue And reuerentlie they doo admire his power the which such likenesse gaue Now for themselues because that with desire and feruent longing they Doo wayte our comming from this world with them in blisse to liue for aye Finis 3. Cap. ¶ Of the looue of God towards vs. 4. Cap. THis therefore is most néedefull nowe and necessarie to eche man That he consider with him selfe and eke in seuerall sort to skan When his owne woorthinesse is wayde and dignitie he doo not take It from his mightie creatour which him of nothing thus did make Looue him abooue all earthlie thinges of what estate or what degrée Estéeme not equall with his might those thinges that his inferiors bée What follie were it to compare the things that beautifullest bée With those that vile in sight doo séeme which serue in fowle and base degrée For sure it is no séemelie sight where beautie is but counterfeit To match it with the fayrest and for beautie with the same to set Therefore my soule peruse thine owne thy beautie vnderstand and prooue And by the same soone shalt thou learne whose beautie thou art bound to looue But if thy sight be duske and dull or darkned by thy negligence That thou thy selfe canst not beholde thou doost commit a fowle offence Yet at the least let others iudge and doo thou holde their iudgements true What estimation thou art of when they with clearer sight thee view Thou hast a Spowse of beautie such his bounty fauour and his grace Such Maiestie and Mercie great that thou couldst neuer sée his face And yet beholde he hath thée séene if not he would not looue thée so His gifts may make thée graunt thée same and tell if this be true or no. The perfect pledges of his looue and tokens of his kindnesse trie Of this if thou didst sée his face thou nothing doubtfull then would bée Then perfectlie thou shouldst perceyue that he in beautie passeth all So singuler so comely fayre as neuer set the lyke thou shall And yet enamored is of thee so much thy beauty doth appeare Aboue all creatures that he made that none with thee compared wer This beauty yet was not thyne owne but hys in thee left for thy welth that hauing it thou mightst perceaue it came from him thy sauing health But what meanst thou because thou canst not see him present as he is Art not ashamde iuinriously him to abuse with workes amisse Not onely in contemning these his louing graces to thee lent But seruile to thy sensuall lust as vassaile thou dost geue consent But o my soule take heed of this and do not so though able thou Be not assuredly to conceaue whatone he is his grace alow His earnest and his pledgefot thee the gage and token which he gaue As leasses of his loue iutyre from endles death he did thee saue In thy possession these be plast that thou mayst learne thy lord to loue With zeale and with affection great thy minde from him not to remooue His gift right noble is and great great mē giue great rewards we know Which doo receiue them at their hand as with his Maiestie may stand A wise man for a trifle wyll not giue a riche reward we sée But none can giue so great a gift as thy good God hath giuen to thée Yet greater is the gift which he in thée dooth looue thy selfe t'assure And eke much greater will he giue if thou thy faith to him indure But O my soule what are these gifts Examine looke the world beholde If euery thing therein containde To serue thy turne be not controlde Behold how euery creature dooth to serue thy turne his course direct Thy profit to supply and for thy wealth to vse as thy subiect For to accomplish thy delight commodities doo all abound Within the world for thy

within his feare in safetie vnto mans estate Deuoide of daunger doone by fyre by water or like mortall fate That I by Beasts was not deuourde and that the Diuell had no holde On me but that all these mishaps was by the grace of God controlde By meanes whereof I now am growne to competent and séemely age To looue my God him serue and feare by faithe in him my sinnes t'asswage Finis 11. Cap. ¶ Of the patience and long suffering of God 12. Cap. GReat is thy pittie Lord therefore and infinite thy mercy eke Which thou hast vsed vnto me when I in faithe the same did séeke Moste wonderfull in all thy workes because thou art them all abooue Yea thou doost séeme moste maruelous euen in the bowels of thy looue For sure no man thou doost despise abhorre nor any man reiect But such as doo forsake the Lord and dreadfully themselues detect These are thy gifts therefore O Lord these are thy treasures which thou hast Indewd me with and by thy grace me in the midst of mercy plaste When I in dreadfull daunger was and in the sinck of filthy sinne Thou me deliuered from the same and left me not to die therein When I vnmindefull was of this thereof thou didst remember me When from thy presence I returnde thou callde me home againe to thée And gentlie did me entertaine with pardon when I did repent And did with mercie me remit when I deserued punishment Not onely pardon for my sinnes which I in wicked will did frame But for such sinnes I did eschew thy pardon did containe the same As into many sinnes I fell and foule offences did commit My wicked will was bent to more if thou hadst not withholden it Yet headlong further had I run with rashe attempt from thée to swarue By thy especiall meanes I doo remember thou didst me preserue From dooing of such wicked déedes that otherwise I should haue done But onely thy especiall grace I had no meanes the same to shun But thou occasions all didst kill and gaue me strength sinne to resist By kéeping and continuing me in thine affection ere I wist Had I at lybertie beene left my wilfull nature to obay In manifolde offences I committing should haue went on stray But so great was the mercie of my Lord and God bestowed on me Not once such sinne could me arest nor finde that oportunitie For much a doo he had to staye me from the doubling of my sin The violence of temptation great so grieuous vnto me haue béen As euerie man hath féeling in his frayle desyre and fickle minde Had not the Lord of mercie his assistaunce vnto me assignde Whereby I vanquished my luste my fleshlie and my fonde desire Concupiscence I kilde thereby which in my members burnt like fire From certaine other sinnes O Lord thine indulgence and fauour did So farre estraunge and stay my minde that from my heart them quite I rid I did abhorre and hate them sore and lothe the filth of former time Iniquitie that did suggest me to commit eche hainous crime Yet all these same had not the power to touch or mooue me to consent Although they made what meanes they could my stedfast purpose to preuent Not least point of thy pittie Lord nor meanest motion of thy grace When as the hugenesse of my sinnes had brought me into wretched case When I vnkindlie kindled had by dooing euill in thy sight Prouokte thy furie stirde thy moode with gréeuous sins for which thou might Haue punished my peruerse minde yet patientlie thou didst forbeare That notwithstanding all thinges past thou pardonedst through thy mercy méere If I doo put repentaunce off deferring tyme from day to day And doo securelie sléepe in sinne yet thou wilt pause and vse delay Preuenting patientlie the tyme and gentlie tarriest tyll I come When I doo wander thou doost haste me in the race that I shall runne Againe when I resist and striue rebelliouslie against thy grace Thou doost vanquish and conquere me and quite from me my sinnes doost chase When in the féeldes of fantasie I loyter or doo ling ring stay Thou eyther forwarde wilt me force or tarriest for me in the way When I diuert from wicked wayes and trie thy footsteps for to trace Foorthwith thou fréendly me receyues and loouinglie dooth me embrace When I in ignoraunce doo dwell full soone I shall instructed bée When I for gréefe lament and mourne thou commest straight to comfort mée I stumble fall and yet thou doost bothe reare me vp and art my stay Thou giuest what comfort I doo craue thou doost redéeme my dire decay That which I séeke in thée I finde I knock thou openest vnto mée Thou art my Loadstone and my life my staffe and stay in eche degrée I neither will nor cunning want to walke directlie in thy way The greater is my daunger then if wandringlie I walke astray This also woorthy is O Lord of admiration that before I had discretion in my youth what things to aske thou gauest me store As also in mine age when I through thée was able for to craue And aske for that by goodnesse thine which I in heart desirde to haue Againe when nothing I requirde nor any thing in mercie sought But rechleslie and careleslie estéemed all thy giftes as nought And now I doo esteeme this grace A great and mighty gifte that thou Didst ouer me giue Angels charge from birth to kéepe me safe tyll now More then tyll now for euen betwéene my day of birth and day of death Thou my protector art as long as I enioy this vitall breath In contemplation of which thing a certaine holie Father sayde Great is the dignitie of those whome God electes and Angelles ayde As garders set them to defend the Wise man in this sence exprest The righteous soules are in the handes of God and there doo safelie rest I cease not heere for to commend thy pittie ioynd with patience But rather double doo thy prayse that so hast borne my fowle offence And not according to the same my due desarte did me requite Nor that I should for sinfull life be recompenst with déepe despite The earth to swallowe me nor fire from heauen sent my corpes to burne● Not water floods to drowne me nor such pains of death should serue this turn That I so sore deserued had bothe anguish and afflictions great I had deserued for my sinnes but so he did me not intreat For when by sinne I went away and would no longer with him dwell His creatures did disdayne me sore I had deserude the paines of hell No meruaile is this same for if a hyred seruaunt run away But from his earthlie Maister héere and doo not all his hestes obay His punishment shall sure be great his Maister is against him sore His seruaunts and familliar fréendes doo soone abhorre this wretch therefore Therefore when I displeased thee O Lord my God iust cause I gaue That all thy faithfull creatures