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	let_v	see_v	3,350	5	3.0636	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03292	The doctrines triall shewing both the necessity and the way of trying what is taught, in a sermon vpon 1 Thess.5.21. By Sam. Hieron.	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1616 (1616)	STC 13406; ESTC S116279	23,396	110

which we haue gotten by hearing neuer so excellēt if it tary not with vs it cannot auaile vs. It may bring a man to some smell of Religion neuer to any truth or power of godlinesse Well as it must be kept in memory so in affection too my meaning is a man must persist in the earnest loue and zealous profession thereof There must be no declining nor going back no slaking of that first egerness with which hee seemed in the beginning to embrace it This is that holding fast cōmended by Christ to the Church of Philadelphia and the want hereof was the blemish of Ephesus it is taxed in her by the tearmes of losing her first loue There may be an intertaining of good things with ioy which yet vanisheth like a morning clowde and as it commeth to nothing so it is worth nothing It is good to loue alwaies earnestly in a good thing When the beginnings bee hot and the proceedings but warme the conclusion generally is colde and the end of such is fearful The children of God must rather encrease and grow go from strength to strength and shine more and more and follow hard toward the marke Then thirdly there must be also a keeping in practice That good which is found must be obeyed This is that keeping to which Christ promiseth a blessing which Saint Iames cōmends which Dauid aymeth at in that affectionate speech Oh that my waies were directed that I may keepe thy statutes There is no such keeping here meant as that of the greedy men of the world in hoarding vp their treasure euen vntill the cankering and rusting therof be ready to witnes against them and as a fire to eate their flesh but this is a keeping for vse Such a keeping Dauid speakes of I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee he so kept the knowledge of holy things in his minde that hee might produce them into practice The truth is if a man doe hold fast the truth of God in his affection he cannot but shew forth the fruites of obedience to it in his practice The abundance which is in his heart cannot but breake forth into his outward man This is like that oyle in a mans right hand which vttereth it selfe It is as the wine which will sooner breake the vessels in which it is then it will want vent The sweetnesse which a man findes and feeles in it by giuing it louing entertainement in his heart will so rauish him that he cannot but bewray the contentment which hee findes therein by his outward carriage His whole life and course will proclaime and testifie the zealous affection of his soule Can a man loue the truth in his heart and not tender the credit thereof And is it possible to bring more credit to it then to be bold and resolute in obeying it to be carelesse of credit peace profit and what soeuer els by nature man affects so that hee may walke therein It is in vaine for a man to professe to loue religion in his heart if hee disclaime the rule and authority and power of it in his life As if a man should protest he loues me but when I come to try him hee will doe nothing for mee will I beleeue his protestations So then this may satisfie vs for this point If I would keep life in the graces of Gods spirit which I haue receiued I must honour prophecying My honouring of prophecying must be tempered with trying that which is deliuered by it when by tryall I haue found out that which I am sure is good I must resolue vpon keeping it I must keepe it in memory and striue not to forget it I must keep it in affection and labour not to lose my first loue to it I must keepe it in practice that all my whole life carriage may adorne it To labour to finde out good and when it is found not to remember it is ridiculous to remember it and yet to make no account of it is vaine to say I make account of it and yet doe not practice it is absurd I striue to remember it I labour to effect it I make conscience to obey it this is excellent Think you whether this be not a very necessarie point to be remembred to vs considering what ill Keepers generally we bee in matters of this nature For touching the first kinde of keeping which is memory besides that naturall debility which is in vs in things of this kinde how iustly are we chargeable with a kinde of willing forgetfulnesse It is not our purpose nor our care to remember wee are euen very well content to lose these particulars Wee who can whine and fret for other losses and be angry with our selues and say what a beast was I to forget this and not to remember that are yet neuer troubled though multitudes of good points of doctrine run through vs as through a pipe or fall from vs as water from a Swans back leauing behind within vs no impression Doe but speak soothly I pray you betwixt God and your soules and say when did you solemnly in prayer lament your forgetfulnesse and entreat the Lord to pardon it This sheweth we are guilty of a kinde of affected forgetfulness I would this were all our failing though this be bad enough but beholde yet more abominations Alas how loose are wee in our affections to holy things There is I confesse a kinde of sodain heate which ariseth in some somewhat violent at the first like the flushings in the face of a man who is inwardly distempered Oh what will not they doe they march as furiously as Iehu in their first onset They will heare they will read they will sanctifie the Sabbath they will reforme their families they will sweare no more c. but woe is me what is more ordinarie then to see euery day many such passe away as the rising of Riuers their great heate is soone asswaged they are quickly wearie of that seruice which they seemed to vndertake with a great deale of feruency How full are our dayes of such vpon whom when a man lookes hee may with a kinde of mournefull indignation say Are all their great shews come to this Nay let the best professors if they be wise consider themselues touching this and compare together their present course with their first beginnings and see whether they haue not let goe a great deale of their first holde and are euen come the very next step to a Laodicean temper I knowe nothing wherein a wise Christian hath more cause to feare himselfe then this that his loue is not so earnest nor his zeale so feruent as it hath been This same decaying in affection it is like a consumption it steales vpon a man and is farre growne vpon him many times yea euen wel-neer to an incurable pitch before it bee perceiued