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	life_n	sin_n	2,554	5	4.5681	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26816	The way to the highest honour a funeral sermon, on John XII, 26, preach'd upon the decease of the Rnd Tho. Jacomb ... April 3, 1687 / by William Bates ...	Bates, William, 1625-1699.	1687 (1687)	Wing B1131; ESTC R14324	38,983	138

shines in Glory that infinitely exceeds all the most solemn and magnificent Representations of Earthly Majesty all the Trophies and Triumphs of the most famous Conquerors To raise our Thoughts by a distinct Comparison of them consider The Glory of Saints is substantial and solid 't is inherent in them The Apostle says 'T is a Glory that shall be revealed in us A plenary Infusion of all glorious Endowments both in Soul and Body shall conform us to the Son of God The Glory of this World is but an aiery Opinion a verbal Sound without Substance empty Titles external Appearance and confers no real Dignity to the Person that receives it There is no Greatness in worldly Honour 'T is Fancy heightens some by comparison with those that are below them But Heaven is the Kingdom of true Glory and every Saint there is truly glorious The Psalmist declares God's Judgment of all the Honour and Prosperity of the World As a Dream when one awakes so O Lord when thou awakest thou wilt destroy their Image They are painted Shadows splendid Toyes What difference there is between the clear and sound Judgment of a Person throughly awake and the vain fugitive Fancies of one that dreams there is and much more between the swelling Images of Worldly Honour and the real Heavenly Honour of the Saints The Heavenly Glory brings entire Satisfaction As for me saith David I will behold thy Face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness When the Morning of Glory arises and the Soul awakes from the heavy Eye-Lids of Flesh and sees the King of Spirits in his Beauty and the Impression of the Divine Excellencies conspicuous in it self what a joyful Satisfaction as sweet as Life is diffused through all its Powers What a Heavenly Sabbath composes all its vast and restless Desires The Glorified Saint sings with the Psalmist Return to thy Rest O my Soul for the Lord has dealt bountifully with thee But how unsatisfactory is all secular Greatness and Honour Of this we have the fullest Testimony from some who ascended to the top of Worldly Glory Solomon whose calm and flourishing State was scarce ever parallel'd yet declares that all was Vanity And the Roman Triumphs wherein the World was represented in its highest Glory was but an empty Shew Vespasian the Emperor in his triumphant way often reflected upon his Folly in being induc'd to suffer such a tedious Vanity 'T is true the dreaming Minds of Men are deceived with vain complacence in it for a while and this makes them unwilling to be convinc'd of their foolish prizing it yet they cannot find any solid true Satisfaction They are charm'd with a superficial Pleasure that cannot reach to the Center of the Soul To sum up all The Honour of the Servants of Christ is Eternal They will shine like the Stars that never faint in their Watches and Influences with a durable Glory But the Glory of this World like a blaze in Straw presently vanishes Not one Ray of secular Glory shall enlighten the highest Monarchs in the shady Valley of Death nor in the Regions of Darkness beyond it The proper and main use of what has been spoken is 1. To direct our Ambitious Desires and Endeavours to seek Heavenly Honour Nature has instilled the Desire of Praise and Glory And this is like some Plants that in their native Soil have a poysonous Quality but transplanted into another Soil and Climate are not only innocent but healthful Pride ruines both Worlds The Angels were expelled from Heaven and Adam from Paradise for their Pride And ever since 't is a seminal Sin productive of innumerable Evils and Mischiefs Pride of Life is one of the great Corrupters in the World 'T is the cause of Envy and Emulation Of Envy that would degrade those that are above of Emulation that urges those who are below by any guilty means to ascend higher 'T is one of the great Destroyers of Men here and hereafter The Affectation of the Praise of Men makes so many ashamed of the Gospel of Christ of owning its Truths or subjecting themselves to its pure Rules This Account is given of the Infidelity of some in our Saviour's time they sought the Honour of Men and not the Honour that comes from God only But let the Desire of Glory be consecrated let our Aspirings be transported to a new and heavenly Object to the Incorruptible Crown and 't is a Saintly Ambition becoming the Breast of a Christian. The changing of the Object will be an excellent means to rectify our inordinate Desire of Honour of what is pompous and specious in this World There is some Resemblance in curing the Diseases of the Mind and those of the Body A Disease is not only cured by what is manifestly contrary but sometimes by what seems like to it yet has a secret Contrariety The feverish Heat is not only spent by cooling Julips but by Cordials that fortifie the natural Heat that consumes those Humours that are the inflamable Matter which foments the Fever Thus the sensual Desire of worldly Honour is extinguished by a pure Aethereal Affection the Desire of that Honour that comes from the God of Glory who is the absolute and eternal Fountain of Honour 2. Let us be effectually excited our selves to choose Christ for our Master and devote our selves to his Service for ever Tho his Dominion is Supreme and his Right in us unalienable yet he will be glorified by our free Obedience Our Resolution and Consent to serve him that it may be acceptable must be deliberate intire and everlasting 1. Deliberate from the Conviction and Sense of our Duty and Interest For the Ignorance and Deception of the Mind the suddain Surprisal of the Will is contrary to that clear Consent that is requisite to establish a Covenant There is a Competition between the Son of God and the God of this World who shall reign over us One we must serve 't is therefore our highest Wisdom to choose a gracious Master and most just to serve him who by full Right may claim due Service If with free Judgment we ponder things if our carnal Senses and Passions have not the decisive Vote we shall readily yield our selves to Christ who by so many dear Titles has a Right in us For to this end Christ dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living He is the true Vine that left his Sweetness the good Olive that left his Fatness to reign over us and shall we choose the Bramble to domineer He requires our Service not for his Profit but that his Love and Bounty may take a rise to reward us But Satan will torment them most who are most obsequious to him And what Charm what Impression upon the human mind can induce us to prefer a Murderer before our Saviour 2. Our Consent must be intire without exception against any of his Laws or his Providential