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	love_n	love_v	4,041	5	6.5654	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44673	A discourse concerning the Redeemer's dominion over the invisible world, and the entrance thereinto by death some part whereof was preached on occasion of the death of John Hoghton Esq, eldest son of Sir Charles Hoghton of Hoghton-Tower in the county of Lancaster, Baronet / by John Howe ...	Howe, John, 1630-1705.	1699 (1699)	Wing H3021; ESTC R19328	73,289	250

only capable of Childish things Or is it a reasonable imagination that by how much we are more capable of action we shall be the more useless and have the less to do We may further lastly add that which is not the least considerable 4. That all the active Services and usefulness we are capable of in this World is but transitory and lies within the compass of this temporary State of things which must have an end Whereas the business of the other World belongs to our final and eternal State which shall never be at an end The most extraordinary qualifications for service on Earth must hereafter if not by the cessation of the active Powers and Principles themselves as Tongues Prophecies and such knowledge as is uncommon and by peculiar vouchsafement afforded but to a few for the help of many ●hese endowments designed for the Propagation of the Christian Faith and for the stopping Mouths of gainsayers must in the use and exercise at least by the cessation of the objects and occasions fail and cease and vanish away 1 Cor. 13.8 The like may be said of courage and fortitude to contend against prevailing wickedness skill ability with external advantages to promote the impugned interest of Christ and Christian Religion of all these there will be no further use in that other World They are all to be considered as means to the end But how absurd were it to reckon the means of greater importance than the end it self The whole present constitution of Christs Kingdom on Earth is but preparatory and introductive to the Celestial Kingdom And how absurd were it to prefer this Temporary Kingdom to the Eternal one and present serviceableness to this to perpetual service in the other 'T is true that service to God and our Redeemer in this present state is necessary in its own kind highly acceptable to God and justly much valued by good Men. And we ought our selves willingly to submit to serve God in a meaner capacity in this World while it is his pleasure we shall do so especially if God should have given any signification of his mind concerning our abode in the Flesh some longer time as 't is likely he had done to the Apostle Paul Phil. 1.24 because he says he was confident and did know that so it should be ver 25. we should be abundantly satisfied with it as he was But to suppose an abode here to be simply and universally more eligible is very groundless and unreasonable And were a like case as if a person of very extraordinary abilities and accomplishments because he was useeful in some obscure Country Village is to be looked upon as lost because his Prince being informed of his great worth calls him up to his Court and finding him every way fit employs him in the greatest affairs of State To summ up this matter whereas the means are always according to usual estimate wont to derive their value from their end Time from Eternity This judgment of the case that usefulness in this present State is of greater consequence and more important than the affairs of the other World breaks all measures overturns the whole frame and inverts the Order of things makes the means more valuable than the end Time more considerable than Eternity and the concernments of a state that will soon be over greater than those of our fixed permanent everlasting State that will never be over If we would allow our selves the liberty of reasoning according to the measure and compass of our narrow minds byast and contracted by private interest and inclination we should have the like plausible things to think concerning such of ours as Die in Infancy and that when they have but newly look't into this World are presently again caught out of it that if they had lived what might they have come to How pleasant and diverting might their Childhood have been How hopeful their Youth How useful their Riper Age But these are commonly thoughts little wiser than theirs and proceed from a general infidelity or misbelief that whatsoever is not within the compass of this little sorry World is all emptiness and nullity Or if such be pious and more considering 't is too plain they do not however consider enough how great a part it is of Divine magnificence to take a reasonable immortal Spirit from animating a piece of well figured Clay and presently adjoyn it to the general assembly above How glorious a a change is made upon their Child in a moment How much greater a thing it is to be adoring God above in the Society of Angels than to be dandled on their knee or enjoy the best provisions they can make for them on Earth That they have a part to act upon an Eternal Stage and though they are but lately come into Being are never to go out of being more but to be everlasting Monuments and Instruments of the glory of their great Creator and Lord Nor perhaps is it considered so deeply as it ought that it hath seemed meet to the Supream Wisdom upon a most important reason in the case of lengthning or shortning the Lives of Men not ordinarily or otherwise than upon a great occasion to interrupt the tendencies of Natural Causes But let Nature run its Course For otherwise very frequent innovations upon Nature would make Miracles cheap and common and consequently useless to their proper great ends which may be of greater significancy in the course of Gods Government over the World than some addition to this or that Life can be worth And therefore should this consideration repress our wonderment why God doth not when he so easily can by one touch upon this or that second Cause prevent or ease the grievous pains which they often suffer that love him and whom he loves He reckons it fitter and they will in due time reckon so too themselves when the wise methods of his Government come to be unfolded and understood that we should any of us bear what is ungrateful to us in point of pain loss of Friends or other unpleasing events of providence than that he should make frequent and less necessary breaches upon the common order and course of Government which he hath establish't over a delinquent sinful World Whereupon it is a great piece of wisdom and dutifulness towards our great Lord not to pray absolutely peremptorily or otherwise than with great submission and deference to his wise and holy pleasure for our own or our Friends lives ease outward prosperity or any external or temporary good thing For things that concern our Spiritual and eternal welfare his good and acceptable will is more expresly declared and made known already and before hand But as to the particular case of the usefulness of any Friend or Relative of ours in this or the other State the matter must be finally left to the arbitrement and dispose of him who hath the Keys o● Hades and of Death And when by his turn of

continue the later in Duties in the Evening saying we ought not to make that Day shorter than other Days Though he was very intent on his Studies yet on Saturdays he always broke them off at Noon and spent the Afternoon in reading Divinity and preparing himself for the Lords Day He was always constant in his secret Duties and suffered nothing to hinder him from the performing of them Before he expired he spoke with great assurance of his Future happiness and hopes of meeting his Relations in Glory Thus far goes that Account His Sickness was short When hearing of it I went to visit him I was met in an Ante-chamber by his ingenious dear Brother to whom it is no reproach to be second to him and who it is to be hoped will be at least truly so making him though a fair Example yet not a Standard who hath for divers years been most intimately conjunct and conversant with him known his way his Spirit his manner of Life his purity And may be led on and excited thereby wherein he hath observed him to excel others to endeavour not to come short but if it were possible to excel him remembring he is to be the next solace of his Parents hope of his Family and resort of his Country if God shall vouchsafe to continue him in succeeding time From him I had little expectation of finding his Sick Brother in a conversable condition the malignity of his Feaver having before seized his head and very much disordered his intellectuals but going in I was much surprized to find it so far otherwise He presently knew me his understanding that served him for little else fai●ed him not in the concernments of Religion and of his Soul There was not an improper or misplac't word tho' the case could not admit of interchanging many that came from him Concerning the substance of the Gospel of Christ as it could be shortly summed up to him he said he had no doubt and his transactions with Christ himself accepting him resigning and entrusting himself absolutely and entirely to him and God in him were so explicite distinct clear as could leave no place of doubt concerning him He profest his concurrence to such requests as were put up to God concerning him and the next Morning slept quietly in the Lord. Nor now will it be unfit to shut up the Discourse with some few suitable Reflections upon this double Subject The Text and This Providence taken together 1. How happy is it when this Power of our Great Redeemer and Lord mention'd in the Text and a preparation with chearful willingness dutifully to comport with it concur and meet together as they have done in this instance Our Lord hath shewn his Power He asserted it in the Text. In this Instance he used it giving an open Testimony that he takes it to belong to him to make such translations from one World to another whensoever he judges it a fit season Nor is solicitous whether men acknowledge his right so to do or no or what Censures they will pass upon what he hath done He doth his own work and leaves men to their own talk or mutterings or wonder or amusement at it as they will So it becomes Sovereign Power to do establish't upon the most unquestionable foundations exercis'd according to the wisest and most righteous Measures He hath used his own right and satisfied himself in the use of it He thought not himself concern'd to advise with any of us about it who as his Counsellor should instruct him Isa. 40.13 Rom. 11. v. 34. He owes so much to himself to act as unaccountable to no one nor liable to any ones controll Here is most rightful resistless Power justly and kindly us'd on the one hand And on the other how placid how calm a resignation Here was no striving no crying no reluctant motion no querulous repining voice Nothing but peaceful filial submission a willingness to obey the Summons given This was an happy accord the willingness of this departing Soul proceeding not from stupidity but trust in him who kept these Keys and such preparedness for removal as the Gospel requir'd O happy Souls that finding the Key is turning and opening the door for them are willing to go forth upon such terms as knowing whom they have believed c. And that neither principalities or powers life or death c. can ever separate them from the Love of God in Christ Jesus their Lord. Life they find hath not separated whereof was the greater danger and Death is so far from making this separation that it shall compleat their Vnion with the blessed God in Christ and lay them infolded in the everlasting Embraces of Divine Love Happy they that can hereupon welcome Death and say Now Lord lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace that before only desired leave to die and have now obtained it that are with certainty of the Issue at the point of becoming compleat Victors over the last Enemy and are ready to enter upon their Triumph and take up their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory Thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Happy Soul here will be a speedy end of all thy griefs and sorrows they will be presently swallow'd up in an absolute plenitude and fulness of Joy There is already an end put to thy tormenting cares and fears for what Object can remain to thee of a rational fear when once upon grounds such as shake not under thee thou art reconcil'd to Death This is the most glorious sort of Victory viz. by reconciliation For so thou hast conquered not the Enemy only but the Enmity it self by which he was so Death is become thy Friend and so no longer to be feared nor is there any thing else from whence thou art to fear hurt For Death was thy last Enemy even this bodily Death The whole Region beyond it is to one in thy case clear and serene when to others is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever There are no terrible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no formidable consequences no reserves of misery no treasures of wrath to be feared by thee To one in thy condition may that without hesitation be apply'd nihil metuit qui optat mori He fears nothing who desires to die What is the product of some mens infidelity is the genuine product of their faith From so contrary Causes may proceed the same Effect The Effect a willingness to die or a bold adventure upon Death is the same but only in respect of the general kind with great differences in the special kind according to the difference and contrariety of the Causes whereof they discernibly tast and savour With Infidels it is a negative dead stupid partial willingness or but a non-aversion and in a lower and much diminished degree Or if some present