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	time_n	world_n	2,761	5	4.2527	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16529	A treatise ful of consolation for all that are afflicted in minde, or bodie, or otherwise Which armeth vs against impatiencie vnder any crosse. By Nicolas Bovvnde Doctor of Divinitie.	Bownd, Nicholas, d. 1613.	1608 (1608)	STC 3441; ESTC S114772	58,110	182

his heart was still more and more hardned neither would he let the children of Israel goe yet the Lord would turne all this to their good because he had purposed it And for the certentie and full assurance of this he leadeth them to the consideration of the purpose of God appearing in their calling which beeing very strange and many things to the outward appearance against it yet the Lord brake through them all and none of them could hinder it or stay it because God had purposed it And truly it is worthie our consideration to remember how many things haue beene in the way to hinder the calling of men vnto saluation yet none of them could doe it because God had purposed As who would euer haue thought Act. 9.1 that Paul sometimes called Saul breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord and hauing now in this great furie and rage of his obtained letters of the high Priest to Damascus that if he found any that were of that way or profession either men or women he might bring them bound vnto Ierusalem should at this time be so suddenly conuerted that he should not onely become a Christian but an Apostle so that it should be truly said of him he which was a great persecutor in time past Gal. 1.22 now is a zealous preacher of the faith which before he destroied but he shewes the cause of it there himselfe vers 15. when he saith that God had separated him thereunto from his mothers wombe and so called him vnto it of his grace that is in his euerlasting counsell he first appointed him to be an Apostle and secondarily euen from his birth he did separate him to this office and thirdly in time of his meere grace and fauour he called him vnto it according to his purpose The like may be said of some other as of Manasseh king of Iudah 2. Chr. 33 2. who doing euill in the sight of the Lord like the abominations of the heathē setting vp altars for Baalim and worshipping all the hoast of heauen causing also his sonnes to passe through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom and giuing himself to witchcraft and to charming and vsing them that had familiar spirits there was no likelihoode that he should be conuerted vnto God there were so many things against it but the Lord that had purposed to shew him mercie did bring him vnto it against all these for he caused the King of Ashur to come against him who tooke him prisoner vers 11. and put him in fetters and bound him in chaines and caried him to Babel and when he was in tribulation he praied to the Lord his God humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier and then he knew that the Lord was God But to let these passe let euery man consider the manner of his own calling see how many things were within him and without him that might haue hindred him from comming to that measure of grace that he hath now receiued that so he may acknowledge vpon his owne experience that nothing is able to hinder the good purpose of God towardes those that loue him And then he shal finde that the great ignorance idolatrie or Atheisme in which all his kinred were left might haue staied this good worke but that God did draw him out of them as he did Abraham Rom. 12.1 commanding him to forsake his countrey and his kinred and his fathers house or that the manifold great corruptions that were rooted in vs and confirmed by custome like vnto the seauen deuills that were in Marie Magdalen might haue kept vs from the hope of it or the loose and dissolute life that we lead mispēding our time and the gifts of God our wit and strength in riotousnes and wantonnes as the prodigall childe did might haue kept Gods good hand from vs or that we did despise and tread vnder our feet the pretious pearle of Gods word when it was offered vnto vs like vnto the prophane beasts or swine that Christ speaketh of in the Gospel or that many things els might in the iudgement of all men haue beene as a barre to keepe vs from an effectuall calling but that the Lord in much mercy had purposed it and so according to the same purpose of his he bore all things downe before him and came thorough them vnto vs for our good And so we shall be the better perswaded that the Lord of the same vnchangeable goodnesse of his hauing purposed euen by the crosse and all manner of affliction to doe vs good how many things so euer may seeme to our selues or to others to be against it that he will verifie this promise vnto vs and we shall find it to be true as well as others that all things shall worke for the best to those that loue God euen those that are called of his purpose Rom. 8.29 In the next verse when he addeth For those whome he knew before he also predestinate to be like to the image of his sonne that he might be the first borne of many brethren he declareth an other most excellent ende wherefore the Lord laieth the crosse most of all vpon his children namely that thereby they might be like vnto Christ their eldest brother as the Lord hath ordained that all that are his should be some more some lesse And so by this meanes especially it worketh our good when it maketh vs the members conformable and like vnto Christ our head In which words he not onely saith that all afflictions doe befall vs by the very speciall prouidence and hand of God and not by fortune or chance but also he sheweth to what ende he sendeth them Luk. 24.26 namely that as Christ himself first suffered and then entred into glorie so all others going the same way that he did they might be like vnto him as the Lord hath appointed that they should be And therefore we neede not to feare that the crosse should hinder vs from our saluation no more then it did Christ from glory but rather that we ought in the midst of it to haue such hope that we shall be like vnto Christ in glorie because we are like vnto him in the crosse according as it is said in an other place If we suffer with him we shall also raigne with him Now concerning the former of these two points namely that no affliction commeth by casualtie or befalleth vs by happe hazard as we say neither that any thing is done by fortune or chance but by the very speciall appointment of God he not onely willingly suffering it and beholding it and vs in it with his own eies but laying it vpon vs himselfe euen with his owne hands and first of all ordaining it this I say not onely containeth in it most notable comfort and singular consolation considered alone

needfull And this corruption to be in the nature of all men generally euen by affliction to fall away from the loue and seruice of God Satan knew well enough and therefore thought to haue found it in Iob though he did not when he saide vnto the Lord Doth Iob loue or feare Iob 1.9 or serue God for nought as if he had said he doth not serue thee for thine owne sake or for any loue that hee beareth vnto thee but for the commoditie that he receiueth by thee for he addeth Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on euery side thou hast blessed the worke of his hands his substance is increased in the land but stretch out thine hand and touch all that he hath to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face In which words he noteth that vice that men commonly are subiect vnto that is to hide their rebellion in prosperitie and in aduersitie to bewray it Therefore if we be free from this vice and so cease not in affliction to loue God and in loue to serue him we shall be sure that he will fulfil this promise of his vnto vs of turning all things to our good and causing all our crosses to make together for the best vnto vs so long as we loue God and this vnfained loue that we finde we beare in our hearts vnto God is a sure testimonie vnto vs of it and we ought thereby to be perswaded of the vndoubted truth of it so comfort our selues for the time present that God will doe vs good by this correction of his euen because wee loue him Moreouer seeing that the Apostles purpose here is to intreat of patience in affliction and to prepare vs for it this no doubt is most fit for the fame namely the consideration of that loue which we ought to beare vnto God whereby we might be mooued to take all things in good part that he sends vnto vs because we loue him and in loue are desirous to please him For we see daily in all worldly matters what great things all sorts of men will beare at the hāds of them whome they loue as how many grieuous things doth the mother put vp at the hands of her froward child whome shee tenderly loueth And the husband passeth ouer with silence many things that are offensiue proceeding from his wife because shee is deare vnto him and his loue towards her causeth him not to regard them yea for her sake he beareth with many things at the hands of others As it is said of Iacob Gen. 29.20 that he serued Laban a very hard master seuen years for Rahel during which time he tooke great paines day and night 31.40 for in the day he was consumed with heat and with frost in the night and his wages was changed ten times yet they seemed vnto him but a fewe daies because he loued her thus loue vnto men causeth vs to indure hard things for their sakes whome we loue and the more we loue them the more willingly to gratifie them doe wee chearefully vndergoe any hard seruice for them How much more then ought we patiētly to beare all things at the hand of God whom we know that he so loued vs that he spared not his owne sonne Rom. 8.32 but gaue him for vs all to death and therefore we ought to loue him aboue all other things yea aboue our selues againe And no doubt wee would thus beare all crosses laid vpon vs by God for our good a great deale more patiently then we doe if there were in vs that loue vnto his maiestie that there ought 1. Cor. 13 5. For loue seeketh not her owne things that is it is the propertie of loue not so much to seeke to satisfie their owne minde as to gratifie the partie whome they loue euē in things osten contrary to their own liking therefore let vs labour for that pure sincere loue vnto God which may abide in the greatest affliction so shall we not onely patiently beare them but be assured that they shall be turned vnto our good according to the saying of the Apostle here All things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God Rom. 8.28 When he addeth these wordes in the ende of the same verse which are called of his purpose as he doth in them further shew to whome this promise doth appertaine namely that all afflictions shall worke for their best euen vnto such as are effectually called vnto the knowledge of their saluation in Christ according to the good purpose and decree of God towards them So he sheweth the cause why all afflictions are made profitable vnto them especially and turned vnto their good in the ende which is not any worthines of theirs that they deserue it at Gods hands or any right behauing themselues vnder the crosse as though they were able to worke it out themselues for of themselues they are as weake and fraile and impatient vnder it as any other but the free loue of God towards them in Christ whereby before the beginning of the world he purposed to do them good and therfore in time effectually called them Which purpose of his nothing can alter but he maketh all things to further it yea sometimes contrarie to their nature as afflictions So that from the first vnchangeable cause of their saluation and of all good intented towardes them he sheweth the certentie of this that all afflictions shall worke together for the best to those that loue God for who can hinder or frustrate the determinate purpose of God in any thing None in the world no not the deuill himselfe and therefore afflictions can not hinder the good that he meaneth to his children because he hath purposed to doe them good Which purpose of his for their good hath alway appeared by their fruitfull and effectuall calling For when he had purposed to saue them by his sonne Iesus Christ he called them by the ministerie of the Gospel in his good time some sooner some later vnto the knowledge of it and from the same purpose of his it came to passe that the word was made effectuall vnto them by the inward operation of his holy Spirit working in them faith and repentance and so became vnto thē The power of God vnto their saluation Rom. 1.16 as the Apostle calleth it that is the mightie and effectuall instrument of God to worke their saluation when it was altogether vnprofitable vnto others that heard it as well as they So then the Lord continuing the same purpose of his towards them it shall vndoubtedly come to passe that though al other men should not profit by their afflictiōs but waxe worse and worse as commonly the wicked doe as we see in the example of Pharaoh king of Egypt who after many grieuous plagues brought vpon him Exod. 9.35 and vpon the whole land one after an other