Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	hear_v	lord_n	see_v	2,877	5	3.4356	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00686	A briefe conference betwixt mans frailtie and faith wherein is declared the true vse, and comfort of those blessings pronounced by Christ in the fifth of Matthew, that euery Christian man and woman ought to make and take hold of in their seuerall tentations and conflicts: laide downe in this plaine order of dialogue, to helpe, if it please God, the conceit and feeling of the simplest. By Geruase Babington.	Babington, Gervase, 1550-1610.	1584 (1584)	STC 1082; ESTC S108359	56,099	166

argument of fauour and succour and holowe smoothing glauerie a note of reprooch and an argument to perswade the contrarie Nowe therefore let vs gather vppe all these againe together and if heathens hate it Christians loath it and the God of life and death abhor it what strength should anie cause in the earth haue to tempt you vnto it Nay Frailtie howe dare you for anie fauour or gaine vnder the sunne oppose your practise to his alowance whose disliking killeth and casteth into hell for euermore Therefore I pray you be warned and wipe off that mist of earthlie couetousnesse and ambition that bleareth your eyes looke with an other sight vppon these thinges and be assured if the trueth of God be assured that since honest hearts and plaine dealing hath a blessing promised the gaine of flatterie glosing and halting is not the best wealth nor the best wisedome But his little is more whose heart is pure than mountaines of goulde and all honored state that is crept vnto by déepe dissembling and so will the ende prooue in them or theirs if God be God For they are accursed if the pure in heart be blessed as I haue often nowe repeated And iudge if the curse of God will want his effect at one time or other at first or at last But nowe if all this should not yet fully strengthen you which God forbid then procéede with the sentence in Matthewe and ponder well the other part also of it For they shall see God saith it What is this But the Lorde shall reueile vnto them dayly more and more as a rewarde of their sinceritie and honest walking his will his mercie his fauour his comfortes his ioyes prepared and all his goodnesse in Iesus Christ towarde them Which in déede is to sée God as man is able to sée him in this life and therefore is called blessednesse because the ende of such knowledge and sight is blessednesse as woe and miserie is of the contrarie Where by the way we are notablie taught what is necessarie in either man or woman that shall euer profite by reading or hearing the worde of God namely a pure heart that is euen a syncere minde and vpright purpose to learne of the Lorde and not to doe what they doe either for one cause or other whatsoeuer beside that a subtill minde can laie downe Which woordes of Christ include a strong comfort to honest simplicitie and as touching a terrour against smoothing hypocrisie For the one shall sée God the other shall neuer beholde him to their comfort but all their reading all their hearing all their knowledge if the Lord bestowe any shalbe to death and not to life to woe and not to wel a sauour sending them bodie and soule to euerlasting miserie as by necessarie consequence followeth of the place Yet doe I not meane in all this that a man should all be open to euerie one and in euerie matter for that were as great an extremitie the other way and full of inconueniences And I remember well what good counsell wise experienced Syrach giueth in this point Namely that we should not open our heartes to euerie one least they be vnthankefull to vs and put vs to reproofe And in an other place Be not too humble in thy wisedome And I remember Chrysostome confesseth of himselfe without feare of blame for it that he vsed a little subtiltie to make S. Basil accept his Bishopricke and charge which otherwise he would not Therefore I say againe vnder the praise of honest simplicitie and puritie of heart I doe not shrowde or bolster anie plaine foolishnes and vndiscréet séelinesse but my spéech tendeth to the pressing of that euen to hell if I can which you Frailtie are tempted to namely to lie flatter cogge halt glose sooth smooth croutch créepe sigh sorow sawne and fall downe at ones féete sweare and protest liking loue faithfull seruice and friendshippe and what not that may allure for credite and fauour lucre and gaine when there is no more truth of good meaning in you than is in the diuell but onelie for your turne This is that that I inueigh against and this is that God and all good mē haue euer hated as I haue proued To carie two faces vnder an hoode for commoditie and mine owne safety To serue God with lips and outwarde shewe because the law so presseth me if I will liue in accompt and inwardly to be a déepe dissembling hypocrite and a secret scoffer at his truth To salute with a kisse the ministers of the worde as Iudas did his Maister and yet in hidden soule to abhorre them and their counsell as I doe a tode and euery way to remaine a beastly man vnreformed in worde déede and thought vtterly and to care more in the verie trueth of my heart for one secret houre amongst my mates where my thrice damnable desire and vnregenerated humor may be satisfied than I doe for a thousand daies in anie minister or mans companie in the worlde whose tongue rebuketh countenaunce frowneth or heart misliketh my sinne To saie as Ioab saide with a fléering face Howe doest thou my brother Amasa And to stabbe him presently with his dagger or as we saie commonly many an one of vs God giue you good morrowe sir and so foorth when vitter gaule in a festred heart biddeth the Diuell fetch you sir and worse too if I coulde tell howe To prate and speake as a faithfull subiect and yet to be a longing foe to worke a ruine to my will And what should I say to ride and run to watch and wait and performe all dueties as if I were the truest seruant that draweth breath and yet is my heart onlie bent vpon my maisters preferments and not one iote at all of faithfull dutie and affection in me to his person This this abhominable and euen more than diuelish nature if more may be is that I meane and that the worlde too much liketh of that you are tempted to Frailtie and that Iesus Christ in this verse nowe named armeth his children and chosen againste Wherefore my companion Frailtie weigh my drift and marke my proofes consider what you desire and by what meanes you incline to get your desire You desire but the world to speake in a worde and for the worlde to loose your soule what againe is it But if you take this course you shall as certainely loose both bodie and soule as you now liue and heare me for it is cursed of the Lorde and they that vse it shall neuer sée God His nature is all trueth and simplicitie and therefore what feloweship can euer he haue with a false gloser But if you set the Lorde before your eies hang vppon his mercie and trust to his prouidence dealing with all the world sincerely honestly plainely and vprightly bestowing not face and forme but euen all the loue and dutie of your heart where it is due be it to God or man you heare the Lorde you

doe not then as mightilie ministreth it an argument againe of woe alas and endlesse woe vnto vs. Secondlie to be méeke is a true imitation of Christ for Learne of me saieth he I am meeke and lowly in hoart But he that treadeth the steps of this Lorde and God shall neuer die and therefore blessed are the méeke Contrariwise to be hastie furious and intemperate is to followe Caine Esau and all reprobates which whoso followeth shal neuer liue and therefore cursed is the contrarie Thirdlie the Lorde careth for vs if wée be méeke and watcheth ouer our wronges séeing all the wordes déedes and verie thoughtes conceiued against vs and the Lorde will pay our debtes if we leaue it to him and iustle him not out of his throne sitting downe our selues therein as iudges and reuengers of our owne causes He knoweth our vprising and downe lying he is about our bed and about our pathes and spieth out all our goinges and séeth hée not when we are wronged He hath taken a reckoning of the verie heyres of our heads he putteth our teares into his bottle and are not our wronges thinke we noted in his booke O therefore how should we our selues learne to be méeke to forgiue and to referre our selues euer to him since we haue such a iudge The wife whilest her husbande liueth quieteth her selfe from forren toyles and leaueth all incumbrances to him for he careth for them but if he by death depart from her then she her selfe because she hath lost her aide Nowe we if we be indéede as wee thinke wee are the children of the Lorde we are the spouse of an husbande that neuer dieth but in life is permanent in power sufficient in care still vigilant and therefore how should this consideration kill our affections mortifie our hastie heartes and handes and altar vs daily to an heauenly temperance patience and méekenes The Lorde is our aduocate to put vp our sute the Lorde is also iudge to giue sentence of our wrong and Frailtie then howe can any escape that hurteth vs if we would be méeke and leaue it vnto him Me thinke me thinke I could euen dwel continually in this consideration it is so comfortable What madnesse should moue vs to harbour our hurt to hatch vp our harme and to kéepe matters boyling and festring within vs vnforgiuen and vnforgotten when wee haue such a Judge God strengthen vs and giue vs victorie of our selues But why Frailtie standest thou yet so mute Beléeuest thou not all this If thou dost yet hang in the bryers of thy vnreformed passions adde hereunto some further proofe of passed practise and experience let that as mightie to perswade confirme and comfort thée to this vertue if it be the Lordes will The Israelites in AEgypt oppressed and harmed could not with right counternaile might but as patiently and méekely as God made them able abid it and cried vnto the Lord and what folowed The Lorde heard them Moses was sent they were deliuered and Pharaoh with all his host drowned in the sea Sée with your own eies the reward of méekenesse Dauid oppressed by Saul his father in lawe whom at home and abroade hee truely serued and honored sought no reuenge but euen refused it when it laie before him and with all méekenesse mildnesse and patience committed it to the Lorde and Saul had his punishment Dauid the kingdome Iacob being threatned destruction by his brother conceiued not by and by the like towardes him againe but leaueth his countrie and fathers house putteth vp the wrong possesseth his spirit in patience and meeknesse and what insued The Lorde was with him both daie and night the Angels of heauen are his seruantes the Lord giueth him wiues and wealth comfort strength euerie where and Esau liueth to die for euer as the fatted oxe is prepared for the slaughter Ioseph horribly slaundered for his faithful seruice bare his grieuous crosse méekely and honour is his ende euen great and rare honour O harts of ours then where are they What a God serue we whose mercie vppon méekenesse hath thus shewed it selfe beside in numbers moe Shall it not mooue vs Shall it not pierce vs Nay shall it not change vs God forbid wée shoulde be senselesse and therefore you sée Frailtie what must be done and what soueraigne helpe the Lorde laieth downe for your infirmitie be your occasion publike or priuate at home or abroad with manie or few affections certainely must be brideled and euen fought withall till they yéeld and become more quiet otherwise we run vpon our ruine both in heauen and earth For the one thus as you sée is prooued and truly the other is as true For what gouernment are they worthy that wil not gouerne as they possibly can themselues well What trueth can they know that can not abide to heare indifferently both parties No euery man shal frame him selfe to their humours till his turne be serued and truth shall neuer dare to appeare before them What daunger can be preuented or what guilefull guest cā be discouered when heate doth thunder out threates ere the time serue to take knowledge of the matter The enimie is armed the friend is discouraged and iudge your selfe then howe strength is impaired What seruant if God rule not in him mightily will truly serue where comfortable countenance either giueth not hope of conuenient rewarde or at least presently accepteth what is done in fauour What one that hath anie gifts friends or abilitie will euer abide with a louing and true hart where reproches and discomforts are his daily death No no it will neuer be nor it cannot be Well may a worldlie minde in regard of passed time and charge make men rubbe out and carie coales till they can do better or may get a cheate but the heart being alienated and the true faithfull kinde affection that is aboue golde worne away with oftē rebukes which being not digested send vp at times as tokens of their remaining a bitter tast all is but hollowe all is but in regarde of themselues and if time shoulde serue to néede them God knowes howe their snubbed harts would call their snubbes to remembraunce whereas méekenesse gentlenesse comfort and countenaunce maketh a seruant true in his dealings painefull willing constant in his place and readie euen to die in the seruice of them whose louing vsage hath pierced his soule with a permanēt affection if he be of any good nature and if he be not the same vertue of méekenesse watcheth loketh heareth and considereth all things wisely not bewraying himselfe till he haue found indéede a hollow seruant and then wéedeth out iustly so ill a member Therefore I saie againe whatsoeuer your occasiōs be of disorder in your affections be they at home or abroade truely Frailtie fight with your selfe and neuer suffer your infirmitie to preuaile For God requires it and euen worldlie wisedome requires it and the verie hardest things are made easie by some

mans liking vnlesse it haue further warrant nor cast downe with his disliking vnlesse wee knowe hee so déemeth iustly And therefore againe I say consider of this comfort Consider of this worlde and consider of the world to come the one is transitorie the other permanent the one full of woe and secret sorowe in the verie middest of pompe the other ful of ioy comfort and solace and that without all ending Then whether is here good to be happie and there vnhappie here iudged miserable and there founde most blessed iudge your selfe euen with verie reason Certainly therefore it is a comfort sufficient so knowne to be by Christ that gaue it and euer hath and shall comfort the children of god against worldly conceit blessed are they that for a good cause suffer persecution for theirs is the kingdome of heauen That is all comfort possible to be thought of and tenne thousand times more This was Paules comfort in the middest of all his miserie and therefore he boldly and chéerefully saith he neuer counted the afflictions of the world worthie the ioy that should be reuealed This comforted Dauid also that he perished not in his affliction as himself witnesseth and as that spéech by comparisō may shew I should vtterly haue fainted but that I beleeue verily to see the Lorde in the lande of the liuing And what should I name them this euer hath comforted first or last lesse or more yet euer sufficiently anie that were the Lords But sée further how not onelie thus in generalitie against persecution it pleased Christ to strengthen our weakenes but euen in specialitie also against those kinds which most bitterly tast vnto vs and shake vs sore if we be not strong to wit reproch and report For Blessed are you saith he when men reuile you and shall falsely say all manner of euill saying by you for my name sake reioice and be glad for great is your rewarde in heauen a saying neuer to be forgotten of vs whilest the life is in vs. For the gaule of these Crosses is not little and the power of this assault hath appeared not as féeble in great Prophets and members of the Church The verie words also of Christ his comfort insinuate a secrete force aboue manie others of this temptation For hée biddeth them reioice and promiseth great reward in heauen as forséeing a great downefall both of heart and countenance in man when he is once touched either with reuiling spéeches to his face or false reportes behinde his backe Wherfore to conclude and leaue you nowe to your other readings of this matter I praie you Frailtie open your eies or rather desire the Lorde to open them that you may both nowe in the day of peace and whensoeuer also it shall please the Lorde further to trie you sée with your eie heare with your eare and beléeue with your heart your offered comfort in the worde both against al other and against this temptatiō by name of persecutiō The word teacheth and we know it is decréede by the Lord to be the lotte of his déere ones euer in this worlde and therefore welcome be it The worde teacheth it and we knowe it much good is wrought in vs by it therefore welcome be it The worde teacheth it and we knowe it no chance nor fortune but the will of our heauenly father laieth it vpon vs and therefore welcome be it We knowe it is no new thing or vnséene before but the old portion of the godly that haue euer béen before vs therefore welcome be it The cause is not ours whē it is a truth but his that made vs and therefore welcome be it We haue a promise wée shall not be oppressed with more than we may beare and therefore welcome be it Wée knowe wée are children if as children we be corrected and therefore welcome be it Wée are told we are bastards if we be without it and therefore welcome be it And all our forefathers haue patiently carried it and nowe are rewarded therefore welcome be it Welcom I say the crosse in generall and persecution for truth all or part as it pleaseth God and welcome in particular this kinde of crosse if so our God will reuilings reprochings reportings false and vniust For we knowe our case the plea is ended and sentence is giuen neuer to be reuoked blessed are we good cause wée haue to reioice and be glad for great is our rewarde in heauen O the God of heauen and father of mercy strengthen vs that these swéete promises may preuaile with vs and that our eies may sée the comfortes of his worde What should feare vs Frailtie that haue such a God and that stande in such a state I pray you looke vp and clasp your God in your armes embrace his mercie beléeue his truth and as you liue though you be afflicted on euerie side yet shall you not be in distresse though you be in doubt yet shal you not dispaire though you be persecuted yet shall you not be forsaken though you be caste downe yet shall you not perish and though euerie where you beare about in your bodie the dying of the Lord Jesus yet shall the life of Jesus appeare in your body and there is neither life nor death Angelles Principalities nor powers things present or to come height or depth or anie other creature that euer shall be able to separate you from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Frailtie The Lorde chaunge me and I shall be chaunged and greatly both ought I and doe I thanke you Faith for this conference beseeching you still to praie for me as for one whose name and nature you knowe but too well I can promise nothing but seeing what I woulde doe I leaue my selfe to his mercie that is able to make me doe both what I ought and would doe And so the Lorde keepe vs both Faith Amen Frailtie Amen And the Lord giue vs eies to sée what it is to haue a true heart to God and to imbrace true religion Is it not to stand in possession of all these heauenlie promises whatsoeuer befalleth to vs in this worlde to be happie and blessed in it and by it Be it pouertie be it sorrowe be it oppression or whatsoeuer And contrariwise what it also is to be of a prophane heart of an vncircumcised life Surely euen to stand as depriued of all these comfortes and if we be poore to be also accursed in our pouertie in our sorow and whatsoeuer befalleth vnto vs gréeuous in this world The Lorde I saie giue vs eies to sée it and harts to thinke of it For full well wée knowe that were euerie one of vs a Monarch of a whole worlde by himselfe they béeing as this world is the glorie both of them and vs must passe away like a shippe in the water whose tract cannot be séene againe like an arrow through the aire or a weauers shuttle through his work like a