Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	let_v	lord_n	see_v	4,698	5	3.6890	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09462	Satans sophistrie ansuuered by our Sauiour Christ and in diuers sermons further manifested / by that worthy man Maister William Perkins ; to which is added, a comfort for the feeble minded, wherein is set downe the temptations of a Christian.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1604 (1604)	STC 19747.7; ESTC S4051	89,009	206

must be content and take heed that we do not suffer our selues to be swallowed vp of too much griefe For our life is not maintained by these outward meanes of themselues but by Gods blessing vpon thē which is all in all and when all meanes faile the Lord can preserue our life euen without bread and against meanes too if he please Indeed if a man wāted the outward meanes and the inward meanes too namely Gods blessing then he had some cause to be grieued but seeing the Lord can saue our liues both without all outward meanes and against meanes though we want bread yet let vs cast our selues vpon the Lord and neuer distrust his mercie but say with Iob Though the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him And let vs know the Lord can increase the poore womans cruse of oile and make it last as well as the rich mans abundance 7 This should teach vs all to moderate our affectiones and to carrie an euen saile so as neither in the estate of wealth and abundance we be not puffed vp with pride nor yet in pouertie to be ouerwhelmed with sorrow For though a man haue abundance it followes not that he is therefore blessed nor if he be poore and want riches that he is therfore cursed and wants the blessing of God but in wealth and pouertie the blessing of God is all in all to make men happie 8 Lastly this should teach euery one of vs to labour all our life long to know the prouidence of God and to depend vpon it in all estates of life whatsoeuer the Lord shall send vs and when we can see this prouidence of God we must then hang vpon it as well in aduersitie as prosperitie in sicknes and health in life and death True it is men can acknowledge Gods prouidence in prosperitie but we must learne to see the prouidence of God aswell in aduersity and then to hang vpon it with both the hands of faith so as we can roule our selues vpon it and can euen wholly depend vpon it and commit our selues and all our waies to the Lord. The children of Israel were fortie yeares learning this lesson which shewes it is an excellent point and not easily learned And therefore seeing it is of so great vse and so necessarie let vs studie to know the prouidence of God and shew the true vse of it in our liues and conuersations Then the diuell tooke him into the holy citie c. Now followeth the second conflict betwixt the diuell and Christ in the 5. 6. 7. verses Now though S. Luke chap. 4. 9. placeth this temptation in the last place yet doth this breede no great difference betwixt the Euangelists for Luke in pēning of the words and deeds of Christ sets them downe as the Spirit of God directed him not regarding precisely the time when they were done but sometime setting that first which was done last but Mathew he sets thē down in order as they were performed by our Sauiour Christ. Then the diuell tooke him c. In this second cōflict we are to consider three points First the diuels preparation to the combat vers 5. Secondly the temptation it selfe vers 6. Thirdly the answer of Christ vers 7. In the diuels preparation first the time then secondly the parts of his preparation which be two First he tooke Christ from the wildernesse and caried him to the holy citie Secondly he setteth him there vpon a pinnacle of the temple First in the circumstance of time then that is as soone as Satan had taken a repulse and was foiled of Christ in the wildernesse he presently setteth vpon him afresh and caries him to the holy citie to tempt him there By this we may perceiue the malice of the diuell who as soone as he hath ended one temptation ceasseth not there but presently prouideth another The diuell neuer maketh truce with man but either he is busie in tempting of vs or else he is deuising and plotting new temptations for he is neuer idle Againe hence we learne that when we haue ouercome in one temptation we must presently prepare our selues for another we must not look to be at ease when we haue giuen the diuell the foile for he will set vpon vs afresh and tempt vs againe and againe Nay our life is a continuall warfare against sinne and Satan therfore we must euer be in a readines to encounter with our enemie And if this lesson were well learned and as well practised men would not be so impatient in temptations when they befall thē then temptations would be farre more easie to them so as a man wold willingly and chearefully indure them vndergo them though neuer so many The diuell tooke him to the holy citie Here is the first part of the diuels preparatiō Now by the holy citie is meant Ierusalem as Luk. 4. 9. it is plaine But how did the diuell carie our Sauiour Christ from the wildernesse to Ierusalem He might do this three waies first in vision Secondly by the ordinarie way Thirdly cary him in the aire First by vision as it was vsuall in the time of the prophets So Ieremiah was caried in vision to the riuer Euphrates but Christ could not thus in vision be caried from the wildernesse to Ierusalem for then it should haue bene no temptation vnto him in vision onely to cast himselfe from the top of the temple Secondly our Sauiour Christ might be led by the ordinarie way and so indeed the words will beare it but I take it it is not the sense and meaning of this place For if the diuell led our Sauior from the wildernesse to Ierusalem then either with or against his will either of his owne accord or else at the perswasion of the diuell But he went not of his owne accord for seeing he was led into the wildernesse and came to be tempted there he now being in the conflict and it being not yet ended he would not of his owne accord depart thence to Ierusalē Secondly he would not go at the perswasion of the diuell for we neuer reade that he would do any thing at the diuels perswasion though in it selfe lawfull Thirdly the Diuell might conuey and carie the bodie of our Sauiour Christ in the aire from the wildernesse to Ierusalem and this is the opinion of the best Diuines that the diuell had power by Gods permission to transport the bodie of Christ in the aire from the wildernesse to the holy citie and this seemeth to be confirmed by the words following where it is said that the diuell set him on a pinnacle of the temple Now it is as likely that he caried Christ from the wildernesse thither as that the diuel had power to place and set him on the top of the temple Now then if the diuell had permission to transport the bodie of Christ from the wildernesse to Ierusalem this makes for that opinion which is common

to proceed by degrees in his temptations As first he cast into Cains mind an angry thought against his brother Abel after he preuailed and Caine had conceiued displeasure against his brother then ●he proceedeth to tempt him to murther and there he did not stay till he had brought him to vtter despaire So he dealt with Iudas first he put into Iudas mind this thought Iudas betray thy maister which though Iudas did receiue at the first yet after he letteth it ta●● place and then the Diuell proceedeth by d●grees with him till he had brought him to h●● purpose And it is the diuels subtiltie first 〈◊〉 get if it be but a talent in then he will thr●● in his foote yea his head and wind in hi● whole bodie Out of this subtile dealing of the Diuel● that he begins with lesser temptations an● proceeds by degrees it must teach vs to b● wise and to labour that we may stop the fir●● motions and inclinations to sin to resist th● very beginnings to euill For if Satan preuail● in them he will proceed to more forcibl● temptations The fourth and last point in the abode 〈◊〉 Christ in the wildernesse is in these word● He was afterward an hungrie that is when h● had by the diuine power and vertue of h●● Godhead fasted forty daies and forty night● he was at the last hungry And this Christ di● for our sakes for though Christ was the So● of God yet for our good he was content t● take our nature vpon him and became tru● man like vnto vs in all things excepting sin● and had not onely the will mind affection and conscience of man but also tooke vpon him the infirmities of humane nature so farre foorth as they be without sinne and therefore he was subiect to hunger and thirst The causes wherefore our Sauiour Christ was hungrie are these first that he might ●hew himself to be true man and that he had ●he infirmities of humane nature and so we see he would stop the mouthes of such as should say it was a small matter for him to last so long being the sonne of God But least we should doubt of his manhood he is here ●s we see touched with hunger a true infirmitie of mans nature Secondly he was thus hungrie that by this meanes he might cast vnto the diuell an ob●ect to worke on and giue him occasion to be more fierce in his assaults Then came to him the Tempter and said Here begins the first combat betweene the Diuel and Christ and in it we are to consider three especiall points First the diuels preparation Then came to him the Tempter and said Secondly the temptation it selfe in these words If thou be the Sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread Thirdly the answer and repulse of Christ vers 4. In the preparation note first the author the Tempter secondly the time then thirdly the occasion of this temptation namely the hunger of Christ fourthly the diuels coming vnto Christ. The author is here intituled the Tempter s● 1. Thess. 3. 5. and the cause why he is so called is because it is his desire his studie and continuall practise to tempt men and to seeke as much as he can to draw men from God to his kingdome and to this purpose he sparet● no paines night and day assaulting and tempting men to bring them to destruction He goeth about as a roring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure Well then seeing we know it is the diuels study night and day to tempt vs it should teach vs all as we loue our soules to watch and pray continually least we be led into temptations and so be ouercome of Satan It is our dutie to seeke to be as vnlike the Diuell as possibly we can because he is the patterne of al euill Now we see it is the diuel● study to hinder men from the kingdome of heauen and so to bring them to hell then o● the contrary seeing he labours to draw me● from seruing of God we should quicken vp our selues in the seruice and worship of God and to be more careful to seeke the kingdom of God our selues and to draw others to the same We must beware that we be no meanes to draw any from embracing of true religion and from the seruice and worship of God for if we do we become euē diuels incarnate When Christ went vp to Ierusalem to performe the worke of mans redemption Peter he begins to disswade him from it and bids him fauour himselfe but Christ turneth him backe and saith Get thee behind me Satan 2. The second thing is the time when the Diuell sets vpon Christ Then namely when he perceiued Christ most weake and as he thought not able to resist him Herein appeareth the pollicie of Satan when he seeth Christ most weake the Diuell taketh occasion to lay his strongest assaults So then in the example of Christ we may see the exceeding pollicie of the Diuell in tempting of men namely he maketh choise of the fittest time to broach his temptations for he marketh prieth into men and women and when he findeth vs most weake and most vnable to resist him then is he the most strong in tempting vs especially at the houre of death and in the time of afflictiōs he bendeth the force of his temptations against vs. Oh then how should this admonish vs al to prepare our selues against the day of afflictiō and the pangs of death to be stedfast in the faith to make our calling and election sure that so we may neuer finally fall away and to intreate the Lord that then when we seeme to be most weake he would aide and strengthen vs by his holy spirit to resist Satan● assaults The third point in the diuels preparation i● the occasion wherby the diuel was especially moued to tempt Christ which was his hunger Such was Satans malice against the Lord Iesus that when he could find no sin in him then he takes aduantage of Christs infirmity and seeing him now hungry begins to tempt him to vnlawful means to satisfie his hunger Now then seeing the diuell takes occasion to tempt Christ euen from the infirmitie of his humane nature as he was man hence we learne whence the diuell hath the ground of all his temptations namely from our selues and from our own nature and we our selue● affoord him the matter of his temptations h● brings the fire and bloweth it but we affoord him the fewell to set it a work The diuell obserueth the nature of men their dispositions inclinations and behauiours and continually prieth into their dealings and like vnto a prudent Captain who besieging a citie marketh where it is most weake and of least resistance and there he bends all his forces and placeth his greatest ordinance Euen so the diuel watcheth vs and our behauiours to obserue vnto what sin we be most addicted and by nature most inclined