Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	lord_n	love_n	love_v	2,989	5	6.7075	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50608	The Memory of that servant of God, John Story, revived shewing what manner of man he was from his youth to his grave, by the testimonies of several friends, to whom he was well known, and by whom, for his work sake in the truth, he was greatly beloved : to which is adjoyned something written by him, &c., in his latter years, wherein his judgment is shewn concerning some particular things, and his great desires for love, unity, concord, and peace in the church of Christ.	Wilkinson, John, d. ca. 1683. Brief relation concerning the life and death of John Story.	1688 (1688)	Wing M1702; ESTC R19789	42,298	47

I have had with this my dear Friend in which I have often admired the goodness of God who afforded us such good Opportunities wherein my heart hath many times been overcome and rejoyced in a sense of the feeling of the dissolving and tendering Power and living Presence of the Lord God who assisted him with his heavenly wisdom and strength and the testimony of Truth often opened through him reaching and extending unto many states and conditions even as the still Sowres that descended upon the tender Grass in its due season for which my Soul hath blessed the Lord on his behalf many a season and which was and is the only ground and cause of my Love to him and all the Lords faithful Servants whom I cannot but truly esteem for the Truths sake and account worthy of double Honour and I have often thought that if we should not truly love and esteem of such in the Truth it might be just with the Lord to let us know the want of them and to Suffer a Famine of the Word and a Cloud of Ignorance and Darkness again to overspread the Earth which I desire the Lord may in his Mercy prevent and that more faithful Instruments and living Witnesses for his blessed Name and Truth in the room and stead of them that are gone to their Rest may yet be raised up and that many may yet be gathered unto God for the Comfort and Encouragement of the Lords People in this Age and the Ages to come Much more I might say concerning this faithful Servant of God according to my knowledge but herein I have satisfaction believing he is now at Rest and out of all his Troubles and Exercises which in this world he had his share of and through Death hath obtained a Crown and Kingdom that is Everlasting where all Tears are wiped away and Sorrow and Sighing comes to an End Oh that we who are left behind may not content our selves that this our dear Friend live well and is entered into everlasting felicity but may follow the Example of this and all the rest of our dear Brethren which are gon before in all faithfulness and circumspect walking serving the Lord in sincerity and holy Conversation keeping to the Word of his Grace and Truth through which we may overcome all Corruptions receive and possess the Recompence of endless Peace Joy and Happiness when time in this fading World comes to an end that God over all may be glorified who alone is worthy to be Feared and Praised for ever and evermore B. C. Reading the 15th of the 10th Month 8681. Leonard Keep 's Testimony SInce I heard there would be something Printed concerning our dear Friend J. S. it was with me this 15 th of the 12 th Month 1682 to give in this short Testimony concerning him He was a Man of Peace and instrumental in the Hand of the Lord for the turning many to Righteousness he desired the good of all People and I believe is now entered into Rest and Peace with the Lord where all Tears will be wiped away and Longsuffering come to an end notwithstanding Blindness hath happned to many in this Age that they could not see him to be so by reason of the Enmity and Prejudice that have entred their minds more through the Instigation I believe of others than from any deportment that appeared by him I have been in his Company often both in Meetings and out of Meetings and am an Eye and Ear-witness of what is here writ I have often heard him put a more favourable Construction upon his Opposers actions than I believe they could put themselves I have heard him openly opposed and charged falsly and when he hath called for Proof of what hath been said there hath nothing been made appear but at the last shift have referred Friends to the 44 Articles of London M. C. may remember this And I have heard him spoke over when he hath had a concern to the Meeting and had begun to speak first as many may remember which I must needs say was not practised amongst us in the beginning nor was it so in the Primitive times for then all might speak one by one that had any thing upon them as a concern to the People but these things hath happened amongst us in these latter times since some have been apt to pin their Faith on other folks Sleeves and then may speak words as they would have them or else their own and it hath been said it is the Word of the Lord when time hath manifested it to be otherwise So many are kindling a fire of their own and warming themselves by the sparks thereof whose Portion will be such as they had formerly that were so doing unless they repent they must lye down in sorrow God Almighty if it be thy will give to all that have been Opposers of him a sight of what they have been and are yet a doing that so they may say as it was once said Let the time past be sufficient and that for time to come they may do so no more And whatever any may think I have nothing but good will to all men L. K. Thomas Curtis's Testimony who at some time was his Companion in his Travels AS it was said by David concerning Jonathan after his Death so can I in Truth say touching my antient Friend and Brother in the Truth John Story Viz. Very pleasant hast thou been unto me and dear John although thy Body be turned to the Dust yet thy Name liveth now thou art dead and the memorial of thy Faithfulness remains amongst thy Brethren thy Portion is with the Righteous who shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance and shall continue as an everlasting Foundation time shall declare the Meekness of thy Nature and that Gentleness that was in thee towards the Flock of God for in the Lamb-like Nature didst thou come amongst us and as a Lamb among Wolves so was thy Carriage Wisdom went before thee and Vnderstanding was thy Guide So that when first I saw thy Face thou wast to me a Messenger of God and though thou met with many under various Forms opposing each other yet how carefully didst thou instruct them and with great diligence helped th●ir Weakness and such was thy Carriage after a sweet manner that I soon saw a Door of Hope opened by the Lord for the Relief of many and although thou wast but a Lad because of thy tender Years yet such Gravity did appear in thee as made both Old and Young to love thee and thy Testimony was not from Man neither wast thou sent by any Born after the Flesh but thy Testimony was from Heaven and it did accomplish the Work that the Lord sent thee for and thy Doctrine dropt as the Dew upon the Tender-hearted and surely the Spirit of the Lord was upon thee and the Meek and Quiet Spirit was in thee which ever was and still is of great price with the Lord and thou

the Neighbourhood And as he in his Life time was of a grave and reverent Deportment even so was he accompanyed to his Grave People generally bemoning his death but the Hearts of Friends was generally filled with sorrow and their Eyes with Teares by reason of that inward affection they bare unto him as also the great sense of the great Loss they sustained in his Death who hath been a living example of Righteousness amongst us both in Life and Doctrine even in a manner from his Child-hood as if he had been Chosen from the Womb and Sanctified for a Vessel of honour and as he often exhorted others to continue walking in the way of Truth that in the latter end they might attain and come more fully to possess the Joyes of the everlasting Kingdom where all the Troubles and Sorrows of this present Life shall be wiped away and come to an end So Doubtless he is now entred into the full fruition of those never-fading Joyes wherein all the sorrow and sighing and Troubles of this present Life is come to an end and is Ascended out of the reach of wicked Tongues and Pens But what can be said Doubtless God endued him with Divine Wisdom to a large degree and accompanyed him with his Devine Power and Presence in Declaring the way of Life and opening the Misteries of the Kingdom to the comfort and Consolation of many who now mourn in Secret for his absence and I fear that time to come may know the want of such and I also fear that many in this present time have also rendred themselves unworthy of such but I desire we may make a good use of these things and that we look to our own standing and that we may walk according to the exhortations and counsel delivered unto us both by him and other his faithful Companions which have answered the Truth in our own hearts There was a very good opportunity for J. W. and others to bear a Testimony to Truth and the People gave very Diligent attention while he exhorted and Counseled to follow those things that make for peace and brings to rest in the latter end clearly Demonstrating the way thereunto with such things further as opened in him suitable upon that occasion G. D. The Testimony of John Jennings by way of Preface to the following Testimonies of several Friends in Wiltshire Courteous and Friendly Readers BE It known unto you that what is here written by way of Lamentation Testimony of our Deceased Friend John Story is not to draw forth the Minds of any for to admire him or any other Instrument that the Lord may make use of for the good of any Person or People but that which is here written is truly to certify all friendly People unto whom it may come what manner of Life Doctrine and Conversation this our deceased Friend did Live and Declare whilst he was amongst us and if any through envy or prejudice either against him or any of us doth or shall endeavour to gainsay oppose or invalidate this our Testimony concerning him we doubt not but that by Gods assistance we shall be throughly enabled for to Vindicate the same against any Opposers hereof for we know that what is here written of him is what is true and according to the best of our knowledge and indeed we had rather come short of commending any Person rather than to praise or commend any beyond their due deserts But forasmuch as it hath so happened that this worthy Man and Servant of God hath been by some too much abused in his Christian Reputation and mis-represented as an Apostate or Dark and Creeping Spirit it was so much the more on some of our Spirits for to give forth this following Testmony that as friends might truly know what he was amongst us and what Just Cause we had truly to love and esteem him as a servant of Christ even unto the last and truly as the power and presence of God was with him in his Ministry in former years when he was generally well spoken of by most or all that did love the Truth in these parts So we can truly say that at the last Meeting which he had in this Country the Lord did appear by him and through him as in former times unto the Edifieing and Comforting of his People and we had a very good and comfortable Meeting and therefore if any have let in any Prejudice or hard thoughts against him because they may have heard an evil report of him we do advise such to be more carful how they do receive Reports and let in prejudice against any of Gods servants least they do there by hurt themselves and break their own Inward Peace and as concerning others who have villified this servant of God either by their hard speeches or Writings against him it is with us to advise such for to Repent of what they have already done and to learn to do so no more least they are found fighters against God and his faithful servants and in thus doing we have thus far cleared our Consciences towards all such and shall leave the effect thereof unto God and desire all those that Read the following Testimony for to Read it without Prejudice or Carping at what is written but to read it as in Gods fear and with a serious and considerate mind that so they may the better understand what they read and consider of it If any sober and moderate Inquirer that is yet Ignorant of the matter should ask or inquire of us what was the ground or cause wherefore the said J. S. have been so misrepresented as an Apoastate and a dark and creeping spirit if he was such an honest man as you seem to signifie To this we shall give in short this Answer That as far as we could yet ever understand the Real ground and cause of it was because he did not so far conform and submit unto the seting up and establishing of some outward Orders and Ceremonys amongst Friends and as some that did or yet doth profess the Truth would have had him to have done and if any should yet inquire why he did not submit unto others for Unities sake To this we Answer that this Question might more properly have been proposed unto him in his Life time and if it had been so Proposed doubtless he would have given a sound and proper Answer thereunto yet forasmuch as he is gone and cannot now Answer for himself we do believe that we may truly give this Answer on his behalf viz. That it was for conscience sake that he could not or did not Conforme and submit unto the setting up such Orders and Ceremonies as others would have had him to have don and douptless he thought them to be superfluous and more then was Really needful for to be so strictly practiced amongst Gods People and that this was the Real ground and Cause wherefore he hath been so Callumniated and mis-represented we have case to