Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	sin_n	suffer_v	suffering_n	2,120	5	9.4937	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88397	Christ's valedictions: or sacred observations on the last words of our savior delivered on the crosse. By Jenkin Lloyd, minister of the gospel, and rector of Llandissil in Cardigan shire	Lloyd, Jenkin, b. 1623 or 4.	1658 (1658)	Wing L2653; Thomason E1895_2; ESTC R209921	53,582	228

were received in a glorious and triumphant manner into the highest heavens where now he reigns King for evermore And the reasons why God sometimes withdrawes his presence from his People and deferres their deliverance from afflictions are to humble them throughly to bring them to an utter denial of themselves to learn patience that they might acknowledg whence their deliverance and all benefits they enjoy do proceed namely not from themselves nor any creature but from the All-merciful God and that accordingly they might learn to value and prize his gifts at their deserved excellency for we find this generally verified that benefits easily obtained are lightly regarded and soon forgotten the children of Israel were in captivity about four hundred and thirty yeares in Egypt but after they had expected the salvation of the Lord they were brought safely through the Red sea Exod. 12. by the conduct of Moses David had a promise to be King of Jerusalem and Judea but the Lord exercised him by many and grievous afflictions before he came to the Crown Psal 119.82 in so much that he saies his eyes failed with waiting upon his God Zachary and Elizabeth desired of God both of them in their youth and many years after for issue but their request was not granted untill they were old Luk. 1.18 the Church Militant for some hundreds of yeares after Christs Resurrection seemed to be forsaken and rejected of him when she was so battered by Tyrants and so undermined by Hereticks that she was like to be crushed and stifled in her very cradle she was tryed ten times in the fire by ten several and distinct persecutions wherein God seemed to equal the ten plagues of Egypt and to lay as much on his people for their probation as he had laid upon others on their behalfe More Christian blood effused then in the Sacrifices of the old Law for so we read many a hundred many a thousand made Martyrs in one day a whole City a whole Army destroyed at one time for the Gospels sake so that as the Israelites formerly went through the red Sea towards the land of Canaan these through an Ocean of blood past to a Kingdom of bliss And when the Church had prayed and fasted and suffered so many years God in the end hearkned to the voice of her lamentation took her in his Armes wiped all teares from her eyes took away all occasion of complaint made Kings and Queens to be her Nurses and so made her Glorious in the eyes of man acceptable in his and cheerful in her own sight This ought to work a confidence in all Gods afflicted servants that he will not quite desert them their deliverance will be seasonable enough if they will wait and depend upon him a cloud on the skie may for a while ecclipse the light of heaven but that will soon be dissipated and the Sun will appear 3. We are further taught by this desertion of our Saviour to fear to sin and to bewail our offences the only cause of his great sufferings What Stoick is so void of motion but will be sensible to see a friend suffer for him what he was himself was justly guilty of what Christian so flint-hearted that will dare commit a sin if he does but cast a serious thought on him who suffered so much not for his own but our sins The Passion of Christ if rightly considered may be stiled a Schoole where all Martyrs and Saints are made who would complain of doing too much of suffering too much of being too much abased or despised if he do but behold his Saviour delivered over and abandoned for him to such horrible confusions such insupportable torments O my God my wounded God! as long as I shall see thy wounds Nolo vive te fine vulnere cum te video vulneratum Bonaventum I will never live without a wound who will be clothed with purple and costly silks and used to softness and delicacy and see his Redeemer crowned with thorns and fixed to the Cross who will not withhold his hands from violences and rapines and see Christ's armes distended on the Cross who will not fetter his feet and hinder them from running after the unbridled desires of his heart if he but viewes Christ's feet pierced through with nailes who will not make bitter his tongue in subduing the pleasures of the taste and see Christ have nothing but gall and vinegar to drink who will not contemn the ayerie honours of the world when he beholds him that is able to walk upon the wings of Cherubims take upon him the forme of a servant and creep among us like a little worm of the Earth who can delight in any sinful joy and behold him so sad so pain'd so dejected this then is a sovereign antidote against the venome of our sins to have our Saviours Image dayly in our hearts and to reflect our thoughts upon him Crucified in all our actions When the forty Martyrs were in the frozen lake Basil or●t in 40 mar thirty nine of them had their mindes wholly bent upon the future Crown and one of them unhappily thought of nothing but of his punishment All of them remained victorious except this wretched creature who soiling the glory of his patience came out of the poole to dye presently after in his infidelity So if our suffering Saviour be before our eyes in all our tribulations and temptations we shall be more then Conquerours Rom. 8. but if pleasure or profit be our objects we turn our backs to Christ and shall have no share in the benefits of his Cross MY God My God! in what an extasie is my soul when it contemplates what thou didst in those three houres silence when horrour and darkness involved the universe when thou wert not in a chair of State but on thy Cross full of sorrowes full of sufferings Thou Lord who only knowest the extremities of thy own Passion teach thy servants how much they owe to thee and in a religious dejection of themselves to give thee only the glory of their salvation We know not Lord whether we shall more admire the greatness of thy love or the greatness of thy Passion both exceed our merits both surpass our apprehensions but since thy goodness hath thus acted for us we should be unthankfull if we did not spend some of those houres which thou hast given us in a sweet recordation of those thy blessings and not only so but imprint them in our actions Thou didst not so expostulate with thy Father for relinquishing of thee as not knowing the Cause for of what canst thou be ignorant who knowest all things and in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg but that thou mightest exhort us to seek and learn things necessary and profitable for our soules There was no separation between thee and thy God in matter of Essence or grace or affection but only in the point of present

had need of him too least the cares and troublesomeness of this world should choake the good seed sown in their hearts Christ not content with good works many and great which he had formerly done ascends by the Cross to higher and descends not from thence till he beholds a vanquished enemy prostrate at his feet Nothing more hurts a Proficient then when he languisheth in his course and stifles his proceedings according to that old Moral In the way of Virtue not to go on is to go backward Bern. ad Ganinum as Bernard doth rightly exemplifie in an Epistle in which he produces an instance of Jacobs Ladder where all do either ascend or descend none keeps a fixt station Those also who are Perfect and Virgins as Mary and John were and for that cause the more beloved of our Saviour I say those do much need the assistances of Christ's sufferings for they are in an higher condition and ought much to fear the tympanies and swellings of pride and self-conceit which can no better way be asswaged and taken down then by looking into the glass of the Cross There they may find an admirable president of true humility even Omnipotency it self yielding to most contemptible sufferings He in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg Col 2.3 permits himself to be illuded and reputed may by Herod and his armie He that sits between the Cherubims and can blast a star with a breath Psal 99.1 and melt a Church with a look and molder a world with a touch even he suffers himself to be crucified in the midst of theeves and to die the most ignominious death the death of the Cross Learn hence O man not to be proud of thine honor wealth learning no nor of thy Piety it self but lay them all down at the feet of Christ and learn to be meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11.29 for so was he 5. And lastly we may observe hence the Reciprocal love of Parents to their Children and of children to their parents 1. The Virgin-mother did most accurately demonstrate this when she stood near the Cross with much sorrow and constancy and how could she chuse but bestow on him her choicest love whilest he was not only her son but also the Son of glory a Son that according to his Divine generation had a Father without a Mother and according to his Humane generation had a Mother without a Father and therefore may be stiled unigenite her only begotten Son A Son that was qualified with most special endowments as well of body as soul far excelling both men and Angels And yet even for this Son she had no inordinate no impatient grief but though his Passion was violent unparallell'd yet she beholds him with a holy and a Religious Courage humbly subjecting her self her son and all to the Divine will and dispose of the highest Thereby giving us this instruction That we look not upon any natural relations but with a love subordinate to the love of God for he hath told us He that loveth son or daughter above me Mat. 10.37 it not worthy of me And that whensoever he calls us to part with them we must not unmeasurably grieve for them but chearfully resign even our dearest comforts to that God that hath given them unto us 2. Neither was there a mutual retribution of love wanting on our Saviour his part towards his parent when notwithstanding he was then in the midst of most distracting torments he forgot not to recommend her to the care of his bosome friend and dearest Disciple It is a saying among the Heathens Diis Parentibus Magistris nunquam redditur aequivalens The Gods Parents and Teachers are never sufficiently gratified I need not inlarge my self upon this point even nature it self dictates unto us what love respect obedience and assistance is owing to those that begate us and did for us when we could do nothing for our selves They are therefore to be recompensed by performing these duties to them Eph. 6.1 Heb. 12.9 1. To obey them in all things in the Lord. 2 To bear their corrections with submission 3. To reverence them Mal. 1.9 in giving them all outward submission and fearing to offend them 1 Tim. 5 16. 4. To cherish and maintain them in time of need This the Apostle clearly teacheth If any faithful man or woman have widows that is to their mothers or aunts let them minister unto them and let not the Church that is other Christians be charged 1. O Most glorious God and gracious Father that sentest thy Son in no sort to assume the shape of Angels but the nature of a woman the seed of Abraham and didst glorifie that substance with the bright robe of immortality and place it at thy right hand We hope and pray that every one of us may have a portion in that sacred body of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Make us partakers of his Divine nature as he was of our Humane make us free from sin as he was holy as he was holy and in the end glorifie both our souls and bodies with his in thy heavenly Kingdom 3. O thou Saviour of the world that wert pleased on thy Cross to cast an affectionate thought on thy dear Mother and amidst all thy sorrows to chuse her a Guardian to have her in his cares teach us never to forget those duties we owe them that are under thee the makers and preservers of our lives Give us grace to love serve obey and cherish them that so we may be as children of their love so heirs of their blessing the blessing which thou hast promised to loving and obedient children 4. And we beseech thee Lord to teach all parents by her example who loved thee to the last to be constant in their affection and care of their children and to bring them up in thy fear Let them know that thou art the Father of their spirits they but of their bodies Heb. 12.9 let them then put all confidence in thee for them as their best Father and make their daily supplications to thee for all goodness to them 5. Thou that didst favourably look at thy dear Disciple and adopt him of thy servant thy mothers son we pray that the light of thy countenance may shine on all us that professe thy Name make us who are by nature the children of wrath by thy grace inheritors of heaven 6. Teach us with Magdalen to repent with the wife of Cleophas to proceed in all good and pious works and with the Virgin Mary to attain to a good measure of perfection Let us be ashamed that the weaker Sex should excel us in the acts of pietie or religion yet powre forth thy grace upon all Sexes and all degrees of people that they may all know and serve thee the only true God and Jesus Chist whom thou hast sent Joh. 17 for that is eternal life The Fourth Word MATTH