Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	work_n	work_v	worthy_a	126	4	6.6150	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39673	Navigation spiritualiz'd: or, A new compass for seamen consisting of XXXII points of pleasant observations, profitable applications, and serious reflections: all concluded with so many spiritual poems. Whereunto is now added, I. A sober consideration of the sin of drunkenness. II. The harlots face in the Scripture-glass. III. The art of preserving the fruit of the lips. IV. The resurrection of buried mercies and promises. V. The sea-mans catechism. Being an essay toward their much desir'd reformation from the horrible and destable [sic] sins of drunkenness, swearing, uncleanness, forgetfulness of mercies, violation of promises, and atheistical contempt of death. Fit to be seriously recommmended to their profane relations, whether sea-men or others, by all such as unfeignedly desire their eternal welfare. By John Flavel, minister of the Gospel.	Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.	1698 (1698)	Wing F1173; ESTC R216243	137,316	227

walk as they please but broad i. e. extending it self to all our words thoughts actions and affections Laying a Law upon them all conniving at no evil in any Man 1 Pet. 2. 1. And as the word gives no allowance for the least sin so it is the very nature of sincerity and uprightness to set the heart against every way of wickedness Psal. 139. 23 24. Iob 4. 23. And especially against that sin which was its darling in the days of his vanity Psal. 18. 23. True hatred as the Philosopher observes is of the whole kind He that hates sin as sin and so doth every upright Soul hate all sins as well as some Again the Soul that hath had a saving sight of Jesus Christ and a true discovery of the evil of sin in the Glass both of the Law and Gospel can account no sin small He knows the demerit of the smallest sin is God's eternal wrath and that not the least sin can be remitted without the shedding and application of the Blood of Christ Heh 9. 22. which Blood is of infinite value and price 1 Pet. 1. 19. To conclude God's People know that little as well as great sins are dangerous deadly and destructive in their own nature A little poyson will destroy a Man Adrian was choakt with a Gnat Caesar stabbed with Bodkins A man would think Adam's sin had been no great matter yet what dreadful work did it make It was not as a single Bullet to kill himself only but as a Chain-shot which cut off all his poor miserable Posterity Indeed no sin can be little because its object against whom it is committed is so great whence it receives a kind of infiniteness in it self and hecause the price paid to redeem us from it is so invaluable REFLECTION And is the smallest sin not only damning in its own nature but will certainly prove the ruine of that Soul that hides and covers it O then let my spirit accomplish a diligent search Look to it O my Soul that no sin be indulged by thee Set these considerations as so many flaming Swords in the way of thy carnal delights and lust Let me never say of any sin as Lot did of Zoar It is a little one spare it Shall I spare that which cost the Blood of Jesus Christ The Lord would not spare him When he made his Soul an offering for sin Rom. 8. 32. Neither will he spare me if I defend and hide it Deut. 29. 20. Ah! If my Heart were right and my Conversion sound that lust whatever it be that is so favoured by me would especially be abhorred and hated Isai. 2. 20. and 30. 22. Whatever my convictions and reformations have been yet if there be but one sin retained and delighted in this keeps the Devils interest still in my Soul And though for a time he seem to depart yet at last he will return with seven worse spirits and this is the sin will open the door to him and deliver up my Soul Matth. 12. 43 44. Lord let me make through work of it let me cut it off and pluck it out though it be as a right Hand or Eye Ah shall I come so near the Kingdom of God and make such a fair offer for Christ and yet stick at a small matter and lose all for want of one thing Lord let me ●●ed the blood of the dearest lust for his sake that shed his dearest blood for me THE POEM There 's many a Soul eternally undone For sparing sin because a little one But we are much deceiv'd no sin is small That wounds so great a God so dear a Soul Yet say it were the smallest Pen-knife may As well as Sword or Lance dispatch and slay And shall so small a matter part and sever Christ and thy Soul What make you part for ever Or wilt thou stand on Toys with him when he Deny'd himself in greatest things for thee Or will it be an ease in Hell to think How easily thy Soul therein did sink Are Christ and Hell for trifles sold and bought Strike Souls with trembling Lord at such a thought By little sins belov'd the Soul is lost Vnless such sins do great repentance cost CHAP. XXVII Ships make much way when they a Trade-wind get With such a VVind the Saints have ever met OBSERVATION THough in most parts of the World the Winds are variable and sometimes blow from every point of the Compass by reason whereof sailing is ●low and dangerous yet about the Equinoctial Seamen meet with a Trade-wind blowing for the most part one way and there they Sail jocund before it and scarce need to Lore a Top-sail for some hundreds of Leagues APPLICATION Although the People of God meet with many seeming Rubs and Set-backs in their way to Heaven which are like contrary Winds to a Ship yet are they from the Day of their Conversion to the day of their compleat Salvation never out of a Trade-winds way to Heaven Rom. 8. 21. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose This is a most precious Scripture pregnant with its Consolation to believers in all conditions a Pillar of comfort to all distressed Saints Let us look a little nearer to it VVe know Mark the certainty and evidence of the Proposition which is not built upon a guess or remote probability but upon the knowledge of the Saints we know it and that partly by divine Revelation God has told us so and partly by our own experience we find it so That all things Not only things that lie in a natural and direct tendency to our good as Ordinances Promises Blessings c. but even such things as have no natural fitness and tendency to such an end as afflictions temptations corruptions desertions c. All these help onward They VVork together Not all of them directly and of their own nature and inclination but by being over-ruled and determined to such an issue by the gracious hand of God Nor yet do they work out such good to the Saints singly and apart but as adjuvant causes or helps standing under and working in subordination to the supream and principal cause of their happiness Now the most seeming opposite things yea sin in itself which in its own nature is really opposite to their good yet eventually contributes to it Afflictions and Desertions seem to work against us but being once put into the rank and order of Causes they work together with such blessed instruments as Word and Prayer to an happy issue And though the faces of these things that thus agree and work together look contrary ways yet there be as it were secret chains and connections of Providence betwixt them to unite them in their issue There may be many instruments employed about one work and yet not communicate coun●els or hold intelligence with each other Ioseph's Brethren the Midianites Potiphar c. knew not

cursed Apostate who feared not to say There was as good matter in Phocillides as in Solomon in Pindarus his Odes as in David's Psalms And the Papists generally slight it making it a lame imperfect Rule yea making their own Trad●tions the Touchstone of Doctrines and Foundation of Faith Montanus tells us that although the Apostle would have Sermons and Service celebrated in a known Tongue yet the Church for very good cause hath otherwise order'd it Gilford called it The Mother of Heresies Boner's Chaplain judged it worthy to be burnt as a strange Doctrine They set up their Inventions above it and frequently come in with a Non obstante against Christ's Institutions And thus do they make it void or as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Matth. 15. 6. unlord it and take away its authority as a Rule But those that have thus slighted it and followed the by-paths unto which their corrupt Hearts have led them they take not hold of the paths of Life and are now in the depths of Hell All other Lights to which men pretend in the neglect of this are but false fires that will lead Men into the Pits and Bogs of Destruction at last REFLECTION And is thy Word a Compass to direct my course to Glory O where am I then like to arrive at last that in all my course have neglected it and steered according to the counsel of my own heart Lord I have not made thy Word the Man of my counsel but consulted with flesh and blood I have not enquired at this Oracle nor studied it and made it the guide of my way but walked after the sight of my eyes and the lust of my heart Whither Lord can I come at last but to Hell after this rate and reckoning Some have slighted thy Word professedly and I have slighted it practically I have a poor Soul embarqued for Eternity it is now floating on a dangerous Ocean Rocks and Sands on every side and I go a drift before every Wind of Temptation and know not where I am Ah Lord convince me of the danger of this condition O convince me of my Ignorance in thy Word and the fatal consequence and issue thereof Lord let me now resolve to study prize and obey it hide it in my heart that I may not sin against it Open my understanding that I may understand the Scriptures Open my heart to entertain it in love O thou that hast been so gracious to give a perfect Rule give me also a perfect heart to walk by that Rule to glory THE POEM This VVorld's a Sea wherein a numerous Fleet Of Ships are under sail Here you shall meet Of every Rate and Size Frigats Galleons The nimble Ketches and small Pickeroons Some bound to this Port some where VVinds and VVeather VVill drive them they are bound they know not whither Some steer away for Heaven some for Hell To which some steer themselves can hardly tell The Winds do shape their course which though it blow From any Point before it they must go They are directed by the VVind and Tide That have no Compass to direct and guide For want of this must run themselves a-ground Brave Ships are cast away poor Souls are drown'd Thy VVord our Compass is to guide our way To Glory it reduces such as stray Lord let thy VVord dwell richly in my heart And make me skilful in this heavenly Art O let me understand and be so wise To know upon what Point my Country lies And having se● my Course directly thither Great God preserve me in the foulest Weather By Reason some will coast it but I fear Such Coasters never will drop Anchor there Thy Word is truly toucht and still directs A proper Course which my base heart neglects Lord touch mine Iron heart and make it stand Pointing to thee its Loadstone To that Land Of Rest above let every Tempest drive My Soul where it would rather be than live CHAP. XVII Look as the Sea by turns doth ebb and flow So their Estates that use it come and go OBSRRVATION THE Sea hath its alternate Course and Motion its Ebbings and Flowings No sooner is it High-water but it begins to Ebbe again and leave the Shoar naked and dry which but a little before it covered and over-flowed And as its Tides so also its Waves are the Emblem of Inconstancy still rouling and tumbling this way and that never fixt and quiet Instabilis unda As fickle as a VVave is common to a Proverb See Iam. 1. 6. He that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea driven with Winds and tossed So Isai. 57. 20. It cannot rest APPLICATION Thus mutable and inconstant are all outward things there is no depending on them Nothing of any substance or any solid consistence in them 1 Cor. 7. 31. The fashion of this world passeth away It is an high point of folly to depend upon such vanities Prov. 23. 5. Why wilt thou set or as it is in the Hebrew cause thine eyes to fly upon that which is not For riches certainly make themselves wings and fly away as an Eagle towards Heaven In flying to us saith Augustine they have Alas vix quidem passerinas scarce a Sparrow's wings but in flying from us wings as an Eagle And those Wings they are said to make to themselves i. e. The cause of its transitoriness is in itself the Creature is subjected to Vanity by sin they are sweet flowers but withered presently Iam. 1. 10. As the flower of the grass so shall the rich man fade away The man is like the stalk or grass his riches are the flower of the grass his glory and outward beauty the stalk is soon withered but the flower much sooner This is either withered upon or blown off from it while the stalk abides Many a man out-lives his estate and honour and stands in the world as a bare dry stalk in the field whose flower beauty and bravery is gone One puff of wind blows it away one churlish easterly blast shrivels it up 1 Pet. 4. 24. How mad a thing is it then for any man to be lifted up in pride upon such a vanity as this is to build so lofty and over-jetting Roof upon such a feeble tottering Foundation We have seen Meadows full of such curio●s flowers mown down and withered men of great Estates impoverished suddenly And when like a Meadow that is mown they have begun to recover themselves again as the phrase is the Lord hath sent Grashoppers in the beginning of the shooting-up of the latter growth Amos 7. 1. Just as the Grashoppers and other Creatures devour the second tender Herbage as soon as the Field begins to recover its verdure So men after they have been denuded and blasted by Providence they begin after a while to flourish again but then comes some new affliction and blasts all None have more frequent experience of this than you that are Merchants and Sea-men whose estates are floating