Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	child_n	great_a	parent_n	1,520	5	8.2359	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26458	Brief notes upon the whole book of Psalms put forth for the help of such who desire to exercise themselves in them and cannot understand without a guide : being a pithie and clear opening of the scope and meaning of the text to the capacitie of the weakest / by George Abbot.	Abbot, George, 1604-1649.	1651 (1651)	Wing A65; ESTC R10477	627,977	776

eyes let them not fear it how improbable soever as he hath done from us Jeremiahs good sighs that went out of Canaan submittingly carrying along with us the faithfull hope and expectation of Gods engagement though loth to depart from that good land which God had given us to worship him in but yet did put our selves upon adventure and have out-lived our sorrows and at last enjoy those promises in their accomplishment though after so many years in all which time God hath preserved us and his promise sustained us in hope and now at the appointed period delivered us by an Almighty hand and strange providence to our admiration and joy unspeakable and should encourage us to take the opportunity God hath now put into our hands not consulting with flesh and bloud to break through all difficulties and discommodities either in the journey or at the journeys end which fear and faithlesness may represent to deter us in confidence that as they that obedientially came do live to go so they that in this imperfect condition adventures upon God obey his call and rely upon his grace shall in like sort be enabled to undergo and survive all imaginable evils and have their faith and patience abundantly rewarded with grace and peace and themselves at last established again in quiet in the holy Land and Citie The cxxvii PSALM This Psalm is conceived to be penned rather by Solomon himself than by David ●or him and to be a compendium of his Ecclesiastes the stile and matter owns him the subject it treats being politicks government civil and domestick the part appointed him by God more especially to act both in scripture and in practise which he handleth not as a meer moralist or Philosopher but as a divine instructing in all civil and natural affairs to eye God by faith and to make him the efficient and final cause in all publick transanctions and private business or blessing else we take course to set God against us and so to loose all our labour in all we do and in all we hope and desire And sheweth what is the best and most desirable blessing under heaven that brings most happiness to a mans self and makes him most usefull to the publick to wit a numerous and godly off-spring See the Title of the 120. Psalm the Authours name super-added here 1 MOst men act upon their own principles in their own affairs and callings without any eye to God or faith in God for direction or success apprehending issues naturally to ensue upon use of means as they project and design whereas it is far otherwaies for the Lord is all in all nothing can prosper without him it is not enough towards the building of an house whether materially or civilly considered to have the persons and things that conduce thereunto the art of Artificers and the wisdom of a Pater-familias will not serve to erect or order and well govern it or raise and enrich posterity without the blessing of God he can and doth therefore often times blast their endeavours and befool their skil because he is not made the first cause and the last end not sought to for a blessing nor intended to be blessed for the success when second causes are set up above him and a man is his own Idol and kisseth his own hands And as in government domestick so in that which is civil and popular there is the same errour committed men of place States-men and politicians stand on their heads like children and shake their heels at heaven but let such learn from me that know it and by the blessing of God have as much wisdom if not more than other men that it is neither wise for sight and advice nor vigilancie and diligence nor power and strength it is indeed nothing either in a militarie or civil way that can order or secure any countrey place or people from forreign or intestine evils but the gracious provident and watchfull eye and ruling hand of God none can prevent accidents over-rule hearts frustrate designs bless endeavours but the Lord alone infinite unexpected occurrences will nay shall purposely fall out to endanger and deceive them that are carnally confident in an arm of fleshly wisdom strength or diligence if not to ruin them Therefore use the means but subserviently trust in the Lord onely seek him and seek to him faithfully and self-denyingly else look not to succeed or prosper or not to be blessed but cursed in prospering either in the one or other 2 How do men moil and toil in the world some to compass riches others other designs their heads and hands in continual action scarce allowing themselves time to cherish and sustain nature by sleep or food which very repasts are also imbittered by inordinate carefulness through diffidence and vnacquaintance with God not considering that all they do is fruitless and labour lost if God pronounce not a Fiat and say not Amen to what they design and sollicit though never so eagerly which yet is certainly true if they did believe it and knew to live by faith how would it moderate and quiet their thoughts make their lives much more comfortable and enjoy themselves and the blessings God gives them with contentment for so do all they that inwardly feed upon the sweet sense and assurance of Gods love and are happier in that than the cares of the world can make them and whose hearts by believing are staied on the Lord for this he recompenceth it into their bosoms with recumbancy of spirit so that they enjoy him themselves and the blessings less or more he bestows upon them free from perplexities with abundant soul-satisfaction and continual quiet which carking wordly-minded men loose and their labour besides 3 And as some mens ambition and contentment is in honour and riches and such like earthly felicities whereto they bend themselves with might and main and think to compass them by wit and industrie but are deceived so others desire to be rich in children and a good desire it is if moderated by submission and mixed with faith but in this also do men and women miscarrie having their expectation more upon natural causes in natural production than upon Gods supernatural agencie Whereas it is nor strength nor pregnancie of nature in either sex that can assure posterity but the power and free-gift of God that can onely make parents happy with a happy issue which he dispenseth of grace to whom he pleases 4 A numerous and virtuous off-spring is an unspeakable blessing of God he that hath them is fitted by them for all assaies as a strong and valiant man skilful in martial affairs and plentifully provided of ammunition darts and arrows can with honour and advantage to himself them that imploy him for offence and defence discharge them hither and thither so a father blessed with an hopefull and plentifull issue in the flower of his age is himself blessed by it and of

wonderous works one as well as another from of the globe of the earth and sea here below as well as from heaven on high Let his immense power be magnified in framing such depths as well as heights even those vast and profound seas adequate for those huge and formidable whales and sea-dragons which he hath made and disposed of there as their proper place and element And so ye exhalations and meteors whether of fire or water that by the force of the sun are drawn from the earth into the air and there by an Almightie power severally disposed of into divers forms and beings and to several ends and all as pleaseth God whether unto thunder lightenings hail snow rain mists storms and tempests all of you jointly severally as God pleaseth to use you sometimes for good sometimes for evil whose will in both you must and do obey acting as by him and not your selves so for him to fulfil his command and do the errand whereon he sends you set ye forth the power and greatness of God to his praise in doing his pleasure 9 And ye earthly heights as well as waterie depths ye hils and mountains of several quantities and dimensions higher and lower greater and less also ye trees that grow upon the earth of several natures to several uses some for fruit and some for timber as all of you are of and from the Lord so are you for and to him you ought to be to his praise who gave you your several kinds and existences for the use and benefit of man 10 Ye that exceed these vegetives which yet are excellent in their kind toward the making up the beautifull frame and order of nature you I say that are a form higher in the creation ye animals endowed with sence as well as life and first ye four footed beasts and cattel of several sorts and kinds which are so manifold great and small one and other yea and you that by gods ordination are under the same Genus but of a far different Species that instead of going upon feet are wonderfully facilitated to creep upon your bellies as also you several fowl that live in another element the air dexterously conveying your selves by flight from place to place with wings instead of feet do you in your several kinds natures and places set forth the Almighty power and wisdom of the Creatour of all things 11 12 And you who enjoy the best of beings next the angels comprehending the perfection of all living creatures vegetative and sensitive with a superaddition of a reasonable soul you men and of men principally you that are principal ye Kings and great men of the world lead you the way and go before others in good example that have so much cause above others to magnifie God and celebrate his praise And all ye people also not onely in but under authoritie both high and low do you the like Chiefly ye great men look you to it to whom it principally appertains and who for the most part are most deficient and too high to do homage but be your power or wisdom never so great yet be so wise and lowly as to let God be both greater and wiser and be you never so beneficial in your places yet let God be acknowledged the best benefactor by you and those that are under you who is above all as in greatness the sovereign King and Judge of all the earth so in goodness administring righteous judgement and yielding just protection And though principally yet not onely doth this duty of praise belong to great men no nor yet to men whether you respect their age or sex for though their priviledge in both regards engage them comparatively beyond others yet it belongs to all of all ages and sexes both men and women to them that are in their prime for mind body with strength and beauty as young men and maids and them also that are growing to it or gone beyond it old men and children for as in civil government there are degrees of places offices higher and lower as princes peopele so in nature there are and must be degrees of ages succession of generations as fathers children both which are respectively thereby beautified with orderly subsistence which else would be a confused paritie each setting forth the praise-worthy wisdom of God in their gradual subordinations as high and low so young and old some governing some governed one generation coming another going to the praise of the God of nature that so orders things in the great Common-wealth thereof and in that variety of creatures ages and sexes as to produce so beautiful and orderly a progression from one end of the world to the other 13 All the whole creation consisting of infinite particulars never all of them to be enumerated in their several kinds and capacities let them joyn in this harmonie of Halelu-jah celestial and terrestrial creatures every of them severally and all of them joyntly make up a Quire of praising God for his praise-worthy excellencies of several sorts specified in their several kinds some as men and angels actually offer up others as all other creatures declaratively set forth the greatness and goodness power wisdom and glorie of their maker who therefore made them and who excels all created excellencies all and every of them being but borrowed from the fountain of his sole sufficiencie He onely is originally and they derivatively good whose transcendent Majestie and glorious excellencie inherent in himself is infinitly superlative to all earthly Majesties and all natural excellencies whether in the heavens above or the earth here beneath yea though you could fancie them all in one collective bodie and frame an Idea of all created perfections the glorie riches beautie order of all creatures in one entire resplendencie and representation yet is he alone infinitely beyond them all in all their several excellencies joyntly considered and to be praised both above them and for them who himself both is all above all and all in all 14 He is worthy praise from all creatures for what they are and have derivatively from him but that which is of greatest note and most praise-worthie is the Crown of all the rest which he hath set upon his peoples head his Covenant-mercie and grace and that not onely in promise but performance having in and by me as he hath and shall spiritually by and in Christ wonderfully blessed and prospered his people brought them out of all their sorrows and set them above all their enemies and therefore is he if to the creatures much more to his elect and chosen people especially the called and sanctified ones among them matter of praise who hath exatalted and preferred them to that praise-worthie priviledge of being his in a peculiar singular way of grace and adoption differing from all men and all creatures besides I mean his Israel the people of his Covenant made with their