Woodes, Nathaniel · published 1581 · first performed or written 1572 [1570-1581] (Annals) moral unassigned nearest T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
It is no new thing, I do now perceive, That Christ's Church do suffer tribulation, But that the same cross I might better receive: I request you to show me for my consolation: What is the cause, by your estimation: That God doth suffer, his people be in thrall; Yet help them so soon as they to him call. The chiefest thing, which might us cause or move, With constant minds, Christ's cross for to sustain: Is to conceive of Heaven, a faithful love: Whereto we may not come, as Paul doth prove it plain: Unless with Christ we suffer, that with him we may rain: Again sith that it is our heavenly Fathers will, By worldly woes our carnal lusts to kill. Moreover, we do use to loathe that thing we always have, And do delight the more in that which mostly we do want, Affliction urgeth us also, more earnestly to crave: And when we once relieved be, true faith in us it plant, So that to call in each distress on God we will not faint: For trouble bring forth patience, from patience doth ensue Experience, from experience Hope, of health the anchor true. Again, oft-times, God doth provide, affliction for our gain, As Iob who after loss of goods, had twice so much therefore: Sometime affliction is a means, to honour to attain: As you may see, if Joseph's life, you set your eyes before: Continually it doth us warn, from sinning any more: whenas we see the judgements just, which God our heavenly king, Upon offenders here in earth, for their offences bring. Sometime God doth it us to prove, if constant we will be. As he did unto Abraham: sometime his whole intent, Is to declare his heavenly might, as in Iohn we may see: When the Disciples did ask Christ, why God the blindness sent Unto that man that was borne blind? to whom incontinent, Christ said: neither for Parents sins, nor for his own offence, Was he borne blind, but that God might show his magnificence. This is the sum of all your talk, if that I guess a right, That God doth punish his elect to keep their faith in ure, Or least that if continual ease, and rest enjoy they might: God to forget through haughtiness, frail nature should procure: Or else by feeling punishment, our sins for to abjure: Or else to prove our constancy, or lastly that we may, Be instruments in whom his might, God may abroad display. Now must I needs confess, to you my former ignorance, Which knew no cause at all, why God should trouble his elect, But thought afflictions all, to be rewards for our offence: And to proceed from wrathful judge, did always it suspect: As do the common sort of men, who will straightway direct And point their fingers at such men, as God doth chastise here, Esteeming them by just desert, their punishment to bear.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
It is no new thing, I doo now perceiue, That Chriſtes Church doo ſuffer tribulation, But that the ſame croſſe I might better receiue: I requeſt you to ſhew me for my conſolation: What is the cauſe, by your eſtimation: That God doth ſuffer, his people be in thrall▪ Yet helpe them ſo ſoone as they to him call. The chiefeſt thing, which might vs cauſe or moue, With conſtant mindes, Chriſtes croſſe for to ſuſtaine: Is to conceiue of Heauen, a faithfull loue: Wherto we may not come, as Paul doth proue it plaine: Vnleſſe with Chriſt we ſuffer, that with him we may raine: Againe ſith that it is our heauenly Fathers will, By worldly woes our carnall luſts to kill. Moreouer, we do vſe to loath that thing we alway haue, And doo delight the more in that which moſtly we doe want, Affliction vrgeth vs alſo, more earneſtly to craue: And when we once reléeued be, true faith in vs it plant, So that to call in eche diſtreſſe on God we will not faint: For trouble bring forth pacience, from pacience dooth inſue Experience, from experience Hope, of health the ankor true. Againe, oftimes, God doth prouide, affliction for our gaine, As Iob who after loſſe of goodes, had twice ſo much therefore: Sometime affliction is a meanes, to honor to attaine: As you may ſée, if Ioſephes lyfe, you ſet your eyes before: Continually it doth vs warne, from ſinning any more: When as we ſée the iudgements iuſt, which God our heauenly king, Vpon offenders héere in earth, for their offences bringe. Sometime God doth it vs to proue, if conſtant we will be. As he did vnto Abraham: ſomtime his whole intent, Is to declare his heauenly might, as in Iohn we may ſée: When the Diſciples did aſke Chriſt, why God the blindneſſe ſent Vnto that man that was borne blinde? to whom incontinent, Chriſt ſaide: neither for Parentes ſinnes, nor for his owne offence, Was he borne blinde, but that God might ſhew his magnificence. This is the ſumme of all your talke, if that I geſſe a right, That God doth punniſh his electt to kéepe their faith in vre, Or leaſt that if continuall eaſe, and reſt enioy they might: God to forget through hautineſſe, fraile nature ſhould procure: Or els by feeling puniſhment, our ſinnes for to abiure: Or els to proue our conſtancy, or laſtly that we may, Be inſtruments in whom his might, God may abroad diſplay. Now muſt I néedes confeſſe, to you my former ignoraunce, Which knew no cauſe at all, why God ſhould trouble his elect, But thought afflictions all, to be rewardes for our offence: And to procéede from wrathfull Iudge, did alway it ſuſped: As doe the common ſort of men, who will ſtraightway direct And point their fingers at ſuch men, as God doth chaſtice héere, Eſtéeming them by iuſt deſert, their puniſhment to beare.