Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	apostle_n	speak_v	word_n	1,386	5	3.9429	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31660	The country's concurrence with the London united ministers in their late heads of agreement shewing the nature and advantages of a general union among Protestants : in two discourses ... / by Samuel Chandler ...	Chandler, Samuel.	1691 (1691)	Wing C1930; ESTC R11704	28,705	109

Heart to quake and tremble As for Paul he is rude in Speech homely in his Expressions and hath no Majesty nor Presence in a Pulpit I admire therefore their Ignorance that are for him I am for Apollos A Third I am for Cephas How doth he stoop to the lowest and meanest capacity doth not Preach about such deep Mysteries as Paul nor with such flaunting Eloquence as Apollos but feeds us with the sincere Milk of the Word and teaches so plainly that the most Ignorant may understand him I wonder therefore he is no more followed and that Paul and Apollos are preferred before him I am for Cephas Thus we may suppose the Corinthians might jangle among themselves for which St. Paul so sharply reproves them and may not we take his Reproofs to our selves are not we apt to heap up to our selves Teachers and have Mens Persons in admiration so to value some as unreasonably to scorn and slight others forgetting that they are all the Servants of Christ deputed and sent by him that in much Wisdom and Mercy hath given them various Gifts for the Edification of the Church that as one is eminent in some respects so in others 〈◊〉 Brethren may exceed them 〈◊〉 must consider they all Preach 〈◊〉 same Doctrin and direct to the same way to Salvation and it is more the fault of our own corrupt Hearts than of the Minister if we profit not by their Labours 2. Be much in Contemplation of the Love of God in Christ This will blow up a holy Flame of Love to him and all his Members when we remember how dearly and tenderly Christ loves all his Saints this will constrain us to lay aside all Wrath and Bitterness and live in Peace such a glorious precedent must needs be a cogent Argument and can hardly be resisted Love and Peace is the very Image of our Heavenly Father the Copy Christ hath set us and the Lesson he hath written for our Learning in Lines of his own Blood An hearty Love to God will engage us to be at peace with the whole fraternity of Christians and love them without Dissimulation 3. Make the great design of Religion yours viz. the advancement of Holiness and recovery of the Image of God in the Souls of Men Remember Religion is not designed meerly to fill your Heads with airy notions to tip your Tongues for Discourse or enable you to talk plausibly for the truth that it consists not in little Speculative Opinions or Ceremonious Trifles but the great design of it is to direct us in the government of our Passions subduing our Lusts and conquering the Impediments that hinder our Recovery and Salvation In a word Religion consists in a penitent return to God by Faith in Christ and Obedience to his Gospel let us take this to be our main business then we shall have so much work to do at home that we shall have little inclination to pry into the Infirmities of others or quarrel with them That Man would be esteemed by all as bereav'd of his Wits that should be picking causless Quarrels with his Neighbours about a Chip of Wood or a broken Hedge when a Fire in his House is consuming his Goods and Children We all stand on the Borders of the Grave and Confines of Eternity our great business is to quench the Flames of Lust which otherwise will prepare us for Everlasting Burnings and therefore surely we should not waste our precious Minutes in strife and contention 4. Avoid Extreams in disputable Points Every Truth lyes in the middle between two Falshoods and he that goes far from one is apt to slip into the other After all the confidence and boast of disputers there will be uncertainty in lesser Points and when we travel in uncertain Roads 't is best to chuse the middle here we may be sure to meet with Charity and Peace and very probably Truth in their Company The great occasion of our Differences hath been that Men have look'd so much at the evil of one Extream as to forget the Error on the other side like an ignorant Physician who to Cure a Man of a dead Palsie casts him into a Phrenzy I dare with some confidence affirm that most of those Disputes that are so hotly agitated among Protestants are in the Extreams and consist more in words than things because the Curse of Babel has so confounded our Languages that though our Sentiments are much the same we understand not one anothers meaning And if Men would but hearken to calm dispassionate Reason they might soon find out such healing Reconciling Principles as would quickly make us one among our selves and a terror to our Romish Adversaries Let the Apostles Counsel be in this sense therefore obeyed Phil. 4. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all Men. 5. Avoid unpeaceable Dividers those who make it their work to soment Differences and stir up Strife and sow Seeds of Discord among Brethren are said to be an abomination to the Lord take upon them a very ill imployment and carry on a design quite contrary to the Gospel of Peace and therefore are to be avoided that they may be ashamed I speak not this of my self but the Apostle Paul is very earnest in the same Advice Rom. 16. 17 18. Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrin which ye● have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their own Belly and by good Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the Simple 6. Frequently joyn together in the same Exercises of Religious Worship When Christians come together in the same Assemblies this naturally tends to abate their strangeness calm their Spirits remove unreasonable Jealousies and Suspicions and inclines them to a Cordial Endeared Love This was one great means of promoting that hearty affection which was among the Members of the primitive Church They continu'd stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrin and Fellowship and breaking of Bread and Prayer Acts 2. 42. And the same method would retrieve that love and peace the want of which hath crumbl'd us into parties and been the unhappy occasion of so many woful Effects Did we but more frequently resort to the House of Prayer more diligently hearken to and more faithfully improve Ministerial Instructions more readily submit to Pastoral Discipline more carefully watch over one another and more tenderly advise and reprove and edifie one another more solemnly pray with and for one another and more constantly celebrate that uniting Ordinance the Lords Supper together we should soon see the Blessed peaceful effects of so doing Did Neighbouring Churches counsel each other and maintain mutual correspondences for the advancement of Love and Holiness occasionally communicate together when convenient and look upon themselves not as divided Bodies or carrying on separate Interests but all united under the same Head acting according to the same Rule and for the