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A20534
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A remedy against priuat contentions A godly and fruitfull sermon on Iames, 4.1. &c. Wherin is at large discouered the hatefulnes, and perniciousnesse of priuate iars and contentions, with manifold remedies against the same. By Mr. Iohn Dod.
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Dod, John, 1549?-1645.
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1614
(1614)
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STC 6942; ESTC S116344
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22,830
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33
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hate one another And further hereby shall we assure our harts before God that we are of the truth and that we do pertaine to his family this euery Christian that hath any acquaintance with 1. Iohn 3. 19 his own heart will confesse that when hee is most mercifull and most ready to put vp iniuries indignities then he hath most comfortable assurance of his own saluation and can most cheerefully looke vp vnto God in Christ as one that hath interest in him Quest But how may a man become thus peaceable and quiet it must needs be acknowledged that contention is a foule sinne an horrible shame but how may I master my violent passions and become more mild and calme Answer The Lord telleth you hovv to vanquish and kill this corruption and one meanes is Remedies against anger Tit. 3. 2. 3 1 Often to examine your own heart the Apostle willeth men to shew all meekenesse toward all men Obiection But might some say I am of an hastie nature ready to bee prouoked and therfore I cannot indure such iniuries as men offer me Answer But remember what you haue said and done against others especially against God and that wil abate the pride of your heart Haue not you beene vnwise disobedient and liuing in malitiousnesse and enuie hatefull and hating others In which regard the wise mans counsell is that a man Eccl. 7. 23. 24 should not take notice of euery fault of his seruant but passe by many and why because euery mans soule can tell him though men cannot charge him that he hath commited the like or greater faults against God or men which if we could well consider mens vnkindnesses would seeme nothing in our eyes for when our owne sinnes lye heauie others vvrongs lye light and when we feele not the weight of sinne in any good measure euery trifling offence of men seemes an hainous crime vnto vs. A second helpe against wrathfull passions is to be assured of the remission of our sinnes Bee yee curteous one to another saith the Apostle and tender hearted So I will will some say so long as they vse mee well but if they deale otherwise and begin to doe me wrong they shall heare of it whosoeuer they bee Oh deale not so saith Paul But forgiue one another euen as God for Christ his sake Ephe. 4. vlt. forgaue you Seeing the Lord hath sent his sonne and the sonne hath giuen his blood and the holy Ghost hath sprinkled the same vpon your hearts for the washing away of all your iniquities stand not with men for small pettie iniuries but forgiue and forget them and assuredly whosoeuer hath the comfortable feeling of the pardon of his sinnes cannot but doe so When Steuen saw Christ sitting at the right hand of God in heauen and was assured that he had saued him from his sinnes and that he should forthwith goe vnto him he could kneele downe and with all meekenesse pray for his most bitter enemies that were then stoning of him neither weere they so mad against him to do him hurt as he was earnest with God for them to procure their good The third and last remedie is to denie carnall reason for that is anill guide that leadeth vs out of the way Euer marke this in reuengeful persons when they are reproued for their spitefull and malicious dealing their answere is had I not cause had I not reason to do as I haue done no none at all for what sound reason can there bee against Gods reason who saith Reuenge not c. for vengeance is mine I will requite it saith the Lord. It is his office which he hath appropriated vnto himselfe and they are intruders yea traitors that will goe about to thrust God out of his iudgment seat And therefore let not the diuell delude vs with this conceite that wee haue reason for our brawling and quarrelling for the best that can be said for it is this that it is beastly and fleshly reason such as the Lord esteemeth folly and frensie and enmitie against his maiestie Rom. 8. which will bring with it death and destruction of body and soule if we yeeld vnto it and be led by it Are they not hence euen of your lusts Here he sheweth the fountaine of all their discontentments namely their own vntamed affections whatsoeuer occasions there may be that is the true cause as the reason why a Lyon rageth and roreth is not that any creature disquieteth him and raiseth him vp for then a sheep being stirred should roar too but that his naturall inclination draweth him thereunto Doct. 2 Lust in the heart the cause of contention The Doctrine hence to bee gathered is this that Our owne distempered lusts are the cause of all our strife and contention with others They make vs vnquiet in our selues and so cause vs to disquiet them that are about vs. Therefore it is said that fleshly lusts doe fight against our 1. Pet. 2. 11 soules they cause a continuall warre within a man which inward combat with ones selfe sheweth it selfe oftentimes in outward iarring with men Christ Iesus had as great wrongs as euer man in this world had yet was he neuer in any passion or distemper and why because he was quite voide of carnall affections Before his conuersion Paul was very boistrous and full of rage but after that hee had spent the heat of his anger vpon his owne great sinnes he that had beene very froward became very meeke and was able with patience to vndergo imprisonment whipping stoning reuiling with any the like indignities wee neuer heare this from him what shall I beare this a man of my education of my learning of my gifts shall I endure to liue in the stocks hungrie and cold and full of paines c. No no these thoughts were farre from Paul he was content to suffer any thing yea to lay downe his life for the name of the Lord Iesus and that because his lusts were subdued and the venome thereof remoued Let euery Christian looke backe vnto his disposition before his calling and who is there but shall find that hee was full of enuie hastie and testie and ready to bee prouoked but since his conuersion hee may say to the glorie of God that he can beare that which hee could not before and get out of that passion in a few houres that was wont to hang vpon him many moneths and as he growes more in grace so shall it be better with him still Vse 1 So often therefore as wee breake forth into any distempered speeches or actions let vs know that wee haue a summons from God to take notice of our vnrulie affections What haue you forgotten your selfe are you more wearie of your life then of your sinne then there is somewhat within to bee conquered and brought vnder and that should bring you vpon your knees to become a suter vnto God Lord I see by the fruits that lust is
A REMEDY AGAINST PRIVAT CONTENTIONS A GODLY AND FRVITFVLL Sermon on Iames 4. 1. c. WHERIN IS AT LARGE DISCOuered the hatefulnes and perniciousnesse of priuate Iars and Contentions with manifold remedies against the same By Mr. IOHN DOD 2. Cor. 10. 3 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holds AT LONDON Printed by Humfrey Lownes for Thomas Man and are to be sould at the signe of the Talbot in Pater noster rowe 1614. The points of Doctrine handled in the Sermon following Doctrine 1. It is a most horrible sinne and shame for Christians to liue in strife and contention Doctrine 2 Our owne distempered affections are the cause of contention with others Doctrine 3 Whosoeuer is led by his lusts neuer maketh a thriuing or a sauing bargaine of it Doctrine 4 Earthly minded men are still subiect to bee vexed with enuie Doctrine 5 Prayer is the best meanes to bee prouided of all needfull things Doctrine 6 It is most iust that God should denie and reiect their prayers who aske of him earthly things for worldly respects Doctrine 7 It is a dangerous and damnable kind of adulterie to set our minds on earthly things Doctrine 8 All men are esteemed of God as they are affected A REMEDIE AGAINST Priuate Contentions Iames 4. 1. c. 1 From whence are wars and contentions among you are they not hence euen of your lusts that fight in your members 2 Ye lust and haue not ye enuie and haue indignation and cannot obtaine yee fight and warre and get nothing because yee aske not 3 Yee aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse that yee might consume it on your lusts 4 Yee Adulterers and Adulteresses know yee not that the amitie of the world is the enmitie of God Whosoeuer therefore will be a friend to the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God IN the former Chapter the Apostle had sharply reproued them for that bitter enuying strife contention that was among them perswading them vnto peace and louing agreement but because they would bee ready to answere that they liked well enough of peace vnitie Obiection but they had so many vvrongs and indignities so many occasions of griefe discontentment offered vnto them that they could not auoide brawles and iarres and therefore they were not to be blamed for their dissensions but all the fault was in others that prouoked them hereunto Answer To this he answeres in the beginning of this Chapter saying From whence are warres and contentions among you are they not hence euen of your lusts As if hee should haue said vvill you now lay the fault of your iarring and contending vpon others If you doe so you little know your owne hearts for all your distempers proceed from no other cause but from your owne lusts that is your ouer-eager desire of earthly things viz. of profit pleasure or credit and these strong vvorldly affections must needs bring forth such effects because they fight in your members that is in the powers of your soule especially yet so as also they breake forth and shew themselues in the parts of the bodie They trouble your minds and memories disquiet your wils and affections causing you one while to thinke well of such a thing or such a person and by and by to dislike the same one while to wish for this or that presently after not to care for it nay many times to abhor it hence ariseth a ciuill warre as it were vvithin your selues and thence it is that you contend with others for he will accord vvith none that cannot agree vvith himselfe Next he sets before them the effect of these wordly desires verse 2. Ye lust and haue not as who should say what doe you get by giuing place to your lusts The more you lust the lesse you haue Obiection And where they might thinke themselues hardly charged and that this accusation of earthly lusts and affections could not be proued against them Answer Yes saith hee it will plainely appeare by the effects in that yee enuie and haue indignation one against another now if you did not care for and loue the world you would neuer enuie those that goe beyond you in wordly things Obiection Further it is added Yee fight and warre and get nothing Then belike might some say wee are not Gods children if things be thus farre amisse on our parts and God also deale so seuerely vvith vs. Answer Answ Nay the Apostle doth not conclude any such matter but sayes thus much in effect you may be Christians many of you though very carnall Christians and children you may bee though ill children neither is the Lord to bee charged with ouer-seuere dealing no it is not the hardnsse of the father that vvill not grant but the badnesse of the children that will not aske that is the cause why you get nothing so that it was not the want of friends nor the want of means that caused them to be in necessity but the want of praier and so consequently of a faithfull heart and fitted to receiue the things they prayed for Obiection But here they would reply again as hypocrisie makes men full of shifting and say you charge vs that wee doe not pray that is not so I haue prayed againe and againe and yet am neuer the better Answer Indeed saith hee Yee aske and yet ye receiue not and why Because ye aske amisse As if he had said if ye speede not in prayer it is certaine all is not well in your prayers for that is a key to open Gods treasurie neither is his eare â—uer shut against the faithfull supplications of his seruants and hereby doth it appeare that you aske amiss in that ye aske That ye might consume it vpon your lusts They would not be so absurd as to say so to God Lord giue me this that I may bestow it vpon my lusts but that was their purpose intent which is euident by this that the scope and drift of their petitions vvas for earthly things if they were sicke oh how earnest would they be for wealth if in debt what importunitie vvould they vse to get out it of and so for other the like matters but why did they aske these worldly things Euen for worldly respects not to serue God better but to serue themselues they desired health that they might pursue their commodities or follow their pleasures and delights they asked wealth to the intent they might hold vp their heads with the best that they might haue larger maintenance that they might better their apparell and their diet c. Obiection What if we doe desire these things in those regards is Obiection that any such great fault Answer I will tell you saith the holy ghost Yee adulterers and adulteresses c. As if he should haue said you wretched and sinfull men and women doe you imagine that God doth bestow these things vpon you that you should abuse