Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	effect_n	evil_a	sin_n	2,605	5	5.5309	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20534	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.	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.	1614 (1614)	STC 6942; ESTC S116344	22,830	33

them to his dishonour and to the satisfying of your owne carnall desires Your health to idlenesse and wantonnesse your wealth to pride and excesse this is farre from the Lords meaning And the haynousnesse of this sinne will appeare euidently by the similitude heere vsed Put case a wife should bee alwaies whining for money and larger allowance and would neuer let her husband bee at peace but night and day be at him for the granting of her request and her husband should demand of her what she would doe with it if she should answere I haue an affection to such an adulterer and I haue maintained him thus long would faine haue him to be in his brauerie still vvould this suit please her husband Nay would hee not abhorre both her and her request yet this is the case of all earthly minded men they would faine haue these outward things and what would they doe with them euen spend them vpon their owne lusts and that is to commit spirituall fornication against the Lord in which regard he is so round with them in this place Yee adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the loue of the world is the enmitie of God It is not onely spirituall adulterie but enmitie against God in so much that he concludeth in the words immediatly following Whosoeuer therfore will be a friend of the world that is liue as vvordly men doe for his diet for his apparell for his carriage for his drifts and purposes c. such an one maketh himselfe the enemie of God he is so indeed whatsoeuer he conceiue of Gods loue towards him and therefore will God shew himselfe an enemy toward him The drift wee see of these words is to draw the people of God from those miserable contentions and vexations which were among them which hee doth by rebuking them and that for speciall faults 1. Some inward to wit 1. Their lusting after and immoderate desiring of earthly things 2. Their enuie that others should speede better then themselues 2. Some outward viz. brawling and strife about which he spends many words because almost all their life was spent therein From both which he terrifies them by the ill effects First that they got nothing Secondly that they endangered their owne soules in making themselues adulterers adulteresses and so enemies to God and God to them And thus much for the meaning and order of the words Vers 1. From whence are warres and contentions among you namely that are professors In that he doth so sharpely take them vp for their mutuall discord and dissension the generall doctrine is that Doct. 1 Strife a great sinne It is a most horrible sinne and shame for Christians to liue in strife and contention and to breake out into brawling and passion Reason 1 First the causes are verie bad one of which the Apostle pointeth at where he saith Whereas there is among you enuying and strife and diuisions are yee not carnall and walke as men 1 Cor. 3. 3 as if he should haue said when you are male content and passionate and euer falling out one with another doe you thinke that this is from faith and not from the flesh yes surely it is euen from the flesh for where there is bitter strife and enuying in the heart all the wisdome that such are led by is earthly sensuall and diuellish and this may be Iam. 3. 14. 15 Reason 2 the second reason why contention is such a grieuous sin namely Because those that are therunto giuen are led not onely by soil a guide as there owne sensuall wisdome that was neuer taught them by God and his word but farther they are guided by Sathan for the Apostle saith Iames 3 their wisdome is diuellish now if it be a foule shame to be led by sense as a beast what is it to be led by Satan as his vassal Reason 3 Another cause of this sinne is giuen by Salomon where hee saith Prou. 13. 10. Onely through pride man maketh contention So much hautinesse as there is in the heart so much discontentment are men subiect vnto if others wrong them indeed they cannot beare it if it be but in their conceit all is one they will chafe and fret at it and all this proceeds hence that they thinke better of themselues then either God or men doe or then in truth there is any iust cause why any should doe The effects 2 Secondly as the causes of this sinne are ill so are the effects sutable Iam. 3. 16. for where there is enuying and strife there is sedition and all manner of euill workes In what heart or in what house soeuer those vices reigne the Lord seeth and men may euidently perceiue that there are euil thoughts euill words euill practises of all kinds for there the diuell and sinne beare sway and fill the places with all manner of pollutions Effect 2 Further as contention puls on all euill so it hinders all good it makes the parties that they cannot pray for in all our requests to God wee must lift vp pure hands without wrath c. they cannot heare because good hearers 1. Tim. 2. 8 must be slow to wrath and receiue the word with meeknesse Iam. 1. 19. As for the Lords supper they cannot be meet partakers of it because it is a Sacrament of loue and if wee would bee forgiuen we must forgiue in a word they are vnfit for euery good worke for the wrath of man accomplisheth not the righteousnesse Iam. 1. 20. of God Lastly this is it which ruinates both persons and families for an house diuided against it selfe cannot stand Nay Luke 11. 17. a kingdome be it neuer so mightie diuided against it selfe shall be desolate And if this be a sure thing that where brethren dwell together in vnitie God hath appointed his Psal 133. 1. 3. blessing and life for euermore then it is as certaine on the other side that where men liue in continuall strife there God hath appointed his curse and death for euermore Vse 1 First for the reproofe of them that spend a great part of their time in fretting and quarrelling because things goe not so well as they would haue them Some there are indeed that when they fall to open brawles go by the worse because they are ouer-matched and therefore they will sit and mope in a corner but vnto such Iames speaketh saying Sigh not one against another So that there are sighers Iam. 5. 9 as well as chiders and both condemned by the word Sigh one for another wee may as if a friend or a child of ours haue sinned it is an happie thing if we can weepe in secret for them but wee must not sigh one against another no more then we may chafe one against another Wee must not when wee are alone muse of the vnkindnesse of such and such and so grow to bitter thoughts against them that is a wofull thing and will

bee a hard reckoning for vs at length for as Iames addeth the Iudge is at the doore and the Assises will be fearefull for all such persons If thy cause be good and thy conscience good God is at hand to right all thy wrongs but when men giue themselues to fretting and bitter discontentment it is as much in effect as if they should say that God is no equall Iudge and therefore they cannot rest satisfied with his gouernment yet are they ready enough in their distempered fits to prophane the name of God by calling him to be iudge in their causes as Sarah did when her maid despised her God be iudge between me and thee saith she to her husband but if the Lord had come she would haue been the loser Gen. 16. 5 For God being a most righteous Iudge would haue examined both parties and then who would haue been found in the greater fault Abraham tooke Hagar but who was the cause of it was not Sarah the greatest complainers and exclaimers are vsually most faulty themselues and therfore let christians be ashamed to be so clamorous contentious vpon euery occasion for to bee so vnpeaceable amongst men sheweth that there is little acquaintance with the God of peace therefore let vs rather goe from our owne right and yeeld a little then be still falling out with our neighbours better it is to lose some of our outward commodities then to lose our inward and outward peace Obiection But why should I so abase my selfe as to yeeld vnto him Answer Nay why should you be so base minded as to yeeld vnto the diuell for whosoeuer giueth place vnto anger and wrath giueth place vnto the diuell Most abominable Ephe. 4. 26. 27 therefore is that falling out which is amongst professors though there be many things amisse in a familie yet if there be mutuall loue and compassion and tender heartednes crosses are made much easier and burdens much lighter then else they would be whereas if there be brawles in the familie euery light affliction is made heauie what a disgrace therefore is it for the subiects of the Prince of peace to be at such variance among themselues It is for dogges and swine to be barking and biting one at another but to see Sheepe or Lambes tearing one another all the world would wonder at it If then we professe that Christ is our shepheard and wee his sheepe how can wee with any comfort looke him in the face when wee so farre differ from the nature and properties of his sheepe in eating vp our owne heartes with griefes and ministring continuall vexation vnto others and biting and deuouring one another But heere will some obiections be made for as euery one is more guiltie so will he haue more colours to hide his corruptions from the view of the world Some will grant that they are often discontented indeed but they haue reason so to be Let vs heare their reasons then Obiection One is that they are prouoked Answer But who can prouoke a sheepe to bark and bite true Christian loue is not prouoked so that it is not the prouocation without but want of true loue with in and abundance 1. Cor. 13. 5 of selfe loue that causeth you to be so passionate Obiection But who can chuse but be angry at sinne that is it that mooueth me Answer But see whether this faire shew doe not proceed from foule hypocrisie and the Lord open our eyes that we may see it Your anger you say is from hatred of sinne well let vs examine the matter a little First doe you hate your owne sinnes and haue they caused you as often to breake your sleepe as the iniuries of Anger against sinne how discerned others Nay that way they must needes confesse they are more sparing that then is nothing else but plaine dissimulation to pretend griefe for anothers sinne when you haue little or none for your owne Secondly such as grieue for the faults of any and are desirous to reforme them will vse a good discreet order in dealing with the parties obseruing all circumstances for that ende As namely first the circumstāce of time that they will not presently vpon the cōmitting of the offence flie in their faces in the view of all the standers by seeking to disgrace them to the vttermost but wil waite the fittest opportunitie when with most benefit and least blemish to the party they may help him against corruption Secondly as euery sin is greater so they will be more incensed against it and herein doth the hypocrisie of many appear that they will bee more mooued at soome small offence wherein they themselues are touched then at a farre greater matter that nothing concernes their credit or commoditie though it do neuer so much concerne Gods glorie Such may go masked vnder the vail of hypocrisie but God will discouer their false pretences in the end neither let them euer looke for comfort in the time of sicknesse or of death from such kind of zeale against sinne Indeed there is a corruption in all and we are too sensible of iniuries but the godly doe condemne it in themselues are neuer content till they can be more troubled at sinnes whereby God is dishonoured then at infirmities and iniuries whereby they themselues are wronged Thirdly if any be displeased at sinne he wil vse all good remedies for the healing thereof he will reproue and admonish and exhort and all from a louing and mercifull heart yea hee will ioyne vnto these heartie prayer for a blessing vpon his indeauours This we see in Moses hee was verie angrie against the sin of the Israelites in making the golden calfe and shewed his iust anger in executing iudgement vpon the ring leaders in that hainous offence but withall we must note that he was neuer more feruent in praier for them then at that time Those therefore that Exod. 32. 11 are so far moued that they cannot speake vnto the offenders in giuing them good louing aduice nor speake for them vnto God in putting vp hearty and earnest requests such I say may be assured that their anger is not the zeale of the spirit but the heate of the flesh which they can haue no comfort in but must be humbled for it leaue it Vse 2 A second vse of this is for instruction that if euer vvee looke for peace with God and comfort in our soules and good estimation among Gods children then let vs take heed as of other sinnes so of this sinne of passion and distemper Do men deale with vs as with enemies let vs loue them Do they wrong vs let vs pray for them Doe they Mat. 5. 44 speak euill of vs let vs speak the best of them to them for that is Christ his counsell hereby shall men knovv that we are his Disciples if we loue one another Iohn 13. 35. whereas otherwise they may suspect vs to bee hypocrites if we