Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A13540
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A good husband and a good wife layd open in a sermon, preached by Mr Thomas Taylor ... ; and published by Iohn Sedguuicke.
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Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.; Sedgwick, John, 1600 or 1601-1643.
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1625
(1625)
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STC 23829; ESTC S1374
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15,209
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29
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matter against the seruant of God this choketh him stoppeth his mouth whose malice cannot be stopped Fourthly what greater gaine to the truth and to our selues when our vnblameable course not onely giueth no offence nor layeth blocks to hinder others from the profession but may gaine them to imbrace the religion which is so innocent 1. Pet. 2. 12. Hauing your conuersation honest amongst the Gentiles that whereas they speake euill of you as euill doers they may by your good workes which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of their visitation And to our selues not onely in auoiding the woe due to them by whom offences come but the retaining of a cleare conscience void of offences towards God and all men To provoke vs to the care of walking without reproofe here we are to consider the cautions which we are to take in this case and secondly the meanes how we may walke without reproofe The cautions are first neuer thinke to auoide reproofe of wicked ones but let them haue no cause and then barking against the Sunne they may see their owne madnesse Secondly auoide not mens reproofe by incurring Gods reproofe nor by omitting any part of thy dutie nor committing any euill to please them Let euery man please his neighbour in that which is good and the least euils must not be done for the attaining of the greatest good Rom. 3. Thirdly neuer care for that credit amongst men which is seuered from religion 3. Ioh. 12. Demetrius hath a good report of all men and of the truth it selfe Neither care for credit in the world if thy graces be not witnessed in the Churches 3. Ioh. 6. Let all the world reprooue thee rather then the godly which haue the spirit of discerning The meanes by which a man may walke without reproofe are First ioyne the care of a good name with a good conscience Rom. 12. 17. Prouide things honest in the sight of God and all men Secondly labour for faith Heb. 11. 2. by faith our fathers receiued a good report Faith as it purifieth the heart so the life also Thirdly get puritie of mind spirit and thoughts get naturall corruption cast out of thy soule else it will breake out into thy iust reproofe curb therefore thy naturall lusts Fourthly auoyd all sinne not onely apparant sinnes but appearances of euill motes as well as beames thy motes being a Professor become beames quickly Fiftly meddle not with other mens businesses but diligently attend thy owne but so as thou seeke other mens good as well as thine owne 1. Corinthians 10. 24. Sixtly be aboundant in good workes according to thy power place and opportunitie Coloss. 1. 10. Workes of righteousnesse and mercie commend a man to men Those vertues are amiable euen in the eyes of wicked men And iust dealing with aboundance of good workes bringeth a great deale of honour to religion Now a word of application according to the occasion First you my worthy friend and man of God I assure my selfe your care and ayme was before you gaue me this text to make it your owne rule that of your selfe and the spouse whom you haue chosen the words of this text might be verified They were both iust before God I need not say much to one apprehensiue But remember the counsell Let him that is iust be iust still be still adding vnto your pietie holinesse and religious courses you haue mannaged grace and religion in your selfe and solitarinesse till this day Now you must mannage it in your other selfe in whom you are thankfully to acknowledge it wisely to encourage it carefully to encrease it and in case she bring you thousands of money yet hold this her worth her wealth her chiefe stocke and portion You haue in your single estate worthily taught others as a man of knowledge now you must dwell as a man of knowledge for the improuing of that stocke of grace which is in common betweene you that your fiue tallents may be encreased to ten when our Lord shall call the seruants to their reckoning You haue this day taken vpon you authority and headship and with that a double care first how to vse it secondly how to keepe it The way well to vse it is to command and rule in the Lord that all your coÌ„mands may carrie a stampe of Gods impression vpon them then shall they preuaile on the conscience and win obedience from the wife when the power of both husbands is vnited in them As for keeping your authoritie you know the way and so do not many it will not be kept by force of armes or violence but by religious example and shewing your selfe the best and most godly yea the patterne of pietie to the rest of your familie Gods shining image will not easily be contemned for grace hath an attractiue and adamantine nature to allure and draw to it selfe whosoeuer can espie it Besides it cannot but be expected that you who haue more strength and knowledge should expresse more grace you haue now vndertaken to loue your wife as Christ loued his spouse do it as he did earnestly wisely liberally and all to the end to helpe her to heauen couering and curing all her infirmities this you will not faile to do if you remember that not a daughter of men but a daughter of Israel is committed to your charge And to you whom God hath this day ioyned to an husband Know that Elizabeth was iust as well as Zacharie and holinesse is here as commendable in her as it was in him Nay it was expected that Elizabeth should shine in grace and godlinesse aboue ordinarie women because she was Zacharies wife the Priests wife the wife of so holy a man Grace and holinesse decketh and adorneth all women in all ranks but especially Ministers wiues as wedded to more then ordinary meanes and must be more eminent in you as wedded to one were he not present I would say aboue many ordinary Ministers Let your care be that it faile not on your part but that it may be truly affirmed They are both iust before God Both pious both wise both modest both holy As your husband must dwell with you as a man of knowledge so must you with him as with a man of knowledge You are this day married to an head whom you must obey in all things which he commandeth in the Lord that is in whatsoeuer you cannot proue to be sinne and this willingly chearfully constantly For thus doth the Church whose daughter you are performe obedience to her head and husband Iesus Christ. The same grace will cause you to honour his person in your heart life and whole behauiour esteeming of him as the Church doth of Christ the chiefe of ten thousand In one word it will make you do him good and not euill all your dayes Oh what will not the fauour and wisedome of God do when both married persons are thus iust before God It will set a worke and quicken all Gods graces bestowed on both It will lead into the sight and obseruance of all good duties mutuall and personall It will ease and lighten all crosses and discontents It will sweeten and sanctifie all your societie companie and comforts Well said Salomon hold her and she will vphold you And now we dismisse you with our humble prayer to God for his blessing and direction of you both in this your new estate that as you haue both entred this day into the couenant of God so you may now couenant with your selues that according to this patterne held before you you will both ayme to be iust before God and both walke in all Gods commandements and ordinances especially in this holy and comfortable ordinance without reproofe 1. Obser. 1. Reason 2. Reason Pâ—al 15 4. 1 Vse Genes 7. 1. Gen. 18. 19. Prou. 31. 30. Luc. 10. 42. 2. Vse Doct. Vse 2. Doct. 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 1. Vse 2. Vse Doct. Obiect Answ. 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason Notes of a iust man Note 1. Note 2. 2. Cor. 5. 9. Note 3. Note 4. Note 5. Note Note 1. 1. Vse 2. Vse Note 2. 1. Vse Ier. 6. Psal. 16. Note 3. Vse Notes of an vpright heart Manner Non dicit sine peccato sed sine querela Doct. Obiect Answ. 1. Reason Vse Meanes of walking vnblameably Application to the Bride groome To the Bride