Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64966	Odos gath operbochēns the more excellent way to edifie the Church of Christ, or, A discourse concerning love : the design of which is to revive that grace (now under such decays) among Protestants of all perswasions / by Nathanael Vincent ...	Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697.	1684 (1684)	Wing V415; ESTC R1364	76,586	160

of men Mat. 16. 22 23. The same Apostle as one observes scandaliz'd the Jews by pleasing them For fear of offending the weak Judaizing Christians he separated from familiar communion with the Gentiles by which he laid a stumbling block before them to harden them in the sinful opinion of Separation A dangerous Scandal it was whereby Barnabas himself was carried away Love will make us please our Neighbour for his good to Edification Rom. 15. 2. But to please him by doing as he does saying as he says and so to harden him in his too high thoughts of himself in his errour and uncharitableness in his dividing Principles which have a tendency to hinder the lasting settlement and peace of any Church in the World I say thus to please him is to scandalize him by not crossing and offending him A meek and faithful instructing him though it does anger him would be a true expression of love to him 5. In shunning scandal special regard must be had to the weak who are in greatest danger He that is weak falls more easily and therefore stumbling blocks should not be laid but removed out of his way Those that suppose themselves higher than others in light and grace should be the more condescending to them whom they think much below themselves and hear with their infirmities We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Rom. 15. 1. Those that differ from us in judgement have precious Souls as well as those of our own way therefore we must take heed of scandalizing them especiaily if they are very numerous We should be wary how we utterly disown a vast Body of Christians as if they were a company of Heathen men and Publicans this will confirm them in their exasperations and severities against us as highly reasonable and they will so fix their eyes upon that in us which we cannot justifie 〈◊〉 that they will the less regard what we speak against those things which may strongly be proved to need a Reformation The more general a scandal is the more fatal are the effects of it and the more it proves detrimental to the Church of God 6. All should pray against proneness to be offended Others actions should not make us forward to stumble and fall As the providence of God towards us though at present never so dark and intricate and unaccountable should not make us weary of him or of his service because he is a Lord the most gracious and his service is really the best beyond all comparison So neither should the carriage of men though never so strange and odd and unexpected occasion our sinning nor discourage us in weldoing Vpright men may be astonished at the dispensations of divine Providence they may be amazed to see the world so full of wickedness and to behold faith failing love dying and practical Religion so much ceasing in the Church of Christ yet they stir up themselves against the hypocrites they get over the stumbling blocks that are laid before them they hold on their way and wax stronger and stronger Job 17. 8 9. Foolisn men that are glad of scandal that run eagerly up and down inquiring who will shew us any thing that may offend us They rejoyce at any plea for a sinful course and greedily catch at any thing that may prejudice them against others that are not of their way nay they are forward to suck in prejudices against Ministry Ordinances and the Gospel of Jesus Christ A man that is swift to hear what may scandalize him that is joyful upon occasions that make him angry and uncharitable or any other way to sin he is like unto one that in a time of war does voluntarily run upon the Swords point or up to the Canons mouth or like one that in a time of Pestilence does not strive to avoid but to catch the contagion A man that should thus be fond of Plague or Sword you will judge frantick and he is in a worse sense frantick that is fond of scandal That 's the third Caution Take heed of scandalizing any 4. Take heed of an unbridled Tongue How mighty an hinderance of love has this little member been Both Church and State have felt the Smarting and dangerous wounds which a lawless tongue has given The tongue of a Serpent of a Viper the tongue that is all sting and carries Poyson and Death in it is nothing neer so hurtful as the Tongue of a Liar of a Slanderer The Apostle plainly intimates and the Prophet had done it long before that the Sins of the Tongue are the great cause of the badness of the times 1 Pet. 3. 10 11. He that will love life and see good dayes let him refrain his Tongue from evil and his Lips that they speak no guile let him eschew evil and do good let him seek peace and pursue it Four things are observable in these words 1. That an evil Tongue is the disturber of Peace 2. That 't is a great indication of guile and hypocrisie 3. That it very often shortens the Life 4. That it is a grand Impediment unto our seeing good dayes 'T is a vain thing to expect that times should grow better when tongues grow daily worse and worse and neither Scripture Reason nor Conscience can keep them to the words of truth and soberness When there is so much evil in the tongue how little of love how little of good can there be in the heart Would you have the Church of Christ edified let not your tongues wound any of her members though of a different perswasion from you Do you love your Neighbours as your selves be as backward to speak evil of your Neighbours as of your selves What our Lord speaks concerning doing may be applied to saying whatsoever ye would that men should say concerning you say you even so of them He that knew what was in man tells us Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks Bitterness in the language argues a root of bitterness within which the sooner 'tis pluckt up the better Take heed of speaking lies to the prejudice of others Satan the Accuser has hardly a more exact picture in this world than a Malicious lyer Invent not lyes believe not lyes report not lies He that spreads a lye to his Brothers harm is an hater of his Brother he may talk of love but is he a stranger to it Prov. 26. 28. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering mouth worketh ruine Spreading of slanders is a sign of hatred Nay you are not to speak truth with an evil design Clamour and railing at the faults of others makes you faulty as well as they 'T were well if instead of publick defamations there were more friendly brotherly and private admonitions That injunction of Christ Tell thy Brother his fault between thee and him alone if he hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother Mat. 18. 15. is