Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	judgement_n	sin_n	3,123	5	4.8089	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50103	The Christian temper of moderation described and recommended in a sermon before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, &c. in Gvild-Hall-Chappel on the first Sunday in Hillary term, Jan. 26, 1689/1690 / by Samuel Masters ...	Masters, Samuel, 1645 or 6-1693.	1690 (1690)	Wing M1068; ESTC R31219	13,428	42

great Master of the Family in which we live observing curiously how his Orders are kept taking strict notice how all his Servants behave themselves both towards him and one toward another Thus he walked amidst the seven Golden Chandlesticks observing whatever was Laudable or Culpable in the Churches of Asia He was so nigh to Saul when breathing out Rage and Fury against his Disciples 9 Acts. 4. that he himself felt the Wounds of his Persecution And St. Peter tells us that a meek and quiet Spirit in the private Society of a Family and much more in the publick society of his Church is taken notice of by God 1 Pet. 3.4 is in his sight of great Price How careful then should we be of practising this Moderation in our Actions yea in our words yea in our very thoughts one toward another seeing our Lord who so strictly commands it is so near at hand to observe our carriage 2. The Lord is at hand in the course of his Providence disposing of us and of all Events and Circumstances about us which should highly engage us to the practice of this Moderation That Lord who surrounds us with his continual Providence makes us the opportunites we meet with for exercising this Moderation to others which if we should refuse how soon can he with the turn of his hand put us into a condition to need a like Moderation to be us'd towards us And how justly may we expect it if we should so highly provoke him If we are willing to comply with his Precept he is at hand to assist us with his Grace in the performance of so difficult a duty and to reward us for it with the Blessings of his Providence but if we refuse to practice this Moderation toward our fellow-servants we have no reason to expect any better treatment from them or from our Lord himself They who consider the inconstant Revolutions to which humane Affairs are subject will think it prudent to grant such conditions to others which they may sometime ask for themselves and they who believe God's Providence and what he hath so often declared that he resisteth the proud and avengeth the cause of the oppressed will think it necessary to approve themselves to him in the practice of that Moderation he so expresly requires 3. The Lord is at band to call us to an account of our behaviour both toward him and one toward another and it therefore highly concerns us to be found of him in good temper and in good order which Argument is thus expressed by St. James James 9. Grudg not one against another brethren lest ye be condemned behold the Judg standeth at the door Tho the Solemn Day of the General Judgment may be at a great distance yet we have reason to expect a much shorter time for the private Audit of particular Persons and of particular Churches and States which have their own Fates and Periods within the greater Revolution of the World And our Lord is never nearer to enter into Judgment with us than when we live most disorderly and uncharitably among our selves for he hath declared that if any of his servants shall say in his heart 12 Mat. 45 46. My Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens and to eat and drink and be drunken the Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looked not for him and at an hour that he is not aware and will cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with unbelievers And when out Lord enters into Judgment with us a great part of our account will consist of our demeanour and carriage toward our fellow-servants not only how justly and honestly but also how humbly meekly and charitably we have behaved our selves in our Converses and Dealings one with another And we are plainly foretold what Sentence we must expect that he who will not forgive his fellow-servant a few pence shall never be discharged by his Lord from the many Talents he is himself indebted 18 Mat. 23 c that he shall have judgment without mercy 2 James 13. that shewed no mercy That to them that are contentious God will render indignation and wrath 2 Rom. 8 9. tribulation and anguish i. e. That the righteous Judg will not use that Moderation towards them which they refus'd at his command to practice towards others If then we find our selves not much persuaded to this Duty for our Lord's sake or for our Brethren's sake yet let us do it for our own sake that our great Judg may use such Moderation towards us in not being strict to mark what we have done amiss or severe in punishing us according to our deserts 3. I have now explain'd the Precept and urg'd the Argument of the Text it remains that we make a seasonable Application of both to our serves 1. In our first Reflections we cannot forbear to condemn and bewail the scarcity and defect of this Moderation among us It is too notorious to be dissembled how many of all Parties want this blessed Temper who being strangers to this Moderation have become Enemies against it and to such a degree as even to hate its very Name and to blacken it with the worst of Names and to treat those most unkindly who would set any Lessons or Patterns of this Moderation before them And what may add wonder to our Lamentation they pretend in all this a Zeal for the Publick Interests of Church and State as if our case were so odd and peculiar that that Moderation which is the best Preservative of all other Societies would be the greatest bane of ours or that Divisions and Contentions would prove as great Blessings to us as they are mischiess to others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch wonders what Solon meant by making a Law That it should be a Reproach to any man to be a Neuter in a time of publick Dissentions because as he argues he left never a Wise man to arbitrate amidst the litigant Parties or ever a sober Citizen for the rest to reform by And among his other Political Precepts he adviseth That a Magistrate should above all things take care to cherish Peace and Concord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. and to suppress all dissentions and quarrels in the Commonwealth and he instructs them to use this Argument to those that are at variance That they who can forgive and comply with others do excel them in Wisdom and Greatness of Spirit as much as they do in Moderation and Good Nature But when we consider what painful Convulsions this bitter zeal hath for a long time produc'd among us and to what eminent dangers it lately exposed us that its fervour doth not yet remit but rather increase renders our case so sad and strange that we cannot account for it without recurring to a superiour Cause and acknowledging that an Evil Spirit from the Lord is gone out among us as a Tempter to seduce us and a Tormentor to punish us and we have great reason to bewail that ill Temper we are in both as a heinous Sin and as a dreadful Judgment 2. Suffer me in the Conclusion to Exhort and Persuade you to this Moderation with an earnestness that its Nature deserves and our Necessities require Let me beseech you by the Authority of Almighty God that requires it by the meekness and gentleness of Christ who was so eminent a Pattern of it by the Honour and Safety of that pure Religion we profess by the Settlement and Prosperity of the Church and Nation to which we are related by all the Interests that are dear to us in this World and the Rewards of the next that your Moderation be known unto all men Let Meekness and Humility Patience and Forbearance Brotherly-kindness and Charity exalt our spirits into this excellent Temper which would soon compromise all our Differences and restore that peace which would sweeten and secure all our Injoyments Let us lay aside all reproachful Names of Distinction let us no longer upbraid one another with any past Miscarriages or return the Injuries we have received in any Unchristian Revenges let us readiy forgive those who Disclaim their former Errors and with Meekness instruct those who cannot yet extricate themselves from them Let us condescend and comply one with another as far as we can with a good Conscience to recover that Unity and Amity we have lost and let us mark those who would cause Divisions among us to avoid them Let us contend no longer except in a kind Emulation who shall approve themselves the wiser Men and better Christians in being most forward and earnest in seeding and making Peace Let us not be discourag'd or affrighted out of this Moderation by the ill Arts of those who are not so good themselves nor can endure to see so much good as would be hereby wrought among us Let us industriously incourage and promote this Moderation among all with whom we Converse and highly honour those in whom it most eminently appears as the truest Friends of our Church and Nation who take the best course to advance and secure the Publick Interests of both It hath pleas'd God by a most merciful Revolution of his Providence to place us under a Government that excels in Moderation that abhors the policy of weakning us by Divisions that it may advance it self into an exorbitant Power that earnestly invites us to peace and designs for us a happy and lasting Settlement Let not us with a perverse Frowardness oppose the kindest offers of God and our Prince but wisely embrace the opportunity is made us and thankfully accept the Blessings are cast into our Bosoms Then may we live as Christians and love as Brethren then may Peace be within our Walls and Prosperity within our Borders then Mercy and Truth may meet together and Righteousness and Peace may kiss each other And when we are sufficiently impyov'd in this Divine Temper of Moderation we may be capable of Admission into the blessed Society of Saints and Angels above where are no Sects or Parties no Quarrels or Contentions but where we shall injoy the most delightful Entertainments of Love and Peace to all Eternity FINIS