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	love_n	love_v	4,041	5	6.5654	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72180	A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the thirtie day of May. 1591 By M. George Giffard, preacher of the worde of God at Maldon in Essex.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1591 (1591)	STC 11862.3; ESTC S124958	18,032	49

of Christ be fedde and guided by skilfull Godly men which teach doctrine and giue good ensample in life and conuersation And now touching the care of the flocke not by constraint nor for gaine but willingly and of a ready minde not as Lords ouer Gods heritage but as ensamples to the flocke I doo againe instantly beséeche the Pastors and gouerners euen for Christes sake to abound and to increase in all fatherly loue towards the Lords people without which this care can not rightly bée performed Followe herein the example of S. Paul who setting foorth his labour and trauaile not of ambition or desire of gaine nor with roughnes but as he saith we were gentle among you euen as a Nurse cherisheth her children 1. Thess 2. ver 7. where this fatherly loue is broken of there followeth to the exceeding decay and desolation of the Church that which the Lord complained of by the Prophet Ezechiel against the Pastors of Israell Woe be vnto the Shepheardes of Israel that féede them selues should not the shepheards féede the flocks Ye eate the fat and ye cloth ye with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but yée féede not the sheep the weak haue ye not strengthened the sick haue ye not healed neither haue yee bound vp the broken nor brought againe that which was driuen away neither haue yee sought that which was lost but with violence and with cruelty haue ye ruled them Eze. 34. ver 2.3.4 This was the state of the flocke then and shal be euen to the worldes ende that among Christes shéepe as some bee strong so some bee weake some sicke some going astraie Yea such are the frailties of all the faithfull so many are the errors and the sinnes which doo breake foorth but yet they are still the sheepe of Christ the Israell of God the Shepheardes of Israell are to looke to them Now I say if there bee not a fatherly loue in the Shepheards to couer the multitude of sinnes If there be not a tender compassion as in the Nurse towards the little babe in steede of care to heale the broken and sicke and to supporte the weake to bring into the way that which strayeth they shall despise and loath them as not worthy to bee regarded yea they shall with violence and rigor beate and bruse them certaine it is that the greater the frailties are the greater care and compassion is to bee shewed So that violence and rigor are not fitte to be in the Sheepheardes For shall the nurse throw the little infante against the stones or push it forwarde when it can hardlie stande alone Shall the Sheepheard take his staffe and strike the young and tender Lambes Or shall hee beate and bruse the weake féeble shéepe What shall we say are the shéepe of Christ of lesse valew Many of them are weake and feeble in knowledge many of them are but as young babes as touching the spirituall power of sanctification A number of sinnes do breake from them Many are wounded in conscience troubled in spirit here is place for the loue the care the compassion and labour of Sheepheards O ye sheepheards of Israell put on this loue and compassion loath not the sheepe of Christ for these frailties rule them not with violence cruelty but féede and support and heale them with all méeknes and long suffering Let no peruersnes or iniuries of any of the shéepe towardes the sheepeheards breake of the course of this loue and care For if they looke vnto this how the sheepe despise them howe they walke stubbornely against them they shall neuer bee able with patience and méekenes to go through with the worke If we thinke it an vnworthy thing or such as dooth discharge the sheepeheard from his tender loue and care or that may warrant him to be rigorous that many of the sheepe do not reuerence him Looke vpon Moses Paul two great notable seruants of God two speciall sheepeheards of the Lords flocke who is worthy to be compared with them They haue lefte an example to bee followed How great thinges did Moses for the people And yet how often did they murmur against him were ready to stone him How many were their rebellions and iniuries don vnto him And yet his loue is not quenched his care dooth not faile but his praier is most earnest vnto God to pardō them He still estéemeth them though not al as the Lords chosen people What can they do more vnto vs then goe about to stone vs Behold also the excéeding aboundant loue of Paul who wished him selfe accursed from Christ that his kinsemen the Iewes which were obstinate might be saued How much greater was his loue to the faithful of his kindred And yet could they euen the Church of Ierusalem scarce thinke any thing wel of him all the time that he liued but thought hardly of him though he did neuer so much for them This is gathered by that which he writeth Ro. 15 where he first sheweth that it had pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to giue somewhat to the poore Saints in Ierusalem and that he went with this their beneuolēce to see it deliuered and then he intreated thē to be very earnest in praier to God for him that he might be deliuered from the disobedience of Iudea and that his ministry towards Ierusalem might be accepted of the saints It is a merueilous thing to consider that there being so great néede in the Church at Ierusalem and that money being so welcome to those which are in penury and he carying so plentifull store yet there needeth earnest praiers that this his seruice might be accepted He had mooued the Curches of the Gentiles as appeareth in his second Epistle to the Corinthians to make this liberal contribution He wrought this matter he goeth vp with it so great was his care Yet when he sheweth all this loue and diligence towards thē how great was their misliking of him that hee feareth his ministry would not bee acceptable to them The cause of the misliking Iames dooth shew vnto him when hee was come vp Act. 21. ver 21. Namely that it was reported he had taught the Iewes among the Gentiles to departe from Moses not to circumcise their children We sée he loueth them deerely for all this and calleth them saints Notwithstanding their great frailtie in this matter and the harde opinion they conceiued and held of him so great so worthy a seruant of the Lorde Iesus Christ What a patterne of méekenes fatherly loue is here for al the shepheardes of the Lords flocke to followe among the poore feeble and wandring sheepe which doo not so reuerence and regard them as they ought to doo The sheepheardes as S. Peter requireth must be examples to the flockes therfore of all other are to shew meekenes long suffering and that loue which couereth the multitude of sins where the pastors abound in this fathely loue do not fall vpon the fraile sheepe tender lambes with rigour and violence the blessed vnitie of brethren here praised is cheefely furthered for the building vp of Christes body in sanctification is greatly aduanced by the example of the pastors teachers The multitude are drawen thereby to imbrace to follow the truth I do therfore again humbly beseech all the pastors and guides of the Lords people to consider of this holy rule and worthy examples and to practise it that the people of the Lord may be brought into true concord and brotherly amity Then lastly it appertaineth also vnto rulers in ciuill matters to maintaine this vnity according to the truth They are to minister iustice true iudgement vnto all to punish the euill doers and to cherish and maintaine that good Mercy and loue is also necessarily required in them that they may deale euen as fathers when they correct and chastise If this be not there will great mischeefes ensue euen to the disturbance of all godly peace and concorde for let a ruler a iudge or a mighty man be voide of religion and withall giuen to anger dealing among the Lords weake and feeble sheepe he will be ready to beate them downe and to crushe them in peeces The frailties and sinnes are many that breake foorth euen from some of Christs sheepe and lambes as we see there be the weake the sicke the brused and such as erre that thing is odious in them because they professe holinesse and therefore cannot in them be borne therfore lift vp your harts in earnest prayer vnto God that he will powre downe the spirite of fatherly loue and mercy vpon rulers and iudges that they may deale in the Lordes flocke and towardes his poore weake sheepe with such regard as that they may answer before Christ Thus if we honour and imbrace the trueth if we practise the rules thereof euery one performing those duties which the Lord inioyneth the rulers and iudges pastors and gouerners in the Church as also the priuate persons we shall growe into this holy vnity which the holy Ghost here praiseth we shall receiue all heauenly gifts and blessings yea euen that great blessing of all blessinges the life for euermore Graunt this vnto vs O Lord for thy deare sonnes sake our redeemer Sauiour to whom with thee the holy ghost three persons and one euerlasting God whom we worship be all honor glorie dominion and power for euermore Amen FINIS