Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	lord_n	people_n	word_n	2,775	5	4.0281	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00406	The right rule of a religious life: or, The glasse of godlinesse Wherein euery man may behold his imperfections, how farre hee is out of the way of true Godlinesse, and learne to reduce his wandring steppes into the pathes of true pietie. In certaine lectures vpon the first chapter of the Epistle of S. Iames. The first part. By William Est preacher of Gods Word.	Est, William, 1546 or 7-1625.	1616 (1616)	STC 10536; ESTC S118323	112,355	335

had threatned if they would not be reformed but walke stubbornely against the Lord that hee would scatter them among the Heathen Leuit. 26.33 and will draw out a sword after them and their land shall be waste and their Citties shall bee desolate Againe Deut. 4.27 and the Lord shall scatter you among the people and you shall bee left few in number among the Nations whither the Lord shall bring you And least any should thinke these threatnings to bee vaine and but words let vs see with what horrible examples the Lord hath confirmed them Hoshea raigning ouer the ten Tribes in Samaria they turned from the Lord and committed all abhominations against him wherefore God stirred vp Salmanazar King of Assiria who after three yeares warre tooke Samaria the Metropolis of that Kingdome 2. Reg. 17. spoyled the Countrey carried away all the people into the most cruell captiuity of the Assirians Secondly the other two Tribes namely the Tribe of Iuda and the Tribe of Beniamin 2. Reg. 25. were dispersed Ierusalem being taken with their perfidious King Zedekia by Nabuchadnezzar with their wiues children and other Princes as Ieremy before prophecied Ierem. 27. then was the Citty ouerthrown the Temple consumed with fire and they that escaped the sword famine fire and pestilence as flockes of Cattell were driuen away into the miserable captiuity of the Chaldaeans Thirdly the Reliques of the Israelites were oppressed and dispersed now by the King of Syria now by the King of Egypt sometimes with ciuill warres among themselues so that wretched Iudaea standing in the midst and addicted sometimes to this side sometimes to that was trodden downe of both and exposed to the direptions of both sides so that many good men not enduring the sight of the prophanation of their Country and holy Things wandred farre and neere Yea some betooke them to the Desart chusing rather to leade their liues with brute beasts then with such kind of men as the History of the Machabees doth testifie and they wandred vp and downe Heb. 11.37 in Sheepes skinnes and in Goates skinnes being destituted afflicted and tormented Heere brethren wee are to obserue two notable Lessons for our instruction First that with all reuerence wee heare and beleeue the word of God that wee may learne thereby to feare the Lord For his word is neuer in vaine nor returneth voide as the Prophet saith Esay 55.10 11 c. Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watreth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud that it may giue seed to the sower and bread vnto him that eateth So shall my word bee that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it And the Lord hath in all ages seuerely punished the contempt of his Word and Messengers 2. Chron. 36.15.16 Therefore the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising earely and sending for hee had compassion on his people and on his habitation But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and till there was no remedie Secondly to hate sinne and flie from sinne as from a serpent as the cause of all euils and calamities that are in the world The euils of sinne Sinne blindfoldeth the minde taking away the supernaturall light of Gods grace it defileth and spotteth the conscience as a thing most filthy and vnworthy for a man it accuseth vs guilty before God as iniurious to his Diuine Maiestie it impouerisheth vs spoyling vs of all our spirituall riches it dishonoureth vs making vs odious in the sight of God and of his holy Angels in this life is the cause of sicknesse famine sword pestilence and all euils that may happen to the body and of eternall destruction of body and soule in the life to come To conclude seeing that God is the inexhaust treasurie of all goodnesse and sinne separateth from God it followeth then that sinne bringeth vpon vs incomparable and infinite losse for it depriueth vs of God the infinite good Your sinnes haue diuided betwixt your God and you Esay 59.2 If then ô man thou dost so diligently take heed of temporall losse if thou so carefully keepest thy money and treasure how art thou deceiued through blindnesse of minde how is thine vnderstanding darkened with folly how is thy reason obscured by the deuill If thou fearest not to fall into sinne which depriuest thee of God the fountaine of all happinesse Why makest thou so small account of the God of infinite Maiestie Why fearest thou more to loose one peny then by sinning to bee depriued of thy God and through lying deceiuing swearing c. to be separated from him who is insititly good and who hath power to cast both body and soule into hell and without whom there is no blessednesse Thus for their sinnes was that Nation of the Iewes Gods vengeance pursuing them many times dispersed and persecuted But of this the Apostle hath not respect in this place but of the dispersed Christians which for the name of Christ were scattered abroad and persecuted For many out of all the Tribes which professed Christ after Saint Stephen was stoned Acts 7. flying the rage of the Pharisies were scattered in diuers Countries Actes 8.1 At that time saith the Scripture there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem The state of the Church Millitant and they were all scattered abroad except the Apostles And heere brethren againe we are to note the state and condition of the Church militant and of all the faithfull while they are in their exile and pilgrimage in this life trauelling toward their Countrey in the way they are to suffer many crosses troubles persecutions and many iuiuries of the world and the diuell and if wee will arriue at the hauen of happinesse and port of felicity wee must follow our Pilot and Captaine Iesus Christ the same way he went before vs Act. 14.22 For through many tribulations wee must enter into the Kingdome of heauen 2. Tim. 3.12 And all that will liue godly in Iesus Christ must suffer persecution It cannot then bee otherwise but the godly going to heauen-ward must be enforced to suffer diuers troubles Pathemata Mathemata Afflictions are instructions These are the trials of the faithfull by which God exerciseth the faith hope charitie and patience of his children and confirmeth them and therefore in the booke of Wisedome this triall of faith is compared to the triall of gold As gold is tryed in the fire Wisd 3.6 so men are tried in the furnace of affliction And againe 1. Pet. 1.6.7 Through manifold temptations yee are in heauinesse that the triall of your faith being

answered Oportet sapientiam ab nisipientibus feriri Fooles must needs strike at wisedome Valer. And Valerius giueth the reason Esse enim meliorem indicat quem carpit he plainely sheweth that he whom he back-biteth is a better man then himselfe The third kind of these Serpentine tongues are the counterfeit and hipocriticall back-biters The hipocriticall backbiter and those also cast forth the poyson of their tongues three manner of waies dolendo augendo nominando by counterfeit sorrow faigning good will to their neighbour by encreasing and amplyfying their neighbours faults by naming him with praise but presently adding his vices First they will faigne in words gesture and sighes that they speake not for any ill will when they defame their neighbour and publish his infirmities but that they speake charitably when yet they are full of impiety enuy and malice As I am sorry for such a man or such a woman that he would do such a thing otherwise he were a good man c. Secondly the hipocrites will back-bite augendo as when they speake of any small infirmity of their neighbour they will in words amplifie the same saying There is like to grow a great inconuenience of such a mans doing of purpose that they might aggrauate a small offence and so make the party odious vnto others Thirdly nominando as when they will name any man with praise but will presently adde the vices he is subiect vnto This vice is directly contrary to the law of charity the very band of perfectnesse Coloss 3. whereby we are if wee bee in Christ coupled together in one mysticall Body This is a manifest breach of the second Table of Gods Diuine Law and therefore God himselfe in the ordering of the Common-wealth of Israel his people commandeth that none should go about as backbiters and slanderers among his people Leuit. 19. The second thing which I promised to handle of this matter In three respects a grieuous sinne was how grieuous a sinne this is which wee may gather three manner of waies in regard of the generality cruelty and contrariety of this vice In regard of the contrariety it is a great and dangerous sinne The contrariety for it is contrary to our good name which of all worldly things is most precious as Salomon saith Prou. 22. A good name is to bee chosen aboue great riches And the Wise-man Eccl. 41.12 Haue regard to thy good name for that shall continue with thee aboue a thousand treasures of Gold And Augustine Qui famam suam negligit sibi crudelis est Hee that neglecteth his good name is cruell to himselfe This the very Poet confesseth Ouid. Omnia si perdas famam seruare memento Qua semel amissa postea nullus eris Though all things else thou loose good name keep still with thee Which lost is credite lost thou nought esteem'd shall be And Plautus Plaut in Mustella Ego si bonam famam mihi seruasso sat ero diues I shall thinke my selfe rich enough if I retaine a good name A good name therefore is the most precious Iewell that any man hath whether hee bee Prince or Subiect noble or ignoble of what estate soeuer he be A good name is an ornament which adorneth and beautifieth euery degree and calling but the back-biter robbeth and spoyleth a man of this precious treasure therefore is a great sinner yea a most grieuous thiefe and therefore the back-biter is bound by the Canon Law to make restitution Quia non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Augustine because sinne is not forgiuen except that which was taken away bee restored If then the good name of a man is aboue all earthly treasure he that robbeth him thereof sinneth grieuously and is bound to restitution if he looke to haue his owne sinnes forgiuen For this perpetuall bond this vice carrieth with it that howsoeuer thou repentest howsoeuer thou sorrowest except thou make restitution of thy neighbours good name thou standest still guilty before God And how few doe wee see that are so studious of their saluation that they haue any care to restore their neighbours good name O brethren in what danger now standeth the back-biter Seeing then that this vice bringeth with it tantam malorum segetem an occasion of so many euils who is so wicked who is so prodigall of his saluation that euen gratis that is for no profite at all will fall into so many mischiefes and carry in his tongue such poyson a sword sharpe arrowes and death it selfe Secondly 2 In respect of the generallity the greatnesse of this sinne appeareth in regard of the generallity of it for there are many sinnes which though they be committed yet not at all times in all places and of all persons But this vice excepteth no time no place no person therefore this Apostle saith That this tongue is full of deadly poyson Chap. 3. and more dangerous and infectiue then any poyson For the poyson of the Scorpion hurteth onely such as he striketh with his taile and none other The Viper infecteth none but such as he biteth The Basiliske killeth none but such as he reacheth with his sight The venemous roots hearbs and plants infect none but those which either handle smell touch or taste some of them But the back-biters tongue stingeth and striketh infecteth and poysoneth killeth and destroyeth at hand and farre off at home and abroad by sea and by land such as meddle not as well as such meddle with it friend or foe no loue so neerely linked no friendship so firme no band of duty so strong no desert so well deseruing which the poysoned tongue of the wicked doth not or hath not molested Heere we may iudge of the greatnesse of this sinne by the generality thereof An euill the more generall it is the more greater and more euill it is But this is an euill and a generall euill therefore the more great and dangerous Thirdly as by the generality 3 In respect of the cruelty thereof so this sin is much aggrauated by reason of the cruelty thereof Summa iniquitas est fratres detrahere quia omnis qui detrahit homicida est It is a great iniquity to back-bite our brethren because he that back-biteth is a murtherer saith a Father for euen as a murtherer taketh away the life of his neighbour so doth the backbiter his good name which to an honest man is dearer then his life He is also occasionaliter as a Schooleman termeth it homicidij causa by way of occasion the cause of homicide when through his tongue he giueth occasion to another to kill hate or contemne his neighbour and therefore the back-biter is compared to a Lyon Ezech. 19. He is become a Lyon he hath learned to catch the prey and hath deuoured men Gregory expoundeth these words of Iob Why do yee persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh