Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	7,400	5	10.9794	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17270	The fire of the sanctuarie newly vncouered, or, A compleat tract of zeale. By C. Burges	Burges, Cornelius, 1589?-1665.	1625 (1625)	STC 4111; ESTC S115748	142,700	534

from following me let mee and my sinne alone k 2 Sam. 2.22 Wherefore should Ismite thee to the ground The reasons why But let such men know that the Law of God admits not the least imperfectiō nor tolerates the least disobedieence but makes the least trāsgression of the least Commādement death yea eternall death vnlesse vpon our vnfeyned confession and repentance we sue out our Pardon And though a sparke of fire in a strong chimney would be contemned yet in straw no wise man would neglect it because the matter in which it is is so apt to kindle therfore we quench it in hast and are afraid of the least delay nor can we be quiet vntil it be throughly extinct Now there is no dry straw so apt to take fire from a flaming fire-brand as our hearts are to bee all in a flame with the least coale of sinne that sparkles on it And what dangerous proceedings small beginnings haue had too woful experience hath taught euen the best of men too often to know and bewaile Small sinnes grow great ones almost in an instant And like Ionahs gourd will be able to shadow and couer them all ouer in a night Such sorry weeds grow a pace Though no man bee at his worst presently yet on the sudden he growes too bad Nor is it so easy to beate a theefe out of doores as to keepe him out of the house nor to defend a breach as to maintaine the Citty after the Enemie hath entred nor to shake off sinne as to preuent it l Greg. Naz. in Orat. de moder in disput 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bruite Cattell will with more difficultie bee kept in their owne pasture after they haue once broken the hedge An easy Bull will tosse the strongest dogg so high that he will be in danger to breake his bones in the fall so long as the dogg is loose and hath taken no hold but let the dogg once come within him and fasten on his lip or nose then though the dogg were none of the strongest he will easily hold the fiercest Bull that hee shall not bee able to stirre And a weake Christian may with more ease keepe his heart in order then the strongest Champion with greatest labour can recouer his heart from the least disorder The wildest horses after some vse to the stable and saddle will seeme so tame as if they meāt not to stir though you should not tie them or hold them But let them once out of your hand and you will finde worke more then enough to take and tame them againe whereas before you let them loose a little childe might haue ledd them Yet this is nothing to the danger and difficulty which the best man aliue shall finde in mastering his passions and affections a second time if after once subduing them hee shall aduenture to pull the bridle off their heads to let them fetch but a Careir or two either in their old or new pastures of sinne Yea hee shall finde it an Herculean Labour to lay hold on his heart and to take it vp from the grossest sinne if hee happen but vnawares to let the reynes fall out of his hand though neuer so little and he striue instantly to catch them againe before one would thinke his heart could possibly feele it selfe loose Againe motes in the eyes of a zealous Professor of piety appeare as beames in the Worlds Perspectiue glasse Men will be ready to let fly a great volly of scoffes and bitterreuilings at a godly mans smallest frailties Why then should the Gallant the swearer the scoffer thinke much to be reproued himselfe But especially why should the godlie man take it ill to be told of his lesser faults The least slip of such a man as takes vpon him to bee a guide to the blinde and a light to them which are in darknesse will open the mouthes of Gods enemies to blaspheme his Name A vaine word a little passion a little couetousnesse a little niggardlinesse a little lightnesse a little liberty in him will weigh heauier in the prophane mans ballance then his own impieties of the largest size And though it be true that such as haue greatest beames in their owne eyes will make the least mote a beame in another mans yet our Sauiour counselleth to m Mat. 7.5 pull out the mote as well as the beame Publique offences Hauing thus declared the taske which Discretion setteth out vnto Zeale touching priuate offences come now to the handling of those that are publique To this belong two things An Assurance that the fault be publique A Direction how to handle it when wee know it to bee such 1. Be sure that they be such First bee sure the fault bee publique Be not too hasty in thy decision make a diligent inquisition and when it is manifest vnto thee that the fault is indeed such as it seemeth then reproue and spare not saith n Chrisost in 1 Tim. 5.20 hom 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysostome There are foure waies by which an Offence may bee made publique and so accounted First by the euidence of the fact either when the offendor is taken in the very act or when otherwise the fault proclaimes it selfe after it is done because it cannot be hidd Secondly by a common rumor and publique fame raised by Persons of credit either out of knowledge or some strong presumptions Thirdly by the Confession or impudent boasting of the offender himselfe Many such shamelesse beasts vnfit and vnworthy to liue among men there are who like the the Deuill himselfe o Iob 1.7 glory in their shame Fourthly by the entring and prosecuting of it in any publique Court of Iustice 2. How such an offence must bee handled When a fault by any of these waies becomes publique Zeale may safely proceede in a publique manner against it so as others who haue taken notice of the fault and taken offence at it may also be witnesses of the reproofe and receiue satisfaction This is Saint Pauls owne rule to Timothy Those that sinne p 1. Tim. 5.20 rebuke before all that others may feare That is those that sinne before all rebuke before all as Saint q De verb. dom Ser. 15. Si peccatum publicum est apertum publice corripe c. Austin r Chrisost hom 15 in 1 Tim. Chrisostome and others expound the place In what Place and forme this is to be done shall be declared hereafter Meane while for the thing it selfe Publique reproofes must bee directed to publique offences for these Reasons First Iustice wills that sin should there receiue death where it receiued life ſ August de verb. de Ser. 16. Vbi contingi● and gaue offence Notorious Malefactors doe vsually suffer in the place they offended that so the People wronged may ●●ceiue more ample satisfaction Secondly the humiliation of the offendor requires it too Hee whom no man checks for

father in Law the storie declareth Iacob was so wroth that he chode with Laban o Gen. 31.36 himselfe I denie not but we may vpon some strong presumptions charge a fault on him we suspect But then we must be sure that the partie be very ingenious to confesse it if guiltie and not to denie with a lie If they be brasen face sinners or otherwise cunning and do know or suspect that we do but suspect them they will make no bones to adde more sinnes to the first and desperately fault in swearing to sweare out a fault be they guiltie or not And further we must also then be very wary and mild dealing by way of question or supposition compassionate griefe to heare or feare such things by them as we charge them with and applying admonitions counsels in stead of reproofes Let vs seriously think with our selues how we could possibly brooke it from any man liuing that he should be so light of beliefe as by and by to kill vs in his heart vpon the hearing of euery flim-flam tale brought vnto him by some malitious Doeg or backbiting Ziba Would it not enrage our spirits to see our good names hanged vp in chaines in the places where we liue and as malefactors rotting before our eyes when many times the thing obiected and beleeued is either vtterly vntrue in whole or in part or though perhaps true insufficiently proued That then which we would not haue done let vs not do 2. Make a difference betweene offences In the second place Discretion requireth that a difference be put betweene that offence which is priuate and that which is publicke Priuate offences how handled In Priuate offences the Rule is Go and tell thy brother his fault betweene him and thee p Mat. 18.15 alone If thy brother offend hate him not so much as not to reprooue him q Leuit. 19.17 but shew thy selfe a brother in rebuking him plainly and couering his shame He that forbad thee the blazing of thy brothers nakednesse did not leaue to thy choyce the duty of priuate admonition if thou know he hath failed He onely directed thee to the manner and enioyned thee to do it as he bad thee If thou neglect it thou art worse then he if S. Austin r Ser. 16. de verb. Dom Si neglexeris peior es Jlle iniuriam fecit graui se ipsum vulnere percussit tu vulnus fratris tui contemn●● Tu eum vides perire negligis Peior es tacendo quam ille conuitiando can iudge Thy brother by sinning hath wounded himselfe and wilt thou despise to put thy hand to the cure He perisheth before thine eyes and canst thou neglect him If thou canst thou art more in fault by thy silence then hee by that fault which should haue opened thy mouth Reuiling is bad but silence is worse But yet remember the rule it must be as the fault was Secret And as it is done in secret so it must be kept without blazing after it be done A man were as good to reproue publickly as publish a priuate reproofe The same Father ſ August ibid brings for instance the dealing of Ioseph with the blessed Virgine Marie his espoused wife He suspected her of vncleannesse because he saw her with child and yet because he onely suspected her at that time hee would not proclaime her shame to the world But was minded priuily to put her t Mat. 1.19 away It is true that Adulterie by the Law of God was death And as true that Ioseph did not thus fauour his wife as seeking to abuse the Law or allow of her supposed transgression for the holy Ghost beares him witnesse that he was a iust man What was it then which moued him to study so secret a course many things his Loue that he would not bee the first that should proclaime her shame whom he had prized at so deare a rate his moderation that he would not put her to the vtmost extremitie though she abused his loue his wisedome that he would not for taking reuenge on her priuate fault be occasion of opening the mouthes of such as would be too apt for her sake to disgrace Religion which they both zealously professed But the chiefe cause as I conceiue was that as yet the fault was not diuulged nor taken notice of abroad and if it did come afterwards to publicke obseruation the discouery should be not from him but from the fault it selfe which would disclose it selfe though he concealed it The reprouing or reuealing of a sinne to or before more then such as are priuie to it as Actors patients or abettors in it is not onely vncharitable but vnsafe For first if thou onely know thy brothers fault and yet shalt seeke to rebuke him before others thou dost not so much reproue his sinne as betray his u fame * Aug. ibid. Si solus nosti eum vis coram alijs arguere non es corrector sed proditor Secondly if he haue onely ciuilitie of nature and no worke of grace to force a pardon from him this is enough to make an irreparable breach betwixt him and thee Vpbraiding and disclosing of secrets are of those things for which euery friend will x Ecclus. 22.22 depart Nothing but grace will fetch them backe againe Thirdly oft times by making a fault knowne the scandall proues greater to the delinquent partie then the wrong to thee and sometimes greater then thy selfe did meane * Aegid Carler Orat. in Concil Basil de punitione peccat publ Si culpa est leuis timetur ne turba grauior sequatur non tenetur corrigere quia peius subsequetur Extat haec oratio tom 4. Concil vlt. Edit Binij it Faults will runne further then repentance in the mouthes of men Euery man will take notice of the offence but few of his satisfaction made Fourthly if the partie bee eminent for a zealous profession of religion then to proclaime his priuate slips and failings would not so much stop his course of sinne as open the mouthes of drunkards vngodly raylers and scoffers to peale vpon all carefull and studious of holy life and so Religion it selfe shall beare the greatest blow Fiftly and Lastly It most vsually happeneth that a Person thus shamed studies defence to impudence y Aug. ibid. Corripe inter te ipsum solum intuens correctioni parcens pudori fortè enim prae verecundia incipit defendere peccatum suum quem vis correctiorem facis petorem and now that he thinkes himselfe irrecouerably wounded in his reputation the onely bounds which keepe many in hee becomes desperate And so he that before was badd by this meanes will bee worse Shame once found is euer lost Fiue Cases wherin faults must be discouered Wee see the Rule of Discretion touching priuate offenses and the reasons on which it is grounded We shall do well to obserue it but