Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	commandment_n	good_a	keep_v	2,571	5	5.4432	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21059	Tvvo treatises the one of Good conscicnce [sic]; shewing the nature, meanes, markes, benefits, and necessitie thereof. The other The mischiefe and misery of scandalls, both taken and given. Both published. by Ier: Dyke, minister of Gods Word at Epping in Essex.	Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Mischiefe and miserie of scandals both taken, and given. aut; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Good conscience. aut	1635 (1635)	STC 7428; ESTC S100168	221,877	565

will yet if they slight the word or swel at it or be disobedient to it when it is laid to their Conscience Paul makes it a manifest signe of a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15 16. Their mind and their conscience is defiled How appeares that They professe they know God but they are disobedient When therfore the Ministry of the Word shall charge thee with dutie or reproove thee for sinne and then thou shalt charge the Minister with railing and girding and that this Sermon was made for the nonce for thee thou likest not that Ministers should be so particular c. In Gods feare bee advised to looke to thy Conscience and know it that thou hast a naughtie conscience when the Ministry of the Word smites thy conscience then for thee to smite the Minister with reproachfull and disgracefull tearmes to smite him with thy mouth How is thy conscience better then Ananias his that commands to smite Paul on the mouth he that cannot brooke that Gods Ministers should not discharge a good conscience in preaching to the conscience be bold to challenge that man for a man of an evill conscience 4. That is a fourth note of a good conscience 4 Note of a good conscience To doe duty for conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. ye must be subject for conscience sake To doe good or abstaine from evill meerly for conscience sake is a note of a right good conscience indeed Conscience as we saw before doth excite and stirre up and bind to the doing of good and bind from the doing of evill Now when the conscience upon just information from the Word shall presse and forbid and then a man shall because conscience forbids forbeare or because it presses performe obedience thus to doe good or not to doe evill for conscience sake is a note of a good conscience It evidences a good conscience when the maine weight that sets the wheeles on worke is conscience of Gods cōmandement When it is that Ps 119. 4. that sets a man on work Thou hast cōmanded us to keep thy precepts diligently The end of the commandement is love 1 Tim. 1. 5. and love is the fulfilling of the commandement Rom. 12. But what love From a pure heart and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1. 5. When conscience of the commandement carries a man to the fulfilling of the end of it then doth such love come frō a good conscience Salomons description of a good man Eccl. 9. 2. is that he fears an oath He saies not that swears not but that feares an oath For a man not to sweare may be the fruit of good education and of the awe a man hath stood in of his Governours but to feare an oath argues that a man feares the commandement Prov. 13. 13. and to feare the commandement is the note of a good conscience Here let mens consciences be tried Thou prayest in thy family hearest the Word keepest the Sabbath c. Now search thine heart and make inquirie what it is that carrieth thee to these duties Doest thou do them for conscience sake Doest thou find conscience to urge and presse thee and to give satisfaction of the conscience and obedience to the injunctions thereof Are these things done If so it is a signe of a good conscience But this discovers the naughtinesse of mens consciences who though they be sound in some good duties or in the avoyding of some evils yet is it not conscience that workes them thereto Yee must be subject not onely for wrath that is for feare of the Magistrates wrath and revenge but for conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. It is no good conscience when a man will be subject for his skins sake and lest hee smart by the Magistrates sword but then a mans conscience is good when in obedience to Gods Word and in conscience of his commandement he subjects The like may be said of all by-ends Ye must doe good duties not for profit not for credit not for vaine-glory not for ●aw but for conscience sake or else evill consciences ye have in that ye doe The Shechemites receive circumcision Gen. ●4 And is not circumcision Gods Ordinance And is it not joy of them that they will joyne to the Church and professe the true Religion Yes surely if it were done for conscience I but it is not done for conscience sake Alas no such matter but for Hamors sake the Lord of the Towne and for Shechems sake their young Master and for the hope of gaines sake Shall not their cattell and their substance and every beasts of theirs be ours Gen. 34. 23. For the oxen sake and not for conscience sake are the Shechemites circumcised Shechem for Dinahs sake receives the Sacrament Oh the zeale and forwardnesse that some will professe on a sudden What frequenters of holy exercises But what is it for conscience sake No such matter but Shechem is in hope of a match with Dinah and all these showes of Religion are neither for Gods sake nor conscience sake but all for Dinahs sake all under hope of preferment by a rich marriage They were goodly shewes of zeale Ioh. 6. 22. 24. in seeking and following after Christ but it was neither for Christ nor conscience sake but ver 26. for the loaves and the bread and their bellies sake Many of the heathens Esth 8. 17. turned Iewes Was there not joy of such Proselytes not a whit for not the fear of God but the feare of the Iewes fell upon them as many frequent the publicke assemblies more for feare of the statute then for fear of the commandement The officers of the King helped the Iewes Esther 9. 3. Was it for conscience sake Nothing lesse but for wrath sake and for feare because the feare of Mordecai fell upon them If the Pharises had done all that Mat. 6. for conscience sake which they did for vaine-glory sake they had had the glory of good consciences Many preached the Gospel in Pauls daies Phil. 1. Does not so good a worke argue a good conscience Yes if it had beene done for conscience sake but that was done for contention sake not to adde soules to the Church but to adde sorrowes to Pauls afflictions It is a note of a good conscience when that which we doe is done with a respect unto the commandement of God Psal 119. 6. and not with a squint respect unto our owne private for praise or profit It Vtrine majores heretici illine qui pictas ligneas an qui aureas argenteas imagines è templis exigerent ad conflandam monetam igne adurerent Dubro hist Bohe. l. 24. was a good argument of those Bohemians good consciences in plucking downe Images that they beate downe onely painted and wooden Images whilst Sigismund the Emperour pulled downe silver and golden ones to melt into money for pay of his Souldiers as they plead for themselves when they were held Heretikes for their fact If they had pulled downe such Images as

Company to the full The twelve dayes feast of the Nativitie how is it longed for before hand how welcommed when it is come And what may the reason be But only because it is a feasting time This is counted a blessed good time and why a blessed good time As Christ was a blessed good man the prophet that should come into the world and therefore should be made a King because hee had fed and filled their bellies Iohn 6. So the most make that a blessed time not for the memorial of Christs Incarnatiō but because of the loaves Christ shall be a King because of the feast the time is blessed Well then is the world so desirous and so glad of feasting Are feasting times such blessed times Lo then I invite you to a feast to a blessed good feast indeed that will make you blessed and truly happy Not to a feast of twelve daies but to a feast that lasts al the twelve moneths of the yeare to a continuing and a continuall feast How glad are many when they may goe to a feast Lo a way to make feasts for your selves What a credit is it counted in the world for a man to keep a good and great house to keep feasting and open-house for all commers during the Festivity of the twelve dayes Would we have this credit of good hous-keeping not for twelve dayes but for all the yeare long Get good consciences keepe good consciences There is no such good house-keeper as is the good conscience-keeper for a good conscience is a feast a continuall feast There is nothing that men desire more then to live merrily and how many stumble at Religion and keeping of a good conscience under an idle conceit that it is the way to marre all their mirth and to make a man lumpish and melancholly Do not believe the devill do not believe his lying agents It is a prophane Proverbe that Spiritus Calvinianus est spiritus melancholicus A good conscience is a feast a feast with all dainties musick and wine Can a man be melancholly at a feast at so joyfull and so sweet a feast doth feasting make men melancholly or make men merry make men weepe or laugh If a man should cry downe feasting with this argument That it makes men melancholly would not all men laugh him to scorn And why then should a man feare melancholly more from a good conscience than from a feast There is none lives so merry a life as hee that keepes a good conscience hee is every day at a feast hee is alwayes banquetting Yea the worst dishes of this feast even those at the lower end of the Table are better than the most choice rarities of other feasts The very teares that a good conscience sheds have more joy and pleasure in them than the worlds greatest joyes And if the teares of a good conscience be such what is the mirth and laughter of it If weeping be so sweet what is singing If the courser dishes be so dainty what are the best services Would wee then live merrily and passe our dayes jocundly indeed Get a good conscience and thou keepest a continuall feast and that continuall feast will keepe thee in continuall mirth and continuall joy Yea though thou be in affliction and under crosses so as thy dayes unto the world may seeme exceedingly evill shalt thou live merrily as at a feast Yea this is the scope of the Scripture All the dayes of the afflicted are evill namely in the eye and judgement of the world but a good conscience namely to the afflicted is a continuall feast A good conscience feasts then and turnes fasting dayes into feasting dayes A good conscience feasts a man in his poverty in his sicknesse in the prison and cheeres up a man with many a dainty bit The wine of this feast makes them forget all their sorrow Now then that we would be so wise as to hearken to Gods invitation to this feast Let us keep the feast with the bread of sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5. 8. Take heed now that we put not off God as those did Luke 14. invited to the feast with the excuses of Farmes Oxen and the like So doe many urge them to the keeping of a good conscience and their answer is If they should be so precise how should they live they shall have but poore takings if they take such a course I pray have me excused I must live Thus they answer as many good husbands when invited to frequent feastings doe No believe mee it will not hold out if I goe every day a feasting I may goe one day a begging I must follow my businesse and let feasting goe And so say men here But take heed of putting off God thus The time will come that thou wouldst give all thine oxen to have but the scraps crums of this feast and thou shalt not have them God will serve thee as hee did them Luk. 14. 24. None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper Those that care not to keep the feast of a good conscience shall never come to Gods feast in heaven If you refuse to come to his feast now God will at the last day thrust you out of doores when you will be pressing and crowding in and shall say to you Get you hence ye despisers of a good conscience you scorned the feast of a good conscience and therefore now the feast and guests of heaven scorne you here is no roome for such to feast here who have made their consciences fast heretofore CHAP. XIV A third and a fourth motive to a good conscience Come wee now to a third motive that The third motive to a good conscience may yet helpe to stir up our minds to this necessary duty of getting and keeping of a good conscience Besides what hath beene said it is worthy of our consideration that without a good conscience all our actions yea our very best services to God are so farre from goodnesse and acceptance that they are abominable and distastefull unto the Lord. The formall goodnesse of every mans actions is to be judged and esteemed by the goodnesse of his conscience which being evill and defiled makes all a mans actions to be such 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the commandement is love But what kind of love doth the commandement require will any shewes or shadowes of obedience serve the turn will the bare dutydoing passe for currant No but such love to God and man and such performance of obedience as proceeds from a pure heart and a good conscience So that let a man doe all outward actions of obedience yet if a good conscience be wanting all is nothing For the end of the Commandement is love out of a good conscience As is a mans conscience so are all his workes and therefore nothing acceptable that a wicked man doth because hee doth it with an ill conscience To the pure all things are pure but

and draw some noted Professour of Religion into some grosse and scandalous sinne And that scandal of his wil be such a stumbling blocke at which they will so stumble that I will warrant them fall farre enough and deepe enough for euer recouering out of the pit And the Lord answeres Thou shalt effect it and preuaile Goe forth and doe so Goe Satan preuaile with such and such a Professour of Religion to bring him into some fowle scandal And let that scandal bee a fatal stumbling blocke to make such fall and assuredly perish that would not bee wrought vpon by the word So that looke what the false prophets were to Ahab that are scandals to the world meanes of their fatall fals and ruines woe to Ahab because of the false prophets and woe to the world because of scandals that make way for their mischiefe as the false prophets did for Ahabs So that by all this wee see that Gods disposall of scandals is an Act of diuine vengeance and Iustice plaguing mens vnprofitablenesse vnder the meanes of grace that by this meanes their righteous damnation might be sealed vp and made sure And therefore this is a point well worth our obseruation That where God sends most preaching and the greatest meanes of grace there commonly fall out the greatest and foulest scandals and where litle or no meanes little or no scandal Now what may the reason of this bee Not that the preaching of the Gospel makes men worse as men of euil spirits are readie to slander and calumniate it in case of such euents but amongst many other reasons that might be giuen of it this is one speciall one Where God giues greatest means of grace and saluation there mens sinne in their vnprofitablenesse impenitencie and vnbeliefe is the greater The greater mens sinnes are the greater is Gods wrath and therefore out of the greatnesse of his wrath against mens great vnprofitablenesse God disposes it that where the greatest meanes of grace are neglected and contemned there shall bee the greatest scandals that so hee may greatly plague great vnprofitablenesse and contempt God will haue such as be vnprofitable vnder great means to haue great fals that they of all others may fall most lethally and most dangerously and fatally Now a little stumbling stone causes but a little an easie fall but the greater the stumbling block is the greater and more wofull must the fal needs bee And therefore where greatest meanes not profited by are there are greatest scandals to bring the greater woe and vengeance vpon so great vnprofitablenesse therefore there the greatest stumbling blockes to fall by where the greatest meanes to rise by that such may not simply fall but so fall that they may be dasht to peeces CHAP. V. How Scandals come to be so woefull and Mischieuous NOw how Scandals make way for mens fals and ruines and so for their woe will appeare in these following particulars 1. In that they make way for their stumbling at Religion and godlinesse the powerfull and sauing profession thereof When men stumble at Religion and are so offended at Godlinesse as to dislike and reiect it and that with a peremptorie resolution of spirit neuer to receiue and embrace it it must needs bee confessed that such persons are in a woefull and miserable case Wee find some that stumbled at Christ 1. Pet. 2. 8. Some that stumbled at the word 1. Pet. 2. 8. Some that stumble at the law Mal. 2. 8. Some that stumble in their wayes from the ancient pathes Iere. 18. 15. Now to stumble at Christ at the word at the Law at the antient wayes at religion this is a woefull thing There is but one true religion in which a man can be saued now therefore woe to him that stumbles at true religion for there is no way but infallible damnation for such a man There is no way of saluation but by Christ There is no other name vnder heauen to be saued by Act. 4. 12. Therefore woe to that man that stumbles at Christ for that man puts himselfe out of possibilitie of saluation The word is the word of grace Act. 20. 32. the word of life Ioh. 6. 68. the word of the kingdome Mat. 13. 19. therfore woe to that man that stumbles at the word for he puts himselfe out of possibility of grace eternal life and the kingdome of God The Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting or restoring the soule Psal 19. 7. therefore woe to him that stumbles at the Law for hee is out of possibilitie of being conuerted and restored The old and the Antient wayes are the good wayes wherein a man shall finde rest to his soule Ier. 6. 16. Therefore woe to that man that stumbles at and from the antient wayes because what possibility hath hee of finding rest to his soule Now by scandals and offences stumbling blockes are laide to make men stumble at these and so to bring woe vpon their soules When professours of religion of Christ of the word of the law of the Antient wayes fall into fowle scandals thereupon men of the world take occasion to stumble at that Religion at that Christ at that word at that law at those Antient wayes which they professe and grow to a resolution neuer to make or meddle with these and so make way for their owne woe by refusing and resoluing against the wayes of saluation for looke what the force of holy example and good life is to stop mens mouthes and gaine their hearts to a loue and liking of the truth and religion of that force on the contrary is euill and scandalous life to keepe men of Godly and holy life good conuersation makes euill speakers ashamed 1. Pet. 3. 16. Well doing puts to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1. Pet. 2. 15. that they cannot speake euill of Godlines and Religion Religious conuersation winnes and gaines those that are witbout and brings them to a loue of religion 1. Pet. 3. 1. So contrarily scandalous carriages embolden the faces and open the mouthes of enemies stumbles and offends them and workes in them such a disallowance of religion and dislike of the profession of Godlines that they vtterly resolue against it And that scandals doe make men thus stumble at Religion the word c. how plaine doth dayly experience make it let such an one as professes Christ his word his truth fall into any scandal and what followes Oh! Say men this is their religion this is their profession doe ye not see what persons they are that are of this same holy religion and profession Are there any worse then these more dishonest and deceifull If this be their religion God blesse mee from their religion I am resolued neuer to be of such a religiō I now plainely see that it is nothing but errant hypocrisie lying coozening dissembling And thus through diuine vengeance punishing thē for their vnprofitablenes vnder the word they so stumble at these scandals as to fal

all is the scandalous sinnes and falles of such as professe religion certaine it is that these of all others are the most perillous stumbling blockes by which Satan causes multitudes of men to stumble at religion and workes them to the dislike of the wayes of saluation Afflictions and Persecutions for the Gospells sake are dangerous stumbling blockes and by reason of them many are so offended at religion as that they turne their backes vpon it Math. 13. 21. When tribulation or persecution arises because of the word by and by he is scandalized So that Persecutions cause Scandal But yet the Scandals that come by the euill lifes of professours are in some sense farre more dangerous and hurtfull then those scandals that come from Persecutions Though the scandal of persecution stumble beate off many yet haue very many beene gayned to a loue and liking of Religion by the Patience Courage Constancy of the Saints of God in Persecution But neuer were nor wil be any gayned thereunto by the scandalous falles of professours Persecutions keepe men off by feare but Scandalous sinnes by Hardening mens hearts There is far more hope and possibility of gayning a man that is kept off by feare then of such as are kept off by a setled resolued Hardnes of Heart In scandals of the Crosse men may haue some secret likings of the Truth may haue secret purposes in better times to owne it but in scandals of euill example men grow to an open and professed dislike thereof In scandals of the crosse there is not alwayes a dislike of Religion it selfe but onely of the hard termes with which it must bee receiued but from scandals of euill life growes a dislike of Religion it selfe Notwithstanding the scandal of the crosse men may haue an Honorable and a good conceit of Religion but scandals of euill life breede and nourish a base and a vile esteeme thereof in the hearts of men So that persecutions doe not doe that mischiefe that scandalous falles doe Malicious persecutours in some sense doe not that hurt that scandalous professours doe Now scandalous euents being so mischieuous pernicious and yet withall so common so frequent why may it not bee a worke of charity to counterworke Satan and to remoue out of the way these dangerous stumbling blockes at which so many fall to their vtter ruine and destruction As Satan Balaam-like casts stumbling blocks in so should it be our care to take vp these stumbling blockes out of mens wayes It is not enough for vs that wee put not a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in another mans way as the Apostle aduises Rom. 14. 12. But when others haue done it our endeauour should bee to take such a stumbling blocke out of the way It is Gods owne commandement we should so doe Isay 57. 14. Take vp the stumbling blocke out of the way of my people It were happy if wee could preuent scandals but since that cannot bee for it must needs be that offences come the next happinesse is to preuent their mischiefe that though they doe come yet they may come with as little hurt as may be * Esto quod alius mouerit scandalum profecto compescere vos potestis Nolle compescere sine culpa erit Aut velle compescere sine gloria erit Si ergo vos scandalum cum possitis non tollitis plane non impletis ministerium vestrum Bernard Epist 200. ad vulgar Episco Audegav The which thing who so will not nor cares not to doe shall not bee without blame and who so endeauours to doe shall not be without his reward The which worke who so doth not when occasion serues fulfils not his ministry and the which worke who so doth he doth an excellent and a worthy worke euen the worke of Angels * Annon denique ministerium est Angelorum tollere scandala de regno Dei Si dixeritis quid ad nos c. Bernard ibid. Is it not the worke of Angels sayes Bernard to take scandals out of the Kingdome of God Yea we find it to be so Mat. 13. 41. The sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all scandals It is therefore not onely a Charitable but an Angelicall worke to gather out scandals and take vp the stumbling blockes that Satan casts in mens way to heauen The same spirit should be in all Gods ministers which was in Paul 2. Cor. 11. 29. Who is offended or Scandalized and I burne not In cases of scandal hee was all on fire not only in regard of his griefe for but in regard of his zeale against them Hee burned with an holy zeale to remoue the scandal and to preuent the mischiefe it might doe Hee burned with an holy fire of zeale to keepe others from burning in the fire of Hell wherewith scandals did endanger them Vpon these grounds haue I bin moued encouraged to the publishing of this following treatise to try if by any meanes either preaching or printing I might preuent the mischiefe of scandals Were it that the fame of them did spred no farther then the places where they happen this labour might haue beene spared but * Sicut quod de alto cadit grandem sonū facit vt ita audiant omnes sic qui de alto gradu cadit ruina illius vbicunque auditur Chrysost in Matth. as that which falles from an high place it is Chrysostomes comparison makes a great noise so that all heare it so men that fall from an high degree of profession their falles are not without such a noise as is heard farre and neere It was needefull therefore to proportion the remedy to the disease that the playster should be as broad as the sore and the medicine goe as far as the poyson When I saw saies Paul that they walked not vprightly according to the truth of the Gospell I said vnto Peter before them all Gal. 2. 14. But why before them all Why had hee no more regard to the Honour of Peter Why was it not spoken to Peter priuately and by himselfe alone Why speakes hee that which might bee to the discredit of Peter before them all Hierome giues a good answer * Dixi Cephaee Publicum scandalum non potuit priuate curari Hieron in Gal. 2. A publique scandal could not bee healed priuately It is very fit that publique euills should haue publique remedies If these endeauours of mine such as they bee shall thorough Gods blessing haue such effect as to preuent any scandals for the time to come to saue any from the danger of such as are already come or to bring any to repentance by whom offences haue come I shall haue cause to thinke my time and paines happily bestowed The seuerall Chapters of this Treatise CHAP. I. THe Coherence and Resolution of the Text. pag. 1. CHAP. II. The Necessitie of scandalous euents in Gods Church pag. 7. CHAP. III. An