Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bondage_n	law_n	zion_n	26	3	8.9796	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17643	A commentarie vpon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes, written in Latine by M. Iohn Caluin, and newely translated into Englishe by Christopher Rosdell preacher. Whereunto is added a necessarie table for the better and more readie finding out of certayne principall matters conteyned in this worke; Commentarius in Epistolam Pauli ad Romanos. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Rosdell, Christopher, b. 1553 or 4.	1583 (1583)	STC 4399; ESTC S107213	360,940	450

deteineth a man in the letter of the law maketh him subiect vnto death On the contrary he calleth the law of sin death What is meant by the law of sin the dominion of the flesh and tyrannie of death which proceedeth thence The law of God is as it were placed in the midst which law teacheth righteousnes but giueth it not yea rather it bindeth vs in stronger bonds vnto the seruitude of sin death Therefore the meaning is where as the law of God condemneth men that commeth to passe because so long as they abide vnder the bonde of the lawe they are pressed with the bondage of sin and so are gilty of death But the spirit of Christ whiles by correcting the inordinat lusts of the flesh Obiection he abolisheth the law of sin in vs doth also deliuer vs from the giltines of death If any should obiect that then the forgiuenesse wherby our offences are buried Answeare doth depend vpon regeneration the answere is easie namely that the cause is not here set downe of Paule but the maner only is deliuered wherby we are loosed from giltinesse And Paule denieth vs to obteine that by the doctrine of the lawe but whiles we are renewed by the spirite of God wee are also iustified by free forgiuenes that the curse of sinne might no more lie vpon vs. This sentence therfore is as much as if Paul had said the grace of regeneration is neuer separated trom the imputation of righteousnesse I dare not take the law of sin death with some for the loue of god because it seemeth to bee a hard speech For although by increasing sinne it beget death yet Paule did purposely aboue withdrawe from this despite or roughnesse of speeche Although nothing the more I consent to their opinion who vnderstand the law of sin for the concupiscence of the flesh as though Paul said he had cōquered it For shortly after it shal as I hope sufficiētly appeare that he speaketh of free forgiuenesse which doth bring vnto vs a perfect peace with God I had rather keepe the name of law then with Erasmus to translate it right or power because Paule did not without cause allude vnto the lawe of God 3 For that which was impossible to the law Nowe followeth the polishing and setting foorth of the confirmation namely that the Lorde hath by his free mercy iustified vs in Christe which thing was impossible for the law But because this is a very notable sentence let vs examine euery part thereof That hee intreateth here of free iustification or of remission wherby god reconcileth vs to himselfe The doctrine of remission free mercy is restrained vnto those who ioyne repentance vnto faith it may be gathered by that last clause where hee addeth who walke according to the spirite and not according to the fleshe For if Paule went about to teach how by the spirite of regeneration we are instructed or furnished to conquere sinne to what end were this addition But it was very expedient that after he had promised free remission vnto the faithful then this doctrine should be restrayned vnto those who ioyne repentance vnto faith and abuse not the mercy of God vnto the licenciousnes of the flesh Secondarily heere is to be noted the rendring of the cause For the Apostle sheweth how the grace of Christ doth absolue vs from giltines Now concerning the wordes impossible to the lawe out of questiō is takē for a defect or impotencie as though it were said there was a remedie founde of God whereby the impossibilitie of the lawe was taken away As for the particle en O which Erasmus hath turned that part wherein because I thinke it to be causall I choose rather to translate it because And albeit perhaps you shall not finde such a phrase of speech with good authours of the Greeke tongue yet because the Apostles do euery where vse Hebrewe phrases this interpretation ought not to seeme hard Certainly the sound Readers will graunt that the cause of defect was expressed here as we shal declare again a little after Now whiles Erasmus putteth down of himself the principall verbe in my iudgement the text doth runne verye well o-otherwise The Coniunction Kai and hath deceiued Erasmus that he should insert or thrust in the verbe Praestitit that is hee hath perfourmed But I think it was put for amplification sake except any perhaps like the coniecture of the Greeke gloser better who ioyneth this member and of sinne to that goeth before namely God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh for sinne Howebeit I haue followed that which I haue thought to bee the naturall sense of Paule Nowe I come vnto the thing it selfe Paule affirmeth plainely that our sinnes were therefore done away by the death of Christ because it was impossible for the lawe to make vs righteous Whereupon it followeth there is more commaunded in the lawe then we are able to perfourme because if wee were able to perfourme the lawe it were in vaine to seeke for remedie els where Wherefore it is absurde that mans strength shoulde bee measured by the precepts of the lawe as though God in requiring that is iuste had regarded what and howe greate our strengthe were Because it was weake least any shoulde thinke the law were charged vnreuerently with weakenesse or should restraine this vnto ceremonies Why the lawe cannot iustifie Paule hath precisely expressed that that defect is not through the fault of the lawe but through the corruptiō of our flesh For we must cōfesse if any did absolutely satisfie the lawe of God he were righteous before God So then hee denieth not the law to be able to iustifie vs in respect of doctrine as which conteineth the perfect rule of righteousnesse but because our fleshe doeth not compasse that righteousnesse the whole strength of the lawe falleth or vanisheth away So their errour or rather dotage is refuted who thinke the power of iustifiyng is taken away onely from ceremonies when Paul plainely putting the fault in vs declareth that hee doth finde no faulte in the doctrine Furthermore vnderstand the infirmitie or weakenesse of the lawe as the Apostle is wont to vse the woorde astheneias not onely for a little weakenesse but for impotencie that hee might signifie howe the law hath no force at all to iustifie Thou seest then we are vtterly excluded from the righteousnes of workes and therefore must flee vnto the righteousnesse of Christ because there can be none in our selues Which thing is chiefly necessarie to be knowen for we shall neuer be cloathed with the righteousnes of Christ except first we know assuredly that we haue no righteousnes of our owne The name flesh is put alway in the same signification namely for our selues Therefore the corruption of our nature maketh the lawe of God vnprofitable to vs because whiles it sheweth the way of life it doth not reduce vs backe Howe God hath

prayer A twofold spirit except it assured vs of free remission And to the end he might that rather set out that matter he setteth down a twofold spirite one he calleth the spirite of bondage which we may cōceiue by the law● the other of adoptiō which is by the gospel He saith that was giuen in olde time vnto feare Heb. 12.18 and this at this day vnto assuraunce By such comparison of contraries the certaintie of our saluation is as thou seest made more manifest The authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes when hee saith wee are not come vnto the mount Sinai where all thinges were so terrible that the people being ouerthrowen as it were with the present sentence of death did pray they might not bee spoken vnto yea Moses him selfe confessed hee was afrayde but we are come vnto Sion the hill of the Lorde and his citie the celestiall Hierusalem where is the mediatour of the newe Testament Iesus By the aduerbe agayne wee gather that the law is heere compared with the Gospell because the sonne of God by his comming brought vnto vs this inestimable benefite that the seruile condition of the lawe should no more binde vs. Yet thou mayest not gather hereby eyther that none had the spirite of adoption before the comming of Christ or that who so receiued the lawe were seruauntes and not sonnes For he doth rather compare the ministerie of the lawe with the dispensation of the Gospell then persons with persons In deede I confesse that the faithfull are admonished here howe muche more liberally God hath nowe dealte with them then hee did in olde time with the fathers vnder the olde Testament yet hee respecteth the externall dispensation in respecte whereof onely wee excell because howesoeuer the sayth of Abraham Moses and Dauid was more excellent then ours yet for as muche as God in a maner kept them vnder a schoolemistresse they were not yet come vnto that libertie which is opened vnto vs. And also it is to bee noted that I haue purposely because of false Apostles put an antithesis or contrarietie betweene the litterall disciples of the lawe and the faithfull whome Christ the heauenly maister doeth not onely speake vnto with sounde of mouth but also inwardely doeth teache effectually by his spirite And although the couenaunt of grace is conteined in the lawe yet he remoueth it thence because opposing the Gospell hee considereth nothing but that which was proper to the lawe namely to bidde and forbidde and by the denouncing of death to bridle sinners and so hee giueth vnto the lawe What was proper to the lawe that qualitie whereby it differeth from the Gospell Or if any had rather hee propoundeth the bare lawe as God therein couenanteth with vs in respect of workes Thus therfore we are to thinke of the persons amongst the people of the Iewes whē the law was published also after it was published the godly were illuminated with the same spirit of faith therfore the hope of eternall inheritance whereof the spirite is a pledge seale was sealed in their heart Here onely is the difference that the spirite is powred out more aboundantly plentifully in the kingdome of Christ But if thou hast regarde vnto the dispensation of doctrine saluation shall seeme to haue been then for a suertie first manifested when Christ was exhibited in the flesh with such obscuritie were all thinges couered vnder the old Testament in comparison of that light is vnder the Gospell Furthermore if the lawe be considered in it selfe it can do nothing but binde men that are subiect to miserable seruitude with the horrour of death because it promiseth no good thing but with condition and it denounceth death against all transgressours Wherefore as vnder the lawe there was the spirite of bondage which pressed the conscience with feare so vnder the Gospell there is the spirite of adoption whiche cheereth our soules with the testimonie of our saluation And obserue that feare is ioyned to bondage because it can not otherwise be but the law should with wonderful disquietnes vexe and torment our soules so long as it exerciseth his power How feare is ioyned with bondage Wherefore there is no other remedie for the quieting of them then whiles God forgiuing our offences doeth fauour vs as a father his children By whome wee crye Abba Hee hath therefore changed the person that hee might expresse the state of all the godly as though hee sayde yee haue receiued the spirite whereby you as well as wee and the residue of all the faithfull doe crye And the figure mimesis here vsed of the Apostle is very significante Mimesis which is when one taketh on him the person of another for in the person of the faithfull hee pronounceth the name of father The doubling of the name by diuers woordes contayneth an amplification For Paule giueth to vnderstande that the mercie of God is nowe so published through the whole worlde that he is indifferently prayed vnto in all tongues as Augustine noteth Therefore his meaning was to expresse the consent amongst all nations Whereuppon it followeth that nowe there is no difference betweene Iewe and Gentile seeing they are knit together amongst them selues The Prophete Esay speaketh otherwise saying that the tongue of Chanaan shoulde bee common vnto all yet all one sence Esai 19.18 because he respecteth not the externall fourme of speeche but the consent of heart in woorshipping God and the same and simple studie in professing his true and pure woorshippe The woorde crie is put to expresse the constancie as if hee sayde wee pray not doubtingly What is ment by crying vnto God but boldely wee lift vp our voyce vnto heauen In deede the faythfull vnder the lawe did call God father but not with such sure confidence seeing the vayle did driue them farre from the sanctuarie but nowe when an entraunce is opened vnto vs by the blood of Christ wee may familiarly and as it were with full mouth glorie that wee are the sonnes of God from whence this crye proceedeth Finally by this the prophesie of Osee is fulfilled I will say vnto them you are my people and they shall answer agayne thou art our God Ose 2.23 For the more cleare the promise is so muche more boldenesse is there in prayer 16 For the spirite Hee doeth not simplie say the spirite of GOD is a witnesse to our spirite but hee vseth a compounde verbe which may bee translated to witnesse togeather if contestation were not somewhat els with the latines But Paul meaneth that the spirit of God doth giue vnto vs such testimonie that by the direction and gouernance thereof our spirite is assured the adoption of God is firme For our minde of it selfe except the testimonie of the spirite went before coulde not bring vnto vs this confidence Moreouer here is an exposition of the former sentence For whiles the spirite testifieth that we are the sonnes of God it

downe before For the similitude he bringeth in taketh away al ambiguitie because grafting doth not onely note the conformitie of example but a secret coniunction whereby wee growe vppe together with him so that hee quickening vs with his spirite powreth his vertue into vs. Therefore as a graft hath the condition of life and deathe common together with the tree in the which it is grafted so it is reason wee shoulde no lesse bee partakers of the life then of the death of Christe For if wee bee grafted into the similitude of the death of Christe and that is not without his resurrection then no more shal our death be without a resurrection But the wordes may haue a two folde exposition either that wee are grafted in Christ into the similitude of his death or simply we are grafted into his similitude The first acception would require the greek Datiue homoiomati that is to the similitud to be referred to the shewing of the maner And I denie not but that hath a fuller sense yet because the other agreeth better to the simplicitie of the worde I haue thought good to preferre it Albeit it is but a small matter seeing both come to one sense Phil. 2.7 Chrysostome thinketh Paule said the similitude of death for death as in another place How wee are grafted into the similitude of the death of Christ beeing made in the similitude of men But me thinke I see some greater Emphasis in this worde For besides that it auaileth to inferre the resurrection it seemeth to tende vnto this not that wee shoulde die like Christe by a naturall death but that wee haue this congruencie with his death that as he dyed in the fleshe which hee receiued of vs so wee shoulde die in our selues that wee may liue in him Then is it not the same death but the like for the resemblance or proportion betweene the death of this present life and spiritual renouation is to bee noted Graffed This worde is very significant● for it declareth plainely that the Apostle doth not exhort onely but rather deliuereth the doctrine of the benefite of Christe For he requireth not any thinge of vs which is to be done by our studie or industrie Wherein the similitude of grafting holdeth not but he preacheth that grafting which is done by the hand of God Neither is it conuenient a man shold goe about to apply the metephor or cōparisō to euery part For betwene the graftinge of trees and this oure spirituall graftinge there will straightwayes appeare a diuersitie for in that the graft dothe drawe his nourishment from the roote but yet reteineth his naturall propertie of bearing fruite but in this insertion or grafting of ours wee doe not onely drawe the iuice and strength of life from Christe but also wee passe from our nature into his Howbeit the mynde of the Apostle is to note nothing els then that efficacie of the death of Christe which sheweth it selfe in the mortification of our fleshe and that of his resurrection to renew in vs a better nature of the spirit 6 That our olde man It is called the olde man as the old testament is so called in respect of the new For it beginneth to be olde when our regeneration being begunne How it is called the old man it is by litle and litle destroyed and he meaneth the whole nature which we bring out of our mothers wombe which is so vncapable of the kingdom of God t●● must needs perish so farre foorth as we may be restored into 〈◊〉 life He saith this old man is fastened to the crosse of Christ because through his vertue it is slayne And he hath precisely alluded vnto the Crosse that he might expressely shew How the old mā is crucified how we haue not mortification else where then by the participation of his death For I doe not agree vnto them who vnderstand that he said rather crucified then dead because it liueth yet and floorisheth on some part That is verily a true saying yet it agreeth but litle with the present place The body of sinne What is meant by the body of sin which he addeth a litle after signifieth not the flesh and bones but the masse of sinne and corruption For manne beeing lefte to his owne nature is a masse contracted of sinne Hee noteth the end of this abolishing when he saith That wee shoulde not serue sinne any more Whereby it followeth that so long as we are the sonnes of Adam and nothing els but men we are so subiect vnto sinne that wee canne doe nothing els but sinne but beyng grafted into Christ we are deliuered from this miserable necessitye not that by and by we cease altogether to sinne but that at lengthe wee become Victorers in the fight 7 For hee that is dead is iustified from sinne 8 For if so that we be dead with Christ wee beleeue that wee shall also liue him 9 Knowing that Christe beeyng raysed from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more power ouer him 10 For in that he dyed he died to sinne once but in that he liueth he liueth vnto God 11 So yee also esteeme your selues dead verily vnto sinne but liuing vnto God in Christ Iesus our Lord. 7. For he that is dead This is an argument taken from the property or effect of death For if death put downe all the actions of life we which are dead must needes cease from the actions of that life which actions it exercised whiles the same life cōtinued For iustified vnderstand freed and deliuer●●●●om seruitude or bondage For as he is loosed from the b●●● of accusation who is freed from the sentence of the Iudge so death loosing vs from this life doth free vs from all the actions therof Furthermore albeit there is no where amongest men suche an example extaunt yet there is no cause why thou shouldest thinke this that is sayde here eyther to be a vayne imagination or shouldest despayre because thou findest not thy selfe in the number of those who haue vtterly crucified the flesh For this worke of God is not perfected the same day it is begun in vs but it increaseth by little and little by daily increments as by degrees is brought to perfection The fruite of our communicatiō with the death of Christ is that the fleshe with his concupiscences be mortified To be briefe then take it thus if thou art a Christian there must appeare in thee the signe of thy communication with the death of Christ whose fruite is that the flesh be crucified with all his concupiscences Howbeit thou mayest not therefore counte this communication as none because as yet thou doest feele some reliques of the fleshe to liue in thee but thou art continually to studie for the augmentation thereof vntill thou arte come vnto the marke For it is well if our fleshe be continually mortified and we haue profited wel when the flesh beyng subdued hath yeelded to the