Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	deny_v	live_v	ungodliness_n	2,449	5	11.2335	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93147	White salt: or, A sober correction of a mad world, in some wel-wishes to goodness. / By John Sherman, B.D.	Sherman, John, d. 1663.	1654 (1654)	Wing S3387; Thomason E1517_1; ESTC R203564	80,830	261

magis bonus sed quia minus malus not because he was more good but because he was less evil 3. We cannot tell what mercy may be laid up in him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledg therefore we cannot absolutely say that Christ in his infinite wisdome and knowledge doth not know though it be secret to us some way of applying the benefit of his death even unto those of the Heathens who lived orderly And if they shall not be condemned for their unbelief as is generally believed of Christians we cannot say that the merit of Christ may not be indulged unto some of them who have been careful to live regularly to such laws as they found within them although they have not done optimum quod sic as no Christian ever did live proportionably to his principles And if the bloud of Christ may be secretly sprinkled upon Infants who cannot know Christ some would think it may as well be communicated in the merit of it to some of age who have not known Christ But 4. We must leave this in medio and refer them to God To their own Master they stand or fall We can conclude no otherwise then according to the minde of God in his Word Act. 4.12 For there is not salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved no other name given amongst men or given for men as it may be rendred by an Enallage of the preposition which doth absolutely exclude any other cause or author of salvation So that if any of them be saved they must be saved by the merits of Christ But it is not necessary to our purpose to say any more of this question unless we could determin it affirmatively Then it would serve us for an infinite motive unto this morality And yet the second query Whether morality is to be accounted of by Christians we may and ought to put an affirmative to and we shall make up the answer in some propositions also 1. Morality ut sic is considerable even in its native rational principles as whatsoever is conformable to any rational principles hath a pulchritude and beauty naturally belonging thereunto And thus all moral actions are good in their kinde as being solid and true to positive principles 2. The same actions in specie which do in Heathens refer to temperance and righteousness are to be done by Christians through the virtue of an higher principle namely grace which directeth the understanding by a greater light and inclineth the will by an higher motive of obedience to God therein So that the matter of the morality which respects the second Table is to be exercised by principles of the first and it is to be done out of the love of God fear of God So Joseph to his Brethren Do this for I fear God Gen. 42.18 He doth demonstrate fair dealing towards them by his fear of God and therefore obedience to God in temperance and righteousness do come under the duties of the Gospel and the lessons thereof as we have it clearly delivered by St. Paul Tit. 2.11 The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly godlily and righteously in this present world c. to the end of the chapter where we have the end of the Gospel to make men zealous of good works and if the use of the Gospel be to make men zealous of good works surely then it is not improper to the Gospel to make men zealous of just works Therefore 3. Although the Christian as such is above morality as resulting from the dictates of meer reason yet the Christian as such is not above morality in the matter of obedience to God in the duties of the second Table He is to do them also with diligence and care although he doth them upon an higher account For 1. There is the same legislative authority in the second Table as in the first He that said Thou shalt have no other Gods but me said also Honour thy Father and thy Mother thy Natural Civil and Ecclesiastical Parents He that forbad all spiritual fornication in false worship forbad also all carnal fornication He that in the affirmative included doth command all worship to him doth also command us to give whatsoever is due to our neighbour He that hath injoyned us not to swear hath also forbidden us to deceive our neighbour by lying or stealth or any kinde of frand He that hath commanded us not to take the Name of the Lord in vain hath also commanded us not to bear false witnes against our neighbor He that commanded to keep holy the Sabbath hath commanded also not to covet So that all the laws of the second Table come under the account and rate of the same service to God They have the inforcement of the same Author and the object person of their obedience is the same namely God although they differ in their matter and in the object of the matter for the first Table hath God the object of the matter thereof the second hath man for the object of the matter but God is the object of obedience in the second Table too because he gives the law And therefore though man be the object of the external act yet God is the object of the internal act wherein the formal consideration of obedience doth consist And if we do not these actions towards men which are contained in the second Table in the fear of God in love of him and in respect to him we do them not in way of obedience but upon some other respect And so in regard of author in regard of principle and in regard of end the whole law is one copulative 2. This morality in the matter of it is worthy of a Christian and it becometh him well because it is more difficult for him to perform the outward acts of it then the outward acts of the first Table upon two considerations First because the obedience to the second Table in some Commandements at least workes against carnal lust whereas there is no carnal lust which doth work against the obedience to the first Table in the outward acts thereof Secondly because there is less disprofit in outward obedience to the first Table as in hearing reading praying talking of Religion urging this or that way of the Church then in the obedience to the second Table by breaking whereof we think we can mend our estates well and yet come off handsomely with the world in the greater practise of more outward holiness And thus our singularity in outward piety may also be of use to our interest and by a stickling in outward reformation we may raise a dust to blinde mens eyes so far as they may easily think that while we have our eyes lifted up to heaven we are not like to have an hand in their pockets 3. This morality