Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	2,243	5	10.5323	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40094	A sermon preached before the Queen at White-hall, on Sunday, March 22, 1690/1 by Edward Fowler ...	Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714.	1691 (1691)	Wing F1721; ESTC R10617	12,747	36

him Hazael once thought that 't was impossible he should incurr the Guilt of such horrid Villanies as he was foretold he would such as dashing young Children against the stones and ripping up Women with Child What replyed he to the Prophet Is thy Servant a Dog that he should do such things But for all that when he came into other Circumstances and so to have such Temptations as he never before met with he was such a Dog as to commit such Barbarities And if we will not be prevailed with to forsake in Will and Affection every Sin we shall scarcely stick longer at any Sin than our forbearance thereof is consistent with the Satisfaction of that Lust which is dearest to us We have Iudas also for an Example of this He was doubtless as to Outward Appearance a very Moral Inoffensive Man for our Saviour would not have given such Scandal as to have taken him had he not been so into the Number of his Constant Associates yet this Judas loving the Bag being a secretly Covetous Wretch could perswade himself even most basely to betray his Blessed Master when allured by the Bait of Gain to it and that a very sorry Bait too Fourthly Whosoever makes no Conscience of transgressing some one Law as he is Prepared to break all other upon strong Temptations so he actually disobeys other Laws according to that Latitude of Interpretation which our Lord hath given them and which ought to be given them Such a one may tremble at the Thoughts of breaking those two Commandments Thou shalt not commit Adultery Thou shalt not kill but Lusting in his Heart or Hating his Enemy will be Venial Sins with him though his Saviour hath told him that these are Transgressions of those Commandments This Man may punctually keep the First and Second Commandments as to the shunning of those Sins which in express terms are forbidden by them He may abhorr to acknowledge any other God but Iehovah he may abominate Graven Images in the Worship of God but while he preferreth the World either the Riches or Honours or Pleasures thereof before God as whosoever lives in the Allowance of any known Sin doth he is a very Idolater as the Apostle hath told us Fifthly Living in the Breach of but one Law would as truly Deprave Mens Natures and make them unmeet for the Enjoyment of God as living in the Breach of all It would do so as truly and really though not in the same degree One Sin allowed one Lust cherished robs the Soul of the Divine Image renders it unlike to God and consequently makes it uncapable of taking Satisfaction or Complacency in that Best of Beings who is pure Light and in whom is no Darkness at all It is thereby unqualified for the Heavenly and it sinks it down into the Hellish State We say One Leak will sink a Ship as sure as a Thousand And upon this Account One Sin entertained must needs as certainly ruine our Souls if we will not part with it as never so many Our Four First Considerations make it highly Reasonable that it should be so but this Last makes it Necessary Necessary from the very Nature of the thing not only nor yet Primarily from the Will of God I shall now Present you with Several plain Inferences from what hath been said As I. THat we ought not to account any Sin a Light or a small thing such a thing as God Almighty will not Concern Himself about Such a thing as we may allow ourselves in and yet be Objects of the Divine Favour This is Evident from what we have said or rather is our Text it self in other Words But I add for the farther Clearing of the Truth hereof that that Sin which we are apt to Fancy so Light a matter is either a Transgression of God's Law or 't is not if it be not we may not acknowledge it to be a Sin For Sin as saith the Apostle is the Transgression of the Law and where there is no Law there is no Transgression But if it be a Transgression of the Law how can it be a Light or a Trivial thing If it be really so then must God needs so account it for He judges of things as they are but how can God so account it when He hath made a Law against it Will His Infinite Wisdom suffer Him to make a Law which He matters not whether it be Observ'd or no Such a Law would be a very Vain and Needless one and therefore cannot be of God's making No Wise Man would be the Maker of such a Law But because some Sins are accounted small and others Great this Distinction is not to be born except we mean that some Sins are small ones in Comparison of others not that any are absolutely and in themselves small Indeed Considering Sins as Transgressions of God's Law so all are alike for one Sin is not more contrary to the Law than another All are as Contrary to the Law as can be That Stoical Paradox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Sins are Equal Tully gives this true Explication of Parva inquis Res est at Magna Culpa Thou sayest this is but a small thing but I say 't is a Great fault in quo peccatur id potest esse aliud alio majus aut minus That in which a Man Offends may be a greater or a less thing ipsum autem Peccare quoquo te verteris unum est But the Offending the Sinning it self is ever one and the same thing And this amounts to what was now said That considering Sins as Transgressions of the Divine Laws so all are alike But considering them according to various Circumstances some may be Comparatively small or much less than others Some are committed with less of the Will than others and those Men fall into upon a Surprize and before they are aware are nothing so great in that respect as those which are committed with Deliberation I mean upon Supposition that a naughty Custom doth not occasion the Inadvertency There are those who profane the Sacred Name of God by rash Oaths and by taking it into their Mouths lightly and wantonly and when reproved profess they were not aware they did so But this is no Extenuation of their Fault because such insensibility can proceed from no other Cause than Mens having acquired a wretched Habit of so making bold with and abusing God's Name through their Minds being void of any awful Sense of His Glorious Majesty Some Sins are committed against less Light and Knowledge than others and Sins against greater actual Knowledge or better Means of Knowledge are in that respect the Greater Sins and therefore our Lord hath assigned the greater Punishment to them Mat. 10.15 The greater Obligations and the more Mercies Men sin against the greater are their Sins upon that Account The more of Disingenuity and hateful Ingratitude there is in sins the more Hainous and Provoking are they Sins are greater or less according