Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	believe_v	faith_n	work_n	18,949	5	6.4304	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12363	The lavviers question The answere to the lawiers question. The censure of Christ vpon the answere. By Henry Smith.	Smith, Henry, 1550?-1591.	1595 (1595)	STC 22679; ESTC S103005	28,698	73

hart as with their mouth they doo confesse that after death their bodies shall rise again Therefore though this Lawier were to bee blamed because hee came with so bad a minde yet is he to be commended because he mooued so good a question Many nowe a daies are very curious in idle and vnprofitable questions As what God did before he made the worlde How long Adam stood in the state of innocencie Whether Salomon were saued or no with many such vaine and vnnecessary questions but fewe there are which will aske as this Lawier did what they must doo to inherit eternall life You shall see many very carefull and inquisitiue howe they may get riches where they may purchase lands and Lordshippes howe they may come to aduauncement and honour and by what meanes they may procure the Princes fauour But you shall see few or none inquisitiue concerning the meanes of their saluation you shall seldome heare any aske their Pastor what they must doo to bee saued or which way they may come to heauen It is not now as it was in Iohn Baptists time when the Publicans the souldiers and all sortes of people came vnto him with Master what shall we doo Luke 3.10 c. Nor it is not nowe as it was in the time of Christ when the people came and asked him what shall we do that we may worke the works of God Iohn 6.28 Nor it is not now as it was in Peters time when vpon the hearing of Peters Sermon the people came to Peter and to the other Apostles crying and saying Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2.37 But now euery mans minde is of his worldly profit or pleasure or preferment This is the drift of all their deuises this is the ende of all their practises how they may liue here in delight and ease and leaue behind them a rich posteritie As for that heauenly country whereunto they were borne that newe Ierusalem wherein they should dwell it is the furthest end of their thought and the least part of all their care how to inherit it how to inhabite it The Question is how hee may inherite eternall life wherein hee seemeth to confesse that there is an eternall life for thereof he makes no doubt only the question is howe hee may attaine vnto it Heere therefore it appeareth that this Lawier was not a Saducee which denied the resurrection of the dead Mathe. 22. Nor hee was not an Epicure which are of this opinion that after death there is neither ioy to bee looked for nor paine to be feared and therefore are woont to say Ede bibe lude c. or as it is 1. Cor. 15. Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die But this man was a Pharisee such a one as Paul was before his conuersion one that expounded the law of God vnto the people and liued after the straitest lawe of their religion Acts 26.5 in a word he was such a one as both for his life and learning was admired and honoured of the Iewes Though this Lawier were learned yet it was boldly done of him to tempt the Lorde But what is it which learning dare not attempt if it bee not tempered with the feare of God Christ Iesus found no greater aduersaries than the high Priests the Scribes Pharisees which were all learned men and the Church of Christ at this day is by none so much afflicted as by those that carrie the opinion of singuler learning For looke how many heresies are extant in the Church or howe many controuersies in religion they haue bin deuisd are maintaind by learned men Let learned men therefore learne to feare the Lord yea let them learne to know nothing so much as Christ Iesus and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 without the which knowledge all knowledge is ignorance all wisedome is foolishnes all learning is madnes and all religion is error or hipocrisie or superstition God hath not chosen many wise men nor many nightie men nor many noble men but God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the thinges that are mightie and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and thinges which are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 3.19 Our Sauior Christ in the choice of his Apostles called not one that was learned yet hath he not reiected all that are learned for from heauen hee called his Apostle Paul a learned Lawier Acts 22.3 to be the Apostle and Preacher of the Gentiles Rom. 11.13 And there is no doubt but that in all ages and euen at this day hee calleth some in euery place and endueth them with excellent learning that they may serue to the gathering together of the Saints and to the exercising of the ministrie and to the edifying of the Church of God Ephe. 4.12 The Lorde Iesus so moderate our learning with his holy feare that wee may direct al our studies to the enlarging of his glorie and kingdome here on earth that when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare 1. Pet. 5.4 we that haue instructed other and turned many to righteousnes may shine as the brightnes of the firmament and as the staerres of heauen for euer Dan 12.3 Good Master what shall I doo to inherite eternall life Marke heere the discretion of the Lawier in asking this question As the man was a Lawier so there is no doubt but that hee had read the Lawe and the Prophets If you looke into the Law you shall not finde Cursed is hee that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the Law to know them If you peruse the Prophets you shall not finde Cease from doing of euill and learne to speake well But the Law saith Cursed is he that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the book of the law to do them Deu 27.26 Gal. 3.10 And the Prophets say Cease from doing of euill and learne to doe well Esay 1.16 Psal. 24.14 And therefore the Lawier saith not How much must I knowe nor what shall I beleeue but what shall I doo to inherite eternall life Wee haue beene taught too long that wee are saued by faith without the workes of the Law Which Doctrine though it bee most true and both soundly proued and flatly concluded Rom. 3.28 Yet being vnderstood amisse as Paules writings sometimes are 2. Pet. 3.16 it hath beene the decay of all good deedes and brought in Epicurisme and all vngodlines T is true indeede that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ Rom. 6.23 But yet this gift is bestowed onely vppon those for whom it is prepared Math. 20.23 which haue exercised themselues in the workes of mercie Math. 25.35 In respect of God our election standeth certaine from all eternitie For it hath this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his 2. Tim. 2.19

so almighty God hath furnished vs with iudgement and reason as it were with certaine artillery whereby we are able to distinguish betweene good and euill and sent vs into this world as it were into the open fields and sets his lawe before vs as a marke as Dauid speaketh promising to giue vs the kingdome of heauen if we hit the same and albeit hee knoweth that wee cannot hit this marke that is keepe the lawe which he hath set before vs yet for the exercise of our faith and for the testifying of our duety and obedience towards him hee will alwayes haue vs bee ayming at it and though we come shorte of that dutie and obedience which he requireth at our handes yet dooth hee accept and rewarde our good endeuour but if we stubbornely refuse to frame our selues after his will then may hee iustly bee angry and displeased with vs. Therefore though thou must not perfectly keepe the law of God yet if thou endeuour thy selfe to the vtmost of thy power to obserue the same the Lorde that worketh in vs both the will and the worke will accept the will for the worke and that which is wanting in vs he will supply with his owne righteousnesse It followeth And thou shalt liue Heere is the promise euen life eternall Among all earthly things we count none so deere and precious as our life insomuch as we can be content to forgoe any thing before our life our bloud and our limmes we lose sometimes for the sauing of this temporall life which is no life indeed but rather a shadow and the image of death Now if we make so much and suffer so many things for the life of the body which is so shorte and momentany how farre greater things should we suffer for the saluation of our soule and for the gayning of that glorious and happy life which shall neuer end Heere Christ speaketh not of any common life but of life eternall which is the inheritance and seate of the blessed For seeing Christ must answer to the Lawiers Question and his Question was how he might inherit eternall life when the Lawier had saide what was written in the Law Christ answereth Hoc fac viues as if hee should say Loue God and thy neighbour and so thou shalt inherit eternall life this is the assoiling of thy Question Go to therefore deare brethren and consider at how small a rate or price of loue eternall life is to be purchased If we take so great paines vndergoe so many difficulties to pursue this mortall life what paines should we vndertake to enioy that immortall life If God should bid vs goe into a hote fierie Furnace and cast our selues into the burning flames we ought to doo it that wee might raigne with Christ But our gratious louing Lorde commaundeth no such thing but onely commendeth vnto vs loue that wee may liue Our God is not as the gods of the Gentiles which will haue the Parents slay their children and offer them vp in fire for a burnt sacrifice No our God will not the death of a sinner but rather that hee conuert and liue Ezech. 8. O how gratious is the Lord vnto vs which requireth no more of vs but loue and yet requireth vs with no lesse than life and that a glorious and eternall life Thus I haue at length explained The Lawiers Question and the Answere of Christ vnto the Question wherin I haue shewed you one way to come to heauen which is to keepe the Lawe of God and this way we finde most hard and difficult Another way there is by the death of Christ and this euery man thinks most easie to finde But this I assure you that who so euer doth not indeuour to walke in that old way that is to walke in the wayes of the Lord shall neuer come to heauen by that new and liuing way Christ Iesus because as Iohn saith cap. 3.3 who so euer hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe That is who so euer hopeth to be saued by the death of Christ hath a care to keepe himself from sinne and to walke in the commandements of the Lord. FINIS