Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	death_n	sting_n	victory_n	6,058	5	10.0485	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89790	A declaration of the faith and order owned and practised in the Congregational Churches in England; agreed upon and consented unto by their elders and messengers in their meeting at the Savoy, Octob. 12. 1658.	Congregational Church in England and Wales. Savoy Meeting (1658).; Owen, John, 1616-1683.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1659 (1659)	Wing N1488; Thomason E968_4; ESTC R203024	44,014	43

without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary means attain thereunto And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure that thereby his heart may be inlarged in peace and joy in the holy Ghost in love and thankfulnesse to God and in strength and chearfulnesse in the duties of obedience the proper fruits of this assurance so far is it from inclining men to loosenesse IV. True Believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers wayes shaken diminished and intermitted as by negligence in preserving of it by falling into some special sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit by some sudden or vehement temptation by Gods withdrawing the light of his countenance suffering even such as fear him to walk in darknesse and to have no light yet are they neither utterly destitute of that seed of God and life of Faith that love of Christ and the Brethren that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which by the operation of the Spirit this assurance may in due time be revived and by the which in the mean time they are supported from utter despair CHAP. XIX Of the Law of God GOD gave to Adam a Law of universal obedience written in his heart and a particular Precept of not eating the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil as a Covenant of Works by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal entire exact and perpetual obedience promised life upon the fulfilling and threatned death upon the breach of it and indued him with power and ability to keep it II. This Law so written in the heart continued to be a perfect Rule of Righteousness after the fall of man and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments and written in two Tables the four first Commandments containing our duty towards God and the other six our duty to Man III. Beside this Law commonly called Moral God was pleased to give to the people of Israel Ceremonial Laws containing several Typical Ordinances partly of Worship prefiguring Christ his Graces Actions Sufferings and Benefits and partly holding forth divers Instructions o● Moral Duties All which Ceremonial Laws being appointed onely to the time of Reformation are by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only Law-giver who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away IV. To them also he gave sundry Judicial Laws which expired together with the State of that people not obliging any now by vertue of that Institution their general equity onely being still of moral use V. The Moral Law doth for ever bind all as well justified persons as others to the obedience thereof and that not onely in regard of the matter contained in it but also in respect of the Authority of God the Creator who gave it neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve but much strengthen this obligation VI Although true Believers be not under the Law as a Covenant of Works to be thereby justified or condemned yet it is of great use to them as well as to others in that as a rule of life inform ng them of the Will of God and their duty it directs and binds them to walk accordingly discovering also the sinful pollutions of their Nature Hearts Lives so as examining themselves thereby they may come to further conviction of humiliation for and hatred against sin together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ the perfection of his obedience It is likewise of use to the Regenerate to restrain their Corruptions in that it forbids sin and the threatnings of it serve to shew what even their sins deserve and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them although freed from the curse thereof threatned in the Law The promises of it in like manner shew them God's approbation of obedience and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof although not as due to them by the Law as a Covenant of Works so as a mans doing good and refraining from evil because the Law encourageth to the one and deterreth from the other is no evidence of his being under the Law and not under Grace VII Neither are the fore-mentioned uses of the Law contrary to the grace of the Gospel but do sweetly comply with it the Spirit of Christ subduing and inabling the Will of Man to do that freely and chearfully which the Will of God revealed in the Law required to be done CHAP. XXs Of the Gospel and of the extent of the Grace thereof THe Covenant of Works being broken by sin and made unprofitable unto life God was pleased to give unto the Elect the promise of Christ the Seed of the Woman as the means of calling them and begetting in them Faith and Repentance In this Promise the Gospel as to the substance of it was revealed and was therein effectual for the conversion and salvation of sinners II. This promise of Christ and salvation by him is revealed onely in and by the Word of God neither do the works of Creation or Providence with the Light of Nature make discovery of Christ or of Grace by him so much as in a general or obscure way much less that men destitute of the revelation of him by the Promise or Gospel should be inabled thereby to attain saving Faith or Repentance III. The revelation of the Gospel unto sinners made in divers times and by sundry parts with the addition of Promises and Precepts for the obedience required therein as to the Nations and Persons to whom it is granted is meerly of the Soveraign will and good pleasure of God not being annexed by vertue of any promise to the due improvement of mens natural abilities by vertue of common light received without it which none ever did make or can so do And therefore in all ages the Preaching of the Gospel hath been granted unto persons and Nations as to the extent or straitning of it in great variety according to the counsel of the will of God IV. Although the Gospel be the onely outward means of revealing Christ and saving Grace and is as such abundantly sufficient thereunto yet that men who are dead in trespasses may be born again quickned or regenerated there is moreover necessary an effectual irresistible work of the Holy Ghost upon the whole soul for the producing in them a new spiritual life without which no other means are sufficient for their conversion unto God CHAP. XXI Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience THe Liberty which Christ hath purchased for Believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin the condemning wrath of God the rigour and curse of the Law and in their being delivered from this present evil world bondage to Satan and dominion of sin from the evil of afflictions the fear and sting of death the victory of the grave and

Gods part which he hath been pleased to express by way of Covenant II. The first Covenant made with man was a Covenant of Works wherein life was promised to Adam and in him to his posterity upon condition of perfect and personal obedience III. Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by that Covenant the Lord was pleased to make a second commonly called the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ requiring of them faith in him that they may be saved and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life his holy Spirit to make them willing and able to believe IV. This Covenant of Grace is frequently set forth in the Scripture by the name of a Testament in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator and to the everlasting Inheritance with all things belonging to it therein bequeathed V. Although this Covenant hath been differently and variously administred in respect of Ordinances and Institutions in the time of the Law and since the coming of Christ in the flesh yet for the substance and efficacy of it to all its spiritual and saving ends it is one and the same upon the account of which various dispensations it is called the Old and New Testament CHAP. VIII Of Christ the Mediator IT pleased God in his eternal purpose to chuse and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son according to a Covenant made between them both to be the Mediator between God and Man the Prophet Priest and King and Head and Saviour of his Church the Heir of all things and judge of the World unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed and to be by him in time redeemed called justified sancti●●ed and glori●yed II. The Son of God the second Person in the Trinity being very and eternal God of one substance and equal with the Father did when the fulness o● time was come take upon him Mans nature with all the essential properties and common In●irmities thereof yet without sin being conceived by the power of the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary of her substance So that two whole perfect and distinct natures the Godhead and the Manhood were inseparably joyned together in one Person without conversion composition or confusion which Person is very God and very Man yet one Christ the only Mediator between God and Man III. The Lord Jesus in his Humane nature thus united to the Divine in the Person of the Son was sanctified and anointed with the holy Spirit above measure having in him all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge in whom it pleased the Father that all fulnesse should dwell to the end that being holy harmlesse undefiled and full of Grace and Truth he might be throughly furnished to execute the Office of a Mediator and Surety which Office he took not unto himself but was thereunto called by his Father who also put all Power and Judgment into his hand and gave him Commandment to execute the same IV. This Office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake which that he might discharge he was made under the Law and did perfectly fulfil it and under went the punishment due to us which we should have born and suffered being made sin and curse for us enduring most grievous torments immediately from God in his soul and most painful sufferings in his body was crucified and died was buried and remained under the power of death yet saw no corruption on the third day he arose from the dead with the same Body in which he suffered with which also he ascended into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father making intercession and shall return to judge Men and Angels at the end of the World V. The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God hath fully satisfied the Justice of God and purchased not onely reconciliation but an everlasting inheritance in the Kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him VI Although the work of Redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after his Incarnation yet the vertue efficacy and benefits thereof were communicated to the Elect in all Ages successively from the beginning of the World in and by those Promises Types and Sacrifices wherein he was revealed and signified to be the seed of the Woman which should bruise the Serpent's head and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World being yesterday and to day the same and for ever VII Christ in the work of Mediation acteth according to both Natures by each Natures doing that which is proper to it self yet by reason of the unity of the Person that which is proper to one Nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the Person denominated by the other Nature VIII To all those for whom Christ hath purchased Redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same making intercession for them and revealing unto them in and by the Word the mysteries of salvation effectually perswading them by his Spirit to believe and obey and governing their hearts by his Word and Spirit overcoming all their enemies by his Almighty Power and Wisdom and in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation CHAP. IX Of Free Will GOd hath end●ed the Will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice that it is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of Nature determined to do good or evil II. Man in his state of Innocency had freedome and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God but yet mutably so that he might fall from it III. Man by his fall into a state of sin hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation so as a natural man being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto IV. When God converts a sinner and translates him into the state of grace he freeeth him from his natural bondage under sin and by his grace alone inables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good yet so as that by reason of his remaining-corruption he doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good but doth also will that which is evil V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of Glory onely CHAP. X. Of Effectual Calling ALL those whom God hath predestin●ted unto life and those only he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time effectually to call by his Word and Spirit out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ inlightning their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of

everlasting damnation as also in their free access to God and their yielding obedience unto him not out of slavish fear but a child-like-love and willing mind All which were common also to Believers under the Law for the substance of them but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further inlarged in their freedom from the yoake of the Ceremonial Law the whole Legal administration of the Covenant of Grace to which the Jewish Church was subjected and in greater boldness of access to the Throne of Grace and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God then Believers under the Law did ordinarily partake of II. God alone is Lord of the Conscience and hath left it free from the Doctrines and Commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his Word or not contained in it so that to believe such Doctrines or to obey such Commands out of conscience is to betray true Liberty of Conscience and the requiring of an implicit faith and an absolute and blind obedience is to destroy Liberty of Conscience and Reason also III. They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practise any sin or cherish any lust as they do thereby pervert the main design of the Grace of the Gospel to their own destruction so they wholly destroy the end of Christian Liberty which is that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve the Lord without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life CHAP. XXII Of Religious Worship and the Sabhath-day THe light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Soveraignty over all is just good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart and all the soul and with all the might But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself and so limited by his own revealed will that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men or the suggestions of Satan under any visible representations or any other way prescribed in the holy Scripture II. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and holy Ghost and to him alone not to Angels Saints or any other Creatures and since the Fall not without a Mediatour nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone III. Prayer with thanksgiving being one special part of natural worship is by God required of all men but that it may be accepted it is to be made in the name of the Son by the help of the Spirit according to his will with understanding reverence humility fervency faith love and perseverance and when with others in a known tongue IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter but not for the dead nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death V. The reading of the Scriptures Preaching and hearing the word of God singing of Psalms as also the administration of Baptism and the Lords Supper are all parts of religious Worship of God to be performed in obedience unto God with understanding faith reverence and godly fear Solemn Humiliations with Fastings and Thanksgiving upon special occasions are in their several times and seasons to be used in a holy and religious manner VI Neither Prayer nor any other part of religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tyed unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed but God is to be worshipped every where in spirit and in truth as in private families daily and in secret each one by himself so more solemnly in the publique assemblies which are not carelesly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his Word or Providence calleth thereunto VII As it is of the Law of Nature that in general a proportion of time by Gods appointment be set apart for the worship of God so by his Word in a positive moral and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages he hath particularly appointed one day in seaven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week which in Scripture is called the Lords day and is to be continued to the end of the World as the Christian Sabbath the observation of the last day of the week being abolished VIII This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering their common affaires before hand do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works words and thoughts about their worldly imployments and recreations but also are taken up the whole time in the publique and private exercisesof his Worship and in the duties of Necessity and Mercy CHAP. XXIII Of lawful Oaths and Vows A Lawful Oath is a part of Religious Worship wherein the person swearing in truth righteousness and judgment solemnly calleth God to witness what he afferteth or promiseth and to judge him according to the truth or falshood of what he sweareth II. The name of God onely is that by which men ought to swear and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence Therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious or dreadful Name or to sweat at all by any other thing is sinful and to be abhorred Yet as in matters of weight and moment an Oath is warranted by the Word of God under the New Testament as well as under the Old so a lawful Oath being imposed by lawful authority in such matters ought to be taken III. Whosoever taketh an Oath warranted by the Word of God ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully perswaded is the truth neither may any man bind himself by Oath to any thing but what is good and just and what he believeth so to be and what he is able and resolved to perform Yet it is a sin to refuse an Oath touching any thing that is good and just being lawfully imposed by Authority IV. An Oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words without equivocation or mental reservation It cannot oblige to sin but in any thing not sinful being taken it binds to performance although to a mans own hurt nor is it to be violated although made to Hereticks or Infidels V. A Vow which is not to be made to any Creature but God alone is of the like nature with a promissory Oath and ought to be made with the like religious care and to be performed with the like faithfulness VI Popish monastical Vows of perpetual single life professed poverty