Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	faith_n	righteousness_n	work_n	41,517	5	6.8201	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51252	A treatise shewing the liberty and bondage of the will of man, or, A treatise shewing the bondage of the will of man by nature, and the liberty thereof by grace	Moore, Thomas, Senior.	1652 (1652)	Wing M2594A; ESTC R41715	32,714	48

and given into he will of man by Jesus Christ in which so much liberty is given into the will of man that according to the declarations and tenders made in things naturally and morally good and the declaration of Gods love to mankinde in his works and in his word the mediums to discover supernatural and spiritual good things when attended to and believed he might incline to and chuse to minde attend to and imbrace such natural and moral good and such outward mediums for spiritual good as are set before him in which is attendance to that better freedom which in such attention should be met with of this and this onely is the question and the affirmative I have testified to in such a sense and so far as is affirmed in the four last mentioned particulars and I suppose fully and clearly proved in the Scriptures fore-cited in the three last of the five considerations of the natural man And yet for more satisfaction I will instance proofs more distinctly 1 Proof The Apostle professeth that the word of faith which he preached and that which the righteousness of faith saith and which Moses spake is the word that is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart and that nightness and being in thee the testimonie of the word it self now this word which they preached was neither Adam nor Adam-like and natural things nor a Law of works but the word made flesh the Lord Jesus Christ and remission of sins and life in him to be received by believing and testified by confession and this word saith he is not so far out of sight and reach but it is very nigh thee in thy heart that thou maiest believe In thy mouth that thou maiest confess as is evident compare Rom. 10.4 10. with Deut. 30.11 15. And upon this ground Moses professeth to have set life before them and exhorts them to chuse life verse 15 19. Surely this testimonie is true in some plain and full sense without wresting dominition or addition and it cannot hold forth less than what is before affirmed in the last four fore-mentioned particulars To take it in such a fantastical sense as if the personal body of Christ were in us and dying rising and ascending in us is contrary to the whole testimonie of Scripture and the foundation of our faith and the drift of the place it self To take Nigh and In for his spiritual in-being in the hearts of believers by his word and Spirit and the riches of the mysterie in forgiveness righteousness c. By and in which manner he is in believers the hope of glorie is against Scripture which makes that peculiar to believers and against the place it self which affirms this nightness not because but that men might believe Yet sure a truth there is in the affirmation and that in a full and plain sense whether 1. We take in for for as it will well bear and signifie and is sometime so used yet then the first word Nigh implies a redemption for man and made known and fit and this implies good will to him and so for him and he so far made capable that he might so attend that he might believe or 2. If we take In for in or within as being added to Nigh it seems to be taken then we must take In for such a being in as may be in an unbeliever that he might believe and that can be no less than by virtue of his propitiation made and mediation continued extending such mercie and light into men as through him they live and move and have understanding above the beasts and so an eye to discern and such motion in their will that upon his tenders of life in the means they might chuse to behold and attend to him in them and then though they have no power to save themselves yet he would save them Isai 45.22 And both these senses are true and answer to the words fully and plainly and less than both these cannot be taken without injurie to the words and he that denieth this preacheth not the Gospel the Apostle preached but runs at an uncertain and this holds forth as much as I have affirmed 2. Proof It is affirmed plainly in the Scripture that Jesus Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 and so that there is a spirit in man c. Prov. 20.27 Job 32.8 and 35.10 11. and that they have eyes and ears that they might see and hear though they refuse in seeing to see c. the wonders in the works and word of God Jer. 5.21 as is before shewn and this is as much as I have affirmed 3. Proof The Lord calleth upon men to look to him to hear his voice to understand to turn at his reproof to repent to believe to chuse life c. Isai 42.1 and 45.22 Prov. 8.4 7. and 1.23 Acts 2.38 and 16.31 Deut. 30.15 19. If any say that such exhortations imply not power in the exhorted to turn c. I answer I say not that it doth but implies power and will in the exhorter he being the Lord and a capacity given by him to the exhorted to hear and see and understand and so to attend and incline which if they do according to what they may by his gift he will add more and save as his word assures a wicked servant he is that saith the Lord gathers where he hath not sown c. If any say they say not God doth so for he gave them power in Adam which they have lost and he may justly require that of them he once gave them power for I answer he gave power to Adam to as much as the Law of ten words requires and that power he lost and this Law serves to discover sin and sentence to death which use was not for Adam in his innocency and I hope such as know the Gospel know that Christ will judge according to it himself having been judged for us according to the Law but the power to acknowledge sin repent and believe in Christ and so chuse life that way was not in Adam in his innocencie and so not lost by him and so as the first power men never had in themselves though in Adam so this they never had in him and if God graciously give not forth some power in which men might look to and receive his power he should require of men absolute impossibilities and then his yoke were not easie but in Gospel declarations he gives that by which men might hear the end of his declaring calling being that men might repent and be saved John 5.24 and 34. which will evidence as much as I have affirmed 4. Proof God every way by his word cleares himself from being the cause of mens destructions either in his will or pleasure taking in their death Ezek. 33.11 or tempting them to evil Jam. 1.12 or in want of any means used for their good that may stand with his wisdom and holiness and

stand or be in that first estate he was in these being no part nor priviledge of the first creation that is now old but a new creation of things belonging to the second and spiritual man 1. Cor. 15.45 So that of these heavenly supernatural and spiritual good things as they were not known so there could be in man no will much less free will to them and so Adam not having it could not loose it nor could we loose such free will in his fall as we never had in him in his standing so that thus far I hope none will say we magnifie the nature of man For that freedom he had in his will to natural moral and spiritual good was not deserved nor acquired by him but freely given and wrought in him by God whose the praise is But that which is indeed freedom of will to that which is supernatural and spiritual good he had not and the knowledge of this will help to understand that which follows 2. In the second consideration as man by his abuse of free will did in his transgression make himself he not abiding a night in honour became like the beast that perisheth Psal 49.12 20. His soul was not annihilated no more than his body but his understanding will and affections he had still but the Image of God therein the uprightness and holiness thereof was lost and many evil inventions found by him and us all in him Eccles 7.29 Yea he and we as far as could be in a publick one did in him become sinfull and guilty of death and by virtue of Gods sentence condemned and in that respect dead Rom. 5.12 18. And by nature and according to this consideration such we come forth from him Rom. 5.19 So that all men by nature and as considered in Adam and as come forth from him in respect of all we receive from him and so are and have by nature are all ungodly sinners enemies to God void of judgement in that which was truly good and therefore destitute of will much more of freedom of will to it yea dead in treaspasses and sins Rom. 3.9 19 and 5.6 and 6. Eph. 2.1 2. And they that rightly believe Jesus Christ to have dyed for all do therein and therewith believe all to have been thus dead 2 Cor. 5.14 And therefore in respect of any thing by nature or from Adam wholly destitute of any freedom of will to that which is truly good much more destitute of any free will to that which is supernatural and spiritual good which nature never had in the first Adam nor can have but by some higher and more glorious grace than was conferred on him in his first estate So that sure in affirming this is no exaltation of nature and such as talk of free will to that is truly and spiritually good in men by nature must have it in man thus considered or not at all Object But here I fear some that with many words cry down free will in man to good by nature will yet be offended at me as abasing nature too much and object against me that in Rom 2.14 15. That the Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law c. And shew the work or effect of the Law written in their heart where if by nature they mean the nature of man as from Adam and by the work of the Law written they mean the Law it self as some do and the bringing it in for such an end would argue such a sense to be meantt hen and so to this Objection I answer Answ Though I reverence their learning and godliness yet I receive not their sense of this place because I finde the word nature otherwise used sometime than for the nature of man and the nature of man in another consideration also than hitherto set forth And I finde a great difference between the law and the work or effect of the law in the heart and the taking the words here in such a sense would contradict many plain sayings of Scripture For those that understand not Do no good are ungodly and enemies to God and by nature dead in trespasses and sins have not the holy and righteous law written in their hearts nor do freely by their own nature the things contained in the law which if they had and did then had they free will indeed by nature yea and which is more freedom and power of doing also and this is strange that such as cry down free will in words and accuse others to hold it should by their own interpretations in doctrine so highly avouch and teach it But it is clear enough if the Apostles business and scope from chap. 1.16 to this chap. 2.16 be well viewed and understood which was to set forth the goodness of God according to Gospel testimonie and the means he used for men to to know it that believing they might be justified and sanctified by his grace and the equity of his proceedings against those that willingly disobey against goodness so made known about making forth his knowledge he tels us of two mediums or books the book of creatures God in and by natural things created and ordered by him manifesting his power goodness c. and giving them in some measure to know and calling and moving to repentance Rom. 1.19 20 21. and 2.1 2 3 4. and God teaching by these mediums it is in respect of the instruments used called the teaching of nature or natures teaching and the other is the book of Scriptures which was not by nature or natural mediums but by a spiritual revelation from God so the law to and by Moses and the Prophesies and the Gospel as now come forth Rom 1.16 17. which to whomsoever it comes it brings more clear revelation of the minde of God than can be seen in nature or those visible works of God in creation and providence and it is not the enjoyment of greater or lesser means but the yeilding up thereto according to the light therein vouchsafed be it more or less in which goodness is received again if we minde the Scripture and man in the first consideration we shall finde that man in his innocency had the Law that is the knowledge and love of God and man writ in his heart but sinning he lost this and became as the beasts in that respect Yet though man lost his uprightness God and his Law lost not his authority man by the Law was as much obliged still to know and love God and his neighbour for the grace he had conferred on him by creation c. And such the force power and authority of God in this Law that it entered into the heart of man convincing him as bound to it and that it was his duty to adore God and love man though he had neither light nor strength nor will to either yet according to what he conceived himself to do right or wrong his conscience or thoughts within would excuse or accuse and