Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	23,958	5	8.6166	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71259	The characters of divine revelation a sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, March 4. 1694/5 : being the third of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire / by John Williams ...	Williams, John, 1636?-1709.; Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691.	1695 (1695)	Wing W2696; ESTC R1810	13,869	36

compleat a Governor of a Numerous People and to consolidate them into a settled Constitution and therefore has the Preference given him to all the most Famous and Ancient Lawgivers by Plato Pythagoras Diodorus Siculus c. What thinks he of Joshua that was bred up under the best Instructor and that knew the Art of Government and Conduct in Peace and War What of Samuel that from his Youth and even Childhood indeed commenced a Prophet and was also the Judge of the whole Nation in unsettled and perilous times Acts 3.24 13.20 What of David justly called a Prophet Acts 2.30 and whose Writings shew him to excel in all manner of Poetry and sublime Composures What lastly of Solomon himself to whom it 's said the Lord appeared twice 1 Kings 11.9 in a more eminent manner and at other times 1 Kings 3.5 6.12 9.2 11.11 And if at other times God who is not confin'd in his Choice or Operations to the Capacity of Instruments was pleased to reveal himself to and employ such Rusticks and Illiterate Persons as Amos and afterward the Apostles he gave them a mouth and wisdom Luke 21.15 and endued them with such extraordinary Gifts of Elocution and Magnanimity as made them fit to appear before Kings and to confront the Wisest of Philosophers so as that of the Apostle was abundantly verified in them 1 Cor. 1.25 c. That the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men c. But it is not only requisite that the Persons to whom the Revelation is made and that are employ'd in delivering that Revelation to others be Wise and Cautious such as are capable of discerning and not apt to be imposed upon but it is as requisite that they be Faithful and Sincere and that will not impose upon others For otherwise the more knowing they are the more able are they by plausible Insinuations and Pretences to deceive And what greater Evidence of this can be desired than when the Persons Inspired live by the best Rules as well as give them What greater Evidence than when for the sake of publishing propagating and confirming the Truth of what they teach they deny themselves of all the Pleasures Profits and Honours of this present life when though they knew before hand that bonds and tribulation abide them yet none of these things move them neither count they their lives dear unto them but with admirable Patience Resolution and Constancy expose themselves to the utmost Severities for the hope of such Reward as they propose for their own and the Encouragement of others What greater Testimonies can be given of their Sincerity and if not of the Truth yet of their own Belief of it Who could with such Chearfulness invite the greatest Dangers and with such a brave Magnanimity despise all the Threatnings of the most Potent Adversaries and run the Gantelope as it were through the most formidable Persecutions without the least Demur or Haesitation if they themselves were not abundantly and fully convinced of the Truth Excellency and Necessity of that Doctrine they were thus commission'd to teach If these are not sincere there is no Sincerity in the world So that as far as the Credibility of the Persons is a Proof of a Revelation and so far as the Wisdom Probity and Sincerity of Persons are a Proof of their Credibility we have an Evidence to rest upon and a Character to try the Truth of a Revelation by The 2 d. Proof in this Case desirable and necessary toward a Satisfaction is the Subject-matter of it I mean that which runs as it were a Vein through the whole Body of Revelation There are some Revelations which concern particular Persons or Families as that of the Angel to Hagar concerning Ishmael and his Posterity which neither made her a Prophet nor were strictly of Concernment to the rest of the world But when we enquire after the Matter of Revelation it is principally the main Subject of it such as the Law of Moses in the Old Testament and the Gospel in the New And here it may be reasonably expected that the Revelation should be worthy of God as it is a Revelation from him and what should be for the Advantage Satisfaction and Happiness of Mankind as it is a Revelation to them It is to be worthy of God and what would become him to speak dictate and do if he were himself to speak dictate and act In all Relations and Descriptions there is a certain Decorum to be observed with respect to the Nature Condition and Circumstances of the Things related and described which makes up what is called Symetry and Proportion But above all a due regard is to be had hereunto in the Ideas and Notions we entertain or the Representations we make of God that they may be agreeable to the Dignity and Perfections of his Nature And if in all our Conceptions of the Divine Being such a scrupulous Care is to be taken that we judge not amiss of his Nature Will and Operations we cannot but suppose that in the Revelation of himself to Mankind he who best and only knows himself will give such a Representation of those as is suitable to his Majesty and Authority and may ingenerate in the minds of men such an Awe Reverence and Regard as is due from Finite Created and Imperfect Beings to him that is Infinite Uncreated and in all Points absolutely Perfect There we may well expect to find the most lively Characters of the Divine Perfections as far as we are capable of conceiving where Justice and Power are set forth in all their Authority and yet so temper'd with his Mercy and Kindness as shall as well raise and quicken the Hopes attract the Love and establish the Comfort of Good Men as administer matter of just Terror to the Wicked There we may suppose the Mysteries of the Divine Counsels unlocked and the Beauties and Harmony of the Divine Providence illustrated and described as far as God's Government of the World and the condition of Mankind in it will permit There we may expect to find the best Principles Rules and Precepts to inform and direct us in what we are to know and do the best Arguments and Motives for our Encouragement and the best Means for the purifying and the perfecting of our Natures and the making us as happy as we are capable and which shall as much exceed what we find in the Moralists as Revelation is above Nature and the Dictates of Almighty God are beyond the Prescripts of Human Wisdom Such in fine as will lead us to God make us like to him and fit us for the enjoyment of him So that as much as Virtue makes for the Good Perfection and Happiness of Men so much should Revelation make for the Practice of Virtue by its Principles and Rules its Precepts and its Arguments Lastly There we may expect to be satisfied about the chief Subjects of Human Enquiry of what