Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	sin_n	sin_v	transgression_n	4,837	5	10.4181	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70235	The vanity of self-boasters, or, The prodigious madnesse of tyrannizing Sauls, mis-leading doegs, or any others whatsoever, which peremptorily goe on, and atheistically glory in their shame and mischief in a sermon preached at the funerall of John Hamnet, gent. late of the parish of Maldon in Surrey / by E.H. Minister ...	Hinton, Edward, 1608 or 9-1678.	1643 (1643)	Wing H2066; ESTC R7444	51,429	56

THE VANITY OF Self-boasters OR The Prodigious madnesse of tyrannizing Sauls mis-leading Doegs or any others whatsoever which peremptorily goe on and atheistically glory in their shame and mischief IN A SERMON Preached at the Funerall of John Hamnet Gent. late of the Parish of Maldon in Surrey BY E. H. Minister of the same and late Fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford Sen. Hyppol Act. 1. Quod non potest vult posse qui nimium potest LONDON Printed by R. Bishop for S. GELLIBRAND at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1643. Amicissimo juveni Ioanni Hamnet Generoso ornatissimi viri Ioannis Hamnet nuperrimae de Maldon apud Regnos Suthreios Gen. filio unico haeredi S. ROgasti ut a me concio haec rogo ego ut a te pater tuus exscriberetur optatum jam habes utinam ego pariter felix hoc enim mihi unicum in votis juxta precibus at ipsissimum patris prodeas exemplar ut sis non rei familiaris tantum sed virtutum haeres ut emorituri parentis jam jamque ultimum emittentis spiritum coelestibus planè oraculis fidem habeas morem geras sic te tibi reddas sic tecum vivas sic proprio sinu domique senatum aerarium exercitum habeas sic Deo proximior fias sic amico E. H. Mald. pridiè Calend. Iul. An. salutis 1643. THE VANITIE OF Self-boasters OR A SERMON Preached at the Funerall of John Hamnet Gent. late of the Parish of Maldon in SURREY PSAL. 52.1 Why boastest thou thy selfe O mighty man in mischiefe the goodnesse of the Lord endures for ever IT was much folly in the Stoicks to hold that all sinnes were equall none of a greater stain or poyson then another but 't is stupidity in the Papists to make the gap so wide as to affirm some to be veniall onely and the other mortall If the Papists were in the right then every soule which sinneth should not dye (a) Ezek. 11.20 if the Stoicks then should it not have been easier for Sodom and Gomorrah then for that City (b) Mat. 10.15 Every sinne doth lineam transilire as Cicere expresses it is a transgression of the Law and that is death then none is veniall thus the Papists erre and if every sinne is a transgression of the Law then Longè progredicum semel transieris auget transeundi culpam as the same Orator and reason tells us the growth and continuance of sinne make an inequality and thus the Stoicks erre Nay every vertue being a quality hath its latitude whose medium is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strict Arithmeticall meane but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Geometricall meane which proportionably varies its distance according to the diversity of circumstances (c) Arist Ethie 2. What differences then and disproportions are there between vices which are therefore vices because they have no mean Yes doubtlesse an ill suggestion quickly stifled is not so bad as that which is nourisht into a thought nor this thought as bad as such a one which growes up into the mouth and breakes out in words nor this neither so sinnefull as that which sets the head a plotting and the hand a working mischiefe nor this plotted active mischiefe so black and sinfull as a wicked habit wallowed and delighted in nor hath this wicked habit so much death and wormwood in it as when it is swoln to such a bulk come to such a non ultra as to be boasted of for lower then this canst thou not sinke unlesse thou sinkst into hell and takest Iobs wifes advice cursest God and dyest Again not to love and pray for our enemies is a very sinne a breach of our Saviours injunction (d) Mat. 5.44 but a greater sinne is it to withhold our love and prayers from Gods best Children and holiest servants but worser is it to hate them but yet farre worser to be an instrument of their ruine but worst of all and horror to imagine to triumph that thou wast thus mischievously imployed to boast that thou didst hatch the plot that ruind them dischargedst the Cannon that tore them madest the pill that poysoned them wast a Doeg a knight of the Post which didst accuse and butcher them Lastly of all sinnes pride and boasting have the blackest brand and of all boastings a boasting in mischiefe and of all boastings in mischiefe a boasting O thou mighty man or that thou art mighty in mischiefe Well then may David in wonder and amazement or I in his person aske Saul the persecutor or Doeg his informer and executioner his bloody misleading instrument or any other incarnate Devill peremptorily triumphing in the blood or fall of Gods people Why dost thou boast thy selfe O mighty man in mischiefe the goodnesse of the Lord endures for ever This paraphrase for the explanation of the words Take another whereby wee may know the occasion of them David was now an innocent persecuted Dove as you have the History 1 Sam. 21 22. who willingly would have returned with an Olive branch in his mouth for hee sought peace but they would have warre (e) Psal 120.7 Wherefore finding the floods still up the waves encompassing him on every side which made him afraid (f) Psal 18.4 And having no quiet place no whereto rest his foot on he returnes like Noahs Dove to the Arke betaked himself to Abimeleth the Priest of the Lord for advice and succour who beleeving him fast both to God and the King though the king was not pleased to think so did not stick in case of necessity to break a ceremony gives him the hallowed bread and Goliahs sword But see the mischiefe the Devill as usually it falls out had sent a Doeg who even in Gods Temple was his Chappell to gather pretence of slander and death against them who presently carries and aggravates the businesse to Saul Saul being before heated was now on fire turn'd his former rage into madnesse so quickly doth a bloody tyrannicall nature kindle at the least hint he forth with sends for Abimelech and making his will his Law becomes himself both the accuser and the Iudge and makes Doeg his informer his speedy executioner who forth with falls on Abimelech and for the reliefe he afforded the Lords servant and his own faithfull subject ruines both him his family and City Had not David then think you just cause to be thunder-struck at the confident and peremptory proceeding of the tyrant Saul or his bandog Doeg and in amazement to cry out Why doest thou boast thy selfe O mighty man in mischief the goodnesse of the Lord endures for ever This the occasion of the words I will not raise a quarrell by telling you how Expositors wrangled and are divided about my text how they turn and alter both the sense and words because though they ring as it were changes on them and set the words severall wayes yet like skilfull Musitians they keep the

in this wildernesse Mad and prodigious boasters have I cald them and truly both these they are First they are mad for who but a mad man would boast that he had given himself his deaths wound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne is the death of the soule t Ezek. 33.12.13 Who but a mad man would boast of that heavie burden he is forc't night and day to sink under a heavie burden are my iniquities faith David they are too heavie for me u Psal 38.4 This heavie burthen the Prophet cals a Talent of Lead w Zach. 5.7 yes heavier and more intolerable then Hell or the Devill himselfe for 't was sinne made Hell and 't was sin sunk the Devill into it without it he cannot adde a dram weight to depresse or keep us from making towards heaven nay though unwillingly hee furthers us in the way but 't is sinne alone and only which keeps us down Again who but a mad man would boast in what arrerages he runnes with his Creditours vauntingly publish how all hee hath is morgaged and that Vsury eates him up apace 't is truth indeed some may and many do base and unworthy as they are pretend poverty say that they are ready to starve that thereby they might starve Christs cause But I cannot deeme that man truly himselfe which really boasts how bravely he is undone Now to obey Gods law is a debt due from us to him Cursed is hee that continueth not in all the words of the Law to doe them x Deut. 27.26 and all the people shall Amen that obedience is our debt we cannot deny our consciences seale to this bond the counterpane of it is wrote even in every naturall mans heart y Rom. 2.15 every sinne then being a transgression of the Law is an arrerage and upon this arrerage the soule is morgaged and without repentance lost and forfeited the sinner is utterly undone he shall be delivered up unto the tormentor untill he hath paid all his debt z Mat. 18.34 Once more who but a mad man will boast that he is a loathsome creature a wicked man is a loathsome man saith Solomon a Pro. 13.5 loathsome in Gods eyes my soule loaths him saith the Lord b Zach. 11.8 loathsome in the eyes of good-men and not only loathsome but infectious too the Prophet therfore resolved not to be in a wicked mans company c Psal 26.5 Lastly it makes him loathsome and contemptible in the eyes of his nearest friends yea of those friends which ought according to the Laws of God nature not only to love but to reverence him Thus the Prophet of Icrusalem by reason of sinne Icrusalem hath grievously sinned d Lam. 1.18 therefore they that honoured her dispised her and though for want of faith and by reason of the weaknesse of spirituall judgement wee cannot discover the filth and uglinesse of sinne yet doubtlesse at Christs second comming when hee shall be revealed from Heaven this also shall bee revealed even what an ugly noisome creature an impenitent sinner is then saith the Prophet speaking of Doomes-day and sinners they shall be an abhorring to all flesh e Is 66. ult Againe as these boasters in mischiefe are mad so are they also prodigiously wicked for who but a man prodigiously wicked would boast that God is fallen out with him such a boaster is he which boasteth in sinne for 't is sinne that separates between us and our God f Isa 59.2 secondly every sinne is a contempt against God quo ejus pracepta contemnimus temnimus saith Bernard g Serm. 31. de mod bene viven di how prodigiously then doth he contemn God which boasts that he hath contemned him Thirdly sinne is that which excludes us heaven and flings us into hell that which deprives us of all that we call good and brings on us all that is miserable 't is the greatest of curses and the worst of judgements Hence Saint Paul labouring to expresse how much Christ had suffered for us sayes he was made sinne for us h 2 Cor. 5.21 How prodigiously wicked then is he which boasts of the greatest misery that man is capable of Lastly sin being that alone which crucified the Lord of life which tore our Saviours head with thorns pierc'd his side nail'd his feet which made him sweat blood water which put the gall and vinegar to his mouth and wrung from him that bitter complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Tell me then sadly tell me is not he prodigiously wicked which boasts in that which after so cruell and shamefull a manner crucified our Saviour Nor is this boaster in mischiefe mad onely and prodigiously wicked but which must necessarily follow and be supposed is in a desperate and forlorne case and for these two reasons First because such a one sinnes with the fullest swing and willingnesse without any reluctancy and scruple nothing hath hee of the Spirit in him which might cause opposition or pawces The words of his mouth are intquity and deceit as my Psalmist of him he hath left off to be wise and to doe good hee deviseth mischiefe upon his bed hee setteth himselfe i. e. gladly goes on in a way that is not good i Ps 36.3 who being past feeling hath given himselfe over to worke all uncleannesse and greedinesse k Ephes 4.19 Secondly because these of all men are farthest from Christ and heaven being farthest from repentance whose sinnes are so farre from being a load and heavy burden unto them that they glory in their shame 'T is with these boasters as with men dived to the bottom of the water as long as they lye in the water they are nothing sensible of its weight but once recovering out would be overwhelmed with a small quantity of it So these boasters being sunke to the bottome almost as low as hell and lying there under never so many and hideous sinnes are never senfible of their load and burden whereas to a man by Gods grace recovering out of them one and the least sin will be a talent of Lead And so much of this second Question a short application and I have done Applic. And here let 's pawse a while with our best and serious thoughts admire and lament the miserable condition of our land wherein so many of these madmen of these prodigies of these desperately forlorn wretches swarme and spread amongst us Go abroad and listen and you shall hear the Drunkard boast how many swine he made the last night you shall hear the Ruffler boast what a new handsome full-mouthed oath he hath got the Goat how many women he hath abused and the Fox how many he hath over-reached and cousened Fiunt Fiunt ista palam cupiunt in asta referri But alas these though miscreants are but novices and bunglers in respect of some closer workers and deeper instruments of the devill who first guild