Selected quad for the lemma: mind_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mind_n	law_n	member_n	wretched_a	1,364	5	10.8021	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19257	An exposition of the hymne commonly called Benedictus with an ample & comfortable application of the same, to our age and people. By A. Anderson preacher.	Anderson, Anthony, d. 1593.	1574 (1574)	STC 567; ESTC S100136	70,199	176

among the wicked of the earth hath taken them and according to his good will being before the foundation of the worlde was layde hath chosen them to be his people This is the minde of our Prophet saying To giue knowledge c. If we should aske of the Papistes whereby we apprehend Saluation they will say to vs partly by christ and partly by the worthinesse of mans workes Such blasphemies they bray out of their helly hartes But deare reader be not deceiued by their delusions lend thy selfe some leasure to take view for thy wealth of that which here is sayd Were it that saluation could be atteyned by the workes of the law as true it is the law of-God sayth he that doth fulfill the law shall lyue by the law yet are there two absolute reasones ouerthrowing all meritte in man what or whosoeuer by the Lawe The firste is the impossibilytie that is men to perfourme the law The other is the frayltie of man which fulfylling if he could yet can not alwayes stand frée from transgressing the Law of god And at what time he falleth his righteousnes tombleth downe with himselfe in to the dyche and so frustrate is his vaine trust before reposed in his owne holines For the first he that shall by the works of the Lawe become iust before God must in hearte be pure from Sinne for as out of a filthy puddle can naturally come no swéete water so out of a wicked hart can procéede no pure action nor is God pacified from wrath by any worke which procéedeth from a sinfull and a corrupted conscience Search seeke from east to west north south among the sonnes of men behold no where shalt thou find a man whose hart is pure from sinne Nay whose harte is not altogether a lump of that Massie poison so that if God should loke strayghtly vpon him his holinesse should not be able to abyde the tryall of the lord Finally the wisedome of the fleshe is death and is at set battle in enimytie wyth God for it is not subiect to the Spirite nor the Law of God neyther in deede can be So that I conclude with Paule that they which be in the flesh and that is euery Popishe iusticiarie cannot please god Wherfore since the founteine of mans harte is corrupt and poysoned what pleasant action can proceede from his conduites But ye will say the regenerate man meriteth Yet Paule sayth to the man regenerate what hast thou that thou hast not receiued I suppose Paule was regenerate when he wrot his Epistle to the Romanes and yet he of himselfe sayth that his hart is combred wyth the Canker of sinne So that he dare not boast of meritte but rather cryeth out for woe agaynst that guylt of his Regenerate fleshe saying I sée another Lawe in my members rebelling agaynst the Lawe of my mind and leading me Captiue into the Lawe of Sinne that is in my members Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodye of this death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lorde His desert here he confesseth to be suche that were it not God through Christ our Lorde he caried nothing with him but a body he meaneth soule and body deseruing by meritte euerlasting death And of his impossibilitie to perfourme the act of Iustification by workes he in that place a little before sheweth saying for I know that in me that is in my fleshe dwelleth no good thing for to will is present wyth me but I finde not meanes to perfourme that which is good for I doe not that good thing that I would but the euill that I would not that doe I. If in the best sort of men and most perfect Sinne hath such power how shall the Papistes the ofscourings of the Church boast of their worthinees Nay neyther we or our Fathers are able to fulfyll the law and therefore God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the lawe should be fulfilled in vs that is to say by christ imputed to vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And that no man should bost of his workes being regenerate he more telleth vs that God the father which raised vp his son christ from death shall also quicken our mortal bodies not for any worthines in vs but because of his owne gift euē bicause his spirit dwelleth in vs Thus his diuine wisdome hath disposed the matter that both the action the cause of our true righteousnesse may not descende one steppe from the maiesty of his throne of grace Assure thy selfe therefore Christian reader that in man is no meritte vnlesse to death for Sinne which maketh al men culpable before god So it is his goodnesse to haue mercy vpon all Therfore if thou wilt atteyne to true righteousnesse it is by the lawe not of works but of fayth in Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleue For the redemption is not in man regenerate or carnall but in christ who hath reconciled vs to the father in his bloud declareth our righteousnesse to come by the forgiuenes of our sinnes so preaching cōfusion shame to vs the glory to him selfe And albeit that fayth which saueth is called a worke yet is not the worke comming from the poure of man for it is the worke of God and his onely gift by the which we obteine christ in whom we haue plentifull redemption from all our sins Now let vs speak of the second branch that is of mans impossibility to stand alwayes fulfilling the law The Scripture saith cursed is euery man that continueth not in al things which are written in the law to doe them And againe when a righteous man tourneth away from his righteousnes and committeth iniury he shal euen die for the same If once departure from well doing demerit death and the iust falleth seauen times and since there is no flesh that sinneth not nor any be he neuer so pefect that alwaies continueth in well doing I aske where shall we finde the meriting man or who shall dare to present him before the Lorde the reuenger of sin Or yet what is he that can deliuer himselfe from the danger of Gods Curse due to his transgressions Vaine therefore and diuelish is the confidence in such Popish doctrine and pernicious is the euill which this opinion bringeth to the soule and great is the iniurie by it committed against christ Iesus the price of thy forgiuenes The man meritor thrusteth Christ Crucifyed vnder his féet setteth himselfe vp in his stead for his owne sauiour by his workes But cast thy accompt by scripturs audite at the foot of the same thou shalt find this debt apparant to such wastfull spenders of their Lordes treasure that such as haue sought

then to vse rightly my loned penie in dutifull sort to the holy Church of God here in this our state and Realme by his great mercie firmely set vpon the foundation stone Christ Iesus This Ancker is to me a staye and frayeth all feare from me so that I as I can seeke to helpe forwardes the Lords labours though wants in me do force the wish of learned frame and eloquēt phraise to help my willing mind and godly purpose But I accept with thankfulnes that which God hath vouched safe to giue being because of my many sinnes vnworthy of that in him I haue I onely desire of God in Christ that his spirit of truth may guide my ragged rowes and simple stile and that the lesse learned for whom chiefely I presume these presents may something herewith be profited The matter that I exhibit to your L. is An Exposition with an ample true applicatiō of that Hymne which by order of the constituted Lawes of England is now appoynted to be vsed at Morning prayer which Hymne cōmonly is called BENEDICTVS Not at all purposed to controll much lesse to condemne the minds of some of our bretherne whose Censure hath exiled his vse at the Common praier Or yet to lend my like to phantasies lust where sound warrant hath no place And waighing with my selfe that neither they may by their priuate power or can with the quietnes of Gods Church in England which ought necessarilie of all Christians to be had in most regard to take from her that and those thinges which by Law she hath established Furthermore reuoluing my cogitations that this Hymne howesoeuer of some it be disliked to his appoynted vse is tho a part of holy scripture I thought it better to that I could to open some of the hidden treasures layd vp in the same for the Church of God then to feede some forren phantasie or to pollute my pen in contending to pull downe that which may well enough stand and nothing abate the beautie of Gods house Yet do I not thinke this Hymne so necessarily set in the order of prayer as without the same it were blemished for that were more than friuolous but because the matter therin cōtained indifferently looked into and well weighed doth enstruct comfort and also administreth light to our spirituall sences and vnderstanding of Gods mercies in his promised Christ to vs geuen and long sith commen in the Flesh which matter in time of prayer is expedient I can not yet learne or be of other minde then that the said Psalme as it is appointed is both tollerable and profitable to all godly heartes And were these my weake labors worthy by their valor to force the fauor of christian frend to refell the fury of Popish foe to your good L. of right I ought to dedicate the same not only because you are my lerned godly Ordinary who can with good iudgment discerne the doctrine therin contained if either sounde or contrary that so in stead of milke the meate for babes I powre not out poyson to infect the well growne vp children in Christ for that God graunt euer to be farre from me but also for that in respect that I should not loyter but labor in the vineyard of the Lorde your goodnesse at the request of the right honorable my singuler good L. and Master as you know did commit vnto me a speciall flock with in your Diocese to foster vp in Christ their soules which he hath purchased with his most blessed bloud Let this little booke beare witnesse of my diligent care therfore my good L. that I beare both to the same my peculiar charge amongst whom and of whose labors I reape my portion and liuelyhode and to the whole church of God elsewhere where these my low lines with others godly woorkes may fructify by his holy grace and spirit in the apt soyle of their poore harts had they store of godly teachers Finally I beseech your L. that my poore pen may passe the raging Seas of curious censure vnder the harbor of your protection So shall it with much more quietnes arriue in the port of the poore mans hart desirous not to cauill but to catch earnest holde of such plaine doctrine as truly though simply teacheth him the way to life This if I may of your good nature obtaine it will encourage me the further aduenture of godly study in the sacred Scriptures if so it may please the almightie in his Sonne Christ to bestow a greater porcion of me that I may still bring foode into the church of God. The Lord God of mercy loue and peace send to this our church her maiestrate our godly Queene state and people the peace of Christ vnfainedly in our hartes for his names sake and to your L. encrease of godly knowledge like zeale and perfect strength to cōtinue with godly care euer more and more profitable to his Church by the power of his spirite whose defence be euer yours and you with all vs that inuocate truely the name of God for euer his in Christ our Lord. Your L. euer in Christ. A. Anderson From Medborne this 15. of Ianuary 1573. The argument of the Propheticall Hymne THe author of this song was the holy maried Priest of the Lord Zacharias who had to wife Elizabeth the cosen of the virgin Mary the mother of Iesus Christ in whose old age the Lord by his Angell promised him of his saide wife a Sonne and called his name Iohn which Iohn the Lord had appointed to be the same Prophet and fore runner of the Messiath that the prophetes Malachy and Esay had prophesied to precede Christ At the birth of this babe Zacharie his toung was miraculously lowsed which before for a season was dumbe for his harde beliefes sake and he with exceading ioy then in the sight of all the company made and sung this Song Blessed be the Lord God of Israell c. In this hymne is commended vnto vs 1 First the constant truth of God to his beloued Church 2 Then his inestimable mercies powred vpon the same 3 Thirdly the office of Iohn and of the preaching of the word All which are more at large in the woorke following amply set forth to gods glory and thy profite ¶ An exposition of the Hymne commonly called Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited redeemed his people THe holy ghost more earnestly now then before prouoketh forceth his Prophete Zacharie to soūd forth his praise as in this Hymne is apparant his harte béeing set downe in the Chaire of déepe consideration of Gods mercie to Jsraell beginneth wyth laude and prayse to God for their and our Saluatiō in Christ Iesus Blessed be the Lord God of Israell sayth he hée calleth God the God of Israell not because he reigneth onely ouer Israell for he is also the God of all the Worlde and in him sayth the Scripture shall the Gentilles trust