Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	adam_n	law_n	moral_a	4,944	5	10.5377	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92842	Antinomianisme anatomized. Or, A glasse for the lawlesse: who deny the ruling use of the morall law unto Christians under the gospel. / By John Sedgwick, B.D. and Pastor of the Church of God at Alphag, neer Cripple-gate London.	Sedgwick, John, 1600 or 1601-1643.	1643 (1643)	Wing S2359; Thomason E63_5; ESTC R4740	39,115	56

Covenant of Works unto the sons of men nay we finde that there were mercifull and Evangelicall intentions in God in giving the same as may appear in the Preface to the Commandments in his Preaching Christ to Adam in Paradice immediatly upon the fall and in his ordering that it should be a means to beat man out of himself and to bring him unto Christ Yet when I look upon Adams Law as it was a rule of life and obedience unto him in this respect they do agree virtually the Law given to Adam and received by Moses was one and the same the minde of God for dutie being constant and perpetuall one at all times and in all places according as we pray Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Reas 2 Secondly Mans natur● hath this Law written and engraven indelebly in it I will not dispute whether the Law of Nature be a relique of the old image left in Adam of this I am sure That the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things Rom 2. 14 contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto 15 themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts Out of which Scripture it is clear that God presently upon the Fall planted in the heart of all mankinde not onely The Law of Nature what an opinion of Divine Soveraignty and authority but a knowledge of certain practicall Principles in an obliging and prosecuting way Thus in a word the understanding and judgement which is called the Speculative facultie was and is enabled with an apprehension and conception of things to be done and to be forborn as their honestie and dishonestie did appear the conscience and will which is called the Practicall facultie had imprinted on it a desire or endeavour to prosecute all those things which should be revealed to the understanding they reasoned from their light to their life inferring the practice of all revealed principles Mat. 7. 12. Now this Law had such a firm and fast engraving in man● understanding and conscience by God himself that iniquity it self cannot eradicate or obliterate the same it is written in mans nature as with a pen of iron for ever to remain with the nature of mankinde and this is no other then a Summary or Abridgement of the Morall Law for the Law of Moses written in Tables of stone materially is no other then what was written or imprinted in the heart according to the rule Praecepta Decalogi sunt explicationes juris naturae The Law Morall The difference that is between the Law of Nature and the Law of Adam and Moses is the explication of the Law Naturall I grant that this Law of Nature by reason of mans corruption and preposterousnesse of affection is not so clear perfect and easie as was the Law in Creation to Adam for he had in his created estate a more shining light quick apprehension steadie will and able resolution then his posterity naturally now have nay this Law of Nature doth in many circumstances differ from the Law Morall v. g. This we have by infusion that by publike voice This is written in tables of flesh that in tables of stone This containeth dutie impliedly without method and order that expresly and orderly c. The Argument lies thus If God hath indelebly written the Morall Law in mans nature then the Doctrine of the Gospel doth not make it void but God c. Reas 3 Thirdly The Morall Law is a Doctrine spirituall holy good just and perfectly containing the good and acceptable will of God and therefore not to be made void that it is a Doctrine the Hebrew word Torah will make evident it being derived of Horah which signifies to teach and to instruct how to live and how to walk even as a School-master doth teach his Scholers what is evil and how to avoid it what is good and how to do it that it is spirituall holy good and just The Rom. 7. 12 14. Apostle saith We know that the Law is spirituall And Wherefore the commandment is holy and just and good And thus it is not onely originally as the holy good and just God who is a spirit is the Authour of it but also materially and effectively it is pure and undefiled free from all stain of errour and falshood having not the least iniquity cleaving to it it carrieth in it the good and acceptable will of God it is indeed the wisdom and the will of God the Law is not good and then willed of God but it is good because it is willed of God whose will alone is the rule of all goodnesse yea and men by it become Spirituall holy good and just Now if it be every way absolute and perfect as it is stiled The perfect Law of Liberty there can be no reason rendred why it should be abolished I conceive that the law-Maker was in wisdom infinite and so he did foresee before-hand how to prevent any inconvenience which might fall upon it and become a reason to abrogate it shew me the least flaw in the Morall Law as it stands a rule for duty and then you may talk rationally of disannulling it Will you take upon you to make void and of none effect that which is holy and good Reas 4 Fourthly the Morall Law of God is perpetuall and unchangeable even that which must endure for ever Psal 119. 89. Christ saith Till heaven and earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law Mat. 5. 18. It is of an unperishing nature you may as soon destroy God himself as destroy that though mans Laws may be repealed Gods Laws admit of no repeal had it been a temporary Ordinance then it might have been made void Reas 5 Fifthly The Law is universally extensive The commands thereof are commands to all Christians in all ages now look how farre any Commandment extends so farre doth obedience thereunto extend it self If the Morall Law reach to us Christians as well as to the Jews then we stand obliged by it now to make it evident that this Law concerned all men even us The extensivenesse of the Law to Jews and Gentiles Christians under the Gospel consider 1. The Morall Law was no Type of Christ neither did it concern the Jew onely as he was a Jew if so then the Jew onely did sin in Idolatry and Adultery and the Gentiles did not I demand What Law of God did forbid these sins Did not the Morall Law It did And will you say that the Jew onely was tied to it If he was not then the Gentiles came in also and so the Commandment concerned them which must be yeelded unlesse you will say that the Gentiles did not sin by Idolatry Adultery c. 2. The Gentiles heretofore did and Christians now do sin in breaking the Morall Law for all sin is the transgression of the 1 Jo. 3. 4. Law