Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	death_n	sin_n	sin_v	3,797	5	9.4651	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90265	The duty of pastors and people distingushed [sic]. Or A briefe discourse, touching the administration of things commanded in religion. Especially concerning the means to be used by the people of God (distinct from church-officers) for the increasing of divine knowledge in themselves and others. Wherein bounds are prescribed to their peformances, their liberty is enlarged to the utmost extent of the dictates of nature and rules of charity: their duty laid downe in directions, drawn from Scripture-precepts, and the practise of Gods people in all ages. Together with the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the office of publike teaching, with what assurance such teachers may have of their calling, and what evidence they can give of it, unto others. / By John Ovven, M.A. of Q. Col. O.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1644 (1644)	Wing O741; Thomason E49_6; ESTC R2375	45,909	59

that him whom he hath chosen he will cause to come neere unto him Numb. 16. 5. chosen by a particular calling ad munus to the office of the rituall priesthood so in regard of that other kind comparatively so called it is said of the whole people What nation is there so great that hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. their approaching nigh unto God made them all a nation of Priests in comparison of those dogs and unclean Gentiles that were out of the Covenant now this Prerogative is often appropriate to the faithful in the new Testament for through Christ we have an accesse by one spirit unto the Lord Eph. 2. 18. 3. 19. We have boldnesse accesse with confidence so James 4. 8. Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh unto you which accesse and approximation unto God seemed as before was spoken to be uttered in allusion to the Priests of the old Law who had this Priviledge above others in the publike worship in which respect only things then were typicall Since because we enjoy that prerogative in the truth of the thing it selfe which they had onely in type we also are called Priests and as they were said to draw nigh in reference to the rest of the people so we in respect of them who are strangers to the Covenant that now are said to be afarre off Ephes. 2. 17. and hereafter shall be without for without are dogs c. Rev. 22. 15. thus this metaphoricall appellation of Priests is in the first place an intimation of that transcendent priviledge of grace and favour which Jesus Christ hath purchased for every one that is sanctified with the bloud of the Covenant 2. We have an interest in this appellation of Priests by vertue of our union with Christ being one with our high Priest we also are Priests there is a twofold union between Christ us the one by his taking upon him our nature the other by bestowing on us his Spirit for as in his Incarnation he took upon him our flesh and bloud by the work of the Spirit so in our regeneration he bestoweth on us his flesh and blood by the operation of the same spirit yea so strict is this latter union which we have with Christ that as the former is truly said to be a union of two natures into one person so this of many persons into one nature for by it we are made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. becoming members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Ephes. 5. 30. we are so parts of him of his mysticall body that we and he become thereby as it were one Christ for as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so is Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. and the ground of this is because the same spirit is in him and us in him indeed dwelleth the fulnesse of it when it is bestowed upon us onely by measure but yet it is still the same spirit and so makes us according to his own prayer one with him as the soul of man being one makes the whole body with it to be but one man two men cannot be one because they have two souls no more could we be one with Christ were it not the same spirit in him and us now let a man be never so big or tall that his feet rest upon the earth and his head reach to heaven yet having but one soul he is still but one man now though Christ for the present in respect of our nature assumed be never so far remote and distant from us in heaven yet by the effectuall energie and inhabitation of the same spirit he is still the head of that one body whereof we are members still but one with us Hence ariseth to us a twofold right to the title of Priests 1. Because being in him and members of him we are accounted to have done in him and with him whatsoever he hath done for us we are buried with Christ Rom. 6. 4. dead with him v. 8. quickned together with Christ Ephes. 2. 5. being raised up we sit together with him in heavenly places v. 6. risen with him Colos. 3. 1. now all these in Christ were in some sence Sacerdotall wherefore we having an interest in their performance by reason of that heavenly participation derived from them unto us and being united unto him that in them was so properly are therefore called Priests Secondly by vertue of this union there is such an analogie between that which Christ hath done for us as a Priest and what he worketh in us by his holy spirit that those acts of ours come be called by the same name with his we for them to be termed Priests Thus because Christs death and shedding of his blood so offering up himself by the eternall spirit was a true proper sacrifice for sin even our spirituall death unto sin is described to be such both in the nature of it to be an offering or sacrifice for I beseech you Brethren saith S. Paul that you offer up your bodies a living sacrifice holy c. Rom. 12. 1. and for the manner of it our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed Rom. 6. 6. Thirdly we are Priests as we are Christians or partakers of an holy unction whereby we are annointed to the participation of all Christs glorious Offices we are not called Christians for nothing if truly we are so then have we an unction from the holy one whereby we know all things 1 Ioh. 2. 20. and thus also were all Gods people under the old Covenant when God gave that caution concerning them Touch not my CHRISTIANS and do my Prophets no harm Psal. 105. 15. the unction then of the holy spirit implies a participation of all those endowments which were typified by the anointing with oyl in the old Testament and invests us with the priviledges in a spirituall acceptation of all the sorts of men which then were so anointed to wit of Kings Priests and Prophets so that by being made Christians every one is not so that bears that name we are ingrafted into Christ and do attain to a kinde of holy and intimate Communion with him in all his glorious Offices in that regard are called Priests Fourthly the sacrifices we are injoyned to offer give ground to this appellation now they are of divers sorts though all in generall Eucharisticall as first of prayers and thanksgivings Psa. 116 17. I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord And again Let my prayer be set before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be as the evening sacrifice Psa. 141. 2. so Heb. 13. 14. Therefore let us offer unto God the sacrifice of praise that is

duties for the building of their own soules as though there were no habitable earth betweene the valley I had almost said the pit of Democraticall confusion and the precipitious rock of Hierarchicall tyranny when unskilfull Archers shoot the safest place to avoid the arrow is the white going as neare as God shall direct me to the truth of this matter I hope to avoid the strokes of the combatants on every side And therefore wil not handle it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with opposition to any man or opinion but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} briefly proposing mine owne required judgement the summary result whereof is that the sacred calling may retaine its ancint dignity though the people of God be not deprived of their Christian liberty to cleare which proposall somethings I shall briefly premise CHAP. I. Of the Administration of holy things among the Patriarks before the Law 1. COncerning the ancient Patriachs from these some who would have Judaisme to be but an intercision of christiauity derive the pedigree of christians affirming the diference between us them to be solely in the name not the thing it self Of this thus much at least is true that the Law of Commandements contained in Ordinances did much more diversifie the Administration of the Covenant before and after Christ then those plaine moralities wherewith in their dayes it was cloathed where the assertion is dificient Antiquity hath given its authors sanctuary from farther pursuit their practice then were it cleer can be no president for Christians All light brought to the Gospel in comparison of those full and glorious beames that shine in it selfe is but a Candle set up in the sunne Yet for their sakes who found out the former Unity I will not following the conceit of any nor the comments of many give you such a bare naration as the scripture will supply me withall of their administration of the holy things and practise of their Religion as it seemes Christianity though not so called and doubt you not of divine approbation and institution For all prelacy at least untill Nimrod hunted for preferment was dejure divino I finde then that before the giving of the Law the chief men among the servants of the true God did every one in their owne families with their neighbors adjoyning of the same perswasion performe those things which they knew to be required by the Law of nature tradition or speciall revelation the unwritten word of those times in the service of God instructing their childeren and servants in the knowledge of their creed concerning the nature and goodnesse of God the fall and sin of man the use of sacrifices and the promised seede the summe of their religion and moreover performing {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} things appertaining unto God This we have delivered concerning Seth Enoch Noah Abraham Lot Isaack Iacob Iethro Iob others Now whither they did this as any way peculiarly designed unto it as an Office or rather in obedient duty to the prime Law of Nature in which and to whose performance many of them were instructed and incouraged by divine revelation as seemes most probable is not necessary to be insisted on To me truely it seemes evident that thert were no determiuate Ministers of Divine worship before the Law For where finde we any such Office instituted where the duties of those Officers prescribed or were they of human invention God would never allow that in any regard the wil of the creature should be the measure of his honour worship but the right and exercise of the Priesthood say some was in the first borne but a proofe of this will be for ever wanting Abel was not Adams eldest sonne yet if any thing were peculiar to such an Office it was by him performed that both the Brothers carried their sacrifices to their father is a vaine surmize Who was Priest then when Adam dyed neither can any order of descent be handsomely contrived Noah had three sonnes grant the eldest onely a Priest Were the eldest sonnes of his other sons Priests or no If not how many men feareing God were scattered over the face of the earth utterly deprived of the means of right worship if so there must be a new rule produced beyond the prescript of nature whereby a man may be enabled by generation to convey that to others which he hath not in himselfe I speake not of Melchisedeck and his extraordinary Priesthood why should any speak where the holy ghost is silent if we pretend to know him we overthrow the whole mystery and run crosse to the apostle afirming him to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} without father mother or genealogie for so long time then as the greatest combination of men was in distinct families which sometimes were very great Politickes and Oeconomicks being of the same extent all the way of instruction in the service and knowledge of God was by the way of paternall admonition For the discharge of which duty Abraham is commended Gen. 18. 19. whereunto the instructers had no particular ingagement but only the generall obligation of the law of nature what rule they had for their performances towards God doth not appeare all positive law in every kinde is ordained for the good of community that then being not no such rule was assigned untill God gathered a people and lifted up the standard of circumcision for his subjects to repaire unto the world in the dayes of Abraham beginning generally to incline to Idolatry and polutheisme the first evident inreconcileable division was made betweene his people and the malignants which before lay hid in his decree visible signes and prescript rules were necessary for such a gathered Church This before I conceive to have been supplyed by speciall revelation The law of nature a long time prevailed for the worship of the one true God The manner of this worship the generalty had at first as may be conceived from the vocall instruction of Adam ful of the knowledge of divine things this afterwards their children had from them by tradition helped forward by such who received particular revelations in their generation such as Noah thence called a preacher of righteousnesse so knowledge of Gods will increased untill sinne quite prevailed and all flesh corrupted their wayes all Apostacy for the most part beginnes in the will which is more bruised by the fall then the understanding Nature is more corrupted in respect of the desire of good then the knowledge of truth the knowledge of God would have flourished longer in mens mindes had not sinne banished the love of God out of their hearts The summe is that before the giving of the Law every one in his owne person served God according to that knowledge he had of his Will Publike performances were assigned to none further then the obligation of the law of Nature to their duty in their owne