Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	fire_n	set_v	tongue_n	3,652	5	9.4006	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66029	A discourse concerning the gift of prayer shewing what it is, wherein it consists, and how far it is attainable by industry, with divers useful and proper directions to that purpose, both in respect of matter, method, and expression / by John Wilkins, D.D. ; whereunto may be added Ecclesiastes, or, A discourse concerning the gift of preaching by the same authour.	Wilkins, John, 1614-1672.	1653 (1653)	Wing W2180; ESTC R7133	129,988	242

creatures all things being put under his feet yet this corruption of our nature hath now made us become more vile then the beasts that perish 'T is the root and the fountaine of all other sin from whence every actual abomination does proceed Atheisme and Pride and basenesse and cruelty and prophanenesse and every other vice which the most wicked wretch in the world is guilty of doth proceed from hence Hell it self which is the proper place of sin is not more full of sin for the kinds of it then our natures are If there be any particular sin which we have not fallen into in our lives 't is not for want of corrupt principles and dispositions in our natures which do incline us to all but by reason of Gods restraining or renuing grace which hath as yet with-held us from them without which we should break out into as great abominations as were ever committed by the vilest of the sons of men All that pravity and basenesse which fils up every part and power about us are but diffusions of our Original corruption what a world of mischief is there in our several parts our Wills Affections our Tongues Eyes And yet all these are but as little rivulets The fountaine or rather the Sea that feeds them is our corrupted nature 'T is this that fils us with enmity against all spiritual truths and Ordinances makes us what we should tremble to think of haters of God though he be the God of our life and of our happinesse in whom we live and move and have our beings Hence is it that when we would do good evil is present with us that we have a law in our members rebelling against the law of our mindes and bringing us into captivity to the law of sin 'T is this that makes us like corrupted vessels to pollute all the gifts that are poured into us those graces and abilities which from God are bestowed upon us pure and excellent when they are by us put forth in duties are not without some favour of our own corruption This containes in it not only an utter deficiency of all good but also a loathing and disliking of it Not only a liablenesse to evil but also an inherent propension and strong desire to it All which is as natural to us as blacknesse to an Ethiopian and like the fretting Leprosie adheres to our natures with so much pertinacy that it cannot be utterly removed while we are on this side the grave till these our earthly tabernacles shall be dissolved No sope or nitre can purge it The general deluge could not wash it away that swept away sinners indeed but not one sinne Neither shall the fire of the last day cleanse it It does totally overspread both our Inward man Outward man 1. Our Inward man is hereby depraved both in respect of 1. Understandings 2. Consciences 3. Affections 4. Wills 5. Memories 1. Our Vnderstandings are hereby become full of vanity inconsideratenesse ignorance neither knowing nor enquiring after God Every thought and imagination of the heart being only evil and that continually So that we are not of our selves sufficient to think any thing that is good being given over to a reprobate minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a minde void of judgement not liking to retaine God in our knowledge Becoming vain in our imaginations having our wicked hearts darkened Being wise to do evil but foo●ish to that which is good Counting the things of God foolishnesse Being carnally minded which is enmity against God For it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Full of pride prejudice and contradiction against all sacred truths setting up our own imaginations and fleshly reasonings against the spiritual notions that are dictated to us Being alienated from the life of God through the blindnesse that is in us 2. Our Consciences are hereby become full of stupidity and insensiblenesse past feeling being feared as with an hot iron Altogether defiled Not performing their office of bearing witnesse accusing or excusing us rightly according to several occasions Being deaf unto every holy suggestion of Gods Spirit secure against all the threats and judgements of the Law 3. Our Hearts and Affections being evil from our youth full of wicked policies and unsearchable deceits Deceitful above all things and desparately wicked who can know them Full of lustings against the Spirit of God Sending forth evil thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies full of folly and madnesse preferring empty transitory contentments before those great matters that concerne our eternity Altogether obdurate against the means of grace not to be wrought upon either by hopes or feares by mercies or judgements slighting the threats of God undervaluing his promises distrusting his power abusing his patience quickly revolting and backsliding from every holy desire Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sins 4. Our Wills have now lost their first native freedom making us become servants unto sin Bringing us into bondage unto corruption Being full of loathing and aversnesse full of enmity and obstinacy against any thing that is good Casting Gods laws behinde our backs and hating to be reformed 5. Our Memories being naturally very unfaithful and slippery in letting out things that are good but very tenacious in evill matters II. Our outward man which was at first created with a kinde of divine Majesty above the other creatures is now become weak and vile exposed to all manner of infirmities diseases sins So that we are all over nothing else but a body of sin and of death our members being instruments of unrighteousnesse Eyes full of Adultery Pride Envy Eares uncircumcised deaf unto every holy suggestion easily open and attentive to vanities lies slanders Tongues unruly and full of deadly poyson conteining a world of iniquity defiling the wh●le body setting on fire the course of nature being themselves set on fire of Hell Given to unsavory unedifying discourses revilings prophanenesse blasphemies That which should be our glory the best member that we have is by this Original corruption become the worst defiling all the rest Our Throat being as an open sepulchre with our tongues we use deceit the poison of aspes is under our lips Our mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse our feet are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in our wayes and the way of peace have we not known there is no fear of God before our eyes All which will yet appear more deformed and loathsome if we look upon our own natures in the rage blasphemies basenesse madnesse of other mens lives There being not any kinde of evil which either man or devil hath committed but there are in our natures the principles and inclinations to it The best of us being by nature as bad as the worst of

temptations of the world but hath by his good providence with-held us from many of those sins and dangers to which of our selves we were exposed There are many others in the world who have this day perhaps been surprized by some mischief or have fallen into some great sin and the same might have been our condition and therefore we have reason to be sensible of his favour in exempting us from it that he hath in any measure afforded us direction and successe in our affaires and not blasted our endeavours accompanying us in our goings out and comings in Because the Lord hath commanded his loving kindnesse in the day therefore in the night shall my song be unto him and my prayer unto the God of my life Next to these we may recite those temporal favours which do more particularly concern us either in our Soules Bodies Friends Names Estates 1. Our Souls in respect of our Vnderstandings Memories Consciences Affections that we were not made idiots or blockish we might have been possessed with stupidity and forgetfulnesse with madnesse and astonishment of heart with wilde and raving passions And therefore we have reason to be sensible of that great favour we enjoy in respect of the clearness of our understandings strength of our memories peace in our cōsciences moderatnes in our affections c. 2. Our Bodies in regard of Health Senses Limbs That he doth not send upon us sore sicknesses and of a long continuance and make us Prisoners to the bed of languishing That he does not chasten us with strong pain upon our beds so that our life should abhor bread and our soul dainty meat That we are not tormented with grievous aches with loathsome diseases and sores that we have the free use of our senses not blinde or deaf or dumb c. that we are sound and perfect in our limbs not maimed or deformed as many others are whereby their condition is made very uncomfortable in comparison to ours 3. Our Friends that God hath inclined the hearts of others to shew us any favour that we do enjoy the acquaintance of such in whose society and converse we may relieve and refresh our selves amidst the ma●y perplexities that we shall meet with 'T is the case of many others to be left in a forlorn and friendlesse condition with Ishmael to have every mans hand against them and therefore we have great reason to blesse God for raising us up friends and benefactors and continuing them to us 4. Our Names that he hath bestowed upon us any reputation in the hearts and reports of others and not given us over to such scandalous sins as would have made us a proverb and reproach that we are not Cains to kill our Brethren nor Amnons to commit incest nor Absaloms to attempt the ruine of our Parents nor Judases to murder our selves The seeds and principles of all these abominations being in our natures it must needs be acknowledged for a great mercy to be withheld from them That he hath in any measure restrained the malicious tongues of others from aspersing of us 5. Our Estates and therein for plenty liberty quietnesse suitablenesse God might have placed us in some needy slavish unquiet condition in some calling disproportionable to our inclinations and gifts and therefore we have reason to acknowledge his mercy in bestowing upon us competency of means freedom and seemlines of condition wherin we are not forced to flatter or borrow fitnes of calling c. That we have opportunity to serve the Lord our God with joyfulnesse and with gladnesse of heart in the abundance of all things Whereas 't is the case of many others that they are forced to serve their enemies in hunger in thirst in nakednes and in want of all things There may be some poor Christians perhaps at this time under cruel restraint and imprisonment others it may be wallowing in their blood by reason of bitter and fierce persecutions for their bearing witnesse unto the truth of Jesus Other precious Saints of whom the world is not worthy may be now under great necessities wandering up and down in deserts and mountains being destitute afflicted tormented having not a place whereon to rest their heads Whereas 't is our happinesse that we are supplied with all things convenient for us having bread to eate and clothes to put on and many other particular favours which are renewed to us every moment the very continuance and commonnesse of which doth take away their observation And as we are thus to remember private mercies so likewise should we take notice of those temporal favours which concern the publike the peace plenty strength safety of the Nation wherein we live For that every one may sit under his own vine and fig-tree there being none to make us afraid That he hath not delivered us to trouble and astonishment and to hissing That whereas his anger and his fury hath been poured out upon other places upon man and upon beast upon the trees of the field and upon the fruit of the ground yet the overflowing scourge hath not come near us He might make us a reproach and a taunt and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about us Executing upon us judgment in anger and in fury in furious rebukes He might infatuate our Governours and mingle a perverse spirit in the midst of them This is the condition of other places and we have reason to praise him if it be not so with us In a more especial manner we ought to take notice of our freedom or deliverance from those sore judgements the sword the famine and the pestilence 1. For our Peace for delivering us from the hurtful sword that there is no breaking in nor going out nor any complaining in our street whereas he might whet his glittering sword and make his hand take hold of judgement till his arrows he drunk with blood and his sword to devoure flesh Yet he hath made peace in our borders so that violence is not heard in our land nor wasting or dest●uction within our borders Whereas other countreys are made desolate so that their high wayes are untrodden and the travellers walk through by-ways the inhabitants of the villages cease Yet he hath been pleased to make us like the garden of Eden our Cities being fenced and inhabited and hath not taken away our peace from us his loving kindnesse and mercies 2. For our Plenty that he hath according to his promise called for the corne and wine and increased it and layed no famine upon us multiplying the fruit of the trees and the increase of the field that we do not receive the reproach of the famine amongst the heathen For crowning the year with goodnesse and making his paths to drop fatnesse 1. For bestowing upon us the former and the later raine moderately and in his season that he does