Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	flesh_n	sin_n	sinful_a	2,809	5	9.4946	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27497	The penitent death of a woefull sinner, or, The penitent death of John Atherton, late Bishop of Waterford in Ireland who was executed at Dublin the 5. of December, 1640 : with some annotations upon severall passages in it : as also the sermon, with some further enlargements, preached at his burial / by Nicolas Barnard ...	Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1642 (1642)	Wing B2015; ESTC R3687	79,120	190

Tusser that he wrote excellently well of Husbandry but himselfe was the worst Husband that ever water wet 'T is true of many in this sense who can preach very well to save others but cast away themselves In a word let us so teach and so doe that wee may both save our selves and them that heare us And Thomas Aquinas makes it a greater difficulty for a Prelate to bee saved than another man for this reason Because hee hath other mens sinnes lying upon him besides his owne and for the same cause Saint Chrysostome saith the like of Ministers also and that seriously That he thought few of them would be saved both because more is expected from them than from others and their sinnes greater than the sinnes of others The hazard of which Saint Augustine saith was the cause hee so wept at his Consecration The like saith Saint Ambrose No Office more excellent and if they fall none more dangerous A great honour saith Saint Hierom but if they sinne a great fall the one is not such a ioy as the other a sadnesse The nearer wee approach to GOD in our service the greater is the offence if wee shall runne into rebellion See the Apostles Argument Rom. 2.21 22 23 24. Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Thou that Preachest c. In the Law 't is observed the measures and weights of the Sanctuary were double to the Common and so are the sinnes of the Officers of GODS Sanctuary that draw nigh to him double and treble to the same sinnes in the Common-people If the Priest annoynted did sinne his Offering for expiation was to be as much as for the sinne of the whole Congregation So the sinnes of such as are consecrated and set apart for GODS service require a deeper measure of repentance a greater portion of sorrow than might suffice for many others by how much they are the more scandalous And hath not this of late beene the cause of the contempt of our calling that the Vulgar though erroneously have argued from the persons to the Offices according to that of Malac. 7.8 Because yee have departed out of the way and corrupted the Covenant of Levi therefore have I made you base and contemptible before all the people according as you have not kept my wayes A good strict life needs no other helpe to gaine respect Vice usually stands in awe of vertue See but that instance in Herod who feared John and observed him because he was a iust man and a holy c. T is the prescription of Saint Paul to Timothy and Titus for it I speake the more of it in regard the contrary hath been pretended as the Originall of all these stirres A present lamentable example wee have in this person the fruit of whose life hath beene this ignominious death both scandalous both lamented Yet in this differing his life a continuall spirituall death his death a beginning and a great progresse of a spirituall life Let him die in your thoughts for his life But let him live in your memories by his penitent death forget the former and imitate the latter And thus we have considered the second part of the Text applicatory to this our Brother as it was to have beene his employment towards others A word of it only as it was effectually found in himselfe and so wee shall have done with it Yee have heere a threefold Metaphoricall description of the sinfull state of nature before Conversion and the state of Grace after it The former by a 1. Blindnesse 2. Darknesse 3. Slavery The latter by a 1. Sight 2. Light 3. Liberty The Division of the former is somewhat like Saint Johns Tricotomize c. referring all in the world to the Eye the Flesh and Life according to the usuall distinction of sinnes into those of the Heart Fact and Custome The first ex Ignorantiâ the second ex Infirmitate the third ex Studio As this sinfull condition by nature is a dead estate you may perceive three degrees of it according to a distinction of Saint Augustines The first Blindnesse is like the man dead in his Bed The second Darknesse put into his Coffin The third Vnder the power of Satan layd in his Grave Three such our Saviour raysed to life Jairus his daughter in her bed within doors The Widdow of Naims Sonne in his Coffin carrying out And Lazarus putrifying in his Grave all were miracles but the last the greatest Such severall Degrees of sinners is Saint Paul here sent to rayse from the death of sinne to the life of Grace to the last degree of which to magnifie GODS mercy the more was this our Brother fallen and raysed againe by repentance 1. The first Degree of our wretched estate before Conversion is set out by a Blindnesse to open their eyes therfore blind before which indeed is like his John 9.1 from our very birth And yet in many things this of the Soule is worse than that of the Body He that is blind in body is glad of a guide these often scorne instruction the former thinkes them happy that see and desires it These despise such and will not see though they might The one beleeves he is blind and laments it The other thinkes hee sees well enough like the Pharisees John 9.41 The Corporally blind sometimes excell in parts of the minde as Memory c. But a man spiritually blind hath no good thing in him at all 2. The second by a darkenesse as the world the first day of the Creation was empty and voyde wrapt up in a confused darknesse such is our estate as we are borne at first voyd of all good Rom. 7.18 Darkenesse in the Vnderstanding Confusion in the Affections and Conscience And there is some similitude between them First a man in Darkenesse is subject to errour so are such to go astray resembled in the lost Groate and Sheepe Secondly subject to stumbling so are these to dangerous fals and scandals in their lives till they slip at last into that Pit of darknesse Thirdly insensible of any evill before them So are these of Hell and damnation let them be never so often warned Fourthly subject to mistakes to thinke they are right when they are wrong So are such often strongly conceited they are in the way to Heaven and yet Posting the contrary Lastly subject to feares and frights such is the Case of those who live in the works of darkenesse they have many horrours and scarres within their Consciences especially if they fall into any danger of death by sicknesse or any other accident The same which this our Brother often acknowledged to have beene his condition before his Conversion 3. Thirdly by a slavery and the worst of any omni malo exitio peior under the power or thraldome of Satan 2 Tim. 2.26 An Emblem of it ye have in Sampson who had his eyes first