Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	law_n	moral_a	precept_n	2,880	5	9.5945	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59581	The reward of diligence By Lewes Sharpe, rector of Moreton-Hampstead in the county of Devon.	Sharpe, Lewes.	1679 (1679)	Wing S3007D; ESTC R220244	49,063	109

volumes we call the Bible but are natures own Tables of the Law in another edition and promulgation and in truth a fair Copy of the impressions of Reason upon our own Souls and discoverable and legible within our selves And because the moral precepts of Christ are thus underprop'd with the stedfast Reason and approbation of mankind and do on every side square with the common principles and sentiments of every mans Soul they must needs gain hugely upon the minds and hearts of Philosophick temper'd men who have a great reverence for the dictates of Reason and from an honest moral integrity hate whatsoever they apprehend will debauch their Natures as they are reasonable Creatures And therefore Origen called Celsus to consider if it were not the agreeableness of the principles of the Christian Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with common notions the correspondency of them with the universal Reason of the world which rendred the preaching of the Christian Faith so prevalent and successful with all candid and ingenuous hearers Sect. 16. Therefore saith the Apostle of the Beraeans many of them believed wherefore because as he tells you in the former verse they were more noble than those of Thessalonica Act 17.11.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the comparison refers not so much to their civil pedigree and extraction as to their moral temper and disposition They were more generous and ingenuous The Greek Fathers saith Grotius interpret the word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more moderate and equitably minded They were a people of a proper becoming temper of a rational affable pliable deportment towards all full of candour and equanimity towards the Apostles inquisitive after the truth free and loyal to it they were a sort of people which proportioned their regards suitably to the nature of Things Persons and Doctrines and consequently judged of and affected the Apostles preachments answerably to the weightiness and concernment of them and according to the evidences of Truth they discerned in them all which appears in that they received the words with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so The Beraeans were not biassed with unreasonable passions and interests as the Jews of Thessalonica were as you may see in the fifth Verse but acquitted themselves if I may so speak like noble Gentlemen hearkened to the promulgation of the Truth attentively and patiently examined matters carefully and diligently and judged thereof impartially all which are acts of Reason Labour and Industry and as the Apostle intimates preparatory to the entertainment of the Christian Faith Sect. 17. I doubt not but you observe that the reason generally assigned why the Jews rejected the Christian Faith is because their Wills and Appetites had the predominancy of their Vnderstandings and Judgments Joh. 5 40. Mat. 23 27. Joh. 4 48. their Reasons and Consciences were oftentimes perswaded and convinced but because their carnal affections and secular inclinations were not accommodated and gratified they repented not that they might believe Matt. 21 32. Joh. 8 43 44 45. When the Turks as an Honourable Person reports design to drink to drunkenness they first make a very great and unusual noise to drive down their rational Souls as they pretend to the remotest parts of their Bodies that being at a great distance from their intoxicating cups they may not observe and be conscious of their brutish Intemperance Thus it is in a manner with all men which addict themselves to habituate wickedness and make provision to fulfill the lusts of the flesh they dethrone and assassinate their Understandings and as it were drive and force their rational faculties out of their coasts and give themselves over to the Empire and government of their seditious Appetites and sawcy Passions which is such an irrational and brutish way of acting that with Trismegistus it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sort of drunkenness yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an appearance or species of Madness and we may truly say of such a man as Jacob when he saw Josephs Coat It is my sons coat but evil beasts have devoured him Gen. 37.33 Here is the outward garment and habit of a Man but evil Beasts have devoured the Man he hath the outward shape and unweildy body of a Man but he hath not the inward form the proper differencing Essence of a Man those evil Beasts his Passions and Lusts have torn in pieces and devoured his reasonable Soul he hath the name of a Man and still retains the unprofitable and troublesome Carcass of a Man but the informing and active part of the Man is departed his Vices have so corrupted and tainted him that he is quite unman'd and become like Babylon an habitation of Devils and the Hold of every foul Spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird Rev. 18 2. Sect. 18. Questionless you observe That before the Prodigal Son in the Parable returned home to his Father or was resolved so to do he is said to come to Himself Luke 15 17. that is he returned to a sober and regular use of his Understanding and Reason he acquitted himself like a Son of Reason before he acquitted himself like a Son of God Whilst a man departs from God he is beside himself distracted and mad a fugitive from a Rational as well as a Divine Life and a meer exile from his own original Essence and Being Solùm hoc animal Naturae fines transgreditur Man is the onely Creature which transgresseth the bounds of Nature said one of sinning man Other Creatures are conducted by the instinct of Nature but sinning Man contradicts it and how can man return to the God of Nature who returneth not to the Order of Nature you shall therefore find that when God most passionately desires and pursues the Reformation and welfare of a people he exhorteth and wisheth them to awaken and stir up those noble Principles of Understanding and Reason which are within them as a means to it O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their later end Deut. 32 29. Consider your wayes saith God by the Prophet Haggai once and again Hag. 1.5 7. and the Prophet concludes that the Rebellion of Judah and of Jerusalem proceeded from their defectiveness this way the Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Isa 1 3. Did men under the Gospel especially exercise their Understandings and reasoning Faculties as they should and might do and comport with their Dictates and Instigations as other Creatures do with their Instincts and and Inclinations they would be as serviceable to God in their relations to him as other Creatures are to their Owners and Benefactors For when God speaketh of his Peoples forsaking him that is Objects Ways and Engagements which are Spiritual and Heavenly and effective to their Perfection and Happiness and their turning to Objects Wayes and Engagements which are Temporal Carnal