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	sin_n	sin_v	3,553	5	9.3146	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97283	The penitent murderer. Being an exact narrative of the life and death of Nathaniel Butler; who (through grace) became a convert, after he had most cruelly murdered John Knight. With the several conferences held with the said Butler in Newgate, by the Right Honorable the Lord Maior, and several eminent ministers, and others. As also his confession, speech, prayer, and the sermon preached after his execution; with several useful admonitions, and excellent discourses. / Collected by Randolph Yearwood, chaplain to the Right Honorable, the Lord Major of the city of London.	Yearwood, Randolph, d. 1689.	1657 (1657)	Wing Y23; Thomason E1660_2; ESTC R209007	51,603	133

Servants both Ministers and others He did particularly acknowledge the extraordinary pains care and tenderness of the Chief Magistrate of the City to be beyond all president or expression 8. Great affection and compassion he expressed to the souls of others His Fellow-Prisoners profanenefs and desperate security he exceedingly lamented the ignorance and blindnefs of many that came to see him he heartily bewailed They would aggravate his bloody fact and ask him whether the sight of the Bags were not the first temptation to the murdering of his Brother But alas said he it was not the sight of the bags nor the instigation of the Devil that could have put me upon such a wickedness had there not been a cursed nature within me by means whereof I was a Murderer before ever I slew my Brother and an Adulterer and a Blasphemer c. Yea he said he looked upon that original corruption he carried about him a greater sin before God then a thousand acts of murder of adultery c. because it is the fountain of them all which I never saw said he or took notice of till now that God hath opened mine eyes in this wonderful manner Neither do the most of men and women see it but because by the restraining power of God they live free from such gross and scandalous crimes they think themselves in a good estate and that they shall be saved But alas said he they have the same nature that I had and until their natures are changed and renewed they are accounted as guilty of all sins before God and as uncapable of Heaven and salvation as if they had committed them in the greatest act this ignorance of the generality of people old and young he bewailed with much hearty sence and feeling 9. He was very firm and fixed to the Principles of the Protestant Religion though he had but newly suckt them in Insomuch that being several times encountred in Prison by some Priests and other Papists that came to seduce this poor dying Wretch who told him that if he would be reconciled to the Church of Rome and turn Catholique as they call it they has power to pardon absolve him which his Ministers had not and that if he would not renounce his Religion there was no way with him but damnation with divers such menaces to terrifie him and flatteries to ensnare him Yet the Young-man through grace stood against all these Temptations as a Rock that could not be moved but sent them away with a great deal of contempt and indignation He wisht the Civil Magistrate would be watchful and restrain the liberty and prevent the temptations of these Seducers which he promised to make his humble request to them at his death 10. He did not at all doubt of his salvation through Free-grace the merits and love of Jesus Christ though withall he did make it a very solemn Query Whether he might warrantably and safely cast himself upon Jesus Christ on such terms as God holds him forth in the Gospel to poor lost Sinners being such a Sinner as he had been 11. He was not at all afraid of death nor desirous to live but being asked by a Gentleman that stood by what he would do if he should live he answered He desired not life if he might have it partly because he durst not trust his own heart partly out of an infinite desire he had to be with Christ who had loved such a loveless wretch as he was One expression he used was That he was not at all angry with his sin for bringing him to such a shameful end the shame and death do not in the least trouble me He was above all these considerations and desired that God might be glorified in and by his sufferings 12. And lastly He earnestly desired them present to joyn in prayer with him which was performed by a Minister who was witness to this part of the Narative He exprest strong affections and workings of spirit during prayer and much thankfulness for that Christian office In many of these particulars possibly his very expressions in terminis may not be so exactly rendred but a to the import and substance of every particular this is a faithful and true relation In all he spake the manner of his speech and countenance exprest the highest affection that might be THO. CASE Certain Observations of Thomas Parson Minister at Micheal Wood-street London BEing desired to preach at Newgate Aug. 30. in the Afternoon being the Lords day immediately preceding the Execution of Nathaniel Butler I carefully observed him while preaching and had discourse with him both before and after Sermon While preaching I took notine that the man seemed wholly taken up with what he heard not minding the great crowd about him that came to see a poor reed shaken with the wind staring him in the face as a condemned Malefactor but he minded the Pardon I in the Name of God offered him treating of the Pardoning Grace of God with so fixed an eye frequently did he look upon me and so heedfully turn to Scriptures as one taken up with the weightiest matters when as otherwise it might have wrought som discomposure to have so many such Observers When with him before and after Sermon I took notice both of his carriage and Words by both which great discovery of the frame and temper of his mind might be made His Carriage to my Observant and Impartiall apprehension seemed to be excellently attempered to his present condition being sweetly submissive neither servilely dejected under the Apprehensions of his past sins and present state nor forwardly confident as though he forgot he were such a Malefactor His deportment did in my Judgment not without some admiration then after in the reviewing thoughts of it of the Decorum and suitableness of it to his present condition speak a well mixed and compounded sence of his own deserts and divine mercy which also did his Words His Words might be reduced to these two main and excellent heads A declamation against sin and Admiration of Grace Agrainst Sin he expressed the greatest Displicency and abhorrency yea the Sin of his Nature that Root of bitterness which he said men took but little notice of and for actuall Sin abstractedly from the fruit of it even sin as against the holy just and good law of God and as against God that had deserved better at his hands Professing that as in general he had no desire to live so if the greatest hier should be offered him to live if it might occasion his return unto folly he would not accept of life and the World with it And that Sin as Sin even the least Sin did make his heart rise at first thought of it and he could spit it out with detestation wondring that men made no more of Sin bewailing he was no more sensible of and humbled for Sin expressing how affraid he was now of doing any thing might offend God even in the least Then

untill he came to be alone in his Chaines like Manasseh 2 Chron. 33 11.12 his prejudgment of the sentence of death brought in the thoughts of an eternall after-estate and then said he my conscience was enlightned and a wakened to see my self in the glass of Gods law and under the judgment of eternal death which wrought such horror consusion and astonishment that made me cry out in the bitterness of my soule as one under the wrath and tertors of the Almighty Moreover said he the thoughts of this second and after-death of my poor soule did blot out of my remembrance the death which was approaching Hereupon I began further to apply to him after this manner That in this your present condition there are two things of greatest concernment to your soule First that you be rightly regulated in your repentance Secondly rightly directed the way of beleeving in Christ I shall endeavor to make both plain and practicable 1. Not to swell the Narrative with the rehearsall of what I offered him about a true and right conviction of sin not of this notorious sin only but of others also and the corrupt root and fountain from whence all sprang with the nature and necessity of a Gospel-repentance pressing seriousness and sincerity upon him this not being a time to Trifle much less to dissemble about the weighty concernments of his soule a false and a faigned repentance being as bad as the sin it self with more the like as occasion was offered N. B. Answers very sensibly in these and such like words following not in a continued discourse but in an Intercourse of speech N. B. Oh saith he not only this one haynous sin but multitudes of other sins are set in order before me as well small as great and the smallest appeareth great to me as being against a holy God and an infinite good I never thought such things to be sins which I now see to be sins Oh what an ignorant dead Creature was I before I now apprehend the filthiness and feele the hardness of my heart my heart is discovered to the very bottome the whole trade and course of my life is brought to my remembrance and wringing his hands the most of the time Oh now saith he I discerne I was in a miserable and damnable condition before I committed this foule fact Others think themselves in a happy condition because they are not under the guilt of my sin and under the same sentence but alas they are lamentably mistaken as I also was Now do I apprehend the sinfulness of my thoughts and secret immaginations as wel as outward actions And all this and much more exprest with such a manner and measure of earnestness as did apparantly signifie that the two-edged Sword had past and pierced through the very powers of his soule discerning and abilitating him to discerne the inward thoughts and intents of his heart Oh saith he I dare not lessen my sins nor extenuate my great sin they are against the righteous law and holy nature of God and frequently in our discourse he would intermix this speech of Davids with hands wringing and strong affection against thee O Lord have I sinned against thee even thee O Lord have I sinned and done wickedly and Lord Pardon mine iniquity for it s exceeding great Psal 25.11 And when I proceeded upon the parts of repentance and contrition as one great branch of it he said That he did heartily repent to his utmost as before the Lord and did hope the Lord would break him more Oh saith he it s the griefe of my heart I can grieve no more and though my heart is broken yet I am sensible of hardness yet remaining and by way of concession to my words saying Oh it s not a time to Trifle indeed I know my heart is deceitfull but I desire nothing more then a through and faithful discovery of the deceitfulness of my heart by all that come to mee that I might not mistake and lose my soule and amongst other deceits I desire to avoid this of resting upon any repentance of mine but upon Christ only for salvation but I hate sin heartily not only for that it hath brought mee to this misery but also for its filthy nature and because against a holy and mercifull God 2. The second thing I endeavoured to mannage was the possibility of pardon and salvation notwithstanding the magnitude and multitude of his sins which when I began to speake his heart was raised to an earnest expectation and attention rejoycing to think there might be a dore of hope I proceeded to three or four considerations to evidence his sin pardonable and his soule salvable First because there was more grace in God to forgive and more vertue in the blood of Christ to save then was in his sin to damne him Secondly because God in the Gospel had determined all sins of all sorts pardonable except only the sin against the holy spirit Math. 12.31 1 John 5.16 which for sundry reasons he could not possibly be guilty of this I did inculcate the more that he might sted fastly and firmely beleeve the record and testimony hereof before he went further unto which he did profess a full and sound assent gathering herefrom hopes that he might be saved and exulted in those hopes Thirdly that God had recorded eminent examples in his word of shewing his mercy to such sinners who had committed the same sin and that with a higher hand viz. Manasseh 2 Kings 21.16 compared with 2 Chron. 33 11 12 13. I did endeavor to enforce the Parallel about the meanes and manner of Gods humbling by the same fetters of affliction upon which he said Oh I bless God for this affliction I bless God that I was discovered and taken I might have run out my course in sin and directly to hell had not God taken this course with me Oh I would not exchange my present imprisonment with my former liberty in sin for all the world I hinted also the Murder of David in the matter of Vriah and Davids prayer again Psal 25.11 which he said Mr. Samuel Jacombe of Lumbard Stret had preacht on in the Prison which did much help his hopes and he voluntarily called to remembrance the Jewes who murdered Christ Acts 2.36.37.38 and made a comfortable improvement thereof Fourthly I alledged that the Gospell did pronounce and proclaim pardon of sin and eternal salvation upon true repentance and beleeving on the Lord Jesus Christ and there was no visible barr to exclude him more then any other in world the substance of this faith lying in this that if upon the sight of his lost condition by sin and upon a firme assent to the record of God concerning his sons being an only and al-sufficient Saviour he could but cast himself upon the mercy of God and roule his sinfull sincking soule upon the Lord Jesus as a foundation heartily hateing sin and abhorring himself and cleaving to Christs righteousness