Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	day_n	law_n	sabbath_n	3,352	5	9.6183	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60227	The life and death of Sir Henry Vane, Kt., or, A short narrative of the main passages of his earthly pilgrimage together with a true account of his purely Christian, peaceable, spiritual, gospel-principles, doctrine, life and way of worshipping God, for which he suffered contradiction and reproach from all sorts of sinners, and at last, a violent death, June 14. Anno, 1662 : to which is added, his last exhortation to his children, the day before his death.	Sikes, George.	1662 (1662)	Wing S3780; ESTC R19959	148,120	164

man that is of the new-creation frame Their glory wisdom righteousness are but shadows of his and to be done away Their goodness is but a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Hos. 6.4 Their wisdom is comparatively but foolishness and their lesser shadowy glory of the Law or ruling powers of their first-creation state is to be done away as no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth in the spiritual man 2 Cor. 3. 10. Every man at his best estate renewed enlightened gifted man is altogether vanity He was so in his first-creation he is so in his greatest renewal Nothing below the new-creature the spiritual man is exempted from this title in Scripture Vanity is of larger extent than sin Any thing that will vanish that is corruptible and perishable is vanity The whole first-creation is vanity and was sowne in corruption that is was a corruptible not a corrupt thing Angels and Men the choicest flowers in it have withered and corrupted their way before God and so lost that life of communion with God wherein they were created The natural body that 's interpreted to be the first Adam at best with his living soul 1 Cor. 15. 44 45. is but the vile body or inferiour first-creation state of man that is to be transformed into the likeness of Christ's glorious body in the new-creation Phil. 3. 21. How too generally and universally are professors in all variety of form judgement and way lodg'd in a kind of invincible conceitedness that the revival of first-creation principles and life in them towards a conformity with Adam in innocency or Christ in the flesh is the only attainment beyond which they are not concerned to look All this is but the natural or vile body Yet how strangly are men captivated to this day under this embondaging and incorrigible dotage Every thing that they are have see or desire while in this case can be no other than vanity Their wisdom glory righteousness all are vanity vanishing things Men that are vanity love vanity ou●ward visible vanities that gratify sense inward vanities that gratify reason Man's reason is vanity How oft have we heard and seen mens reason to vanish before their bodies All the inmost thoughts of mans heart all the more overly imaginations of his fancy all the reasonings and desires springing from both are vanity There is nothing man is or does till he come within the sphere of the spiritual world the new creation but it 's vanity Outward visible Thrones Crownes Scepters great Revenews and all possible flourishing accommodations of bodily life amounts but to the more glittering splendid sort of bruitish vanities and often fall to the share of beasts the vilest most bruitish men Rational parts together with their advance and ornament by acquired and infused humane Learning Arts Sciences excellent Gifts the tongue of Men and Angels these are far choicer and more eligible things than the above mentioned Lordly circumstances of bodily or bruitish Life and yet these all fall within the compass and sphere of vanities vanishing things as sounding brass and tinckling Cymbals Nothing below the very seed of spiritual new-creation Life gets out of the sphere of vanity Those that have all possible outward and inward gallantry too of the natural man or vile body are exhibited to us as to their duration and continuance under the allegory or parable of a green bay tree They may be in great power spreading themselves like a green bay tree but they soon pass away and are not we may seek them while we will their place can no more be ●ound What a stage of the choicer sort of vanities glory righteousness wisdom of man excellent gifts high illuminations dexterity of expression tongues of men and angels has England been these twenty years We have seen a praying Ministry Parliament Army going forth in a way of Righteousness in Covenant with God and no weapon that was formed against them could prosper No Army no Counsel could stand before them All opposition proved a feeble infatuated thing What is all come to They were not stedfast in the Covenant they started aside like a deceitful Bow Their righteousness vanished ●● a morning cloud an early dew and the bodies of the chief Leaders in that Ministry Parliament and Army are in their graves All is vanished save a few faithful chast-spirited men who for being true to their trust stedfast in their Covenant and undertake have been and are daily delivered up ●s Lambs for the slaughter by their apostatized friends What a Scene of vanities and shadows is this earth at best how little worth minding Things seen things temporal are the things that are not Things eternal things not seen are the onely things that are Man thinks quite otherwise That matters not Did we truly know our selves we might the more easily be perswaded in another sence not to know our selves If we knew but the vanity of our whole first-creation state the goodliness thereof comparatively with what we are capable to be made in the second we would not know our own souls no though we were perfect yet would we despise our life Iob 9.21 All the wisdom righteousness thoughts reasonings imaginations and desires thereof are vanity Did we thorowly know this we would be content to resign all not think our own thoughts speak our own words do our own works find our own pleasures and so enter into the true mystical Sabbath and rest of God in the new creation If we lose the temporary life and righteousness of our first-creation we shall find it again with usury in the eternal Life and everlasting righteousness of the second If not we shall lose it for ever in the eternal or second death If we lose our litteral shadowy Life and Image of God received in the first creation we shall find it again with usury in the mystical substance spirit and truth of the second Then let the letter and figure of Scripture be interpreted into spirit and truth we shall know what to make of it not before Could man be content to be baffled out of himself allegorized out of his first-creation shadow into spirit and truth he would be content Scripture should be so allegorized too out of its letter and shadow into spirit and truth The true allegorizing interpreter of the Scriptures does and must expound them into things not seen things eternal into a sence quite out of the reach and discerning of all the sense and reason in mankind Spiritual things things eternal are discernable onely to the eye of faith the spiritual discerning the hearing ear He only that hath this ear will hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches Heb. 11. 1. Rev. 2. 29. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Men then do seem concerned in this point for the allegorical sence of Scripture leaves them quite at a loss If they will not therefore be content to lose their sense and reason with a full assurance and stedfast perswasion

the God of Heaven and against the Saints of the most High Practise not thus against them nor think to change the times and the Laws Dan. 7. 25. Will you O Rulers be paid in your own coin You have taken away a famous man in our Israel this day upon some dark REASON of STATE against all the Laws of England and against the common light of Reason in all mankind Will you hear a REASON of STATE that might have moved you to the contra●y Though it be too late as to his Life because his blood that you have spilt cannot be gathered up again as the wise woman of Tekoah told David yet it may happily be somewhat preventive to your further proceedings that way against others Remember then what is recorded of Ann de Burg burnt in France 1559. The Death and Constancy of a man so conspicuous made many curious to know what Religion that was for which he had so couragiously endured punishment By that means great numbers of people were baptized into his perswasion Trust me saies one you have gotten nothing by these spectacles M●n return from them more confirm'd in their detestation of you than terrified from any of their purposes towards you Their names will be recorded amongst those who have died out of debt to their countrey by having paid the utmost they owed it Their worth will be remembred Their children and kindred will alwayes be looked upon as descendants from the Liberatours of their Countrey and esteemed accordingly I wish heartily for your own sakes and ours too that this REASON of STATE had come into your mind and had prevailed against any other before you ventured to embrue you hands in the blood of so deserving a subject But proceed no farther to lift up your selves thus against the Lord of heaven for when ye have done all the meek ones of Christ must inherit the earth when the wicked are cut off they shall see it Psal. 37. 34. The Saints of the most High shall take and possesse the kingdom for ever and ever do what any can to hinder them Dan 7. 18. Quarrel not at these things but like noble Boereans search the Scriptures and see whether they be so or no. Do not put far from you the evil day It never was nearer Hinder not Saints assembling together 'T is their duty so to do and that so much the more as they see the day of Christ's heavenly appearance approaching Heb. 10.25 Praying persons praying People that have an interest in God are the main bulwark and security of any Nation Ten righteous praying persons had saved all Sodom and the neighbour cities Gen. 18. 32. The Sodomites vilify and assault Lo● and he is the onely man that stands betwixt them and the storm of fire and brimstone that was coming upon them God bids him haste away for he cannot do any thing till he be got to some place of security Gen. 19. 9. 22. 'T was a Proverb in Israel Without standings the world could not stand that is without prayers the posture was put for the duty Would you rid your hands and the world of Saints praying Persons and Meetings Then the world will stand no longer and where then will your standing be what should the world stand for when God has no share or portion in it What mean you then O Rulers Are Protestants murder'd and hurried up and down for meeting to worship God and the service of the Devil in the abominable Idolatries of the Mass wink'd at or countenanc'd Nothing hardly of Protestantisme scapes your censure but what 's to be found in the publick Assemblies into which you have returned an insipid frothy Episcopal Ministry whose Divinity amounts not to so much as sound and well managed moral Philosophy Their words have no power to awaken Consciences or authority in Consciences that are already awakened I doubt they aim at no such thing but onely to lull awakened Consciences into a deep sleep againe and those that are so to keep so still 'T is an enlightened knowing People that are the only burdensome stone to them Do you think England can away with such work as this that have flourished of late years in Light and Liberty beyond any Nation round about her Do you imagine that the Mass or a barren Episcopal Ministry with an Organ and a Common-prayer Book will down with a Nation that has such light stirring in it as not only the Presbyterian but in a manner all the variety of Congregational Churches yea the very Fift-Monarchy-men so called will hardly bear Will you pull out all our eyes will you stop our mouths with gags and handkerchiefs because you have no Law or Reason to stop them with Do you think the righteous man has no remedy left him The Lord is in his Temple his Throne is in heaven His eyes behold his eyelids try the children of men The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth Upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest Psal. 11. 4 6. God is angry with the wicked every day If he turn not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready He ordeineth his arrows against the persecutors He hath prepared for them the instruments of death Their mischief shall return upon their own heads and their violent dealing shall come down upon their own pa●es Psal. 7. 9 16. Is not here enough for you If you persist in your way every syllable of this will be accomplished upon you There 's no flying from God's presence or escaping his hand No visible confidencies bulwarks forts armies treasure or whatever else can secure you from men much less from angels and much less yet from God 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God He is the transcendently highest over-ruling Magistrate of all He is the great General of all the armies in heaven or earth Angels stars men and all inferiour creatures His host of angels relieved Elisha against the Syrians The stars in their courses fought against Sisera Judg. 5.20 Yea to shew the contemptible folly of self-exalting man God can so animate an army of frogs locusts lice or flies as to appall the proudest Tyrant and make him buckle and acknowledge that he has sinned against the Lord in abusing his people and desire them to pray for his deliverance as we see over and over in Pharaoh's case Exod. 8. 9. 10. How oft have rich and potent kings bin dragg'd out of all their visible supports taken by force out of their ablest troops and choisest armies and carried up and down to be laughed at by their enemies how many signal instances for this do we find in Iewish Assyrian Persian Greek Romane Turkish and other Histories the English not excepted Queen Iezebel with all her pomp and retinue can't secure her body from being dogs meat Have you killed and also taken possession Remember her Remember Aha● Where dogs

mention some obscure proposition in the Mathematicks to an unlearned man or at least unversed in his Art He demands a demonstration How do you prove this saies he the other gives an exact demonstration but he through ignorance of the very rudiments and principles of Mathematick learning receives not the demonstration as any satisfactory account of the proposition to him at all He is as far to seek as ever What then where lies the fault In the pretended demonstration he will say He will by no means suspect his capacity The defect lies wholly in his understanding and he laies it all upon the demonstration saies nothing is proved Let a skilful Artist hear the matter he presently grants the demonstration to be as clear as the Sun This may be the case where the subject matter of the discourse is properly within ken to meer natural reason as the suitable and intelligible object thereof How much more difficult is the case with the true spiritual Believer and his Gospel doctrine in case he discourse with one that is confident he wants not for discerning and yet sees nothing at all as he ought to see has no discerning at all of spiritual things or of the spiritual sence reach and significancy of the Scriptures He has no eye at all suited to such matters yet none more confident The true spiritual watchman were as good meet a Bear robb'd of her whelps as talk with such a man about spiritual things He is absolutely unreasonable as to such things that faith only sees Paul prayed to be delivered from such cattel and desired others to pray for him on that account as the most irksome thing in the world Finally brethren pray for us saith he that the word of the Lord may have free course and that we may be delivered from unreasonable men for all men have not Faith 2 Thes. 3. 1 2. He that has not faith or the spiritual discerning is perfectly unreasonable as to spiritual things You were better talk to a tree if he be confident for that will make no noise to trouble you he will Men are still for How do you prove it They never question but they can understand and receive it if rightly evidenced Did not Christ himself speak with evidence as one having authority beyond all the teaching of the Scribes Mat. 7. 29. Yet how was he and his doctrine rejected by the Scribes and generallity of the religious party amongst the Iewes and received only by some poor fishermen and common sinners where was the fault that Christ's doctrine was not received Did not he give the demonstration right how often is it said in Scripture He that has an ear to hear let him hear The grand obstruction to the propagating of the Gospel is the want of the hearing ear Till there be this we speak to deaf men The old serpent has deaf'd and stop'd up their ears that they will not listen to the spiritual charmer charme he never so wisely And what then why then they fall to disputing and cavilling with him How do you prove this and how do you prove that You assert many things but what ground do you shew for all The disputer of this world is set at naught by the Holy Ghost Where is the wise where is the disputer of this World hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world 1 Cor. 1. 20. These disputers are not to be gratified in their way If there be a spiritual discerning spiritual things which carry their own evidence in them need onely to be asserted and prove while you will discourse a whole year together with one in whom is no such discerning he never will own that any thing is proved but holds fast his own conclusions still The way of Christ himself was not to dispute but assert and he that hath an ear to hear saies he let him hear if you will receive it receive it The true believer is to wave those unprofitable janglings by which contentious self-confident men would labour to confound all 1 Tim. 1. The Iewish teachers put this question to Christ himself Art thou the Christ tell us He said unto them if I tell you you will not believe Luk. 22.67 When Christ preach'd how many contradicted and blasphemed was the fault in him Speak who will Paul an Angel from heaven or Christ himself and let the hearing ear be wanting what can be done The very disciples when they were coming down from the Mount where Christ was transfigured before them he lets fall a word about the Resurrection and they are all in a puzzle to think what rising from the dead should mean Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come say they Elias is come saies he and they have done to him what they listed Mark 9.9 13. and Mat. 11.14 speaking of Iohn Baptist. If ye will receive it this is Elias which was for to come The last word of prophesy in the Old Testament pointed at Iohn the immediate preparatory Minister to the publick and general dispensation of the Gospel upon Christ's coming in the flesh Mal. 4. 5 6. If ye will receive it receive it He that hath an ear to hear let him hear that is he that has a spiritual understanding and discerning will take it They did so But what would the disputer of this world have said to him Sir you assert that Iohn Baptist was that Elias but how do you prove it So when the Apostle Iohn saies of false or short-sighted teachers They are of the world therefore the world hears them They They have populous Congregations all the world goes after them and admires this man and the other man But we saies he are of God He that knoweth God heareth us Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error 1 Joh. 4. 5 6. Would not the disputer of this world be out of all patience to hear a man assert at this rate and as he reckons prove nothing Let him be what he will this we see is the way of Christ and his Apostles If there be a spiritual ear this doctrine is received if not will any elaborate discourses or demonstrations ever bring to pass that the natural man shall receive the things of God What will become of that Scripture then 1 Cor. 2.14 Demonstrate while you will if there be not the ●ight reception the hearing ear all 's a case you are where you began The vain● jangling disputative way of foolish man is not at all to be gratified in the declaration of the mysteries of the kingdom of God Will you yet cavil and dispute O professors will you yet contradict and blaspheme Lo then I turn to the Gentiles My second Word is to you O Gentiles Be wise O Kings be instructed O ye Iudges of the earth Serve the Lord with fear Psal. 2. 10 11. The Signs and Wonders of God are coming thick upon you While it is yet called to day harden not your hearts against