Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	account_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	54	3	8.9830	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44498	A gracious reproof to pharisaical saints causlessly murmuring at Gods mercies toward penitent sinners in explication of Luc. 15. 30, 31 / written by John Horne, sometimes minister of Lin Allhallows.	Horn, John, 1614-1676.	1668 (1668)	Wing H2803; ESTC R43264	137,083	347

at God's dealings sometimes in such cases as if God could not be so gracious to such offenders as if it stood not with his holiness and especially if they be soon comforted and pretend to great peace and joy in their death having done and committed some hainous offences as Adultery Murther Felony c. They are apt to suspect they are but deluded persons and Satan that inticed and deceived them to commit such sins hath again deceived them to make them think God is merciful to them and forgives and accepts them To whom I would say It 's possible for Satan to delude souls after that manner as to make them presume of mercy without serious and hearty repentance of their sins as Agag who said Surely the bitterness of Death was past with him when he was g●●ing to his execution 1 Sam. 15.32 and I wish many do not so delude themselves I am afraid it is so But yet it 's not good to either abridge the mercies of God towards nor the merits of Christ for the souls of greatest sinners so as to despair that such may be converted heartily and received again certainly and sometimes suddainly or to judge their repentance and consolations when there is no manifest appearing ground for so doing much less when there are appearing evidences of the contrary That God may both convert and forgive upon conversion greatest offenders many things may evince as the Parable also implies as 1. It is but suitable to God's oath who hath sworn that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that he turn and live Ezek. 33 11. as we noted before and to his calling the worst of sinners the simple scorners and fools that hate knowledge Prov. 1.22 23. And those that are compared to the Princes of Sodom and the people of Gomorrha Isa 1.10 15 16. c. promsing forgiveness to such upon their repentance yea and back sliders that have come toward him and gone back again promising to heal their back slidings Jer. 3.12 14 22. Hos 14.4 2. It is suitable to the end of Christ's coming who came into the world to save sinners even chief of sinners even such as are Murtherers of Fathers Murtherers of Mothers Menkillers Whoremongers Defilers of themselves with Mankind Man stealers Lyers Perjured persons yea and those that by the Apostle are counted nothing inferior to but rather greater than these zealous Pharasees that set up their own righteousness against God's in Christ and out of false zeal persecute Christ in his truth and members for upon that account he afterward after mention of such notorious offenders stiles himself the chief of sinners though a Pharasee and one of the strictest sect for Religion among the Jews and far from those gross fleshly abominations 1 Tim. 1.9 10 13 14 15 16. indeed nothing but the blood of Christ and the grace of God in him will make such sinners or any sinners else to be Saints or cleanse them from their fins that will as appears in 1 Cor. 6 9 10 11. where such horrid offenders that had been such are said to be washed to be justified to be sanctified which what is it but to be made Saints in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of God no sorrows tears or humiliations of ours can do it without purging with hysop Psal 51.7 that is with the blood and by the spirit of Christ and that will 3. Otherwise we must exclude from heaven those that the Scripture enrols among the Saints if we think God cannot convert and forgive great sinners or never doth What was David but a great sinner being guilty of acting adultery and murther and yet I hope he was a Saint Indeed he found many ready to say of him there was no help for him in God when God began to call him to account for his sin as appears Psal 3.1 2. the title whereof is a Psalm of David when he fled from Absolon his Son but yet he found it otherwise so as to rejoyce and glory in God vers 3. Thou art my shield my glory and the lifter up of my head Though Absolon's rising up against him was a punishment for his sin and a remembrance of it yet God was so therein with him having repented to shew the reality of his repentance and truth of God's acceptance of him that he was helped to carry that punishment of his sin with much magnanimity God lifted up his head when many thought as some Pharasaical Saints are apt yet to think of great sinners especially if brought to shameful sufferings for their sins as he then was surely he must be lamentably distressed and dejected in his spirit and hang down his head He lay him down and slept in the midst of his troubles for God sustained him and he would not be afraid of ten thousand of people that had set themselves against him round about ver 5.6 See what a saint-like spirit yea even under their sufferings for their sins God sometimes endues great sinners with upon their repentance and surely we may not say they were deluded and therefore neither may we conclude that others are so if having been great and notorious offenders they upon turning to God find him comforting them yea and filling them with expressions of confidence of his favour towards them and of their salvation For indeed 4. Christ therefore suffered like a sinner and malefactour that sinners yea such sinners as deserve and have shame and punishment here even the Crosse or Gallows for their just reward might through him be called and brought to repentance and dye like Saints and be Saints in their dying that is have hope and joy in him and in his salvation and this was evidenced in the Crosse and at the death of Christ For Christ himself though the Son of God and the most just person that ever was in the world yet he dyed like a Sinner Malefactour Thief or Murtherer not onely in that he suffered such a death as such offenders used to be put to by men the death of the Crosse but also in his dying as to the manner of it in respect of grief sorrow agonies that did accompany it yet not without evidences of his righteousness and hope in God his Father For did not he sweat through the violence of his agonies as it were great drops of blood trickling down to the ground And did he not cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me As bearing upon himself the punishment of such capital offences though upon our account not his own that such as are guilty of such offences and deserve such sorrows agonies and rejections of God might through him have hope and comfort in God in their dyings though of violent deaths by legal punishments as was seen in the Malefactor that suffering with him dyed like a Saint We finde no such matter testified of him no agonies nor exclamations as his sins deserved but on the contrary