Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	according_a	consolation_n	great_a	15	3	2.0729	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25294	The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian catechisme in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy laborer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...	Ames, William, 1576-1633.	1659 (1659)	Wing A3003; ESTC R6622	173,739	322

that there is no joy nor gladness in the practice of godliness and so they shun godliness and the care of it as that which is full of sadness and melancholy But the Scriptures teach otherwayes that the godly are called to this that they may alwayes rejoyce Phil. 4. 4. and that they alwayes are as it were feasting with all gladness according to that of Solomon Prov. 15. 15. The proper cause of this errour is ignorance a depraved sense of their sins 〈◊〉 in this like unto an herd of swine who make it their greatest pleasure and delight to wallow in the 〈◊〉 Use 3. Of Consolation for the godly in that 〈◊〉 their outward condition is yet they have 〈◊〉 of more true joy than can be either felt or understood by worldly men Use 4. Of Exhortation that striving with our utmost indeavour we must labour more and more to receive and be sensible of this joy Now the mean●… which we ought chiefly to use for attaining and 〈◊〉 thereof are these 1. We must in good 〈◊〉 remove all hinderances of this joy that is that by repentance a real amendment of life we 〈◊〉 cleanse and disburthen our selves of our sins 〈◊〉 We ought to have a true care that we daily make more sure and constant to our selves our union and communion with God by diligent examination and confirmation of our faith and hope 3. That we 〈◊〉 much and often exercised in the religious meditation of Gods Promises which promise all good things to such as have God for their God 4. I●…●…duceth much to this purpose if in our selves we exercise and excite this joy in and by the daily praise of Gods name that is as well in private as publick thanksgiving coming from the bottom of our heart for all those blessings with which God hath blessed us in Christ Jesus Doct. 5. That this joy●… and this comfort brings a certain holy security to the consciences of believers This is gathered from the last verse of the Psalm And this is that security wherein the Apostle ●…oasts and glories Rom. 8. If God be for 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 be against us c. For I am perswaded that nothing can separate me c. And David every where in the 〈◊〉 Why do I fear God is my rock c. This security differs much from carnall security wherein men of this world lye and sleep 1. Because true and prais-worthy security is grounded upon true faith and not upon vain imagination 2. Because it is bred in us by the Word and Promises and by the preaching and knowledge of the word of God It doth not proceed from traditions or mens dreams and customes in sin as that doth 3. Because this security relies alwayes upon Gods protection as it is in the Text Thou onely makest me c. it doth not rely on outward means or on our own strength and wisdome 4. Because this security is fed cherished and advanced by diligent use of calling upon Gods name and of all other means that God hath prescribed and appointed us Reas 1. Because Gods protection secureth believers from all evill at least from the sting of it by reason whereof it is onely truly evill for God hath all things both evill and good in his own power Reas 2. Because Gods presence brings all other good things with it for God is so good in himself that in himself virtually and eminently he contains all things that can be called good Reas. 3. Because Gods goodness towards believers is unchangeable so that there can be no danger of the changing of this happiness into misery Use The use of this Doctrine is for consolation to the faithfull to wit that from this ground they 〈◊〉 and ought to depend upon God and lay aside all those anxieties whereby they may be discouraged from adhering to God with joy and gladness The second Lords day Rom. 7. vers 7. What shall we say then Is the Law sin God forbid Yea I had not known sin but by the Law For I had not 〈◊〉 that concupiscence or lust was a sin unless the Law had said Thou shalt not covet THe Apostle that he might stir up the faithfull to a new obedience had proposed to them the difference of their condition that are under the Law and of them that are under Grace to wit that such as are under the law of the flesh and sin bring forth fruits unto death but such as are under the grace of the Spirit bring forth fruits in a new obedience unto life eternall But because of this opposition between the Law and Grace some might gather that there was then a very great agreement between the Law and sin therefore in this seventh verse this objection is preoccupated by the Apostle 1. Then the Objection is proposed What shall we say Is the Law sin 2. It is rejected with a certain kinde of detestation God forbid 3. The case is plainly set down and resolved in these words I had not known sin c. Where the singular effect and use of the Law is declared to wit that by forbidding and reproving is begotten in man a sense and acknowledgement of sin as of that which is contrary to its self and therefore it cannot be the cause of sin The Explication By the Law is understood in common a way and rule of walking Now this way and rule is imposed upon reasonable creatures by divine authority and the greatest obligations that can be And this is the Law to wit of God which the Apostle heer understands especially the moral Law By sin here is not onely understood the transgression of Gods will but also all those things that follow upon such a transgression which in this Chapter is defined by the name of Death and is called sometimes misery Sin is either known confusedly and speculatively onely or more exactly and practically Now the accurate and practicall knowledge of sin is here understood whereby it is efficaciously concluded in our consciences that sin is a detestable thing and by all means to be avoided Doct. 1. Men of their own nature are so blinded that although they be altogether drowned in sin and death yet of themselves they cannot know it This is gathered from these words I had not known sin Reas. 1. Because the very mind and conscience of man which is his eye and light is corrupted after a twofold manner 1. Privitively In that it is deprived of that light whereby it might rightly judge of it self and of such things as belong unto its spiritual life a. Positively In as much as it is possessed with a certain perverse disposition whence it often calls evill good and good evill For as the eye being put quite out feeleth nothing and as the eye infected with humours and depraved by the indispositions of the organe sees all things otherwise than they are presented so is it with the eye of the soul. Reas. 2. Because the whole man is possessed with a certain

man that by no means it can be conceived how God at any time can be the cause of any sin because seeing sin is a defect it can have no other cause but a deficient one and God seeing he is perfection it self can no ways nor ever be deficient Use Of Direction that in all our speeches and thoughts we may keep Gods glory untouched and unspotted and confesse that all the good we have comes alwayes from him but that all the evill that either we doe or suffer ariseth not from him but from our selves Doct. 2. Through Adams first disobedience sin passed upon all his Posterity Nor did this happen onely by way of imitation as the Pelagians teach but also by way of propagation or natural descent This is proved by this Argument If this had onely come to pass by imitation then the Apostle might as properly have said that Adam with all his Posterity sinned in the Angels who first fell from God as to have said that all men sinned in Adam because they as much follow the example of the Angels as of Adam For it is expressely said vers 14. That death and so also sin reigned over them that sinned not after the similitude of Adam that is by the imitation of Adam therefore vers 19. men are said to be made sinners by Adams disobedience it self The manner of this propagation is taken up and understood 1. To stand in imputation because that first transgression was held as the transgression of the whole nature of mankinde For as in the receiving of the benefits and endowments that belonged to all mankinde Adam bore the place and person of all men so also it was but right and reason that he should maintain their place either in their conservation by obedience or losse by disobedience untill they were capable of standing to or falling from their primitive condition in their own persons Herein he was as it were the Surety of all mankinde so that what he did in this businesse was to be held valid by all as done in their names 2. The second degree of this Propagation stands in the derivation or traduction of that corruption which by our first transgression seised upon the person of Adam himself This corruption is usually called the languishing of nature the seed or tinder of sin the law of our members the law of the flesh lust and sin that dwels in us but most usually originall sin because it cleaves unto us even from our first original and is some way natural unto us to wit as in our nature corrupted also it is the original of all other sins for all actuall sins flow from this as from their fountain This corruption first and principally consists in the privation of original righteousness the absence whereof so far as it is penall is inflicted by God but as it is a privation having the nature of a fault to wit the losse of that rectitude or right constitution which we should have kept and preserved entire it depends upon that relation that all men have to Adam and to his first sin Now that such corruption naturally is found in all men is not onely proved from Scriptures but seems also to be confirmed by experience it self Reas. 1. For in all men there appears a manifest perversion of our wils and inward appetite as much as spirituall and truly good things are of no good relish to all animall and naturall men but the contrary evils which of their own nature have no good rellish seem to them most sweet Now as the perversion of the sensitive appetite doth denotate bodily sicknesse so the perversion of the inmost most spiritual appetite doth point forth unto us sicknesse that is inward and in the spirit The same also may be observed of the perversion of the judgement and understanding from whence come so many and shamefull errours whereby good is esteemed evill and evill good Reas. 2. It is manifest that there is in all men a certain rebellion of the inferiour and animall faculties and appetites against the superiour and most spiritual faculties of the soul which shews the ficknesse of the upper part as not having strength enough to govern the lower and again a disorder and confusion of the inferiour faculties whereby they will not be subject to their Superiour For as as every infirmity debility and perturbation in the body so also in the soul hath its cause of sicknesse disease or certain corruption from the depravation of other parts Reas. 3. There may be observed in all a certain natural crouching of our selves to things that are below us and a certain aversion and turning away from those that are above us and for which we were made so that there are few amongst men that live not more like beasts stooping naturally to their belly-food and bowing towards the ground than according to the nature of man whose body was erected to look up to heaven and seek after God Now as a crouching in the constitution and fashioning of the body is a sign of a bodily sicknesse so also this soul crouching of the spirit doth manifestly declare some foul sickness of the spirit Reas. 4. There appears manifestly in all men a certain insensibleness from nature it self in discerning of things truly good and truly evill howbeit there is a far greater sweetness in true spiritual good things than in corporall and a far greater bitterness and sowreness in spiritual than in carnall evils Now this insensibleness and spiritual blockishnes is a manifest defect and vice cleaving to us from our very original even as the want of any outward sense is a great defect and fault of the body Reas. 5. Experience teatheth with how great difficulty and slowness men are stirred up to things that are truly good therefore as it is the definition of a good habit that makes a man ready and quick unto good works so must it be an evill and corrupt habit whereby the contrary comes to passe because slowly and with difficulty men set themselves to any good endeavours Reas. 6. It is well enough known to all that man hath not the power to do so much good as he knows should be done and as he desires to doe Wherefore when one hath not the power to move the members of his body it is a manifest disease that hinders its motion so where one hath not the power to move himself spiritually it is a manifest spiritual disease as when there is difficulty of corporal motion and one moves his body with great pains it discovers a great weaknesse of his body even as this other doth a weaknesse of the spirit Use 1. For Humiliation by reason of this misery 2. Of Exhortation that we rest not till we perceive that by the grace of God we are freed from this misery 3. For Direction that in our Prayers before God and in all parts of our care for amendment of our life we may chiefly go about this that not onely in