Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	distinction_n	mortal_a	venial_a	4,934	5	12.1153	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68718	A key of heaven the Lords Prayer opened, and so applied, that a Christian may learne how to pray, and to procure all things which may make for the glorie of God, and the good of himselfe, and of his neighbour : containing likewise such doctrines of faith and godlines, as may be very usefull to all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus.	Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1633 (1633)	STC 22122; ESTC S1717	241,855	822

on Christ Iesus who is the surety for man And be wee sure to confesse and aske forgivenesse of this debt and never give over untill it have pleased God to seale an acquittance unto our consciences by his Spirit which he will give to all that aske it This wee should doe Luk. 11. ●5 because sinne is a debt and that of most dangerous consequence Debts Our Saviour doth not say debt as speaking of one debt or of one kinde of debt but hee saith debts that is all kinde of sinnes as well veniall as mortall if we may use that distinction as well small as great From hence observe Doct. 10 Whosoever would be justified before God must be beholding to God for the free forgivenesse of all his sinnes as well as of any David saith Hee forgiveth all thine iniquities Psal 103.3 Reas 1 All sinnes are mortall and of themselves damnable For Cursed is every one that con●inueth not in all things written i● the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 Wherefore if all sinnes be not pardoned a man abideth under the curse there denounced Reas 2 All sinnes are veniall and pardonable in Christ to all beleevers and penitent persons therfore they may expect pardon of all as well as of any one This confuteth the tenent of Vse 1 Papists which hold that such sinnes which they call veniall doe not deserve hell and may be done away by crossing and knocking the brest by holy water by any worke of charitie and such slight satisfactions Let all that will be saved be Vse 2 glad they may bee beholding unto GOD for pardon of all their sinnes and let us aske for remission of all sinnes God can as well pardon all and the greatest sinnes as one of the least and the least sinne hath need to be pardoned as well as the greatest for a Musket shot will kill as well as the shot of a great Ordenance As we forgive our debters These words are the reason serving to strengthen the faith of such as are to aske forgivenesse Here therfore we learne Doct. 11 In asking forgivenesse of sinne it is meet that reasons be used to expresse what ground a man hath to aske and to expect forgivenesse Thus David yeeldeth reasons why God should have mercy on him first from his tender mercy then from his owne confession of his sins then from his faith in Christ and from the effects which would follow upon Gods shewing mercy to him all which may be plainely seene in Psal 51.1.3.7 c. Reason Apt reasons serve much to imbolden and incourage a sinner to come before God and this he hath need of because Satan hath many devices to keepe him from asking forgivenesse as sometimes to hide from his sight the uglinesse and danger of sinnes causing him to forget his sinne or to thinke there is no great need of pardon I● this fetch of his will not prevaile then he setteth all his sins before him and stretcheth them upon the tenters of aggravation making them seeme bigger than they are pleading Gods wrath and justice against them Now against arguments of discouragements and feares reasons of asking forgivenesse are very usefull They are therefore to blame Vse 1 who aske forgivenesse of their sinnes and yet cannot render a true reason why they should expect forgivenesse Let all that would breake Vse 2 through all discouragements and would aske forgivenesse of their sins with confidence furnish their hearts with strong arguments taken from Gods nature and Gods commandement to aske and from Gods promise of forgivenesse or from their misery and capablenesse to be forgiven or the like that when they come to GOD in prayer though they are not to goe about to perswade God with arguments to grant that which of himselfe he is not inclined to yet they may use arguments to perswade themselves to aske and hope for forgivenesse As we forgive them that trespasse against us Note here those which make this petition must be able to say truely they forgive others that thereby they may approve themselves to be capable of forgivenesse from God and that they have good reason to expect it Hereby we learne Doct. 12 Whosoever would have God forgive them their sinnes they must be able truely to say they forgive all other their trespasses against them Our Saviour saith If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6.14.15 Also he saith When yee stand praying forgive if yee have ought against any Mark 11.25 God hath expresly commanded Reas 1 every Christian to forgive one another Eph. 4.32 Col. 3.13 Now if man will not for his sake at his commandement forgive one hundred pence why should hee expect that God should forgive him ten thousand talents at his intreatie God hath promised forgivenesse Reas 2 to all that from their heart forgive their brethren their trespasses Mat. 18.35 Mat. 6.14 15. To forgive another in mercy Reas 3 and compassion towards men and in conscience towards God this is a signe that God hath already begun to forgive us because that our forgivenesse of our neighbour is but a reflexe of Gods former forgiving of us for Gods love to us first maketh us love our brethren Now if we can assure our selves God hath begun to pardon us wee may assure our selves hee will againe pardon our sinnes if we aske it Ob. It doth belong onely to God to forgive trespasses Sol. In every wrong done to man there is a double trespasse one against man another against God whose commandement is broken by that trespasse done to man Now it is most true that God onely can forgive the sinne and trespasse against him and no man must presume to forgive the sin comitted against God onely hee is to intreate God to forgive the sinne committed in the wrong done to him as Stev● did Acts 7.60 who said Lord lay not their sinne to their charge But forgivenesse spoken of in the point is of forgivenesse not of the sinne but of the wrong and trespasse against man The Scripture alloweth men to require their debts Ob. and if they be wronged to complaine to the Magistrate and for that cause both magistracie and judiciall constitutions were set up in the common-wealth of Israel therefore it may seeme all trespasses are not to be remitted In every wrong done unto us Sol. there are two things concurre First defect of love in him that wrongeth us which is apt to beget the like defect in us to cause us to cease to love him yea to spite and seeke revenge The second thing is there is some hurt or damage groweth either to our name life or goods which worketh in us that are wronged desire of satisfaction and recompence for the hurt done unto us The first of these namely their ill will to us must alwayes be forgiven so that all ill will in us to them and all

true and adding of false Sacraments may be abandoned It must also be desired that the censures and keyes committed to the Church may be exercised with such discipline that the good may be encouraged the evill may be shamed and cut off from communion with the Church and that to the working of true awfull credit of the Church and advancement of the kingdome of Christ Iesus And that this authoritie may not bee abused for the maintaining of error disgracing or thrusting the best members out of the Church as did the Pharises who made and executed this Canon Ioh 9 2● That if any did confesse that Iesus was the Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue Or as Diotrephes who did cast men out of the Church 3. Ioh. 10. for receiving the brethren The other externall meanes of establishing and governing this kingdome are the officers both civill and Ecclesiasticall The civill are the King or supreame Magistrate in any place and such as have lawfull authoritie under them whose office is to countenance and order whatsoever things or persons may promote Christs kingdome Isa 49.23 Therefore they are called nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers of the Church which office David and the godly kings of Iudah did performe Prayers must bee made for them but especially for our owne King and governours under him that they may so governe that their subjects may live in all godlinesse 1. Tim. 2.2 and honestie that like zealous Nehemiahs they may rule for the praise of them that bee good Rom 13. and for the terror of them that do evill that they set up and maintaine the onely one true religion among their subjects We must pray likewise against Anarchie when none reigne but every man liveth as he lusteth Iudg. 21.25 Also against evill government when Magistrates maintaine false religion or irreligion or else do tolerate them to the corrupting of the true The Ecclesiasticall officers whose office is to dispence the Word to administer the Sacraments and to have the chiefe ordering of the censure of the Church also such assistants as may help the other in their government Touching these it must bee requested that God would send forth labourers into his harvest Mat. 9.38 that he would increase their number that hee would give them gifts and skill to divide the word of truth aright Psal 132.9 that he would give them grace and will to feede their people with knowledge that he would deliver all such from unreasonable men that they may have liberty to preach the Gospel of the kingdome Lastly that they may bee of unblameable conversations ensamples to their flocks in good works Prayer likewise must bee made for all other that beare office in the Church that they may also have the mysterie of faith in pure conscience that they may also be diligent in discharging their office Contrariwise we must pray against having no ministerie government in the Church also against a false ministerie as that of Pope Cardinals Priests Iesuites c. Also against evill Ministers and officers Ezek. 34.3 Isa 56.16 which either cannot or will not teach or governe according to their place or teach idly rule remisely or teach erroniously or rule amisse Now albeit the kingdome of God may be come in respect of the externall meanes thereof yet if the internal means which is the holy Ghost and the effectuall working thereof be not come neither can the Magistrate with his sword nor the Minister with the word availe any thing to the converting of any one Christian or winning of one soule to this kingdome Wherefore it must be desired that the holy Spirit of God would effectually accompanie the outward meanes of gathering and building up the elect to the enlightening and translating them from the power of darknesse into the kingdome of his deare Sonne and that they may increase in knowledge and everie good grace according to the mightie working of his glorious power that the Word Sacraments and Discipline the weapons of this warfare may be mighty through God to pull downe strong holds and cast downe imaginations and high things which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and may bring into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Christ In respect of subjects of this kingdome praier must be made that their number be increased and perfected that the fulnesse of the Gentiles may come and that the Iews the two sticks Iudah and the children of Israel his companions Ezek. 37.22.24 and Ephraim and the children of Israel his companions may bee united and gathered into Christs sheepfold and may have one King the Lord Christ the sonne of David that so all Israel may be saved as it is written Ro. 11.26 Isa 59.20 Also that being gathered they may be loyall to their King and at peace and loving one to another that there be no Schismes and divisions in this kingdome As for enemies to this kingdome not only Satan and sinne the chiefe which stand in direct opposition to Christ and the Spirit but all such men as are slaves to sinne and Satan and confederates with them are to be prayed against whether they be open foes or false friends which by force or fraud go about to undermine and resist the kingdome of Christ The most notorious of these are Antichrist the arch-enemie of the Church of the Gentiles Ezek. 38.16 and Gog and Magog the arch-enemie of the Church of the Iews All locusts which warre under their king Abaddon Rev. 11.9 All false Christs and false Prophets spoken of Matth. 24.24 which shall endeavour to seduce the Iewes and hinder their conversion Also everie member of the kingdome of darknesse must be resisted and prayed against Here is onely the place for imprecation and praying against men The case of imprecation But because Christians are commanded to love their enemies and to blesse them that curse and pray for them that persecute them speciall care must be had how any man pray against another Wherefore it shall bee needfull to observe some distinctiōs from whence rules of imprecations may be observed 1 Praier is made against enemies of Christs kingdome either in generall or against particular persons 2 Distinction must be put betweene the persons of evill men and their evill acts 3 Distinction must bee put betweene one evill person and another by their acts some sin the sinne unto death irrecoverably some who now are enemies yet are curable and belong to Gods election 4 Difference must be put betweene a mans owne private cause and the cause of God 5 Difference must be put betweene evils temporall and eternall 1 These things observed rules of direction doe follow First that every Christian may and must pray against the enemies of the Church in generall so David Psal 104.35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth 2 The sinnes acts and counsels of the enemies of grace are alwaies

indevours for the things which are heavenly are much to be blamed and are to be admonished to overcome this their earthly mindednesse lest their end be damnation because they minde earthly things Phil. 3.19 Vse 2 Let the desires of Christians therefore be fewer and lesse vehement for the things of this life and let their principall care be how their sinnes may be forgiven and the strength thereof abated the particulars whereof come now to be handled in the two next petitions The fifth Petition And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters Here follow those petitions that concerne the soule and eternall life which as they doe properly tend to the exceeding great benefit of man so do they most excellently serve for the accomplishing the chiefest desire of every good man namely the attaining of the glory of God in the comming of his kingdome and doing of his will For no man is accepted to be a subject of Christs kingdome untill his sinnes be forgiven neither can any man doe the will of God untill he be sanctified and have power against sinne Now because sinne doth hinder Gods glory and mans happinesse our Saviour directeth his Disciples to deprecate sinne and that in two respects First in respect of the guilt and punishment from which they are to desire to be acquitted and justified This is the subject of the fifth petition Secondly in respect of the dominion and power of sinne which is prayed against and is the subject of the last petition These words Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters containe a petition Forgive us our debts an argument to perswade him that asketh forgivenesse that he is capable of forgivenesse and that hee may be assured he shall be forgiven In the petition come to be cōsidered the subject of it Forgivenesse of debts the circūstāces which do set forth this forgivenesse In the subject of this petition there are to be considered the act of forgivenesse forgive and the object whereabout forgivenesse is exercised namely our debts Debts that is sinnes so Saint Luke saith Forgive us our sins And because it is set downe in the plurall number and indefinitely by debts or sinnes wee must understand all sinnes both originall and actuall veniall or smaller sinnes deadly or greater sinnes the smallest are not so little that they need no pardon and the greatest are not so hainous as that they cannot be pardoned Sinnes are called debts by similitude because man stood bound by the law first written in mans nature and after in tables of stone unto perfect obedience with this obligation Gen. 2.17 Deut. 27.26 that If he continued not in all things written in the Law the forfeiture was he should be accursed which curse comprehended in it all miseries in this world and eternall destruction in the world to come This forfeit Adam and Eve did make and in them all mankinde who daily adde unto this debt by their actuall sinnes the guilt punishment of these sinnes are the object of forgivenesse Forgive Forgivenesse is an act of grace whereby a man is acquitted from the whole guilt and is released of all the punishment of his sinne in such sort that nothing can be layed to his charge In this act of forgiving Rom. 8.33 allusion is made unto the acts of creditors to their debtors which stand bound to them in obligations to pay certaine summes of money or upon not payment to forfeit a far greater summe Now when the debter doth make this forfeit and is no way able of himselfe to discharge it if the creditor doth forbeare to sue the debtor and doth freely cancell the obligation and give to him an acquittance of that debt this act of his is To forgive It is likewise resembled by the act of a King and a judge towards such subjects as by transgressing the law had forfeited their lives into the hands of justice Now when the King of his meere grace doth remit the offence and punishment this is to pardon and forgive Such an act as this is that of Gods forgiving of a sinner Now because forgivenesse of sinnes is of the greatest consequence that can concerne man and because justification of a sinner and this act of forgivenesse is much mistaken by some wilfully by others ignorantly I will endeavour in opening the meaning of this word forgive as distinctly and as clearly as I can to shew what our desire extendeth unto when we say forgive shewing First what things do necessarily go before forgivenesse of our sinnes Secondly what it is to have them forgiven Thirdly what are those immediate effects of forgivenesse which are comprehended under it Before any man can have his sinnes forgiven two things are required First that satisfaction bee made unto the justice of God who is the partie offended by Sinne. Secondly that there bee a qualification of the partie to be forgiven by faith whereby he doth apply to himselfe the interest which he hath in the satisfaction before mentioned For although Gods forgiving of sins be in many things like mans forgiving of men their trespasses yet in this it differeth much Man by a meere single act of mercie forgiveth without satisfaction else it were no forgivenesse but in Gods forgiving there is an act of mercie mixed with justice For the Scripture saith that without shedding of bloud Heb. 9.22 that is without satisfaction and expiation for sinne there is no remission Not but that God by his absolute power and meere mercy could have forgiven mans sinne without any satisfaction of his justice Exod. 34.6 For mercie is as naturall to God as is justice and God was in himselfe free to either being no more tyed by his justice to punish sinners than by his mercie to forgive them God doth nothing out of himselfe by any naturall necessitie but doth all things freely according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.9 And if he had so pleased he might as well out of his meere mercie have pardoned a sinner without any satisfaction as to account the guilt and inflict the punishment of mans sinne upon another upon Christ a suretie in himselfe innocent and to accept of that punishment for satisfaction But God intending to bring more glorie to his holy Name and to shew his more abundant love unto man in doing him a greater good he did in his holy wisdome make choice rather of saving man by a way of mercie tempered with justice whereby the glorie of more of his Attributes and Excellencies might shine forth and man being by this way incorporated into Christ his Saviour his salvation is made sure for ever Whereas if God had by a single act of mercie pardoned man and then have left him to stand upon his owne bottome he had remained in a great likelihood of falling againe into a like state of condemnation God intending thus to glorifie himselfe and to save man in a way of mercie but not without satisfaction

pardoned But when a man by a lively faith doth lay hold on Christ for pardon the same faith doth draw vertue from Christ whereby 〈◊〉 doth kill sinne and is quickn●● in the inward man And nothing maketh man so fearefull to offend and carefull to please God for time present and to come as a firme perswasion of Gods love to him in pardoning his sinnes past Now this pardon must be sought for in Christ and must be applied by faith because Christ Iesus is the Mediator who hath satisfied for sinne and hath made a way for Gods mercy and faith is the onely instrument on mans part to apply this remission and redemption The particulars comprehended in this point may easily be gathered by that which hath beene said in the interpretation of forgive namely that in asking forgivenesse wee aske freedome from the guilt and punishment of all sinne wee aske eternall life together with reference to the meanes namely Christ therefore wee 〈◊〉 faith to apply Christ and a daily certificate by the spirit that our sinnes are pardoned Also wee aske assurance and the fruits of assurance of forgivenesse in this life viz. peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost The particulars being remembred the uses follow If forgivenesse of sinnes bee Vse 1 so desireable they are then to be held extreamely foolish and beyond measure sinfull that of all things care and look least after forgivenesse and the making of their salvation sure unto them If they have offended and are in danger of punishment by the lawes of man then if by petition or bribe satisfaction or by any other meanes they can procure either commutations releasements or pardons they will spare no paines this way Or if they can make sure to themselves and to theirs large temporall estates it is all that they doe labour to make sure in this life but they are altogether negligent in seeking remission of sinnes by Christ Iesus they have no thoughts of making their calling and election sure Nay because they would be thought to have reason for what they doe in not seeking for assurance of salvation they would make themselves and others beleeve that it is impossible to be attained and that to be sure of salvation is high presumption If they can provide for their bodies they will trust God with their soules they hope that he that made them will save them they confesse they bee sinners and who are not Thus sleightly they passe over their Iustification a matter of the greatest consequence of any thing that can concerne them But what doth this argue but that they are ignorant senslesse of their miseries for if they knew they were cast and condemned they would as in case of life and death begge pardon as a prisoner at the barre would beg for his life If these men did not love their sinne and flatter themselves presuming of God that he will be mercifull notwithstanding their abhominable sinnes they would never neglect that invaluable benefit of remission of sinnes But let them not catch hold and rest on these presumptuous hopes they will deceive them for they be but the hypocrites hopes like spiders webs the Beesome of death putteth an end to them all Then God will shew that he can be mercifull to the vessels of mercy and yet be just in the damnation of all that neglect so great salvation offered by such gracious meanes as by 〈◊〉 pardon if they would heartily aske it This should move all men to Vse 2 pray and used all means to obtaine remission of sinnes and assurance thereof to their conscience He that is in danger of an execution upon his body to imprisonment or to death or that hath not evidence for his lands and possessions cannot rest nor have any quiet untill he have a pardon and have gotten better evidence Motives inducing to the asking forgivenesse Were we but spirituall to apprehend the miseries that abide men untill sinne be pardoned namely that we are exposed to Gods eternall wrath and if we did prize heaven at so high a rate as it deserveth it being an inheritance incorruptible reserved in the heavens and if we did but well consider that if the pardon of the sins even of Gods people be not made knowne and sure to their hearts though their sins shall not damne them indeed and for euer Psal 32. Psal 51 yet they damne them in their owne sense and feeling for a time through horror of conscience as it was with David And if we did but consider that the peace of God passeth all understanding and that there is nothing would make us so comfortable to our selves nor so fruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ as assurance of salvation and if we held him to be onely the blessed man whose transgression is forgiven Psal 32.1 and whose sinne is covered wee would use all meanes to have faith in Christ we would importune God and give him no rest untill hee had pardoned our sinnes and sealed the pardon to our conscience by his Spirit which is the seale of our redemption Forgive The person of whom Forgivenesse is asked is our Father which is in heaven wherefore it followeth It is God that forgiveth sins Doct. 2 Yea because our Saviour directeth us to aske forgivenesse of none but of God wee may conclude that it belongeth to God onely to forgive sinnes I Isa 43.25 even I am hee saith God which blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Daniel saith To the Lord our God belongeth mercies and forgivenesses Dan. 9.9 With the Lord is mercy and plenteous redemption Psal 130.7 And it was a true position among the Iewes that none could forgive sinnes but God onely Mark 27. Reas 1 To forgive iniquitie transgression Exod. 34 7. and sinne is a branch of his name therefore peculiar to God Reas 2 Every sinne is committed against God yea those sinnes which are committed against our neighbour David when hee had committed adultery and murther Psal 51.4 said Against thee onely have I sinned Reas 3 Sinne is of an infinite nature being committed against a perfect and most holy law and against an infinite God so that there must be infinite merit in the Mediator and infinite mercy in him which through the Mediator shall pardon sinne which infinitenesse is onely to be found in God Men are to forgive their brethren Ob. therefore not GOD onely Distinction must be made Sol. that in one and the same act there may be a trespasse against man because it wrongeth him also there is offence against God because it is sinne namely a transgression of his Law Men may and must forgive the wrong and trespasse against themselves but must not nay cannot forgive the sin against God Ministers are allowed by God himselfe to remit sinnes Ob. Ioh. 20.23 Sol. Ministers remit sinnes ministerially in Christs name pronouncing onely Gods forgiving of sinne as Nathan said to