Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	flesh_n	send_v	sinful_a	6,272	5	9.8762	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71253	The description and the practice of the four most admirable beasts explained in four sermons upon Revel. 4.8 : whereof the first three were preached before the Right Honourable James, Duke of Ormond, and lord lieutenant of Ireland, His Grace, and the two Houses of Parliament, and others, very honourable persons / by the Right Reverend Father in God, Gr. Lord Bishop of Ossory.	Williams, Gryffith, 1589?-1672.	1663 (1663)	Wing W2664; ESTC R33669	79,502	118

as yet incarnate John 1. but he endeth the same with the gratulatory sacrifice of the Apostles because that now the word was made flesh and Christ had ascended into Heaven And lest this should not be sufficient to demonstrate Christ to be a Priest S. Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest by 3 special Arguments he proceedeth to prove him to be that Priest which was after the order of Melchisedech by three other special Arguments 1. A Prosapia from his Pedegree 2. From the true qualities and properties of a Priest 3. From the performance of the duties and office of a Priest 1. 1 1 Argument from his Pedegree In that St. Luke deriveth his Genealogy by Nathan S. Ambrose saith it was to shew his Priestly office and Venerable Bede saith that because Saint Matthew intended to shew the Regal office of Christ and St. Luke his Priestly office therefore St. Beda l. 1. in c. 3. Luc. Matthew derives his person from King Solomon and St. Luke from Nathan and so saith he in the Chariot of the Cherubims the Lion which is the strongest of all Beasts designs his Kingly office and the Calf which was the sacrifice of the Priest denotates his Priestly function and saith he Eandem uterque sui operis intentionem in genealogia quoque salvatoris texenda observavit And both the Evangelists in like manner observed the same intention of their work in setting down the genealogy of our Saviour And then immediatly he addeth two excellent Observations to confirm the same point As Observation 1 1. That in the manner of setting down his genealogie S. Beda ibid. Matthew descended from Abraham to Joseph to note his Kingly office and to shew that he partaked with us of our mortality but S. Luke by ascending from Joseph unto Adam and so to God doth rather design his Priestly office in expiating our sins and so bringing us to immortality And theresore in the descending generations of S. Matthew the taking upon Christ our sins is signified but in the ascending genealogies of S. Luke the abolition of our sins is noted unto us For so the Apostle saith God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh there is the acception and the taking of our sins upon him and for sin or by the sacrifice for sin Rom. 8.3 condemned sin in the flesh there is the explation of our sins And Observation 2 2. To the same purpose he observeth that S. Matthew in his genealogie descended from David by Solomon with whose mother David sinned but S. Luke ascended by Nathan unto David by a Prophet of which name God absolved him from his sin The second Argument 2 2 Argument from the quality of a Priest which should be 1. knowledge 2 uprightness Ps 7 2.1 whereby S. Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest is from the quality of a Priest what manner of man he should be and that is to be endued with knowledge and uprightness or judgement and righteousness for which cause the Prophet prayeth Give the King thy judgement O God and thy righteousness unto the Kings son For who is this King and this Kings son but this Priest the Messias of the world And so Moses prayeth in like manner Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy One. or as some read it upon the man of thy merrie for who is this holy One Deut. 33. 8 or this man of his mercy but this our truc high Priest called the man of his mercy 1. Because he is the man that is full of mercy 2. Because that God out of his meer mercy did give this man unto us 3. Because by this man onely and none else we obtain mercy And according to those two mens prayer for those two things to be given unto the high Priest God gave them most am●y without measure unto the Messias that is Play 〈…〉 Jer. 23.5 our high Priest For I have put my Spirit upon him saith the Lord there is knowledge and be shall bring forth judgement unto the Gentiles there is 〈◊〉 And S. Luk 〈◊〉 that Christ had Vrim and Thummim 〈◊〉 Christ his knowledge Luke 11.49 knowledge and uprightness without measure For In regard of the 〈◊〉 he plainly calleth him the wisdome of God And his wisdome 〈◊〉 1. In his wise unreprovable and unrepliable answers to Satan that subtil Serpent to the Heredians that feigned themselves to be just men and were sent to intrap him in his speech and to the chiefest Doctours of the Jews to whom he did so wisely answer Luke 20.7 that they durst not ask him any thing at all and if he asked them any question they answered They could not tell how to answer him 2. In his heavenly teaching of his followers so truly expounding the Prophecyes of the Prophets so profoundly speaking to them in parables so plainly delivering the Law unto them and so sweetly comforting all that came unto him that the eyes of all were fastened upon him Luke ● 20.22 and they wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth And In regard of the second 2 2 His uprightness Mork 7.37 1 Pet. 2.22 that is his uprightness S. Mark saith that the people testified he did all things well And S. Peter saith There was no guile found in his mouth And S. Luke confirmeth the same throughout his whole Gospel The third Argument whereby S. 3 3 Argument from the office of a Priest threefold Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest is from the duty and office of a Priest which is specially threefold 1. To expound the Law 2. To pray for the people 3. To offer sacrifice for their sins 1. The Prophet Malachy saith The Priests lips should keep knowledge Mal. 2.7 and the people should seek the law at his mouth And S. Hierom saith It is the duty of the Priest to answer all that ask him concerning the Law and therefore if he be the Priest of the Lord Hieron super Hagg. let him know the law of the Lord or if he be ignorant of the law he is no Priest of the Lord. And therefore S. Luke sheweth That Christ taught the people most diligently expounded the Law most truly and answered all questions that were asked of him most readily And 2. Luke 22.32 He sheweth That he prayed for S. Peter that his faith should not fail And S. John sheweth how he prayed for all those whom his father gave him and for all them also which should believe on him through the word And John 17.11 20. 3. How as a Priest he offered sacrifice for the sins of the people which he did both in the Garden and upon the Cross S. Luke sheweth it more amply then any of all the Evangelists for though S. Matthew and S. Mark do tell us that he was in heaviness or exceeding sorrowful Matth. 26 38. Mar 14.35 Aristotle sect 11. probl 30.

mercy And 6. Truth as Zoreb proveth is so great that it will prevaile against all oppesitions for though that by the tricks and delayes of sutle heads it may be clouded for a time yet at last it will bud forth and appear But I fear the Lord hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of this Land because as the Prophet saith there is no truth nor mercy I may add nor justice nor knowledge of God in the Land or if these be then I am sure you will not build up Zion with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquity because the Lord loves neither House nor Lands that are unjustly obtained I cannot stand to examine it or to handle the particulars that might be said concerning these six points for that might require six houres to do it at least but I will proceed and say 2. 2 2. What use they made of their wings If you would know to what end they had these wings or what use they made of them the Prophet Esay tells you in the practice of the Seraphims that it was for these three special ends That is 1. To cover their faces 2. To cover their feet 3. To flie about For he saith that with two of their wings they cover'd their faces Esay 6.2 and with two they covered their feet and with two they did flie And this they did for these three ends That is 1. To check our curiosity 2. To shew our misery 3. To teach us industry 1. It is the nature and the foolish disposition of man to be alwayes prying and searching into every thing the screts of God the mysteries of state and the obscurities of nature And yet the Seraphims that stand in the presence of God are fain to cover their faces not to hide their sins which they had not but because they are not able to behold the brightness of Gods glorious Majesty and if the Angels hid their faces from the brightness of Gods Glory how dares sinfull man prie into it because as the Apostle saith he dwels in the light that no man can attain unto it 1 Tim. 6.16 Exod. 34.20 and the Lord saith himself that no man could see his face and live for though we walk in the chearfull light of the Sun yet we are not able fully and directly to look upon the Sun when he shineth in his full strength and brightness but it will dazle our eyes and make them to see a thousand colours And as a pure chrystal glass cannot indure the strong working of the fire but it will break all to pieces even so the weakness of mans mortal nature though it liveth by the enjoying of Gods presence yet it cannot bear nor comprehend the glory and brightness of Gods Majesty but that in looking upon so clear an object the eyes of his understanding shall be dazled and he shall fall and be swallowed up into a thousand errours For seeing as the Apostle speaketh our knowledge of God in this life is but in part 1 Cor. 13.12 like the beholding of a man suddenly passing by us when we can look upon nothing but onely his back parts it is impossible for any man in this mortality to know perfectly and exactly the being and wayes of the most highest And therefore this checketh the curiosity and reproveth the boldness of those men that like Phacton will flie and mount up too high to search into the Heavenly mysteries for as the wise man saith Ecclus. 1.2 who can number the sand of the sea the drops of rain and the dayes of time who can measure the height of Heaven the breadth of the Earth and the depth of the Sea Who can find out the wisdome of God which hath been before all things For if we consider either the nature and essence of God or if we look into the counsels and works of God Danaeus Isag we shall easily perceive that they are all incomprehensible Et si quid facit Deus naturae nobis assuetae repugnans nihil tamen facit rationi repugnans And if God doth any thing that seemeth repugnant to our accustomed nature yet we may be sure he doth nothing that is repugnant to reason And though all that God doth be exceeding good yet we cannot always perceive many of them to be good and yet this makes them not to be unjust Gregor in Job c. 9. because we understand them not to be just for as St. Gregory saith Qui in factis Der rationem non videt He that seeth not the reason of Gods doings let him consider his own infirmity and blindness rationem videat cur non videt and he shall soon see the reason why he seeth it not and if we seek to know more then we are able to understand we shall understand less then we do And therefore Solomon gives good counsell to these Gnosticks saying Eccles 7.18 be not thou just over much neither make thy self over-wise For the mystery of the Lords commanding Adam that he should not eat of the tree of knowledge was very great because the knowledge that he should get thereby would not onely cause his present fall That we ought not to be too curious to search into divine mysteries Gen. 3.5 V. 7. but also make both him and all his sons for evermore to fall And therefore the subtle Serpent that aymed at the readiest way to destroy them promised unto Eva and he kept his promise that if they would eat of the tree of knowledge their eyes should be opened and they should be as Gods knowing good and evil and so it was for the text saith that their eyes were opened and they had the knowledge both of good and evil the good that they had lost and the evil that they had fallen into for they knew that they were naked And so this knowledge did but direct them a way to run away from God and teach them the art to sowe fig-leaves together to cover their shame and to hide their wickedness and themselves from the sight of God which they could never do And therefore happy Adam hadst thou been if thou never hadst had this knowledge for this knowledge made thee to fall and so the Prophet Esay saith of Babylon Esay 47.10 thy wisdom and thy knowledge have caused thee to rebel or to turn away and so Ovid saith of himself Ingenio perii qui miser ipse meo My wit and my knowledge hath undone me And I fear that many other men will cry out that their too greedy a desire inconcessae scientiae of unlawful knowledge and prying too far into hidden mysteries hath hurried them into most desperate conclusions for though it be very true that no other creature upon earth hath reason and understanding but onely man yet it is as true that no other creature goeth so far from reason as man alone And therefore I do not say happy are the beasts that want reason but I say unhappy is that man

requisite for the government of the people can not be done without a great deale of counsel and wisedome and pollicy and strength and power and the like it is not for the common vulgars to steale fire out of Heaven to search out the reasons and to prie into the causes and all the actions of their Superiours but as the maxime of all wise men is curabit praelia Conon let the secrets of the Prince be to the Prince and as the Medes said to Deioces when they chose him to be their King do thou what thou wilt about the government of us both in war and peace and we will obey thy commands and follow our husbandry our trades and our occasions Josh 1.16 and as the Jewes likewise said to Joshua All that thou commandest us we will do and whether soever thou sendest us we will go and whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment in all that thou commandest him he shall be put to death so should we and all other people study to be quiet as the Apostle speaketh and to follow their vocation and to learn obedience which is better then sacrifice and never to be so curious and censorious as to prie into the secrets and to condemn the actions of their Governours but rather with the Cherubims and these Beasts to cover thei● faces with two of their wings And as they ought to do this about the secrets of State The Church affairs ought to be left to the disposal of Aaron and the Priests so they should do the like about the Church affairs which they should leave to Aaron and the Priests to dispose of and not with the men of Beth-shemesh to prie into the Arke of the Lord 1 Sam. 6.19 lest they suffer as they did when the Lord smote fifty thousand threescore and ten men for their curiosity in prying into the secrets of the Church For what have Lay-men to do with the ordering of holy things that the Lord God hath committed unto the Priests Ne Sutor ultra crepidam said Apelles The Shoemaker must not touch the thigh Vnless his art doth reach so high And will they order things in the Church of God that have so much disorder in their own house and can not tell how to mend it therefore they ought rather to hide their faces with two of their wings then to prie into the Government of the Church For as I told you even now that the Government of the Common-wealth was a matter of great moment and to be borne upon the shoulders which are the best able to bear it so the Arke of God 1 Chron. 15.15 wherein all the Government of the Church was included was to be carried upon the shoulders of the Levites 1 Chron. 13.10 1 Chron. 15.15 To shew that this Government of the Church is no wayes of less moment then the Government of the civil State Therefore when this Arke was put not upon the shoulders of the Priests Numbers 4.15 according to the first institution but to be carried upon a new cart the Lord made a breach upon his people and smote Vzza that he died and so they may well fear the anger of the Lord will be kindled against those that take this Arke of God from the shoulders of the Priests and put it as it was of late into the hands of those that had nothing to do with it Secondly 2 2. Why they covered their feet As the Cherubims and these Beasts did cover their faces with two of their wings to check our curiosity because we are not able and therefore ought not to prie into secret mysteries so they covered their feet with two of their wings to shew our misery because we have defiled our selves and fouled our feet by our walking in the wicked wayes and the dirty pathes of sin and iniquity And so we are no wayes able to stand and to justifie our selves in the sight of God for we are all become abominable and there is none that doth good no not one But in all men there is corruption in the best men there is defection What the best of all our actious are and in the Angels unfaithfulness hath been found And therefore God hath shut up all in unbelief that every mouth should be stopped and all the world culpable before God for if you looke into the best of all our actions and the choicest wayes that we walk in you shall find that the righteousness which we have by nature is but justitia Gentilium splendida peccata as Saint Augustine calls them or the wisedome of the flesh not sanctified by faith as Saint Paul calls it The righteousness that we have by the Law is but justitia Pharisaeorum which as Saint Chrysostome saith was in ostentatione non in rectitudine intentionis in locutione non in opere in corporis afflictione non in mandatorum observatione and so it was but sceria obducta sin guilded and unprofitable because never perfectly performed no not by the strictest Pharisee And the righteousness which we have by grace is but justiciae viatorum inchoated and imperfect and at the best but as menstruous cloaths full of staines but Jehova justitiae nostra the Lord is that righteousness which must save us And therefore we should never exalt our selves with high conceits of our own worth like the proud Pharisee but rather fall down upon our knees with the humble Publican and say Lord be merciful unto me a sinner and to cry out with the Prodigal Child we have sinned against Heaven and against thee and we are no more worthy to be called thy Sons For if God should enter into judgement and be extream to mark what we do amiss O Lord who could abide it For no flesh living could be justified That we ought not to hide and cover our sins And therefore we should not stand to justifie our selves and our wayes before God but rather with these Beasts and those holy Cherubims to cover our feet with two of their wings But by this covering of our feet we must not understand the hiding and covering of our sins as most of us use to do for Solomon tells you plainly that he which hideth his sins shall not prosper Prov. 28.13 but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy 1 Iohn 1.8 and Saint John saith if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us but if we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to clense us from all unrighteousness And therefore though we ought to cover our feet that is not to justifie our wayes before God yet we must not cover our sins but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart if ever we look to obtain forgiveness of the same 3. 3 3. Why they did flie As they covered their feet with two of their wings so with the other