Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	forgive_v	lord_n	transgression_n	3,105	5	9.6467	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11604	The sick souls salue. By William Sclater. Batchelar of Diuinity and minister of the word of God at Pitmister in Somerset	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.	1612 (1612)	STC 21845; ESTC S116861	21,761	40

is pleased to awake it when men * Iac. 4.17 know they do evil and perhaps heare the voice of conscience as another Lot admonishing x Gen. 19.7 oh deale not so wickedly or as Ioseph to his Mistris y Gen. 39.9 how canst thou do this great wickednes and sin against God and yet breake out to enormities these feare they turne in their issue into gall and wormewood And herein alas how desperat are many running to practise of the grossest enormities which nature it selfe condēns as whoredome drunkennes c and never considering conscience being thorough custome of sinning stupified how deadly they wound it and what horror they lay vp for themselues against when God shal be pleased to enter iudgement with them Oh that they would but cōsider the lamētable ends of such sinners that this z Gen. 4.7 Lyon of an evill conscience once rowsed thorough horrour driues many vnto How many alas how many every day heare we of running with Iudas to the halter to be their owne hangmen or cut throats and posting as it were out of the hell of an evill conscience to the hel of fire brimstone burning for ever before the throne of God And why should any living in the same sins secure himselfe from like iudgement But of the wound this farre 3 Let vs see now what that balme is so soveraign that hath vertue to cure it or in plainer tearmes what course is to be holden of such as are distressed that they may finde comfort Two principall Ingredients wee haue in S. Peters prescript to his patients at Ierusalem a Act 2.38 Amende your liues 2 be baptized for remission of sinnes salues soveraigne indeed for a wounded soule we can finde none better then repentance 2 and faith and whatsoever is a meanes to assure vs that our sinnes for Christs sake are forgiven vs. This do therefore whē the Lords hand shall in this kind be vpon thee search thy heart diligently for whatsoever is amisse in thee leaue neither sinnes of age no nor of youth sinnes of life nor of nature vnsifted for all these humble thy selfe vnder Godes mightie hande b Is 1.16 17 18. cease to doe evill learne to doe well thē though thy sins be red as scarlet the Lord shall make them white as wooll But this be assured never to haue this wound soundly cured till thy sinnes those especially thou feelest most galling be repēted 2 This done goe on in thy prescript vsing all holy meanes to obtaine faith in the blood of Christ c Heb 9.14 Rom. 5.1 that blood and it only infused hath vertue to cure the bleeding wounds of conscience The meaning is thou must labour to see and beleeue thine owne share in Christs death and satisfaction that thou maist be able to say as Paul from sound experience d Gal. 2.20 Christ loved me and gaue himselfe for me This perswasion once vpon sound evidence obtained whatsoever Devill or conscience can suggest for discomfort is easily removed and till that assurance in some measure be gotten never looke for solid peace in thy conscience And therefore by the way heare not them that teach you can never be assured of your salvation or pardon of sinnes in this life what e Iob. 16.2 Iob speakes of his friends in his affliction is true of such teachers miserable comforters are they to distressed consciences No racke is so torturing to the body as is their doubtfull suspense to a wounded conscience 3 And as a meanes to obtaine it carefully f Heb. 10 25 frequent the assemblies and gatherings together of the Saints where God hath appointed his interpreters those ones amongst thousands to declare vnto man his righteousnesse though it may be some little ease may bee obtained by other privat helpes yet sure they forsake their owne mercy that forsake our assemblies Hetherto ioine Christian prudence in fitting thy meditations to thy present estate The law is indeed a good g Iac. 1.23 looking glasse wherein we may behold the many blemishes and ouglie deformities of our life nature an excellent h Ier. 23.29 hammer to breake the stone of the heart but consider the heart broken needs rather i Isai 61 1. binding then breaking the spirit wounded rather lenitiues then corasiues In this case therefore Repentance faith once in any measure obtained that comfort of the Apostle is fittest to be meditated k Rom. 6.14 we are not vnder the law but vnder grace he meanes in respect of iustification And therefore though the law condemne thee for remainds of sinne yet grace acquits and accepts thee for thy faith in Christ Lastly beware of hellish courses which many take as merry company sports to driue away qualmes of conscience as some profanely tearme them the l Dan. 5.4 5 6 hand writing on the wall makes Belshazzar tremble in midst of his iollitie they are but as a draught of cold water in a fever mitigating the fervour for the present yet so as it after exasperateth the griefe Having thus handled the generals it remaines now that we proceed to some particulars the rather for that the weaknesse of most is such in this misery that except their owne particular and the particulars are almost infinit bee salued little or no ease is brought to the distressed Our order shall be this First consider we the severall occasions out of which this distresse ariseth 2 For that my purpose is to speake of it only as it is in Gods children for chastisement or prevention see wee what these speciall sinnes are which by the severall distresses God would correct or prevent in his servants Lastly as the Lord shal enable proceed we to remedies such as either Scriptures or experience hath approved for soveraigne Let no man require exact method or curious sorting them to their heads no nor enumeration of all particulars which are almost infinite It shall suffice to propound those only that occasioned this paines and that in the same order which the sicke soule for whose sake this paines was first vndertaken confusedly kept in vttering her distresses And in the forefront place we that that ariseth frō supposed vnpardonablenes of sinne This is the general that most affrights opinion that the Lord either cannot or will not pardon transgressions committed so long as but that principle of the Leper is holden m Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane anguish of heart is never so great The sinne the Lord would by this distresse chasten or prevent in his children seemes probably this A former conceit they haue had in the daies of their vanitie that of all things pardon of sinnes is easiest obtained at the hands of God a stroke on the breast I cry God mercy thou hast thought perhaps sufficient to purchase a pardon The Lord would now teach thee it cost more to redeeme a soule and that pardon purchased with the price

of his own sonnes blood is not so prodigally bestowed Now this first distresse is vsually strengthned by three other particulars 1. Greatnesse of transgressions 2. Long continuance in a course of sinning 3. Our own indisposition to partake forgiuenesse For greatnesse of sinne we haue n Gen. 4.13 Cains instance And though the issue be better in Gods children then in the brood of Cain yet the distresse it selfe is incident to Gods dearest servants And herein alas how wittie and even Rhetoricall are Gods children to aggravate theire infirmities still they will be finding out somewhat wherein their sinnes haue exceeded the sinnes of others to which the Lord hath granted pardon It is true they confesse o 1. Tim. 1.13 Paule a blaspheamer a persecutour was receaued to mercy but what he did be did ignorantly through vnbeleefe I against my knowledge and conscience Peter sinned grievously p Mat. 26.75 but wept bitterly my heart is so hardned that not one teare can be wrung out for my many sinnes Manasses shed much blood but in his tribulation q Par. 33.12.13 he prayed earnestly and humbled himselfe greatly before the Lord God of his Fathers I besides a few cold wishes and a little hanging downe the head after the guise of those Hypocrites Isa 58. find no such thing in my selfe The sinne which the Lord would hereby chasten and prevent is our former extenuations and sleight esteeme of the offence of God we were wont to say of our sins as Lot of Zoar r Gen. 19.20 are they not little ones and our soule may liue Oathes say profane men perhaps we haue said too what are they but words and words but winde Scoffing and fabling wanton speech but merry talke Profane sports honest recreations grosser enormities humane frailties The Lord would now teach thee otherwise to esteeme sins to weigh them in the ballance of the sanctuary not of thine owne fancy and perhaps the sins thou formerlie thoughtest little are nowe felt as a burthen too heavy for thee to beare The remedies are these First humble thy selfe before the great God whose offence thou hast so lightly esteemed pray God to forgiue this thought of thy hart that ever thou hast thought any sin little and resolue hereafter to make conscience as well of smaller as of greater sins knowing that thou art ſ Mat. 12.36 countable for the least even to an idle word When thou hast this done consider then the endlesnes of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus view the t Eph 3.18 height and depth and length and breadth those immense dimensions of Gods grace and loue in Christ Heare the Lord himselfe describing himselfe to Moses u Ex. 34 6 7. The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquitie and sin c. So many attributes of mercy and grace so few of power and iustice what argue they but almost a greater propension to shew mercy then to execute iudgement Heare the Apostle * 2. Cor 1.3 God the father of mercies againe God which is rich in mercy Heare Isay x Isai 55.7 He is very readie to forgiue heare S. Iames y Iac. 5.11 of much bowels and tender commiseratiō And reiect that saying of Cain z Gen. 4 13. my sin is greater then can be forgiven Mentiris Cain saith S. Augustin thou lyest Caine for greater is Gods mercy then al mās iniquitie When thou hast thus dwelt a while vpon meditation of the endlesse mercy of God see then the a 1. Pet. 1.18 19. price paide to expiate not only little but even greatest sins Is there any thinkest thou so great which the b Heb. 9.14 1. Ioh. 1.7 blood of the sonne of God a person so excellent cannot expiate Nimirum Deus meus saith Augustine si aequa lance delicta peccantis hominis redimentis gratiâ librentur Authoris non tantum oriens ab occidente sed inferior separatur infernus à summo Coeli cardine Now surely my God saith S. Augustine if the offences of man sinning and the grace of God redeeming be piezed in even ballance the East hath not so far difference frō the West nor the lowest hell from the highest heaven c. Ad vnto these those sweete promises propounded in the word of God c Isai 1.17 89 Cease to doe evill learne to do well c. Though thy sins were red as scarlet they shal be white as wooll And out of them frame this comfortable sound conclusion There is no sinne capable of repentance but the same is also capable of pardon Lastly consider examples of great sinners received to mercy d 2. Par. 33.12 13. Manasseh Peter e 1. Tim. 1.13 16. Paul c. and know Gods dealings are exemplary in them the Lord sheweth what al might expect that by their example shoulde in after times beleeue and repent A seconde particular strengthening this distresse is long continued practise of sin with contempt of grace offered This is that that more exasperates the wound and makes it bleed a fresh I know saith the distressed soule Gods mercies are infinite Christs merit endlesse but I haue long dwelt in practise of sin neglected many a gracious invitation foreslowed repentance that now I am perswaded the iudgement threatned by the Prophet hath seized on me f Ezec. 24.13 because the Lord would haue purged me and I was not purged therefore I shall never bee purged The sin the Lord would hereby chasten and prevent is procrastination those prophane resolutions time enough yet repent when we are old and those hellish speeches young Saints old Devils youth must haue his swinge and let vs be merry we can neuer do it younger The Lord would by this distresse teach thee that it is g Lam. 3.27 good to beare the yoake in youth that repentance the sooner it is performed the more comfortable and that grace must be accepted when the Lord offers it not when we shal be at leasure And now I dare say thou wishest thou hadst bin sooner wise for thy soule and even in youth laid the foundation of thine endles comfort For remedy this doe first bewaile delaies now so discomfortable in sense pray God to pardon that presumptuous neglect of his gracious invitations And now purpose to h Ephe. 5.16 redeeme the time and i 1. Pet. 4.2.3 as much time as remaines in the flesh consecrate wholly to the service of God This done build thy selfe vpon perswasion of this truth that promise of pardon is made without limitation to any time person or nūber of offences repentance being once performed Ierusalem had long weltered in the blood of the saints yet heare our Saviour k Luk. 19.42 oh if thou hadst known but in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace that is to say notwithstāding all the blood of the Prophets and