Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	good_a	law_n	transgression_n	4,529	5	10.4346	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41788	St. Paul's catechism, or, A brief and plain explication of the six principles of the Christian religion, as recorded Heb. 6., 1,2 with some considerations of the principles of natural and universal religion, as previous, and yet subservient to the rules of revealed and positive relgion: containing also, the duties of children to their superiors, written chiefly for the instruction of young Christians, children and servants in all Christian families / by Tho. Grantham.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1687 (1687)	Wing G1545; ESTC R39432	35,919	64

Affection in the search of the Holy Scriptures the most infallible Records of God and his Church But yet I desire a little help How I may best satisfy my self or others that the Holy Scriptures are the undoubted Oracles of God F. To satisfy thy Soul in this enquiry thou hast God's own Testimony who every-where speaks to thee in them by Doctrine and by Miracles If any deny the truth of those Records they only deprive themselves of the Authority of all Records that are extant in the World of former Ages for the truth of the Divine Scripture has the highest Testimony of all other and if these fall all must fall with them 2. Thou hast the Testimony of all the Prophets and of the Apostles and above all the Testimony of Christ and his Angels that the Old Testament is the Scriptures of truth 3. Lay aside the New Testament and then no Man can preach any thing of the Gospel respecting the Birth Life Doctrine Miracles Death Resurrection Assension or second coming of Christ 4. We have the Testimony of the first Churches that these Books are the undoubted Oracles of God and if their Testimony be not of credit the Testimony of the present Church will signifie nothing 5. These Scriptures must either be of God or of the Devil But who dare say they are of Satan They are the most destructive of his Kingdom and Designs of any Books whatsoever S. These Considerations must needs be satisfactory to all that pretend to be of the Christian Faith. I desire therefore to be instructed in the true Christian Religion especially in such parts of it as are necessary to our walking with God in a Church-way that I may have fellowship with God and his People in the orderly profession of the Christian Religion F. In the Name of God then let us begin there where our Lord Christ began to preach and let us follow him whom our Heavenly Father hath given to be a Witness to the People for a Leader and for a Commander to the People Isa 50. 4. Of the First Principle of St. Paul's CATECHISM Or Repentance from dead Works Son. I Desire to know what were the first Things preached by Christ and his Apostles and to be learned by their Followers Father The first Things which Christ preached were Repentance and Faith as it is written Matth. 4. 17. Mark 1. 14. Whose Heavenly Doctrine is more fully set down and gathered into six Principles by St. Paul. Heb. 6. 1 2. and thus declared Repentance from dead Works and of Faith towards God of the Doctrine of Baptisms and of laying on of Hands and of the Resurrection of the Dead and of eternal Judgment S. Seeing these are the Foundation-Principles how must I understand the Apostle when he saith learning the Principles F. They are words respecting the order of Discourse and bear this sence that St. Paul would leave at that time to speak further of these Principles and go on to more perfect or higher Mysteries and so he ●roceeds to discourse of the excellency of Christ's Priesthood above the Aaronical Priesthood Chap. 7 c. S. I confess if we should otherwise leave these Principles we should leave God himself for without Faith and Humiliation we cannot please God. But does not Faith go before Repentance F. We must distinguish of Faith. There is the Faith of Mankind who generally do believe there is a God that will punish the Wicked and reward the Just This Faith must go before Repentance Heb. 11. 6. But the Faith here spoken of is the Faith of actual Justification and this Faith must needs follow Repentance Rom. 3. 25. and 5. 1. thus God is the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Impenitent Sinners are so far from Justification that Christ tells them Except they repent they shall all perish Luke 13. 2 3 4 5. S. I thank you for this distinction I see the necessity of Repentance Pray shew me the true Nature of Repentance and how I may obtain Repentance unto Life And whether it be the Gift of God F. That Repentance unto Life is the Gift God is very clear Acts 5. 31. 11. 18. It is a special Mercy flowing from the goodness of God to all Sinners Rom. 2. 3. for he might in justice have denied the Riches of his Grace to the Rebellious which yet he hath not Psalm 68. 18. Acts 17. 30. Thus God gives Repentance both graciously and preceptively S. But does not God also give Power with his gracious Precept to repent F. That God gives Repentance potentially is true Jer. 31. 18 19. Turn thou me and I shall be turned surely when I was turned I repented Yet this Power is not irresistible but it is sufficient either to effect Repentance or to leave the Sinner without excuse Ezek. 24. 13. Rom. 1. 32. compared with Rom. 2. 1. Christ was sent to turn every one of the Jews from their Iniquities and there was a sufficiency of Power in the means which he used to do it But yet they resisted the Holy Ghost and the Holy Jesus and were destroyed in their Iniquities Acts 3. 26. 7. 51. see Mat. 12. 41. S. I see plainly we may not look for in irresistibl● Power to convert us to God. F. The Gospel as it is the ministration of the Spirit is to us the Power of God to Salvation as well as it was to the Jews Rom. 1. 16 17. S. I desire to know what are the Parts of Repentance unto Life F. The Parts of Repentance unto Life were principally three 1. A thorow or due sense of Sin in the sinful Nature of it 2. A godly sorrow for our Sins chiefly because we have committed them against the Will and Commandment of that gracious God by whose Mercy and Goodness we live and enjoy all good Things 3. It consists in a holy resolution and endeavour to forsake all sinful ways S. Pray explain the first part of Repentance by shewing me what Sin is that I may have a due sense of it F. The Scripture tells us That St. Paul had not known Sin but by the Law Rom. 7. 7. And that by the Law is the knowledg of Sin Rom. 3. 20. and that Sin is the Transgression of the Law John 3. 4. And where no Law is there is no Transgression And that the substance and work of this Law is so far revealed to all the World that all the World is under it and that by the breach of God's Law every Mouth shall be stopped and all the World be found guilty before God Rom. 3. 19 20 23. S. I confess if all the World be not under some Law of God they could not be guilty of Sin against God. But my desire is to know what Law we are under who have the Holy Scriptures amongst us F. We are under the Law of God as it is given to Mankind universally being of the Gentile Race that is the Principles of Right Reason and the Instructions

esteemed themselves pe●●● without all Imperfection and they that offend must pray and that Daily too for remission of Sin this teacheth us to humble our selves daily before God. We see here also a necessity of being merciful to such as offend us and to forgive with readiness all that trespass against us specially if they do turn saying I repent Prayer for Mercy without Charity in him that prayeth will not be accepted of God. 8. And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. Here we profess to believe that God has the disposing of all Tryals which do attend us in this mortal State And here we pray that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but that he will with the Temptation make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it 9. For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever Here we profess our Faith in Prayer 1. That the Kingdom is His and that therefore we depend on him for the prosperity of it and for the glorious coming of his Kingdom 2. That all Power is his and therefore we depend on him to provide for and to deliver us according to his Will. 3. That the glory is everlastingly due to God and therefore we ascribe it as the Church did not unto us not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory this is also to praise God in Prayer 10. Amen This word being truly expressed shews the full assent of the mind to the whole of the Prayer whether express'd by our selves in private or by such as join sincerely with us in publick S. Is it our Duty to use this form of words or to pray according to the tenor of the words F. Doubtless we are at liberty to use both and for weak Christians and indeed for all Christians in their private Devotions it is safe to use these very words so they be spoken with a Heart and Soul truly breathing after God When ye pray say Our Father c. Luk. 11. 2. S. What other Ordinances hath Christ ordained for the general use of his Church F. Preaching the Word to Edification Exhortation Reproof and Correction of Offenders and the comfort of the Sincere And therewithall the frequent use of the Holy Table of the Lord 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Act. 2. 42. S. How shall I know a lawful Minister one that is sent of God that I may hear the Word according to the Will of God F. Observe these Rules 1. Know that no Man of true Christian Modesty will pretend to be immediatly sent by a Commission from Heaven And yet 2. God must make Men Ministers by the Gifts of his Grace illuminating their Understanding and capaciating them to speak to edification before the Church can make them Ministers 3. No unbaptised Person let his Parts be what they will has any liberty to be a Minister in the Church of God because he is not yet imbodied with the Church of God nor can be without Baptism And here remember our dear Saviour would not preach one Sermon till he was baptised 4. When Men are competently gifted and qualified in point of Life being Church-members they are to be chosen by the Church and ordain'd to the Work of the Ministery by Prayer and Fasting with the Laying on of Hands of the Messengers and Elders of the Church for such Offices as the Church finds them most capable 5. There is a liberty in the Church for Brethren which are capable to exercise their Gifts to the edification of the Body and Men thus called or priviledged in the Church thou mayest lawfully hear If thou further goest thou goest without Rule S. What honour or respect do I ow to my lawful Pastours or Teachers F. 1. Thou art bound to honour them in Love for the Work's-sake whereunto they are called 2. Thou must obey them in the Lord as they declare to thee the Counsel of God and admonish thee 3. Thou must pray for them that God may make them a Blessing to thee S. Of what concernment is the Holy Table of the Lord F. It is an Ordinance of great concernment being ordained by Christ himself to shew forth a perpetual Memorial of his Death till he come the second time without Sin to Salvation S. I pray shew me the manner of its Ins●itution F. The Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took Bread. And when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me And after the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. S. What is required of all that partake of this Holy Bread and Cup F. 1. They must be such as continue in the Apostles Doctrine and true Christian Fellowship Act. 2. 42. 2. They must examine themselves whether they walk in the Truth with a good Conscience both towards God and also towards Men. 3. They must labour to discern the Lord's Body as the only Sacrifice for Sin as signified in this Service 4. They must hereby testify true unity with the Church who are hereby shewed to be one Bread and one Body for they are all Partakers of that one Bread. S. What is the danger of eating this Bread and Drinking this Cup unworthily F. They that eat and drink unworthily receive condemnation to themselves not discerning the Lord's Body S. Is this Bread and this Cup the Real Body and the Real Blood of Christ F. This Bread and this Cup is the Real Body and Blood of Christ in a spiritual and mystical Sense but not carnally and corporally S. Are all Members of the Church to partake of the Cup as well as of the Bread F. Yes they have express Command from Christ to take the Cup for he saith Drink ye all of it Matth. 26. 27. The Bread is the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup is the Communion of the Blood of Christ and of this Communion the whole Body Mystical the Church are partakers 1 Cor. 10. 3 4 16. S. But were they not all Ministers that sat at the Table with our Saviour F. When Ministers receive that Holy Bread an● Cup they do not receive it as they are Ministers 〈◊〉 as they are Members of the Body 1 Cor. 10. 17. 〈◊〉 dispense the Ordinance as Ministers but they partake●● it as Members S. Whether are we to kneel when we receive th● Holy Ordinance or to sit at the Table F. A reverent Gesture is necessary but decently to sit at the Table of the Lord is most warrantable being according to the Example of Christ and his Apostles at the Institution Matth. 26. 20. Mark 14. 18. Luk. 22.