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
A47283	Ichabod: or, Five groans of the church: Prudently foreseeing, and passionately bewailing her second fall: Threatened by these five dangerous, though undiscerned, miscarriages that caused her first: Viz. [bracket] 1. Undue ordination, 2. Loose prophaness, 3. Unconscionable symony, 4. Careless non-residence, 5. Encroaching pluralities. Humbly presented to her supreme head and governour, the kings most excellent majesty, and his great council, the Parliament of England.; Ichabod.	Ken, Thomas, 1637-1711.	1663 (1663)	Wing K264A; ESTC R22531	49,473	66

severe and through Repentance servent and devout Prayers godly and un●eigned Sorrow spiritual and unspeakable Comfo●●● well grounded and firm Hope heavenlie and holie Conversation a meek obedience and submission in the general frame of Christian mens carriage Though I have men famous for greatness of Learning soundness of Judgement gravity of M●n●ers and Sanctity of Lives ye● among my ten thousand Ministers it 's likely some may doe amiss If when there were but three men in the world one was a Murtherer if among Noah's sons one of the three was disobedient if among Iacob's children of two one was prophane if of twelve Apostles one was a Divel another dissembled and a third denyed his Master if among the Asian Angels there is none but was to be reproved if among the few Primitive Preachers there was a Demas that loved the present world a Diotrephes that loved the pre-eminence among my so many thousand Clergy it 's not likely but that some may fall short of the severe exactnesse required in all Ministers who ought to be patterns in good works Oh my Clergy are not Angels but men subject to the like in●rmicies with other men If they should say they have no sin they would decer●e themselves and the truth would not be in them but if they confess their sins he is faithful and just to forgive them their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness Be Perfection the glory of other Church-members the glory of mine is Sincerity Without all peradventure the most holy and all-seeing God who walketh in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks whose pure eyes are most intent upon the Ministers of the Church hath found iniquity in his servants the Bishops and other Ministers both as to their persons and professions all things being open and naked to him with whom we have to do 1. He observes how many consecrated and set apart to the service of God and his Church in the name place power and authority of Jesus Christ and approaching his gracious presence with Aaron in ●he holy of holies in the glorious ●anifestations of God in Christ to his Church by publick Ordinances and spiritual Influences have not so sanctified the Name of the Lord God their God in their Hearts and Lives in their Doctrines and Duties 2. The great Searcher of hearts knoweth how rashly many of his Ministers undertake how carelesly they manage that great and terrible work under which Angels may swoon and great Apostles cry Who is sufficient for these things how vulgarl● they converse how lazily they live how loosely they behave themselves how ambitiously they designe how cove●ously they reach how enviously they repine how unexemplarily they walk unworthy of the favour and indulgence shewed them to the amazement of their High-calling the dishonor of their Profession to the forfeiture of their Dignity and Plenty the endangering of their Peace and Safety 3. He that is about our paths and about our dwellings hath observed how unprep●●edly negligently and irreverently rently how partially popularly and passionately how formally and vainly without any power of godliness Life of Religion some performe the work of God the great work of Eternal concernment to our own and other mens souls 4. He whose eyes see whose eye-lids try the children of men hath looked down from heaven and observed the iniquity of some mens holy things their dead and unreasonable instead of a living and acceptable serviee he hath taken notice of that supine negligence which hath sunk some mens Ministrations below the just majesty solidity and gravity of Gospel-dispensations others by an affected height and depth for want of plain instruction and charitable condescending amuse the poor people who know not what they say nor whereof they do affirm 5. He that will reprove and set mens sins in order before them hath taken notice of some mens remiss compliance and others exact rigours according to their private tempers judgements and passions whereby they swerved too much from that just charity discretion legality and constancy which my Canons intented and my constitution health and peace required especially in the peevish touchinesse of these times when so many subtle and envious ones lie in wait to destroy me Yet my Church-mens exorbitancies are not my constitutions their failings are not my frame their infirmities are not my nature their fall is no more mine who disallows it then the Angels fall may be the Heavens that forbid it their weaknesses are humane my authority is divine that charity which thinketh no evil will not lay upon me those enormities which I forbid by a Law which I restraine by Discipline which I mourn for in mine Humiliation and discountenance in those great patterns that shew a most excellent way These sinnes O the Christian world are transgressions of my Law affronts to my Authority the baffles of my Canons and Injunctions O that my Apologie were written yea printed in a book for the satisfaction of the world that the good that I would do that I cannot do and the evil that I would not doe that I do I find a law of my members against the law of my mind So that it 's no more I but the sins and the finners that dwell in me 4. It 's you it 's you whom I have nourished and brought up as children whom I have encouraged as Ministers whom I have promoted as Governours it 's you that have brought this reproach and danger upon me When I had with heroick patience endured the oppression of adversa●ies by a Christian prudence defeated the attemps of Schismaticks by an exemplary humility and piety turned the hearts of enemies and by a miracle of Restauration silenced the mouths of all men you my Sons opened the mouth of scandal strengthned the cry of reproach raised the clamours of the envious Oh if an enemy had done this I could with the same Christian courage I have suffered these twenty years have born it but it 's you of my own bosome family and profession O you my Clergy whom I expected more glori●us more steemed more reverenced before all the world after your constant sufferings who coming out of this fiery furnace might shine brighter then ever you did with the love of Christ and of me his Church both as to the care of those private charges and publik inspections committed to you in excellent order and by due authority and I expected that neither pride nor envy pomp nor popularity neither covetousnesse nor ambition should distract the thoughts divide the hearts exasperate the humours or provoke the reproach of an incensed people against my Order and Government and the good of all sorts of Christians Whosoever of you notwithstanding the miracles both of your sufferings and reliefe at such a time as this when the mouth of Hell is open against me shall open any other mouth to joyne in the cry against the Church give life or tongue to any scandalous sin and set that to its clamans

converted ten thousand Ministers with one glance of his eye Ah blessed Hammond thou didst write rationallie excellent Gauden thou didst perswade powerfullie devout Taylor thou didst urge patheticallie honest Nicholson thou didst answer satisfactorilie solid Sanderson thou didst 〈◊〉 clearly holy Vsher and Hall you did offer moderatelie heartily and learnedly But who O ye worthies believed your report who would hear you who was convinced by you The King is restored I flourish and dispose of all Preferments and my Converts are innumerable Well I have but two Wishes the first is That all who have gone astray may be reclaimed to the way of truth the second is That all who are reclaimed may be reclaimed from mature deliberation and a serious consideration of all that can be alleadged on all hands trying all things and upon good grounds holding fast that which is good Give me the men who conform upon the conscience of my principles and not upon the prosperity of my Cause who can neglect the most successful errour and own the most afflicted truth who are settled upon my principles which are constant and not upon my preferments which are uncertain Is it the Kings Majesties favour they depend upon he may fail Is it the Church-Government they depend upon that may fail Is it Church-encouragement they stick to that may fail Is it the ancient Truth and Faith they comply with that hath never failed and that will never fail Give me Ministers who as they preach so live upon the things which are not seen and not the things which are seen the things which are seen are temporal the things which are not seen eternal And must I have a Samaritan of Religion serve the true God in the Temple and the Calves at Bethel Must I have a sound form of words in the Desk and an extempory effusion in the Pulpit must I have the same man read Episcopally to walls and preach factiously to a throng use the Ceremonies and say to his confidents They are a burden to him use the Surplice yet unwilling to give offence use the Crosse in B●ptism yet say I wish it were forborn Well I shall never forget the words of a wise and judicious Father now with God They themselves meaning the Non conformists when time was seemed to be and if they dissembled not which we are unwilling to believe were indeed reasonable well affected for they submitted to Government used the ●●t●rgie and observed the Ceremonies appointed according to Law and order and gave their own professed approbation of the same as well by express words from their mouths as by subscription under their hands yet remaining upon record what hath wrought this change in them evidence of reason or worldly interest and how f●r it hath wrought upon them in reality or but in complyance and in what order too by immediate assault upon their judgment or by dealin● under hand first with their affection themselves do or should best know It highly conce●neth them as much as the peace of their consciences are worth and much more then so to be well assured that their hearts are upright in this affair and in order thereunto not to content themselves with slight and overly examination there is more wickedness and deceitfulness in the hearts of all men then most men are aware of but to make the more diligent distr●ct and impartiall search possible into the true Causes and Motives of this Change and for so much as fears and hopes have been ever found the fittest engines to work such seats to enquire particularly what influence or opperation either the fear of loosing what they had or the hope of getting more might have in this work towards the producing such an effect ●t will best become others to judge as charitably as they may but doubtlesse it will be safest for them to be very jealous over themselves lest so great a Change could not have been wrought in so short a space without a strong infusion of the one or of the other or both into the Medicine that wrought it especially since the conjuncture of time wherein this change happened may very probably raise some suspition that a visible hope and advantage had some co-operation at lest with whatsoever was the principal cause of this so sudden an alteration If not so nor so but that they find themselves clearly convinced in their judgements of their former errour and that they are fully perswaded that they are now in a better way then that wherein they formerly walked it is happy for them and I doubt not but that they will fi●de matter of rejoycing in it if they be not mistaken a thing not impossible in the tryal of their own hearts O that I had men that in the change of times were unchangeable in their mind and opinion and to hold to their former and well-grounded Principle so long as they can neither apprehend any reason of sufficient strength to convince 〈◊〉 understandings that they are in the wrong or to mainfest unto them the necessity of making such a change CHAP. II. The Church of England's resentment of Scandalous Profanenesse OH you my Sons why doe you these things for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people Oh Sirs m● God above looks upon you and is provoked t●e ble●●ed Angels see you their fellow-servants for you are a spectacle to God and Angels and are grieved wicked men observe you and blaspheme God good men behold you and are ashamed Is it for this that you are delivered that you may work wickednesse Hath God punished you and will you yet sin more and more Will not twelve years sufferings reform will not twenty years reproaches awake you will not miracles of judgement decer you from evil will not miracles of mercy oblige you to good Oh despise you the riches of Gods goodness towards you not knowing that the goodness of God should lead you to repentance But after your hardnesse and impenitency of heart will you treasure up more wrath against another day of wrath Is this the return you make to a gracious God to dishonour him Is this your kindnesse to me to undoe me Is this your gratitude for the publick favours of King and Parliament to be utterly unworthy Religion hath honoured you with a high Calling you betray it Your Prince vouchsafed you Royal Favours you shame him Honest people afford you their pity and compassion you deceive them Is this your kindness to your friends I saw indeed the late scandalous Centuries but I neglected them as slanders and calumnies I heard the late complaints and outcries but slighted them as I do envy malice and hatred Dreadful things were daily suggested against you great things were daily offered for you the Faction reviled the Orthodox maintained you sober men writ for you but now you confute them holy men excused you but you contradict them good and great men spoke for you but who will now believe them Must you

a Minister live and not love How do you Read How is it Written Is it not Follow peace with all men as much as in you lieth if it be possible Doe not you read doe not you preach thus Oh why do you not live thu● Yea there is utterlie a fault among you that you fall out with your Neighbours Now there is utterlie a fault among you That you go to Law one with another I speak this to your shame Why do not you rather suffer wrong why do not you suffer your selves to be defrauded How preach you how read you is it not that ye resist not evil and if any man shall sue thee at the Law and take away thy coat give him thy cl●ak also Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness and wisdome but if you have bitter envyings and strifes in ●our hearts glorie not and lie not against the truth This wisdome descendeth not from above but is earthlie sensual and divellish for where envying and strife is there is confusion and everie evil work but the wisdome which is from above is first pure and then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercie and of good works without partiali●ie without hypocrisie and the fruit of righteo●sness is sown in peace of them that make peace Well if you go on professing Religion indifferently doing the work of God negligentlie if you carrie on one he a form of godlinesse hypocri●icallie if you live without the g●ace of God within you prophaneli● if you live without the fear of God before you looselie if you live without the love of God uncharitablie if you live against your profession shamefully farwel the most flourishing Church farwell Ordinances farwel Ministry farwel Comforts farwel Blessings farwel our Glorie farwel our God and w● unto us when he is departed from us Oh my Sons hearken to this one Wish and Oh that it be not my last For Gods sake for your own sake for my sake for three Kingdoms sake for our gracious Kings sake for the sake of late Posteritie TAKE HEED TO YOUR SELVES 1. That you want not that grace you offer others that when you save others you perish not as Cast-a-ways your selves Oh feel the power of that Religion you preach and preach the power you feel Be what you p●●swade others to be 2. Take heed to your selves and consider what manner of men ●e ought to be in all holie conversat●on and godliness 3. Take heed to your selves that you pull not down with a wicked life what you build up wi●h an holie Doctrine If there be no such thing as Religion preach it not if there be live it if a l●ose life may be allowed do not preach against it and if it may no● be allowed do not live it be not deceived and deceive not others Doe you know the judgement of God that all that commit such things as you do are worthy of death then why do you do them if not why do you preach the other Oh preach exactly and live exactly as you think all the week how to speak upon Sunday so resolve upon Sundale how to live all the week How c●●ious●ie you preach Oh how carleslie you live 4. T●ke heed to your selves and walk wiselie towards them th●t are without that whereas they speak evil of you they may be ashamed considering the nature and end of your conversation Oh take heed to your selves You have many eies upon your infirmities you have many spectators of your falls to find to aggrava●e and to publish them God forbid that you should do evil in the eies of the whole world the good part whereof watcheth on your Vertues to imitate you the evil part watcheth on your Vices to traduce you you are as lights upon a hill O walk as in the light Take heed to your selves if not for others yet for your own immortal souls Oh preach not of Heaven and fall short of it Oh preach not of Hell and fall into it of grace and dutie and yet live without them Oh take heed to your selves Vigilant is your Tempter great are your tryals many are your temptations much the opposition you will meet for weightie is your work you destroie the power of Satan you engage the power of hell Oh take heed to yourselves Oh take heed to your selves You have the same nature with others but you commit not the like sins with others the sins that dwell in you are the same with other mens the sins that are committed by you are greater then other mens Oh watch th●● over your evill nature take care of your great transgressions 1. Against knowledge wilfullie 2. Against your truth unfaithfullie 3. Against your profession hypocriticallie 4. Against others verie offensivelie against the honour of God and his waies verie dangerouslie who is blasphemed by the ignora●t and ungodly through you Take heed to your selves that you may be blessed in your undertaking Let your waies please God as you hope God will bless your waies if not for your own yet for other mens souls sake take heed to your selves speak from your hearts to their hearts be not intangled by sin that you may be able to speak against sin Oh do as you preach that the world may see you mean as you preach Oh reverend Fathers enjoin my wholesome Canons severelie visit mens live and carriages exactlie oversee the flocks over which the holie Ghost have made you overseers carefullie Pit●ie Religion that is a dying pittie me that am decaying pittie your selves that are again falling Reform my Clergie and you are safe neglect them and you perish keep up the life and practise of Religion and that will keep you if the power of Religion be lost the profession of it will your Galling will fail your Order will fail and God knows what will be the end thereof I fear nothing but sin I want nothing but true grace eminent in all my Ministers whereby they may plea●e God adorn the Gospel convince Gainsayers and reform the world Have you not enjoined That no Ecclesiasticall persons shall at any time other then for their honest necessities resort to any Taverns or Ale-houses neither shall they Bord or Lodge in any such place Furthermore they shall not give themselves to any base or servile labour or to Dri●king or Ryotting spending their time id●ly by day or night playing at Dice Cards or Tables or any other unlawful Game but at all times convenient they shall hear or read somewhat of the holy Scriptures or shall occupy themselves with some other honest study or exercise alwaies doing the things which shall appertain to honesty and endeavouring to profit the Church of God having always in mind that they ought to excel all others in purity of life and should be examples of the people to live well and Christianly under pain of Ecclesiastical censures to be inflict●d with severity