Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	law_n	rule_n	transgression_n	3,242	5	10.6596	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87179	Good news to all people. Glad tydings for all men. God good unto all, and Christ the saviour of the world: or, The general point faithfully handled by way of exercise: or A sermon preached at Buckingham upon the 25 of March, being (as so called) Easter-day. By William Hartley.	Hartley, William, of Stony-Stratford.	1650 (1650)	Wing H974; Thomason E594_11; ESTC R206917	25,853	32

doctrine could have of their Auditory * Simile Suppose you and I with four or five hundred more were slaves in Turkey if a Merchant should come and say That the States of England had taken care to release some few of us but the names of the parties to be released that was not known what could this yield to the prisoners more than a doubtful hope But if the States Agent should tell the enslaved fellow Natives Here is a Release come for you all will not every prisoner joyfully conclude If for all then for me also The Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation simply as persons leaves the creature in a continual suspence sometimes he thinketh he hath a right to Christ by election at another time he is at a stand in himself questioning what reason he hath to think so when the Doctrine of Gods Free-Grace to All gives him credence of Gods Universal Love to the World or all Mankind and consequently unto him The consideration whereof putteth him upon a duty of striving to make his Calling and Election in that love sure by good works Again Mark my beloved Friends how many Absurdities this Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation of Mankind simply as persons casteth upon Almighty GOD. 1 Absurdity First The Doctrine of Reprobation chargeth God with Injustice Abraham in capitulation with God about the destruction of Sodom gathereth this conclusion That thou shouldst destroy the righteous with the wicked that be far from thee Which words though spoken by interrogation yet contain a positive conclusion viz. That it is far from God to condemn the righteous with the wicked and the Judg of all the World will judg righteously Now if Judgment take place before the Fact or condemnation precede the being of the person is it not to charge God with male-administration of Justice And as the Apostle hath it Where there is no Law there is no Transgression and sin is variation from a rule which is transgression of a Law Secondly The Doctrine of Reprobation of men as persons chargeth God with Partiality 2 Absurdity One of the ill consequences that should follow a King in Israel was that he should make some of their sons Captains others he should make Cooks and Confectionaries without any consideration had to the qualification in persons unto such an office only such men were appointed unto such employments meerly because it was his will As great personages will dignifie one mans child with the name of his Page and others must be his Foot-Boys If you will believe Peter God is no such Respecter of persons but he that serveth him shall be accepted and whoso fancyeth Election and Reprobation in God simply considered as persons rendereth God partial and a Respecter of persons Thirdly Remisness The Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation of men simply as persons is a Doctrine of Remisness Security and Carelesness Take a creature when he hath concluded himself to be a predestinated person and so consequently of necessity must be saved if Conscience checketh him ever so much for his uneven walking he presently flies to this Refuge The best of Gods Children are subject to fall God sees no sin in his People Whom God loves he loveth to the end all which Scriptures are true in their places but not Arguments for Remisness Again A man that concludeth himself an elected person Security though he wilfully continueth in a notorious sin upon check of Conscience which is the witness of God in us he singeth his Soul this Requiem Lot David and Peter had their gross failings yet Children of GOD and so fancieth to himself Security Once more Take a prophane person Carelesness when he hath been taught this Doctrine That some as persons were chosen to life and others appointed to death meerly out of Gods decree and without any respect had to obedience and disobedience what 〈◊〉 conclusions doth this man draw If I shall be saved I shall be saved if I was appointed to be damned I shall be damned what need I care how I spend my time Was not the Thief upon the Cross a Chosen Vessel And thus poor Soul he bolstereth himself in his careless walking which if it were taught him That God Electeth or Chooseth the Righteous man to himself and rejecteth and turneth the Ungodly into Hell he would soon endeavor to turn over a new leaf and no more take up these preposterous expressions used in our generation concerning a lewd person I am sorry God gave him no more grace and of one that committeth felo-in-se becoming his own executioner That he was born to such an end and ordained so to do but rather speak the Apostles language where he saith Rom. 1.21 That when men know God and worship him not as God hence it is that they become vain in their imaginations committing evil with greediness Lastly It contradicteth Scripture 2 Sam. 22.27 Lastly The Doctrine of Election and Reprobation simply as persons contradicteth the whole scope and generality of Scripture With the upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure with the froward thou wilt deal frowardly 1 Sam. 2 30. c. And touching Eli's sons who were of the lineage of Aaron see what God saith Them that honor me I will honor and them that despise me shall be light esteemed And as I give my judgment that Doctrine which Iohn the Baptist preached Mat 3. should be seasonable for our times Now is the ax layd to the root of the tree and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewed down and cast into the fire And so to put men upon tryal of their faith in the Gospel by performance of Works answerable to the Gospel The Papists * Incidit in Sillam qui vult c. Silla was to set Works supereminent above Faith I wish the Protestants Charibdis be not to erect Faith without Works The Apostle Iames makes them paramount in Abraham demonstrating that Faith and Works ought to be equivalent in us Now I have done with this subject I crave my Text leading me thereto a word or two by digression In the times of this ignorance God winked c. From which observe with me the Apostles method you understand whom he spake to a Heathenish people wholy given to Idolatry yet take notice with what mildness of spirit he reproved them useth no railing at all but in love by way of argument convinceth the vanity of their worship telling them by way of encouragement that God 〈◊〉 willing to pass by or wink at their former ignorance provided now they would be changed in their mindes and repent wherein you may observe that the Gospel of Christ is to be declared by way of meekness and affable perswasions The Apostle hath an expression 2 Cor. 5.20 Now we are Embassadors of Christ we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God May not this

at my reproof c. Under favour my Masters this Wisdom here spoken of cannot be interpreted as a Herauld or Cryer publishing such an Oration in a City Palace or such like convention of people but it is the voyce of God fixed or proclaimed in the market place or heart of every Creature that is to say of mankind where the assembly and concourse of the affections have their place of meeting and the faculties of rationality sit in councel there the voyce of Almighty God is present by a manifestation of his Wisdom or motions of his holy Spirit reproving and condemning all adverse and repugnant intentions of our hearts in dissonancy or contrariety of his Will I pray answer me this question What is that which giveth a check to yours and my Conscience when we intend evil against God or our Neighbor and whether or no upon the commitment of sin there hath not been a voyce of God speaking in every one of our hearts this ought not to be done I think the worst of men wil acknowledg it onely such excepted who liked not to retain God in their knowledg such indeed are given up to strange delusions Rom. 1. Satan as he dealt with Eve presents the beauty of the apple but God said In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye Mark this well Satan pleaseth the fancy of the Creature the better to accomplish his ruine God informeth the judgment of man for his preservation I remember a precious expression in the Prophet Isaiah Look up unto me all ye the Isles of the earth and be saved Isaiah 45.22 Here you may perceive the plenitude of Gods Tender even unto all Nations upon the face of the earth All men every where as the Text hath it Observe my beloved Friends if God commands all men to repent and turn unto him wisheth all Nations to look up to him for Salvation certainly God hath not mental reservation but as we say speaks the Truth from his heart willing None should perish but All to partake of everlasting life Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money Isai 55.1 come ye buy and eat c. Whosoever will Rev. 22 17. let him take of the water of life freely By which Scriptures you may apprehend that Almighty God lest the Creature should plead ignorance or unworthiness maketh proclamation of his free goodness unto mankinde without restriction or exception of any as persons and that from these words Ho and Whosoever And now from this argument I thus infer If God by his wisdom which is the voyce of his Spirit to the heart within and if God by his Word or Ministry which is his outward means wooeth and inviteth all Mankinde to partake of his Love and Goodness is it not to declare the truth of the Doctrine now insisted upon viz. That it is the good will and pleasure of Almighty God that every Creature should come to the attainment of Life and Salvation The third Argument is drawn from the sorrow or complaint that Almighty God is said according to the Scripture sence to take up 3 Argument drawn from Gods sorrow or complaint Deut. 5.29 upon consideration of the deviation or destruction of the Creature Oh that there were such an heart in them Oh that my people would but harken Why will ye dye O house of Israel See here Gods expressions of love not onely desiring Israels conformity but argueth out the case Why will ye dye What reason have you to destroy your selves Is there any cause that necessitates you to perish It s strange to me it should be so As I live saith the Lord Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked should turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel c. Here the Lord doth declare his disaffection to the Creatures ruine by Oath which as the Apostle hath it is used for confirmation and ending of all strife As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death c. It is recorded of a Roman Emperor when he pronounced sentence against a Malefactor he used this language * Utinam nescirem Leg●s Nero. Would to God I had not known the Laws Whether there be truth in this story or reality in the expression it matters not but most sure it is that Almighty God the great King of Heaven and Earth proceedeth not to sentence for sin without reluctancy The Prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentations readeth thus He doth not afflict WILLINGLY Lam. 3.33 nor GRIEVE the Children of men It is worthy of our serious consideration to observe what sorrow of heart and tenderness in affection our blessed Saviour expressed over Jerusalem when he sentenced their ejectment or rendred them uncapable of any further favor O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets Mat. 23 37. and stonest them that are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy Children together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens and ye * 'T is not said Ye could not Would not Behold your house is left desolate If thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes When he approached neer the holy City saith the Evangelist he wept over it Strong are those affections that break forth in Weeping and great was that LOVE that drew Tears from the Son of God I pray consider by what pertinent similitude our Saviour maketh out his Love to Jerusalem As a Hen gathereth her Chickens c. Amongst other Creatures that are indulgent for procreation the Hen is observed by great diligence to bring her brood to maturity how careful is she to cover her charge and during time departeth not therefrom unless necessitated by extream hunger when her charge is brought to perfection how doth she endevor to rally her young ones together never at rest longer then they are under covert of her own feathers and in case violence be offered to her young what creature is it that with undaunted courage she will not fly in face on Much more might be said by way of illustration but ye are to understand that the end of Similitudes or Parables is to declare not to compare as may be instanced by the Parables of the unjust Steward unjust Judg c. So here the similitude of the tenderness of the Hen over her young doth manifest something of Christs Love all comparisons in the world being too low to parallel the extent thereof Luke 15. I remember when Christ was accused by the Pharisees for having society with Publicanes and sinners taking boldness to paraphrase upon the Discourse he reasoneth after this manner Well Sirs saith he I perceive I am the object of your discontent and that in reference to my familiarity among wicked and ungodly men Come now let