Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	mortal_a	nature_n	venial_a	6,243	5	12.3225	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57460	Divine meditations and contemplations upon severall heads of divinity by G.R. compiled for his owne private use, and published for the common good.	G. R.	1641 (1641)	Wing R17; ESTC R25600	72,461	276

wherefore as the desire of Society betweene man and man hath erected States and Weales publique so the desire of Society betweene God and man hath caused Churches and holy Assemblies for they are a number of such men which not regarding the world or the fashions of it do desire the acquaintance and familiarity of God having a speciall care in all their doings that in nothing they offend his presence which vouchsafeth to be amongst them as his owne children and friends Our blessed Saviour knowing how necessary it was for man to recover this Society with God lost by the fall of our first progenitor Adam and desiring to be the author of so great a good unto us all did in his owne person ratify the band or league of our reconciliation with God for being everlastingly God as the Sonne the second person in the Trinity he took unto the same our humane nature and so became both God and man and one true Immanuel of which nature it is truly said that the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in it bodily and all wee which be made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh are also partakers of this fellowship not only to dwell with God and God with us but also for the nearnesse thereof to dwell in God and God in us but wee must remember this still for a chiefe point in this argument that wee have no communion nor fellowship with God but by Jesus Christ and that this loving league and sociable familiarity doth proceed wholly from his incarnation and in the use of this most singular blessing doth consist all the happy content which man may reap here in this life or in that which is to come I meane if wee converse and keep company with God as he on the other side doth most lovingly offer himselfe unto us for this only are wee borne and this is truly to live and without this wee are rather shadowes then men or very beasts in mans shape Oh man how hath the Lord ennobled thee didst thou not debase thy selfe he calls thee to be a favorite in his Court and thou hadst rather shift up and downe as a base peasant in the Devills countrey he would make thee a Lord over all things in his right but thou choosest rather to be a slave to the world sure of nothing but misery It is the chiefest commendation of good men that they walke with God and the shame of the wicked that they walk with the world they which converse with God are not much addicted to this life not because they despise the commodities thereof but seeing they are much abused they are wary how they medle or looking for better they make the lesse reckoning of them wherein they take no losse as is supposed but procure to themselves no small advantage for when it so comes to passe that they must part with life they doe it with the greater quietnesse and comfort of mind and wheresoever it be that death wait for them they are the readier for it which the worldly man is never and in the meane while none use life better then they or make more account to spend it well but it is rather to draw towards God then to seek any farther acquaintance with the world But some will say the world offereth it selfe unto us in every place but God is farre from us and so strange unto us that wee know not how to have any acquaintance with him A strange saying indeed of him which is made after Gods Image and cannot live or move or have his being but in him which is compassed about and closed in with his wonderfull workes and dayly benefits so that if he would seek he might by groping easily find him which by reason of these things whereby he hath made himselfe knowne cannot be farre from us but this principle of nature is oft times darkned in men by evill custome or wicked malice and moreover not able of it selfe to bring men forward to this familiarity or acquaintance with God and therefore God offereth himselfe and the godly walk with him by other meanes as by his word where they find the helpe of his Spirit by the Sacraments by prayer meditation a godly life for as by certaine obsequious offices wee infinuate our selves into the favour and familiarity of men so these are the duties whereby wee living here in this world are made neare and deare unto God the poorest wretch in the world that walketh with God which is in his favour and sets the Lord before his eyes in all his doings is happier for the present time then the greatest Monarch on earth which saith as Pharaoh did Who is the Lord and shall hereafter find more happinesse then all the world could ever bestow Most unworthy wee which envy the ordinary favours of a Prince unto our brethren and would come betweene them and home if possibly wee might whereas wee might have accesse unto God and seek it not and if wee have it wee rely not so much on it as they doe on the grace or countenance of a mortall man What doe not they adventure which are so backt and how many of them shrink away unto whom God doth say I am with thee I will not faile thee or forsake thee I speak out of my owne feeling let others take the matter as they list I doe specially condemne my selfe in those two points first for that I seek the Lords most loving grace and sweet acquaintance with no more heat and zeale secondly because that when I find it I am no more thankfull unto God for it neither am so strengthned by it and go on in Christian duties as I should The Lord have mercy on mee and grant mee grace ever to see my errours to confesse and repent for them not pleasing my selfe in any knowne weaknesse but alwaies striving to overcome get out of it Meditation 38. Non-parity of sinnes AS an aptnesse to laugh or weep is a property which necessarily followes the nature or kind of man and is affirmed of the whole alwaies and of his owne right so guilt doth follow sinne and makes the sinner subject to the guilt of the Law which is death There is then no sinne so light which of his owne nature doth not deserve death or to which a pardon is due of course without an infinite satisfaction yet are not all sinnes equall for neither doe they offend God alike nor find the like punishment howbeit by a consequent to the true Christian all sinnes are veniall and to the unbeleever all mortall as they are ever of their owne nature And it is not amisse to observe a farther difference that there is sinne which beareth the whole sway in a man such are the sinnes of the wicked and there is sinne which doth but remaine and dwell in man because there is a resistance and head made against it by the better part and is at last expelled by grace and thus are the godly and

just subject to sinne There is also sinne so contrary to the conscience of the doer and joyned with such stubbornesse and wilfulnesse that it doth utterly wast decay the conscience killing all seed of goodnesse or godlinesse which sinne cannot stand with grace and there is a sinne of weakenesse or negligence to which the godly are subject and by which they fall grievously and there is likewise sinne in omitting duties required as also in committing things contrary to duty Now if the question be demanded what sinne may be admitted or committed most safely I answer none for all are by nature most deadly and if thou be drowned what od● to thee whether in the deep Sea or neare the shore If againe whether some sinnes be not to be avoyded more then others I answer thou art to make conscience of all sinnes the small to be hated as much as the great for the doing of one sinne is but a downfall unto another because thou hast still the lesse grace to resist and findest in thy selfe the greater pronenesse to yeeld unto the next temptation yet thou maist use a speciall caution against those wherein thou hast beene faulty or which by nature do sway most with thee or which being little accounted of in the world are reserved to Gods judgment as Saint Paul saith of whoremongers and adulterers God will judge them What will it profit mee though no mortall man know my faults or if they know them take them for none or very small faults if God at the last condemne mee for them Againe whether sinnes of omission be greater then sinnes of commission as who sinneth more he that suffereth a man to die for want of bread which he could have given him or he which killeth a man and taketh money from him to serve his necessity I hold the sinnes on both sides so great that for to save thy owne life and to gaine a world besides thou shouldest not venture to commit one of them in evils of this nature there is no choice the least is an infinite mischiefe and God doth not hate evill more then he loveth goodnesse and therefore as thou turnest thy back from the one so must thou chearfully embrace the other neither can a man well refraine from doing things contrary to duty except he busy himselfe diligently in the parts of his duty for as nature cannot abide vacuum so neither the will of man not be working and neuters are unto God hatefull of all men If againe it be demanded what is to be done after one hath sinned if sinne be deadly I answer thou must not despaire as a man utterly lost neither give place to sinne that it carry thee away but thou must stirre up thy selfe to a just sorrow for sinne specially that thou canst be no more sorry or touched then thou art and to this purpose it shall not be amisse to meditate of Gods majesty justice and severity against sinne of the grievousnesse of thy owne sinne and how foolishly for some vaine trifle in giving place to thine owne appetite thou hast offended him and when thou feelest thy selfe thus confounded it behoveth thee to remember that God is mercifull and ready to forgive them that repent yet so that thou canst not be reconciled unto him by any of thy owne merits or satisfaction but only by the death and passion of his sonne Christ in whom thou must seek pardon and grace to rise againe Meditation 39. Free confession ZOpyrus a great Philosopher being new know every mans inclination at first sight one day hee viewed Socrates much as he read and they which sate by him pressed him to tell what his opinion was of Socrates he answered I know well that of all men he is the most wicked and vile this tale was forth with carried to Socrates by a Scholler of his which mocked at the Philosopher but Socrates cried out Oh most profound Philosopher thou hast found out indeed my inclination but I have beene altogether drawne from it by Philosophy Behold the ingenuity of Socrates he doth not dissemble his bad disposition but confesseth it The word of God is that Philosophy which not looking on the outward lineaments of the body faith this or that man is ill inclined but which discerning and trying the heart and reines judgeth all men naught and saith of us when it tels us what wee are from Adam that wee are borne in sinne that wee are prone to all sinne and doe nothing but sinne greedily and continually from our cradle to our cossin Now where is there that Socrates amongst us Christians that in such a cause doth freely confesse his naughtinesse that wee doe not it is manifest because wee seek not for grace which might heale the corruption that lieth hid in us Socrates knew his naughty disposition before he was told of it and provided forthwith a remedy to alter it but wee have no respect of the one or the other I had rather be Socrates striving against my ill inclination then a lewd Christian arrogating goodnesse to my selfe which I have not or not seeking grace which I want Meditation 40. Ignorant teachers and ill hearers THe discourses of some Teachers are like a Labyrinth they make their entry plaine briefe easy but after they have gotten their auditors in they lead them on through such by matters as questions doubts resolutions conclusions quotations illustrations digressions transitions that the poore Auditor is quite lost for neither knowes he whence he came nor where he is nor how he may get out againe I cannot blame any true University man for this fault but those which came thither to steale other mens labours and fled away by night for heare you such a one his clothes are not more sutable to his profession then his Sermon to his text and if he find his auditor a Sceptick he makes him an Academick if an Epicure he makes him a Stoick if an Infant he makes him a Man so doth God alwaies blesse good meanes and they thrive not so well which take the Plough in hand and are not acquainted with that kind of Husbandry Such a man is the most necessary of all others for his use and ought to bee the most excellent amongst men for his gifts gravity sanctity integrity divinity affability discourse that when men behold him they may see a second Samuel comming downe from the Lords Mount and they are to be commended which provide for them honour and maintenance I see that all auditors popular mixt or pure desire to have a wise and eloquent speaker wherein they are so curious of their choice that amongst many scarce any hath that happinesse to please the major part but as for the auditors themselves they never reckon in what manner they heare and though they beare away very little yet they think it enough if they can give this report The man spake well and to the purpose whereas in the course and order of these things it is