Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	adam_n	sin_n	transgression_n	2,566	5	10.8439	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73023	M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Sturbridge Faire. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie: deliuered publiquely in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. With a preface præfixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the perticulers [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1605 (1605)	STC 19706.5; ESTC S123485	128,687	352

the world to loue God and to beleeue in Christ and for sake sinne it is therefore manifest that they haue not yet begun to beleeue or repent nor haue entred into the first step of grace which leadeth to repentance for that they haue not learned this lesson which the Prophet teacheth that is to search themselues Furthermore let vs in the second place obserue better the signification of the word it signifieth to Search narrowly as a man would doe for a piece of gold or a p●cious Iewell which is lost in a great house Or as a man may search for gold in a Myne of the earth where is much earth and but very little gold Oare Hence wee may learne that in true Repentance and conuersion we must not search so only as to find the grosse and palpable sinnes of our liues but so as we may finde those sinnes which the world accounts lesser sinnes and espie our secret faults priuy corruptions Some corruptions see memore neere a kinne to our nature and therein men hope to be excused when they forsake many other greater sins But a true penitent sinner must search for such so as a good Magistrate searcheth for a lurking 〈…〉 which is 〈◊〉 into some close and secret corner and he must ranfack his heart for such corruptions as wherein his heart takes special delight and must thanke that no sinne can be so small but it is too great to be spared and that euery sinne great or litle must be searched for as being all Tray 〈◊〉 to Gods Maiestie But alas the practise ●● the world is farre otherwise great sinnes are little sinnes little sinnes are no sinnes Nay after a little custome great sinnes are also little or nothing and so at last men make no bones of grosse and grieuous sins and for the most part men search so superficially that they scarse finde any thing to be sinne such excuses are made such distinctiōs are deuised such mittigations such qualifications such colours are cast vppon all sinnes as now vp and downe the world grosse sins are called into question whether they be sins or no and the great transgressions of the lawe are counted small matters necessarie euils or inconueniences tollerated to auoyd other euils and what is he counted but a curious and a precise foole which stands vpon them Ignorance after fiue and thirtie yeares preaching is counted no sinne blind deuotion in Gods seruice no sin lippe labour in praying vaine and customable swearing mocking of religion and the professors thereof no sin prophaning of the Saboath contemning of preachers abusing of parents no sinnes pride in apparel superfluitie in meates beastly and ordinarie drunkennes fornication no sinnes Nay decites Cosonages oppressing vsury notorious briberie and couetousnes that mother sinne these are counted no sinnes these beames are made but moates by prophane men they are so minced and carued or there is some such necessitie of them or some such other flourish or vernish must be cast vpon thē as that they are little or none at all Alas alas is not that a simple a silly search where such blockes as these are lye vnspied what are moulehils when such mountaines are not seene Moates will be little regarded where such beames are not discerned but it is cleare that therefore there is no true trial nor diligent search made for a true conuert will search his heart for all and wil spare none He deales in searching his owne heart as a good Iustice of peace in searching for traytors or Seminarie Priests He seekes not superficially but most exactly and leaueth neuer a corner vnsought and he thinkes great sinnes to be infinite and little sinnes great and iudgeth no sinne so small but that it deserueth the anger of God therefore he wonders at the mercy of God which throwes vs not al downe to hel in a moment he crieth out with holy Ieremie It is the Lords mercie that we are not consumed Away then with this superficial hypocritical search where so many sinnes are spared and not found out It is Pharisaical for euen so the Pharisie when hee came into the Temple to recken with God and to tell what Traytours hee had found that is what sinnes vpon good search hee had espied he returnes his precept all is well he hath found neuer a one but beginnes to thanke God that he was so good and so good and not so il and so il nor yet like the Publicane The world is full of Pharisies not onely the popish Church but euen our Church swarms with these superficial searchers who cannot because they will not finde any sinnes to present vnto God Men thinke in the Countrie a Church Officer hazards his Oath if he present all well and findeth no fault in his Parish to present as punishable to the Ordinary for men thinke it vnpossible that there should bee none in a whole parish then how doth that man hazard his own soule who being made ouerseer searcher of his heart findes nothing in it to present to the Lord. For it is not more easie to espie outward actual trāsgessions in a whole parish then it is to finde a heape of corruptions in a mans heart if a man will search into the bottome of it with the light of Gods Law Therefore when the Lord comes and keepes his visitation what shal become of such a man but to vndergoe the strict and seuere search of the Almightie because hee would not search himselfe Our bodyes and liues are free from spanish Inquisition which is one of the last props which Sathan hath lent the Pope wherewith to vphold his declining kingdom and the Lord grant we may be euer free from it But in the meane time that might put vs in mind how to deale with our corrupt hearts and vnmortified affections euen to erect an Inquisition ouer them to lay in waite for them to search them narrowly and to vse them roughly yea to set our hearts vpon the rack of Gods law that so it may confesse the secret wickednesse of it for the Papistes doe not thinke vs Protestants greater enemies to their superstition then the inward corruptions of our hearts are to our saluation therefore it may bee a godly pollicie for euery man curn to erect an Inquisition ouer his owne heart and conscience and not to spare his most secret and dearest sinnes and such as are neerest allyed to his owne nature for that is the true search here commaunded by the Prophet and practised by all Godly and holy men when a man purposeth to finde al that are to espie euē al his sins for a godly man is neuer satisfied in his search but still the more he findes he suspects the more are stil behind and therefore hee continueth searching his owne heart all his life long Therefore let euery professor looke to it betwixt God and his conscience that he dally not with himselfe in ths case for if he doe then

hee therefore that hath in his nature the seede of all sinnes hath also the seede of it And againe seeing all euill tendes to a perfection as well as grace doth what reason therefore is there but wee may safely thinke that the Diuell would hale euery one to that height of sinne if it were not that the powerfull hand of God preuented him who will neither suffer wicked men nor the Diuell himselfe to bee so wicked as they could and would be The vse of this second rule is notable For in this searching of our selues it sheweth vs what wee are without all colours or deceit and fully discouers vnto vs the vglinesse of our natures and it may teach vs all how to think and esteeme of our selues when we heare of Caines vnnaturall murther Pharohs vnnatural crueltie the Sodomits vnnatural lust Achitophles diuilish pollicy Senacheribs horrible blasphemie Iudas monstrous treason Iulians fearefull Apostacie When we heare of the fearefull murders treasons periuties sinnes against nature blasphemies Apostacies witchcrafts and other the horrible sinnes of the world let vs then returne into our selues looke homewards euen into our owne hearts and confesse euery one that these should haue bene euen thy sinnes also if Gods grace had not preuented thee This will humble thee and make thee thinke vilely basely of thy selfe and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendment and the very reason why men repent not nor amend their waies is because they are Pharisies by nature and thinke highly of themselues and of their owne natures and their naturall inclinations this will be a harsh and a strange Doctrine to them Oh they haue excellent natures and they cannot indure such and such sinnes and they thanke God they are not as ill as others but let all such men knowe they must cease magnifying nature and learne to magnifie Gods grace Let them knowe that nature in them is in the Roote as much corrupt as in the worst man in the world and euery mans heart is a bottomlesse fountaine of all sinne therefore praise not thy nature but Gods grace and mercy in giuing thee so good a nature or rather so well restraining and rectifying thy nature and stay not there but desire of the Lord that as he hath giuen thee a better tempered nature thē to other men so also he would bestowe on thee his speciall and sauing grace and as he hath kept thee from the feareful sins of others thou being as ill naturally as they so he would also lead thee into the way of saluation which else the best nature in the world can neuer attaine vnto The third rule to be known and practised by him who will truly search himselfe is that euery man borne of Adam is by nature the child of wrath and Gods enimie this is true of all without exception High or Low Rich or poore noble or simple borne in the visible Church or without And further by being enemy of God he is therefore borne subiect to hell to damnation and to all other curses so that looke as a Traytour conuicted stands therby in his Princes high displeasure and is sure of death without speciall pardon so stands euery man when he is borne conuicted of high treason against God in his high disfauour and is in daunger of Hell which is the fulfilling of the wrath of God Thus Dauid confesseth of himselfe I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my Mother conceined me If in sinne then in Gods wrath and vnder the danger of damnation If any aske how or why this is so I answere the truth as also the equitie of this third rule depends on the two former for because euery man is borne guiltie of Adams great sinne and also tainted originally with all corruption a pronnesse to all sin therefore it followeth in equitie and iustice that euery man is borne vnder the wrath and curse of God This point is a plaine and euident truth yet men in the world thinke not so and it is the cause why men repent not of their sinnes for most men thinke that by nature they are in Gods fauour and therfore they neede not to sue for it in humiliation and repentance but onely liue ciuily and do no open wrong and all is well whereas alas there is no condemned Traytour more out of his Princes fauour nor more sure of death without a pardon then al we are out of Gods fauour and sure of damnation vnlesse we procure Gods fauour again by faith and repentance For the better opening of this third rule and the manifesting of the truth let vs know further that the curse of God vnder the which we are all borne is three-fould The first is a bondage vnder Sathan It is a certaine truth that euery man as he is borne of his Parents and till hee repent is a slaue of Sathan man or woman high or low Sathan is his Lord and Maister Hee sittes as iudge in his heart and in this sence Sathan is the King of the Nations and God of the world Men will in wordes defie Sathan and not name him without defiance and spitte at him and yet alas hee is in their hearts they spit him out of their mouthes but hee is lower they should also spitte him out of their hearts and that is true defiance indeede for alas hee lodgeth in thy heart and there he makes his Throne and raignes vntill the spirit of regeneration dispossesse him and till then no seruant is so subiect to his maister no slaue to his Lord as is the heart of man by nature vnto Sathan the prince of darknesse Nay our bondage is more fearefull then the slauery of any poore Christian in the Spaniards or in the Turkes Gallies for their bodies are but in bondage and at commaund and vnder punishment but our best part our heart our conscience our soule it selfe is captiuated vnto him and vnder his commaunde who is the King of crueltie and confusion and Lord of Hell whose commaundements are Iniustice whose seruice is sinne and whose hyre is damnation The second part of the Curse is the first death or the death of the body that is a separation of the soule and body a sunder for a time namely till the last iudgement This death is duly and iustly the punishment of any one or the least sinne therefore how due and iust a punishment vpon that horrible heape of sinfulnesse which is in euery mans nature and it is a most terrible curse For it is the very gate of hel and the downfall to damnation vnto all men but such as by faith and repentance doe get their death sanctified by the death of Christ vnto such men indeed it is no curse but a gracious and glorious blessing for it is altered by Christ his death But vnto all men by nature and which repent not it is the heauy curse of Gods wrath and the very downfall into the gulfe of Hell The thirde part of the

curse vnder which euery man is borne is the second death the death of soule and bodie which is the eternall want of Gods presence and the accomplishment of his wrath and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath seazing on body soule and conscience The first curse was a spirituall death the death of the soule The second a temporarie death the death of the body The third is an eternall death a death both of soule and bodie together and for euer This eternall death is the curse of all curses the miserie of all miseries and torment of all torments and I shewe it thus Often when thy tooth acheth and sometime when thy head acheth or in the paine of the stone or collicke thou wouldest giue all that thou hast in the world to bee eased of that paine Nay in the exstremitie of some fitts many will wish them-selues euen out of the world Now if the paine of one tooth can so farre distemper minde and body that it cannot bee releiued with all the pleasures of this life O then what a torment shall that bee when not one kinde of paine but the whole viole of Gods wrath shall bee powred not on one member but on the whole soule body and conscience and that not for a time vnder hope of better but eternally without hope of release and that not in this world where there are comforts helpes and remedies but in that vgly and darksome place of torments and that not amongst liuing men which might mittigate thy paine or else bemone thee and beway leit with thee but with the Diuels and damned spirits which will now laugh at thy destruction and solace themselues in this thy misery and will reioyce as thou didest serue them in earth so now in hel to be thy tormēters It may be therfore by the way good warning and wisedome to vs all when we feele the extremity of some bodily paine to consider with our selues and say O then what shall be my misery and torment if I repent not when not one member but soule bodie and conscience shall be racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the Lord of Hostes In these three points stands that curse and wrath of God vnder which euery man is borne And these doe answer to the three degrees of sinne which are in vs for as the two first Rules taught vs there is in euery man by nature till hee repent a three-fold guiltinesse First a guiltinesse of Adams sinne Secondly the taint of originall and vniuersal corruption Thirdly a pollution by many outragious actuall sinnes In the first of these euery man is equally guiltie In the second euery man is equally corrupt But in the third euery one keepes that compasse within which the Lord wil keepe them by his limitting power Now as in our guiltinesse of Adams sinne sin hath his beginning In originall sinne his continuance in actuall sin his perfection So answerable herevnto the wrath of God which alwaies standeth opposite to sinne is begun in leauing vs by nature to the slauerie of Sathan is continued by death and is accomplished in damnation And now these three Rules I commend to the carefull Christian consideration of you all certifying you from God that as you can neuer bee saued vnlesse you repent nor repent vnlesse you Search your selues as here the Prophet bid deth So that you can neuer search your selues aright til you bee perswaded and resolued of these three Rules and of the truth of them all euen in your hearts and consciences namely First that thou art guiltie of Adams sin Secondly that thou art prone by nature to al euil in the world Thirdly that for these thou art subiect to the wrath of God and to all the curses of his wrath but when thou art in heart conscience resolued that these are true then thou art a fit Scholler for this Lesson of the Prophet Search thy selfe For when thou goest thus prepared vnto this Search and esteemest of thy selfe as these three Rules haue described thee then if thou Search into thy selfe thou wilt finde thy selfe and thy estate to be such as will cause thee to repent returne and take a new course therefore what the Prophet sayd to those Iewes I say vnto you also my brethren of this Realme of England who are here now gathered together out of so many countries quarters of this Realme yea in the name of the same God I cry vnto you Search O Search your selues and thinke it not a matter indifferent to do or not to doe it but know it that God commandes you as euer you will come to saluation Search your selues And the rather because by these three Rules you see how much chaffe of corruption is in your nature and what neede therefore it hath to bee searched into and fanned by Repentance Bee well assured thou man whatsoeuer thou art there is so much Chaffe in thee that if thou search not and fanne it not out thou wilt proue nothing but Chaffe at the last day and so be blown away with the winde of Gods iustice into Hell Take hold therefore of this exhortation and deferre it not Thou wilt not suffer thy Wheate to lye too long in the chaffe for feare of hurting it Is it then safe to suffer the chaffe of thy sinnes and corruptions to lie cankering and rotting in thy heart Bee sure that that little portion of grace which thou attainest vnto by liuing in the Church and vnder the Ministrie of the Word of GOD will bee putrifyed and cleane corrupted with the Chaffe of thy sinnes therefore againe and againe I exhort you to make conscience of this dutie Search into your selues fanne out this Chaffe this presumption of ours and high esteeming of our owne nature and conceits of Gods fauour before wee haue it that so this Chaffe being blowne away the Lord may then bestow vpon vs foundnesse of grace the foundation of al goodnes which is a holy humbled heart Salnation is such a building as the foundation thereof had need to be sure and strong Ignorance blindnesse and presumption are not sufficient foundations for such a building therefore as no man wil build a strong house vpon any earth but will first search it least it prooue Sandie so ouerthrow all So a wise Christian will not build his saluation vpon fancies conceits and naturall presumptions but will Search and looke into his heart and finding these to be sandie and rotten and therefore too weake for the foundation of so glorious a building wil refuse them all and labour to furnish his heart with such sound grace as whervpon he may trust so weighty a work as is the Saluation of his soule Againe if thou wilt stand in the day of triall then Search thy heart betime and discerne betwixt Chaffe Wheat thou seest that chaffe flyeth away before the wind but good corne indures the Fan and the furie of the wind so in