Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	4,002	5	11.2412	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09417	A faithfull and plaine exposition vpon the 2. chapter of Zephaniah by that reuerend and iudicious diuine, M.W. Perkins. Containing a powerful exhortation to repentance: as also the manner hovve men in repentance are to search themselues. Published by a preacher of the vvord. With a preface prefixed, touching the publishing of M. Perkins his vvorks. And a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to be expected.; M. Perkins, his exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah. Selections	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1609 (1609)	STC 19708; ESTC S105944	42,578	198

beleeue in Christ and forsake sinne it is therefore manifest that they haue not yet begunne to Beleeue or Repent nor haue entered 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 searche narrowely as a man would doe for a peece of Gold or a precious Iewell which is lost in a great house Or as a man may searche for Golde in a Mine of the earth where is much earth and but very little golde Oare Heere wee may learne that in true Repentance and conuersion wee must not search so onely as to find the grosse and palpable sinnes of our liues but so as wee may finde those sinnes which the world accounts lesser sinnes and espie our secret saults priuie corruptions Some corruptiōs seeme more neere a kin of our nature therein men hope to bee excused when they forsake many other greater sinnes But a true penitent sinner must search for such so as a good Magistrate searcheth for a lurking traitor which is conueied into some close and secret corner and he must ransacke his heart for such corruptions as wherin his heart takes speciall delight and must thinke that no sinne can be so small but it is too great to bee spared and that euery sin great or litle must be searched for as beeing all traitors to Gods Maiestie But alas the practise of the world is far otherwise great sinnes are little sinnes little sinnes are no sinnes Nay after a little custome great sins are so little or nothing and so at last men make no bones of grosse and grieuous sinnes and for the most parte men search so superficiallie that they scarce finde any thing to be sinnes such excuses are made such distinctions are deuised such mittigations such qualifications such colours are cast vpon all sins as now vp downe the world grosse sinnes are called into question whether they bee sins or no the great trangressions of the Law are coūted small matters necessarie euils or inconueniences tollerated to auoyd other euils and what is hee counted but a curious and precise foole which stands vpon them Ignorance after fiue and thirtie yeares preaching is counted no sinne blinde deuotion in Gods seruice no sinne lippe labour in praying vaine and customable swearing mocking of religion and the professours thereof no sinne prophaning of the Sabbaoth contemning of preachers abusing of parentes no sinne pride in apparell superfluitie in meates beastly ordinarie drunkennes fornication no sinnes Nay deceits cosonages oppressing vsurie notorious briberie and couetousnesse 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 varnish must bee cast vpon them as that they are little or none at all Alas alas is not that a simple and a silly searche where such blockes as these are lye vnespyed what are moul-hilles when such mountains are not seene Moates wil be little regarded where such beames are not discerned but it is cleere that therefore there is no true tryall nor diligent search made for a true cōuert wil search his hart for all and will spare none He deales in searching his own heart as a good Iustice of peace in searching for Traitors or Seminarie Priests Hee seekes not superficially but most exactly leaueth neuer a corner vnsought and he thinkes great sinnes to be infinit and little sinnes great and iudgeth no sin so small but that it deserueth the anger of God and therefore he wonders at the mercy of God which throwes vs not all downe to hell in a moment and hee crieth out with holy Ieremie It is the Lords mercie that wee are not consumed Away then with this superficiall and hypocriticall search where so many sins are spared and not found out It is Pharisaicall for euen so the Pharisie when he came into the Temple to recken with God and to tell what Traytors hee hadde found that is what sins vpon good search he had espied he returnes his precept all is well hee hath found neuer a one but begins to thank God that he was so good so good and not so ill and so ill nor yet like the Publicane The world is full of Pharisies not onely the Popish Churche but euen our Church swarmes with these superficiall searches who cannot because they wil not finde any sinne to present vnto God Men thinke in the countrey a Church Officer hazards his Oath if he present all well and findeth no faulte in his parish to present as punishable to the Ordinary for men think it vnpossible that there should bee none in a whole parish then how doth that man hazard his owne soule who being made ouerseer searcher of his heart findes nothing in it to present to the Lord. For it is no more easie to espye outward and actuall transgressions in a whole parish then it is to find a heape of corruptions in a mans heart if a man will search into the bottome of it with the light of Gods lawe Therefore when the Lord comes and keepes his visitation what shall become of such a man but to vndergoe the strict seuere search of the Almightie because hee would not search himselfe Our bodies liues are free frō Spanish Inquisition which is one of the last proppes which Sathan hath lent the Pope wherewith to vpholde his declining kingdome 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 heartes and vnmortified affections euen to erect an Inquisition ouer them to lay in wayte for them to search them narrowly and to vse them roughly yea to set our hearts vpon the racke of Gods Lawe that so it may confesse the secrete wickednesse of it for the Papistes dooe not thincke vs Protestants greater enemies to their superstition then the inwarde corruptions of our hearts are to our saluation therefore it may bee a godly pollicie for euery man euen to erect an Inquisitiō ouer his owne heart and conscience and not to spare his most secret dearest sins and such as are neerest allyed to his owne nature for that is the true search heere commaunded by the Prophet practised by all godlie and holie men when a man purposeth to finde all that are to espie euen all his sinnes for a godly man is neuer satisfied in his searche but still the more he findes hee suspects the more are still behinde and therefore he continueth ing his owne heart all his life long Therefore let euerie professor looke to it betwixt God and his conscience that he dallie not with himselfe in this case for it hee doe then when God comes with his priuie searche his

they shal flie away with the winde of Gods iustice Of all these points in order For the first the holy Ghost saith Search your selues The wordes are commonly read thus Gather your selues which though it bee good for that in Repentance a man gathereth himselfe all his wits together which afore were dispersed wandred vp and downe in vanitie yet I rather allowe their translation who reade thus Search or fanne your selues but either of them may stand because the word in the originall doth comprehend both significations yet it seemeth that to search or sift fits this place better considering the same manner of speech is afterwardes continued in the word Chaffe so that the meaning of the holy Ghost seemeth to be this Search try and fanne your selues least you bee found light chaffe and so flie away and be consumed before the Iustice of God Concerning this dutie of searching let vs obserue first that the holy Ghost vrging the Iewes to repent vseth not the word Repentance but bids them search themselues yet meaning he wold haue them to repent giuing vs to vnderstand that no man can haue true sound repentance but he who hath first of all searched and examined him selfe and this stands with good reason for no man can repent who first of all doeth not knowe himselfe and his owne wretchednes But no man can see into himselfe nor know himselfe but hee that doeth diligentlie search himselfe so that the beginning of all grace is for a man to search trie and fan himselfe that therby he may knowe what is in himselfe that so vpon the searche seeing his fearefull and damnable estate hee may forsake himselfe and his owne wayes and turne to the Lord. Thus speaketh the holie Ghost in the heartes of holie men Let vs searche and trye our wayes and marke what followeth and turne againe to the Lord as though there were no turning againe vnto the Lord but after a searching of our selues With this testimony of the holy Ghost agreeth the testimonie of all holy mens consciences who all know that the first beginning of their turning vnto the Lorde was a searching of themselues Let any repentant sinner aske his conscience call to minde his first calling and conuersion and hee will remember that the first thing in his Repentance was this that he searched into himselfe and looked narrowly into his wayes and finding his wayes dangerous his case fearful did thervpō resoule to take a new course turn to the Lord for pardō mercy and for grace to enter into more holie and more comfortable courses The man that passeth vpon ridges of mountaines and sides of hills or that goeth ouer a narrow bridge or some dangerous and steepe rocks at midnight feareth not because he seeth no danger but bring the same man in the morning and let him see the narrowe bridge hee went ouer in the night vnder which runnes a violent streame and a bottomlesse gulfe and the daungerous Mountaines and Rockes hee passed ouer and hee will woonder at his owne boldenesse and shrincke for feare to thinke of it and will by no meanes venture the same way againe for now he seeth the height of the Mountaines the steepenesse of the hils the cragginesse of the Rocks the fearefull downfall and the furious violence of the streame vnderneath and thereby seeth the extreame danger which afore he saw not therefore he wondreth and reioyceth that hee hath escaped so great a daunger and will by no meanes bee drawne to goe that waye in the day which he went most carelesly in the darknesse of the night but seeketh another way though it should bee far about So a sinner in his first estate which is naturall and corrupt as wee are bred and borne hath a vaile before his face so that he seeth nothing the wrath of God and the curse due for sin hell damnation seeking to deuoure him hee seeth them not although liuing alwaies in sin he walketh in the very iawes of hell it selfe and because he seeth not this fearefull daunger therefore he refuseth no sin at all but rusheth securely into all manner of sinne the night of impenitencie and the myst of ignoraunce so blinding his eyes that hee seeth not the narrow bridge of this life from which if hee slyde hee falles immediately into the bottomlesse pitte of hell But when as Gods Spirit hath by the Light of Gods word opened his eyes and touched his heart to consider his estate then hee seeth the fraile bridge of this narrowe life and howe little a steppe there is betweene him and damnation then hee seeth hell open due for his sinnes and himselfe in the high-way to it sinne beeing the craggy rocke and hell the gaping gulfe vnder it this life beeing the narrowe bridge and damnation the streame that runneth vnder it Then he wondereth at his miserable estate admireth the mercie of GOD in keeping him from falling into the bottome of hell wondereth at the presumptuous boldnesse of his corruption which so securely plodded on towards destruction and being ashamed of himselfe and these his wayes he turnes his heart to the God that saued him from these dangers and sets himselfe into more holie wayes and more comfortable courses and confesseth that ignorāce made him bold and blindnes made him so presumptuous but nowe he seeth the danger will by no meanes goe the same way againe thus the searching and seeing into the foulenes of sinne and the danger therof is the first beginning of repentance and the first step into grace This doctrine teacheth vs what faith and repentance is generally in the world All men say they belieue and haue repented long ago but trie it well and wee shall finde in the bodie of our Nation but a lippe Faith and a lippe Repentance for euen when they say so they are blind and ignorant of their own estate and knowe not themselues that because they are baptized and liue in the Church therefore they are in Gods fauour in verie good estate when as they neuer yet were reconciled to God and are so farre from it that they neuer yet sawe anie sinnes in themselues whereof they should repent as a man trauelling in the night seeth no daunger but plods on without feare So the most part of our common people in the night of their ignorance thinke and presume they loue and feare God and loue their Neighbour and that they haue euer done so Nay it is the common opinion that a man may doe so by nature and that he is not worthy to liue who doth not loue God with all his heart and beleeue in Iesus Christ. But alas poore simple soules they neuer knewe what sinne was neuer searched nor sawe into their owne hearts with the light of Gods law for if they had they should haue seene such a Sea of corruption that then they woulde confesse it to be the hardest thing in the world to loue God to

in eating the forbidden fruit was thy sinne and thou sinnedst therein as well as hee though thou wast then vnborne and that thou art guiltie of it before God and must aunswere for it to Gods iustice vnlesse Christ doe it for thee The reason heereof is because wee are his seede and posteritie wee were then in his loynes he was the Father of vs all and was not a priuate man as wee are now but a publike person the pledge of all mankinde and bare the person of vs all at that time therefore what hee did then he did it for himselfe and for vs what couenant God made with him was made for himself vs what God promised him and hee to God he promised for himselfe for vs what he receiued for himselfe and for vs and what hee gained or lost by his fall he gained lost for vs as for himselfe Hee lost the fauour of God and originall puritie therefore he lost it for all his posteritie guiltinesse and Gods anger and corruption of nature which hee gained he got for vs all as well as for himselfe If we doubt of this pointe it is prooued by the Apostle where the holie Ghost saith Sinne entred by one man and death by sinne and that sinne went ouer all and that it went ouer all them which sinned not in the like transgression with Adam that is euen our children who as they are borne are borne not onely tainted with original corruption but guilty also of Adams sinne This is a most certaine truth thogh it seeme strange for few men thinke of it that euer they shall answere for Adams sinne and therefore if anie obiect what reason is there that I answere for another mans sinne I answere true if it had beene Adams sinne alone but it was his and thine also for hee was thy Father and stood in thy roome and thou also since thou wast borne hast confirmed what hee did Now therefore though not one of many thinkes seriouslie thereof namely that hee shoulde stand guiltie of a sinne committed fiue thousand yeares before hee was borne yet seeing it is most true both in Scripture and good reason let euerie man subscribe in his conscience to this Truth And let this bee thy first Resolution in this searche that thou standest guiltie of Ad●ms transgression The second rule to bee knowne is that in euery man is all sinnes more plainely that in euerie man by nature are the seedes of all sinnes and that not in the worste but in the best natured men make choyse of the best man and the greatest sinne and that worst sinne is to bee founde in that best man If anie doubte of this let him consider what originall sinne is namely a corruption of the powers of our soules and that not of some or in part but of all wholly This corruptiō hath two partes First a want not of some but of all good inclination a want of all goodnes Secondly a depriuation and pronenesse not to some but to all euil not a pronenes onely but originall sinne infuseth into euery mās heart the seede of all corruption Manie man stand much vpon their good meaning and vpright heart and bragge of a good nature but they are foulely deceiued for take the ciuilest man vpon the earth and the seedes of all sinnes in the worlde are in him by nature But to explain this point fully obserue these 2. clauses First I say not the practise of all sinnes but the seedes for all men practise not all sinne the seedes are in their nature but the practise is restrained sometime by education sometime by good and wholsome lawes somtime the constitution of mens bodies deny the practise of som sins somtime the countrie a man dwelles in or calling a man liues in keepes him from the practise of some sinnes and alwayes a generall and limitting grace of GOD restrains the nature of all men from running into manie sinnes which hand of God if God should take away and leaue euerie man to his nature wee should see that euerie man would practise anie sinne in the world yea euen the greatest sinnes that euer wee heard to bee done in the world All men which knowe themselues knowe this to be true and the more a man knowes his owne heart the more hee seeth that his heart is a Sea of all wickednesse and that it is the mercie and grace of God that hee hath not fallen into the mightiest and most monstrous sinnes in the world Secondly I say by nature For I knowe by good education and by grace it is otherwise Grace rectifieth Nature but that is no thankes to nature for it is as euill and corrupt still beeing seuered from grace and therefore Nature must bee fullie abolished afore man come to heauen And yet though all this be true I say not that sin breakes out in all natures alike though all natures bee alike corrupt for the course of nature is restrained in some more then others by the meanes aforesaide but this is the truth that whereas some are not so angrie some not so wanton some not so cruell some not so couetous some not so ambitious c. as others that comes not from anie goodnesse of nature in them aboue the other originallie but from Gods hand which tempereth restraineth and moderateth euerie mās nature as he seeth good And if God did not thus moderate restraine the natures of men but suffer them to break out to the full there would then bee no order but all confusion in the worlde therefore as especiallie for his Churches quietnes so also for the preseruatiō of publike peace and the vpholding of societie in the worlde betweene man and man the Lord holds a hand ouer euerie mans nature and keepes euery one in a certaine compasse limited by the wisdome of his power which restraining hand of his if the Lord should take away all societies and Common-wealthes woulde bee turned vp-side downe because euerie man by the vniuersall corruption of his Nature would breake out into euery sinne I ende this point with appealing to the testimonie of the consciences of all men and especiallie of the best and holyest men of whom I would aske this question whether they finde not in their natures an inclination euen to the fowlest sinnes in the worlde if shame or feare or else the grace of God restrained them not so that the best men doe know well enough what adooe they haue with their corrupt natures to keep them within the compasse of obedience Nay I yet adde further the nature of men of all men is so corrupt since Adam that euen the seede of the sinne against the holy Ghost a pronenesse to it is in the nature of euery man though not one man amongst manie thousandes doe commit that sin for seeing in that sinne there is a heape or Sea of all sinnes gathered together he therefore that hath in his nature the seede of all sinnes hath