Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
evil_n	evil_a	heart_n	thought_n	2,080	5	8.0009	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64642	Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification, by Christ. By the Right Reverend James Usher, late Arch-bishop of Armagh in Ireland. Published by Jos: Crabb. Will: Ball. Tho: Lye. ministers of the Gospel, who writ them from his mouth, and compared their copies together. With a preface concerning the life of the pious author, by the Reverend Stanly Gower, sometime chaplain to the said bishop.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Gower, Stanley.; Crabb, Joseph, b. 1618 or 19.	1660 (1660)	Wing U173; ESTC R217597	234,164	424

so foul a sight that it would make us out of our wits as it were to behold it A man that is but natural cannot imagine what a black Devil there is within him But though he seeth it not yet he that hath eyes like a flame of fire Rev. 1.14 seeth our stains and spots Our Saviour shewes the filthinesse of the heart by that which proceeds out of the mouth Mat. 15.18 Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart And v. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. Observe Of all evils we account evil thoughts the least This we think strange what thoughts defile a man what so light a matter as a thought Can they make any impression Yes and defile a man too leaving such a spot behind them which nothing but the hot blood of Christ can wash away So many evil thoughts so many blasphemies so many filthy things come from the heart every one being a new defilement and pollution that a man is made so nasty by it and filthy that he cannot believe that it is so bad with him as indeed it is The Apostle having shewn the Corinthians their former life and exhorted them against it 1 Cor. 6. goes on cap. 7. v. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit Mark then there is a double filthinesse a filthinesse of the flesh and a filthinesse of the spirit The filthinesse of the flesh that every one acknowledgeth to be filthy carnality Fornication and Adultery c. These bestial lusts every one knowes to be unclean But then there is a filth of the Spirit too and such are evil thoughts They are the filth of the Spirit Corruptio optimi est pessima The corruption which cleaves to the best thing is worst The soul is the Best thing the most noble thing the filthinesse which cleaves to it therefore must needs be the greatest Fleshly filthiness as Adultery is filthy but contemplative Adultery to dwell thereon is worse however such a man may be pure from the filth of the flesh yet if he delight himself in filthy thoughts his spirit is abominable in the sight of God there is a stain by every one of thy impure thoughts left behind However an actual sin be far greater then the sin of a thought yet if that be but once committed and these are frequently in thee if thou alway lie tumbling in the suds of thy filthy thoughts thy continuing therein makes thy sin more abominable then Davids outward act which he but once committed So that we see there is a filthinesse of the spirit as well as the flesh In James 1.21 we have a word sets out the filthinesse of it which is Superfluity Lay apart saith he all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse First it 's expressed by the name of filthinesse ●hewing there 's nothing so defiles a man as sin Then 't is call'd superfluity of naughtinesse But what is there any naughtinesse to be born with and what exceeds that is it superfluity No that 's not the meaning of the place By superfluity is meant the excrements of sin Excrements are the refuse of meat when the good nourishment is taken away from it And 't is as if the Apostle had said Lay aside filthy nasty or excrementitious sin The word was used in the Ceremonies of the Jewes and thereby we may see what was taught concerning sin Deut. 23.12 13. Thou shalt have a place without the camp whither thou shalt goe c. Though the comparison be homely yet it shews the filthinesse of the sin that it is as a very excrement Thou shalt have a paddle and it shall be that when thou wilt ease thy self thou shalt dig therewith c. and thou shal● cover that which cometh from thee But what did God care for these things No it was to teach them a higher matter As the reason following implies For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp God would thereby shew them that those things at which every man stoppeth his nose are not so filthy to man as sin is unto God So that you see how the case stands with a sinful man sin defiles him it pollutes him 2. And then in the next place It makes Gods soul to hate and abhor him It 's true some sins there are that every man imagineth to be shameful and filthy but we see all sin is so to God 't is fil●hinesse of flesh and spirit A man may hate carnality fleshly filthinesse peradventure also he may hate covetousnesse but pride and prodigality that he may get as he thinks credit by that he cannot maintain the reputation of a Gentleman without them A miserable thing that a man should account that a garnish of the soule which doth defile and pollute it If a man should take the excrements of a beast to adorn himself would not we think him an ass Well when we thus defile our selves by sin God cannot endure us he is forced to turn from us he abhors us And that 's the next woe 2. When thou hast made thy self such a black soul such a dunghill such a sty then God must be gone he cannot endure to dwell there It stands not with his honour and with the purity of his nature to dwell in such a polluted heart there must now be a divorce Holinesse becomes his house for ever His delight is in the Saints He is King of the Saints he will not be in a sty When thou hast thus polluted and defiled thy soul God and thee must presently part God puts thee off and thou puttest God off too We read in that place before alledged Eph. 2 12· that before they knew Christ they were without God in the world c. Atheists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in cap. 4. v. 18. Having your understanding darkned and being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them The presence of God is the life of our soules and we having through sin and ignorance banish't God we become strangers until the time of our ingrafting into Christ we are aliens to the life of God whereupon comes a mutual kind of abhorring one another God abhors us and we vile and filthy wretches abhor God again There is enmity betwixt God and us and between all that belongs to God and all that belongs to us There 's an enmity betwixt God and us and observe the expression of it Levit. 26.15 If you shall despise my statutes or if your soules shall abhor my judgments so that you will not doe my commandements c. See here how we begin to abhor God and then for judgment on such persons v. 30. My soul shall abhor you We are not behind hand with God in this abhorring Zach. 11.8 My soul loathed them and their soul abhorred me When we begin to abhor God Gods soul also abhors us When a man hath such a polluted soul he becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉

we have begun our walks in this path And if thou art not terrified by the Law and the sight of thy sins been at thy wits end as it were weary of thy condition and bondage thou art not in the way yet Our sowing must be in tears And it is said that in the Church Triumphant all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes That 's a promise But is it possible that teares should be wiped from our eyes before we shed them Shall we look to goe to heaven in a way that was never yet found out Shall it be accounted a point of precisenesse to walk in this way or a soul-torturing doctrine to preach it This is the way that all our Forefathers have both preached and gone This is that time of sowing spoken of in Psal. 126.5 6. They that sow in teares shall reap in joy It brings us joy in the end to begin our sowing in teares It waters that precious seed and makes it bring forth joy unto us in abundance yea such as no man can take from us So then having laid this point for a foundation we now will come to the next That until we come to Christ the Law layes hold of us Till Christ come we are shut up under the Law kept under it And if there were nothing else in the world ro make a man weary of his condition this were enough Until a man hath given over himself to Christ and renounced his own righteousnesse he is subject to the Law kept under it not under grace It brings a man only to the place where grace is Put this therefore close to your consciences and jumble not these two together First Nature cometh and whilst you are under that you are under the Law Never think you are under the Covenant of Grace till you believe of which belief we shall speak more hereaftet Whilst you are under the Law you are held under it Whoever is under the Law is under the curse Now that I may unfold it and shew what a fearful thing it is to be under the Law to be held under it although many think it no great matter hearken what the Apostle saith of it Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal. 3. Well then art thou under the Law then never think of being under grace at the same time not but that we may hope to be under grace afterwards By this Law we must be judged and the judgment of the Law is very severe It requires not onely that thou doe this or that good thing but if thou continuest not in every thing that is written therein it condemns thee Strange conceits men have now adayes and strange Divinity is brought forth into the world That if a man does as much as lies in him and what he is of himself able to doe nay farther though he be a Heathen that knows not Christ yet if he doth the best he can if he live honestly towards men according to the conduct of his reason and hath a good mind towards God it 's enough he need not question his eternal welfare A cursed and desperate Doctrine they conclude hence Why say they may not this man be saved as well as the best But if it be so I ask such What is the benefit and advantage of the Jew more then the Gentile What is the benefit of Christ of the Church of Faith of Baptism of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper This ground of Pelagianism is that for which the Church abhors us when we shall undertake to bring a man to salvation without Christ whereas if he be not under grace under Christ he is accursed If thou wilt be saved by the Law it is not thy endeavour or doing what lieth in thee that will serve the turn every jot and tittle that the Law requires must be fulfilled What would be thine estate if thou shouldst be examined according to the strict rigour of the Law Not the least word or thought that is contrary to it but thou must give an account for If thou standest upon thine own bottom or lookest to be saved by thine own deeds not one vain word which thou speakest but thou shalt be questioned for cast and condemned Consider then the great difference of being under Christ and grace and of being under the law When we are under Christ we are freed from a great deal of inconvenience we are not liable to answer for those evil things which we have committed as in that comfortable place of Ezekiel All his iniquities that he hath done shall not be mentioned unto him When a man is come to forsake his old way his evils are cast out of mind a marvellous comfort to a Christian whereas if a man be not in Christ every idle word he must be accountable for if in Christ the greatest sin he ever committed he shall not hear of All they that stand on Gods right hand hear onely of the good things they have done you have fed cloathed and visited me But they on the left hand hear not a word mentioned concerning the good they have done only their evil deeds are reckoned up Now that I may declare to you the difference between the Law and the Gospel I will difference it in three particulars 1. The law rejects any kind of obedience besides that which is thorough sound full and perfect without any touch of the flesh It rejects all crackt payment it will take no clipt coyne That obedience which hath any imperfection joyn'd with it will not be accepted But here I must not speak without book See Rom. 7.14 We know that the Law is spiritual but I am carnal And then concludes O wretched man c. The Law is spiritual What 's that We may know the meaning of it by the particle but but I am carnal The Law is spiritual That is it requires that all our works be spiritual without any carnality or touch of the fl●sh If in any point of our obedience there be a smell of the cask it is rejected If the beer be never so good yet if it have an evil smatch it will not relish Let our services have this savour of the flesh and they will not relish in Gods nostrils And thus the law is spiritual but we are carnal Now it is otherwise here in the state of the Gospel Alas we are carnal it 's true The Apostle himself complaines That there is a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and leading him captive c. Yet notwithstanding the Gospel accepts our obedience though the Law will not What 's the reason of this why it 's plain When the Law comes it looks for justice it puts a strict rule to us it requires we should be compleat But now the Gospel doth not so it requires not justification of our own but looks that being justified by Gods free grace we should

not an instrument at all faith only is the instrument ●aith justifyeth me from sinne hereafter as well as before The case is this faith brings life The righteous shall live by his faith as the Prophet Habakkuk speaks What doth then new sinnes do There are two sorts of sinnes one of ordinary incursion which cannot be avoided these break no friendship betwixt God and us these only weaken our faith and make us worse at ease But there are other sinnes which waste a mans conscience A man that hath committed murder adultery and lives in covetousnesse which in the Apostles is Idolatry as long as a man is in this case he cannot exercise the acts of faith we must know faith justifieth not as an habit but as an act applying Christ to the comfort of the soul. Now a wasting sinne it stops the passage of faith it cannot act till it be opened by repentance Physitians give instances for it Those that have Apoplexies Epilepsies and the Falling sicknesse are thought to be dead for the time as it was with Eutichus yet saith Saint Paul his spirit was in him Every one thought him dead yet his spirit is in him however in regard of the operation of his senses it did appear he was dead So if thou art a carelesse man and lookst not to thy watch and to thy guard but art overtaken in some grosse and grievous sinne thou art taken for dead I say not a man can lose his life that once hath it but yet in the apprehension of others and of himself too he may appear to be so As in Epilepsies the nerves are hindred by obstructions so sinne obstructs the nerves of the soul that there cannot be that life and working till these sinnes be removed Now what is repentance why it clears the passages that as faith could not act before now it gives him dispositions unto it As a man in a swound cannot do the acts of a living man till he be refreshed again so here its repentance which clears the spirits and makes the life of faith passe throughout Now when repentance clears the passages then faith acts and now there is a new act of faith faith justifies me from my new sinnes faith at first and at last is that whereby I am justified from my sins which I commit afterwards But this forgivenesse of sinnes what doth it free us from In sinne we must consider two things the fault and the punishment Now consider sinne as it is in it self and as it respects the sinner as acted by him as respecting the fault of the sinner it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law The punishment is death as it respects the sinner it is guilt The sin is not guilt but the guilt the sinners For instance a man that hath told a lye or sworn an oath the act is past but a thing remains which we call the guilt As if a man commit murder or adultery the act is past but yet if he sleep or walk or wake the guilt follows him If he live an hundred years he is a murderer still and an adulterer still the guilt follows him and nothing can take away the murder or adultery from the soul but the blood of Christ applyed by faith First God takes away the punishment There is now saith the Apostle no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit what nothing in him worthy condemnation God knows we are worthy of a thousand condemnations There are two Judges there is a double guilt when a man is brought to the barre first the Jury judge the fact and then the Judge that sits on the Bench he judgeth the punishment one saith guilty or not guilty the other saith guilty then he judgeth him Now when we are justified we are freed from both these guilts sinne when it is accomplish't it bringeth forth death You know the natural work of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it labours with death now God will stop the acts of it that it shall not do that which it is apt to do which is as good as if the sinne were taken away when there were wilde guords sliced into the pot 2 Kings 4.31 it 's said the Prophet took that venemous herbe away i. e. though the thing were there yet it is as if it were not there it shall do no manner of hurt Bring now and poure out and there was no evil thing So in respect of us though there be an evil thing in punishment and if we had our due would bring condemnation yet when we are sprinkled with the blood of Christ it can do us no evil no hurt it 's said in the Scripture that the stars fell from heaven why the starres are of that bignesse that they cannot fall from heaven to the earth but they are said to fall when they give not their light and do not that for which they were put there so though I have committed sinne yet when God is pleased for Christs sake to pardon it it is as if it were not there at all This is a great matter but I tell you there is more we are not only freed from the guilt of the punishment but which is higher we are freed from the guilt of the fact I am now no more a murderer no more a lyar when I have received a pardon from the blood of Christ he frees me from that charge the world is changed with me now Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect If the Divel lay any thing to thee thou mayst deny it Such a one I was but I am justified but I am sanctified A man hath committed High Treason against the King and the King gives him a pardon for the Treason if I call him a Traytor he can have no remedy against me for he is one the pardon takes not away the guilt But if his blood be restored unto him by Act of Parliament then if I shall call him Traytor he may have remedy against me because he is restored fully and is not lyable to that disgrace This is our case though our sinnes be as red as scarlet yet the die shall be changed it shall not be so bloody Thou hast the grace of justification and this doth not only clear thee from the punishment but from the fault it self See in Jer. 50.20 the place is worth gold In those daye● and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve what is the matter what a sinful man and no sinne what when there is search made for sinne in such a man shall it not be found you will say this is meant of the grace of sanctification no I will pardon them that pardoning of sinne makes the sin not to be found What a wonderful comfort is this